Tonsillectomy Forum Archives 3

Laura says:
December 18, 2011 at 3:31 pm (Edit)

I am so frustrated. I feel like I can’t eat anything. All I have had in 36 hours is half a slice of bread and 5 juice pops. How am I supposed to get better if I can’t eat anything? My throat is sore all over right now and I feel weak. I am going to try some canned peaches and see if I get them down. The other problem is that my stomach is so empty, that every time I try to eat, it get’s upset. Any suggestions?
Sarah D. says:
December 18, 2011 at 3:09 pm (Edit)

My pain is really under control. I had most pain day 2. Days 3 &d were better actually. But maybe because I started taking ibuprofen in addition to my liquid hydrocodone… I saw someone saying that we should stay away from anti-inflammatory meds bc it will make you bleed more. Can you all please let me know if you think I should quit the meds? The tbsp of hydrocodone every 4 hours? Or the 600mg of ibuprofin every 6 hours?

I have been eating lots of regular food – yesterday: macaroni n cheese, peas n carrots, broasted chicken, applesauce, beets and today: hashbrowns, chicken soup, chicken tenders with honey, graham cracker cream pie. 😉
Tawnya says:
December 18, 2011 at 9:41 am (Edit)

@Jadee…….THANK YOU, not sure I will be brave enough to start venturing into more regular diet just yet. I’ve heard all sorts of times to start eating different things (from 3-4 weeks post op to right away to a few days after……..so, I’m just not sure.) Darn it. Better play it safe than be sorry, I suppose.

@Kersti………hang in there. Your experience sounds terrible. Glad to hear things are now on the mend for you!

@Meghan……….I am also a teacher. I’m 39 and have been sick what feels like all of my life! I am a twin and she had hers removed years ago and tried and tried to get me to have mine removed. I just didn’t feel like they were bad enough (I guess). Then, this last bout of sickness I was just fed up. Anything that would cause me to have to spend a night in the hospital needed to GO! And the worst part was that (where I live there is no hospital, just a clinic with a nurse practitioner—I live an hour either direction from a hospital) anyway, I had gone to the clinic (about 2 months ago) for a “sore” throat (that I had had for a while already) she did a strep test and it came back negative. She gave me an antibiotic for a sinus infection and sent me on my way. About 3 weeks later, I still had a sore throat and thought I better go to a Doctor. So, I made the hour drive and took a friend with me. As soon, as my Doctor saw my throat she said, “I’m admitting you to the hospital.” It was a very scary thought for me as I had never had to spend a night in the hospital before. So, I told my friend……and I cried……..and we went to the hospital and I got checked in and my friend had to drive my car home so that my husband could turn around and come back. So, anyway, long story short…….she gave me a referral to an ENT and that’s that. I’m on day 13 post op. And I feel better than I have in years- except the minor throat pain I’m still experiencing. So, YES, I am ever so relieved to have done the surgery! One of the best things I’ve ever done! My recovery has been, of course, like everyone’s……painful. I did have a couple scary moments. Two nights in a row, I experienced bleeding. That was not fun! I had coughed a (what I thought was) gentle cough and then all of a sudden I was making a mad dash to the sink. It was quite scary since like I said we live an hour from an ER. And then to have it do it two nights in a row. YUCK! Luckily, the bleeding stopped after several splashes of water to the throat. But, it bled for what felt like a very long time! Anyway, blah blah blah…………..glad to hear you are recovering!! We will be back to school before we know it! 🙂 Take care!
Meghan says:
December 18, 2011 at 7:43 am (Edit)

I’m 8 months post-op today and just wanted to reassure you all that all the pain and discomfort you are going through right now is totally worth it. I was sick ALL the time. And every time I got sick, the infections seemed to linger on forever. I am a teacher, so I am always around germy little kids, and my tonsils were snatching up all those germs. I would get a simple cold that would last for 3-4 weeks. I also had tons of tonsil stones that were painful. Every time I would get sick I would also lose my voice. My mom was really against me having the surgery, but now she can tell physically how much better I am.

Recovery sucks. Period. There is really nothing to say to make it any better, but the info on Greg’s site is very useful. I developed thrush and would have had no idea what it was if I hadn’t read this site. Knowledge reduces pain! I was prepared and we called the doctor immediately when my tongue started getting white. The doctor was impressed that we knew what it was. I also had anti-nausea pills that I took every time before taking the narcotics because I know my body, and know that I they make me sick. The most difficult part for me was the withdrawal from the narcotics. That I was NOT prepared for (I love that Greg has added the depression to his site). It took me weeks to feel like I was back to normal.

As I said, all that I went through was worth it in the end. I have only been sick three times since my surgery eight months ago. And each time, my colds were very minor, and only lasted a few days. Nothing like they used to be! Even some of my stomach problems have cleared up. The tonsils are just nasty germ collectors! My mom asked me last night if I had a cough drop, and I realized I didn’t… for the first time in years I don’t have to carry around a stash 24/7 🙂
Kersti says:
December 18, 2011 at 7:02 am (Edit)

Had my tonsils out on Thursday the 15th of Dec.. boy did I have a hell of a time! Just reading up on what everyone has said here and it is a relief that my recovery has been pretty similar. I’m currently at the end of day 4 and I feel so much better. Day 3 was the worst for me (I am only on two 500mg of soluble paracetamol every 6 hours since the operation) and on day 3 I decided I just had to take a 50mg tablet of tramadol to get me through the pain. The tramadol didn’t help me so much with the throat pain, it helped me with neck pain and back pain and all the random pains that I had after surgery. Not quite sure why my shoulders, back and abs were sore after having surgery.. but ok! Decided I wouldn’t have tramadol again because it put me in a really drunken state and had heart palpitations when it was wearing off. But I do think tramadol helped by making my recovery a lot quicker for some reason.

Had a couple of complications – had two have surgery twice! The first surgery was the routine removal.. after 1.5 hours of laying in recovery and trying to wake me up they realised that I had a hematoma at the back of my throat (which was bleeding like crazy and getting bigger) so they had to cancel the rest of the operations for the day and take me straight back into theater where I had to have my stomach pumped to remove the blood I had swallowed and then to seal the bleed. It wasn’t as scary as it sounds but I did cry a bit – I think they put me on morphine and gargling squirting blood was terrifying. But of course I was put to sleep with propofol for the second time thankgod. They tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal telling me not to worry but then I was surrounded by doctors, managers and nurses and literally running me down through the hospital on a bed.

After the second operation my neck was so swollen (which has almost gone down at the end of day 4) I’m not sure why.

Day 1 – surgery, pain 5.5/10 to 6/10, no sleep, sitting up all night. Only on two 500mg of paracetamol tablets every 6 hours, maxolon every 6 hours. Talked a lot today
Day 2 – arrived home, eating small amounts of jelly, hurts to swallow, pain 5.5/10, not much sleep at all maybe 1 hour in total, sitting up at night. Only on two 500mg of paracetamol every 6 hours, and one 500mg of azithromycin today, maxolon every 6 hours. Cracked a scab and it started to bleed but stopped shortly afterwards. Talking a little bit today
Day 3 – most severe pain so far 6.5-7/10, two 500mg of paracetamol every 6 hours, one 50mg tramadol tablet, 250mg azithromycin today, maxolon every 6 hours. Neck still really swollen and puffy. Stabbing pains in right ear (the side that had been operated on twice). Too painful to talk at all today
Day 4 – woke up with pain of 5.5/10, two paracetamol every 6 hours, 25omg azithromycin today, maxolon every 6 hours. Neck has gone down in swelling and not so puffy. Throat started getting a itchy in some spots (which is exciting!!! 🙂 ). got some sleep finally today. Still sleeping sitting up. Stabbing pains in ears again, but now it has eased to a little bit of itchiness. Only just starting to talk again, swallowing is also less painful

Some tips I would recommend: sleep sitting up as long as possible – don’t lay down. Take panadol, antibiotics, maxolon (to stop spewing), do not take anti-imflammatories (promotes bleeding), they say eat tough foods to get the scabs off… don’t stress too much about it, as long as you chew your jelly/pasta/icecream/bread and move the muscles you’ll be ok. Cool water helps, slightly warm food helps, rinse your mouth out (I’m not gargling it yet) with antibacterial mouthwash after you eat food every single time, no citris, no spicey foods, sit up while sleeping for the first few days to reduce swelling quicker, try sleep as best as you can

Everyone who is thinking of having a tonsillectomy, don’t be scared. I was really scared before I went in, with a high level of anxiety – I had runny poos for four days before having the op! They gave me some pre-meds one hour before the first operation (3mg of midazolam and maxolon) which was an injection into my butt! That was enough to put me to SLEEP! I wasn’t sick or dizzy, I just wanted to go to bed. So when I got into the theater I was like SWEET, LETS GO! That midazolam works amazing, I hate taking that sort of thing but really it was needed. I am 58kg/21yr old female.. and for only 3mg to do that … woah!! they were going to give me 6 but I asked them to halve it.

Don’t be scared of the op it really isn’t that bad. I’ve had meningitis and glandular fever (twice) this year, and I was in hospital all of those times, and they were much worse than the aftermath of a tonsillectomy. Take care people 🙂 as I said to the doctors while I was high on drugs: “Well, I’ll see YOU on the FLIPSIDE!” – then the anesthetic hit!
Jadee says:
December 17, 2011 at 10:36 pm (Edit)

@ Tawnya – I would recommend you eating what your comfortable with, the pain will still be there, at day 12, I was eating almost anything I wanted to, but just in small quantities because it took forever to eat and swallow partially due to pain and my taste buds weren’t back up to normal as well. I’d med up right before I ate and then chewed my food down to mush and swallowed chasing with water. As for chips, I just recently started eating some chips and crackers straight from the box and not in soup. I still chew it like crazy to make sure it doesn’t irritate my throat, but figured it’s still going to be a dull pain, so why not eat something I like.
Jadee says:
December 17, 2011 at 10:28 pm (Edit)

@ Sarah D. – When I came out of surgery and was in recovery, I was given a 32 oz. mug with Ice water in it, it had a straw, and I wasn’t instructed not to use, but told to drink 4 of those mugs everyday. As for Docs, guess it’s different strokes for different folks. Others have commented that using a straw was a saving grace as well, so it worked during my recovery, and recommended it. I also think using a straw uses some common sense, I wouldn’t suck like I’m sucking an orange thru a straw but merely sipping no different than a glass. As for others, Day 17, and starting to feel little to no pain through out the day, I haven’t had any pain meds all day and don’t intend to use any either, just a slight dull pain in my throat, and now I’m eating basically whatever I want. For those in that 3-4 day range good luck with your recovery, pain should start to peak soon hopefully and then it’s all down hill from there. Happy Healing. 33, m, surgery 11/29/11.
Tawnya says:
December 17, 2011 at 10:28 pm (Edit)

@ Sarah D. Thank you……….it still makes me nervous and I’m not quite sure what to do. Tonight I feel like I have a potato stuck in my throat. 🙁
Lex says:
December 17, 2011 at 10:24 pm (Edit)

@sarah d: my doctor said there was nothing I could have done. My tonsils were very big and cryptic and he said when they are like this they are rooted deeper into the muscle so that can cause more bleeding problems. I had only had liquids and some Mac and cheese so I don’t think It was any reason from eating. The doctor said that it is very very rare for someone to bleed that much so hopefully it won’t happen to anyone else!!
Suzanne says:
December 17, 2011 at 10:07 pm (Edit)

anyone ever choke up a round piece of plastic before? just wondering if this is something that is something that is supposed to be in there to hold something or if it was left by accident and pushed its way out. either way. i am in much less pain with out it.
Sarah D. says:
December 17, 2011 at 9:13 pm (Edit)

@Tawnya, I think you should start eating regular foods now if you can handle it. Today was only day #4 of my recovering and I ate cheesecurls and chicken, among some other “softer” foods. My doctor told me to eat them as I feel comfortable…
Tawnya says:
December 17, 2011 at 7:40 pm (Edit)

My doctor is 3-1/2 hours away. I have not yet had my follow-up appt. When can I start eating more regular foods??? Oh, how I would love a potato chip!
Gwen says:
December 17, 2011 at 7:27 pm (Edit)

@Nikki – The percoscet tablets come in different strengths. You should call the doctor and see if you can increase safely.
Sarah D. says:
December 17, 2011 at 3:52 pm (Edit)

Lex, was there anything IN your control that could have prevented a recauterization? What a terrible setback, especially if you have done everything as you were directed. I’m sorry!
Jen says:
December 17, 2011 at 3:39 pm (Edit)

Thanks Tawnya! Good to know this will soon be a distant memory. Good luck to all of the rest of you, especially those who just had to get re-cauterized and start over!
Sarah D. says:
December 17, 2011 at 2:49 pm (Edit)

Sounds like I am in the same boat as a couple others that posted today. Today is day 4 for me and now my ears are hurting like heck. I have been keeping up on my tbsp of hydrocodone every 4 hours, but I was going to ask my doctor about more pain relief on Monday. If you all are sure it’s ok to take ibuprofen between the hydrocodone doses, I will gladly try that. How much is safe?

@suzanne, thanks for that reassurance. Phew!

I haven’t pewked yet. Nor have I coughed up any blood clots. I have eaten VERY little: gatorade, popsicles, jello, cheesey cornpuffs (these SERIOUSLY melt in your mouth), tiny bit of chix broth, tiny bit of yogurt, and tiny bit of applesauce. I know drinking and eating hurts bc it hurts to swallow in general. I have found that order matters, especially after waking up when the pain is most intense.
1st, I suck down a popsicle or icee.
2nd, I take my tbsp of meds.
3rd, I suck down another popsicle or icee.
4th, I make myself drink down a good 16oz of liquid and sneak in some foods as well.
It’s easier when the neck and throat areas are kind of numb, so be sure to keep an ice pack on your neck all the time!

Last question: My dr stressed DO NOT use a straw. The sucking may cause the scabs to prematurely start sloughing. He said lots of natural swallows is the key.

Get better, everyone!
Laura says:
December 17, 2011 at 2:18 pm (Edit)

Well, I guess I am on day 3 of recovery. I had my tonsils out Thursday morning, and fared pretty well the first two days. I was drinking regularly, and even ate some soup and KD. I woke up this morning and noticed that my throat was hardly sore, but I had terrible heartburn. As soon as I got the heartburn under control, the right side of my throat started to be unbearably painful. Now I am back to feeling like total crap. I am taking my Percocet regularly as prescribed and have started to use ice packs on my throat as well. I know this will get better, but in the mean time it totally sucks. 🙁
Lex says:
December 17, 2011 at 1:24 pm (Edit)

Hi everyone. I an 20 and on day 10 of recovery, I guess maybe now back to say 2 since I has to be re-cauteriZed yesterday. @tara the anti nausea Meds really helped me. Especially when you’re unable to eat but still need to take the pain meds. I have zofran that is great and also these ear patches my doctor prescribed for an extra layer Of help. I definitely feel your pain, I ended up being so weak and sick that that became my main complaint, not my throat. Eat as much as you can when you can to prevent becoming so weak. @melissa I take Advil in between my pain meds, especially when my ears are hurting it really helps.
Nick O. says:
December 17, 2011 at 1:14 pm (Edit)

@Dawn–Like said by others, make sure he’s constantly drinking water and swallowing. Even when I’m not drinking water I swallow what little saliva I have in my mouth. It hurts a little, but not like “razorblades”. Also I haven’t been breathing through my mouth at all. Not sure if this is possible for others, but I know it’s better for you because you’re not constantly drying your throat out by breathing through your mouth. Can’t stress drinking enough or swallowing in general. I mentioned earlier that I wake up every hour to drink some water when sleeping. I recommend that as well. Good luck to you and everyone else!
Holly says:
December 17, 2011 at 1:14 pm (Edit)

My daughter just had her tonsils out and her doctor recommended taking Ibuprofen in between her regular pain meds. It helps with swelling and takes the edge off of her pain until her next dose of Hydrocodone.
Tara says:
December 17, 2011 at 1:05 pm (Edit)

Day 3 of recovery from tonsillectomy, and last night was the worst so far. My meds had been keeping my pain tolerable, and I had been eating. However, last night I woke up to take them and was in a cold sweat, weak, shaking at the knees and horribly nauseas. I took my meds to try and help and instantly puked them up. I puked twice more, every hour until I was just dry heaving. I’m so sore all over my body and so incredibly weak, almost like the flu but worse. I’m terrified to drink any liquids or try my pain meds with the anti nausea med because I’m afraid I’ll puke again- I don’t want to go through what I went through last night again. My body seems to be rejecting everything I give it, I ate a single ritz cracker and couldn’t even keep that down. Just wondering if the anti nausea medicine will help? And what should I do about being so weak and sore?
Melissa says:
December 17, 2011 at 11:00 am (Edit)

Hey all – quick question for all of you. Is it okay to take Advil (ibuprofen)? I’m on day 3 and the T3s are making me so sick. I took two Advil a few minutes ago and then realized they could possibly increase the bleeding which is the last thing I want to do. Should I continue taking the T3s? Or would Advil be okay to take now?

Hope everyone is healing well so far!
Suzanne says:
December 17, 2011 at 10:15 am (Edit)

@sarah D I had thrush complication with my tonsilectomy. my whole tongue was swollen and very painfull and covered in the white patches. it also goes on your gums too. I am on a rinse I have to do 3x daily and then swallow it. it is gross but it is working. so if it is just on your tonsils id say it is just the scabs but if it is all over your mouth and painful then get checked out.
Tawnya says:
December 17, 2011 at 9:48 am (Edit)

Jen, I am 39 also and recovering from tonsillectomy surgery. I am on day 12 post op. I want to send you some encouragement and let you know that as long as you are staying on top of your pain meds, you will be through this in no time! I truly can’t believe how fast it’s gone. I feel like the last two weeks have just been a blur. A drug induced blur but, non the less. Some other things you might want to consider eating that I ate are mushy potatoes- add a ton of milk and butter, cream of wheat, orange sherbet (the sherbet was my life saver!). Anyway, good luck!!! And take care!
Jen says:
December 17, 2011 at 4:20 am (Edit)

I’m a 39 yr old woman on day 3 of recovery from sleep apnea surgery including tonsillectomy and nasal surgery.

My 3 year old son just had his tonsils out two weeks ago; also sleep apnea.

Recovery hasn’t been fun, as I expected, but I really appreciate this website because at least I was fully prepared for what I’d face. At this point I’ve basically been maxing out my pain meds and forcing myself to eat soft foods, since I know from experience with previous surgeries that not eating + pain meds + antibiotics causes stomach issues worse than the surgery itself. So far so good with this one, knock wood.

What seems to help the most is a constantly running humidifier, sleeping in a lazy boy chair with a neck pillow and a hospital icepack on my throat at all times, taking frequent showers and baths because of the steam, and irrigating my nose frequently with saline. I’ve been eating a bunch of things recommended here – jello, popsicles, eggs, yogurt, juice, chamomile tea with honey.

Thinking of all of you in recovery right now and sending you best wishes! It’s nice to know I’m not alone.
Nikki says:
December 17, 2011 at 1:31 am (Edit)

It’s a bit past midnight now on my third day. The pain is definitely more intense and the swelling feels worse, 🙁 . I have a question regarding my medication. My doc prescribed me to take 1 percocet pill every 4 to 8 hours. I’ve seen others online that say they take two every four hours. I’m just under 110lbs and about 5’1″. Would it be bad for me to up my dosage, at least temporarily, seeing as how I’m supposedly entering into the worst days?

I would srsly kill for some KFC rn.
Jadee says:
December 17, 2011 at 12:38 am (Edit)

@ Dawn – I agree with the water with honey, but would recommend some loose tea with honey. Find some tea with some healing properties in it. I had some mate and chai, and it was awesome, plus gave me some energy. Check out Teavana for some different kinds.
Jadee says:
December 17, 2011 at 12:36 am (Edit)

@ Dawn – As much as it sucks he needs to push thru the pain and drink, drink, drink, drink. The constant motion of swallowing and the hydration will only help his recovery process. He also needs to eat some food because the scabbing will get bigger if there isn’t anything to slough them and break them down, at least in my opinion. I recommend drinking from a straw to control liquid amount in the mouth. Sucking on ice chips and icing like crazy on the outside of his neck. I had packs on 20 minutes on 20 off consistently for the first week, and I would tie them up with a flour sack towel. Plus I think sitting up right or an upright angle and moving around also help. You need to push him a little though, stay strong for his sake, but truly push the liquids even when not thirsty. I drank like every 15 minutes just to keep that swallowing motion constant.
Dawn says:
December 17, 2011 at 12:30 am (Edit)

After reading some of your comments, I understand what my son is going through is “normal”. As for the nausea some of you are experiencing, it is from the blood you are swallowing…we found that out last weekend in the ER. After having an iv with antihausea meds, morphine and a steroid, we were sent home. Amazing how much better he felt but is unfortunatley was short lived. Kyle has been on Roxicet for the past 8 days but after taking him to the ENT doc again today, he switched him to another med. My husband just took him some warm water with honey in it…he is drinking it and says it seems to be helping…thank you for that suggestion. I hope all of you heal soon and back to normal. My heart goes out to all of you after seeing what my son is going through.
Jadee says:
December 17, 2011 at 12:29 am (Edit)

Day 17, I went to work today and let me tell you it was a nice change of pace. I was glad to be back at work. Unfortunately, it’s my weekend coverage, so I’m working overnight Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Not sure why HR has to cover production on the weekends, but it works. I’m off both Thurs and Fri the next two weeks as a result. Still have a that sore throat feeling, and like Gwen I feel a little swollen up. I take pain meds before heading to bed, and then maybe once during the day depending on what I eat and how much aggrevation it created. Today was a banana, slice and half of pizza, and a philly, that was my food consumption. I can’t open my mouth very wide and eat slow, so I eventually quit some time during my meal. Guess that’s why I’ve lost 25 lbs., and it continues to stay off, which I appreciate it. The downside, none of my clothes fit me anymore. There are a lot more people on the board and it’s great to see all the comments. For those struggling with food, one of my saving graces was soup Progresso, chicken noodle and creamy chicken wild rice, I lived off these daily and would eat a third of can for a meal. Plus some tea with honey hit the spot and there are some herbal benefits as well. @ Lex – hopefully your troubles are in the past, keep strong, and it shall pass. For those saying days 3-4 are the toughest, I would tend to disagree, I think it was 6-8 for me. The scab sloughing is the worse, and I was at my pain peak, and at my breaking point of the monotomy of everything. Stay strong. @ Sarah D. – I think your symptoms are normal and those are the scabs, not thrush, and those scabs will become the most disgusting smelling, tasting, and feeling things in your mouth soon, so don’t panic just try and eat some food to break them off quickly and naturally. The whole thought process made me gag and that’s when I had my bleeding bouts. I don’t wish the sloughing process upon anyone because it is so nasty. Itchiness from meds – I thinks it’s pretty common and not a sign that you are becoming addicted like someone posted earlier. I was like 7 days straight every four hours, itching for an hour straight, but it subsided and I’m not addicted. @ Jason L. – Glad to see your doing well – after having just my tonsils out, I can tell I sleep better and apnea improved, plus weight loss probably helps too. As for the others keep fighting thru, take meds, relax, but most importantly get ready for the day and find some purpose for the day rather than wasting away on the couch, this helped me tremendously (2 kids ages 2 and 6 mos. home from daycare, my doing though, don’t get to spend that kind of time normally). I would do the surgery again in a heart beat because I already notice a difference, and I wouldn’t change it, there are so many benefits in the end. This board has been awesome, and one place where people want to hear the gross details and where you don’t have to feel embarassed of what you’re going thru, and you can talk openly without worrying about people smelling your breath 🙂 . Happy Healing. 33, m, surgery 11/29/11.

On another note, got biopsy back of the 6 inch surface area of skin cancer they removed, and it was negative, so they got it all out, and tonight I took out the stitches.
Dawn says:
December 17, 2011 at 12:13 am (Edit)

My son who is 19 had surgery 8 days ago. He is miserable and having a hard time even swallowing water. He says each time he swallows it feels like razor blades. Has anyone experienced this and what did you do to help it? As a mom, I feel so helpless and it breaks my heart to see him in so much pain. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We did go to the ER last weekend…2 days after surgery…he was dehydrated and nauseous. He got an iv with meds that seemed to help alot. If he is not better in the morning I am hoping he will agree to go back to the ER. Thank you for any help you may share.
Diane says:
December 16, 2011 at 10:55 pm (Edit)

On day 3.5 of Tonsillectomy. Here’s my question. Anyone else a nursing mom going through this? My 6 month old was nursing FULL TIME and suddenly (one day after surgery) my milk has all dried up. Seriously? Full time nursing (he’s not on solids yet) to nothing in 24 hours. I nursed my other 4 children a full year. Is it the meds? (hydrocodone 3tsp every 4-6 hours.) I’ve been taking 1.5 tsp every 2-3 hours. Ready to go off them entirely if my milk will let down again.

Also, I’ve been doing GREAT, even when Iforget to take the pain meds but what’s this I hear about days 7-10 being the worst? Should I prepare myself to regress as far as pain goes?
Gwen says:
December 16, 2011 at 10:41 pm (Edit)

@Melissa – I did not have bleeding, that I knew about. It seemed this morning like that split crack in the white coated area might bleed but it hasn’t. I guess it’s just another part of the scabbing that also has to come off, and tonight there are more cracks and spaces, so I suspect that is coming off a bit at a time. So puffy back there, it’s gagging me. Totally ready to be done with this.
@Lex – So sorry you’ve had to go through another cauterization! I hope you feel better soon.
Lex says:
December 16, 2011 at 10:28 pm (Edit)

@sarah d my scans were whiteish green and the doctor said that was what was expected! Good luck.
Melissa says:
December 16, 2011 at 10:27 pm (Edit)

Ending Day 2 – lots of pain, still only eating ice chips, popsicles and pudding. I tried some mashed potatoes earlier but they were too sticky and unfortunately I have a restricted diet so this is pretty much it. I’d kill for some soup right now!

I’m taking my 2 of my T3s every 4 hours to keep the pain under control. They’re starting to upset my stomach since I am eating so little but I don’t want to risk taking gravol and sleeping for so long the tonsil bed dries out. Does anyone have any advice about the nausea? It’s seriously my biggest issue right now. I had to stop writing this post and run cause I got a hot flash and I thought I was gonna pass out/vomit (I have an intense phobia of vomit). Do you think it’s all the T3s? Or maybe blood in my belly that I don’t know about? As far as I know, I haven’t had a bleeding incident since that little bit last night, but it didn’t even fill my mouth, just went down my throat like post-nasal drip.

On the plus side, I have lost 4lbs in the last day and half Given the amount of water I’m drinking, I hope that’s not water weight. I’m obese and if this can jump-start some weight loss for me, I’ll be incredibly happy.

Finally, does anyone have a bright yellow paste over their wounds to help prevent bleeding? I do and I think it’s the cause of the terrible terrible taste in my mouth. I brushed my teeth and it helped for a little bit but the taste is back. I hope it’s not an infection – I’m on 10mg of liquid Amoxocillin (tastes delicious though!), three times daily.

@ Gwen – I think you’re right about the infection. I was able to open my mouth wide enough to check out what it looks like and he removed the entirety of one of the tonsillar pillars! I thought I was being a wuss. Now I’m starting to understand why it hurts. I’m so happy you made it out okay! Did you have bleeding?
@ Nick – my entire body is achy too! I had this after my last surgery but since it was a laproscopic abdominal surgery, I thought it was cause of that. I think its the anesthsia?
@ Lex – that sounds horrendous. How are you feeling now? Do they know what caused the bleeding? I hope you are feeling better and that was the last of your hurdles for your recovery.
@ Kelley – I’m so glad to hear you’ve had a normal recovery so far. It gives me hope! I’m terrified of what’s going to happen over the next few days.
Sarah D. says:
December 16, 2011 at 10:05 pm (Edit)

@kelly, I am extremely jealous! I had a better day today than the first two, but still can’t speak or swallow without it feeling like I am swallowing barbed wire!
The real reason I came to post is to ask about thrush. I have white and green all in the back of my throat in the crater areas where the tonsils used to be. I think thr grren is because of the popsicles, but how do you know if the white mess is scabs forming or yeast/thrush? This might be sick, but I asked my dad to smell my mouth and he couldn’t smell yeast either…
Kelley says:
December 16, 2011 at 9:24 pm (Edit)

I am 17 female, on day 5 after getting my tonsils removed and im fine?? im hungry im sleeping great and out of bed for majority of the day. There is pain but no more than having just a average sore throat. I can eat i can drink and i can talk… last night i had pizza for dinner and toast for breakfast. After seeing what my sister was like after getting hers out i was really worried about getting mine out. she followed the story that most people have posted on here but for myself it honestly hasnt been painful enough to bother me.
Jason L says:
December 16, 2011 at 5:21 pm (Edit)

Day 10. Loaded up on my Roxicet and ate real food for the first time. No popsicles, no ice cream or yogurt, no oatmeal. I had some lightly breaded chicken and some rye bread and it was delicious! I’ll go back to the old diet, but I had to eat something real just once.

Everything else is going as well as can be expected. I woke up in a little more pain than usual, but I’ll chalk that up to sleeping 5 hours straight. The drugs still make me woozy, so I can do little else but watch TV. Unfortunately my son is recovering from a fractured tibia, so the majority of the TV I am watching is children’s programming.

@Tara – I am taking Roxicet and have noticed no side effects like you have mentioned.
Nick O. says:
December 16, 2011 at 4:45 pm (Edit)

Day 2 after tonsillectomy. The pain is not unbearable, but it is definitely there. Have been taking liquid hydrocodone every 4 hours since I got home. Been eating ice cream, yogurt, snack packs, and gatorade. Have not brushed my teeth since the surgery out of fear for some reason. Has anybody got any recommendations regarding that? Also my entire body is achy; i’ve pretty much just been sitting on the couch when I’m awake. I do wake up every hour to drink water and subsequently urinate during the night. This is on top of waking up every 4 hours to take pain meds. I sleep on a bed with one of those pillows with the arms on it and I pile on two more pillows so i’m sleeping at a decent angle. I expected a lot more pain, but I guess drinking that medicine actually does work, though I can’t talk very much. Hope everyone is doing alright. I’ll probably keep checking this page since it helps to talk to people going through similar situations.
Sarah D. says:
December 16, 2011 at 4:30 pm (Edit)

Ate my first food successfully! Besides popsicles, gatorade, and jello…today I took on cheesey puffcorn. Doesn’t have nutrients, but it’s better than nothing, right? I love cheese, and the puffcorns pretty much melt in my mouth before I swallow them. They don’t result in nasty mucus either. I think I will try some mashed up pease and carrots or some applesauce next. Yay! PS. Today is my third day and it’s better than my second. Most say 3&4 are really awful. So, momentarily, I will consider myself lucky.
Lex says:
December 16, 2011 at 4:16 pm (Edit)

The bleeding got the best of me. I bled 4 times throughout the course of the night. We continued to call the ENT on call and he kept saying since it would stop before 20 minutes it was ok and just to come in right when they opened in the morning. By this time I was soo weak I could hardly stand from bleeding so much and not eating. Right when we’re leaving I started bleeding again and throwing up black stuff which I later found out was old blood. My ENT saw how week I was and said we needed to go to the hospital straight to the OR so he could re- cauterize one side. He was angry with the one call ENT that he didn’t sent me earlier. As they were wheeling me out to my car for my mother to drive me, I started bleeding once again and then vomiting and then I passed out. So they called the rescue squad to come get me and i rode the ambulance to the OR. My ENT never told me what he was going to do but before I knew it I was prepped for surgery and going in. He ended up re-cauterizing one side, sucking out multiple blood clots that had formed, and pumping Mu stomach of all the blood I have swallowed. I had my surgery 9 days ago so this is just really sucky, I was supposed to be pretty healed up soon. This is only on one side so hopefully the recovery won’t be as bad as the first time around!
Tara says:
December 16, 2011 at 1:04 pm (Edit)

@Melissa Yeah I iced my mouth/throat too which helped. But I’m not able to sleep for longer than 20-30 minutes because I wake up choking on my tongue, which is EXTREMELY swollen, or my spit, since it hurts too much to swallow. Ice chips do sound good, as long as it’s after medicine.

Also wondering, am I the only person who was prescribed to Roxicet? Just curious if these are common side effects. As well as a big, fat uvula that sits on my tongue. I’m just thankful that the meds seem to be pretty effective and I haven’t lost my appetite too much.
Gwen says:
December 16, 2011 at 12:57 pm (Edit)

Day 15 and two weeks out. Woke up with more swelling and I have a “split” in my “cave” wound where he cut out all the infected tissue. No bleeding though, and it doesn’t look like it has been bleeding. Very red crevice though. Might be from the coughing I’ve been doing the last several days. Dr. assistant said I should live until Tuesday when my post-op is. If bleeding starts I’m to go to the ER. Uvula swollen now for the first time and sitting on my tongue. Yuck. It looks like that ugly fat mucus blob guy on the Mucinex commercial. 🙂 I’ll take it easy over the weekend and resume frequent drinking. Water, that is.
@Melissa – Yes, unfortunately, this recovery period is just as bad/long as the first time. I’m just very thankful it’s only on one side. If you have the same kind of wound where there was lots of infected tissue removed, I think that is what is making it just as bad as the first time around, even if it is just one sided. But, it will eventually get better, and you will recover. {{{hugs}}}
Danny G says:
December 16, 2011 at 11:01 am (Edit)

Wow, day 16… Had the best sleep last night I’ve had in over 2 weeks. But, I woke with a dry throat and took a while to get that back to feeling ok. Amazing how much clearer things are today. No pain or problems swallowing after getting the throat re-hydrated. Nose is still causing a little grief as it continues to heal, but it’s tolerable. Gaining back some of my lost weight, and no longer have ‘racoon eyes’ from the nose work, so from the outside I at least look healed.

@Kate, no bad dreams, but really restless and disorganized sleep patterns here.
@Melissa, if the bleeding is enough to concern you to ask us, it would certainly be appropriate to call your doctor. I was fortunate not to have this, but from what I’ve see of others’ posting, anything more than 20 minutes of continual bleeding signaled a need for intervention by the doctor. It can be contributing to nausea, but so can the meds, diet changes, etc. My doctor (thankfully) gave me a prescription for Zofran to prevent / control nausea so it was not an issue for me.
@Lex, glad to see you doing better now. The thicker blood usually just means it’s older, exposed to more air, etc. I had that when I had my wisdom teeth cut out many moons ago, where it wouldn’t bleed for a while, then bleed really thick stuff, followed by thinner. It was a cycle and expected for that procedure, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate for this one, so maybe a call to the doc’s office would be in order?
@Tara, I experienced itching with Hydrocodone as well for the first few days. Ask your doctor if you can take a benedryl to help offset the itching, or you may want to soak in a bath for a bit. The itching is all internal, but the water seems to console the senses (at least it did for me). But, make sure you have someone monitoring you while you’re in the tub. You could end up going to sleep in there, which of course may be a bad thing.

Until next time, good healing to all.
Kate says:
December 16, 2011 at 9:03 am (Edit)

@Danny G- thanks for the info. I think that my uvula hurts more than my throat. I can only eat after I have an anti-inflammatory. I am drinking water like crazy, and it does help.
@Sarah D.- I had oatmeal (2 spoon fulls) and it stuck to my uvula and the sides of my throat. It wasn’t good. If you like soft boiled eggs, try those, all mashed up.

Has anyone been having bad dreams associated with your throat? I have been, it’s been horrible!
Melissa says:
December 16, 2011 at 8:32 am (Edit)

@Gwen – I feel so much better knowing it’s happened to other people too! I haven’t had an incident of bleeding since then and my ENT doesn’t work on Fridays; calling his line sends you to the nurses registry, and they said ER. I don’t think the bleeding was bad enough to warrant a trip to emerg, but if it happens again, I’m not taking any chances. I’ve taken your advice and am going to continue medicating every 4 hours and if it doesn’t get better, I’ll get a new Rx. After looking through all the tips here and what you just said, I’m trying to keep a constant flow of liquids through the pain. Gwen, would you say that you healed faster because it was just one-sided? Or am I looking at a similar recovery rate? Does everything happen the same way as a normal tonsillectomy, like with the scabs, pain worsening mid way through, etc? Thanks so much for the kind words, I feel better!

@Tara – I hope you’re healing well! I too, had my tonsillectomy yesterday and woke up unable to speak/move my mouth. I ate ice chips and iced the outside of my throat and some of the swelling went down and that made things easier. Hopefully that will help you!
Gwen says:
December 16, 2011 at 6:42 am (Edit)

@Melissa – Yes, I have just gone through the same thing. I had tonsils out at age 18, and that was a nightmare recovery. I am now 56, and this recovery is not any better than the first one. I was not expecting it to be as bad, as it was just one regrown tonsil, and not in the spot where a tonsil normally is. When the ENT got in there, there was a big area of hidden infection, so he had to remove quite a large area of tissue.

About your bleeding, definitely call the office and ask what they want you to do. I had my surgery on a Friday, and the surgeon called the house on Saturday and told my husband to have me set a timer to drink something every 10 minutes to keep the cauterized spots moist. If they dried up and came off to fast, it could cause bleeding and require another surgery to re-cauterize.

Good luck to you. It’s not a fun recovery, but you can get through it. Take your meds on time, and if they don’t do the job, you may have to switch to something else. I did.
Tara says:
December 16, 2011 at 6:08 am (Edit)

I’m a 21 year old female, and I had a tonsillectomy on 12/15/2011. After I had mono, my tonsils were never the same. I had 3 episodes of tonsillitis, 1 episode of strep, and a couple episodes of tonsil stones, or tonsilliths I believe, within about1 1/2 years. Every time I went to the doctor and got antibiotics, but he never referred me to an ENT. Finally I asked to be referred and went to the ENT, and he was completely shocked I hadn’t had them removed. I was put on much stronger antibiotics but tonsils stayed fairly large, covered in white, and were bleeding. I finally had surgery yesterday and the doctor said my left tonsil was the worst tonsil he’s ever removed. He said during removal it’s supposed to be fairly firm, but my tonsil was soggy-like, and mushy, and on the backside there were about 10 tonsilliths, or tonsil stones. I’m wondering if this is going to make the recovery harder?

So far day 1 wasn’t too horrible, obvious throat pain but I still had an appetite and was able to eat some mashed potatoes after I took my meds. But once I woke up this morning, I can’t even move my mouth, or speak. I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse. I’m on Roxicet, anyone know anything about that? It’s liquid percacet basically, and when taken 2-3 ml it relieves pain. However, makes me pretty itchy.

Just curious about other peoples recoveries and hoping someone can relate to my story and possible give me advice. I’ve been drinking plenty of water and staying on top of my meds, but I avoid swallowing at all costs.
Melissa says:
December 16, 2011 at 12:33 am (Edit)

Hey all,

I’m Melissa, a 20 y/o female and I had one sided tonsillectomy for a regrown tonsil earlier today. I had my tonsils and adenoids removed when I was 8 because they were massive and causing seriously severe sleep apnea. But apparently they can grow back? Has this happened to anyone?

Today, the ENT did a combined scope and removal of tonsil “tag”, as he called it, at the same time. The tag was quite large – it had grown a large lump near the top of the pillars, in front of the pillars, and down my tongue into the back of my throat. He wanted to remove the tag because it was causing tongue/ear/throat pain and it had grown really quickly (just since July). However, he didn’t tell me what the surgery would be like or what the recovery is like, so I was NOT expecting this kind of pain! He also didn’t talk to me before or after the surgery, so I was not expecting him to remove as much tissue as he did.

The reason I am posting this is because I was experiencing some bleeding and I’m not sure what’s normal. I’ve had it trailing down my throat in a thin-ish line for about an hour and when I tried to open my mouth to get a better look, I noticed bleeding from the surgery site. All in all, it’s not a ton but I’m more scared that I had been bleeding for a while and not noticed it. Should I be worried? I’ve been eating ice chips like mad (I can’t gurgle, never been able to) and last time I checked my throat, the site was bleeding a little but the throat was clear. It seems to be going straight down my throat though – could this be why I’m a little nauseated? If I bled already, should I be worried that it will happen again? I have a terrible phobia of vomit and I’m terrified that I will get to point where I vomit blood, or just vomit. What’s the chance of that happening!?

I’m trying to stay positive (hoping for some weight loss!), but I had no idea how much this would suck! I can’t imagine what a full tonsillectomy would feel like at this stage. I’ve had five surgeries before this including two major ones where I was left with a giant hole through my bone. But this – this is terrible. I’m taking 2 T3s every 4 hours on the dot, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. I can’t imagine what it’s going to feel like later!

I’m so sorry for the novel, but hopefully someone can answer my questions! Maybe then I’ll stop panicking, haha. I wish everyone happy healing and happy holidays. (Speaking of which, any chance I’ll be okay before Christmas?! It’s my favourite time of year and I don’t want this stupid regrown tonsil to ruin it)
Lex says:
December 16, 2011 at 12:08 am (Edit)

Day 8 woo! I am counting down until I will finally be healed. Today I woke up in a lot
Of pain after my first night without pain meds so I am back on the Percocet. Today was the first day I actually had an appetite and I was so glad because i am in desperate need of nutriction. I had soup and Popsicles; later in the day I was laughing and all the sudden My mouth was filled with blood. I bled again for 15-20 minutes. I’ve really avoided going to the ER because I don’t want to go back
Into surgery and start all over. I’ve called Mu doctor each time I’ve bled and he said it should be fine as long as its not more than 20 minutes. The weird thing this time was the blood was so thick and gooey? Has anyone else experiences this? It was sticking to my teeth and mouth, not fun at all. I have been so weak since them and can hardly sit up without feeling light headed. I am anemic so I took My iron pills and drank a protein shake. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow with day 9! Good luck to all of you in w week one. Keep drinking! I found after day 2 or 3 room temperature or warm water felt a lot better than ice water. My favorite thing during week one was warm water with honey, it was the only thing that didn’t hurt at all.
Danny says:
December 15, 2011 at 11:44 pm (Edit)

Day 1 for my tonsillectomy @ 32 yrs old. Already made my first mistake with eating ice cream popsicles, which I think produced all this mucus I had. I gently gargled, and it’s back to pre-ice cream. I’m still hurting, but we’ll see what tomorrow brings. This is a great forum, thanks to everyone for sharing.

@Renee
Read above from my gaff. Stay away from the ice cream…
Alex R says:
December 15, 2011 at 10:28 pm (Edit)

Hey y’all. This is day 3 after my tonsillectomy. I am 19 years old and have extremely bad sore throats on a pretty regular basis especially since I went off to school. Anyway, the first two days after surgery were not that bad, just really hard to talk and my throat pain felt just like one of my really bad sore throats which I can tolerate. However, last night I woke up at 4:30 am and threw up for 2 hour straight. It was one of the most miserable things I have ever experienced. I had been taking the hydrocodine every 4 hours and actually been eating a good amount of food. My doctor recommended switching on and off from Advil liquid-gels to the hydrocodine but all I took today was Advil and it helped the pain in my throat WAY more than the hydrocodine. I even had bagel bites for dinner. The only thing that hurts really bad to do is yawn and talk loudly. It is also obviously really bad when waking up from a nap or from the night time.
Renee says:
December 15, 2011 at 8:38 pm (Edit)

Hi y’all. I’m 19 and having my tonsils out tomorrow morning. I’ve scanned the forum and found some great advice, but does anyone know if I can continue to wear invisalign after surgery? Also anything you think would be crucial to know the first day of recovery?
Thank you!
Danny G says:
December 15, 2011 at 6:57 pm (Edit)

@Sarah. Starting on the second week, I almost lived on Chloraseptic. Some doctors don’t want it used, but I frankly didn’t ask mine. However, by then the scabs had already formed so I don’t know if it would have affected their formation. I really recommend at this stage using ice packs under your jaw (at the neck) instead of sprays – just to be safe. And it really does help. I had a total of 4 small refreezeable packs and alternated 2 at a time wrapped long wise in a towel that I could wrap around the front of my throat. I did this for as long as I needed them – even falling to sleep with them on. Also sucking on ice chips helps – especially before taking meds and even eating. Only you can decide when you’re ready to try more foods. I wasn’t able to eat anything more than scrambled eggs for most of the first week. But, others on here were eating oatmeal and other more solid things on day one. Whatever you decide to eat, just eat it slowly in small bites and wash it down with lots of liquid. It won’t be comfortable especially at first, but it gets tolerable after you get used to it. Good luck.
Sarah D. says:
December 15, 2011 at 6:30 pm (Edit)

So…Why can’t we use that spray that can help numb your throat? Do the chemicals make it hurt too bad or prevent the scabs from forming? I know it’s only the end of my second day, but I have only eaten jello, popsicles, and gatorade. Every swallow hurts. When do I test myself to see if I can eat oatmeal for example?
Danny G says:
December 15, 2011 at 3:29 pm (Edit)

@Kate, welcome to the swollen Uvula club. Many of us have had it. Usually goes down a couple days after it swells up (ice chips and steroids helped mine). Also the gunk on your throat most likely is the dreaded scabbing. Keep drinking and it won’t get too thick. When you feel like you have a cracker stuck in the back of your throat it’s probably the scab starting to peel off. Eating a lot during this time helps get rid of it a little easier.
Greg says:
December 15, 2011 at 3:06 pm (Edit)

Welcome back Lauren! Glad you’re finally 100%! Hey everybody, I launched the new website last night. I think you’ll find more useful information in an easier to navigate environment: https://tonsillectomyrecovery.com

Take care,

Greg
Kate says:
December 15, 2011 at 2:40 pm (Edit)

Good day yesterday, bad day today. I feel as though I took 10 steps back, compared to how I felt yesterday. I am trying to cut down on the pain meds, but as mentioned previously, why be a hero? Well, since I am such a procrastinator, I haven’t finished my Christmas Shopping. Made it to Canadian Tire and Sobeys, and that was it. Thankfully, there is still a week before the panic really sets in.

Is anyone else’s uvula sitting on their tongue? Mine is, and it’s driving me nuts. Also, is the white gunk at the back of my throat scabbing?

Good luck all of you who are just entering the first 3 days of recovery, I found that these were the worst. Drink lots of water, and chew ice, continually.
Randi says:
December 15, 2011 at 1:30 pm (Edit)

So on day 4 of my recovery, I began to bleed out of my mouth. My parents called the hospital and they told them that if it was a lot of blood take me to a local hospital but if not to take me back to the hospital I got my surgery done. After spitting up about a pint of blood, they came and looked at my throat and decided to hook me back up to an IV. they then told me I was going to have to go back into surgery to cauterize it. After doing so, they also pumped my stomach where they found even more blood clots making my recovery rather dangerous. At this point, I would have rather kept getting sick every week then get my tonsils out. I was scared to death and they kept me in the hospital for another 2 days because I couldnt eat or drink anything. I finally got home last night. They had to up my prescription to roxicet, and i have to take it out of a syringe due to the pain and me coughing it back up if i take to much at once. Now today I woke up with really bad sore throat but after taking my meds the pain has subscided and I have even skipped the last dosage because I am trying to cut down. The medicine is making me itch, making me believe that im becoming addicted to it, therefore I refuse to take it unless I am severe pain. Today would have been day 7, and the side that they didnt have to re-surgery on, feels like its perfectly fine and healed. I have decided that I dont want to sleep at night because being I sleep with my mouth half open (WTF) it gets realy dried out waking me up in tears. Im now having chest pains but think it may be because I havent been moving around to much. I am hoping that the cauterize surgery didnt push my recovery back to much. I had to medically withdraw from my univeristy due to all of this and I also am loosing a lot of time at work being my doctor extended my leave another week. Can anyone tell me anything positive?
Rachel says:
December 15, 2011 at 1:29 pm (Edit)

Im on day 3 of my recovery. this morning the pain was worse than day 1 and 2, which werent too bad. my pain medication helps, although it makes me itchy. im just curious as to what i should be expecting these next few days and through my recovery. i found that the tips which work for me are
1. sleeping with a humidifier
2. drinking TONS of water
3. keeping up with my meds.
if anyone has any other tips i would love to hear them. or just to hear about different experiences

also, my tounge has been really swollen on one side since my surgery, and it almost looks like deformed, has this happened to anyone else?
Lauren says:
December 15, 2011 at 1:15 pm (Edit)

Just checking in 2 years after my tonsillectomy. I am praying for all of you during this recovery. I just recently had my 2nd child (c-section) and just for the record, the tonsillectomy was way worse than either of my c-section recoveries. If you are feeling like no one else can understand the pain that comes with an adult tonsillectomy that’s because they can’t. So thankful to Greg for keeping this site alive! It is SO important to have other people that have been or are going through this with you. Hang in there!
My glossolpharyngeal (sp?) nerve was severed during surgery and I was unable to taste for over a year. At least 2 years later I am completely healed and seem to get sick less. I have gotten strep since the surgery and have to say that it is still pretty painfull even without tonsils. Guess the surgery wasn’t the magical cure I was hoping for. But at least once you are recovered, you’ll never have to do it again!
Danny G says:
December 15, 2011 at 1:12 pm (Edit)

@Sarah D. – Call your doctor!!! No one here can (or should) diagnose why you would pass out like that. It could be a lot of little things that combined into something big, or a big thing that needs to be looked at (or at least documented). If you weren’t in pain, but just feeling dizzy than I would doubt it was due to the pain. If you have been taking your meds like you should it could be a sensitivty to them. If you haven’t eaten or kept hydrated, it could be that. It could be a lot of things. So far, I haven’t seen anyone else pass out like that, so it is raising some major flags in my mind. Get it checked – please!
Amanda says:
December 15, 2011 at 12:18 pm (Edit)

I’m 36 years old, and just scheduled my tonsilectomy for January 5, 2012. I’m sooo freaked out!!! Actually cried an hour ago, but need to keep in mind this is a routine surgery, right? =(
Sarah D. says:
December 15, 2011 at 11:57 am (Edit)

Ew. Today I walked into the kitchen to get some meds. I felt dizzy so I sat at kitchen table and put my head down. My dad walked in to see me hit the floor. He caught most of me but I did crack my chin on the tile floor. I had my surgery just yesterday and the worst is still to come. Did I pass out from pain? Do I need food that bad? Help!
Sarah D.
Gwen says:
December 15, 2011 at 10:39 am (Edit)

@Jadee – Not silly or petty, the straw tip. This really helped me with getting small bits of hydration, especially during the night. I know some have said to not drink with a straw because the sucking is uncomfortable, but I had no problem with that.
Gwen says:
December 15, 2011 at 10:36 am (Edit)

Day 14. Not such a great night. Darn coughing and ear pain. Took some ibuprofen this morning, and it helped a lot. Tried to return to my bed last night, but I felt so disruptive to my husband, that I went back to the spare room. still hoping to continue moving forward with less valleys and more hills. 🙂

@jamie – this first week is really tough. Hang in there, you will soon be past it.
Danny G says:
December 15, 2011 at 9:58 am (Edit)

Day 15. Though there is little pain left in my throat, swallowing with ease comes and goes. Most of the time it seems that I swallow without really noticing, then others even with small amounts, it’s like trying to swallow a whole dinner roll. It looked for a time yesterday evening like the scabbing was actually trying to return, as the white film I noted a day or two ago actually thickened up and looked like thinner coat of the scabbing I was so thankful to have shed. However, this morning it was gone again so I have no clue what it was. I have been off all pain meds for going on 3 days now, and really haven’t suffered for it. My problem is still sleeping, and it’s really starting to play havoc with my daily processes. I can’t get comfortable sleeping on my back at a 45 degree angle, and then when I do get to sleep, I ultimately end up breathing through my mouth and then waking every couple hours to clear and/or hydrate my then aching throat. Having a call into the doctor today to see what I can do to remedy this and still work within his orders.
jamie says:
December 15, 2011 at 7:30 am (Edit)

hi all. i feel your pain. i had tonsils removed by laser surgery last friday 9th december and intially the pain wasnt too bad and i could eat with a bit of difficulty. however yesterday was terrible and i am really struggling now – the pain is up and down and when its bad i can barely even swallow water.with laser surgery there is no blood or stitches, they simply zap them out which leave what look like bit burn holes. however so bleeding has started one side which is sign of infection so am now on antibiotics! this is really tough…
Jadee says:
December 15, 2011 at 1:10 am (Edit)

One small bit of silly advice, if you are not doing it already. Drink with a straw almost everytihing. This controls amount of fluid in the mouth. I found I would gulp too much when not using and then feeling like I was going to choke. It’s petty, but I think it helps with control. Sorry for some typos in last post didn’t proof read, quick trigger finger. Good luck everyone.
Jadee says:
December 15, 2011 at 1:04 am (Edit)

Today is day 15 post op, still sore throat, and kind of feels a little swollen today. I only took one dose of pain meds and about to take another before heading to bed. I did crash for 3 hours earlier due to being in a little pain and feeling worn down. @ Jackie, Gwen, and Danny, yes absolutely it is a huge support reading daily about people going through similar experience, although my wife is great, she doesn’t want to experience all the gory details of the scabs, bleeding, and healing. Arm is starting to look better, so hopefully by the weekend will have stitches out. For those sitting at about a week, you are right in the worse of it, or ready to peak in a day or two, keep strong, it to shall pass, think of the rewards when fully healed. @ Lex – you are on the right track, that’s what happened when I had a scab released. I encourage you to start eating more foods to slough the scabs quicker. @ Sarah D. – As my doc put it, don’t try to be a hero, he prescribed pain meds for a reason, take them, consistently, and don’t skip for at least a week then see how I feel. Two weeks isn’t a detriment to your workout regimen, so you need to drop it like a bad habit for the time, so you can heal properly, you’ve been through a lot from reading, but really do you want to complicate things? As far as eating, pumping liquids is by far the most important, but I think there is something to be said to try and eat actual foods for nutrients (especially thinking you’re big on this from being worried about muscle definition). Your muscles will break down faster with little nutrients, so I encourage you to eat foods and I think it helps with the healing process. Once I sloughed my scabs, I felt like a milloin bucks in comparison, and I thinking eating regularly helped them slough faster. Again don’t try to be a hero, take meds, rest, hydrate, and take your freakin time. I have four kids, and the two little ones were home with me pretty much the whole time except for this last week. They forced me to get up everyday and go about my day, and this helped my, but may not for others, but to think of exercising, that’s ridiculous. To the rest continue to focus on healing, it’s right around the corner, two weeks, two weeks, that’s truly what it takes. Happy Healing. 33, m, surgery 11/29/11.
Lex says:
December 14, 2011 at 10:37 pm (Edit)

@kristen I am anemic and I was able to get the surgery just fine, I don’t know if it affects your change of hemmoraging. My ENT told me that of the bleeding continued for 20 min to go to the ER
Lex says:
December 14, 2011 at 10:24 pm (Edit)

I finally made it to a week! It’s actually gone by fast. Yesterday and last night I had awful nausea from the medicines so I decided to stop taking them this morning. Ive hardly noticed a difference in pain and I’m just taking Advil now. I have been very weak and sick from not eating the past few days and my legs shake when I stand. This morning I was feeling very sick to my stomach like I was going to throw up, I went into the bathroom and began coughing when suddenly I saw a small amount of blood, this quickly increased to a large amount of blood. I was just standin there with my mouth open over the toilet and blood was literally flowing out of my mouth. Sorry to be graphic! It was seriously one of the most traumatic things that I probablly have gone through. The blood continued for about 10 minutes and then it stopped and I immediately started throwing up the blood that had gone down into my stomach. My throat really hurt after this and I spent the day sleeping and feeling so sick and awful. How could this get any worse?! I finally just forced myself to eat pasta and ice cream no matter how much it hurt and I am now feeling soo much better. Not eating was really taking a tole on me but it was definitely worth the pain to get some food into me. My throat is also feeling better now, I’m guessing maybe I coughed a scab off and that is what caused the bleeding? Definitely looking forward to eating normally and healing more. Good luck to everyone!!!! I feel like I am finally starting to heal and feel better
Suzanne says:
December 14, 2011 at 7:25 pm (Edit)

@ sarah d. in alittle while u are not going to care about you’re muscle tone. and when he say do nothing strenuous.. he means get up to go to the bathroom or to get water and get back in bed. take your meds now before the pain worsens. seriously. i am also a 29 yr old f who has been through over 30 surgeries. (not exagerating) and natural birth of a child who weighed 8.4 oz and 4 of those surgeries were on my acl. they were all a walk in the park compared to this. I am on day 6. everyone is different… and i hope you are but if things dont look up for you soon…. I would take my advice. .. Happy healing!
Sarah D. says:
December 14, 2011 at 6:58 pm (Edit)

Omg. This really is horrible! I had my surgery at 6am this morning. I have a seriously huge pain tolerance, but this is awful alreadyyu & apparently the worst awaits me. I have been thru 3 acl surgeries, a hand reconstruction where they had to reconnect my finger tendons, I got shot by a stray 9mm and had shoulder surgery a month later, etc. I have not, however, given birth, but, if nothing else, maybe this will prepare me. I have read other women’s posts saying an adult tonsillectonomy is far worse. I didn’t believe the warnings as literally as I maybe should have. If my worst pain was a 3 to me out of 10 for any past procedures, this is ALREADY a 5!

I am a 29 year old female. I am a full-time phd student and also work full-time. I came from DC home for Christmas a week rarly, because it is really difficult to arrange b.c. time off from work and school simultaneously, among other endeavors I am also pursuing in DC. I come here for support and honest advice from those who already been through ir are also going through the recovery.

QUESTIONS: (1) I haven’t taken any meds yet. I was prescribed 15ml of liquid Hydrocodone, 1 tbsp each 4-6 hrs as needed. Should I take this? I hate nausea! I want to avoid nausea even if means more physical pain. But as this anesthesia wears off, it’s starting to hurt like hell to even swallow popcicles. Am I better to continue avoiding the meds or better to prepare for the worser pain yet to come by getting started with the meds? Also, is 1tbsp enough? I see others taking 3 tbsp every 4 hours. Maybe they have a different prescription. (2) I want to eat but it seems I will justify not eating to save myself the pain. How long can I go without eating before I make it worse? I will continue to force liquids like crazy of course! Suggestiobs? (3) I want to keep my body in decent shape over this lengthy recovery. The doctor said not to do ANY strenuous activity at all until he clears me (hopefully Dec. 27), defined as anything at all that would cause increased heart rate –> not a walk outside, climbing stairs, lifting anything heavy, even some abs, for example. Did any of you do anything to keep your body from losing all of your muscle tone?

Thanks for your responses.

I have taken from others so far: Put an actual icepack on the outside of my throat. Use a humidifier to also help prevent dehydration. Missing anything?

Thx again, Sarah
Suzanne says:
December 14, 2011 at 6:46 pm (Edit)

im on day 6 or is it day 100. im not sure. feels like 100. post op of tonsil & adenoid. i’ve been having a ton of pain so i went in to get checked out. turns out i have thrush. anyone have or had this problem? I still cant talk, eat i can barely swallow to get my fluids down. when is it going to be over?

Adult Tonsillectomy Recovery