Grommets and adenoids op, do I need to prepare my 4 year old DD for it?

[mummytowillow]

My nearly four year old is having grommets and her adenoids out on the 8/8. She's a bit clueless about it all, I've tested the water with her and she doesn't really understand the operation side of it?

So, should I just leave it and take her into the hospital, or make up a story/game (not sure what though)?

We have only had to wait 3 weeks for a date from seeing the consultant, as she was put down as an urgent case (she is very deaf). So I'm in a bit of a fluster about it all!!

Also, how will she be after the op, will she be in pain or just bounce right back?

Would appreciate some idea please?

Thanks

she shouldnt be in pain post-op at all. I would leave any detailed prep until she has her pre-op check. The play specialist explained it brilliantly to my DD. She had her tonsils out 3 weeks ago and really enjoyed her stay in hospital-the staff were fantastic.

3 weeks sounds a long time. The 2nd grommet operation ds had we saw the consultant on the Wednesday and had the op on the Friday.

Ds's 2nd set of grommets were put in just before Easter when he was 3.9.
We used the episode of Mr. Tumble visits a hospital (the clip's on the BBC) which shows them taking the gas and the Usborne "Going to Hospital" book which conveniently has an ear op. He did have pain in the ears on waking for about 24-36 hours.

Main distress for him was waking up in the recovery room, not a room he knew, without me. He leapt into the nearest nurse's arms, then realised it wasn't me and hit her. Luckily she thought it funny.
He cried for about 90 minutes after waking, until he realised he was being offered crisps to eat (I don't usually let him have them) and decided food was more interesting.

I didn't really talk about the op to him. Just explained the doctor needed to make his ears work better so he was going to go to sleep so the doctor could do his work in the ear. But I did explain about the going to hospital and not being able to eat (he told the hospital staff on arrival that he was going to die as mummy was starving him to death ) and the gas mask and the drip in his hand. They put the drip in while he was under and he was quite upset to find it there.

I'd say it took him about 3-4 days to completely bounce back the 2nd time. It was about a fortnight the first time, but he either had a reaction to the anaesthetic or picked up a sickness bug and was really quite ill for a week. He was much younger too.

Dd had hers done last week. Tbh I was dreading it but it all went pretty smoothly. We read the Osborne going to hospital book so she had a very vague idea but didn't mention needles or pain to her at all. Her ears haven't hurt at all since but she had a bit of a sore throat because of adenoidectomy for a day or 2 which was ok with calpol/neurofen.
We were told no school etc for a week because of the risk of catching a bug but she bounced back very quickly and was fighting with ds the next morning!!
My only problem is that she gas dried blood & gunk in her ears that I've no idea how to clean without getting her grommets wet. If any of you have experience with what to fo I'd appreciate advice please.

What I remember from having this done was the injection which I was OK with, but then when they push the plunger it felt like another injection which I felt was quite out of order, complaining 'they did it TWICE!' for ages while my mum said 'no they didn't' a lot.
The paper gown was wierd - worth mentioning.

I got a good jigsaw to do while waiting for the op.
Afterwards, though, I wasn't allowed to eat anything for ages. Which would have been easier if they hadn't brought my mum a fantastic fry-up to eat in front of me. Mum was torn between telling them off for being so tactless, and eating it!

No pain at all afterwards, and I had grommets etc done a few times.

They don't expect you to wear hospital gowns now usually. Ds wore his pyjamas both times. What is the plunger? For ds they gave him gas to send him off to sleep, then while asleep put in the drip et al.

DD had this recently. We had the Usborne book too - although she had a cannula not gas, luckily we had a getting to know you pre - visit to the hospital which told us about the "butterfly" in her hand.

It all went well except 1. She hated the numbing cream and to be fair it was on for ages & left red marks

1. Putting the cannula in - they stood someone in the way so she couldn't see but she didn't like it
2. Taking the cannula out - it hurt & there was spurting blood
3. Everything was very loud afterwards

She liked the toys & books we took, the food - she came out of surgery at 11& by 12 ate her lunch and mine