ENT Surgery Today

The surgery went well. It was done locally at an outpatient surgery center. It went really fast without complications. Jack was quite upset when he woke from anesthesia, but I don't blame him one bit.

The Dr. said Jack's adenoids were HUGE and made a wide gesture with his hands and they were blocking his eustachian tubes -- this is what we had suspected. There was also a lot of fluid built up behind his eardrum.







What are adenoids?
The adenoids are small pads of tissue found behind the back of the nose above the throat. They cannot be seen by looking in the mouth. Adenoids can become very large and block the eustachian tubes (the tubes from the middle ears to the back of the nose) and cause ear infections. Large adenoids can also block the nasal airway causing your child to breathe through his mouth and snore at night. Adenoids can become infected and carry germs (bacteria).

Why should the adenoids be removed?
Blocked-up nose: Very large adenoids can block the nasal passages. This causes snoring and keeps your child from being able to breathe through his nose. Severe blocking may lead to more serious problems (such as apnea and heart problems). Removing the adenoids lets the child breathe normally through the nose.

Recurring ear infections: Very large adenoids can block the eustachian tubes and lead to ear infections or the failure of ear infections to clear. If a child has surgery to place PE (pressure-equalizing) tubes in the eardrums at the same time the adenoids are taken out, it can help prevent recurring ear infections.

We had a rough night last night! Jack and I went to bed around 9:30 pm (Daddy had "first shift" with Morgan). Jack woke up at 11:30 pm, and 12:30 am and decided it was time to get up
FOR THE DAY at 1:00 am. My poor head hurt so badly -- I needed SLEEP! My "shift" with Morgan usually starts around 2:00 am...I tried without success to get Jack to go back to sleep, so I sent Jason to bed and had both kiddos running me ragged all night long. Jack couldn't have anything to eat 6 hours before surgery so I was happy that he requested breakfast at 2:00 am. What a night. I did dishes and made bottles just to stay awake. Morgan went to sleep after her feedings, but Jack and I were up all night and went straight to surgery this morning. Jason has to work until 10:00 pm this evening at a trade show. Timing is just not on our side this week. Jack napped for a little after we got home, and is now pretty much back to normal -- just a little less spunk than usual.

I have just under 4 hours till I can sleep!!!! YAY!