What can I expect?!

What can I expect?

My 4 year old is getting her tonsils out on Friday, I'm of course nervous, I'm not sure what to expect. How long can I expect her to feel bad and are there any dangers I should look for?

This type of surgery is often tough on little kids because they still don't understand exactly what's happening...they don't know why they hurt. The biggest thing is that the child's throat is going to be sore so when he/she swallows it's going to hurt. A lot of children don't want to drink anything because they know each sip they take is going to hurt and it's hard to explain that the more they drink, the less it'll hurt. I had a little cousin who cried so much after he took a sip he would vomit. Then he started associated taking a drink with vomiting and he just stopped drinking.

With no drinking, your child can become dehydrated. Look out for dry skin and your child becoming very lethargic. If neither of these things show up but you're still worried that he/she is dehydrated, lightly pinch their skin on the top of their hand. If the skin falls right back down, things are likely ok. If the skin stays pinched, however, that could be a big sign of dehydration. If your child isn't taking enough fluids, you may need to contact the doctor.

Another thing to watch for is vomiting or coughing up blood, especially if the blood is bright red. Unless the doctor tells you otherwise before you go home, I would contact him/her if any blood appears when your child coughs or vomits. I hope this helps a little.