Adult Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy Surgery - Part 5 is continued here.

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Wow, here we go again. LOL I'm having a good day. My guess would be that I am about 90% there. Still have some scabbing in the deep part of the tonsil bed but still doing OK. I tried to sleep without my humidifier last night but I only lasted 2 hours. So, my suggestion would be to keep the humidifier going!!! I'm on Day 20.

Day 6 and still struggling. I am happy for those of you who are feeling better and able to eat burger king...grrr I love french fries with ranch...something to look forward to. My husband who is taking care of me is really good in the kitchen and he hasn't been holding back because of my inability to eat.

Unfortunately he decided this weekend to make one of my favorites...for the kids UGH. He made a brownie sundae bar, bless his heart. WELL the kids got to eat a great treat anyways. He had bowls of hot fudge, carmel, chopped up peanuts, cherries, sprinkles, marshmellows etc. I just stuck with the plain ice cream but got adventurous yesterday and ate alittle bite of brownie, BIG mistake! I think I took a bit of scab off because I now have a new type of pain going on. About what day do the scabs start to come off?

Anyways hope everyone is doing ok and feeling better! Take care of yourselves!!!

Sunny,
My first scab stating coming off with blood on day 7, I was freeking out. I found that if I held icy cold water in my throat, it helped stop the bleeding. I would suck on ice chips too. You don't want too much bleeding otherwise they have to go in an recauterize..OUCH.
These next few days will be rough, stay positive, and you'll get through.

Today is day 11 for me. Went out to run a few errands and am feeling okay. Just very tired. I had trouble sleeping and would wake up with ear pain. Popping the Tylenol when the pain comes on.

Preparing to return to work on Wed.

Sugar, Maggie, and Sabrina, How're you guys today?

Dbaum, the humidifier has been the secret to your recovery...how could you try to get rid of it? It must have felt sad when you didn't use it.LOL
:nono:

Lib--Oh yes, I love my humidifier but thought I might be far enough along to be able to sleep without it. Oh no, big mistake. ;) Glad to hear you are getting out and about. My energy is returning so don't worry, yours will too. I spent a lot of time in the garden with my Mom and I did OK and didn't get overly tired.

Sunny-- On Day 5 when the intense pain began is when my scabs started sloughing off. You may be losing some now. Hang on and pretty soon your husband will owe you a big brownie sundae bar!!!

Day 7 - Ya I hit a new and unwelcome pain point yesterday. I thought I was going to get better and I felt better. I had an actual meal of eggs and bread. Then last night came burning pain and I could feel it in my ears and jaw. The meds help but this morning was bad too.

I guess this is normal? I would have guessed the worst pain would be in the first few days not after a week.

James--You are right on schedule. Unfortunately you will have this intense pain for a few days. Mine began to subside on Day 10. I hope yours ends sooner. But after this type of pain goes away you will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

James, the pain for me got worse each day from day 5 til day 10. Every time I thought it couldn't get worse, it did!! But when it does turn around, it turns around fairly quick - so you have that to look forward to. Keep on top of the pain as best you can, and ask for something harder if you have to. And eat as much as possible so that you have strength to heal.

Lib~ much better today. I was supposed to start back at work today, but I wasn't sure how good I would feel, so I took off one more. I probably could've made it through - but I think it's a good idea to stay home and eat, eat, eat. I was skinny before I started this whole thing, so the weight loss has really knocked me out. Just carrying my 20lb boy upstairs made me need to lie down yesterday. But I've got lots more energy today.

Waking up is still yucky. I imagine it will be until every white spot is gone.

What I don't understand is why this whole adult tonsillectomy thing is so barbaric in the recovery. This is the 21st century fer chrissakes!! People shouldn't have to put up with so much pain! Days 5-10 I should've been in the hospital hooked up to a morphine drip with a feeding tube down my throat, riding out the worst in peaceful semi-conciousness. That would've been the humane way to do it! lol

Sugar, I'm with you on the morphine thing. It was treacherous and nothing could touch the pain. In a hospital bed hooked up to a feeding tube would've been fine. The recovery fools you. You feel okay for the first few days and then it hits you like a semi truck.

I still have a little scab on the left side. It's the only thing keeping me feeling crummy now. I think it's causing my ear pain and jaw pain at 2 a.m. I tried eating a burrito (no spices) in small bites. I must've take one that was a little too large for my throat and I was in immediate pain on that left side. Tonight I'm going to stick with an easy meal and be gentle to myself.

Sounds like everyone is moving right along. I'm just wondering when do all the scabs slough off and STAY GONE. Geez, I'm on day 21 and I still have some white gunk deep in each tonsil bed. I also still have a sore throat. Eating is pretty much OK and talking is much, much better.

Maybe a tonsil veteran will stop by and see this post. How long does it take for all things to return to normal?

Morning or moanin' dbaum, I'm not a tonsil veteran yet, but as you know my scabs came off and grew back a couple of times. I think I lost about 98% of them not much longer than where you're at now, maybe another 2 or 3 days. Then I just had a tiny bit left in the far parts of the tonsil beds but even that is gone now. My throat is still really white, I've been wondering how long that lasts. I actually have periods where I have no sore throat now, and when I do get sore throats they are getting less sore.

:rolleyes: Geez this is the longest recovery! Ariane--Thanks for letting me know where you are at in recovery. If I remember right you are about 1 week ahead of me. But, sounds like you are doing well so it seems like I just have to turn up my patience level. I think we will ALL be glad when this is completely over.

Yep, I had my surgery 4 weeks ago today. I really just have a few nagging little problems at this point. I can't taste anything except a few really strong flavors, and I can't taste those well. It's getting me down and I've been doing some research on it and it sounds like it can take a really long time to come back. I'm having a lot of sensitivity in my back teeth when I eat, so I'm going to the dentist this morning. I really don't think I'm ready for the dentist yet, but my ENT said I could do it after 4 full weeks, so here goes nothing :) I dunno if I can open my mouth very far or wide for too long but hopefully I can handle a simple cleaning and checkup. I thnk I'll also ask him about the no taste thing and see if there's anything I can do, I read that zinc helped someone. Am I the only one of the recent people that had surgeries that can hardly taste anything?

Also I'm still having sleeping problems. One night I'll sleep 3 hours and the next I'll sleep 6. I can usually manage to get through the day without a nap now even when i only get about 3 hours. But I just can't get a regular 8 hours. I also wake up once or twice an hour whenever I go to sleep. I don't think my breathing or throat is waking me up so I don't know what the problem is there but it's unusual for me.

It sounds like you're doing really well though and the worst part is over :) How is it being back at work, is it still really tiring you out?

Ariane--My energy is coming back. This week is MUCH better than last week, thank goodness. My sleep patterns have always been erratic so I would have to say I'm back to normal as long as I run the humidifier. As for the taste issue I never had a problem. But, it's interesting that you mention zinc. I take zinc on a regular basis as it is an immune system booster. I stopped all my supplements before surgery and just resumed them last week. Maybe I had enough zinc in my system my tasters were OK. It's a mystery and maybe someone else will have some more information.

Good luck at the dentist! I hope everything turns out well for you.

You know I think it may take a full 2 or 3 months before we are completely back to 100% normal and can reap the full benefits of our surgeries. It is a major surgery and it may take awhile for the body to get back into sync from it. Not to be too graphic, but a lot of things are off a bit for me, like my period is late and I have some bathroom irregularities. I think as with all surgeries, it is a serious shock to the system and it will take some time to recover. That's not to say we'll all be miserable for up to 3 months, I just think it will take things that have shifted a while to get back to normal. Maybe I'm just insane though, it's been a month without caffeine now so I can't be held responsible for what I say ;)

OH NO!! No caffeine? I would be insane. I have been drinking coffee since around day 6 when the warm stuff felt better. Initially I had to let it cool to lukewarm but now I am fine. ;) The irrgularities were a big problem for me but this week I am fine. Seems once you get the drugs out of your system and back on the diet your body is used it corrects itself. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. LOL

Ariane, it seems like you have a lot of side effects from this surgery that you shouldn't have - that sucks!

I never had a problem with tasting, and I can pretty much open my mouth as wide as before, and can almost stick my tongue out all the way - and I'm not quite 2 weeks out of surgery. So something is definitely wrong in your recovery - maybe a nerve got damaged or something?

Your period is probably late from being so malnourished. I've yet to get my period back either, but that's from having a baby and nursing. But I imagine the surgery pushed back its return another month for me, too. If your digestive system is out of whack, it might be from the antibiotics. A few years ago, antibiotics really screwed up my intestinal flora for months. What helped me get over it was yogurt with active cultures every day. Something to try!

Hugs to all.

Last night was night 8. I could feel the scabs coming off. Really gross. But this morning I feel much better. The pain is way down. Its still sore and I have to becareful to make sure I still eat small soft peices of food but I am hoping it wil start to get better now.

My Jaw is sore too. But i never had any issue with taste. Hope everyone is getting better!

Good for you, James. I am so happy your pain is way down. Sounds like a great improvement!!!

Tonsil veteran here....it has been over 8 months and my throat is still a little white. As I stated on an earlier post, I have seen the ENT many times and he said everything was ok. Just a warning to everyone, when you get your first cold post surgery your throat is going to hurt something awful. I think it is due to the new tissue which is extra sensative. :angel:

Wow, 8 months! I had no idea it would take that long. Other than that did you heal up OK? Seems like I still have some scabbing going on but I am only at day 21.

Hi tonsil people.

Ariane, I don't have my taste back properly either. It's not to say we won't get it back, though. Might just be taking longer. Also, the surgery messed up my period too. I think it's probably down to anaesthetic and the trauma of the whole thing, generally. I hope it rights itself this month. I *can't* be preggers! lol.
Also, I had a dentists appointment this morning and although I can open my mouth wider than I could, I still can't fully open it and the dentist did a scale and polish and it SO ached, trying to hold my jaw open. But I guess these things take time to get back to normal for some people.
Keep us informed of how you're getting on. I'll be checking in regularly for a while yet. Good luck at the dentists.
The biggest bummer for me, is that I can barely taste chocolate. :(

Hope everyone's doing ok. This surgery is certainly a test of patience.. a lot more than I could have ever anticipated.
My voice, at least, is sounding a bit more normal now and a bit stronger. I think things are improving, just really slowly.

Bye for now.

I don't understand how you can have scabs for such a long time. Are you eating hard foods, to scrape them away? I lost all my scabs within a couple of weeks. Tuck in to them tortilla chips! :)

Charlatan--Seems the scabs slough off but in some areas I get a new ones. I am eating normally, even scratchy stuff.

Wow, I wish I had know all of the unusual side effects before going into this surgery. Thankfully, I haven't had too bad a time. My tastes never changed. But I can hardly hear out of one of my ears still. And, I too have white crap along the left side of my throat. There is other fleshy stuff hanging out back there. I wish it'd go away.

Day 12 here and getting my energy back. I actually ate an entire hot dog last night, with a little mustard.

James, good to hear you're feeling better. I used ice to help the jaw pain.

Damaja, when you got your first cold, did it last as long as your old colds did? Did you need antibiotics? 8 months and still healing!

Lib--A hotdog with mustard sounds good. You've come a long way! Unfortunately, it seems the road is much longer but at least the pain becomes more of an irritant and can be tolerated. Good news about the hot dog!

Tonight I'm grilling chicked breast and cooking rice. I def. am feeling better. I am exhausted by 3 pm. I need a nap! My principal wants me to take one extra day. I go back to teach on Thursday, look out kiddies!

I managed to take no medications today and had little pain. I guess for me Day 8 is the turning point. Still feels funny to talk. A little raw. So i dont. Why push it until its ready.

Its easy to want to gulp a drink or take a large peice of food. That can lead to some pain. Gotta remember to be careful .

ACK! 1st time poster here, and I am having my tonsils removed in 4 hours! I have been reading this thread for the past week or so, and I am terrified right now. I knew you guys would understand. I am so glad I took a nap yesterday because I knew I would not be able to go to sleep at all. I am 34 years old, and have been dealing with cryptic, mild-moderate chronic tonsillitis for longer than i care to remember. i learned to semi-deal with it, but finally have had enough misery! Out they come.

SOOOO scared. i have never had a valium, but am sooo looking forward to the one the anesthesiologist ordered for as "soon as I walk in the door at the hospital." lol. I think i had a frightened deer in headlights look during my consultation.

i am also concerned because my ENTs post op recommendations are so simple compared to what i have read here. He basically told me liquids for 24 hours after surgery (popsicles, lots of fluids, lots of pain meds), then the day after i can eat pizza if i want. regular diet. He said i would feel bad for about a week , so i only took a week off from work.

After reading this thread, i did go purchase a humidifier and lots of gum.

i'll let you guys know how it goes. wish me luck, k?

Tivi--Of course we all wish you good luck. You will do fine.

What method is your ENT using? Most of us have had electrocautery. I understand being terrified but just remember we've all been there and you have learned from everyone's experiences.

Please let us know how you are doing and just take this recovery one day at a time.

James--Glad you seem have hit your turn around day. Take it easy and thing should slowly get better.

Lib--So today is your last day of rest before returning to the classroom. Well, hopefully you'll stop by from time to time to let us know how you are doing. How did the chicken and rice turn out?

Day 22 for me and still have a sore throat especially on the left side. It's becoming annoying and I think I am going to give my ENT a call. Still have white stuff back there. Still very tolerable but I just want to know if this is normal.

Tivi -- My best wishes to you. If it makes you feel any better, the anxiety and fear I experienced prior to the operation truly were the worst part of the whole process. I think I was fortunate and had a semi-easy recovery. I had my tonsils out 15 days ago and am feeling great now. You will do fine.

Hi Everyone....

I am new to this message board but am looking forward to any support you guys can offer. Ok, I am 24 and having my tonsils out next week. I AM SO SCARED!!!! Is the pain that horrible??? What are the best things to eat?? When do you think I can return to work?? Anything you guys can tell me to prepare me for the worst ..... I am thinking of cancelling because I am so scared and dont know if its worth it!! Please help!

Hi Sprtsgrl--I think everyone on this board was very afraid going into surgery. If you have read back through the thread and the previous thread you know what's involved. The pain can get pretty bad for a few days and recovery will take time. As for foods, that's individual. Just eat what has nutrition in it. I used the Atkins protein shakes and a bit of baby food. Also, if you haven't seen the posts, get yourself a warm mist humidifier and some gum. The gum will help with swallowing, and keeping your jaw loose.

What method is your ENT using for your tonsillectomy?

As for is it worth it? That's individual. What pushed me over the edge was the fact that my tonsils were such a mess that the antibiotics did not do their job and my white blood cell count would not go down.

Good luck Sprtsgrl and Tivi,
I don't envy you. I probably shouldn't say this but be prepared for the worst. The first few days are manageable, but by day 5 or so, you will be unhappy and it continues for about 5 days. I had planned to take a week off of work. I am still home and it's day 12. I'm not returning until Monday (day 17).

I woke up with a blood soaked pillow this morning. The back scabs seem to be coming off now. Went right to the ENT this morning. He says it's all part of the recovery. There's no infection (thank God) and I need to keep drinking fluids, rest, and be patient.

Hi Lib--Sorry about the bleeding. :( Drink, drink and drink some more.

Tivi and sprtsgrl - Good luck. Its not as bad as you think. I only had a few days of real pain and nothing meds cant help with. Just stay in bed and drink and eat what you can. Dont talk unless you have too. Get a pen and paper.

There are a few rough times of swelling and thinking you made a mistake. Just breath deep and try to relax relax. You are not dying! We all went thru it.

I really liked Carnation instant breakfasts. You can mix them as thick or thin as you like and they fill you up and offer some nutrition. I also had chewable multivitamins. With eating less foods it can give the body a boost.

I was back in the ENT a second time today with more gushing blood. Has anyone else experienced this? It seems like when my throat is very dry and then I swallow I may brush against some scabbing, causing bleeding. The dr. was ready to recauterize me but thinks I just need a little more time to heal. I'm back on a liquid diet. This sucks!

Lib

I had more than my share of bleeding as well, on days 7-10. It was so bad in the beginning that it was gushing out. Anyway what really helped me was rinsing with 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water mixture for 5 minutes at a time- three to four times a day or whenever I would start to bleed. Did your DR tell you to stay in bed? He told me to stay put in bed and only get up minimally and definetly no lifting of anything. :nono: I hope you will feel better. :)
To the new tonsil friends, it is normal to be afraid but just remember that it is so worth not getting sick as much. For me the pain was comparable with what I would go through when I would get strep but the duration in which the pain lasts is unbelievable. I think Dr's are a little out of touch when they say you will feel better in a week. My Dr warned me that I needed someone to watch my kids for at least 10 days because I was not to leave my room.
I hope I am not frightening you more because that is not my intention, you just need to be prepared.

Lib--Are you keeping yourself hydrated? The more water you drink the more moist the scab area is going to be and less likely to crack and bleed.

More bleeding, 3 times since my last post. Dbaum, you're right. It happens mostly when my throat is dry and raw. Fluids help temporarily. Night time is the worst. I've cut back my activity level, but I shouldn't be bleeding, I'm on Day 13 (or should I?).

Dmaja, the dr. recommended the icy water, peroxide mix. It helps stop the bleeding. Maybe I'm not healing correctly? I read that taking a non-steroidal anti-anflamatory post-op may lead to patient bleeding. I took Flonase for several days. I hope I didn't do this to myself.

Any help you all can give would be great. I'm willing to do anything to prevent a recauterization! Thanks

***duplicate***

librauno -- I'm glad your doctor told you about the water/peroxide. My ENT told me that, if I experienced bleeding, to hold ice water in my mouth, and if that didn't work to use a mixture of ice water and peroxide. I definitely think that keeping the throat area super-hydrated and moist is the key to preventing the bleeding (also, don't make the mistake I did and raise your voice too much, which is what led to my bleeding). My entire scab area looked like it had been slimed by a spittle-bug until a couple of days ago, which is gross but I guess a good thing! Force yourself to drink as much as you can and be sure that a humidifier is running wherever you are. Sleeping propped up so you can breathe through your nose at night will help also. Best of luck -- I hope the bleeding doesn't recur.

***duplicate***

I don't know about the Flonase. It's actually a steroid. My ENT told me it was OK to take it and I didn't have a problem. I just drank and drank and drank. I drank so much I could only sleep an hour at a time because I had run to the bathroom so much. LOL

Lib, I hope you get all of this under control and get back on track. Also, ice packs to the side of your throat may help.

Hmmm, I posted earlier, but don't see my post. I also am unable to click to the last page of the thread. Hope I am not double posting.

Librano, do you have a humidifier?

Thanks for the well wishes everyone.

Post op day #1 (surgery yesterday). Things are ok. I just have lots of pain, and my voice sounds pretty different.

Everything went well, no complications. My ENT said he was really glad we did the procedure, because even though my tonsils appeared small on the surface, they went deep and had a lot of very deep crypts. I went in to the hospital at 6 am, surgery at 8 am and left hospital at 3pm. Stayed with my mother last night but I am home now.

I really liked my ENT, but sheesh, what he is telling me is just so different than what I have been reading here. Someone asked his technique, yes, he used electrocautery. He advised me to start with a regular diet on the day after surgery, that this was very very important, so I did. I drank an Atkins shake for nutrition and ate a cinammon roll. it took about 30 minutes to eat the roll.

When I had my wisdom teeth out in the past, I had a reaction to Lortab (itchy itchy itchy) so he gave me prescriptions for both demerol and percocet (both in pill form). It is no fun swallowing the pills, but they are helping. I still feel pain when swallowing, but not as severe, perhaps because the drugs make me just not care. All I want to do is sleep.

No matter what the pain, i know it is temporary. I am still very glad i had this done. No more sore throats. no more nasty tonsils and tonsil stones. no more fear of them causing bad breath. no more feeling like i am getting food stuck in my tonsils every time i eat something. sooooo worth it.

I'll keep updating. I hope everyone who is bleeding and suffering feels better soon! I will be thinking about you all.
Thanks for reading.

My ENT told me that there is sometimes post op bleeding as late as 21 days. He also told me it was OK to use the Flonase as it is actually a steroid and should not cause a problem.

You might want to try some ice packs to the side of your throat. Just keep on drinking and don't stop. I do hope, by the time you read this post, that you are doing much better.

Hmmm, I keep posting and pages have been added but I can't access any pages beyond page 8. Hopefully that will clear up. Sorry for the redundant posts if anyone can see them. Once it's cleared up I'll delete the duplicates.

Im on day 11. I notice the back of my throat feels like it is hanging down. It makes it hard to talk. I guess its still swollen. Almost all my pain is gone.

Hi Tivi--Glad you made through with flying colors. One word of advice. Eat as much nutritious foods as you can this will help you heal. Also, eat whatever you can (very carefully) while you can because, as you know, when around day 5 hits it will be extremely difficult to eat "normal" food.

Seems the boards are functioning correctly so I hope you pop back in and let us know how you are doing.

Hello everyone!

It's been a few days since I've had time to post, hello to the newcomers! :)

I agree, I do think that the Dr's and staff at the hospitals are a bit unrealistic on recovery times. They make it sound like there will be some "uncomfortable" moments for 24-48 hours, but that just isn't so. I think maybe for children that may be the case, but as adults who've done this, we all know you will need about two weeks to feel fairly human again.

I'm nearly at day 16, but I do still feel pain, quite a bit in my ears. It feels at times like someone has warmed up and ice pick and dug in! :P

One thing I've noticed is that too much talking can make things miserable later on in the day. With four kids around here, it's hard not to talk too much, though.

I need to mention something that my ENT told me when he had me go back on day 3 to get different painkillers. He told me to quit sipping my water, and to take bigger gulps. I think I mentioned it in a previous post, but my mind was addled with drugs, so I'm not sure anymore lol. I have to say that it worked. Bigger gulps of cold water seemed to deaden the pain better. It also seems to work out the muscles, as well.

To you new people, get the gum! It helps more than I ever knew! I sincerely hope that you're all doing well. I'm concerned about Id's bleeding though. Day 17 is awfully late to bleed on. I do hope you don't get recauterized. That would suck so bad! But, if you do, we're here for you! :)

Take care, everyone!

Sabrina

Hi Sabrina--You sound like you are doing well and you are so right about the gum.

Don't worry about the throat and ear pain. I am on day 25 and still have a bit of throat pain and uvula swelling. I talked to my ENT a couple of days ago and he said that is normal for an adult. He said this surgery is very hard on adults and takes quite a long time to completely heal. Now the pain is more of an annoyance but my eating and talking are back to almost normal. The pain probably won't go away until every last bit of the white stuff is gone from the tonsil beds. Outside of that, things do get better :bouncing:

Hey there. POD # 2 and I feel horrible. I woke up first thing this am feeling very nauseated. Rushed to the bathroom and threw up (violently) twice. Sorry if that is too gross to post here. I don't know what happened; maybe it was the painkillers, maybe i ate too close to bedtime and my stomach isn't up to par....i really don't know. All I know is that it was horrible, it hurts and my throat is hurting so much more today. I can barely swallow. I am being a big fat baby and i just don't feel good at all.

The painkillers seem to not be working today. I can see this will be a challenging day to keep hydrated. I don't see how in the world I will be ready to go back to work in 1 week.

Sorry for the self pity.

How is everyone else doing?

Tivi--Nothing is too gross for this board. It's all a part of the process. Two things that could have caused the vomiting. 1. painkillers 2. Your stomach had some food in it but was not completely awake after the anesthesia.

Keep taking your pain meds if they are not the cause of the vomiting. What kind are you taking? Don't miss a dose. In fact my ENT let me increase my dose of Percocet from 1 tab to 1 1/2 tabs. Also, keep drinking. No matter what, always drink and chew gum and sleep with a warm mist humidifier.

I don't know how you will be able to go back to work in 1 week. I took 2 weeks off and was very glad I did.

Things have been "bloody" awful around here. I'm still having the bleeding and I should just set up residence at my ENT. Everytime I bleed I use the icy water/peroxide mix and it stops after about 5 minutes. The dr. is not too concerned. He said I could get recauterized, if I want (yeah right!) or I can just let it continue to heal. He assures me that it will heal. I only need to contact him if the bleeding doesn't stop after 5 min or so.

The last 2 days I've been on bed rest and a liquid diet, and I still had bleeding. Today I'm going back to eating soft foods and I'm attempting to run some errands later. I am feeling well otherwise. The pain is much less and I am in a better mood. Thanks for all the help, you all are so great!

Tivi, good luck getting through the next few days, you'll be fine but you may need to alter your diet. I don't agree with what they told you at the hospital about resuming a normal diet. I couldn't eat real food till day 8 or so. Have lots of fluids, I loved icy cold chocolate milk. The gum was a great way to ease the jaw pain.

Sabrina, you're right about the talking. It aggrivates the throat, making it raw and sore. I'm glad you're getting better.

thanks dbaum. I think i went to bed with a full stomach or something. I have since taken a percocet and have not yet thrown it up. i have been taking my pain meds at regular times. i set my alarm to wake up every 4 hours at night. I am really having trouble sleeping for a solid 4 though. I felt very hungry yesterday and think i just overdid it a little. my mom brought spaghetti, jello and my favorite banana pudding.

I'll have to watch it and be more careful.

Tivi--Eat whatever you can and make sure you get the nutrition. At the peak of my pain I was taking 1 1/2 Percocet about ever 3 1/2 hours. You won't sleep a full four hours because of the pain. I also found out it's very good to wake up every hour or two. Keep your throat moist. As soon as you wake up drink water. It will hurt when you throat dries out so keep it moist.

Hey all.

I came on here yesterday but the board was buggered, but I see it was the same for everyone.

James - Methinks you are feeling the sensation of having your soft palate now dropped down in your throat. Mine dropped significantly. It's still bothering me, 4 weeks post-op, but my speech has improved, but I still sound a bit silly.

Tivi - Interesting that your doctor also told you to resume a normal diet. That's what we are told to do in England too. For me, it helped me heal. It gets rid if the gunk at the back of the throat and stops you getting a secondary infection (we don't go home with antibiotics as standard.) It also helps get the throat muscles working again, as does taking gulps of water, rather than small sips, as someone else mentioned. I was on a normal diet the day after surgery. Hope your stomach has settled down now. Must've been painful tossing your cookies.

Lib - I've been reading your posts and my heart goes out to you, with your bleeding escapades. I do hope it stops for good real soon.

Well, I'm off for a curry now. Take care everyone.

Librauno, I'm so sorry to hear you're having so much bleeding. I know it's very frightening. I bled a lot as well. For me I noticed it was bleeding when I got home from the surgery, and it really didn't stop happening until I was a couple of days past day 21. I bled several times a day when the scabs were coming off, sometimes a little and sometimes a ton. Sometimes it stopped in 5 minutes, sometimes it took a lot longer. For me keeping hydrated really made no difference, so I don't know if there really is anything that will help to prevent it from happening if it's going to. When the pain finally subsided enough that I could start eating "scratchy" things like toast, that helped because it scraped some of the scabs off as I swallowed the food and most of the time that didn't make the scabs bleed. My ENT wasn't ever concerned about it except for the night it was gushing like a fountain for an hour and a half, but that stopped when I gargled ice water for 30 minutes. When I was in for my follow-up last week he said it's fairly common for people to bleed when the scabs are separating from the throat. I hope this part passes for you really, really soon. Just keep monitoring it, relax, and rest as much as you can.

Charlatan - Did your ENT say the drop is from swelling? I see my Doc on Wend and will ask him. I think it's swelling and will go back to normal soon. I am only on day 12 and there is still some pain and scabs to come off. When i talk I actually feel like im choking a bit so I need that to improve. I think its the Uvula hanging so low.

I tried to research this online but found nothing so I guess its not a long term issue. I hope ;)

Hi James--Day 26 and my uvula is still a bit swollen. It feels like it will choke me when I lie on my back. Not too bad anymore but it is from the swelling. My entire upper palatte (sp) was swollen. Very slowly it's getting back to whatever normal will be after my throat has been remodeled. ;)

Lib and Tivi how are you guys doing today?

Hello everyone!

I had to vent a bit about this problem I've had since I've gotten home from the surgery. I'm on day 17 almost, and I still have these awful, cold-sore looking scabs at the corners of my mouth. I think they're from the Dr. having to stretch my mouth open (I have a small mouth, contrary to my husband's opinion), to do the surgery. They just don't seem to want to heal up. Well, they seem to be healing "a bit", but they are bugging me! I guess they could be cold sores and not actual tears, but they are both the same size, and both occured at the same time, right after surgery.

Dbaum, I also feel like I'm choking a bit if I lay down on my back. It feels like my throat is blocked. I'm curious to see if my snoring has improved. My husband hasn't complained about it lately, but maybe he doesn't dare :P

I'm also wondering from any "old school" tonsillectomy people here how they are feeling further down the road? My symptoms before surgery weren't that my tonsils actually hurt, but I was always sick for going on six months, enlarged, but not painful for the most part tonsils, and always tired. Curious to see how long before they noticed a difference in energy levels, etc. I do have to say that maybe I've noticed a bit of a difference...for the first time in absolute months, I painted my nails AND my toes the other night. My husband was impressed :)

Take care everyone! I hope you're all doing as well as possible :)

Sabrina

Hi Sabrina--My energy level has dramatically improved over the last week. I'm day 26 so you will improve. Prior to surgery I was so fatigued from the infection is was just horrible. I feel so much better even though I still have some white scab stuff in the tonsil beds and an annoying sore throat. I don't know what to say about the sores you have, but I know that Burt's Bees puts out some lovely products and are very good. If you ENT can't offer any advice you may want to try these.

Charlatan - Did your ENT say the drop is from swelling? I see my Doc on Wend and will ask him. I think it's swelling and will go back to normal soon. I am only on day 12 and there is still some pain and scabs to come off. When i talk I actually feel like im choking a bit so I need that to improve. I think its the Uvula hanging so low.

I tried to research this online but found nothing so I guess its not a long term issue. I hope ;)

Hi James. I have been having the same problems you just described. Also, when I yawn, my uvula and possibly the soft palate actually touch the back of my tongue there and makes me want to gag. I don't like that feeling at all! I didn't get an appointment with my ENT after surgery, but I did see my family doctor about it, 3 weeks post-op, and he said there is no swelling left and that the soft palate can drop after a tonisllectomy and that it will remain there. He said it's something I will get used to, in time. (Easy for him to say.)
I still think my uvula is a bit swollen, personally and it is uncomfortable around that area, when I swallow.
My soft palate was very high before surgery, as I had such a clear view all the way down my throat, without the need for a tongue depressor. So it's obviously dropped considerably.
I also notice when I try and sing, the uvula touches the tongue then too. :(
Breathing through my mouth has become a bit noisy too, as there's less room there now.

Let us know what your ENT says about it on wednesday. Will be interested to hear.

By the way, I just want to add that I have seen 2 Drs since surgery and both have described my throat as "looking normal" as it now looks. Perhaps that means it was abnormal before, for being so high and having such a clear view down?! :confused:

Hi,

I just joined the group. I'm 25 and had my tonsils taken out on May 3rd. So far my recovery has been what was expected...very uncomfortable. I'm guessing the scabs will start coming off within the next few days. Does it hurt or is it more of a gross feeling? I know you can start bleeding when they come off; generally how long does it take to get the bleeding under control? My worst fear is that I'll have to go back to the hospital to get the bleeding stopped...ouch!

Hi JK--I never had any bleeding at all. I stayed very well hydrated and exercised my jaw by chewing gum. I also made sure I ate things that had nutritional value to help the healing; such as Atkins Protein shakes. As for when the scabs come off, you may feel it you may not. However, usually the pain will increase quite a bit during that time so don't be surprised. Also, you may have ear pain. This is all normal. What I found helpful at this stage was to start eating and drinking luke warm stuff. It really felt better.

We are all individual so your experience may be different. Do you have a warm mist humidifier?

I don't have a humidifier but it's probably a good idea to have one. Maybe I'll have my friend run out and buy one. I guess the only good thing coming out of this is I'll probably lose a couple of pounds! :) I have been making myself fruit shakes and trying to drink things that have nutritional value. Thanks for your response.
Jessica

Hi Jessica--Oh yes, get a warm mist humidifier because when the scabs come off your throat will be so raw and any amount of drying out is very painful. Good job drinking fruit shakes. ;)

Charlatan - Ya my throat was wide open before too. I could see WAY down there. I really feel there is swelling still to go down. But I guess we can get used to it over time if it does not go back to normal.

Wierd I cant find any web info that mentions soft pallet dropping after tonsils are out. Seems like a rare issue. That gives me hope and concern lol. The only thing I read is patients may snore for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. I notice when I lie back and breath thru my nose it is more laboured.

I will ask me ENT for sure this week and post what I learn. He is a good Doc and takes time to explain things to me. I have seen other ENT's who cant wait to get you out the door.

Hey guys,

Welcome Jessica. I had a tonsillectomy on the 4th, one day after you. Do get a humidifier. I believe this is helping me a lot.

Thanks for the well wishes guys. I wonder how Lib is doing.... i hope bleeding problems are resolved.

Dbaum I must say i think i would be much worse off if not for you mentioning the atkins shakes, humidifier, all that. Thanks. I love the vanilla ones and i look forward to them for breakfast each day now.

Today is post op day #3 for me. No vomiting today, thank goodness. Still lots of pain, though yesterday was worse for me, probably because of the vomiting. My ears hurt now, and well, my whole head hurts...tongue, throat, ears, all of it.

Still hanging in there. Despite drinking lots of water, my nasal mucosa is very dry (pain meds maybe?). I am still eating "normal" food, although not much, and very slowly. I must look pretty odd while eating/drinking.....i brace myself for each swallow. I feel very groggy, but am having difficulty sleeping.

Hope everyone is well and hanging in there.

Has anyone used chloraseptic spray on their throat? I was thinking of getting some, makes throat numb. My post op sheet instructions mentioned I could use it if i wanted to. Thought maybe I'd give it a shot.

Happy healing everyone!

Tivi--Glad you're doing as OK as can be expected. The Vanilla Atkins shakes were my favorite as well. The chocolate, or anything chcolate for that matter, burned my throat. The humidifier, I can't say enough about. It's is a "must have." As for the choloraseptic, my ENT told me after 3 weeks it was OK. Yep, still have bit of a sore throat but doing OK. Some folks have used some sort of saline nasal stuff for dry sinuses. Maybe someone will add some more info. I had just the opposite. The post nasal drip was very, very heavy.

Take it easy and rest.

To anyone who had their tonsills out a while ago, did your tongue remain swollen at the back for a long time after? I can't help but think all swelling should now be gone, after 4 and a half weeks.

Cheers.

Hi Charlatan--I don't have any more swelling at the back of my tongue. This is Day 27 for me. The only thing I have is a swollen uvula but I'm beginning to think this will either take time or always be like that. Has your Doc said anything about your tongue?

Good moanin' dbaum

All the doc said, was it looked ok.. he was paying more attention to the tonsil beds I think (which, btw, have healed totally and can't see any signs of having had surgery done there.) I think it's a combination of the soft palate dropping (a lot!), the uvula being swollen and tongue being swollen, as it's looking really chunky now. I can feel the uvula on the tongue all the time, down my throat, which is more noticable when talking. When I look back there and say AHHH I can't even see the end of the uvula anymore, as it's down the throat. Is this how it is for you too, dbaum? Maybe I'm just overly sensitive to this and it's normal.

No, Charlatan, my uvula isn't that long. I can see the end of it. However I can feel the difference when I talk and swallow. I also can't lie flat on my back with out it cutting off my throat and I can't breathe very well. Glad to hear the tonsil beds are completely healed. I still a small bit of scabby stuff but it's looking really good. I really hope the uvula thing just takes awhile to get back to a normal size. ;)

I feel I am doomed to stay this way, with an elongated down-the-throat uvula. :rolleyes:
Thanks anyway dbaum.. and I hope you're rid of the remaining scabby bits soon.

Hello Tonsil friends,

Post op day 4 here, and while i'm still needing percocet and felt pretty crappy first thing this a.m. I must say i am feeling better and better as the day goes on. My throat feels "scabby" but no bleeding yet. It hurts to swallow, but I am forcing myself to gulp water and eat normal food. I find the more i do this, the easier it gets. I hope i continue to improve each day. I actually feel like doing something today, so i am cleaning my house and packing a little (moving soon).

Happy mother's day to all the moms on the board!

A few of you have commented on hanging uvulas, yup, i feel mine at the back of my tongue, too. Not bothering me too much so far.

Happy healing everyone!

Still wondering how librauno is doing......hope all is well.

Hi All,

Been a while since my last post...busy working, family, etc....you know how it is.

Anyway, almost 8 weeks since surgery and i am at about 90%. I too have some taste loss, but I had some loss when I had my wisdom teeth out. The dr. hit the lingual nerve and i lost sensation in my tongue and some taste. I have lost a bit more and my soft palate has also dropped. I am getting used to it now and it only bothers me a couple of time a day.

The pain is no longer there and am eating anything and everything.

Prior to surgery, i was a smoker for 15 yrs..(half my life)...but now i have been smoke free for almost 8 wks!!!!

If there's anything you want to know, i will keep checking in and reading the posts. Take care everyone!!!!

Good moanin' everyone I hope today is a good healing day for everyone. I am day 27 and am doing well but I woke up this morning with the left side of my upper, soft palatte significantly lower than it had been. This was sudden and was not this way yesterday.

Charlatan, I know you had problem with a dropped palatte but wasn't your like that from day 1 after surgery? I just find it odd that it would drop this late in the game. Anyone else had this happen?

Hey dbaum - I am seeing my ENT Wend. this week. I can bounce your late drop off him and Ill post what he thinks.

My pallet and uvula seemed to drop in the second week. I am hoping there is still swelling to go down. Im on day 14 now. First day back at work and I was tired just driving in. Blah!

Thanks James. I will be very interested in what your ENT has to say. It's so annoying but I'm sure you know that. :) I understand your lack of energy. Mine really started coming during week three. So, you're almost there!!!

I'm not alone with this problem then. Remember that I was too chicken to even look in my mouth for the first 10 days or so, so I'm not sure about those days. I probably didn't think much about it then, just assumed it was swelling that would go down.
But it has dropped significantly in the last couple of weeks, I'd say. I think my uvula is long too, so it's very uncomfortable to have it on my tongue all the time. Sometimes it prevents me speaking.
dbaum, I feel bad now, thinking I've cursed you. You was oK yesterday, til I opened my mouth. James, keep us posted and I hope work goes well for you.. :)

It's OK Charlatan, I don't think the curse made it across the pond. :) It was just odd that I woke up this morning and my throat felt different. Took a look inside and saw the left side had dropped. Geez, some days this is very frustrating.

Seems all three of us are experiencing this a long time after surgery. Got me wondering why now and PRAYING it doesn't stay this way or get worse. It just wouldn't be so bad, if it wasn't for the fact that the uvula hangs right down the back there, mostly out of view. if this does stay this way permantly, I'm going to have to get it trimmed, or something, because I can't live like this.

I hate it. You can't breathe quite right and you feel like something is stuck back there. Don't even think about sleeping on your back. :-( I do hope it's just taking a long time to go back to where it needs to be.

Yep, it's all affected my breathing too. Sometimes I feel like I need to open my mouth and push my tongue forwards, to make more room back there. I'm OK sleeping on my back, though. It's when I tilt my head forward that's the problem, as the uvula dangles forward and more on to my tongue. But I do feel like there's something stuck in my throat all the time. Having spoken to people i know who had their tonsils out as adults too, none of them mentioned this problem. It's all very strange and ANNOYING! Grrrrr!!!!!
Fingers crossed for us, eh?

My fingers are crossed for sure. I'm interested to see what James' ENT has to say and then I'll give mine a call and we can compare notes.

As I cant find any reference to it on the web I don't think its a real long term issue. Lets not get too worried yet.

You are right, James. I think we're just tired of all of this. :) Patience is a virtue, at least that's what they tell me. ;D

Yeah I searched the web too and didn't find anything on it. But I did ask my doctor a few weeks ago - not an ENT specialist, just my General Practitioner - and he said it will be a permanent feature. Hope he's wrong though. Bear in mind, he's also the same doctor who once told me the uvula is called the epiglottis. LOL!! I had to correct him and left him very red in the face!

OK here's the word from my ENT. I broke down and gave him a call. He said the changes in the back of the throat, uvula and palette area are normal and usually go on from 6-8 weeks. He did say it should go back up at the end of this time. I certainly hope so. But, seems we're normal. ;)

Well done you for calling him and checking, dbaum. If he is right, I will personally come over there and kiss him. But I can't help but think it's permanent. Sorry to sound so pessimistic, but it's really getting me down. Lets hope James' ENT says something similar to yours. I might try and ring mine up. Although it's a big deal over here with the NHS system and they probably won't let me speak to him over the phone, but his secretary will probably book me an appointment to see him for 2 months time, instead! lol!
Fingers crossed still. :angel:

I wonder why it happens though and how it CAN go back up.

*goes back to sob in the corner* :(

Hi everyone, I asked my ENT about the soft palate and uvula being lower when I had my followup, and he looked at me like I was insane. I asked him if the changes were permanent, and he said it hadn't dropped any, which is not true because my uvula was not dangling into my throat choking me before the surgery. He said the tonsillectomy will actually make the soft palate be higher than it was before surgery when all of the healing is done. I can't find anything on it on the internet either, but I hope he was right.

Hi Everyone out there!!
I'm new to this message board and I'm not quite sure how to use it, but I have been reading old messages for moral support. I am going in to have my tonsils out on Wed.
5/11/05. I'm extremely nervous. I am a 53 year old female who always had problems with my tonsils when I was young. One is much larger than the other so they're both going. I could really use some "tonsil buddies", as so much of all of you info has been such a help. Good or bad it's somewhat easier when you know what to expect. Any advice or help would be soooooooooo appreciated. For everyone who is still recovering, I hope for a speedy recover for all of you. Thanks....

HAHA - Just like doctors. Ask 10 of them the same question and get 10 different answers. I really do think the uvula and pallet drop is temp.

I am on day 14 and I notice some improvement tonight. It seems to be going back up again. When I talk I dont feel it so much. Unless I talk a lot then it seems to swell again. Another sign it is swelling?? I dunno

Lets see what my ENT says!

Hey Pajk10 - I am 14 days after my surgery. Try not to worry too much! I found the wait much worse than the experience. It seems everyone has different experiences with the pain. I did not have much pain for the first 5 or 6 days. Just swelling and discomfort. I stayed in bed almost the whole time and ate what I could and had lots of popcycles.


I did have a good amount of pain for 4 or 5 days but with the meds it was really not that bad. There are a few rough times for sure. The highest swelling the first night made me gag a few times but it was gone by the next day.

This board can help. Just ask if you have questions and in an hour or so the replies start coming in.

Thanks jamesg5000,

It's so great to know that there are people out there like yourself who are willing to give me the moral supportI need.Can't express just how much I appreciate that. I hope that I will be able to do the same for the "tonsil buddies" that come after me!! You're right the waiting has been the worst. I've been waiting for 16 days, and now I'm down to 1.5 days. Glad to hear that your post-op hasn't been too bad. From reading all of the posts, I sure have a good idea of what to expect. It's better to know as much as you can. becuse knowledge is power!! Thanks again, talk to you soon. Feel well. :)

Hi Paj, I am on day 28 and it really does get better. You will have some rough spots but you will be OK. By the way, I am 50 and a diabetic and I came through fine. Do you have gum and a warm mist humidifier? Get them if you don't. They are very helpful. Ask all the questions you like. Nothing is too gross or wierd for this board. ;)

Well all we need now is the opinion of James' ENT to round our discussion of sagging uvulas and upper palattes. :) I really hope it's not permanent, but if it is I am sure I'll become quite accustomed to it.

Pajk10 -- Best of luck with your surgery. Waiting and worrying was, for me, so much worse than the actual experience. I'm on Day 21 now and feeling great. I didn't have a very difficult recovery at all. The worst parts were, for me, the first night (not due to pain, which wasn't so bad at that point, but due to swelling in the throat region which made me feel like I couldn't breathe -- until I realized I had to breathe through my mouth), and days 5-7, when the pain was fairly intense and I was on pains meds continually (which worked quite well). After Day 7, it has continued to get better. You will do fine. Do make sure you get a warm mist humidifier and chewing gum!

Hi dbaum,

Thank you so much for the moral support. I am going to get the humidifer and gum, and I also got some baby food and the Atkins shake. I purposely didn't watch what I ate over the last 10 days and gained about 8 pounds. So if I can't eat that much, then I hopefully will go back to my normal weight. I just got a call from the ENT doctor to say my surgery was moved up to 11:30AM tomorrow instead of 1:00PM. I guess that's better...less time to worry. Glad to know all of you are out there..I'm sure I'll be writing again. Again..I so appreciate any advice. Thanks

Paj--You're going to do great and don't forget you've got some tonsil buddies here to help you through the rough spots. Good luck tomorrow and let us know how it goes. :)

Hi Pajk. Good luck with the operation.. I'm sure it will all go smoothly for you. Really recommend the humidifier too.. I don't know how I would have slept at night without that running.

Ariane.. funny what your ENT said. a couple of docs I've seen since surgery also say they can't see anything wrong back there. It was only my own GP (who knows me well) who can see how the palate and uvula have dropped. Oh well, let's see what occurs. I can't even talk today.
Take care all. :)

Getting really worried about this now, just looked and the left side has dropped more than the right now.. ie.. even more to how it was yesterday. When I open my mouth, mu uvula hits the side of my throat. But that side that's dropped further, I can't even see the end of the palate now - it's too far down the throat!!!
Think I'd better ring the ENT dept tomorrow at the hospital. :(

Charlatan-- I would definitely call the ENT dept. That just doesn't sound right. Let us know what they say.

Ya I would make the call too we need all the info we can get. Mine seems to be getting much better. But I am still going to ask tomorrow.

It's odd because I was fine until yesterday morning and the left side dropped. Charlatan and James, it will be very interesting in what your ENT folks say, since mine said changes can occur for up to 8 weeks but it should go back up. I'm not so sure and boy, is it annoying!

It's encouraging to know yours is going back up, James. I feel if this drops much more, my throat will be closed off totally.

dbaum, didn't your ENT say to you to repeat the word "Kick" over and over to "get the palate used to its new position" ?? Surely by that, he meant the new DROPPED position?

Am gonna be panicking all night now, until I get to ring the hospital in the morning, I know it.

I wonder if it's like a muscle and has gone lax, as there's no tonsils there now to support it and that the more we use out throats and voices normally, the more it will tighten it all back up again?

Charlatan, yes he did say to use the word kick to strengthen the palate area, specifically if you have trouble with liquids coming out your nose. Yep, some folks have that problem. But, believe me I have been saying "kick" a lot since yesterday.

Yup I would say mine is 90 percent back to normal position. So have hope! It can go back!

Lucky you, James! :) And you're only 2 weeks post op as well! Sheesh! I want a refund! I WANT MY TONSILS BACK IN!!! DAG NABBIT!!!
I'll report back tomorrow, after speaking to the ENT dept at the hospital. At the moment, I am sat here gagging on my uvula every 10 seconds or so. If you don't hear from me again, I've suffocated in the night. :rolleyes:

Charlatan, please do let us know what the ENT folks say.

I got up this morning and my left palate is going back up. It didn't drop until day 27 and now, 2 days later it seems to be slowly going back up. My ENT said there will be changes going on back there for up to 8 weeks. Oh joy, another 4 weeks to go. I have been saying "kick" so why it went back up I don't know, but I sure hope it keeps going up and stays there.

Ahh. dbaum, you and James luckily only had it for a couple of days then. Well I hope it goes up and stays there too because what I am experiencing right now isn't nice at all.
I phoned the ENT dept at the hospital today. Just as I expected, they were of no help whatsoever. The receptionist tried booking me an appointment to see the ENT for 4 WEEKS TIME!!! I said that's of no use to me, so she put me through to the ENT ward instead, as I had asked to speak to a doctor. But once through to the ward, the Sister on duty said I can't speak to anyone and that I have to see my GP! Gawd!
My palate is looking the same as it did yesterday.

If James still wouldn't mind asking his ENT today, even though he is getting better, I'd really appreciate it. :)

Geez, Charlatan what a run around! I really hope you get some answers soon!

I do hope my palate keeps going up but my ENT said I will experiences changes for another 4 weeks. I guess I'll wake up to a surprise every morning. :-)

Yes James, please ask your ENT it will be good to compare notes.

Yeah, well since we had the same method of surgery done, I would assume that the same should apply to me too then, dbaum. So I should have another 3 weeks of this. Honest to donuts though, if the right side decides to drop as well, I really will have trouble breathing, so will end up at the ER.
Hah! Getting given the runaround is right. Welcome to socialised medicine. ;)
Actually, the Sister on the ward was almost yelling at me! LOL! She sounded asian and was telling me to see my GP and I said, "But I only want to query this with an ENT doctor over the phone real quickly." She sounded like her blood pressure was going to go through the roof at me any moment, repeating that I need to see my own GP. Hahaha!

Maybe she had PMS. ;) I hope things do turn around for you. {{{{{Hugs}}}}}

*I* have PMS! I should've been the one doing the yelling! lol.
Hugs backatcha dbaum. Hope you have a good day. :cool:

Hey everyone...My surgery is tomorrow and I am still freaked out.....not looking forward to the recovery - but I hope what they say is true, that everyone's recovery time in different. If there is anyone out there who can help, help! Thanks so much

Kim

Hi Kim--You'll do fine and you've come to the right place. If you have read through the posts you kind of know what to expect. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The only thing I can say is make sure you have a warm mist humidifier, gum, food with nutrition, like Atkins Protein shakes (Vanilla was the easiest going down).

I wish you the best and don't forget to come back and let us know how you are doing. Ask all the questions you like, someone will usually have some good advice.

I went to my ENT this morning. He told me that the swelling can happen as fluid build up between where the tonsils were. These fluids can take time to be absorbed back into the body. He told me I should be ok in another week or so. I asked if it could take up to 2 months and he agreed it could. But you should see improvements along the way.

Charlatan - I asked him about your case. He said without seeing you of course he can't tell whats going in but it sounds like you may need a trim of the Uvula. He has not heard of a case where a patient had a long term issue after tonilectomy. I don't know if thats any help? Best to see an ENT.

He also said everything in there is going to be more sensitive for awhile. This with the swelling can cause irritations and gag refelex to trigger.

Thank James for the great info. Seems our ENT's are on the same page. Good to know and I guess another 4 weeks isn't the end of the world. So, maybe the reason it happened to me later on was possibly due to fluid shift.

Charlatan I hope you get some relief pretty soon!

Awww thanks for asking, James. By swelling between where the tonsils were.. I assume he's referring to the soft palate being so low?
My uvula is only down so far cos of the palate being too low. If I know this will return back to normal, then all will be good.
Will try and get to see my GP about it tomorrow.

Cheers.

Charlatan - Yes the Doc was talking about the soft pallet and uvual. As they are between the tonsils they are effected.

I had a physical for my job today and I asked my doctor if my taste problems were normal. The last few days I haven't been able to taste anything at all. He said it's not normal 5 weeks post-op and it sounded to him like a nerve was injured during my surgery. He said that I need to go back to my ENT, so I've got a call into them to see what my ENT thinks. I'm so depressed right now. I know it's not a big major problem, but I so miss eating my favorite things. Now I can eat without pain but everything tastes like nothing, including drinks.

I hope everyone else is coming along well, and that all of you about to have your surgeries will do fine. The anticipation beforehand is probably the worst part of the whole thing.

I also asked my ENT if there are any meds to help reduce swelling. He said you could try Advil but it would really do very little.

Ariane - Seems like we all have out lingering symptoms. I think recovery is more like 2 to 3 months before things are totally back to normal. I have times I think I should not have done this tonsil removal. I am hoping in a month or so it will be all worth it.

Always a good idea to see your Doc

It does seem this healing thing is a very long process. But, it will end. I can feel tiny improvements each and every day. :)

Ariane, I would see your Doc about the loss of taste. I never did lose my taster.

Yep, heard back from the ENT already and he wants to see me next week. Said it's definitely not normal. He said it may be something simple like an infection. Which I thought that is what I had the tonsillectomy to get rid of in the first place, lol. I'm going to try not to worry too much about it. The tonsils were so bad they had to come out and I don't regret having it done, and it's likely this is something simple that can be treated or will just take a few more weeks/months of healing to straighten out. It is frustrating though cause I really miss tasting food :)

Oh Ariane, I'm hoping for the something simple. It would be great if it were a small infection and after you got it cleared up your taste would come back. My fingers are crossed for you. Let us know how it goes.

Yes, I hope you get some good news about your tastebuds next week, Ariane. I still don't have my taste back either, although you say you have NO taste there, whereas I have limited amount of taste. I'm not so sure that if this hasn't returned in 5 weeks then it may never do so. When I had my wisdom teeth out, they hit a nerve that made my chin go numb and was told it may be permanent. It took months, but slowly the feeling returned and I am left with just a tiny lil bit of numbness in one very small area there. I don't know if this is anything similar to the loss of taste after a tonsillectomy, but I wouldn't lose hope with that one just yet.

Now I know that the lowering of the palate is due to FLUID, it kind of makes sense. It's like when you burn yourself and get a blister at the site, filled with fluid.. it's there to protect the wounded area. I wonder if this applies to the surgery site in the throat too, hence the fluid. Sorry if my theory sounds daft, but I can't think why else there would be fluid there. Anyway, if this is so, then yes, it should hopefully only be temporary. Also wonder now though if I may have a bit of an infection there causing it. Will see what GP says tomorrow.

Am off to bed now, for another sleepless night.

dbaum are you able to sleep on your back now that the palate has gone back up?

Night all.

How come everyone on here says how incredibly unbearable the pain is??...yet when I talk to people in real life who have had it done, including a couple nurses they say its nothing worse than a realllly bad sore throat....it seems like people on this board exaggerate, or just have a really low thresh hold for pain....After hearing this board's horror stories, I was totally freaked out to have it done, but after hearing some people talk to me about it in person, Im not nearly as scared anymore

Needsomehelp - My pain was not that bad. Meds helped a lot. More the swelling that gave me troubles. Everyone has different experiences. My friend had hers done this year and she had bad pain. So its the luck of the draw I think.

Needsomehelpbad--I don't believe anyone on this board is exaggerating. Everyone is individual. I did well but had a few tough days. Even my ENT warned me about the pain an adult can experience. One thing to bear in mind is that this board is in the "here and now". Meaning, that as time goes by we lessen unpleasant experiences in our mind. So, in 5 years if someone asks me what it's like to have your tonsils out, I might say "It's not too bad." Why, because my brain has lessened the bad part (a human function of the brain) and heightened the good part. The good part being that, for the past 5 years, I have been enjoying the benefits of having the tonsillectomy. My brain has rationalized the experience as not too bad because the benefits were so great.

You may have a very easy recovery but do not slight what people say on this board. Instead, learn from them. I was freaked out when I first started reading the posts but I learned from their experiences and took to heart their suggestions. Then I confirmed them with my ENT and everyone on this board has been right on target.

I know I am rambling a bit, but just know this. The folks here are honest and very willing to lend a helping hand. Don't bite the hand that wants to help you. We are here to help and support you as you go through this process.

Charlatan--My palate, on the left side is still not up all the way so I can't sleep on my back. Oh the joys of waiting and waiting and waiting. ;D

Moanin'.

Waiting is right, dbaum. It just seems to never end. Am now waiting for my appointment to see my GP, in a few hours time. I don't know why there seems to be nothing on the interweb about this problem following surgery. Unless I'm entering in the wrong information in the search engine. Well, I'll report back, after seeing the doc.

Needsomehelpbad, make your decision and go with it. You know there's gonna be pain, but it won't kill you.

Needsomehelpbad--I don't believe anyone on this board is exaggerating. Everyone is individual. I did well but had a few tough days. Even my ENT warned me about the pain an adult can experience. One thing to bear in mind is that this board is in the "here and now". Meaning, that as time goes by we lessen unpleasant experiences in our mind. So, in 5 years if someone asks me what it's like to have your tonsils out, I might say "It's not too bad." Why, because my brain has lessened the bad part (a human function of the brain) and heightened the good part. The good part being that, for the past 5 years, I have been enjoying the benefits of having the tonsillectomy. My brain has rationalized the experience as not too bad because the benefits were so great.

You may have a very easy recovery but do not slight what people say on this board. Instead, learn from them. I was freaked out when I first started reading the posts but I learned from their experiences and took to heart their suggestions. Then I confirmed them with my ENT and everyone on this board has been right on target.

I know I am rambling a bit, but just know this. The folks here are honest and very willing to lend a helping hand. Don't bite the hand that wants to help you. We are here to help and support you as you go through this process.

Charlatan--My palate, on the left side is still not up all the way so I can't sleep on my back. Oh the joys of waiting and waiting and waiting. ;D



Yeah I know...Im just a little nervous about this whole thing....I hear from a couple people on here that the post op is worse than child birth...I mean cmon..worse than child birth? I just cant imagine that being a male, but even if i could, hearing that just scares me to no end....but any how thanks for the response.

Charlatan--I've been doing some searchs and can't find anything. Must be a deep, dark medical secret or just something pretty darn normal. :) Good luck at the Doc's.

Needs--I know you are nervous, but you'll make it. Yes it's tough so just hang on and ride the wave to the other side. We're all here for you. Just make sure you have a warm mist humidifier, gum and nutritious food like Atkins protein shakes.

Needsomehelpbad -- I was very frightened about the pain aspect of the procedure. I have had two children. I did not find that the discomfort I experienced post-tonsillectomy even approached what I experienced during childbirth, which was (for me, anyway) a totally different type of pain -- the type of pain that completely takes you over and renders you unable to speak or think or do anything except endure and hope you won't die! I had, compared to many on this board, a pretty easy recovery. I tend to heal quickly, I guess. I will say that, 3 weeks post-op at this point, I am SO INCREDIBLY GLAD that I had it done. I am experiencing health benefits at this point -- for example, sleeping normally for the first time in years -- that are showing me how lousy I really felt due to my tonsils. I didn't realize how chronically awful I felt since it had become "normal" for me. So anyway, don't worry yourself sick. It will be worth it in the end.

Oh Spa, you are right. It is worth it in the end. I am not quite completely healed, but very close. I had suffered a chronic infection from my tonsils for so long I had forgotten what it was like to live without being constantly fatigued and running a low-grade fever. Now, despite the rough spots, I feel great!!!!

Been to the doctor and he said it's scar tissue pulling the soft palate down, from the side, where the tonsil was. He said it's permanent. I didn't mention the internet and this board to him, but just said I know someone who had theirs done the same time as me, whose palate also dropped, but that it went up again a couple of days later and that their ENT said it was due to fluid build up and that it can last up to 8 weeks. My doc didn't know about this and said it's possibly due to some of the drop. I asked him if he'll try getting hold of my ENT Dr to ask him and he's going to try. Other than that, I either put up with it or have that nasty laser surgery to cut back the palate. He also said he's never seen this happen before on anyone else. Great, aren't I the lucky one. :(

yeah thanks for the words of encouragement..reading that definatly made me feel a little bit better.....I think im going to go to the ENT and get the inevitable in motion...letchu konw how it goes when the day finally comes..

dbaum -- so happy to hear you're doing well and feeling good! It is amazing to suddenly feel . . . well! :bouncing:

Charlatan -- I am so sorry to hear about your scar tissue. Perhaps another opinion would be a good idea? I have tried to research the subject myself in response to your recent posts and haven't found anything about it.

So you're special, huh Charlatan? I don't think I would want to be that special. ;) I do hope your GP gets a good answer from your ENT. Any idea how long that will take?

needsomehelpbad--You'll do fine. We're all on this rocky boat together. Let us know when your date is set.

Charlatan - Scar Tissue? I would also say get a ENT opinion. Ill do some internet searches though. I sure you will too.

I was poking around a bit and I just don't see anything about dropped palate as scar tissue. Maybe one of you guys will come up with something.

Spa--Yes it is good to feel great!!

Hiyas. Thanks for your posts. Well, he said there is an edge, that's scar tissue and that it's pulling the roof down. I can't see the tonsil bed on that side because of it. In fact, I can't see the tonsil bed the other side either, because all I see now is the tongue and roof of the mouth.. can't see back far enough. I've done a bit of searching on the net, but can't find anything. I don't know what to do. All I can do is see the ENT about it, which will take weeks, and then all he'll probably say is that I need that UPPP surgery, and I'd rather die than have that done to me. lol

Charlatan--One step at a time. But I would get on the list for an appointment with ENT no matter how long it takes. If you put that off the appointment wait will just take longer. Please keep us posted and if I find any info I'll let you know.

dbaum.. delving back into the old posts, I came across summat you typed that's interesting, back on the 18th April.. Your doc told you that the uvula has nowhere to drain now, so drains back up (hence the fluid and droppage). He also said that all will return to normal but not until some scar tissue has formed. (Depends what he means by scar tissue. Maybe mine's excessive.)
It's so frustrating because I won't know until I see the ENT and that doesn't look likely in the near future.

Charlatan--Yes I do remember that but I don't know how much scar tissue he meant would be normal. But the uvula can't go back up until the soft palate goes up. It's such a mystery and I wish there was a simple answer. But, we're all different and that makes it difficult. Right now I have one side of the palate that's fine and the other side is still a bit low. Kind of makes the uvula hang to one side. LOL Maybe we could do searches for scar tissue formation in the soft palate.

Hi Tonsil Buddies,
I guess you can tell I'm back at work, little time to post. I'm on day 21 (I think, I stopped counting) and all of the bleeding issues resolved themselves. The human body is amazing, my dr. told me to trust the healing powers of the body. I wonder if he would say the same to Char. So sorry to hear about the uvula and pallette issue. I hope you're feeling better soon. I had a lot of swelling, but most of it is gone.

I went back to work (I'm a teacher) on Monday (day17) and sucked on about 9 lollipops all day. Each day I can get by with fewer lollipops, but I am exhausted and have a splitting headache as soon as I get home.

Needshelp, I had a difficult recovery, I never exagerrated any of my posts, I tried to given honest accounts of what I was going through. Days 4-11 were horrific, I haven't forgotten about them yet. The pain was not contrtolled by the meds. and I was in constant pain. Then I began to feel better and on day 12 I had a lot of bleeding for 3 days. It always stopped after I would gargle with icy water and peroxide (as recommened by a tonsil buddy and my ENT) I kept a journal everyday of the experience so I never forget what I went through.

I can't tell whether the surgery was worth it. I usually get sick in the winter months from Nov-Feb. I hope to be healthy this year, and then I may be saying that all of that pain was worthwhile.

Hey Lib, good to hear from you. So glad the bleeding has resolved itself and you are getting back into the swing of things at work. My energy was not back completely until the end of week 3. I'm on day 30, yep it's been one full month. Still a bit to go but doing great and feeling even better. Do pop in from time to time to let us know how you are doing.

Hey Lib

I was wondering how you were doing.. assumed you had the lil bleeders resolved now. It's so true what you say about the human body's natural ability to heal itself. I did suspect that the bleeding would sort itself out and am glad you are so much better now. It was a really rough ride, I know. I haven't given up all hope of my palate/uvula issue resolving itself, but when I think and wallow in the thought that I'm now stuck like this, I get real sad about it.
Have to try and think positively though.

Here's to us all having a sick-free winter this year. (Hopefully!) ;)

Oops, wanted to say also that from what I've read online, the coblation method may cause more bleeding, but the electrocautery method causes more scar tissue. ARG!!!!

Iam new (21 years old) and Iam on day 14 from my tonsilectomy. Iam feeling ALOT better, probably around 90% back to myself. The day I had my tonsils out I had to stay the night because I was in so much pain and I couldnt even sit up because I was get extremely dizzy. The docs thought it was just from the anesthia. The next day I went home with Lortab Elixer and I would take it every 4 hrs, but it would only knock the pain down from a 10 to an 8 and would only last around 1 hr....I never been in so much pain in my life. I have had 2 csections and those were ALOT easier than this!!! On day 4 I couldnt sleep the pain was sooooo unbearable. I couldnt swallow ANYTHING and I couldnt even talk without crying. My doc called me in a nasal spray that was suppose to work, but it didnt. Also on day 4 I found out it was the lortab that was causing the dizziness, so my doc told me to stop taking it, Within 8 hrs I could get out of bed and walk, which I couldnt for 4 days before that!

Then I was admitted again to the hospital on Day 4 because the pain and I was dehydrated. I stayed overnight and they kept me on a morphine drip. The next day I went home and felt alot better...I was taking care of my kids and cleaning,and thought I was getting better. THEN on day 8 the swelling got really bad. I couldnt even swallow once again. So I went back to the ER and they gave me steroid shots and prednisone, and a shot of demerol and sent me home...Once I hit day 10 (Mothers Day) Things took a COMPLETE turnaround. Everyday is getting better. I can now eat anything I want, it still hurts to swallow just a little, but I can handle it!! Everyday it gets better. I never thought there was an end in sight. It has been a long 2 weeks, but it gets better!!!

So my message to anyone in the early days of their tonsilectomy is to rest all they can and drink, drink, drink!! Gatorade really helped me. You dont want to get dehydrated because it makes it worse. Trust me!

I still have a few scabs but not much. And I havent had any bleeding at all. Nothing. My doc said Iam pretty much pass the stage of bleeding and I can return to my normal diet and activity.

Also Iam so glad I found this message board. It really helped me through this HORRIBLE experience. But the 2 weeks suffering is better to deal with than a lifetime of chronic tonsillitis. :)

I hope everyone feels better and heals fast

Trista

Hello All--
I can't believe how many of you are still posting since your surgery last month. I will have mine in a week. I hope it goes smoothly. I am glad to hear you are all doing well. I am sure this board will be very helpful when I am in the depths of my two weeks.

P.S. I have a triathlon exactly 6 weeks after my surgery. Do you think I will be able to do it?

trista--Good to hear you doing well. Day 11 was a big turnaround day for me. It really does get better, doesn't it.

C.C--Wow a triathlon in 6 weeks! I hope you can do it, that would be wonderful. Just read the posts and get prepared and you'll do fine.

Copperpot, good luck with the surgery. Let us know how it goes. As for the triathalon, it'll all depend on your recovery. I am at the 3rd week and I still can't work out yet. Light walking is nice on the warmer days though. I can't even begin to guess how I'll be feeling in a few more weeks. I have plans to coach a soccer team, so I'm hoping I'll get more energy back. Once you can eat normal foods again, you put the weight back on, and you feel like you have more strength. Keep posting so we know how you do.

Dbaum, I am confused by one of your previous posts...I thought you posted that you had the surgery 5 years ago, then you said you are at the 1 month recovery mark. Did I misunderstand?

Charalan it is really interesting reading about the soft palate dropping. I guess I never notice but mine dropped a lot as well as having a hole in it!! My ENT said I was "special" seeing that he never had seen this either. By the way I have Kaiser insurance and their policy is no follow-up visit. Can you believe it? They thought I was exagerating when I wanted to see them 2 weeks post-op. Anyway I did have the surgery to repair the hole and what they ended up doing was cutting away the right side of the soft palate and and leaving the left alone, so now I have an asymetrical soft palate. :) If you do decide on doing something about it, the pain is not as nearly as bad but you do have to stay in bed for 5 days to prevent any bleeding. Positive thoughts :angel:
Lib so happy you are doing better!!!
As for pain, I have had 3 kids and that pain is definitely worst but that pain doesn't last 9-10 days!! I have a very high tolerance for pain it is just that I don't like to be in pain.

Lib--The post you read was intended to help Needshelpnow realize that we were not exaggerating what we went through and explaining to him how other folks he was asking said it wasn't too bad. I used myself as an example by saying if he were to ask me five years from now, how was the surgery, I would be very likely to tell him "not bad". But, on the board were are in the "here and now" so we all very attuned to what's going on and our brains have not softened the exerperience over time.

Hopefully that makes sense. Anyway, I really, really did have my surgery April 12 or THIS year. ;) BTW, I have an assymetrical palate that my ENT says should fix itself in 6 - 8 weeks. Hmmm, I guess we'll have to see.

Charalan it is really interesting reading about the soft palate dropping. I guess I never notice but mine dropped a lot as well as having a hole in it!! My ENT said I was "special" seeing that he never had seen this either. By the way I have Kaiser insurance and their policy is no follow-up visit. Can you believe it? They thought I was exagerating when I wanted to see them 2 weeks post-op. Anyway I did have the surgery to repair the hole and what they ended up doing was cutting away the right side of the soft palate and and leaving the left alone, so now I have an asymetrical soft palate. :) If you do decide on doing something about it, the pain is not as nearly as bad but you do have to stay in bed for 5 days to prevent any bleeding. Positive thoughts :angel:
Lib so happy you are doing better!!!
As for pain, I have had 3 kids and that pain is definitely worst but that pain doesn't last 9-10 days!! I have a very high tolerance for pain it is just that I don't like to be in pain.

Hi Damaja. Yes, I well remember your hole problem and further surgery and considered you to be very unlucky there, but now I might have to have further surgery too. lol
Nice to hear it's not as painful, although the risk of bleeding was scary to learn. My GP doesnt recommend me having the surgery of trimming of the palate, as he reckons it's very painful indeed and that you regurgitate your food and drink out of your nose when swallowing.
Decisions decisions.
I don't think mine's going to go back up on its own, though.
Thanks for your input, Damaja. Take it easy.

So tuesday is the day i go to my ENT to determine when surgery will be......The more and more I thinka bout this ordeal, the more nervous I get about post op pain...Im good about almost all types of pain, except throat pain..weird I know...but sore throats, etc. always leave me in an awful way...If the pain is as unbearable as some have experienced, what can I do or say to get myself back to the doctors/hospital to ease it..I read a couple of you got on a morphine drip....how do you go about doing that? Thanksguys...

The best thing I can tell you, needsomehelpbad, is to make certain your ENT will be giving you good pain medication and will agree to up the dose or change to something stronger if the pain gets too bad. The most I ever had to take was 1 1/2 percocet tabs every 4 hours. Sometimes at 3 1/2 hours. This was just for the worst 5 days. A lot of the time I alternated between the Percocet and the liquid Tylenol. The pain doesn't go on forever. It might be tough but you can make it.

I can't say it enough about drinking and staying hydrated. Don't let yourself get dried out. Sleep with a warm mist humidifier and every time you wake up drink something even if it hurts. Believe me it makes a huge difference.

Talk to you ENT about how he/she is going to handle your pain management and discuss your concerns with him/her. I was fortunate and my ENT was very good about that and fully understood just how painful this can be for an adult.

On the bright side you might have an easy recovery. Spashop did not have as rough a time as some of us. It will be a bumpy ride but you will get through it.

Ive been prescribed percocet, vicodin, and tylenol 3 (with codeine) for tonsillitis pain before....While they worked on the pain associated with severe tonsillitis, I am a little hesistant to think they will ease my pain after the op.....Do you guys know any stronger painkillers that are prescribed that I could talk to my doctor about? These are used to treat moderate to severe pain...do you know if there is anything a doc can prescribe, and WILL prescribe to treat severe pain associated with a tonsillectomy??? thanks

Needsomehelp....I took mainly the percocet after the op. I found the liquid Tylenol burned a little on the way down but offered a nice "buzz" when it kicked in. Good for relaxing :) I dont know why it burned though??

They seemed to work pretty well. I think you will be fine with those. I doubt your Doc will go any stronger unless you check back into the hospital. Thats rare. The only time I had real pain was in the morning as I did not wake to take my meds. I prefered to get a good sleep. It took 15 min or so for the meds to kick back in once I woke.

Hey everyone...
i need any help i can get.

I had my tonsils out on may 10th. And I threw up so much blood i was so weak. Then I started throwing up regular vomit. Yesterday i threw up so much that it had to go to the emergency and get 4 bags of iv put in me. I still feel sick to my stomach and my tonsils (or what was mytonsils) is so much more sore from all the acid stomach bile that i am in too much pain to function but my vomitting and empty stomach make the pain meds hurt my stomach/not stay down. Has this ever happened to anyone else??
What can i do??
I know many people thrpw up blood...but has anyone else just plain gotten sick for 3 days? Help Im so sick of this

Andie

I know from experience that pain meds can upset your stomach if you dont eat with them...thats probably your problem...try to eat as much as you can when you take your pills..if you can eat solid food at all, then do it..it will greatly help the stomach problems you are experiencing.

Hi Tonsil Buddies I'm back!!

Well I had my tonsillectomy and 5/11 and I think it went pretty well. Whoever said the wait and anticipation is the worse was correct. The general anesthesia went so much better than I thought it would. The 1st 2 days was pretty rought with pain. The ENT dr prescribe Tylenol with Codeine. The 1st day it didn't help but then it started kicking in. I am now 3 days post-op and I don't seem to need any pain meds at this time. My only problem is that I can't eat anything with any sugar or milk products in it because it makes too much phlegm. I also had a phlegm problem prior to surgery, I had a real bad drip. The only consistency I can get down in baby food, and believe it or not the ENTt said baby food was not good because I wouldn't be getting any electrolytes. I understand where he is coming from, but I thought baby food was better than nothing. Even Italian ices was no good.
Does anyone have a suggestion on what I could eat that would be the consistency of baby food without sugar or milk products?
By the say whoever suggested the warm mist humidifier THANKS SO MUCH. I have been using it constantly.
Hope everyone who is not feeling up to par, will start to very soon. If I can be of any help to anyone just let me know. All of you have been a true blessing....

Yes the warm mist humdifier is the best! I also chewed gum to keep the jaw loose and thin the phlegm and it made swallowing easier. Believe it or not Atkins Protein shakes went down the best and gave me nutrition. I could not do puddings or anything like that but the shakes were great. Oh and flan is thinner than custard and went down very well.

Hi dbaum!

Yes you were the one that suggested the warm mist humifier Thanks so much. What is flan? Never heard of it? Doesn't the Atkins shake have alot of milk products and sugar in it? My jaw seems to be OK, which surprised me because I have a history of TMJ on the left side, so I was pleasantly surprised. Thanks again..... :)

Paj--Act