Dr. Zelinger's concept of preparing a child for surgery is based upon the premise that information and preparation will reduce anxiety and help families to better manage the experience. She writes in simple language and provides scripts that parents can read to their children in order to explain the upcoming procedure.

     The book is written with the 3-7 year old child in mind; however, the information can be adapted to a child of any chronological or developmental age. Her book discusses how to prepare for the procedure in advance of it and what to do in the days following surgery as the child recuperates.  It may also be used as a guide for children undergoing other hospital procedures. 

     In a recent interview for Reader Views about the development of her book, Dr. Zelinger describes: "I’m very much a detail person and I needed to know as much as I could about the procedure my son was about to have. I tend to get nervous about hospital experiences, and recognized that if I could de-mystify it for myself, then I’d probably be in a better position to handle it for all of us. True to form, I asked a million questions, (probably even drove the surgeon nuts!), but I got all my answers. Once that was accomplished, I wrote them down and saved them in case the information would be helpful to anybody else I knew—after all, I was traveling in circles with parents who had children the same ages as mine. Sure enough, people started borrowing my stapled notes. Slightly embarrassed by the condition they were in, I sat down to retype and edit them, finding that once again, my detail oriented obsessive side was nagging at me to organize and refine them, until I felt that they were in good enough shape to share."

     "Now, fast forward to 2008 when my kids are older and my parenting responsibilities were taking less of my time, I decided to indulge some of my professional aspirations and goals with the same tenacity that I approached motherhood during the earlier part of my life. I’ve become involved in several professional pursuits, one of them being the publication of this book. Resurrecting my notes from the safety of my dusty drawer required that I review new research in the field to ensure that my facts were current and accurate, especially since it was years since my son had had the procedure. While I indeed edited bits of information—the feeling that I tried to convey, where parents need to be responsive to their child’s emotional needs—stayed the same throughout each of rewrites."

       The "O, MY" in TonsillectOMY & AdenoidectOMY: How to Prepare Your Child for Surgery, a Parent's Manual is a book that can help any parent or care giver struggling with a child's illness. 

Click here to read the complete interview with Dr. Zelinger in Reader Views.

 BrainFoggles.com Review of Dr. Zelinger's Book. Click to read.

Home School Blogger Review of Dr. Zelinger's Book.  Click to read.

Click here to read Amazon book reviews.