Yep, what I was worried about since I found out Carter had an upper respiratory infection has come true. Little man now has a double ear infection. This weekend when he was a fussy mister I started to worry about his ears. Monday I called for an update and got good news that he was his normal self and seemed to feel fine. Today when I picked him up his teacher told me they had taken his temperature before naptime and then again right before I arrived and he was running a low-grade 99-100.2 degree temp. I immediately pulled out my phone and called the doctor's office for an appointment. They could squeeze me in at 5:30 and I quickly accepted.
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| Reading in the car this morning. |
I decided to go ahead and get in a quick run before the appointment and Carter slept in the stroller the entire time. We arrived early at the doctor's office and were taken right in. When the doctor looked in Carter's first ear he confirmed my fear. He looked in his second ear and said it was also infected, but not as badly as the first. Due to the number of ear infections Carter has had, he put in a referral for an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat Doctor, for those of you like me who were thinking, say what?). I'm nervous. If Carter ends up needing tubes I definitely want to do what is best for him. But then in the back of my mind I keep thinking about the fact that I will be home with him starting in June. Without the exposure to as many germs and therefore less drainage and congestion, he will get fewer ear infections. Then would tubes be necessary? The thought of him undergoing any procedure is scary.
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| Check out my car! |
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| Taking off. |
I'm so glad ear infections are Carter's only recurring health issue. One of my co-workers whose daughter is Carter's age has to take breathing treatments every 2 hours day and night. I hear stories about babies undergoing heart surgeries before ever making it home from the hospital. Babies needing tumors removed. Parents watching their babies suffer. That's when I take a step back and realize our struggle is minor. If Carter needs tubes in his ears, he will get them. I got them when I was little. Plenty of children have. These moments make me realize how intense my love for Carter is. How great the fear of losing him is. How desperate I am to spend more time with him. I should hear back from the ENT's office by the end of the week. I will anxiously be awaiting their call.
Poor guy! I wonder if you mention to the ENT that you'll be home with him full-time starting in June, if (s)he'll take that into consideration? It's so hard to see your baby sick though! I hope he feels better soon (and you, too!)!
ReplyDeleteI know, I am totally mentioning that when we go!
DeleteI agree. I bet they'll take that into consideration. He such a good little guy when he's sick.
ReplyDeleteI will for sure!
DeleteI hate to say this, ear infections can be caused by pet dander. You might ask the ENT. I am not being judgmental to pet lovers, so please do not take offense and judge me. Following from parenting.com
ReplyDeletePets and Ear Infections
In fact, any allergen in the air can trigger secretions that build up in the middle ear and lead to infection. In general, any way that you can help minimize the amount of fluid and secretions that enter the middle ear will lessen the frequency and severity of your baby's ear infections. Animal dander is a common allergen. So, keep pets out of baby's bedroom. And, certainly, don't let baby and pet share a sleeping room. If you live in close quarters, an air purifier may help.
Interesting, I'll definitely mention it to see what the ENT says. Our doctor said it's because Carter has short eustachian tubes so when he has drainage due to a cold or this time an upper respiratory infection, he ends up with an ear infection.
DeleteI actually got ear infections a lot as a child and I'm not allergic to pet dander.
DeleteI'm not expressing myself very well. What I took away from the pet dander allergen article is the air purifier. It might be helpful. Along with Carter no longer being exposed at daycare to every sniffle and sneeze, come the end of the school year! Love.
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