Avery's Surgery

Three years ago Avery had his adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears because fluid wasn't draining behind his eardrums and he wasn't hearing very well. After the surgery, the ENT told me how huge Avery's tonsils were, but that he didn't just want to take them out then not having discussed it with me because the recovery is so much worse than just adenoid removal. What I've always wanted to know is why he didn't notice Avery's huge tonsils before the surgery.

Fast forward to now and Avery's tonsils have remained massive this entire time. He also sounds nasally more lately and is often all stuffed up. He didn't seem to have hearing issues anymore, but lately there had been the occasional concern about it (last time it was fairly sudden and very obvious). When I was a teen I had an absolutely horrible time with my tonsils, so we were also concerned that with Avery's obviously enlarged tonsils, leaving them in there may just be setting him up for more problems in the future. So we decided to see an ENT before school started again and see what was what.

Turns out one of his ears had some minor hearing loss due to fluid retention again and all in all it was agreed the tonsils needed to go, tubes needed to be placed again, and the ENT was concerned that the previous guy had likely left some adenoid tissue behind - which I guess is common with a popular procedure, but he claimed the procedure he used was more fine-tuned and took care of all of the tissue. Considering the last guy told me that taking too little or too much adenoid tissue could change a kid's voice (and I remember his vocal demonstration of the changes) obviously he probably had left tissue in there. The problem with that is the left over stuff can get big again.

So Monday Avery had surgery.
He specifically asked to see the tonsils after surgery. I will add that to the end of this post... with a warning beforehand... in case you don't want to see them...


Practicing for blowing up his balloon. He chose a red balloon because they didn't have orange. This is how the anesthesiologist get them to suck down the gas.






Avery was so sick of waiting for his turn. He was ready to get this show on the road! When it was finally his turn, he didn't even give me a hug, or wait to be led where he needed to go, he just took off through the doors.


When the ENT came to tell me about it, he commented on how refreshing that was that a kid came in so ready to go! The adenoid tissue left behind had indeed become very inflamed and were apparently quite large. I was assured that as far as tonsils and adenoids were concerned, that chapter in Avery's life was over. All tissue was completely sucked out of there.

When they got me to go to Avery, he was freaking out a little, which seems pretty natural if you wake up all drugged up, but in a lot of pain and don't know where you are and you're mom's not there. I really wish they would let parents be with their kids before they wake up so at least that type of freak out could be prevented.

Once he sat on my lap and settled down, it didn't take long before he was past ready to get outta that place! He even stood up and started to take off his IV so he could go. The nurse and I asked him about feeling sick, but he kept claiming it was just empty stomach sick, not pukey sick. Well, we made it about 20 feet from the door before he splattered his feet three times. So I went back to the door for some paper towels to wipe up and then finally we could go home.

That was the last of the puking, thankfully, and since then Avery's preferred not to take any medicine and goes quite a while before we make him, and he just keeps quietly to the couch, watching movies or playing the Wii... except that first afternoon.

Emmett showed up in front of me being silly and wanting a picture with my phone. Next thing I knew, Avery had the 3D glasses on too... and was dancing around, posing for the camera. After he got a little too lively, I told him, unfortunately, he had to settle down because he just wasn't allowed to exert himself yet.



So here's a whole slew of silly boys


Sadly, it's not been all fun and games since then, but I think we're supposedly past the worst days now so I'm watching for the improvement to begin. Of course, the sloughing off of scabs around day 7 can cause the pain to go up again, so we'll see...





Warning...





Beware...





Tonsils below...








Avery wanted to see them so they saved them for him. Obviously he needed a picture too.