BAHA + PROGRAMMABLE SHUNT=?

[CG332]

It's my mom's 7 year anniversary today:  Seven years ago that she acquired a programmable shunt from suffering GK-related hydrocephalus.  She had surgery in May 2005, went psychotic from Decadron in September and was having a shunt implanted before a new year began.

She had perfect hearing in my ears, then the misdirected GK hit, chronic vertigo, she lost hearing in the AN ear...and now in the past 72 hours she's on a steady no-brakes decline of hearing loss in her good ear.  We were at the ENT on Thursday who prescribed a steroid pack in hopes that the hearing loss wasn't GK or AN-related.  She refers to a dial tone as a buzz=I'm scared ****less for her.

Is there anyone out there who has sadly had the same bad outcome?  Her ENT suggested a cochlear implant...but I'm thinking the shunt will disqualify her, I mean, how much can one brain and skull withstand??  It's a skull-it's not like it's a wall where you can hang as many framed pictures/paintings as you like.

Has anyone had any luck with Avastin?

[leapyrtwins]

I'm not sure where a BAHA comes into this; and I know absolutely nothing about programmable shunts.

A CI (cochlear implant) might be a very good choice - and if the ENT who suggested it is familiar with them he/she should know if one would work for your mother.

Hope things turn out well for her.

Jan

[CG332]

Mom and I saw the ENT this morning.  My bad.  I thought a BAHA was a cochlear implant.  A CI is a CI and a BAHA is a BAHA.  The audiologist wasn't too optimistic about a hearing aid and anyway in our state, Medicare and Blue Cross require the patient to use a hearing aid first, pay thousands for it not to work, and then the ENT does battle with BC for a CI.  The audiologist was pretty sure that a CI would be ruled out (as am I) since Mom already has a shunt.

The ENT has ordered a MRI (to rule out a stroke-very rare-or another AN). The ENT is quite hesitant in prescribing another round of steroids since she went psychotic on Decadron.  (But then she was given 32mg/daily for a two week period to reduce brain swelling 3 months after the GK.) 

The ENT also suggested, I didn't have a pen with me, a steroid injection directly into the eardrum.  Has anyone experienced that and what were the results?  I honestly don't wanna cause Mom any unnecessary pain...and if she decides to go for that injection, only after the results from the MRI come in.

A RN we've met along the way asked if Mom has been bombarded lately with antibiotics.  She has (chronic and acute UTIs for the past 7 years).  The antibiotics Mom has been on due cause deafness-so says The Google.  I pray that she should be so lucky (in that regard).

We hope to have the MRI next week (in our state a creatinine test is required prior) and then a hearing aid evaluation next Friday.