Toddlers and Tonsillectomies
I know Aniyah is fearfully and wonderfully made and her tonsils and adenoids were created for a reason. God makes no mistakes, so why are tonsillectomies and appendectomies so routine these days? Have we ‘evolved’ to the point where we no longer need them.
We were so conflicted about getting surgery for Aniyah. She was having such a hard time sleeping at night; she would often wake up crying and very restless, and everyone was exhausted. At first we wondered if she was just having sleep regression and being a little ‘bug’. But as we continued to pull her into our bed night after night, we noticed that she was snoring so badly and holding her breath for long periods of time. We tried elevating her mattress and using the Cool Mist humidifier but we saw no change. I went out and purchased every essential oil that claimed to help with breathing and sleeping. We were believing God for a miraculous healing and our little girl continued to struggle with sleeping at night. Initially, we took her to the ENT and they prescribed antibiotics for her. They helped a little but the snoring and apnea never fully went away. After a period of four months we took her back to see the doctor again to see if there was another option, of course they recommended steroids or surgery. I didn’t like either option. I contacted a homeopathic doctor but they didn’t have any appointments until late May. We came back home and continued our home remedies but every night we heard her struggling to rest, it broke our heart. We decided that we needed to get the surgery for her even though we hated the idea of surgery and we began to pray for peace.
Surgery Day
Aniyah’s surgery was scheduled at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL. We went to the surgery waiting area and checked in at 6:00am. There were so many children and families there, I was just praying and thankful that Aniyah’s procedure was relatively easy compared to what some other families had to go through. Once we got all checked in, they called us back to meet with the doctor. Our meeting was very brief of course. We didn’t have many questions, we just wanted to make sure the doctor took great care of her. We then met the OR nurse and anesthesia nurse who would be with Aniyah during the entire procedure. We got her dressed in her gown and waited for the doctor to call her back. When it was time, we did not want to let her go. She screamed of course in true Aniyah fashion and Derrick and I tried our best not to cry. Derrick was so sad, so I reassured him that God was with her. We went to our little consultation room and waited. After about 30 minutes, the doctor came in and let us know all went well. Apparently one of Aniyah’s adenoids was as large as her tonsils, but the procedure went well. We then had to wait for her to wake up from general anesthesia. She slept for almost another hour before we could go see her. When we saw her coming down the hall, she looked so precious and little. We were then taken to the Surgical Extended Care Unit (SECU) where we would spend the night. We got to our room at about 11:00 am and Aniyah was still very sleepy. She finally woke up a little and drank a little juice and watched her iPad. She kept pointing at her foot and saying “foot”….because that is where her IV was located. Each time we would move the covers, she would get upset because she didn’t want to see her foot with the IV in it. Unfortunately, Derrick had to go out of town for work so he left at 4:00. Although her stay was short, Aniyah had a few visitors, her brother, auntie Libby, and her preschool teacher. By the evening she was more active and alert. We took her to the play room which was really nice but because she could not stand up, it wasn’t as much fun to her. She did get to ride in the little push car around the unit so that was the highlight of our stay. The day of the surgery, Aniyah had to take Tylenol every 4 hours and it was a nightmare administering her medication. Two of us had to hold her down. She hates being made to do anything. She continued to lay around in the bed and watch TV. We tried unsuccessfully to get her to eat and drink anything.We made freeze pop slushies, offered juice, milk, chocolate milk but she would only let it touch her lips. She just wanted to be left alone. Her temperature was a little high, nothing too bad but it was elevated. We were warned that if she didn’t drink enough she would have to get admitted. That was the last thing I wanted.
Day One Post Op
Normally, we would have been discharged at 6:00am but because of Aniyah’s low-grade fever, we had to stay and wait for the ENT doctor to discharge us. Aniyah’s Mimi came in from Kentucky to help out since Derrick went out of town and she arrived to the hospital around 9:30 am. We were still having trouble getting her to eat and drink. We tried everything, straws, popsicles, cups. Finally it was revealed to us to try a juice box. We gave it to her and she drank almost 4 oz. This was a victory. Yes, we could go home.
As we left the hospital Aniyah was so happy. Once we got home, things were mostly good until it was time to give her the Prednisone that she was prescribed for the next 3 days. That medicine is disgusting, but she had to take it. Once we got past those hurdles, the rest of the evening was pretty much uneventful. She was somewhat playful but also very tired.
Day Two Post Op
Aniyah slept soundly through the night until I had to wake her up to give her the pain medication. Once I was able to calm her down she slept well and woke up around 7:30. She was happy and playful but every once in a while she would get irritable and then I knew it was time for more meds. I did not stick to the schedule of every 3-4 hours because I wanted to exercise caution in not giving too much medication(you’ve read the labels)…but I definitely did not want her to be in pain. Throughout the day, my usually very independent little girl was very clingy and whiny. I just tried my best to keep her comfortable and offered her everything: yogurt, freeze pops, grapes. She ate pretty well. We were very happy with her recovery as for the most part she was herself.
As night rolled in, things began to change. We gave her the Prednisone and it was like we gave her a Mountain Dew. At 10:00pm she was jumping on the bed, bouncing off the walls, she was so excited and happy and we were exhausted. She did not go to sleep until 1:00am. During her sleep she has been making a gurgling sound. I will have to do some research, hopefully it’s nothing.
Day Three Post Op
Today was the first day Aniyah complained clearly about her throat. She would open her mouth, cry and point her finger at her throat. She also would cry hysterically and cover her mouth. Luckily this only happened a couple of times, but I felt so bad. I guess the scabs are beginning to form. She ate mushy Cheerios for breakfast and drank a good bit of juice so my major concerns were covered. I just kept praying for her to have no pain. Overall she was cranky on and off. She asked to go night night (naptime) for the first time I can ever recall and she took a little nap which was a great break time for me. This mama was very tired. After her nap, I went out on a tutoring assignment and she stayed with her Mimi, but she was not happy that I was gone. She screamed and cried and screamed and cried. Part of it could probably be attributed to her recovery but most of it was probably her strong will. By the time I got home, she was fairly calm. We gave her the Motrin in the evening and she was pretty good. She ate lots of broccoli and drank lots of juice so the day was great. And to top it all off, she slept through most of the the night.
Day Four Post Op
This morning I finally answered the phone call from the nurse. She wanted to check on Aniyah. And she warned me that we weren’t out of the woods yet. Oh no. Please no. I am believing Aniyah’s recovery will be smooth and quick in Jesus name. When Aniyah woke up we gave her Motrin and she perked up shortly thereafter. She ate mushy Cheerios again for breakfast. She was her usual smiley self. She let her brother paint her fingernails on one hand only. Her Mimi took her on a walk after breakfast and by the end of the journey she was asleep. But after she woke up, she was in pain. She was crying, hitting, and very inconsolable for a short time period. I had given her Motrin at 8:00am and Tylenol at 11:30 but apparently it had not yet kicked in. I continued to try to get her to calm down, we went on a walk, sang a song and prayed and then she finally just snapped out of it….she was happy again, coloring and sucking on a peppermint stick. We continued the 2-3 hour roller coaster for the remainder of the day/night. We are completely and totally exhausted and to top it off, now my throat hurts. Jesus help us!
Day Five Post-Op
Last night was rough. Aniyah is refusing to take her medicine so we end up having to pin her down and force it into her mouth, but the thing is now she has learned to just hold it in her mouth. This is so frustrating. This morning she would not really eat or drink anything. She’s been a cuddle-bug which I love because usually she won’t let you hold her. We have spent many hours watching Boss Baby, and Doc McStuffins. Mornings have continued to be a roller coaster for her. Today she laid around most of the afternoon as well. We decided to get out and get some fresh air. She was like her normal self for a while, we even went outside to paint rocks and blow bubbles but that was short lived. We gave her a dose of Motrin and took a ride. In the car she ate some apple sauce and Jello. By the time we got where we were going she was ready to run around and have fun. But she was cranky again within the next hour. I think she was really hungry. She ate mac-n-cheese and hawaiian rolls, that made me happy. By night time she was ready to go to sleep. So we fought to give her some Tylenol before bed in hopes that she would rest well, but that did not happen. She was up every two hours crying and all I could do was rock her and sing to her. We think she is more comfortable in an upright position while she is sleeping.
Day Six Post Op
This morning started off slow. She was pretty mopey even after the Magic Motrin. We really miss her being playful all the time, but this too shall pass. She ate some grapes and a few bites of soggy cheerios. She has been wanting to be held all day. She is still refusing the medicine.
No real progress or regress. Praying that the days will get better.
Side Note: Be prepared to buy lots of items that aren’t usually on your grocery list. At this point, I would buy anything to entice her to eat and drink.
Day Seven Post Op
Last night was awful. Aniyah was up crying every hour. We are exhausted. I often wonder was this worth it. Why did we do this? But I have noticed that she doesn’t snore like she used to when she is sleep. Praying for better days and quick healing in Jesus name. I had it with fighting with her to take her medicine so I had my husband get suppositories from the drug store and it was soooooo much easier. She is still not eating great and she is barely drinking but she did eat 4 popsicles so that is a huge win and she had enough wet diapers so I will not worry. Praying that tomorrow is turnaround day.
Day Eight Post Op
Last night Aniyah slept okay. She woke up at 1:30 crying so I gave her some Motrin in hopes that she would sleep the remainder of the night. Unfortunately, I was unable to go back to sleep for three hours. She finally woke up around 7:30 and she was smiling (this was a first since we started this road to recovery). She didn’t want to eat or drink and quickly she started whining. I tried giving her Motrin, of course that was a fight. She spit most of it out. Eventually she came around and asked for something to eat. I offered her bananas and cereal. She ate a little cereal and once she tried the banana she started crying because her mouth hurt. After that she wanted to go lay down. She took a short nap. The rest of the day was pretty much a repeat of this morning. This mama is tired. We did have some fun this evening though before bedtime. Her brother had a project and she was happy to join in. I really miss seeing these smiles…
Day Nine Post Op
Last night was okay again. Aniyah woke up twice, crying, sad, and refusing to take medicine. This has been the hardest 10 days of caring for my children in all of my motherhood. She slept in 3 hour increments. Did I tell you I was exhausted? When Aniyah woke up this morning she seemed to be much better than previous days. She didn’t immediately complain about her throat and it seems as if the stink breath is fading a little. I could be delusional but I have to look for the little glimmers of hope. I was able to get her to drink Gatorade today almost 3 ounces at one time, this was a major win! She is still moving at a much slower pace than usual but she is definitely moving around for longer periods with less complaining. Maybe this is the great turnaround day! She has been asking for all kinds of food. She takes one bite and then she cries. It’s so sad. I was finally able to get her to eat a turkey and cheese sandwich and she ate 3 of my husbands shrimp. Today when I tried to give her medicine she spit it out; when Motrin gets in your eyes, it burns really badly (just an FYI). On a good note, we got out today. My son had a Regional track meet and he won 2nd place in the 100M, woohoo! And for the first time we were not chasing Aniyah the whole time. She relaxed a lot and overall did pretty good. Now let’s see what the night brings (hopefully a lot of good, sweet rest) #goals.
Side Note: I took off work until tomorrow (9 days) but in my mind I really thought going into this that I would be able to accomplish so much, work and home related (I had expectations). The fact is, I have been able to do nothing but live moment by moment, minute by minute; this recovery has required hands-on, round the clock care. In the brief moments she does nap, I am either too exhausted to think or preparing for the next round. I need a REAL vacation.
Days 10 -14 Post Op
Something amazing happened on day 10. My little girl woke up smiling and she ate her breakfast without crying at all. We only gave her two doses of medicine and she seemed fine. She even took a two hour nap and her breathing seems normal. I am so happy. We have made it into the homestretch. She is more energetic and she is happy for regular periods of time. I will say I notice the major improvement in her breathing/sleeping and I am happy. It was a rough road getting here. Before the surgery Aniyah would not sleep past 7:45am. The last few days she has slept a full 10-11 hours which has NEVER happened before. Now that we are on the other side (prayerfully for good) I am happy with our decision.
Sleeping Before Surgery
Sleeping After Surgery (you can barely hear anything)
THANK YOU JESUS!
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing.
This is just what I needed to read to give me the strength and patience to continue with my daughters recovery.
We’re at 5 days Post Op and I am EXHAUSTED. Everything is a fight. I offer her some water, she crys. She sees me pick up the bottle of medicine, she crys. She sees her brother pick up a toy, she crys.
No one ever tells you how hard it really is, physically, emotionally, and mentally.
All doctor said was “she should be herself again in just a couple days”, which is obviously not the case.
Glad this was helpful. How’s it going? Have you turned the corner yet? It is definitely a hard journey, but the days will get better soon!
What an awesome story! My almost 2 year old will be having surgery soon and I am a nervous wreck. Thank you for sharing your journey with sweet Aniyah: I pray she’s still doing great!
She is doing amazing! Try not to worry. I pray everything will go well with your little one’s surgery…and that the recovery would go better than expected!
My daughter had her adenotonsillectomy yesterday and I’ve been trying to find good stories about recovery time. This is amazing and perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you. I am so glad this was helpful. I will also be praying that your daughters recovery goes better than expected.
My 2 year old just had this done last Friday. Nights have been the worst and nap time. She’s hit or miss with eating and drinking and is very clingy and whiny. I hope she feels better soon. We are 5 days post op so hoping in 5 more days she will be her normal self!
How are things going with your baby girl now?
Thank you so very much for sharing your story. We are only on day one and I’m already exhausted. Alexander is exhausted. It’s been such a long day and we thought all was well but he is having a terrible time trying to sleep. It’s like a bubbly snore and he wakes himself up and cries. We are both exhausted and I feel terrible that he’s in pain, but like your babygirl he is just NOT having the m-word. Nooo medicine! It’s grape, I tasted it, I just don’t understand their adversion. Thank you for giving me hope…come on day ten!! Xoxo
It will get better and it will be worth it. After six months it seems like a lifetime ago, but her sleeping is so much better now. I will be praying for you and Alexander! Day 10 will be here before you know it! Blessings and Favor ~ LaTrice
I googled sleep regression due to tonsillectomy and found your post. This gives me hope. My almost 2 year old had her tonsils and adenoids removed on the 9th of December and I’m slowly losing it. She’s barely sleeping and eating, lots of drinking which is my saving grace, but your post gives me hope. Giving her medicine is a nightmare every single time and I try to gauge it the best I can when she starts to get irritable. She is very clingy and our entire night routine is out the window. She is in bed with us every night and seems to toss and turn, followed by whining and crying. Praying her turning point is coming soon. Thank you for the detailed post! I needed this read today.
So glad our story could help some. It does get better. I will say that it was worth it, my little one has had no issues since the removal. Praying for you and your sweet baby girl as you go through this rough time. Hopefully the turning point will come even sooner!
Thank you for posting this! We are four days post op, my 18 month old is waking up having screaming fits, throwing himself on the ground, and completely inconsolable. Yesterday he had a fever almost all day. I am so tired.
Hopefully you will be turning the corner soon! Sending prayers for you and your little one.
My 3 yr is going in for adenotonsillectomy and ear tubes next week and im terrified, im glad i found your post to prepare myself for what is to come. I know this surgery is the best for her but my fear is overwhelming.
We are day 2 and just got home from the hospital! I thought i was exhausted/sad/emotional now but from what I’ve read, it will only get worse! We also live in Pinellas. Thank you for sharing!
Praying it goes even better than expected!!! Happy holidays!
My baby girl is going through this now. We are on day 10 and yeah, it has definitely been exhausting but so necessary for her. She had severe obstructive sleep apnea and I noticed the difference in her sleep immediately. It’s amazing to see her asleep without the snoring and sleep disruption. I had to actually feel her belly to make sure she was still breathing the 1st couple of nights because I was so used to her noisy sleeping. Honestly though, I thought the little one would be a little further in her recovery by today. The last few nights have been the worst with her waking up crying ever few hours or so. I’m assuming the scabs are coming off now. Praying for a better night tonight and better days ahead. Thank you so much for your post.
I’m glad our little journey can help you on yours. It is a tough recovery but so worth it. Prayers that baby girl will continue to heal quickly and that you both would be able to rest well from here on out. You got this!!!
Can you show what her tonsils looked like before and after surgery?
So sorry that I took so long to reply, unfortunately I don’t have any pictures. It never occurred to me to take any….
Thank you soooooo much for sharing your story! My son just had a sleep study and it came back that he has severe obstruction. We are going to see an ENT to check his tonsils and adenoids to see if they can be removed.
Praying for the doctors to have wisdom and for complete healing for your son!
Hi my 11 month has just been diagnosed with enlarged adenoids . She wakes herself up every hour from snoring . The ent will not do surgery until she is 3 . I can’t imagine having to go through this for another 2 years . I’m exhausted!!!
Oh my…we will be praying for your precious little girl. Have you looked up any potential natural remedies, one that was suggested to me was to cut out dairy…I never got to really try it because she was already scheduled for surgery, but maybe that could help some.
My 11 year old just had both removed also and she is in Excruciating pain. She is also refusing to take her pain medication she is a strong willed person and once her mind is made up it’s made up. I keep trying to have her to take sips of liquids and she cry’s every time she try’s to eat or drink something this is day 4 I hope she gets better soon. The snoring and gaps in breathing seems to be worse than before
It can be really rough, I am praying for a speedy and uneventful recovery!