Check out My 5 Year Old’s Tonsillectomy and My Top 5 Tips For Your Own Child! You can get through recovery successfully with my tips!
Where has the Summer gone? I can hardly believe it’s the end of June already! WOW! We finally got some Summer weather and it’s not raining every day. That rain was crazy! It did make things green – but also very soggy!
I’ve been busy around here taking care of my 5 year old, Andrew, who just had a tonsillectomy 2 weeks ago. I can’t tell you the anxiety I had around this. Even Brian was a nervous mess. We couldn’t decide if we should put him through that or not.
We had heard horror stories from lots of people about how horribly painful the recovery would be and the thought of sending my baby back to be put under was just too much for me to handle. I just kept thinking about how scared he would be.
If we weren’t 100% positive that he needed the surgery – we would have never done it. BUT, he hadn’t been sleeping well in a year – snoring as loud as a grown man, stopping breathing in his sleep and sleep walking from not getting into a deep sleep. It was necessary.
So, the day came and we actually had peace about it all, even thought I cried the entire day before!
I think I was getting it all out, because the day of, I was good! We had to BE there at 5:30AM. That is really early! And, surgery was set for 6:30AM. He would be done by 7:00AM!! At least we didn’t have to wait all day to have it done. It would be over before most people were up for the day!
Andrew was a trooper! I couldn’t be more proud of him! He was a big boy every step of the way. He was kind and calm. He took his Tylenol with Codeine before surgery just fine (even though he HATES liquid meds) and he even hopped into the little red wagon to head off to surgery with ease.
THAT was the hardest part of all of this for me. Watching your baby head off to surgery is the scariest things as a mom to see. But, Andrew wasn’t scared. He even turned around and waved at the end of the long hall before going through the double doors to the surgery room.
He woke up just fine! No tears and was calm. The meds were doing a good job of keeping him comfortable. After 2 cups of ice chips and 2 hours later – we were heading home!
The cold seemed to help with the sore throat that he was feeling in the back of the throat! Once we were on our way home, we know that we’d be focusing on tonsillectomy recovery from there on out. We wanted to make the recovery time a positive healing process and hopefully not have a lot of pain.
Andrew, of course, wanted to ride in the wheel chair down to the car. haha!!! He was pretty darn cute! After him having child’s surgery, who was I to argue?
What to expect after the surgical removal of the tonsils?
Recovery hasn’t been bad at all. I was prepared for extreme pain and trouble taking medicine and drinking and eating. But, Andrew has been great!
It’s a fairly common procedure but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry! The most common complaint is a little bit of sore throat – sort of like having strep throat, but that’s what having the pain medication is for.
At times he didn’t want to take his medicine – which was only over-the-counter Tylenol and Motrin – but he would take it once he figured out that he the pain came on without it. And, we did the medicine every 3 hours AROUND the clock for about 6 days – he definitely needed it.
I overslept a couple of times in the night and he woke up crying in pain. So, I made sure to wake up. The pain can set in quickly in the back of your throat when you have this proceed it’s important to have plenty of liquids on how to help with the severe throat pain.
Overall – it has not been so bad and Andrew is already sleeping so much better! NO snoring and NO dark circles under his eyes! was nervous for the surgical procedure, but our little guy showed great improvement in his overall health.
There’s no question that we made the right decision in having the surgery. And, I am POSITIVE that the amount of prayers that were going up for Andrew had a TON to do with the easy road we’ve been on.
Thinking of having this tonsillectomy surgery for your kiddo?
Check out my TOP 5 Tips for Keeping Your Child Comfortable After A Tonsillectomy!
1. DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. This was the #1 thing that kept Andrew comfortable. Ice water, Gatorade, smoothies, milkshakes, milk – whatever is fine. But, just make sure they stay hydrated and the throat doesn’t get dry. That’s when it’s painful. If you think they’ve drank enough – drink more. Drinking plenty of fluids is key for not having much pain and recovering! Cold drinks and any child drinks are fine!
2. Soft Foods. Chicken Noodle soup with no chicken and scrambled eggs are wonderful foods to have! They slide right down and provide some substance in the stomach.
3. Pain Medicine. Keep up on the meds no matter if you think they’re doing ok or not. Once the pain sets in – it’s hard to get it back down. Tylenol and Motrin are just fine to alternate as the directions on the box states. Get the pain meds before being home the next day so that your little one will have good days without throat issues.
4. Stock Up. Stock up on whatever foods you think your child will eat. Popsicles, ice cream, soups, juices, Gatorade, pudding, etc… Andrew never knew what he wanted and was constantly asking for something else. I think he was looking for something to make him feel better. I didn’t mind since a few bites here and there kept him hydrated. Having good options on hand is key.
5. Prayer. Last but NOT least – prayer. Being in constant prayer leading up to, during and after surgery helped a ton! There’s no medicine like the power of prayer!
That’s my main tips for your child’s tonsillectomy! If you ever have any questions, let me know! I’m happy to help! Email me or place in the comments below!
My son is probably going to need surgery on his tonsils soon. I like how you said that it was necessary for your son, just because his tonsils made him snore and kept him from sleeping. That’s what our son is struggling with, so I’m glad to see that it worked for you!
Hello,I log on to your blogs named “Twitter” on a regular basis.Your writing style is awesome, keep up the good work! And you can look our website about love spell.
I’m preparing for my 7 year old sons tonsil and adnoidectomy tomorrow. I’m a wreck:( He’s really excited about the ice cream diet he has to go on but I’m so worried about just about everything. He gets really car sick so I’m worried the anesthesia is going to make him sick like it does to me. Also the putting him to sleep and of course the dreaded recovery. Please for me and my seeet boy that he gets through this as easy as possible and got mom that I can hold it together.
I was thinking of you! How did it go?
Thanks for this. My daughter is scheduled to have a tonsillectomy this week and I’m tempted to cancel. I’m a wreck, feeling scared (terrified) of putting her through something that could really hurt her. She’s had recurrent Strep. We were sure she needed the surgery but wouldn’t you know, since we got our ENT referral she hasn’t had a single episode of Strep? I just wonder if she’s somehow cured and the surgery will be unnecessary risk and pain and this is my baby.
I don’t know how long ago you wrote this, but that is exactly us right now! Going for our follow up with the ENT tomorrow, to make the decision. I feel like its best for her, but since our original appointment, no strep. But I can hear how big her tonsils are and I know it affects her sleep and breath. Thanks for sharing! What did you end up doing?
Like everyone else who has commented, I’m so relieved to have found this. Our little girl is having tonsils and adenoids out next Tues for the same reason as your little guy — the sleep symptoms and daytime exhaustion sound exactly the same, and as she is starting kindergarten in three weeks, she really needs some relief! I have been in prayer and so many others have, but it’s hard not to be anxious. The wheeling her away part is what makes my blood run cold to think about. That, and i fear she will be angry with me afterwarda, since she doesnt think she needs the surgery. They’re keeping us overnight for observation so I will be apart from my 2-year-old son, but I haven’t even started worrying about that yet. That will come when she’s out of surgery. 😉 I’m relieved to hear the story of someone who has had a similar situation (everyone else we know whose kid has had this had it for different reasons such as recurring infections) and experienced both a not-so-bad recovery AND the desired sleep outcome. Praise the Lord for your little boy’s imrovement! I will forward your post to my husband, too, as I know he will be so glad to read it, too.
I’m so glad I found this. My 2 yr old had to have her tonsils and adenoids out because she had sleep apnea and could barely breathe. The surgery was pretty easy but I was able to stay strong at least until they put her to sleep and then I lost it. Right now we are in day 2 recovery and the around the clock medicine is getting her through it. Heaven forbid if you miss a dose. I noticed that it seems like she has a really bad cold with the nasal congestion. I pray she recovers quickly. But hearing all these stories is definitely putting me at ease.
So good to read your story! I’m glad to see that your son had an “easier” recovery. I am preparing my self for this, as my 5 year old is about to have his tonsils and adenoids removed soon. I had the same troubles and anxiety about making this decision but his snoring and sleep apnea are so bad that unfortunately there’s no other way around it. Has Andrew’s sleep issues improved since the surgery?
My 4 year old son Kanyon just had both a Aneoidoctomy n Tonsillectomy on Tuesday March 03,2015 . We are on day 2 of recovery. For the most part Kanyon is doing well with the recovery.I do believe I’m mire stressed about recovery than I was about him having the surgery…. I’ve been praying really hard for him during his times of hurt and discomfort. Especially at night when he’s asleep and then wakes up crying/coughing. I’m guessing due to his throat being dry. I’ve been trying to stay on top of his pain meds too(every four hours). Although I’m sure it tastes just awful. It smells absolutely horrendous:( He’s been able to put down some water and for the most part quit a few popsicles and he tried a lil bit of eggs that my hubby made him. I made him pancakes but he didn’t eat them…Tried Jello,yogurt ,pudding. He wouldn’t eat the jello. yogurt he had a spoonful,& the pudding he hate a lil bit. I’ve been reading blogs about toddler tonsillectomy recovery. And some of the recovery stories for toddlers are just awful especially the dreaded day 5-day 11:( I’m praying that my son Kanyon won’t have that bad of a time recovering once we hit day 5/6 and the scabs fall off. I have put full FAITH in my heavenly father that he will continue to provide relief and comfort for Kanyon. Please keep him in your prayers that his recovery will be close to pain free. I’m so amazed that when he sleeps now it’s so soundly. No more snoring and pausing of breathe☺. I know his Lil body has to recoup from this surgery* & will in due time~ I just wanted to say thank you
Thanks for posting your story about your sons recovery and surgery* I’m so thankful that I came across yours….Prayer is key I believe in having a close to pain free recovery=) God is good all the time and I too believe in the power of prayer for everything*)God Bless you momma and blessings to those parents who are going through this with their children. I pray for those children who are in pain and discomfort. I lift all of them up in prayer*)
I want to thank all the strong mom’s out there for posting these comments. Even though my daughter has had a tonsillectomy in the past, it’s seems harder for me to see my five year old to go through it.
Please be in prayer for us too.
I will pray for you and her! It is so scary – but it will be ok! Try some of these tips and use your mommy instincts! You always know what’s best for your baby!
So glad I came across your blog regarding tonsillectomy surgery, my little girl five years old is having hers done in 2 weeks and I can not tell you how stressed out I have been since we scheduled it, your blog has been really helpful and put some ease to my mind lol glad your son did very well and recovered well 🙂
Hi,
My 6 yr old had a tonsilectomy and adneoidlectomy a week ago today and has been in extreme pain ever since (except a couple of days) his ENT Dr has him on (Loratab with Tylenol) he woke up twice in pain and crying he constantly drinks water, gatorade basically. He hates the medicine it makes him so sick. The Dr said no Motrin just yet cause it can cause bleeding. He goes today for his post op apt. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I found you through pinterest. I’m so glad I did. We just left the ent and he scheduled surgery for tonsils and adnoids in ten days. He has very large tonsils and snoring and stops breathing at night. Plus all the behavior issues that go with bad sleep. I cried in the ent office when I heard that surgery was basically the only option. He is only 3 and also has asthma. Im a mess. If you could pray for my little Hudson it would be very appreciated. I hope we have a recovery similar to yours 🙂
Hi Lacie!
Hope your little one is doing well. I also had the anxiety as well! My son has been sick his hole life he had ear tubes put In when he was 9 months old (by the same dr) but the tonsilectomy was more serious to me) . He has asthma and allergies as well. That is a struggle it’s self. I thought i would just let you know your not by your self on this one! 🙂 I know exactly how you felt! Thanks for sharring. 🙂
Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this. We saw an ent dr yesterday for the second time because my daughter has fairly large tonsils. For the past two years we’ve noticed she’s not getting the best sleep due to them being so large and they were affecting her breathing. We initially went to see her dr because I noticed her lymph node on the side of her neck was enlarged. After a blood test to rule out anything serious, which thank-you god, came back ok, the dr thinks it’s best to remove the lymph node and get it biopsied and also remove her tonsils and adenoids all at the same time. The enlarged tonsils could be affecting her lymph nodes, which her dr thinks. I’m so anxious and I feel like I have so many questions, but feel so confused. Anyway, thank you for posting this post to help other moms!
I’m so glad I could help! I will be praying for your little one!
These are great tips! I’m reading this post as I wait for my 6 year old love to go into his tonsillectomy. Thanks for the encouragement!
Hi Jana! I hope it went well!! Glad these helped!!
Thank you so much for sharing! My 7 year old son is having his tonsils and adenoids removed next Thursday. The thought of my baby being scared or worried is enough to send me over the edge. He’s a bit of a worrier so I know I have to be strong, for him. There are so many negative things online about this type of surgery so it’s nice to read about a good experience! He also has sleep apnea and snores like crazy. He is exhausted at school and it effects his behavior. Did you notice any positive behavior changes post-surgery?
HI Emily!
How did the surgery and recovery go? You’re probably still dealing with it a little.
We have noticed a HUGE difference in Andrew. He’s sleeping better, his temper is more even, he doesn’t have dark circles under his eyes (which he’s had for years!), he doesn’t choke on food so easy and he just seems happier.
It was a good decision! I hope your son is doing well!!
Thank you so much for posting this. My 5 year old is having hers out in one week and I have been so nervous about this! I don’t know how people do it without prayer. Blessings.
HI Joy! How did it go?
Loved to read this. We are heading in the morning for my 4 year old tonsils and adenoids. I am an OR nurse but this is a different ball game dealing with your own child. I’ve been praying for 2 weeks but had meltdown moment when I prayed over the OR she will be in come morning. I’m a nervous wreck. She has had strep 4 times in 4 months and each time had a febrile seizure with it. I know it is for sure necessary but doesn’t make it any easier.
Oh that sounds bad, Jessica! How is she doing now?
Found you through Pinterest. My almost 6 year old is having surgery on Monday. There was a cancellation and although I have been trying to prepare myself I am beginning to freak out. Thanks for your tips. I am so happy to see you list prayer. Please keep our little one in prayer on Monday. (A prayer for mom and dad would be appreciated too!).
HI Kyla, how did the surgery go? Was it better than you expected? I prayed for you! Anxious to hear your outcome and how the recovery is going!
Great story. What a day! Got a little misty recalling it all.
I am so glad I saw this through Pinterest. My 4 year old is having a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy tomorrow morning. I know he is nervous, but VERY brave. He keeps telling people he is going to Disneyland tomorrow. I have to remind him that he will be sorely disappointed come morning. We laugh about that. (We’ve never been to Disneyland)
I also saw something on Pinterest under “Tonsillectomy” that Codeine in children is very dangerous. It said it turns to morphine in the liver. I didn’t even know they gave children codeine before the surgery until I saw it on Pinterest. (And we know that everything we see on the internet must be true) ….. 😉
I’m glad your little guy is doing so well. I am praying my son will have the same experience.
Thank you.
HI Susan! I’m glad I could help a little. It is very nerve wracking and scary, for sure! I will be praying for your little guy! Keep me posted!
Oh my gosh! You are an AMAZING Mommy! I have been SO worried and am SO glad you ptesod that ALL IS WELL!!! Your poor little man and poor you! I almost cried when I read this (chalk it up to pregnancy) but I totally know the feeling of having to leave them and NOT being able to do anything about stopping the pain that is coming. You are SO strong and I just love ya! I hope the recovery goes well and I’ll second your thankfulness for pain medicane. P.S. I’m glad your hubby is doing good too. What a trooper to help with the kids too! You should definatley keep him around! 😉