tonsillectomy today, need answers asap please? - Ear, Nose & Throat Message Board

ktdid · 01-23-2007, 06:14 PM

HI,
i had tonsillectomy today. adult.
i was given liquid morphine for pain med. it works to take edge off , neck/jaw/ear pain.
but the raw throat pain doesn't change.
in fact it might even hurt worse after drinking it.
did i mention it is the worst tasting thing ever. no flavoring what so ever.

as for the scabs, when do they turn white? mine are black. i've been drinking plenty of water and gatorade, in fact, i am peeing every 15 minutes.

i've read about using chloreseptic strips for kids. when is it safe to use these?
i don't want to make anything worse.

it is sooooooooooo hard to swallow the water, or even the spit in my mouth.
it feels like i'm swallowing so hard, yet i'm trying to be gentle?
any advice?
thanks!

mkgbrook · 01-23-2007, 07:50 PM

First if the pain is so bad look into the steriodal shot to help combat the inflamation and pain. Call up and get it through your ENT's office tomorrow. Eight hours later and you will feel a dramatic improvement.

Second I started with the kids strips on day three. I was using my lydocaine gargle as a throat swish and spit on day one. There are also lydocaine lolly pops that others swear by.

Third keep a cold pack on your throat and keep drinking the ice water.

Black scar sites? Sounds like electrocaterization of the tonsil sites. This is more traumatic than the chemical cauterization, but less traumatic than the slash and stitch method.

I am sorry to hear about the pain, but it will lessen as time goes by and the electrical trauma subsides...

Sincerely,
MG

ktdid · 01-24-2007, 08:32 AM

hi, thanks for the reply,
overnight half of the black turned white. or fell off? not quite sure, don't want to know,
but it sure makes swallowing a whole lot easier

i'm using the ice packs on my neck and it feels great.

i actually didn't take any pain meds today yet. i feel ok to swallow water and gatorade, not sure if i'll try and tackle some cold food today.
i haven't been hungry yet.

it feels kind of good not to be in the drugged up daze.

i know this will change ,and by later today i'll probably need something.

i am not talking though, when i do try and talk, it just makes me feel like i need to cough, i can barely get a word out.

thanks for the reply, good luck to everyone else too!

graceful36 · 01-24-2007, 11:16 AM

I am on day 15 post-op and I didn't feel like living until after day 10.

I found this board to be extremely helpful. I found that mkgbrooks is extremely knowledgeable and if you have any questions the board can't answer, ask her. Without her comments I don't think I would have made it.

Some things that helped me cope:
1. ice pack to my neck whenever the pain was extreme and I couldn't take my medicine yet.
2. a chart of when I can take my medicine
3. The lollipops were a miracle in between medicine times. Be very careful with the pops you can only have it in your mouth up to 1 minute. Read the instructions. You will need a RX for them.
4. You might need to sleep sitting up because your uvula will swell and make you snore quite loudly, and you will feel more rested.
5. The most important thing is to drink water all the time and to REST.
6. Read and send a copy of the LisaMP's Adult Guide to a Tonsillectomy, it is very helpful.

Good luck, it will be over soon.

MattinLA · 01-24-2007, 04:07 PM

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

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

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

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