My Littlest Man

Tomorrow my littlest man has to have surgery.

It all started about last summer when I noticed some enlarged lymph nodes on his neck. (My father has non-Hodgkin lymphoma, so I am extremely paranoid cautious about this stuff.) I brought it to the attention of our doctor, but she said he had fluid in his ears and maybe it was just because he was getting sick and put him on antibiotics. But they were still there. Then I took him back in for something and mentioned it again. She looked in his ears and saw fluid in his ears again, so she put him back on antibiotics. But they were still there.

Joe and I watched them for a few months, and when it was time for his well checkup, I informed her that they were still there and hadn't changed. I think it was at that time she noticed some in his groin, too.

Anyway, she sent us to an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist. For some strange reason, the morning of Sawyer's first appointment, he awoke with these two large, walnut-sized glands under his jaw. The specialist was concerned and he, too, saw fluid in his ears. He ordered another round of antibiotics, x-rays of his adenoids, and more blood work.

His extra-large lymph nodes have returned to normal-Sawyer size (still enlarged compared to most people). His adenoids are abnormal. His tonsils are "normally" the size of walnuts (he snores while sitting up, poor guy). And the fluid has consistently been in his ears for months now.

Which brings us to tomorrow. Bright and early tomorrow morning, Sawyer is having one of his lymph nodes biopsied, tubes put in his ears, and his adenoids and tonsils removed. The tubes are supposed to help keep his ears drained, which will improve his hearing, which will improve his speech. It's a lot of stuff for one small, little, energetic two-and-a-half-year-old.

I'll try to update, if time permits, before the weekend. He has a "23-hour-stay" at the hospital. For insurance purposes, it is not called an "overnight" stay. I might be here, on Facebook, or Twitter. Or maybe not.

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One of my all-time favorite photos of Sawyer.