Jacob update

The ped called me on Monday to let me know that Jacob's urinalysis came back fine. They were going to go ahead and do a culture to be sure, but she didn't expect anything to show up. I asked why in the world blood showed up in their office, and she said he may have had some irritation down there or it could have even been some ink from their little dipsticks came off and caused it. Needless to say, she could have handled things a little differently, and I think if she had kids of her own she would have done so.

Today I took Jacob in for his hearing test. I need to give you a little background before I tell you what happened today, so you can get the full effect of what we are dealing with here. It will be long, but the info is kind of critical, as you will see.

When Jacob was 18 months old he became severely ill with his first ear infection...it was so bad that the "eardrum" burst. Not the actual eardrum, but something else. For a month the doctors could not get antibiotics to work, and along with the ear never getting better he had extremely high fevers. I continuously told the doctor that I was concerned about meningitis because he just seemed to have so many of the symptoms, but she would move his neck and say she really did not feel that was it. Eventually he was hospitalized because he had a febrile seizure, which led to an ER visit, which led to tons of bloodwork, which led to a blood culture, which led to the eventual hospitalization, spinal taps, other tests, and eventual cure. Thank God, because sepsis can be deadly if it isn't caught soon enough and the symptoms resemble so many other things. So we are released and given an appointment with an ENT the next week and tubes a few weeks after that. We were on a priority list and were bumped in front of kids who had the tube surgery scheduled for three and four months, that is how concerned they were in getting this done quickly.

So, that was done at 20 months of age. Normally, the tubes fall out on their own and cause no trouble. As we all know, things are far from normal in my home. LOL Jacob's tubes fell out and got themselves stuck in wax deep in the canal. So, 3 years ago, we go to the ENT and after a 40 minute or so struggle the guy gets one tube (the left ear - remember this because it is important) out and then refuses to try removing the other explaining the ped can do it in her office.

So, I explain this at EVERY SINGLE VISIT, and my ped tells me it is still too hard to get the thing out, but it appears to be moving further towards the opening and eventually we will get it. She doesn't want to probe too much because she want's to be sure she doesn't damage the ear.

OK...

So, that brings you to last week's 7 year old check-up where I voice my concerns over Jacob's hearing. He just seems to be having more and more trouble. Today we head over to get the whole hearing test bit done and lo and behold he seems to have perfect hearing in the lefft ear and the right tests in normal range but he seems to show some issues with lower tones. My little lightbulb goes off and I mention how interesting that is considering the tube is still stuck in wax in that right ear. Sure enough, wow, mom is right. So the new ped to the office tells me I need to go to the ENT and get them to do it. I told her if they want to send me that's fine, but he refused to mess with the second ear since Jacob put up such a fight and he told me to get the ped to do it, and for three years NOBODY will touch him, so what am I supposed to do? I asked that we be given a referral to a different ENT, she tells me usually the doctor that puts them in wants to be the one to take them out, and I say "Well, that's just great unless they decide to refuse to do it because the child won't stop screaming. For a pediatric ENT he sure as heck was NOT child-friendly, and I don't really care that he put them in, he sure doesn't make me want to go back to see him with my kid. And I know for a fact I am not the only parent of a patient that was far from impressed with his personality and bedside manner." She was a little surprised and decided she would go ahead and try doing it herself.

So, she barely gets the little ear cleaner things up to his ear and the tears start rolling and the screaming like he is being killed begins. She couldn't get to it, takes out another tool and tries again with no success. Then she decides to flush his ears. OMG, if he wasn't already just about to have a heart attack, he was now. He was scared to death and shaking. After 5 minutes and getting NOTHING out, she says that's it, we need to see the ENT. He can't say she didn't try. And then she tells me the worst part-

She said she has taken tubes out in the office before and it is really no big deal. She is afraid that it is so hardened in there and has been in there so long, that it might have skin growing around it now and could cause all sorts of problems if they were to pull it out. OMG, I am SO ANGRY! Can you believe this?

So, we are being referred back to the same jerk that we went to before and we have an appointment or October 26th. Needless to say, he'd better do his damn job this time or else. I don't care if he has to freaking sedate the boy, the tube needs to come out this time.

We also are being referred to a behavioral psychologist to rule out his being on the autism spectrum. I'm ticked about that too because Josh's psych that is so awesome is not covered under the new insurance we will have as of November, and they don't appear to be as willing to work with the single case agreement. So, that is our update - bad day all the way around.

You must be a saint if you read all of that. LOL Thanks if you did.