Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Hello Jungle,

? Do any of the parents of small kids here have any experience with tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy?? Have any of you had your tonsils and/or adenoids removed?? We'll be seeing an ENT (ear, nose, throat) doc this week for our 4 year old who has tonsils like his mom...let's just say they are huge!? :nervous:? She did well with hers, but from what we hear from her parents, she was always sick as a kid too.? We read that the average kid gets 6 to 8 colds per year...and I think know we're well above that.?

? We haven't made any decision yet because we haven't sat down with the doc yet.? ?We've researched the issue for hours and we are stumped.? Any input Gunners??? :confused:

PS  I'm interested in hearing some responses from outside the US too if possible.  I'm always curious as to how things get done elsewhere.   :peace:

I was in my mid-twenties when I had my tonsils removed.  At the same time and by the same doctor, there was a six year old having his removed.  The doctor told me that after the surgery I would have to stay overnight in the hospital and that my throat would be very sore for like ten days but he promised me that after that everything would be fine.  I WAS IN AGONY FOR THE TEN DAYS!!!  It was even painful to swallow my own spit.  When I went for my follow-up visit, I asked the 6-year-old's mom how he was after his surgery.  She said he was GREAT!!!  He went home the same day as the surgery and later that same evening he was up playing and eating!!!

The doctor said the recovery is much easier for young children to recover because the "bad" tonsils didn't spend years and years embedding themselves into the walls of the throat like mine did.

GypsySoul, yes I did read that as an adult, it is very painful and the recouperation time is much longer.  Were you having tonsillitis or just a lot of colds/strep throat/etc.?  How have things been since?  Better, worse, same?  Just curious.

I was having a lot of colds/strep throat/etc. because my tonsils were basically "petrified" (like when an old dead tree turns to stone).  After the surgery and recovery, it's been significantly better.  I still get colds and sore throats but not nearly as many or as severe as they were before the surgery.

Cool stuff Gypsy...that sucks you had wait to be an adult to get 'em taken care of...were they large tonsils?  How big a pair did ya have???

As a child, I would get Tonsillitis at least a couple times a year. The Doc recommended that they be removed, but I put up one hell of a fight, and my parents backed down.

A friend went in to have his removed and he died from complications with the anesthesia. It was never an issue after that.

It is an invasive proceedure that has complications. I would think that proceedures are better today than they were 30 years ago, but there are risks anytime one undergoes anesthesia. I would get two or three separate opinions.

 :nervous:  Yes, I've heard those stories as well and it's scary as hell.  However, the worry comes into play with the goddamned cold/strep seasons.  We don't mind the illness factor.  Kids get sick.  It's the airway issue.  Nights are always worst when it comes to this stuff.  Which risk is worse, the decreased oxygenation due to a compromised airway or that off a tonsillectomy procedure?  We've got the appointment with the ENT tomorrow.  I have a bad feeling we'll be just as unsure of what to do after the visit.   :(

Get the kid's tonsils taken out.  It's no biggie.  : ok:

Any invasive preceedure is a "biggie". I would get at least 2 opinions.

Hey buddy, I'm sorry to hear about this.

I had my tonsils removed this past June.

I had a sudden attack on Oscar night.  Changed my life forever.  My tonsils were almost the size of golf balls.  I saw a lot of different doctors and they all described me different medications.  Strong antibiotics to be exact.

The antibiotics got stronger with each passing prescription.  I missed a few weeks of school because of it, because the tonsilitis sapped a lot of strength from me.  Finally, I had them taken out after three months of hell.  I would have gotten them taken out in February if I had a say in it.  Those drugs really fucked with my head.

After I had my tonsils taken out, I lost 20 pounds, because I couldn't eat, or drink anything!  I was able to start eating Jell-O about 5 days after the procedure, and I graduated to solids about 14 days later.

I'm not a doctor, nor will I ever be one.  But I would think it would be better to get this out of the way while your kid is young. 

Hope everything turns out well.  :yes:

Thanks for the info. Eddie Van Halen.  I'm glad you're over that now.  It's good to hear these accounts.  I just wish my son had my tonsils!  I can't even see mine. 

btw, did you have your adenoids taken out as well?...or just the tonsils.  Sometimes they take out both.

Thanks again.  :peace:  I'll let ya'll know what happens with the doc tomorrow.

Yes, they scraped my adenoids out.

What ever decision, you and your loved ones will be in my thoughts.

My nephew had them taken out about three years ago when he was around 4; his periodic illnesses decreased substantially after the removal.  Also, I don't know if this just a coincidence, but he was always one of those kids that never ate anything, then after having his tonsils removed, slowly developed a man-sized appetite.  In fact, he's been gaining a ridiculous amount of weight.

Some more information that might be useful...

http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/throat/tonsils.cfm

Good luck!

     The younger you are when you have them removed, the quicker the recovery and the easier the surgery for the doctor and patient.  My friend is a pediatrician and said the above.  He also advised me last year that I was going to suffer for a couple of weeks when I had my tonsils/adenoids and uvula removed in 11/06 because of sore throats and sleep apnea.  I lost 30 pounds in 4 weeks.  I was miserable for 3-4 weeks.  I haven't had any sore throats since and the sleep is much better.
     I would definetly get 2 opinions but having the tonsils and adnoids removed now would probably be a good thing.  My brothers had them removed when they were young due to cronic tonsilitis and they did fine after and I don't even think they had any problems with throat related illness again.
     Good Luck

Guys,
  Thanks a lot.  I haven't heard back from the fam.  I'm home walking the dog at lunch, so yeah, I'll admit, I'm a bit on edge.  Still no word.  I'll be dropping an update later today.  Thanks for all the support.  It doesn't go unnoticed.   :beer:

  All I want is a healthy family...and a GNR concert in my near future...is that too much to ask for???   :peace:

I don't know if I agree to have them removed.  I was one of those sickly kids, sometimes having strep 3 or 4 times a year as well as having colds non-stop.  I didn't have them out and now as an adult I don't get sick like that at all.  Maybe I grew out of it, I don't know.  I'm not a doctor but I have to think those tonsils are there for a reason.  I would definitely talk to a few doctors before making a final decision.

^  Thanks for the advice but damn, the tonsils he has are almost "kissing."  The correlation with over-sized adenoids is well-documented so he probably has those too.  Personally, I had strep all the f'ing time as a kid.  I had everything under the sun...I even had mumps!  Who the hell gets mumps!  Wasn't that friggin eradicated?  :hihi:  Yes, the measles and chicken pox too.  But...I didn't have and don't have big tonsils.  My breathing wasn't compromised.  That's the difference here.  I don't care how many times he gets sick...I care about potential oxygen deprivation in his formative years.  He's a brilliant kid with one hell of a vocabulary.  I want him to stay that way, a smart kid. 

Also, there are some things out there we're born with that really serve no purpose.  From what I've read, the tonsils and adenoids serve their purposes at a very early age.

Here's a cool link that shows some useless human traits:   http://cbs13.com/slideshows/Useless.Body.Parts.20.462883.html?rid=12

Not that the tonsils and adenoids are useless...they're actually harmful to some folks, and they're harmful to my son.  When he gets sick, they become even more swollen than they already are and compromise his breathing at night.  I'd hate to be pissing away i.q. points over some over-sized lymph tissue.  We're 99% on board with getting it done. 

Thank you all for the input.  It's not a lot of fun...but much like a chick with low back issues who has a FFF cup rack, we gotta cut these things down!   :yes: 

 

I had the mumps too, interestingly enough and I had the shots to prevent it.  We are probably around the same age though, and I read somewhere long ago that there was a bad batch of the shots that went around at the time I had them.

Dude, does your son have white spots on his tonsils?  I had them, it was quite disgusting.

Also, I forgot to mention the breathing bit.  I had difficulty breathing sometimes, and I would notice my heart rate would increase rapidly at some points.

Keep us posted.

I will most definitely  keep you folks updated...thanks for the support, everybody!!!

Well, no white spots...yet.  The breathing deal is what I'm most concerned about.  He's restless at night and we know he's not getting restful sleep. 

Ha!  Bandita too!  That's funny.  My mumps isn't too impressive now, I'll have to bust out the whooping cough or something next time!  :hihi:

Now we're looking at the various procedures.  I hate not being in control.   :(

I challenge your whooping cough with my bout of Scarlet Fever!  I was a terribly sickly child, ya know we can probably go head to head like this for a while!

Aww, your son will be ok-you are doing the right thing by getting it looked into early in his lifetime.   :peace:

BTW, have any of the doctors considered an inhaler or nebulizer in the interim if it is really affecting his breathing?  I also have asthma and have gotten bronchitis and pneumonia from it and always carry the inhaler but I had the nebulizer when I was hospitalized. 

well, since the whooping cough was pulled out of my ass, you've got me beat.  You were one sick chick! 

I remember a nebulizer thing with the croup when we went to the E.R.  To be honest, it didn't do jack.  The one thing that has worked had to be a fucking steroid.  Steroids happen to have every side-effect under the sun unfortunately.  Here's the deal though, we only use it when things are really bad (usually a croupy cough at night).  We've used very small doses and we've used it like a magic bullet.  It works every fucking time.  Every fucking time.  The doc today said that makes sense.  The prednisone was probably shrinking the tonsils and adenoids down to allow for a more open airway.  Over the course of the year it's been used 6 times if I'm not mistaken...at about 1/3 of a teaspoon each time.  2 teaspoons in a year really is nothing...but damn if it didn't make a huge difference those terrible nights.

On an Axl-related note, I wonder if he's familiar with prednisone.  I remember hearing David Lee Roth talk about meds they would use to be ready to perform.  I think prednisone was one of 'em.  It really is a magic bullet...but the side effects with large dosages are scary.

Listen, I know this is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.  There are kids out there with far greater problems...I guess it's all relative.   :peace: 

Yea that prednisone can be dangerous stuff.  My father was on it for a very long time but I think in the way you are using it, the good is outweighing the bad. 

My daughters have had this before - croupy cough, crying, can't breathe. I used to put them over my shoulder and go into the bathroom, close the door and run the shower very hot so steam would fill the room. I was hot as shit in there especially with another person on you but it worked. It helped them to breathe better and they were able to sleep. I would only do this when it got bad.

But look at the alternatives definitely. If you guys are going to the doc or hospital alot for the same thing, it makes sense to look into medical procedures. And I take steroids constantly because i have COPD. You are right. The roids shrink the swelling and allow breathing more easily. I have never had side effects so don't worry too much. I don't think they put too much in there. I know it's different with a kid but the doc has never prescribed roids for my kids yet. And believe me, I am a hypochondriac so I take my kids all the time. And with them being in school and day care, there is a period when they catch everything under the sun and it seems like they are sick constantly but it passes even though it seems like forever. I think they do a lot of immunity building in this time. 

Prednisone?  Yeah, I took that too.  It's the worst thing ever!

Is your son taking it?

And why would DLR take prednisone before performing?

^  Yo, something about easing the inflammation on his vocal chords.  It makes sense.  The shit is like a magic bullet.  A lot of folks with allergies carry it in case of anaphylactic shock (allergic reaction which closes the throat).

Yes CrazyCheryl, we've done it all.  Vaporizers, (cool and warm with cool being preferable), hot steamy showers (only last so long), walks out in the cold night air (temporary minor relief), over the counter cold medicine, ibuprofen, Vicks, you name it (nothing).  breathing treatment albuterol.  Trust me, we'd have him on our shoulders all night long if it meant it would help...in fact that's how we normally handle it.  and yes, the kids do a lot of immunity building at this age, but they also develop a lot, and if they aren't getting restful sleep that development can be stunted.

We're taking the fucking tonsils and adenoids out.  If I had pliers I'd do it myself!  Just kidding!!!!!!!  The method of extraction will have very minimal duration of post-op pain, just a few days.  Here in Delaware we've got a nationally recognized childrens' hospital (A.I. DuPont).  The care is top-notch.  I'll keep ya'll posted.

and Bandita, yeah, I tallied the prednisone use up for the year...5 treatments, a little over a teaspoon and a half of the stuff.  I'd prefer to not have to use any, but damn if it wasn't amazing in those times of need.

I had both removed as a kid, and it wasn't a big deal.  I don't remember it as a bad experience...not a great one, mind you, but not bad.

My basic thought it this:

If he gets tonsillitis, get 'em out.  If they're problematic, get them removed.  If they aren't, leave them be. 

Freedom, you said you got 'em out as a kid?   :nervous:  Oh shit!  What happened to you could happen to my son????
 :nervous:  :nervous:  :nervous:  :nervous:  :nervous:  :nervous:  :nervous:  :nervous:  :nervous:  :nervous:   :hihi:

Seriously, how old were ya man?  My boy is 4 1/2.  We're looking at the beginning of February.  Send positive energy!  (yes, I know I don't believe in paranormal stuff...blame it on my upbringing!  Thanks.  :))

I had my tonsils and adenoids taken out when I was 8 years old.  It wasn't painful, that I can remember. There was some soreness after the surgery, but it didn't last too long.

I'm glad you guys have decided on something.

February eh?  Good, your son won't have to suffer much longer.

Can't say anything bad about an institution with the DuPont name on it.

I will be sending my positive vibes across the nation!

Cool man.  Much thanks.   :beer:

My youngest son had both of his out at age 5.  It was the best thing for him.  He can breathe and hear better now.

Thank you Cornell.  Another reassuring tid-bit was talking with 2 of our friends whose kids had to go under for a frenectomy.  I think that's what it's called.  They snip some connective tissue underneath the tongue that allows for normal tongue protrusion.  Anywhoo, just knowing other kids "go under" and come out just fine is reassuring.   :yes:

A co-worker of mine was telling me about a friend of hers whose daughter was found to have a tumor in her brain.  11 months old.  That's gut-wrenchingly horrible stuff.  Things like that really put things into perspective.  :(

today's the big day.  wish us luck.   :love:

I hope you and your kid have a "Super Tuesday"!

Hope it all goes well!

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Despite the fact my son was running a 103 degree fever on Friday afternoon, had to go immediately to the pediatrician's office, had his 4th positive strep test, had to get a shot of antibiotics in his buttock...the anesthesiologist and doctor gave the go-ahead this morning for the operation. 

Tonsils are sized on a 1 to 4 scale with 1 being normal.  My son's were a 4.  Everybody in the operating room commented on there large size.  The adenoids were a 3. 

My son will be able to breathe normally soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

It was an emotional day.  Seeing him after the surgery was a great feeling.  We had to wait extra because the kid in before our son was having trouble with anesthesia...what a nightmare.  Anyhow, when he woke up, he was still groggy with morphine going through his system.  There was some crying in between eyes opening and closing every couple minutes.  The thing that hit me the hardest was when he opened his mouth to cry, you see the spit strings in a dry lipped mouth, that looked ominously similar to the mouth of severely disabled wheelchair-bound c.p. kids.  It's that realization that yeah, my kid just got his tonsils out...there are kids in this building with horribly debilitating ailments, cancer, cp, muscular dystrophy, etc.  When it's your kid, perspective gets thrown out the window.

Thanks for all the kind words guys and gals.   :beer:

Aww, I am so glad he had it done. 

Thanks Bandita!  You would not believe it!!!  Already, the 1ST night!  He is already breathing better...and this is with soft tissue swelling.  I can't tell you how awesome this has been so far.  I am just fucking astounded. 

Thanks again.  :peace:

Great! It really sucks when the kids are sick, knowing, there is very little one can do.

Thank you man.  Trust me, I definitely had some moist eyes today.  He had a positive strep test 4 fucking times in a month.  Those gargantuan homes to massive quantities of bacteria in his throat are gone and I feel sooooo good!

Yes, it's early, but I'd be a stone cold liar if I told you he wasn't breathing better already.  I will go to bed with a guarded smile...unfortunately my 2 year old is sick with a cold now too (yep, 2 kids, I figured no Chinese Democracy, I had to do something to keep busy :) ).  On a positive note, my 2 year old has my tonsils (small to non-existent).  :)

Well, my friend, I am glad that your son is doing much better!

I wish him a speedy recovery.

And calm and steady nerves for his folks.  ;)