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Children's health

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Original poster

tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy tomorrow

17 replies

Piggychunk · 05/12/2011 10:06

My Ds 3.11 is having a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy and tomorrow and I am feeling really really sick about this.

I know he needs it as he has sleep apnoea and due to his large tonsils he hardly eats anything.

I just cannot think sensibly at all I keep thinking of all the worse case scenarios.. It has been cancelled twice due to him being poorly so I have kept him off pre school for a week to make him illness free .. its worked he is well and so will be going

Please hold my hand I am STRESSED!!!!!

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crazycrackernanna · 05/12/2011 10:10

My grandaughter (4) had this done last month...and it went fine!
The staff were excellent...the pain relief good...and we were home by 6pm.
She recovered really well and is now back at school.
She was sitting up eating toast 2 hours post op...and was watching a barbie dvd at her bedside.

It will be fine.

asante · 05/12/2011 10:45

piggychunk a friend's daughter had this done fairly recently and the operation is very quick, approx 45mins. She came round and was eating biscuits and was very happy afterwards. He will be absolutely fine. x

I think my dd (6) also needs this operation as her speech is very nasally and she snores at night, also a mouth breather. In the last several months she has been getting up looking absolutely shattered despite having 11 hours sleep, so I'm wondering if it's also now affecting her sleep.

crazycrackernanna did you granddaughter have any of these symptoms and have you noticed a big difference after the operation - was it immediate or how long did it take?

crazycrackernanna · 05/12/2011 11:46

asante Yes she was a massive snorer! She sounded like the baseline from the local nightclub...disturbed sleep definitly. Snoring completely gone...and I mean completely! She sleeps so well...and her voice has changed...it's gone higher and actually sound like a little girl and not Eartha Kitt! So,so worth it.

Original poster

Piggychunk · 05/12/2011 11:47

asnate.. My son looks too shattered after a nights sleep snores very loudly and is a mouth breather.. I am hoping all will be resolved after the operation but I will post back here after a few weeks to say if there is an improvement ..

Thanks CRAZY,,I'm told DS has to be in overnight I assume as he is young so I have a an overnight stay to worry about as well... as u can tell I'm a bit of stress head!

OP posts:

4nomore · 05/12/2011 11:52

This used to be such a common procedure (when I was young and dinosaurs strode the earth), I think people were much less concerned then even though the op and management wasn't probably as sophisticated as it is now. I'm sure she'll quickly bounce back and you'll all feel the benefit of it

kellibabylove · 05/12/2011 13:05

My daughter had hers out in October. Exactly the same age as your Lo, I wasnt to stressed but its only natural to think of the worst case scenario. You just need to keep telling yourself that it is such a routine operation & there will be loads of other children on the ward having the same. My little girl was completely fine after the op just a little sad & groggy. She was eating and drinking within hours and by day 2 you wouldn't even know she had had it done. Just make sure you explain to her that she will have a sore throat afterwards but will never have naughty tonsils again so it'll be worth it, my daughter completely understood and was so grown up about the whole thing because of this. Try to make it exciting, like an adventure. They let her take her teddy in with her and a book to read with daddy while she was being put to sleep. During the operation go to the hospital cafe for a coffee to pass the time or it will drag. Hope everything goes well x

crazycrackernanna · 05/12/2011 13:53

Yes as kellibabylove said it is a bit of an adventure!
My grandaughter got home that night proudly opening her mouth to her brother and sister with her hands on her hips!
I eplained to her brother and sister that crazy grandaughter hashad an operation,to which her 2 year old sister declared "I had an otteration!"

supermama212 · 05/12/2011 17:31

my DD had hers removed at age 10 after sleep aponea for years. a daycase- in and out in no time! almost instantly noticed difference.
she couldn`t eat scratchy food (cornflakes,crisps) for a while after but she was fine. bit of a huge age gap in your ds and my dd but hope it helps.

Elibean · 05/12/2011 19:18

Hand to hold here

dd2 (currently 5 yrs old and bouncing around the kitchen when she should be in bed) had same op aged barely 2. She was losing weight as she couldn't eat solids properly, and had sleep apnoea - very similar scenario!

I can't tell you what a difference the op made. The enormous relief of them being able to breathe normally at night, of eating well, of not having to worry sick about them catching upper respiratory infections and choking with mucous/tonsils at night. I promise you, you are doing the right thing.

Take spare tops for you and for him in case he is sick after the op (dd wasn't, but some are - and anyway its sweaty in hospital), some drinks/snacks for yourself in case you don't want to leave him, some DVDs or books for him, small toys etc. Do stay on top of pain meds for at least a week after the op, giving them a few minutes before they are due - makes a huge difference, even if he doesn't seem to be in much pain.

And post any worried here - lots and lots of us can relate!

Good luck, and don't forget what a hugely good thing you are doing for your ds

Original poster

Piggychunk · 05/12/2011 19:40

Thank you for the lovely messages I'm sure it will all be ok its just the feeling in my chest is like a brick is sitting on it.. does that make sense..

Eilbean I'm so glad u mentioned the mucous/tonsils thing at night so many times when DS has had a cold he wakes struggling to breathe as he sounds like he has mucous stuck in his throat 1st time it happened I called 999...

There are so many reasons I am doing this just bloody scared to

OP posts:

Elibean · 07/12/2011 11:14

How is your ds, Piggy? And how are you? Hope he's not in too much pain, and all is well and on the road to happy breathing/sleeping/eating!

Original poster

Piggychunk · 07/12/2011 17:23

Hi There he came home at lunch today.. has moments of being his old self then a good few hours of grumps poor thing. He is eating and drinking which is good including crisps and toast... Will keep on top of pain meds for next week .

So glad the hospital bit is over .. that hour waiting to be told I could go to recovery was the longest of my life

OP posts:

Elibean · 07/12/2011 18:23

Glad he's home

Yes, that part is awful, totally understand. In case they didn't tell you, the pain sometimes gets a bit worse around the 4-5 day mark, when the scabs start coming off...and they can get stinky breath (dd didn't though). Do keep up the pain meds, its great that he's eating and drinking. I bet he's snoring less already, no?

crazycrackernanna · 07/12/2011 18:32

Well done to your boy Piggychunk! Glad it went well

Original poster

Piggychunk · 12/12/2011 08:50

Hi all , Ds seems well in the day but at night he has really bad night terrors. Did anyones DC's suffer from this as its really upsetting to watch he has never had them before

OP posts:

Elibean · 12/12/2011 22:33

Hi Piggy, sorry to hear it....no, not really, though pain was definitely worse at night.

Its a very common age to have night terrors, so maybe the experience of going through the GA, and the being in hospital, have just triggered them more?? Does he remember them? Can you talk to him about them at all?

Elibean · 12/12/2011 22:34

Meant to add, dd did talk about hospital, and the ouchy throat, for some time after her op - not straight away, but some weeks/months later. It clearly made a big impression on her, she had lots in her little mind about it that I wouldn't have guessed at the time. For about a year afterwards, her favourite toys were doctor/nurse role play figures - as though she were playing it out, iyswim.

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