What harm could they do? + Can anyone share some success stories with me about this?

(Tank, shorts, shoes)

Another day with my friend, Robin, and my bike in the early hours of the morning.

I went into this workout thinking it wouldn’t be a big deal because it was an interval & arms ride, and I had never done one before.  What harm could 5 lb weights do?

It turns out they can do a lot of harm.  A lot.

I left the 45-minute workout with a new pr for the day, which I was pleased about!  It was nice to get in some strength and cardio all at once.

Last random thing about spin… I’m not sure how I used to teach spin classes and talk the entire time.  I must have been cheating on my tension big time;)

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Skye’s best friend was outside waiting for her to get back after dropping off Brooke at school… it’s never too early for them to start playing and she was out the door ASAP.

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I made my first thing from the Rise and Run Cookbook—> Green Eggs and Hammer On Superhero Muffins, and they were great!  Packed with protein and iron… they suggest them before a run, but I think this will be better for after the run for me:).

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I found a winner.  You have to be in the mood for peanut butter, but this one is amazing.

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We got some time together out on the porch.  He is almost one year into his Nurse Practioner program.  I’m not sure how he manages to juggle that with us and work but so far, so good.  Nineteen months left to go, and then he is done for good with school.

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Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas happened for dinner.  I love Fatima’s recipe because it is so simple and delicious (it is listed in her ‘recipe’ highlight bubble).

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Andrew and I ended the day with the Office episode with Michael eating fettuccine alfredo moments before his 5k.  I love this episode so much.

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Beck has had his second ear infection in less than a month (and he has had many before that), and they recommended that he get ear tubes.  This current ear infection is a double one, and the doctor said it was one of the worst he has seen in a very long time.  He also had a very high fever and stuffy nose (very good news= his lungs sound great because I was very worried about RSV).  I’ve heard some people say that the ear tubes made the biggest difference for their little one, and I would love to hear from anyone else who has any experience with this situation.  It has been an emotional few days with a lot of tears for many different reasons, but without the lows, we wouldn’t recognize the highs.

Just going to keep snuggling this little one and get him feeling better again.  PS he needed Brooke to be touching him at the doctor’s office on Monday night.

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PS I had written about the above thing with the highs and lows and then came across this section in Shalane and Elyse’s cookbook.  There are so many similarities between running and life.

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Ear infection stories?  Success stories with ear tubes?  Who has had them?

Did you ever have any surgeries when you were young or those with kids, have your kids ever had surgeries when they are still so little?

-I know the ear tubes thing is a very minor and short procedure but this is brand new territory for me!

Would you say you have a sensitive stomach with what you eat before you run?

-Over the years it has become more and more sensitive!

Office fan?  Favorite episode?

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88 comments

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Good morning Janae! I am so sorry to hear about little Beck, I hope you find a solution that reduces/eliminates those pesky ear infections. Must be so hard when they can’t articulate much. While I don’t have children yet, it seems like the ear tubes help most little ones I know that have been in the situation. Sending all the good vibes! I don’t remember Brooke or Skye having the same trouble, did they? Interesting how some kiddos unfortunately get hit with it harder.
Gosh, I remember my best friend in high school and I eating brownies and milk before our home cross country meets (she lived right next to the course). I can’t imagine doing that today, lol!
I never really got into The Office, but it sure seems to have an amazing following!

Would you say you have a sensitive stomach with what you eat before you run?

-Over the years it has become more and more sensitive!

Office fan? Favorite episode?

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AMANDA! Thank you so so much. It really is so sad because he can’t tell me what he needs, he just cries and cries. I think Brooke only had one ear infection and I don’t remember any with Skye (you are so great… thank you). I really do wonder why he has had them so bad compared to the girls.
Hahaha brownies and milk before a race… I feel like I did the same thing in my early 20s. I miss that stomach of mine. I hope you are having a wonderful day in Hawaii!

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I know you probably meant who had kids with tubes….but I had tubes at age 5 after constant ear infections. I am now 43 and only had one infection since! So in my experience they were great.

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I am so so grateful you told me this! I cannot wait for Beck to be done with ear infections. Thank you for your success story, these are calming my nerves a lot. Have the best day, Allison!

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We went to the ENT to get tonsils out as recommended by the pediatrician. The ENT also recommended tubes since she’d had so many infections. For whatever reason I was stunned and didn’t want a double surgery scenario. He said let’s do a hearing test and see where she’s at. Turns out she had “significant” but not permanent hearing loss that would be reversed with tubes. Life changing to say the least. Once I realized she couldn’t hear (and noticed it every second after that) the surgery couldn’t come soon enough. She never had any problems and I’m so glad the Dr. did his job and suggest what was best for my daughter. The tubes lasted about 9 months and they said after that she didn’t need a second set. She hasn’t had an ear infection (Or hearing loss) since. The tonsils too, were a great decision for her but that part of the recovery was definitely tough.

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Laura! Oh wow, that must have been a very scary time for you all. What a huge relief that the tubes were able to help her so so much. I am so grateful for doctors like the one you had… they are amazing. I have heard that tonsil recovery is very difficult. Thank you so much Laura for sharing, hope you and your daughter are having a great morning!

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I was the QUEEN of ear infections when I was a child. I had tubes put in when I was I think 3! They did help but I ended up having some more problems and another surgery when I was 6. That might not be helpful to hear, but having surgery as a kid was in no way traumatizing and it gave me bragging rights at school. :-) I can’t speak to it from my parents’ perspective, but I know Beck will be fine! Sending you good thoughts and prayers.

That is my second-favorite episode of the office. I watch it the night before every race!

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Kristin, I can’t thank you enough. This is exactly the perspective that I needed. I am SO glad that you were able to get the procedures needed. I cannot imagine how painful ear infections are. Okay, I am going to have to copy your tradition of watching that episode the night before a race. Have a beautiful day!

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My youngest son had RSV at 3 months and then monthly ear infections for his first year, having tubes placed around age 1 was the best thing for him- no more ear infections, with the constant need for antibiotics. He did have to have the tubes placed again around age 3. He’s 11 now and things have been great after both procedures! Good luck to your little one.

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Christen, oh my goodness! He had a very hard first year of life! I am SO glad that everything worked out so well for him and that the ear tubes have helped him so much. That is how I am feeling, I cannot believe how much antibiotics Beck has had to have. Thank you so much friend, have a beautiful day and ELEVEN… what a fun year!

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Poor Beck :( I had tubes in my ears as a kid and it helped a lot! I would get a lot of ear infections and had trouble hearing because of it. But after, I didn’t have those problems anymore. I was much older than Beck though, probably 6 or 7. Hopefully being younger makes it so he doesn’t remember it as much!

Love the office and Parks and Rec!

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Mariah, I am SO happy that the ear tubes were able to hear you so much. What a huge blessing. I cannot wait for him to not have these ear infections anymore. I hope you have a beautiful day and you get in some Office or Parks and Rec asap:)

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My daughter didn’t need ear tubes, but I did. I had them starting when I was very little until I was 27 yrs old. They made a huge difference for me, much less fluid in my ears and almost no ear infections!

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Michelle, I am SO SO happy that ear tubes have helped you so much. Thank you for sharing, these stories are helping me so much. Hope your day is a wonderful one!

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My boys are older now, and both had tubes. My older boy had significant hearing loss due to constant infections. that hearimg loss created speech troubles and delays that took years of speech therapy to correct . My younger child was miserable before getting thr tubes. They both only had them once, and it was like an exorcism! HUGE difference in their lives. I say don’t wait, there is no need to suffer and thr damage if you do not it can be long term.

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We had to wait for our daughter to be 6 months old for anesthesia to get her first set of tubes. The going under part was hard, as was coming out but by the afternoon she was a completely different baby- happy, noisy and a joyful eater. She later needed a second set, coupled with adenoid removal, after the first set fell out. The second time around was a piece of cake. It is terribly scary to put your little one under but SO worth it! She just had a follow up at the ENT 1.5 years after surgery and while the tubes are out again, she hasn’t had a single ear infection and has been otherwise very healthy, too.

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Maragaret, I am so so happy that the ear tubes and adenoid removal were so successful for her. I think the going under part is what is scaring me the most so I’m glad I’m not alone in being afraid of that. So happy her follow up went well. Have a beautiful day and thank you for sharing!

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One of our children had 11 ear infections her first year of life and had tubes put in on her first birthday. It was AMAZING. She literally never had another ear infection again and the hearing loss was completely reversed. Her tubes fell out when she was about 3 and she didn’t need a second set.

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ELEVEN ear infections, oh that is so so hard. I cannot thank you enough for sharing her story with me. These stories are calming my nerves down a lot. So happy for your little one and that first year must have been rough! Hope you have a beautiful day!

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My husband and I wanted to avoid surgery for our oldest since he had already been under anesthesia for a different, longer procedure when he was a newborn. Around his 7th/8th ear infection under age 1 we both came to the same conclusion he needed the tubes (the ENT had told us previously we would know when it’s time and we did) and my son had them placed in a 10 minute procedure just after his first birthday. No more ear infections since (and he is in elementary school now). They fell out in about a year but that was enough time for him to outgrow the problem. Good luck!! I hope he feels better soon!!!

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AP, thank you thank you thank you for sharing this with me. I am SO happy that the ear tubes were able to help him so much. Anesthesia and a long procedure as a newborn too… you are one tough mom! Thank you so much, I am so ready for Beck to feel happy again!

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Good luck, Janae! Our oldest had like 2 ear infections a month for what felt like 2 years. We were about a month away from putting tubes in when she started to just grow out of and the ear infections subsided so we elected to hold off and she never needed them. But she did also have clogged tear ducts (which led to lots of pink eye) early on. She had eye infections as young as 3 weeks old. So when she was 15 months when she went under for the procedure to unclog her tear ducts. I was very nervous, but they were amazing there and so good with kids. It was a quick procedure, similar to ear tube procedure. We had it done early in the morning and she was back to her old self within a few hours. Good luck!

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OH WOW! I am so glad she was able to grow out of the ear infections and that you were able to take care of her tear ducts. It is all so scary but it sounds like these sorts of things are making the biggest difference for them all! Thanks Mary, have a wonderful day!

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I’m so sorry about Beck and his ear infections. My kids never had bad issues with them, but my brother did and he had the tubes (back in the early 90s!) and they worked WONDERS. I hope he gets some relief (and yes, so glad not RSV, my son was hospitalized with that when he was very young and it’s scary. It’s also been going around our daycare for the little ones and we’ve had kids getting it TWICE this year!). I hope you guys have a better rest of your week and he’s feeling better! <3
Ps- try the PB bars from rise and run! I made them without chocolate because I don’t like PB and chocolate (I know It’s weird) and they were SO good!

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Thank you Mollie, this means a lot to me! I am so happy to hear that they helped your brother so so much. Oh I cannot even imagine how scary that must have been with your son in the hospital with RSV. Our doctor told us last month to be very careful with it because it is going around here really bad too. Ahhhh I hope our littles have the healthiest winter. I will make those today, I need some baking therapy! Thank you friend, have a great day!

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Three of my four kiddos had tubes. They just had the worst ears and it was a life saver. And don’t worry it was over so quick, you don’t even have time to run down and get a cup of coffee! And I hear you on the 5 pound weights, I use the three and sometimes that’s too much. LOL Hope the little one feels better soon.

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Rene’!!! Three of your kids had ear tubes… wow. I bet you are so grateful for that fast procedure to take away all of the pain they were experiencing. I love to hear that it is so quick, not sure I could handle anything longer. Thank you so much and seriously, basically any weights kill me off haha. Thanks friend and have a beautiful day!

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I got ear tubes as a kid (and so did my sister)! Although I think I was about 4 or 5 when I got them, so quite a few years older than Beck.
I got really bad ear infections and the tubes did help. for my sister they also helped with her hearing (my dad tells she could suddenly hear the fridge zooming after the surgery, while she had never noticed before).
I have some vague recollections about being in the hospital for the surgery, in my memory it is basically a very long doctor’s appointment, except I had to change into surgery robes and the play corner at the hospital was way better than the one in our G.P.’s waiting room ;) but I don’t remember being worried or scared at all.
Of course, 1 year and 5 years are VERY DIFFERENT ages, so I can understand you’re hesitant about it while Beck is so young :(
but if you do decide to go for it (now or in a few years), it did really help for us!
maybe ask for more info with your doctor if you feel unsure? or even get a second opinion.

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Nina, thank you so much for sharing your and your sister’s story with me! I do worry about Beck’s hearing at times so I hope that it will help his hearing like your sister if that is the case. I bet that was quite a surprise to her that the fridge made noises! Your perspective of the situation is helping me a lot. Thank you so so much and you are so right to ask more questions and to learn more about it… sometimes it’s anxiety and sometimes it’s mama intuition! Thank you for your help, it means a lot!

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Aaawww, poor Beck!
My youngest had tubes when he was a little over 2, and it did make a huge difference! He kept having horrible ear infections, and even when he didn’t have one, I felt like he wasn’t hearing very well. The procedure itself was quick, and he seemed to come out of the anesthesia pretty well (I know that’s a concern for many parents). He’s never had an ear infection since (he’s 17 now), and it definitely helped with him hearing normally. I also had tubes when I was little, but I really don’t remember much about it… Ha. Hang in there! I know it’s tough when the littles are sick, especially Beck’s age because they can’t tell you how they feel. Sending you lots of love and hugs!
Ooo… Such a good section from Rise and Run to share with us ?. I can’t wait to get that book.
Heading to the gym for a short speed session and weights. Have a good day Janae, and be kind to yourself too! You’re a great mom and doing a great job!

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This is so good to hear. I am so glad that the ear tubes were able to help your youngest so well. I do wonder at times about Beck’s hearing so I hope this will help him like it did your son too. Thank you for being the best, I really felt your love in your message. Have the best speed and strength session. Thanks you.

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After a hearing test and several ear infections our ENT recommended tubes for my 3 year old. He got them back in May and the procedure literally lasted 5 minutes so they aren’t under long AT ALL. I was really nervous about that, but all went well and he took it like a champ. He was a bit fussy for the first 30 minutes just coming off the anesthesia but after that he went back to being his normal self! He hasn’t had any ear infections since. The ENT will tell you that the tubes will drain if he has a cold but that actually means they’re working, just wanted to give you a heads up about that!

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THANK YOU for the heads up, I did not know that! I am so glad that everything went so well with your three-year-old. A five- minute procedure is about all I can handle at this point ha… so good to hear that he did so well and that the recovery was great too. Thanks for sharing Sarah, my anxiety is calming way down from these comments. Have a beautiful day!

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Hi janae!
I’m an RN in the PACU recovery room at Primary Childrens. I can answer any and all questions you have about anesthesia and ear tubes. I can emphatically say- YES go for it. It’s no fun for you but you will all sleep better after and less antibiotics is always a good thing!

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Jessica, you are exactly who I needed to talk to. I really appreciate your help and expect an email from me as you hold my hand through this ha. Thank you for helping me and for all you do for the children at Primary Childrens!

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Hi Janae!! So sorry to hear about your l’il due, Beck. I always feel extra bad for littles when they are sick. I just wanted to chime in quickly to say my little brother had tubes in his ears (this was a long time ago – the procedure and everything is so much better now) and they made a world of difference for him. A good friend’s son had them as well (much more recently) and they were a game changer for both him and his parents.
Andrew is my superhero with how much he is doing and how well he is managing it all! No doubt,largely made possible by such a loving and supportive family!! Congrats to you as well for keeping up with all of the cross training!!
Hang in there and Happy Hump Day to you and your family!!

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My son has renal agenesis, meaning he was born with only one kidney. He also had vesicoureteral reflux, which isn’t a big deal, but having only one kidney made it more troublesome. When he was 2, he had a ureter reimplantation. Pretty major surgery. He is doing great and hopefully done with the miserable tests (VCUGs).

Good luck to Beck!

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Good morning!! Poor little Beck! I hope he is feeling better!
Three out of four of our kids had ear tubes put in. They were 15 mo, 10 mo, and 18 months when they had them put in. We were so glad we did it with all three. We were so blessed that all three kept them in for over a year and none of them had anymore ear infections. It never got any easier to hand my babies over for surgery, but it is such a quick procedure! The recovery room afterwards was the worst part for us as all three of our kids were screaming and flailing around for several minutes afterwards. We were not warned about that with our first daughter and it was rough! I hope Beck gets some relief!! Praying for you guys!

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Ohhhh, poor little Beck! I can relate- my daughter had so many ear infections as a baby, and got tubes at 15 months old. Best decision we could have made! Literally the day after surgery, she started noticing sounds that she had never paid attention to before. Like airplanes overhead, and lawn mowers. They would startle her at first, in fact, because the noises were new to her. That told us we definitely made the right decision, because we had not realized how much her fluid – filled ears were affecting her hearing. She is 7 now, and I think she has only had 1 ear infection since that time. Oh! And the surgery is so short, we had not even got settled in the waiting room before the dr was out to let us know it was over. The worst part was pre-surgery, bc she was not allowed to eat or drink and we had to be there very early.

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Oh, it’s so hard to have your baby have surgery. My son had surgery at 8 weeks old with a neurosurgeon to correct craniosynostosis. He didn’t have a soft spot and they needed to remove a small section of bone to allow his brain to grow normally. I was assured over and over that it is a relatively safe surgery; the surgeon had done a ton and never had a bad outcome. But it’s soooo hard to sign those release forms and it felt awful handing him over for surgery. I kind of felt like you described in that I knew intellectually that the surgery would almost for sure be ok, but I couldn’t stop worrying about the tiny chance of complications until I was holding him afterwards.

And those arms and light weights are intense. I do a lot of Tunde’a with 3 pound weights but I did Olivia’s from 9/10 and had to use 1lb for parts! Whew!

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Our daughter had ear tubes at 17 months after getting 13 ear infections basically back to back. We had a great surgeon at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear hospital (Dr. Tierney). The hospital was amazing, the doctors great, and though we were very nervous – it drastically improved our daughter’s sleep and her general disposition. She never had another ear infection after the tubes! And when we flew/ traveled in cars to places where elevation changed she was a much happier kid with tubes.

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I’m an office super fan! Have you listened to the office ladies podcast?! I love it so much – Jenna and Angela just chatting about randomness and sharing insider info about what goes into making each episode!
Season four is my favourite season, and fun run and stress relief are my favourite episodes !!
Poor beck. Thinking of you guys!

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When my oldest son was about 15 months old he had tubes put in and it was such a game changer!! But I know how you feel, it is scary. I live in a small community so when we were discussing tubes, I was talking to a lot of people in my office and around and there was one comment from a co-worker that just stuck and finalized our decision. He had older kids at the time and when I was tell him this and how scary it was and he just looked at me and said “it is better than pumping him full of antibiotics every time”. I was sold after seeing it from that way! My son did great through the quick surgery and even was up running around later that day. He did get an ear infection down the road, but they just gave us ear drops and that cleared it up super easy. It is worth it! Now with our newest baby, we are one the look out and if he struggles with ear infection we would do it again. Good luck!!

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Huge fan of tubes! My oldest had them after several ear infections and they made a huge difference! The surgery was very short and the hardest part was when they are waking up. I’d do it all over again!

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Ear tubes. Hope had them at the same age as Beck is now. Hardest on the mom, with the doctors suggestion for them and the 48 hours after being the hardest. Beck is still a perfect little human, and it is going to help him so much! This will end the ear infections, and stop all the rounds of antibiotics.
Like anything anxiety producing the anticipation of the procedure will be there, but on the other side you will be so happy you did.
xoxo

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I never got tubes but I had a lot of ear infections as a kid and still get them easier than most. I hope the tubes give sweet Beck some relief!

Try an intervals and arms ride with Tunde! They hurt so good!

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Sorry to hear about Beck! My daughter had surgery at 20 months to remove a thyroglossal duct cyst. The doctor recommended that it be done sooner rather than later, and she was a trooper! We brought her a little gift at the hospital that she could open after the surgery. The worst part was when they brought her out right after surgery and we had to wait for her to sleep off the anesthesia, while watching her hooked up to lots of lines and machines. She looked so small and vulnerable.

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Aw I am so sorry you are dealing with this. But from our experience, ear tubes were a game changer! My son used to have constant ear infections. He would get high fevers and the infections wouldn’t always respond to antibiotics so we would have to do multiple rounds of different antibiotics. I was afraid for my tiny guy to go under anesthesia so I put it off as long as I could, but once he got tubes the infections completely stopped. His tubes fell out about a year ago and he still hasn’t had any issues. I only regret waiting!

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My five year old had an inguinal hernia repair when she was four. She wasn’t in pain from it, but it needed to be taken care of. I was so nervous about her going into the operating room, how she would respond to the anesthesia, etc…, and I was so relieved when it was over. The thing about kids is that their bodies and minds are so resilient. They heal and bounce back so much faster than we do. Most of the time it’s the parents that worry unnecessarily, it’s just part of our role in loving them so fiercely.

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Poor Beck – that’s so rough for him (and you, I’m sure)! I have been looking for the recipe you shared awhile back (and a couple other times) for that breakfast scramble / burrito you make. Can you link it again? Have a beautiful day, and thank you!!!

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All 3 of my brothers had tubes in their ears (none of the 5 girls ever did, funny, huh?) and a few had them placed multiple times because they fell out. I think even though it seems scary, it’s really impt so they can hear and process correctly esp at that young age. I wonder if it is more common with boys……hmmmmmm.

I have to keep it simple with eating before a run, and I need a minimum of 90 min to digest anything.

I rocked my 5k and half this past weekend…….currently prepping for the half this saturday!!

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I had tubes as a kid. It made a huge difference. The ear infections had caused me to have terrible hearing and affected my speech. The tubes helped clear it all up and they fell out on their own as I got older.

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I am 45 years old and had tubes when I was about 7. I had tons of ear infections as a baby/child and am still immune to amoxicillin because I had it too many times. Post-tubes, I had my next ear infections at 18 (both got infected at once). Since then I think I’ve had 1 more ear infection in my mid-twenties. So they definitely worked for me.

It wasn’t until the one in my mid-twenties that I realized truly how painful they are. I remember lying on my floor wanting to die to make the pain go away. Ugh. My ears are still a problem for me in other ways – I get a lot of dizziness/vertigo, and my ears always get congested for a very long time when I have a cold, and I have trouble flying because it takes a while for them to adjust/pop (like a couple of days after a flight sometimes).

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Hi Janae! I’m so sorry to hear your little guy is having ear infections. I had chronic ones as a kid, to the point where I was constantly on Amoxycillin + Dimetapp to try to keep my ears “dry.” When I turned 5 a specialist recommended having tubes put in, and it really was like night and day – no more ear infections after that. I know there’s conflicting advice out there about the medical necessity of tubes along with the medical necessity of using antibiotics for every ear infection, but there are many cases where the choice is clear, and the pain from ear infections as a kid is no joke (I still remember how bad some of mine hurt). If your doctor is seeing terrible infections in Beck, tubes are a low-risk and very common operation that could save you both a ton of pain down the road. I hope you find the solution that works for you!

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Poor Beck. I don’t have any kids yet, but I had many ear infections as a kid. My parents ended up trying every medicine they could and I guess they eventually found one that worked and kept my ear infections at bay so I didn’t get tubes although I know it was recommended to my parents. Since I would complain about my ears hurting often, my parents actually had to buy an otoscope to look at my ears at home all the time and know what an ear infection looked like to determine if I needed to go to the doctor. I didn’t have ear infections for a long time then I randomly had one my first year of college and the pain is awful. I actually think I got it from swimming so I now wear ear plugs each time I swim for fear of getting another one.
I’m reading the comments on people’s experiences and sounds like there are many success stories with the tubes. I hope Beck gets better soon.

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I can’t get that Fatima recipe of enchiladas to come up. Is there another way to get it?

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Just emailed it to you!!

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DD (now 15!) had tubes shortly after her first birthday bc she has recurrent ear infections (her doc called it “glue ear”). Immediately after surgery she started walking- we think she had a lot of vertigo bc of the ear infections. Was a great solution for her. Hugs to you and Beck – it’s so hard when your loved ones don’t feel well and you can’t fix it for them.

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Aww, so sorry about sweet Beck’s ears!! My oldest had tubes when she was right around Beck’s age! Never got another ear infection after that! It’s amazing what those tiny tubes can do! I hope you can get Beck some relief soon! And I hope you are feeling better soon from all the tears. :-(

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Hi Janae! Our second daughter almost needed tubes but then wound up not needing them. But I was totally on board and wanted her to hve them. Less antibiotics and less pain for the kiddo is a big win!
My oldest daughter recently had surgery for a herniated belly button. I wasn’t very nervous until we actually got to the hospital and then it felt very real. It was weird seeing her in a hospital bed and high as a kite on the anesthesia. But the doctors did an AMAZING job and she was thrilled with getting to eat popsicles after she woke up.
Don’t worry. The tubes will be great. We have a friend who is an ENT and he was so confident about tubes being such a simple and beneficial procedure. Beck will be fine because he has you and a wonderful family to help him feel confident and secure. Good luck, Janae. :)

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Both of my girls had tubes, one of my children actually had a 2nd set and adenoids removed, BUT while it was terrifying for me as their momma, it was a simple quick procedure and after a few hours they were back to their usual selves! Once they had tubes we never dealt with another ear infection after that and it made such a difference! Good luck with everything Beck wont even remember any of this!

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Oh my gosh, I just lived through this. My daughter started daycare when she was 12 months old and pretty much had back to back to back ear infections. It was horrible! She had two sets of ear tubes and now at 19 months old is doing SO MUCH BETTER! I was pretty nervous to have her do the traditional tubes because I didn’t want her to have to go under. So her first set we did was Humminbird tubes. It’s a new technology that lets them place the ear tubes in the doctor’s office instead of doing surgery. That set ended up clogging so she had to have a second set. For the second set, her ears were so full of gunk that she had to have surgery to totally clean her ears out and put a new set in. It was definitely a long three months but now that we are about a month out from her second set she is doing so much better and is finally starting to talk because she can hear right! Looking back on it, I’m not sure I would have done the hummingbird tubes again. There are some awesome pluses but I think it depends on your situation as to if they are right for you. If you wanna chat anymore about it, I’m happy to go more into my experience! Long story short, it’s a lot of emotions but tubes are so, so helpful!!

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I had an ear tube put in to see if it would help with the popping sensation I feel in my left ear every time I swallow. I hated the feeling of having something in my ear so much that I went in the next day to have it removed. Having it removed was one of the worst physical pains I have ever experienced. I hope Beck feels better soon! :(

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I’m so sorry to hear about Beck. My son is almost 21, but when he was almost two they recommended tubes because he had ear infections all of the time. They were the best thing ever. He rarely got another ear infection after the tubes. When he came out of anesthesia you wouldn’t have even known he had surgery. He recovered very quickly. Hope this helps a little. :)

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My oldest had tubes in around 13 months. He was constantly on antibiotics before then. We were seeing a pediatrician practice where we never saw the same doctor and being a first time mom was totally overwhelmed. We switched pediatricians and had him tested for allergies. He was allergic to everything and ended up changing his diet and getting tubes. It was such a short and painless procedure, he was up and playing that afternoon like nothing had happened. Totally worth getting them done!! Hope Beck feels better soon!

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You’re SO right that there are so many overlaps between running and life–and that bottom paragraph from your clip from Shalane’s book (at the end of your post) really struck a nerve in me and speaks SO MUCH to a really important experience I’ve had this week: I’m on my 4th week in my position, and I have a preliminary deadline of the end of this week of my first iteration of Phase 1 of an ENORMOUS project that I have been trusted with that will affect the entire company of over 1200 employees (it’s a 5-part leadership training resource that will be delivered electronically first as a network of online training modules, articles, and job aids and will set the foundation for future phases that will include facilitating in-person and virtual training sessions). I’ve been plugging away and working HARD at developing tons of content that I think can be a valuable resource for my company, but I have been wrestling with the question of “is valuable necessarily ‘right for right now’ or will it fall on deaf ears if not tended to carefully?” On Monday afternoon, I asked my supervisor for some pretty big feedback on what I am missing, and I expressed my concerns (realistic usefulness of my content when my audience is so new to me, and I don’t fully know their needs just yet) and my intention (doing my absolute best work to provide helpful and impactful resources that will allow the people around me to be great!). It felt VERY vulnerable–so much so that at one point, I had to catch myself and tell my boss that I recognize I risk sounding wishy-washy or unconfident, but I want to make sure that work I care about very much is hitting the mark not in a good way, but in the right way.

It was so weird to leave myself so vulnerable in that conversation, and even as I have forged ahead with a bit more confidence in how I am approaching my project and some very clear next steps to make sure that I am making this as helpful as possible (instead of just ‘valuable’), I’m still feeling the aftershock of having laid myself so bare and wide-open and having asked such BIG questions from my new boss.

But I also know it’s the only way to learn, to grow, and to give myself every chance to be better. And from follow-up conversations yesterday I am left with the gut instinct that he gets where I am coming from that that not working in a well-intentioned bubble is really important to me.

Phew. That was a lot to type! So I guess it means we’re practically besties now since I can lay myself so open and honest?!? (awkward chuckle inserted here) ;)

Those protein muffins look yummy!!!!! I’m still making my way through the breakfast burritos recipe you mentioned about a month and a half or so ago–I made one big batch of them to incorporate into my breakfast rotation each week. They’re so good!!

BOO about Beck’s ear infection but YAY that there’s so much love and so many ways to snuggle all around him until he feels better. :)

SUPER impressed with Andrew’s progress towards his NP goals and how he is balancing so much! Virtual high-fives to him!!!

Hope you’re all having a GREAT day out there!!!!

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Hi Janae! All 4 of my kids have had ear tubes and it was the best thing! They all had so many ear infections and got to the point where the antibiotics would not even touch them – so we ended up having to do the shots. It was so hard sending each of them back for the tubes, but they are in and out so quick, and honestly, back to themselves within hours. Totally worth it and I will recommend it to you a million times over. Thinking of you and praying for you as you make this decision.

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Our youngest is like 4 days older than Beck – and she had tubes put in back in September, after multiple ear infections, back to back, with antibiotics not working. Procedure was quick, no issues. No ear infections since and has since completely settled her unsettled nights. Shes louder and more chatty too – must be because she can hear herself properly or something.

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I have no comment on tubes since neither of my kids ever had issues with ear infections but all those that I know that have had them says it makes a huge difference/improvment.

Years ago when I’d make hot chocolate (homemade if I could) I would add a scoop of peanut butter right into the cup and let it melt. It was delicious! I’ve never seen peanut butter hot chocolate though. My kids really like the s’mores flavor.

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I highly recommend the tubes! Both of my boys have had them. My first burst two eardrums and was on six rounds of antibiotics in six week (and they discovered that the other ear was healing from a rupture that no one knew he had…). The ENT took one look at him and said that he would be on the list for surgery the next day. It was a pretty emotional thing for me (since he’d spent 91 days in the nicu already, so taking him into a hospital for any reason was traumatic!) but realistically it was a super easy situation. He took it like a champ and once the meds had worked out of his system (which took a couple of hours), he was fine and good. No ear infections again and the tubes came out with no problem. With my second, he had four infections in a short time and was on the schedule for tube surgery, but that was the week that the pandemic started and they shut down the OR. Two months later, when they opened it back up again, he had it done the first day that the doctor was given an OR time. That was hard, since I didn’t know how the whole pandemic piece of it was going to work, but once again, everything was fine and it was a pretty easy and he handled it like a champ. His tubes are now out also, but he hasn’t had any ear infections since. The worse part of the whole thing was that you can’t feed them before surgery and trying to convince a baby that he can’t eat is hard. My mom was with me with my first and as long as she was holding him, he was good. That didn’t work with the second since I couldn’t bring another person in due to covid. Luckily, (at least at our hospital) they try and get the babies in early in the day so that they can eat.

All that to say, do the surgery. It will make his (and your!) life easier.

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As a child, I had frequent ear infections. My mom used to carry an antibiotic prescription with her all the time. Ear tubes made a HUGE difference for me. I don’t think I ever had an infection again afterwards. It’s hard when it’s your little one, but from my 50-yr old perspective, it was totally worth it!!

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Hi! So I have been reading your blog almost daily for the last 18 months or so and have thought of responding many times, but always chicken out….but here goes…when my daughter was about 18 months old, we had to have a large birthmark on her chest removed. Super easy, super simple outpatient procedure but because of the location, they had to put her under general anesthesia and that totally freaked me out! The whole thing was only like 45 minutes, but it was agonizing! She woke up super grouchy but was back to herself later that day. The funny thing is that I am a pediatric ICU nurse!!! I work in a cardiovascular icu and take care of babies and kids after open heart surgery every day! But when it comes to your own kid, it’s different. I have so much respect for parents of medically fragile kids-I can’t imagine it. In the long run, it was the decision that was best for her. So if you do it, be prepared to be emotional, and be prepared for him to be grouchy, but it might be what’s best for him.

PS-I live in the Chicagoland area, and I know it’s on your list, but you should totally come run the Chicago marathon! It’s amazing!

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My son had tubes at about the same age. It was a quick, easy procedure, that made a huge difference immediately. He’s 7 now and when we look back at pictures, he looked miserable before getting tubes. He just looked like he didn’t feel good. He did have to get a second set of tubes a year later. The first set only lasts about a year, the second set is supposed to last longer but they aren’t permanent. He hasn’t had any trouble since.

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Hi Janae! I’m so sorry to hear about Beck. My son is 5 and has had 2 sets (first at age 1.5 and a 2nd set at age 3.5). Unfortunately he’s likely to need a 3rd set soon, but I’m not worried about it because it’s SUCH an easy procedure. It’s a 5-minute ”surgery”.
Both times, within an hour of returning home from the outpatient procedure he was back to his old self. And the best part is no more ear infections!
I know the procedure sounds scary but it’s seriously 5 minutes long, and the improved quality of life is so worth it.
Please do not worry about the tubes – in fact, be excited for them because they really will help Beck. I freaked out over them and both times were so so easy. Much love to you and your family ♥️

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Get the tubes. We had our daughter’s tubes done at 15 months and she’s 6.5 now and no ear infections since. Also, Peloton intervals & arms classes and their arms & light weight classes are recommended to be done with 1, 2, or 3 lb weights. Since you bought the bike second hand you probably didn’t get the full rundown on that. 5 is tough!

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My kids are older (almost 17 and 12, omg) and both had tubes. Solved all those problems from what I can remember! My older one also had adenoids and tonsils removed bc of recurrent strep and sinus infections. Voila!

Like the comment above – yes the intended max weight for the intervals and arms classes is 3 lbs. I keep 5s nearby bc sometimes they want you to double up and it hurts my hand to hold both so I hold one 5 instead!

I have always lifted weights, but I never saw the definition in my arms as much as I have since I got my peloton and got into the light weights classes. I guess bc I do them more frequently and basically I’m hooked. I do at least a 10-minute arms and light weights classes every day :) Now I try to do an upper body class a couple of times a week (using heavier weights) and I don’t like it as much at all. I don’t feel the burn as much and I don’t think its doing as much for me. Now for lower body – heavy is where it’s at! Since you do a lot of running and spinning, try the short 5 minute glute and legs classes for extra butt work (vs quads) – they are a good quick burn!

I just love talking about Peloton stuff!

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Hi Janae – you have had lots of positive responses to your ear infection/tubes question, so I won’t drag this out.

I am a Speech Language Pathologist, and there is plenty of research how harmful chronic ear infections can be for language development. I spend my days working with children who have delayed language and sound production for many reasons – but one thing we always explore is if they had a history of ear infections as a baby/young child. PLEASE consider this for Beck, it could effect the rest of his life!

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Wow. Kaelin, thank you so so much for sharing this with me. You are doing amazing things for others with your career. We just got him scheduled for their first available appointment. I’ve really wondered about his hearing and it is all coming together now. THANK YOU!

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I’m so sorry about Beck’s ears! I’m a nurse and I’ve heard good things about tubes. My son (now 3) had 8 surgeries in his first 5 months of life, including a heart transplant so I am no stranger to surgeries! Gratitude for the hands of a skilled surgeon and my favorite scriptures got me through each one :)

Also, random TMI question but did you ever get an IUD again after having Beck? I’m trying to decide if I want one and wanted others’ opinions.

Have a great day!!

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Both of my children had tubes and they were the best decision we ever made. My daughter had 2 sets but with the second she had her adenoids out which immediately stopped her constant runny nose. I would absolutely say to do it!

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I wish I had gotten tubes for my oldest sooner. She had 11 ear infections from 3-13 months, got tubes at 13 months and hasn’t had an infection since. She ended up slightly speech delayed (caught up now) and is a toe walker because of the timing and frequency of infections. We have been working heavily since she was 3 to break the toe walking, with limited success. It’s something she will probably always have to deal with and maintain prevention treatment or risk having to have surgery.

I hope Beck feels better quickly! There is nothing worse than a sick baby to break a mamas heart.

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I was also worried about the ear tube procedure when my son (who was a little less than a year old at the time) had to get them. It turned out to be such a game changer and we were so relieved that he got it. He never had another ear infection (he is 13 now). Also, at the time he was often making very high pitch sounds when he tried to say something, and almost immediately after the procedure he started to make the normal sounds that a kid that age is supposed to make (because he could hear much better!). And soon after he was beginning to speak. So it was also a huge help in his speech development, which can be impaired if there is constantly fluid in the ears, making hearing difficult.

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My daughter had tubes when she was 2. She’s now a teenager and has had no issues since the procedure. She had significant (temporary) hearing loss before and perfect hearing after. The actual procedure was so short, I had barely walked back to the waiting room before the surgeon came out to tell me it was over! I also had tubes when I was 3. I’m now in my 40s and have had just one or two ear infections since age 3.

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Our daughter got tubes and it was THE BEST decision ever. The surgery is fast and she did great, and she never had another ear infection again. The tubes fell out several years later (normal). Highly suggest.

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wanted to let you know about an app I recently came across called “charge running”. It is like Peloton, but for running. It is a very supportive community. They seem like a great start-up and perhaps would be interested in your influence and vice versa? If not, please disregard!

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I had terrible, chronic ear infections as a young child and had tubes put in (this was back in 1990). I never had another ear infection, but the tubes caused scarring in my ears which left me with permanent hearing loss. It’s mild hearing loss, noticeable in small ways. It’s rare that I can get through a social event (especially where there is background noise) without asking people to repeat what they said at least once. I often miss out on parts of group conversations because I can’t understand what was said. I can’t hear when people talk to me across a room, and I need to watch quieter movies with subtitles. While tubes are amazing in stopping ear infections, hopefully today, 20+ years later, doctors have gotten better at reducing the chances of them causing scarring and hearing loss.

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Good morning Janae, first off, I want to say that I have read your blog for years now! Thank you so much for sharing your life with us. You are such an inspiration. My running journey has been challenging, my body fights me on it, but thanks to you, I have been on my indoor bike more and more and starting to feel good about myself again, in the fitness sense.

So, this is the first post I have commented on. Our son, who is now 10, struggled with ear infections like Beck. Kindergarten year was the toughest for my Zach. He had three ruptured eardrums within six months. Our pediatrician, which I am not downing, was against surgery or any invasive intervention. He just kept putting Zach on more and more meds. The ear infections did not stop. The pediatrician told us to give it time he would grow out of them. But Zach was so miserable I couldn’t stand to see him like that. He didn’t deserve it. So against his pediatrician’s advice, I went to an ENT. They did a hearing test on him, and he had a 30% hearing loss due to all the fluids in his ear. I was devastated. We scheduled tubes that day. After the surgery, the ENT told us that the amount of thick fluid that came out of his ears was incredible when she inserted the tubes.

They have been life-changing for him. He was pretty much instantly happier and healthier. Although, he did complain that everything was too loud for a little while. One tube fell out on its own about a year or so later and had to be replaced due to more ear infections in that ear. Overall, I would say, and I know it’s a hard decision, but if his doctor is recommending tubes, I would say that it is a safe route to go. I wish we had taken Zach to an ENT way sooner than when we did.

I hope our experience helps and Beck feels better quickly. I know it is a tough decision, and no matter which one you make will be the right one for your family.

All the best,
Lauren

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You’ve already had lots of positive comments but here goes mine anyway. I had tubes in my ears 3 times when I was little, starting about age 2, because of constant, bad ear infections. I’m approaching 50 now and have only had a few ear infections since then (maybe just 4-5). I do have a lot of scarring on my eardrums from the combination of multiple tube placements and burst ear drum episodes from infections but it has not affected my hearing – I pass my occasional hearing tests with flying colors. It could be a very good move for poor Beck. Best wishes for the best resolution!

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