Head/Ear surgery and water parks

[tinkerpea]

Hi Im booked to go to Disney in 5 wks, I have just had Major head surgery to remove a tumour and alot of polyps plus a severe mastoid infection that ate away at my bones which included a Combined tympanoplasty! I was ment to have it months ago but due to being very ill with a severe infection next to the lining of my brain and in my mastoid i had to put off the operation.

The Consultant who did my surgery said since this is my 3rd surgery "Yep it keeps on coming back" then he would allow me to fly as
1.I know my limits already and know when to rest etc
2.He has put a long term grommet in my ear to allow infection to drain easier when i get it so flying will be easy on me pain wise with the ear drum!

My issue is that I love the water parks,I have 3 boys aged 7,7,10 and they really enjoy spending time in the water.

Im too soon after surgery to have a ear piece made for me to swim with as my ear has not settled yet and i still have some internal stitching to dissolve

So has ANYBODY ever had a simular surgery and what did you do to protect your self from the water getting in I of course know that I can NOT go under water etc and that i need to keep the inner ear as dry as possible (Which is great fun when washing my long hair) at the moment i hold a cup over my ear which acts as a seal and i put cotton wool with vasaline just inside the ear.

Im still at the bandage wearing stage at the moment to make sure the ear goes back to place plus i have a post Op infection so have had to keep it free from anything.
I will still wear the bandage on and off at Disney and when i do rides that may bang my head against the side like Rockin roller coaster "Ive been told i can do it but to try much smaller things 1st and see how i go" I had the idea of making a padded cushion ear sized then placing that inside the bandage to protect the ear from any impact.

Im just completly stuck on what i could do so i could ride like the family raft style rides with my boys.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

This brings flash backs of when my kids were young. I saw a kid at the public pool with DUCK TAPE over his ears....I asked my kids about it, and they said his mom did it because he had an ear infection and wanted to go swimming!!

Not that I would suggest anything like that!!! Your post just reminded me of it!

I wish you the best with this delimma, that you can find an effective way to keep your ears dry! Hopefully, someone on this board can help!

 

[Storm632]

I hope that you are healing quickly. I would recommend that you google swimming head bands. I can't remember their brand name, but they are a velcro waterproof band that goes around the ears and head. It might also be able to protect a bandage. My son had one when he needed to hold the wax plugs in his ear due to a hole in his ear drum. As he grew he got the custom made ones which were much better! I see you had a tympanoplasty, plus much more... I hope that it goes well. My son had his second tympanoplasty last year and we actually will be following up with the physician Tues., hoping for continued good news!

 

[tinkerpea]

I hope that you are healing quickly. I would recommend that you google swimming head bands. I can't remember their brand name, but they are a velcro waterproof band that goes around the ears and head. It might also be able to protect a bandage. My son had one when he needed to hold the wax plugs in his ear due to a hole in his ear drum. As he grew he got the custom made ones which were much better! I see you had a tympanoplasty, plus much more... I hope that it goes well. My son had his second tympanoplasty last year and we actually will be following up with the physician Tues., hoping for continued good news!

Thankyou!
I will have a look and see if i can find something like that otherwise Ill see if i can make one with a plastic baking or something like that.

I hope all goes well with your son and that it is continued good news,It awful to keep having to have operations.

 

[Storm632]

We had found ours at the local sporting goods store. I also think that our ENT office had them as well.