7 week old ear

Friday March 22, 2013

7 weeks post-op (original surgery)

16 days post-op (exposure fix)

Dr. Reinisch reviewed the pictures of Sam's ear this weekend and feels good about the way things are looking and healing.  Yay!

Samantha is becoming more and more confident about her ear and is excited to show it off to people.  Today she was at the park with a friend and wanted to show it off.  

She pulled her hair back and said, "Do you want to see something?"

Her friend replied, "sure...looks cute!"

Now, I'm pretty certain her friend was commenting on the sticker she has on her Baha instead of her ear, but it didn't matter.  The friendly exchange was so sweet and I'm proud that Sam was so confident in showing off her ear.  

The Mom of the friend said to me, I honestly don't think Meghan has ever noticed that Sam didn't have ears.  I don't think she did either.

I love the sweet innocence of young children! 

 7 weeks post-op

Friends for life!

I seriously can't imagine my life without these women!  Our lives would have never crossed paths if it weren't for the world of hearing loss and an amazing Deaf School that our beautiful daughters attended for pre-school.  It was so comforting to meet people in your same/similar situation where you can talk to and walk this journey!  Our girls love to play together and we love to hang out and chat.  I think most times we plan play dates for the girls so we can hang out!  This weekend we did a super fun Mom's Night Out, had dinner and talked and talked! I am so very grateful for these amazing women!

 

6 week old ear

March 15, 2013

6 weeks post-op (original surgery)

10 days post-op (exposure fix)

I really can't believe it's been 6 weeks since Sam got her left big ear.  It's amazing! We sent pictures to Dr. Reinisch this weekend and just heard back that he is pleased with the way things are looking.  Yay!

The color of the ear is really looking better.  When Dr. Reinisch did the exposure fix last week he told me that there was a layer of "dead" skin on the ear that he took off.  I had been washing it diligently every day, but didn't realize this.  So, I'm not sure if the color looks better because that skin was taken off or because it's just looking better and better each week.  Either way, I'll take it! 

The bottom part that looks pink is where the area of the small exposure.  Dr. Reinish made an incision at the back of the ear, took some muscle to cover the implant and then a small skin graft from the groin/leg area to put on top.  It looks a little swollen right now, but that will go down with time.  

I also took a picture of the back of the head where a graft was taken 6 weeks ago.  As you can see it is healing very nicely and there is already a lot of hair growth.  At least fast hair growth comes in handy in this situation!

Exposure fix post-op

March 12, 2013

1 week post-op (exposure fix)

We were fortunate enough to see Dr. Reinisch in Palo Alto for the post-op of the surgery Sam had last week to fix the small exposure on the back of the ear.  Dr. Reinish works out of California Ear Institute with Dr. Roberson about once a month and that is where Sam goes for all her regular ENT and Audiology appointments.  Sam has been there so many times in her 5 years of life and she and her sister act like they own the place! :)

  

Sam excited that the protective ear cup is off again. Dr. Reinisch is happy with the way it looks and it healing nicely.

This time we took a family photo with Dr. Reinisch!

My other one...

Oh yes, I do have another daughter...Ella is really into dressing up right now!

She will wear this outfit anywhere! ;)

5 week old ear

Wednesday March 6, 2013

Almost 5 weeks post-op

We are down in LA again for Dr. Reinisch to "fix" the exposure on the back of Sam's ear.  Even though I hated that she had to have surgery again (so soon), I felt better prepared this time.  Sam of course handled it like a champ!

She refused the "red juice" they gave her in pre-op this time.  She took a sip and literally held it in her mouth for at least 15 minutes without swallowing it.  We tried everything to get her to swallow, but she flat out refused.  So finally, we had her spit it out in a cup.  I think the Anesthesiologist was a little nervous to take her away from us without her drinking it (it's suppose to make them a little drowsy before they are wheeled back), but Mike and I felt confident she would be fine.  As we expected, she gave us a kiss and left with the doctors!  It was much easier on me this time, but it's still hard to have your child wheeled away for surgery.

Surgery took only about 2 hours this time and Dr. Reinisch felt really good about the fix.  He did end up putting the protective cup on it for a few days so it can heal.  He thought maybe he wouldn't, but Mike and I were hoping he would because we really want to ensure it heals properly.   We are fortunate that Dr. Reinisch will be in Palo Alto, CA. next week, so we can do our post-op up there since it's so close to our house.

This is a picture of Sam after surgery eating lunch and feeling good.

After Sam's surgery, Mike and I went out for a walk and saw this license plate.  Thank you Los Angeles for loving and taking care of our little Sam!

4 week old ear

Friday March 1, 2013

4 weeks post-op

Overall, we think Sam's ear is looking really good.  

I did notice something on the back side of her ear that just didn't look right to me.  I guess I hadn't really focused a lot of attention on the backside over that past few weeks.  Anyway, I sent photos to Dr. Reinisch and mentioned my concern.  

He was traveling this past weekend in Korea, so I didn't hear back from him until the next day due to the time change.  He noticed my concern and said that he would like to take a look at it during is layover in San Francisco the next day.  He was traveling home from Korea and had a layover before he caught his flight to LA.  Luckily, we live about 10 minutes away from SFO, so it was super easy for us to meet him there.  I was so grateful that he would do this because it really made me feel better that he could see it in person.  

Unfortunately,  my assumption was correct and Sam fell into the small percent of patients that have implant exposure.  It really isn't a big exposure, but it has to be fixed so the implant doesn't get infected.  So, we are heading to LA tomorrow so Dr. Reinisch can fix it on Wednesday.  It is an easy fix for him and relatively short procedure compared to the original surgery.  

Of course this was out of our control, but I hate that she has to go through another surgery.  On the other hand, I'm grateful it is something that can be easily fixed. 

*See the darker spot toward the bottom of the ear

3 week old ear

Friday February 22, 2013

3 Weeks Post-op

This coming week we will start to wash her ear using some gauze so we can start to ease the stitches out. 

Big Ear Reveal

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2013 

2 Weeks Post-Op

We are back in LA for the big unveiling of Sam's left ear.  My emotions are all over the place, excited, nervous, anxious, but most of all grateful!

Francesca is taking out the ear cup stitches

Loosening the ear cup

Taking the cup off...first look!

Washing her hair and cleaning the ear.  Her hair really needed a good washing since it had been 2 whole weeks without washing.  I was praying I would be able to get all the tangles out of it!

Clean, brushed hair and a big smile after she saw the ear for the first time!  Her first comment, "I look like Ella!"  (Ella is her little sister)

 Official office pictures

Samantha and Dr. Reinisch

Before and after photos

Happy girl!!

New Self Portrait

Sam's teacher asked her to document her surgery experience so that it could be made into a little memory book.  As I was looking over her work, I found this self portrait of herself.  Brought tears to my eyes!

1 week post-op

1 week post-op, Sam is giving a very short presentation at school.  I only took her in for the last 2 hours of school because she really wanted to be part of presentation of the "city" they had built.

Sorry the picture is dark, but you get the idea that she is feeling good.

5 Days Post-op

Sam is feeling good 5 days post-op!  No pain medication at this point, just some Benadryl at night to help with the itching.

Big Day for a Big Ear!

I had big plans to blog throughout the day of Sam's surgery and each day following, but it didn't happen.  So, now you get a play by play almost 2 weeks post surgery!  

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2013

We check in at Cedars Sinai for Samantha's left ear reconstruction.  Prior to leaving for the hospital, Mike went to wake Sam up and when she woke, she was upset and scared.  It broke both of our hearts because she had been the one that was so strong leading up to this day.  We were taking cues from her, so to see her finally break down was really, really hard.  It was understandable to be nervous, but since we had only seen our brave Samantha, it definitely made me think again about the decision we had made to do the surgery.  

In true Samantha fashion, as soon as we got going, she was fine (at least that is the way she appeared).  We got to the hospital and all she wanted to do was get checked in, so she could play with the iPad.  Hey, I admit, there was a lot of bribery going on!  Pretty much whatever she wanted, she got at this point. 

My beautiful little girl just before they wheeled her away!

She sat right down in the bed in pre-op, drank the "pink juice" and waited for Dr. Reinisch and his team to come in.  The operating room nurse, Al has been working with Dr. Reinisch for 17 years.  He reiterate what everyone else said..."it's harder on the parents!"  The Anesthesiologist, Dr. Maria deCastro was amazing and definitely made Mike and I feel very comfortable.  Before we knew it, it was "Go Time" and they wheeled Sam away.  This was a 9 hour surgery, so it was hard to fight back the tears as they wheeled her away.  I don't think Sam saw my tears though! 

Maybe 30-40 minutes later, Dr. Reinisch came out to let us know that everything was going smoothly and Sam was "asleep" and doing great.  He told us where the Pharmacy was and told us to go out for a walk and get some food.  His team would keep us updated by phone every 2 hours or so.  Then, he gave me a hug and told me he would take care of my little girl!  Funny thing was, I was so nervous leading up to this day, but once she was in there, I had complete confidence that all would be okay.

Soon after, my parents arrived to wait with us.  We went to get something to eat and drop off Sam's prescription.  

Just as Dr. Reinisch promised, 2 hours later we received our first phone update that all was going smoothly.  The next several hours were just waiting for that next update!  

At 5:30pm, Dr. Reinisch walked through the doors and I practically jumped out of my seat!  He informed us that everything went smoothly.  He was happy and that we could go up and see her. 

Note: The left ear was purely cosmetic.  The canal was too narrow and short for atresia repair to be done. 

They moved Sam up to the 5th floor for recovery.  It was now evening the 3rd Floor recovery room was closing.   As soon as we got up there, we could hear Sam saying, "I want to go home now!"  Even though she was still completely groggy!  

 This was right after she got to post-op.  Groggy, but telling us exactly what she wanted/needed.

We waited about an hour just to make sure Sam felt okay enough to leave.  She drank some apple juice and had some jello.  There was some drainage out of the ear, which made me nervous, but they assured me that this was normal.  So, we loaded her in the car and headed back to Aunt Marcia and Uncle Jeff's house.  

Sam was so confused because it was 7 (pm) and it was dark outside.  We left for the hospital at 6am, so she lost day and it was hard to understand at first!  Anyway, we got "home" and Sam had a little bit of challah and we put her to bed.  

We decided to only give her regular Tylenol to see if that would work, because Codeine can make you sick.  It worked pretty well.  She slept from 8pm until 3am.  I gave her more regular Tylenol and she went back to sleep until 7am. 

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2013

On Saturday, Sam woke up feeling pretty good.  Ate just a little bit for breakfast, but just wanted to take it easy today.  She laid around reading books and watching some TV.  

By afternoon, she was ready to get some fresh air.  So we took a "stroll" over to a neighbors house who has a train set up in their front yard. 

Throughout the day, we kept on top of giving her regular Tylenol every 3 hours along with the Antibiotic that was prescribed.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2013

Today Sam woke up and got out of bed herself and walked to the bathroom.  Walking has been a challenge the past 2 days because of the skin graft that was taken at her bikini line.  This has really been the only uncomfortable part of the recovery so far.

We had been talking to Sam about doing something special after her surgery and today was the day she felt ready to try it.  So, my Mom, sister and I took Sam to the American Girl Store at The Grove for lunch.  She has been super excited about this for weeks and wanted to go immediately after her surgery!  She still wasn't feeling 100%, but she was definitely better than the past 2 days.  

Our waiter was so sweet to her and made the experience really special.  The other highlight of the day was when my Dad told Sam that she could pick out whatever she wanted at the store.  I was thinking I would get her a doll outfit, but this brought the shopping experience to a much bigger level!  Sam has been flipping through the AG catalog for weeks and knew exactly what she wanted...

Twins!

The look on her face when we opened the box was priceless and well worth it.  Thank you so much, Dad/Grandpa! 

MONDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Today Sam had a post-op appointment at Dr. Reinisch's office before we headed back to San Francisco. 

I couldn't get a good pic of her smiling, but you get the idea.  3 days post-op! 

Oh, and I found this really cool "accessory" at the American Girl store for Sam's doll.  It is sold as a "headlamp" for camping (because every doll needs camping gear!), but it looks like a Baha.  Sam was so excited because we knew you can get hearing aides for the dolls, but this is more realistic for Sam.
You can find it here
http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/item/id/197590/ctc/SI
 

Everything was looking good, so we hopped in the car to start the drive back home.  We'll be back in 2 weeks for the unveiling of the ear.

  

Here is a closer look at the Baha on her doll.

The day is almost here...

This Friday is February 1, 2013 and Samantha will be getting one of her BIG ears! 

Dr. John Reinisch will perform the surgery at the Cedars Sinai Surgery Center in Los Angeles, CA.

Mike and I are both nervous and excited.  Sam just seems to be excited.  This is a good thing and definitely makes us feel better about the decision we've made for her.  For being a petite little girl, she sure is strong! 

Love her.

Sweet Samantha

This little girl of mine is pretty special.  She is so beautiful, smart, funny, courageous, the list goes on and on!  She makes me proud every day.  Today was no exception.  She had a pretty big ENT appointment and handled it like a star!  We received some unexpected news about one of her little ears.  We now hope to finalize her surgery plan in the next few days.  

school days

Sam is so lucky to have such an amazing, inspiring, loving Kindergarten teacher. 

fun times

This little lady started up gymnastics again yesterday.  She was super excited about it.  Still won't "go upside-down" aka somersault, but did let the teacher lift her up to the bars.  

Sami loves gymnastics too, but we can't find a class this session that works in her busy schedule. 

structure

My little Sam loves structure and routine.  Two years ago, I came up with the idea to create a giant calendar for her to see what was happening in the month.  Sam loves this and looks forward to making it each month.  It started out with her just adding stickers to it, but now she is not only drawing pictures, she draws scenes.  I also have her writing the month at the top with her own writing skills.  

 

a little alone time

Today was the last day of Winter Break.  Not too much going on, but Ella did get a little time alone to play while Sam was at a birthday party.  She was so cute playing independently and I overheard her say (as she is "making the people talk"), "you are my most favorite yellow Gigi".  Gigi is what the girls call my Mom and she is "yellow" because of the cast she has been wearing for her broken elbow! 

 

it's cold!

It has been really cold (for California) here in SF.  Waking up to 30 degrees with ice on the windshield, with a high of 50 degrees.  Lately, Ella has been very particular with what SHE wants to wear.  Today it was flip flops.  After suggesting something else because it was freezing out, she went into a full blown tantrum.  Mike walks in and say's, "ok, wear your flip flops".  Happy as a clam, she puts them on and the tears disappear.  

She's got style...

My little Ella certainly has her own style.

Sporting leg warmers on her legs AND arms!