How long did you wait for grommets?

[AtLastEarwax]

Hi all,

DS has glue in and grommets are in the pipeline. I know they don't always work etc but right now it's the route we are taking.

How long did everyone wait for their operation? Anyone been given a time since lockdown?

He's had his hearing tests, referred to ENT already but I've only had a phone consultation due to COVID-19.

Thanks

Both of mine had grommets. It was quite a while before either were done as glue ear can sort itself out in its own as children get older.

DS2 has grommets, they fell out when they should, everything healed and glue ear disappeared. Textbook. Job done.

DS1 had grommets. One fell out as it should, one healed over and got stuck and infected so needed another op to get it out. Left with a hole in his ear drum so he had to wear a ear plugs & band for baths, hair washing & swimming for years. They eventually did another op to stitch the hole up, they had to cut the ear to do it, then he needed to stay off school for a few weeks as kids at school won’t be able to resist whacking the bandage. Thankfully his last hearing test showed that last op worked a treat as there is a chance that he could have had heating damage. 7 years from first op to last.

What I’m saying is if the ENT says wait a bit longer I would recommend it.

Sorry I forgot to add that, no we've done the waiting method already and ds is actually regressing so he's been moved from amber to red status. Where I stand though I don't know??

Ds has had them 3 times.
First time around a month, second time 2 days I think it was, third time again around a month.
They worked really well for him. Not a miracle, but a huge difference. His glue ear meant lots of ear infections (generally both ears around ever 10-14 days) and if he didn't get antibiotics quick enough then his ear drums burst. With grommets he hardly had an infection at all. Hearing wise I didn't really notice that much, but there were a few things-just before his second lot of grommets the ENT consultant pointing out that he was patting my cheek not as a cute mannerism, but so he could turn my face so he could lip read. The time when he jumped in the leaves one autumn and turned to me with a surprised look and said "the leaves didn't crunch like that last year" and another time when he came really excited home from school to tell me that "did I know that ch and sh made different noises now."
The third time he asked for hearing aids (he had a friend with them) but they said he needed grommets because his ear drum was being sucked in.

He was finally declared free of glue ear aged 12yo.

We waited 7 months from going on the waiting list to having the operation last year. Now they have fallen out (his hearing deteriorated rapidly as soon as they fell out) and we are 2 months into a 6 month waiting list just to have the hearing test. Goodness knows how long it will be before he actually gets the grommets.

Oh interesting, fingers crossed that it's not too long for the grommets.

Well our consultant was really nice. Told to us about the wait for grommets and in the meantime offered us hearing aids. She said if we didn't go ahead with them they wouldn't be offered again in 6 months but I can have them whilst waiting for the grommets.

So after hearing that I got upset about hearing aids. She sent me over the brand/design he would most probably have and we chose like a gold colour (like the back of an iPhone,very snazzy!). I was worried they would be the beige plastic ones that are really thick on his small ears but these are slimline and everything, I want them now. Can't wait to see the difference in him.

I'm no longer bothered by my family and what they think. I'm doing what's right by my son and if he needs them, sod them!

Hi all,

I know it's been a while but I wanted to update in case anyone googled this.

So we went to the appointment. Then it turned out ds doesn't need anything. His ears were completely clear.

After all that. I even printed out the brochure and ticked the colours I wanted for the hearing aids etc

But for anyone else, fuck what anyone thinks. I learnt that hugely!