Nike Buddies

week 2

Today was B's 2 week post-op appt. I was, once again, nervous to see how his ear looked. The doctors cleaned his hair and ears and changed the dressings. I posted pictures...

But before we get to those, here are a few things we did this week to stay busy...


A couple times this week we hung out at Toys R Us and let B walk around and look at toys and play with a few.


Pnut picked out the doll she wanted... NOT :)



We went down to City Walk at Universal and pushed the kiddos in the stroller. We looked through some stores and did a bunch of 'people watching'... great place for that :)

B's hooked on "Mad Birds" as he calls it... actually, Joel and I are hooked and B loves to watch!

We went to the LA Zoo... and got a great workout pushing the double stroller up all those hills :)

After the Zoo, we went to the Griffith Park train museum and the kiddos and Joel got to ride the mini-train.

Had to get the 'tourist shot' of course!

B stayed home with daddy and I took Pnut to her 'mommy and me class'... the themed craft this week... leprechaun hat :)

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B's appt. today!!!....

Here he is with his 2 ears!!!

Washing his hair and ears. He did great this time (as long as we reassured him that we wouldn't get water in his eyes)

Me and my boy

Cheese!!!

He did so awesome through this appt. The doctor cleaned his ear and put more dressings on it. Dr. Lewin was very pleased at how it is healing.

B and daddy!

Close-up

From behind

Another close-up

Dr. Lewin removed some of the dead skin that is shedding. She said all the ears that she creates will shed skin differently. B just had some on the back of his ear. She was pealing it off (kind of like a sun burn skin). Believe me, it was interesting and kind of hard for me to look at as she was pealing it away... but hey, she's the doctor right, she knows what she's doing. :)

And, what better way to celebrate after the appt. then with some ice cream again!!!...

My clowns eating some ice cream clowns :)

And the aftermath...

Update on B's neck tightness... there is none! He is completely back to moving around with full range of motion in his neck. Joel and I think that a big part of the problem was that B was being overprotective of his new ear with the cup on it and was afraid to move his head. To tell you the truth, that was our biggest and only worry the first week. Now that his neck is fine... I feel so relieved and less stressed... Thank God!

Our next appt. is in a week and they will change his dressings again. We were told he can have his cup off then or we could wait a week... uhhhh.... we decided to wait one more week. Why not right? ha ha.... I wish I could keep the cup on for a few months. I know it really needs to air out and do the next stage of healing so at his week 4 post-op appt. his cup will come off for good! I'm excited and nervous. I am nervous for it to be exposed from now on but so excited for him to have his 2 ears!!!

What a long process this has been. It has been long because we have researched for 3 1/2 years. We have researched surgeries, doctors and weighed our options. We have contacted other families who have been through this. We have prayed and trusted in God through this... and here we are, done with it. It's crazy... it almost doesn't feel real.

Dr. Lewin asked me if this Medpor surgery process was easier or harder than we thought. It took me a second to think about it but I said easier and I really believe that. I can't believe how quickly the surgery came and went and how well his ear looks, only 2 weeks out. I can't believe how fast B felt back to himself and how well he is being so careful with his ear. It has truly been such a blessing at how great things have been... aside from my lack of sleep from one eye always open keeping an eye on B... ha ha. (B does think it's a slumber party everynight)... and I'm thinking in a few nights we will put him back in his own bed (that might just be the hardest part of this whole process).

And of course...I am, once again, anxiously awaiting his next appt. to see his ear again!

New Ear!!!

1 week post-op appt. :

It was our first time seeing B's new ear! The visit consisted of taking off his head dressings, taking off some stitches and the sponge from his "good ear", taking off the ear mold over his new ear, washing his hair, washing both ears, cleaning the new ear with antibiotic gel, covering the new ear with a certain cloth and seaweed water, covering it with mold, covering it with new dressings and lastly covering with his black cap. It was about an hour appointment. Brennan did great throughout the whole process. He wasn't too excited at first when he had to lay down on the table to get his head wet, but once the warm water hit his scalp he completely relaxed. For the rest of the appointment he just sat and watched "Cars" on the flat screen in the room as they cleaned his new ear.

I posted pictures to help explain the process...

Taking off his white cup and head dressings

The mold over his new ear that was under the white cup/head dressings

Washing his hair and ears

A view of his NEW EAR!!!

2 EARS!!!

Another front picture. The new ear is slightly bigger than his right one. At age 3-4, the ears are about 85% developed. The doctor made his new ear about 15% bigger so he can grow into it (since the medpor ear does not grow)

Close up pictures next... and let me explain. I have seen many pictures of ears after surgery and I thought his ear would be purple, swollen and puffy. I was preparing myself for what I was about to see; But I was so surprised at how well his ear looks, after only 1 week. Now of course as it heals it will look better and better, but doesn't it just look AMAZING!!!... I can't get over it, there is an ear there!

Also, the doctor said that because it is so pink it shows that the body is accepting the new ear and skin graft!

There is a white sponge in his ear canal that is protecting it (his new ear canal from his surgery in October)

That is his ear lobe that he had before. Everything else has been crafted by the surgeon using the medpor medical plastic, membrane and skin grafts.

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!

(he has stitches behind his right/"good" ear because the doctor took skin from behind that ear to use for a skin graft site on his new ear)

Wow, amazing! He's such a trooper going through this! He is my hero! With all that our family is going through right now, Brennan shows me true courage.

Dr. Lewin changing the ear canal sponge

Using antibiotic cream

Cloth and seaweed water to mold it in place

Molding it in place

A new white cup and dressings

Almost done!

Taking a ride on the toy plane before we leave the office!
(we will be back in a week for his 2 week post-op visit/ they will clean his hair and ears and change the dressings again)

Of course we had to celebrate how well Brennan did with some ice cream!!!

*****

Here are some before and after pictures to show how AMAZING these surgeries have been:

Before any surgeries

A new ear canal (and ear drum) from his surgery 4 months ago in October

And now!!!

We are so excited about his new ear and pray that it continues to heal properly!

A huge prayer request answered: Brennan's neck tightness is slowly loosening up and he is getting more range of motion! We are continuing the heating pad and neck exercises but it seems to be doing better daily!

Thank you for your prayers!!!

Getting Out!

I can't believe tomorrow will mark 1 week since surgery. Last week at this very moment I was preparing for one of the biggest days of my life and here I am 1 week later! I am so thankful it's over!
I facebooked and called a few other moms whose kids have had the same surgery in the last few months and asked them about the neck stiffness that B is experiencing. All 4 mom's kids didn't have an issue with it. So that freaked me out just a little more. I called the surgeons office and they told us we really need to work on B's neck movements, which we have already been doing. We just hadn't done it to the point of crying or pain, which I learned was the next step. I called a physical therapist friend and she offered tips on helping out B. Of course, it isn't pain free at all. All day we have been using a heating pad on his shoulders/neck, massaging, stretching and icing. Poor B cries through the massaging part. It's horrible but I know it needs to be done. When B woke up this morning, Joel and I noticed that his shoulders seemed level, good thing! His neck is still kinked to the left. So, we are working on that now. He seems looser tonight so hopefully we can help him out more tomorrow. I think it will take another week or 2 to go back to normal. We see the surgeon in 2 days so if she is concerned we will ask for a physical therapist referral.
Funny thing is, if it wasn't for the neck issue, everything would be great! B hasn't complained of head pain today at all. He is so careful with his head and ears. He really has been such a trooper through all of it!

In between massaging and stretching out our little guy, here are some picts...

I took Pnut out to a baby/kid's items sale yesterday and she loved the rocking horse



Pnut time at the mall play yard



Today was B's first real trip outside! We fed ducks and watched turtles swim.



Can't go out without stopping for a smoothie!

B using his heating pad

Of course Monkey gets heating pad time too!

neck tightness remains

Joel and I took turns taking Pnut out today while the other one stayed home with B. We can't wait to get him out and about. Hopefully we will do something low-key tomorrow. B still complains about 2 to 3 times a day about his head hurting. That's understandable of course.
His neck is still so very tight. He can barely move his neck around in any direction. We have his post-op appt. in 3 days but I'll be emailing or calling the office tomorrow to see if there is anything we can do now to help out his neck. The doctor did say to expect stiffness in the neck and to have him move his head around throughout the day, which is what we have been doing. He complains every time we try and have him do neck exercises. It's been 5 days so I'm hoping this is normal and that it will go away with time, but I feel so bad for him right now. Poor little guy.

Day 4

Let's see... today was another day of computer games, "Tom and Jerry," activity books, crafts, Playmobil sets, coloring, drawing, working on writing letters... and some napping...

napping in mommy and daddy's bed

OUTSIDE!!! Other than surgery day, today was literally Brennan's first time going outside in over 2 weeks. Remember, the kids were in "lockdown" mode for a week and a half before surgery day. The weather was perfect today and B is getting a little stronger now so I held his hand and we walked one lap around our cul-de-sac nice and slow. We are going to be doing this a few times a day from now on. Hopefully soon we can get out and about and go somewhere fun. I have a list of low-key things we can all do soon as a family.

My Uncle Bob, Kelly, Uncle Tom and Cousin Tommy came over to visit!

We are still working on B's neck movements. He is resistant to moving his neck around because he says it hurts. I bought a microwavable heating pad to put around his shoulders to help. He does seem more relaxed today so I'm trying not to be too concerned.

Other than that, he seems to be doing great!!!

Thanks for the prayers!