James's Surgery

I took James in for his 18 month checkup and his doctor told me that he had a little fluid in his ears. I told her that she told me that every time I brought him into the office. She asked if he had been acting grumpy or fussy. I said no. She asked if he was talking yet. I said no. She gave me a referral for the ENT and audiologist. The ENT and audiologist told me there was alot of fluid in James's ears. So much that he couldn't hear properly and it was affecting his speech. Then they scheduled him for surgery to get new tubes put in. I wondered why the doctor hadn't referred me months before........ Anyway, James took the whole thing in stride. It helped that the boy has a very high tolerance for pain and discomfort. What a champ.

They had him put on some hospital clothes when we checked in. Then they gave him some toys to play with. He thought it was great to play with toys without someone else wanting to play with them too. 

This is his almost escaping with his truck underneath the divider curtain. Gotta love him. 

A barrel of monkeys. 

He wanted to take a picture of our matching armbands. They wanted to put his on his ankle but he refused because they had already put mine on my wrist. 

They gave him some sedative before they took him in. He got loopy, then quiet, then dazed (see above), then lovey-dovey. He smiled goofyly at the nurse as she took him out. 

When they brought him back he was happy as a lark. They gave him a cup with a straw which he thought was awesome. 

Then he decided he had had enough of the monitor thing taped to his toe. The nurse heard the disconnection and came running thinking he was dead. She taped it back on. 

That lasted all of two minutes until he once again ripped it off his skin. The nurse decided the battle wasn't worth fighting and left him alone. 

He was so ready to go by the time they discharged us. He tried running down the hall, decided he was still too woozy to do it alone, and grabbed my hand for balance. We ran all the way to the car. He was a much happier child after the surgery and he is learning to say words now although I still hear them very rarely because he only speaks when he has the urge. He is James after all, and stubbornness is one of his most practiced talents. Love this boy!