Torgesen Family Times: Ear tubes

Remember way back when – 3 years ago when Alex got ear tubes?

Yeah – it was a long time ago (in kid years)…

Well, at the ripe ol’ age of 4 at his pediatrician checkup, the doctor said we should get them checked out by an ENT since they hadn’t fallen out yet. Yes, that did ring a bell, but we weren’t in any sort of rush. Even though it had been 3 years ago, the remembrance of 6 months straight of ear infections and actually how little sleep we were both getting just comes right back to you. right back!

The ENT (ear – nose – throat pediatrician specialist doctor) is usually tough to get in to see them. First, you have to have a referral. Then, you call and they have an appointment 10 weeks from now. When you have a kid with ear infections this is excruciating long. OK, I’m exaggerating – it was like 4 weeks. Then, you have the appointment, say your kid is the classic case for needing ear tubes and you schedule the surgery for another 4 weeks out. Agonizing since all of this is with an ear infection…. the whole time.

But, we did make it to the appointment. The surgery went well. Alex was 18 months old and was not a happy camper after he came out of recovery (below). He was scared, not feeling well due to being put under.

Well, needless to say – we weren’t happy or expedient about them being taken out since they had worked so well.

We called the ENT and asked for something…. like… way out – like August. Sure, that sounded good. By the time they would schedule the surgery to remove them, it would be like December. Perfect, we thought.

We arrived at the appointment at Children’s and got Alex out of school in the middle of the day. He asked if there were any shots at this appointment (smart boy!), we said they were just going to look at his ears, ask him about his ears, nothing else. (lesson 1 – don’t promise things you don’t know anything about!)

They did look at his ears, said indeed they were still in and looking good. But, they should probably be taken out. We were told when they were put in that they would probably fall out within 1-2 years. But, if not, then they would be taken out.

So, we were discussing things with the doctor and he was showing Alex how he would take them out. You lay on the table, he takes a bright light and uses a little tiny tool that just pulls the ear tube out. Lance and I were wondering why this super-duper highly paid doctor is taking so much time showing Alex how it would be done….

Then, he said – he can take them out right now.

Uhhhh – don’t you have to put them under anesthesia? No, it can be done right here, he says.

By this point Alex was freaking out… “No, I don’t want them out (scream, scream, tears, tears!)” Which was totally understandable since we said they they were only going to LOOK at his ears (see lesson #1 above).

The doctor could see that Alex was quite upset and suggested we just schedule the surgery and put him under. So, the choices are to take them out now with no drugs, or put my child under and take them out and spend way more money. Hmmm – option one please.

We talked with Alex and he was not happy about it. As we laid him on the table to start the process, I asked him what super hero he wanted to get because he was being so brave.

Just like a scene from Christmas Story where he asks for a red rider BB gun, Alex asked for a Thor superhero, with a hammer (just like on the Avengers cartoons he loves). He was so brave, and we of course, said absolutely. It was a very fast procedure, but it did cause him to be quite upset because it was probably loud and a little uncomfortable to have them removed. But, we were very glad for no drugs, way cheaper.

Then, the ENT mentioned that we could keep the ear tubes (they are tiny so they were put in a jar!) and put them under his pillow for the “Ear Tube Fairy”.

Oh My Goodness – he has just realized there is something called a tooth fairy – so an ear tube fairy was very exciting. He was fine by the time we got out of that exam room and was talking about the ear tube fairy.

In the morning – the ear tube fairy brought a Spiderman action figure. Just what the doctor ordered!

After ear tubes were put in Alex’s ears – September 2008

And some bonus pictures of what he was like at that time – just the same as he is now. Spunky, loving outdoors, pushing the envelope (and Mommy and Daddy), daredevil… and on and on.