DS has tonsils operation on Tuesday...whats it really like afterwards?

[Dad12]

My DS has a tonsils / adernoids op for Tuesday. I'm in the process of talking myself out of it for him. He's got the enourmous tonsils and breaths through the mouth at night. But the sleep apnea he used to have is easing and he does now breath sometimes through the nose. He's eating well, not getting ill all the time. What to do...I just worry about about causing him awhole world of pain and stress when it might have been better to leave alone.

How old is your ds? My ds2 (now 17) had recurrent tonsilitus as a child. He was eventually referred to hospital at about 6 where the extremely unhelpful doctor told me to stop looking at them if the size of his tonsils bothered me. I pointed out that they bothered my ds not me!! Part of me was quite relieved that in their opinion he didn't need an op. However he now has bouts of extremely painful tonsilitus which had quite an impact on his gcses last summer. He is now scheduled to have them taken out in july after his as level exams. In hind sight it would have been much less painful for him, an easier operation and had much less of an impact on his education if he'd had them done when he was younger. I really wish I had pushed for a second opinion.

i've experienced tonsilitis for the first time in my life over the past 6 months and its a nasty business. its really affecting my work and my life in general. i've not recovered from the first episode last november and i never have much energy anymore. i had the opportunity to have them out about 2 months ago but decided against it because of the stress, the time off work, and general seriousness of surgery, but now that i'm suffering again from tonsilitis, i am definitely going to sort it out.

so, all i can say is, if its affecting his life negatively, then i'd go ahead and get it sorted, but obviously you've got to do what you think is best. good luck deciding.

BTW Dad12 my son did have a period of about 8 years when his tonsils caused him little or no problems. But they have always been large in his throat even when not infected. They virtually meet in the middle of his throat. They have only been causing him problems again in the last couple of years...they are so badly scarred now that the consultant he saw last month took one look at them and asked how soon he would like them removed. We have only put it off till july because he has exams in may and june. The doctor asked if he had been referred as a child and why they hadn't been done earlier
Incidently he also had a skin condition which was a result of the strep infection in his tonsils. This was as a result of a particularly nasty bout of tonsilitus and left him with hot painful swellings on his legs which made walking very painful. It had a long latin name which I'm sorry I can't remember. All this was just before he sat his gcses. The dermatologist he saw also asked why his tonsils hadn't been removed when he was younger. Hope this info helps you make your decision...you must do what you think is right for your son and of course just because my ds has had these problems doesn't mean your son will I just thought it was worth bearing in mind as you decide what to do. Good luck and if you do go ahead I hope your ds recovers quickly

Well I had mine removed at age 22. And my advice is: get a watermelon, slice it thinly and put the slices in the freezer for 10 mins before you go to visit him. I still remember the sheer bliss of my mother bringing that in for me when I had mine out - sweet, juciy and cold. Given that the hospital's offer of supper had been sausage rolls or a fishcake...

sounds lovely

my ds1 had the same op at 1-5 as well as grommits put in and it was the best thing i could ever have done for him. im not goin to lie it was really scary when they put him under n when he came round my heart was breakin cos he was cryin his eyes out and really upset but after a couple of hours sleep he was eating a normal tea. n cud go home the following day. he was fine we had to keep on top of his pain relief for the 1st wk but truthfully he didnt winge or cry. and his speaking, eating, sleeping came on in leaps n he just felt n looked so much better.

My DD had them out mid Feb. Initially she recovered well, then had a slight bleed which required IV antibiotics BUT her resting temperature is down by 0.5C and we have just spent a weekend at Centre Parcs, something we oculdn't have done pre op.