Are You Glad You Got a Tonsillectomy?
I posted this funny picture on our Facebook page and asked readers who had had a tonsillectomy in the past four years if they regretted it. I got quite a response.
The question was:
Do you regret getting a tonsillectomy?
The responses:
Lalana I have!! I know in the long run I will have a different perspective, but I now have a bronchial issue post tonsillectomy . Hopefully very soon I will feel normal again.
Courtney I got viral bronchitis thrree days post op, it was rough and it is still hanging on a month later. ugh, I feel for ya
Lalana Courtney you must try this! Yesterday my friend gave me oregano oil and I put it in a diffuser next to me bedside, first full nights sleep since my surgery and I didn’t cough at all last night!! Give it a try!!
Courtney Yep, the whole time I had peppermint and oregano in my diffuser. It works really well!
Lalana Oh good!! I had never tried oregano before. I researched it and found out its one of the top 10 natural antibiotics.
Courtney It helps me a lot with congestion too. If you have a natural foods store close there is a natural hand sanitizer spray, in a white bottle, made with oregano oil instead of alcohol. I keep it in my car.
Crista Not once. I’m 4 years post surgery (I was 40 when I had my surgery) and have had only 1 single throat infection in that time where previously I was having 8+ per year.
Crista My son is 3 years post surgery (he had his out at 18). His only regret is not having it sooner.
Laura Nope. BEST thing I ever did to get rid of my sore throats and tonsilliths! It’s 4 years later and everything’s been great.. I don’t get sick much at all! smile emoticon
Tommie I have to agree with Crista Black and her son. While the recovery was hard, the only regret I have now is not getting it done sooner! I’ve never felt better and wished I had gotten it done as a child just to have saved me from the misery all those times I got sick!
Beth Ann I agree with the others who said they only wished they’d done it sooner. I was 46 when I had mine done, and it was only fear that kept from doing it for so many years!
Becky Sometimes, but then I remember I don’t choke when I eat, or snore when I sleep.
BeckyFood and drink still sometimes taste funny to me.
Laura I don’t regret it at all. Just wish I hadn’t had to wait so long to get it done.
Kitty No regrets!
Alison Rae Respass Still too soon for me to know if it’s worth this nightmare I’ve been living for almost 2 weeks. But I’m sure it will be in the long run.
Crista Alison you should be turning the curve soon. I know it’s awful the first couple of weeks – and you’ll still feel a little iffy for another couple of weeks but the hardest part is almost over! You got this!
Kitty Yep, hang in there! Almost done smile emoticon
Alison Rae Thanks for the encouragement Crista & Kitty! I’ve definitely improved a lot in the last 2 days. My follow up appointment is tomorrow. I’m looking forward to getting out of the house! Lol
Courtney It gets better. I am one month post op tomorrow, and the two weeks after seemed like years. I feel So Much Better Now!!
Chente At the time, but not now! It was sooo worth it!! ?
Lisa I’m still going through the recovery. I’m 7 days post op so I’m pretty miserable. Never thought it would be this painful for this long. Starting to feel depressed. Is this ever going to end???
Tonsillectomy Resources Hi Lisa- yeah it’s pretty rough but it will get better soon. It’s common to get pretty down toward the end- here’s a little something I wrote about that:https://tonsillectomyrecovery.com/depression-after…/
Courtney Think about this: you are in pain, on pain meds, not eating, and everyone around you is normal. Depression is only natural, just cry it out. Let it out. Feel it. Then you can buck up and continue being awesome at healing. Don’t feel bad about feeling sad. We all go through it. It is short term in the big picture.
KittyYes Lisa, it will end, but I remember the feeling of wondering. It felt like interminable intense constant pain and I hated it. But I’m so glad now and you will be too. You are facing the worst of it over the next several days so be patient and keep sipping water! Keep on your meds and sleep as much as you can (I know it’s hard). heart emoticon
Alison Rae Lisa, I was very depressed at the beginning of my recovery. Especially around the 1 week mark. It’s natural to feel that way when u r miserable and can’t do what u want to do. I could cry about nothing just because I was so emotional. Just let it out and know it won’t last forever.
Tonsillectomy Resources imagine you are in a healing cocoon and when you emerge….!!
Doug Speaking as an ENT, it’s exceptionally rare to find someone who regrets the decision. But I know better than to ask the question too soon.
Courtney In the immediate after surgery people often think they made a mistake. Once the healing is over though, the reason for surgery is validated and they are happy.
Tonsillectomy Resources same here Big Will!
Tonsillectomy Resources Hey- Would you folks mind if I copied and pasted these responses to the website? I’d take out last names…
I wish I hadn’t gotten this done. It’s been pretty awful. I had terrible nerve pain for six months after the surgery, now have sleep apnea and the emotional recovery from the stress has been bad. It ruined a year of my life but if you have to get it done then you have to do it. It’s been nine months and I’m still dealing with the trauma of it. Proceed with caution if you get it done.
Getting a tonsillectomy is one of the best things I ever did for my health. Prior to having them out, my sleep quality was very poor. I was sick and had tonsilliths often, & frequently required time off from work. As a busy career mom, who has time/energy to spare for all that???
The recovery for the first few weeks post-op was, honestly, miserable. However, with that pain behind me now, I am so thankful that my sleep quality is so significantly improved. Also, my immune system is much stronger & I don’t catch every little big from my kids or colleagues anymore.
I hope this helps any of you who are struggling to make the decision or recovering post-op. It gets better!!!
*bug
Thank you Kristy- this is nice to hear!
I am so happy. It’s been a few years now. My tonsils were very lumpy but no cancer. Last year my younger brother was diagnosed with cancer in his tonsil. I am grateful my nodular tonsils were removed before I had to go though the hell he went through. And no more ear aches.
It was one hell of a recovery, but I feel so much better. It’s been 3 years now since my tonsillectomy and I have maybe been sick one time since. I’m much healthier now and don’t catch virus’s as easy. You will definitely regret it the week adds surgery but trust me, you will be so glad you did it after your feeling better (which could be 21 days from surgery- at least it was for me).