Courtney Shares Valuable Tonsillectomy Advice
If you’re even considering an adult tonsillectomy, then I know you’ve already read every horror story under the sun. This is not one of them, you’re welcome! However, here are 5 tips and tricks that I wish I knew before my surgery:
#1 Anti-nausea patches will quite literally, save your life… or at least keep your liquids inside of your body.
I don’t care how badass you think you are, request that the medical team give you an anti-nausea patch prior to your surgery. These patches can be a little pricy even with dual insurance ($20 or so per patch after insurance) but they will be your saving grace. Each patch lasts for 3 days, and can simply be placed behind the ear. Post surgery, I felt great, after lack of food and popping pain killers, I became super sick the next day. Sick as in swallowing my saliva repeatedly so I didn’t projectile vomit all over the place… but then I did. And yes, it was extremely painful. I later requested an anti-nausea patch (anti-nausea pills didn’t help) and within minutes it was a complete 180.
#2 Ice ice baby, no this is not an MC Hammer tribute, but it might as well be.
Ice chips, not Popsicles, were my best friend. I would drink ice water and eat ice chips constantly the first 3-4 days to both hydrate and reduce swelling. I found Popsicles to be much too sugary and this created a thick paste in my mouth which was difficult to swallow. Also, ICE EXTERNALLY. Literally, I would ice constantly right under my jaw line, where my throat and jaw meet. I used plastic ziploc bags, filled it with ice cubes and wrapped it in a pillow case. I would follow the rule of 20 minutes on, 10-20 minutes off etc.
#3 Worst food suggestions ever: eating ice cream, yogurt, mashed potatoes or scrambled eggs.
Anything dairy related is a death sentence. It creates a ton of mucus and makes it difficult to swallow (even after drinking warm water to wash it down). Mashed potatoes were much too thick and simply stuck in the back of my throat. Scrambled eggs felt equivalent to swallowing shards of glass. I might as well have chewed on a light bulb and called it good. I cried after this one… Day 6 was a b*?!#.
#4 Best foods to eat.
The first 4 days cold applesauce and cold Ensure were great sources of nourishment (the little I could get down). As I was able to eat more, I found top ramen to be the absolute best food to eat. I smashed the noodles prior to cooking them so I could swallow it easily. The warm soup soothed my throat while the noodles were easy to swallow. This was easier to eat days 4-5+.
#5 You have holes/large divots where your tonsils use to be… you’ll need a glass of water every time you eat.
When I began to eat more solid food, I could feel the food getting stuck in these divots where my tonsils once were. Weirdest feeling ever. I strategically swallowed water after a few bites to awkwardly wash out the food particles making themselves comfortable in the area of my massacred tonsils. You’ll find your own awkward technique, may the odds be ever in your favor. Don’t worry, your mouth is a boss and the holes will actually close/disappear as your mouth heals itself.
After day 5, the ear pain began. Cold foods and beverages became seemingly impossible. I started warming my applesauce and leaving the ensure at room temperature at this point. Days 5-7 were the worst pain-wise due to the ear pain and pain when swallowing. After eating, I would run a wash cloth under hot water, squeeze it out and place it over my ear. This helped reduce the pain within a minute or so. Day 8 and on progressively got much better and the pain subsided. Overall, I lost 12 pounds and only a small amount of my dignity.
I hope this information was helpful, good luck!
