Adult Tonsillectomy Post Op

I just wanted to chime in with the others who have posted on this site. I had my tonsils removed on 8/12, making this Day 5 since the surgery. I cannot do anything at this point except choke down the pain medicine (Liquid Lortab - tastes horrible and burns my throat - takes me 10 or 15 minutes to get up the nerve to take it then about the same to get it all down) and sip water. I know I have been fortunate not to have bled or thrown up, but I have had three children naturally and for some reason this pain is much worse. Maybe because with labor and delivery you know it will end. This is an all consuming pain that permeates my neck and throat and ears and is constant (unless I hold perfectly still) I can't even believe this was performed as an outpatient surgery. My first night was crazy ... no sleep, difficulty breathing, etc. My children (17 and 21) think I'm exaggerating so they are not sympathetic at all. I just keep focusing on the tonsil- and pain-free throat that will make all this worth it. Best of luck!

Just an FYI Bethany....I had devseptum, sinus, and tonsillectomy a couple days ago and ended up having a monster clot a couple hours after and my throat almost swelled shut and had to rush to the ER OR and go under the knife again as well as get blood pumped from my stomach.....now the healing process.....are u still healing?.....how was your healig process....let me know...

......Later

Last 27 Feb 2009, my good friend died after undergoing tonsillectomy a week before. He died at age 27. He was left alone in their house that morning at 8:30 when he vomitted blood. Things happened vey fast that at 11:30 that morning he already died. They found him bathing in his own blood, and it was very horrible that death came to him so fast. It was said that the surgeon who did the procedure on him did not inform him so well of the consequences, the things he could have been alarmed of, and the dreadful possibility of death.

I'm sharing this with you in order to save people's lives in the future, so that I could do something to the community. I don't want other people to feel the way I'm feeling right now. Please don't leave your dear ones after a tonsillectomy, or death will surely come in. If there are no other options left, select the best doctor for the procedure please.

I have just been reading the posts regarding post op Tonsillectomy. If I had read these 12 days ago I would of been even more nervous about having my operation done..
I am 12 days post op now, and to be fair my recovery has been soo much easier than i could of imagined. I have read several items on the web, and it scared the c**p out of me!
My advice is.. take as much pain relief as you can.. if you can have it..TAKE IT! DRINK DRINK DRINK! It's the best thing to keep hydrated. I know it hurts, but the more you drink the easier it gets..promise!
Don't have dairy products for a while( produces too much mucus in throat) and chew loads of gum ( helps saliva secrections, keeps throat moist).
Everyones recovery is different and not everyone one will have it good i'm sure, but you can only do the best for yourself by following the doctors advice.(see above).
I am from England and i know eating normal food the next day helped me for sure. I know in the US they are reluctant to advise to eat rough foods.. but for me it helped. Hope this helps anyone having the op.. I know it scare people reading horror stories, but i'm a example of the good recovery stories that are out there!!

I am a 27 year old woman and I am in day 3. I have been lucky and had very little bleeding. I stayed overnight the first night of my surgery and threw up both blood clots which scared the hell out of me. I was sent home a with liquid antibiotics, liquid lortab and a numbing rinse. I can not take the lortab because of the intensity of burning and choking it causes. I have just today been able to swallow some sherbert. I have almost constantly had an ice pack on throat as well. I only wish I had had this done 20 years ago.

Thank you to the individual who wrote of the 27 year old friend who died after a tonsillectomy. A 37 year old friend of mine just died after having one. I don't know many details, such as evidence of bleeding, but she was found dead a morning or two after surgery. Apparently, her tonsils had been so bad, she had to take steroids to keep her throat from closing up. Has anyone heard of this? Now, I'm wondering if she and anyone who undergoes such a procedure should not have someone with them at all times, especially overnight. God, if only I had known! And, my friend was an RN! But, she asked me if I knew of any adults who had the procedure and what they went through. If anyone has any insights that they can share, I would be most grateful. Thanks!

I just had a tonsillectomy this morning. I came home about 2 hours after my surgery. On the ride home I vomited, and since I've been home I've vomitted 5 additional times. My doctor had warned me beforehand that I may vomit, but I was expecting it to be this bad. I called him and informed him on the number of times I had vomited and he said it's normal for the first 24 hours. They recommended I wait 3 hours and drink a "teaspoon" of water!!! That concerns me b/c I don't want to risk getting dehydrated, but I can't keep anything down including my medicine. I dont' know what's worst, not drinking and getting dehydrated or trying to drink water and throwing it back up. To the poster who lost the 37 year old friend, I too had to have a steroid to keep my throat from swelling up. It is so unfortunate that people are not being properly advised of the seriousness of this procedure and the after-care it takes. My doctor went over all of the risks and told me that I needed someone here with me for a few days.

I'M A 50 YEAR OLD MALE AND I HAD MY SURGERY THURSDAY JAN 27TH...IN CUNJUCNTION WITH NOSE SURGERY. I HAD VERY LITTLE BLEEDING AND REGULAR POST OP PAIN. I DID HOWEVER, FREAK OUT, WHEN I TOOK MY 1ST ZIPP OF LIQUID... PICTURE THIS, I HAD BOTH MY NOSTRILS PACKED WITH GAUES, AND ALREADY EXPERIENCED SOME SWELLING FROM MY THROAGHT SURGERY...A REAL WIERED SENSATION OF CHOKING CAME OVER ME, NOT FUN.

MY DOCTOR RECOMENDED THAT I STAY OVERINGHT, GO HOME THE NEXT DAY.. I TOTALLY DISAGREED,!! I ASKED TO STAY AN EXTRA DAY OR MAYBE TWO.. THAT NIGHT MY VITALS WERE ALL OUT OF WACK...I WAS NOT STABLIZED TILL 1AM THE NEXT MORNING...IMAGINE THIS HAPPENING AT HOME.. IT WOULD OF FREAKED MY FAMILY OUT...ANYWAY,I WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL THAT NEXT MORNING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THE DOCTOR WOULD REMOVE THE PAKING FROM MY NOSE,,WHICH HE DID..

HERE IT IS DAY 6TH AND IM STRUGGLING WITH MY EATING AND DRINKING...SEEMS THAT EVERYTHING BURNS MY THROAGHT,,
ANY SUGGESTIONS...?

I had my tonsils done 2 days ago, and reading this is scaring the c**p out of me. What happened to some of you sounds awful but when you think how many people get theirs done everyday with no complications, I think your cases are quite rare.

It is painful yes but thats why you have pain relief, and if you think about why you had it done in the first place it is to stop you getting ill so the overall result is positive. When I wake up in the morning, and usually several times during the night I am in pain, its bearable but very uncomfortable. I find it hard to swallow and in the morning it is impossible to eat but the more you eat and try to speak to easer it gets, and by dinner time I can pretty much eat anything I could before (with just minor discomfort).

The girl in the hospital refused to eat after her op, while I tired as hard as a could and managed toast dripped in soup – I think that’s the key, to push yourself a little bit. That’s what I’ve been told by everyone I’ve spoke to and it does get easier. By eating rougher food such as bread or toast or even cereal clears the throat and lessens the chance of infection and it also makes it generally easier to swallow so drinking or speaking doesnt become a problem. Hope this helps anyone who has had / is having an op! Try not to get too freaked out!

Hey! I am a 35 year old male that had a tonsillectomy last Thursday 24th Feb. I had this done after being diagnosed with mild Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

While I was going through the sleep testing phase and CPAP machine useage, and subsequent reviews, I asked about a surgical proceedure that may be able to cure the OSA. At the time I was thinking about a simple proceedure that i had read about in a newspaper article, but that swiftly turned into discussions of having a tonsillectomy!! oh damn it I thought, I wish I hadnt said anything now. The longer I thought about it, and the more i researched the long term health implications that are being associated with OSA, i decided that two weeks of pain would be preferable to the thought of potential links to high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes that i had read about.

So that was that, 24th Feb, down to theatre at 2.30pm after arriving at the hospital at 7.30am. By 4pm I was back on my ward and by 6pm I was eating meatballs, mash potato and green beans with a small amount of discomfort but nothing major. For the following three days my meals were varied. Tuna sweetcorn sandwich the evening of my op. Bread roll and jam the next day for breakfast and a McDonalds (two Big Macs and a large fries) on the way home from hospital that afternoon. Then i had toast, cornflakes and coissants for breakfast over the weekend with chowmein and chips one evening. so far i have een ating solid foods right from day one. No soups, no puree's all eaten with a degree of soreness and difficulty, but i swear that eating normallly has eased the pain in the long run (ok so I am only at day 5) and I have made sure to drink 2 litres of water to replenish my hydration levels.

Other things to consider -

TAKE YOUR MEDS ON TIME! if you miss your timimgs it definitely makes the pain feel worse. set an alarm for during the night meds, you dont want to miss them!

Drink, drink and more drink. avoid acidic fruit juices for at last the first week and dont drink milk (or eat dairy) as this creates flegm and a film in your throat that first of all can harbour bacteria, but secondly causes you to want to cough up to clear your throat.

Chewing gum has had varied success. it hurt my jaw when I was due another medication, but then it helped me out before tonights dinner of steak pie chips and veg by loosening my jaw up.

Put a tea spoon of salt into a litre bottle of water and leave in the bathroom. whenever, and i mean whenever you visit the bathroom, or even just pass the bathroom, go gargle a mouthful and spit it out. Its not pleasant but it helps clam your mouth.

Wash your teeth after every single meal, and at least three times a day without fail.

Sleep with a window open even if its cold outside. Maybe its the cool air, maybe its the humidity levels increased by leaving a window open, but i slept with it closed one night and i got a dryer mouth than normal over the course of the night which equates to soreness.

Above all, stay positive, its not going to last forever, set a goal for each day, if the pain gets too much or you experinece any bleeding etc then go to the doctors and ask for help!!

Fingers crossd for anyone and everyone out there that is having this done, thats had it done and is in recovery right now. You are fighters!!!

P

hi im 34 year old man had tonsilectomy on 30th march 2011. operation was generally fine, and the following two days i was talk of the ENT ward by the medical team to how id recovered, but theres a big but.as the days have gone by eating and drinking have now become impossible im on day 6 of recovery and i wont attempt to eat because of the pain, and ive resulted in tears from the herendous pain !! and im finding painkillers, such as tramadol , ibruprofen have stopped working for me do not work now, so im finding i can only sup bits of water !!good way to diet i suppose .

hey im a 25 year old male and im booked in to be butchered in october. I've had glandular fever before and needed a month off work to recover from that. During that time i didnt eat for 2 weeks straight and could only just manage to drink, lost 10 kg and ended up in hospital. Ive heard everywhere that a tonsillectomy is the worse pain ever but im hoping its not as bad as glandular fever. I've never had surgery before and am pretty worried about what its going to be like waking up let alone the pain that most people have experienced

I'm 40 and have considered getting this done for 2 years now since my doctor said I had chronic tonsillitis. I've held off for several reasons, cost and time to recover, etc. I went through a terriable bought of illness one summer that lead to my doctor's conclusion to get the procedure done. When I was young I almost had my tonsils removed from repeated tonsillitis but since the trend to not have them removed from children as a rudemtary procedure had succumbed. I would say this that doctors need to bring this procedure back for children to have them removed. Even though I am managing this tonsil stones, etc but there are times when exhaustion over takes me, I sense my whole body becomes inflammed then the tonsil stones show up again. I really don't know what to do at this point.

I am 26 years old and I underwent a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy on the 25th of May. Before the operation I read all these different posts and I really scared myself and the first doctor I saw scared me as well! (Saying I would be in an out of the hospital with dehydration and hemorrhaging) However the second doctor I saw and who eventually preformed the surgery really put me at ease. He explained that in their practice there are three doctors who perform these surgeries every week and they have maybe 1 to 2 hemorrhages a year. 

 

When I woke up from the surgery I was surprised that the pain in my throat was not more severe. It was sore but from reading the posts I had expected a lot more pain. I was asking the nurse questions about the pain and if it would get any worse. She told me that it really wouldn't get much worse as the days went on, it would just be constant. I was then told that I had to stop talking and that no one would be allowed to come see me until I rested because I was using my voice to much! So needless to say I was feeling better than expected. As soon as the nurse brought in ice chips I made my self eat all of them because I was determined to stay hydrated. By the time I left the medical center I had eaten three cups of ice chips and drank two bottles of water. I did feel slightly nauseous from the medication but thankfully I did not get sick. I feel really sorry for any of you who did because I just can’t imagine the pain that would cause. After I was feeling less sick I was able to go home.

 

Day 1 –

As soon as I got home I forced down some apple sauce and diced peaches so that I had eaten before I took my pain medicine. It was sore but I felt I would rather force down food than take my medicine without it and risk being sick. The rest of the day I just drank abnormal amounts of ice water (I went through a case of bottle water about every other day) and ate fruit and apple sauce when I had to take my pain meds. From this point onwards I also had an ice pack on my neck constantly for the next 7 days.

 

Day 2 –

I was taking my pain meds every four hours and eating fruit, noodles, really soft white bread, instant mash. However, in the afternoon I started to feel very nauseous so I stopped taking the prescription meds and switched to Tylenol. Towards the evening I felt nauseous again so I stopped taking all the meds (I really had a fear of being sick so I figured better some ear pain than throwing up!)

 

Days 3 & 4-

I spent these two days with lying on the couch only getting up to get more ice or water. The pain was pretty bad but manageable with the ice pack. I was drinking so much ice water that my throat was no worse than a normal sore throat, my ears were sore though. The ice pack really managed a lot of the pain. By the evening of day 4 I started to take Tylenol again and that took the pain almost completely away! I had added sandwiches and toast to my diet. The first four days I was so weak I couldn’t even stand to have a shower. These were my worst days but that is only because I wasn't taking any pain meds.

 

Days 5, 6, 7-

I was still drinking huge amounts of ice water and using the ice pack constantly but I was only taking Tylenol when I woke up in the morning. When I first woke up was still a bit sore and I was only eating toast and fruit for breakfast but in the afternoon and evening I was eating normal food again! Once I started having regular meals I improved so much it was amazing. By the end of day 7 I was off the Tylenol and the ice pack.

 

I am on day 11 and I really feel back to myself. It is still a little stiff in the morning but it’s not an issue anymore. I really feel like if you drink loads of ice water no matter how much it hurts, use an ice pack, eat as much as you can even if it is painful, and chew gum (its painful but it loosens your jaw) you will recover a lot faster. Don’t believe all the horror stories because they are not the norm. It was one week of pain that was not as horrible as a lot of these posts lead you to believe! Good luck to you all!