On Tuesday, Hazel had an intracapsular tonsillectomy and her adenoids removed. Our pediatrician has been concerned with the size of her tonsils for some time. Their size combined with her snoring, sleep apnea, and trouble swallowing solid foods meant it was time for a visit to the ear, nose, and throat doctor.
We have been at Dr. Allen's office a lot lately with Clay's latest tube surgery so it was no biggie for Hazel. She kept making comments about what a big girl she is and how she was doing such a good job and not crying. She was right!
Dr. Allen also thought the tonsils needed to come out and was concerned with the amount of fluid in Hazel's ears (which led to failed hearing tests) and thought that tubes might be necessary. She gave me the option of doing a partial (intracapsular) tonsillectomy, where they remove 90-95% of the tonsils leaving only a small amount of tissue along the wall of the throat. This usually makes for a MUCH easier recovery, less pain, and less chance of bleeding. Because Hazel does not have a history of sore throats and size being her only issue with her tonsils, it seemed like a great option. In most cases where tonsils need to be removed, the adenoids also need to come out and that was true for Hazel as well.
The day of surgery, Hazel made a grand entrance at Boys Town wheeling her bee suitcase filled with her toys and blanket. Seriously, all the nurses came out to admire her. She was in heaven.
The hospital issue pajamas were a big hit. She was as excited about them as she would have been about a shimmery princess dress. Bless her heart!
Daddy came to join us after he dropped Wyatt and Clay off at school and Hazel was super excited for some Daddy snuggles. She didn't know what was about to happen but she knew something was up!
When the anesthesiologist came to get Hazel, she was so brave. No tears. She just waved goodbye as they pushed her down the hall. Seriously, I cried and she did not. One tough cookie.
Dr. Allen came in about 45 minutes later and said that everything went great. Her adenoids looked worse than her tonsils so she thinks they were responsible for the fluid in her ears and did not put tubes in (yay!).
The nurse brought Hazel back to us, from recovery, about an hour after that. She was pretty out of it but was not upset. Within an hour or so, she was talking, drinking juice, and loving ALL the jello!
We were able to go home about 4 hours after Hazel got out of recovery. She was a little bummed to leave. Snuggles, no siblings, cartoons, all the jello a girl could want - of course she didn't want to leave!
We are now 3 days out from surgery and Hazel is recovering like a champ! She is staying hydrated with lots of water and juice, sleeping well, and does not seem to be in any pain. Her throat is dry/sore when she first wakes up but after a dose of Tylenol and getting some fluids in her, she is good to go.
We are so proud of our big girl and are hopeful for better eating and sleeping habits to come!
