back? Tonsillectomy in a 10-year old?

[Guest guest]

Hello Everyone,

I haven't been on the board in quite a while because I thought my

daughter had outgrown but not I'm not so sure... is 10

years old now and was diagnosed with at age 6 - she started

fevering with tonsils, etc. in kindergarten right before she turned

6 and a year later was diagnosed. Six months later she was on

Cimetidine for 1 1/2 years and did great - basically no fevers thru

second grade while she was on it and the end of third grade when she

was off.

Last year, in October of 4th grade, she spiked a fever and had " the

look " around her eyes and huge, pussy tonsils again. Then again it

started more regularly but the fevers aren't as high - 100 to 101.

But the tonsils (left in particular) are huge, red and full of puss -

and cover half her throat. She's now in her third episode in 4

months - beginning May, July and September. Since she can basically

function in school (when it starts on Wednesday) and since the fever

is pretty low, we can deal with that part, but it's the tonsils that

are a major problem. She can't really swallow, sounds like she's

got something caught in her throat, and is pretty miserable about

this all starting again. She's involved with community theatre and

has an audition coming up in a week that she needs to be able to

sing for and the tonsils make it kind of difficult.

Now my questions --

Do we try the cimetidine again? Anyone with experience trying it

again after a relapse?

Do we start to think more seriously about a tonsilectomy? I

happened to look at her throat fairly regularly the week before the

latest episode because she has a molar coming in that she wanted me

to see. The tonsil is ALWAYS larger than the other one and you

could still see the pits in it. It covered about half her throat

before it became enlarged (more ) again. Does anyone have

experience with an older child having a tonsillectomy?

Do we try the prednisone again? I don't really like the short term

answer when her tonsils are staying enlarged over a long period of

time.

Any thoughts and ideas would be really welcome. I'll be calling the

doctor tomorrow to get her seen and see what she recommends!

Thanks,

Armstrong

Mansfield, MA

Mom to (10 - ) and Alec 13 1/2