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,
I’m 41 year old male…….I’m on day 23 and all is not well. Yesterday morning I woke and checked things out and found a lump where or close to where the tonsil sat. They found no cancer in the tonsils. I had them removed due to tonsil stones and enlargement on the right side. Now that’s where this lump is on the right side. Anyone else experience this. It’s still sore on this side. I’m down and out. Go to doctor tomorrow…….can anyone help!? To calm my nerves.
Thanks.
Hi Les, Are you having any difficulty swallowing? Does the “lump” interfere with your eating? Be sure to mention to your Doctor, asking if a “barium swalliwing” exam is warranted. It may still be swelling (mine was swollen for over two months) and told by my Doctor, it’s normal. I think you should ask your doctor at your bmvisit. Im sure its going to be fine. 🙂
Thanks Janet,
If you read more of my comments above. It is reactive tonsil tissue which became inflammed…..I’m in horrible pain from it. Was Sunday it’s now Tuesday. He gave me prednisone for the inflamation. He actually stated it was on the other side too but not as noticeable. I’m freaked out to the max. I appreciate your reply and thank you. When and if I fully recovered I hope I can turn back to this forum and laugh because all is good because I freaked out over nothing!
God bless all you!
I hope so Janet…..He gave me prednisone. I have a red pimply blister towards the back left also and a lump on that side. Could anything worse be that some cemetrical?
Just really down…looking into alternative medicines to get me over hump and to heal me. I been doing powder vitamin c and curcumin. Seems to help but only time will tell. Right now my neck is sore down the fronts and sides…..27 days post op. Is this normal also. Or is all of this normal? I know your not a doctor but you know stories.
Thanks!
Hello everyone
I’ll start by saying I have a high pain threshold, but this was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced.
I’m 23, F(UK) and on day 13 today. I still have a sore throat (4/10) and some scabbing, so I still can’t eat as normally as I’d like to, however I can eat A LOT more than I was able to in the first 10 days. I now only take painkillers (1 x 400 mg ibuprofen) once or twice during the day and once before sleeping. Best of all, I no longer wake up with excruciating pain (like 2 knives in my throat) and I can sleep through the night (note – I no longer have to sleep upright). So for those of you who’ve just had the op or are going to, I promise you CAN get through this and it WILL get better.
So on the day of surgery I woke up in recovery and was taken back to my room. Not long later I was given soft jacket potato with cheese and salad. I tried to eat really tiny bits of the potato but my throat was too sore. I was then given some soup to try but unfortunately it was tomato based and stung really bad. So eventually the sweet nurse brought me some ice-cream which was soothing and gave me some energy. I know some people have no problems straight after surgery due to the anaesthetic, but I pretty much felt the pain from the beginning. My op was in the morning but I wasn’t allowed home until around 12 midnight because I was struggling with pain and eating.
Day 3-6 were absolute torture, I just wanted someone to put me out of my misery and I regretted having the op. I’m serious, it was BAD…
Day 3 I woke up at 5 am – OH THE PAIN – like I’d been stabbed in the throat and collapsed on the kitchen floor. My parents found me, put a pack of peas on my throat and consoled me while I cried and swallowed 2 Tramadol capsules. The same day I experienced nausea and threw up around 6/7 times- to the point I was just throwing up bile (sorry). I was re-admitted to hospital, kept in overnight and given fluids + morphine. The doctor said my medication was contributing to my nausea, and as a result of all the vomiting I’d become dehydrated. And they were concerned throwing up could cause bleeding.
Day 4 I was still in pain, but thankfully no more nausea. I still couldn’t eat, and swallowing water was painful.
Day 5 I woke up in the early hours again, and this time the pain was incredible- 11/10 (worse than day 3 if possible). Again my amazing parents put an ice pack on my throat, encouraged me to swallow my painkillers (2 x 400 mg ibuprofen) and generously apply Difflam spray. They brought me some crushed ice to keep in my mouth and this really helped. Later in the day the dreading ear pain began…
Day 6 I ended up in A&E with a heavy bleed. But thankfully it clotted by itself without the need to be cauterised. But it did continue to bleed just specks of blood, so I was really frightened to sleep that night in case the bleeding started again- but thankfully it didn’t.
Day 7 I felt a tiny bit better and there was no further bleeding.
Up until day 10 the pain was bad and I couldn’t eat solids. But After day 8 the pain was noticeably more manageable.
Top tips –
– Prop yourself up with a few pillows and sleep upright (I used a travel pillow for neck support and to stop me from rolling over), Personally, I started sleeping normally only after day 10
– At night set an alarm for every 30 minutes and take a sip of water (especially during the first 6 days) – if you let your throat dry out believe me you’ll regret it.
– Keep water on your night stand
– Set alarms to take your medication/antibiotics – keep on top of the pain. The first 6/7 days you’ll likely be waiting to take your next dose, but don’t let any ‘lack of pain’ fool you – KEEP ONE STEP AHEAD
– Be painkiller smart – my medication was 2 tablets every 6 hours, and I found that after 3/4 hours I needed more pain relief. So I took one tablet every 3 hours instead- and this was WAY more effective in terms of managing pain
– Personally I didn’t find my humidifier as useful as I hoped and it made me feel strangely sick – maybe I had a dodgy one. BUT definitely give it a try as it could work for you (especially if you think you can’t wake up throughout the night to sip water). It will help keep the air moist and prevent your throat from drying out.
– DON’T breathe through your mouth- it will dry out your throat
– I would sometimes put my painkillers in jelly to help me swallow them
– WATER, WATER, WATER (just keep sipping, just keep sipping…)- it will help your scabs come off without bleeding
– Ice water, Hartley’s strawberry jelly, Kelly’s cornish ice-cream and ice packs for throat = best friends
– Difflam spray was amazing – it would numb the back of my throat and provide instant pain relief – speak to your doctor about using this!!!
– Hot showers were very soothing – mentally and for my throat (in and out)
– Oral hygiene – gently brush your teeth and if possible your tongue too!
– Chew gum to exercise your mouth, throat and to keep saliva moving (this helps heal)
– After day 7 I started doing gentle salt water gargles which helped clear phlegm and other build up
– Ice pack for throat, and hot water bottle for ears
I personally couldn’t focus on things like reading or movies, so I kept watching cooking shows (since I was hungry and couldn’t eat) – worked for me!
Thank you to everyone who has posted – it helped me so much. And goodluck to you all.
Thanks, N A, for sharing your experience, offering validation to all of us going through the same thing. Be sure to check out our host’s helpful hints, found in the drop down menu found at the top of this page. Greg, our host, welcomes new input and would value any new helpful hints. Good luck and happy healing. Jan
I had my tonsils removed April 7th, 2017. It is April 30th and this morning I noticed a lump on right side just above or right where the tonsil used to be. I am very upset and worried as that side has been more sore. The lump itself doesn’t seem sore but my jaw on that side feels funny. it seems a little sore when I open and stretch my jaw. I know I’m not healed yet from surgery but if someone knows or has had same expirience please email me at siggy2321@gmail.com. Asap……I see doctor on Tuesday……..really worried.
Thanks!
Hi Jack, The best way to sleep right now is upright; keep your head elevated as much as possible. Have a recliner? Setting an alarm clock every 4-6 hours to take your pain medication? The toughest part of pain is letting pain get away from you. Meaning, going too long without pain medication. Keep hydrated, sleep when you can, keep ice packs around the neck, and know that you are at the hardest part of recovery. Be sure to check out the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Our host, Greg, has put together very helpful ways to get through recovery. You will feel better soon. Jan
Janet- you ROCK!
Thank you Janet
I am on day 5 post op, can anyone recommend ways/positions to sleep to avoid pain in the morning? I have found myself avoiding sleep because the pain in the morning isn’t worth it but it is catching up on me