Peditatric ENT Updates

On Thursday, January 26th, my mom and I took Jackson back to the pediatric ENT in New Orleans. Jackson had a pretty rough month between the end of December and January, so I knew we needed to do something. We ended up in the urgent care twice and pediatrician's office a handful of times during that period. The last time we visited the pediatrician he pretty much demanded that I take him back to the specialist in New Orleans. Jackson's right ear was draining maple syrup looking puss that was not the result of an ear infection, but his sinuses trying to drain - disgusting!

Well of course, since our last trip to the doctor Jackson has gotten a huge antibiotic shot and been on a week of oral antibiotics before the ENT could see him. So it was pretty much a well baby visit. Not that I really wanted my kid to be sick and pitiful for the appointment, but I kind of did...This specialist is under the impression that I take my kid to the doctor for a green snot nose - um no, I take him to the doctor when his fever gets above 101 and he gets his "sick eyes". I'm no doctor, but I'm a momma who knows that this is our sweet spot. If I don't rush him to the doctor at that point we end up having a hyperactive airway attack and it takes weeks to get him back to normal.

Does this look like a kid with just a runny nose?!? No, it's almost hard to believe that this is even Jackson!

 Anyway, Jackson got a complete work-up which included having his left tube pulled out of his ear (it was just sitting on the eardrum and ready to fall out on it's own).  His right tube is working it's way out as well.  Jackson's left ear has fluid/is infected, even with all the antibiotics in his system.  His right ear stopped draining the nasty puss a couple of days before his appointment.

Jackson had to have his sinuses scoped again, this is really not pleasant for anyone.  I had to hold him down while they put the tube up his nose and looked all around.  Good news was that his sinuses are free of green puss, bad news is that they are full of mucus.  Poor kid is just a mucus producing machine! The absence of puss means that the antibiotics are clearing his infection, so we're going to continue with another 6 weeks to try and keep him well for an extended period of time.  The doctor said this round would be "successful" if Jackson stayed well for 4-6 weeks after stopping the medicine...Jackson has never made it past 10 days.  He also said that a child his age should be sick about 90 days out of the year, again I don't think Jackson has been well 90 days since this all started last winter!

Our last topic of discussion was what to do next:

1. Sinus surgery: This would be hard on both the doctor and Jackson.  His sinuses are so tight that it would be hard for him to get in where he needs to - also risking additional scare tissue causing Jackson to heal even tighter.  At this point in time, this is still not really an option for us.  Maybe in another year, but not now.

2. Extended antibiotics: Keeping Jackson on antibiotics for an extended period of time, and doing so a few times a year.  We did this in the fall, and again now.  We'll see how it goes! Thank God for probiotics.

3. Booster shots: We have a list of vaccines/booster shots that may help boost Jackson's immunity and help him fight the common cold better.

4. Tubes: We go back in 3 weeks to see if the antibiotics cleared up the fluid in Jackson's left ear and asses the need to do tubes again.

And an hour later, we were back on our way home with a lot to process and pray about!