What to expect following adult tonsillectomy & adenoidectomy?

Billy · Site Admin Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 303

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adult post tonsillectomy & adenoidectomy, what to expect thread.

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free0809 · Newbie Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 15

I had my op the 17th. This is post op day 4 and I am still miserable! I can't drink anything but water. Eating is limited to applesauce. I am still on my pain meds and had to call the ENT today to have more called in cause I was afraid I would run out before their office opened tomorrow. I am also taking oral Prednisone and Leviquin (antibiotic). I am drinking like crazy. If I go too long without drinking it makes my throat hurt worse. I am 31 yrs old and this is my 7th surgery. This one sounds the most minor of all my operations but it is #2 on the miserable scale.

The good news is that the yucky fuzzy feeling I had in the back of my throat the first few days isn't as bad.

Guest · Guest

I'm a 33 year old male, had my surgery on the 16th. It was done, as my doctor described, by "using microwaves that basically cause the flesh to peel apart like a hot knife through butter."

I woke up, and was in horrible pain. But not from my throat. Apparently because of sleep apnea complications I'd stopped breathing on the table, so they intebated me through the nose. When I woke up, they pulled the tube out, which was excruciating.

I complained of my throat, and they gave me a dose of morphine. 30 minutes later there was no change, so I complained again, and they gave me another dose. 30 minutes later I complained again, and they figured out I was one of those wonderful rare individuals who are naturally resistant to morphine and gave me something called, I think "delaudin" instead. That did the trick. Pain go bye bye.

I was in recovery for more than 8 hours because they couldn't get my oxygen level to go above 85%. Finally they got me to 97% and sent me home. I'd been there so long I ate up all their popscicles.

That night, I slept sitting up, and woke up once at around 4 am with throat pain. All they gave me for pain was liquid Lortab, but that's all I needed. Three teaspoons did the trick. I ran out of it on day 8 or so, now using liquid Tylenol because they would refill the Lortab. Tylenol has more side effects. It makes me yawn a lot, which hurts like a b-word. I miss my Lortab.

I went back to work on day 7 post-op. Made it through the day with minimal pain. Today is day ten. The white scab like thingies on the left side of my throat are gone, but the one on the right just keeps hanging in there and annoying me. I'm still on mostly soups. Solid food hurts enough that it overwhelms my pain meds so I've learned not to take them until after I eat, otherwise I end up counting the minutes for 3 hours until I can dose back up.

This is only my second surgery. My first was at age 10 to have my nose corrected (broke by a kid on the playground, healed crooked.) Overall, my memories of that experience are far worse than anything I've experienced here. My surgery experience with this tonsillectomy has been a cakewalk compared to some of the horror stories I read on here before my surgery.

Never at any point have I felt anything that felt any worse than Strepp Thoat. Not even as bad really, since this pain seems to be reactionary (if I don't talk, move my throat muscles, no pain) where as Strepp was always constant. Some minor ear pain, nothing like what has been described here. No mucous in the chest, no coughing up blood, hell I didn't even throw up (most throwing up after surgery, or so I was told by a nurse, is caused by allergic reaction to the anesthesia, of which I have none.)

Long story short, take heart. It's not as bad as these entries would make you think. Not to insult anyone, but these stories where they've said "It is worse than child birth" are apparently coming from people who either have a very low pain tolerance, or had them out using the old fashioned scalpel and scoop method.

Does it hurt? Well sure! Is it unbearable? Hardly. Take your meds. Play some video games. Drink lots of gatorade, eat a popscicle after every meal to numb the post food pain, and if you get up and move around, even if it's just around the living room, that'll take care of any constipation issues. After reading all the horrifying tales of pain and woe on this site, I gotta say, I'm either a paragon of pain tolerance, or some people just can't cope with pain. This was a breeze. no regrets whatsoever. Tomorrow, I'm taking my kid to Chuck E Cheese Smile

Get it done. You won't regret it.

Guest · Guest

I'm a 25 yeard old female, and today is day 5 for me. I did expect pain however not so consistent and not so much in my ears. I had gotten the hiccups the other night and didn't imagine that hiccups could hurt so much.

I have thrown up a couple of times. Once when I first got out of surgery and several times on day 4. I had stopped with the anti-nausea med though after last night I am now back on it religiously. Right now I live for my liquid narcotic. It tastes absolutely terrible yet it stops the pain fairly quickly

There have been moments when I did question the ingenius decision to have this done to me, but then I remember having tonsilities and strep multiple times each year and it evens out. I mostly just don't like not being able to eat whatever I want and having to take time off work. With not much to do I tend to pout more.

All in all, yeah it's painful, yet I know I'm going survive it. In a few days I'm going to be feeling awesome so I know that for me this was the best decision. I'm grateful that I had an amazing medical staff to do the procedure, who talked me through the whole thin and were more than willing to answer any question I had,

guest1201 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

I had my operation on the 22nd and I am on day 5 of my post op and I must say that it is painful. I had three operations (Adenoidictomy, Tonsilectomy, and a Septoplasty) to help with sleep apnea and snoring.

From a rating from 1-10 on the painful scale, the 1st 3 days was a 5 to a 6, but went to a 8 or 9 the last few days due to ear and neck pain due to the adenoid removal, which was unexpected for me. The swallowing is OK and I have been sipping water and gatorade, which helps. The popsicles helps soothe the throat and I think the ice cream does the same thing, but it's thick. I am taking Loritab for pain and Amoxillin as an antibiotic. I have to take 4 tsp every 3 hours and I do not have to even look at the clock!

If anyone that is reading this is looking to prepare themselves, I advise you to do the following:

1. Get all your antibiotic and pain medication needed.
2. Get Petrolium Jelly. This helps alot because I could not breathe due to the adenoid removal and helps keep your lips from drying.
3. Dring Water!!!
4. Brush your teeth twice a day. My breath stinks due to the scab forming and doctor said it is normal.

Well, I cant tell you yet that it helped with my condition, but I will soon find out.

free0809 · Newbie Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 15

had my operation the 17th and still in a fair amount of pain. i saw my ent last week and he gave me a shot of steroids to boost the healing but i have not improved very much since then. i am seeing him today at 215 cause i just can't believe that almost 2 weeks later i should still be this miserable. i still can't eat more than applesauce without pain and can only drink water.

rodentofunusualsize · Newbie Joined: 02 Feb 2008 Posts: 1

My health insurance policy is essentially useless. I'll be paying 100% of the cost of any surgery out of my own pocket. I'm thinking of getting laser tonsil ablation (LTA) done, since it seems to be reasonably effective and relatively painless.

Can anyone tell me how much this procedure typically costs? (And I don't mean "I just had a $5 copay!" Please assume no insurance whatsoever, because unless I end up in the hospital for a week or more, my insurance won't be paying a dime of it.)

Also, if anyone has done the medical tourism route in Thailand, do you know of a hospital that does it there? The one I've used in the past doesn't offer this procedure.

Thanks!

Guest · Guest

Well I had my tonsils out yesterday and I am 32. It has now been a little over 24 hours. I would say the pain is worse in the morning. My toungue is sore and swollen, my neck is sore and puffy. But i expected all this considering how they remove the tonsils. The Dr. removed them the old fashioned way. No laser here. I am drinking liquids only right now. Which has been tough. I have been peeing soooo much though, i think they gave me like 4 liters of fluid yesterday and its coming out today. Cause I don't drink enough to pee that much. I don't appear to be dehydrated. I drink slimfast, italian ice, pudding, and I have yogurt and jello if I feel the desire. I did have liquid soup last night....cream of chicken..and just waited until it was luke warm to eat. Slim fast seems to help coat my tonsils with thick phlem which as far as i am concerned helps get other things down.

I can not say that i regret going through this as I believe when all is healed i will be more thankful. I will suck up a couple weeks of nightmare for life with out my stupid tonsils. I was a little more prepared for this though. in Oct 2006 I had my uvula, part of my soft upper pallet? and part of a tonsil lasered and one shrunk with radio frequency. The pain then was just as bad as the pain now. I will say forcing yourself to drink and eat soft foods is the key to quick recovery. Last time I was eating soft foods by day 4...I plan to take the same path this time as well. I only have been taking my pain med's codeine once a day. Usually at night. FOr some reason by morning i am in a lot of pain so i take it at night to get me through my sleep. I have a hard time sleeping because my toungue is so swollen it causes my sleep apnea\snoring to be worse. Hanging in there though, follow the instructions and make sure drink as much as u can tolerate and slowly introduce some soft foods. It took me a couple hours to get my soup down, and when i eat my first soft food it will take a long time also. At least i am not very hungry, i would normally inhale my food.. Smile

If your tonsils are a problem, get infected, swollen, infections etc often..then get em out. Deal with the pain...yes it's painful, it is not easy and if I felt i had a choice i wouldnt of gone through with it. Who wants to purposely deal with major pain for days\weeks. Not me, but i know i will be happier in the end....take time to heal...

Dan

Guest · Guest

Just make sure you prayed up! God Does the healing not the medication. I am 26 years of age... I read all the post and almost decided not to do it, but good thing I did. I woke up from surgery and I didn't even know it was done. They gave me apple juice right after and it went down ok. I was in very minimum pain and drunk lots a fluids and had lots of jello that day. The next day I was eating mash and the 3rd day I ate whatever i felt like eating. I am now on day 7 and the pain is still minimun and I'm not taking any medication for pain. By the way I took percecets the first 2 days and I only took 1 every 8 hours but I was just trying to follow doctor orders and take them. I still have a full bottle and I never needed to take anything for pain. Also, I got my surgery monday afternoon jan 28th and I was in class tuesday morning. I was upset I took a full week off from work cause I was in no pain and operating as normal so I lost 40 hrs for no reason. I had a great surgery and hope someone is encouraged to get it done if it is truely needed.

Guest · Guest

I had the surgery done nine months ago and although I am somewhat glad for it, (my sleep apnea has improved considerably), to take this surgery lightly is a mistake. I have had many surgeries including neck, and intestinal, however, none were close to what I went through with this. Granted, I had a major complication, somehow, two days after the surgery while at home I severed an artery and had to be rushed back for another surgery. I also needed a blood transfusion but more to the point. I never expected recovery to be this terrible. All you hear about the headaches, the throut pain are true. For some, perhaps it isn't too bad, however, I do have what I would think is a strong threshold for pain and I was to the point of wanting to die. Just a reminder, I had many complications and perhaps that made the recovery worse, but my recommendation is to plan for a terrible two weeks, make sure you have all your ducks in a row, plenty of meds, a blender (about the only thing I liked was ice blended like a margarita) and a contact or two that have gone through this also. Hopefully it won't be that bad and odds are you'll be happy once the recovery time period is done. I don't tell people not to do it, but just be prepared. On a side note, I no longer eat sweets such as chocolate, cereal, cake, cookies, due to my taste buds not quite finding their way home. good luck.

What to expect following adult tonsillectomy & adenoidectomy?

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