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The "O, MY" in TonsillectOMY & AdenoidectOMY: How to Prepare
Your Child for Surgery, a Parent's Manual
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front cover of Dr. Zelinger's book in the banner at the top
of each page. Click on the following image of the back cover
to enlarge it for details about the book.
Ordering information
is at the bottom of this web page.
Dr Zelinger was inspired
to write her book,
The "O, MY" in TonsillectOMY & AdenoidectOMY: How to Prepare
Your Child for Surgery, a Parent's Manual,
by her actual
experience with her son’s tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
She wrote it to help other parents and children benefit from
her family's experience.
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.
Publisher is
Loving Healing Press
http://www.LovingHealing.com
Book Reviews
Click here to read the complete interview with Dr. Zelinger
in Reader Views.
PR Web Press Release Review about Dr. Zelinger's Book. Click
to read.
Book review from Stories for Children Magazine. Click
to read.
ParentReviewers.com Reviews about Dr. Zelinger's Book. Click
to read.
Book Review of Dr. Zelinger's Book on Library of Clean
Reads. Click to read.
MottsIsland.com Review of Dr. Zelinger's Book. Click to
read.
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.
Suggested Resources for Children and Parents
from Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of
New York North Shore-LIJ Medical System
Reading books can be a great way to help prepare you and
your child for the surgical experience. Below is a list of
books by age group that we find helpful for many families.
Ages 2 to 4 years
-
My Trip to the Hospital
by Mercer Mayer
-
Elmo's World: Doctors!
by Naomi Kleinberg and Marybeth Nelson
Ages 4 to 8 years
Franklin Goes to the Hospital
by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark
-
A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital
by Deborah Hautzig, Dan Elliot, and Joseph Mathew
-
Curious George Goes to the Hospital
by Margret and H.A. Rey
-
This is a Hospital Not a Zoo
by Roberta Karim, Sue Truesdell, and Arthur Howard
-
Going to the Hospital
by Anne Civardi, Michelle Bates, and Stephen Cartwright
-
Do I Have to go to the Hospital?
by Pat Thomas and Lesley Harker
Ages 6 to 10 years
-
Goodbye Tonsils!
by Juliana Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Marilyn Mets
Ages 12 years and Up
For Parents
Recommended reading From Children’s
Medical Center Dallas at Legacy
Life may bring unexpected events to our lives, and one of
them may be surgery. Surgery of any kind can be very scary
and stress provoking for children and parents. However,
being prepared will help alleviate additional stress for
caregivers and help the child relax for the upcoming surgery
as well.
Parents should never hide from the child that he or she will
have surgery. Children benefit from honesty and simple
explanations of what will happen to them when they arrive at
the hospital. Children will cope best if they know what to
expect.
Let your child ask any questions he or she might have and
try your best to answer them with simple explanations. For
example, "The doctor needs to take a special picture of your
head," if your child is getting an MRI, or "The doctor and
nurses are going to fix your ears today," if the child is
scheduled for ear tubes. Books about surgery or the hospital
can be very useful in preparing children for surgery or
helping them understand their diagnosis. Make sure to tell
your child that he will get special medicine called "anesthesia,"
so that he will not feel anything or have any pain during
the surgery.
Medical play may also help children prepare for their
surgical day. Children from 1-4 years old may benefit by
pretend medical equipment toys. Allow them to examine a
stuffed animal or doll. School aged children (5-12 years
old) can prepare by looking at pictures of what will take
place that day. For example, pictures of the hospital or of
the preop room which can usually be found on the hospital
website.
Try to keep your child's routine as close to normal as
possible the day before surgery.
Medical preparation
You may need to bring your child in for blood or urine tests
prior to the scheduled surgery; however, not all children
need preoperative testing. If your child is taking any
medications, including those over-the-counter, talk to your
primary care provider or surgeon about taking these
medications before surgery.
Most hospitals will call you to let you know when they want
your child to stop eating and drinking, usually the night
before surgery. Do not let your child eat or drink anything
(this includes chewing gum or sipping water) after these
times or the surgery will most likely get canceled. This
precaution is to reduce the possibilities of complications
from anesthesia, such as aspiration pneumonia, which can be
caused from having liquids in the belly while being put to
sleep.
If your child has a fever, respiratory (lung) infection, or
rash a week or two before their scheduled surgery, the
surgery may need to be postponed. Call your surgeon’s office
to ask.
Make sure you find out if your child will be staying
overnight after the surgery or going home. Arrange for a
ride to and from the hospital if you do not have
transportation.
Day of surgery
Bring a familiar item with your child such as a blanket or
special stuffed animal. School age children might benefit
from something to distract them, such as a word game,
puzzle, or some drawing materials. Have your child dress in
comfortable clothes to feel more at ease. The child will
have to change into a hospital gown or scrubs after arriving
at the hospital or surgery center. Remove any jewelry or
metal your child might have including hair clips and
earrings.
Make plans for at least one parent to be with your child for
the surgery and possible hospital stay.
Preparing yourself as a parent/caregiver
Although every hospital or outpatient surgery center is a
little different, there are some main things that you can
expect that are universal. On the day of your child's
surgery, you should arrive at the time you were told or
slightly earlier. You will be checked in and your child will
get an ID bracelet that he or she must wear during the
entire hospital stay. A nurse or medical assistant will take
vital signs, which are a temperature, a heart rate, a blood
pressure reading, and a respiratory rate. They will also
obtain a current weight on your child.
Your child will have a presurgical assessment which consists
of a history and physical examination usually done by a
nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Sometimes your
child may have already had the presurgical assessment prior
to the day of their surgery. You will meet with your surgeon
and anesthesiologist who will explain exactly what they will
be doing and have you sign an informed consent form. This is
your time to ask any questions you might have to the doctors
including any potential complications, length of the
surgery, and recovery time after the procedure.
Your child may be given Versed, which is a pre-op medication
sometimes called "silly juice" or "goofy juice." Versed will
make your child drowsy and less anxious to help her not
remember leaving you when she is taken to the operating
room. Versed is not given to all children and is usually
prescribed on a case-by-case basis.
When your child is taken back to the operating room, you
will be escorted to a waiting room or the post operative
area where you will meet with your child after the
surgery. Your child will never be left alone while in the
operating room. There will always be a doctor, nurse, or
other medical staff with your child. Your doctor will meet
with you when the procedure is over to tell you how the
surgery went and give you post operative instructions, such
as a pain medication prescription or antibiotic, directions
on how to take care of the wound, and when to come back for
a follow-up. In some cases, you may need to spend the night
at the hospital. (You will usually know this before the day
of the procedure).
Many children's hospitals employ Child Life Specialists,
clinicians, who meet with kids and help alleviate specific
fears or concerns relating to their health such as surgery
or the hospital. You can call ahead and ask if your surgical
center will have a Child Life Specialist available.
Always ask your doctor, nurse practitioners, and nurses any
questions you might have and what to expect for your child's
procedure. Some hospitals and outpatient surgery centers
will allow you and your child to come and view the rooms and
where the preoperative assessment areas are so that your
child can become familiar with the facility before their
procedure.
Recommended Readings
Bridwell, Norman: "Clifford Visits the Hospital"
Jennings, Sharon: "Franklin Goes to the Hospital"
Zelinger, Laurie: "The "O, My" in Tonsillectomy and
Adenoidectomy: how to prepare your child for surgery, a
parent's manual"
 5
out of 5
by
Laura from Montreal,
Quebec, Canada | Jul 15, 2010
This is an excellent guide for parents whose child will (or
might) undergo tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy. The
author, a school psychologist, play therapist, and parent of
four who has had one of her own sons experience this
procedure, certainly knows what she is talking about.
This book is well organized and prepares a family to cope
with these medical procedures. It comes with a useful
preparation list, a bibliography for additional reading, and
a caregiver’s section that can be filled out with important
medical info and kept handy. Dr. Laurie Zelinger gives
practical advice every step of the way, showing parents what
to expect from the day they are told their child will need
the operation to post-surgery recovery.
For example, she states that when parents first get the news
that their child needs surgery, it is best “not to discuss
the topic on the ride home. Children do not need to hear
both sides of a situation, or any concerns that you may
have.” How true! And how wise. This will avoid building fear
in the child from the onset. I also loved the suggestion of
providing the recovering child with a bell to summon the
parent since they won’t be able to call out. It seems the
author thought of everything.
Throughout the advice found in the pages of this book, I saw
respect for the child as a person. Although this book is not
meant to be read to a child (I initially thought it was when
I requested it for review because it was categorized under
books for children of Pre K age), the parent can still show
the illustrations and summarize the explanations especially
prepared for telling their children why they need to have
their tonsils or adenoids removed.
This book is reassuring, comforting and helps to alleviate
any fears regarding these procedures. I would highly
recommend it to any parent who wants to be prepared to help
their child face a difficult situation smoothly and
confidently.
Pookie and the Boys
As a mom you never want your child to be sick or to feel
bad, or even to have to go through a surgery. Then one day
you realize that they are suffering more days being sick
than they need to and the cost of missing work is getting to
be almost as much as the medical bills.
My son has finally surpassed the amount of "needed" bouts
with strep and has been set up for a tonsillectomy. I was a
little nervous about what to expect and how to explain it to
him. Thankfully I was blessed with the opportunity to review
the book
The O, My in TonsillectOMY &
AdenoidectOMY for Surgery by Laurie Zelinger.
I jumped at the chance to get my briefing on the ups and
downs of the surgery pre and post operatively.
She keeps it very basic with steps on how to explain it to
the child without causing immediate panic. I wasn't worried
about my son panicking, I was worried about me! I got ideas
on how to approach the subject with him, pep talks for use
prior to the surgery , all the way up to days before and the
day of surgery. She gave me the "right" words to say so as
to help my son understand what will be happening on his
level. There is even a wonderful checklist in the back of
the book to help with remembering what to bring to the
surgery. Her "ultimate preparation list" looks like it has
everything covered!
Her post-operative care was detailed and very helpful. I am
thankful to have something I can refer to just in case I
might forget what to do. Things like propping extra pillows
under him while he sleeps, keeping him on his side to help
with breathing. There also signs she lists to watch for just
in case you're not sure. Things like fevers, dehydration,
and infection.
I love this book and definitely recommend it to any moms who
may be on the path of their child having this surgery. The
book was easy to read, laid out wonderfully, and everything
was explained in simple terms for you to understand. Thumbs
up to Dr. Zelinger and her wonderful book.
I received a copy of this book to review. All comments are
reflections based solely on my opinions.
The “O, MY” in TonsillectOMY and AdenoidectOMY: How to
Prepare Your Child for Surgery, Second Edition by Laurie
Zelinger: Book Review
·
Rating:
Unrated
  Reader
Views
Book review, by readers, for readers
View all articles by Reader Views
The “O, MY” in TonsillectOMY and AdenoidectOMY: How to
Prepare Your Child for Surgery, Second Editio
Loving Healing Press (2011)
ISBN 9781615990535
Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views (08/10)
“The ‘O, MY’ in TonsillectOMY and AdenoidectOMY” by Laurie
Zelinger, Ph.D., is a book designed to educate parents about
the procedures, what to expect on the day of surgery, and
what happens in the days after. The book is divided into
four phases: “Introducing the Topic to Your Child,”
“Tackling the Subject,” “Getting Closer, Getting Ready,” and
“The Day of Surgery- It’s Here!” Following the four phases
is a preparation list and a special section about rare, but
possible complications.
Dr. Zelinger has written a clear,
specific guide to aide parents in describing the what, when,
why, and how of having a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
There is a countdown of what to tell your child beginning at
a 1-2 months period prior to surgery to the day of surgery.
Specific dialogues are suggested to give parents a practice
sheet of sorts to initiate conversation about what the child
should expect.
As a parent of two children that have
had their tonsils and adenoids removed, I can attest to the
missing information I had before surgery and how nervous the
lack of knowledge made me. I remember having a very thin
pamphlet to read. Dr. Zelinger’s book would have not only
alleviated any anxiousness my children may have had, but it
would have given me confidence and peace of mind about what
to expect the day of surgery and immediately following. One
child had no complications while the other threw up,
suffered worse pain, and had nightmares. This book lays out
the possible side effects my child experienced which would
have put me more at ease. “The ‘O, MY’ in TonsillectOMY and
AdenoidectOMY” is a must read for parents of future
tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy patients and ENT ’s who
perform the surgeries.
The “O, MY” in Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy: how to prepare
your child for surgery, a parent’s manual, 2nd Edition, by
Laurie Zelinger Ph.D. (Author)
§
ISBN-10:
1615990534
§
ISBN-13:
978-1615990535
Pookie and the Boys : She
keeps it very basic with steps on how to explain it to the
child without causing immediate panic. I wasn’t worried
about my son panicking, I was worried about me! I got ideas
on how to approach the subject with him, pep talks for use
prior to the surgery , all the way up to days before and the
day of surgery.
Moomettes Magnificents
:
This is an informative reference source for parents,
grandparents or daycare providers to sooth a child’s fears
before undergoing surgery for a Tonsillectomy or
Adenoidectomy.
To Order This Book
Click here to order online from Amazon.com
You also may order from bookstores,
BarnesandNoble.com, and other online sellers.
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