Tonsillectomy Recovery Time
After a lifetime of tonsillitis, it was time. I made the appointment. Was I scared? Yes. Was I prepared for tonsillectomy recovery? NO. Can you be? YES!
Planning for and recovering from a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy procedure, (often referred to as T & A Surgery), can be daunting experiences. The days leading up to your surgery can be frightening. If you haven’t read up yet, you can find information on tonsillectomy methods, risks, costs, adult tonsillectomy, sleep apnea, and numerous tips for tonsillectomy recovery on the other pages of this site. I’ve even added pictures of a post tonsillectomy throat by each day. Study, talk with your doctor and consult with your friends about the decision to undergo tonsillectomy and adenoid surgery. Explore the pages created here to aid in your journey.
If you should decide to have tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, let us help you through the entire process. Whether due to problems with sleep apnea, chronic tonsillitis and strep throat, tonsil stones, trouble swallowing, or a combination thereof, you can benefit from the experience of others. My own experience taught me that, as patients, we need to advocate for ourselves. Ear, nose, and throat doctors are, by and large, extremely talented individuals. However, very few of them have experienced an adult tonsillectomy, and the subsequent recovery. I have. Many others have too. We share our experiences here at the adult tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy recovery resource center. As you’ll read in the tonsillectomy recovery forum, everyone’s experience is unique. There are many factors that influence the level of pain you experience, as well as the length of time required during recovery. The method, and skill of your surgeon can have an affect, but there are also many things within your control that will reduce pain and recovery time. I’ve tried to include as many helpful tips as possible within the pages of this online resource. Tonsillectomy recovery can be pretty rough, especially if you are unlucky enough to be an adult! It takes longer for an adult to recover from most things. Tonsillectomy is no exception. There are many things you can do to make it go more smoothly. I’ve published numerous tips here on various pages. I encourage you to read up BEFORE you are in the throws of tonsillectomy recovery.
Talk with your doctor, friends, family, and work as you prepare. You are not alone in this. Like you and like me, many others are facing or have faced a tonsillectomy recovery. I created this forum for you. The community of adults or parents of patients will amaze you and warm your heart. I read these comments every day and every day I am humbled by everyone’s story and their compassion for others in the midst of recovery, or the anxiety that often precedes a tonsillectomy. Please join in. Hundreds of other people, perhaps in your same situation, have shared their wisdom, concerns, tips, and questions about tonsillectomy, as well as their tonsillectomy recovery.
-Greg My short bio
Hello,
I just mad my one year anniversary, post tonsillectomy with 7 day post op hemmorage. I wanted to let everyone with ear pain know that I still get occasional stabbing ear pain and must cover my ears on a windy day. I also get sore throats where my scars are. The sore throats have started with the weather change. The ear pain stops me in my tracks but doesn’t last long. Lastly, I now can feel mucus slide down my throat.
I am on day 12, I have little pain, just my ears, that’s here most m discomfort has been. I can’t believe the pain most of you are having!! I think I must have a strong threshold for pain, I have yet to take pain meds. Advil, has done the trick.. Sorry!!
I am on day 13, when does the pain go away?
I am on day 13 too. It gives me a little comfort knowing I’m not the only one still in pain. Although I so wish I was feeling like normal again I start back to work tomorrow. I’m kind of scared hope everything works out.
Hi nice to meet you I am on day 5 and i am 28 years old i never thought that it would be so much pain man i cry at night becouse it burn’s so bad
I had my tonsils out yesterday came home this morning my tongue feels like its to big for my mouth can anyone give me any tips please
put ice on the throt and eat icream
I am on day 14 and my tongue is still not back to normal. extrememly sore, stiff and swollen and feels too large for my mouth. Plus my teeth or the clamp cut two holes in the sides of my tongue.
My tongue actually hurt more than my throat did. No one told me that, so it was very unexpected.
Sucking small ice chips helps a bit with the swelling but the pain just takes time to go away.
Whenever I had the chance I would stick my tongue out so the sores weren’t rubbing against my teeth.
I can not eat solid foods yet, it gets stuck at the back of my tongue.
Yawning is extremely painful, still, on day 14!
Taste buds ate still off, nothing tastes right.
I had surgery on Sept 20, 2012. I don’t think this surgery has been much worse than the strep throat I was getting every 6 weeks. I am now on day 7. Still only taking Advil (from day 1). However today I think has been my worst day, chronic ear pain,and my tongue!!! I’ve read that things should be on the upside now!! Finers crossed,,
My day 8 pain is at a 14 on a 1-10 scale. Yesterday was only a 5-6. I am in so much pain drinking my pain med was impossible. I literally was jumping up and down to swallow them. I keep spitting out my mucus/saliva filled mouth instead of swallowing for fear that i may go into shock from the pain. I have been unable to even maintain to minimal nurishment schedule of ensure shakes and italian ices today which has made my stomach rumble, and my whole body feels like it is going into a hypogylcemis coma. I have no idea why the pain jumped so much today. The pain is so intense right now. Its amazing how everyone says i should be fine right now on day 8, but anyone reading this thread would know that the pain is very very real. I had huge tonsils and I can only presume part of the scab shifted or fell off and exosed the raw tonsilbed? What else in the world could make the pain get this sharp this quick??
crossing my fingers but I had a bloodless procedure and have not bled post op. If there is anyone who is out there and wants to commisserate over the pain online, misery would love some company. We could ichat or skype or something.
well im 45 and on the 28th 0ct 12 i had my tonsils removed and if i knew then that the pain would be so excruciating, i may have changed my mind. i have had over 12 operations at least 4 major ones and they were no where near as painful. i thought i had a high pain threshold but not with this. and as for taking meds pills or liquid i understand what you mean its such a task to work yourself up to take them , then you get them in your mouth and its so hard to get yourself to swallow them. and then when you do especially on day5-6-7 its so excrutiating, the liquid seems to burn a trail up into your ear canal as you swallow you can feel where the liquid is traversing. and its so painful. it doesn’t seem to matter what you take the meds do not seem to work on your ears. And when you wake up crying in the night from the pain in your ears that is the worst. i had truly had enough on day 4 with the ears constantly aching like someone had planted there pen inside your ear canal , i thought i was going insane and i grumbled on so many profannities and ranted and raved on fb then of course deleted it all. but a few days later the ears are still a problem . heres hoping that the ear pain goes away, and we never again experience such atrocious ear pain again. michele
Michele: I just had a t&a as well as deviated septum repair and dings surgery all done on 10/2/12. Today I have been able to do nothing but cry and shake and cry. The pain is somewhere in my ears but I cannot place it. I do pray for fast healing for you and just know you are not alone. If I had known I would feel this bad I would have dealt with being sick all the time and I would not have had the surgery.
-Amanda
Amanda I had the same surgery as you on the same day. I’m not in pain thank God; but last night my teeth began to hurt and my face hurts. I haven’t eaten since Oct 1. My body is sooooo weak sometimes I think I want to go to the hospital just for the fluid. Smh. I pray speedy recovery to All
Hi Amanda, i do hope that your pain is under control and you have lots of pain medication, it does get better slowly your probably at your worst about now. i hope all goes well for you. michele
@jodi hi. i had my tonsils removed along with a deviated septum surgery on 9/19; although my doctor strictly advised against Advil as there is some bleeding concern. I hear ya on the pain which is why they probably gave me vicodine and percoset. Hope ya heal well.