Tonsillectomy soon and worried

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 14:12

Hi there. I'm not on the waiting list for the operation. 6-8 weeks but if someone backs out I could get a call today asking me to come in tomorrow.

I'm 22 and know that the pain and recovery is a little longer. I'm so anxious but this has to be done as 3rd time this year I've been in hospital for it last was just over a week ago and was blocking my airway.

Has anyone older than a 5 year old(who recover faster etc) had this operation done?

I've never had an operation before only been partially sedated for some dental work.

Thanks for any help and advice given.

PS I'm also on Co-Dydramol 30/500 for my back and I'm worried they may not give me the correct dose of whatever pain relief while I'm there. My partner is saying I should just bring this up with the surgeon at the time but still worried.

[Deleted User] · 16/08/12 - 14:20

I had it done about your age. What advice are you after?

I can't remember the actual operation or sedation (obviously

) it was a while ago

If you are wondering about the pain then yes, it absolutely WRECKS. And for quite a while too. At the time they prescribed me some strong soluble pain killers to gargle with but iirc, nothing helped! No doubt pain relief might be a bit more effective now.

The thing is, if it needs to be done for the reasons you say then you just have to look at it as short-term pain for long term gain. sorry not to have much else positive to say!

Sentenza · 16/08/12 - 14:21

Had mine done at 27 in the 90's piece of pee probably even better now operated on mon morning out on wednesday no pain nothing just constipated from meds ...wisdom teeth was a much worse experience.

Best thing I ever had done went from suffering loads of sore throats to hardly getting any.

Sentenza · 16/08/12 - 14:25

milmol wrote: »

I had it done about your age. What advice are you after?

I can't remember the actual operation or sedation (obviously ) it was a while ago

If you are wondering about the pain then yes, it absolutely WRECKS. And for quite a while too. At the time they prescribed me some strong soluble pain killers to gargle with but iirc, nothing helped! No doubt pain relief might be a bit more effective now.

The thing is, if it needs to be done for the reasons you say then you just have to look at it as short-term pain for long term gain. sorry not to have much else positive to say!

They never even gave me a parecetemol when I went home.

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 14:33

I know the pain is going to be quite a bit and for around 2 weeks but yeah needs to be done. Just hope they can prescribe proper pain relief to me.

They did say they wouldn't let me out the ward until I eat a meal and that I could be in for a few days it all depends.

Nervous but I had it 4 times last year and it's always been bad, then 3 this year and last was a close call. So happy that after it's done I won't suffer from such horrid tonsillitis.

Ice cold drinks are recommended I read and soft food as soon as possible as takes risk of infection down.

tony13579 · 16/08/12 - 14:44

You are young and it is a very routine simple opp. I know your first opp is a bit scarey but you have very little to worry about.

purplelinus · 16/08/12 - 14:50

You will be in pain for few weeks (I was 14 when I had mine removed) but it's far less painful than monthly tonsillitis.

Re soft food - I was told to eat toast and crisps once it was slightly less painful to get the jaw muscles working properly again? Also - no smoking! Risk of infection very high. I'm sure I was signed-off of school for two weeks (actually would have been but my parents managed to get me booked in during the summer holidays!) :mad:

RealityRocks · 16/08/12 - 14:55

I had mine done older. I had a general anaesthetic, that made me a bit sick on waking (you throw up blood, yeuch) but it really doesn't hurt all that much, certainly not any more than 'regular' tonsilitis. I was advised to stay on soft foods and iced foods for a week but move to normal foods after that to allow my throat to get back to normal. Dunno what they advise now.

It's really nothing to worry about, in and out, absolute bobbins, you'll be fine

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 14:55

I don't smoke so don't have to worry about that, never even tried it. Never appealed to me but I don't judge others who smoke, I just don't like getting second hand smoke from them. Most of my family smoke and I say it's like Stars in their eyes in here. So my room is smoke free.

Re the food to get back on topic as I went slightly off. I'll do as they say however if I'm in too much pain to eat then I wont simple as that. When you have tonsillitis as often as I do, you go off food and struggle to eat anyway so I know this will be a little worse at least for first few days.

Thanks everyone and please do keep your posts coming and I'll post when I get an operation date and how it all goes.

[Deleted User] · 16/08/12 - 14:56

My daughter 15 had hers done last tuesday.......

For the first few hours you will feel fine, she was eating ham baguette 1 hour after the op:eek:
Drink as much as you can as the dehydration can make the pain worse.
Day 4-6 are the worst for pain.
She was rushed back in Saturday as she had a slight bleed in her throat so we spent 5 hours in A&E then onto ward again for the night as post op bleeding is very serious, she has an infection so is on antibiotics.
You will probably need to sleep on a few pillows as she couldn't lie down as her throat felt weird.
Your throat is going to look grey if you have it done by laser but apparently this is normal.
Try to keep on top of your painkillers, have them 1/2 hr before food.

Plenty of ice cream, ice lollies, custard, soup. She has just had bread and gravy for her lunch lol.

Good luck and try to remember it's worth the pain:)

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 14:57

RealityRocks wrote: »

I had mine done older. I had a general anaesthetic, that made me a bit sick on waking (you throw up blood, yeuch) but it really doesn't hurt all that much, certainly not any more than 'regular' tonsilitis. I was advised to stay on soft foods and iced foods for a week but move to normal foods after that to allow my throat to get back to normal. Dunno what they advise now.

It's really nothing to worry about, in and out, absolute bobbins, you'll be fine

I have a twin brother who had his out in 2007 and he said he threw up blood as you swallow a lot during the op and since it was dark red it's blood that's been sitting there.

I get anxious when being sick maybe they can give me an anti-sickness tablet, then again if it has to come up it will.

[Deleted User] · 16/08/12 - 14:59

mbruce01 wrote: »

Re the food to get back on topic as I went slightly off. I'll do as they say however if I'm in too much pain to eat then I wont simple as that. When you have tonsillitis as often as I do, you go off food and struggle to eat anyway so I know this will be a little worse at least for first few days.

Thanks everyone and please do keep your posts coming and I'll post when I get an operation date and how it all goes.

Worst thing you can do is avoid food as believe it or not it actually helps with the healing.....I know it's seems daft.

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 15:00

manor-girl wrote: »

My daughter 15 had hers done last tuesday.......

For the first few hours you will feel fine, she was eating ham baguette 1 hour after the op:eek:
Drink as much as you can as the dehydration can make the pain worse.
Day 4-6 are the worst for pain.
She was rushed back in Saturday as she had a slight bleed in her throat so we spent 5 hours in A&E then onto ward again for the night as post op bleeding is very serious, she has an infection so is on antibiotics.
You will probably need to sleep on a few pillows as she couldn't lie down as her throat felt weird.
Your throat is going to look grey if you have it done by laser but apparently this is normal.
Try to keep on top of your painkillers, have them 1/2 hr before food.

Plenty of ice cream, ice lollies, custard, soup. She has just had bread and gravy for her lunch lol.

Good luck and try to remember it's worth the pain:)

Glasgow Royal Infirmary or the west of Scotland I'm told don't use laser. So will be a scalpel and the usual equipment they use.

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 15:02

manor-girl wrote: »

Worst thing you can do is avoid food as believe it or not it actually helps with the healing.....I know it's seems daft.

Doesn't seem daft as I read the same thing you posted. I hope it all goes well and I can get on with my life without being rushed into hospital because of tonsillitis causing problems. Even gave me a Quinsy once.

[Deleted User] · 16/08/12 - 15:16

mbruce01 wrote: »

I have a twin brother who had his out in 2007 and he said he threw up blood as you swallow a lot during the op and since it was dark red it's blood that's been sitting there.

I get anxious when being sick maybe they can give me an anti-sickness tablet, then again if it has to come up it will.

maybe your bro is the best person to reassure you OP or your parents if he was still living at home at the time? If he was 17 at the time then his experiences are likely to be pretty similar to yours

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 15:23

He did say he was sick with dark red blood and not to panic if that happens. He was gutted that it was all over a really pretty nurse.

He says it's sore was worse for him as he's a smoker and wanted to smoke.

I'll try and get some more private chat's with him, after the operation and he came home I asked if I could handle it. He replied "No" but things have gotten worse for me and I need this operation.

Shoe Lace · 16/08/12 - 15:27

Mine were taken out last year (when I was 21) after a very nasty throat infection (first serious one I'd ever had). I was under general anaesthetic and the only trouble I had post-op was that I couldn't go back to sleep. Not because I was in pain, but because I just wasn't sleepy any more, despite it being quite late at night.
I'm sure the recovery was a bit painful at the time but thinking back I can't remember it at all so it couldn't have been that bad. I was worried about bleeding so I tried to remain as inactive as possible for the first couple of weeks but by week three post-op I was starting to go mad from sitting inside all the time so I slowly started exercising outdoors again and I had no trouble at all, despite it being in the middle of the winter.
I couldn't eat regular ice cream because it was very difficult to swallow, but ice lollies were a godsend. On the second or third day I was so starving I just had to have some proper food and I discovered pasta was the easiest to eat.
I was given water-soluble painkillers which were a really good idea as drinking fluids helps a lot (I drank at least 2 litres of water per day).
I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine! Good luck!

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 15:35

Thank you Shoe Lace for sharing your experience. I know everyone is different but still.

And thanks for wishing me luck

Pawsa · 16/08/12 - 16:05

I had mine out in my early thirties and it was the best thing I ever did, I was suffering for weeks on end with tonsillitis. Yes it is painful, at least for the first week, I had 2 weeks off work, the 2nd week was just recuperating really. I remember choosing what I wanted to eat that evening (at the time I had company health insurance so was in a BUPA hospital), after returning from theatre, there was no way I could eat anything I'd chosen

I too was sick in the evening of the op, the nurse was very good and explained it was just blood that I'd swallowed and was sitting in my stomach. I was allowed to go home the next day, but had dreadful ear ache and didn't sleep well for a couple of nights. I tried to eat normally, but was finishing my meals about an hour behind everyone else!

Sentenza · 16/08/12 - 16:17

I was just thinking how hospitals have changed since I had mine out in 94 the day after I was sitting in the tv lounge and a bloke on my ward came in with 4 cans of fosters and gave me two and we sat there drinking them and no one gave a toss

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 16:27

Thanks Pawsa.

My Partner works for Scottish Ambulance Service and said the hospital will not have me sitting in pain at least while I'm in there. So that's put me a little at ease.

But I know this will be the best thing I do as simply can go on. Tonsillitis totally puts me to bed, when it's viral its worse.

PinkPetunia · 16/08/12 - 17:25

mbruce01 wrote: »

Thanks Pawsa.

My Partner works for Scottish Ambulance Service and said the hospital will not have me sitting in pain at least while I'm in there. So that's put me a little at ease.

But I know this will be the best thing I do as simply can go on. Tonsillitis totally puts me to bed, when it's viral its worse.

One little piece of advice .Dont eat little grains like rice or couscous or small pieces of nuts as the small grains get into the tonsillar bed and can drive you mad . Wait till its healed .

Croctacus · 16/08/12 - 17:27

My sister has hers done at about 21....she was in a side room on a kids ward....took her in some champagne which her and the nurses managed to share and she was out for a sneaky **** once sher came round....she was out ina day or two and back to work after about a week.

SpaceCandy · 16/08/12 - 17:37

AgaIn thanks everyone and please if you have experiences to share then please do. All helps

Granny Weatherwax · 16/08/12 - 19:19

I had my tonsils out at the age of 19. I was eating salt and vinegar crisps the next night, although I admit to sucking them until they went a bit soggy before swallowing!

However, I'd have swallowed ground glass to get out of hospital as soon as possible.

I didn't have much in the way of pain, only issue I had was I haemorrhaged post op. Only thing this meant was that my GP signed me off work for 2 weeks (usually at the time 1 week) post op, as I would be more susceptible to infection.

shantom · 16/08/12 - 20:41

I had mine out about 3 years ago now, I was 27...best thing I ever did. I used to get tonsillitis at least once a month so I was glad to get rid of them! I was fine after the op, a little drowsy from the anaesthetic and I was eating things like McDonalds and roast dinners after I left hospital.

The pain really started to kick in at about day 5 and I really struggled to eat - even soggy Weetabix was really hard to get down. I was signed off from work for 2 weeks, which they said was to limit me picking up an infection. I used to be bed bound whenever I had tonsillitis and I've only really had a minor sore throat since having them removed. Good luck....it'll be worth it

Hey there!

Quick Links

Tonsillectomy soon and worried

Comments