After three months of consistent ear infections, we finally decided that it would be best for Claire to have ear tubes put in. The long-term effects if we didn’t do surgery weren’t good, so we went for it. She went in on Monday morning. Jeff and I were a bit worried for a few reasons.
- She couldn’t eat/drink after midnight the night before and surgery was at 8:30. If you know Claire, she likes to eat, so we thought she’d throw a fit.
- She had to have general anesthesia.
- It’s surgery for heaven’s sake!
But Claire surprised us! We went into the hospital for a 7 am arrival time and she did just fine. No crying for food or milk at all! We practiced putting the mask on her, and she actually had fun with it. Surgery took a total of maybe 15 minutes and then we got to go home. She was a bit groggy for the rest of the day while I stayed home with her, but back to her normal self soon enough.
The only concerns I have now are that we have to be careful so she doesn’t get water in her ears. I gave her a bath last night and wasn’t really thinking about it. Luckily I caught myself before I got her hair wet. Everything was fine. We had to do ear drops for three days (which of course she doesn’t like), but she’s fine. We go for a follow up appointment in 10 days to see how her ears are doing. Before the surgery she still had some fluid behind her ear drums. I just hope this is the end of ear infections for our little lady!
