Double digits

Jackson is on his third ear infection since his big tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy/nasal septum repair/nasal passage restructuring surgery last summer. We had the pleasure of visiting his ENT yesterday. Two doctors looked in his ears; the resident who took care of Jack after his surgery, and the attending ENT. Both had trouble seeing his ear drums because of the wax buildup. I was asked questions in which I didn't know the answers.

1. Have his ears been draining? I said no because they haven't been wet. I didn't really know though. Jack always has his fingers in his ears.

2. Does he get upset when water gets in his ears? I said no. I didn't really know because the only time water gets in them is during a bath when I wash his hair. And again, Jack's pain tolerance is so high...I usually can't tell if he's in pain, except for this last weekend when he was crying for no reason. He has also been pushing on his head a lot and using his dnz-vibe on his head.

3. Have his ear drums ever perforated? I said I think one did, but I didn't know which one. I have gotten so completely tired of writing EVERYTHING down in his binder, I have stopped. I think I just learned my lesson.

The decision is for Jack to get ear tubes placed. His ear canals will be cleaned well before the tubes are placed. Also, before the tubes are placed,the doctor is going to run a scope to look at Jack's nasal passages to see if they have narrowed and to see if any adenoids have grown back. This way, if needed, repairs can be made at the same time.

Double digits. Surgery #10. I know it's a simple surgical procedure and it's non-invasive, but it still involves anesthesia and that's always a risk. I don't count the MRIs (those also involve general anesthesia). I am beginning to wonder if Jack has trouble with his surgeries because of the pain meds given during the procedure. I've said that before. I assume no pain meds are given for tube placement.