My 5 year-old daughter needs to have her tonsils out. It is a common procedure, but a surgery none the less. Her tonsils are enlarged so it's likely her adenoids are enlarged, as well. During surgery they will decide whether the adenoids need to be removed along with the tonsils. Poor girl has a kind of sleep apnea. She snores like a freight train and her breathing, during sleep, sounds very labored. On a few occasions I have noticed her breathing stopped. Glad we now know why that's happening and excited knowing that post surgery her symptoms will improve or even go away all together.
Initially we were going to wait until June because it made the most sense on the calendar. Just this week, however, we decided not to wait. She is not sleeping well and like any of us, not handling life very well without a good night's rest. What is best for her is to get this done so she can "feel better". The surgery is scheduled for April 14th which feels very soon. We would appreciate any prayers said on her behalf surrounding her surgery.
Good or bad, right or wrong, I have been feeling a little guilty knowing she is going to be in pain afterwards. I think I have decided to expect the "worst" so I will be pleasantly surprised when she does "better" than expected. Apparently recovery is about 2 weeks, 14 days, but children are quick to rebound so I'm thinking about a week or so and she'll be doing well. I'm having a hard time knowing what to tell her. If she were seven like my son I could probably offer a few more details, but even though she can understand to a degree what is going to happen, I know she has NO IDEA what "it's going to hurt" means.
I'm blogging about it because...I can! I plan on updating things as we go through this in case our "experience" can help or enlighten someone else one day. I have heard some things and I'm not sure what is actually helpful and what is not. So I guess we'll have to see.
If you have any helpful info about helping a child through a tonsilectomy, I'd welcome your comments. Thank you!
CHECK OUT THESE POSTS ON THE SURGERY & RECOVERY:
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 7
Addendum
I have not been thru that particular procedure with any of our boys, however, if you've read our blog from time to time that we've definitely had our fair share of ER visits. I find that my boys rarely protest greatly dr.'s visits, etc. I have always been honest with them about shots, stitches, x-rays, etc. Preparing them with information goes a long way, i believe. now with that in mind...i do not think it's necessary to give tons of detail. children that age don't typically need a lot of detail. they will gauge you and your responses and follow accordingly. how about explaining the procedure to her and why it needs to be done and then ask her if she has any questions. that will give you an idea of where she's at with it all. you'll know her fears and so forth. it's okay to feel scared in an unfamiliar situation. this is a great way to lead her to praying about it and what we do with our fears. Take them to the One who can handle it for us. you could lead her to pray for the doctor to have wisdom, for a speedy recovery, in addition to thanking Jesus for going before her and leading the way. this will not be the last time she will experience uncertainty in her lifetime, so why not use it as a teaching moment! will be praying...hope this helps.
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I had my tonsils out as an adult (about 6 years ago). Everyone I've talked to says it is MUCH worse as an adult and I had wished that I'd had it done as a kid so you are definitely doing the right thing by getting it over with now. If you have any specific questions about the procedure, feel free to ask away!! My neighbor's daughter, 5-years old, also had hers removed a few months ago and I can put you in touch with her if you want! We saw Ellie in the prayer sheet last week and will certainly be praying.
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