DS2 (3) is almost certainly going to have to have adenoids and tonsils removed - how bad is it?

[PrincessPeaHead]

Poor DS2 had tonsillitis at the end of Feb, was put on antibiotics and it all cleared fine. However since then he has been snoring more and more and was really quite deaf immediately afterwards. The deafness got better but he is still hard of hearing esp on one side. Then a few weeks ago he really started being unable to breathe properly at night. I had him in my bed and I'd say about 2 breaths out of 3 the air wasn't going down at all, his chest sucks in and he has to almost wake himself up to gasp for breath. It is awful to watch. GP has had a look and he has one huge tonsil, thinks his adenoids are also massive (he sounds bunged up when he talks as well) and has fluid behind one ear. Poor little thing. Also he is permanently exhausted, presumably because his sleep is so disrupted.

Anyway finally have appt to see ENT man this afternoon, I'm certain he will need an operation to remove adenoids and tonsils. How long does it take for them to recover from this? Will he be in pain for just a couple of days or is it a bit longer? I've read that it can take up to a fortnight before they eat and drink properly - but is this really the case, especially with a 3 year old (I always assume little ones heal faster).

Any experiences gratefully received, I'm feeling a little wobbly about it.

[AitchTwoOh]

i had it done when i was 2 and i remember it very clearly. it's sore, but not as sore as tonsilitis. and you get lots of ice-cream. i remember the anaesthetist, going into theatre, everything... it's one of my first memories. that,and screaming in pain at my tonsilitis, so i think i was relieved to get rid of them.

[mumto3girls]

Hi

Sorry that DS has not been well. Both my eldest dd's had this done just after their third bdays(theres 2 year gap between them).
They were absolutely fine and dd2 was eating doritos on the way home the next day!!

They heal VERY quickly and in hospital they don't offer soft food anymore, they will eat toast or cornflake type cereal before coming home.

Try not to worry ( says me who cried like a loon when they went to theatre).

[PrincessPeaHead]

oh my god you remember it when you were two . I wonder how long it hurt for?

I've told him he is going to the doctor so he can have a look at his throat and ears, and his older brother said "yes, and you are going to have an operation to take out your tonsils, yuck!"

I was shooting daggers at ds1 when ds2 said "will I have an operation? Will he cut them out with scissors?" in a very unconcerned but quite interested way

[PrincessPeaHead]

oh my goodness M2G that is amazing. did they have the full monty (tonsils and adenoids)

oh that would be great if he was OK quickly, I can't bear to think of him in pain for a fortnight

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

PPH - both of my boys had tonsils/adenoids removed and grommits inserted. Ds1 was just turned 3 and ds2 a lttle younger. They were both pretty much as you describe; dreadful sleepers, poor eaters and ds2 in particular had the most amazing tantrums.

This was 15 and 12 years ago so bear in mind things may have changed a little. They both had overnight stays in hospital, surgery day one, discharge day 2. Were in theatre for a very short time and I would say that they were pain free within 3 days and coped in that time on standard doses of calpol. They were eating normally pretty much straight away, indeed they don't give them ice cream in the hospital anymore - it's toast with crusts before you can go home! They both had two weeks off from pre-school, just to avoid infection - they were fit enough in themselves to go.

Surgery for your children is obviously a very personal decision but for mine is was absolutely the best one. They were changed children afterwards particularly ds2.

[mumto3girls]

PPh...they were absolutely fine, dd2 was her normal self straight away and dd1 was fine within a day or two.( She's always been a little bit of a delicate princess tho). They both ate toast for brekkie the day they left hospital.
Aparently rough food helps the scars heal quicker.

[flea]

My little one had the Tonsils and Adenoids removed when she was about 4. Her situation sounds very similar to your little one. One bad infection left her with a tonsil so enlarged it affected everything.. She had difficulty eating as it covered over half her throat. She got a lot of tonsilitis and the other tonsil would swell up and she would hyperventilate. She snored so loud I could hear her downstairs.
The operation was fast and very efficient: they did try and force her to eat normal food afterwards and she refused. Refused so much so that they caved in and gave her ice cream.. It hurt a LOT for her for about 7 days and then eased down but she was eating normally after about 4 days and was 100% recovered after about week and a half. The change was amazing : eating improved , she stopped snoring and weirdly her tastebuds changed and she started consuming loads of milk. I had my tonsils removed when I was about 11 and have to say I wouldnt wish on anyone the pain I went through with tonsilitis up until then. It was grim.

[PrincessPeaHead]

thank you so much everyone, this is so helpful to hear.
saggarsbottometc I don't think surgery is any sort of decision for me really, he has such badly obstructed breathing at night he is probably hypoxic, and it will be putting a big strain on his tiny heart . I think it is inevitable, and likely to be sooner rather than later.
Poor little thing.
All these stories about quick healing are fantastic to hear, as are the good outcomes.
He used to be a real trencherman - I can see that he is eating much less now (and he says lots of food is "chokey") so I'm sure he will eat more, have much more energy etc etc once it is done.

[mumto3girls]

Both my girls were so much healthier and happier afterwards.

One thing I would sayis that now at their gae they seem to pick up throat bugs and germs alot quicker than their friends and i wonder if their lack of tonsils contributes to this.
But there was no option at the time, they couldn't swallow properly, snored alot and ate very little.

They were so different within days of the op.

[PrincessPeaHead]

yes apparently lack fo tonsils and adenoids can lead to a greater susceptibility to chest infections
because they act as guards against bugs going down nose/throat
but I guess I'll just have to watch out for that, he can't possibly stay as he is

thank you so much for all your info, I'm feeling much happier about it (wan )

[mumto3girls]

well. they have never had a chest infection and their sore throats never last long as they have no tonsils to enlarge or get infected!!

I'm sure your ds will feel etter very quickly! Best of luck!!

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

We decided against it for dd - it was such a tough decision as she has heart problems and the infections were taking their toll but the GA was a massive risk.

She has grown out of her ENT problems but she was nowhere near as bad as the boys were at that age.

If it's going to happen, then the younger the better IMO.

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

I wouldn't say that either of my boys have had increased susceptibility to chest infections. They were generally in better health all round following surgery.

[AitchTwoOh]

oh i remember the pain of tonsilitis, certainly. it's horrible. in the old days you used to stay a week in hospital after the op, and you were on jelly and icecream for a couple of days then they gave you sodding rice krispies which just about ripped me a new throat so perhaps there's something in the 'no soft food' rules?
by the time i left i was bored out of my head and absolutely completely fine. i remember this because we all went for a celebratory fish supper at a famous local cafe beside the hospital. and i do very much remember things tasting different, when you've got big tonsils it's a bit like having a cold so everything tastes of snot, really. he'll be fine, pph, they're not bad memories for me, just memories.

[PrincessPeaHead]

saw lovely ent
he has glue ear in both ears and a 40db hearing loss in each
also massive tonsils
he's booked in for surgery on 21st May for tonsils, adenoids if he needs them once he's had a good look at them, and grommets in both ears

I'm impressed that this has all been sorted so soon, I only asked for a referral yesterday (double )

[Aloha]

Just quizzed dh who had his tonsils out at six. Said he was in pain for a day, and not at all after that. Ice cream was very welcome, apparently! I suspect modern pain relief will mean much less pain than was experienced in the early Sixties.
Poor ds2, I hope it all goes well.

[Lilymaid]

My recollection of having tonsils and adenoids out at similar time (60s) was that although the ice cream was promised, you had to eat a plate of ... fish and chips!! ... first. I'm sure things have moved on since then - in those days parents weren't even allowed to visit!

[Twinkie1]

Bollocks do you get ice cream - I had turkey salad 2 hours after having mine out and I have to say that it was bloody excruciating - but then I am 32 and a big woossepants!!

My sister had heres out when she was very small and I remember us all going to Thorpe parke the next day and her eating like nothing had happened so I really wouldn;t worry!!

As everyone said to me - bet you wish you had them out years ago!!

[pointydog]

dd2 had adenoids (scraped out - yeuch) and grommets, nto tonsils but there were a few tonsil-less kids on our ward.

Adenoids no problemo. And the tonsil girl near us was fairly ok too, but there was obviously more discomfort after for her.

DD1 was in hospital recently for op and doctors said children do cope much better with the pain than whingeing old adults.