Tonsillectomy Recovery
Adult Tonsillectomy Recovery
Tonsillectomy Recovery is no picnic. Welcome to the tonsillectomy recovery resource center. Whether you’re considering, planning, or recovering from a tonsillectomy, you’ll find all the information you will need to make the best decision about surgery, and how to ensure the best care during and after surgery. I’ll also help you prepare for your tonsillectomy by laying out simple steps that will make the day of surgery easier, help you to be more comfortable during tonsillectomy recovery.
My name is Greg Tooke and I’m a tonsillectomy patient myself. For most of my life I lived with huge tonsils with craters that the Ear Nose and Throat doctor called, “cryptic.” I got tonsillitis and strep throat several times every year. I snored at night and woke suddenly, catching my breath. Like many people, I had sleep apnea and didn’t even know it. Speaking of breath, tonsil stones were making my breath smell awful at times. I’d heard horror stories about adult tonsillectomy , tonsils that grow back, bleeding, excruciating pain, and even death. I was afraid. Finally, with the advice of my doctor and a resolve to improve the quality of my life, I scheduled my tonsillectomy for the day after Thanksgiving. (a last meal??) You can read all about my tonsillectomy recovery story in the pages that follow.
I’ve been down the road you’re on and learned an amazing amount. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way. I suffered more than I needed to with tonsils, before the day of my surgery, and in my tonsillectomy recovery, for the most part, on my own. As a divorced father of four children, I knew it would be a challenge to meet my obligations while recovering from surgery. Finding very little information or support for patients like me online, I spent much of my recovery creating a website devoted to helping others going through what I was. I later created a forum where people could post questions, offer each other support, or just complain. The forum has evolved into an amazing community of tonsillectomy patients who share their concerns, questions, fears, wisdom, and support. I recommend that people considering or recovering from the surgery read these accounts from others, and even encourage their family and friends to read the forum as well. The more you and those close to you know about what to expect before and after tonsillectomy, the better prepared you will all be.
You can read more about my story in the pages that follow. You’ll also learn about tonsillectomy methods , tonsillectomy risks , how to advocate for yourself to get the best care from your health care provider, what the risks are, how adult tonsillectomy differs from children’s, what foods to eat after tonsillectomy , how to deal with pain, depression, bleeding, and a number of other delightful possible side effects of tonsillectomy.
I’ve also assembled a list of items you may want to order before your tonsillectomy. They can be found in the Tonsillectomy General Store by clicking the, “Things You’ll Need,” tab. You’ll also notice links to products that I think will help make the journey a bit more pleasant on various pages of the Resource for Tonsillectomy Recovery.
This entire site is searchable via the little Google powered search box located at the bottom right of each page. As you’ll notice, I’ve provided information, not only relating to tonsillectomy and tonsillectomy recovery, but also many of the topics that lead patients to explore or undertake tonsillectomy surgery. Go ahead- try typing your tonsil related question and see what comes up!
Take care,
Greg
Tonsillectomy Recovery
54yrs old, had tonsils removed on monday, this is friday.Still having alot of pain,taking liquid meds every 2 hours,seems to be better than taking every 4 hours, half doses.The worst thing is just swallowing,every swallow hurts.Im having better luck on warm drinks, not hot but warm,seems to sooth the throat better.Haven’t had bowl movement since surgey,taking soft stool pills,obvisiously not working.Pain is consistent,like clock work,every two hours seems to need the meds.No bleeding as of yet,sounds like scabs come off around day 7-8.Eating eggs,lots of soup,Milkshakes are good and popsicles.This seems to be a very slow healing process at age 54,must be patent.Will let you know in a couple of days if i’m feeling any better.Hang in there everyone,were all in this together!
Good morning. I was reading your forum for a while now and was really scared because of the bad experiences. I had my surgery yesterday afternoon and I am now back home (9am UK time). I was very scared about the general anesthesia as it was my first one. The surgery went well, but my ENT said that one tonsil was bigger than the second one and they have to analyse them. Anyone knows what it can be? Yesterday after my surgery I felt quite well and was very hungry – I had few biscuits with some water and some mashed carrots once back home. Today the pain is slightly increasing and I started to have a wet cough.Can someone advise me what should I do in case of a wet cough? I’m so scared that the bleeding can start, so I try not to cough. It is also painfull. I found some information about the dry cough, but nothing about the wet one. I try to drink lots of water and not to cough, but it’s difficult to avoid. Does it mean that I catched the cold or something? The dry cough can be influenced by the itchy throat, but I’m not sure where the wet cough is coming from? Should I take some anti cough syrup to stop the cough? Many thanks! Apologies for my English, it is not my first language.
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I am 12 hours out from Tonsillectomy…I can’t take the meds my Dr ordered. They are all liquids. I tried to drink gatorade and it goes up my nose the back way!
Hi guys.
Thanks to the creator of this site. Its nice to have stories to relate to. Looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel….if it exists.
Im 23 @ day 9 after t&a. Pain in my throat is getting better slowly day by day but I have awful pain in my ears. I have eaten an average of 3 bites of soup and 2 popsicles a day since surgery. Popsicles are heaven sent by the way. I started using rapid release gels (tylenol) a day ago as an alternative to hydrocodone. Have yet to see blood which is kind of scary and can’t open my mouth wide enough to see how everything is healing due to pain in my ears and jaw. Honestly if I could take my tonsils and adenoids back I would. Thats all I have to say
We have a 12 y/o special needs child that had a T&A on Tues 3-6. We were admitted to the hospital overnight. That night they suggest we give her soft foods. Pancakes, eggs, mac n chess, potatoes, milkshakes, ice cream, etc. She ate bites of pancakes, drank 3 gatorades, 1 box of juice, and some ice cream. The next day we got discharged. She had already eaten pancakes. At home she didn’t want to drink, so that was a challenge. But we got her to drink. Yesterday evening we got chicken from KFC, she ate small pieces of chicken with no crust, mashed potatoes and gravy, and mac n cheese. Today, she ate KFC and some spaghetti o’s. We really want to stress, keep up with the pain medicine. We give it to her every 4 hrs, no later, no sooner. While awake, she drinks 2oz of Gatorade every few minutes. At night with her pain she ask for a drink so we gi e her water. Today I gave her a bath. Hope this info helps.
thank you Denise, and best of luck to you both
6 weeks 1 day post op, 40/f, Calif. so the past two nights i’ve had a weird stabbing feeling in one side of my throat back where the tonsil used to be. comes on mainly if i laugh or cough. one side only. was only in the evening sun/mon, but started in this morning too. anyone else have some weird thing like that? it doesn’t hurt per say, more of a stab/tickle sensation. guess i’ll have to email the ENT, but thought maybe one of the old timers here might have experienced the same thing…
oh no! you poor thing. i had a bleed on day 8, but i was awake when it happened and able to stop it pretty quickly by gargling ice water and icing my neck. i’m over a month out now, and i can say it was all worth it. hang in there!
Im day 5 post op and i can’t eat anything! Everything makes me nauseous. Even just trying to swallow the pain meds makes me feel sick. I know i need to eat more solid, textured food before today i was eating eggs, potatoes and stew beef. The dr told me to cut back on pain meds but im not sure how realistic that is at this stage. Any suggestions?
On day 5? He’s nuts. Tell him to read this site over. He’s obviously never had a tonsillectomy.
So day 8. Woke up in the middle of the night feeling lots of what I thought was saliva in my mouth… Got up to spit it out. Gushing blood. Just pouring out of mouth. Nothing I’ve ever seen before. Started feeling light headed so I sat down and almost certain blacked out of a minute. I finally got it stopped with ice water. At the emergency room now. I’m just so sad. I want this to be all over. Hoping re cauterization isn’t even an option… Couldn’t imagine starting this process over. Also I’m sure I swallowed blood in the process.. Which means there’s a good chance it will be coming up soon as it does not digest well. Think good thoughts for me tonsil friends
oh no! you poor thing. i had a bleed on day 8, but i was awake when it happened and able to stop it pretty quickly by gargling ice water and icing my neck. i’m over a month out now, and i can say it was all worth it. hang in there!
Hey Lacey & Juliet, do you know what method was used to remove your tonsils? Just curious, my surgery is coming up soon.
Hope you’re feeling better Lacey!!
I am 31 and on day 9 of recovery… I too felt the “scabs” come off on day 7-8 and have blood and oozing mucus, they said I would get.. then it drains into your stomach and makes you feel nauseous. I was admitted the first night (suppost to be an outpatient) for nausea and dehydration. Felt alittle better day 2.. then up and down next few days… I did my research and followed all instructions… slept in reclinder, cool air humidifier, soft foods.. pain meds every 4 hours,etc. I used ice packs that helped. The pain meds were making me so nausea, I had to choose between pain and nausea, I chose to treat the nausea… I took meds for it and had more fluids at the hospital with steriods, for swelling. And its still been up and down. I had to change to tylenol extra strength and still having drainage and drymouth which makes the throat hurt more.. Its an AWFUL experience and am hoping for it to be worth it… I am hoping by day 14 I am better.. it says I should have some relief by then. Im in Iowa and they still cut them out and coterize them. I hope it helps illnesses and sleep for me! But I want to eat again!! I hate soft foods!! UGH!