Two and a Half Years Later…

The day Carter had tubes put in his ears is a very easy day for me to remember.  It was the day before his first birthday.  I felt horrible having to put him through it at all, let alone the day before his very first birthday.  However, at the time we were selling our house in Plano and Stephen was already living and working in Houston.  He was coming back to town for the big birthday celebration, so I had to schedule the surgery for the same time.  I did not then, nor do I now, ever question if having the tubes put in was the right decision.  Poor Carter had basically had non-stop ear infections for three or four months at that point.  I remember spending the entire Fall and Winter up until his surgery at the pediatricians office.  We were honestly there at least once a week, sometimes twice a week.  It was miserable to see him with the infections, a pain having to constantly drag a baby and toddler to the doctor, and by the end the antibiotics were not even helping to clear the infections.  It was time to do something.  It was the best decision ever.

Since having his tubes put in, he has still had around two ear infections a year.  However, now the fluid is able to drain out of his ear and we are better able to treat them.  I am not going to lie, having to put ear plugs in for every bath and having to put them in plus his ear band over to go swimming has been a hassle.  We have been doing it for two and a half years!  Thankfully he was so young when he started wearing the plugs and band that it is nothing to him.  He does not try to take them off or mess with them.  It has always made me a little sad though to see him wearing them when even his sister is swimming next to him with nothing.  However, not once did I think I would rather him just not have the tubes.

Along with the tubes has come the regular visits to the ENT to check the tubes and his hearing.  Let me tell you, it is not easy to get a little one to do a hearing test (and actually have it be accurate)!  About a year ago, the tube in his left ear started to make its was out and the doctor was able to just pull it out.  We were hopeful that the other one would come out as well.  We kept going back for check-ups and the tube was still firmly in place.  If we left the tube in for much longer, his ear could start to grow around the tube, which would be a problem.  The doctor said it was time to go ahead and do the surgery to remove it.  I was a little nervous about doing the surgery again, but also excited that our long adventure with tubes would (hopefully) be over.

It was a crazy morning before the surgery!  We had to be at the surgery center at 8:00 in the morning.  That meant that Mimi and Bebe had to be here around 7:30 to watch Elisabeth.  Stephen had to drop Abbie off at VBS at 9:00 and then met me at the surgery center.  It was one of those days where you are already exhausted by 10:00!

Carter and I had to wait in the pre-op station for a while.  We had to talk to the nurse and meet with the doctor.  The nurse brought Carter some sort of medicine to drink which made him relaxed and goofy.  I was a little nervous he would not drink it.  I was wondering how you would get a three year old to drink something if they really don’t want to.  Surprisingly he drank it without hesitation.  As soon as he was done, however, he got really mad about how bad it tasted.  I felt bad for him!  The poor thing was already hungry and thirsty because he wasn’t allowed anything before the surgery, and now he had the awful taste in his mouth.  Fortunately, the medicine started to take effect fairly quickly and he forgot all about it.

They told me to bring him in his jammies and that he could bring a comfort item with him.  Of course he brought his beloved Puppy.  Carter and I sure do love our puppies!

A little girl behind the curtain next to us started watching a kids show, so naturally Carter wanted to watch one on my phone, too.  He spent the rest of the time before the nurses came to get him watching his show and acting goofy. 

The doctor marked his ear for surgery.  The marker stayed on for days afterward!

The nurses had to carry him back for the surgery because he was not very happy and did not want to lay in the bed.  I went out to the waiting room and Stephen arrived.  Thankfully, the procedure only took 10 minutes.  The doctor came to talk to us and said he did great!  He did warn us that most kids are very combative when the come out of the anesthesia.  He was not kidding!  When we finally got to see Carter, two nurses were holding him down in a bed because he would not stop kicking and they were worried he would hurt himself.  I got in the bed to lay with him but that did not help at all.  Stephen had to hold his legs because he just kept fighting us so much and was so angry.  It was so not like him at all and actually very upsetting to see him that way.  He refused to calm down but eventually the nurse just let us take him home.  I had planned to drive him home by myself while Stephen went on to work, but that was not possible.  We could barely get him in his carseat and then he started throwing all of their toys.  Stephen had to ride home with us just to make sure I could drive home safely.

Carter was happy to see Mimi and Bebe when we got home.  He was still mad, but not quite as combative.  He laid with Mimi on the sofa upstairs and watched TV.  I brought him some crackers and lemonade which made him feel a little better.  I went to pick Abbie up from VBS (It was crazy hair day.) and she came home to comfort her brother.

He was like that for the rest of the morning, took his nap, and then was as good as new the rest of the day!  I am so thankful for an easy surgery and recovery.  Carter is not able to go swimming or use a straw for the next few weeks.  He also still has to wear his ear plugs.  We go back for a check up in two weeks and then he will hopefully be cleared to get back to normal and no longer need ear plugs.  I am so looking forward to that day.  I pray that this will be the end of our need for tubes!