Re: Family Doctors and CTomas

[Guest guest]

Family Doc's are not trained to know what c-toma is.

With my current Family Doc, I had to explain it to him

when I started to see him 10 years ago. Most Family

Doc's are likely try to treat it as a ear infection

and then send them to a ENT when it does not clear up.

I have not ever held my Family Doc responsable for my

C-toma, that was almost 30 years ago....

tom hansen

--- olsak4 <loraoff@...> wrote:

> My four year old son had his congential

> cholesteatoma removed almost

> two weeks ago. According to the surgeon it has done

> damage to the bones

> but we'll wait until three months and do a hearing

> test and see what's

> next. After reading from many other parents in this

> forum, I think

> we're very lucky to have found it early.

>

> I feel extremely fortunate to have a friend suggest

> I take my son to a

> local hearing clinic because my doctor wrote off a

> failed hearing test

> (which his teachers suggested) as an infection,

> prescribing

> antibiotics, and no further follow-up.

>

> My question, should my family doctor have noticed

> it? It looks obvious

> in the pictures we have from surgery, but we know

> what we're looking at

> now. We were also able to look at in the doctors

> office on the hand

> scope they use every day. I like my family doctor

> and have known him

> for years but I'm hesitant to return with this

> oversight that could

> have or may have afftected my son for the rest of

> his life.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

We were seeing a pediatric ENT and he didn't even recognize it. I

would hold it against the family doctor if he or she didn't refer you

to someone else (an ENT) after repeated ear infections just because

that means your doctor doesn't know when the problem is beyond his/her

expertise. But as for diagnosing cholesteatoma, I don't think that's

very likely from a family doctor.

Lynn

[Guest guest]

Hi. I have to agree about not holding the family doctor responsible

for diagnosing the cholesteatoma. My family doctor was treating me for

an ear infection and when it didn't clear up, he referred me to an

ENT. The ENT didn't diagnose it right away because I still had an ear

infection. After it was cleared up, I continued to complain about pain

and pressure. That's when he took a look with a microscope (not the

otoscope) and saw it. He immediately said it was a cholesteatoma and

that it would have to be surgically removed. The family doctor is not

an expert in things and that's why they make referrals to specialists.

Just bring your son to the experts for this. One thing I have learned

on this site is that this is a pretty rare condition and your average

doctor is not going to be up on it.

Good luck to your son. Take care.

Kathy

>

> My four year old son had his congential cholesteatoma removed almost

> two weeks ago. According to the surgeon it has done damage to the bones

> but we'll wait until three months and do a hearing test and see what's

> next. After reading from many other parents in this forum, I think

> we're very lucky to have found it early.

>

> I feel extremely fortunate to have a friend suggest I take my son to a

> local hearing clinic because my doctor wrote off a failed hearing test

> (which his teachers suggested) as an infection, prescribing

> antibiotics, and no further follow-up.

>

> My question, should my family doctor have noticed it? It looks obvious

> in the pictures we have from surgery, but we know what we're looking at

> now. We were also able to look at in the doctors office on the hand

> scope they use every day. I like my family doctor and have known him

> for years but I'm hesitant to return with this oversight that could

> have or may have afftected my son for the rest of his life.

>

[Guest guest]

I think I'm going to have to be the controversial one. My doctor

could not find my c-toma after repeated visits. Nor could he refer

me to an ENT. His nurse practitioner was actually the one to refer

me. My ENT found it in about 5 minutes. Actually, he told me he

suspected it on first inspection, but he had to put some drops in my

ear and scrape away a bit of debris to confirm it, or he would have

diagnosed it in about half a minute. Why can't our primary care or

family doctors be trained to find this awfully destructive

condition? I have to ask what type of effort it would take to train

them in making an initial diagnosis. Is it really that difficult,

or is it a matter of our condition being a low priority because it's

not common?

I come from a background of having a rare condition already, so I'm

already a bit biased. My condition isn't actually rare, surviving

it is. As far as I know, I'm one of few people in the world to have

survived it to this age. So, I find that doctors don't really care

very much about my condition. They realize that the vast majority

of patients they will see won't have it, so why bother? This is the

state of health care in our country. Why bother? I already have to

educate my doctors on my condition. They can't be bothered to pick

up a medical journal and read. Sometimes they ask me to spell

things for them so they can look it up. I can't confirm that they

ever really look it up, but I doubt it.

In answer to the main question posed in this topic, I would say that

the doctor is par for course. The doctor met the lowest common

denominator for care. That's nothing to be lauded, but I guess we

can't find him/her responsible.

Gerry

>

> yep, I totally agree, a family practioner is not trained in c-

tomas. Our

> family doctor noticed that my son's ear was a bit " different " than

it had

> been in previous check ups and prescribed an antibiotic in case

there was an

> infection (he had never been diagnosed with one before). When

that didn't

> clear it up she sent us to an ENT, he didn't acurately diagnose

the problem

> until he had my son on the table to put in a tube...no fluid to

drain, and

> he checked with the microscope and saw the c-toma. He

immeadiately sent us

> to a specialist. Our family doctor had never seen one and had to

do some

> reading up about them. Our ENT had only seen 2 in his practice

ever. We

> are VERY lucky to live in an area where there is a specialist.

> JWW

>

[Guest guest]

I had been taking my son to the doc and audiologist since he was 2, for

hearing loss. Always told it was fluid. Finally diagnosed by an ENT when he

was 4.....I don't think you can blame a family doc, it is so hard to

diagnose a c'toma.

>From: " olsak4 " <loraoff@...>

>Reply-cholesteatoma

>cholesteatoma

>Subject: Family Doctors and CTomas

>Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 03:26:44 -0000

>

>My four year old son had his congential cholesteatoma removed almost

>two weeks ago. According to the surgeon it has done damage to the bones

>but we'll wait until three months and do a hearing test and see what's

>next. After reading from many other parents in this forum, I think

>we're very lucky to have found it early.

>

>I feel extremely fortunate to have a friend suggest I take my son to a

>local hearing clinic because my doctor wrote off a failed hearing test

>(which his teachers suggested) as an infection, prescribing

>antibiotics, and no further follow-up.

>

>My question, should my family doctor have noticed it? It looks obvious

>in the pictures we have from surgery, but we know what we're looking at

>now. We were also able to look at in the doctors office on the hand

>scope they use every day. I like my family doctor and have known him

>for years but I'm hesitant to return with this oversight that could

>have or may have afftected my son for the rest of his life.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Perhaps there's a difference in ability to diagnose between adults

and children. It seems to me that any doctor that is in a quandary

about what their patient's diagnosis is could always opt for a CT

Scan. That test is expensive though, so I doubt insurance okays it

easily. To me it seems it is not about difficulty of diagnosis.

It's more about willingness to take chances or time to find a

diagnosis. A doctor may not want to go out on a limb in case they

are wrong. Who wants to be known as the doctor who ordered

unecessary and expensive tests, especially in today's environment

where insurance rules over all? I can't simply state that it's okay

for a doctor not to find it. I expect my doctors to be a bit above

the cut and figure things out. For example, my initial birth exam

shows that I had a normal heart and spleen. A year later they

discovered that my heart was pointing to the right side of my body

instead of the left, and that I had no spleen. You can't even

effectively check for spenic function with an external exam, so

someone was just going through the motions. I think doctors often

do just that, they just go through the motions.

Gerry

>

> I had been taking my son to the doc and audiologist since he was

2, for

> hearing loss. Always told it was fluid. Finally diagnosed by an

ENT when he

> was 4.....I don't think you can blame a family doc, it is so hard

to

> diagnose a c'toma.

>

>

> >From: " olsak4 " <loraoff@...>

> >Reply-cholesteatoma

> >cholesteatoma

> >Subject: Family Doctors and CTomas

> >Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 03:26:44 -0000

> >

> >My four year old son had his congential cholesteatoma removed

almost

> >two weeks ago. According to the surgeon it has done damage to the

bones

> >but we'll wait until three months and do a hearing test and see

what's

> >next. After reading from many other parents in this forum, I think

> >we're very lucky to have found it early.

> >

> >I feel extremely fortunate to have a friend suggest I take my son

to a

> >local hearing clinic because my doctor wrote off a failed hearing

test

> >(which his teachers suggested) as an infection, prescribing

> >antibiotics, and no further follow-up.

> >

> >My question, should my family doctor have noticed it? It looks

obvious

> >in the pictures we have from surgery, but we know what we're

looking at

> >now. We were also able to look at in the doctors office on the

hand

> >scope they use every day. I like my family doctor and have known

him

> >for years but I'm hesitant to return with this oversight that

could

> >have or may have afftected my son for the rest of his life.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Actually, I agree with you. I think they should do a better job and,

especially ENTs, should know better. But I even took it to a lawyer

and found that drs. are only legally held responsible for the normal

standard of care, and diagnosing cholesteatoma quickly isn't

considered normal. I definitely switched ENTs, however. But I didn't

change our pediatrician because I thought that in referring us to an

ENT she did the best she could.

Lynn

> >

> > yep, I totally agree, a family practioner is not trained in c-

> tomas. Our

> > family doctor noticed that my son's ear was a bit " different " than

> it had

> > been in previous check ups and prescribed an antibiotic in case

> there was an

> > infection (he had never been diagnosed with one before). When

> that didn't

> > clear it up she sent us to an ENT, he didn't acurately diagnose

> the problem

> > until he had my son on the table to put in a tube...no fluid to

> drain, and

> > he checked with the microscope and saw the c-toma. He

> immeadiately sent us

> > to a specialist. Our family doctor had never seen one and had to

> do some

> > reading up about them. Our ENT had only seen 2 in his practice

> ever. We

> > are VERY lucky to live in an area where there is a specialist.

> > JWW

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Barbara Hatch <rdnckgypc@...> wrote: I had been taking my son to the doc and audiologist since he was 2, for hearing loss. Always told it was fluid. Finally diagnosed by an ENT when he was 4.....I don't think you can blame a family doc, it is so hard to diagnose a c'toma.>From: "olsak4" <loraoff@...>>Reply-cholesteatoma >cholesteatoma >Subject: Family Doctors and CTomas>Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 03:26:44 -0000>>My four year old son had his congential cholesteatoma removed almost>two weeks ago. According to the surgeon it has done damage to the bones>but we'll wait until three months and do a hearing test and see what's>next. After reading from many

other parents in this forum, I think>we're very lucky to have found it early.>>I feel extremely fortunate to have a friend suggest I take my son to a>local hearing clinic because my doctor wrote off a failed hearing test>(which his teachers suggested) as an infection, prescribing>antibiotics, and no further follow-up.>>My question, should my family doctor have noticed it? It looks obvious>in the pictures we have from surgery, but we know what we're looking at>now. We were also able to look at in the doctors office on the hand>scope they use every day. I like my family doctor and have known him>for years but I'm hesitant to return with this oversight that could>have or may have afftected my son for the rest of his life.>>>>>>

[Guest guest]

Dear Barbara my son was diagnosed with c.t.Oct 2004 when he was just 3 years old,he had it removed but is seing the surgeon Thursday as he has another infection and may need further surgery ....it's rare to hear from another mum with a very young child and this condition my surgeon had not treated such a young child.....speak soon Winnie Barbara Hatch <rdnckgypc@...> wrote: I had been taking my son to the doc and audiologist since he was 2, for hearing loss. Always told it was fluid. Finally diagnosed by an ENT when he was 4.....I don't think you can blame a family doc, it is so hard to diagnose a c'toma.>From: "olsak4" <loraoff@...>>Reply-cholesteatoma >cholesteatoma >Subject: Family Doctors and

CTomas>Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 03:26:44 -0000>>My four year old son had his congential cholesteatoma removed almost>two weeks ago. According to the surgeon it has done damage to the bones>but we'll wait until three months and do a hearing test and see what's>next. After reading from many other parents in this forum, I think>we're very lucky to have found it early.>>I feel extremely fortunate to have a friend suggest I take my son to a>local hearing clinic because my doctor wrote off a failed hearing test>(which his teachers suggested) as an infection, prescribing>antibiotics, and no further follow-up.>>My question, should my family doctor have noticed it? It looks obvious>in the pictures we have from surgery, but we know what we're looking at>now. We were also able to look at in the doctors office on the hand>scope they use every day. I like my family doctor and have

known him>for years but I'm hesitant to return with this oversight that could>have or may have afftected my son for the rest of his life.>>>>>>

[Guest guest]

My doctor could not find my c-toma after repeated visits. Nor could he refer me to an ENT. His nurse practitioner was actually the one to refer me.

My general doctor found the ctoma but didn't know what it was. I used to go along to the surgery to renew my earspray prescription: I had more or less permanent earache and a smelly discharge, the spray soothed the symptoms a bit but never resoved them. One time there was a new nurse practioner there and she decided to look in my ear. She gave a little gasp and ran to fetch a doctor. Appearently, there was some white object growing in my ear, possibly fungus. He took a swab and sent it to a lab and on analysis it turned out to be made of skin. Some weird dermatological problem then!

The doctor didn't really think that it warranted going back to ENT. he pulled out an ENT report form when I was five yers old. There'd always been stuff wrong with my ears, "ENT hadn't sorted things out in the past so there wasn't much hope of them fixing things now". So on with his advice, I didn't bother.

Shortly after I came across a newspaper article about Wilde. It said he died following surgery for "cholesteatoma". This was a growth of white skin which produced a smelly discharge which Wilde had been treating with a solution which eased the symptoms but they never got rid of them. The description was identical my own situation so I made sure I got referred to ENT.

By that time things were a mess. The specialist found that I had canal ctoma, middle ear ctoma, no trace of any ear bones or eardrum. The first thing he said to me was "How long is it since you've seen an ear doctor?"

Phil

No virus found in this outgoing message.

Checked by AVG Free Edition.

Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.1.1/271 - Release Date: 28/02/06

[Guest guest]

Winnie,

We started seeing the audiologist when I decided his speech wasn't coming

along like it should. They continued to tell me he had fluid in his ears and

it would resolve itself. We would go in every 4 months and it wouldn't

resolve itself, but they continued to tell me it was no big deal. When he

was 3 I asked about a speech therapist, the doc told me he sounded like

every other 3 year old, he did not...Finally at 4 he got the infection that

wouldn't go away, eventually got a wonderful ENT that told me straight away

he thought it was c'toma. Once he diagnosed that, he asked about my sons

speech...the referred us to a speech therapist that my son still sees to

this day, he is 5 1/2 now. It would be nice if more docs believed a mothers

intuition. We are now battling with his " good " ear. Yes, fluid in his ear.

We are waiting for a surgery date so they can put in a grommet(tube) and

remove his adenoids. Hopefully they will take a good look in his ear while

they are in there to see if also has a c'toma. The ENT doubts it because the

c'toma in the left ear is congenital. I sure hope he's right. I hope they

get your sons infection cleared up without needing surgery. When they

removed it the first time, did they get it or did it come back, was he in a

" maintenance " type phase prior to this infection?

Barbara

>From: IAN GIBSON <howwem@...>

>Reply-cholesteatoma

>cholesteatoma

>Subject: RE: Family Doctors and CTomas

>Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 21:55:26 +0000 (GMT)

>

>Dear Barbara my son was diagnosed with c.t.Oct 2004 when he was just 3

>years old,he had it removed but is seing the surgeon Thursday as he has

>another infection and may need further surgery ....it's rare to hear from

>another mum with a very young child and this condition my surgeon had not

>treated such a young child.....speak soon Winnie

>

>Barbara Hatch <rdnckgypc@...> wrote: I had been taking my son to

>the doc and audiologist since he was 2, for

>hearing loss. Always told it was fluid. Finally diagnosed by an ENT when he

>was 4.....I don't think you can blame a family doc, it is so hard to

>diagnose a c'toma.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Phil,

That's very interesting. I didn't know that about Wilde.

Sorry to hear that you had such a tough time getting a diagnosis.

Gerry

>

> My doctor could not find my c-toma after repeated visits. Nor

could he refer

> me to an ENT. His nurse practitioner was actually the one to

refer

> me.

>

> My general doctor found the ctoma but didn't know what it was. I

used to go along to the surgery to renew my earspray prescription: I

had more or less permanent earache and a smelly discharge, the spray

soothed the symptoms a bit but never resoved them. One time there

was a new nurse practioner there and she decided to look in my ear.

She gave a little gasp and ran to fetch a doctor. Appearently, there

was some white object growing in my ear, possibly fungus. He took a

swab and sent it to a lab and on analysis it turned out to be made

of skin. Some weird dermatological problem then!

>

> The doctor didn't really think that it warranted going back to

ENT. he pulled out an ENT report form when I was five yers old.

There'd always been stuff wrong with my ears, " ENT hadn't sorted

things out in the past so there wasn't much hope of them fixing

things now " . So on with his advice, I didn't bother.

>

> Shortly after I came across a newspaper article about Wilde.

It said he died following surgery for " cholesteatoma " . This was a

growth of white skin which produced a smelly discharge which Wilde

had been treating with a solution which eased the symptoms but they

never got rid of them. The description was identical my own

situation so I made sure I got referred to ENT.

>

> By that time things were a mess. The specialist found that I had

canal ctoma, middle ear ctoma, no trace of any ear bones or eardrum.

The first thing he said to me was " How long is it since you've seen

an ear doctor? "

>

> Phil

>

>

>

>

> No virus found in this outgoing message.

> Checked by AVG Free Edition.

> Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.1.1/271 - Release Date:

28/02/06

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Barbra, your story sounds so much like ours.My son had many infections ,antibiotics and visits to the doctor .I insisted there was something going on !i decided to go private and have a consultation with an ENT doctor.Our ENT is fantastic and thaught it was glue ear he had a shock when he went to put gromets in and found C.T..My son had surgery 2 weeks later as he had to clear a chest infection first, he had a modified radical mastoidectomy.A fiew bones were removed but the mass was growing near the base of his brain !!!!His last check up confirmed an infection 2 weeks ago. His drops finished 4 days ago ,we are going to see the ENT tomorrow ,if the infection is there tomorrow he will need an op to investigate further !!!!!we are worried the C,T, has groewn back. Have you noticed by reading the messages that everybody has had at least 2 surgeris and the c.t. has not gone but has re-grown at least once ? Also our ENT has not treated such a young child and isn't

sure how to answer all of my questions about a child of 3+. Thanks for your information Winnie and Family from the U.K.Barbara Hatch <rdnckgypc@...> wrote: Winnie,We started seeing the audiologist when I decided his speech wasn't coming along like it should. They continued to tell me he had fluid in his ears and it would resolve itself. We would go in every 4 months and it wouldn't resolve itself, but they continued to tell me it was no big deal. When he was 3 I asked about a speech therapist, the doc told me he sounded like every other 3 year old, he did not...Finally at 4 he got the infection that wouldn't go away, eventually got a wonderful ENT that told me straight away he thought it was c'toma. Once he diagnosed that, he asked about my sons speech...the referred us to

a speech therapist that my son still sees to this day, he is 5 1/2 now. It would be nice if more docs believed a mothers intuition. We are now battling with his "good" ear. Yes, fluid in his ear. We are waiting for a surgery date so they can put in a grommet(tube) and remove his adenoids. Hopefully they will take a good look in his ear while they are in there to see if also has a c'toma. The ENT doubts it because the c'toma in the left ear is congenital. I sure hope he's right. I hope they get your sons infection cleared up without needing surgery. When they removed it the first time, did they get it or did it come back, was he in a "maintenance" type phase prior to this infection?Barbara>From: IAN GIBSON <howwem@...>>Reply-cholesteatoma >cholesteatoma >Subject: RE: Family Doctors and CTomas>Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 21:55:26

+0000 (GMT)>>Dear Barbara my son was diagnosed with c.t.Oct 2004 when he was just 3 >years old,he had it removed but is seing the surgeon Thursday as he has >another infection and may need further surgery ....it's rare to hear from >another mum with a very young child and this condition my surgeon had not >treated such a young child.....speak soon Winnie>>Barbara Hatch <rdnckgypc@...> wrote: I had been taking my son to >the doc and audiologist since he was 2, for>hearing loss. Always told it was fluid. Finally diagnosed by an ENT when he>was 4.....I don't think you can blame a family doc, it is so hard to>diagnose a c'toma.>>>>

[Guest guest]

Winnie,

Our stories really do sound the same! We are seeing a pediatric otologist,

if there is anything I can help you with, let me know. I might be able to

answer some questions or get answers from our otologist about the way this

works with the little guys!

Barbara

>From: IAN GIBSON <howwem@...>

>Reply-cholesteatoma

>cholesteatoma

>Subject: RE: Family Doctors and CTomas

>Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2006 16:04:32 +0000 (GMT)

>

>Hi Barbra, your story sounds so much like ours.My son had many infections

>,antibiotics and visits to the doctor .I insisted there was something going

>on !i decided to go private and have a consultation with an ENT doctor.Our

>ENT is fantastic and thaught it was glue ear he had a shock when he went to

>put gromets in and found C.T..My son had surgery 2 weeks later as he had to

>clear a chest infection first, he had a modified radical mastoidectomy.A

>fiew bones were removed but the mass was growing near the base of his brain

>!!!!His last check up confirmed an infection 2 weeks ago. His drops

>finished 4 days ago ,we are going to see the ENT tomorrow ,if the infection

>is there tomorrow he will need an op to investigate further !!!!!we are

>worried the C,T, has groewn back. Have you noticed by reading the messages

>that everybody has had at least 2 surgeris and the c.t. has not gone but

>has re-grown at least once ? Also our ENT has not treated such a young

>child and isn't sure how to answer

> all of my questions about a child of 3+.

> Thanks for your information Winnie and Family from the U.K.

>

>Barbara Hatch <rdnckgypc@...> wrote:

> Winnie,

>We started seeing the audiologist when I decided his speech wasn't coming

>along like it should. They continued to tell me he had fluid in his ears

>and

>it would resolve itself. We would go in every 4 months and it wouldn't

>resolve itself, but they continued to tell me it was no big deal. When he

>was 3 I asked about a speech therapist, the doc told me he sounded like

>every other 3 year old, he did not...Finally at 4 he got the infection that

>wouldn't go away, eventually got a wonderful ENT that told me straight away

>he thought it was c'toma. Once he diagnosed that, he asked about my sons

>speech...the referred us to a speech therapist that my son still sees to

>this day, he is 5 1/2 now. It would be nice if more docs believed a mothers

>intuition. We are now battling with his " good " ear. Yes, fluid in his ear.

>We are waiting for a surgery date so they can put in a grommet(tube) and

>remove his adenoids. Hopefully they will take a good look in his ear while

>they are in there to see if also has a c'toma. The ENT doubts it because

>the

>c'toma in the left ear is congenital. I sure hope he's right. I hope they

>get your sons infection cleared up without needing surgery. When they

>removed it the first time, did they get it or did it come back, was he in a

> " maintenance " type phase prior to this infection?

>Barbara

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Barbara ,The same applies from us ,if you have any questions please ask....I'll let you know what the outcome is after tomorrows appointment ,thanks again speak soon ,Winnie.Barbara Hatch <rdnckgypc@...> wrote: Winnie,Our stories really do sound the same! We are seeing a pediatric otologist, if there is anything I can help you with, let me know. I might be able to answer some questions or get answers from our otologist about the way this works with the little guys!Barbara>From: IAN GIBSON <howwem@...>>Reply-cholesteatoma >cholesteatoma >Subject: RE: Family Doctors and CTomas>Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2006 16:04:32 +0000 (GMT)>>Hi Barbra, your story sounds so much like ours.My son had many infections

>,antibiotics and visits to the doctor .I insisted there was something going >on !i decided to go private and have a consultation with an ENT doctor.Our >ENT is fantastic and thaught it was glue ear he had a shock when he went to >put gromets in and found C.T..My son had surgery 2 weeks later as he had to >clear a chest infection first, he had a modified radical mastoidectomy.A >fiew bones were removed but the mass was growing near the base of his brain >!!!!His last check up confirmed an infection 2 weeks ago. His drops >finished 4 days ago ,we are going to see the ENT tomorrow ,if the infection >is there tomorrow he will need an op to investigate further !!!!!we are >worried the C,T, has groewn back. Have you noticed by reading the messages >that everybody has had at least 2 surgeris and the c.t. has not gone but >has re-grown at least once ? Also our ENT has not treated such a young

>child and isn't sure how to answer> all of my questions about a child of 3+.> Thanks for your information Winnie and Family from the U.K.>>Barbara Hatch <rdnckgypc@...> wrote:> Winnie,>We started seeing the audiologist when I decided his speech wasn't coming>along like it should. They continued to tell me he had fluid in his ears >and>it would resolve itself. We would go in every 4 months and it wouldn't>resolve itself, but they continued to tell me it was no big deal. When he>was 3 I asked about a speech therapist, the doc told me he sounded like>every other 3 year old, he did not...Finally at 4 he got the infection that>wouldn't go away, eventually got a wonderful ENT that told me straight away>he thought it was c'toma. Once he diagnosed that, he asked about my sons>speech...the referred us to a speech

therapist that my son still sees to>this day, he is 5 1/2 now. It would be nice if more docs believed a mothers>intuition. We are now battling with his "good" ear. Yes, fluid in his ear.>We are waiting for a surgery date so they can put in a grommet(tube) and>remove his adenoids. Hopefully they will take a good look in his ear while>they are in there to see if also has a c'toma. The ENT doubts it because >the>c'toma in the left ear is congenital. I sure hope he's right. I hope they>get your sons infection cleared up without needing surgery. When they>removed it the first time, did they get it or did it come back, was he in a>"maintenance" type phase prior to this infection?>Barbara>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the comments. It makes me feel a little better about my

family doctor. I guess I wouldn't be innlimbo if they had done a

follow-up after failing his hearing test. We're very fortunate to

have been persistent and taken him to a hearing clinic on our own for

a follow-up. I was just assuming he would need tubes. Lucky us!

>

> My four year old son had his congential cholesteatoma removed

almost

> two weeks ago. According to the surgeon it has done damage to the

bones

> but we'll wait until three months and do a hearing test and see

what's

> next. After reading from many other parents in this forum, I think

> we're very lucky to have found it early.

>

> I feel extremely fortunate to have a friend suggest I take my son

to a

> local hearing clinic because my doctor wrote off a failed hearing

test

> (which his teachers suggested) as an infection, prescribing

> antibiotics, and no further follow-up.

>

> My question, should my family doctor have noticed it? It looks

obvious

> in the pictures we have from surgery, but we know what we're

looking at

> now. We were also able to look at in the doctors office on the hand

> scope they use every day. I like my family doctor and have known

him

> for years but I'm hesitant to return with this oversight that could

> have or may have afftected my son for the rest of his life.

>