Tubes In, Adenoids Out

After an array of sinus and ear infections, we finally took the inevitable trip to the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor (ENT). It was a quick visit with a quick answer: Tubes in, Adenoids out.

Common enough and I was assured that it’s a minor surgery, no big deal. Except for that no surgery that involves putting my baby under anesthesia is a minor surgery. No surgery that involves IVs and needles is a minor surgery. Not to me anyways!

So in the wee hours of last Thursday morning, we loaded up (I say we because I have one of those families where no one has any type of milestone without the whole fam damily attending) and headed to the minor surgery.

It was all good, Bennett was happy enough and they quickly gave him some concoction that made him very, very happy. I was actually pretty jealous and asked for some jokingly (except that I wasn’t really joking).

He waived bye and they wheeled him to the back. I assumed my position in the waiting room with about, and I’m not exaggerating, 12 other parents going through the same thing.

I’m feeling pretty good at this point.

Checked the clock, “Ok, so it’s 8 a.m., they said it wouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes, so 8:30.” I reassured the fam damily (and myself).

The nurses kept coming back and getting the parents to go back to recovery….kept coming back and getting other parents to go back to recovery….kept coming back…

Ok, so it’s 8:45 a.m., starting to get that lump in my throat that could come out of as a scream/ vomit/ sob.

I’m staring at those double doors where the nurses keep coming out like I have the ability to move objects with mind power.

FINALLY, our doctor comes out. He starts with “Well, it was pretty bad in there”.

Now why, I ask you, would a doctor with 30 years experience think that would be the best way to start this conversation?

He continues “But all went well and he’s coming out of anesthesia, would you like to come back to recovery?”

YOU THINK?!?

So we swoop back to recovery. If you’ve ever had your toddler come out of anesthesia you know what I mean when I say that it’s not even your child. He was flailing around and screaming, completely out of it and unable to control himself. It was probably the worst 15 minutes of my motherhood and I pushed for 2 hours.

When he finally came to, he just looked so scared.

They were having trouble keeping his oxygen levels up and all he wanted was to get the oxygen tube out of his face.

But then, like an angel straight from above, our recovery nurse brought him an orange popsicle. It was his first popsicle ever, followed by his second, third, fourth and fifth. Because no one says no to a child after surgery.

The rest of the day wasn’t great. Apparently my child is one of the 5% that codeine has the opposite effect on. He was cranky and cranked. I kept waiting for him to fall asleep, but oh no (which later I realized could have had something to do with the sugar overload from the popsicles).

Finally, we all rested.

When we awoke, it was amazing. He even looked different. The thick mucus that had become a staple coming out of his swollen little nose was gone. His eyes that had been puffy for months were back to normal. He was standing and toddling around with stability (the fluid in his ears made him very wobbly). And it’s only gotten better since.

I’m so happy that we got the surgery done and I will advocate for any of you out there thinking about it and struggling with a sick child. The day of surgery is not a good one, but well worth it.

This website gave me great information about what an adenoidectomy is all about.