T&A Post-Op: Day 6

Nolan, doing fairly well on the tonsillectomy front

Nolan's left ear is still draining. I placed a call to our ENT this morning to see if this is a normal reaction to the surgeries, or if we have a problem in that ear.

The doctor called back, and we definitely have a problem. The "normal" drainage would have been seen on days 1-3 post-op, and we should not have drainage developing after we completed the Floxin drops. In other words, Nolan has an ear infection, only six days after receiving his tubes. Beautiful.

Besides the generalized "ick" factor of having a ton of discharge from the ear, there is also the danger that his tube will clog and he will perforate around the tube. We had this happen to his right ear in December 2008, and the results were not pretty. To prevent this from happening again, he will be placed on Ciprodex ear drops for 14 days. Nolan is just thrilled, let me tell you. He just loves ear drops. For the next two weeks, we get to put a squirming toddler in a headlock and dispense the eardrops. If the infection clears up, we get to wait until our six-week checkup before seeing the ENT again. If it doesn't, then we have to get back to the office ASAP.

As a side note, cleaning out his hearing aid is a rather nasty business with all the drainage. Thank goodness for a lot of soapy water, his wire cleaners, and my strong stomach.

On the tonsillectomy front, things are going fairly well. This morning he was in a bit more pain than on the previous two days. We were warned that there would be some bad breath following the surgery, but hadn't noticed it- until today. Boy howdy, that breath could slay people. He is also starting to shed some scabs. I won't tell you how I know this, because of the general "ew" factor. I will say, however, that I wish Nolan would keep some things to himself. Blech.

He's still not big on fluids, but will nibble on graham crackers, waffles, and wheat thins. To get some fluids into him, we might be having popsicles for dinner tonight!