Friday, June 5, 2009

Let's squeeze just a few more things onto that plate

Due to the Mother of All Sicknesses, Elijah hasn't been able to go to speech therapy for a couple of weeks. So last night, as his speech therapist was listening to all of the new words come out of his mouth (and nose), she (in addition to being happy about the progress) was very concerned. I knew in my gut his nasally speech was a bad thing, and she confirmed that for me.

It is possible that Elijah's soft palate and pharynx were not formed correctly at birth and that this may be the cause of the very nasal sounds he makes. It is also possible that he has something called velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). An ENT would be able to evaluate him and confirm this diagnosis. Lucky for us, we already have a trusty ENT, so we are on the schedule for mid-July.

In the meantime, we have some serious work to do. We will be strongly encouraging Elijah to find ways to blow air out through his mouth instead of his nose.. Whistles, blowing bubbles, asking him to make lots of b, h and p sounds, plugging his nose when he is talking nasally (he surprisingly loves having his nose plugged, silly kid). Since his speech is just starting to develop, we have to take care of this problem as quickly as we can. Bad speaking habits are currently being formed and if they are not corrected now, it may be very difficult to correct them later.

The hypernasal speech may be correctable through intensive speech therapy, or, depending on what the ENT finds in his evaluation, surgery. One thing at a time. Now we are focused on his tethered spinal cord surgery. After that we will focus on the speech issues. I wonder what could possibly be next? Stay tuned, because I'm sure there will be something!

Elijah's speech therapist is also concerned about the fact that he says the ends of all of his words instead of the beginnings of them. She said that this typically would indicate a hearing problem. Honestly, I have never gotten the sense that anything is wrong with his hearing (and I pay super close attention to this sort of thing), but it is something to check into in the near future. He hasn't had a hearing test since birth, so it's probably time we do another one anyway.

Another new challenge for us is Elijah's reaction to the additional kids at daycare (since school is out). He does well in small groups, but not so well in large groups. He gets pretty anxious and whiny and clingy, none of which are good things, especially at daycare. We are praying he will adjust quickly.

When I look at the big picture, things are all working out perfectly. We entered 2009 viewing it as the year free of heart surgeries. We are discovering that it is also the year of taking care of loose ends. I won't lie, I have been overwhelmed with (and a little sad about) all of our Elijah Findings lately. But I am extremely thankful that Loose Ends Year isn't coinciding with Heart Surgery Year. I am also thankful that we are able to take care of these things. Things could be much worse, that is for sure. I am extremely thankful for all that we have.

p.s. Check out the new Calendar tab! Wow, huh? I created this list as something we can print out and bring to new doctors as we see them (since adding doctors to our list seems to be ongoing), but I thought it might serve as a good "calendar," too!

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow you guys! I pray for a season of peace to come your way very soon. Hopefully the nasal sounds are just coincidence and with a little determination you guys can fix that. Your boy is such a blessing as are both of you! Have a great weekend! Love, Cara

Cecilia said...

Good luck to all the new challenges ahead of you guys. Elijah is such a strong little man, he'll be fine.

Relax and enjoy the weekend! Sending our blessing and love your way!!!

my life: said...

Hey...Grace says the ends of words also! She has a hearing screen/ENT appt. for the 16th...I think.
I'm right there with ya momma...it's alot to think about. Kisses and snuggles help though...don't they? ;0)

The Smith's said...

As I was reading your post, what popped into my head first was how thankful I am that Elijah has such attentive, proactive parents and that he has available to him such great and caring resources. You have such a great perspective on different challenges, so thank you for being an example to me and so many others! And in the midst of all these "findings" how fantastic to have your sweet boy love you so much!

Take care!

Ann(ie) said...

I gotta ditto the above comment. You guys are so all over it and you just shower that lil man with love and I have no doubt he'll just excel in every area regardless of some rocky beginnings. xo.

Kathy said...

OH Megan...
I hope this doesn't worry you too much.
You'll have to video Elijah trying to talk so that I can hear the "nasal" sounds. I have NO idea what it'll sound like...but, they are confident that Isaac will have the same problems. SO...you take good notes and I'll defer to you when it's our turn.

I'm giving you a BIG hug!!!
Have a good, relaxing weekend...just love on your boys!
kathy

Tina:0) said...

Geesh - y'all need a break! But like you said, its a year free of OHS & getting loose ends taken care of!

What a trooper Mr. E is! Hoping you have a nice, calm, relaxing weekend! Sending big smooches from us!

Andrea said...

Your plate does seem pretty full! You have a great attitude about it though, taking it all one thing at a time, dealing with that particular situation, then moving onto the next item. Elijah is lucky to have such wonderful parents! Thinking of you guys!

Anonymous said...

Portas, you are blessed with many wonderful professionals that help Elijah grow big and strong. I'm sure he will come through it all with flying colors. Miss ya lots! luv, Kendis

Jane said...

Megan,

That is a lot of stuff to deal with all at once. So far Ramona's speech seems normal, but when she is tired she moves a lot of air through her nose. VPI has been mentioned for her, but does not seem to be a problem yet. She is also having to have repeated hearing tests because of fluid build-up in her left ear. I'm with you and haven't noticed any problem with her hearing, but if they say she needs it, I take her!

Kathy's right, you should post a video so we can hear what he sounds like! If I can ever figure out how to put a video on my blog, I'll post one of Ramona talking and you can see if they sound the same :)

I'm really sorry that all of this stuff keeps piling on. I'll be praying that you guys can cross some stuff off the list soon. BTW, since Elijah will be in the hospital for awhile for the cord surgery, maybe they can send an ENT down for a consult on the VPI? or the hearing? Worth a shot.

Now I'm babbling.