Monday, June 30, 2008

Max Man Update

So, I blogged about Max and his ears weeks ago and never updated. What a bum of a Momma. Thank you all for your emails and prayers. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends.

Our visit with Dr. Kopke went well. Here's a rundown of what we learned:

1. Max is definitely a candidate for cochlear implants. Everything is formed properly and Max is scheduled for surgery on October 1st. He is very sad that he has to wait such a long time but it is a great opportunity to teach about patience and the Lord's perfect timing.

2. The doctor says that Max has an enlarged vestibular aqueduct which is common in kids with this type of deafness. He says that this means Max possibly had hearing until around the age of two. If this is true it will certainly benefit Max as he "learns to hear" with his implant.

3. Max will need to see a retina specialist to rule out Usher's Syndrome. This syndrome affects hearing and eyesight.

4. He will also need to see a throat specialist. Max's glands are enlarged in his throat and Dr. Kopke is not sure why. He is sending us to one of his collegues to see if we can figure that one out. One possibility here is Pendred's Syndrome, which affects hearing and thyroid. (Understand that I have only done a small amount of research on Pendred's and Usher's and know very little about them.)

5. So far there is no explanation for the tongue weakness. This is most often caused by stroke or tumor and neither of those showed up on the MRI (and we are so grateful).

6. And finally, he talked about Max's balance problems. He showed us a diagram of a healthy ear and it looked something like this:



You can see all the parts of the inner and outer ear. You can see the snail shaped cochlea. Look just above the cochlea and you will see several blue loops (well, they are blue on the diagram anyway). These are your balance center. Next, Dr. Kopke showed us Max's MRI and pointed to where those loops should be on Max. Turns out he doesn't have any. They are missing. You can see the start and end of them, but the actual loops are missing. The doctor has never seen this and has no explanation for us. He is going to be doing some research and hopes to be able to explain it at our next visit. But it helped explain why Max is a bit awkward. The doctor said, "Fortunately, God created our bodies with more than one way of controlling balance." We are grateful that Max is able to do all of the stuff nine-year-olds like to do.

So, that's the rundown. Again, thanks for all of your prayers. The next few months hold lots more doctor visits and lots of adjustments for Max and our family. Please keep praying!

8 Comments:

Blogger Laura said...

Thanks for the update...I had been eagerly waiting! keeping you in our prayers. Love to you all!

June 30, 2008 at 1:43 PM  
Blogger Momma B. said...

I bet it feels great to finally be getting some answers. We are going to pray for you guys like crazy! I am excited for Max and all that going on. Please tell him we love him and hopefully we can come visit soon so your kids won't forget us all!

June 30, 2008 at 2:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So good to hear the news of Max and you did a great job of explaining....I know he is anxious and all these tests will help to prepare for the implant when the time comes. You guys are amazing and we love you so much. You are in our prayers.

Happy Birthday to Anna Kate....

Much love,
Sandra Y.

June 30, 2008 at 7:21 PM  
Blogger kristen lewis said...

I would love to be in the room the first time he gets to hear his mommy's voice. I am excited for you guys and will continue to pray for you.

June 30, 2008 at 9:32 PM  
Blogger Mandy said...

Thanks for the update - we've been wondering about the prognosis! It's such a testimony to see your faith and strength through it all!

July 2, 2008 at 1:15 PM  
Blogger Silverthornes said...

Thanks for the update - We will continue to keep you guys in our prayers.

July 14, 2008 at 12:15 AM  
Blogger elizabeth said...

Best wishes as you await Max's CI surgery!

This is a great blog, and I hope you'll consider adding it to Deaf Village (www.deafvillage.com). You'll meet many families who have been there/done that, and we'd love to have you as part of our community!

July 21, 2008 at 11:10 PM  
Blogger Amanda said...

So exciting! I remember in the orphanage the first time I was there, the director thought he might have a chance of hearing again. She didn't explain to me why she thought that, but I assumed she thought he was born hearing and became deaf later, but she was not supposed to give me even the amount of information about him that she did, so I was just thankful to get a little! I can't wait to hear how things go in the next few months!

July 29, 2008 at 12:42 AM  

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