Braydon had to go to the emergency room recently. A lump formed behind his left ear. It seemed to us it might be yet another mastoid infection. Most people are unfamiliar with this type of infection so I wanted to take a moment to explain about it.
Signs:
Swollen/red area behind ear
Hot area behind ear
Pain in jaw
Dizziness
What is it?
From my understanding (as a mom) the initial cause is a middle ear infection. The middle ear and the mastoid cavity are connected. The mastoid cavity is an air filled cavity. The bone that surrounds this cavity looks like a sponge with deep contours. The are is not a sponge and non-absorbent. The infection overflows into this air filled area and creates a mastoid infection.
In Braydon's case (4 times) it required hospitalization, surgery to drain the infection and 1 week of IV antibiotics. After the 4th infection we had the area 'drilled out' basically the surgeon smoothed out the deep contours. Since then we have not had another infection. This had to be done on Braydon bi-laterally.
If you suspect this type of infection please seek medical treatment immediately!
Coming up!
On February 25th Braydon will be the first child at Riley Children's Hospital to receive the BAHA Attract System implant. This is very exciting to us. We chose this option vs the traditional BAHA abutment because there is no skin penetration. The magnet is about the size of a quarter and is drilled 4 millimeters into the skull. This product is different from the Sophono because it will actually fuse to the bone. Approximately 3 months later he will have the other side implanted. If you have questions regarding this new technology please let me know. I am excited to answer to the best of my ability.
Warmest regards,
Braydon's mom
