Tuesday, April 29th Elly is having a Tympanoplasty, also called eardrum repair, to reconstruct a perforated tympanic membrane (eardrum) in her right ear. They will do the procedure post auricular, from an incision behind her ear. They will inspect her middle ear space and if there is no evidence of cholesteatoma or other ear disease, the edges of the perforation are cleaned and a tissue graft is placed under the perforation. Usually, the tissue graft is the outer layer of the temporalis muscle (the muscle used for chewing that you can feel in the side of your head).

Please keep Elly and Dr. Levinson, her ENT, in your prayers. The procedure is scheduled to occur at 9:30 a.m. CST.

We have known of her bilateral ear drum perforations for a year now and we were hoping not to have to repair them until she was a little older. At a recent ENT check, it was discovered that her right perforation (previously the smaller one) had grown exponentially and become marginal. The perforations have decreased her hearing causing a conductive loss and she has a hearing aid for her left ear. A marginal perforation is more concerning because it is less likely to heal and often lead to acquired cholesteatomas. If untreated, a cholesteatoma can eat into the three small bones located in the middle ear, which can result in nerve deterioration, deafness, imbalance and vertigo.

I will update as soon as I can. Enjoy these photos of Elly with her “button” and keep her in your prayers.

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JIM LAVRAKAS / Anchorage Daily News

Gov. Sarah Palin was back at work Monday in Anchorage, holding a meeting on the proposed natural gas pipeline three days after giving birth to her fifth child.

Trig has Down syndrome, a genetic abnormality that affects a child’s intellectual and physical development, the governor confirmed.

“When we first heard, it was kind of confusing,” Palin, 44, said. She called the revelation “very, very challenging” and said she initially felt sad.

But the family has worked through that. Palin said she and Todd feel blessed and chosen by God. With a big family including four older kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles, Palin said, they will have lots of support for what’s ahead. In their eyes, she said, “he’s absolutely perfect.”

The oldest Palin kid, Track, is in the Army and texted his mother after learning the news with something to the effect of “This is just so cool — I finally got my brother.”

In a letter she e-mailed to relatives and close friends Friday after giving birth, Palin wrote, “Many people will express sympathy, but you don’t want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You will have to trust me on this.” She wrote it in the voice of and signed it as “Trig’s Creator, Your Heavenly Father.”

“Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed-up world you live in down there on Earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome,” Palin wrote.

As for people who think a baby like Trig shouldn’t even be born, look around, the governor wrote. Who is perfect or even normal?

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Nascar driver David Ragan’s brother Adam happens to have Down syndrome. David and Adam have a wonderful relationship and are living proof that having a sibling with Down syndrome is a blessing!

No, that’s not Andy Taylor and Barney Fife next to the 1960 Ford Fairlane 500 — it’s David Ragan and brother Adam. More from ESPN here.

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I’m sure you’ve heard of the flip phone, the slide phone and even the i-phone? Well, Elly’s Extra’s releases the all new Foot Phone. Guaranteed never to run out of batteries (yup I said NEVER!) and almost impossible to lose (thanks to low muscle tone)! Also featuring a special esteem boosting message of “love you to pieces” daily! Call and hear it for yourself, she takes requests!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Phrases to listen for include: “Call Tammy”, “Hi Tammy”, “Hi Bob”, “Hi Anna”, “Good Morning”, “Hi Conner”, “Blair” and “Bye”. Elly loves Tammy, can you tell?

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