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
Tam , I’m still here for you……and yes beer is good again 🙂 . Bad movie quote time….. Capt —-Tam can’t stand no more—dammit Scotty I need the warp drive……….. Ok so I ad libbed it a bit….
BAHAHAHAHA thanks for that ahahahahaha. Glad for you Steve .. them beers have been a’waitin’ lol.
hi folks,
32 years old. Day 1 here. Had the op yesterday and kept overnight in ITU as I have really bad sleep apnea. Have had many surgeries in my life and can say this has already been the most painful. Being sent home soon, but I’d rather stay here and sleep it off! I have a humidifier at home at least which should help some. here goes nothing!
Hi there. I have been reading everyone’s stories and they have been soooo helpful I just wanted to say thanks!!! My surgery was tues Jan 22 so I guess that puts me at day 4 post op. wow pain! I can’t complain too much hearing how so of yous have really had a hard time. However, this is definitely the most pain I have ever had. The pain I have now is still throat pain (obviously) but the pain in the jaw and ears is starting to come in. I’m using heat and that seems to help I’m just hoping tomorrow ( the BiG day 5 post op) doesn’t get worse. The pain killers help soooo much so I’m just sure to be on top of that and as for food…., well I haven’t had too much of that yet. Lots of broth and Popsicles and oatmeal seems to be ok too. I have used boost to help out too. But a big thanks to everyone else’s stories and tips if it wasn’t for so of the tips I’ve read on here I’m sure I’d be worse off than I am right now. So THANKS!!
Hi I’m 37 from St. Louis, MO (USA). I just had my tonsils and adenoids out on Thursday 1/24/13 and am (obviously) still in a lot of pain and discomfort. I’ve had so many years of getting sick so much more than all my friends, tonsillitis, sinus infections, general upper respiratory issues. They had increased to the point that I was having a constant low grade fever since August with multiple tonsillitis and upper respiratory flair ups. My doctor decided I needed to get my tonsils out.
So far my journey since the surgery hasn’t been that pleasant, but maybe not as bad as others. My main issues besides the obvious throat pain and hard time swallowing, was extra thick mucous which made it more difficult to swallow so I took to spit it out and wiping off my tongue and roof of my mouth. Also a lot of congestion in my lungs, needing to blow my nose alot and started getting huge blood clots and puss from my nose. The doctor thinks this is from removing the adenoids.
I also bled the first night, though I didn’t realize it at first. I had been eating a lot of popsicles and thought what I was seeing in my mouth was staining from the popsicles. But once I was inspecting it in the bathroom mirror I started coughing and more of the redness came out, so I realized it was blood then. The bleeding along with the stuff I was getting from my nose, subsided a bit by the second day, tho I still get some of it just not as much from my nose. I also started running a fever just slightly above low-grade. They gave me hydrocodone mixed with acetamenaphin in liquid form and that generally kicks the pain and fever, and usually puts me to sleep for a time.
By the middle of the 1st day after surgery, I felt hungry for the first time since the surgery. I hadn’t felt nauseous much except with the thick mucous, so the hunger was welcomed. I had a scoop of ice cream and a small jar of banana/strawberry baby food, I kinda pick at them both through the afternoon. This evening I discovered that warm broth with garlic was both a welcomed flavor and the warmth felt good on my throat. I started alternating between broth and ice water and my throat feels much better. So I’m just now beginning my 2nd day after the day of surgery. I’ll keep you updated if you like.
Just an update from me, was going to tag this onto my other posts but the “Respond to this” buttons don’t seem to be doing anything, (Greg can you have a look at that please? using IE9, they work fine on my mobile though).
Anyways Day 8 now, (I think), and I’m feeling a LOT better. My nausea started to dissipate slightly yesterday, and is practically gone today. I believe this is because the swelling of my uvula has gone down now slightly. It still isn’t perfect as I can still feel it in my throat, but I don’t think it’s hanging into my gag reflect anymore. I think my soft palette has healed a bit low though, and its a bit wonky (one side lower than the other). Seems I may have given up throat height for throat width. 🙁 Probably because one of my tonsils was huge though.
Anyways, sickness mainly gone, SO much better, now been able to actually get up and move around and eat a lil. I had FOUR slices of toast yesterday! Another three today and now I’m eating a Pot Noodle. I think I’ll feel a lot better once I’ve finally got some food down me, not eating for a week has made me pretty crap heh, lost so much weight and I’m all wobbly.
Of course my throat still hurts like a bitch but that’s what I have painkillers for. My ears throb a bit and are pretty sensetive to loud noises (shouting, plates clanging etc) but I can handle that. I don’t think I’ve bled since that one time, and haven’t been sick for a few days either. \o/
Still going to take it easy though and keep resting, keep eating toast, but this has made a vast difference. Hopefully it will just get better from here on out. My sheet was pretty right with days 5-7 being the worst for the pain. Though my 1-5 were pretty bad too with the sickness heh.
To anyone else suffering, look up the tips people have on what to do, get rest, eat toast, suck ice (helps me to soothe my throat before bed), DRINK GALLONS OF WATER (in small sips) etc, and rest it out. It’s called a recovery period for a reason, but it does get better.
I think the main problem we feel so crap isn’t just because of the results of the surgery, but other’s perceptions of it just being a “sore throat”, and “oh you’ll just be laid relaxing eating icecream”, it is NOTHING like that. I think most people are thinking of a child’s recovery, obv as an adult it is VERY different.
I’m glad you are feeling much better Bob! You’ve been very positive despite the problems you’ve had with this. 🙂 hope your on the “other side” of this now!
i had my tonsils removed on 22 jan 13 and since then i had to go back to the hospital for nausea , vomiting and dehydration . It has not been all peaches and cream for me like most people on here i envy so much. My tonsils were massive maybe thats y i cant talk , drink or eat still . it hurts like a son of a bitch . i rather of worked than experienced this. but like they say now that theyre out less sickness well see . its obvious to see im not a happy camper and if one is going to get this procedure done it sucks hairy donkey balls.
Hi les, and yes it certainly isn’t a nice recovery!
I ended up with a swollen uvula and constant vomiting, made things really tough. I had mine done on the 16th and just started to feel a but better yesterday and have managed to start moving around today and not feel sick, finally.
Hang In there and eat what you can as soon as you can. Dry toast really helps for both the scabs and the bile. It will be a tough few days, but will get better. 🙂
Thank you for your honesty, I’m fairly certain it does suck and am not looking forward to my encounter of being under the knife to get mine removed. Unfortunately I’m still recovering from having tonsillitis and can’t do a surgery until fully recovered. But I do have to ask, which is worse? Repeated tonsillitis or the actual proceedure?
Hi, hard to say since still recovering at the mo. However I’d suffered from recurring tonsillitis for almpst 20 years, so I opted to have them removed to stop it.
The actual procedure is nothing to worry about at all, (read back a few posts where I fully described my experience). The recovery is horrible, but providing nothing major goes wrong (downto chance.) Then it is worth it as you only have to go through it once.