Our 8 year old had her tonsils and adenoids removed at the end of January. She suffered from sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and one of her ears was always slightly plugged. We were hopeful that removing her tonsils and adenoids would alleviate some and possibly all of these ailments. Her doctor prepared us well for the surgery day procedures. You, our faithful readers, were quite helpful when I asked for advice and expectations regarding tonsil surgery. HERE is the post on FB if you want to read through all the wonderful comments. Great tips such as avoiding bananas because it can burn the throat, stay away from red colored jello, etc.
Before Surgery
Each child will vary based on their age and personality, but if you can, let them know what to expect. Annabelle was cool as a cucumber which helped me put asides my temptation to be nervous. We talked about how she would have some pain after the surgery, but we would do our very best to keep it in control with medicine and ice cream. Let them know BEFORE the surgery that the pain is temporary. Poor Annabelle thought she was going to feel as rough as she did in post-op for her entire recovery time. I didn’t realize beforehand that she didn’t understand the pain could be managed and woud lessen each day.
As you can see in the video at the end of this post, we had fun on surgery day. We played Snapchat, got her favorite kitty into character with a hair net, and made the most of our time waiting to go into surgery. You may want to ask about the surgery ward rules. We actually found out my in-law’s weren’t supposed to bring me coffee and we could only have two visitors at a time.
Post Surgery
Many warned me that she may come out of surgery very sad and they were right. It’s {tear face emoji} time after the surgery. I believe it’s partly due to coming out of anesthesia, but it’s frightening to wake up in a strange place with pain. They called me back as soon as she stirred and there were quite a few tears. Just be there for them and assure them it will be okay. I wanted to cry with her, but I knew that wouldn’t help the situation. We were given an order for Tylenol and Motrin and I was glad we had it filled while she was in surgery. Each hospital may vary, but they let me give her the first dose of Tylenol as soon as she could hold down liquids. Pain management is HUGE!
About an hour after her surgery we were discharged. She took a nap on the couch and when she woke up she felt GREAT! I was happy for her, but cautiously optimistic about this bouncing girl. She was hungry so I gave her the soft food menu options. Here are a few things I bought and had on hand before the surgery day:
- scrambled eggs
- cottage cheese*
- yogurt*
- ramen/pasta
- apple sauce
- Bear Creek soup packets
- popsicles (avoid red because you can’t tell if there is bleeding)
- otter pops/freezer pops
- icee cups
- sherbet
- pudding
- jello (no red)
- ice cream*
- Tylenol and Motrin for at least a week of doses.
*It is advised to avoid dairy the first few days because it adds phlegm {wow I hate that word}.
Pain Management
Whatever your doctor tells you to do, be vigilant. We were told to rotate giving Annabelle Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours. Set an alarm on your phone, write down which medication you gave her last time, and don’t stretch them out if your child is feeling good. Stay ahead of the pain, even through the night. I felt like I had a newborn, but we set an alarm and woke her up every 3 hours to give her meds. I pre-measured her meds and put them in a safe spot so I could easily give them to her during the night. Around day 3 you will be tempted to relax on the pain medication overnight. Some of our worst days were days 3-4. We went about 6 hours between doses and she woke up really miserable. It took a few hours to get a handle on the pain. It wasn’t until day 5 or 6 that we could stretch out the pain medication schedule.
Bad Breath/Scabs
Don’t be alarmed by the horrific bad breath that begins around day 4-5 and lasts about 10 days. You will gag when you have to go somewhere in the car, you will need to air out the room after a night of sleep, you will feel like you’re wilting when your sweet recovering child wants to snuggle. I have never smelled anything like it. It smelled like she swallowed a dead animal. You’ve been warned! 🙂
Gross Alert: Around day 6 her scabs came off. She coughed and felt some chunks in her mouth. She spit her scabs into a bush on our way into church. So lovely! We both shuttered a bit. It will forever be a disgusting story we have to share.
Things to Do
We planned to miss two weeks of school and got a few days ahead on her work so she could rest the first couple days after her surgery. They need to rest and do minimal activity. At first it’s easy, but as she felt better I had to be prepared with some things to do. We like the Amazon series “Just Add Magic” and a new season released the week of her surgery. Perfect timing! She got a few new books to read as well. Sweet friends spoiled her with some coloring books, crafts, etc. Our discharge papers said she could return to school (no PE or running until 2 weeks post surgery) when she no longer need pain meds. 1 1/2 weeks after her surgery she went back to school. 
While it’s still early and she hasn’t been retested for sleep apnea, she doesn’t snore anymore or sound like Darth Vader when she breaths (adenoids were blocking 90% of her nasal passage). She has regained full hearing in the ear that the adenoids were plugging. We are rejoicing the most over being able to take her off her migraine medication. Our theory that her poor sleep was contributing to her migraine’s appears to be accurate. Time will tell, but everything seems hopeful at this point.
If I didn’t cover something and you have a question, please leave a comment. I read a few helpful posts about tonsil surgery and wanted to share our experience if it could help prepare another momma. You will need to be prepared for a good week at home, but you can fill your recovery days with restful fun.
