Auditory Brainstem Response & Vocal Cord Tissue Engineering

Mommy of Multiples

Welcome to my blog! My name is Liz ~ first and foremost I am a child of the living God, saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. I am also the wife of an amazing man named Donny. I'm a stay-at-home mom to five little miracles named Logan, Hudson, Madison, Candice and Samantha. Motherhood has always been a part of my vision for the future. Little did I know what God had in store – carrying quintuplets, bringing four babies into the world at once, and raising five. Here is a place we share our challenges, truimphs, joys and sorrows. Meet my family,The Dixon 7.

Words from Mom:

"Being a mother has taught me more about the grace of God and my own shortcomings than any other experience in my life. I see God’s grace every morning as they wake up healthy and strong, as they laugh and giggle, as they run and play, as their minds develop right before my eyes. My biggest lesson learned is to cherish every moment with your children -they grow too fast. God never gives you more than you can handle…and I am going to do all that I can for my little ones -especially when they face challenges." "True, some of the lessons they’ve taught me were not very fun as they were happening, but the good moments mix up with the not-so-good moments in a wonderful curriculum ordained for me by God Himself. And since the lessons my children teach me were lovingly designed for me by my Father in Heaven, I will choose to embrace each moment and study these lessons that I may one day hear from the Teacher, “Well done, good and faithful Mommy.”" -Liz Dixon

"I honestly can say that being a mother is the most powerful and important feeling in the world. How lucky I am to be blessed with this opportunity to raise five children of God. I feel so deeply in love with each of my beautiful children. I crave their smiles, their smell, their hugs and kisses. They are my every reason for being. They are part of me, and of my husband, and yet each one is their own little person; a person that God created and I carried. They were a part of my body and then our physical bond was separated but that intimate and emotional bond will always be there. A bond between a mother and her children is so complicated and yet so simple at the same time. I love the calling I have been given in life. I love being Mommy to Logan, Hudson, Madison, Candice and Samantha."- Liz Dixon

"So much is involved in raising five children. We have already experienced so much in just over the last three years. I can’t believe it’s only been three years. In some ways I feel like half a lifetime has gone by. Through it all, many things have been uncertain, but one thing has stayed the same. Our Heavenly Father, Christ Jesus, has been watching over our family, keeping us safe and guiding us each day. We want our children to have hearts full of love and a strong faith in God. We are a Christian family desiring to raise our children with the primary focus of training their hearts!"- Liz Dixon

"God gave me strength when I couldn’t go on, life when my body was trying to shut down, encouragement to my broken heart, meals when the refrigerator was empty, a place to live when ends did not meet, peace in the midst of turmoil, and a contentment that went beyond my circumstances. Sure life gets hard now and then. My heart may still become anxious and my mind may begin to assume the worse, but today I know that contentment comes from within. I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances because God is faithful to me. I am so very blessed." – Liz Dixon

"This is the place I come to share my stories, thoughts, prayers, battles, struggles, and victories as a Christian mom. I’m not saying that I’m a perfect mom, just an honest mom in need of God’s grace everyday as I try to live out the calling that he has given me as a mother."- Liz Dixon

"Thanks to the help and prayers of everyone, inside and outside the hospital, and all over the world we once again have triumphed over this trial. God is good! For each and every one of you…we are ETERNALLY GRATEFUL!"- Liz Dixon

"My children have taught me the sweetness of cuddles, hugs, kisses, and hearing a little voice say, “I wanna play with my Mommy,” as Logan climbs into my lap. My children have taught me the joys of dancing in the living room, running through the sprinkler, and taking puddle walks barefoot after it rains. My children have taught me to find pleasure in simple things like stickers, lollipops, and balloons. It is entirely possible to “read” your kid’s favorite book to them in the car while driving. They will correct you if you “skip a page”. Popsicles and fruit snacks cure just about all ailments. Mommy makes an awesome superman machine and an equally awesome airplane. Thanks to the Little Einsteins the Eiffel tower is where Logan’s ticket for the musical pet train is found. Walls make especially good canvases for crayon and permanent markers. So do doors and walls. Fortunately, Mr. Clean makes the magic eraser which cleans things up in a snap. My children are teaching me how fleeting life is as each year goes by in a blink already and I know time will move faster the older they get. Being a mother has taught me more about the grace of God and my own shortcomings than any other experience in my life. I see God’s grace every morning as they wake up healthy and strong, as they laugh and giggle, as they run and play, as their minds develop right before my eyes. My biggest lesson learned is to cherish every moment with your children -they grow too fast. God never gives you more than you can handle…and I am going to do all that I can for my little ones -especially when they face challenges. True, some of the lessons they’ve taught me were not very fun as they were happening, but the good moments mix up with the not-so-good moments in a wonderful curriculum ordained for me by God Himself. And since the lessons my children teach me were lovingly designed for me by my Father in Heaven, I will choose to embrace each moment and study these lessons that I may one day hear from the Teacher, “Well done, good and faithful Mommy.”"-Liz Dixon

Auditory Brainstem Response & Vocal Cord Tissue Engineering

Posted on July 2, 2008 by Liz

Candice had her follow up with the ENT today. Additionally, they retested her hearing. The hearing specialist and doctor think she may have some hearing loss. In order to know completely they need to give her an Auditory Brainstem Response Evaluation. This will be scheduled soon.

What is an Auditory Brainstem Response Evaluation (ABR)?

An Auditory Brainstem Response Evaluation (ABR) is a type of test, usually performed for infants and young children, that evaluates how well sounds travel along the hearing nerve pathways from the ear to the brainstem. There are two main types of hearing loss:

Conductive hearing loss — problems transmitting sound from the outer ear (where sound is collected) to the inner ear. This type of hearing loss can often reverse itself as children grow older.

Sensorineural hearing loss — problems with the nerves connecting the inner ear to the brain. In the inner ear, tiny hairs on the cochlea act as a neural pathway, transmitting through the inner ear. Usually, problems with these hairs on the cochlea are responsible for sensorineural hearing loss. It is usually permanent and present at birth.

An ABR test, by evaluating the hearing nerve pathways, can identify cases of sensorineural hearing loss. It is a sleep EEG hearing test which shows the softest sounds your child’s ears can detect at various pitches. The ABR compares changes in brain activity to the timing of repetitive sounds to determine whether the particular intensity of sound can be heard.

How is it performed?

There will be three or four small stickers on your child’s head, connected to leads going into a computer. Sounds will be presented through an earphone to each ear separately while a computer analyzes the changes in the brain wave pattern in response to sounds.

Your child should be sleeping for the duration of the test. Young children under the age of six months are not usually sedated, and the test is performed while the infant is naturally sleeping, following a feeding. Children over the age of six months are usually sedated with chloral hydrate.

The test is not painful or uncomfortable in any way, but it is necessary for your child to be asleep in order to obtain clear recordings during the test.

You will be in the room with your child during the test, and the results will be explained immediately afterward.

Otherwise, she has no current infections and is doing well. She has been accepted into the speech disorder clinic but it takes forever to get in. Candice’s appointment is not till October. In regards to Candi’s vocal cords, our doctor is learning more about the research going on in regards to tissue- engineering. They have not done clinical trials yet, but it is coming. In about two years we may have just what we need to help Candice.

One method focuses on injecting gelatin-like materials, composed of soft, strong and long-lasting hydrogels, into damaged tissue to improve its pliability and prevent scar formation. In the second approach, the scientists want to form functional tissue from a combination of vocal fold connective tissue cells (fibroblasts), artificial extracellular matrix, and biological cues and mechanical stimuli that capture the mechanical and biological characteristics of the natural organs.

Candice playing with toys at the doctors office.