To tube or not to tube, there really is no question
This post could also be titled: sorry about the gross illustrations. The one below kinda makes me gag. Your welcome.
So, this Friday is Shaney's big tube day. We were originally going to wait out the summer to see if he developed one in the "off" season, but after three or four or five or actually after one seemingly constant ear infection with a week break here and there, the decision became quite clear - tube and tube it now.
After seeing an ENT and looking at the piece of paper which shows how clearly Shane is hearing, the decision was easy. Well, after that and when the ENT said, "whoa, more than 8 ear infections and he's HOW old? Yup, I think this one is a no brainer." And then ESPECIALLY after he told me my baby's been living in a tunnel probably for most of his life. 
You know that muffled sound when you have water in your ears or as my brother said when you plug up your ears? Well that's about what my baby boy has heard most of his whole life. They said chances are good that even when he doesn't have an infection, he has significant fluid build up causing muffled hearing, inner ear balance issues, etc. I've said for months now, he just doesn't seem like he likes standing or walking. Like it bothers him some. And now I think, maybe it does. Maybe his ear issues have messed up his balance and walking just isn't very comfortable for him. I guess we'll see after this week how much better things get.
It's amazing how many kids/babies get tubes. I've hardly mentioned it to anyone who doesn't know someone that has them or got them as toddlers. So, while I'm not looking forward to the "surgery" as they call it, (I like to think of it more as a "procedure" I like that word better) and mostly I just don't like to think of him being under anesthesia as I HATED that as a kid, hell I'd hate it as an adult, but I know this is what we need to try.
So by friday, well maybe Saturday, we fully expect Shaney will be speaking in full sentences and running a 500 yard dash faster than any of his peers as the fluid will finally be gone, gone, gone and hopefully will not be back to mess with my boy's ears any more!
I'll keep any interested parties on notice via twitter, but I'd love it if you keep the little man in your thoughts Friday morning and send some good ear vibes his way and that his post op will be speedy and we'll have a happy little guy by the weekend! :)
ps - I know some of you readers have first hand experience with tubes in little ones, so any advice/wisdom/presents you can send my way will be appreciated, especially presents, lots of lots of pretty presents!
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2 comments:
Oh, tubes!! Are you going to Children's? If so, they were WONDERFUL to us. And the sweet farting nun in the waiting room gave me just the comic relief I needed!
Ok, seriously now (but there really was a farting nun). It is definitely a procedure, NOT surgery. Caleb was in and out in less than 10 minutes, no kidding. He made some awful noises when he woke up from the anesthesia, which I could hear as we were walking down the hall to get him. I could hardly recognize his crying. But as soon as I took him from the nurse, he stopped, and then he was fine. Our ENT told us no water in the ears, so we went to the audiology unit (I think that’s what it was called) at Children’s and bought him these specially-sized ear plugs. They were only like $15, and work great, I highly recommend doing that if your ENT says no water in the ears. He was sleepy that day, but the next day he went back to the baby sitter and was just fine. Also, within a week, his talking picked up SO MUCH, it was incredible. It made me feel awful for not doing this for him sooner. The hardest part was the waiting before we went in, b/c he couldn’t have anything to eat or drink that morning. My child LOVES to eat and his cup is his security object, so that was definitely the hardest part, and even that wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. It will suck, but in the end it will be so worth it. So take a deep breath (and maybe a Xanax??), he will be absolutely fine!
From what I have heard from friends whose kids get tubes, the kiddos are back to normal after the procedure almost right away, and the difference is amazing! Good luck to you and to Shane, of course!
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