The Latest...

 This page is dedicated to keeping everyone up to date on the latest news with Ethan...



Tuesday, October 12th, 2010, Ethan will be having his 17th surgery...
  This surgery is to remove/(maybe)replace ear tubes that were originally placed in late 2004.  Ethan has had an ongoing infection in his one ear for OVER a year.  Antibiotics have not helped.  His ear canals are abnormally small and they are constantly getting plugged with ear wax(his ears have to be routinely checked/cleaned by ENT).  Well multiple infections caused a bad build up of  "infection gunk"... ahh you know,  this is really gross to explain, so I'll spare ya all and just say they are doing surgery to "fix" the ear issues:)  Also while Mr. Magoo(Ethan) is under they want to check his trachea area and manipulate/maneuver his jaw.--They need to play with his jaw to figure out which direction/placement is the most beneficial for his airway.  The information they get from this will determine how they go about his next mandibular distraction(planned for Spring/Summer 2011).
*Update:  Surgery went well and they chose NOT to replace Mr.Magoo's ear tubes. He his happy to have clean ears and is even hearing a little better already:)

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010, Ethan had his G-tube changed.
   So Ethan has had the same size Mic-key since it was placed back in 2004.   Recently he started complaining that his G-tube hurts him.  It started about 5months ago...he whined that it was slowly falling out.  I'd check placement and it'd be fine.  Then we'd forget it bothered him until it was time to change it out.  We'd change it out.  Then the whining would start again, then he'd stop after I told him it looked fine. 
  Well the other day I called Children's because of another appt. I had to make and remembered the G-tube.  We scheduled an appt. to make sure he in fact had the appropriate size for his body. 
   Ethan is a super slow weight gainer and mainly grows up.  It turns out he needed a smaller one!!  Mr. Magoo is super lean and the other Mic-key measured to long and it DID stick out a teeny bit too far...but to Ethan it stuck out A LOT:)  So he's happy now that it "doesn't try to come out now..".

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010, Ethan's AAC Evaluation
  For a year now we have been going back and forth a two different AAC devices.  The info gathering on these devices has been from our SLP at school and me researching them online.  I have also discussed devices a few times with our great friend who just happens to be an SLP. After the feeling like going in never ending circles, I'd had enough!  So I decided to talk with our follower in Speech at Children's(back in July) and see if they could give us insight on devices and who we could chat with... Well they have a special  program dedicated for AAC devices.  Wow!!  So they will help us in deciding which one would be best for Ethan.  So tomorrow Ethan is having his AAC Evaluation, YIPPEE!!  We are so excited, they just called to schedule and luck had it they had an opening for tomorrow!  Ethan has been begging for his "talk device".   I can't wait to tell him after school today:)