Guerrilla Tactics for Surviving Adult Tonsillectomy



Guerrilla Tactics – Adult Tonsillectomy Tips

Adult Tonsillectomy Tips
Adult Tonsillectomy Tips

So you’ve read my top 10 tonsillectomy tips.  Good. Those will get you through. But some of us like to operate outside of the conventional. The top ten are solid pearls of wisdom that anyone can benefit from, regardless of their personality. Let’s face it- not everyone is comfortable making demands on their doctor, pharmacist, employer, or family. For those of you who are though, I offer the following guerrilla tactic adult tonsillectomy tips.

Advocating for Yourself

The cornerstone of these tips is self advocacy. By researching the internet and finding this site, you’re already ahead of the masses. Like me a few years ago, most adults go into tonsillectomy surgery like sheep. They take the information from their doctor and perhaps nurse and press forward without questioning. Sometimes this works out fine. Some ENT doc’s and their staff do a great job of preparing their patients for tonsillectomy surgery and its subsequent recovery period. Some don’t.  Some employers respect their employee’s judgement of what their needs are in regard to recovering from adult tonsillectomy. Some don’t. It’s up to us to make sure that we get what we need. Take those first 10 tips and you’ll be ahead of the pack. Take a few of these and lead it.

Work- Taking Time Off

I’ve researched the time required for adult tonsillectomy recovery. I can tell you that ten days is about the minimum. I would tell your boss that two weeks is the minimum. You may need two full weeks. You may not though. If not, you’ll look tough as nails as you come back to work ahead of schedule! If the boss gives you grief about two full weeks, refer him or her to this website. Let them read about the experiences people have. It will open their eyes the way it has yours.

Your Family- Asking for Help

This is a tough one. Most people struggle when it comes to asking for help. Get over it. You are going to be worthless for at least a week. Don’t spread yourself thin. You don’t want anyone counting on you. Have a heart to heart talk with your spouse, mother, brother- whoever might pick up the slack for you. You might be surprised. I was recently divorced with four children when I had my surgery. My ex wife and I were not on good terms. It was a jagged pill to swallow, but I asked for her help. She covered the kids for a full week and even took a nice video of a holiday concert I had to miss. Be direct. Be specific. Ask for help.

Your Doctor- Be Assertive

Here are few adult tonsillectomy tips that you won’t find in the literature in your doctor’s waiting room. They just might make your life a lot better though.

Medications: 

  • Ask for a steroid.  I’m not giving medical advice here.  I’m not a doctor.  When you talk to your doctor, ask for a steroid.  The first challenge most adults face after tonsillectomy is a hugely swollen uvula.  No kidding- that thing can swell up so much that it’s hard to swallow and breath. Icing can help, so can gargling with ice cold water, but a steroid will do even more.  Just ask.
  • Ask for a stool softener.  Narcotic pain medicines will constipate you.  Many people go for over a week without a bowel movement.
  • Ask for an anti nausea drug.  Those pain killers that help so much can really do a number on your system.  You won’t be eating much, so nausea is a pretty likely side effect.
  • Get an order for ENOUGH PAIN MEDICINE TO LAST THROUGH RECOVERY.  This one makes me furious.  My doctor wrote an order for enough hydrocodone to last about four days.  If you’ve read enough accounts, you know that that’s about the time the pain gets worst.  I ran out in the middle of the night.  I had to wait until morning to ask for a refill.  The staff acted like I was some drug seeking junkie.  Don’t accept this.  I finally walked into the ER.  The doctor there understood completely and thought my ENT was a jerk. He wrote a prescription to cover the next week. I did not become a drug addict.
  • Ask for your pain medicine prescription to NOT include Acetaminophen. This is a tricky one. Most narcotic pain med’s contain Acetaminophen.  That’s fine if it’s the only thing you’re taking.  But at some point, you’ll want to ween off the heavy pain killers in favor of an over the counter pain medicine like Tylenol. (Acetaminophen) Suppose you try this and BAM- not cutting it.  You’ll want to go back to the narcotic pain medicine. But wait, how much Acetaminophen do you have on board? Too much can be very dangerous.  Keeping the two separate allows you to monitor this more easily.
  • Ask for IV fluids.  Yes, why not?  A nurse on the forum suggested this and I thought it was brilliant.  So many people become dehydrated while recovering from adult tonsillectomy because swallowing is so difficult.  Knowing that she was seriously dehydrated, this brave and smart woman walked into an emergency room and asked for a bag of IV fluid.  She got it and was no longer dehydrated. You might have a conversation with your doctor about this in advance.
  • TETRACAINE MEDICATED LOLLIPOPS -I never got them but people rave about the relief they give.  Ask your Doctor.

Well there you have it- the insider’s guide to adult tonsillectomy recovery.  You may feel like a pain asking for these things.  You may feel less pain because you do.  I wish you well.

Do you have a Jedi mind trick or ninja tactic for getting the upper hand in tonsillectomy recovery?  Please share in the comment section.  Thanks, -Greg

74 comments

  1. Well, Greg (and all the great posters here) I would like to thank you for all the info contained on this site. I have surgery Friday, November 8th, and feel somewhat prepared (not for the pain so much, but for everything I should and should not do ,etc).

    I plan on posting daily…as a 44 year old pain weenie, it should be interesting.

    Thanks again!

      1. Greg, I was suppose to have my tonsils out last Oct. and cancelled days before, after educating myself from your site. I just had pockets in one tonsil that food was building up in. Doctor said if I could not keep it clean that they had to come out along with adenoids. I thought this was overkill. After some research I found an irrigation machine. Water pics for teeth just irate the tonsil. This I just use once a week by choosing the setting that is comfortable and irrigating that one tonsil. Please share this with your readers. It is called Hydro Pulse Nasal/Sinus irrigation system. I found it on line and it cost $79.95 when I got mine last year. Thanks for all the information you provide. My doctor did not tell me anything on what to expect.

        1. Thanks Jane. Yes I am familiar with a couple products like the one you mention. I actually have a link to one called the HydroPulse in my shopping area.

          Best of luck to you. Take care!

  2. Great tips, but if you live in the UK – you’ve got no chance of getting any of that! We’re lucky to get some paracetamol on prescription x

  3. Hey going for my Tonsilectomy on the 7th of november. I am in ireland so am not familiar with the pain medication you mentioned Greg! I spoke to my family Doc about pain relief and she said the hospital should take care of all that so a bit worried that I might not get the pain relief I could need! Also my Doc didnt seem to keen on the procedure Arrrrgh

    Regards Dee

  4. Day 12 for me- I still have that annoying sharp ear pain-but narcotics don’t help anymore so I just chew gum a lot and try to stay hydrated. I am healing. I attribute my successful recovery to all the great info I learned from this website. I felt prepared for everything, the swelling, the scabs, the nasty ear pain, the taste changes, lack of sleep, and pain management. I had to go back to the Emergency room the same day I had surgery for increasing swelling and out of control pain (my doc only prescribed 1 vicodin every 6hrs) I appreciated your comments about advocating for yourself. I spent the night in the hospital, got a dose of steroids, and liquid dilaudid and tylenol. What a world of difference. Its been quite the journey, I appreciate so much all the help. My scabs are mostly gone I think, no bleeding, and I ate pretzels tonight! (carefully)
    THANK YOU SO MUCH GREG
    Sarah B.

  5. Hi all. I’m a 34 year old woman who had my tonsils out in June.
    I read all of the horror stories online. And I guess I was one of the lucky ones.
    It was painful, don’t get me wrong.. But they gave me liquid roxicet. I never got nautious or constipated from it.
    I never bled either.
    Eat lots of iced watered down jello! Mine was orange flavor. Protein ensure drinks iced cold.
    Never anything hot!
    Definetly use a humidifier when you sleep.
    Rest as much as possible.
    Oh and tell nurses to give you anti nausea medicine before you go under for surgery.
    This way you wont get nautious incase the anesthesia usually bothers you.

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