Hear we go again

Since Millie was about 6 months old she has been full of snot! Pleasant, I know, but it's true. If I was to count up all the days when she didn't have a streaming nose since then, I'd say they would amount to about 10 weeks.

You may say "but she is a child and children are snotty" but this is more than what I would consider acceptable for a snotty child. Even Millie's nursery queried it with me and they thought she had hayfever.

Then just as we would be at the point of going to the doctor, she would clear up for a few days. 

In July, on the advice of a health visitor I was working with, I rang my own health visitor. I didn't want to be branded a neurotic mother so was pleased my colleague felt it was worth a phonecall.

So I finally plucked up the courage to call and she wasn't there so someone took a message and she would call me back. But the phonecall never came and again Millie cleared up for a bit so I didn't chase it. She was due her 2 year check so I would wait until then. 

She finally got her 2 year check in the October half term. 

I explained my concerns to the Nursery Nurse, who got to see how snotty and dribbly she was and agreed what she saw and heard was excessive. This combined with the family history and her speech being on the slow side, it was definitely worth her making a referral to get checked out. 

She asked if we had any concerns about her hearing and I explained that I hadn't noticed any signs her hearing was affected but I hadn't noticed it with Callum at first. So the first step would be audiology and then audiology could refer on to ENT (Ears, Nose & Throat) if there were any concerns. 

The appointment for audiology came without too much wait and we went last Wednesday. 

I was intrigued as to how they would guage the level of a 2 year old's hearing as Callum was older (4) so could follow instructions better and play the people in the boat game they set up. 

It was quite clever what they did with Millie.  They played a noise and showed her a cabinet with a light on and inside was an electronic puppet moving. Once she associated the noise with the puppet they tried to keep her attention playing with another health professional and then play the noise at different levels to see if she responded, looking for the puppet. She was a bit of a challenge as she kept looking at the cabinets asking for the puppets to come back rather than play with the lady but we got there and the test showed her hearing was reduced. 

They then had to test whether it was her hearing that was damaged or just the middle ear functions (i.e. glue ear). This was more of a challenge as I had to hold a little probe behind her ear which she wasn't happy with but it was immediately obvious her actual hearing was working fine. 

The final test was the tool they put in the ear to bounce a signal back that tests whether there is fluid behind the ear drum (again signalling glue ear) and we got the flat line as we expected we would, confirming the diagnosis. 

It is common for children to have glue ear and it to clear up on its own so the test needs to be carried out again in 3 months. If still getting the same results, the child is referred on further.

Due to Millie's near constant congestion and speech, they made the referral straight away although she will still need the second check. The clinician felt it was important to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later.

I had read all the info when Callum had his grommets fitted so I know that Millie's ears could still get better and they rarely operate or take any further action until after they are three and usually over 4 so I expect she will still have a wait or maybe they will run more tests. After all, maybe she has allergies, no one has questioned that yet. However, at least we are on the books and she will be treated earlier than Callum. 

Operation Go!

Callum was due to have his operation for his grommets to be fitted and a possible adenoidectomy on Tuesday 30 July (next week) but on Tuesday this week I received a call to say there had been a problem with the list for that day and they wouldn’t be able to do the operation. However, they had received a cancelation for Thursday 25 July (today!) which he could take instead of waiting. Stuart had already been making noises about how an important meeting had been put in his diary for the Tuesday that couldn’t be moved (of course, which he’d miss but wasn’t convenient) so he jumped on the opportunity to move it to Thursday, despite still needing to rearrange another couple of meetings. I did have to cancel my plans (for the 2nd time ), rearrange childcare and notify nursery but bringing it forward at least meant he still had the op before he started school and it gave us less time to worry about it!

In truth, I wasn’t too worried about the operation itself. Having had both done myself as a child (though I don’t remember the grommets only the adenoidectomy) as well as most of my siblings having similar and knowing many of my friends children have had the grommets, I was aware that it was a very common, routine operation which meant I knew I had little to be concerned about. Although there is always that slight niggle at t back of the head saying “what if my child is the 1 in 20,000???”. Mostly, I was worried for Callum. For him being scared! No one likes to see their child scared.

I tried to make it exciting, an adventure! I tried to point out the benefits and what it would mean. We said he could have any dinner of his choice after – he chose pizza.

The day before, he started saying he was poorly, that he didn’t want them to hurt his ears, getting upset that he wouldn’t be able to have his breakfast before we went in, wanting to stay at Nanna & Grandpa’s with Millie. He was clearly worried.

Still, he went to sleep early the night before (at his own request), having not eaten hardly any of his dinner, then he woke easily enough the next day bright and early, about 6am.

We needed to be at Poole hospital for 7.15am but got to the Day of Surgery Assessment Unit at 6.50am before the desk was even open but the time passed pretty quickly as patients started to fill the waiting room. People started being called this way and that and when Callum’s name was called we were shown into a side room while we were explained about what was going to happen and asked a number of questions about health etc by a nurse. Then the ENT Surgeon came and checked the same questions and warned us the same details would be checked about 9 times before the operation. Sure enough, next came the Anaesthetist, then another nurse type person did the same (who also sniggered with us about Callum’s camel called Tony & said he was going to use it in his stand-up routine but I digress) who then took us down to the Day Surgery Unit. He left us in a waiting area to count monkeys on the wall until another nurse came to see us and check the same details and ask the same questions then finally, about 8.45am, he was taken to the anaesthetist.

Only one of us was allowed to accompany Callum at this point until he fell asleep. Every part of the mother in me wanted that person to be me but I know that fathers have the protective instinct too so I left it to Callum to decide despite knowing Callum would choose Stuart. In a way, I’m pleased. The Anaesthetist had warned us seeing your child held down while either a gas mask was held on him or a intravenous drip of anaesthetic was fed into him wasn’t a pleasant experience for the adult even when they know he isn’t in pain. Apparently, Callum was calm & brave when they tried to find a vein in one arm then failed, got a bit upset when they tried the second arm but reacted well to the gas. Although I would’ve hidden my feelings, I think I would’ve found it upsetting to see.

The deal was, the surgeon would fit the grommets then check the adenoids and only remove them if necessary. If just the grommets were fitted it would take about 15 minutes. If the adenoids were removed too it could take 25mins to half an hour. They would then wait for him to wake before returning him to the Day of Surgery Assessment Unit where we would be waiting.

We were given a 15-20 minute window to go and get a cup of tea/something to eat but instructed to be no longer in case he was ready to return. Having gone without breakfast in support for Callum’s morning fast for the operation (despite it being the morning after a 500/600 kcal fast day for Stuart and I), we were starving! I also took the opportunity to nip to the car to fetch Callum’s present of a Fireman Sam book and chocolate buttons for when he had come round.

We were back on the ward in plenty of time and when he hadn’t returned after an hour were starting to get a little concerned but I guessed he must’ve had the adenoids removed too and he was soon returned to us.

He was a little drowsy and very subdued at first. He gulped back lots of water and then asked for something to eat so he had a biscuit. Then said he was still hungry and ate his way through 4 slices of toast (2 jam, 2 marmite), a chocolate muffin and some cheese dippers and was still asking for more food, bless him!

At 10.30am, they told us he should be able to go by 1.30pm. Yawn!

We passed the time, watching Disney dvds, reading his Fireman Sam book, playing on our phones, some of us nodding off (wish it was me!) and eventually, around 2pm, they set us free! Callum had picked up & had started playing with the ward toys at that time and was now dressed back in his normal clothes (he had be changed into just his pants & a gown for the surgery).

We then treated Callum to a game of bowling. Then we bought him a new outfit for his Build-a-Bear teddy and, as promised, headed for pizza. Unfortunately, just as we sat down in Pizza Hut, Callum started to deteriorate with his energy levels dropping and his temperature too. He ate just 1/4 of a slice of pizza and wanted to go home.

Already, we have noticed an improvement in his hearing and so far consider the operation a success and pleased he was returned to us safely afterwards. Time will tell just how much of an improvement it proves to be to his hearing and his speech.

Hear We Come!

Callum had his appointment with the Ears, Nose & Throat Clinic (“ENT”) today.

The first part involved the lady we saw at the Audiology Department at the local Health Centre, repeating the test she did with the boats and the little men and the inner ear machine thing that shows a flat line if the patient has glue ear. I’m not sure what the results showed but she said she would write up the results for the consultant we were about to see.

After a short wait, we were called in to see the consultant who asked us what had led us to this point. I guess he wanted to hear Callum’s history from my point of view.

He confirmed the glue ear and told me to put my fingers on my ears while he spoke to me to demonstrate what it was like for Callum. Extremely muffled!

It is normal for there to be a 3 month observation period while they see if the glue ear improves. The consultant was concerned that the last test was only in April (just over a month previous) but I told him the first hearing check took place in February and he said he was reluctant to wait another 3 months so if I was happy to proceed they would book an operation date for grommets to be fitted.

The consultant asked a few questions about Callum’s breathing and whether he snored. I told him that he does and that we had previously wanted to check his adenoids at a time when he was having constant coughs, combined with his snoring and poor speech but as his coughs improved we didn’t take it any further. Because of this, he suggested they check the adenoids at the same time, while Callum was under anaesthetic for the grommets, and remove them if necessary.

I’m hopeful that with grommets being fitted and his adenoids removed if needed, this should make a dramatic improvement on Callum’s hearing and speech.

It is also my hope that Callum’s confidence in large groups will improve. He gets really intimidated by large groups and will cling to me (or Stuart). This could just be a general confidence thing but maybe its related. I guess time will tell.

We were thent sent up to the Day Case Unit to book the operation.

The really good news is that the operation is booked for 30 July so before he goes to school. I’m thrilled, I was so worried it would be after.

While in the Day Case Unit, Callum was given a folder for us both to go through which the nurse went through again with him when we booked the operation. It showed Callum what he could expect on the day with photos of the rooms he would see, the nurses that would care for him, the ‘magic cream’ they put on his hand to make his hand go numb, how they would put a clip on his finger to check his heart rate and oxygen levels. He seemed to take it all in, looking a little concerned but not scared. The nurse wanted to take his heart rate and oxygen levels with the clip on his finger while we were there and he was a little apprehensive so I put it on my finger first to show him it was ok. He then allowed the nurse to put it on his finger too and relaxed when he saw the numbers on the machine and felt his own heart beating. The nurse then quickly measured his height against a chart to find out he was as tall as a grey alien (do aliens communicate their different heights but changing their skin colour perhaps?) and then we were done! Callum was a little disappointed that he didn’t have time to draw me a picture before we left on the little table of paper, pencils and toys in the room but I reassured him he could draw me a picture at nursery instead (and he did…they are…er….yeah, wonderful straight lines and squiggles).

So that’s it, he is booked in and ready to go.

I mainly feel OK about him having the grommets and Adenoidectomy (to use the correct medical jargon) as I know they are very routine surgeries and I have had them both myself.

I remember the Adenoidectomy quite clearly. I was 5 (or there abouts) and I had to stay in overnight. I remember going to ‘sleep’; I remember being really spoilt by my family getting all the toys I’d always wanted; I remember the naughty little boy that ran up the corridor to tell them that the other girls and I were getting out of bed (to our bedside table to get books, colouring books etc) and him getting himself told off for being out of bed; I remember seeing another girl’s teddy being bandaged up while she was having her operation, being asked whether I wanted teddy or dolly to have the same treatment, me handing over my dolly just to be disappointed when she was returned to me with a new rubbish outfit and a sticker with my name on – no bandage; I remember coming home and my aunt giving me fruit pastels then I complained that my throat was sore and her telling me it was because I’d eaten all the fruit pastels.

All the things that matter to 5 year old (or there abouts).

I wasn’t scared, if anything, I was a little excited about the adventure and I enjoyed all the fuss that was made of me.

I know he’ll be fine. But there still is a small part of me that wobbles that my little baby big boy will be under general anaesthetic.