Derek and I took Susie in for her pre-op visit today. The good news: her second hearing test showed that her hearing has not deteriorated since the last one. A “healthy” ear is between 0-25. Her left ear scored 11 and her right ear scored 38. The audiologist noted that her inner ear scores are still normal.
We’ll show up at the hospital at 5:30 am. Surgery is scheduled for 7, but by the time the anesthesia starts and all, they probably won’t start the surgery itself until more like 7:30 or so. Susie’s surgery will be broadcast to observing doctors in another room, so more people get to learn from her ear! Total time should be around 3 hours. They will need to shave a bit of her hair right behind her ear, so she’ll be the coolest hipster in the family, sporting the one sided shave look!
Dr. Luxford did tell us that congenital cholesteatomas like hers are more likely to grow back. There is a chance that we’ll come back next year and it will have all grown back, so he’s going to try to take generous margins so that he gets it all. The nurse told us she’ll probably be really sleepy after the surgery, and we might be released 2-3 pm. I’ll get to wash her hair on Saturday (with a cotton ball and vaseline sealing her ear), and she’ll start taking drops to dissolve the packing inside her ear after three weeks. Dr. Luxford referred us to an ENT colleage at University of Iowa who will do the rest of her post-op visits and will advise Dr. Luxford on her progress as we figure out when to schedule the next stage of surgery next year. The nurse reassured us that this is all they do, all day, every day. We’re in good hands.
Will be praying for you, Susie, and the medical team tomorrow. I will be around all day tomorrow if you want to call.
Praying for you all tonight and tomorrow. Keep us posted!