My Son Is Having His Tonsils & Adenoids Remove Next Thursday!

I used to be an ENT nurse and can tell you that he needs to get fluids!!! Some kids like cold some like room temp liquids, just try until you figure it out. Don't be stingy with the pain meds. Jello and pudding count as liquids.
His breath will really stink and you will see white patches where his tonsils used to be. When the bad breath goes away it means he has mostly healed. The scabs (white patches) will literally peel off. If he is well hydrated there won't be much pain with that. There is usually just a runny nose with the adenoids.
Our 3 year olds did much better than their parents did. You will probably have the most fight from him trying to keep him from running around. It takes about a month for full healing to take place but our docs usually said return to normal activity after 2-3 weeks. Of course do what your doc recommends.
Finally--PRAY he is your precious baby and you want the very best for him. Trust that God has a plan for your son and your family.

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HI!

My youngest daughter, my oldest daughter and myself had out Tonsils out within 3 years of each other.

The first few days are okay. About the 3rd days weall had some swelling in our ear canals and that was very painful.

I recommend that you set a timer (day & night)to keep him on the pain meds for the first week. It's easier to wake up and medicate then try to sooth a miserable child when it wears off and it will wear off) No milk products (pudding, cheese, yogurt) it causes phelm and is hard to get out. I also made a 1 page photo gallery from clip art. I had things like hug, potty, juice, tv, nap, etc on it. They could point to it if they wanted something and not talk. I also gave them a bell to use to call me if I was in another room and they needed me. There is also a book called "Goodbye Tonils" which is age appropiate.

I can tell you that with my youngest I spent so much time at the doctor before the surgery that I thought we should have our own exam room. After the surgery we have only had to go back for routine exams and shots. I would have done the surgery when she was 2-3 years old and never would have I waited until she 7 if I had only known how much better it was going to be!

Different hospitals are different. Ask lots of questions about how things will go the day of the surgery. One of my sons had surgery at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. They took him away from me screaming his lungs out and brought him back to me screaming his lungs out. I could hear him from the elevator screaming, "I WANT MY MOMMA!"

My other son had surgery at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. They gave him a mild sedative in the room. They played with him and took him away from me laughing. They asked me not to leave the room during the surgery. When he came out of surgery they brought me in the recovery room and I rocked him in a rocking chair while he woke up. He woke up from surgery in his momma's arms. He was so terrified when he woke up, but he calmed right down when I gently talked to him and rocked him.

Vanderbilt and Baptist are both excellent hospitals. But, those were two very different approaches to surgeries on children. Ask questions about their standard hospital procedures.

Next be prepared for your little one to have a very sore throat after the surgery. Have lots of popscicles, ice cream, jello, pudding, juices, milk shakes on hand to feed him when he gets home. My son was in 1st grade when he had his tonsils out. He lost 10 pounds--1/7 his body weight. He looked like a concentration camp victim a week after the surgery. He bounced back quickly but it was horrible to see him so thin.

Be prepared for your son to lose weight and have plenty of things on hand that he can eat that will be gentle on a very sore throat. Plan to baby him for at least a week because that is how long it will take for his throat to feel better.

Hi - My 4 year old had his adenoids and tonsils removed 3 months ago. I too was a bit nervous. But everything turned out just fine. For our son the worst part was waking up from anesthesia in the hospital. He was very out of it and upset. He was in a lot of pain. I had to get into the hospital bed and hold/restrain him. Once he woke up enough they did give him morphine (I think) The the pain subsided and he relaxed. Thank goodness he doesn't remember it at all. I wish I had sent my husband in as he is better at handling this stuff. Also, I recommend being on time with the pain meds at home - it does hurt a lot. The medicine tastes awful and stings so I would give him a bit - let him suck on an ice pop let him rest, then give him some more etc. The last item is the scabs in the back of his throat where his tonsils were- get someone in the family to check out his throat on a daily basis - use a flashlight - this way you can know how he is progressing. Good luck.

The build up I created was much worse than the surgery I think. My son was out and in recovery in less than an hour and we were home with in 3 hours of checking in to the surgery center. DOnt let them rush you, let him sleep in the dark and quiet of recovery. I got in the chair and held mine whether they liked it or not. He had some blood in his belly when he first woke up (as to be expected with drainage) and vomited a little from the anestisia. I called the nurse and they changed the nausia meds and he fell back to sleep waking up much better the second time. Speak your mind and be in control with nurses they have so many people to cover and you know your child best. Mine did not speak for 3-4 days because he was scared it would hurt and after that was great. No more asthma or sinus meds that were daily since he was 18 months old!

I had my tonsils and adnoids removed when I was 21. I was told that it is more painful in adults than in children. I didn't think it would be as bad as it was. I was surprised by the pain and recovery time.

I have had friends whose children had theirs removed with much less recovery than I had with mine. My advice is to have all his favorite soft foods on hand. Do not force foods on him because it will only aggitate him more. Popcicles will help numb the pain and will get some fluids in him. Even if he does not want to drink, try and get at least some fluids in him, because the pain meds will upset his stomach if he does not have anything in it. Stay away from dairy products because that may make him nauseous and vomit. If that happens he will be in more pain.

The procedure is pretty quick. I think he will surprise you how quickly he will bounce back from it. Popcicles, ice cream, applesauce, even baby food are the best!

Get some small toy (a new truck maybe?) and take it to the hospital to surprise him with when you get there before the surgery. He will be distracted from nervousness (his and yours) by playing with his new toy.

Lay in a good supply of frozen popsickles, whatever kind is his favorite. Forget nutrition, the object here is distraction and specialness. Count on his sleeping some due to the pain meds.

Hey C.,
My son had his tonsils and adenoids taken out when he was about 3 or 4 and although it was rough at first it was well worth it. Before it was done we were in the docs office all the time! He had allergies and was on all kinds of meds for sinus and ear infections and for his allergies. Now he is 13 years old and very healthy and takes no meds. All of this happened almost immediately after he recovered from the surgery, which took about 3 to 4 weeks. Your son will be kind of drunk at first from the anestesia but he will be just fine. The first couple of weeks are the hardest. The biggest thing to worry about will be bleeding, but my son's doc said as long as you keep him from jumping around the first couple of weeks that that shouldn't be a problem and they usually don't feel like jumping around after anyways. It is also completely normal for their voice to sound higher for a few months, but that will work itself out. His breath will also stink as he is healing. Don't be alarmed when you look in his throat after it's not pretty, that one left me wondering what I had done to my son. But after I saw the way his health improved I was so glad I had it done. Yes you should continue to trust Jesus and keep your faith in Him, He is the One who gave us doctors with knowledge on how to help us when we are sick, don't let one bad experience keep you from trusting your child's doctor. I would discuss my concerns about mishaps that affect my sons health and life with my doctor, I am sure he will be willing to listen and offer reassurance. And as long as you can get a little fluids in him don't worry if he doesn't eat at first because it is very painful. But doing it now is better than waiting. My son as I said was a very sick child and very small, but now at 13 years old he is about 5'7" weighs about 165 lbs and plays football and has a beautiful voice and sings in the school chorus. So needless to say I could not imagine not having it done. So C. try not to worry and think about how much better he will feel in about a month. Put it in God's hands, He cares and loves your son more than you do. Keep the faith sweetie and God bless you and your family.
S. B proud mother of a 13 year old singing football player.

My 6 year old son just had this procedure done at the Memphis Surgery Center about 3 weeks ago. I have a 1 year old and a 2 month old also. After his surgery, he was in extreme pain but they gave him liquid loratab, so he slept quite a bit the first day. After that, he was pretty much back to normal but he couldnt stand to eat or drink anything with citric acid like lemonade or orange juice. Dont be alarmed if he throws up a coke looking substance. It's just the blood from the surgery. He'll be just fine. Kids bounce back so quickly. Mine had his removed for snoring and he is so much better. Pray about it. I was terrified too. Oh, and by the way, my mother helped out with the other two little ones!

My daughter had the same thing done when she was 3 (she is now 15). She had a little trouble with the anesthesia meaning that she was vommitting when she came out of it. That was the hardest part of the whole thing and the thing that kept us at the hospital all day. I would make sure that you have arrangements for your other child just in case. After we left the hospital she acted like her normal self. She spent a few days eating ice cream and pudding but didn't spend a lot of time in bed. She continued to play and act pretty normal. The best thing about having this surgery has been her sleep. She sleeps like an angel. No snorring, no tossing or turning. She is so peaceful. The other thing that you might notice after the surgery is a change in their voice. I never realized that my daughter was very nasally. After her surgery she sounded completely different.
Good luck. Say a prayer and trust God and the doctors. All will be well.

My daughter had that done when she was 5. The pain was managed with otc children's tylenol. They had given us an rx for tylenol with codeine, but we never used it. She slept alot the first 2 days after the procedure, and really never complained about the pain. What was hard was that everything she tried to eat, even ice cream, tasted funny to her because she had lots of drainage. She also had a sore tongue as a result of the surgery. It wasn't a walk in the park, it was one full week of recovery time, but then she went back to school and was terrific. The best result is in 3 years since the procedure, she has had only 1 ear infection. She also has had no sinus infections. Both of these were chronic for her prior to the surgery. It really was a the best thing we could have ever done for her.

I wish you the best of luck, and that your son has a quick, easy recovery.

Hi. My son had the same operation done when he was 4. First of all, I want to tell you to not worry. I understand your past experiences with doctors and surgeries were not ideal but keep in mind your child will pick up on your nervousness and it is scary enough for a little one to go into surgery. I hope all will go well for you.

Ok, for the drive home, make sure you have icy cold drinks or even shaved ice for your little one to munch on. And try to keep him from talking too much. My son spent so much time hearing muffled sounds that he would not stop talking all the way just to hear his voice. Make sure you have a good supply of popsicles at home and make him munch on those for the first few days. He shoud be feeling a lot better after a week. I remember my son went from barely talking to talking almost non-stop after the surgery.

I hope all goes well with your son's surgery.

My daughter had an T&A last year when she was 4. Recovery was not to bad, they had me sit in a chair and hold her while she woke up. She refused to talk the first 2 days and would only drink water. She took her meds but never really complained of any pain (probably because she would not talk). The worst part to me was that her sleeping was off. She would sleep on and off all day and night which for about 2-3 hrs at a time, which meant I did not get much sleep. My main suggestion to you is to let EVERYONE know that you will be accepting visitors for the first couple of days. My daughter went back to daycare 1 week after surgery and was back to her normal self.

The best part of the surgery is no more runny noses, no more snoring and no more sleep apnea. She sleeps much harder than she use to (downside to that is bedwetting).

Hi C.! Here's another mother's exp about 4 months ago with her 3 yr old's T&A as well as my own experience about the same time at 29:

Nicole did fine with the surgery. They gave her something that made her falling down drunk. She was literally falling on her face. I had to hold her down while they put in the IV but once it was in she was fine with it. Just playing with it, curious. The surgery didn't take long at all. It was longer waiting for her to come out of recovery. Then we had to wait for her to eat and pee before we could leave. She insisted on walking out to the car dragging her suitcase behind her. She has been doing well except she doesn't like the hydrocodone, so I've been mixing it with cherry flavored tylenol and she takes it better. So far she only wants to eat pancakes with syrup and chocolate milk. Other than a little bit of constipation she seems to be doing fine.

mine:

I got Loritab so the first week was not as bad as the subsequent weeks. I also got some $5/apiece suckers that numb your throat....they were incredibly bitter but worked well. Try some of those if your ENT will prescribe them. My understanding is that children don't get anything for pain, however.

The thing that helped me the most was LOTS of water (I drank 6 liters a day) and LOTS of jello. However, I got scurvy because ALL I ate was jello so I would definitely recommend forcing down cold chicken broth like they recommend. The other thing that I started eating at first was pureed soups. Stay away from anything with a tomato base tho. The portabello mushroom was great. Cream of broc and cheese and cream of potato were great. I ate alot of applesauce but while it felt good cold, the acidity of it stung a bit. Also, yogurt burned too.

I couldn't eat ice cream or popsicles because the pain was multiplied intensely while my throat was "thawing out" once I was done. It had me crying.

Also, I stayed in bed the first week (mostly because of the Loritab) and ended up getting pneumonia. I'd let her stay in bed as much as she wants, but get her up 2-4 times a day for walks around the house.

She HAS to be propped up at all times while in bed and can't sleep lying down. My throat was swollen and would start to swell shut, then it took several weeks before my tongue learned to not fall into my throat, cutting off my airway.

Expect her to have THE MOST WRETCHED breath in the entire world for several weeks. It could knock over a mule. It's due to the rotting scabs.

I also got thrush due to the oral antibiotics. You may want to ask your ENT and see if there's a way to avoid that.

Expect her to have bad gas. One usually does after surgery. Part of it is passing the general anesthesia out of your body.

She will probably vomit at least once. My understanding is that children tend to vomit more....Perhaps you can get some phernergan suppositories? That would help her sleep alot too.

I also took tons of cherry Tylenol suspension after the Loritab ran out. DO NOT give her motrin or anything else. Tylenol;s the only thing you can take - everything else poses a hazard of bleeding.

One last thing: dairy thickens mucus and since one's throat has been sliced and diced, if you have any drainage it will be VERY difficult to get out. Not only will it be painful but your muscles have to be retrained so it can be kinda scary until that happens. For that reason I strongly suggest you not give her anything with dairy for awhile - including pudding.

I've been told repeatedly that children heal faster than adults and I certainly hope that's true for you. The kids at church I've talked to that have had this done have been 100% at 3 weeks. The first week was hell, the second week was worse (days 8-10 are especially bad), the beginning of the third week was bearable in terms of a normal schedule, and by then end of it they all felt like their normal selves. Most of them talked immediately after the surgery adn lived to regret it mightily the next day. Most of them were talking ok by the beginning of second week. Remember that those are the days with the highest risk for bleeding tho.

ON top of everything, there is INCREDIBLE ear pain for several weeks too. You go from feeling like you have a minor ear infection to a horrible ear infection, but it's all related to the surgery.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know! Good luck!

C.,

My son was only 19 months old when he had his tonsils removed. They usually wait until children are at least 2 years old before they do this but he had severe sleep apnea from his enlarged and swollen tonsils. He would quit breathing for periods of 10-15 seconds at a time while he was sleeping. Dr. Langford (in Concord) did the surgery. It took about 20 minutes, because of his age - the kept him in the hospital over night. The first day was a little rough - he was very fussy and wouldn't quit crying until the pain meds they gave him kicked in. At about 3:00 a.m. the next morning he was up and ready to go play and run around. We went home. During the second day he was okay. The 3rd - 5th was rough for us as your surgeon should tell you. The incision site begins to scab over and causes discomfort about the 3rd day. He wouldn't eat much at all except for cold, soft foods. Stock up on soups, pudding, applesauce, jello, yogurt, and of course ice cream. Again, my son was younger than most so his may have been a little different than others. I'd say after that 3rd or 4th day you will be okay. Look on the bright side - - without tonsils and adenoids - no more strept throat and probably no more ear infections.

By the way - prior to surgery wasn't bad at all. We went into the surgery center. They took him - put a gown on him, and let him be alert. The anesthesiologist came in and looked at him and made him laugh. The staff really focused on making him comfortable with him so they could take him away from me without crying. Once in the OR they put him to sleep and once asleep they gave him an IV. They didn't insert the IV while he was awake. Again - it took about 20 minutes - tops! I guess all of this depends on the hospital you go to. Good luck!

My son had his tonsils & aednoids out at 2 yrs, the hardest part was letting the nurse take him into prep. They don't let you be in there for any of the procedures (good and bad) Its a real faith stretching time. But it went by faster than they thought it would, no complications and he started drinking and eating almost immediatelty, and even better no more snoring and sleep acmea!!!! The key is to keep up the pain medicine routine. Even if you think hes feeling fine, don't skip it, you don't want him to suffer needlessly. But the little fellas heal quickly and you won't believe the differences so quickly. Just don't go by yourself if you don't have to, a spouse, friend, family or a clergy member does help w/ your "mamma" nerves

My daughter had the same surgery when she was 4 years old -- my only suggestion is that you give them the medicine I believe every 4 hours (or whatever it is supposed to be, I forget). But don't miss it! If he's sleeping, wake him up and give it to him. If you let him sleep through a dose, by the time he wakes up and is hurting so bad -- it will be too late then. I slept in my daughter's room on her trundle bed for a week -- and we had no problems.

Good Luck!

Hi C.

My son was 20 months old when he had his tonsils and adenoids out. They have him liquid hydrocodone and it worked pretty well for his pain. They were great at getting me back there the second he woke up so he would not be scared. The first two days he pretty much only ate jello :) After that was was fine. The only side effect we had was that the hydrocodone made him constipated. If you have anyone that can help you with your two year old that day, I would highly recommend it. That way all your attention can go to your son. My mom came up to help me b/c I had a 2 month old as well.
My son has slept a LOT better since!!
J.

My daughter had her tonsils and adenoids done when she was 3. We noticed a huge improvement immediately. She no longer snored and awoke appearing rested rather than tired. The first 2 days she slept quite a bit. We had to give her pain medicine about every 4-5 hours (when she complained of pain). Then on the 3rd day she started feeling a better. She had to stay out of day care for a full week but by day 4, she was pretty much back to normal. Her voice was a little high pitched for a couple of weeks though. She really handled it well. Remember to stay confident and calm for him. Let him know what to expect both at the hospital and home so he will not be alarmed. If you can get some help with your daughter so that you can give your son a little extra attention, I would recommend it. We did, as we have two young children as well. Good luck to you and your son!!

my daughter had her T and A's out last Fall, she was just six. It went well, the worst part for me was when she came out of the anesthesia - she was in so much pain and so confused and I was helpless. Have lots of drinks on hand for her and popsicles and milkshakes. We had a special pharmacy make her a lollipop that was meds to numb her throat too, that was kind of helpful although she did not love the taste of it. I was amazed that it took the whole week for her to recover that they said it would (I had mine our at 24 and it was awful beyond belief, I assumed kids would bounce back quicker), your 3 yr old might recover faster but it was a full ten days til she had the strength to play hard and go back to dance and gymnastics too, just like they said it would be. I understand your apprehension given your son's previous surgery but this is a very common surgery and kids bounce back quick. Just be prepared for him to be down for a few days and not eat at all...they survive though! Good luck.

Chasity,I am just wondering if you could have some help with someone keeping your DD a few hours out of the day so you can have some one on one time with your DS.. he may want and need some pampering from his mommy.

Just an idea, as he will need you and he might need a break too from the little one... Just for a few hours if it is possible.

I'll be thinking of you and just remember to do what ever is best for your family.