Tonsillectomy Recovery Day by Day
Day 8
A collection of various experiences of adult tonsillectomy patients on their eighth day of recovery
Check out our new tonsillectomy recovery video- Caution: Not always pretty
Please feel free to add your own experience with tonsillectomy day 8.
-Greg Tooke My short bio
Tonsillectomy Day 8 : Crying. Just… Crying
Tonsillectomy Day 8 : So I woke up this morning with a dry throat. I wasn’t able to sleep more than 30 minutes at a time without coughing. Even while drinking water, my throat has been so dry, it’s like it just isn’t staying moist. I got so fed up, I asked my mom to go buy me a humidifier today. I know I’m a little late, I should have had it from the beginning, but I guess I thought I really didn’t need it. My post-op appointment is in 1 week and I really can’t wait. I definitely have a few questions to ask him! So, I finally got the nerve up to look into my throat, and even though it was a little hard to see, I do see a lot of gray areas. I thought I lost more scabs than I see in my throat, so I was wondering whether or not all of the gray areas are scabs, or if some of it is not scabs. I was told that it is all scabs, so I guess the scabs are going to take longer to fall off than I thought. So, I thought I was doing really well today and then all of a sudden my throat started squeezing really tightly when I swallowed. I slept for about an hour and woke up and it was gone. After talking to my dad who has dealt with panic attacks his whole life, he confirmed that he has had the same thing before and it is in fact mini panic attacks. Great, panic attacks – that’s all I need! I had one in the afternoon and then another one at night. The best way for me to deal with it is to sleep through it.
Tonsillectomy Day 8 : day 8..I thought someone had tried to bite off the back of my tongue and tried to scrape the white spots off with a nail filer…Also my feet were swelling, and I began to have a migraine and vomit, I was afraid i was going to rip my stitches..they had become so big me and my bf had named them “shrek ” feet
Tonsillectomy Day 8 : day 8 today and I felt terrible when I woke up! The pain was like a bruised/burning pain. I also feel like I have hay fever(which I don’t). However it’s now lunchtime and I feel considerably better. It feels like day 7 which I can cope with. Hoping day 10 will be the major turnaround day. I swear this feels like the longest recovery!
Tonsillectomy Day 8 : Day 8. 33 yrs old. Thanks for the info on the swollen tongue and the marks on it from my teeth. That makes total sense!! My throat feels much better, but the difficulty in eating seems to be coming from the underside of my tongue and my jaw. I will continue to take it easy in hopes that everything will continue to heal up. Im down 12 pounds. Its going to be hard not to put all of the weight back on. I’m starving!! lol
Tonsillectomy Day 8 : Days 8 – today – Pain has slowly begun to decrease, however, it’s remained at about a 3/4 for the last two days. However, my body has slowly begun to feel better. I feel like a human again. That’s a refreshing feeling.
Tonsillectomy Day 8 : Days 8-10–able to eat a little bit more everyday, but it was different every day. Pudding and mac & cheese were good one day, bad the next. Chicken noodle soup was also good, couldn’t eat anymore jello 😛 Throat still sore, still doing the Advil/Tylenol rotation. Waiting for scabs to fall off, but throat still all white.
Tonsillectomy Day 8 : Day 8, Ok I am feeling much better. Last night was rough. I had taken my pain meds around 11:30 PM , and around 12:15 my earache was unbearable. I had a problem eating yesterday. I just wanted to eat a Popsicle. I got down on my knees and prayed to God to let the pain go away so i could eat. A few minutes later, the pain in my ears subsided (Thanks God!). I ate 2 Popsicles.
Tonsillectomy Day 8 :Day 8- while I felt really crappy all day long I stayed home all day & rested and this evening I feel just a lil better.
Tonsillectomy Day 8 : Recovery Day 8 (post-op day 9):
Had another relapse of pain today on my right side and into my right ear. At this point I am just so exhausted from lack of sleep and lack of proper food. I had my post-op appointment with my surgeon today. He said i still have a ways to go but it is beginning to heal. He said my tonsils were extremely large and that the tonsil beds (where the tonsils were) that are now left behind are so massive that it will take extra time to heal since there is so much damaged tissue back there from the cauterization. I was able to eat some of a baked potato today with cheese and bacon.
Day 8! Finally! I’ve been sleeping a lot. Going to bed around 12 – 1 Am and waking up around 11 am with only waking up once or twice to use the bathroom or take a dose of Norco. Throat is still raw, jaws still ache, still collecting some saliva in the back of my throat because I am not swallowing normally. Today marks the first day that I’m talking again. I still sound nasally/congested when I talk, but I actually carried on a phone conversation with an employer for a job I’m starting in two weeks, so that’s wonderful. Still not able to discontinue narcotic pain medications, but I can’t stretch to 5 or 6 hours between doses. I’m eating a bit more than broth now: I had some elbow macaroni with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese (luckily, the marinara sauce did not irritate my throat), some corn with sugar melted on it, garden peas with salt, and I actually scarfed down two entire Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies last night. Unfortunately, my taste buds are completely inflamed/”off” so nothing tastes good. Tonight, I’m sending my husband to Olive Garden and I’m going to attempt the Five Cheese Ziti (however, what I really want is a medium cooked filet mingon, with french fries & ketchup, warm garlic biscuits, and a shirley temple) — can you tell I haven’t eaten almost anything in 8 days? Lost 10 pounds, but know it won’t be for long. Cleared my throat this morning – collected a lot of phlegm last night- and afterwards I realized I had cleared it just a bit too hard because I tasted blood in the back of my mouth. I spit into a Kleenex and saw that it was bleeding a little. I stated panicking, but luckily it was only that little bit of red and then stopped. Whew. Coughing a bit more at night – not sure why – if it’s just the post-nasal drip or if I’m actually catching a little bit of a cold. However, it seems that a lot of people on here start coughing towards the end part of their recovery, so I’m assuming post nasal drip.
Here’s a couple for you Greg: you’ve now got a mountain of data on this misery, yes? As a mid 40’s guy I wonder two things –
1. what is average ‘recovery time’ dependent upon age? Somewhere else on the site you offer ‘ten-point-something’ days as an average overall, but I’m guessing that the older you are, the longer than becomes? I’m presuming that the ‘circa ten days’ average duration is the point at which I may still have a ‘sore throat’, but not wake up with fire being poured into my throat and ears?
2. What is the age distribution of people having tonsillectomies? Dimly remembering from school that all sets of numbers end up being distributed an an upside-down bell-curve, I would like to think that at 46 I’m in a shrinking minority, and would pity anyone say another 10 years older than me, when everything presumably will be yet slower to heal?
I’m in ‘scabs falling off, globs of blood’ pain mode today. I’m quite ‘lopsided’ as a person, the surgery has reflected that – one side back there is smaller and a couple of days ahead of the other. The smaller side main scab fell away 2 days ago, today the larger of the two gaping cavities is just a mess, although I think I’m coagulating enough not to panic. I’m managing 1 sloppy Weetabix for breakfast, a small soup or similar for lunch and a bowlful of liquidized dinner. When I’ve fought my way through the evening food I feel a lot better for it. Persevere! Still maxed out on paracetamol-codeine and ibuprofen, but the longevity of pain relief is slowly increasing. If you’re not eating, try to; if you’re fed up with the pain, you are not alone! Take care.
Thanks for the post Phil. I am a little concerned: Your questions and observations seem far too coherent for a person taking enough pain medicine for tonsillectomy recovery! ha ha ha.
I have taken polls and the ten day or so does seem a consistant average. Anecdotally, it does appear that the younger folks fair better- most evident in the under 15 group. Having said that, I have recently read of some 50 somethings having pretty smooth recoveries. With all the variables; tonsillectomy method and surgeon skill, environment, behavior of patient, it would be challenging to nail down a precise corollary like you allude to.
I wish you all the best in your recovey. It sounds like you are well prepared and have a good attitude. ONe could ask for little more than that.
Take care!
Today is day 8 for me, I’m 21 years old and home from college for the semester, in January I had my wisdom teeth extracted, and though I didn’t struggle much with pain that surgery, I kept having reoccurant strep throat and nasal pain… When I went to the Ent I found out I had to have my tonsils removed… Since I’d just gone through surgey I decided that I might as well get it over with so I didn’t have to recover and than recover again from a second surgery. I was so so so so so wrong. Why did I ever do this to myself? The pain from my tonsils were a million times worse than the wisdom teeth, razors, and fire, and I can’t even deal. The emotional toll it’s taken on me is unbelievable. I cry so much and it only makes me hurt more :((( today on top of everything my tongue started to act up… Maybe because I’ve eaten Popsicles for 2 months and freezed the first layer off or something?! I don’t know. Just please let this be over soon. Please please please please please.
Aubrey, Hopefully you were able to go back to school somewhat recovered. I wanted to give you piece of mind for going through this painful surgery now. At 56 I am on day 8 of my recovery. I was advised to have a tonsilectomy when I was in my 20’s. I listened to horrifying revovery stories and could not find one adult who did not regret having this surgery. I chose to deal with my tonsilitis and strep throat instead. I did not make the right choice. I ended up with a chronic throat infection which at times was every bit as painful as this recovery. Only difference the painful days were sparatic. The infection caused a laundry list of multiple health issues and life altering events. To name a few; sleep anea, migraines and quite a bit of hearing loss. I was petrified of this surgery but calmed myself down by letting my body accept it and I am every bit as miserable as i expected. I just keep reminding myself how much more I will be gaining. I hope my story helps you realize “in hind-site” you are a very smart young woman.
Day 8
Pain is 7/8; goes down to 3/4 at peak of meds.
I slept 3 hours last night. I want to cry (and I did) with the pain and lack of sleep. I feel awful; just so exhausted. The night before I didn’t sleep at all- just fell asleep for 3 hours in the morning. This cannot keep up like this.
My pain meds ran out- doctor has not returned my call since yest morning. Doc will be getting an angry call this morning. Have been coping with migraine medicine I had On hand and Advil. Stomach is a mess- cant eat dairy and everything seems to make it angry.
My sinuses also ache, in addition to what feels like the core nucleus of my head- behind eyes down to esophagus. Scabs seem to be slowly coming off- which feels good. They gag me often and I need a spittoon by my side at all times. Pain meds including migraine meds are not lasting as long- like 2 hours at best.
I’m doing my best to focus on life after recovery but its hard. I just want to cry and sometimes I do. This is craziness 🙁
yes this is day 8 felling little better.i was able to eat a Doughnut last night this Time it only took 38mins not bad …..anyway.I read some where that to take a damp wash-cloth to bed with you and place it just over your mouth at night and it will act Like a humidifier and i’ll be Damed it worked Guys it realy did (keeping it there all night was the problem) when i woke up at 2am my norm my mouth was not all Dryed out.. my toung was not like sand paper… I was so excited i woke up my husband to tell him because i felt good and as you all know felling good for us right now is so few and far between these days any way he did not remember REALY……any way try it see if it works you have nothing to lose……still not able to eat much in the way of food But i have lost 8lbs……any-way before i close i just want to let my husband mark and my 3 (4 Legged children max,coco.presious) Know That i love you all so much for putting up with all my B…S…my complaints,,my crying,,, my Mood swings ….you just went with the flow.. you never got angry 1 Time with me you just kept telling me that you love me and you are here for me, I Guess we tend to forget that our other half be it husband,family member ect… they are going thru this with us it is not all about me.me.me.me…… so when we both said for better or worse… WE DID NOT LIE..so in saying that i hope you all get to felling better it;s just taking 1 day at a time and tomorrow will be day 9 YEA………HAAAA