Tubes!
As you know, we've had a pretty rough go with our little Oliver.
Ever since January, we've been battling RSV
and ear infection after ear infection. (Dag nabit, this entry it making realize how horrible I have been with blogging! I MUST get better!)
Finally, after our last episode of Rocephin (yes, this is the blog post I just put up, unfinished, unedited) we finally received a referral for ENT from Dr. D.
Last week Oliver seemed a little fussy and wasn't sleeping well at night. Andy and I went back and forth on if we should take him in or not, and finally decided not to. It seems we, once again, made the right decision...I think he was actually just fussy and not infected!
Oliver had his 9 month check yesterday and after the nurse looked in Oliver's ears, she called in Dr. D. Dr. D didn't go as far as saying "infected", but he did say he was happy we were going to see ENT the next day.
This morning we got to meet with Dr. Harkins at Children's Hospital. He had us go through Oliver's entire history. He looked in his ears. He said there was fluid and they were red, but he didn't think they were infected.
However, he said Oliver was really a "perfect candidate" for tubes. Given his rapid history of ear infections, combined with the fact that he just doesn't respond to antibiotics, we were really out of options. In fact, he wasn't sure if Oliver really had several ear infections or if he really just never got over the first one. That fluid in the ear just sits there and causes bacteria - hence an ear infection. Even with summer coming, he just doesn't feel like Oliver is ever really getting ahead of his ear infections.
He also said that babies don't "manage" pain. I had told him how Oliver has been such a trooper through all this. And while he agreed that, yes, Oliver is a "Trooper", it's not that he's masking his pain for us. He just doesn't have pain associated with his ear infections. For whatever reason, Oliver doesn't spike a temp. and he doesn't really have pain. Maybe that first night, which is why we always know he has an ear infection, but after that, it calms down pretty quickly. This made Andy and I feel like much better parents...knowing that our poor child hasn't been in pain since January.
I feel like I'm all over with this post, but Dr. Harkins also said that while Oliver can hear, the constant fluid in his ears is muffling his hearing. Oliver hears like we are all underwater! That makes me feel pretty sad to hear...also a little nervous...what if after Oliver gets his tubes he starts waking up even more quickly then he does now! Eh...I guess that's pretty silly to think. He's already the world's worst sleeper...it really can't get worse!
Andy and I never really discussed it after Dr. H suggested tubes. We didn't need time to think about it. In fact, had Dr. H been able to do the procedure today, we probably would have let him. I'm so ready for that fluid to just drain and put this behind us!
Dr. H also mentioned the benefits of now being able to administer topical antibiotics for future ear infections. The benefits of not developing resistance to antibiotics (although, it seems like he already has some resistance) and not dealing with all the GI issues of antibiotics.
The nurse came back in and went over the procedure in detail with us, where it would be, how we would prepare for it and how Oliver would be after. We talked about how Dr. H would treat Oliver if he felt, while putting in the tubes, there was an infection to clean up. We talked about how we would recognize an ear infection after the tubes were put in.
I'm sad my baby has to receive general anesthesia for this procedure. I'm sad that I need to be away from him for 1 hour (or less) during the procedure and "recovery". I get worried about all this. However, I know the benefits outweigh any of that right now. My only concern is getting my baby better and this is my solution. This is my answer. I'm not going to research this. I'm not going to read about everything that could go wrong. I'm not going to think about that. This is a very routine procedure and they said he would be back at daycare the next day.
So, central scheduling is going to give me a call with Dr. H's availability and we are going to schedule the appointment. Then we are going to go to the appointment. And, hopefully, we are going to stay ear infection free for a long, long time! (Forever!!)
Ever since January, we've been battling RSV
and ear infection after ear infection. (Dag nabit, this entry it making realize how horrible I have been with blogging! I MUST get better!)
Finally, after our last episode of Rocephin (yes, this is the blog post I just put up, unfinished, unedited) we finally received a referral for ENT from Dr. D.
Last week Oliver seemed a little fussy and wasn't sleeping well at night. Andy and I went back and forth on if we should take him in or not, and finally decided not to. It seems we, once again, made the right decision...I think he was actually just fussy and not infected!
Oliver had his 9 month check yesterday and after the nurse looked in Oliver's ears, she called in Dr. D. Dr. D didn't go as far as saying "infected", but he did say he was happy we were going to see ENT the next day.
This morning we got to meet with Dr. Harkins at Children's Hospital. He had us go through Oliver's entire history. He looked in his ears. He said there was fluid and they were red, but he didn't think they were infected.
However, he said Oliver was really a "perfect candidate" for tubes. Given his rapid history of ear infections, combined with the fact that he just doesn't respond to antibiotics, we were really out of options. In fact, he wasn't sure if Oliver really had several ear infections or if he really just never got over the first one. That fluid in the ear just sits there and causes bacteria - hence an ear infection. Even with summer coming, he just doesn't feel like Oliver is ever really getting ahead of his ear infections.
He also said that babies don't "manage" pain. I had told him how Oliver has been such a trooper through all this. And while he agreed that, yes, Oliver is a "Trooper", it's not that he's masking his pain for us. He just doesn't have pain associated with his ear infections. For whatever reason, Oliver doesn't spike a temp. and he doesn't really have pain. Maybe that first night, which is why we always know he has an ear infection, but after that, it calms down pretty quickly. This made Andy and I feel like much better parents...knowing that our poor child hasn't been in pain since January.
I feel like I'm all over with this post, but Dr. Harkins also said that while Oliver can hear, the constant fluid in his ears is muffling his hearing. Oliver hears like we are all underwater! That makes me feel pretty sad to hear...also a little nervous...what if after Oliver gets his tubes he starts waking up even more quickly then he does now! Eh...I guess that's pretty silly to think. He's already the world's worst sleeper...it really can't get worse!
Andy and I never really discussed it after Dr. H suggested tubes. We didn't need time to think about it. In fact, had Dr. H been able to do the procedure today, we probably would have let him. I'm so ready for that fluid to just drain and put this behind us!
Dr. H also mentioned the benefits of now being able to administer topical antibiotics for future ear infections. The benefits of not developing resistance to antibiotics (although, it seems like he already has some resistance) and not dealing with all the GI issues of antibiotics.
The nurse came back in and went over the procedure in detail with us, where it would be, how we would prepare for it and how Oliver would be after. We talked about how Dr. H would treat Oliver if he felt, while putting in the tubes, there was an infection to clean up. We talked about how we would recognize an ear infection after the tubes were put in.
I'm sad my baby has to receive general anesthesia for this procedure. I'm sad that I need to be away from him for 1 hour (or less) during the procedure and "recovery". I get worried about all this. However, I know the benefits outweigh any of that right now. My only concern is getting my baby better and this is my solution. This is my answer. I'm not going to research this. I'm not going to read about everything that could go wrong. I'm not going to think about that. This is a very routine procedure and they said he would be back at daycare the next day.
So, central scheduling is going to give me a call with Dr. H's availability and we are going to schedule the appointment. Then we are going to go to the appointment. And, hopefully, we are going to stay ear infection free for a long, long time! (Forever!!)
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