David and the Earstalk

Yesterday we took David to Children's in Birmingham for his ear surgery. We arrived at 10:30 and they took him back at 11:40. About 1:15 doc came out with a big smile on his face. The grape-sized tumor/mass/growth was out and David was doing fine. The "unknown" of the surgery was how the tumor was attached to his ear, were they going to have to meticulously remove it from canal? drum?, would skin grafts be needed?, reconstruction? - NONE of the ABOVE!!! After "folding back the ear" and getting an up close view, it turns out that the tumor was attached to a "stalk" and only the stalk attached to his ear. So with a chisel and drill (doesn't that sound barbaric) he cut through the stalk and took the whole thing out. He said he's calling it an osteoma (benign bony growth) and that we don't know what caused it and don't know if it could come back. We also don't know why it grew so fast, even though osteomas are very slow grown and often never have to be removed. This one went from smaller than green pea to larger than grape from May to now. Nothing about the look of it gave him any pause of thoughts of malignancy, but he sent it to pathology to be 100% sure. We should have those results by Wednesday. And doc said, "go home" - no need to stay at all! Since it was so easily removed the trauma to David was mild.

My little guy didn't wake up from surgery well and vitals weren't good, pain was high, nausea, etc. But we eventually got him settled down and in the car to come home. I drove and followed Dan and Barbara sat in the back and loved on him and held the throw-up bag. He at a little dry cereal last night and drank a little sprite and finally fell asleep. He slept really well. This morning he woke me up with his bandage in hand (doc had said it could come off this morning). He feels good. Still in some pain so we're keeping the Lortab in him and the ear is draining a fair amount, but cotton balls are handling it.

God is so good!!! He had David in his hands through the whole thing. Thank you to all of our friends and family for the prayers.

I feel like I have just finished a major battle. I am happy and relieved, but I am so tired!!! Worrying about your baby really takes it out of you evidently. I am going to lay around today with him and play Cars :)

Here are some pictures of my little trooper with his bandage on. He did not like this thing at all :).