Adults who have had tonsillectomies?
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I had one at 27. I won't lie - it hurt like all hell and I had an amazing surgeon. (This chap takes car of the English opera singers) but before I had it done, I was really sick for at least one week out of every four.
During aftercare: keep your days free, stock up on the painkillers that work best for you and arrange a lot of distractions. (DVDs of shows that I always wanted to see but never did really helped me) Aftercare will last as long as it does depending on your fitness and general health. I was fit and eating well before mine and it took me 2 weeks to fully recover.
During aftercare, always keep a water bottle and a straw handy - it hurts worse if your throat dries out (did it once and NEVER again after that
Your tastebuds may not work properly for 6 weeks after your op. Everything tasted like warm cardboard to me but never fear, your sense of taste will come back.
Eat, and eat well. Your body needs it to recover. Porridge, soft-boiled eggs, rice-crispies (in warm milk) buttered toast, rice-sauteed veg+cheese, grilled salmon and mashed potatoes were all the foods that I found most digestible during my recovery.
Despite all the above, 3 months down the line, I was delighted I made the decision to have the surgery and went through the temporary discomfort to gain the overall health benefits. I am sure you will feel the same way.0 -
The most important thing to do is NOT let the scabs dry up you must keep them moist. Thats why i did not sleep more then 2 hours the first 2 weeks post surgery. One night i feel asleep work up. OMFG the pain from the scabs drying up was HELL. Get a baby sippy cup thats what i used to slow the flow of water into my mouth so not to much would go in.0
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No you do not want dairy, it puts a film in the back of your throat and you want to keep swallowing to clear it. Unless you just love pain, I would not eat or drink any dairy or carbonated anything.0
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Childbirth is so much better than having a tonsillectomy. I was just ready to die!. I am in my 30's, healthy, and i am telling you, it is the worst pain I have ever been through! Do not get the pills to grind up make sure you get the liquid medicine. I really don't know what to tell you to prepare you. I was fine the day I had it done but the next day and until about 1 week after I had it, I was ready to die! I also had it somehow settle in my ears and they were killing me too. Ok, the best way to tell you is it feels like someone is stabbing you with scew drivers in your throat and ears and twisting and stbbing you constantly. I googled people who had tonsillectomy and read their horror stories and it was exactly the way I was feeling. I ate maybe a total of a plate of food in 1 week. Steamed broccoli (as soft as possible), applesauce, and I think yogurt. I would only drink water just to keep from dehydrating. Girl, I feel sorry for you, but the pain only lasted 1 week for me compared to other people I heard of, it was about 2 weeks. Say your prayers before going in and I hope all goes well for you.
Uh oh. that doesn't bode well for me now does it? Sorry you had such a harrowing experience though! Yeah, I have no doubt that my childbirth experience will have been easier. I had such an easy labor! I'll have to tell my hubby to ask the doc for liquid meds.0 -
No you do not want dairy, it puts a film in the back of your throat and you want to keep swallowing to clear it. Unless you just love pain, I would not eat or drink any dairy or carbonated anything.
Ah, that makes sense when you put it that way!0 -
I was 21 when I had mine. It went pretty good except I was the opposite of a lot of people. Once I started healing up, if I ate anything cold my whole throat would spasm and hurt like hell. Imagine getting a muscle spasm in your throat. It would last about a minute and continued for about a month after surgery. Also, it was a little icky because they just gave me a local anesthetic and I could hear them cutting away on my tonsils. Of course this was over 40 years ago. :laugh:
I was sure relieved though. I had been getting strep throat about 4 times a year and the doc finally decided to do the tonsillectomy after my strep turned to scarlet fever and I was a VERY sick girl.0 -
I had mine out when I was 21, and it was excrutiating!! I think a lot of countries wont do the surgery on an adult anymore, as it is just too painful to recover from!
For me, I struggled to even eat jelly afterwards, but took the pain medication and forced some down just so that I could leave the hospital.0 -
I had mine out as an adult. It hurt a lot afterwards, but staying on top of the pain with meds and sleeping a lot made it manageable. It sucked the most for the first 3-4 days, and then it was just like a bad sore throat for another 3-4 days - I was up and doing my regular thing by day 5. I did a lot of ice water and room temp broth soups for the first week, and then I was pretty much good to eat whatever I wanted.0
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I had mine out when I was 20. It was one of the best things I have ever done. It was a little rude that little kids who had the same surgery were up running around eating and talking and I couldn't do either. So it was unpleasant but so were my tonsills. You can do this.0
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My husband just had his out a few months back and it was as everyone above says...painful. He stayed overnight and was okay until the IV meds wore off. I kept his meds on schedule and kept liquids close by at all times. Unfortunately, he did let his throat dry out and then really tried to avoid swallowing anything, which prolonged his recovery. Follow the advice of keeping hydrated and taking your meds on time and you should be okay. Good luck!0
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I had mine out when I was 20. It was one of the best things I have ever done. It was a little rude that little kids who had the same surgery were up running around eating and talking and I couldn't do either. So it was unpleasant but so were my tonsills. You can do this.
That must have been so annoying! I work at the hospital I'm going to and I know that won't be allowed (thank goodness!) Thanks for the encouragement!0 -
I'm kind of stunned by how bad so many people's experiences were. Maybe my experience was atypical, but the hospital bed hurt my back more than the surgery hurt my throat.0
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I'm kind of stunned by how bad so many people's experiences were. Maybe my experience was atypical, but the hospital bed hurt my back more than the surgery hurt my throat.
Similarly, my hospital bed after my daughter was born hurt my back more than my labor did, lol!0 -
I wasn't an adult yet when I had my tonsils out (only 17) but I had bad tonsils. They were so swollen I had trouble swallowing liquid and I had tonsil stones.
The worst part of my surgery was them trying to put an IV in me pre-op, I ended up being stuck somewhere around a dozen times. I was in recovery for only an hour and got to go home afterward. For about 3 weeks I couldn't open my mouth more than 2 or 3 inches to put food or drink in me and I was on bedrest for a while. I didn't have that much pain considering, but I also remember the painkillers I was given worked wonders on me even though I didn't take them often.
I honestly thought my pain would be worse since I had a friend who at 15 had hers out and she had to be medicated 'round the clock otherwise she was in agony, but I don't remember a whole lot of pain. I just had trouble opening my mouth for a while because my jaw hurt from it being cranked open during surgery. I could even talk normally.0 -
I'm an ENT. I agree with what many others have said. Post-op pain will vary trememdously from person to person. Pain is subjective. Some people will stay in bed for days while others will be back at work after 2. As long as you don't have OSA you should go home the same day with some vicodin or percocet. Agree with others that you should take pain meds every 4 hours in the beginning so you don't get behind on your pain. The other important advice that others shared is to hydrate as much as possible. That will prevent dehyration but also lessen the scabbing/slough. Can be painful for 10 days or so and it does depend on the technique. Less pain with something like a microdebrider if you are getting a partial tonsillectomy. Don't think there is a huge difference in pain in coblator versus electrocautery. You'll be fine. A few days of pain is worth it to feel better in the long run.0
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I wasn't an adult yet when I had my tonsils out (only 17) but I had bad tonsils. They were so swollen I had trouble swallowing liquid and I had tonsil stones.
This sounds like what I have. Its so uncomfortable! Kind of worried about the jaw thing because I have TMJ and have trouble with it anyway. I guess we'll see.0 -
I had mine out at 35 years old - best decision of my life! Yes, you will be uncomfortable for a week or so. Make SURE you stay hydrated - drink ice water _____constantly______. Don't let your throat get dry or the scab will hurt more. When you wake up at night - DRINK. Eat mashed potatoes, refried beans, oatmeal, sherbert, or other soft foods - no citrus. The day after surgery I was able to eat pancakes. The pain and discomfort changes from day to day. Take your pain pills and watch a lot of TV, surf the net, and read a book. After about a week, you'll be so happy you did this.0
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Thank you for your response spiritmachine. I was wondering as an ENT what is your position on having dairy after a tonsillectomy?0
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Oh, and your breath will STINK LIKE A RAT DIED IN YOUR MOUTH for a few days. Don't worry about it. It goes away.0
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I had mine out at 35 years old - best decision of my life! Yes, you will be uncomfortable for a week or so. Make SURE you stay hydrated - drink ice water _____constantly______. Don't let your throat get dry or the scab will hurt more. When you wake up at night - DRINK. Eat mashed potatoes, refried beans, oatmeal, sherbert, or other soft foods - no citrus. The day after surgery I was able to eat pancakes. The pain and discomfort changes from day to day. Take your pain pills and watch a lot of TV, surf the net, and read a book. After about a week, you'll be so happy you did this.
I think I will be attached to my kindle for a few days, lol. I have quite a few book I haven't had time to read. Thanks for the encouragement
ETA: the breath thing is a new one! Haven't heard that one yet. Oh well. My hubby will have to deal, haha!0 -
My fiance (21 at the time) had his tonsils removed last year. He had mono before we started dating (this was a while ago lol) and his tonsils remained HUGELY inflamed for ages after. His doc said it was the worst he'd ever seen.
Anyway, he had the surgery and it seemed to go fine, however he had major clotting trouble and ended up swallowing blood overnight during his stay, so he had vomiting and had to have wounds restitched... it was really hard on him.
So, the surgery went well, but directly after he was a mess for about 6 hours until they could redo the stitches. He was fully recovered in no time at all.0 -
Ouch! Glad he got better quickly.0
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I wasn't an adult yet when I had my tonsils out (only 17) but I had bad tonsils. They were so swollen I had trouble swallowing liquid and I had tonsil stones.
This sounds like what I have. Its so uncomfortable! Kind of worried about the jaw thing because I have TMJ and have trouble with it anyway. I guess we'll see.
I have it myself and I also have a joint disorder that makes it more aggravating. It wasn't super painful like you'd cry if you opened your mouth too wide, it felt more like your jaw was bruised. Uncomfortable, but it didn't last long and once it started to heal it healed quickly. The only real damage it did was it made me eat slower because I couldn't put much on a fork and had to be careful about when I ate with a spoon.0 -
I had mine out a couple years ago. I remember not being allowed to do any strenuous activity and no heavy lifting. As for food, I was given mostly popsicles the first day and lots of liquids, but I was told to start eating solids as soon as possible. Eating solid foods helps the throat heal faster.
To be honest the first couple days were really a blur... day 4 was beyond hell! OMG the pain was unbearable... I would never wish it on anybody! It felt like my throat had caught on fire, my ears were burning and all i could do was cry cause it was so bad.
On a brighter note... My advice to you... take your pain killers about a half hour before you plan on eating. . I did however go through ALOT of pain killers... had my prescription refilled twice. Make sure you are on top of that just in case.
When I had mine done, there had been 3 other people that were done that day as well. When I went back for my follow up appointment, the surgeon said I was 2 weeks ahead in the healing process than everyone else. I was given permission to start doing things again but with concern and moderation.
Good luck...0 -
I had my tonsils out when I was 48. I should win a prize for that! It wasn't too bad, really. I was given liquid Lortab and overdosed on it because I was uncomfortable with the swelling and didn't measure it out. LOL There wasn't really that much pain. The worst part was when the cauterized tissue started to slough off. It felt like food caught in the back of the throat and was very unpleasant.
As for food, stock up on sherbert (not ice cream), popsicles, those fruit pops, kool aid, and other easy to eat foods. If they are cold, even better. As the area heals, add cooked carrots, mashed potatoes (creamy, not chunky), and other nice, soft foods. When you start eating solids, try to stick with chicken and fish. Add beef later, when it is completely healed.
Good luck!!0 -
I had mine out a couple years ago. I remember not being allowed to do any strenuous activity and no heavy lifting. As for food, I was given mostly popsicles the first day and lots of liquids, but I was told to start eating solids as soon as possible. Eating solid foods helps the throat heal faster.
Maybe this had something to do with my easier recovery? I was eating solid food again by the next day. Swallowing wasn't exactly fun, but no worse than a bad sore throat.0 -
Bring a water bottle with you. I had to take almost constant sips of water afterwards. I have no idea why, but if I wasn't sipping water, my throat hurt ten times worse and felt like it was swelling up.
I ate a lot of cream of wheat during the first week. It was smooth and filled me up enough and was nice and warm going down. Broth and popsicles too. I wouldn't worry about working out for the first week - I definitely wasn't up for that.
I went home about an hour or so after my surgery. I think I was 21 - recuperated at my parent's house for a week. I slept a lot that first day, but by the first evening I was up for going out and went to a friend's house for a few hours.
Good luck!!0 -
I had mine out when I was 33. Tonsils, adenoids and uvula removed due to sleep apnea. Mine was considered outpatient surgery, but I did stay overnight. (I guess a stay less than 24 hours was considered outpatient.)
It's weird for me to hear about everyone having such extreme pain, because I don't remember having much pain. In fact, I think I stopped taking the pain meds after a day or two, because I don't like to be on medication if I don't have to.
One thing that I think helped me a lot was that I had a constant supply of ice chips. My throat did get dry a lot, and the ice chips helped tremendously.
Besides being able to get a full night's sleep since the surgery, the other big benefit was that I quit smoking. 0 -
I had mine taken out in sept. 2011, and I'm 25. I know people told me that as an adult it is a lot more difficult than what kids go through. To be honest it wasn't as bad as people made it sound. The worst part for me was staying home and not being able to do much in general. Use ice as often as possible and be sure to take your medication on time, both things help immensely.
As far as food goes, popsicles were my best friend the first few days, especially since you aren't supposed to have anything hot. After that I stuck with soup and pasta more. Good luck!0 -
I had mine out just over a year ago at 28 and I have to say that you should hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I took over a month to recover and had a few trips to the emergency room.
I recommend stocking up on high protein Ensure, the best thing ever, drink it cold over some ice. Sleep whenever you can, preferably next to a humidifier, don't worry about keeping your regular sleep schedule. Eating dairy is great because the extra mucus helps to keep your throat coated and moist. Be very careful not to eat anything to hard like crackers or toast, the urge to get those scabs off is strong but hard food is very likely to cause bleeding. and stay on top of the pain, if you have to wake up in the middle of the night to take your pain meds DO IT. Nothing is worse than falling behind the pain.
The upside is how great you will feel when you are healed and don't have to be on antibiotics all the time. 0
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