Quinn's reconstructive hearing op done & C-Tomas gone!

Ok, Quinn's re-constructive surgery is done and dusted.

We had to be at the hospital at 06:30am, and we were, only to have to wait until nearly 07:30 before the admissions desk was even ready to sign us in. Grrr.

Anyway, once we were past the hospital nonsense and were finally sent up for surgery it was 09:30am. By which time Quinn (11) was moaning about being bored and hungry. The previous hospital was much more efficient and Quinn was psyched for his surgeries so this one was quite an anti-climax.

Again I went right into the OR with him and he again chose the gas over the needle for the anaesthetic, This anaesthetist was better at administering it too and gave him a slow dose over a minute or 2 while we all chatted and he gradually drifted away without even being aware of it as there was no focus on him or what she was doing. Different to usual but a good way to handle it I guess.

Our fab doc told me he'd take an hour or so at his approximation, but that he'd ring me when he was done as usual so to rather go relax somewhere and not hang around outside the door. I went downstairs to his ward and worked on my laptop (all I do these days is work, sad but true reality of my life right now!), more that 2 hours later I finally got the call that he was done.

Doc was happy that it went well. He did a tympanectomy and ossicularplasty, with a titanium stapes-incus implant thing, and some cartilage to bridge and stabilise it. He says it went as well as he would have hoped and that there is no sign of c-toma in his right ear at all, and that he checked the left and cleaned it too and that one looks good as well. That was my main concern so I was thrilled to hear that news!

So he now has a titanium implant in his head - apparently it is x-ray and MRI safe though. :)

Quinn woke up after 20 mins in recovery and was very grumpy and even quite angry and aggressive - this was new. Previously he'd just been very woosey and sore and we'd get him back to sleep and on second waking he'd bounce back and be his normal self. This time he was sullen, obstreperous, and kept wanting to get up, but was falling over and quite drunk and obnoxious. He was still moaning about being 'bored'. (OMG!) I had visions of him being a stroppy teenager and it was not nice. His behaviour was quite hurtful actually. I tried not to take it too personally, but eventually asked if he wanted to be left alone and he said yes, so I moved away but stayed near (even though I wanted to go home at that point and wanted to cry. I just told myself to suck-it and keep being there for him, because I knew he needed it although he was acting like he really didn't) and thankfully after some pain meds back in the ward a while later and a milky drink he 'came back' and was lovely and sweet and loving.

He told me he doesn't know why he got like that, but just felt sore and angry (must be side effects of meds right?). He even apologised. I told him he'll be a horrid drunk teenager. To which he said, 'No, I won't get THAT drunk. I'll only have like...3.' (LOL yeah right, we'll see...)

Anyway from then on all has been good and we went home at 14:00 or so. He claims to already be hearing better despite his ear being packed with foam and cotton-wool, so holding thumbs that the results are good.

I am relived it is done, and with luck that's our last surgery for now! He'll just need routine cleanings every few months once the post ops on this op are sorted.

Thanks for reading.