Advice/Pointers Needed...

[Mrs. Wallnut]

I was wondering if any of our members have had either their children or grandchildren who have had their tonsils and adnoids (sp), out? We found out yesterday that our oldest son is going to have surgery to have both of these out on Aug. 16th. Was just wondering what to expect and take in some advice from our very knowledgable members.

The doctor gave me some papers to read on this subject and I know that every person is different with recovery and how they take pain. I know our son is happy that he is going to be able to eat popsicles and other things like that a lot of the time, and our daughter is upset already that she isn't going to be getting those things, or a lot of those things.

Thanks in advance for your replies if you have gone through this or have some good pointers that will make this worry wart of a mom make it through the surgery and recovery time.

[eezlock]

advice and pointers...

Mrs. Walnut, I went thru that exact surgery almost 50 years ago myself.
They took out the adnoids and tonsils at the same time, because I was a child 7 or 8 years old the recovery time was very quick as I remember.
The worst part of the adnoid removal was for a long time (years later) it left the membranes in the nose weakened and I was subject to having frequent
nosebleeds which I had more than my share of. The tonsil removal was no big deal, they removed them and by the next day I was on the way home.


I remember after wakening up from the surgery...the doctors,nurses and my parents were all around the bed and asking me how I felt. I told them my throat was a little sore, but not too bad. I asked them if I could get something to eat...they kept trying to get me to eat ice cream...I told them
I didn't want ice cream. The doctor asked me what I wanted....I told them I wanted breakfast....with an astonished look on all their faces...they finally agreed to that. They brought me what I wanted, scrambled eggs, bacon,
buttered toast with jelly and juice and milk! To their astonishment...I devoured every last bite and then told them I was ready to go home, later on
that morning they let me go home to recover!

Oh, and by the way....the drug they used to put me to sleep back then was ether! That makes you sicker than anything else. So don't worry...too much about your child or grandkids...they can and will snap back out of it faster
than you ever thought they would...they are pretty resillent you know.
Hope this helps you put your mind at ease....eezlock

[cabinetman]

When I was a kid there must have been a special on the removal. It seems like all my friends got their tonsils out. I did and so did my sister. My step kids and two of the grandchildren did. It's no more than a sore throat, and a little tender to swallow. So don't get too concerned, the ice cream will make them smile.
.

[Uncle Cracker]

Had mine out at about 12yo. Oddly enough, 25 years later, I came down with a screamin' bad case of tonsillitis. Apparently, it was something called follicular tonsillitis, which infects the vestiges of tonsil tissue that were not cleanly removed. The ear/nose/throat doc that made the diagnosis was cracking wise about the "quack" who did the shoddy work. "Who was it?" he asked. My answer: "It was you, 25 years ago!".

[jAngiel]

My oldest son (now 12) had that done a few years ago. It was no big deal, an outpatient procedure, in early morning, home before 11:00am. Had nothing but ice cream/popcicles for a day or two than I think moved on to soft stuff.

One a whole it was a lot easier than I thought it would be, for me that is. He can pretty much take anything, me, not so well. He broke his wrist, obviously broke it, I mean you could look at it and get grossed out it was so out of whack. He sat at home and ate lunch waiting for me to pick him up and take him to the ER. My knees about buckled when I looked at it.

Everybody is different coming out of anesthesia (sp??). When he woke up after the tonsil/adnoid surgery they brought him in to his room where we were and we just watched tv until he got up and went pee, a couple of hours maybe. He ate a couple of popcicles while sitting there and then went home and ate a few more through the day and sat and watched tv there. The next day he was up and moving around pretty good.

I don't remember exactly why they wanted them removed but I guess there isn't a "special" on them anymore as out of the six of them, he is the only one that it was suggested they be removed.

It's not a big deal but you'll sit there and wait and worry just a little. It's your job, you're a parent... Good luck.

[HarmsWay]

I had one tonsil removed at about age 30 or so and it was trivial compared to any other surgery I'd had before or since.

Bob

[Copper]

My daughter (4 yrs. old) just had tubes put in her ears and they took her adnoids out at the same time. Other than the dissorientation when she woke up, she had no problems. She never complained about pain after the surgery. She was eating regular food within a day. I can't speak about tonsils, though. They may take a little longer to recover. I still have mine.

[gwyneth]

Oh, Melissa, I bet your parents have tried to tell you that way back when almost every child had this done. It was like getting rabies shots for the dog.

I still remember the way the Dr Pepper and ice cream tasted during recovery, and, as eezlock said, the smell of the ether.

Thankfully surgery has changed remarkably since the early 60s.

But I guess one of the problems with comparing kids' experiences from then to now is that it was a breeze for most of us old-timers because we didn't really need it done...these days, the kids who get it tend to really need it, and they're somewhat older. Back then, every summer the hospitals filled with kids who'd be entering first grade in for the T and A.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you guys.