31/08/2026
Do you know the signs?
I've been quiet over the last couple of weeks. Our 8 year old had to have surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids.
When she was a baby she had failure to thrive, she was always gargling her milk weirdly, had a wheeze after feeds, snored like a freight train and would stop breathing while she slept. I brought these up with her GP who told me there was nothing wrong with her and wouldn't investigate any further despite me continually bringing it up at appointments.
As a toddler and now young child she always sucked on her food, avoided meat or protested to eat it. Still continues to snore like a freight train, noisy breathing, purple marks under her eyes and always clearing the back of her sinus. Even at 8 years old she was still waking up several times a night.
Last year the most amazing Dentist in the world Family Dental Yamba & Grafton picked up that her tonsils were considerably larger than they should be and referred us to see an ENT.
The ENT agreed, he told us she wakes up several times a night because she stops breathing as her adenoids are enlarged also. She avoids foods and sucks on her food as her large tonsils make it hard to swallow food.
We didn't connect it at the time either but she was / has always been a sweaty sleeper and that is another sign that a child is working hard to breathe while sleeping.
Last week our 8 year old had her tonsils and adenoids removed. She was incredibly brave for her surgery and we are so proud of her.
We cannot believe how quickly things changed for her.
I had to keep checking she was breathing! it is so foreign to not hear her breathing while awake or asleep.
There's no more snoring, no more waking up during the night.
Hopefully as she gets back to normal she will be able to eat better too.
4 days after surgery she realised she could breathe through her nose, something she apparently has never been able to do properly. The same day she told me she could smell flowers - something she also apparently could not do properly before surgery.
Do you know the signs of enlarged tonsils and adenoids? It could be life changing for your little one.