Medical Update: Myringotomy and Tympanostomy Tubes

In her quest to become a regular kid, Charlotte has been plagued since the beginning of pre-school with regular kid health concerns. She had so many ear infections during the school year that I truly lost count.

After consulting with her pediatrician, Dr. Newport, and her otolaryngologist, Dr. Billings, we decided to move forward with a myringotomy and the placement of tympanostomy tubes. Lots of fancy words to say that her ENT decided she needed tubes in her ears. Essentially, Dr. Billings planned to ventilate Charlotte's inner ear by making a tiny incision in the ear drum and then make the ventilation "permanent" by placing the tubes.


The original plan had been to do this in August so as not to miss camp. But, Charlotte asked me to move the date up and "get her ears fixed" because she's has a great deal of intermittent discomfort.


Bright and early this morning, we woke Charlotte up and took her to Children's Memorial Hospital. She was delighted to head out in her pajamas, but quite distressed to be skipping breakfast. (Yes, you read that right!)

Our appointment was for 8:45 a.m. Per instructions, we arrived at 7:15 a.m. and waited to be called to the surgical suite. Once we were there, Nurse George heard Charlotte asking for a room with a window--he arranged that. Room number 8, her favorite number.

Nurse George doing Charlotte's pre-op exam. Charlotte's post-op RN was Nurse Tim. Two guys in one day. Wonders never cease!

After all the pre-surgical stuff (temperature, height, weight), the anesthesiologist walked us through his procedures and cautions. Given that this procedure requires about 10 minutes of laughing gas (more or less), we didn't have to hear the dire warnings about possible serious negative outcomes of anesthesia. Nevertheless, having your kid put under general anesthesia--gas or IV, for a heart procedure or tubes or tonsillectomy--is quite nerve-racking.

Dr. Billings answered our questions. Here's Charlotte's question: "Will the tubes feel poky or sharp or like water in my ears?" Dr. Billings answer: "Nope!"


Dr. Billings listened intently to Charlotte's question. The picture was overexposed, so here's a shot of her walking us through post-op instructions.

Charlotte asked me to go with her to the operating room, so I suited up. As she puffed into the orange-scented mask (her choice of scent; I thought it smelled like orange cleaning fluid), the nurse suggested she try to make the balloon attached to the mask pop. Groggy and getting irritated by the medication (normal reaction), Charlotte whipped off her mask and said, "I don't like when balloons pop!"

I sat with her until she was too goofy to know I left, her eyes rolling back in her head for the final sleep. My heart was pounding.

I met Philippe and we went to the waiting room. I need to pause and note that Carol, the waiting room attendant, has been at CMH for at least 4 years. She remembered us and asked how Charlotte was doing. What seriously amazing customer service.

Literally 10 minutes later, Dr. Billings came in to tell us that it was all done, Charlotte was in recovery, and that it had gone well. So well, in fact, that she cut the post-surgery ear drops by one day. I think that most of the lingering fluid (what had sent us to her to begin with) in Charlotte's ear finally cleared up last week, to tell you the truth.

Charlotte woke up gradually, but happily. She was a bit grumpy because she was hungry, but ready to go.

We were on our way home by 9:00.

We were supposed to have her rest this morning. So, we watched about 30 minutes of The Sound of Music and read a stack of books. I've got a great video of more "resting" that I'll try to post tomorrow. Charlotte ate a huge lunch and took a 3 hour nap.

Back to camp tomorrow, just a regular kid!

Travels with Charlotte

In May we took Charlotte to visit her Nenenne, aunts, and uncles in Belgium. We thought the weather would be nice, so we promised her a trip to Ostende, the beach her dad enjoyed as a child. As you can see, Philippe and I always keep our promises!

On the way home we spent a few days in Paris. I have lived in Paris and have visited the city about a dozen times. Both Philippe and I have seen the Paris sights, even visiting some of them together. But, neither of us had ever thought about Paris and children. We were not, however, stumped. We figured we'd scour our own memories and the Internet for ideas. After all, we only had 2 days to fill and since Charlotte still naps, we needed short adventures.

The first thing that came to mind was Niki de St. Phalle's Stravinsky's Fountain just next to the Centre Pompidou. Charlotte still talks about the Chicago exhibit of St. Phalle's sculptures, so it seemed an obvious choice. Charlotte's first Metro ride to Les Halles was a big hit, seconded only be her discovery of the first piece of public art she enjoyed in Paris:

And the St. Phalle--Tinguely fountain was a hit! Charlotte was enchanted. The fountains were turned off because the display was being cleaned, but that did not dim her excitement. We circled the fountain, stopping to talk about each sculpture (and take a bite of her much-needed crepe snack).

In addition our own brainstorming, our Paris preparation included a Google search on the key words "Paris, children" and some other words. This search returned an excellent beginners guide to Paris, "10 Great Things to Do with Kids in Paris." If you do the same search, you'll come up with a full page of travel blogs that have similar titles. I'm guessing they also have similar tips. The bottom line? Paris is studded with playgrounds. And kids love playgrounds.

So, why go there? Seriously, Chicago has tons of playgrounds, too. So what's the big deal? But, we had the tickets and the trip was planned. And Charlotte LOVES playground. Paris playgrounds proved perfect for the whole family. Why?

Well, Philippe would want me to first mention that the playgrounds we visited had coffee stands adjacent to them. A good espresso was available for about 1 Euro.

The playlot in the Jardins due Luxembourg is, as promised, huge. And it is the only place I know of where the entry fee for the children is more than for the adults! We walked in from the north end of the gardens and we all thoroughly enjoyed walking past the Palais du Luxembourg and through the stately gardens. The playlot has several climbing structures and a sandbox. Charlotte quickly found the jungle gym on which she was most comfortable and she had a blast. Philippe found espressos and a park bench for us. And, to top it off, we discovered that the entry fee guaranteed a pristine bathroom.

We did not try the carousel or get to see a puppet show, so there is more to explore for a return visit.

Our next stop was a playground that I remember walking past many times, in the Champs de Mars at the foot of the Tour Eiffel. Yes, Chicago has playgrounds, but where else can the backdrop to the jungle gym look like this?

Once again, we found the espresso and a bench. Charlotte truly had a blast.

And, Philippe and I did discover something of Paris we had never seen, the Wall of Peace in the Champs de Mars, a truly remarkable structure with an even more remarkable raison d'etre and dream.

Finally, every great city has a great children's museum and Paris is no exception. The Cite des Enfants features interactive exhibits designed to be enjoyed in about 90 minutes. Charlotte skipped from exhibit to exhibit, thoroughly enjoying fresh experiences like sound and touch exhibits, and kinetic play structures, as well as more familiar things like a water play room. The camera batteries died so you'll have to imagine it!

We can't report on any kid-friendly restaurants as we mostly ate in the apartment we rented and spent our evenings with friends who live in Paris.

What we can say is that Paris in unequivocally kid-friendly. When we left our bag of crayons in the one cafe we visited, the waiter happily held them until my return.

And what did Charlotte think of Paris? Did she realize where we were? Well...As we entered the Champs de Mars from the Ecole Militaire, I pointed at the Eiffel Tower (at the far end of the park) and asked Charlotte if she knew what the structure was. She said, "Mommy, that's Paris!" Indeed. We'd been in Paris for two days and she figured it out when she saw the Eiffel Tower!

Happy Birthday to Charlotte!

For Charlotte's first three birthdays I wrote a blog entry, a letter to Charlotte or a poem, describing her year, what she had achieved, and a list of things we wished for the coming year. Charlotte wanted to do it herself this year. So, here it is, a bit late, but none-the-less, Charlotte's third year in Charlotte's own words:

Countdown to Four!

"Look at me, Mommy. I'm in the toy box." Hmmm...maybe I should stop call her my dollbaby?

Charlotte is so excited about turning four this weekend that she can hardly sit still. Every day she asks, "What day is it?" And, as I do every morning, I tell her the day of the week, the month, and the date. We talk about what day yesterday was (that Monday follows Sunday and the 4th follows the 3rd, etc.) And then she asks, "Is it my birthday?" "No," I say, "What day is your birthday?" "May 9th," she screams gleefully.


And so began the "countdown to four." On Saturday we celebrated Charlotte's last Saturday of three by attending our buddy Max's first communion and celebrating with his family. Then we visited with a baby friend, Ainsley, who we hadn't seen in way too long (and her parents and sisters, of course. The baby, however, sticks with Charlotte who has renamed her baby doll "Ainsley.")

The last Sunday of three was spent at a new playground with more friends.


And the last Monday of three was spent at school.

But, dear reader, you're hoping for some kind of real update, aren't you?


Here it is: As Charlotte winds up her third year on earth she has started babbling. Yeah, I know, she did that years ago and has been speaking in full sentences for as long as we can remember. But now, she's babbling in French.


At first (last Friday), we heard just the vowel sounds, but the words were nonsense. Saturday night, at Ainsley's house, she was saying things like, "E fou fou e jardin." Ah. A word I recognized. "You want to go to the garden?" "Oui!" Then, "foo foo foo au cours du photo foo foo ebe." Ah ha! "The baby is in the middle of the photograph?" "Oui, oui!"

Today, on the last Monday of three, she babbled in French for an hour before school. At bedtime, she told me all about the books I was reading in English: Pinkalicious turned "une jolie rose." In Stone Soup there was "un petit chat" and "une petite fille en jaune." Then she asked me for "d'eau" and when I handed her the water said, quite clearly, "une verre d'eau." She handed it back to me and said she was ready to "fait dodo," grabbed her "doudou" Bubby, rolled over and ended her last Monday of three.

For IL Residents--Please Support Charlotte's Hospital!

We need your help. Please take five minutes to contact the Governor and your state legislators regarding the Children's Memorial Hospital State Capital request by April 30th.

Governor Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly are in the process of developing a capital bill. As you may know, Children's Memorial has asked the State to contribute $14.4 million to funding the construction of a neonatal intensive care unit in its new hospital, the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. We respectfully request you to contact your State Representative, your State Senator and the Governor to urge them to include Children's Memorial's $14.4 million request in the final capital bill before Thursday, April 30.

Please note that we request you click on each link in order to reach both of your representatives and the Governor.

To email your Representative and Senator, please click on the following link - http://capwiz.com/childrensmemorial/issues/alert/?alertid=13227351&type=TA.

To email Governor Quinn click on the following link - http://capwiz.com/childrensmemorial/issues/alert/?alertid=13227491&type=SW.

This will only take 5 minutes of your time. The wondeful folks at the Children's Memorial Foundation have prepared draft letters and ask you to personalize your message if possible.

CMH Cath Lab, Or the Importance of Philanthropy

In early April, I had the distinct honor of attending the dedication of the new cardiac catheterizion lab at Children's Memorial Hospital. Funds for the new lab were raised by the Children's Service Board just before I joined the board. If I'm not mistaken, it took about $3 million. While I was not on the board when this gift was made, I was eager to see the new lab as Charlotte has had two cardiac catheterizations.

The new lab is inside the operating theater suite, allowing the cardiac interventionists to work even more closely with the surgeons. Because the lab is within the sterile suite, children can move from the lab directly to surgery if necessary and, if a condition proves truly emergent, surgery can occur in the lab.

Catheterizations are guided by sonogram and the camera now installed has 360 degree mobility, allowing for much more detailed views of the heart and better diagnosis as well as more precision in determining the success of a procedure.

We got to play with the IVs and other tools used for procedures such as closing VSDs, various stents, etc. (We only played with demonstration items--nothing that would be used on a kid!) Closing a VSD used to require open heart surgery; now the doctors can insert the patch via an IV, reducing the invasion into a child's heart.

Dr. Jeffery Gossett, pictured here, delivered a wonderful presentation, then gave us a tour, and guided us through the different tools (or "toys" as he called them), showing us videos of each utensil at work. It was astounding. When we talk about the miracle of modern medicine, I think we really only know part of the story. What Dr. Gossett and his colleagues do on a daily basis takes a steady hand, intense focus, and dedication. It was a privilege to see even a little bit of his world.

Since we were all suited up in sterile gear, the nurse who coordinates the operating theaters, gave us the grand tour. I can't tell you how moving it was to enter the operating room in which my darling girl's heart has been repaired twice.

In case you're wondering, the new equipment will be moved to the new hospital.

To see more and better images of our excellent catheter adventure, click here.

To learn more about the Children's Service Board, please visit Childrensserviceboard.org.

SHAMELESS PLUG: To learn more about the new hospital and become a Hero for Life, please visit Heroesforlife.org.

Make Way for Charlotte

Charlotte and me with Aunt Bobbie. Charlotte said, "Now Aunt Bobbie isn't a picture."

It's Spring break for Charlotte. We packed up and headed to Boston on Friday. Charlotte declared her excitement and anticipation, "Know why I'm excited to go to Boston? Two reasons. One, because Aunt Bobbie won't be a picture any more. And two because I get to see the duckling."

First, Aunt Bobbie: Friday night we had Shabbat dinner with Aunt Bobbie, her son (and my cousin) Mark, and our cousin Eric. Charlotte was clearly thrilled to meet her cousins and aunt. I was just delighted to see my family. It had been way to long. We thought Charlotte might be shy with Mark and Eric as she'd only seen one or two pictures and not heard as many stories. She'd spoken to Aunt Bobbie on the phone a few times, so I wasn't as worried about that.

And the verdict? No shyness at all:

Mark teaches at Boston University in the theatre department and is a founder and the artistic director of TheaterBridge at Brown University. So, we tested his cold-reading skills with Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse. I'll be honest, the Skippyjon Jones are tough reads on the first run through, and "in the Doghouse" doesn't flow as easily as the original. While they are cute, fun, and engaging, this is no Iggy Peck, Architect and it is not for the shy reader. And, after no nap and much excited, his audience was not her usual sit-still for reading listener. I'm proud (and none-too-surprised) to announce that Mark hit all the high points, even making up a melody when the text suggested a song!

On Saturday we met Aunt Bobbie at the Public Garden in Boston to ride the swan boats and visit the ducklings. What ducklings, you ask? Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack and Quack from Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings. Now, the aficionados amongst you are counting and shaking your heads. "Eight ducklings, Ilene, eight. You've forgotten Pack," you might be sighing. No, I haven't forgotten him. He was stolen. While he's been recovered, he has not yet returned to the gardens.

Charlotte acted as a willing stand-in, quacking all the way.

After a wonderful morning and lunch with Aunt Bobbie, Charlotte decided not to nap again. We headed to Newton to spend the evening with fellow Brunonians Lisa and Dan Davis and their children Zoey and Marc. Charlotte took to the two big kids immediately and the grown-ups were able to have a lovely visit. So lovely, in fact, that we lost track of time and Charlotte went to bed at 10 p.m. for the second night in a row!

My Mommy Made It

And what I mean is, my mommy made it, this adorable skirt, nearly 40 years ago. I don't think hand-me-downs get better than this! Thanks, Mom!

Chocomolic

Several weeks ago Philippe and I were invited to friends' for dinner. I volunteered Philippe to make his famous chocolate mousse for dessert. Charlotte was delighted to help. I think the pictures speak for themselves.



While cleaning up, Charlotte had a chat with Bamma. Bamma asked Charlotte if she was, like Bamma, a "chocoholic." Charlotte said, "Yes, I'm a chocomolic."

I can't make this stuff up. Really.

A Role Model?

"You're my friend, Taylor." Clearly! And, no, Taylor is not a shrimp; Charlotte is a giant.

Last night Charlotte's good buddy Taylor came over for a playdate and dinner (with her parents, of course). She quickly declared my chicken chili delicious (it was) and ate about 3 bites.

Then, Taylor's dad was trying to get Taylor to eat a bit more. [Aside: This always makes us feel good because it means we're not the only ones who have to push our kid to eat.] So, I said, "Hey Charlotte, show Taylor how you can take a big bite of soup." She said, "Sure. It's yummy." And, damned if she didn't shovel another spoonful, chock full of chicken and veggies, into her mouth.

In the end, Andy definitely got Taylor to eat a lot more than Charlotte, but I was stunned.