Check Out The Tonsils!!!

So has chronically enlarged tonsils. Could be she was born with them, but I noticed them when she was just 1. I love pointing them out to people, because they are the size of golf balls, and when she has a virus, they grow to racquetball size. I could be having a conversation with someone about how to best utilize your Linen's N' Things and Bed Bath and Beyond coupons, and then totally digress just for the fun of it. "Hey, wanna see some big tonsils, So open your mouth, go on..." And then I hear it, the "OHHH MY G-D!!!" And then I feel oddly satisfied.

When So was three and 1/2, I finally took her to a Pediatric ENT (ear nose throat). I did not care for him too much. I was waiting in his office for over two hours before he made himself available. Have you ever waited that long for yourself, much less with a three year old. I was taken to the little cubicle room where I saw a dentist office looking chair in the middle of the room and a more standard chair against the wall. I chose the chair by the wall and settled in with So on my lap. We had to wait another ten minutes here when the Dr. finally made his grand entrance with his entourage medical students. He looked about 35 years old and sat himself in the big leather dentist looking chair across from me and said, "What seems to be the problem?"

Well it's not a problem with her toe, Dr. ENT. Just take a looksie and I think all your years of Medical School might just pay off with a diagnosis. Something told me he didn't really take my daughter seriously as a patient the minute he walked in the room sat in the chair that she was obviously supposed to be sitting in. Seriously, he was sitting like a King in his thrown with his two medical students standing guard over both his shoulders.

After he took a minute to look and seemed genuinely unimpressed with the size of tonsils that I knew should be listed in the "Guinness Book of World Records" under human oddities, he then asked me how she is affected by them.

"Huh?"

"Does she snore? Does she have apnea? Does she wake up at night? Does she eat well?" etc. etc.

"Well, I don't know, I don't sleep with her. But I do know this, they are friggin huge."

He then gave me his advice. I should keep watching them. (That is going to be hard, because they are just so hard to notice). As long as her sleep is not affected and there is no apnea, I should wait. Because sometimes these things shrink with age.

"Oh" I said, "there is one other thing, I am concerned how this affects her socially."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I know that the tonsils have pockets that can collect food and when it decays it causes halitosis." (I do my research)

"And....."

"And I don't want people to think she is unhygienic and not want to be around her. Because she will pick up on it and it may cause her self-esteem issues."

He then replied with, "I wouldn't worry about that, after all, it's not like she's kissing any boys."

First of all, you don't know that. And secondly, don't determine my three year old daughter's social status by whether or not she has a boyfriend. She is extremely social and loves to hang out with adults. So please don't minimize my concern for her social welfare. (were all the thoughts running through my mind) I think I would have actually said these things if I was certain at the time that this man would NEVER have a scalpel anywhere near my child's throat.

Since then, So's tonsils have not shrunk even a fraction of a millimeter. I once called the on call pediatrician in middle of the night when So woke up out of the blue. I took one look in her throat, actually, I could no longer see her throat. It was all just tonsils. I thought she would stop breathing any second.

He let me know that these are called "kissing tonsils" and in no way do they obstruct her airway. Either way, I knew So had another virus and I would get no sleep for the foreseeable future next few days.

Well, we are at that time of year again. Between Ate's no pooping phase and So's 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning wake-up calls due to mutant viruses, I am a walking zombie. I don't even know if anything I am writing makes any sense.

Today I made an appointment for So to see a new Pediatric ENT specialist. This time, after he was already referred to me by a friend whose child had her tonsils removed, I also discovered he is listed in "Chicago" magazine's annual "Top Doctors" edition. He is listed as a top Doctor, of course.

Next Tuesday, after I take precious time out of my day to make a VOTE that will probably not make a difference anyway, I will have So meet with a man who I pray can make a difference. I think these babies are coming out.