Tonsillectomy | Adult Tonsillectomy Recovery Forum
Tonsillectomy recovery and tonsillectomy planning can be daunting experiences. The days leading up to your tonsillectomy 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 tonsillectomy. Study, talk with your doctor and consult with your friends about the decision to undergo tonsillectomy surgery. Explore the pages created here to aid in your journey. If you should decide to have a tonsillectomy, let us help you through the entire process, including tonsillectomy recovery.
My own experience taught me that, as tonsillectomy 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 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 tonsillectomy 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 from tonsillectomy surgery. 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 or a tonsillectomy recovery. I created this forum for you. The community of adults or parents of tonsillectomy patients will amaze you and warm your heart. I read these comments every day and every day I am humbled by everyone’s tonsillectomy 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.
-Greg My short bio
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Kristen, first I’m glad that you wre able to finally drink cold things and your lortab liquid, both with good results! That’s great! I hope you e continued to be able to take the lortab minus the stinging!
As for the scabbing – can anyone comment here? I never had anything but the two white patches in the back which gradually faded until all pink new skin was present. They never felt like scabs and I never really noticed them in swallowing. I checked my throat everyday as well just to see what was going on.
It does sound like it could be an area where a scab sloughed. Did you eat anything that would have scraped off some scabbing? It may have just come off in the course of normal swallowing. I would watch it for bleeding, but I wouldn’t worry too much. Hopefully it’s just another step forward in your healing.
Kristen, I was so glad to hear you can take your time getting back to work and that you work with such supportive people.
. You’ll be back there soon enough and you’ll know when you feel ready.
Hope you have a good night!
ive got something else going on. it’s kind of developed throughout the day. i have a spot on the left side of my throat, its too low down for me to see, that gives me the feeling of swallowing over glass when i swallow anything.this is pain has gotten to where it makes the whole left side of my face hurt but in particular my left ear. the ear/throat pain is so intense that i have been unable to sleep on my left side during any of the naps ive taken, not that that little piece of info breaks my heart but to give you an idea of the pain.
because of the location of it i wonder if it’s where the blood vessel he cauterized was located. i wonder if maybe that scab is coming off and thats why its no suddenly so painful?
sorry everyone but i have another question.
i’m pretty sure my scabs are coming off but i just looked in my throat and saw something a little concerning. ive gotten into the habit of checking my throat a few times a day (just a flashlight and general glance, nothing invasive) and when i feel like there’s something stuck in it or when a certain area is particularly painful. anyway, i just looked at my throat and in the area where the right tonsil was i have a bloody blotch (i guess whats a good word) that i know wasn’t there last night. my problem is i dont remember if there was a scab there. is it possible that there was and the bloddy spot is there because the scab came off? if so, is it normal to have these as the scabs are coming off?
thanks
Hi all very impressed with the idea of the site and the sharing. I just had the tonsillectomy and pallatoplasty last Friday 18th. For me, the pain became quickly manageable after day1. The worst thing is this lump seemingly glued to the back of the throat – presumably the scabs which will fall off at some stage – anyone know when ? Is this the famous 5th day some of you refer to? Lot of discomfort with that, plus lethargy n weakness from the GA I guess. Thanks for the sharing and encouragement – I agree, I am not seeing that from the doc. His job is done and his golf awaits !
Kristen, I’m do glad the warm tea worked better!
It’s funny how cold feels okay at certain times during recovery, then it doesn’t (sane thing happened with me I think in my 2nd week). It’s all trial and error. It will be such a relief if you can get down the pain meds easier using warm liquids. Just one less thing to struggle with.
I forgot and you’re right about the liquid ibuprofen. My liquid Tylenol was the sane way – like a super thick gel almost. I have no idea why they make them like that!
I hope you find today is better for you. Will you be able to delay going back to work? I’m
sure your doctor would write an explanation or provide something for you to give your work if you felt they needed to see something ‘official’. The most important thing you need to do us get your rest and heal. How has sleep been for you lately?
I HATE text replacer! So for the weird typos! I’m on my iPhone.
Beth,
Last night/this morning has been the absolutely weirdest.
To start off with that percocet I took with the hot tea allowed me to sleep 7 hours uninterrupted which was wonderful and a first for me since the surgery. One of the problems with that is I also went that long without having anything to drink so when I woke up my throat was hurting pretty badly. To the point that even water burned. Knowing that a lot of the pain was dry throat I decided to try ice chips and lo and behold they felt wonderful on my throat!
Now for the weird weird. I took the lortab (it doesn’t zonk me out as much as the percocet so I take it during the day) and it didn’t burn at all. I mean I took it STRAIGHT and it DIDNT burn at all! I have no idea why it didn’t and to be honest right now I’m chalking it up to a fluke. Hopefully it’s not a fluke though and maybe my throat is finally really healing and I’ll have less pain overall!
As far as work goes there was never a question about me being able to get the time off. I’m a college student and I do part time office work for a botanical garden and the people I work with love me dearly and I love them dearly. They told me to take as much time as I needed to get well. I just really like working there and I actually miss working. That’s why I’ve been antsy to go back. With the pain that I’ve had overall this weekend I do know that it would not be a good idea for me to go in tomorrow so I’m not going to. And to be honest, it would probably be best if I wait until I’m not taking the pain medicine every 4 hours before I think about going back. The work I do isn’t difficult but if I’m in enough pain to be taking medicine every 4 hours then I have no business being at work.
Kristen, try not to dispair – you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll be feeling even a week or so from now.
Sorry about the pill suggestion.
I’m used to swallowing a handful of supplements everyday and forget that pills are not always easy for everyone. I think crushing up the Percocet in the pudding is a great idea. I wonder if the burning would be less if you used something ice cold (soft food or beverage)? If thst is a no go, maybe something warm abd just it with enough for a few spoonfulls of food or just a few ounces of liquid so it wont’ be a lot to get down? In my personal experience, Percocet works better than Vicodin (lortab), but each of us is different. I wonder if you could also try dissolving the Percocet in a few ounces of warm water and sip it down? Pain mgmt is so important and I wish I had more/better suggestions.
I think it sounds like the stinging must be because sugary foods, in their own way, are acidic. I had a little of this too, in the beginning, when I had anything sugary. It burned a little. Add to it the fact that you have re-cauterized areas, and it’s no wonder you’re having the burning and stinging.
. Do cold things help? Ice chips or very cold water? I found the cold very soothing that first week post-op, and I am NOT a cold drink lover – I usually like everything at room temp.
Have you been told that you can take ibuprofen? That might also help with the pain mgmt as it can be taken between doses of Percocet or lortab as long as your doctor ok’d it.
As far as food, it really is all trial and error. I tried rice and it didn’t work well for me either as it felt like it just got packed into the gaping pits in my throat. Same went for scrambled eggs. I ate a LOT of Gerber baby food oatmeal, cream of wheat, the drinks we discussed and some wonderful custard (like a creme brûlée) my mother in law brought over. Just keep trying different things and see what works.
Kristen, try not to get too discouraged. I know it’s really hard when you feel like crap, can’t eat normally and are in pain. Each day it is one step further to healing. It’s a frustrating process, but this board is a great resource and you can vent here anytime. I’m listening. Hug!
beth,
thank you for the kind words. as far as pain management goes i think the percocet does work slightly better for me than the lortab but the lortab works pretty well so i’m fine with it. i havent tried mixing the crushed percocet in anything but pudding or applesauce. i may try broth or hot tea or something to see if that works. thank you for the suggestion. cold cold drinks, ice chips and things like that used to be really soothing until a day or so after i had that blood vessel cauterized. i learned that the hard way too. i was trying to get rid of the burn of the lortab and took a drink from a juice box id just gotten out of the fridge and that was awful. not thinking it hurt because it was cold i went for some ice chips. yeah….i thought i was going to lose it. or wake up everyone in my house from the screaming. my doctor did give me some liquid ibuprofen to take for pain as well that i tried on day 2 i think and had such a hard time getting down because it’s so crazy thick that i havent even bothered trying it again. i’ll have to give it another try.
trying really hard not to lose hope. i know i’ve said it before but i knew this surgery would not be easy on me. i just never imagined it would be this bad.
beth,
i just got up to take another dose of pain medicine and i was just going to go back to bed but i had to log in and tell you. i decided i was going to heat up some tea (using the cheater method, iced tea in the microwave) and crush the percocet and put it in that to see if that worked and holy crap does it ever. the nice thing is that when i mixed it with the pudding it made the pudding taste absolutely awful and when it’s mixed with the tea it just tastes like the tea isn’t sweet enough. it hurt my throat a little tiny bit but it was more than bearable! i think im going to try mixing the liquid lortab with the hot tea next to see if that works too. obviously, i will be waiting until time for me to take another dose of pain medicine, lol.
anyway, i just had to let you know!
thanks so much!
I am 54 years old and had a tonsillectomy with adenoid removal in 1963. On May 29, 2012, I am slated for tonsillectomy (they grew back), adenoids removed and tubes in ears. Anyone have any advise. I am having the surgery on my husband’s day off. We have a six year autistic daughter. Do you think I will need additional help? How should I prep my household?
Yvonne, if you can, I would absolutely have a friend or relative stay with you or come by each day the first week or at least until you get your bearings. You will probably need help with your son as the first 3-4 days you will be taking the pain meds and needing lots of sleep/rest.
My advice would be to do what you can now to prepare. Cook/buy foods you can freeze and have ready to pull out for food for your family. Better still if your husband, relatives or a friend can take care of getting meals ready for your family each night for at least a few nights. You might want to stock some Gatorade, Popsicles, Italian ice, or any other cold food that appeals to you. I also did all my laundry and sheets a few days before surgery.
A lot of people on here relied on humidifiers to help keep their airways moist. If you have one, clean it and get it ready. I’m not sure what your doctor will give you for pain but all the pain meds can be very constipating, so get some Colace and/or Miralax to take daily to offset that.
Most people need to sleep propped up after surgery because of the throat swelling post-surgery. Do you have a recliner or couch to sleep on? Have extra pillows for propping and wherever you end up sleeping, have your water, pain meds, a watch or cell phone (to set timer for meds) and humidifier right there available to you. It’s a lot easier than getting up all the time to get these things.
I bought packages of frozen peas/corn to hold against my throat that first week post-op. They gave me a bag to put either ice or frozen veggies in at the hospital and that helped. It had strings on it do I could tie it across my throat with ties at the back. Maybe ask if they have something like this if it’s not offered.
I hope it goes smoothly for you.
also, try to be sure you allow yourself a full two weeks for recovery. Request that time off if at all possible if you have a job. You will be glad you have the time even if you find you don’t need it all. Everyone’s experiences postedon here helped a lot. If you page back and back you can read daily updates from those of us who recently went through this (I’m 5 1/2 weeks post-op).
Keep us posted Yvonne.
Kristen, I had liquid Percocet and took liquid Tylenol and neither burned. I’ve heard others talk about lortab burning though. My best advice would be to ask for pill form and take that way. I was able to swallow pills right away do as it turns out I never needed liquid form of meds. Can you swallow pills? I know it sounds strange to ask that after a tonsillectomy but I think it’s a mind over matter thing.
What day recovery are you on?
beth,
i cant take a pill right now. i know its mostly psychological but i feel like im still getting choked on everything. if i eat chicken and rice soup i have to take a drink of whatever im drinking everytime i have some rice because i feel like its stuck in my throat.
i had a hard time taking large pills even before the surgery and lortab is one of the ones i had a hard time taking.
my doctor gave me some percocet pills to have in case i had issues with the lortab (sensitvie stomach) and ive taken it a few times by crushing it up and putting it in pudding but it burns just as badly. this may sound crazy but it seems like since the surgery to cauterize that blood vessel that burst my throat gets badly irritated by sugary things like pudding and fruit juice. i dont know, maybe it’s just me. sometimes i think im losing my mind.
i just really want this over with. i really thought i would be feeling better than i do by now.
hey, i was wondering if anyone else had been given liquid lortab for their pain. i really like it because it gets rid of the pain but i gotta say, it burns. it burns really bad. i have tried mixing it with just about everything i can think of to help with the burn and nothing seems to really help.
if anyone has any suggestions out there it would be great. i’m still having to take this every 4 hours and it takes me a good 10-15 minutes to get up the nerve to take it. this burn is so bad that it literally has me in tears and i like to think that i have a pretty high pain tolerance.
Thanks
Hey,
My name is Kristin and I will be 30 on Tuesday. I am exactly one week post-op from my tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. I’ve gotta say, I knew recovery wouldn’t be easy but I never imagined it would be this bad.
Day of Surgery Friday: I go in, I do my thing. My doctor goes in and does his thing. Not a whole lot of pain. I’ve had strep hurt more than this.
Saturday -Monday: oh wow. this hurts a lot. everything hurts, a lot. my ears hurt, my throat hurts everything burns and i am coughing like crazy. why am i coughing? i dont need to cough. coughing is bad. im on lortab and tussin and a nausea medicine.
Tuesday: in the doctor’s office because im running a fever of 101.2 and they want to hear if it’s that or above. Considering that my normal body temperature stays around 97 theres a little more concern. I’m also coughing a little blood. Doctor says the blood isnt bad, just keep drinking fluids and here’s an antibiotic.
Wednesday: i wake up at 8:30 in the morning coughing up blood. then i throw up blood clots and tissue. it is absolutely awful. after attempting to stop the bleeding with ice water my doctors office says to come to the er and he will meet me there. i go in for emergency surgery to have a blood vessel that had burst from me coughing (in my sleep apparently) cauterized. i seriously thought i was going to die.
Thursday: in the doctors office for original post-op appointment. i was given a new lortab prescription because im almost out, an inhaler for the cough because im still coughing and now im paranoid about it, a toradol shot and a cortisone. the doctor also tells me that he thinks that i will start feeling better over the weekend and that if i want to come back the next day for the shots again he’ll give them to me. these shots are a godsend. they make me feel almost 100% again.
Friday: my sister takes me in to the doctors office to have the shots. i get the shots and about 15 minutes later start feeling the toradol kick in. we get home and i lay down for a nap thinking once i wake up im going to be feeling pretty good. i wake up and im feeling better but not as good as i did yesterday. the shots didnt work as amazingly today as they did the day before. im a little sad about it but there’s not a whole lot i can do. i think my scabs are starting to come off (particularly on the right side since it was the left side where the blood vessel burst) and i am hoping that his prediction for this weekend is right. i was hoping i would feel good enough to start back to work on monday but i just dont think thats going to happen. i would have to feel pretty significantly better than i do right now in order to go in to work. we will see though.
That is my journey thus far.
Thank you Kristin- it WILL get better- Hang in there!
Kristen, sorry just read your earlier post so I see your a week out. Just take it easy and get the week off from work. I can’t imagine you trying to go back to work Monday. Most everyone on this forum took at least 2 weeks off, myself included (I’m 5 1/2 weeks post op).
Be gentle with yourself, eat as high a calorie soft foods as you can. I got hooked on Stouffer’s Mac and cheese. Try Slimfast, Ensure and anything else that has a decent nutrient profile. I know eating sucks but the nutrition is crucial for recovery. Especially if you can get in some extra Vit C.
I’m sorry you had the bleed. That sounds scary but you got through it and you’re working toward healing. Hang in there. If you read a lot of our stories on the site (Greg you might need to direct her to the earlier posts. – I think they’re on a different page/area?) you’ll see exactly what each I’d us experienced as some of us posted updates every day for the first to weeks.
Hang in there!
ive been doing special k protein shakes and vitamin water and things like that to try to supplement what im not getting in real food. im still at the point eating wise where pretty much all i can eat is soup and pasta with some kind of sauce, obviously not tomato sauce.
Hi
I’m 41yrs and my op went pretty much as my surgeon described ie 12 -14 days recovery. I was eating most “normal” foods from day one. Even a few hours after my operation I was able to eat sandwiches, jelly and ice cream at the hospital. They say eating normal food is good as it “cleans” the wound as opposed to soft, mushy food. I was able to eat and sleep so long as I took my pain relief (Voltarin and paracetmol) and I never had to resort to the codeine my surgeon gave me just in case. I have been able to do stuff (even did some painting around the house) so long as I didn’t have to talk for long periods. Last night I went out and found I couldn’t talk for too long. I had only a small amount of bleeding three times between day 5-8 (again as the doctor predicted) but was only small and stopped immediately. Thanks for the site though as it made sure I was prepared, in fact I ended up over prepared and have lot of jelly and electrolyte water left along with the pureed food in the freezer !
Hey-o, it’s Julie. Testing the Twitter option for you!
Is it going to cross-post to my Twitter feed? Guess we’ll see! ha ha
answer: no. Works great!
Just want to wish all the moms on this forum a Happy Mother’s Day! Bless all of you!
I second that!
Alexandra, because of the nature of your work, I’d recommend waiting a few more days before returning. I went back to work on day 14 (counting surgery day) and it was hard. I was still eating soft foods, talking really strained my throat, and I still felt a little light-headed. I crashed out on the couch each evening. If I had more sick leave, I would’ve definitely taken 2.5-3 weeks. Good luck.
Today I’m on day 13 of recovery. I’ve gotta say this site has helped me more than my doctor. This site has let me know what to expect and when, what I can eat and when- my doctor didn’t give me any of that! My throat is still sore and feels like I have a rock in there so I can’t help but cringe everytime I swallow. When I talk it sounds like I marbles in my mouth and it’s almost exhausting. I’ve been eating alot of eggs and try to add pasta and other chewy foods in my diet. I was wondering if I should try to go back to work or not. I work in an office answering phones, data entry, filing, etc. How long until you went back to work?
I have read a lot of personal experiences and this proceedure seems to vary greatly. I did some pre-surgery research and i am on day 4 of my recovery.
I am 36 years old and have been fighting recurring strep and my ENT said my tonsils were 4 times normal when not infected. They were causing obstructive sleep apnea and i could barely swallow my own saliva when inflamed. Scared me enough to proceed, knowing the upcoming pain. Every doctor and nurse i spoke to said this was serious and noted thepain as an adult.
My doctor is great and removed my adnoids 25 years ago as a child. Post surgery i had my humidifier going and my bedroom “prepped” with the items others have suggested. I was prescibed Nucynta in pill form, not liquid Vicodin as others have. Hydrcodone in liquid form for more moderate pain. I have not taken any of the Nucynta but have relied on a steady dose of the other. My pain has been managable and I have been able to eat and drink better than i expected. Ice cream caused a mucus that i didnt like, so i have eaten a lot of popsicles. Since day 2, I have been able to eat soft boiled eggs, pudding, a little toast, and even some mac and cheese.
So far, my main problem has been swelling. My uvula has swollen each night and made swallowing difficult. My ENT gave me a Cortisone shot and some steriods today to combat the swelling.
I am hoping the next 10 days of recovery continue in this positive manner.
Hi, Ian! Your story sounds very, very familiar. My doctor first examined my tonsils when I was having a “good” day, and he labeled them as Stage 3 out of 4 then. When they became enflamed (which was quite often), I could hardly swallow or sleep because of the obstruction they were causing. I am now 7 weeks post-op and feeling great. Even though it was a painful recovery, I do not regret my decision to have the surgery. How is your recovery going? I hope you have a speedy recovery. Remember… don’t push yourself too hard too soon. Listen to your body (oh, and your doctor too), and you will be just fine! Take care!
-Sorry-one more test….Greg
Just a test here folks. I’ve added the option of logging in with your Twitter or Facebook account. Let me know if you have any problems. Thanks to you all for sharing your wisdom, sharing the site through social media, and any other form of contribution. -Greg
Annette, it took me a good 2-3 weeks before I got a good night’s sleep. I’m 44 and had my surgery 8 weeks ago today. Using the humidifier will help even though it may seem like it doesn’t make enough of a difference. I couldn’t sleep for more than 1.5-2 hours at a time during my first 10 days post-op. You just have to nap during the day. The first couple of weeks are really rough and then the tiredness lasts another couple of weeks. But after you heal, you will be so glad you had the surgery. Best of luck.
Anette, You should be waking up every 2 hours to hydrate. I know you want your sleep but taking your meds and drinking water through out the night is very important. I set my alarm for the first week of my recovery. I didn’t feel too sleep deprived because I could nap doing the day. You will get a good night of rest soon. The reason you’re waking up in pain with a dry mouth is because you are not hydrating enough… as in every 2 hours. Try doing that for the next 24 to 48 hours and see how you feel. Good luck.
Hello all! I have been following everyones posts for some time, and I finally got the courage to set up my appointment! I have it set in two month, my ENT was booked until then. (GREAT
)
My biggest fear is the pain, he said on a scale of 1-3 my left tonsil is a 3 and my right is a 4, also adding he could more then likely sufficate me by putting his thumb in my throat, and that scares the living day lights outta me
Any advice to get me prepared, even if its a million years away?! Thank you everyone for sharing there recovery!!!
Hydrate hydrate hydrate.
Even as far away as two months there is nothing wrong with getting into the habit of keeping yourself well-hydrated on a regular basis so that you are a: well-hydrated going into the procedure and b: accustomed to staying well-hydrated (so your bladder is adjusted, ha ha).
If your eating habits are not so great right now, working to get on a healthy, balanced diet prior to the procedure is a smart idea, as well! The healthier you are going in the better off you will be. Get active and feeling good, you have the time to spare. ^_- If you are already doing these things, I’d say spend time doing whatever little things around your home you might not want to deal with. If you have any small repairs or any large cleaning jobs get them out of the way now.
I’m sure your doctor didn’t mean to freak you out when he was talking about the size of your tonsils. A lot of the time when doctors find something interesting academically they don’t always choose the best words to set their patients at ease. Ha ha.