This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
A Near Infection
Nov
15
2010
After several years of parenting, we finally have our first ear infection.
Gamma had what we thought was just a cold, or maybe some more teething. One morning, he touched his ear and said what my wife thought was “Ow“. She called me and we debated whether to take him to the doctor. We decided to wait a bit and see what happened, and he was fine the rest of the day so she didn’t take him in.
The next day, after no problems during the night, and no more complaints from Gamma, my wife happened to look at his ear.
It looked like this:
And here’s another view:
She called me at work to tell me she was on her way to the doctor.
“It’s an ear infection,” they said at the office, “It popped, but it sealed itself so it should be okay. Here is a prescription for some antibiotics and some ear drops.”
The ear drops say to put the drops in the ear with the ear facing up so the liquid can go into the ear.
No problem.
But then we need to keep the ear facing up for 5-10 minutes. What?! Keep a toddler down for that long? Twice a day?
We settled on the twice a day being during naptime and during the night. Of course he doesn’t cooperate, preferring to sleep on the bad ear so that we have to move his head, and therefore awaken him, to put in the drops. And then once he’s awake, he keeps his head up. I have to hold him down, but we’re getting through it.
At least he likes the taste of Amoxicillin.
Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.
Jeremiah 7:24
This little article thingy was written by Some Guy sometime around 6:23 am and has been carefully placed in the Family category.
November 15th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Ouch!
I had a ton of ear infections as a kid, and my folks couldn’t afford to take me to the doctor. I have permanent hearing loss as a result.
Please, please, please stay on top of those! That one looks bad.
November 15th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Poor boy! My brother had it pop before it was discovered too. Since each have mine usually get one a winter season I have some advice. Children under two you are supposed to take in. Children over two you are supposed to give motrin and “wait and see.” Most ear infections clear up on their own within a day or two.
Did the dr say that you’ll always have to bring him in since his popped?
November 15th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Wow! We have had quite a few ear infections here, Chloe being the usual offender. She even had her eardrum rupture (I took her in because she said it hurt – usually she says her ears feel plugged and that means infection, so I figured pain was a bad sign) but never have we had it look like that!
November 15th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Wow. That is nasty looking. Glad he’s on some medication now!
November 15th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
He never really complained, just barely mentioned it once, so we didn’t think to jump on it. My guess is he has a high pain tolerance.