Adult Tonsillectomy: I would like to share my honest tonsillectomy journey in hope that it will help others. After a year on the the waitlist. I had my tonsils removed on the 7th of June 2018. I had just turned 21. Initially i was so nervous, in hindsight it was probably a mistake to read the horror stories and view particularly distressing images. Anyway, prior to going into the hospital i felt okay. I had a good nights sleep and probably should have drunk more water as i couldn’t drink under after the operation, nor could i eat, not that i wanted to. i arrived at the hospital at around 8:30 am and had my checks. My blood pressure was okay but my heart rate was about 136, (normal is 80-100). We just put it down to nerves and i got dressed in an ever so fashionable white gown and waited until 10:40am before the anaesthetist came. I arrived into the surgical room and my heart rate was still very high so i was given something to relax me. And just like that i was asleep. I woke up at around 1:40pm, which i thought was odd and the surgery only took about 20 minutes. All i could hear when i woke up was ‘she’s in the red zone’ i could also hear a lady screaming across from me. It wasn’t the best thing to wake up to. I managed to ask the nurse what ‘the red zone’ meant and she said my heart rate was 150. They managed to get it down and i was sent to the ward where my dad met me. Luckily he works at the hospital so he was there straight away. Mum wasn’t too far away. i felt okay. I was given some Endone which made me feel a little nauseous and anxious. So i stopped taking it and stuck with Paracetamol. The corners of my lips had spilt a little during the operation but that didn’t hurt. I had to stay overnight and my heart rate remained high. Pain wise, i wasn’t in much pain. I did not vomit at all during recovery. I ate some weetbix the next morning. The surgeon came and saw me and said my tonsils were infected and full of puss when he squeezed them (Ew!). He said it was lucky i had them out. They were reluctant to send me home because of my heart rate but the cardiologist gave the approval and requested that i have some tests later on down the track. Everything turned out to be fine. Just my body’s reaction. Driving home i was a little nervous but i slept in the back seat and the 30 minute journal went quickly. Again, i wasn’t in too much pain. Pain 4/10 Day one after operation: i managed to eat small amounts and kept up the fluids which is really important. I tried to eat solid foods like weetbix as it helps with healing. Pain wise was a little worse and i was still feeling anxious. I was more anxious about being sick than the pain. It was always been a fear of mine. I woke up every 4 hours to take pain relief. Pain was 6/10 Day two: Today i was feeling better, i didn’t really feel like myself but i want in much pain. I was eating normally, just less than normal. I watched some Tv. I didn’t like falling asleep because it would dry out my mouth. I woke up every 4 hours to take pain relief. It is good to have a routine and not let the pain build up. Pain was 4/10 Day three: i was feeling okay. It was basically the same routine as day two and pain was about the same. 4/10. Day four: The pain was starting to get a little worse but i managed to get out of bed and hang with my family. I watched a movie with mum and fell asleep early. I am very lucky because both my parents are nurses. Day five: This was the day things took a turn for the worse. I had eaten a piece of pork and it my throat started to bleed. As per the doctors instructions, i ate ice. It eventually stopped but i knew something wasn’t right. Pain 5/10. Day six: i was home alone. My throat bled again, once in the morning, once at night and once in the middle of the night. Again i ate ice. Pain 6/10. Uncomfortableness 10/10. Day seven: I was home alone again and luckily my boyfriend came over at around 11 am. Around 1pm my throat bled again. This time was worse i coughed and blood went all over the bathroom. Yuck right. I knew it was time to go back to the hospital. My boyfriend drove and we arrived at about 2pm. I waited in emergency and luckily i was the only one there. My dad and mum came to meet me and we saw the nurse. He did checks and my heart rate was high again. I was feeling quite dizzy from all the blood loss. I was wheeled into a resus room because it was the only room available. i was put on a drip and they sprayed something on the back of my throat to stop it from bleeding which wasn’t pleasant. i was given some anti-biotcs. Next, the nurse told me i was being transferred to another hospital which is about 1.5 hours away because there is no ENT specialist and my local hospital. We waited for about 4 hours until the paramedics arrived and i was transferred. The ambulance ride was okay i was feeling better with some fluid but very anxious. My mum followed the ambulance. I waited in emergency where the nurses checked my obs and i was given a bed. I was feeling very anxious and overwhelmed by this point. Next, the ENT specialists came and spoke to me and said that post-op bleeding happens to about 5% of people who get their tonsils removed. Just my luck. They also mentioned that i may have to have another surgery to cauterize the blood vessel that was bleeding. This was devastating news. They were also not happy with my surgeons post-op instructions. Luckily this did not happen. Pain 4/10. Day eight. i spent most of the night in emergency and then was transferred to the short-stay section. I was feeling pretty yuck with blood floating around in my stomach. I had a few tests done including a blood test and they found that i was still bleeding and that my iron levels were low so they wanted to keep me for another night for obs. I was transferred to the ward. Pain 4/10. Day nine. The bleeding had stopped and i wanted to know if i could go home. The ENT specialists mentioned that i could leave the hospital but i had to stay within 30 minutes from the hospital incase the bleeding continued. Bleeding could occur between recovery days 5-14. So i had to spend 5 days in close proximity to the hospital. This was hard because my mum had to take days off work. I had lost about 5 kilo’s at this point. Pain 5/10. Day 10: mum and i arrived in our airbnb and i was feeling okay. The pain had gotten worse as the scabs had started to come off. Especially after eating. Pain 6/10. Day 10-14. i had started feeling better and eating more. Mum and i managed to go out for dinner. Day 14: i arrived home and was feeling better. I went to see my local GP to discuss my heart rate and low iron. Pain 3/10. Day 14+: after iron tablets and some relaxing i felt better and started to prepare my trip to Hawaii, which was the following week! my mouth was still dry but that has since past. Overall, a not so pleasant experience. But i do feel better, i have more of an appetite and more energy.
Chelsea’s Tonsillectomy Story
