Added: 05/15/2007 |
Tips For Dealing With Kids TonsillitisThe writer of the following article doesn't name names. Still, the writer is familiar with kids' tonsillitis. In some ways, the writer was very lucky, because a family member with knowledge of tonsils saw the "writing on the wall" when the writer's young son was but a toddler. Unfortunately, surgeons do not always know the ethics of their fellow surgeons. The writer discovered too late that some surgeons charge the insurance for removal of the adenoids, but never actually complete that procedure.
Sometimes those challenges arise while the child is still a toddler. A child about to have tonsillitis might, for example, experience a case of grip.
Eventually that same child could have an advanced case of kids tonsillitis. The only treatment would be surgery. Then parents would need to anticipate the degree to which the expected surgery could limit the number of foods that the affected child would be able to eat Parents would want to ask the doctor for information about what foods they ought to have for their throat-sore patient.
The parents might also want to talk with any sisters and brothers about the types of food that someone can and cannot eat following a tonsillectomy. The other children must be told that someone with kids’ tonsillitis should not become the target of a “sick” joke. If, for example a six-year-old has just had his tonsils removed, then his older brother should not teasingly offer him some orange juice.
Sometimes a case of kids tonsillitis can be viewed as a learning opportunity. The child with the tonsillitis often has an increased interest in how his or her body works. Parents can satisfy the child’s curiosity by offering information about the role of tonsils in the immune system.
Parents might want to search for a picture of the human immune system. Such a picture could show someone with kids tonsillitis just where the tonsils were located. Having shown a child that picture, a parent could then speak briefly about the various ways that the body fights infectious agents.
If parents have found that a case of kids’ tonsillitis has advanced to such a degree that surgery has become the only possible treatment, then those parents have no doubt had some say about which surgeon would be performing the tonsillectomy. Parents should understand that a child often needs to have both the tonsils and the adenoids removed. That adds to the cost of the procedure.
Unfortunately, surgeons are all too familiar with the frequency with which the removal of the adenoids has been called for. Surgeons know too that kids’ tonsillitis focuses attention on the tonsils. A surgeon can therefore profit by charging for removal of the adenoids, but not actually doing that procedure.
Parents should, if time allows, consult with other parents who have requested the services of an ENT specialist. Such parents might know of cases where some poor child has come out of surgery with adenoids that should have been removed. An awareness of such a case can help other parents, causing them to cross the name of the offending surgeon off their list of possible surgeons for a son or daughter.
If parents fail to select the right surgeon, they could find that their challenges continue, even after the tonsillectomy. A child that retains adenoids that should have been removed is apt to have later respiratory problems. The parents must then help that child to deal with those heightened respiratory problems.
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