Re: Quinn's next op on Tuesday - RECONSTRUCTION of Ossicles

[Guest guest]

Best wishes for you! Chloe loved it when she was able to hear with her prosthesis and not bother with the aid. We are going back today to see if her new prosthesis has begun to work at all.

On Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 1:51 AM, Jane Fraser <janefraser101@...> wrote:

So I got a call from our ENT the other night (yup he phones me at night and we sms over week-ends etc etc. He is awesome - seriously if anyone in Cape Town needs an ENT referral use DR Oliver Raynham.

He is THE BEST doctor I have ever encountered bar none. He is skilled, professional, friendly and very caring. I love him lots!) Anyhoo...He has scheduled Quinn's next op for tomorrow. He wants to go back

into the RIGHT ear (his worse ear) and do some reconstruction work and implant some prosthetic ossicles to try to recover some of Q's hearing on the RHS.We are going to try to find a way to get it covered by medical-aid. So he is doing some research to see what codes to use etc.Will let you all know how it goes, but Doc says this should be a much smaller op than the previous 2 because

he'll do a Canal Wall UP procedure through the ear drum, so it's less major surgery, quicker and the post-op healing is much simpler as well.Please spare a thought for Quinn tomorrow. (Early morning our time, which is late night in the states.)ThanksJane

[Guest guest]

Quinn is in my thoughts and I wish him a very successful reconstructive procedure.Best Wishes,CurtisOn Jul 10, 2011, at 10:51 PM, Jane Fraser wrote: So I got a call from our ENT the other night (yup he phones me at night and we sms over week-ends etc etc. He is awesome - seriously if anyone in Cape Town needs an ENT referral use DR Oliver Raynham. He is THE BEST doctor I have ever encountered bar none. He is skilled, professional, friendly and very caring. I love him lots!) Anyhoo...He has scheduled Quinn's next op for tomorrow. He wants to go back into the RIGHT ear (his worse ear) and do some reconstruction work and implant some prosthetic ossicles to try to recover some of Q's hearing on the RHS.We are going to try to find a way to get it covered by medical-aid. So he is doing some research to see what codes to use etc.Will let you all know how it goes, but Doc says this should be a much smaller op than the previous 2 because he'll do a Canal Wall UP procedure through the ear drum, so it's less major surgery, quicker and the post-op healing is much simpler as well.Please spare a thought for Quinn tomorrow. (Early morning our time, which is late night in the states.)ThanksJane

[Guest guest]

Hi all,Ok, Quinn's re-constructive surgery is done and dusted.We had to be at the hospital at 06:30am, and we were, only to have to wait until nearly 07:30 before the admissions desk was even ready to sign us in. Grrr.

Anyway, once we were past the hospital nonsense and were finally sent up for surgery it was 09:30am. By which time Quinn (11) was moaning about being bored and hungry. The previous hospital was much more efficient and Quinn was psyched for his surgeries so this one was quite an anti-climax.

Again I went right into the OR with him and he again chose the gas over the needle for the anaesthetic, This anaesthetist was better at administering it too and gave him a slow dose over a minute or 2 while we all chatted and he gradually drifted away without even being aware of it as there was no focus on him or what she was doing. Different to usual but a good way to handle it I guess.

Our fab doc told me he'd take an hour or so at his approximation, but that he'd ring me when he was done as usual so to rather go relax somewhere and not hang around outside the door. I went downstairs to his ward and worked on my laptop (all I do these days is work, sad but true reality of my life right now!), more that 2 hours later I finally got the call that he was done.

Doc was happy that it went well. He did a tympanectomy and ossicularplasty, with a titanium stapes-incus implant thing, and some cartilage to bridge and stabilise it. He says it went as well as he would have hoped and that there is no sign of c-toma in his right ear at all, and that he checked the left and cleaned it too and that one looks good as well. That was my main concern so I was thrilled to hear that news!

Quinn woke up after 20 mins in recovery and was very grumpy and even quite angry and aggressive - this was new. previously he'd just been very woosey and sore and we'd get him back to sleep and on second waking he'd bounce back and be his normal self. This time he was sullen, obstreperous, and kept wanting to get up, but was falling over and quite drunk and obnoxious. I had vision of him being a stropy teenager and it was not nice. His behaviour was quite hurtful actually. I tried not to take it personally and thankfully after some pain med a while later and a milky drink he 'came back' and was lovely and sweet and loving.

He told me he doesn't know why he got like that, but just felt sore and angry (must be side effects of meds right?). He even apologised. I told him he'll be a horrid drunk teenager. To which he said, 'No, I won't get THAT drink' (LOL yeah right, we'll see...)

Anyway from then on all has been good and we went home at 14:00 or so. He claims to already be hearing better despite his ear being packed with foam and cottonwool, so holding thumbs that the results are good.

I am relived it is done, and with luck that's our last surgery for now! He'll just need routine cleanings every few months once the post ops on this op are sorted.Thanks for reading.Love to all who need it!

On 12 July 2011 18:32, Curtis Levine <paperworker@...> wrote:

 

Quinn is in my thoughts and I wish him a very successful reconstructive procedure.Best Wishes,CurtisOn Jul 10, 2011, at 10:51 PM, Jane Fraser wrote:

  So I got a call from our ENT the other night (yup he phones me at night and we sms over week-ends etc etc. He is awesome - seriously if anyone in Cape Town needs an ENT referral use DR Oliver Raynham. He is THE BEST doctor I have ever encountered bar none. He is skilled, professional, friendly and very caring. I love him lots!) Anyhoo...

He has scheduled Quinn's next op for tomorrow. He wants to go back into the RIGHT ear (his worse ear) and do some reconstruction work and implant some prosthetic ossicles to try to recover some of Q's hearing on the RHS.

We are going to try to find a way to get it covered by medical-aid. So he is doing some research to see what codes to use etc.Will let you all know how it goes, but Doc says this should be a much smaller op than the previous 2 because he'll do a Canal Wall UP procedure through the ear drum, so it's less major surgery, quicker and the post-op healing is much simpler as well.

Please spare a thought for Quinn tomorrow. (Early morning our time, which is late night in the states.)ThanksJane

[Guest guest]

Jane,

Quinn seems to demonstrate a ton of emotional intelligence for one so

young. You should be very encouraged by that. There may be hope for

this crazy world yet.

Matt

Jane Fraser wrote:

>

>

> Hi all,

>

> Ok, Quinn's re-constructive surgery is done and dusted.

>

> We had to be at the hospital at 06:30am, and we were, only to have to

> wait until nearly 07:30 before the admissions desk was even ready to

> sign us in. Grrr.

>

> Anyway, once we were past the hospital nonsense and were finally sent

> up for surgery it was 09:30am. By which time Quinn (11) was moaning

> about being bored and hungry. The previous hospital was much more

> efficient and Quinn was psyched for his surgeries so this one was

> quite an anti-climax.

>

> Again I went right into the OR with him and he again chose the gas

> over the needle for the anaesthetic, This anaesthetist was better at

> administering it too and gave him a slow dose over a minute or 2 while

> we all chatted and he gradually drifted away without even being aware

> of it as there was no focus on him or what she was doing. Different to

> usual but a good way to handle it I guess.

>

> Our fab doc told me he'd take an hour or so at his approximation, but

> that he'd ring me when he was done as usual so to rather go relax

> somewhere and not hang around outside the door. I went downstairs to

> his ward and worked on my laptop (all I do these days is work, sad but

> true reality of my life right now!), more that 2 hours later I finally

> got the call that he was done.

>

> Doc was happy that it went well. He did a tympanectomy and

> ossicularplasty, with a titanium stapes-incus implant thing, and some

> cartilage to bridge and stabilise it. He says it went as well as he

> would have hoped and that there is no sign of c-toma in his right ear

> at all, and that he checked the left and cleaned it too and that one

> looks good as well. That was my main concern so I was thrilled to hear

> that news!

>

> Quinn woke up after 20 mins in recovery and was very grumpy and even

> quite angry and aggressive - this was new. previously he'd just been

> very woosey and sore and we'd get him back to sleep and on second

> waking he'd bounce back and be his normal self. This time he was

> sullen, obstreperous, and kept wanting to get up, but was falling over

> and quite drunk and obnoxious. I had vision of him being a stropy

> teenager and it was not nice. His behaviour was quite hurtful

> actually. I tried not to take it personally and thankfully after some

> pain med a while later and a milky drink he 'came back' and was lovely

> and sweet and loving.

>

> He told me he doesn't know why he got like that, but just felt sore

> and angry (must be side effects of meds right?). He even apologised. I

> told him he'll be a horrid drunk teenager. To which he said, 'No, I

> won't get THAT drink' (LOL yeah right, we'll see...)

>

> Anyway from then on all has been good and we went home at 14:00 or so.

> He claims to already be hearing better despite his ear being packed

> with foam and cottonwool, so holding thumbs that the results are good.

>

> I am relived it is done, and with luck that's our last surgery for

> now! He'll just need routine cleanings every few months once the post

> ops on this op are sorted.

>

> Thanks for reading.

>

> Love to all who need it!

>

> On 12 July 2011 18:32, Curtis Levine <paperworker@...

> <mailto:paperworker@...>> wrote:

>

>

>

> Quinn is in my thoughts and I wish him a very successful

> reconstructive procedure.

>

>

> Best Wishes,

> Curtis

>

> On Jul 10, 2011, at 10:51 PM, Jane Fraser wrote:

>

>>

>>

>> So I got a call from our ENT the other night (yup he phones me at

>> night and we sms over week-ends etc etc. He is awesome -

>> seriously if anyone in Cape Town needs an ENT referral use DR

>> Oliver Raynham. He is THE BEST doctor I have ever encountered bar

>> none. He is skilled, professional, friendly and very caring. I

>> love him lots!) Anyhoo...

>>

>> He has scheduled Quinn's next op for tomorrow. He wants to go

>> back into the RIGHT ear (his worse ear) and do some

>> reconstruction work and implant some prosthetic ossicles to try

>> to recover some of Q's hearing on the RHS.

>>

>> We are going to try to find a way to get it covered by

>> medical-aid. So he is doing some research to see what codes to

>> use etc.

>>

>> Will let you all know how it goes, but Doc says this should be a

>> much smaller op than the previous 2 because he'll do a Canal Wall

>> UP procedure through the ear drum, so it's less major surgery,

>> quicker and the post-op healing is much simpler as well.

>>

>> Please spare a thought for Quinn tomorrow. (Early morning our

>> time, which is late night in the states.)

>>

>> Thanks

>> Jane

>>

>

>

>

--

[Guest guest]

Thanks Matt.He does display a lot of emotional (and general) maturity. Almost too much actually. He is a great kid. He walked over to the nurses staion to specifically thank them for their care when we left the hospital yesterday. It makes me very proud.

Especially considering that as a being a single mom (his dad is a schitzophrenic who went totally off the rails due to drug abuse and then went AWOL after our divorce - been gone for almost 2 years now) things have really not been easy for him. Yet my boy has stepped up as man of the house and despite his own significant issues really takes it all in his stride and is my rock and champion.

A therapist told me 2-3 years ago that he showed all the signs of (and was a recipe for) becoming a delinquent, thanks to the drama surrounding his dad's decline

and our split, however he really has shown incredible integrity, self discipline and tenacity in very tough circumstances. Thanks again for your kind words.On 13 July 2011 08:00,