Donovan lost his two front upper teeth but one of the adult ones is growing in quite rapidly so he only had a few days with a great big gap. Still gives him a different look though.
Malcolm has been having sleep issues since last fall - restless sleep, waking up a lot, etc. First we thought it might be his stomach/bowel bothering him again, then we were sure it must be his teeth. Both checked out fine but dentistry referred him to ENT. I thought maybe his adenoids had regrown. When he was about a year and half old, he woke a lot due to sleep apnea caused by very enlarged adenoids. He had them removed, but there is a risk that they can grow back.
But no - this time the culprit is his tonsils. They are enlarged and there is a little piece growing down his throat. The doctor thinks his tonsils are a bit too zealous in reacting to potential threats which is why they are enlarged. She thinks the piece growing down his throat is putting pressure on his tongue and may be the reason he is having sleep issues and why his tongue has been sticking out more this past year then when he was younger. So the conclusion of this story is that his tonsils are coming out. Good news is that he is eligible for a new, less invasive procedure with a faster recovery time and fewer complications than the traditional method.
I have mixed feelings about the need for surgery. On the one hand, it's upsetting to think of him in the hospital again feeling miserable. On the other, I am really excited that we may have found out what's causing the sleep issues so that soon (meaning in a few months, as the surgery will likely be in July) we will all be sleeping well through the night again. Dare to dream...
Mary Ellen
