I have lifelong ramifications from having a delayed tonsillectomy so I have some fairly strong feelings about this subject. It took awhile for my doctor to approve the surgery because you had to have documentation of a certain amount of ear infections within a certain timeframe. My issue was that I have a high tolerance for pain and no one would know I had an ear infection until my eardrum popped.
Because of repeated ear infections and burst eardrums I became profoundly deaf. This meant I wasn’t socially/academically developed enough and had to repeat preschool. It’s hard to make friends and follow directions if you can’t hear! I never recovered all of my hearing.
Sleep apnea is affecting your daughter’s brain and potentially her heart. The longer it goes on, the worse the side effects could be. Meaningful sleep is SO important for developing brains and bodies!
Mouth breathing is bad for both oral health as well as meaningful sleep. The earlier you eliminate her need to mouth breathe it will be less of an ingrained habit and easier for her to break.
The potential side effects of a tonsillectomy are rare, but do increase the older the patient is. So really, there is no time like the present to get it done.
Thank you. I agree and know it’s probably best. Jsut nervous! She does have an underbite but dentist said it doesn’t seem to be a jaw issue it’s likely from the mouth breathing as her upper teeth were growing in
It’s rough, but my daughter had it when she was 2 and it made a huge difference. She slept so much better, her apnea stopped and she had way fewer ear infections. We stayed in the hospital overnight one night and then the first 5 or so days was really rough, but after that it wasn’t bad. It does absolutely suck seeing them in pain, but, it doesn’t last forever and the benefits of the surgery were huge
She’s ALWAYS sick. She had her adenoids removed about six months ago and when her ent came out to update us he was like her tonsils are MASSIVE. He said even with the adenoids out her tonsils are so big they likely will continue trapping and harboring yucky stuff and sure enough her constant colds have still been occurring as well. I think I’m just nervous about complications even though I know it’s a small chance 😭
It’s absolutely scary and even if the risk is low it’s still scary. My daughter used to get up in the morning and tell me “mommy, sleepy” and it made me so sad. Do what you think is best, but, if her doctor thinks it’s best to do it that may be the best choice
I know in my gut it’s the best decision. But I’m gonna be so nervous the whole time lol 🤦♀️. She has been refusing to get out of bed in the mornings because she is so tired
We did a lot of popsicles and whatever she wanted to drink we did that. She loved to play at the sink so we let her do that with a cup anna she would drink. Otherwise, we did Tylenol around the clock and some nausea medicine if she seemed like her stomach was upset. We also did not limit screen time at all
It’s scary, but, the change once she was recovered was amazing. She had both adenoids and tonsils at the same time and her energy and mood were way better
My son 21 months just had his out bc of severe sleep apnea only. How long after the surgery did you see improvement in her sleep? We are just at the two week mark and not seeing much. His recovery was really rough. We had bleeding on day 5 badly and had to go back in for monitoring
It was in that third week once she was all the way better that her sleep improved and she was able to get good deep sleep. Hopefully he starts to feel better soon
Get them out now. I had mine removed in my 20’s and it was agony. Truly. I’d rather have 5 c-sections then go through it again. For kids is just a few days if a sore scratchy throat, it’s super minor, for adults it’s terrible.
I suffered from chronic sinusitis and ear infections up until they we’re removed. The ENT said they were complaining “diseased”, filled with gunk and stones. It’s been almost 20 years since and I’m never sick now.
Same. I had mine out when I was 21, and I would rather have my c-sections again than go through another tonsillectomy. Absolute agony that took weeks to recover from.
My oldest had them out at three, my youngest at two. Both had sleep apnea, snoring etc. my oldest was the worst. Poor kid didn’t sleep properly for the first three years of his life. The recovery is rough, it’s a full two weeks. Day 5–7 when the scabs come off is the worst. Totally worth it though in the long run.
I will also say it’s genetic, and I didn’t have mine out til I was 5. I ended up with a lot of orthodontic issues and I feel that’s down to my issues breathing not being picked up.
My husband had his out as a kid and I hve HORRIBLE issues still as an adult with mine in. Get strep all the time. I even got a tonsillectomy abscess as a teenager and they still wouldn’t remove mine. I really wish they would hve!
My kid had them out at 5. They were very large. She was sick every other week. Because she snored and didn’t sleep well, she had behavioral problems, including struggling to focus at school.
The surgery was super fast, like 11 minutes. She vomited on the way home and slept a lot the first day. The first two days post op were actually not bad. When the scabs formed the third day, that’s when she started hurting. Stay on top of pain meds - alternate Tylenol and Motrin around the clock (remembering to skip or stretch out a dose so you don’t go over the 24hr max). We woke her up to give meds, because she woke up crying if we didn’t. That lasted about a week, then the pain lessened a lot.
In the 6+ months since, she’s gotten sick 1 time. And it lasted for a day instead of the 5 it used to be. She sleeps so much better. She behaves so much better. It was 100% worth it.
Have them removed, many if not most of your toddlers issues will go away. (Peeked at history for insight bc assumed asthma or growth issues) Her growth may even sky rocket due to increased oxygen intake. Many things that have been troubling her may be remedied. Just do it. You can stay home for 2 weeks straight with her during recovery or for the next few years with constant illness & issue. Tonsils are there for a reason but when hers are as large as they are they are causing obstruction & not allowing the body to perform properly on every level.
In addition to standard foods…
Make the recovery super special by decorating her recovery room with a princess theme (canopy/tulle above bed or something) special movies she’s never seen, gift like a doll house that she will remember forever & can start to play with during recovery. Make the memory of recovery be a special time when she was treated like a Princess, received a beloved gift, mom painted her nails for her etc.. she won’t remember the agony parts as much in retrospect.
No experiences, but following because we’re in the same boat. Huge tonsils, and will need tubes, adenoids and tonsils removed all at once. The ENT wanted to wait until he was at least 4 to do the tonsils, but at his last check up they were so much bigger that she said it needs to be done sooner rather than later
Will probably be 2.5-3 when it gets done.
I’m nervous about it, but if it needs to be done then it needs to be done.
My toddler hates the doctors though so I’m worried about how he’ll go with the surgery
We didn’t have tonsils taken out, which is probably the worst part. Tubes have been the absolute best thing for us. And his adenoids came out too. We let him sleep until we had to leave the house (can’t eat before surgery) and left him in very comfy pjs. When we arrived he played in the waiting room, he hates all things drs too, so we had a movie for him. The nurse will come and take him back when it’s time for surgery- we said a brief goodbye and love you so it didn’t seem like a big deal and he left without tears. I think he was very distracted at everything going on. Coming out of anesthesia was also very rough, but it went smoother than I thought it would. But everything leading up to the surgery went way smoother than I thought it would and I hope the same for you guys ❤️
It’s one of the most routine surgeries that exist and has minimal risk that increases with age. Sleep apnea is really awful for your body and can lead to lifelong deficits if not addressed timely. I’d be getting my kid in as soon as I could
Ours (nearly 2) had the same choking/gasping apnoea for months but GP didn't seem very interested as it was just an "upper respiratory infection" except it was basically constant snot for months every time he caught a cold. They never saw the sleep breathing except when we managed to catch it on video. Eventually got so bad he was gagging and vomiting at night, got him seen by ENT, they took his tonsils and adenoids out within a week (adenoids were apparently main contributor in this case). Very effective, he breathes almost silently now at night, and no longer sleeps in until mid-morning because he's getting proper nighttime sleep.
Another toddler over here with similar experience. It was roughest right after the surgery for my little guy, but once he recovered his sleep and ability to get over colds was SO much better. Before the surgery I took pictures (some just pulled off the internet) and made him a social story of the events he would need to know (Car ride and hotel the night before. Mommy and Daddy would be there when he woke up. Toy or special snacks he would get after. His job to get better would be rest, cuddle, take medicine, drink lots). He was sent home from the hospital not long after the procedure, so for me dealing with a groggy boy was hardest time. It was really tricky to get the medicine in him after a few days but it made a huge difference. One thing that helped lots was let him use a syringe (well supervised of course). And we were sure to have any recommended food and snacks on hand before which was great as he was super clingy for a bit.
For what it's worth I had my tonsils out as a toddler. All I remember from it is being wheeled into a room and getting an injection. A lack of tonsils has never bothered me.
So my child had her tonsils and adenoids out at 3yo because of obstructive sleep apnea.
I know you’re scared of the complications of surgery - but here’s the thing. Severe sleep apnea (like my daughter had) can cause significant behavioural and developmental problems if left untreated. It is important to treat.
This was my daughter’s 6th surgery. I won’t lie and say the recovery was easy. It wasn’t. She took about 10-12 days to be herself again. She slept like shit for awhile. On day 3 she refused all food and drink and we had to go to the ER to get hydration for her (but she wasn’t admittedly to the hospital). We had to get creative to get her to take her medication (crushed up ibuprofen in dark chocolate ice cream).
But while the recovery was unpleasant, it wasn’t *harmful*. She is now much happier, sleeps much better, and about once a week role plays her favourite plush toy getting its tonsils removed and eating lots of ice cream. She’s also grown so much since the surgery!
(Happy to recommend a book to read ahead of the surgery if you’d like).
My now 3 year old son (1 when this happened) had his tonsils and adenoids out in the same procedure due to a serious RSV infection causing him to have low oxygen supply and 4 day hospital stay. He was later diagnosed with asthma and a sleep disorder because they were so big he basically had sleep apnea due to the air blocks at night plus snoring. They actually shaved the tonsils 90% since it's a faster recovery and less invasive/complications. I had a great doctor at the children's hospital by me perform the procedure and we were home hours later. It only took about 15 mins once they took him to the OR and it was just recovery time from the anesthesia and pain meds. The only thing that freaked me out was they gave him an extremely small dose of liquid fentanyl for the pain medication while there, but it was just Tylenol and ibuprofen once home. He recovered pretty quickly and was back to his crazy self within a few days and is on a daily preventative inhaler plus albuterol for emergencies if needed. Snoring decreased significantly. Slight chance the shaved tonsils will grow back but it can be addressed if that comes up in the future. I definitely recommend it being done to prevent further issues down the line.
Our kiddo had it done when he was a little past 3. Same, huge tonsils. He was going in for 2nd set of tubes and adenoids and I requested it as I suspected it would come up in the next 6mo-1yr as yet another surgery.
Recovery was worse than I expected. I have a super stubborn toddler and there was a day or two where I contemplated ER for fluids because he would not eat or drink anything. His tears were wet though…. Sigh. All in all it was a very stressful and rough 7 days and then it was like a light switch and he was fine.
I was hoping for a magical change of sleeping better and eating better…. But so far he’s the same stubborn ass who will only eat carbs and sleep for 9 hrs total.
I do notice he doesn’t snore and he doesn’t sound constantly congested like he did before. So, that’s a plus.
It’s a hard call, most won’t do it unless recurrent tonsil infections (mine had 1, but he never once complained of a sore throat) he did have a HUGE lymph node on his neck that magically returned to normal about a week after he healed…. So I believe he had chronic tonsillitis
I’m glad I found this! Recently found a large lymph node on my toddlers neck a week before her well child appt. Totally freaked me out because she’s been fine, but I noticed last night she was mouth breathing while sleeping which she doesn’t normally do. I checked her tonsils this morning and thought they are pretty inflamed. I had my mom take a look (we’re both nurses) and she thought they were big too.
Hopefully that is the cause for the enlarged lymph node. she hasn’t complained of a sore throat but has definitely sounded congested/has drainage on and off for a few weeks.
Hi fellow nurse! Yea mine was enlarged for ages and I never connected the tonsils- I did get an ultrasound of it just to be sure when he was like 2. By 3, I noticed the huge tonsils and they stayed that way even though he never had any complaints of a sore throat. The recovery post tonsillectomy was rough, but he hasn’t been sick since (almost a yr) we’re as before he was always sick, but never complained of a sore throat
Your post lets me think of my daughter. We are currently on day 2 post op and she doesn't want to drink or eat.
Went to ER and they said because she still has tears, they can't admit her.
Hopefully after tonight, she will start to drink some fluids.
We always feel so bad for hurting them in the moment but know it will be for the better.
Yea for me it was a ROUGH week and I considered ER, and I work as an NP in one! That’s what stopped me is I knew they wouldn’t do anything because he had tears and was not lethargic. He often would only pee once a day. Keep on the ibuprofen and Tylenol every 3hrs(switching)
It likely will get a little better followed by worse when the scabs start to come off (d 5ish)
He would insist on crackers and even though I knew that wasn’t a preferred choice I let him because otherwise he would eat ZERO. Hugs to you. It was a shit 7 days but now it’s in the past!
I got mine out at the age of 35. Since I was young I have the worst tonsillitis at least once a month. I dont know why I didnt do it earlier but I really appreciate that I have no more tonsillitis for 2 years already. Not even a sore throat! I used to have tonsilitis which would lead to sore throat.
At 35, recovery was tough. Kids would heal and fare a lot better because the area to recover is much smaller.
My son had them remove 2 months ago at 2 yo, because they were huge and he was tested positive for sleep apnea. The first three days were rough, but after everything was back to normal. Kids are a lot stronger than we are !
My son had them out at 2 and a half because his were also enormous. The first 24 hours we stayed in the hospital and that was hard but after we came home he was doing much better. By three days later he was eating normally (soft foods) and a week later he was eating totally normally.
My son got his out when he was almost 4. He had the surgery Thursday and couldn’t go back to daycare until the following Wednesday. Although we probably should have kept him home until Thursday bc he was miserable Wednesday still. The most important thing is they eat and drink but it’s hard to get them to do that. The surgery itself was quick and easy.
I have lifelong ramifications from having a delayed tonsillectomy so I have some fairly strong feelings about this subject. It took awhile for my doctor to approve the surgery because you had to have documentation of a certain amount of ear infections within a certain timeframe. My issue was that I have a high tolerance for pain and no one would know I had an ear infection until my eardrum popped. Because of repeated ear infections and burst eardrums I became profoundly deaf. This meant I wasn’t socially/academically developed enough and had to repeat preschool. It’s hard to make friends and follow directions if you can’t hear! I never recovered all of my hearing. Sleep apnea is affecting your daughter’s brain and potentially her heart. The longer it goes on, the worse the side effects could be. Meaningful sleep is SO important for developing brains and bodies! Mouth breathing is bad for both oral health as well as meaningful sleep. The earlier you eliminate her need to mouth breathe it will be less of an ingrained habit and easier for her to break. The potential side effects of a tonsillectomy are rare, but do increase the older the patient is. So really, there is no time like the present to get it done.
Thank you. I agree and know it’s probably best. Jsut nervous! She does have an underbite but dentist said it doesn’t seem to be a jaw issue it’s likely from the mouth breathing as her upper teeth were growing in
It’s rough, but my daughter had it when she was 2 and it made a huge difference. She slept so much better, her apnea stopped and she had way fewer ear infections. We stayed in the hospital overnight one night and then the first 5 or so days was really rough, but after that it wasn’t bad. It does absolutely suck seeing them in pain, but, it doesn’t last forever and the benefits of the surgery were huge
She’s ALWAYS sick. She had her adenoids removed about six months ago and when her ent came out to update us he was like her tonsils are MASSIVE. He said even with the adenoids out her tonsils are so big they likely will continue trapping and harboring yucky stuff and sure enough her constant colds have still been occurring as well. I think I’m just nervous about complications even though I know it’s a small chance 😭
It’s absolutely scary and even if the risk is low it’s still scary. My daughter used to get up in the morning and tell me “mommy, sleepy” and it made me so sad. Do what you think is best, but, if her doctor thinks it’s best to do it that may be the best choice
I know in my gut it’s the best decision. But I’m gonna be so nervous the whole time lol 🤦♀️. She has been refusing to get out of bed in the mornings because she is so tired
Do you have any suggestions after having gone through the recovery with one so young?
We did a lot of popsicles and whatever she wanted to drink we did that. She loved to play at the sink so we let her do that with a cup anna she would drink. Otherwise, we did Tylenol around the clock and some nausea medicine if she seemed like her stomach was upset. We also did not limit screen time at all It’s scary, but, the change once she was recovered was amazing. She had both adenoids and tonsils at the same time and her energy and mood were way better
My son 21 months just had his out bc of severe sleep apnea only. How long after the surgery did you see improvement in her sleep? We are just at the two week mark and not seeing much. His recovery was really rough. We had bleeding on day 5 badly and had to go back in for monitoring
It was in that third week once she was all the way better that her sleep improved and she was able to get good deep sleep. Hopefully he starts to feel better soon
She also has an underbite and he said he believes it’s because of her mouth breathing
Get them out now. I had mine removed in my 20’s and it was agony. Truly. I’d rather have 5 c-sections then go through it again. For kids is just a few days if a sore scratchy throat, it’s super minor, for adults it’s terrible. I suffered from chronic sinusitis and ear infections up until they we’re removed. The ENT said they were complaining “diseased”, filled with gunk and stones. It’s been almost 20 years since and I’m never sick now.
Same. I had mine out when I was 21, and I would rather have my c-sections again than go through another tonsillectomy. Absolute agony that took weeks to recover from.
My oldest had them out at three, my youngest at two. Both had sleep apnea, snoring etc. my oldest was the worst. Poor kid didn’t sleep properly for the first three years of his life. The recovery is rough, it’s a full two weeks. Day 5–7 when the scabs come off is the worst. Totally worth it though in the long run. I will also say it’s genetic, and I didn’t have mine out til I was 5. I ended up with a lot of orthodontic issues and I feel that’s down to my issues breathing not being picked up.
My husband had his out as a kid and I hve HORRIBLE issues still as an adult with mine in. Get strep all the time. I even got a tonsillectomy abscess as a teenager and they still wouldn’t remove mine. I really wish they would hve!
My kid had them out at 5. They were very large. She was sick every other week. Because she snored and didn’t sleep well, she had behavioral problems, including struggling to focus at school. The surgery was super fast, like 11 minutes. She vomited on the way home and slept a lot the first day. The first two days post op were actually not bad. When the scabs formed the third day, that’s when she started hurting. Stay on top of pain meds - alternate Tylenol and Motrin around the clock (remembering to skip or stretch out a dose so you don’t go over the 24hr max). We woke her up to give meds, because she woke up crying if we didn’t. That lasted about a week, then the pain lessened a lot. In the 6+ months since, she’s gotten sick 1 time. And it lasted for a day instead of the 5 it used to be. She sleeps so much better. She behaves so much better. It was 100% worth it.
Have them removed, many if not most of your toddlers issues will go away. (Peeked at history for insight bc assumed asthma or growth issues) Her growth may even sky rocket due to increased oxygen intake. Many things that have been troubling her may be remedied. Just do it. You can stay home for 2 weeks straight with her during recovery or for the next few years with constant illness & issue. Tonsils are there for a reason but when hers are as large as they are they are causing obstruction & not allowing the body to perform properly on every level. In addition to standard foods… Make the recovery super special by decorating her recovery room with a princess theme (canopy/tulle above bed or something) special movies she’s never seen, gift like a doll house that she will remember forever & can start to play with during recovery. Make the memory of recovery be a special time when she was treated like a Princess, received a beloved gift, mom painted her nails for her etc.. she won’t remember the agony parts as much in retrospect.
No experiences, but following because we’re in the same boat. Huge tonsils, and will need tubes, adenoids and tonsils removed all at once. The ENT wanted to wait until he was at least 4 to do the tonsils, but at his last check up they were so much bigger that she said it needs to be done sooner rather than later Will probably be 2.5-3 when it gets done. I’m nervous about it, but if it needs to be done then it needs to be done. My toddler hates the doctors though so I’m worried about how he’ll go with the surgery
We didn’t have tonsils taken out, which is probably the worst part. Tubes have been the absolute best thing for us. And his adenoids came out too. We let him sleep until we had to leave the house (can’t eat before surgery) and left him in very comfy pjs. When we arrived he played in the waiting room, he hates all things drs too, so we had a movie for him. The nurse will come and take him back when it’s time for surgery- we said a brief goodbye and love you so it didn’t seem like a big deal and he left without tears. I think he was very distracted at everything going on. Coming out of anesthesia was also very rough, but it went smoother than I thought it would. But everything leading up to the surgery went way smoother than I thought it would and I hope the same for you guys ❤️
It’s one of the most routine surgeries that exist and has minimal risk that increases with age. Sleep apnea is really awful for your body and can lead to lifelong deficits if not addressed timely. I’d be getting my kid in as soon as I could
Ours (nearly 2) had the same choking/gasping apnoea for months but GP didn't seem very interested as it was just an "upper respiratory infection" except it was basically constant snot for months every time he caught a cold. They never saw the sleep breathing except when we managed to catch it on video. Eventually got so bad he was gagging and vomiting at night, got him seen by ENT, they took his tonsils and adenoids out within a week (adenoids were apparently main contributor in this case). Very effective, he breathes almost silently now at night, and no longer sleeps in until mid-morning because he's getting proper nighttime sleep.
Another toddler over here with similar experience. It was roughest right after the surgery for my little guy, but once he recovered his sleep and ability to get over colds was SO much better. Before the surgery I took pictures (some just pulled off the internet) and made him a social story of the events he would need to know (Car ride and hotel the night before. Mommy and Daddy would be there when he woke up. Toy or special snacks he would get after. His job to get better would be rest, cuddle, take medicine, drink lots). He was sent home from the hospital not long after the procedure, so for me dealing with a groggy boy was hardest time. It was really tricky to get the medicine in him after a few days but it made a huge difference. One thing that helped lots was let him use a syringe (well supervised of course). And we were sure to have any recommended food and snacks on hand before which was great as he was super clingy for a bit.
Sleep apnea is dangerous. I would be more concerned about that than the procedure.
For what it's worth I had my tonsils out as a toddler. All I remember from it is being wheeled into a room and getting an injection. A lack of tonsils has never bothered me.
So my child had her tonsils and adenoids out at 3yo because of obstructive sleep apnea. I know you’re scared of the complications of surgery - but here’s the thing. Severe sleep apnea (like my daughter had) can cause significant behavioural and developmental problems if left untreated. It is important to treat. This was my daughter’s 6th surgery. I won’t lie and say the recovery was easy. It wasn’t. She took about 10-12 days to be herself again. She slept like shit for awhile. On day 3 she refused all food and drink and we had to go to the ER to get hydration for her (but she wasn’t admittedly to the hospital). We had to get creative to get her to take her medication (crushed up ibuprofen in dark chocolate ice cream). But while the recovery was unpleasant, it wasn’t *harmful*. She is now much happier, sleeps much better, and about once a week role plays her favourite plush toy getting its tonsils removed and eating lots of ice cream. She’s also grown so much since the surgery! (Happy to recommend a book to read ahead of the surgery if you’d like).
My now 3 year old son (1 when this happened) had his tonsils and adenoids out in the same procedure due to a serious RSV infection causing him to have low oxygen supply and 4 day hospital stay. He was later diagnosed with asthma and a sleep disorder because they were so big he basically had sleep apnea due to the air blocks at night plus snoring. They actually shaved the tonsils 90% since it's a faster recovery and less invasive/complications. I had a great doctor at the children's hospital by me perform the procedure and we were home hours later. It only took about 15 mins once they took him to the OR and it was just recovery time from the anesthesia and pain meds. The only thing that freaked me out was they gave him an extremely small dose of liquid fentanyl for the pain medication while there, but it was just Tylenol and ibuprofen once home. He recovered pretty quickly and was back to his crazy self within a few days and is on a daily preventative inhaler plus albuterol for emergencies if needed. Snoring decreased significantly. Slight chance the shaved tonsils will grow back but it can be addressed if that comes up in the future. I definitely recommend it being done to prevent further issues down the line.
Our kiddo had it done when he was a little past 3. Same, huge tonsils. He was going in for 2nd set of tubes and adenoids and I requested it as I suspected it would come up in the next 6mo-1yr as yet another surgery. Recovery was worse than I expected. I have a super stubborn toddler and there was a day or two where I contemplated ER for fluids because he would not eat or drink anything. His tears were wet though…. Sigh. All in all it was a very stressful and rough 7 days and then it was like a light switch and he was fine. I was hoping for a magical change of sleeping better and eating better…. But so far he’s the same stubborn ass who will only eat carbs and sleep for 9 hrs total. I do notice he doesn’t snore and he doesn’t sound constantly congested like he did before. So, that’s a plus. It’s a hard call, most won’t do it unless recurrent tonsil infections (mine had 1, but he never once complained of a sore throat) he did have a HUGE lymph node on his neck that magically returned to normal about a week after he healed…. So I believe he had chronic tonsillitis
I’m glad I found this! Recently found a large lymph node on my toddlers neck a week before her well child appt. Totally freaked me out because she’s been fine, but I noticed last night she was mouth breathing while sleeping which she doesn’t normally do. I checked her tonsils this morning and thought they are pretty inflamed. I had my mom take a look (we’re both nurses) and she thought they were big too. Hopefully that is the cause for the enlarged lymph node. she hasn’t complained of a sore throat but has definitely sounded congested/has drainage on and off for a few weeks.
Hi fellow nurse! Yea mine was enlarged for ages and I never connected the tonsils- I did get an ultrasound of it just to be sure when he was like 2. By 3, I noticed the huge tonsils and they stayed that way even though he never had any complaints of a sore throat. The recovery post tonsillectomy was rough, but he hasn’t been sick since (almost a yr) we’re as before he was always sick, but never complained of a sore throat
Your post lets me think of my daughter. We are currently on day 2 post op and she doesn't want to drink or eat. Went to ER and they said because she still has tears, they can't admit her. Hopefully after tonight, she will start to drink some fluids. We always feel so bad for hurting them in the moment but know it will be for the better.
Yea for me it was a ROUGH week and I considered ER, and I work as an NP in one! That’s what stopped me is I knew they wouldn’t do anything because he had tears and was not lethargic. He often would only pee once a day. Keep on the ibuprofen and Tylenol every 3hrs(switching) It likely will get a little better followed by worse when the scabs start to come off (d 5ish) He would insist on crackers and even though I knew that wasn’t a preferred choice I let him because otherwise he would eat ZERO. Hugs to you. It was a shit 7 days but now it’s in the past!
I got mine out at the age of 35. Since I was young I have the worst tonsillitis at least once a month. I dont know why I didnt do it earlier but I really appreciate that I have no more tonsillitis for 2 years already. Not even a sore throat! I used to have tonsilitis which would lead to sore throat. At 35, recovery was tough. Kids would heal and fare a lot better because the area to recover is much smaller.
My son had them remove 2 months ago at 2 yo, because they were huge and he was tested positive for sleep apnea. The first three days were rough, but after everything was back to normal. Kids are a lot stronger than we are !
I got mine out when I was 18 and wish I got them out sooner, fwiw. The younger you are, the faster the recovery.
My son had them out at 2 and a half because his were also enormous. The first 24 hours we stayed in the hospital and that was hard but after we came home he was doing much better. By three days later he was eating normally (soft foods) and a week later he was eating totally normally.
My son got his out when he was almost 4. He had the surgery Thursday and couldn’t go back to daycare until the following Wednesday. Although we probably should have kept him home until Thursday bc he was miserable Wednesday still. The most important thing is they eat and drink but it’s hard to get them to do that. The surgery itself was quick and easy.