EAR we go...

After seven ear infections in his one year of life, Jax finally had an appointment with an ENT today. Thank goodness!! The poor little guy has had a chronic ear infection in his left ear for the past two months. Whatever it is causing the problem used to be an equal opportunity infector, switching from ear to ear or pooling fluid in both at the same time. Now, I think "the infector" is just getting lazy and hanging out in the left ear. Jax has been on four different antibiotics during the episodes, which I hate. So, we went to the ENT today hoping and praying he'd deem Jax's ears tube-worthy. SURE ENOUGH! One look in his left ear and he told me to schedule tubes immediately.

Apparently, his eustacean tubes are very small and narrow and unable to drain fluid properly. As a result, a pussy fluid pools in his ears. The tubes (in both ears) will basically teach the eustacean tube how to irrigate. They should fall out in about two years, and the hope is, that by thenhis eustacean tubes will be large enough and smart enough to do the job on their own. In the meantime, his ear infections should be minimized if not completely eradicated. That means, no more pain, no more runny nose (we are solely-responsible for keeping Kleenex in business) and no more antibiotics. The doctor can't tell if Jax's hearing has been affected, but he did say that Jax may have walked sooner had it not been for the persistent ear infections throwing off his balance. I gotta say, him not walking sooner may be the only good thing about the ear infections.

So, the big day is scheduled for JULY 7. It's a 5-10 minute procedure, but they will have to put the little dude under. That, of course worries me a little, but he will get to wear a Jax-sized hospital gown... which will be so darn cute. I can already picture the scrapbook pages!