Tabitha is so beautiful. She always has been. When she was a baby random people told me she looked just like the gerber baby :) not enough to actually become one though (I tried!) haha
She was also born with a skin tag in front of her left ear. The ENT told us she had a cyst above it that needed to be removed as well but we needed to wait until she was 4 because it could have a tract that wrapped around her facial nerve. So, for 4 years, I've dreaded it…scared of having her mouth paralyzed. I decided about a year ago that it was no big deal. She doesn't need to have it removed. It's just who she is. Dr's always make comments about it when she has her ears checked… which is uncomfortable but other than that, she's fine. She called it her little ear. 
About 4 months ago, I realized she must have forgotten about it. She was in the bathroom with Talia and she said "WHAT'S THIS?!" Talia said "Heavenly Father made you that way. You're so pretty." Tabitha was a little unsure but then decided to call it her "Pinky Dinky Ear." Haha. She didn't like it. Talia had smoothed things over for her about it. I asked her if she wanted it off. Talia said "why would you do that?! That's how Heavenly Father made her!" She wasn't helping me anymore…
We took her to a new pediatric ENT and she informed us that the "cyst" was NOT a cyst but just a smaller skin tag that was fine to be left alone. I was torn… we were sent home with the info to call the hospital with and schedule the surgery…but I conveniently lost it.
Then, last month we got a letter in the mail…a sweet reminder that we should schedule if we were still interested in having it removed.
After 4 years of feeling like it's fine, I'm having a hard time "letting go" too. I asked Tabitha "if we could take you to the dr and she could make it disappear, would you like that?" She said yes.
I'm no longer afraid b/c of paralysis, since that's not a risk anymore… I'm just hoping we're doing it for the right reasons. Am I being vain by having this minor thing taken care of? What if there are complications from the anesthesia for such a pathetically minor thing? I would never forgive myself.
Svend is a Dr, however. He operates on people all the time. He has no problem with this. He wasn't even going to take off work! Thankfully, b/c we have 2 other kids who will need to be watched while she's in her short procedure, he did.
Anyway, my baby is beautiful. Her pinky-dinky ear will be missed :) Hopefully we can at least save her from some teasing by doing this.
1 comment:
I have met so many people lately that have a little tag near their ear and I had never seen one before Tab's! Crazy. Anyway, I totally get it. She is perfect just the way she is. We decided to remove Em's skin tag because it was way more noticeable down on her jawline but I do sort of miss it. Even though I only knew her with it for 4 months. I know of several families that miss their child's cleft lip smile (clefty smile) after it's repaired. It's the mark of a mother that they love that little one no matter what - skin tag, cleft lip, no ear - whatever. And it's totally understandable to miss that perfect little difference once it's gone. Not to mention all the hassle and worry that comes along with removal. I say if it's bothering her then it's totally ok to remove it but if it wasn't bothering her then it's totally ok to leave it there. Either decision is right - and totally YOURS to make. I hope everything goes smoothly. (And i'm sure it will!)
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