Alex's Surgery

Alex has fought ear problems since he was a baby.  He had a set of tubes put in and his adenoids taken out about 2 months before he turned 2.  It was great for a while.  He started hearing better, he had less ear infections, his speech therapy took off and he "graduated" from speech because he was considered on level.  However, once the tubes fell out, problems started all over again.  He started gradually having ear infections again and not hearing as well.  The past 6 months, it seems he's been on antibiotics for ear, nose, or throat problems every 4 weeks.  We'd go in for a recheck and he'd have another infection.  Poor guy got so used to the pain that he wouldn't complain, unless it got to the point that he couldn't take it anymore.

After visiting with our ENT, failing his hearing test, and having a flat tympanogram, we decided to have another set of tubes put in and his tonsils taken out.  Although he didn't have strep throat a lot, it was interfering with his breathing and his sleeping because they were so large.  Here is a bad cell phone picture of his tonsils before surgery.  These are healthy!

The surgery was easy, and he came out of it easily.  He only cried a little when he was coming to, and was happy to drink some juice and eat a Popsicle before we left the hospital.  The day of surgery and the day after were fine.  He enjoyed Popsicles, juice, mac-n-cheese, pudding, push pops, and Gatorade.  But day 3 was not a fun day.  He was so uncomfortable, restless all day, wouldn't talk, signed everything, and started running a 101.5 temp.  I felt so helpless to see him so miserable.  I was just heart broken and cried with him.  Since day 3, he's been up and down.  He'll feel good, then bad.  Night time seems to be the worst.  He wakes up disoriented and scared.  He cries and whines and is almost in a trance.

Today is day 7 and he had a pretty good morning.  He took Abby to school with me and he wanted a sausage roll from the donut shop.  We came home and he watched Peter Pan with Pop, and he helped Brad carry some sod to the backyard.  But he crashed about 2 and started running a low temp again.  I was hoping he'd be able to go to school tomorrow, but I'm not going to rush it.  No need to send him and totally wear him out before he feels up to it.

Being a parent is hard!  Seeing my baby hurt and him trying to be strong but not being able to tough it out, breaks my heart.  I'm so ready to have the funny, playful, energetic Alex back!