Little Man and a Big Word........Adenotonsillectomy

On Wednesday we took Oskar to Pindara Hospital to have his tonsils and adenoids removed as well as having grommets inserted into his eardrums. We discovered he needed this after concerns about his snoring and further investigation also found he had mild hearing loss due to glue ear. It was a relatively quick surgery procedure but it was certainly a long and emotional day for all of us. ......but we are so thankful and appreciative that it was only that....... Just a day.

We needed to fast him in the morning leading up to the surgery and if anyone knows Oskar they will know this boy loves to eat, we locked the cupboards and raised all the food on the fridge out of reach and tried to distract him as much as possible. We got through it without too much fuss. 

Then off to hospital at 12 and by 2.30pm we were preparing for theatre where I had to robe up to go in there with him while he went under the general anesthetic. This was the hardest part of the day for me and don' t need to go into the details of what I had to do make him have the gas, but let's just say it was distressing for me emotionally and left me feeling like I had just betrayed his trust. They assured me though that he would not remember it as I left crying my eyes out.  

There were more emotional stages for us all as he came to and then woke again from his sleep, and all we could do was comfort him as much as possible.But by this stage the worst was over and he was now on his road to recovery. I stayed with him overnight in the room and given his positive results and ability to eat something in the morning  we were allowed to go home the next morning. He was a very sad little boy, and obviously sore, but it was nice to be able to go home so he could be more comfortable. 

It's day 5 of recovery now and he is feeling much better and so much closer to his normal self. He is still talking with a tender throat and we have noticed his voice has changed,  but am not sure if that's due to it still being tender or if he now actually has a higher pitched voice. The doctor did say his voice could change after this surgery now that the airways are now unobstructed. 

He is also just a little bit sad and cuddly but with enough distraction his mood quickly improves. So thanks to an impromptu Grand Final footy lunch on Saturday, where friends came round for a BBQ, Oskar's mood soon improved and he seemed much happier and active. It also could have been something to do with the 3 ice creams he had throughout the day, but it was so nice to see him happier. Exhausted by the end....but happier. Both Cam and Oskar were asleep on the couch by 7 that night. 

After all this, it certainly makes us appreciate our health and how lucky we are to have a healthy son. Being in the pediatric ward and walking around a hospital for a day certainly made us realise that what we were in there for was so minor compared to what some families are going through, and can only imagine how hard it must be for families dealing with more serious illness. 

Our full respect and thanks goes to the doctors and nurses that assisted with Oskar's surgery and recovery and to all our friends and family for their thoughts and well wishes.