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
Hopefully someone can help me out. I have caught a slight cough and sinus infection. Plus I’m do for a colonoscopy tomorrow morning at 8:30AM. my tonsillectomy surgery is scheduled for June 5TH but with the sinus infection and mucus in ,my throat it is extremely hard to breathe tonight. Knowing I’m going under anesthesia in the morning I am concerned about going under. I feel like I am breathing through a straw verses the size of a pvc pipe according to the DRs when I was admitted to the hospital last week for 2 days due to lack of oxygen. Have been advised buy several DRs & nurses the tonsillectomy is going to open up my airway. I would like to know if anyone has had this problem and how can I try & get more air until my surgery & get through the colon test tomorrow? I would appreciate any suggestions. I still am a bit apprehensive about the surgery but if I am able to breathe I will go through whatever pain is necessary to get there.
Hi, I’m a 21 year old female. I got my surgery on May 15, 2013. Today I am on day 4. When I first got out of surgery, I didn’t feel like I was in that much pain until I got discharged from the hospital and went home. The 2nd day of my recovery was the worst so far because I became very nauseous and projectile vomited and it came out of my nose and everything was burning. My neck, my throat, my nose, and even my eyes.. It was very hard for me to rehydrate myself after that, my throat was hurting so bad from the acidic vomit that I could barely get a sip in. I had to drink through the pain and somehow I got through day 2. I literally thought I was going to die. I was prescribed oxycodone after that because the hydrocodone they gave me didnt seem to be working. The oxycodone has left me feeling really funny and kind of euphoric. I am taking the smallest dosage but I am still feeling a little funny. I have been trying to get as much food in as possible. Yesterday I had spaghettios, and I have been eating a lot of jello and popsicles and I suck on ice cubes to help the swelling. I have a lot of swelling in my tongue, and because it is so swollen my teeth rub against it more and have put a few sores on it. Today is day 4, I have white scabs in the back of my throat and I would say the pain is still really unbearable. I feel like I am suffering big time. I don’t know when the pain is finally going to subside but I am still waiting. I am trying to drink as much water as possible and trying to keep food in my stomach so that I can continue taking the medication because that is the only thing I feel brings me the most relief. The ice cubes have really helped a lot. I hate jello but jello has helped a lot it goes down easier than other things I have tried eating. I can’t talk because it hurts too much so I carry a dry erase board around and write on that whenever I need my husband’s help with something.So thats my experience so far, it has been horrible and pretty much miserable every day. I will update in a couple of days and let ya know if and when I start feeling better.
Hope you’re feeling better today. Maybe you should try using a humidifier, that may help you since it seems like you aren’t able to drink too much. Good luck!
Hey Miss… sorry to hear you suffered so much… i had my surgery on the same day(5/15) and on my day 15th i am back to work full time and stopped all my medications.
Hope you have made significant improvements by now
Just hang in there…. you will be up and running in matter of days…
Noble-
31 yo M, underwent Tonsillectomy 5/14/2013. I referenced this site many times before I decided to go through with the surgery. Thanks to everyone who has made this a site of encouragement instead of discouragement. Here is a summary of my experience thus far:
I was diagnosed with Chronic Tonsillitis a few months ago. Decided to wait until I could schedule some time to take off work.
I had strep as a kid 4x every year but my pediatrician required strep 5 x p/yr before he recommended removal.
When I was 19 I discovered that I had white aliens growing in my mouth. At the time I thought it was cancer but come to find out it was just nasty tonsil stones that contributed to horrible breath.
I decided that I could continue to deal with constant sore throats and poke out the stones on my own for the rest of my life or go through a little temporary pain and address it for good. I figure when I am old and grey I wouldn’t want to be the husband father and grandfather with nasty breath.
I researched good ENTs and received a recommendation from a medical sales rep. These folks work along side cases and I wanted someone who showed respect to patients while they were under and someone that does a lot of tonsillectomies. Found my doc fairly quick.
Went in for my initial consultation after receiving a referral for chronic tonsillitis and found the surgeon to be super helpful. He had his tonsils removed when he was 35 so that also was nice to know that he had been through this having been on the table himself.
His timeline with pain was as follows:
By day 3 you will say is was the easiest surgery ever. By day 5-7 you’ll ask why on earth you ever wanted to do this and then pay day 14 you will say why didn’t I do this earlier.
I am on day 4 and agree with his comments. Stick with the meds, stay on schedule and listen to your body as far as foods go. Foods that have worked so far include jello, pudding, Mac n cheese, dr pepper, crushed ice, water based Popsicles, eggs, Gatorade etc. I thought I would lose a lot of weight but probably have gained if anything. Super constipated and forced myself to drink awful amounts of prune juice and laxatives. 5 days worth of food came out in 2 hours. Punishment but so glad I am clean again.
Don’t do this alone. Stay with a friend or family member. You really need to focus on healing not being superman/woman so be sure to arrange for help ahead of time.
My meds include liquid lortab and liquid IBUProfen. Ask if you can get the liquid form to avoid swallowing hard pills. It’s not the end of the world if you can’t but worth asking.
Will update over the next few days.
Thanks for the site and participation,
How did the next couple of days go?
Hello, I’m a 25 year old female, living in Chicago. I’m hoping to hear from some people who had the coblation method of tonsillectomy. I’m just wondering how severe the pain really is? Does it get up to a 10 out of 10? Did you experience bleeding? How long did you take off of work?
I have my appointment with my ENT on Monday, and at that appointment I will be scheduling the surgery day. I’m really scared about it. Whenever my tonsils are acting up though, I’m ready at that very moment to go into surgery. But then if I have a few good days, I want to put the surgery off. Eventually though I’ll just have to end this never-ending cycle of fatigue, infection and ear pain by getting them out! I think the surgery will be around the first week of June. I’ll make sure to post about my recovery experience, because I’m very grateful for all of you who share your stories and tips.
I just stumbled across this site and thought I would share my experience! I am 23 and had my tonsils removed April 30. I was in quite a bit of pain when I woke up from surgery but was given morphine and it soon went away. It felt super awkward to swallow the first 2 days and even now ( 2 weeks later) it still isn’t totally back to normal. For my first week I had to be VERY consistent with my medication.. I was given oxycodone and tylenol. The oxy was good because it literally dissolved in my mouth as soon as I took a sip of water; for the Tylenol I would highly recommend the dissolvable children’s Tylenol. I would throw those in a little bit of water, let them dissolve, then drink it.. This was WAY better than trying to swallow pills! I also bought meal replacement shakes, and ate A lot of cold soup broth. Those fruit sauce cups are awesome as well! And of course.. Ice cream. I had lots of pain going up into my ears which is normal and my jaw was also very sore for the first few days! Sleep propped up if you can, get a humidifier, use a cold pack for the front of you throat and a hot pack on the back/ear area, set your alarm and take your meds regularly! My breath stunk, I had lots of phlegm/mucus, I was either hacking up or trying to swallow the scabs (after day 5) and I cried a few times from being so frustrated. On day 9 I had to go to the hospital due to on/off bleeding; this is because I had a blood clot that was encouraging bleeding.. They hooked me up to an IV, did some blood work, Used a tube to suck the blood clot off the side of my throat, and I was good to go. After that day I have only taken Tylenol twice. Throat is still a little tender and it is awkward to eat but I’ve managed to re-introduce pasta, quinoa, and finely chopped foods. If you are getting your tonsils out you will experience pain, you will feel like garbage, you will sleep a lot, and you may cry in frustration..but it is worth it! I have heard nothing but good things from other people who are now fully recovered! I live with my boyfriend and my mom also came and stayed with us for a week; don’t feel like you have to recover alone. Ask people to do things for you, you need rest to recover from this surgery and it is awesome to be able to lie in bed and just ask someone to grab whatever you need. You need to take care of yourself and I know I greatly appreciated all my mom/boyfriend did for me. They helped me a lot! Good luck to any future tonsillectomy patients!
Did you ever find something to help with the mucous caught in your throat? Seems like that’s an issue for a lot of people.