We did the hearing tests last week in calgary....not bad news....but not real news either? IDK... I left feeling frustrated... On the hearing scale anything above 20 is considered hearing loss, so her scores for her one damaged ear was often hovering just before that, while her other good ear was 10 points better usually... They call this normal still? She can only hear muffled noises out of one ear which is new since the injury....
The other tests said there is no fluid or blockages, so that's not the issue. But they can't explain the severely reduced hearing and muffled sounds for that ear that the bone pierced up thru, nor can they explain why she cannot stand and close her eyes without falling. She cannot even shower by herself anymore, the minute she closes her eyes under the water she falls backwards!! I had to buy a plastic chair to put in the shower for her to sit and shower in! Clearly her equilibrium is not right on top of the hearing loss she's experiencing! I was then told that there is one other test that can be done, but we don't have the machines for it and don't know where to go to do it, that would explain the damage in this part of her ear to be doing what it's doing. But, not to worry about it, they are sure it'll get better on it's own in a couple weeks. That's been small comfort after nearly a month already and things aren't back to normal.
I'll give it that time and hope to god it somehow heals in that time....if not we'll be referred to the ear specialist I guess. Why can nothing be easy and black and white when it comes to her?! sigh....lets just hope like with her bones, time will heal it...
We saw the plastic surgeon yesterday, and things aren't quite as healed as he hoped based on her still having some tenderness on the one side where the bone from the jaw had pierced up thru her ear canal. In 2 weeks though she is booked in for surgery to remove her jaw wiring and brackets. She will have a lot of stiffness and difficulty opening and closing her mouth for awhile after he said. He also said there is a possibility with the multiple breaks she sustained she may have issues with her jaw dislocating on it's own. Unfortunately we had to cancel her dental appointment for next week to start work on trying to save her teeth that should have been started a few weeks ago but we couldn't do because her jaw was wired shut. She is rebooked in for the day after surgery now. I can only imagine the pain she will be in for that as they try to keep her jaw forced open wide to do root canals, x-rays etc... :( Her chances of saving those teeth have been greatly reduced as well now with all this time having passed before the dentist could start the intervention processes needed... I'm really hoping this time luck will be on our side and not against us for once in this!
The other tests said there is no fluid or blockages, so that's not the issue. But they can't explain the severely reduced hearing and muffled sounds for that ear that the bone pierced up thru, nor can they explain why she cannot stand and close her eyes without falling. She cannot even shower by herself anymore, the minute she closes her eyes under the water she falls backwards!! I had to buy a plastic chair to put in the shower for her to sit and shower in! Clearly her equilibrium is not right on top of the hearing loss she's experiencing! I was then told that there is one other test that can be done, but we don't have the machines for it and don't know where to go to do it, that would explain the damage in this part of her ear to be doing what it's doing. But, not to worry about it, they are sure it'll get better on it's own in a couple weeks. That's been small comfort after nearly a month already and things aren't back to normal.
I'll give it that time and hope to god it somehow heals in that time....if not we'll be referred to the ear specialist I guess. Why can nothing be easy and black and white when it comes to her?! sigh....lets just hope like with her bones, time will heal it...
We saw the plastic surgeon yesterday, and things aren't quite as healed as he hoped based on her still having some tenderness on the one side where the bone from the jaw had pierced up thru her ear canal. In 2 weeks though she is booked in for surgery to remove her jaw wiring and brackets. She will have a lot of stiffness and difficulty opening and closing her mouth for awhile after he said. He also said there is a possibility with the multiple breaks she sustained she may have issues with her jaw dislocating on it's own. Unfortunately we had to cancel her dental appointment for next week to start work on trying to save her teeth that should have been started a few weeks ago but we couldn't do because her jaw was wired shut. She is rebooked in for the day after surgery now. I can only imagine the pain she will be in for that as they try to keep her jaw forced open wide to do root canals, x-rays etc... :( Her chances of saving those teeth have been greatly reduced as well now with all this time having passed before the dentist could start the intervention processes needed... I'm really hoping this time luck will be on our side and not against us for once in this!