M has had a hole in his eardrum since he was four years old.
Last year, he had two tympanoplasties to try to fix the hole.
Both failed.
The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result, so we've been seeking second opinions to see if there are other surgeries or techniques.
The first doctor we saw more or less scared the shit out of me.
When I asked what might be the reason for both surgeries failing and whether this is unusual, he said, "Oh, some people have that surgery done 20 or 30 times."
It was at this point that my brain.stopped.functioning.
I asked this doctor if we needed to do surgery or could monitor.
He said, "I wouldn't wait until August."
I then proceeded to tell him that we had a vacation planned and wouldn't be able to do the surgery until mid-July.
He said that was fine.
The surgery he recommended involves going through bone (tympanomastoidectomy).
I'm not sure why the two weeks between mid-July and August (which is too late according to him) make any difference at all.
But my brain wasn't functioning well by this point of the conversation, so I didn't ask.
When I told him we were going to seek other opinions out of state, he said, "Oh, I can do the same thing they can. You don't need to go to them."
I didn't tell him that my hope was that they wouldn't scare the bejeezus out of me.
We saw our 2nd-second opinion doctor who told us M doesn't even have to have surgery right now. I liked him, and the surgery he recommended was less invasive than the one the 1st-second opinion doctor advised (medial tympanoplasty).
Today, I took M to the children's hospital out of state to see the 3rd 2nd-opinion surgeon.
This doctor recommended working through the ear canal using pig tissue for the patch rather than M's tissue (so the least invasive of the surgeries).
But he said we don't have to do anything now. AND he said sometimes the body tells you what it needs if we listen.
M is, at this moment, congested due to allergies. He is on allergy shots. Maybe his body needs that hole for ventilation.
Even though I was on the road four hours today, I felt like I had someone break the tie between the two other opinions and bring me a little more comfort that we're doing what is best for M and his ear.
Last year, he had two tympanoplasties to try to fix the hole.
Both failed.
The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result, so we've been seeking second opinions to see if there are other surgeries or techniques.
The first doctor we saw more or less scared the shit out of me.
When I asked what might be the reason for both surgeries failing and whether this is unusual, he said, "Oh, some people have that surgery done 20 or 30 times."
It was at this point that my brain.stopped.functioning.
I asked this doctor if we needed to do surgery or could monitor.
He said, "I wouldn't wait until August."
I then proceeded to tell him that we had a vacation planned and wouldn't be able to do the surgery until mid-July.
He said that was fine.
The surgery he recommended involves going through bone (tympanomastoidectomy).
I'm not sure why the two weeks between mid-July and August (which is too late according to him) make any difference at all.
But my brain wasn't functioning well by this point of the conversation, so I didn't ask.
When I told him we were going to seek other opinions out of state, he said, "Oh, I can do the same thing they can. You don't need to go to them."
I didn't tell him that my hope was that they wouldn't scare the bejeezus out of me.
We saw our 2nd-second opinion doctor who told us M doesn't even have to have surgery right now. I liked him, and the surgery he recommended was less invasive than the one the 1st-second opinion doctor advised (medial tympanoplasty).
Today, I took M to the children's hospital out of state to see the 3rd 2nd-opinion surgeon.
This doctor recommended working through the ear canal using pig tissue for the patch rather than M's tissue (so the least invasive of the surgeries).
But he said we don't have to do anything now. AND he said sometimes the body tells you what it needs if we listen.
M is, at this moment, congested due to allergies. He is on allergy shots. Maybe his body needs that hole for ventilation.
Even though I was on the road four hours today, I felt like I had someone break the tie between the two other opinions and bring me a little more comfort that we're doing what is best for M and his ear.
1 comment:
Continue to be wise and follow your mom instincts.
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