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.
Day 2 after day of surgery. Pain highest yet of 5-6. Had to ice throat a couple times. Talking is difficult (so is not talking, I love to talk). Very constipated ( I tried to squeeze off a bowel movement—NOT RECOMMENDED. I’m lucky the straining didn’t cause a bleed. If you think “hey, I can push without straining”, you can’t do it when you’re plugged up. I’m getting someone to get me some stool softeners tomorrow). I’m also burping a lot– didn’t think I swallowed much air but I must have. Sometimes it hurts to belch.
Wish I would have bought a wedge. Wasn’t sure what to look for, so I bought 3 body pillows. Those, along with more pillows and blankets should be enough to prop me up. I’ll find out once I come home. I hope the cat doesn’t barf on them in the meantime : ). I didn’t get a humidifier, but I’m stocked up on popsicles, powerade & gatorade, cheapy mac n cheese, instant mashed potatoes and eggs. Oh, and I have a good bit of honey…I’ll eat that, too. I have ice packs in the freeze.
Surgery today. Almost 4:30 am and I’m wide awake–I’m scared. I’ll be leaving for the hospital in about four hours. I don’t like going under (who does? It terrifies me, even though I know if I don’t wake up I won’t know it anyhow, but rational thinking doesn’t help take away the anxiety) and I’m afraid of the bleeding risk. I’ll be staying overnight so that they can monitor my oxygen levels (ent thinks I might have obstructive sleep apnea–these things are large enough to cause a problem and removing them will also get rid of my recurring tonsil stones). I’m hoping I’ll be happy with the results. I’m hoping to sleep better, have more energy and have fresh breath when this is all done and I’m healed up. Good luck to everyone going through the same, especially as an adult. I wish someone would have taken these things out when I was a kid, but I didn’t get infections. They’ve been huge as long as I can remember. Besides the likely worse recovery, I’ll have to worry about adult things like money. Oh well, it’s getting taken care of now. Better late than never. Take care, everyone! You aren’t alone.
My husband is having his tonsils out this week. He cant take the recommended amount of time off of work. He has a VERY high pain tolerance. Has anyone had there tonsils out as an adult and had it be relatively easy?
I just got mine out Dec 14, & let me tell you, it’s worse than labor, the pain is unbearable. I still can’t eat , if I knew it was gonna be like this i wouldn’t have gotten them out….your husband needs at least 2 weeks off….thus procedure is extremely painful, he’s definitely gonna need your support. …God bless…
Hi Holly,
I am 42, had mine out 6 weeks ago, your husband will need 2 weeks off at least, after 3 weeks the throat will still feel a little strange , it was only this week that my throat feels normal , it is really painful and you will not know the pain until you have it. He needs to take meds at the prescribed time, don’t be a hero, tried and paid for it !!
My name is Elly and I’m 23 years old from Canada. I have lived with substantially enlarged tonsils for my entire life – think…a good sized cherry, each tonsil. I had my adenoids removed when I was in the first grade and was qualified to have my tonsils removed at the same time. Unfortunately, they did not remove my tonsils and to this day we don’t know why. Over my life I’ve dealt with recurring throat infections of every kind you can imagine. When I caught mono, my tonsils swelled large enough to close my throat to the point at which I couldn’t eat, drink or take pain medication (or breathe through my mouth). This lasted over a month. At my present time typing this I am getting ready to visit the doctor for antibiotics for what I believe is my 4th tonsillitis infection this year, possibly more but really who’s counting anymore. I also suffer from severe tonsil stones and difficulty sleeping.
In my appointment today I am going to request again to look at the option of having my tonsils removed. I have been turned down 3 times already as doctors in my area seem to be of the opinion that tonsillectomy’s do more harm than good and are no longer necessary. I have been told that the benefits of having them removed do not justify the risks involved. In one specialist appointment where I was trying to leverage the difficulties I experience with tonsil stones, he examined my tonsils and told me “I don’t see any crypts – it can’t be that bad.” Let me tell you, any layman can see that not only do my tonsils have crypts, they are so large they have HOLES, no matter how hard I work on maintaining my oral hygiene I can’t avoid the crypts filling because they are so large.
As soon as I start seeing the infection on my tonsils, which is usually before the pain starts, I get depressed because I know what it is coming and I feel so helpless so difficult to get a surgery that could feasibly change my life for the better. I have an adverse reaction to the amoxicillin for the tonsillitis, for which I have to take further antibiotics, so in all every time I get sick I am on antibiotics for almost a month. I get sick so often, that means I’m on antibiotics for almost half of the year. I don’t understand how this is viewed as a better alternative to surgery.
I guess my question is, has anyone else had this hard of a time trying to convince a doctor to remove their tonsils and if so, what did you do? Did you end up getting it? How? I just can’t live like this anymore. If I was qualified to have them out when I was younger, why not now? Especially after the last 15+ years of complications!
Thank you,
Elly
Go to ENT and be there as a cash patient. It cost less than $2000. Have all lab work under your regular insurance. See your primary care physician to order all lab work. This will save you some.
My ENT is very good and this is very routine to him. He is out of the network and so I went there as a cash patient. He has his own clinic complete with operating room and recovery room and close to a big hospital few hundred feet away. I live in Southern California.
Just like you under my HMO insurance, They were just giving the run around.
I don’t know if this is something you can do in Canada because we don’t have private healthcare. I haven’t heard of anyone trying this. Everything goes through your GP. I am switching GP’s…maybe I will bring this up.