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"Kissing" Tonsils and growing up

Friday, August 28, 2009

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My little cutie is having surgery on Tuesday.  As my friend Diana put it "she is having the trifecta." The ENT was convinced that not only does she need her tonsils and adenoids out immediately (hence the quickly scheduled surgery) but she also needs tubes in her ears.

Notes from our visit:
~Kate's ears have so much fluid (and wax-yuck) that he did not think she could pass the hearing test.  She always has fluid which is why she needs the tubes.

~He was astonished at her verbal ability.  He could not believe how well she spoke since he thinks she cannot hear and he just thinks she speaks very well in general:)  That was nice to hear.

~He said that her tonsils are so large they touch and are called "kissing" tonsils. They must come out.  They make it hard for her to eat (she chokes and gags), sleep, breathe etc.

~He thinks she'll be a different (and even better and sweeter) little peanut once they are all out.

~When he listened to her heart, he said in his adorable and grandfatherly British accent that she has a happy heart.

~As we were leaving he told Kate that I ought to buy her lots of presents for Tuesday.  Thanks Doc!

~He told me that she will likely have to spend the night in the hospital because of her sleep apnea.  I will stay with her but I still think it will be very scary for Kate.


In other news this week....

When did this little guy (Will)

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morph into this big guy

GOING TO HIS FIRST DANCE TONIGHT?

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Yes, Will was heading out to the 6th grade mixer dance at his new school.  He was fresh out of the shower and that is why his hair is wet.  But it looks that messy dry too;) He was going with a group of buddies but they all had "dates" meeting them at the dance. Then, the boys are having a sleepover.  I'd love to be a fly on the wall at that sleepover!

I cried (little quiet tears) after I dropped him off at his friend's house.  He is growing up. It is all too quick.  He won't be home tonight to tell me all about his first dance. Will confides in me and I love it.  We have a great relationship. I know I'll find everything out tomorrow but this letting go is SO VERY HARD.

Oh and I took him to the library after school today and saw firsthand these young teenage girls (some bigger than me) oogling over him.  They stopped dead in their tracks to check him out.  It is the first time I have seen girls blatantly check out my son in public and it was unnerving. I think we are entering into a whole new realm in our house. I am so not ready for it.

50 comments:

  1. I will be thinking of you all on Tuesday -- I know it will go very well! And Kate will feel so much better after the surgery! I had "kissing tonsils" (when I was 24, not a child...) and had to have my tonsils out too. I couldn't believe how much better I felt afterwards. It was like I was a completely different person - I slept better and had so much more energy! Good luck, Kate!

    As for your son... whoa. I don't have any kids, but I imagine it must be hard, but cool to see who your kids become. Hopefully one day I'll experience that too... and then I'm sure I'll also cry a few (quiet) tears when the kids get older! Hope he had fun at the dance!!!

    :)

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  2. Kate is going to do fine.. KyLee was 2 when she had all of these things done to her also.. she has been sooo much better..
    HUGS..
    as for Will.. well they do grow up WAY FAST...
    Hugs..
    Will be thinking of you..
    Love ya girly..

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  3. Also wishing Kate well on Tuesday..we will be thinking of her. Our Kira had both taken out when she was about Kate's age as well and what a difference it made. It is scary but one thing that helped Kira was taking her special doll in with her and having it the whole time. She was scared when she woke up but once she saw mommy and daddy she did much better. Hugs to you mommy as if your anything like me I was scared to death for my little peanut and cried when they took her into surgery. She did great and so will Kate I am sure:)

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  4. Praying for Kate and you on Tuesday! Lucas had his tonsils out when he was three...had adenoids out at the same time and tubes put in so I know alittle of what you're going through. It was a tough recovery with him but we made it through. I know Kate will do wonderfully!

    As for Will I would be crying too.....you have a handsome young man that obviously knows how to respect people and that's a killer combination! You've done an awesome job!

    I haven't commented in a while but I just wanted to let you know that I'm glad you didn't take this private....I love reading about your family and all your little health tidbits of info you pass along.

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  5. You all will be in my thoughts on Tuesday. Hopefully, Kate will feel a lot, lot better after!

    And Will was and still is so cute! My oldest is 6 1/2 and I just dread the older years (so does my husband)! :)

    I'm glad to hear that there is another mom who cries quiet little tears. Now that I have children, I am quite (silently) emotional! Oh how much we love and watch out over our precious babies (and yes, they will always be our babies, no matter how old)!

    Have a nice weekend (and enjoy shopping for Kate)! Ha! :)

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  6. I will you keep you and Kate in my thoughts for safekeeping and a quick road to recovery! Hopefully, Kate will feel better(overall) after this surgery and not have so many "sick" days.

    I think Will's picture is A.DOR.ABLE. No doubt he would become the handsome young man he is becoming. But I completely agree with your unrerving feelings in regards to those girls. I have walked that line (and continue to) with my niece these past two years. So many new issues and worries. Time does go by too fast.

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  7. Kate is going to feel so much better after the surgery, you'll see! Poor little thing...all of that going on and she can still give huge smiles like that!?!? WOW, she is a trooper, no wonder she has such a happy heart!
    Will is just the cutest thing! I don't have any children yet but I can just imagine that watching them grow up is amazing. You obviously do a wonderful job in raising both of your children!

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  8. I will be praying for the peanut family. My nephew had this done 2 weeks ago and he is much better. My sister said it's the best thing she could have done for him. He also has the tubes and their doctor said that will make a world of difference.

    I'll keep Miss Kate in my prayers and will be sending hugs to you.

    PS. You're in big trouble with those 2 boys, they are the cutest and have the biggest hearts. I can see why the girls are already smitten :)

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  9. Yes, I bet Kate will be all 'new' after her surgery. My oldest had all 3 done too. I'll keep her in my prayers!
    And, Will ... yes, I am going through the exact same with Griff in middle school and went through it with my older 2 boys ... they grow up way too fast. I always get a 'kick' out of boys in middle school - fun times:)

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  10. KM is having tubes put in her ears on Monday. We don't think she can hear very well either 'cause she says "'huh?" about a million times a day. And I'm not exaggerating. :) Okay..maybe a little.

    I'll be praying for you and Miss Kate on Tuesday!

    Blessings,
    Jenn

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  11. Kissing tonsils, I will attest to how uncomfortable those are , Kate will feel like a new girl after she is healed , which shouldn't take too long for such a little one , the first night can be tough but after that she will re-bound quickly , my Mason was asking for mini ravioli the day we got back from the hospital , weird! but she wanted it and she ate it too .
    Glad they are getting you in quickly , they moved as quickly for my kiddy too , no need to wait when it is needed.
    I will be thinking of you both on Tuesday ,
    Chris
    Just Beachy

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  12. Prayers from me to you and Kate. This stuff is hard on mom, too. I'm sure angels will be watching over her, and keeping her safe.

    Will is quite the handsome young man. I know that feeling of watching girls "oogle" over the boys. After school yesterday, I pickd up my highschool freshmen from Starbucks, and they were surrounded by girls!

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  13. These rights of passage steps are so hard on us mothers. However, having a sound relationship makes all the difference. My son is in his second year at UNC and still calls me about his dates. I get a little giggle when he tells me I would approve of her and then goes on in detail as to why. I wouldn’t trade these conversations for anything in the world!

    Jo

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  14. I will sincerely be praying for you all Tuesday! We will have to do that soon with Heidy. Not tubes, but everything else. Kate will be fine!!

    And will, what a heart breaker when he was little and now too!! You will have girl checking him out!!
    Hope he had fun at his dance!!

    Debbie

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  15. Oh Kim! I hate to hear that Kate is going to have to have surgery, however I am thrilled to hear that she is going to be 100% afterwards! I had the "trifecta", too, when I was about 5 and my mom said I was a brand new little girl. Give that sweet baby lots of hugs and love from me and spoil her rotten :)

    As for Will...Oh my! He is such a cutie and I can definitely see why the girls swoon! Paige looks at blogs with me sometimes and she thinks Will is "dreamy" :)

    I'm glad to hear that you have such an amazing bond with Will. You are very blessed!

    PS- I LOVE Kate's hair! She is sooo beautiful!

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  16. I will be thinking of Kate on Tuesday. It is so 'funny' how kids are, my 2 year old niece went for a check-up and came up with new glasses, apparently her vision is really bad and they don't know how she has been able to walk, draw... properly without glasses. Kids are amazing!
    Will is a very handsome boy and I am not surprised girls pose to look at him :-) They do grow up very quickly. I hope he had a good time last night!

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  17. LIttle Kate will be in my thoughts and prayers. I am sure she will feel so much better after all of this is over!

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  18. I'll be keeping you and Kate in my thoughts. I know how stressful this is for a mom and a child. When we took Matthew for surgery just for ear tubes, he was 5. He was so frightened that he ran away while Pete was handing over his insurance card and filling out forms. Matt just bolted...right into the parking lot and locked himself inside our car. It was about 6 am (and thankfully at a satellite office with a small parking lot). Well, there was no surgery that day. We had to go back with a psychologist who took him on a tour of the unit, gave him popsicles, etc. and tried to get him comfortable with the place (he thought the electrodes to monitor his heart was part of a life sucking machine...like in the Princess Bride...poor kid! We got all that stuff straightened out). When we went back the third time for the surgery, a little sip of versed right off the bat did the trick! I agree with the Doc....presents are in order...maybe for you both!

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  19. I will be praying for Kate on Tuesday! You will be so happy when this is over- it will make a huge difference. And just in time for cold/flu/sick season- you'll be so glad you went through with it.
    Will is so handsome- WOW!! He's going to have his hands full for a long time with girls chasing after him.

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  20. I will keep Kate in my prayers and know all will be fine. She will be so much healthier afterwards! I can relate a bit to how you feel about Will...my Anthony is starting middle school and just turned 11 yrs old...they grow up too fast!!!

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  21. We are going through almost the exact same thing. Alexa has kissing tonsils too and we have our ENT appt. on Wed. ( not soon enough) I found it interesting that people who have been through it with their kids say that they are different ( better) after they have the surgery. I am counting the hours to get these things out! It is hard as a mom to go through this but so much harder for our kids to have those darn things affecting so many areas or their lives. I will be waiting to read your posts about how it went.

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  22. Thoughts will be with you all on Tues. I am sure he is right...she will be a brand new peanut. I know that my sister was...she also had the kissing tonsils and they couldn't believe she was ever able to eat anything!! I hope she feels so much better, and spends this winter without so much as a cold!!

    I feel your pain with Will. Once my stepson got to middle school it was the same thing, and it was just weird!! Now he is in college and a "frat guy" and it went so fast and doesn't feel any better...sorry!! It is hard to let them grow up!! Hope he had fun, and he is one handsome dude...I love the hair!!

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  23. Oh..sweet Kate. Thankful she got in so quickly and they are taking care of the issues so quickly.
    Your first born is a handsome boy...get ready Momma things are about to change..wait until the girls start calling him...
    I'll be praying for Kate and your family on Tuesday.
    Norah

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  24. My son had the "trifecta" with an additional removal so that would be quad-something-or-other... anyway..
    He had his uvula removed! Have you ever heard of such!? We had not but he sounds just like you little peanut!

    He was 7 and it was a tough time but once we made it through, we realized it was not as tough as we thought and we were SO THANKFUL that we did it!

    I pray that all will go well and the tough time will go quickly and easily and you will be surprised at the difference in EVERYTHING concerning sweet peanut!

    Christi in Mississippi

    christicave@comcast.net
    (if you would like to ask me any questions, i would love to help. This is my MAIN e-mail)

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  25. When my son was 3 he had to have surgery, and to help him understand I bought a book specifically geared toward young children about going into the hospital and all the things that he would see. It helped him tremendously! I was more afraid than he was!!
    Your son is a handsome young man, and I can relate to what you are going through with the letting go...I am still having issues and my son is 16!!!

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  26. These surgery's are going to help Kate so much! I remember getting my tonsils out and my grandparents brought be a stuffed Snoopy doll and lots of popsicles! I felt pretty special...
    Will is adorable! My brother has had that prep school mop of hair since middle school...girls love it :)

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  27. Poor Kate! I will be thinking about and praying for her on Tuesday. I hope Will had a great time at the dance.

    Best wishes,
    Cindy

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  28. Will keep Kate and you all in my prayers for a successful surgery and very speedy recovery!! Don't forget the "lots of new toys"!

    Oh my -- that Will was such a little cutie and he still is! I'm sure you'll hear all about the dance. So much fun to have a little girl and one going off to dances! Enjoy your weekend!

    Janet

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  29. Prayers, I love your blog!! My boys are 4 now, can't imagine having girls check them out. I guess you can never be ready for that one!

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  30. Kids are resilient, I love their tenacity and their ability to overcome obstacles!!!Just like Kate astounded the doctor w/her speech despite the "bad ears" she is going to astound them even more afterwards!

    Oh you just wait until Will makes it to HS!! The girls are so much more aggressive now days! Gone are the days of "letting the boy call you first"! I have too grown sons and I can't tell you how amazed I was at the tenacity and boldness of the young ladies!!!

    Get lot's of kleenex and oh yeah Tylenol!!! You're gonna need it!!

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  31. I had both tonsils removed and tubes when I was little and recovered from both totally fine!!

    My little cousin had his tonsils removed last year (at Kate's age) for the same reason and he did spend the night in the hospital. The biggest deal was he would not drink anything and they worried about him being dehydrated.

    It is a rough couple of days, but I've heard from everyone that is results in big improvement!! Will is too cute!!

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  32. Will is so handsome :) Girls now are different-give them the stare down if you need to!

    We'll be praying for Kate and her surgery. I hope she'll be feeling better soon!

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  33. Praying for Kate and Will is certainly a handsome young man. And we know what a great heart he has to go along with those looks!
    Thinking of ya!
    Kim

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  34. I am so sorry sweet Kate has all this going on... I will be praying for her.

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  35. Kim, Our daughter Abby had the same surguery down when she was 4 and we couldn't believe what a diffrence it made in her temperment. We felt bad after we realized how bad she must have been feeling all the time before we had it done. She to had large tonsils and adnoids which made her sleeping disrupted at night. I will be thinking of kate this week.

    About Will, I to remember the time i noticed girls noticing Andrew, it was a eye opener to me that my son was growing up. Enjoy this time before long he will be asking for the keys to your car. lol.......

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  36. Kim,
    I just have to tell you, I am loving Kate's short hair!!!! She looks so darn cute!!!!!

    Speaking of cute, she will be the sweetest and most adorable child in that ugly hospital gown on Tuesday! I just know that she is going to do great! I know this because God will be there every step of the way!!! Wish I could be there in the waiting room for you! We will be lifting you up!!

    And as for Will! That little heart throb better slow down. I'm not ready for you to let him go either!

    Love you guys!
    Di

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  37. Oh my goodness...I remember that same moment with my son James when I dropped him off at high school one morning and the girls were full figured like 20 year olds! I remember thinking...gasp...get away from my baby boy! lol

    I am praying for your sweet girl. She will be great and the Lord's hand will be upon her and her doctor.

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  38. about 3 years ago i was sitting at the beach with one of my best friends. our oldest two were down closer to the water. 2-3 older guys walked by & totally did a double take to check out the girls. oblivious that we were just feet away & were possibly their moms. it was the weirdest feeling watching my daughter get checked out....ugh. just the beginning my friend, just the beginning....

    good luck with little bit & her upcoming hospital event!!
    praying for her

    mwah!

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  39. your children are beautiful and Will seems like a really nice boy.. Make sure you have plenty of jello and popsicles.. my oldest had her tonsils out in 5k and she has NOT had Strep or an ear infection since..

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  40. Prayers for successful surgery for Kate and for your whole family as you transition to the teen years. I remember how I felt when girls started to look at my son like that!

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  41. Aww, Kate. I know this will be hard on you and her, but I really pray it makes her feel better and get less sickies.

    Gosh, it's no wonder those girls were checking him out, he's a very good looking fella. But yeah, I'd definitely feel weird about that too, as his mother. In fact, I'm very overprotective to Lilah, never thought about it much before we got her and then it just hit me like a ton of bricks. I guess that's just the Mommy I suppose.

    Praying for you.
    Jill

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  42. First of all - SUPER GOOD LUCK on Tuesday. We will call it Trifecta Tuesday with Terrific Talent b/c they will perform everything as smoothly and efficiently as possible! I agree about the hospital being difficult, but with you there - she will stay strong.
    As for Will...I don't even know what to say. I am having trouble getting over the kindergarten hurdle - but dances, dates, and sleepovers? I will probably need prozac or something!

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  43. Well then, pray for your little sweetie I will for all of her surgery to go well! Your children are beautiful, they just are!

    Happy day to you!

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  44. Sweet Kate, I am sorry that she has to go through this, but hopefully she will be all better once it is done...I guess now we know why she choked on grapes so easily! I will be praying for you both on Tuesday, as I know how hard it is to have a little one put to sleep...hugs!

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  45. Darling picture of sweet Kate!

    I will be praying for peace for you and complete healing for Kate during the surgery.

    That Will is a cutie! Hope he had fun at his dance.

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  46. Oh my gosh, look at that old photo of baby Will! Cute now and cute then... he still has that same darling face! And this photo of Kate is precious. Love that little sweet expression of hers. I've been meaning to call you all day... but I know you are so busy getting ready for tomorrow. My heart and thoughts will be with you and Kate tomorrow... please call me the minute you can to let me know that the surgery went well and to let me know that she is feeling fine. I will be worrying but I know she is in the very best care. Hugs & prayers for lots of strength and peace tomorrow!

    Love,Shana ♥

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  47. My prayers are with you. Hoping that Kate's surgery is a great success. Your Will is really cute... I recognize that teenage boy look. It is fun to have teens. Actually, I'd say it is my favorite stage. It is hard. But fun too. Good luck tomorrow!

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  48. We'll be thinking of you tomorrow...she will do great. Emma really changed a lot after her surgery.. Happier, honestly, I think she was finally able to rest :). Big Hugs for you and Dave tomorrow!! A little warning, Emma had some blood on her gown after surgery, totally freaked me out... it was normal..

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  49. I hope Kate's surgery goes well! She will no doubt be a whole new kid after all of that!

    Good luck with the teenage years! The girls are going to be beating down the front door at your house! Your guys are sooo handsome and sweet too!

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  50. I hope all went well today! Saying a little prayer for Miss Kate. :)

    Can't believe Will was off to a dance! Yikes, they sure grow up fast don't they!

    Gabi

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Thank you for your kindness.