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
Stay away from anything acidic for the first week or so
I had my tonsillectomy on 22/01/13 so today is my day 4 post op and to be honest I’m fine I’ve had toast and biscuits for 2 days. On day of surgery I had ice cream, jelly and mousse. Only advice I can give is don’t let the docs give you codeine it made me sick straight after my op and I was sick 9 times but as soon as I stopped taking codeine I was great. Just taking 2 paracetamol and 2 nurofen together every 6 hours and it’s working well. No trouble sleeping, just gettin a bit of a foul breath but that’s supposed to be normal and avoid pasta because that stuck to the tonsil scabs. Its ok just stay positive and drink plenty. I could eat a macdonalds today just feel normal! Also lookin after my 1 year old so that helps takd my mind off my throat 🙂
It’s soreness I stopped taking pain meds day 4 certain foods I still can’t eat bc it gets stuck finally can have soda though!
Haha thanks Kate! I appreciate the negative positivity 🙂 ahaha such a good balance right? But you are quite right, it’s out once and its gooooooooooone forever!!! YAY!!!
p.s … Margarita… ahhhh… talkin’ my language!
Negative positivity? Haha I guess you could say that. I just wanna be real with you. No point in telling you everything will be ice cream and bubble gum and rainbows, that’s just not realistic and I’d hate it if someone didn’t tell me straight up how it would be! You’re right, it’s a good balance 🙂 ahh how I’m craving a good margarita now! And a steak. And a burger. And pizza. And spicy chicken wings. And like Steve a couple weeks back.. a beer! 🙂 I swear I’ll never be able to look at chicken noodle soup, pudding or apple sauce the same way again..
Ahaha I have never ever in my life had apple sauce – it actually sounds a bit gross lol. but if the recovery is anywhere near as painful as tonsillitis, then holy crab, I’m in for a fun ride lol. I lived on jelly and those quick mix puddings (yawn).. oh oh, and ice chips! I tried a banana, and a few other things, but oh my word, it felt like my throat had gone to hell, and I was being severely punished for ever eating yummy things. SIGH!
Question, do you guys drool a lot recovering? I mean, it must hurt like a bitch to swallow, so …? HAHA
And Steve is probably all recovered now and enjoying those beers by the gallon 🙂
I actually liked apple sauce before this whole procedure and maybe I’ll like it again someday, but if you eat the same thing over and over and over again for 7+ days, you pretty much hate it afterwards haha. I guess this whole thing just makes you appreciate good food all the more!
As far as drooling goes.. This is embarrassing but I was a mouth breather at night before any of this so I would drool a little bit at night anyways. 🙁 shameful.. Haha but I have some sinus problems and it makes it very difficult, if not impossible. for me to breath through my nose at night. After this procedure though, for me it’s kinda cleared up a bit and I haven’t had one night where I slept with my mouth open. (Maybe its because I got my adenoids removed too? Or my humidifier. Or both, I’m not sure) So in answering your question, no I have not personally had a problem with drooling since my tonsilectomy, but I am not sure about the other friends on here. Swallowing is hard, so sometimes spitting is easier, but mostly I just bear through it. Meds help though.
Ps- sorry for my novel posts everyone. This is a product of 4:30am restlessness. I can get a little wordy haha 😐
Ahahahahahhahaa Appreciate the honesty – sharing is caring ahahaha.
Novel posts are the way forward. Looking forward to badgering everyone with my endless trail of thoughts when I’m on the downward spiral to doom and gloom 🙂
Hope you’re feeling better, and maybe getting some rest in the process 😛 ahaha
Hey,
Not been on here for a couple of days, Im on day 14 now and jus been realised from hospital. On day 12 i experienced some heavy bleeding early in the morning i thought it was going to stop n i had just knocked a scab off. After it had been tickling bleeding for about half hour i started to get worried and went to a&e. They took my blood pressure and took bloods and sent them off to t lab and everything came back normal and the bleeding finally stopped and i was allowed to get home.
Just when i thought i was out of the woods the bleeding started again after the car journey home i was sick… it was all the blood i had swollowed earlier in the morning plus alot more and there were big clots in there too again it didnt stop and I started to felt weird so my mum rung for an ambulance and i was rushed to hospital again on the way to hospital i passed out twice too….. i cant remember the journey to hospital at all.
Once i was there They gave me fluids for 48hours and they kept me under observation. My blood pressure kept dropping right down until yesterday night and was finally allowed home.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this?????
Rachel
I wish I could sit at the beach right now I’m 16 days in still sore getting better day by day dry mouth annoying but I’m in New York where’s everyone from
24, England here, you? 🙂
And wow still sore 14 days in? 🙁 I just started day 9
16 days and still sore? Holy $h##! I have an upcoming tonsillectoming and I’m being scared to my wits I tell you! Yes, there have been many encouraging posts, but daaaaaaaaaamn!!! Impending doooom it seems!
Oh and I’m from namibia (AFRICA) so there’s no way we have the drugs you guys do :/ Eek!
Tam dont be too afraid. It sucks, I’m not gunna lie, but it’s worth it. Specially if you have serious problems with your tonsils. As one of my closest friends said to me today when I complained to him about the pain “at least you only have to get them out once”. So true when you put it in perspective. It’s worth the few weeks of pain and discomfort when you think about the years of problems and pain and sickness you’ll be avoiding from keeping them. Just take what you read here and apply it to yourself when the time comes. 🙂 we all get through it. Trust me, I was on the brink of a minor breakdown last night/this morning and now I’m feeling much more encouraged and optimistic about my recovery. I hope you get some good pain medication in Namibia. 🙂
Oh and to Melissa, I’m 21 and from Seattle, WA. 🙂 cold and wet here. Wishing I could be on the beach sitting in the sunshine drinking a margarita on the rocks! Yum. :p
Don’t do it man If you don’t have the drugs you’ll starve
I prefer it the way it is, so we don’t have to scroll all the way to the bottom/other pages to find newer posts