11.13.2008

11.12.08

I had a crazy, frantic day today. It all started with a 9 am visit to a pediatric ENT, who we had been referred to by the audiologist Oz met with on Saturday. I've been concerned that he's not speaking yet, and decided to have him evaluated for possible early intervention. It came out that he had recurring ear infections all last winter, and his hearing test on Saturday revealed that he currently has fluid in his middle ear and thus has hearing loss because of this. 

So I took him, only to find out about the fluid and find out what next steps would be needed to get the fluid out. I was fully prepared to find out that tubes were needed, so that part of the visit was no surprise, but I was shocked that he currently had an ear infection. RIGHT NOW, when I never, ever would have thought something was wrong, my 18 month old has an ear infection. I was given a script for antibiotics and all I could think was, he constantly lives with ear pain. It barely even affects his life now, he's so adapted to it. And he can't hear well... none of the things that we hear. No wonder he's not speaking.

I'm so, so glad for modern technology. I can't wait to get those tubes put in (not till December) and find out how it improves his life. I've already heard many stories from other parents about how tubes changed their child's life. Hopefully his speech will improve quickly, but mostly I hope he won't be in pain anymore. I'm so thankful for doctors and health care. I wish everyone in the world could have it as good as I do.

5 comments:

Janice said...

I had a friend who after her son got tubes in his ears, he had to cover his ears when the toilet flushed because before, he never heard that noise.

darcie said...

oh poor little baby. just dealing with the pain. i remember a friend of mine found out her son had poor eyesight when he was a teenager and so they got him glasses. on the way home from the doctors he was just gasping at everything like the definition of leaves on the tree. isn't that sad? neither of them had any idea.

carrie said...

so glad it will be an "easy" fix.

i totally agree - medicine is wonderful.

Amy said...

Poor thing. We had a friend with blocked ears and as soon as they fixed it, she started speaking so much better. Soon he will be yelling "Swiper no Swiping!" through the house.

cecily said...

I'm with you Sara. Tyler is getting his hearing checked next week. He had 6 ear infections last year. The fluid cleared up this summer but it's starting all over again now that it is cold season. We've been seeing a ENT and if his hearing is bad or the fluid doesn't clear up he'll get tubes too!