Adenotonsillectomy - Day Four

Though I am positive this could be going a lot worse, I am ready for it all to be a distant memory. We had our first "one step forward, two steps back" moments last night. She had done so well up through yesterday I had began to think we were going to be one of the few who make it through with no signs that surgery had taken place. After she woke Sunday morning she was so sad to learn she wouldn't be going to church with the other kids. I didn't want her catching snotty germs from her friends while her system was still so shocked. We layed in bed and watched a movie instead. She only had regular tylenol. I thought I'd give it a shot and it seemed to work just fine. Four hours later, regular tylenol again. How can this be on only day three? At bedtime I gave her the tylenol again and she went to sleep just fine by her standards. Little did I know what a huge mistake that would turn out to be.

She woke at 12:30 and was hysterical. She was in so much pain she was kicking her legs and just crying out. I felt so bad. Jake got her calmed down, but it was too early for any more medicine. She fell back to sleep and I moved her to my floor next to my bed. She woke again an hour later - same scenario. It was awful and still to early for any medicine. I knew it was only the tylenol part she'd be getting too much of, but I just didn't want to chance it with the hard core stuff mixed into the equation. We got her back to sleep, but I held her next to me, hoping this might help her sleep a little better. She woke again at 3:30. Thank God she can have some medicine! One problem - she HATES this medicine. She was crying and kicking and screaming and then I come at her with a syringe full of stuff that makes her cry and kick and scream. I held her down and squirted it into her mouth. She calmed down fairly quickly after and fell asleep before the medicine even kicked in I am sure. At least it lasted and she slept until 9am.

As a glutton for punishment and with a desire to not have a toddler addicted to codeine, I only gave her tylenol this morning to see what would happen. She did fine throughout the day. She only complained a couple of times, but she was major grouchy today. Jake came home at noon so I could go to school. Lucy had cried most of the morning too and I couldn't wait to go and take that final. When I got back she would only pay attention to me. She was grumpy and wouldn't let me put her down so I could cook dinner. I let her sit on the kitchen counter while I cut the chicken and made the quesadillas. She wouldn't eat much today either, but is drinking okay still. After I gave her the bedtime codeine and we put on The Squeakquel she perked up a bit. Maybe I should have been giving it to her through the day? I have read that day 5-6 is the worst. I am preparing to hate tomorrow and I guess we'll see how it really goes. I noticed today that they gave me two refills on the codeine, so maybe I will just stuff her full of it for the next 10 days and life will be grand.