23/12/2024
ADENOTONSILLECTOMY ✨
Appreciation post for this incredibly resilient and brave little human. If 2024 hadn’t been spicy enough, the last few weeks threw us another curve ball when Harlow had to go in for a last minute removal of her enlarged tonsils and adenoids. When they say recovery from an adenotonsillectomy is long and painful, they’re not exaggerating. It’s a cruel beast of a journey—slow to reveal its toughest challenges, with the most intense days hitting right when you’re already running on fumes.
For Harlow, the climb to peak pain around days 9 and 10 post-op was compounded by the struggle to keep her eating and drinking enough to aid recovery. Dehydration delayed healing, and those peak days—when the scabs began to fall off—were every bit as brutal as we’d been warned. Seeing our brave little girl in so much pain was gut-wrenching, and it felt like nothing we did could ease her discomfort.
But today, at day 14, we can finally say we’ve turned a corner. Her little spark is slowly returning, and with it comes the relief we’ve been holding out for. We’ve been quiet on the gram for the last few months but thought this deserved a spot in the grid for any parents who may be soon to navigate this surgery for their little one.
If so, here are some tips that saved us:
💚Panadol suppositories: These were a godsend to break up the 4-6 hour dosing. Harlow does not enjoy taking oral meds, and this option made things so much easier (for her and her mums).
💚Hydration is hydration, calories are calories: Don’t stress about what they’re consuming. For us, lemonade and popcorn became surprising heroes, helping us sneak in much-needed energy and hydration.
💚Stronger medication: Make sure you leave the hospital with something for breakthrough pain. For us, this was a lifeline—allowing Harlow to get just enough liquid and food in to avoid a return trip to the hospital.
Next up is our little Hendrix going in for grommets and adenoid removal in January 🤪 in the mean time, here’s to a *touches wood* hospital free rest of 2024 ❤️