Doctor Thing

Yesterday Abby and Daniel went to the ENT: Abby for a "tube check" and Daniel for a full work-up and evaluation to see if he needs tubes.

Abby got to talk to Dr. Rhodes first, so she could show Daniel what would happen. Her left ear has no tube and there is no additional scarring or anything like that. She still has the tube in the right ear. Dr. R had her lie down on the bench and looked in with a microscope so he could remove a big gnarly hunk of wax. It had been putting some pressure on the eardrum and sort of blocking the tube. I was amazed when he pulled out a 1/2 inch bit o' junk. Yucky. Daniel got to sit on Daddy's lap and we learned that his right ear is "packed with fluid." Just as we thought.

Then it was off with the audiologist for hearing tests all around. Abby went first and passed with flying colors. Daniel on the other hand... not so much. I was in the room with him and could tell that he was just not hearing some of the sounds. There were a couple of things I was just amazed that he couldn't hear. Once the test was over the audiologist said his left ear is normal and he hears OK out of that ear. He didn't do as well as Abby on that side, but pretty close (he got a 10, Abby got a 5 - the lower the number the better). His right ear shows rather significant hearing loss (this ear was a 40. They say that 25 or lower is "normal."). Is that permanent? No one knows.

When he came out to talk to us after the hearing tests, Abby greeted Dr. Rhodes as "Doctor...Thing" because she didn't know his name. A bit embarassing, but funny too. As we expected, based on the exam,the hearing test and his speech delay Daniel bought himself a ticket to tube surgery.