Surgery
Tomorrow morning Ethan is having tubes put into his ears. Ethan is 16 months old and not talking much (although the last couple of weeks he has started saying more words) and, more obviously, he seems dizzy all the time. When he stands still you can watch him sway as he tries to gain his balance. He has fluid trapped behind his ear drum. This affects hearing and balance. It also leads to chronic ear infections.
The surgery tomorrow will basically be to lance his ear drum and insert a small tube so that it doesn't quickly grow back together. This will allow the fluid to drain out. Hopefully his balance and hearing will improve immediately. His speech should rapidly improve as well since he'll be able to hear and mimic better.
It's a minor surgery. The whole operation only takes about 5-10 minutes. Still its always a little worrisome to have a child undergo an operation.
Isaac had his tonsils out when he was two. It was somewhat traumatic for Isaac and for me. They let one parent actually walk him into the operating room and wait until he's under before leaving. I was unanimously elected for the job. As we approached the operating room, Isaac clung tighter and tighter to my neck; he was trying to be brave, but he was pretty scared. Once in the operating room, the bright colors and graphics that were everywhere on the walls in the children hospital disappeared. The operating room was barren and sterile. There were about 8 or 10 people standing by in the room, all wearing masks. At that point Isaac lost it and started screaming. He doesn't like new people in general, and he certainly wasn't pleased to find these masked strangers staring at him in a scary room. I laid him on the table and peeled his arms from around my neck. The anesthesiologist told him that he needed to put this really cool mask on his face to help him go to sleep. Isaac wasn't buying it. I ended up having to put the mask over Isaac's mouth and nose and hold him down while he fought me. Slowly Isaac's muffled cries from behind the mask weakened and quieted until he was asleep. By this time I was holding back powerful seas of tears in my eyes while I tried to tell him that Daddy was with him and that it would be ok. Once he was asleep the anesthesiologist took over and I was told to go ahead and leave. Walking out of the operating room the dam broke and the tears came. I'm not sure why it was so traumatic. What really struck me was his muffled little cries and the look in his eye that said, "Daddy, why are you doing this to me?" while I pressed the mask to his face.
I don't know how Abraham did it. Frankly, I don't have that much faith.
All that for a tonsillectomy. Sheesh. Anyway, keep us in your prayers tomorrow so that all will go well with Ethan's turn in the operating room.
E
The surgery tomorrow will basically be to lance his ear drum and insert a small tube so that it doesn't quickly grow back together. This will allow the fluid to drain out. Hopefully his balance and hearing will improve immediately. His speech should rapidly improve as well since he'll be able to hear and mimic better.
It's a minor surgery. The whole operation only takes about 5-10 minutes. Still its always a little worrisome to have a child undergo an operation.
Isaac had his tonsils out when he was two. It was somewhat traumatic for Isaac and for me. They let one parent actually walk him into the operating room and wait until he's under before leaving. I was unanimously elected for the job. As we approached the operating room, Isaac clung tighter and tighter to my neck; he was trying to be brave, but he was pretty scared. Once in the operating room, the bright colors and graphics that were everywhere on the walls in the children hospital disappeared. The operating room was barren and sterile. There were about 8 or 10 people standing by in the room, all wearing masks. At that point Isaac lost it and started screaming. He doesn't like new people in general, and he certainly wasn't pleased to find these masked strangers staring at him in a scary room. I laid him on the table and peeled his arms from around my neck. The anesthesiologist told him that he needed to put this really cool mask on his face to help him go to sleep. Isaac wasn't buying it. I ended up having to put the mask over Isaac's mouth and nose and hold him down while he fought me. Slowly Isaac's muffled cries from behind the mask weakened and quieted until he was asleep. By this time I was holding back powerful seas of tears in my eyes while I tried to tell him that Daddy was with him and that it would be ok. Once he was asleep the anesthesiologist took over and I was told to go ahead and leave. Walking out of the operating room the dam broke and the tears came. I'm not sure why it was so traumatic. What really struck me was his muffled little cries and the look in his eye that said, "Daddy, why are you doing this to me?" while I pressed the mask to his face.
I don't know how Abraham did it. Frankly, I don't have that much faith.
All that for a tonsillectomy. Sheesh. Anyway, keep us in your prayers tomorrow so that all will go well with Ethan's turn in the operating room.
E
posted by Eric Livingston at
9/28/2005
3 Comments:
Our prayers are with you guys. We went through the tubes with both kids. Landon at 18 months and Rachel at 9months. It's amazing how quickly those little guys recover from the whole thing. I'm sure Ethan is feeling much better already.
Eric:
A friend of mine once said that minor surgery is when it is being done to "you." Major surgery is when it is being done on "me." I'm an anesthesia provider (nurse anesthetist) and I do quite a bit of anesthesia for children. I'm here to tell you it still doesn't make it easier when it is your child....I was a wreck when my youngest daughter had her tonsils out when she was 3 yrs old.
My prayers are with you, Ethan and the rest of your family!!
Hope everything went well with Ethan, he is such a sweet little guy. I hope that the experience was better than the one with Issac, it sounds like that group did not have much experience with little kids. K had eye surgery at 2 years and they made the experience much easier, they let me hold her as they put the mask on her and she did not cry or fight it. She just went limp as I was holding her and telling her how much we loved her. I am tearing up even remembering this almost 6 years later. I will check with you at church Sunday to see how Ethan is doing. Hope you all have a good weekend.
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