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Adult Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy
After a lifetime of tonsillitis, it was time. I made the appointment. Was I scared? Yes. Was I prepared for tonsillectomy recovery? NO. Can you be? YES!
Planning for and recovering from a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy procedure, (often referred to as T & A Surgery), can be daunting experiences. The days leading up to your surgery can be frightening. If you haven’t read up yet, you can find information on tonsillectomy methods, risks, costs, adult tonsillectomy, sleep apnea, and numerous tips for tonsillectomy recovery on the other pages of this site. I’ve even added pictures of a post tonsillectomy throat by each day, and a shopping list of things you’ll need before your surgery. Study, talk with your doctor and consult with your friends about the decision to undergo tonsillectomy and adenoid surgery. Explore the pages created here to aid in your journey.
The Dynamic Duo!
These two little machines will become your best friends. Give tonsillectomy recovery a One-Two punch! A humidifier is probably the single most beneficial item to have at your side as you recover. Drinking ice cold slushies will feel good, reduce inflamation, and keep the throat activated, thus stimulating the healing process.
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If you should decide to have tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, let us help you through the entire process. Whether due to problems with sleep apnea, chronic tonsillitis and strep throat, tonsil stones, trouble swallowing, or a combination thereof, you can benefit from the experience of others. My own experience taught me that, as patients, we need to advocate for ourselves. Ear, nose, and throat doctors are, by and large, extremely talented individuals. However, very few of them have experienced an adult tonsillectomy, and the subsequent recovery. I have. Many others have too. We share our experiences here at the adult tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy recovery resource center. As you’ll read in the tonsillectomy recovery forum, everyone’s experience is unique. There are many factors that influence the level of pain you experience, as well as the length of time required during recovery. The method, and skill of your surgeon can have an affect, but there are also many things within your control that will reduce pain and recovery time. I’ve tried to include as many helpful tips as possible within the pages of this online resource. Tonsillectomy recovery can be pretty rough, especially if you are unlucky enough to be an adult! It takes longer for an adult to recover from most things. Tonsillectomy is no exception. There are many things you can do to make it go more smoothly. I’ve published numerous tips here on various pages. I encourage you to read up BEFORE you are in the throws of tonsillectomy recovery.
Talk with your doctor, friends, family, and work as you prepare. You are not alone in this. Like you and like me, many others are facing or have faced a tonsillectomy recovery. I created this forum for you. The community of adults or parents of patients will amaze you and warm your heart. I read these comments every day and every day I am humbled by everyone’s story and their compassion for others in the midst of recovery, or the anxiety that often precedes a tonsillectomy. Please join in. Hundreds of other people, perhaps in your same situation, have shared their wisdom, concerns, tips, and questions about tonsillectomy, as well as their tonsillectomy recovery.
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Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy Tip
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Do you have questions about tonsil infection? See pictures of tonsils and learn more at TonsilsPictures.com
Day 4 (5 including op day) Pain was still a 3-4. It is starting to creep up faster and stronger when my pain meds start to wear off though. So i called my ENT today requesting a solid pill script instead of the liquid i am taking, which isnt letting me sleep longer than 3 consecutive hours, starting to burn my throat and causing a lot of phlegm. I have been taking 15ml of Lortab every 4 hours, on the hour, I usually start to watch the clock and hurt about hour 3. In 15ml there is 7.5mg hydrocodone and 500mg acetaminophen. So i was at a total loss when i got to the pharmacy and discovered that what they prescribed for a solid pill was a 5mg hydrocodone 500mg acetaminophen Vicodin…. this makes no sense! Instructions are to take 1-2 pills every 4-6 hours… I have taken vicodin many times in my lifetime and it is WEAK. Basicly to recieve any added pain relief over the Lortab i was already taking I have to take 2 pills every 4 hours, and am now ingesting 6,000 mg or acetaminophen every 24 hours! This will KILL any healthy liver. And only an increase of 2.5 mg of hydrocodone… i dont know if maybe Vicodin is strong for most people of what, but even taking the two pills my pain is worst after 2 hours than with the Lortab. I am going to go into the office tomorrow and have a sleep deprived breakdown and demand that they prescribe me something stronger with less acetaminophen.
Good for you for recognizing that there is a safe limit to how much tylenol you can take in one day!! I have been taking oxycodone 5mg, 1-2 tabs every 4 hours, and taking OTC acetaminophen in addition. I discussed this with my provider before surgery because I like having more control over the amount of Tylenol I am taking (plus the oxy tabs are smaller than the combos, aka easier to swallow). Today is post-op day 6 (day 7 including surgery day), and I had to go in for an urgent appointment due to repeated bleeding. The last day has been so insufferable that I asked to increase my dose to 2-3 tablets every 4 hours to get me through this part, which my doctor agreed to; possibly because I was having a miniature anxiety attack and looked so incredibly miserable.
Day 3 (4 including op day) Pain picked up a little bit, little bit of pain in my ears, still only a 3 or 4 on the scale. Eating mostly Freds brand soups, put in the blender and add a little bit of water to make it runnier. Then the soft insides of french bread dipped in the soup, goes down pretty easy and is very filling. Im up and about, not feeling bad at all. Staying hydrated, gatorade and water. I take a lot of time gently gargling with cool water after i eat, lots of crap gets stuck back there. Leaving it sitting on the scabs cant be good. The Lortab is starting to loose its effectiveness. I will call my ENT on Monday and ask for a solid pill prescription. He said as soon as I am feeling comfortable that i can swallow a pill to let them know so they can start me on pills. Also wrapping an ice pack around my neck whenever possible. Still feeling pretty lucky, this hasnt been bad at all.
Glad to hear you’re doing well! Curious to hear how the pills work out in comparison to the liquid.
This gives me great hope!! I go in tomorrow and all of these “horror” stories have me so anxious!!
I’ve been living with an ice pack around my neck since my surgery on June 12. I highly recommend it!
My mom found this “ThermiPaq” (I think ThermaCare makes it?) that is a soft sleeve that you can insert this clay pack into (either warm or cold) and it has an elastic to wrap it around wherever you need it. I’ve found that the clay pack doesn’t actually stay cold very well, so I’ve started just filling ziplocks with ice cubes and stuffing them in there and keeping that wrapped around my neck. It has helped so much!
So here’s what’s frustrating me the most. I had my tonsils out monday. Since it was first thing in the morning (8:30) I considered that day one, which means I’m on about day 6 right now. What’s annoying me is that… I actually don’t feel any pain.
Yea, the first day was alright, the first night was awful. Day 2 was the worst of the pain so far. Day 3 dulled a bit, as did day 4, day 5 my pain was maybe a 1 on the pain scale and now on day 6 I feel no pain, my appetite is back, I feel like my normal self.
Why does this annoy me? Because I still can’t GO back to the normal. I can’t eat like normal, get up like normal, or do anything normal because my scabs haven’t fallen off. I’ve yet to experience this terrible pain everyone describes around this time, and in fact, feel totally fine! But I can’t do anything until these darn scabs come off. I’m so frustrated!! And no one seems to have had a similar experience
Am I just bouncing back quick? How long til you think the scabs come off?
Forgot to add, I am 24, so no, I shouldn’t necessarily be bouncing back this quickly.
People in the UK are told to eat toast to help get the scabs off.
What are you taking for pain meds?? I am so very jealous. I feel like sometimes my pain is well controlled and other times I just want to cry…
Thank you on the scab issue. I gargled with warm salt water this evening & I spit a piece of one out which burned for about 20 seconds. Maybe from the salt. I still have a few left. I thought when a small piece came out was a relief. It will be wonderful when they all fall off. What a relief it will be. Tomorrow is day 11 for me. I thought my pain tolerance was higher but a few days were a bit more than I wanted to bear but have managed to make this far, Hopefully it gets better from here.
About the scabs….mine are coming off nicely and I haven’t choked on any or spit any out. Apparently I am swallowing them either with food or drinks. It hasn’t been a problem for me!
I noticed you didn’t post in day 10… are you pretty much back to normal now?
I wondered if the scabs would come out or swallow them? I’m sure if I swallowed them in food probably wouldn’t be noticeable. I have heard that some have gotten choked on them. I also do not particularly want to vomit.
I wish I had felt good enough on day 8 & 9 to have read some of the great info for getting rid of the scabs. I am on my 10TH day today. I saw my DR post op last Wednesday which was the 7TH day. I had flu like symptoms which he said was normal, He said we were right where we should be & that I would start feeling better in the next 3-4 days. The best sleep was last night for a change. 4-5 hours at a time. My husband finally got his first night of sleep in 10 days, actually 8 days. The pain really didn’t start until the night of day 4. Had surgery Wednesday June 5 & today is June 15. I had problems with the strong pain meds & constipation. Had to take laxatives which didn’t work at first for a couple of days then all at once. Trying to come down off the pain pills has been a little rough. I may try extra strength Tylenol at night to help the throat pain. The burning when swallowing. I am afraid of bread because of choking but have lost 8 lbs. so eating a jelly doughnut now and again. I like muffins. Didn’t think of that until I just was able or felt well enough to get back on today after the last 2 days. If I could get rid of the last scabs on the right side. The ones on the left came off Monday but it’s been rough trying to get the right side to come off. I think after reading I stopped drinking as much when it started burning bad when I should have drank anyway. Even though it does hurt to swallow knowing the scabs will fall off quicker will be worth it. It feels like a large ball of mucus at the very edge of my throat but if I try to cough it up it burns & I understand to much coughing could cause to clot & I have come this far to start over. I must admit after eating more & forcing the foods the scab that is stuck doesn’t seem to be as bothersome as it does if it dries out. Thank you for the reply from day one to day 10 & on helped. Hopefully the rest of the scabs will come off soon & then the healing & back to normal in the next couple of weeks. My next DR appt. is June 19 which he said I would start noticing an improvement. I must admit the cool mist humidifier & the cold neck wrap has been my best friend other than my hubby that has been through it with me from beginning til now.
I see people are mostly posting on this page, i have several posts on the “Adult Tonsillectomy” and “Tonsil Stones” tabs. Day 1 after my op and i feel great. Stayed on top of my pain meds by setting my alarm, 15 mg Lortab about every 4-5 hours, even was able to stretch it out to 5 1/2 hours last nigh. Didnt have much trouble sleeping because of pain or discomfort, opioid pain meds actually have a energizing effect on me, and made it a little harder to sleep. My pain waking up after 3 hours since my last dose it still a 1. The thing that has me MOST excited, no morning breath! After i dont know how many years, my breath finally reflects my oral hygiene. If you havent dealt with stones you have NO IDEA what a relief this is!!! WOOOHOOOOOOO!
Well it’s about 6:45pm, post-op day 1 (day 2 is probably how everyone else is counting). Today isn’t going quite as well as yesterday. I have stopped talking due to pain, I can manage a whisper at best, and have mostly been asleep in bed. I was able to take only 5mg oxycodone + 500mg acetaminophen until yesterday evening, when I increased to 10mg oxy + 500mg APAP. Today I have been on 10mg oxy + 650mg APAP (2 of the normal strength tabs, rather than 1 extra strength), which mostly left me a zombie, but with good pain control.
(**Note: for those of you who may not know, the maximum amount of acetaminophen you should take within 24 hours is 4000mg; you start to run the risk of liver toxicity if you take significantly more, or are taking more for an extended period of time. That is why I have switched to taking 2 regular strength tabs every 4 hours, rather than 2 of the extra strength. 650mg APAP q4h puts you at 3900mg/24hr, just under max daily dose.**)
Then I decided to count how many oxycodone I have and discovered I will run out on Sunday if I continue taking 2 every 4 hours… there will be no doctors to write a new prescription that day, and so I thought I would try just taking 5mg oxy + 650mg APAP. Bad idea. I took another half tab of oxycodone in hopes to get me through until my next dose in about 1hr 15min. I haven’t decided whether I want to stick with a conservation strategy and take 7.5mg oxy next dose, or go for comfort and take the full 10mg, then have to attempt to procure a new Rx before the weekend… I would say my current pain (with the reduced dose) is about a 4 out of 10. I want to rate it higher, but I know that I’m probably just being a baby and that come tomorrow I’ll think today’s pain is more like a 2. I have also tried keeping an ice pack around my throat on and off throughout the day. I can’t quite tell if it helps or not, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
As far as food is concerned, I’ve still been trying to drink ice water, eat popsicles, and refrigerated pudding. I tried some apple sauce today, which went down fine but left my saliva feeling a bit thicker. Same problem with one of those superfood juices (the green kind), although I think apple sauce & superfood drinks are more nutritious than pudding, so it’s probably ultimately beneficial. I have some of the clear Ensure drinks as well for a better nutritional supplement.
Overall, I would say day 2 is fairly smooth sailing. Not comfortable by any means, but I’m sure I’ve had worse cases of tonsilitis than this before, and the pain is manageable if you take the right amount of medication (although it will most likely knock you out). I’m hoping the rest of the evening continues approximately like this, as I’m sure tomorrow will likely bring the opposite of relief.
I think the coblation method is what has kept it this good for this long. I have to say (knock on wood) the ear pain hasn’t been too bad. They have popped and even throbbed a bit, but nothing like what other people have said. Also, I haven’t had any bleeding or vomiting. So I do have a lot to be thankful for. I am pretty pain tolerant, plus have had some really bad cases of strep, so I think this all helped me/prepared me for what I have been going through. I would say that last night and this morning my pain level was probably an 8. It is a little better at the moment. I guess I also need to say that I wasn’t given a lot of pain pills so I have been trying to use them as sparingly as possible. I’ve only been doing one every four hours and the bottle said I could do 1-2 every 4-6 hours. So if I took 2 the pain may be better. But the office didn’t act like they wanted to give out more too easily, so I’ve been trying to make them last. Today I started supplementing with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. That has helped a lot! I think the main problem is that by day 7 you are so tired and hungry and just plain sick of it. Then the scabs start healing and pulling and you get a little more pain and you just break down! My advice to you is to keep a constant ice pack on your neck, sit next to a humidifier, drink lots of water, and take pain pills on time. These four things have helped me tremendously!! I hate to complain, because I could be doing so much worse. But as far as my situation, these last few days are definitely the worst so far. I am ready for it to be over! Good luck with your surgery! I’ll be checking to see how you do during your recovery!
Thanks for keeping us updated and for answering my questions along the way
I’m more hopeful now than before. Hope you are back to normal now and feeling good. Cheers to a new (healthier) chapter in life!
I am on day 7. This is the worst it’s been so far. I was hoping it would start turning the other way. Guess I have another bad couple of days?! Bummer! I’m ready to be done with this!
Ugh, sorry to hear it got worse and you’re having a rough day! Hopefully you wake up tomorrow feeling better. I was hoping the coblation method would keep your recovery a little better. Do you have ear pain? Just wondering your level of pain on your worst day. My coblation surgery is July 18th. Any info would be appreciated. Hang in there!
I had my tonsils removed 6 weeks ago. Prior to surgery I was all over the net reading horror stories…..don’t believe them!!! I do not have a high pain threshold at all!!
I can honestly tell you that days 1-2 are cruizy. It hurts a tiny bit…no where near close to having tonsillitis! Day 3 I have really bad breathe!! So gross that my poor husband had to open then windows of our bedroom but the pain was the same about 2/10 with 10 being the worst. Day 4-6 were about 4/10 pain. Day 7 was the worse 7/10 however I think this was more the fact that it was unexpected pain on one side and that I thought day 5 was meant to be the worse. I thought something was wrong so I went to see my GP and he just replied “Oh that is just day 7″ and that I would feel better in 12 hours….no joke I felt better in like 4 hours. All in my head!! After day 7 it started to get better from then on. Day 10 I felt pretty go, still not talking heaps though. The less you talk the faster it heals. By day 15 I was feeling pretty good and back to work as a high school teacher!!
Tips for after surgery
1) Try and eat normally – bread is the key to getting rid of those scabs! I mainly ate bread with jam on top. Eat sometime like jelly afterwards to try and cool the throat down. For dinner I was eating pasta with a cream sauce and mashed vegies. I also ate muffins. Just eat all the time, even when your not hungry. It will hurt a bit but take your time. Each mouthful is getting rid of the scabs! Remember this! (Don’t drink carbonated drinks like coke…I tried at day 4…its very sensitive….but by day 5 I was eating chocolate!)
2) Constantly sip WATER – it keeps the scabs moist.
3) Take your meds especially days 5-7. I mainly took panadol (Australian stuff which you just get from the shops when you get a headache). Taking a low level med will get your base level of pain covered. Take the strong stuff when you need it. I refused to take the strong stuff until about day 4 and then I only took it at night time to get a better sleep.
4) Get someone supportive to be with you and cook for you! I just became a bit emotional at day 6 dont know why but just did. Prior to surgery I told my husband to tell me to eat when I refused. This helped, as I ate more and I could see the scabs go away quickly.
By day 10 all the scabs had gone, but be aware it will be sensitive for a couple more weeks after that. I couldnt do a complete yawn until 4 weeks and this is normal.
Most of all be positive!!! If you think it will hurt, it will. I went in feeling really positive and I think it worked. Yes it hurts a bit, but think of your worst bout of tonsillitis….its less painful than that. I have no regrets about the surgery. Last week (week 5) I got a bit of an infection and had to get some antibiotics. But again I’m back to normal 2 days after the infection. I will take this any day over tonsillitis. For those people who say that the surgery is worse than child birth…..I say, bring on child birth then!
Best of luck with your surgery!
Hi, everyone. I am a 25 year old female, otherwise healthy, who had a tonsillectomy the morning of 6/12.
This is just the end of surgery day, so I’m not sure how you guys count. Is today “day 1″? Or do you start counting by post-op day 1, being tomorrow?
Either way, today wasn’t too bad. I have been drinking a lot of water and eating popsicles and pudding. My throat isn’t exactly comfortable, even with pain medication, but it’s not unbearable yet; I imagine that part is still to come. I did as much research as I could about this surgery/recovery, so I think I’m about as well prepared as possible.
I have a humidifier running on low in my bedroom to help keep the air moist. I also have Biotene dry mouth rinse and a spray; my mom is a dental hygienist and suggested they would help keep my mouth and throat from drying out. I just used the rinse after brushing my teeth to get ready for bed, so we’ll see how effective it is.
As far as pain medication is concerned, I have just finished my 3rd year of pharmacy school a couple days ago and opted for oxycodone 5mg tabs because I do not do well with liquid medications and I knew that these tablets are very small. I am supplementing that with OTC acetaminophen capsules which are slick and easy to swallow, so I am still getting all the ingredients contained in Percocet or Roxicet without larger tablets or foul tasting liquids. Given that I just took more pain meds, I’ll be going to sleep here momentarily, but I do have an alarm set to hopefully wake up and take more before they wear off. I am really hoping for a tolerable recovery process!
I’m 25 too…my surgery date is coming up next month. Hopefully being very prepared will help prevent any issues or crazy pain. Good idea on the Biotene, I hadn’t thought of that. Please keep us updated and good luck! Wishing you a speedy and tolerable recovery.
I am 32 and getting my tonsils out tomorrow. I had an abscess, which burst, so they recommended removal. I’m had a septoplasty and sinus surgery (balloon sinusplasty and FESS). Can anyone say if the pain level is anywhere close to those procedures? Anyone else having surgery tomorrow and want to be my tonsil buddy? lol
~Laura
Not familiar with those procedures but having just gone thru a re-bleed (part of that 4%) my recommendations are: get your prescriptions in advance if you can and in liquid form. Don’t eat milk/diary products they cause mucus and you will feel like coughing it up but will be hesitant to do so and for good reason. Put an ice pack on your neck. I got ice cream and jello from the health store – whole foods – not made with dairy and pork products. Also a cold mist humidifier helps with moisture in your room.
I’m 25 and getting my tonsil out tomorrow too. I am so nervous!!! Too many bouts of tonsillitis and strep
Good luck! I’m 25 too, getting my tonsils out in July. Please let us know how your recovery goes. Wishing you the best!
I am 25 and just got mine out not even a full 24 hours ago (almost to the 24 hour mark).
PinkZeppe & apitman7 – Tonsil buddies??? Good luck with your procedures today!
I’m 11 months post surgery. I have never regretted the surgery and have felt so much better. I’ve only had one throat infection in the past 11 months. My 18 year old son is scheduled to have his tonsils removed on Friday. I’m more anxious for him to have the surgery than I was to have it done myself. Perhaps it’s because I know exactly what the recovery entails. He’s a tough kid and has a high tolerance for pain. I know he can do it, it’s just going to be difficult to watch him go through this.
I had the UPPP tonsillectomy June 5TH. Today being the 11TH which is either the 5TH day or 6TH day which ever way you want to look at it. Some say the day of surgery doesn’t count. I’m a 59 year old female great health except my breathing which has improved greatly after surgery. I felt good the first 3 days. The fourth day was not good. I tried to extend my pain pills from 4 hours to 6 hours. Mistake. It started with the lortab read that it caused constipation which something did. I assumed it was the pain pills. Tried taking a laxative still not as good as I hoped. After reading some of the posts here it seems I am just starting to go through the worst of it. I may have thrust also. White tongue. Back hurts between shoulder blades. Have had the ear ache & jaw pain. Have DR appointment tomorrow which will be one week since surgery. I am afraid of getting a clot or bleeding now. I feel like there is something stuck in the back of my throat & I try to cough it up & can’t. I’m afraid if I try to hard I will start bleeding or get a clot like I read. I definitely do not want to start all over again. This is not picnic for sure .Had to start the tylox and motrin again because the pain was to much to bare. I know I have heard there is light at the end of the tunnel which the breathing has been a GOD sent in itself but the pain & sickness is horrible. Not sure if it’s the scabs that is feeling horrible in the back of my throat. I unserstand once the scabs fall off you start feeling better & then some feel worse. Everyone deals with pain differently but what I have read so far almost everyone has had similar reactions. I will be happy once the nausea & constipation stops & whatever is hanging in the back of my throat is gone!!
What forms in the back of the throat is a white/grayish scab. Do not try to cough it out too soon…..could bleed. You don’t want to experience a bleed and go back through this all over again as I did on day 9. And I didn’t try to cough mine up…it came out on its own. It bled off and on and then just wouldn’t stop and I developed a blood clot. I posted the full story. This time around I’ve been putting an ice pack on and off thru the day and also thru the night hoping that helps.
Thanks Nicole. I am now on Day 3. I opted for regular pills and it has been working fine so far. Hopefully it will continue that way! So far my recovery has been going fine, hope you are doing well also!
Glad to hear it has been going well so far! I hope you continue to have a smooth recovery. Please keep us updated on your progress
HI there everyone~
I just got my tonsils out and adenoids on May 31, so I say that is Day 10, however my husband says that the day of surgery doesn’t count. My scabs have started to fall off and when they do it hurts, but today I threw up….yuck…it was like green slime…not sure what effect the adenoids have on any of my recovery, but I can truly say this is the most miserable experience I have had in my WHOLE life…..I’m 35 years old…older than some and not older than others…but may the pain sucks…I am doing reasonably well now, but sleep still sucks…because my ear hurts so badly when I first wake up…my throat hurts, too…but my right ear feels like it could burts…oh and in the middle of everything I got thrush..so I have these losenge things that are supposed to dissolve on my tongue…yeah in like 20-30 minutes…atleast they don’t taste bad….I am supposed to go back to work tomorrow….I really want to, I guess we will see what the rest of this day and tomorrow morning have to say about that! I guess the one benefit that I have had is that I have lost 15 lbs… at least…But I’d really like to be able to eat.
I had my tonsils removed around 8am (about 20 hours ago.) After I got home I laid down for about 3 hours until I didn’t feel so nauseated. I was prescribed prednisone to take for the first 4 days and liquid lortab for the pain. So far I have been feeling well except the pain when I swallow. I have been drinking powerade and water all day. I have eaten applesauce, chocolate pudding, and rainbow sherbet. I haven’t dared eat anything that isn’t cold today. I took lortab for the first time right before I went to bed. Getting to sleep was tough because I am used to sleeping face up with a pretty thin pillow. When I tried laying down face up I could inhale just fine, but It was almost impossible to exhale through my nose. If I turned my head to either side I could exhale better but it felt awkward. I ended up folding my pillow and sleeping on my side. I didn’t set an alarm to take more lortab in 4 hours, but I woke up about 4 hours later(around 330am) to use the restroom. I took some more lortab and am now waiting for that to hit me so I can fall asleep. I’ll try to update my progress over the next few weeks.
Today was similar to yesterday as far as painful swallowing. I had scrambled eggs for breakfast and macaroni and cheese for lunch and dinner. Lots of cold liquids throughout the day. I still can’t exhale through my nose while laying face up. I constantly have mucus that I can’t fully spit or cough out because of the paying.
*pain
To eliminate the mucus avoid milk and dairy products…ice cream and Mac and cheese will cause mucus to form.
Today I felt a little more pain in
Today I felt a little more pain in my throat. I have avoided dairy products and that has helped with the mucus. Thank you.
Day 4 and pain is still about the same when I swallow. I have began to feel a little pain in my right ear. Hopefully it does not get worse. I coughed up two chunks of what I am guessing are scabs. Still staying away from dairy and eating only soft foods.
I’m a female 41 and on day 9 of recovery (surgery May 29th). Days 1-8 were great. I came home first day of surgery and was responding to emails. I did vomit from the anesthesia but only once and it was shortly after I took meds to stop nausea so no more after that. Talked to my sister on the phone a few minutes. The first night I set my alarm for every 4 hrs for med and a separate timer for 15 min to drink water to moisten my throat. Worked well.
Day 2-7 ate a variety – oatmeal, cream of wheat, soft scrambled eggs, clam chowder, also had popsicles as well. Stayed away from the ice cream – I already knew it would increase mucus. I went to whole foods and bought their version of pudding and gelatin (non pork products). Taste great. I’ve been up driving for one reason or another every day – I really felt great. Yes some slight pain in the throat but the meds helped and I took it shortly before eating or after eating. Nodded or got sleeping about an hour into taking the meds so timed my activities around that. Skyped with my sister several times for short periods.
Problem – didn’t have a bowel movement until day 4 – and only after using an enema. Then not another one until day 8 – only after using an enema. I called the doctor and the nurse said reduce or eliminate the pain meds (lortab) since they cause constipation. My stomach feels bloated. So today I’ve only taken 1 tsp at 2:30 am and then 6:30 am. I also used a suppository to use the bathroom.
Having done that – I’ve only eaten a small thing of pudding today and been sipping cold water and chewing ice. The things in the back of my throat make me feel like throwing up. Had some slight bleeding today for the first time mostly after pushing to use the bathroom.
I just don’t feel well today at all. A little discomfort under right rib cage – not sure what that is. Little to no talking today.
It
Update to what I was feeling on Friday when I posted….I had a set back last night. I knew something wasn’t right and was just praying Lord I want to be well but if something is wrong and I need to go to ER show me. You know we can endure a lot of pain and discomfort as mothers. My stomach felt uncomfortable and my mouth had started bleeding on and off. I called the Dr they said to keep sucking ice and gargling lightly with cold water. At some point it just wouldnt stop and then I started vomiting blood. This was my sign…my daughter called the Dr back and told him we were headed to ER. He came and tried a quick procedure but I couldn’t stop vomiting blood long enough for him to get to it. Plus he saw a blood clot in my mouth that wasn’t passing thru….so down to the OR we went to do a repeat of surgery to cauterize the area to stop the bleeding and pump my stomach where the blood was going. Praise God everything went well! Unfortunately, I became partvof the 4% that experiences the bleeding.
I am now on day 18 post op and things are finally getting back to normal. I am completely off all painkillers now, throat is still slightly sore and my voice is not totally back to normal yet, it still sounds a lot higher to me. The only thing that still really hurts its yawning/sneezing! I am eating normally now, still trying to eat a lot of toast as i still have a few scabs to come off. Only experienced a couple of bleeding episodes, nothing major, just drank some cold water and it washed away. The majority of my scabs have disapeared, i never really felt them come off so assuming they got washed down with food and water. Soooo glad the horrible taste has gone!!!! It was painful, the first week felt like tonsillitus but the second week was a lot worse, i had bad ear ache and really struggled with sleeping. So glad i went through with it though, knowing i will never feel the pain of tonsillitus again makes it worth it !!!
I am glad your doing well. I am on day 9. I just want this to be over. My right side is raw because of the scab rubbing where the tonsil was. I was given Lidocaine to numb the area but it doesn’t seem to work. When I drink liquids it stings really bad. I just want relief.
I am on day 8. I am having the stinging raw feeling on the right side of my throat. Does it get any better? I am in so much pain! The most pain I have been in!
Hi I am a 39 year old female who is on day 4 after tonsillectomy. I am in pretty bad pain. I force myself to drink water to stay hydrated. I have only had 3 bites of smoothie today. Couple of questions for those of you have been through this already…I have quite a bit of tooth pain in my upper teeth…Is this normal? Also, I am experiencing some back pain today. I am a very active person, and think maybe this is from laying down for the past 4 days, but I’m not sure???? Also, my tongue looks really white. Should I be concerned that this is thrush?
Please advise,
Thanks!!
Hello, yes that is normal, i had toothache on and off for about 2 weeks! It will suddenly just go away. I am pretty sure the back pain is from lying down a lot more than normal. I hardly moved from my bed for 2 weeks and towards the end i was very uncomfortable with aches/pains. My tongue also turned bright white. I assumed it was from taking the tablets. I didnt speak to a doctor about it or anything as it didnt bother me too much. Since i have come off of my tablets my tongue is slowly returning to its normal colour! Hope this helps
White tongue can also be from dehydration.
I had to call my dr. because there were spots on my tongue that looked like they were bleeding and my tongue hurt as badly as the rest of me. So I got a losenge thing that has to dissolve on my tongue and it supposed to help…I think it does other than the longer sleeps I take…..then it hurts all over again.
Day 2 now. Still feels like threads hanging in the back of my throat. I have drank so much water throughout the time I left the hospital and have not stopped. I do drink cold, use to like room temperature But, finding out the colder the better. Ice chips & shaved ice with snow cone flavoring, jello yogurt with soft fruit, blueberries & mashed strawberries. Tried raspberries but the seeds were a bit to much. Tried egg whites but didn’t go down to easy. I actually had a caramel latte from my Kureig coffee machine at warm like ice coffee. Not bad. Going to try spaghetti this afternoon & see if that goes down better than the eggs. I don’t know if it the meds taken all the time on time or a few minutes sooner has helped greatly. I have also heard it hits you on the 4TH day until about the 8-10 TH day. Hopefully I’m prepared very well so far. Ice packs. Brushed teeth with a soft manual toothbrush instead of electric for now. Tried Listerine zero mouth wash but probably not good for at least a week. Not sure about loosing weight yet because I lost 45 prior to the surgery from CURVESCOMPLETE since last September. I was told I could use a few lbs. anyway. At the moment hardly any pain but, I should expect it soon & hope that it won’t be to bad. Every ones different in how we manage pain. I do know the cool mist humidifier works great. Had not woken at any point with dry or sore throat pain more than a 2or 3. Probably won’t get much sleep for about a week for fear of throat drying out. Then I hear it’s hard to swallow & rehydrate again. It is a little harder to swallow hard pills but found out in applesauce or something soft. Haven’t experienced ear or jaw pain & hope that I don’t. I hate to chew gum but it does help the saliva / I chew only a few minutes then throw it away. I did get many ideas here on the site before surgery. About 2 weeks prior to. If I can I will post day 3 & on until it’s pretty much over. Pain pills kick in time to stop. Good luck everyone & I do appreciate all advice. So far all I have gotten has definitely used & has seemed to be helping so far. Having someone around helps a lot. In my case is my husband which has made a really good nurse. Being I was for 24 years some of it may have rubbed off after 30 years of marriage. Some of the people that I corresponded with 3 weeks prior to my surgery I haven’t heard back from after theirs but they did help me out. That may be because they are better now & moved on with life which is what I’m hoping for in a couple of weeks as well. Before this site I read some pretty scary especially watching videos. The bottom line is the after math being able to breathe with ease . Although I like sleeping with one pillow but should staying propped up the first week Not very comfortable but it doesn’t make me fall into deep sleep for my throat to become to dry. Right now my hubby & I get about an hour at a time for meds, drinking & of course many bathroom trips. Hopefully now that it’s over I’m looking forward to being less tire get more sleep without gasping for air, this has been worth possible throat pain only for a limited time. I will try to add day 3 if I feel as good then as now(today) Hope this has made some sense being I am on some pretty heavy pain pills.
At the moment it feels like a bunch of threads hanging down in the back of the throat. I am sticking to homemade snow cones, ice water, freeze pops. Tried 3 bites of mac & chees. I think I will hold off on that for a couple more days.Jello & chicken broth help when the hunger pains are bad.
Glad to hear it sounds like you’re doing pretty well today.
If you get a craving for ice cream, and since dairy is not recommended during recovery, I recommend the So Delicious brand of dairy free ice cream (found at Jewel, Whole Foods etc). It’s made with coconut milk and is very very tasty!
Hope you continue to do well during your recovery!
T had myUPPP/Tonsilectony this morning It was hard for me to wake after anesthea than normally but have only had a bout 2-4 for pain so far. But that is because I’m still very sedated.Once that wears off maybe or told the 4TH day I may start feeeling it for about 4 more days. The surgery went well 1 1 /2 hour long recovery almost 2 hours. I had to wear a pain patch from not until at least day 3 to help with nanesau . All the horror stories . Everyones body is different on healing. I can breathe a little better Hopefully it might not be so bad. It’s worth the pain for breathing. No steriods for me or coblaton . Havig a good surgeon makes all the dufference also. Good luck. At least mine is behind me by one day so far. Looking forward to feeling a little better each day. Good luck. Try not to stress or be to scare. I was also but everyone has a tentsy to worry way to much sometimes. Medicine has come a long way. The key is to stay very hydrated & take pain pills on time. I found the cool mist humidifer & cool throat wraps work also. Just be prepared the better it will be.
I look forward to your continued updates and am wishing you a good recovery! I bet your positive attitude and preparation will help a lot. Good luck
Well, my surgery is two days away. Getting a little scared! I did find out that my surgeon uses the coblation method, so I think this is a positive thing. He told me that I have an option between liquid painkillers or pills. Anyone have any insight into this? He said I would have to take a lot of liquid if I went that way. Maybe it is better to just swallow a pill quickly? Not sure. Any help would be appreciated!
From what I’ve seen after months of extensive research is coblation should lessen your pain. I’m getting coblation in July. So we can hope
My doctor recommended the liquid Vicodin to me. However i have heard the pills may be a tad more effective, yet the pain they may cause when swallowing might not be worth it. Hopefully your doctor will allow you to switch half way through if necessary. Good luck with your surgery!! Please update us with your recovery, I am very interested in coblation recovery stories. I wish you the best!
My doctor put me on the liquid. That may be a good choice for you. My throat was extremely sore and the liquid goes down fast. I am on day 9. I Wish u well. Don’t be scared.
Liquid lortab has been working fine for me.
Topic = Steroids
My doctor said that he will give me steroids during the surgery that will last throughout my recovery to prevent inflammation. Did anybody else have the steroids given during surgery and do you think it helped your recovery?
Not me.
Hi, everyone. I am a 25 year old female, otherwise healthy, who had a tonsillectomy the morning of 6/12.
This is just the end of surgery day, so I’m not sure how you guys count. Is today “day 1″? Or do you start counting by post-op day 1, being tomorrow?
Either way, today wasn’t too bad. I have been drinking a lot of water and eating popsicles and pudding. My throat isn’t exactly comfortable, even with pain medication, but it’s not unbearable yet; I imagine that part is still to come. I did as much research as I could about this surgery/recovery, so I think I’m about as well prepared as possible.
I have a humidifier running on low in my bedroom to help keep the air moist. I also have Biotene dry mouth rinse and a spray; my mom is a dental hygienist and suggested they would help keep my mouth and throat from drying out. I just used the rinse after brushing my teeth to get ready for bed, so we’ll see how effective it is.
As far as pain medication is concerned, I have just finished my 3rd year of pharmacy school a couple days ago and opted for oxycodone 5mg tabs because I do not do well with liquid medications and I knew that these tablets are very small. I am supplementing that with OTC acetaminophen capsules which are slick and easy to swallow, so I am still getting all the ingredients contained in Percocet or Roxicet without larger tablets or foul tasting liquids.
Whoopsies, didn’t mean to post that there. Not sure how to delete, but I will repost as a new comment.