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
Hi same as most of you guys have described, but did have a bleed 11 days after surgery due to infection the the ENT guys said, because GP gave me the wrong antibiotics, Three weeks post surgery no pain but still have a scabbing feel at back of my throat, not sure how long this is going to last and bit tender when drinking out of a straw of drinking fast like out of a pint glass. otherwise fine.
Giving an update, posted a few days back on the home page, but this seems the most active. Anyways, 30 yr old male day 11, tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis and tonsil stones.
The first 5 or so days were quite painful, but as I said in my prior post, it was not unbearable and the sipping on cold water and liquid lortab kept the pain manageable. I won’t recap that prior post, but the point was that, while not enjoyable, I was pleasantly surprised by the early recovery.
However, from the 6th night through the 9th night I experienced the bleeding. It was mostly oozing, never brisk or life threatening, but not an insignificant amount over time. I controlled the bleeding with ice water and popsicles. But eventually a large gelatinous clot would form and extend down my throat, which I would have to cough up, starting the process all over. Would also bleed after eating and sometimes yawning, burping or hiccupping. The pain during this period was ab the same as earlier and I actually only took pain meds a couple of times before going to bed. Eventually swallowing a significant amount of blood made me naseuos, but I never vomitted.
Overall, it is an unpleasant recovery. Pain for me was manageable and I did experience ear pain, relieved with a heating pad. The bleeding from days 6-9 were for me the worst part. It was a setback in diet and mental state which bothered me being over a week from surgery. Also, with the limited diet and physical activity, I feel like groundhog day running through the same routine every day.
Biggest tips are those that have been repeated here many times. 1. Stay hydrated. Sip on water every couple of minutes, then take two more sips before you put the bottle down. 2. Get a humidifier. It is literally a life saver and worth 10 times the price in the suffering it will save you. May have to put a towel down under it. 3. Stay on pain meds through the night, have a log to keep track. 4. I enjoyed Italian ice very much (luigi’s brand). Jello, pudding, brothy soups, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, carrot souffle, smoothies, yogurt and applesauce were all easy to eat and the bulk of my diet the first week. Get a pack of plastic disposable spoons. Good luck. Overall I think it will be well worth the unpleasant 10+ day recovery.
i had the operation almost a week ago, the surgery itself is not that painful as I thought it will be, however , the first day I felt dizzy and I slept at night without woking up even once.
The second day there was pain while swallowing, the whole day vomiting I ended up eating nth the whole day not even drinking….
The third day eating bas better, pain less but painful ears and jaws
The fourth day, very dry throat and painful on my left side, very hard to swallow…. It is harder from the first days, I think it is due lack of water bur as I said it is hard to swallow!!!!
The fifth day I am having the same problem and it is getting hard to sleep, and I have to cover my neck and ear because and breeze makes be go crazy…
Eating becoming boring and harder ;((
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Just got my tonsils out after months of lots of tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Im 21. Its day5 but mornings are the worst pain. I cant eat much and my jaw/ear hurt only on right side. On the perceset but i go back to work on tuesday im very worried bout getting off the pills and being in pain at work. Ive lost 10lbs from lack of being able to eat. Very painful and frustrating
Thank you for the info, Ricky! I hope it lets up sooner than 7-14 days, but at least I’m prepared for that now. Who would’ve thought it would be such a mean little drug when it took away so much pain in the beginning? Thanks for answering my post!