Dr. Albright

One thing I know for sure about parenting, and I stress the words KNOW FOR SURE, is that you have to love and respect your children’s doctors.  I could not imagine how stressful it would be to take care of a sick child and not feel exponentially better after talking/discussing treatment options with your doctors.  Dr. James Albright is both Logan and Catherine’s pediatric ENT.  He is fabulous and I could not recommend him more.  Now I wish I did not have to see him that often as driving down to the medical center and parking in the Smith tower (with at least one ear infected toddler) leads to quite an exhausting day.  But regardless, the staff at Texas Children’s ENT is the best I have found and I am grateful for their medical services. 

Catherine Anne-

Catherine has (finally) fully recovered from her second set of tubes and adenoid removal on March 20th.  It took her a full week to come back to normal after the surgery.  She had a bunch of wax, fluid, and puss in both ears and Dr. Albright said her adenoids were "exceptionally inflamed".  The anesthesiologist likes to take them back in a “calm” sate.  She asked me if Catherine would be ok if she held her and I said let’s give it a try.  Well, she was not ok with that so they gave her a baby Valium to calm her. Twenty minutes later, I was singing to her and she slapped me across the face.  I told her that I would document the occasion in her baby book but that I would also forgive her!  Poor little thing, she has some major doctor/nurse anxiety. 

Post surgery she cried infant/colic style for 3 days straight.   It was rough.  I guess when you can't hear and then you hear everything it can be complete overload. She also started screaming a short loud piercing scream and then point at her ears and say "ear".  It was maybe cute the first time she did it but not the following 50 times!! She seems to have gotten over this sensation and we have moved on. 

Thankfully.

She got a mild case of croup about 10 days after surgery that lasted for about 5 days.  We have moved past this as well.  Again, very thankful!

Logan Patrick-

Totally into dinosaurs so he was OK with
heading to "ear doctor" because he knew
who was waiting to play with him.

He was running a fever (102F) and lethargic the Monday after Easter.  On Tuesday there was no fever.  However, Wednesday at 4pm, it came back at 102F.  I took him to after hours care at the pediatrician’s office and was crossing my fingers and toes that it was not ear related.  Silly Joan, why would it be anything but? 

Both of his tubes had fallen out of the eardrum (normal process) but stuck in the ear canal, with infected fluid. Basically, anytime you have standing fluid, you get an infection.  I am not a MD but I am getting pretty good at understanding this very basic point.  Your ears have to drain.  Anyway, we started an antibiotic (no choice) and made an appointment for Dr. Albright to meet with us 5 days out as he was in surgery Thursday and Friday.  We met with him yesterday for our “weekly chat”.  The positive: tubes came out of Logan’s ear easily.  The negative: standing fluid in both ears with infection still present 6 days into antibiotic.

So, we go back in 3 weeks to check fluid levels again unless we have to go back earlier.  I have never actually made it to an Albright follow up as we have always had to go back sooner.  Normally, about 3 days after we roll off the antibiotic.  Statistically, the odds are in our favor not to need a third set of tubes.  Only 25% of kids need a second set of tubes with 5% of them needing a third set.  The third set is routinely done with tonsil removal.  Dr. Albright assures me he will grow out of this, as almost ALL children do, and hopefully it will be soon…very soon.