We are at OHSU for Colton to have some reconstructive surgery on his right eardrum to repair the permanent perforation he has received from so many ear infections. The dr is hoping that this surgery will be successful in repairing the hole, preventing further hearing loss, and will hopefully heal enough for some hearing to be restored either with just the repair itself or with implants that may be needed later. We just have to keep him healthy enough to have future surgeries (left ear will probably be scheduled after Thanxgiving) Colton's specialist is hoping to get both surgeries completed and healed before the thick of the winter season (Nov-Feb are Colton's worst times for infection)
Our one concern is that Colton's ear canals have not physically developed or grown as he has gotten older. There is nothing that can physically be done to resolve that. These surgeries are not a sure fire guarantee that he wont get future infections that could rupture the surgery sites. We are hoping for the best. Colton's specialist has been with us since his birth, so we know he is being well cared for.
When we got here, they got him all set up in a bed, complete with Disney Channel on the TV. He was mostly cooperative with the nurses and responded to them well. His cute nurse gave him a sedative med which made him pretty loopy and unable to talk well. That was when we had our one battle, I really had to coax him and turn it into a game to get him to drink the 1 tsp of stuff they had mixed together. He was trying to talk to me, and then he got a bad case of the hiccups due to heavy meds on an empty tummy. His eyes got very heavy and he just wanted me to hold his hand and stay with him. It is times like this it is hard to see him so vulerable. We fight and battle every day, and then we go through these times again when he seems so little and fragile. I have been fighting tears all morning. I know it is a mixture of stress and very little sleep.
Surgery was supposed to last 2-3hrs....I will try to post again when he is out of surgery.
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