Well it has been one month since Lauren's Atresia repair surgery and she is doing well. Today she had an appointment with her ear doctor Dr. Kelly. He removed the final bit of gel foam packing and the small plastic disc that was protecting her new ear drum. We will return in two weeks for an audiogram test to see how much improvement she has with her hearing. We are optimistic because of what she has said, but we will see.
About a week ago Lauren was fitted with an expander placed inside her mouth. It is a lot like an upper retainer you would wear after having braces removed. Although this is much bulkier than a retainer. Every day we have to put a small key into it to turn the gears and tighten it. The expander is supposed to help straighten her upper jaw so that when they go to distract the bottom jaw, it will be even. Because this device is so bulky, it makes it awkward for her. She has difficultly speaking and eating with it in, but she is starting to adjust. Unfortunately, she may have to wear this for up to 6 months. It all depends on how soon she progresses with it. We met with another doctor this week who could perform the lower jaw distraction. He recommended finishing up with her ear surgeries and then the distraction could be done. It is sounding more and more like the jaw might be the most difficult of the surgeries because it is working on her bones. It is undecided how long she will need distraction. It also is just a matter of how long it takes for her jaw and bite to be where they want it.
Other than that, we are working on making travel plans for the Medpor surgery in May to construct her outer ear. We will be having the surgery at the Cedar Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills with Dr. Lewin. We were joking that we may see some celebrities at the hospital. They would be there for some touch up plastic surgery or Botox shots. We are seriously thinking about hitting Disneyland on our visit, but it all depends on how well Lauren feels after the surgery.
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2 comments:
I am so glad everything is going so well. I am excited for her hearing test with Amanda! I think Disneyland is a great reward for all she has gone through, especially since she talked about princesses a lot in class!
I'm glad that you are stilling writing and bringing us up to date. I'm happy to know that the healing process is doing well and that the steps to correct her ear problems are taking place. It's so wonderful that she is taking everything so well and doesn't seem to complain about any discomfort. That brace-thing sounds like it's got to be uncomfortable. Our prayers are still with the Ottley Family....
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