Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy – Before, During and After the Big Event
Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy Surgery
If you’re reading this, then chances are you or a family member is experiencing complications with their health. Someone, perhaps a doctor, has told you that it may be time to consider a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy – or one or the other. We have been there! In 2019, our toddler had both tonsils and adenoids removed during surgery. The journey to the surgery with long but completely worth it! We’re one year post-surgery, so I hope my experience can help other families like yours.
Here I’ll share how we prepared for the surgery, what happened before, during and immediately after the procedure, and what the recovery was like for the following 2 weeks. I hope our family’s experience can shed some light and hope for you, as you prepare for your tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
Do you have a kiddo who also needs ear tube surgery? Read our story here!
Why We did a Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy
Our three-year-old had been sick as long as I can remember. Starting with colic as a newborn, she didn’t go a month in the first three years of her life without being sick. Chronic ear infections plagued us. It seemed as though a weekly fever was the norm. She was working her way through the list antibiotics, week after week. Fall and winter were the worst. During those seasons our daughter was inevitably sick from something.
We didn’t have any pushy doctors or family members who prompted us to look into tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy surgery. Instead we were fortunate to have cautious doctors who knew that every child is different, many grow out of their illnesses, and that surgery is the last resort for any child. By the time she turned three, there were signs of long-term consequences if we didn’t consider something different: sleep apnea and hearing issues.
The sleep apnea – we heard her quiet “purring” (aka snoring) at night but didn’t think too much of it; after all, she was often sick so we chalked it up to being “stuffy.” When her child care provider brought it to our attention that she was snoring very loudly during nap time and that they were concerned about her, we told our family pediatrician. She wisely and cautiously gave us some advice. She wanted to hear what she sounded like when she slept. So she invited us to do a video recording of her which we did that night.
We emailed her the video the following day. Her obvious snoring, paired with the size of her tonsils, prompted our doctor to make a referral for us to see an ear nose and throat (ENT) doctor immediately.
Surgery It Is!
Our visit to the Ear Nose and Throat doctor was very informative. We were fortunate to work a surgeon who specialized in pediatric issues. That was comforting considering she was three years old. The doctor also agreed with a primary pediatrician that our daughter’s tonsils were massive! Whether they were caused by her chronic illnesses or were the problem themselves is a “chicken or the egg” debate among medical professionals. Suffice it to say that she was a prime candidate for the surgery and the doctor informed us that he was taking out her adenoids as well.
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Preparing for Surgery – Helping a Toddler Understand
It’s really hard to explain to a little child why they’re sick all the time and what to expect when they have a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. We didn’t set out to make it crystal clear to her but we did want to set the stage and try to make the day as comfortable as possible. Therefore we decided to use children’s books to talk about the surgery.
Our favorite book was called Goodbye Tonsils. The main character is a little girl who is sick all the time and her doctor eventually recommends surgery. The little girl’s family throws her a party before surgery where they celebrate “goodbye tonsils”. We did the same thing! The night before surgery, we got a small cake, balloons, and I introduced her “Get Well Bin” – filled with awesomeness! We celebrated our last night with her tonsils.
