8 Year Old Is Getting Her Tonsils Out

My son, 6, had his tonsils out on Tuesday (3 days ago). After surgery we were in recovery for less than 2 hours before being released to go home. About an hour after getting home I asked if he wanted a popsicle or yogurt, he said no that he wanted a PB&J sandwich. I made it and he ate it with no issues. Our ENT said he can eat what he wants except for chips and popcorn. We are keeping on top of the pain meds, setting reminders on our phones when it is time for the next dose. The mornings just after waking up have been the worst just because his throat is dry and the meds have worn off. We aren't waking him for med. We are using a humidifier in his room to help with dryness.

My opinion is that she will freak out more if you freak out. So, you need to relax a bit. Kids go through this all the time with no complications. Our ENT prescribed anti-nausea meds just in case, we haven't used them. Our pain med is the tylenol/codene combo.

Her being scared is ok and expected, you being scared isn't good for her. Keep lots of cold things to eat and drink, keep her drinking often, stay on the meds. She will calm down when she sees that you aren't very worried.

ADD: I wanted to add that the morning of surgery, my tummy was in knots but I put on my game face. My son played on his DS while being prepped for surgery and they let him take it to surgery with him which was a great distraction.

I had my tonsils out when I was 31. it was not fun. My throat felt like I had swallowed ice for a good 2 days. I know, not what you want to hear, but I'd rather tell you the truth.

Now...tell Kailey that I will be there too...if she wants.

Jell-O, ice cream, chicken broth, oatmeal, and other "smooth" things can be had. So she won't starve.

Please don't stress. She will pick up on your stress. The doctor should be able to give her an anti-nausea pill or liquid to help. The faster she uses her throat and vocal chords, the better.

Call me if you want me to come down!

My daughter had hers out at 8 as well. Just last night I was asking her about it and she said that it wasn't that bad and "she lived through it". My daughter was excited that she'd get to eat popsicles and ice cream all day. Try not to worry. It will be fine. My daughter didn't react well to the codine, made her feel spacey and have bad dreams, so we just did tylenol.

Nothing you can do to alleviate her fears. However, if you are saying things, not necessarily to her but others, about your reaction, you are setting her up for trouble. She will take her cues from you. Smile, tell her all will be well. After 72 hours, she will be over the worse. A week she should be good to go. Again, it all depends on your reaction. Good luck.

I am sorry, I know she is a wreck. We have not been through the tonsil removal but my 18 yr old was frantic this week because on Monday she had her wisdom teeth out.

She had never had any dental work other than routine cleanings and she was convinced she would die. They did give her a pill to take an hour ahead of time to calm her down a bit. She came through it perfectly. She got scared when she couldn't feel anything and thought something was very wrong. I explained to the nurse that she had never had any work done and never experienced a numb mouth. We explained that she was ok.

Along with the pain meds, antibiotics and steroid..........the Dr. also prescribed a pill for nausea because you do not want to be throwing up with this surgery (or tonsil surgery). She has used this and it kept her from being sick. Maybe you can request a pill like that. It is very small.

My daughter is still on soft foods and getting a little tired of it.

I know you are worried as well. I think the worst part of any surgery is the wait until the day of surgery. That part drove me nuts waiting until my hysterectomy day along with the anesthesia worry.

Just remember that you have a good Dr., you trust your Dr. and convey that to your daughter.

Best wishes to you and let us know how she does.

Let me tell you that the best thing you can do for your daughter is get this surgery over with while she's young. I had mine out when I was 17, and it's much harder to get over it at that age or older.

My recommendation to you is to stay on top of the pain medication. Tell your doctor point blank that your daughter has a low pain threshold. I had to ask for more medicine for my son when he had his wisdom teeth removed - don't hesitate to do that. You should find out how much acetametaphin is in he medication the doctor will prescribe and then determine how much acetametaphin your daughter can take in 24 hours. You can't go over the acetametaphin milligrams because of liver concerns, so it's important to know what you're doing.

If you keep to the medicine schedule (set an alarm if you need to), you keep medicine in her system so that she won't "hit the wall" and have to wait for a new dose to "kick in".

I would also get some stool softener tabs from the drug store and have her take them the first few days. These pain meds cause constipation, and that's SO uncomfortable.

I don't know if you can calm her down or make her less scared, but you can ask the doctor to give her versaid before the surgery. The doctors call it "giggle juice". It will prevent her from being stressed before she goes under. It also kind of wipes out her memory of the beginning of the surgical process. You should also ask the doctor to give her the versaid and then gas to put her out BEFORE putting the IV in her hand. If she doesn't have to suffer through the IV, she won't be nearly as traumatized before going under. I think it's really important to be as calm as possible before going under...

I'd also ask the doctor to be positive with her and not talk about the negatives.

Good luck!