Ruptured Eardrum & Lap Status

I've basically left ya'll hanging in the balance waiting to know what's going on. I'm so very sorry for that. When I went into to sign my paperwork I was still sick, so my Dr. made mention of post-poning the procedure b/c of this. He decided that he would take another u/s for measurement/placement purposes just to keep an eye on what was going on, and low and behold the mass was reduced in size by 3.8mm. This past month I had a natural cycle after not having AF for nearly 3mths, and so my Dr. had me do yet more bloodwork (I'm beginning to feel like a pin cushion again) and talked me into a month of bcps to hopefully reduce it in size altogether. I'm not objectional now that I know it's reduced on it's own, and since I started AF again au natural this past Saturday (28 days later from the last time mind you) I'm now on bcps. I'll keep you posted, and I'm praying to be able to start IFTs the next cycle. Keep you fingers crossed.

As far as *B* is concerned.... the day after Easter he started with a runny nosey and pulling at his ears. It was just intermittant pulling and no fussiness and I noticed his incisors trying to break the gums. I let it go till Thursday morning when he woke up with a horrendous cough. I knew it was much more than just cutting teeth. So, I called his pedi's office to be told that she wasn't in that day that another Dr. was and only until noon and there was no openings. I told the nurse to schedule us for the next day. I gave him Tylenol throughout the day as directed, and he was starting to get cranky, yet be lethargic for the majority. I suggested to DH about taking him tot he ER that nite, but after dinner he seemed to be better. DH went to work and I was there alone with *B*. Then came bath time; I wet his hair and he screamed bloody murder. THROUGH. THE. ENTIRE. BATH. Still it never dawned on me that it was his ears. I got him out of the tub, settled him, and he fell asleep; only to wake in the middle of the night vomitting. I called DH at work who was short handed and couldn't leave. We had to wait another 3hrs for him to get home (got to love only having one vehicle at the moment), thankfully *B* slept during that time however he did vomit while asleep twice. Once DH was there we rushed him off to the ER. Once examined it was determined he had just an ear infection on the right side with bulging membranes. He was given Zith*romax and we were told to put nasal saline drops in his nose and suction it out every hour, b/c of his runny nosey and congestion. We went home and tried to sleep. Within the next 48hrs *B* got much worse. He spiked a fever of 104.5, never woke up even to take his medicine (he would respond but not open his eyes), would scream out in pain in his sleep, and was vomitting while sleeping as well.

So, Sunday evening we took him back to the ER. We told this new Dr. (who specializes in pediatrics no less) what was going on and what the first ER Dr. had given him and told us to do. His response was startling. He shook his head and said "When a child has bulging membranes with congestion and all tubes from sinuses to ears to nose to throat are connected you never advice anyone to add more pressure to it with saline drops or remove pressure from it with the nasal syringe b/c it will make the ear drum rupture." Then he looked it *B*'s ear and said that the right ear drum was indeed now ruptured, and the left one now had bulging membranes. He prescribed us Aug*mentin and C-P*hen as well as going back and forth every 2hrs with Motrin and Tylenol for pain and fever until the fever subsided. The horrible thing about this whole situation I feel like a bad parent, b/c we are the ones by doing what the first Dr. instructed us to do that ruptured his ear drum. Secondly, this second Dr. said he should of been given a decongestant the first time around instead of the instrustions we were given. I even asked the first Dr. about such medicine and what to do for his nose and what not, his recommendation was the saline and Tri*aminic or Roba*tussin for children OTC if desperatley needed. I'm angry witht he first Dr. he didn't know what he was doing by my child or any child for that matter, and I wish he would of called in someone that did know. Now b/c of his personal negligance my child has been suffering for a week. The good news is today he regained his appetite and I noticed his balance is now improving. However his pedi at his follow-up yesterday said it will be a long road of a month or more until it's finally healed and now we will have to be cautious of future infections getting out of hand to this point so he doesn't wind up with deafness or tubes in his ears. In a nutshell that is what happened, and I feel horrible for him and for being so put-offish myself.