Sam's Ear

Sam has a CT scheduled tomorrow to diagnose what might be a cholesteatoma. He's had several ear infections the past few years and finally his doctor, on last exam, saw what might be causing them. If the finding is positive then Sam will probably need surgery to remove it. A typical mother would be hoping for a negative finding so her child would not have to endure going under the knife. I'm not a typical mother. And Sam is not a typical child.

For years Sam has beaten on his head while yelling loudly. We've had MRIs performed to rule out any changes in his brain. Obviously we checked for ear infections - but the yelling and hitting continued even when his ears were clear. We've put him on medications for migraines and other heavy pain killers because we've assumed he's in pain. But nothing has helped.

So my hope for tomorrow's test is that they find a big ol' cholesteatoma that has been the source of his yelling and hitting. And, gosh, wouldn't it be nice if it was the cause of his balance issues, too? That's hoping for a lot. I'm pretty sure an ear growth has much less impact on balance than, say, the part missing from his cerebellum.

Then I hope for surgery. Not because I like it when my little boy goes under the knife but, rather, I'd like for Sam to be pain free. Also, he takes wonderfully long naps after the anesthesia wears off.