8 Yr Old tonsilectomy...recovery Advice Needed

My daughter had hers out at 8 also. She was very sore for about 3 days. I bought her a bell and some paper, she would ring the bell when she needed something and then would write down what she needed or wanted. She ate tons of popsicles and ice chips. Her Dr had said to stay away from milk products because they can thicken her mucus making her cough. She missed one full week of school and the second week just went half days because she got so tired. I also gave her pain medicine around the clock for the first 3-4 days.

My son had his tonsils out a couple of years ago and it was a very easy prosess. He was in a little bit of pain but they give some liquid pain medicine and just make sure for the first few days give it on a regular basis. My son didn't like the flavor so make sure you get it flavored to something that tastes good. He started feeling better after a few days. He ate a lot of mashed potatoes, and ice cream. As long as they drink lots of fluids it doesn't really matter what they eat. You won't really know when the scabs fall off. But my son did very well when he had this surgery. He was up and back around in about a week. He was other than the little bit of pain that he felt when he stopped taking the pain medicine he did very well. I wish you all the luck in world.

I was a little older when I got mine taken out. The pain is really only when swallowing and talking. She probably won't be talking much for a couple days. I was able to start eating solid food after a couple days, it was still a little tender though. Popcicles and ice cream were good. I also drank a lot of juice, apple and other kinds that aren't as acidic. It was several years ago, and I don't remember scabs falling off. Mine were removed by laser, and there is an issue with dying tissue in your throat. The doctor warned me and my parents that it would not be a pleasant smell. Of course, my sister was not shy about telling me that I was smelling up the house. I was more self-concious about returning to school b/c of that, than the actual pain.

Yes, definitely let her pick all the soft foods (especially pudding, jello, ice cream and yogurt) that she can. Liquids help too but nothing acidic or carbonated as that will irritate the scars.

My son was nearly 3 when his were taken out and I can tell you that you will DEFINITELY want to have the Rx filled either before or send someone to have it done before you get home. FOLLOW THE DOSAGE EXPLICITLY THE FIRST 72 HOURS. Some parents get caught up with not giving their kids meds unless they need it...let me tell you, in this surgery, they need it and you don't want them to the point where they need it or then they start getting the fearful look in their eyes. I would guess because of her age you may need to stay on the meds 5-7 days. They will make her sleepy as one of them is usually a narcotic. But it's good...let her sleep and get her to eat cold stuff when she can as it helps the healing process. MAKE SURE SHE KEEPS DRINKING!!!! Yes, it will hurt. But if she stops because of the pain, it will only be worse the next time she starts up again. My son learned this the hard way.

My son was a snuggler so he wanted me close by in the days afterwards. I even went so far as to let him sleep with me (his daddy was deployed at the time) and that was not only a HUGE comfort, but I could tell when the pain was getting worse at night/would set the alarm and be ready with the next dose of medicine for him.

Post surgicially they will put her in a room and start feeding her all the slushes and ice cream she can keep down. My son was HUGELY looking forward to this part...maybe too much so as he ate more than he should have and ended up throwing it up...NOT what you want them to do after that surgery! So I would ask the nurses the going rate if you will at how much they think she ought to consume in say a 1/2 hour or hour. They will most likely leave the IV in until she has to go to the bathroom on her own and will monitor her for several hours afterwards. If she has any complications (bleeding, excessive vomiting, bowel problems) they will keep her overnight. It may sound bad but in my opinion (we went in at 7 am and left at 10pm with an hour drive on the front and back to the hospital) that's not such a bad thing...at least she'll be closely monitored and although you'd probably sleep there too, it's nice having some extra help at your beck and call.

If she feels like going back to school after the first week I would caution all the teachers that she shouldn't strain her throat too much...little talking, no yelling, singing, etc. She'll eventually know her limitations and should stay within them. I'd say eating returned to normal after the scabs fell off...so you are looking at at least a week or so. I'd stick with the processed foods and easily chewable foods until she feels like she can atempt more...(i.e. mac and cheese, soups, etc. then work up to soft sandwiches, chicken nuggets, etc.)

As for the scabs falling off...then only thing she will really notice is that her throat is sore or more sentitive again. Frankly, I wouldn't even mention it to her until maybe 4 days out. She's got enough worry going into it and by that point a couple of days of a sore throat will seem like nothing after what she's gone through.

I will tell you though that you will see a remarked difference in her. I saw a HUGE change in my son's face within 36 hours. The circle under his eyes diminished and the knots at the back of his neck were virtually gone. We've been sick maybe a total of 4 days since the surgery 2 years ago. Very little keeps him down now. He did have his tubes replaced at the same time but I don't think we'll need to go through another round of that since the surgery. I'm glad they are doing this for you...I know my Dr's had to go to bat for us for my son being as young as he was but they knew that the prognosis wasn't going to get any better and the pain would only be worse later. I only wished we'd been able to do it sooner! Best of luck to you and your daughter. I'm sure she'll come out with flying colors. (BTW- you may want to get her a "I survived surgery" or "I was a trooper" present for the battlescars...that perked my kiddo up.)

My son was 9 years old when he had his out. The doctors told us no straws but friends of mine recently had their child's out and the dr never said no straws. My son lost 8 pounds and was pretty tired and weak the first 3 days. I really pushed fluids...and I mean push because he was afraid of it hurting. I gave the pain meds even in the middle of the night...on a regular basis so the pain wouldn't get out of hand. I would have things on hand that he likes that are soft. My son woke up one morning with a circle of blood on his pillow and the doctor said if it wasn't bleeding anymore then not to worry. After 10 days of being off I sent my son for 2 half days of school since he was so weak. I can't really say what really helped soothe his throat because I think anything moist helped...i just had to beg him to keep drinking. I wouldn't worry too much about eating...they will eat when they are ready. We had a party for my son the day before...it was the end of the summer and he couldn't swim for 2 weeks...so we had a pizza/swimming party. I would plan on Mom being the primary caregiver for the day of and 2 days after surgery. I worked the day after the surgery and had his Grandma be wtih him but wished I didn't have to leave him. Hopefully I have helped answer some questions. Keep in mind that the recovery is well worth them sleeping better and no more strep throat etc.

Well, I can't answer what is like for that old of a child, but what I can tell you is to pump fluids CONSTANTLY! After my son, Preston, had his tonsils and adenoids out on Halloween he had 3 different nurses that were all 16 and above when they had theirs out. What they told me was it was excrutiating painful (not trying to scare you..children bounce back a lot faster). They all told me they did not drink enough fluids and that is why it hurt so much. From the second Preston was allowed to drink he was and we kept pushing him. He did not seem to be in a lot of pain (he was 2 almost 3), but did want soft foods for quite a while after that. His scabs did not completely go away until the first of this year (yes, two months...not normal from what others have told me, but he had a lot of tissue cut out)! All my friends, that have had children go through this had a lot easier time than we did (we have a very stubborn child who would refused to take the meds). Just make sure you keep ahead of the pain by giving the medicine on time, pump fluids and be careful about what your child eats for the amount of time the doctor tells you. Just hang in there and I'm sure your daughter will come through the recovery with flying colors! Goodluck! :)

S.:
Don't worry, she will be fine. My daughter was 6 when she had her tonsils out and in Kindergarten at that time. My daughter Kristin, was in a little bit of pain for the first few days. I remember that on the way home she got sick in the car and we had to pull over. So I would expect something like that. Hopefully, she won't get sick it affects kids differently. We had a hard time getting Kristint to wake up from the anastetic which really scared me. All the other pts. were already awake and talking but, not her. Kristin could eat anything cold and soothing that she wanted. I got her popsicles, pudding, icecream, jello anything but a few colors. Now when we went to our meeting at the hospital to tell us what to expect, they said not to get jello, or popsicles with red or orange. That reason was because if she were to throw up we could tell. If it was red or orange, you wouldn't be able to see the blood. I know this is scary but it is important information for you to have. I was able to put an ice pack either on her neck or back of the neck....I can't remember...sorry about that!! They gave me a prescription to get filled for the pain. Kristin had the procedure done on a Tuesday morning and was able to go back to school the next week. That week that she was gone just happen to be spring break so she didn't miss any school....I planned it that way!! As far as the scabs, they fell off and she didn't think anything about it really. I do remember that she thought that it felt a little funny back there but, that was all there was to it.

Good Luck I hope that this helped!
L.

I hope this helps. 2 of my kids had their tonsils/adenoids out just a couple years ago. One was 4 and one was 9. What I learned is there are 2 different methods used now. My younger one had to have the "traditional" method of using a scalpel which meant more pain & recovery time. My 9 year old son was able to have the "modern" method which is akin to the surgeon using a dremmel like tool. This method cuts the bleeding, pain and recovery time in half! If this is the method your child's surgeon will be using, it should be a relatively easier recovery. However, regardless of which method, as other Mom's have said, make sure your child remains well hydrated! Good luck!

S., My son was 6 when his tonsils were removed. The biggest thing I remember is that the first couple of days after surgery seemed great, but about day 3 it got really rough. From what I understand when the scabs really start drying out and healing it causes a lot of pain. So make sure you are keeping your daughter well hydrated those 1st few days, don't slack off just because she seems to be doing well. Popciles are great.

Good Luck, M.

Hi S.!
I was about 14/15 when I had my tonsills removed. They used a laser to 'fry' my tonsills. I don't remember how long it hurt, but I'm sure that I was out of school for about 5 days. It takes a while to regain your strength when you don't eat. I really liked ice cream & popsicles (anything cold). You can get the pedialite pops or regular popsicles. I don't remeber anything about scabs falling off, but make sure in the first few days that she gets her pain meds on time! It will depend on the amount of pain she is in to when she will return to eating normally.
I hope all goes well!

God bless!

Hi S.! My oldest who is 20 now, had his tonsils and adenoids out when he was 8. He was out of school for almost 2 weeks( I prepared the school for this so they sent homework and stuff). I would just make sure your daughter is comfortable, keep up on the pain meds, soft diet. Their throat and ears will be sore for a week and they will just be tired and feel crappy for a while, they will have bad breath due to the healing tissue and drainage and I think the scabs were no big deal, it just looked yucky and had a sore throat. Lots of clear liquids and soft foods, nothing red in color and your daughter may have an upset tummy and throw up but that is only temporary due the amount of blood and gunk they swallow and maybe the anesthetic.Just let your daughter eat what sounds good within reason. My son seemed to be able to breathe better (his tonsils were HUGE and touched) and he had a growth spurt and his ear infections were gone. It's kind of scary to see them recover in the hospital because they are out of it and they are kind of swollen and stretched out looking in their face and my son seemed to take a little longer coming out of anesthetic, I do too, and he had to premedicated before, during and after due to a heart murmur. But all in all he recovered just fine. The surgery only took about 20 minutes, it was alot longer just to do prep work and sign in. I had my tonsils and adenoids out when I was 8 as well and it seemed like all of the things my son felt were just like what I felt when I went through it and I'm 40. So hang in there and things will be fine!
M. B.

My two year old son just had his tonsils out last Friday the 13th. The pain depends on your child and their pain tolerance,we did not have a lot of pain tolerance.The best advice I can give you is drink lots of fluids, they say ice cream and sucking on ice cubes really helps the pain. As for the scabs coming off I have no clue that is what we are waiting on right now, he is 9 days out and is still having a little pain especially at night. Best of luck she will be fine she is at a good age where she understands and you can reason with her.

I went thru this TWICE last year with my 14 year old and my 4 year old. The older the child the longer the recovery time. My 14 year old took the whole 2 weeks to start feeling better and eating more normally. The 4 year old bounced right back and was fine in a few days. It's really amazing and kind of weird how it affects them differently. She won't be able to eat anything solid, so just make sure she eats and drinks things high in calories, vitamins, etc. to maintain her energy and stay hydrated. She is between my two kids ages so I'm not sure how she will react, but my 14 year old did not want to swallow anything. I had to keep forcing her to drink and eat. The 4 year old was fine. She drank right away in the hospital and I had to watch and limit her to soft foods as she wanted chips and crackers right away, which she couldnt have (for a couple days, I think)even though she wanted them because the roughness of them will tear open the wounds. The scab falling off is said to be as painful as the surgery itself, but once it happens the healing process is pretty much over and they really start feeling normal. The scabs just kind of come off and they usually swallow them when they are eating or drinking. Gross, huh? I would just buy some applesauce, pudding, jello, yogurt (probably the best thing for her), ice cream, popsicles. I also made really soft mashed potatoes with butter, pasta. Nothing with seeds, like strawberrys, that can get caught in the sores. That's a lot of info, so I hope it helps! Good luck! She will be fine!

D. S
WorkAtHomeUnited

It's been a long time but I had my tonsils and adnoids out when I was 10. Back in the day when you got knocked out with ether. I couldn't even suck on popscicle the first day although the girl in my room did. I don't think I even stayed over night. By the next day ice cream, yogurt and popscicles where good and by about day 3 or 4 fine and I was only out of school a couple days. Follow your Drs advice but it really is a simple operation.