the ginabean: what do adenoids do, anyway?

Monday, February 12, 2018

what do adenoids do, anyway?

You don't have to tell me the answer to that questions; I've already googled it. (They produce antibodies that help fight infection.)

But here's the thing: Tommy's adenoids have given us a lot of grief.

He basically came out of the womb sounding ever-so-snorty, he's never not had a boogery nose, he catches all the cold- and flu-like bugs that even think about coming close to him, and he's a rotten sleeper. Also, he snores.

These problems have been persistent throughout his short 14 months on this globe, and I finally had had enough, so I took him to the ENT for a consultation.

Adenoids out, tubes in. (Oh, yeah, he's also had occasional ear infections and frequent fluid in his ears for the past handful of months. So, tubes.)

Throw teething into the mix, and it's no wonder that he can be a difficult child. What an uncomfortable life he's living!

Several people have told me that getting those darned adenoids removed could be magical for us. (Okay, they didn't use the word "magical," but they said that their kids were much more healthy, and they slept better at night, and were less agitated; I figure the word "magical" seems fitting.)

I had hoped to get it taken care of over Spring Break, but it needed to be taken care of stat, so Tommy had surgery on February 1. Tommy woke up with a furrowed brow, knowing that something was about to go down--but his brow lifted for a moment or two when Grampa O walked through the door early that morning. (Grampa O is easily Tommy's favorite human.)

Here is Tommy with his three best friends:
binky, giraffey, and Grampa O

I can't even believe how cute that tiny hospital gown was.

Long story short, surgery went well; lots of fluid was drained from that unfortunate left ear of his, and his adenoids (which were covered in a "spongy crust") are now gone-zo. Seeing Thomas come out of anesthesia was heart-breaking, to say the least. He flopped all over the place, bawling and whining and wanting all of us and none of us, confused out of his gourd. Waiting to be discharged was awful. Once we got home, Andy finally got him settled enough to snooze, and he seemed to bounce back to normal pretty quickly.

That look of betrayal...

snuggle bug

By the way, I no longer believe in magic.

Tommy hated the ear drops with a fiery passion, he's still a terrible sleeper, and he still snores.

On the other hand, Tommy's giant, constant boogers seem to be a thing of the past. And I'm hopeful that he'll be healthier over all; I may not believe in magic, but I do have faith that this surgery won't have been for nothing!