recovery [Archive] - HealthBoards Message Boards

audreycwalsh

05-02-2003, 12:13 AM

Can someone please advise.. I've searched and searched for guidelines on recovering from a tonsillectomy and I've not found a straight answer. I had my tonsils out 6 days ago. I thought that my ENT was being melodramatic when he told me how miserable I would be and that he was preparing me for the worst so that it really wouldn't be that bad. He wasn't. Nothing came close to descirbing the abject pain and misery I have been in for the past six days.

The ENT prescribed me Tylenol with Codeine (are you kidding me?) and told me to drink enough fluids so that I would go to the bathroom every 8 hours. The second day after the surgery, I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and as I sat down on the toilet, I blacked out. My financee heard a thud and found me on the floor in a pool of blood and unconscious. I was taken to the ER and told I was very dangerously dehydrated and my blood pressue was extremely low. They said I broke my nose and also had a sinus infection. CAT scan returned normal. In the hospital, no drugs would help. Everything worked on all other parts of my body except my throat. I can't describe the pain, I really can't but my will to live is being drastrically depleated.

How long more do I have to suffer with this? Around Day 4 I started getting ear aches. I was sent home from the hospital yesterday (Day 5) with a prescription for Percocet but again, it does nothing for the throat pain and excruciating swallowing. When can I eat again? When does the pain get better? My neck is very stiff and talking hurts so much. PLEASE HELP. I'm at my wits end. These past 6 days have felt like a month and I can't remember what it's like not to have pain.

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Janette*

05-02-2003, 03:31 AM

Hi audrey..

I wish I could give you some good news. I don't know what it's like to have tonsils taken out, or how the recovery is... but it's clear that you're feeling pretty miserable, and I feel for you.

My tonsils have been swollen for a few days now, and it's difficult (painful!) to swallow. I was prescribed Motrin to help bring the inflammation down.. and it's working well. Obviously inflammation isn't the problem for you though.... Gosh, I wish there was a drug that worked for you. The pain must really be testing your endurance, and patience!! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/tired.gif

I hope your fiancee helps you through this. When I'm in pain and there's nothing I can do about it, the only thing that helps me is getting my mind off of the pain. Maybe your fiance can rent some movies, or play some games with you?

Please stay strong! 6 days isn't really that long, when you think about it.. I imagine it could take weeks to fully recover from all that this has put you through.

Anyhow, I'm sorry I wasn't much of a help.
I wish you a speedy recovery...

Cadet Janice

05-02-2003, 11:10 AM

Wow. I think I'd see another doctor. I had my tonsills out at the age of 23 it was a very easy recovery for me. I woke up with a mild sore throat but I was able to takl some and eat the frozen ice cups. i ate so many I made myself sick. I was released the next day and within 5 days I was eating normally. I Have heard that most adults do have a much harder time but blacking out thats not good. Can you see another ENT?

I hope you feel better soon.

audreycwalsh

05-02-2003, 11:24 AM

Not really. I'm tied to this one now for this procedure with the insurance. When I was getting ready for the OR, there was a nurse there who said he had his out at 23 and he was up & about in 3 days. I'm at the point where I hate these people (sorry!) but I despedrately wish it was so simple for me. I know it's only been a week today that I had the surgery but it's just felt so long and never-ending. This morning, my throat wasn't as excruciating when I woke up but still warranted 2 Percocet (I'm still hopeful that at some miraculous point, it will work). I'm going to have to force myself to drink and eat more. Maybe exercising my throat will help it heal?? Or will it damage the scabs??

Thankfully, my fiancee is the best in the world and has been supporting and helping me 100%. He's just sorry that he can't take the pain away for me.

Thanks for all the replies! Truly appreciated.

[This message has been edited by audreycwalsh (edited 05-02-2003).]

Janette*

05-02-2003, 05:45 PM

You know, I actually have heard people say that swallowing is part of the healing process.

Again, I haven't personally been through this so I can't really say!

Just thought I would add that. I'm happy you're feeling slightly better!

audreycwalsh

05-03-2003, 08:14 PM

Just an update... on Day 8 now and I'm beginning to see a bit of improvement, i.e. I'm not watching the clock to the 4-hour countdown to when I can take my next dosage of Percocet. I'm actually allowing an hour to two go by before having to turn to them. I'm of the mind that this is going to take a long time to recover from (this week seems to have lasted a year!) but I am hoping that the light at the end of the tunnell is somewhere near!

Thanks for the support.
Audrye

Deb614

05-04-2003, 05:29 PM

I had my tonsils taken out when I was 23,it does take a awhile to start feeling good. Are you on antibiotics? It sounds as if you already had an infection prior to surgery. Eat popsicles, they feel good, and don't glog your throat like juice or ice cream etc...
Hope you are on the mend soon,

Smacking your ENT http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/hammer.gifmight make you feel better

Arwen_Undomiel

05-13-2003, 01:43 AM

I had my tonsils removed on May 2nd, and have finally turned the corner on my suffering within the last few days. I understand exactly what you mean about the pain. Have things gotten any better? I am on my 3rd 16 ounce bottle of Vicodin Elixir, and it doesn't seem like I will be weaning myself anytime soon. I have been able to decrease how often I take it each day. Let me know if you need any other specific advice...I think I have tried many different things with good and bad results-- be happy to share with you to try and speed your healing process. feel better!!!

[This message has been edited by Arwen_Undomiel (edited 05-13-2003).]

audreycwalsh

05-13-2003, 10:17 AM

Hi Arwin,

I know exactly what you mean. And I sympathise SOOOO much with the pain you are feeling right now. I'm finally much better. Still have pain swallowing and I am now on Day 18 but nothing in comparison to the pain of the first week. The things that I still have trouble with most are yawning and sneezing. Both hurt very considerably. I think it was about where you are at now in your stage that I began to see small improvements in myself.

I hope the Vicodin helps... nothing would work for me. Morphine in the hospital didn't even touch the pain in my throat. Every now and then, I still take a pain killer but that is mostly the day after I have done a lot of talking. Not that it does much good but I am still hopeful! :) I am back to a normal diet now (after my fiasco in the hospital, I forced food down my throat on day 5-7 so my finace wouldn't get another fright like he did by fnding me on the floor unconscious).

It's a very serious operation... I never was fully prepared for the abject misery and pain. So much so that the the entire first week seems to be surreal but I know I will never forget it.

Just from my experience, ice cream just made me worse. Especially in the early days... the ice cream produced huge amounts of mucus on my throat and made it worse. NOW, I am able to eat ice pops and they feel good but that was only 2 weeks after the operation. It's funny too, any foods that I tried to eat the first few days after the operation, I cannot look at now. The thought of them turns my stomach (fettucini alfredo, mashed potatoes, jello, ice cream, various drinks).

I truly hope that you feel better soon. It's such a rough time. I also found that ice packs on my throat seemed to help. I'm sleeping like 10 hours every night so my body must still be recovering. I really hope that you see an improvement soon. If not, defintely stay on the Vicodin. You should be having a follow up with your ENT soon. ANYTHING that you have questions on, or wondering about your pain level, address it with him.

All the best! It's SOOOOOOO tough that I just weep for people who are going through it.

Regards,
Audrey

Dramaqueen

05-14-2003, 11:07 PM

It will feel better soon, the first lilttle while wasn't the best after my tonsillectomy but it does get better and then hopefully, like me,you'll be so glad you got them out. I found codeine really good, have you tried that?

yellowflower317

08-23-2003, 07:13 PM

I just had my tonsils removed 8/14/03. Talk about MISERABLE!!!!! I cried and called the nurse at home and told to admit me into the hospital if it would knock me out so that I wouldn't feel the sore throat. She wouldn't. She advised me to drink, drink and drink more! Impossible! When can I begin eating fruit? Such as watermelon or even grilled chicken pieces? My throat hurts more at night and I have learned that while the AC is on, it kills my throat. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Sarah68

08-23-2003, 07:24 PM

I would suggest that you gargle with something called Hypercal tincture. This tincture contains Calendula, which helps with the healing process and Hypericum that will help with the pain.

You can obtain this from any healthfood store and you can gargle with it at least three times daily or more or how ever much you need.

Either that or you can gargle with salt water. Salt water heals too, but may not help your pain though.

Hope this helps and good luck?

MrsLee

08-26-2003, 10:44 PM

I just wanted to make a comment about pain relievers to take after surgery. Though a drug containing ibufrofen (like Motrin) would reduce swelling, it also thins the blood like asprin. This can cause excessive bleeding. The only over-the-counter pain reliever recommended after surgery is Tylenol (acetominaphen...not sure how to spell it).

stephanie000000

09-26-2006, 01:23 AM

Hey, I know just how you feel, I am on my 7th day now, and up until last night i coudlnt eat, drink sleep, or tlk, then at 9pm i started vomiting blood and was rushed to the hospital, where no pain killers worked no matter how strong. I was left feeling very dizzy and drowzy and spaced out, and this morning they had to reoperate to close up the wound. I am now back to day one, so completly nderstand your frustration.

jdoe1001

10-02-2006, 12:16 AM

Hi All, today is my 6th day after tonsillectomy. Vicodin (liquid) worked pretty well for me. It stopped the pain mostly, and put me into sleep right away. The post surgery pain was under control after day 4, and I stopped vicodin. Yawning and sneezing are still painful to me. I am back to normal diet now except for hard food and spicy food. The pain that I am having is nothing comparing to the tonsillitis happened all the time before the surgery. Hang in there, we will get through this. Cheers.

mkgbrook

10-02-2006, 03:25 PM

yellowflower317, I hope you have made it through your recovery by now. The nurse was right. The best way to minimize pain is to drink continuously and not let your scabs dry out. It is when the scabs dry out that the pain gets really bad.

To all other T&A suffers out there... keep the fluids going, gargle, hold water in your mouth let it trickle down, use saline nasal sprays to thin out the irritating mucus, squish cold fruit in your mouth and let the fluids drain down your throat try to do this every 10 - 20 minutes. The night will be the worse, because when you sleep your mouth will open and you will wake up with painful dry scabs.

stephanie000000 i am so sorry to hear that you had to have a corrective surgery to close your wound site. However I have heard from a friend the the recovery from the second surgery is quicker and not as painful as the first. Best wishes on your second bout.

jdoe1001 Sounds like you are doing great... however I bet your scabs have not and are about to come off. There is a prescription lydocaine and oil based ear drop that will h elp with the ear pain to come. My son's prescription was for Oticaine. Try this out, or you can use warmed sweet oil to help alleviate the pain... but the Oticaine gave my son 3-4 hour pain free windows during the worst part of the recovery. Best wishes for a continuing breezy recovery.

MG

Andrewsgirl724

10-09-2006, 08:44 PM

Hi audreycwalsh,
I had my tonsils out a little over a year ago when I was 18. I had an extremely hard recovery too. I remember feeling like I would never feel better...but I did. My throat hurt still after 3 months--however, I had to get my uvula removed in an "emergency" according to my ENT which is probably a lie anyway. I just wanted to write to you to reassure you that you WILL eat again and you WILL feel better!! It just takes time for it to heal. xOxO
Amanda

danab222

10-10-2006, 11:21 PM

I'm 37 and had my tonsils taken out on Friday. I read so many horror stories and so I feel as though I'm doing quite well. I was advised NOT to gargle, though. The only time you should gargle (according to my surgeon) is if you have bleeding. Gargle with ice cold water and see if that stops the bleeding. If not, go to the ER.

I do stay very hydrated (I drink well above the suggested 64 ounces a day). I think staying hydrated has really helped a lot. I was taking percocet every 4 hours but stopped after 2 days because of the constipation. I am now using Tylenol liquid for sore throat & cough as needed and 1 percocet at night before bed. I'm on a soft diet until my post op appointment on the 20th. I think you have to trust yourself and your self-awareness to try and keep yourself well however you can. Rest, and do what feels good to you. I think it will be a long 2-3 weeks but worth it.

50plus

10-10-2006, 11:31 PM

20 year old son had tonsillectomy done this am. He was sure he would be fine and have no problem with pain. Unfortunately, it has exceeded his expectations so far. He has been able to drink about 40oz of liquids and eat 1 box of jello, but pain is severe. He has only taken 2 doses of the liquid vicodin because he says it upsets his stomach.

Much of want is bothering him is the feeling of "choking" on drainage. Anybody know what makes this feel better?

Dr. did call in an anti nausea med that seems to be helping that.

danab222

10-11-2006, 03:42 PM

Is there a different pain med his DR could call in, since the liquid vicodin is upsetting his stomach? Maybe it is bothering him because of not enough fluid intake? My nurse said everything counts, so if he can get down soup, that counts as liquid. He may not like how it feels going down if he is in a lot of pain now but trust me, the fluids will make him feel much better, I swear this is what has helped me.

I have not had the problem with drainage though I have had the choking sensation which I think is due to my uvula being so swollen, I just do not lay on my back, I'm always on my side. If he is staying in bed, prop him up or have him tilted on his side.

I hope your son feels better soon!

mkgbrook

10-11-2006, 04:11 PM

50Plus,

The alteration in the airflow for my son (3.5 yrs) after surgery resulted in serious increased drainage and choking. What worked to alleviate the problem?
1) Liquid decongestant/anti-histamine
2) continual cold fluid intake, ice water, gatoraide, pop ice (non-red colors)
3) Saline nasal spray... applied a minimum of 4x daily
4) Nasal Steriodal Spray - Flonase 1 puff each nostril 2X daily.
5) gel ice pack around throat
6) laying/sleeping in an elevated position.

The first day post op was the worst, because he could only nap for 40 minutes - 1 hour, before waking himself up coughing and crying. This gradually got better until the dreaded descabbing. I am trying to compile and gather all the advice I can on this subject. What I have gathered previously is posted in a Compiled Tonsillectomy recovery Tips for the Young and Old, lower on this page.

Best wishes on your son's recovery.
Sincerely,
MG

tetsuo001100

12-03-2006, 11:03 PM

i just had both my tonsils and adenoids out on Dec 1st. i'm 29. I'd have to say my pain level isn't quite as bad as i heard it might be, or thought it might be. Today is day 3 for me, and i was able to go 9 hours without the pain meds. They put me on oxycodone, which is the generic for vicodin. Since starting the pain meds however i've only been taking one of the oxycodone's mixed with sugar water crushed as they showed me how to do in the recovery room. Then i alternate every 4 hours taking 2 extra strength tylenol 500mg gel caps each.

My issue i'm having is a majorly swollen uvula. after surgery i came home and it was like 10 times it's normal size. after having trouble swallowing and breathing issues, my ENT put me on a steroid pill to shrink it, but so far to no avail. I'm unable to sleep since the surgery for more than an hour at a time and only in a sitting position. I'm get so dizzy and feel like i want to pass out, which i usually end up doing sitting.

Has anyone else had this issue? swollen uvula after T&A? resulting in insomnia. I'd like to hear other people's experiences on their sleep after the surgery. do you find it easier to breathe? or like you're breathing too much that it keeps you awake?

I feel i'm getting enough fluids, atleast i think so, i keep going to the bathroom every time i get up it seems. ice chips abound, all flavors of popcicles minus red have been used to the point of never wanting dessert again.

Tips i've found for helping me sleep atleast some:

sitting up in bed
put on a movie
i have a small lap table i put my laptop on while sitting in bed over my lap, which i find even if i don't end up touching, provides a possible distraction.

movies seem to fly by in bed. tried watching "man on the moon" last night, 5 minutes in and i then see the end of the movie (i mean the real end not the fake end at the beginning of that movie)

tetsuo001100

12-03-2006, 11:04 PM

mkgbrook

12-04-2006, 10:21 AM

tetsuo001100,

The steriodal pills should help, but they will work slower than if you had got a steriodal shot. Day 9, I had to get one to help manage my pain and the swelling that wasn't going away. Eight hours later and I was able to eat and swallow with minimal pain.

Best wishes on the rest of your recovery.
MG

tetsuo001100

12-04-2006, 08:34 PM

how swollen was your uvula after surgery? mine seems to have gone from the size of a small pea to a fingertip to the first joint. Did you have difficulties sleeping because of it?

mkgbrook

12-04-2006, 11:55 PM

I could not see the back of my throat my uvula was so big.. add a nice batch of slimy ropy thrush on it and my tonsils and I couldn't see anything beyond that.

Sleeping? What sleep? I didn't sleep at all my first 48 hours... I think that was more the drug they use to wake you from anesthsia, it tends to keep me awake. Then I couldn't sleep more than an hour straight for about three days.. then two hours straight, for a few more days. I never got more than three hours straight until I could use my CPAP four and a half weeks later. I have severe sleep apnea which played a part in my sleep patterns, so a more normal frame of reference can be pulled from my families experience. My son recovered a normal sleep pattern by day 10. My mother and brother and father recovered normal sleep patterns on days 18, 16, 14 respectively. It will get better and once it does you will sleep like the dead.

Best Wishes,
MG

tetsuo001100

12-05-2006, 02:33 AM

hey i just wanted to post back a big thanks for being here for me during this. of course the struggle is worse at night where nothing seems to want to go right, and all i can think of wanting to do is go to the ER. but during the day everything is fine. albeit, narcaleptic, but fine. right now marks 104am on day 5 for me.

When you got your steroid shot for your swelling, did the swelling go completely down after the 8 hours you mentioned? like returned to normal size? They did give me the option when i first called in about the swelling, the shot at the ER or a perscription for pills. (which are the most foul tasting little pills i've ever had). Of course not wanting to pay $100 co pay for the ER visit, not to mention, the ER always takes like 5 hours to get to you...

I stopped taking my oxycodone. last dose was 7am yesterday morning. i have to admit to being a cybercondriac when it comes to things so i read read read everything until i feel sick. So of course reading up on oxycodone withdrawl i want to get it out of my system sooner than later. having only been taking one pill at a time when i was taking it alternating with tylenol.

.... sorry dozed off, lol.... seems to be th only way i can sleep, in bursts here onthe couch.

thanks again MG!

tet

mkgbrook

12-05-2006, 11:54 AM

tetsuo001100,

Yeah, swelling went down to almost normal. The uvula was taken care of completely. Your ENT should be willing to do it for you in the office, thus saving you ER trips except for bleeding complications. I had mine done on day eight (not nine as stated previously.. had to re check my logs) post op. after my first ER trip for bleeding and thrush complications.

I recommend the shot to anyone offered it. As far as sleeping on the couch... I did it for nearly four weeks so that I didn't bother my husband by bounding out of bed every couple of hours. It will get better, I have been where you are recently.. and you will be able to thoroughly enjoy christmas dinner.

SIncerely,
MG

tetsuo001100

12-08-2006, 04:29 AM

MG

When your scabs were coming off, did u have an abnormal amount of phlem in the back of your throat and nose? i'm going through a stage where today the pain wasn't very bad, i was able to fend it off with tylenol, drunk alot of water, was able to finally eat after 4 days. What can you tell me about what it feels to have the scabs come off? keeps making me gag.

mkgbrook

12-09-2006, 12:50 AM

Coughing.. lots of coughing for me... This occured when the last of the scabs deep in the throat were coming off. The visible scabs.. well they first came off in huge chunks... resulting in three bleeding episodes. The scabs regrew and then began to thin until only pink flesh was left.

When the last came off, there was some gagging and excess phlem.. but I had sinus surgery on top of my T&A. I can not say whether it was do to the T&A or the sinus surgery or both. I handIed my excessive phlem by using saline nasal rinses every two waking hours.. and drinking small burst of sprite.. the carbonation would burn but cut through the mucus easily.

Phlem was an issue with my son as well.. he just had a T&A. We managed it with saline rinses as well. I am sorry I don't have anything better to share. It is a phase due to increased air flow irritating the sinuses... so said the ENT. I believe him. Use of the saline nasal sprays made a huge difference.

Sincerely,
MG

AfricanThing

12-15-2006, 04:33 AM

I'm 33 and had my op on the 6th of December .I'm on day 9 now.My surgeon advised me to eat hard stuff , such as toast ,etc.In fact he advised me to stay away from dairy products because mucus and phlegm problems that could arise from that.It was very difficult initially , but it seems to have helped with quickly getting rid of the scabs.My trick has been to gargle with the antiseptic mouth gargle 15 minutes before eating , and that sort of somewhat numbed my mouth and eating became easier.Just last night(day 8) I had some crumbed chicken wings(I'm telling you , that chicken was just fantastic...a total out of body experience :) ) and I didn't feel pain at all.I also have been drinking lots of water , even during eating and that helped with keeping my throat lubricated.
To prevent further pain after eating hard food , I would again gargle with the the numbing antiseptic mouth gargle.The scabs just keep coming off during eating and I haven't had excruciating pain because of that.
For dealing with the morning pain , I basically set my alarm clock to go off every hour throughout the night so that I can get up and drink water....and more water.It's a trade-off I wasn't willing to play with.
I'm on day 9 and I'm not taking any pain tablets.The only pills I'm taking are antibiotics so that I can complete the course.Oh , by the way , I also am wearing an anti pain patch on my arm.

I do acknowledge that my life was totally miserable on days 4 and 5 .I felt I was just tumbling down an endless and very steep slope of pain.I hit rock bottom.Went for 2 days without a bath and sunk more and more into the doldrums of sorrow and misery.I was completely disillusioned and demoralized...very very close to tipping over the edge of insanity.I had decided to do the operation due to persistent and relentless tonsilloliths(tonsil stones).I was poking my throat almost twice daily to get them out.My breath had become horrible and the accompanying foul mouth taste (call it a bonus or value added service of some sort) had become unbearable.However , I still questioned my own sanity in choosing to go for a tonsillectomy.I then told myself I just had to bite the sugar quoted bullet and start eating food that would help scrap off the scabs...and that seems to have paid off.Yes there's light at the end of the tunnel and frankly ,its not an on coming train!
:)

PS :Right now I look forward to feasting at my sister's wedding on the 23rd

Kandi007

12-19-2006, 09:56 PM

I am 32 and 3 weeks post op today. I was unable to take the pain meds, made me sick. Finally went to liquid tylenol - it was great. Made the mistake of drinking too much water and ended up in the ER with potassium deficiency....but my throat pain was manageable from all the water.

I am glad to hear that this extra phlegm is normal. I still have the white deep scabs that have yet to come off. (almost gone) I will try the saline spray. Can anyone tell me when I can fully expect the constant phlegm to be gone?

I also was hoping someone could tell me if they have experienced the feeling of pressure behind the uvula when there is a lot of phlegm, or food gets stuck up there.....and if there is anything I can do to help that muscle work better.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

dozypunk666

12-21-2006, 05:00 PM

Im 21 and just got my tonsils out a week ago today, and i am still im mega pain.

both my ears hurt like hell, i cant swallow very well, i have periods of when i can swallow, also have periods of me being unable to speak (much to my mums happiness). i have loads of flem building up in ma mouth, so much my older brother have given ma a spit bottle hehe. i have cuts inside my mouth that make things more difficult.

here in the uk i was given liquid paracetomal (no idea why??) and voltral an was recently given a stronger painkiller called diyhidracodine (which is better), ibruprofen also works for about an hour then the pain kicks in again.

its so bad that my mum has resorted to giving me calpol. the nurses at the hospital said this would be my last day of pain.. wonder if theyr right??? if not all hell's gona break loose here, 3 tattoos and i cud handle that pain ani cnt handle a tonsillectomy????? :s

jgarr10

12-21-2006, 06:23 PM

dozypunk,

i have 3 tattoos as well and got my tonsils removed 2 days ago, in the United States. the doctors gave me hydrocodone for medicine afterwards, and the pain is not bad at all! the tat on my back was ten times worse then what i am feeling now from the after effects of surgery. maybe it is too soon for me though, bc i hear the pain is worse around days 5-8 when the scabs start falling off!

jgarr10

CheerCoach81

01-17-2007, 06:58 PM

Ok so I am 25 years old and I am currently on day 6. I have experienced for the most part everything you guys have with my tonsillectomy as far as severe pain and such. Luckily the pain meds did help me a bit but not a ton and I didn't experience any bleeding (knock on wood). I still can't really eat alot without severe pain. I have had scrambled eggs, potatoes, jello, popsicles, oatmeal, mac and cheese, and cream of wheat. It may sound like alot but really it isn't because I can only eat very small amounts of all of the above before i can't handle the pain anymore. My question is when should I expect the scabs to start falling off and once they fall off does that mean the pain will let up? I get so frustrated everyday because I wake up wanting to feel better and when I don't i get upset and crying only makes me throat hurt more for some reason. So please, let me know when i can expect to be eating normal food because aside from the pain i am starving. Also, when can i eat spicy food again because buffalo chicken is my favorite food in the world!!!

graceful36

01-19-2007, 02:45 AM

I am on Day 10 and I can completely understand what you are going through! I can tell you that it will start getting better very soon. Make sure you put ice packs on your neck, it really helps with the swelling. Make sure you take your medicine at the exact time it tells you to. Pain is easier to control if you stay on top of it. I have found that cold really helped the first few days but that now the scabs are falling off (very painful) that hot liquids help, such as cocoa or tea. I understand about wanting to eat something else other than scrambled eggs, potatoes, jello, popsicles, oatmeal, mac and cheese, cream of wheat. I tried to eat mashed potatoes with tiny peices of chicken cut up, it hurt so bad. Hang in there and check the boards often...they were extremely helpful. Oh and its ok to cry, and you need to make sure you get plenty of rest.

graceful36

01-19-2007, 02:48 AM

For your ears dozypunk666 try taking a heating pad and put it on your ears the warmth helps. Or you can get an old clean sock and fill it with dry beans tie off the end and heat in microwave for 1 minute and put on you ears. It sounds strange but really does help.

lalenya

01-20-2007, 05:42 PM

I'm on Day 8 and I hate to say it but those of you 2-3 days out should withhold judgement on the amount of pain. It was pretty much managable last week and now it has kicked into high gear. I can't sleep more than a few hours in a row because as soon as the pain meds begin to wear off, I wake up. I'm going to try a humidifier... I know I'm supposed to drink, but my calmest, most pain-free times seem to be when I just leave it alone. Popsicles felt good last week (especially Phillyswirls!!!) but now they burn!! My whole mouth is sort of swollen and irritated. Here are a few things that have helped me cope.

1. Ramen!!! The noodles are slippery and don't get caught in the throat. The salty warmth feels great and is the only thing that satisfies my hunger lately.
2. Phillyswirls...last week they were my savior, but this week I seem to need hot instead.
3. Cold packs - on and off.
4. Heating pad, I'm trying it now for the first time and it feels nice. I think alternating between the two may be a good idea.
4. Liquid Acetomenophin w/ Codeine. I wish they'd given me something stronger, but it's not bad and I don't feel I will become dependant on it (I had some trouble getting of Oxycondone after another surgery).

Sometimes the pain is so bad and feels focused on one little spot, and I end up crying. For some reason that makes it a bit better...so now I sort of cry on purpose if the pain gets really bad. I have to go back to teaching this week come hell or high water, so I hope it gets better.

shanamadel

01-22-2007, 08:32 PM

I am 63 years old and when I told my friends and family that I had to have my tonsils out their comment was, "Lots of ice cream, how lucky!" I
didn't have any idea of the pain and anquish that this procedure would have caused. My ENT gave me a page for post-op that was written for a child.
AND.. let me say... that it isn't the same when you are an adult. BUT..
fortunately, my husband found this website and it has been a lifesaver.
Each one of you at different stages have helped me get thru this ordeal.
I am now at day 10 -- and still have the scabs and pain in my throat and
ears. Drinking water & gatorade constantly, chewing ice, popsicles and
eating nothing stronger than pastina made in chicken soup has gotten me
this far. Also, my ENT did give me Roxicet for pain -- and I have been taking it-- which has also gotten me through the aftermath of the procedure... but now I"m only taking it at night to let me get a night's sleep. This is an extremely tough recovery period -- and don't let anyone make fun of it. I finally sent a page of the HealthBoard which described the 3 stages to a few of my friends that
would say, "It wasn't bad when I had mine out when I was a kid!!" Happy for them.. but this is no picnic"! Good luck to any one who is just starting the recovery -- and keep looking on the board -- it is so HELPFUL!! Thanks everyone, I appreciated it and still do!!

cathyb67

01-23-2007, 03:44 PM

I'm so glad I found this forum! I'm 39 and am on day 7 of my recovery. For the first 24 hours, I could drink, hardly any pain, and a very good feeling that I would heal in a breeze. No so. Had the surgery on Wednesday AM, started taking Amoxicillin on Thursday. I was allergic and broke out in a rash on my face and had swollen eyelids that looked like a scene from Rocky. Doc told me to stop the antibiotics. I was taking Roxicet for pain, but by Thursday night, that was making me sick. Doc prescribed Tylenol w/Coedine. Much better, but only lasted about 3 hours or so. I hate taking meds, so I forced myself to go about 6 hours before taking any more. By Friday, I was in real pain, shooting up my jaw into my ears (right side mainly). Couldn't swallow, couldn't talk, wasn't drinking anything because that was when it felt it's best. I was able to have some chicken broth on Friday, but it hurt like hell. I made the mistake of trying to eat soft canned ravioli. Not sure what's in it but it burned like you wouldn't believe and put me back into the "There's no way I'm eating anything" mentality again. God, I was STARVING! I finally realized that I wasn't peeing like I should and my face was getting really dried out. I had to drink. Hated the thought of it, but I made myself drink. Once I started drinking on Sunday, I have been feeling way better. Other posts are absolutely right when they said it's much worse at night. I wake up really early (5am) and just want to cry. I was able to start talking again on Monday. I am now able to eat (I'm eating soft bread stuffing right now). I have found that Vitamin Water has been a real restorative beverage for me. It's giving me strength back and helping to pee. I'm down to taking the Coedine before dinner and then around midnight to try an aid in sleeping. Even though it hurts, my advice is to drink. Keep the throat used to swallowing and keep it moist. I am having a problem with major flem that I have to spit out (way better than swallowing it). I basically use a tissue or a small cup and "blow my throat". I think removing the flem is helping it to heal. it's a little green so I may have an infection. I see the Doc tomorrow for follow up and will post again (don't worry, it won't be this long). So, today-day 7, I see light at the end of the tunnel. I'm taking the rest of the week off of work. Gotta go call my boss!

cathyb67

01-24-2007, 02:47 AM

:( I'm wide awake right now after having to take some pain meds and do a salt rinse! Woke up about 15 minutes ago with sharp shooting pain up into my right ear. This sucks. (day 8) :(

cathyb67

01-24-2007, 07:58 PM

Well, saw the ENT today and he says my recovery couldn't be coming along better. A slight infection on the right side, but nothing to worry about. Boy, I had a different opinion, but I guess he knows about where I should be. Anyway, I've been doing salt rinses all day (like every hour and a half). They've helped tremedously, without having to take the pain med. That stuff is rough on the old liver. I'm taking the rest of the week out of work at the request of the ENT to aid the recovery. Working in a call center can't be good for someone who just got their tonsils yanked out huh? ;)

caligirl18

01-25-2007, 01:25 AM

Hi All,

I just had my tonsils out last Wednesday, Jan. 17th, and am mostly doing pretty well with a few exceptions here and there. I haven't lost any weight:confused: and I haven't experienced such horrible pain that my pain meds didn't help with. I had the coblation method used. The one problem I do have, and I don't see people talking about, is that I can't talk very well. I had more of a voice the day of surgery than I do now. It's hoarse and almost non-existent at times. Have any of you experienced this? I'm just curious if this is normal at this stage. Thanks for your help! Reading these boards pre-and post surgery has helped me get through this.....

MattinLA

01-25-2007, 05:07 AM

I'm scheduled to have mine on February 5th...(and - of course - after reading everything here... am beyond estatic with excitement ... hahaha) ...anyways... I'm here in the States... just met with my Doc yesterday to go over questions, anxieties, etc.

when I mentioned the possibility of maybe needing a steroid shot during the de-scabbing process... while said he wasn't fully against it.. he did say that usage of steroids actually slows down the healing process... so... something for me to think about.

Also... he was really emphatic on me sticking to cold stuff the first 10 days... and not even attempting food... but strictly (non-dairy) smoothies, sorbet, etc. On that note... question to those of you who've been through it: which fruit juices (if I'm going to be mixing my own fruit drinks/smoothies, etc) did you find are more palpable... don't burn as much?

also... my doc told me he finds that when it comes to painkillers ... compared to Vicodin.. he finds that Tylenol 3 with codeine a little more effective for the pain, overall... (plus... he prescribes the numbing gargle as well.) Anyways... if any of you could offer feedback .. that'd be great

sheshe238

01-25-2007, 11:45 AM

Hi everyone! I am glad I found this board! I had my tonsils out 7 days ago on the 19th on January. And so far I have to agree with EVERYONE. The first 4-5 days were hell. Now I am dealing with major ear pain, lots of phlegm and insomnia. I am still taking the Hydrocodone (vikodin) with a 500mg of extra strength tylenol every 4 -5 hours. I also take my anti-biotic twice a day and maybe a benadryl tab once or twice a day to help with nausea. If the pain is really bad, I take 2 vikoden instead of 1 and a tylenol. My uvula has been swollen the entire time. I called the cod the other night, he said it is normal and should go away in a few days, which it hasn't and it is starting to scare me. Any thoughts or suggetions about the uvual and swelling? I have had a really hard time eating but last night I had my first "real meal" so to say. Shaved turkey breast and mayo... it was delicious. But I have this weird taste on the back of my tounge when I eat not sure what that is all about. And the bad breath reminds me of after taste of eating onion dip.. I know.. gross. But can someone please explain this scab thing to me? I also have bright red irriation on the right side which I am sure is causing the ear pain but wouldn't my anti-biotic help that? So many questions and just don't feel like going to the doctor again.

Also, avoid any and all food/drinks with citric acid. It burns. No dairy, coats the throat and makes swallowing worse. I have been stuck to water, ice pops, even the red ones, shaved lunch meat, small noodles, and chicken broth, or noodle soup.. all cooled off though. Nothing hot for at least the first 10 days. Oh, and I plan to be out of work for at least another week... cause recovery time is taking much longer than expected. Good luck to all who are recovering and best wishes to those who will be undergoing it! I say, It will all be worth it in the end!!:)

mjkb

01-25-2007, 12:36 PM

My son (22) had surgery on Jan 18, post-op checkup on Jan 24, began bleeding later that day requiring ER visit, Dr. says he was up for too long during the day yesterday, back to Dr. this AM to scrape the clot and re-cauterize one tonsil, sent back home for complete bed rest for next 5-7 days, he's COMPLETELY miserable, and starving to death! The liquids just don't satisfy a grown man! Any suggestions?

mjkb

01-25-2007, 12:55 PM

Is anyone online today?

sheshe238

01-25-2007, 01:52 PM

Water water and more water.. I had to force myself to swallow so I could take my pills. He's going to have to stay on the pain meds cause they do work.. If one doesn't work, take 2, if 2 don't work, take some tylenol as well. Try ice pops too, i had once right after surgery and made my throat feel 20 times better. Good luck Let him know I feel his pain. I am 23 and on day 7.

mkgbrook

01-25-2007, 02:42 PM

My family's first five days of recovery favorite food list:
1) Macaroni and cheese, with ham and brocolli thrown in .. boil well.. then blender.
2) Mashed potatoes with melted cheese and roast blended in
3) Apple sauce and jello
4) Peanut butter crackers (3.5 year old son's favorite)
5) oyster crackers
6) protien powder fortified milk shakes

You do spend a lot of time hungry and hurting.. but you will get through it.. as will your son.

Sincerely,
MG

caligirl18

01-25-2007, 02:47 PM

I drank LOTS (3Liters) of very icy water every day the first few days. It helped bring down the swelling and kept my throat somewhat numb. I actually ate OK. I haven't lost any weight. I eat (well, drink): ensure, pudding, jello, popsicles, minestrone soup with lots of pasta, chicken noodle soup (I really like the quizno's soup), cream of portabella mushroom soup and twice I made a scrambled egg with a little avacado and some cheese. It has good protein and healthy fats. Try that for your son. Oh, and serve it barely lukewarm. I also soaked pieces of bread in broth. The better he eats, the quicker he will heal. My throat hurts to swallow, but I force myself to do it. I also take some pain meds before eating to help with this. Make sure he sleeps with a humidifier. There are lots of other great suggestions throughout this board that have helped me a lot. I don't think I've had it as bad as some; maybe because of all the fluids I drank helped a lot. I have my follow up tomorrow, but I still don't know about this voice thing. Can any of you offer any insight on this. Do you have your voices? I mean, I just barely even croak when I try to talk. And, I don't try very often.

caligirl18

01-25-2007, 02:50 PM

oh yeah, mac and cheese became one of my favorites. No wonder I didn't lose weight. :)
And, by the way, I am 40 and this is the first sugery I've every had.

mjkb

01-25-2007, 03:46 PM

Thanks to all for your response! We are having to start all over with this recovery since he had to re-cauterize that left tonsil area, so I just loaded up the freezer with more popsicles & sherbet, and picked up some mac&cheese and even got babyfood sweet potatoes (he'll surely kill me for that!) but maybe a different flavor will help him. He just felt like everything he was eating the first few days was sweet (jello, icecream, popsicles, ensure, gatorade, etc) and needed something with some flavor. He did eat a few scrambled eggs the other night, but oatmeal was still too grainy for him, and using the blender for soups just didn't cut it. Oh well, somehow we'll get through this and I know he'll be glad......Thanks again to all!

cathyb67

01-25-2007, 04:53 PM

3:30pm, checking back in today. I strongly recommend a solid 2 weeks recovery at home. It will save you the embarrassment of hacking up all the extra phlegm that you're going to have. It's horrible. Tastes and smells bad. Myself, I found that the first day was much better pain and swallowing wise than now. Cold stuff at first, but now only warm stuff doesn't kill the back of my throat. I've had a regimen now for the last couple days of salt rinses. It's helping a lot! I'm drinking Tea. Tried Hot Cocoa but that left a horrible tasting phlegm that I had to keep hacking up. I found any soft foods do go down, but if you have too much, that's when it starts getting irritated. Good to take the pain med about a half hour before you plan to eat. I also use saline in my nose to keep that moist. The hardest time is at night while trying to sleep. I guess I breathe heavier while sleeping and this dries out the throat. I've made myself get up during the night the last couple nights and do the salt rinses. That has helped. This is day 9. 3 more days out of work, so I'm hoping it does the trick. I'll keep you posted. Oh, also, a steamy shower with the hot water runnning behind my ears down my neck felt awesome. Time to go have some mashed potatoes.

cathyb67

01-25-2007, 04:55 PM

Caligirl, I lost my voice for 3 days and it gradually came back. Today is much better after lots of salt rinses. Oh, and I've lost 11 lbs since 1/17. That's the BEST part about this!!! :)

doone56

01-25-2007, 06:04 PM

50 year old female. I had my tonsils and uvula removed and nasal surgery all on Jan 2. YES extreme pain. Vicodin and especially Cepacol lozenges for sore throat with pain numbing relief. I sucked on those things all the time. I lost 13 lbs in 10 days because I ate nothing and only drank all the time. (can't stand to look at juices or tomato soup anymore!)

Now almost 4 weeks later I have so much mucus. I feel like I need to cough all the time to try and spit of this stuff. Takes lots of water to take a pill. Food seems to have trouble going down. Again lots of fluids. Will this ever go away? And the back of my tongue seems swollen. I am seeing my ENT again next week because of this. I plan to get another sleep study done to see if all this helped my sleep apnea. Haven't used my CPAP since Jan 2. I'm having trouble getting to sleep and am getting depressed. Not sure if this is all part of post surgery. I have a hard time exercising now also. Have no energy. Has this happened to anyone else?

cathyb67

01-25-2007, 06:34 PM

Hi Doone, You have no energy because you have no fuel in you. Just like your car, you need fuel to run. I discovered that Vitamin Water (found everywhere) put the vitamins and minerals back into my body and gave me a much needed energy boost. If we are not getting it from our food, we have to put it in somehow. This stuff is a Godsend! Try it. A 20 oz bottle is between $1 and $1.50 depending on where you buy it, but WELL worth it. Let me know how it works for you. ~Cathy B.

caligirl18

01-25-2007, 06:59 PM

I agree with Cathy, Doone. You haven't been eating so your energy is depleted. Plus being in such long term pain, it gets to you. My sleep is somewhat messed up because I sleep off an on during the day. I can't stay awake for more than 3 or so hours at a time.
I guess I'm the only unfortunate one who didn't lose weight with this surgery:confused: Not that I needed to lose much, but I wouldn't have minded losing 5 lbs or so:) .
I'm glad to hear someone else lost their voice. Not because they lost it, but at least I know I'm not the only one.:D
Can't wait 'til this is over with. I am so craving something crunchy and spicy :nono:.
Good luck to all of you and thanks, Cathy for the reply.

bunnycat10

01-25-2007, 11:00 PM

cathyb67

01-26-2007, 01:09 PM

Well, I didn't "discover" it until a few days after surgery. I was reading the material (always geared towards kids for some reason!) on recovery and it mentioned to give your child Pedialyte. I figured there had to be something for adults, so when I went to the drugstore, I saw the Vitamin Water. I remembered my sister telling me about it last year and how good it is. I got it and was able to drink it and I felt better, more energy and hydrated within 12 hours. I started with the "Multi-V", it's a lemonade flavored one with multiple vitamins. I know they said stay away from citrus, but the Multi only came in Lemonade flavor. It was not bad at all going down, not harsh at all because it was just a flavoring, not actual citrus. I've been doing all the flavors with the exception of the Orange and Grapefruit ones. Even after I'm healed, I'm going to stick with the Vitamin Water as a permanent part of my diet. It breaks up the plain water a bit.

caligirl18

01-26-2007, 03:35 PM

I just got back from my Dr.’s appt. and I am healing fine, but I am NOT happy. She looked perplexed when she heard me speak and asked how long this has been going on. It turns out, they might have damaged my vocal cords during intubation. She tried to look at them, but I’m not very good about allowing mirrors, or anything, that far back in my throat, especially right now, so she couldn’t see them. There was NO way she way going to look at them using a nasolyrngoscope at this time. Even if she would have tried, I wouldn’t have let her. So, it turns out, my non-existent voice is not due to the tonsillectomy after all. She said I might have picked up a respiratory virus, I sure don’t feel like I have a virus, or my vocal cords are damaged. Arrrgghhhh, does this mean surgery on my vocal cords now??? If my voice doesn’t come back in the next week, I have to go have my vocal cords looked at, which means the laryngoscope.

Now I am beginning to think I should have just lived with the constant strep throats…..

Has anyone else experienced loss of voice? I'm hoping that others have had this and their voice came back.

bunnycat10

01-26-2007, 07:48 PM

Cathyb67: Thanks for the reply about Vitamin Water. I really like Vitamin Water, so I'm thrilled to hear that someone was able to drink them after a tonsillectomy. Mine is scheduled in March and I'm trying to get as much info ahead of time as possible. Thanks again.

sheshe238

01-26-2007, 09:25 PM

cathyb67

01-26-2007, 10:08 PM

Hi Cali, sorry to hear of your voice issues. My voice was only gone for 3 days. If I were you, I'd keep daily notes on your issues and your progress, you may need to refer back to them. I don't blame you on the scope, I wouldn't want them putting anything down my throat right now. NO WAY. I hope it is just the recovery for you and not any other damage. Keep us posted.

cathyb67

01-26-2007, 10:12 PM

shese, I've been doind daily salt rinses. I just started yesterday with the tongue attachment on the water pik. If I eat anything (which is hardly NOTHING) I immediately go in and do the rinse to remove any food particles from the open sores. I also brush my teeth right after to discourage any bacteria. It's helped tremedously, I can't even tell you. I feel your ear pain, because I get it when I eat. It's horrible! If you don't have a water pik, just put some salt and warm water in a glass and swish and gargle and spit, repeat and repeat and repeat. Also, I have a nice soft warm scarf that I put around my neck when the ear aches start. The warmth helps alot.

cathyb67

01-26-2007, 10:15 PM

You may also want to ask your doctor about the "numbing rinse". I haven't tried it because the Cepacol spray nearly killed me. I imagine the rinse is much less harsh.

sheshe238

01-26-2007, 10:17 PM

You may also want to ask your doctor about the "numbing rinse". I haven't tried it because the Cepacol spray nearly killed me. I imagine the rinse is much less harsh.

thanks for the info.. I just wasn't sure if the salt water thing was okay to use on open wounds.. I appreciate the info!! Thanks!!

caligirl18

01-26-2007, 10:24 PM

sheshe,

I used the cepacol throat lozenges and strips. They help the keep the mouth moist and help with some numbing. I;ve been lucky in that I only experience minor, transient ear pain.

cathy,

I am definitely going to document everything, because I called the office on Tuesday aksing the receptionist if I could speak to the dr. bc I had concerns. She said that the doc doesn't do phone consultations to which I replied "phone consults! I just had surgery and am having some issues which I need to talk to her about". She put me on the phone with the medical assistant who basically said this is normal at this stage. I didn't believe her, and I guess this doc doesn't have a nurse I could have spoken to. Anyway, I will be watching this very closely. I better get my voice back :mad:.

caligirl18

01-26-2007, 10:28 PM

Please forgive my typos. I really CAN spell ;). I'm just typing quickly and am on some good drugs!

doone56

01-27-2007, 03:37 AM

Day 7: Scabs are starting to come off, severe severe ear pain, red and inflammed at sites where scabs ar no longer, I can't eat or drink anything without a shooting pain going to my ear. Horrible earaches every 4 hours, doubled up on vikes and tylenol cause the pain is so bad, upset tummy from taking too many meds with no food.... someone please help!!! Can I use Ceptacol throat lozenges? or any kind of salt water/saline wash? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

YES! Try Cepacol lozenges for sore throat w/pain numbing relief. I sucked on them for days and nights. They help along with the Vicodin. without the Cepacol the pain was unbearable. I never gargled with salt water only the Cepacol. Good luck.

aussie_jono

01-27-2007, 08:06 AM

Cepacol would be great.... try adding Vicoden with ibuprofen.

Zinc, vitamin c and multivitamins help speed healing.

sheshe238

01-27-2007, 12:24 PM

I am going to go out to the store today to get everything you guys are mentioning. I tired the salt water swish and it calmed the throat down a tad. Nothing outstanding though. Thanks for all the info you guys are giving. Much better than the dumb docs that I called at my hospital who just said, take more pain pills.. which hurts cause I have an empty stomach half the time which makes me naucious!! I am on day 8, supposed to go back to work tues or wed but I am not sure about that just yet.

cathyb67

01-27-2007, 06:01 PM

How sad it this??? I got a new recipe for this Peanut butter/cream cheese filled brownie cake. My boyfriends 7 year old daughter and I made it today. It smells SOOOOOOOOOOO YUMMMMMMMMY. I can't eat it! :( Brownies and Peanut butter are my favorite. I tried letting it just desolve in my mouth, but even my tastebuds aren't right. Just couldn't do it. God, recovery really sucks for a person who loves to eat! :(

bunnycat10

01-27-2007, 07:14 PM

Did anyone use liquid Tylenol or Cepacol lozenges after tonsillectomy? If so, which type of liquid Tylenol and which flavor of Cepacol?

Also, does anyone know where I can buy an "ice collar?"

Thanks.

caligirl18

01-27-2007, 07:36 PM

I use extra stength liquid tylenol and cepacol-both cherry flavored-only because that's all they had at the store. I also use the cherry cepacol strips.

Cathy,

It sucks not being to eat what others around us are eating, huh? My husband eats dinner while I drool over what he's eating, even when it's not something I normally love to eat.

He says my voice is better today. I hope that means it's on the mend.:)

sheshe238

01-27-2007, 10:39 PM

Okay so I didn't go the store today. I had a horrible nights sleep last night, maybe 2 3 hour intervals, at the most. Couln't sleep at all today but today was the first day I could switch over to warm/hot drinks. Broth is the best so far but I have soooo much mucus!!!!:eek: It's gross!! Most of the white has fallen off from what I can see... I am still RELIGIOUSLY taking the vikoden and tylenol combo every 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Should I call the doc for a refill on antibiotic or should I be okay?:confused: Hope everyone else is feeling better!!!..

caligirl18

01-28-2007, 12:05 PM

I don't think you should need a refill on antibiotics; only if you actually get an infection at this point. They give that to us to keep us from getting one with all the trauma in our throats and who knows what our tonsils were harboring, and thus released, when they cut them out. My doc said mine were huge and infected, and that's when I wasn't even sick! All of ours are probably that way, which is why we have to go through this abject misery of having them removed.

Dflprd1

01-29-2007, 01:16 AM

I had my T&A on Jan 23rd. Even still, 5 days out, I have bouts of severe pain. MY surgeon warned me that at 34 it would be intense. Never did I imagine this. He also informed me post-op that my healing would be more painful due to the large amounts of scar tissue. Sleeping the first few days wasn't even possible. I cannot lie flat. I need to be propped up and on my side. Any other way just doesn't work. On day 4 I had to call the doctor on call for a Phenergan script because throwing up was the last thing I want to do. By this time the pain in my ears and my shoulders is what seems to bother me the most. Swallowing is basically only possible if it's Gatorade. Anything I have tried to eat only makes the pain worse and it tastes awful.
Lifesavers, chewing gum, Gatorade, ice pops, lollipops..that's about all that works. The antibiotic does soothe my throat when I take it. The hydrocodone does help but it seems to be short lived. I generally have a very high pain threshold but this has been an horrible experience. I just remind myself that it could be worse and that there has to be SOME light at the end of the tunnel. Often I'm wishing that light was on a locomotive coming to run me over and end this pain. But I know it has to get better. I have been trying to keep myself well hydrated but 64 oz of Gatorade is hard. I'm a water person but the water isn't agreeing with me right now. I do try to take in lots of ice pops. I can also say that the feeling of something gagging you or the drowning feeling in the back of the throat is a huge problem too. I do have a very swollen uvula. Things have to get better. Any advice, I will take it. I can't take 7 more days of this. And working in an ER myself, I know I DO NOT want to end up with a post-op bleed. I've seen it too many times. It's not a pretty sight. The one thing I can say is that being on this end gives me a much better apprecation for how miserable patients are when they come in with a post-tonsillectomy bleed.

ONe last thing, does anyone else find the pain comes in waves? I can be fine one minute then almost in tears the next. Is this happening to anyone else?

doone56

01-29-2007, 02:36 AM

Try Cepacol lozenges for sore throat w/pain numbing relief. I sucked on them for days and nights. They helped along with my Vicodin. without the Cepacol the pain was unbearable.

I slept with about 3 pillows so that I was almost sitting up in bed. I also would take the pain medicine every 3.5 hours instead of 4 even if I didn't have pain at the time. I went off the pain meds after 10 days.

I felt at the time that I would have rather had my hysterectomy than the tonsillectomy! But now that the pain is finally over I can say YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS!! :dizzy:

It has now been 4 weeks for me and I still don't have my energy completely back and I still have that 'hair ball' in my throat feeling. But I have to keep reminding myself that I not only had the tonsillectomy, but also an uvulectomy and nasal surgery and as people keep reminding me -- I am almost 51! :nono: GOOD LUCK and THIS TOO SHALL PASS!! Keep up with the liquids.

doone56

01-29-2007, 02:45 AM

During my recovery, my husband, who rarely cooks for US(!), cooked and baked all kinds of things that I could not even think of eating! I told him that he better enjoy sitting down because when I got better I was going to kick his butt! That reminds me -- I still have to do that :)

IceBlueYaris

01-29-2007, 10:59 AM

ONe last thing, does anyone else find the pain comes in waves? I can be fine one minute then almost in tears the next. Is this happening to anyone else?

Yeah I get that too, today I was pretty much ok all day - I slept in a bit late and the pain was there when I woke up but it wasnt affecting me too much then this afternoon after I'd eaten some bread (which I have been doing most days since the 16th when I had it done) the pain hit me so bad that I took two paracetamol tablets for the pain. It's like a switch is turned on for the pain I find, it's not there for some time and then bang! it hits :(

peasoupfan

01-29-2007, 11:26 AM

I had my tonsils out on the 23rd and the surgery went really well and I was feeling great considering I just had surgery until about Friday. Now I feel like poop. But everyone at work keeps bugging me for reports and everything and now I am just getting really upset that they won't leave me alone. I am going through the same as many others are experiencing, which my Dr. said is completely normal and warned me about ahead of the surgery. I just can't wait until I am better. Since I am just venting really I just need to add that the sloughing off of the scab (the creamy white disgusting coating where my tonsils use to be is just gross and smells really bad) is making me choke at night. I can't sleep lying down at all. This has been the longest week of my life! I have been finishing up on my Disney World Vacation plans for May 1st. It has been the only thing making me happy.

IceBlueYaris

01-29-2007, 12:20 PM

peasoupfan

01-29-2007, 01:11 PM

10 days recovery time is what he told me. I have my computer at home and can do some things. I handle all sales analysis for my team at work and they seem to think I am thinking straight enough to get my work done. Not that taking care of things at home has been any easier. My husband has been difficult to get the laundry and cleaning done or help with our son's homework etc. It isn't easy to be unable to live normally...plus, I am impatient. I don't think I will be feeling like working until next Monday.

Scoffey

01-29-2007, 01:34 PM

I'm schedueled to have my surgery this Thursday! And my boss is giving me a hard time about taking two weeks off and it makes me so angry! I just want to yell "let me take out your tonsils and then give you third degree burns on your throat" I just wish work was a lil' more sympathetic .. but they seem to think they won't be able to function with out me here. At least now they realize how much I really do around here. :mad:

I'm going to Toys R Us today and looking for one of those boards to write on !!

peasoupfan

01-29-2007, 01:59 PM

OK Mrs. Brady but don't going saying mean things about some broken down barnacle barge...These things never come at a good time and people will always be there to make complaints...maybe what you should do is when your breath is really bad from your throat healing go into work and breathe all over everyone and then leave. According to my son they will be very glad you did.

Any helpful advice from anyone to get rid of the nasty smell? Doesn't seem to matter what I eat.

Dflprd1

01-29-2007, 10:57 PM

I'm going to Toys R Us today and looking for one of those boards to write on !!

Since I had mine done I have been through two full writing tablets. Get the board. Great idea. The pen and paper have been my only means of communication. It's very frustrating. You will be able to talk but it hurts and it will sound all garbled. Right after the surgery I was chatting like nothing happened. The nurses actually had to tell me to stop talking and rest my throat. By the next day though, chatting was the last thing on my mind. Keep your board close by. You will also learn your own little version of sign language. The scary part is, by the end of day one, everyone around you will understand it. Good luck!

Dflprd1

01-29-2007, 10:59 PM

I was told gargling with salt water will help reduce the odor but I can't imagine it would be painless.

Dflprd1

01-29-2007, 11:01 PM

peasoupfan, how long did your ENT advise you to stay off work for?

Mine told me two weeks & I had it done two weeks ago tomorrow - I go back to see him tomorrow also & I do not feel like going back at all yet.

I am being kept out of work until Feb 12. I had surgery on the 23rd. My dr did say I will need that whole three weeks to recover and possibly more. I have a job where we are constantly on the go, no down-time. I also work 12 hour shifts. I did fill out the paper work to extend it...just in case. I will find out soon enough.

peasoupfan

01-29-2007, 11:36 PM

I tried the salt water gargle and it does help a bit. No pain at all from the salt water gargle either, which sort of surprised me. I will post if there are any problems with continuing the gargle over the next couple days.

I was looking through my notes that my Dr. sent me home with me. The gargle was no where on there, but he does suggest gum to make more saliva production for keeping the throat moist and to help the muscles from having spasms. I have chewed gum a few times if I had to go out to prevent the breath odor from revolting others, but it makes my jaw incredibly sore and sort of burns my throat a bit (probably because the gum is minty). My jaw was so sore one night that it kept me from sleeping.

Dflprd1

01-29-2007, 11:59 PM

I just had mine done on Jan 23rd. I found that Gatorade has been the best thing to drink. Anything with too much sugar didn't work. I usually drink water but water wasn't cutting it for me. Gatorade...stock up on it. Keep it chilled. Sip it slow and easy. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT A STRAW!! I made that mistake. I also found the swishing it around in my mouth and swallowing it little by little really helped. Ice pops also helped out! They seem to numb it up. Sucking on ice cubes also helped me out! The one thing I will say is do not buy your favorite drink because chances are you will never want to drink it again. I know Gatorade is going to bring back horrible memories for me. As for food a few days out, baby food worked for me. I also found Campbell's Soup at Hand to be a God-send! The chicken with mini noodles worked the best. Microwave it for about 30 seconds and let it cool before eating it. I was much more sensitive to heat. Prepare yourself, it's going to be intense. No denying that. But here I am on day 6 and it seems to be improving already! Good luck!

peasoupfan

01-30-2007, 08:36 AM

I prepared food before my surgery and made chicken broth with shredded chicken and brown rice. The brown rice helps fill you up and gets really mushy and goes down really easy. I really didn't have trouble eating the first few days, but I am now. 7 days since the surgery and my scabs have sloughed off and my throat feels like it is on fire. I am definitely in more pain now than before, but there is no bleeding so I am assumming if I keep up my water intake my throat will feel much better very soon. I am excited but very tired.

ange.la.peregri

01-31-2007, 02:32 PM

So I'm 30 & on day 8 of my recovery from my tonsillectomy.
I was doing fine up until last night. Now I have a sharp pain in the right of my throat. When I look in the mirror (after the initial disgust) it looks like a little piece of skin is missing from my right side where the tonsils used to be.
Oh well.

Here's what has saved my life this week:

Dryers No Sugar Added fruit bars -- only 30 calories each
Annie Chung's Miso soup -- salty noodles feel/taste so good
Propel fitness water -- less calories than gatorade.

Sorry, but I don't want to end this painful week by getting even fatter, you know?

tonsilrecovery

01-31-2007, 04:10 PM

I've just started Day 8 of recovery from my tosillectomy. I am a 27 year old male. These posts have been great to compare my recovery with other people, and it's a good thing this thread is on the internet. My post is real long, but I hope it'll have some good tips in it.

Days 1-2 seemed easy because the painkillers I was taking was numbing the pain in my throat/head. Initially, it was two doses of Morphine given to me at the hospital that allowed me to deal with the pain. On day 2, I started a cycle of of two painkillers every 4 hours: Codiene and Nitetime Liquid Tylenol. So, every two hours I was taking one or the other. It helped SO much. What was key these days, and for the next 8 days is lots of water, and ice pops, too.

Days 3-5 have been the MOST painfull and I've felt like dying. It was hard swallowing anything, and headaches/earaches felt like there was a vice squeezing my head. I ate mushroom soup with soggy pieces of bread, and mashed potatos. I drank lots of water, protein shakes (mixed with water) and, gatorade. Ice cream during these days did not help, and only created phlem in my throat; So, I've been staying away from milky products.

Days 6-7 have been the easiest, but it also come at a price! There was still pain, but I lost my appetite completely, and could only drank TONS of water, a protein shake (mixed with water), and green tea. I noticed that the phlem and scabs in my throat were real moist, so I decided to slide some of the excess out of my mouth with a tiny spoon. The most rewarding was last night's attempt because I was able to remove much of it. If you decide to do this, proceed with EXTREME CAUTION because that area of the throat is still VERY sensitive and you don't want to (accidentily) cause any bleeding. I coughed and gagged at least 50% of the excess phlem/moist scabs from my throat and things have been MUCH better since then. I think it was time for that stuff to come out of my throat and I'm glad I took initiative. I still consumed Codeine every 4 hours, but have stopped taking the Tylenol.

So, here I am on Day 8, and I've started to gargle with sea-salt water (at the opinion of another post in this thread), and have scrapped much of the junk sitting on my tongue. I still don't have an appetite, but am thinking of boiling some cheese/potato perogies and mashing them up to eat! There is still some pain, but the Codeine is numbing it. Today, and for the next three days, I am going to drink lots of water, green tea, protein shakes, gatorade, and ice popsicles. If I am lucky, I'll regain my appetite and start eating soft foods steadily. As of now, I just can't stomach it.

In a nutshell, I believe drinking water, no matter how much it hurts going down, is the key to making a smooth recovery. I've only been able to sleep for 3 hours at a time, and am very exhausted. At times, I feel irritated and depressed. The night time is the most painful, as the throat becomes dry.

Luckily, I've been able to recognize improvement as the days progress, so I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

ange.la.peregri

01-31-2007, 05:38 PM

Drinking water is the hardest thing ever!
I just feel like I'm gurgling it.

Also, when will my voice come back.
I still sound all gurgly.

P.S. Ice cream doesn't help at all. Pudding is okay. Jello is divine.

sheshe238

02-01-2007, 12:22 AM

You have to have to have to have to drink AT THE LEAST, one bottle of water a day!!! No matter how much it hurts! I learned that and I am at day 12 and just had my first real dinner tonight. Salt water gargle is very important right after eating. I take a flashlight to see what stuck back there and keep on swishing until its all gone. I am going to go pick up a waterpik tomorrow cause that can really help get all the stuck food out of there for the next few days. I still haven't gotten a full nights sleep yet but I am praying tonight will be the night. I have 4 more days off then back to work so i am going to take advantage of every second! Good luck to everyone!

peasoupfan

02-01-2007, 09:14 AM

I agree. Water is so important. In fact, that was the ONE thing my Dr. told me I had to force myself to have. He said don't worry so much about food, but keeping your throat moist will make recovery go smoother and more quickly. I would always notice the terrible pain immediately upon waking from sleep whether it be 1 hr or 6, but this morning it wasn't bad. I am on day 9 of recovery. I think I have finally turned a corner. I also would use a humidifier at night. I have found that Simply Sleep will help you stay sleeping if you are unable to on your own.

tonsilrecovery

02-01-2007, 02:13 PM

Day 9 is just around the corner, and the improvements are coming quickly now. Although, I still need the Codeine to curb the pain, and I desperately need a good night's sleep.

So, I am thinking that on Day 12 I could have a real meal, also. I watch my dad eat homemade hamburgers, my mom making pasta, and my nephew eating peanut butter sandwiches! Well , that's too bad for them because I get to eat chicken soup and ice pops.. they're loss, I think!

I also find it amazing that each patient's recovery process is so similar, that is if the throat is being treated correctly. I don't know if the nurse was joking with me or not when I awoke from my surgery, but she mentioned that an older man, whom she discribed as a "biker," didn't take any of the recovery steps seriously and started smoking and drinking alcohol before 2 weeks were completed. She went on to say that he was also back for a second, and more severe emergency surgery.

I eagerly await my first complete meal... I wonder what my 'dream meal' is.

What's your 'dream meal?'

peasoupfan

02-01-2007, 02:19 PM

Dream Meal: A phenomenal bone-in rib eye medium rare with a swimming pool sized salad no dressing, but lots of crunchy green and red peppers and a glass of a wonderful chianti.:D

Scoffey

02-01-2007, 10:13 PM

This is my first day post op! I'm havein a hard time sleeping because of the swelling and the fact I was told to sleep sitting up a bit!

I wanted to take a bath cause that usually makes me relax and fall asleep but I don't know if I'm allowed to!? Does anyone know?

I'm on celebrex and lortab

peasoupfan

02-02-2007, 12:30 AM

I was told by my Dr. that baths are fine, in fact the steam helps to keep your throat moist. You mentioned your meds...is there a reason they would prevent you from being able to do that? As long as you don't fall asleep and then drown in the tub. I don't see why it would be a problem.

mkgbrook

02-02-2007, 01:47 AM

Baths are fine and recommended if you have sinus surgery at the same time.. but keep it a warm bath.. not too hot. Excessive temperatures thin the blood and increase the chance of bleeding.

Sincerely,
MG

Nieceroe

02-02-2007, 09:17 PM

[QUOTE=Scoffey;2776990]This is my first day post op! I'm havein a hard time sleeping because of the swelling and the fact I was told to sleep sitting up a bit!

I wanted to take a bath cause that usually makes me relax and fall asleep but I don't know if I'm allowed to!? Does anyone know?

I'm on celebrex and lortab

Hi Scoffey...I'm on my 3rd day post and completely miserable but I too was told to sleep sitting up a bit. And I've had 2 warm bubble baths, it's the only thing keeping me sane! I simply cannot eat a thing. My mouth inside around the tonsil holes is red, irritated and swollen and extremely painful and I don't know why. Haven't eaten since Monday. Ice cream only makes more phlegm and then I feel like I'm choking.

Help! does anyone know of something I can eat?? The med's I'm on (Antibiotic & pain) are both liquids and I think they too have contributed to the redness, irritation inside my mouth as I administer them with a syringe.

take care and keep posting.

tonsilrecovery

02-02-2007, 09:34 PM

As for my dream meal when I am ready and able to eat properly again; I'd like to have a full rack of beef back ribs, and a giant bowl of greek salad. But that's just one of many meals I am looking forward, too.

I also like to take warm showers to moisten my throat. I take a glass of water in there with me and just stand underneath the showerhead!

Today I am on Day 10, and I bled from the mouth (although I've been taking care of my wounds as directed by my physician). I was sitting at the computer when it happened, and oddly enough I felt a warm/thick substance on my tongue. Next, I was hovered over the sink with blood spilling out of me! I wasn't just spitting it out, nor coughing it up. I didn't need to, it just spewed from the back of my throat. It lasted 12-15 minutes, and immediately after it ceased, my parents rushed me to the hospital to get checked into Emergency. I spent the day hooked up to an IV, and a ENT Specialist told me that everything was going to be okay, and that it was just some scabs that had peeled off. He did warn me to stay away from warm foods for the next couple days, and said that I am healing as planned.

tonsilrecovery

02-02-2007, 09:41 PM

I simply cannot eat a thing. My mouth inside around the tonsil holes is red, irritated and swollen and extremely painful and I don't know why. Haven't eaten since Monday. Ice cream only makes more phlegm and then I feel like I'm choking.

Help! does anyone know of something I can eat?? The med's I'm on (Antibiotic & pain) are both liquids and I think they too have contributed to the redness, irritation inside my mouth as I administer them with a syringe.

Hi Nieceroe, I am on Day 10 of recovery. For those first few days Jello, mushroom soup and instant mashed potatos were all I could eat. I've been drinking more eating such as water, protien shakes, green tea and gatorade. Just make sure you KEEP DRINKING AT LEAST ONE GLASS OF WATER/DAY... this is absolutely key!

ktdid

02-02-2007, 09:43 PM

tonsilrecovery

02-02-2007, 09:49 PM

wow, that bleeding sounds awful.
could you tell where the blood was coming from? i read all this posts about people bleeding, and i'm just curious if it comes from the scabs you can see? or from further down in your throat where you can't see.
i'm paranoid about the bleeding, so i'm constantly looking in the back of my throat with the mirror and flashlight.
those scabs seem ok, so far, coming of gradually.
i'm just worried that their may be more deeper?
thanks

Hi KTdid... I've also been monitoring my improvement with a flashlight at least 10 times/day and I've been real happy with the progress I've made since Day 1. I was shocked to see the bleeding, and this amount of blood come from my throat. I couldn't detect it, nor prevent it... I think that some scabs just fell off. Also, I beleive that the bleeding can result from the scabs falling off prematurely. I'd been gargling with saltwater the past couple days, and that may have desolved some of the scabs... I don't really know.

Nieceroe

02-02-2007, 10:06 PM

Hi Nieceroe, I am on Day 10 of recovery. For those first few days Jello, mushroom soup and instant mashed potatos were all I could eat. I've been drinking more eating such as water, protien shakes, green tea and gatorade. Just make sure you KEEP DRINKING AT LEAST ONE GLASS OF WATER/DAY... this is absolutely key!

Thank you for reply. Please forgive me if I sound a bit loopy from the pain meds. I just want something to eat that won't burn my mouth & throat so bad! It's like it's on fire! And the liquid pain med/antibiotics just make it worse. I do force myself to drink water but my uvula and tongue etc also is so swollen there is no room. I cannot hold my head up but came to posts to try and find something to eat. I did try jello/mashed potatoes/eggs but my mouth inside so raw just cannot tolerate Anything! Is there something I can do! My Ear pain unbearable (had a suspension microlaryngoscopy & 2 tumours removed in addition to the tonsillectomy) . My husband also got some Chloraseptic spray but that only lasts a couple of seconds. I'm so miserable. Thanks for writing.

ktdid

02-02-2007, 10:13 PM

hi, i know the pain is awful, and the liquid pain meds can hurt even more.
today i found some tylenol go tabs, which are basically chewable tabs for adults. this may help a little at least if you can't swallow pills or handle the liquid pain killers. good luck :)

tonsilrecovery

02-02-2007, 10:14 PM

Thank you for reply. Please forgive me if I sound a bit loopy from the pain meds. I just want something to eat that won't burn my mouth & throat so bad! It's like it's on fire! And the liquid pain med/antibiotics just make it worse. I do force myself to drink water but my uvula and tongue etc also is so swollen there is no room. I cannot hold my head up but came to posts to try and find something to eat. I did try jello/mashed potatoes/eggs but my mouth inside so raw just cannot tolerate Anything! Is there something I can do! My Ear pain unbearable (had a suspension microlaryngoscopy & 2 tumours removed in addition to the tonsillectomy) . My husband also got some Chloraseptic spray but that only lasts a couple of seconds. I'm so miserable. Thanks for writing.

Well, Nieceroe... All I have is time, now that I am off work! haha

Seriously, I went through two days where I couldn't eat anything either on days 4-5, but I always make sure I am drinking water. Between days 2-6, water would not go directly into my throat, but 9 out of 10 times half of what I tried to drink went straight into my nose, trickling back down my nostril.. it was not a pretty sight! lol

I also find myself eating very soggy cornflakes (w/water). I have tried staying away from bread, but found that when I chew it excessively it helps push some of the phlym down my throat.

Don't worry about sounding loopy, we are all on painkillers here and just as loopy as you! Continue keeping up your spirit!

peasoupfan

02-03-2007, 09:28 AM

For light bleeding the Dr. told me that gargling with ice water usually stops it enough. He also mentioned that the bleeding you want to be concerned most with is the sort that you could actually spit out because there is enough to pool in your mouth. I, too, think the salt water gargles might make you bleed a little because it dissolves the scars. I also think the salt water makes it taste like there is blood in your mouth because it is salty.

ange.la.peregri

02-03-2007, 04:27 PM

Day 12 here.
Still no solid food really.
Swallowing still hurts.
Able to drink water okay.
My throat is covered in a slimy white scab.
I really thought I would be better by now.

I discovered 'Ice Blended' drinks from the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf go down SO SMOOTHLY. They are great.

The first couple of days I could only really eat Jello.
It didn't get stuck in my throat.

I'm getting my energy back but the painkillers quickly destroy it.
I'd like to go to the gym soon.
Going to try to do that Monday.

I also could eat Amy's frozen tofu lasagna okay...

I CAN'T WAIT TO SMOKE A CIGARETTE AGAIN

Scoffey

02-03-2007, 08:56 PM

I am now on day 3 and not feeling to horrendous, but the mornings are awful! Wake up swollen and can barely move or swallow.

I've been eating/drinking slim fast, potatos, mac n cheese and I just had some refried beans (extra runny)

My energy is zapped and I feel like a complete zombie!

I noticed this morning that it wasn't just giant holes in the back of my throat but that white scabby stuff is starting to form! Hooray does that mean I'm doing well? The doctor said my tonsils were the biggest he's seen in awhile and took a polaroid picture of them so I can have a memory! EW

I hope everyone is feeling better!

I'm worried that I'm doing pretty well that something is bound to go wrong !

beandog

02-03-2007, 10:36 PM

Day 6 recovery here, 34 year old Male...Post op i was given Liquid vicodin...Night 3 was the worst for me so far, the pain was bad and even worse after the drink of vicodin, luckily the next day the Dr ok'd that i may dilute the vicodin in water or gatorade...Everyone needs to understand that there are multiple procedures for a tonsillectomy...Mine was a bipolar electrocautery which heats up on the removal to over 400*-- this procedure is known for less bleeding and longer recovery, but is more safe for the older patients.

I have not been able to eat more than a cup of applesause and a bowl of speghetti, and that was on day 2, and after that I had a lot of pain getting hacking out the reminants.

Today I tried to chew gum, as it keep you hydrated, and it began dislodging the pieces of white meat that were hanging in the back of my throat falling behind and under my tongue. After 20 minutes of hacking and spitting a few pieces were disposed of, and all is normal.

I am not looking forward to all the Tysons white meat falling off of the back of my throat cause it's nearly covered. My uvula is swollen and lays on the back of my tongue...It's nasty, I had a chest cough prior to surgery and it is still there, the coughing scares me, as i feel i may pop a scab...if they are there yet...
The worst episodes i have went though, were coming out of surgery and not being able to stop coughing, 30 minutes...and then the 3rd night, when the vicodin was burning...so if anyone is experiencing the burning from the pain meds...dilute them...it works ! 6 1/2 days gone...8 more to go ??

no_thanks

02-04-2007, 01:06 AM

I'm getting mine out this week....and these threads are scaring me to death. I just can't stop reading! I have never had surgery of any kind. Does anyone have any words of encouragement for the surgery itself? I'm starting to think I might cancel it. I'm having nightmares about it. I know it seems ridiculous...but I'm just really scared! I'm scared of the anesthesia...waking up from the anesthesia...not being able to breathe...everything! Help!!

beandog

02-04-2007, 01:08 AM

OK I just had my second episode of the white chicken wing meat that is dangling in the back of my throat falling out, and gagging me. After 10 minutes over the throne, I am still wondering why the back of my throat looks like chicken on the grill, that's half done...if it needs to cook some more, or if i can just scrape it out of the way. It is white, I would imagine that it's dead skin, and kinda looks like a spider web...can i just have someone take a q tip and suave it out of the way for me ? Are these the scabs ? Someone please inform...

KaizerChief

02-04-2007, 04:25 AM

Hi all,

I had my tonsils out thursday afternoon so i'm at day 3 now. My uncle is a well known ENT surgeon and he performed the operation on me. He warned me that I'd be feeling miserable and in pain for at least a week to 10 days.

The first 2 days was like I had a minor sore throat. But last night and today the pain has increased 10 fold. From listening to other people I can recommend that you make sure your ENT is well experienced! Some people I spoke to couldn't even talk after their operation.

My ENT also said that living of soft foods although easier to take down will actually make the recovery period longer. So he recommended I eat as solid food as possible. The chewing and swallowing helps the healing process. So its more pain but for a shorter period. I agree with another poster about taking meds regularly... I've been a bit slack and you don't want that sharp pain coming back.

I snore now though... anyone else experienced that?

Anyways glad I found you all. Misery likes company.

ekuzombie

02-05-2007, 01:21 AM

Had my tonsils and adenoid out this past Friday. Pain isnt too terrible (never had much trouble with pain anyway) and the lortab elixer (hydrocodeine) definitely helps. Pain is usually the worst when I wake up after the 3-4 hours of sleep I can get before I wake up choking and coughing. Ice water helps a great deal too. I've learned to stay away from dairy products (ice cream, milk, cheese) because they tend to build up the phlegm.

My main concern right now is the swelling of my uvula. Not only is it swollen, but it is very misshapen, with chunks of white flesh (scar tissue?) sticking out from either side of it.

This is causing discomfort, and is also making it extremely difficult for me to sleep, and speak clearly. I am a police officer and I won't be able to return to work until I can speak normally. Ive been thinking about calling up my ENT and talking to him about it. But it's only the beginning of day 4 now; should I just wait it out?

peasoupfan

02-05-2007, 08:09 PM

First day back in the office for me. I have been working on my computer at home for most of my recovery, but didn't want to see anyone. Rest assured as much as it might totally stink now, it will get better. Although my recovery felt like the longest period of my life. Anyway, in response to the uvula issue you are experiencing. I had that same problem and it is fine now. I actually had my first full night of sleep with help from my best friend Tylenol PM.

Just a side note. If you are taking any constipating narcotic make sure you also take a stool softener and have some suppositories on hand. Hate bringing up this issue but being constipated for a week sucked!

mythroathurts

02-05-2007, 10:23 PM

beandog

02-06-2007, 10:14 AM

A typical day...day 8

Ok...yesterday started off as awfully as the rest of them have started, then got worse...basically I make my way to bed around 1 30 AM after taking some vicodin hoping that i can sleep pain free till around 9 to wake up take more vicodin and get the day going. The mornings are the worst, today like the 6 other mornings, I wake up at 6:45 w/ the worst shooting pain on the right side of my throat/ tooth/ jaw area, it feels as if someone shot me a nailgun from 5 feet away, throat is dry, I am freezing, can't swallow due to the pain and no saliva...I stagger to the kitchen where i drink some water, the cold water on the back of my throat feels like the worst toothache ever imaginable with the water feeling like it's -40* and running through a stream down my tooth into the nerve endings. After gaining up enough courage I pour myself a shot of vicodin w/ some water to dilute it and water to chase it...After contemplating, I shot the vicodin and chase it which makes my headache into a throbbing migrane for the next 2 minutes, my body now if full of goose bumps needs warmed up, so i throw myself on the couch and cover up w/ 3 full size blankets on the couch, turn on the TV, and place each hand on my head and squeeze to somehow make the pain go away. At 7:20, I begin to sweat, I throw off 2 of the blankets...my head still pounding, my brain wondering if this surgery was worth the pain...every passing second, I am closer to the 12th...possibly when i will be fully recovered. I go to the fridge and get a frozen ice pack...place it on my right jaw area and try to transport my brain and feelings out of my body and place them somewhere on the wall...The pain remains steady..but never knowing which way the nacs will take us...I try to rest...8:30 comes and the pain has remained unbearable...I take one of the longest showers i have ever taken, before i get out the water begins to cool down, chills return, and so does the pain, and it begins to craw up from my throat to each ear. I get dressed and quickly make it back to the couch under 2 blankets..and now i plug in the electric blanket and place it on my right side. This is pretty much a very normal morning the past week, although today the pain is a few levels higher than normal. 1015 I lay w/ the heating pad on my head, keep in mind that whenever i speak, the pain intensifies... 11 get's here and its time to shot some more liquid vicodin, this time i give it a full 3 teaspoons, dilute it w/ some water and take a huge shot of it, the pain again barely able to stand, chase it w/ water and return to the couch...After the first spin on the big wheel...the pain...it's nearly gone...thank God...should I eat..yea right and chance that the pain will return...I watch the Price is Right, Family Fued, and ESPN news, and sportscenter...and figure that it's been 2 hrs that i can now eat...heat up the chicken and hash browns...it's 130 now...I rip off a little of the hash brown, nibble on it like a rabbit and a few pieces go down my throat and a few get pushed into the cave holes that the Dr left w/ his welder in the rear of my mouth. I attempt a tiny piece of chicken, it must have had a pepper on it, like a little black pepper cause once I started to chew it, the pepper ended up right on my ex tonsil home and began to burn...not fun...let me explain, these holes that are in the back of my mouth now, are located next to my uvula, and are ping-pong ball size, this is where the stalagmites and stalagtites have been the past 7 days, which is like chicken fat that falls off the grill, or a thick spider web, one that a baby spider man could probably sling. Right now each ping-ping ball area is extremely sensative, probably like an exposed testical outside of the sack with 50 paper cuts in it. During my meal that I ended up finishing the hash brown, some of the whitish/green tendons that are in the ping-pong ball cave, suddenly fall out...and land on the back of my tongue causing an immediate hacking sound to get it up so i can spit it out...thankfully 4 or 5 nice sized goobers are collected and put into my 4th gatorade spit bottle...I finish up, brush my teeth, view my ping-pong balls in the mirrow w/ my flashlight, and return to the couch, wondering how much longer I am going to have to deal with this, how much longer the ping-pong balls are going to remain in the back of my throat, how deep the ping pong balls go back into my throat, if one of the ping pong balls are going to come off too early allowing a guyser to explode and a fountain of blood to emerge from my mouth, and if surgery was worth it. Thankfully the headache isn't back, just a slight pain on the right side of my throat, I return to *******, my only way to express myself...Today is day 8...I can't believe that I have been able to make it this far...and for everyone that says it's not as bad as you expected is it....well there are 2-3 times later in the day for 2 hours when it's not that bad...it's just the other times that really kick your a$$

peasoupfan

02-06-2007, 11:31 AM

I'm on day 6 and was convinced that I was insane with the amount of pain I've had...I mean, I've had 2 children and other surgeries and it's NOTHING compared to this.

I'm a 33 yo woman and it is so nice to know that I am not nuts, that my pain is real....I keep having these meltdowns where the pain gets so intense and comes in waves and I start to cry uncontrollably....as of tomorrow my husband has to go back to work and then I officially have to resume my duties as a busy wife and mother and I AM TERRIFIED!!!!! I'll be fine for a while and then BAM, I am down and the pain is enough that I want to die. Sometimes it's the actual scabs, the last 2 days it's my jaw and right ear, I feel like someone beat me to a pulp. My breath is kicking, it takes all my energy just to take a shower, and I'm absolutely starving.

OK, I've got it off my chest. Again, a thousand thank yous just for posting your stories and letting me know that EVERYTHING I'm going through is normal and that it will get better!

I am 37 and have 1 child (well, 2 if you count my husband). I can assure you it will not be easy, but what can you do right you are a mom. You need to eat something - anything - yogurt is good. Personally I have found some of the worst pain comes when I am yawning (which I have been doing a lot!) DON'T Cry that will strain your throat and it will hurt worse. It has now been 2 weeks exactly for me and I can tell you I am still uncomfortable, but it gets a bit better every day. The worst was always the mornings for me.

blondeofthedead

02-07-2007, 02:09 AM

I am so glad to have found this website!

I'm 23 and had my tonsillectomy on the 29th, so that makes today my 9th day. I am supposed to go back to work in two days... we'll see.

Everyone told me that it would be so awful, I would be so exhausted, etc. The first week for me was great. I was eating soft solids on the third day and it just got better from there. I ate some great enchiladas later that week. Little did I know just how bad it was going to get.

The past few days have been terrible. I can't sleep, I can barely eat from the pain, it's just terrible. I guess that's the scabs coming off. At night when I wake up (every two hours) I feel as if I am going to die from the terrible sore throat and extremely painful earaches. I started crying last night, and I've keep my poor boyfriend up for the past two nights.

My ENT prescribed me Tylenol with Codeine, which makes me throw up what I can manage to get down, so I've been taking regular liquid Extra-Strength Tylenol. It helps ok, but I've gotten some great ideas from everyone of stuff to try.

Thanks for all the great ideas, let me know if anyone has any other ideas to help manage the pain and I'll add them to my shopping list!

Oh, and I agree that dairy products really make it harder to swallow and add to the phleghm. Yuck!

ange.la.peregri

02-07-2007, 12:15 PM

For me this is day 14 & I just wanted to tell all of you THERE IS AN END TO THE SUFFERING! :)

I'm not 100% healed but I can swallow, I can talk & I can eat.
I even stopped the Vicodin 2 days ago and am slowly getting my strength back.

Hang in there everybody -- soon it will all just seem like a dream.

ange.la.peregri

02-07-2007, 12:20 PM

Oh, and I cannot stress enough.

JELL-O and ICE Blended drinks from the COFFEE BEAN & tea leaf are the best thing ever, ever.

KaizerChief

02-08-2007, 12:49 PM

Hi guys,

Its been a week and I'm still in some pain when the anti-inflammtories wear off. The pain killers do almost nothing for me besides causing nausea. I've found that Voltaren (I'm not sure the name around the world) makes me feel almost 90% normal. It usually lasts around 12 hours at which time I need to take another pill. Its a pill you don't swallow but rather insert in your behind :(

I suggest if your not taking it ask your doc about whether it will help.

Voltaren Suppositories 100.

cheers

Traez

02-09-2007, 01:03 PM

Day 12 of recovery for me, but I'm still having a bit of trouble with pain and such. I feel bad, I'm only 16 and the past two weeks were near unbearable for me. I can't imagine how hard it must be for everyone here who's older.

Right after surgery: I woke up with a LOT of plegm-like build-up in the back of my throat that I had to very quietly try to cough down. I had a mask on my face that was delivering humidified oxygen to me, and the nurse was coming in about ever 20 minutes to check up on me. Overall, nothing too bad.

Day 1-2 were relatively easy. I was given four different medications to take: Liquid tylenol with Codine, liquid Ibuprofen, a liquid steroid to keep the swelling down, and something some genius entitled "Magic Mouthwash" (however, it does stand up to its name). I didn't seem to have any trouble with any of them at first. I could talk, albiet not very clearly, and I really didn't have that much pain. When I spoke, I found out that my voice was stuck in the upper register...so I had basically lost all of my lower half of my voice. Foods consisted of Ice Cream, Jello, Protien shakes, and alfredo noodles.

Days 3-5 were absolutely HORRIBLE. During this time, not only did the pain start to seep through the pain medication, but it pretty much stopped me from eating everything under the sun. In result of my lack of food, the codine started to make me feel incredibly sick pretty much all of the time, so I became bed-ridden over the entire course of these three days. Every time I even began to open my eyes, my head felt like it was going through hell and back...and that was nothing compared to how I started feeling when I tried to stand up. I had severe pain shooting up to my right ear pretty much constantly, I couldn't open my mouth all of the way to eat anything, and if I stopped drinking water, the scabs started to crack and bleed. I started to wonder if the surgery was worth ANY of this at all...and it was pretty much three days of irritation and depression. Word of advice for these three days: KEEP YOUR BODY FED! Protien shakes seemed to get me out of my down-ward spiral the fastest. Foods: Mac and Cheese, Alfredo noodles, mashed potatoes, protien shakes, and (of course) more ice cream. Also, because I was waking up in the middle of the night every time the painkillers wore off, I used a humidifier in my bedroom at night to try and help keep my throat wet. It helped a little. Still couldn't speak with the lower half of my voice yet.

Days 6 - 8 started to get a little better. I forced myself to get off of the codine because of how sick it was making me, so I instead bought liqued tylenol to take its place. (I was still on all of the other medication) I also managed to get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich down without much problem, as long as I was drinking water with it constantly. However, then I decided to try a food that was a bit closer to normal. On my first trip out of the house with my mother, I decided that if I could eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I could eat a subway sandwich, too. I was extremely wrong. The food got stuck in the holes in the back of my throat which caused SEVERE pain, and that was before the painkillers wore off. Later that night, I got the full blast of the stupid act I pulled. On my way up the stairs to go and take more medicine, the pain started becoming so strong that I couldn't see straight. The pain shooting up to my right ear was unberable, and I couldn't do anything other than hold my head and sit on the steps. Breathing in was horrendously painful, the air feeling like it was -50, so as I was stuck there on the stairs in tears, I couldn't breathe in. The mucus from the scabs was building up in the back of my mouth, and I started not being able to breathe at ALL. Thankfully my mother found me on her way upstairs and helped me to the kitchen to get ahold of that magic mouthwash (which really does work! It numbs your throat right away). Moral of the story: don't try to eat normal food on day 7 of recovery. I also still hadn't managed to get a full night's sleep yet without waking up because of the pain; however, I did get a bit lucky in that my voice *finally* dropped back to its normal range. I still couldn't say "O" or "L", but it was getting better.

Days 9 - 11 have started looking much better. I attempted to try and go back to school for a few hours on day 10, but it only resulted in having issues breathing without pain again, so I had to return home within the first hour. Talking was HARD. I've discovered that talking has been the main cause of my pain now, food also being a huge culprit. On day 11, I made it through about four hours before the pain in my ear and in my head made it too hard to be there, so I went home. Still couldn't eat much of anything, especially at school. Soft foods, but the pain is noticably starting to lessen.

Now: I'm off of all of the previously prescribed medication, and I'm swallowing pills in their place (thank god, that taste was really starting to sicken me). Talking still proves to be the biggest pain source, so I have learned to stay silent as much as possible. Still sipping water constantly until the scabs come off. Still waking up in the middle of the night because of the pain, but it's not nearly as severe as it used to be. I'm taking half of today off of school because it was a little more painful this morning than before, so I didn't want to risk going through another crappy day where I couldn't eat, talk, or breathe. I'm still having some issues with my voice as well, in that I can't say "O" or "L" at all. It seems to get caught in the back of my throat...hopefully that goes away.

All in all, the recovery has been MUCH harder than I expected it to be. I was expecting something along the lines of wisdom teeth recovery, and I got something that was about ten times worse. However, the first week is the hardest...and once you get past that 7 day mark, things really do speed up. It feels like the first 7 days are much longer than they are, and it feels like you aren't improving at ALL, but it gets better eventually!

Last words of advice: Drink water CONSTANTLY to avoid dehydration and cracking of the scabs (that hurts). Keep your body up to par in terms of protien. You really will feel better much faster. DON'T try to eat normal food faster than you feel you should! As tempting as tasty food like subway look...you won't be ready for it until LONG after the procedure. (I'm on day 12 and I'm still not off of the soft foods diet). And lastly, don't loose hope! It really does get better in the long run, and just remember that you'll never have issues with your tonsils again!

bk2school

02-09-2007, 05:36 PM

There is help! It does get better. Once you start eating, you will feel better. It took me about 7 days before I could swallow soft food. I had my Tonsilles removed, my soft pallet cut out and something in my nose fixed on Jan. 22. I was begging to die for about 5 days and people thought i was going over board. By day 5 my head felt as though it may explode. Found out that I was dehidrated. It is pretty amazing how much better you feel when you are hidrated. Force yourself to eat! The sooner you eat the sooner you feel better.

But now it has been 18 days and I am doing fine. The only complaint I have is... when are my two front teeth not going to be numb? :wave:

Thisisnuts

02-10-2007, 09:51 PM

Had my surgery on Wednesdat arvo, woke up not long after and thought, hmmm this isnt too bad, but it has slowly gotten worse from there, I'm on day 4/5 at the moment and it hurts to do anything butI've drunk lots of water, had ice cubes amd eaten a little bit of toast along with custard, yoghurt and jelly. Just about to try some mac and cheese.

Taking panadol and Endone???? for pain relief, every 4 hours, :yawn: Night time and early morning are awful, and apparently according to everyone here, its gonna get worse.....great:mad:

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this sux

Thisisnuts

02-11-2007, 06:45 PM

Its Monday morning(day 5/6), this morning was horriffic, when will this horror end, people help me, what do I do(Ranting madly as I hold my head in pain) Had a shave this morning, evn that felt sore, I'm getting a couple of cold sores on my mouth, ***, just what I needed

Was spitting heaps of phlegm earlier, little bit of blood, please tell me this is the next stage and it'll be over before I know it, I will not recommmend this surgery to anyone and I can tell you I'm peeved my Doc doesnt wanna see me till the 26th, he told me nothing before hand and nit much after, in and out, thanks for te dough and oh yeh, have fun with all the pain.

Signing out in this mad state

blondeofthedead

02-11-2007, 10:42 PM

SO for me it's day 14, and I too am feeling better. Ears and throat still hurting a little, but I'm just taking some Advil. I had plenty of energy though today, and tomorrow looks to be even better.

Good luck to everyone!

blondeofthedead

02-11-2007, 10:46 PM

gertie58

02-11-2007, 11:03 PM

It will get better and worse. For me, the phlegm went away the second week (a relief) and I started feeling better. Once the scabs start coming off it gets pretty bad. The pain is intense, especially in my ears. The sooner the scabs come off the better you'll start to feel.

Friends: Thank you for informing (scaring!) me about the trauma, as well as tips for meds, procedures, food, etc. I am 48, scheduled for surgery on the 20th - slated to have sinus surgery and uvula reduction at same time. About to send a schedule to my network of friends and family to sign up to check in on me. Any tips about how to best engage caregivers / what to tell them to expect, do?

nikamonk

02-12-2007, 12:01 PM

Hey to you...I had my tonsillectomy done on 2/6, to be honest this has been no fun at all. I could choke my dr for not being a little more upfront about the pains and woes. I have found drinking large amounts of ice water has helped the pain and swelling. Also when the ear pain begins (and it will) CHEW GUM, this to helps relieve the discomfort. Mac and cheese, soft noodles, and pancakes have been my diet. As far as what to tell friends to expect..tell them to expect a tired, moody, and pretty much and unhappy person for some time. To be honest I did not (and still do not) want to see anyone, I am sitting here with no kids :) and no husband to ask me fifty million questions and feel the best that I have felt since this surgery last week!!!

lisalanemo

02-12-2007, 05:32 PM

I am 18 and I just had my tonsils and adnoids removed 5 days ago. I am in excruciating pain! Each day seems to be worse than the last. On day 2 I was able to eat the noodles out of chicken noodle soup, but all other days I was only able to drink the broth or water. I wake up every 3 hours in horrible pain. All I want to do is cry but that just makes it hurt worse. I had surgery on my hip 7 weeks ago, so I am still taking meds for that, too. I try to swallow 5-10 mg of oxycodone with the 30mg of Potter's Pain Cocktail. Even though that combo is the only thing that gives me some sort of relief I don't do it often b/c it is so difficult to get down. Does anyone have any suggestions? I had someone call my ENT (I can't talk) and he said he might try vicodin eliquir on me. Also, could someone tell me if they know about how much longer I will be in this pain? Thanks a lot!

MattinLA

02-12-2007, 05:34 PM

Hey nikamonk,

you had your surgery just a day after me (I had mine on the 5th) ... so I'm just a day ahead. But I wanted to ask you... it seems I still have the majority of my scabs... doesn't seem like they're in much of a hurry to go anywhere... instead... I just notice that GRADUALLY... little pieces are maybe gone. Also... they've gone form white/yellow-ish to like dark-grey-ish in places.
Also ... most of my pain/discomfort seems to be in that area in the WAY back undersides of my tongue near where it connects to my throat ... feeling it when I swallow and making talking weird. Do you have pain in that area too. Also ... as time goes by ... I'm starting to notice more of an overall 'filmy' feeling in my mouth ... especially on the roof. The whole thing is miserable and gross. (In addition to regular antibiotics ... my Doc gave me an antibiotc gargle to gargle with 3x/day right from the beginning.) Just was wondering if any of this stuff has been similar to your or anyone else's experience out there.

Thanks!! :)

Thisisnuts

02-12-2007, 06:38 PM

Hey All
I started getting that awful tongue pain a couple of nights ago and it is excruciating, feels like someone is sawing away at my tongue, I woke this morning feeling not bad, ......til I tries to swallow:) Not nice, my ears, my tongue (which feels like its swollen big time) my throat are all not being very nice. I'm on my second set of pain relief drugs and after putting these down (very painful due to the tongue pain), I ate a lil bit of yoghurt, scrambled eggs and toast. I'm trying to build up my strenth but I ate enuff to feed a mouse or two. The painkillers make me tired but I need them to survive this excruciating pain. Hey Nikamonk, re your doc. I'll help you choke him then you can help with mine, I was told it would be uncomfortable, this is not uncomfortable (I've been uncomfortable before) this is amazingly the most excruciating pain, and the fact it has gone on for so long annoys me more.
On the bright side he said today would probably be my worst day and I should start improving soon(He said that the morning after my op, when he walked in and said, oh yeh tonsillectomy it went ok, you'll be sore till Tuesday, then ok, bye)
Sorry guys babbling

Good Luck All

Thisisnuts

02-14-2007, 06:33 PM

Didnt post yesterday morning, the pain was to intense, yesterday was up there with the worst of it, The night before I was taking my pain relief tablets ant it was excruciating, it brought me to my knees, The morning was awful, I was dry and sore. In the afternoon my parents invited the family over for dinner, I went there for a little while and after trying to eat (it was too painful) I gave up and came home. Around 10pm I actually had a chat to my wife and it didnt hurt, I thought wow, I'm feeling better when at roughly midnight I was woken by my little girls cries, she was ok but I wasnt, a very restless night followed, I'm in day 8 nearly 9 and I'm hoping that I'm over the worst of it, we shall see. I've lost over 6kg and its noticeable, I'm grumpy and tired and hungry. For breakfast this morning I will attempt scrammbled eggs on toast, I havent eaten much over the last two days, it been to painful, but I'm gona give it a go. I'm feeling more tired then usual, the crap diet is catching up to me. I would love a nice cup of coffee, a short black would be awesome, oh well maybe in a week

Good Luck All

KaizerChief

02-15-2007, 12:50 PM

Agreed about the constipation. I was wrong about the dose its 1 PER DAY!
I learnt the hard way. :(

Day 15 for me now... hardly any pain but I have some mucus which makes me gag every now and then.

First day back in the office for me. I have been working on my computer at home for most of my recovery, but didn't want to see anyone. Rest assured as much as it might totally stink now, it will get better. Although my recovery felt like the longest period of my life. Anyway, in response to the uvula issue you are experiencing. I had that same problem and it is fine now. I actually had my first full night of sleep with help from my best friend Tylenol PM.

Just a side note. If you are taking any constipating narcotic make sure you also take a stool softener and have some suppositories on hand. Hate bringing up this issue but being constipated for a week sucked!

MAbestest

02-15-2007, 10:28 PM

My best friend just got her tonsils out today and I want to buy her some comfort foods that will not hurt her throat in any way. Does anyone have any good recommendations besides ice cream and popsicles?? Thanks so much! And I hope that all of you get better soon!

LARobby

02-16-2007, 03:29 PM

I had mine out on Feb. 5th so I'm on day 12. The recovery has been a pain. I got my wisdom teeth out a few years ago and recovered very quickly, so I thought it'd be the same for my tonsillectomy. I couldn't have been more wrong. The pain at the beginning was intense. I'm a talker and for the first four days or so I was on mute. I'm feeling better but I still have some pain in the back of my throat. A lot of the scabbing is coming off so I think that's a good sign but there's still pain. My biggest complaint now is my mouth gets extremely dry at night. I wake up and my tongue feels like sand paper and it's very difficult to swallow. Do others have the same issue? If so, when were you first able to wake up without such a dry mouth!?!?

MattinLA

02-16-2007, 04:06 PM

Hey Robbie,

Well... we're both in LA, and we both had ours out on Feb 5th... how funny. My worst pain was definitely most in the first few days. These boards had definitely freaked me out (for weeks!!) as to how bad it was gonna be ... so ... needles to say.. I was really prepared.

My Doc (one of the best here) ... was VERY strict about me sticking to solely sorbet and non-dairy smoothies for the whole first 10 days of this thing (meaning no attempting broth, mac n cheese, scrambled eggs in the first 10 days.. nothing... like I read other people on these boards here did) PLUS the one thing I did religiously was drink TONS of cold water. But... what kept my mind off the pain and what was the worst part of the whole experience for me was that I was STARVING!!! When I went to see him for a post-op on day 10 he said I was looking good... and let me switch to soft foods. Thank God!

My de-scabbing process did not carry much of the pain I read about on these boards... but I attribute that to all the cold I was constantlly having ... in addition to all the water. The only really bad pain I did have was... the day most of my scabs fell off (which wasn't, by the way, until day 9) I was drinking one of those Naked Juice Green Machine drinks... which do have some citrus in them... and - prior to that - had not been bothering me - BUT ... when I went to chug one a few hours after my scabs fell off ... the pain that I felt from it.. was practically debillitating... shot way up into my ears. Thus... I'm staying away from citrus for awhile.

SO... I'm WAY happy to be able to eat some real food now. My Doc said it does, in fact, take a full month for the throat to fully heal from this, so any symptom you're having is probably normal. What I'm going through mostly now is that some of the soft tissue on the left, opening side of my throat is a little swollen, and when I talk the swallowing muscles feel tired/tire easliy. I just still keep up the water alot... that's what I reccommend, and rest it as much as possible. Best to you and you everyone going through it.!! -Matt :)

gertie58

02-18-2007, 04:02 PM

Thanks again, I think! nikamonk, this sounds like the opposite of fun... yet I've been feeling like I've got someone putting pressure on my throat off-and-on through most days since mid-November. Should have had this done 40 years ago when it was first recommended to family... perhaps that was during medical fashion when it was not thought to make a diff.

Wouldn't it be good to hear some of the "the pain was worth it because now I have fewer illnesses/sore throats..." testimony?

Surgery scheduled for Tuesday morning. I have friends gridded on help schedule for next two weeks. Plan to have them text about needs rather than just show up at my door, in case I'm not up for seeing anyone... but also worried about being alone and needing assistance...

Ya'll who are suffering, hang in there...

Thisisnuts

02-19-2007, 12:23 AM

Nearly at two weeks after my surger and I can tell you that I think I'm over the worst of it. Day 12 or so and 2 days ago I ate a real meal. I was in allot of pain the night before, but my daughter was rushed to hospital with a sever asthma attack, my issies mecame unimportant and I forgot about them, this helped me to recover, she came home the next day and we both ate a good hearty meal. Its still sore to eat,drink and talk but nothing compared to the pain of days 1-9. I'm finally eating and looking to pile back on those 6 or so kilo's a lost.

I still have phlegm and I'm still drinking gallons of water but I am getting there. :) . I hope the sore throat disappears soon.
If your going thru what I and others on here have gone through then I recommend you drink as much water as possible, sucking on small ice cubes helps a little, ensure you take your medicine and try to keep your mind off the pain, read, watch dvd's do anything to keep yourself busy (even if you have zero energy).
Good Luck all

msmaria1010

02-21-2007, 03:05 AM

Hey gertie, just read your post, i am 49 and had my tonsillectomy and septoplasty 3 weeks ago today. I spent the first night in the hospital, as I hope that you are, they didn't want to, I had to ask my doctor. It was not as bad as all the posts i just read, for me anyway. And I will say that i drank tons of water, I mean sometimes a gallon a day, this is really important! Had to take my pain meds every 4 hours, pain was coming back after 3 1/2 hours, but NOT untolerable! It just really sucked. You would be suprised at the amount of pain you can handle! I took roxicet for the first 9 days, then switched to Darvocet which took care of it from there. Slept 2- 3 hours during the day, ate a few small things like jello, soft pasta, scrambled eggs, drank ensure. Don't get me wrong, the pain can be severe, but it is not as bad as I thought after reading these posts! Just make sure you call your doctor if there is excessive bleeding. (I got none, and that is what I was really scared about. Also, got no scabs falling off like I read about, I have to check with my doc what kind of procedure he used, because I never had a scab at all. ) Good luck, I know that the forst few days are pretty bad, and don't worry, but daysd 5-7 actually can get a little worse, then better from there. :blob_fire

MattinLA

02-21-2007, 04:20 AM

Hey msmaria,

I'm like 16 days since my surgery... all is pretty good... except... in the place/spaces where my tonsils were... I still have a good amount of what looks like white film/mucous often. Did you have that for a while ... still do? Also... the tissue/area in the front part of my throat ... on the sides... before the back of the throat... that's where it seems a bit swollen and sometimes sensitive still. (My Doc DID say it does, in fact, take a full month for the throat to fully heal.) I, like, you... drank TONS of water my first week... still am drinking lots now. Just curious if you have the mucous/film in those areas... as well as any sensitivity in those tissues/areas around the sides of the throat. Thanks, Matt :)

HeHateMe

02-21-2007, 09:08 PM

Hello,

I'm a newbie to this board.

I had my surgery about 2 weeks ago and think it was one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

After years of trying to fix the problems with my tonsils I decided to get rid of them. I tried every snake oil treatment out there to cure the infection and get rid of that horrible breath.

Since the surgery, my energy level is high... I'm back to eating my favorite foods without feeling like something is sticking to my tonsils.

Also the bad breath is gone.

My breath was so bad you could smell it through a internet messageboard.

If anyone is out there hawking up nasty stuff and having constant sore throats and stank breath... Please do us all a favor and get those things out as soon as possible.

Thisisnuts

02-22-2007, 07:40 PM

Two weeks and two days after my surgery, I can state that I'm eating whatever I want , feeling allot better and getting back into "normal" life.

I still feel slightly sore but nothing compared to what I'd felt during the initial recovery period, I am talking well, but for some reason I am struggling to say certain words, saying "wall" for instance, feels weird and isnt coming out right, I'm guessing thats cos there may still be some swelling of the tongue, throat.
Seeing the surgeon on Monday and am looking forward to having a drink or two or three to celebrate my tonsil less new life:wave:

SeanyBoy

02-23-2007, 10:47 AM

Due to go in for my tonsillectomy on in April. They are also taking out my uvula at the same time.

Just wondered, how soon after the op can you have an alcoholic drink? Days or weeks?

mkgbrook

02-24-2007, 12:40 AM

Due to go in for my tonsillectomy on in April. They are also taking out my uvula at the same time.

Just wondered, how soon after the op can you have an alcoholic drink? Days or weeks?

1) Alcohol is gonna burn.
2) Technically you can drink again as soon as you are no longer taking any medications that will conflict with it.
3) Soda burned my throat up to 21 days post operation.
4) UPPP tends to increase pain and recovery time.
5) GO at your own pace and consult you ENT and nurses, post operation.

Good Luck to You.
SIncerely,
MG

richanddana

02-25-2007, 09:06 PM

Hi all. I'm Dana. I'm 35, and just had my tonsils removed on 2-21, so I am on my 4/5 day, and the pain is SO bad still.
It was white looking back there, now it's a yellowish, with some grey look to it. Does anyone know what this means????
My Dr. said it would be painful, but Dang !!!!
Can anyone tell me when the pain starts going away and you start to feel better, and can eat.
Hot, and cold things hurt me, and make my bottom teeth and jaws hurt.
I'm drinking ensure, and water mostly.
This is DRIVING ME NUTS!!!
For the first 4 days I "stayed" in bed, but today is the first day since the surgery I have stayed up so long.
I take over the counter liquid Tylenol.
Tried the one with codeine, but can't take it.

Anyone with any advice?

mkgbrook

02-25-2007, 11:28 PM

richanddana,

You are beginning to descab.. the scabs are lifting away and the darkness is more than likely clotted blood.

Pain duration? Normally 2-3 days. Keep drinking, and if it gets to unbearable and are not on steriods ask for a shot.

Lydocain eardrops called otocaine are also wonderful.

Best wishes on you recovery,
MG

richanddana

02-26-2007, 12:45 AM

Tks MG.
The only thing I have been taking for pain is over the counter Liquid Tylenol, which is starting to make me sick on my stomach, as I have taken it every 4 hrs round the clock.
Use to be all I wanted to do was sleep, that was how I was "comfortable", but now when I lay down, after about 2hrs, I wake with the pain so bad I can't stand it, so now I am wanting to stay awake.
Everything I eat goes "Straight" thru me ( sry to be so blunt ).
Nurse said after my operation, my tonsils were more like rotten...sry, I know it's gross. Thinking I may need a liquid antibiotic.

richanddana

02-26-2007, 01:03 AM

BTW, is descabing a good thing?

MistyMoo2

02-26-2007, 05:57 AM

Hi,

I need advise on recovery from a tonsillectomy. I am due to see an ENT consultant this week and have already been told that my tonsils need to be removed by my GP. Can anyone advise how long I should stay out of work for after the operation? Will I have full energy back after 2 weeks are are half days in work advisable for a few days?

I am extremely frightened about the op. I hate the thought of going into hospital well and coming home sick and in pain...... Any advise would be much appreciated.

Thanks

abz1984

02-26-2007, 08:08 AM

Hello, Im 22, male. Just had my tonsils out on the 23rd. Its day 4 now and suprisingly i have near enough not much pain. I can eat and do it toast, crisp etc..as well as normal food too. Im on antibiotics, anti iflamation pils and co-codamol pain killers. I feel really crapy though, very drained. All normal iv heard. But my throat still bleeds although i experience no pain and sleep very well. Should i be worried? How long should the bleeding last for?

Thanks!

mkgbrook

02-26-2007, 10:56 AM

richrichanddana BTW, is descabing a good thing?anddana

Umm.. Yes. Descabbing is just the shedding of your scabs. It means your tissue behind the scabs is beginning to heal. Unlike external these scabs will shed and reform many times due to the moist environment.. however they thin out quickly and after the first descabbing process, pain tends to be easily managable.

MistyMoo2 Can anyone advise how long I should stay out of work for after the operation? Will I have full energy back after 2 weeks are are half days in work advisable for a few days?

Well every one and each of the various procedures have different recovery times and slightly different side effects. Everyone has a different pain tolerance and what you go through will be unique to you. In general the LisaMP Guide offers an overview and estimation of length of each recovery stage you will experience. I was down for a good 14 days and could only go back half days for the next three. However, I had three bleeding episodes and this may have attributed to my slower recovery. My 3.5 yr old son had his tonsillectomy about four months before mine.. he recovered in 7 days, but was exhausted until day 10.

abz1984 Its day 4 now and suprisingly i have near enough not much pain. I can eat and do it toast, crisp etc..as well as normal food too. Im on antibiotics, anti iflamation pils and co-codamol pain killers. I feel really crapy though, very drained. All normal iv heard. But my throat still bleeds although i experience no pain and sleep very well. Should i be worried? How long should the bleeding last for?

Bleeding is always of concern. You may be prematurely scraping off the scabs and insiting bleeding as a result. How much are you bleeding? Sit forward and let it pool in your mouth.. then spit it in a cup. If it is only a few tsps-tbsps and more spit than blood, then you are okay.. when it continually pools and you are getting aprroximately 1/4 cup of predominantly pure blood every 15 minutes or you are experiencing excessive blood flow with every heart beat you should be truely concerned and call your ENT/go the ER immediately. Keep ice packs on you throat and drink lots of ice water. The reduction of temperature in the area of you throat will promote blood clotting and should stop a light bleed. Moderate to heavy bleeds require you to consult your ENT and possible go to the ER.

I hope this was of help to you all.
Respectfully Yours,
MG

abz1984

02-28-2007, 01:33 PM

Bleeding is always of concern. You may be prematurely scraping off the scabs and insiting bleeding as a result. How much are you bleeding? Sit forward and let it pool in your mouth.. then spit it in a cup. If it is only a few tsps-tbsps and more spit than blood, then you are okay.. when it continually pools and you are getting aprroximately 1/4 cup of predominantly pure blood every 15 minutes or you are experiencing excessive blood flow with every heart beat you should be truely concerned and call your ENT/go the ER immediately. Keep ice packs on you throat and drink lots of ice water. The reduction of temperature in the area of you throat will promote blood clotting and should stop a light bleed. Moderate to heavy bleeds require you to consult your ENT and possible go to the ER.

I hope this was of help to you all.
Respectfully Yours,
MG

Hi, yeah the bleeding isn't too bad, im not getting that much blood gathering, i did go 2 days just drinking soup, eating icecream etc..blood stoped competely. Only started eating "crispy" things today, and when gargling with medical mouthwash, i saw little traces of blood. Now i wasn't experiencing that much pain in the 1st few days, i chew gum all the time. Just started to feel pain as i chew or swallow. Is this normal? how many days more till i can go out to university? and public places?

Many thanks

mkgbrook

02-28-2007, 02:09 PM

Abz1984,
yeah the bleeding isn't too bad, im not getting that much blood gathering, i did go 2 days just drinking soup, eating icecream etc..blood stoped competely. Only started eating "crispy" things today, and when gargling with medical mouthwash, i saw little traces of blood. Now i wasn't experiencing that much pain in the 1st few days, i chew gum all the time. Just started to feel pain as i chew or swallow. Is this normal? how many days more till i can go out to university? and public places?

Have your scabs completely come off at least once? It is in the first shedding that you have the highest chances of bleeding. If you are past that you can start easing back into things. You don't want to go to a rave or run out and start kicking a football around. Start doing little things and work your way up. Once the pain is gone you are still going to be dealing with some fatigue. I was out of my routine for 12 weeks, but I had complications.
I gadged my recovery, by my abilities to take back in the house chores.. dishes first.. laundry, I had to work up to.. my sinus "Do Not Bend Over" restriction made that task nigh impossible.

Respectfully,
MG

abz1984

02-28-2007, 05:07 PM

Have your scabs completely come off at least once? It is in the first shedding that you have the highest chances of bleeding. If you are past that you can start easing back into things. You don't want to go to a rave or run out and start kicking a football around. Start doing little things and work your way up. Once the pain is gone you are still going to be dealing with some fatigue. I was out of my routine for 12 weeks, but I had complications.
I gadged my recovery, by my abilities to take back in the house chores.. dishes first.. laundry, I had to work up to.. my sinus "Do Not Bend Over" restriction made that task nigh impossible.

Respectfully,
MG

Well i started eating nugets today, its really painfull. It doesn't bleed as much, if at all. As fo the scabs, not sure if im on the 2nd layer. It looks raw to me, i can open my mouth wider than before it burns in some places, kinda like blistered feeling. My gf's mum is nurse, she tells me i could be out and about doing light stuff 10 days after the operation. Its the 6th day today. Should i carry on eating crunchy stuff? or lay off them and eat normal now?

Many Thanks

BustersMommie

02-28-2007, 07:08 PM

I'm on day 13 and will go back to my doctor on day 15...I'm holding off the crunchy stuff until he gives me the go-ahead. The crunchiest things I've eaten were a couple of tater-tots 3 days ago, and some chicken nuggets last night, but I made sure I chewed them up absolutely completely before then.

neverstuck

03-01-2007, 06:05 AM

Hello boared .My name is craig and thanx for all the good advice.Im on day 9 ....worst night sleep yet ..Im actually now sipping diluted vicodin in a cold cup all day long .up till day 5(worlds longest days ever)I was fine and actually stopped the pain meds and replaced them with childrens tylenol.SCABS they have ruined my life .no bleeding butPain is unrea----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

abz1984

03-01-2007, 08:04 AM

I have done an experiment,

when you guys sleep, take the strogest pain killers you have, and with that, make sure your house is very warm while you sleep. I was boiling last night, had to sleep with my vest off. woke up and the pain is totaly gone almost and the fever symptoms vanished too.

Feel like a different man. Keep taking pain killers regular every 4 hours your awake. I take 2x co-codamol 8/500mg. Works very well. I use Diflam mouthwash before i eat anything, lightly gargle with it for 10-15 seconds.
If you have antibiotics, take them religously, your never safe from infection after tonsilectomy. Your trhoat is raw where it was cut, and it could take 10 days to upto 3 weeks till its heeled up. If you run out, ask your doctor for new antibiaotics.

watch your diet too, less you disturb the throat, the less pain you will get. I had nuggets 2 nights ago and was in pain all day yesterday cause of it. Iv gone back to basic porrigde, fruits, soup, mashed potatoes etc...eat alot of it too. I drank atleast 4 llitres of water a day. If you can go for a wee throughout the day, then your doing well. your flushing the system and geting rid of virus's.

The scabs fall off themselvs but you can aid it by eating toast or somthing crispy. Bleeding should be a problem upto the 6th day, go see the doctor or contact your hospitals ENT if your worried.

If you have just had tonsilectomy, try your best to stay free of moving around and doing stuff. you won't feel upto it anyway from the drugs you'l be given.

My gf's mother is a nurse and she advice's that you need atleast 10 days minimum to start going out to public places but thats different depending on a persons healing time and condition. if you do want to go out, i find it good to wear a scalf round the mouth. Fillters the cold and harmful air also hides the bad breath lol.

I know doctors say it alot, but its true. You have to eat alot and drink alot to be able to get well, you will experience pain because of the nerves trying to form back where the old tonsils were. Again people are different, but on an average the nerves should be fomed by the 10th day. You get ear ache becuase those nerves are linked to some parts of the ear too.

SO....Rest alot, Take pain killers often,Eat and Drink as much as you can (even if it hurts), Always keep warm while you sleep, Keep away from doing much in the 1st 10 days.

This might not help everyone if anyone. but it worked the best for me.

Thanks for reading!

mns289

03-03-2007, 11:31 AM

Hey all, 22 year old female here. I just got my tonsils and adenoids out on March 1st. Is it possible to develop a tolerance to pain killers really quickly? I'm on hydrocodone and its been doing a great job up until today (3/3). The pain isn't completely unbearable yet, and I've been told to take it every 6 hours which I've been doing like clockwork but now it seems to not be having the same affect as previously. I have had ice packs on my neck most of the day today. I'm also taking methylprednisolone, a steroid to reduce the swelling but they are weaning me off of them over the next 4 days which scares me given all the stories of the pain only increasing in days 4 to 10. I slept maybe 15 minutes on and 45 minutes off the entire first night but actually got a full 8 hours last night undisturbed. I'm keeping a humidifier very very close to my bed which I think is helping. Does anyone have any advice on the drugs? Should I save some of the steroids to reduce swelling when the scabs are coming off? And should I save as much of the hydrocodone as I can? I have no voice and one hell of an unreliable roommate who has been no help at all so I don't know if I would have any way to get more medication if I needed it. Also my doctor wrote that I should be rinsing my mouth out with salt water after every "meal" , if you can call a meal jello and a popsicle? I havent seen that on here, did anyone else get this instruction? Not to gargle it, just to swish it around in your mouth? Thanks for all the help everyone!

Nicole

mkgbrook

03-03-2007, 02:24 PM

mns289,

Gargling is not something you need to do, gargling could result in bleeding due to premature shedding of your scabs.. the swish can help. I used saline nasal spray, because I gag on salt water rinses. It helped both my healing sinuses as well as my throat. The other thing that helped alot was drinking lots of water.

It is not a tolerance of the medication but the pain level beginning to exceed the thresh hold of you medication. If pain or swelling gets too severe a steriodal shot helps greatly.

Sincerely,
MG

mns289

03-04-2007, 06:22 AM

It's about 4:30 am on day 3 for me. I thought I had it all figured out with the sleeping. The first night I barely slept at all, last night i slept straight through no problems at all, woke up refreshed, chugged down some water and liquid vicodin and despite a little initial pain all was well. Went to bed around 11 last night, turned on the humidifier, popped a couple steroid pills as instructed, a teaspoon of the vicodin and all set right? WRONG. Woke up coughing around 4, God the coughing sucks. Does it still hurt this badly to cough when your scabs are coming off? Am I going to have to force myself to cough off these scabs because I don't think I can willingly inflict that pain upon myself. I drank a bunch of water and did a salt rinse quickly to avoid drying out, another teaspoon of vicodin and its calmed down a bit, laying here now just hoping the throbbing stops soon. It's so hard to sit around and think, the worst is yet to come.

MistyMoo2

03-05-2007, 04:04 AM

mns289, I really do feel sorry for you. Maybe when you get up you should call your doc and ask is there any other pain meds you can take. There must be something stronger you can take....

I posted a message on this site last week saying that I was due to find out if I needed my tonsils out. And it's now official......I do! Surgery is planned for the end of March and I'm not looking forward to the horrible 2 weeks of pain afterwards. Luckily my parents have said I can move back home to be cared for. I was thinking of buying a humidifier. Is this really useful? Also, is there anything else I should buy in advance which may help my recovery??

Did anyone else have really small tonsils like me? Is it supposed to be an easier recovery?? Maybe I'm living in hope that someone will say "yes"!

mns289, please keep me updated on your progress over the next few days. All of your advise, help and experiences will help other patients too.

Take care and I hope you sleep soon.

mns289

03-05-2007, 09:13 PM

Mistymoo,

Thanks for the kind words.

Today is day 4 and I am shocked at how quickly the pain has subsided. I dont know if this had anything to do with it but I havent even attempted to speak at all really until last night when a friend came over and after a few hours i could relatively carry on conversation with him with periods of rest. My voice is now back, soft and i cant speak for a long period of time without drying out but still back. I wonder if speaking for a bit loosened my throat up or something? I even called my boss and told her i wanted to come back to work and she said absolutely not until next week. Always nice to have your boss tell you not to come to work eh? haha. I work in medical editing though so I think they know the worst is yet to come. Anyways I've had normal sore throats that have hurt worse than this. I've only taken a teaspoon and a half of vicodin since 7 this morning, so over 12 hours ago and ive had little to no pain all day, just a tiny little cough. I stuck with soup broth that was tepid and popsicles just to be on the safe side and not disturb the scabs so now I feel like it's the calm before the storm and I'm just kindof preparing myself for the worst and the pain of when the scabs fall off which is what everyone on here has said hurts the most. I know its been said 900 times but honestly the more water you drink the better. I do salt rinses about 3 times a day atleast or right after i eat every time and these seem to really make my throat and mouth feel clean and fresh.

Personally I say yes, buy the humidifier, I dont think I would sleep at all through the night without it.

The night still sucks, very on again off again sleep and definitely have to wake up and drink water atleast once an hour but im getting used to it now. My roommate is a nurse and told me the highest risk for hemmorhaging is in days 5 to 10 when the scabs are coming off so the most solid food ive eaten at this point is mac and cheese (very little) and i shouldnt even eat that as of tomorrow apparently so its back to the straight liquids for me.

The most suffering now is the upset stomach from the lack of solid food and the complete and utter boredom of sitting around and watching tv for hours and hours and hours. I love my job and I'm a dancer and very athletic and I'm used to going out a few nights a week and this is torture to me.

Anyway there's alot of negativity on here so to give you a positive ray of light, this isnt anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be, so far...I may have to eat my words in the next few days and ill deal with that when the time comes. Rest plenty, sit around and be good for your doctor, eat jello and popsicles and soup broth and drink so much water you feel like a bloated camel, keep positive! crying only irritates your throat, I keep thinking I'm losing weight im losing weight im losing weight. So far 4 pounds in 4 days :)

oh and last note: no i had enormous tonsils sorry. They were +3 in size if you know what that means, aka kissing tonsils, almost touching in the back of my throat and have crevices in them, grossness. I couldnt be happier that they are out of my mouth.

tstormchaser

03-05-2007, 09:38 PM

Hey MNS, we had our tonsils out on the same day. I got mine out around 9am on the 1st. So, now it's scab time for us. I just lost one earlier today. The skin underneath is so pink and raw. It burns/hurts like hell. Thank god for the liquid hydrocodone. I'm managing the pain but suspect tonight will be a tough night of sleep. How are you doing today?

Paul (36, FL)

pookie1805

03-06-2007, 10:52 AM

Hello Board....

I had my tonsils out on Feb 27, so it is day 7 for me. I was ery apprehensive about getting them out because I have heard about how horrible it is to have done. I did my research on the internet (that included reading posts from this board). Knowing everything that I knew I was prepared for the excruciating pain that I was about to endure for 10-14 days. Needless to say, I have had strep throat that hurt more than having my tonsils out! They actually feel less painful now that they are gone!! Eating has not been very fun, because I never know what will hurt my throat more (hot or cold stuff), but the pain has not really been there! I can talk just fine. I have been relaxing and staying hyrdrated for the past week. I wanted to go back to work, but my doc will not let me unill next week (risk of infection or beeding I guess). Maybe I have a high tolerance for pain, but I would have to say that having my tonsils out was the best decision I have made so far!!

mns289

03-06-2007, 12:24 PM

hey tstormchaser,

I'm sorry to hear you had a rough day. I'm still in very little pain. Ear ache and some neck pain on my right side but the throat pain is still minor. I keep looking at the scabs in the mirror with a flashlight haha I'm curious. I can see the pink starting to come in around the edges and the scabs are shrinking which is good to know. I figure the smaller the scabs the less the pain when they fall off, I could be totally wrong but I'll stick to any theory I can take right now. I have a very tiny annoying cough. It gets worse at night, waking up coughing has now become the norm and as I'm sure you well know that is the most painful thing so far. Whatever genius of a scientist made hydrocodone I want to kiss him. If it wasnt for that my pain would probably be tenfold worse.

pookie,

is it possible your scabs just havent fallen off yet? how's the throat looking? just curious because im hoping to God that i may not have to go through that pain after all.

brushershuldrof

03-06-2007, 12:42 PM

Hello
I am 18 and i had my tonsills out on march 1st. Along with that i had a laser turbinate reduction. I can tell you, i have had some painful sore throats, but this one takes the cake. I am on my 5th day and right now i can handle the thraot, but it is the ear aches i am having that are killing me. The first to days where easy, i could talk and eat but the 3rd and 4th day i was the worst. I have not been able to sleep through the night because i have to wake up every 4 hours to take my meds. They make me sick but it's the only thing that helps with the ear pains. My ears get so bad that i cannot talk, they throb and make my neck feel as if it is goin to explode!! I did find that putting warm oil in then help with a cotton ball to keep the oil in. The cotton ball olone putting pressure on my ears helps.

The funny thing, by the end of the 3rd day i was crying in pain because nothing was helping. Turns out, the pharmacy made a mistake on the dosage. The instructions read to take 1 1/2 teaspoons, when really i needed 1 1/2 tablespoons. The best thing to do is to SWALLOW! why that is i dont know, but it helps even though it hurts. I was also told to drink ice tea because the tanic acid helps with the pain and as i drink it now, it really does. I am worried about the pain that will follow when my scabs fall off since the one of the left is ready to.. some advice for the pain would be nice.. and i hope some of what i know will help someone.. thank you

neverstuck

03-06-2007, 02:20 PM

Craig here again...well day 12 ,what a great day .I almost dont feel like killing anyone anymore .The pain is there but not severe,no more meds and im eatin mostly normal foods . the doc says Im doing great.some stuff still sux ..Im still living with the breath and mucus .and my neck and ear pain are still there too but i finally see that damn light and its commin fast now .I figure 1 more week and ill be out and about again.Thanx to everyone on this board ,you all were great .and to the people just getting doen ,follow this damn meassage board ,and drink lots of water

mns289

03-06-2007, 06:08 PM

Alright so 3 of us now that all got it done on march 1st. Hows it going fellow T&A'ers? Nearing the end of day 5 for me. I havent taken any vicodin all day but just peaked at the scabs in the mirror and they are looking like they will come off within the next couple of days or so. Going to venture out and go to a movie tonight just to get out of my apartment. I've got another theory that if I keep my attitude positive and keep happy it will dramatically help and so far so good. It's bitterly cold here and the dry air isnt helping much but the constant water is doing its job. Hope you are all fareing well.

tstormchaser

03-07-2007, 05:18 AM

Hope the movie was good last night, MNS. I'm up early with the morning burns. As soon as I rolled over and became conscious, wow did the throat burn. I could barely keep my hands stead while I poured out my meds. Took about 15 minutes for the pain to come down a bit. That was by far the worst of the pain up to this point.

Has anyone ventured into anything different to eat? I'm getting tired of pudding, mashed potatoes, and italian ice everyday.

mns289

03-07-2007, 11:01 AM

hey tstorm,

im also so sick of those foods. I've been eating jello, applesauce, some mac and cheese or ramen noodles cut up really small so they arent long noodles. The scabs still arent falling off. I can talk almost normally and I'm going to go to work tomorrow because im so sick of sitting around and feeling fine when i know i have so much to get done. I figure when the pain does rear its ugly little head ill take off then, i really suck at this resting thing.

brushershuldrof

03-07-2007, 03:13 PM

today really sucks.. yesterday i felt so good. My mom picked me up a smoothie with banannas, chocolate, and i didnt remember there were strawberries in it so when i took a drink it set my throat on FIRE. Since then i have went down hill. I looked in the mirror and i can see some of the scabs are coming off which i guess are a good thing. I just wish i could stop taking the meds. I cant eat and they make me sick. Thats another thing. I cant eat, everything feels like razor blades when it goes down. The pain in my ears makes me dizzy but i am glad to hear that those who had it the same day as me are doing great. if you have any advice, please give it to me. Good luck with you all..

tstormchaser

03-07-2007, 04:34 PM

MNS,
Just be careful not to push too hard. Someone on one of the other boards decided to go to a training class and just the talking caused a bleeding problem that put her in the emergency room. It doesn't take much. My work will give me as much time as I need. I'm not going to push it. I'm aiming for next Monday at the earliest. Otherwise, I'll just putter around the house and get some things done that I keep putting off.
My pain is worse today that yesterday so I'm taking it a little easier. The only good thing that's happened so far is that this is a good diet. I'm down about 7 pounds so far.

tstormchaser

03-07-2007, 04:39 PM

Brusher,
I still think ice water is the key. I've been drinking around 100 ounces everday, even surgery day. Any kind of dehydration will cause increased pain. I force myself to drink, all day. Sorry to hear you are not healing as quick. If the scabs come off too early, there is a risk of bleeding and you'll feel more pain. I've had some come off the edges but nothing in the main areas or towards the back. I'm sure I'll have my day soon. Hope you feel better.

AmieL75

03-07-2007, 10:55 PM

Hello....I am two weeks post op from my tonsillectomy today. I noticed something funny....I noticed that overnight I have developed some growth/swelling on the left tonsil bed that looks just like tonsil tissue. Could it be growing back? Already?
Anyone else experience this?? I have had such a horrible recovery that the thought of those things growing back is freaking me out!!!!
Thanks!!!!:confused:

mkgbrook

03-07-2007, 11:00 PM

AmieL75,

Are you running a fever by chance? I haven't heard of tissue growing back that quick.. I have heard of abcess infection pockets that need to be lanced occuring on occasion. You should call your ENT surgical nurse and ask her for her recommendation.

Sincerely,
MG

AmieL75

03-07-2007, 11:45 PM

mkgbrook,

Thanks for the reply. I plan to call my ENT in the AM. I do FEEL feverish, however, no temp on the thermometer. I'm going to recheck it later. Pain med contains tylenol and could be masking a temp. An abscess is quite a possible explanation.....grrrrrrr....not needing any more complications! I'm quite spent over this whole experience. :-(

DLR-JLR

03-08-2007, 01:37 AM

Hi folks- I am a 33 yr old male and had my tonsils taken out on 3/7/07. I had been reading these reviews for about 2 wks now, and some of you about made me back out. I've needed them out for years now but never took the time. Now that they are gone, i'm on the road to recovery. I've had some painful moments but overall it was not as bad as some of the reviews I read. Don't get me wrong, it still hurts! I've eaten a half dozen popscicles, 3 cups of broth, 4 things of jello and lots of water and gatorade. I noticed that their was one consistency of the reviews, try to eat soft food and drink as much as possible (stay hydrated) and the healing is much better and faster. Keep your throat moist and take your pain meds, antibiotic and tylenol as prescribed. Doc says to take the pain med and wait 20-30 min to eat and it will be easier and be able to eat more. My biggest problem is the thing in the back of my throat (hangs down) is very large and swollen, feels like i'm tryin to swallow it and sometimes get choked on breathing. Good luck to all and will try to post on a daily basis until healed. For those who are out there and suffering, hang in their and stay hydrated. The procedure I had was "Coblation." A highly recommended procedure. Less bleeding and faster recovery compared to others.

apesb

03-08-2007, 09:21 AM

Yup... It is a horrible recovery, but I feel the key to survival is allowing nature to take over your needed processes. I expected worse... I did get worse...
It is a horrible, dehumanizing procedure. The only "saving grace" for me was; The pain was so horrific, I was completely removed from any post-surgery situation. I barely recall the details of the entire month.

karlenek07

03-08-2007, 10:18 AM

Hi everyone

I am completely new to this whole posting thing but I wanted to let you all know that you are surely not alone in the pain thing. I had my tonsils out 9 days ago and never thought I would make it this far.
I felt great on day 1 and 2, thought oh this is a sinch. But then day 3 came upon me and I thought I was going die. Unfortunately my Doctor did not quite keep up on the times of medicine and gave me a pill to swallow for pain. Umm hello not fun at all. :eek: On day 3 I also had a bleeding issue that was traumatic for me personally. I went to see my doc and he said oh we can take care of this then proceeded to numb me with a spray and quaterize it. Ok even more pain. I began to hyperventilate and he became upset with me. My girlfriend had to come in and calm me down I was such a mess. He was about to readmit me to the hospital when suddenly the bleeding stopped cause my friend got me to calm down.
Day 4 and 5 were not much more fun. I had some vomitting from the pain killers and had to stop taking them. So I moved on Tylenol. Again brain must have been fried from the pain killers cause I never thought to get liquid tylenol.:dizzy: So I began popping 2 extra strength sugar coated tylenol ever 4 hours on the dot. Didn't help a whole lot but did mask the pain long enough.
But then day 6 and 7 came and I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I have started losing scabs from what i can tell. i think I still have like 2 or 3 left that are on the larger side. The good thing knock on wood is that they are falling off little peices at a time. I have yet to sleep in my own bed. I have tried on 2 nights now but wake up in the middle of the night in too much pain. So I take some aspirin and go sleep in a chair. I usually sleep with Ice packs on my neck and throat. That I think it has helped me with the swelling and the pain. By the time you wake up in the morning the ice is melted and your neck is numb.
I know I am being very detailed in this post and I apologize but unlike a lot of you I did not read up on this and was living a nightmare until about day 7. The pain was extremely unbearable. I was unable to really get down any kind of food until about day 6. I have been eating scrambled eggs. egg salad, and very over cooked pasta. I could not eat cause I was having an extremely bad burning razor like sensation when I drank, I have been playing phone tag with my doc and will see him tomorrow for my follow up and ask him.
Has anyone else had the razor like burning when swallowing liquid?:blob_fire If so please help me with that. I don't know how to make it feel better.
Ok I think i have talked enough on here. again sorry for the lengthy post but I have not talked to anyone in days with my real voice and I am a talker as you can see. :bouncing:

I will keep you all posted as to how I am continuing to recover.

Just remember you are not alone in this recovery. Hang in there and try to keep positive. I know for me going back to work on day 7 helped me so far. Keep your chin up and try to be a little active. It has helped me the depressing dehumanizing feeling. :wave:

DLR-JLR

03-08-2007, 01:17 PM

Hello again. It has been exactly 24 hrs. For the question of whether I was on a steroid is no. I did have a IV shot of antibiotic and steroid before I left but now, i'm taking Lorcet 10/650 every 4/6 hrs, Cefaclor 500mg-antibiotic- 8 hrs. and 2 tylenol every 6 hrs. As long as i take my meds, I am doing alright. It hurts, but it is manageble with the meds. I did get a little sleep. I set my alarm for every two hrs and drink 8-10 ozs of gatorade or water, drink some broth and eat a jello snack or popscicle. It hurts when it gets to the bottom of glass, but I know it has to be done. I'M NOT goin to dehydrate! Although I am not taking liquid meds, i'm able to take pills.
My doc says that pills will help longer than the liquid meds but if I can't get them down he will switch me over. Having a doctor that cares is an absolute must. I understand they are busy people but they have to take some time to tend to your needs. I would not continue to suffer (the person taking tylenol) enough is enough. Get something that will knock the pain, or most of it. You have paid your dues and suffered long enough!
My uvula is still enormous, how long did it take for for it to go down, for those who had this problem? Did anyone have the Coblation procedure and if so, how did it go> recovery, eating etc?
Hang in there and it will all be over soon!!!!!

mns289

03-08-2007, 01:32 PM

Hi all,

Well it's day 7. I'm writing this from work. I actually came in today because I couldnt sit around my apartment anymore out of sheer boredom. I've stopped taking the pain meds minus a half teaspoon before bed and when I wake up. I live in the city and take the subway to work so I dont have to worry about driving or anything when taking medication. Just an fyi for anyone considering going back when they still have to take their meds. I'm actually amazed already at the better quality of sleep I'm getting, I slept amazingly last night, got about 7 hours waking up maybe twice, more from my roommate and her boyfriend coming in than from pain, and had very little pain upon waking. I feel more refreshed than some of my 9 hour nights pre-surgery. I know the scabs haven't come off yet and I'm in for more pain but I am continuously drinking water and/or chewing gum and sticking to applesauce and jello and my throat feels like i have a very minor sore throat from where the new tissue is coming in but thats it. The steroids have taken away the swelling of my uvula so that isnt a problem anymore. All in all I'm doing very well. Good luck to all of you. Stay hydrated!

mns289

03-08-2007, 01:36 PM

DLR,

It took my uvula till about day 4 or 5 till the swelling came down, and that was taking steroids pretty much continuously throughout that time. They have weaned me off the steroids, took the last one this morning and all is back to normal with the uvula.

brushershuldrof

03-08-2007, 05:11 PM

hello...
today is a better day. i am on day 7 and a majority of my scabs are off, i am up and about today and i am so happy. I took a little bit of my pain meds and my tetracaine sucker, i am set. I can finally see the light that everyone is talking about. eating is still a problem with the raw skin it kind of burns when anything touches it but i think it will be better tomorrow. about the comment with the razors.. i agree, everything felt like razors going down but after a while i am use to it. my ears still hurt a bit but i can deal with it. i am excited to see my boyfriend wrestle tomorrow at states, i almost cried because i thought i wouldnt be able to see him.

a work of advice, i talked to my grandma who has had many mouth surgeries and she told me to drink liquids like slim fast or ensure to help bring in the important vitamins we cant get in with the restrictions on our diet. the vitamins will also help with recovery. if you do buy some stay away from strawberry and go for chocolate or vanilla. it might be too thick so just add a little water.

good luck to everyone else... hope u are all felling better.

karlenek07

03-08-2007, 05:27 PM

Ok I am back for a few words all. I have now learned that I think my doc may have been an idiot.:dizzy: Everything I am reading is making me so mad at him I want to punch him when I see him tomorrow. :mad:
As for the uvula. Mine began to go down around day 4 too. It still feels funny though. I can feel it touching the back of my tongue.
I would like to report that I have not taken any Tylenol today and have lived most of the day ok at work. I was able to get down a lot more water then usual because of the burning. The burning was a little better today.
As for steroids my doc said after my bleeding episode he did not want me to go on them cause they would slow my healing process. So he didn't give me any.
I am in my most pain at night. I just want to sleep again for more then 3 or 4 hours at a clip:yawn: . Though I will say after all of this I am no longer snoring from what I know. So atleast that helped.
I will keep you all posted as to what line my doc tells me tomorrow about my healing. Maybe now he can give me a liquid antibiotic and a steroid. Though I don't know if there is a point now for the steroid.

Thanks for all the support everyone. :wave:

mns289

03-08-2007, 08:04 PM

So I guess the steroids have slowed down my recovery? Because I'm at the end of day 7 and I feel fine. The only thing that hurts is sneezing. I sneezed once today at 3 o'clock and my eyes filled up with water and my boss was standing right there and saw my face and sent me home. I was like no wait its just a sneeze! and shes like no go home, so so much for a full day of work. Anyway I was on a ton of steroid pills it felt like up until today. I wish I had known that beforehand and I wouldnt have taken all of them...I'd rather just be in pain and get it over with.

Glad to hear you are doing better brusher!!

And karlenek tylenol doesnt even begin to cover the pain, i cant believe your doctor didnt give you anything else. I'm on major antibiotics which i take religiously and liquid vicodin even though i havent been using it. Who is this doctor?! My roommate is a nurse and she was absolutely horrified to hear that.

Good luck everyone

DLR-JLR

03-08-2007, 09:44 PM

Does anyone know about eating applesauce? Has anyone tried it? If so, what day did you start on? Thanks

tstormchaser

03-08-2007, 09:55 PM

DLR,
I tried eating applesauce on Day 6. It burned like hell but I think just about anything I have eaten in the past 2 days has burned a great deal. So, although applesauce isn't for me it might work for you.

mns289

03-08-2007, 10:44 PM

Does anyone know about eating applesauce? Has anyone tried it? If so, what day did you start on? Thanks

I've been eating applesauce since about day 5 and it hasnt burned at all. It's the main thing i eat because it goes down so easy.

Airibis

03-09-2007, 03:50 AM

Does anyone know about eating applesauce? Has anyone tried it? If so, what day did you start on? Thanks

I am on day 4 right now, I had apply sauce 3 hours after my surgery

first thing when i came home, it went down great, no burning

:)

Airibis

03-09-2007, 04:03 AM

Hello!

I had my tonsils taken out on Tuesday, so pretty much this is day 4

It hasn't been so bad for me, not a great amount of pain either.

DLR-JLR

03-09-2007, 10:29 AM

Hello everyone. Thank you for your response and answers. I tried a little applesauce and it wasn't too bad. Jello and broth are still the easiest for me, although it does not put much in the stomach and let ya feel like you have eatin anything. I sure do miss having that full feeling after eatin!:dizzy: I'm going on 48 hrs since surgery. I still have not had any problems eatin or drinking. I did get a warm steam vaporizer yesterday to put beside me in bed and it seemed to work ok. Although I have never had a problem with snoring, my wife said I snored like crazy:confused: (for the short time I did sleep) I still set my alarm every two hours and drink 6-10 ozs of gatorade or water. Does anyone know if that is because of the uvula being swollen. I can not sleep unless I prop myself up and turn my head to the side or I can't get a deep enough breath. Still feel like i'm choking. Hope everyone has a good day and thanks again for your time and answers.

mkgbrook

03-09-2007, 11:17 AM

DLR-JLR,

Snoring is expected and natural due to the swelling in your throat and of your uvula. Placing an ice pack on your throat and sleepign elevated is the best way to midigate some of these effects. It was also go away and you will eventually stop snoring once more.

Have you tried an apple smoothie.. with protien powder mixed in? Protein powder was a saving grace for me. It can be added to many things.

Sincerely, MG