A Tonsillectomy Recovery Journey
Tonsillectomy |Tonsillectomy Recovery Forums
I wasn’t always this healthy. As a kid I ingested more penicillin than a corporate-raised chicken. I was in the doctor’s office several times each year with a sore throat. As the doctor or nurse peered into my mouth, the reaction was always the same: “Whoa, those are some big tonsils!” The diagnosis was usually tonsillitis, or strep throat. As the doctor wrote the prescription, he’d explain that years ago, tonsils like mine would have been removed, but, “these days,” we try to hang onto them. “These days,” were the 1970′s. I guess the tonsillectomy pendulum had swung back from the days when kids got their tonsils out because their brother was getting his out.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Aunt Kate’s reassurance helped, but I still wrote out some just-in-case instructions for my brother and hid them in my closet. I sheepishly told him where they were, just in case.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As an adult I continued to suffer from frequent bouts of tonsillitis. It seemed that I caught every bug that passed through my house or workplace. I guess those big ugly tonsils were a nice home for those nasties. It wasn’t until my 40′s that I also became aware that I suffered from something called, Obstructive Sleep Apnea -a condition in which a person stops breathing while asleep. I snored often and would awake abruptly, gulping in big breaths. I felt tired most days. After raising four babies, I had come to accept fatigue as a normal part of life!
One day at a routine physical my doctor remarked about the number of episodes of strep throat and tonsillitis I’d had. We also talked about the sleep problems. While he didn’t formally diagnose obstructive sleep apnea, he suspected that I had it. He recommended a tonsillectomy, because of all the tonsil problems I’d had. As a bonus, I might find relief from the sleep apnea as well. If not, I’d undergo a sleep study. Forty four years old and father of four boys and a doctor finally said it: Those tonsils are doing you more harm than good!
As much as I hated those tonsils, I was terrified at the thought of going under the knife. I started reading about tonsillectomy on the internet and talking to friends. That didn’t help. “My cousin knew a guy who got a tonsillectomy and bled to death.” “At your age, tonsillectomy is dangerous.” When I met with the ear, nose and throat specialist, (an otolaryngologist), he told me that the risks are the same for an adult undergoing tonsillectomy surgery as for a child, but the recovery is longer and more painful. He was right about that!
Tonsillectomy
I scheduled the surgery for the day after Thanksgiving. A traditional day of feasting in the United States. If it was to be my last meal, I planned to make it a good one! As it turned out, I was so nervous and scared that I could hardly eat on that day. I was recently divorced and had shared placement of my four boys. So many people counted on me that I began to question my decision. What if I died on the table? How reckless to leave behind a family, simply to avoid frequent tonsillitis? My aunt, a registered nurse reassured me about how simple the surgery was, and how far anesthesiology had come. I had nothing to worry about.
Aunt Kate’s reassurance helped, but I still wrote out some just-in-case instructions for my brother and hid them in my closet. I sheepishly told him where they were, just in case.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“My tonsils were like a 400 pound gorilla on my back. I don’t miss them at all. Ever.” -from the forum
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I took a week off from work, asked my ex wife to take care of the boys that week, and asked my uncle to drive me to and from the hospital. (a requirement with anesthesia) That was about all the preparation I did. I was about to learn alot!
Surgery went fine. I awoke in recovery with a serving of Jell-o in front of me. (“Jelly,” to my British friends) The nurse said that I had to finish it before I could check out. I swallowed it with great relish. It was divine! I called my uncle and we were out of there. I felt ok. I told him thanks and not to worry. I’d be fine. I believed this. Aside from a couple visits, I spent the next ten days alone in misery. The pain set in after about 24 hours. Sleeping became my worst enemy. I’d wake up with my mouth dried out and my throat on fire. Oh my God. I was not prepared for this!
I ran out of Popsicle’s on day three. I ran out of pain medicine on day five. The pain peaked on day seven. I broke down and cried in front of my brother on day eight- a combination of pain, drug induced depression, and sleep deprivation. Since then, I’ve read thousands of similar accounts on the tonsillectomy forum I created.
It didn’t have to be so hard. If I’d known what I do now, I could have done so much to make my tonsillectomy recovery better. I hope to reach as many people as I can to help guide them through the tunnel. It has been my passion and taught me more about compassion and the amazing strength of the human spirit than any other life experience. When you shine a light for others, you also light your own path.
In the pages at follow, I’ll share with you what I learned from my tonsillectomy experience and years of coaching others through tonsillectomy and recovery.
More about tonsillectomy…read more
More about tonsil stones in the guide to tonsil stones
Tonsillectomy Recovery
~Greg
Hi,
I’ve been reading this for the past few days and thought I’d join in, because I’m on Day 7 and the pain continues
I had my tonsils out last Thursday 10 May – the ENT specialist said my tonsils were 4 times the physiological normal size. The first couple of days of recovery were ok, and then Days 3 and 4 were painful but managable, and then Days 5 and 6 were actually ok, as I was weaning myself off the Endone (Oxycodone) and walking around and watching TV and not feeling nauseous.
I noticed however the past couple of days my throat becomes more painful at night, and the pain was actually worse than it has been yet, now with a bit of an ear ache as well. On the night of Day 5 the pain was actually triggered when I was trying to swallow mashed sweet potato! I had to go back on the Endone at night, and last night was probably one of the worst nights – took an Endone at midnight, woke up at 4am with pain and an earache, and then took another one, and woke up again at 6am with same pain and earache. I just rested and then forced myself to have porridge, but it was really hard to swallow.
Is my throat now in the stages of healing? I can see the white from the cauterization at the back of my throat but I can’t ‘feel’ the scabs…I hope they are coming off slowly and that is what is causing the pain?
Also – I’ve lost a bit of weight and I’m looking a bit pale and I really want to start eating more filling and nutritious things than just bread, porringer and jelly – any tips? Perhaps I can try little bits of chicken and avocado?
Thanks in advance for any help
Jason, it sounds like you’re in the UK? If you can get down some Ensure or Slimfast drinks, these will provide more vitamins, minerals and protein. It is very normal to have an increase in pain around days 5-10 it so. I had the ear pain too and it started for me around day 5. It rivaled the throat pain! I found that using a heating pad on my ears and alternating leaning against it on my couch, one side, then the other, helped with the ear pain.
If you can swallow pills I very much recommend taking extra Vitamin C as well as a multi vitamin. Even though it was very painful, I was able to swallow all my regular supplements and made sure I took them. Vitamin C helps a lot with tissue health and healing and I took about 2000 mg a day. I also had a protein powder that I mixed with water and a packet if Emergen-C each morning. I just mixed with water so it was thin and went down very easy.
Can you try to eat some macaroni and cheese? Or some pasta with butter? If the pasta is very soft it goes down pretty easily. What about eggs? I know a lot of people on this site relied on them for some good protein and sustenance.
I hope the ear pain lets up for you soon. Try to take the Percocet regularly and it will be easier to eat through the ear and throat pain.
Hang in there Jason!
Thank you to everyone for sharing your stories of recovery, I am 38/f and scheduled for my tonsillectomy on May 25th. While I am not looking forward to the recovery, I feel quite prepared thanks to this forum!
Hey guys, I’m 12 days post-op, and I can’t believe how hard this recovery has been. I was actually lurking on here before my surgery to investigate what I was in for! so yeah, it’s kicked my ass. I’m still eating soft foods, and am so tired by the end of the day it’s ridiculous (I went back to work on Monday).
Hey everybody- Hope today is better than yesterday. Just wanted to let you know that I added a new post today. If there’s something you’ve learned and would like to share with future tonsillectomy patients, please weigh in:
http://tonsillectomyrecovery.com/share-your-tonsillectomy-tips/
Thanks- you guys are GREAT!
~Greg
I am SOOO glad I found this discussion. I had my surgery April 13, 2012. The first days were bad, choking, pain could not swallow. I am back at work, glad to learn about thrush, that lump in the back of my throat and its still hard to swallow sometime. Can’t eat much, I get really tired around 3:00pm. I had a really good doctor butshe could have given me better after care insturctions. Thank you for this, forum .
Hi Denise. I’m glad you found us! Hope you are on the mend. Take care. (and keep drinking!!!)
To connect with some veterans of tonsillectomy recovery, find us on Face Book. Tonsillectomy Resources
Hi everyone,
So its day 8 for me today. Don’t have much to report in day 8 as it’s only 8.30am. However I would like to highly recommend if your feeling trapped and slightly insane or really upset I would suggest for you to go see a friend or do something that’s normal for you. I went shopping with my friend yesterday and I feel so much better mentally for it, although it exaughsted me it made me feel less trapped like yeah I can’t go out for as long as usual because I’d get way to exaughsted but I can go out and do things I’m not trapped at home.
So day 7 for me wasn’t to bad, those damn ear pains are rather annoying though, I put a heat pack on it and it worlds really well. Although the only heat pack I have is a purple elephant so there’s constantly an elephant on my face lol. It’s still hurts to swallow but I think I’ve come to terms with the fact that that isn’t going to change anytime soon. I was able to have lunch out yesterday(not without pain) but I had 2 pieces of sushi and some teriyaki chicken which I eneded up eatin about 2 little pieces of and then the skin of the chicken because it was nice and soft. For dinner I tried tiny little pieces of pasta with stroganoff sauce as it’s not acidic(made that mistake already) I wasn’t able to eat much but hey at least I’m giving it a go =]
Well I just decided pancakes are soft and if I out butter on them they should slide down quite nicely, so I’m off to make some breakfast.
Happy healing everyone sending lots of positive vibes your way and hoping your all recover nicely =]
Hmm…my discharge instructions said nothing about not using a straw. However, I had read that you need to be careful not to jab it in the back of the throat. It really helped. I never experienced the choking until 2 weeks post-op when I was back at work drinking out of a water bottle. Well, if your husband isn’t going to be supportive, maybe it is better if he is gone all day? That is nice that he is picking up a movie for you. Glad to hear you’ve had a good couple of days. If day 3 is good, too, it sounds like you will have a smooth recovery.
I am on recovery day 5and I have to say today is by far the worst day. I have been sleeping and drinking- that’s is. Today I feel week and miserable. Unlike you all, I can’t tolerate any food and my taste buds have changed. I can not stand anything sweet. It tastes awful! I’m hoping to feel a bit better day by day but it’s not looking promising;(
Recovery Day 10 – Still waking with some ear pain and of course throat pain. But it’s getting a bit better each day and no waking in the night BECAUSE of the pain, something I’m so grateful for!
I had a roast beef sandwich yesterday and it felt great to eat something of substance and such high protein! I also tried some of my son’s chicken fingers and just chewed it really well. Tasted great! Later in the day, I tried some pasta with a little sauce – BAD idea – stinging-ouch!! So that’s out for at least a little while. I was able to eat a small soft serve ice cream as well, and though it felt good going down and tasted fantastic, it made my ear pain start up – probably the extreme cold? One thing I am very grateful for is I have not lost my sense of taste. On this and especially on another forum I’ve looked at, a lot of people complained of things tasting odd (the words ‘wet cardboard’ kept coming up) or losing certain tastes. I have not had that at all and I’m really grateful.
I’ve also lost very little weight. Maybe 2-3 lbs. I wonder if because I did not really have the weight to lose that my body hung on tooth and nail to maintain my weight? I have weighed the same weight for literally about 30 years (aside from when I was pregnant) so I think my body strives to keep me in that zone. I also did eat and drink every single day no matter how painful it was. I think only in the first 2 days did I eat super lightly. After that it was lots of cereals (oatmeal, cream of Wheat, baby food cereal), liquid meal replacement drinks, etc. Another thing is around day 6 I got hooked on Stouffer’s macaroni and cheese. This is very high calorie and not something I would eat very often (I don’t normally eat much if any pasta) so I think this added calories on that I would normally not eat. Then I moved on to Stouffer’s fettucine alfredo – need I say more?
Calorie dense and tasted GREAT, but again something I would rarely indulge in. I definitely think these kept my weight up. 
I recommend both of these, particularly the mac and cheese and it went down easily. 
Holly, how are you doing this morning? How did your night go? I hope it went well and that the anesthesia affects are gone and you are adjusting to your regular med doses, etc. How are you finding the Vicodin? Are you able to take it with/without food and is it helping the pain? How is it going with your husband helping and your kids handling the situation post-surgery? Please let us know. I was thinking about you a lot yesterday and hoping that your first 24 hours post-op went as well as can be expected for this surgery.
I plan to get in another walk today and try to eat some other more solid food. Not sure what to try. Oh – baked beans! I had those the other day and they go down easy as you can just chew them into a paste your mouth and I’m sure they also help with the constipation issue. Toot-toot!
I have never felt the scabs coming off. They just seem to slough off a little more and a little more each day. Now the surgical site is at least 50% pink skin and the rest is the whitish scabs,
I hope everyone has a nice Friday and great weekend!
I have a Tonsillectomy scheduled for 6-15 and am now nervous. I have been on narcotics for over a year now due to a neck and back injury from a severe car accident. Will this mean that I will be in more pain then the average person due to my tolerance to narcotics?
Chris, I would discuss this as soon as possible with your doctor who’s been prescribing your the narcotics. It definitely is an issue in terms of your developed tolerance and they would know best how to help you with pain management after the tonsillectomy. If you did already ask, what did he/she say? I am wondering if they may up your dosage, temporarily, so that you get the relief you need post surgery. Obviously this is something that you’ll need to discuss with the ENT performing your surgery as well as the anesthesiologist. I am sure they will work out a plan for you as you are definitely not the first person to undergo surgery who is already on a pain medication regimen.
Best of luck with your surgery!
Hi Holly and everyone reading,
I didn’t realize it, but apparently I was posting in the wrong place (under Greg’s recovery story) and then I got confused on where my posts went. So sorry, I suppose they’re old now and wouldn’t know how to repost anyway. Holly, I know today is your operation day and I just wanted to let you know that I was thinking of you and hoping everything is going well for you. You might be sleepy because of the meds, but I’ll be praying for an easy, speedy recovery for you!
It’s day 10 for me and true to form the pain is still not too bad. Although, this morning I got nauseous like I had the first day and had to lay down. Is that normal for day 10? My only other minor complaint is that the scabs I’m assuming are on my tonsils still feel like a curtain floating in the back of my throat that I can’t make go away. It feels kind of weird and makes me gag a little. How does anyone else deal with that feeling?
Other than those minor things, I can’t complain.
I wish everyone out there could have as “good” a recovery as I’ve had. This site really helped me prepare and offered a really good outlet to reach out to others that are going through the same thing and I can’t stress how grateful I am for it and the kind wishes I’ve gotten from here!
Take care and take those stool softeners!
Delicia, so happy for you that your pain has been so manageable. I’m on Day 10 today as well and still have pain but I can see it getting better every day.
I don’t have the curtain feeling you’re talking about. Did you also have an adenoidectomy? Wondering if that might be contributing to that sensation. The only nausea I had was the first night when I came home from the surgery and it was the anesthesia working itself out.
Can’t agree enough – this forum has been a Godsend and everyone has been so helpful, kind and supportive.
Hi Beth, I’m with you on keeping in mind that I’m getting better everyday! Good positive outlook to have
I don’t know if I had an adenoidectomy, my uncle (which was my surgeon and amazing one 
) told me he was doing a tonsillectomy. However, the nurse that prepped me mentioned that most peoples’ adenoids usually shrivel up. So, I don’t know if they found them in there when he went in. My uncle did an electrocautery method, so I don’t know if healing from that method is causing this or if my throat’s just weird. 
Day 2 40 yr old female
Hey Delicia: I was wondering where you disappeared to! I am doing great….as long as I have this pain medicine in me I am good to go. I can’t imagine eating anything really but I am going to try some pudding today. I have not got nauseaus at all. I have to slow way down with my gulping…it goes down way faster then I expect and I choke. At the surgery center they gave me a water and walked away and I just went to gulp it down and started choking bad. The nurse ran back with a bucket just in time. It was scary! I have a little pain on the right side of my tounge but not much…No ear pain yet…I guess that comes later. FUN! My kids are being wonderful, it’s my husband that I could do without right now. Mine is not good at all when I am sick.
My anesthesia guy was awesome! When I was leaving yesterday at 9 am the nurse was telling me to take my first dose of meds at 12 or 1. When she walking away he hugged me and whispered in my ear to take them as soon as I got home. He was so funny! He also told me before my surgery that there was one weird thing with my lab work and that he wants me to call my doc as soon as I am able to get more blood work done. I guess I had a high plattlette count.
Becky…That is encouraging! 17 lbs! and eating whatever you want spicy wise and texture wise. I might have to buy myself some red bulls for when I go back to work.
Chris…I don’t know the answer to your question but I wish you luck! I haven’t had too much pain.
Beth….yes, I am ok with advil. Tylenol doesn’t do much for me. I am hoping by Thursday I will be able to get to work on advil only. I might take some hydrocodone with me just in case. I think by Thursday I wil be ok. I seriosuly feel like I could have gone to work today as long as I had my meds and didn’t have to talk. My kids are doing great…I have only had a few minor moments with them wanting me to talk and crying because I couldn’t. I can talk very low but it hurts to talk so I don’t want to. My husband is being a J E R K!!!!! I had bought some gummy vitamins the day before my surgery and he brought them back to my bed and held them up in a accusitory manner and demanded to know why I had bought these. I just stared at him….he keeps asking my questions that I have to talk back to respond and it’s getting old. Then a couple hrs after that he was checking our bank staement online and found that I had spent $15.00 on a birthday present for one of our kids parties that is tomrrow and $35 on my for a comfy tee and workout pants to wear…He came stomping back and asked me if I could take it back. I shook my head no…he demands WHY NOT!???? So again, I have to talk and explain because I am wearing the outfit now and because we have to take the present to the party tomorrow. So, he is on my shit list right now. And to top it all off he is walking around in new shoes he just bought last week that I am sure cost us at least $200.00. Oh, I feel so much better now…Just had to get that out!
Danielle: My ent gave me celebrix. Is that for heartburn? Maybe you could ask for that cause I have not had any and I know that heartburn is the worst! My uvula is HUGE. But I have found a way to lay on my side and kind of lean my head forward so it doesn’t block my breathing…so weird!
Holly, it takes quite a while to get used to drinking without tonsils. Try using a straw. I did that for the first couple of weeks. It helps prevent the gulping. I’m so sorry to hear that your husband is being less than supportive. It sounds like he is a bit of a control freak. I hated when I had to talk so much during those first couple of weeks. Even when I went back to work on day 14, I really overdid the talking and felt that I had to rest my throat. Be sure to let your co-workers know since you are going back so soon. I hope that you continue to feel good!
It’s interesting but I have had no issues with getting used to swallowing liquids. It didn’t feel any different to me at all (except being painful) even right out of surgery. I’m wondering if it’s because my tonsils, despite being a mess, we’re pretty small.
Day 2 40 yr old female
Marla: I totally want to do a straw but the darn ent said NO STRAWS to my husband so he has been adament about it. And yes, he is a control freak. Don’t get me wrong…normally he is a very kind and super cool dude but when Im sick I think something in him takes over and he becomes a total jerk. I think it scares him when I am not well. He is out right now trying to find me the bridesmaids movie to watch. I have never seen it and he knows I want to. So, deep down there is a sweet guy there.
Nik: I am sorry you are feeling so down…..have you showered? I find that showering and getting gussied up helps my outlook. Maybe get out in the sun. Just sit outside and read a book?
Becky…totally making that custard! Thank YOU. I ate a tapioca pudding today and it was GLORIOUS! So so yummy! I plan on trying brocolli cream soup tonight for dinner. That’s you becky!? You have a cute family. I wish we could all see each other…I don;t know how to post a pic on here. It’s amazing how I feel so close to you guys…enough to vent and tell you if I have pooped or not today….whcih I haven’t!
Delicia…..Yeah my husband has been a real idiot. He always is when I am sick. Normally he is a very nice respectable guy. I mean seriously he is…but when I am sick he has no concept of how to nurture someone. Left me at home all day today with not even a phone call to check on me. I was PISSED.
Beth: Im really feeling good today. I think this moring I mentioned the right side of my tounge hurting a bit. It hurts a little worse now and it looks like white mold on the side of it. I may force my hubby to call the doc about that. Isn’t that thrush? Or it may just be where the clamp thing was. It looks like the same white stuff in the back of my throat. And beth…I am prefering the pills too. I wish she would have givin me pill vicodin because this liquid stuff is harsh..it’s bright yellow and ronchy tasting…I have to will myself to swallow it.
OK Off to sit with my kids……
Hi Holly! I’m sure I’m late to the party, but with my posting history, I thought I should let you know that I posted some tips for you and they’re at the very end of your April 19th post on this page. Hope you get them;)
I’m really glad that you aren’t having too much pain overall. I’m sorry that you’re having any when you talk or eat!
. I hope the pain lightens up for you. I’m so happy for you that the kids are taking it pretty well… In one of my posts (on Greg’s recovery story oops) I mention that the kids are pretty adaptable and they actually want to help you feel better. BUT your hubby has no excuse in my humble opinion! Please forgive me if I offend you by saying so, but he needs to take lessons from your good babies on how to act lovingly, understandingly and above all RESPECTFULLY! Sorry, it just makes me angry when any woman gets mistreated like that! And I got to catch up only a little, but I read about your boss too and you don’t need any more of this negative, foul behavior! Try to get the rest you deserve and I’ll b praying your hubby comes around to treating you better! Stay strong mama!
Holly, it was good to get an update in how you’re doing.
Holly, Celebrex is a prescription strength anti-inflammatory usually prescribed for arthritis. I am sure they gave you medication instructions, but you would not want to be taking Advil if you’re on Celebrex.
Sorry your husband is not being more supportive.
. I think they are accustomed to us just plugging along and don’t get how demanding this recovery can be. I know my husband initially likened it to getting teeth pulled, but his perspective changed quickly when he saw the pain I was in. After that he was very supportive. I hope your husband comes around!
I know it’s hard to think about eating and most of us didn’t have any appetite right after surgery, but I agree with some former posters on this board that getting nutrients in helps the healing tremendously. My mother-in-law just had some surgery and her surgeon emphasized to her the need to get plenty of protein because it’s essential to the healing process. I just forced stuff down and told myself it was helping me heal.
Be gentle with yourself Holly and make sure your husband helps you. I’m
Hoping you have one of the ‘easier’ recoveries and that you get the rest you need. Keep us posted!
Hey,
I haven’t heard of celebrix before. I had to sit up sleeping the other night because my ulvla was so swollen that I kept gaging and coughing from it tickiling my neck. It’s gross lol.
Hi Delicia,
I have that curtain feeling I think, it’s kind of like a Wall of syliva in a sense. It is rather frustrating unfortunately I don’t know how to get rid of it. But Beth may be on something with the adenoidectomy as I had that as well as my tonsilectomy and turbinectomy. If you find out how to get rid of it let me know please =]
Danielle, I had turbinate reduction surgery in addition to a tonsillectomy. Is a turbinectomy where they remove the turbinates instead of just reducing them? It took a long time for the swelling to go completely down. I had to sleep propped up for nearly a month or else I couldn’t breathe. How is that going for you?
I am happy to report that three weeks after my tonsillectomy, I am finally back to eating anything my little heart desires. I actually had spicy buffalo chicken strips tonight, and my throat was fine. Also, I ate veggie chips earlier today, and they didn’t scratch or bother my throat. Yippee! Of course now I need to be careful about not over-doing it and gaining back the 17 lbs I lost since surgery. Things are looking up for me.
My only complaint is that by 2 p.m. every day, I am absolutely exhausted and having difficulty finishing the day out at work. Happy healing, everyone!
Becky good for you that you can eat anything! That is great! I wish I was there, but all things come in time. I have been inspired by your posts and the detail with which you’ve described your recovery day to day. I’m just so happy for you and glad that you are pretty much on the other side. I only lost maybe 2 or 3 lbs and I’m on day 10. I expected this huge weight loss (feared it) but I drank the Slimfast or Ensure sometimes twice a day as well as various cereals and oatmeals and these very rich custards that my mother-in-law brought to me and I think that kept my weight steady.
Veggie chips and no pain? WOW! You go! So glad for you Becky – hug! I think the fatigue you describe has been mentioned by a lot of people on this forum so hopefully that will work itself out over the next couple of weeks.
Holly, I believe you are taking Vicodin, as did I. It made my brain really fuzzy and I would get light-headed just folding laundry. I wouldn’t recommend taking it at work. I think returning to work on day 8 is too soon. But I know you are under pressure, so instead I would recommend taking liquid Acetamenaphin during the day and taking the Vicodin at night. I started on the Acetamenaphin on day 9 and it took care of the pain just fine. Best of luck. I couldn’t imagine putting on anything other than pajamas or sweats on the 2nd day, much less going for a walk. I hope it helps you.
Holly, I agree with Marla, I think taking the Vicodin at work is a bad idea. I don’t think it will allow you to function properly and what if you needed to suddenly get in the car to drive (if you had to go pick up your child for some reason or for any other unexpected situation)? Not good. Were you ok’d for Advil? Personally, I think it works much better than Tylenol but everyone’s response to these meds is different.
Hang in there Holly!!
I had my surgery on April 13th. Today as I was brushing my teeth I coughed up what I think was a scab. I felt relieved because I guess that means I’m healing right? Right now my tongue feels super swollen and I have severe pain in both my ears. I have been putting ice packs and it helps a bit. As for eating well I haven’t been able to each much of anything. All this pain really makes me depressed. I swear after I’m all healed I’m going eat a whole large pizza pie by my self
Jacqueline, my tongue was incredibly sore and painful for about the first 5 or 6 days. It is only now pretty much back to normal (day 10). I found ice did help a lot as well as moving the tongue around. Yes, it hurts so bad, but I think making the muscles move helped it to come around faster. I have had ear pain since around day 5 or 6. It’s a challenge, that’s for sure. Heat worked for me – thanks to the recommendation of everyone on this board. I put my heating pad alternating between ears and it really did help! Have you tried Simfast or Ensure drinks? They can give you much needed calories and vitamins and go down fairly easy.
I haven’t tried slim fast or the ensure drinks but thanks for the suggestions think I will send my husband to go buy me some today because everyday I wake up so much more weaker. I’m not sure if to wait to take any medication such as a stool softner. My surgery was last Friday and I haven’t had a bowel movement since that Thursday.
Jacqueline, definitely start the stool softeners asap. It took me 6 days before I had a movement and that was WITH having taken the stool softener, consistently, the day after surgery onward.
Hi everyone.
I had my tonsilectomy, agnoid removal and turbinectomy last Friday.
I’m getting really down and would love some people’s advice. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m not in extreme pain anymore. It only hurts when I wake up and when I swallow. I stil can’t eat hard food I feel like there is stuff stuck in my throat 24/7. When will I get over this and feel normal again? I just want to be able to go on with my life. I’m also really worried because I’m a uni student and I start school again on Monday and I’m worried I’m nit going to be back to even almost normal. How long will it take to have a normal throat and or to be able to swallow without it hurting. I can’t believe how much it is getting me down just wanting to be okay again.
Please any advice would be amazing.
Danielle, im sorry you’re so frustrated.
Did your doctor prepare you for what to expect after surgery? If you had it last Friday, then you’re on day 6 of your recovery (I counted the day after surgery as recovery day 1). You need to give your body time to heal. Unfortunately there’s no rushing this process and it had its own path for each person.
It’s not at all surprising that you’re not eating solids yet and that stuck in your throat feeling may be a swollen uvula – something many of us have had after surgery. You also have to remember you had not just tonsils but adenoids and the turbinectomy, so you’ve got multiple healing sites going on. Be gentle with yourself, ask for help when you need it and rest as much as you can.
As long as you’re eating what you can, drinking plenty and taking your medication, your body will do the rest. I know you have to get back to class but healing is your top priority right now. Get plenty of rest!
dear beth just wanted to thankyou for your support managed work ok 1st full day today my only worry now is i getting really bad heart burn does anyone know if this normal or not it seems so unfair to get this far and start suffering again .
I also had extreme heart burn, I normally get heart burn but not that bad and normally I just take a zantec, that didn’t even work. But i got mine on days 2-5.
Kate, thank YOU for posting and offering your experience and encouragement! And your story of scruffy! Our cockatiels also keep us going, right?
The doctor told me it could take 1-3 weeks and said it was more painful for adults. He told me that I could bleed and have to go back to hospital ect. I pressumed (wrongly) that I would be bouncing around after a week and the other 2 weeks were just healing that you don’t really notice.
I think your right about my uvula, I think it’d only got swollen in the lat day or two, but it’s making me cough, almost vomit a lot and just be in discomfort. Is there anyway to get rid of that or is that just another thing that will pass eventually?
Danielle, the swollen uvula will slowly get better each day. I’m on day 10 and mine is now only slightly swollen. Try to hang in there. I know the heartburn sucks. I have had it off/on for decades. I think the sudden change in eating patterns, along with the medication are probably contributing to that. I know this is a rough process but you are over halfway through so try to take heart and know that you will get better, bit by bit every day.
dear danielle i had my op on 30th march day 20 just counted i can now swallow without hurting now and wake up with no pain i am taking parcetamol tabs unfortunatly ihave a ulcer which is slowly going when i do swallow its as if i got a bit of dry food stuck down my throat but its feels ok whats happening now is its tickling so makes me choke a little chewing gum helps hope this answers your question how long it takes ps i am 54 so maybe the older you are the longer it takes i have heard other say they go jogging !!!
Recovery Day 9 – well, pain was definitely not as bad upon waking this morning. I’m getting the sense that I’m turning the corner. More and more pink skin is showing through from the white scabs – I’d say it’s about 50% pink now.
I got better sleep last night as I had a heating pad at the ready to combat the ear pain, which wasn’t as bad as the night before. The heat really does help!
Today I’m going to try some heartier foods. I am hoping to eat a roast beef sandwich for lunch as I could use the protein and iron. We have a Bill & Bob’s Roast Beef (anyone familiar with them?) close by and they have great sandwiches.
I still have the urge to nap during the day and may do so in a little while but do plan to go for a walk later and get out for a bit.
Mikey, glad to hear your appt went well and your healing is on track! Mary, wow, running? Can’t even imagine! Good for you that your healing has been so ‘easy’ relatively speaking.
Julie, I would definitely get an expert opinion about the talking issue. This far out you I would think that you should really not be having that problem. I imagine it’s very frustrating and you’d like to get to the bottom of it. Let us know how you make out.
How is everyone doing?
Hi Guys! My surgery is tomorrow at 7am. I was all relaxed and feeling fine about it and then several of you all posted about bad stuff today so that got me a bit worried again. Even BETH…my rock…my mentor, broke down and said the pain was unrelenting and she is discouraged. Ugggggggg!~ I am not one to wean myself off of pain meds early so I am hoping since I will be taking my pain meds every 4 hrs for as long as they let me I won’t have unrelenting pain or become discourged.
Mary: Thank you for giving a GOOD encouraging post today…..I really need happy posts today since my surgery is tomorrow. I do not know how I will ever fall asleep tonight.
Wish me luck!
Holly, we all went through the pre surgery jitters. Not fun at all. We have all had our good days and bad days after surgery. Hopefully your good will out weigh the bad.
Did your Dr. okay ibuprofen for your recovery? Don’t forget to use ice packs on your neck and make sure to suck on ice cubes and “drink water until your eyeballs float.” I read that on this website and it has stuck with me ever since. You will think of that as you’re forcing yourself to sip water. I set my alarm for every 2 hours to drink water and take pain meds every 4 hours. Ask for anti nausea and start with the miralax on day 1 or whatever stool softner works for you.
You’ll be fine tomorrow. Good luck and let us know how it’s going.
Good luck tomorrow, Holly! The surgery is the easy part. Like Deide said, we have all had our good and bad days. Who knows–you may be like Mary on this forum, who has had an exceptionally good recovery. Like Greg has mentioned before, most of the people who post on this forum seem to be the ones who have painful recoveries. It is likely that those who have good recoveries have little to complain about, so they don’t bother blogging. Just remember to be kind to yourself (don’t over-do it & be sure to follow your doctor’s orders), drink plenty of icy fluids (even if you don’t feel like swallowing) and keep up with your pain meds (be sure to keep a schedule to remind yourself when to take which med). If you need to vent or are seeking moral support, we are all here for you. Try to get some sleep tonight and don’t forget to say goodbye to those pesky tonsils for once and for all. Big hugs & healing thoughts!
Oh Holly, please don’t worry – you’re going to do fine!! I’m sorry if my post in any way contributed to you feeling anxious. I ended up caving and taking a dose of Percocet this morning a few hours after writing my post and I felt like a new woman! It was a real boon to me.
Yes you will have painful days but you WILL be able to handle them, you will! I have to say, that overall, this experience has not been as rough as I had thought it would be. I really mean that, and not saying that just to assuage your fear, promise!
. Also, if it’s any consolation, my period is due in a few days, and I was emotional to start with, so I’m sure that contributed to my mood this morning (sorry if TMI!!)
I’ll be thinking of you Holly, saying a prayer for you during surgery and I know all is going to be fine. Hug!! Please when you can, let us know how you are doing.
Good luck tomorrow, Holly. Hopefully, you will have a smooth recovery. I’m not going to lie to you. I had a fairly average recovery, I think, and the first week is bad. I took pain meds regularly during the first 8 days, then starting replacing doses with OTC meds. About halfway through the second week, it improves. I was totally nervous, too, before the surgery. Reading the horror stories is scary, but I think also helps to prepare. Tonight, try to imagine how good you will feel when you wake up in recovery and it is all over. Keep us posted.
Prayers, good energy and my best thoughts going out to you this morning Holly! You’re going to be fine!! Hug!!!!
Beth: thank you! I’m laying here with my Iv in. 6 more min! Can’t wait to be done.
Almost there Holly!! Good luck and my prayers going with you!
Good luck, Holly!!!
Hey guys! Im back…Im feeling really good now…just super drugged up. I am hoping I can stay in this constant drugged up haze with no pain for the first few days. I am hoping my hydrocodon will keep me pain free. Surgery went well. When they wheeled me in I was talking to the ENT and the next thing you know I woke up in recovery and 40 min had gone be. Weirdest thing ever. When I woke up I went a little crazy cause the pain was pretty bad and i could not swallow. They gave me more meds in my IV and they tried to get me to swallow a swall medicin cup of percocet but I couldn’t swallow and started choking. Finally they gave me a shot in my arm of deroral i think i heard them say and that shit knocked me out. My husband, Blake got there right after I had that shot. He drove me home and I have been sleeping on my side with only two pillows for 2 hrs now. I just woke up and thought I should update. So all and all for day 1 I would say the immediate after surgery pain was a 7 on a scale from 1-10 and the pain now is like a 2 as long as i don’t swallow. Hoping I don’t run out of this pain med. Definitly do not feel like eating or talking. Off to snooze for 2 more hours! Thank you guys for all your support!
Yeah Holly! Glad you’re home and resting. Don’t worry about running out of your pain meds. I’m sure if you get low, the doctor will refill it. Rest and ice and keep us posted! So glad it went well!
Glad to hear that your surgery went well, Holly. Even though it is painful, remember that you need to drink fluids. The meds that you got in your system will not last beyond tonight or tomorrow morning. You do not want to wake up in agony when they wear off. You should be sipping water or another liquid almost constantly while you are awake. Keeping your throat moist and using your throat muscles reduces pain (even though it doesn’t feel like it at the time) and speeds healing. Good luck in your recovery!
Hi, Holly! I’m glad to hear the surgery is over, and you are home resting. I agree with what Marla said about constantly sipping and swallowing to exercise your throat muscles. My doctor advised the same for the very same reasons. What worked for me for the first 2 days was sipping on ice water and eating lots of jello, custard (I can send you an excellent, easy recipe if you’re interested) pudding packs and yogurt. Then I progressed day-by-day onto very thin cream of wheat, applesauce, thin oatmeal, scrambled eggs, buttered noodles, mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, etc. until I was able to comfortably eat solid foods. I also found SlimFast to be very helpful in maintaining my energy level. There may be one day that you can tollerate certain foods, but the next you can’t. Just take it easy, listen to your body and be gentle & patient with yourself. I look forward to hearing your recovery story. Best wishes & welcome to the tonsil-free club!
Hi Becky! Yes, I would love the recipe. I am starting to find that the pain comes only after I eat or talk. If I do neither of those I am basiclly pain free.
Just had a popsicle and it felt wonderful going down but now the taste in my mouth is gross. I may have to pull out my sons shaved ice machine. That sounds glories….just plain shaved ice with no flavoring.
Here you go, Holly: http://www.food.com/recipe/baked-custard-by-milly-haskin-477145. This custard is what sustained me for the first week. It’s low in sugar and has good protein from the eggs. What’s wonderful is that it’s velvety smooth and feels heavenly sliding down your throat warm or cold. It’s so easy to make. My husband made me a batch every evening for me to eat throughout the next day. Here’s another easy recipe that I loved for quick butternut squash soup: http://www.food.com/recipe/quick-butternut-squash-soup-17987. It is so savory, flavorful and goes down smoothly. You’ll find after a few days, you’ll be searching for ways to reintroduct fiber into your diet (hint, hint… & don’t forget to take your colace!). By the way, the first recipe is from my co-worker’s mother, who gave me permission to post it on my http://www.food.com profile. The author of the recipe, MarthaStewartWanabe, is actually me, so you get to see a picture of my family and I if you click on the picture near the recipe title. I hope these recipes help. Take care & try to get some sleep tonight. I’m sending you lots of positive vibes and healing prayers.
Hi Holly, I’m trying to get caught up since i was on the wrong page this whole time. But I agree with the above posts that you must drink tons of ice water and keep trying to swallow. That’s what I did… When I woke up at first I felt like I was choking, not much pain cause of the meds, but the sensation that I was choking was really scary! The nurse calmly explained that if i was telling her i felt like i was choking, then i really wasn’t… I looked at my husband who is a firefighter (job#1) and he smiled at me as to reassure me. Kind of like when he told me one time while I was freaking out that my firstborn was choking on this cracker and he told me she’s okay because she’s coughing and if she were really choking she wouldn’t be coughing. I calmed down after that and really had to focus on swallowing ice chips after they melted (I was numb so I was drinking too much water and choking on that). I also was telling myself that if I kept swallowing, I would heal faster like I had read on this forum
. It will get easier and I overall have had a pretty easy recovery… one that I hope you have.
The other things I started to do (also as a result of reading greg’s prep site and this forum) were: sprayed the back of my throat with chloraseptic and then drank my water. I found that after the numbing agent wore off from surgery and it was just me and the hydrocodone, the ice water really did act as a local numbing agent for me, so I drank from my big post-pregnancy plastic cup (the one they give you after you give birth so you can load up on water so you can breastfeed those babies
yes that one) religiously! I also started chewing gum like they suggest for ear pain even though I didn’t have any yet and that really made me keep swallowing without having to drink every second of the day. I have TMJ so I was afraid my jaw would start getting too painful, but it didn’t (usually i can’t chew gum) or maybe because of the hydrocodone on board I just didn’t feel that pain 
. But i really believe that having done these things early after my surgery helped me get through the rough spots. I also kept my girls’ humidifier on my bedstand up through day 9 and finally put it away today – since i’m not having much pain and haven’t had any problems sleeping (aside from the bad dreams that I think the hydrocodone is inducing). But I’ve always had vivid bad dreams, so maybe no real change there 
You WILL make it through this, I believe in you mama! You’ve got two little ones like me, that alone makes us tough
Hey everyone I hope everyone is doing well. I had my two week post op and my dr said that I am healing nicely. I still have a lil jaw pain but I am doing very well. I am very optimistic about the future and I am feeling much better and very well rested. I hope that everyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You will get through this it’s just one day at a time. I would like to thank everyone for the kind words. This site had been much help. Thank you everyone and take care and get better soon.
Mikey
I just wanted to check in again and say that my recovery is still going very well. I had my tonsils out last Monday (so this is day 10), and its been a lot easier than I expected. I think my pain has stayed at mostly a 3 to 4 on a scale of 10, except for sometimes in the morning. Day 5 and 6 were probably the worst, but even then not terrible. I stopped taking my meds after 5 days and have only taken occasional Otc tylenol since.
Today has been the best day by far. I still have small scabs, but my throat feels pretty good unless I sneeze – Lol. I even managed to go for a run this morning which was amazing!
Anyway, I just wanted to put a “good” story out there to let people know that not everyone has a really rough time with this surgery (although I 100% believe and sympathize with the people having difficult recoveries.)
I’m not sure of any one thing I did to have an easier recovery, but I opted to go with the more “European ” recovery plan and tried to eat normal foods from day 1 rather than restricting myself to soft foods only, even thouh that is what my (american) doctor recommended. Sometimes it was uncomfortable to eat normal foods, but I think this made a huge difference in the size of my scabs and therefore the pain. Everyone is different, though, so what worked for me may not work for everyone.
Again., I wish everyone the best in your recoveries! And thank you for such a great helpful website. I felt 100% prepared for this surgery thanks to everything I read here.
Yesterday marked 1 week since i had my tonsils removed. It has definitely been a miserable process–tons of pain that seemed to ease up only to come back with a vengeance, allergy to the pain meds, my stomach is a mess and is constantly gurgling VERY loudly and yesterday I started getting a headache and intense nausea. Today I went to my allergist office for allergy shots. She took a look in my mouth and said I had an infection (my tongue is white/yellow and there’s this white residue inside one of the pocket where my right tonsil was). I’m not on antibiotics yet as the ENT hasn’t returned her phone call nor my own. I’m hoping this is where the sudden increase in pain, nausea (I actually vomited on the way to my allergist appointment), headache, and newfound fatigue are coming from. If the ENT doesn’t return my call by tomorrow afternoon, I’m going to the urgent care at my PCP’s office. Has anyone else had experience with post-tonsillectomy infection? Do the symptoms sound familiar? Thanks!
Kellyann,
You seem to be describing what my tongue & x-tonsil areas look like. I had a post op appt yesterday & my doc said all that is normal. I have the best ENT in San Diego and have confidence in him. My only concern with you is the fact that antibiotics were not prescribed right out of the gate for the 1st week. A low grade fever (below 101) is normal the first few days. Trust me I’ve been a mess. Fever, ears draining, uvula so swollen I couldn’t breathe, and OH THE EAR PAIN!! Doc gave me steroids on day 2 and on day 4 the swelling had reduced by 2/3. My surgery was on the 4/11 and I’m 43yo….I have to say though, my tongue is no where near as coated white/yellow as before the surgery. It’s apparently quite common for those of us who suffer from tonsil stones due to the high bacterial content. I hope I’ve helped some :-/ get on some antibiotics though!!
Hi Kellyann,
I’m not a doctor, but a white tongue and tonsils are very common after tonsillectomy. In fact, my discharge paperwork said to expect this and that it is NOT usually a sign of infection. You can definitely follow up with your ENT and should, but I wouldn’t sweat it too much unless you’re spiking a high fever. Hope you feel better soon!
Kelleyann, I also had a white tongue but thankfully no infection. Let us know what the doctor says tomorrow.
Thanks, everyone. I wasn’t concerned until my allergist commented and even called my ENT(I was not prescribed an antibiotic after surgery-only pain meds). My tongue and the white coat around my tonsils does’t concern me; I really just can’t take the nausea,vomiting , and constant headache that just appeared. It’s terrible. Oh, and this may seem very random, but I have had the hiccups all day. I also had them the day after surgery, but they went away after a few hours. Any suggestion on how to get rid of them?
Hang in there, KellyAnn! It will get better! I wasn’t prescribed an antibiotic either after surgery. I was worried about developing an infection, since my tonsils had been infested with stones and the size of golf balls. There were a few days when the back of my tongue was covered in a white film, and my taste buds back there were swollen & painful. I just brushed my tongue every time I brushed my teeth (2-3 times per day), and the film/pain disappeared after about 3 days. Unlike you, I didn’t have nausea/vomiting with the tongue whiteness/pain. Two weeks after surgery, I did develop fever of 100.4 – 103.5 degrees and was very weak, nauseous, had lower GI issues, was exhausted and had a horrid headache. I went to the ENT worried that I had developed an infection, but he said my throat showed no sign of infection and was healing nicely. He suspected I had contracted a GI virus. In a few days, I was fine. It’s so funny that you mentioned having hiccups. For a few days, I had them too. They would just appear out of the blue–so strange. Even though it hurt a little, holding my breath for about 20 seconds helped. Good luck, KellyAnn, and take care!
Kellyann, Were you given anti nausea meds to go with your pain meds? Maybe you can get a prescription if you’re still throwing up.
Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.
I also had a white tongue and worried it might be thrush. During the second week I rinsed with diluted hydrogen peroxide, which seemed to help. By my 2-week post-op appt, everything looked great. I was only prescribed pain meds. I don’t think automatically prescribing anti-biotics is routine, only if an infection develops.
dear kellyann i had thush on my tongue and a ulcer i had to go to the a/e because pain so bad was treated for the thrush gave anti biotics and i bought bonjela for the ulcer had op on 30 march and still have a ulcer but not so big hope this imformation helps bye
Hello – I’m hoping that someone that’s been stalking the forum is familiar with my issue and can shed some light on it as I’ve lost all hope with the Dr. I had my tonsillectomy done March 12th. Didn’t have any complications. Just seemed to heal slower than most people have posted in the forum but I was ok with that, as long as I was healing. Well I still can’t talk well, it hurts to talk, I can’t talk loud, can’t pronounce all words 100% correctly. I’ve had 2 follow up visits with the surgeon. He says I’m healing fine and is referring me to a speech therapist. He said it could be from the intubation or laryngitis or from just not using my voice for so long, I even got an “I don’t know”. I thought he was the Dr! So I called a speech therapist, they asked a few questions that made me feel like this isn’t normal so I asked and she had never come across this issue before due to a tonsillectomy. I’m getting really discouraged, frustrated, etc… I’m hoping someone will say they had the same issues and it all turned out ok! Thanks for reading.
Wow, I would get a second opinion!!
Good luck!!!
Yes, I’ll most likely be doing so. I’ll definitely do the speech therapy so I can say I’m doing everything he has told me to do but I’m going to start out with my primary Dr and go from there.
Julie, my surgery was 3/15 and I’m not experiencing any of those issues at this point. During the first two weeks, I had a hard time pronouncing certain sounds. That seemed to improve as my swelling went down. My throat is no longer sore when I swallow, but does still get irritated by certain foods. Talking no longer hurts and I can speak louder now. During the first 2 weeks, I had to tell people that I can’t speak any louder. Your symptoms sound common for the first couple of weeks, but maybe not for 5 weeks post-op. Maybe you are just healing more slowly?
I’m hoping that’s the issue – just healing more slowly. I’m having a hard time finding anyone else that has healed this slowly though. It’d just be nice to see it has happened to others, reassuring…
I have no idea how these posts are getting organized. I started a new post for Recovery Day 8 and it ended up somewhere above in posts that were dated for for the 15th……I’m confused!
Sorry Beth- I switched and made the most recent posts on top- Does it make sense with that in mind? There’s been much less activity since I switched it the other way. Sorry- just trying to keep this little forum alive.
Sorry you’re having such a rough time. You’re obviously well read on the subject of tonsillectomy recovery, so I’ll assume that you’re doing things right. Please remember that you are close my dear. The darkest hour is just before dawn.
Greg, no problem. Now that I refreshed the page I see that my posts are, in fact, at the top. I guess I was in a sleep-deprived haze! You are doing a GREAT job organizing the forum and I think it’s only natural to see a wax and wane in the volume of posts as some people ‘leave the nest” (as you so aptly put it!) and new ones who have been reading but have yet to start posting.
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I really appreciate them Greg
I’m hanging in there and looking for forward to this stage of healing passing!
And yes, I think it always make sense to have newest posts at the top of the thread. As a look-back it’s easier to read the train of posts/responses. Kind of like when you get a forwarded email and the most recent response is at the beginning of the email. You’re doing a GREAT job Greg. I don’t know how you manage this and have a full time job and full time fathering of your boys too! My hat goes off to you!
Greg, top is much better. Now we don’t have to scroll all the way to the bottom.
I don’t know how they get organized either, I just checked the boxes to notify me by email so I just see the posts in my email and answer from there too…..
Recovery Day 8 – when does the ear pain END??!!!! For me it’s first thing in the morning then it quiets down after I’ve been up for a few hours. It will flare if I eat something and have to spend a lot of time chewing and swallowing (as opposed to drinking something quickly). Cold definitely seems to spike it. This has been going on since about day 5 for me I think. I also had my first real full blown sneeze yesterday. Well, that SUCKED!
I have never felt discouraged during this process because I know it’s just that – a process – that will resolve and that we need to pass through the various healing stages to get there. This morning, I’m discouraged. It would be so nice to just get a decent night’s rest and not be woken with pain and dealing with the ear pain on top of the swallowing pain.
I think the feeling of discouragement is just from the unrelenting quality of this healing process. It’s not like you get a half a day where you feel fine and the pain just kicks in later in the day. In the early part of this healing (I’m just past the week mark) there is pain ALL the time. After a while, it does wear on you. I know you all understand this and have all blazed this trail before me. God bless you.
I may break down and take a single dose of the liquid Oxycodone this morning. I’ve been totally off it for 4 days. I just want a blessed hour of relief. Yesterday I took two doses of 400mg ibuprofen at different times and then one dose of Tylenol before bed. They helped only a little.
I did eat more solids yesterday. In the interest of getting my poor GI system moving I steamed some carrots until they were very soft and ate those mushed up with butter. I also ate about half a package of spinach that I steamed until it was squishy, also with butter. I managed to have 4 small meatballs chewed really well, in an effort to get some meat based protein in. I will try those foods again today.
On a positive note: I can see a lot of pink showing through the white scabs now so I know they are sloughing off more and more each day. I don’t feel the sloughing and have no sense of swallowing any scabs or having them tickle my throat. It’s just the white coating is disappearing day by day.
I was able to go to my yearly physical, do some laundry, clean my kitchen, run some errands, take my son to soccer practice and have been cooking dinner most nights. For me, these things actually DO help (I wouldn’t do them if I absolutely couldn’t muster the energy). They give me a sense of normalcy, a sense of purpose, they get me off the couch, keep me distracted and don’t allow me time to piss and moan to myself.
Sorry my posts tend to be long winded. Bless all of you who read them and I look forward to hearing how all of your are doing today. Hugs!
Beth, Sorry you’re experiencing the “ear pain” that so many people have mentioned. have you tried warm compresses on your ears? Maybe that area is still swollen and pressing on your ear tubes. I have also heard of warming up olive oil or ayurvedic ear drops and using a dropper for 1 or 2 drops per ear. I was prepared to do that in case I had this problem. Maybe some one else can chime in on this one. Good luck! I’m so glad you are getting closer to your recovery and further from your surgery day.
This actually made me cry. I hoped I would be better by day 8. As it’s tomorrow or the next day. Depending on what day you classify day 1. This is really the worst experience of my life and I would never recommend anyone to ever do it!
Danielle, try to hang in there. I had my surgery on the 10th and I’m feeling like I’m just starting to turn the corner now. Don’t know if you’ve been reading this or other forums, but it seems days 5-9 or so can be very hard for some people.
You said the pain has not been that bad for you- if thats the case you are very lucky!! Is it the waiting for it to completely go away that’s getting you down? Or are there other symptoms youre having that are causing problems?
There must have been a compelling reason that you had it done so try to remember your long term goal of no infections or tonsil stones or whatever your case was. You’re well on your way there being on day 8!
The pain was really bad for me days 2-4 with days 5 and 6 going down a lot and me stopping the oxycodene and just having normal panadol.
I think it’s getting me down so much because I’m normally such a positive person that never stays home and is out working or doing something all the time. I have been all cooped up and it’s just starting to get to me a lot and I don’t know how to handle it.
Hi Danielle: Have you tried getting up and getting showered and all dressed and going out yet? I think tomorrow I may get up, shower and go for a walk.
I am not going to have too much down time as I go back to work next Thursday. Don’t know how I will do off the pain meds by then since I will have to stop to drive to work at least. Maybe I could take some as soon as I am at my desk working and then again after my lunch hour?
I will tell you what……I am starting to get a little hungry but at the same time I do not want to eat!
oh danielle it is the worst thing ever !!!!!! giving birth to my babies was easier i joke that i will never do it again what nice about this forum is we all know how bad it is but it will get better keep being brave as you get through each day your getting better !!! i think we tonsilectomy patients are the bravest people. are you taking your meds regularly and drinking warm water set your alarm try to sleep alot bye for now
Holly, yesterday I ventured into the world. I went shopping with a friend for 2 hours. It felt like I could have of passed out in the way home. I was very exaughedted from all the working around, which is unusual for me because I shop way to much haha. It made me feel better though and slightly less insane and cooped up seeing one of my friends and just having a normal day.
Kate, I take panadol when I require it. And that’s only if I’m in a lot of pain. I’m actually really against pain medications and I know a few to many people that have been addicted to them and dont want to get into that position myself. I’m actually the most afraid of sleep, as I know that it hurts more when you wake up because your throat needs water. I am actually surprised u have barley slept through the recovery. Even on the really bad days and night when I was taking oxycodene I would have probably 6 hours sleep and maybe a half an hour nap during the day. Which us odd for me as I love my sleep I could sleep for 10 hours no problem normally and I normally don’t function well without minimum of 8 hours.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have just heard from a tonsillectomy recovery legend. Thank you Big Will!
Hey again. This one’s for you, i iTrish.
Almost my whole throat was cauterized. I had from the edge of my soft palate to behind my uvula cauterized on both sides. I think it was because my tonsils were soooo big when they came out(Mmmm hypertrophy). There was material everywhere – so much that the Dr. jumped when he first saw them.
I do wish they’d trimmed my uvula and straightened my septum (though the recovery would have somewhat worse) though. I was gagging on my uvula for the first day and a half. I had to lie just right on one side and not talk so it didn’t catch and trigger my gag reflex.
As for there being a lot of cauterized area, the Dr. may just have been doing their best to make sure you had no bleeds at all. I’d say it’s worth asking about for curiosity’s sake, but not worrying about
I hope today goes great for everybody!!
Rest, humidity, lots of water often (set your alarms, drink a second glass), and whatever entertainment you can muster.
-Big Will
Recovery Day 7 – I just got back from my yearly physical and my primary doctor thinks I’m healing well. I’m just slightly anemic but he thinks that’s from the surgery.
Have been waking up the past 2-3 nights with the referred ear pain bad enough that I have to just stay up. My sleep is pretty messed up lately, that’s for sure. I doubt I got more than 3 total hours of sleep yesterday. It seems regardless of the level of pain, I’m waking up every morning somewhere around 2am or 3am and just staying up.
The pain has been the same the past 2-3 days. Ear pain is only after I’ve been laying down a while or if I eat any large volume. Then it kicks in. It’s an incredibly irritating kind of pain and, to me, almost worse that the swallowing pain.
I have taken a few doses of ibuprofen or Tylenol here or there but nothing regular. I’m used to the pain and know I can deal with it….though I still look at that Percocet bottle once in a while and want a swig!
I have to say, taken as a whole, the pain is NOT as bad or nearly debilitating as I was expecting it to be. Yes, very bad at certain points during the day but nothing that has brought me to my knees. I find the more distracted I am, the easier it is to draw the focus away from the pain. And rather than seize up against it, I find trying to consciously relax when I swallow makes the pain seem much less.
My digestive system is only just now starting to, ahem, function with the first ‘sign’ (small BM) yesterday morning. I am so used to eating a lot of salads, lots of nuts, ground flax seed and lots of sources of fiber and my poor body is probably saying WTF as to why there’s no fiber or roughage coming in. That’s not helping any of this at all.:-( I’ll stick with the Colace and Miralax a few more days but my primary care says that things should ‘get onlne’ pretty soon.
I plan to try to take a very long nap today. I went to bed at 9:30pm last night and have been awake since 12:30am. Need to get some rest!!!!!
Hope everyone is doing really well…..keep posting!!
This forum never ceases to amaze, inspire, and humble me.
Greg, This truly is a great thing you have done. It is helping so many people. I thank you from the bottom….. to the top of my heart!!! You are awesome!
Aw thanks i i’ – I wish I could do more. I appreciate all of your compassion for your fellow tonsilnauts. Take care.
Well, I had to do blood work for my yearly physical and while I was at the blood lab at the hospital I took it upon myself to go down to the hospital pharmacy and ask a few questions.
I spoke to a pharmacist in hopes of a recommendation for a non constipating pain reliever. He said unfortunately ALL the narcotic pain killers have this notorious side effect. Told me if I decided to resumed the Percocet, that I could take both stool softeners AND the Miralax powder each TWICE a day and that might offset it. He was very nice but said there’s no easy work around. Just thought this info might be useful for someone.
Recovery Day 6 – Woke up again this morning with the ear pain and general intense pain in throat. I would rate the past two mornings an 8. I found that when my ears felt like they were throbbing that pressing my palms or a couple of fingers firmly against my ears made the pain stop as long as I held them there. Not a very practical solution but it does work. I also noticed yesterday that the ear pain diminished after I’d been up and about for about 2 hours.
All I took yesterday during the day was one dose of Tylenol and one dose of Ibuprofen. And I have to say…..the day was manageable.Why didn’t I take more? Tylenol, for me at least, is as good as taking a sugar pill. It does really nothing to touch the pain but I take it each time hoping it might help. The ibuprofen I took out of desperation and it did help more than Tylenol but not immensely. I’m done with the Percocet as of two days ago (not by choice mind you but because the constipation was horrific).
I took some naps yesterday and ate a full package of Stouffer’s macaroni and cheese for dinner. Throughout the day for other meals I had a Slimfast, a protein shake (made from powder) and my baby food oatmeal as well as a bowl of very mushy Cheerios. I think my pain was worst after eating the Cheerios for some reason.
I’ll write more later. Going to attempt to go back to sleep for a little while. Hope everyone is doing well!
Day ten went well today. The only pain I had was when I woke up in the morning I felt super dry. I have been having some insomnia the past couple of days. I maintain it is from the super thick saliva that I have been having. I am feeling better hopefully by the end of the week the rest of my scabs will fall off.
Beth I’m sorry to hear that. Have you asked your dr to change your pain medication becuase of the constipation? I also found that holding my fingers to my out ears helped me as well with my ear pain.
Glad you are trendy better Mikey! You’ll be feeling better every day now do the worst has likely passed – yeah!!
beth you sound like your coping well keep being brave sleep and regular meds is the way and also lots of drinks; i took my liqiud medicine from a siringe with out a needle like a baby the medicine got right to back of my throat and was easer to swallow also when my mouth was too dry i swirted water around with the siringe too . Do any of you use the antiseptic thoat spray we have one called difflam its good im using it alot now on day 17 to ease my throat bye for now
I used Chloroseptic the second week. I was afraid to the first week thinking it might burn. Just one of the other tricks when it was too soon for another dose of pain medication. Popsicles and gum also helped.
Kate, unfortunately Difflam is not available in the U. S. I already checked. ;-(. I hear it works really well so good for you!!
dear beth i am sorry you can not get diflam spray because my partner fred got me the Chloroseptic instead and i nearly died it was so strong and burning I was at my worst stage and all i could do was laugh and cry and cough hyterically poor fred was flabbergasted. after i had recovered we laughed some more i had been so depressed fred it was good stuff because it made me laugh !!!! went out on my own today in the car to library and shops preparing for work tomorrow . talked to my neighbour they had been worried as they had not seen me and knew something was wrong he seen me pacing out side when i was bad he had his tonsils out and was so sympathic it was nice bye for now