More about Hearing Aids and Tubes

Melanie has been hard at work to get the ball rolling for Whitney's new hearing aids. One of Whit's last pair was lost and we've given up hope of having it returned. And you can't just replace one because they have to match to work correctly.

As step one in the replacement process, we've verified that we do have some insurance coverage for hearing aids through my employer-sponsored healthcare. That will be a huge help in defraying the nearly $8,000 cost. And I'm learning more about how insuring hearing aids works. Typically, a patient is encouraged to purchase a three year policy that covers new hearing aids in the event of loss or damage. And health care insurance, as with our family's policy, covers the purchase of a new pair every three plus years. That way, between the two types of coverage, there's always a way to ensure Whitney has good hearing.

The next step is to get Whit fitted with new aids and get them tuned properly based on her unique hearing loss. This will be happening in the coming weeks and I'll keep everyone posted.

During all this, Whitney also paid a visit to the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to make sure her ear drums and tubes are looking good. The ENT verified Whit's last set of tubes has dropped out and the ear drums have closed properly. This is good news since Whitney's general pediatrician thought he had seen a growth on one of her eardrums that might have required surgery to remove.

The ENT asked us to keep an eye out for ear infections now that the tubes are out. Hopefully, Whit's ears stay clear or it'll be time for what the ENT called T-Tubes. They're so permanent that they have to be surgically removed. We're really hoping Whit's ears have opened up enough to allow for normal draining. Which should help keep those nasty infections away without requiring any more tubes.