Apparently, CD hears as though there are fingers in her ears. She failed all of the hearing tests during her visit to the ENT. The doctor also found scar tissue on her eardrum which signified that prior to living with us, she was having ear infections that were left untreated. Scary, considering that if that had continued, CD could have suffered permanent hearing loss. CD with undergo surgery in June. It is a very short procedure that will entail inserting little tiny tubes in her ears. Her hearing is expected to clear up instantly and the tubes should prevent most, if not all, further ear infections. When the doctor assessed her language skills and we told him that CD has countless single words and speaks in short sentences, he was clearly impressed and said that she must be very smart. I liked the doctor.
After surgery, and for as long as she has the tubes (about a year, the body usually expels them naturally), CD's ears will need to be kept dry. She will have to wear earplugs in the bath and when she swims. The doctor assured us that it only takes a few days before little ones adjust and it is no big deal. It all sounds like kind of a big deal to me. I have never had a child go through any type of surgery before, but I have confidence in the doctor. From everything I have read and everyone I have spoken to, the decision to have the surgery is a no brainer with potential huge payoff. CD has had five ear infections in nine months. It would be wonderful if all that pain and all those fevers would vanish.
So mid-June, we will have to arrive at a hospital at 6am. Surgeries start at 7:30 and they are done in age order from youngest to oldest. The procedure is expected to take all of four minutes. After a couple of hours of monitoring, and ensuring that CD can drink and has had a wet diaper, we take her home.
One topic that they didn't cover in foster parent training is what to do if your foster child needs surgery. According to the doctor's office, the hospital will ensure that the System completes all paperwork needed from them. I already spoke with CD's case manager and she said that she will contact CD's health coordinator. I sure hope it all goes smoothly and doesn't get delayed due to her "ward of the state" status.
8 comments:
Kids get tubes in their ears all the time now. It'll cut down on the ear infections and make CD's life a little better. Surgery sounds scary but it is a routine thing these days.
Never throught about having to fill out the paperwork way in advance. I hope that goes smoothly for you.
my little brother got that surgery when he was a kid cause he kept getting ear infections. IIRC he was pretty miserable the week of the surgery, but after that he was totally fine. He got fancy fitted ear plugs to wear when he was swimming.
Sorry to hear about this complication. Hope it goes well.
Two of my kids had this surgery. It's really very quick. With the first, I went to pee and then sat down with a book to wait for it to be over. I read three pages and they called me in to take him to recovery. The second time, I didn't bother bringing anything to read. It really does go really quickly. I don't remember them having any pain afterwards at all. I think recovery was mostly from the anesthesia. For one of the kids, the frequent infections really did not return. The other one remained sensitive to Good luck with it.
that sucks.
does it hurt because the tube is being stuck into a smaller area? so like pressure?
** since there is no TPR, does the biomom have to approve the surgery? i was under the impression this was the case (although may be state dependent)
can this also be held against biomom, since apparently there was medical neglect, since CD's ears have scar tissue?
poor kid.
LT,
CD will have anasthesia for the surgery. That is always the scary part for me actually. The surgery would be very painful if she were awake but I hear that she will be in no pain when she wakes up.
It is medical neglect. I will mention it to the judge but the case worker feels it is not necessary, the mother has dug her hole plenty already. I don't know if the mom has to sign anything. CD has a medical coordinator that will do what needs to be done. I would hope that this isn't like the haircut rule. It is not really "optional," it is a medical need as determined by the pediatrician and a specialist. I would hope it would be considered neglect *not* to follow through.
Sounds a lot like what my younger brother went through, though he was a bit older at the time. My parents had absolutely no idea my brother couldn't hear well - they thought he was just a dreamer or lost in his own thoughts when they would call him and he would only respond when they came closer and called him again. Then, one July 4th, we're all at the town fireworks display and everyone is covering their ears at how loud some of the fireworks are...except my brother. My parents then took him to an ENT who diagnosed the problem. He had tubes put in, and no further problems - it was like night and day. You're lucky you're catching it early. The hearing loss can lead to speech issues. My brother needed speech therapy for a short while to make up for the deficit in hearing.
Best of luck to CD. Her quality of life will vastly improve.
JS, You know, last summer when she was new to us, I remember being surprised when the fireworks didn't scare her and she didn't seem to get startled. Perhaps that is why!
I wonder if she will be afraid of loud noises once her hearing clears up.
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