ENT, Sleep Center, and Progress

Last week was another busy one that included 8 appointments for Callie.  In addition to her therapies, she saw her ENT and went to a consultation at a sleep center.

On Tuesday we saw Dr. Silva, her ENT.  We were following up to see if she still had fluid in her ears, which I knew she would since she has had congestion/cold/cough for over a month now.  Despite just finishing 10 days of antibiotics that a pediatrician prescribed to her for the ongoing cold symptoms and chronic congestion, Dr. Silva advised not only was the fluid still there, but she also now had double ear infections!  This poor girl can not catch a break.  He prescribed her a stronger antibiotic, this time for 14 days.  We are to return to see him in one month and at that time he is going to perform a nasal endoscopy... a scope up her nose.  :-(  He is going to check the size of her adenoids.  He will then most likely suggest that we get her ear tubes and possibly her adenoids removed.  Despite not liking any of this news, I still feel good about seeing Dr. Silva.  There is something about him that makes me trust his judgement and he seems very knowledgeable and good with Callie.  He also has come very highly recommended by several people, so I am trusting his advice.

On Thursday we went to the Pediatric Sleep Center in Purcellville.  As I previously mentioned in October, Callie has had some incidents at night where she wakes up gasping for breath.  Her night nurses suspect sleep apnea and suggested having her complete a sleep study.  We went to the sleep center for a consultation last week and after the evaluation the doctor felt sleep apnea is definitely a concern for her and she should be tested.  So we will be returning to the center for a slumber party next month.  They will wire her up and monitor her for one night to determine if she has a sleep disorder.  I am not looking forward to this, but it will give us beneficial information.  The doctor advised they will be able to make a recommendation to the ENT whether her adenoids and possibly tonsils should be removed, so it will be good to have this information around the same time we are deciding what action to take with Dr. Silva concerning tubes, adenoids, etc.  

Despite all of these appointments, ear infections and cold symptoms that will not go away, Callie has been in good spirits.  In the last week she has made small gains with her feeding by now eating mashed sweet potatoes (more texture than her normal purees).  She has also been very patient when it comes to putting on her AFOs and actually seems to enjoy walking around for them for about an hour at a time.  She also impressed her OT last week by threading beads on a string, which is supposedly about a 2 year milestone... one she is hitting right on time!  And finally I am happy to report she is really making her way around the house crawling these days.  Although she has been crawling on her hands and knees for two months now, she has really only started using her skill to get places around the house.  Before she would just crawl a little in one room, usually only far enough to pull up on a piece of furniture and cruise around (she typically prefers to be up on her feet).  But this afternoon I was cleaning the house and she happily followed me all around.  It made me smile the whole time.  I am just so happy and grateful she is making such great progress and try to not let a day pass where I take these skills she has worked so hard to accomplish for granted.  I am so proud of our little girl!