A Magazine from Akron Children's
For months, 5-year-old Vinny Murphy of Twinsburg had a tough time sleeping. He slept with his mouth wide open, snored a lot and got up throughout the night. After surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids, the whole house is quiet once again. And, most importantly, Vinny is breathing and feeling better.
“I hoped Vinny’s disrupted sleep would improve with time, but it actually got worse,” his mom, Anna Marie, said. “His pediatrician referred us to ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. Julie Wei.”
At the appointment, Dr. Wei examined Vinny. She talked to Anna Marie about his sleep patterns and labored mouth breathing – and recommended surgery to remove Vinny’s swollen tonsils and adenoids. “Dr. Wei is great; she’s forward-thinking and challenges people to think differently about health and medicine,” Anna Marie said. “I don’t jump at health care decisions like surgery, so it’s really nice to find a doctor who is in alignment like that.”
From the moment the Murphy family walked into the Akron Children’s Outpatient Surgery Center in Beachwood, staff made them feel comfortable. “The woman at the front desk saw me pacing in the waiting room,” Anna Marie recalled. “She told me her child recently had this surgery, and she assured me the Akron Children’s team would take good care of Vinny.”
The caring atmosphere carried over to the presurgical area. “Lauren Armstrong, the child life specialist, was absolutely phenomenal,” Anna Marie said. “She
befriended Vinny and made him feel so welcome. I didn’t even know they had a role like this in a surgery unit, but everything Akron Children’s does caters to kids.”
Using medical play, Lauren familiarized Vinny with everything he would experience at the surgical center. “Kids process through play; that’s their language. I explained things in terms he could relate to while also giving him space to ask questions or express feelings,” she said. “I try to make the unfamiliar feel a little more familiar, which helps reduce anxiety for the patient and their family.”
Surgery to remove tonsils and adenoids – which are small and round pieces of tissue in the back of your mouth and behind your nasal passage, respectively – can help kids breathe better and reduce infections. “It doesn’t matter to a family that I have done a procedure thousands of times,” Dr. Wei said. “The only time it matters to every family is the surgery for their child. Any health care provider can and should respect the privilege that families entrust in us to care for their children.”
The smiley-face stickers match the grin on Vinny’s face.
Dr. Julie Wei treats each patient like her own child.
Dr. Wei takes time to talk to the family before and after surgery, treating every patient like they are her own child. “She answered all our questions and made sure we felt comfortable about Vinny’s at-home care after surgery,” Anna Marie recalled. “She reassured us that the surgery went well – and we should all feel good about the decision to do it.”
Vinny had some ups and downs during the first few weeks of recovery. “His pain came in cycles,” Anna Marie said. “We knew when he was approaching time for another dose of medication because he’d hold his ears. He didn’t sleep well during nights four through six. But once we got two weeks out from surgery, he was running around the house and seemed fine.”
Not only is Vinny sleeping better, but so are his parents and 8-year-old brother. “It’s so silent in the house at night now; we didn’t realize how loudly Vinny snored,” Anna Marie said, with a chuckle. “When we peek in on him at night, he’s breathing well with his mouth closed. He’s been waking up early, and I think it’s because he’s getting such sound sleep now.”
From inspiring stories, to medical miracles, the More childhood, pleaseTM magazine will make you appreciate those precious 6,574 days of childhood.
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