A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch filling out a lengthy medical history form for Tennyson. Her pediatrician and speech therapist had recommended we see an ENT doctor to have her evaluated. She had finished 2 courses of antibiotics with little change in her symptoms.
I got to the last page, and realized I was filling in a different column than the previous three pages. All the 'yes' boxes were checked.
Frequent ear infections: YES
Frequent sinus infections: YES
Restless sleeping habits: YES
Have you ever been told your child has fluid in their ears: YES
Speech concerns: YES
Snoring: YES
Flat tympanograms: YES
Sleep apnea: YES
This last symptom is what finally sealed the deal for me to have Tennyson evaluated. I really didn't want to put her through another surgery, but 'sleep apnea' isn't a symptom that is very conducive to being a functional human being.
'Pnea' means breathing. 'A' means without. Tennyson stops breathing at night.
When she stops breathing at night, she wakes up. When she wakes up, she comes into our room. When she comes into our room, she crawls in on my side. When she crawls in on my side, I wake up. When I wake up, I put her back to bed (most nights). When I put her back to bed, she goes back to sleep. When she goes back to sleep, she starts snoring. When she starts snoring, she eventually stops breathing. When she stops breathing at night, she wakes up.
This has been her life for the last couple of years. I can count on two hands the number of nights that she has stayed in bed all night. It's been exhausting, to say the least... for her, and us.
We went to the ENT. He was impressed with her list of symptoms and with the pediatrician's records. He had his audiologist do a hearing test, and Tennyson's tympanogram was completely flat. She had a 30% conductive hearing loss in both of her ears, accounting for some of her speech issues. When he came back in the room with a stack of paperwork, I knew what we were in for. She's having a T & A and tubes put in on October 22 at Emmanuel.
While I am nervous for her surgery and the recovery period, I am hopeful that this will take care of many issues for her. She has some unusual quirks, and many of these can be traced to her chronically inflamed tonsils, full adenoids, and fluid-filled ears.
We are anxious for a full recovery, and a healthy little girl... and some restful nights!
3 comments:
Having just been through 2 kids getting tonsils & adnoids (still don't know how to spell it?) out I can tell you it is not fun, but the difference in the way my kids sleep is nothing short of miraculous. I hope it will solve your problems like it did ours!
So THAT'S why she's awake at night! Oh, won't it be wonderful for you to get a full night's sleep on a regular basis. You'll feel like a whole new woman!
poor little muffin... and POOR YOU!! I do hope that 10/22 is the beginning of the end of those sleepless nights!
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