After months of chronic sinus infections, ear infections, and tonsillitis and months of being on antibiotics, it was finally decided that Grant needed his tonsils out. After our miserable experience with Joel and his tonsillectomy recovery, we were not eager to do it again but knew it was necessary. The doctor confirmed the fact that it was necessary when he came out to talk to Greg and I post-surgery. Grant had infection in there and his tonsils were "mush." He had about 45 minutes of pure misery and pain when he got back to his room, but he overall he did really well. The nurse said she'd never seen a patient this young do so well! In typical Grant fashion, he didn't sleep, but he ate his popsicle and did what they asked him to do, and we headed home.
The first two days were GREAT. Grant was happy to sit and watch TV, sip his juice, and eat ice cream. He had a Rescue Bots cartoon marathon that first day. He took his medicine, no problem! Greg and I were shocked at how well he did. It was NOT that way with Joel.
We made a bed on the floor of our bedroom for him, and that is where he slept for almost two weeks. We got very little sleep that first week. After the first two amazing days, things went south. Grant had times where he felt fine (in the middle of his pain med regimen) and wanted to run around and play, but then he had times when he was a wreck. Throughout the week, he got more irritable, experienced more pain, and started refusing his medicine, especially in the middle of the night. It is not fun to force medicine down a kid's throat at 2am! It doesn't really work. His surgery was on a Friday morning, and by the following Thursday, he was so miserable (and we were so exhausted!) that I called the doctor, begging for some relief. They called in more prednisone for him and gave him more pain medication that we could give more often. Those two things combined did the trick and helped us get him through the tail-end of his recovery.
We let Grant go back to preschool 12 days after his surgery, and it may have been a little too soon. His teacher said he started fading about an hour before school was over, but he made it through. When we got home, he threw a massive tantrum over something silly, and I put him in our room to cool down, and when I went back up to check on him, he was sound asleep. Preschool wore him out!
It's been a little over 2 1/2 weeks now, and he's pretty much recovered, just a little more tired than usual. We are all so glad to be done with tonsillectomies!
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watching TV while waiting for his surgery
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| helping me plant flowers the day after his surgery |
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| Watching a show with "Hoppy," the stuffed bunny he picked out at the hospital. Hoppy became his new best friend that week. |
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| all done in after a rough night |
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| Happily painting and enjoying gifts from his friend, Caleb |
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| miserable in his daytime cozy spot again--his station for over a week |
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| zonked out in the middle of the day after his first day back at preschool |
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