Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

Wintersbride Posted: Jun 24, 2005 05:58 PM

Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

How much harder is the recovery then a child's? Is it really that much more painful?

marymoon Posted: Jun 24, 2005 08:36 PM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I had one at 17. Let's put it this way, I was in recovery next to a 5 year old having the same surgery...I was feeling miserable and woozy and in so much pain and the 5 year old was screaming 'I WANT NINTENDO!'

I had to spent a solid week at home in bed from the anesthesia and the pain killers. the first 2 days were awful, but then it gradually got better. You can't take a hot shower for awhile and you have to only eat certain foods for about a week. I think it took about 2 weeks for me to be a functional human being again and after a month I was 100%.

ETA: I want to say it really wasn't THAT bad. The hardest part for me was not being able to sing for I think 6 weeks. It was So frustrating. Chances are if you have to get your tonsils out you have ahd some pretty severe sore throats in your life and this won't be much different. My mom had hers out at 34 and she told me 'it's like the worst soe throat you ever had in your life' that's pretty accurate. Some codeine and italian ices and it's all good though. Honestly, it was the BEST thing I ever did. I used to get bad strep infections basically constantly and my tonsils were all pitted, now I get sick SO much less, and I've only had maybe 2 or 3 severe sore throats in the 5.5 years since then

Blu-ize Posted: Jun 24, 2005 08:44 PM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I was 19 and it s u c k e d. I stayed overnight in the hospital and they wouldn't let me go home until I ate something so my best friend ate my jello for me and I went home.

I had a nasty sore throat for about 3 days. Couldn't really talk or function for about a week. After that it was ok.

Bottom line. It ain't fun, but you will be fine.

marymoon Posted: Jun 24, 2005 08:46 PM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I didn't have to stay overnight. I was on a bed for awhile, thena fter a few hours they had me sit ina chair for an hour and eat jello and take meds make sure I could hold i down for an hour. I was home by 6pm.

Jan05Bride Posted: Jun 24, 2005 10:23 PM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I had mine out at 19. I was a nanny at the time and had strep throat 8 times in 10 months so the doctors wanted them out. pLus I would get really high fevers with the strep, like 104.

The surgery was at 2:30 p.m. and I had to stay over. If it was during the morning I would have been able to go home.

I hated the IV because it made me pee like every 10 minutes, but other than that the hospital stay was fine.

Overall it was just like a sore throat only without the fever of being sick! The first day home I slept a lot because of the anestesia and all the bathroom time at the hospital keeping me awake.

By day 3 I was eating pizza and have never had a sore throat since (10 years later).

The recovery was fine!

ETA: Ices are key ... I lived on Lime ice for a few days (when I wasn't eating pizza ) The ice was really soothing. Stay away from Ice Cream or Shakes because the milk causes phlem and you cannot clear your throat.

suven Posted: Jun 24, 2005 10:41 PM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I was 15.

Honestly, it wasn't even as bad as when I had strep throat.

JLH Posted: Jun 24, 2005 10:53 PM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I had mine out at 27 years old. The first three days were tough, but after that it wasn't too bad. They gave me a liquid painkiller which helped alot. On the plus side I lost about six pounds.

takeoutcook Posted: Jun 24, 2005 11:51 PM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I had mine out at age 29 - as long as you get the liquid painkiller, you're fine. I went to Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat hospital and they were fantastic.

You have a wicked sore throat when it's over, but take some liquid codeine and you go to sleep. 3 days after it was over I was eating regular food. BEST thing I did - I suffered from sore throats for years and years and now I haven't had a single sore throat since having the surgery (over 2 years ago)

Wintersbride Posted: Jun 25, 2005 01:42 AM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

Thanks for the info! It's actually for my FI. (BTW Manhatten Eye and Ear is a fantasic hospital...one of my professors was actually an audiologist there)
It's actually to help sleep apnea. I was concerned because I heard that having it as an adult was so much worse and the ENT was kinda dancing around my questions. Luckily FH loves italian ices and I will be taking care of him, so hopefully if he needs it, it won't be too bad

takeoutcook Posted: Jun 25, 2005 05:24 PM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I didnt have sleep apnea, but I snored before having the tonsilectomy. FH is happy to report that I no longer snore!

tonia1001 Posted: Jun 26, 2005 12:07 AM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I was 21 and not to be a wuss but it was the most painful experience of my life. I couldn't so much as breathe for a week (much less eat) and it took me about 3 weeks before I was feeling any better.
I have to agree with marymoon though-it was like the worst sore throat you'll ever have, but that was four years ago and I think I've had 3 sore throats since then. It dramatically cut down how often I became sick.

btrflygrl Posted: Jun 26, 2005 05:05 PM

Re: Anybody have an adult tonsilectomy or know someone who has?

I had it at 25--just 2 years ago. It was rough. I had it on a Friday, the Sunday after, one of the wounds did not cauterize properly and it satrated bleeding. I was rushed to the ER, but not re-cauterized ( which the ENT said the on call Dr should have done) and had to stay overnight for observation (I had swallowed a bunch of blood).

I was out of work for at least one week tried to go back but couldn't talk very well. It really does feel like you have pins in the back of your throat. I think full recovery was 3-4 weeks where food stopped bothering my throat completely. I found that ICE COLD soda was the only thing that felt really good-not sure why. I lived on sherbert, luke warm soup (only after 4-5 days) for at least a week.