A Day in Brisbane City for Jaden

This morning we had an appointment on Wickham Tce in Brisbane for our little boy.   He had an appointment at Attune hearing services, because it seems that he may have an issue with his hearing.    We had noticed that his language development is behind for his age –  he says appoximately 5 words, maybe 6, and we had also realised that sounds and noises that should make him question what is happening around him, weren’t even causing him to check out what was going on.

We are not quite sure how damaged his hearing is, but I have this feeling that we are on another journey.    I am not sure what we are going to have to go through, but we are definitely on a journey.  Hopefully it is not too expensive as todays appointment was $195.  We will get $40 back of that from medicare and then we should be able to use our health insurance to claim some money back as well.  I definitely have my fingers crossed on getting money back as I hate not getting money back.   I wonder what it would be like to live in a country like Copenhagen where all of their medical and education needs are taken care of.     Jaden has to go back to have more tests done, because the test today was inconclusive.  Maybe its selective hearing?

So we had parked in the carpark across the road from the Attune clinic, and after the appointment, we decided to walk down into the mall.    We didn’t really have a plan, which can be both a good plan and a bad plan when it comes to being in the city, but we knew that the kids would want food at some point, so we headed towards the mall.   I love visiting Brisbane City.  It reminds me of the times my Grandma would take me into the city by bus and give me $5 mad money.   I was an avid reader so I would have enough money to buy a book for $4 and $1 worth of lollies.   I remember those days with fond memories.

We headed up the mall toward the Myer centre.  We checked out the Time Zone arcade and decided our money is better spent elsewhere.   Hubby decided he would take the girls to see the movie ‘Brave’ at the cinemas at the top of the Myers Centre, so we got tickets, before we had a little lunch.   Amy decided she didn’t want to see the movies with the girls and Dad, so she hung out with Jaden and myself.

It was great to have a little time with Amy on her own.   I was thinking that it would be great to go and get my hair cut at my old stomping ground – The Brisbane School of Hairdressing, I also wanted to show Amy what the college was like, but due to a large set of stairs, I was unable to do so.   It was very frustrating.

I couldn’t get over how frustrating it was that there were many stores we were unable to get too because we had Jaden in a pram.   I couldn’t help but wonder how somebody with a disability would get on if they wanted to go to such stores as Mr Toys Toyworld, the Reject Shop, or even Priceline.  There were many stores that were only accessible through the esculator.   There was a lift on the ground floor that either allowed you to go up to The toy shop, or down to the reject store, but you had to phone this number to get somebody to come and unlock the lift for you.  My phone had died so I wasn’t about to go up on the esculator and leave two kids downstairs to get somebody to come out and unlock the lift.

We had a lot of fun wondering around the mall and the Myer Centre.    Amy asked me if I wished too live in Brisbane – my answer to that question is no, that I would not like to live there, but if we had a place that we could go and stay for weekends.  How fun would that be?!  Maybe one day we will be in a position to do that and also own a nice unit on the Gold Coast.   A lovely dream if you ask me?!   Yes it will cost a lot of money, but you only live once, and to have the opportunity to go and have fun and enjoy yourselves as  a family on a regular basis, rather than just that one week a year would be fantastic.

We left Brisbane late afternoon and looked forward to arriving home.   We still need to head down to Brisbane again in a few weeks time for another appointment at the hearing clinic.  Hopefully we won’t have to pay another $195, however I vaguelly remember hubby saying that it should be bulk billed.   Fingers crossed.