Friday, May 25, 2012

With Better Use Of My Oral Skills #SNRyan



Even with his hearing aids, Owen misses most conversations that occur around him.

For example:

Chatting at the dinner table?  He tunes out until he picks up an interesting snippet and then demands to be filled in on what he'd missed.  Which I then give to him in a mish mash of words and sign in fucked up semi ASL syntax.

Talk in the car?  We're not allowed to speak in the car, 'cause he can't hear us. We all just put up with the music played LOUDLY enough for him to hear it.  Thank goodness he has good taste.  His current favorite is Adele.

Sitting around the living room?  The TV is LOUD, and he's struggling to listen while reading the captions.  If anyone dares speak, he tells them to stop.  Or if he is curious, will turn the TV off and wait to be caught up on what he missed.

It can be exhausting keeping him in the loop.

And also?  His English SUCKS.

Without the luxury of listening in on everyday conversations around him, he's not learned enough English. He speaks in a funky English/ASL hodgepodge which his speech therapist brought to me as a serious concern.

What could possibly give him more access to spoken language?

A personal FM system.

To the tune of thousands of dollars.  Which I don't have.

So I started making calls to get help paying for it.

And before I was forced to use my other mad oral skills, the unthinkable happened; A mysterious benefactor offered to purchase the system.

Owen's hearing aid provider was shocked and elated for us.  And a little freaked out as Owen is a special case for her.  She doesn't treat children. Only old people. She took Owen on as a favor to his audiologist.

She took her time learning about different systems.  Attended a hearing aid convention and met with Phonak.

And yesterday we got it.

Apologies for lack of video evidence, but the look on Owen's face when Dr. Julie put on the transmitter, left the room and spoke to Owen?

He turned bright red and his face split into a painfully huge smile.

Continued goofy grinning as we drove home listening to his girl sing to him like he'd never heard before.

This morning he asked Bea to wear it.  We figured out how to attach it to the iPod, and his DS, and the TV.

He asked if the dog could wear it.

Talking to Bea in the kitchen this morning, Owen came running in from the playroom asking when we were going to the playground.  'Cause he'd heard us.

So from now on, I'm going to look like this:


Sexy eh?

Well Ryan thinks it is:




Joining Sunday and the gang once again!!!  Go see what else our boyfriend is up to.

29 comments:

  1. In my head, Ryan is totally the mysterious benefactor. It could happen.

    I love this.

    And I love your awesome rack.

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  2. I swear to God. Yesterday, I was wondering where the hell you were. And now here you are, and it was well worth the wait. You are awesome, rack and all. What a wonderful story, in all seriousness. Keep us posted on the goings on!

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  3. That's freaking awesome!!
    Also? I want a mysterious benefactor.

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  4. I think the FM radio is an awesome accessory! Great post!

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  5. Woohoo! One of the kids back in my kid's first grade class had an FM system. The rest of the kids would always remind the teacher to put it back on when they'd come back into the classroom from specials or lunch or whatnot. They were all "M CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!!!"

    So happy for Owen and the mysterious benefactor!!

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  6. May the universe heap blessing upon the mysterious benefactor. Can't wait to hear about what Owen's been missing, this has hilarity written all over it.

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  7. You've probably already seen this, but Marvel has a hearing impaired super hero:

    http://jezebel.com/5913274/our-eyes-are-wet-marvel-comics-creates-special-hearing+aid-superhero-for-young-boy

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  8. You know what, I wasn't going to comment on your awesome rack but since you put it out there and Ryan says it's ok.....seriously? That is beyond amazing that someone would help out (my faith in humanity has been restored) and I can just imagine his smile. Priceless. Just priceless.

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  9. I have a friend with an FM system like this one and yes, she has a zoomlink.
    I have an FM unit but mine's an Inspiro and pretty much more high tech LOL :)

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  10. Ha. Mysterious Benefactor. Haha.

    xoxo

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  11. I'm dying laughing at your awesome ORAL skills - yeah RYAN - I say Marvel make Ryan the superhero in the movie version!

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  12. Love it! The rack and the oral skills! LOL

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  13. That's so awesome! The benefactor, not your rack. Well, your rack is awesome, too. Now I'm confused.

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  14. How cool to have a mysterious benefactor. I must get me one of those. I'm not sure for what purpose, other than just to say I have one.

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  15. As Katie would say, you just made my heart super happy. That is WONDERFUL! So happy for you all!

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  16. You kill me.

    This is wonderful, but you kill me.

    LOVE your new header, is it by The Claw?

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  17. I'm so happy for you all! And for how great your boobs look.
    Mine are like baseballs hanging in a pair of socks.
    Fuck.

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  18. Please tell me the mysterious benefactor also contributed to your awesome rack... Unless the mysterious benefactor was Ryan Gosling himself???
    Go. Owen!

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  19. This. This is fantastic! I don't care who the benefactor was - bless him or her! Really so happy for Owen!

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  20. That is sheerly wonderful.
    K. has an fm system at school, we happen to have the Austine School in our town and have access to things like this. Everyone benefits from it. Thank you benefactor for seeing how wonderful your family is!

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  21. Like we needed further excuses to check out your rack.

    Sounds like you found a true angel - and I'm very, very happy to hear that it's working out as well as it is.

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  22. So glad you were given this for Owen and, of course, it looks great on you.

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  23. I just have to say that I was shocked you didn't mention Ryan's awesome oral skills. If ya know what I mean. ;-)

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  24. It's amazing how such a little thing can blow open someone's world in such a wonderful way! It's so awesome that his hearing has been enhanced, especially when it comes to music.

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  25. Holy crap!

    I don't know how I missed this post for a WEEK.
    (You were buried deep in my INBOX - and yes I said that on purpose).

    Anyway.

    Continued Holy crap.

    Also, continued goofy grinning as I think about Owen.
    And Ryan. And your rack.

    And mysterious benefactors.
    Yes.

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  26. Oh. My. God. You and Ryan so totally crack me up! I almost fell out of my chair. Good thing I work at 911, they don't have to call anyone for me...

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  27. Wow, that's fantastic, and good on you for making it happen. And anonymous benefactors? You are in a superhero movie. Also, your new header is fantastic.

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