another question about tonsils etc in a 2 year old

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

So DS2 has always been an appalling eater, he is on the 85% for his height and 9% for his weight.
He sleeps 13 hours at night and 3 hours in the afternoon and is always saying "I very tired Mummy" in between times.
He snores like a trooper
when I look in his throat his tonsils are not infected or even sore, but they join that dangly thing at the back of his throat.

I talked to the GP about it thinking she would tell me to go away and stop moaning that my child sleeps alot - but she wanted to refer us to ENT at the hospital.

I am a bit confused, as although I was feeling worried I really was confident that she would put me at ease.

Does anyone have experience of tonsil removal and if that could help with any of the above, it is one of the things she mentioned that they may suggest at the hospital.

TIA

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

bump

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

is bumping twice a sign of desperation?

[runnervt]

Hi. my ds had his tonsils and adenoids out a few weeks ago just after he turned 3. His symptoms were similar to those you've listed. The doctors are probably wondering if your ds has sleep apnoea which is where their breathing is obstructed and they have to wake themselves up a bit to start breathing again. It results in their sleep being really disrupted. I think that is the main reason they take tonsils out now.

Since his op ds is sleeping less (getting up earlier - not always welcome!) but is really chubby now.
One tip is that if you can it's probably worth recording your ds snoring and/or apnoea and play it back to the ENT doc.

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

did they talk to you about what the adenoids actually do? is it a problem not having them?

[runnervt]

They didn't really. From my reading they're part of the immune system but not very important. The doc said that it was just as well to take them both out at the same time rather than have to have another anaesthetic later on if the problem wasn't solved. He said (post-op) that ds's adenoids were big-ish but his tonsils were enormous so I guess in his case his tonsils were probably the problem.

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

Hmm did you feel it was a difficult decision to make?
Obviously we will wait and see what they say at the hospital, but he is just so young!

[runnervt]

Just to add that although ds is eating loads more than before the (very limited) range of food he eats is just the same. The op didn't solve everything!

[runnervt]

The consultant was very sure that it would make a big difference to him in lots of ways - sleep, behaviour, weight etc. He said it's the one operation that he has to convince parents to have. He did say that the tonsils stay large (or maybe get bigger) in relation to the throat size until they're about 6yo (can't remember exactly) so it would probably just get worse if we left it. I think there's quite a few threads on here where people talk about the massive difference the operation has made to their child.

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

ooh now that is very appealing, he eats a wide range of foods just more in and chewing and spitting out rather than swallowing

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

bumping for others - thanks for your help so far runnervt

[Elibean]

dd2 had tonsils that nearly met in the middle and, as it turned out, huge adenoids: by the age of 2 she was barely eating solids (she was a good eater as a baby), exhausted, had dreadful, scary sleep apnoea (gasping for breath at night, stopping breathing for seconds every few minutes etc) and we took her to ENT.

They booked her in straight away for tonsil and adenoid removal, which she had done at 2.2 yrs in January - by far the best thing we ever did for her, and a huge relief all round. Long term sleep apnoea can have ongoing side effects for kids, especially once they get to nursery/school age, so thats probably why your GP was quick to refer your ds - its a good thing, honestly

Once you've seen ENT, if they recommend an op, do post again - loads of us can tell you our experiences, reassure you, share tips etc.

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

thanks Elibean...
has it changed her eating?
I really struggle as DS1 is a monster when it comes to eating and and it is painful to watch DS2 hungrily putting food in his mouth chewing it and spitting it out.

[Elibean]

its awful, I know, and it all comes rushing back just reading your words.

Yes, yes, yes, it has made a huge difference to her eating. She had got to the point of barely taking solids, just drinking milk: she is now a bigger eater than her 5 year old sister.

I hope you get a date asap, hang in there - its an easy problem to fix, I promise.

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

that is so lovely to hear!!

thanks for your kind words

[Elibean]

MN was my lifeline when dd2 got really bad, I'm glad if I can give someone else a millionth of that

Let us know when you get the appointment, won't you?

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

Dh realised toay that his work insurance should cover DS2 so we are in the process of seeing if we can see someone without having to wait 6 weeks - then having to wait again for them to do what ever they decide after that.

Will definately let you know!!!

[TheYearOfTheCat]

If it is any help, I got my tonsils & uvula (I think? - the hangy down thing at the back of your throat) removed about 10 years ago, when I was 29. I had always snored excessively all of my life - I hated going to sleep-overs, and it was generally very embarrassing. I hated having to laugh along when everyone was telling stories about how awful my snoring was. I was also always really tired.

After the op, my consultant said I had the biggest tonsils he had ever seen! Once I recovered from the op, the difference was indescribable - every morning I was bouncing out of bed, feeling well rested and energetic. I hadn't ever experienced this before.

I wish I had had them removed years before. I know it will be worrying for you if your DS needs an op, but I found it made such a huge difference to my quality of life.

Good luck.