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
ok so I’m nearing the end of the 3rd day after surgery. My eating is a little better, still having baby food, broth, ice water, popsicles, and pudding. Tho I’m able to eat more as I’m keeping hydrated and swallowing has become more tolerable if still painful. My tongue isn’t nearly as swollen and I’m able to open my mouth all the way and almost stick my tongue out all the way with no pain. Though when I open my mouth all the way I feel a rushing sound in my right ear, so I probably have some fluid back up there.
My uvula is still swollen and tries closing off my airway when I lay down. So for now I’ve been sleeping sitting up. I have two big challenges: I’ve been taking my meds every 4-5 hrs because about the 3rd hour my whole head start thrumming in pain, even my ears are so painful barely touching them brings tears to my eyes. I read that the swelling pushes on the main nerve to your ear and causes that pain, so I’m hoping that’s all it is. The other challenge is I notice I’m hungrier more often but the little bit of food I’m able to swallow doesn’t really do it for me.
My sleeping schedule is completely off, I can’t sleep all night due to the pain, so I wind up living around my pain med schedule. It goes like this I take the meds, 10 min later I get really warm and lightheaded, I know then that I have about 15 min before the meds make me fall asleep. I sleep for 1 1/2 hours then wake up rehydrate and eat, work on staying comfortable. Around the 3rd hour the pain sets in and gradually grows. I continue to hydrate and make myself comfortable until sometime between the 4th or 5th hr I give in and take the pain meds. The cycle starts all over. I do this cycle day and night so it makes it feel like I should be on the 6th day not the 3rd.
I’ve also started coughing up scabs and still blow blood clots and what looks like sinus infection crap from my nose, as gross as that is. I am seeing improvement overall so I’m hoping it continues.
Sorry an amendment, I’m just finishing day 11 as I had mine done on the 16th.
So it was day 9 that things first started picking up much enough that I could move around and felt willing to try eating a bit again (small portions at first, but better than the occasional nibble of toast which is all that I was living off before).
(This is to the reply just posted to me, Greg, hope you can fix these responses boxes. :P)
Well currently you’re only on Day 6 of your actual recovery (I don’t count the day of surgery).
I was advised by the hospital that days 5-7 are frequently reported to be the worst for the pain and so on.
I started feeling a lil bit better around day 8 I think, mostly better by day 9, and now I feel fine on day 10.
Heck I’m still recoverying and my throat hurts etc, but it’s not half as bad as it was.
Keep hydrated, (sips of water), keep eating dry toast (to remove the dead skin and scabs), eat what you can when you can, and follow the tips on here, you WILL get better.
Like I said I’m not fully recovered yet because the recovery is two weeks, however its SUCH a difference to what I felt before. 🙂
Ok day 10 I think, just ate my first proper meal since the surgery (Shepherd’s Pie).
Feeling a LOT better now.
My throat still feels a bit blocked and hurts, but not half as much as it did before. Ears still a bit sensetive but again nothing too bad.
Nausea gone, vomiting gone, can move around again now. As I start eating I should be back to normal soon hopefully! 🙂
As expected that first week was bloody horrible, after that, things started looking up nicely. Hang in there anyone who’s still feeling crap! Take it easy.
I got my tonsils out on 1/22 also. Still having to take the pain med every 4 hrs bc the pain is horrible 🙁 This is the worst pain I have felt In my life. Can’t swallow, can’t eat, ears hurt, tongue throbbing, nausea from meds. Please tell me the pain will lessen soon
Dentine Ice gum. It helps. Honey is good. Get like 4 spoonfulls, let it sit on your throat , then drink water. Get fruit in light syrup as it slides down…I ate a lot of pears and peaches…..Drink water….. And good luck…. 🙂
Dang, forgot the bad movie quote 🙂 . I ain’t dead yet, really!!! I’m feeling much better….Somehow seems appropriate .
Got my tonsils out 1/22 for sleep apnea… Tuesday was a pretty good day, hung out at home- started taking my liquid pain medicine which helped a lot until I didn’t eat anything– Friday which was day 4 I had to go back to work- which was horrendous… Saturday day5 I officially threw up.. My pain meds have stopped given the lack of food/drink in my system— I ate scrambled eggs on Saturday which took me a total eating time of 1 hour and have barely been able to force down a popsicle, milkshake, jello or pudding— This is AWESOME— I am hoping to feel better soon— I really am over this feeling like crap thing that has been going on… I hope the next couple of days aren’t as bad as some of you had it.. Thanks for the support…You all have been really helpful..