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
Thanks Amy! Get well soon yourself too, great that you’ve helped a lot of others as well. 🙂
Trish well um, the surgery is nothing since you’re under full anasthetic, but the recovery can get..tough. I’m sure at 73 you’ll have gone through a lot of things so it may actually seem not too bad for you, however I’d certainly advise having some family or someone stay with you to help and care, as the healing process can take you out quite a bit. It can make things very hard to eat for a few days, and that’s if you don’t suffer constant vomiting, contract an infection or whatever. Don’t want to scare you or anyone else though, when you get through it (after around 7 days, the first 2-3 ish aren’t too bad though) it’s all good, but it can get a bit tough before that and it’s better to have someone who can bring you water and check you’re alright. Have to be on some pretty hefty painkillers too so I’m not sure if you have any other medication which will conflict.
And yes I had my surgery at around 4pm, and they sent me out before 12pm the next day, despite constantly vomiting due to a swollen uvula (needed the bed for someone else apparently). This was in the U.K on the NHS by the way.
They may keep you in a bit longer if they’re concerned for your age or care, I’m not sure, it would certainly be worth asking about it.
I am supposed to have this surgery and I’m 73 but have mild small lymphocite cancer which has gone there so they want them out. My ENT said in passing…I was still in shock as I’ve heard lots about this surgery as an adult….. “It’s outpatient”???? Also, I live alone and am concerned about being able to care for myself and the dog. I know when my “throats” are really bad I have trouble bending over even as it increases the pain. I’m a tough lady and look 45 but that doesn’t help in this case. Good attitude will help but is it really as “excruciatingly painful” as my ENT says??
Hi Trish- yeah it can be that painful and I have felt it hurt much worse just bending down to pick something up off the floor. Where do you hail from? I’m in the US and they do this surgery almost exclusively as an outpatient procedure unless complications arise then they keep you for observation. I can certainly understand being concerned about staying alone afterward. I’m 38 and it has been seriously trying at times, if I hadn’t had my boyfriend to help out it would have been difficult at best.
Do you have a relative or friend who could at least pop in a few times a day if not actually stay with you for a week or so? If not, you may talk to your doctor about your situation and ask about an option to stay in the hospital at least for a couple days. Maybe they could set up a day nurse in your home or something?
When is your surgery scheduled for if you don’t mind me asking?
Well, just finishing day 16 here. Feeling much much much better, tiny bit of light soreness in throat, that’s about it, finally off my meds now too. 🙂
Can still feel my uvula a bit sometimes which is strange, really think I have lost a bit of throat height, but it’s not too much, and I seem to sleep a lot better now too without those huge tonsills in the way! Hopefully it will feel a lot better after I get used to it.
Eating and drinking pretty much as normal now too, though some things (chocolate! :'( ) still taste a lil bit wierd, so I hope that’s only temporary.
Amy, Ben and everyone else, hope your recovery goes nice and smooth too, and thanks to everyone else here for helping. It really does make a difference when you’re in the middle of it and feeling rough as hell. Cheers! And get better soon. 🙂
Glad you’re feeling tons better Bob. With just a few more small bumps to get over (slight sore throat), you’ll be 100% right as rain before you know it. I’m glad you’re getting better sleep too since it’s so important when trying to heal. Thanks for the good wishes for all of us, we’ll all get through it one hurdle at a time. Take care of yourself!
Oh and I hope chocolate goes back to tasting yummy for you too! 🙂
I herald from sunny England, down in the south east. Woke up this morning feeling right as rain. Still a killer sore throat, but that’s all it feels like now, just a bad sore throat. I’m still sparko on the stacks of drugs so by no means ready for ‘normal life’, but its definitely improving. Tried eating this morning and perhaps rushed it a little, so still need to be patient there.
One big thing is for me tonsils were removed due to constant inflammation causing sleep apnea. This morning I woke up refreshed and alert and awake. ‘So?’ I hear you ask…. Between sleep apnea and narcolepsy I haven’t woken up feeling refreshed in nearly 17 years. I’d forgotten what it felt like, so amazing.
Haha I love coming on this page and reading everyone who is in the same boat as me, really calms me down! Where is everyone from!?
I’m from south Tennessee in the US. The land of the bipolar weather. Three days ago it was 70 degrees outside. This morning it snowed for the first time this year.