I had my tonsillectomy done 5 weeks ago. Prior to the operation, I sat around reading some of the threads here and needless to say, I was petrified. Come to find out it wasn’t that bad at all. There was a great deal of nausea but very little pain. I took every opportunity I could to pat my self on the back for a job well done.
“I didn’t experience any pain, because I stayed hydrated and ate real food and took my medicine on time and I’m awesome.”

Well, a few days ago, I found out I wasn’t as awesome as I’d thought. I noticed the operation site was really lumpy and just didn’t look as if it were healing correctly. So I go for my two week follow up in a state of hysteria. The surgeon assures me everything looks fine, I’m overreacting and I should just chill out. Not convinced, I went for a second opinion two days ago. I was only supposed to see the P.A. but she takes a quick glance at my throat and says, “I think I should have the doctor take a look at this.” He comes, peaks around for a while and murmurs the dreaded, “Hmmm.”

He then asked if my surgeon did a full or partial tonsillectomy. I tell him I didn’t even know this was an option! The ENT half heartedly assures me this is what it looks like and I shouldn’t be worried about the lumps and bumps and grossness of it all. But then he sends in ANOTHER DOCTOR to come and inspect the disaster site which is my throat. I was shocked they didn’t start snapping pictures.

Anyway, I was sent on my way with a mega dose of antibiotics, Peridex mouthwash and acid reflux medicine. I still have plenty of tonsil stones stuck back there, a bunch of lumps and crevices that I have to clean out three or four times a day and my mouth still taste gross. The object of the FULL tonsillectomy was to get rid of these issues.

I typed all of this to see if anyone else has had this experience. Did you go under expecting to have ALL OF YOUR TONSILS removed to find that only bits and pieces were taken out? Is it customary for doctors to do this and not make you aware of it before or after? If you did knowingly have a partial tonsillectomy did they grow back, or did you continue to experience problems with the little pieces that were left behind?

Thanks.