New Technology in 2010!

Today Philip is getting a new pair of hearing aids, and it got me thinking about how this year (2010) has been a year for much needed new medical technology for our family! First, in June, Carter got tubes (or for those down with the medical lingo he got tympanostomy tubes via a myringotomy procedure in both ears). While not really NEW technology, I know the tubes and procedure have changed greatly since I got them TWICE in the 80s. After suffering from an ear infection that would come back right after each antibiotic was finished from December to the day he got his tubes, Carter became a new child with his tubes! Less than an hour after waking up from his surgery, he was running around the house screaming "Baaaallllll!" (one of only a few words he could say at the time eventhough he was 20 months at the time)....now 6 months later he is caught up completely in his speech development without ever needing formal speech therapy! While his speech is not 100% clear, what 2 year old's isn't, he can now say 4-5 word sentences and most importantly he is not waking with a fever and screaming in pain all the time anymore...please know that he does still scream ALOT because that is in his nature! So that was the first piece of medical technology that greatly improved the lives of our family this year.

Then in early July, I got my newest pacemaker! Given that my previous one was just past 12 years old, there was definitely a wealth of new technology in pacemakers out there. My doctors decided on the Medtronic In-Sync III pictured below, which uses three instead of the two leads I had most of my life. So for the first time in my life all four of my heart chambers are coordinated in their beating/contraction. To many this may seem like nothing but when you heart beats out of sync, believe me you get tired quickly. In fact according to my doctors by January (6 months post surgery) I should have more energy than I have ever had...I know that scares some of you who know me! But more importantly this pacer with improve my cardiac output/efficiency and lessen the work placed on my poor ventricle that has to pump to my whole body despite being designed to only have to pump to my lungs! So you can clearly see that this second piece of medical technology will improve the lives of our whole family because the kids will have a mom with more energy who has a heart with less stress placed on it despite being formed wrong during development.

Which brings me to the third piece of medical technology that will hopefully change the lives of our family for the better...Philip's new Oticon Sumo hearing aids, which he is getting as I type this just in time for the start of the new year. While I do not profess to know nearly as much about hearing aids as my hubby or his parents (who by the way have been FABULOUS enough to pay for his new hearing aids because they stupidly are not covered by insurance [but that is another post entirely and not a cheerful one] and because all this new medical technology has been quite an expense especially with the economy), I have learned a thing or two in my 7.5 years of marriage and 11 years of knowing my hubby. From what I have read and Philip told me after testing out his new hearing aids, these new aids will help greatly with his ability to hear in general and especially the little voices of our little children who I might say are champs about daddy not always hearing them right or the first time they tell him something. The Sumos, which stand for 'Super Power Maximum Output,' "make an ideal amplification solution for people who don't want to compromise on performance or power." According to the Hearing Planet website they offer:
Unmatched output power with less distortion

Power where you need it - in the low frequencies!(aka little children's voices)
Better battery economy - stronger for longer....new battery management system prolongs battery life and ensures consistent output performance throughout the battery lifetime.
(woo hoo less batteries used equals more savings for us since batteries also are not covered by any insurance)

Superior design - small, robust and functional. SUMO is extremely small and attractive (I have always thought Philip's hearing aids were CUTE btw...see picture fyi).

" It is a robust and reliable instrument that you can depend on every day and everywhere." Wow if that is not a selling point what is?!

So after noticing for the last year that Philip either cannot hear me as well(maybe because his current hearing aids are older than our marriage!) or is chosing not too, I will finally know which it is because these new hearing aids should help him to hear better than ever before...but be aware that he will still need to read your lips and will always benefit from signing because he is still hard-of-hearing and I for one would not want him any other way!

I hope you have enjoyed my thoughts and information on the new medical technology in use by our very unique and wonderful family! We may be somewhat bionic but what we lack in medical perfection we make up for in love and persistance!