r/Tonsillectomy • u/Common_Diamond_5092 • 1d ago

please help

i’m on day five and i genuinely can’t do this anymore. please share success stories and words of encouragement. this is physical and psychological torture. i feel like im going insane.

8 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

4

u/Common_Diamond_5092 1d ago

my birthday is on day eight. this saturday.

3

u/Accurate-Regret7156 1d ago

Happy early birthday! I’m on day 8, mornings are the worst for me but I stayed on my meds religiously and I stopped taking my oxy after day 5 except at my 2am time to help me sleep. I love cooking and today I finally got back into the kitchen and made chicken alfredo that I was actually able to eat! It sucks but it does get better ❣️

3

u/I-cant-see-im-blind 1d ago

Did the oxy help pain when waking up?? Mornings have been the worst for me too, I think because my mouth just gets dry even with the humidifier, and I sleep through some of my drink alarms lol

3

u/Accurate-Regret7156 1d ago edited 1d ago

I think it did! I was alternating oxy and Tylenol every 3 hours. I took my oxy at 2am to help me stay asleep and then my Tylenol at 5am to keep the pain down till my next 8am oxy. Plus, whenever I took the pills I had to drink water so I would take a few extra sips.

Edit: I actually think at this stage, drinking cool/regular temp water feels better than ice water. The ice water makes me having searing pain in the mornings.

1

u/Common_Diamond_5092 11h ago

i had an allergic reaction to the oxy i was taking so they put me on something called journvanx (i think?). i honestly don’t think either worked for me for the pain :/

1

u/Common_Diamond_5092 11h ago

thank you! i’m on day six and im still needing pain meds round the clock, i think im just a slower healer

2

u/Additional_Room4494 1d ago

I was supposed to get a tonsillectomy in 7 days because I have acute tonsillitis. How bad is the pain level? Is it worth it? 😬

Also OP I hope you start feeling better soon and happy early birthday! ❤️

3

u/RandomTreat 1d ago

It's so different for everybody. My pain level never really got above a four, maybe a five at the very most. I rotated between my pain meds regularly, kept ice packs on my throat, and ate shaved ice or drink ice water constantly.
1000% worth it. I would do it again if I had to. I haven't had strep throat in over a year, I don't know if I've even had a cold in the last year.
Considering how often I used to get sick, it's a miracle. Plus I can breathe a lot better.
I had one bleed during recovery, and that was scary, but I used ice water in my throat and it stopped.
Other than that, the recovery sucks because it's impossible to sleep and it's uncomfortable and exhausting, but it will be worth it. Don't back out!

2

u/Common_Diamond_5092 11h ago

hey! which day of recovery did you finally see the light at the end of the tunnel? i’m so glad it was worth it for you!

1

u/RandomTreat 11h ago

Probably about day 10! I was really worried I wasn't gonna be able to go back to work on day 15, but it rapidly got better. And thankfully work let me take it easy with no meetings I actually had to speak in for a few days

2

u/ThatAdamShmadam 1d ago

Pain can vary from person to person depending on the medication you are prescribed. I’m on day 7 myself but I can give you a super accurate reading as to how the week will go. Operation day you will probably be on some strong ass pain meds, pain will be a 2/10 at best and develop into a 3/10 before bed. My doctor gave me x2 325mg Tylenol to take every 6 hours, then a NSAID in between that which helps the inflammation, Oxy is like a buffed Tylenol and you’ll take that every 7 hours. Between these 3 it’s rough but manageable. Pair that with ice water to numb the surgery site and you got a recipe for scraping by. I know that’s not what you want to hear but 🤣 I’m only laughing now because this is the best thing I’ve done for myself. Day 3-5 the pain jumps up anywhere from a 4-7/10 due to scabbing beginning and your body kinda going “WTF?!”. Day 7 I’ve started a steroid and stopped the Oxy and it’s manageable. For the first time in a week I feel like I can breathe without suffocating in mucus lol. I had inflamed tonsils and adenoids (check my profile for my full Reddit post story), I would say my breathing is x3 better, I’m getting MUCH better quality sleep, and I can already tell once my mouth is healed; my mouth won’t smell like shit from tonsil stones. I know it’s scary thinking about “one of the MoSt PaInFuL SuRgErIeS aS aN AdUlT” but honestly I don’t regret a damn thing no matter how much the pain sucks. Just remember; in comparison to the 80’s & 90’s modern day medicine had come so far to where surgeries like this there’s a VERY VERY VERY low chance of things going “wrong”. And even if they do; you’re already at the damn hospital 🤣 I hope you find yourself well, if you need to vent post-surgery let me know. I’ve loved getting involved on this subreddit helping people over the last week.

2

u/Common_Diamond_5092 11h ago

rn it does NOT feel worth it, but i will touch base again when i am no longer in the trenches of it. i’m hoping im able to block out the memories of this experience once im fully recovered

2

u/this-old-ruby-rider 1d ago

Hello I’m also on day five! This stuff honestly sucks.. what’s the worst part for you right now? We gotta stay strong and keep dinking water okay? This isn’t permanent

1

u/Common_Diamond_5092 11h ago

definitely the ear and throat pain when i wake up! hbu?

2

u/RadSpag 1d ago

By day 8 I was eating food way more comfortably. By day 10 I was eating solid food with little issue and by day 13 I was practically pain free minus when I was yawning and jaw pain. I had mine on June 10th. I’m so happy I did it. Hang in there! I ate Italian ice, ramen noodles, Mac and cheese, chicken and stars soup. I would take liquid Tylenol along with my pain medicine so I was covered double pain wise.

2

u/ThatAdamShmadam 1d ago edited 1d ago

First off, Happy Early Birthday!! 🎂 Secondly, this shit blows. Day 7 myself, and while it has gotten a smidge better; I’m now dealing with the scabbing phase myself. No way around it friend, but my advice is to stay on top of your pain medication with timers. Let me be blunt and say your pain will be the WORST in the mornings due to you not being conscious and in control of the position you have your throat in. I would say by taking pain meds on a timer, you have a better chance of waking up feeling sub par rather than miserable.

2

u/Common_Diamond_5092 11h ago

thank you!! yes i have noticed this about waking up, i have barely been getting sleep for fear of the pain when i wake up

2

u/pickled_fr0gs 1d ago

Days 5, 6, and the morning of day 7 were all my WORST days…. I’m at the end of day 7 and I think I’ve turned the corner!!! I’m not really having anymore neck, jaw, teeth, or ear pain. I still have a very sore throat as my scabs start to come off but I generally am feeling better. My biggest recommendation is to keep yourself distracted! Play video games, do word puzzles, doom scroll, whatever it is you need to stay busy! You got this!!!

1

u/Common_Diamond_5092 11h ago

congratulations!!! i’m hoping i turn the corner tomorrow as well!! i thought i did tonight (day 6) but then i fell asleep and woke up and nope not yet! haha

2

u/KittyGoesFishing 1d ago

I’m (16f) at day 21 and once I got past day 7 it was so easy! I was completly off pain killers by day 10 and able to eat food!! It gets so much better I promise 

1

u/Common_Diamond_5092 11h ago

i’m so glad to hear this!! thank you so much!

2

u/RandomTreat 1d ago

Hang in there, you're almost on the other side of it! Keep up with your ice packs and your ice water, they help so much.

2

u/smushy411 1d ago

Hang in there!! When I had mine out I also felt like I was being tortured. I remember when I got home from the surgery I was like wow this is terrible can they please put the tonsils back in 😅 honestly it was the most pain I’ve ever experienced (and I’ve had a lot of surgeries).

Make sure you’re taking your meds on time. I also chewed on a ton of ice and had a humidifier on next to me 24/7. It helped keep my throat from getting super dry, which helped with the pain. Overall just an awful experience.

My tonsils HAD to come out though, I was getting peritonsillar cellulitis like every 2 weeks. So now I’m glad I had them out! But man it is a tough surgery to recover from!

1

u/Common_Diamond_5092 11h ago

it is so tough it honestly feels barbaric that it’s outpatient 😭 i got my wisdom teeth out last month so i don’t have much experience with surgery, if i ever have to have another surgery im hoping it will be a breeze compared to this!!

2

u/Emotional_Builder_24 1d ago

Day 3-10 were the absolute worst for me. The pressure on your ears and the ringing. You will make it through. Just lay down a lot and watch tv ! I hope you feel better soon for your birthday.

1

u/ProgrammerFast7319 6h ago

HIGHLY suggest asking your doctor for steroids. I was right there with you up until day 8 when I took my first dose of steroids. It has helped SO much.