Re: NEW TO GROUP

[Guest guest]

Debbie:

I haven't lost in over a week either. My surg was 1/21/03...... I heard

that's normal. Don't worry, it will come off.

take care

, IL

new to group

> Hi everyone. I've been reading your e-mails for about a week now, and

wanted to say hi and ask for your help and advice. My name is Debbie and I

had my surgery on 1/23/03. In the first 2 weeks I lost 19lbs, but this last

week I feel like I've lost zero! I know that I shouldn't go on the scale,

but you know how obsessive/compulsive people are--lol. Anyway, read some of

your responses, and they helped alot knowing that other people seem to have

this same problem too. I am also having difficulty getting in enough water

every day. If I drink too fast, I get a slight pain that subsides quickly,

but makes me feel kind of nauseous for a little while after. But I found

that hot tea goes down easier, so I drink more of that. Also, is it

possible to suddenly become lactose intolerant. I find that

milk/yogurt/other dairy sometimes doesn't always agree with me. Thanks for

all your help. Bye for now

>

> Debbie rny 1/23/03 250lbs

> debs36@...

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Debbie it is very possible to become lactose intolerant and welcome to the

group

TN

new to group

> Hi everyone. I've been reading your e-mails for about a week now, and

wanted to say hi and ask for your help and advice. My name is Debbie and I

had my surgery on 1/23/03. In the first 2 weeks I lost 19lbs, but this last

week I feel like I've lost zero! I know that I shouldn't go on the scale,

but you know how obsessive/compulsive people are--lol. Anyway, read some of

your responses, and they helped alot knowing that other people seem to have

this same problem too. I am also having difficulty getting in enough water

every day. If I drink too fast, I get a slight pain that subsides quickly,

but makes me feel kind of nauseous for a little while after. But I found

that hot tea goes down easier, so I drink more of that. Also, is it

possible to suddenly become lactose intolerant. I find that

milk/yogurt/other dairy sometimes doesn't always agree with me. Thanks for

all your help. Bye for now

>

> Debbie rny 1/23/03 250lbs

> debs36@...

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

You can do without milk easily, so no loss there.

I know about Water Wars, as that has been a problem for me since surgery. Before

that, I could drink ya under the table, more than 1 gal per day.

Thanks,

Vitalady, Inc. T

www.vitalady.com

If you are interested in PayPal, please click here:

https://secure.paypal.com/affil/pal=vitalady%40bigfoot.com

new to group

Hi everyone. I've been reading your e-mails for about a week now, and wanted

to say hi and ask for your help and advice. My name is Debbie and I had my

surgery on 1/23/03. In the first 2 weeks I lost 19lbs, but this last week I

feel like I've lost zero! I know that I shouldn't go on the scale, but you know

how obsessive/compulsive people are--lol. Anyway, read some of your responses,

and they helped alot knowing that other people seem to have this same problem

too. I am also having difficulty getting in enough water every day. If I drink

too fast, I get a slight pain that subsides quickly, but makes me feel kind of

nauseous for a little while after. But I found that hot tea goes down easier,

so I drink more of that. Also, is it possible to suddenly become lactose

intolerant. I find that milk/yogurt/other dairy sometimes doesn't always agree

with me. Thanks for all your help. Bye for now

Debbie rny 1/23/03 250lbs

debs36@...

[Guest guest]

Yes Debbie, it is possible to become lactose intolerant and many of us do.

Before surgery, I could not do milk, but could do other dairy products, now, I

can't do milk or yogurt but can still do cheese. I'm thankful for that. You

may be in hibernation syndrome mode, so if the weight loss stalls for a few

weeks, don't panic. Your body is readjusting to what it thinks is starving. As

for the water, some people have to drink it warm or hot at first. It should get

easier as you get further along. Just keep working at it. Welcome to the

group. Take care.

Jeanne in WI

Age 39

Open RNY - 5/21/02

Dr. Chua

5'8 " - 314/220/150-175

[Guest guest]

I think signing up right before Christmas is a wonderful idea! Good

luck to ya and welcome.

>

> Hello!

> I am 35 years old and I am about to go to my first meeting for

> weight watchers. This is my first time ever! I have tried loosing

> weight on my own but I realize I need support. I am so excited about

> joining ww and this group. I just wanted introduce myself. I live in

> Washington State and I never thought I would want to sign up right

> before x-mas but something tells me now is the time and I am finally

> ready to commit myself!

> Jen G.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

We started an Corporate Success 15 week program last week. Everyone thinks we

are crazy trying to do this through the holidays. Today we had our first

meeting and the losses were phenominal and we even had our firm holiday Party on

Saturday night. I lodt 7.6, so I was stoked. I commend anyone who is starting

WW at this season.

--

~~~~

http://home.comcast.net/~sihughes/

-------------- Original message --------------

I think signing up right before Christmas is a wonderful idea! Good

luck to ya and welcome.

>

> Hello!

> I am 35 years old and I am about to go to my first meeting for

> weight watchers. This is my first time ever! I have tried loosing

> weight on my own but I realize I need support. I am so excited about

> joining ww and this group. I just wanted introduce myself. I live in

> Washington State and I never thought I would want to sign up right

> before x-mas but something tells me now is the time and I am finally

> ready to commit myself!

> Jen G.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Good Luck Jen! WWers is the best. I have done all the programs they

have offered for the last 23 years (I am only 41) and I love both the

POINTS system, and the CORE program. If one doesn't work, try the

other one. Hope you like it!

Sandy

>

> Hello!

> I am 35 years old and I am about to go to my first meeting for

> weight watchers. This is my first time ever! I have tried loosing

> weight on my own but I realize I need support. I am so excited

about

> joining ww and this group. I just wanted introduce myself. I live

in

> Washington State and I never thought I would want to sign up right

> before x-mas but something tells me now is the time and I am

finally

> ready to commit myself!

> Jen G.

[Guest guest]

thank you its a gift to myself!

> >

> > Hello!

> > I am 35 years old and I am about to go to my first meeting for

> > weight watchers. This is my first time ever! I have tried

loosing

> > weight on my own but I realize I need support. I am so excited

about

> > joining ww and this group. I just wanted introduce myself. I

live in

> > Washington State and I never thought I would want to sign up

right

> > before x-mas but something tells me now is the time and I am

finally

> > ready to commit myself!

> > Jen G.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

that is awesome!

Jen

> >

> > Hello!

> > I am 35 years old and I am about to go to my first meeting for

> > weight watchers. This is my first time ever! I have tried

loosing

> > weight on my own but I realize I need support. I am so excited

about

> > joining ww and this group. I just wanted introduce myself. I

live in

> > Washington State and I never thought I would want to sign up

right

> > before x-mas but something tells me now is the time and I am

finally

> > ready to commit myself!

> > Jen G.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

thank you! I like that choice too!

Jen

> >

> > Hello!

> > I am 35 years old and I am about to go to my first meeting for

> > weight watchers. This is my first time ever! I have tried

loosing

> > weight on my own but I realize I need support. I am so excited

> about

> > joining ww and this group. I just wanted introduce myself. I

live

> in

> > Washington State and I never thought I would want to sign up

right

> > before x-mas but something tells me now is the time and I am

> finally

> > ready to commit myself!

> > Jen G.

[Guest guest]

> Now is DEFINITELY the time Jen! Over the holidays it used to be

that people

> gained, on average, 7 pounds. Now they are saying we're gaining, on

> average, 14 pounds! Of those 14, we take off 7, but that leaves us

with a 7

> pound net gain.

>

I don't who " they " are but at

<http://www.niddk.nih.gov/welcome/releases/3_22_00.htm> it says, " A

new study suggests that Americans probably gain only about a pound

during the winter holiday season--but this extra weight accumulates

through the years and may be a major contributor to obesity later in

life. "

" This finding runs contrary to the popular belief that most people

gain from 5 to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. "

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to lose weight during the

holidays, but I think predicting a 14 or even a 7 pound gain would be

enough for me to say what's the use.

Bob in Wisconsin

[Guest guest]

Hi LInda - I'll add my welcome to the chorus! I have two boys who are

deaf. Tom is 13 and wasn't diagnosed until he was 3-1/2 with at the

time a moderate loss; Sam is 11 with a profound loss.

I have to say I know just exactly how you feel about the guilt. I don't

have a hearing loss but have always known there were hearing problems in

my family (only the boys - my brother, uncle and nephew - my sister's

son). Why it didn't occur to me it could be hereditary don't ask me but

we just didn't think about it until Tom turned 3 and I noticed his

language wasn't all that clear. When Sam was diagnosed with his hearing

loss 4 months later (at 15 months), I remember crying all the way home

from the audiologist's office and thinking " I did this to you " . IN some

ways, I think you have to move through that and deal with it and then

move forward with your kids. I know it was that way for me.

So how are they doing now? Tom is fully mainstreamed in 7th grade and

doing well. He just got a cochlear implant (last Wednesday). He has

several nice friends and is a happy guy. Tom loves anything art (he's a

metalsmither) and is studying now for his black belt in Taekwondo.

Sam's in 5th grade - also mainstreamed and doing great. Sam's our jock

- he told me he loves anything with a ball! (I'm thinking - that would

only leave out hockey, right?!). For Tom, particularly, it was a good

amount of work, particularly in the beginning. But well worth it. I

can honestly say I don't feel guilty any longer - it's just what it is.

So I hope it will get easier for you too.

I'm so glad you've found Listen-up!

Take care - happy thanksgiving!

Barbara

DMBLin13@... wrote:

>Thanks Carmen for the welcome.

>

> I guess I have garden variety guilt about not aiding her sooner of she

>needed it, and being the genetic factor that gave it to her in the

>first place.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Welcome to the group. I'm Debbie, mom to to very active kids, and

. is 6 and was diagnosed with her moderate SNHL when she was 2

1/2. She is now mainstreamed in first grade. is 3 and is hearing.

I think it's so easy for us as parents to feel guilt about all sorts of

things. For you, it's because it's believed to be hereditary. For me, it was

that it took so long to figure out what should have been easily identified. But

as time goes on, I don't dwell on those issues and find myself focusing on other

things.....like issues at school.

I've heard of children who were aided with mild losses and I've heard of

those who weren't. Your kids are old enough that they could probably give you

some good feedback if the aids were helping or not. My daughter's loss is a

little worse than what your kid's is, but 's speech was very delayed when

she was 2 1/2, so aids for us were a no brainer. I know years ago, they didn't

put aids on children until they were older and then only if the loss was

significant. With the all of the digital aids that we have today, I think many

audi's are more apt to suggest aids for the milder losses, since they can be

programmed specifcally for the loss they have.

Debbie, mom to , 6, moderate SNHL and , 3, hearing

Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were

and ask why not. G.B Shaw

---------------------------------

Yahoo! Personals

Single? There's someone we'd like you to meet.

Lot's of someone's, actually. Yahoo! Personals

[Guest guest]

Welcome ! I'm Kerry, mom to Hadley, who is 4 and has a severe

bilateral loss due to Connexin 26. Hadley was diagnosed at birth through

newborn hearing screen in Massachusetts and was aided at six months. She

began receiving auditory-verbal therapy the next day and has been thriving

ever since.

Along this journey, we've met a number of children with mild hearing losses,

all of whom are aided. While in the past, a mild loss may have gone

unaided, the practice does seem to be to get the technology on their ears

early on. This can be especially helpful with the digital aids, where the

audi can program to the minute details of the loss, instead of with the old

analogs from your childhood that simply gave volume to the ears. Carol

Flexer, an audiologist and certified auditory-verbal therapist in Ohio, has

written some great articles in the last few years on mild hearing loss

(addressing the question of whether to aid and the educational significance

of such a " slight " loss). If you haven't seen them, you might want to check

them out.

Hadley does have a genetic hearing loss, and I beat myself up for a while

about " giving " her hearing loss to her. One day, I realized that unless I

was going to praise myself for passing on some of her other wonderful genes,

I was being unfair to myself (and my husband and our families, all of whom

contributed their good and bad genes!). Every time I caught myself feeling

guilty about her hearing, I noted the great things from me that are in

Hadley. It helped me realize that for every " bad " gene in her, there are

dozens of good ones in there. And once she developed strong language

skills, the guilt went away.

Welcome!

Kerry

new to group

Hi let me introduce myself. I am A. (I know there is another

here). I have triplets who will be 5 in two weeks. Two of them

have SNHL. I also have moderate/severe SNHL. My son has only mild

loss bi-laterally, and my daughter has more mild/mod loss bi-laterally.

We have known about my daughter's loss since birth, but were never

convinced that aiding her was the right thing to do. She only has a

loss that is in the 30-45 range with down sloping in the high

frequency. I have the same loss (although now 45-90), but was not

aided until the age of 26. My speech developed appropriately despite

the loss. Now we are faced with aiding her at this time. Our concern

(but more her teachers, audiologists, and teacher if D/HOH) is that as

she goes into kindergarten she will not thrive as she should. Her

speech is delayed mild/moderately. So my question is does anyone here

have a child with mild loss bi-laterally that aided them? Right now I

am very confused about what to do with her at this point. I can't

seem to get out of the cloud of guilt to make a clear decision on what

to do. We had a 2 hour IEp meeting and they are recommending aids

(which she already has), and am FM system. At this point I feel so

lost that I am letting the school make all these decisions, so this is

my attempt to gain information to make informed choices on her behalf.

And the funny thing is that I am a very informed parent and vocal

about my kids needs in other areas (like my other daughter has

Autism, and I advocate for her needs easily and with more

confidence). Anyhow I have rambled on enough for my very first post.

Thanks.

A.

Mom of triplets

Dylan mild SNHL

Haley mild/mod SNHL

hearing and autistic

All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each post is

the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to copyright

restrictions.

[Guest guest]

Kerry,

I'm so glad you wrote this. It is so true. It's very easy to blame

ourselves for the bad things, but we forget about all of the good things.

Thanks for reminding all of us.

Debbie, mom to , 6, moderate SNHL and , 3, hearing

Kerry Dowling & Dan wrote:

Hadley does have a genetic hearing loss, and I beat myself up for a while

about " giving " her hearing loss to her. One day, I realized that unless I

was going to praise myself for passing on some of her other wonderful genes, I

was being unfair to myself (and my husband and our families, all of whom

contributed their good and bad genes!). Every time I caught myself feeling

guilty about her hearing, I noted the great things from me that are in Hadley.

It helped me realize that for every " bad " gene in her, there are

dozens of good ones in there.

Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were

and ask why not. G.B Shaw

---------------------------------

Yahoo! Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs. Try it free.

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks for the warm welcome. We are going to see how the aids do and

then see if they help improve her speech and understanding. Thanks for

the reminder that there is nothing I can do about our genetic

background, and I sure wouldn't want any other child but her.

LINDA

Re: new to group

Hi, , and welcome to the group,

I also have a daughter with a mild loss, rising to normal in the high

frequencies. We didn't find out about her loss until she was tested at

3

1/2, because of her newborn brother's hearing loss. At that point, she

had

an amazing vocabulary and excellent speech, and her audi didn't feel

it was

necessary to aid her. She is now 10, an excellent student, and she has

a

soundfield FM in her class. Which is not to say your daughter wouldn't

benefit from aids; every child is unique, and you need to find out what

works for your daughter, so by all means, give it a try and see what

works.

As for the guilt on the genetic factor, well, my son's loss is caused

by

connexin 26, a mutated gene he inherited from both my husband and me.

And I

don't feel guilty at all: I didn't know we had it, and had no control

over

passing it down. I feel no more responsible for that than I do for his

brown

eyes or cheek dimple. What can you do? The genes fall where they may.

You

gave them life, which is a marvelous thing.

I had an amnio when I was pregnant with my son, because I was over 35.

After

we found out about his hearing loss, and that it was genetic, I

wondered

what I would have done if they had tested for connexin 26 along with

Downs

Syndrome and spina bifida. Would I have made a different choice?

Actually,

I'm really glad I didn't know, because he is a wonderful, joyous,

aggravating, awesome little boy. And I would have missed that if I

hadn't

had him. And I think his hearing loss is a big part of the personality

that

I love.

Oh, well, enough of my blather, go enjoy your turkey, and welcome to

the

group!

Stefanie

Mom to Ben, 7, severe/profound HOH, and Isabella, 10, mild loss

on 11/24/05 11:15 AM, DMBLin13@... at DMBLin13@... wrote:

> Thanks Carmen for the welcome.

>

> I guess I have garden variety guilt about not aiding her sooner of

she

> needed it, and being the genetic factor that gave it to her in the

> first place.

>

> LINDA A.

> Mom of Triplets

> Dylan mild SNHL

> Haley mild/mod SNHL

> hearing

[Guest guest]

Thanks Barbara,

Wow I am so glad your sons are doing so well in school and sports. It

sounds like you are a great mom and I look forward to getting to know

you and everyone else here.

LINDA

Re: new to group

Hi LInda - I'll add my welcome to the chorus! I have two boys who are

deaf. Tom is 13 and wasn't diagnosed until he was 3-1/2 with at the

time a moderate loss; Sam is 11 with a profound loss.

I have to say I know just exactly how you feel about the guilt. I

don't

have a hearing loss but have always known there were hearing problems

in

my family (only the boys - my brother, uncle and nephew - my sister's

son). Why it didn't occur to me it could be hereditary don't ask me

but

we just didn't think about it until Tom turned 3 and I noticed his

language wasn't all that clear. When Sam was diagnosed with his

hearing

loss 4 months later (at 15 months), I remember crying all the way home

from the audiologist's office and thinking " I did this to you " . IN

some

ways, I think you have to move through that and deal with it and then

move forward with your kids. I know it was that way for me.

So how are they doing now? Tom is fully mainstreamed in 7th grade and

doing well. He just got a cochlear implant (last Wednesday). He has

several nice friends and is a happy guy. Tom loves anything art (he's

a

metalsmither) and is studying now for his black belt in Taekwondo.

Sam's in 5th grade - also mainstreamed and doing great. Sam's our jock

- he told me he loves anything with a ball! (I'm thinking - that would

only leave out hockey, right?!). For Tom, particularly, it was a good

amount of work, particularly in the beginning. But well worth it. I

can honestly say I don't feel guilty any longer - it's just what it

is.

So I hope it will get easier for you too.

I'm so glad you've found Listen-up!

Take care - happy thanksgiving!

Barbara

DMBLin13@... wrote:

>Thanks Carmen for the welcome.

>

> I guess I have garden variety guilt about not aiding her sooner of

she

>needed it, and being the genetic factor that gave it to her in the

>first place.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Debbie,

Thanks for the welcome, and I think you are right about the audi's

aiding more now then before because of the advancement of hearing aids

themselves. And I think you are also right about her being older and

more able to tell us if they are helping. I think that was a huge part

of why we waited too. When we first got the aids she was 18 months and

never adjusted to them at all. So then we tried again at 3 and still

had no success, because of a bad mold fitting and feedback she was

getting the whistling in her ear all day, but never told us. I felt so

bad for her I didn't make her wear them after that. So now that she

will be 5 I am hoping and praying that she adjusts better this time,

and they help.

LINDA

Re: new to group

Hi ,

Welcome to the group. I'm Debbie, mom to to very active kids,

and

. is 6 and was diagnosed with her moderate SNHL when she

was 2

1/2. She is now mainstreamed in first grade. is 3 and is

hearing.

I think it's so easy for us as parents to feel guilt about all sorts

of

things. For you, it's because it's believed to be hereditary. For me,

it was

that it took so long to figure out what should have been easily

identified. But

as time goes on, I don't dwell on those issues and find myself

focusing on other

things.....like issues at school.

I've heard of children who were aided with mild losses and I've heard

of

those who weren't. Your kids are old enough that they could probably

give you

some good feedback if the aids were helping or not. My daughter's loss

is a

little worse than what your kid's is, but 's speech was very

delayed when

she was 2 1/2, so aids for us were a no brainer. I know years ago,

they didn't

put aids on children until they were older and then only if the loss

was

significant. With the all of the digital aids that we have today, I

think many

audi's are more apt to suggest aids for the milder losses, since they

can be

programmed specifcally for the loss they have.

Debbie, mom to , 6, moderate SNHL and , 3, hearing

Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that

never were

and ask why not. G.B Shaw

---------------------------------

Yahoo! Personals

Single? There's someone we'd like you to meet.

Lot's of someone's, actually. Yahoo! Personals

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kerry,

I will definitely check out those articles that you mentioned. I also

like how you dealt with the gulit, and you are right I " gave " her lots

of great things too.

LINDA

new to group

Hi let me introduce myself. I am A. (I know there is another

here). I have triplets who will be 5 in two weeks. Two of them

have SNHL. I also have moderate/severe SNHL. My son has only mild

loss bi-laterally, and my daughter has more mild/mod loss bi-laterally.

We have known about my daughter's loss since birth, but were never

convinced that aiding her was the right thing to do. She only has a

loss that is in the 30-45 range with down sloping in the high

frequency. I have the same loss (although now 45-90), but was not

aided until the age of 26. My speech developed appropriately despite

the loss. Now we are faced with aiding her at this time. Our concern

(but more her teachers, audiologists, and teacher if D/HOH) is that as

she goes into kindergarten she will not thrive as she should. Her

speech is delayed mild/moderately. So my question is does anyone here

have a child with mild loss bi-laterally that aided them? Right now I

am very confused about what to do with her at this point. I can't

seem to get out of the cloud of guilt to make a clear decision on what

to do. We had a 2 hour IEp meeting and they are recommending aids

(which she already has), and am FM system. At this point I feel so

lost that I am letting the school make all these decisions, so this is

my attempt to gain information to make informed choices on her behalf.

And the funny thing is that I am a very informed parent and vocal

about my kids needs in other areas (like my other daughter has

Autism, and I advocate for her needs easily and with more

confidence). Anyhow I have rambled on enough for my very first post.

Thanks.

A.

Mom of triplets

Dylan mild SNHL

Haley mild/mod SNHL

hearing and autistic

All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each

post is

the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to

copyright

restrictions.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/24/2005 12:19:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,

tndarcher@... writes:

My son Ian is 2 and has a mild/moderate loss. He is aided and will soon be

getting an FM system. I say go ahead and try them. It is the only way you

will really know if she is going to benefit. I really feel our son gets

great benefit from them. The good thing is at her age she should be easy to

test.

.

Welcome to the list ... I know you'll find it a great and supportive place.

I echo Tawnya's comments. Our Ian had a mild-moderate unilateral loss when

we first started out. He was much older than the kids on this list when he was

aided -- he was 8. So, he was able to actually tell us quite clearly what he

thought of his aids.

He loved them. He was not at all embarrassed to wear the first aid, and

asked for the second one. He'd been tentative about getting aids so we agreed to

aid his " bad ear " first and let him get use to that one. He asked for the

second one almost immediately. His aids are bright blue and his ear molds are

swirls of red-white-blue. The molds change, but when we bought new aids this

summer, he wanted them to be blue again.

Our Ian spoke as clearly as any hearing person, which is wonderful and

horrible. Great because he never needed any speech therapy, and horrible because

it was a big reason we were SO delayed in identifying his loss. (we had a

couple really inept doctors as well)

As for the guilt, it's normal. I think guilt comes with parenthood. No

matter what the issues are for our kids, we're going to worry about our

decisions

and feel guilty if we don't make the right one fast enough. I have regrets

and guilt for both my kids for completely different reasons. And yet, I know

we've been good parents and they're great kids.

Our Ian had become a fabulous lip reader by the time we figured out his

hearing loss. That's a skill that takes years to learn. When I look back now, I

see so-o-o-o-o-o many things that could have told us our son was HOH, but I

missed every single one of them. Talk about guilt. In retrospect I count myself

as one of the worst moms on earth. And then I think about the fact that the

professionals all missed it. I came to realize that I did the best I could

with what I had and that's all any of us can do.

As for the benefit of his aids. After he got his first aid, my son started

to whisper again. I didn't realize until i heard him do it that he hadn't done

that in quite a while. This silly mommy got all teary and had to explain to

him that I wasn't sad, I was happy. His hearing has since deteriorated so that

he doesn't really whisper anymore -- he has a progressive loss. But he will

now intentionally whisper, if a touch loudly. It's easy to over hear his

whispering. (grin)

If you ask Ian about his aids he'll tell you they helped him so much. He

could hear his friends in class and at recess and didn't feel left out of

conversations. He could understand the lyrics on the radio better. He could

hear me

whispering.

Our Ian is now 15, a sophomore in our local high school. He is one merit

badge and a project short of being an Eagle Scout. He hikes, climbs, canoes,

goes bowling with his friends, and just about anything you can think of that any

hearing kid would do. So, my mistakes were made, but the kid has turned out

just fine.

As for the Fm system. Go for it! Ian has one and we fought with our district

until he got one. It is a great tool in school for leveling that playing

field. The teacher's voice goes right into Ian's ears and he can hear well

enough to take notes, to follow the lecture even when the teacher starts pacing

the room. The mike is passed from kid to kid when they read aloud or do

presentations. I'm a big supporter of FMs. They're great for older kids, like

our

Ian. But they're even more wonderful for younger ones who are learning so much

new language. The FM can help with enunciation as well as language

acquisition.

There is so much more out there for our kids now than there was when you

were younger. And the technology is smaller and less goofy looking. So, I'd go

for the Fm system.

Our approach to Ian's hearing loss is that it's nothing to be embarrassed

about or to hide. It is simply part of who he is. So, when he asked for the

colored aids and molds, we were more than happy to approve.

I know you'll enjoy this list. I do. There's such a great group of people

here.

Best - Jill

[Guest guest]

Thank you Jill. I loved your story. It is great to hear of a child who

was older receiving and excepting aids so easily. That gives me great

hope for Haley. I am also encouraged by his not being embarrassed by

his hearing aids. I most admit even I am embarrassed by mine and

constantly cover them with my hair (and I am 30!). What a great kid you

have there.

Everyone keeps talking about the different colored molds. I know they

are available, and Haley's first molds were bright pink, but it always

looked like she had gum stick in her ear, and they brought more

attention then the clear ones. However I have heard that the kids like

the colored ones better.

LINDA

Re: new to group

In a message dated 11/24/2005 12:19:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,

tndarcher@... writes:

My son Ian is 2 and has a mild/moderate loss. He is aided and will

soon be

getting an FM system. I say go ahead and try them. It is the only way

you

will really know if she is going to benefit. I really feel our son

gets

great benefit from them. The good thing is at her age she should be

easy to

test.

.

Welcome to the list ... I know you'll find it a great and supportive

place.

I echo Tawnya's comments. Our Ian had a mild-moderate unilateral loss

when

we first started out. He was much older than the kids on this list

when he was

aided -- he was 8. So, he was able to actually tell us quite clearly

what he

thought of his aids.

He loved them. He was not at all embarrassed to wear the first aid,

and

asked for the second one. He'd been tentative about getting aids so we

agreed to

aid his " bad ear " first and let him get use to that one. He asked for

the

second one almost immediately. His aids are bright blue and his ear

molds are

swirls of red-white-blue. The molds change, but when we bought new

aids this

summer, he wanted them to be blue again.

Our Ian spoke as clearly as any hearing person, which is wonderful and

horrible. Great because he never needed any speech therapy, and

horrible because

it was a big reason we were SO delayed in identifying his loss. (we

had a

couple really inept doctors as well)

As for the guilt, it's normal. I think guilt comes with parenthood. No

matter what the issues are for our kids, we're going to worry about

our

decisions

and feel guilty if we don't make the right one fast enough. I have

regrets

and guilt for both my kids for completely different reasons. And yet,

I know

we've been good parents and they're great kids.

Our Ian had become a fabulous lip reader by the time we figured out

his

hearing loss. That's a skill that takes years to learn. When I look

back now, I

see so-o-o-o-o-o many things that could have told us our son was HOH,

but I

missed every single one of them. Talk about guilt. In retrospect I

count myself

as one of the worst moms on earth. And then I think about the fact

that the

professionals all missed it. I came to realize that I did the best I

could

with what I had and that's all any of us can do.

As for the benefit of his aids. After he got his first aid, my son

started

to whisper again. I didn't realize until i heard him do it that he

hadn't done

that in quite a while. This silly mommy got all teary and had to

explain to

him that I wasn't sad, I was happy. His hearing has since deteriorated

so that

he doesn't really whisper anymore -- he has a progressive loss. But he

will

now intentionally whisper, if a touch loudly. It's easy to over hear

his

whispering. (grin)

If you ask Ian about his aids he'll tell you they helped him so much.

He

could hear his friends in class and at recess and didn't feel left out

of

conversations. He could understand the lyrics on the radio better. He

could

hear me

whispering.

Our Ian is now 15, a sophomore in our local high school. He is one

merit

badge and a project short of being an Eagle Scout. He hikes, climbs,

canoes,

goes bowling with his friends, and just about anything you can think

of that any

hearing kid would do. So, my mistakes were made, but the kid has

turned out

just fine.

As for the Fm system. Go for it! Ian has one and we fought with our

district

until he got one. It is a great tool in school for leveling that

playing

field. The teacher's voice goes right into Ian's ears and he can hear

well

enough to take notes, to follow the lecture even when the teacher

starts pacing

the room. The mike is passed from kid to kid when they read aloud or

do

presentations. I'm a big supporter of FMs. They're great for older

kids, like

our

Ian. But they're even more wonderful for younger ones who are learning

so much

new language. The FM can help with enunciation as well as language

acquisition.

There is so much more out there for our kids now than there was when

you

were younger. And the technology is smaller and less goofy looking.

So, I'd go

for the Fm system.

Our approach to Ian's hearing loss is that it's nothing to be

embarrassed

about or to hide. It is simply part of who he is. So, when he asked

for the

colored aids and molds, we were more than happy to approve.

I know you'll enjoy this list. I do. There's such a great group of

people

here.

Best - Jill

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/28/2005 4:34:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

DMBLin13@... writes:

I

am considering buying her bunny ears from the Internet too. We want to

make this a positive thing for her.

LINDA A.

Bunny ears?! LOL If it were me, I'd order a few pairs and wear one myself.

What a fun idea.

Ian refers to his as his bionic ears, or just " the ears. " Being a boy, he

had no interest in a crafty box. But he liked this little plain wooden box my

godfather brought me from the Grand Canyon (in 1964). One of those classic

old-time souvenirs with the word " Grand Canyon " embossed on the wood. That was

their first home, but it wasn't big enough for the batteries and the other

stuff. Now it just holds his tie-tacks. We let him pick out the " new " tin and

it's been the home of his aids and supplies ever since.

Best -- Jill

[Guest guest]

Thanks Edith,

That is actually the site I was going to get them from.

LINDA

Re: new to group

(and other newer members),

You may not be aware that you can buy dolls with little hearing aids

thru

Lakeshore Learning, in case your daughter is into dolls. Here's a link

to info

about dolls and hearing aids from the Listen Up website.

Edith

http://www.listen-up.org/haid/dolls.htm

Re: new to group

In a message dated 11/27/2005 2:13:52 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

DMBLin13@... writes:

Everyone keeps talking about the different colored molds. I know they

are available, and Haley's first molds were bright pink, but it always

looked like she had gum stick in her ear, and they brought more

attention then the clear ones. However I have heard that the kids like

the colored ones better.

I think for some kids being able to pick the color of their molds

helps them

not feel self conscious about the aids. Ian liked them the minute he

got the

" new " blue ones. We then moved onto red-white-blue swirls, his

favorite

variation and the one he always comes back to.. His first ones had

been sort'a

clear and a harder plastic. The colored ones have been softer and more

comfortable.

My daughter had (still has) hearing aid envy. She wanted purple

glitter

molds ... and she doesn't have a hearing loss. She use to make play

aids out of

playdough, pipe cleaners -- and those wickie sticks. She also made

herself

glasses like mine. She's still a bit annoyed that she has 1) perfect

hearing, 2)

20-15 vision and 3) beautifully straight teeth. All of which she

inherited

from her father. After the last visit to the dentist, she complained

that she

didn't even need braces which most of her friends are getting. We

tease her

that she is truly cursed, LOL.

Ian likes the colors and has no problems with total strangers asking

him

about his aids. Little kids in the mall will stare. On occasion in the

food

court, they'll practically climb into his lap to see what the colors

are in his

ears. The parents are always embarrassed, but he shows them and tells

them how

the aids help him hear.

I'm convinced it's all because of the attitude we took at the very

beginning. Nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide. His 4th grade

friends

asked to

try out the aids when he got them, so he'd wash off the mold and let

them

listen through them.

You daughter's TOD could do a presentation to her class and introduce

them

to the idea of hearing loss and hearing aids. It's amazing how easily

the

younger kids accept such things. If she has confidence, then they'll

be fine

with

it all.

Our son has never been teased about his aids or hearing loss. He's

been

teased about being short, about a girl having a crush on him, about

being a

terrible bowler ... but never about the hearing loss. He has a great

" so what "

face that he makes when anyone gives him grief, and he usually makes a

joke out

of things rather than getting mad.

Each kid is very different. The only other mainstreamed D/HOH kid in

our

school district is in Ian's grade. They've been friends since nursery

school

when they were 3. He hates being different, hates having his aids

noticed and

will do anything not to stand out from the crowd. So he will never

have colored

aids or molds unless it helped make them blend in with his hair. He

prefers

not to discuss his hearing loss. and even refuses to cooperate with

any

obvious services.

Be supportive about her aids. Let yours show ... make it an adventure

and

get matching molds next time. Get a special box for her to keep her

aids and

batteries in. We picked up a little metal one with an attached lid at

Walmart

for a couple of dollars. Ian still uses it. It sits on the shelf next

to his

bed.

Whatever it takes to build up her self esteem and pride in her aids.

We've

found that Ian's attitude sets the tone for how kids/people react.

Honestly,

most don't notice the bright blue aids and if they do, no one is ever

mean.

Best, Jill

[Guest guest]

Jill,

I just realized how silly that sentence was that I wrote. What I ment

was getting her favorite stuffed bunny (she has had since birth) a pair

of little hearing aids. But I see what I really wrote. LOL oops sorry

about that. I guess I shouldn't try to type with the kids on me.

LINDA

Re: new to group

In a message dated 11/28/2005 4:34:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

DMBLin13@... writes:

I

am considering buying her bunny ears from the Internet too. We want to

make this a positive thing for her.

LINDA A.

Bunny ears?! LOL If it were me, I'd order a few pairs and wear one

myself.

What a fun idea.

Ian refers to his as his bionic ears, or just " the ears. " Being a boy,

he

had no interest in a crafty box. But he liked this little plain wooden

box my

godfather brought me from the Grand Canyon (in 1964). One of those

classic

old-time souvenirs with the word " Grand Canyon " embossed on the wood.

That was

their first home, but it wasn't big enough for the batteries and the

other

stuff. Now it just holds his tie-tacks. We let him pick out the " new "

tin and

it's been the home of his aids and supplies ever since.

Best -- Jill

[Guest guest]

If it were me I would definitely have the gene test done, then if it

is negative for celiac then at least you could rule that out and

look at other avenues.

-- In SillyYaks , " princess_sapphire "

wrote:

>

> Hi. My name is Patti and I'm hoping to get some advice so I can

help

> my son. He is 6 years old and the last 6 months have been

horrible.

> I've been to 2 other groups trying to get answers and one of them

> keeps saying this is the room to go. The other one has been

> extremely helpful, but now the situation deepens a little.

> Here is a brief description: six months ago he started vomiting.

It

> went on for a month along with diahrea. I had suspected celiac

> before and now I did again. I demanded a blood test. 2 out of 3

> came out positive. He went to a pedi. gastro. He did an

endoscopy

> and the biopsies came back negative. I did more blood tests and

> allergy tests and a stool sample. All came back negative or

normal,

> except the other celiac test( a more sensitive one). That showed

> High levels of IgG. The gastro doctor suggested a colonoscopy.

That

> showed microscopic colitis. At first he said he could cure it.

Now

> I just spoke with him again and he said it may NOT go away.

> Unfortunately until I met my husband I have never heard of

celiac.

> His brother has it.

> My son hasn't had the gene test done yet for celiac. I was going

to

> have it done in 2 weeks when he goes back. Should I still have

the

> gene test done?

>

> My son doesn't vomit anymore, but hasn't had a solid stool for

> months. Gets bloated, has a constant pain on both sides of

stomach.

>

> What does that sound like to you?

>

> Anything would help me to go in the right direction to help my son.

> Thank you

> Patti

>