Karl Katzke

I read your post before my tonsillectomy and your advice really helped. Its now day 8 post surgery and i feel fine – still in a bit of pain and on softish foods but all in all the whole experience hasn’t been the nighmare i was anticipating,
many thanks

annied

I’m 27 and I had mine taken out a week and a half ago. It still hurts to eat it still hurts to talk. Cold drinks make it hurt even worse i have been drinking luke warm tea. That actually feels good going down. My uvual is and has been and is swollen and the left side of it has been cortarized, and has white coat on it and looks nasty. My tongue was swollen for the fist week with that white coat and white sploshes all over it. My taste buds have been burned off and are non existant food takes like crap, even my favorite foods that I love to eat taste like crap and I only take a few bites here and there. It has almost been two weeks and Im still in pain and still taking my meds. I believe my Doc did the Cobulation. Thank God no bleeding. The left side of my throat hurts like crap and my right side was the one that always hurt more and was more swollen when the tonsills were in there. Now its my left side that is bothering me. WTF

I just got my tonsils taken out 7 days ago. I can eat some solid foods in small bites and quantities. It just feels like a really bad sore throat to me. The scabs are starting to come off a little and the constant feeling of something hanging in the back of my throat is driving me nuts! Any idea how long it takes for the scabs to come off once they start?

Drink lots of cold water and cold smoothies. I almost backed out last minute because of reading all the horror stories on the message boards.I mixed the nasty tasting liquid Vicodin into the smoothies. It does hurt, but water, water, water is the key to getting rid of the pain. It is NOT as bad as the posts describe it. It was certainly worth it. I used to get strep every other month. I am 8 months post op and have not has it since. 6 days post op, I cleaned out my shed and tiled the backsplash in my kitchen. The worst part was yawning. At 15 days post op, all pain was gone. For at least 4 months, I felt like I had a hair ball in my throat, but each month that gets better. Best decision I have ever made. Good Luck!

hello,

I am 19 years old and i had my tonsils out 5 days ago, the first 2 days after the op i was amazed how good i felt and to be honest didnt understand why i needed so much time off to recover, then from the third day onwards i felt real bad pain in the ears and throat just like everyone else, but one thing i havent heard any1 mention alot about is sickness which i am getting a lot of and this is preventing me from eating. Does any one else seem to be suffering with sickness o is it my antibiotics??

*t4zh4*

Is everyone here on antibiotics after surgery? I am nervous you guys…..I have surgery on Friday and reading these message boards can be helpful but also increases my anxiety! I laughed and nearly cried when I read Dana said about almost backing out from these sites!

Its all true!! Pain,,,is all I can say. I am post op day 4 and was re-admited to the hospital day 3. I read about the ice on the outside of the neck and was told about it at the hospital,(after the fact) but is it to late now? I think the vicodin are fake as they do nothing for the pain. Considering cutting off head….

Well it’s my fourth day since my operation and yesterday was pretty bad pain as I didn’t have any pain killers throughout the night and woke up really sore – but apart from that, I feel great! I’m almost back to normal, I’m taking half the amount of pain killers they prescribed and eating like normal! It just takes longer to get the food down, but best thing I have done is not stop eating normal for one day. My sister had a major accident and was out of hospital in a month and it could have been longer – just proving that a positive attitude will do WONDERS in helping you improve sooner. Can’t wait til I am back at work and things are normal again – just going to enjoy the next week and a half break I have off seeing as I feel great!

Had my tonsils removed Feb 21 (my 30th birthday no less). I am on my 3rd day of recovery and have not had many issues as of yet. The first day was the hardest because everything was swollen and made it difficult to breath. I have been napping on and off for the last couple of days but have been making sure to remain well hydrated. I have made a couple of attempts to eat actual food (mashed potatoes w/gravy, egg drop soup and lo mein noodles). I found that I could only tolerate just a little at a time and of course they just aren’t tasting the same. Talking has not been easy but I have been icing my neck today which has helped. So I have to say that so far, so good and hope that the rest of my recovery continues as well as it has.

Richi -

If you’re feeling weak from not being able to eat, Ensure or a similar “meal substitute” will provide the nutrition you need. If you’re feeling weak, you won’t be healing very well, which would explain why you’re still having so much pain after 12 days. Even though the cold ‘hurts’, eating ice chips will help bring the swelling down and will help keep it from hurting more.

I have a consult next Wednesday to get my tonsils out. (4+ years of constant strep throat and my doctor has finally agreed it’s time to get my tonsils out!)

I have a major concern about pain management. Most pain medications do not work for me. I had gallbladder surgery two years ago and my surgeon tried five different pain meds before finally putting me on the Fentanyl patch. (which provided no pain relief, just made me dizzy) Vicodin, Tylenol with Codeine, all drugs like that make me hyper and don’t work.

I get major migraines, and the ONLY drug that has ever worked to relieve any pain is Dilaudid. (I use it in suppository form due to severe nausea with migraine)

My question is, does anyone know if there are stronger liquid pain medications out there that my surgeon can prescribe? I’m not afraid of the operation, I’m just afraid of being in pain.

Thank You in advance!

I’ve never posted anything before in my life so we’ll see if this goes through. I’m 29 yrs old and I’m sceduled for my T&A on March 24. The doctor told me today that I have severe tonsil stones. I’m glad to finally have an answer but now I’m really scared. Well, I do feel alittle better since I’ve read all the great feed back you’ve recieved. I hope through the pain I remember to make use of all the wonderful tips you guys have posted. The pain isn’t my big issue(I know it won’t last forever). I’m more concerned about the bleeding. How will I know when I should contact my doctor? How much is not “normal”? Oh, and what’s with the staw thing? Why shouldn’t I use one?

I had my tonsils removed 2/21/08 and am still in pain. Somtimes the pain is worse than other times now. My first two days, I thought the same thing about not being in “too” much pain. Well boy was I wrong. I have been truly suffering. Don’t get me wrong, I heard all the horror stories from people who had the procedure and my doctor informed me of the extreme pain I would be during recovery but I promised myself that if someone ever asked me how the recovery was I was going to be explicit and not just describe it as “terrible pain”. Well, it starts off like I said, very uncomfortable then goes to EXCRUITIATING (sorry about my spelling) My doctor prescribed me liquid Morphine and I also take liquid tylenol in between and the morphine is disgusting. (almost unbearable to tast) let alone swallow. I went through the whole vomitting thing (nothing came up but liquids)and most of the time I have to hold my ears and quickly open my mouth when Im drinking because it feels that between choking, burning and feeling like the fluids are going to come out of my nose. Don’t worry, I’ve called my doctor after hours and during regular office hours and still all these things I explain to her that I’m feeling she says is normal. So most positive thing I can say in writing because I actually talk like a moron (which is also terribly painful) I am looking forward to not having any more sore throats. Best of luck to you. They say the surgery affects everyone different, so please don’t be turned from my views I just wanted to be honest.

Ok so to follow up. I had my surgery on the 18th of Feb. 2008. I still have a sore throat and it is still hard to swallow anything that isn’t smooth as silk lol or liquid. I feel like I am gagging alot but I am better. I keep reminding myself that this wont last forever. And once its gone it won’t come back Thank God. I have downgraded from Dilaudid to Tylenol 3 I dont have to take it every 4 hours anymore either. But talking still hurts after a while and I have to go back to writing everything down again. I don’t understand the straw thing personally. I used one my whole recovery. It helped me to get my fluids down.

The two things I would like to say to anyone having surgery in the future is this DO NOT MISS A DOSE OF YOUR PAIN MEDS EVER. If it says every 4 hrs every 4 hrs is when you take them trust me and

I just scheduled my surgery yesterday with the doctor for April 15th, and just listening to him talk about the procedure i almost passed out…i was litterally sitting with my head in between my knees in the exam room. I dont know why, but i am having major likey anxiety attacks over this. It will be my first time ever beeing put out by anestetics, and i don’t do IV’s well.

I will definetly be following the post-op intsructions to a “T”….i am definetly a wuss!

I will for sure let everyone know how it went and any tips that i may find!

good luck everyone!

First off, Karl thanks for putting this together and responding to posts by others. I have been reading this page for the last couple of weeks and I just had my tonsils removed yesterday. And if that wasn’t enough I also had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction.

I was having some major anxiety in the days prior to the procedures. I have young girls and I wasn’t sure how all of us were going to handle it. It was all for naught, the procedures went well and already I can feel the improvement in my nose. I’m so psyched about being able to breathe better already! I don’t even mind that the sites where tonsils used to be are all kinds of colors and my uvula is ENORMOUS! I know it’s only day two, but I’m off to a good start. I’m drinking around the clock and not sleeping for more than an hour or two at a time. That’s not a bad thing. I wake in the middle of the night to use nasal spray, eat, take my meds, drink, drink, drink and of course make lots of trips to the bathroom! Even with such a sleep schedule, I feel okay right now. I remember how it was when my husband had his tonsils out two years ago. He honestly went from “I want do die.” to “Don’t let me die!” Still, he survived and recovered just fine.

I’m trying to keep an upbeat attitude and I’ll report back later on how things progress.

My son is 43. Bad, huge tonsils. But has horrible insomnia and I wonder if anyone experienced poor sleeping and if so, did it improve after surgery.

He also had a nasty upper resperitory flu, toncillitis, cough, you name it. Gets it every winter. Often Strep.

I know it’s risky and rarely recommended for people his age, but man, he needs to sleep and not miss so much work.

Love to hear advice.

Hi im 29 years old and had a tonsillectomy on 28th Feb. I was hoping to feel fine by now but oh my god it hurts so bad. I had to go to the docs yesterday and had discovered i had an infection so i am now on 2 lots of antibiotics co-codamol tramadol and diflofenac. Also i have throat spray. if i knew before i had my surgery what i know now i would never have had it done. I suffered from tonsilitus about 8 times in 12 months. The first couple of days after surgery it was painful but ok. on the 4th day i woke up to find i couldnt talk or swallow the pain brought tears to my eyes. i sipped on ice cold water all the time throughout. Its now day 7 and i really need advice on how to handle the pain, also i have lost a lot of weight. What are the best things i can eat. Please help me……

thank you karl. iv sent my mum out shopping today to get me some. i cant believe how much it hurts still and im on day 8. i keep thinking its improving then a few hours later its hurt really bad again. i am taking all my meds off the doc which are co-codamol, tramadol, diflofenac… the only time i dont take them on time is if im sleeping. maybe i should set my alarm.

Hi, here I am on day 6 and I’m still doing fine. I think I have gotten the hang of this! But let me tell you about my last days. On Wed, about half an hour after my first post, I started to feel nauseated and then proceeded to vomit for about 5 hours. The doc thinks my pain meds and I weren’t getting along, so he prescribed Zofran and after one dose, I wasn’t ill! I don’t even need the Zofrm anymore.

By the way, I’m 35 and have two small children who are “helping’ me recover. =) I cannot stress enough that ice water and LOTS of it is the answer. There are times when I get to “medicine time” when I feel like I’m swallowing razor blades. This is especially true if I have been sleeping and my throat dries out (I can’t breathe through my nose enough yet!) I will drink a bit, take my medicine, wait a few for meds to start to work and then I will CHUG water. I found that sipping it is not enough. I need several good swallows in a row to take the edge off the pain and then the ice water starts to feel good! You need to get the freezing water in contact with your throat and you need to stretch those muscles. After about half an hour and a lot of water, most of the pain goes away again.

I thought I would lose weight, but so far this is not the case. Since my surgery I have eaten sandwiches, a ham dinner with potatoes and veggies, I had fettucine alfredo with chicken and asparagus and last night I went to a friend’s and had pizza with ham and pineapple. I also eat tons of ice cream and popsicles. Again, I swear that the water is what has allowed all of this and real food is giving me the energy I need.

I have also found that chewing gum helps. It stimulates saliva production and it helps stretch out the throat and jaw muscles.

My husband says that he wishes that I had my tonsils out first, so he could have had a better recovery. Good luck, everyone!

I am 39 years old and my surgery is scheduled for March 18. After reading everyone’s experiences, I am scared to death to go through with this!!! I have also read on other web sites that food tastes funny after having this done – up to 12 months long. Some people claim that they can’t taste at all. Is this something any of you have experienced? Food is one of my true loves and if I loose the ability to taste, well I don’t even want to think about that!!

Eek, I am 25, and going in for a tonsillectomy tomorrow morning. I took a week off from work, thinking that would be enough time, but now I am beginning to wonder! I’ve had swollen tonsils almost constantly since Thanksgiving of last year, and antibiotics do nothing. Steroids have worked twice, but once I stop them, it comes right back. I really don’t care how bad the next few weeks are, it’s better than constantly feeling sick and miserable for months at a time.

Thanks for posting this, I will be sure to use the advice and tips listed!

Hi, I’m 27 and I’ve been debating whether or not to get my tonsils out. I never had any problems until fall of last year, when a case of mono seemed to set off my tonsils. They treated the swelling that time with steroids (injected, and an oral taper) as well as pain meds and antibiotics. The mono obviously just had to run its course.
The throat specialist recommended we wait until the mono had gone away, but that I seriously consider having my tonsils removed (they were gigantic, they kept calling other people down to the ER to marvel at the size).
The steroids worked great, my throat was significantly better within 4-6 days.
Not being a huge believer in less than absolutely necessary surgery (I don’t even go the doctor until something is unbearably bad usually), I discarded the idea of having my tonsils removed. However, since the mono went away at least once every other month I’ve had serious inflamation of my tonsils (the pain from swallowing is terrible) and numerous other less intense soar throats. The anti-biotics help knock it back sometimes, sometimes they don’t. A variety of clinics and doctors have told me they don’t know why my tonsils keep getting infected, other than a cycle of infection sometimes sets in.
I’m in the midst of one such bout now. Even after reading some of the less positive things, I think I’m going to go to the doctor and schedule a time to have them removed asap. I can’t imagine the general pain afterwards being much worse than what I’m experiencing now anyway (can barely sleep, swallowing is indescribably bad, talking is difficult and forced, slightly difficult to close my mouth all the way).
I’ll definately be following the post-op advice I’ve found here. Thanks.

Hey everyone,

Had my tonsils out yesterday morning, and aside from the initial wakeup omg pain, I am feeling a lot better than I expected. I didn’t nap at all yesterday, and drank a ton of fluids – lots of water and 3 cans of lukewarm chicken broth. I even managed to work from home on a database problem last night. Right now I’d say the soreness is similar to when my tonsils were bothering me before, definitely not any sort of sharp horrible pain. One thing that has been working for me is how I am taking my pain medicine. I am on 2tsp of percocet every 4 hours, but I have been taking 1tsp every 2 hours, and it’s been heading off any pain. And I never miss a dose. I also spent most of yesterday with ice packs around my neck, which was a great tip.

Overall, I feel like I could be back to work on Monday, but I know rest is important and intend to take the entire week. I just wanted to comment because I have heard a ton of horror stories from people, and I wanted to let anyone else reading know that everyone is different, and it isn’t always that bad.

My daughter, age 23 is scheduled for a tonsillectomy on March 19th. Her doctor has perscribed TONS on medications pre-op and post-op. The one I am most concerned about is osycodone, but also will be taking amoxicillan, flurazepam, and dexamethasone. Has anyone had experience with any or all of these drugs? I’m freaking out here!!!

Thanks, Karl. All of the meds are in pill form…..and big ones at that. Should I ask the Doc for liquid form or just wait and see how she does? Liquid seems like a better idea than choking down pills.

Jean, I am 22 and had my tonsils out on Friday. So far, it has not been so bad, but I wanted to write and let you know that you should ABSOLUTELY get all your daughter’s medication in liquid form. Only 1 of my medications came in pill form, but it was traumatizing trying to swallow it because my throat was so swollen that I felt like it was stuck!

Also, I’m staying with my parents because I have not been able to drive myself anywhere, and my mom has been sleeping on an air mattress in my room for the past few nights to wake me up every few hours for some liquids and more medication since I am on anti-nausea pills that make me VERY sleepy. I thought we were both going to kill each other multiple times, but it has been so worth it becuase my pain hasn’t been unbearable yet.

Good luck!

I am 24, on day 15 post-tonsillectomy, and I still have a significant sore throat. I can finally get through the day without taking a nap, but I’m still not sleeping well; I wake up between 1 and 3 a.m. with searing pain in my throat, which my Dr. said is likely from breathing through my mouth and drying out (a humidifier will fix that, I’ve just been lazy). I was in bed for 4 days (day 3 was the WORST, I threw up all morning and wanted to DIE).

I came back to work yesterday, thank goodness it’s a slow week!

Freezing cold anything was best for the first week, but week two all I wanted was very warm liquids (I used to hate ramen, but it is my favorite now!) My uvula is still very swollen, but the scabs are about 80% healed now, and I can finally notice improvement every day.

As for the pain, well, in the beginning it was beyond horrible! I had an allergic reaction to the percocet, but I couldn’t talk, and the woman who was helping take care of me refused to call my Dr. and just gave me Tylenol!! It sucked, but I did survive.

Drinking lots of fluids is the best advice you can take; it will get you moving around, which will help your body detox from the anethstesia, and help you to have BM. I was constipated for 8 days!! Do light calesthenics as you can, even if it’s just walking around–you may want a nap afterwards, but you will feel better faster!

Good luck, and TAKE IT EASY…your body needs to heal!

Tanya – **Call the doctor that did your surgery**. He’s the one that can answer those questions!

Hi all, also from the UK! Im 18yrs old and had my tonsils out the 17th – making this Day5. It seems like the UK go a little easier on drugs than you guys – all I was given was 500mg Paracetemol (every 6hrs) and Dicolfenec (every 8hrs). I have also started taking Ibuprofen. My op was in the morning and by that evening and the next day I was feeling fine. Day 3 however, hit me like a train. SInce then I have been in agony pretty much consistently. The worst was when I missed my meds because I was asleep, woke up at about 3am with my head on fire. Swallowing is very very painful, talking is just about bearable but takes ten times longer. Hopefully things will start improving soon!! The real pain for me however was the intense and severe earaches which spread to my jaw. As previous posters have said I am dying to eat real food when I want and to be able to chug drinks. THank you Karl for the ice pack tips – I will try them tonight as my tongue is still swollen. I would also recommened a heat pack on the pillow for those with earaches just before bed – quite soothing.
x

Hey
Thank you for all the tips on here regarding tonsilectomy..they were very helpful!
Im just wondering how long everyone stayed in the hospital for? Was it a day thing or did you stay overnight? Im getting my tonsils out in a month and am kind of worried about it

I think it all depends on the doctor and the hospital rules. I had to stay overnight because it was hospital policy. My stay was 23 hours.

Hello All! I am 32 years old and four days post op. It has not been a great experience. Think having two gives was easier! I have been using ice packs constantly since I got home. They have been like my best friends in the world! They have really helped keep the swelling down outside of neck, which helps indside. My anthesteolgist (sp?) gave me a motion sickness patch before surgery which limited my nausea from the anthestia. GOD SEND! Did get sick from the vicadin. That liquid stuff is nasty, and it burns. Have finally tried to brave trying to just get small amounts of food down at a time. It is very true what others have said, it feels like swallowing knives! And I feel pretty weak from not eating much. Have lost 7 pounds. Wanted to lose weight, but not this way. I agree with others, when I can eat, I can’t eat much. Feels like my stomach shrank. I keep hoping that it will get better. Day 3 was the worst do far!

Damn, that’s a good question. Do you have soy yogurt available in your area? Stay away with things that are acidic like apple- or citrus-based stuff… if you baked the apples in the oven for a while (like apple pie) that might work. Try mixing soy milk and a banana… smoothies that aren’t acidic are good for you right now. Silk does have soy smoothies… And Spirotein apparently makes an ensure-like product in a can, but I can only find a few references to it.

Funny, I’m not vegan, but I used to help plan menus at a vegan restaurant. But most of our stuff was seriously of the crunchy sort, so I’m having a hard time thinking of things!

I got my surgery done on the 27th, stayed in the hospital that night and was released to go home the next morning. Everything seemed okay, until day 3,4 and today..day 5 is the worst so far. This is the worst pain I have ever felt in my life, It kills to swallow, to move, I cannot eat anything. I can barely drink anything. I have been prescribed T3’s and have gravol. I also have an ice pack on it at all times. Is there anything else I can do? Please help!

I’ve had over 20 cups of water everyday, and the membrane is starting to hang which is irrating my throat and making me cough really bad.. Anyways to get it rid of it sooner ?

Life is *MUCH* better without tonsils!

I have been making soups, and blending them, and they are currently in the freezer, waiting for my surgery day (April 18). They will be nutritious, and creamy, and hopefully I will be able to consume them after surgery. Many of them are vegan type, so hopefully this may help the person above asking about vegan foods.

I am 37 and scheduled for April 14th to have my tonsills removed, I have a very low tolerance for pain and a very high tolerance for pain meds! Am I screwed??? I have had kidney stones and c-section child birth before but this really scares me! What is the best pain med I should ask for?

Ok, now I’m getting scared. sx is scheduled for april 23. i gave birth to 2 kids, but all of these stories are scary. i am having a babysitter for my 2 kids, but no one specifically assigned to me. were all of you able to get up and make your own smoothies and food? it’s ok to go up and down stairs right? my dr. really has not given me much information about this. any advice about other moms coping would be much appreciated. i’m 30 y/o with 2 kids under the age of 3. thanks

I am also a mother of 2. A five year old and a 3 year old. I had my mom catering to my every need so she fixed all of my food for me! I guess if I HAD TO have gotten up, I could’ve. There are lots of bad stories to read, but nobody ever really takes the time to put the not-so-bad stories up. I have been put under general anesthesia five times!!! When you are put under…it knocks your body out of whack! The older you get, the harder it is on your body. The main thing is you’re gonna be really tired for several days after the surgery. Two reasons…the medications, general anesthesia, and the decrease in consumption of solid foods. Your body kinda goes into shock b/c eating is a major component of our life…and obviously we’re not able to resume our normal eating habits. I am now on day 5. I have felt pretty good today. I am now only taking regular tylenol. I just cleaned and vaccumed my daughter’s room! I wouldn’t have thought I’d be doing that on day 5 (based on hearing other stories). Now every doctor has different procedures for doing tonsillectomy, so that is another reason stories differ. My throat pain has HONESTLY NOT BEEN TOO BAD! It’s just the tiredness, and inconvienience of not getting out and about and being on a restricted diet. I honestly feel that my results have been so good b/c I am staying EXTREMELY HYRDRATED! And I have eaten since the beginning. Today I had a cheeseburger from McDonalds!! As far as going up and down stairs – I’D BE VERY CAREFUL! If at all possible, I would avoid doing so for the first week. Lay on your behind as much as possible! Like I said before, your really tired and trembly for some time after this surgery. Childbirth and this surgery are not at all comparable. Childbirth is a pain that is quickly forgotten b/c we have a precious newborn to erase the pain. If you keep hydrated, try to eat as soon as possible, and take your medications as prescribed, YOU’LL BE FINE! Get a cool mist humidifier to put beside your bed. Your throat does dry out more at night and the humidifier will help. The throat pain is not a constant pain – It’s only when you swallow. You want to be sure to swallow to keep your throat moist. Don’t try to spit out your saliva or you will be in more pain. My own personal advice is to try to have someone with you, at least the first few days. You need to see how your body will respond to the pain meds. They give some pretty strong medication, and with not eating much it can sometimes be hard on you. Once you know your ok with the meds, then you’ll prob. be fine alone. I had the panic attacks due to the codeine. Thank God I had someone hear with me b/c it was AWFUL! I still have not stayed alone! Don’t get too worried. I did the same thing…but you gave birth to 2 children…YOU CAN DO THIS!

Did anyone also have the option of having their tonsils shrunk with a CO2 laser? I hear the procedure is a LOT less painful.

I’m wondering if anyone had any experience with it or turned that option down for any reason…

Hello! My T&A surgey is scheduled for next week, April 23rd. I am also *so* thankful to have found this website with many others to commiserate with. I have had strep 5 times in the last 8 months and hope this is the best thing to do. Writing down everyone’s tips and getting my shopping list together. Will be sure to post again post-op.

Is it the cauterization that burns the taste buds off?? If so… can’t the tongue be protected?!

ps on the childbirth thing.. my epidural wore off and I was able to feel every stitch as they sewed me up. Surely I can do this! (sorry TMI I know!)

I know all of you are going through so much and I feel for you all and especially for the ones who have a surgery scheduled and it hasn’t happened yet. My husband was just diagnosed with Throat Cancer that started it his right tonsil. They not only did a tonsillectomy..they also did a radical right neck dissection which looks kinda like someone tried to decapitate him. But the tonsil pain is the worse. I’d say that he was told he could take his pain meds either 2 tblsp. every 4 hours or 1 tblsp every 2 hours..and that is what we are doing. It is liquid vycodin. He is eating applesauce..drinking lots of water. We weren’t told about the ice pack..but then with this awful incision on his neck that may not be too comfortable. Other things we are doing…Biotene Oral Balance Dry Mouth Moisturizer..get it otc at a drug store..puts a few drops on his tongue every 3 or 4 hours..helps to keep the mouth moisturized. Chloroseptic melt in mouth strips. Temp. but only come in red. Our Dr. didn’t make too a big a deal out of the red thing. He said if you started throwing up blood you’d know the difference between that and red gatorade. But that was just his opinion. Follow your DR.s orders. Aloevera juice can be bought at most health food stores. It also has a lot of vitamins added to it. Just like Aloe soothes a sunburn..this soothes the throat…coats it. Tastes kinda funky. I drink it everyday. Well…hope some of this helps…he seems to be doing pretty well. FYI..his prognosis is good but he will still have to do radiation and chemo after this. If any of you here are praying people..his name is Mike. Thanks.

Ok so this is a quick catch up on me. Ihad my tonsils out on the 18th of Feb. I posted both in Feb. and Mar.

First Dont skip the meds. Second have a vitaman supplement or drink slim fast or ensure to keep you healthy and to help you get the vitamans you need.

Get plenty of rest. Before I had surgery I wasn’t sleeping. I will say about 6 weeks after surgery I thought I would lay down and take a power nap at 6 pm. I didn’t wake up until 8:30 the next morning. I did wake up with a migrane headache but after that night I have had more nights with 8 to 10 hours of uninterupted sleep than I had had for the 4 years before surgery. I couldnt remember how many nights a week i actually slept all night long. Now I can count how many nights I havent slept since the middle of March on one hand. So the whole point is YES IT REALLY DOES HELP WITH YOUR SLEEP. So it feels good to say that.

I will say that even now 2 months later I still feel like I have something stuck in my throat at times. There are times when I talk that it sounds like I have liquid in my ears.

The last thing I would like to say is yes it hurts yes the pain is bad and yes it takes forever to heal however I would be willing to go through this pain a hundred times to have the sleep that I have had. It outweights all the pain and the lousy diet.

Remember to listen to your dr and listen to all the suggestions exspecially the ones about taking your meds on time. all the time. it will help. oh and one more thing DRINK DRINK DRINK. it will help.

God Bless and best wishes.
susan

Hi,
I’m 37 and I had my tonsils and adenoids out April 18th. I have drank GALLONS of water and iced tea. I am sitting at my desk at work 5 days later. Call me crazy but COLD WATER/TEA and LOTS of it!
Also I felt better when i switched from the vicoden to advil. I had a clearer head. I appreciate all the good advice and I hope mine helps as well!

My update: I’m just starting day 3 post-op and I feel exceedingly lucky so far but am still quite wary of upcoming days 5 and 6 with the scabbing.

I’m taking 4 tsp of a liquid acetaminophen/hydrocodone combo every 4 hours on the D-O-T. I set two alarms on my cell phone just in case I’ve fallen asleep so I don’t miss it. Taking the liquid antibiotic 3x daily and then they had to put me on a very small steroid pill also. I had zero nausea from the general anesthetic or narcotics. I probably use the “Magic Mouthwash” 3x per day an hour before my next hydrocodone dosing if my throat is feeling a little more sore (Rx mix of all liquid mylanta/benadryl/lidocaine).

I started right off the bat with drinking a meal replacement drink every time I take meds-full bottle during day, half-bottles in the night (Theralgran M (purchased at Walgreen’s) and Ensure brands so far. Theralgran M “Vanilla” was so good!) and per my mom, “chewing ice like it’s nobody’s business” lol, which got me to stop. I blame the narcotics for tweaking me out. I was an absolute jabber jaw the first 24 hours, couldn’t stop talking. No problems there for sure. Day 2 I “came down” and slowed down a bit which is a good thing. Here’s my original contribution to what to eat: I had “All Bran Extra Fiber” cereal. Took 1.5 cups of the cereal and poured 1 1/4 cups of boiling water over it in a bowl. Let sit 10-15 minutes and finish mushing it up with a spoon and let cool very very well. I don’t mind the taste anyway, but it’s been like heaven. The bonus is all the fiber and it helps to chew even this consistency to stretch your neck muscles. I’ve also had some sherbet ice cream a couple times a day (what better excuse!!!). Sucking on lots of ice now and started drinking ice cold Gatorade but have switched to mainly ice cold water now.

I fill 3 sandwich ziplock bags about half-full with ice and put it into a higher sock and tie around my neck and leave on until it’s no longer icey. I folded a bath towel to prop it up higher on my throat and also keeps my pillow/shirt dry as it sweats.

I’m not sleeping much but it’s ok as I am staying ahead of the pain, my #1 priority. Have been using a cool mist humidifier at night (even though the humidity has been pretty high anyway as we’ve had like 5″ of rain in the past week?!). I wake up in a slight panic with a dry throat and then suck on some ice, drink 8 oz of ice water, maybe chew a piece of xylitol gum and then work on going back to sleep.

Hope I’m not sounding too cocky yet as I am quite concerned about days 5-6 as I said. My right tonsil was in pretty deep and they told my mom it was just full of infection. Both sides required dissolvable stitches. Just wanted to share everything I have done so far as I felt this website was the absolute #1 thing to prepare me so well!!! Thank you! I’ll come update maybe around day 7 (April 29th-ish).

I too am having my surgery May 8th. I have found all this info very helpful. Calms my nerves. I too have had four children but am so scared of this surgery. Thanks for all the usefull info. i am taking notes and will return after my op for my input. Thanks everyone

I’m 21 yrs old and 6 days post-op. and i have been reading all these comments from day one. and i’ll be honest, when i started reading this on my first day and i was reading about how the 5 dayers and the 6 dayers that were in so much pain i was like… HA! i feel fine! this will be a breeze! those poor suckers! but now that i am on my 6th day. i totally feel it. ALL OF IT! the horrible scabbing, not being able to sleep cause of the pain, the nausea, not being able to eat anything, and my new LOVE for my pain killers! I’m now a believer that this is way worse than i expected! and i look at the newbies who just got them out and think…just wait! seriously though, we will all make it through this! and in the end it will TOTALLY be worth it! for me, it means no more tonsillitis! which was 10x the pain of this. and jsut think about all the delicious, hard-edged foods we can eat once our taste buds come back and our throats are healed! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Hello everyone, I’m 24, English and having my tonsils removed in two days’ time… and have been freaking out ever since I was told I needed a tonsillectomy for a unilateral/enlarged tonsil. I was never very good with pain, and will do anything to avoid it, I’m even thinking about calling the hospital up tomorrow and backing out. I guess my worst fear is from complications such as hemorrhaging. And I’m the biggest wuss and hypochondriac you will find in England. Really. I’m so insane, I’m worried I will die on the operating table or something equally morbid. I’ve never been put under with anesthesia before either, so that’s scaring the hell out of me too.
Also I’m a bit worried because people here have said they were prescribed antibiotics… but I was told I would ONLY be given painkillers, nothing else, and I don’t want to self prescribe on antibiotics! Is this wrong?? Aaargh!
I’m really frightened, and I know I sound mental but this is how much I DON’T want to do this, and I know it’s my choice but all my doctors have been telling me it’s for the best
By the way thank you so much Karl for this site, it’s been a great help, the doctors never mentioned any of these tips! For them it was just another procedure!

Hi All:
Ok, I am 30 y/o and had my tonsils out on April 23..so I’m on day 6 if sx day is day one. The sx lasted a total of 35 mins..I was in the recovery room for 2 hrs and didn’t remember anything but being put on the table for sx. I have pretty much been eating normal food from the beginning: meatloaf, potatoes, pancakes, noodles, sherbet for sure…very good for throat, and lots and lots of water. Oh, I’ve also been eating whole grain white bread, it seems to be good for just wiping throat clean…all of these foods with the exception of sherbet hurt somewhat going down, but it’s tolerable. The pain is more today, but again it’s tolerable as long as you stay hydrated. It’s like a raw pain that radiates to ears and surrounds neck. It only hurts when you swallow and truly the pain is like nothing I’ve experienced before so it’s hard to put into words. It is like a really bad internal black and blue feeling and pushing on it (swallowing) causes the senstation to go to your ears. The stiffness in your neck must be somewhat like how menegitis feels I would think. Initially, the pain will be like your worse sore throat, so no big deal as far as what you can tolerate. Now, the pain is making my jaw hurt, feels tight, I definately can only whisper at this point b/c talking hurts, warm noodles feel good and cold sherbet feel good.

I, too, was very scared about the sx table…but I can already tell that I won’t be having sore throats anymore after this heals b/c my throat already feels more open and I can tell the bad bacteria infected tonsils being gone has already made a difference.

Another good tip: while eating cold sherbet, drinking cold water, put plastic ice cubes in long tube socks and put a twisty tie at the ends..then wrap those around your neck…have 2 sets so that when one set gets warm, you can switch the other one out of the freezer. But keep the socks in plastic bags in your freezer otherwise the socks end up smelling like freezer food.

I also have 2 kids under the age of 3 and have had babysitters. My mom has taken care of me a few days and I’m telling you if you can have someone make you food and look after you…it’s much nicer than trying to do it yourself! You can do it yourself after the first day, but you really don’t want to…it’s easier to just stay in bed when you don’t feel good. If mom is watching after you she’ll make you eat which will eventually make you feel better faster. By day 5 and 6, I really have needed the pain meds every 3.5 hours, not every 4 hours. The loratab relaxes the throat reducing the pain a bit.

Honestly, don’t be worried about the pain…I was very very scared of dying on the table and all sorts of stuff…and it’s going to be ok, I promise!!! Ann

Ok so I had my tonsils out yesterday. When I woke up I was really scared…I was shaking uncontrollably and the docs had to keep telling me to breathe but after that stopped and I was given meds…it was much better.I’m on day 2..still in pain…but the hydrocodone really helps..only keeping down water and pops…it hurts too much to eat n e thing…I have also developed a cough…I think its cuz my throat is itchy…and my throat is all white which they tell me is normal….I keep reading all these posts and I’m like nooooo I want to eat….it seems like it takes a long time to heal….also my jaw really hurts as well..has since I woke up..but well see how it goes…wish me luck

I’m ready to eat my earlier words now. Here I am 12 days later in the worst pain of my life and there is nothing anyone can do for me. So I’m going back to the original dosing on the hydrocodone and if I’m off for another week of work, TOO BAD.

My advice – don’t feel guilty. I’m tired of crying. I wish I would have been all better in 7-10 days. If you hurt, just keep taking the drugs!!!!

Robyn

Thank you for this site… I wish I found it before my op!

I’m a 28yr old female from Australia and had my op on 28 April. Day 3, 4 and 5 were DEFINITELY the worst so far. I stayed in hospital overnight and Day 2 seemed a breeze.

It soon dawned on me that I couldn’t keep anything down for the first 4 days and thought there was no light in sight. Day 7 now and seem to be ok to eat soft foods, eg creamy mash, soup and noodles.

The pain is excrutiating!!

I am sitting here at 1am with an ice pack wrapped around my neck on Day 7 unable to sleep…again! I’ve taken pain killers religously every 4hrs although they only seem to provide temp pain relief.

No matter how much ice and water I drink… my throat seems to be constantly dry. Half the scabs seem to have fallen off now so I assume another 7 days until I am semi-normal again!

Unfortunately, at the moment unfortunately can’t see the benefit in the op as the pain is soo bad… and I need sleep!!

It’s been 2 1/2 weeks since my tonsillectomy and my throat is still sore, especially when yawning. My surgery went great and I was able to go home within 2 or 3 hours of waking up. I find it funny that so many people talk about not swallowing much for the first few days. My only comfort came through drinking ice water. I have never drunk so much water in my entire life, but it really helped so much! Hot foods and liquids didn’t feel too good. I still haven’t attempted coffee yet… Yogurt, cottage cheese, Rice Crispies (with lots of milk), and Carnation Instant Breakfast was pretty much what I lived on for the first couple weeks. I just attempted chips yesterday and that was fine. I actually felt pretty good the day of my surgery and for the next couple days. I really started to hurt on day 3/4 and was so nauseous that I couldn’t take my pain meds, which didn’t help anything. Throwing up with a raw throat is not recommended! My dr. called in a perscription for some antinausea medicine and that helped some, but was fairly nausious for several days. I was on pain medicine for the full 10 days. I attempted to go back to work on day 12, but was only able to work a half day. On day 14 I was able to do a full day and have been able to since. I expected a very steady recovery after the first 10 days or so, but it has been very slow progress. Even now, it is very painful when I first wake up in the morning. One of the biggest changes is that I can now breathe without feeling like someone has their hand around my neck. Also, my taste buds are a little screwed up – not sure why. I used to drink a Diet Dr. Pepper every afternoon and right now it tastes incredibly bad to me – I can’t even drink half a can. Propel also tastes very strange to me still. Overall, I know this is worth it, but it was a much longer and unpleasant experience than I expected!

Update. I am post op 7 1/2 weeks. My ear pain continues but to a much lesser degree, it still will occasionally stop me in my tracks when it is sharp, I still can not taste most foods, and still have problems swallowing meat and bread (they get stuck). My ENT explain to me that all my complications were most likely nerve damage from the tools used to keep my mouth open during surgery or a combination of that and the breathing tube placed down my throat, my last surgery I had a reaction to anesthesia and quit breathing so for my tonsillectomy they plan to intubate me from the very beginning. While I am happy not to have to deal with strep throats constantly the continuing ear pain and loss of taste has been a bit discouraging. Per my ENT I should be back to normal in 6 months to a year. The time it takes nerves to fix themselves. That information just added to my discouragement.

I’m scheduled for surgery on May 23. I’m 26 and a little nervous about this whole thing. I’ve been the “sickling” of the family my entire life, so I’m hoping this will help me to feel better. It’s been nice to read everyone’s experiences so that I’m at least a little prepared for what’s about to happen.

Today is post-op day 16. Haven’t taken any narcotic pain meds in 36 hours (yay to getting more antibiotics and steroids, I must have had an infection). Drove for the first time since surgery. Slept 8 hours! Took care of my son and went shopping for 4 hours. I am exhausted and my right incision is hurting again, but bearable. Mashed potatoes started burning tonight so back to Ensure. Hopefully I will suddenly be able to eat again, much the same way I suddenly didn’t need the narcotic pain meds. I have 3 more days before going back to work (7 days turned into 10 turned into 19 days leave total) and I am going to REST. I am just so excited to live my life without hopefully being sick all the time!

I was so horrified doing the research, before my surgery. Most of the stories are bad experiences. On Tuesday morning (it’s Friday night now), I had my tonsils and adenoids removed. There’s some really helpful information from this site and a few others and it helped me get ready. I’m older than most of the people I read about (I’m 34) – so I was even more worried. It’s pretty uncomfortable and weird right now, but I’m totally glad I did this. I have had huge tonsils all my life. Usually I get strep, sinus infections or tonsillitis at least 4-6 times a year. I also recently realized I have tonsiliths – which was the clincher. That was just too gross.

The best of all the advice was: constant ice water, sucking on ice, never miss your pain meds and eat something with each does of meds. I bought some slimfast shakes for when I couldn’t get anything down. Just to have something in my stomach with the meds. I haven’t really missed any doses of pain medicine. I had an allergic reaction to the liquid lortab (I got itchy and red), but they had me take 4 tsp. of children’s Benedryl before each dose and that helped. I’m never without ice water. After I eat something (mostly mashed potatoes from KFC) I chew on some ice and it makes the agitation go away. The ice packs helped too, but actually drinking and eating the ice helped more.

I’ve had a sore throat so many times that this isn’t too bad (with lots of meds). I don’t have those horrible tonsils filling my throat and stopping me from swallowing and even breathing. I have to blow my nose really gentle, but I haven’t even been congested. I’m only on Day four, so I will try to post again. Hopefully I won’t have to eat my words, but really, I’m glad I had this surgery. I think that once I heal up this will be worth it.

Karl – this site really helped me prepare – thanks to you!

Hi everyone. I’m 24 and am getting my tonsils removed this next Tuesday. To be honest, these posts have increased my anxiety a lot, but have also prepared me for what lies ahead. I’m getting married on July 6 and am nervous that I may not be healed by then. Does anyone have any words to ease my fears?

Oh, and thanks for the advice. I’m planning on lots of ice, ice packs, water, and humidifiers. One question though, I’ve been thinking about brushing me teeth. What is everyone’s experience with toothpaste and the brushing process?

Hey Marni,
I actually found that brushing my teeth made me feel better, one tip is don’t brush too far back and rinse very well!

Good luck and don’t worry you will be feeling great in time for your wedding!

As far as calming your fears just try to focus on the good stuff to come NO MORE SORE THROATS!!!!!!!!!

I am so glad I found this website. I am 54 and think I am the oldest one on this site to have my tonsils out. I had them out Tuesday 6th May, and like Kimmy I also have a white throat. Apparently your siliva turns it white, but after a week it is meant to slowly turn pink. I have pain that is similar to a bad case of tonsillitis – with earache. I just keep telling myself that this will be the last time I will ever have this pain.

I should have had my tonsils out 45 years ago, so I want to say to all you younger people out there – get them out while you are young. Apparently it is a lot less painful and quicker recovery. For years I asked to get them removed, and I was told I had to have tonsillitis 5 times a year, and sometimes it would only be 3 or 4 times. Also in my latter years I was told that I was too old and could have complications. With not having my tonsils removed at an earlier age, they have affected my general health and made me very tired. I wish I had pushed harder to have them removed years ago, as you only have one chance at this life so why not enjoy it with a healthy well being.

I think im going to be the only one to talk about bleeding. Im 22 and had my surgery on may 6th today is post op day 6 and today was by far the most painfull and most scary days of the surgery. well it started at 8am when i woke up and felt like junk in my throat did a little cough and came up when i went to the sink in was a big clump of old blood with a little hint of fresh stuff. so i went back to the doctor he looked at it said it was no big deal one of the scabs just came off a little bit so i went home drank some cold water and stared to turn on my humidifire when i felt a rush of metal tasting liquid comming through my teeth all over my floor it was a major bleed. so i rushed to get ice water and gergal it on my throat after about 5 min it stoped i felt so sick to my stomach from all the blood i swallowed so i ran back to the bathroom and kinda did a gag but insted of trowing up a huge clump of something came out of the side of my throat it was the size of an old 50 cent piece it looked like an other blood clot but the same time when i looked at my throat it look so much deeper then the other side so i think that might not be normal but i have not felt to bad or bleed sence this morning so well see how it gos if it bleeds bad again ill go to er

Hi Everyone
I am on the night of day 3 of my surgery, and so far it has not been a good experience.I am 21 and My mom had to rush me to the hospital because I couldn,t breathe, I had a fever, the pain was unbearable and I was dehydrated. They put me on so many meds inclusing steroids, antibiotics, morphine, gravol, and saline. Like Karl said it is SO IMPORTANT TO DRINK LOTS!!!!
IF YOU DONT THE PAIN WILL BE THAT MORE EXTREME. And if any of you are complaiining of a sever headache it is most likely from being dehydrated. I am home from the hosital but it was an awful expeience. Thanks Karl for making this awesome site!!!!!
I just have a question for any of you who want to answer>
On average when will the scabs start coming off and will it hurt really bad??

65-almost 66-years-old. Had the BIG 4 including tonsillectomy, septoplasty, turbinate reduction and Uvulaectomy on April 28. To help with sleep apnea problems.

Found your site the week before THANK GOD! Was prepared to spend Dr. recommended time in hospital, followed by lots and lots of icy treats (including ice and ice water — not just Popcicles) at daughter & s-i-l home with grandchildren for extra nursing duties. (Grandchildren recommend popcicles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. — AND IT WORKS!)

Surgery went so well they kicked me out that same evening — surgery was at 11:30 a.m. — home by 7 p.m. Felt pretty OK until day 3 — and 4 and then ears took over as pain central on day 6 through day 17, fighting for center stage with throat pain during that time.

Saw the Dr. on Day 10 — said everything was looking great — prescribed more pain med (that liquid hydrocodone tastes YUCKY!) — at which time I discovered , , , are ya ready for this . . .

MY PHARMACY HAD REALLY SCREWED UP !!! THE DOSAGE LISTED ON THE FIRST BOTTLE WAS ONLY 1/3 OF WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

NO (BLAKITY) WONDER I WAS IN PAIN SO OFTEN. That ONE teaSPOON didn’t last even 1.5 hours, much less 4-6 hours.

ICE and ICE WATER or ICY BEVERAGES and ICE PACKS were the salvation for my throat. EAR PLUGS, alternated with SWEET OIL & COTTON BALLS and a WOOL SCARF really helped my ears stop hurting.

Yesterday, (Day 18) still intermittent throat pain, especially during and after eating*, I began tablet form pain meds — taking about 1 hour before eating followed by 2 popcicles AFTER eating — really helps. Still doing the COLD LIQUIDS and occasional ice pack on throat — AND noticing continued improvement daily.

THANKS for all of your insights. Your collaborative advice really helped keep my outlook positive and I’m sure my recovery faster. Now, anyone want to help “kill” the pharmacy???

*Can anyone explain why I can eat potato chips without difficulty, but NOT bread?

I am getting my tonsillectomy done on Monday, and I am really excited to get this done. I am ready for the pain, I have had some VERY bad sore throats and tonsilitis this past year so I feel like I will take it well. Then again, I will probably be posting back here after the surgery crying like a little girl about how much it hurts.

One thing that I am actually looking forward to is getting the IV and anasthetic. When I had my wisdom teeth out they had to give me a little extra since I had 4 extra wisdom teeth!! I wasn’t sick afterwards so hopefully I don’t vomit this time. Also, you have to admit, it feels so cool when the anasthetic goes through your veins. It’s like ice water… I remember telling the nurse “wow, this feels f*cking awesome, like….” then I think I was out.

I’m 28 years old and on day 5 of my tonsillectomy and although it may be too soon to report it as pretty tolerable, I thought I’d share a few tips which helped me get through the first couple of days.

1) Listen to all the recommendations here about constantly drinking ice water and icing your neck, and also not sleeping for too long. I was really not looking forward to that part, but if you sleep for 1 hour and then ice for an hour you will be fine.

2) The nurse at the preoperative clinic prescribed me an anti-nausea patch which I put on 4 hours before surgery. I had no problems with nausea after the surgery and didn’t realize how effective it was until it started to wear off 3 days later and I realized that the liquid roxicet made me want to throw up. Once I applied a new patch I felt better.

3) Try making a high protein shake instead of relying on Ensure. Although I have kept some Ensure around for the middle of the night, homemade shakes taste much better. I recommend “Perfect Meal” powder which you can buy at whole foods and has fiber in it as well which will keep you feeling full. I also add soy milk, sometimes a scoop of “perfect food” powder (which is made from green veggies), 1 scoop of peanut butter, 1 banana, and sometimes a raw egg (which you might want to skip or substitute for eggbeaters if you are afraid of salmonella). For the first couple of days I had an 6oz shake every four hours with the pain meds. I really think this helped in the recovery since your body needs a lot of protein after surgery and since you can’t eat much in one sitting its good to keep nourishing the body every couple of hours. I have noticed that a common theme I have been detecting among those people with the worst stories is that they have not been eating well and living off of popsicles and Gatorade. I also recommend if you have a Bruegger’s in your area to get some Chicken Spaetzle soup because its made fresh everyday and the chicken melts in your mouth. I’ve also found pouched salmon to be tolerable.

4) Take your meds every 2 hours if you can, it really helps to stay on top of the pain.

Good luck to everyone who is going to have the surgery, and a big thanks to Karl for making this site. The horror stories will make you want to back out but keep in mind that most of the people who are posting are still in a lot of post-operative pain and need to vent. I bet most would probably say it wasn’t as bad if they posted again in a few months after they recovered and are enjoying tonsil free lives.

I’m 27 and had my tonsils out yesterday morning. I was so nervous going into it, as I had read all the horror stories. My Dr. gave me an anti-naseau patch before I got any anesthesia, which was a god send, as I haven’t been sick to my stomach at all yet. I had to spend the night in the hospital last night, due to my health history. I am so lucky that I did, as I was given IV Dilaudid.

I have been drinking ice water like crazy and eating ice chips. I was able to eat soup, jello, and juice yesterday. This morning I had oatmeal with a little butter and milk and it went down really easily. I’m planning on trying some mashed potatoes tonight.

I really expected to feel worse. I know I’m only in Day 2, but it really just feels like a horrible sore throat. My tongue is a little numb feeling, and my neck is stiff, but that’s it. The ice (both the ice chips and on the outside of my neck) help big time. I’m taking Loratab liquid regularly, and my ENT told me to call him tomorrow to see if I want to swtich to Percoset or something else.

I also wanted to add that I think your attitude and positive thinking can work wonders! I have been repeating to myself “I am strong, I am healthy, I am healing easily”. Sounds silly, but it makes me feel better. I’ll update in a few days! Good luck everyone!

they got sites to see how its done.
http://www.arthrocareent.com/wt/tert_page/coblation_tonsillectomy
and or depending on how they do it, coblation seems to be the least amount of pain. i will be scheduling my surgery date this sat.

I’m 19 and this is day 5 of my post-op. I have never been in so much pain of my whole entire life. I never had expected it would be this bad. If I had read this before I think i would have actually never take eating and swallowing for granted. I was told it would only take 10 days to recover so I took 10 day off of both jobs and even informed my professors for a summer course at a local university about my absences. I feel horrible and ice water does help but I havent been able to open my jaw enough to take it and swallow. I’ve been drinking iced water and a little bit of sweet apple juice but it causes too much mucus that I cough and spit up nausty things most of the time. I sleep okay but wake up about every hour. I sleep mostly during the day. And ly in bed a lot more than I had expected. I think I’m going back to the doctor to get a different prescription, I lost feeling in my pinky and ring finger in my left hand. I still feel it but it just tingles. It’s continued for a day or 2 now.

Hi everyone, I stumbled onto this website a few months ago while researching what to expect after my tonsillectomy. I appreciate everyone’s entries and had to share my own experience. I’m 25 years old and had my tonsils and uvula out on Thursday May 22nd and so far I’ve just been in general pain. The doc kept me overnight in the hospital to keep a check on things and so far things seem to be going ok. I have been drinking water non-stop since the surgery. One thing I found I had a problem with (and haven’t seen anyone else mention) is when I drink I occasionally have the water go up my nose instead of down the throat. The doctor’s nurse told me it’s because I hesitate to swallow anticipating the pain, but it occasionally happens even when not hesitating. Anybody else have this problem? I think I’ve been fortunate not to have any nausea (so far), my system is very much used to painkillers as I’ve had chronic back pain for a year and a half and have been on extra strength vicodin daily all that time. The doc gave me percocet for the tonsil pain (and no I’m not taking the two together) which is a bit stronger but only dulls the pain and knocks me out. I have forced myself to be awake at least every hour to keep drinking and keep the ice pack filled. I’m lactose intolerant so I don’t do ice cream. I got myself a few quarts of water ice which has been helping with the boredom of water. Today I attempted to eat a banana, which I cut into small pieces. I ate a quarter of the banana before giving up. Not that I was having a problem eating it but it was just getting frustrating getting small bits stuck in my teeth and not being able to get them out with my sore tongue. I’ve got the next week off so we’ll see how everything goes from here. Thanks for all the advice it really helped me prepare for this nightmare that wasn’t.

Jason

Love this website. I’m 36 and told today that I need a tonsillectomy. It’s been scheduled for July 21st. My twin girls (3 yrs old) are actually having theirs removed on June 9th by the same ENT. I’ve had chronic tonsillitis for the past 18 months. My last strain landed me in our ER at 4 AM because I couldn’t swallow and just drooled and felt like I could barely breath. After that, I decided to make an appt with their ENT too.

So, today was the appointment and I was told my tonsils are huge and need to come out. Other than the birth of my twins, I’ve never had surgery or anything, so I’m pretty nervous. I did have an emergency c-section with them (my epidural didn’t take due to a curved spine) and was knocked out and didn’t find the post-surgery to be that painful at all and I’m a big wuzz! I was just glad to have those babies OUT I guess I can consider my tonsils my new set of twins and be glad to get those babies out! (they’ll keep me up a lot less overall than my girls have)

The ENT also said my thyroid is enlarged and I’m having a thyroid ultrasound on Thursday. I previously suffered from hyperthyroid, but it had resolved. If they find a nodule or goiter, I don’t know if they’ll add anything or change my surgery.

I appreciate all the great tips and really appreciate Karl for forming this site. It’s the best! I’ll update once my surgery is complete.

Thanx Karl i’ll stick to the codeine. Its day 6 post op today and IT HURTS! IT HURTS BAD!! This has got to be the worst day so far cos i’ve had tears (and that takes some pain), the pain relief doesn’t seem to be helping today. I’m waiting for the light to appear at the end of this tunnel…can’t see it at the moment but I know its there somewhere. I’ve taken yet more tips from this wonderful site (a BIG THANX to KARL) and have been using ice packs on my neck – this has been a big help, so I’ve restocked the freezer.
I was never warned about this post surgical pain and it appears the Doc’s over in USA certainly look after their tonsillectomy patients better both with information and pain relief, again Thankyou Karl for this life saving site.

Good luck everyone!!

Thanks so much for your advice! I will be doing mine in a month or so, and I’m so scared for the pain!
One question: I am hypoglycemic and so I really can’t just go without eating. What did you eat/what can you eat, and any advice on my situation before I go in?
Feel free to email me!

Hey guys, now on day 11 still sore but WORLDS better than last week. The key is NOT SLEEPING. Sounds crazy but it WORKS! Thanks Karl! I’d sleep two hours at a time tops followed by drinking lots of water and keeping ice on 24/7. Unfortunately, the downside to that is on day 6 I crashed, slept for 9 hours, missed my alarms to wake me up meaning I missed my percocet and water and woke up thinking I swallowed razor blades. My scabs fell off, I started bleeding and felt really really crappy the whole day. Finally got caught up somewhat just by drinking water (slowly at first because it hurt like hell) and getting the meds back in me. Admittedly I double dosed the percocet to get back on track which I wouldn’t recommend to everyone but I could handle it. The bleeding stopped and the scabs reformed. The scab is still where the right tonsil was but the one on the left seems healed. My tongue still feels weird from the clamp they apparently put on to hold your tongue in place during surgery which is slurring my speech. First day back to work today was annoying as I have to talk to people all day. By the end of the day I was in a lot of pain. I’ve been on all solid foods since Saturday and Mac & Cheese never tasted so good. Any tips on when the pain and tongue weirdness should end? Thanks for all the advice Karl and everyone else!

Jason

Today is day 5 for me. I had a Tonsillectomy and a UPPP. I suffered from severe sleep apnea. Basically my tonsils were almost touching and my tongue is too big for my mouth,LOL. A UPPP is where the remove your uvulaand part of your soft pallet in order to open up your airway. To be honest I was scared to death before surgery. At 32 a Tonsillectomy is not much to look forward to. I was able to talk about 15 minutes after waking in recovery, it hurt a lil. The swelling was ungodly for the first day. They kept me overnight at the hospital to monitor my heart and oxygen levels. My pain has been really mild. I only take my pain pills when I goto bed as a precaution. I am on antibiotics for the first week. I am trying to eat foods that are are a lil more solid. The stitches are very uncomfortable to me. I think saliva is my biggest enemy, very hard to clear the throat, PAINFULL. I can’t blow my nose yet, hurts too much. I think over all it hurts the most when I first wake up. I guess my throat is a lil dry and maybe a lil swollen then. Once i get something to drink it aint too bad. Warm broth and such seems to be the most soothing to me. Not being able to pop my neck has sucked becuase it cuases a tension headache. All in all I would say I got off really lucky. On a scale of 1 to 10(10 being worst)my over all pain has been a 3. Regaudless your situation, in the long run it is better to have the surgery. My choice was surgery or died in ten years or less due to heart failure, I chose to live. Good luck to you all and just remember, it will improve your life.

well i just want to share my experience to ease some peoples fears. i had mine out yesterday (im 26). woke up from the surgery and felt fine. the nurse was asking me how much pain i was in and i told her none at all. i didnt feel bad at all. its not a pain its just uncomfortable. i went in at 730 and was done by eight, or so my mom says. woke up from the anesthesia at about 830 and was on my way home at 9. doctor said that my tonisls were huge and that i lost about a teaspoon of blood.

first day i was able to drink (water, pedialyte, gatorade) and eat soft foods (jello, applesauce, and even a piece of bread) but i wouldnt recommend the bread ahahah. although if you chew anything enough it turns into mush…

ive been taking my pain meds, but dont need them. they dont make me feel any better. i decided to take them for the first few days regardless. slept all night although due to the massive swelling of my uvula i will snore and wake myself. actually the worst part day one was the swelling of the uvula. it feels like there is something in the back of my throat that needs to be swallowed but cant.

when i woke up today my throat was a lil more uncomfortable than the day before, but still nothing i would classify as pain. swallowing is very sore, but not painful. i see most people say that day 3/4 or 5/6 seem to be the worst so i guess ill have to wait and see.

but two days in and im fine. i could be at work if it wasnt for A) that i cant drive on these meds and B) i talk like im deaf!

Hey all!

well, I just had my tonsils out yesterday, and I am in excruciating pain- only when I swallow though. reading peoples problems that they have on the 4th and 5th days is, needless to say, scaring me a lot. if I am like this now, I can’t imagine how I will be during the days when people say it’s the worst.

oh, btw I am 22 years old an have suffered from tonsil/throat problems all of my life. My biggest regret is not having done this sooner.

here I am now, typing on this blog (which btw I wish I had read sooner), lying in my bed with an ice pack wrapped around my neck and struggling to force down even the tiniest amount of water.

When I first came out of surgery, I have to admit that I was feeling fine! my throat hurt a bit, but what else is new? but a few hours after that the pain started to kick in and they decided to keep me over night at the hospital.

I got back from the hospital a few hours ago, and my biggest problem right now is the swelling and pain of my throat, and the HUGE amounts of phlegm that is not only taking over my throat but is also making it unbearable to swallow. The meds given to me to take has been tylenol with codeine, which works sometimes, and doesn’t work other times.

Although this board is very helpful in making me not feel alone with this experience, I am utterly miserable right now. I know it’s only been 36 hours after my surgery, but still, I totally regret doing this and I have had known the pain that I was going to be in right now, You can bet I wouldn’t have gone through with this.

Hi, im 20. I got my tonsils out last thursday after being on a waiting list for almost 4 years…
so still in a bunch of pain, but its not unbearable anymore. I just wanted to share the very best and most soothing thing you could possibly ingest after having this surgery done.
frozen pureed watermelon. Freeze chunks of watermelon until solid, then blend until slushy, eat with spoon. It taste amazing and the icy slush just slides down your sore throat in the most rewarding way. I really strongly recommend it!
Take care everyone

Hi,

I’m 23 years old, I had my tonsils out on Tuesday 3rd June. So will be a week tomorrow…

Like everyone else has said I felt pretty zoned out the first couple of days and slept most of the time so didn’t really feel too much pain. On Day 3, 4 and 5 – I felt the worst pain by far, that I’ve ever experienced in my life! I’m Miss Accident prone, I’ve had 11 stitches in my head, been bitten by a dog and have been run over twice. So I’m no stranger to testing the limits of my pain thresh hold.

BUT even with the pain, it is still bearable to what I am feeling now! Since last night I have not been able to keep anything down. Yeah my throat really hurts, blah blah I’m sooo over it now. I just want to stop being sick?? I can’t eat (which hasn’t happened for about 4 days anyway) sleep (been up since 4am), read, watch TV… or ANYTHING but cry. I was solely surviving on Water and Iced Pops, but if I so much as had a sip of water right now I’m back in the toilet?

Is this normal after tonsillectomy, to get ill? Should I inform my GP? I don’t want to take anymore Tablets because I’ll be ratterling soon?

Hope you feel better then I do, I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.

I don’t get strep often, but generally have a low grade sore throat most of the time, especially when tired. I have large gross tonsils that are scarred and pitted from lots of strep a s a kid. The main problem is that I get food stuck in there and it is gross. Is that gross enough to have them out? I am super nervous. I don’t like pain.

Well, I wasn’t concerned about my T&A in 2 days until I went in for pre-op and the nurses all said they would happily have multiple hysterectomies before having another tonsillectomy. Then I hear horror stories from co-workers (why do people do that?), and then I give in a google it and find this lovely page of PAIN.

Like many of you, I have had chronic strep/tonsillitis/etc. and can’t take it any more. I get it about 6 times a year and have for the last 6 years. It gets worse and hurts double each time. Now I am to the pain of strep to the 30th power. So, out they come.

I’m scheduled for Thursday (this is Tuesday evening). My work isn’t expecting me back for 2 weeks, I thought I’d be back my Monday. Now that I’ve learned it’s big deal at age 33, my wife is in a bubble of disbelief and will most likely expect me to be out mowing the lawn Saturday.

I’ve got a prescription for liquid Loratab 7.5/500, 450ml x 3. I don’t know why I didn’t get 10, the 7.5 will only require me to consume more. Either way, hydrocodone makes me feel bad. I much prefer oxycodone (Percoset) and will ask to be prescribed it’s liquid equivalent Roxicet instead.

I also have been told by my peers to make sure I ask for a prescription of lyticane (sp?) suckers to numb the mouth/throat before pouring the burning liquid painkiller down my throat.

Anyway, I am now very anxious about my surgery.

Well, it’s been 9 hours since I woke up without my tonsils. Sleepy but can’t sleep. The liquid Loratab burns and makes me want to gag. I feel like total crap. I’m shakey and a little scared. I have some oxycontin headed my way but wonder how the hell I am supposed to have food with it. I have some of those litacaine pops coming too. Noise makes me nauseated, laying on my side (propped) does too. I’ve been told to keep at a 30 degree with laying down. Getting bad again, must lie down.

Well, it’s the end of day 2 and I just ate chicken alfredo from Chili’s. Yeah, surprised me too. As long as I chew it up real good, and it’s not spicy, I can get it down. I started with applesauce, then pretzels, then ended with that. What a day. I’ve also found that what makes me so ill feeling and keeping me in bed is the pain killers. However, if I don’t take them, it’s just as evil without them. So, it just kind of sucks. Hopefully it won’t get worse like everybody is saying days 3-6 are. Oh, and I picked up my tonsils from the hospital today…pretty gross.

I’m an English teacher in South Korea and just had a tonisillectomy performed here after having chronic tonsillitis for the past year.

They do things differently here, and I was required to stay in the hospital for 4 days after the surgery. The first two days I had a very sore throat, difficulty swallowing, but it was manageable. They were giving me pills, which were hard to swallow, in the hospital, and they did nothing for my pain. Every 8 hours or so I had to ask for an injection for the pain, which did wonders.

Day 4 now and I’m back at home and in serious pain. They wanted me to stay longer at the hospital since I’m still in a lot of pain, but figured since back home (I’m Canadian) it’s day surgery that I could handle it. Not to mention being really sick of rice paste and cold fish soup. What I didn’t realize was that in Korea my doctor isn’t allowed to prescribe me any good drugs! I was asking about vicodin or liquid morphine or even tylenol 3s and because they are opiates he said he can’t prescribe them. I’m at home right now with pounding ears, a really sore throat and painkillers that don’t do anything for me. I may be going back to the hospital if I can’t manage to eat, sleep or deal with the pain.

Also happy I got the surgery done. Quality of life has been terrible for the last year and can’t wait to be healthy again. Good luck to everyone out there who is recovering.

I am 21 years old and I’m having my surgery tomorrow morning. I’m so glad that I found this site! I have had strep throat a few times a year for the past five years probably, which is why I’m getting my tonsils out. I had my adenoids removed when I was five, but the doctor told me that they could grow back and they may have to remove them again. I have already stocked up on Sonic ice, pudding, chicken broth, applesauce, and lots of other soft things. My doctor wrote me prescriptions for liquid hydrocodone, some antibiotic, and suppositories for nausea. I’m hoping that I wont need to use the suppositories. I will keep you updated on how everything goes!

Hi All…

I posted on day 6 after my surgery. Well, things got worse in a hurry.

Within hours of my last post I had a bleed. And please let me say that when I had a bleed we are talking about blood being issued at high velocity and quantity. If you ever saw the movie “Something about Mary” remember the “WE HAVE A BLEEDER!!!” scene…

I was hospitalized for 4 days and have now turned the corner. Let me say now that since I am starting to feel human again that this is probably worth it but for the first while it was hard to see past the pain.

Only 1 more word of advice I would like to give. When they tell you to have someone watch you for the first 10 days, believe that it is necessary. When I bled, it came like a garden hose on full blast, and between choking on blood and the rather disturbing sight of LARGE pools of blood developing instantly in front of me, dialing for help was difficult. Everything worked out for me but I could easily see someone passing out and dying from either blood loss or blood blocking your airway.

Now that I am out of hospital and on the road to recovery I say good luck to all and my heart is with you! And DRINK DRINK DRINK.

The end of day one. Well my surgery was supposed to be at 9:30 this morning but didn’t happen until 10:30 I think. For my liquid hydrocodone I can take 3-6 teaspoons every four hours. Until 6pm the 3 teaspoons were working great, but after then it’s been worse. Earlier in the day I could talk and eat and drink with no problems. So far today I’ve eaten pudding, chicken broth, half of a cheeseburger that I chewed up forever until swallowing, tons of water (I feel like I’m peeing every fifteen minutes), and ice. I just took six teaspoons of the hydrocodone so we’ll see how that works out, I’m hoping it’ll knock me out until my alarm goes off to take some more meds. Wish me luck!

Well day three is almost over. I feel like I’m in this vicious cycle of being nauseas and not eating or drinking and then feeling worse because I’m not eating or drinking. I was given 5 suppositories for nausea and I’ve used three. But even after I use them I’m so terrified of throwing up again. I was put on a different pain medicine, but it’s still making me feel sick. I’m sleeping about 20 hours a day, which is so out of the ordinary for me. All I’ve eaten today is a couple of spoonfuls of oatmeal this morning, and I know I’m not drinking enough water. Any ideas on what to do for the nausea? Or to make myself drink/eat?

I went 7 months straight with throat infections, from mono to strep to tonsillitis. The antibiotics they prescribed to me only helped to suppress the infections causing the doctor to finally give the orders to have my tonsils removed. I am 17 and I had my tonsils taken out June 17th and I must say when I woke up my throat was just a tad bit soar, but I could easily swallow down water. After leaving the hospital that day I still felt just a little sore, however I started throwing up all the blood that got into my stomach during the surgery it was horrible. Every time I threw up it became harder and harder to swallow until it got to the point where i couldn’t swallow liquids or my liquid pain medication (hydrocone). After vomiting I rapidly became dehydrated and was rushed to the hospital and was given and iv and returned later that night home… All of this occurred during the first day. Two days after the surgery and I must say I just feel like dieing the pain is so bad…I missed taking my pain medication by an hour today and boy was that a big mistake. I was prescribed liquid hyrdrocone and it really does make me feel better. However when I take it my throat and ears feels like they are being ignited on fire, and then I uncontrollably start gasping for air. I have started as of today finally being able to take sips of water but some of it starts coming out of my nose…I haven’t really been able to eat since my surgery the food just gets lodged in my throat causing me to gag. I’ve read from some of the comments you start to feel even worst when the white scab falls off, is this true? I can’t imagine hurting anymore than I already do…I just can’t wait till I’m through with my recovery stage.

Hey all,

Im scheduled to get a tonsillectomy done on July 1st. I have mixed feelings about all the stuff Ive been reading on here because Im really hoping I dont end up one of the bad cases. Anyway Im really glad I found this message board because alot of the tips on here seem helpful. Some one wrote about TISSUE SALT – that looks like something that Im willing to try. Theres one thing I found online that looks really promising its called THROAT AND TONSIL DR (its completely natural!)it says its supposed to keep your immune system healthy and your tonsils and throat as well and it says its especially good for tonsillectomies. It helps with post op and enables a speedier recovery. It sells for $33 plus shipping but I found it on AMAZON.COM for about 10 dollars cheaper. Ill try to keep everyone posted on my progress and how use of it will work for me.

P.S. Linda Im so sorry about your husband Mike. I will send lots of love energy his way! Please also look into THROAT AND TONSIL DR for him since its all natural with no side effects.

Heres the link

http://herbalremedyhealthstore.com/throat-and-tonsil-dr%C3%82%E2%84%A2-p-120.html

Remember if you wanna buy it try AMAZON, it goes for a few bucks cheaper! Hope this helps. Good luck to all and Ill try to post as I progress.

K

There is hope. I’m just cresting over into Day 10 and I can now finally safely say that I getting better. I’ve been eating tiny bits here and there and this time it seems to be staying down. This has been one long and awful ride, so glad it appears I may actually be able to return to work on Monday or Tuesday. That only zapped 95% of my total vacation time available, grrrrr.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to joining the ranks of you that are 100% recovered from this. For those of you reading this on the eve of your surgery…godspeed and good luck. I do not envy you in the least and if faced with this decision ever again….I will not have it done, it was too much for me. I keep hearing about people’s tonsils growing back and having to do it all over again…crazy, I am not going to think about that.

It’s day 9 for me and it hurts more now than it did before, but it’s never really been horrible. I’d recommend not looking at your mouth because I did yesterday and I can’t get the image out from my head. When are the scabs supposed to fall off? Does that hurt too?

I had my tonsils removed on friday the 13th (of all days)im on day 10 of recovery and it hasnt been that bad,actually the worst part of it was the nausea from the liquid hydrocodone (lortab).it makes you vomit because your taking it every 4 hours and your stomach is empty…i did have to go to the ER because i was dehydrated and the zofran they gave me in my IV made me feel even worse,it makes your chest feel really heavy,but besides that im recovering,but it does still hurt to talk and im supossed to go back ro work next week and i am a customer service rep…i dont knw how thats going to work!

The end of day 7 and it still hurts to eat real food, but I’m doing it. I’ve noticed that I’m clenching my jaw all the time now since the surgery. And yawning in the most painful thing in the entire world. This morning I think I felt the scabs and they were making me cough, but after I took my meds I couldn’t feel it anymore.

Well I definitely jinxed myself. I woke up at about 7:45 this morning realizing that I was swallowing something. I went to the bathroom and tons of blood was coming out. It went on for about five minutes I think. I gargled two glasses of a hydrogen peroxide/water mix to make it stop. After that I felt really weak so I sat on the couch. Then I got really hot and I felt like I was going to be sick. I then threw up a blood clot that was the size of 1 1/2 of my fists, and I was freaking out. My parents took me to the doctor and mine was in surgery but someone else looked at me and used this suction device to remove another blood clot that had formed. They said if it happened again I would have to have another surgery, and that most of the scab is gone now. I’m supposed to be going to a wedding that is five hours away on Saturday and I’m just hoping that I’m well enough to go.

Hey I just wanted to let everyone know I am keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers!! Linda, I’m especially praying for a speedy recovery for your husband.

And just to let eveyone who is still in pain know, YOU WILL GET BETTER! I know it feels like you won’t, but you will. I’m on day 19 Post op, didn’t start feeling top notch until around Day 17. But trust me, it there is an end in sight!

GOOD LUCK!

hey i had my surgery on monday its day three.. well after surgery i was hyperventilating but other than that i followed the good Popsicle idea an ice compress!! an drinking ensure has been my only food. yesterday got a little worse i couldnt talk as much, an i also have a tmj so my jaw started getting swollen…an twice i overslept the 4 hour period of takin the pills so i started to put an alarm clock on my phone to wake me up… well today i regret waking up i can barley whisper my jaw is so swollen an my throat is so sore that the only way to take endocet is by dissolving it with water an mixing it with a melted Popsicle so it doesnt taste so bad.. i keep waking up with a nasty film on my tongue an very dehydrated but im tryin to nibble on the popsicle cause even sippin water hurts like hell!! i havent bleed yet i dono if i was but im fine so far.. but im happy i did it i can actually breath better!! ill keep in touch

I will be having adeno-tonsillectomy, UPPP, and endoscopic sinus surgery in the nest couple of weeks because of sleep apnea. I have never had any problems with my tonsils as far as tonsillitis. Has anyone ever had this done for sleep apnea? I realize it will be very painful, but if it helps my being able to get some “good” sleep and not have to take a nap every day, I’m all for it. I have been reading every internet site I can find about recovery. I found one page that listed “What to buy before tonsillectomy”, but can’t find it now. Anyone know?

I am 38 and just had my tonsils out on June 12th. The first week was very hard and painful but water and ice are your best friends! I bought an ice shaver (for snow cones) and always had a glass of ice and water. It helped alot!!!! Ice packs also helped. I had 3 in the freezer so I could change them out. I slept in a recliner for over a week because I couldn’t lay down even with 3 pillows. The vaporizer was on 24/7 and that seemed to help some. I could only sleep for 3 hours at a time and would wake up in pain because I dried out. It would take me an hour to get the meds down and some water before I could fall asleep again. I still have some swelling but not to bad. I saw the dr yesterday and he said everything looks good. My tonsils were always swollen and infected and I am so glad I did the surgery! I was very lucky and didn’t have the bleeding and I didn’t even notice when the scabs fell off (boy am I glad for that!) I am now off all pain medicine except for motrin every now and then (like after I sneeze!!!!!) It is defenitly worth the week and a half of pain to be able to breathe better! You do need at least 2 weeks off from work, I am very lucky because I work for a school and have the summer off. Week 2 you just have to recoop from doing nothing the first week! If you are going to get it done, listen to everyone on this site! I am so glad I found it! Water and ice remember are your best friends!!!! Drink lots so you don’t dry out and take your pain meds!!!!!! Good luck to you and you WILL feel better soon!!!!!

I had my L tonsil out this morning. Only one was removed because a lesion was found in it. I am lucky because it was found to be nothing. Now, I just need to recover! I guess right now my main problem is trying to swallow and trying to NOT clear my throat. I am trying to drink as much as possible, but like I said, swallowing is hard. I’m medicated sufficiently, but the medication is part of the problem. My mouth is so very dry- definitely a side effect from the Roxicet. That coupled with the actual changed function of swallowing has made it really challenging! (Sometimes when I swallow, I feel like it is not going down my esophagus, but up my nose or in my trachea). The doctor had to explore another area in my throat, (another mass), so there may be more post surgical damage there. I am using ice on my neck- thanks for that advice!! I am trying to drink as much as I can too! If I could swallow- that would be ideal. I am hoping for advice on the swallowing. Maybe if someone knows if this will pass soon- that would be such good news. Seriously- any advice on the subject!

Thank you all-

wendi

Well day 12 post-op and I am feeling almost 100% back to normal. I’m really surprised that I’m feeling this good, especially after my scab episode on Monday. I had my post-op appointment yesterday and my doctor told me that he didn’t see any blood in my throat and everything looked great and he hopes to not see me again Even though I was in pain and all the bleeding and blood clots were so so scary and gross, I’m really glad I had the surgery done. I’m so excited to not have strep throat anymore! Good luck to everyone who is going to have the surgery done and I hope that everyone who has already had it is healing well.

Hello everyone. I am 54 years old and after years of tonsillitis, strept, etc…I had my tonsils out June 25, 2008. I am technically finishing up day 3 postop. I have found that venturing some scrambled eggs into my broth, jello, water regime, only “packed” some of the egg into the craters my huge, ugly tonsils left. I “cleaned” the food out of the craters very gingerly with a long, sterile q tip (I am a nurse and do not recommend anyone do what I did) and gently gargled to make sure I got it all out. I can’t begin to tell you how sore my throat was and now is like I had downed a cup of broken glass. I have been deligently taking my antibiotic and using liquid tylenol during the day and my tylenol with codeine to help me sleep. I plan to go back to work on Tuesday, but I’m not sure how that’s gonna play out….I work in a cold, dry, OR and won’t have access to the water like I need. I may have to arrange for more time off……
So, a little bit of word to wise, even though you think you feel well enough to eat a little more solid food….you should wait….I’m staying on the liquids for a while….good luck all!

So, I had my surgery about 4 hours ago. I am afraid of the next few days because the pain once the numbing meds on the back of throat wore off was awful. But thanks to this website and others like it, I feel prepared for what is coming. Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts and feelings and helping people like me who needed to hear the real world expectations as opposed to the ones the doctor tells you about. I will keep you up to date and let you know about any complications. Thanks for “listening”.

hey its day 8 post surg.. im getting better but i ran out of percocets yesterday so the doc prescribed me Tylenol 3… so im very dizzy thats the main problem an i have headaches…its probably cuz i still can barely eat.. it hurts like heell if you try to eat something with a mini lump.. butt!! i found that you can eat cottage cheese an jam!! great snack the cottage cheese has lumps yea but they are slimy an they dont get stuck in your throat!! tried it twice.. but i didnt mash my potatoes all the way i got a lump stuck almost cried!! also its very great if you have a pet with you it makes you feel better trust me.. i got a cat on sun the suckers been suckin up to me.. or borrow someones pets.. a small an cuddly one..well im off lying down…

For anyone reading these comments and feel like they want to cancel their surgery, I just want to tell you that you can do this, and you will survive and you will get better! The best advice I can give is to be smart! Plan to take things easy – and I mean easy – for 10 days. Seriously, don’t plan on taking a couple days off and expect your body to be able to jump back and be normal after a couple of days – you need to heal and the best thing for that is hydration, nourishment and rest. Pain meds are great, but they will not help you heal. They will help you feel more comfortable so that you can stay hydrated, nourished and rested. This is the best advice I can give.
I also want to mention that I personally don’t think it’s a good idea to start eating solid foods too early. I know some people think it is better to eat foods that will help to scrape the gunk off the back of your throat, but what is important to remember is that that “gunk” is actually your scabs and is your body’s own natural band-aide to help protect it. Your scabs will come off when ready, but don’t try to rush it – let them do their job. That being said, I was really surprized at how sore my throat was after the scabs did fall off (at day 10 for me). I found the best thing was to carry around Cloroseptic spray and use it as often as needed. Such a simple little thing and it did help so much! It also is important to remember to still stay hydrated at this point in your recovery – it really does make a difference. Drink, drink, drink!!!!
I am now almost 2 months since surgery and I am so glad I did it…No regrets and completely worth it…I am over 30 and have 3 kids under 5 so it is not like my recovery environment was exactly “calm”. Ensure was the best thing for sure… Along with Kool-aid (I don’t like gatorade)…Also soy ice cream was great also along with smoothies made with soy milk.
Good luck everyone – it WILL get better! Be healthy!

I am 43 yrs old, tonsillitis has tried to ruin my very active outdoor life in Australia, i have come down a long road of re-occurring throat infections starting 3 years ago for no particular reason, my research for a cure led me to a laser technique performed in London. To avoid the traditional method of surgery that you are all talking about I advanced to England for a pain free expensive laser treatment two and a half years ago.

A year later infection appeared on the sight of the surgery where the tonsils once were and yep you got it, i fell into the 5% ” This can happen and I’m sorry it didn’t work for you” variety, now I have to consult a surgeon for what they call a revised tonsillectomy ! the one with pain and medication and scabs and pain etc. I have resigned myself to the fact that if I want to be rid of this awful thing I must bite the bullet even if i am unable to swallow the bullet after !

I search rapidly through this site for the over 40’s testimonials trying to pluck up the courage to go through it again! I think i’m nearly there !

Thanks everyone

i am eighteen and i had my tonsils removed june 26th a week ago. it was the most excruciating pain ive ever endured in my life. i never anticipated the pain that i went through. the liquid vicodin they prescribed me gave me absolutely no relief whatsoever. nothing would take the pain away. my doctor said id be able to eat on day 2 and it is day 8 and i still cannot eat. also i still cannot talk. my uvula is still completely swollen and i can feel it sitting on my tongue and it is quite uncomfortable. im waiting for my scabs to fall off and dreading it because i know its going to be painful and bleed. everything my doctor said – the opposite is happening. my recovery is taking way longer than it should have. everthing ive read online about other peoples experiences say theyre eating by around day 3 and the pain isnt that bad and everything. but its so different for me – the pain was unbearable from day 1 to about day 6. it is now day 8 and the pain has subsided for the most part – it only hurts really when i swallow. any suggestions on the whole bleeding part cause im really scared when it happens.

I had my tonsils out on Monday afternoon, so this is about day 4 for me. The first three days hurt, but nothing too bad. However, today things are different. I feel as if I have golf balls in the back of my throat and having difficulty talking. I know this is just the healing process, but does this mean that the scabs are about to fall off? I am just trying to get a time frame for everything. If anyone can help I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks!

Well its the day after my surgery and I feel okay. They ended up taking my adnoids as well and I have never been able to breath so deep and clear. My pain is fairly bad but as long as I keep up on the painkillers its bearable. My uvula however is so swollen that sleeping on my back is not an option and I find sleeping in a chair really uncomfortable. Ice water is my best friend and I dont think I have ever drank so much of it in my life. I havent eaten anything and I am not looking forward to that, at least I havent been hungry. My cupboard is stocked with soup so it shall be a boring next couple of weeks in the food department I am sure. I appreciate all the tricks and tips on this website they have surely helped alot. Good luck everyone we are all in the same boat. I wish you all a pain-free day!!

So, it has been exactly a week ago today that I had my tonsils out. I am feeling pretty good, but my scabs have not moved! I have heard that that is the most painful part, so when can I expect them to fall off? Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful.

It’s about 4 weeks post op and I’m 99%. The strange part is having to learn things all over again, like swallowing a pill. When I tilt my head back now to pop the pill with water already in my mouth like I used to, I gag and choke on the water! I can’t clear my sinuses like I used to either. It’s interesting how one part of your sinus/throat can affect the whole system like that. I am anxious to find out how it will affect my swimming and s.c.u.b.a. I do feel that I can breathe easier, and I think I’ve stopped snoring too. Anyway, now that it’s way hindsight I can say that if you need it, do it….but if you had asked me that 2 weeks ago I would have said differently.

Good luck all!

Hi! I’m 36 years old and my tonsillectomy is scheduled for August 6th. I’m scared to death, but at the same time really looking forward to it (I’m sure I won’t feel that way in the week leading up to it, haha). I have chronic tonsillitis and strep (which has become resistant to antibiotics since I seem to always be on them). I was referred to an ENT specialist in October (my doctor was at her wits end about my tonsils), and was prescribed a three week course of antibiotics. I felt pretty dang good for a while (besides the fact that my left tonsil is constantly swollen and a little uncomfortable), I would just pop a couple Advil every day. Well, low and behold the end of May I went back to the ENT because I was having issues again. He gave me a week dose of antibiotics and told me that he recommended a tonsillectomy. He made it very clear this was a family decision because someone needed to be with me for at least ten days, and he always sees young mothers (I have three kids) not healing properly because they are taking care of their kids before themselves. He said my husband has to be the primary care giver for a while, and I need to focus on myself. I thought that was wonderful advice, because that enabled us to plan when it would be the best time to get this done so he could be home to not only take care of me, but the kids (hey, a mini-vacation, haha). Well anyway, the one week dose didn’t work so he put me on a three week dose. I’ve been taking it for a week now, and so far it hasn’t “kicked in” yet. Usually by the third week it will though.

What’s weird with me is, I don’t necessarily get a bad sore throat all the time. It’s the actual tonsils themselves that hurt (especially the left one, since it’s constantly swollen). Does anyone else have that?

Also, this is an awesome forum. I’ve learned so many tips, and so many things that I didn’t even think of like having to sleep in a recliner. I didn’t know the tongue and uvula swells!! The one thing the ENT did tell me is that I will get “poop breath”, and that lasts a few days. Lovely. He told me that under no uncertain terms am I to gargle with mouth wash. He said it will send a person through the roof in pain!

Sorry for rambling….I’m just so nervous! Thanks for listening! I’ll let you know how my surgery and recovery goes, and I’ll keep checking this site up until the big day for more advice and recovery stories. This site has really helped prepare me.

My tonsillectomy is scheduled for July 14th and I am SOOOO scared. I am like obsessed with reading about the surgery and healing, but it only makes me feel horrified. I am 33 years old and have 3 children that I have been hearing I won’t be able to take care of. I have always had issues since childhood with tonsillitis, but then will go years without getting it too. This time I have had it. I have had strep/tonsillitis since November and can’t be off antibiotics for more than 48 hours without getting it back. I am having the coblation procedure and have heard wonderful things about it…and that it is a much easier recovery. I was given the name of an ENT where I live by a nurse who knows many Dr.’s here and she referred me to him specifically because he is the only one who does coblation. Coblation does not use heat and desolves the tissue at a very low temperature, which prevents surrounding nerve damage. Really though it sounds like it doesn’t matter much. I am going to be in pain and I’m going to HATE IT!

you can check this sites to see how its done.
http://www.arthrocareent.com/wt/tert_page/coblation_tonsillectomy
and or depending on how they do it, coblation seems to be the least amount of pain. I’m booked for july 16th. Dont know the time yet , and yes im freaked but i just wanna get it over with.

Hi everyone! First off, thanks to Karl for this amazing site. I read every single response the week before I went into surgery and it really helped me be totally prepared for what was to come. I’m 20 years old and I had my tonsils out one week ago today because I was getting strep and tonsillitis every month. Something was always wrong with my throat, so I went to the ENT and he said I’d benefit from having them removed. My adenoids were already gone, so I didn’t have to deal with that too. My surgery was at 12:30 and I was home by 2:30. The anesthesia was amazing. I was given a slushie as soon as I woke up and I was surprised how different it felt to swallow. It hurt pretty intensely. I went home and took my percocet and was in the worst pain of my life, without a doubt. every 4 hours, I woke up and took it, and forcing myself to swallow anything was awful. I would seriously let saliva build up until my mouth couldn’t hold any more and then coerce myself into swallowing. days 2 and 3 were much worse. I kept ice packs on my neck and drank water, and also had a cool mist humidifier right next to me every minute, when I was awake as well as when I slept. I’ve been sleeping sitting up, because lying down made me choke. On Day 2, my habit of taking pills on just a few swallows of Ensure came back to haunt me, and I threw up 3 times. Not pleasant. Days 4 and 5 were the WORST. The ear pain was insane, Every time I ate anything, the pain of swallowing would radiate to my ears. It honestly felt like I was swallowing razor blades. But the scabs have been consistently white the entire time. I never allowed them to dry out; I constantly drink water and have my humidifier, and it has been a godsend. On Day 6, I looked in the mirror with the aid of a flashlight and saw that I could see the pink of my throat through the scabs. Today, there’s almost no scab on the right side and the left is about 50% scab-free. I am amazed that they’re almost gone. Swallowing is still painful, but it’s manageable. I’m still taking my percocet (WITH FOOD, or else you’ll be really sorry) but the pain is less than half of what it was. I’m eating pasta and soft cookies today, and that went fine. The cookie got rid of a big piece of scab on the left, and I’ve had no bleeding at all. Even though this was SO painful, I would do it again. Don’t be afraid of the pain. It sucks, but as long as you have a positive attitude (and unlimited text messaging and a stack of great DVDs) you CAN do this.

The following things are what I recommend for a good recovery:
–Water. Set a goal of how much you’re going to drink, and make sure you meet it.
–A cool mist humidifier. Mine cost $30 at Target and looks like a penguin. It kept my throat from getting too dry and helped with headaches.
–Mashed potatoes. I found that the ones from Ruby Tuesday are the best; they have a little flavor but aren’t salty enough to burn. Let them get to room temp (not too cold, or else they’re really hard) and eat enough to take your pills.
–Ensure or Boost shakes. They’re great for when the pain’s too bad to eat but you need to take meds. Chocolate tastes weird for a few days, so I stuck to vanilla, and they weren’t bad at all.
–A sno-cone machine. The shaved ice works wonders, and I used a bit of vitamin water for flavoring. Not gatorade, it’s too salty.
–Overcooked macaroni and cheese. Cook the noodles till they’re a bit too soggy, and they’re really easy to swallow. I ate these on days 4 and 5.
–avoid dairy on the first day or so! It makes your throat mucusy so it’s harder to swallow.
–DVDs. The X-Files has saved me from boredom. I highly recommend it.
–A dry erase board makes communicating easier. I still can’t talk very well, but I’m much better than I was.
–Don’t sleep lying down at first, it made me choke.
–DO NOT BE LATE FOR YOUR PAIN MEDS!!! I cannot stress this enough. Because being a half hour late will be the worst pain you’ve ever felt.
–A lot of people mentioned heartburn being a problem.I have acid reflux, so I was prepared to fight it. Don’t sleep lying down after you eat, or you WILL get heartburn. If you do get it, chew a Pepcid Complete and it’ll be gone within an hour.
–Gum is awesome, because your breath will smell like something crawled into your mouth and died for days. Brushing teeth gently helps too.
–Don’t get too depressed! No matter how bad it is (and it has been BAD–MUCH worse than having my 4 impacted wisdom teeth out last summer) it will get better. Just focus on healing, don’t push yourself.
–You’ll lose weight! I’ve lost 10 pounds so far.
–Don’t think too much about foods you can’t eat, it’s too depressing.
Good luck everyone, and I hope my story helps!

I have a question for you guys that already had this done. As I await my tonsillectomy on August 6, I haven’t seen anyone mention how much weight they lost during recovery. The nurse said I should expect to lose AT LEAST 10-15 pounds. I did want to lose about 20 pounds this summer, but since I found out I needed to get this done I held off on any dieting for fear of losing too much weight. About how much did you guys lose?

Also, AWESOME tips! I love the idea of keeping a journal. I’m also going to get a big water cup with ounce markings on it so I can make sure I’m drinking exactly what I need to…and then some! Next week I’m shopping for my supplies (ice packs, ensure, etc.)

Tarra, thanks for you’re kind words for us that are waiting for the big day. You’re right, I think (actually, I know) it’s the time leading up to it that’s so scary. I’ll be so glad when it’s over with!!! I’m 36 and this is the very first time I’ve ever needed surgery! I think that’s a big reason why I’m so scared, too.

SCARED: I hear ya! I’ve never been put to sleep before either, and I have this “fear” that it’s not going to work, and I’ll feel everything. Even though I know that would never happen. I do have a little tip for you though. Write down everything you just told Karl (all the different side effects you’ve had with different drugs), and bring it with you to the hospital. When you’re there, you might be so nervous and flustered you forget to mention something that could end up being important information. This way you have a little list look at as a reminder.

Also Karl…the put you on a respirator?! Please tell me they remove the tube when you are still put under!!! Is it the tube that makes you’re throat feel so sore? Stupid question I know, but I’m just trying to prepare myself (as others are too, I’m sure).

In regards to the water, if you are unable to find a cup with markings on it, try getting the biggest bottle of water at Wal-Mart or Target that you can find. I bought a 33 oz bottle of water and refilled it every time it was empty. That way I knew I should drink three of those a day which equals about 100 oz of water. If I hadn’t finished it by the time I was to take my antibiotic (taken 3 times a day) I knew I needed to pick up the pace. Remember, you will get through this. I am on day 12 and I am on tylenol only. It only hurts to yawn and I am completely back on solid food (with the exception of chips). Thanks again to everyone on this website. If it hadn’t been for ya’ll I would have completely panicked and broken down about day 5. Good luck!

After a bout of strep throat in December I continued to get non-strep tonsillitis ever 3-8 weeks until I saw my ENT in May. I had to wait until I was finished the semester (I’m a 22 year old college student) to have my surgery.

I am on day 12 – have had little complications (with the exception of some bleeding on day 8 that required some cauterization from the doctor) and today is the first day that the pain is barely there… but as Amanda said, I’ve found yawning to be the worst!! I am only taking tylenol for what little pain I have and am basically back to my normal diet.

My big issue right now is the ear pain. This morning was the first time in all 12 days that I’ve experienced this pain… I’m thinking it may’ve been there for a while but dulled by the fact that my throat pain was so bad. Any suggestions to ease the ear pain?

I hope everyone is healing well… and if you’re waiting on the surgery and scared – the days of pain will be well worth it in the end. As long as I can go (at least) months at a time without getting sick, I know it would’ve been worth it.

Hello, I’m on Day 5 of getting them out. I really didn’t have that much pain in my throat. I had the worst migraine in my life , from the anesthesia. My Biggest problem was the pain meds. They first gave me Oxy-something, which made me throw up.. I was sick on my stomach for 3 days. Then the doc gave me something for the nausea, and T3. The T3 gave me another blasting Migraine, so I didn’t really take any pain meds yet. I’ve broken a major rule, and started taking Advil for the pain. Its the only thing that works for me, to relieve the pain in my jaw. I also took Clariton.. I think that has helped a lot too. I’m sitting here eating a grilled cheese, so life isn’t that bad! If you have a headache issues, let them know. Good Luck, Jenn

I have to have my tonsils out, my deviated septum fixed, and a couple of fun other little things done on Aug. 6. I am 41 and terrified. I have taken great comfort in this web posting and written down things that others have done so that I am as prepared as possible. I appreciate the supporting comments from all of you!

At age 56 I seem to be among the oldest to have my tonsils removed. I am at day 8 and I am finally starting to see a decrease in the pain. I am fron Australia and my ENT specialist advised eating solid foods from day 2 to help remove the build up of the slough at the back of the throat. I have complied to some extent but there are times when this is just too much to handle. I had the surgery for my sinus and turbinates four months ago. My breathing has statred to improve despite the current swelling. My ENT specialist also recommended sipping Coca Cola, the most surprising thing was that this did help, but I would talk to your specialist before trying this, and only small amoints at a time.

Hey Everyone! I am 30 years old and I had my tonsils & addenoids out, Turbinates trimmed, and a septoplasty on July 1st. Really was suprised how much staying hydrated helped. By July 4th I was totally off of the Oxy- Codone pain meds cause it made me so sick. Just stuck with Tylenol, and used a ton of ice and lots of rest. My best advice is to listen to your body and let it heal. By the time I went to get my splints removed a week later, I felt like a new person, and eating solids. Getting splints out was a relief, use the Ocean Sray Mist every hour til you get your splints removed, and there will be no scabs for the doctor to dig thru to get to the stitches, they will slide right out. Worst part was how sore my jaws and tongue was when I tried to chew. Ice seemed to bring most relief for me. Today is day 13 and the only thing I have is a very minor sore throat,and my tongue is still numb on the sides and I don’t taste food like I did. They say that will improve over time. I hope they are right!!! Good luck to all! It gets better each day I promise!

I’m 36 and going in to get my tonsils out on Monday… After two seperate incidents where I had to go to th ER because my throat had swollen up to the point that I couldn’t breath, the ENT and I decided that those little hunks of flesh needed to come out. This site has been great in getting me ready for the procedure. (Much better than a couple of other sites which simply dealt with the horror-side of things…) I go in for my pre-op appointment on Friday and am prepping a list of questions to ask my Dr. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

1) What form of pain medication are you planning on prescribing, both type and delivery method (would prefer liquid). I’ve generally found that Codeine does little or nothing for me,other than giving me really messed up dreams, so I’m hoping that they’ll give me something else, but I’m concerned about getting something that my body simply doesn’t like and making everything worse…

2)If I run out of pain meds, what are my options? (I’m a member of Kaiser and the nearest clinic isn’t that near…)

3) What type of tonsillectomy are you actually performing: Cold Knife (Steel) Dissection, Electrocautery, Harmonic Scalpel, Radiofrequency Ablation, Carbon Dioxide Laser, Microdebrider, Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation (Coblation), or some other type of procedure? What are the benifits of performing that type of procedure instead of one of the others?

4) Beyond ice packs, drinking lots of fluids, keeping up with the medication schedule, resting, and pushing liquid nutrition what can I do to speed healing?

Are there any other questions you guys think I should ask?

OK all – I’m back. Had the surgery on July 2nd. All went well. We actually had our 4th of July party. I just kind of stayed in the house – visited with some folks – took it REALLY easy and went to bed early. Well, I THOUGHT I was home free. WRONG. Sunday, the 6th – the pain came in full force. I COULD NOT even believe it. I think the first couple of days were OK because the initial pain medication (morphine) was working it’s way through my body.

You really need to be prepared for this pain and realize that it will bring tears to your eyes – no joke.

I’ve done EVERYTHING that I needed to do, drinking fluids (although very difficult to do) popsicles, VERY soft foods, etc…

I thought I’d be back to work – but there was no way I could safely be behind the wheel of a car (my pain felt like a brain freeze up the whole side of head from my neck up through the top of my head). I went for my post-op on the 14th and the Doctor gave me some liquid predisone – taking it for 4 days – and it’s helping with the inflammation. He’s not releasing me until the August 4th.

So, be prepared, don’t rush the healing. Hopefully, if you do everything you need to – this will only be a bad dream after a couple of months! EVERYONE – take care of yourself!

Kelly-

I’m scheduled for my tonsillectomy on August 6th (I’m 36 years old). I don’t want to speak for everyone, but you mentioned you don’t really go to the doctor. If you want a tonsillectomy, you NEED to see you’re doctor (or even call them) each and every time you’re tonsils bother you. You’re medical records need to show how many times you’ve seen the doctor for this, or insurance may not cover it. In my case, I went to my family doctor quite a bit for over a year with tonsillitis/strep before she referred me to an ENT specialist. Even though I’ve only had to see the ENT specialist twice within eight months, he recommended a tonsillectomy. The first time I saw the ENT, he told me that he won’t recommend a tonsillectomy on an adult unless it’s really necessary because of the painful healing process. That’s one thing I do know for sure. You can’t get a tonsillectomy unless a doctor (usually the ENT specialist) recommends it.

So my advice to you is to see you’re doctor and have a long talk. I have a feeling they will put you on a strong course of antibiotics to try to clear it up, and if you still have problems they will refer you to an ENT. At that point you and the doctor can decide if a tonsillectomy is the best solution for you.

I have no idea about cost. I THINK at the most it would be about $3,000.00. I depends on where you are getting it done, and what procedure they do. I also think it varies from state to state. Sorry I can’t help you with that one! But definately make sure you have some type of insurance put in place before you get it done.

I hope I helped you out a little, and keep us posted!
Good Luck!

Karl,
I love your site. I am 38 years old and a nurse. I am due to have my tonsils out on Aug 4th. Let me tell you, being a nurse is not always a good thing. I know all the things that can go wrong. I totally agree with keeping hydrated. what concerns me most is being able to deal with the pain. I have had surgery before and always recovered pretty quick and without having to use a whole lot of pain meds. My body reacts very stongly to drugs and it seems to only take a little to do the job. I don’t like to take anything I don’t have to. Do you or anyone know of any nonprescription ways to relieve the pain?