Adult Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy Surgery - Part 6 is continued here.

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Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Moderator BAC

AGH! That was tricky. Did everyone make it to the new post site?

Doing pretty well. On day thirteen. Does anyone else have discomfort when yawning. I'm feeling kinda tired and am about to take a nap. It kills to yawn and I can't get in a good, satiating one that feels like a deep breath. Weird.
Scolby, I started like you eating soups. My first real solid food I think was scrambled eggs. Then mushy mac n' cheese. I may have had those on day four or five. Lots of meds beforehand though. And, just to warn you, they got stuck in my open healing cavities and I started to freak out. But my doc reccommended gargling with hydrogen peroxide and water (1-1 ratio) to swish out all the nasty food. By day seven, when I went in for post-op, she reccommended I try some more normal foods, like soft, white pizza. That means no acidic tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes. It's usually just mozzarella and olive oil. I thought I would only be able to handle the toppings, but I ate softer parts of the crust too. It was the best meal I've ever eaten! Oh, I asked my doctor if I need to stay away from things like onion and garlic, and she said as long as it's cooked some, it should be great. That means the end to boring food! Kind of. Good luck. You'll be there in no time.
-Alyssa

Aly,

Roll call? Cathy..here

I read your post about the yawning thing a few minutes ago...I wish I hadn't...been trying to get a decent yawn since then to no avail. They say you can't resist yawning when you see someone else yawn, so I guess it's true that you can't resist trying to yawn when you've heard someone has tried to yawn.

Thanks for reminding me of the mac n cheese dish...yummy....hubby fixed mashed potatoes, peas and carrots with a chopped beef steak last night....and of course, him being Cajun with the seasonings...one bite was all I could eat! :)

Ice creams burns like hell! But thankfully, my ENT told me I should practice eating ice cream before the surgery so I got my belly full of it anyway! Think the "you can eat ALL the ice cream you want to" is a trick to get babies to agree to have the surgery.

Take care all,
Cathy

Hey I'm here! I am starving!!!!! I had some more chicken noodle soup today, but it didn't fill me up. I feel sick just cause my stomach is empty...hmmm...does anyone have any suggestions for foods that will fill me up?? Nothing too sweet - sweet things just don't sound good right now. I tried some eggs, but it hurt, then I went back to my soup. Has anyone tried eating grits? :rolleyes:

Scolby -- Have you tried Cream of Wheat cereal?

Hi everyone--
I tried posting the other day but it didn't go through that I can see. Sorry if this is a duplicate.

I have my tonsillectomy scheduled for August 25. I am also having endoscopic sinus surgery done at the same time, including fixing a deviated septum. I have a few questions:

1. Has anyone had their tonsillectomy done at the same time as other procedures? What was that like?

2. I know everyone says two weeks, but I am taking Thursday the 25th through September the 5th or 6th which would only be 11-12 days. Think I can make it? I am gambling on being relatively young and healthy. I am 27 years old. . .and my Mom is a nurse and she'll be helping with my recovery so I know she'll keep my pain managed and make sure I stay hydrated and nourished properly, whether I want to or not!

3. how long has it been since your surgeries? Do you notice any difference? Was it worth it? Do you take less antibiotics and miss fewer days of work? As I type this, I have a hugely sore throat and ears, and a ginormous sinus headache, so I figure it can't be worse;) I am a little scared reading some of these posts and desperately want reassurance that all this suffering will make me better!

Thanks, and happy healing to all of you,
EBeth

:wave: Hey! How is everyone doing today?

spashop - I haven't tried cream of wheat cereal yet, but that sounds really good!! thanks!

For breakfast this morning I had grits! They tasted sooo good!!! :bouncing: And I actually feel full! I am on liquid tylenol again (this time its adult maximum strength, yay) because the lortab made me feel so sick last night. I'll probably have to go back on lortab for day 5 pain, but I needed a break from it.

EBeth -- I'm post op day 4 and doing good so far! I heard some more pain comes on day 5, so I'm not too excited about that, but so far it hasn't been too bad! When I got home from surgery, I started drinking A TON of fluids and I haven't stopped yet! Whether I want to swallow or not, I do it anyway. It's been uncomfortable, but I really think its going to be worth it!! Make sure you get a warm mist humidifier-it really helps at night! Another thing you can do is request that Zofran be given to you during surgery to control nausea. I requested it and woke up feeling really good! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I agree with what some other people have written: That the worst part of this was the stress and the waiting that came before the surgery - because once the surgery is done, you just deal with what comes afterwards and it's been easier than I thought it would be.

Hey Beth...

Welcome aboard! I'm 53 and finally decided I had enough with my tonsils...had constant sore throat, tonsillitis or strep for too many years. You asked was it worth it? The afternoon after I had the surgery I knew I had done the right thing! Yes, the surgery pain was evident but it's a different type of pain.... but you know there is going to be an end to the surgery pain....and with sufficient pain killers and a Mom who is a nurse...go for it girl!

Days 1-4 for me were a piece of cake...day 5, 6 and 7 not too hot...I woke up today on Day 8 and went to make sure there wasn't a knife sticking out the side of my throat. (Know husband would like to stick a knife in me about right now...:) ) But they do say it gets worse before it gets better.

I just had the tonsillectomy so I can't tell you about having the other proceedures at the same time...but, if it was me, I'd go ahead and do it all at the same time and get it over with.

At age 23 I had a c-section and was back to work in 5 days after my son was born. So, yes, your age is on your side...factor that in with your Mom being a nurse...you're going to do just fine!

I did a lot of research before having mine out and I did find studies that adult tonsillectomies does make a difference in the quality of life, etc..and maybe more so for an adult than for a child.

When I decided to have my tonsillectomy, I was scheduled by my ENT to have it done on 6-2-05...so I had about 15 days to wait. The worse part for me for those 15 days was not worrying about the surgery...it was having to deal with the unnecessary throat soreness prior to having the surgery. I had recently been on 6 different antibiodics, cortizone and other injections to try to clear it up....so when I decided enough was enough and schedule the surgery, it was almost unbearable to spend another 15 days in needless pain. And yes, I'm in pain now...but, there again, it's a good pain...one that you know that will end in a couple more days.

Cathy

I had sinus surgery along with my tonsillectomy and was glad I did it and got it over with. I am at 2wks. post op and am doing great. I am beginning to see a light at the end of pain tunnel. Yawning still really hurts for me. My taste buds are still wonky but the ENT says that is normal with all they did and it will come back. I had a bit of set back yesterday, I got a terrible case of food poisoning and was throwing up and even had it come out my nose which didn't feel good either place since things are still healing and tender. I had to take pain pills again to help and I saw the ENT today to make sure all was OK and he said that I am healing quite nicely but things were really irritated from throwing up. I have an infection in my sinus so I am on an antibiotic. I am really glad that I did the surgery eventhough I am not all the way healed yet. I got the patch for behind my ear for the nausea and it was the best thing I did. Being able to wear it for three days is wonderful. It totally kept me from getting sick right after surgery. My ENT had me take the Tylenol sore throat liquid every 4 hours along with my demerol for pain management and it really kept my pain under control. The tylenol sore throat is adult strength liquid tylenol. I will say I had to chase the tylenol down with water since it burned my throat a bit. I really just want to encourage those that are still just a couple of days post-op that it does get better and everyone here has good advice. I am thrilled that I found this site before my surgery.

Hey everyone. It sounds like things are getting better. It's wonderful to hear such good news.

Scolby1107... I had my surgery 6/3. So not too much earlier than yours. I am glad you finally got some real meds in you. I don't know how you dealt with it.

Cathy... I called my MD. They wouldn't up my dose or change meds. She swore Lortab 7.5/ 500 was as good as it could get. So I had to call her again the same afternoon, and she prescribed Prednisone. Then it was discovered that I had developed Thrus because of the Abx. She said Thrush would make it worse. But still insisted Lortab was enough. It wasn't like I was asking for an illegal substance. Just something to make living possible.

Today was bad. I couldn't even drink water today. You had good advice. But they are still pushig me to be up & running Monday AM. I think I will work 1/2 days for a few. I feel 100. My son has been "taking care of me". I was quite blessed to have someone to stay with me. I was afraid of bleeding, and my neighbor put a few horror stories in my head. When does the risk of bleeding end? I haven't lost a lot of scab yet. So I know I am not in the clear yet.

Dbaum, keep healing.

I hope everyone has a PAINLESS weekend.
'fraidy

Hi everyone, I did a search for tonsillectomy & was suprised to see a 7 part thread! I've been having problems finding much of anything, so it was a good suprise.

I'm having surgery next Thursday, June 16th. To say the least, I'm scared to death.

I'm 22 years old, almost 23. I've basically been the most sickly person my entire life. I was at the peds office at LEAST once a month until I was around 10 or 11. The amount went down about then, but I still get sick 3-4 times a year, only now it's usually so bad it knocks me off my feet for at least a week. I've always had sore throats, but not really just tonsil problems. This actually started last October. I woke up with sore tonsils, went to the doctor & got pills. After a couple days I felt better, but then I got these white spots on my tonsils. I figured I just had strep. Was sick again in November. Come Christmas I started getting the white spots again, but I felt fine. Cut to Feb, when I still have white spots but now I can't talk. Feb was an awful month for me-2 trips to the ER, 1 ENT who had the worst bedside manner on earth, & so much missed school (I'm in college) I couldn't keep up. Since then I've been sick off & on, & found an ENT I'm really happy with to do my surgery. The white spots (fun tonsil stones!) are ALWAYS there now & yes, I poke my tonsils to get rid of them. They just randomly swell from time to time. I'll have a fever from time to time. They are very oddly shaped now & they are so large they touch in the back of my mouth. When I went in for my pre-op blood work yesterday the doctor looked in my throat & actually said, "Ugh!" So yes, they are bad. It's just annoying at this point.

So yes, I'm finally having my tonsils out in less than a week. I'm scared to death, like I mentioned before. I'm not scared of surgery, I'm scared of the pain after. Not really knowing what it will be like is killing me. Plus people seem to either have either great or awful recovery, there is no middle ground. I think I fear the lack of talking more than anything. :) I'm suppose to get Lortab for pain, which means nothing to me since I have no expierence with pain meds, I have no idea if that's good or not. I'm planning on doing some shopping Wen afternoon for some throat friendly foods & drinks, then a big dinner out with cheesecake after is planned for that evening.

Sorry for babbling, it's just nice seeing messages from people who knows what it's like. My friends all tell me how awful it's going to be, my family tells me it will be easy. Of course all of them have their tonsils, so what so they know? lol

Tracy-- You say you had sinus surgery. Please, please tell me all about it and what to expect and so on. I had my tonsils out on April 12 but now my left palette is swollen and the post nasal drip is horrible. My ENT wants me to have a sinus CT scan on Tuesday and he's thinking surgery to finish up and make sure everything is OK. I am so tired of surgery, but I really want all of this fixed. Anything you can help me with I would appreciate it.

Sorry, it took me so long to find the new thread. I was wondering why I wasn't getting any email notifications. :confused:

Dbaum - I'm sorry to hear about that! I hope that if you do have to get the surgery, that everything goes well and that everything will be over after that!!

Today has been good. Last night wasn't too fun. I switched to tylenol again, but I was taking it every 4 hours...well my mom later told me that I was actually supposed to be taking it every 6 hours because I'm not supposed to exceed 8 tbsp. in 24 hours. Well I ended up reaching the 8 tbsp by 4pm and was ordered to go cold turkey until 7am this morning! It hurt pretty bad but I held an ice pack on my neck and ate a couple popsicles to numb the pain, so it wasn't horrible, but I'm back on the meds(tylenol) now and taking it every 6 hours! I'm not going to make that mistake again! I can take the lortab every 4 hours but the tylenol is working right now and not making me feel sick.

Layla - welcome! I was absolutely terrified for this!! I was like you - I wasn't too scared about the surgery (okay-the night before I became scared for that), but I was truly scared for what was going to come afterward. I am really glad that I found this website because I don't think I would be doing this well right now if I hadn't. Things that have helped me so far are this website for sure, my warm-mist humidifier, drinking A TON of fluids whether I want to or not, and resting. The fluids I like are mostly popsicles, water, gatorade, luke-warm chicken broth, and egg-drop soup (YUM!). The atkins protein shakes aren't bad either and they help when taking lortab because they provide protein and nutrients (thanks dbaum!). Taking lortab on an empty stomach isn't fun. Gatorade is good to have as well! Some of my friends mentioned to me that gatorade stung them when they drank it. It stings only a little to me, but its tolerable. If it stings too bad though, you may want to buy SmartWater. Its just an electrolyte enhanced water and it has no flavoring, so it may help a little if you feel sick...I really don't know for sure though. Any questions, just ask. Everyone here is extremely helpful and will answer any of your questions! ;)

dbaum.. I was wondering what's happening with you now, but see you're still awaiting the scan. I really wish you all the very best with whatever may lay ahead, but fingers crossed you won't need further surgery. Even if you do, at least you won't be having to have your tonsils out too! ;)
I shall pop back in and see how you're doing.

Ariane... If you're still following the threads, how are things with you? Did you ever get your sense of taste back again? I'm not sure if you've posted already about this, apologies if so. I got most of my taste back, but still can't taste chocolate as well now.

Can't complain though, as I feel much better in myself now and it took a while but my uvula has now shrunk back down to what must be a normal size. I can't remember it ever looking like this, since it was inflamed and sore for so long.. now obviously due to chronically infected tonsils. So it no longer drags on my tongue and makes me gag. Soft palate looks to be permanently dropped, but it's not a big deal to me now.

To anyone who expected to be feeling on top of the world again and to have all their previous symptoms gone, a couple of weeks after their tonsillectomy, but haven't yet.. don't lose heart. It took me up to 2 months to feel really well again.

Tally ho!

Jo. x

'fraidy,

Lortab 7.5/500 every 4 hours is what was prescribed for my 4 year old granddaughter who weighs 39 pounds for her tonsillectomy...need I say more?

I hope others contemplating the surgery will "interview" their surgeons prior to the proceedure to make sure they have one who understands the level of pain from this proceedure and also understands that their patients do not have to live in agony from this proceedure just because there are others who abuse drugs. And...if you can't find a surgeon who passes the interview, then the next thing to do is think like a drug abuser. Go home with the meds you are prescribed.....call the next day and tell doctor that the pain med prescribed is making you sick...then ask for something else...then hopefully between the two meds, you just might have a few hours of comfort here and there.

Bring a flashlight with you to work Monday....ask your co-workers to check to see if your throat is bleeding.....they deserve it! :)

Cathy

Thanks Cathy. I am really feeling like I may call this weekend, and see if I can have another day or two. I really don't feel that is asking too much. I found some old Percocet I had from another surgery today. I took one this AM. For the first time I could drink, and eat. Now I am afraid if I stick with them I may binge on soft foods! I am having a hard time swallowing them. But after the deferred pain I woke up to this AM. I am willing to swallow my foot.

Thanks as always for understanding.

'fraidy

dang, day 5 pain has hit...my ears hurt...so chewing gum is supposed to help and applying heat right? Anything else?

Scolby--Yes, chewing gum and heat will help. Also, what helped me was having my ENT increase my Percocet from 1 every 4 hours to 1 1/2 every 4 hours. You can try drinking luke warm to warm liquids. The warm felt much better to me.

Charlatan--Yep, still here and still waiting. It's such a battle. But, I am so happy to hear about you. Sounds it things took quite some time to get back in shape. I'm so glad they did. BF should be happy. :)

'fraidycat,

Just woke up to day 10. Think it just MAY be the turning point. I know you're a day behind me, so just hold on.....there may be life after a tonsillectomy after all! :) Take whatever you need to be comfortable today....yesterday was horrible for me and my yesterday is your today. I was able to take just my demerol this morning...which is a big step up from having to take the demerol and lortab!

Cathy

Yes, day 10 was my turn around day. I was able to cut way back on the pain meds and by day 11 I was just taking Tylenol. It's a great feeling to reach that magic day. ;)

Thanks for the confirmation dbaum! Yes, it's DEFINITELY a great feeling!

Cathy

Hey everyone. I'm from the UK and have recently had a tonsillectomy...I'm on my 11th day of recovery. I'm unusual in having it done privately, due to being an ex-pat and so did not have the NHS treatment. My care was good and I think that's why I'm recovering ok. Here's the issue - I had a look at my lovely throat today and note that the tonsill beds are all white - is this ok?? If so, how do you tell if you have an infection? (The UK doesn't give antibiotics as standard, not even our private hospitals, and we don't get any morphine!)

I'm not taking regular pain med now, just every so often when I eat. I'm feeling ok, throat is still sore, particuarly on one side and I have mild ear pain sometimes. I'm due to travel to Japan and New York in 2 weeks and have an appointment with my Dr next week. My left side is a little 'burny' and my tongue is sometimes sore. I just wanted some reassurance that I'm on track with a good recovery...touch wood, I've had no serious bleeding...I'm only 18.

Thanks!

Hi Adam.
Yer lucky, having it done privately. The white stuff's probably the scabs, so is normal. You were most likely told to eat a normal diet, especially toast and scratchy foods. It is very important that you do, as this helps clear the crap from the back there and help prevent a infection, which can cause bleeding. Eating as soon as possible will speed recovery.
Everything will still be sore and maybe a lil swollen. Sounds to me like everything's normal though.

Hi Guys,
I found that cold pudding worked for me. I tried all the flavors!!!!!! The first bite or two of ice cream hurt but after that, it soothed my throat. So, get past the first couple of bites and your home free. Cold foods are better than hot. My Dr. said not to eat anything hot for a few days after surgery.
Hope this helps,
Ron

Laner--This is true but when you hit about Day 5 lukewarm stuff will feel better. That's when the scabs start coming off and I found that very cold stuff really hurt.

Charlatan--Just saw your post. I hope you are doing well. I go for my sinus scan tomorrow. YIKES!!! I really hope it's a very, very bad allergy and not more surgery. :)

Ey-up dbaum

Yanno, it could well be a bad allergy. They can just come from nowhere like that. I know my sinuses get affected with my cat allergy, but it won't put me off keeping cats. :) Hope all goes well for you tomorrow. Fingers and toes crossed for you! Don't forget to tell us how things go.
I actually had an appointment with my ENT this afternoon because of my earlier grumbles with my dropped palate and uvula. but things have improved, so I cancelled it.

Toodles!

HI Laner. . I chuckled when I read your post about not eating anything hot to begin with.. I ate hot spicy curry the following day! lol! Hindsight is a wonderful thing though, hey? I was just so hungry, I could've eaten a scabby horse!

Dbaum, this last sinus surgery was my second. The first time they removed polyps and basically did a roto-rooter job and enlarged the drain tubes. It really wasn't bad at all. In fact two days after surgery I went on vacation. I just had to apply ice several times a day, couldn't blow my nose for 2 weeks or lift anything for that long. They didn't even have to pack my nose. This time they did what is called a terbinate reduction and I had to have one side packed for a day and the worst part of it all was getting the packing out. Really the pain wasn't bad it my tonsillectomy that hurt. LOL I have terrible allergies and this surgery is suppose to help with the swelling in my nose and to decrease the amount of sinus infections I get.

I am 3wks post op tomm and I am really doing good. My sense of taste is finally slowly coming back which I am thrilled about. I haven't even had tylenol for almost 5 days and am getting my energy back. For those that just had it done hang in there it does get better promise!

Hi Tracy. I am sure the tonsillectomy was worse. I can't imagine anything being worse than mine was. But, that's over and I'm glad it was done. It sounds like you had sinus surgery for the same issues I seem to be having. For the turbinate reduction how long would you say it would keep me out of work? I have a desk job.

My CT scan and ENT appointment is tomorrow so I'll post the results.

Really the turbinate reduction most likely won't keep you out of work more than a day or two. The big thing is you won't be able to lift anything for a week at least. Really it isn't a big deal. I am hoping that once you get the CT scan they will be able to see what the problem is with your sinuses. The turbinate reduction was really minor compared to my other sinus surgery and it only added like 15 min. to my tonsillectomy.

Thanks so much Tracy. That makes me feel better. I'm finished with the tonsillectomy so it should be much easier if anything else needs to be done. I'll be posting my results and what the ENT has to say tomorrow evening.

Thanks again!!!!

Hey everyone! It's day 6 for me and I am feeling great! The ear pain disappeared after a couple hours!!!?? I ate a waffle for breakfast and then after lunch I had a couple Oreos!! (I dipped them in milk to soften them up before I ate them)...They tasted soo good! I took a little tylenol early this morning and haven't needed it since...Well, thanks everyone for all the support!!! I really appreciate it and I couldn't have gotten through this without all you! Hopefully I keep getting better!!! I'm crossing my fingers!! I will try to stop by every now and then to let you know how i'm doing or check up on everyone!! :D

Happy healing everyone! And keep drinking that water!!!!

Scolby--Good for you! Doesn't it feel good to see the light at the end of the tunnel?

It feels really good to see that light!!!!!! :bouncing: Thanks dbaum

Hey,

Has anyone ever had the coblation procedure and what is it like?

kat62

dbaum -- Best of luck with your sinus issues. I had a somnoplasty (turbinate reuction) performed in 2001. It took maybe 20 minutes and the recovery involved no pain that I can recall -- just some big honkin' scabs that came off the inside of my nose after maybe a week and were sort of fascinating in a revolting way. The ENT performed the procedure in his office. He injected a local anesthetic and then removed hunks of tissue from my terribly swollen turbinates. The procedure made a HUGE difference for me. I had chronic sinus infections for maybe three years before having it done. When I finally went to a specialist who pointed out how tremendously swollen my turbinates were, I finally understood that yet another round of antibiotics wasn't going to accomplish anything. So don't worry about the turbinate reduction -- it's nothing compared to the tonsillectomy.

Spa, I am still waiting for the honking scab to come out of my right side. I can see it when I shine a light up there and it is huge. I am hoping it will come out soon since I can feel it and it is driving me nuts.

Tracy -- Now that I think about it, I do remember waiting for the scabs to come off because I could feel them very distinctly as foreign objects in my nose. Not uncomfortable, exactly, but I felt that I was constantly blowing my nose trying to get 'em out of there! At least when they come off, it's done (unlike with the tonsillectomy scabs, which can sometimes come off too soon or get inflamed and lead to complications).

Thanks Spa and Tracy--I'll find out today what my ENT has in store for me now. Thank goodness it's nothing like the tonsillectomy. :) BTW, I just love your descriptions of the scabs. LOL

I'll post the news this evening.

Hello everyone,

6 days until surgery and I went to vist my ENT today. I wasn't too nervous before, but now I'm scared to death. They are going to perscribe me oxycotin for my pain meds. Has anyone else taken that? The nurse also warned me about feeling constipated and some people have to return to the hospital for an enema. Has anyone experienced that?

I'm sitting for a section of the CPA exam 12 days after surgery and then am flying to Hawaii for my wedding a week after that. I'm so scared that I won't heal in time. The doctors say that I should be fine, but I'm freaking out.

I just pray that everything works out all right.

Hello all! Just did a quick search for adult tonsillectomy post op symptoms and found myself here. Just wanted to quickly share my story. I had a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy May 10 of this year. I'm 22 years old and all went well with my surgery. I had someone staying with me and on the 15, she left and it was just my husband and myself. I began bleeding while i was taking a shower. I couldn't believe how fast it escalated. I literally began to loose my breath trying to keep up with swallowing. Long story short, i went to ER and had a clot the size of a ping pong ball removed. I'm still not certain what came first? Did the clot(being so heavy and adding so much weight) make me bleed or bleeding make the clot? Kinda like the chicken and the egg...lol Anyway, i was told hemmhoraging only happens to 1% :wave: lucky me! I guess i was in shock because the only real in case of bleeding instructions i was given was if its more than a teaspoon, contact dr. My horror story wouldn't have been that bad if the ER had gotten to me sooner. Although i had a blood drenched shirt and towel, when you're bleeding in the back of your throat, they dont seem to "notice" it more than say external hemmhorages. I ended up loosing too much blood, passed out from the whole hypotensive episode but woke up fine. Has anyone else had copious amounts of bleeding? I would love to hear the stories. My 2nd post op visit is today and im nervous cause i cant stand to be suctioned!! My gag reflex is terrible :p I actually had this surgery scheduled for a 10 day break during my semester. It will have taken me so much longer than expected to heal.

I also have altered taste! Coffee tastes like milk of magnesia, ice cream like chalk, carbonated drinks like alka seltzer, chocolate like cocoa...boo hoo on reading how long it took for some of you.

The scabs were terrible and pulled making a sharp as daggers feeling. wish i had done this when i was younger :) would love to hear your horror or weight loss stories.

thanks
Sway

I found Ensure to be refreshing a quite filling! I drank it at room temp. I ate a lot of noodles (lo mien??) from the Chinese restaurant too :) Not to much zest but more flavor than mac.

OK, I've had my scan and been to see the ENT.

He told me he thought my scan was normal until he pulled the last panel out. It seems that the sinus above my left eye has no air in it whatsoever. The sinus cavities are supposed to be full of air. This one is completely filled with gunk. That was his technical term. He think that this is causing all the problems. I asked him about allergies and he said I did not have them because with allergies the problems are throughout all the sinuses.

He said it so full and in such an area that antibiotics aren't going to work just like they didn't work for my tonsils. He is amazed that I don't have severe sinus headaches in this area.

Anyway, long story short he is going to do Endoscopic Sinus Surgery on July 5. I should only need a couple of days off from work. He told me they really could do this procedure without general anesthetic but as he put it most people don't do well when some one is digging up their nose. His words, not mine. ;)

This better be the end of it. I did ask him why this issue seems to have been exacerbated by the tonsillectomy. He told me the only reason my throat is swollen and inflamed is due to the architectural changes from the tonsillectomy and the drainage is hitting a new and larger area. He did say the area where the tonsils were looks great but the problem is behind that area.

I am not looking forward to this but he promised this is nothing like the tonsillectomy. I really, really hope this does the job. Other than that, my sinuses are structurally sound. LOL

Ohhh dbaum.. well that's kind of good news. At least you now know what's causing it and know it can be rectified. I agree with the general anaesthesia though, it would surely feel like someone's pulling your brains out. lol
I am sure the recovery is nothing at all like the tonsillectomy one. :)
Does this mean yer leaving us now and disappearing to the sinus thead? ;P

Take care.

Hi Charlatan--No I'm not going anywhere. LOL I did post to a couple of sinus threads but no action going on. So I'll hang out here. Also, Tracy and Spa had sinus surgery so they have been a great resource. So, I guess I'm here for quite awhile. While I'm learning about this procedure I can also help folks getting ready for a tonsillectomy.

So, Tracy and Spa any tips of what I should or should not do after this procedure?

Dbaum, I am so glad that he found out what the issue is and is going to take care of it. Really the big No-Nos are blowing your nose which was the only thing that really drove me nuts about the surgery. Also keeping ice on it several times a day (bag of peas works wonderful) helps a lot. Also no bending over and no lifting. You will do wonderful and will feel soooo much better once he cleans that junk out.

I went back to the ENT for sinus pain and he thinks it may be nerve issues flaring from the surgery. He wants me to see a neurologist. I am leaving for vacation to Lake Powell tomm. so will have to deal with it when I get back. He gave me steroid pills and pain pills to get me through till I get back. He looked at my throat and it is 3wks today and he is thrilled with how good it looks. Almost all the white is gone and what is there is really faded. I have no pain in my throat now which is Heavenly and my taste buds are finally improving. Things still taste just a tiny bit wonky right now but so much better than it was.

Hi, dbaum -- Sorry to hear you have to undergo another surgery but rest assured that this one will be a breeze compared to the tonsils and will clear everything up. I've never had the procedure you will be undergoing; all I had done was a turbinate reduction, which only affected the mucous membranes on the insides of my nose. I have a good friend who has had multiple sinus surgeries of the type you are describing (she has had very serious health problems for a variety of reasons) and she has told me that the recovery is not bad. It is amazing that you haven't been suffering from terrible sinus headaches in the affected region. It is so interesting how allergies/sinus/tonsil/throat problems always seem to go together, isn't it? I've often thought that if I could remove my skull, shake/rinse it out thoroughly and stick it back on, I'd be just fine! :jester:

Mellers,

Not trying to discourage you from having your surgery with everything else you have going on, but on day 11, I had to force myself to go to my office to do some personal accounting work....glad I didn't have clients' work....it was awful! I'm on day 12 now and still taking pain meds....not nearly as much, but still need something for the pain. And from what I understand, the discomfort will last for maybe a month from your surgery date. I thought it would all be over with in a week or so...but have found out otherwise. Again, not trying to discourage you, just thought you need to know before you get it done. Inasfar as studying those 12 days before your exam...that's going to depend on the pain killers..I couldn't have studied during that time. Keep in mind that everyone is different...and I'm probably a lot older than you...I'm 53.

Never took oxycondin, but hear it is a wonderful pain killer...you'll need something strong! And yes, your doc's office was right about constipation while on pain killers...they slow down bowels. You can take a couple of bowel softeners from time to time...that helped me. Also, get a Fleet enema and keep on hand just in case.

Good luck,
Cathy

Mellers -- I have had a pretty good experience so far. I am 20 years old and on day 8 of recovery. Days 1-4 were the worst, but they weren't THAT bad. There were a couple bad moments but they seemed to pass pretty quickly. Day 5 I started to get the ear pain, but the pain meds and heating pad took care of that. Days 6 and 7 were good and I am only taking the tylenol about 3 times a day, only when I need it. Now I'm eating soft solids (pasta, bread, etc..). I also went and did a couple errands today and even made cookies for my family (which I couldn't eat :rolleyes: ) So, with my experience, I would easily have been able to study because I was reading and doing crosswords and all that stuff, even RIGHT after the surgery (I don't know why, but whenever I wake up from anesthesia I have energy...I guess I'm just lucky or something)...however, 2 out of the 8 days I was on lortab - yuck, I slept all the time and if I wasn't sleeping I was really drowsy and a bit sick so I stopped taking it and went back to liquid tylenol. I've never tried the medicine they are giving you, but hopefully it won't make you sick or drowsy (just make sure you have something in your stomach while taking it). Well as you can see, everyone will have a different experience and I'm so grateful that mine has been a good one so far. Hopefully yours will go as good as mine, if not even better :) . Good Luck with the surgery and with the exam. --Scolby.

Thanks for sharing! It's so helpful to hear from those who have experienced this already. I guess that I'll be prepared for the worst, but pray for the best. Those who talked about the waiting...these next 6 days of waiting until surgery are not going to be fun. I just want to get it over with.

Spa and Tracy. Thanks so much for the info. I'm ready to go and get this over with. I will be out from work 4 days so I am sure that will be plenty. Nothing like the two weeks for the tonsils. :)

Spa--Great idea about taking your skull off and rinsing it out. That describes it all perfectly. :D

Tracy--Have a great vacation and let us know how you are doing when you get back.

Mellers--Yes, you are right to hope for the best and expect the worst. If you are prepared you'll be OK. Somedays might not seem so OK but you will make it. We are all individual and some are hit harder than others. Just believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel :)

Alright, so im scheduled for a july 8th surgery date...however..in the meantime, ive been taking anti biotics off and on all summer, since late april to combat strep throat/tonsilitis.....it keeps coming back..is this normal for someone with bad tonsils..it seems like if I miss even one small dose, the bacteria comes right back, and then wont go away...Ive been on a couple medicines to get rid of it, however, now the second one seems to be not working....someone PLEASE tell me this will all go away when i have them removed

Hi Needsomehelpbad--I was just wondering about your and if you surgery had been set. As for the antibiotics I think it's normal in a lot of cases for them not to work. I was on antibiotics before surgery and my white blood count did not come down. My ENT told me that my tonsils were so infected that the infection was outrunning the antibiotic. Once you get that mess out of there and take a round of post-op antibiotics I am sure you'll be just fine.

Hi Needsomehelpbad--I was just wondering about your and if you surgery had been set. As for the antibiotics I think it's normal in a lot of cases for them not to work. I was on antibiotics before surgery and my white blood count did not come down. My ENT told me that my tonsils were so infected that the infection was outrunning the antibiotic. Once you get that mess out of there and take a round of post-op antibiotics I am sure you'll be just fine.

I was dreading the surgery for so long, but now, I cant wait till i can get these ******* things out of my throat....I hate feeling this way all the time....lately it seems whenever Im not on anti biotics they just swell up and become painful again...off to the doc now to get another round of antibiotics.....ill be in touch as my surgery draws closer

needsomehelpbad -- I am sorry you are feeling so miserable. I can guarantee that going through the tonsillectomy will be worth it for you. If you take the right precautions, you can get through the recovery and, once it's over, you will not believe how much better you will be feeling. Once those tonsils are out, the endless infections/sore throats/increasingly useless antibiotics will be a thing of the past!!!

Hey all - on day 13 of recovery now. Just wondering if you guys were still suffering mild pain in your ears and throat at this stage?? I've decided to take a few more days off. Sometimes I can feel a 'lump' where my toncils used to be - I guess it's just all healing. Speech is a little slurry still. Am I on track?? Thanks. ;)

needsomehelpbad -- I had the exact same thing. In late april I got severe tonsillitis and my tonsils practically closed off my throat - It took me 8 hours to swallow the first antibiotic...That experience was worse than what I've gone through in recovery from the tonsillectomy. After I was done with that 5-day antibiotic, it came right back and did it again after the 2nd and 3rd antibiotics. Anyway, my doctor said that my tonsils were so damaged that they just keep reinfecting themselves - my white blood cell count never went down as well. Well, about two days before my surgery, the antibiotics just stopped working I guess cause it came back even while i was on them. But now that i have them out I still have pain (but this time its from the surgery - and its different) and I don't feel so weak and tired anymore. So, yeah I'm starting to feel better and better everyday and I can tell this is going to be worth it!! Hope this helps

needsomehelpbad -- I had the exact same thing. In late april I got severe tonsillitis and my tonsils practically closed off my throat - It took me 8 hours to swallow the first antibiotic...That experience was worse than what I've gone through in recovery from the tonsillectomy. After I was done with that 5-day antibiotic, it came right back and did it again after the 2nd and 3rd antibiotics. Anyway, my doctor said that my tonsils were so damaged that they just keep reinfecting themselves - my white blood cell count never went down as well. Well, about two days before my surgery, the antibiotics just stopped working I guess cause it came back even while i was on them. But now that i have them out I still have pain (but this time its from the surgery - and its different) and I don't feel so weak and tired anymore. So, yeah I'm starting to feel better and better everyday and I can tell this is going to be worth it!! Hope this helps

sounds very simililar to my situation..late april..i had the worst strep/tonsilitis Ive ever had.....the most pain ive ever had in my throat..my speech sounded muffled because they were so large..went to the hospital two seperate times for dehydration and ineffective anti biotics...then it came back again...and again, and now once again.....how would you personally compare the pain of the surgery to your worst case of tonsilitis??? Im just looking for something to compare to..thanks

Matt

needsomehelpbad -- I can honestly say that I had bouts of severe tonsillitis pain that were as bad as what I experienced during my recovery from the tonsil surgery (if not worse). And, in the case of the recovery period, I KNEW that the pain was temporary and was the result of something that would be FIXING my tonsil problems permanently. When I had tonsillitis, knowing that the infections would just keep coming back and I'd keep feeling lousy was so depressing. If you take care of yourself (drinking constantly, etc.) after the surgery, you will be fine, so try not to get obsessed about the pain factor. The meds help considerably and it lasts for what is, on balance, a very short time, particularly when weighed against a lifetime of constantly infected tonsils.

Well said, Spa. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Spashop - thats exactly it...very well said.

Why, thank you! :D

Can someone help:
I am 19yrs old and am going in for a tonsil-adenoidectomy this Frday. I am very nervous, I have never had surgery before. I am reading all these horror stories that are giving me second thoughts. I have expierenced throat infections and hearing problems the past year which my ENT says is from my tonsils and adenoids that need to come out. I am relatively young, so should this be that bad for me. I am in good shape and have been trying to be as healthy as possible the past few weeks. Can someone please provide some encouraging advice for a scarred 19yr old man??
Thanks

Hi CJ, You've come to the right place. If you have read the thread you have a good idea of what to expect. Yes, you will have pain. Take your pain meds on schedule and keep the pain at bay. Make sure you take in nutrtion to help you heal. For me, the Atkins Protein Shakes did very well. The Vanilla is most tasty and easiest to get down. Also, chew gum this will keep the jaw loose and keep the throat moist. One more thing, get yourself a warm mist humidifier and sleep with it. It makes a huge difference.

The one thing to remember and do this constantly--Drink, drink and drink some more. You have got to stay hydrated. This will help the pain.

We've all been through this so just post any question you have. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I had mine done on April 12 and I am 50 years old. I made it, and so can you. :-)

Thanks for the reassurrance, greatly appreciated

I've just been researching the methods used for this type of surgery. There is a laser surgery, the traditional method, and a method that uses the harmonic scalpel which is supposed to reduce the pain of the traditional method while limiting the complications of the laser method. Does anyone have any expierence with this harmonic scalpel, I believe my surgeon is going to be using this.

No I had electrocautery done. I don't know much about the harmonic scalpel method. Maybe another tonsil buddy will have some more information

Thanks for the reassurrance, greatly appreciated

I've just been researching the methods used for this type of surgery. There is a laser surgery, the traditional method, and a method that uses the harmonic scalpel which is supposed to reduce the pain of the traditional method while limiting the complications of the laser method. Does anyone have any expierence with this harmonic scalpel, I believe my surgeon is going to be using this.

There is also another method, which i am having done on july 8th...the doctor called it a plasma wand...google it.....its supposedly the best method out there as far as healing and post op pain goes...

CJ - I'm a similar age to you, 18. I was extremely nervous about the op and read so much stuff about it that I almost made myself more ill with worry. I'm on my 14th day of recovery now and have not needed pain killers in the last 3 days (only sometimes when I get mild pain). On the day I woke from surgery, I had a little bleeding that soon stopped. I was able to drink and even talk. The pain from days 2-7 was sore, but not anything that I had to cry about. Sure it's sore, but it goes evcentually. In all honesty, before surgery, I could sleep for 12 hrs, get up, sit around the house, get anitbiotics from the Dr, go back to sleep and STILL feel tired and crappy the next day. I feel much better now - more energy. Recovery is really slow, but it's worth it. You'll do fine.

Thanks for the support Adam:
Thats the type of stuff I need to hear. I psych myself out over these things sometimes. I've just never had any surgery before in my life. But I'm convinced that it will be well worth it by the time I finish. What's anestesia like?? THe big day is now less than 24 hours.

CJ--Anesthesia is great. You won't remember a thing. But, it may make you nauseated. If you are concerned about that, ask your anesthesiologist for Zofran in your IV. It will help.

CJ - Anesthesia is fine. A little needle will be put in the back of your hand, you'll flex your arm until the vein is clear and then the anesthesiologist will place an oxygen mask over your mouth, you'll close your eyes, and then a warm sensation will travel up your arm - and the next you'll see will be the recovery room. Then they'll take you to your room/ward and ask you to keep drinking. You'll probably not eat for the first day - breakfast the next day will be tough but, I managed a full bowl of Alpen! You'll do fine...and in a couple of weeks, you'll be just like me - heading for a post op check up.

Hi

I am new to this board. I came across it while looking for information on tonsillectomy for adults. I am 30 years old and will be going in for surgery tommorow morning to get them out. I have battled 5 throat infections over the past 3 months while going to school. After experiencing a severe throat infection with high temperature and unable to swallow foods for a week, it was decided that the tonsils needed to go. I have been having problems with antibiotic resistant. They were able to give me a shot of antibiotics to get me through finals. Still dealing with a sore throat.

After reading everything here, I am scared of the bleeding and recovery. They are planning on having me go home the same day, but told me if i run into problems again with my Blood pressure and passing out, they will keep me. Me and general anesthia do not get along. I get sick afterwards and my blood pressure and oxygen levels get low to the point, I pass out.

I am scheduled for surgery tommorow morning. Less than 18 hrs to go.

thefer

Hey you and I will be going through this at the same time tommrow. Just keep your head up. You've most likely read some of these horror stories and have managed to psych yourself out about this. I think when its all said and done with it will be well worth it. I'm sure its going to be tough, but like everyone has said there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Lots of fluids, chewing gum, warm mist humidifier, and protein shakes. Stay hydrated. Best of luck to you

thefer,

You can kiss your sore throat from tonsillitis and strep goodbye tomorrow! I could tell the difference when I woke up after surgery....yes, you have "surgery" pain which can quickly be dealt with, but that nagging and oftentimes severe pain that you have lived with for some time will be gone forever! :)

Don't know when you had your last surgery, but anesthesia has come a long way in a few years. Normally, the anesthesiologist will come talk to you prior to surgery...if this isn't the case where you are having your surgery, tell your nurse that you would like to talk with him/her. Then you can relay your concerns and your previous experiences. You'll do just fine, I'm sure. I was to stay overnight as my doc's adult patients are kept overnight for "pain control"....I was glad of that, but chose to come home after 5 or 6 hours.

Don't be afraid of the bleeding or the recovery...just take it easy...take your pain meds for the first several days around the clock...set your alarm to take them during the night so the pain won't be advanced when you wake up.

Call your doc if pain med prescribed isn't doing the trick...you can be given something stronger if needed...don't suffer needlessly...and drink, drink, drink, drink...

cjduncs,

You're right about the "light at the end of the tunnel".......it's definitely there and sooooo nice when you see it! :)

Good luck to you both...Let us know how you're both doing when you get back!

Cathy

P.S. Tip of the Day

My doc prescribed Meprozine 50-25MG Capsules. It's 50 mg of demerol and
25 mg of phenergan........I called him for Lortab 10 mg in addition and
alternated the demerol with the lortab. The meprozine was WONDERFUL for
nausea....never was nauseated the 1st time!

Hi

Thanks. The last time that I was under was almost two years ago for my Breast reduction. The anesthesiologist was supposed to call me tonight and didn't. I talked to the pre-op nurse yesterday and she was going to pass the information along to the anesthesiologist. I figure, I will talk to him/her tommorow before anything goes in the IV.

They are planning on sending me home, but I doubt it will happen. It will be great if I can, but I know it will be better to stay overnight. My parents are more comfortable with the hospital managing the pain, then have me come home and something happen.

I am wondering how they will manage the pain after surgery. I had enough problems trying to swallow antibiotics on the last round of tonsilitis. They actually had me stop the pills and go in and get a shot of something cause swallowing was too painful. The idea of swallowing pills after coming out of surgery is hard to imagine.

thefer

thefer,

You will have an iv, of course, and while at hospital you can be given pain killers in iv or injections....liquid pain meds like lortab can be prescribed when you go home.

You have the right to talk to the anesthesiologist before surgery...demand it if necessary.

Cathy

Hey - here in the UK (maybe just our private hospitals like I used e.g Bupa) we don't get IV's or morphine. Morphine ultimately gives you sickness and the IV is restricting. When I woke from surgery I was given a cup of effervescent codeine and paracetamol - that was 1000mg of paracetamol and 16mg of codeine. I took that every 4 hrs. To hydrate me, I had one IV for 15mins with a salt/sugar/water solution. Only once was the pain really bad and I was given a little pill - as I say, I only ever needed it once! On top of that, twice per day, I took a Voltarol (anti-inflam tab) - it was tiny and easy to swallow. So, the pain in your throat often still allows you to swallow medicine...especially the effervescent type! You'll do fine. I can honestly say, the codeine and paracetamol effervescent tabs (available over the counter in the UK) did the job for me! Further, we get no post op antibiotics.

Hey! Kristen here. I posted in May and I am now 5 weeks post op. Only this week does my throat not feel sore. However, I was wondering if anyone else is having the problem with drinking liquids. Everytime I have a sip of anything, it goes up my nose and hurts. And last night I was drinking milk and it actually came out my nose!!!!! It seems to be getting worse as time goes on. It's very weird. Anyway, I'm glad to hear all you other post ops are doing well!!!! It's so nice to be almost back to normal!
Kristen

kryan,

Sounds like you are having a problem with your soft pallette....you need to get your doc to check it out! I had been told that the pallette dropping was one of the risks of the surgery...and water would come out of the nose while drinking..... But it could be something as simple as swelling due to an infection...get it checked out.

Cathy

Cathy

Cathy,
If it is due to my soft pallette dropping, is it permanent. That would be an awful thing to have to live with. But I will see my doctor and keep you posted!!!
Kristen

Kristen,

Sometimes it is permanent from what I was told...Doc asked if any one in family had cleft pallete or any other pallette problems before my surgery....and I didn't...but remember telling him having "water out the nose would be better than strep in the throat, anyday".......don't get out of shape til you see your doc...probably something that can be fixed or will fix itself!

There is another way that may help you. My ENT said some folks do have this problem and it usually resolves. He also said it helps to repeat the word "kick" as this will help strengthen the pallete as it gets used to its new position.

Its 3 weeks before my surgery and i am in AGONY.....another bout of tonsilitis/strep....on my third medication to try to clear it up..along with pain meds and steroids......My tonsils are KILLING me..i cant wait to get them out..i dont see how post op pain can beat this by much

needsomehelpbad,

You are so right....hang in there....the waiting and continuing to have strep/tonsillitis was a killer for me too. The post op pain is a different type of pain...one that you know will ease off and NEVER come back! That makes it tolerable. I asked ENT for pain med while waiting...he said tonsils weren't infected....told husband after he took them out that I must have been in horrible pain because they were so badly infected, duh??? So yes, while the surgery pain was harsh, it was greatly, greatly reduced with the pain meds...so less pain than tonsilitis or strep! Again, hang in there.....

Cathy

Hi

Had the surgery yesterday. OMG, the pain is unbelievable. Apparently the ENT told my mom that the tonsils were spongy and infected. I was just starting to get an infection a couple days before surgery. I went in for surgery at 11:30. The anesthilogist talked to me in the pre-op room with my ENT, both were joking around that when I wake up with a sore throat to blame it on the ENT and not the tube they put down my throat. Surgery was about an hour or so. I was given something in my IV and remember telling my ENT that she looked young. I woke up in recovery and they loaded me with pain meds and anti-nausea meds. Went to my room for about 2 hours where they gave me more anti-nausea meds and jello. Since I was doing ok, I was sent home around 4 pm. I pretty much laid on the couch for the rest of the evening and let my parents help me out. Drank fluids and ate more jello. I decided to try soup around 10 pm and managed to keep it in me for a whole 15 mins. All last night, I was lighthead when standing up and blood pressure was really low 90/50.

Today, I had some scrambled eggs, applesauce and coffee. Swallowing is very painful and my neck hurts along the jaw. They told me to use ice. I can stand up without getting dizzy. Everytime I look in my mouth, I get lightheaded. This pain is similar to the tonsilitis, just a bit worse.

thefer

thefer,

Welcome home....tonsilless at that!

You must have missed one of my "Tips of the Day"....NEVER look in your mouth on Day 2...ALWAYS let others look in your mouth on DAY 2...it will provide much needed sympathy! :)

Hang in there.....

Cathy

This goes out to anyone who has had their tonsils out.....What type of post op pain meds did they put you on??? Right now im on percocet to relieve the pain from tonsilitis.......Wondering if they will give me something stronger for when the tonsils are removed.....thankss

needsomehelpbad,

You brought a very important issue....pain meds after the tonsillectomy.

My doc prescribed Meprozine 50-25MG capsules...it's 50 mg. of demerol and 25 mg. of phenegran for nausea....FANTASTIC....I had no nausea whatsoever.

I did find however that the 50 mg. of demerol wasn't enough....so I called and asked for lortab 10 mg. I got the pills but it does come in the liquid. I would alternate the two and sometimes when pain was severe, would take them both at the same time....would recommend this combination to anyone! I usually get nauseated from pain pills but with the meprozine, it was smooth sailing.

Cathy

needsomehelpbad,

You brought a very important issue....pain meds after the tonsillectomy.

My doc prescribed Meprozine 50-25MG capsules...it's 50 mg. of demerol and 25 mg. of phenegran for nausea....FANTASTIC....I had no nausea whatsoever.

I did find however that the 50 mg. of demerol wasn't enough....so I called and asked for lortab 10 mg. I got the pills but it does come in the liquid. I would alternate the two and sometimes when pain was severe, would take them both at the same time....would recommend this combination to anyone! I usually get nauseated from pain pills but with the meprozine, it was smooth sailing.

Cathy



lortab isnt quite as strong as percocet if I am correct....I know demerol is good for pain, but I am a little worried I wont be given somethign that works..I too get nauseaus from pain pills sometimes, but really need something thats going to knock the pain out...Even with taking my 10 mg of percocet i can still feel my throat pain slightly right now......Anyone have any experiences with hydromorphone???

Thank God I found this Board!!! I was starting to think something was wrong with me. :(
I'm 31 and had my tonsils out on Monday. I was trying to make do on the pain killers I had left despite the fact that this is excrutiating!! I thought that I was just being a wimp or something, but if other people are having a hard a time as me with the pain then I know I'm not losing it. I'll try to contact the doctor tomorrow for better meds.
Hang in there to others going through the same ordeal. It will all be over someday!!! :)
Ginger

To start my Doc gave me Percocet 1 every 4 hours. But, by Day 5 this was not enough. He told me to take 1 1 /2 Percocet every 4 hours. Barely enough but manageable. He also gave me Phenergan suppositories for nausea. Worked very well.

Ginger I had a couple of refills on my pain meds before it was all said and done.

Hi

Its me again. Is it common to get alot of yellow stuff up. I am up the majority of the time feeling like I am suffocating.

As far as pain meds, I am on oxycodone and xxanx (helps with the jaw spasms) Whenever I drink, my throat goes into spasms. My neck is so swollen. I was up again the majority of the night.

Please tell me, where is the turning point to when things get better

Jennifer

thefer,

So sorry to hear you're having such a rough time. Doctors can be called on Sundays. They usually have an answering service who will page him or the doctor on call. You may need some prednisone to help with the swelling...don't suffer needlessly. Don't know what you mean abut the "yellow stuff". Are you on an antiodic? You may need one if not.

gg 6625,

Same goes for you too. You don't HAVE to wait til tomorrow!

thefer,

So sorry to hear you're having such a rough time. Doctors can be called on Sundays. They usually have an answering service who will page him or the doctor on call. You may need some prednisone to help with the swelling...don't suffer needlessly. Don't know what you mean abut the "yellow stuff". Are you on an antiodic? You may need one if not.

gg 6625,

Same goes for you too. You don't HAVE to wait til tomorrow!



I am on prednisone right now to help with my latest case of tonsilitis...its very helpful....has decreased the swelling in my tonsils greatly

Oh yes, after surgery I was given prednisone and then that was followed by a prescription for methylprednisolone. It really helped.

thefer, are u coughing up yellow stuff? i have yellow stuff all over my tongue and it feels all numb.

i went to an extra hour care clinic today because my doctor's service wouldn't contact him for meds on weekends. (grrr.) so, the doc there said i had developed a fungal infection on my tongue and it was probably from the antibiotics. so, i don't know if that is what you're having or if you have a different problem.

so, i got lortab for the pain today and an anti-fungal swish to add to my pharmacopia!

has anyone taken lortab? is it better than vicodin? please, say it's better...you could lie if you have to, and i'll believe!! lol

being in my apt by myself this long is making me a little loopy. :p
ginger

Is this too good to be true? Had my operation on Friday. I was drinking water and eating Ice Cream about 30 minutes post-op. They discharged me 5 hours after that. Came home, pain wasn't too bad. Actually ate scrambeled eggs that night! Doc has given me lortab which I take about twice a day. Pain is nothing more than a bad throat infection to me. This is Day 3 and I woke up today feeling even better. The only thing I feel bad about is that I have to be on house arrest for so long. The doctor doesn't want me doing anything for at least two weeks. Everyone's telling me that its going to get worse from here, but so far I honestly didn't think it would be this easy.

gg 6225,

I just checked my PDR...Lortab is one of the brand names of vicodin...same thing.

I was on Lortab 10 every 4 hours along with demrol 50 mg. The trush you have will cause additional pain and make matters worse.

Cathy

cjduncs,

Either you are one of the extremely lucky ones or you have been prescribed some good meds. What are you taking? If you are doing this good now, you'll probably have an easy time of it. But, do take it easy for a couple of weeks....especially not to cause any unnecessary bleeding.

Cathy

Just taking Lortab and staying extremely hydrated

Hi

My mom decided to call the on-call dr todaybecause it is getting worse. I couldn't open my mouth and felt like I was suffocating from the yellow stuff. The On-call dr notified the ER that I was coming in. The minute I walked in they took me back. I have been running a temp and not drinking. They hooked me up to IV fluids and gave me predisone in my IV. Now, I feel ok. Just constipated from all the pain meds. Still painful to swallow but better.

They started me on antibiotics and I am to supposed to see my ENT tommorrow

Jennifer

thefer,

Bless your heart....hang in there and tomorrow INSIST on something better for the pain so you can drink....that's the key. I had to use an enema and then wised up and would take a couple of stool softeners every other day. Pain meds will definitely do that to you. Hope you get to feeling better!

Cathy

Ginger,

Just wanted to check to see how you're feeling.

Cathy

Thank you so much for your concern, Cathy! I'm feeling a little better because I have pain killers in me now. It's still not THAT great but it's so much better that I'll take it. :) Still hurts, but it's a bearable burning-seering pain now. Woohoo!
I hope Theter is doing OK. That sucks having to go back to the hospital! I think I'll take my fungi over that. :(
Ginger

BTW, this fungal infection on my tongue (from the antibiotics). Is this thrush? Is this something that I'll always have now? Or is it just like a yeast infection and goes away and never comes back. I just don't know anything about this. :)
Best wishes for a good Monday, everyone!
Ginger

Ginger,

You can find out more on thrush by doing a google search for it. Evidentally, it's something that's very common with tonsillectomies. My doc gives a prescription for the thrush to take home immediately after the surgery...and I did get it but the med took care of it. Glad you're feeling better, but you don't have to settle on a "burning-seering pain"...even if it's "bearable"...call your doc and ask for something stronger!

Cathy

Hi

Still here and alive. I was told yesterday in the ER to go back to the ENT today, so that is where I am heading. Still can't go to the bathroom, starting to wonder if it is because of a liquid diet. I will ask today. last time I went was Friday. I tried drinking prune juice and it went up my nose. Any liquids are not going where they are supposed too. Whenever, I go drink some liquids, it goes into spasms and I will start swallowing repeatedly, till i burp.

ER said I was dehdrated and gave me a liter of fluids and steriods. Felt fairly good last night and ate some mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC. I never realized how painful this is. I am really fusturated. Going to attempt some cream cereal with antibiotics crushed in it.

Thanks for being around.
thefer

thefer,

Hang in there and let us know what doc says. You might want to pick up a Fleet enema while out...just in case...read where one poster said some patients have to go to emergency room for an emema....can see where I would have done the same had I not had an enema on hand. Hope everything comes out o'kay! :)

Be sure to tell doc everything....sometimes we don't want to seem like "whiners", but he/she really needs to know everything that's going on!

Cathy

My appointment today for surgery is in 2 hours!!! Yikes. I'm just praying that everything goes all right. Please send your "good luck vibes" my way. I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes.

Mellers

Mellers--Good Vibes comin' at ya! You'll do great!!!!

Mellers, You'll be fine...just remember, in the long run IT WILL BE WORTH IT!

cATHY

Mellers -- I'll be thinking of you. You will be just fine!

Hi everyone! I am 29 and had my tonsils out last Monday, so now I'm on day 8. In addition to frequent infections, almost every time I ate I would get food stuck behind my tonsils and have to scoop it out with my finger (yuck!) so my ENT thought they should come out. They were HUGE, but I won't miss them!

I wanted to thank everyone for all of the advice, my cousin took care of me for 5 days and she had read all of the posts ahead of time and was ready with gum, ice packs, a humidifier, stool sofeners, anti-nausea bracelets, etc. it made SUCH a big difference to know what to expect and how to deal with the pain and discomfort!

Everything was fine for me on day 1, I took Roxicet which is great but made me vomit on day 2 and 3 (not enough in my stomach), then from day 3-now I've only taken tylenol (2 extra strength pills), except for an occasional teaspoon of the Roxicet when I really needed it (and I was sure I had enough in my stomach). Tylenol works well and though it's pretty painful all the time, it takes the edge off.

I went in for my post-op today and the Dr. said it looked good. I'm going to Florida on Friday (day 11) and he's not thrilled about it because there could be bleeding on the plane (highly unlikely, but scary) - did anyone else fly that early? He said no exercise (no real swimming!) but I can walk a lot and swim a little as long as I don't raise my heart rate.

I feel really good (apart from painful sore throat and ear ache!) so I think I'm pretty lucky so far. And I'm trying to eat as normally as possible while avoiding acidic food and anything too crunchy, but I've had toast since day 4. Actually, I don't find it more painful than drinking water - it's all painful, so you might as well have something good for you. My cousin bought protein shakes for me too which were great sources of nutrition (called "Boost").

Thanks again for everyone's openness - it really helped me!

Cheers,

Ally

ps. my tip: ask the Dr. for anti-nausea suppositories, even if you usually don't have a problem with nausea, because you might need them and it's good to have on hand.

Ally--Congrats on being tonsil free!!!! You are right about the anti-nausea suppositories. I had them on hand and they came in handy a couple of times.

Thanks for the good luck vibes everyone. I'm home now and am being pumped with pain meds. I was so scared before surgery because I had to wait forever. My mom was in the pre-op waiting room with me and we managed to watch some Price is Right, Ellen, and almost the entire movie Father of the Bride. (Father of the bride was really fun to watch because I'm getting married in 22 days).

Putting in the IV was also scary because it was only the second time I ever had one. I was crying and they had to give me some meds to help me relax. I remember them taking me into the operating room and switching me to the other bed...the next thing that I remember was waking up in the recovery room crying "I want my mommy." (I'm such a big baby).

The doctor said that the surgery went well and that while my tonsils weren't huge there was a lot of scar tissue from my previous infections. He also said that I had tonsil stones popping out of the crevaces all over the place. Gross!

Well, I better go back and rest and drink lots of water.

Thanks for the enouragement.

Mellers

Hi im 19 having my tonsils and adenoids out this friday. ( I do not handle pain well) Please give me the lowdown on EVERYTHING from what to expect to what to eat or not and how you know when somethings not right etc...Thanx ;) I am stressing 24/7
God bless

I also have a cough do you think they will delay my surgery?

Hi

Thanks for all of your support. I never realized how painful this is as you get older. OMG. We called the ENT this morning after our ER field trip to get rehedrated and dose of steriods. Felt much better last night. This morning, I was hungry and ate Oatmeal. Big mistake. Didn't last long. I spent the majority of the day throwing up. The ENT said there was no point in coming in. I called back in the afternoon and told them that I can't drink fluids. They called in anti-nausea supporsitories and for the first time, I ate soup and kept it down. Also, discovered that if you eat enough popsicles, you numb your throat. Also, they put me on steriods for the next three days that should bring down the swelling.

Has anyone experienced trouble with drinking any liquids (pop, apple juice, water). Everytime, I do I choke and gag then throw up. Pain is still there and still coughing up alot of stuff. Since being on antibiotics yesterday, it is changing to a better color. My ears are hurting more tonight, I hate taking the pain meds cause they constipated me. At this point, I don't think I have anything in me between throwing up and not swallowing. Still running a lovely temperature 100.4-102. My mom is running around in 80 deg. with her shorts on and I have a fleece jacket and pj bottoms, curled up in a blanket shaking.

Cheekyness: All I can say is Good luck. You age is on your side. I got mine out just a couple days ago and I am 30. It is one tough, painful surgery. Get popsicles, clear broth, tons of kleenex. Drinking is the big key. Ask for supposorities for nausea even if you think you don't need them, you will. I ended up in the ER two days after surgery hooked back up to IV cause I was dehydrated. Are you staying with someone? Have them involved with everything including which meds and times to take it. There was no way I could do it the state I was in. When I went into the ER, I physically couldn't talk a couple words, my mom had everything down on what I took and when.

thefer

Mellers--That is pretty gross about the popping tonsil stones. But, my ENT told me my tonsils exploded in his hand when he started removing them. Now, that's gross. :)

Cheeky--You'll do fine if you read back through the posts and learn from everyone's experiences and suggestions. The main thing is to take your pain meds on time, drink lots and lots of fluids, keep up your nutrtion, chew gum and get a warm mist humidifier to keep the throat moist.

allyn - hey, I'm flying on day 26 after recovery (Tuesday 28th June) and I just had my post op check yesterday - Dr said all looked well and that he didn't anticipate any bleeding. I have a 12hr flight to Japan!! and he didn't stress any major concerns...I'd suggest taking a little pack of salt, ask the cabin crew for a glass of water, mix with the salt and gargle in the toilet for 30seconds every hour or so. This will keep the throat clean and acts as a natural healing agent. BE SURE to invest in a sinusitis spray or nasal drops (sinus pain for me is a real problem just now) something like Otrivine (I'm from the UK) should do it. This will aid the ears and air passages in the air. Don't fret over flying - major airlines allow flying after throat and ear surgery from day 10. Since it's earlier for you than me, I'd think about telling a member of cabin crew just so they are aware of what is wrong should bleeding occur.

Adamd1, thanks so much for the tips! I'm flying with the cousin who took care of me, so I feel much better about it than if I were alone. And it's only a 3 hour direct flight. My ENT said that if I bleed a lot, I'd have to get airplane cocktail napkins and apply pressure to the spot in my mouth and that I'd feel like I was gagging - ugh! I'll be ready with bottles of water and some salt and lots of napkins (thank god for barf bags!)... and the nasal spray idea is great!

I'll let everyone know how it goes!

Question: when do you know it's ok to exercise and stuff again? How do you know all of the scabs are off and you're done?

Tip #2: I live on the coast where there is a lot of seafood and last night I had steamed clams dipped in butter - easy to swallow and a great source of protein! (but only if you're not at all nauseous of course!)

Hey everyone, well I'm 20, and just got my tonsils removed last Wednesday, on the 15. So it's day 6, and I'm still feeling yucky. The stuff in the back kept piling up and it tasted so gross when I swallow. I called my doc yesetrday and he told me to gargle with water and baking soda and salt. It helped, but all that stuff got swallowed and I felt so sick! Anyway, to top it off I got cold sores on my lips for some unknown reason today. Maybe the stress? Or all that cold stuff. Anyways, throat still hurts when I swallow and it tastes very disgusting. Hopefully it'll get better soon! :)

I'm on day 6 of recovery. This is my first post since a couple days before my surgery To recap, I'm 22 have had an infection in my tonsils since October that wouldn't go away, then I also started getting those great tonsil stone things between painful infections. I'm sorry to read about all the people going through hard times, my heart goes out to you all & I hope your all recover quickly.

Personally, it's been good for me. Within 20 minutes of surgery I was talking & drinking sprite, & I have been since. I made some phone calls that day, took a couple naps, & overall since than I've felt well. Eating isn't that fun because I'm trying things like grilled cheese & stuch, but I'm just making sure everything is soft & such. Start yesterday I did have some pain talking, I guess from the scabs? It really feels like something is rubbing my throat whenever I talk so that's my only guess. So I've been limiting my talking the past couple days. Ear pain also started yesterday, but only appears to be a problem when I first wake up. I've stopped the pain meds after the 3rd day because I wasn't in what I'd call pain anyway, & they were making feel like I was in a drunken haze at all times. My head spinning was worse than my throat pain.

So now I'm just waiting to feel better. At least when I was sick I would known within 3 days I'd wake up better, but day after day this just seems to drag on. My tongue is still sore, which makes it almost impossible to brush my teeth or even see the back of my throat. i'm just couting the days myself...I can't wait to get pass like day 10 or so since I hear thats when recovery really kicks in full gear. :)

Again, I hope you all feel better soon.

i am looking for anyone who can give advice about tonsil stones, i saw my doc yesturday and as usual she is baffled by me having to sqeeze this gross stuff out of one tonsil constantly, i am a smoker so she says maybe throat cancer, just what i needed to hear she scheduled me to see a ent.i looked around on the internet and found that many others are going through this same thing, constant sore throat on one side having to empty the one tonsil, i dont have medical ins. so iam a little reluctant to see the ent,fearing he will not have a clue,iam willing to have the tonsil removed not sure if he will agree, iam 37.any advice???

Hi Pookie--If at all possible see the ENT. Tonsil stones are not that uncommon. I had them and many, many others on this board have had them as well. As for throat cancer, don't think about that. Let the ENT take a look. That's their specialty! I am a smoker, had tonsil stones and so on. I had my tonsils removed and there was no sign of cancer.

Hi

Well, I am on day 6. Doing better after being put on predisione. Although the lack of communication between the ENT and the pharmacy caused me to be wide-awake the last two days. Apparently, you do not take predisione at bedtime. It increase your heart rate, causes shortness of breath and I was up all night trying to breath. Not fun.

Yesterday, I was able to eat soft foods. Still have to crush up antibiotics. Still painful to talk much or swallow. It feels like something is constantly stuck in my throat.

Everyone who had tonsils removed, when did you lose your scabs. The ENT said 7-10 days. It seems to happened with me around day 5. Seems early.

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer. I started losing my scabs on Day 5. Seems you are doing OK to me. :)

Hi well day 7 today. Last night was hell. I ate some soft grain-like food (Russian kind of a porridge) and it didn't hurt to eat it until about ten minutes after when I started feeling really nauseous. I threw up like crazy and felt sick until about 3 am. Today, feeling a little better, doesn't hurt to swallow as much and the ear pain isn't too bad.
My voice is really getting better. Lost weight though..my mom calls me skin and bones now hehe. Can't wait till this is all over!
A quick question though...my friends want to go out of town in about a week and half, which would be exactly 17 days after the surgery. Do you think I'll be good to fly 1 hr on the plane? Anyone had experience with flying 2 weeks after? I really hope it'll be ok, cause I already bought the tickets! :)

Hi Yulka20,

I also had a tonsillectomy 6 days ago. I dropped alot of weight due to not eating. It is so hard to eat. I just started some soft foods yesterday. You might want to call your dr and ask for anti-nausea meds that you can take an hour before eating. This helped me out. I actually landed in the ER on Sunday, 2 days after surgery with dehdration. They pumped me full of fluids and steriods.

thefer

I had my surgery on May 24th and I can say I now feel like a whole new person. My throat is almost all the way healed and my taste buds are coming back and I didn't have any bleeding problems. I am thrilled to be on the other side of the surgery now. I can say that I am sooo happy that I had the surgery and can't wait to not be so sick this next winter like I have in the past. Plus I can't believe how much throat pain I was living with for so long now that I don't have any. Also my sinuses are healing well from the turbinate reduction so that is good also.

All those just recovering or about to have their surgery hang in there it will be more than worth it and you will survive it all. Hydrate, ask for different meds if you aren't getting relief and chew gum.

Hi thefer,

Yeah I'm probably going to call my doc today and get those anti nausea meds. Defintely try to eat little by little each day! Other than that...well it's day 8 and last night was prob the best night since my surgery. Other than a 10 minute horrible ear ache in middle of night I slept pretty good! I'm actually thnking I'll be good enough to drive over to school today to pay for summer classes.

Tracy E.
Wow! one month went by and your taste buds are coming back only now?! Was this how long it took for everyone else? I don't know if I can handle not tasting anything for 3 more weeks! :( Soon enough I'll dissapear if I don't eat that much haha

My Dr. gave me a patch for behind my ear for the nausea. You can wear it for 3 days. My tastebuds weren't totally gone all this time just certain things tasted off and weird. Chocolate still doesn't taste quite right but at least all the other tastes are more normal now.

I had the patch behind my ear and it really did help.

Tracy-I am scheduled for the sinus surgery on July 5. I'm not sure how my frontal sinus is related to the swelling in the soft palate. All I know is I want something to fix all of this and I really hope it does the trick. I will be off work 5 days, do you think that's enough?

Today is day 3 post surgery for me. So far, so good (knock on wood). I've eaten a popcicle and Atkins shake and am chewing some gum.

Day 1 post surgery I slept a lot, but managed to drink a lot of fluids. Unfortunately, I got nauseated and then I threw them all up. Later that day I started to feel better so I ate a tiny bit of chicken noodle soup and some applesauce. I wouldn't recommend the applesauce, it seemed to dry out my throat.

Day 2 post surgery was the worst! The whole day I was dizzy and nauseated. I threw up 5 times!! By the 3-5 times, it was all stomach acid coming up. It was awful. Luckily though, there was no bleeding. After some thinking we decided to cut back on my medicine. I was previously taking the max dosage and we decided to cut it down to 1 tablet every 4 hours. I'm taking 325MG of Oxycodone/Acetamin - Generic for Percocet. I think the medine was making me sick because later in the evening I was feeling a lot better. I was able to take a bath and eat a tiny bit of macaroni and cheese.

I woke up this morning and my throat felt slightly different than before. It feels like I need to clear my throat really badly. It feels like there is some stuff that is hanging back there. I don't know if that makes any sense.

What types of medicine are you all taking for the nasuea? I think I might call the doctor and request some.

Why does my tongue hurt so bad? It feels huge!

Get well soon to everyone!!

Dbaum, I am thinking that the 5 days will be enough but I would keep the option open with your boss for more time if you need it. I really hope that this takes care of all your problems.

Hi,

Today, I am hitting almost day 7 post surgery. The last couple nights have been rough, up the majority of them. I finally slept 5 hours last night after taking Xanax at 2:30 am. Also, throw up last night. The gag reflex is on overtime. Still bringing up alot of that sticky stuff and scabs. So, far I lost another big scab and no bleeding. Still alot of white and black stuff back there.

Eating has been a challenge. I had a cravy for a bean burrito from Taco Bell. So, my mom took me to lunch there. I was able to eat the majority of it, with some pain. Then went clothes shopping. I seemed to be doing ok with soft foods but it is painful to swallow. Tonight, I was able to stick spagetti in a food processor and ate that.

The biggest problem is that I feel like something is stuck on the left side of my throat and I want to cough it out. Also, I can't sleep laying down. When ever, I do, I wake up coughing and gagging. So, I sleep in a recliner.

Mellers: I was given phenergan supposorities because of the repeated vomiting and dehydration. I was in the ER on Sunday with it. I had stomach acid was coming up. With the tongue thing, mine still feels huge. Also, part of it is numb. It is from the swelling and also my neck is swollen and the glands are huge


thefer

Hi everyone--
I tried posting the other day but it didn't go through that I can see. Sorry if this is a duplicate.

I have my tonsillectomy scheduled for August 25. I am also having endoscopic sinus surgery done at the same time, including fixing a deviated septum. I have a few questions:

1. Has anyone had their tonsillectomy done at the same time as other procedures? What was that like?

2. I know everyone says two weeks, but I am taking Thursday the 25th through September the 5th or 6th which would only be 11-12 days. Think I can make it? I am gambling on being relatively young and healthy. I am 27 years old. . .and my Mom is a nurse and she'll be helping with my recovery so I know she'll keep my pain managed and make sure I stay hydrated and nourished properly, whether I want to or not!

3. how long has it been since your surgeries? Do you notice any difference? Was it worth it? Do you take less antibiotics and miss fewer days of work? As I type this, I have a hugely sore throat and ears, and a ginormous sinus headache, so I figure it can't be worse;) I am a little scared reading some of these posts and desperately want reassurance that all this suffering will make me better!

Thanks, and happy healing to all of you,
EBeth

Hi

Today was a very rough day. I finished my course of steriods yesterday morning and paying for it today. Throat is very swollen and when i swallow, I feel like I am swallowing a golf ball. Still hurts like heck to swallow. My mom noticed that when I was on predisone, I was talking. All day today, I didn't say much. It hurts to just open the mouth. Still coughing up stuff. I would think at day 7, I would feel somewhat better, but today is bad.

What can I do to reduce the swelling in the neck/throat. It hurts to just move my head or have anything around my neck.

thanks

thefer

Hi thefer,

hmm hang in there! It's day 9 for me and I'm really feeling much better. My ears still hurt sometimes for a few minutes but go away. For the neck..I'd probably put something cool on it and it'll feel better. I tried eating melon today and omg, it started stinging my throat so bad! :( Anyways, I can't wait when I can eat everything and actually feel fine eating it. I ate a good meal today but I had to chew the pasta to small little pieces for it to go down good. Wow, we take so much for granted until its gone...health is everything! Nothing else matters :)

Thefer--It will get better. Like Yulka--Day 9 seems to be the turnaround day. For me, Day 10 was almost magical. It was such a turnaround day for me. It does get better, it really does.

Tracy--I hope this is the last procedure I have to go through, that's for sure. I have my pre-op this Tuesday and I have a ton of questions. Hopefully all goes well. ;)

thefer,

I KNOW the misery you are going through. Take your pain meds as needed...there's no need to suffer needlessly...and you won't get hooked on them. You may want to try a heating pad on neck. I had picked up a slender bean bag type of thing at a craft show several years ago...some kind of Indian thing....you can put it in the freezer and use as ice pack or put in microwave and heat it up. I'd heat it up in the microwave and put it around neck when the pain was really bad, and it made a big difference.

My doc's instructions said you would start feeling more pain on day 8 to day 10...usually when scabs would start coming off...the pain did get more intense but I still have some scabs and it's Day 22....but they are much thiner and are SLOWLY coming off. My husband remarked at that time (day 8 thru 10) I too had stopped talking on those days. I've been really feeling good for the last couple of days...only have to take Tylenol, but did take a pain pill last night to sleep because throat was kind of rough....but just realized I had gone the whole day without remembering I had the tonsillectomy and not even Tylenol! :)

It will get better...it's just going to take a while...in the mean time, do WHATEVER you have to do to make yourself as comfortable as possible.

dbaum,

Good luck with your next surgery and thanks for being there for all of us!

Cathy

Hi

Thanks everyone. I am just so fusturated by all this. It is taking forever to go away. I have no patience.

Today, was a little better. I learned that if i took xxanx every 8 hrs, I had less pain when swallowing and less gag and throwing up. I had a large scab came off last night after a major coughing/choking fit, luckly no blood. I am loosing them and when I feel them, i start having a gag reflux to the point of throwing up. I am starting to hate eating because it takes me over an hour to eat, then afterwards, my jaw and ear hurt.
Things that I once like, now taste nasty. I can usually get in about 5-6 bites, then call it done because I am tired.

Sleeping has become a foreign concept. I am getting maybe 3-4 hours a night due to the amount of stuff coming up. Also, can't get comfortable. I seemed to do better in a recliner and taking an xxanx an hour beforehand.

thefer

I'm so glad to have found this board! I'm on day 6 after my tonsillectomy and still feeling awful; the pain just doesn't seem to be remitting. Is there any kind of consensus about how long this will take? I'm really depressed and worried about missing so much work.

Sorry if this isn't exactly a reply to the last post; I can't figure out how to start a new thread.

Hi CB and welcome to the board. Day 6 was not good for me. I had terrible pain until Day 10. It does get better. Just take your pain meds, stay hydrated and chew some gum. The gum will help with swallowing and keeping your jaw loose.

Hang in there, it will get better. ;)

Hey - on day 25 of recovery. Is it still normal to have mild ear pain at times, with a 'sore' throat (not pain, just like a regular sore throat) at times?? Let me know. Thanks.

Hey Adam. My ENT told me it can take an adult 6-8 weeks to be completely healed. To be sure, check with your ENT.

Hey every1,

well day 11 here! Went out last night and actually had a regular meal consisting of trout, mashed potatoes and chocolate cake for dessert! Can't believe it all fit in! Anyways, still having a sore throat. I have a question though: When you look inside your throat what is there in the back cause I have like this white covering on both sides in places where my tonsils were. Also it seems that my left side is taking longer to heal and the "hole" seems larger in the back on the left side. hmmm Anyone had similar stuff?

Hi Yulka, Yep, had the same thing. It's still scab material. I had one side that took longer because the tonsil was in worse shape. Sounds like you are doing pretty good!

Hi Yulka,

Thanks so much for encouragement!! It's so good to hear that there's an end in sight.

I'm on day 6 now and have been experiencing a lot of pain lately. I try to keep consistent on my medications but sometimes the pain is just too much. I'm going to give the ENT clinic a call tomorrow because I'm running low on pain meds.

When the pain is just unbearable I take to bags of frozen peas and cover them with a kitchen towel then put them against my throat. It seems to dull the pain.

Man I can't wait to hit the turning point!

Mellers