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
E, I’m so glad to see you post!! Glad that you’re feeling so much better. It takes time but it does happen. I’m just so glad you’re better! 🙂
I did not have the taste issues but have frequently read about it. I think Greg, himself, had taste issues. It may take a while but I think that all comes back sooner or later. Have you asked your doctor about it? I am sure it’ll resolve soon.
So glad you posted!! 🙂
I just hit the one week marker for mine being out. My pain meds are the only thing helping me get through. Luckily I have not thrown up. I do get nauseous though but as long as I stay in bed and relax it doesn’t bother me too bad. I was told to stay away from foods red in color in case I bleed but the only Jello I like is red so I went for it anyway. Haven’t had any serious problems. I get major ear pain and if I drink water or anything after being asleep it feels like I’m swallowing blades (I know, dramtic, but I don’t know how else to put it), or even the feeling when you don’ chew a tortilla chip enough and it goes down scratching, it’s like that but there are like 10 chips instead of 1. At the time I got my tonsils out I also had a small procedure in my nose to help me breathe and was actually more concerned about that than my tonsils. My tonsils are by far worse though so I guess I worried about the wrong thing. I’m flying back to school tomorrow which my doctor advised against flying so soon but there is nothing I can do at this point. I’m worried about getting sick. I have gone out for a few hours a couple times since the procedure and that makes me feel worse, not pain wise but just overall illness and nausea.
The things I have the easiest time eating (and it’s not a lot, I’ve already lost 3 lbs this week):
small ice cubes (my favorite! have seriously helped with pain since day 1)
apple sauce (the only substantial thing that doesn’t cause pain)
jello (not really a fan but I eat it anyway, sometimes hard to swallow)
Pudding
apple juice (apparently any non citric juice is fine but I like apple)
Ice cream (I have only just started eating because I am afraid the phlem will cause more pain)
I have even tried eating bread, chips, and beans when my pain meds made me feel really daring. As long as I let the solids get soggy in my mouth (I know, gross,but when you have a tonsilectomy, you’ll understand) and chew very thoroughly before trying to swallow. I mostly felt pain a few hours later when my meds wore off. I think it irritated my throat but because I was on the meds I couldn’t tell until after. (Whoops!)
All in all, for my the pain is mostly bearable as long as I relax and don’t talk too much. I haven’t had any problems talking (the one thing my mom wishes was different) but if I don’t talk I think I recover faster.
Also, I struggle trying to brush my teeth, if anyone has any advice on that I would love to know! Or even just some way to lessen the bad breath that comes with all of this.
Good luck to everyone getting their’s taken out!
HEY EVERYONE SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER ME AND MY MOANING.
I’M 6 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS POST OP. I CANNOT BELIEVE I ACTUALLY GOT THROUGH IT AFTER EVERYTHING I WENT THROUGH AND READING SOME POSTS NOW IT MAKES ME FEEL RELIEVED IT’S OVER BUT ALSO IT’S SO NICE TO KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU FEEL BAD NOW THINGS REALLY DO GET BETTER. THEY REALLY DO. IT’S SO HARD TO BELIEVE AT THE TIME BUT THERE IS A BIG BRIGHT LIGHT AT THE THE END OF THE TUNNEL NO MATTER HOW FAR AWAY IT FEELS NOW IT’S NOT LONG.
I STILL CAN’T TASTE THINGS VERY WELL. HAVING LOTS OF SUGAR AND SALT TO TRY AND BRING THE TASTE OUT. I CRAVE CHOCOLATE BUT WHEN I GET IT IT DOESN’T TASTE APPEALING. GOOD THING I SUPPOSE. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO TASTE REAL FOOD AGAIN?
I HAVE NOTICED NOW THAT I FEEL I HAVE LESS ROOM IN THE BACK OF MY THROAT THAT I DID, HARD TO EXPLAIN BUT I HEAR AND FEEL A CLICKING WHEN I’M LYING DOWN IN BED AT NIGHT LIKE IT’S CATCHING AT THE BACK OF MY THROAT? ANYONE ELSE FEELS THIS OR KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
WHEN I YAWN IT STILL PULLS THE BACK OF MY THROAT?
ANYWAY I SURVIVED BY LOADS OF CARE FROM MY FAMILY. ICE PACKS ON MY THROAT BECAUSE HOT CAN CAUSE THE BLOOD VESSELS TO SWELL, SO I’M TOLD. I CHEWED GUM ALL DAY AND DURING THE NIGHT. I NEVER SLEPT LONGER THAN AN HOUR FOR THE FIRST WEEK. I ATE MASHED POTATOES AND GRAVY(WHEN I COULD FINALLY EAT – I GOT ORAL THRUSH SO COULDN’T EVEN BARE LIQUID IN MY MOUTH), I FOUND WARM TEA AND RICH TEA BISCUITS DIPPED IN WERE GOOD. NOT ICE COLD WATER BUT TEPID. REST AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND KEEP TAKING THE PAIN MEDICATION I FELT SICK WITH MINE AND ENDED UP IN HOSPITAL ON DAY 7 SO I HAD ANTI-SICKNESS MEDICATION TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT. IT DID HURT EVERY DAY AND THE MEDICATION DIDN’T DO MUCH BUT YOU WILL RECOVER PUT UP WITH IT NO MATTER HOW HARD IT FEELS AND PLAN SOMETHING GOOD TO GET YOU THROUGH. WE JUST GOT BACK FROM DISNEYLAND AND I’M SO GRATEFUL I WAS ABLE TO DO IT.
IF YOU WANT TO MESSAGE ME THAT WOULD BE NICE, HOPE I HAVE HELPED A LITTLE. BELIEVE ME AT THE TIME I WAS READY TO GIVE UP I BEGGED TO GO INTO HOSPITAL BUT ONCE THE PAIN STARTED SUBSIDING I WAS ABLE TO BE RATIONAL AND COPE WITH IT.
I ALSO HAD SOME NICE PEOPLE TO HELP ME ALONG. ADAM WAS ON THE SAME OP DAY AS ME AND BETH HAD THE OP A WHILE BEFORE ME. BETH IS VERY HELPFUL, THANKS. I HOPE ADAM IS WELL NOW NOT SURE IF YOU STILL POST?
THANKS ANYWAY
AND I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A GOOD HEALTHY RECOVERY.
24 year old male singer here. My tonsils are coming out tomorrow morning. I have ice, jello, ice cream and a whole pile of books waiting for me. I took off work through the 19th, I’m hoping that is enough for me. I have had very bad injuries in the past, so part of me says the pain won’t be a big deal. But still I’m terrified. Both hour the pain and because it is so close to my vocal chords. I see there are some others getting their surgery in the next few days. I hope to keep in touch with you guys so we can go through this together. See you on the other side… :-\
My tonsillectomy was on Friday here in France, and this is day 5. I left hospital the day after surgery to the surprise of the medical staff, but I was feeling quite good and the wounds were in good condition. Since then, the pain has been manageable with paracetemol (day) and codeine (night), and it has felt at worst like a nasty sore throat occasionally with a headache overlaid. Eating cold green pea soup, cookie dough ice cream, and very soft plain donuts (bonne journée). The surgeon called daily to see if I was in agony yet, but no, and I saw him today. He told me it was very very rare to have no intense pain after this procedure, and even “showed” me to some of his colleagues (“this is the guy I was telling you about…”). So far, the only downside is that since I haven’t had the pain, I haven’t lost the weight, but I can deal with that… Two morning doses of a cortocoid anti-inflammatory were also in the treatment mix, plus six days of augmentin (antibiotic).