The Sleep Apnea Journey

Any time I visit the Children’s Hospital it is a major reality check. Most days I feel like I am having a difficult time managing a “spirited” two year old, a full time job, two mischievous dogs, and all with no time. And yet, visiting the children hospital forces you to see a completely different side of life; one full of challenges, heart wrenching stories and priority shifts. At one point yesterday we saw a mom pushing a stroller with a baby in it who was hooked up to IVs, tubes and an oxygen tank; I thought for sure my heart would explode right then and there.

I am, however, happy that Calgary has finally finished its new children hospital; the new facility has an incredible vibe and for the kids that are there it’s a pretty amazing place. In our brief wanderings we found massive fish tank walls, an entire room full of Barbie dolls, a train room (for Thomas fans), TVs playing Treehouse (everywhere), video game stations, and random sticker stations that contained wheels and wheels of just about any sticker you could think of (all over the place). It was like the hospital planners went to kids during the conceptualization phase of development and asked them for their ideal hospital. The only things missing were drinking fountains that produce chocolate milk, a room that rains candies, and house elves (though maybe we just couldn’t find these special things).

We were at the hospital to get a diagnosis on La Niña‘s apnea. We’ve been waiting an incredibly long time to see a specialist and the goal for today was to find out why La Niña stops breathing at night, why she has noisy breathing and why she snores so loudly. To make a long diagnosis / day short — it’s because she has super sized adenoids and tonsils (a pretty common finding). The treatment for this is to have surgery and remove the adenoids and tonsils.

I’m not entirely sure of how I feel about this. In our discussions with the specialist we were told that La Niña‘s oxygen levels at night were nothing to worry about and that her activity level isn’t affected. The only real issue is the noise she makes and her subsequent comfort level. So, do we put her through the trauma of surgery for apparent discomfort (La Niña has never actually indicated that she’s uncomfortable) and snoring?

It’s a unanimous NO in our house. Her adenoids will shrink as she gets older and she rarely gets sick (kids with problem adenoids / tonsils often have constant ear and throat infections). Still, we have 6 months to change our minds.