RECOVERY AFTER TONSILLECTOMY IN ADULTS

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Hi all.

I've been reading these posts while recovering from my tonsillectomy too. I also had mine done right before Independence Day. Although, that bothered me less than I thought because I didn't want to eat anyway.

Don't listen to all the horror stories you read and hear. People told me all kinds of stories when they learned I was having my tonsils out. Never the good, always the bad. I think misery loves company so people tell the worst, which only freaks the rest of us out. And it works. I put off having this surgery for years because I was too chicken.

One day last week, I did have a problem with bleeding, but the doctor told me I was dehydrated. I thought, "There's no way! I've been drinking a ton!" But I wasn't drinking as much as I thought because it hurt.

Anyway, think positively. If you think you're going to have a great recovery or if you think you're going to have a horrible recovery...either way, you're right. I'm not saying it won't hurt because mine does. But in the end, I will feel so much better having done this. I will get sick less and I won't suffer from sore throats. It is worth it. Just remember, you didn't have or aren't going to have surgery for nothing. There's a reason you're doing it, so remind yourself of the positive that will come from it.

God bless.

Karen1979 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Melbourne

Hi there,

I am getting my massive tonsils out on Thurs (19/7/07). I am scared to death after reading other people's posts but at the same time am relieved that I have read them as I now know what to expect & the worst possible outcomes of this operation. I'm really scared as I am 27 and have being suffering from tonsilitis since the age of 15, my tonsils are so big that a GP actually wanted to pay me to put it up for research at the hospital. Shocked

big tonsils = big holes after removal = more pain!!! I wish I didn't have to do this!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sitting at work now pale as a ghost & shocked of what is to come.

Will keep you all posted!

Wish me luck Smile

36 year old female · Newbie Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 6

GOOD LUCK KAREN!

It may take a while but you'll be fine! he first 5 weeks were tough. As you said, you know what to expect though.

Karen1979 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Melbourne

Thanks

I've only taken off work till Tuesday, I'd better extend my leave of absence! Shocked

I've also heard myths about patients putting on weight in the long term because of tonsillectomy?? is this true?? I cant afford to put on any more kilo's lol! Confused

36 year old female · Newbie Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 6

Haven't heard about gaining any weight. I am only 7 weeks post op but I have lost 13 pounds (5.98 kilos) and managed to keep it off.

mscoconut0 · Newbie Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 5

Karen,
You'll be okay, but you might really want to consider a bit more leave. I am 7 weeks post-op and life is getting back to normal. I too had a GIANT tonsil-just one side was permanently huge. It didn't really make a 'bigger' hole, so don't worry about that. I do think there has been a little more tension in my throat in the final healing because of it, but not really that painful.
Also, I didn't lose weight until about day 7, and the 6 pounds that I lost came back as 5. I don't think you need to worry about gaining back weight. If anything, this surgery will change your eating habits to some small degree. I've included a post I put up from 3 weeks post-op about my story (esp. trying to not take off too much time from work.). Good luck. You'll do just fine.

"I thought I should put up my 'not deathly scary' tonsillectomy information for those who are scared. I was too. Surgery (coblation for tonsils and adnoids) was 3 weeks ago (May 25, 2007).
I'm 30, I had one enlarged tonsil from many bouts of tonsillitis age 8-20. Once I went back to working indoors, the bouts started up again. The worst one in April w/fever kept me out of work for almost a week. So I saw an ENT, and scheduled surgery.

Outpatient surgery. My boyfriend dropped me off at 11am, and a friend picked me up at 4pm. This was my first surgery ever. Ask a lot of questions, it helped put my mind at ease. Good advice pre-op was to hydrate a lot the two days before, and use chapstick a lot so your lips are not dry. They did put vaseline on mine before surgery.
When I woke up, I was alert enough to recite the phone number for my pick-up ride to the doctor. I was also in the worst pain of the event, but I let the nurse know and they put some demerol in the IV and gave me some crushed ice, then an ice pack for my neck.

When I got home, I had prepared w/ Jello, styrofoam cups, straws, etc. If there's anything you forgot to do, try and do it when you get home--that's the best day for a few days. My mouth was sensitive to sugary things, so not too many popsicles, and I mixed gatorade w/ water to help keep electrolytes up. I thought I had bitten through my tongue because it was SO swollen, but the swelling decreased after a day or two, and I found out the 'cut' was from a clamp they use during surgery.
Keep ahead of the pain is true and it's not so bad. Be prepared to try and eat a little cream of wheat or soup, pudding, or something w/ meds (chicken broth is good). I did have to force it a few times in the middle of the night. Liquid amoxicillin was like a treat because it was cool and creamy when it slid down. (Unless you have someone to do it for you, have your pain med prescrips called in the day before surgery so you have them there when you get home.)

I did end up being one of the 2-3% of people that bleeds. JUST REMEMBER that they can stop it and they can fix it. My scabs healed too quickly and were coming off on day 6 post-op instead of day 10. Heres the thing: I tried to be tough and think my body would just 'heal it.' I bled a bit on day 5 and stopped it w/ some ice water swishing. It happened again on day 6, midday. I went to the doc's office and he did an in-office cautery. Not too painful. Unfortunately, my dry throat made me cough that night, and the cautery didn't stick. I ended up ice-water gargling until 6am when I called the doc. He reserved a spot for me in the ER and met me in between surgeries. I wasn't bleeding then because I had stopped it with 5 hours of ice water. It was a bit crude seeming: he used a tongue depressor and numbed me w/shots of lidocaine and then suctioned out what was there (two clots had formed from my icing) and cauterized. Everything was then numb and dry, but not bleeding, which was all I cared about.
This bleeding bit was the hardest part of my recovery, as I was strung out from not sleeping for two nights and had just been 'zapped' literally.

The thing that helped me best was having little ice packs on hand. They greatly soothed the front and back of my neck, and helped when I had some referred ear pain. I also started mild salt water gargling about day 8, and that helped a lot with morning dry mouth/throat.
At 3 weeks out, I have had a follow up appointment and am not keeping up enough with fluids. I am out of the good day/tired day/good day/tired day cycle. I've been run down about every 3-4 days now, which I take as a good sign that my body is telling me when to rest.

Doc said 2 months for the 'fossa' or tissue in the back of the throat to be done scarring and healing/re-forming.
The other good news was that after 10 days-14 days, I felt like my personality came back. I was able to decrease meds and just felt a less 'numb' disposition.
I took off two weekends and a week in between thinking it would be enough time. My GP said "NO Less than a week!" Well, after the day 6 bleeding, I took off an extra two days and did 4 hour days the rest of that week. Week 3 post-op I was able to last 6-7 hours/day and then finally back to normal in week 4. My body literally needed the extra sleep. I could feel better/healing sensations when I took time for a nap in week 2 and 3.

Everyone I've polled who had 'em out around 30 has said they were never sick in the same way again, so I hope to have the same outcome.
It's no bed of roses those first 10 days--painful even, but you do get over it and eventually block the bad stuff out. If a tonsillectomy will help you medically, do not hesitate to highly consider it."

Karen1979 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Melbourne

Day 3 and I feel ok, a little more pain than the previous 2 days. Starting to feel jaw pain and teeth pain. Thinking this may be post-op.

I got out of bed at noon, only because I didnt want to get up and do the whole pill swallowing, jelly eating, thing all over again. Just wish I was better already!! It took me 40 mins to swallow my 2 panadeines this morning (I cut it up into quarters). I feel a bit zonked out atm because I had panadeine forte just before Shocked

Yeah so overall I dont feel any severe pain unless I talk and swallow and I have being trying to do those two things as much as possible as have been told by doc that if I dont, a blood clot is easier to form which results in more pain! Mad

I'm already getting sick of jelly, just the thought of it makes me wanna barf... what can i eat??? mum made me mashed banana before but it itched my throat and made it irritable. I need to try and eat something!

Shocked

mscoconut0 · Newbie Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 5

Karen,
I've been out of work a few days. Hang in there. I am guessing you found a few things to eat by now. My favorite were cream of wheat and plain chicken broth soup. The chicken broth was salty, which was also soothing and made the meds easier. I also found that cold custard (more jello-like than ice-cream-like) went down pretty well.
Good luck!

Karen1979 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Melbourne

hehehe yeah I've managed to eat since..I had kfc last night, it took me an hour to eat it all but it was hell worth it Laughing

I haven't been to the toilet to do number 2 in 6 days Embarassed

is this normal? I am figuring its prob the lack of solids and the codeine in the pain killers thats making me constipated... I have just eaten a bowl of prunes Shocked

Doc has given me till friday off now, so I have the weekend to recover. Will be back at work on Monday which will be day 12 so hopefully I will be ready to get back into work as its going to be end of month and busy as anything (I work in accounts) Confused

WitheringBeauty · Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

So i had mine done on Friday, the doctor gave absolutly no clue to me that it was going to be this painful, i'm going to be 16 soon my birthday in in 2 weeks and its practicly unbearable, they gave me these mouth melt tabelts,tamadol drops witch are absolutly DISGUSTING and Dafalgan forte(tylenol for the americans out there), and it only touches the pain for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes then the pain bounces back and its extreemly painful i'm on Day 5 and feel like hel and i'm not trying to scare any one off lol, i would reccomend that you get it done if you have a great deal of problems with your tonsils like me.

For the first 3 days i was perfectly fine, wel not perfectly, i went into surgery around 10:30 i think i was 3rd inline, i think there were 2 younger kids infront of me, now my little brother had like done about a year ago andi thought this was gunna be a breeze, within 2 days he was eating fries and pizza...Dear christ i woundt dream of eating anything right now, thinking of food makes me shudder, just the thought of trying to swallow it, now i had a very bad reaction to the anthestic, after i came out of the recovery room i have no idea what time it wasmy parents were waiting for me, i hardly remeber of it, the whole day was in and out of sleep they tried to feed me water but i vomited everytime i even tried, before i slept they gave me some kind of medicine to settle my stomach because i wa stil throwing up but all the blood from surgury was gone and there was nothing left to through up.so... i didn't eat for over 24 hours i managed tyo keep my first bit of water down around noon the next day. After that they gave me bread and a yoghurt, fizzyless cola, cold chocolatemilk and buter, i managed to eat one slice of bread that was slathered both sides in butter, and one spoonful of the cold pudding, the bread was for the scabs after that i slept a little more. i stil felt nausous after eating the food but it stayed down after that around 3 i god an early dinner it was carrot-mashed potato's ice cream and an extra soft madeline, i managed half the carrotmash and the ice cream and a quater of the madeline, that as the good day.

I can't wait til it starts getting better because, this morning i actully cried from the pain its painful to swallow the tablets to drink the dafalgan and the yukkie drops, and the taramol or whatever makes me really sleepy and te dafalgan makes me nausous, i just can't wait to get it over with, its summer i should be at the beach, but no i'm stuck in my insomnia lol

I heard that after9 days the scabs start to loosen and it feels better i sure hope so because i've had ENOUGH of this sometimes i just feel like having a temper tantrum like a toddler

enough from me anyway i wish everyone who is going or has had their tonsils out a speedy recovery andfor myself aswell T_T

byebye now

RECOVERY AFTER TONSILLECTOMY IN ADULTS

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