Simultaneous Bilateral Surgery!

We received a call from Ben's CI surgeon last week and he told us that after further research combined with the fact that Ben is so big (20+ pounds) and healthy, he has reconsidered his position and has agreed to perform simultaneous bilateral surgery on Ben! As long as we receive insurance approval (prayers, please!) Ben's surgery will be October 28 - when he is 9 1/2 months old! We were surprised and excited at the same time. I have been dreading putting Ben through two surgeries, especially after how much he screamed when he wasn't allowed to nurse for 6 hours prior to his CT scan last week. The logistics and stress of getting to the hospital over an hour away, and getting babysitters and drivers for the other kids a second time were going to be difficult as well. But most importantly, Ben should hear from both ears that much sooner!

We are so grateful to the many parents we have come to know who have been down this road ahead of us and have helped us reach this milestone on our journey. From the first day we received Ben's diagnosis, I learned of hospitals that were doing simultaneous bilaterals on infants around the country and was able to contact their parents and follow their progress on their blogs. This was key to developing my awareness and shaping my view of what could be possible for Ben. Now that we have the bilateral surgery set, we need to focus on the activation and mapping of bilateral implants on infants. We are hoping for an activation date right before Thanksgiving. What an absolutely incredible, joyful, blessed Thanksgiving it will be!