Tongue tied...

We recently found out that Drake has to have his tongue clipped. I know, sounds a bit painful doesn't it??? The frenulum, or flap of skin that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth, is just too short and tight in his mouth. So short and tight that he can't even touch his top lip with his tongue. If we do not have this flap of skin clipped he could end up with a severe speech impedement. Parts of his speech are "iffy" as it is, and he also tends to bite his tongue a lot while he eats giving him red swollen spots on his tongue. He has the classic "heart shaped tongue" that comes from the fremulum holding back the middle of his tongue as he tries to extend it. Eventually he will tend to get cavities in his teeth because his tongue will not allow him to do the normal "sweeping" of the mouth during and after eating. This surgury dates back a couple hundred years ago, but many times the surgury was performed unnecessarily. The frenulum can sometimes stretch enough on it's own, so doctors tend to wait now-a-days until they see that it is positively needed. It is a simple procedure, but once they are as old as Drake there are more nerves and stuff that are developed that have to be taken into consideration so it then requires a few stitches. I'm not at all excited about that part of it, and not sure how sore his tongue will be after. The Specialist that we went to said that they tend to bounce back very quickly from it and are usually eating that very same day. Drake is a tough cookie, so he will probably be just fine, but it doesn't take away the fact that I feel bad that he has to have it done. There is one added bonus to the surgury and that is that the Dr. is also a specialist in allergy/asthma and is going to perform 48 allergy tests on Drake while he has him under anesthesia. Now that part I am ecstatic about!! How cool that he will be able to be tested and not even have to go through the pain of being pricked that many times!! Maybe there will be some light at the end of this tunnel afterall!! His surgury date is set for April 3rd. I am feeling anxious and nervous and scared all at the same time. I pray that it all goes smoothly and we have significant results, both with his tongue and his allergies, post surgury.

Here are some pictures to show you just what we are dealing with.

This is the classic "heart shaped" tongue. I call it a snake tongue! :)

This shows how his frenulum keeps the middle of his tongue

pulled in as he tries to stick his tongue out. You can also see a

couple of red spots where he has bit it while eating.

Drakes frenulum starts almost at the end of his tongue

where a normal one would start about half way back.

This makes it hard for him to pull his tongue back

or lift it upward.

This is him trying to stick his tongue out. It just can't go out very far.

No Gene Simmons here!