I have zero faith in the medical community anymore, and less faith in any online resources spewing 'medical advice'. My 11yo son is going in for surgery soon, for removal of tonsils and adenoids. I know this is routine procedure nowadays so I am not at all worried, But I am curious, have any of you had this procedure done recently or know someone who has? Especially someone young. I had it done 30 years ago and I was too young to remember anything. I'm sure its much different today. Because of the surgery, he'll be out of school for a week but my hope is he'll be recovered enough in a few days. He's active and involved in sports and want to make sure he can resume his normal lifestyle in 4-5 days, but no idea what to expect in terms of recovery.
Any thoughts based on recent experiences greatly appreciated!
If he snores like crazy and it wakes him up he doesn't sleep well - he probably doesn't get into REM sleep. Sleep Apnea is awful, and can lead to many other bad things like heart issues, strokes, immune deficiencies, diabetes, weight gain, brain fog, high blood pressure, and even death - basically sleep is vital. Is your son overweight? Most people with sleep apnea are, but not all. Some have physical issues that cause the airway to close, unrelated to weight, and can possibly be fixed with a surgery. Fortunately if your son is snoring it probably is not Central sleep apnea, but rather obstructive (possibly made worse by tonsils actually). Central is where you simply stop breathing and die. Sometimes your brain just doesn't make you breathe.
Ask his doctor about a sleep study. Fix that problem early for his sake. Do it as soon as you can get it approved. I never knew I was having sleep issues but when they did my first sleep study the test said I "woke up" 30+ times per hour, and at one point they almost stopped the test because I stopped breathing for over a minute (that was the central apnea). The people monitoring the test were coming into my room to get me to breathe when I just started again, and I don't remember anything about it. They told me they were getting scared though. I had multiple times where I stopped for 15-30 seconds as well.
Note - the tests usually have 2 parts. First is where they put all kinds of probes on you to monitor breathing, bp, pulse, brain waves, etc. but they don't put you on a CPAP. Midway through the night they wake you and put you on a CPAP machine with a facemask. That part is so they can see what settings help you to stop having apneas. Then they give the data and any recommendations to a sleep doctor to determine if you require treatment. You can have a home test, but I absolutely felt more comfortable at the sleep lab knowing they had the proper equipment and knew how to apply it. I could've done it wrong at home and never got properly diagnosed. YMMV.
I have both central and obstructive sleep apnea, and I finally got it under control after many years of suffering through a CPAP. I insisted on an AutoPAP, and then a new doc put me on a BIPAP and I actually have nights where my AHI (an important apnea number) is zero - under 5 is considered treated.
As for tonsils - I had mine taken out at 6yo. because I had Strep Throat so often I actually missed 19 days of school. I also had Scarlet Fever and was hospitalized. I haven't had Strep once since they were taken out. I remember eating popsicles and ice cream, but don't remember how long my recovery was.
Unrelated, but I had my appendix burst on the table in a Turkish OR when my base sent me in an ambulance - so that is gone as well.
Good luck. I don't want you to think I'm judging your son if he is overweight. I want him to get treatment if he has sleep apnea. Trust me - untreated apnea really sucks.
Greatly appreciate your reply. No, he's not overweight. Actually a bit thin for his age. I'd call him fit, plays a lot of sports and very active, which is why I'm hoping his recovery is as quick as possible and looking for any remedies to make that recovery quick, but realize its out of my hands. According to the docs, he doesn't have sleep apnea. Just excess tissue behind the nose causing a congested sound and snore, thus mainly breaths thru his mouth at night. The doc also says that post the surgery, he's likely to experience a growth/girth spurt which I'm kinda hoping does happen. And like you, when I had my tonsils removed in early teens i NEVER got sore throats or strep after so hoping thats his case too. Thx again for your thoughtful reply.
Good to hear. I hope I didn't scare you - if so I'm sorry. People tend to not think about sleep issues until actual damage has been done. Glad to hear the docs say he doesn't have sleep apnea.
Nope, not all fren, no worries. I appreciate your insight very much. Having been thru this myself as a teen 30 years ago, I know its nothing to fear. I'm just hoping he can resume his activities asap, hoping for a week but I guess everyone's recovery time differs. Thx again!