Emmett's CT Scan

After our recent visit/check-up to our ENT, we scheduled Emmett's CT scan of his inner ear. This is a diagnostic test to hopefully shed some light on what is going on with his hearing. Also, we see a geneticist in September so this will aid in their research of finding out if his loss is due to a genetic reason.

Thankfully, Guy was able to take off of work to go with Emmett and I. He handles all things medical way better than me. Some good friends of ours watched the other three and they had a fun time playing and swimming with their family.

The CT Scan was at 11am so we had to arrive an hour early. The scan was at Egleston Children's Hospital and is was a very prompt process. We checked in, filled out papers, and went back to a little room where he would get his IV and then recover after sedation.

Little man was hungry last meal was at 5am. So about the time they wanted to do his IV, he pretty much had it with waiting for his next meal. So Guy held him and then I left to stand in the hall....then changed my mind and decided I could be strong for him and help calm him. Well, I don't think I was a help, because he was kicking and screaming in Guy's arms through the process, but they found a vein fast and it was done. They decided to go ahead and give him some of the drug to calm him. They used something that was very fast acting and he got calm almost immediately.

Guy then carried him to the CT room and they started to administer the full dose of the drug and then memories came flooding back of doing this with Joanna and it made me light-headed and everything started to get cloudy, so I excused myself pretty quickly and went to lay on the bed in Emmett's recovery room.

In he end, Emmett came through very well, and his recovery was slow and lasted for about 30+ mins. He was really sleeping and was a little funny as he tried to fight his way out of it. Emmett loves to bat his arms and kick in legs at the same time, and if you can imagine a half asleep baby trying to do this....yeah, it was pretty funny.

Several days later we got a call from Dr. Todd. He informed us that Emmett has a subtle inner ear dysplasia in his lateral semicircular canals.........yeah, another language to me too until I pulled out my old Anatomy/Physiology book. Basically, his semicircular canals, did not completely develop. That is what I am understanding now. It was a little hard to understand the findings when the Dr. explained them, but he said that it was a marker for hearing loss.

What does this mean? Well, we don't know. We know that it confirms his loss, so I can stop my denial about whether he is hearing impaired or not.....something I have struggled over since he was diagnosed. It also gives us information for the genetic counseling/testing we will under go in September.

Now this finding raised the question of "did Joanna have this?" Well, after talking with the Dr. he was going to retrieve Joanna's CT results and have radiology at Egleston review them. Apparently, between the two hospitals, Egleston is the more thorough. Joanna's CT was done at Scottish Rite Children's Hospital. We are waiting to hear her results.

So the day was a bit tense, but he made it through and so did we with God's loving kindness over us.