I am a 21 year old female and I had my tonsils and adenoids out exactly one week ago today. I can say I am really glad that I didn't read all of the posts about it until now, I don't think I would have had the operation!
My recovery has gone fairly smoothly, no trips to the hospital. I couldn't talk very well for the first few days, a note pad helped for that. Popsicles (not anything citrus or too extreme on the flavor), cold soups (yes they make those!), luke warm or iced black tea- no lemon, yougurt smoothies, gatorade and lots of rest have brought me to a decent state.
I agree with the ban on scratchy foods, they don't seem like a great idea even still. I have managed some macaroni and other pasta, and cold green tea smoothies now.
I was pleasantly surprised to wake up this morning with minimal pain and to realize that I hadn't had pain meds in my system for 3-4 hrs was even better.
I can't say much as to the weight loss as I have no scale at home, however when I got dressed yesterday I had to wear a belt with jeans that were tight last week, so I am guessing I fall into the category of losing weight.
Really the best person to ask about the surgery is your surgeon. REquest meds for anti-nausea especially if you have had post op nausea before. Also talk to your anesthesiologist about nausea prevention, they can do a lot for you these days.
If you have an option for a radio wave technique in your surgery I highly recomend it, that is what I had and it seems I had a very mild surgery compared to most.
I hope that this has provided some hope and insight for what to stock up on pre surgery for a healthy recovery.
My recovery has gone fairly smoothly, no trips to the hospital. I couldn't talk very well for the first few days, a note pad helped for that. Popsicles (not anything citrus or too extreme on the flavor), cold soups (yes they make those!), luke warm or iced black tea- no lemon, yougurt smoothies, gatorade and lots of rest have brought me to a decent state.
I agree with the ban on scratchy foods, they don't seem like a great idea even still. I have managed some macaroni and other pasta, and cold green tea smoothies now.
I was pleasantly surprised to wake up this morning with minimal pain and to realize that I hadn't had pain meds in my system for 3-4 hrs was even better.
I can't say much as to the weight loss as I have no scale at home, however when I got dressed yesterday I had to wear a belt with jeans that were tight last week, so I am guessing I fall into the category of losing weight.
Really the best person to ask about the surgery is your surgeon. REquest meds for anti-nausea especially if you have had post op nausea before. Also talk to your anesthesiologist about nausea prevention, they can do a lot for you these days.
If you have an option for a radio wave technique in your surgery I highly recomend it, that is what I had and it seems I had a very mild surgery compared to most.
I hope that this has provided some hope and insight for what to stock up on pre surgery for a healthy recovery.
I am 40 and had my tonsils out 3 days ago. I also had a deviated septum corrected at the same time.
So my nose is plugged, which makes swallowing even more difficult.
Yes, th pain is bad. I would agree that days 2-3 are worse than day 1, when all that morophine was still in the body.
I have been fortunate that I have been able to eat soft foods from day 1. Noodles, soft bread, juice (no citrus), water, jello, pudding, popsicles, even iced coffee. Had a meatball yesterday evening. Eat slowly, chew well, if it goes down, then great.
Sleeping is OK, but because of the nose, my mouth gets excessively dried out. I keep some soda water next to me, I find the bubbles help bread down the mucus that invariably builds up in the mouth. Cold is not a problem for me, hot, citrus, spicy and chocholate are.
This afternoon I'll get the splints out of my nose and HOPEFULLY be able to breathe through there.
I have a presentation to give in 6 days, so i'm hoping that much of the pain will be gone by them. Referred ear pain began yesterday.
Never had any nausea (whew).
Looking forward to life without the chronic infection. No matter the pain, this was worth it.
So my nose is plugged, which makes swallowing even more difficult.
Yes, th pain is bad. I would agree that days 2-3 are worse than day 1, when all that morophine was still in the body.
I have been fortunate that I have been able to eat soft foods from day 1. Noodles, soft bread, juice (no citrus), water, jello, pudding, popsicles, even iced coffee. Had a meatball yesterday evening. Eat slowly, chew well, if it goes down, then great.
Sleeping is OK, but because of the nose, my mouth gets excessively dried out. I keep some soda water next to me, I find the bubbles help bread down the mucus that invariably builds up in the mouth. Cold is not a problem for me, hot, citrus, spicy and chocholate are.
This afternoon I'll get the splints out of my nose and HOPEFULLY be able to breathe through there.
I have a presentation to give in 6 days, so i'm hoping that much of the pain will be gone by them. Referred ear pain began yesterday.
Never had any nausea (whew).
Looking forward to life without the chronic infection. No matter the pain, this was worth it.
Get adequate pain relief. If the surgeon is not willing, ask your referring General practitioner. You will need to have something every 4 hours day and night to get through esp. day 3, 4 and 5.
hi my name is steven i am 22 and i got home and the next day i ate kraft dinner i felt fine but the third day they just broke out of the blue i went to the hospital and the stitched it back while i was awake it felt like i was going to die worst paint nin my life i didnt talk after that and i was fine my advise is dont eat for the first few days
Today is day 8 for me... I am still in a lot of pain and the only medication I can take is extra stength tylenol (crushed up). The liquid lortab the doctor prescribed me made me throw up, which was very unpleasant. I usually wake up 3-4 times during the night coughing, which then leads to pain in my throat and ears. I used a humidifier last night, which helped with my throat drying out during the night, but I still woke up once or twice coughing up mucus. Other than the pain, the worst part of this whole thing is not being able to eat. I have lost about 10 pounds, and I will probably continue to loose more weight, until I fully recover, (which I'm hoping is soon). The best advice that I can give to anyone thinking about doing this procedure, is try to eat and drink as much as you can. Try drinking a slim fast in the morning, because it is a meal replacement so it has tons of vitamins and proteins that you would usually be getting, and it fills you up. Also, baby food fruit has been pretty good for me, it's not too thick so it goes down pretty smoothly. Cream of wheat in the morning, you can dilute it with water to make it pretty thin. Popsicles to soothe the throat, and vitamin water to drink, because it's healthy for you. I'm glad that I had this done, my tonsils were extremely large and I was having problems sleeping at night. It is a slow recovery, but I'm back at work already and just taking it easy. I've been extremely luck with not having any bleeding so far. I'm looking forward to my post-op appointment on Monday, and just waiting for the day that I can eat normally again... I'm starving!!! Good luck to anyone who is going to have this surgery done.
I am 17 and I had my tonsils removed yesterday and it was way less painful than i expected. The surgery took a total of 30 minutes and i was in the hospital for a total of 8 hours after the surgery. I had my tonsils removed because i had chronic and recurrent tonsilitis after having mono two years ago. When i woke up from the anesthisia, I asked the nurse if they didn't do the surgery because I didn't feel anything more than alittle soreness in my throat. As the day progressed and the morphine wore off, i was given liquid tylenol with codine which helps for about 4 hours. I ate macaroni and cheese 5 hours after surgery with bread and mashed potatoes which made my throat alittle swollen but was not hard to eat. I must have been lucky because everyone else seems to have had a horrible time but it is only day 2 so things could change! I've definately had worse pain, but maybe my throat is just used to pain after two years of chronic tonsilitis. I was extremely nervous to have the surgery after everyone told me i would be miserable and in pain for two weeks, but i feel pretty good. I was smiling and talking as soon as i woke up from surgery! I definately do not regret having the surgery
hey everyone, wow lots of diverse experiences!!
just like to share my experience... i am a 19 year old girl and i had my tonsillectomy six days ago (11th sept) after becoming severly ill with glandular fever tonsilitis... nasty!
i was nil-by-mouth after 8:30am, admitted to hospital at 11:15am... waited and waited ...eventually wheeled into surgery just after 6pm. you can imagine the immense hunger pains! i was extremely nervous, i think because i had done some research before the opperation and knew roughly what was going to happen. i was given some pre-meds to ease the nerves, lucky because waiting to be anaethetised (sp?!) my mechanical bed wouldn't work!! talk about stress - but i was fine thanks to the calming medication i received.
my veins aren't very easy to find so i was given the gas. i would have liked to have been injected... (strange how some want one way, others wan the other!) ...i remember the intense loss of control while inhaling the gas... the ringing of my ears, slowly deaf etc... strange experience!!
in recovery i woke a little disorientated and exxxxxtremely tired; was given morphine for the pain based on what i rated it from 1-10 and some maxilon (sp?) for nausea... i remember lying in recovery and the taste in my mouth was awful... thats when it hit me - the first taste was a result from the gas! yucko!
headed back to my room in the ward, and became extremely hot, fairly high grade fever and vomitting straight away... i was kept in hospital for two nights, the first night was rough, IV fluids and one hourly obs meant very little sleep... although the night nurse was lovely and kept my spirits high.
the second day was the worst. severe vomitting, i couldn't eat anything, i tried jelly and ice cream but it just came back up (consequently turning me off it!!) drinking was an effort so i was kept on the IV drip until early hours of day of discharge. i had problems with taking pain medication, was threatened with surpositories! (sp?!) i was given two soluble panadol tablets every six hours, but when the pain was so extreme (2nd night) i was given a morphine injection (ouch!) and a stemitile (sp?) injection for the nausea.
eventually by the third day i was able to get up and have a quick shower and feel a bit more alive... the pain was still significant but i was not allowed to leave unless i ate something! so i tried to munch on toast and sip on some soup... toast = bad idea. i TOTALLY agree with the avoidance of harsh foods... ouch!!!
i began chewing gum, used my brain and opted for a less flavourless gum such as JUICY FRUIT and this works fine.
when leaving the hospital, (i have anxiety problems) my mouth was clenched so tight and i felt like my teeth weren't aligned, almost like i was grinding to get them straight. when i arrived home, (ahhh good ol' home!) i laid down on my bed and did a very soft gentle, fingertip massage on the jaw and just breathed - this eased the tension in my mouth.
so far my diet has increased, and in order this is what i have consumed so far: banana paddle pop icecream, goulburn valley puree fruit, Heinz tin spaghetti, chicken noodle soup with soft bread and butter, apricots in syrup, porridge with honey (healing food!) soft fruit toast with butter, pumpkin soup, weak black tea with a bit of sugar, crumpet with honey (healer again!!) mcdonalds hashbrowns (who would have thought!! but they are fine, just make sure to chew well first... make you feel full as well.)
i don't have a problem drinking water now... am aware to keep that up regarding dehydration etc.
my main concerns for the immediate future are:
- the amount of phlegm that makes me cough - VERY PAINFUL.... almost leads to vomitting.
- referred ear pain
- the days to come regarding the scabs and bleeding....
i am taking soluble panadol strictly every six hours... i find that the fourth and fifth hour before the next dose are so painful that i tend to try to sleep through it.
i am dying for the pain to go away so i can get on with my life, as you can imagine - glandular fever had put me out of my life for a while!! (nearly 2 1/2 months now!!!)
it has helped me reading this forum, interesting to hear everyone elses experiences, concerns and achievements!!!
for anyone about to embark on this surgery --- the way i thought of it was: "two weeks pain compared to the risk of random bouts of tonsilitis... the surgery is so worth it."
good luck and healthy vibes!!!
-Sophie
just like to share my experience... i am a 19 year old girl and i had my tonsillectomy six days ago (11th sept) after becoming severly ill with glandular fever tonsilitis... nasty!
i was nil-by-mouth after 8:30am, admitted to hospital at 11:15am... waited and waited ...eventually wheeled into surgery just after 6pm. you can imagine the immense hunger pains! i was extremely nervous, i think because i had done some research before the opperation and knew roughly what was going to happen. i was given some pre-meds to ease the nerves, lucky because waiting to be anaethetised (sp?!) my mechanical bed wouldn't work!! talk about stress - but i was fine thanks to the calming medication i received.
my veins aren't very easy to find so i was given the gas. i would have liked to have been injected... (strange how some want one way, others wan the other!) ...i remember the intense loss of control while inhaling the gas... the ringing of my ears, slowly deaf etc... strange experience!!
in recovery i woke a little disorientated and exxxxxtremely tired; was given morphine for the pain based on what i rated it from 1-10 and some maxilon (sp?) for nausea... i remember lying in recovery and the taste in my mouth was awful... thats when it hit me - the first taste was a result from the gas! yucko!
headed back to my room in the ward, and became extremely hot, fairly high grade fever and vomitting straight away... i was kept in hospital for two nights, the first night was rough, IV fluids and one hourly obs meant very little sleep... although the night nurse was lovely and kept my spirits high.
the second day was the worst. severe vomitting, i couldn't eat anything, i tried jelly and ice cream but it just came back up (consequently turning me off it!!) drinking was an effort so i was kept on the IV drip until early hours of day of discharge. i had problems with taking pain medication, was threatened with surpositories! (sp?!) i was given two soluble panadol tablets every six hours, but when the pain was so extreme (2nd night) i was given a morphine injection (ouch!) and a stemitile (sp?) injection for the nausea.
eventually by the third day i was able to get up and have a quick shower and feel a bit more alive... the pain was still significant but i was not allowed to leave unless i ate something! so i tried to munch on toast and sip on some soup... toast = bad idea. i TOTALLY agree with the avoidance of harsh foods... ouch!!!
i began chewing gum, used my brain and opted for a less flavourless gum such as JUICY FRUIT and this works fine.
when leaving the hospital, (i have anxiety problems) my mouth was clenched so tight and i felt like my teeth weren't aligned, almost like i was grinding to get them straight. when i arrived home, (ahhh good ol' home!) i laid down on my bed and did a very soft gentle, fingertip massage on the jaw and just breathed - this eased the tension in my mouth.
so far my diet has increased, and in order this is what i have consumed so far: banana paddle pop icecream, goulburn valley puree fruit, Heinz tin spaghetti, chicken noodle soup with soft bread and butter, apricots in syrup, porridge with honey (healing food!) soft fruit toast with butter, pumpkin soup, weak black tea with a bit of sugar, crumpet with honey (healer again!!) mcdonalds hashbrowns (who would have thought!! but they are fine, just make sure to chew well first... make you feel full as well.)
i don't have a problem drinking water now... am aware to keep that up regarding dehydration etc.
my main concerns for the immediate future are:
- the amount of phlegm that makes me cough - VERY PAINFUL.... almost leads to vomitting.
- referred ear pain
- the days to come regarding the scabs and bleeding....
i am taking soluble panadol strictly every six hours... i find that the fourth and fifth hour before the next dose are so painful that i tend to try to sleep through it.
i am dying for the pain to go away so i can get on with my life, as you can imagine - glandular fever had put me out of my life for a while!! (nearly 2 1/2 months now!!!)
it has helped me reading this forum, interesting to hear everyone elses experiences, concerns and achievements!!!
for anyone about to embark on this surgery --- the way i thought of it was: "two weeks pain compared to the risk of random bouts of tonsilitis... the surgery is so worth it."
good luck and healthy vibes!!!
-Sophie
I just had a tonsilectomy in conjuction with a turbinate reduction for my nose, as I have sinus problems.
After the surgery, I did not even notice that any work had been done on my nose as it was so painful just to swallow.
I am on day 6 of recovery and sometimes its better than others. I woke up at 5am and had to take pain meds, because my mouth and tongue were so dry and sore.
I think the surgeon did a number on my tongue, because I have cuts all over it. Very Painful.
I can tell it is going to be a long recovery time. I have to go back to work soon.
I can't say as of yet if it was worth it, but for what I went through, it better be. :-(
After the surgery, I did not even notice that any work had been done on my nose as it was so painful just to swallow.
I am on day 6 of recovery and sometimes its better than others. I woke up at 5am and had to take pain meds, because my mouth and tongue were so dry and sore.
I think the surgeon did a number on my tongue, because I have cuts all over it. Very Painful.
I can tell it is going to be a long recovery time. I have to go back to work soon.
I can't say as of yet if it was worth it, but for what I went through, it better be. :-(
to the person above my post: i had similar feelings of wondering whether or not the pain was worth it! but i am glad to report that now, day 8 after surgery and i do feel a change - i see the light at the end of the tunnel! so hang in there mate! it will be uncomfortable but just think... tonsilitis (and other problems) never again!!
i had a peek at my throat yesterday (have been too scared to do so up until then!) and was horrified! one side was completely white and the other a little patchy... pretty much grossed me out but hey, it means it is healing, right!
today i took another look (about 10 mins ago) and i am pleased to say that on my right side it is all clear! no white scabs! so now its just the left side to go... and i can definately tell the difference, there is quite considerable LESS pain on the scab-less side than the side still white and yuck!
so i am a little bit more positive about things now...
and! i still haven't had any signs of blood!!! yay!
i had a peek at my throat yesterday (have been too scared to do so up until then!) and was horrified! one side was completely white and the other a little patchy... pretty much grossed me out but hey, it means it is healing, right!
today i took another look (about 10 mins ago) and i am pleased to say that on my right side it is all clear! no white scabs! so now its just the left side to go... and i can definately tell the difference, there is quite considerable LESS pain on the scab-less side than the side still white and yuck!
so i am a little bit more positive about things now...
and! i still haven't had any signs of blood!!! yay!
I had an adult tonsillectomy when I was 23 years old. I had been suffering recurring bouts of tonsillitis every month for several years. In hindsight it was the best thing I have ever had done. The recovery is extremely painful. I have heard it described by others as worse than childbirth, though I wouldn't know yet. Definitely much much worse than having a wisdom tooth out. The good news is that the pain can be relieved by perscription medicine. I was on vicadin. It took me 2 weeks to recover fully and luckily I had no complications. I feel that this was due directly to the care that I received while in recovery. I would highly recommend to have a close family member or friend informed of the process and if possible have them take a few days off of work to help you recover. My mother was able to come stay with me for the first two weeks. I don't know what I would have done without her. I also found Zen meditation to be a very effective treatment for the pain. Breathing deeply and accepting it made it much less painful. Before I had the sugery done I did a lot of research into good doctors and specifically asked for an ear nose and throat surgeon who specialized in musicians. They can use a smaller breathing tube which is more dangerous in that it offers less air, but better in that it prevents tearing and scaring of the throat and vocal chords on removal. It was more expensive, but as a singer I definitely found it to be worth it. I would advise anyone considering this or any other surgical procedure to do thorough research and find the best doctor money can buy. When it comes to your health it is worth it.
I have had throat infections since the surgery, but I have only been sick once a year or so compared to monthly before.
I have had throat infections since the surgery, but I have only been sick once a year or so compared to monthly before.
I'm 17 and had my tonsils out 8 days ago. I really didn't have alot of pain, but they gave me liquid narcotics which worked wonderfully. I've had no bleeding and was able to drink soup since my second day. I had the laser surgey and am waiting for my scabs to fall off so I can go back to work. It is my second operation this year and has been really easy on me^_^
Hey I am a 22 year old female and I suffered from the same thing I just got my tonsils out. I am always in constatnt pain even when wen are on pain medicine, so I cry a lot. I am a week out and I still can not talk and I can hardly drink. It is something that you need then do it. If you have the time to heal and have someone to take care of you then do it. It is very painful " I feel like I am choking on my tonsils" all the time. It is the wosrt pain that I have every imagined. Good luck with everything[/list]
My 20 year old son had his surgery 8 days ago. He is very frustrated as he thought he would be back in college by now and is obsessing about missed classes. He is still unable to talk much and the pain has been worse on days 6-8 than it was right after surgery. Am sure hoping that the next day or two shows a big improvement. He is still able to get down liquids, but is eating less than before. (no mac & cheese now).
update. Night of day 8 was terrible. Son didn't sleep all night due to pain. Called Dr. today and got stronger pain med, which helped pain--but caused nausea :'( Still not eating as well--mainly jello and a little broth. Its gotta get better, right?
I had a tonsilectmy 10 days ago. At the same time I had sinus surgery. I had 12 sinus cavities as apose to the 10 most human beings have. My two extra sinus cavities were infected with "Chronic Laranghitas. All together, I had a tonsilectomy (for chronic tonsilitas) and 14 different "prcedures" on my sinuses. I explained to my surgeon and the hospital staff that I was terrified of hospitals, the idea of surgery and that my anxiety
disorder was leading me into a "Panic attack". As soon as the surgeon got my consent forms signed and the anesthesiologist spoke with me, the nursing staff ordered me, what the Dr. called the "I dont care what you do to me" drug (quite the sedative). I told my husband I loved him and to kiss the kids for me and the next thing I remember was waking up in recovery.
As the anesthesia was wearing off, I began to feel alot of muscle pain through out my body, and some pain in my throat, but my face felt like I had been beeten with a ball bat.
At first they were giving me Morphine injections for pain, but it was too abrupt for me. It killed the pain, but when it wore ff, it just quit all of a sudden, no gradual let down, just no pain one minute and OUCH!!!!!! the next, so I asked them to switch my pain meds. They wrote me an at home RX for liquid Loritab, so that is what they began giving me at the hospital in place of the Morphine, it was much better.
I went in at 7 am and was released by 9 pm the same day, which I was happy with, I rather recover at home. I went home with my RX for pain and an antibiotic, and many nasal sprays, and pills. I kept on an all liquid diet for 3 days and then added things like mashed potates, and jello, maybe some pudding and ice cream. By day 5 I felt perfect, even quit my pain killer RX, thinking I had healed. They failed to inform me that after the first few days I would feel better, only to get worse again by day 9-10. Well, now I am on day 10 and the only thing I can figure why it gets worse is that by now, the large "Meat" like scabs that are nearly the size of tonsils themselves, are beginning to break loose and fall off. This is not only painful, but discusting. At any rate, I had to return to an all liquid diet, because with loosing the scabs (clumps) in my throat, it is too painfull, even with my pain RX to swallow anything with any real consistancy, even if it is soft like pudding.
I am 27 and honestly, the surgery and recovery hasn't been to bad. However, I have lost 26 pounds in 10 days, and am urinating constently due to an all liquid diet. Ocasionally I have some severe pain that requires me take my pain RX and lye down a while. Because my RX makes me nausious. But for the most part it has been fine. I have, after all, been well enugh to care for my 4 children with very little help. The only real help I have needed is in picking up my 1 year old and anything that requires stooping, due to I am on a 10 pound lift limit, and am not aloud to bend at the waist until 21 days post-op.
disorder was leading me into a "Panic attack". As soon as the surgeon got my consent forms signed and the anesthesiologist spoke with me, the nursing staff ordered me, what the Dr. called the "I dont care what you do to me" drug (quite the sedative). I told my husband I loved him and to kiss the kids for me and the next thing I remember was waking up in recovery.
As the anesthesia was wearing off, I began to feel alot of muscle pain through out my body, and some pain in my throat, but my face felt like I had been beeten with a ball bat.
At first they were giving me Morphine injections for pain, but it was too abrupt for me. It killed the pain, but when it wore ff, it just quit all of a sudden, no gradual let down, just no pain one minute and OUCH!!!!!! the next, so I asked them to switch my pain meds. They wrote me an at home RX for liquid Loritab, so that is what they began giving me at the hospital in place of the Morphine, it was much better.
I went in at 7 am and was released by 9 pm the same day, which I was happy with, I rather recover at home. I went home with my RX for pain and an antibiotic, and many nasal sprays, and pills. I kept on an all liquid diet for 3 days and then added things like mashed potates, and jello, maybe some pudding and ice cream. By day 5 I felt perfect, even quit my pain killer RX, thinking I had healed. They failed to inform me that after the first few days I would feel better, only to get worse again by day 9-10. Well, now I am on day 10 and the only thing I can figure why it gets worse is that by now, the large "Meat" like scabs that are nearly the size of tonsils themselves, are beginning to break loose and fall off. This is not only painful, but discusting. At any rate, I had to return to an all liquid diet, because with loosing the scabs (clumps) in my throat, it is too painfull, even with my pain RX to swallow anything with any real consistancy, even if it is soft like pudding.
I am 27 and honestly, the surgery and recovery hasn't been to bad. However, I have lost 26 pounds in 10 days, and am urinating constently due to an all liquid diet. Ocasionally I have some severe pain that requires me take my pain RX and lye down a while. Because my RX makes me nausious. But for the most part it has been fine. I have, after all, been well enugh to care for my 4 children with very little help. The only real help I have needed is in picking up my 1 year old and anything that requires stooping, due to I am on a 10 pound lift limit, and am not aloud to bend at the waist until 21 days post-op.