In an ideal world...

   ...our children would never hurt.  Not so much as a bump or a bruise...or, at the very least, we could accept the hurt on their behalf.  But, as we know, that's just not possible.  So we have to look at the less than ideal situations as opportunities to grow, learn, and be better people.  I am preempting Wednesday's Winning Words to provide an update on Justus' surgery on Monday.  I feel bad that I have not updated lately, but we've been a tad busy.

So, Monday was the first day of Pre-K, at least for the rest of the class.  I found this cute idea on Pinterest (and have since noticed, thanks to Facebook, that so did just about everyone I know).  We will take a picture on the first day of class every year with Justus holding a sign of what class he's in.  Now, before you think I'm the WORST mom on the planet for doing this on this day, know that we will take another one on HIS first day of pre-K next week and it will be shared as well.

Before (like the Spidey pj's?):

After:

 Don't you love how they put the arbitrarily placed 2 red smiley faces, you know, so it doesn't seem so bad?!  Before I give you the medical aspect of it all, know that this little guy is up and about already and is none too happy about the fact that I keep telling him to slow down as he tries to race across the house.  He's not interested in pain medicine...except the one time he took off his shirt without thinking about his ear and hurt himself.  What a big kid!

The long and short of it is that after a lengthy surgery (roughly 3 hours), the ENT was unable to get the tumor out.  It had spread further than originally thought, all the way down into his eustachian tube, over his stapes, and is firmly planted on his facial nerve.  To have retrieved as much as possible without doing anything else would both be very dangerous (risking some facial paralysis) and would necessitate further surgeries which would not be good for Justus.  He also said that the tumor, itself, was conducting sound for him, which is why his hearing is still so good.  When he got in there, the bone was basically granules.  He saved what good bone he could to do hearing reconstruction to the extent possible, with some skin grafting.  We will not know for a few months how successful that was.  He cut away most of the rest of the bone to allow the cholesteatoma to grow safely.  Overall, he anticipates about a 50-60% hearing loss on the left side.  I will tell you that, so far, we have not noticed any change in his hearing, which is great!  He said that Justus' ear will look the same, but he will have a bigger hole and he will have to go in for regular "professional cleanings."  We go back Tuesday for his follow-up and then the packing comes out a week or two after that.  Justus is in great spirits and hardly seems bothered, except when he accidentally hurts it or when it drains.  The cup came off yesterday, and we have him only use it now to sleep to prevent him from rolling over onto his ear.  

He is taking full advantage of being waited on hand and foot, but I can't say I blame him.  He's having a hard time staying inactive, and I feel guilty that he will return to school next week with a "no physical activity" note.  His teachers will surely loathe me for awhile.  Especially now, knowing the extensive nature of this growth, we are immeasurably thankful that it was "accidentally" found and treated.  Left alone, he may have suffered a great deal more damage and pain.  We just pray that he continues to recovery so quickly with minimal discomfort, and can avoid the need for further procedures.  

Although he is seemingly fine, I return to my initial reflection when I think about him being alone in surgery for that long, the way he looked when he first came out, and even the surge of pain he obviously felt when he pulled his shirt over his head without thinking.  You just hate for your children to experience any moment of pain.  But, I know they are  experiences that instill pieces of what becomes an individual's character.  

We appreciate everyone's support, thoughts, and prayers.  Each and every one is a blessing.

And stay tuned...there will be a real first day of Pre-K picture.