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Thank you for taking the time to stop by and visit! We hope to share with you our journey of raising a child with Achondroplasia, the most common type of dwarfism. If this is your first time here, please start by reading Caitlyn's Story. It will share the beginning of her life with you. Enjoy!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The tubes go in...

I know this is REALLY late, and I've been a total slacker, but hey, life is busy!

As most of you know, Caitlyn had her first set of tubes put in on April 9th. We did a little talking with her about the procedure and she was a trooper!

Here's a run down of the morning

We woke her up around 6:20 because she wasn't allowed anything to drink after 6:30. So she got her one sip in, we got dressed and headed out the door. We needed to be to admitting by 7:15. They got her information put into the computer, her hospital bracelet on (and one for Abby to), and we headed over to Outpatient Surgery. We were called back around 7:45. One of the nurses came over and asked if Caty liked play-duh, what kid doesn't! So she got set up with a play-duh table and went to town. She got a good 20-30 minutes of playing in before they gave her some medicine to help relax her. I don't recall what the medicine was called, but it was a very small dose, due to Caty's size (30 inches and 26 lbs). After about 5 minutes she started getting a little loopy, then it got worse and worse. Pretty soon, she couldn't sit up by herself, her words were slurred and she was drooling. She was acting like she was TOTALLY SMASHED!! (Notice in the picture to left, she doesn't have her usual smile on her face.) Since she was unable to sit up by herself, we, as in Scott and I, decided that the play-duh needed to go. This was quite upsetting to Caty and she turned on the tears and even screaming at times. We kept reassuring her that we could bring out her play-duh at home, but she wasn't buying it. Scott and I took turns holding her; she couldn't hold her head up and it was like holding a floppy 26 lb baby. FINALLY the anesthesiologist came and took her back for the surgery. Once she was gone, this is when I broke down and finally cried. It wasn't because of her having the surgery, I wasn't concerned at all about it, it was just so hard seeing her like this. Scott and I went out into the waiting room. I headed out into the hall to have something to eat and use the restroom. I went back into the waiting room and not even 20 minutes had passed by and her ENT, Dr Ro, came and got us. He let us know that everything had gone fine with getting the fluid out and putting in the tubes. Caty was just coming out of the anesthesia when we got back into recovery. She wasn't the happiest of kids, but who would be with a mask on and wires attached to your chest. Once she was able to sit on my lap and have a popsicle, she started doing much better. She did say that her ears hurt, but the doctors warned us that kids usually do this, even if their ears don't hurt. Pretty soon she was doing well and was discharged. She'd gone into surgery around 8:45 and we were escorted out of the hospital in our wheelchair around 9:30 and were home by 10:00. It couldn't have gone any easier!

Caty spent some time lounging on the couch and by noon she was on the floor playing. I can't remember exactly when, but it was either later this same afternoon or the next morning, that we noticed her hearing had improved. What a relief!! Now we're just waiting for her speech to start clearing up.

Here she is playing a few hours after the tubes go in

We've got a follow-up appointment the first week of May, so I'll let you all know how it goes. At her last speech therapy session I brought in her hearing test results to share with the speech therapist and got some interesting feedback. Her hearing loss, before the tubes, fell right in the decibel area where the sounds that she has a hard time making are (the letter sounds she has a hard time with are: c, k, g, and sh). Just what we wanted to hear, no seriously, this is good news. She wasn't hearing the sounds right, which was causing her to not say them correctly. So, we'll keep our fingers crossed that over time, she's get the sounds down pat - the correct way this time.

8 comments:

Stiber Family said...

Aiden had to get tubes due to reoccurring ear infections at just 14 months old. I thought I was going to die when they took him from me. He was only back in the OR for like five minutes before they came and got me. I was like, ALREADY???? But I guess it is pretty easy and quick. He was discharged soon after. A week later, we saw something in his ear and his one tube had fallen out. We took him in and they said they would watch him and see if he needed a new one, but he was fine. His other one stayed in for about two years before falling out. He has never had a ear infection since. It was a hard thing, but the best thing we could have done for him! Caty won't even remember a few years down the line! Only the pics will remind her! Glad she did well!

Hope said...

It always amazes me how quickly they recover! Quentin has had 4 sets of tubes since with the first set being placed when he was 19 months old....he also had his adenoids removed with the first set.
The first time he had the tubes placed I like you was strong through the getting ready process and then cried when they took him away....I guess they get over it because he has never said anything and loves his ENT so that is a good sign!

Unknown said...

Great job, Caty! So glad to hear that everything well! It is a super quick surgery, but still not easy for mommies :-(. Seamus' hearing and speech improved immensely after his tubes were put in...I have no doubt that you will see the same change in Caty!

Anthea said...

Glad to hear the tubes went well. I too remember Tori getting her first set at 13 months, (a week before we flew to Cananda...uggh). The whole thing went reasonably well, except that her 9.30am surgery didnt get done till just after 2pm - as you can imagine, she had no idea why mum and dad wern't feeding her and it got pretty nasty at around 12ish.....oh...the memory! Those tubes are still in almost a year later and her hearing is definately improved. Glad all is well!

Melissa Swartley said...

Awesome job Caty! I'm so glad to hear that she did so well! By the way I just got one of those tables for Sonya, they are so great! I love all the pictures of your pretty Caty! She is just so sweet! Wow! You are at 32 weeks already! I bet you are getting so excited! Sending hugs!

Kasia and Amelia said...

Big WOW to Caty! She is such an amazing, great-spirited girl! What a trooper. Amelia will have her first aneshesia in couple of weeks for MRI and CT scan done at the same time and I am very scared thinking about that. I know she will be fine but I can't just imagine her being worked on and being sedated.... :-(
I am sure she will feel much beter with these tubes and I am very happy for you. Blessings and hugs!

Greene Family said...

Caty is so adorable and such a trooper!! I'm so glad that everything went well! I understand breaking down after she went back to the OR - I do the same with Simon. That is great news about Caty's hearing, and hopefully, she will begin to make those sounds correctly soon! We noticed a big change in Simon's hearing and speech soon after his tubes too.

Kim said...

Caty is a trooper but that must have been scary for you to see her completely change right in front of your eyes! How scary! The surgery itself is amazing. Preston was running around that afternoon. I think we will have another tube surgery at some point this year because I think the tubes are finally on their way out after 17 months.
i love that she was back to her smiley little self! I hope that the therapy gets her right back on track now!

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