Mr. Fantastic's update

Yesterday we returned home from a fast trip to Omaha.  Popeye and I (along with children 1, 4, & 5) stayed in the fancy-shmancy Hilton Hotel.  It was so nice.  Down comforters (not those polyester things that Days Inn has) and CLEAN sheets, I actually felt fine climbing into bed and sitting on the bedspread.  Granite counters in the bathroom, lovely entertainment center, view, service.  Oh yeah - and the BILL.  Not so lovely.  I now remember why we don't stay at 4 star hotels.  Parking was $9.  No free continental breakfast. To use the gym in the morning cost Popeye $10.  (Had he realized that, he would've gone running outside.)  But the bed was so luxurious!  And the free lotion was really lovely, too. 
Anyway.  I don't think we'll be able to afford to stay there when Mr. Fantastic has his surgery, we'll probably stay at the Ronald Mc Donald house or with family.  But I'm glad we did.

So we went to Omaha for the last round of tests for Mr. Fantastic.  He had a speech/language evaluation, he got his new processor reconfigured and we had an expectations meeting with the head audiologist.  It was a super long day.  And everyone held up famously!  Funny thing.  His new processor is so high tech.  He hears WAY better now.  And when he turns his volume up too loud his eye starts twitching.  It's super funny to see!

So now what?
Well, the cochlear implant team will get together on Wednesday and review Mr. Fantastic's file.  They'll write up their report and submit it to the insurance company.  The insurance company wants to see that he's using his current CI and that he's benefitting from it.  Of course he is, on both counts.  So hopefully, by the end of May, early June, we'll be heading to Omaha for 10 days for surgery. 

Now listen. Don't get all excited thinking he's going to magically hear right away.  That's not the case at all.  His brain doesn't know how to hear from his left ear.  The last time his brain had to deal with those neurological signals was when he was 2.  So his brain is going to have to re-learn all of that information.  He may hear just as well (over time) on the left side as he does on the right.  He might only be able to hear noise on that side.  Only time (and intensive therapy) will tell.

But we are optimistic.  When Mr. Fantastic was in the hospital with meningitis, the blessings he received told him he would be as if he never got sick.  I know he will be able to hear out of his left ear again.  It will take a lot of practice and work, but he wants this.  He'll work at it, I know it.

Anyway.  We're proud of him for making the choice and we're glad he's so excited for it.
I'll keep you all updated as soon as we know more.

(On a side note.  Princess Monkey Eyes taught herself how to ride a two-wheeler on Monday.  No help from Popeye or myself - we just watched as she kept trying and trying.  And now she can't be stopped! - unless she's headed for the neighbor's lawn, then she crashes there.)