Perforated Eardrum

 

Sara was sick with a croupy cough a few weeks ago, then had a runny nose cold the week after that, but was getting better.  Not letting it slow her down one bit. 

 

Until last Friday when she took a turn for the worse.  It started out just cranky and clingy, not wanting to be put down and just wanting to be held.  By Friday afternoon she had a mild fever and was pretty tired.  We let it go since the fever temperature does have an immune system function, it wasn’t too high.  We let it go Sunday, thinking she must be getting better soon, the fever was still at about 102 degrees. 

 

But, she didn’t. 

 

In fact, I found two little brownish spots on her pillow on Sunday and thought it was odd.  Then I noticed her right ear with some brownish crusty stuff in there.  Ok, things are starting to seem suspicious…

 

So, Monday morning after struggling about whether to take her into the doctor or not, but she was still fevering, and now had some yellow crusty stuff in her ear, I finally decided to do it.  She is obviously teething, too.  And had a goopy eye.  So, I thought that the least they would say was that she was teething and to wait it out. 

 

She was so puny by the time I took her to the doctor on Monday afternoon, she would just sit in my lap.  (I did get some good snuggling time in, though).  She obviously didn’t feel good and she didn’t look good either.  She didn’t even mind the doctor listening to her chest and just sat there.  He looked in one ear and said “Oh – I think I know what’s causing this” (an ear infection), but then looked in the other ear and said “Well, this one has burst” (perforated eardrum). 

 

 

 

Now that makes a Mama feel guilty!  I’m SO glad I did take her in, but I can’t believe I was even thinking of not taking her in!

 

Now she’s on her first antibiotic for 10 days at 13 months old.  The doctor even commented on how healthy she has been and how she has not visited the doctor for anything other than her well-child visits. 

 

We hope this medicine kicks the bugs out and no more ear infections and burst eardrums!   

 

The ear drum should heal on it’s own in the next few weeks and she’ll be back to her old self. 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure brings back memories of Alex’s ear infections and ear tube adventures, though.