Hello I’m a 51 yr old male with a high tolerance to pain. I had a tonsillectomy and partial uvv performed on 07/24/2017 so today is day 25 and I still have pain and scabs. I read the stories on here before the operation so I knew it wasn’t going to be a cake walk but never did I imagine that the pain could be as bad as it was.

Tonsillectomy For Sleep Apnea – A Daily Journal

Day 1, I had the operation (tonsils removed, uvula shaved and made smaller, and part of my upper soft palate removed) it was quick for so much work but I had some breathing problems when I woke up and they made me breathe in a plastic contraption that measured your breathing till I was able to get it to their satisfaction then I was released. On the way home stopped and got a slushy.. big mistake my mouth wasn’t ready for it and I ended up throwing it away. 2 hours after I got home the pain hit and it put me on my knees.

They had provided a bottle of hydrocodone barbiturate acetaminophen oral solution to take every 6 hrs but since I had just left the hospital I could not take it so I had to sit in agony for a few hours. Once I was able to take the medicine it seemed to work for only 3 hours so I had to wait for 3 more hours in pain. I was also coughing up a lot of phlegm every few minutes. the only thing I could do was sip ice water with ice chips. That night I had to sit upright on my couch cause I was coughing up so much phlegm and was unable to get any sleep and was in extreme pain. Needles to say I was crying at night from the pain.

Day 2 The doctors office called to check on me and said a I could take children’s Motrin in between the normal doses of the other medication, so I set up a schedule that I was at least getting some pain medication every 3 hours, the Motrin didn’t stop the pain but at least it took the edge off. I was unable to eat on day 2 as well. During the day I would nod off for a few minutes before either the pain or a coughing attack would awaken me. It was the same procedure from the night before no sleep, coughing up phlegm, and in pain.

Day 3 was the same as day 2, believe it or not I was not even hungry and food was the last thing I wanted, I couldn’t eat ice cream as it made the phlegm thicker so ice chips and ice water was my best friend. Day 4 the pain subsided some and the coughing started to get a little better, I drank half a Kellogg protein milkshake for breakfast, still on the same schedule of pain med’s that I had started on day 2.

Finally on day 4 I was able to sleep/nod off while sitting up for an hour here and there. Throat was still hurting really bad. Day 5 was the same as day 4 but for dinner I was finally able to eat a little bit of mashed potatoes. and I was able to get a solid 4 hours sleep on day 5. Same pain med’s as day 2. Throat was still hurting really bad.

Day 6 was same as day 5 but I was able to eat a little spaghetti and throat pain got a tiny better.

Day 7,8,9 The throat pain got worse and Mr chipped ice was still my best friend. Day 10 . Finally the pain subsided some and I was actually able to sleep for about 6 hours. Still on same pain med schedule.

Day 11 tried some mac and cheese and it was terrible, seems I’ve lost some of my taste and weighed myself and I had lost 15 lbs since surgery. So mash potatoes and Mr ice chips/water still my best friends.

Day 12-18 was pretty much the same as day 1. I finally I got my normal voice back during this time. The pain had subsided but now yawning was my enemy cause every time I yawned it felt like my mouth was ripping open.

Day 19 I finally was able to eat a pork chop.

Day 22 Was able to return to work

Day 25 I still have scabs in my throat and my throat still hurts but this pain is no where even close to the pain of days 1-5 so to me its just an annoyance. I have a follow up in a couple weeks. All I know is if they need to do another surgery for my sleep apnea I really don’t think I could do it. I’ve broken my knee and shoulder in the past and the pain from this operation far surpassed the pain of those broken bones. I have now lost 23 lbs and still have lost part of my taste. The only thing I can drink is ice tea and ice water everything else taste terrible. Ice chips are still my best friend. Everybody told me being older it was going to be hard on me- well they didn’t lie to me.

Good luck to all who has to go through this in the future and to those still in pain there is light at the end of the tunnel.