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
Well now I know. I’ve got a bad secondary infection. Been prescribed some big antibiotics and super strong codeine to go with it (and my doc has said that if by tomorrow I feel no improvement in the pain, return and she’ll give me something else in place of the codeine). She’s signed me off work for two weeks from today with what she says will likely bye another week or two then pending review for the infection.
Had you been going out and mixing with others?
Preventing infection is the exact reason for the two week recovery period, even if you feel a bit better before that. Tis why I was saying not to go shopping or do anything heh.
Nope, not been out anywhere other than the journey home from hospital.
Aww meh, seems you just got unlucky then. 🙁
Cancel everything and rest up, it will heal in time. 🙂
Today is the big shopping day for me. My surgery isn’t for a few weeks, but I have some time to go to Target and stock up. On my list: a warm mist humidifier, popsicles, pudding, jello, frozen or boxed mashed potatoes, pre-made shakes, vitamin water, baby crackers, bread (I may way to get this), broth, and mouthwash. Is there anything else major that I’m missing? I have some frozen corn already which I plan to use to ice the exterior of my neck. Thanks for your help!
Dentine Ice gum numbs and honey soothes. Hope this helps.
I had my tonsills removed from my throat on Jan 28 at 7:55 am and have not had the nightmare of painful swallowing and vomiting with the ingestion of food that others have. So far, my recovery has been a breeze. I have felt little pain or discomfort, although swallowing is more difficult than normal, and have been able to eat a lot of food, including oatmeal, jello, cream of mushroom soup diluted with chicken broth, chocolate and vanilla frozen yoghurt and plain congee, which my mom made for me. I have also been able to talk fairly normally and have only resorted to writing stuff down on a few occasions. I also did not feel much drowsiness or lack of coordination after the surgery due to the anesthetic. I have actually been quite alert although I am not sleeping much with only two hours up to this point. Hopefully I will get more sleep soon and lets hope that my recovery continues to go smoothly.
Um sorry to break it to you but you’re only on day 1, EVERYONE feels good on day 1 (unless they have the uvula + nausea like me).
I don’t want to scare you but you MUST realise its going to get horrendously worse, day 3 the pain will really set in, and will be worse between days 5 and 7 when they scab up.
Take 2 weeks off everything, stay away from people, stock up on painkillers, be ready to sip water continuously and nibble dry toast, (important to scratch off the scabs)
Look back at some of the other posts here with some good tips, be prepared, you’re going to need it. Things sill start looking up again around day 8 – 9 hopefully.
People keep talking about esting toast since it helps with scabs….,should I eat it with butter? Toast it dry? I really don’t know what to do with the toast.
I’m not sure what my Husband would do without you guys . Probably not believe me regarding the pain! I had surgery on the 23. Day 7 and in the worst pain of my life!! I want to Thank everyone for making me feel that I’m not going mAD or being irrational !!! I’m glad my husband found this site. I’m going to pass out now!!
Wow that really was a dramatic post I wrote last night eh? It’s true though unfortunately. Thank you both for the support Bob & Amy, very appreciative. I’ve got a call in with my doctor and waiting to hear back from them this morning. I know the dangers/downsides of ibuprofen Bob and what it does to the stomach but its what they gave me to take away from hospital and I’ve been pretty desperate.
The Voltarol gel is working again this morning so I’m going to ask someone to buy me some more soon, and see if I can get so,e soluble drugs too instead of all the tablets.
Your routine sounds ideal Amy, just trying to get by basically. I’ve been staying with my family since the surgery and as such have been trying to live a regular pattern with night sleep, three meals a day etc. Doesnt really fit in too well with what were going through.
Will see what the doctor says then going to relocate back to my flat today, that way if I want to wake up and break ice or boil the kettle at 5am I can do so without worrying about waking others.
Well, I had my surgery on Tuesday (22nd) and later that day I vomited twice after trying to eat jello. So not only did I cut back to half the recommended dose of pain meds but I also decided no more jello for me. Pudding worked well the first couple days but now I get barely a bite and start feeling sick.
I believe it was day 3 that I had a lot of throw up because I tried a full dose of meds again, so we know for sure absolutely NEVER trying a full dose again. It seriously hurt throwing up too, as I thought I was done my swollen uvula would get stuck down my throat and as I would start sitting back to relax I would throw up again instead.
The pain has definitely gotten worse as time goes on. I’m finishing day 6 right now, I can take my meds anytime after 10 minutes from now. I’m trying little constant sips of water now rather than big gulps here and there like I was doing before. It seems to help but still stings every once in a while. Today the pain in the left side of my throat was so sharp (felt like I was being stabbed) I couldn’t believe it. Maybe it’s the scab starting to peel off or something? And there’s also a burning sensation in my left ear and a little in my right ear too when the pain gets really bad.
My jaw hurts seriously bad, but that’s partially increased due to the clenching problem I have. The last time I looked in my mouth (when I could get my mouth open enough to shine a light and look in the mirror) the sides of my tongue were white. That was 2 days ago I think. I haven’t looked again since then.
I just found this site today and so I tried toast for the first time, it was nice but it did hurt a bit too. Going to definitely try at least one piece in the morning and a few more throughout the day. I’m hoping that it will help with the scabs like it says it does!
I tried toast with butter then wrap it up in scrambled egg. It worked great. Had mine on the 23. I am convinced this is a surgery that people should be in the hospital for recovery.