This is my baby all prepped up for his first hospital experience - Grommets. We found out recently that his hearing was pretty poor due to glue ear (average reading for hearing is 10dB on a good day his is at 50dB). Thanks to his personality - being bossy, insistent and stubborn, most people haven't even noticed that he has a problem but it must be hard work for him.
Unlike most children, Euan has been really excited about going to hospital. It's all to do with the marketing, being Star Wars obsessed I explained that he was having special powers being put into his ears. They would put magic cream on his hands (see above), so that he would have the force on them and not be able to feel anything. They they would use a mask to put the force into him and make him go to sleep so the doctor could put the power into his ears. There were no tears at any point and he was happy with every part - as he was going off to sleep he asked if the doctor could make him look like Yoda and give him a 6 pack. As a mother, I'm glad to say that my 4 year old doesn't look like an 800 year old man with a 6 pack but has got special hearing!
His only moan about the whole experience was not being able to eat for the whole morning, this was made up by eating biscuits, cakes and sweets (see above - the chocolate eclair from the hospital bakery caused six kinds of jealousy from big brother!!). I was a bit worried about his hearing when he woke up, I turned the tv on for him. He asked if "the sound is on this tv?", as it was on full volume I wondered if they had damaged his ears! Again he asked "Can I watch the sound?" - OK, damaged his brain too? Then he added "the programme with the turny red chairs". Ah-ha - that would be the Saturday night talent show 'The Voice'. Was I relieved!!
I didn't realise his hearing was so bad until he got home and has been asking 'what's the noise' constantly. The most surprising one - he's got a music box I've wound every night since he was born, to play a lullaby to go to sleep. The first night after grommets, he asked where the music was coming from, he'd never heard it before!
