This is NOT medical advice, and we’re not making any claims about what may or may not happen with you, and you should NOT base any medical decision on what you read here.  I’m not a doctor.  I just wanted to share our experience with you.

Oh, also, if you read this whole thing, and youfound it interesting, please take a moment to post a comment and let me know.  Or even better, if you’re about to go through the same thing, post, and let us know, and then be sure to follow up and post the results. Ok, lets get to the article.

Before the procedure we did a lot of research on the topic and found lots of information about the actual procedure, what are tonsils, what do tonsils do, why do we have tonsils, where are the adenoids, etc.  But there wasn’t a lot of information that described personal experiences with the actual procedure and recovery.  That’s what this is about.Our son had three procedures done; a Tonsillectomy, an Adenoidectomy, and a bi-lateral myringotomy (incision in the ear drums but without tubes).I’m not going to talk at all about any of the events that led up to the decision to have these procedures, and I’m not going to have any discussion about whether it’s right for you or your children or whatever.  The purpose of this blog entry is simply to share our experience with others, so that you can have a personal experience to relate to.  Maybe it’ll make you feel better (or worse) to read what the experience was like for us.So here we go:

1.  Before the procedure – Our son’s surgery was scheduled for about 12:00 noon on a Wednesday.  The procedure took place at a childrens outpatient surgery center.  I think the name of it was “Childrens’ Outpatient Surgery Center” and it is located in Gwinnett county off Satellite Blvd.  The instructions we got from the facility told us that he was not allowed to eat or drink anything starting from like midnight until after the surgery.  I think they told us he could drink something in the morning like some water or gatoraid.  He was ok with that.  We would have preferred to have the procedure earlier in the day so that he didn’t have to be hungry (and ornery) for so long, but he did fine.

We also struggled as to whether or not to tell him what was happening.  Some people said that it would be better to not really tell him what was going to happen.  I don’t know if it was right or not, but I thought it was better to tell him was was going to happen.  I jumped the gun a little and told him they were going to give him a shot that would make him take a rest and that when he woke up, his throat would be sore.  Then we read the information, and learned that they don’t give shots for kids younger than like 12 or something,  They use some sort of gas that makes him go to sleep.  So I altered my story for him and told him they would put a mask on his face and ask him to take a few deep breaths and then he would go to sleep.  He seemed fine with is mostly.  He’s a tough little fellow.  Every once in a while he would seem to be nervous or scared, which of course is understandable.  But 99% of the time if asked about it or asked if he was scared or nervous, he would say “Nope!”  It’s obviously a personal decision, but I thought it was better to prepare him and give him time to mentally digest the deal.

I believe children are much more capable of handling stuff that adults give them credit for.  Just like when they were much younger and we would leave them with grandparents or something.  At about 2 years old or so, we learned that there would be much less crying if we would tell them ahead of time that we were going to drop them off and leave them.  If we would try and distract them and sneak out, the would be a lot more tears than if we told them was was going to happen.  I thought it was best to take the same approach here.  And for us, I think it was the right decision.

2.  In the waiting room (Wednesday) – We got there, and it was obvious that our son was nervous and a little scared.  He even said that he was nervous or scared and was generally kinda quiet and shy.  Which of course was totally understandable and not unexpected.  The nurses brought in two sets of “scrubs” or gowns or whatever it is you wear in the operating room.  We had been told that the patient and one parent can be present in the OR when the anesthesia  is administered.  My wife and I talked about it, and we decided it would be better for me to go with him rather than her beause I was more likely to be able to keep it all together than my wife.  She would probably be an emotional wreck and that wouldn’t be a good thing for our son to see as he’s drifting off.There was a video playing in this waiting room that shows what was going to happen, and it was fine, nothing interesting or scary about it.  So the nurse told us to put the gown on our son (striped down to just underwear) and I put the gown on over my clothes.  Oh, they also administered an oral dose of pain medicine to our son while we were in the waiting room.

Also, a couple nurses came in and aked us a couple “quiz” type questions, I imagine for safty sake.  She asked us if we knew what procedures our son was having.  I think it was some kind of saftey precaution.Then the anestheisologist came in and asked a bunch of questions about what he had for dinner, what time that was, whether he had anything for breakfast, or what he’s eaten.  Then he explained how it would work in the OR with the gas mask and all that, which we had already read about in the papers they set home with us.

3.  In the Operating Room – The nurse came in and said it was time to go.  My wife gave the little man a big hug and kiss, and I picked him up and carried him to down the hall walking behind the nurse.  He was hanging on pretty tightly with his arms around my neck, his legs wrapped around my waist, and his head on my shoulder.  I was pretty nervous for him, and I was nervous that he would cling on and not let go.

When we walked through the doors into the “theater” as they called it .. it was overwhelming for me.  I’ve never been in an operating room, but the amount and size of the equipment in there was intimidating.  I think it affected me more than our son, cause he didn’t say or do anything.We got to the table / gurney where the procedure was to take place and I told him it was time to lay down, and I leaned him over the bed and he let go without any incident laying down.  I would say there were about three people in total at the bed in the OR.  The anestheologist was standing behind a machine, a nurse was sitting at the head of the table, and maybe one or two other nurses standing to the side.

So he laid down with no trouble, and I told him this was the part with the mask that would make him go to sleep, and he just nervously said “Ok.”  The nurse put the mask on him and asked him to take a couple deep breaths, which he did.

He looked around in a really nervous and uncomfortable way, and then his little eyes rolled back into his head and he was out.  I saw the nurse brush his eyelashes, I supose as some kind of test that the anestesia was working.

Of all the things that I’ve experienced, that was by far the most uncomfortable and difficult part of the whole procedure and post experience.  It was just so un-natural or something.  I don’t normally get wierded out by that kind of thing, but that totally freaked me out, and when I got back to the waiting room, I could just barely keep it together.  I had to wait a good while before I could tell my wife about it.  I’m not a cryer, and I imagine that in 10 years of marriage, my wife has never seen me cry (probably because I haven’t cried).  I knew that if I cried, she would turn into a blubbering blob of crying mess.  Anyway, I would just say that you should try to be prepared for that to freak you out.  Although, there’s nothing you can do really to prepare.4.  Waiting in “Stage 2 Recovery Room.” – It was explained to us that there are two recovery rooms; Stage 1 and Stage 2.  I guess Stage 1 is in the back somewhere, and that’s where he is when they first wake him up, and then after they do that, they wheel him in his bed to “Stage 2″ where we had been waiting.

I would say that it took about 45 minutes, and then the Dr. came in and explained that everything went well, and there were no complications or anything, and that he would be out in a few minutes.5.  When he first came out – When they first rolled him into the room where we were, he did not look good at all.  He really looked like he had been run over by a bus.  I was not prepared for how badly he looked.  It was obvious that he had been crying, and he was clearly a little confused and disoriented.  I’m pretty sure that at that time he didn’t really understand what was going on and he was pretty confused.He also still had his IV (which I guess they put on after the gas), and I wasn’t sure what to do with him .. like whether we should leave him there and try to comfort him while he was in bed, or if we could pick him up or what.  Finally the nurses suggested that mom pick him up and cuddle with him a little.  They helped us get him situated in mom’s lap with the IV and all that.  They said that a lot of times, they like staring into space and watching a little TV.6.  Staying with him in the recovery room -  We stayed with him in the recovery room for about 1 hour.  Maybe just a little more maybe a little less.  The nurses were pretty quick to start offering him fluids and stuff, and pretty much right away, he was wanting to have a “slushy” which they prepared for him.  I think it was a cherry popsicle they crushed up into a cup.  We spoon fed that to him over the course of about 40 minutes, and he ate it up nicely.

7.  Going home (Wednesday). – Gave him his gift.  I had read somewhere where another family that had gone through this, purchased and wrapped a small gift and showed their child the gift and told them that after they wake up they can open it.  I thought that was a fabulous idea and we did it too.  It wasn’t until about an hour after he came into the waiting room that he was aware / alert / strong enough to even think about opening his present.  But after about an hour in the waiting room, he was ready, and we gave him his gift.  He opened it and was very excited.  We got him a cartridge for his Leapster video game thing which he absolutely LOVES.  He was very excited about it, and really wanted to play it in the car on the way home.

So we got him all set up with his pillow and blanket (which we brought from home) in his car seat, and reclined him a little bit and he played his video game.  I would say that about an hour and a half after he got out of surgery, and he was sitting back there in his seat playing his game, he was starting to resemble the little guy that I know.  He was starting to look like himself, which was sure nice.  Even though he was looking more like himself, he was very politely and calmly suggesting that he thought he needed his medicine, because his throat hurt.  Unfortunately it was going to be about another 1.5 hours until he was able to take the second dose.

8.  The first day (Wednesday). – When we got home, we distracted him with TV and popsicles.  Every once in a while he would ask if he could have his medicine, but he wasn’t like in terrible pain or anything, he just knew he wanted / needed it.  So at the right time, we gave him his first dose of the medicine.

About an hour after that first dose, he was dancing and doing cartwheels.  That medicine definitely sent him into outerspace for a while.  Over all his experience the first day, was not bad at all.  We were pretty nervous about the first night, thinking that he would be uncomfortable and wouldn’t sleep well.  Other than the fact that we set the alarm and gave him his medicine every 4 hours (even through the night) everything was just fine that first day and night.

The doctors said that he might not want to eat for at least a couple days.  That was not the case with our son.  He was having popsicles and ice cream and pudding pretty much right away.

He would say that his throat felt “funny” but that it didn’t really hurt.  So that was good.

9.  The second day (Thursday) – All things considered this day was pretty easy too.  Although, it was apparent that the surgery had really worn him out.  It was on this day that we really realized that this little 4 year old had undergone a real surgery and it had taken it’s toll on him.

It was probably about 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning, and my wife was looking around for the little guy, but didn’t see him anywhere.  Finally she found him in his bed.  He took it upon himself to walk upstairs and crawl into his bed and rest.  This is when we knew that he was just worn out.

I also think the medicine was really making him feel strange and maybe even a little uncomfortable.  I think at first the medicine made it difficult for him to sleep.  Sometimes I would go into his room and he would just be lying there quietly staring at the ceiling.  But he wasn’t in any pain, so that’s good.

He was still just eating soft things like soggy cereal, pudding, popcicles, and other stuff like that.  He had a nice bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner!

Oh yeah .. Thursday night was kind of tough on the house in general.  The Sunday before the surgery my little guy had some kind of stomach bug and had thrown up that Sunday night.  On this night (Thursday night) that bug hit my wife and older son and they were both in the bathroom throwing up that night.  Somehow I managed to avoid getting it, and so I was taking care of all the sickies in the house.  Fortunately it wasn’t a severe bug, and basically 12 hours later everyone was fine.

10.  The third day (Friday) – On Friday, it was mostly just more of the same.  I think taking the medicine every 4 hours was really starting to take a toll on him.  Both because he’s tired of floating around in outerspace and because he’s never able to get more than 4 hours of restful sleep at a time.  His disposition was good in general.  I think that when it was getting close to the 4 hour mark from having taken his medicine, he would get a little groggy and uncomfortable.  It’s really important to make sure you give them that medicine EVERY 4 HOURS withou fail, or they will get uncomfortable.

11.  The fourth day (Saturday) – Things are really looking pretty good, and we’re beginning to think that he’s a little superman, and that this whole surgery thing was no big deal for him.  He still complains from time to time that his throat feels funny and he’s not too interested in eating things that are too spicy or crunchy or whatever.  But all in all, he seems to be doing great.  We went for a nice long walk through the woods looking for bugs and snakes and whatever.  He really seems to be doing well.

At about this stage of the game he started deciding that he didn’t want to take his medicine.  Although until now, we had been pretty adamant that he take it, even if he didn’t want it.  But I was starting to think that we should consider starting to ween him off the strong stuff, and maybe start alternating the prescription medicine with some OTC tylenol or something.

So far he’s been doing so well, that we were thinking we might send him back to school tomorrow.

So at bed time, we didn’t force him to take his strong stuff, and we gave him a dose of regular childrens Tylenol.12.  The fifth day (Sunday) – At about 2:00 in the morning he woke up, pretty much screaming in pain.  It was quite clear that not giving him the strong stuff was a big mistake.  It was easily the most uncomfortable that I’ve ever seen him.  He was crying and sobbing so much that we couldn’t get him calmed down enough to take his strong medicine.  He was also still resistant to taking the medicine.  Finally, after about 45 minutes of crying and sobbing, we eventually got him to take the strong stuff, and I would say that within 10 minutes, he was calmed down and starting to get ready to go back to sleep.  In a sweet little voice he said “I guess that medicine will help me go to sleep.”

13.  The 6th day (Monday) – He woke up from that terrible night feeling pretty good.  He remembered that he woke up and was in so much pain, but I guess in the morning light, it didn’t seem like a real big deal to him.  He was pretty perky and generally feeling pretty well.  Obviously today we were pretty adamant about making sure that he took his medicine every 4 hours, and he wasn’t very resistant to it anymore.   All we had to do was remind him how much it hurt when he didn’t take it, and he would decide that maybe it’s not so bad to take it.

14.  The 7th day (Tuesday) -  Again, he’s doing very well.  All in all, with the exception of the episode on Sunday night, everything has been pretty good.  He has been alert, generally happy, and normal.  His breath is pretty terrible.  The Dr told us that would happen.  I guess it has something to do with the scarring / scabs that develop at the site of the procedure.  But all in all, he’s doing great.  I think we’ll send him to school tomorrow.

We start stretching out how long we wait until we give him the prescription medicine.  Basically at this point we’ve decided the right approach will be to give him a dose first thing in the morning, and then wait and see how long it takes before he decides that he needs some medicine.  Up until this point it wasn’t uncommon for him to wake up in the morning or wake up from his nap or something and say “I think I need my medicine.”  So we figured we would wait to see how long it takes for him to say he needs it.

The 8th day (Wednesday) – So it’s been 1 week since the procedure and everything is looking good for him to go to school today.  The poor fellow loves school and it’s been torture for him to see his older brother get up and go to school every day while he has to stay home and be bored.  So today we sent him to school and he was just fine.  We gave him is strong medicine at about 7:30 in the morning, and my wife picked him up from school at 1:15 or so (his normal time to get out), and he was pretty ready for his medicine when he got out of school.

The 9th day – Thursday – Well, he’s pretty much turned the corner, and I think he’s good to go.  At this point, it’s just a matter of waiting until the healing is done.Over all, the whole deal was not difficult and we didn’t have any complications other than the episode on Sunday night, which was clearly my fault, and if we had given him his medicine like we were supposed to, there would have been nothing to talk about.

At this point, it was really just a matter of stretching out the time between doses of medicine.  By day 8 or 9 we were getting pretty close to the point where we could dose him in the morning, and then not does him again until bed time.

The last dose of big medicine we gave him was the morning of Friday (about the morning of day 10, if the day of the surgery is day 1).  We sporradically give him a dose of childrens tylenol if he says he needs, it, but pretty much he’s done.

So overall, it was very easy and the results are excellent.  He doesn’t snore anymore and his hearing is GREATLY improved.  His favorite phrase used to be “What you said?” and now his favorite phrase is “What’s that sound?”  The improvement in his hearing was almost instantenous, and I think he’s hearing things now that he’s not used to hearing.  Little things like the fan on the refridgerator, or certain birds chirping, or the house creaking.  We have absolutely no regrets, and I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to do it again.  I was clearly the right thing for us.

Well, hopefully that’s helpful for you!

Chris Hackett