Seeking Information from Mom's Whose Kids Got Tubes in Their Ears

I don't have children that have had tubes put in their ears, but I can remember when I had tubes put in my ears. I was very nauseous afterwards & got sick a couple of times. Other than that I felt fine. Also, be prepared for them to be a little scared about noises that you would never think about! I had never heard the washer or dryer before, so the first time my mom did a load, I got really scared. Also, I had never heard the noise from a car, so that freaked me out a little. Just so you're prepared ;)!

My daughter had tubes put in when she was 18 months old. Both the surgery and her recovery were quick. She was very groggy when she woke up & we spent the rest of the day in bed with books & cartoons. I gave her Tylenol for the next couple of days; she didn't appear to be in too much pain but was mildly uncomfortable and clingy. She was up and having a great Christmas just a few days later! I don't know, though, that I'd want to have two children go through it at the same time. Madison was quite insistant on my being right by her side for a day and a half after the surgery; I imagine it'd be hard to mother two achy kids who'd just had surgery.

The tubes were wonderful for us. Madison had been having ear infections every 4-6 weeks. Just a couple of months ago she had her first ear infection since the surgery & she's now six years old! The tubes fell out on their own within days of each other when she was about 3 1/2.

As a PS, we just got the same kind of surprise you mentioned in your signature line! :)

A.,
My 4 1/2 month old son had them put in yesterday. I was nervous about him going under being so young. He did great. He was a little scared and confused when coming off of the anesthesia. Pretty easy process. You definitley need your husband or friend to help you with the process. Good luck.

My 2 year old had tubes put in when she was 16 months old. I am so pleased with the results. She was a little distressed coming out of anethesia, but I think it was because she was confused. She had LOTS of fluid built up and I think that the tubes were a major relief. Anytime she would get an infection, she would wobble around when she sat down, she could hardly stand, was not walking, and would get car sick. She slept most of the day after the procedure, but the next day you would not have guessed she had just had surgery. It is VERY quick. By the time you go to the bathroom, walk back to the waiting room, and take a few deep breaths, the doctor is back out. I understand you are worried. There are lots of theories about nutrition, etc., but I do not think you can eat yourself (or not eat something) out of a bacterial infection. Children get tubes put in because the fluid that builds up has no place to go. The alternative is to allow the eardrum to burst... not the choice I would pick. You children will sleep better, be able to hear better, and be much easier to be around (it has to bother them to be in pain all the time)! Please do what feels right to you ~ your children are relying on you to take care of them...trust your heart!!

Hi Mama

Well My son also has tubes put in and it not only helped with his ear infections....His speech improved incredibly!! It amazing what kids learn when they can hear..lol

God Bless
R.
TX

My daughter has had tubes twice. I was very anxious the first time, but knew what to expect the second time. The worst part is waiting for the surgery, however they have a lot of toys to keep the kids busy! There was another family there that had both of their son’s getting tubes in one day and the mom got one and the dad got the other. It is a very short surgery and the recovery time is minimal. My daughter was awake and ready to eat by the time I got back into the recovery room. You and your kids will do just fine as long as there is another person that can go with you. I wish you the best of luck! Tubes has changed my daughters (and my) life, it was a great decision!

My son had them when he was 10 months old. I was nervous as well, but it was nothing. I could not believe how fast the procedure was and he was fine a couple of hours after. He has had them for 2 months and they got clogged after only 4 weeks, but they gave us drops and the unclogged. He also just had his first ear infection since the tubes 3 weeks ago. I was really miss lead because I thought once they got tubes then there would be no more ear infections. That is not the case some children will still get them they just will not be as bad. Like my doctor said we were the unlucky ones :). I am still glad we did because at least now oral antibotics will clear them up and he doesn't have to have the shots at least not yet.

My son had this done as well to bad I waited for it to be done. This is a good thing you will see the procedure is very quick the way I found out my son's ears were clogged was he wasn't talking at the age of four. So when I took him to the doctor sure enough his ear;s were clogged 90% so he couldn't hear I think it's best you have it done now before you run into any hearing or speaking problems. I hear it is very common with kids. It has also cut the infections he was getting. My son is now 10 and ok with his ears he does say it will hurt a little in the summer because of all the swimming we do but we just put ear drops and he is ok. The surgery is very quick and with my son since he couldn't really hear he was very sensitive after surgery because now he could hear. I really don't think you have anything to worry about. You will be better off after words and so will your kids.

I have three kids. Two have tubes. and both got them about the same age as your two boys. And I waited too long on the oldest to have her tubes inserted. She has an unrelated speech disorder and it would have been to her advantage to have had tubes earlier. She is nine and on her third set.

While there are risks to any medical procedure - and we've had several - including the ABR at Children' down town - tubes are typically pretty simple.

With just tubes, the anethesia is easier - no intubation typically - just a liquid to put them to sleep.

I remember being there when they woke up post-op and being able to hold and rock them. And they were little grumps - but allowed me to sooth them.

You will get instructions - like bring a sippy cup or bottle for them. I don't ever remember any serious bleeding after just tubes.

And Make sure you have someone go with you! So each little one will have a big one to love on them. And so the other person can drive and you can sit in the back with them on the way home.

And just plan a quiet day for all when you get home. Movies and naps. I stock up on popcycles, chkn noodle soup and other soft comfort foods that are easy on the tummy.

One other thing - Make DARN sure that before the procedure you have clear care instructions (that you understand) and contact information on how to contact the DR after you get home if there is a problem. I have had two ENTs. One gave me her cell phone number after a procedure to contact her (we had more than tubes that go 'round) and the other I could never get past the nurse when I had questions. One time, I finally got a "take her to the ER" after three hours of begging for some direction via phone. If you are not going to have access to the doc afterwards for emergency questions (not the simple ones a nurse can handle) then I'd think twice about my doc.

I am not trying to scare you - there is LITTLE to be worried about here - but I have been through this SEVERAL times + tonsils + adnoids + sinus surgery... You get the idea. It is MUCH better to be prepared than out there on your own with no one to contact...

Good luck - You (and you boys) will be so glad you did this. The upside is almost NO ear infections afterwards AND when they do occur - all you need are drops. No oral antibiotics.
PM me if you have any further questions.
my best -
T

My oldest had tubes put in when he was 10 months old (he is now 10). The surgery was about 15 minutes and the recovery was about an hour. He was a little angry/upset while the anesthesia wore off. When we took him home he took a nap in the car and was up and playing by the time we made it through the front door. He never had another problem or ear infection ever again. His tubes were a blessing.

Hope our experience will be of help to you.

HI A.,

My son got tubes in when he was 2 years old, and we had no problems.

He was up and running mid afternoon.

Like the other mom said bring a sippy cup with some juice and maybe a prize of some sort.

You will see a difference in your boys right away and you won't regret getting the tubes.

Best Wishes,

C. Roeschen
The Trinity Group
Keller Williams
###-###-####
____@____.com
www.TheTrinityGroup.org

I was able to avoid tubes when younger. My mom used some old Latina remedies. I won't mention any but the Vicks around the ears since I'm not sure what did the trick- that and some of them seem really silly.

My daughter started to get ear infections when she was under age 3. I noticed that if she started to get congested, and if I cut back on dairy and used decongestant as needed at night, it kept fluids/mucus/whatever gets in there from gathering and causing more infections. I had read something about kids ear, nose, and throat aren't as closed off as kids... something that made me try to keep the nasal congestion from building up. That has prevented further ear infections so far. Not sure how the connection works or if it's true but the premptive philosophy has worked.

Work with your doctor, but if you are able, check into nutrition information or food related allergies. You mentioned some other health problems without any specifics so I am taking a stab here. I was diagnosed with IBS, but have since learned that certain food groups trigger issues for me. After my daughter was born, also started getting migraines (totally understand that it is NOT just a headache and am now sorry for those snide thoughts about wimps with headaches), I can prevent those with diet, too. So if you can investigate and partner with your doctor's efforts you might be able to avoid a second set of tubes.

Hi A.,
My daughter got ear tubes when she was just over 2years old. The main reason I even saw the ENT was because of the frequent infections but also because she wasn't talking very much. Thank goodness I had him check her hearing because she had a 50% hearing loss. As for the procedure you should get a phone call from the anesthesiologist the night before. Ask him or her if they are experienced with pediatrics. Do they plan on starting the IV before they go to the OR or after? I wanted to know that because I wanted my daughter to have IV access prior to her having the breathing tube in (I'm a pedi RN so I'm a little bit paranoid). The procedure itself only took 20mins. She was very cranky and crying when she woke up but she was also 2 surrounded by strangers. We took her home and she slept more than normal that afternoon but was a happy girl. We gave her pain meds around the clock for the first 24hours which helped control her pain. the next day she was speaking in full sentences and playing like normal. it was the best thing we could have done for her. hope this helps to ease your anxiety! M.

My daughter had the surgery for tubes and her adnoids removed when she was 3. We battled 5 ear infections in 6 months. I too, tried to take her off dairy and other homepathic ways to avoid the surgery. Her ENT told me that her adnoids were enlarged due to a virus she picked up and that the ear infections would probably not ever really go away. This was begiining to affect her hearing. The surgery was early in the morning and was very fast. She just drank a juice to put her asleep. She was groggy when she woke up but not upset at all. She laid and watched TV for a while and took a nap. Later that afternoon, she was running around and playing like nothing ever happened. She will be 5 at the end of April. We have not had another ear infection and her hearing test after the surgery was perfect. Although I was VERY hesitant to have the procedure, I am very happy with the results. Good Luck.

I don't suggest using Dr. Leslie Strange. He caused my son now to be deaf in his ear during a surgery he did trying to fix a hole in his eardrum. If he is your doctor, I would recommend finding another.

My son had to have tubes when he was 8 months old and again when he was 5. He is now 10 and the 2nd set of tubes have come out but he is doing great. Both times went very smoothly and the surgery was done so fast. He was a little groggy for a while afterwards but after that it was like he hadn't even had surgery. I kelp trying to get him to rest but he wanted to play and watch movies. His stomache was a little upset that evening. The tubes were a great decision and now he doesn't have any problems.