A collection of various experiences of adult tonsillectomy patients on their sixth day of recovery
From thousands of post comments to the forum I have assembled a sampling of various accounts and impressions of tonsillectomy recovery for each day. Below I share comments about tonsillectomy day 6. These comments are taken from tonsillectomy patients who were kind enough to share their experiences to help others as they navigate the bumpy road of tonsillectomy recovery.
Tonsillectomy Day 6 Scabs bleeding! : I can only eat popsicles. That is all.
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : At 5:30am, I started to panic because I coughed a lot and when I spit up some saliva in a tissue (which I have a habit of doing to see if there is any blood); I saw a slight hue of red. RED=BLOOD! So, of course I got nervous. After drinking some water, I tasted some blood but I didn’t see anymore and I was able to swallow with a bit more ease. It wasn’t the full scab that came off, but a piece of the scab on the right side. When I woke up, I drank water and felt a burst of pain in my ear and stinging in my throat for a couple minutes. When I brushed my teeth this morning, there was a little more blood when I spit into the sink, so I’m assuming I lost a little more of the scab. I’ve been sucking on ice chips the past few days and it really feels nice on my throat. I ate applesauce and soup today with a little ease. I’ve notice my ears get worse when I eat. I was craving pizza tonight and it was sitting on the counter (my family had it for dinner), so, I decided to be a champ and try it. I was able to eat all of the toppings off of a slice of pizza minus the spicy pepperoni. Let me tell you, it was a blessing! I tried gargling with cold water and even though I refuse to look at my throat, I can tell that it feel fresher and cleaner. Good news – I was able to swallow the amoxicillin today; it feels awesome because if I had to eat another cup of jell-o and medication, I’d die! Fifth day post-op and I actually stepped foot out of my house today. Since we have a huge snow storm, I had to make sure I was fully covered. Nevertheless, even though I only sat in the car, it felt good – it was progress! I was told that taking a warm shower before bed will help moisten my throat and potentially prevent coughing at night, so I tried it.
Tonsillectomy Day 6 scabs Healing
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : Day 6 and the pain is just about the same as yesterday, but that relentless ache is exhausting. I know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel (and it’s not a train) but when I am tired and weak and freaking out because my Mom went home and my husband decided to sleep in this morning leaving me to take care of my nearly 7 year old son…. Well, I got a little teary.
My husband took a gander at my throat today and declared it “gross, but healing.
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : Day 6 = Ouch
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : day 6 here and I have to say, it definitely has been the hardest two days so far. I am spent and am sick of not eating the way i want to. I have been sticking to cold drinks and liquid meals. Spoke with my PA today and she said to do my best to keep the scabs on for a minimum 10days by drinking tons of liquids. The longer they stay on, the better the new skin underneath will be…so I am doing all I can to keep these puppies attached. I have given up on eating anything warm or slightly solid,I just want this over with!!
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : Yeah, so I slept for about 12 hours. But now I think sleeping that long was the worst idea ever! My hot pot ran out of water and I wasn’t sipping on water for those 12 hours. I just drank a smoothie mix every 4 hours to take my meds. I woke up with about 8/10 pain, tried to get up and passed out in the hallway. Oh Joy! My ears are killing me!
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : Side note, i have lost like 12 lbs. Probably not healthily as all i have consumed it water, gatorade, jello and apple sauce. Those products are not known for their nutritional content. I have made two healthy juice drinks using my juicer, but don’t think that compensates for the lack of nutrients for the last week.
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : The pain is rather terrible today, it was much worse last night.
At about 3am i woke up with pain, it was as if someone was stabbing my throat with a needle or pin
and i woke up this morning with blood in my mouth. Not a lot but it still scared me! I rinsed my mouth with ice water and sucked a piece of ice and it stopped.
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : Day 6- good morning, post op app’t- stints in nose removed, I can BREATHE again 🙂 went shopping at the mall for a few hours after- got home exhausted & later in pain ;(
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : Recovery Day 6 (post-op day 7):
Another day filled with pain. Was able to drink an ensure today but did not eat much. Was able to eat some popsicles. During the evening time had horrible pain shooting from the right side of my throat and it felt like a burning feeling when I would drink anything almost as if I was drinking acid even when I drank water. Had to take a bit more Lortab to curve the pain. Looked at my throat with a flashlight for the first time since the surgery and it looked like a battle zone in there. Lots of white coating all over the tonsil beds and my uvula is still swollen very large and kind of sticking to one of the sides of my throat. Could see the white scabs as well.
Tonsillectomy Day 6 : Day 6: I cried over applesauce and pudding. It hurts to swallow, I can’t yawn and just try to blow your nose without wanting to fall over and die. This pain is ridiculous. I woke up in the middle of the night with a dry throat and more pain than I could imagine so I dragged myself downstairs and forced down some pain meds to help me take the pain.
Tonsillectomy Day 6 :day 6 of my recovery and in the worst pain ever. I thought I was on the mend, only having pain on the one side but then I started to cough, and it kept me up all of last night and all of that white membrane over the surgery site is starting to come off as well as some of the scabs… is that normal? I am very scared that with my coughing it’s going to cause issues that will result in another surgery.
I have reading through this forum and I cannot understand why you are all crying your pain out loud.
I am a 32yo man, and I had my tonsillectomy 6 days ago here in Paris (France) where I live, following a phlegmon.
Nobody ever gave me any opioids (morphine and so) not even in the hour following the surgery. I am, from day 1 on, on a regime of paracetamol (1gr every 6 hours, climbing up to 8-hours pause during the night). I had Cortisone for three days (from day 2 to day 5, once per day, in the morning) in order to reduce the inflammation. And of course antibiotic until today, to prevent infections. And that’s all.
No other painkillers, no other drugs, just yogurt and fresh milk and ice-cream. And I have never, and i mean never, felt this bad. Ok, it hurts a bit, when Paracetamol effects get lower (from the 5th hour on).
Worst day was maybe day 2, in the morning. All the other time I could read, eat (yogurt, milk and ice-cream, of course), talk and sleep with no problems at all. I would not say I have really suffered – never ever – any big pain.
If post-tonsillectomy recovery makes you feel this bad, either your surgeons take away your tonsils with kitchen knives, either your drugs don’t work, either you are just not used to deal with the normal amount of pain any person has in life, from time to time. If you take painkillers every time you have a little pain, then you’ll never learn to deal with normal, mild pain like post-tonsillectomy pain.
Stop whining, breathe and be rational. Nothing this bad is happening to you all. Nothing.
I’m on day 6. My tonsilectomy had some complications because my tonsils were fused to my throat with scar tissue. That meant more cutting. The scar tissue somehow wrapped around those pesky veins, so I got some stitches that most folks don’t get. The doctor said my recovery was going to be longer and more painful because of it. Fortunately, my doctor was wrong. My recovery is painful, but after reading some of these stories, I realize it’s much better than most of the folks out there. For some reason it just worked out that way. That makes me lucky and especially grateful this holiday season. It doesn’t make me qualified to tell people that are suffering to suck it up because it really isn’t that bad.
That being said my recovery hit a snag on day 5, i.e. more painful than day 4. Waking up for day 6 is worse than day 5. I noticed bleeding on day 4, but the pain didn’t amp up until day 5. I’m ready for this phase to peak. My hope is scabs started coming off on day 4 and that process will only last 2 or 3 days, at which point the pain goes down until I’m recovered. I was hoping to go back to work today (Monday). I let the office know that isn’t going to happen and that Tuesday and Wednesday are questionable.
We can all be as tough as you Frenchy. I have tore my bicep tendon, tore my labrum and rotator cuff, henriated discs in my back and neck, had surgeries for all of them and my tonsillectomy hurt worse than all of them. I have a high threshold for pain but am man enough to admit that this hurt bad. Don’t feel bad everyone it hurts and don’t think less of yourself for admitting it..
Well Im so happy for you to not experience pain. Dont sit therr an accuse others of bein babies and crying on here. Everyones experience is different. If you dont like reading it then get off the site! This is a support center for some people and they dont need you complainin over how they react to their situation!
I am 24…I had my tonsillectomy on Tuesday the 4th December.. An day 1-2 was fine although days 3-4 I have woken up 3:4 o’clock constantly in pain… I thought I had a high pain threshold but yeh it’s never ending.. An can’t get a gd nights sleep an wake up with night sweats.. My breath stinks an when I eat it tastes like burning rubber… An I’m hoping that is what my breath smells like an not of an infection. Also am I the only one to get given toast to eat after the op ? An I’ve been eating solids constantly but mainly soup in the day.. But it hurts like a bitch!
I’ve been hearing day 5-6 are worst so what I’m feeling now will no doubt get worse even though I think I’m already at that stage.. My throat is white where the tonsils used to be an I’m thinking is that a infection building up? But reading your posts it looks like its the scabs.. I hope!
Role on day 5 an 6…. Come at me “cuz pain is just weakness leaving my body biatch” an in a weird way the worse the pain the more I like it.. Because when I’m better ill be saying .. Yeh I did that an yeh I overcome it with flying colours.. No more throat pains accompanied with bad breath again! Woop… (Cheer up whoever is in same situation as me)! Oh the pain haha “laugh or cry”‘! P.s. am I the only one who go given paracetamol an ibuprofen after my op to take for e week…. It’s actually rubbish ! Only lasts 2 hours… Lol.
You can try Biotene mouthwash for the stinky breath. It is an enzyme formula that does not sting like other mouthwashes. It actually feels soothing and will help control bacteria and other nasties. I have been brushing with it since my pain increased on day 4 ( i am on day 7 now) because the foam of toothpaste was making me gag. I also use a syringe I bought at my pharmacy to gently squirt the mouthwash and lukewarm salt water directly onto the chunky scabs. Parts of them have loosened and rinsed out making it easier to breathe and swallow. Good luck.
every ones recovery is different a friend of mine just had hers taken out 2 weeks ago and she was fine the day after surgery and was able to east normally and everything. i however have not been that lucky and have been in a lot of pain and can barely eat, and trust me i am used to pain but i would rather have shoulder surgery again than have my tonsils removed. i am very happy your recovery has gone so well unfortunately not every ones goes the same way
I thought day 3 was bad, today was a lot worse, woke up last night, 2 hours after I’d taken my painkillers (which usually give relief for 4-6 hours) with the worst pains in both my ears. These carried on all day with the only relief coming from holding ice packs to my face. Ended up having to go back to the doctors again for more painkillers and a stronger anti inflammatory. At the moment its 2 hours til I can take my next painkiller and I am in agony. Don’t know how much more of this I can take. Think I’d rather have tonsillitis every few weeks than this pain. My throat is stinging on one side like an open cut and in the previous days I’ve been coughing up black almost fleshy lumps. Its disgusting, I cant even look at my throat. I hate this 🙁
Day 6 is really terrible. I woke up shaking from the pain and it takes major courage gathering to swallow the hydrocodone- it burns like acid going down! Today I couldnt bear it so mixed it with cream of wheat and it worked! Highly recommend! I means you have to eat a whole bowl of cream of wheat but I needed to do that anyway. I cant eat alot because the horrible taste of the scabs makes everything taste like sickningly sweet/bitter vomit. But there are a few things that are tolerable. Heres my list of tolerable:
Popsickles- nothing with artificial sweeteners- those taste sickeningly sweet.
cream of wheat- the only thing that actually tastes good
beef broth
chicken broth
refried bean burrito- the bland/salty refried beans are some much needed protein
Jello- stil in liquid form
mashed potatoes
pudding
peach yougurt
The 2 humidifiers in my room and sucking on ice chips really help! I also like taking childrens ibuprofen, it doesnt sting going down like the other meds do
Bread is aboslutely revolting if your having the taste problem, made me throw up which sets you back
I discovered if you mix the hydrocodone with 2-3x the amount of chocolate milk it goes down with almost no pain!!!! Yea!!!! But it seems like the meds are ony working 2-3hours now and that 4th hour I just suffer waiting to be able to take the next dose.
Day 6. YOW! Same pain as yesterday, but no bleeding. Pain is about an 8 or 9 today. I am finding it very very hard to choke down any food today, and even water really hurts! I tried to eat some soggy Special-K, but gave up after about 1/4 cup because it seemed to have tiny rough bits in it, and my uvula hurt so bad. I think tomorrow I am going to try regular cornflakes, soggy of course. I choked twice trying to eat yogurt. I hope the coughing did not rupture anything! I have a headache too. I think I got about a total of 3-4 hours sleep last night (not all at once though). I am still sleeping sitting up, which helps keep the mucus down so I can breathe better. I had very bad diarrhea in the morning… probably from all the water. For lunch I managed to squeeze down some scrambled eggs. Popsicles and water ice felt really good. Besides the white scabs, throat has some very red patches, which I think were irritated from trying to swallow food. No bleeding, but I do see a little red dot that looks sort of like a blood blister on the top. Not sure what that is… blood clot maybe?
I am 25 and ha my tonsillectomy 6 days ago. I had sleep apnea because my tonsils were so large, so it was necessary for me to have the procedure. Although I can already tell a difference in how much better of sleep I’m getting – THIS SUCKS!!!! I have a high pain tolerance, and after 2 major car accidents, a broken wrist, fractured tailbone, fractured and sprained ankle, and several tattoos, I have to say this sucks the most. Days 1-2 not so bad, days 3-4 worse, days 5-6 definitely the worst so far. Waking in the middle of the night is AWFUL. It feels like my tongue was left out in the sun for hours, and it’s become so swollen that I have sores on either side of it and sore gums in addition to pain at the surgery site. Water is hard to get down, though I have been able to eat 2 burrito, some ramen noodles, and French toast. Though day 6 I may be back tracking as far as what I can eat is concerned unless my dr will prescribe more pain meds… God I hope this gets better soon.
I have reading through this forum and I cannot understand why you are all crying your pain out loud.
I am a 32yo man, and I had my tonsillectomy 6 days ago here in Paris (France) where I live, following a phlegmon.
Nobody ever gave me any opioids (morphine and so) not even in the hour following the surgery. I am, from day 1 on, on a regime of paracetamol (1gr every 6 hours, climbing up to 8-hours pause during the night). I had Cortisone for three days (from day 2 to day 5, once per day, in the morning) in order to reduce the inflammation. And of course antibiotic until today, to prevent infections. And that’s all.
No other painkillers, no other drugs, just yogurt and fresh milk and ice-cream. And I have never, and i mean never, felt this bad. Ok, it hurts a bit, when Paracetamol effects get lower (from the 5th hour on).
Worst day was maybe day 2, in the morning. All the other time I could read, eat (yogurt, milk and ice-cream, of course), talk and sleep with no problems at all. I would not say I have really suffered – never ever – any big pain.
If post-tonsillectomy recovery makes you feel this bad, either your surgeons take away your tonsils with kitchen knives, either your drugs don’t work, either you are just not used to deal with the normal amount of pain any person has in life, from time to time. If you take painkillers every time you have a little pain, then you’ll never learn to deal with normal, mild pain like post-tonsillectomy pain.
Stop whining, breathe and be rational. Nothing this bad is happening to you all. Nothing.
You must be very proud of yourself.
Where is the “LIKE” button?
Wait…that didn’t sound right. *DIES*
I’m on day 6. My tonsilectomy had some complications because my tonsils were fused to my throat with scar tissue. That meant more cutting. The scar tissue somehow wrapped around those pesky veins, so I got some stitches that most folks don’t get. The doctor said my recovery was going to be longer and more painful because of it. Fortunately, my doctor was wrong. My recovery is painful, but after reading some of these stories, I realize it’s much better than most of the folks out there. For some reason it just worked out that way. That makes me lucky and especially grateful this holiday season. It doesn’t make me qualified to tell people that are suffering to suck it up because it really isn’t that bad.
That being said my recovery hit a snag on day 5, i.e. more painful than day 4. Waking up for day 6 is worse than day 5. I noticed bleeding on day 4, but the pain didn’t amp up until day 5. I’m ready for this phase to peak. My hope is scabs started coming off on day 4 and that process will only last 2 or 3 days, at which point the pain goes down until I’m recovered. I was hoping to go back to work today (Monday). I let the office know that isn’t going to happen and that Tuesday and Wednesday are questionable.
We can all be as tough as you Frenchy. I have tore my bicep tendon, tore my labrum and rotator cuff, henriated discs in my back and neck, had surgeries for all of them and my tonsillectomy hurt worse than all of them. I have a high threshold for pain but am man enough to admit that this hurt bad. Don’t feel bad everyone it hurts and don’t think less of yourself for admitting it..
Well Im so happy for you to not experience pain. Dont sit therr an accuse others of bein babies and crying on here. Everyones experience is different. If you dont like reading it then get off the site! This is a support center for some people and they dont need you complainin over how they react to their situation!
This was in reference to emanule
I am 24…I had my tonsillectomy on Tuesday the 4th December.. An day 1-2 was fine although days 3-4 I have woken up 3:4 o’clock constantly in pain… I thought I had a high pain threshold but yeh it’s never ending.. An can’t get a gd nights sleep an wake up with night sweats.. My breath stinks an when I eat it tastes like burning rubber… An I’m hoping that is what my breath smells like an not of an infection. Also am I the only one to get given toast to eat after the op ? An I’ve been eating solids constantly but mainly soup in the day.. But it hurts like a bitch!
I’ve been hearing day 5-6 are worst so what I’m feeling now will no doubt get worse even though I think I’m already at that stage.. My throat is white where the tonsils used to be an I’m thinking is that a infection building up? But reading your posts it looks like its the scabs.. I hope!
Role on day 5 an 6…. Come at me “cuz pain is just weakness leaving my body biatch” an in a weird way the worse the pain the more I like it.. Because when I’m better ill be saying .. Yeh I did that an yeh I overcome it with flying colours.. No more throat pains accompanied with bad breath again! Woop… (Cheer up whoever is in same situation as me)! Oh the pain haha “laugh or cry”‘! P.s. am I the only one who go given paracetamol an ibuprofen after my op to take for e week…. It’s actually rubbish ! Only lasts 2 hours… Lol.
Laters GL
You can try Biotene mouthwash for the stinky breath. It is an enzyme formula that does not sting like other mouthwashes. It actually feels soothing and will help control bacteria and other nasties. I have been brushing with it since my pain increased on day 4 ( i am on day 7 now) because the foam of toothpaste was making me gag. I also use a syringe I bought at my pharmacy to gently squirt the mouthwash and lukewarm salt water directly onto the chunky scabs. Parts of them have loosened and rinsed out making it easier to breathe and swallow. Good luck.
every ones recovery is different a friend of mine just had hers taken out 2 weeks ago and she was fine the day after surgery and was able to east normally and everything. i however have not been that lucky and have been in a lot of pain and can barely eat, and trust me i am used to pain but i would rather have shoulder surgery again than have my tonsils removed. i am very happy your recovery has gone so well unfortunately not every ones goes the same way
I thought day 3 was bad, today was a lot worse, woke up last night, 2 hours after I’d taken my painkillers (which usually give relief for 4-6 hours) with the worst pains in both my ears. These carried on all day with the only relief coming from holding ice packs to my face. Ended up having to go back to the doctors again for more painkillers and a stronger anti inflammatory. At the moment its 2 hours til I can take my next painkiller and I am in agony. Don’t know how much more of this I can take. Think I’d rather have tonsillitis every few weeks than this pain. My throat is stinging on one side like an open cut and in the previous days I’ve been coughing up black almost fleshy lumps. Its disgusting, I cant even look at my throat. I hate this 🙁
Day 6 is really terrible. I woke up shaking from the pain and it takes major courage gathering to swallow the hydrocodone- it burns like acid going down! Today I couldnt bear it so mixed it with cream of wheat and it worked! Highly recommend! I means you have to eat a whole bowl of cream of wheat but I needed to do that anyway. I cant eat alot because the horrible taste of the scabs makes everything taste like sickningly sweet/bitter vomit. But there are a few things that are tolerable. Heres my list of tolerable:
Popsickles- nothing with artificial sweeteners- those taste sickeningly sweet.
cream of wheat- the only thing that actually tastes good
beef broth
chicken broth
refried bean burrito- the bland/salty refried beans are some much needed protein
Jello- stil in liquid form
mashed potatoes
pudding
peach yougurt
The 2 humidifiers in my room and sucking on ice chips really help! I also like taking childrens ibuprofen, it doesnt sting going down like the other meds do
Bread is aboslutely revolting if your having the taste problem, made me throw up which sets you back
I discovered if you mix the hydrocodone with 2-3x the amount of chocolate milk it goes down with almost no pain!!!! Yea!!!! But it seems like the meds are ony working 2-3hours now and that 4th hour I just suffer waiting to be able to take the next dose.
Agree. I cant wait the 4 hours. And the coughing started last night…hurt like hell and it seemed the I ent backward in my recovery progress.
* like I went*
Day 6. YOW! Same pain as yesterday, but no bleeding. Pain is about an 8 or 9 today. I am finding it very very hard to choke down any food today, and even water really hurts! I tried to eat some soggy Special-K, but gave up after about 1/4 cup because it seemed to have tiny rough bits in it, and my uvula hurt so bad. I think tomorrow I am going to try regular cornflakes, soggy of course. I choked twice trying to eat yogurt. I hope the coughing did not rupture anything! I have a headache too. I think I got about a total of 3-4 hours sleep last night (not all at once though). I am still sleeping sitting up, which helps keep the mucus down so I can breathe better. I had very bad diarrhea in the morning… probably from all the water. For lunch I managed to squeeze down some scrambled eggs. Popsicles and water ice felt really good. Besides the white scabs, throat has some very red patches, which I think were irritated from trying to swallow food. No bleeding, but I do see a little red dot that looks sort of like a blood blister on the top. Not sure what that is… blood clot maybe?
I am 25 and ha my tonsillectomy 6 days ago. I had sleep apnea because my tonsils were so large, so it was necessary for me to have the procedure. Although I can already tell a difference in how much better of sleep I’m getting – THIS SUCKS!!!! I have a high pain tolerance, and after 2 major car accidents, a broken wrist, fractured tailbone, fractured and sprained ankle, and several tattoos, I have to say this sucks the most. Days 1-2 not so bad, days 3-4 worse, days 5-6 definitely the worst so far. Waking in the middle of the night is AWFUL. It feels like my tongue was left out in the sun for hours, and it’s become so swollen that I have sores on either side of it and sore gums in addition to pain at the surgery site. Water is hard to get down, though I have been able to eat 2 burrito, some ramen noodles, and French toast. Though day 6 I may be back tracking as far as what I can eat is concerned unless my dr will prescribe more pain meds… God I hope this gets better soon.