Gabi: Dr Brent's Office

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Dr Brent's Office

In this picture I'm sitting on Dr. Brent's lap with some fish behind us. This is in his waiting room. Dr. Brent is really nice. He also has a bunch of stuffed animals in his waiting room.

In this picture I am standing in front of a beautiful bush in front of the mall. This bush kind of looks like palm tree leaves. We went shopping for collage books because Dr. Brent gave me an idea. He was talking about collages in his office. He was doing a collage and I really like art so I'm going to try to make one too! :)

The Creative Gabi

4 comments:

AnonymousJanuary 28, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Gabi!Today's the big day. Just want you to know that we Buettners are praying for you!Hope iy goes well and you wake up feeling good. Are you enjoying the sun in California? Heal quickly! Love Jana
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AnonymousJanuary 28, 2010 at 11:43 AM
January 27th and wearing a t-shirt and capri's in front of a palm leaf, how awesome! Dr. Brent is a great guy, we are so lucky to have found him! I love you sweet girl. Can't wait to talk to you tonight.

Love Dad
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AnonymousJanuary 29, 2010 at 7:43 AM
Gabi, I am so happy everything went well for you! You look nice & warm in this picture & your new outfit is so so so cute! Good luck in your future surgeries! Looking forward to seeing you in July at the family reunion!
Love your cousin Stacy
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AnonymousJanuary 29, 2010 at 10:30 PM
Gabi, I love these pictures. Dr. Brent looks like he really cares about you! I also love that out of all of the stuffed animals you chose to hold the penguin. Did you know that your cousin Nick loves penguins too? I can't wait to see you! I hope you can have some fun while you are in California! I love you! -Auntie Sarah
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Why the surgery?

Gabi has been taught to love her little ear, but there comes a time to make some decisions. Gabi's hearing aide is the type that has to be on a headband that she wears everyday until she grows big enough to have it surgically implanted into her bone. The headband is made for toddlers, with the idea that the hearing aide will eventually be surgically implanted. If there's one thing we've learned from her teachers, it's that she always does much much better when that hearing aide is working properly. We hear it every single year.

Decision number one...Do we continue with hearing aides and have it implanted? If we have it implanted, then she can't do the construction of the outer ear. It's a decision we would be making that would last her lifetime. The outer construction has to be done with "virgin" skin, meaning no previous holes or surgeries or anything.

Decision number two...Do we open that canal up so she can hear without a hearing aide? Again, if we open it up then we have to do the outer construction first. You can't do the ear canal and then decide later that you want to construct an outer ear.

Decision number three...do we just leave well enough alone and do nothing? We could...and that is what we have done the last eight years. Now that Gabi is eight we are faced with another issue. Teasing. Kids are cruel. Gabi started wanting to hide her ear. She started saying that she "only loves her little ear if other people can't see it."

The constructive surgery for an ear is an amazingly difficult process. You really have to be both a surgeon and an artist. There are only a handful of people in the country that are successfully doing the surgery. Another issue...if you don't do it right, then the ear is lost. One chance. There aren't any doctors in this state that are even doing the surgery.

After many years of diliberation, our insurance company gave the word that they saw the surgery as "medically necessary." Off we go to California to the doctor who pioneered the surgery and has had many many successful surgeries. After she is done with outer construction, she can have her ear canal opened with her doctor at the Mayo in Rochester, and throw the hearing aide in the toilet (or maybe donate it to someone else) and be done with it.

We're actually sad to say goodbye to our little ear...but looking forward to hearing without complications. :)

Gabi

Gabi and big sister Sophie

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Dr Brent's Office

4 comments:

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Why the surgery?

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