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Our experience with DD's Tonsillectomy

9 replies

DaftMule · 02/04/2009 15:05

So, having posted on here over the past few months in various topics to do with sleep apnoea and adenoids/tonsils, I thought I feed back about how our DD's tonsillectomy went.

Longs history short...after well over a year of poor sleeping, sleep apnoea, snoring and various trips to the doc re watering eyes, continually snotty nose etc, etc, we eventually got to see an ENT consultant about a month or so ago who took one look down DD's throat and said her tonsil were enormous and should really come out, even though she was under 3.

So, March 30th we were in the hospital at 7.30am for the op. DD was first up on the list thank god (can you imagine having to deal with a nil-by-mouth 2 year old who hadn't had anything since 6.30am if they were still hanging around waiting by midday!!) so she was in theatre by about 9.45am.

Unfortunately we had a less than child friendly anaesthetist according to the wife who was with DD until she went under. They got the cannula in her hand with no trouble then decided to use gas to put her under for some reason?? DD freaked a bit when the mask and stinky gas was put near her face.

At about 10.45am the nurse came in to take us down to post op recovery to collect DD. Suffice to say she was a very misserable little girl. Once back on the ward, she continued to be misserable for about an hour or so. She wouldn't drink fluid or take the pain meds liquid. But, after an hour or so she actually fell asleep again for nearly 2 hours. When she woke up she was again, obviously very uncomfortable, but we did manage to persuade her to take the paracetamol and codine liquid.

5 minutes later she was tucking into a blueberry muffin, followed by a ham sandwhich and about half a galon of squash!!! It was literally like a switch being clicked. After that, she continued to perk up and become our familiar little DD once again so by mid afternoon you would have been forgiven for thinking she hadn't been in an op 6 hours earlier!

She was in over night but as she was eating and drinking so well there was no issue with her being discharged the next morning. We are still on the regular pain meds routine a couple of days later but, tbh, she doesn't seem to be in any pain. Hardest part is trying to stop her being too "active" and we also have to keep her away from nursery etc.

The last two nights we have had blissfully undisturbed sleep...no snoring, apnoea, waking up 6 or 8 times in the early hours and all that. DD can sleep on her back now without waking herself up every 5 minutes. Long may it continue :-)

The one thing that we weren't really expecting to be so dramatic tho is the change in her voice! She sounds like she's on helium...lol!

Anyway, thanks to those on here who gave encouraging words. It has most definitely been well worth it!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
norfolklass · 03/04/2009 12:30

Glad to hear that she is ok and the operation went really well. I know I felt exactly the same after we had our DS's done...he was 2 years 8 months when he had his done. The difference in him was amazing and he had so much more energy because he wasn't waking constantly through the night.

Boo for having a non child friendly aneasthetist-thats crazy them putting the canula in and then using the gas anyway. I actually asked our consultant to not use the canula cause I knew he wouldn't keep still for it but dh actually went in the room and said it wasn't too bad with the gas.

Am really please it all went well though. Hopefully someone else who is going through the same thing will see this and see what a positive outcome it has because I know when ds had his done I was desperate to "speak" to someone else who'd had it done so young because all the information is for older children.

helsbels4 · 03/04/2009 12:42

I'm glad your dd is much better now!
I used to work on a children's ward and often accompanied children and their parent to the anaethetic room. They put the cannula in first because they need to be in place before the child is asleep because if anything was to go wrong straight away, the anethetist wouldn't want to be faffing around putting it in before he could give vital medication.
I'm not sure why they didn't then administer the anaestetic via the cannula there and then - especially if your dd was quite happy with it - but I remember that a lot of anaethetists used to prefer to give the very young children the gas.
I used to find it amazing how quickly some of the children used to bounce back and start eating because I've been told by adults that it is very painful! I've also been told since I left, that they are now encouraged to eat toast etc as it clears any debris away from the throat. Think I'd prefer the old-fashioned ice-cream theory

Elibean · 03/04/2009 13:47

Hurrah! So glad it went well, DaftMule, but even better that the apnoea's gone - can totally relate to the relief.

Amazing that she's not in pain, too (dd was in loads, for ten days) - assume they've not continued codeine this long?? If they have, beware constipation - fruit juice etc - otherwise, fantastic. She might have a bit of pain around the 5-9 day mark (scabs falling off) so I would keep up the pain meds anyway, but fingers crossed thats it!

Well done...and I'm sorry dd, and dw, went through the unpleasant gas bit. If its any consolation, your dd will have forgotten it - though dw I am sure has not!

SarahMac30 · 06/04/2009 20:20

Just found your post. So pleased for you that all went well. My dd who is now almost 6 had hers removed when she was 3.5 after same obstuctive sleep apneoa. They did the gas instead of the canula and several hours after waking she ate 2 bags of mini cheddars!!! She remembers the playroom at the hospital but nothing at all about how she felt etc. She was like a different child within days. Before she was pale with dark rings round her eyes through lack of deep sleep but after she had so much energy. Good to have it done before they start school. I have before and after photos of DD tonsils. I can't believe how big they were. Hope your dd continues onwards and upwards.

chocolepew · 06/04/2009 20:23

Glad to hear it went well, I had mine out a couple of months ago. I'm 21 40 and it was hell! Thankfully my voice stayed the same

Elibean · 06/04/2009 22:25

Ah yes, voice - meant to add, they do warn you voices may change, but they never told me dd2 might be 50 decibels louder

choc, you are a brave woman - I've heard its v v painful as an adult (wasn't too great for a 2yr old, in dd's case!).

gasman · 08/04/2009 18:21

By the sounds of things they didn't send her off to sleep using the cannula because of her obstructive sleep apnoea.

this is also probably why they put a cannula in first (in case there was a problem and they needed to give 'emergency' drugs).

Some of these kids with OSA can do some very bad things to scare anaesthetists. Going off to sleep with gas in this situation is generally thoguht to be safer.

Hope this helps.

DaftMule · 23/04/2009 15:53

Hi all....thanks for the replies. For some reason the reply notification wasn't working!

So, anyway, a belated thanks for the replies :-)

BTW...now, what, 3 or so weeks after the op, DD's sleeping has become slight disturbed again! Nothing like before, just a bit restless in the evenings and the occasional single wakeup in the early hours. Probably just normal 2 y.o. sleep troubles and the fact that it's got a lot warmer recently so stuffier nights.

Only problem now really is that the wife and I can't keep up with DD! Full volume chatter constantly and she never stops running around!!

OP posts:
MadameCastafiore · 23/04/2009 15:58

DS had his tonsils out on Monday - he is 4.5yrs and they put a canula in and gave him the mask to hold over his face just to get used to it whilst the actually put the stuff in his hand - this took his mind off of what was actually going on!

DS has been waking at 2.30 each night since screaming that his ears hurt! Is milking the situation in the daytime a huge amount too!

But all in all he was a brave little boy (braver than when I had mine out a few years ago!)

Glad your DD is ok.

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