Deciding whether or not to have a procedure for your child is a decision no parent takes lightly. When I casually posted on Facebook that Enzo was having his adenoids removed, I had an outpouring of good wishes and also some people who sent me private messages with questions about the procedure, about the doctor, about the recovery, about how I decided to go ahead and get them removed.
So, I decided to write this post to share what my experience has been and to also share some tips that I think are very important when deciding whether or not to have your child undergo a procedure. Please note, what I am writing does not come from an expert in the medical field. I am a mother who saw a situation and had to evaluate what the best option was for her child. I hope what I write will help you make a decision or feel more comfortable with your own decision.
While Enzo has had sleep issues (like waking up through the night) the night I realized something there was something worth checking with a specialist was the night I saw him “catching” his breath while sleeping. I had already noticed he slept with his mouth open and snored a lot, but I knew that what I was seeing was not normal.
I visited a couple of doctors and a few days ago Enzo had an adenoidectomy. The adenoids were enlarged and obstructing his breathing, causing sleep apnea.
5 Things to Consider When Your Child Needs to Have a Procedure.
When I saw something that didn’t feel right to me, I knew I had to get an expert opinion. You know your child, so you know when something isn’t right. Trust your gut.
Before I found the doctor who removed Enzo’s adenoids, I went to another specialist. I waited in his office for almost two hours. They were overbooked and not very nice about the wait. They wanted me to come back in the afternoon (for an 11am appointment!) needless to say, that left a bad taste in my mouth. While the doctor was good at explaining what Enzo’s condition was, I was not convinced, so I went to another doctor, someone recommended to me by a friend. I loved the doctor and the staff was so respectful and courteous. It made the process so much easier for me and for my son.
Always make sure you are comfortable with your choice. Once I had to get my wisdom tooth pulled. The doctor that had removed my first tooth was not available and someone else was going to do it. I immediately felt uncomfortable and really wished my doctor had been there… I ended up getting it done with the new one, and there were complications. If I could do it over, I would definitely have waited to do it with a doctor I felt comfortable with!
Other parents can many times be our greatest source of information! In my case, a friend had been through the same with her son, sleep apnea, and when I saw Enzo’s symptoms I remembered our conversations about her son’s procedure. She also recommended the ENT who performed Enzo’s adenoidectomy.
I can’t stress this enough… My gut told me that Enzo’s adenoids were the issue and that they needed to be removed. But the doctor said we should try to do everything we could before resorting to a procedure… which of course, I agree with. So as a last resort, we tried a nasal spray for a few weeks; about a week into it I knew that I should’ve just scheduled the surgery. I felt awful for delaying it and making him sleep uncomfortably for those extra weeks!Enzo’s surgery was an ambulatory procedure, and went very smoothly. Two days after, it seemed like he didn’t even have a procedure! Let’s chat! What other recommendations do you have for parents thinking of a procedure for their children? What worked for you? Leave your comments below, or tweet me! @dianalimongi
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