Oh, my word. You are never going to believe this…
If you are a long-time blog reader you know that our oldest daughter Kelli has three kids, Georgia is two and twin boys, Eli and Emmett were born at 34 weeks in April of 2021. You might also remember that the boys have been plagued with ear infections.
Eli has especially had it hard. He’s had an ear infection, for the most part, since late September. The poor guy just can’t catch a break. They have tried all of the medicines on him. They have given him shots…nothing is a long-term fix. He’ll be off meds for a week or so and then bam…another ear infection.
He’s had so many ear infections and has enough hearing loss that it was determined in November, that they would give him tubes in his ears even though he was under the age of one as typically they try to avoid it in kids younger than one.
I think Eli had his first scheduled appointment to get tubes in November. Then it got put off and rescheduled because he got a cold. It was rescheduled and rescheduled and rescheduled.
By this time, Emmett was… also having trouble with his ears and he too was scheduled to get tubes in his ears.
By December both boys were on the schedule but try as they might, the boys would end up sick and then they would schedule the surgery later and later.
The latest was Eli being hospitalized with two overnight stays because he couldn’t kick a cold.
Everything was scheduled and in place for the boys to get tubes today….and you guessed it, tubes are not happening.
Over the weekend the boys were swabbed for Covid as part of their pre-op check. Eli’s test came back and he is positive for Covid. Emmett is not. That canceled everything for both of them. UGH.
Kelli found out that she is positive as well and will be off work for 10 days. It’s so hard.
Everything for the boys is pushed back now. UGH.
Kelli just called me today and poor Emmett is indicating that he has an ear infection again. Kelli was going to call in and see if she could get meds for him without being seen by a doctor being everyone has Covid or is Covid exposed…and Emmett is due for an ear infection (at least his past history indicates that) Ahhh…
I’m so disheartened about it. I can’t imagine what poor Kelli is going through. I feel so terrible we can’t be more help.
So far Georgie and Jason are symptom free which is awesome.
It did brighten my day when Kelli sent this video of Eli. He can Patty Cake (clap his hands on demand). It’s so cute. The boys are soon to be 10 months old.
Any happy thoughts or prayers you can to send to the Hanken family would be so appreciated. These little boys need tubes…and the mommy needs some sleep!!
Sending prayers for healing.
Our son had ear infections when he was little, too. The first time he had the tubes he was 2. Then when he was five he had them again. After that, he never had ear infections again. So the tubes really did work.
It was funny, too, as when he was in Montessori, he started having a dark drizzle out of one of his ears. The teacher got upset about it, but then the high school girl who worked there part time said “not a problem, it just means that the tubes are letting that drain out, so it will not become huge and stuck in his ears”. So these ear tubes really helped him.
I wonder if they are off dairy products…
I though the same thing. There is plenty of milk available that isn’t cow’s milk. Also some parents swear by using a chiropractor to adjust the spine. Cant’ hurt.
Prayers lifted for the precious family.
Prayers for the sweet boys and Kelli too. The whole family!
Yes, people! Let’s cover the Hanken family with many prayers. Prayers for healing. Prayers for wisdom on the part of the doctors. Prayers for an extra dose of perseverance for the parents. All that and more!
amen
More prayers for Kelli and family and for you too! It is so hard when you want to help so badly but can’t.
I went through constant ear infections from 8 months old to 3 years old with my son. I was a single mom and had no help from grandma or anyone. I worked a full-time job. It was extremely stressful. I had to change his doctor and he finally got tubes put in and adenoids were taken out when he was 3. It made a huge difference. His surgery was supposed to take about 15 minutes or so. It was over an hour! I was so scared as to what was happening. I was by myself at the hospital too. He had an infection in the left ear they found during surgery and that is what took so long for the surgery. My son was talking at 6 months old. When he turned 12 months, he quit talking as much. The entire time from then until he had those tubes put in, it was very hard to understand what he was saying. He had been hearing things like they were underwater so he was talking the way he was hearing things. He had 3 years of speech class from the age of 4. Thankfully, the daycare owner had been a special ed teacher and knew my son had a speech problem and needed help. She got me set up for him to go to the elementary school a couple of times a week at the age of 4 for speech class. He is 29 now and hears and speaks very well. At the age of 3, I had him tested for allergies. His allergies were what were causing the ear infections. My son never tugged at his ears or complained when he had infections. He would get fevers and that’s how I could tell. I finally started noticing he would also get purple under his eyes. He was light-skinned, blonde, and had blue eyes. That light skin helped to see that purple. My son is highly allergic to cats, dust mites, and many pollens. All my friends had cats. We were around them a lot. I had to wash and dry all of his stuffed animals every two weeks. I had to have allergy mattress covers on his mattress and allergy pillow covers over the pillows. Had to wash and dry his bedding a couple of times a week. I also had to wash the car seat cover often. All fabric attracts dust mites. He is not allergic to any food whatsoever by the way. I feel for what your family is going through and yes, the whole family is going through it. Much love and hugs to all of you and especially to those sweet little baby boys!
Thanks for sharing you experience Lisa…I imagine allergy testing will be down the road!!
I noticed what you said about the purple under the eyes and saw the same thing on the last photo of this little one. Allergy testing for sure!
Prayers being sent for Kelli and family. Take care and thanks for sharing.
Aww! Prayers for these little ones and sweet mama too. They have been through so much in their short lives. Hoping Georgia and Jason stay can manage to stay healthy.
Prayers for the sweet twins. Seeing the boys in the double sink brought memories of pictures of when my twin and I were babies. Yup, we were bathed in the kitchen sink just like your little guys. (We’re 61 now!) Adorable. (Jo, our birthday is also in December, so I feel a kinship with you.)
Are you KIDDING me?!?! That is TERRIBLE!!! So sorry that Kelli and the twins can’t seem to catch a break, Jo.
Prayers most definitely for all of you. Such a tough situation without Covid being involved. God watch over all of you and keep you in His care.Praying you are doing well Jo. Is there anything we can do to help?
Prayers for sure, for the whole family and wisdom for their doctors.
Praying for you now,
Oh no! Poor little loves just can’t catch a break! Praying for those sweet babies’ speedy healing and for Mama too. I know how hard it is when our little ones are not feeling well.
Praying for all of you as I have been. God bless yall!
Oh golly! So sad for all the delays. I use to get horrible ear infections. Once I went off drinking milk (still do eggs and cheese) it helped greatly. Then I heard about a Dad dealing with three kiddos and rolling ear infections between them. He soaked a cotton ball with Hydrogen Peroxide, and dripped about three drops in their right ear (they were lying down with right ear up). It is cold and will make them get chilled for a moment, then they will hear bubbling, have a tissue ready after about two minutes and place over ear as they roll on their side for the left ear to get the same treatment. Right ear will drain into the tissue as the left ear is receiving its three drops. It does tickle, so you may have to “redo” if they straighten up. I do this every night since I heard about it five years ago and it helps with allergy stuffiness too! If I’m stuffed up during the day, I stop what I am doing and give myself the ear treatment. I ready to go back to it because I’m all clear. I also gargle with HP daily too. Hope this helps.
Sending bigs prayers . ..for these little ones that these ears will heal a bit so they can get tubes and help them drain out this infection that’s causing their problem. We hold up momma and help her get better and recover so she can care for these little one . This family need a heavenly blessings and your loving care .
Prayers being sent for your family. It’s so hard when little ones are sick. Take care.
OH NO!! Those poor little guys– such misery for them– AND Kelly and their daddy!! So sorry to hear the problems just will not give up. Covid besides? Prayers for all. I had ear infections too I guess as a kid–all I remember is my mother having me hold my head over a washbowl-and her pouring something into my ears. No clue what that was!!
Hesitate about passing on “home treatment”–but the little girl I was nanny for -had ear infections and the stepmom is a chiropractor and uses mostly homeopathic stuff. When the little girl had ear infections -fever etc., and stepmom treated with garlic oil. we never took her to Doctor again for ear infections!! drops of garlic oil–and cotton in ears. Whether it would be something might try, I don’t know. Just know it worked in that case.
So sorry. Sending prayers for Kelly and the boys.
Prayers continue for you and your family.
Maybe a chiropractor or lymphatic infant massage with a myofascial release practioner(john barnes trained I highly recommend as I learned from him…myofascialrelease.com to find practioner near you and learn about it) and a massage for mommy too. In my prayers
I recommend infant myofascial release by a therapist who has been trained and certified by John Barnes. myofascialrelease.com to learn about this treatment and to find a therapist near you. I’ve been to several of his training seminars and HIGHLY recommend it as it relieved me of my TMJ disorder among others. The birthing process can be very traumatic for both mother and child so I recommend treatment for both. Great way to release the lymphatic system which is obvious why ears keep getting reinfected time after time for both children. Eventually the antibiotics will cause allergic reactions to foods. Trust me as a child who had reoccurring ear infections and an undiagnosed brain tumor until age 11 and treated with so many antibiotics I have many food allergies. Even the covid vaccine Moderna sent me into cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis. Give it a try. Xoxo and many prayers
Poor little guys. Wonder if they have some allergy problems? Prayers for them.
Sending much love and hugs to Kelli and the boys. I hope they soon get some respite from all the infections.
ARGH I feel for you! and Kelli! my youngest too was plagued by constant ear infections. Finally before the inevitable tubes, the Pediatrician put her on Bactrim daily for a month that liquid form is NASTY it was a constant battle for me to give it. She would take it easily for her dad. We finally stripped the wallpaper int her bedroom (100 yr old house) and painted. Got an air cleaner too. Finally they cleared up! It’s no fun. Yes she has allergies and asthma today! But was a music major in college. Still plays the Tuba in the Army reserve band.
Prayers for the Hanken family to be on the road to healing and tubes for 2. I can’t imagine how tired mom and dad must be of the constant medical visits to stay ahead of the ear infections and now Covid. I hope relief is at their home soon.
Prayers for your family. One of my son’s had problems with continuous ear infections. The doctor put him on prophylactic antibiotics and that did the trick. He didn’t have to get the ear tubes. I don’t know if this is something that they would do now or not. That was 30 years ago.
Prayers for Kelli and her boys!
I went through the same thing with my older son, and I felt so helpless! The doctor finally told me to call if I could catch him at a point where he went 24 hours without a fever, and they’d take him in immediately. And, that’s exactly how it happened. But, yeah, the hearing loss. We spent more than 1.5 years in speech therapy when he was three because it was obvious that he had a speech impediment, and I didn’t want other children (or adults) making fun of him when he got to kindergarten. And, I’m so glad we did the tubes and the therapy because I think school would have been difficult for him, otherwise. Just know that your little ones will come out on the other side of this, and the difference it makes in all your lives will be enormous.
My younger brother was like this, constantly sick as an infant. We lived in California at the time. We moved went he about 3 to New York. He instantly stopped getting ear infections, colds, etc. Doctors determined it was allergies causing it all in California. He was allergic to some pollen, plant, whatever.
Sending good wishes that the Universe stops this! Poor kids, and poor mom.
Hydrogen peroxide is a great cleaner for the human body. Before my husband got tubes in his ears (at 45yrsold), he had a lot of earwax that would have to be cleaned out every so often. He learned from the Dr. how to do it at home, with my help. We bought the earwax softener OTC and used it first in both ears. Then put about 1/4 c warm water and 1/4 c hydrogen peroxide in a cereal bowl and held it under the ear to be treated. Had to put towels on his shoulder and on his leg in case of drips from the ear syringe or bowl. Then I would fill the ear syringe (comes with the bottle of earwax softener) with the water/hydrogen peroxide solution, pull on the outer ear to straighten out the ear canal a bit, and squirt the solution quickly into the ear. Then some would run out, down into the bowl, and I would fill the syringe again and repeat. After a minute or two of seeing dark ear wax bits come out, he’d say, ok, I can hear now. Let’s do the other ear. And we would repeat it on the other side with a fresh bowl of combined warm water and hydrogen peroxide.
I’m including this so you know that other people have used hydrogen peroxide to clean out ears too. Everyone makes their own choices as to what is best for the bodies in their care.
You’ve heard it all before I’m sure but is therre something the boys are eating and drinking they might be allergic to? I would try stopping all dairy products including cow’s milk and find an alternative, almond or soy milk. Try it for a while and see if that works. I had a friend with allergies and she stayed away from any and all mucous causing foods, like milk, eggs, cheese. They will grow out of it but sooner than later for sure.
P.S. I’ve had people with young children swear by a chiropractor for ails them. They can adjust the spine to relieve the pressure.
Sending healing prayers.
As you can see Jo, so many people consider you special in their lives. Prayers going up for you and your dear family. We love you from afar and are very concerned about the health of you all.
Oh Kelli, I’ve been there! When your little guys get tubes it will be better! Lauren was 1 yr and 2 days old when she got her first set and Will was under a yr. His ear infection wouldn’t clear. We all survived. I felt helpless waiting for those tubes but once in place they worked miracles! I’ll keep you and your family in my prayers.