I got my tonsils out last summer, I was 28 years old. I had heard all the horror stories and I was really nervous-I almost backed out at the last minute. I just wanted to tell everyone who is contemplating the surgery that it honestly has changed my life. I was getting sick all the time, always on antibiotics-it took me forever to get going in the morning because I never felt good! Since getting them out my quality of life has changed so much, I guess I didn't realize how much the bad tonsils were affecting me when I had them in!!! I have never felt better so I am saying it is so worth it! Overall I did not have the worst experience-yes your throat is going to hurt, but no more than a really bad throat. If you take it easy during the recovery time and let yourself heal you will be fine! Drink as much water/fluids as you can, I think that is what helped me and speed up the recovery. Popsicles were my best friend during recovery, the cold feeing on my throat was the best thing! I slept with a couple of pillows and also put a steam machine in my room so my throat would not dry up when I was sleeping.
Send along any questions!
Send along any questions!
I had the op a week ago, had it done in Germany. For the first 4days, I was eating baby food and I wish I never had it done, but on day 5 the pain wasnt so bad, and last night i ate a sunday lunch.
The doctor informed me of all the risks and explained the procedure, I even had to sign paperwork to say that he explained it to me in a way I could understand it.
I doubt many hospitals elsewhere are as good as the ones in Germany, I know the ones in England arnt!
The doctor informed me of all the risks and explained the procedure, I even had to sign paperwork to say that he explained it to me in a way I could understand it.
I doubt many hospitals elsewhere are as good as the ones in Germany, I know the ones in England arnt!
i am 18 female this is my 7th day of recovery from tonsil surgery. the procedure wasnt as bad as i thought i woke up and they told me it was done. i was surprised didn't feel anything there was little pain afterwards. i was normal when i woke up could talk and everything but the doctors said i looked really good for just having my tonsils taken out. they even gave me 2 popsicles that i finished like nothing. i also drank 2 cups of water. i left the hospitol about 2 hours after my surgery. can't eat like normal yet but bread,mashed potatoes, soup, lil shreds of chicken,&all soft foods do for now. when i first thought about tonsil surgery i dreaded it but now im so glad i did it. i feel wonderful. those nasty things from the tonsils will never get in the way of my life ever again.im really glad i did it its not as painful descriped in the million of reviews i read about it. my tat & belly piercing hurt way more. your asleep the whole time and 2 weeks of recovery is not so bad
I am a 16yo male and I had my tonsils out 8 days ago. I have had very little trouble. I started eating steak yesterday. When I was at the hospital the nurses told my parents to get Powerade and Gatorade. I found that they hurt my throat and still do. I would suggest instead that you drink lots of water and tea actually helped. I was worried that it would be too hot but it was not. I still am still weak but short walks are very refreshing (just don't go too far out, bring water, and try to avoid streets with larger amounts of traffic--coughing hurts--). Don't get off track of your pain medicine. I did on day 3 and it took an entire day (with worsened pain) to make up for it.
I am a 17 year old male and I had my tonsils out 10 days ago. On day 3 I was progressing as normal with pain medication and swelling, but no real complications. My cousin came over that evening as I was eating rice mixed with small bits off egg and bacon. He had me laughing histarically, even though it hurt. The next day hurt like a b***h. I suspected it was from laughing / eating rice. I may have over-did it. That night my dad made a soup with lots of noodles, tomatoe sauce, peppers and spices. I started eating it to find that the spice really irritated my throat and nearly doubled my pain. I finished the bowl off just because it was so good, regardless of the pain.
That was the day my pain medication prescription wore out. I had none left. The pain was at it's peak and I resorted to Extra Strength Acitaminophen (500mg). the maximum daily dose is reccommended at 4000mg, I had 6500mg in 12 hours. Then started the diareah, then started the bleeding. I eventually got it to stop bleeding but it started again. I went to the emergency room where a non-specialist said I may have an early infection and he gave me another tylenol 3 subscription and put me on an anitbiotic (amoxicillin 500mg) and he said i'll feel much better in a couple of days.
well I woke up the next day and the bleeding was horrible. it bled almost all day and I could feel it sitting in the back of my throat with a lot of mucus. I constantly tried force-swallowing this (but failed, it was stuck there) and horking it out. I suppose I worsened everything with my horking. The mucus was horrible, and I had blood clotting. The next day I went to my surgeon where he said I definetly had an infection. He sucked out a few rather large blood clots and used Silver Nitrate to cauterize a couple open bleeding spots on my right tonsil. He assured me everything should be fine now.
That same evening the caterized area broke open and began bleeding, again. Looking back on it, I suspect I broke it open continually trying to remove the flem in the back of my throat. At this point I was pretty fed up. It bled evenly all night, eventually clotting right before I dozed off at 1am. I woke up in the morning hardly able to breathe with blood clots blocking my airways. I decided not to hork anything up and I went to the emerg room and seen a new specialist. He said he didn't think I had an infection and it wasnt bleeding very bad according to my blood work which was bright and healthy. He cleared the blood clots, sprayed a bunch of stuff in my mouth and nose, and applied alot of Silver Nitrate to the same wound, on my right tonsil. It wouldnt stop bleeding and he almost resorted to a stronger chemical when wallah! he got it to stop bleeding. my mouth was caked in burns and scabs at this point, and even my lip had been stained. My throat swelled up for the rest of the night and the mucus was more horrible than ever. He assurred me that if I seen blood, not to worry. It would either be old blood or it would stop on its own. Only worry if I seen ALOT of blood. He also assurred me that the mucus was normal, there would be more than usual and it was all part of the healing process...
Those two pieces of advice rang in my ears for the days to follow:
It's all part of the healing proces....
You'll feel much better in a couple of days...
Perhaps that's the only thing that got me through thursday and fridays nightmere of swelling and flem. I soon realized most of the "flem" i was experiencing was in fact my uvula swelling up. I vowed not to hork for atleast 3 weeks and not to eat anything I didnt need to... I strictly drank water, ate apple sauces etc...
Yesterday was the first day I actually felt better. I didn't take any pain medication all day (whereas friday I had switched to 1 tylenol 3) and the "flem" or rather, my uvula, had reduced in size allowing me to breathe peacefully. It still stung quite a bit in some spots to drink apple juice, so I didn't. I know had yellow, foamy diahrea (yes I know, disgusting) and I had lost 10 pounds... I also felt very sick but I dismissed all this as side effects from the medicine and not eating... I sit here today with a stomach full of eggs smelling the beautiful easter dinner my parents are cooking, wondering if I should attempt to eat some of it or not. Sometimes the pain is down to a 0.5 where I can barely notice it when Im sitting playing video games in a trance. Other times it's sore, maybe about a 3 or 4. Eggs don't bother my throat, water doesnt, and fruit slices in juice are good... This really set me back in my exersizing routine and i've learned
I've learned...
I've learned just bare through the worse of it and remember you only have to go through it ONCE! If you are impatient it will be MUCH WORSE and a pain in the ass. If it means you have to feel the flem in the back of your throat, or if it means you have to survive on water for one day, DO IT AND GET IT OVER WITH. If you cooperate with your throat, your throat will cooperate with you.
I see my surgeon tuesday, I will update everyone.
That was the day my pain medication prescription wore out. I had none left. The pain was at it's peak and I resorted to Extra Strength Acitaminophen (500mg). the maximum daily dose is reccommended at 4000mg, I had 6500mg in 12 hours. Then started the diareah, then started the bleeding. I eventually got it to stop bleeding but it started again. I went to the emergency room where a non-specialist said I may have an early infection and he gave me another tylenol 3 subscription and put me on an anitbiotic (amoxicillin 500mg) and he said i'll feel much better in a couple of days.
well I woke up the next day and the bleeding was horrible. it bled almost all day and I could feel it sitting in the back of my throat with a lot of mucus. I constantly tried force-swallowing this (but failed, it was stuck there) and horking it out. I suppose I worsened everything with my horking. The mucus was horrible, and I had blood clotting. The next day I went to my surgeon where he said I definetly had an infection. He sucked out a few rather large blood clots and used Silver Nitrate to cauterize a couple open bleeding spots on my right tonsil. He assured me everything should be fine now.
That same evening the caterized area broke open and began bleeding, again. Looking back on it, I suspect I broke it open continually trying to remove the flem in the back of my throat. At this point I was pretty fed up. It bled evenly all night, eventually clotting right before I dozed off at 1am. I woke up in the morning hardly able to breathe with blood clots blocking my airways. I decided not to hork anything up and I went to the emerg room and seen a new specialist. He said he didn't think I had an infection and it wasnt bleeding very bad according to my blood work which was bright and healthy. He cleared the blood clots, sprayed a bunch of stuff in my mouth and nose, and applied alot of Silver Nitrate to the same wound, on my right tonsil. It wouldnt stop bleeding and he almost resorted to a stronger chemical when wallah! he got it to stop bleeding. my mouth was caked in burns and scabs at this point, and even my lip had been stained. My throat swelled up for the rest of the night and the mucus was more horrible than ever. He assurred me that if I seen blood, not to worry. It would either be old blood or it would stop on its own. Only worry if I seen ALOT of blood. He also assurred me that the mucus was normal, there would be more than usual and it was all part of the healing process...
Those two pieces of advice rang in my ears for the days to follow:
It's all part of the healing proces....
You'll feel much better in a couple of days...
Perhaps that's the only thing that got me through thursday and fridays nightmere of swelling and flem. I soon realized most of the "flem" i was experiencing was in fact my uvula swelling up. I vowed not to hork for atleast 3 weeks and not to eat anything I didnt need to... I strictly drank water, ate apple sauces etc...
Yesterday was the first day I actually felt better. I didn't take any pain medication all day (whereas friday I had switched to 1 tylenol 3) and the "flem" or rather, my uvula, had reduced in size allowing me to breathe peacefully. It still stung quite a bit in some spots to drink apple juice, so I didn't. I know had yellow, foamy diahrea (yes I know, disgusting) and I had lost 10 pounds... I also felt very sick but I dismissed all this as side effects from the medicine and not eating... I sit here today with a stomach full of eggs smelling the beautiful easter dinner my parents are cooking, wondering if I should attempt to eat some of it or not. Sometimes the pain is down to a 0.5 where I can barely notice it when Im sitting playing video games in a trance. Other times it's sore, maybe about a 3 or 4. Eggs don't bother my throat, water doesnt, and fruit slices in juice are good... This really set me back in my exersizing routine and i've learned
I've learned...
I've learned just bare through the worse of it and remember you only have to go through it ONCE! If you are impatient it will be MUCH WORSE and a pain in the ass. If it means you have to feel the flem in the back of your throat, or if it means you have to survive on water for one day, DO IT AND GET IT OVER WITH. If you cooperate with your throat, your throat will cooperate with you.
I see my surgeon tuesday, I will update everyone.
hi, i'm a 21 yr old girl who had her tonsils out 5 days ago. moral of the story is: it's horrible at first and the nights are the worst but it does actually get better. At day 5, the breath of death is the worst bit (touch wood), but not being able to talk also sucks ass.
things that make it all better: crushed ice chips. TOTALLY the find of the illness. Also agree with the ice pack comment - putting an ice pack (or a spoon that's been in with the ice chips) against your throat works wonders. Eating bread - sounds twisted, but actually works (common sense point: cut off the crusts). Chewing gum - gets the jaw and throat muscles working.
my experience: it gets worse before it gets better. the bruising really comes up after a couple of days. i spent the whole of the morning of day 2 in bed in tears. my advice would be to just give in to it. v little point fighting it.
anyone know how long the squeaky voice thing is gonna last???
xXx
things that make it all better: crushed ice chips. TOTALLY the find of the illness. Also agree with the ice pack comment - putting an ice pack (or a spoon that's been in with the ice chips) against your throat works wonders. Eating bread - sounds twisted, but actually works (common sense point: cut off the crusts). Chewing gum - gets the jaw and throat muscles working.
my experience: it gets worse before it gets better. the bruising really comes up after a couple of days. i spent the whole of the morning of day 2 in bed in tears. my advice would be to just give in to it. v little point fighting it.
anyone know how long the squeaky voice thing is gonna last???
xXx
!
I have just returned home today after spending 6 days in hospital following a tonsilectomy.
I guess I have been reading all these comments because I am looking for confirmation that what I am going through is 'normal'. What I mean is the pain.
Yes, if you ask your friends before the OP they will say this is a 'painful experience' and 'good luck'. The Doctor too will tell you this is an unpleasant recovery. But 'unpleasant' doesn't cut it. This has been the most painful week of my life.
I can say, I was not prepared for this level of discomfort at all. It is day six and I am watching the clock for when I can take the next painkiller. This is how the last week has progressed, day and night.
I have had no major complications, or post bleeding. I have been well looked after in hospital with three others going through exactly the same agony in my ward. We have been comparing notes and all have been very surpised by the level of pain.
You may be told on day 3 that day 3 is the worst, and again on day 5. This is just to keep your spirits up. Be prepared for up to 14 days. The pain comes in waves which are related to the painkiller intervals but not exclusively. Mornings and evenings are bad. After eating is bad. A dry throat is bad.
I have been eating soft white bread with cream cheese or meat spreads, jogurts and drinking camomile tea. Yes, every swallow hurts. Even ice cream.
I guess I have to be patient (that's why we're called that).
Thanks for the advice on the humidifyer. Waking up in the morning with a dry throat is the most painful experience of all.
To summarize I would say, get a second and third opinion. Look at alternatives, and if there aren't any, have this done. Talk to others nearby who have been through this and choose the best based on their experiences.
Take time to understand that this will involve PAIN and lots of it. Pain that doesn't subside after a day or two but continues up to 2 weeks (although I can't confirm this yet). Prepare yourself and you family for this.
Good luck.
I will add my comments once again when this is over. Hopefully within the next week, or two.
I have just returned home today after spending 6 days in hospital following a tonsilectomy.
I guess I have been reading all these comments because I am looking for confirmation that what I am going through is 'normal'. What I mean is the pain.
Yes, if you ask your friends before the OP they will say this is a 'painful experience' and 'good luck'. The Doctor too will tell you this is an unpleasant recovery. But 'unpleasant' doesn't cut it. This has been the most painful week of my life.
I can say, I was not prepared for this level of discomfort at all. It is day six and I am watching the clock for when I can take the next painkiller. This is how the last week has progressed, day and night.
I have had no major complications, or post bleeding. I have been well looked after in hospital with three others going through exactly the same agony in my ward. We have been comparing notes and all have been very surpised by the level of pain.
You may be told on day 3 that day 3 is the worst, and again on day 5. This is just to keep your spirits up. Be prepared for up to 14 days. The pain comes in waves which are related to the painkiller intervals but not exclusively. Mornings and evenings are bad. After eating is bad. A dry throat is bad.
I have been eating soft white bread with cream cheese or meat spreads, jogurts and drinking camomile tea. Yes, every swallow hurts. Even ice cream.
I guess I have to be patient (that's why we're called that).
Thanks for the advice on the humidifyer. Waking up in the morning with a dry throat is the most painful experience of all.
To summarize I would say, get a second and third opinion. Look at alternatives, and if there aren't any, have this done. Talk to others nearby who have been through this and choose the best based on their experiences.
Take time to understand that this will involve PAIN and lots of it. Pain that doesn't subside after a day or two but continues up to 2 weeks (although I can't confirm this yet). Prepare yourself and you family for this.
Good luck.
I will add my comments once again when this is over. Hopefully within the next week, or two.
My wife just removed her tonsils. we came back very same day from hospital. its 4th day today and she is still in agony. the problem is her stomach cant digest any pain killer what soever.
I asked doctor to suggest some supposetries ( back passage ) painkillers and its working.
You definately need someone to be there during this recovery period.. please do not rush to leave hospital for atleast 4 days.
I asked doctor to suggest some supposetries ( back passage ) painkillers and its working.
You definately need someone to be there during this recovery period.. please do not rush to leave hospital for atleast 4 days.
I am 34 years old and had my tonsils out 5 days ago. I read alot of these threads before surgery and almost wished I hadn't, but I felt a bit more warned. If you are going in for this don't worry so much as everyone is different and heals a bit different. The truth in all of them that I did find is it gets a bit worse before it gets a bit better. I woke up yesterday and especially today with a sore head and ears. ( I felt like a drank a 26er of rye the nigt before) Lots of rest and sipping on fluids is good, although I a m sick of "sweets" Jello, pudding, popsicle etc... I managed cream of wheat today, and Babyfood for dinner last night. I am a fitness director, so I am not sure when I will head back to work. Maybe 4 or 5 more days. Be easy on yourself, and read these, becasue they are true stories... BUT Don't get psyched out by others horror stories. We are all unique. (Have you ever had a baby and asked women "What's it like?" EVeryone loves to tell a horror story! It's not fun, and the only time I cried was Night 2 when I threw up and was dehydrated and needed another IV. take your MEDS! Good luck! XD :-P
I'm 20 and getting my tonsils out in a few weeks and reading this has been a little scary!
I'm getting it done privately and the specialist I saw today said that it was a day-stay procedure and that I wouldn't need to spend the night in hospital.
What are your experiences with this? Would it be recommended to go home same day or to stay the first night?
I'm also wary because I have extremely vivid memories of having an appendectomy when I was 13. I remember feeling the side effects of the general anesthetic afterwards and I was on morphine for at least the next day - I was so nauseous. I vowed at the time never to forget that feeling and it has stuck with me.
So the doc seems to reckon I'll be 100% fine to go home... what do you think?
Sounds like I'll be in for a rough few weeks afterwards :-(
I'm getting it done privately and the specialist I saw today said that it was a day-stay procedure and that I wouldn't need to spend the night in hospital.
What are your experiences with this? Would it be recommended to go home same day or to stay the first night?
I'm also wary because I have extremely vivid memories of having an appendectomy when I was 13. I remember feeling the side effects of the general anesthetic afterwards and I was on morphine for at least the next day - I was so nauseous. I vowed at the time never to forget that feeling and it has stuck with me.
So the doc seems to reckon I'll be 100% fine to go home... what do you think?
Sounds like I'll be in for a rough few weeks afterwards :-(
I am a 20 year old female , got her tonsils out exactly 7 days ago. The first day after my surgery i was able to talk and was in hardly any pain. I wasnt able to swallow my drinks, i was choking every time i did, after a couple of days I was able to drink better. The next day I couldnt talk, I cried because I couldnt communicate with others, now i am able to eat melon, soup and mashed potatoes. Drinking cold Water is the key! I am still soar in the back of my throat, i gargle with water and salt and even mouth wash and it makes me feel better. Mornings are tough I wake up during the night soar again, and in more pain. I'm taking advil and Codeine 5mg and it is helping. chewing gum works and brushing ur teeth and tongue. Hopefully by the end of this week i will be better. Still cant eat much havent eaten in 7 days, lost about 5 pounds and throw up occassionally because of the meds.
I am 21 and am going to have my tonsils removed next month. The following week I have finals for school. I have arranged everything so I can take some early and will only have one test to take five days after my operation. I know it will be extremely painful, but if I don't take meds that day, do you think I will be too groggy to concentrate? After reading the testimonials of surgery patients, it seems like the main problem is the pain. Were any of you able to be up and around by day five? I can't imagine worse pain than tonsilitis itself, and even with that I was able to drag myself to school. So if I sleep all weekend, and have someone drive me?
What does everyone think?
What does everyone think?
I am 27yo female. I had my tonsils removed 6 days ago. I'm still in pain and can't eat normally (some overcooked Ramen noodles are about the most I can do). I did have some nausea on day 2, but found if I just sat still in a semi-reclined position after eating I didn't feel sick. I used a lot of ice packs which helped.
Yesterday was day 5 of recovery for me and I was able to take the train into NYC to see a Broadway play. Even with the meds (tylenol+codeine) I was pretty alert- if not tired by the time I arrived back home.
I think as long as you've studied sufficiently for the exam before your surgery you should be OK to take the test that day. Just take some pain killers that won't make you groggy (like Extra Strenth Tylenol) and try to eat something or drink something to give you energy.
Yesterday was day 5 of recovery for me and I was able to take the train into NYC to see a Broadway play. Even with the meds (tylenol+codeine) I was pretty alert- if not tired by the time I arrived back home.
I think as long as you've studied sufficiently for the exam before your surgery you should be OK to take the test that day. Just take some pain killers that won't make you groggy (like Extra Strenth Tylenol) and try to eat something or drink something to give you energy.
Hi...It's now Saturday, and I just had my tonsils out on Tuesday...only 4 days ago. I'm a 22 year old male and just graduated college. I'm taking two full weeks off before I start my first full-time job.
The pain from the surgery hurt really bad for the first 3 days, but today I feel a lot better! The worst part is waking up from anesthesia (spelling?). The doctor gave me amoxicillin for an antibiotic, and hydrocodone for the pain. For the first few days I took hydrocodone every 4 hours for the pain...I needed it! But the medicine made me so dizzy and tired...that it made me feel worse than the throat pain! Today, the fourth day after...I am eating pudding, alfredo pasta, cheesecake, Italian ice, and I managed to get five chicken mcnuggets down. Just stay away from hard, salty, and crunchy foods for a while I guess (like the mcnuggets)! Italian ice works better than ice cream because it's really cold, a little firm, melts quickly, and isn't milky.
I could speak fine...even the day of the surgery once the anesthesia wore off. It does hurt a little though, but nothing major. Just try to stay off the pain medicine, and you'll feel even better! I haven't had any bleeding...maybe a very small, small amount. And of course, the scabs are white and ugly. You'll need at least a week and a half off from work.
The pain from the surgery hurt really bad for the first 3 days, but today I feel a lot better! The worst part is waking up from anesthesia (spelling?). The doctor gave me amoxicillin for an antibiotic, and hydrocodone for the pain. For the first few days I took hydrocodone every 4 hours for the pain...I needed it! But the medicine made me so dizzy and tired...that it made me feel worse than the throat pain! Today, the fourth day after...I am eating pudding, alfredo pasta, cheesecake, Italian ice, and I managed to get five chicken mcnuggets down. Just stay away from hard, salty, and crunchy foods for a while I guess (like the mcnuggets)! Italian ice works better than ice cream because it's really cold, a little firm, melts quickly, and isn't milky.
I could speak fine...even the day of the surgery once the anesthesia wore off. It does hurt a little though, but nothing major. Just try to stay off the pain medicine, and you'll feel even better! I haven't had any bleeding...maybe a very small, small amount. And of course, the scabs are white and ugly. You'll need at least a week and a half off from work.
wow, reading all this now makes me feel a lot better. i had my tonsils taken out 6 days ago and this is the worst experience of my life. i am 17 and had chronicly infectecd tonsils all my life. i also got an ear tubal because i have had an ear infection since i was born, no lie. anyways, onto the recovery.
the first day wasn't so bad. i came out of post op and was eating some popsicles and drinking water. i slept most of the time while i was at the hospital. i was really queezy the whole time though and ended up vomiting on the way home. i vomited for 3 days straight and lemme tell you, not fun with your throat. my recovery hasn't been fun. my best friend has pretty much taken care of me and my family not so much. i can't eat anything now, but before i could eat a popsicle and some apple sauce. but now, the pain is too much. last night around 3 am i woke up with this disgusting taste in my mouth. i went into my bathroom to spit and i coughed up 2 blood clots and blood. i couldn't believe it. i told my mom but she didn't really seem worried, but i am. today i am so naseaous(sp sorry) and in more pain than ever. i don't know if i should go to the hospital or not and my mom doesn't seem to really care?
i don't know what to do, but i'm in a lot of pain. my pain meds aren't even dulling the pain today.
i never want anything that is sharp in my throat again, EVER.
the first day wasn't so bad. i came out of post op and was eating some popsicles and drinking water. i slept most of the time while i was at the hospital. i was really queezy the whole time though and ended up vomiting on the way home. i vomited for 3 days straight and lemme tell you, not fun with your throat. my recovery hasn't been fun. my best friend has pretty much taken care of me and my family not so much. i can't eat anything now, but before i could eat a popsicle and some apple sauce. but now, the pain is too much. last night around 3 am i woke up with this disgusting taste in my mouth. i went into my bathroom to spit and i coughed up 2 blood clots and blood. i couldn't believe it. i told my mom but she didn't really seem worried, but i am. today i am so naseaous(sp sorry) and in more pain than ever. i don't know if i should go to the hospital or not and my mom doesn't seem to really care?
i don't know what to do, but i'm in a lot of pain. my pain meds aren't even dulling the pain today.
i never want anything that is sharp in my throat again, EVER.