Worst Days of Tonsillectomy Recovery for a Child – What to Expect and How to Cope

Child Tonsillectomy Recovery

At three years old, my child underwent tonsillectomy surgery to address troublesome tonsils and adenoids.For 14 days, we tracked her progress and healing from tonsillectomy surgery. Read on to learn about our family’s child tonsillectomy recovery, what you might expect, and how to minimize discomfort after surgery. There are several tonsillectomy recovery stages for a child; here’s what we experienced. 

Our Story

At age three, our daughter’s childcare provider brought to my attention that her snoring was “not typical.” As my oldest child, it was very helpful to hear this. You see, as a new mom, sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what is typical or atypical.

I brought my daughter to her pediatrician and we discussed the concerns. Between snoring and a stuffy-nose sound, we needed to see an ear nose and throat specialist.

Unfortunately, a sleep study was out of reach for us. Our region has one sleep center and their soonest appointment was more than six months away. One suggestion my pediatrician gave me was to take a video of her sleeping and bring that to our ENT appointment. I’m grateful we did.

Our ENT doctor was very helpful. He gave her a thorough examination. Then he watched and listened my videos of her sleeping. Labored breathing, gasping, gurgling – these videos raised his levels of concern. He created her a treatment plan immediately, which I believe changed the course of her young life and health. 

Essential Tonsillectomy Resources

Home After Surgery

Before I dive into the tonsillectomy recovery stages for our child and how we coped, I’ll share something with you. I wish that I knew then all the things that I know now about what to expect. It could have saved our family from frustration, late nights, so many questions, and pain for my child. 

Looking back, I realize that I made assumptions about how helpful the doctors and ENT office would be in navigate surgery. I thought they would provide more helpful tools. Though they gave us information, I found myself cobbling together tools (before surgery and after). It was very frustrating to say the least. 

That’s why I created this helpful Tonsillectomy Parents Toolkit to take the mystery out of preparing and recovering from a tonsillectomy. 

Day 1 – Surgery Day

Before surgery, I had many assumptions about the tonsillectomy recovery stages for a child. You see, I assumed that Day 1 (surgery day) would be the worst of our 14 day recovery window.

I was SO wrong!

You see, I had done so much to prepare our home for tonsillectomy surgery and recovery that Day 1 was a rest day – comfortable and cozy. (Read all about how our family prepared for tonsillectomy surgery here.)

Day 1 was spent lounging on the couch, sleeping off the anesthesia, offering cold foods and liquids, and snuggling. 

I offered pain medication and comfort. Day 1 was not the worst day of tonsillectomy recovery for my child. 

Days 2 – 5 of Child Tonsillectomy Recovery

Days 2 – 5 were also not the worst days of my child’s tonsillectomy recovery. I call these days the “Honeymoon Phase” for her. 

From days 2 – 5, my child was relatively comfortable so long as we “stayed ahead of the pain” by following our doctor’s prescribed pain management plan.

She had a blast with the Get Well Bin we prepared for her, watched a ton of Amazon Prime for Kids, and slept. 

 

Days 2 – 5 were spent building our own routines for helping her and our family. You see, one of us still had to work – we couldn’t both take 14 days off work. Therefore we needed some systems to communicate for when we came and went. We decided what would be helpful to monitor including pain levels, symptoms, foods that were eaten and how much liquid she drank. 

I know that every child is different ~ they heal differently and have unique anatomy. However, I noticed a marked difference between days 2 – 5 and what was to follow for my child. 

The Fifth Night – The Beginning of the Worst Days of Tonsillectomy Recovery

Middle of the night wake-ups were common on days 1 – 4. In order to stay ahead of the pain as the doctor directed, I would provide her pain medicine in the middle of the night.

However, we were awakened by her in the middle of the fifth night. Her condition was different.

A fever had set in and she was very upset – crying, inconsolable, and disoriented. Looking back, I now know that my daughter is often disoriented when she gets midnight fevers. However, her pain had also reached a new level in the healing process. 

As the tonsillectomy wounds begin to heal, I was told it’s important to keep them moist and keep her hydrated. At the advice of other moms, I invested in two cool mist humidifiers that were very important at this stage of the healing.  One ran constantly in the TV Room (where she spent most of her time), and the other ran at night in her bedroom. 

Days 6 – 8 – The Worst Days in Tonsillectomy Recovery for My Child

Days 6 – 8 were, without question, the worst days in tonsillectomy recovery for my child. I called our ENT twice to discuss pain and symptoms, and learned from the nurse that this was common.

My daughter maintained a slight fever throughout these three days. I understood now what was meant by the phrase, “stay ahead of the pain.”

To help her cope during the worst days of tonsillectomy recovery, I distracted my daughter from the pain by playing games as much as she’d like. We played with toys and spent most of these three days together. 

I didn’t ask a lot of questions because I didn’t want her to focus on the pain. Instead, I wanted to entertain her and keep her mind off it.

We watched several movies together. It was actually fun for me to rewatch movies from my childhood. She napped on my lap and we simply spent the time together. 

At this time, we also focused on “high interest” foods like ice cream, ice pops which we made ourselves, and Jell-O. 

Days 9 – 14 – Calmer, But Not Cured

iNeibo Silicone Popsicle Molds ice Pop Mold – 6 Pack Colorful Food Grade – Make Healthy Food

To be honest, I don’t remember much about days 9 – 14 being difficult days. This could be because days 6 – 8 were so intense! 

Instead, these were days in which she started eating more bulky foods like runny scrambled eggs and overcooked pasta. 

She wanted to play on the floor more during these days and it actually felt as though we were headed toward healing. 

We continued to provide pain medicine but noticed that she could go a little while longer between doses without complaining of any symptoms. 

Learn From Other Parents

I’m so thankful that other parents have shared their tips and trick with me for surviving the worst days of tonsillectomy recovery for my child! 

To help other moms and dads, here are some more helpful resources I’ve created. It’s my hope that these will help your child feel comfortable and give your family piece of mind during this important time!

Comment Below

What was your child’s worst day of recovery from their tonsillectomy?

What symptoms did they experience?

How did you cope and help them manage?

Please share below for other moms and dads – thank you!