To be utterly in despair at the size of DS tonsils?

[jamoncrumpets]

DS is 4 and autistic. His tonsils are HUGE, furious looking things, nearly touching at the back of his throat and have been like this for over a year.

We are on the list for tonsillectomy and have completed the sleep study and been cleared for day surgery.

But every day when my son laughs or screams I get a glimpse of these giant angry golf balls and my heart just breaks for him. It must be so uncomfortable to eat and swallow.

I lay awake at night worrying about them closing up his throat and suffocating him at night. I just want the damn things gone!

Ok stop panicking. My daughter also had a tonsillectomy. She basically choked on food (as in getting her out of her high chair and tipping her upside down choking) 3times a week. She had horrendous sleep apnea and was always tired.

Let me tell you now, that operation changed her whole life. Honestly. She is so so much happier.
He will not die and remember he knows no different. Hang in there because it will be amazing once done!

This is not a popular stance on MN - and I’m grabbing a hard hat- but can you afford to pay for a consultation with a private ENT who performs NHS surgeries at your hospital.... it should be c£300 but you may find you suddenly move up the list for surgery....

@YoungChrone this is what I'm hoping for! I'm scared of him being operated on but I'm hoping it changes our lives!

Interesting @TheSheepofWallSt - we could just about afford that. We're all clear and ready for surgery. Just waiting for our turn.

I had monsters too and didn't manage to have them removed until well into adulthood (stupid NHS fashion for keeping them in the 1980s when I was a child).

They're only a pain when they're inflamed (which admittedly is horrendous). He won't choke on them.

Keep logging all tonsillectomy bouts with your GP until he's had the op, just in case.

My dd had hers out at 6 and my dd2 who's 5 is on the waiting list for surgery. It was a rough 2 weeks after she had them out but overall it's had huge health benefits.

Once they've had them out it's pain relief and frozen yogurt/ ice cream all the way! Don't do what I did and think oh she's ok without the painkillers now on about day 4... she wasn't!

@jamoncrumpets

Not sure if it’s the case everywhere, but I saw a private ENT (also practicing nhs) with my son about recurrent tonsillitis (he was just 1 poor thing), and we saw an NHS lead clinician in paediatrics the NEXT DAY for a general check up and tests for immunodeficiency. GP had said “let’s see how it goes” and estimated 12 weeks to see paeds and 6 months to see ENT. If he’d needed it, he would have been referred back into the nhs system for surgery...