Totally Tubular

So, bright and early this morning, we took Logan to get his first (and hopefully only) set of ear tubes. I say "hopefully" because I had tubes 4 times when I was a wee lad. From what I can tell, medical procedures and science have advanced a lot since then. The doctor said as much when he told us that 80% of children that get tubes today do not need them again. However, we met a mother and son (Logan's age) this morning there for a second set of tubes.

Bad luck? Bad genes? Who knows?

Maybe doctors just throw out these percentages/numbers the same way they throw out appointment times for you to arrive. Maybe you get lucky and fall on the good side of the numbers and maybe you get seen within an hour of your scheduled appointment time. I kid…or do I?

Anyway, we did arrive at 07:10, about 20 minutes earlier than the expected appointment time (07:30), since we had never been to the surgery center and anticipated traffic in addition to the dreaded administrative paperwork (especially since we just switched insurance coverage). Thankfully, both the drive and the paperwork went smooth and we were ready to go by 07:30. I am thinking we would be able to get out quicker than expected.

We anticipated a meltdown coming with Logan since he had not eaten anything since midnight or had his morning milk. He was definitely jonesing for it and even trying to scour his backpack and Joan’s purse for a bottle…any bottle. I think I even saw him riffle through another child’s diaper bag.

Well, after about an hour of waiting and distracting Logan, I had to leave for my meeting. Joan headed up the last leg of the adventure. The nurses came in to get Logan around 09:30 (2 hours after scheduled appointment time). They prepped Joan that he would be taken back into the room, but Logan did not understand and let out some blood curdling cries. I guess he thought he was being taken to slaughter or at least to a place where there was no hope of getting milk. Apparently, blowing bubbles can put a quick stop to this as the nurses cheered him up just enough to knock him out with the laughing gas.

Well, the procedure lasted about 15 minutes and the little guy was in recovery for about 30 minutes. He awoke with cries again - very scared and disoriented. But, again, this ended quickly when he saw his momma and saw that the nurses were giving away apple juice.

Jackpot!

Once he got that sugar rush, he was fine. By this time, Joan was working on the same hunger emotions Logan had sans milk. A trip to Chik-fil-A and some Paul Simon was in order for this mother and child reunion some 3 hours after we arrived.

Double Jackpot!