DS having adenoids out, reasure me please!

[Helen38]

My ds1(6) is having adenoidsout/grommits in on monday. I have read some old threads so have a little idea of what to expect after i.e. that he should be able to hear! But a lot of children seem to of had this done sooner and I have a very worried nearly 7yr old who is old enough to understand why he needs it but doesn't want it done as is scarey.
I am trying to reasure him but I am worried too! It doesn't help that I'm 26 wks pg so a little more emotional than usual. Just looking for a little reasurance of my own really, dh just says he'll be fine and I'm sure he will be but....

Well DS had his adenoids out and grommets at 3.5 so too young to understand. I think even this July (4.5) when he had another lot of grommets (t-shpaed ones because his hearing had again declined) he was a bit young to know - although I told him he was having an operation.

However there were several children of 6 or 7 on the list the last couple of times. I think one thing is that they tend to do the younger children first on the list so you may have a little wait and of course your DS will be hungry.

One thing to be prepared for is that when they are coming round from the anaethetic they can be very confused/upset/throw themselves around. Although this only lasts a few minutes and I'm sure they don't remember it it is quite upsetting. Also the bigger they get the harder it is to contain them. Will your DH be with you? I was just thinking it might help with you being pregnant although usually only one parent can go down to theatre you can both be there on the recovery ward. I've usually stayed on my own apart from when DS had the adenoidectomy when DH and DD (very young breastfed baby) also stayed. That was a hard day - I was very split. OTOH last o. DS just slept peacefully on recovery, then woke up gently. So you never know you might be lucky!

DH is coming thought he would be better for the anaethetic bit, more likely to be calm, I've been told is hard when they go under and with my hormones as they are don't want to risk getting tearfull at him.

I think Helen the worse bit is once they are already under and they are laid on the trolley and you have to walk away. Very lonely feeling. But if DH does it and you are there in the waiting room that will probably be good. At our hospital the staff have always been great which really helps.

If you've read the other thread you will know all about taking his favourite snacks (easy to eat because of sore throat) and also something to entertain him. Does he have a gamboy or anything like that? Or could you buy him a new comic? I think after anenoids DS had to stay in for observation for 4 hours so the time can really drag. Also don't forget snacks for yourself - you don't want to be fainting or anything. Maybe try and get yourself a decent breakfast if possible before you wake DS up because you are not supposed to eat in the pre-surgery room - not fair on the children.

Helen38, no experience of this but we have had the possibility of this op floated in the past with dd, who used to get vile ear infections all the time. so I can imagine your worry, I was desperate to avoid surgery for my child.
Tigermoth's older ds had a tonsillectomy done very successfully not long ago and I think he had grommits fitted too... She is really busy at the mo but I'll mail her and see if she has some comforting words/useful advice - she usually does .
Does it help AT ALL to focus on how much better he will feel once the surgery is done?

I know that it will be worth it if it helps him, I had got so used to being told he would grow out of it that it was a shock when they said they wanted to do this, also he was only refered 5 weeks agoso i hadn't expected it to be so quick.
I hadn't thought of snacks for myself, good point i am not so good at going without food.

If you need something pre-surgery you will have to sneak off to eat it I think. Can just imagine the chaos if you got out a little snack and some starving 2yo spotted you!

Marina is right, DS has had 3 lots of grommets and each time the transformation in his hearing has been instantaneous. "Whats that noise mummy" to all sorts of things that he had obviously not previously heard (birds singing, clock ticking, buses on the main road while we are in the garden). In fact it made me quite sad to think that he had been missing out on so much.

Think one of the biggest changes for him will be not having a sore throat all of the time. This is because he can't breath through his nose due to adenoids being so large.
Thanks for the advice and reasurance

Sounds like he really needs it then Helen. DS was always a "mouth breather" too. Good luck.