Last year (2017) my son had his third ear infection in a span of months. I took him to a nearby hospital and got, you guessed right, antibiotics.

This time I insisted on a specific brand because another brand he had been given the second time had not worked which had led us to have him moved to a different hospital and onto injections.

Well, before we left the doctors office, he suggested we see an ENT doctor in their doctors plaza a stone throw away. He even went further to suggest that what my son needed was to get his adenoids removed.Big words. Surgery was thrown into the mix and I was left confused yet wanting the best for my son.

Package Deal

So like any well meaning parent, I booked an appointment with the said ENT and let’s just say the rest is history. Bottom line my son got his adenoids removed and it is a decision that I am second guessing knowing what I know now; maybe even regretting it.

Two minutes into the appointment with the said ENT my son had been quickly diagnosed and removal of the adenoids was floated. Before I could even ask a question the ENT had placed a call to his secretary and I was holding in my hands papers booking a date for the procedure. One of the phrases that jumped out at me at this juncture was “adenoids removal package” at a certain children’s hospital.

I was like, wait a minute. Is this a luxury procedure? Why would they even create a “package” for it?

I went ahead to ask about the frequency of this said procedure at the said hospital under the “package deal” and the numbers were overwhelming and encouraging at the same time. I felt my son was not so sick, but that “package” deals left a sour taste in my mouth.

I asked to make a call before signing on the dotted line and the ENT stopped smiling and became pushy. So I went outside and called the father of my children. He was not amused, he felt I as making a huuge decision on my own. I regurgitated the information that the doctor had given me and he hesitantly gave me a go ahead. He however suggested that we seek a second opinion.

We did seek the second opinion and we realised that our son had Sleep Apnea.

We then sought another opinion and in the end my son underwent the surgery with a ENT doctor who had also attended a friend’s son.

My suspicions on the commercialization of the “package deal” were confirmed when we went for our first review after the procedure. The reception was literally like night and day. Whereas the ENT guy had been all smiles, nice and receptive during the decision making and testing visit he was now icy cold and distant. I was worried that despite having undergone the surgery my son’s ear tests were not improved one bit. The guy dismissed me nonchalantly and needless to say I never went back to his office.

Blow Balloons

Fast forward a few weeks ago and my daughter had an ear infection. She was not being able to sleep. Her father gave  me the contact of ENT Harish Rupani. I called and got an appointment for my entire brood. I am so glad that I went to see the doctor.

My daughter’s ear was quite inflamed. Her siblings had nose blockage. I was so sure we would leave the place with a mini pharmacy top among the stash being antibiotics. I was so wrong!

The doctor gave a specific nose drop for the nose blockage patients and for my daughter a syrup and wait for it . . .

An order to blow balloons!

Yes, you heard me right: Blow balloons!

Her younger sibling was also given the blow balloons order.

He also categorically made it know to me that he did not think my son should have had his adenoids removed. Like I needed more evidence. My heart sunk.

We left the clinic headed first to the pharmacy and then to the shops to buy balloons.

We just came back from review today and my daughter’s ear is completely normal!

The doctor asked me to keep off antibiotics and keep to the directive below which he gave me during the first visit.