Peter: Do you have a bird in your ear, Ben?
Benjamin: What did you say?
P: Do you have a bird in your ear? Do you have a bird in your ear, Ben?
B: I can't hear you!
P: Do you have a bird in your ear?
B: No. I have fluid in my ear.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Remedying the Problem
Overheard at lunch today:
Peter: Do you have a bird in your ear, Ben?
Benjamin: What did you say?
P: Do you have a bird in your ear? Do you have a bird in your ear, Ben?
B: I can't hear you!
P: Do you have a bird in your ear?
B: No. I have fluid in my ear.
Yes, my friends, we have a serious problem around here. Benjamin's hearing is so bad these days that it's like he's covering both his ears with his hands, or like he's underwater. Actually this problem has been going on since the Fall. The first time I took Benjamin in to the doctor to get his ears checked, they told me his hearing was fine but that there was conductive hearing loss, or fluid behind the eardrum. They told me it's normal for fluid to stay in the ears for weeks and not to worry about it unless they got infected (which they never did). Anyways, we're finally getting the issue resolved on Monday and getting tubes put in and the adenoids out.
I can't wait for my bright boy to hear again. It will be so nice when he doesn't have to put his ear next to my mouth or ask "what?" for the umpteenth time. I think I might even be a better mom, not having to repeat myself or yell all the time. Poor kid. He's had it rough!
Peter: Do you have a bird in your ear, Ben?
Benjamin: What did you say?
P: Do you have a bird in your ear? Do you have a bird in your ear, Ben?
B: I can't hear you!
P: Do you have a bird in your ear?
B: No. I have fluid in my ear.
just a little question for you: have you ever tried taking him off of dairy? i have a friend who talked to her ENT about getting tubes and he told her he won't put tubes in a child's ears until they have tried giving up dairy for a month to see if it makes a difference. he said that 75% of the time it works and they don't need surgery! you should talk to marliese about this because i told her this story and she took tessa off dairy (after TONS of ear issues) and has had AMAZING results!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I actually considered that a while ago as the possible problem- especially considering his genes. I never brought it up with the doctor, but you may be right. Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteI am glad that he will be able to hear again! It is tough for both of you when communication is muffled. We'll be praying for you!
ReplyDeleteyou're right-- i hadn't even thought about the genetic part, but your family definitely had dairy issues! if it were me, i think i'd hold off on the surgery till i tried that route. better to fix with diet than surgery, right? plus, tubes fall out and could have to do it again! worth a shot to try dairy-free-- it could only help, not hurt!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree it's good to try the no milk thing, but having the surgery is so easy and so miraculous! All 3 of my kids have had tubes put in, and Natalie has had her adenoids out, and the results have been SO much better than what we were dealing with before! I'm sure there's a lot of research out there about the milk issue, though, so you may want to research it up a bit. But seriously. Having the surgery is only a big deal for the hour after they wake up, and then it's AWESOME. New kid. Believe me. And you don't have to supplement with calcium and modify your whole family's diet and make sure he doesn't get cheese at his friends' houses, etc. :) You can tell I'm a bit biased. But you'll make a good decision for him. He's so sweet. Can't wait to see you in just a few short months!!!
ReplyDeletePoor kid! Hearing is a pretty important part of life, especially for a little kid who's trying to absorb so much info every day! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOh, Ben! Cute, but sad about Peter asking about a bird in his ear...
ReplyDelete