Reese's Tonsillectomy

Yesterday, Reese had her tonsils and adenoids taken out.   She had tubes put in her ears a year ago, but was still plagued with a constant snotty nose and a wicked snore.  After two ENT's recommended a tonsillectomy to help her ability to breathe, we pulled the trigger.  I woke up very nervous yesterday and was second guessing our decision.  Wes and I talked it over and decided to proceed.  Now that it's all over, I'm so glad we did it.  The doctor told us Reese's tonsils were a size 3, with 4 being the largest.  The surprise came when she got to her adenoids, which were blocking 75% of her nasal passage.  Once all the swelling goes down and her scabs heal, she is going to be able to breathe SO much easier.

We arrived at the surgery center at 11:00 am and checked in.  I gave Reese a Doc McStuffin's doctor kit to play with while we waited.  

Checking in...

Showing me her tonsils...

She's not sure about this new bracelet.

Gowned up and picking out a sticker.

Checking Mommy's heart before the doctor checks hers.

Killing time on her i-pod.

The surgery was over in 30 minutes and they brought Reese to her room where I was waiting.  She woke up for a few minutes, then fell back asleep.

Daddy came to visit and brought some loot.

Reese ate 7 popsicles while she watched Peppa Pig.  She kept looking at us in shock as we offered her more popsicles.  "Why are mom and dad giving me all these yummy desserts?!"

Our floor had a fun playroom to kill some time.

Back in bed.  Reese just finished dinner (half a cheese quesadilla, few bites of macaroni and cheese, few bites of chocolate pudding and a popsicle) and is watching another Peppa Pig before bedtime.

The nurse had to come in every couple of hours and check vitals/give meds.  We didn't get much sleep and were ready to go home at 6:00 am when they discharged us.

The hardest part of recovery is keeping Reese hydrated.  She has to drink 15 oz of fluid a day and each sip is painful going down.  Popsicles help, but that is only 1 ounce of fluid.  She hasn't been too miserable so far.  The doctor told me Day 5-10 is the worst because the scab falls off and it is even more painful to swallow.  Yippee!  Wes will be gone Day 6-9, lucky guy!  Hopefully, tonight will go smoothly.  I will have to wake her up every 4 hours to give her medicine but other than that, I'm hoping she can get some sleep.  And the rest of us can get some sleep, too.  

Reese's voice sounds a little different right now because her throat is swollen.  But I can already tell how some words sound more clear than they did before the surgery.   The doctor told us we might see a growth spurt in the next couple of months - she is 2 inches shorter than Stella and Dr. Roehm thinks that getting restful sleep will put her back on track.

All for now!