I can say that day 5 and 6 were the worst days after surgery. I didn’t feel myself for at least 15 days, but IT DOES GET BETTER!!! I would recommend to you a humidifier. Go out or have someone get you one asap. Use it throughout the day and when you’re sleeping! My Honeywell humidifer saved my life!
How can this pain get any worse?! I’m on day 5 and I’m hoping this is the worst it can get! 3&4 were pretty crappy but day 5 hit a whole new level!
I woke up throughout the night with a dry mouth, thought I’ll just take a sip of water and oh my god! The pain after that sip went straight to my ears through my throat. I actually whimpered and held my ears! So unbearable! So after a night of this, the days no different. I’m desperately trying to get water down and small bits of food, but as I’m sure you guys know it’s taking its toll.
I’ve not noticed anyone else mention this so I thought I’d see if this is normal, but I’m having my mouth full with thick saliva every 5 minutes! It tastes horrid and I’m either spitting or swallowing depending on how brave I feel!
Can someone tell me when does the pain start to decrease? I’ve got my brothers wedding a week today and I’m terrified I’ll feel this way next week!?
Day 5 of recovery and Im ready to have this shit over with. I can only have liquids still, trying to knock down pain pills makes me die a little bit more. My doctor believes only steriods and tylenol is what someone needs for this and its a lie. Steriods help alot but honestly i have been taking muscle relaxers and its probably the only reason i havent ripped off my ears and teeth yet. I have huge pain on the left side of my jaw up through my ear. I sleep on a heating pad for my jaw and it helps a lot till you move. For food i have been drinking chicken broth, i get warm water blend some of that powdery stuff that comes from ramen packets into the water and get some crackers, soak them and try to eat them. For protein and stuff i get chicken and dumplings, milk and blend it up. It doesnt taste bad honestly, just blended chicken makes it dry. Either way i cant wait to gain all the weight i lost by eating pizza and brownies. My throat is white/ yellow ( its normal) and my tongue has that white stuff on it and its swelled up in the back too, luckily not all of my tongue is being a bitch cause i did not need to have my tongue ring cause more pain for me. Hopefully tomorrow is better.
When I had my tonsils removed the worst days for me was day 5-8! But you have to keep eating solids. None of this ‘soft’ crap! You need those scabs gone!
Day 5; is horrible pain. I just woke up its 4:33am and took a dose of hydrocodone liquid waiting for it to kick in. The pain is excruciating right now. Today I only ate a cup of jello and some vanilla wafer pudding (wafers was extra soft) and drank a cup kids pedialyte and apple juice. No soda yet. I sure hope it feels better tomorrow. I thought the 3rd day was suppose to be the worst. It wasn’t . the worst is day5.
My day 5&6 have been a complete and utter hell. I “woke” (never really slept since surgery) up thinking I was improving considerably,my throat didn’t really hurt when I swallowed, I wasn’t too nauseated, I hadn’t been eating however due to the pain being so bad, I had very little to drink as well and was on the verge of dehydration. Because I was feeling better today, I thought I’d be brave and eat some eggs with cheese. I ate them slowly and managed to get a small portion into me before horrific nausea set in which lasted the entire day, into the night, and early into this morning. I realized about half way through the day I was swallowing loads of thick mucous which I believe to be the main source of my nausea. At about 4am I’d had enough I sat in the shower, brushed my teeth, and took my medicine followed by two ginger tablets and attempted to ingest the remnants of a bottle of water. Immediately after I felt the distinct saliva build up that comes with the urge to exume one’s stomach contents. Shortly after 3 painful rounds of this it finally stopped, after almost 12hrs of intense nausea it was finally manageable. I returned to my post at my couch where I had been living for the past 5 days since surgery and tried to suck down some jello, I didn’t get very far, and the pain returned worse than before. I managed to sleep until about 9am and awoke because my parents were awake now, I told my mom the events of that early morning and none of it surprised her (a work friend of hers about 5 years my senior had hers removed recently and has been giving my mom advice for me) today I managed to take the liquid hydrocodone, and just finished a popsicle. My stomach is doing alright, kind of a weird in between of nausea and not. Trying to avoid dairy and spit out the mucous to avoid another whole day of the nausea. Had my first bowel movement since surgery today (have been taking Senna, a natural laxative) It smelled the same as the back of my throat which confirmed my suspicions of my nausea being attributed to ingesting too much mucous. When I attempted to drink the water this morning (before the upheaval of stomach contents) I noticed my throat seemed to “clear” and I swallowed a large lump I’m assuming was the scab, which could have also triggered it, It’s some nasty business. I managed to open my mouth enough (it was very painful) and a lot of the white in the back of my throat was gone, so this seems to be confirmed. At the moment I’m taking it easy and trying to not agitate my stomach or my throat. I’ve never been so very thankful to be Southern, there is always a large supply of sweet tea in my house which I’ve been nursing all day. It’s wonderful, it doesn’t hurt at all to swallow and allows me to stay hydrated. The tannins also having healing properties that help heal you faster. I also found salt water has helped me immensely, it has helped me with pain, get the rest of the scab out without causing me a lot of discomfort and it also helps healing. I can’t wait for solid food, I made a list of all the food I want when I “Get out of hell” a steak is at the top of my list, I’ve never wanted meat so much in my entire life as I have in this past week, I know I have at least another full week before I can have that delicious steak but a girl can dream.
Day 5 post surgery on 12/29 – definitely turned the corner. Today will be my first real solids in several days, going to try a fish filet sandwich and some french fries from McDonalds. The salt will help debride my scabs and now that I’ve had my first BM in several days I need to get food back in my system so as to build some energy back up. My recovery in my opinion has been pretty quick, but I made it my full-time job to drink so much fluid that my urine ran practically clear, and push myself during the 60 mins after pain meds to get a soft solid in me. I have had no GI symptoms, other than some constipation which really had more to do with insufficient solids in my diet than it did meds. Sleeping with just one awake period last night had a huge impact as well (my caregiver, my MOM – also was thrilled for a full night’s sleep). Having someone to help me particularly during the overnights which were the worst, is something I’ve been grateful for. She leaves tomorrow to fly back home. I am talking more today and relying mostly on Ibuprofen now rather than the Lortab – which also is helping me feel less woozy, and frankly less depressed. During those painful periods my advice is push the ice packs and simultaneously suck popsicles to help ease pain and swelling. Push this at time of med administration out to about 20-30 mins. Then rest and ride the pain relief, using that time to hydrate as much as possible and consume solid. In that last 60 mins where the pain relief wears off, ice pack and popsicles again. It’s a job but if you follow a regiment and just rest, it does get better. I was a nervous wreck for endless pain – my mother says she is shocked by how vigilant I’ve been and feels that’s been the key to my recovery. Also run that humidifier at night and during naps!
Hello,
I am a 23 year old female and I had a tonsillectomy on monday dec.29th 2014 and today makes 5 days! So far today has been a bad day I suffer from asthma and my wheezing and coughing has been pretty bad today. For the past few days I have been able to tolerate foods like oatmeal, soup, but I can barely swallow water today. The first day of surgery the nurse said I can have french toast since I wouldn’t feel much since of the morphine. I went home and had pancakes and they were sooo delish, but I paid for it after! My dr. gave me steroids, liquid antibiotic, and some pain meds. So far the steroid isn’t helping too much with my lungs but I guess it’s helping with the swelling. I have read that some people set a timer for their pain meds but I have just been taking them pretty much every 4/5 hours except when I’m sleeping. I took 1 pain pill so far today about 2 hours ago and it hasn’t helped which is pretty ood, thinking I might have to take a half in a few. The best advice I can give is to write everything down and keep track of your meds and what times you take them. The 2nd day of recovery I made a mistake of taking almost all of my pills about 5 mins seperately and got a horrible migraine from it! Praying that these days go by quickly and I can eat regular food soon! So far (if my scale is correct) I have lost 7lbs since my surgery! I guess that can sometimes be a good thing ;] Good luck to anyone getting this surgery as an adult. I really did not think it would be this bad but I am getting through it day by day! ps- I would advise to avoid dairy products! I know most doctors say you can eat icecream but I made a protein shake the other day with milk and it made me very mucousy! If you like protein shakes like me I would stick with almond milk or water. As hungry as you are do not force yourself to eat foods that you would normally eat pre surgery! On my 3rd day I had soft flounder with rice and yesterday I had chinese fried rice with veggies and was miserable after, So i have learned my lesson not to get ahead of myself even though I am starving! It is going to suck but we will get through it Good luck!
I am 50 years old and had a tonsillectomy on my left side on 12/29/14 to remove a tumor. This has been horrible. In order to take the pain meds I needed to get an anti nausea which really helped. I thought I could just go it alone and do Tylenol but it didn’t work. Matter of fact I had to increase the oxycodone. Day 5 I was in extreme, unbelievable pain. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse… The ear pain intensified. I had stopped the ice pack thinking I was on the mend. That was a bad move. It took almost 4 hours to make the swelling go down again. I’m not even trying to stretch the time between pain meds. Tylenol and pain killer every 4 hours. Quite frankly I wish they could just pump it into my veins. Forcing fluids. The nurse said 50% of pain can be relieved making sure you are hydrated. I also think scabs are falling off or at least starting to. The burning sensation makes me think that’s what it is. Protein shakes do make things slimy. I just keep trying to brush my teeth and push water and juice. I also drink aloe vera juice (nasty taste) to help with the healing. I agree with Emily, this is a day by day, minute by minute recovery. What does not kill me, makes me stronger. (Geez I hope that is true)
Oh my mom said that to me too. Neither of them had theirs out either. This is an extremely painful recovery process. I’m glad I’m not going through it alone. Just stay hydrated and stay on top of your meds. Today is starting day 7 for me and I just woke up with horrible ear pain. ouch!!! Probably the WORST feeling ever! :'( time for more pain meds!
So I have a question. here I am laying in bed and I have this feeling that something is hanging down in the back of my throat. In fact If I lay in certain positions this thing makes me gag (which in turn makes my ears, jaw, and throat hurt. I feel like I have to be constantly drinking something in order to avoid all that unpleasantness. Is this thing I am experiencing the scab falling of, or dangling? If it isn’t, has anyone else experienced this before? also I have a horrid taste in my mouth.
day 5. My first piece of scab fell off on day 5. It could also be your uvula just englarged and hanging in the back there. Ever since me first scab fell off (day 5) until now (day 10) I keep feeling like there is a soggy potato chip hanging in my mouth. I think its just the scab that is coming off on the edges but not quite ready to leave? idk. Just a tip. God forbid you bleed and go to the ER… stick around for a few healthy bags of IV. That was such a blessing when I went to the ER. It finally hydrated me back up!
Thank you for your reply. It is reassuring to know I am not alone. My mom called the docs office and the on call physician said that it is most likely the scabs falling off as that will happen anywhere from day 5-10. But I also got a prescription for some steroids to reduce any swelling that is going on. Definitely staying on top of the hydration.
That’s good! The steroid will definitely help! This is weird, but I long for the day when I can chug and fully gulp water, haha. Even drinking ice water now tastes weird to me, and I just cant wait to get a Venti Ice water from Starbucks and just gulp that thing down! haha. Also, if you notice a lot of white on your tongue, look out for “thrush.” I feel like enough people didnt warn me about it and it is pretty common with tonsillectomies. If you do get thrush, though, just drink buttermilk twice daily! Supposedly Thrush contributes to some of the throat soreness, so anything to reduce soreness is worth it!
Today is day 6 for me. My absolute WORST day was day 5 (yesterday) it could be a scab possibly or your uvula. Most likely your uvula is swollen. That’s what my problem was and is still. Also, I have a lot of built up mucus in my throat. I recommend eating lots of ice and drinking plenty of water. I too have a disgusting taste in my mouth. Hopefully it goes away eventually.
as I said for the other reply, thank you for the reply. Neither of my parents ever had their tonsils out and they don’t seem to really comprehend how unpleasant a process this is. My mom told me I was being a drama queen earlier and tried to tell me to suck it up and deal with it.
Day 5 and today is my worst day without a doubt. Was doing arrogantly well the first few days but everything hit today like a train – I threw up my pain meds twice and am experiencing horrid ear pain as well as trouble swallowing anything. Really hope this is worth it – I had practically five years of tonsillitis leading up to this op.
So on day 5 I decided to lightly gargle with some warm salt water. A small piece of my scab came off which was fine, but made the skin under a bit raw. I starting have that “day 5” pain in swallowing and it took me forever to swallow 2 Tbs of meds, so I decided to try and brave 2 Tylenol pills. Because I am an idiot, it scratched my throat and I began gushing blood so I headed to the ER. I was in the ER from 5 – 12. The hidden benefit… I asked them to Hydrate my with some IV. I got about 3 or 4 bags of IV Fluid through the 8 hours there which did wonders for my hydration. The best part, The doc saw that I was taking some small steroid pills that my ENT gave and instead gave me a week long steroid shot into my IV or whatever. I went home and staraight to sleep. Woke up today, day 6, with good energy and virtually and 1 or 2 pain level when swallowing and NOW pain otherwise. My swelling has also reduced and I can actually drink powerade and everything. Though I cant chug water – my dream for the last 5 days – I can actually take normal swallows without cringing. I am preying that this lasts for the next few days, just so that I can find a way around all of the HEAVY sharp pain days that are supposed to come. Or I will wake up tomorrow (day 7) and will be back in horrible pain. Fingers crossed. Also, just a tip to anyone… If you get sent to ER for bleeding, you might as well stick around for an IV bad or 2. That really helped with my Dehydration, since I couldnt even swallow Popsicle ice without crying.
Next time I wont post from my phone and produce horrible autocorrect errors. Sorry guys.
Recovery day 5- Oh dear God when will the pain end? The ear pain is excruciating. I’m down to luke warm water and chicken broth. That’s about all my throat can handle. The hydrocodone is knocking me for a loop but is the only thing keeping me from being in sheer agony. I’ve been adding benefiber to my chicken broth to help with the constipation. The mornings are the worst with my throat being dry, days are tolerable as long as I stay on top of the meds. Found I’ve needed the dissolvable anti nausea pills my doctor prescribed. My doctor did say days 4-7 could be the most painful but I didn’t think it would belike this! The only good thing is that I’m sleeping 4 hour intervals at night, better than the 2-3 hrs in beginning.
I totally feel for you. I am going through the same exact pain. One side of my throat hurts way more than the other though. I can barely swallow because it’s so excruciating. I haven’t gone to the bathroom since the day before my surgery, and including surgery day this is my 5th day. Yesterday I thought was bad, but nothing beats this painful experience. I don’t want to take my OxyContin anymore. It makes me feel HORRIBLE. Sadly, that’s the only thing that is keeping me from going insane!!!! I don’t know how much longer I can take this pain!!!!
Day 5 (including date of surgery) :
Day five seems bearable. So far, the 4th Day was the absolute worst. I typically have a mug of tea each morning. Since my surgery, I hadn’t consumed any caffeine in days. I had a terrible migraine because of it. I’m wearing a little patch behind my ear called transederm. That really helps fight nausea. Only twice have I had to use a nausea tablet in addition to the patch. For anyone suffering serious bouts of nausea, I suggest calling your doctor and getting a prescription for the transederm patch. The only annoying side-effect is my vision is blurred, so I can’t read any books while waiting to recover.
I have a mug of luke warm Earl Grey tea to stave off the caffeine withdrawal headaches as well as to hopefully encourage a bm. I also boiled and pureed prunes last night in hopes to reactivate my digestion.
Baby food is amazing. I also suck on crackers so they go down mushy. I won’t take a prescription painkiller or antibiotic without first making sure there is food in my stomach. Instead of scrambled eggs, try egg drop soup and add some extra chicken broth to it. Chicken broth thins mucus. I won’t have any dairy for quite a while yet, because it thickens mucus. i noticed my tummy is bloated. could that be from the antisthesea still?
Day5: KFC Mashed Potatoes! I got to eat mashed potatoes! My first real food since the day before my surgery! I could only eat a little, each bite followed by a drink of water, but it’s a start! I still can’t talk. Which sucks, especially with 3 kids. They seem to be getting used to the creepy whispering and pointing, though. Today was a little better. I made sure to not overuse my voice or energy levels. But still could have used a nap (didn’t happen w/ the kids’ schedules). The end of the day is always the worst, for me. My scabs have not started coming off yet. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about that. I’ve heard it can bring all the bad pain right back.
hi my name its thando day 5 after the tonsils operation I feel bad breath please help me guyz
Your recovery seems to be going even better than mine, which is great! I’m so glad you are not waking up in misery. That’s a hard way to start the day. At this point (days 5-6) in my recovery, my throat enjoyed lukewarm water better than cold. Do you find that, too? Days 7-8 found me switching back to ice water again.
I may have been a bit aggressive in trying to eat real food yesterday – I think I scraped off some scabs, and my throat hurts. But I’m trying to go Tylenol-only today because I can’t take the nausea and dizziness from the narcotic pain meds anymore. We’ll see how it goes. I am definitely ready to start feeling better- that may be unrealistic.
I had a coblation tonsillectomy on 6/20/14. Day 5 was pretty similar to day 4, maybe slightly better. I continue to need the pain meds, which means I continue to have nausea, which means I still need to take zofran, which means I continue to have issues with constipation. I tried going without the zofran today but just started feeling too awful. I think I’m going to have to accept that I need to keep taking it and will just deal with the constipation through other means. I had a little ear pain today, but it went away. My throat still feels raw. I can’t see whether I’ve shed any scabs yet or not. Trying to stay hydrated. I’ve definitely been eating/drinking less the past couple of days and am trying to step up my consumption. I had some semi-solid food for dinner (veggie burger patty, well chewed) – it felt good to eat something “real” but was a little hard on my throat for sure.
Although I’m still not able to do much except lie around all day, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The cool-mist humidifier helps a ton at night – I have it right by my side of the bed, blowing in my face. To date, I haven’t had the problem with waking up with a super-dry throat. Good luck to everyone going through this right now!
So I’m on. Day 5 recovery. I’ve barely eaten since after my op, managing some croissants and jelly and ice cream plus the usual ice poles and lollies. Day four i started to drink flavoured water and power ade to boost energy levels and hopefully get an apatite as of yet this is to happen.the pain for me has been bad, taking iburprophen every 6 hours and then tramadol every 4 hours at night. I’m quite comfortable durin the day aslong as I don’t talk. Day 5 morning I woke up coughing and felt somthing come away luckily no bleeding! I’m hoping to see signs of coming through the other side in the next day or so! This is Deffinatley a process where hydration is key luckily I’ve been having 2ltrs of water plus! Razor blades the lot! But it’s important to keep ya self topped up on fluids!
Day 5 after coblation tonsillectomy: Today was a mixed bag! I stared the day with an excruciating earache. I could barely keep myself upright enough to take my pain pills (alternating Percocet and ibuprofen) and an ice bag was essential! I would fall immediately back to sleep with the cold wrapped around my neck and up onto my ear. I tried to start the day several times, but each time the pain/painkillers/constipation caused such nausea that I went back to bed. I finally got out of bed at 4pm, but by 7pm I am heading to sleep again. Rest has been so good to me, so long as I keep on schedule with pain medication.
Pain and nausea have been worse on days 4 and 5, and I know I slowed down on water consumption and food. I can also tell that the thick mucus on my throat, which I found soothing as it kept my throat covered, has thinned and I could feel that my throat was feeling dry for the first time. I woke up with a tickle or catch in my throat, but fought the urge to clear in out. Maybe scabs are moving/thinning/coming off? Tongue swelling has gone down finally!
I was also able to drink water again without the razor blade feeling in the throat. Warmer water is what feels good today. I even ate a few bites of mashed potatoes and boiled carrots. So long as the pain and earache continues to diminish, I am beginning to feel that I can see the other side of this!
Constipation has been an issue. It’s not painful, but I can tell things are not moving. If I eat too much, I get nauseous. I also feel a drunk kind of drug stupor after taking my Percocet. I did not have this on days 1 and 2. Could it be caused by my bowels being unable to rid me of toxic waste? I hope I get “moving” again soon, before that becomes painful. No one likes being bloated!
Martha – do you also have a swollen uvula? Has that swelling gone down yet? I’m glad to hear the tongue swelling has gone down for you – mine is pretty out of control today.
Sarah, the whole area swelled pretty badly. The uvula was noticeable on days 1 & 2, but by days 3 & 4, my tongue had swelled so much I couldn’t tell much with the uvula anymore! Now in day 6, swelling in general has gone down, but the uvula is still puffy. It’s not as bothersome when I compare it to the feeling of flaps of flesh (scabs or maybe just blobs of mucus) dangling around on the way back and sides of my tongue, where I can’t see anything. I finally ate something normal today, a piece of pizza. I was so worried about the pain, but it was actually painful AND soothing, like scratching an itch.
You’re doing great, Sarah, hang in there. Only a few rough days and you’ll be where I am. You can do it!
Thank you, Martha! I was reviewing my notes from my pre-op with my surgeon, and she’d said that for coblation, days 3-5 were usually the peak of the pain, with days 8-10 being the time you need to watch out most for bleeding. Sounds like you are right on her schedule in terms of pain peaking (and I hope you’ll avoid the bleeding altogether)!
I had my Tonsills out 5 days ago. I must admit like many other people the pain level and type of pain was not expected atall. They said id just have a sore throat but thats an understatement. I had pain in both sides of my throat for the first 2 days. Then the 3rd day the left side just didnt hurt atall. My right side however is still painful but to a point where its just bareable. I am on many painkillers e.g paracetamol codeine, ibuprofen, and morphine if the pain is unbareable. I take omeprazole to protect my stomach and stop me feeling sick and most of the time it works. I have just white coating on my wounds now. And hope that my pain subsides in the next few days.
Hello I’m Joanna I got my Tonsils out 6 days ago now and the last two nights have been a nightmare! One side of my face stings like mad and has actually kept me up in tears. I know I sound like a sook but I was never expecting the intensity of the pain that was coming. I really need some hopeful words here, does it get better any time soon? The 1st two days I had trouble with the strong medication and couldn’t drink/eat. I wound up at the ED dept at my local hospital and I had to have 5 bags of IV drained into me. I was vomiting up gross chunks of blood! Now that I drink drink drink drink I thought id be ok but I’m still dry and my ears are killing me!!! My doc told me to take a medication called ‘Asplagin’ which is just aspirin and codeine. However other then normal pain meds I can’t take anything stronger because my stomach just hates it! But at the rate I’m going I’m pretty desperate to have something! The nights are my real problem however at the moment please she’d some awesome advice! Thank you.
I’m on Day 5 of my tonsillectomy. Experiencing a lot of pain swallowing, ear ache, tooth ache, and a lot of drainage or mucus. I’m afraid that I am going to rupture something trying to get rid of the mucus. Has anyone else had a lot of mucus? What did you do?
Hi Dean, Yes mucus is a common problem. Avoid eating or drinking dairy. Also avoid coughing if possible.
Thanks for your response. Today is Day 7. I woke up feeling better than I had since surgery. But it got worse as the day went on. I threw up stuff that I don’t know where it came from. I saw stars it hurt so much. I have tried to limit the pain medication because I have not been able to eat. I don’t know what to do. I’m 61 years old and afraid of getting dehydrated. Any suggestions?
Thankfully things did get better! On day 10 I decided to get really brave and eat a burrito. Although I did get it down, it hurt and afterwards my throat and ears started hurting. It’s been hurting since. It’s not 10 on a pain scale but it hurts bad enough I need to take pain meds. So I’m back on a “soft ” diet and hope this helps. I can’t tell if the scabs have come off. I do feel like there is something in the back of my throat when I swallow. I didn’t expect my ears to hurt or my jaw when I yawn. I hope to improve better each day!
Glad to hear things have improved!
Can you reply to mine? Thanks.
I’m 15. On day 5. My throat hurts quite bad… I’m on top of meds. I ate Mac n cheese and ice cream today.. I have bad ear aches & teeth aches. Not sure how much more pain I can take. This pain is worse than the actual strep . I deff would never recommend having them out.. What can I do this is awful
Hi Alexandria- So sorry I missed this earlier. Sorry you’re having a rough time. Remember: This is temporary! Try chewing gum to relieve that ear pain. It usually helps. I would avoid ice cream as dairy products can cause excess mucus to develop. Popsicles are good- or slushies. Run a humidifier to keep your throat moist. Sleep in a semi-upright position- as in a recliner. These things helped me.
-and KEEP DRINKING!!!
Day 5 woke up about 4am in incredible amount of pain. It felt like knives when I swallowed. Got the pain meds down with a little jello. Today everything is burning so bad to go down. Please tell me I’m fixing to round the corner on pain. Should I call my dr or is this normal? What can I do about not being able to swallow anything.
Hi Lynette. Yes pretty normal. Sorry. Try setting an alarm to stay on top of the pain meds. Also sleeping with your head elevated can help too. Lots if liquids. Run a humidifier. Suck on ice… Hang in there kiddo. This is temporary.
I am 18 years old and ending day 5 of recovery. I woke up feeling more energetic and somewhat better even though I didn’t sleep much the night before. Night time is the worst for me. I have just been eating a lot of Popsicles and drinking ice ice cold water. I am spitting up some really thick spit and want to cry when my approaching my next time to take my medicine. A key is finding things to keep you busy and distracted from the pain and hunger. Hoping day 6-7 are better. Keep your faith!!
Rounding out day 5 as we speak. I’ve gotta say, this is awful. I mean I knew it was going to be bad but it gets to the point where you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle that will never end. Hoping for a turn around in a day or so. I get the splints out of my nose tomorrow from my septoplasty. Let’s hope that makes things a bit better.
Hi Seamus, sorry you’re having a rough time. Be sure to run a humidifier, drink lots of liquids, and remember: This Is Temporary!
I am taking care of my 20 year old daughter. The ear pain is very intense and it is making drinking excruciating. Last night I read about Benzocaine ear drops. I’m going to ask the doctor about these on Monday. Has anyone tried Benocaine ear drops?
Hi Sarah- I’ve not tried them. I’ll be interested to hear more. Chewing gum can relieve ear pain for some. Might be worth a try.
38, female, day 5 of recovery. The pain this morning was horrible. Not kidney stone level, but still pretty high. I tried eating pureed squash yesterday. Apparently I’m not ready for that. I have eaten nothing other than frosties, broth and orange pushups. Pushups are so cold and so soft, perfect. My doctor said a minimum of 2 weeks recovery. I hope I’m ready by then. Oh, for people who are saying the pain gets bad before its time to take the next dose, try this: take half of the dose every two hours instead of every four. You get the same amount over the day, but don’t get that time when you have nothing in you system. Good luck everyone.
I am 29 years old and had my tonsils removed on the 28th. So far, the recovery had been “better” than I anticipated. I stopped taking Percocet on Day 1 because it made me nauseated and vomit (not as painful as I feared, but I didn’t want to go down that path again.) I’ve been taking Extra Strength Tylenol, an anti-biotic, steroid and Zofran (if needed). I’m also trying to have MiraLax once a day to help avoid constipation. For me, my ears are what hurt the most – from the moment I woke up in the recovery room. I soon learned that ice packs (wrapped with gauze around my head) is the absolute best (and stylish!) remedy to ease the pain. Swallowing hurts (of course! I have giant gaping holes in my throat!) but I am forcing myself to drink, chew ice, eat little bits of soft food and stay up on my meds. I’ve been trying to shower every day. Watch shows. Play 2048 (a highly recommended time waster). Rest. Everything was fine until last night / early his morning. I woke up swallowing. Swallowing. Swallowing. A nurse friend of mine said swallowing a lot = blood. The wounds are so far back in the throat, you typically won’t “taste” blood. I got nervous. The Husband checked my throat and, sure enough, I was bleeding. Before surgery, the doctor told me to gargle with 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water. If this doesn’t stop the bleeding, then you haul “a” to the ER. I was dizzy and almost passed out a number of times. I was shaky. Hot and sweaty. All bad things. I was panicking (in addition to everything else). But, I gargled. Gargled. Gargled. The warm, foamy bubbles that formed in my throat were equally relieving and revolting. And – the bleeding stopped! I rinsed my mouth with cold water. Chewed ice. Went back to “sleep” (which I say lightly because I was such an anxious wreck!) the bleeding was by far the most terrifying experience for me. I don’t know if I can do anything different to ensure no more bleeding – I’ve been careful. Using a humidifier. Keeping hydrated. Textbook stuff. I tell this to you because maybe it will help someone who does happen to experience bleeding. I’m so glad my doctor told me about the peroxide / water concoction. That could have easily saved me a trip to the ER. So there it is. My story so far. All things decent until the bleeding. All things decent after. Onward!
Thanks for the post Cass’. Hope all stays smoove ?
POD #5-I’m having more tongue, jaw and ear pain than from my throat. This is making drinking difficult, but the chin-tuck method is helping me through. I am trying to back off the oxycodone and use Tylenol extra strength. The oxycodone makes me feel anxious and too dizzy and I’m not eating enough (causing nausea). I’m hanging in there!
36 year old on day 5 of recovery. Stomach bothered me most of the day but I was able to keep food down so far. Finished my antibiotics today. Pain level is about the same. 5/6 when i woke but 3/4 during the day.
This may be TMI but i took too much stool softner yesterday and paid for it today. I do feel better now though. Live and learn.
I am off the oxycodone(last took in yesterday) but still taking tylenol extra strength every 6 hours.
I have stuck with the soft food diet and have eaten mostly soups, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes but I am sick of it. I am going to try and make it through the weekend on the soft foods diet. My follow up appointment is Monday(day 8) so Im going to try and stick with soft foods until then.
Rock on Ross!
I am26 years old abd on Recovery Day 5, and let me say… I. Am. Hungry. I havent spoken at all since surgery bc it seems to hurt worse. I could initially whisper. But in the end it came back to haunt me with pain. All i have eayen is applesauce and jello. Ive tried some tomato soup and ice cream but they make my saliva too thick. I have drank2 cases of water. Working on my third. I usually work full time and i wanted to rush back to work but the ear aches are like death. Its like a double ear infection and ice skaters practicing on your throat. It is very painful. I have woken up in tears the past few nights bc i missed my percocet and the pain was just unbearable. I had a migraine from hell yesterday and i wasny sure if u could take excedrine bc the aspron content. But luckily it finally subsided. Ive learned my humidifier is my best friend . i have hypothyroidism, a vitamin d3 deficiency and iron deficicency anemia, and tsking those pills is tough becsuse its so swollen anf i cant always eat before. And i have to take them in intervals.
Overall, its 1008 am central time and day 5 is proving ti be a tough one. But. It will all be worth it in the end
Hi Ella. Ouch- you are in the throws of it! Dry eating creamed soups or thin oatmeal. As for the ear pain, chewing a sugarless gum and applying a warm compress can really help. Are you setting an alarm so you don’t sleep through you pain med’s? You might want to.
You have the right attitude. It will be worth it. This is temporary. Hang in there!
Day 5- Up at 4:00 with the pain (90 min before next meds). Last dosing I thought I would cut back to 5mL, what a stupid, stupid idea! Taste in my mouth is the worse yet and the pain is very bad. Had a BM for the first time since surgery; I guess thats a good thing. Hopefully the scabs fall off soon. I think I may have thrush forming at the back of my tongue; I’ve added Yogurt and a Hydrogen-peroxide mouthwash to my regimen (I’ve been able to brush 2x daily with no issues thus far). Trying to break off of the percoset though, as much as it relieves the pain I don’t like taking it. Will try switching to normal tylenol 1000mg (able to let the percocet last over an hour before I had to take that, even suffering through pain of eating a small soft cinnamon roll.
Update: I was a fool to forsake the percocet. I was in so much pain later that day eating applesauce I was in tears, It rivaled my Kidney stone pain.
I read these stories of you are all recovering and remember when I had to go through it.
It is a gruelling process but most worth it! 12 weeks after my operation which was the 18th October
I feel better that I now have no pain and definitely no tonsillitis can occur now. Yay!
Ibuprofen 400mg helped with my pain. I was alternating between cocodomal and ibuprofen. Always take
painkillers about 20-30 mins before you sleep. Eat and drink cool things not ice. A cup of tea also helped me.
Try and also eat solid foods no matter how much it hurts. You need those to disintegrate! Happy Healing
Thanks for stopping back! Hope you are well
Yup all is well.. So much relief from having tonsillitis around 8 times a year!
I am 25 and I had my surgery on Tuesday, January 7th. I’m on day 5 of my recovery and it has been pretty awful. Day 1 and 2 were not too bad, but 3, 4, and 5 have been a lot worse. Before the surgery, I did not drink water at all and now ice is my best friend. I have only been able to have ice, Gatorade ice, coke, and Jello. Yesterday I was able to have a scrambled egg but it took me two hours to eat it. We don’t have an icemaker so we bought a bag of ice and have gone through many, many ice trays. I find it helpful to smash the ice with a mallet to break it into smaller pieces. I find this to also be good therapy although my ears hate it.
Luckily, I haven’t been nauseous at all. Days 1 and 2 I was able to do a little talking but as of day 3 I haven’t talked at all as it makes the pain a lot worse. For the first three days, my doctor had me on a newer pain med called Nucynta but it wasn’t working well for me so I switched to the liquid hydrocodone and it has been working better. I take it every 6 hours and take children’s liquid Tylenol in between every 6 hours. I am also on Penicillin. I keep an excel spreadsheet of my med schedule because it can be hard to keep track of everything.
I did a lot of research before having this surgery and people consistently said that sleeping could be your worst enemy. I sleep sitting up and set my alarm for every 20-30 minutes so I can stay hydrated. I occasionally sleep through my alarms and I wake up with a very dry throat and it takes over 30 minutes to get the pain under control.
On day 3 my tongue was very swollen but I rinsed several times a day with warm salt water and the swelling went down within 24 hours. My major issue today is swallowing and the ear pain. I’ve been icing my ears and find some relief but does anyone have any other suggestions? I read that chewing gum will help so I will try that today.
Hey Danielle! So glad to see were the same age and had our surgeries the same day. SO I’m really not going thru this alone although it feels Ike I am lol. How did you manage to eat scrambled egg? I can barely swallow ice any longer I’m starving but I’m not able to eat a thing, not even Popsicles help anymore. Sleepings not too bad but yea you do need to put an alarm to keep yourself hydrated or else suffer the consequences. Lol I heard gum does help with the ear pain but when I keep trying it it actually burns a little so chew slowly. Hope your recovery goes well and good luck! Message me if you need to talk because I’m in the same boat lol
I’m on day 4 post-op, force down some jello, or lukewarm soup. I ate ramen today, but i boiled it til it was all noodles no water, they were soft enough to just slide right down my throat. i’ve found that big swallows hurt less than little sips. Massaging my neck has seemed to help a bit with ear pain. I’m trying to do today without the pain meds, cuz i’m pretty sure that’s what’s making me nauseous. Hope you feel better soon!
Day 5 – That’s it. I think I am going to lose it. I cant take this anymore. The pain never ever goes away. I havent felt even semi normal in 5 days. My throat still hurts, my ears feel like they are going to explode. I cant stop crying and I want to scream. I have severe aches in my neck and shoulders from trying to sleep sitting up for the past few days. My stomach aches from hunger. I feel completely helpless. I need this to end. My Husband is starting to become a little short tempered with everything that I need on a constant basis. Please someone tell me this will all be worth it….
I am now just over 3 weeks post-surgery and am close to feeling normal. I am so glad I had the surgery because I am looking forward to not having tonsillitis 6 – 8 times a year for the next 60 years of my life! During the first 2 weeks of my recovery, I cried almost every day because it did not seem like it could possibly be worth the pain. But now that it is past (but by no means a distant memory) I can already be glad it is over.
I did not sleep sitting up. I had a wedge shaped pillow that kept me at about a 45 degree angle and that was good enough to keep me from choking or anything. Maybe just propping up on 3 or 4 pillows would be better than trying to sleep completely upright?
I ate something every 3 hours before taking my pain meds…chicken broth, jello, sorbet, liquidy mashed potatoes, applesauce, etc. I was actually never hungry and never lost any weight (darn it!) I would ice my neck down for a good half hour before eating and that would make the swallowing a bit easier.
I also found that getting myself up and getting things for myself actually made my outlook a bit more positive. My husband was actually very supportive and almost babied me too much. Once I started taking more care of myself after a couple of days, I felt stronger, less helpless. I also made sure to pamper myself with a bubble bath every day (one of my absolute favorite things) to keep my spirits up. If you are denying yourself some of your favorite pastimes that are accessible, make sure you get them in each day!
I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you are feeling better very soon!!!
Bethany – Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. Today I am feeling better and looking forward to the positive outlook that you have now. Thank you for suggesting to get out do something that I usually do. I went yesterday to have my eyebrows waxed. I know that sounds silly but I feel like a normal person again. Thanks again!
LOL! That is awesome! It is funny how the simplest things can make us feel better. I actually became obsessed with brushing my teeth. I had read so many people talk about having this horrible taste in their mouth, and I really did not want that. I started brushing, tongue scraping, flossing (as much as I could with limited ability to open wide), and rinsing with mouthwash. It made me feel so much better to feel like my mouth was sparkling clean, and it never tasted bad!
Day 5 – aka Christmas Eve. The pain is pretty awful today. I am taking hydrocodone/acetaminophen every 3 hours but it only lasts me an hour an a half. I find myself staring at the clock waiting for time to pass so I can take more. After about 2.5 hours, I will go eat something (sorbet, applesauce, etc.) really slowly and by the time I am done it is time to take some medicine.
Since I went to church yesterday and ended up spiking a fever, I am staying home tonight and missing out on the family Christmas eve dinner. This is only adding to the post-tonsillectomy depression. I have had about 4 serious meltdowns today. Crying is bad because it is just about impossible to blow my nose. It is weird being unable to do such a simple task I have been doing for 30+ years.
I have still not had any nausea and the pain in my ears has never been all the bad. I just feel a little bit of pressure (like flying on an airplane) and I chew a piece of gum and it gets much better.
Tonight I did have a really bad spell of dizziness for the first time. I assume it was from the hydrocodone, just not sure why I have not had this side effect until now. It felt like the whole room was spinning, and I got a really bad migraine. I took a Relpax (my usual migraine medicine) and laid down in the dark. It took several hours for the dizziness to pass, essentially until that dose of medicine was out of my system. I had had a glass of champagne a few hours earlier…not sure if the two were related. (I had champagne again today and have not had the problem again.)
anyone else getting really sore watery puffy eyes from all the drugs or is it just the pain?or is it from something else?its driving me crazy??
I am growing weary of announcing each day of recovery as the “worst day yet,” but unfortunately, this is the case with Day 5. The pain is sharper and less influenced by medication. In fact, within an hour of the relief I feel from heavy duty narcotic pain medication, my pain seems to ramp right back up to where it was before, if not higher. Perhaps I am losing some of the scabs around the edges. I have not felt anything come off or coughed anything up, but the scabs appear just a tiny bit smaller than they were before, and the borders are inflamed and super sensitive. If this is what’s in store for the next few days, I’m not sure how I’ll cope. I’ve decided that everyone who texts me with messages like “Aren’t you better yet?” or “Still feeling bad?” is going to receive a photo of my throat in reply. One look at that, and they’ll understand a little better that this is not a better-in-3-days situation. Despite all the pain, I still know this was the right thing to do and will pay off in the long run. Getting from here to there is the unknown right now. Ouch.
Pain today was Brutal!! Scabs fell off around 6pm while I was watching TV. It was very random but I started to laugh then looked in my throat to see a small amount of blood and no scabs. I was miserable all day, could barely eat, my throat was driving me absolutely crazy!! I was very irritable, mainly because I was food deprived and couldn’t get comfortable.
Day 4-5
Morning on day four was exactly the same as the others .. Awful I’ve found a rhythm with the medication and have taken to writing down what time EXACTLY I take tablets and trying to alternate my panadene and icy so that they take effect before the other wears off… I’m glad to have finally started by quartz tablets which help a lot. I’ve been feeling fairly good from midday day four all the way up til now (afternoon, day 5). I slept well and woke up ready to go to visit work and the docs in the morning. It was nice to get out of the house for a bit. I think I’ve got a bit of scabbing though because I find myself randomly choking on sharp things at the back of my throat (and coughing is a real no-no..) so maybe it’s healing well afterall…. I have discovered my criptonite though… The one thing I cannot and WILL NOT EAT right now – bananas. I know right?! It’s soft and great for the tummy but ive been fooled twice now – both times I’ve been left in excruciating pain in my throat that brings tears to my eyes.. And this comes from someone who eats toast every day without issue. Beware it!
Ok, the end of Day 5. Pain is and has been a 4-5. It’s just a different kind of pain every hour, or so it seems,
This morning the pain was at the site of the offending tonsils….really dry scabbed and hard to swallow. Then this afternoon the pain shifted to the Uvula and related sutures…same thing, kind of dry and scabbed and uncomfortable to swallow. This evening, back to the tonsils.
I’ve tried to phase out the Roxicet…fact is that it’s pain killing properties are good. About the best thing I have done is stretched it out to 5 or so hours…. Also finishing up antibiotics for swelling and adding in a little Iboprofen alternating. I was concerned about running out of Roxicet and Dr office called to check on me…another script awaits.
I worked for about 2 hours this morning…that was all I could do. Really surprising me that I can’t hang longer. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
On a positive note…I am sleeping better than ever. What little I get is really good solid sleep, with no snoring complaints from my wife. She said it sounds as if I am really sleeping! Novel concept.
Last thing…I started doing a little lukewarm gargling and it has been pretty liberating. Starting to lightly thin out some of the scabbing, which has brought on some terrible breath. From what I understand, this is expected and a move in the right direction. It also feels good to kind of clean it out a little without bleeding, etc.
On to Day 6.
Today was a great day. Sore throat is at a 4 pain scale most of the day. Tired still but not feeling like this is going to get worse! I think I’m out of the woods.
its actually 1am in the morning of day 6 as I type this only now that I am feeling well enough after what I can safely say is one the most TRAUMATIC experiences of my life on day 5. In a nutshell I suffered hemorrhage and joined the 2% of extreme cases.
Read at your peril…
Ok so day 5 started with extreme pain after sleeping for 5 hours so throat was sore and parched. I took oxycodones and 2 paracetomols and went to the mall to buy a slurpee for breakfast which still hurt to swallow and did some shopping. I drove to the mall to do this. When I got home I tried to cook 2 boiled eggs and tried to force that down my throat with 4 pieces of white sandwich crust removed. This was painful even with the extra strong pain meds. I tried to chew on some frozen watermelon shake I prepared with my meals which helps. Come 3pm and I cook some macaroni and cheese on advice others on this forum and elsewhere to try something different. After it cooled down I could only manage 3 bites and had to stop after extreme pain again. I took 2 paracetomols to try manage this pain. I waited an hour to see if that would do but at 4pm I felt crap so took the oxycodone to boost. Watched an hour of Sons of Anarchy while I waited for the pain to reduce which it did but was now feeling diarhea. Problem was I was sooo constipated from the oxy that as I went to the toilet I could feel my stomach churning so bad to let loose but it was like my bowel simply refused to open no matter how hard I push. I decided it was time to get some laxatives to help. So off I go into my car and drive to the nearest grocery store. As I’m walking through the store I felt something warm trickling from the inside of my throat. Initially didnt think anything of it but then it came again and again in frequent bursts. Immediately knew it was blood as I could do nothing but swallow each spurt of blood somewhere in the back of the throat. I started to panic and ran quickly to my car and drove the hell out of there back home. As I got out of the car I spat out a 2 mouthful of blood. I ran in the house and cried out to my mom for help. She gave me a bucket to spit the continuous blood now coming out of my mouth and then she drove us to the nearest ER 15 mins away. On the way I really felt like vomiting but held it in there. Once inside the ER I couldnt hold it and vomited 2 times all the blood which had flowed into my stomach and made me sick. The nurses measured my blood and put me on IV and contacted my ENT to come. I was told by the nurses I looked pale in the face from the blood loss. By this time around 7pm a clot seemed to have form to stop the bleeding as I waited for the operation. It took till midnight before they started operating since beds were at a premium and other surgeries were going on. The surgery which I was told my ENT did not cauterize but stitch the bleeding area. After I woke up I could feel a huge lump in my throat where the bleed was from and had a hard time adjusting my breathing with it. That night in hospital I had worse ever pain in the throat now been operated twice and the nurses didnt prescribe me any painkillers. I demanded an oxy and they gave me one which only worked an hour before the pain kicked in again so I begged for another but it was too soon and had to wait another 2hrs. I was also still constipated but constantly felt diarhea and had to go to the toilet only nothing came out. On top of this every swallow of water burned like hell and so I couldnt sleep at all. I decided the diarhea was a bigger problem than the sore throat and wanted to fix the constipation so I could at least have some comfort from the bowels. I avoided any oxy for the rest of the day and when
I was discharged I got my mum to buy some laxatives to help with the constipation. Got home and avoided any oxy just took 2 paracetomls for pain relief , my prescribed antibiotics and steroid and the laxative for constipation. After about 2 hours I rushed to the toilet and finally emptied my bowel. I noticed nothing but dark red liquid in the toilet bowl and knew it was blood from the stomach. Another hour and I went again. After this I started feeling dizzy and wanted to throw up but stopped myself because was scared of opening the bleed site. Even when I wanted to burp which was often since drinking all the time I tried to stop it as it felt like the throat is being stretched and agitate the wound. I got worried also as I could still taste some blood when I swallow and felt like the quick fix for the nausea was to throw up any more blood in my stomach. Got my mum to call the ENT for advice and he reassured us its mostly the antibiotics because I truly hadnt eaten a thing since the macaroni the previous day. I didnt feel hungry at all despite this but tried to force down half a small cup of jelly and one piece of tofu. That seemed to make my stomach like something inside which felt a little better but now my throat started to increase in pain so I stopped as I wasnt at all hungry. I took another 2 paracetomil to manage the pain and went to bed.
Im still quite upset with the experience and don;t know how else I could have done to prevent it. If you read my previous days post on this blog I tried to follow the recommendations from this site and others. About me I’m 39 had the op which the ENT used cauterization method on friday 25th October which was fine . Been using mist humidifier by my bedside the whole time. Been trying to manage the pain without oxy up until day 3 when things got harder. I tried to eat soft food like jello but changed it something different that others suggested here like cooled soups, mashed potatoes, smoothies, ramen noodles, scrambled eggs, macaroni. I didnt eat anyhing hard like toast which some others have tried. I didnt exert myself too much other than to go for a drive to the mall and walk around a bit. I can’t blame my ENT since he operated twice on my nose in the past successfully and was happy with the results and the T op was fine no problem or pain initially. The only thing I think I can do differently if I could go back to prevent this was to keep the diet strictly jello and nothing more for a week. But with the debate about eating soft vs hard food post surgery Im not 100% sure it would matter but for the safe side believe soft food is what I would recommend. The tonsil area needs to heal and I notice like everyone it hurts when you swallow or eat with or without pain meds. So this cant be a good thing while the throat heals. Sure you need food but keep it strictly soft as possible and eat only when necessary to give yourself the greatest chance of no bleeding. As for the 2% of cases which result in hemorrhage bleeding I am now in that category but god how I tried desperately to avoid this after researching and reading as much as possible to prevent this. I can still taste a little blood sometimes when swallow which is still a worry so I’ll check again tomorrow to see if it is nothing to serious.
This is my 5th day and so far I’ve awoken every 2 hours in pain! Drinking water seems to help. No nausea or stomach pains as of yet. Just waiting for these scabs to flake off…
So I didn’t sleep much in the hospital last night due to pain with not been in top of my meds! Finally got discharged at 12pm! Nice to be home and comfy but the pain is bad today! Hoping things really do get better as my husband is back at work tomorrow!
I had my operation on Friday 18/10, so today is my fifth day. I’ve been getting high temperatures on and off and last night I had a fever but it went away by 2am. I was prescribed two pain killers( Targin & Oxynorm), mouth wash (Cepacaine (sp?) and antibiotics. Unfortunately Targin was making me quite nauseous and so I stopped taking it by Day 2. My ears are constantly aching and now it feels as though something is sitting at the back of my tongue. I’ve been having a lot of room temperature soup and a bit of fried rice and it’s been really good. Not much pain when eating but I am cautious though as I’m scared that the surgical site may start bleeding. Since day 2, I have not been taking any pain killers. I’ve been drinking a lot of water and trying to eat as much as I can. Apart from the fever, sore throat and ear ache, the pain seems to be bearable.
I had mine out on the 18th too! So I’m going through exactly the same stuff as you are now.. This morning was terrible woke up every 2 hours in pain! I can feel my throat tightening! Just wish these scabs would fall off..
DAY 5: 30 years old and had tonsillectomy (with adenoids removed too).
Today’s post will be about scabs and sores. I hate both of these things and they are both overtaking my mouth. The scabs have been increasing steadily since day 1 but this morning I woke up with sores on both sides of my tongue (near the back) and it has hurt to swallow all day. Only water to drink today because everything else burns on the tongue. Cold pudding, yogurt and luke-warm mashed potatoes are the only foods that don’t hurt today. Still on steady pain medication routine and today I hit some of my highest pain levels even though I never miss a dose.
Also, I spent about 30 minutes today just looking at the back of my mouth….it really is like some kind of landscape from a Sci Fi movie.
Day 1: I don’t really remember that day…I remember spitting a lot because I couldn’t swallow anything.
Day 2: it was Okay as long as I took my pain medicine and I slept a lot.
Day 3: ended up in the ER after throwing up. I went to do my oral routine, I felt something dangling and I threw up very hard, and there was a lot of blood. Went to the hospital and they gave me anti nausea thru I.v. and released me afterwards. I barely got to the parking lot and threw everything up and was rushed back in because there was A LOT of blood. They gave me ice water and it stopped.
Day 4: I felt awesome, pain was tolerable, I just needed regular tylenol by then. I refused to take any prescribed meds because I do not like being nauseous. For having such a good day, I had the worse night ever; I was up all night very nauseous and afraid to throw up.
Day 5: Figured I would go to the store to get some more tylenol, but I got extremely nauseous and in pain so bad. I looked at my throat and my scabs are still there, yet I feel a stingy pain in the back of my throat. I tried to speak but I gag when I do. When I swallow I gag, and I haven’t had anything to eat because I have no appetite. I’m spitting every ten seconds and there is a gross mucous in the spit. I have a ENT appointment tomorrow so I’m hoping for good news.
On day 5, my whole left scab fell off and I was spitting out blood. I didn’t even notice it had happened and only noticed when I had gotten up to go the bathroom and looked in the mirror at my throat and immediately felt very weak. I think it fell off prematurely and too much at once. My mother is a nurse and was about to take me to the hospital but then saw what I had spit up and decided it wasn’t enough to take me to the ER at 3:30 in the morning. It stopped bleeding soon enough, but I’m still scared it was something more…
Hi Abigail! My scab on the right side did the same thing on Day 5! I went to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor the next morning just to make sure everything was okay. She told me everything was healing nicely and that unless it was actively bleeding there’s nothing they can do. So, it’s a good thing you didn’t go to the ER because they wouldn’t have done anything to help you once it stopped bleeding. Stay away from any hot/warm foods for a while as the heat will make it want too bleed again. Also, if you can, if it happens again, try gargling with the coldest water possible until you see it really starting to slow down. If it starts to slow down stop gargling and it’ll stop. If you keep gargling it’ll start to irritate it and it’ll bleed all over again. I know because b that’s what I did when I panicked! Chew on ice chips and drink lots of cold cold water. I’m on Day 6. I woke up miserable, but right now I feel great! It gets better! Hang in there!
Today has been the worst by far. I slept like complete crap, was up every two hours with the excruciating pain. Yesterday after a hot shower, I started bleeding. I freaked out! The home care packet they gave me told me to gargle with ice cold water. I COULD BARELY SWALLOW, HOW AM I EXPECTED TO GARGLE!? I tried my best and eventually it slowed and stopped.Then today it did it again after I tried to use the bathroom… I have been constipated since the procedure. The bleeding slowed, but hasn’t completely stopped yet. All I can taste is blood. I’ve had an ice pack wrapped around my neck all day that actually helps A LOT with the pain. My ears started hurting today too, awesome! I’ve eaten more popsicles this week than I think I’ve eaten in my entire childhood combined. Jell-o is my best friend! Finally, I put a small vaporizer in my bedroom so that I’m not sandpaper dry when I wake up. I first used it last night, and I think it helped, not immensely, but enough to use it again tonight to double check.
Day 5-7 has to be the worst.havent eat in two days feel so sick.on a lot of meds.cant eat cant drink cant swallow.such a sharp pain.when will i start gettong better..:(
Hey Murph- You are correct. Those days usually are the worst for most people. It got a little better on days 8-9, and alot better on 11 for me. Keep drinking, keep taking meds on schedule. Try to eat something before taking the meds. It helps with nausea.
Day 5 and I’m still doing well. Throughout the day my pain has ranged from 1/10 – 4/10. A few things I’ve noticed since the procedure is a heightened sense of smell, and I’ve not lost my sense of taste.
Method of tonsillectomy is thermal welding/tissue welding.
Day 5 looks like a turning point for me. I was able to sleep 4 hours on and off and I’m happy. When I woke up there is still the throat pain but better than the night before when I only went without water for 2 hours. I ate normal food again today and man o man it was a PAIN to swallow but I did it. Stopped pain meds the day after surgery day and Tylenol seems to help, it’s just the gluey texture doesn’t feel good but it does the job. Thank God no high fever so far (low fever throughout the recovery process so far with the high being 101F I’d say, so no biggie). I’m not sure what tomorrow holds but I’m really looking forward to feel a smooth throat and pink color. Oh, my tongue still doesn’t feel right (a bit numb) but I ca finally see my uvlva if I try REALLY hard to stick my tongue out. Also back of throat definitely tickes once in a while but I know it is a good tickle. Good luck everyone.
Day 5 looks like a turning point for me. I was able to sleep 4 hours on and off and I’m happy. When I woke up there is still the throat pain but better than the night before when I only went without water for 2 hours. I ate normal food again today and man o man it was a PAIN to swallow but I did it. Stopped pain meds the day after surgery day and Tylenol seems to help, it’s just the gluey texture doesn’t feel good but it does the job. Thank God no high fever so far (low fever throughout the recovery process so far with the high being 101F I’d say, so no biggie). I’m not sure what tomorrow holds but I’m really looking forward to feel a smooth throat and pink color. Oh, my tongue still doesn’t feel right (a bit numb) but I ca finally see my uvlva if I try REALLY hard to stick my tongue out. Also back of throat definitely tickes once in a while but I know it is a good tickle. Good luck everyone.
Well Day 5 has to be the worst so far. Woke up in a bit of pain but the worst feeling is the nausea. I am so sick. I tried to sip water, ice chips, even eat some watery mashed potatoes. I finally gave in about an hour ago, and its about 10pm now and called my doc. He called in anti-nausea meds for me. I cant take it.
Day 5 was much like day 4 for me, pain was excruciating, but still about an 8 out of 10. The entire day I believe I ate two cups of Jello, and that was it. I think I only got down half of one of those cups before slamming it down in frustration and throwing it away.
Any tips besides brushing and mouthwash to get rid of the coating that is making me gag? Doctor said I just had to deal with it, help I can’t deal!
And I thought day 4 was bad…
Day 5 started out like every other.. Sore, but definitely manageable. The only thing I noticed different about this day is I had increased nausea in the morning. After forcing down some scrambled eggs, things seemed to be better. Still drinking pedialyte, apple juice, and water and icing my neck every other 20 minutes. I ran out of juice so my aunt asked if I wanted to brave a trip to target with her. In target, I seemed fine and went on my own to find my pedialyte. I grabbed it and when I returned to the cart, I felt something warm in the back of my throat. Blood.
I panicked and didn’t even think about gargling with ice water, my Aunt took me straight to the ER since there seemed to be a ton of blood. It stopped by the time I got to the ER and I sat in a bed while numerous nurses came to check on me. They had the ENT on call come in. He sucked the clot out and then cauterized my left side with silver nitrate… without any anesthesia… Talk about the worst pain ever. He then told me I could go home and that it probably wouldn’t happen again but if it did to come back.
For the rest of the night all I did was drink water like a maniac to avoid any more complications. Needless to say all I can think about is it happening again. Seriously terrifying. I love being the 4 in 100 :/
Day 5 of my coblation tonsillectomy and things are still going well. Added eggs and lunch meat to my diet today. Had the energy to go to the library and get more movies. Otherwise I have just been resting and crossing my fingers that everything continues to go well.
Woke up more sore than usual; probably from constant coughing all night. More scabbing. No pain medication in more than 48 hours. The pain is still tolerable. Slight soreness around the neck/ear area but I’m sure it will go away before lunch. I had eggplant parmigiana and clam chowder for dinner, even had a garlic bread on the side last night. Come to think of it, I never was on a liquid diet even the first day of surgery. I NEED and HAVE to eat; I don’t care if it’s uncomfortable. I think it helps my pain/soreness than anything; constantly swallowing. Energized enough to walk more than 3 miles last night. I’m going for another walk after I eat this bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. No nausea. No constipation. No upset stomach, No sore tongue. No low grade fever. Slight inflammation on my uvula. I have to say, I’m doing pretty darn well and already thinking what to eat for dinner! Maybe I’ll try sushi today! =)
Day 5: 28/6/13
Horrid. Woke up feeling ok, tried to eat some solid food and it made me feel terrible so I slept. Midday my mother came to visit and I felt fine but by 6pm my body went completely downhill and I almost ended up back in hospital. My body was cramping everywhere I was sweating like crazy and I couldn’t breathe properly. Every time i stood to use the loo i wanted to be sick, it was the most miserable feeling. My GP came to visit and fixed me up. I can no longer take anything stronger than a basic paracetamol as all the other medications affect me so horribly. I only got two hours sleep that night due to my swollen throat, the only throat related pain I’ve had since getting my tonsils out. I just keep trying to stay positive knowing that soon enough this will all be over.
Day 5 is a little worse than the rest of them so far. It hurts worse to swallow or talk. So I’ve been pretty quiet today. My family is probably happy!! Actually tried to take a peek in there finally. It just looks really white. I had the coblation method- don’t know what the scabs look like with that? But every once in a while I feel something weird and I’m wondering if there is a loose piece hanging in there. My left ear throbbed a bit this morning. Sat with a heating pad on it for a while, but it has been better since. Other than that, everything is about the same as it has been. I’m hanging in there! I am getting bored and sick of the same old food, but otherwise doing okay!
Tongue is closer to a normal size today. No more puking, still a little nauseous though. Slept a bunch. Pain is more localized and ‘stabby’ in the back of my throat, but I can definitely see and feel my scabs starting to come off. Today was definitely better than yesterday, things are looking up.
Day 5 and I’m still hurting at levels that I was hurting at on Day 2. I still feel like I’m choking, I can feel the stitches in the back of my throat and with everything so swollen, I can feel everything all the time… I keep my talking down to the very minimum. It’s not worth the pain. Not eating properly leaves me feeling light headed and I’ve been very careful of showering only when my husband is home (just in case). Straining soup just to ensure that there’s no pieces that could get stuck. I suggest sticking to “bland” low acid type soups/foods. I, for some silly reason, thought tomato soup would be a good idea. It wasn’t. I thought really smashed potatoes would be a good idea. It wasn’t. I wish all of you a speedy recovery…
Day 5..didn’t set my alarm for the pain meds which was a huge mistake. I woke up in so much pain…feel like I have razor blades in the back of my throat and ears. I refuse to look at my throat as to not freak myself out worse than I already am. I can’t believe how much pain I am in.
Can’t eat—which sucks when you have to take the pain meds. I am so nauseus that I feel like I could puke at any time.
can’t talk—which is fine since it’s just me and my dog.
can’t poo—this is becoming a problem, I’v been taking 2 colace for 3 days now….any other suggestions?
Thank you so much for this site—at least I don’t feel so alone and I stocked up on the right kinds of supplies. But I am feeling very defeated and helpless
Alyssa,am happy to know that you now able eat some real food.i like that food too.but i am afraid for bleeding.so how many recovery days during with you?and r u feeling pain?r u talking painkiller regularly?sorry for disturbing you but i am really afraid for this condition.
I’ve heard people can return to normal food within 10 – 14 days but everyone is different. I’ve been able to gently eat soft chicken nuggets, soft non-spicy meatballs, oatmeal, soft pastina pasta, small bits of toast with soft-boiled egg on top and scrambled eggs with no problems.
Alyssa,yes dr prescribe me some injection”mr vivian”.now i am feeling good.what about you? I like to eat everything but for this surgery i can’t eat my best food.i am very very ……r u know when we’ll eat real food?
I ate those things slowly and gently and didn’t experience any bleeding. I’m currently on Day 7 and taking oxycodone every 4 hours (well, 3 hours & 45 mins). Also taking a Prednisone steroid to reduce swelling and antibiotics to prevent infection. More info in my comments here: https://tonsillectomyrecovery.com/tonsillectomy-day-7/
Am,chayan..today i have 6th day after tonsil surgery.i alwage want to cry and now i am writting and crying this comments.very pain and can’t eat anything.very difficult to swallow..”betadine and hydrogen peroxide prescribed me to girgle.my phone no is.. 919435002695 but i don’t know that i can talk.plz for how many days this pain will be during…
Chayan, make sure you call your doctor and see if there’s anything else they can prescribe for you. You should definitely have prescriptions for your pain and if it’s not working, they can increase the dose or give you something else.
Even after a late-night trip to the ER for morphine that dulled the pain, it was right back the next morning. My mom kept waking me up every hour to try to get me to drink 8+ ounces of water but it hurt so bad to swallow. Felt like someone was stabbing me in the neck/throat every time.
My mom updated my doctor and he called a pain management expert at the hospital for me to go see. He was great and understood the awful pain because he has gotten his tonsils out at 29 and still remembers it as the worst experience of his life. He gave me a nerve blocker injection in my neck to dull the pain on the worst side. The injection only took 10 minutes and didn’t hurt at all, although they did give me an IV with anesthesia and oxygen. It definitely dulled the shooting pains on my left side every time I swallow, so it was well worth it. Still hurts but maybe at a 6 or 7/10, rather than a 9.
I was able to eat some yogurt and some non-spicy meatballs, sliced into tiny pieces, along with some pastina (pasta shaped like teeny tiny stars) cooked with butter and olive oil. Since I haven’t been able to eat much, I’ve been drinking cans of Ensure to make sure I’m getting enough nutrients and not taking meds on an empty stomach. Other than that, I just keep drinking water, iced tea, Gatorade and apple juice.
My uvula is still really swollen. I can see the scabs forming on the white coating on the front part of my throat. The feeling of something stuck there is pretty annoying but I’m more scared about them coming off and causing bleeding and/or major pain. I’ve been gargling gently with lukewarm salt water a few times a day, to get any food/mucus out, but not much comes out.
Sounds like you’re doing it right. hang in there Alyssa
Well I made it thru day #5 things didn’t go to good today neck started to hurt really bad today and had some ear pain . I think it was because I had to stay in the house all day it was raining outside so I was pretty bored had a little trouble eating supper food did not want to go down and it hurt like hell to swallow .hopeing tomorrow will be a better day should get my tests back .at 62 you never no watts next just a Little scared to call dr will see all tomorrow .
I am currently on my 5th day of recovery. Had a rough night last nght. A lot of pain and swelling and this awful and I say awful taste in my mouth. It feel like im drowning in acid filth. I have been brushing my teeth several times just to help with smell and taste. I have been couhing just a little bit. Oatmeal have been my friend. Oatmeal and water. Eating the icecream is painful to me. I did have vomiting my second day had to call Dr. which presribe a anti nauseas med for me. i take that every 12hours if needed or not. just so that its in my system. HAPPY HEALING everyone. Another day is a day closer to this being behind us.
Hi Diane, I too have that horrible taste at the moment, any idea what it is, is it scabs forming?
I’m currently on day 5 of recovery. I slept quite well last night which ment I didn’t take my pain killers regulary & woke up in the worst pain this morning. After taking 2 lots of pain killers & sitting quietly for an hour I’m just starting to be able to sip on a little iced water which I find really helpful – makes my mouth feel fresher!
I’ve been coughing a lot the last couple of days which I’m finding quite worrying & incredibly painful. I’ve been coughing up a sort of pale greeny / brown mucus & since yesterday I’ve also been coughing up small bits of scab which is just so discusting! Is this normal? Trying to to cough as it can’t be good for my throught but it is so tickly all the time.
Going to take an anit-nausea pill soon & attempt to eat something for th day. I’m finding it easier to eat earlier on in the day as it seems I’m in more pain come the evening.
Also coughin quite a bit here flem. Called Dr and am waiting for his assistant to speak with him and call me back. Also, today I swished cold water around, did a light gargle and when I spit it out, small scabs came out as well. So it sounds normal. Yesterday I cut back on pain meds all day, but since 2:30 this morning I’m back to taking them every 4 hours…
Day 5 was the worst day of recovery. Days 1-4 were cake walks compared to the pain on Day 5. It started in the middle of the night. Whereas the pain had been just pain before, now my throat felt like I had swallowed razor blades that were on fire. The pain became so intense, I ended up in the ER until 2am. Day 6 was still bad but by days 7 and 8 the pain was waning. Today is day 9 for me an I slept good without meds. I woke up with a migraine and ended up throwing up…and it was like I threw up the pain. Now I can eat better and even drink soda again. Not sure what happened, but my recovery seems more likely now. This surgery is no joke. Worst pain I’ve ever had in my life.
Hi I’m 21 and today is day five. Woke up this morning and throat/ear/teeth pain is worse its been after surgery. I have been able to go longer and longer without hydrocodone each day but i can barely make the 4 hr wait today. Also ever since my surgery I have had trouble maintaining a steady urine flow and I havent been able to ejaculate even with my s/o. Is this the medicine? Does anyone else have this problem and should i see my doctor??
Hi, I’m 24 and on day 5 of my recovery. This has been the worst so far, pain wise. It hurts to swallow and I have mild ear ache in the right ear. Eating is quite tough but managing to force it down. Looking in the mirror I can see already that I look skinnier which isn’t great since I started off weighing 8 stone 5 =( Missing eating normally and I also keep waking myself up with snoring! Do I regret getting it done? Not at all, I would rather get 2 miserable weeks out of the way and then never have to put up with tonsillitis again. I have had many cases of tonsillitis that have even felt worse than this. Still sucks though, not gonna lie.
day 5-
pain is overwhelming! yes i have learned too crying does not help. the sharp pains in my ears and through to my teeth are insane. i knew the recovery would be bad but just no way to prepare yourself for the intensity. and it really feels like its not getting better. it does help to know i’m not the only one going through this.
Day five. I am 28. Today and yesterday have been the worst so far! I am feeling so overwhelmed by the amount of pain I am in. I take lorrab every 4 hrs and ibuprofen every 4 hours, they are rotated to where I’m taking a medicine every two hrs. It hurts too bad to even take my pain meds now though. I started coughing up small amounts of blood and green, which worries me(the green not the blood) last night my husband made popcorn, one of my favs and I just thought how much I can’t wait to be able to be back to normal so I can eat some! I’m calling doc today to see about getting a steroid shot to help with the swelling. Maybe if that goes down a but my pain will lessen? Idk, I’m running out of hope. Yesterday doc called me out swizzle which is lidocaine, Benadryl, and maalox to gargle with. It’s supposed to numb your throat. It only numbs my tongue and when I let it sit on the holes in my throat it just burns. So that’s a no go my ears hurt like crazy too. I’ve had a few crying meltdowns, which is always a good time for everyone. I really need the day to hurry and get here where this is all just a distant memory and I am happily eating whatever I want with no throat pain. Fast foward button anyone?
Age 33 here. Day five was pretty bad. Nights were the worst, and I would wake up every two hours, with two hours left until my next dose of Roxicet.
I slept a lot during the day, and can mostly just whisper. Pain has stayed in ears, throat, jaw, and tongue. Pain level is about an 8.
Nausea has subsided. I still push liquids (pain level is a ten when swallowing), and eat soft foods with each dose of meds. I also swallow my saliva when lying in bed.
I found this forum to be very helpful while I was going through this. At the time, I would not have been able to write this. However, it was useful to compare stories to see where I was in the healing process. I hope others find this useful in the future. I am writing this all on day 13. Life is good. I am very happy I had this done, even though there was a very rough patch days 4-8.
I’m on day 5 & struggling so bad. I’m 34 years old. Will this ever end? X
I’m with ya, it’s day 5-6 for me and I feel like dying! Day 10 can’t come soon enough.
Roll on day 10!!
Hi everyone I’m 20 and I had the tonsillectomy on Tuesday (the 26th)
It’s the end of day 5 for me and the last 3 days have been HORRIFIC. Honestly, I have been laying in bed wishing for death, it’s getting too much to handle now I was definitely tricked into thinking that it wasn’t all that bad on the second day, all I had was a sore throat, but how wrong was I. Since waking up on the morning of day 3 it has been agony, and been getting worse and worse.
I woke up at 4.30am this morning crying/screaming. Even swallowing my own saliva was making me scream out in pain… I know crying and screaming makes the pain worse but it was automatic and I honestly couldn’t control it. Its always worse in the morning as well I’ve realised….
I have really bad ear ache, especially in the left ear. I seem to have much more pain in the left side of my throat for some reason. Anyone else experiencing this??
I’m also experiencing the achey bruised and swollen: jaw, tongue, mouth, neck and uvulva…. Even my teeth are killing me.
My uvula is sooooo swollen I can feel it on my tongue, It feels like a haribo is stuck in my throat (its that big!), and it makes me gag at times.
One good thing is that I actually managed to eat something today as I didn’t think that i’d be able to. I had about 3 quarters of an egg sandwich, the bread was very soft but it was really painful still. I had the option of soup and other watery things but the thought of another soup makes me feel sick to my stomach. I now have a slight migraine and feel rather dizzy, weak and sick now because of barely eating.
For me ice lollies really haven’t helped, which is annoying because I had stocked up on sooo many before the op but they make me feel worse to be honest Warm food and drink is definately alot more soothing for me than icy cold.
I also bought a humidifier before the op, which has actually been really helpful. I’ve only realised this when I’ve given it a break so my wall paper doesn’t go damp. When its turned off the pain is so much worse, so if you haven’t got a humidifier id definitely recommend that you buy one or borrow from a friend!
One more thing… What is with this thick saliva!? I swear its trying to choke me to death or something, I have a sick bowl next to my bed so I can spit it out in there, (which by the way also hurts so bad to do!)
So glad that I have found this site though, its nice to feel that I am not alone! Seems like we have a nice little community of people in pain here ?
Anyway, i’ll be going now. Hoping tomorrow will be a better day for all of us! xx
Oh my gosh, sorry I didn’t realise how long this post would be!
The thick saliva makes me gag too along with the smell of my own breath? ew. lol I hate this I’m on day 6
Im 33 and i also had nasal surgery at the same time as my tonsillectomy, big mistake!
5th day, bad day. Can’t tolerate anything cold. I’m a jerk to people around me. Pain meds every 5ish hours. Eat some roasted zucchini and squash along with some rice. Little but of chicken mashed up with some water. Doze a lot of the day and feel miserable like I have a fever but no fever. Pain is bad and nothing helps.
Ps I am writing all this on my 9th day and I realize that we neglected to use the humidifier for days 5,6,7
Have any of you guys gotten acne since the surgery? My face is starting to get little bumps all over it, and I never get acne! I’m 14 btw!
I’m on day 5 of recovery and I’ve gone from bad to worse! Yesterday was great I was able to swallow easier and really had low pain. Then at 1 AM this morning I got terrible pain only on one side of my throat and ear. It seems as if one side is healing much faster than the other. On top of this I’ve got bad neasusa. I have anti neasusa meds but they’re not working to their max power which is odd since this medicine is given to patients with chemo. Anyone else have bad neasusa?
Stephanie, I have been sick to my stomach for days. It’s really starting to annoy me. This whole recovery process is actually. If you find a cure for feeling sick. Let me know!
Hi Trent,
Call your doctor and ask for anti neusea medication. I’ve noticed if I eat a little something before or right after I take it, it helps. I know the thought of eating while sick to your stomach is horrid but just push thru it. These meds were designed for people with cancer so I have faith that eventually they’ll really kick it.
Fair warning they make you even more drowsy on top of the pain meds.
Best of luck!
Thank you Greg.
My fever broke during hte night, but I think it is making a comeback now. I am just half hour away from my next dose of meds so I’m sure that will help. I think I will stick it out as long as it stays below 102.
Thanks for having this blog. It is a great comfort!
~Amanda
Hello Everyone and Greg,
I am wrapping up day 5. The pain has gotten worse throughout the day and the ear pain is kicking good now. I believe I am sloughing scabs, which I was expecting to have more pain with. About an hour ago I started feeling a little funny, rather hot, but chilly. I checked my temperature and it was 99.9. I know the paper my doc sent me home with says go to the ER if it reaches 102, but I have been taking fever reducer this entire time so that leads me to believe I have something going on. Is it common to have a mild fever at this point? Anyone ever experience this?
I am going to check it again in about an hour and see if it has come down. If not I guess, I will head in. I had a full dose of Tylenol one hour before I checked my temperature so there is nothing else I can take for a few hours from now.
~Amanda
Hi Amanda. Low grade fever is very common. I had it.
The pain in my throat is gone. Finally slept through the night last night without waking up to take pain meds (I went 12 hours without taking pain meds). Also, had first BM in six days. Still running a fever of 101. Mucus is totally out of control. I wake up with a sludge coating my entire mouth and am finally able to blow my nose successfully. The first five days I would get nasal drip in my throat whenever I tried blowing my nose . Now, its finally coming out of my nose.
Day 5 probably the worst so far but definitely not unbearable. Woke up this am with crazy ear pain but an ice pack and pain meds helped! My breath and the nasty taste in my mouth is quite annoying though, not much tastes good right now. Last night I ate some mashed potatoes and that was like heaven. Felt like I actually had something in my stomach! So far I’m down 6 pounds, which I’m not going to complain about. Still drinking fluids and sticking with the lortab. I want to stay on top of my pain if I can!! So far not expierencing near the horror stories as some of you have! I must be a lucky one!!
Mmmm More pain. It’s gone from my throat upto my ears now and feels like it’s trying to escape via my eardrums every time I swallow. Not bothering with the painkillers anymore cos it’s bearable compared to day 2 and 3 , where it felt more like swallowing razorblades. The worst part for me is this irritation that makes me want to cough but I don’t let it till my eyes water and then it slowly subsides.
I’m having the same issue…it feels like something is gurgling in my throat & kind of chokes me. I wonder what that is???
That coughing feeling is the scabs on your throat healing the same thing as when you have a scab on your arm and it itches when its healing and almost ready to come off. Don’t be suprised if in the next couple days your scabs come off.
aww you poor thing, day 4,5, and 6 were horrendous for me and i didnt think i was ever going to get through it, it hurt to drink eat or even talk. My emotions were all over the place which wasnt very pleasent for my family, The good news is on day 7 i was feeling not to bad and the pain had eased of alot and i was able to drink without cryingt out in pain. Im day 9 now and i am up and about and even went to my daughters mothers day assembly this afternoon, i can nearly drink probably and im near on eating solid food and the pain is only at a 1-3 now xx
Hope this help, keep drinking plenty and chew lots of gum
Hi guys,
I’m just about to go In to day 5 of company and I just thought I’d message to say I feel your pain.
I’m a 30 year old male and I’ve really struggled with the pain. Surgeon said it may be worse because I had tonsillitis two weeks prior I surgery.
I’ve been eating plenty up until today, but I’m really struggling.
I stocked up on protein shakes and body building shakes before i went to hospital because i desperately don’t want to lose weight, but I can’t even swallow them right now.
I’m on 60mg codeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen. I also bought myself a lidocaine spray from the chemist, which eases the pain in the hours before my next dose of medication.
I’ve also discovered that drinking slightly warm water is way easier than ice cold water and I’m now avoiding any drinks too cold.
So much pain it’s unreal day 5 and been back at the hospital most of the day with bleeding. I now know why it’s been so painful all night! Been given antibiotics to get rid of an Infection!
SOMEONE PLEASE SPREAD SOME LIGHT ON WHEN I CAN EXPECT TO FEEL A LITTLE BETTER!
Day 5….. Just! It’s 3am and got woken up by the worse pain in my ears and throat ever! Usually a few sips of cold water helps but not now!! Is this the scabs coming off? If so how long will it last??
PLEASE HELP SOMEONE! Feel like crying it I no this will only make the pain worse
Hi Everyone,
Im on day 5 now and the pain has been worse today than any other so far, even drinking water makes me shake with pain but i know it needs to be done.. I have all the same symptons as everyone else of which im handling quite well most of the time. My main worry is my aggression over the past few days im up and down with my mood swings either crying or screaming, i was prescribed tramadol, diclafenic and paracetemol when i came out of the hospital, on day 1,2 and 3 i was taking the max does of tramadul (8 x 50mg ) i then began to experience pulpatations and after consulting my Dr he advised me just to stop them completely. Since doing this, this is when my emotional state has become a rollercoaster. I am a 38year old woman never experienced anger like this before any advise would be much appreciated..
Good luck to all on your recovery x
Hang in there =/ I know exactly what you mean, I have not only gotten in an argument with my mother but also my best friend which never happens. I think it as a lot to do with the medicine, Did they percribe you something else? Along side of the pain killers, the actual pain I’m in definitely adds to the agitation. It literally hurts to hear at times so when people talk, also when people ask me questions, it really bothers me. Baths seem to help, also just some quite time.. Somewhere without a tv or music.. or people at that. Keep your head up.. We will heal up and be back to normal soon
I had exactly the same experience with Tramadol. I drifted off to sleep, woke up and couldn’t stop crying, then the whole day I felt like a complete druggy.vi only took 2′ I haven’t taken any more since as I’m scared of the same effects, but I know it helped with the pain.
I was told day 5-7 were going to feel like I was taking steps back, but man im on day 5 and the pain in my ears is unbearable. I’d say my recovery has been good up until this point. I was eating solid foods by day 2, taking pain meds just a little after sch times, and talking. I have been able to sleep through the nights, although when I do wake up, I sit at the edge of my bed and stare at the wall until the pain meds kick in. Pathetic huh? Lol I’ve learned as bad as it hurts, do NOT cry.. It will make the pain worse and last longer.. Scabs are still there.. Although I haven’t really been looking at them because my tongue is so swollen. It hurts so bad to talk and even if I do, no one can understand me so I’ve literally given up.. Also counting down until I can take my next dose.. I haven’t eaten at all today (day 5) which is not like me.. Hoping to have some better days soon
How have you got through day 5!!! It’s 3am and I can already feel it’s going to be a long day!! Any tips to keep me going? The pains just unreal at the moment!
Water, water, water!!! Trust me ik it hurts, but water has become my best friend esp for day 5. I’ve noticed Ice cold water makes it hurt worse, as a few days ago, it soothed it. Also pain meds, I’ve been alternating between ibuprofen 600mg and Vicodin every 3 hours. Also a warm shower did me wonders and I actually felt like I had some energy afterwards.
It’s 1:30am on the morning of day five and I can not sleep a wink!!! I am in exrutiating pain and am suffering so bad I cannot swallow without screwing my face up in pain and I have the worst smelling mouth!!!!!! Help?!
Hello Iwona D. I’m guessing we’re suffering on either side of the pond at the same time? The Tonsillectomy Diet – guaranteed to lose weight but also guaranteed not to catch on as the next big thing! From 220lbs I’m now at 212lbs, a puny loss of 8lbs to your 11!
I put that down to the minced fish, white rice and sweetcorn that last night man won, in the UK edition of man v food!
For the last 24 hours everything for me seems just a little better, still horrible but at least not getting worse. Another dreary dull day here – perfect for doing absolutely nothing, which I seem to becoming very good at. Take care Phil
My throat hurts really bad today and my ears are defiantly hurting!!! I’m holding off on the pain medication because it’s making me look cracked/messed out. A lot of stress on my body today; it’s just a bad day. I ate an avocado with honey and it was like the best thing for my body. Drinking lots of fluids, eating Jell-O, chicken broth, pom apple sauce. Pretty sure before surgery I was 174punds and I weighted myself today and I’m down to 163pounds. Holy Shit. My body is working so hard to heal my throat!!!! I’m lucky to have these awesome healing capabilities haha. My sister told my my breath is rancid.. sucks to me be. I looked into the back of my mouth and it looks like there are “pockets” like bilateral little “holding” SACS where my tonsils use to be. I’m so scared that after my recovery there just going to be there and making food get held there before I swallow. Like WTH.. I hope not. I’ve just been sleeping in my bed all day/night. Ready for tomorrow!! haha lates everyone.
First of all, hats off to you Greg for this site. I am a male Brit, approaching 47 years old. I’m day 5 after my op. Thought I would post for the benefit of UK readers. I was operated on in the UK at 2pm, discharged from hospital at 10am the next day with advice on pain relief and 7 days worth of co-amoxiclav to guard against infection. For pain relief, Days 2-3 were 2x500mg soluble paracetamol 4 times a day, 2x200mg ibuprofen 3 times a day. This is the max standard daily dose on both counts in UK. Overnight day 3 into day 4 was my lowest point so far, simply reduced to tears between doses as the relief wore off. Both throat and ears, horrible. On day 4 changed the para -only to soluble paracetamol-codeine 2x500mg para/30mg codeine, 4 times per day.(Codeine is available without prescription in the UK (unlike in the US the last time I was there (but this was some years ago and may have changed) I find it interesting looking at the drugs used in different countries posted around this site, in contrast to codeine that we in the UK can buy like sweets, half of what the US appears to be routinely taking is a mixed-up restricted class A drug in the UK.) Suggest to all in UK that you start with paracetamol-codeine – the extra relief, even if it’s only a few minutes, is worth the possible constipation!! Use soluble paras, the effects are quicker and it forces you to hydrate just that little bit more. Last night was still awful but slightly better, so I’ll celebrate a small win. On day 2 it took me 2 hours to eat 2 sloppy weetabix. Yesterday evening, end of day 4 I managed mash, baked beans and very minced beef. Felt really good for about an hour on the back of eating. Anything bland goes for me, liquidized or diluted. From the start I’ve been able to sleep in 2-4 hour bursts, the worst times for me are after waking. You force sips of water. Thankfully our weather is pretty benign this February-March and reasonably cold, just above freezing at night. I haven’t got a humidifier but do sleep with the window open. If you are going through this somewhere/sometime hotter or drier, I really feel for you. Had the joy of coughing up some blood today but not unduly worried – I’ll see how the day goes. I’m well aware that in my mid-40’s, my overall recovery time will not be in the teenage leagues, the flip side of which is that I’m old enough to patiently await my body sorting itself out. Talking remains difficult, posting this was easy! Good luck everyone.
Thank you Phil- and best of luck to you!
I am soooooooo not a happy camper. I wish that they just left my tonsils in.
I haven’t been able to sleep unless I’m sitting straight up, as my mouth fills with thick saliva and I can’t breathe at all. I thought I was doing great besides that, but no. The only thing that I was able to swallow I threw back up almost instantly, and it feels like I tried to swallow one of my scabs and it got stuck in my throat and chest, but both scabs are there and the feeling makes me want to throw up again.
I have tried this whole time to not complain, but today was the worst of all days. I’m exhausted, I’m out of pain meds, my stomach is turning, I can’t breathe, and I am still unable to swallow anything but chicken broth. ='(
Why can’t they keep us asleep when we are healing like this?
Ok rant over =)
Other than today it’s been normal =)
I’d recommend talking to your doctor about the nausea. You could be allergic to one of your meds if it occurs after you take them and if its not that, your doc can give you an anti nausea med. Something from home that helps with nausea is chewing on some ginger root. Don’t swallow it or anything just chew on it and let the juice drip down if you can. Also use ice packs around your jaw and ears that helped me with the swelling and pain. And then for not sleeping cause of the mucus or spit, I slept on my side with a towel on my pillow and an ice bag under my neck and my mouth open. Sure its not pretty but the spit just drains out and leaves you open to breathe. Hope this helps a bit
Day 5: Necessities; 1 – Humidifier, 2 – Crushed Ice (at all times), 3 – Chloraseptic Lozenges, 4 – REST (nap time). Make sure you are actually taking your pain meds when you’re suppose to because if you don’t then you’re going to be stressed out, and know this, the less pain you have the less stressed you are and the quicker you will heal. Chloraseptic lozenges actually numb your entire mouth, so this is good if you’ve already taken your pain meds and still have a slight pain. Day 5 has been a walk in the park, I woke up feeling like death (which is expected) but once I took my prescribed dose of roxicet and popped a Chloraseptic lozenge I was squared away. I try not to think about what the inside of my mouth looks like because I know if I do I’m going to find something in there to freak out about. I’ve had jello and oatmeal already today (with ease) and I plan on having some sauceless tortellini for a late lunch (which I had for dinner last night).
Day 5! 28/f What a start to day 5! The pain is intense. My heating pad is my best friend today! I finally ate some mashed potatoes last night and I think thats whats causing all my pain today. Would love to be taking pain meds every 2 hour, just trying to get through the other 2 hours I have left! Im still only sleepin 1- 1 1 /2 hrs at a time… starting to get hungry sleepy and just plain sick of being sick! Hope I feel better soon. Im drink what I was told to drink. Wish the swelling in my tongue an jaw would stop hurting!
I am feeling the same exact way…this sucks. I keep having little coughing spells that wake me up as if I am choking then of course turns into coughing…I’ve been having trouble drinking water anything for that matter. I have just prolly should be getting more. What’s the heating pad for? First time I heard about that… I’m Just ready for this pain to be over with!!
Hello I was wondering about the coughing :/ I’ll fall asleep for a few then get this dried feeling in my throat (and it’s not dry) and start coughing. I assume it’s the scabs healing but it rough because its making the pain worse
The best that can be said for day 5 was that the pain didn’t get appreciably worse. The drugs are definitely making a difference, and they seem to be relieving pain from about 40 mins after I take them to about 4 hours after. I suppose that means that for 3h20 in every 6 hour cycle, the pain is relieved. I tried switching from codeine to dihydrocodeine in the hopes of a better effect. However I found that an hour after the dose I felt nauseous. It passed pretty quickly, but after the second dose the nausea lasted a good 2-3 hours. I’ve always been surprised to read of people suffering nausea from painkillers as it’s never happened to me before, so this was something of a shock. I can’t say whether the dihydrocodeine worked any better than the codeine, but I’m back on codeine for now. The dose is still small (16mg every 6 hours), and if I could go back 2 days I’d have upped it to 38mg (I have 8’s and 30’s, the latter prescribed when I had a peritonsillar abscess and which made not the slightest difference at the time, so I can reliably say that this pain really is not as bad as that was). I guess that’s the best indicator that things are taking a turn for the better (now, on day 6) , that I’m not preoccupied with improving the painkillers. On the other hand, there’s no point in putting myself through unnecessary pain, so I may yet go for the 38mg. Will have to wait and see. Eating and drinking have become a bit of a trial, and despite doing both almost normally until the morning of day 5, it took a real effort to psych myself up for lunch (at 3pm), and then couldn’t face swallowing down dinner at all. So dinner on Day 5 was the first time since the op that I was unable to eat. Whether that’s because the pain was worse or because I had had enough of it, is hard to say. In terms of liquids, I’ve been drinking 3 pints of water a day, which is what the consultant recommended, and more than half of that is merely the collateral damage of having to swallow 20 pills a day. I’ve also had a pint of milky coffee (mainly milk with a couple of shots of espresso) each morning, which helps keep me going but I don’t count as part of my liquid intake because of the diuretic effect of caffeine. Strange observation of the day: despite essentially eating normally, and probably taking in more calories than normal due to my choice of food, I’ve lost 4lbs in just over 4 days. I was expecting to be about level, or at most to have lost a pound, so I was pretty surprised. One more pound (which looks to be guaranteed in the next 10 days) and I’ll be lighter than I’ve been any time in the last 5 years. Night 5 was not too bad. I did wake up in discomfort, so spent the hours of 4am and 6am sitting up in bed reading, but it didn’t seem as awful as the night before. That was a long post, but in summary I think the corner may just about be turning. I hope so anyway…
I thought the last few days were bad! Day 5 and the pain just got 10X worse. I can barely talk or eat. I’ve managed to get down several things in the past few days, poptarts, potato salad, even a soft taco! But today, the thought of any of those things in my throat make me sick! Day 3 I woke up naseous because I had so much blood in my stomach from the surgery. ( I also had a balloon sinuplasty; sinus surgery) so I threw up on day 3 ( AWFUL) but since then I haven’t been naseauated, thank goodness.
I had the same surgery 5 days ago. I could eat some before but today I am nauseous from Nasal drainage. When did your scabs come off? Was it bad?
DAY FIVE – Hell On Earth
I am dying…NOTHING can hurt this bad and NOT be killing me, right?!?! Oh my gawd. I’ve had three children and can honestly say that labor and delivery (even before the epidural) did not hurt this intensely – and recovery was a walk in the park compared to this! I just took a nap – I think that was my mistake. I only slept for four hours (that’s the longest I have slept since the surgery) but my throat feels like someone replaced the flesh with sandpaper. It hurts to BREATH because AIR has to touch my throat!!!!!!!
On Friday I had my tonsils removed, a repeat turbinate reduction, and a balloon sinuplasty (sinus surgery). I spent the night in the hospital because I was vomiting, my pain was not controlled with oral medications (I was on IV morphine in addition to my Lortab elixir – I also had IV promethezine for nausea), there was excess bleeding from the sinus surgery, and my anxiety was off the charts (I have a panic disorder, so I knew that would be an issue – I needed IV Ativan in addition to my oral Xanax several times). I was in pretty bad pain on Friday through Sunday, but I started talking in a {{louder}} whisper on Monday and Tuesday – I even used a “normal” voice a few times. This is WORSE than Friday. They should just schedule patients to come BACK into the hospital on Day Five to go back on IV pain meds.
I have a few questions:
– Is it normal to feel like I have been hit in the jaw by Mike Tyson? My chin hurts all the way around, which I don’t understand. I get that my JAW would hurt on the sides, but I can’t even touch the skin on the front of my chin.
– When will my EARS stop feeling like someone stuck a Q-tip dipped in fire all the way in and when will they stop feeling like they need to POP? I can’t even yawn to try to get them to pop because yawning makes my throat hurt so bad that I start blacking out.
– Has anyone else had these sinus surgeries with a tonsillectomy and, if so, does this add additional recovery time? I WILL say that I have to blow my nose (a lot) because of the sinus surgeries (I am supposed to use Afrin every two hours and that is making my nose drip even worse) and I am not supposed to swallow all that snot (I’ve had to cough it up a few times – I thought I was going to pass out). I know that nose blowing and coughing to bring up phlegm are no-no’s with a tonsillectomy, but I have no choice. Any suggestions?
– When will I be able to TALK again?!?!?!
On top of everything else, my husband is at work and it is a snow day, so my kids are home. I feel like the worst mother in the world because there is NO WAY I can do anything for them…I have to write what I want to say on a white board (thankfully my six year old is a great reader!). My oldest is almost 13, so he is taking care of his 10 yr old and 6 yr old sisters for me – that child is earning some major Mom-points today. They are all wonderful about getting me drinks and translating what I need to say on the phone, but I wish I could take them outside to play in the snow {sad Momma}.
Hello everyone and thank you for sharing your experience. It’s incredible help to vent and relate to people in exact situation. Today is my day 5 post op. and I feel very discouraged because it is absolutely the worst day pain wise. I drink a lot, but that’s about it. Can’t eat anything, even Jello seems to firm and causes pain to slide it down my throat. I am on pain medication- narcotics. And I read a lot about people taking antibiotics. I wasn’t prescribed any antibiotics. Should I ask my doctor for it? Would it speed up my recovery?
Ellie, the antibiotics won’t speed up your recovery I don’t think, more to prevent an infection. My doc prescribed them to me. Day 5 was bad for me too….hang in there and eat what you can. Have you tried things like mashed potatoes, thick soup, or applesauce? They worked well for me in the early days post op. Also, frozen banana slices felt good going down. I keep the ice packs on my neck before and after eating which helped a ton with the pain. Hang in there….hope you start feeling better soon!
Sylvia, thank you so much for responding. Thanks for the info on antibiotics. I iced my throat before trying to eat, andI did eat chicken noodle soup today, it tasted like the best thingI’ve ever had, and I had to take meds right after I ate to calm down the soreness. Thanks for the tip!!!
You’re sure welcome Ellie, and hope you have smooth sailing from here! I’m on day 12 and feel almost normal now. Just taking the occasional Tylenol, and it hurts a bit when swallowing still, but I’m mostly back to eating my normal diet now. You’ll get there!
Hi I am also on day 5 the pain is unbearable, I was better on day 1 and 2 . yesterday, day 4 I had to go to my gp to ask for stronger painkillers, he refused to give me any saying the one I have codeine 30mg and soluble paracetamol are enough he gave antibiotics though saying that it might be infected. So I hope you go see your gp and ask for antibiotic, I hope this pain goes away right now I can’t sleep because of pain and I decided to take ibuprofen I don’t know why coz a lot of articles and columns are saying it causing bleeding. I just want the pain to go.
I keep on choking on a kind of yellowy mucus in my sleep. This day so far has been the worst..
I keep chocking too, but on the hangy thing in my throat bc it’s huge and swollen. I havent had mucus, but its bc i have been staying away fro dairy. Only eating ramon noodles and lipton chicken noodle soup. Are you able to speak much or have you been speaking? I tried yesterday and today and only can for a little bit or it gets worse. Hang in there and hope you feel better!
Day 5….sucks! The pain medication seems to no longer work. I’m taking Lortab every 4 hours but it seems to wear off an hour before the next dose. Yesterday (day 4) was my 31st Birthday! Happy Birthday to me. I was able to stomach a little bit of carvel ice cream cake but the pain associated with swallowing was horrific. It feels as if there are knives stabbing the back of my throat constantly. I also have this feeling of something being “stuck.” Like a rock in my throat. I keep swallowing thinking it will go away, but the pain increases every time I do. I gave up on trying to get rid of the invisible rock. I have those beautiful white patches everyone is talking about and the taste associated with them is anything but pleasent. I have been drinking tons of ice water but today I longed for something with flavor. I attempted to drink a small cup of coke to help soothe an upset stomach and that was a terrible mistake. It left an even worse tate in my mouth. I’ve also been having a problem with noise levels. I don’t know if it’s because of the pain in my ears but every little noise just makes me want to break down. Anyone else have this problem? I really hope that some relief is in my future….
This birthday is the gateway to a better life. Soon you will celebrate it. Hang in there!
I’m on day 5 as well and feel like I have something stuck in my throat and I’m chocking. Have you tied talking? I did today and now I’m paying for it. When I talk I feel like I sound like I have a speech impediment and My voice is really low. Also can’t taste anything! Hangin there. Hopefully by the weekend we will both be feeling better!
Hi!
Yesterday was day 5, and about the worst day so far… I didn’t have any pain in day 1 to 4 and I had hoped to get out of this recovery without pain, but that was wish full thinking
I started having throat pain at the evening of day 4, had a pretty much sleepless night, and was counting down minutes to take the next round of pain meds. But then at about 8 pm (evening of day 5), all of a sudden all pain dropped for about an hour or two (weirdest thing ever!) but I used this time to eat enough to get trough the night. And good thing i did, cause afterwards, the pain returned, but it wasn’t that bad as it was before… maybe a piece of scab came off? I don’t know Anyhow, it was still the most painful day, but reading other peoples posts, I should still be happy not to be in that much pain i guess…
Oh, and something else, i noticed that food is getting stuck in the holes where the tonsils used to be, and I’m not getting it out… Tried to gargle and get it out with cotton buds, but that did just didn’t work… Anybody else having the same problem? Some solutions?
Hi all,
I am on day five a still feeling absolutely dreadful. The most irritating thing is that I cannot for the life of me open my mouth more than about a cm. it is impossible it will
NOT go any wider anyone else had this?
I am also on day five cannot open my mouth either I’m starving want to eat I feel like I’m getting worse! Called the doc to get more medicine cause pain is so bad I can’t sleep Tylenol wasn’t cutting it lol
My day 5 has been a bit of a mix really. I woke up at 5 am coughing a lot and my ears were absolutely killing me i fell back asleep only to wake back up at 6 so i had some ice and went back to bed. I slept in till half 10 and got up took my pain meds and just lay in bed for most of the day. Taking my meds on time. My ears were constantly sore today the pain meds didn’t help much atall for that, so ive had cotton wool in them which is helping a little. My throat has been spotting blood today which i assume is the scabs? Its pretty sore, especially when i drink some water it stings like hell. It’s like when you cut yourself with a razor and then rinse it. I decided to go for a hot shower and it felt amazing but when i got out my throat was extremely dry, i’m assuming because of the steam. About an hour after my shower i felt great i had a little dinner, potatoes veg and yorkshire pudding i couldn’t manage the meat but i done the best i could and then i had some jelly afterwards. My throat felt a little better and i could talk a little where as earlier in the day i couldn’t speak at all and i even felt a little happier. The past few days i’ve been crying a lot because i’ve felt like poo its not just the pain it’s everything just getting to me, i’m sure im not the only one who has felt like this after a tonsillectomy. It was a nice change to just feel a little better within myself emotionally as well as physically. My throat started hurting a little again later in the night and my ears are still really sore. It’s now 3 am and im hoping to head to bed soon just waiting on my meds to kick in so i can hopefully get a few hours sleep before it all starts again tomorrow. Hopefully day 6 will be better than day 5
My day 5 has been horrid. I woke up with a very sore throat, has some medication and was alright. Had half an up and go for brekky and it still hurt swallowing. I slept for half the day again and woke up feeling sick. I had some food and now I feel worse. I hope all this pain ends soon. This is so frustrating!
Heather, I can relate so well to where you now are. I am coming up on 4 weeks post op and have come so far! Days 4-10 were probably the absolute worst for me, and my dr office is about 2 hours away. I did have to get a refill on my roxicet around day 7. My prescription was for 10ml every 6 hours to begin with and it was changed to 10 ml every 4 hours around day 5. When I was in really bad pain I took 5ml every 2 hours ( at least during the day). I ate very little for 10 days, but made sure to get my body protien to help it heal. I mixed the roxicet with about 8oz of chocolate ensure and drank ice cold water as needed to wash it down. For breakfast everyday I would make a smoothie, strawberry bananna was best but you have to watch out for the strawberry seeds. I have a bullet that u got just for this, and would fill it with diced fruit then add apple juice mix and pour into a 20oz glass. There was always some left in the mixer so I would add a scoop of unjury vanilla protien powder ice and a little more apple juice (the vanilla made it creamy an ice made it much colder). I stayed with ice bags around my throat, slept on a 12 inch wedge pillow on my side, and kept ice cold water or juice near at all times. My husband would also make slushies out of whatever drink i wanted and ice. This let me get small pieces back where it made a difference and it felt sooooooo good!
Day 10 was my miracle day. I remember breaking down in day 9 thinking it would never end, and it was like magic the afternoon of day 10. All of a sudden I wasn’t in much pain an wanted food. Took me 4 hours to eat a can of soup, but that was my downhill slide moment ? it has gotten so much better every day since!
You are 1/2 way thru the worst of it, and you can do it!
Oh, and keep that humidifier running top speed 24/7. It’s amazing how much it helps pain!
Today is day 5 of my recovery, I do believe the pain was as bad today as it was the first day if not worse. After surgery I was prescribed Lortab elixir and for the first 24 hours I was in severe pain, it did not help at all. I felt relief for maybe an hour and then I was in agony while I waited for time to take the next dose. I contacted my doctor and he switched me to Roxicet elixir and I thought I was in heaven!! It took care of my pain SO much better than the other. Pain was much more tolerable for the next few days, except once I was about 30 minutes late for my dose because I wouldn’t wake up for the alarm. That was unbearable. Also I haven’t been sleeping hardly at all because when I do my mouth dries out really bad and when I wake up I am in a lot of pain. On day 3 I threw up, I was very scared because I knew it was going to happen and I was worried that it was going to hurt or that my scabs would come off, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I braced myself for. I felt better afterwards too. I have been taking some promethezine to keep from having nausea with the pain meds. For some reason today my pain levels are about back to the first day when I was on the Lortab. I am dying for about an hour or two waiting for my next dose and I am also very worried because my script for the Roxicet is going to run out in about 8 doses and I am no where near ready to be off of it. I think the dr will probably give me a refill, but of course you have to have a hand written script and the office is about an hour from my house So I am really wondering why the pain seems to be so much worse today, or maybe I have developed a tolerance for the pain meds? I really hope this is the “worst” and maybe it had to get worse before it will get better. I have not been able to eat hardly anything. Basically just popsicles, gatorade and ice cream. I have tried mashed potatoes and a couple of different broths and soups, but everything seems to leave me in pain. I feel like I am starving and all I think of is food. As much asI thought I psyched myself up for this being really hard to deal with, I think it is much much worse than I ever expected.
Heather, I can relate so well to where you now are. I am coming up on 4 weeks post op and have come so far! Days 4-10 were probably the absolute worst for me, and my dr office is about 2 hours away. I did have to get a refill on my roxicet around day 7. My prescription was for 10ml every 6 hours to begin with and it was changed to 10 ml every 4 hours around day 5. When I was in really bad pain I took 5ml every 2 hours ( at least during the day). I ate very little for 10 days, but made sure to get my body protien to help it heal. I mixed the roxicet with about 8oz of chocolate ensure and drank ice cold water as needed to wash it down. For breakfast everyday I would make a smoothie, strawberry bananna was best but you have to watch out for the strawberry seeds. I have a bullet that u got just for this, and would fill it with diced fruit then add apple juice mix and pour into a 20oz glass. There was always some left in the mixer so I would add a scoop of unjury vanilla protien powder ice and a little more apple juice (the vanilla made it creamy an ice made it much colder). I stayed with ice bags around my throat, slept on a 12 inch wedge pillow on my side, and kept ice cold water or juice near at all times. My husband would also make slushies out of whatever drink i wanted and ice. This let me get small pieces back where it made a difference and it felt sooooooo good!
Day 10 was my miracle day. I remember breaking down in day 9 thinking it would never end, and it was like magic the afternoon of day 10. All of a sudden I wasn’t in much pain an wanted food. Took me 4 hours to eat a can of soup, but that was my downhill slide moment ? it has gotten so much better every day since!
You are 1/2 way thru the worst of it, and you can do it!
Oh, and keep that humidifier running top speed 24/7. It’s amazing how much it helps pain!
I have just begun day 5 and to me has been my best day yet since the surgery! Last night i cant lie, i did have massive pain in my right ear but taking my meds put me back to sleep for 6 hours. Waking up was okay. except for the disgusting saliva and taste in my mouth. I haven’t eaten anything really since the day before my surgery. IM STARVING!! plus ive lost 6 pounds in 4 days! but I have been drinking fluids, although the pain was excruciating. Today i plan on trying to eat something to get this taste out of my mouth!
Day 5:
So in my day 4 post, I wrote that I was having a really good day, pain wise. And I was. However, those mere twenty-four hours of heaven led to many hours of hell the next day. I woke up with a very sore throat, but I’ve sort of come to expect that nowadays. I’ve been trying to stay off of the liquid vicodin completely, but today the advil just wasn’t doing it for me. I decided that from now on I’m just gonna take a dose right after I wake up (when the pain is the worst) and right before I go to bed (to help me sleep).
Stupid me seems to think that just because the vicodin makes me high off my butt and feel amazing, I’m actually getting better at a much more rapid pace. So, because the vicodin had just taken full effect and I was feeling good, I decided I would eat an apple with peanut butter. STUPID MISTAKE. Very, very bad. The apple was fine at first, but then started scraping my throat, which obviously hurt. A lot. So I stopped eating the apple, but I still had peanut butter left, so I decided to eat that by itself. Stupid mistake, AGAIN. The peanut butter got stuck to the tonsil beds… or what’s left of them. I tried for about an hour to just suck the peanut butter off, to no avail. I finally had to brush my teeth very carefully and gargle. It was horrible.
Needless to say, I’m back on my squishy food diet for awhile.
Hopefully tomorrow is better, considering it’s Christmas.
I am on day 5 of recovery. My throat pain is really not that bad. However my legs are killing me . They are sore and feel bruised in many places and I get slight tingling sensations. I have tried to get up and move around each day but I wonder if this is from laying in bed too long . Any advice???
Well today is day 5 and today I feel a lot better still hurts to eat but I do it because I love food more than pain.. Lol but I had some dressing and it was awesome.. But my ears and my gland area hurt today trying Tylenol more than Percocet because I have to Try to go back to work Thursday so seeing how that goes because I don’t think you want me working on your teeth with me high on Percocet lol.. But so far the only pain is sometimes at night I can’t breathe through my nose very good so I breathe through my mouth so I wake up and my mouth and lips are dry and have to get water.. It just really hurts to swallow more than anything and talking makes it worse.. But other than that I’m doing good
Day 5 – Merry Christmas! I actually slept last night…. a good 5 hours without waking and a total of 8 hours. Unfortunately, that was 8 hours with no meds! OMG! I’ve been hearing about the pain but I’ve stayed ahead of it until this morning. I’m talking delirious pain. The kind that makes it seem like you’re hallucinating.
Anyway… got the meds in and I’m Ok. The key is drugs people… good stuff and lots of them! I see my primary physician on Thursday for a follow up and them the ENT next week for the results of the biopsies. Then it’s 2 months of radiation and chemo followed by more surgery. Thank goodness for pain meds!
Mark, YOUR ATTITUDE INSPIRES ME! I agree about the pain meds- just watch out for nausea and constipation(That’s the downside) Your Doc can prescribe something for both. hang in there.
Merry Christmas to you!
Thanks Greg…
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you handle it” Charles Swindoll
There are so many things that are out of my control right now but my attitude is not one of them. It’s a heck of a day to have this hit me upside the head after 4 days of seemingly smooth sailing. My gf is making a homemade potato and cheese soup which will be like manna even at room temp ?
I’m good with the nausea, no problem there and I’ve been taking an OTC stool softener so I’m doing ok.
Merry Christmas to you too!
As day 5 comes to a close, it’s been an interesting day.
After just a few hours sleep last night I wome up feeling a little sore, but good. After my morning Meds kicked in I actually made it to the shower (felt like heaven) and used toothpaste to brush my teeth (big mistake). I ended up havin and coughing uncontrollably. I was scared I did something to the scabs, but in the end it all looked like the mucus that’s been driving me CRAZY for the past several days. Total bright side is I am breathing ALOT easier and I’m not coughing nearly enough.
I was so worn out from getting ready, I had to take a nap for awhile. Went to my InLaws to watch all the kids with gifts and found myself talking (although in a whisper it was to much). I was also able to eat a little food for the first time: a spoon of mashed potatoes and gravy, a spoon on mashed sweet potatoes, the inside of a deviled egg, and a tiny sliver of pumpkin pie with whip cream. Absolutely tastes wonderful! I must have had 40oz of water getting it down, but I did it.
More pain Meds after we got back home, and now I’m thinking either day 6 pain is comming, or I way over did it with the food, whispering, and coughing. My pain is ramping up again and I’m finding myself watching the clock an hour after my Meds.
Refilling my humidifier, grabbing my ice packs, fresh ice water, and another dose of Meds. Gonna attempt bed and see how it goes.
Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and is able to enjoy the holiday despite the pain
This is Dec. 23. I am age 8. The pain!!!!!!!!. I went into this strange room and there were a bunch of doctors in the room. Next thing I know I’m asleep. Then the PAIN!!!!!!!!! Anyway I had to stay in the hospital for 3 days or maybe 4. Then I could finally go home. I was so happy. But when I got home, then my throat had so much PAIN! That went on for 4 days. But on the 5th day my jaw started to hurt more then anything. All night it hurt even more then the surgery. The same in the morning. Then during the day my neck started hurting!!!!. Its the 5th day and what’s hurting now is my whole neck.
Day 5 was tough but 4 was tougher. The nausea is the worst and the only solid thing I can eat is mashed potatoes. My husband called the doc today and got some snit nausea meds – GOD SEND! It’s is why day 5 is better than 4. Now I can eat without feeling like m gonna lose my stomach. Now the worst is ear and throbbing head pain and forget talking – I sound lime that guy from Silence of the Lambs “it puts the lotion on its back” LOL – they can’t take my sense of humor
Cracking me up Brigette- try chewing sugarless gum for that ear pain.
Ah. Thank you. It’s in my tonsillectomy toolkit, I forgot :-). Also reading back on my earlier post, proof you shouldn’t lortab and text. I had all kinds of typos. Who was that? Sweet dreams all!
I’m in early morning of day 5, and early morning every morning sucks! You finally think you’re getting a good nights sleep and then you pay for it afterward! I must admit, following everyone’s advice has led to a somewhat bearable recovery thus far. LOTS of water, eating whatever I can when I take meds has prevented nausea, have a humidifier next to me at all times, on and off peas on the neck, and of course, keeping up with the pain medication.
So far, the ear pain has just set in on days 3-5, I’ve heard that day 5 is when you start to lose the scabs, which is what I’m the most scared of after reading all the bloody horror stories! Fortunately, my doctor said I didn’t even bleed during surgery (which apparently is rare) so I’m hoping the same will be the case after the fact.Today I actually showered (wohoo!) did a little cleaning, and plan on attempting to run out to the store (with a driver, of course). It’s been wonderful reading about people who are experiencing the same things I have. Hang in there!
sooo…today is day 5 and stilk going strong…what have you been eating? I got salted potato chips…jellytots and coke in the hospital…been eating mcdonalds….kfc….chicken…potatos…Biltong…flings…jelly…custard…corn…meat pies…drinking coke. Never hungry and feeling gr8. Its very sore…not gona lie but never unbarable. Sleeping with humidifier in room and that helps alot. Staying on top of my meds. Good luck to evryone els.
Day 5 was a definite low point! Days 1 and 2 were completely bearable and I was wondering what the fuss was all about. Days 3 and 4 very dull achey horrible pains everywhere, jaw and teeth pain unbearable.
Day 5- oh god!!! I think it was the scabs maybe? Something felt HORRIFIC every hour or so. Like pain I’ve never felt before. Now going into day 6 I can feel myself swallowing bits of scab and its making me feel extremely nauseous.
Diet wise I’ve eaten exact same as usual but a lot more rough food, dr recommended toast cereal and crisps so got some of that down each day.
Really hoping worst is over!
Had operation on Wednesday. Feeling okay today. Wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone tho. I have stopped taking the meds I was given from hospital as the codeine was knocking me out! I would advise puttin powder front a paracetamol and codeine over the counter tab into water it works the same. Only things I’ve eaten are trifle mmmmmmmm and I am now swearing by cola ice pops. I had to go to a&e on Friday as I couldn’t swallow so I urge you all to try and drink cos sitting in a&e waiting 7hrs for a drip is not fun. Andddddd be positive remember the reason you had the operation in the first place…saying this I will probs persuade people till the day I die not to have the operation lol. Keep smiling..
OMG! OMG! OMG! Worst day ever!!! Woke up 5am — razor blades, blood taste, ouch! Looked with flashlight, and could see a tiny bit of scab gone on one side. Sucked some ice chips, gargled with cold water, more ice chips. Went back to sleep after I thought it stopped. Woke up an hour later with blood in my mouth. Looked with flashlight, and entire side of throat was bloody!!! Called the doc, who saw me immediately. He suctioned out all the blood and then cauterized it — several times because it would not stop bleeding. OUCH!!! I am in such pain!!! And now I have ear pain, which I did not have before the cauterization. Also, my neck is swollen on that side again (after it had finally gone down). I am putting ice packs on it, which eases it a bit. Doc said to gargle with ice-cold water w/ 1 tbsp hydrogen peroxide mixed in if it bleeds again, and call back because I might have to go to surgery. God, I hope this gets better soon, and that today’s episode did not add to my recovery time.. Other scabs are looking grosser or ready to fall off, and there is a terrible taste and smell that I did not have before. Also, I keep burping, and it tastes of burnt flesh — OMG soooooo gross I could puke!!! Lots of mucus today, too, and the pain is about 9/10 (on meds!!!). Please tell me this is the worst day of them all, and tomorrow will be better…
Yes, my throat is under too much pain!!!! Every time I take the Hydrocone medication, it goes up my nose and it lingers for a few seconds in my upper throat. It like having a terrible shot of pure tequila. YUCK!!! Today, has been very painful. It feels like the pain is worse than the first few days after the surgery. Everyone told me that the tonsillectomy was easy to recover from, especially for children. I beg to disagree! It is very painful. It almost like you are in a nightmare that you can’t wake up from. I have had strep throat and other throat problems. I think the pain from the tonsillectomy is a little more than this. To deal with the pain, I make sure I keep up with the medication every 4 hours. I even log in the hour I take the medication. It is almost 4 hours exactly. Throughout the day, I have been gargling with warm salt water to help kill all the bacteria that is up in the end of my mouth. Every time I look in the back of my mouth with a flashlight, it looks very scary. It appears like there is puss, green, whitish stuff. It looks nasty and scary. Luckily, I have not had any ear pain. Last night, the pain woke me up or the snoring woke me up. Ice cream is really good to my throat. For the last couple of days, I have had a limited amount of food. It is excruciating to swallow, even water! From reading other people’s postings, I notice that some have had worst experiences on Day 5 or 6. Some say of ear pain, throwing up, bleeding, etc. I have not had any of this. However, my scabs have not fallen off. This will probably be on Day 8 or 9. By this time, I’ll be at work. I hope the stress at work will not slow down my recovery.
Day 5: It was such an easy ride until this morning. now my ears r like wooooahhhhh. Not looking foward to the next couple of days
Day 5 for me…. ouch. Tolerable if I keep up on meds every four hours with a small dose in the middle at 2 hour mark. Been boiling carrots and cauliflower and fish and mashing it together with ranch and garlic… easy to squeeze down and nutritious to help healing…. protein is very important to help with healing this. Also eggs are very easy to eat…. not scrambled just over medium or poached slide down nicely. Smoothies made with fresh fruits ice and yogurt or sherbet arealso awesome. It is good if you can get some bread or some roughage down to help shed the scanning. My doc said it is fine to eat pretty normally helps you heal faster if you are getting the nutrients your body needs to do so. I also put a scoop of slim fast mix in the Smoothies for that Boost of nutrition. This surgery sucks but if you eat right and stay on top of your meds and get enough rest…. with a humidifier…. it helps.
Trying to wean the percocets down to one every 4 hours. Swallowing hurts a little more but I’m trying to manage that with drinking. Not very hungry today. I’m kind of disappointed the pain hasn’t decreased but it hasn’t gotten worse so no complaints. I’ve dropped 7 lbs in 4 days.
Still not having fun and it is day 5 (including day of operation.) I’m allergic to pain meds except Paracetamol. 38 years old, female.
Pain not so prominent right after taking my Paracetamol/Tylenol, and the ‘barrier’ of phlegm in my throat has subsided I think. Apart from that last night was more rough, I awoke multiple times either by drooling, feeling pain or my own snoring, non of the which are pleasant to wake up to. Not much ear pain today. I just wish I could be at work like normal people, but I guess I should be happy that I haven’t bled to death yet..
Not so happy stuff from today:
My breath absolutely stinks, it’s worse than anyone can imagine
I have developed an incredibly annoying dry cough, I need something in my mouth at all times or I’ll cough and get scared of bleeding
Everything in my mouth is still very swollen, I can not lay down flat yet or I won’t be able to breathe
Nauseous and not hungry today which is weird since I’m not on opiates and not in ketosis..
Had to sneeze for the first time today – extremely painful
My voice is even worse, it is starting to scare me since I live off of being able to speak…
I actually have 3 coworkers come to my house tomorrow to work on something all day. Man how I regret saying that it wouldn’t be a problem, but who knew 6 days after the operation that I wouldn’t be able to sleep or talk? Too late to cancel now.
My big motto these days are one hour at a time, just count down the miserable hours until day 10!
Day 5: waking up this morning around 8am because the pain was prominent but after taking my Co-dydramyol which has eased the suffering i feel fine. it has be harder to eat today but i am taking nutritional shakes which has elevated any hunger and stopped any nausea. Also keeping my water intake to 2.5L a day has made me feel completely normal. The only thing that has made me feel lethargic is the Co-dydramyol. I have managed to feel normal through my dietary intake through a nutritional shake that i am taking. If you would like to learn more feel free to contact me on aaron@fitstartuk.com
I just started day 5 and for the most part I have to say, it sucks! I thought yesterday was bad, I lied, my ears were hurting soooo bad, but today my throat is like raw feeling, idk if it’s normal but it was like this yesterday too but not on both sides like today. My ears are still kinda hurting and I can only open my mouth just barely enough to get a spoon in, not that it matters cuz i haven’t been able to eat in 4 days I’ve lost 21lbs n i try drinking when I can but that’s even a chore, takin my meds is a chore! I thank one of my scabs fell off too early, cuz i saw something in the sink when i was spitting out my saliva cuz i cant swallow that either, n it was like a greenish slimey lookin thing so I’m assuming scab but that was the 3rd day so I think too early. I take liquid Hydrocodone which in my book sucks, n it burns like hell, plus I jus had to get the bottle refilled n there was 200ml in it so yea, the pain is horrible can’t even wait the full 4 hrs all the time, i tried today tho. But I’m hoping this ends soon, im so hungry and Omg would I love to drink some brisk tea, Mmmm plz make it all jus stop!
I also have a cough that started today n man does that hurt n suck as well!
I’m on day 5, it almost seems like its getting worse. The first few days i would take like 1 pain pill every 8 hrs or as pain spiked, talking was easy. Now i HAVE to take 2 pills every 4 hrs or else i cant even think. I tried some frozen apple sauce, and mashed avacado today to help keep the pain pills down. Considering going back to sleep which i can do just fine but the pain wakes me when the pills wear off
My surgeon said this would be the worst day, so I woke up bracing for it. My boyfriend set up my humidifier with a funnel made out of a trisket box so all of the water vapor blew right on my face. It was the best I’d slept since the surgery. I’d wake up every two hours for pain meds with my face soaked– I kept thinking it was snot or drool but it was just the vapor. When I would have that first post-sleep drink (usually the worst pain ever) it just plain hurt really, really bad. But, it didn’t make me consider murdering an innocent child if it would stop the pain. That’s progress! I backed a little off the pain meds today… tried to just push as much water as possible. I think I’m a bit over 3 gallons now. I pee every thirty minutes. Drinking water is now an activity for me. I sat out on the deck and drank water for 45 minutes today.
Went for another walk this morning. We sat outside the coffee shop (Daniel with his coffee, me with a tea latte) and he FaceTimed with his parents in Crotia. It was exciting to see the people go by. But, I think my hearing is off. All the sounds were coming from the wrong places and I fell asleep with my head on the table.
I mixed some chalky metamucil in with water today and gulped it down. I pooped for the first time since Wednesday a few hours later. I then announced it over g-chat to Daniel who was sitting right next to me. It was a glorious moment.
I want these scabs to fall off asap. Ate some avocado slices and they got stuck on my scabs– grossorz. I’ve been trying to gargle salt water to clean them up, but they’re still greenish. My right side hurts more than my left.
wow, u reading this just made me laugh so hard, it hurt of course!
*ME reading this…
Day 5 after op: woke up early (4 am) with the normal pain in the throat – immediately took a sip of water before taking my usual Stilpane tabs (which really helped). After it kicked in ready for porridge (mealy meal) which I could almost drink. Then the usual antibiotics (Augmentin 1000 x2), so big that I need to break in half to swallow. Further the same process awaits – fluid till dinner (maybe without Stilpane, which I will take 1 hour before dinner)
I just finished day 5 postop, and i think i am on the mend. So far day 3 was the worst for me, since then each day has been better. There is still some soreness and ear pain, but i am taking the pain meds about twice a day, only when needed. I actually ate some toast (barely crunchy, but still toast!) today, and am excited to be done with soft foods soon. The bad breath is horrible, and i still sound odd talkng. I actually cannot talk for very long without building up a ton of phlegm and coughing/gagging, which concerns me more than anything else. my uvula feels huge, sometimes i think it is touching mu tongue and i freak out a bit.
I am on Day 5: The taste in my mouth is aweful. I am not having to take pain meds as often but I am still on the antibotics 3x a day. I find myself spitting up muscus is this good or not?
I’m currently on day 14/15 now and feel so much better with only a small amount of pain ? Having my tonsils out was so hard to deal with the pain! I was taking voltarol 50mg x3 times a day, Tramadol 50mg x3 Times a day and paracetamol x4 times a day! This helped a little, but what I found the best was the dispersible voltarol and ANADIN EXTRA!! This saved my life and actually gave me time to rest with no pain!! I would recommend everyone to use Anadinf extra instead of paracetamol! Good luck guys!
its day 5- omg im in so much pain, i cant stop crying but yet it hurts so much to cry, ive woken up at 5 am and i cant take my meds!! i cant swallow because my water feels like acid on my throat, im just getting waves off pain going through my ears and throat, my ears are terrible! wont stop ringing, yesterday was the best i was feeling okay! and now this! i dont know how to cope anymore, theese 5 days have dragged so much i just dont know what to do:( i wish i could sleep until i was completely out of pain!
I am right there with you. I am day 5. I actually ended up in the hospital on day 3 and found out I had bilateral pneumonia. So in the hospital for 2 days on IV antibiotics and tonsillectomy. i wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy! I am miserable. Sick to my stomach from pain meds. My ears are killing me. I have tried every soft piece of food I could think of but gave up because i feel like food is getting stuck in my throat so I gave up. Just chewing ice! I can’t stop crying. This is by far the worst thing I have EVER been through in my life. I can only pray tomorrow will be better!!!
Day 5 is almost over thank God. I’m 39 and almost out of liquid pain meds which apparently I took too much of because the nazi on call clown Dr wouldnt call in any more until I see my surgeon monday. Since tonight is sat I’m in a bit of a pickle. I pray this ends soon as I can only take so much more. Much worse in the mornings, can”t eat, but at least am drinking tons of fluids which is definately my suggestion to anyone unfortunate enough to have to endure this recovery. We’re all in the same boat though, and hopefully in a week or 2 we can look back and be gratefull for our new found freedoms from throat disease and sleep disorders. I was told days 4 and 5 are the worst so hopefully we’re on the downslide. We’ll see tomorrow… good luck and peace to all
Ok, so the last 4 days were quite plain-sailing and I was able to eat toasts, crackers, ice lollies and anything i felt…. Today I’m feeling the pain of those 4 days combined!!!!! Please kill me now!!! I can barely breathe cos it hurts, swallowing saliva is nearly impossible and cannot open my mouth wide enough to take tablets. Anything cold quadruples the pain and the only thing that felt ok was room temperature peppermint tea. Thank god the day is nearly over (it’s 8pm here in Malta) so that maybe i can have some semblance of sleep. Hope tomorrow is better cos if it’s like today it’s better if i don’t wake up!!
I should add that my doc said the risk with Ibuprofen and bleeding is more if you take it pre-op…that there is little risk taking it post-op. I have been late taking it a few times, and the pain increases SIGNIFICANTLY when I have, maybe because of inflammation. Lortab alone is not enough. I literally laughed uncontrollably (which was agony) from reading everyone’s posts about knives and razorblades and swords. Not because it is funny…but because I can SO relate, and I guess I need some endorphines. haha.
Day 5 was the worst so far. I figured out on day 3 to tie a bandana around my jaw/head while I sleep to keep my mouth closed, b/c if my mouth dries out the pain goes to a 12. Setting alarm for every 2 hours and alternating Ibuprofen 800 mg and 3 teaspoons Lortab. Pain is still right up there with natural childbirth. I find icy cold water to be painful (nerve endings?)…so cool water is best for me. Only eating chicken broth and pudding and popcicles. No salt, no fruit (too acidic…pure agony). God a script for prednisone today to help swelling. My uvula is so swollen it is clear and resting on my tongue. Ouch!
Day 5, Ooh my goodness, severe ear and neck pain today… Anyone have any tips to help alleviate?
I was energetic! I still stayed in bed all day but I did walk around outside for a bit. The air felt amazing. I slept all the way through the night. My boyfriend said I was snoring but I couldn’t help it. My uvula is still really swollen and plus my scabs are kinda flopping around back there when i breathe lol.
Day 4 was fine for me, I felt fine during the day, and it got a little worse towards dinner time,but nothing I couldn’t handle. I think the hunger is worse than the pain haha! I’m on day 5 now and feeling better, I really hope it doesn’t get worse! I had a waffle for breakfast and it was amazing. Still not talking. My throat looks like the pictures, but with little black spots on my left side.
Sorry – I’ve been counting the day of my surgery, so yesterday was day 5, not 4 and today is day 6… so confused haha
Today has been very tolerable. Yesterday I slept a lot and dealt with a bad headache. I spoke with the doctor who suggested that it could be a caffeine withdrawal and said I should get an iced coffee. I got one this morning and no headache! I was also running a mild fever all of yesterday and she thought I was probably dehydrated. I since have been drinking water like crazy and now my fever is gone too. I think she was right on with the advice. The pain level is very low and I’ve been able to scale back on the frequency of pain meds. Now I take it every 5 1/2 to 6 hrs instead of every 4. I’ve had little bursts of energy so that I can pick things up around the house, but I still have help with the kids.
So, day 5 has been the best day so far. I slept really well last night. My throat feels more tight than sore. My jaw and ears ache, but it’s nothing I can’t tolerate.
Day 5, I woke up around 2 am with the hiccups, tried 1/2 dose of pain meds every 2 hours. All in all the hiccups went away, which I am most thankful for. Slept a few hours throughout the day. The throat and ear pain is intense today. Everything is very very sore – my mouth, gums, teeth, throat, tongue, face, etc. I am concerned that this pain is going to remain this intense and I am almost out of pain meds. Picked up liquid Tylenol just in case. Scabs look ok. Very painful to swallow anything, but frozen Popsicles and refrigerated pudding are good. Also tried room temp beef broth.
Well I am starting into day 5. Day 4 was really rough, some of it was probably because I was late on some of my pain meds but there must have been other things… I went 8 hours without my pain meds over the night and it was not too bad so I am going to try to back off to half doses of my pain meds to see if I can get rid of my nausea. So far the pain seems to be just fine as long as I keep to soft foods. We will see as the day goes on. My sleep schedule is now a complete mess but you know as long as I recover I’m ok with that.
-Matt F.
Day 5… was ay-ok!!
As far as pain goes, it was peaking at 3.5 / 10 whilst swallowing, and very little discomfort the rest of the time. I have not been taking my meds on time, but luckily today that doesnt seem to have effected the pain in any way.
I have been continuing to force down ‘solids’, I ate a banana, shredded wheat (cereal), and a fish pie, and all went down easily. Which I am thankful for, because if I was on soups and ice cream all day then the hunger would probably make me feel sick. I really cant stress how much eating solids has helped my recovery so far.
Seem to be in a bad routine of falling alseep (uncontrollably) around 5-6pm, and waking up in some pain, it is the only part of the day when I dont feel great. Im not sure if napping is helpful at all.
All in all, the worst apect so far is STILL the putrid taste coming from the ‘healing area’… but I’m too scared to gargle, I just know I’ll end up swallowing it all and coughing up a gut.
Bring on day 6, Ive been advised the pain is going to intensify over the next two days, but so far so good.
Hi Samantha, Don’t be afraid of gargling…i did for the first time yesterday day 3 for me at the advice of my surgeons nurse. I had/have a lot of thick saliva and mucus that was driving me nuts so she said to gargle w/ warm salt water and it has been helping. Just do a little if you’re afraid. Its better to practice with the salt water in case you have to stop the bleeding later on and have to use the peroxide solution (you don’t want to swallow that by accident). I hope this has helped!!! I’m glad to be able to help someone…
Best of luck and keep positing!!!
The night of day three I got very little sleep, then (against my doctors orders) took a 13 hour car ride to CT to be with family for the rest of my recovery. I did pretty well during the trip, kept up with the pain meds, talked too much and ate very little. Last night the pain came back pretty strong and was hit with a wave of exhaustion and hunger. I cried and that made everything so much worse. All night and so far today (day 5) have been by far the worst. I’m on very strong meds which make my stomach feel so sick. I already struggle with stomach issues so eating nothing but apple sauce and soup broth is causing me so much problems. But if I try to put off taking my meds to give my stomach a break the pain in my throat, neck, and ears becomes so overwhelming that just opening my mouth to eat my pills in apple sauce makes me cry. This is my own fault for not just staying put and resting, the first couple days didn’t seem that unbearable but I am reallllly paying for over doing it yesterday.
So here i am on day five and I have to say this hasn’t been as bad I as expected, I wud say its a horrible thing to go through but the pain is managable imo! I did however call my doctors on day 2 and said i wasn’t coping with the pain very well, so they would give me stronger painmeds! This wasnt the case I was infact coping ok but fromwot I had read about the pain becoming unbearable by day 5, i wanted to b prepared for this! I would advise everybody to do this, you don’t get anything if you dont ask! Without hestitation they prescribed me tramodol and Naproxen, although I waited for my pain to become very bad before i switched and by day 4 i was ready let me tell you lol! These drugs are amaxing for me, when they have kicked in i barely feel any pain and they last rite up until my last hour of taking next pills! They have been great they just knock me out fr 2-3 hours, going into lovely deep sleep! So anybody out there not coping very well dont just suffer, call your docs demand stronger pain meds! I have managed to eat dinner and tea everyday and have been eating toast every day which i think really helps your recovery, it is strongly advised here in the UK! I must say I dont think I wud of coped very well just on the codeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen! Then again I wouldnt go as far to say I would rather go through child birth again! hell no lol! Wish everybody a speedy recovery!
(god my phn hates this site, it goes crazy! So annoying it jumps all over! Only took me half hr to post comment Haha!). Xx
I thought yesterday was bad. Oh my goodness today (Day 5) is horrible. I have only been able to eat eggs (medium well) which are absolutely delicious. It hurts to swallow anything (liquid, or even my own spit). My ears ache, I can barely talk. Sleeping is the worst. I woke every 2 hours last night. I guess sleeping with the mouth open dries out the throat and it takes like an hour to get it better (popsicles, loratab, pain lolipops, drinks). I find myself falling asleep without warning. Tomorrow has to be better.
Today wasn’t to bad but the nights are terrible waking up every 2 hours in bad pain and taking me a hour to get under control, sleeping with a humidifier, not helping my throat isnt dry just swollen…..It’s got to start to get better soon….
hello people, im karla im 21 and pretty thin.. im on my 5th day and it only really hurts in the morning. onces i take my tylenol i feel much better and well enough to eat…today i managed to eat a mcmuffin from mcdonalds lol and a slice of pizza..it really doesnt hurt that bad..the pain is like if u have strep throat..i think it depends on the age of the person..the older u are the more pain u have
O.K..so yesterday I proclaimed that things could not get any worse; apparently I was wrong.
But now, it just can’t get any worse- right??!?!?
Still sipping on peppermint tea, which is very soothing, drinking lots of water, but really unable to eat. I am forcing food down w/ every pain pill I take (which is every 4 hours). Still forcing down scrambled eggs, veggie soups, mashed potatoes, and little pieces of bread dipped in chicken broth. Also, for sanity purposes, I am hitting the sunshine for at least 15 minutes a day- it feels really good on throat!
Surviving day to day- can’t wait for this day to be over, though!
Day 5, June 26, 2012. Pain was the worst today. Sitting at an 8, 10 when swallowing. Later in the day it crept to a 9. Nothing I could do, ice, pain meds, etc, nothing helped. It was ok, still did everything the same as the days before. The worst problem I am having is with swallowing, not because of pain, but because things go up my nose and stay in the back of my throat. For example, swallowing some noodles, I have to swallow 3 or 4 times just to get everything to go down my esophagus. I envy those would can eat normally. Because I can’t.
I’m 15 and i got my tonsils out Thursday. I have done the whole think without pain medication and just Tylenol. I still have a lot of swelling in my tongue and Uvula but i think its going down. I’ve attempted many foods along with countless glasses of water and shaved ice ive had buttered noodles, lots of broth, chicken noodle soup, eggs,popsicles,ice cream, rice and even a cheese enchilada. The 2nd night i threw up because of the pain and the worst thing i could have done was panic! That was honestly one of the worst nights of my life. Happy i’m healing though, And something to think about. Your pain meds will slow down your healing process so if you want to heal quicker you can stop taking them. Food and sleep will help you too! Just channel your inner warrior and be strong!
Day 5 was really good, up till around midnight towards Day 6.
I guess the strain from all the activities I did yesterday (plus skipping the meds for 7-8 hours) has finally taken its toll on my throat. Everything seemed so well from morning till night time, I even thought that the worst days have gone and it’s time to eat something more solid rather than all the liquids I’ve been taking for the past 4 days. That’s when the pain came back in full force. I was literally trashing in my bed, writhing in pain, it felt like a chainsaw had hacked my throat.
This time the pain even spreads to my ears as well. I did not dare to eat anything for the whole night, and only took a few sips of water. The meds only reduced the pain by 20-30%, and it only lasted for 2-3 hours.
Oh!! I am so going back to my ENT tomorrow! I need a good pain killer now!!
I am 58. My tonsils came out on Wednesday and today is Sunday, so I guess that makes this day 4 or 5 of my recovery.
My doctor prescribed morphine which really didn’t do much for the pain, but made me dizzy enough to faint the second night en route to the washroom. I hit my chest badly on the counter and either broke or bruised some ribs. (treatment is the same, ice and rest, so I didn’t bother with X-rays)
Anyways, I am now using Tylenol 2 to control the pain in my throat and ears with much more success.
I am running a humidifier all the time in my room and using ice packs on my neck. I think both of those things have been really helpful and I hope that the rest of this recovery process doesn’t get any worse.
Really have to watch out for dehydration. Had it not been for a family member’s intervention, I would have ended up dehydrated without a doubt. I was taking my pill every 4 hours and sleeping a lot. I was eating some but had not realized the only fluids I was taking in were what I used to swallow my pill. Since swallowing hurt so bad I wasnt eating or drinking. Now that i have pushed fluids, ate a full meal, I have the energy to keep going. This experience is not over yet and its important to keep the main goal in mind. Healing is #1 priority right now. Day 5 coming to an end.
day 5 – worst night sleep so far. Ears aching, headache, cant poop, hard to swallow even water. I have not only had my tonsils out but had whole bunch of other things done in my throat also. i have about 10 stitches. This sucks! i am sooooooo hungry for a kebab or pizza!
I can’t believe it’s only Day 5. These really have been the longest days of my life. Today’s pain was manageable, but I spent the majority of the day sleeping. I went for a short ride in the car, which made me feel sick to my stomach, and has continued to affect me. I know other people have said this, but I haven’t been able to go to the bathroom since the surgery, even with stool softeners. I just feel gross, all the way around. My ear pain is bad today, and I’ve rested my head on ice packs, which seemed to help some. Also ate stuffing (like the thanksgiving in a box kind) today, with extra water. It was really good. Am also trying peppermint tea (not too hot) to ease the indigestion I’ve been having.
Before my surgery, I heard such awful horror stories, and I can’t help but to think at least I didn’t have it as bad as they did. This is no fun, no walk in the park, but I’m not as miserable as I thought I’d be. And it will be worth it, when this is all over.
I am 28 -had bouts of strep and tonsillitis all my life- I debated getting my tonsils out for years and years and after having strep 4 times in a 5 month period decided it was time. I am so very thankful I found this website/forum it has helped me in so many ways. Thank You!
Kyle! May I ask how old you are?
Today-Day 5 has been pretty good so far- I attempted to stay off the pain meds most of the day b/c I wanted to see what the real pain was feeling like. It is bearable, will need to take it soon again b/c now my right ear is starting to ache. I am dying of hunger however; I managed to get down mashed potatoes this evening which is my first solid food since my surgery- I am trying to stay positive, for if the forum is true the next few days will be the real test-
Today is day 5 of my post op and the most uncomfortable.. I cld not speak, the pain in my ears were excruciating, couldnt take any of my meds and my tongue was extremely swollen. My step dad ended up having to call my Dr and get liquid lortab and for the swelling they prescribed me liquid steroid.. and by 8pm tonight I was finally able to eat some pudding, drink liquids, and swallow without pain.. hopefully tomorrow is better..
Today is Day 5 and I am suprised at how good I feel. Days 3 and 4 were pretty bad with pain, and swelling, and early this morning I was having trouble sleeping. I kept waking up like I wasn’t breathing and the dry mouth and pain were barely manageable even with meds. But as of 9am, I actually have a bit of energy. Most all of the ear and throat pain are gone, except for very dry mouth and some pain when I swallow. I might actually get out of bed and take a shower!
I know I am not out of the woods yet, but knowing is half the battle!
This forum has been great. I am so glad to have found this site and taken some of the tips. I believe I am having a good recovery because I was informed!
So far what has worked for me is:
Ice packs all the time
Drinking as much water as possible
Eating toast before taking meds (Seems impossible? Dunk it in some broth until it is soggy and can go down easy. I get very nausious from the codone and this has saved me).
Drinking water, broth and smoothies
Taking pain meds in an orderly fashion so you don’t get in huge amounts of pain and then have to wait for them to kick in.
Rest! I have spent the last 5 days propped up in my bed. I could probably walk around and do some lite housework, but the advice from a nurse who had this done in her 40’s, was to just be left alone and don’t do a darn thing. Rest.
My husband has been taking care of our 9 year old and keeping up with me just fine. I feel resting has really helped me stay on top of the pain.
Anyway, here’s to a speedy recovery all!
I can say that day 5 and 6 were the worst days after surgery. I didn’t feel myself for at least 15 days, but IT DOES GET BETTER!!! I would recommend to you a humidifier. Go out or have someone get you one asap. Use it throughout the day and when you’re sleeping! My Honeywell humidifer saved my life!
How can this pain get any worse?! I’m on day 5 and I’m hoping this is the worst it can get! 3&4 were pretty crappy but day 5 hit a whole new level!
I woke up throughout the night with a dry mouth, thought I’ll just take a sip of water and oh my god! The pain after that sip went straight to my ears through my throat. I actually whimpered and held my ears! So unbearable! So after a night of this, the days no different. I’m desperately trying to get water down and small bits of food, but as I’m sure you guys know it’s taking its toll.
I’ve not noticed anyone else mention this so I thought I’d see if this is normal, but I’m having my mouth full with thick saliva every 5 minutes! It tastes horrid and I’m either spitting or swallowing depending on how brave I feel!
Can someone tell me when does the pain start to decrease? I’ve got my brothers wedding a week today and I’m terrified I’ll feel this way next week!?
Day 5 of recovery and Im ready to have this shit over with. I can only have liquids still, trying to knock down pain pills makes me die a little bit more. My doctor believes only steriods and tylenol is what someone needs for this and its a lie. Steriods help alot but honestly i have been taking muscle relaxers and its probably the only reason i havent ripped off my ears and teeth yet. I have huge pain on the left side of my jaw up through my ear. I sleep on a heating pad for my jaw and it helps a lot till you move. For food i have been drinking chicken broth, i get warm water blend some of that powdery stuff that comes from ramen packets into the water and get some crackers, soak them and try to eat them. For protein and stuff i get chicken and dumplings, milk and blend it up. It doesnt taste bad honestly, just blended chicken makes it dry. Either way i cant wait to gain all the weight i lost by eating pizza and brownies. My throat is white/ yellow ( its normal) and my tongue has that white stuff on it and its swelled up in the back too, luckily not all of my tongue is being a bitch cause i did not need to have my tongue ring cause more pain for me. Hopefully tomorrow is better.
When I had my tonsils removed the worst days for me was day 5-8! But you have to keep eating solids. None of this ‘soft’ crap! You need those scabs gone!
Day 5; is horrible pain. I just woke up its 4:33am and took a dose of hydrocodone liquid waiting for it to kick in. The pain is excruciating right now. Today I only ate a cup of jello and some vanilla wafer pudding (wafers was extra soft) and drank a cup kids pedialyte and apple juice. No soda yet. I sure hope it feels better tomorrow. I thought the 3rd day was suppose to be the worst. It wasn’t . the worst is day5.
My day 5&6 have been a complete and utter hell. I “woke” (never really slept since surgery) up thinking I was improving considerably,my throat didn’t really hurt when I swallowed, I wasn’t too nauseated, I hadn’t been eating however due to the pain being so bad, I had very little to drink as well and was on the verge of dehydration. Because I was feeling better today, I thought I’d be brave and eat some eggs with cheese. I ate them slowly and managed to get a small portion into me before horrific nausea set in which lasted the entire day, into the night, and early into this morning. I realized about half way through the day I was swallowing loads of thick mucous which I believe to be the main source of my nausea. At about 4am I’d had enough I sat in the shower, brushed my teeth, and took my medicine followed by two ginger tablets and attempted to ingest the remnants of a bottle of water. Immediately after I felt the distinct saliva build up that comes with the urge to exume one’s stomach contents. Shortly after 3 painful rounds of this it finally stopped, after almost 12hrs of intense nausea it was finally manageable. I returned to my post at my couch where I had been living for the past 5 days since surgery and tried to suck down some jello, I didn’t get very far, and the pain returned worse than before. I managed to sleep until about 9am and awoke because my parents were awake now, I told my mom the events of that early morning and none of it surprised her (a work friend of hers about 5 years my senior had hers removed recently and has been giving my mom advice for me) today I managed to take the liquid hydrocodone, and just finished a popsicle. My stomach is doing alright, kind of a weird in between of nausea and not. Trying to avoid dairy and spit out the mucous to avoid another whole day of the nausea. Had my first bowel movement since surgery today (have been taking Senna, a natural laxative) It smelled the same as the back of my throat which confirmed my suspicions of my nausea being attributed to ingesting too much mucous. When I attempted to drink the water this morning (before the upheaval of stomach contents) I noticed my throat seemed to “clear” and I swallowed a large lump I’m assuming was the scab, which could have also triggered it, It’s some nasty business. I managed to open my mouth enough (it was very painful) and a lot of the white in the back of my throat was gone, so this seems to be confirmed. At the moment I’m taking it easy and trying to not agitate my stomach or my throat. I’ve never been so very thankful to be Southern, there is always a large supply of sweet tea in my house which I’ve been nursing all day. It’s wonderful, it doesn’t hurt at all to swallow and allows me to stay hydrated. The tannins also having healing properties that help heal you faster. I also found salt water has helped me immensely, it has helped me with pain, get the rest of the scab out without causing me a lot of discomfort and it also helps healing. I can’t wait for solid food, I made a list of all the food I want when I “Get out of hell” a steak is at the top of my list, I’ve never wanted meat so much in my entire life as I have in this past week, I know I have at least another full week before I can have that delicious steak but a girl can dream.
Day 5 post surgery on 12/29 – definitely turned the corner. Today will be my first real solids in several days, going to try a fish filet sandwich and some french fries from McDonalds. The salt will help debride my scabs and now that I’ve had my first BM in several days I need to get food back in my system so as to build some energy back up. My recovery in my opinion has been pretty quick, but I made it my full-time job to drink so much fluid that my urine ran practically clear, and push myself during the 60 mins after pain meds to get a soft solid in me. I have had no GI symptoms, other than some constipation which really had more to do with insufficient solids in my diet than it did meds. Sleeping with just one awake period last night had a huge impact as well (my caregiver, my MOM – also was thrilled for a full night’s sleep). Having someone to help me particularly during the overnights which were the worst, is something I’ve been grateful for. She leaves tomorrow to fly back home. I am talking more today and relying mostly on Ibuprofen now rather than the Lortab – which also is helping me feel less woozy, and frankly less depressed. During those painful periods my advice is push the ice packs and simultaneously suck popsicles to help ease pain and swelling. Push this at time of med administration out to about 20-30 mins. Then rest and ride the pain relief, using that time to hydrate as much as possible and consume solid. In that last 60 mins where the pain relief wears off, ice pack and popsicles again. It’s a job but if you follow a regiment and just rest, it does get better. I was a nervous wreck for endless pain – my mother says she is shocked by how vigilant I’ve been and feels that’s been the key to my recovery. Also run that humidifier at night and during naps!
Hello,
I am a 23 year old female and I had a tonsillectomy on monday dec.29th 2014 and today makes 5 days! So far today has been a bad day
I suffer from asthma and my wheezing and coughing has been pretty bad today. For the past few days I have been able to tolerate foods like oatmeal, soup, but I can barely swallow water today. The first day of surgery the nurse said I can have french toast since I wouldn’t feel much since of the morphine. I went home and had pancakes and they were sooo delish, but I paid for it after! My dr. gave me steroids, liquid antibiotic, and some pain meds. So far the steroid isn’t helping too much with my lungs but I guess it’s helping with the swelling. I have read that some people set a timer for their pain meds but I have just been taking them pretty much every 4/5 hours except when I’m sleeping. I took 1 pain pill so far today about 2 hours ago and it hasn’t helped which is pretty ood, thinking I might have to take a half in a few. The best advice I can give is to write everything down and keep track of your meds and what times you take them. The 2nd day of recovery I made a mistake of taking almost all of my pills about 5 mins seperately and got a horrible migraine from it! Praying that these days go by quickly and I can eat regular food soon! So far (if my scale is correct) I have lost 7lbs since my surgery! I guess that can sometimes be a good thing ;] Good luck to anyone getting this surgery as an adult. I really did not think it would be this bad but I am getting through it day by day! ps- I would advise to avoid dairy products! I know most doctors say you can eat icecream but I made a protein shake the other day with milk and it made me very mucousy! If you like protein shakes like me I would stick with almond milk or water. As hungry as you are do not force yourself to eat foods that you would normally eat pre surgery! On my 3rd day I had soft flounder with rice and yesterday I had chinese fried rice with veggies and was miserable after, So i have learned my lesson not to get ahead of myself even though I am starving! It is going to suck but we will get through it 
Good luck!
I am 50 years old and had a tonsillectomy on my left side on 12/29/14 to remove a tumor. This has been horrible. In order to take the pain meds I needed to get an anti nausea which really helped. I thought I could just go it alone and do Tylenol but it didn’t work. Matter of fact I had to increase the oxycodone. Day 5 I was in extreme, unbelievable pain. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse… The ear pain intensified. I had stopped the ice pack thinking I was on the mend. That was a bad move. It took almost 4 hours to make the swelling go down again. I’m not even trying to stretch the time between pain meds. Tylenol and pain killer every 4 hours. Quite frankly I wish they could just pump it into my veins. Forcing fluids. The nurse said 50% of pain can be relieved making sure you are hydrated. I also think scabs are falling off or at least starting to. The burning sensation makes me think that’s what it is. Protein shakes do make things slimy. I just keep trying to brush my teeth and push water and juice. I also drink aloe vera juice (nasty taste) to help with the healing. I agree with Emily, this is a day by day, minute by minute recovery. What does not kill me, makes me stronger. (Geez I hope that is true)
Oh my mom said that to me too. Neither of them had theirs out either. This is an extremely painful recovery process. I’m glad I’m not going through it alone. Just stay hydrated and stay on top of your meds. Today is starting day 7 for me and I just woke up with horrible ear pain. ouch!!! Probably the WORST feeling ever! :'( time for more pain meds!
So I have a question. here I am laying in bed and I have this feeling that something is hanging down in the back of my throat. In fact If I lay in certain positions this thing makes me gag (which in turn makes my ears, jaw, and throat hurt. I feel like I have to be constantly drinking something in order to avoid all that unpleasantness. Is this thing I am experiencing the scab falling of, or dangling? If it isn’t, has anyone else experienced this before? also I have a horrid taste in my mouth.
day 5. My first piece of scab fell off on day 5. It could also be your uvula just englarged and hanging in the back there. Ever since me first scab fell off (day 5) until now (day 10) I keep feeling like there is a soggy potato chip hanging in my mouth. I think its just the scab that is coming off on the edges but not quite ready to leave? idk. Just a tip. God forbid you bleed and go to the ER… stick around for a few healthy bags of IV. That was such a blessing when I went to the ER. It finally hydrated me back up!
Thank you for your reply. It is reassuring to know I am not alone. My mom called the docs office and the on call physician said that it is most likely the scabs falling off as that will happen anywhere from day 5-10. But I also got a prescription for some steroids to reduce any swelling that is going on. Definitely staying on top of the hydration.
That’s good! The steroid will definitely help! This is weird, but I long for the day when I can chug and fully gulp water, haha. Even drinking ice water now tastes weird to me, and I just cant wait to get a Venti Ice water from Starbucks and just gulp that thing down! haha. Also, if you notice a lot of white on your tongue, look out for “thrush.” I feel like enough people didnt warn me about it and it is pretty common with tonsillectomies. If you do get thrush, though, just drink buttermilk twice daily! Supposedly Thrush contributes to some of the throat soreness, so anything to reduce soreness is worth it!
Today is day 6 for me. My absolute WORST day was day 5 (yesterday) it could be a scab possibly or your uvula. Most likely your uvula is swollen. That’s what my problem was and is still. Also, I have a lot of built up mucus in my throat. I recommend eating lots of ice and drinking plenty of water. I too have a disgusting taste in my mouth. Hopefully it goes away eventually.
as I said for the other reply, thank you for the reply. Neither of my parents ever had their tonsils out and they don’t seem to really comprehend how unpleasant a process this is. My mom told me I was being a drama queen earlier and tried to tell me to suck it up and deal with it.
Day 5 and today is my worst day without a doubt. Was doing arrogantly well the first few days but everything hit today like a train – I threw up my pain meds twice and am experiencing horrid ear pain as well as trouble swallowing anything. Really hope this is worth it – I had practically five years of tonsillitis leading up to this op.
So on day 5 I decided to lightly gargle with some warm salt water. A small piece of my scab came off which was fine, but made the skin under a bit raw. I starting have that “day 5” pain in swallowing and it took me forever to swallow 2 Tbs of meds, so I decided to try and brave 2 Tylenol pills. Because I am an idiot, it scratched my throat and I began gushing blood so I headed to the ER. I was in the ER from 5 – 12. The hidden benefit… I asked them to Hydrate my with some IV. I got about 3 or 4 bags of IV Fluid through the 8 hours there which did wonders for my hydration. The best part, The doc saw that I was taking some small steroid pills that my ENT gave and instead gave me a week long steroid shot into my IV or whatever. I went home and staraight to sleep. Woke up today, day 6, with good energy and virtually and 1 or 2 pain level when swallowing and NOW pain otherwise. My swelling has also reduced and I can actually drink powerade and everything. Though I cant chug water – my dream for the last 5 days – I can actually take normal swallows without cringing. I am preying that this lasts for the next few days, just so that I can find a way around all of the HEAVY sharp pain days that are supposed to come. Or I will wake up tomorrow (day 7) and will be back in horrible pain. Fingers crossed. Also, just a tip to anyone… If you get sent to ER for bleeding, you might as well stick around for an IV bad or 2. That really helped with my Dehydration, since I couldnt even swallow Popsicle ice without crying.
Next time I wont post from my phone and produce horrible autocorrect errors. Sorry guys.
Recovery day 5- Oh dear God when will the pain end? The ear pain is excruciating. I’m down to luke warm water and chicken broth. That’s about all my throat can handle. The hydrocodone is knocking me for a loop but is the only thing keeping me from being in sheer agony. I’ve been adding benefiber to my chicken broth to help with the constipation. The mornings are the worst with my throat being dry, days are tolerable as long as I stay on top of the meds. Found I’ve needed the dissolvable anti nausea pills my doctor prescribed. My doctor did say days 4-7 could be the most painful but I didn’t think it would belike this! The only good thing is that I’m sleeping 4 hour intervals at night, better than the 2-3 hrs in beginning.
I totally feel for you. I am going through the same exact pain. One side of my throat hurts way more than the other though. I can barely swallow because it’s so excruciating. I haven’t gone to the bathroom since the day before my surgery, and including surgery day this is my 5th day. Yesterday I thought was bad, but nothing beats this painful experience. I don’t want to take my OxyContin anymore. It makes me feel HORRIBLE. Sadly, that’s the only thing that is keeping me from going insane!!!! I don’t know how much longer I can take this pain!!!!
Day 5 (including date of surgery) :
Day five seems bearable. So far, the 4th Day was the absolute worst. I typically have a mug of tea each morning. Since my surgery, I hadn’t consumed any caffeine in days. I had a terrible migraine because of it. I’m wearing a little patch behind my ear called transederm. That really helps fight nausea. Only twice have I had to use a nausea tablet in addition to the patch. For anyone suffering serious bouts of nausea, I suggest calling your doctor and getting a prescription for the transederm patch. The only annoying side-effect is my vision is blurred, so I can’t read any books while waiting to recover.
I have a mug of luke warm Earl Grey tea to stave off the caffeine withdrawal headaches as well as to hopefully encourage a bm. I also boiled and pureed prunes last night in hopes to reactivate my digestion.
Baby food is amazing. I also suck on crackers so they go down mushy. I won’t take a prescription painkiller or antibiotic without first making sure there is food in my stomach. Instead of scrambled eggs, try egg drop soup and add some extra chicken broth to it. Chicken broth thins mucus. I won’t have any dairy for quite a while yet, because it thickens mucus. i noticed my tummy is bloated. could that be from the antisthesea still?
Day5: KFC Mashed Potatoes! I got to eat mashed potatoes! My first real food since the day before my surgery! I could only eat a little, each bite followed by a drink of water, but it’s a start! I still can’t talk. Which sucks, especially with 3 kids. They seem to be getting used to the creepy whispering and pointing, though. Today was a little better. I made sure to not overuse my voice or energy levels. But still could have used a nap (didn’t happen w/ the kids’ schedules). The end of the day is always the worst, for me. My scabs have not started coming off yet. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about that. I’ve heard it can bring all the bad pain right back.
hi my name its thando day 5 after the tonsils operation I feel bad breath please help me guyz
Your recovery seems to be going even better than mine, which is great! I’m so glad you are not waking up in misery. That’s a hard way to start the day. At this point (days 5-6) in my recovery, my throat enjoyed lukewarm water better than cold. Do you find that, too? Days 7-8 found me switching back to ice water again.
I may have been a bit aggressive in trying to eat real food yesterday – I think I scraped off some scabs, and my throat hurts. But I’m trying to go Tylenol-only today because I can’t take the nausea and dizziness from the narcotic pain meds anymore. We’ll see how it goes. I am definitely ready to start feeling better- that may be unrealistic.
I had a coblation tonsillectomy on 6/20/14. Day 5 was pretty similar to day 4, maybe slightly better. I continue to need the pain meds, which means I continue to have nausea, which means I still need to take zofran, which means I continue to have issues with constipation. I tried going without the zofran today but just started feeling too awful. I think I’m going to have to accept that I need to keep taking it and will just deal with the constipation through other means. I had a little ear pain today, but it went away. My throat still feels raw. I can’t see whether I’ve shed any scabs yet or not. Trying to stay hydrated. I’ve definitely been eating/drinking less the past couple of days and am trying to step up my consumption. I had some semi-solid food for dinner (veggie burger patty, well chewed) – it felt good to eat something “real” but was a little hard on my throat for sure.
Although I’m still not able to do much except lie around all day, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The cool-mist humidifier helps a ton at night – I have it right by my side of the bed, blowing in my face. To date, I haven’t had the problem with waking up with a super-dry throat. Good luck to everyone going through this right now!
So I’m on. Day 5 recovery. I’ve barely eaten since after my op, managing some croissants and jelly and ice cream plus the usual ice poles and lollies. Day four i started to drink flavoured water and power ade to boost energy levels and hopefully get an apatite as of yet this is to happen.the pain for me has been bad, taking iburprophen every 6 hours and then tramadol every 4 hours at night. I’m quite comfortable durin the day aslong as I don’t talk. Day 5 morning I woke up coughing and felt somthing come away luckily no bleeding! I’m hoping to see signs of coming through the other side in the next day or so! This is Deffinatley a process where hydration is key luckily I’ve been having 2ltrs of water plus! Razor blades the lot! But it’s important to keep ya self topped up on fluids!
Day 5 after coblation tonsillectomy: Today was a mixed bag! I stared the day with an excruciating earache. I could barely keep myself upright enough to take my pain pills (alternating Percocet and ibuprofen) and an ice bag was essential! I would fall immediately back to sleep with the cold wrapped around my neck and up onto my ear. I tried to start the day several times, but each time the pain/painkillers/constipation caused such nausea that I went back to bed. I finally got out of bed at 4pm, but by 7pm I am heading to sleep again. Rest has been so good to me, so long as I keep on schedule with pain medication.
Pain and nausea have been worse on days 4 and 5, and I know I slowed down on water consumption and food. I can also tell that the thick mucus on my throat, which I found soothing as it kept my throat covered, has thinned and I could feel that my throat was feeling dry for the first time. I woke up with a tickle or catch in my throat, but fought the urge to clear in out. Maybe scabs are moving/thinning/coming off? Tongue swelling has gone down finally!
I was also able to drink water again without the razor blade feeling in the throat. Warmer water is what feels good today. I even ate a few bites of mashed potatoes and boiled carrots. So long as the pain and earache continues to diminish, I am beginning to feel that I can see the other side of this!
Constipation has been an issue. It’s not painful, but I can tell things are not moving. If I eat too much, I get nauseous. I also feel a drunk kind of drug stupor after taking my Percocet. I did not have this on days 1 and 2. Could it be caused by my bowels being unable to rid me of toxic waste? I hope I get “moving” again soon, before that becomes painful. No one likes being bloated!
Martha – do you also have a swollen uvula? Has that swelling gone down yet? I’m glad to hear the tongue swelling has gone down for you – mine is pretty out of control today.
Sarah, the whole area swelled pretty badly. The uvula was noticeable on days 1 & 2, but by days 3 & 4, my tongue had swelled so much I couldn’t tell much with the uvula anymore! Now in day 6, swelling in general has gone down, but the uvula is still puffy. It’s not as bothersome when I compare it to the feeling of flaps of flesh (scabs or maybe just blobs of mucus) dangling around on the way back and sides of my tongue, where I can’t see anything. I finally ate something normal today, a piece of pizza. I was so worried about the pain, but it was actually painful AND soothing, like scratching an itch.
You’re doing great, Sarah, hang in there. Only a few rough days and you’ll be where I am. You can do it!
Thank you, Martha! I was reviewing my notes from my pre-op with my surgeon, and she’d said that for coblation, days 3-5 were usually the peak of the pain, with days 8-10 being the time you need to watch out most for bleeding. Sounds like you are right on her schedule in terms of pain peaking (and I hope you’ll avoid the bleeding altogether)!
I had my Tonsills out 5 days ago. I must admit like many other people the pain level and type of pain was not expected atall. They said id just have a sore throat but thats an understatement. I had pain in both sides of my throat for the first 2 days. Then the 3rd day the left side just didnt hurt atall. My right side however is still painful but to a point where its just bareable. I am on many painkillers e.g paracetamol codeine, ibuprofen, and morphine if the pain is unbareable. I take omeprazole to protect my stomach and stop me feeling sick and most of the time it works. I have just white coating on my wounds now. And hope that my pain subsides in the next few days.
Hello I’m Joanna
I got my Tonsils out 6 days ago now and the last two nights have been a nightmare! One side of my face stings like mad and has actually kept me up in tears. I know I sound like a sook but I was never expecting the intensity of the pain that was coming. I really need some hopeful words here, does it get better any time soon? The 1st two days I had trouble with the strong medication and couldn’t drink/eat. I wound up at the ED dept at my local hospital and I had to have 5 bags of IV drained into me. I was vomiting up gross chunks of blood! Now that I drink drink drink drink I thought id be ok but I’m still dry and my ears are killing me!!! My doc told me to take a medication called ‘Asplagin’ which is just aspirin and codeine. However other then normal pain meds I can’t take anything stronger because my stomach just hates it! But at the rate I’m going I’m pretty desperate to have something! The nights are my real problem however at the moment 
please she’d some awesome advice! Thank you.
I’m on Day 5 of my tonsillectomy. Experiencing a lot of pain swallowing, ear ache, tooth ache, and a lot of drainage or mucus. I’m afraid that I am going to rupture something trying to get rid of the mucus. Has anyone else had a lot of mucus? What did you do?
Hi Dean, Yes mucus is a common problem. Avoid eating or drinking dairy. Also avoid coughing if possible.
Thanks for your response. Today is Day 7. I woke up feeling better than I had since surgery. But it got worse as the day went on. I threw up stuff that I don’t know where it came from. I saw stars it hurt so much. I have tried to limit the pain medication because I have not been able to eat. I don’t know what to do. I’m 61 years old and afraid of getting dehydrated. Any suggestions?
Thankfully things did get better! On day 10 I decided to get really brave and eat a burrito. Although I did get it down, it hurt and afterwards my throat and ears started hurting. It’s been hurting since. It’s not 10 on a pain scale but it hurts bad enough I need to take pain meds. So I’m back on a “soft ” diet and hope this helps. I can’t tell if the scabs have come off. I do feel like there is something in the back of my throat when I swallow. I didn’t expect my ears to hurt or my jaw when I yawn. I hope to improve better each day!
Glad to hear things have improved!
Can you reply to mine? Thanks.
I’m 15. On day 5. My throat hurts quite bad… I’m on top of meds. I ate Mac n cheese and ice cream today.. I have bad ear aches & teeth aches. Not sure how much more pain I can take. This pain is worse than the actual strep . I deff would never recommend having them out.. What can I do this is awful
Hi Alexandria- So sorry I missed this earlier. Sorry you’re having a rough time. Remember: This is temporary! Try chewing gum to relieve that ear pain. It usually helps. I would avoid ice cream as dairy products can cause excess mucus to develop. Popsicles are good- or slushies. Run a humidifier to keep your throat moist. Sleep in a semi-upright position- as in a recliner. These things helped me.
-and KEEP DRINKING!!!
Day 5 woke up about 4am in incredible amount of pain. It felt like knives when I swallowed. Got the pain meds down with a little jello. Today everything is burning so bad to go down. Please tell me I’m fixing to round the corner on pain. Should I call my dr or is this normal? What can I do about not being able to swallow anything.
Hi Lynette. Yes pretty normal. Sorry. Try setting an alarm to stay on top of the pain meds. Also sleeping with your head elevated can help too. Lots if liquids. Run a humidifier. Suck on ice… Hang in there kiddo. This is temporary.
I am 18 years old and ending day 5 of recovery. I woke up feeling more energetic and somewhat better even though I didn’t sleep much the night before. Night time is the worst for me. I have just been eating a lot of Popsicles and drinking ice ice cold water. I am spitting up some really thick spit and want to cry when my approaching my next time to take my medicine. A key is finding things to keep you busy and distracted from the pain and hunger. Hoping day 6-7 are better. Keep your faith!!
Rounding out day 5 as we speak. I’ve gotta say, this is awful. I mean I knew it was going to be bad but it gets to the point where you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle that will never end. Hoping for a turn around in a day or so. I get the splints out of my nose tomorrow from my septoplasty. Let’s hope that makes things a bit better.
Hi Seamus, sorry you’re having a rough time. Be sure to run a humidifier, drink lots of liquids, and remember: This Is Temporary!
I am taking care of my 20 year old daughter. The ear pain is very intense and it is making drinking excruciating. Last night I read about Benzocaine ear drops. I’m going to ask the doctor about these on Monday. Has anyone tried Benocaine ear drops?
Hi Sarah- I’ve not tried them. I’ll be interested to hear more. Chewing gum can relieve ear pain for some. Might be worth a try.
38, female, day 5 of recovery. The pain this morning was horrible. Not kidney stone level, but still pretty high. I tried eating pureed squash yesterday. Apparently I’m not ready for that. I have eaten nothing other than frosties, broth and orange pushups. Pushups are so cold and so soft, perfect. My doctor said a minimum of 2 weeks recovery. I hope I’m ready by then. Oh, for people who are saying the pain gets bad before its time to take the next dose, try this: take half of the dose every two hours instead of every four. You get the same amount over the day, but don’t get that time when you have nothing in you system. Good luck everyone.
I am 29 years old and had my tonsils removed on the 28th. So far, the recovery had been “better” than I anticipated. I stopped taking Percocet on Day 1 because it made me nauseated and vomit (not as painful as I feared, but I didn’t want to go down that path again.) I’ve been taking Extra Strength Tylenol, an anti-biotic, steroid and Zofran (if needed). I’m also trying to have MiraLax once a day to help avoid constipation. For me, my ears are what hurt the most – from the moment I woke up in the recovery room. I soon learned that ice packs (wrapped with gauze around my head) is the absolute best (and stylish!) remedy to ease the pain. Swallowing hurts (of course! I have giant gaping holes in my throat!) but I am forcing myself to drink, chew ice, eat little bits of soft food and stay up on my meds. I’ve been trying to shower every day. Watch shows. Play 2048 (a highly recommended time waster). Rest. Everything was fine until last night / early his morning. I woke up swallowing. Swallowing. Swallowing. A nurse friend of mine said swallowing a lot = blood. The wounds are so far back in the throat, you typically won’t “taste” blood. I got nervous. The Husband checked my throat and, sure enough, I was bleeding. Before surgery, the doctor told me to gargle with 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water. If this doesn’t stop the bleeding, then you haul “a” to the ER. I was dizzy and almost passed out a number of times. I was shaky. Hot and sweaty. All bad things. I was panicking (in addition to everything else). But, I gargled. Gargled. Gargled. The warm, foamy bubbles that formed in my throat were equally relieving and revolting. And – the bleeding stopped! I rinsed my mouth with cold water. Chewed ice. Went back to “sleep” (which I say lightly because I was such an anxious wreck!) the bleeding was by far the most terrifying experience for me. I don’t know if I can do anything different to ensure no more bleeding – I’ve been careful. Using a humidifier. Keeping hydrated. Textbook stuff. I tell this to you because maybe it will help someone who does happen to experience bleeding. I’m so glad my doctor told me about the peroxide / water concoction. That could have easily saved me a trip to the ER. So there it is. My story so far. All things decent until the bleeding. All things decent after. Onward!
Thanks for the post Cass’. Hope all stays smoove ?
POD #5-I’m having more tongue, jaw and ear pain than from my throat. This is making drinking difficult, but the chin-tuck method is helping me through. I am trying to back off the oxycodone and use Tylenol extra strength. The oxycodone makes me feel anxious and too dizzy and I’m not eating enough (causing nausea). I’m hanging in there!
36 year old on day 5 of recovery. Stomach bothered me most of the day but I was able to keep food down so far. Finished my antibiotics today. Pain level is about the same. 5/6 when i woke but 3/4 during the day.
This may be TMI but i took too much stool softner yesterday and paid for it today. I do feel better now though. Live and learn.
I am off the oxycodone(last took in yesterday) but still taking tylenol extra strength every 6 hours.
I have stuck with the soft food diet and have eaten mostly soups, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes but I am sick of it. I am going to try and make it through the weekend on the soft foods diet. My follow up appointment is Monday(day 8) so Im going to try and stick with soft foods until then.
Rock on Ross!
I am26 years old abd on Recovery Day 5, and let me say… I. Am. Hungry. I havent spoken at all since surgery bc it seems to hurt worse. I could initially whisper. But in the end it came back to haunt me with pain. All i have eayen is applesauce and jello. Ive tried some tomato soup and ice cream but they make my saliva too thick. I have drank2 cases of water. Working on my third. I usually work full time and i wanted to rush back to work but the ear aches are like death. Its like a double ear infection and ice skaters practicing on your throat. It is very painful. I have woken up in tears the past few nights bc i missed my percocet and the pain was just unbearable. I had a migraine from hell yesterday and i wasny sure if u could take excedrine bc the aspron content. But luckily it finally subsided. Ive learned my humidifier is my best friend . i have hypothyroidism, a vitamin d3 deficiency and iron deficicency anemia, and tsking those pills is tough becsuse its so swollen anf i cant always eat before. And i have to take them in intervals.
Overall, its 1008 am central time and day 5 is proving ti be a tough one. But. It will all be worth it in the end
Hi Ella. Ouch- you are in the throws of it! Dry eating creamed soups or thin oatmeal. As for the ear pain, chewing a sugarless gum and applying a warm compress can really help. Are you setting an alarm so you don’t sleep through you pain med’s? You might want to.
You have the right attitude. It will be worth it. This is temporary. Hang in there!
Day 5- Up at 4:00 with the pain (90 min before next meds). Last dosing I thought I would cut back to 5mL, what a stupid, stupid idea! Taste in my mouth is the worse yet and the pain is very bad. Had a BM for the first time since surgery; I guess thats a good thing. Hopefully the scabs fall off soon. I think I may have thrush forming at the back of my tongue; I’ve added Yogurt and a Hydrogen-peroxide mouthwash to my regimen (I’ve been able to brush 2x daily with no issues thus far). Trying to break off of the percoset though, as much as it relieves the pain I don’t like taking it. Will try switching to normal tylenol 1000mg (able to let the percocet last over an hour before I had to take that, even suffering through pain of eating a small soft cinnamon roll.
Update: I was a fool to forsake the percocet. I was in so much pain later that day eating applesauce I was in tears, It rivaled my Kidney stone pain.
I read these stories of you are all recovering and remember when I had to go through it.
It is a gruelling process but most worth it! 12 weeks after my operation which was the 18th October
I feel better that I now have no pain and definitely no tonsillitis can occur now. Yay!
Ibuprofen 400mg helped with my pain. I was alternating between cocodomal and ibuprofen. Always take
painkillers about 20-30 mins before you sleep. Eat and drink cool things not ice. A cup of tea also helped me.
Try and also eat solid foods no matter how much it hurts. You need those to disintegrate! Happy Healing
Thanks for stopping back! Hope you are well
Yup all is well.. So much relief from having tonsillitis around 8 times a year!
I am 25 and I had my surgery on Tuesday, January 7th. I’m on day 5 of my recovery and it has been pretty awful. Day 1 and 2 were not too bad, but 3, 4, and 5 have been a lot worse. Before the surgery, I did not drink water at all and now ice is my best friend. I have only been able to have ice, Gatorade ice, coke, and Jello. Yesterday I was able to have a scrambled egg but it took me two hours to eat it. We don’t have an icemaker so we bought a bag of ice and have gone through many, many ice trays. I find it helpful to smash the ice with a mallet to break it into smaller pieces. I find this to also be good therapy although my ears hate it.
Luckily, I haven’t been nauseous at all. Days 1 and 2 I was able to do a little talking but as of day 3 I haven’t talked at all as it makes the pain a lot worse. For the first three days, my doctor had me on a newer pain med called Nucynta but it wasn’t working well for me so I switched to the liquid hydrocodone and it has been working better. I take it every 6 hours and take children’s liquid Tylenol in between every 6 hours. I am also on Penicillin. I keep an excel spreadsheet of my med schedule because it can be hard to keep track of everything.
I did a lot of research before having this surgery and people consistently said that sleeping could be your worst enemy. I sleep sitting up and set my alarm for every 20-30 minutes so I can stay hydrated. I occasionally sleep through my alarms and I wake up with a very dry throat and it takes over 30 minutes to get the pain under control.
On day 3 my tongue was very swollen but I rinsed several times a day with warm salt water and the swelling went down within 24 hours. My major issue today is swallowing and the ear pain. I’ve been icing my ears and find some relief but does anyone have any other suggestions? I read that chewing gum will help so I will try that today.
Hey Danielle! So glad to see were the same age and had our surgeries the same day. SO I’m really not going thru this alone although it feels Ike I am lol. How did you manage to eat scrambled egg? I can barely swallow ice any longer
I’m starving but I’m not able to eat a thing, not even Popsicles help anymore. Sleepings not too bad but yea you do need to put an alarm to keep yourself hydrated or else suffer the consequences. Lol I heard gum does help with the ear pain but when I keep trying it it actually burns a little so chew slowly. Hope your recovery goes well and good luck! Message me if you need to talk because I’m in the same boat lol
I’m on day 4 post-op, force down some jello, or lukewarm soup. I ate ramen today, but i boiled it til it was all noodles no water, they were soft enough to just slide right down my throat. i’ve found that big swallows hurt less than little sips. Massaging my neck has seemed to help a bit with ear pain. I’m trying to do today without the pain meds, cuz i’m pretty sure that’s what’s making me nauseous. Hope you feel better soon!
Day 5 – That’s it. I think I am going to lose it. I cant take this anymore. The pain never ever goes away. I havent felt even semi normal in 5 days. My throat still hurts, my ears feel like they are going to explode. I cant stop crying and I want to scream. I have severe aches in my neck and shoulders from trying to sleep sitting up for the past few days. My stomach aches from hunger. I feel completely helpless. I need this to end. My Husband is starting to become a little short tempered with everything that I need on a constant basis. Please someone tell me this will all be worth it….
I am now just over 3 weeks post-surgery and am close to feeling normal. I am so glad I had the surgery because I am looking forward to not having tonsillitis 6 – 8 times a year for the next 60 years of my life! During the first 2 weeks of my recovery, I cried almost every day because it did not seem like it could possibly be worth the pain. But now that it is past (but by no means a distant memory) I can already be glad it is over.
I did not sleep sitting up. I had a wedge shaped pillow that kept me at about a 45 degree angle and that was good enough to keep me from choking or anything. Maybe just propping up on 3 or 4 pillows would be better than trying to sleep completely upright?
I ate something every 3 hours before taking my pain meds…chicken broth, jello, sorbet, liquidy mashed potatoes, applesauce, etc. I was actually never hungry and never lost any weight (darn it!) I would ice my neck down for a good half hour before eating and that would make the swallowing a bit easier.
I also found that getting myself up and getting things for myself actually made my outlook a bit more positive. My husband was actually very supportive and almost babied me too much. Once I started taking more care of myself after a couple of days, I felt stronger, less helpless. I also made sure to pamper myself with a bubble bath every day (one of my absolute favorite things) to keep my spirits up. If you are denying yourself some of your favorite pastimes that are accessible, make sure you get them in each day!
I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you are feeling better very soon!!!
Bethany – Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. Today I am feeling better and looking forward to the positive outlook that you have now. Thank you for suggesting to get out do something that I usually do. I went yesterday to have my eyebrows waxed. I know that sounds silly but I feel like a normal person again. Thanks again!
LOL! That is awesome! It is funny how the simplest things can make us feel better. I actually became obsessed with brushing my teeth. I had read so many people talk about having this horrible taste in their mouth, and I really did not want that. I started brushing, tongue scraping, flossing (as much as I could with limited ability to open wide), and rinsing with mouthwash. It made me feel so much better to feel like my mouth was sparkling clean, and it never tasted bad!
Day 5 – aka Christmas Eve. The pain is pretty awful today. I am taking hydrocodone/acetaminophen every 3 hours but it only lasts me an hour an a half. I find myself staring at the clock waiting for time to pass so I can take more. After about 2.5 hours, I will go eat something (sorbet, applesauce, etc.) really slowly and by the time I am done it is time to take some medicine.
Since I went to church yesterday and ended up spiking a fever, I am staying home tonight and missing out on the family Christmas eve dinner. This is only adding to the post-tonsillectomy depression. I have had about 4 serious meltdowns today. Crying is bad because it is just about impossible to blow my nose. It is weird being unable to do such a simple task I have been doing for 30+ years.
I have still not had any nausea and the pain in my ears has never been all the bad. I just feel a little bit of pressure (like flying on an airplane) and I chew a piece of gum and it gets much better.
Tonight I did have a really bad spell of dizziness for the first time. I assume it was from the hydrocodone, just not sure why I have not had this side effect until now. It felt like the whole room was spinning, and I got a really bad migraine. I took a Relpax (my usual migraine medicine) and laid down in the dark. It took several hours for the dizziness to pass, essentially until that dose of medicine was out of my system. I had had a glass of champagne a few hours earlier…not sure if the two were related. (I had champagne again today and have not had the problem again.)
anyone else getting really sore watery puffy eyes from all the drugs or is it just the pain?or is it from something else?its driving me crazy??
I am growing weary of announcing each day of recovery as the “worst day yet,” but unfortunately, this is the case with Day 5. The pain is sharper and less influenced by medication. In fact, within an hour of the relief I feel from heavy duty narcotic pain medication, my pain seems to ramp right back up to where it was before, if not higher. Perhaps I am losing some of the scabs around the edges. I have not felt anything come off or coughed anything up, but the scabs appear just a tiny bit smaller than they were before, and the borders are inflamed and super sensitive. If this is what’s in store for the next few days, I’m not sure how I’ll cope. I’ve decided that everyone who texts me with messages like “Aren’t you better yet?” or “Still feeling bad?” is going to receive a photo of my throat in reply. One look at that, and they’ll understand a little better that this is not a better-in-3-days situation. Despite all the pain, I still know this was the right thing to do and will pay off in the long run. Getting from here to there is the unknown right now. Ouch.
Pain today was Brutal!! Scabs fell off around 6pm while I was watching TV. It was very random but I started to laugh then looked in my throat to see a small amount of blood and no scabs. I was miserable all day, could barely eat, my throat was driving me absolutely crazy!! I was very irritable, mainly because I was food deprived and couldn’t get comfortable.
Day 4-5
Morning on day four was exactly the same as the others .. Awful
I’ve found a rhythm with the medication and have taken to writing down what time EXACTLY I take tablets and trying to alternate my panadene and icy so that they take effect before the other wears off… I’m glad to have finally started by quartz tablets which help a lot. I’ve been feeling fairly good from midday day four all the way up til now (afternoon, day 5). I slept well and woke up ready to go to visit work and the docs in the morning. It was nice to get out of the house for a bit. I think I’ve got a bit of scabbing though because I find myself randomly choking on sharp things at the back of my throat (and coughing is a real no-no..) so maybe it’s healing well afterall…. I have discovered my criptonite though… The one thing I cannot and WILL NOT EAT right now – bananas. I know right?! It’s soft and great for the tummy but ive been fooled twice now – both times I’ve been left in excruciating pain in my throat that brings tears to my eyes.. And this comes from someone who eats toast every day without issue. Beware it!
Ok, the end of Day 5. Pain is and has been a 4-5. It’s just a different kind of pain every hour, or so it seems,
This morning the pain was at the site of the offending tonsils….really dry scabbed and hard to swallow. Then this afternoon the pain shifted to the Uvula and related sutures…same thing, kind of dry and scabbed and uncomfortable to swallow. This evening, back to the tonsils.
I’ve tried to phase out the Roxicet…fact is that it’s pain killing properties are good. About the best thing I have done is stretched it out to 5 or so hours…. Also finishing up antibiotics for swelling and adding in a little Iboprofen alternating. I was concerned about running out of Roxicet and Dr office called to check on me…another script awaits.
I worked for about 2 hours this morning…that was all I could do. Really surprising me that I can’t hang longer. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
On a positive note…I am sleeping better than ever. What little I get is really good solid sleep, with no snoring complaints from my wife. She said it sounds as if I am really sleeping! Novel concept.
Last thing…I started doing a little lukewarm gargling and it has been pretty liberating. Starting to lightly thin out some of the scabbing, which has brought on some terrible breath. From what I understand, this is expected and a move in the right direction. It also feels good to kind of clean it out a little without bleeding, etc.
On to Day 6.
Today was a great day. Sore throat is at a 4 pain scale most of the day. Tired still but not feeling like this is going to get worse! I think I’m out of the woods.
its actually 1am in the morning of day 6 as I type this only now that I am feeling well enough after what I can safely say is one the most TRAUMATIC experiences of my life on day 5. In a nutshell I suffered hemorrhage and joined the 2% of extreme cases.
Read at your peril…
Ok so day 5 started with extreme pain after sleeping for 5 hours so throat was sore and parched. I took oxycodones and 2 paracetomols and went to the mall to buy a slurpee for breakfast which still hurt to swallow and did some shopping. I drove to the mall to do this. When I got home I tried to cook 2 boiled eggs and tried to force that down my throat with 4 pieces of white sandwich crust removed. This was painful even with the extra strong pain meds. I tried to chew on some frozen watermelon shake I prepared with my meals which helps. Come 3pm and I cook some macaroni and cheese on advice others on this forum and elsewhere to try something different. After it cooled down I could only manage 3 bites and had to stop after extreme pain again. I took 2 paracetomols to try manage this pain. I waited an hour to see if that would do but at 4pm I felt crap so took the oxycodone to boost. Watched an hour of Sons of Anarchy while I waited for the pain to reduce which it did but was now feeling diarhea. Problem was I was sooo constipated from the oxy that as I went to the toilet I could feel my stomach churning so bad to let loose but it was like my bowel simply refused to open no matter how hard I push. I decided it was time to get some laxatives to help. So off I go into my car and drive to the nearest grocery store. As I’m walking through the store I felt something warm trickling from the inside of my throat. Initially didnt think anything of it but then it came again and again in frequent bursts. Immediately knew it was blood as I could do nothing but swallow each spurt of blood somewhere in the back of the throat. I started to panic and ran quickly to my car and drove the hell out of there back home. As I got out of the car I spat out a 2 mouthful of blood. I ran in the house and cried out to my mom for help. She gave me a bucket to spit the continuous blood now coming out of my mouth and then she drove us to the nearest ER 15 mins away. On the way I really felt like vomiting but held it in there. Once inside the ER I couldnt hold it and vomited 2 times all the blood which had flowed into my stomach and made me sick. The nurses measured my blood and put me on IV and contacted my ENT to come. I was told by the nurses I looked pale in the face from the blood loss. By this time around 7pm a clot seemed to have form to stop the bleeding as I waited for the operation. It took till midnight before they started operating since beds were at a premium and other surgeries were going on. The surgery which I was told my ENT did not cauterize but stitch the bleeding area. After I woke up I could feel a huge lump in my throat where the bleed was from and had a hard time adjusting my breathing with it. That night in hospital I had worse ever pain in the throat now been operated twice and the nurses didnt prescribe me any painkillers. I demanded an oxy and they gave me one which only worked an hour before the pain kicked in again so I begged for another but it was too soon and had to wait another 2hrs. I was also still constipated but constantly felt diarhea and had to go to the toilet only nothing came out. On top of this every swallow of water burned like hell and so I couldnt sleep at all. I decided the diarhea was a bigger problem than the sore throat and wanted to fix the constipation so I could at least have some comfort from the bowels. I avoided any oxy for the rest of the day and when
I was discharged I got my mum to buy some laxatives to help with the constipation. Got home and avoided any oxy just took 2 paracetomls for pain relief , my prescribed antibiotics and steroid and the laxative for constipation. After about 2 hours I rushed to the toilet and finally emptied my bowel. I noticed nothing but dark red liquid in the toilet bowl and knew it was blood from the stomach. Another hour and I went again. After this I started feeling dizzy and wanted to throw up but stopped myself because was scared of opening the bleed site. Even when I wanted to burp which was often since drinking all the time I tried to stop it as it felt like the throat is being stretched and agitate the wound. I got worried also as I could still taste some blood when I swallow and felt like the quick fix for the nausea was to throw up any more blood in my stomach. Got my mum to call the ENT for advice and he reassured us its mostly the antibiotics because I truly hadnt eaten a thing since the macaroni the previous day. I didnt feel hungry at all despite this but tried to force down half a small cup of jelly and one piece of tofu. That seemed to make my stomach like something inside which felt a little better but now my throat started to increase in pain so I stopped as I wasnt at all hungry. I took another 2 paracetomil to manage the pain and went to bed.
Im still quite upset with the experience and don;t know how else I could have done to prevent it. If you read my previous days post on this blog I tried to follow the recommendations from this site and others. About me I’m 39 had the op which the ENT used cauterization method on friday 25th October which was fine . Been using mist humidifier by my bedside the whole time. Been trying to manage the pain without oxy up until day 3 when things got harder. I tried to eat soft food like jello but changed it something different that others suggested here like cooled soups, mashed potatoes, smoothies, ramen noodles, scrambled eggs, macaroni. I didnt eat anyhing hard like toast which some others have tried. I didnt exert myself too much other than to go for a drive to the mall and walk around a bit. I can’t blame my ENT since he operated twice on my nose in the past successfully and was happy with the results and the T op was fine no problem or pain initially. The only thing I think I can do differently if I could go back to prevent this was to keep the diet strictly jello and nothing more for a week. But with the debate about eating soft vs hard food post surgery Im not 100% sure it would matter but for the safe side believe soft food is what I would recommend. The tonsil area needs to heal and I notice like everyone it hurts when you swallow or eat with or without pain meds. So this cant be a good thing while the throat heals. Sure you need food but keep it strictly soft as possible and eat only when necessary to give yourself the greatest chance of no bleeding. As for the 2% of cases which result in hemorrhage bleeding I am now in that category but god how I tried desperately to avoid this after researching and reading as much as possible to prevent this. I can still taste a little blood sometimes when swallow which is still a worry so I’ll check again tomorrow to see if it is nothing to serious.
This is my 5th day and so far I’ve awoken every 2 hours in pain! Drinking water seems to help. No nausea or stomach pains as of yet. Just waiting for these scabs to flake off…
So I didn’t sleep much in the hospital last night due to pain with not been in top of my meds! Finally got discharged at 12pm! Nice to be home and comfy but the pain is bad today! Hoping things really do get better as my husband is back at work tomorrow!
I had my operation on Friday 18/10, so today is my fifth day. I’ve been getting high temperatures on and off and last night I had a fever but it went away by 2am. I was prescribed two pain killers( Targin & Oxynorm), mouth wash (Cepacaine (sp?) and antibiotics. Unfortunately Targin was making me quite nauseous and so I stopped taking it by Day 2. My ears are constantly aching and now it feels as though something is sitting at the back of my tongue. I’ve been having a lot of room temperature soup and a bit of fried rice and it’s been really good. Not much pain when eating but I am cautious though as I’m scared that the surgical site may start bleeding. Since day 2, I have not been taking any pain killers. I’ve been drinking a lot of water and trying to eat as much as I can. Apart from the fever, sore throat and ear ache, the pain seems to be bearable.
I had mine out on the 18th too! So I’m going through exactly the same stuff as you are now.. This morning was terrible woke up every 2 hours in pain! I can feel my throat tightening! Just wish these scabs would fall off..
DAY 5: 30 years old and had tonsillectomy (with adenoids removed too).
Today’s post will be about scabs and sores. I hate both of these things and they are both overtaking my mouth. The scabs have been increasing steadily since day 1 but this morning I woke up with sores on both sides of my tongue (near the back) and it has hurt to swallow all day. Only water to drink today because everything else burns on the tongue. Cold pudding, yogurt and luke-warm mashed potatoes are the only foods that don’t hurt today. Still on steady pain medication routine and today I hit some of my highest pain levels even though I never miss a dose.
Also, I spent about 30 minutes today just looking at the back of my mouth….it really is like some kind of landscape from a Sci Fi movie.
Day 1: I don’t really remember that day…I remember spitting a lot because I couldn’t swallow anything.
Day 2: it was Okay as long as I took my pain medicine and I slept a lot.
Day 3: ended up in the ER after throwing up. I went to do my oral routine, I felt something dangling and I threw up very hard, and there was a lot of blood. Went to the hospital and they gave me anti nausea thru I.v. and released me afterwards. I barely got to the parking lot and threw everything up and was rushed back in because there was A LOT of blood. They gave me ice water and it stopped.
Day 4: I felt awesome, pain was tolerable, I just needed regular tylenol by then. I refused to take any prescribed meds because I do not like being nauseous. For having such a good day, I had the worse night ever; I was up all night very nauseous and afraid to throw up.
Day 5: Figured I would go to the store to get some more tylenol, but I got extremely nauseous and in pain so bad. I looked at my throat and my scabs are still there, yet I feel a stingy pain in the back of my throat. I tried to speak but I gag when I do. When I swallow I gag, and I haven’t had anything to eat because I have no appetite. I’m spitting every ten seconds and there is a gross mucous in the spit. I have a ENT appointment tomorrow so I’m hoping for good news.
On day 5, my whole left scab fell off and I was spitting out blood. I didn’t even notice it had happened and only noticed when I had gotten up to go the bathroom and looked in the mirror at my throat and immediately felt very weak. I think it fell off prematurely and too much at once. My mother is a nurse and was about to take me to the hospital but then saw what I had spit up and decided it wasn’t enough to take me to the ER at 3:30 in the morning. It stopped bleeding soon enough, but I’m still scared it was something more…
Hi Abigail! My scab on the right side did the same thing on Day 5! I went to the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor the next morning just to make sure everything was okay. She told me everything was healing nicely and that unless it was actively bleeding there’s nothing they can do. So, it’s a good thing you didn’t go to the ER because they wouldn’t have done anything to help you once it stopped bleeding. Stay away from any hot/warm foods for a while as the heat will make it want too bleed again. Also, if you can, if it happens again, try gargling with the coldest water possible until you see it really starting to slow down. If it starts to slow down stop gargling and it’ll stop. If you keep gargling it’ll start to irritate it and it’ll bleed all over again. I know because b that’s what I did when I panicked! Chew on ice chips and drink lots of cold cold water. I’m on Day 6. I woke up miserable, but right now I feel great! It gets better! Hang in there!
Today has been the worst by far. I slept like complete crap, was up every two hours with the excruciating pain. Yesterday after a hot shower, I started bleeding. I freaked out! The home care packet they gave me told me to gargle with ice cold water. I COULD BARELY SWALLOW, HOW AM I EXPECTED TO GARGLE!? I tried my best and eventually it slowed and stopped.Then today it did it again after I tried to use the bathroom… I have been constipated since the procedure. The bleeding slowed, but hasn’t completely stopped yet. All I can taste is blood. I’ve had an ice pack wrapped around my neck all day that actually helps A LOT with the pain. My ears started hurting today too, awesome! I’ve eaten more popsicles this week than I think I’ve eaten in my entire childhood combined. Jell-o is my best friend! Finally, I put a small vaporizer in my bedroom so that I’m not sandpaper dry when I wake up. I first used it last night, and I think it helped, not immensely, but enough to use it again tonight to double check.
Day 5-7 has to be the worst.havent eat in two days feel so sick.on a lot of meds.cant eat cant drink cant swallow.such a sharp pain.when will i start gettong better..:(
Hey Murph- You are correct. Those days usually are the worst for most people. It got a little better on days 8-9, and alot better on 11 for me. Keep drinking, keep taking meds on schedule. Try to eat something before taking the meds. It helps with nausea.
Day 5 and I’m still doing well. Throughout the day my pain has ranged from 1/10 – 4/10. A few things I’ve noticed since the procedure is a heightened sense of smell, and I’ve not lost my sense of taste.
Method of tonsillectomy is thermal welding/tissue welding.
Day 5 looks like a turning point for me. I was able to sleep 4 hours on and off and I’m happy. When I woke up there is still the throat pain but better than the night before when I only went without water for 2 hours. I ate normal food again today and man o man it was a PAIN to swallow but I did it. Stopped pain meds the day after surgery day and Tylenol seems to help, it’s just the gluey texture doesn’t feel good but it does the job. Thank God no high fever so far (low fever throughout the recovery process so far with the high being 101F I’d say, so no biggie). I’m not sure what tomorrow holds but I’m really looking forward to feel a smooth throat and pink color. Oh, my tongue still doesn’t feel right (a bit numb) but I ca finally see my uvlva if I try REALLY hard to stick my tongue out. Also back of throat definitely tickes once in a while but I know it is a good tickle. Good luck everyone.
Day 5 looks like a turning point for me. I was able to sleep 4 hours on and off and I’m happy. When I woke up there is still the throat pain but better than the night before when I only went without water for 2 hours. I ate normal food again today and man o man it was a PAIN to swallow but I did it. Stopped pain meds the day after surgery day and Tylenol seems to help, it’s just the gluey texture doesn’t feel good but it does the job. Thank God no high fever so far (low fever throughout the recovery process so far with the high being 101F I’d say, so no biggie). I’m not sure what tomorrow holds but I’m really looking forward to feel a smooth throat and pink color. Oh, my tongue still doesn’t feel right (a bit numb) but I ca finally see my uvlva if I try REALLY hard to stick my tongue out. Also back of throat definitely tickes once in a while but I know it is a good tickle. Good luck everyone.
Well Day 5 has to be the worst so far. Woke up in a bit of pain but the worst feeling is the nausea. I am so sick. I tried to sip water, ice chips, even eat some watery mashed potatoes. I finally gave in about an hour ago, and its about 10pm now and called my doc. He called in anti-nausea meds for me. I cant take it.
Day 5 was much like day 4 for me, pain was excruciating, but still about an 8 out of 10. The entire day I believe I ate two cups of Jello, and that was it. I think I only got down half of one of those cups before slamming it down in frustration and throwing it away.
Any tips besides brushing and mouthwash to get rid of the coating that is making me gag? Doctor said I just had to deal with it, help I can’t deal!
And I thought day 4 was bad…
Day 5 started out like every other.. Sore, but definitely manageable. The only thing I noticed different about this day is I had increased nausea in the morning. After forcing down some scrambled eggs, things seemed to be better. Still drinking pedialyte, apple juice, and water and icing my neck every other 20 minutes. I ran out of juice so my aunt asked if I wanted to brave a trip to target with her. In target, I seemed fine and went on my own to find my pedialyte. I grabbed it and when I returned to the cart, I felt something warm in the back of my throat. Blood.
I panicked and didn’t even think about gargling with ice water, my Aunt took me straight to the ER since there seemed to be a ton of blood. It stopped by the time I got to the ER and I sat in a bed while numerous nurses came to check on me. They had the ENT on call come in. He sucked the clot out and then cauterized my left side with silver nitrate… without any anesthesia… Talk about the worst pain ever. He then told me I could go home and that it probably wouldn’t happen again but if it did to come back.
For the rest of the night all I did was drink water like a maniac to avoid any more complications. Needless to say all I can think about is it happening again. Seriously terrifying. I love being the 4 in 100 :/
Day 5 of my coblation tonsillectomy and things are still going well. Added eggs and lunch meat to my diet today. Had the energy to go to the library and get more movies. Otherwise I have just been resting and crossing my fingers that everything continues to go well.
Woke up more sore than usual; probably from constant coughing all night. More scabbing. No pain medication in more than 48 hours. The pain is still tolerable. Slight soreness around the neck/ear area but I’m sure it will go away before lunch. I had eggplant parmigiana and clam chowder for dinner, even had a garlic bread on the side last night. Come to think of it, I never was on a liquid diet even the first day of surgery. I NEED and HAVE to eat; I don’t care if it’s uncomfortable. I think it helps my pain/soreness than anything; constantly swallowing. Energized enough to walk more than 3 miles last night. I’m going for another walk after I eat this bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. No nausea. No constipation. No upset stomach, No sore tongue. No low grade fever. Slight inflammation on my uvula. I have to say, I’m doing pretty darn well and already thinking what to eat for dinner! Maybe I’ll try sushi today! =)
Day 5: 28/6/13
Horrid. Woke up feeling ok, tried to eat some solid food and it made me feel terrible so I slept. Midday my mother came to visit and I felt fine but by 6pm my body went completely downhill and I almost ended up back in hospital. My body was cramping everywhere I was sweating like crazy and I couldn’t breathe properly. Every time i stood to use the loo i wanted to be sick, it was the most miserable feeling. My GP came to visit and fixed me up. I can no longer take anything stronger than a basic paracetamol as all the other medications affect me so horribly. I only got two hours sleep that night due to my swollen throat, the only throat related pain I’ve had since getting my tonsils out. I just keep trying to stay positive knowing that soon enough this will all be over.
Day 5 is a little worse than the rest of them so far. It hurts worse to swallow or talk. So I’ve been pretty quiet today. My family is probably happy!! Actually tried to take a peek in there finally. It just looks really white. I had the coblation method- don’t know what the scabs look like with that? But every once in a while I feel something weird and I’m wondering if there is a loose piece hanging in there. My left ear throbbed a bit this morning. Sat with a heating pad on it for a while, but it has been better since. Other than that, everything is about the same as it has been. I’m hanging in there! I am getting bored and sick of the same old food, but otherwise doing okay!
Tongue is closer to a normal size today. No more puking, still a little nauseous though. Slept a bunch. Pain is more localized and ‘stabby’ in the back of my throat, but I can definitely see and feel my scabs starting to come off. Today was definitely better than yesterday, things are looking up.
Day 5 and I’m still hurting at levels that I was hurting at on Day 2. I still feel like I’m choking, I can feel the stitches in the back of my throat and with everything so swollen, I can feel everything all the time… I keep my talking down to the very minimum. It’s not worth the pain. Not eating properly leaves me feeling light headed and I’ve been very careful of showering only when my husband is home (just in case). Straining soup just to ensure that there’s no pieces that could get stuck. I suggest sticking to “bland” low acid type soups/foods. I, for some silly reason, thought tomato soup would be a good idea. It wasn’t. I thought really smashed potatoes would be a good idea. It wasn’t. I wish all of you a speedy recovery…
Day 5..didn’t set my alarm for the pain meds which was a huge mistake. I woke up in so much pain…feel like I have razor blades in the back of my throat and ears. I refuse to look at my throat as to not freak myself out worse than I already am. I can’t believe how much pain I am in.
Can’t eat—which sucks when you have to take the pain meds. I am so nauseus that I feel like I could puke at any time.
can’t talk—which is fine since it’s just me and my dog.
can’t poo—this is becoming a problem, I’v been taking 2 colace for 3 days now….any other suggestions?
Thank you so much for this site—at least I don’t feel so alone and I stocked up on the right kinds of supplies. But I am feeling very defeated and helpless
Alyssa,am happy to know that you now able eat some real food.i like that food too.but i am afraid for bleeding.so how many recovery days during with you?and r u feeling pain?r u talking painkiller regularly?sorry for disturbing you but i am really afraid for this condition.
I’ve heard people can return to normal food within 10 – 14 days but everyone is different. I’ve been able to gently eat soft chicken nuggets, soft non-spicy meatballs, oatmeal, soft pastina pasta, small bits of toast with soft-boiled egg on top and scrambled eggs with no problems.
Alyssa,yes dr prescribe me some injection”mr vivian”.now i am feeling good.what about you? I like to eat everything but for this surgery i can’t eat my best food.i am very very ……r u know when we’ll eat real food?
I ate those things slowly and gently and didn’t experience any bleeding. I’m currently on Day 7 and taking oxycodone every 4 hours (well, 3 hours & 45 mins). Also taking a Prednisone steroid to reduce swelling and antibiotics to prevent infection. More info in my comments here: https://tonsillectomyrecovery.com/tonsillectomy-day-7/
Am,chayan..today i have 6th day after tonsil surgery.i alwage want to cry and now i am writting and crying this comments.very pain and can’t eat anything.very difficult to swallow..”betadine and hydrogen peroxide prescribed me to girgle.my phone no is.. 919435002695 but i don’t know that i can talk.plz for how many days this pain will be during…
Chayan, make sure you call your doctor and see if there’s anything else they can prescribe for you. You should definitely have prescriptions for your pain and if it’s not working, they can increase the dose or give you something else.
Even after a late-night trip to the ER for morphine that dulled the pain, it was right back the next morning. My mom kept waking me up every hour to try to get me to drink 8+ ounces of water but it hurt so bad to swallow. Felt like someone was stabbing me in the neck/throat every time.
My mom updated my doctor and he called a pain management expert at the hospital for me to go see. He was great and understood the awful pain because he has gotten his tonsils out at 29 and still remembers it as the worst experience of his life. He gave me a nerve blocker injection in my neck to dull the pain on the worst side. The injection only took 10 minutes and didn’t hurt at all, although they did give me an IV with anesthesia and oxygen. It definitely dulled the shooting pains on my left side every time I swallow, so it was well worth it. Still hurts but maybe at a 6 or 7/10, rather than a 9.
I was able to eat some yogurt and some non-spicy meatballs, sliced into tiny pieces, along with some pastina (pasta shaped like teeny tiny stars) cooked with butter and olive oil. Since I haven’t been able to eat much, I’ve been drinking cans of Ensure to make sure I’m getting enough nutrients and not taking meds on an empty stomach. Other than that, I just keep drinking water, iced tea, Gatorade and apple juice.
My uvula is still really swollen. I can see the scabs forming on the white coating on the front part of my throat. The feeling of something stuck there is pretty annoying but I’m more scared about them coming off and causing bleeding and/or major pain. I’ve been gargling gently with lukewarm salt water a few times a day, to get any food/mucus out, but not much comes out.
Sounds like you’re doing it right. hang in there Alyssa
Well I made it thru day #5 things didn’t go to good today neck started to hurt really bad today and had some ear pain . I think it was because I had to stay in the house all day it was raining outside so I was pretty bored had a little trouble eating supper food did not want to go down and it hurt like hell to swallow .hopeing tomorrow will be a better day should get my tests back .at 62 you never no watts next just a Little scared to call dr will see all tomorrow .
I am currently on my 5th day of recovery. Had a rough night last nght. A lot of pain and swelling and this awful and I say awful taste in my mouth. It feel like im drowning in acid filth. I have been brushing my teeth several times just to help with smell and taste. I have been couhing just a little bit. Oatmeal have been my friend. Oatmeal and water. Eating the icecream is painful to me. I did have vomiting my second day had to call Dr. which presribe a anti nauseas med for me. i take that every 12hours if needed or not. just so that its in my system. HAPPY HEALING everyone. Another day is a day closer to this being behind us.
Hi Diane, I too have that horrible taste at the moment, any idea what it is, is it scabs forming?
I’m currently on day 5 of recovery. I slept quite well last night which ment I didn’t take my pain killers regulary & woke up in the worst pain this morning. After taking 2 lots of pain killers & sitting quietly for an hour I’m just starting to be able to sip on a little iced water which I find really helpful – makes my mouth feel fresher!
I’ve been coughing a lot the last couple of days which I’m finding quite worrying & incredibly painful. I’ve been coughing up a sort of pale greeny / brown mucus & since yesterday I’ve also been coughing up small bits of scab which is just so discusting! Is this normal? Trying to to cough as it can’t be good for my throught but it is so tickly all the time.
Going to take an anit-nausea pill soon & attempt to eat something for th day. I’m finding it easier to eat earlier on in the day as it seems I’m in more pain come the evening.
Also coughin quite a bit here flem. Called Dr and am waiting for his assistant to speak with him and call me back. Also, today I swished cold water around, did a light gargle and when I spit it out, small scabs came out as well. So it sounds normal. Yesterday I cut back on pain meds all day, but since 2:30 this morning I’m back to taking them every 4 hours…
Day 5 was the worst day of recovery. Days 1-4 were cake walks compared to the pain on Day 5. It started in the middle of the night. Whereas the pain had been just pain before, now my throat felt like I had swallowed razor blades that were on fire. The pain became so intense, I ended up in the ER until 2am. Day 6 was still bad but by days 7 and 8 the pain was waning. Today is day 9 for me an I slept good without meds. I woke up with a migraine and ended up throwing up…and it was like I threw up the pain. Now I can eat better and even drink soda again. Not sure what happened, but my recovery seems more likely now. This surgery is no joke. Worst pain I’ve ever had in my life.
Hi I’m 21 and today is day five. Woke up this morning and throat/ear/teeth pain is worse its been after surgery. I have been able to go longer and longer without hydrocodone each day but i can barely make the 4 hr wait today. Also ever since my surgery I have had trouble maintaining a steady urine flow and I havent been able to ejaculate even with my s/o. Is this the medicine? Does anyone else have this problem and should i see my doctor??
Hi, I’m 24 and on day 5 of my recovery. This has been the worst so far, pain wise. It hurts to swallow and I have mild ear ache in the right ear. Eating is quite tough but managing to force it down. Looking in the mirror I can see already that I look skinnier which isn’t great since I started off weighing 8 stone 5 =( Missing eating normally and I also keep waking myself up with snoring! Do I regret getting it done? Not at all, I would rather get 2 miserable weeks out of the way and then never have to put up with tonsillitis again. I have had many cases of tonsillitis that have even felt worse than this. Still sucks though, not gonna lie.
day 5-
pain is overwhelming! yes i have learned too crying does not help. the sharp pains in my ears and through to my teeth are insane. i knew the recovery would be bad but just no way to prepare yourself for the intensity. and it really feels like its not getting better. it does help to know i’m not the only one going through this.
Day five. I am 28. Today and yesterday have been the worst so far! I am feeling so overwhelmed by the amount of pain I am in. I take lorrab every 4 hrs and ibuprofen every 4 hours, they are rotated to where I’m taking a medicine every two hrs. It hurts too bad to even take my pain meds now though. I started coughing up small amounts of blood and green, which worries me(the green not the blood) last night my husband made popcorn, one of my favs and I just thought how much I can’t wait to be able to be back to normal so I can eat some! I’m calling doc today to see about getting a steroid shot to help with the swelling. Maybe if that goes down a but my pain will lessen? Idk, I’m running out of hope. Yesterday doc called me out swizzle which is lidocaine, Benadryl, and maalox to gargle with. It’s supposed to numb your throat. It only numbs my tongue and when I let it sit on the holes in my throat it just burns. So that’s a no go
my ears hurt like crazy too. I’ve had a few crying meltdowns, which is always a good time for everyone. I really need the day to hurry and get here where this is all just a distant memory and I am happily eating whatever I want with no throat pain. Fast foward button anyone?
Age 33 here. Day five was pretty bad. Nights were the worst, and I would wake up every two hours, with two hours left until my next dose of Roxicet.
I slept a lot during the day, and can mostly just whisper. Pain has stayed in ears, throat, jaw, and tongue. Pain level is about an 8.
Nausea has subsided. I still push liquids (pain level is a ten when swallowing), and eat soft foods with each dose of meds. I also swallow my saliva when lying in bed.
I found this forum to be very helpful while I was going through this. At the time, I would not have been able to write this. However, it was useful to compare stories to see where I was in the healing process. I hope others find this useful in the future. I am writing this all on day 13. Life is good. I am very happy I had this done, even though there was a very rough patch days 4-8.
I’m on day 5 & struggling so bad. I’m 34 years old. Will this ever end? X
I’m with ya, it’s day 5-6 for me and I feel like dying! Day 10 can’t come soon enough.
Roll on day 10!!
Hi everyone
I’m 20 and I had the tonsillectomy on Tuesday (the 26th)
It’s the end of day 5 for me and the last 3 days have been HORRIFIC. Honestly, I have been laying in bed wishing for death, it’s getting too much to handle now
I was definitely tricked into thinking that it wasn’t all that bad on the second day, all I had was a sore throat, but how wrong was I. Since waking up on the morning of day 3 it has been agony, and been getting worse and worse.
I woke up at 4.30am this morning crying/screaming. Even swallowing my own saliva was making me scream out in pain… I know crying and screaming makes the pain worse but it was automatic and I honestly couldn’t control it. Its always worse in the morning as well I’ve realised….
I have really bad ear ache, especially in the left ear. I seem to have much more pain in the left side of my throat for some reason. Anyone else experiencing this??
I’m also experiencing the achey bruised and swollen: jaw, tongue, mouth, neck and uvulva…. Even my teeth are killing me.
My uvula is sooooo swollen I can feel it on my tongue, It feels like a haribo is stuck in my throat (its that big!), and it makes me gag at times.
One good thing is that I actually managed to eat something today as I didn’t think that i’d be able to. I had about 3 quarters of an egg sandwich, the bread was very soft but it was really painful still. I had the option of soup and other watery things but the thought of another soup makes me feel sick to my stomach. I now have a slight migraine and feel rather dizzy, weak and sick now because of barely eating.
For me ice lollies really haven’t helped, which is annoying because I had stocked up on sooo many before the op but they make me feel worse to be honest
Warm food and drink is definately alot more soothing for me than icy cold.
I also bought a humidifier before the op, which has actually been really helpful. I’ve only realised this when I’ve given it a break so my wall paper doesn’t go damp. When its turned off the pain is so much worse, so if you haven’t got a humidifier id definitely recommend that you buy one or borrow from a friend!
One more thing… What is with this thick saliva!? I swear its trying to choke me to death or something, I have a sick bowl next to my bed so I can spit it out in there, (which by the way also hurts so bad to do!)
So glad that I have found this site though, its nice to feel that I am not alone! Seems like we have a nice little community of people in pain here ?
Anyway, i’ll be going now. Hoping tomorrow will be a better day for all of us! xx
Oh my gosh, sorry I didn’t realise how long this post would be!
The thick saliva makes me gag too along with the smell of my own breath? ew. lol I hate this I’m on day 6
Im 33 and i also had nasal surgery at the same time as my tonsillectomy, big mistake!
5th day, bad day. Can’t tolerate anything cold. I’m a jerk to people around me. Pain meds every 5ish hours. Eat some roasted zucchini and squash along with some rice. Little but of chicken mashed up with some water. Doze a lot of the day and feel miserable like I have a fever but no fever. Pain is bad and nothing helps.
Ps I am writing all this on my 9th day and I realize that we neglected to use the humidifier for days 5,6,7
Have any of you guys gotten acne since the surgery? My face is starting to get little bumps all over it, and I never get acne! I’m 14 btw!
I’m on day 5 of recovery and I’ve gone from bad to worse! Yesterday was great I was able to swallow easier and really had low pain. Then at 1 AM this morning I got terrible pain only on one side of my throat and ear. It seems as if one side is healing much faster than the other. On top of this I’ve got bad neasusa. I have anti neasusa meds but they’re not working to their max power which is odd since this medicine is given to patients with chemo. Anyone else have bad neasusa?
Stephanie, I have been sick to my stomach for days. It’s really starting to annoy me. This whole recovery process is actually. If you find a cure for feeling sick. Let me know!
Hi Trent,
Call your doctor and ask for anti neusea medication. I’ve noticed if I eat a little something before or right after I take it, it helps. I know the thought of eating while sick to your stomach is horrid but just push thru it. These meds were designed for people with cancer so I have faith that eventually they’ll really kick it.
Fair warning they make you even more drowsy on top of the pain meds.
Best of luck!
Thank you Greg.
My fever broke during hte night, but I think it is making a comeback now. I am just half hour away from my next dose of meds so I’m sure that will help. I think I will stick it out as long as it stays below 102.
Thanks for having this blog. It is a great comfort!
~Amanda
Hello Everyone and Greg,
I am wrapping up day 5. The pain has gotten worse throughout the day and the ear pain is kicking good now. I believe I am sloughing scabs, which I was expecting to have more pain with. About an hour ago I started feeling a little funny, rather hot, but chilly. I checked my temperature and it was 99.9. I know the paper my doc sent me home with says go to the ER if it reaches 102, but I have been taking fever reducer this entire time so that leads me to believe I have something going on. Is it common to have a mild fever at this point? Anyone ever experience this?
I am going to check it again in about an hour and see if it has come down. If not I guess, I will head in. I had a full dose of Tylenol one hour before I checked my temperature so there is nothing else I can take for a few hours from now.
~Amanda
Hi Amanda. Low grade fever is very common. I had it.
The pain in my throat is gone. Finally slept through the night last night without waking up to take pain meds (I went 12 hours without taking pain meds). Also, had first BM in six days. Still running a fever of 101. Mucus is totally out of control. I wake up with a sludge coating my entire mouth and am finally able to blow my nose successfully. The first five days I would get nasal drip in my throat whenever I tried blowing my nose . Now, its finally coming out of my nose.
Day 5 probably the worst so far but definitely not unbearable. Woke up this am with crazy ear pain but an ice pack and pain meds helped! My breath and the nasty taste in my mouth is quite annoying though, not much tastes good right now. Last night I ate some mashed potatoes and that was like heaven. Felt like I actually had something in my stomach! So far I’m down 6 pounds, which I’m not going to complain about. Still drinking fluids and sticking with the lortab. I want to stay on top of my pain if I can!! So far not expierencing near the horror stories as some of you have! I must be a lucky one!!
Mmmm More pain. It’s gone from my throat upto my ears now and feels like it’s trying to escape via my eardrums every time I swallow. Not bothering with the painkillers anymore cos it’s bearable compared to day 2 and 3 , where it felt more like swallowing razorblades. The worst part for me is this irritation that makes me want to cough but I don’t let it till my eyes water and then it slowly subsides.
I’m having the same issue…it feels like something is gurgling in my throat & kind of chokes me. I wonder what that is???
That coughing feeling is the scabs on your throat healing the same thing as when you have a scab on your arm and it itches when its healing and almost ready to come off. Don’t be suprised if in the next couple days your scabs come off.
aww you poor thing, day 4,5, and 6 were horrendous for me and i didnt think i was ever going to get through it, it hurt to drink eat or even talk. My emotions were all over the place which wasnt very pleasent for my family, The good news is on day 7 i was feeling not to bad and the pain had eased of alot and i was able to drink without cryingt out in pain. Im day 9 now and i am up and about and even went to my daughters mothers day assembly this afternoon, i can nearly drink probably and im near on eating solid food and the pain is only at a 1-3 now xx
Hope this help, keep drinking plenty and chew lots of gum
Hi guys,
I’m just about to go In to day 5 of company and I just thought I’d message to say I feel your pain.
I’m a 30 year old male and I’ve really struggled with the pain. Surgeon said it may be worse because I had tonsillitis two weeks prior I surgery.
I’ve been eating plenty up until today, but I’m really struggling.
I stocked up on protein shakes and body building shakes before i went to hospital because i desperately don’t want to lose weight, but I can’t even swallow them right now.
I’m on 60mg codeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen. I also bought myself a lidocaine spray from the chemist, which eases the pain in the hours before my next dose of medication.
I’ve also discovered that drinking slightly warm water is way easier than ice cold water and I’m now avoiding any drinks too cold.
So much pain it’s unreal
day 5 and been back at the hospital most of the day with bleeding. I now know why it’s been so painful all night! Been given antibiotics to get rid of an Infection!
SOMEONE PLEASE SPREAD SOME LIGHT ON WHEN I CAN EXPECT TO FEEL A LITTLE BETTER!
Day 5….. Just! It’s 3am and got woken up by the worse pain in my ears and throat ever! Usually a few sips of cold water helps but not now!! Is this the scabs coming off? If so how long will it last??
PLEASE HELP SOMEONE! Feel like crying it I no this will only make the pain worse
Hi Everyone,
Im on day 5 now and the pain has been worse today than any other so far, even drinking water makes me shake with pain but i know it needs to be done.. I have all the same symptons as everyone else of which im handling quite well most of the time. My main worry is my aggression over the past few days im up and down with my mood swings either crying or screaming, i was prescribed tramadol, diclafenic and paracetemol when i came out of the hospital, on day 1,2 and 3 i was taking the max does of tramadul (8 x 50mg ) i then began to experience pulpatations and after consulting my Dr he advised me just to stop them completely. Since doing this, this is when my emotional state has become a rollercoaster. I am a 38year old woman never experienced anger like this before any advise would be much appreciated..
Good luck to all on your recovery x
Hang in there =/ I know exactly what you mean, I have not only gotten in an argument with my mother but also my best friend which never happens. I think it as a lot to do with the medicine, Did they percribe you something else? Along side of the pain killers, the actual pain I’m in definitely adds to the agitation. It literally hurts to hear at times so when people talk, also when people ask me questions, it really bothers me. Baths seem to help, also just some quite time.. Somewhere without a tv or music.. or people at that. Keep your head up.. We will heal up and be back to normal soon
I had exactly the same experience with Tramadol. I drifted off to sleep, woke up and couldn’t stop crying, then the whole day I felt like a complete druggy.vi only took 2′ I haven’t taken any more since as I’m scared of the same effects, but I know it helped with the pain.
I was told day 5-7 were going to feel like I was taking steps back, but man im on day 5 and the pain in my ears is unbearable. I’d say my recovery has been good up until this point. I was eating solid foods by day 2, taking pain meds just a little after sch times, and talking. I have been able to sleep through the nights, although when I do wake up, I sit at the edge of my bed and stare at the wall until the pain meds kick in. Pathetic huh? Lol I’ve learned as bad as it hurts, do NOT cry.. It will make the pain worse and last longer.. Scabs are still there.. Although I haven’t really been looking at them because my tongue is so swollen. It hurts so bad to talk and even if I do, no one can understand me so I’ve literally given up.. Also counting down until I can take my next dose.. I haven’t eaten at all today (day 5) which is not like me.. Hoping to have some better days soon
How have you got through day 5!!! It’s 3am and I can already feel it’s going to be a long day!! Any tips to keep me going? The pains just unreal at the moment!
Water, water, water!!! Trust me ik it hurts, but water has become my best friend esp for day 5. I’ve noticed Ice cold water makes it hurt worse, as a few days ago, it soothed it. Also pain meds, I’ve been alternating between ibuprofen 600mg and Vicodin every 3 hours. Also a warm shower did me wonders and I actually felt like I had some energy afterwards.
It’s 1:30am on the morning of day five and I can not sleep a wink!!! I am in exrutiating pain and am suffering so bad I cannot swallow without screwing my face up in pain and I have the worst smelling mouth!!!!!! Help?!
Hello Iwona D. I’m guessing we’re suffering on either side of the pond at the same time? The Tonsillectomy Diet – guaranteed to lose weight but also guaranteed not to catch on as the next big thing! From 220lbs I’m now at 212lbs, a puny loss of 8lbs to your 11!
I put that down to the minced fish, white rice and sweetcorn that last night man won, in the UK edition of man v food!
For the last 24 hours everything for me seems just a little better, still horrible but at least not getting worse. Another dreary dull day here – perfect for doing absolutely nothing, which I seem to becoming very good at. Take care Phil
My throat hurts really bad today and my ears are defiantly hurting!!! I’m holding off on the pain medication because it’s making me look cracked/messed out. A lot of stress on my body today; it’s just a bad day. I ate an avocado with honey and it was like the best thing for my body. Drinking lots of fluids, eating Jell-O, chicken broth, pom apple sauce. Pretty sure before surgery I was 174punds and I weighted myself today and I’m down to 163pounds. Holy Shit. My body is working so hard to heal my throat!!!! I’m lucky to have these awesome healing capabilities haha. My sister told my my breath is rancid.. sucks to me be. I looked into the back of my mouth and it looks like there are “pockets” like bilateral little “holding” SACS where my tonsils use to be. I’m so scared that after my recovery there just going to be there and making food get held there before I swallow. Like WTH.. I hope not. I’ve just been sleeping in my bed all day/night. Ready for tomorrow!! haha lates everyone.
First of all, hats off to you Greg for this site. I am a male Brit, approaching 47 years old. I’m day 5 after my op. Thought I would post for the benefit of UK readers. I was operated on in the UK at 2pm, discharged from hospital at 10am the next day with advice on pain relief and 7 days worth of co-amoxiclav to guard against infection. For pain relief, Days 2-3 were 2x500mg soluble paracetamol 4 times a day, 2x200mg ibuprofen 3 times a day. This is the max standard daily dose on both counts in UK. Overnight day 3 into day 4 was my lowest point so far, simply reduced to tears between doses as the relief wore off. Both throat and ears, horrible. On day 4 changed the para -only to soluble paracetamol-codeine 2x500mg para/30mg codeine, 4 times per day.(Codeine is available without prescription in the UK (unlike in the US the last time I was there (but this was some years ago and may have changed) I find it interesting looking at the drugs used in different countries posted around this site, in contrast to codeine that we in the UK can buy like sweets, half of what the US appears to be routinely taking is a mixed-up restricted class A drug in the UK.) Suggest to all in UK that you start with paracetamol-codeine – the extra relief, even if it’s only a few minutes, is worth the possible constipation!! Use soluble paras, the effects are quicker and it forces you to hydrate just that little bit more. Last night was still awful but slightly better, so I’ll celebrate a small win. On day 2 it took me 2 hours to eat 2 sloppy weetabix. Yesterday evening, end of day 4 I managed mash, baked beans and very minced beef. Felt really good for about an hour on the back of eating. Anything bland goes for me, liquidized or diluted. From the start I’ve been able to sleep in 2-4 hour bursts, the worst times for me are after waking. You force sips of water. Thankfully our weather is pretty benign this February-March and reasonably cold, just above freezing at night. I haven’t got a humidifier but do sleep with the window open. If you are going through this somewhere/sometime hotter or drier, I really feel for you. Had the joy of coughing up some blood today but not unduly worried – I’ll see how the day goes. I’m well aware that in my mid-40’s, my overall recovery time will not be in the teenage leagues, the flip side of which is that I’m old enough to patiently await my body sorting itself out. Talking remains difficult, posting this was easy! Good luck everyone.
Thank you Phil- and best of luck to you!
I am soooooooo not a happy camper. I wish that they just left my tonsils in.
I haven’t been able to sleep unless I’m sitting straight up, as my mouth fills with thick saliva and I can’t breathe at all. I thought I was doing great besides that, but no. The only thing that I was able to swallow I threw back up almost instantly, and it feels like I tried to swallow one of my scabs and it got stuck in my throat and chest, but both scabs are there and the feeling makes me want to throw up again.
I have tried this whole time to not complain, but today was the worst of all days. I’m exhausted, I’m out of pain meds, my stomach is turning, I can’t breathe, and I am still unable to swallow anything but chicken broth. ='(
Why can’t they keep us asleep when we are healing like this?
Ok rant over =)
Other than today it’s been normal =)
I’d recommend talking to your doctor about the nausea. You could be allergic to one of your meds if it occurs after you take them and if its not that, your doc can give you an anti nausea med. Something from home that helps with nausea is chewing on some ginger root. Don’t swallow it or anything just chew on it and let the juice drip down if you can. Also use ice packs around your jaw and ears that helped me with the swelling and pain. And then for not sleeping cause of the mucus or spit, I slept on my side with a towel on my pillow and an ice bag under my neck and my mouth open. Sure its not pretty but the spit just drains out and leaves you open to breathe. Hope this helps a bit
Day 5: Necessities; 1 – Humidifier, 2 – Crushed Ice (at all times), 3 – Chloraseptic Lozenges, 4 – REST (nap time). Make sure you are actually taking your pain meds when you’re suppose to because if you don’t then you’re going to be stressed out, and know this, the less pain you have the less stressed you are and the quicker you will heal. Chloraseptic lozenges actually numb your entire mouth, so this is good if you’ve already taken your pain meds and still have a slight pain. Day 5 has been a walk in the park, I woke up feeling like death (which is expected) but once I took my prescribed dose of roxicet and popped a Chloraseptic lozenge I was squared away. I try not to think about what the inside of my mouth looks like because I know if I do I’m going to find something in there to freak out about. I’ve had jello and oatmeal already today (with ease) and I plan on having some sauceless tortellini for a late lunch (which I had for dinner last night).
Day 5! 28/f What a start to day 5! The pain is intense. My heating pad is my best friend today! I finally ate some mashed potatoes last night and I think thats whats causing all my pain today. Would love to be taking pain meds every 2 hour, just trying to get through the other 2 hours I have left! Im still only sleepin 1- 1 1 /2 hrs at a time… starting to get hungry sleepy and just plain sick of being sick! Hope I feel better soon. Im drink what I was told to drink. Wish the swelling in my tongue an jaw would stop hurting!
I am feeling the same exact way…this sucks. I keep having little coughing spells that wake me up as if I am choking then of course turns into coughing…I’ve been having trouble drinking water anything for that matter. I have just prolly should be getting more. What’s the heating pad for? First time I heard about that… I’m Just ready for this pain to be over with!!
Hello I was wondering about the coughing :/ I’ll fall asleep for a few then get this dried feeling in my throat (and it’s not dry) and start coughing. I assume it’s the scabs healing but it rough because its making the pain worse
The best that can be said for day 5 was that the pain didn’t get appreciably worse. The drugs are definitely making a difference, and they seem to be relieving pain from about 40 mins after I take them to about 4 hours after. I suppose that means that for 3h20 in every 6 hour cycle, the pain is relieved. I tried switching from codeine to dihydrocodeine in the hopes of a better effect. However I found that an hour after the dose I felt nauseous. It passed pretty quickly, but after the second dose the nausea lasted a good 2-3 hours. I’ve always been surprised to read of people suffering nausea from painkillers as it’s never happened to me before, so this was something of a shock. I can’t say whether the dihydrocodeine worked any better than the codeine, but I’m back on codeine for now. The dose is still small (16mg every 6 hours), and if I could go back 2 days I’d have upped it to 38mg (I have 8’s and 30’s, the latter prescribed when I had a peritonsillar abscess and which made not the slightest difference at the time, so I can reliably say that this pain really is not as bad as that was). I guess that’s the best indicator that things are taking a turn for the better (now, on day 6) , that I’m not preoccupied with improving the painkillers. On the other hand, there’s no point in putting myself through unnecessary pain, so I may yet go for the 38mg. Will have to wait and see. Eating and drinking have become a bit of a trial, and despite doing both almost normally until the morning of day 5, it took a real effort to psych myself up for lunch (at 3pm), and then couldn’t face swallowing down dinner at all. So dinner on Day 5 was the first time since the op that I was unable to eat. Whether that’s because the pain was worse or because I had had enough of it, is hard to say. In terms of liquids, I’ve been drinking 3 pints of water a day, which is what the consultant recommended, and more than half of that is merely the collateral damage of having to swallow 20 pills a day. I’ve also had a pint of milky coffee (mainly milk with a couple of shots of espresso) each morning, which helps keep me going but I don’t count as part of my liquid intake because of the diuretic effect of caffeine. Strange observation of the day: despite essentially eating normally, and probably taking in more calories than normal due to my choice of food, I’ve lost 4lbs in just over 4 days. I was expecting to be about level, or at most to have lost a pound, so I was pretty surprised. One more pound (which looks to be guaranteed in the next 10 days) and I’ll be lighter than I’ve been any time in the last 5 years. Night 5 was not too bad. I did wake up in discomfort, so spent the hours of 4am and 6am sitting up in bed reading, but it didn’t seem as awful as the night before. That was a long post, but in summary I think the corner may just about be turning. I hope so anyway…
I thought the last few days were bad! Day 5 and the pain just got 10X worse. I can barely talk or eat. I’ve managed to get down several things in the past few days, poptarts, potato salad, even a soft taco! But today, the thought of any of those things in my throat make me sick! Day 3 I woke up naseous because I had so much blood in my stomach from the surgery. ( I also had a balloon sinuplasty; sinus surgery) so I threw up on day 3 ( AWFUL) but since then I haven’t been naseauated, thank goodness.
I had the same surgery 5 days ago. I could eat some before but today I am nauseous from Nasal drainage. When did your scabs come off? Was it bad?
DAY FIVE – Hell On Earth
I am dying…NOTHING can hurt this bad and NOT be killing me, right?!?! Oh my gawd. I’ve had three children and can honestly say that labor and delivery (even before the epidural) did not hurt this intensely – and recovery was a walk in the park compared to this! I just took a nap – I think that was my mistake. I only slept for four hours (that’s the longest I have slept since the surgery) but my throat feels like someone replaced the flesh with sandpaper. It hurts to BREATH because AIR has to touch my throat!!!!!!!
On Friday I had my tonsils removed, a repeat turbinate reduction, and a balloon sinuplasty (sinus surgery). I spent the night in the hospital because I was vomiting, my pain was not controlled with oral medications (I was on IV morphine in addition to my Lortab elixir – I also had IV promethezine for nausea), there was excess bleeding from the sinus surgery, and my anxiety was off the charts (I have a panic disorder, so I knew that would be an issue – I needed IV Ativan in addition to my oral Xanax several times). I was in pretty bad pain on Friday through Sunday, but I started talking in a {{louder}} whisper on Monday and Tuesday – I even used a “normal” voice a few times. This is WORSE than Friday. They should just schedule patients to come BACK into the hospital on Day Five to go back on IV pain meds.
I have a few questions:
– Is it normal to feel like I have been hit in the jaw by Mike Tyson? My chin hurts all the way around, which I don’t understand. I get that my JAW would hurt on the sides, but I can’t even touch the skin on the front of my chin.
– When will my EARS stop feeling like someone stuck a Q-tip dipped in fire all the way in and when will they stop feeling like they need to POP? I can’t even yawn to try to get them to pop because yawning makes my throat hurt so bad that I start blacking out.
– Has anyone else had these sinus surgeries with a tonsillectomy and, if so, does this add additional recovery time? I WILL say that I have to blow my nose (a lot) because of the sinus surgeries (I am supposed to use Afrin every two hours and that is making my nose drip even worse) and I am not supposed to swallow all that snot (I’ve had to cough it up a few times – I thought I was going to pass out). I know that nose blowing and coughing to bring up phlegm are no-no’s with a tonsillectomy, but I have no choice. Any suggestions?
– When will I be able to TALK again?!?!?!
On top of everything else, my husband is at work and it is a snow day, so my kids are home. I feel like the worst mother in the world because there is NO WAY I can do anything for them…I have to write what I want to say on a white board (thankfully my six year old is a great reader!). My oldest is almost 13, so he is taking care of his 10 yr old and 6 yr old sisters for me – that child is earning some major Mom-points today. They are all wonderful about getting me drinks and translating what I need to say on the phone, but I wish I could take them outside to play in the snow {sad Momma}.
Hello everyone and thank you for sharing your experience. It’s incredible help to vent and relate to people in exact situation. Today is my day 5 post op. and I feel very discouraged because it is absolutely the worst day pain wise. I drink a lot, but that’s about it. Can’t eat anything, even Jello seems to firm and causes pain to slide it down my throat. I am on pain medication- narcotics. And I read a lot about people taking antibiotics. I wasn’t prescribed any antibiotics. Should I ask my doctor for it? Would it speed up my recovery?
Ellie, the antibiotics won’t speed up your recovery I don’t think, more to prevent an infection. My doc prescribed them to me. Day 5 was bad for me too….hang in there and eat what you can. Have you tried things like mashed potatoes, thick soup, or applesauce? They worked well for me in the early days post op. Also, frozen banana slices felt good going down. I keep the ice packs on my neck before and after eating which helped a ton with the pain. Hang in there….hope you start feeling better soon!
Sylvia, thank you so much for responding. Thanks for the info on antibiotics. I iced my throat before trying to eat, andI did eat chicken noodle soup today, it tasted like the best thingI’ve ever had, and I had to take meds right after I ate to calm down the soreness. Thanks for the tip!!!
You’re sure welcome Ellie, and hope you have smooth sailing from here! I’m on day 12 and feel almost normal now. Just taking the occasional Tylenol, and it hurts a bit when swallowing still, but I’m mostly back to eating my normal diet now. You’ll get there!
Hi I am also on day 5 the pain is unbearable, I was better on day 1 and 2 . yesterday, day 4 I had to go to my gp to ask for stronger painkillers, he refused to give me any saying the one I have codeine 30mg and soluble paracetamol are enough he gave antibiotics though saying that it might be infected. So I hope you go see your gp and ask for antibiotic, I hope this pain goes away right now I can’t sleep because of pain and I decided to take ibuprofen I don’t know why coz a lot of articles and columns are saying it causing bleeding. I just want the pain to go.
I keep on choking on a kind of yellowy mucus in my sleep. This day so far has been the worst..
I keep chocking too, but on the hangy thing in my throat bc it’s huge and swollen. I havent had mucus, but its bc i have been staying away fro dairy. Only eating ramon noodles and lipton chicken noodle soup. Are you able to speak much or have you been speaking? I tried yesterday and today and only can for a little bit or it gets worse. Hang in there and hope you feel better!
Day 5….sucks! The pain medication seems to no longer work. I’m taking Lortab every 4 hours but it seems to wear off an hour before the next dose. Yesterday (day 4) was my 31st Birthday! Happy Birthday to me. I was able to stomach a little bit of carvel ice cream cake but the pain associated with swallowing was horrific. It feels as if there are knives stabbing the back of my throat constantly. I also have this feeling of something being “stuck.” Like a rock in my throat. I keep swallowing thinking it will go away, but the pain increases every time I do. I gave up on trying to get rid of the invisible rock. I have those beautiful white patches everyone is talking about and the taste associated with them is anything but pleasent. I have been drinking tons of ice water but today I longed for something with flavor. I attempted to drink a small cup of coke to help soothe an upset stomach and that was a terrible mistake. It left an even worse tate in my mouth. I’ve also been having a problem with noise levels. I don’t know if it’s because of the pain in my ears but every little noise just makes me want to break down. Anyone else have this problem? I really hope that some relief is in my future….
This birthday is the gateway to a better life. Soon you will celebrate it. Hang in there!
I’m on day 5 as well and feel like I have something stuck in my throat and I’m chocking. Have you tied talking? I did today and now I’m paying for it. When I talk I feel like I sound like I have a speech impediment and My voice is really low. Also can’t taste anything! Hangin there. Hopefully by the weekend we will both be feeling better!
Hi!
Yesterday was day 5, and about the worst day so far… I didn’t have any pain in day 1 to 4 and I had hoped to get out of this recovery without pain, but that was wish full thinking
Anyhow, it was still the most painful day, but reading other peoples posts, I should still be happy not to be in that much pain i guess… 
I started having throat pain at the evening of day 4, had a pretty much sleepless night, and was counting down minutes to take the next round of pain meds. But then at about 8 pm (evening of day 5), all of a sudden all pain dropped for about an hour or two (weirdest thing ever!) but I used this time to eat enough to get trough the night. And good thing i did, cause afterwards, the pain returned, but it wasn’t that bad as it was before… maybe a piece of scab came off? I don’t know
Oh, and something else, i noticed that food is getting stuck in the holes where the tonsils used to be, and I’m not getting it out… Tried to gargle and get it out with cotton buds, but that did just didn’t work… Anybody else having the same problem? Some solutions?
Hi all,
I am on day five a still feeling absolutely dreadful. The most irritating thing is that I cannot for the life of me open my mouth more than about a cm. it is impossible it will
NOT go any wider anyone else had this?
I am also on day five cannot open my mouth either I’m starving want to eat I feel like I’m getting worse! Called the doc to get more medicine cause pain is so bad I can’t sleep Tylenol wasn’t cutting it lol
My day 5 has been a bit of a mix really. I woke up at 5 am coughing a lot and my ears were absolutely killing me i fell back asleep only to wake back up at 6 so i had some ice and went back to bed. I slept in till half 10 and got up took my pain meds and just lay in bed for most of the day. Taking my meds on time. My ears were constantly sore today the pain meds didn’t help much atall for that, so ive had cotton wool in them which is helping a little. My throat has been spotting blood today which i assume is the scabs? Its pretty sore, especially when i drink some water it stings like hell. It’s like when you cut yourself with a razor and then rinse it. I decided to go for a hot shower and it felt amazing but when i got out my throat was extremely dry, i’m assuming because of the steam. About an hour after my shower i felt great i had a little dinner, potatoes veg and yorkshire pudding i couldn’t manage the meat but i done the best i could and then i had some jelly afterwards. My throat felt a little better and i could talk a little where as earlier in the day i couldn’t speak at all and i even felt a little happier. The past few days i’ve been crying a lot because i’ve felt like poo its not just the pain it’s everything just getting to me, i’m sure im not the only one who has felt like this after a tonsillectomy. It was a nice change to just feel a little better within myself emotionally as well as physically. My throat started hurting a little again later in the night and my ears are still really sore. It’s now 3 am and im hoping to head to bed soon just waiting on my meds to kick in so i can hopefully get a few hours sleep before it all starts again tomorrow. Hopefully day 6 will be better than day 5
My day 5 has been horrid. I woke up with a very sore throat, has some medication and was alright. Had half an up and go for brekky and it still hurt swallowing. I slept for half the day again and woke up feeling sick. I had some food and now I feel worse. I hope all this pain ends soon. This is so frustrating!
Heather, I can relate so well to where you now are. I am coming up on 4 weeks post op and have come so far! Days 4-10 were probably the absolute worst for me, and my dr office is about 2 hours away. I did have to get a refill on my roxicet around day 7. My prescription was for 10ml every 6 hours to begin with and it was changed to 10 ml every 4 hours around day 5. When I was in really bad pain I took 5ml every 2 hours ( at least during the day). I ate very little for 10 days, but made sure to get my body protien to help it heal. I mixed the roxicet with about 8oz of chocolate ensure and drank ice cold water as needed to wash it down. For breakfast everyday I would make a smoothie, strawberry bananna was best but you have to watch out for the strawberry seeds. I have a bullet that u got just for this, and would fill it with diced fruit then add apple juice mix and pour into a 20oz glass. There was always some left in the mixer so I would add a scoop of unjury vanilla protien powder ice and a little more apple juice (the vanilla made it creamy an ice made it much colder). I stayed with ice bags around my throat, slept on a 12 inch wedge pillow on my side, and kept ice cold water or juice near at all times. My husband would also make slushies out of whatever drink i wanted and ice. This let me get small pieces back where it made a difference and it felt sooooooo good!
Day 10 was my miracle day. I remember breaking down in day 9 thinking it would never end, and it was like magic the afternoon of day 10. All of a sudden I wasn’t in much pain an wanted food. Took me 4 hours to eat a can of soup, but that was my downhill slide moment ? it has gotten so much better every day since!
You are 1/2 way thru the worst of it, and you can do it!
Oh, and keep that humidifier running top speed 24/7. It’s amazing how much it helps pain!
Today is day 5 of my recovery, I do believe the pain was as bad today as it was the first day if not worse. After surgery I was prescribed Lortab elixir and for the first 24 hours I was in severe pain, it did not help at all. I felt relief for maybe an hour and then I was in agony while I waited for time to take the next dose. I contacted my doctor and he switched me to Roxicet elixir and I thought I was in heaven!! It took care of my pain SO much better than the other. Pain was much more tolerable for the next few days, except once I was about 30 minutes late for my dose because I wouldn’t wake up for the alarm. That was unbearable. Also I haven’t been sleeping hardly at all because when I do my mouth dries out really bad and when I wake up I am in a lot of pain. On day 3 I threw up, I was very scared because I knew it was going to happen and I was worried that it was going to hurt or that my scabs would come off, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I braced myself for. I felt better afterwards too. I have been taking some promethezine to keep from having nausea with the pain meds. For some reason today my pain levels are about back to the first day when I was on the Lortab. I am dying for about an hour or two waiting for my next dose and I am also very worried because my script for the Roxicet is going to run out in about 8 doses and I am no where near ready to be off of it. I think the dr will probably give me a refill, but of course you have to have a hand written script and the office is about an hour from my house
So I am really wondering why the pain seems to be so much worse today, or maybe I have developed a tolerance for the pain meds? I really hope this is the “worst” and maybe it had to get worse before it will get better. I have not been able to eat hardly anything. Basically just popsicles, gatorade and ice cream. I have tried mashed potatoes and a couple of different broths and soups, but everything seems to leave me in pain. I feel like I am starving and all I think of is food. As much asI thought I psyched myself up for this being really hard to deal with, I think it is much much worse than I ever expected.
Heather, I can relate so well to where you now are. I am coming up on 4 weeks post op and have come so far! Days 4-10 were probably the absolute worst for me, and my dr office is about 2 hours away. I did have to get a refill on my roxicet around day 7. My prescription was for 10ml every 6 hours to begin with and it was changed to 10 ml every 4 hours around day 5. When I was in really bad pain I took 5ml every 2 hours ( at least during the day). I ate very little for 10 days, but made sure to get my body protien to help it heal. I mixed the roxicet with about 8oz of chocolate ensure and drank ice cold water as needed to wash it down. For breakfast everyday I would make a smoothie, strawberry bananna was best but you have to watch out for the strawberry seeds. I have a bullet that u got just for this, and would fill it with diced fruit then add apple juice mix and pour into a 20oz glass. There was always some left in the mixer so I would add a scoop of unjury vanilla protien powder ice and a little more apple juice (the vanilla made it creamy an ice made it much colder). I stayed with ice bags around my throat, slept on a 12 inch wedge pillow on my side, and kept ice cold water or juice near at all times. My husband would also make slushies out of whatever drink i wanted and ice. This let me get small pieces back where it made a difference and it felt sooooooo good!
Day 10 was my miracle day. I remember breaking down in day 9 thinking it would never end, and it was like magic the afternoon of day 10. All of a sudden I wasn’t in much pain an wanted food. Took me 4 hours to eat a can of soup, but that was my downhill slide moment ? it has gotten so much better every day since!
You are 1/2 way thru the worst of it, and you can do it!
Oh, and keep that humidifier running top speed 24/7. It’s amazing how much it helps pain!
I have just begun day 5 and to me has been my best day yet since the surgery! Last night i cant lie, i did have massive pain in my right ear but taking my meds put me back to sleep for 6 hours. Waking up was okay. except for the disgusting saliva and taste in my mouth. I haven’t eaten anything really since the day before my surgery. IM STARVING!! plus ive lost 6 pounds in 4 days! but I have been drinking fluids, although the pain was excruciating. Today i plan on trying to eat something to get this taste out of my mouth!
Day 5:
So in my day 4 post, I wrote that I was having a really good day, pain wise. And I was. However, those mere twenty-four hours of heaven led to many hours of hell the next day. I woke up with a very sore throat, but I’ve sort of come to expect that nowadays. I’ve been trying to stay off of the liquid vicodin completely, but today the advil just wasn’t doing it for me. I decided that from now on I’m just gonna take a dose right after I wake up (when the pain is the worst) and right before I go to bed (to help me sleep).
Stupid me seems to think that just because the vicodin makes me high off my butt and feel amazing, I’m actually getting better at a much more rapid pace. So, because the vicodin had just taken full effect and I was feeling good, I decided I would eat an apple with peanut butter. STUPID MISTAKE. Very, very bad. The apple was fine at first, but then started scraping my throat, which obviously hurt. A lot. So I stopped eating the apple, but I still had peanut butter left, so I decided to eat that by itself. Stupid mistake, AGAIN. The peanut butter got stuck to the tonsil beds… or what’s left of them. I tried for about an hour to just suck the peanut butter off, to no avail. I finally had to brush my teeth very carefully and gargle. It was horrible.
Needless to say, I’m back on my squishy food diet for awhile.
Hopefully tomorrow is better, considering it’s Christmas.
I am on day 5 of recovery. My throat pain is really not that bad. However my legs are killing me . They are sore and feel bruised in many places and I get slight tingling sensations. I have tried to get up and move around each day but I wonder if this is from laying in bed too long . Any advice???
Well today is day 5 and today I feel a lot better still hurts to eat but I do it because I love food more than pain.. Lol but I had some dressing and it was awesome.. But my ears and my gland area hurt today trying Tylenol more than Percocet because I have to Try to go back to work Thursday so seeing how that goes because I don’t think you want me working on your teeth with me high on Percocet lol.. But so far the only pain is sometimes at night I can’t breathe through my nose very good so I breathe through my mouth so I wake up and my mouth and lips are dry and have to get water.. It just really hurts to swallow more than anything and talking makes it worse.. But other than that I’m doing good
Day 5 – Merry Christmas! I actually slept last night…. a good 5 hours without waking and a total of 8 hours. Unfortunately, that was 8 hours with no meds! OMG! I’ve been hearing about the pain but I’ve stayed ahead of it until this morning. I’m talking delirious pain. The kind that makes it seem like you’re hallucinating.
Anyway… got the meds in and I’m Ok. The key is drugs people… good stuff and lots of them! I see my primary physician on Thursday for a follow up and them the ENT next week for the results of the biopsies. Then it’s 2 months of radiation and chemo followed by more surgery. Thank goodness for pain meds!
Mark, YOUR ATTITUDE INSPIRES ME! I agree about the pain meds- just watch out for nausea and constipation(That’s the downside) Your Doc can prescribe something for both. hang in there.
Merry Christmas to you!
Thanks Greg…
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you handle it” Charles Swindoll
There are so many things that are out of my control right now but my attitude is not one of them. It’s a heck of a day to have this hit me upside the head after 4 days of seemingly smooth sailing. My gf is making a homemade potato and cheese soup which will be like manna even at room temp ?
I’m good with the nausea, no problem there and I’ve been taking an OTC stool softener so I’m doing ok.
Merry Christmas to you too!
As day 5 comes to a close, it’s been an interesting day.
After just a few hours sleep last night I wome up feeling a little sore, but good. After my morning Meds kicked in I actually made it to the shower (felt like heaven) and used toothpaste to brush my teeth (big mistake). I ended up havin and coughing uncontrollably. I was scared I did something to the scabs, but in the end it all looked like the mucus that’s been driving me CRAZY for the past several days. Total bright side is I am breathing ALOT easier and I’m not coughing nearly enough.
I was so worn out from getting ready, I had to take a nap for awhile. Went to my InLaws to watch all the kids with gifts and found myself talking (although in a whisper it was to much). I was also able to eat a little food for the first time: a spoon of mashed potatoes and gravy, a spoon on mashed sweet potatoes, the inside of a deviled egg, and a tiny sliver of pumpkin pie with whip cream. Absolutely tastes wonderful! I must have had 40oz of water getting it down, but I did it.
More pain Meds after we got back home, and now I’m thinking either day 6 pain is comming, or I way over did it with the food, whispering, and coughing. My pain is ramping up again and I’m finding myself watching the clock an hour after my Meds.
Refilling my humidifier, grabbing my ice packs, fresh ice water, and another dose of Meds. Gonna attempt bed and see how it goes.
Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and is able to enjoy the holiday despite the pain
This is Dec. 23. I am age 8. The pain!!!!!!!!. I went into this strange room and there were a bunch of doctors in the room. Next thing I know I’m asleep. Then the PAIN!!!!!!!!! Anyway I had to stay in the hospital for 3 days or maybe 4. Then I could finally go home. I was so happy. But when I got home, then my throat had so much PAIN! That went on for 4 days. But on the 5th day my jaw started to hurt more then anything. All night it hurt even more then the surgery. The same in the morning. Then during the day my neck started hurting!!!!. Its the 5th day and what’s hurting now is my whole neck.
Day 5 was tough but 4 was tougher. The nausea is the worst and the only solid thing I can eat is mashed potatoes. My husband called the doc today and got some snit nausea meds – GOD SEND! It’s is why day 5 is better than 4. Now I can eat without feeling like m gonna lose my stomach. Now the worst is ear and throbbing head pain and forget talking – I sound lime that guy from Silence of the Lambs “it puts the lotion on its back” LOL – they can’t take my sense of humor
Cracking me up Brigette- try chewing sugarless gum for that ear pain.
Ah. Thank you. It’s in my tonsillectomy toolkit, I forgot :-). Also reading back on my earlier post, proof you shouldn’t lortab and text. I had all kinds of typos. Who was that? Sweet dreams all!
I’m in early morning of day 5, and early morning every morning sucks! You finally think you’re getting a good nights sleep and then you pay for it afterward! I must admit, following everyone’s advice has led to a somewhat bearable recovery thus far. LOTS of water, eating whatever I can when I take meds has prevented nausea, have a humidifier next to me at all times, on and off peas on the neck, and of course, keeping up with the pain medication.
So far, the ear pain has just set in on days 3-5, I’ve heard that day 5 is when you start to lose the scabs, which is what I’m the most scared of after reading all the bloody horror stories! Fortunately, my doctor said I didn’t even bleed during surgery (which apparently is rare) so I’m hoping the same will be the case after the fact.Today I actually showered (wohoo!) did a little cleaning, and plan on attempting to run out to the store (with a driver, of course). It’s been wonderful reading about people who are experiencing the same things I have. Hang in there!
sooo…today is day 5 and stilk going strong…what have you been eating? I got salted potato chips…jellytots and coke in the hospital…been eating mcdonalds….kfc….chicken…potatos…Biltong…flings…jelly…custard…corn…meat pies…drinking coke. Never hungry and feeling gr8. Its very sore…not gona lie but never unbarable. Sleeping with humidifier in room and that helps alot. Staying on top of my meds. Good luck to evryone els.
Day 5 was a definite low point! Days 1 and 2 were completely bearable and I was wondering what the fuss was all about. Days 3 and 4 very dull achey horrible pains everywhere, jaw and teeth pain unbearable.
Day 5- oh god!!! I think it was the scabs maybe? Something felt HORRIFIC every hour or so. Like pain I’ve never felt before. Now going into day 6 I can feel myself swallowing bits of scab and its making me feel extremely nauseous.
Diet wise I’ve eaten exact same as usual but a lot more rough food, dr recommended toast cereal and crisps so got some of that down each day.
Really hoping worst is over!
Had operation on Wednesday. Feeling okay today. Wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone tho. I have stopped taking the meds I was given from hospital as the codeine was knocking me out! I would advise puttin powder front a paracetamol and codeine over the counter tab into water it works the same. Only things I’ve eaten are trifle mmmmmmmm and I am now swearing by cola ice pops. I had to go to a&e on Friday as I couldn’t swallow so I urge you all to try and drink cos sitting in a&e waiting 7hrs for a drip is not fun. Andddddd be positive remember the reason you had the operation in the first place…saying this I will probs persuade people till the day I die not to have the operation lol. Keep smiling..
OMG! OMG! OMG! Worst day ever!!! Woke up 5am — razor blades, blood taste, ouch! Looked with flashlight, and could see a tiny bit of scab gone on one side. Sucked some ice chips, gargled with cold water, more ice chips. Went back to sleep after I thought it stopped. Woke up an hour later with blood in my mouth. Looked with flashlight, and entire side of throat was bloody!!! Called the doc, who saw me immediately. He suctioned out all the blood and then cauterized it — several times because it would not stop bleeding. OUCH!!! I am in such pain!!! And now I have ear pain, which I did not have before the cauterization. Also, my neck is swollen on that side again (after it had finally gone down). I am putting ice packs on it, which eases it a bit. Doc said to gargle with ice-cold water w/ 1 tbsp hydrogen peroxide mixed in if it bleeds again, and call back because I might have to go to surgery. God, I hope this gets better soon, and that today’s episode did not add to my recovery time.. Other scabs are looking grosser or ready to fall off, and there is a terrible taste and smell that I did not have before. Also, I keep burping, and it tastes of burnt flesh — OMG soooooo gross I could puke!!! Lots of mucus today, too, and the pain is about 9/10 (on meds!!!). Please tell me this is the worst day of them all, and tomorrow will be better…
Yes, my throat is under too much pain!!!! Every time I take the Hydrocone medication, it goes up my nose and it lingers for a few seconds in my upper throat. It like having a terrible shot of pure tequila. YUCK!!! Today, has been very painful. It feels like the pain is worse than the first few days after the surgery. Everyone told me that the tonsillectomy was easy to recover from, especially for children. I beg to disagree! It is very painful. It almost like you are in a nightmare that you can’t wake up from. I have had strep throat and other throat problems. I think the pain from the tonsillectomy is a little more than this. To deal with the pain, I make sure I keep up with the medication every 4 hours. I even log in the hour I take the medication. It is almost 4 hours exactly. Throughout the day, I have been gargling with warm salt water to help kill all the bacteria that is up in the end of my mouth. Every time I look in the back of my mouth with a flashlight, it looks very scary. It appears like there is puss, green, whitish stuff. It looks nasty and scary. Luckily, I have not had any ear pain. Last night, the pain woke me up or the snoring woke me up. Ice cream is really good to my throat. For the last couple of days, I have had a limited amount of food. It is excruciating to swallow, even water! From reading other people’s postings, I notice that some have had worst experiences on Day 5 or 6. Some say of ear pain, throwing up, bleeding, etc. I have not had any of this. However, my scabs have not fallen off. This will probably be on Day 8 or 9. By this time, I’ll be at work. I hope the stress at work will not slow down my recovery.
Day 5: It was such an easy ride until this morning. now my ears r like wooooahhhhh. Not looking foward to the next couple of days
Day 5 for me…. ouch. Tolerable if I keep up on meds every four hours with a small dose in the middle at 2 hour mark. Been boiling carrots and cauliflower and fish and mashing it together with ranch and garlic… easy to squeeze down and nutritious to help healing…. protein is very important to help with healing this. Also eggs are very easy to eat…. not scrambled just over medium or poached slide down nicely. Smoothies made with fresh fruits ice and yogurt or sherbet arealso awesome. It is good if you can get some bread or some roughage down to help shed the scanning. My doc said it is fine to eat pretty normally helps you heal faster if you are getting the nutrients your body needs to do so. I also put a scoop of slim fast mix in the Smoothies for that Boost of nutrition. This surgery sucks but if you eat right and stay on top of your meds and get enough rest…. with a humidifier…. it helps.
Trying to wean the percocets down to one every 4 hours. Swallowing hurts a little more but I’m trying to manage that with drinking. Not very hungry today. I’m kind of disappointed the pain hasn’t decreased but it hasn’t gotten worse so no complaints. I’ve dropped 7 lbs in 4 days.
Still not having fun and it is day 5 (including day of operation.) I’m allergic to pain meds except Paracetamol. 38 years old, female.
Pain not so prominent right after taking my Paracetamol/Tylenol, and the ‘barrier’ of phlegm in my throat has subsided I think. Apart from that last night was more rough, I awoke multiple times either by drooling, feeling pain or my own snoring, non of the which are pleasant to wake up to. Not much ear pain today. I just wish I could be at work like normal people, but I guess I should be happy that I haven’t bled to death yet..
Not so happy stuff from today:
My breath absolutely stinks, it’s worse than anyone can imagine
I have developed an incredibly annoying dry cough, I need something in my mouth at all times or I’ll cough and get scared of bleeding
Everything in my mouth is still very swollen, I can not lay down flat yet or I won’t be able to breathe
Nauseous and not hungry today which is weird since I’m not on opiates and not in ketosis..
Had to sneeze for the first time today – extremely painful
My voice is even worse, it is starting to scare me since I live off of being able to speak…
I actually have 3 coworkers come to my house tomorrow to work on something all day. Man how I regret saying that it wouldn’t be a problem, but who knew 6 days after the operation that I wouldn’t be able to sleep or talk? Too late to cancel now.
My big motto these days are one hour at a time, just count down the miserable hours until day 10!
Day 5: waking up this morning around 8am because the pain was prominent but after taking my Co-dydramyol which has eased the suffering i feel fine. it has be harder to eat today but i am taking nutritional shakes which has elevated any hunger and stopped any nausea. Also keeping my water intake to 2.5L a day has made me feel completely normal. The only thing that has made me feel lethargic is the Co-dydramyol. I have managed to feel normal through my dietary intake through a nutritional shake that i am taking. If you would like to learn more feel free to contact me on aaron@fitstartuk.com
I just started day 5 and for the most part I have to say, it sucks! I thought yesterday was bad, I lied, my ears were hurting soooo bad, but today my throat is like raw feeling, idk if it’s normal but it was like this yesterday too but not on both sides like today. My ears are still kinda hurting and I can only open my mouth just barely enough to get a spoon in, not that it matters cuz i haven’t been able to eat in 4 days I’ve lost 21lbs n i try drinking when I can but that’s even a chore, takin my meds is a chore! I thank one of my scabs fell off too early, cuz i saw something in the sink when i was spitting out my saliva cuz i cant swallow that either, n it was like a greenish slimey lookin thing so I’m assuming scab but that was the 3rd day so I think too early. I take liquid Hydrocodone which in my book sucks, n it burns like hell, plus I jus had to get the bottle refilled n there was 200ml in it so yea, the pain is horrible can’t even wait the full 4 hrs all the time, i tried today tho. But I’m hoping this ends soon, im so hungry and Omg would I love to drink some brisk tea, Mmmm plz make it all jus stop!
I also have a cough that started today n man does that hurt n suck as well!
I’m on day 5, it almost seems like its getting worse. The first few days i would take like 1 pain pill every 8 hrs or as pain spiked, talking was easy. Now i HAVE to take 2 pills every 4 hrs or else i cant even think. I tried some frozen apple sauce, and mashed avacado today to help keep the pain pills down. Considering going back to sleep which i can do just fine but the pain wakes me when the pills wear off
My surgeon said this would be the worst day, so I woke up bracing for it. My boyfriend set up my humidifier with a funnel made out of a trisket box so all of the water vapor blew right on my face. It was the best I’d slept since the surgery. I’d wake up every two hours for pain meds with my face soaked– I kept thinking it was snot or drool but it was just the vapor. When I would have that first post-sleep drink (usually the worst pain ever) it just plain hurt really, really bad. But, it didn’t make me consider murdering an innocent child if it would stop the pain. That’s progress! I backed a little off the pain meds today… tried to just push as much water as possible. I think I’m a bit over 3 gallons now. I pee every thirty minutes. Drinking water is now an activity for me. I sat out on the deck and drank water for 45 minutes today.
Went for another walk this morning. We sat outside the coffee shop (Daniel with his coffee, me with a tea latte) and he FaceTimed with his parents in Crotia. It was exciting to see the people go by. But, I think my hearing is off. All the sounds were coming from the wrong places and I fell asleep with my head on the table.
I mixed some chalky metamucil in with water today and gulped it down. I pooped for the first time since Wednesday a few hours later. I then announced it over g-chat to Daniel who was sitting right next to me. It was a glorious moment.
I want these scabs to fall off asap. Ate some avocado slices and they got stuck on my scabs– grossorz. I’ve been trying to gargle salt water to clean them up, but they’re still greenish. My right side hurts more than my left.
Foods eaten:
Tea latte
mashed potatoes
chicken broth
popsicles
avocado slices
mac & cheese
wow, u reading this just made me laugh so hard, it hurt of course!
*ME reading this…
Day 5 after op: woke up early (4 am) with the normal pain in the throat – immediately took a sip of water before taking my usual Stilpane tabs (which really helped). After it kicked in ready for porridge (mealy meal) which I could almost drink. Then the usual antibiotics (Augmentin 1000 x2), so big that I need to break in half to swallow. Further the same process awaits – fluid till dinner (maybe without Stilpane, which I will take 1 hour before dinner)
I just finished day 5 postop, and i think i am on the mend. So far day 3 was the worst for me, since then each day has been better. There is still some soreness and ear pain, but i am taking the pain meds about twice a day, only when needed. I actually ate some toast (barely crunchy, but still toast!) today, and am excited to be done with soft foods soon. The bad breath is horrible, and i still sound odd talkng. I actually cannot talk for very long without building up a ton of phlegm and coughing/gagging, which concerns me more than anything else. my uvula feels huge, sometimes i think it is touching mu tongue and i freak out a bit.
I am on Day 5: The taste in my mouth is aweful. I am not having to take pain meds as often but I am still on the antibotics 3x a day. I find myself spitting up muscus is this good or not?
I’m currently on day 14/15 now and feel so much better with only a small amount of pain ? Having my tonsils out was so hard to deal with the pain! I was taking voltarol 50mg x3 times a day, Tramadol 50mg x3 Times a day and paracetamol x4 times a day! This helped a little, but what I found the best was the dispersible voltarol and ANADIN EXTRA!! This saved my life and actually gave me time to rest with no pain!! I would recommend everyone to use Anadinf extra instead of paracetamol! Good luck guys!
its day 5- omg im in so much pain, i cant stop crying but yet it hurts so much to cry, ive woken up at 5 am and i cant take my meds!! i cant swallow because my water feels like acid on my throat, im just getting waves off pain going through my ears and throat, my ears are terrible! wont stop ringing, yesterday was the best i was feeling okay! and now this! i dont know how to cope anymore, theese 5 days have dragged so much i just dont know what to do:( i wish i could sleep until i was completely out of pain!
I am right there with you. I am day 5. I actually ended up in the hospital on day 3 and found out I had bilateral pneumonia. So in the hospital for 2 days on IV antibiotics and tonsillectomy. i wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy! I am miserable. Sick to my stomach from pain meds. My ears are killing me. I have tried every soft piece of food I could think of but gave up because i feel like food is getting stuck in my throat so I gave up. Just chewing ice! I can’t stop crying. This is by far the worst thing I have EVER been through in my life. I can only pray tomorrow will be better!!!
Day 5 is almost over thank God. I’m 39 and almost out of liquid pain meds which apparently I took too much of because the nazi on call clown Dr wouldnt call in any more until I see my surgeon monday. Since tonight is sat I’m in a bit of a pickle. I pray this ends soon as I can only take so much more. Much worse in the mornings, can”t eat, but at least am drinking tons of fluids which is definately my suggestion to anyone unfortunate enough to have to endure this recovery. We’re all in the same boat though, and hopefully in a week or 2 we can look back and be gratefull for our new found freedoms from throat disease and sleep disorders. I was told days 4 and 5 are the worst so hopefully we’re on the downslide. We’ll see tomorrow… good luck and peace to all
Ok, so the last 4 days were quite plain-sailing and I was able to eat toasts, crackers, ice lollies and anything i felt…. Today I’m feeling the pain of those 4 days combined!!!!! Please kill me now!!! I can barely breathe cos it hurts, swallowing saliva is nearly impossible and cannot open my mouth wide enough to take tablets. Anything cold quadruples the pain and the only thing that felt ok was room temperature peppermint tea. Thank god the day is nearly over (it’s 8pm here in Malta) so that maybe i can have some semblance of sleep. Hope tomorrow is better cos if it’s like today it’s better if i don’t wake up!!
I should add that my doc said the risk with Ibuprofen and bleeding is more if you take it pre-op…that there is little risk taking it post-op. I have been late taking it a few times, and the pain increases SIGNIFICANTLY when I have, maybe because of inflammation. Lortab alone is not enough. I literally laughed uncontrollably (which was agony) from reading everyone’s posts about knives and razorblades and swords. Not because it is funny…but because I can SO relate, and I guess I need some endorphines. haha.
Day 5 was the worst so far. I figured out on day 3 to tie a bandana around my jaw/head while I sleep to keep my mouth closed, b/c if my mouth dries out the pain goes to a 12. Setting alarm for every 2 hours and alternating Ibuprofen 800 mg and 3 teaspoons Lortab. Pain is still right up there with natural childbirth. I find icy cold water to be painful (nerve endings?)…so cool water is best for me. Only eating chicken broth and pudding and popcicles. No salt, no fruit (too acidic…pure agony). God a script for prednisone today to help swelling. My uvula is so swollen it is clear and resting on my tongue. Ouch!
Day 5, Ooh my goodness, severe ear and neck pain today… Anyone have any tips to help alleviate?
I was energetic! I still stayed in bed all day but I did walk around outside for a bit. The air felt amazing.
I slept all the way through the night. My boyfriend said I was snoring but I couldn’t help it. My uvula is still really swollen and plus my scabs are kinda flopping around back there when i breathe lol.
Day 4 was fine for me, I felt fine during the day, and it got a little worse towards dinner time,but nothing I couldn’t handle. I think the hunger is worse than the pain haha! I’m on day 5 now and feeling better, I really hope it doesn’t get worse! I had a waffle for breakfast and it was amazing. Still not talking. My throat looks like the pictures, but with little black spots on my left side.
Sorry – I’ve been counting the day of my surgery, so yesterday was day 5, not 4 and today is day 6… so confused haha
Today has been very tolerable. Yesterday I slept a lot and dealt with a bad headache. I spoke with the doctor who suggested that it could be a caffeine withdrawal and said I should get an iced coffee. I got one this morning and no headache! I was also running a mild fever all of yesterday and she thought I was probably dehydrated. I since have been drinking water like crazy and now my fever is gone too. I think she was right on with the advice. The pain level is very low and I’ve been able to scale back on the frequency of pain meds. Now I take it every 5 1/2 to 6 hrs instead of every 4. I’ve had little bursts of energy so that I can pick things up around the house, but I still have help with the kids.
So, day 5 has been the best day so far. I slept really well last night. My throat feels more tight than sore. My jaw and ears ache, but it’s nothing I can’t tolerate.
Day 5, I woke up around 2 am with the hiccups, tried 1/2 dose of pain meds every 2 hours. All in all the hiccups went away, which I am most thankful for. Slept a few hours throughout the day. The throat and ear pain is intense today. Everything is very very sore – my mouth, gums, teeth, throat, tongue, face, etc. I am concerned that this pain is going to remain this intense and I am almost out of pain meds. Picked up liquid Tylenol just in case. Scabs look ok. Very painful to swallow anything, but frozen Popsicles and refrigerated pudding are good. Also tried room temp beef broth.
Well I am starting into day 5. Day 4 was really rough, some of it was probably because I was late on some of my pain meds but there must have been other things… I went 8 hours without my pain meds over the night and it was not too bad so I am going to try to back off to half doses of my pain meds to see if I can get rid of my nausea. So far the pain seems to be just fine as long as I keep to soft foods. We will see as the day goes on. My sleep schedule is now a complete mess but you know as long as I recover I’m ok with that.
-Matt F.
Day 5… was ay-ok!!
As far as pain goes, it was peaking at 3.5 / 10 whilst swallowing, and very little discomfort the rest of the time. I have not been taking my meds on time, but luckily today that doesnt seem to have effected the pain in any way.
I have been continuing to force down ‘solids’, I ate a banana, shredded wheat (cereal), and a fish pie, and all went down easily. Which I am thankful for, because if I was on soups and ice cream all day then the hunger would probably make me feel sick. I really cant stress how much eating solids has helped my recovery so far.
Seem to be in a bad routine of falling alseep (uncontrollably) around 5-6pm, and waking up in some pain, it is the only part of the day when I dont feel great. Im not sure if napping is helpful at all.
All in all, the worst apect so far is STILL the putrid taste coming from the ‘healing area’… but I’m too scared to gargle, I just know I’ll end up swallowing it all and coughing up a gut.
Bring on day 6, Ive been advised the pain is going to intensify over the next two days, but so far so good.
Hi Samantha, Don’t be afraid of gargling…i did for the first time yesterday day 3 for me at the advice of my surgeons nurse. I had/have a lot of thick saliva and mucus that was driving me nuts so she said to gargle w/ warm salt water and it has been helping. Just do a little if you’re afraid. Its better to practice with the salt water in case you have to stop the bleeding later on and have to use the peroxide solution (you don’t want to swallow that by accident). I hope this has helped!!! I’m glad to be able to help someone…
Best of luck and keep positing!!!
The night of day three I got very little sleep, then (against my doctors orders) took a 13 hour car ride to CT to be with family for the rest of my recovery. I did pretty well during the trip, kept up with the pain meds, talked too much and ate very little. Last night the pain came back pretty strong and was hit with a wave of exhaustion and hunger. I cried and that made everything so much worse. All night and so far today (day 5) have been by far the worst. I’m on very strong meds which make my stomach feel so sick. I already struggle with stomach issues so eating nothing but apple sauce and soup broth is causing me so much problems. But if I try to put off taking my meds to give my stomach a break the pain in my throat, neck, and ears becomes so overwhelming that just opening my mouth to eat my pills in apple sauce makes me cry. This is my own fault for not just staying put and resting, the first couple days didn’t seem that unbearable but I am reallllly paying for over doing it yesterday.
So here i am on day five and I have to say this hasn’t been as bad I as expected, I wud say its a horrible thing to go through but the pain is managable imo! I did however call my doctors on day 2 and said i wasn’t coping with the pain very well, so they would give me stronger painmeds! This wasnt the case I was infact coping ok but fromwot I had read about the pain becoming unbearable by day 5, i wanted to b prepared for this! I would advise everybody to do this, you don’t get anything if you dont ask! Without hestitation they prescribed me tramodol and Naproxen, although I waited for my pain to become very bad before i switched and by day 4 i was ready let me tell you lol! These drugs are amaxing for me, when they have kicked in i barely feel any pain and they last rite up until my last hour of taking next pills! They have been great they just knock me out fr 2-3 hours, going into lovely deep sleep! So anybody out there not coping very well dont just suffer, call your docs demand stronger pain meds! I have managed to eat dinner and tea everyday and have been eating toast every day which i think really helps your recovery, it is strongly advised here in the UK! I must say I dont think I wud of coped very well just on the codeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen! Then again I wouldnt go as far to say I would rather go through child birth again! hell no lol! Wish everybody a speedy recovery!
(god my phn hates this site, it goes crazy! So annoying it jumps all over! Only took me half hr to post comment Haha!). Xx
I thought yesterday was bad. Oh my goodness today (Day 5) is horrible. I have only been able to eat eggs (medium well) which are absolutely delicious. It hurts to swallow anything (liquid, or even my own spit). My ears ache, I can barely talk. Sleeping is the worst. I woke every 2 hours last night. I guess sleeping with the mouth open dries out the throat and it takes like an hour to get it better (popsicles, loratab, pain lolipops, drinks). I find myself falling asleep without warning. Tomorrow has to be better.
Today wasn’t to bad but the nights are terrible waking up every 2 hours in bad pain and taking me a hour to get under control, sleeping with a humidifier, not helping my throat isnt dry just swollen…..It’s got to start to get better soon….
hello people, im karla im 21 and pretty thin.. im on my 5th day and it only really hurts in the morning. onces i take my tylenol i feel much better and well enough to eat…today i managed to eat a mcmuffin from mcdonalds lol and a slice of pizza..it really doesnt hurt that bad..the pain is like if u have strep throat..i think it depends on the age of the person..the older u are the more pain u have
O.K..so yesterday I proclaimed that things could not get any worse; apparently I was wrong.
But now, it just can’t get any worse- right??!?!?
Still sipping on peppermint tea, which is very soothing, drinking lots of water, but really unable to eat. I am forcing food down w/ every pain pill I take (which is every 4 hours). Still forcing down scrambled eggs, veggie soups, mashed potatoes, and little pieces of bread dipped in chicken broth. Also, for sanity purposes, I am hitting the sunshine for at least 15 minutes a day- it feels really good on throat!
Surviving day to day- can’t wait for this day to be over, though!
Day 5, June 26, 2012. Pain was the worst today. Sitting at an 8, 10 when swallowing. Later in the day it crept to a 9. Nothing I could do, ice, pain meds, etc, nothing helped. It was ok, still did everything the same as the days before. The worst problem I am having is with swallowing, not because of pain, but because things go up my nose and stay in the back of my throat. For example, swallowing some noodles, I have to swallow 3 or 4 times just to get everything to go down my esophagus. I envy those would can eat normally. Because I can’t.
I’m 15 and i got my tonsils out Thursday. I have done the whole think without pain medication and just Tylenol. I still have a lot of swelling in my tongue and Uvula but i think its going down. I’ve attempted many foods along with countless glasses of water and shaved ice ive had buttered noodles, lots of broth, chicken noodle soup, eggs,popsicles,ice cream, rice and even a cheese enchilada. The 2nd night i threw up because of the pain and the worst thing i could have done was panic! That was honestly one of the worst nights of my life. Happy i’m healing though, And something to think about. Your pain meds will slow down your healing process so if you want to heal quicker you can stop taking them. Food and sleep will help you too! Just channel your inner warrior and be strong!
Day 5 was really good, up till around midnight towards Day 6.
I guess the strain from all the activities I did yesterday (plus skipping the meds for 7-8 hours) has finally taken its toll on my throat. Everything seemed so well from morning till night time, I even thought that the worst days have gone and it’s time to eat something more solid rather than all the liquids I’ve been taking for the past 4 days. That’s when the pain came back in full force. I was literally trashing in my bed, writhing in pain, it felt like a chainsaw had hacked my throat.
This time the pain even spreads to my ears as well. I did not dare to eat anything for the whole night, and only took a few sips of water. The meds only reduced the pain by 20-30%, and it only lasted for 2-3 hours.
Oh!! I am so going back to my ENT tomorrow! I need a good pain killer now!!
I am 58. My tonsils came out on Wednesday and today is Sunday, so I guess that makes this day 4 or 5 of my recovery.
My doctor prescribed morphine which really didn’t do much for the pain, but made me dizzy enough to faint the second night en route to the washroom. I hit my chest badly on the counter and either broke or bruised some ribs. (treatment is the same, ice and rest, so I didn’t bother with X-rays)
Anyways, I am now using Tylenol 2 to control the pain in my throat and ears with much more success.
I am running a humidifier all the time in my room and using ice packs on my neck. I think both of those things have been really helpful and I hope that the rest of this recovery process doesn’t get any worse.
Really have to watch out for dehydration. Had it not been for a family member’s intervention, I would have ended up dehydrated without a doubt. I was taking my pill every 4 hours and sleeping a lot. I was eating some but had not realized the only fluids I was taking in were what I used to swallow my pill. Since swallowing hurt so bad I wasnt eating or drinking. Now that i have pushed fluids, ate a full meal, I have the energy to keep going. This experience is not over yet and its important to keep the main goal in mind. Healing is #1 priority right now. Day 5 coming to an end.
day 5 – worst night sleep so far. Ears aching, headache, cant poop, hard to swallow even water. I have not only had my tonsils out but had whole bunch of other things done in my throat also. i have about 10 stitches. This sucks! i am sooooooo hungry for a kebab or pizza!
I can’t believe it’s only Day 5. These really have been the longest days of my life. Today’s pain was manageable, but I spent the majority of the day sleeping. I went for a short ride in the car, which made me feel sick to my stomach, and has continued to affect me. I know other people have said this, but I haven’t been able to go to the bathroom since the surgery, even with stool softeners. I just feel gross, all the way around. My ear pain is bad today, and I’ve rested my head on ice packs, which seemed to help some. Also ate stuffing (like the thanksgiving in a box kind) today, with extra water. It was really good. Am also trying peppermint tea (not too hot) to ease the indigestion I’ve been having.
Before my surgery, I heard such awful horror stories, and I can’t help but to think at least I didn’t have it as bad as they did. This is no fun, no walk in the park, but I’m not as miserable as I thought I’d be. And it will be worth it, when this is all over.
I am 28 -had bouts of strep and tonsillitis all my life- I debated getting my tonsils out for years and years and after having strep 4 times in a 5 month period decided it was time. I am so very thankful I found this website/forum it has helped me in so many ways. Thank You!
Kyle! May I ask how old you are?
Today-Day 5 has been pretty good so far- I attempted to stay off the pain meds most of the day b/c I wanted to see what the real pain was feeling like. It is bearable, will need to take it soon again b/c now my right ear is starting to ache. I am dying of hunger however; I managed to get down mashed potatoes this evening which is my first solid food since my surgery- I am trying to stay positive, for if the forum is true the next few days will be the real test-
Today is day 5 of my post op and the most uncomfortable.. I cld not speak, the pain in my ears were excruciating, couldnt take any of my meds and my tongue was extremely swollen. My step dad ended up having to call my Dr and get liquid lortab and for the swelling they prescribed me liquid steroid.. and by 8pm tonight I was finally able to eat some pudding, drink liquids, and swallow without pain.. hopefully tomorrow is better..
Today is Day 5 and I am suprised at how good I feel. Days 3 and 4 were pretty bad with pain, and swelling, and early this morning I was having trouble sleeping. I kept waking up like I wasn’t breathing and the dry mouth and pain were barely manageable even with meds. But as of 9am, I actually have a bit of energy. Most all of the ear and throat pain are gone, except for very dry mouth and some pain when I swallow. I might actually get out of bed and take a shower!
I know I am not out of the woods yet, but knowing is half the battle!
This forum has been great. I am so glad to have found this site and taken some of the tips. I believe I am having a good recovery because I was informed!
So far what has worked for me is:
Ice packs all the time
Drinking as much water as possible
Eating toast before taking meds (Seems impossible? Dunk it in some broth until it is soggy and can go down easy. I get very nausious from the codone and this has saved me).
Drinking water, broth and smoothies
Taking pain meds in an orderly fashion so you don’t get in huge amounts of pain and then have to wait for them to kick in.
Rest! I have spent the last 5 days propped up in my bed. I could probably walk around and do some lite housework, but the advice from a nurse who had this done in her 40’s, was to just be left alone and don’t do a darn thing. Rest.
My husband has been taking care of our 9 year old and keeping up with me just fine. I feel resting has really helped me stay on top of the pain.
Anyway, here’s to a speedy recovery all!