Tomorrow, Kat gets an MRI and ABR test done! 
An MRI will show any new atrophy (damage/dead portions) or healing of her brain. She had one after birth and at 4 months, both showing the significant damage and giving us new diagnoses, like her vision impairment. These MRI results were some of the hardest times and devastating moments in her journey. We know how hard she has been working to build neuroplasticity, so we are hopeful that this scan shows that. She will continue to get MRIs throughout her life, so this won't be the last.
An ABR is a hearing test, typically done at audiology appointments. Due to Kat's difficulty with motor control and communication, this test is given to her but with skewed results since she can't show or tell us how she is hearing. Since she will be sedated for the MRI, they will do the ABR test to see exactly how her brain is responding to different sound. Since her stem cell treatment in January, we believe her left ear has changed and hears more! Her right ear is profound loss and we are unsure if it has changed. We are doing this test to get clarification on her right ear's ability and to confirm our choice of getting a cochlear implant on that side. If she does have enough sound processing on her right side, then cochlear surgery would sever that ability to hear and we don't want to take that skill away from her.

Please keep her in your thoughts tomorrow as she goes through these tests. All fingers crossed for an "A+" and positive results that give us further hope and clarity we need.


Picture of one of her Halloween costumes! The cutest cabbage patch doll you'll ever see! (Yes, one day we will take her to Babyland!)
She also dressed up as baby Hercules (look up a picture and you'll see why) AND got her stander! She's had a busy week!