Tubes it is

So, it turns out I was only partially right about all of us being healthy . . ..

We found out today at the Pediatric ENT that Caroline will in fact need tympanostomy tubes. She does not currently have an infection, but had visible fluid behind her left ear and hearing tests showed fluid behind both ears, as well as moderate hearing loss as a result (the fluid stops the eardrum from reverberating). Thankfully the hearing loss does not seem to have effected her development thus far (based on verbal milestones, etc), but it is an important reason to act now, before it does cause problems. Also, because the fluid is essentially ever-present at this point, it means she could develop yet another infection at any time.

The surgery is outpatient and only lasts about 10 minutes. She'll likely be sent home just on Tylenol and should be back to normal within the day. The hearing restoration should be immediate, as they will drain/scrape any blockage before placing the tubes. The main differences for her/us: first and foremost, her hearing will return to normal; ear infections could/should diminish; any ear infections she does get shouldn't cause as much pain (since pressure cannot build up behind the ear drum, as long as the tube remains clear and in place); if/when she does get any future ear infections, we will be able to treat them with antibiotic ear drops rather than systemic antibiotics.

The surgery is scheduled for about 1.5 weeks from now. Fingers crossed she makes it til then comfortably!