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I have terrible ears.  It began when I was born with adult sized adnoids, which were promptly removed.
From the time I was about 2 until I was about 8 or 9, I was in an out of the hospital to get tubes put in, taken out (yes taken out), put back in again, and then put back in again.

I remember waking up, after the last operation, in the recovery room and freaking out because I was strapped down to the bed.

I also remember being very young, laying om the bed in the OR with a heavy plastic mask on my face to put me to sleep.  My mom wasn't there, but a nurse with a nice voice was.  She talked to me as I inhaled the air that smelled like rotten bananas and drifted off.  To this very day the smell of even slightly over ripe banana takes me back to that place.

On a possible related note, I prefer my bananas to be slightly green without the hint of any aged brown spots.

When Pman was a totlette he only had 2 ear infections and they were months, maybe even more than a year, apart.  No worries.

CBL had 3 double ear infections in the past 2 months.  I'm suspicious that the first one never really cleared up, but we went to the doc after the prescription was gone and she was given the all clear.  I like the doc's, so maybe my suspicious are invalid.

Yesterday we were supposed to be going to the doctor for the "post second double ear infection, prescription's gone and so is the infection" appointment.  However, we found out she had yet another double ear infection.

I asked the dreaded tubes question.  Ya know the one, "Tubes?" The doc said the rule of thumb is 4 infections in 6 months or 6 infections in a year.

Huh.

We are well on our way.

I was handed a referral sheet to a very respectable hospital.  My doc advised that  I may want to call just to set something up.  Her voice faded off, but we were both thinking CBL is going to blow that rule of thumb out the window at this rate.

She did give me a stronger prescription though.  I have high hope this will knock it out.

Josh and I did make a preliminary decision though- *no tubes.  I am the product of them not working.   I got my last ear infection when I was 22 and every single doctor who looks in my ears to this day comments on the large amount of scar tissue.

CBL is still growing.  Heck she is only 19 months (just over a year and a half for you none baby having fools). All her hair hasn't even come in yet. I'm not even sure if at this stage her skull is completely fused.  When does that officially finish by the way?

I want to give her body a chance to work this out, and since her ears are not leaking fluid I think that is a safe gamble.  If she gets another infection I may take her to an ENT and explore more homeopathic ways of addressing the issue, but with my tube experience and her age, I just have a hard time with the tubes.

Did anyone else just say "no" to tubes?  Did you ultimately give in at some point? I'm not saying no forever, but I'm not jumping right in either.

*This is a personal choice.  I know plenty of lovely mothers who proceeded with the tubes.  Us mommies just have to do what we think is best for our own kiddos.  Hate-mail not required. :)