Christmas 2024 is one we will remember forever, not because of the holiday but the days leading up to it.
Earlier this year Larisa went to see a doctor about her hearing loss. She has had ear problems since childhood but it had been growing worse recently. She received antibiotics and a follow up appointment. Six months later her hearing was practically non-existent in her left ear.
An assistant, trying to clear her left ear, found some stubborn wax that wouldn’t budge. When she finally got it, there was blood. She was quickly referred to a surgeon – something was definitely wrong. We were furious, thinking they made a mistake and had damaged her left ear.
Looking back, it may have saved her life.
She had a cholesteatoma, an abnormal collection of skin cells in her middle ear, similar to a tumor. It is a slow growing disease that would eventually destroy her inner ear – tissue, nerves and bone.
It can also cause facial paralysis, brain infection and even death if not caught in time.
Larisa’s diagnosis wasn’t as bad as we feared. The disease was contained in her middle ear. Surgery was the only solution.
Last week, we arrived an hour before the surgery, unsure of what was to come. A surgical plan was in place but with so many variables, the plan was sure to change, which it did.
Larisa had a tympanomastoidectomy with total ossicular chain replacement and bilateral Eustachian tube dialation. Sadly, I know what all of that means. A small procedure on her right ear was later scuttled during the two and a half hour surgery.
To simplify, the surgeon removed the disease from her middle ear and rebuilt it. Don’t ask how the middle ear is accessed.
The disease had nearly destroyed her middle ear. The surgeon had to rebuild it. Normally this reconstruction involves one or two of the three tiny bones in your middle ear. She initially required two. The remaining bone was too weak so a titanium replacement was necessary.
She also had what we’ve been calling a nose angioplasty. Similar to a heart artery procedure, her Eustacian tubes had a balloon inserted to open them up.
The work her surgeon did, operating in the miniscule space of Larisa’s middle ear, is nothing short of a miracle.
Recovery has been difficult due to lingering dizziness, fatigue and pain. She no longer has taste on half of her tongue. There is plenty that can still go wrong, including the possibility we have to do it all over again. Regaining her hearing is far from a sure thing. What we originally chalked up as hearing loss ended up being so much more.
Larisa has started writing about her journey and is encouraging others to get their hearing loss checked out. It has been therapeutic for her. Some of the responses have been heartbreaking. As it turns out, we were incredibly lucky for the “mistake” at the doctor’s office.
I have been completely numb since the surgery. Describing what we’ve been through is suprisingly difficult in this limited space but we are determined to overcome every obstacle that comes our way.
Fortunately, the disease is gone and the potential for devastating effects is diminished. We are intentionally working to find a way to feel blessed and grateful for the gifts we have been given.
dougb@news-banner.com
