Adult tonsilectomy and freaking

[adultswim]

Hello,

I am new here and am feeling a little (well a lot) panic stricken so I apologize for the length I am sure this post will be.

I had a lot of problems with tonsil infections as a kid and my teens and for some reason I am starting to hate that they were never removed. I am now 42 and have not had strep or tonsillitis in over 15 years but according to my wife I have developed a bad snoring problem in the last couple of years. I don’t see the big deal…it never seems to bother me! But I have in the last few years woken to what could only be described as sleep apnea (gasping for air) only a couple of times and that got me to the ENT.

A little background to explain my situation:

You see when I was about 14 I had tonsillitis so bad that my throat was very restricted and hard to breath. To make matters worse I also found out on that trip I was allergic to penicillin. Within minutes of getting the shot of penicillin I began to violently throw up all over the doctors office (serves him right) all I remember is a nurse coming in and telling me to pull down my pants. At the time I couldn’t find my pants let alone pull them down, all I remember was feeling like I was going to die from not being able to breathe. Needless to say it was a rather traumatic experience that has stuck around. In fact the few times in adulthood that I have had, well one too many and spent time kneeling down in the bathroom I had to ask my wife to get me water and stay in the bathroom with me, yes a trooper I know!

So I go to the ENT and he is making small talk and discussing insurance than takes one look in my mouth, laughs and says insurance will be no problem. It seems on some scale between 1 and 5 I am a 4.5 and they need to come out. I was actually happy!! So I did some reading here and some of the experiences set me at ease and some really scared the crap out of me.

So this morning I was scheduled to have my surgery and last night and this morning I am a little freaking out. I get to the hospital and I am sitting in the little room waiting for the doctor to come in and I mean I am sweating like crazy, my heart is pounding and I am sure my blood pressure would have broken the cuff had we gotten that far. Now the doctor comes in and tells me there is a problem. Well at this point I am about to push him aside and run to my car in nothing but my socks and that fashionable little gown. He tells me that the hospital reserved a recovery “cubicle” because it is out patient and not the regular hospital room as he requested. This was because he said I would probably be in recovery for 6 hours and could be up to 23 without having to call it an overnight to insurance. He tells me we have to reschedule and I for some reason start to feel much better.

I realize I am going to have to go through all of this all over again and I doubt asking them to do the IV and sedation in the parking lot on the way in just isn’t going to happen.

So here is what I think was causing the panic and wonder if someone could please set my mind at ease…lie to me if you must!!! Yea I know…and I am 42!!!

Do they put a tube down your throat when you are under that you wake up to?

During the recovery time what are the chances that I am going to feel like I am choking or not able to breathe?

What will reduce the odds of vomiting and how bad it is without much in your stomach?

I have been prescribed a quart bottle of liquid Roxicet, some antibiotics and an anti nausea.

[debbie9901]

Hi A.S. (adult swim),

I don't know how helpful this will be but this was my experience.  I always got terrible sore throats so I had my tonsils removed when I was about 6.  Well, tonsils can grow back and mine did.  I started with the bad sore throats again and had to have them removed when I was 17 (so, technically, an adult).   I had it done outpatient and I was semi-awake when it was done.  After getting some sort of sedative (I was feeling pretty good) I got a few injections into my throat which just felt like small bee stings.  Then they used some kind of a loop that tightened around the tonsils and (burned? lasered?) removed the tissue.  It was over very quickly.  I didn't have any tube down my throat and when it was over, I remember laying in the recovery room and feeling really dizzy but I never threw up.  I went home that night and sucked on ice.  My throat felt like it was on fire for 2-3 days.  You may have all the ice cream you want but you won't want any.  Everything also tastes like blood so you won't really want to eat for a few days.  I just remember thinking that I have never had a sore throat this bad.  Within 2-3 days I started to feel much better and I was eating soft solid foods within a week.  The pain went away and the tonsils never grew back.  That was 37 years ago so I am sure that the technique is much better now!

Good luck with the procedure.  You can ask for an antiemetic medication to be put into the IV to prevent you from vomiting as a back-up.  Just be prepared for a yucky taste for a few days and a wickedly sore throat.

Regards, Debbie

[adultswim]

Hi Debbie and thanks for the words...I didn't know anything about the antiemetic medication but I will ask when I return for sure. I guess different people have different phobias, I wish mine were fear of heights I would just stay off roof tops.

Swim

[debbie9901]

I have a terrible fear of throwing up also..that's how I know about the antiemetic meds.  They put it in through the IV and it keeps you from throwing up.  Truthfully, I had no trouble breathing and no tubes down my throat.  I was awake when the tonsils were removed but had sedation so I remember it..but in a rather fuzzy way.  The biggest issue for me was the terrible sore throat pain.  It was terrible, but it was short.  Sucking ice was the only thing that helped. I took some kind of pain killer for it and it was tolerable until it wore off, then I took some more.  Within a week of the surgery, I was going out on dates so it's a quick recovery.

The fear is ALWAYS the worst part of anything.  Ask for a prescription for an anti-anxiety med to take the night before. Then, just pretend that everyone in the operating room is naked..and then not only will you NOT be afraid, you will find that you can now speak publicly without a fear of that too!! LOOL

Make sure you talk to the anesthesiologist about your concerns and he can address the nausea, any tube that he might use (although, I don't know how they can remove your tonsils if there is a breathing tube so I'm pretty sure you won't have one).  Also, ask for pain killers to be given intravenously while you are still sedated.  Then, as you become more awake, there is no pain and if you start to feel any, you can take more pain meds. It's easier to keep the pain level down this way than to take it down when it hurts like hell. 

Stay away from orange juice and anything acidic till you are completely healed or it will burn.

Again..good luck and let us know what happens!

Regards, Debbie

[Erin Faye]

Adultswim, Debbie is right about the anticipation - it's one of the worst parts!  I also have a fear of vomiting, as well as not being able to breathe!  You should be completely out when they take you back there and should not wake up with a tube down your throat!  I was afraid of the same thing and I've only read about that happening in here maybe once or twice. 

The worst part for me was waiting for them to administer the "good stuff" as I like to call it.  I worked myself up out of fear of the unknown.  But wouldnt you know that as soon as it went into my IV I drifted off into a special, comfortable warm place, and woke up in relatively no pain.  Now, I WAS on heavy-duty pain meds but I had no complaints in the surgery department.  The fact that you have someone to help take care of you when you get home also makes all the difference in the world 

That makes me sad that they canceled on you like that while you were all ready to go and had your courage up!  That's okay - you'll make it next time.  For me, the worst part of recovery was just a combination of pain, sleepless nights and lack of food.  Your body is sort of put through the ringer and if you combine all of that crap it's bound to make you feel awful.  The pain is bearable.  It's a major, "B" I am NOT going to lie, but you'll get through it. 

There is hope for you in the nausea department too.  Before they put you under, request phenergan (promethizane - spelling might be a little off).  It's an anti-nausea drug they can prescribe or they may write you a script for something else they deem more appropriate.  Thank the good Lord for modern medicine in times like this!

You'll be fine and my thoughts and prayers are with you.

[AZGirl]

I'm on day 7 (well, night 7) post-op, and I wish I'd have read these entries sooner! I thought the recovery process would be faster. My younger brother had his tonsils out at age 28, and he was back to work in 3 days! I'm 35, and I'm going to end up taking over a week off from work. I had my tonsils out last Thursday after years of dealing with sore throats, strep, sinus infections that wouldn't go away, and worst of all, horrible tonsil stones. My husband didn't want me to have this 'elective' surgery, but I'm glad I did. My Dr. said that when he removed the tonsils, there were significant pus pockets behind them, which I guess can lead to an abcess? Anyway, even though the recovery has been slow & painful, I still think it's worth it.

Days 1-3 were not too  bad for me. The worst was night 3. Apparently I can't digest hydrocodone, and it had been sitting in my stomach for 3 days. That night I threw up all the meds, along with everything I'd eaten since the surgery. Nobody told me that many people don't do well with hydrocodone, and it basically shuts down your digestion. Anyway, it was awful & left me completely dehydrated. So I spent day 4 in the ER on an IV to get rehydrated & I was also given anti-nausea meds. I'm not sure why my dr. didn't prescribe those upfront? In any case, I slept most of days 5 & 6, and am now feeling close to human again. I've lost 6 pounds (I only weighed 128 to begin), so I look a little like a scary cousin of the Olsen twins, but I'm sure once I can handle solid foods, I'll put that weight back on fast.

The only other bad thing was that my surgeon cut my tongue during surgery, and I still don't have feeling on the right side of my tongue. They tell me that will be normal within a week or so. We'll see....

Good luck to anyone who's undergoing this surgery. Just be prepared for several days of downtime, make sure to get a prescription for anti-nausea meds, and drink LOTS of water (even if it hurts to swallow...this is CRITICAL). A week will pass quickly & you'll be thankful next Christmas when you're not lying in bed with tonsillitis!!!!!

[tony_220turbo]

im on day 9 and my experience has been fine its just given me a bit of space away from my nagging girlfriend and time to play on my playstation 3

[wsben]

August 7, 2008
Hello everyone. I am new at this. I've been reading this discussion and follow other similar discussion on this site about adult tonsil removal for several days now, 'cause I'm going to have my tonsil remove tomorrow morning (_at_ around 8am, August 8, 2008) and I'm over 45 years old. I have learned a lot of what to and not do and also dealing with pain. For the last 2 years I've been dealing with sinus and throat infection more frequent than before and also one of tonsil is getting bigger and bigger, it gets to the point causing some breathing problem when I sleep at night. I am also a scuba diving instructor (Part time job and hobby). Sinus & throat infection is bad thing for a scuba diver so this problem need to be fixed soon. those tonsils need to go...

I'm a bit nervous tonight  . I never have surgery in my entire life, so this is it! Remember I am over 45 years old.  I need to stop eating and drinking by 11:00pm, and since this morning I have been drinking plenty of water, a lot, I mean a lot more than I used too. They told me if you well hydrated the post op pain is less.

So, I'll keep you post with new development after the surgery 

thanks,
wsben
Denver, CO   

[CazAngel]

Good luck with everything. I was 15ish when I had mine removed, I constantly had tonsillitis and strep throat from 4-5 years old until about 15, I was constantly on maintenance doses of antibiotics. I'm sure it'll go OK, and try not to drink anything that could irritate your throat after surgery. Take care.

[wsben]

August 08, 2008 - Post op.

The tonsilectomy went well. I did not remember much of it, all I can remember they took me to the outpatient surgery room after the pre.op, talk to my doctor, then they gave me something via IV, then I was out... next thing I remember they woke me up in the recovery room feeling just fine, no headache nor nausea. Post op pain or discomfort are minimal, tonight the drugs wearing off but the pain is still not bad at all, just like having a shore throat. The nurse reminded me to drink plenty of water and eat, and that's what I've been doing... I keep drinking plenty of water and flavored water (need the sugar). I also keep eating jello, pasta & Macaroni & Cheese and every 3.5 hours keep taking the pain pills. Also, humidifier help a bit.

Over all, post op day No.1 went well, actually much better than I expected as far as the pain, etc. I'm going to bed now and she what happen tomorrow... I hope this will help others that are planning on getting tonsillectomy....

Thank you.
Wsben
Denver, CO.

[wsben]

August 9, 2008
3rd day post op
Feeling the same, nothing change. I cut down the pain killer, did not take them as often as recommended (every 4+ hours) and I think that's a mistake, because it is a bit harder to shallow food. I'm back on it now and it is easier to shallow. Also, NON-dairy popsicle and jello does help. Bottom line the post op is not bad at all....Suggestion, drink plenty of water a or flavored water and EAT. I have some pasta last night (Fetucini Alfredo) ...

wsben

[wsben]

August 10 - 15, 2008
Saw my doctor on Thursday August 14, 2008. Doctor said I'm recovering well and a bit faster than normal. The pain is still there but again manageable. Scab are gone and some of the white colored area are getting smaller. I mentioned to my Doctor about the pain in my ears that I started to feel on Wednesday and she said it is normal due to ears, throat, etc. are connected and they have sensitive nerves.

Suggestions.
1. The original Natural Herbs throat drops RICOLA sure helps minimizing the sore and also keeps your throat moist.
2. Water... plenty of plain water, keep you hydrated and also keeps your throat moist - it helps the healing process.
3. Popsicle... popsicle......the ole' cheap plain popsicle! No ice cream!
4. Food. I know it is hurt to swallow, but you do need to eat.(i.e. yogurt, jello, chicken soup w/ rice, mash potato, noodles) full stomach, give energy and It helps the healing process. I usually take my pain killer about 15-20 minutes before meal, it does help to swallow the food.
5. Minimize talking   
6. Get busy! don't think about the pain.....

Thanks!
wsb