Poor Miss Amelia had 7 visits to the pediatrician last year for tonsillitis. And one for strep throat. The pediatrician had had enough of seeing Amelia for the same thing over and over again and sent us to see an ENT.
We went during Amelia's spring break (We also saw the dentist and the eye doctor as well--we are crazy spring breakers around here!). The doctor we saw was very dry, matter-of-fact, and didn't show much emotion. And for being a pediatric ENT, I didn't find him especially friendly with Amelia. BUT, when he saw her tonsils he was very animated asking if they are "that big all of the time??". They are. He then told us that on top of all of the infections that she has been getting they are absolutely interfering with her sleep if they are that size. So, the recommendation came to get them out and we thought we'd shoot for summertime.
Then, for a couple of nights in a row, I would check on a sleeping Amelia and hear this horrible gasping sound at the end of every breath. She has always been a very loud snorer, but this was different. And I didn't like it. With this change in her sleeping sounds, Jason and I opted to move up the surgery to ASAP status.
So, April 15 was the day we chose (what better way to spend our tax return, no?). We did tons of preparing Amelia from reading her the book, "Good-bye Tonsils" to letting her grocery shop with us for all of the delicious frozen treats she would be indulging in post-surgery. We also let her choose the spot for her "last supper". Interestingly, she chose Bread Co. and ate broccoli cheddar soup (something she could certainly have after surgery). But, I couldn't complain because at least it wasn't McDonalds!
All in all, the surgery went great. Amelia was actually excited to put on the gown, have her blood pressure checked, and get wheeled to the operating room in the wagon. The doctors and nurses were great and put her at ease. Plus, she was well prepared!
The doctor talked to us after the surgery and told us again how unhealthy Amelia's tonsils were. Even at the age of 4, they were already scarred from repeated infections. He also said she did great in the OR and played the game they had set up for her that eventually led to her going to sleep. The anesthesiologist said she was the highlight of the day for them and did fantastic!
She had a little trouble coming out of the anesthesia. But once she napped a bit, she was good to go. She came home and ate and drank like a champ. Apparently the meds she got at the center are a little stronger than the ones they send you home with! By day 2, she was in lots of pain and barely ate or drank for 2 days. Luckily, an impromptu visit outside from the twins across the street led to her eating 6 popsicles in a row.
The rest of the two week recovery was up and down, but we survived and I can already tell she is much better off. The snoring is gone. And so far she is eating more food at each sitting than she ever has before. She has always been a pretty adventurous eater, but now the quantity is more too. It could be a long growth spurt, I guess, but I think maybe her tonsils made it difficult to swallow things and eating was a chore.
Either way, I think we made the right decision and I am so glad it's over. And now our summertime can be full of swimming, running, jumping, and playing without a tonsillectomy getting in the way.
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