Tonsils.

_J_

I'm having a Tonsillectomy on Thursday. When my sibling had hers out she was down for 2 weeks. I've heard that it is worse with age, and I am 3 years older than she was when she had them out.

Has anyone else had theirs out? Any help/advice regarding the healing process?

AbsoluteHero

Which type of anesthetic do they use? Local or general?

_J_

General, according to wikipedia.

Scosglen

I had mine out when I was 6. I had general anesthesia, and I would imagine that's probably fairly standard. I think I only spent a night or two in the hospital and bounced back to normal wellness in probably less than a week, but I recover from surgeries like wolverine apparently so ymmv.

The main concern associated with a tonsillectomy is that your throat will be very, very tender for a while after the surgery. You must completely avoid any food that is remotely crunchy or difficult to swallow. I'd imagine most foods that are safe for post-wisdom tooth removal recovery are probably a good idea-- mashed potatoes, yogurt, lukewarm soup, ice cream etc. I don't recall how long until you can return to eating normal but It's likely at least a few weeks.

_J_

wikipedia says no dairy. So my plan is Italian Ice.

And I'm 24, so this may suck.

Scosglen

_J_ wrote: »

wikipedia says no dairy.

Really? That's strange. When I had mine out the hospital basically offered me as much ice cream as I wanted, although I never did take any. Italian ice is probably a good alternative for the same benefit. You probably don't have to radically alter your diet, but obviously coarse foods like breakfast cereal, chips, popcorn and the like are probably going to be unpleasant for a while.

Gorgeeen

Guys,

Wikipedia. Is. Not. Truth. Do not go there for Medical advice.

DiscGrace

My sister just had her tonsils out, and she was also not supposed to have dairy. She subsisted on popsicles and Gatorade for a while. Also, I will warn you because apparently this is very common, she got better, then worse, before getting better again and staying that way. But she pulled through the worst of it in a bit under two weeks, and she's probably around your age (almost 20).

Do not make plans during those 2 weeks wherein you would need to talk audibly. Buy a whiteboard and possibly a bell.

_J_

I told my boss I wouldn't be at work for two weeks. I'm just trying to get an idea of what i'll be doing. Lying in bed in misery, playing Final Fantasy Tactics?

Uncle Long

I had my tonsils out and was back home the same day (I didn't drive myself, but you know). I think the most annoying part was having people ask me if I was alright or if I wanted anything and somehow expecting me to respond with more than a nod.

TrippyDK

When i got mine out, I was in severe pain, couldnt eat, couldnt drink, and eventually had to go back to the hospital for dehydration. I didnt feel better for two solid weeks. My brother, who is 3 years older then me, got his out a few years later, and was back out at school in 3 days. You mileage will definitely vary.

mastman

_J_ wrote: »

I told my boss I wouldn't be at work for two weeks. I'm just trying to get an idea of what i'll be doing. Lying in bed in misery, playing Final Fantasy Tactics?

is a week condemned to video games that bad? I mean, if you are incapable of anything else, you can't feel bad!

Gabriel_Pitt

Pain makes the gaming harder. I think part of the problem of adult recovery might be related that when you're a kid, it's pretty easy to let yourself be laid up in bed for a while and give your throat a rest, but adult responsibilities and stuff make it harder to keep yourself properly laid up long enough. As soon as you think you might be better you're trying to go back to work or class or whatever.

Xaquin

I had mine out when I was 11

1: Buy a LOT of Tissues. You will be spitting a lot of saliva the first couple days because it will hurt a lot to swallow anything.

2: I was out of the hospital in one day. I don't know if thats good or what, but I felt 100% fine except for my throat.

3: Water really is the best thing for you. Dairy kind of sticks to the back of your throat a bit and coughing/flem is the last thing you want. I drank nothing but apple juice for 4 or so days.

thats most of my experiences really. I only missed 1 week of school so 2 weeks should be plenty of recovery time

good luck to you

Feral

I had my tonsils out at the age of 26.

I also had my soft palate trimmed, my deviated septum corrected, blood vessels on the inside of my nose reduced, and my uvula removed all on the same day. (Yes, I have no uvula.)

The first three days were terrible, but I was also recovering from full anesthesia and I spent the first day on a morphine drip. Recovering from anesthesia always feels like shit.

Days 3-7 weren't bad. I couldn't speak, and swallowing solid food was uncomfortable, but I was able to eat soft foods after taking codeine cough syrup.

Within a week I was eating tortilla chips and salsa and drinking soda at a friend's party.

I still couldn't talk, though. It took about two weeks for my voice to return.

_J_

Feral wrote: »

I also had my soft palate trimmed, my deviated septum corrected, blood vessels on the inside of my nose reduced, and my uvula removed all on the same day. (Yes, I have no uvula.

So you're playing 4 uppy?

I appreciate the feedback. I'm apparently not supposed to eat anything after midnight tomorrow or else i'll turn into a pumpkin, or die, or something.

Hopefully I'll be fine after a few days and then I can just stay home for 2 weeks and sit on my ass, rather than lay on my back in pain.

Feral

_J_ wrote: »

Feral wrote: »

I also had my soft palate trimmed, my deviated septum corrected, blood vessels on the inside of my nose reduced, and my uvula removed all on the same day. (Yes, I have no uvula.

So you're playing 4 uppy?

I don't know what 4 uppy means and urbandictionary is not helping.

I only bring all that up to emphasize that my recovery may have been lengthened by the number of procedures I had done simultaneously.

_J_ wrote: »

I'm apparently not supposed to eat anything after midnight tomorrow or else i'll turn into a pumpkin, or die, or something.

General anesthesia + food in stomach = no fun for you or the anesthesiologist.

_J_ wrote: »

Hopefully I'll be fine after a few days and then I can just stay home for 2 weeks and sit on my ass, rather than lay on my back in pain.

Chewable kid's tylenol helped, so did the liquid codeine.

_J_

Feral wrote: »

General anesthesia + food in stomach = no fun for you or the anesthesiologist.

Does it make vomit or die or what?

Gorgeeen

Feral wrote: »

I don't know what 4 uppy means and urbandictionary is not helping.

*sigh*

What he meant was one-upping but since you introduced like 4 things it was 4-upping.

One upping is basically when someone talks about something and then you talk about something better in response.


Example, some guy says "Ouch, I twisted my fucking leg" and you say "That's nothing I broke both my fucking legs and arms and was in the hospital for a month".

Or "yay we are finally having a baby!" and you say "Yea, well we have twins and got another baby on the way"

Or even "Awesome I just beat Halo 3 on co-op" and then "Fuck that I beat Halo 3 on Legendary by myself the day it came out"

You get it


And J do not eat before your operation

Echo

I had mine removed when I was 15. I also had a peritonsillar abscess at the time, meaning I was sick as hell, and I even overheard a doctor being a bit worried about the operation. :P

Due to the abscess I was completely put under. Woke up, puked some blood, fainted again. But it was fine after that. Had to eat liquid food only for a week or so, then I could work my way up the food chain again.

Before I had them removed I used to get various common illnesses all the time - the flu at least once a year.

I don't think I've had it ever since removing the tonsils.

blincoln

I had mine removed when I was 25-26, and like Feral I also had some additional work done (adenoids and uvula removed and a radio-wave hardening of my soft palette). It was not really a big deal at all. I only took the painkillers for 2-3 days.

You're not supposed to eat before going under general anesthesia to prevent a situation where you vomit and then choke to death on the vomit because you're unconscious. At least, that's what I remember them telling me.

Also, they may give you a prescription for something to start taking the day before the surgery. Don't forget to take that if they do.

Oh yeah, be sure to pay attention when they start asking you to count backwards. It will make the experience more surreal.

Echo

blincoln wrote: »

Oh yeah, be sure to pay attention when they start asking you to count backwards. It will make the experience more surreal.

I got something "relaxing" up the butt in my room before they rolled me down to surgery.

They say I was coherent and crawled onto the table myself and counted backwards. But myself I don't remember anything after they rolled me out of the room and into an elevator. :P

Feral

_J_ wrote: »

Feral wrote: »

General anesthesia + food in stomach = no fun for you or the anesthesiologist.

Does it make vomit or die or what?

Vomiting. Which, while you're laying on your back unconscious, can be a serious complication.
It can also make your nausea worse after you wake up.
That said, don't feel the need to fast any longer than they recommend. They usually recommend a fast that is more than long enough; elongating it yourself just makes you miserable.

Echo wrote:

But myself I don't remember anything after they rolled me out of the room and into an elevator.

Yeah, some of the drugs that they give for general anesthesia cause memory loss, so even if it doesn't kick in right away, you won't remember being awake.

_J_

Echo wrote: »

blincoln wrote: »

Oh yeah, be sure to pay attention when they start asking you to count backwards. It will make the experience more surreal.

I got something "relaxing" up the butt in my room before they rolled me down to surgery.

They say I was coherent and crawled onto the table myself and counted backwards. But myself I don't remember anything after they rolled me out of the room and into an elevator. :P

I hope nothing goes up my butt.

The letter arrived today from them, letting me know not to take advil or tylenol two weeks before I have my operation, which is cool, because I took two Tylenol PM last thursday. Other than that things seem to be in order. Apparently my operation is at 9 in the morning, so that will be fun.

Dying from vomit would not be fun. I shan't eat.

blincoln

I wasn't given any suppositories. If I remember the order correctly, I was given a bit of nitrous oxide, then some morphine, and finally the general anesthetic. The last is when they will start asking you to count down.

_J_

Tonsils come out tomorrow. I can't eat after midnight tonight.

So I have steaks and brussel sprouts, and I'll probably also have to eat some chips simply because I won't be able to in the near future.

_J_

Tonsils are out. No unbearable pain yet.

Thanks again for all the input. Valium is best ever.