Girls' Medical News

Kaylee: After 3 weeks on antibiotics to hopefully clear any fluid in her ears, she went back to the ENT yesterday. Her hearing test results were the same, but the ENT still thinks there is fluid in her ears based on the stiffness of her eardrums and the rareness of the other possible middle ear conditions. He said it could be a very thick fluid that won't drain on its own (glue ear), and that it has been there since birth. She is scheduled for surgery on 1/3/14 to make a small incision in her eardrum and drain any fluid on both sides. If the fluid is there, he will put in tubes while he is in there. If there isn't fluid, he will do nothing (and the eardrum should heal in about 3 days) and that would leave one of the more rare conditions, such as a stiffness of the tiny bones (ossicles) in the middle ear. I'm not sure what the next steps are if she doesn't have fluid in her ears, but we'll figure that out when/if we get there. They will have to put her to sleep, but it sounds like a very light sleep with gas only and she will wake not long after removing the mask. The good news is that if it is just fluid, she might have normal hearing when it is all said and done.

Ella: She went back to the pediatrician today. Unfortunately, her head circumference has increased another quarter inch since her last visit about a month and a half ago, so based on that result her doctor still wants to get the MRI done. We should get a call about scheduling that in the next few days. She said it is most likely/hopefully just benign hydrocephalus where the excess fluid is outside the brain and just means she will have extra cushioning around her brain and will have a bigger head (meaning, we do nothing). Of course, it could also be hydrocephalus inside her brain ventricles which is bad, or some other growth in her head, and if something like that is found we'll have to go to a neurosurgeon. Considering she has no other developmental issues, it seems less likely to be one of the bad options, but we won't know until we see the MRI results. Like we've said, that will involve general anesthesia, but now that we are aware of her airway condition, it should be manageable and safe, although not what we were hoping for.

Thanks yet again for continued prayers.