This year each of the peanuts is at a different school. Three different starting times. Three different ending times. It was a bit of a frenzy this morning. I am going to have to get up a lot earlier to get everyone ready (and have time to juice).
This morning I had just gotten them all off to school and I had 30 minutes to myself before I had to pick Kate up from pre-school. I am thinking that keeping track of 3 schools is going to require some organizational skills.
Here are some first morning of school shots.
Kate had a doctor appointment and it looks like she is going to need surgery (tonsils and adenoids removed). Her tonsils are so big that they touch and are causing all sorts of problems (choking, gagging, sleep apnea). We have had to do the heimlich maneuver on her twice! The doctor also thinks this is the likely cause for all of her illnesses from the constant ear infections to the strep and sinus infections! I don't even dare mention the fact that she snores like a large 60 year old man who has had a pint of bourbon. We see a specialist on Thursday but please keep her (and me) in your prayers. You all know I am a holistic health kinda gal so I really don't want to go ahead with this surgery but it seems like it could solve a whole host of issues with her. Any wisdom out there? Please share.
Kim -Ashlee (at 20) just had her tonsils out. They were very enlarged, she snored like a truck driver (With apologies to the truck drivers in the audience!), got constant throat infections and generally was uncomfortable. Within two days of having them out she said she could breath better and her nose felt better.
ReplyDeleteI would do it now - the older she gets, the worse the inevitable surgery would be. At 20, it was absolutely miserable - and she kept asking us "why didn't you take them out when i was younger?"
KyLee had her tonsils out at age 2.. they made us wait till 2.. she had antibotics from almost the day she was born till the surgery. she was always sick. then after the surgery she was perfectly fine..
ReplyDeleteLOVED IT.. they were actually running out of antibotics , her body was getting immune to them. due to taking them for so long..
I think she will do fine.. KyLee did really well.. Nick had his out at 4 and he did really well too..
Hugs.
Good luck with the keeping track of the school schedules! You need a Blackberry (or something) for that job I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteI would go ahead with getting the tonsils and adenoids out. My son had huge tonsils, never got them out and now at 22 really wishes he had. Every time he gets sick, those giant yucky tonsils get infected and cause problems. Maddy had her adenoids out when she has some ear surgery and it helped with lessening sinus infections. Good luck. Keeping Kate and you all in my prayers.
Janet
First, you have two very handsome boys.
ReplyDeleteAs for Kate's surgery, we had to have Gabe's tonsils out for the exact same reasons. I was actually out of town and got a phone call from my doctor saying that his were so bad that we needed to get him to the nearest hospital right away because they thought his oxygen may be closed off. He was fine, but a few days later we did have to have his tonsils and adnoids removed.
I will be honest, I think the recovery was the hardest. As much as he wanted to eat he just could not do it. Plus, just when we thought he was getting better, he had about a 2 day setback.
Since having the surgery, he rarely gets sick anymore. He does have some slight issues with speech and the doctor said it is probably because of all fluid and swelling in his adnoids. He still snores like a drunken sailor, in fact his brother sleeps on one of the couches because he snores so loud. We are going to have to take him in I am afraid.
Anyway, as much as you don't like the thought, it is probably in her best interest.
Blessings,
Mandi
I second Karen, Kim. My brother had almost constant strep throat infections when we were young, but at that time, no one (at least around here) took at children's tonsils. Finally, when he was 30 or 31, he got them out and has not had strep NEARLY as often. I also agree with Karen that it is a much rougher surgery/recovery time the older you get. Not that I really would wish this on Kate or you, but it might REALLY help her.
ReplyDeleteI hope that this helps!
Maybe you can work up a car pool in your neighborhood! How do people do it who have to work?
ReplyDeleteWe'll be praying for you and Kate and your doctor visit on Thursday.
Jen
Kim:
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how big the boys have gotten! Praying for you and K... My 3 year old nephew just had his out and he is recovery is slow but I think it will be for the better, the poor little guy was always sick... I'll speak with my sister tomorrow and get a status report and let you know.
Blessings
Nancy
Sorry to hear about Kate. I do think the recovery is much easier when they are younger. She will bounce back just fine!
ReplyDeleteI think carpooling is a great idea too! Hang in there!
I have to tell you, I am going to see my mom this weekend and all of her fell out from chemo. She has a wig that she says "looks a little like Kim's hair from 3peanuts!" I will definitely post a pic of her. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with Kate and her tonsils. I am a big believer in holistic medicine so keep us posted on what the specialist says and what you decide.
oh that hair is soooo cool! Ryan did the same thing around that age;)
ReplyDeleteSo glad Mr H got such a NICE teacher:):)
Hope you get your carpooling figured out and things go smoother and quicker.
I will keep Ms Kate in my prayers, when I was a little girl my tonsils kept me very ill. I did not have near the sicknesses after they took them out.
My sister had the same issues, sick constantly, ear infections were the norm for her. I really think she was I'll with something almost the entire first 3 years of her life. She had her tonsils and adnoids at at 3 1/2 and literally has been the vision of health since.... She is 32 now!
ReplyDeleteThe same with my giddaughter Katie who is 5, she had the surgery last year and I don't think she has even had a cold since.
I know it is hard to think about surgery and your children in the same sentence, but I think there will be an instant change in kate's health!!! A school year with no sick days or visits to the Ped!!!
We pulled our juicer out and we are working towards juicing everyday!! Hoping this will give me a leg up on my celiac and my energy level!!!
Both of our boys are big tonsil kids. My oldest son had his tonsils out when he was three. They were huge so when he had the slightest throat irritation they swelled to the point he gagged on everything. He snored louder than his grandfather as a baby LOL! He recovered quickly and we have been so glad we did it for him. He would have had lifelong issued if we hadn't. After his recovery he slept so much better which improved any irritibilty and his appetite improved as well...a plus for my tall thin boy. Our youngest has large tonsils as well but they do not cause him problems and he doesn't snore so we have left well enough alone. If he starts to have those issues I would do the same again for him.
ReplyDeleteHi there...
ReplyDeleteI have followed your blog for some time now and thoroughly enjoy watching your adventures and growth as a family. I am also a sahm with 2 boys hoping to adopt someday (as my husband and I were both adopted too). Only now felt compelled to comment b/c my oldest, now 10, had his adenoids removed at 5 and it was the best decision ever! He went from having sickness every month to none in a matter of weeks. The surgery for adenoids was only 20 minutes. They literally walked him in (with his favorite stuffed blue dinosaur) and minutes later the nurse came out to say he is in recovery. I'm not sure what the length is of a tonsillectomy. Hope this helps and you feel peace with whatever decision you make.
Take care,
C
Our daughter had sleep apnea too, they took out her tonsils, shaved her adenoids (they grow back apparently?) and she sleeps so much calmer and quieter! The pain after surgery was tough, day 3-5 the worst but my daughter was older so that may have been why. But so glad we did the surgery, it will help your precious Kate, poor thing. Sometimes we just have too go thru it, tougher on mommy than the child? HUGS!
ReplyDeleteEmma had her tonsils removed at 4 and it was the best thing we did for her. She snored horribly and choked seriously twice. Her shoe size went up 4 sizes in 4 months! She really was not sleeping. She also recovered very quickly, within a week she was eating everything fine. Immediately after the surgery was sad, bc she was very confused waking up.
ReplyDeleteNo wisdom on the subject, but I am keeping you both in my prayers!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I wish you all the best in keeping three schedules straight. I managed to get my ONLY school age child out the door today, only to realize the first day is TOMORROW. Don't ask me.... I'm losing it.
My oldest daughter also suffered from LARGE tonsils , sleep apnea and snoring , and even started to have trouble talking as she always sounded stuffed just from the fact her tonsils were in her way , she gets that from me the large tonsils mine were removed at 16 not recommended, the younger they are the easier it is for them .
ReplyDeleteWhen she was 6 years old finally we had her in to remove the adnoids{that the x-ray had shown to be just slightly enlarged} and her tonsils , it took about 30 minutes to get her into recovery , and she did fine, turned out the adnoids were the largest the doc had ever seen , slightly enlarged , yeah right, so anyway , they kept her over night because of the apnea , to make sure she would be fine , and she has never snored since , the apnea is gone speaks clearly ever since , never has infections it has been 5 years, it has worked wonders , well worth the stress of our child going under the knife, but I do hear the surgery is even better now and easier on the patients too .
No worries .
I had my tonsils out when I was about 3 and all of the infections and such ended right after surgery!
ReplyDeleteThe boys were adorable on their first days!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any advice but my niece had similar issues when she was a young. She snored SO loud, She was constantly getting ear infections, strep and even had some sort of infection in her glands that caused a baseball size lump on the side of her neck. They finally removed her tonsils and she has not had any of that stuff since then. She was 3 or 4 when they were removed and just turned 15.
Good Luck to all of you and prayers for sweet Kate.
Wow that sounds hectic! Tell me you are carpooling to make it somewhat easier on you.
ReplyDeleteSending up prayers for you and Kate. It sounds like this could really be the best solution though.
Your school boys are GORGEOUS! I hope they both have fantastic years at school!
ReplyDeleteAs for the tonsils and adenoids... Grant has his out and we saw immediate improvement, especially with his apnea! Improved focus during the day and less irritability. I know it is unnerving, but I am sure it will help Kate immensely!
Kim - it's been a few years, but my oldest son had both removed and all his 'issues' (same as Kate) were solved!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the school schedules - I also had 3 in 3 differnt school for a few years - crazy busy times! Actualy, I still do have them in 3 different schools, but 2 are away at college ;)
Wow Kim! I can't believe how many people have had such great results from getting their tonsils/adnoids out! It sounds like the answer for sweet Kate. She has had a year of "junk" and I will be praying that this is her miracle cure! I know it will be scarey and that she will be miserable for a bit, but God will hold her in the palm of his hand.. I will be lifting my little pal and her surgeons and her wonderful Mommy UP!!!
ReplyDeleteAs for the boys, (all 3) look great for the first day of school!!! Six more days and counting!
Love,
Di
I had my tonsil out when I was 24 years old (and they put me on the pediatric floor afterwards ~ I've always looked young for my age :)
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, it was the best thing! I was constantly sick as a child, ALL the time! Ever since having my tonsils removed, I have rarely had strep or a sore throat. I will keep Kate in my prayers though and hope everything goes smoothly :)
He really does have middle school hair....es muy populare! They are both very handsome boys.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have gotten alot of good advice. I don't have any experience with this except that alot of people told me that Lottie and Emma should have their tonsils out because they had strep about 8 or 9 times a year. Our pediatrician told us that when we moved to another country that might change. We haven't had any strep yet but we have only been here a short while. I think though if we stayed in the states I would have done it....even though it seems scary to me to have them put under anesthesia....they were so miserably sick all the time.
Praying for you and the decision you have to make.
My son had his tonsils/adenoids removed just after his 3rd birthday. He had recurrent ear infections and just couldn't ever get better so our doctor recommended surgery. He got sick shortly after, which I had expected with him being it he hospital, but in the almost 14 years since he's hardly ever been sick. For us, it was definitely worth it. This surgery is difficult at that young age. Scott had to be hospitalized the night of the surgery and again about a week later from dehydration. It was a hard week for him, but he did recover and I'm glad we made that choice for him. Good luck.
ReplyDeletePoor Kate! I hope she starts feeling better once the tonsils are removed.
ReplyDeleteSuch handsome boys! Sorry about Kate. Good luck deciding how to proceed. It is always hard when your baby needs any kind of procedure.
ReplyDeleteI know surgery is the last thing you would want to put your daughter through, but if its necessary you may have no choice. You will do what is best for her and in the end you will all be thankful for it. Good luck with everything!
ReplyDeleteLook how big and grown up the boys are looking!?! Hope you get the hang of the routine soon enough. Last year I had 3 boys in 3 different schools with 3 different start/pick up times. It all worked out very well. Now I'm just dealin with 2 different schools...but next year it goes back to 3...ugh.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes getting all three off to 3 different schools! I have 2 at 2 different schools, but one is only 2x a week. I get up early: exercise, get ready and have a my coffee (maybe I should juice...much healthier) b/f getting the children up. I dread getting up at 5:30am, but WOW! My day is much, much more organized!
ReplyDeleteAnother "best wishes" to Kate! Surgery definitely doesn't sound fun, but hopefully she'll feel much better!
I had my tonsils removed when I was 6 for many of the same reasons. I would have strep, go on antibiotics for 2 weeks, be fine for a week, and then get strep again. Over and over. I have never had strep since having my tonsils removed and rarely a cold (almost 30 years later)! I don't even remember the procedure but do remember all the love and gifts I received afterward. :) Will remember you all in my prayers!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with juggling everything! i had my tonsils out 2 years ago after a lifetime of sore throats, strep, and tonsil stones...yuck! it was the best decision ever and yes, i wish i had it done when i was little! it was a bit of a recovery at my age (32 yrs. at the time) but it's so much better now!
ReplyDeleteMy younger sister Katie had her tonsils out at 16 after having strep 12 times in as many months (some of the rest of us contracted it a couple of times too!) and there hasn't been an infection of strep since! 5 years!
ReplyDeleteWe also see a homeopath who, after much consideration, recommended her younger sister have her tonsils out and tubes put in her ears. Amy, the younger sister, can now hear better and hasn't been sick since her surgeries.
I know it is hard to imagine putting your child through the pain of surgery, but it may just alleviate all of those sleepless nights and whiney days!
Praying for you and Kate. xx
ReplyDeleteWow....I can't believe all the people who recovered their health after their surgeries. I'm with you about taking a holistic approach but it sounds like the change in her health could be very dramatic which would be an amazing blessing. Being on antibiotics often is risky and worrying about her choking sounds very stressful for all of you. I just never realized the surgery could be so helpful so fast. I hope you get all the information and answers you need to find peace in whatever decision you make.
ReplyDeleteI understand the 3 kids/3 schools dilemma. This year we will have five kids in five schools in 4 different towns...plus me in a 6h school. No one has gone back yet but your post makes me tired just thinking about it :) I think I've been in denial about how hectic this year will be (and how much sleep and organization I will need).
Oh....and meant to say that they boys look so grown up....and stunningly gorgeous, too!
ReplyDeleteI love all the beach photos below...beautiful!
oh i am so sorry that kate will have surgery. hopefully this will help things though, last year bradley was one ear infection away from getting tubes, and i was totally freaked!! xoxo, c
ReplyDeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteA month ago, at 28, I had my tonsils and what was left of my adnoids removed. Although it was a pretty rough recovery (but that was because I was a bit older than most) I haven't had any sore throats and am sleeping through the night, which I hadn't been able to do since I moved to MD 2 years ago.
I'll be praying!
Blessings on their first day, Ashley
what handsome boys!! i just adore Will's hair- it looks awesome. they are both so precious and grown up. both of my boys have had out patient surgery for tubes in their ears. preston, who is now 5 had them put in at 2 yrs. And cooper, who is 10 months now, had them in at just 6 months. I was always super stressed about it but I feel like it's so worth it in the long run. Since Cooper had his tubes put in, he has not had to take antibiotics one time. Prior to that, he had taken 6 courses of antibiotics in about 6 weeks. Can you say stressed out, major nightmare??? I was a wreck!!! I cannot stand antibiotics and stress out when my kids take them. I know Kate's ears are fine..I'm jut saying that sometimes surgery lead to better health in the long run. Hang in there- sending prayers!
ReplyDeleteEmily
I really think you should go ahead with the surgery. I know that it is so hard. I fought and fought Zachary having tubes put into his ears and then later found out that he had so much blockage behind his ear drums that he was 80 percent hearing impaired. After his surgery a whole new world of sounds opened to him.
ReplyDeleteAfter Kate's surgery a whole new world of health will open to her.
You know that I will pray for you and your children. It's going to be ok and I know you will make a wise decision.
Mae had chronic sinusitis so she had her adenoids out at 22 months. then at just over 3 yrs she had to have her tonsils out due to having strept once a month for 6 months. the bacteria will harbor under the tissue and there is really no way to stop the cycle except for surgery. Strept can lead to major cardiac issues if not erradicated. I wish we had taken her tonsils when we did the adenoids but she had never had srept at that time. The worst part was letting them take her back. They will call you once she is under and ok if you request them to do so. Soem hospitals will do it automatically but it is always best just to ask. After surgery was not that bad. Adenoids was like she had never had anything done. Tonsils I kept the meds on board and the only bad night was about 4 days post op when the scabs came off. But then she was fine. She did not like the "no strenous play" part for 2 weeks but other than that she has been very very healthy since then.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to call me and pick my brains you are welcome to. Just email me and I will send you my number. As a peds nurse practitioner I am trained to treat holistically so I get where you are coming from.
Julie
julestripp@yahoo.com
Congrats on sending the kids off to school!
ReplyDeleteI have no personal experience with the tonsils, however, being a teacher, I have had MANY students in the past who needed the procedure and they truly bounce right back. Dr's have different philosophies if the foods right after should be smooth (east to go down) or crunchy (to break up something or other) but truly - they bounce right back. 9.5 times out of 10, they have both the tonsils and adenoids taken at the same time. Additionally, I don't know if Kate gets runny noses often (not even just WITH a cold- just in general) but this procedure REALLY helped two of my students with that! GOOD LUCK! We will ALL be thinking about you!
Good morning busy mommy! About to have one of those weeks myself! :) I only have two to juggle but I also have the ten week stint in third grade for myself! The boys look handsome as EVER!
ReplyDeleteAs for the tonsil thing...Em was the tonsil and adenoid kid! However, we began with an allergist who said he thought people were jumping the gun on surgeries and felt there were other ways to handle the issue, so he offered that because the enlarged tonsils do cause restricted airway, let's try treating similar to asthma. So, he put Em on a small dose of singulair each day to shrink any swelling and he also put her on a small does of regular allergy med. He said this "may" band-aid until she grows and his hope was that she would outgrow the large tonsils. The tonsils apparently remain the same size, but the child keeps growing. He offered that because Emily was a bigger kid, her chances of outgrowing were better. So far, so good :) I am not suggesting this is for every child and Emily did not snore like a trucker, she did snore, though. Her last check-up, he said her tonsils look completely normal and no longer touch. My cousin's little boy did have constant strep, even getting it on his nose and became intolerant of antibiotics. They opted for the surgery and he has done fabulous!! Still gets sick, but at a more normal rate :) SO two different treatments, both with good results.
I will be praying for you as you see specialists and pray that you and Dave will have discernment for the right treatment for sweet Kate.
Blessings, friend!
Love,
Heather
Kim, I have been there, done that on BOTH issues! I had 4 kids at four different schools, on different sides of town! My husband dropped off/picked up two and I had the other two! It was a bit unnerving at times, especially when all had programs around the same time of year (why do schools do that?)!!! Amazingly we made it through and luckily no one felt neglected or more importantly left at school after hours (LOL)!
ReplyDeleteAlso my take on the tonsils! Please take them out ASAP! My youngest two had very bad tonsils! My youngest son (who was 10 at the time) snored so loud, it literally was deafening, after consulting with an ENT doctor, they were enormous!!! We had no other option"! It was that bad! Afterwards, he still snored but w/a dull roar, YEP, it was the adenoids, out they came a few weeks later! His recovery was pretty good. A the results were amazing!
However, my youngest daughter who was 17 @ the time, had a rough time! She suffered w/sinus infections galore. After removing the tonsils, she had a set back for another 2weeks! She missed a month from school, and had lost so much weight, it really made me nervous! According to the doctor she had "pockets of infection" the size of a small egg!! Finally after her recovery, we saw a remarkable difference.
It will be so much better for Kate to have them removed now.
PS The boys look so handsome! I wish Will,Harry and lady Kate a wonderful school year!!!
Wow you are a busy mom! Myah had her tonsils and adenoids out, I don't know if you remember or not, she was choking,snoring, tonsils touching etc. It was the best thing that we could have done for her. She was so much better immediately! The first few days were rough afterwards but she was fine after that. I would highly recommend the surgery for Kate.
ReplyDeleteOur oldest son had HUGE tonsils and my Dad, who is a retired ear,nose and throat Dr. encouraged us to get them taken out. Large tonsils can cause problems with growth as they do not oxygenate well and don't sleep well at night because of the blockage. The younger they are the better they recover. Our son did just great and he is now 6'2"!
ReplyDeleteHey Kim, my son Rudy (8 years old) had his adenoids and tonsils out 9 days ago. I'm so glad we did it. We went for our post-op yesterday and the doctor said that Rudy's was 95% healed and within a few days he would be 100%. The hardest day for me was day 3...that's when he felt the sickest...warning, don't give her any red gatorade. He started to vomit and I almost fainted because it was red and I thought it was blood.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting fact that my doctor told me yesterday, is that while he was in medical school he did a 60 page paper on children under 8 getting their tonsils and adenoids out and their growth. He concluded that because those kids can finally have a more normal sleep pattern, they usually produce more growth hormones and usually grow quite a bit after having them removed. He asked me to measure Rudy and weigh him when we got home from the appt, He predicts that Rudy will grow 2-3 inches and gain a good 10 lbs. by the end of the year. Pretty interesting stuff.
Anyway, good luck! Let me know if you have any questions because I've literally just gone through it.
Tia says- My daughter had her tonsils and adenoids out and her health improved. She sleeps much more soundly and is rested. She too sounded like a very large man snoring away a few too many drinks. She also had developed sleep apnea which frightened us enough to take action. Her tonsils were so large they almost touched as well, and choking was a constant issue. We were scared too about the surgery, but I will tell you she is so much improved, and we are so happy for her sake that we went ahead with the surgery. The first few days are rough after, but it does get better. Good luck!!:)
ReplyDelete