Micah's Atresia Surgery Follow-Up

Note to self:  No more 9:00am appointments in Englewood, the NJ Turnpike traffic just sucks at around Exit 13/Exit 14.  I have become a lazy suburban slug, and do not cope will with ill-mannered, opportunistic weasels who do not believe in the use of the turn signals.  I hope they all get coal in their stockings.

The first part of the appointment was with the audiologist, Courtney.  Micah likes her, and she gives stickers, so his cooperation was no problem.  Then we had to park in the inside waiting area for his appointment with Dr. Choe.  Since I had two Matchbox cars in the back of the car waiting for the next trip to Englewood, Micah made bridges and garages out of brochures while another patient's spouse grilled me about Micah's ears.  This fairly observant guy noticed Micah's ear canals are behind his ear cartilage instead of in front of them.  Even without benefit of caffeine, I played the part of spokesperson for microtia/atresia because at the end of the story I could say that Micah is a normal four-year old in terms of speech and language and then resume playing Matchbox cars with him.

When Dr. Choe called Micah's name, he shot out of the waiting area and gave the doctor a running knee-level hug.  The report from the audiologist is that Micah still has a mild conductive hearing loss.  Dr. Choe took out the debris from the ear canals.  The right tympanic membrane has healed well and right where it should be.  The hearing loss is likely due to fluid behind the tympanic membrane, and since we're giving him Sudafed, Claritin and Nasonex there isn't much else to be done other than teaching him how to blow his nose.

The twice per week Ciprodex ear drops are finished, other than after going swimming.  Only swimming in chlorinated pools, no ocean or fresh water.  So good thing the pool at the hotel were staying at while in Maryland over the holiday is very, very well chlorinated if our past stays are any indication.

After the visit, Micah picked out a plastic camel from the toy basket (despite other more appealing choices), and we went out to the desk to make the follow up appointment in FOUR months.  We've never gone that long between appointments since just prior to the first surgery in August 2009.  Very good news since it will be April before we need to make the trip again.  Which almost counts as a Christmas present for me.

Went to Target for Micah's reward, standard operating procedure.  Picked up two more birthday party gifts for Micah's friends, Cameron and Max, had pizza with him and then dropped him off at Dutch Neck and made it to work by 1:15 pm.