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.
Ok so I’m ending day 6 post op of my T&A. It has felt like absolute hell. I can’t sleep because of pain and can’t eat or really drink to much. I am trying to stay hydrated but I feel like there is a lump in the back of my throat like something is stuck and I don’t understand it. I have no idea if anything has happened with the scabs. I have no clue what I am doing. When does the pain start to calm?????
Hi Desiree, I remember my 6th day post-op; it was probably my worst day! The ONLY two things you really need to worry about right now is water and meds. Yes, that “lump” you feel is swelling, which isn’t going to get better unless you start sucking on ice (since you find it hard to drink) and get ice packs around your neck. I found frozen peas worked better than regular ice bags, I could position them closer to the swelling. An air humidifier running at night will help keep you throat moist, but I ran mine all day and night. Don’t worry about the scabs, most people swallow them in pieces and never notice. Don’t expect that to happen for a week or two. The pain will start to subside when the swelling goes down, and its different for everyone. Most report a week or two – but you are at the peak right now. Hang in there, it will begin to get better every day! Really. 🙂
Hi Desiree
I’m glad I read your comment, I had my T&A 6 days ago
The pain Is unbelievable and I am taking my painkillers regular , you r talking about the feeling of a lump at the back of your throat, I have exactly the same and it scares me as I don’t understand what it is ! I also got know idea about my scabs, are they there ? Are they going ? I am sticking to my ice pops & cold water, I drink as much as I can & also sleep when ever it grabs me, the pain is meant to b better after the 8th day so fingers crossed !!! But if anybody knows what this lumpy feeling in the thraught is , please post an answer !
I was told that the uvula that is swollen, is what makes you feel like you have something in the back of your throat.
HELP. I am on day 12 post-op. Occasionally after I eat I can see very minor bleeding where the scabs are coming off and it isn’t even enough to notice it in my saliva but it starts again when I eat. What can I do to help the bleeding and when will this end? I refuse to go back into surgery again for bleeding this minor so any help would be appreciated!!
Hi Anne Marie, its not uncommon to see a LITTLE bit of blood for several weeks following surgery…especially after a meal. So, I wouldnt worry unless the bleeding escalates or you experience difficulty swallowing. And be sure to mention the issue at your next follow-up visit with your Doctor. Good luck.
Ok thank you! Is there a way to stop it?
Hey Anne Marie. Yes, once the scabs have completely fallen off, the bleeding will stop. No worries, completely normal.
I’m on day 8 and my scabs are nearly off, from what I read I was dreading this part because most people seemed to claim it was agony but I’ve barely noticed a change apart from slight discomfort when eating but it’s nothing really, each recovery is individual so I guess it’s different for everyone. Day 2-5 was the worst for me but it’s soon passed, I’ve been able to go out since day 6, I wish everyone a fast recovery. The pain won’t last forever!
Wow! This forum has been so helpful! I had my surgery on 4/11 so today is Day 10. Everyone who said to “hang on…it does eventually get better was so right!” Things really started getting better at Day 9 for me and I was able to stop taking pain meds. It’s also interesting how different this is for so many. Here are some tips that I found helpful:
1) Stock up on Sonics ice and drink/sip plenty of water. I found that Gatorade or other drinks were too sugary which made me produce saliva making it difficult to swallow. Even if it hurts, keep sipping to make sure you stay hydrated. Someone else posted that the constant sipping and swallowing allows you to build up tolerance and that was a great tip.
2) If it stings to swallow something cold, try warm water with honey or tea. I ended up alternating between ice cold and warm drinks depending on how I was feeling. I also think it coincided when the scabs were coming off.
3) Use an ice pack to help with the swelling and pain. It really helped with the sharp pain I was getting in my throat and ears. I had really bad ear pain. I used the Chattanooga cold pac (can find on Amazon) which wrapped around my neck. Got it from a co-worker who read about it and it was a LIFESAVER!!! I alternated between that and waters bottles that I froze and put into a long cotton sock.
4) Use a humidifier and elevate your head when you’re sleeping. Nights were the worse for me. I was up every 1-2 hours or so changing out ice packs and making sure I was sipping to stay hydrated.
5) I have been living off Top Ramen, mashed potatoes and chicken and stars soup. I found the warm liquids were so much better for my throat. There were a couple of days that pudding, applesauce, jello and ice cream were tolerable but the extra saliva it was creating wasn’t worth it.
Best wishes to everyone who is recovering…there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Also a big thanks to Greg for starting this and for all who contributed their experiences and expertise.
Day 6 of recovery done and I’m recovering, albeit very slowly. Its still agony to eat, but I’m forcing my way through some small meals. Can I expect to feel better any time soon, seeing as though days 5-8 are meant to be the worst??
Hey Arthur! You are almost through the hardest part, yay!! Stay the course. I predict a much better weekend. Stay on soft diet until then, and avoid anything crunchy. Keep drinking loads of water for a few more weeks. Congratulations. You are doing great!
Okay thanks for the advice Janet, really appreciate it.
I know it’s different for everyone but Day 9 was when it started getting better for me. Hang in there, I know you’ll start feeling better soon! Agree with Janet…keep drinking tons of water…either ice cold or room temperature. Warm tea helped for me too.