What Recovery From A Tonsillectomy And Adenoidectomy Was Like For my Child

Great insider tips from a mom - what recovery after tonsil removal surgery is like

My 6-year-old son recently had surgery to get his tonsils and adenoids removed. My son's tonsils were swollen, and they were causing sleep apnea issues for him. My son's tonsils were not infected, and he did not have tonsillitis or tonsil stones. So it took me a while to get my son diagnosed with sleep apnea caused by his tonsils. It took many doctor appointments to get my son the help he needed.  

 This is the info you need to read to see if your child may need their tonsils removed. I knew there would be some pain involved, but I was totally unprepared for our week-and-a-half recovery. So I am going to share my experience to give other parents the info they need to be prepared for their child's recovery after a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.

The first 24 hours after surgery

  The first 24 hours after the tonsil removal surgery, my son was in the hospital. My son had to be admitted to the hospital after his tonsil surgery, as that was standard for patients who have sleep apnea. The tonsil surgery could cause swelling in his throat, and they wanted to monitor that. 

 My son was tired, so he stayed in bed watching TV.  Here is tonsil surgery info that you need to know. He was allowed a clear liquid diet, so he ate popsicles and drank plenty of soda. My son experienced a lot of pain, and he was given pain medicine every 4 hours. They also kept the IV in his arm to keep him hydrated. My son had a rough night sleeping as the surgery made his throat swell so he was waking up every hour due to his sleep apnea. Thank goodness that the pain medicine was helping with his sore throat. He also had a pulse oximeter hooked up to him at nighttime to monitor his sleep apnea.

Pain Management

  We then went home the day after surgery. My son was still in a lot of pain, so I tried to give him his pain medicine every 6 hours. The doctor said to alternate with acetaminophen and ibuprofen, but I found that the ibuprofen worked best. So buy at least 2 bottles of pain medicine and try to give the next dose before the other one wears off, or it will be hard to get the next dose in due to pain.

 My son needed his medicine about every 6 hours. We went through 3 bottles of medicine. My son had a hard time swallowing the first week, so taking the medicine was hard, but we just did it slowly. I also discovered that a humidifier helped with his pain. The moist air helped his throat so he could swallow his medicine. In the recovery area at the hospital, they used tubing with moist oxygen in which they placed near his mouth. 

Ask the nurse if you can take that tubing home to use with your humidifier. I did not, so I bought a toy from the dollar store, the one you spin and it makes noise, and put that in my humidifier. The moist air helped my son be able to take his medicine; I simply put the tube near his mouth, about 6 inches away. My son needed pain medicine around the clock for the first week and then less the following week. We are on day 12 of his recovery, and he is not needing pain medicine anymore.

Rest

 The doctor said my son needed to rest for a week after the surgery. I made a bed for my son in the family room, and he just watched TV the whole week. Don't plan on taking your child anywhere in the first week. They just had surgery, and their immune system is weak. So you don't want them near people with colds. I also found sleeping in the same room with him made things easier so I could tend to his pain medication schedule. 

I slept on the couch while my son slept on a crib mattress on the family room floor. I set my alarm clock every night to give him his pain medicine. After the first week, your child may have more activity but no exercise for another week, as their sore throat is still healing. The doctor also said no swimming for at least 3 weeks, as the pressure of the water can break open the areas in the throat. My son will have a follow-up appointment 3 weeks after his surgery, and if all looks good he will be allowed to swim.

Diet

 

The first week after the surgery, all my son wanted was Jell-O, pudding, and soda at room temperature. My son said everything else hurt too much to eat. My son also said that cold and hot liquids hurt his throat. I did get a couple of fruit smoothies in him if they were at room temperature. 

 A soft diet is recommended for the first week, and by week two they can eat normal foods. They just have to avoid things that will scratch their throat, like crackers, nuts, and raw veggies. My son is now in week two, and he is now eating pasta, oatmeal, bread, milk, and blueberries. He says cold things still hurt to eat.  Your child may prefer cold or warm foods. So get a variety of their favorite foods. Don't worry about your child eating too much sugar. Eating may be hard for your child, so give them ice cream, as they need the calories to heal. 

Some children do better with small bites every few hours instead of a full plate of food. I found foods to eat after tooth extraction helpful for thinking of soft foods that would not hurt as much while his throat was healing. Keep a cup or bottle nearby too, since even a few sips between meals can help when swallowing feels uncomfortable. You can also put the food in small bowls so your child does not feel like they have to finish a big serving.

Here is a great list of items to stock up on for after the surgery

+ Jello 

+ popsicles

+ pudding

+ ice cream

+chocolate milk    

+ pasta

+ mac and cheese

+ items to make smoothies

+ applesauce

+ oatmeal

When to call the doctor

  My doctor said to call them if my son had a high fever or any blood from the throat. We did have one episode that required a call to the doctor. My son started coughing on day 4, and a lot of blood came out. The doctor said to rinse his mouth with cold water, and thank goodness it stopped bleeding. The doctor said to go to the emergency room if it started to bleed again and if the bleeding did not stop with cold water. That would require surgery again to sew up the area again. It is rare, but it does happen. Thank goodness, my son did not bleed again.

Other Facts

The first week was rough for my son. He was in a lot of pain and had trouble swallowing. He also had symptoms of his sleep apnea as everything was swollen from the surgery. We are into week two, and my son is sleeping wonderfully, with no symptoms of sleep apnea. I was thrilled to see him breathe through his nose while he slept, something he had not done for a long time. He does not ask for any pain medicine. I know that it can take up to 6 weeks for his throat to heal, so I still have pain medicine on hand. I am also going to keep him on a soft food diet until his 3-week checkup, as I don't want the throat area to bleed.

Here are my other posts on my son's experience with why he needed the surgery and what to expect during surgery and the hospital stay.

  ~ How to tell if your child's tonsils need to be removed due to sleep apnea

  ~ What happens when your child needs a tonsillectomy