Planning and Recovering From Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy
Let’s start with my own tonsillectomy recovery story. I wasn’t always this healthy. As a kid I ingested more penicillin than a corporate-raised chicken. I was in the doctor’s office several times each year with a sore throat. As the doctor or nurse peered into my mouth, the reaction was always the same: “Whoa, those are some big tonsils!” The diagnosis was usually tonsillitis, or strep throat. As the doctor wrote the prescription, he’d explain that years ago, tonsils like mine would have been removed, but, “these days,” we try to hang onto them. “These days,” were the 1970’s. I guess the tonsillectomy pendulum had swung back from the days when kids got their tonsils out because their brother was getting his out.
Aunt Kate’s reassurance helped, but I still wrote out some just-in-case instructions for my brother and hid them in my closet. I sheepishly told him where they were, just in case.
“This is temporary. You WILL feel better. Hang in there and stay hydrated!” -Greg Tooke
As an adult I continued to suffer from frequent bouts of tonsillitis. It seemed that I caught every bug that passed through my house or workplace. I guess those big ugly tonsils were a nice home for those nasties. It wasn’t until my 40’s that I also became aware that I suffered from something called, Obstructive Sleep Apnea -a condition in which a person stops breathing while asleep. I snored often and would awake abruptly, gulping in big breaths. I felt tired most days. After raising four babies, I had come to accept fatigue as a normal part of life! One day at a routine physical my doctor remarked about the number of episodes of strep throat and tonsillitis I’d had. We also talked about the sleep problems. While he didn’t formally diagnose obstructive sleep apnea, he suspected that I had it. He recommended a tonsillectomy, because of all the tonsil problems I’d had. As a bonus, I might find relief from the sleep apnea as well. If not, I’d undergo a sleep study. Forty four years old and father of four boys and a doctor finally said it: Those tonsils are doing you more harm than good! As much as I hated those tonsils, I was terrified at the thought of going under the knife. I started reading about tonsillectomy recovery on the internet and talking to friends. That didn’t help. “My cousin knew a guy who got a tonsillectomy and bled to death.” “At your age, tonsillectomy is dangerous.” When I met with the ear, nose and throat specialist, (an otolaryngologist), he told me that the risks are the same for an adult undergoing tonsillectomy surgery as for a child, but tonsillectomy recovery is longer and more painful. He was right about that!
Deciding to get a Tonsillectomy
I scheduled the surgery for the day after Thanksgiving. A traditional day of feasting in the United States. If it was to be my last meal, I planned to make it a good one! As it turned out, I was so nervous and scared that I could hardly eat on that day. I was recently divorced and had shared placement of my four boys. So many people counted on me that I began to question my decision. What if I died on the table? How reckless to leave behind a family, simply to avoid frequent tonsillitis? My aunt, a registered nurse reassured me about how simple the surgery was, and how far anesthesiology had come. I had nothing to worry about. Aunt Kate’s reassurance helped, but I still wrote out some just-in-case instructions for my brother and hid them in my closet. I sheepishly told him where they were, just in case
“My tonsils were like a 400 pound gorilla on my back. I don’t miss them at all. Ever.” -from the forum ________________________________________________________________________________
I took a week off from work, asked my ex wife to take care of the boys that week, and asked my uncle to drive me to and from the hospital. (a requirement with anesthesia) That was about all the tonsillectomy recovery preparation I did. I was about to learn a lot! Surgery went fine. I awoke in recovery with a serving of Jell-o in front of me. (“Jelly,” to my British friends) The nurse said that I had to finish it before I could check out. I swallowed it with great relish. It was divine! I called my uncle and we were out of there. I felt ok. I told him thanks and not to worry. I’d be fine. I believed this. Aside from a couple visits, I spent the next ten days alone in misery. The pain set in after about 24 hours. Streaming movies and television shows were my friends. Sleeping became my worst enemy. I’d wake up with my mouth dried out and my throat on fire. Oh my God. I was not prepared for this! I ran out of Popsicle’s on day three. I ran out of pain medicine on day five. The pain peaked on day seven. I broke down and cried in front of my brother on day eight- a combination of pain, drug induced depression, and sleep deprivation. Since then, I’ve read thousands of similar accounts on the tonsillectomy forum I created. It didn’t have to be so hard. If I’d known what I do now, I could have done so much to make my tonsillectomy recovery better. I hope to reach as many people as I can to help guide them through the tunnel. It has been my passion and taught me more about compassion and the amazing strength of the human spirit than any other life experience. When you shine a light for others, you also light your own path.
In the pages at follow, I’ll share tonsillectomy recovery tips with you that I learned from my tonsillectomy experience and years of coaching others through tonsillectomy and recovery.
Hi Jill
You should not prolonged the surgery if you think lymphoma is the case. I did not get any liquid medications. I got pills and I crushed them into my applesauce which dissolved perfectly. I let it sit for 2 mnts in the applesauce and it was perfect. I found that it help me with the pain faster.
Now if you get nauseated from anesthesia let the anesthesiologist know so they can give you something before. They did it for me so I wont puke when i wake up from surgery and it helped me alot. Call your doctor again and stress the concern of your anti depressants medication again. Good Luck !
Did anyone here get pain meds in pill form? I have only heard of people getting liquid pain meds. My doctor will only prescribe pills. I also htake anti-depressants and wrote to him about my concerns about not being able to take it and how i will become dangerously depressed in a matter of days if i don’t…..they are extended release so cannot be crushed. He said “just swallow it”, and the pain meds can be crushed if needed. He also refuses to prescribe an anti-nausea medication/patch. I have been very sick (vomiting) the last 2 times i came out of anesthesia. He said he didn’t think an anti-nausea was necessary. Please advise if you’ve had liquid or pill form medications? I’m very close to cancelling this surgery. I don’t feel like my doctos has my best interest at heart. However, there’s a possibility my tonsil is inflamed due to lymphoma and the tissue needs to be biopsied asap. I don’t really want to delay if it’s cancer…
I just got a tonsillectomy on Monday. I asked for antinausea medication as well and they said no but I ended up being fine. My doctor gave me Percocet in pill form, very few doctors are giving liquid form of pain medication these days. I would do the surgery asap and get If over with. You’re going to need 2 weeks of rest, it hurts. 🙁 hope all goes well
Hey Jill, pain medication can be in liquid or pill form (I used pill form at home and I had little difficulty in swallowing tabs within a few hours post-op) as well as one of the many anti-nausea medications, mine came in a tiny tablet form that dissolves on or under tongue that worked almost immediately and lasted 8 hours. Med called, “ondansetron ODT 4 mg.” I’m so sorry you don’t have confidence in your ENT. I still believe you should interview another ENT; someone who will give you what you ask for – you know your body better than anyone, and doesn’t only do a telephonic follow-up! For pain post-op at home, my ENT prescribed 15 mg oxycodone to be taken every 4 hours, and 1 mg xanax 3 x a day, along with a medicated gargle and antibiotics in liquid form. He prescribed one tablet of xanax for me to take at home the night before surgery which really helped me to chill out and get some sleep. I was pretty anxious. I, too, feared results of biopsy.
In post-op, they gave me morphine admintered in my i.v. (anesthesiologist ordered as patient requested – which was like every 10 minutes – I was in severe pain!) Also in the i.v., they gave me anti-nausea meds, antibiotics, and some type type of steroid for inflammation. When i was ready to go home, they gave me 2 percocet tablets to get me home and time to get my prescriptions filled.
I hope this helps you. Prob tmi, but i just wanted you to know that medications to help with pain and anxiety can make a huge difference in your recovery, but more importantly, you need an ENT that gets it; apparently, yours doesn’t. I want better for you. We all do.
Be sure to check out Greg’s (our forum host/expert) tips on recovery. You will find the menu of these guidelines at the very top of this page. Greg has included “day by day” info, helpful diet guidelines following surgery, and he’s even included pictures of the scab recovery! (Dont look at pictures before surgery, will just add to your apprehension.) Warm wishes, keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
Jill, i just saw Brenda’s comment, and she offers a very good idea. Should they only offer you tablet form, and you can’t get them down, crush them in applesauce. Pain meds can be crished, unlike the meds you are taking now. Good one, Brenda! 😉 And Rachel is right, if your doctor has expressed any concern it might be cancerous, do surgery asap.
I was told it’s Kaiser’s policy to only do a post-op phone call 3 days after surgery. They just “don’t feel it’s necessary” to come back in to be seen. And the ENT who i’m dealing with is not the same one who is doing the surgery (Thank god!!). He did order me one ativan and i was told to take it on my way to surgery, which will be in the afternoon on Friday (i asked for it to help me sleep the night before, but again, he is not paying attention to what my wishes are). He said he doesn’t find an anti-nausea necessary, and refuses to prescribe so i’m hoping the anesthesiologist will. I think they can give something with the IV. Other than that, all he will prescribe is 20 vicodin. There are no antibiotics and I’m sure he won’t authorize a refill (nor do i feel like i could even ask if i needed them or it will just confirm that i’m “drug seeking”. I truly believe they have something in my patient file indicating this drug seeking–the way i’ve been treated throughout this entire process has been really upsetting (enough so that I plan to follow up with an attorney about the drug test they gave me 2 months ago without my consent or even knowledge). That is *if* I can manage to survive for 2 weeks without my antidepressant. I have warned my friends that I will become very depressed after surgery and if bad enough I could be suidical without my antidepressants–but there’s not much they can do. I’ll be on my own for most of my recovery. I feel like i’m appropriately expressing my concerns to my doctor and he simply does not care. I cannot delay surgery anymore–i’ve been in pain and discomfort for 6 weeks now and can’t play around with the chance it’s lymphoma. I will crush the pain meds if i’m able, and hope for the best with regard to everything else. But i am leaving Kaiser the minute my work offers open enrollment. I will NEVER deal with them again. This has truly been a nightmare that has had me in tears. And i know it is only gonna get worse.
Jill, email me at new account i just now set up so we can have private convo. tonsilsnomore@yahoo.com
I had a tonsillectomy on February 28th and so far it hasnt been that bad. Pain so far has been pretty manageable. I take diloudid and tylenol when my pain starts to get bad but goes away. I think the biggest thing in my recovery right now and what has helped me the most was to drink drink drink. The pain isnt nearly as bad when your throat is good and moist. The most annoying part for me sp far is all the phlegm build up. And i really cant open my mouth up to brush my teeth. And yawning sucks
I should have been more specific-they said “any ENT can do the surgery”.
Wow I just want for the surgery and man it’s sore. The throat not so bad as the ears. Swallowing is bad for me!!!! Wow let’s hope it’s worth it!