As excited as we are for Lucas to get a 2nd cochlear implant, we haven't begun to think about it much yet. Why? Because he has another surgery scheduled for this Monday. When we met with his CI surgeon about the 2nd implant, we also inquired about his "ear pits" that discharge and sometimes get infected. He decided he wants to remove them prior to CI surgery.
For surgical purposes, they are classifying these ear pits as branchial cleft cysts. I would love to take a picture of them, but they're almost too small to photograph. It looks mildly similar to this, although Lucas's placement is slightly lower and more to the left.
this is not Lucas's ear...
They're really quite unnoticeable. In fact, when we took Lucas to see the geneticist for testing, the doc missed them during his examination. I had to point them out to him as being "abnormal." The pits are a congenital birth defect, and were at first thought to be just divots. But, the holes are actually canals that lead to sacs, and they drain, and sometimes even get infected. The infection part is worrisome, as he needs no extra risk of infection in his head. That's why they're being removed.
Surgery is on Monday. I got our arrival time this afternoon... 8:15 AM. I am thankful for the early time. I'm actually pretty nervous about this surgery. After his last surgery in June, I have concerns about how he will react to the anesthesia again after surgery. As he ages and develops more language, he becomes more aware too. 4 months ago he didn't ask too many questions, but I don't know how he'll act this time. I've gotten out doctor bear and the doctor kit, and we're going to role play. That's the best I can do to prepare him.
Your prayers for an easy procedure and a quick recovery are appreciated. I'll blog about how it goes.