I don’t feel 100% but I’m not crying and holdings my ears and mouth in pain anymore! There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it happens quickly, I was at the very end of my pain threshold and felt like I couldn’t take anymore then I woke up felt a bit groggy, went back to sleep and pushed myself! You need to push yourself a little go outside get some fresh air, pop to the shop, it makes the world of difference!
For ear ache I know this sounds strange but when it’s bad put ear muffs on or tie a scarf around your head!! It helps! The pressure of the tight scarf or ear muffs helps. I always put them on when I ate which meant I could get in those extra mouthfuls etc!
Don’t over do the pain meds, for the first couple of days I did a chart and took them on time etc….I got to sick.(I was on antibiotics too as I got an infection) I was taking more than I needed, I opted to take one tablet every 3 hours, rotating between codeine and paracetamol. I wouldn’t take them through the night, unless I needed to and I wouldnt take them unless I felt a little pain. Don’t bombard your tummy trust me being sick with this throat is scary!!
You’ll get there I promise, I’ve got my brothers wedding on Thursday and I never thought I’d make it! Now I’m feeling good and I’m going the be the best tonsiless bridesmaid ever!!
Keep smiling and fighting through!
Day 7 horrendous ear ache, day 8 felt much better managed to eat mashed potatoes, first food in 8 days. Even managed two rich tea biscuits dunked in warm tea to soften them. Big mistake. At about 8pm day 8 back on pain meds, sore throat returned with a vengence and hoarse voice was back. I can feel scabs and can taste blood when I swallow. Will this never end? Hoping that day 10 will be the turning point.
I’ll wake up on day 8 tomorrow. I still can’t open my mouth wide but have been chewing…chewits as recommended by doctor. It’s very painful to swallow too
The pain in the morning was larger. But my body felt much better. But then after a few hours I drank plain water with some honey for energy, and afterwards my tonsil pockets (which were empty in the morning) got filled up with this white bubbly foamy stuff that I see in the picture posted up. I noticed this also yesterday and the day before. And I also noticed that my overall feeling goes worse when this stuff appears. Body temperature slightly increases to 36.9-37.1 Celsius. And I get some general fever symptoms – pain in eyes, headache, feeling of illness. I wonder if there are foods and matter that don’t cause the foam to appear.
Anyway, when I eat something, it clogs up the pockets and I have no idea whether the foam is still there or not. I guess this is some sort of tissue reaction to matter it touches…?
During the day my throat pain reduces.
Just by bed time I felt colder and as though a fever was about to hit me :/ I guess my bodies fighting some infections. I hope this stage ends soon…
Still bad earache, so hungry but food still hurts so much, sleeping not good, I’m so tired but keep panicking about the pain you get in the morning, get a weird cough that comes on at night, tongue very sore still but don’t know why, feeling better in myself but was hoping to eat a bit more by now, still its early dats
For those of you who are experiencing ear pain, I used a hot compress. I wet a towel and put it in the microwave for a few minutes and held that up to both ears and it completely got rid of the pain. Good luck to all of you…what a nightmare recovery!
Excuse my extensive typos. I am pretty exhausted right now after working from home today!
I have been reading this every day making sure my recovery is “normal”! I still have a lot of ear and jaw pain thought I have fairy high energy. Today I had some minimal bleeding for the first time and now one tonsils has dark patches on it. Does that mean my scabs are coming off? I don’t really know how to tell, but I am worried about these dark patches.
hi when did you get your surgery? i got mine on 12/29/2014 and i am 1 week in today and my ear pain only started yesterday and is slowly creeping up on me today i am lucky to have not bled (yet) and for the dark patches on your tonsils that is normal. those are just your scabs. they become darker as you recover. i was actually worried because my scabs have not fallen off yet and i had such severe ear pain today that i called my doctor and he said that scabs come off anywhere from 7-10 days and the ear pain is very normal. i was just worried because the nurse told me i would experience ear pain anywhere from the 3rd or 4th day and since today is my 7th day i freaked out. hope your doing better!
I don’t even know what day i’m on 7..8? Either way it’s pure misery! I am beginning to sound like negative nancy over here but I can’t help it! I definitely do not want to scare anyone out of getting this surgery but just know it is a very tough process but as they say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. I barely slept last night because of the ear pain and having to use the bathroom every second. It’s also like 20 degrees at night by me (i live in NJ) and it makes it very uncomfortable to sleep even with the heat blasting. I also woke up in the middle of the night to a very dry throat. It hurt sooo bad so I chugged a bunch of water. I have been doing my best to stay as hydrated as I possibly can. It just sucks having to literally go to the bathroom every 2 minutes but I’ll take that over pain. When I woke up today it felt like the first few days all over again especially when forcing myself to eat oatmeal for breakfast. I called my doctor and asked if it is normal to still be in so much pain and he said it can last anywhere from 7-10 days and sometimes a full 2 weeks! I also started to panic because I still have my scabs and I read that they should have been off by now but again they start falling off anywhere from day 7-10. Think I may take the day off work tomorrow as well. I am a part time nanny for two 9 year old boys so I need to have all the energy I can since they’re wild little boys haha. Good luck everyone! hoping for a better day tomorrow!
Other than waking up at 4:30 in a pretty good clip of pain (used my ole’ trusty NSAID with a popsicle chaser), I am minimally uncomfortable other than the itching and”weirdness” of scabs and tissue regrowth. I want to brush my teeth and gargle all the time, LOL. Going back to work tomorrow for a half day, my job involves a lot of talking (counseling/social work mgmt) however, I planned administrative projects knowing my voice would be weak. I need to get out and start rebuilding some stamina. I have discovered that tuna and chicken salad are great options to get protein in my body to help with that as well.
So it’s finally day 8! I’m still in some pain! I have been taking my medicines like I am supposed to. There is something new that I noticed and want to know if anybody has had this problem. My jaw hurts when I open my mouth. It used to not but now it does. Any explanation?
Day 8 of my second tonsilectomy…that’s right, I’m 54 now ….had a tonsilectomy when I was 20 and at that time, it was so terrible I thought I would die. Fast forward, right tonsil slowly grew back and was disgusting with tonsil stones, etc. So…tonsilectomy on the right side only. I totally prepared for the worse, and am happy to say, it wasn’t that bad. WARM FEELS MUCH better than cold….and I’m less sick this time. Maybe they should take one at a time!
I would like to say that today there is less pain than before.. but it is hard to remember. The days are all running together because all that I can do is lay in my bed and eat popsicles. All day. This is one of the worst experiences of my life. It is day 8 for me, and the pain seems much sharper than before. I got my adenoids out too so I have an unbearable amount of mucus. My mom’s friend said that the pain is awful, but once day 10 comes around it magically goes away. I hope that is the case for me, but I’m doubtful that it will be. This is so awful
With these all-nighters, you can’t help but do a lot of reflecting. What kicked off this thought was I wanted to know what process the doctor used to remove these monsters.
I don’t know why I didn’t ask pre-surgery. Maybe I didn’t wanna know.
I found out my doctor uses a very conservative style. I was told it was accomplished by both some laser and scalpel. The back of the throat was cauterized——burn baby burn. Cauterization is used to stop/control the bleeding.
So, my reflecting thought is that we are all burn victims. Our pain has to be on some levels the same as a burn victim. Wouldn’t you agree?
When someone gives you that look like tonsillectomy is a piece of cake, maybe we all need to let them know from this perspective.
The receptionist told me her daughter at age 17 had a tonsillectomy. Her boyfriend dumped her because he thought she was just being a big ole baby. Take that with a grain of salt as teens will be teens. The point is————-don’t let anyone think, say, or believe that you are just being a Big Ole Baby!!!
Ok so im on day 8 now. The pain is still immense but nowhere near as bad as day 5 (i actually wanted to die that day! Id sooner give birth to 4 kids than suffer this pain) last night I had terrible pain across the back of my head I think I have been taking too many pain killers because of the constant pain. So had my last ibrufen at 12.30 last night its now 11.28am I woke up with some pain but used the difflam spray that stuff is a godsend. I had a fair bit of bleeding yesterday on the left side o dont know if that was a scab coming off or not but now there isnt as much pain on that side now. The earache is unbearable though. Trying to hold off the meds as they make me feel sick and my body cant take anymore. I honestly wish id not had it done and just put up with tonsilitis. Water through a straw and difflam are my best friends. When will this end???
Its my 8th day i still feel horible i dont know when im gonna be able to eat like a human bean im so tired of this i have been only eating little soup ,but thats nothing compare on how many pills i take on regular bases ,and i cant bearly swalove them !! I hope i can eat soon
Alicia I feel your pain honey- it will get better. It’s day 19 for me and I still have some pain but nothing like days 2-14. Give yourself a few more days and you should feel a difference. Stay the course your almost through this hellish experience. With some pounds dropped I’m sure:)
Day 8 post-op; i’m 100% convinced the pain isn’t going to stop. I drank some really cold water last night, choked, gagged and coughed. My throat is raw from that debacle and pretty sure I inhaled some water. I have beeen in an awful mood all day long. If I haven’t lost at least 25lbs, I will cry even more than I already am
Hi. Im in too much pain to be to descriptive, my apologies. My teeth hurt. Is this normal? Thanks
Day 8
I finally chewed a motrin so that has helped the swelling. I have a weird burning pain in the top of my mouth cold things irritate me now
My taste buds are off and I get frustrated with swallowing that I stop after three true.
I am constantly spitting and just extremely uncomfortable. The recovery seems to be dragging
I cry and it seems like this will never end. Hurts to yawn and turn my head.
just really experiencing a burning sensation. My heart goes out to parents with young children because recovering is exhausting in itself.
I am 39 and I have never experienced this much discomfort I am so looking for The day I am truly healed.
I’m on day 8 and I’m feeling pretty good. The only thing that has bothered me is my right ear and I’ve chewed gum to kill the pain which goes away pretty quickly after chewing. I can feel the scabs on the right side of my throat my tongue is brushing up against it. I still have all of my scabs and I am so afraid for them to fall off! I’m hoping things only get better from here because I am scheduled to return to work on Tuesday. I haven’t really ate much and I’ve lost 5lbs (not complaining!) but I am so ready to eat a huge cheeseburger!
Hi I am on day 8 and I really feel for you Michelle , trying to look after a child whilst going through recovery is not something I could have done, I have been on my own in my house since day 4 and that has been good. I managed to eat quite a lot yesterday including two pieces of toast , my throat feels a lot better and is more uncomfortable than painful, hoping my last horrendous day is behind me. I know what u mean that’s this is not for faint hearted, they says it hurts but you can’t really imagine and it’s all the other bits, sore tongue , earache etc. good luck to you all, looking forward to this time next week, when I shall hopefully be returning to work and feeling like a new person
Day 8 of my recovery. this experience has been worse than my natural home birth of my son like 10 x over – I am so not kidding. It just goes on and on and on. What I’ve realized the most is that despite all the immense overwhelming pain at times when I literally thought I might die from jaw, tongue, ear and throat pain, I was not prepared for the psychological challenge of this. I think my first memory of waking up in the recovery room struggling to swallow, looking the nurse in the eyes crying, saying “are you serious? what is going on in my throat, this cannot be happening” should have tipped me off to what was to come. Today however, I have hit my bottom and just need a good cry.
Let me explain, I had my surgery July 19/14. Day 1-3 were okay, uncomfortable but the pain and discomfort were manageable. I somehow managed to stay calm with the bizzare feeling of something being stuck in the back of my throat, sleeping upright, sipping ice chips constantly and even tolerating the unimaginable hunger pains. Eating only liquids (minus a few hard boiled eggs and a cup of mr. noodles hardly counts lol).
So as a single mom of a 4 year old so I arranged for my sister to fly across the country to help out, well she left on the morning of day7 which was my first real day from hell. I had some help with our caregiver but it’s just not the same. I have been taking my pain killers (mainly tramacet) religiously every 3.5 to 4 hours but on day 7 I called the surgeon and was like I need something stronger so went to see him yesterday. He looked in my mouth and said that it didn’t look too bad, still lots of scabs and the white coating on my tongue may be thrush but to wait a while to see if it goes away on its own. Soooooooooooooooo…. last night – oh, and I have not slept longer than 20 min intervals since this started, sleeping upright and coughing and the pain prevented me from anything longer than this. So last night I went to bed on my side for the first time uttlerly exhausted (I learned today that I was mistaken in thinking you had to lie upright on your back lol) and yes, an hour later I woke to a liquid pouring down the back of my throat and me continuously swallowing it. After about 10 gulps I was like Oh I should check this maybe its blood. I have been so determined not to bleed. Ugh of course I spit up bright red blood in the sink for like 5 mins, not even cold ice water was helping. So the only night out of 14 I DO NOT HAVE SOMEONE in the house overnight was last night. I woke up my 4 year old and we went to the hospital in our pyjamas. To the hospital where I work none the less – was seen and ER doc sent me to another hospital where the original ENT surgeon who was going to do my surgery was going to meet me at 8am.
I went home at 5am – my son refused to sleep, I sat upright in bed with my eyes closed while I let him watch videos and his dad agreed to take me to the hospital apt in the morning. I am so utterly beyond starving and exhausted at this point, as well I start to feel angry and sad and just want some help. When will this be over? So I saw the ENT today and he was awesome. He was shocked he said to see how much of the scabs are still in my mouth (and my own ENT didn’t say anything yesterday). He suspected it may be an infection likely bacterial and gave me biaxin and nystatin oral rinse and told me to gargle with a tsp of salt water 4x per day. I had to stop clindimyacin after 5 days due to diarrhea.
I did get a few answers to my ridiculous questions I”ll share in case you have them too: you can sleep any way you like, side or back, whichever it doesn’t affect anything, the food you eat after surgery will not get “stuck” in the tonsil beds (my new obsession the past few days) and its ok to continue to take my pain meds til day 10 or 11 if needed. Interestingly, the pain is like a 2/10 today, thank god. Oh and there were not clots he could see waiting to burst.
So I am home now, my son with his dad and I am laying in bed. Have had water, my entire new regimen of new meds and am back on the tramacet every 4 hours for today. I’m going to relax for an hour before my son likely comes home – oh and life just keeps comin’ – my caregiver just called and her sisters water just broke…so looks like I’m on my own today with a 4 year old
I did the surgery due to tonsil stones, sore throats and bad breath. I have hated this entire process and suspect my recovery will be delayed now with his possible bacterial infection and delayed coming off of scabs, but I am glad I did it. At least I took action, whether or not it helps my problem is yet to be seen, but I am hopeful.
Hi Michelle, I’m on day 8 today and its been by far the worst pain. I was doing really well eating and drinking until now. It hurts so bad just to swallow water. I hate sleeping cause I know when I wake up it’ll be so dry. The other worst part is not knowing if I have thrush or not. My tongue has hurt terribly from the beginning cause of that clamp they use but now it burns in some spots and has a white film. From what I’ve read almost everyone has the white tongue. I guess I’ll have to call the doc mon morning. I agree this surgery is not for the weak and has been equally as painful as having my son. I just keep waiting for that hump day that people say you wake up and its not that bad.
I’m on day 8 of recovery. This has sure been a roller coaster ride with up and downs. The first few days weren’t too bad. Then on day four the jaw pain gripped me. That has been the most difficult part for me by far. I am surprised how much pain is going on in so many different places. Anyone else find the jaw pain to be difficult?
I’m suffering from a little bit of jaw pain, but most ear and throat pain. I had my tonsils out 6 days ago and am also surprised with the amount of pain that I’m feeling everywhere. Is the worst of your recovery over do you think?
Today was day 8 after a coblation tonsillectomy on 6/20. The last week was really a lost week – I spent the whole time in my house. I did shower regularly, but today was the first time I actually got dressed in real clothes (workout clothes) and put on shoes. I took my dog on a short walk outside, and it was nice to get out. Even though I still had pain in my throat that was occasionally very sharp, I felt as if I had turned a corner. I didn’t have to nap at all today, and I did a little work from home. I am still sticking to very soft foods, but thanks to a suggestion above, I tried an over-baked baked potato with sour cream and cheese (and no skin), and it worked well and felt more like real food than what I’ve been eating. It still took me like 30 minutes to eat a half of a baked potato, but it felt like progress.
I’ve been peering into the back of my throat. One tonsil bed looks especially deep, almost like a socket – it was the side that had the worse tonsil on it – so I’m interested in how long that will take to completely heal. It does look as if some of the scabs have come off. The ones that are remaining are the darker/grayer areas where the tonsil must have been attached originally. My uvula also looks like it has returned to a more normal size, maybe not all the way back, but better. My voice still sounds a little weird, and it hurts if I talk too much or at anything above a medium-low volume.
I guess now I am just hoping for continued healing and no major bleeding. We’ll see. But today I felt like I was on the upswing for sure.
You’re definitely recovering your energy quicker than I did, which says loads about your recovery overall. Today, day 11, was the first day I didn’t nap. Doesn’t it feel good to know you’re almost there?
Day 8 of recovery from coblation tonsillectomy: This morning I woke up without increased pain! I’ve been dosing 400mg ibuprofen every 3 hours and did that through the night. I woke up for a dose and felt a scab tear away a bit. There was more bleeding than previous times and it worried me wide awake. So I sipped cold water, ate frozen yogurt, sipped more water. Just about asleep and I would feel that prick again. Nothing bad happened but a loss of sleep. When I got out of bed, I had the same pain as when I laid down.
The scabs can come off any day now. Lately, the sensation is like getting a shot of novocaine at the dentist, minus the numbing. It was downright awful at times. Each time I’d think that was it and hope the next swallow would leave me scab free, but no.
My ear pain is minimal now, only bothering me if I have too big a bite I’m swallowing. My jaw aches, though. I don’t know if I’ve been clenching at night, or if my chewing muscles have been weakened by those days of little activity, but especially when I lay down, I find it hard to get comfortable on my pillow.
My swallowing aches, not raw, but like I’ve got a lump in my throat from crying. Again, I wonder if several days of little use have rendered it weak. Today I ate three meals! Plus I’m still pushing fluids to chase that fever away. Plus, I have what feels like an entire scab or two hanging in the back of my throat, two days now.
Be wary of feeling depressed. I cried a lot these last two days. I’m humbled by the help I’ve received from so many places, I miss being able to parent my kids, it hurts to be so far away from Life. I have really gained a lot of empathy for people living with chronic pain, and this is such a short pain compared to that.
I am still very fatigued and took two smaller naps today. Nighttime sleep is not as restful as it could be, with alarms going off several times, but I actually feel I am getting better!
Day 8 and I am still miserable. The pain is different now – it’s a horrible burning sensation at the back of my tongue. It feels like it does when you drink hot tea too soon and it burns your mouth. The Lortab doesn’t seem to help the burning sensation.
Yesterday was the roughest for me emotionally. I’m so tired of the pain and I don’t know how much more I can take. The hardest part is not knowing when relief will come. I feel like I will always have this pain.
Clara you have no idea how common all of this is. You are at the worst point right now. The nice thing about hitting the bottom? You have something to push off from. Hang in there. Give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve been through a lot. Plan to reward yourself with your favorite food. The end of the tunnel is just ahead !!!!
Thanks for the encouragement! It makes me feel like I’m not alone.
18 yrs old. Ending day 8 of recovery. I feel like I have more energy but when I start doing things I start feeling extremely tired. I thought all of my scabs came off on day 6 because I didn’t have any bleeding on day 7 but I was wrong. Today (day 8) around noon I started spitting up some blood. It stopped for a while and then started up again. The feeling is awful and it burns horribly. I hope that this was the last of the bleeding & scabs. When I look into my throat it is all yellow. Today has been the worst in terms of emotional pain. I am so tired and hungry, I can’t get out of the house without feeling bad, the burning is unbearable at times and I can’t talk. I’m probably getting an average of 3 hours of sleep per night because I don’t want my throat to dry out. Food wise, I ate most of a Gold Star 3-way today that felt like heaven! After every bite I had to take a drink of water but it was still good. I really hope day 9 & 10 are more positive.
So I am just coming into day 8. Tried to come off oxcycodon too soon per doc. I was doing the Advil and tylenol but stopped the heavy drugs. Was told I need to stay on that over the weekend. Having different pain. Before it was just sore/swollen. Now it is a burning almost pinching pain. I think the last day I have not drank enough fluids as I have been napping all day. Will these two days hurt me? I am so afraid of bleeding! I am due to go back to work next Wednesday. I talk for a living. I hopei can just jump back into the fluid intake again!!
Just woke up at 4 am of day 8…i can still handle the pain ok but what can I take besides this lortab every 4 hours? I’m tired of feeling sleepy all day. Also, for the past 3-4 nights, I wake up chocking/coughing so hard I can barely breathe. There is no blood that I can tell, thanks to the red Popsicles I eat. Is that normal? I’m afraid to go to sleep because I always wake up 3-4 hours later choking on…i don’t know…air??? I’m not sure if I stop breathing, or if a scab is letting loose back there??? Either way, help me please! I am so sleepy and only get 3-4 hours of sleep since my surgery. Also, I hve had a bm since before the surgery a week ago. Problem right???
Hi Cassandra. Sounds rough. A few thoughts: Avoid the red popsicles, opt for other colors. Try sleeping upright in a recliner. I had the same issues you’re having, (many do) Lying flat seems to create congestion in the throat. As for other pain meds- Tylenol is actually pretty effective. Be careful though- the Loritab also has acetaminophen. Don’t double up on it as too much can be dangerous.
I’m not a doctor, so take any tips as just that- not medical advice but tips from a fellow patient.
Best of luck my dear- hope you feel better soon!
Day 8 – pain is substantially worse than previous days. I blame the grilled cheese I attempted to eat the day prior. back to cheese broccoli soup (one of my favorite meals I am now sick of). Constant pain, mainly in my left ear. Ice water and Percocet are miracles. I want pizza. down 6 pounds, which is a lot when I only weighed 110. Coughing up scabs. gross.. You can definitely feel them coming off. Had the hiccups today.. The pain from getting the hiccups was enough to scare them away lol
if you think you’re starting to feel better – DON’T EAT NORMAL. you will regret it
Hang in there Mick. It should get better soon. Day 8 was my worst!
Day 8 – Noticeably better today. First day I felt like I was becoming normal again. Am able to sleep through the night and miss a pain med dose by a few hours (still in pain when I awake though). Was able to eat some real food (small pieces of chicken and broccoli). Feels like razors have cut the back of my throat though. Using less pain meds during the day at this point.
Ivan, thank you so much for sharing your journey. Stories like yours are very valuable to people planning their tonsillectomy and to those in the middle of recovery. We are stronger together! Best of health to you.
I can’t believe how rough this is! Reading the other comments helps me realize that most adults have a long hard recovery. I thought my dr was being dramatic when he said I would need two weeks off of work I only took 4 days off including the day I had them removed. The first few days were easier because I was resting, the past two have been horrible. I have two kids and I’m working. It’s frustrating not being able to eat real food, I tried a scrambled egg last night and could only eat a few small bites. Water and Popsicles help.
Hi Karmen,
Sorry you’re having a rough time. The good news is that day 8 is usually about the worst of it. You should start feel ing better soon. Keep drinking. Best of luck to you!
my experience of day 8 is so much different, I can’t believe all the posts here! I took the painkillers for the first three days, and strictly no more, they made me feel dizzy and gave some sort of their own unhealthy feeling. And every time I feel pain increasing I take a cup of lukewarm tea (my doctor said absolutely NO to cold drinks or such); plenty of fluids after tonsillectomy means really plenty, i.e. about 10-15 cups per day! It really helped me; with the painkillers you might just forget your condition, but it doesn’t mean it’s gone. You just can’t eat spicy and sour food, no vinegar, no fresh fruits. Two weeks until healing is not such a long time. Good luck.
Thanks “R!” Hope you continue to do well
After day 8 in the books, I’m pain med free now 2 days, I ate about a half pound of pasta. This was the first solid food I could tolerate. I kept the ice on my neck any time I felt the “razors” in there. Ate a lot of ice, drank a lot of water and did so even through the pain because of how important everyone agreed it is to do. Rightfully so as well because there is mostly pink flesh showing through the area where the surgery was done. Great blog Greg. This has been extremely helpful. I hope everyone else keeps fighting through. It’s so much more intense than people think. Especially those people who never did it.
Day 8: Husband is at work and kids are at camp again so it is just me alone for the day with my pain. They hydrocodone does nothing at this point to help with the pain, but I still take it every 3 hours just hoping that maybe it will. It hurts to swallow so I find myself sitting around with a mouthful of saliva until I finally force myself to swallow. Funny how something we normally do without thinking is now forced.
My tongue hurts so bad. It hurts at the back where it attaches to the floor of my mouth and it hurts on the sides where it rubs against my teeth. I really can’t move my tongue around in my mouth at all. If I am eating something and food gets in between my lips and my gums, I realized that normally our tongue just naturally sweeps it out. But I can’t. I actually have to take my finger and do it.
My back molars have gotten incredibly sensitive to cold. I have never really had a problem with this before, but now, just drinking ice water is so painful I can’t do it anymore. I can still eat cold things like sorbet because it tends to just go straight down, but if I drink ice water, it floods my mouth and hurts those teeth. It’s sad because the ice water felt so good on my throat.
I had to pick my kids up from camp and take them to a babysitter so I had to hold off on the hydrocodone long enough to be able to drive. While I was out, I ran a couple extra errands including a stop at Costco. I had my first moment of eating something I probably shouldn’t have. The stupid thing was…it was a taste of triple cream brie. Served at the correct temperature, this would not have been an issue, but it was refrigerator cold. It stuck to my teeth and the rind was hard to swallow. I don’t think it caused any bleeding (I couldn’t exactly check), but boy did it hurt!
By the time I got back home it had been more than 5 hours since my last dose of meds and I was hurting. I had picked up a 5 meat pizza for my husband and was so sad to not be able to eat any. I ended up having a huge meltdown before bed. I’m so tired of being in pain and feeling like crap.
It is day 8 and this morning was bad, but so is every morning. It seems like it takes about 30-40 mins of icing my neck and sucking on ice cubes for the ear pain to subside and to be able to swallow with LESS pain. Ice cold water in the morning is rough, but it’s the best thing to numb the throat before taking pain meds. Gosh I love the medication; I revel in the sweet nectar slipping down my throat, choking on its’ analgesic splendor. My scabs have gradually sloughed off but are still there and yes, I taste the acidic, sour, like you’re sucking on a rotten penny taste in the back of my mouth. However awful all of this is, it’s worth it to have these puppies out. I got mine yanked because of tonsil stones and I am happy I did it. I think I have had an easier recovery than most, but I have a 5 month-old also and that adds much more to this whole process. I also think I almost O.D’d on water: this is KEY to an EASIER recovery…so is icing the outside of the neck until you can’t feel anything anymore
36 year old mom currently on recovery day 8. I was in no way prepared for what this would do to me on a psychological level. I would cry, but it hurts. So I have been communicating primarily with my middle fingers. I have birthed 3 children naturally and cannot escape this pain…pain in the throat, the ears, the tongue, the eyes…and it’s been at about a 6/10 for the entire recovery. I have been given liquid morphine by my wonderful surgeon and I have found that plain Tylenol works better for relief. The comments about external ice was not something I knew about but has been a life saver…30 min. Before I want to eat I will ice my throat and ears and then I can tolerate eating. I have been in bed the entire time…others are cooking, cleaning, and working, but I’m staying in my bed because who can possibly be up and around with this much pain, this little sleep, and this much general weakness from not eating? I sincerely hope this gets better soon or I’m going to need time in the looney bin before it’s over…
I woke up feeling great today! For a few moments I actually thought I was going to be able to eat today!
Well, that didn’t work too well. Had to do some work at the barn today as well as talking with a contractor – when I was done with
That I attempted to eat some soup and a very small piece of chicken – couldn’t do it – had 1/2 cup of soup and the dogs enjoyed the chicken. For dinner tonight it was a Wendys Frosty. So over this. My ears have never hurt so
Bad as they did today. I still have not lost any of my scabs – and no complaints as yet if bad breath. Not sure why everyone leers is experiencing that – but I am sure my time will come. Took 2 Tylenol today, hoping all will be healed by Thanksgiving!
F, 31 years old, post tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. So far, this has been about what I expected. Days 1-3 were a breeze. I mostly slept through them. Woke to take pain meds and back to sleep. I ate about a cup of liquid foods (ice cream, broth, Popsicles, etc) and about 50 ounces of water each of these days. Days 4 and 5 were by far the most painful. Ate about a cup of semi solid foods (mashed potatoes, bread soaked in au jus, yogurt, etc.) and about 40 ounces of water these days. Constant pain meds with children’s doses of ibuprofen to help the swelling. Yes. I know. It’s not recommended. I did it anyway, despite being a red head and having a very slow bleed time. It helped. A lot. This has been, by far, the most painful thing I’ve ever been through. From day 4 through now, have had a constant cough with just the grossest mucous ever. Thick, yellow or green, with black flecks. I stopped smoking 2 weeks before the surgery and had never been under anesthesia before this surgery. Doc says the cough is because of the anesthesia. Take deep breaths every hour and expand my lungs. Should clear it up. Apparently, the cough is a pretty common thing. Days 6 and 7 were tolerable, with sharp, driving pain in the evenings. Ate a few bites of solid foods and about 40 ounces of water each day. On tylenol only until about 7 pm when the pain really kicks in. Took Milk Of Magnesia to address the constipation from the pain meds. Though I wasn’t yet feeling any discomfort, I felt it might be time to do something about it after not having a BM for 6 days. Day 8: Have noticed a sharp pain down left side of my throat. I think I’ve lost a scab down there. Overall, pain is manageable. I take tylenol when I have to eat but other then that I can ignore the pain. Throat is still mostly coated with scabs. Terrible breath. Have to make sure my head and neck are in just the right position when I lie down or I can’t exhale through my nose. Weirdest thing. That’s gotten better as time has gone by. I was back at work on day 5. Mistake. Never ever do that. Tips: Honey, honey. Eat a teaspoon or two of honey when you need to soothe your throat. It’s calories that you desperately need and it coats the throat without burning. If you’re like me, you know how to suck air back through your nose to clear your sinuses… DON’T DO THAT. That will hurt worse than anything you’ve ever felt before. KNIVES STRAIGHT INTO YOUR BRAIN. Seriously. Don’t. Ice packs on your throat are a must. Ambesol for the tongue, y’all. Not too much, that’s its own kind of hell. But when the tongue hurts so bad you can’t stand it, numb it with Ambesol or Oragel. Sleep and hydrate as much as possible. I just keep saying one less day til I’m me again and feel normal. When this is over, I am going to wear my skimpiest dress out to eat the biggest steak ever. And an entire bag of baked lays bbq chips. And hot wings.
MJ…I tried the honey. It went down so smooth I couldn’t believe it…then it starting burning where my tonsils were, back and sides of my tongue, etc. don’t know how or why I was afflicted with this pain, just wanted you to know it is possible.
Day 8 after tonsillectomy – severe pain, the worst since operation. Haven’t eat anything apart from jelly and ice cream since op, but now my throat is so painful I can’t even eat that. Am living on protein shakes at the moment.
Ear pain and tongue pain is horrendous – a little bonus my doctor never informed me of! It is impossible to chew with my tongue so sore and anything I drink that is either too hot or too cold makes all the pain worse. When will this nightmare end?
Little advice to those thinking of getting a tonsillectomy – don’t.
DO NOT GET A TONSILLECTOMY, IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!!!
Last night on day 7, I was tongue scraping…gagged…threw up…and then felt better. But now, I am very nauseous all the time. I never had this problem before in the previous days, but now…I feel that I could purge at any moment. Does anyone have an idea why this could be now? I do have Ondansetron tablets for nausea, but they don’t seem to be doing much.
Greg, thank you so much for all the time you put into this blog. It has been a lifesaver.
Its day 8 and I woked up with pain 6/10 from sleeping 6 hours and my throat was dried as expected. Drank some ice water too fast an d that made me burp which hurt like hell. However I am feeling the light at the end of this long tunnel as long as I maintain vigilant with the diet and not rush things. The diarhea from previous night has stopped thank god so I can focus on other problems like the oral thrush and eating. I made some cooled ramen noodles and poached 2 eggs for brekky and forced that down with some ice water in between. It still hurts to eat but I think this is mostly from my oral thrust I’m hoping would go away. The rest of the day was trying to keep my mind off the issue and believe it is getting better albeit frustratingly slow.
Day 8: pain has moved into my ears. Thought for sure I’d feel better by now but not so.. Overall, I’m glad I had the procedure, no more strep, but feel the ent definitely minimized severity of procedure & recovery, not to mention inadequate mgmt of pain. On my 2nd pain med, could not tolerate first one due to itching, and need to take it every 3 hours. I’m hoping day 10 is the magic day where I feel somewhat normal again………
It’s the end of Day 8. I have not taken anything for pain in several days. I took pain meds around the clock for the first two days then decided to space it out. I come to find out I wasn’t having enough pain to warrant medication. I’ve been out and about to the malls and even out to eat. Today I returned the nice ice bags that I purchased at Marshalls for $8 each. I never used them. I expected swelling during this, but it never happened. I’ve not had issues swallowing, eating, I have slept laying down since day 1. The worst the pain has got is maybe a 3/10. The discomfort is far less than when I had tonsillitis and my abscess. I had thought about returning to work early but I know that being home with my humidifier and not talking is going to help me heel faster. I haven’t noticed any falling off of the scab.
Day 8: woke up this morning with ear and throat pain however I did manage to eat a whole pizza (without the crust) and was fortunate that there was no bleeding. The scabs on both side looks as though it is half way of falling off and that may be the reason why everytime i eat or drink I can a sharp pain from the throat to the ears. I also have been gargling salt water at least three times a day and it has assisted in getting rid of the phlegm and any residue left over from food.
The thing that annoys most the most is waking up in the middle of the night with ear pain!! WOuld anyone have any ideas on how to alleviate the pain?
Heat up a moist towel in the microwave and put it over your ears. Helped me a lot.
Thanks Robin! I will give that a go today
Day 8: My best advice is Don’t Rush Eating Normal Foods!! After losing 11 pounds and feeling like I’m starving I thought I was ready for Chili & Spaghetti today….BAD IDEA! I ate it way too fast and think I swallowed the scab on the left side!! Now the right side is killing me and my ear is also Not to mention I have had diarrhea for a week now and I have made that condition way worse due to the chili and spaghetti…lol Tomorrow I am going to take it easy…..I just want to be NORMAL again!!!!
First, I want to thank Greg for this awesome site. I read up before my procedure to plan and check in daily (or more) to track my progress and anticipate. It’s been a Godsend. I also sent it to my family so they could see what I am experiencing since they live 500 miles away. THANK YOU!!! <3
Postop Day 8 (op was Tue Oct 15): Last night was horrible! I woke up every few hours with stabbing burning pain in my throat and ears. Slept propped up and on my side (face up allows my uvula to block my airway), but it hardly helped. Took meds (alternated liquid Lortab or Tylenol with liquid Ibuprofen every 2-3 hours). I moaned and moved my jaw, used a cold pack, and had a humidifier, but it was the worst night so far.
This morning, I woke up and felt human again! The scabs are slowing falling away so it’s still tender. One side (the side with the greatest hypertophic tonsil) feels worse than the other and is more red. Pain: L 3/10, R 0/10. I’m SO HAPPY! I expect tonight may be tough again, but I sure hope I wake up feeling this good or better. I took a walk and ate lunch out (small portion of a chile relleno, refried beans, and guacamole). I cannot stand the thought of anything sweet. So sick of ice cream, pudding, popsicles, smoothies…
Here are my learnings for others going through this (or preparing to):
* Follow Greg’s advice… get your bedroom ready as you will spend a lot of time there!
* Have on hand things to help you manage – I used prefilled shot glasses of medication next to the bed to make middle-of-the-night meds easier.
* Drink water every time you wake up and as much as possible when you are awake.
* Gargle with warm salt water twice a day – gently!
* Get an Rx for chlorhexidine (the mouth rinse at your dentist’s office) and swish twice a day.
* Since flossing is impossible at first, get some of the little between the teeth picks so you can better maintain oral hygiene.
* Use a neti pot to clean your sinuses if you are prone to allergies (like me).
* While ice cream, popsicles, etc are okay, be prepared with some savory options that can be eaten warm/cool. I found boxed soup (butternut squash) eaten at room temperature to be quite good. Also, get/make some MILD guacamole, refried beans, hummus. They are delicious, cold, easy to eat, and especially refreshing after all the sweets we downed at first. Oh joy!
* Plan to take two weeks away from your life to heal properly.
* Remember that you are going to be miserable – so plan for that and have a strategy. I’ve been watching reruns of West Wing on Netflix, spending time on Facebook, playing Matching with Friends, and texting friends to keep my mind distracted. Distraction from the pain has been some of the most effective remedy in my experience.
* Crying only makes it hurt more so don’t cry.
* Remain positive – it does get better, albeit very slowly and incrementally. Two steps forward and a step back is not a disaster, it’s a cha-cha!
Best wishes to all of you out there on this journey. May all beings be relieved from suffering!!
Thank you for the kind words Kitty- moreover, thank you for the AWESOME post! These shared experiences are, I think, what really brings this site to life and offers people a light in the darkness.
Best of health to you. I hope you’ll stay in touch.
DAY 8: 30 years old and had tonsillectomy (with adenoids removed too).
So on day 6 I thought to myself “this is the worst it can possibly get…this has to be the max amount of pain I can be in.” Then day 7 came along and it was worst than day 6. And staying true to that pattern, today is hell.
The absolute worst parts of my day are when I wake up from napping. I don’t call it sleeping because I haven’t slept more than 2 hours at one time in over a week. ANYWAY, while I am asleep my throat slowly gets drier and drier (even with multiple humidifiers) and when I wake up I want to die. Then it takes AT LEAST 1 hours to get the pain a little under control again. But I am never really getting the pain under control because it NEVER goes away completely. Even with stronger pain meds it is still constantly there.
Also my body has forgotten how to swallow…not even kidding. Every single thing that tries to make it’s way down my throat is seen as an enemy and the body attacks. And then the frustration and panic (because of course at this point one thinks they will choke and die) sets in and then the tears come. There is no way to stop or prevent the crying…you just have to let it happen and deal with the additional pain caused by it afterwards.
I have also developed Thrush, so that is super fun as well. I was prescribed this oral mouth rinse to be used 4 times a day for 2 weeks…hopefully it will start working soon because the thrush just overly complicates everything.
My scabs on both sides are starting to fall off and I’m having some bleeding again, but nothing like last week when they had to go back in and cauterize again.
I am just ready to have my life back again….
well I have made it to day 8 after surgery day. Last night was the usual hell, take meds, sleep two / three hours, wake in agony with the feeling you have shards of glass in your throat, rush down stairs for ice packs to help numb the pain while I desperately try to sip meds which is incredibly painful. Back to sleep dreading the same thing happening again in two to three hours!! sure enough woke up this morning with the same pain and took meeds, however … Today has been much much better, for the first time since the op I feel more like myself. Got up and dressed and have eaten a little porridge for breakfast, and soup for lunch. My mouth is still really really dry and producing no saliva which is really weird, but no more panic attacks that there is not enough saliva to swallow. doc prescribed me a low dose of diazepam which I am sure is helping. ( note I have never needed to take any anxiety drugs ever in the past and I am 46. ) I am sure the panics were due to the heavy meds I was taking, which my doctor has stopped. Any way I don’t seem to need to take my meds as often ( but still need them when it gets too intense) . I am so hoping I have turned a corner today, I know tonight will be tough again but I am hoping it will start to get better. Just becoming a little anxious about potential bleeds, my scabs seem to be intact still and I kind of hope they stay put for a bit, so the skin underneath can heal better. All in all feel so much better today, feel like there may be an end in sight. I will report back on my day 9 experiences tomorrow, keep strong everyone take each day as it comes .
Today was my best day this far. I’m not even sure how long I slept, it felt like only a few minutes. I woke up in a lot of pain, but I sleep with my mouth slightly open and don’t wake up every few hours to drink anything, so by the time I wake up, I’m dried out and it feels like I’ve swallowed razor blades and then drank habanero juice. I took half of my pain pill (Tylenol with codine) and once that kicked in a little I was able to eat a cup of applesauce and a cup of yogurt. I feel asleep on the couch again for a few hours. I woke up slightly dry and burning a little again. I drank a But if water and forced down a jello cup and a pudding cup and I felt a bit better. Around 7 o’clock I took 4tsp of liquid children’s Advil and ate a pain cheeseburger and a handful of French fries (I’ve been craving a cheeseburger since I woke up from the surgery). I also had a mango pineapple smoothie from McDonald’s, and I actually think that was the best decision I made. After a few sips of the smoothie, I felt AMAZING! The pain in my throat was maybe a 1/10! I wanted to do a happy dance around the house, I was so excited! I had a sneezing episode, which hurt slightly, and then my nose started to run off of my face. I’ll take that runny nose over the burning pain forever if given the choice! By the time I went to bed my throat had started hurting again slightly, sadly.
Yeah day 8 not such a bad day yesterday had lots of hope for today!!!!! But not a hope in hell did I …. The ear ache today was just unreal morning started out as usual dried out hard to swallow so pain killers helped a little but I think as the scabs come away more now the stinging and swallowing becomes unbearable again. Also my throat feels really itchy like I wanna cough up a hair ball the weirdest feeling, as here in England we are told to eat roughage food toast cereal etc to help promote quicker healing I must say I am now managing to eat a little better much later on in the day though ( pain killers in system a bit more I think) I actually ate a slice of pizza which taste amazing!!!!!! So pretty much another sore day but lots more tolerable but still can’t wait to be fully recovered. Also when I talk now I sound terrible so still not able to talk much. Hope you feel better soon ……x
Zero sleep last night. Until I sucked it up and took at painkiller at around 3:30am. This morning I woke up in tears. My throat had this horrible burning sensation and it felt like something was stuck in my throat. I checked in the mirror and realized a huge part of the scab was gone!!! I guess that explains all the pain. But boy was it painful. I see my dr for post op at 1pm today I can’t wait to find out how I’m doing!! Stay strong all!!!!!!
This site is amazing. I am on day 8 and more miserable than I was on day 2. Unfortunately, I’m out of sick leave at work, so I’m back on the daily grind (from home, thankfully). My boss commented that his son “didn’t seem to have this much trouble when he had the surgery a couple years ago” when he was ten, and I directed him to this site as evidence that I’m not just a big baby. I literally want to detach my throat from my body and toss it in the trash.
Today is my 8th day & I can honestly say I’m still miserable, I’m starving and I’ve lost so much weight and my ears are killing me and at times my tongue seems to hurt more than my throat! And don’t even get me started on my jaw and my breath. For some reason since the surgery I’ve had these ridiculous little cystic acne bumps that started on my chest and back and arms but this morning progressed to my face! I’m not really one to break out but this is really bad. I’m just ready to be back to normal and go to a buffet.
Day 8- Got off track with my pain meds today and that was no good! My huge complaint today is the pain under my tongue. That was more of a pain than my throat, although that was nothing to sneeze at either. Although I’ve had a fairly easy recovery, I’m just about over it. I’m ready to feel normal again..Oh, and my breath….. It’s hot, and not in the good way! Not the business!
Method of tonsillectomy- Tissue/Thermal Welding.
This post have been great. I’m 24 and I had them removed. Day 8 woke up with a running nose. But the pain is not there.I slept well over slept. I had work yesterday and I’m off to work now. I hope its not as bad as yesterday. No one was able to hear me. Im talking really low. Medicine for me is awesome. Doctors at the Va helped out a lot.
Never again, NEVER AGAIN! Just when I thought there is no possible way the pain could be worse than the day prior? Yea, I was way wrong. Day 7 overnight into
Day 8, was the motherload of awfulness (which is hard to do considering Day 6-7 were a close 2nd place. I miss Day 2, take me back to Day 2!!!!). It is impossible to even drink room temperature water. Warm, Cold, flavored, unflavored–>EVERYTHING feels like shards of fiery glass dipped in acid. I woke up every hour with horrible intense pain and then would spend a half hour trying to manage to get down a few gulps of water in between spasms of agony. I resorted to PRAYING for pain control because at this point the multiple pain meds I am on are doing little to nothing. Praying! I’m not even religious! And yes, I’m currently up on one of these adventures trying to drink water even tho it’s agonizing enough to even swallow my own spit. So I’m literally drooling over a sink waiting for death in between the world’s tiniest sips of water. I would love for you to come shoot me in the face please. If I wasn’t so dehydrated I’d probably be crying. Oh and PS–did I mention those fiery shards of acid-dipped glass travel down the back of my throat and out of my ears??? Every adult patient should read this before undergoing this surgery–because it’s an UNDERESTIMATION of the pain. Oh and not only are there super awesome fun times with pain, but you get to be STARVING but unable to eat and constipated from all the pain meds that aren’t even working. I want my tonsils back and a large glass of wine.
Oh I feel your pain love I’m currently on day 8 post op .. And I’m in so much pain I’m 19 and been suffering with tonsillitis all my life but never new the surgery was going to be this bad .. I haven’t slept properly in a week .. Wish some1 could shoot me in the face to .. Would probelly be less painful than this ..I’m starving and soo thirsty and morning are the the worst ..I hate going to sleep nw as I’m scared of morning pain .. :'( when will this be over!! Anyway I wish you luck
Day 8: tonsillectomy/tubes.
I woke up today with very mild pain and a dry throat but after some water and mild pain killers I feel normal. I can eat solid foods and it doesn’t hurt to talk in the least. I get a little bit of pain when I yawn but its tolerable. I still make sure to stay hydrated because I still have deep sockets and a little scabbing, but I’m looking forward to getting back to my normal life. I think that I am one of the lucky ones.
First off I’d like to thank Greg for this site. It really has been a godsend.
I’m on my 8th day of recovery and it’s 5:00 AM. Woke up with serious throat pain and searing pain in my ears. I quit taking the Roxicet (Percoset and Tylenol) two days ago because it was really upsetting my empty stomach making it even harder to eat. So, I just took a half dose anyway because the pain was unbearable.
I believe my throat is healing and the scabs (white stuff) are sloughing off causing some raw areas and making my throat burn, at least I hope that’s the case. I wouldn’t know any of this without this site, BTW. I find that putting a damp towel in the microwave for 1+ minutes and pressing over and around my ears does wonders for that pain.
This has been the most hellish experience of my life. I would not recommend this surgery to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. For me, it was necessary. I had trouble swallowing from my enlarged tonsils. I also have developed psoriasis that my dermatologist thinks is connected to my throat infections.
I still cannot eat any solid food. Everything seems to get stuck in my throat and O sound like a cat hacking up a fur ball, lol. I feel like I’m constantly starving and live for the day that I can eat a decent meal.
I don’t know that my doctor quite prepared me enough for the recovery. And nobody seems to get it that hasn’t been through it. There might be something to eating and drinking more for a faster recovery but I just found it impossible because of the pain, even though I was taking the max dose of medicine around the clock.
I wish you all the best of luck and a speedy recovery.
Hi Robin- Glad the site has helped you. Hang in there. Things will get better soon!
Day 8 for me today. Last night I was completely miserable, everything hurt. I felt like I was gunna puke, my acid reflux was kicking in, my ear canals hurt, my throat hurt just to breath through it, my tongue was sore, I had canker sores developing all over my mouth, massive headache, and my sinuses were also in pain. I was almost dead set on the idea that I’d be miserable this morning. Every morning thus far had been worse and worse every day, and they were always worse than the previous night.
But by some miracle, something amazing happened, I woke up this morning in fairly normal amounts of pain. My throat still hurt, but that’s about it. Other than that, I’m feeling pretty great today. I’m still on my percocet and ibuprofen combo, but I’ll probably try going without it tomorrow or the next day if I’m starting to feel much better. I was actually able to eat mac and cheese today, albeit it took me 45 minutes to eat a small easy mac cup, but at least I was able to get it down with fairly small amounts of pain lol.
Looking forward to this weekend, hopefully I’ll be almost back to normal by then =).
This is my first post although my 8th day. I love this site and have found it very helpful. I am a nurse and always am searching for such resources for families and this site definitely meets my standards as reputable. Recap:
Day 1: surgery 8/9/13 1600for one year hx of tonsil stonrs, run down feeling, cryptic tonsils. 46 year old female.
Day 2/3/4 threw up multiple times due to pain meds and no food intake. Ice chips and jello. Pain was manageable. Tongue and uvula very swollen. Slept in recliner due to blocked airway from uvula.
Day 5/6 better. Still no real solid food. Instant mashed potatos snd smoothies. Down 6 pounds. Pain level ranged 4-5/10, but tolerable. Spread pain meds out to every 6 hours with advil in between.
Day 7/8: MISERABLE. Morning pain 10/10. Dont know what changed back to ice chips and crappy netflix movies on tv all day. Pain meds every 4 hours on day 7 with advil in between. Lots of tears on day 8. by noon things lightened up a lil. Did have about a cup of lipton parmesean noodles around 5 pm and 1/2cup of sugar free ice cream. I forced both of these down because I was STARVING WEIGHT Loss as of today 8 pounds.
Im hoping to return to work on wednesday and that tomorrow morning is much better. Besides the last two mornings it hasnt been horrible or unexpected thanks to sveryones input. I do have the nasty white stuff in my throat that has really started thinning out. I have not used a humidifier. I started salt water gargles last night.
Heres to a great next couple of days! Thanks for this site and everyones support. Sorry for the lenght.
Thanks for sharing Billie- and thanks for the nice feedback. Yeah, days 7 and 8 were probably my worst days. Hang in there!
Thanks for the feedback, I’m on day 7, I’m completely miserable. I’m not looking forward to tomorrow because the common agreement seems to be that day 7 is the worst and day 8 (sometimes days 9 and 10) are just as bad. Not looking forward to that. I’d certainly rate my pain 10/10 right now and I am using a humidifier!
Day 8 here. Still sick and feeling awful but the pain was a little more manageable this afternoon. I don’t want to jinx myself…
I’m at day 8, had a little blood this morning. sick of wondering when i can eat a burger, or go out my birthdays on Friday and i have a trip planned… when is this going to end? When can i go back to my normal job and normal life. When can i go out and grab a drink. the pain gets so bad in the mornings and through out the night that i had nights where i didn’t sleep at all. Still haven’t been able to eat anything. its all burns my throat. apple sauce and mashed potatoes hurt. only thing i can eat is egg drop soup. and i hate it at this point. does anyone have some suggestions or anything. I am fighting with my boyfriend because lack of sleep food and being in worse pain then a pregnancy makes me a nut job and makes me hate everything. I am down to 114 pounds now. i lost 12 pounds sense this started. Ahh someone help me. what will go down that will make me feel like im eating real food and not soup broth or a Popsicle.
Screw traditional tonsillectomy food – eat cake with ice cream! I had a big piece of coconut cake with coconut ice cream today and it was glorious!
I am feeling good. Stopped taking the Vicodin and switched to liquid Tylenol. I’m still taking it easy though because I know I’m not completely out of the woods yet.
Also wanted to point out I’ve had NO change in taste, bad flavor in my mouth or crazy bad breath like many people have mentioned. Maybe that’s another point for coblation.
I had my surgery on June 21st. I am a 31 yr old female with a history of chronic tonsilltis and tonsil stones. I knew this was going to be painful, but–wow–I had no idea how intense this would be! I was way out of it when I left the hospital last friday and could barely keep my eyes open due to the anesthesia. I basically just went home and slept until Saturday morning (surgery at 1pm Friday). At first it didn’t seem too bad. The dr. gave me liquid Roxicet to take (this after I told him I have bad reaction to codine). He had me on 20ml every four hours (which I learned after the fact from my sibling who is a physician that this is WAY too much for me–I weigh about 105lbs). Anyhow, by Satuday afternoon, I could not stop vomiting and ended up going back to the ER for IVs (was sent home late Saturday night). From that point forward I have only been taking children’s liquid tylenol every fours hours on the dot. It has helped some, but I am certain not near what actual pain meds would do.
The last week has basically been a blur of pain, nausea (i.e. HUNGRY FOR REAL FOOD), head aches, and relestness. Thank god my fiance took the past five days off of work to take care of me (truly, I may nominate him for sainthood after this), but on Monday I’ll be left to fend for myself. I was hoping to be back at work this Monday, but that is definitely not happening.
I have been pushing fluids (water, vitamin water slushies, milkshakes) like a champ, and salt water gargles too. I know this has definitely helped and I feel like about 50% of my scabs are gone now. I’m starting to see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel (still just a glimmer, but a glimmer nonetheless!) My biggest concerns now are that I seriously still have like a scrap of a voice. Can anyone tell me if this is normal? My throat feels so strained. If I really push I can talk a bit, but it KILLS with pain.
Also, how long until all the scabs fall off? Two days ago, it seemed like they were really coming loose and now it seems to have stopped again.
Anyhow, a big THANK YOU for this site. It has kept me sane this past week…to know that you are not making the pain up! I feel like people have such a misconception about how hard a tonsillectomy is as an adult. (Seriously, if one more person writes to me and flippantly talks about how nice it must be to only eat ice cream…!)
Good luck everyone. Here’s hoping we all have much happier and healthier days ahead!
Everything has been so easy for me until today, day 8. Even that wasn’t bad. All along I have been up and about, minimal pain which I think is due to the fact that I stayed on my med schedule (alternating tylenol and hydrocodone at night), drank water, tried to eat, used humidifier. I seriously haven’t thought there was anything hard about this. Even today wasn’t so bad, it’s eating that hurts. I am experiencing those sharp pains and ear pain when I eat but it resolves quickly. I can’t tell if my scabs are falling off. Lost about 6 pounds. I stuck to boost today, got a slushee with ice cream (which hurt some to drink, maybe cherry flavor was too sour) tried butternut squash ravioli and that didnt work, I traded that in for potato and apple sauce.
I’m in a similar position. There is little to no pain up until today, and that’s only when I wake up or am eating certain foods. Did this continue for you throughout the week?
Post-op day 7 (day 8 if surgery date = day 1)
Holy moly day 8, aka post-op day 7… Is this over yet?
This is officially 1 week since my surgery (Wednesday to Wednesday). The days are really starting to blur together with my bleeding complications keeping me up during the night. Last night/this morning around 3:30am I had another minor bleed that stopped with ice water rinses. They are getting really old, and apparently concerning to my provider (although other posts from others on here make it sound like their doctors weren’t concerned about this sort of bleeding). I am supposed to go in to the ER if I have any bleeding that doesn’t clear immediately after rinsing with water. I’m a bit worried about that…
I would say the pain has been pretty tolerable today, about a 2-3 at most, and mostly on the side that still has the majority of the scab intact. If I don’t talk, or swallow, and just sit here with my ice pack on my neck, I am pretty comfortable. (Granted, I did sleep away the first half of the day, which is how I’ve been getting through the majority of this experience…) I have even managed to “eat” a little bit today. Teeny tiny little pastas (smaller than orzo, not sure what they’re called) in some chicken broth. It’s not much, but it’s better than I’ve been able to do in the past! The warmth actually felt alright.
My biggest concern at this point is bleeding. I don’t know what to do to prevent it. I have my humidifier going, am not talking, am ATTEMPTING to stay hydrated (water tastes horrid by now, and nothing else sounds good, or if it does it burns my throat). I’m really just praying that nothing goes wrong tonight and that I can start legitimately healing…
By now I am in less actual physical pain and more just exhausted from a lack of quality sleep, an utter lack of food over the last week, and chronic pain. I’m hoping I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel…
Was better last night, now today am a little worse again. But it is tolerable. I can’t talk as well and it hurts to eat. But hey, what’s new?! I’ll tell you what, the stinging from food hitting the pink tender healing areas in my throat where the scabs are coming off! Fun, fun!
Day 8 of my Tonsillectomy/Septoplasty/turbs. Today has been a lot better so far. Though finding that I am more intollerent to certain foods – like they hit a raw nerve. Perhaps I’m scabbing. In any case – there are flashes of pain like being stabbed by a hot white poker. Yay me.
I’m still not really talking though. I can’t say more than about 4 (almost inaudible) words in a row. IS this normal?
Those rare moments I get some sleep it’s like my mouth becomes a drool factory. I wake up looking like the butt of a water in the face joke. Even in my sleep my body rejects the pain of swallowing. Can you imagine how horrible that first swallow after waking up feels though, when you haven’t even swallowed your own saliva for a while? ooo nelly.
I’m quite proud of myself for putting on clothes today.
Thanks Greg!! You have helped!
OMG….I am exhausted. Waking up this morning was to date the worst my throat has felt. My tongue, teeth, ears are all throbbing too. Plus the breath thing is appalling. I cried walking my dog waiting for my pain meds to kick in—–oh how I wish I had someone to help me :/ However aftter I have done this recovery by myself I don’t think there is anything I cant accomplish, so that’s empowering.
Thanks Greg for this site-I have read every comment and it has got me through this hellish time. Oh I just found you on FB and you do need to write the book on recovey :))
HI THERE!
Wish I could be there to help a bit- I went through it alone too. Hang in there. This is temporary!
I’m on day 8 post op and i think i am on the home stretch. People that are going in for a tonsillectomy should really be prohibited from looking on some websites, it is true that you hear more bad than good! and that scared the crap out of me! I have to say the pain has NOT been anywhere near as bad as 99% of others and my doc said that i would be in a lot more pain than the normal person. Mind you it does hurt and i think it hurt more last night than the week before. The part that i did not like was the swelling, i can deal with pain but the swelling and anxiety was a bit harder to deal with. I think i may have a very high pain threshold. I have been feeling more like myself over the last few days. I didn’t know that the ‘scabs’ fall off? i read that the ‘scabs’ are the white coating, so they don’t really fall off, just fade away, unless you have a dry throat so then they would turn into scabs and fall off. My’n have been fading away slowly and i have a few small spots that bleed every now and again, not to the amount that its even a drop of blood, is that whats mean to happen?
Day 8 – I’m thirsty and starving!!! I can’t eat more than a few spoonfuls of yogurt. I tried the oxy I was given yesterday, but because I couldn’t eat a single bite before I took it, I ended up sick ALL afternoon. I had to have my mom call the Dr. for a prescription for anti-nausea pills. Fun times. So I’m sticking to Tylenol, which doesn’t do much more than make it easy enough to drink water. Still hurts to swallow even with the tylenol.
Does anyone know how you can tell if your scabs are falling off?? I can’t open my mouth wide enough to even see if they’re there, but I think I felt them slowly fall off as random areas would start to burn and scratch for a few minutes. Eh. I guess this will be a great way to lose some weight for summer. Although, the second I’m able to I’m totally pigging out at a buffet.That dream keeps me going :p
Am I the only one with a really stinky mouth here? Smells like something died in my throat! Sister told me it stinks in a weird way and that I did not have this before my surgery. And yeah some pink saliva today but nothing more. Burning pain in throat and ice cold water makes it worse actually…cool water is best for me at this time. Still with meds…but the stink! OMG. If anyone had this , wonder if it’ll ever disappear? Wonder if it’s coz of the scabs?
I have bad breath too and I am on Day 15. Hopefully, that will go away once we are entirely healed. I can brush my teeth, and in no time, it is like I never brush them.
I can relate to that- exactly! Day 15, wow. How is it going ?
do you brush your tongue?
Day 8 and even though I’m starting to feel human again, ie I actually got out of my pyjamas and put on proper clothes today (yay), the pain has subsided only a tiny bit. I was really hoping I would be feeling so much better by now.
I think the scabs have come off, as my throat feels raw and burning. I’m still taking oxycodone every 4 hrs. Water, especially ice water is sooo painful to swallow. Luke warm tea is surprisingly ok though. I’m 27 F and the left side of my throat feels worse than the right, it’s much more painful.
I’m still waking up during the night in intense pain from my throat drying out, and on top of that I’m just feeling depressed it’s silly but I feel super lazy for lying in bed for 8 days, and I’m beginning to worry about the build up of work I will have when I return to the office after my sick leave.
I’m trying to be positive though, day 7 was a noticeable difference and so was today. I can talk a bit better too. I hope I can speak normally again in a few days time.
I can only hope I improve each day, even just a little bit of progress is good. Good luck everyone
Hi Lucy. I’m also in Day 8. My scabs are falling off ir have fallen off as well and my throat is raw and burny. I also was hoping to that once they came off I would be feeling much better than I am today. I also wake in the night with pain and last night had some bleeding so I only slept maybe 90 mins. Today I’m extremely tired but did eat oatmeal and then scrambled eggs and some avocado. Good news is I saw my Dr yesterday and he said Friday should be a lot better. Hang in there. Hopefully tomorrow’s our day
Day 8 and holy geezus! The pain is stupid but I have been dealing okay alternating between the loratab and tylenol. I ate some sweet potato fries because I was feeling brave and I got a little bit more crunchy one (delicious by the way!) but oh so painful swallowing… ANYWAYS, I think it managed to take a scab on the right side off because after the pain of swallowing the delicious and wonderful fry I felt this amazing cool breeze on that spot and every time I breathe out of my nose or mouth I feel this wonderful cool sensation on it. But I’m not really sure because I haven’t seen anyone talk about what it felt like after the scabs fell off… All I know is that whatever did happen brought so much relief.
How are you feeling today? I’m on Day 8 today and according to my Dr tomorrow I should feel much better…
Day 8 of a surgery I never knew would have these side effects after. It’s not the pain thats killing me, its missing the food! Well today, (I’m 18), after finding out I lost 10 pounds I was determined to find food that would work, and I found scrambled eggs!! (even though it hurt yesterday?!). The little I can actually see of my throat there’s still a lot of white scabs left, which makes me really sad because I just want it to be over! Altogether though I feel more human and a lot less tired. I noticed a lot of people haven’t been able to sleep very well? I’ve been able to sleep 12 hours a night easily, but I guess it might be my meds, they gave me HARD CORE medication. SO glad for this site though, found it today!
I find that taking children’s ibuprofen works. Lasts 8 hours so you are not taking all your prescription pain killers. Starting to feel better. My surgery was last Thursday. Worst days were the weekend between pain, nausea, and weakness. I actually got out of my pjs today!
Day 8: 40 years old
Made it through another terrible night – why must nights be SOOOOO BAD? Switched meds from Percoset to liquid Lortab last night and it has made a huge difference. Not in pain management but in my mental abilities. Still not out of the woods, but I am hoping the worst is behind me (days 3-7 were HORRIFIC). Going to scale back the meds today and see what happens…still can’t live without my ice packs. Still can’t eat/swallow except cold water and the weight continues to drop off. Another day on the couch (ugh). My only comfort lies in quiet prayers and knowing that I am not alone. Somewhere, someone is going through the exact same thing.
Hi, I had my tonsils removed on 22 April andmy throat is still very pain whever I swallow liquid. My tongue us painful too which I don’t understand. So you are not alone!
I had mine out on the same day. At first the pain wasn’t so bad, I stayed overnight in hospital and they were really good with pain relief. Have got really good pain relief at home but some days – and some parts of days – they’re not doing anything and the liquid oxynorm now burns in the back of my throat so i dont want to take it. At night I can sleep for 2-3 hours before waking up in pain – wondered whether it’s lack of fluid overnight. Also sick of jelly but have been having great soup (broccoli) which I’m finding easy-ish to eat. On the upside, I haven’t been able to breathe this well in years, and for me a few pounds/kgs lost has not been unwanted! Wishing everyone else a speedy recovery.
Dreaded day for me. Just awful. The pain stayed consistent throughout the day then I started bleed for the first time. The bleeding was very profuse, so off to the ER. So four hours and a pint of my blood later the doctor sees me and tells me my surgeon requested to look at me. Nothing absolutely nothing was done to care for me at the ER, no pain meds, no bandaging nothing just shuffled off to the side while I spat blood into a bag (before you say anything, no there was no other emergencies or big patients. it was a very small local hospital. There was just a few other patients with minor wounds.) So the ambulance shows up, $400, down the drain. I’m regretting going to my local ER instead of returning to the medical centre where I had my operation. I show up there and the doctors colter up my throat and sent me home.
does anyone know what the whote stuff is that is all ovwr my tongue and how to get rid of it?
I gargled with a little oral cleansing gel, peroxide and baking powder. It helped to remove all the stuff stuck to the white film and a little of the white film itself. Made my mouth feel more clean
It’s probably the residual from the lidocaine and it will go away once you stop taking it should fade away
day8- today is so much better, pain is there but foggy unclear thinking is gone. can walk unassisted! i hope this is my turning point… can’t live without my icepacks though. feel more energized, made some soft scrambled eggs and did some dishes! wich i thought i was on my death bed day before yesterday, so hoping its better and better. my son had his out at 6 and was not anything like ny recovery…he had lits of icecream and popscicles and played board games and slept all day and night…does anyonr know why adults recovery is so bad?
Doctors said its a harder and harder every year you get older. It’s because your tonsils retreat into their beds within you throat muscles as you get older. So there is much more damage to your more developed muscles. Kids have much softer tissues.
Last week, I had no idea if I’d be able to be home in my apartment again or if I’d still be spending the night at my parent’s house every night.
Yesterday, I woke up and the pain in my ears was still there, but throughout the day, I began to actually have an appetite. My Mom took me home to my apartment where it took me half an hour to get down applesauce. My throat was feeling better and drinking water was incredibly easy. Although it seems that night time is definitely more difficult than the day time with pain and such. I wake up every two hours and have to convince myself to go back to sleep. Good news is, I’m getting on a much better sleep schedule now haha.
Since I finally had some sort of appetite, I decided to go to Taco Bell and get a wet burrito. I was excited, thinking I would be able to taste it and eat it without any issues. As soon as I put the burrito on my tongue, it felt like there was an explosion. I felt like I could severely taste the red sauce that was on it, but not much of anything else. I also noticed that I had some sort of white film on the right side of my tongue which was kind of gross.
I’m still hungry and I’ve read a lot of horror stories about people not getting their sense of taste back. I mean, I was looking forward to losing weight after this surgery, but not like… a million pounds because everything tastes nasty. Granted, yes, I tried something that had a little bit of flavor with it and I swore my tongue was on fire (not in a pleasant, yum, this tastes good way.) It wasn’t really painful, just a surprise, and a let down. I also tried chewing a jelly bean last night and the taste was incredibly bitter. YUCK!
Anyone know when my taste will be back? I’m probably going to just drink/eat some chicken soup today. I don’t think I have Thrush, but I’m going to try to eat some yogurt, just to be on the safe side. My tongue looks really red with tiny little bumps all over it. I initially thought that the white film was my tongue healing from the surgery until I read up on it? I can kind of taste things. Vitamin water, popsicles, Gatorade all taste fairly normal.
I’d appreciate as much input as possible!
22 (almost 23) year old female. 8 day Post op. Day 3 no pain meds (only 500 mg of Tylenol every 6 hours or so.)
Hi, I’m on day 8 post-op. I have been needing the pain medicine every 4 hours since the first day of surgery. I called my surgeon and he said it is normal to take the pain medicine around the clock for atleast the first 10 days. I tried weaning off the pain medicine today- BIG mistake. I was in intense pain after about 6 hours. For dinner I tried to eat some regular food and I’m paying for it now. My left ear is still hurting and I’m sleeping with a heating pad to ease the ear pain. Thankfully my doctor has been graciously generous with pain medicine!
The morning of day 8 (midnight) marked my highest pain threshold. Pain was about a nine. I would wait for about 2.5 hours until the next dose, and sometimes took the Roxicet every 3 hours (with a cup of pudding).
I still can only whisper, sweat profusely at night, and wake up from sleep apnea. However, at about 9 am, the pain subsided. My pain went down to about a 4, and stayed that way through day 10 (when I was able to stop my pain meds and move to Tynelnol. Day 8 was great. I am still resting a lot at this point, drinking a lot of fluids, and taking vitamins, pro-biotics. I had to increase my probiotics to 100 billion (Renewlife brand) when I started having a white tongue and dry mouth. I am not sure if I had thrush ( which is candida yeast that grows in your mouth when your immune system is compromised and the bad bacteria is outgrowing the good). However, the probiotic did help with the coating on my tongue and also with salvia production. If you haven’t already, make sure you have purchased a humidifier. I purchased one on day nine. My only discomfort is the pinching feeling of the scabs on my throat when they become dry (sipping water doesn’t always help; I need to coat my throat with yogurt smoothies or liquidfied pudding).
Good luck! The end is in sight!
Yuck, I’m on day 8! This is the worst, I just woke up from excruciating pain in my throat! I’m scared to even take my pain meds, they always seem to scrape my throat when they go down, I can feel a scab loose in my throat but I’m to scared to cough, in fear that it will be painful. I spit up some of it. It’s disgusting! My pain is maybe at an 8, I can’t cry because crying makes it worse, and to top it off I missed my med dose. Don’t fall behind like me!
I think I’m going to start probiotics too. This white stuff on my tongue is ridiculous! I’m taking my pain meds every 3 hours and have my humidifier running non stop.
Im 33 and i also had nasal surgery at the same time as my tonsillectomy, big mistake!
8th day, ok day. Still Cant tolerate anything cold. I decide to take my meds at 2/3 dose every 4 hours. Seems to help. I eat scrambled eggs and grits. A little bit of chicken. Still drinking lots of water but I’m filling my cup at room temperature and then microwaving it 10 secs. Realizing hot doesn’t bother me so I start drinking tea with honey. This helps a lot. I get the afternoon uninterrupted so I don’t speak at all which I think helps. Bed earlier than usual and sleep is and has been ok since day 3.
Day 8— The night of Day 7 and morning of Day 8 were extremely painful. Nothing helped. I took two pain pills, which just caused nausea. My ears are throbbing. I cannot take a sip of water without searing pain in my left ear down into my throat. Eating makes me cry from pain. One minute will feel okay and the next minute will be intense pain. My doctor had said that by now I should be able to function but I just can’t. It’s so frustrating and painful and I don’t know how many more days of this I can stand.
Greg,
THANK YOU !!First of all ,to even have the ENERGY to put this together wile still being YUKKY from this kind of medical procedure is AMAZING! Your project is a godsend!.I wish I had found it sooner, but I found it a post op Monday, day 6 and I couldn’t even tell ya I remember days 1-4 what I did besides cry, eat popsicles& drink water & remember to take my dilaudid! Other then that I am now HOOKED to this site! I also just found you on FB! YEAH!
Sweet Melissa! Welcome aboard !!!
Thanks for your support! It’s so up and down isnt it? I know I will much better off having gone through this but its taking its toll some people said id be ok by now but I guess everyone is different I am too scared to sleep…as the pain in the morning is so intense. What can I do to make it easier? X
Here are some thoughts for you from the facebook page:
ean Bauer Rees You’re almost over the hump babe! Day 7 was the worst for me so you’re getting there. This will all be a blur when you look back and think about how thankful you will be! Almost there!!
2 hours ago via mobile · Like
Emily Hampson I had to switch from cold water to room temperature water around that time. Cold stuff was starting to hurt. I had to get out of the house. Being in pain and not being able to eat anything made me depressed. I went out and saw a lot of movies. I promise it gets better.
2 hours ago · Like
Alba Barby The only sunshine I can provide is its only going to get better! this is the corner and your going round it, Its awful this op but it is more than worth it after, last week i was still upset come the weekend I feel great. add me if you need to chat ill be more than happy to help and support you.
2 hours ago · Like
Brandi Rickman Morris Your are almost there – day 10 was my break through!! Hang in there. Ice chips were wonderful for me. Good luck! My surgery was a year ago March 1, and I vividly remember how horrible the recovery is, but I promise you are almost there!
2 hours ago · Like
Mandi Deal Day 9/10 will be much better, I agree! Remember the pain will be so worth it (though it seems unlikely!) – you are hurting because you are healing If it’s the referred ear pain that is mostly bothering you, I strongly recommend a sock with plain old…See More
about an hour ago · Like
Lisa Anne Artigo Day 8 is probably one of the hardest… You’re almost there, hang in there and know it will get better!
about an hour ago · Like
Elizabeth Van Beek Holly- I feel your pain! But you are almost there girl! My advice is to MAKE sure you get some more pain medication so it makes it easier to drink and eat soft food. Keeping your throat moist is KEY. I am on day 14 of my tonsillectomy recovery and nev…See More
about an hour ago · Like
Toni Smith Pain meds in a spoonful of cold pudding and warm raspberry leaf tea. The combo will save you when you think you are losing your mind. Good luck.
about an hour ago · Like
Jennifer Locke I agree, stay medicated. I was on liquid Vicodin for 10 days. Ice packs and humidifier:) Ensure with ice.
33 minutes ago · Like
Listen Holly, set your alarm so you dont miss your pain meds. Even if you are like me, and just took Tylenol. Get up every 4 hours. And drink a lot. You are at the worst of it. it gets better from here. Chin up!
I have found that letting a dab of extra virgin coconut oil melt on my tongue and coat my throat is great for the morning dryness. I am day seven today and am praying for relief soon…
You can do it love. make your doctor give you pain meds mine gave me naproxen real good stuff. add me if you want to chat im still having time off for mine so give me a message.
Hey!
I am on day 8 of my recovery and am 23 female.
this is by far the single most painful thing I have ever been through.
I can’t eat, I can’t really drink and I have no pain meds left and my gp is twiddling his thumbs over whether to give me more. I can’t even open my mouth to look at the my throat.
Is there really an end to this?
I am so down…
I have been put on antibiotics for risk of infection…but I still feel the same?
I am the girl that gets tattooed and pierced for fun and has had her leg rebuilt with metal so my pain threshold is high…evidently not.
Will I ever be out of this mess. As at the moment I feel I scrwed things up for myself big time!
Any kind words or advice would be great!
X
Holly, my heart goes out to you. Don’t take no for an answer on the pain med. I promise you things WILL get better. Soon. Right now you are probably at THE very bottom. The cumulative effects of the lack of sleep, nutrition, pain med’s…it all adds up and weighs a ton. THIS IS TEMPORARY!
Please keep drinking all you can. Even if its hard. You do not want to get dehydrated!
Hang in there sweetheart.
Keep on hanging on. Getting my tonsils out was the worst pain I have ever felt but two years later and I haven’t been sick once! You will be so happy you did this and it will be so worth it!!!!
P.s. join us on Facebook ?
Hi Holly, its day 8 for me today(26 yr old female) and it absolutely sucks. I keep thinking tomorrow will get better… eventually I’ll be right. Like you I’m in constant agony, can’t eat much, can’t talk, drinking hurts, the most i have slept in a row so far is 3 hours. I have to say the last few days have driven me to tears…a lot.
But I keep telling myself there is a reason for this! One day soon we’ll look back and be sooo glad we did this! Just hang in there hun. I’m right here if you need to chat!
To everyone else, thanks for all your posts. Everyday i come on here for advice tips and a little bit of strength and hope to get through this hellish recovery!
X
today I am on day 8 today is probably the worst crying because the pain is too much too bare. and it hurts to tal I take pain medicin every 4 hour and I take 4 milliliter which i double what double what I should or i or is suggested it on only takes away the it only takes away the shortness of the pain. It sucks but I hope day 10 will be the turning point. still it hurt to eat soft things but i choke it down because I’m hungry I don’t suggest that because it slows the healing proscess
Feels like I’m swallowing glass. Ahhhhh
i’m 18, and i got my tonsils out 8 days ago… I’m honestly really glad i found this page, i thought my recovery seemed “strange”, but now i know it’s normal.. i haven’t been able to eat ANY foods, just popsicles and juice.. everything else hurts. even pudding and jello.. i still feel swollen, i’m still talking funny, and there’s still pain, especially in my ears. i’m really hoping things will start looking up soon, i’m getting super super hungry and depressed, and i don’t know how much longer i can handle this. this page gave me a little boost, though.
Hi there. I really feel for you as I was the same, I got to day 8 which I was feeling pretty much on the mend not much pain was able to swallow most things etc, then when I went to go to bed that night my throat started bleeding, so went to A&E with a tea towel full of blood, and apparently that wasnt enough for them to take me bk in to have cauterised… The doc looked inside my mouth and realised I had an infection on my left toncil so she gave me some antibiotics and said that’s what is causing the bleeding… It stopped an hour later. Then the following night I was up till 4.30 spitting out all this blood and even bloodclots which were getting stuck in my throat (gross) and since iv had no more bleeding… All I can recommend it keep ice packs on the back of your neck as much as poss, and just keep drinkin ice cold water and lots of ice lollies as they will stop it… Try not too cough and not to move around too much as I found that when I’d bleed… Just take it easy, your get there x
Thanks so much, i never thought of putting the ice on the back of my neck. It seems to be working, no more bleeding for 10hrs straight! Hope it will stay this way.
Thanks a lot
Please give me a piece of advice if you can – anybody!
Since late day 7 and throughout the following night, I’ve been experiencing bleeding – it always lasts about 10-15 mins, not very severe but it comes back repeatedly, about every 3 hrs. I have seen my dr, he gave some pills to prevent bleeding but it still keeps coming back. Ice helps to stop it but I don’t want to bleed at all…
If it keeps going like this, I’m gonna have to go back to the hospital. I really really really don’t want to. Combined with the daily position of 3hrs sleep and lack of food, the blood loss is making me feel very weak. I just want this to stop. I can’t believe I got to the point where the pain isn’t the main issue.
Any advice? Please….?
I am 19 years old, had surgery on 7th march so day 8 including the op day! Been reading everyone’s story’s and shocked there’s only a few people on solids! Since around day 4-5 I’ve been eating only solid food which I feel has actually really helped the recovery, felt no scabs, which talking to my doctor would have been taken off by eating! So all in all I feel a lot better now. Still a massive struggle I’m the mornings waking up and when it gets close to the next dose of meds. Emotions everywhere! DONT cry made things a lot worse!! Ears still very painful l and overall still uncomfortable but lots more energy in the day! Actually going out with my boyfriend for a walk today! got steak for dinner tonight, had a roast last night. Takes me about an hour to eat it though! haha. Anyway good luck everyone else there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!!
I am 8 days post OP today and i have been eating solids since day 5.it had made a world odd difference.i still am in pain and
my throat is itching i cough then it hurts worse driving me crazy.
Day 8- hurrah!!!!!!!!!as I write this I have just done the school run (first time since op)and I was feeling brave that I bought a McDonald’s breakfast with tea and hash brown and I have eaten it!!!!! It was still a little uncomfortable eating it but I’ve done it!! And I feel like a human being today!this morning wasn’t hell either. It has literally changed over night. Yesterday was most painful day. I’m still taking all my meds and instead of it taking the edge off the pain (just) it makes me feel completely normal! It’s true people there is light at end of tunnel and it turns around in a flash. It’s still hard to swallow and tastes bad but I feel great and pain free on the meds. I have my scabs still. It looks like there’s less then there was an I think when they come off its like you’ve got something stuck in your throat but when you swallow a few times with water it goes.so happy ? am gonna keep rested and carry on with everything so I keep improving. Don’t worry a peeps when your at your worst just wait cos your about to feel alot better xxx
I’m feeling very similar on my post-op day 8. It’s fabulous! I know I’m not out of the woods but I have confidence that I’m gonna feel really good soon. I discovered Chloreseptic spray yesterday and it changed my world. I carry it around all day now. It makes eating, drinking & talking bearable!
Why didn’t my doc tell me about this earlier? So many questions I have for him…another one is why he won’t let me take Motrin when I read about many of you taking Motrin from day 1. My doc says he worries about bleeding. I’m thinking the benefits outweigh the risks at this point.
I’m reading to face this next phase of recovery with renewed strength. It came right when I thought I was at the end of my rope. Thanks Greg for such a wonderful support center! It helped me when I had no where to turn.
Day 8 and I’m remarkably better today! Scabs really started coming off late on day 5 so from day 5 until today I was mostly on liquids and applesauce again. Right after they fell off the pain was the worst of the recovery far. It is also pretty nasty. I ended up swallowing most of them as I didn’t want to try to spit them up. Looks like most of the scabs are gone but there are still some white spots back there. I was able to eat Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and stuffing with gravy and that seemed to go okay. I have noticed that yawning really hurts…I haven’t needed the lortab since last night and have just been sticking to the Tylenol. I left the house today for the first time in 8 days and it was nice to get some fresh air. I’m hoping that its all uphill from now since I’ve got to go back to work in 3 days! Good luck all, it gets better!
Day 8 and I haven’t had any issues since day 5. No pain, no pain peeking, no ear ache, jaw pain, nausea, nothing. Wen’t back to work on day 8. 32 year old female.
That is awesome! I bet you are grateful you don’t have to go through what the rest of us have.
I’m very thankful. I think having endometriosis has given me an extreme threshold for pain. The pain scale days 1-4 were consistently the same, never peeked in my case. Staying near a humidifier 24 hours a day, waking up every hour to hydrate, and icing my neck 20 out of 24 hours a day for the first four days really made all the difference. My throat is still swollen but it isn’t nearly as bad as 25 years of strep and tonsillitis.
It is day 8 and I am laying in bed wide awake at 4:30am. I fear going to sleep because every morning when I wake up I am immediately crying from the pain. I managed to eat a pack of saltine crackers last night. It took me almost an hour because I would let them turn to mush before swallowing. I felt like a million bucks after that simple meal! It still hurt to swallow but I am going crazy without solid foods. I have lived on banana Popsicles and orange sherbet for the past 8 days. I tried mashed potatoes on day 6 only to vomit it back up an hour later. That was depressing.
I called my doc for a refill on my Lortab yesterday. Thank god I did that before I ran out. I am definitely not ready to be off my pain meds yet. The pain in my ears is 10x what it was 3 days ago and I didn’t even think that was possible. I found what really helps is to pack the sides your neck and behind your ears with ice packs. That helps a ton with my ear pain.
My tongue swelling finally went down and I can see the back of my throat. It’s covered in white scabs- I don’t think any have come off yet. I don’t think I’m ready for that stage yet :/
My surgeon said he doesn’t need to see me for a follow up appointment.. Should I go see someone else for a second opinion?
I’m so glad I found this site! Even though we all have different experiences with our tonsillectomies, it’s nice to know I am not the only one who feels like they are going crazy at times.
Day 8! Finally! I’ve been sleeping a lot. Going to bed around 12 – 1 Am and waking up around 11 am with only waking up once or twice to use the bathroom or take a dose of Norco. Throat is still raw, jaws still ache, still collecting some saliva in the back of my throat because I am not swallowing normally. Today marks the first day that I’m talking again. I still sound nasally/congested when I talk, but I actually carried on a phone conversation with an employer for a job I’m starting in two weeks, so that’s wonderful. Still not able to discontinue narcotic pain medications, but I can’t stretch to 5 or 6 hours between doses. I’m eating a bit more than broth now: I had some elbow macaroni with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese (luckily, the marinara sauce did not irritate my throat), some corn with sugar melted on it, garden peas with salt, and I actually scarfed down two entire Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies last night. Unfortunately, my taste buds are completely inflamed/”off” so nothing tastes good. Tonight, I’m sending my husband to Olive Garden and I’m going to attempt the Five Cheese Ziti (however, what I really want is a medium cooked filet mingon, with french fries & ketchup, warm garlic biscuits, and a shirley temple) — can you tell I haven’t eaten almost anything in 8 days? Lost 10 pounds, but know it won’t be for long. Cleared my throat this morning – collected a lot of phlegm last night- and afterwards I realized I had cleared it just a bit too hard because I tasted blood in the back of my mouth. I spit into a Kleenex and saw that it was bleeding a little. I stated panicking, but luckily it was only that little bit of red and then stopped. Whew. Coughing a bit more at night – not sure why – if it’s just the post-nasal drip or if I’m actually catching a little bit of a cold. However, it seems that a lot of people on here start coughing towards the end part of their recovery, so I’m assuming post nasal drip.
Here’s a couple for you Greg: you’ve now got a mountain of data on this misery, yes? As a mid 40’s guy I wonder two things –
1. what is average ‘recovery time’ dependent upon age? Somewhere else on the site you offer ‘ten-point-something’ days as an average overall, but I’m guessing that the older you are, the longer than becomes? I’m presuming that the ‘circa ten days’ average duration is the point at which I may still have a ‘sore throat’, but not wake up with fire being poured into my throat and ears?
2. What is the age distribution of people having tonsillectomies? Dimly remembering from school that all sets of numbers end up being distributed an an upside-down bell-curve, I would like to think that at 46 I’m in a shrinking minority, and would pity anyone say another 10 years older than me, when everything presumably will be yet slower to heal?
I’m in ‘scabs falling off, globs of blood’ pain mode today. I’m quite ‘lopsided’ as a person, the surgery has reflected that – one side back there is smaller and a couple of days ahead of the other. The smaller side main scab fell away 2 days ago, today the larger of the two gaping cavities is just a mess, although I think I’m coagulating enough not to panic. I’m managing 1 sloppy Weetabix for breakfast, a small soup or similar for lunch and a bowlful of liquidized dinner. When I’ve fought my way through the evening food I feel a lot better for it. Persevere! Still maxed out on paracetamol-codeine and ibuprofen, but the longevity of pain relief is slowly increasing. If you’re not eating, try to; if you’re fed up with the pain, you are not alone! Take care.
Thanks for the post Phil. I am a little concerned: Your questions and observations seem far too coherent for a person taking enough pain medicine for tonsillectomy recovery! ha ha ha.
I have taken polls and the ten day or so does seem a consistant average. Anecdotally, it does appear that the younger folks fair better- most evident in the under 15 group. Having said that, I have recently read of some 50 somethings having pretty smooth recoveries. With all the variables; tonsillectomy method and surgeon skill, environment, behavior of patient, it would be challenging to nail down a precise corollary like you allude to.
I wish you all the best in your recovey. It sounds like you are well prepared and have a good attitude. ONe could ask for little more than that.
Take care!
Today is day 8 for me, I’m 21 years old and home from college for the semester, in January I had my wisdom teeth extracted, and though I didn’t struggle much with pain that surgery, I kept having reoccurant strep throat and nasal pain… When I went to the Ent I found out I had to have my tonsils removed… Since I’d just gone through surgey I decided that I might as well get it over with so I didn’t have to recover and than recover again from a second surgery. I was so so so so so wrong. Why did I ever do this to myself? The pain from my tonsils were a million times worse than the wisdom teeth, razors, and fire, and I can’t even deal. The emotional toll it’s taken on me is unbelievable. I cry so much and it only makes me hurt more :((( today on top of everything my tongue started to act up… Maybe because I’ve eaten Popsicles for 2 months and freezed the first layer off or something?! I don’t know. Just please let this be over soon. Please please please please please.
Aubrey, Hopefully you were able to go back to school somewhat recovered. I wanted to give you piece of mind for going through this painful surgery now. At 56 I am on day 8 of my recovery. I was advised to have a tonsilectomy when I was in my 20’s. I listened to horrifying revovery stories and could not find one adult who did not regret having this surgery. I chose to deal with my tonsilitis and strep throat instead. I did not make the right choice. I ended up with a chronic throat infection which at times was every bit as painful as this recovery. Only difference the painful days were sparatic. The infection caused a laundry list of multiple health issues and life altering events. To name a few; sleep anea, migraines and quite a bit of hearing loss. I was petrified of this surgery but calmed myself down by letting my body accept it and I am every bit as miserable as i expected. I just keep reminding myself how much more I will be gaining. I hope my story helps you realize “in hind-site” you are a very smart young woman.
Day 8
Pain is 7/8; goes down to 3/4 at peak of meds.
I slept 3 hours last night. I want to cry (and I did) with the pain and lack of sleep. I feel awful; just so exhausted. The night before I didn’t sleep at all- just fell asleep for 3 hours in the morning. This cannot keep up like this.
My pain meds ran out- doctor has not returned my call since yest morning. Doc will be getting an angry call this morning. Have been coping with migraine medicine I had On hand and Advil. Stomach is a mess- cant eat dairy and everything seems to make it angry.
My sinuses also ache, in addition to what feels like the core nucleus of my head- behind eyes down to esophagus. Scabs seem to be slowly coming off- which feels good. They gag me often and I need a spittoon by my side at all times. Pain meds including migraine meds are not lasting as long- like 2 hours at best.
I’m doing my best to focus on life after recovery but its hard. I just want to cry and sometimes I do. This is craziness
yes this is day 8 felling little better.i was able to eat a Doughnut last night this Time it only took 38mins not bad …..anyway.I read some where that to take a damp wash-cloth to bed with you and place it just over your mouth at night and it will act Like a humidifier and i’ll be Damed it worked Guys it realy did (keeping it there all night was the problem) when i woke up at 2am my norm my mouth was not all Dryed out.. my toung was not like sand paper… I was so excited i woke up my husband to tell him because i felt good and as you all know felling good for us right now is so few and far between these days any way he did not remember REALY……any way try it see if it works you have nothing to lose……still not able to eat much in the way of food But i have lost 8lbs……any-way before i close i just want to let my husband mark and my 3 (4 Legged children max,coco.presious) Know That i love you all so much for putting up with all my B…S…my complaints,,my crying,,, my Mood swings ….you just went with the flow.. you never got angry 1 Time with me you just kept telling me that you love me and you are here for me, I Guess we tend to forget that our other half be it husband,family member ect… they are going thru this with us it is not all about me.me.me.me…… so when we both said for better or worse… WE DID NOT LIE..so in saying that i hope you all get to felling better it;s just taking 1 day at a time and tomorrow will be day 9 YEA………HAAAA
Day 8 has been amazing for me!!! Woke up feeling a little under the weather but the pain in my throat was manageable. I have only taken my medicine once today so far so thats a change! And I was able to eat macaroni and cheese with tuna in it! Definitely a turning point for me. Throat right now just feels like a really bad sore throat. Definitely still sore but tolerable. I am still having pain with my molars and my ears. Im hoping that I am on the good end of recovery now!!
I really feel for you, I found the pain unbearable… Just drink as much as u can, if you take Bigger mouthfuls its less painful, and try warm water instead of ice cold, really helped me. I was having mash potato and gravy from about day 6 so try that, I never thought mash and gravy would taste so good ha!! Take care Lisa x
That’s so dope. Keep up the good work babe!!! Jessie xo.
I am in the most pain I have ever experienced!
Kill Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can’t wait to eat something again
Hello everyone of my fellow suffering tonsillectomy adults,
This is a fantastic and comforting site that has seen me relate to other experiences and when the pain has got to a level ten has helped me seek advice
What a journey, and I thought this would be a straight forward operation and would be fine, how wrong was I…….
I am 26 years old had my surgery on the 6th February 2013, so I am no on day 8 of my tonsillectomy recovery.
Day 1-3 pain was manageable probably a pain level of 6.
Day 4-8 pain was unbearable pain levels ranging from 8-10 on and off all the time, I have not felt pain like this ever before!!! Its hard to swallow, hard to talk, hard to function, hard to eat. The ear pain and throat pain together is torture, knowing you have to eat and drink is like enduring a marathon.
P.S. Food to get down is macaroni cheese and custard pots, also ice lollies takes the edge off slightly and gives your body a little hydration
Well I hope there is light at the end of the tunnel soon,
Ezza x
Hi, this is currently day 7 post opp for me and reading your post has answered so many of my questions,it also makes me feel so much more comfortable knowin what I am goin through is normal.
My pain is like a see saw I’ll be fine n then its as if I have a knife stuck deep in2 my throat. My scabs haven’t started to fall yet so am not sure what 2 expect when that happens.
I hate it that lots of my friends and co-workers expect me to be fully recovered and normal and when I explain to them I am In agonising pain they like “I can’t believe u still in pain,its been a week” now I can refer them 2 this site and get them of my achin throat!!!
I wish u all the best in ur recovery,crossing fingers its uphill from here…
xoxoxox
Keri
I hear ya girl, I hear ya. Day 8 and still in pain….
Kerri
Aww no that’s awful… Have you tried just warm boiled water on its own iv been drinking that all week and think that may of helped, also I bought some honey manuka 10+ it’s got antibiotics in it which should help the throat alot so iv been having a couple spoonfuls a day which is soo soothing aswell… Well my throat was reali sore I had yummy flavoured icelollies like cola flavour let them melt for 5 mins then would chop it all up, they were lovely and refreshing…
I also had hiccups about 4-5 times on day 8 which was awful they were so strong and there was nothing I could do to stop them hope the next few days get better for you x
Today is day 8 for me. It started really well, as for the first time I was able to eat something. Until now all I could manage was coconut water (which I am now so sick of- the mere smell makes me nauseous) and crushed ice. I tried some broth the other day (no luck) and even dairy-free ice cream was a no-go. I’m sticking to the no dairy thing– on day one I made the mistake of trying a protein drink which contained milk:the mucus build up was unbearable .
Today though I was feeling positive as I managed some lukewarm creamy rice cereal with coconut milk. Encouraged, I tried broth again at lunch time and it felt like swallowing a bag of razors.
By this evening an unbearable pain had spread to my right ear. Absolute agony. And this morning I thought I had passed the worst.
Wrong.
Also a first today was I had hiccups. Not. Fun.
Day 8 and finally things have taken a turn for the better. Days 1-3 were pretty much fine, things turned very quickly bad on day 4, and then proceeded to get worse through to this morning, the morning of Day 8, when I woke up with daggers in my throat. I experimented with dropping the painkiller dose during day 8, and by evening I was bold enough to go to bed on half the dose I’d been using for the last few nights. It actually worked, and whilst night 8 wasn’t perfect, it was way better than any of the preceeding 4 nights. Weight loss continues, and after 8 full days I’m 8lbs lighter. The only frustration is that wherever it’s going from, it’s not anywhere I can see. I’m in reasonable shape to start with, so I’d expect 8lbs of weight loss to have a fairly dramatic effect on my face and stomach. So I wonder how much of the weight loss is just fluid loss. I’m drinking nearly 2 litres a day, and keeping the air humidified, so I’m stumped! But in summary, the good news is that Day 8 really seemed to be a turning point.
Hey all… I’m 23 and had a tonsillectomy last tues so I’m on my 8th day now… The first few days were absolutely awful I honestly wondered if i was ever going to feel normal again. I spent 2 hours I’n recovery room after my op as was feeling really sick and dizzy, I then went upto my room and pretty much slept all day, the first 5 nights I barely got any sleep, was waking every 1-2 hours in pain… My ear pain and jaw/tooth ache was chronic it started from day 3 and has now gone, I used a hot water bottle(what a saint) I struggled reali bad to swallow so the first 2 days I didn’t drink as much as I should of, but ever since then I was drinking non stop would always makesure I had a mug in my hand, I had warm boiled water every time which was so soothing a lot nicer than the ice cold I found .. I managed jelly and ice cream for the first few days then on about day 4 had mash potato with gravy then from then onwards iv been having the same but putting mashed up carrots with it too, also a pear sliced up into very thin strips is nice and tinned peaches… Iv been having weetabix since about day 5 I just found with any food to keep a cup of water next to you to take a sip after each mouthful, it helped it go down a lot!! Last night I slept for about 7 hours and when I woke up I actually felt ok, it just feels like iv got a sore throat now n that’s it.. Id recommend staying in bed for the first 4 days and getting as much sleep and rest as you can with plenty of water, n then just take it easy lounging round the house for the rest of the week!! Hope this helps and good luck it will all be over soon!! Ps I used a de-humidifier as there meant to be amazing and help to stop your throat from drying up
Please, answer my questions if you have insight! At 12:00 pm this afternoon, I will “celebrate a compete week” into my tonsillectomy. Yesterday was insanely painful and throughout the night, I took percocet every 3 hours during the night and couldn’t get the ear pain and burning to subside in my throat. A small piece of scab broke loose, but there is still plenty in tact. Will this happen each time a scab comes loose?
Also, my jaw clicks and feels as though it’s out of place when I chew…it’s painful and awkward…is this normal?
Finally, with the ear pain at it’s peak and ready for a new round of percocet in 30 minutes, I decided to forego the warning that ibuprofen causes bleeding and took one tablet 200 mg and within a 1/2 hour my ear pain subsided and I was able to eat some cream of wheat, drink water, and go to sleep for an entire hour with a cepacol to keep my throat moist. So I haven’t :touched the percocet since 4:00 am, but am wondering if I should take another dose in between ibuprofen, which I took at 7:30?
I appreaciate these posts as they keep me distracted and normalize my pain. Thanks for you feeback!
I’m on day 12 and still have pain when swollowing and i am still unable to speak for more than a few minintes at a time. Day 7- 10 were the worst for me in terms of pain- a lot of burning and sharp pains. I think that happens when the scabs come off since the skin is so sesative underneath. My scabs are coming off slowly, but at still mostly intact after 12 days! I didn’t not take pain medicine at all during this recovery, just tynenoyl,so not sure when you should take them etc….
Hope you are feeling better soon! Another week and you will feel much better!
Oh and I remember him saying you may have head, neck, jaw pain as it is referred pain due, so think that’s normal although I did not have that.
Props to you because I would of never made it through the last 8 days without pain meds!
Post Op Day Eight:
Holy Cow – Stacie Has A VOICE Again!
Well, it’s official…I CAN talk again. I’m not sure if the kids and husband are happy about that or not, but it sure is nice to be able to communicate without that annoying whisper or scrawling on my white board! So…that is the GOOD news for Day Eight. Now, on to “the rest of the story”…
Ow Ow Ow Ow. OOOWWWW!!
Pain Scale Today:
7/8 at the worst when I wake up and my throat is DRY &
3/4 when the pain med is peaked and my throat nice and wet
Pain Issues:
Throat, ears, & sinuses/headache-y
Other Issues:
Extreme Nausea & ANXIETY (I have a panic disorder, so I get anxious when I am in pain)
My Lortab elixir is just about gone – I’ve been trying to make it last as long as possible by taking the smallest dose that I feel will take the edge off the pain, but there are only two to three doses left. I am supposed to take 15ml every four hours, but I have been cutting it down over the past few days – first to 10ml and now 5ml every four – six hours. I take Vicodin 7.5/750 tablets three times a day normally for my severe fibromyalgia. The doctor gave me extra Lortab elixir so my fibromyalgia pain would be covered along with the surgical pain during my tonsillectomy recovery time (Vicodin and Lortab are just different brand names for the same drug – hydrocodone plus acetaminophen). He didn’t want me taking my Vicodin with the elixir because a) it is easy to take too much Tylenol/Acetaminophen (which is in the Lortab/Vicodin – they are the same drug) in a day – there is a 3 gram limit per day to protect the liver and b) he knew I would not be able to swallow the huge Vicodin tablets. Well, I took a half a tablet of Vicodin twice today to supplement the Lortab elixir, but it does not work as quickly as the elixir and was VERY hard to swallow. I tried crushing it, too, but it tastes SO BAD no matter WHAT you mix it in AND I don’t think it makes it work any faster. I can’t take ibuprofen yet – the doctor didn’t want me to take anything that can cause bleeding until my first follow up appointment, which I have in six hours…I should probably try to go to bed between now and then, but I fear sleep because I always feel the worst when I wake up. This follow up is for my balloon sinuplasty and turbinate reduction (sinus surgeries) – I need to find out if I am still supposed to be having so many sinus headaches and so much mucus drainage in my throat from those procedures. The tonsillectomy follow up is not for a while (I think it is a full two weeks from the surgery which would be Friday) – is it normal for the tonsillectomy follow up to be so long after the surgery?
Food…oh how I long to eat…
I am still living on Special K Breakfast/Protein Drinks – at 180 calories for a 10 ounce bottle, I don’t feel bad about drinking three or four a day (but I know they’re expensive…I haven’t asked my husband how much they are and I don’t WANT to know). Warm broth (through a straw of course lol!), sugar free Jello with Cool Whip, and orange sherbet push-pops make up the only sustenance I am getting right now. I tried to eat a few soft, cooked veggies in my broth today (carrots and baby butter potatoes), but it really hurt AND food seems to get stuck in the opening where the tonsils used to be. Is it going to be like that forever?? It’s like there is a little shelf there and food just sits in it. Gross.
The wet scabs are still looking good – they have started to dissolve a bit, but are mostly intact. The nurses on the surgical ward told me the longer the scabs stay put, the better chance the new skin has to get established.
That’s Day Eight for me. Tomorrow will be the first time I have left the house since I left the hospital and I will also start driving the kids to and from school this week. It is bitterly cold here in Iowa right now with a ton of snow on the ground and I feel completely zapped of energy all the time, so I am NOT excited about leaving my warm, comfy house (not to mention having to actually GET DRESSED, put in my contacts, and make myself look halfway presentable after living in my pajamas for over a week).
Wishing the best to you all!!
~PEACE & BLESSINGS~
Day 8: lovely day!! Most of the scabs are gone, feel some stinging still, but i can eat and drink again! hallellouia! The last three days were awful, took 6 painkillers per 24 hours, couldn’t eat because of the pain in my throat (felt like blades were cutting through it and it seemed on fire), was nauseous because of the pain meds and antibiotics on an empty stomach and could only sleep for tops an hour at a time… But then… last night, my alarm went off at 5 am to take the next load of painkillers, and to my surprise I wasn’t already awake from the pain, but the alarm really woke me up great feeling at that time and i didn’t actually have that much pain.. so i decided not to take any more pain meds until morning, and I slept until 10 am without waking up again! off course, when i got up, my throat was pretty dried out, so that hurt again a little, but after some sips of water, it immediately felt better… I took three painkillers today, one at 11 am, one at 5 pm and now, just before going to bed at 11.45 pm… so i am only taking half of the painkillers that i was yesterday and the days before… i finally started feeling like the normal me again today, so that is really a good feeling!
so to ensure people who are still in the awful pain phase: It’s hell, but all of a sudden it’s much much better and you’ll feel soooo good good luck to the rest of you out there!
Oh, and one more thing, I read somewhere here that people were saying that paracetamol isn’t strong enough, but I managed with 6 x 500 mg of paracetamol per 24 hours (which isn’t even the strongest dose there is, I believe the strongest dose is 1 gr) in my worst pain days, so it is possible to manage with paracetamol
Good night and on to an (hopefully) even better day!
Glad to hear you are feeling much better! I am on day 7 tomorrow and my scabs are still intact. My throat feels like it is getting snapped and I cant speak. When did you scabs fall off and did you feel this way on dag 6/7? Also, could you feel when they were coming off? Thanks!
I’m post op day 8 and I feel fine I felt fine day seven haven’t eaten but not pain just feels like something’s stuck in my throat and it does get dry if I drink to much or fast at the moment I get a sore throat for ten minutes then fine . ear ache has subsided and my jaw to – during surgery I bit my tongue pretty bad so they had to burn it (wich is dumb rather would of had stictches ) now I have hard on the side of my tongue that didn’t help I have work in a week and I hope I can talk correctly! my work all you do is talk ! I can’t wait to eat I even dream of eaten a nice salad ! my healing process seems to be going pretty good and fast haven’t been drooling in my sleep as much wich is great ! I didn’t use anything like salt water or humidifier or anything didn’t eat Popsicles just an ice pack and medicine when couldn’t tolerate pain or to eat – all natural . you can do it it’s a terrible process. I’m 19 and I had this surgery the day before my bday so this whole thing sucked for me
Day 8 and im feeling a little better than yesterday but a lot better than day 6. I woke up early this morning in pain and took my meds and went back to sleep, woke up again at half 1 feeling fine and ate some tuna on crackers which didn’t feel great on my throat but i tell you my stomach sure enjoyed it. I took more meds at about three o clock and had a milkshake, the cold on the throat was very soothing. Then at half 6 i tried to eat a hot dog but couldn’t manage the bun, i took more meds and went for a nap at 9 o clock. It’s now 1 o clock in the morning and i’m wide awake, it might not have been the best idea to have two naps today but if there’s something i’ve learned from this experience it’s to take the sleep while you can, i haven’t been sleeping right at night so i try grab an hour or two during the day. The pain today has been so much better than i thought, i was expecting a lot of pain today but i was clearly wrong. My ears are still very sore and i can’t wait for that pain to go. My tongue doesn’t seem to be as swollen as before but my uvula is still very swollen. All in all today has been a good day and i’m looking forward to being fully recovered
FINALLY! The pain is going down! The past 4 days have been AWFUL but it is significantly better today. Throat stings during water or food because of the new exposed skin where the scabs have sloughed off, but other than that, it’s not nearly as bad today. The pain meds are only lasting 3 out of the 4 hours, but I have a feeling I’ll only be using them for another day or two Hang in there friends!
I am 37 years old and had a T & A done January 14th, 2013. It is finally a full week since my surgery and I am finally feeling more like a person. I still am taking pain medication, but not as much as before and I am alternating between the vicodin, Tylenol 3 and Advil. I think this has helped me to not feel so fuzzy all the time. But I still have problems sleeping. I didn’t think the day would come when I would not wake up in tears from the pain. Don’t get me wrong it still hurts, but just not as much. Day 8 and I have to leave the house today to get more pain meds. I have not left since my husband brought me home last Monday and I am so ready to get out of the house! I have no idea how people can eat regular food on days 3 or 4! I was lucky to get a piece of toast down that was dunked in hot cocoa. Everything hurt to swallow. I have lived on jello and pudding the last week. I did try some cheese off pizza Saturday but it hurt way to bad to finish.
i’m 22. Today is my 8th day and honestly i have just the feeling of a sore throat that comes around when i’m sick.
However, last night i did not sleep at all due to the extreme dryness of my throat and because water was feeling like swallowing acid! it burned so bad. anyone else having that feeling?
My scabs on my left side came off on day 6-7. I thought this was bad, called the doctor and said if i’m healing i’m healing. there’s nothing to worry about. I havent bled at all. the only instance was on day 5 and even then it was a baby clot. What i’ve learned helps is to chew gum a little bit, move your tounge around a lot, swallow a lot! this speeds up the recovery process. I have a high tolerance of pain and i’m so glad i do. This was no way a walk in the park.
My right side however is horrible!!! i have such bad ear aches and jaw aches. I get so neasuated at night and i have to take liquid loratab? which is KILLING my stomach and my sense of smell.. (It smells so bad.)
i’m changing onto pills for day 10 and on. Hopefully this helps!
Also.. little advice i didnt think of. Take FIBER! my liver is not happy with me right now because of all the pain meds! yikes.
Yes, cold water which used to be a relief now feels like acid
This is day 8 for me, and ohhh myyyy goooooosshhh. Im 21 years old, and i have a two year old. No one in my family belives that im in this much pain, . I have my daughter everyday and night, even with all the pain, and all the narcotics im on. I tried eating a hot dish last night, and i stopped because i started to bleed a little. MY EARS HURT SOOOO BAD!!!!!
So I am just finishing up Day 8…and when I woke up this morning, OH MY GOD so much pain. I had my mom call the doctor/his assistant and she told me day 8 is usually the PEAK of pain and it will only get better (slowly…oh so damn slowly) from here on out. I hope to god that is true because honestly since day 4 the pain has only gotten worse and NEVER decreased in the slightest. I am almost worried that I will never heal!
My doctor also said its best to try to space the time now between taking my pain pills and lower the dosage from 2 to 1.5 so by the time i am healing more efficiently I wont be drugged up so much and will be easier to recover. I still have so much pain up to this point but am about two hours into my dose so I am ok but I hope to god it gets better even just a little tomorrow!! I cannot do this much longer…I regret getting this surgery done to be honest. :/
I too am on day 8 and the pain has gradually got worse, went to the GP yesterday and I am infected and got some antibiotics but cannot eat as pain on tongue due to ulcers and overall pain is too much!!
Well, it’s day 8 for me. I’ve pretty much kept quiet and just read comments for the other days so far, but I figured I’d share today. I’m 20 years old. So far my pain has been…well on and off. Day 1 wasn’t bad at all, days 2 and 3 were hell, 4-6 were better but still hurt pretty bad, and day 7 (last night) was the first day I was able to actually eat food. I had about half a bottle of ice cold orange gatorade, alone with a cup of Kraft mac and cheese. I was so happy to feel a little human again after this week. A lot of my pain had subsided last night and I thought that the rest of the recovery was going to be smoother sailing. Boy, was I wrong. I woke up around 6 this morning and my throat was so unbelievably sore. I went to the bathroom and checked out my throat, and I had noticed there was a good amount of bleeding on my right side. On previous mornings, I would always notice a small amount of blood, but it has not been this much yet. In fact, the blood almost made me vomit (thank goodness I grabbed my Zofran fast enough). I think the massive pain I have in the morning is a combination of not drinking anything for a few hours, and laying completely horizontally on one side when I go to sleep. I’ve heard from a few people that sleeping in a “sitting position” can actually be really beneficial. Well, here’s hoping we all get well son, and I’ve now learned not to jinx this experience by ever thinking that I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel haha. Good luck!
Day 8:
Well… I think I can say I’ve made an… 80% recovery so far. I’ve stopped taking all medications now because although my throat still hurts right after I wake up, it’s not enough for me to take more vicodin. I just take huge sips of water when I wake up (my water bottle is on my bedside table).
I’m eating completely normally, no ear pain, and can talk normally now. I have nothing to complain about!
I’m currently on day 8 of my recovery and woke up this morning in so much pain again after not taking meds since 1am
Went to the bathroom to have a look at my throat and found a huge blood clot on my right side. The taste and smell has been horrible for the past few days too so I’ve booked into see my gp later today for antibiotics.
Really hope this pain goes away soon
I feel so drained and nauseous all the time.
thats interesting as all dairy stuff for me hurts heaps! guess we are all different i have found cups of tea good today
Ugh, why must mornings be so bad!
On the bright side, after my early morning dose I slept for 6 hours( naturally missing a dose). The down side was the EXTREME pain that followed. It easily took 4 hours to get my pain level back in control.
I was able to eat the inside of a few slices of pumpkin pie, and a big spoon of mashed sweet potatoes with some chicken gravy. So good!!!
The difficult part today is this dang cough. I also am getting short of breath now just walking to the other side of the house. Not sure if im getting sick ( my family has respiratory issues) or if it’s part of the recovery.
Hoping tomorrow is a better day, but seriously beginning to DREAD mornings!
I know what you mean! although they seem to be getting better for me, still need my meds regularly!!!
I am sick of soup and noodles. have you felt nauseous at all? I have tonight for the first time – could be for heaps of reasons but today i am craving all takeaways! hehe
Glad to hear you have made it to noodles and soup :-). I’m still on cold and soft stuff, with the soft items being very limited. I haven’t been nauseous since day 2 or 3.
I wish I had cravings for food, but have been in enough pain, I don’t even want what I have managed to get down
The cold and soft stuff seems to hurt me so liquid is my food lol and jelly. Anything mashed hurts too much. Oh well good diet I guess lol. I was in a lot of pain tonight from the new nerves forming and because i talked too much earlier
Today is my day 8 after having a tonsillectomy and a fess (sinus widening) operation. Although i can’t talk for long still i feel like the pain has changed to more a strain and if i eat the wrong thing it stings. Cups of warm tea, macaroni cheese, chicken noodle soup and chewing gum has been my saviour! I wouldn’t have been able to do this without all of your posts so thank you so much.
My recovery has been very standard so nothing ‘bad’ as such to report.
Day 8- I’m 43 and my procedure was done on December 19, 2012. Last night was eventful with bleeding. I got concerned after a few minutes but kept swishing, gargling and rinsing with cold water until it subsided. The pain comes and goes and I take full advantage of the times when I feel good to eat and drink as much as possible. Cold things are irritating so I’m am eating things like poached eggs, boiled hot dog franks, soup, mashed potatoes, and started eating a little bread with butter yesterday.
My strategy is to swallow as much as possible. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? Well, think about how many swallows it takes to heal. We all have a number. The tricky part is reaching that number.
When the pain episodes strike it feels like a blow torch has been set off in the back of my throat, my molars feel like they are in a vise, and my ears feel punctured but every day is one day closer to the end of this road.
Thank you for this site and all the posts. It helps to read and to know that we are not alone in this.
Keep pressing forward and visualize the day when you are back to normal.
18 y/o female
So my doctor said I should feel way better after day 7 post op which isn’t really the case. Although I am now able to stay awake for the whole day, the pain remained but since yesterday it’s a different kind of pain, now in the back of my throat and it feels like swallowing razorblades. Does this mean my scabs are starting to fall off? My ears sometimes hurt as well but the pain comes and goes so i can deal with it. Also, I had a bacterial infection in my throat right one day after the surgery and the doctors only realized it 5 days later even though I kept on telling them this reeeeally bad smell couldn’t be normal! So if anyone of you is experiencing an unbearable bad taste in the mouth go see your doctors right away so he/she can give you antibiotics. I hope I’m starting to feel better tomorrow, enough’s enough, this has got to be the longest recovery ever. Stay strong everyone, greetings from Switzerland
I’m 13 and this was my fist surgery and I hate it. It’s taking forever for me to get better and I have the same thing as you, the bad smell and taste has made me puke already. I’ll probably make it to the doctor tomorrow.
Just got through day at and sill grinding through it. I have really bad ear pain and sleeping still kills my throat. I am in tears every time I wake up and it takes a few hours to get to a better place. In the last few days, I have discovered that hot tea is the most soothing thing I can do. I am still in a decent amount of pain although it has subsided (slightly) since the first week. It still seems like it goes from manageable to excruciating without warning. Once of my biggest frustrations is trying to get those around me to understand. It’s the first surgery I have ever had but from what I have read, it’s one of the most painful. I think others think by day 7,8,9 you should be well on the road to recovery but this isn’t quite the case. Headed to our family christmas gathering today so hopefully things will be decent for me.
I’m a 20 year old female and today was day 8 for me. I definitely feel better than the beginning, but I’m frustrated with the amount of pain I still have. I’m still waking up crying at night once my meds wear off (I would set an alarm to wake up to take them, but I’m also so tired and sleep deprived that I feel like I’d rather have the sleep). Soup is about the only thing that doesn’t hurt right now. Any solid food makes it feel like there’s a knife going into my throat…like a burning, stabbing feeling. I don’t even really want to eat because it hurts so bad. Every night before bed I just hope that tomorrow will be the day I start to actually feel significantly better. 8 days is enough
Sounds to me like we are in the same place right now. I am also on day 8 and the last 2 days I have found some hot tea to be helpful. It always the worst in the morning or after waking up but I just force myself to drink about 2 cups and then things seem to clam down a little. I have been having English Breakfast tea with milk in it. Perhaps give that a try.
I’m right there with y’all. I’m stil taking 10ml of roxicet every 4 hours round the clock ( except when I sleep thru an alarm at night, but always wake up between 5 and 6 hours). I have not progressed past liquids other than some mashed sweet potatoes and the inside of some pumpkin pie. Everything must be cold, I cant tolerate any warmth.
The best drinks I have sound are strawberry bananna smoothies with apple juice, and vanilla chi latte from bolt house farms. The creaminess from the soy milk and the vanilla is very soothing.
I’ve also developed a nasty cough, but can’t get it across to anyone that it’s more than a throat tickle. It’s in my chest, and causes pain in my throat and chest when I cough.
Time for meds, then gonna attempt sleep for a few hours…. Hope tomorrow is a better day for y’all!
Day 8 has been pretty good in most ways. I have begun to act like a normal human being again. My throat wasn’t to bad during the day but now that’s it’s evening I feel like a knife stabs my right side any time I eat or drink. The ear pain comes and goes and I am near tears when it comes. Since Christmas is only 4 days away I tried to do some shopping and now I’m completely wiped out. I have 4 kiddos (the oldest is almost 8 and the youngest nearly 2). They were so happy to see me up and around again. I know the Dr said it would be about two weeks before I began to feel better but I certainly didn’t believe it would take this much out of me. The lack of nutrition has certainly taken a toll on my energy level. Thank heavens my husband has really stepped in and taken control because I have been absolutely useless!! I hope I can be better by Christmas!
Though you may have been taken away from your position of caretaker….you will be back on track sooner than you know it.dont rush and praise God for your husband helping and hopefully encouraging you to heal.With seeking Jesus,proper nutrition and tons of little one time….you’re gona feel so much better with your tonsils out.You don’t want to over exert yourself or bleed.
Today is my day 8, and I wouldn’t have made it this far without this website. (: I feel human again. I’m eating scrambled eggs and I don’t wake up crying.. Such a leap from yesterday! After all the nausea and fever and puking, just sitting here slurping down a couple spaghetti noodles feels like heaven. I can’t say how much I appreciate this website, even though I’ve been silent until now. I can’t thank you guys enough. <3
Everyone it gets better by about day 10. I am on day 13 and it feels like a sore throat I have had for ever before surgery. Stay rested and hydrated. I totally sympathize with you all.
Stacy
Finally broke down today. I feel like the pain is worse, but in reality it is probably the same but my threshold for dealing with it is down. I am having trouble eating – yogurt and cream of wheat are the only things that don’t seem to burn. I can’t seem to get the taste of horrible pain killer out of my mouth and have had an itchy red rash on the roof of my mouth since yesterday. Throw some heartburn into the mix and I am not a happy camper. It gets better soon, right?
Ohhhhh, I’m so sorry. Days are so up and down, aren’t they? A rash doesn’t sound good, did u call the doc? I’m here for you. Day 8 getting closer to ending. Hang in there.
Thanks for the support!
I did mention it to the doctor yesterday and they told me to stop taking the antibiotics and try to eat more yogurt. Are the red spots/rash a sign of thrush? My tongue is really sore so I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. If it is still there tomorrow, I will call again. Feeling a bit better as the day has gone on.
Just finishing day 8 now…was a good day. Worst day for me was day 5 but other than that its been smooth sailing for me. My left side hurt more from the start, not sure why but is still the side that makes me take my meds. Been eating normal food since day one which helped alot I think….been eating pizza, eggs, fried chicken, potatos, vegies, sweets, burgers, fries, chips, chocolates…and much more. Room temp worked best for me…cold and warm hurt alot (think Im probably th first person to gain weight while recovering) Im in South Africa and here they gave me panamor 100mg pain meds which works very good its also a bit of a muscle relaxer so helps that I can swallow and eat lots of gum. I also drank alot of cola this week which helped allot with the mucas buildup at the back of my throut. Anyway…I think eating well helps you gain strength and then you recover faster. Also the humidifier helps alot at night!! Im very thankful that I had a fairly quick and easy recovery at age 26 and having to look after my 21month old boy. Good luck to you all and well done for making it this far. Sorry for my spelling…english is not my first language. Blessings to all!!!
Day 8 has been okay. The morning sucked, as usual BUT I got out today and actually went to lunch with my husband. Although I could only eat a few bites of well chewed chicken with sautéed portobellos and some garlic mashed potatoes, it was great. I felt human. And having a flavor in my mouth outside of broth and Popsicles was heavenly! Of course I need a nap now because I’m exhausted and my ears and throat hurt again. But the 2 hours out was nice. 1/2 way through the 8th day. How is everyone else doing?
I think i wrote too soon. I was having such a good day and now it’s like I’m paying for it. My flipping head and ears. And for whatever reason I can’t stop yawning, which kills and feels lke air is trying to escape from my ears. I guess it’s good to have a partial good day instead of a bad entire day. I just feel bad because I feel my worst when my little guy is home (mornings and evenings). Anyway, I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences – it really helps knowing I’m not alone.
Today is Day 8 for me and I am still in so much pain. Does anyone know why my tongue hurts so bad?????? It feels like it is swollen and the sides of my tongue are burning. I do not have thrush. I still cannot eat anything. I am trying to take less pain meds. I was on Percoset every 4 hours but am aiming to move it back to six hours. My ears are killing. I am just so over this whole thing. I hate to sounds like such a baby but this really pain can really put a damper on your spirit.
I hear you! Thanks for posting that I’m not alone!
You are not alone. It’s the tonsillectomy hangout! ?
Im right there with you. Youre totally not alone! My tongue has been this weird splotchy white and feels like its so swollen I’m surprised I can close my mouth!
Healthy tip- Powerade burns like heck in your throat.
Day 8 is the day the hammer fell. I thought I was having an excellent recovery. No nausea. My throat was painful, but the pain easily managed. Drinking and solid foods went down easy. Then this morning. This morning burning razors blades danced in my throat. I barely forced down a few sips of water to swallow my ineffective Percocet. I knew this meant the scabs were falling off and it was just the next phase of this torment. But my goodness, it hurt like nothing has hurt before. My wife talked our way into seeing the doctor and the doctor said my recovery is going to suck because of the size of my tonsil beds and that the beds scar tissue had grown around everything requiring more cutting. Then she prescribed 2 mg Dilaudid. Dilaudid is supposed to be good stuff, but it didn’t help a bit. My wife checked with a pharmacist friend who said that Dilaudid is more powerful than Percocet, but the dosage is so low it was maybe a tenth stronger than my Percocet. Great. Anyways, this surely is my peak and everything will start getting better soon. It may be nearly unbearable now, but it’s going to be worth it when I recover.
I just want to make sure everyone stays hydrated no matter how much it hurts. Two days ago I was in so much pain, the pain meds weren’t touching the pain, and I would wake up with such a dry mouth. My tongue felt like a cat’s tongur and my saliva was extremely thick also. I was extremely nauseated and was throwing up even though I had barely eaten in 6 days. Come to find out I was dehydrated and had to go to the ER for two IV drips. After that the pain meds worked! So please be careful of dehydration!
Jen: I am 42 and my tonsillectomy was Nov. 19, 2012-had chronic tonsilitis, strep, and sleep apnea. My favorites have been diet ginger ale (keeps your stomach settled) and a good ole heating pad on my neck and ears. Chewing some Trident gum helps relieve the ear pain instantly. Also some days cold feels good and some days a warm drink is better. Salty and sweet are excruiating in my mouth, gums, jaw and throat. I see more scabs on one side than the other and one side of my throat feels more healed than the other. I keep my meds going round the clock and alternate tylenol in between advil liquid gels. I am down to 2 doses of pain medicine a day. I plan to spend 14 days in recovery before returning to work. I feel like I can breathe better already from the removal. It is difficult to yawn, cry, or move my tongue around but hoping for a pain free day.
Thanks Jen. Best of luck in your recovery and new life without tonsils!!
Day 8. WHEN is this going to start getting better!?!? I thought 5-7 were supposed to be the worst. But today is a definitely 9/10 pain day. I woke up in agony, took pain meds, went back to bed, and I must have really needed sleep because I slept another 2 hours straight – which I had not done before. Had 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast. Scabs don’t seem to really be doing anything. Although some places are not as white, so maybe they kind of “wear away” instead of falling off? Not sure. Anyone know? I have been losing a pound a day. For me, this is NOT good! I recently went on a weight loss program to lose 20 lb. and before surgery was finally down to my goal weight (skinny). Now losing a pound a day, I am looking sort of anorexic, which is scaring me! I just can’t keep my weight steady now! I had chicken & stars soup and mashed potatoes w/ gravy for dinner. After eating though, my throat is extremely irritated and feels like it’s on fire. This seems to happen with every meal, as if there’s a limited number of times that I can swallow before it starts hurting. My stomach really wants more food, but my throat just won’t let me. Anyone else experiencing this too? Also, I find that no matter how many times I brush my teeth/tongue, this crappy film covers them. Yuk! But I try to brush at least twice a day now so it won’t turn into thrush.
YES, I’m on day 8, well its 2 am here, so officially morning of Day 9. I’m so sorry you feel so terrible, but as I feel exactly the same as you’ve described, I feel somewhat relieved that I’m not alone. I’ve been a little scared.
My pain today, specifically tonight (which is why I’m awake at 2am) is as bad as it was the first day in the hospital. I was feeling great day 4 to day 6 and then night of day 6 my throat got tickly at night and I woke up coughing until I had tears.
I was really feeling pretty great though and was even proud (so dumb of me to have pride over this) that I didn’t need pain meds after a few days. I’m sure glad to still have it! My pain tonight is pretty bad.
Im a 21 y/o male day 8 post op. The journey so far has been extremely painful. Thank God for this website and for everyones stories. I woke up this morning feeling like i had sand in my mouth after taking my pain meds i forced myself to eat some breakfast, after i managed to eat acouple forks of scrambled eggs i went back to bed. As i lay there i felt what i thought was a pool of saliva forming, i tried to swallow it but when i did it felt weird i knew then it wasn’t saliva. I marathoned to the bathroom and when i spit there was ribs of blood, the scary thing was that it kept comming. After 5 min of spitting up blood it stopped. Never been so happy before it looked like a scene from a horror movie. It gets better i hear. Lets go day 9!!
OMG…. Thank God for all of you sharing how you feel… What you’re trying to do for this excruciating PAIN!!!! I’m 55, what a flipping nut case I was to think I should follow my doctors’, orders, and yes, I’ve had several doctors advise me to have this surgery over the last 3 decades!!!
Anyway, I’m still alive on day 8, but God knows how , since you all know swallowing is like eating embers and the ear pain…. Feels like I’ve been stabbed with a pencil straight through my ear drum!!
But, reading your posts has made me feel like I can make it, because nothing but warm liquids, the humidifier and a soft light blanket wrapped around my head like a burka, has kept me sane! My poor husband has tried everything to help me, but I don’t think help is possible except time, and it’s moving at a snails pace. Oh, sorry, I lost my train of thought, with another swallow and stab of ear pain! What I wanted to say was, “Thank you for sharing.” This was the first time I laughed, not at you,but with you, because someone could actually understand and describe to a tee, my horrendous experience. In fact, I laughed so hard, I cried, made my throat hurt, made my ears scream, but also started realizing I would survive. LOL…. Well maybe, lol… Cuz I can’t, nor can any of you, laugh with your mouth open, since it hurts too much everywhere to do so. :). But, thanks too for the great ideas for pain remedies. My wonderful, patient husband just dashed out to buy me a sweet card and some… Yeah… Liquid Tylenol. Let the pain subside, please!
Hey… Liquid Children’s Tylenol ROCKS!!!! But beware… Since it is super sweet, and you know how anything sweet just kills your throat and ears; well, that first swallow feels like a match to tour tongue, throat and ears, but it subsides rapidly. By the time you swallow the whole 20 or 25 ml, the pain is flat out GONE! Thank you!
OMG Sharon you just made me laugh. I have the exact same issues on Day 8. Nothing salty, sweet or not warm. I feel nauseated just because of the awful diet. I can’t sleep more than an hour without re-experiencing the worst pain imaginable. I hope this all ends soon. Thanks for the good laugh (inwardly because I can’t for my own safety laugh by moving my mouth).
Hello, everyone. This is Day 08 for me. I am 40 years old. This has been a hell of a ride. People told me that a tonsillectomy was not that painful, but oh my, I disagree. Not even on my worst enemy would I wish this upon him or her. This morning I woke up with lots of pain in my throat. I still notice that my scabs are in the back of my throat. I checked with a flashlight. My 4 year old boy said to me that I had stinky breath this morning. It hurt my feelings, but sure enough, it is because of all the things that are going on in the back of my throat. Today, I went to work and it was a little difficult because my job can be a little stressful and demanding. I did not take any liquid med today until the evening. The most painful thing today is when I make complete swallows. In other words, when I swallow all the way it is too painful. I’ve trained myself not to swallow at all just to avoid the pain! This evening when I was eating dinner, I felt like shards of broken glass were going down my throat. In so many ways, I felt that food was literally getting stuck in there. I ate chicken soup for dinner, including pieces of chicken. A few minutes, later I ate ice cream to help relieve my throat and of course, to help pass down anything that was stuck. In reality, I don’t know if there was food stuck in there or if it was the rubbing as food passed through my throat. It was burning sensation that felt like a knife going down there. Later this evening, I checked my throat again with a flashlight. I noticed that there is a film of white stuff on my tongue. Is this thrush? Is this normal??? I think I read other people talking about this in other postings. One last thing for tonight, I finally took out an old humidifier I had stored in the garage. And boy, does it make a difference! Yes, I can already feel the big difference once you get it going. Again on Day 8, I still feel lots of sharp pain as I swallow without and with food. In fact, drinking cold water was very painful. Does anyone have a white film on their tongue????
Hello, everyone. This is Day 08 for me. I am 40 years old. This has been a hell of a ride. People told me that a tonsillectomy was not that painful, but oh my, I disagree. Not even on my worst enemy would I wish this upon him or her. This morning I woke up with lots of pain in my throat. I still notice that my scabs are in the back of my throat. I checked with a flashlight. My 4 year old boy said to me that I had stinky breath this morning. It hurt my feelings, but sure enough, it is because of all the things that are going on in the back of my throat. Today, I went to work and it was a little difficult because my job can be a little stressful and demanding. I did not take any liquid med today until the evening. The most painful thing today is when I make complete swallows. In other words, when I swallow all the way it is too painful. I’ve trained myself not to swallow at all just to avoid the pain! This evening when I was eating dinner, I felt like shards of broken glass were going down my throat. In so many ways, I felt that food was literally getting stuck in there. I ate chicken soup for dinner, including pieces of chicken. A few minutes, later I ate ice cream to help relieve my throat and of course, to help pass down anything that was stuck. In reality, I don’t know if there was food stuck in there or if it was the rubbing as food passed through my throat. It was burning sensation that felt like a knife going down there. Later this evening, I checked my throat again with a flashlight. I noticed that there is a film of white stuff on my tongue. Is this thrush? Is this normal??? I think I read other people talking about this in other postings. One last thing for tonight, I finally took out an old humidifier I had stored in the garage. And boy, does it make a difference! Yes, I can already feel the big difference once you get it going. Again on Day 8, I still feel lots of sharp pain as I swallow without and with food. In fact, drinking cold water was very painful. Does anyone have a white film on their tongue????
Day 8.
Omg the pain is so intense but its mainly my right ear. Still can’t eat and having lots of trouble drinking. Very weak and tired.
This has been the best post-op day yet. Able to go out and shop; less stamina than usual but trying to prevent total deconditioning. The pain suddenly is manageable with one Percocet. It just feels more like a dry, scratchy throat than anything. Still not very hungry and not able to eat much, but no major complaints there. Hoping I’m on the upswing! Post-op check on Monday.
Yea, it’s my 38th birthday and I’m not too happy. Last night ended like the night before, unbearable ear pain and swords in my throat. It’s hard sleeping in 60 minute intervals. My body is so tired of the pain, I am close to breaking down.
The day has been perhaps a bit better than yesterday. I was able to get down some ‘birthday’ soup that was delicious, and also I tried to eat passionfruit mousse but it stung me badly so I didn’t eat it all.
I have slightly better concentration today and I didn’t have to sleep during the day which is a first, but I’m so looking forward to getting this over with. It hurts to talk and it hurts to do pretty much anything. Mouth still swollen also. Found out that the mirror is not my friend as I almost gagged looking, it looks like a hand grenade exploded in there. Slightly concerned that the ‘impact-area’ looks more like day 2 or 3 compared with the photos I see here and I pray it isn’t true that I’m such a slow healer that this will get worse. Scabs are coming off though, tiny, disgusting pieces of scabs in my mouth all the time. I’ve been yawning some today, that HURTS, also sneezed which is worse. God, I feel beaten up.
This must have been the worst birthday e.v.e.r….
Your scabs probably came off then or a portion of them for sure! The pain comes back like a Brick to the head! It’s on a whole different level of burning! You are turning a corner though which means about 3-4 more days. Also, white film is Thrush and common. I had it and it’s painful! Once it’s taken care of you’ll notice the swelling decrease significantly!
Day 8. Woke this morning feeling almost human! Stopped taking the codeine as i felt it was making me feel sick and disorientated. Just managed with paracetamol today and Diclofenac. Also i have been on Augmentin antibiotics since day 5 as i started with unbearable pain and horrendous putrid taste in mouth. My ENT said i needed to start antibiotics. I finish these tomorrow morning. I had a weird tickle in throat this morning which made me wanted to cough to clear it. It happened twice but then stopped. this afternoon pain bearable but kept feeling scratchy back in throat. Eating best i can and drinking lots. This evening ‘wam’ the pain was back! Felt lower down in my throat and struggled to eat fish pie for tea! Has anyone experienced this? from feeling a lot better to awful again. Do you think the scratchy feelings are scabs coming away? Ive not coughed anything up but feel weird low down in throat. Does the white coating stay there after the scabs have gone? x
Today is definitely a good day. I can feel the scabs coming off, little by little. It’s comparable to a roving lump in my throat sensation that changes depending on what tiny little piece of scab is coming off. Not painful, just uncomfortable and annoying.
Ear pain is completely gone (thank god I only suffered that days 4-5 because those two days were EXCRUCIATING). Throat pain is limited to a tiny bit when I swallow, and when I wake up.
I am the unfortunate person who developed oral thrush as a side effect of the antibiotic prophylaxis. Called my surgeon, their office gave me the runaround for half the day before agreeing to send me a prescription for Nystatin swish. I’m a nurse, and have had thrush before, and know that that takes forever to get rid of thrush. The majority of my pain is in my tongue upon waking or drinking anything vaguely acidic (apple juice stung something fierce), so I’m only drinking water.
Wound up also going to Patient First and got a prescription for Diflucan. I’d rather be overly aggressive in treating the thrush, by far. The pill went down surprisingly easy, but I’m still not pushing it with my diet.
The only thing I can really eat as far as solid food is chicken noodle soup. Tried very thin mac and cheese, felt like it was sticking in my throat too much. I’m now wolfing down a can of soup in mere minutes, because I’ve stopped taking prescription painkillers (liquid extra strength Tylenol is all I’m using), and my appetite is back in full force. I can’t ever seem to not be hungry! (I found out today I’ve lost 10 pounds since my surgery, so no wonder.)
I think tomorrow I’m going to try branching out and eating new soups. Still not going to try any real solids until my surgeon clears me. I’m content to be cautious with my diet because it seems taking that route has made my pain considerably less than that of others.
There’s a light at the end of the miserable tonsillectomy tunnel now. It feels nice.
Forgot to mention that I’m still not really sleeping. I can fall asleep in bed, and have since day one, but since discontinuing prescription painkillers have only been able to sleep in very short bursts. For instance, last night I slept from 2am-5am, 6am-8am, and will now be up the rest of the day.
I think my body is revolting against sleep because it knows how painful waking up is. The good news is that I have been falling asleep more quickly (less tossing and turning) and the little bit of sleep I’m getting feels like it does a better job of making me rested.
I’m on the eve of day 8 right now and do not know how much more I can take. Agreed that sleep hurts healing by drying you out. I’m not at all hungry. Forcing myself to eat jello, broth, mac and cheese and soup. Yuck. Drinking plenty of fluids and checking urine color to make sure it is clear. Morphine every 4 hours for pain ( and sooner most of the time). Pain will not stop. Now I have red bumps on my back and chest that itch?
Forgot to mention that I have not pooped in a week (since the morning of the surgery; and that wasn’t complete due to lack of coffee) Im scared that I will blow a blood vessel farting. Hey they said not to strain? Tried some smooth move tea the other night and nothing. Tonight I’ve taken a otc laxative pill. Let’s hope in 6-12 hours my colon will be clean. Hope humor helps other feel better. Now for another night of little sleep;(
Last night I woke up a few times with sharp pain in my throat and in the morning also. Slowly it went away though and I had a small burst of energy and did some tidying! For the first time in over a week I stepped foot out of my house! We went to target. Just walking up to the door took it all out of me. My husband had to support me through the store. Oh and now I understand what people mean that say they sound def when they talk! I totally do! So I talked a little bit. I had oatmeal for breakfast and fish for lunch and yogurt for dinner. I get thes weird feelings in my jaw and throat like muscle cramps or tightning or locking up or something, it’s weird. My mom is coming over tomorrow! I can’t wait. I am just on Tylenol because of the pain and a little bit because I keep getting clammy. I prayed so hard last night and my prayers were answered, today gave me hope. Maybe there is an end in site. On the plus Side, I wore jeans that I haven’t worn since my early 20’s today! They weren’t even tight! 10 pounds down. Don’t lose hope, pray, and get a humidifier!!!
Day 8 of recovery…this still SUCKS!! it feels like it really is never going to end. Last night i have a few scabs come off & i thought at least half of my throat would feel better…nope! Couldn’t sleep again last night. I think i’ve gotten a total of 5 hours of sleep since the day before my surgery. I don’t know how some people are just on tylenol or can go almost all day without their pain meds..i have to take mine every 3 & a half to 4 hours at the longest…seems like after 30 minutes i didn’t take anything all i want to do is cry but i know that will make me feel worse. The only thing that makes me feel good is taking a hot shower and getting it steamy. I wish i could just sleep in there all night. I took a little nap earlier and when i woke up i felt like i hadn’t drank anything in days…been drinking as much as i can even though it KILLS to swallow anything. Im hoping day 9 or 10 will be the lucky day. I’m still praying & praying. Trying to stay positive but it’s pretty hard to do today. Dreading falling asleep tonight.
I’m feeling EXACTLY the same way.
Well I thought I was on the clear yesterday (day 7) I was wrong by 6:30 last night I was being rushed to the hospital cause of really bad bleeding! It stopped for only 3 hours and by 4 am I was bleeding again. I know being 29 puts me at risks but I couldn’t stop bleeding. I had to go back to the OR so they could burn the spot that was bleeding, I just got released today. So needless to say I’m petrified that it’s gonna happen again!
I think it’s safe to say that anyone who gets through this will have a different outlook on they’re health and life in general. This is psycotic. It’s been over a week and I’m still a train wreck. Granted the pain has gone from dropping me to my knees to just making me have to sit down so I guess thats a plus. And thank God I finally conviced a nurse on the phone to call in some more pain meds. I was fully aware that I had been taking too much however when it’s taking your breath away and I’m starting to think about crazy (depressing ways) to stop it, something has to give. No way in hell I’ll be back to work on the 24th, havn’t left home yet. Just hope I can eat something soon. And when (if) this is all over I will be the most humble and gratefull person in western Ohio. Just want the ear pain to stop..please
I can’t believe it!!!! It’s virtually over, just a very very little scab at the back of the tonsil beds. No pain, throat was just a bit dry on waking up, but after 10mins was back to normal. Am looking forward to go get my hair done and go out shopping later Who knows, maybe i’ll eat out as well
Day 8 (35 y/o) and I’m out of the woods now. The scab like things have virtually gone, just a very thin whiteish transparent layer interspersed with new pink bits of skin! Tongue still aches a bit but not enough to stop me eating, no pain or ill effects. Must have had an easy ride, tomorrow I expect will be back to normal. My experience was virtually painless, albeit with minimal medication. I did feel very tired though and did get a bit of a dull sensation in both ears for a while but nothing that would have deterred me. If you are thinking of having it done it isn’t always as bad as what you read here, but of course do bear in mind everyone is different. I won’t post anymore, I’m fully recovered!
I am day 8 and still not a happy camper.
I am like a bear with a sore ass. I am starving,can’t sleep,and still on painkillers
every 3 to 4 hours along with ibuprofen every 8 hours. Night time is by far the worst. This is one instance I am
thankful for Crohn’s disease because I do not have the whole potty issues so many others are having
I have 2 humidifiers going 24 hours a day I take very hot baths twice a day to help with moisture and an overall
feeling of crappiness.I have ENT call me in tablets of T3 because the liquid is excruciating to swallow. The feeling of swallowing razor blades is still first and foremost now I have the wonderful burning sensation. As for scabs? I think I may have lost where the adenoidectomy
was done and possibly the upper part of the right side. I still see a ton of white covering the left tonsil bed. I fear when this one breaks loose I will choke on it in my sleep. Really freaks me out.Makes me nauseous thinking about it.
I really wish I would have had the option to decline this surgery again. At 42 years old my children are all but grown, but I miss life in general.
And food of any kind seems like a foreign concept. Freezer pops hurt like heck an I tried applesauce (creamy) and all but gagged trying to swallow it. Please tell me day 9 will be better.
Day 8!!!
Yay!! I actually feel a lot better today.. Throughout the nights, it has been pretty bad – waking up every 2-3hours in burning pain!!! Last night I realized I don’t need to take as many painkillers, just a drink of water (maybe half dose of the meds if it’s really bad) but mostly just swallow alot to salivate and within 10minutes the pain is almost gone.
I took my regular dose of pain killers this morning at around 6:30am and haven’t taken anything since (it’s 4:30pm in Australia right now)… So that’s almost 12 hours without taking anything – the pain is pretty mild maybe a 2-3/10 and only hurts a bit more after eating!!
Yay!! I can see the light!!!!
Today has been by far the worst for me as far as pain is concerned. I saw the doc this morning for follow up, and thankfully she refilled my pain meds, which I ran out of 1 1/2 days ago. Boy was that a difference, once I took them again. I was able to somewhat function for most of the day until the pain hit me again in the evening. I have lost 7 lbs so far.
Ok, so today it feels like I just have a ton of mucus in the back of my throat that I can’t get out because my throat hurts too much. I’ve cut down on my medicine and take the lower end of the recommended dose partly because the pain isn’t as extreme and also to make it last longer. I’ve also noticed something strange when I brush my teeth. When I lean over the sink to spit, it feels as if chunks of hanging flesh flop over my airway making me gag. I think I have hanging scabs or something back there. It’s really weird and annoying. Sigh………..
I’m getting so frustrated. I can’t get sleep! I need some serious advice. I have a humidifier in my room, I’ve taken hot showers before laying down, but really nothing is alleviating the pain when I sleep. I wake up after an hour with such intense pain that I spend another hour trying to get over it. I’m even more weirded out because during the day I’m not in that much pain, what is happening when I sleep to make it hurt soooo bad? When does it end? I’m exhausted…it’s been 4 days now of this pain/sleep thing. I want a sleeping shot or something….please i’m so tired
I’m also on day 8 today aug 16, 2012. I have the same thing with more pain during the night than in the day. I’ve been taking liquid hydrocodone every 4 hours since day 1. My phone goes off during the night to remind me. I’m also having pain under my tongue, in my jaw, cheekbones, ears. And it feels like loose white scab is trapped in the back of my throat. I only eat chicken noodle soup (minus the chicken, b/c the chicken looks like tonsils stones!!!) and milk shakes. Sometimes the cold is too much though. But the recipe is one packet of instant breakfast, 3/4 cup of milk, and 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream – mix in blender. Drink slow! God I hope I’m better by Monday!!! Longest week of my life
Ouuuchhhh! Day 8 was scabs, day 8 was pain… all day long.
Not excruciating, but very sore, and enough to effect my food choices. By far the worst day so far, 7/10 pain-wise and it was consistent throughout the day (Til this morning – the recovery has been a bit of a breeze).
Today the dihydrocodeine RAN OUT, I still had a lot of paracetamol left, but that wasnt going to help at all. We requested a repeat prescription of the codeine yesterday, and on collecting it today we discovered that that they had supplied us with……. ……yes, more paracetamol. (which was completely useless, as you can only take one paracetamol product at any one time).
I cried. But luckily this is where our better halves step in to action! ….And within 2 hours I was the happy owner of a 3 day course of co-codamol. phew!
On first impression, the co-codamol does not seem to alieviate the pain as thoroughly as the dihydrocodeine did. Or this could just be coinicdence – it may just be that the pain levels today are a lot higher, regardless of what I take.
What makes this all worth it: My scabs have come off!! all in one day!! The blue cheese effect is gone, and so is that awful taste!!
Joy of joys, my new un-tonsils are looking GREAT!
I am 27 and had my tonsils out last Friday July 27 so I am on day 8. I am at my breaking point. I just want to cry. I have lost 15 pounds and can’t eat anything. My throat and tongue are so sore!! When I sleep I end up breathing out of my mouth and everything gets dry and is even more awful. I’m sick of having my life on hold. I need to be able to work and be a good parent. It’s my baby girls birthday on Thursday and I just want to feel like a normal person again!! If I could go back I would have never ever had my tonsils taken out!
Post-op day 8–I can’t believe fast yet excruciatingly slow this recovery process is going. First 2 days felts like an eternity and I didn’t think I’d ever get to a point where I felt normal again. Everything from day 3 on seems like a blurr and suddenly here I am on the morning of day 8. I stopped taking the narcotic pain killers on Monday night (after a night of throwing up and barely any sleep) so after that was out of my system I was able to leave the house unsupervised and more importantly, drive. There’s nothing that can lift your spirits like being able to do things for yourself. I didn’t use anything more than a cold/hot compress to deal with the pain until midday of day 5–at which point I started using extra strength liquid tylenol. Maybe its just me, but I feel like the pain seems worse when the medicine wears off as appose to not taking any medicine at all. I’ve also only lost 8lbs so far–a bulk of which was lost in the first couple days. I weigh myself every morning and I seem to be holding steady at 8lbs lost– not gaining or losing anything. I haven’t looked at my throat with a flashlight because I made that mistake a couple weeks before the surgery and I was horrified by my huge, alien-like tonsils. I’d rather just deal with that feeling of something being stuck in my throat than actually see the scab dangling and know I can’t just rip it off. Plus I don’t feel the need to gag or cough so it’s bothering me too much. I’m just waiting, and hoping, for the day when I wake up and I don’t feel anything in my throat.
Day 8 Great so far…I’m completely off pain meds!! (they made me really sick!) I hardly slept last night. I coughed and coughed not alot of pain but no way to sleep through it. Had vast amounts of water. I also tried sucking on red hots which was very soothing. But this morning, I almost feel human again!! No crying, some pain but the least so far, I even had an appetite. No nausea or sick stomach. Very promising. I bought some hard candy to suck on. Does anyone know if it is allowed? I did try to get up and get somewhat dressed today. Still very tired but the best day yet. I’m actually nibbling on saltines as I type…odd how they are sooooo delicious. Hang in there friends. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Still on the basics: water, jello,ice pops and broth blah blah.I am so hungry!!!! I tried mashed potatoes which was a no go. The stinging burning feeling is so much its seems like its getting worse. I am still on my meds and keep praying to God to heal me before that runs out. Thank the Lord my mom and granny is here to help me and my hubby with the kids I am so glad I listened to my doctor. Hopefully tomorrow will be better just trying to think positive.
Do NOT sleep through the night. Set an alarm to go off every 2 hrs. I did every 1 hr, but I realize some people need a little sleep. When the alarm goes off, immediately rest it and drink fluids. You should NEVER wake up feeling dry as death this way.
This is day 8 for me. The mornings are excruciating! I have to run to the sink and spray chloraseptic and pray I don’t pass out! I sleep with the humidifier on and the fan cause it’s triple digit heat where I live any suggestions?? I stopped taking the codeine they gave me cause I felt loopy and nauseas all the time. I’m only taking tylenol. My ears were killing me yesterday. Everything I eat is either too salty or too sweet so I stop eating it. I’m 44 years old.
Day eight- off meds now for 24 hours! Who-hoo! I feel like this is such a victory! I am alternating ibuprofen and tylenol every four hours, but other than that, no more pain medications. (The percocets severally constipated me and now I am dealing with that mess.)
Todays diet consisted of pancakes drenched in syrup, soup w/ bread pieces in it, and chicken pot pie for dinner. Today was the first day I actually sat down with my family and ate dinner. To say the least, Day 8 was great!
With that all that being said, I do have some pain still on my right side. It feels as if a nerve was hit during the tonisellectoy- the pain is somewhere between my throat and ear and it never seems to go away. I sure hope this is not permanent nerve damage; however, based on reading posts, it sounds like many of you still have this type of pain going on so I won’t worry about it just yet. I have been calming the pain by keeping an icepack on that side of my neck, which really seems to help.
Other than that, things have really turned around for me and I hope they continue to do so- making good progress!
I am crying. Thank God for this website that makes me feel like I’m not a big sissy and it’s ok that I don’t feel on the upswing yet. I’ve had such trouble with power outages and major storms that everything seems impossible to keep up with. But I know that each day it will get better. I went to the ER on 2 days ago because of violent vomiting of blood. We got the pain and bleeding under control. The steroid they gave me to reduce the swelling was amazing but now it’s worn off and back in full force. My Tongue is a major problem right now and just frustrating me so intensely. They told me that I was hard to incubate during the surgery and I think there was a lot more to it than that as my tongue and roof of my mouth is very cut up.
This is the first night I will be spending alone. I have prepared myself as much as possible to wake up and drink fluids, take meds and keep on top of the pain. I really want to eat but my tongue is still so swollen that even pudding is hard to get down. I drank some coconut milk and sucked on ice chips all day. Hoping to eat tomorrow because I think that will make a big difference in my morale. Pushing the water to keep my throat moist and that has helped a lot. The only reason to look forward to tomorrow morning is that it’s one more day closer to being able to feel better. Isn’t it wrong that I just I want to eat Roast beef and mashed potatoes! It’s making my mouth water right now! Torture
Day 8, June 29, 2012 – Adenoid scabs came off today. It was like haulking a loogie with big mucous plugs. Left side tonsil scabs are gone from the top all the way down to about 1/3 before the bottom. Clearing my through is a constant sensation since some of the scabs are loosely flopping around and it feels like something is caught in my throat. Talking without pain now. I didn’t talk for the first 6 days. I really want to say that the constant ice for 5 days and no talking, as well as not eating anything too rough, is what helped my scabs start coming off. The initial pain was an 8 or 9 but as the scabs started coming off its down to a 5. Completely tolerable. Although for me, this whole experience has been completely tolerable, the swallowing problems are the worst.
Day 8 here I am. On the 7th day, was probably my worst day. I had extremely sharp pain on the left side, and while the percocet helped, it was still unbearable. My mom has been sneaking me valium for when the pain is unreal, and it really helps to both calm myself, and my tense throat. Early that morning, I had called my ENT, and he called me back (at 6:10 in the morning), and said it was normal, and was likely a scab trying to fall off… By the night, i started bleeding, the first bleed, and post op… Day 7 was also the only day I couldn’t speak, in fact, the day of surgery, I had lobster (and it was amazing)…
Bleeding stopped by the time I got the ER, but they gave me an iv glucocorticosteroid (like prednisone), and it was like night and day… by day 8, far less pain, far less swelling, and is highly advisable. Tho, toward the end of the day, the sharp pain returned, if I did not keep up with my pain meds… The back of my throat seems nearly healed, but one side looks like a lil pocket of scab, that I desperately hope falls off, leaving an opening, and not a pocket.
Also, Game of thrones helps to keep me sane.
Coming to an end to day 8. This morning was the first time I took prednisone prescribed to me yesterday. Day 6 and 7 were extremely painful and uncomfortable but once I got a dose of prednisone in me it was like night and day. The swelling after about an hour came down and I haven’t needed medicine all day even to eat. Its like a miracle worker. I know its not the best thing to take but everyone should be prescribed this after a tonsillectomy. If you’re between days 7-10 and not seeing any relief I would definitely bring prednisone up to your doctor.
Woke up a couple times in the night. Sleep has been the worst thing for me over the last couple of days, but I am just so tired! The intense, stinging pain I have been experiencing for the past 3 days has now turned into a dull ache…still in so much pain! Will be talking in a whisper all of today! Tried chewing gum yesterday for the ear pain and it worked miracles, the action of chewing however seems to have contributed to my aching throat. Can’t explain how hungry I am, but every time I eat that stinging pain returns…I saw someone say it was like swallowing knives and I couldn’t agree more! Pain is really starting to get me down at the moment and hoping tomorrow is a better day!
Only thing of difference today- I finally was able to go to the bathroom. Only sharing because I know so many have had this experience too, and would want to know when that situation was resolved. Thank goodnesssssss.
Day 8 went well. The pain is now bearable: ear pain is still persistent. Taking acetaminophens for the ear pain when I wake up. My tongue is swollen and the back of the tongue hurts. I tried eating French fries yesterday but my jaws were so stiff and the swollen tongue made swallowing hard. Today I was able to eat crab meat in butter for dinner- very small bites and lots of water. It felt great to finally eat solid food. I am so over Ensure drinks and milkshakes. I can also chew gum without pain swallowing. I strongly recommend chewing gum. Its great for loosening the jaw and helps with the ear ache. My throat still has some white. Looking forward to getting back to normal. Happy recovery to the newbies-its worth it!!!
So far its my throat is better than it was last week. its only bad when i wake up in the morning, but through out the day i’ve been producing a lot of saliva. it wasnt like this before, and i cant keep swallowing the saliva cuz it hurts my throat
its day 8 im starving anything cold hurts. everything hurts. my pain meds are no longer working with my ear pain. i cant eat, sleep, or even drink. i tried to go back to work today. that was a bad choice the dry air made me cough, i kept tasting blood. Today i also discovered oral thrush in my mouth. swishing yogurt is about all i can do. i did find a website that had home remadies there was a common one, apple cidar vinager and salt as a mouth wash will clear up thrush in a week. ill try that tonight. But I’m still suffered terrible ear pain.
Hi Melissa, Sorry you’re having such a rough time. You are close to the end though. Try chewing gum for that ear pain. If the home remedy doesn’t work, your doctor can prescribe something for the thrush. Good luck, Hang in there!
I just had tonsil surgery 8 days ago. Day one was real easy, I felt no pain at all!!! I started feeling the pain on day 2 but with the help of the lortab, I managed the pain very well!! Yes, I have hurt and nights and first thing in the morning were the worst, but overall, I feel like I have breezed through this thing. After reading some of the recovery stories on different websites, I feel like I havent had any problems. My first day, all I ate was sherbet. Day 2, I started eating noodle soup and ice cream…..the ice cream helped to soothe my throat. I had fried chicken on day 3, eating it very slowly of course, and only after my pain meds. It wasn’ t too bad. I can now eat pretty much anything in small amounts and chewing it up good. I don’t eat a lot at a time bc if I try to, it irritates my throat. But the fact that Im already eating solid foods is a miracle. My dr told me that is fine as long as I can tolerate it. I do feel some burning, and can tell it has been cauterized, but it is not unmanageable, even with over the counter meds. I prayed that God would help me to not have too much problems with my pain and He has granted that prayer!!!!! He is an amazing God!!!!! If I had to rethink about doing this surgery, I would def do it again….had to do it bc of sleep apnea by the way. This time, I wouldn’t be so nervous about how the pain would be. I know I have a ways to go with my recovery, but the worst is finally over!!
You are very encouraging. Thank you for your words. Remembering to thank God and asking others for prayer has helped me also..relying on His strength through this is all I can do. Hasn’t been smooth sailing for me so far, but this was so helpful to read.
Damn, God answered your prayer and ignored mine. That bastard is always playing favorites.
Tomorrow I’m going to ask him to make my scabs fall off and for some green jello.
LOL – I’m going to ask him to make my scabs fall off, to fill my belly, and to help me poop!!
Day 8 and I finally feel better!!!
I don’t feel 100% but I’m not crying and holdings my ears and mouth in pain anymore! There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it happens quickly, I was at the very end of my pain threshold and felt like I couldn’t take anymore then I woke up felt a bit groggy, went back to sleep and pushed myself! You need to push yourself a little go outside get some fresh air, pop to the shop, it makes the world of difference!
For ear ache I know this sounds strange but when it’s bad put ear muffs on or tie a scarf around your head!! It helps! The pressure of the tight scarf or ear muffs helps. I always put them on when I ate which meant I could get in those extra mouthfuls etc!
Don’t over do the pain meds, for the first couple of days I did a chart and took them on time etc….I got to sick.(I was on antibiotics too as I got an infection) I was taking more than I needed, I opted to take one tablet every 3 hours, rotating between codeine and paracetamol. I wouldn’t take them through the night, unless I needed to and I wouldnt take them unless I felt a little pain. Don’t bombard your tummy trust me being sick with this throat is scary!!
You’ll get there I promise, I’ve got my brothers wedding on Thursday and I never thought I’d make it! Now I’m feeling good and I’m going the be the best tonsiless bridesmaid ever!!
Keep smiling and fighting through!
Day 7 horrendous ear ache, day 8 felt much better managed to eat mashed potatoes, first food in 8 days. Even managed two rich tea biscuits dunked in warm tea to soften them. Big mistake. At about 8pm day 8 back on pain meds, sore throat returned with a vengence and hoarse voice was back. I can feel scabs and can taste blood when I swallow. Will this never end? Hoping that day 10 will be the turning point.
I’ll wake up on day 8 tomorrow. I still can’t open my mouth wide but have been chewing…chewits as recommended by doctor. It’s very painful to swallow too
The pain in the morning was larger. But my body felt much better. But then after a few hours I drank plain water with some honey for energy, and afterwards my tonsil pockets (which were empty in the morning) got filled up with this white bubbly foamy stuff that I see in the picture posted up. I noticed this also yesterday and the day before. And I also noticed that my overall feeling goes worse when this stuff appears. Body temperature slightly increases to 36.9-37.1 Celsius. And I get some general fever symptoms – pain in eyes, headache, feeling of illness. I wonder if there are foods and matter that don’t cause the foam to appear.
Anyway, when I eat something, it clogs up the pockets and I have no idea whether the foam is still there or not. I guess this is some sort of tissue reaction to matter it touches…?
During the day my throat pain reduces.
Just by bed time I felt colder and as though a fever was about to hit me :/ I guess my bodies fighting some infections. I hope this stage ends soon…
Still bad earache, so hungry but food still hurts so much, sleeping not good, I’m so tired but keep panicking about the pain you get in the morning, get a weird cough that comes on at night, tongue very sore still but don’t know why, feeling better in myself but was hoping to eat a bit more by now, still its early dats
For those of you who are experiencing ear pain, I used a hot compress. I wet a towel and put it in the microwave for a few minutes and held that up to both ears and it completely got rid of the pain. Good luck to all of you…what a nightmare recovery!
Excuse my extensive typos. I am pretty exhausted right now after working from home today!
I have been reading this every day making sure my recovery is “normal”! I still have a lot of ear and jaw pain thought I have fairy high energy. Today I had some minimal bleeding for the first time and now one tonsils has dark patches on it. Does that mean my scabs are coming off? I don’t really know how to tell, but I am worried about these dark patches.
hi when did you get your surgery? i got mine on 12/29/2014 and i am 1 week in today and my ear pain only started yesterday and is slowly creeping up on me today
i am lucky to have not bled (yet) and for the dark patches on your tonsils that is normal. those are just your scabs. they become darker as you recover. i was actually worried because my scabs have not fallen off yet and i had such severe ear pain today that i called my doctor and he said that scabs come off anywhere from 7-10 days and the ear pain is very normal. i was just worried because the nurse told me i would experience ear pain anywhere from the 3rd or 4th day and since today is my 7th day i freaked out. hope your doing better!
I don’t even know what day i’m on 7..8? Either way it’s pure misery! I am beginning to sound like negative nancy over here but I can’t help it! I definitely do not want to scare anyone out of getting this surgery but just know it is a very tough process but as they say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. I barely slept last night because of the ear pain and having to use the bathroom every second. It’s also like 20 degrees at night by me (i live in NJ) and it makes it very uncomfortable to sleep even with the heat blasting. I also woke up in the middle of the night to a very dry throat. It hurt sooo bad so I chugged a bunch of water. I have been doing my best to stay as hydrated as I possibly can. It just sucks having to literally go to the bathroom every 2 minutes but I’ll take that over pain. When I woke up today it felt like the first few days all over again especially when forcing myself to eat oatmeal for breakfast. I called my doctor and asked if it is normal to still be in so much pain and he said it can last anywhere from 7-10 days and sometimes a full 2 weeks! I also started to panic because I still have my scabs and I read that they should have been off by now but again they start falling off anywhere from day 7-10. Think I may take the day off work tomorrow as well. I am a part time nanny for two 9 year old boys so I need to have all the energy I can since they’re wild little boys haha. Good luck everyone! hoping for a better day tomorrow!
Other than waking up at 4:30 in a pretty good clip of pain (used my ole’ trusty NSAID with a popsicle chaser), I am minimally uncomfortable other than the itching and”weirdness” of scabs and tissue regrowth. I want to brush my teeth and gargle all the time, LOL. Going back to work tomorrow for a half day, my job involves a lot of talking (counseling/social work mgmt) however, I planned administrative projects knowing my voice would be weak. I need to get out and start rebuilding some stamina. I have discovered that tuna and chicken salad are great options to get protein in my body to help with that as well.
So it’s finally day 8! I’m still in some pain! I have been taking my medicines like I am supposed to. There is something new that I noticed and want to know if anybody has had this problem. My jaw hurts when I open my mouth. It used to not but now it does. Any explanation?
Day 8 of my second tonsilectomy…that’s right, I’m 54 now ….had a tonsilectomy when I was 20 and at that time, it was so terrible I thought I would die. Fast forward, right tonsil slowly grew back and was disgusting with tonsil stones, etc. So…tonsilectomy on the right side only. I totally prepared for the worse, and am happy to say, it wasn’t that bad. WARM FEELS MUCH better than cold….and I’m less sick this time. Maybe they should take one at a time!
I would like to say that today there is less pain than before.. but it is hard to remember. The days are all running together because all that I can do is lay in my bed and eat popsicles. All day. This is one of the worst experiences of my life. It is day 8 for me, and the pain seems much sharper than before. I got my adenoids out too so I have an unbearable amount of mucus. My mom’s friend said that the pain is awful, but once day 10 comes around it magically goes away. I hope that is the case for me, but I’m doubtful that it will be. This is so awful
With these all-nighters, you can’t help but do a lot of reflecting. What kicked off this thought was I wanted to know what process the doctor used to remove these monsters.
I don’t know why I didn’t ask pre-surgery. Maybe I didn’t wanna know.
I found out my doctor uses a very conservative style. I was told it was accomplished by both some laser and scalpel. The back of the throat was cauterized——burn baby burn. Cauterization is used to stop/control the bleeding.
So, my reflecting thought is that we are all burn victims. Our pain has to be on some levels the same as a burn victim. Wouldn’t you agree?
When someone gives you that look like tonsillectomy is a piece of cake, maybe we all need to let them know from this perspective.
The receptionist told me her daughter at age 17 had a tonsillectomy. Her boyfriend dumped her because he thought she was just being a big ole baby. Take that with a grain of salt as teens will be teens. The point is————-don’t let anyone think, say, or believe that you are just being a Big Ole Baby!!!
Ok so im on day 8 now. The pain is still immense but nowhere near as bad as day 5 (i actually wanted to die that day! Id sooner give birth to 4 kids than suffer this pain) last night I had terrible pain across the back of my head I think I have been taking too many pain killers because of the constant pain. So had my last ibrufen at 12.30 last night its now 11.28am I woke up with some pain but used the difflam spray that stuff is a godsend. I had a fair bit of bleeding yesterday on the left side o dont know if that was a scab coming off or not but now there isnt as much pain on that side now. The earache is unbearable though. Trying to hold off the meds as they make me feel sick and my body cant take anymore. I honestly wish id not had it done and just put up with tonsilitis. Water through a straw and difflam are my best friends. When will this end???
Its my 8th day i still feel horible
i dont know when im gonna be able to eat like a human bean 
im so tired of this i have been only eating little soup ,but thats nothing compare on how many pills i take on regular bases ,and i cant bearly swalove them !! I hope i can eat soon 
Day 8 post-op; i’m 100% convinced the pain isn’t going to stop. I drank some really cold water last night, choked, gagged and coughed. My throat is raw from that debacle and pretty sure I inhaled some water. I have beeen in an awful mood all day long. If I haven’t lost at least 25lbs, I will cry even more than I already am
Hi. Im in too much pain to be to descriptive, my apologies. My teeth hurt. Is this normal? Thanks
Day 8
I finally chewed a motrin so that has helped the swelling. I have a weird burning pain in the top of my mouth cold things irritate me now
My taste buds are off and I get frustrated with swallowing that I stop after three true.
I am constantly spitting and just extremely uncomfortable. The recovery seems to be dragging
I cry and it seems like this will never end. Hurts to yawn and turn my head.
just really experiencing a burning sensation. My heart goes out to parents with young children because recovering is exhausting in itself.
I am 39 and I have never experienced this much discomfort I am so looking for The day I am truly healed.
I’m on day 8 and I’m feeling pretty good. The only thing that has bothered me is my right ear and I’ve chewed gum to kill the pain which goes away pretty quickly after chewing. I can feel the scabs on the right side of my throat my tongue is brushing up against it. I still have all of my scabs and I am so afraid for them to fall off! I’m hoping things only get better from here because I am scheduled to return to work on Tuesday. I haven’t really ate much and I’ve lost 5lbs (not complaining!) but I am so ready to eat a huge cheeseburger!
Hi I am on day 8 and I really feel for you Michelle , trying to look after a child whilst going through recovery is not something I could have done, I have been on my own in my house since day 4 and that has been good. I managed to eat quite a lot yesterday including two pieces of toast , my throat feels a lot better and is more uncomfortable than painful, hoping my last horrendous day is behind me. I know what u mean that’s this is not for faint hearted, they says it hurts but you can’t really imagine and it’s all the other bits, sore tongue , earache etc. good luck to you all, looking forward to this time next week, when I shall hopefully be returning to work and feeling like a new person
Day 8 of my recovery. this experience has been worse than my natural home birth of my son like 10 x over – I am so not kidding. It just goes on and on and on. What I’ve realized the most is that despite all the immense overwhelming pain at times when I literally thought I might die from jaw, tongue, ear and throat pain, I was not prepared for the psychological challenge of this. I think my first memory of waking up in the recovery room struggling to swallow, looking the nurse in the eyes crying, saying “are you serious? what is going on in my throat, this cannot be happening” should have tipped me off to what was to come. Today however, I have hit my bottom and just need a good cry.
Let me explain, I had my surgery July 19/14. Day 1-3 were okay, uncomfortable but the pain and discomfort were manageable. I somehow managed to stay calm with the bizzare feeling of something being stuck in the back of my throat, sleeping upright, sipping ice chips constantly and even tolerating the unimaginable hunger pains. Eating only liquids (minus a few hard boiled eggs and a cup of mr. noodles hardly counts lol).
So as a single mom of a 4 year old so I arranged for my sister to fly across the country to help out, well she left on the morning of day7 which was my first real day from hell. I had some help with our caregiver but it’s just not the same. I have been taking my pain killers (mainly tramacet) religiously every 3.5 to 4 hours but on day 7 I called the surgeon and was like I need something stronger so went to see him yesterday. He looked in my mouth and said that it didn’t look too bad, still lots of scabs and the white coating on my tongue may be thrush but to wait a while to see if it goes away on its own. Soooooooooooooooo…. last night – oh, and I have not slept longer than 20 min intervals since this started, sleeping upright and coughing and the pain prevented me from anything longer than this. So last night I went to bed on my side for the first time uttlerly exhausted (I learned today that I was mistaken in thinking you had to lie upright on your back lol) and yes, an hour later
I woke to a liquid pouring down the back of my throat and me continuously swallowing it. After about 10 gulps I was like Oh I should check this maybe its blood. I have been so determined not to bleed. Ugh of course I spit up bright red blood in the sink for like 5 mins, not even cold ice water was helping. So the only night out of 14 I DO NOT HAVE SOMEONE in the house overnight was last night. I woke up my 4 year old and we went to the hospital in our pyjamas. To the hospital where I work none the less – was seen and ER doc sent me to another hospital where the original ENT surgeon who was going to do my surgery was going to meet me at 8am.
I went home at 5am – my son refused to sleep, I sat upright in bed with my eyes closed while I let him watch videos and his dad agreed to take me to the hospital apt in the morning. I am so utterly beyond starving and exhausted at this point, as well I start to feel angry and sad and just want some help. When will this be over? So I saw the ENT today and he was awesome. He was shocked he said to see how much of the scabs are still in my mouth (and my own ENT didn’t say anything yesterday). He suspected it may be an infection likely bacterial and gave me biaxin and nystatin oral rinse and told me to gargle with a tsp of salt water 4x per day. I had to stop clindimyacin after 5 days due to diarrhea.
I did get a few answers to my ridiculous questions I”ll share in case you have them too: you can sleep any way you like, side or back, whichever it doesn’t affect anything, the food you eat after surgery will not get “stuck” in the tonsil beds (my new obsession the past few days) and its ok to continue to take my pain meds til day 10 or 11 if needed. Interestingly, the pain is like a 2/10 today, thank god. Oh and there were not clots he could see waiting to burst.
So I am home now, my son with his dad and I am laying in bed. Have had water, my entire new regimen of new meds and am back on the tramacet every 4 hours for today. I’m going to relax for an hour before my son likely comes home – oh and life just keeps comin’ – my caregiver just called and her sisters water just broke…so looks like I’m on my own today with a 4 year old
I did the surgery due to tonsil stones, sore throats and bad breath. I have hated this entire process and suspect my recovery will be delayed now with his possible bacterial infection and delayed coming off of scabs, but I am glad I did it. At least I took action, whether or not it helps my problem is yet to be seen, but I am hopeful.
Hi Michelle, I’m on day 8 today and its been by far the worst pain. I was doing really well eating and drinking until now. It hurts so bad just to swallow water. I hate sleeping cause I know when I wake up it’ll be so dry. The other worst part is not knowing if I have thrush or not. My tongue has hurt terribly from the beginning cause of that clamp they use but now it burns in some spots and has a white film. From what I’ve read almost everyone has the white tongue. I guess I’ll have to call the doc mon morning. I agree this surgery is not for the weak and has been equally as painful as having my son. I just keep waiting for that hump day that people say you wake up and its not that bad.
I’m on day 8 of recovery. This has sure been a roller coaster ride with up and downs. The first few days weren’t too bad. Then on day four the jaw pain gripped me. That has been the most difficult part for me by far. I am surprised how much pain is going on in so many different places. Anyone else find the jaw pain to be difficult?
I’m suffering from a little bit of jaw pain, but most ear and throat pain. I had my tonsils out 6 days ago and am also surprised with the amount of pain that I’m feeling everywhere. Is the worst of your recovery over do you think?
Today was day 8 after a coblation tonsillectomy on 6/20. The last week was really a lost week – I spent the whole time in my house. I did shower regularly, but today was the first time I actually got dressed in real clothes (workout clothes) and put on shoes. I took my dog on a short walk outside, and it was nice to get out. Even though I still had pain in my throat that was occasionally very sharp, I felt as if I had turned a corner. I didn’t have to nap at all today, and I did a little work from home. I am still sticking to very soft foods, but thanks to a suggestion above, I tried an over-baked baked potato with sour cream and cheese (and no skin), and it worked well and felt more like real food than what I’ve been eating. It still took me like 30 minutes to eat a half of a baked potato, but it felt like progress.
I’ve been peering into the back of my throat. One tonsil bed looks especially deep, almost like a socket – it was the side that had the worse tonsil on it – so I’m interested in how long that will take to completely heal. It does look as if some of the scabs have come off. The ones that are remaining are the darker/grayer areas where the tonsil must have been attached originally. My uvula also looks like it has returned to a more normal size, maybe not all the way back, but better. My voice still sounds a little weird, and it hurts if I talk too much or at anything above a medium-low volume.
I guess now I am just hoping for continued healing and no major bleeding. We’ll see. But today I felt like I was on the upswing for sure.
You’re definitely recovering your energy quicker than I did, which says loads about your recovery overall. Today, day 11, was the first day I didn’t nap. Doesn’t it feel good to know you’re almost there?
Day 8 of recovery from coblation tonsillectomy: This morning I woke up without increased pain! I’ve been dosing 400mg ibuprofen every 3 hours and did that through the night. I woke up for a dose and felt a scab tear away a bit. There was more bleeding than previous times and it worried me wide awake. So I sipped cold water, ate frozen yogurt, sipped more water. Just about asleep and I would feel that prick again. Nothing bad happened but a loss of sleep. When I got out of bed, I had the same pain as when I laid down.
The scabs can come off any day now. Lately, the sensation is like getting a shot of novocaine at the dentist, minus the numbing. It was downright awful at times. Each time I’d think that was it and hope the next swallow would leave me scab free, but no.
My ear pain is minimal now, only bothering me if I have too big a bite I’m swallowing. My jaw aches, though. I don’t know if I’ve been clenching at night, or if my chewing muscles have been weakened by those days of little activity, but especially when I lay down, I find it hard to get comfortable on my pillow.
My swallowing aches, not raw, but like I’ve got a lump in my throat from crying. Again, I wonder if several days of little use have rendered it weak. Today I ate three meals! Plus I’m still pushing fluids to chase that fever away. Plus, I have what feels like an entire scab or two hanging in the back of my throat, two days now.
Be wary of feeling depressed. I cried a lot these last two days. I’m humbled by the help I’ve received from so many places, I miss being able to parent my kids, it hurts to be so far away from Life. I have really gained a lot of empathy for people living with chronic pain, and this is such a short pain compared to that.
I am still very fatigued and took two smaller naps today. Nighttime sleep is not as restful as it could be, with alarms going off several times, but I actually feel I am getting better!
Day 8 and I am still miserable. The pain is different now – it’s a horrible burning sensation at the back of my tongue. It feels like it does when you drink hot tea too soon and it burns your mouth. The Lortab doesn’t seem to help the burning sensation.
Yesterday was the roughest for me emotionally. I’m so tired of the pain and I don’t know how much more I can take. The hardest part is not knowing when relief will come. I feel like I will always have this pain.
Clara you have no idea how common all of this is. You are at the worst point right now. The nice thing about hitting the bottom? You have something to push off from. Hang in there. Give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve been through a lot. Plan to reward yourself with your favorite food. The end of the tunnel is just ahead !!!!
Thanks for the encouragement! It makes me feel like I’m not alone.
You are certainly NOT alone my dear. Have you read this article? Watch out for the blues…https://tonsillectomyrecovery.com/depression-after-tonsillectomy/
18 yrs old. Ending day 8 of recovery. I feel like I have more energy but when I start doing things I start feeling extremely tired. I thought all of my scabs came off on day 6 because I didn’t have any bleeding on day 7 but I was wrong. Today (day 8) around noon I started spitting up some blood. It stopped for a while and then started up again. The feeling is awful and it burns horribly. I hope that this was the last of the bleeding & scabs. When I look into my throat it is all yellow. Today has been the worst in terms of emotional pain. I am so tired and hungry, I can’t get out of the house without feeling bad, the burning is unbearable at times and I can’t talk. I’m probably getting an average of 3 hours of sleep per night because I don’t want my throat to dry out. Food wise, I ate most of a Gold Star 3-way today that felt like heaven! After every bite I had to take a drink of water but it was still good. I really hope day 9 & 10 are more positive.
So I am just coming into day 8. Tried to come off oxcycodon too soon per doc. I was doing the Advil and tylenol but stopped the heavy drugs. Was told I need to stay on that over the weekend. Having different pain. Before it was just sore/swollen. Now it is a burning almost pinching pain. I think the last day I have not drank enough fluids as I have been napping all day. Will these two days hurt me? I am so afraid of bleeding! I am due to go back to work next Wednesday. I talk for a living. I hopei can just jump back into the fluid intake again!!
Just woke up at 4 am of day 8…i can still handle the pain ok but what can I take besides this lortab every 4 hours? I’m tired of feeling sleepy all day. Also, for the past 3-4 nights, I wake up chocking/coughing so hard I can barely breathe. There is no blood that I can tell, thanks to the red Popsicles I eat. Is that normal? I’m afraid to go to sleep because I always wake up 3-4 hours later choking on…i don’t know…air??? I’m not sure if I stop breathing, or if a scab is letting loose back there??? Either way, help me please! I am so sleepy and only get 3-4 hours of sleep since my surgery. Also, I hve had a bm since before the surgery a week ago. Problem right???
Hi Cassandra. Sounds rough. A few thoughts: Avoid the red popsicles, opt for other colors. Try sleeping upright in a recliner. I had the same issues you’re having, (many do) Lying flat seems to create congestion in the throat. As for other pain meds- Tylenol is actually pretty effective. Be careful though- the Loritab also has acetaminophen. Don’t double up on it as too much can be dangerous.
I’m not a doctor, so take any tips as just that- not medical advice but tips from a fellow patient.
Best of luck my dear- hope you feel better soon!
Day 8 – pain is substantially worse than previous days. I blame the grilled cheese I attempted to eat the day prior. back to cheese broccoli soup (one of my favorite meals I am now sick of). Constant pain, mainly in my left ear. Ice water and Percocet are miracles. I want pizza. down 6 pounds, which is a lot when I only weighed 110. Coughing up scabs. gross.. You can definitely feel them coming off. Had the hiccups today.. The pain from getting the hiccups was enough to scare them away lol
if you think you’re starting to feel better – DON’T EAT NORMAL. you will regret it
Hang in there Mick. It should get better soon. Day 8 was my worst!
Day 8 – Noticeably better today. First day I felt like I was becoming normal again. Am able to sleep through the night and miss a pain med dose by a few hours (still in pain when I awake though). Was able to eat some real food (small pieces of chicken and broccoli). Feels like razors have cut the back of my throat though. Using less pain meds during the day at this point.
Ivan, thank you so much for sharing your journey. Stories like yours are very valuable to people planning their tonsillectomy and to those in the middle of recovery. We are stronger together! Best of health to you.
I can’t believe how rough this is! Reading the other comments helps me realize that most adults have a long hard recovery. I thought my dr was being dramatic when he said I would need two weeks off of work I only took 4 days off including the day I had them removed. The first few days were easier because I was resting, the past two have been horrible. I have two kids and I’m working. It’s frustrating not being able to eat real food, I tried a scrambled egg last night and could only eat a few small bites. Water and Popsicles help.
Hi Karmen,
Sorry you’re having a rough time. The good news is that day 8 is usually about the worst of it. You should start feel ing better soon. Keep drinking. Best of luck to you!
my experience of day 8 is so much different, I can’t believe all the posts here! I took the painkillers for the first three days, and strictly no more, they made me feel dizzy and gave some sort of their own unhealthy feeling. And every time I feel pain increasing I take a cup of lukewarm tea (my doctor said absolutely NO to cold drinks or such); plenty of fluids after tonsillectomy means really plenty, i.e. about 10-15 cups per day! It really helped me; with the painkillers you might just forget your condition, but it doesn’t mean it’s gone. You just can’t eat spicy and sour food, no vinegar, no fresh fruits. Two weeks until healing is not such a long time. Good luck.
Thanks “R!” Hope you continue to do well
After day 8 in the books, I’m pain med free now 2 days, I ate about a half pound of pasta. This was the first solid food I could tolerate. I kept the ice on my neck any time I felt the “razors” in there. Ate a lot of ice, drank a lot of water and did so even through the pain because of how important everyone agreed it is to do. Rightfully so as well because there is mostly pink flesh showing through the area where the surgery was done. Great blog Greg. This has been extremely helpful. I hope everyone else keeps fighting through. It’s so much more intense than people think. Especially those people who never did it.
Day 8: Husband is at work and kids are at camp again so it is just me alone for the day with my pain. They hydrocodone does nothing at this point to help with the pain, but I still take it every 3 hours just hoping that maybe it will. It hurts to swallow so I find myself sitting around with a mouthful of saliva until I finally force myself to swallow. Funny how something we normally do without thinking is now forced.
My tongue hurts so bad. It hurts at the back where it attaches to the floor of my mouth and it hurts on the sides where it rubs against my teeth. I really can’t move my tongue around in my mouth at all. If I am eating something and food gets in between my lips and my gums, I realized that normally our tongue just naturally sweeps it out. But I can’t. I actually have to take my finger and do it.
My back molars have gotten incredibly sensitive to cold. I have never really had a problem with this before, but now, just drinking ice water is so painful I can’t do it anymore. I can still eat cold things like sorbet because it tends to just go straight down, but if I drink ice water, it floods my mouth and hurts those teeth. It’s sad because the ice water felt so good on my throat.
I had to pick my kids up from camp and take them to a babysitter so I had to hold off on the hydrocodone long enough to be able to drive. While I was out, I ran a couple extra errands including a stop at Costco. I had my first moment of eating something I probably shouldn’t have. The stupid thing was…it was a taste of triple cream brie. Served at the correct temperature, this would not have been an issue, but it was refrigerator cold. It stuck to my teeth and the rind was hard to swallow. I don’t think it caused any bleeding (I couldn’t exactly check), but boy did it hurt!
By the time I got back home it had been more than 5 hours since my last dose of meds and I was hurting. I had picked up a 5 meat pizza for my husband and was so sad to not be able to eat any. I ended up having a huge meltdown before bed. I’m so tired of being in pain and feeling like crap.
It is day 8 and this morning was bad, but so is every morning. It seems like it takes about 30-40 mins of icing my neck and sucking on ice cubes for the ear pain to subside and to be able to swallow with LESS pain. Ice cold water in the morning is rough, but it’s the best thing to numb the throat before taking pain meds. Gosh I love the medication; I revel in the sweet nectar slipping down my throat, choking on its’ analgesic splendor.
My scabs have gradually sloughed off but are still there and yes, I taste the acidic, sour, like you’re sucking on a rotten penny taste in the back of my mouth. However awful all of this is, it’s worth it to have these puppies out. I got mine yanked because of tonsil stones and I am happy I did it. I think I have had an easier recovery than most, but I have a 5 month-old also and that adds much more to this whole process. I also think I almost O.D’d on water: this is KEY to an EASIER recovery…so is icing the outside of the neck until you can’t feel anything anymore 
36 year old mom currently on recovery day 8. I was in no way prepared for what this would do to me on a psychological level. I would cry, but it hurts. So I have been communicating primarily with my middle fingers. I have birthed 3 children naturally and cannot escape this pain…pain in the throat, the ears, the tongue, the eyes…and it’s been at about a 6/10 for the entire recovery. I have been given liquid morphine by my wonderful surgeon and I have found that plain Tylenol works better for relief. The comments about external ice was not something I knew about but has been a life saver…30 min. Before I want to eat I will ice my throat and ears and then I can tolerate eating. I have been in bed the entire time…others are cooking, cleaning, and working, but I’m staying in my bed because who can possibly be up and around with this much pain, this little sleep, and this much general weakness from not eating? I sincerely hope this gets better soon or I’m going to need time in the looney bin before it’s over…
I woke up feeling great today! For a few moments I actually thought I was going to be able to eat today!
Well, that didn’t work too well. Had to do some work at the barn today as well as talking with a contractor – when I was done with
That I attempted to eat some soup and a very small piece of chicken – couldn’t do it – had 1/2 cup of soup and the dogs enjoyed the chicken. For dinner tonight it was a Wendys Frosty. So over this. My ears have never hurt so
Bad as they did today. I still have not lost any of my scabs – and no complaints as yet if bad breath. Not sure why everyone leers is experiencing that – but I am sure my time will come. Took 2 Tylenol today, hoping all will be healed by Thanksgiving!
F, 31 years old, post tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. So far, this has been about what I expected. Days 1-3 were a breeze. I mostly slept through them. Woke to take pain meds and back to sleep. I ate about a cup of liquid foods (ice cream, broth, Popsicles, etc) and about 50 ounces of water each of these days. Days 4 and 5 were by far the most painful. Ate about a cup of semi solid foods (mashed potatoes, bread soaked in au jus, yogurt, etc.) and about 40 ounces of water these days. Constant pain meds with children’s doses of ibuprofen to help the swelling. Yes. I know. It’s not recommended. I did it anyway, despite being a red head and having a very slow bleed time. It helped. A lot. This has been, by far, the most painful thing I’ve ever been through. From day 4 through now, have had a constant cough with just the grossest mucous ever. Thick, yellow or green, with black flecks. I stopped smoking 2 weeks before the surgery and had never been under anesthesia before this surgery. Doc says the cough is because of the anesthesia. Take deep breaths every hour and expand my lungs. Should clear it up. Apparently, the cough is a pretty common thing. Days 6 and 7 were tolerable, with sharp, driving pain in the evenings. Ate a few bites of solid foods and about 40 ounces of water each day. On tylenol only until about 7 pm when the pain really kicks in. Took Milk Of Magnesia to address the constipation from the pain meds. Though I wasn’t yet feeling any discomfort, I felt it might be time to do something about it after not having a BM for 6 days. Day 8: Have noticed a sharp pain down left side of my throat. I think I’ve lost a scab down there. Overall, pain is manageable. I take tylenol when I have to eat but other then that I can ignore the pain. Throat is still mostly coated with scabs. Terrible breath. Have to make sure my head and neck are in just the right position when I lie down or I can’t exhale through my nose. Weirdest thing. That’s gotten better as time has gone by. I was back at work on day 5. Mistake. Never ever do that. Tips: Honey, honey. Eat a teaspoon or two of honey when you need to soothe your throat. It’s calories that you desperately need and it coats the throat without burning. If you’re like me, you know how to suck air back through your nose to clear your sinuses… DON’T DO THAT. That will hurt worse than anything you’ve ever felt before. KNIVES STRAIGHT INTO YOUR BRAIN. Seriously. Don’t. Ice packs on your throat are a must. Ambesol for the tongue, y’all. Not too much, that’s its own kind of hell. But when the tongue hurts so bad you can’t stand it, numb it with Ambesol or Oragel. Sleep and hydrate as much as possible. I just keep saying one less day til I’m me again and feel normal. When this is over, I am going to wear my skimpiest dress out to eat the biggest steak ever. And an entire bag of baked lays bbq chips. And hot wings.
MJ…I tried the honey. It went down so smooth I couldn’t believe it…then it starting burning where my tonsils were, back and sides of my tongue, etc. don’t know how or why I was afflicted with this pain, just wanted you to know it is possible.
Day 8 after tonsillectomy – severe pain, the worst since operation. Haven’t eat anything apart from jelly and ice cream since op, but now my throat is so painful I can’t even eat that. Am living on protein shakes at the moment.
Ear pain and tongue pain is horrendous – a little bonus my doctor never informed me of! It is impossible to chew with my tongue so sore and anything I drink that is either too hot or too cold makes all the pain worse. When will this nightmare end?
Little advice to those thinking of getting a tonsillectomy – don’t.
DO NOT GET A TONSILLECTOMY, IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!!!
Last night on day 7, I was tongue scraping…gagged…threw up…and then felt better. But now, I am very nauseous all the time. I never had this problem before in the previous days, but now…I feel that I could purge at any moment. Does anyone have an idea why this could be now? I do have Ondansetron tablets for nausea, but they don’t seem to be doing much.
Greg, thank you so much for all the time you put into this blog. It has been a lifesaver.
Its day 8 and I woked up with pain 6/10 from sleeping 6 hours and my throat was dried as expected. Drank some ice water too fast an d that made me burp which hurt like hell. However I am feeling the light at the end of this long tunnel as long as I maintain vigilant with the diet and not rush things. The diarhea from previous night has stopped thank god so I can focus on other problems like the oral thrush and eating. I made some cooled ramen noodles and poached 2 eggs for brekky and forced that down with some ice water in between. It still hurts to eat but I think this is mostly from my oral thrust I’m hoping would go away. The rest of the day was trying to keep my mind off the issue and believe it is getting better albeit frustratingly slow.
Day 8: pain has moved into my ears. Thought for sure I’d feel better by now but not so.. Overall, I’m glad I had the procedure, no more strep, but feel the ent definitely minimized severity of procedure & recovery, not to mention inadequate mgmt of pain. On my 2nd pain med, could not tolerate first one due to itching, and need to take it every 3 hours. I’m hoping day 10 is the magic day where I feel somewhat normal again………
It’s the end of Day 8. I have not taken anything for pain in several days. I took pain meds around the clock for the first two days then decided to space it out. I come to find out I wasn’t having enough pain to warrant medication. I’ve been out and about to the malls and even out to eat. Today I returned the nice ice bags that I purchased at Marshalls for $8 each. I never used them. I expected swelling during this, but it never happened. I’ve not had issues swallowing, eating, I have slept laying down since day 1. The worst the pain has got is maybe a 3/10. The discomfort is far less than when I had tonsillitis and my abscess. I had thought about returning to work early but I know that being home with my humidifier and not talking is going to help me heel faster. I haven’t noticed any falling off of the scab.
Day 8: woke up this morning with ear and throat pain however I did manage to eat a whole pizza (without the crust) and was fortunate that there was no bleeding. The scabs on both side looks as though it is half way of falling off and that may be the reason why everytime i eat or drink I can a sharp pain from the throat to the ears. I also have been gargling salt water at least three times a day and it has assisted in getting rid of the phlegm and any residue left over from food.
The thing that annoys most the most is waking up in the middle of the night with ear pain!! WOuld anyone have any ideas on how to alleviate the pain?
Heat up a moist towel in the microwave and put it over your ears. Helped me a lot.
Thanks Robin! I will give that a go today
Day 8: My best advice is Don’t Rush Eating Normal Foods!! After losing 11 pounds and feeling like I’m starving I thought I was ready for Chili & Spaghetti today….BAD IDEA! I ate it way too fast and think I swallowed the scab on the left side!! Now the right side is killing me and my ear is also
Not to mention I have had diarrhea for a week now and I have made that condition way worse due to the chili and spaghetti…lol Tomorrow I am going to take it easy…..I just want to be NORMAL again!!!!
First, I want to thank Greg for this awesome site. I read up before my procedure to plan and check in daily (or more) to track my progress and anticipate. It’s been a Godsend. I also sent it to my family so they could see what I am experiencing since they live 500 miles away. THANK YOU!!! <3
Postop Day 8 (op was Tue Oct 15): Last night was horrible! I woke up every few hours with stabbing burning pain in my throat and ears. Slept propped up and on my side (face up allows my uvula to block my airway), but it hardly helped. Took meds (alternated liquid Lortab or Tylenol with liquid Ibuprofen every 2-3 hours). I moaned and moved my jaw, used a cold pack, and had a humidifier, but it was the worst night so far.
This morning, I woke up and felt human again! The scabs are slowing falling away so it’s still tender. One side (the side with the greatest hypertophic tonsil) feels worse than the other and is more red. Pain: L 3/10, R 0/10. I’m SO HAPPY! I expect tonight may be tough again, but I sure hope I wake up feeling this good or better. I took a walk and ate lunch out (small portion of a chile relleno, refried beans, and guacamole). I cannot stand the thought of anything sweet. So sick of ice cream, pudding, popsicles, smoothies…
Here are my learnings for others going through this (or preparing to):
* Follow Greg’s advice… get your bedroom ready as you will spend a lot of time there!
* Have on hand things to help you manage – I used prefilled shot glasses of medication next to the bed to make middle-of-the-night meds easier.
* Drink water every time you wake up and as much as possible when you are awake.
* Gargle with warm salt water twice a day – gently!
* Get an Rx for chlorhexidine (the mouth rinse at your dentist’s office) and swish twice a day.
* Since flossing is impossible at first, get some of the little between the teeth picks so you can better maintain oral hygiene.
* Use a neti pot to clean your sinuses if you are prone to allergies (like me).
* While ice cream, popsicles, etc are okay, be prepared with some savory options that can be eaten warm/cool. I found boxed soup (butternut squash) eaten at room temperature to be quite good. Also, get/make some MILD guacamole, refried beans, hummus. They are delicious, cold, easy to eat, and especially refreshing after all the sweets we downed at first. Oh joy!
* Plan to take two weeks away from your life to heal properly.
* Remember that you are going to be miserable – so plan for that and have a strategy. I’ve been watching reruns of West Wing on Netflix, spending time on Facebook, playing Matching with Friends, and texting friends to keep my mind distracted. Distraction from the pain has been some of the most effective remedy in my experience.
* Crying only makes it hurt more so don’t cry.
* Remain positive – it does get better, albeit very slowly and incrementally. Two steps forward and a step back is not a disaster, it’s a cha-cha!
Best wishes to all of you out there on this journey. May all beings be relieved from suffering!!
Thank you for the kind words Kitty- moreover, thank you for the AWESOME post! These shared experiences are, I think, what really brings this site to life and offers people a light in the darkness.
Best of health to you. I hope you’ll stay in touch.
DAY 8: 30 years old and had tonsillectomy (with adenoids removed too).
So on day 6 I thought to myself “this is the worst it can possibly get…this has to be the max amount of pain I can be in.” Then day 7 came along and it was worst than day 6. And staying true to that pattern, today is hell.
The absolute worst parts of my day are when I wake up from napping. I don’t call it sleeping because I haven’t slept more than 2 hours at one time in over a week. ANYWAY, while I am asleep my throat slowly gets drier and drier (even with multiple humidifiers) and when I wake up I want to die. Then it takes AT LEAST 1 hours to get the pain a little under control again. But I am never really getting the pain under control because it NEVER goes away completely. Even with stronger pain meds it is still constantly there.
Also my body has forgotten how to swallow…not even kidding. Every single thing that tries to make it’s way down my throat is seen as an enemy and the body attacks. And then the frustration and panic (because of course at this point one thinks they will choke and die) sets in and then the tears come. There is no way to stop or prevent the crying…you just have to let it happen and deal with the additional pain caused by it afterwards.
I have also developed Thrush, so that is super fun as well. I was prescribed this oral mouth rinse to be used 4 times a day for 2 weeks…hopefully it will start working soon because the thrush just overly complicates everything.
My scabs on both sides are starting to fall off and I’m having some bleeding again, but nothing like last week when they had to go back in and cauterize again.
I am just ready to have my life back again….
well I have made it to day 8 after surgery day. Last night was the usual hell, take meds, sleep two / three hours, wake in agony with the feeling you have shards of glass in your throat, rush down stairs for ice packs to help numb the pain while I desperately try to sip meds which is incredibly painful. Back to sleep dreading the same thing happening again in two to three hours!! sure enough woke up this morning with the same pain and took meeds, however … Today has been much much better, for the first time since the op I feel more like myself. Got up and dressed and have eaten a little porridge for breakfast, and soup for lunch. My mouth is still really really dry and producing no saliva which is really weird, but no more panic attacks that there is not enough saliva to swallow. doc prescribed me a low dose of diazepam which I am sure is helping. ( note I have never needed to take any anxiety drugs ever in the past and I am 46. ) I am sure the panics were due to the heavy meds I was taking, which my doctor has stopped. Any way I don’t seem to need to take my meds as often ( but still need them when it gets too intense) . I am so hoping I have turned a corner today, I know tonight will be tough again but I am hoping it will start to get better. Just becoming a little anxious about potential bleeds, my scabs seem to be intact still and I kind of hope they stay put for a bit, so the skin underneath can heal better. All in all feel so much better today, feel like there may be an end in sight. I will report back on my day 9 experiences tomorrow, keep strong everyone take each day as it comes .
Today was my best day this far. I’m not even sure how long I slept, it felt like only a few minutes. I woke up in a lot of pain, but I sleep with my mouth slightly open and don’t wake up every few hours to drink anything, so by the time I wake up, I’m dried out and it feels like I’ve swallowed razor blades and then drank habanero juice. I took half of my pain pill (Tylenol with codine) and once that kicked in a little I was able to eat a cup of applesauce and a cup of yogurt. I feel asleep on the couch again for a few hours. I woke up slightly dry and burning a little again. I drank a But if water and forced down a jello cup and a pudding cup and I felt a bit better. Around 7 o’clock I took 4tsp of liquid children’s Advil and ate a pain cheeseburger and a handful of French fries (I’ve been craving a cheeseburger since I woke up from the surgery). I also had a mango pineapple smoothie from McDonald’s, and I actually think that was the best decision I made. After a few sips of the smoothie, I felt AMAZING! The pain in my throat was maybe a 1/10! I wanted to do a happy dance around the house, I was so excited! I had a sneezing episode, which hurt slightly, and then my nose started to run off of my face. I’ll take that runny nose over the burning pain forever if given the choice! By the time I went to bed my throat had started hurting again slightly, sadly.
Yeah day 8 not such a bad day yesterday had lots of hope for today!!!!! But not a hope in hell did I …. The ear ache today was just unreal morning started out as usual dried out hard to swallow so pain killers helped a little but I think as the scabs come away more now the stinging and swallowing becomes unbearable again. Also my throat feels really itchy like I wanna cough up a hair ball the weirdest feeling, as here in England we are told to eat roughage food toast cereal etc to help promote quicker healing I must say I am now managing to eat a little better much later on in the day though ( pain killers in system a bit more I think) I actually ate a slice of pizza which taste amazing!!!!!! So pretty much another sore day but lots more tolerable but still can’t wait to be fully recovered. Also when I talk now I sound terrible so still not able to talk much. Hope you feel better soon ……x
Zero sleep last night. Until I sucked it up and took at painkiller at around 3:30am. This morning I woke up in tears. My throat had this horrible burning sensation and it felt like something was stuck in my throat. I checked in the mirror and realized a huge part of the scab was gone!!! I guess that explains all the pain. But boy was it painful. I see my dr for post op at 1pm today I can’t wait to find out how I’m doing!! Stay strong all!!!!!!
This site is amazing. I am on day 8 and more miserable than I was on day 2. Unfortunately, I’m out of sick leave at work, so I’m back on the daily grind (from home, thankfully). My boss commented that his son “didn’t seem to have this much trouble when he had the surgery a couple years ago” when he was ten, and I directed him to this site as evidence that I’m not just a big baby. I literally want to detach my throat from my body and toss it in the trash.
Today is my 8th day & I can honestly say I’m still miserable, I’m starving and I’ve lost so much weight and my ears are killing me and at times my tongue seems to hurt more than my throat! And don’t even get me started on my jaw and my breath. For some reason since the surgery I’ve had these ridiculous little cystic acne bumps that started on my chest and back and arms but this morning progressed to my face! I’m not really one to break out but this is really bad. I’m just ready to be back to normal and go to a buffet.
Day 8- Got off track with my pain meds today and that was no good! My huge complaint today is the pain under my tongue. That was more of a pain than my throat, although that was nothing to sneeze at either. Although I’ve had a fairly easy recovery, I’m just about over it. I’m ready to feel normal again..Oh, and my breath….. It’s hot, and not in the good way! Not the business!
Method of tonsillectomy- Tissue/Thermal Welding.
This post have been great. I’m 24 and I had them removed. Day 8 woke up with a running nose. But the pain is not there.I slept well over slept. I had work yesterday and I’m off to work now. I hope its not as bad as yesterday. No one was able to hear me. Im talking really low. Medicine for me is awesome. Doctors at the Va helped out a lot.
Never again, NEVER AGAIN! Just when I thought there is no possible way the pain could be worse than the day prior? Yea, I was way wrong. Day 7 overnight into
Day 8, was the motherload of awfulness (which is hard to do considering Day 6-7 were a close 2nd place. I miss Day 2, take me back to Day 2!!!!). It is impossible to even drink room temperature water. Warm, Cold, flavored, unflavored–>EVERYTHING feels like shards of fiery glass dipped in acid. I woke up every hour with horrible intense pain and then would spend a half hour trying to manage to get down a few gulps of water in between spasms of agony. I resorted to PRAYING for pain control because at this point the multiple pain meds I am on are doing little to nothing. Praying! I’m not even religious! And yes, I’m currently up on one of these adventures trying to drink water even tho it’s agonizing enough to even swallow my own spit. So I’m literally drooling over a sink waiting for death in between the world’s tiniest sips of water. I would love for you to come shoot me in the face please. If I wasn’t so dehydrated I’d probably be crying. Oh and PS–did I mention those fiery shards of acid-dipped glass travel down the back of my throat and out of my ears??? Every adult patient should read this before undergoing this surgery–because it’s an UNDERESTIMATION of the pain. Oh and not only are there super awesome fun times with pain, but you get to be STARVING but unable to eat and constipated from all the pain meds that aren’t even working. I want my tonsils back and a large glass of wine.
Oh I feel your pain love I’m currently on day 8 post op .. And I’m in so much pain I’m 19 and been suffering with tonsillitis all my life but never new the surgery was going to be this bad .. I haven’t slept properly in a week .. Wish some1 could shoot me in the face to .. Would probelly be less painful than this ..I’m starving and soo thirsty and morning are the the worst ..I hate going to sleep nw as I’m scared of morning pain .. :'( when will this be over!! Anyway I wish you luck
Day 8: tonsillectomy/tubes.
I woke up today with very mild pain and a dry throat but after some water and mild pain killers I feel normal. I can eat solid foods and it doesn’t hurt to talk in the least. I get a little bit of pain when I yawn but its tolerable. I still make sure to stay hydrated because I still have deep sockets and a little scabbing, but I’m looking forward to getting back to my normal life. I think that I am one of the lucky ones.
First off I’d like to thank Greg for this site. It really has been a godsend.
I’m on my 8th day of recovery and it’s 5:00 AM. Woke up with serious throat pain and searing pain in my ears. I quit taking the Roxicet (Percoset and Tylenol) two days ago because it was really upsetting my empty stomach making it even harder to eat. So, I just took a half dose anyway because the pain was unbearable.
I believe my throat is healing and the scabs (white stuff) are sloughing off causing some raw areas and making my throat burn, at least I hope that’s the case. I wouldn’t know any of this without this site, BTW. I find that putting a damp towel in the microwave for 1+ minutes and pressing over and around my ears does wonders for that pain.
This has been the most hellish experience of my life. I would not recommend this surgery to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. For me, it was necessary. I had trouble swallowing from my enlarged tonsils. I also have developed psoriasis that my dermatologist thinks is connected to my throat infections.
I still cannot eat any solid food. Everything seems to get stuck in my throat and O sound like a cat hacking up a fur ball, lol. I feel like I’m constantly starving and live for the day that I can eat a decent meal.
I don’t know that my doctor quite prepared me enough for the recovery. And nobody seems to get it that hasn’t been through it. There might be something to eating and drinking more for a faster recovery but I just found it impossible because of the pain, even though I was taking the max dose of medicine around the clock.
I wish you all the best of luck and a speedy recovery.
Hi Robin- Glad the site has helped you. Hang in there. Things will get better soon!
Day 8 for me today. Last night I was completely miserable, everything hurt. I felt like I was gunna puke, my acid reflux was kicking in, my ear canals hurt, my throat hurt just to breath through it, my tongue was sore, I had canker sores developing all over my mouth, massive headache, and my sinuses were also in pain. I was almost dead set on the idea that I’d be miserable this morning. Every morning thus far had been worse and worse every day, and they were always worse than the previous night.
But by some miracle, something amazing happened, I woke up this morning in fairly normal amounts of pain. My throat still hurt, but that’s about it. Other than that, I’m feeling pretty great today. I’m still on my percocet and ibuprofen combo, but I’ll probably try going without it tomorrow or the next day if I’m starting to feel much better. I was actually able to eat mac and cheese today, albeit it took me 45 minutes to eat a small easy mac cup, but at least I was able to get it down with fairly small amounts of pain lol.
Looking forward to this weekend, hopefully I’ll be almost back to normal by then =).
This is my first post although my 8th day. I love this site and have found it very helpful. I am a nurse and always am searching for such resources for families and this site definitely meets my standards as reputable. Recap:
by noon things lightened up a lil. Did have about a cup of lipton parmesean noodles around 5 pm and 1/2cup of sugar free ice cream. I forced both of these down because I was STARVING WEIGHT Loss as of today 8 pounds.
Day 1: surgery 8/9/13 1600for one year hx of tonsil stonrs, run down feeling, cryptic tonsils. 46 year old female.
Day 2/3/4 threw up multiple times due to pain meds and no food intake. Ice chips and jello. Pain was manageable. Tongue and uvula very swollen. Slept in recliner due to blocked airway from uvula.
Day 5/6 better. Still no real solid food. Instant mashed potatos snd smoothies. Down 6 pounds. Pain level ranged 4-5/10, but tolerable. Spread pain meds out to every 6 hours with advil in between.
Day 7/8: MISERABLE. Morning pain 10/10. Dont know what changed back to ice chips and crappy netflix movies on tv all day. Pain meds every 4 hours on day 7 with advil in between. Lots of tears on day 8.
Im hoping to return to work on wednesday and that tomorrow morning is much better. Besides the last two mornings it hasnt been horrible or unexpected thanks to sveryones input. I do have the nasty white stuff in my throat that has really started thinning out. I have not used a humidifier. I started salt water gargles last night.
Heres to a great next couple of days! Thanks for this site and everyones support. Sorry for the lenght.
Thanks for sharing Billie- and thanks for the nice feedback. Yeah, days 7 and 8 were probably my worst days. Hang in there!
Thanks for the feedback, I’m on day 7, I’m completely miserable. I’m not looking forward to tomorrow because the common agreement seems to be that day 7 is the worst and day 8 (sometimes days 9 and 10) are just as bad. Not looking forward to that. I’d certainly rate my pain 10/10 right now and I am using a humidifier!
Day 8 here. Still sick and feeling awful but the pain was a little more manageable this afternoon. I don’t want to jinx myself…
I’m at day 8, had a little blood this morning. sick of wondering when i can eat a burger, or go out my birthdays on Friday and i have a trip planned… when is this going to end? When can i go back to my normal job and normal life. When can i go out and grab a drink. the pain gets so bad in the mornings and through out the night that i had nights where i didn’t sleep at all. Still haven’t been able to eat anything. its all burns my throat. apple sauce and mashed potatoes hurt. only thing i can eat is egg drop soup. and i hate it at this point. does anyone have some suggestions or anything. I am fighting with my boyfriend because lack of sleep food and being in worse pain then a pregnancy makes me a nut job and makes me hate everything. I am down to 114 pounds now. i lost 12 pounds sense this started. Ahh someone help me. what will go down that will make me feel like im eating real food and not soup broth or a Popsicle.
(I had a coblation tonsillectomy)
Screw traditional tonsillectomy food – eat cake with ice cream! I had a big piece of coconut cake with coconut ice cream today and it was glorious!
I am feeling good. Stopped taking the Vicodin and switched to liquid Tylenol. I’m still taking it easy though because I know I’m not completely out of the woods yet.
Also wanted to point out I’ve had NO change in taste, bad flavor in my mouth or crazy bad breath like many people have mentioned. Maybe that’s another point for coblation.
I had my surgery on June 21st. I am a 31 yr old female with a history of chronic tonsilltis and tonsil stones. I knew this was going to be painful, but–wow–I had no idea how intense this would be! I was way out of it when I left the hospital last friday and could barely keep my eyes open due to the anesthesia. I basically just went home and slept until Saturday morning (surgery at 1pm Friday). At first it didn’t seem too bad. The dr. gave me liquid Roxicet to take (this after I told him I have bad reaction to codine). He had me on 20ml every four hours (which I learned after the fact from my sibling who is a physician that this is WAY too much for me–I weigh about 105lbs). Anyhow, by Satuday afternoon, I could not stop vomiting and ended up going back to the ER for IVs (was sent home late Saturday night). From that point forward I have only been taking children’s liquid tylenol every fours hours on the dot. It has helped some, but I am certain not near what actual pain meds would do.
The last week has basically been a blur of pain, nausea (i.e. HUNGRY FOR REAL FOOD), head aches, and relestness. Thank god my fiance took the past five days off of work to take care of me (truly, I may nominate him for sainthood after this), but on Monday I’ll be left to fend for myself. I was hoping to be back at work this Monday, but that is definitely not happening.
I have been pushing fluids (water, vitamin water slushies, milkshakes) like a champ, and salt water gargles too. I know this has definitely helped and I feel like about 50% of my scabs are gone now. I’m starting to see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel (still just a glimmer, but a glimmer nonetheless!) My biggest concerns now are that I seriously still have like a scrap of a voice. Can anyone tell me if this is normal? My throat feels so strained. If I really push I can talk a bit, but it KILLS with pain.
Also, how long until all the scabs fall off? Two days ago, it seemed like they were really coming loose and now it seems to have stopped again.
Anyhow, a big THANK YOU for this site. It has kept me sane this past week…to know that you are not making the pain up! I feel like people have such a misconception about how hard a tonsillectomy is as an adult. (Seriously, if one more person writes to me and flippantly talks about how nice it must be to only eat ice cream…!)
Good luck everyone. Here’s hoping we all have much happier and healthier days ahead!
Everything has been so easy for me until today, day 8. Even that wasn’t bad. All along I have been up and about, minimal pain which I think is due to the fact that I stayed on my med schedule (alternating tylenol and hydrocodone at night), drank water, tried to eat, used humidifier. I seriously haven’t thought there was anything hard about this. Even today wasn’t so bad, it’s eating that hurts. I am experiencing those sharp pains and ear pain when I eat but it resolves quickly. I can’t tell if my scabs are falling off. Lost about 6 pounds. I stuck to boost today, got a slushee with ice cream (which hurt some to drink, maybe cherry flavor was too sour) tried butternut squash ravioli and that didnt work, I traded that in for potato and apple sauce.
I’m in a similar position. There is little to no pain up until today, and that’s only when I wake up or am eating certain foods. Did this continue for you throughout the week?
Post-op day 7 (day 8 if surgery date = day 1)
Holy moly day 8, aka post-op day 7… Is this over yet?
This is officially 1 week since my surgery (Wednesday to Wednesday). The days are really starting to blur together with my bleeding complications keeping me up during the night. Last night/this morning around 3:30am I had another minor bleed that stopped with ice water rinses. They are getting really old, and apparently concerning to my provider (although other posts from others on here make it sound like their doctors weren’t concerned about this sort of bleeding). I am supposed to go in to the ER if I have any bleeding that doesn’t clear immediately after rinsing with water. I’m a bit worried about that…
I would say the pain has been pretty tolerable today, about a 2-3 at most, and mostly on the side that still has the majority of the scab intact. If I don’t talk, or swallow, and just sit here with my ice pack on my neck, I am pretty comfortable. (Granted, I did sleep away the first half of the day, which is how I’ve been getting through the majority of this experience…) I have even managed to “eat” a little bit today. Teeny tiny little pastas (smaller than orzo, not sure what they’re called) in some chicken broth. It’s not much, but it’s better than I’ve been able to do in the past! The warmth actually felt alright.
My biggest concern at this point is bleeding. I don’t know what to do to prevent it. I have my humidifier going, am not talking, am ATTEMPTING to stay hydrated (water tastes horrid by now, and nothing else sounds good, or if it does it burns my throat). I’m really just praying that nothing goes wrong tonight and that I can start legitimately healing…
By now I am in less actual physical pain and more just exhausted from a lack of quality sleep, an utter lack of food over the last week, and chronic pain. I’m hoping I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel…
Was better last night, now today am a little worse again. But it is tolerable. I can’t talk as well and it hurts to eat. But hey, what’s new?! I’ll tell you what, the stinging from food hitting the pink tender healing areas in my throat where the scabs are coming off! Fun, fun!
Day 8 of my Tonsillectomy/Septoplasty/turbs. Today has been a lot better so far. Though finding that I am more intollerent to certain foods – like they hit a raw nerve. Perhaps I’m scabbing. In any case – there are flashes of pain like being stabbed by a hot white poker. Yay me.
I’m still not really talking though. I can’t say more than about 4 (almost inaudible) words in a row. IS this normal?
Those rare moments I get some sleep it’s like my mouth becomes a drool factory. I wake up looking like the butt of a water in the face joke. Even in my sleep my body rejects the pain of swallowing. Can you imagine how horrible that first swallow after waking up feels though, when you haven’t even swallowed your own saliva for a while? ooo nelly.
I’m quite proud of myself for putting on clothes today.
Thanks Greg!! You have helped!
OMG….I am exhausted. Waking up this morning was to date the worst my throat has felt. My tongue, teeth, ears are all throbbing too. Plus the breath thing is appalling. I cried walking my dog waiting for my pain meds to kick in—–oh how I wish I had someone to help me :/ However aftter I have done this recovery by myself I don’t think there is anything I cant accomplish, so that’s empowering.
and you do need to write the book on recovey :))
Thanks Greg for this site-I have read every comment and it has got me through this hellish time. Oh I just found you on FB
HI THERE!
Wish I could be there to help a bit- I went through it alone too. Hang in there. This is temporary!
I’m on day 8 post op and i think i am on the home stretch. People that are going in for a tonsillectomy should really be prohibited from looking on some websites, it is true that you hear more bad than good! and that scared the crap out of me! I have to say the pain has NOT been anywhere near as bad as 99% of others and my doc said that i would be in a lot more pain than the normal person. Mind you it does hurt and i think it hurt more last night than the week before. The part that i did not like was the swelling, i can deal with pain but the swelling and anxiety was a bit harder to deal with. I think i may have a very high pain threshold. I have been feeling more like myself over the last few days. I didn’t know that the ‘scabs’ fall off? i read that the ‘scabs’ are the white coating, so they don’t really fall off, just fade away, unless you have a dry throat so then they would turn into scabs and fall off. My’n have been fading away slowly and i have a few small spots that bleed every now and again, not to the amount that its even a drop of blood, is that whats mean to happen?
Day 8 – I’m thirsty and starving!!! I can’t eat more than a few spoonfuls of yogurt. I tried the oxy I was given yesterday, but because I couldn’t eat a single bite before I took it, I ended up sick ALL afternoon. I had to have my mom call the Dr. for a prescription for anti-nausea pills. Fun times. So I’m sticking to Tylenol, which doesn’t do much more than make it easy enough to drink water. Still hurts to swallow even with the tylenol.
Does anyone know how you can tell if your scabs are falling off?? I can’t open my mouth wide enough to even see if they’re there, but I think I felt them slowly fall off as random areas would start to burn and scratch for a few minutes. Eh. I guess this will be a great way to lose some weight for summer. Although, the second I’m able to I’m totally pigging out at a buffet.That dream keeps me going :p
Am I the only one with a really stinky mouth here? Smells like something died in my throat! Sister told me it stinks in a weird way and that I did not have this before my surgery. And yeah some pink saliva today but nothing more. Burning pain in throat and ice cold water makes it worse actually…cool water is best for me at this time. Still with meds…but the stink! OMG. If anyone had this , wonder if it’ll ever disappear? Wonder if it’s coz of the scabs?
I have bad breath too and I am on Day 15. Hopefully, that will go away once we are entirely healed. I can brush my teeth, and in no time, it is like I never brush them.
I can relate to that- exactly! Day 15, wow. How is it going ?
do you brush your tongue?
Day 8 and even though I’m starting to feel human again, ie I actually got out of my pyjamas and put on proper clothes today (yay), the pain has subsided only a tiny bit. I was really hoping I would be feeling so much better by now.
I think the scabs have come off, as my throat feels raw and burning. I’m still taking oxycodone every 4 hrs. Water, especially ice water is sooo painful to swallow. Luke warm tea is surprisingly ok though. I’m 27 F and the left side of my throat feels worse than the right, it’s much more painful.
I’m still waking up during the night in intense pain from my throat drying out, and on top of that I’m just feeling depressed
it’s silly but I feel super lazy for lying in bed for 8 days, and I’m beginning to worry about the build up of work I will have when I return to the office after my sick leave.
I’m trying to be positive though, day 7 was a noticeable difference and so was today. I can talk a bit better too. I hope I can speak normally again in a few days time.
I can only hope I improve each day, even just a little bit of progress is good. Good luck everyone
Hi Lucy. I’m also in Day 8. My scabs are falling off ir have fallen off as well and my throat is raw and burny. I also was hoping to that once they came off I would be feeling much better than I am today. I also wake in the night with pain and last night had some bleeding so I only slept maybe 90 mins. Today I’m extremely tired but did eat oatmeal and then scrambled eggs and some avocado. Good news is I saw my Dr yesterday and he said Friday should be a lot better. Hang in there. Hopefully tomorrow’s our day
Day 8 and holy geezus! The pain is stupid but I have been dealing okay alternating between the loratab and tylenol. I ate some sweet potato fries because I was feeling brave and I got a little bit more crunchy one (delicious by the way!) but oh so painful swallowing… ANYWAYS, I think it managed to take a scab on the right side off because after the pain of swallowing the delicious and wonderful fry I felt this amazing cool breeze on that spot and every time I breathe out of my nose or mouth I feel this wonderful cool sensation on it. But I’m not really sure because I haven’t seen anyone talk about what it felt like after the scabs fell off… All I know is that whatever did happen brought so much relief.
How are you feeling today? I’m on Day 8 today and according to my Dr tomorrow I should feel much better…
Day 8 of a surgery I never knew would have these side effects after. It’s not the pain thats killing me, its missing the food! Well today, (I’m 18), after finding out I lost 10 pounds I was determined to find food that would work, and I found scrambled eggs!! (even though it hurt yesterday?!). The little I can actually see of my throat there’s still a lot of white scabs left, which makes me really sad because I just want it to be over! Altogether though I feel more human and a lot less tired. I noticed a lot of people haven’t been able to sleep very well? I’ve been able to sleep 12 hours a night easily, but I guess it might be my meds, they gave me HARD CORE medication. SO glad for this site though, found it today!
I find that taking children’s ibuprofen works. Lasts 8 hours so you are not taking all your prescription pain killers. Starting to feel better. My surgery was last Thursday. Worst days were the weekend between pain, nausea, and weakness. I actually got out of my pjs today!
Day 8: 40 years old
Made it through another terrible night – why must nights be SOOOOO BAD? Switched meds from Percoset to liquid Lortab last night and it has made a huge difference. Not in pain management but in my mental abilities. Still not out of the woods, but I am hoping the worst is behind me (days 3-7 were HORRIFIC). Going to scale back the meds today and see what happens…still can’t live without my ice packs. Still can’t eat/swallow except cold water and the weight continues to drop off. Another day on the couch (ugh). My only comfort lies in quiet prayers and knowing that I am not alone. Somewhere, someone is going through the exact same thing.
Hi, I had my tonsils removed on 22 April andmy throat is still very pain whever I swallow liquid. My tongue us painful too which I don’t understand. So you are not alone!
I had mine out on the same day. At first the pain wasn’t so bad, I stayed overnight in hospital and they were really good with pain relief. Have got really good pain relief at home but some days – and some parts of days – they’re not doing anything and the liquid oxynorm now burns in the back of my throat so i dont want to take it. At night I can sleep for 2-3 hours before waking up in pain – wondered whether it’s lack of fluid overnight. Also sick of jelly but have been having great soup (broccoli) which I’m finding easy-ish to eat. On the upside, I haven’t been able to breathe this well in years, and for me a few pounds/kgs lost has not been unwanted! Wishing everyone else a speedy recovery.
Dreaded day for me. Just awful. The pain stayed consistent throughout the day then I started bleed for the first time. The bleeding was very profuse, so off to the ER. So four hours and a pint of my blood later the doctor sees me and tells me my surgeon requested to look at me. Nothing absolutely nothing was done to care for me at the ER, no pain meds, no bandaging nothing just shuffled off to the side while I spat blood into a bag (before you say anything, no there was no other emergencies or big patients. it was a very small local hospital. There was just a few other patients with minor wounds.) So the ambulance shows up, $400, down the drain. I’m regretting going to my local ER instead of returning to the medical centre where I had my operation. I show up there and the doctors colter up my throat and sent me home.
does anyone know what the whote stuff is that is all ovwr my tongue and how to get rid of it?
I gargled with a little oral cleansing gel, peroxide and baking powder. It helped to remove all the stuff stuck to the white film and a little of the white film itself. Made my mouth feel more clean
It’s probably the residual from the lidocaine and it will go away once you stop taking it should fade away
day8- today is so much better, pain is there but foggy unclear thinking is gone. can walk unassisted! i hope this is my turning point… can’t live without my icepacks though. feel more energized, made some soft scrambled eggs and did some dishes! wich i thought i was on my death bed day before yesterday, so hoping its better and better. my son had his out at 6 and was not anything like ny recovery…he had lits of icecream and popscicles and played board games and slept all day and night…does anyonr know why adults recovery is so bad?
Doctors said its a harder and harder every year you get older. It’s because your tonsils retreat into their beds within you throat muscles as you get older. So there is much more damage to your more developed muscles. Kids have much softer tissues.
Last week, I had no idea if I’d be able to be home in my apartment again or if I’d still be spending the night at my parent’s house every night.
Yesterday, I woke up and the pain in my ears was still there, but throughout the day, I began to actually have an appetite. My Mom took me home to my apartment where it took me half an hour to get down applesauce. My throat was feeling better and drinking water was incredibly easy. Although it seems that night time is definitely more difficult than the day time with pain and such. I wake up every two hours and have to convince myself to go back to sleep. Good news is, I’m getting on a much better sleep schedule now haha.
Since I finally had some sort of appetite, I decided to go to Taco Bell and get a wet burrito. I was excited, thinking I would be able to taste it and eat it without any issues. As soon as I put the burrito on my tongue, it felt like there was an explosion. I felt like I could severely taste the red sauce that was on it, but not much of anything else. I also noticed that I had some sort of white film on the right side of my tongue which was kind of gross.
I’m still hungry and I’ve read a lot of horror stories about people not getting their sense of taste back. I mean, I was looking forward to losing weight after this surgery, but not like… a million pounds because everything tastes nasty. Granted, yes, I tried something that had a little bit of flavor with it and I swore my tongue was on fire (not in a pleasant, yum, this tastes good way.) It wasn’t really painful, just a surprise, and a let down. I also tried chewing a jelly bean last night and the taste was incredibly bitter. YUCK!
Anyone know when my taste will be back? I’m probably going to just drink/eat some chicken soup today. I don’t think I have Thrush, but I’m going to try to eat some yogurt, just to be on the safe side. My tongue looks really red with tiny little bumps all over it. I initially thought that the white film was my tongue healing from the surgery until I read up on it? I can kind of taste things. Vitamin water, popsicles, Gatorade all taste fairly normal.
I’d appreciate as much input as possible!
22 (almost 23) year old female. 8 day Post op. Day 3 no pain meds (only 500 mg of Tylenol every 6 hours or so.)
Hi, I’m on day 8 post-op. I have been needing the pain medicine every 4 hours since the first day of surgery. I called my surgeon and he said it is normal to take the pain medicine around the clock for atleast the first 10 days. I tried weaning off the pain medicine today- BIG mistake. I was in intense pain after about 6 hours. For dinner I tried to eat some regular food and I’m paying for it now. My left ear is still hurting and I’m sleeping with a heating pad to ease the ear pain. Thankfully my doctor has been graciously generous with pain medicine!
The morning of day 8 (midnight) marked my highest pain threshold. Pain was about a nine. I would wait for about 2.5 hours until the next dose, and sometimes took the Roxicet every 3 hours (with a cup of pudding).
I still can only whisper, sweat profusely at night, and wake up from sleep apnea. However, at about 9 am, the pain subsided. My pain went down to about a 4, and stayed that way through day 10 (when I was able to stop my pain meds and move to Tynelnol. Day 8 was great. I am still resting a lot at this point, drinking a lot of fluids, and taking vitamins, pro-biotics. I had to increase my probiotics to 100 billion (Renewlife brand) when I started having a white tongue and dry mouth. I am not sure if I had thrush ( which is candida yeast that grows in your mouth when your immune system is compromised and the bad bacteria is outgrowing the good). However, the probiotic did help with the coating on my tongue and also with salvia production. If you haven’t already, make sure you have purchased a humidifier. I purchased one on day nine. My only discomfort is the pinching feeling of the scabs on my throat when they become dry (sipping water doesn’t always help; I need to coat my throat with yogurt smoothies or liquidfied pudding).
Good luck! The end is in sight!
Yuck, I’m on day 8! This is the worst, I just woke up from excruciating pain in my throat! I’m scared to even take my pain meds, they always seem to scrape my throat when they go down, I can feel a scab loose in my throat but I’m to scared to cough, in fear that it will be painful. I spit up some of it. It’s disgusting! My pain is maybe at an 8, I can’t cry because crying makes it worse, and to top it off I missed my med dose. Don’t fall behind like me!
I think I’m going to start probiotics too. This white stuff on my tongue is ridiculous! I’m taking my pain meds every 3 hours and have my humidifier running non stop.
Im 33 and i also had nasal surgery at the same time as my tonsillectomy, big mistake!
8th day, ok day. Still Cant tolerate anything cold. I decide to take my meds at 2/3 dose every 4 hours. Seems to help. I eat scrambled eggs and grits. A little bit of chicken. Still drinking lots of water but I’m filling my cup at room temperature and then microwaving it 10 secs. Realizing hot doesn’t bother me so I start drinking tea with honey. This helps a lot. I get the afternoon uninterrupted so I don’t speak at all which I think helps. Bed earlier than usual and sleep is and has been ok since day 3.
Day 8— The night of Day 7 and morning of Day 8 were extremely painful. Nothing helped. I took two pain pills, which just caused nausea. My ears are throbbing. I cannot take a sip of water without searing pain in my left ear down into my throat. Eating makes me cry from pain. One minute will feel okay and the next minute will be intense pain. My doctor had said that by now I should be able to function but I just can’t. It’s so frustrating and painful and I don’t know how many more days of this I can stand.
Hey what’s FB page….. X
https://www.facebook.com/MyBigFatTonsillectomy?ref=tn_tnmn
tonsillectomy recovery resources
Greg,
THANK YOU !!First of all ,to even have the ENERGY to put this together wile still being YUKKY from this kind of medical procedure is AMAZING! Your project is a godsend!.I wish I had found it sooner, but I found it a post op Monday, day 6 and I couldn’t even tell ya I remember days 1-4 what I did besides cry, eat popsicles& drink water & remember to take my dilaudid! Other then that I am now HOOKED to this site! I also just found you on FB! YEAH!
Sweet Melissa! Welcome aboard !!!
Thanks for your support! It’s so up and down isnt it? I know I will much better off having gone through this but its taking its toll some people said id be ok by now but I guess everyone is different I am too scared to sleep…as the pain in the morning is so intense. What can I do to make it easier? X
Here are some thoughts for you from the facebook page:
ean Bauer Rees You’re almost over the hump babe! Day 7 was the worst for me so you’re getting there. This will all be a blur when you look back and think about how thankful you will be! Almost there!!
2 hours ago via mobile · Like
Emily Hampson I had to switch from cold water to room temperature water around that time. Cold stuff was starting to hurt. I had to get out of the house. Being in pain and not being able to eat anything made me depressed. I went out and saw a lot of movies. I promise it gets better.
2 hours ago · Like
Alba Barby The only sunshine I can provide is its only going to get better! this is the corner and your going round it, Its awful this op but it is more than worth it after, last week i was still upset come the weekend I feel great. add me if you need to chat ill be more than happy to help and support you.
2 hours ago · Like
Brandi Rickman Morris Your are almost there – day 10 was my break through!! Hang in there. Ice chips were wonderful for me. Good luck! My surgery was a year ago March 1, and I vividly remember how horrible the recovery is, but I promise you are almost there!
2 hours ago · Like
Mandi Deal Day 9/10 will be much better, I agree! Remember the pain will be so worth it (though it seems unlikely!) – you are hurting because you are healing If it’s the referred ear pain that is mostly bothering you, I strongly recommend a sock with plain old…See More
about an hour ago · Like
Lisa Anne Artigo Day 8 is probably one of the hardest… You’re almost there, hang in there and know it will get better!
about an hour ago · Like
Elizabeth Van Beek Holly- I feel your pain! But you are almost there girl! My advice is to MAKE sure you get some more pain medication so it makes it easier to drink and eat soft food. Keeping your throat moist is KEY. I am on day 14 of my tonsillectomy recovery and nev…See More
about an hour ago · Like
Toni Smith Pain meds in a spoonful of cold pudding and warm raspberry leaf tea. The combo will save you when you think you are losing your mind. Good luck.
about an hour ago · Like
Jennifer Locke I agree, stay medicated. I was on liquid Vicodin for 10 days. Ice packs and humidifier:) Ensure with ice.
33 minutes ago · Like
Listen Holly, set your alarm so you dont miss your pain meds. Even if you are like me, and just took Tylenol. Get up every 4 hours. And drink a lot. You are at the worst of it. it gets better from here. Chin up!
I have found that letting a dab of extra virgin coconut oil melt on my tongue and coat my throat is great for the morning dryness. I am day seven today and am praying for relief soon…
You can do it love. make your doctor give you pain meds mine gave me naproxen real good stuff. add me if you want to chat im still having time off for mine so give me a message.
albabarby@live.co.uk
Facebook: Alba Barby
Hey!
I am on day 8 of my recovery and am 23 female.
this is by far the single most painful thing I have ever been through.
I can’t eat, I can’t really drink and I have no pain meds left and my gp is twiddling his thumbs over whether to give me more. I can’t even open my mouth to look at the my throat.
Is there really an end to this?
I am so down…
I have been put on antibiotics for risk of infection…but I still feel the same?
I am the girl that gets tattooed and pierced for fun and has had her leg rebuilt with metal so my pain threshold is high…evidently not.
Will I ever be out of this mess. As at the moment I feel I scrwed things up for myself big time!
Any kind words or advice would be great!
X
Holly, my heart goes out to you. Don’t take no for an answer on the pain med. I promise you things WILL get better. Soon. Right now you are probably at THE very bottom. The cumulative effects of the lack of sleep, nutrition, pain med’s…it all adds up and weighs a ton. THIS IS TEMPORARY!
Please keep drinking all you can. Even if its hard. You do not want to get dehydrated!
Hang in there sweetheart.
Keep on hanging on. Getting my tonsils out was the worst pain I have ever felt but two years later and I haven’t been sick once! You will be so happy you did this and it will be so worth it!!!!
P.s. join us on Facebook ?
Hi Holly, its day 8 for me today(26 yr old female) and it absolutely sucks. I keep thinking tomorrow will get better… eventually I’ll be right. Like you I’m in constant agony, can’t eat much, can’t talk, drinking hurts, the most i have slept in a row so far is 3 hours. I have to say the last few days have driven me to tears…a lot.
But I keep telling myself there is a reason for this! One day soon we’ll look back and be sooo glad we did this! Just hang in there hun. I’m right here if you need to chat!
To everyone else, thanks for all your posts. Everyday i come on here for advice tips and a little bit of strength and hope to get through this hellish recovery!
X
today I am on day 8 today is probably the worst crying because the pain is too much too bare. and it hurts to tal I take pain medicin every 4 hour and I take 4 milliliter which i double what double what I should or i or is suggested it on only takes away the it only takes away the shortness of the pain. It sucks but I hope day 10 will be the turning point. still it hurt to eat soft things but i choke it down because I’m hungry I don’t suggest that because it slows the healing proscess
Feels like I’m swallowing glass. Ahhhhh
i’m 18, and i got my tonsils out 8 days ago… I’m honestly really glad i found this page, i thought my recovery seemed “strange”, but now i know it’s normal.. i haven’t been able to eat ANY foods, just popsicles and juice.. everything else hurts. even pudding and jello.. i still feel swollen, i’m still talking funny, and there’s still pain, especially in my ears. i’m really hoping things will start looking up soon, i’m getting super super hungry and depressed, and i don’t know how much longer i can handle this. this page gave me a little boost, though.
Hi there. I really feel for you as I was the same, I got to day 8 which I was feeling pretty much on the mend not much pain was able to swallow most things etc, then when I went to go to bed that night my throat started bleeding, so went to A&E with a tea towel full of blood, and apparently that wasnt enough for them to take me bk in to have cauterised… The doc looked inside my mouth and realised I had an infection on my left toncil so she gave me some antibiotics and said that’s what is causing the bleeding… It stopped an hour later. Then the following night I was up till 4.30 spitting out all this blood and even bloodclots which were getting stuck in my throat (gross) and since iv had no more bleeding… All I can recommend it keep ice packs on the back of your neck as much as poss, and just keep drinkin ice cold water and lots of ice lollies as they will stop it… Try not too cough and not to move around too much as I found that when I’d bleed… Just take it easy, your get there x
Thanks so much, i never thought of putting the ice on the back of my neck. It seems to be working, no more bleeding for 10hrs straight! Hope it will stay this way.
Thanks a lot
Please give me a piece of advice if you can – anybody!
Since late day 7 and throughout the following night, I’ve been experiencing bleeding – it always lasts about 10-15 mins, not very severe but it comes back repeatedly, about every 3 hrs. I have seen my dr, he gave some pills to prevent bleeding but it still keeps coming back. Ice helps to stop it but I don’t want to bleed at all…
If it keeps going like this, I’m gonna have to go back to the hospital. I really really really don’t want to. Combined with the daily position of 3hrs sleep and lack of food, the blood loss is making me feel very weak. I just want this to stop. I can’t believe I got to the point where the pain isn’t the main issue.
Any advice? Please….?
I am 19 years old, had surgery on 7th march so day 8 including the op day! Been reading everyone’s story’s and shocked there’s only a few people on solids! Since around day 4-5 I’ve been eating only solid food which I feel has actually really helped the recovery, felt no scabs, which talking to my doctor would have been taken off by eating! So all in all I feel a lot better now. Still a massive struggle I’m the mornings waking up and when it gets close to the next dose of meds. Emotions everywhere! DONT cry made things a lot worse!! Ears still very painful l and overall still uncomfortable but lots more energy in the day! Actually going out with my boyfriend for a walk today! got steak for dinner tonight, had a roast last night. Takes me about an hour to eat it though! haha. Anyway good luck everyone else there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!!
I am 8 days post OP today and i have been eating solids since day 5.it had made a world odd difference.i still am in pain and
my throat is itching i cough then it hurts worse driving me crazy.
Day 8- hurrah!!!!!!!!!as I write this I have just done the school run (first time since op)and I was feeling brave that I bought a McDonald’s breakfast with tea and hash brown and I have eaten it!!!!! It was still a little uncomfortable eating it but I’ve done it!! And I feel like a human being today!this morning wasn’t hell either. It has literally changed over night. Yesterday was most painful day. I’m still taking all my meds and instead of it taking the edge off the pain (just) it makes me feel completely normal! It’s true people there is light at end of tunnel and it turns around in a flash. It’s still hard to swallow and tastes bad but I feel great and pain free on the meds. I have my scabs still. It looks like there’s less then there was an I think when they come off its like you’ve got something stuck in your throat but when you swallow a few times with water it goes.so happy ? am gonna keep rested and carry on with everything so I keep improving. Don’t worry a peeps when your at your worst just wait cos your about to feel alot better xxx
I’m feeling very similar on my post-op day 8. It’s fabulous! I know I’m not out of the woods but I have confidence that I’m gonna feel really good soon. I discovered Chloreseptic spray yesterday and it changed my world. I carry it around all day now. It makes eating, drinking & talking bearable!
Why didn’t my doc tell me about this earlier? So many questions I have for him…another one is why he won’t let me take Motrin when I read about many of you taking Motrin from day 1. My doc says he worries about bleeding. I’m thinking the benefits outweigh the risks at this point.
I’m reading to face this next phase of recovery with renewed strength. It came right when I thought I was at the end of my rope. Thanks Greg for such a wonderful support center! It helped me when I had no where to turn.
Day 8 and I’m remarkably better today! Scabs really started coming off late on day 5 so from day 5 until today I was mostly on liquids and applesauce again. Right after they fell off the pain was the worst of the recovery far. It is also pretty nasty. I ended up swallowing most of them as I didn’t want to try to spit them up. Looks like most of the scabs are gone but there are still some white spots back there. I was able to eat Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and stuffing with gravy and that seemed to go okay. I have noticed that yawning really hurts…I haven’t needed the lortab since last night and have just been sticking to the Tylenol. I left the house today for the first time in 8 days and it was nice to get some fresh air. I’m hoping that its all uphill from now since I’ve got to go back to work in 3 days! Good luck all, it gets better!
Day 8 and I haven’t had any issues since day 5. No pain, no pain peeking, no ear ache, jaw pain, nausea, nothing. Wen’t back to work on day 8. 32 year old female.
That is awesome! I bet you are grateful you don’t have to go through what the rest of us have.
I’m very thankful. I think having endometriosis has given me an extreme threshold for pain. The pain scale days 1-4 were consistently the same, never peeked in my case. Staying near a humidifier 24 hours a day, waking up every hour to hydrate, and icing my neck 20 out of 24 hours a day for the first four days really made all the difference. My throat is still swollen but it isn’t nearly as bad as 25 years of strep and tonsillitis.
It is day 8 and I am laying in bed wide awake at 4:30am. I fear going to sleep because every morning when I wake up I am immediately crying from the pain. I managed to eat a pack of saltine crackers last night. It took me almost an hour because I would let them turn to mush before swallowing. I felt like a million bucks after that simple meal! It still hurt to swallow but I am going crazy without solid foods. I have lived on banana Popsicles and orange sherbet for the past 8 days. I tried mashed potatoes on day 6 only to vomit it back up an hour later. That was depressing.
I called my doc for a refill on my Lortab yesterday. Thank god I did that before I ran out. I am definitely not ready to be off my pain meds yet. The pain in my ears is 10x what it was 3 days ago and I didn’t even think that was possible. I found what really helps is to pack the sides your neck and behind your ears with ice packs. That helps a ton with my ear pain.
My tongue swelling finally went down and I can see the back of my throat. It’s covered in white scabs- I don’t think any have come off yet. I don’t think I’m ready for that stage yet :/
My surgeon said he doesn’t need to see me for a follow up appointment.. Should I go see someone else for a second opinion?
I’m so glad I found this site! Even though we all have different experiences with our tonsillectomies, it’s nice to know I am not the only one who feels like they are going crazy at times.
Day 8! Finally! I’ve been sleeping a lot. Going to bed around 12 – 1 Am and waking up around 11 am with only waking up once or twice to use the bathroom or take a dose of Norco. Throat is still raw, jaws still ache, still collecting some saliva in the back of my throat because I am not swallowing normally. Today marks the first day that I’m talking again. I still sound nasally/congested when I talk, but I actually carried on a phone conversation with an employer for a job I’m starting in two weeks, so that’s wonderful. Still not able to discontinue narcotic pain medications, but I can’t stretch to 5 or 6 hours between doses. I’m eating a bit more than broth now: I had some elbow macaroni with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese (luckily, the marinara sauce did not irritate my throat), some corn with sugar melted on it, garden peas with salt, and I actually scarfed down two entire Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies last night. Unfortunately, my taste buds are completely inflamed/”off” so nothing tastes good. Tonight, I’m sending my husband to Olive Garden and I’m going to attempt the Five Cheese Ziti (however, what I really want is a medium cooked filet mingon, with french fries & ketchup, warm garlic biscuits, and a shirley temple) — can you tell I haven’t eaten almost anything in 8 days? Lost 10 pounds, but know it won’t be for long. Cleared my throat this morning – collected a lot of phlegm last night- and afterwards I realized I had cleared it just a bit too hard because I tasted blood in the back of my mouth. I spit into a Kleenex and saw that it was bleeding a little. I stated panicking, but luckily it was only that little bit of red and then stopped. Whew. Coughing a bit more at night – not sure why – if it’s just the post-nasal drip or if I’m actually catching a little bit of a cold. However, it seems that a lot of people on here start coughing towards the end part of their recovery, so I’m assuming post nasal drip.
Here’s a couple for you Greg: you’ve now got a mountain of data on this misery, yes? As a mid 40’s guy I wonder two things –
1. what is average ‘recovery time’ dependent upon age? Somewhere else on the site you offer ‘ten-point-something’ days as an average overall, but I’m guessing that the older you are, the longer than becomes? I’m presuming that the ‘circa ten days’ average duration is the point at which I may still have a ‘sore throat’, but not wake up with fire being poured into my throat and ears?
2. What is the age distribution of people having tonsillectomies? Dimly remembering from school that all sets of numbers end up being distributed an an upside-down bell-curve, I would like to think that at 46 I’m in a shrinking minority, and would pity anyone say another 10 years older than me, when everything presumably will be yet slower to heal?
I’m in ‘scabs falling off, globs of blood’ pain mode today. I’m quite ‘lopsided’ as a person, the surgery has reflected that – one side back there is smaller and a couple of days ahead of the other. The smaller side main scab fell away 2 days ago, today the larger of the two gaping cavities is just a mess, although I think I’m coagulating enough not to panic. I’m managing 1 sloppy Weetabix for breakfast, a small soup or similar for lunch and a bowlful of liquidized dinner. When I’ve fought my way through the evening food I feel a lot better for it. Persevere! Still maxed out on paracetamol-codeine and ibuprofen, but the longevity of pain relief is slowly increasing. If you’re not eating, try to; if you’re fed up with the pain, you are not alone! Take care.
Thanks for the post Phil. I am a little concerned: Your questions and observations seem far too coherent for a person taking enough pain medicine for tonsillectomy recovery! ha ha ha.
I have taken polls and the ten day or so does seem a consistant average. Anecdotally, it does appear that the younger folks fair better- most evident in the under 15 group. Having said that, I have recently read of some 50 somethings having pretty smooth recoveries. With all the variables; tonsillectomy method and surgeon skill, environment, behavior of patient, it would be challenging to nail down a precise corollary like you allude to.
I wish you all the best in your recovey. It sounds like you are well prepared and have a good attitude. ONe could ask for little more than that.
Take care!
Today is day 8 for me, I’m 21 years old and home from college for the semester, in January I had my wisdom teeth extracted, and though I didn’t struggle much with pain that surgery, I kept having reoccurant strep throat and nasal pain… When I went to the Ent I found out I had to have my tonsils removed… Since I’d just gone through surgey I decided that I might as well get it over with so I didn’t have to recover and than recover again from a second surgery. I was so so so so so wrong. Why did I ever do this to myself? The pain from my tonsils were a million times worse than the wisdom teeth, razors, and fire, and I can’t even deal. The emotional toll it’s taken on me is unbelievable. I cry so much and it only makes me hurt more :((( today on top of everything my tongue started to act up… Maybe because I’ve eaten Popsicles for 2 months and freezed the first layer off or something?! I don’t know. Just please let this be over soon. Please please please please please.
Aubrey, Hopefully you were able to go back to school somewhat recovered. I wanted to give you piece of mind for going through this painful surgery now. At 56 I am on day 8 of my recovery. I was advised to have a tonsilectomy when I was in my 20’s. I listened to horrifying revovery stories and could not find one adult who did not regret having this surgery. I chose to deal with my tonsilitis and strep throat instead. I did not make the right choice. I ended up with a chronic throat infection which at times was every bit as painful as this recovery. Only difference the painful days were sparatic. The infection caused a laundry list of multiple health issues and life altering events. To name a few; sleep anea, migraines and quite a bit of hearing loss. I was petrified of this surgery but calmed myself down by letting my body accept it and I am every bit as miserable as i expected. I just keep reminding myself how much more I will be gaining. I hope my story helps you realize “in hind-site” you are a very smart young woman.
Day 8
Pain is 7/8; goes down to 3/4 at peak of meds.
I slept 3 hours last night. I want to cry (and I did) with the pain and lack of sleep. I feel awful; just so exhausted. The night before I didn’t sleep at all- just fell asleep for 3 hours in the morning. This cannot keep up like this.
My pain meds ran out- doctor has not returned my call since yest morning. Doc will be getting an angry call this morning. Have been coping with migraine medicine I had On hand and Advil. Stomach is a mess- cant eat dairy and everything seems to make it angry.
My sinuses also ache, in addition to what feels like the core nucleus of my head- behind eyes down to esophagus. Scabs seem to be slowly coming off- which feels good. They gag me often and I need a spittoon by my side at all times. Pain meds including migraine meds are not lasting as long- like 2 hours at best.
I’m doing my best to focus on life after recovery but its hard. I just want to cry and sometimes I do. This is craziness
yes this is day 8 felling little better.i was able to eat a Doughnut last night this Time it only took 38mins not bad …..anyway.I read some where that to take a damp wash-cloth to bed with you and place it just over your mouth at night and it will act Like a humidifier and i’ll be Damed it worked Guys it realy did (keeping it there all night was the problem) when i woke up at 2am my norm my mouth was not all Dryed out.. my toung was not like sand paper… I was so excited i woke up my husband to tell him because i felt good and as you all know felling good for us right now is so few and far between these days any way he did not remember REALY……any way try it see if it works you have nothing to lose……still not able to eat much in the way of food But i have lost 8lbs……any-way before i close i just want to let my husband mark and my 3 (4 Legged children max,coco.presious) Know That i love you all so much for putting up with all my B…S…my complaints,,my crying,,, my Mood swings ….you just went with the flow.. you never got angry 1 Time with me you just kept telling me that you love me and you are here for me, I Guess we tend to forget that our other half be it husband,family member ect… they are going thru this with us it is not all about me.me.me.me…… so when we both said for better or worse… WE DID NOT LIE..so in saying that i hope you all get to felling better it;s just taking 1 day at a time and tomorrow will be day 9 YEA………HAAAA
Day 8 has been amazing for me!!! Woke up feeling a little under the weather but the pain in my throat was manageable. I have only taken my medicine once today so far so thats a change! And I was able to eat macaroni and cheese with tuna in it! Definitely a turning point for me. Throat right now just feels like a really bad sore throat. Definitely still sore but tolerable. I am still having pain with my molars and my ears. Im hoping that I am on the good end of recovery now!!
I really feel for you, I found the pain unbearable… Just drink as much as u can, if you take Bigger mouthfuls its less painful, and try warm water instead of ice cold, really helped me. I was having mash potato and gravy from about day 6 so try that, I never thought mash and gravy would taste so good ha!! Take care Lisa x
That’s so dope. Keep up the good work babe!!! Jessie xo.
I am in the most pain I have ever experienced!
Kill Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can’t wait to eat something again
Hello everyone of my fellow suffering tonsillectomy adults,
This is a fantastic and comforting site that has seen me relate to other experiences and when the pain has got to a level ten has helped me seek advice
What a journey, and I thought this would be a straight forward operation and would be fine, how wrong was I…….
I am 26 years old had my surgery on the 6th February 2013, so I am no on day 8 of my tonsillectomy recovery.
Day 1-3 pain was manageable probably a pain level of 6.
Day 4-8 pain was unbearable pain levels ranging from 8-10 on and off all the time, I have not felt pain like this ever before!!! Its hard to swallow, hard to talk, hard to function, hard to eat. The ear pain and throat pain together is torture, knowing you have to eat and drink is like enduring a marathon.
P.S. Food to get down is macaroni cheese and custard pots, also ice lollies takes the edge off slightly and gives your body a little hydration
Well I hope there is light at the end of the tunnel soon,
Ezza x
Hi, this is currently day 7 post opp for me and reading your post has answered so many of my questions,it also makes me feel so much more comfortable knowin what I am goin through is normal.
My pain is like a see saw I’ll be fine n then its as if I have a knife stuck deep in2 my throat. My scabs haven’t started to fall yet so am not sure what 2 expect when that happens.
I hate it that lots of my friends and co-workers expect me to be fully recovered and normal and when I explain to them I am In agonising pain they like “I can’t believe u still in pain,its been a week” now I can refer them 2 this site and get them of my achin throat!!!
I wish u all the best in ur recovery,crossing fingers its uphill from here…
xoxoxox
Keri
I hear ya girl, I hear ya. Day 8 and still in pain….
Kerri
Aww no that’s awful… Have you tried just warm boiled water on its own iv been drinking that all week and think that may of helped, also I bought some honey manuka 10+ it’s got antibiotics in it which should help the throat alot so iv been having a couple spoonfuls a day which is soo soothing aswell… Well my throat was reali sore I had yummy flavoured icelollies like cola flavour let them melt for 5 mins then would chop it all up, they were lovely and refreshing…
hope the next few days get better for you x
I also had hiccups about 4-5 times on day 8 which was awful they were so strong and there was nothing I could do to stop them
Today is day 8 for me. It started really well, as for the first time I was able to eat something. Until now all I could manage was coconut water (which I am now so sick of- the mere smell makes me nauseous) and crushed ice. I tried some broth the other day (no luck) and even dairy-free ice cream was a no-go. I’m sticking to the no dairy thing– on day one I made the mistake of trying a protein drink which contained milk:the mucus build up was unbearable .
Today though I was feeling positive as I managed some lukewarm creamy rice cereal with coconut milk. Encouraged, I tried broth again at lunch time and it felt like swallowing a bag of razors.
By this evening an unbearable pain had spread to my right ear. Absolute agony. And this morning I thought I had passed the worst.
Wrong.
Also a first today was I had hiccups. Not. Fun.
Day 8 and finally things have taken a turn for the better. Days 1-3 were pretty much fine, things turned very quickly bad on day 4, and then proceeded to get worse through to this morning, the morning of Day 8, when I woke up with daggers in my throat. I experimented with dropping the painkiller dose during day 8, and by evening I was bold enough to go to bed on half the dose I’d been using for the last few nights. It actually worked, and whilst night 8 wasn’t perfect, it was way better than any of the preceeding 4 nights. Weight loss continues, and after 8 full days I’m 8lbs lighter. The only frustration is that wherever it’s going from, it’s not anywhere I can see. I’m in reasonable shape to start with, so I’d expect 8lbs of weight loss to have a fairly dramatic effect on my face and stomach. So I wonder how much of the weight loss is just fluid loss. I’m drinking nearly 2 litres a day, and keeping the air humidified, so I’m stumped! But in summary, the good news is that Day 8 really seemed to be a turning point.
Hey all… I’m 23 and had a tonsillectomy last tues so I’m on my 8th day now… The first few days were absolutely awful I honestly wondered if i was ever going to feel normal again. I spent 2 hours I’n recovery room after my op as was feeling really sick and dizzy, I then went upto my room and pretty much slept all day, the first 5 nights I barely got any sleep, was waking every 1-2 hours in pain… My ear pain and jaw/tooth ache was chronic it started from day 3 and has now gone, I used a hot water bottle(what a saint) I struggled reali bad to swallow so the first 2 days I didn’t drink as much as I should of, but ever since then I was drinking non stop would always makesure I had a mug in my hand, I had warm boiled water every time which was so soothing a lot nicer than the ice cold I found .. I managed jelly and ice cream for the first few days then on about day 4 had mash potato with gravy then from then onwards iv been having the same but putting mashed up carrots with it too, also a pear sliced up into very thin strips is nice and tinned peaches… Iv been having weetabix since about day 5 I just found with any food to keep a cup of water next to you to take a sip after each mouthful, it helped it go down a lot!! Last night I slept for about 7 hours and when I woke up I actually felt ok, it just feels like iv got a sore throat now n that’s it.. Id recommend staying in bed for the first 4 days and getting as much sleep and rest as you can with plenty of water, n then just take it easy lounging round the house for the rest of the week!! Hope this helps and good luck it will all be over soon!! Ps I used a de-humidifier as there meant to be amazing and help to stop your throat from drying up
Please, answer my questions if you have insight! At 12:00 pm this afternoon, I will “celebrate a compete week” into my tonsillectomy. Yesterday was insanely painful and throughout the night, I took percocet every 3 hours during the night and couldn’t get the ear pain and burning to subside in my throat. A small piece of scab broke loose, but there is still plenty in tact. Will this happen each time a scab comes loose?
Also, my jaw clicks and feels as though it’s out of place when I chew…it’s painful and awkward…is this normal?
Finally, with the ear pain at it’s peak and ready for a new round of percocet in 30 minutes, I decided to forego the warning that ibuprofen causes bleeding and took one tablet 200 mg and within a 1/2 hour my ear pain subsided and I was able to eat some cream of wheat, drink water, and go to sleep for an entire hour with a cepacol to keep my throat moist. So I haven’t :touched the percocet since 4:00 am, but am wondering if I should take another dose in between ibuprofen, which I took at 7:30?
I appreaciate these posts as they keep me distracted and normalize my pain. Thanks for you feeback!
I’m on day 12 and still have pain when swollowing and i am still unable to speak for more than a few minintes at a time. Day 7- 10 were the worst for me in terms of pain- a lot of burning and sharp pains. I think that happens when the scabs come off since the skin is so sesative underneath. My scabs are coming off slowly, but at still mostly intact after 12 days! I didn’t not take pain medicine at all during this recovery, just tynenoyl,so not sure when you should take them etc….
Hope you are feeling better soon! Another week and you will feel much better!
Oh and I remember him saying you may have head, neck, jaw pain as it is referred pain due, so think that’s normal although I did not have that.
Props to you because I would of never made it through the last 8 days without pain meds!
Post Op Day Eight:
Holy Cow – Stacie Has A VOICE Again!
Well, it’s official…I CAN talk again. I’m not sure if the kids and husband are happy about that or not, but it sure is nice to be able to communicate without that annoying whisper or scrawling on my white board! So…that is the GOOD news for Day Eight. Now, on to “the rest of the story”…
Ow Ow Ow Ow. OOOWWWW!!
Pain Scale Today:
7/8 at the worst when I wake up and my throat is DRY &
3/4 when the pain med is peaked and my throat nice and wet
Pain Issues:
Throat, ears, & sinuses/headache-y
Other Issues:
Extreme Nausea & ANXIETY (I have a panic disorder, so I get anxious when I am in pain)
My Lortab elixir is just about gone – I’ve been trying to make it last as long as possible by taking the smallest dose that I feel will take the edge off the pain, but there are only two to three doses left. I am supposed to take 15ml every four hours, but I have been cutting it down over the past few days – first to 10ml and now 5ml every four – six hours. I take Vicodin 7.5/750 tablets three times a day normally for my severe fibromyalgia. The doctor gave me extra Lortab elixir so my fibromyalgia pain would be covered along with the surgical pain during my tonsillectomy recovery time (Vicodin and Lortab are just different brand names for the same drug – hydrocodone plus acetaminophen). He didn’t want me taking my Vicodin with the elixir because a) it is easy to take too much Tylenol/Acetaminophen (which is in the Lortab/Vicodin – they are the same drug) in a day – there is a 3 gram limit per day to protect the liver and b) he knew I would not be able to swallow the huge Vicodin tablets. Well, I took a half a tablet of Vicodin twice today to supplement the Lortab elixir, but it does not work as quickly as the elixir and was VERY hard to swallow. I tried crushing it, too, but it tastes SO BAD no matter WHAT you mix it in AND I don’t think it makes it work any faster. I can’t take ibuprofen yet – the doctor didn’t want me to take anything that can cause bleeding until my first follow up appointment, which I have in six hours…I should probably try to go to bed between now and then, but I fear sleep because I always feel the worst when I wake up. This follow up is for my balloon sinuplasty and turbinate reduction (sinus surgeries) – I need to find out if I am still supposed to be having so many sinus headaches and so much mucus drainage in my throat from those procedures. The tonsillectomy follow up is not for a while (I think it is a full two weeks from the surgery which would be Friday) – is it normal for the tonsillectomy follow up to be so long after the surgery?
Food…oh how I long to eat…
I am still living on Special K Breakfast/Protein Drinks – at 180 calories for a 10 ounce bottle, I don’t feel bad about drinking three or four a day (but I know they’re expensive…I haven’t asked my husband how much they are and I don’t WANT to know). Warm broth (through a straw of course lol!), sugar free Jello with Cool Whip, and orange sherbet push-pops make up the only sustenance I am getting right now. I tried to eat a few soft, cooked veggies in my broth today (carrots and baby butter potatoes), but it really hurt AND food seems to get stuck in the opening where the tonsils used to be. Is it going to be like that forever?? It’s like there is a little shelf there and food just sits in it. Gross.
The wet scabs are still looking good – they have started to dissolve a bit, but are mostly intact. The nurses on the surgical ward told me the longer the scabs stay put, the better chance the new skin has to get established.
That’s Day Eight for me. Tomorrow will be the first time I have left the house since I left the hospital and I will also start driving the kids to and from school this week. It is bitterly cold here in Iowa right now with a ton of snow on the ground and I feel completely zapped of energy all the time, so I am NOT excited about leaving my warm, comfy house (not to mention having to actually GET DRESSED, put in my contacts, and make myself look halfway presentable after living in my pajamas for over a week).
Wishing the best to you all!!
~PEACE & BLESSINGS~
Day 8: lovely day!! Most of the scabs are gone, feel some stinging still, but i can eat and drink again! hallellouia! The last three days were awful, took 6 painkillers per 24 hours, couldn’t eat because of the pain in my throat (felt like blades were cutting through it and it seemed on fire), was nauseous because of the pain meds and antibiotics on an empty stomach and could only sleep for tops an hour at a time… But then… last night, my alarm went off at 5 am to take the next load of painkillers, and to my surprise I wasn’t already awake from the pain, but the alarm really woke me up
great feeling at that time 
and i didn’t actually have that much pain.. so i decided not to take any more pain meds until morning, and I slept until 10 am without waking up again! 
off course, when i got up, my throat was pretty dried out, so that hurt again a little, but after some sips of water, it immediately felt better… I took three painkillers today, one at 11 am, one at 5 pm and now, just before going to bed at 11.45 pm… so i am only taking half of the painkillers that i was yesterday and the days before… 
i finally started feeling like the normal me again today, so that is really a good feeling! 
so to ensure people who are still in the awful pain phase: It’s hell, but all of a sudden it’s much much better and you’ll feel soooo good
good luck to the rest of you out there! 
Oh, and one more thing, I read somewhere here that people were saying that paracetamol isn’t strong enough, but I managed with 6 x 500 mg of paracetamol per 24 hours (which isn’t even the strongest dose there is, I believe the strongest dose is 1 gr) in my worst pain days, so it is possible to manage with paracetamol
Good night and on to an (hopefully) even better day!
Glad to hear you are feeling much better! I am on day 7 tomorrow and my scabs are still intact. My throat feels like it is getting snapped and I cant speak. When did you scabs fall off and did you feel this way on dag 6/7? Also, could you feel when they were coming off? Thanks!
I’m post op day 8 and I feel fine I felt fine day seven haven’t eaten but not pain just feels like something’s stuck in my throat and it does get dry if I drink to much or fast at the moment I get a sore throat for ten minutes then fine . ear ache has subsided and my jaw to – during surgery I bit my tongue pretty bad so they had to burn it (wich is dumb rather would of had stictches ) now I have hard on the side of my tongue that didn’t help I have work in a week and I hope I can talk correctly! my work all you do is talk ! I can’t wait to eat I even dream of eaten a nice salad ! my healing process seems to be going pretty good and fast haven’t been drooling in my sleep as much wich is great ! I didn’t use anything like salt water or humidifier or anything didn’t eat Popsicles just an ice pack and medicine when couldn’t tolerate pain or to eat – all natural . you can do it it’s a terrible process. I’m 19 and I had this surgery the day before my bday so this whole thing sucked for me
Day 8 and im feeling a little better than yesterday but a lot better than day 6. I woke up early this morning in pain and took my meds and went back to sleep, woke up again at half 1 feeling fine and ate some tuna on crackers which didn’t feel great on my throat but i tell you my stomach sure enjoyed it. I took more meds at about three o clock and had a milkshake, the cold on the throat was very soothing. Then at half 6 i tried to eat a hot dog but couldn’t manage the bun, i took more meds and went for a nap at 9 o clock. It’s now 1 o clock in the morning and i’m wide awake, it might not have been the best idea to have two naps today but if there’s something i’ve learned from this experience it’s to take the sleep while you can, i haven’t been sleeping right at night so i try grab an hour or two during the day. The pain today has been so much better than i thought, i was expecting a lot of pain today but i was clearly wrong. My ears are still very sore and i can’t wait for that pain to go. My tongue doesn’t seem to be as swollen as before but my uvula is still very swollen. All in all today has been a good day and i’m looking forward to being fully recovered
FINALLY! The pain is going down! The past 4 days have been AWFUL but it is significantly better today. Throat stings during water or food because of the new exposed skin where the scabs have sloughed off, but other than that, it’s not nearly as bad today. The pain meds are only lasting 3 out of the 4 hours, but I have a feeling I’ll only be using them for another day or two
Hang in there friends!
I am 37 years old and had a T & A done January 14th, 2013. It is finally a full week since my surgery and I am finally feeling more like a person. I still am taking pain medication, but not as much as before and I am alternating between the vicodin, Tylenol 3 and Advil. I think this has helped me to not feel so fuzzy all the time. But I still have problems sleeping. I didn’t think the day would come when I would not wake up in tears from the pain. Don’t get me wrong it still hurts, but just not as much. Day 8 and I have to leave the house today to get more pain meds. I have not left since my husband brought me home last Monday and I am so ready to get out of the house! I have no idea how people can eat regular food on days 3 or 4! I was lucky to get a piece of toast down that was dunked in hot cocoa. Everything hurt to swallow. I have lived on jello and pudding the last week. I did try some cheese off pizza Saturday but it hurt way to bad to finish.
i’m 22. Today is my 8th day and honestly i have just the feeling of a sore throat that comes around when i’m sick.
However, last night i did not sleep at all due to the extreme dryness of my throat and because water was feeling like swallowing acid! it burned so bad. anyone else having that feeling?
My scabs on my left side came off on day 6-7. I thought this was bad, called the doctor and said if i’m healing i’m healing. there’s nothing to worry about. I havent bled at all. the only instance was on day 5 and even then it was a baby clot. What i’ve learned helps is to chew gum a little bit, move your tounge around a lot, swallow a lot! this speeds up the recovery process. I have a high tolerance of pain and i’m so glad i do. This was no way a walk in the park.
My right side however is horrible!!! i have such bad ear aches and jaw aches. I get so neasuated at night and i have to take liquid loratab? which is KILLING my stomach and my sense of smell.. (It smells so bad.)
i’m changing onto pills for day 10 and on. Hopefully this helps!
Also.. little advice i didnt think of. Take FIBER! my liver is not happy with me right now because of all the pain meds! yikes.
Yes, cold water which used to be a relief now feels like acid
This is day 8 for me, and ohhh myyyy goooooosshhh. Im 21 years old, and i have a two year old. No one in my family belives that im in this much pain, . I have my daughter everyday and night, even with all the pain, and all the narcotics im on. I tried eating a hot dish last night, and i stopped because i started to bleed a little. MY EARS HURT SOOOO BAD!!!!!
So I am just finishing up Day 8…and when I woke up this morning, OH MY GOD so much pain. I had my mom call the doctor/his assistant and she told me day 8 is usually the PEAK of pain and it will only get better (slowly…oh so damn slowly) from here on out. I hope to god that is true because honestly since day 4 the pain has only gotten worse and NEVER decreased in the slightest. I am almost worried that I will never heal!
My doctor also said its best to try to space the time now between taking my pain pills and lower the dosage from 2 to 1.5 so by the time i am healing more efficiently I wont be drugged up so much and will be easier to recover. I still have so much pain up to this point but am about two hours into my dose so I am ok but I hope to god it gets better even just a little tomorrow!! I cannot do this much longer…I regret getting this surgery done to be honest. :/
I too am on day 8 and the pain has gradually got worse, went to the GP yesterday and I am infected and got some antibiotics but cannot eat as pain on tongue due to ulcers and overall pain is too much!!
Well, it’s day 8 for me. I’ve pretty much kept quiet and just read comments for the other days so far, but I figured I’d share today. I’m 20 years old. So far my pain has been…well on and off. Day 1 wasn’t bad at all, days 2 and 3 were hell, 4-6 were better but still hurt pretty bad, and day 7 (last night) was the first day I was able to actually eat food. I had about half a bottle of ice cold orange gatorade, alone with a cup of Kraft mac and cheese. I was so happy to feel a little human again after this week. A lot of my pain had subsided last night and I thought that the rest of the recovery was going to be smoother sailing. Boy, was I wrong. I woke up around 6 this morning and my throat was so unbelievably sore. I went to the bathroom and checked out my throat, and I had noticed there was a good amount of bleeding on my right side. On previous mornings, I would always notice a small amount of blood, but it has not been this much yet. In fact, the blood almost made me vomit (thank goodness I grabbed my Zofran fast enough). I think the massive pain I have in the morning is a combination of not drinking anything for a few hours, and laying completely horizontally on one side when I go to sleep. I’ve heard from a few people that sleeping in a “sitting position” can actually be really beneficial. Well, here’s hoping we all get well son, and I’ve now learned not to jinx this experience by ever thinking that I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel haha. Good luck!
Day 8:
Well… I think I can say I’ve made an… 80% recovery so far. I’ve stopped taking all medications now because although my throat still hurts right after I wake up, it’s not enough for me to take more vicodin. I just take huge sips of water when I wake up (my water bottle is on my bedside table).
I’m eating completely normally, no ear pain, and can talk normally now. I have nothing to complain about!
I’m currently on day 8 of my recovery and woke up this morning in so much pain again after not taking meds since 1am
Went to the bathroom to have a look at my throat and found a huge blood clot on my right side. The taste and smell has been horrible for the past few days too so I’ve booked into see my gp later today for antibiotics.
Really hope this pain goes away soon
I feel so drained and nauseous all the time.
thats interesting as all dairy stuff for me hurts heaps! guess we are all different
i have found cups of tea good today
Ugh, why must mornings be so bad!
On the bright side, after my early morning dose I slept for 6 hours( naturally missing a dose). The down side was the EXTREME pain that followed. It easily took 4 hours to get my pain level back in control.
I was able to eat the inside of a few slices of pumpkin pie, and a big spoon of mashed sweet potatoes with some chicken gravy. So good!!!
The difficult part today is this dang cough. I also am getting short of breath now just walking to the other side of the house. Not sure if im getting sick ( my family has respiratory issues) or if it’s part of the recovery.
Hoping tomorrow is a better day, but seriously beginning to DREAD mornings!
I know what you mean! although they seem to be getting better for me, still need my meds regularly!!!
I am sick of soup and noodles. have you felt nauseous at all? I have tonight for the first time – could be for heaps of reasons but today i am craving all takeaways! hehe
Glad to hear you have made it to noodles and soup :-). I’m still on cold and soft stuff, with the soft items being very limited. I haven’t been nauseous since day 2 or 3.
I wish I had cravings for food, but have been in enough pain, I don’t even want what I have managed to get down
The cold and soft stuff seems to hurt me so liquid is my food lol and jelly. Anything mashed hurts too much. Oh well good diet I guess lol. I was in a lot of pain tonight from the new nerves forming and because i talked too much earlier
Today is my day 8 after having a tonsillectomy and a fess (sinus widening) operation. Although i can’t talk for long still i feel like the pain has changed to more a strain and if i eat the wrong thing it stings. Cups of warm tea, macaroni cheese, chicken noodle soup and chewing gum has been my saviour! I wouldn’t have been able to do this without all of your posts so thank you so much.
My recovery has been very standard so nothing ‘bad’ as such to report.
Day 8- I’m 43 and my procedure was done on December 19, 2012. Last night was eventful with bleeding. I got concerned after a few minutes but kept swishing, gargling and rinsing with cold water until it subsided. The pain comes and goes and I take full advantage of the times when I feel good to eat and drink as much as possible. Cold things are irritating so I’m am eating things like poached eggs, boiled hot dog franks, soup, mashed potatoes, and started eating a little bread with butter yesterday.
My strategy is to swallow as much as possible. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? Well, think about how many swallows it takes to heal. We all have a number. The tricky part is reaching that number.
When the pain episodes strike it feels like a blow torch has been set off in the back of my throat, my molars feel like they are in a vise, and my ears feel punctured but every day is one day closer to the end of this road.
Thank you for this site and all the posts. It helps to read and to know that we are not alone in this.
Keep pressing forward and visualize the day when you are back to normal.
18 y/o female
So my doctor said I should feel way better after day 7 post op which isn’t really the case. Although I am now able to stay awake for the whole day, the pain remained but since yesterday it’s a different kind of pain, now in the back of my throat and it feels like swallowing razorblades. Does this mean my scabs are starting to fall off? My ears sometimes hurt as well but the pain comes and goes so i can deal with it. Also, I had a bacterial infection in my throat right one day after the surgery and the doctors only realized it 5 days later even though I kept on telling them this reeeeally bad smell couldn’t be normal! So if anyone of you is experiencing an unbearable bad taste in the mouth go see your doctors right away so he/she can give you antibiotics. I hope I’m starting to feel better tomorrow, enough’s enough, this has got to be the longest recovery ever. Stay strong everyone, greetings from Switzerland
I’m 13 and this was my fist surgery and I hate it. It’s taking forever for me to get better and I have the same thing as you, the bad smell and taste has made me puke already. I’ll probably make it to the doctor tomorrow.
Just got through day at and sill grinding through it. I have really bad ear pain and sleeping still kills my throat. I am in tears every time I wake up and it takes a few hours to get to a better place. In the last few days, I have discovered that hot tea is the most soothing thing I can do. I am still in a decent amount of pain although it has subsided (slightly) since the first week. It still seems like it goes from manageable to excruciating without warning. Once of my biggest frustrations is trying to get those around me to understand. It’s the first surgery I have ever had but from what I have read, it’s one of the most painful. I think others think by day 7,8,9 you should be well on the road to recovery but this isn’t quite the case. Headed to our family christmas gathering today so hopefully things will be decent for me.
I’m a 20 year old female and today was day 8 for me. I definitely feel better than the beginning, but I’m frustrated with the amount of pain I still have. I’m still waking up crying at night once my meds wear off (I would set an alarm to wake up to take them, but I’m also so tired and sleep deprived that I feel like I’d rather have the sleep). Soup is about the only thing that doesn’t hurt right now. Any solid food makes it feel like there’s a knife going into my throat…like a burning, stabbing feeling. I don’t even really want to eat because it hurts so bad. Every night before bed I just hope that tomorrow will be the day I start to actually feel significantly better. 8 days is enough
Sounds to me like we are in the same place right now. I am also on day 8 and the last 2 days I have found some hot tea to be helpful. It always the worst in the morning or after waking up but I just force myself to drink about 2 cups and then things seem to clam down a little. I have been having English Breakfast tea with milk in it. Perhaps give that a try.
I’m right there with y’all. I’m stil taking 10ml of roxicet every 4 hours round the clock ( except when I sleep thru an alarm at night, but always wake up between 5 and 6 hours). I have not progressed past liquids other than some mashed sweet potatoes and the inside of some pumpkin pie. Everything must be cold, I cant tolerate any warmth.
The best drinks I have sound are strawberry bananna smoothies with apple juice, and vanilla chi latte from bolt house farms. The creaminess from the soy milk and the vanilla is very soothing.
I’ve also developed a nasty cough, but can’t get it across to anyone that it’s more than a throat tickle. It’s in my chest, and causes pain in my throat and chest when I cough.
Time for meds, then gonna attempt sleep for a few hours…. Hope tomorrow is a better day for y’all!
Day 8 has been pretty good in most ways. I have begun to act like a normal human being again. My throat wasn’t to bad during the day but now that’s it’s evening I feel like a knife stabs my right side any time I eat or drink. The ear pain comes and goes and I am near tears when it comes. Since Christmas is only 4 days away I tried to do some shopping and now I’m completely wiped out. I have 4 kiddos (the oldest is almost 8 and the youngest nearly 2). They were so happy to see me up and around again. I know the Dr said it would be about two weeks before I began to feel better but I certainly didn’t believe it would take this much out of me. The lack of nutrition has certainly taken a toll on my energy level. Thank heavens my husband has really stepped in and taken control because I have been absolutely useless!! I hope I can be better by Christmas!
Though you may have been taken away from your position of caretaker….you will be back on track sooner than you know it.dont rush and praise God for your husband helping and hopefully encouraging you to heal.With seeking Jesus,proper nutrition and tons of little one time….you’re gona feel so much better with your tonsils out.You don’t want to over exert yourself or bleed.
Today is my day 8, and I wouldn’t have made it this far without this website. (: I feel human again. I’m eating scrambled eggs and I don’t wake up crying.. Such a leap from yesterday! After all the nausea and fever and puking, just sitting here slurping down a couple spaghetti noodles feels like heaven. I can’t say how much I appreciate this website, even though I’ve been silent until now. I can’t thank you guys enough. <3
Everyone it gets better by about day 10. I am on day 13 and it feels like a sore throat I have had for ever before surgery. Stay rested and hydrated. I totally sympathize with you all.
Stacy
Finally broke down today. I feel like the pain is worse, but in reality it is probably the same but my threshold for dealing with it is down. I am having trouble eating – yogurt and cream of wheat are the only things that don’t seem to burn. I can’t seem to get the taste of horrible pain killer out of my mouth and have had an itchy red rash on the roof of my mouth since yesterday. Throw some heartburn into the mix and I am not a happy camper. It gets better soon, right?
Ohhhhh, I’m so sorry. Days are so up and down, aren’t they? A rash doesn’t sound good, did u call the doc? I’m here for you. Day 8 getting closer to ending. Hang in there.
Thanks for the support!
I did mention it to the doctor yesterday and they told me to stop taking the antibiotics and try to eat more yogurt. Are the red spots/rash a sign of thrush? My tongue is really sore so I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. If it is still there tomorrow, I will call again. Feeling a bit better as the day has gone on.
Just finishing day 8 now…was a good day. Worst day for me was day 5 but other than that its been smooth sailing for me. My left side hurt more from the start, not sure why but is still the side that makes me take my meds. Been eating normal food since day one which helped alot I think….been eating pizza, eggs, fried chicken, potatos, vegies, sweets, burgers, fries, chips, chocolates…and much more. Room temp worked best for me…cold and warm hurt alot (think Im probably th first person to gain weight while recovering) Im in South Africa and here they gave me panamor 100mg pain meds which works very good its also a bit of a muscle relaxer so helps that I can swallow and eat lots of gum. I also drank alot of cola this week which helped allot with the mucas buildup at the back of my throut. Anyway…I think eating well helps you gain strength and then you recover faster. Also the humidifier helps alot at night!! Im very thankful that I had a fairly quick and easy recovery at age 26 and having to look after my 21month old boy. Good luck to you all and well done for making it this far. Sorry for my spelling…english is not my first language. Blessings to all!!!
Day 8 has been okay. The morning sucked, as usual BUT I got out today and actually went to lunch with my husband. Although I could only eat a few bites of well chewed chicken with sautéed portobellos and some garlic mashed potatoes, it was great. I felt human. And having a flavor in my mouth outside of broth and Popsicles was heavenly! Of course I need a nap now because I’m exhausted and my ears and throat hurt again. But the 2 hours out was nice. 1/2 way through the 8th day. How is everyone else doing?
I think i wrote too soon. I was having such a good day and now it’s like I’m paying for it. My flipping head and ears. And for whatever reason I can’t stop yawning, which kills and feels lke air is trying to escape from my ears. I guess it’s good to have a partial good day instead of a bad entire day. I just feel bad because I feel my worst when my little guy is home (mornings and evenings). Anyway, I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences – it really helps knowing I’m not alone.
Today is Day 8 for me and I am still in so much pain. Does anyone know why my tongue hurts so bad?????? It feels like it is swollen and the sides of my tongue are burning. I do not have thrush. I still cannot eat anything. I am trying to take less pain meds. I was on Percoset every 4 hours but am aiming to move it back to six hours. My ears are killing. I am just so over this whole thing. I hate to sounds like such a baby but this really pain can really put a damper on your spirit.
I hear you! Thanks for posting that I’m not alone!
You are not alone. It’s the tonsillectomy hangout! ?
Im right there with you. Youre totally not alone! My tongue has been this weird splotchy white and feels like its so swollen I’m surprised I can close my mouth!
Healthy tip- Powerade burns like heck in your throat.
Day 8 is the day the hammer fell. I thought I was having an excellent recovery. No nausea. My throat was painful, but the pain easily managed. Drinking and solid foods went down easy. Then this morning. This morning burning razors blades danced in my throat. I barely forced down a few sips of water to swallow my ineffective Percocet. I knew this meant the scabs were falling off and it was just the next phase of this torment. But my goodness, it hurt like nothing has hurt before. My wife talked our way into seeing the doctor and the doctor said my recovery is going to suck because of the size of my tonsil beds and that the beds scar tissue had grown around everything requiring more cutting. Then she prescribed 2 mg Dilaudid. Dilaudid is supposed to be good stuff, but it didn’t help a bit. My wife checked with a pharmacist friend who said that Dilaudid is more powerful than Percocet, but the dosage is so low it was maybe a tenth stronger than my Percocet. Great. Anyways, this surely is my peak and everything will start getting better soon. It may be nearly unbearable now, but it’s going to be worth it when I recover.
I just want to make sure everyone stays hydrated no matter how much it hurts. Two days ago I was in so much pain, the pain meds weren’t touching the pain, and I would wake up with such a dry mouth. My tongue felt like a cat’s tongur and my saliva was extremely thick also. I was extremely nauseated and was throwing up even though I had barely eaten in 6 days. Come to find out I was dehydrated and had to go to the ER for two IV drips. After that the pain meds worked! So please be careful of dehydration!
Jen: I am 42 and my tonsillectomy was Nov. 19, 2012-had chronic tonsilitis, strep, and sleep apnea. My favorites have been diet ginger ale (keeps your stomach settled) and a good ole heating pad on my neck and ears. Chewing some Trident gum helps relieve the ear pain instantly. Also some days cold feels good and some days a warm drink is better. Salty and sweet are excruiating in my mouth, gums, jaw and throat. I see more scabs on one side than the other and one side of my throat feels more healed than the other. I keep my meds going round the clock and alternate tylenol in between advil liquid gels. I am down to 2 doses of pain medicine a day. I plan to spend 14 days in recovery before returning to work. I feel like I can breathe better already from the removal. It is difficult to yawn, cry, or move my tongue around but hoping for a pain free day.
Thanks Jen. Best of luck in your recovery and new life without tonsils!!
Day 8. WHEN is this going to start getting better!?!? I thought 5-7 were supposed to be the worst. But today is a definitely 9/10 pain day. I woke up in agony, took pain meds, went back to bed, and I must have really needed sleep because I slept another 2 hours straight – which I had not done before. Had 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast. Scabs don’t seem to really be doing anything. Although some places are not as white, so maybe they kind of “wear away” instead of falling off? Not sure. Anyone know? I have been losing a pound a day. For me, this is NOT good! I recently went on a weight loss program to lose 20 lb. and before surgery was finally down to my goal weight (skinny). Now losing a pound a day, I am looking sort of anorexic, which is scaring me! I just can’t keep my weight steady now! I had chicken & stars soup and mashed potatoes w/ gravy for dinner. After eating though, my throat is extremely irritated and feels like it’s on fire. This seems to happen with every meal, as if there’s a limited number of times that I can swallow before it starts hurting. My stomach really wants more food, but my throat just won’t let me. Anyone else experiencing this too? Also, I find that no matter how many times I brush my teeth/tongue, this crappy film covers them. Yuk! But I try to brush at least twice a day now so it won’t turn into thrush.
YES, I’m on day 8, well its 2 am here, so officially morning of Day 9. I’m so sorry you feel so terrible, but as I feel exactly the same as you’ve described, I feel somewhat relieved that I’m not alone. I’ve been a little scared.
My pain today, specifically tonight (which is why I’m awake at 2am) is as bad as it was the first day in the hospital. I was feeling great day 4 to day 6 and then night of day 6 my throat got tickly at night and I woke up coughing until I had tears.
I was really feeling pretty great though and was even proud (so dumb of me to have pride over this) that I didn’t need pain meds after a few days. I’m sure glad to still have it! My pain tonight is pretty bad.
Im a 21 y/o male day 8 post op. The journey so far has been extremely painful. Thank God for this website and for everyones stories. I woke up this morning feeling like i had sand in my mouth after taking my pain meds i forced myself to eat some breakfast, after i managed to eat acouple forks of scrambled eggs i went back to bed. As i lay there i felt what i thought was a pool of saliva forming, i tried to swallow it but when i did it felt weird i knew then it wasn’t saliva. I marathoned to the bathroom and when i spit there was ribs of blood, the scary thing was that it kept comming. After 5 min of spitting up blood it stopped. Never been so happy before it looked like a scene from a horror movie. It gets better i hear. Lets go day 9!!
OMG…. Thank God for all of you sharing how you feel… What you’re trying to do for this excruciating PAIN!!!! I’m 55, what a flipping nut case I was to think I should follow my doctors’, orders, and yes, I’ve had several doctors advise me to have this surgery over the last 3 decades!!!
Anyway, I’m still alive on day 8, but God knows how , since you all know swallowing is like eating embers and the ear pain…. Feels like I’ve been stabbed with a pencil straight through my ear drum!!
But, reading your posts has made me feel like I can make it, because nothing but warm liquids, the humidifier and a soft light blanket wrapped around my head like a burka, has kept me sane! My poor husband has tried everything to help me, but I don’t think help is possible except time, and it’s moving at a snails pace. Oh, sorry, I lost my train of thought, with another swallow and stab of ear pain! What I wanted to say was, “Thank you for sharing.” This was the first time I laughed, not at you,but with you, because someone could actually understand and describe to a tee, my horrendous experience. In fact, I laughed so hard, I cried, made my throat hurt, made my ears scream, but also started realizing I would survive. LOL…. Well maybe, lol… Cuz I can’t, nor can any of you, laugh with your mouth open, since it hurts too much everywhere to do so. :). But, thanks too for the great ideas for pain remedies. My wonderful, patient husband just dashed out to buy me a sweet card and some… Yeah… Liquid Tylenol. Let the pain subside, please!
Hey… Liquid Children’s Tylenol ROCKS!!!! But beware… Since it is super sweet, and you know how anything sweet just kills your throat and ears; well, that first swallow feels like a match to tour tongue, throat and ears, but it subsides rapidly. By the time you swallow the whole 20 or 25 ml, the pain is flat out GONE! Thank you!
OMG Sharon you just made me laugh. I have the exact same issues on Day 8. Nothing salty, sweet or not warm. I feel nauseated just because of the awful diet. I can’t sleep more than an hour without re-experiencing the worst pain imaginable. I hope this all ends soon. Thanks for the good laugh (inwardly because I can’t for my own safety laugh by moving my mouth).
Hello, everyone. This is Day 08 for me. I am 40 years old. This has been a hell of a ride. People told me that a tonsillectomy was not that painful, but oh my, I disagree. Not even on my worst enemy would I wish this upon him or her. This morning I woke up with lots of pain in my throat. I still notice that my scabs are in the back of my throat. I checked with a flashlight. My 4 year old boy said to me that I had stinky breath this morning. It hurt my feelings, but sure enough, it is because of all the things that are going on in the back of my throat. Today, I went to work and it was a little difficult because my job can be a little stressful and demanding. I did not take any liquid med today until the evening. The most painful thing today is when I make complete swallows. In other words, when I swallow all the way it is too painful. I’ve trained myself not to swallow at all just to avoid the pain! This evening when I was eating dinner, I felt like shards of broken glass were going down my throat. In so many ways, I felt that food was literally getting stuck in there. I ate chicken soup for dinner, including pieces of chicken. A few minutes, later I ate ice cream to help relieve my throat and of course, to help pass down anything that was stuck. In reality, I don’t know if there was food stuck in there or if it was the rubbing as food passed through my throat. It was burning sensation that felt like a knife going down there. Later this evening, I checked my throat again with a flashlight. I noticed that there is a film of white stuff on my tongue. Is this thrush? Is this normal??? I think I read other people talking about this in other postings. One last thing for tonight, I finally took out an old humidifier I had stored in the garage. And boy, does it make a difference! Yes, I can already feel the big difference once you get it going. Again on Day 8, I still feel lots of sharp pain as I swallow without and with food. In fact, drinking cold water was very painful. Does anyone have a white film on their tongue????
Manuel- Hang in there! The white film might be oral thrush – read here…https://tonsillectomyrecovery.com/oral-thrush-candida/
It’s pretty common after tonsillectomy.
Hello, everyone. This is Day 08 for me. I am 40 years old. This has been a hell of a ride. People told me that a tonsillectomy was not that painful, but oh my, I disagree. Not even on my worst enemy would I wish this upon him or her. This morning I woke up with lots of pain in my throat. I still notice that my scabs are in the back of my throat. I checked with a flashlight. My 4 year old boy said to me that I had stinky breath this morning. It hurt my feelings, but sure enough, it is because of all the things that are going on in the back of my throat. Today, I went to work and it was a little difficult because my job can be a little stressful and demanding. I did not take any liquid med today until the evening. The most painful thing today is when I make complete swallows. In other words, when I swallow all the way it is too painful. I’ve trained myself not to swallow at all just to avoid the pain! This evening when I was eating dinner, I felt like shards of broken glass were going down my throat. In so many ways, I felt that food was literally getting stuck in there. I ate chicken soup for dinner, including pieces of chicken. A few minutes, later I ate ice cream to help relieve my throat and of course, to help pass down anything that was stuck. In reality, I don’t know if there was food stuck in there or if it was the rubbing as food passed through my throat. It was burning sensation that felt like a knife going down there. Later this evening, I checked my throat again with a flashlight. I noticed that there is a film of white stuff on my tongue. Is this thrush? Is this normal??? I think I read other people talking about this in other postings. One last thing for tonight, I finally took out an old humidifier I had stored in the garage. And boy, does it make a difference! Yes, I can already feel the big difference once you get it going. Again on Day 8, I still feel lots of sharp pain as I swallow without and with food. In fact, drinking cold water was very painful. Does anyone have a white film on their tongue????
Day 8.
Omg the pain is so intense but its mainly my right ear. Still can’t eat and having lots of trouble drinking. Very weak and tired.
This has been the best post-op day yet. Able to go out and shop; less stamina than usual but trying to prevent total deconditioning. The pain suddenly is manageable with one Percocet. It just feels more like a dry, scratchy throat than anything. Still not very hungry and not able to eat much, but no major complaints there. Hoping I’m on the upswing! Post-op check on Monday.
Yea, it’s my 38th birthday and I’m not too happy. Last night ended like the night before, unbearable ear pain and swords in my throat. It’s hard sleeping in 60 minute intervals. My body is so tired of the pain, I am close to breaking down.
The day has been perhaps a bit better than yesterday. I was able to get down some ‘birthday’ soup that was delicious, and also I tried to eat passionfruit mousse but it stung me badly so I didn’t eat it all.
I have slightly better concentration today and I didn’t have to sleep during the day which is a first, but I’m so looking forward to getting this over with. It hurts to talk and it hurts to do pretty much anything. Mouth still swollen also. Found out that the mirror is not my friend as I almost gagged looking, it looks like a hand grenade exploded in there. Slightly concerned that the ‘impact-area’ looks more like day 2 or 3 compared with the photos I see here and I pray it isn’t true that I’m such a slow healer that this will get worse. Scabs are coming off though, tiny, disgusting pieces of scabs in my mouth all the time. I’ve been yawning some today, that HURTS, also sneezed which is worse. God, I feel beaten up.
This must have been the worst birthday e.v.e.r….
Your scabs probably came off then or a portion of them for sure! The pain comes back like a Brick to the head! It’s on a whole different level of burning! You are turning a corner though which means about 3-4 more days. Also, white film is Thrush and common. I had it and it’s painful! Once it’s taken care of you’ll notice the swelling decrease significantly!
Day 8. Woke this morning feeling almost human! Stopped taking the codeine as i felt it was making me feel sick and disorientated. Just managed with paracetamol today and Diclofenac. Also i have been on Augmentin antibiotics since day 5 as i started with unbearable pain and horrendous putrid taste in mouth. My ENT said i needed to start antibiotics. I finish these tomorrow morning. I had a weird tickle in throat this morning which made me wanted to cough to clear it. It happened twice but then stopped. this afternoon pain bearable but kept feeling scratchy back in throat. Eating best i can and drinking lots. This evening ‘wam’ the pain was back! Felt lower down in my throat and struggled to eat fish pie for tea! Has anyone experienced this? from feeling a lot better to awful again. Do you think the scratchy feelings are scabs coming away? Ive not coughed anything up but feel weird low down in throat. Does the white coating stay there after the scabs have gone? x
Today is definitely a good day. I can feel the scabs coming off, little by little. It’s comparable to a roving lump in my throat sensation that changes depending on what tiny little piece of scab is coming off. Not painful, just uncomfortable and annoying.
Ear pain is completely gone (thank god I only suffered that days 4-5 because those two days were EXCRUCIATING). Throat pain is limited to a tiny bit when I swallow, and when I wake up.
I am the unfortunate person who developed oral thrush as a side effect of the antibiotic prophylaxis. Called my surgeon, their office gave me the runaround for half the day before agreeing to send me a prescription for Nystatin swish. I’m a nurse, and have had thrush before, and know that that takes forever to get rid of thrush. The majority of my pain is in my tongue upon waking or drinking anything vaguely acidic (apple juice stung something fierce), so I’m only drinking water.
Wound up also going to Patient First and got a prescription for Diflucan. I’d rather be overly aggressive in treating the thrush, by far. The pill went down surprisingly easy, but I’m still not pushing it with my diet.
The only thing I can really eat as far as solid food is chicken noodle soup. Tried very thin mac and cheese, felt like it was sticking in my throat too much. I’m now wolfing down a can of soup in mere minutes, because I’ve stopped taking prescription painkillers (liquid extra strength Tylenol is all I’m using), and my appetite is back in full force. I can’t ever seem to not be hungry! (I found out today I’ve lost 10 pounds since my surgery, so no wonder.)
I think tomorrow I’m going to try branching out and eating new soups. Still not going to try any real solids until my surgeon clears me. I’m content to be cautious with my diet because it seems taking that route has made my pain considerably less than that of others.
There’s a light at the end of the miserable tonsillectomy tunnel now. It feels nice.
Forgot to mention that I’m still not really sleeping. I can fall asleep in bed, and have since day one, but since discontinuing prescription painkillers have only been able to sleep in very short bursts. For instance, last night I slept from 2am-5am, 6am-8am, and will now be up the rest of the day.
I think my body is revolting against sleep because it knows how painful waking up is. The good news is that I have been falling asleep more quickly (less tossing and turning) and the little bit of sleep I’m getting feels like it does a better job of making me rested.
I’m on the eve of day 8 right now and do not know how much more I can take. Agreed that sleep hurts healing by drying you out. I’m not at all hungry. Forcing myself to eat jello, broth, mac and cheese and soup. Yuck. Drinking plenty of fluids and checking urine color to make sure it is clear. Morphine every 4 hours for pain ( and sooner most of the time). Pain will not stop. Now I have red bumps on my back and chest that itch?
Forgot to mention that I have not pooped in a week (since the morning of the surgery; and that wasn’t complete due to lack of coffee) Im scared that I will blow a blood vessel farting. Hey they said not to strain? Tried some smooth move tea the other night and nothing. Tonight I’ve taken a otc laxative pill. Let’s hope in 6-12 hours my colon will be clean. Hope humor helps other feel better. Now for another night of little sleep;(
Last night I woke up a few times with sharp pain in my throat and in the morning also. Slowly it went away though and I had a small burst of energy and did some tidying! For the first time in over a week I stepped foot out of my house! We went to target. Just walking up to the door took it all out of me. My husband had to support me through the store. Oh and now I understand what people mean that say they sound def when they talk! I totally do! So I talked a little bit. I had oatmeal for breakfast and fish for lunch and yogurt for dinner. I get thes weird feelings in my jaw and throat like muscle cramps or tightning or locking up or something, it’s weird. My mom is coming over tomorrow! I can’t wait. I am just on Tylenol because of the pain and a little bit because I keep getting clammy. I prayed so hard last night and my prayers were answered, today gave me hope. Maybe there is an end in site. On the plus Side, I wore jeans that I haven’t worn since my early 20’s today! They weren’t even tight! 10 pounds down. Don’t lose hope, pray, and get a humidifier!!!
Day 8 of recovery…this still SUCKS!!
it feels like it really is never going to end. Last night i have a few scabs come off & i thought at least half of my throat would feel better…nope! Couldn’t sleep again last night. I think i’ve gotten a total of 5 hours of sleep since the day before my surgery. I don’t know how some people are just on tylenol or can go almost all day without their pain meds..i have to take mine every 3 & a half to 4 hours at the longest…seems like after 30 minutes i didn’t take anything 
all i want to do is cry but i know that will make me feel worse. The only thing that makes me feel good is taking a hot shower and getting it steamy. I wish i could just sleep in there all night. I took a little nap earlier and when i woke up i felt like i hadn’t drank anything in days…been drinking as much as i can even though it KILLS to swallow anything. Im hoping day 9 or 10 will be the lucky day. I’m still praying & praying. Trying to stay positive but it’s pretty hard to do today. Dreading falling asleep tonight.
I’m feeling EXACTLY the same way.
Well I thought I was on the clear yesterday (day 7) I was wrong by 6:30 last night I was being rushed to the hospital cause of really bad bleeding! It stopped for only 3 hours and by 4 am I was bleeding again. I know being 29 puts me at risks but I couldn’t stop bleeding. I had to go back to the OR so they could burn the spot that was bleeding, I just got released today. So needless to say I’m petrified that it’s gonna happen again!
I think it’s safe to say that anyone who gets through this will have a different outlook on they’re health and life in general. This is psycotic. It’s been over a week and I’m still a train wreck. Granted the pain has gone from dropping me to my knees to just making me have to sit down so I guess thats a plus. And thank God I finally conviced a nurse on the phone to call in some more pain meds. I was fully aware that I had been taking too much however when it’s taking your breath away and I’m starting to think about crazy (depressing ways) to stop it, something has to give. No way in hell I’ll be back to work on the 24th, havn’t left home yet. Just hope I can eat something soon. And when (if) this is all over I will be the most humble and gratefull person in western Ohio. Just want the ear pain to stop..please
I can’t believe it!!!! It’s virtually over, just a very very little scab at the back of the tonsil beds. No pain, throat was just a bit dry on waking up, but after 10mins was back to normal. Am looking forward to go get my hair done and go out shopping later
Who knows, maybe i’ll eat out as well 
Day 8 (35 y/o) and I’m out of the woods now. The scab like things have virtually gone, just a very thin whiteish transparent layer interspersed with new pink bits of skin! Tongue still aches a bit but not enough to stop me eating, no pain or ill effects. Must have had an easy ride, tomorrow I expect will be back to normal. My experience was virtually painless, albeit with minimal medication. I did feel very tired though and did get a bit of a dull sensation in both ears for a while but nothing that would have deterred me. If you are thinking of having it done it isn’t always as bad as what you read here, but of course do bear in mind everyone is different. I won’t post anymore, I’m fully recovered!
I am day 8 and still not a happy camper.
I am like a bear with a sore ass. I am starving,can’t sleep,and still on painkillers
every 3 to 4 hours along with ibuprofen every 8 hours. Night time is by far the worst. This is one instance I am
thankful for Crohn’s disease because I do not have the whole potty issues so many others are having
I have 2 humidifiers going 24 hours a day I take very hot baths twice a day to help with moisture and an overall
feeling of crappiness.I have ENT call me in tablets of T3 because the liquid is excruciating to swallow. The feeling of swallowing razor blades is still first and foremost now I have the wonderful burning sensation. As for scabs? I think I may have lost where the adenoidectomy
was done and possibly the upper part of the right side. I still see a ton of white covering the left tonsil bed. I fear when this one breaks loose I will choke on it in my sleep. Really freaks me out.Makes me nauseous thinking about it.
I really wish I would have had the option to decline this surgery again. At 42 years old my children are all but grown, but I miss life in general.
And food of any kind seems like a foreign concept. Freezer pops hurt like heck an I tried applesauce (creamy) and all but gagged trying to swallow it. Please tell me day 9 will be better.
Day 8!!!
Yay!! I actually feel a lot better today.. Throughout the nights, it has been pretty bad – waking up every 2-3hours in burning pain!!! Last night I realized I don’t need to take as many painkillers, just a drink of water (maybe half dose of the meds if it’s really bad) but mostly just swallow alot to salivate and within 10minutes the pain is almost gone.
I took my regular dose of pain killers this morning at around 6:30am and haven’t taken anything since (it’s 4:30pm in Australia right now)… So that’s almost 12 hours without taking anything – the pain is pretty mild maybe a 2-3/10 and only hurts a bit more after eating!!
Yay!! I can see the light!!!!
Today has been by far the worst for me as far as pain is concerned. I saw the doc this morning for follow up, and thankfully she refilled my pain meds, which I ran out of 1 1/2 days ago. Boy was that a difference, once I took them again. I was able to somewhat function for most of the day until the pain hit me again in the evening. I have lost 7 lbs so far.
Ok, so today it feels like I just have a ton of mucus in the back of my throat that I can’t get out because my throat hurts too much. I’ve cut down on my medicine and take the lower end of the recommended dose partly because the pain isn’t as extreme and also to make it last longer. I’ve also noticed something strange when I brush my teeth. When I lean over the sink to spit, it feels as if chunks of hanging flesh flop over my airway making me gag. I think I have hanging scabs or something back there. It’s really weird and annoying. Sigh………..
I’m getting so frustrated. I can’t get sleep! I need some serious advice. I have a humidifier in my room, I’ve taken hot showers before laying down, but really nothing is alleviating the pain when I sleep. I wake up after an hour with such intense pain that I spend another hour trying to get over it. I’m even more weirded out because during the day I’m not in that much pain, what is happening when I sleep to make it hurt soooo bad? When does it end? I’m exhausted…it’s been 4 days now of this pain/sleep thing. I want a sleeping shot or something….please i’m so tired
I’m also on day 8 today aug 16, 2012. I have the same thing with more pain during the night than in the day. I’ve been taking liquid hydrocodone every 4 hours since day 1. My phone goes off during the night to remind me. I’m also having pain under my tongue, in my jaw, cheekbones, ears. And it feels like loose white scab is trapped in the back of my throat. I only eat chicken noodle soup (minus the chicken, b/c the chicken looks like tonsils stones!!!) and milk shakes. Sometimes the cold is too much though. But the recipe is one packet of instant breakfast, 3/4 cup of milk, and 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream – mix in blender. Drink slow! God I hope I’m better by Monday!!! Longest week of my life
Ouuuchhhh! Day 8 was scabs, day 8 was pain… all day long.
Not excruciating, but very sore, and enough to effect my food choices. By far the worst day so far, 7/10 pain-wise and it was consistent throughout the day (Til this morning – the recovery has been a bit of a breeze).
Today the dihydrocodeine RAN OUT, I still had a lot of paracetamol left, but that wasnt going to help at all. We requested a repeat prescription of the codeine yesterday, and on collecting it today we discovered that that they had supplied us with……. ……yes, more paracetamol. (which was completely useless, as you can only take one paracetamol product at any one time).
I cried. But luckily this is where our better halves step in to action! ….And within 2 hours I was the happy owner of a 3 day course of co-codamol. phew!
On first impression, the co-codamol does not seem to alieviate the pain as thoroughly as the dihydrocodeine did. Or this could just be coinicdence – it may just be that the pain levels today are a lot higher, regardless of what I take.
What makes this all worth it: My scabs have come off!! all in one day!! The blue cheese effect is gone, and so is that awful taste!!
Joy of joys, my new un-tonsils are looking GREAT!
I am 27 and had my tonsils out last Friday July 27 so I am on day 8. I am at my breaking point. I just want to cry. I have lost 15 pounds and can’t eat anything. My throat and tongue are so sore!! When I sleep I end up breathing out of my mouth and everything gets dry and is even more awful. I’m sick of having my life on hold. I need to be able to work and be a good parent. It’s my baby girls birthday on Thursday and I just want to feel like a normal person again!! If I could go back I would have never ever had my tonsils taken out!
Post-op day 8–I can’t believe fast yet excruciatingly slow this recovery process is going. First 2 days felts like an eternity and I didn’t think I’d ever get to a point where I felt normal again. Everything from day 3 on seems like a blurr and suddenly here I am on the morning of day 8. I stopped taking the narcotic pain killers on Monday night (after a night of throwing up and barely any sleep) so after that was out of my system I was able to leave the house unsupervised and more importantly, drive. There’s nothing that can lift your spirits like being able to do things for yourself. I didn’t use anything more than a cold/hot compress to deal with the pain until midday of day 5–at which point I started using extra strength liquid tylenol. Maybe its just me, but I feel like the pain seems worse when the medicine wears off as appose to not taking any medicine at all. I’ve also only lost 8lbs so far–a bulk of which was lost in the first couple days. I weigh myself every morning and I seem to be holding steady at 8lbs lost– not gaining or losing anything. I haven’t looked at my throat with a flashlight because I made that mistake a couple weeks before the surgery and I was horrified by my huge, alien-like tonsils. I’d rather just deal with that feeling of something being stuck in my throat than actually see the scab dangling and know I can’t just rip it off. Plus I don’t feel the need to gag or cough so it’s bothering me too much. I’m just waiting, and hoping, for the day when I wake up and I don’t feel anything in my throat.
Day 8 Great so far…I’m completely off pain meds!! (they made me really sick!) I hardly slept last night. I coughed and coughed not alot of pain but no way to sleep through it. Had vast amounts of water. I also tried sucking on red hots which was very soothing. But this morning, I almost feel human again!! No crying, some pain but the least so far, I even had an appetite. No nausea or sick stomach. Very promising. I bought some hard candy to suck on. Does anyone know if it is allowed? I did try to get up and get somewhat dressed today. Still very tired but the best day yet. I’m actually nibbling on saltines as I type…odd how they are sooooo delicious. Hang in there friends. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Still on the basics: water, jello,ice pops and broth blah blah.I am so hungry!!!! I tried mashed potatoes which was a no go. The stinging burning feeling is so much its seems like its getting worse. I am still on my meds and keep praying to God to heal me before that runs out. Thank the Lord my mom and granny is here to help me and my hubby with the kids I am so glad I listened to my doctor. Hopefully tomorrow will be better just trying to think positive.
Do NOT sleep through the night. Set an alarm to go off every 2 hrs. I did every 1 hr, but I realize some people need a little sleep. When the alarm goes off, immediately rest it and drink fluids. You should NEVER wake up feeling dry as death this way.
This is day 8 for me. The mornings are excruciating! I have to run to the sink and spray chloraseptic and pray I don’t pass out! I sleep with the humidifier on and the fan cause it’s triple digit heat where I live
any suggestions?? I stopped taking the codeine they gave me cause I felt loopy and nauseas all the time. I’m only taking tylenol. My ears were killing me yesterday. Everything I eat is either too salty or too sweet so I stop eating it. I’m 44 years old.
Day eight- off meds now for 24 hours! Who-hoo! I feel like this is such a victory! I am alternating ibuprofen and tylenol every four hours, but other than that, no more pain medications. (The percocets severally constipated me and now I am dealing with that mess.)
To say the least, Day 8 was great!
Todays diet consisted of pancakes drenched in syrup, soup w/ bread pieces in it, and chicken pot pie for dinner. Today was the first day I actually sat down with my family and ate dinner.
With that all that being said, I do have some pain still on my right side. It feels as if a nerve was hit during the tonisellectoy- the pain is somewhere between my throat and ear and it never seems to go away. I sure hope this is not permanent nerve damage; however, based on reading posts, it sounds like many of you still have this type of pain going on so I won’t worry about it just yet. I have been calming the pain by keeping an icepack on that side of my neck, which really seems to help.
Other than that, things have really turned around for me and I hope they continue to do so- making good progress!
I am crying. Thank God for this website that makes me feel like I’m not a big sissy and it’s ok that I don’t feel on the upswing yet. I’ve had such trouble with power outages and major storms that everything seems impossible to keep up with. But I know that each day it will get better. I went to the ER on 2 days ago because of violent vomiting of blood. We got the pain and bleeding under control. The steroid they gave me to reduce the swelling was amazing but now it’s worn off and back in full force. My Tongue is a major problem right now and just frustrating me so intensely. They told me that I was hard to incubate during the surgery and I think there was a lot more to it than that as my tongue and roof of my mouth is very cut up.
This is the first night I will be spending alone. I have prepared myself as much as possible to wake up and drink fluids, take meds and keep on top of the pain. I really want to eat but my tongue is still so swollen that even pudding is hard to get down. I drank some coconut milk and sucked on ice chips all day. Hoping to eat tomorrow because I think that will make a big difference in my morale. Pushing the water to keep my throat moist and that has helped a lot. The only reason to look forward to tomorrow morning is that it’s one more day closer to being able to feel better. Isn’t it wrong that I just I want to eat Roast beef and mashed potatoes! It’s making my mouth water right now! Torture
Day 8, June 29, 2012 – Adenoid scabs came off today. It was like haulking a loogie with big mucous plugs. Left side tonsil scabs are gone from the top all the way down to about 1/3 before the bottom. Clearing my through is a constant sensation since some of the scabs are loosely flopping around and it feels like something is caught in my throat. Talking without pain now. I didn’t talk for the first 6 days. I really want to say that the constant ice for 5 days and no talking, as well as not eating anything too rough, is what helped my scabs start coming off. The initial pain was an 8 or 9 but as the scabs started coming off its down to a 5. Completely tolerable. Although for me, this whole experience has been completely tolerable, the swallowing problems are the worst.
Day 8 here I am. On the 7th day, was probably my worst day. I had extremely sharp pain on the left side, and while the percocet helped, it was still unbearable. My mom has been sneaking me valium for when the pain is unreal, and it really helps to both calm myself, and my tense throat. Early that morning, I had called my ENT, and he called me back (at 6:10 in the morning), and said it was normal, and was likely a scab trying to fall off… By the night, i started bleeding, the first bleed, and post op… Day 7 was also the only day I couldn’t speak, in fact, the day of surgery, I had lobster (and it was amazing)…
Bleeding stopped by the time I got the ER, but they gave me an iv glucocorticosteroid (like prednisone), and it was like night and day… by day 8, far less pain, far less swelling, and is highly advisable. Tho, toward the end of the day, the sharp pain returned, if I did not keep up with my pain meds… The back of my throat seems nearly healed, but one side looks like a lil pocket of scab, that I desperately hope falls off, leaving an opening, and not a pocket.
Also, Game of thrones helps to keep me sane.
Coming to an end to day 8. This morning was the first time I took prednisone prescribed to me yesterday. Day 6 and 7 were extremely painful and uncomfortable but once I got a dose of prednisone in me it was like night and day. The swelling after about an hour came down and I haven’t needed medicine all day even to eat. Its like a miracle worker. I know its not the best thing to take but everyone should be prescribed this after a tonsillectomy. If you’re between days 7-10 and not seeing any relief I would definitely bring prednisone up to your doctor.
Woke up a couple times in the night. Sleep has been the worst thing for me over the last couple of days, but I am just so tired! The intense, stinging pain I have been experiencing for the past 3 days has now turned into a dull ache…still in so much pain! Will be talking in a whisper all of today! Tried chewing gum yesterday for the ear pain and it worked miracles, the action of chewing however seems to have contributed to my aching throat. Can’t explain how hungry I am, but every time I eat that stinging pain returns…I saw someone say it was like swallowing knives and I couldn’t agree more! Pain is really starting to get me down at the moment and hoping tomorrow is a better day!
Only thing of difference today- I finally was able to go to the bathroom. Only sharing because I know so many have had this experience too, and would want to know when that situation was resolved. Thank goodnesssssss.
Day 8 went well. The pain is now bearable: ear pain is still persistent. Taking acetaminophens for the ear pain when I wake up. My tongue is swollen and the back of the tongue hurts. I tried eating French fries yesterday but my jaws were so stiff and the swollen tongue made swallowing hard. Today I was able to eat crab meat in butter for dinner- very small bites and lots of water. It felt great to finally eat solid food. I am so over Ensure drinks and milkshakes. I can also chew gum without pain swallowing. I strongly recommend chewing gum. Its great for loosening the jaw and helps with the ear ache. My throat still has some white. Looking forward to getting back to normal. Happy recovery to the newbies-its worth it!!!
So far its my throat is better than it was last week. its only bad when i wake up in the morning, but through out the day i’ve been producing a lot of saliva. it wasnt like this before, and i cant keep swallowing the saliva cuz it hurts my throat
its day 8 im starving anything cold hurts. everything hurts. my pain meds are no longer working with my ear pain. i cant eat, sleep, or even drink. i tried to go back to work today. that was a bad choice the dry air made me cough, i kept tasting blood. Today i also discovered oral thrush in my mouth. swishing yogurt is about all i can do. i did find a website that had home remadies there was a common one, apple cidar vinager and salt as a mouth wash will clear up thrush in a week. ill try that tonight. But I’m still suffered terrible ear pain.
Hi Melissa, Sorry you’re having such a rough time. You are close to the end though. Try chewing gum for that ear pain. If the home remedy doesn’t work, your doctor can prescribe something for the thrush. Good luck, Hang in there!
I just had tonsil surgery 8 days ago. Day one was real easy, I felt no pain at all!!! I started feeling the pain on day 2 but with the help of the lortab, I managed the pain very well!! Yes, I have hurt and nights and first thing in the morning were the worst, but overall, I feel like I have breezed through this thing. After reading some of the recovery stories on different websites, I feel like I havent had any problems. My first day, all I ate was sherbet. Day 2, I started eating noodle soup and ice cream…..the ice cream helped to soothe my throat. I had fried chicken on day 3, eating it very slowly of course, and only after my pain meds. It wasn’ t too bad. I can now eat pretty much anything in small amounts and chewing it up good. I don’t eat a lot at a time bc if I try to, it irritates my throat. But the fact that Im already eating solid foods is a miracle. My dr told me that is fine as long as I can tolerate it. I do feel some burning, and can tell it has been cauterized, but it is not unmanageable, even with over the counter meds. I prayed that God would help me to not have too much problems with my pain and He has granted that prayer!!!!! He is an amazing God!!!!! If I had to rethink about doing this surgery, I would def do it again….had to do it bc of sleep apnea by the way. This time, I wouldn’t be so nervous about how the pain would be. I know I have a ways to go with my recovery, but the worst is finally over!!
You are very encouraging. Thank you for your words. Remembering to thank God and asking others for prayer has helped me also..relying on His strength through this is all I can do. Hasn’t been smooth sailing for me so far, but this was so helpful to read.
Damn, God answered your prayer and ignored mine. That bastard is always playing favorites.
Tomorrow I’m going to ask him to make my scabs fall off and for some green jello.
LOL – I’m going to ask him to make my scabs fall off, to fill my belly, and to help me poop!!
Thank you! This was really encouraging!