Third time's the charm?

I mentioned in my last post that Brandon was going to have ear tube surgery on 7/13 (which just happened to be a Friday, the 13th . . . . 👻😉.)  We weren't completely surprised when his ENT told us he needed another set (it's his 3rd set 😑), and we were a bit relieved that he was going to get them again, because his recurrent ear infections had started back up again.  😣  Evidently Brandon was just 'blessed' with funky shaped Eustachian tubes, so until and/or if they lengthen or straighten out or become better angled or whatever they need to do so this stops 😃, this is where we find ourselves every 3ish years.  (His tubes go in, stay in for approximately 2 years, fall out, and then within a year of that the ear infections start up again.)  So even though I never want to proactively put my child through surgery, I was relieved that his ENT suggested it again, to hopefully help ease his pain and need for repeated antibiotics, which I didn't like either.

I'm thankful to say he came though with flying colors!  Because Brandon is 11, we didn't have to show up at the butt-crack of dawn 🤣 (there were younger kids ahead of him, as his surgeon works youngest to oldest on surgery day), and we were even home by 12:30.  When having surgery, all you can pray for is a smooth, uneventful day, and thankfully, that's exactly what we got.

The happy patient before anesthesia and surgery.  

Dab for success 😎

Watching your child go into and come out of anesthesia is always a bit unnerving, for me.  He got super relaxed and a bit loopy with whatever they gave him before they wheeled him back to the surgery room.  And it happened fast!  One minute we were escorting him to the restroom (because he had already had the drink) and he was walking and talking just fine, a few minutes later sitting in bed and he got reeeeeeallly sleepy and didn't make much sense talking.  After surgery, in the past, he's been an angry wake-upper.  This time he wasn't angry as much as he was just disoriented.  All perfectly normal, just a bit hard to see as a momma.  

They're never keen to keeping you around longer than they have to in the facility after surgery, so while still groggy but overall okay, they wheeled him to the van, we got home, (no pukes from the anesthesia on the way home! 🙌), up the stairs, and onto the couch for a day of R&R.  

So, other than no swimming for a week and ear drops 3x's/day for a week, he was back to normal by the end of Friday.  Praise the Lord!  Thanks to all who knew about his surgery, prayed for him, and checked on him over the few days post-op.  We all appreciate the care and concern for him!

And so because his little body went through a lot that day, his allergist decided he did not need to updose for OIT the week of surgery.  It was another delay in our overall OIT journey, but a necessary detour to be able to fix the pesky ears.  

So, hopefully 3rd times the charm for this sweet boy's ear tubes and we won't have to do this again?  We shall see...  😉

~Momma Knows Best