2nd cochlear implant!

On June 16th Ecrissa had her second surgery. She was implanted on the Left side and in 3 weeks she will be activated and have access to sound from 2 ears!!!! We have been talking about this implant and I asked her if she wanted it and she said yes! We have been talking about surgery day, reading the same book we read last time, looking at pictures from last time and just trying to prepare her for the day.

She was AMAZING pre surgery. She was happy, compliant and excited for her surgery.



She woke up much better than last time. She did not try to hurt me and she was not literally climbing the walls. She did not like the IV's in her arm and once those were discharged and taken off she was much better. She still really wanted to pull the bandage off of her head, but other than that she did a really good job.


Once we got home she calmed alot. She layed on the couch, ate a little and took her meds with no problem. But then, the vomitting began. She was not tolerating the pain meds well. She was complaining of stomach pain and head pain and she vomitted when I gave her pain meds. So, I called the doctor and they called in a suppository for her for the nausea. UGH! GREAT! I thought she would really protest to that, but she is taking that like a champ and she is now able to keep her pain meds down.

Saturday morning we were able to take the bandage off of her head. That is where the real problem began! She saw the area of her head that was shaved and she is HEART. BROKEN. She keeps asking me if it'll grow back and if she'll have hair there again. I keep reassuring her that yes, her hair will grow back, but I think she's a bit concerned that it won't! I bought her a new really cute hat and that helps!

Jaryse has been a trooper through all of this as well. He had to hang with me (and my step mom) at the hospital all day on Thursday. Allllllllllll daaaaaaay. We were there from 9:15 am until 5:30 pm. It was a long day and he was such a good brother! He even fasted with her and he refused to eat breakfast because Ecrissa couldn't! Needless to say, we were very hungry at lunch time when Ecrissa was finally taken in for the procedure. Then, the past couple of days have been kinda hard here at home with Ecrissa being kinda sick and in pain and he has been such a good boy with helping me and Ecrissa. He is starting to get a little tired of being couped up in the house, but hopefully Ecrissa will be able to get out a little more each day!

Please keep us all in your prayers. Pray for Ecrissa's pain and understanding that her hair will grow back and that she's beautiful no matter what, for Momma's strength and endurance through all of this and for Jaryse as he has to hang out with most of Momma's attention on Ecrissa and he has to wait for me frequently.

I'm grateful for this technology and relieved that the surgeries are out of the way! I am super excited for activation in 3 weeks! Can't wait to see if she reacts differently than the first time or what she will do!

And so Summer 2011 officially begins......

The kids are at their last day of school right now as I type this! Can it really be??? I am alwasys so amazed at how fast the time goes.

I am currently enjoying a 3 week vacation (I work on an adjusted school calendar and will work a few weeks throughout the summer) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE being home with the kids. I got to help in Jaryse's kindergarten class one day last week and I also got to attend their field day activities--SO FUN! I also got to attend the Deaf and Hard of Hearing end of school party with Ecrissa. I'm amazed at how much they have both grown in so many areas throughout this school year.

(at the Children's Museum!)

Ecrissa will have her second cochlear implant surgery this coming Thursday. We have talked about it and she is excited to have an implant in her left ear. She has been telling people that she is getting one. I hope that she remembers her excitement when she is waking up from the surgery next week!!!! :)

(fun on the trampoline at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing party)

Even though today is officially the last day of school, we kinda started our summer fun a little early. The past few days have been so warm (just the way I like it!) and so we've spent quite a bit of time at the pool at our apartment complex. Jaryse had a friend over after school one day earlier this week and had a different friend come over for a sleep over a couple of days ago! They are all so cute at this age!

I have recently been in a pretty big "I miss Haiti like crazy funk!". I think about Haiti constantly. I dream in Kreyol, I want to be there. I miss my friends. I miss the kids that I did therapy with. I miss Mangos, Haitian Coke, and rice and beans. I really want to go back. I don't know if I can swing a short trip this summer or not. If I do, it will have to be without the kids as I financially cannot afford to take them. This tears at my heart too. I want them to go back. I want them to see Haiti again. I want them to always know where they are from and have a sense of who they are culturally. Of course, when I hear myself think this stuff, I realize that I want the WORLD for my kids (as all us parents do) and I just need to step back and remember that God has it all in control and the kids and I will make it back to Haiti when the time is right. I do hope that at least for me, it's sooner-----rather than later!