Follow-Up With the E.N.T.

Shaling went back to see Dr. Huang (the Ear, Nose, & Throat specialist) yesterday. At the last appointment, he had prescribed ear drops that were a combination antibiotic & steroid. The previous 3 antibiotics prescribed by our family doctor hadn't fully cleared up the infection. These new ear drops cost as much as a front row seat to see Jimmy Buffett were quite powerful. Her ear has been clean for nearly two weeks, so I was not surprised that the doctor said her ear looked really good.

However, she still has the large perforation in her eardrum and surgery is inevitable. He asked me if I'd like to wait a few months to let her settle in to being in America some more before we did the surgery. I told him I would defer to him, but that my inclination was to go ahead and get it over with, as she has a social calendar busier than mine is an active little girl. Volleyball season is finishing up this week. Softball season has been going for a couple of weeks. She is participating in several mini-sports camps this summer. We intend to do a lot of swimming this summer.

Dr. Huang has a different perspective. He wants to make sure that her ear can stay infection-free for a couple of months before doing surgery. He says that if she continues to get infections, then the surgery will have been a waste of time and money. We see him again on June 21. I'm assuming that if her ear remains free of infection until then that we'll schedule the surgery at that time.

The doctor explained to Shaling (in Chinese) that she would eventually have surgery. Twice she smiled, but firmly told him (in Chinese) that she did not want to have surgery. Sorry, my darling daughter, but you don't have that choice. I don't blame you for not wanting it though.

I bought her a large jar of foamy ear plugs yesterday to use during showers and swimming. I had previously been trying to wash her hair just once or twice a week, but with warm weather here and Shaling liking to play outside with all of the neighbor kids (basketball, trampoline, bicycles, scooters, etc.), that is going to be impractical. Plus, my parents have a swimming pool and we have a pool membership during the summer at a club less than a mile from our house. Swimming is definitely on the agenda.