Adult Tonsil removal (tonsilectomy)

[choitoy]

I would steer clear of anything hard or scratchy.  I haven't had anything.  I am not nauseated at all.  Praise the Lord!

I drink lots of water.  I sip it as often as I move, to keep going to the bathroom.  Skip the lemonade.  It has citrus in it.   I haven't had much to eat.  DelMonte Peaches (snacks), ice cream, popsicles, and I tried mashed potatoes.  Very little though...not a lot.  Just enough to keep me going. 

Just keep her drinking...and keep calling the doctors if you aren't comfortable.

Today, I am hurting pretty bad and my ears are hurting too.  I have even begun losing my voice.  What's that all about???

Your ears are hurting because the nerves by your tonsils are also the same nerves that go to your ears.  I got this burning sensation running up my eustacean tubes and ended in my inner ear everytime I swallow.  My doctor says that that is natural from about day 3-7, and it will start fading as more tissue grows to protect the nerves.  It will feel like a bad ear infection, but as long as you have no fever (and if you are on antibiotics, take them), then you should be fine.

I also noticed that I kinda lost my voice a little too.  Try not to whisper as much, as whispering makes you constrict your thorat muscles, and that will caouse some pain too.  Just keep hydrated, as I noticed that my throat seemed to dry out fast, and this caused more discomfort.

[Leaddore]

I just had my tonsils out this past monday (04/04/05)

I am 28 years old and when I went to have my wisdom teeth removed, the oral surgeon said that she had to do some dancing to keep me breathing while taking my teeth out because my tonsils were huge. I went to the throat guy and when he looked at my tonsils, the first words out of his mouth were "Oh my god those are big" so I guess they were above average in size...

Fast forward I get them removed, first day home wasnt so bad, they have me on Dilaudid for pain and Amox for antibiotics so I was good in that dept, but the pain is getting worse every day, it doesnt help that I had a cold before and was somewhat congested to begin with.

Had a really good scare today, I sneezed really hard and broke something, I was bleeding quite bad for a while, almost to the point of calling 911 and having them come get me because I didnt want to drive in that state, the bleeding finally stopped for a few hours, but started again, this time I called the doc, who wasnt overly worried about it, even tho I was paniking lol, said to gargle best I can with cold cold salt water, and if it doesnt stop, he would have to go back in and fix what I broke. Lucky it stopped again and hasnt started since, and I am hoping it doesnt start again, it was quite nasty.

and I am only on day 4 of recovery!

Mostly what hurts right now for me, my tongue, I really want to know how far they pulled it out while operating on me.. it really hurts, my ears too right now.

[RainForestDweller]

Welcome to SkinCell Leaddore 

I'm sorry you're feeling so poorly right now and hope that the worst is behind you now.

 
RainForestDweller.

[Leaddore]

Thanks for the welcome, I am feeling less pain today, but now everything tastes nasty lol, feeling very weak because of my lack of nutrition, trying to eat more things, and more at that to make myself feel better, not working well yet tho lol

[medfan]

Hi there, i am new here.  But as I was searching the web for more info on adult tonsil removal, i was lucky to find this site.
Anyway, I am without my tonsils since I was 6 years old.  I recall it going quite well other than, when I came around I had a nurse who was rather unsympathetic to my cause, I was young and experiencing a real sore throat, and told the nurse I couldnt breathe.  This was ofcourse due to the swelling and soreness, so I continues whining and she dismissed my whines.
I was rewarded with ice cream, jelly and soft stuffs.  I am talking many years ago in a full ward in England.
At that time everone and their dog was having tonsils out.
You only had to have a severe tonsilitis, and it seemed like they were there ready with the scalpel. (Just kidding) But basically it was an everyday occurance.
I dont recall very many of my friends who even owned tonsils by the time they were 12.

Well, now I am married with children.  My two older girls got rid of their appendix (sorry for incorrect spelling).   And now my 16 year old, was blessed with giant lungs (or so she would tell everyone when she was younger).  Wasnt until years later she discovered they were called tonsils.
So eating is hard for her, she speaks as if she is talking through her nose.
She had had so many throat infections I cant even count.  The taking of antibiotics is second nature to her.  So we have had enough!!!
Oh yes she snores, she says that she heavy breathes, but she snores.
Doctore said a few years ago, if the throat infections persist, then she may qualify to get them out.  Well, just had an appt. yesterday, we have an appt. with the surgeon.  BUT.... he said they sometimes operate LOCALLY.  When I discussed this with my daughter later, she said "Well if the doctor is local well they would probably operate here in this hospital."  I chuckled. 
I often teased my daughter, and said I would take her to the doctor and get him to give her a needle and yank them out right there in his office, now I hear the doctor telling me that not all of the tonsilectomys are under general.
The thought makes me shiver, I certainly would not want to go through that, i fear even the dentist poking around in my mouth, let alone a surgeon pulling
something from the back of my throat.  I will certainly make a point of insisting on general operation rather than local.  I have read up a little on the net this morning about the pro op.  Sounds alot more drastic for the adult, than what i went through as a child.  Can anyone let me know if they have been through this as a LOCAL OPERATION.  I cant imagine they would put someone through that.    Anyway that is my first post in this forum, hope someone will reply.
THANKS.

[tanya]

 Hi guys, my nane is Tanya and i'm a  year old 30 who is 7 days post op. A few things to say about this.... I still sound like a cross between Chewbaca (from Star Wars) and Ms. Piggy with a frog stuck in her throat! nNo pun on that last one. lol

I too want to know just how far they streched my toung out of my head because it still hurts so bad! The ear pain is better... it only hurst now when I TRY to swallow food. All of my friends swore to me that mashed potatoes were the easiest thing to eat after having this done. Personaly, I think they lied to me. I think because my friends and I are southern they think Mashed potatoes and grits should fix all that ail ya. NOT SO!!!  Honestly, the only thing I have found easy to tollerate worth a toot is the good ole stand by that mothers have been feeding their chieldren for years..... Chicken Noodle Soup. Of corse you have to take VERY SMALL bites and the noodles have to be cut very small. Oh, and it has to be just above room temp. This si the only thing I've found.
You can toss the popcicle and ice cream notion out the window.. That went out with the poofy hair and madonna lace gloves along time ago. Who ever tells you to eat that.... THEY HATE YOU! OMG, cold stuff is the worst!!! My best friend... is no longer my best friend because of this... just kidding but it does hurt!
This is MUCH harder on an adult and if I live threw this.... I might be cut out to get married! After all marriage can't be near as bad as this living hell!!!

Can't you people tell I am trying so hard to find a laugh right now!! Oh, where is my demerol??? Meds... I can't spell with them. sorry guys!

[Popeye21]

Hi. I'm not an adult, i'm only 14 but i'll share my experience anyway.
I had my tonsils taken out on friday morning and it is now tuesday - day 4. It hasn't been a very pleasant experience.
When i woke up, it wasn't too bad, but it started to get unbearable. It was hurting to breathe so i was put on IV morphine. i was on paracetamol, voltarol and oramorph (oral morphine) throughout friday and saturday early morning and i went home midday saturday. You can't go home on morphine because of complications so now i am on antibiotics, paracetamol, voltarol and codeine. they are all soluble or liquid and make me feel sick. It hurts a lot, and i haven't eaten very much.  I tried soup and 1/2 a slice of toast today and it took me nearly an 45 minutes to eat half of it, at which point i gave up. I am off school for 2 weeks, but i haven't improved at all and it feels like i never will.
it is at its worst when i wake up. my aunt is a nurse and she said that this is because the muscles tense up, and also the drugs start to wear off.  i am being made to eat toast because it clears the mucus-stuff off the back of your throat and prevents infection but it really hurts. however, i tried soft stuff like a banana and mash potato and i couldn't swallow it, it was just sitting in the back of my throat which hurt even more and made me gag.
My bottom lip is numb and kinda painful, and i was just wondering if anyone else experienced this.
Good luck to everyone else who is recovering. Any advice on how to minimise pain would be greatly appreciated!

[angeloveru]

Hi all, Im new to all this and have been reading what has been said about getting your tonsils removed,  I must say I now well and truly have a feeling of dread in me as Im due to have mine removed on the 3rd of May. I was Ok about it all even the toast part as I just assumed they say its really sore but deep down I was in denial and thought there are far worse things than a bit of pain however now the denial has been swept away lol reality has hit home. My question is do you think in the long run it has been worth it or would you just not recommend anyone to go through with it?

[ange]

Hi,
I was googling for useful information on recovery from tonsillectomy and this forum won the prize! My boyfriend is 32 and he had his tonsils removed yesterday. The thing that concerns me is that as soon as he eats even small amounts of anything (yes, soft and delicate food only!), he begins to feel weak as if he was to faint and has to rest for 15 minutes before being able to eat again. You can imagine it takes an hour to eat a bowl of soup. The nurse said it is not someting unusual but I could not see any of you guys here having this kind of problem .
This could be a side effect of painkillers but it is so clearly associated with eating
I wish I could do something about it. Got any advice?

[missep]

My daughter (aged 16) had her tonsils out on 1st April. She is in a lot of pain and keeps vommiting. Is this usual? We had to get the doctor out yesterday to give her an injection to stop the sickness.
Also she still feels very light headed and "weird".
Are these symptoms usual?
I am trying to keep fluids and salt and vinegar crisps (recommended by the hospital) going but I am getting a lot of resistance.
She is taking pain killers every 3 to 4 hours and drinking water or lemonade.
It feels a bit scary looking after her at home. Anyone got any tips?

The vomiting is probably due to all the drugs and painkillers, so don't worry about it, unless it becomes constant, in which case a return visit to the docs is in order. Its a false notion that eating soft foods like icecream and mashed potatoe helps- IT DOESNT! its easier to eat yes, but it prolongs the recovery period. The doctors couldnt stress to me enough how important it is to try and maintain a normal diet and eat normal foods. Eating foods such as crisps, bread, toast etc, sounds worse than it actually is. And eating these foods helps to heal your throat faster-they scrape off the mucus and badness that forms on your tonsils pretty much immedaitely after the op. Encourage your daughter to eat as normally as she can. Even if she has to force herself to do it-she'll be glad for it in the long run as it really does speed up recovery. Its not so hard to do if she keeps trying, and when the painkillers kick in its really easier than you expect.
 I find icelollies help to sooth my throat because of the short numbing sensation tehy give, and even the othert extreme too-warm drinks-horlicks is thick and creamy and soothing too. Chewing chewing gum also helps with the earache that occurs.
hope this is helpful.

[kbattaglaausa]

OK its been a week since Ihave had this done. I am now in more pain than beforee. I wonder if its because the scap is starting to for. Not much o going through the thrpat right now. I am 36.

[Muziknutt]

I was looking up tonsilectomy things on the internet and ran across this website . My 5 year old daughter is having one next week . I had mine taken out when I was 5 also . I don't remember much about the experience as far as the pain or anything . I remember a little bit of going under , it was a little strange . So I thought I would see how much the procedure has changed since then . But I noticed someone was wondering about singing after one . I wanted to tell you I am a singer as well , and I have never had any throat problems or voice problems from having mine done . Of course it was a long time ago , but I would think it would really help . I think being sick all the time and having sore throats would be a lot harder on your voice then having your tonsils out . I wouldn't worry about it . You'll do fine . My daughter right now as a hoarse sounding voice all the time . Hers is really caused from her adenoids too . She breaths through her mouth all the time because she is always so plugged up, so I think her voice will probably really improve when all of this is over . She is a brave , and I am the nervous one . I will chat later ,and give you all an update . Thanks !

[Sha]

To all of the newbies that posted in this thread,

Welcome to Skincell!   
Good Luck on past ,present, & future tonsillectomies everyone.

Sha   

[DaGian7]

Hi, My situation is really wierd.. I want to have my tonsils out because they are swollen all of the time and constantly have little skin cells, plack and food particles that get stuck inside the little holes. It is extremely uncomfortable and I really want them out.  Its tough to clean,  I can always feel stuff getting caught and it freaks me out. Worst of all it makes my breath real bad. I have seen an ENT last year and they told me about the risks involved in getting my tonsils out however they said they would do it if I really wanted to.

I am wondering if anyone else has heard about this type of problem. I am 24 yars old. and I wanted to get it done before its way too late. Does anyone have any advice for me. I have tried gargling to get the stuff out and Q-tips dont always work.

[Billy_Corgan40]

Hi all ,
I'm gonna be 23 years old in August.  I'm stuck with tonsilitis at the moment, and am in severe pain.  My mother and father both had their tonsils removed at younger ages because they were causing them lots of problems.  Now they want mine removed because my tonsils seem to keep trapping bacteria, making for very sore throats (and possibly other cases of tonsilitis).

I've been on and off antibiotics for the last 2 or 3 years, and have probably been misdiagnosed one too many times.  I have gone into walk-in clinics with pus coming out of my tonsils, but they take a swab, it comes back negative for strep, and they've never given me a proper diagnosis.  Today, I went into a new walk-in clinic, and bang on right away, the Doctor was able to tell me have I have tonsilitis.  He told me to make an appointment with my regular family Doctor to tell him about this 'year of hell.' 

I have missed too many days at work, and I am sick and tired of being on antibiotics.  This can't be good for my body.  I'm afraid that I could get worst, but at the same time, I don't know how   As I can't stand seeing holes in my throat, food coming out of them, and how rather big they are.  It's GROSS!  Can anyone make me feel a little better about this procedure so I don't wind up regretting what I feel may be the best coarse of action for myself.  Just a simple 'it'll be okay'.  Anyone, anyone at all???

[supersleuth]

it'll be ok Billy

[Billy_Corgan40]

Thanks   My name is actually Veronica by the way  Billy Corgan is my favourite singer.

My boyfriend isn't being very supportive of my decision.  He has this notion that it will make me worst.  Part of why I'm a little afraid.  I can't see how these things are doing me good.  They're always too big

~V~

[GuyFromNE]

Hi Everyone,

   Well I'm 42 and I'm going to get do a sleep study to help build a case for my insurance to pay for removing my tonsils.  I've always had large tonsils and when I get sick they touch in the middle.  The whole idea at this point in life is the hope that it will decrease my snoring and my sleep apnea (I've been married for almost a year now and I think this sleep apnea scares my wife....)...and sleep apnea makes you wake up tired a portion of the time (and ok crank).  I recently went on Lexapro...you know that is pretty good stuff....while I still get cranky, I feel more like my old self....it takes the edge off and it has really helped me with some stressful situations centered around work and family.  Ok more than you wanted to know:)


    Anyway, I've seen some pretty ominous stories of pain and complications.  I spoke to a lady that had hers out last month and spent a week in the hospital unable to breath because of pnuemonia.

   While, this is just real early in the process, has anyone else had this for sleep apnea?  If so, did it work and was it worth it??

Thanks

[angeloveru]

You No what I have noticed is that I got my tonsils removed only on Tuesday and I have snored ever since! Is this normal as I have never snored or will it just be the swelling and disappear when im well again?

[Billy_Corgan40]

Alrighty, I'm not so scared about the operation anymore.  My great aunt was talking to my mother this morning.  Turns out she was having the same problems I was at the age of 21, when I was ORIGINALLY supposed to see a specialist about this issue (long story short, I had to cancel that appointment ).  My great aunt said once her tonsils were out, she became healthy and had less incidences of illness   HURRAY! 

Has everyone on this forum who's had their's recently taken out feeling better though?   I hope so.  Soon I will be in the same boat    

Take care everyone else who has yet to get them out as well.  I think we'll all be just dandy

~Veronica~