A Tympanoplasty is not a Musical Instrument

Tympanoplasty #1 was in August 2009.  A few weeks later we found out that it was not a successful surgery.  The large hole in Cy's left ear drum (probably caused for a severe ear infection) did not repair.  So the local ENT referred us on, and that specialist referred us onto a pediatric otologist, the "best in the business" we were told.  We were told to wait a few years, so here it is 2011 and time to give it another go.

Cy had his second tympanoplasty on December 1 at the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison.  That is an excellent facility with top-notch staff all around.  We would highly recommend them!

The surgery took 4 hours, and it took another 4-6 hours for Cy to fully come out of the anasthetic.  It's so hard to see your active, healthy boy slowed up, quiet and not hungry!  But Cy was strong through the whole ordeal.  We are so proud of him!!

 This first picture was taken on Day 2 post-op.  Time to finally take off the half-headgear!
I took off the dressing and have been applying ointment to the two incisions and drops to the ear canal ever since.  This next pic is, again, Day 2 post-op.

 Day 4.  Some of the red is the packing that was placed inside the ear canal.  We canNOT touch the packing, as it is there to keep the grafted tissue on the ear drum, in hopes that it will grow onto the drum and repair the hole.

 In the meantime, Cy has not been able to participate in phy. ed or his basketball season.  Not a fun thing for an active 11-year-old boy.  But the blessings coming out of it are that: 1) Cy gets to come into my classroom (a few doors down from his room) and check in with me, and 2) Cy has been able to get one-on-one band lesson time with the music teacher.  He's starting to learn guitar now, something we've been wanting to do for a few years now!

This is Day 20 at the elementary Christmas concert.  The swelling has gone way down, and the stitches have dissolved.  As of this writing, Day 26, some of the packing has dried up and fallen out of the ear, which Cy reports as "a relief...I can finally hear better again"!  Imagine going through that muffled feeling for over a MONTH!  Like I said, Cy is a real trooper.

We don't go back for post-op appointment with his surgeon until January 18.  We're hoping he gives us a verbal "okay" to return to p.e. and basketball in the coming weeks (over the telephone).  It's amazing how quickly a body heals!

The Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting …--Psalm 100:5