Tonsil Talk II
Welcome to the Tonsillectomy Recovery Forum. Whether you are considering or recovering from a tonsillectomy, share your thoughts and read about others' experiences.
check out www.mybigfattonsillectomy.com for tips to help in your recovery.
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Thank you,
-Greg
2,478 Responses to “Tonsil Talk II”
Marianne says:
September 5, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Tricia~
Ouch! I’m with Kristy. You need to spend a couple of days (at least) in bed…resting, drinking, staying on top of the meds. Do you have someone (a friend or family member) who could come take care of your kiddos during the day?
You’ll feel SO much better being down!
Good Luck!
Kristy says:
September 5, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Tricia-your husband really needs to listen, even if it means having your doc talk to him at your follow-up visit. I would choose pain from childbirth over this (I have 2 kids). You are doing too much & believe me, as a nurse & as a person who is 16 days post-op, you will feel worse week 2 if u don’t rest & drink lots of fluids now. Pain is also worse if u aren’t resting & drinking. Also, part of the recovery process is limiting activity, ….too much activity can put u at a higher risk of bleeding.
I can’t officially give u medical advice, but I can tell you that taking 2 colace 3 times daily really helped me. My doc gave me prednisone for swelling & an antibiotic, along with a liquid pain med. After taking the meds, I had to cool off the burning pain with cold jello or water.
Hope this helps!
Danielle says:
September 5, 2010 at 7:16 pm
ahhh My friend just came to visit me. She has had it all before, and she said for the people with ear pain, whilst swallowing if you gently put your fingers in your ears and put a bit of pressure on it doesn’t hurt. It actually works. I put my fingers in my ear while she held my glass of water with medicine dissolved in it, and downed it and it wasn’t as painful. and after i was able to drink a glass of milk and a glass of water with no pain. Defo recommend doing this if your suffereing from ear pains.
Tricia S says:
September 5, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Gosh, was I ever relieved to come by this site last night. I’ve been aching for someone else who knows what this is like to go through. I’m a 36 year old woman, and my surgery was Wednesday morning, making this day 4 for me. I have three small kids, 2, 5 & 6, and rest is not something easily come by.
The 5 and 6 year olds had their first day of school on Thursday – Kindergarted and grade 1 respectively, 1 day post-op, and there was no way I wanted to miss those, but it seems life has been going full tilt ever since. Because I made it to their first day, I’m supposed to do everything else as well. My husband doesn’t seem to get it that I REALLY need rest, and that I’m NOT supposed to be doing a whole lot for the first week. Nor that I really shouldn’t be talking a lot, it hurts and strains. I feel like my tongue is swollen and numb and it is frustrating to talk.
Last night the 2 year old woke up with a fever and complaining about a sore throat, and who ended up having to deal with it?! I have the feeling I’ll be dragging her to a walk-in clinic this afternoon. My left ear is killing me, along with my throat, I try to take the pain meds during the night, and drink water throughout, but mornings are harsh! The two older kids are fighting and yelling all the time, I suggested that my husband take them out, and leave me at home, but they all stuck around making their noise, and I’m just climbing the walls. I feel like running away!! Despite taking stool softeners I haven’t pooped since Tuesday, pre-op, that’s 5 days!!
Is it pretty standard for surgeons to prescribe anitbiotics to prevent infections? I ask because all I was prescribed was Tylenol 3′s with codeine. Sorry to place such a negative post, I’m needing to vent. Maybe someone has a suggestion how to inspire a little more compassion from my family. I don’t think of myself as a ‘woe is me’ type of person, I’ve been keeping quite a stiff upper lip so far, but I’ve about had it.
Danielle says:
September 5, 2010 at 10:37 am
I’m 19 and had my tonsils out on Tues 31st of sept so am now on day 5/6 depending how you count it. I am so depressed and in so much pain its complete torture. I cant even take my pain meds because when I do it causes sever burning of the throat and ears so much if i could scream I would. Basically my medication gives me more pain. Its the same with drinking. I can have a sip or two every 30mins and be fine but any more and I jus rock back and forward wishing myself to die. I was given childrens nurofen thats a bit like calpol, and dissolvable paracetmols. I am going back to my doctor tomorrow to ask for something stronger. To be honest I wish I had never had it done, it’s been the worst week of my life and my family just keep telling me to stop being a wuss and forcing me to eat foods that just hurt. I have tried to eat but after 5 mouthfuls the pain is too much. I am starving, exhausted and in constant pain. The constant flem has become too much to keep swallowing so much I’m just spitting half of it up now. Night times are bad, all i want to do is sleep but knowing i’ll be awake in a hour in sever pain just depresses me further. I start a new job on friday and am worried i wont be well enough and therefore loose the job. In this current economic climate I can’t afford that. I really do just want to die right about now.
This better be worth it.
Amyzee says:
September 4, 2010 at 11:11 pm
well, i guess i spoke too soon….in a lot of pain this evening, i started losnig my scabs, and today has by far been the most painful! the pain meds are taking the edge off so hopefully, i can get a little sleep, dont look forward to sleeping though and getting the dry mouth/throat..oh well gotta do what ya gotta do….
Kristy says:
September 4, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Lauren- I hear you. It WILL get better. I started feeling so much worse on day 12. It took me awhile to realize that thrush was part of the reason. My ENT called in a nystatin rinse. After 3 days of using the oral rinse 3 times per day, my thrush is almost completely resolved. I’m going to keep rinsing, though! Also, my pain was so unbearable that I could barely sleep, couldn’t eat, and didn’t want to drink. This made everything worse. I know part of it for me is that I was trying so hard to return to work that I stopped taking my pain meds….I have a job that doesn’t allow me to have a lapse in clarity of mind. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard, as I think this contributed to me getting worse. This forum has been so helpful. I felt like such a wimp until I started reading other people’s stories & realized that so many others are having a similar experience.
I had gotten so caught up in the ” pain->exhaustion-> not eating->barely drinking->more pain” cycle, that I got really weak & so much worse than week 1. Depression came with this cycle,too. After forcing myself (and I really do mean forcing) to eat, drink, & follow th tips on this forum…despite how bad it hurt, I truly felt better within 24 hours.
Today is day 15 for me. I managed to eat pizza & some other solids yesterday (with the help of chloraseptic spray). Food tastes like cardboard & the pain is certainly still present, so it is still really tough to force eating, but I know now how important it is that I push through it. I found that sugary foods taste better than salty foods. I’m also finding that the soft foods, like Mac & cheese or pasta, actually hurt worse than crackers, because they get stuck.
I’m not feeling great, but 90% better than I was 2-3 days ago. This will get better!
Many thanks to all who are posting & sharing stories & tips.
Greg, thanks so much for this forum! It has really helped me to keep things in perspective & to turn the recovery process around!
Tricia S says:
September 4, 2010 at 9:31 pm
I had my tonsils removed 3 days ago. What I did not expect was to have such a swollen and bruised tongue after the surgery. My tongue was clamped and pulled to the side for the surgery and it is quite the sight to see and has been almost as irritating as the throat pain. My friends tease that I should join KISS, and ask that I stick out my tongue to entertain and gross them out. I’ve been following the hydration principle, and always have a glass fo water at my side. When i do eat anything that has any texture to it, it seems to get lodged in and irritate the cauterized area. Rinsing with a saline doesn’t seem to clear it, but it then comes out later. Guess it’s a way to ward off hunger, having constant snacks in the back of your throat… ugh!
greg says:
September 4, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Thanks Marianne, and good luck!
Greg, your host
Marianne says:
September 4, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Hello everyone! Thanks for the great info. and for a place to share experiences and advice.
I’m 34 years old. I had my tonsils and adenoids removed on Monday, August 30. Today is post-op Day 5.
Prior to my surgery, I scoured the internet, read everything about adult tonsillectomy I could get my hands on and prepared like a crazy person. My husband took two days off work and my Mom was here until yesterday evening. Between the two of them, they were able to care for me and keep up with our four children over the past five days.
I expected the terrible, horrible, awful, worst.
Recovery so far has been much better than I expected. I guess that’s a good thing about expecting the WORST!
)
Days 1 and 2 were fairly mild. I rode out the residual effects of the IV medications from surgery, took liquid Lortab every 4-6 hours as needed to manage the pain and started Amoxicillin to prevent infection.
Over the first two days, I was able to eat the following: Jell-o, popsicles, well cooked Ramen noodles, runny Cream of Wheat, applesauce and soup with super-soggy crackers. I drank obsessively…Sobe water, Gatorade and plain old ice water. I also chewed gum, which really does help keep things moist and moving.
My biggest complaint on Days 1 and 2 was the swelling in my soft palate and uvula. It was difficult to swallow, breathe and sleep. At times I felt like I was suffocating. Sitting upright in bed and surrounding myself with pillows seemed to help. Lying down was out of the question!
Days 3 through today have been a bit rougher. The pain has intensified significantly, along with the tightness and swelling in my throat. I’ve increased my Lortab to the full 3 tsp. dose every 4 hours. This knocks the pain, but makes me extra loopy and woozy, which I don’t necessarily love. However, given the two choices, I choose loopy and woozy! ;o) I am also using Chloraseptic Max throat lozenges toward the end of the 4 hours when the pain starts to creep back up. They do a good job of taking the edge off the pain until I can take my next dose of Lortab.
My diet has been pretty much the same as Days 1 and 2; with the addition of some soft scrambled eggs one morning and a tasty (and very liquid-y) fresh peach shake that my sweet husband made last night. I’m drinking enough fluids to drown an elephant!
My Top Ten:
P
1. Drink, drink, drink.
2. Set an alarm so you don’t get behind on pain meds.
3. Don’t take meds on an empty stomach.
4. 30 to 45 minutes after taking the meds is when the best pain relief kicks in. Use this time to drink and eat…swallowing is much easier.
5. Take a stool softener. Daily. You can thank me later. Enough said.
6. Prop yourself up in bed….it’s easier to breathe, swallow and sleep. Use lots of pillows! My hubby bought me a neck pillow and it’s been great.
7. Use a humidifier. Run it 24/7.
8. Use numbing lozenges.
9. Chew gum.
10. Shower. It makes you feel more human and the hot, steamy air does wonders for the throat.
Scabs are still intact, so I’m sure the next few days aren’t going to be fun. I’ll keep you all posted. Here’s hoping things continue to be bearable…
Lauren says:
September 4, 2010 at 12:43 pm
day 12 and still not getting better.
I have had some slight inprovements from my prior postings but I am still in extreme pain. Why is it that there are people that have gotten there tonsils out AFTER me that are closer to being out of this misery than I am? Does the thrush I deveoloped make healing that much worse? I feel ok untill I try to eat something and then my ear on the left side just explodes in pain, it does the same whenever i drink, or whenever my pain meds wear off. My throat doesnt feel that bad at all anymore, just like a normal bad sore throat, which is nothing after years of strep. My ear feels like the eardrum is going to burst any minute. I woke up with dried blood in my ear this morning.
Anyone that has experienced the thrush I have a few questions.
1. does the white stuff in the back of your throat go away once the infection is killed by the antibiotics?
2. how long does it take to go away? Ive been treating it for 5 days, and Im not sure whats going on?
3. Does the pain go away significantly once the thrush is gone?
Amyzee says:
September 4, 2010 at 11:50 am
Hi all, I am 6 days post op and feeling ok. i had my surgery on monday aug 30th, and all in all it hasnt been too bad so far. i was expecting the worst! I am 39 and and healing fairly well. This website has been a blessing though! thanks to everyone for the support and the reccomendations, the drs office didnt really give me any guidlelines, i got on here and found a lot of useful tips! I am having some ear pain in my left ear, but its not gotten too bad yet, i have some gum ready but havent actually tried it yet. the only thing i can say is hydrate hydrate hydrate, even if it hurts try to get some water, juice or gatorade downm, i think it helps immensely. i feel kind of bad saying i dont think my recoveryt has been that bad after reading some of the horror stories people have posted, but i feel its important to poeople who havent done it yet to say that its not always gonna be that bad. anyway, this site has been a blessing thanks to everyone!! : )
Kristy says:
September 4, 2010 at 8:57 am
I’m 35, had my tonsillectomy on August 21st after what feels like 30 years of frequent illnesses. It had become a regular occurrence for me to check for tonsilliths anytime I began to feel ill. After missing work on almost a monthly basis for 2 years, & constant fatigue which resulted in overcaffeinating, and ultimately: cardiac problems. searching for an alternative to feeling miserable, missing work, and adding caffeine, I finally went to see an ENT. He recommended the tonsillectomy & turbiniod surgery. He suspected that my enlarge tonsils were causing obstructive sleep apnea, therefore contributing to my exhaustion. Also, the enlarged tonsils, crypts, and constant exposure to bacteria were draining on my immune system. I had the surgery in hopes that I will have a more energetic & healthful life.
The first day post-op really wasn’t bad at all. Day 5 is when things got worse, pain became almost unbearable to the point that I did not want to eat of drink. Had to also get off of the prednisone, as it was making me so anxious & irritable, that I couldn’t sleep. Day 12 I found myself really confused, difficult to think straight, felt like I was coming in & out of consciousness. Was not taking pain meds, felt incredibly depressed, could’t sleep at night, and had lost 16 lbs. My coworkers ordered me to go home. After sleeping for about 12 hours, & positively forcing myself to eat & drink, I was gaining ground. Day 14, I finally WANTed to eat! Today is day 15. I feel so much better, almost normal! Wish I had pushed the food & fluids sooner.
Please, don’t give up on drinking, eating, & resting. Chloraseptic helped the pain significantly,too!
Greg says:
September 3, 2010 at 10:15 am
Thanks Brittany. A little positve press is always welcome. Here’s some more:
http://www.nationalpost.com/life/health/story.html?id=c2ffe72b-54d4-4627-a692-117d558668d6&k=87128
Brittany Dunlap says:
September 3, 2010 at 8:42 am
I am day at day 11 post-op. I developed thrush early on and am now on Clotrimazole Troche (lozenges) to treat the thrush. So far I’m still having a little bit of pain but nothing that the percocet can’t handle, or probably even ibuprofin (only after day 14 though due to risk of bleeding). But I’m able to eat here and there, the only thing I’m able to eat without much pain is Schwan’s (home delivery) 4 cheese pizza. It’s a pizza you put in the oven but if you put it on aluminum foil and not on a pizza stone the crust isn’t very hard at all. I had a mcdonalds double cheeseburger ($1 kind) yesterday and the bread was just awful to swallow. So I ate most of it without the bun.
Other than the thrush I haven’t had any complications. No bleeding or anything. The scabs coming off were the worst. So gross. It only lasted for 3 days though. I think that happened days 7 through 9.
Recovery was painful but nothing I couldn’t handle. I even had 4 other surgeries at the time I had my tonsillectomy, all nose/throat surgeries. So, if I can handle it, I know you can.
Greg says:
September 2, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Here’s a good little story…
http://www.sgvtribune.com/living/ci_15967234
Good night all, and God bless you.
Greg
Casey Zimmerman says:
September 2, 2010 at 9:41 pm
I had my tonsils out 2 days ago, im 19, soon to be 20 in 2 days ( crappy way to spend my birthday) im in pain!…i need a light at the end of the tunnel because nothings looking good yet. im tired and weak and hungry! lol the only thing that helps is sleeping. when im awake its miserable. i know its only day 2 but i never anticipated this much pain. the pain meds hurt going down and i can barely drink water. i hope this will pay off in the long run. ive already lost 4 pounds. im 5″11′ and 150 so i can probably afford to lose it but having an empty stomach and painkillers makes me nauseous. i havent thrown up “knock wood” and i hope not to. im trying to be positive but its hard. i hope this goes by fast…..
Kevin says:
September 2, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Well, today was day 9 in my recovery and I had an exciting early morning waking up to the coughing up of blood. Apparently this is quite common in this stage of recovery for adults when the scabs come loose. I did as instructed and went to the emergency room, was admitted and monitored for 12 hours. Fortunately, there was no need for additional surgery as it clotted on its own. Obviously a little tiring on my wife, kids and I but doing fine this evening. Just definitely back on liquids only for a couple of more days.
Shonda Tonsillectomy August 25, 2010 says:
September 2, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Hi everyone,
Well this is day 8 of recovery its not so bad, I haven’t had pain meds since Tuesday, I had 2 tylenol yesterday and the only complaint I have is when I drink or eat something, it burns the back of my throat like crazy, to the point that it brings me to tears. I have lost a total of 11 lbs, let me back up, yesterday and the Tuesday night I was throwing up and my throat was so sore, When I wake up in the morning my throat is so dry that I have to build up the courage to drink water to bring some kind of moisture to my throat. I did buy the hall refresh cough drop and I am chewing gum and that helps. But my main concern is the burning when I eat or drink, does or has anyone gone through this stage yet?
Hazel says:
September 1, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Hi, I’m 25, had my tonsils removed on 4th of August.
I’m in the U.K. and the common practice here is to make you eat toast pretty much as soon as you’re back from surgery. They also recommend you try to return to your normal diet as soon as you come home. It was painful but to be honest not much more painful than the action of swallowing saliva/water etc alone. Probably the most painful things to eat were tomatoes, olives, anything juicy or salty, ice cream also hurt pretty bad because it clings to the throat. Dry, bland foods like bread, toast, crisps and chips were the best. The pain was definitely worse after a couple of days but by the end of the first week the scabs were mostly gone and 2 weeks after my throat was completely healed. Nearly a month gone now and I feel great, definitely don’t regret it. Good luck to everyone still to undergo surgery, and drink plenty of water!
Kevin says:
September 1, 2010 at 5:46 am
I’m 38 and had my tonsils removed on Tuesday, August 24th. In addition to this procedure I also had a septoplasty and turbinplasty to fix a deviated septum. It was a little interesting the first couple of days knowing all of your airways has surgery done on them. It has been painful but worth it. I too developed Thrush and the biggest thing I can encourage people to do is try to eat allot of yogurt. Also, if you are in pain, stay on your pain medication. After the Thrush has diminished (about 2 days into taking medication for it) the only thing still sore is the back of my throat where the scabs are still present. Each day they get better but know at this age, it will take closer to 14 days to recover. For those of you getting ready to have the surgery, I am not going to lie to you…it is painful but remember why you are having it done and being able to get through a week of pure pain is allot better than the sleep apnea or constant strep throat you may have had throughout your life thus far.
Lauren says:
August 31, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Its me again..still not better.
I had my follow up appointment today, aparently I developed a rather bad yeast infection in the back of my throat. I guess this is why Ive been having it so rough these past few days. I am at the point of tears whenever I wake up or my medicine wares off. My docter gave me new medicatons for the infection and stronger pain medicine. I hope it goes away fast, I didn’t even know you could get a yeast infection in your mouth.. gross.
Has anyone else experienced this? any tips?
John says:
August 31, 2010 at 11:16 am
Hello everyone
I also wanted to mention that the whole time of dealing with this when it was new, I would buy campbell’s soups and also lipton soup mixes and make them. I could only get the broth from them down but at least I was giving my body something untill I could eat solid food. Suprizing, the warmth from the broth and the coffee I drink did help, but not to hot. You have to try to keep your body heathy cause you will probably lose a lot of wieght waiting for this to heal, i know I did.
Lesley says:
August 31, 2010 at 9:56 am
April,
Just wanted to say that after reading some of the comments about everyone who is having such a hard time, it is difficult to post a comment that says everything is great out of empathy for the pain sufferers. I will post for you though. Today is exactly two weeks post surgery for me. I’m 49 and did have a tough time on days 3-5 post op. I developed thrush from the amoxicillan I was on and had to be put on steroids to shut down the swelling and blisters that had formed in my throat and mouth. After 2 days on the steriods and sucking on clortrimazole lozenges every 4 hours, the infection waned. I am eating a regular diet, have returned to my regular activity, even played tennis yesterday ( with Dr’s approval). I am not 100% yet, but would say I am at least 95% recovered. I still have some swelling and of course it is at it’s worst first thing in the morning. Although I don’t lead a “holistic” lifestyle I did investigate prior to surgery and did take a few remedies 24 hours prior to surgery( I was willing to try anything I thought would help). If you look back in the postings, I did mention them. Did they aid in my speedy recovery? I don’t know and there is really no way to prove or disprove. But I had no bleeding, and my doctor was extremely impressed with the actual healing of my surgery. If I hadn’t had the problem with the thrush I would have recovered even sooner. Of course, everyone is different and each body will react differently to the trauma of surgery, as you know. But try to think positive and think healing thoughts if that’s possible!
Good luck!!
Lesley says:
August 31, 2010 at 9:29 am
Hi everyone,
I hope each day is a step in the right direction for you. I wanted to suggest a few products to help with the dryness in your mouths, Halls (the cough drop people) put out a product called REFRESH. It is a sugar free drop you suck on that comes in a few different flavors. There is also a gum called QUENCH. You can usually buy it in sporting good stores. Atletes use it to help keep some moisture in your mouth while training, if you can tolerate chewing the gum. I suffer from TMD( a jaw disorder) and was told by the DR. to use warm damp compresses placed on the side of your face at your ear and jaw line. It usually eases the pain a little. For those on anti-biotics. Watch the inside of your mouth for white spots. This could be thrush caused by the meds and will increase your swelling and pain. If you see them visit the Dr immediately. I live in New England, so another culrpit to add to swelling is allergies, due to changes in the weather and the pollen. Once I was able to swallow, I took a decongestion which seemed to help.
Good Luck to everyone, feel better and try to keep a positive outlook that it can only get better!
Greg says:
August 31, 2010 at 9:00 am
Hi April. Welcome to the forum. Have you checked out http://www.mybigfattonsillectomy.com yet?
Don’t get too freaked out about this surgery. I suspect that there are many, many patients with smoother recoveries who simply do not post their experiences. Will it be hard? Probably. WIll it be temporary? Absolutley! Will you have an online community to draw from and vent to? You bet!
Statistically, complications are not that significant with adults. My ENT said the the risks are about the same as with children, but the recovery takes longer for adults.
Stay in touch- you’ll love the folks here- they are GREAT.
Greg
April says:
August 31, 2010 at 8:28 am
Hi. I am 30 years old & I am scheduled for a tonsillectomy on Sept 20. I am terrified! I am an ICU RN, so I know the complications that can come w/adults & tonsillectomies. Anyhow, I found this website & have found some useful information on it. For the most part the vast majority have had a hard time w/recovery. I guess I have to be diligent in my drinking ice water & taking pain meds. I do intend to sleep w/a humidifier. I am just very very very nervous about the recovery. I need a pep talk…
Becca Clark says:
August 30, 2010 at 1:17 pm
I’m 32 & had my tonsils out Wednesday, August 25th. They should have been taken out 20 years ago, but for some reason my mother didn’t have it done. Waking up from surgery was the worse but I do equate it to strep pain. I don’t go back to work until Sept. 13th due to the line of work I do. However, I am trying to take it easy. I tried not to take pain meds today but finally had to due to my throat feeling like it was closing up. So far the worse part of recovery is the fact that I couldn’t go to the bathroom. Food was going in but not coming out. Been trying to keep to the soft food diet but I wasn’t meant to be a vegatarian so I ate a bologna sandwich. It feels like it’s stuck in my throat. I’m kinda dizzy & light-headed most of the time. My husband & kid have been great helps. My first post-op doctor’s appointment’s tomorrow. I do have tongue pain but thankfully never had ear pain. I do feel better after getting strep throat every other month practically all my life.