No Sneezing Allowed

As of Friday, our challenge with Kai has been keeping him mellow. The healing period is critical for success. We don’t want him to do anything to dislodge his new eardrum. He’s not supposed to suck through a straw or sippy cup—too much pressure on the ear drum. He’s also not supposed to blow his nose or sneeze. How does one not sneeze?! Of course, holding back a sneeze is even worse because it puts even more pressure on the ear drum. So far, we’ve been successful avoiding straws and sippy cups, but now Kai has a bit of a cold and blows his nose at will (even though we tell him not to) and, of course, he’s had a few bouts of sneezing. We’ll find out on Tuesday whether any of the stitches that hold the new eardrum membrane in place have slipped…