Navigating a Rare Illness in Another Country
When my husband was six years old, a tonsillectomy almost killed him.
This article was one of those perfect storms: I had experienced a very niche challenge moving abroad, but it was so specific that many people could relate it to something in their own lives. Originally published on Jingkids International.
When my husband was six years old, a tonsillectomy almost killed him.
It should have been routine, as it is for most kids. Don’t eat or drink in the twelve hours before being given anesthesia, get rounds of hugs from your family, go under, and voila! You wake up sans tonsils, ready to eat ice cream and mashed potatoes.
Except his tonsils weren’t removed that day. Instead, his jaw went rigid and his temperature shot up to 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42.7 degrees Celsius).
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