My 20 year old son went in for a routine tonsillectomy on 6-18. He was given strong liquid codeine for the pain. 3 days went by and I called the office questioning his degree of pain and was told this was normal. 3 days later I called the office in the morning because he was in such severe pain. The medical assistant called back and and said the doctor could prescribe a steroid or percocet. I chose percocet. The office did not ask to see him. Later that same day at 4:50 he started feeling blood in his mouth. At 4:53 I called the office, and the exchange picked up. The doctor on call called me back. His first question was, ""when did this start?" I said at 4:50. He said, if you would have called before 5 you would have reached your OWN surgeon. I said that I did but the exchange was already answering. He said, no food tonight, only popsicles and ice chips, the wound is trying to scab. By 6:45 after 7 or 8 popsicles, which was masking the blood, I called the doctor back and left another exchange message, and my son ran in the bathroom, and projectile vomited 2 to 3 cups of blood in the bathroom. The doctor called back after I called the exchange twice, and said go to the hospital NOW. By the time we arrived 5 to 7 minutes later, My son's stomach was full of blood, and vomited more cups of blood in the ER, and the operating room. He was in surgery within 10 minutes of arriving at the ER to have his previous tonisillectomy site re cauterized. He had his first surgery with a hemoglobin of 16, and left the hospital after the 2nd surgery 6 days later with an 11 hemoglobin. I wish the doctor would have seen him when I called in for the severe pain. Obviously there was a problem, and I feel like I was treated terribly, and ignored. Does anyone know how long it takes a healthy strong 20 year old male to increase his blood count? does anyone feel this was malpractice by ignoring our phone calls for help?

thank u so much for your support. Today is the same day out from the 1st surgery, so we will watch him closely. He is eating something every 4 hours to coat his stomach for the liquid codeine. He loves cream of wheat, of course everything is only slightly warm, but cream of wheat is high in iron so this helps his blood count. His roommate in the hospital actually told us about this, as I had never really had to shop for high iron foods before, ha!
Each day will get better, thanks everyone. Someday I may write a book about all of the hurdles he has crossed in his life to become a major league baseball player. Although being drafted by a major league team this June, he may go ahead to his Junior year of College and see what the draft might bring next year. We initially had this surgery because last season he was haunted with serveral bouts of tonsillitis and we didn't want him to be away at College and sick this winter during the season again. Again, thanks for listening.