Ogre Ears... Part Deux

JP had his hearing test this morning at Weldon. There's some not so
great news and some good news. He has moderate hearing loss. What that
means is that he cannot hear normal conversation levels. This explains
why he sometimes doesn't respond, stands directly in front of the tv and
his speech is delayed. This would also explain his lip reading. The
loss is in both ears.

The good news is that further tests showed the loss is from fluid in his
ear and can be fixed. The inner ear functions are fine, its the middle
ear that is "under water". What is happening is the fluid is building
up to the point where his ear drum cannot move and sound cannot travel
to the inner ear. His hearing capability is similar to being
underwater. Certain sounds are easier to hear than others, but words
are very hard for him to understand. They probably sound "garbled"
which explains his speech patterns.

I just scheduled an appointment with Dr. Petcu for next Wednesday (his
birthday) to develop the treatment plan. The audiologist said that
tubes will probably be placed in both ears.

EDIT: I'm not sure if its clear (my sister called me in a panic): JP will regain his hearing at very normal levels as soon as the tubes are in place. The tubes will drain the fluid and prevent further fluid build-up. As he grows up , these sorts of things clear up and he will outgrow it. So, this is a temporary and very treatable thing and as far as I hear, not all that uncommon.

Sorry Lisa!
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