(Pic of inside mouth) These aren’t normal tonsils are they? (2 y/o DD)

[HCA]

After a terrible time with GPs, not being taken seriously and then eventually a referral with a 35 week waiting list I was finally managed to get a letter expedited so I now have a 10 week max wait.

I have heard so many horror stories of parents being practically laughed out the consultants door despite their child obviously requiring intervention.

Basically I first took my daughter as she has breathing difficulties whilst asleep. First GP said her tonsils along with the footage I had of her struggling to breathe when asleep weren’t a cause for concern and sent us off with an inhaler 🙄. Second agreed her tonsils were on the large size and agreed to refer.

But I am aware that they don’t like to do tonsillectomies these days but I just worry so much as these images are her ‘normal’ tonsils- they’re big aren’t they? I’m not crazy? And going into winter if she actually catches tonsillitis her airway will become even more obstructed.

To note; she’s fine when she’s awake breathing, never any difficulties. Maybe a bit of a slow eater but she does always look knackered despite 12 hrs sleep a night.

They are large. My DS were this size and were removed but that was many years ago before such tight criteria was set.

She'll need to have sleep studies to prove that she is desaturating when asleep.

Had same with DD. Awful snoring.

They wouldn’t do anything. Said she’d grow into them. Tonsillectomy carries risk in young children and was only for recurrrent infections, I was told.

she has grown into them! . 8 years now and no snoring/sleep apnea.

My son’s were like that, I didn’t even notice, the GP did and said she would like to refer him to ENT. The ENT immediately agreed they needed to come out and scheduled a sleep study which confirmed significant apnoea. You’re not wrong at all, would change GP if I were you.

They are large. I had mine removed eventually when I was 10, following years of tonsillitis, chest infections and snoring. The last thing I heard when going under was the surgeon saying they were the size of Brussels sprouts! So much better without them.

Fingers crossed we get a nice consultant then! Thank you for your replies

Yeah it's unlikely they'll do much with recurrent infections op.

Sorry op ignore me, I thought I'd read all your message but apparently I didn't .

I had the same as a child but they wouldn't remove them as I wasn't getting tonsillitis (although admittedly no apnea). I got antibiotic resistant tonsillitis when I was 18 but the NHS said they wouldn't do it on an adult as they didn't deem it necessary. Fortunately at 19 I got a job that came with private healthcare and had them out within weeks and he was horrified I'd been living like that. If you can push to get them out now I would as despite what we were told people don't 'grow into' their tonsils!

My DD looks exactly the same as this! At 2 we were referred to ENT and she’s just been seen now at 5. They’ve said she will “grow into them”….

Its unlikely you will get anything done on NHS unless there has been multiple cases of tonsillitis. You will need to push and push hard and given her age even if they agree to remove them they may make you wait until she is older

My DDs were much larger than this at the same age and I was told repeatedly that DD would grow into them and that her adenoids would shrink. She had severe sleep apnea, couldn't swallow, couldn't breathe properly and was sleeping for 16 hours a day. Because she had never had tonsillitis though they wouldn't refer.

I ended up taking DD private and as we walked in the door the consultant said he could hear that she needed an adentonsilectomy before he'd even looked at her.

Based on the private diagnosis I did get an NHS referral but even pre covid the wait was going to be long and they needed a sleep study to be done. Luckily I could afford the private surgery so I went ahead and had it done privately.

That operation absolutely changed her life instantly. It was an immediate change.

My son had his tonsils out due to sleep apnoea at night. They seemed far more ready to do it for that reason than due to repeat tonsillitis (which he didn't experience). He had an overnight oxygen monitor first which was inconclusive but the consultant noted that doesn't mean he isn't having issues. They were huge, apparently in theatre everyone was a bit taken aback.

I kept recording the breathing pauses so I had lots of evidence, but actually it was taken seriously and wasn't a battle.

Update to anyone interested or who may stumble across the thread in the future.
Had more problems with expedite letter being lost, the referral being cancelled.. nightmare.
Anyway, we had ab appointment for 23rd Oct but I called on the off chance on Wednesday as to whether they had any cancellations and miraculously they had one the next morning!
I was worried that the surgeon wouldn’t take us seriously, or try and let her ‘grow into them’ but none of that.
He said there was 2 options, first was to do a sleep study, which may take a while to carry out, but he said it would inevitably lead to the second option which is a tonsil and adenoidectomy.
So now she has been referred to the local childrens hospital to have the surgery urgently.
It was the outcome I wanted, but now the though or my 2 year old baby having a op under GA and an overnight stay in hospital is slightly terrifying!

When my little one was in I stayed overnight with him, they offered me a side bed but I just slept in his hospital bed with him. They also had me hold him while they gave the GA (not v nice for me but comforting for him) and then when he came round in recovery again they had me get in bed with him to be there as he woke up. So it was child focused. I was so worried but by 8am in the morning he was eating toast and running around. Then just a bit sore for a few days.
Good luck!

Hi @HCA
I appreciate this is a few months old now but wondered if your little one has had the surgery yet, and if so how it went?

My 13.5 month old DS has had tonsillitis 7 times in 8 months, but 4 times in the last 8 weeks. We have an ENT referral but the wait is so long we are going privately. Everything I read says it’s a very risky operation in under 3’s, but I’m getting really worried about antibiotic immunity for him given he basically spends half his life on them now. He just passed a sleep study but has been confirmed to have enlarged tonsils.

Really hope your LO is doing much better now