J's Surgery | Tympanoplasty

Jordyn had her third ear surgery, a Tympanoplasty {the first two were tubes here and here}.  Although it's not uncommon, it's definitely not as common as tubes.  The surgery was to patch a hole in hear eardrum.  Likely to be caused by her tubes.  In some cases, the hole heals on it's own, unfortunately for us, that was not the case for our Jordygirl.  The hole was causing hearing loss, so we had to get it taken care of sooner rather than later.  I'll spare the details of the surgery in this post, but trust me {or don't, you can google it} when I say it's much more invasive than tubes. :(

Doing anything we could to keep her mind off the fact that she hadn't eaten in over 12 hours.  

Fortunately, the surgery went well.  Unfortunately, like her mama, she doesn't handle anesthesia well, so recovery was a little rough.  But we knew this was to be expected as we've experienced it twice before with her.  Adam and I ended up making the decision to take her home for 'Phase 2 Recovery' as she seems to settle a bit more in her own environment.  Thankfully we took the nurse up on her offer to take the barf bag with us {sigh}

Once home, she took a good nap and woke up feeling much better.  We took her cone off first thing the next morning and are trying our best to follow the doctors rules to 'lay low' until our follow up appointment in three weeks. 

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Thank you all for your prayers, calls, texts, balloons, fruit, & face times.  They meant so much!

Tubes {take two}

On Monday, December 2nd, both of the kids got a set of tubes {this was Jordyn's second set}.  I was alittle concerned that they weren't going to start surgery until 8:30a since the kids couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight {I actually called about this since Cully is only 8 months, I didn't feel like he should be going without a bottle for 12 hours, so they allowed me to wake him and give him one last bottle at 2:30a}.  They ended up doing great.  They took Cullyn back and were done with him before they started on Jordyn, so we weren't ever away from both kids.  It was wonderful.  They sure have this procedure down to a science at this surgery center.  Jordyn ended up coming out of anesthesia MUCH better than last time.  We spent the afternoon cuddling and lounging around home as a family. 

As for follow up...both of the kids took their ear drops like a champ {twice a day for five days}.  Jordyn actually asked for them each day {an improvement from last time--although she did good last time too}.  

We went to the clinic for a follow up last Friday morning.  Cullyn's ears looked great.  So follow up in 6 months.  Jordyn on the other hand had dried drainage in both ears {again}.  They swaddled her and I had to lay on her {again} while the nurse held her head so they could suction both ears out.  :(  My poor baby!  {See also: This is when having Friday's off is a downfall, because I'm stuck taking the kids to all their yucky appointments--by myself!} :(  Anyways...they told us to mix equal parts water and white vinegar together and syringe it in her ears, dry them, and then give her the prectription ear drops in both ears, twice a day for another week.  We go back tomorrow for a {hopefully, FINAL} follow up. 

Follow up from the ENT

I thought I should probably publish this {it's been sitting in drafts} since we're headed to into surgery at 8:15 today.  I'll update after surgery.

Two weeks ago, I took both the kids back to the ENT.  They had hearing tests {Jordyn's 2nd and Cullyn's 1st since he wasn't 6 months lat time} and then follow up appointments.

They did Jordyn's hearing test first.  It wasn't good.  The tubes weren't doing what they were supposed to to.  And she was still dealing with hearing loss in her right ear.

Cullyn's hearing test showed fluid in one year. They don't test for hearing loss at his age, because they are unable to communicate properly.

They we saw the medical student, nurse, nurse practitioner, and physician {plus the three of us made it quite the room full!}

They checked Cullyn out and said he had fluid in one ear, but no infection {which is a great thing}.  But since he had C-Diff {and is no longer to take Anti-boitics} if it were to become infected {now or later} it would require emergent tubes.  So, he said scheduling tubes would be best.  Adam and I agreed {we feared we would be at the hospital on Christmas night getting tubes in if we decided to wait}.

Then they checked Jordyn's tubes.  As a recap, she got tubes about a month ago, at her one week recheck the right ear was still infected so we continued the drops, at her two week checkup {from surgery} they looked good.  This was here four week checkup {from surgery} and the right ear had a blood clot in the tube and the left had a bunch of dried drainage in the tube.  So he had me hold her chest and arms down, the student held her legs down because she was kicking, and the nurse practitioner held her head while the physician scraped the tube clean.  It was probably the worst thing I have had to do to my child, ever.  It broke my heart!  Unfortunately while cleaning the tube he saw that her ear is growing around the tube and rejecting the tube.  Plus she has a double ear infection behind the tube.  So, she needs a new set of tubes.

So on Monday, December 2nd Cullyn will get tubes and they will remove Jordyn's first set of tubes and insert her second set.

Uffdah!  I'm not sure how much more I can handle!  Not to mention we hadn't really budgeted for three sets of tubes in 2 months, right before Christmas.  :/  BUT…I am SO READY for my babies to feel good again.  They have both been through SO much the past couple of months.