Ruby had a follow up hearing test at the beginning of the week, and we now know a few things for sure:
1) Her glue ear has not rectified itself since the last time it was checked, and therefore she is not part of the 50% of children who’s glue ear requires no treatment.
2) Her hearing has got significantly worse.
3) It’s highly likely she will need grommets.
I am relieved. A little sad and frustrated she’s had a year of crap hearing at such an important age, developmentally. But relieved nonetheless that finally she’ll get the referral she needs and will be seen by a specialist.
I am also feeling a lot of immense pride at how well she’s been dealing with it all, especially now I know the extent of her hearing loss. She can’t hear high pitched sounds below 40dB, and low pitched sounds below 50dB. In laymen’s terms, she probably can’t hear the hum of the fridge, or people whispering to her, and what she does hear is likely to be muffled, a little like she’s under water.
Which explains why her speech is a bit delayed, and also why she talks so quietly. Her voice is amplified in her head, so talking at a normal volume seems very loud to her.
All this and she’s generally a happy kid, she doesn’t seem to get frustrated too often, she has settled in well at preschool, which is bound to be noisy and busy, and she loves spending time with her friends.
Very little gets past her, though, and before I sign off, I’m going to share a bad mummy moment of wildly inappropriate amusement.
Picture the scene: Ruby is sitting on my brother-in-law’s girlfriend’s lap. We are all chatting together about her day at preschool. All of a sudden Ruby lets rip, loudly.
Kathryn: “Ruby, you trumped!”
Ruby (giggling): “Excuse me…. I did a fart…. But I didn’t do a shit”
Me: “I beg your pardon… what did you just say?”
Ruby, glinty-eyed: “Sssshhhhhh, that’s a naughty word”
Too right, girly. Where’s the soap? I think someone needs her mouth washed out!