Happy New Year!

Another Christmas has come and gone and we are about to move in to a new decade. Time really seems to be moving at a breakneck pace these days. I hope it doesn’t seem that way for Max and Claire. I pray that they are able to enjoy this innocent and joyful time in their lives, before the stresses of the world catch up with them. Sometimes I wonder how much stress hearing loss has added to their lives. Do they face frustration with learning skills? Are they shunned from peer groups because their social skills are a little behind? Do I question their obedience, when they may have just not heard what I said? I don’t know. I don’t suppose I’ll ever know, because this is life as they know it.

On the other hand, I do feel that hearing loss is keeping them innocent just a little longer than most kids. Even though Max is doing great in school and sports and has many friends, I feel like he still has the heart of a younger child. I think that he misses out on the environment around him, just enough to shelter him from some of the unwholesome things other kids are exposed to. My experience with Claire is the same. Even though she challenges my patience on a daily basis, I feel like I can still play with my almost four year old as though she were only two. She still seems to be my baby.

As I said, time seems to be slipping by so quickly at the moment. I am afraid that I am not stopping to smell the roses and that I am letting my own stress affect my relationship with Max and Claire. That being said, maybe I should make a couple of New Year resolutions for 2010. My first resolution is to make 4:30pm until 9pm during the week, Max and Claire time. This means no napping on the couch when I get home, no Facebook when I get home and certainly much less TV time for all of us when I get home. We will play games, play Nerf dart wars and wrestle! My next resolution is to spend more time with Max on his school work and more time with Claire doing therapy type activities. I watched a video of Max the other day. It was filmed when he was 2 ½. I feel like he was so much further along with his speaking skills that Claire is now. I really want to catch her up and not cheat her out of a mainstreamed life.

My last resolution doesn’t really have to do with the kids. But I am determined to run the Music City ½ Marathon this year. I start training on January 9th. Please pray for me. I will need it! Running is not my thing.

A few things the kids got for Christmas…… Red Rider BB Gun, Tom the Hamster (real), Ice Skates and a Bicycle!!!!!

Here’s to hoping 2010 is the best year of our lives! Happy New Year!!!!!!

Greg

Daddy! Airplane!

I already posted this on Facebook, so if this is redundant, I apologize. Claire was playing in our living room this morning when a helicopter flew over our house. I was upstairs when I heard her yell, “Daddy! Airplane!”. Obviously, the fact that she could hear the helicopter at all will always be a blessing. However, the fact that she could distinguish what the sound was is a true sign of progress and testament to the miracle of cochlear implants. With a cochlear implant, noise is not just “noise”; noise is a validation of the environment surrounding the user. A cochlear implant is the tool that allows the user to truly interact with that environment. What an awesome lifestyle experience these implants provide! Can you imagine the difference between a life of silence or extremely distorted noise vs. a life where sounds are rich and clear? If not, I suggest that you walk around with ear plugs in your ears for a couple of days, and then you might begin to truly appreciate this wonderful medical device. Life is full of struggles for our family, but our lives are also full of countless blessings!

I am thankful for.....

Let's see.... What am I thankful for? I've been focusing on the negative lately, so this should be a good exercise for me. I am thankful for a beautiful, kind hearted, hard working, intelligent, loving wife, who is an awesome mother to Max and Claire. I am thankful for two wonderful children, who happen to be deaf. I can't imagine my life without their smiles, hugs, kisses and laughter. Max has the biggest heart I've ever seen and Claire gives the best hugs and kisses. They will melt your heart! I am thankful for my Mom and Dad. Everyone would be a better person if they had parents like mine. I am thankful for my grandparents who are still with me. I haven't always been the best grandson, but they have always been the best grandparents. I am thankful for my little sister. I wish that I was more like her. I am thankful for Christian in-laws who gave me such a wonderful wife. I am thankful for all of my extended family. I don't have very many close friends, but I am thankful for the ones that I do have. You know who you are! I am thankful for my church and church family. I am thankful for my job. I am thankful for David Lipscomb Campus School and all of the wonderful teachers who work there. I am thankful for Mama Leer Hearing School. Katie and Rob rock!! I am thankful for Eggleston Children’s' Hospital and Vanderbilt Children’s' Hospital. They are doing God's work. I am thankful for Advanced Bionics and all of their outstanding employees. I am thankful for doctors David Haynes and Wendell Todd. I am thankful for Mary Anne Costa and Edie Gibson. I am thankful for all of my earthly blessings. I am thankful to be an American and a Southerner. I am the most thankful for Jesus Christ. I am thankful for countless things. I hope you are as well. Oh yeah. I'm thankful that the Titan's will not go 0-16 :)

Claire's Mickey Mouse SKINIT

This is not the best picture, but Claire's Mickey Mouse SKINITs came in last night. She was very excited!

Nashville Predators SKINIT !!!!

Well this is really cool. I learned about SKINIT at the Advanced Bionics seminar. This company is known for making "skins" for cell phones, PDA's, laptops, etc. However, they also make "skins" for the Advanced Bionics Harmony. You can chose from just about any pro or college sports team, kids' theme or you can even design your own. I obviously suggest the Nashville Predators "skin". Your kids will love them (Max does) and their friends will envy them! I'm starting to sound like an infomercial. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about something fun for your kids. Claire's should arrive shortly! Oh yeah. http://www.skinit.com/

The Parable Of The Lost Ear....

Oh the ups and downs of a cochlear implant family (especially ours). Upon the completion of a fairly cruddy week and a weekend that did not go as I had planned, I decided that I needed a break. So instead of going to our weekly "small group" at church, I decided to lay out and watch football instead. Stephanie decided to give me some alone time and took the kids to group by herself. While they were gone, I fell asleep in my red sleeping chair and woke up about an hour later in some sort of nappy, sleep induced stupor. No more than five minutes after I woke up, I received a phone call from Stephanie. I figured she was calling to ask me what I wanted for dinner. I wish. Stephanie informed me that Claire had lost her new "ear" at church! She said that everyone had searched high and low with no luck. "Crap." I scoured the house, the garage and the yard and struck out as well. "Double Crap!!" As those of you with implants know, these things are worth several thousand dollars. Advanced Bionics does offer a one time replacement service, but I didn't want to use that up this early in the game. Anyway, needless to say, Stephanie and I were in a very foul mood. Until about ten minutes ago that is. We received a knock at the door, which is rare for 9pm on a Sunday night. When I opened the door, who did I see? Martina McBride!!!! Just kidding. I saw Jake, our teenage next door neighbor. Jake likes to take walks late in the evening. Well, Jake found Claire's ear!! It was laying on the side of the road just a few feet from our yard. Way to go Jake! We owe you one. I guess there's really no moral to my parable. I'm just glad Claire's ear was found and that we managed to avoid a crappy ending to a crappy week :)

Mentor Training 2009; Advanced Bionics; Valencia, CA

What a wonderful experience. From the incredible Advanced Bionics Staff to the other BEA Mentors, our trip was truly a blessing. I knew that I was pleased with our decision to go with Advanced Bionics implants for both of our children before this trip, but now I have no doubt that we made the best choice. When making our initial decisions, we obviously did some research, most of it involving the number of meningitis cases, implant failure rate, etc. What we did not realize during our research however, was the fact that AB outpaces its competitors in the area of technology by a long shot. All of the cochlear implant companies seem to produce a very reliable product, but the advances in AB's product are amazing to say the least. I don't have the time or the expertise to explain all of the advancements in a short post, but if you are thinking about an implant for your child, please check out the Advanced Bionics web site. There is a link toward the bottom of my blog.

While technology should steer your decision in choosing a cochlear implant, the people that make up the implant company should also serve as a rudder. I've been to many conferences throughout my professional career, during most of which I couldn't wait for the ending. However the Advanced Bionics seminar was totally different. I have never before seen such an excellent, well prepared, knowledgeable, eloquent group of presenters. From the CEO on down the line, I have never met a more gracious, sincere group of representatives.The most interesting part of our trip, was the tour of the manufacturing facility. We were allowed to see the Advanced Bionics implant assembly process. It was pretty cool to say the least. We had some fun as well. Our hosts took us to a great Italian restaurant on Friday night. I don't remember the name, but I do remember that it was GOOD.

Anyway, Advanced Bionics is not paying me to say all of this. It is the truth based upon my experience. If any parents out there have any questions please feel free to send me an e-mail.

See ya.

October 2009 : Hawkins Family Update

Max brought home his first, 1st grade report card last week. He received "E's" (excellent) in Math, Reading, Social Studies, and Spelling! Way to go Max! Stephanie and I are so proud. It still amazes me that Max could hear nothing when he was born and now he excels in school and reads at almost a second grade level.

Max is playing Flag Football this fall. He likes defense the best. This past Saturday, he "sacked" the other teams quarterback in the end zone and scored his team a safety. You can tell that Max is very proud when he pulls a flag. He always looks over to make sure that I am watching.

Claire is also doing well. She continues to make strides in her program at Vanderbilt. Her new "ear" seems to be working well and if she concentrates, she can make complete sentences. Claire knows her A,B,C,'s and she can count to 20. I'm a little more concerned with her social skills than her academic skills, but hopefully she is on the path to a "mainstreamed" childhood. I know she can do it. Claire just has her own agenda at times.

Stephanie and I are heading to Valencia, California in a couple of weeks to attend Mentor Training at Advanced Bionic's corporate headquarters. We are really looking forward to the experience. It will be fun to meet other families that share our life experiences. Learning to help others cope and make important decisions regarding hearing excites us as well. I'll give everyone a report and hopefully post some pictures when we return.

See ya!

Claire Is Officially Bi-lateral!

Well, Claire is officially "bi-lateral"! Her new ear was turned on today. As you can see from the video, it was a little loud when Kathy first turned it on. She almost started crying. However, Claire is my tough little warrior and finished today's process with flying colors. I'll keep you posted as the adjustment period continues. Everything is wonderful for now and we are expecting great things!

Claire Is Bi-Lateral !!!!

I didn't even cry this time! I'm not saying that it was easy and that I didn't have mixed feelings and fears, but I made it through this surgery more easily than the others.

My day started out fine. Stephanie stayed at home with Claire on Tuesday morning. This meant that she got to deal with a three year old until 1pm that had not eaten since 9pm the previous evening. Poor Stephanie. I was lucky enough to focus on work for a while, so the stress of Claire's upcoming surgery was kept at bay (for a while). At around 12pm on my way home to help take Claire to the hospital, I started to feel it. I felt the fear, the angst, the doubt and the sadness. I teared up pulling in to our neighborhood. The feelings subsided some during the process of getting Claire to Vanderbilt. I was distracted with the stress of getting her stuff, Claire and Max out the door. This reprieve lasted until we were led to the pre-surgery waiting room and Claire started putting on her little scrubs. The scrubs made it all real for me again. The stress built with the visit from the Child Services specialist, the nurses, the anesthesiologist and the Head Resident. I was about at my boiling point when Dr. Haynes came by to see us. Let me tell you, this guy has some seriously good bedside manner. He immediately put me at ease with his confidence. I could just see it in his eyes. Nothing bad was going to happen to my little girl.

Claire got her "happy" medicine, they wheeled her back to surgery and I was at peace (or maybe I was just really hungry). I decided after breakfast that I would fast with Claire until her surgery in solidarity. I'm not telling you this to brag, I'm telling you because it was not a very good idea. When they wheeled Claire back to surgery, I had a hard time focusing on her. I was starving. All I wanted to do was make it down to the food court! Anyway, Dr. Haynes let us know before leaving, that Claire should be out of surgery around 5:45pm. Well, what do you know? Dr. Haynes showed up in our waiting room at 5:45pm on the dot! Incredible! With prayers, family and friends, Claire and I both made it through the surgery with flying colors! The only time that the fear crept in, was during Claire's recovery time. We were mistaken about how long it would take Claire to wake up from her anesthetic and I started getting pretty worried when we were well passed my assumed "wake-up time" for Claire. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the nurses let us know that Claire was doing great and they led us back to recovery.
What a beautiful sight my baby girl was. Claire was very groggy, but she still managed a smile at her Mommy and Daddy when we walked in the room. What a strong, brave girl Claire is. She is my little warrior!

Thank you to all of our friends and family for your prayers. Thank you to God for giving Claire angels to watch over her. Thank you to Vanderbilt Children's' Hospital, Dr. Haynes and his amazing staff for doing such a wonderful job!

Claire's new implant will be activated on August 26th. Pray that all goes well so Claire will be truly bi-lateral and hearing in stereo. I'll post a video. See ya!

2 Funny Stories and an Implant Date....

First of all, Claire's surgery for her second implant is scheduled for August 11th. Keep her in your prayers.

A couple of weeks ago, Claire, Max, Stephanie and I were eating at a local "meat and three" called the City Cafe. As usual, Claire finished her meal before everyone else and decided that she wanted to wander around the restaurant. This was fine, because the City Cafe is very casual and most of the customers enjoyed watching Claire. However, not paying much attention to what Claire was doing, I did not notice that she had grabbed the check for our meal off the table. This wouldn't have been a big deal, but the next thing I knew, I saw that Claire had given our check to an innocent elderly gentleman a few tables down! Being the generous person that I am, I let him pay our tab. (just kidding)

We celebrated Max's 7th birthday this past Saturday at Crockett Park. While trying to take care of Max's guests, I noticed that he and a couple of his friends had gathered around a light post and were staring at the ground. Max saw me looking at them and called for me to come over. All of the kids pointed at the ground showing me what they thought to be a gravestone. Max insisted that a person was buried at this spot and informed me that the name of the deceased was "Electric". While this was some good reading on Max's part, I decided that I really need to teach him the difference between a gravestone and an in-ground electricity box!

See ya...

Implant # 2 Approved

The process of Claire getting a second implant seems to be going smoothly thus far. The staff at Vanderbilt gave her the thumbs up a couple of weeks ago and we received an approval from our insurance company yesterday. I don't want to make this a political blog, but our health care system here in the United States is the best in the world. I love our insurance company, I love Vanderbilt and I love Claire's medical staff. I'll let it go at that.

Claire also started occupational therapy last week. Evidently she isn't using some of her muscle groups properly, which may be affecting her speech. Her therapist thinks that Claire can catch up with around 6 months of therapy. They worked on "licking" the other day. I wondered why Claire came up to me and started licking my arm. Luckily Stephanie was there to explain it to me. I thought maybe I just smelled like ice cream!

Max is well in to his sports camp season. He completed Vandy's soccer camp a couple of weeks ago and finished Vandy's baseball camp today (in the scorching heat!). He earned a special jersey at both camps and I'm pretty sure he was the "favorite" camper at both places! I'm so proud of that little guy. He makes me feel 10 feet tall! By the way, everything that Vandy does is A+ excellent. I recommend getting your kids involved there as much as you can. Thanks to all of the coaches.

We also spoke to Edie Gibson of Advanced Bionics this week about getting involved with their mentoring program. I've never though of myself as the mentoring type, but Stephanie and I are happy to help in any way possible. Advanced Bionics has been very good to us and I have no problem recommending them to others.

Talk to you next time.

Going Bi-lateral

Well. I never thought that I would say this, but it looks like we are going bi-lateral with Claire. I still hate the thought of more elective surgery and I still don't like the idea of the extra hardware, but after much thought, many questions and one last meeting with her surgeon, Stephanie and I feel like the positives of a second implant vastly outweigh the negatives.

Some might say, "What about the science of hair cell regeneration? If you get her another implant, won't you deprive her of that technology?" As I understand it, we are still at least twenty years away from hair cell regeneration being a possibility. If she goes that long without stimulus in her left ear, her auditory nerve most likely won't work properly any more and the new hair cells would be useless (Stephanie, correct me if I'm wrong!) We also must not forget that she will miss out on twenty years of listening and language skills that she can receive with a second implant.

Others might question the risks of surgery. That is my greatest fear as well. However, Claire's doctor eased my nerves during our last meeting and explained to me again that the risks are minimal. He didn't say this, but a CI surgery has been compared to a tonsillectomy as far as risks go. Am I to deny Claire the highest quality of life because of my personal fears of a minor surgery?

Still others might say that we are tempting fate with another surgery. Well, I don't believe in fate. I believe in God and I believe that God blessed us with Claire and Max for a reason. I know that part of this reason is to give them the most love, the best care and the greatest set of opportunities that they can possibly imagine. I believe that a second implant is part of this process for Claire and I know that God will take care of her. I don't mean to preach at you, that's just what I believe.

So long for now. I'll keep you posted. I'm guessing that the surgery will take place late this summer. Keep us in your prayers.

Greg

Nashville Sounds Link

I posted a link for something the Nashville Sounds recently did for the hearing impaired community in Nashville. Please look at my links and check out the article. Thanks.

Random Thoughts

I think we have a meeting with Claire's ENT next week. I wonder if we will begin the journey of a second implant? If we begin it with her, I wonder if we will begin it with Max. How do these things creep up on me?

Max is a super reader! His first two years at David Lipscomb have truly been a blessing. I'm pretty sure that Mrs. Felts and Mrs. Seay are angels sent from Heaven. Praise God for their hearts.

Max is signed up for 4 sport camps this summer. Vandy soccer, Vandy baseball, Lipscomb baseball and Lipscomb soccer. Either we are crazy or he will have an outstanding few weeks.

We went to Claire's class picnic and yearly reunion today. We saw Ellie, Jase and Henry. Where does the time go? All of the Mama Lear graduates seem to be doing awesome! Vanderbilt has a great program. Thank you to all of the deaf education teachers.

I am so proud of Max and Claire. If only I had Max's heart and Claire's iron will (Claire has a sweet heart too!). Everyone could learn a thing or two from both of these kids. Max never has an unkind word for anyone and is always eager to include other kids. He knows that he belongs and loves God. Claire has a determination that will serve her well throughout her life. I know that as she encounters trials, she will pass them with flying colors. She is my little trooper.

Institutions blessed by God: Egleston Children's' Hospital, The Auditory Verbal Center of Atlanta, Mama Lere Hearing School, Vanderbilt Children's' Hospital, David Lipscomb Elementary School, Advanced Bionics

Anyway, thanks to all of our readers. I appreciate your comments and especially your prayers. Talk to you soon!

The decisions never end....

Can I just take a minute to feel sorry for myself? I think I will.

Sometime I feel like the responsibility of making life altering decisions for my children will overwhelm me. I thought that Max and Claire had all of their hospital time logged, but now I don't know. Claire is doing better with her implant, but she is still lagging behind Max's pace. Everyone seems to think that the obvious answer to catching her up is a second implant. I can see the benefits of that option, but the thought of subjecting her to another surgery makes me weak in the knees. I know how safe the procedure is and I know how skilled her surgeon is. However, there is always a small risk, even with the least invasive procedures. Will the second implant improve her learning rate? Will it work as well as the first one. If I knew the answers to these questions, the decision might be a little easier. I don't however, so as usual, the decision is not easy at all.

This leads to another question. If we get Claire a second implant, should we do the same for Max? He is doing well in school, but could he do even better if he had a second implant? Am I holding him back because I am scared to do this for him? The thought of putting my big man through another surgery makes me sick. He is vibrant, healthy, smart and loving. Should we take any risk considering how well he is doing? Am I keeping him from accomplishing great things by not taking that risk?

I just don't know and all of these decisions make me weary. I know that I should give the stress to God, but many times that is easier said than done. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. I'm sure that God will lead our family in the right direction. If there is anyone out there that has bi-lateral implants or has a child with bi-lateral implants, I would value your opinion.

Max says he has 5 girlfriends now, by the way!!!
Claire's favorite word is hey-ya!!

Ladies' Man...

It seems that Max is quite the ladies' man. When I arrived to pick Max up from school the other day, he came out with a funny grin on his face and told me that he was mad at me. When I asked him "Why?", he told me that he wanted to stay at school longer and play with his girlfriend! (who shall remain nameless) "I want you to pick me up later, tomorrow." he said. Hilarious!

Even more funny, on the way home Max told me that he has another girlfriend on the side. I asked him what her name is. He said that he wasn't sure, but was certain that this girl is his girlfriend. When I asked him how he came to this conclusion, Max said " I know she is my girlfriend, because when I look at her, she smiles at me. That's how you know!" Smart man, smart man.....

I mainly posted this little story because i think that it is funny. However, I also posted the story because it is yet another example of how kids with cochlear implants can lead wonderful and exciting lives, just like any other kid!

Mama Lere Hearing School

Hi Everyone. It's been a long, long, long time since I last posted. My apologies. The kids had a fun Christmas and I am happy to have a normal life again!

Anyway, Claire turned three on January 10th! I can't believe how old she is and how big she is getting. Claire is one of my greatest challenges (just like her mommy :), but she is also one of my greatest joys.

One of the perks of living in Davidson County (Nashville) is that they have some decent programs for disabled children. One of these perks is an early intervention program for the hearing impaired. This program allows children that are deaf or hard of hearing to begin school at Vanderbilt's Mama Lere Hearing School when they turn three. Believe it or not, the county picks up the bill. How awesome is that?

Well, Claire started school this past Tuesday. I hated to pull her out of the West End Church of Christ program and I was sad that Miss Elsie wouldn't get to spend as much time with Claire. However. Stephanie and I both knew that Mama Lere was the best thing for Claire. They use an Auditory Oral teaching method, which is a little different from Auditory Verbal, but I have seen the school's results and they do a great job.

We already know that we made the best decision for Claire. Before Claire started school, she would talk to her family, but not to people in public. After one day at Mama Lere, she was already turning in to more of a chatter box. Her teacher said that Claire engaged the other children and spoke without being prompted. We do the best we can with Claire, but I know that letting her learn from dedicated teachers of the deaf will be such a blessing.

It is our prayer that Claire will be able to " main stream" by the time she begins kindergarten. We would appreciate your prayers as well. Thanks.