Tonsillectomy Recovery as Adult and Child 2019

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

Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips
Recovery tips for tonsillectomy patients and families

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.

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1,302 comments

  1. Kendra: I totally get what you mean. I am now post op 13 days. I still have throat pain but nothing what it was. I have my follow up tomorrow and I am due to go back to work Monday but highly doubt it will happen since I am on the phone for 8hrs a day. Yesterday I did go out and go grocery shopping, ran some errands and cooked a semi-normal dinner. Fish, veggies and pasta. I never thought I would have missed veggies so much!! When I was out I felt like a zombie. I think because I am off my pain meds for a few days now and I am just exhausted from not sleeping through the night, (last night I finally slept 5 hours in a row!!!!) I keep coughing at night. Did this ever happen to you? Is your throat healed? I still have scabbing unsure if it is normal.

    Angel: Superwoman!! I did the same thing I think it was about day 8 or 9? All the sudden I thought I could eat meatloaf and potatoes like a champ. I cleaned the house & did laundry that was until the shooting pain in my ears and throat started. I ended up setting myself back because that night it was horrible!!! All I could do was eat ice chips and ice my head and neck. That was, until, all the sudden I could not handle cold things and only could tolerate luke warm liquids including water. Also, my neighbor had said to me you are STILL recovering? I wanted to poke her eyes out. I am a 44yo female and have two children. Never in my life did I think this would come out of my mouth but by God, it has: I would rather give birth than do this ever again!!! Right now I can a talk a bit more but definitely feel it if I do not stop for a bit.

    On a positive note: I am so excited to be able to eat dairy again!!!! To not be embarrassed by bad breath!! To not have to be miserable after work and live off of cough drops and ice! YAY!!! Most of all so thankful to Greg and this forum I would have been lost without it and all the support. Oh and it helped my 75 pound weight loss dropping 6 pounds during this crap 🙂

    Good luck girls!!

    1. Diane- no my throat is still not healed and I do have scabbing… I had my follow up appointment Tuesday, and the doctor said I was healing well.. So I’m assuming that scabbing at this point is normal

    2. Funny you say that, I am on day 4 post-op and I told my boyfriend last night that I would rather give birth!

  2. Thanks so much for this site! Sorry I didn’t find it sooner and participate, as it it nice, er, comforting, to commiserate in real time…I am a 33 year old female, elementary school teacher, wife and mom of 3kids- ours, his, and teenage relative. had my surgery on October 8, so I just finished Day 8 and this was by far the day I hit the “brick wall”! Pain, emotional, exhaustion, betrayal, hunger, frustration, helplessness, I have felt it all!
    Yesterday I had a super woman moment and thought I could handle accompanying my mom to my 4 year olds well check appointment, story time at the library, and a “real” lunch at Cracker Barrel! DONT DO IT!!! I was fine, other than a sore throat and a little fatigue. I even made it through half my country fried chicken with sawmill gravy, fried okra ( it was mushy), hash brown casserole, and cornbread dressing…I just kept going through the dull, bruised-like pain savoring those tasty flavors until my 4yo said he had to go potty. As I waited on him in the bathroom, I found myself propping up against the wall, shallow breathing, forehead sweating, wishing I had one of my special lollipops to numb it all away. My EARS hurt from chewing! Ooohhh, needless to say, I did it to myself. Got back to the table, asked for a to go box and two cups of sweet tea as I laid my head on the table and my 4yo patted my head and said “nope, mommy.s still not feeling better yet.” Utter defeat.it tasted SO good, too…it sits in the fridge staring at me every time I open the door!

    For the rest of the day yesterday and most of today, my throat was so tight and bruised feeling, and my jaw and ear was apparently tired, that all I could down was jello and Lipton noodle soup ( the kind that is mostly broth)! Even swallowing my Percocet cut in halves proved to squeak tears out of my eyes, wrapped in jello!

    My advice after trying to overdo it on day 7: REST! You have earned the right to take care of yourself and do it right by all the crap you have dealt with those nasty tonsils over the years! A few more days of soft foods, laying around is going to do you good! Don’t try to be a super hero! I’m going to remind my ENT tomorrow that those were her words of advice as I call to request one more Rx for Percocet. I’m not taking any chances! I’ve been on 2 every 4 hours since coming home, and even still I’ve had severe breakthrough ear pain three times causing me to need ibuprofin.

    After all I have been through, I am definitely thankful to this and a couple other sites I’ve found. It has really helped to know I am not alone and others are going through the same things I am! It feels so strange to be fine for a couple days and then spiral downward…you start to look suspicious to loved ones until you hand them the tablet with a post from someone who is going through the same thing on the same recovery day! I really enjoy writing about my experience since I am a nonstop talker and haven’t been doing much of that lately!

    Better take this chance to rest as my eyelids are drooping and I’ve been drinking Water like crazy! Good nite all, good rest and hydration to you all! Angel

  3. When I was 16, 26 years ago I had my tonsils removed or at least I thought I had all of them removed. The past couple of years I have been getting horrific flaming sore throats. Then a few months back tonsil stones started forming in the back of my throat, so I went to my ears, nose & throat doctor and it seems there is still tonsil tissue on the left side of my throat, lucky me, so as if the painful experience wasn’t bad enough the first time around I have to go under next week for the procedure & they are telling me it will be just as painful. So what I gather tons of ice water & the one bad thing is my boyfriend I haven’t seen in 6 weeks will be visiting 2 weeks after surgery….

  4. Because of a complication during my surgery; my doctor only did 1 tonsil (the right) and my Adenoids. He wants to wait until I am healed from the first surgery before scheduling the second. The “complication” was excess bleeding due to scarring from repeat sore throats tonsillitis strep. I put off having surgery for probably 20 + years. Then in August my throat felt as if it were closing up. And I went ahead with the surgery.. Plus I have sleep apnea. With just the one tonsil gone my husband says my snoring is almost non existent. I wish I had had the surgery sooner even with how much pain there was. NOW I have to decide If I want the second surgery. I just had one round of antibiotics because of a sore/scratchy red throat last week. My surgery was 9/2/14. I think because of the bleeding my doctor is afraid to try again I probably won’t have a second surgery…what do you guys think …Would you have the second surgery?

    1. Hi DragonLady, that is a hard decision. Honestly, the thought of going through this twice is a rough one. I guess you have to weigh what you are up to putting up with for the rest of your life and will it get better? It is never a bad idea to get a second opinion. Gather all the info talk it over with your docs and your family. You will do what is right for you although super scary I am sure.

      Kendra: I am on day 11. Day 1 through 4 Wasn’t so bad I thought. Thanks to this website I was prepared. I drank ALOT of iced water. I took my pain meds on day 1 & 2 and thought I could get off of them and just use my xtra strength Tylenol. That went alright until day 5. Every time you wake up from sleeping drink. Make yourself drink even if it hurts drink.

      I became really uncomfortable between day 6 & 7. My ear pain was insane. BUT I knew it was coming so I had my ice packs. It helped me to ice my ears and neck. Took my rx meds. I used my humidifier in the evening and always, always had water next to me. Day 7 & 8 I now could not take ice cold things and needed warm. I drank a lot of decaf tea and throat tamer tea. I made myself have breakfast every day. 2 poached eggs on top of toast. I believe this helped me not get sick from the meds. I started feeling human and wanted OUT.

      I still thought and think this is the best decision I could have made even though I am 44yo. I was in agony all the time with my throat. I worked on the phones 8 hrs a day for work and when I came home I could not talk, I had stones so avoided a lot of dairy. I always felt run down. Just keep thinking that this is worth it and it is only 2 weeks out of your life and you are not looking back. I really,really tried to remain positive. Not going to lie, day 6ish I called my mom to come get me crying (that’s the break I guess everyone warns you about) then in the car I was crying again and apologizing lol

      Day 10 I still had ear pain but on the other side of my head and became discouraged because it hurt when I tried to eat semi normal. I believe that it may have been my scabbing. I am very queasy so I have yet to look at my throat. My husband says it is coming along great. During this process I had developed a cold. I have constant coughing lingering but I am now wondering if this is due to the junk coming off of my throat. (especially at night) If anyone knows this answer please let me know.

      I am impatient and done with this whole process but at the same time realize it has not been two weeks and as of this morning (day 11) I woke with tolerable pain instead of feeling like I was swallowing glass in the morning, I am off my meds except Tylenol, I can almost yawn without hurting and I sneezed and did not want to die! I really do not have a lot of energy but plan on going for a walk in the sun today.

      The things I ate: Soup (until day 5 ish then it stung) Italian ice, popsicles, jello, carrots mixed with potatoes all mashed, butternut squash mashed, toast butter and jelly dipped in my tea, yesterday a pumpkin muffin!!! Soft boiled or poached eggs, day 10 chicken in small bites, potatoes and green beans. I learned if you do not take small bites you will be in pain. Do not rush. Listen to your body. I rarely eat meat and I am craving a cheeseburger like nobodys business! I try to wake up and say almost halftway there!! Try to be positive in the end, it is a positive thing.

      That’s all the information I have on my end. I really wish the ear pain would cease it does drive me nuts but keep thinking it is not forever! I hope this helps!!!!!

      1. Thanks Diane! You’re almost there. This site was so helpful….thanks loads to Greg for starting it…

        1. YES!!!!! Thank you Greg!!!!! Every time I have a concern or question my husband says “check the forum’ !! Seriously, this would have been awful had I not found this!!

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