Not my baby, too! (Tonsils)

[ShanaMama]

DS (14 mo) has a roaring ear infection & the Ped is sure he has strep. They don't do rapid cultures, so we'll find out for sure in the morning, but if he does it will be his *8th* time getting strep. My poor baby.
My ped & allergist are both suggesting an ENT eval to remove tonsils. DD2 was getting strep almost monthly, & giving it to DS, so we just removed her tonsils in January. I pushed for that & absolutely feel it was the right decision. But I just can't wrap my head around another surgery.

A few thoughts running through my head:
- he & his sister were passing it back & forth for a while. The last 2 times he had strep she didn't have it. Where is he picking it up from?
- he hasn't been in any daycare since Sept.
- I am convinced there's a relationship between the food allergies & strep. Immune system something. I haven't found anything to prove this.
-I am not pleased with the amount of times he's been on antibiotics. We've had thrush, horrible diaper rashes, upset stomach, etc.
- he just had (testicular) surgery 2 months ago. (Plus he's been in the ER 3x, but who's counting?) Should I worry about the anesthesia or is it no big deal?
- I'm really happy I'm still nursing him!

I know I'm getting ahead of myself. I haven't even scheduled the appt. But I'm sure that's where we're headed. DH says why wait till he has strep 10 more times & then do the surgery.
Please share your thoughts.

[ssand23]

Personally, I'd do it asap and be done with it. My middle daughter was chronically ill with strep on top of ear infections every month or more. She had her tonsils out 7 years ago. She never had strep again, never had another ear infection and maybe gets sick 1-2 times a year max now instead of 1-2 times a month. She does have allergies but I didn't see a difference in that at all either way after her tonsils were removed and the strep stopped.

We have a heavy family history of severe allergies and haven't found a relation between allergies and tonsils or strep. I had severe food allergies as a child (I still do now at 37) and constant infections (I have a compromised immune system due to a connective tissue disorder and chronic pain problems that stem from a disorder that affects my spinal cord). My dr waited to take out my tonsils and by then it was too late. It did help lessen the infections was the damage was already done to my ears from the chronic infections and it permanently damaged my balance and that is not related to any other medical issues I have. My Dh had the same problems with chronic infections growing up but by waiting until he was older to remove his tonsils, it permanently damaged his hearing because he had so many infections first.

Out of my 4 kids, 1 had their tonsils out and 2 had/have ear tubes. With all of them, I did the surgery as soon as it was recommended and have been very, very happy with the outcome. Good luck to you what ever you decide. :)

[chlobo]

Before doing that I'd have the rest of the family evaluated for being strep carriers. If someone is a carrier they could be asymptomatic but passing it around. In that case you'd need to treat everyone at the same time to get rid of it.

The reason I'd try that first is if you don't, then you run the risk of strep continuing to run rampant in your house.

ETA: Not sure about the allergy connection but certainly if he's being bombarded with abx then he is likely hurting his gut flora which does affect the immune system, which could lead to increased infections in the future. You might want to consult with a holistic doctor to talk about ways to improve gut flora going forward.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/gut-flora-healthy-immune-system/

[Kindra178]

Not strep here, but a constant runny nose, 100% turned green, numerous rounds of antibiotics. Although the tonsil surgery recovery wasn't great (up and down for two weeks), we so wish we did earlier. I don't think you are going to regret it. It allowed for major improvements in speech clarity, missed days of school (and work), doctor visits and general improved health.

[westwoodmom04]

He's pretty young for elective surgery. I would wait until he was a little older. We chose not to get the adenoid surgery, to avoid the anesthesia and recovery. For us, it was the right decision; our son grew out of the problem. I agree with pp, worth investigating further what is going on with strep.

[ShanaMama]

Ssand123, I've never heard of anyone who had such serious long term damage. That's definitely something to think about.
Chlobo- I've tested all 3 of my kids simultaneously a couple of times. DH & I both had our tonsils out & rarely get strep. He's actually feeling sick so he went to the dr today.

[ShanaMama]

Not strep here, but a constant runny nose, 100% turned green, numerous rounds of antibiotics. Although the tonsil surgery recovery wasn't great (up and down for two weeks), we so wish we did earlier. I don't think you are going to regret it. It allowed for major improvements in speech clarity, missed days of school (and work), doctor visits and general improved health.

How old were your DC when you did the surgery? My DD2 is about the same age as your twins & she was snoring heavily & had very garbled speech, in addition to the frequent strep. We actually removed her tonsils & adenoids & put in tubes all at once. The difference has been incredible. I am torn about doing it on such a young baby, though.

[ShanaMama]

He's pretty young for elective surgery. I would wait until he was a little older. We chose not to get the adenoid surgery, to avoid the anesthesia and recovery. For us, it was the right decision; our son grew out of the problem. I agree with pp, worth investigating further what is going on with strep.

I tend to agree with you. DH & the Ped seem to think we might as well do it now instead of waiting for him to get sick a bunch more times.
Eta: it can't hurt to see the ENT. I'Ll go for a visit, see what he advises & then make a decision.

[Kindra178]

How old were your DC when you did the surgery? My DD2 is about the same age as your twins & she was snoring heavily & had very garbled speech, in addition to the frequent strep. We actually removed her tonsils & adenoids & put in tubes all at once. The difference has been incredible. I am torn about doing it on such a young baby, though.

Ds2 was not quite 3.5. We should have done it at two. It probably would have prevented or mitigated some of speech, behavior and sleep issues. Our ped was taking a wait and see approach. The surgery reduced illness in the whole house, including ds3's frequency and severity of illness.

I guess I see no reason not to wait until 2 in your case. But if the situation is the same, do it.

Eta: I thought kids under 1 don't get strep?

Our ent left it up to us. It was our allergist that pushed it. The ent was happy she did the surgery based on his percentages.

[ShanaMama]

Ds2 was not quite 3.5. We should have done it at two. It probably would have prevented or mitigated some of speech, behavior and sleep issues. Our ped was taking a wait and see approach. The surgery reduced illness in the whole house, including ds3's frequency and severity of illness.

I guess I see no reason not to wait until 2 in your case. But if the situation is the same, do it.

Well, to be honest DH wants to do it before the year is out because we met our deductible this year with 2 surgeries. If we're going to do it we might as well do it now. I get that. But he's my baby. He had one surgery already. It makes me sad to put him through another. I know I am being completely emotional & not rational.

[petesgirl]

I would definitely go see an ENT about it. Especially if you can find a pediatric once, they could help you understand the risks/benefits better for his age. Our ped ENT was so, so nice and helpful when we were making those kinds of decisions (DS had tonsillitis every month for about 5 months straight, plus snoring and sleeping problems.) In the end, we did adenoid removal but are waiting to see if he grows into his ginormous tonsils. But if were getting strep so much, that is hard to live with!

[Melbel]

DS had his tonsils/adenoids out at 6 and it helped. In hindsight, we wish we had done it earlier, but had hoped he would grow out of the problem.

DD2 had ear tubes at age 18 months, also with good results.

It is definitely worth consulting with an ENT.

Knowing what I know now (all 3 kids have Lyme Disease), our DC's frequent infections were a sign of a chronic underlying infection. Their immune systems were not able to work optimally. DS and DD1 also developed allergies, asthma and eczema; DD2 had issues with thrush/reflux, more clues to an autoimmune connection.

I would consider doing an immunology work up and testing for some of the chronic bacterial/viral infections. IME most doctors are not very good at taking a whole body approach, or searching for underlying causes (it is much quicker/easier to simply treat the symptoms).

[ShanaMama]

I would definitely go see an ENT about it. Especially if you can find a pediatric once, they could help you understand the risks/benefits better for his age. Our ped ENT was so, so nice and helpful when we were making those kinds of decisions (DS had tonsillitis every month for about 5 months straight, plus snoring and sleeping problems.) In the end, we did adenoid removal but are waiting to see if he grows into his ginormous tonsils. But if were getting strep so much, that is hard to live with!

I don't think the ENT we used for DD2 was a pediatric ENT but I was happy with him. I do plan to schedule an appt but I can't imagine he'll recommend anything other than surgery. He's a surgeon after all. :)

[ShanaMama]

DS had his tonsils/adenoids out at 6 and it helped. In hindsight, we wish we had done it earlier, but had hoped he would grow out of the problem.

DD2 had ear tubes at age 18 months, also with good results.

It is definitely worth consulting with an ENT.

Knowing what I know now (all 3 kids have Lyme Disease), our DC's frequent infections were a sign of a chronic underlying infection. Their immune systems were not able to work optimally. DS and DD1 also developed allergies, asthma and eczema; DD2 had issues with thrush/reflux, more clues to an autoimmune connection.

I would consider doing an immunology work up and testing for some of the chronic bacterial/viral infections. IME most doctors are not very good at taking a whole body approach, or searching for underlying causes (it is much quicker/easier to simply treat the symptoms).

The allergist we see is either an immunologist as well or associated with immunologists ( the dept is called allergy/ immunology). He did suggest an immunology work up if DD2 continued to get strep after the tonsils were removed. However, the feeling I've gotten from both he & the Ped is that they aren't too concerned about either of my kids because they are thriving otherwise. (Thank G-d!) like, when I me took to my Ped that I think my baby's hungry & I don't know what else to feed him he just brushes it off because DS is off the charts in height & weight. Other than the allergies & constant strep both kids are quite healthy. It's both reassuring & annoying to have my concerns blown off for that reason.

ETA: to be a little more clear, when I asked what they'd be looking for in an immunology work up they wouldn't really tell me. Just basically said if my DD had any immune condition she'd probably have other symptoms. Has that been your experience?

[Kindra178]

I don't think the ENT we used for DD2 was a pediatric ENT but I was happy with him. I do plan to schedule an appt but I can't imagine he'll recommend anything other than surgery. He's a surgeon after all. :)

That is what our ped said too. But the ent made it clear it was up to us.

[gatorsmom]

Well, to be honest DH wants to do it before the year is out because we met our deductible this year with 2 surgeries. If we're going to do it we might as well do it now. I get that. But he's my baby. He had one surgery already. It makes me sad to put him through another. I know I am being completely emotional & not rational.

He'll still be your baby next year. And the year after that. :love5: I think having the deductible met this year would seal the deal for me. I'd get it done.

I had my tonsils and adenoids out in college and wish I'd had them out sooner. Strep and all those antibiotics and all the trips to the doctors office are traumatic too. But I totally get that it pulls at your heartstrings. :hug:

[Melbel]

The allergist we see is either an immunologist as well or associated with immunologists ( the dept is called allergy/ immunology). He did suggest an immunology work up if DD2 continued to get strep after the tonsils were removed. However, the feeling I've gotten from both he & the Ped is that they aren't too concerned about either of my kids because they are thriving otherwise. (Thank G-d!) like, when I me took to my Ped that I think my baby's hungry & I don't know what else to feed him he just brushes it off because DS is off the charts in height & weight. Other than the allergies & constant strep both kids are quite healthy. It's both reassuring & annoying to have my concerns blown off for that reason.

ETA: to be a little more clear, when I asked what they'd be looking for in an immunology work up they wouldn't really tell me. Just basically said if my DD had any immune condition she'd probably have other symptoms. Has that been your experience?

Our kids had the outward appearance of thriving as well. Athletic, great students, off the charts for height/weight (DS and DD1). DS and DD1 were in such great shape, they could do triathlons on a whim with no training and still do well (swimming gave them great endurance). The headaches started at age 9 for DS and DD1. By age 11 DS crashed (perhaps due to pending puberty which impacts immune system or perhaps to another tick bite causing his co-infections). DD1's headaches are increasing at age 11. At age 10, DD1 had a couple of skin infections that required out patient surgery (a sign that her immune system was not keeping normal wounds in check). We have seen many children with very subtle symptoms crash around age 11-12.

In addition to the repeat infections, DS had mild speech/motor delays (qualified for speech therapy, not motor; he was tongue tied which impacted speech).

DD2 has more GI symptoms, not respiratory. She is around 50% (small for our kids but following a growth curve). Her GI issues may be impacting her growth.

Lyme Disease (or any other underlying infection) was not remotely on any of our kids' doctors radar (allergy/immunology, ENT, pediatrician, neurologist once headaches started). IME, doctors are not taught to recognize the more subtle cases. I would have loved to known of my kids underlying infection(s) from the beginning.

I would be happy to share suggested labs to request if interested.

[ShanaMama]

He'll still be your baby next year. And the year after that. :love5: I think having the deductible met this year would seal the deal for me. I'd get it done.

I had my tonsils and adenoids out in college and wish I'd had them out sooner. Strep and all those antibiotics and all the trips to the doctors office are traumatic too. But I totally get that it pulls at your heartstrings. :hug:

You're right. And it's not like the deductible is nothing. We paid $5k so far between the two surgeries we did this year.
I also had my tonsils out as an adult. In fact, just a few months blaster DD2 was born. I was sick at least once every season. Strep, bronchitis, you name it.

[ShanaMama]

Our kids had the outward appearance of thriving as well. Athletic, great students, off the charts for height/weight (DS and DD1). DS and DD1 were in such great shape, they could do triathlons on a whim with no training and still do well (swimming gave them great endurance). The headaches started at age 9 for DS and DD1. By age 11 DS crashed (perhaps due to pending puberty which impacts immune system or perhaps to another tick bite causing his co-infections). DD1's headaches are increasing at age 11. At age 10, DD1 had a couple of skin infections that required out patient surgery (a sign that her immune system was not keeping normal wounds in check). We have seen many children with very subtle symptoms crash around age 11-12.

In addition to the repeat infections, DS had mild speech/motor delays (qualified for speech therapy, not motor; he was tongue tied which impacted speech).

DD2 has more GI symptoms, not respiratory. She is around 50% (small for our kids but following a growth curve). Her GI issues may be impacting her growth.

Lyme Disease (or any other underlying infection) was not remotely on any of our kids' doctors radar (allergy/immunology, ENT, pediatrician, neurologist once headaches started). IME, doctors are not taught to recognize the more subtle cases. I would have loved to known of my kids underlying infection(s) from the beginning.

I would be happy to share suggested labs to request if interested.

I always appreciate your perspective. I am going to think about this further and bring it up to the Ped at her well checkup.

[westwoodmom04]

I don't think the ENT we used for DD2 was a pediatric ENT but I was happy with him. I do plan to schedule an appt but I can't imagine he'll recommend anything other than surgery. He's a surgeon after all. :)

Pediatric ENTs at academic medical centers are less likely to recommend the surgery, but will still operate where warranted. You could ask your ped to recommend someone at the closest children's hospital.