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| It turns out I have terrible sleep apnea, in addition to my chronic tonsillitis, due to my enlarged uvula (the hangy-downy thing in my throat), and permanently inflamed nasal tissues (turbinites). This means that my throat always hurts, my nose is always stuffy, and I stop breathing for up to 20 seconds about a hundred times each night. Ugh. I had no idea. So my doctor is going to cut out my tonsils, my uvula, and half my turbinites all in one surgery session. So in about a month, my whole head is going to hurt for about two weeks, but then I should be healthier, breathe better, get much better sleep, and stop snoring. Yay! Update: 2002/12/12 My surgery is scheduled for December 17th. Five days from now. I've had three people (including my doctor) tell me the surgery is going to be awful. Freakin' tonsils. Wish me luck! Update: 2002/12/18 Well, I'm home. My surgery took a but longer than expected, beacuse my doctor found a large absess in my sinus, and my tonsils extended deeper into my throught than expected. I spent all yesterday on large quantities of Morphine, as the Uvula removal turned out to be quite painful. Unexpectedly, the tonsillectomy and sinus tissue removal was not very painful; in contrast anyway. I'm now home, taking percocet, and alternating between naps and T.V. Vanessa is taking very good care of me, and while I was in the hospital, all the nurses were very attentive and kind. I would recomend Mission Hospital to anyone. I expect to be on a liquid diet for at least another couple of days, but I think I'll be able to actually eat something, on Christmas. Update: 2002/12/20 I'm actually getting much better! I can eat soups, I can talk quite a bit, and I'm not counting the minutes until my next percocet pill. Actually, I've forgotten to take it a couple of times. (For a little while) Initially, I had quite a bit of bleeding from my sinuses into my throat, but that has almost completely subsided, and since my doctor gave me a sinus cleaner spray thing today, I can breathe through my nose! Both nostrils! I know that doesn't sound like much to most of you, but for my entire life, I've only been able to breathe through one nostril at a time, one would always be clogged. I would travel to the middle of the desert to clear out my sinuses. Now, at home, with my two cats, and 60 pound dog, I can breathe almost like normal people! Wanna hear something really gross? After my operation, my doctor told me that he found two oddities in my head. One was that my tonsils were about twice as large as he expected. So much so that he needed special instruments to get them all out, and the other, that there was a puss-filled absess in one of my sinuses. (Turbinite tissue) The absess was in the middle of one of the terbinites, and enlarged that structure so much as to cut off air flow entirely! In removing that absess, he effectively cut in half that turbinite, and made that nostril much, much more usable. Ok, last thing today. This one is for all of you concidering this operation: During my sleep study, it was determined that my blood oxygenation level could dip down to 76% regularly. Very very low. The night after the surgery, my oxygenation level was at an AVERAGE of 96%. That's with the post-op swelling and blood clogging. 96%! Update: 2002/12/21 Well, I've been moving around more yesterday and today. Yesterday I went to do some Christmas shopping, and today I'll probably do some more. My throat and nose feel fine, I'm just so tired, and off-balance from the pain medication. Percocet works great on pain (almost as good as the morpinine I had in the hospital) but it messes you up! I take cat-naps unintentionaly throughout the day, and I keep daydreaming simple things, and then being confused about what I really remember having done! I find I can easily sit at the computer and work, but I always feel as though I'm going to fall off my chair, and I can't really focus. It's all very interesting. Update: 2002/12/27 It's been a week and a half since my surgery. I've re-learned how to swallow, without the use of a uvula. I can even drink sodas again. I've voluntarily taken myself off of pain medication, so that I can think clearly enough to do work, and there is no blood in my throat or nose any more. Most of the day I'm just fine, but I guess the eight hours of mouth-breathing while I sleep at night dries things out, because the mornings hurt quite a bit. I figure that'll complete healing over the next week or so. I was just well enough on Christmas to eat a couple of servings of Vanessa's father's prime rib! Man I'm hungry....dreaming... Update: 2003/11/01 When I was first diagnosed with sleep apnea, my doctor said that after my operation, and the apnea was corrected, I'd feel like "Superman". I throught about this for a while after my surgery, and thought he over-estimated that benifit. I was wrong though. For years (since before High School) I used to live life always tired. I would say dozens of times per day, "I'm so tired...". I used to sleep in till 1:00pm on weekends, and wake up terribly sleepy on weekdays. I figured out that in order to feel even relatively human, I needed 9 hours of sleep per day. I used to dread the possibility that something might wake me up in the middle of the night, beacuse then my whole night's sleep would be ruined. Last night I woke up a few times. No big deal. I went right back to sleep, and woke up by myself rested. I stand (well, sit) before you now, in my home office at 6:30am on a Saturday, after 8 wonderfully restful and satisfying hours of sleep, to tell you that, compared to how I used to feel, I do feel like Superman. 05/19/2004: This site is in no way affiliated with any medical institution nor any medical professional. This article and all comments are personal opinions only, and in no way should be interpreted as informed medical direction. Erik Burrows and ErikBurrows.com hereby waive any responsibility for actions taken by anyone in response to information obtained on this site. Always consult a trained physician when making decisions concerning medical care. | ||
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Comments: Regina (2002-06-29): My four year old niece, Hannah, just had the same operation done that you will be having - the doctor gave my sister a picture of the removed tonsils and uvula, not too pretty! Do you want me to bring you a box of popsicles? Push ups? Big Sticks? Creamsicles? What about the kind that has a joke on each stick? Erik (2002-06-30): Thanks Regina, but I've got Vanessa to take care of me. I'll be ok. Though I like the idea of a popsicle with jokes on the stick! Candice (2002-10-02): I am not sure how old this posting is...but in a week I am going to get my tonsils out. I am 19...I just don't know what to expect. Have you had yours out yet? Was it bad? I am just worried I won't have enough time off work. grrr....I don't wanna be in pain! Please e-mail me and let me know! Thanks ~*~*Candice~*~ [email protected] Erik (2002-10-02): My surgery is scheduled for sometime in mid november. My Doctor tells me it is, in his words: 'Very painful'. I've told my employeer that I'll be out for a week. Your Aunt Kathy (2002-10-12): Are you wearing a device at night to keep your throat open, that allows plenty to oxygen to your brain. I've known people with apnea and they never had all the stuff removed they just had to sleep with this crazy thing on their head. Erik (2002-10-12): I don't have the 'crazy thing', but I did have to sleep with the electronic monitor for one night. Very very uncomfortable. brian (2003-07-06): I had my surgery on 7/2/03(tonsilectomy,uvulaectomy.palate and tongue)all for sleep apnea.Im 39 years old and had two unrelated surgeries in the past(stomach&groin)this by far is the most painful.I cant wait to see my doctor this week for a follow up,she said it would be bad but refused to give me anything but tylenol/codine and only for five days!I can;t eat barely drink water oh,and the antibiotic cleocin ped which is the most harsh stuff on earth(bitter lemons and limes )8 bottles worth over ten days!This does not help on an empty stomach.You would think in this day and age they would come up with something better.My airway was 90% closed,sleep test was recorded as severe but only 4 days after surgery i noticed a big differance in my air intake and my wife said when i was sleeping she heard no snoring.so good luck to you and hope this can help someone. Erik (2003-07-07): Holy crap Brian! My doctor sent me home with Percoset! Scream at that doctor of yours for some pain medication! There's no reason to make it any more painful than it has to be. Bryan (2003-07-24): I am scheduled to have my turbanites reduced and at the same time, have a tonsillectomy. I am a little concerned about the pain. How long were you off of work? Erik (2003-07-24): I think I not working for about a week. Not so much because of the pain, but because of the pain medication. The turbinite and tonsil surgury is painful, but the uvula work was the worst for me. debbie (2003-08-08): I just had my tonsils out yesterday, and also my uvula, plus i think the same thing in my nose. my Dr. told me i would be sick for two weeks. but right now, i feel pretty good. i was drinking coffee in recovery!!! so far so good. i think the drs. prepare you for the worst, its really not that bad!!! hopefully i will feel like a new person, be able to breathe, and not get tonsilitis 5 times a year. good luck to everyone who needs this done. Erik (2003-08-08): I'm glad it went so well for you Debbie, it sounds like you're one of the lucky few. If you don't mind me asking, how much of your uvula was removed? barb (2003-08-12): My 21 year old son had his tonsils removed and uvula shortened 8 days ago. He is on percocet or vicodin every 3 hours around the clock. He has a high pain tolerance but this has been very hard for him. He is in a great deal of pain. He has lost 10 pounds. I am making fruit smoothies, ice smoothies, ice chips, and ice water, and he uses an ice pack occassionally on the outside of his neck. Some foods he can tolerate are broths, mashed potatoes, and soft boiled eggs. He can hardly stand to watch the food ads on television. Some nights he sleeps on a recliner. We run a cool mist vaporizer at night but nothing seems to touch the pain (except drugs) especially in the morning. The doctor told us 2 weeks recovery. I believe he will need every day of that and more to be himself again. Friends told me they went back to work after 2 weeks and really needed that third week. He has sleep apnea and snoring, I was sad to hear him still snoring this week, but I keep hoping it is due to the swelling in his throat. Erik (2003-08-12): Barb, I'm sorry to hear about your son's rough time. As you can (and probably have) read here, people definitely do have vastly different recovery times. It sounds like your son got one of the worst times of it. It sounds like you're doing everything that possibly can be done. My recovery was very gradual, but steady. He should be feeling better soon, and that will encourage him. If the doctor did his job, then his snoring will be gone, and what you're seeing now is just due to the swelling. This snoring though will cause a lot of pain in the mornings, and will set back his recovery, so do everything you can to help him not snore. Sitting up, head pillows, and anti-iflamitory drugs are probably all good ideas. Erik (2003-08-21): As popular as this page is, I can't believe that I mispelled tonsillectomy! It's with two 'l's. Christina in CT (2003-09-28): I didn't think that I would read this entire page - including all of the comments - but my fiancee's upcoming tonsillectomy/adenoid removal/uvula shaving is making me nervous. We have it scheduled for a Friday and his return to work date the following Tuesday - Looks like he'll be home longer than anticipated. I'm also alarmed about the pain medication... He hasn't filled a 'scrip yet, and surgery is coming quick. He'll have to call the Doc... Don't want to be filling 'scrips while he's feeling like JUNK! Regardless, my "Comment" was meant to be a THANK YOU for posting about your surgery and recovery. The entire sleep apnea/sleep study/tonsillectomy adventure has been intense for us. One of my close friends uses one of those breathing machines to sleep at night... And we had joked about potentially having one in our bedroom... We're hopeful that this surgery will help make breathing easier, but not looking forward to the pain! Thank again! Erik (2003-09-28): Thank you, I'm very, very happy to have been able to help, and allow other's experiences to be helpful to you. Christina in IL (2003-10-17): I am a 27 y/o female. I was scheduled to have a tonsillectomy, uvulaectomy, and some trimming of my soft pallet. I have been diagnosed with a mild version of sleep apnea...I don't remember my numbers. Well on the day I was scheduled for the surgery I got as far as pre anesthesia and chickened out. Well now I have an ear infection in both ears and my family doc sent me back to that same doc that was going to do the surgery......talk about embarrasing, but he completely understood. Now he wants to reschedule the surgery again. I know it is something that needs to be done but I'm still not really sure. I guess its because I've never been put to sleep before? Would you be able to give me some words of advice? He told me that he could have anesthesia give me a pill the night before to relax me a little better. Christina in IL (2003-10-17): sorry I forgot to add this.......i guess what I'm so scared of is the fact that I'm scared of waking up in the middle of surgery, not waking up at all and stuff like that Erik (2003-10-17): Christina, I completely understand. I was a bit worried too, not so much about waking up, but more about just needles, knives, etc. I never even saw my doctor when I was in pre/post-op, just the anesthesiologist, when he gave me my initial dose of sedative into my IV tube. I felt it in less than 2 seconds, and in 10, I was asleep. I actually found it to be very pleasant. When I woke up, I was fully awake, and aware of where I was in just a few seconds. I know some people have woken up mid-surgery in the past, but my understanding is that it never happens anymore, since your anesthesiologist is right there the whole time keeping you under. I don't think you have anything to be afraid of. If you have someone to take care of you (drive you home, get you drugs) you'll be just fine. The only thing I'd be afraid of would be the pain, but if your doctor says things like Percoset and Morphine, you'll be just fine. Christina in IL (2003-10-18): I've had morphine before and didn't like it one bit........I don't think my husband did either because after they gave it to me, I cussed him out, lol. It kinda made me feel really weird. I still haven't really decided if I'm going to actually go through with it yet either. Another thing I forgot to ask is how long did your surgery take, I know my doc said it would only be about an hour for me but my mind just kept telling me thats long enough for something to happen......if something bad can happen from something, I'll think of it. I know Percoset though, my husband broke his heel a little while back and thats what they gave him for the pain but after a while he said Motrin's helped him better than those did. But I would also like to say that you are so great for having this site here for people who are scared out of their wits......like me. I'm really one who definetely appreciates it. Erik (2003-10-20): I think my surgery took just a couple of hours. I really don't think you need to worry about something bad happening during surgery. Do it in a real hospital, and there are dozens of doctors there to come to the rescue if need be. Here's what you should be thinking about: Before my surgery, I would mumble "I'm so tired..." several times per day. I was Mr. Tired. My concentration was lacking, and I was moody. After my surgery, it's like someone took me off the downers. I sleep 7 hours per night, instead of 9, and when I wake up, I feel great. Your husband will also appreciate the total lack of snoring post-op. You'll be all right Christina, you'll feel like a new woman. Good luck, and thanks for the very kind words. Jafafa Hots (2003-10-27): thanks for the page. Just got home from my doc., tests came back and as suspected, I have sleep apnea - in the top end of the mild range. I've opted to get my uvula removed. I have many health problems and haven't been able to work for a few years, and all of this has led to extreme depression. My sleep patterns have been completely bizarre for years, and I have several neurological problems that are made worse by stress. My doctor didn't want to promise too much, but he did mention that he has even seen people's depression cured from this surgery. I figure that even if it just helps with my snoring, it's worth it. And maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get better sleep. If so, that could even potentially have a cascading effect and help me deal with the rest of my problems. In any case, its worth a try. Erik (2003-10-27): I would immagine removing your uvula will help with your snoring, which will help your sleep. Good luck! Richard Harris UK (2003-11-01): Hello to all you sore throat sufferers!!My Name is Rich,aged 30 from Kidderminster , England UK. I put up with constant sore throats,a feeling of being strangled and snoring for three years untill i found a doctor that actually believed i had a problem. I forget how many doctors i actually walked out on after being told such rubbish as "those white lumps on your throat are bits of food" and "its all in your head" and so on! One even suggested i start taking a course of anti-depressants which resulted in me telling him i thought he should retire but its been 72 hours now since i had my tonsillectomy,and after reading this fantastic page the night before i went into hospital-just had to share my expierience with you all too. Went into thearte at 10.00am on 27/10/03 woke up in recovery room about an hour later complaining of a sore throat(nothing worse than the usual)and then having a nurse tell me that i had just had my tonsills removed!!(i was in a bit of a daze but honestly didn't realise). Got taken back to the ward in and within an hour was sat up chattin to the really understanding staff of the hospital,after all they know exactly what you are going through and tell you what to expect. I was feeling very happy and thought to myself "this is nothing" untill i woke up the next morning! I won,t scare anyone but also wont sugarcoat it for you but the morning after surgery was,for me - quite painful but i think it was down to the fact i had been lay on my back snoring away which we all know dries your mouth & the newly vacated tonsill bed out!! Top tip-before you go into hospital get used to lying on your side at night breathing through your nose-i have managed to do this for the last few nights which makes ALL the difference! Dont get me wrong-with the painkillers that you will recieve, i found the pain dies down to dull but constant throbbing,but even after these few days i am SO SO SO glad i had it done, 100% recomend you to have it and not chicken out like i nearly did!Well i will stop my record for today and after a few more cold glasses of cranberry juice and lightly toasted cheese sandwiches! i will carry on tommorow cya! Erik (2003-11-01): That's great Richard! Congratulations, and welcome to the world of good sleep. Julie (2003-11-21): I had the same operation as you Erik, in Luxembourg in November 2000. I had bandages up my nostrils for 5 days and when they came out it felt like my brain was being pulled out through my nose. Now, 3 years later, I find that the place where my uvula used to be seems to be more sensitive. I think I probably had allergies to dust etc before the operation but it was never anything that bothered me. Now the area around the uvula location 'tightens' and this seems to then move downwards until I can't breath. Very scary. i wondered if anyone sle had a similar experience? Erik (2003-11-21): Julie, I haven't noticed any additional sensitivity to alergens where my uvula used to be, but it almost always does feel a little wierd. Cold maybe. If you're having an alergic reaction that bad, you should probably go see a specialist. I'm alergic to almost anything airborne, and did the alergy shot treatment for a couple of years. It was awful, but did help a little. Craig Carlyle Clarke (2003-12-09): Well. 24 hours after my uvula removal and soft palate repair. Looking in my mouth, I'm surprised at how much tissue is gone. I'm starting to have second thoughts. :( Guess its too late for that, huh? I can't swallow, its a chore to just sip water. Except for the pain when trying to take in fluids, the pain isn't bad. Kind of like a mild headcold. All I have for the pain is tylenol/codeine syrup. I did very well I suppose, doc said the surgery was amazingly easy, took only 10 minutes. Overheard the nurses remarking on how quickly I recovered, no bleeding whatsoever, no trouble speaking (at first) and was sitting up getting dressed and ready to walk out. Left the hospital within about 2 hours after surgery. I don't really feel too bad, I just feel like I'm not sure I'll ever be able to swallow correctly. I sure hope its something you get used to, because I don;t want a life of food going up my nose. Eating is my favorite hobby! Erik (2003-12-09): Craig, it took me a a couple of weeks to get the hang of swallowing without a uvula. It takes concentration initially, but it'll become natural to you soon. I found that if I swallow like I used to, the food/liquid equally goes up my nose, and down my throat. To overcome this, I kind of make a cup in the back of my tounge, and push that against the top of my mouth, and push back. It kind of forces it back and down. Good luck! anonymous (2003-12-09): oh, by the way, I'm the guy who posted as Jafafa Hots above. :) Erik (2003-12-09): Well I wish you luck with your recovery, swallowing and sleep. Parker (2003-12-11): I am scheduled for a "laser turbinectomy" on Dec 31. I have sleep apnea and have to sleep using a CPAP machine. Many nights I wake up and cannot breathe even with the CPAP. I am really looking forward to being able to breathe again! My doctor says that the operation and the recovery are totally painless. (Maybe for him!) Erik (2003-12-11): Good luck! LORI (2004-01-24): Jan 04 I am 38 years old and just had my tonsills out 5 days ago.... I can't beleive how much pain I have been in the past 5 days. My ears are const. aching. I can't wait for the next dose of my Percoset. I have lost 10 pounds in 5 days ( not my kind of diet) I am just starting to eat pasta and scramb. eggs. I actually feel like a child. I felt great the first day... but the days have been getting worse as they go on.... how much longer before I start to feel human.. I have to go back to work in a week!!! Erik (2004-01-24): Lori, from all the experiences shared here, it can definitely be said that recovery times vary wildly. You seem to have drawn the short straw. Still, make sure your doctor knows how much pain you are in, and if you haven't seen him or her recently, go in for a check-up. I think in my first week of recovery, I saw my doctor three times. Good luck! BrianMNUSA (2004-01-27): Erik: Great page! I wish I would've found it before my Tinsilectomy and Uvulaectomy procedure on Jan. 7 of '04. I'm 32 and find it helpful to read and compare others' experiences. Today I'm 20 days into it and feeling about 80-85% back to normal. I think that the worst part of my recovery is the bad taste in my mouth. I would normally brush my teeth 2-3 times a day and now I have to brush at least 3-4 times a day and really clean my tongue. I assume this is due to the healing at the back of the mouth - and it is subsiding a bit each day. I can also attest to a previous post's concern about the added senitivity to the area of the removed uvula - my gag reflex seems to have been kicked into high gear. I thought it was perhaps from the stitches, but they're gone and the hyper-sensitive gag reflex is still there. Certain foods, while they go down just fine, react negatively with my taste buds - creating a light nausea effect. I really hope the bad taste goes away and I can not only eat whatever I am in the mood for, but truly enjoy my old favorites again. I'm sure I will. And hey, it's only been 20 days...Good luck to all who are going to have or have had these procedures - it's definitely no walk in the park but it does get better. Erik (2004-01-28): Good to hear from you Brian! Welcome to the club of people without hangy-downy-throat-thingies. David UK (2004-02-15): I had a tosillectomy just 6 days ago and boy does it hurt! But having read all your comments out their I do not feel so alone and in pain anymore, I'm looking forward to feeling like superman. and Having lost 7lbs in 6 days, it is a great way to start my diet. Natalie (2004-02-15): I am having my tonsils removed on 3/9/04 and have been quite nervous about it this page has helped me a ton. I have already scheduled 2 weeks off from work and from reading the posts it seems that this should be sufficient enough. I have a good understanding I will be in pain but I hope that will go away with time. I am already in pain currently. I don't have sleep apnea but I have what it seems to be chronic tonsilits. My left tonsil had a big hole in it and food is constantly getting caught inside. My lymph node on my neck is always swollen and I already have a bad taste in my mouth. But from reading the posts it seems that the recovery will be alot like what I have already been through. Thank you for the posts. David UK (2004-02-16): Natalie, I hope I havent scared you too much, today is exactly 1 week after the operation and I ate my first meal yesterday, it tasted the best ever! I was very proud of myself! I too had a large hole in my tonsil and food kept getting stuck and then I would squeeze it with my finger and all this yellow gunk, that was like cooked rice texture and very smelly (yuk!) would come out...I am wishing I had read these pages before I went into hospital. If you would like to e-mail me i can be contacted on [email protected]. I am thinking about setting up a web page/support group to help people through this, please e-mail me your support - Thanks LML (2004-02-18): I am scheduled to have a tonsillectomy on March 2nd. I am hoping that it does two things: 1. eliminates my snoring and 2. allows me to get more oxygen during sleep so i can also wake up feeling refreshed. anyone visiting this site ever had solely a tonsillectomy and had it accomplish these two goals? Erik (2004-02-18): LML, I think that's one of those per-person-basis things. If there's one thing all these accounts show is that everyone has a different experience. See: David UK's disgusting puss problem. As you know, I had a lot more than just tonsils taken out, but my blood oxygenation levels were staggeringly higher even only hours after the surgery. The tonsillectomy could only improve your snoring, which could only improve your breathing. I still have stuffy nostrils, but the vast improvement is more than I could have hoped for. Scoty (2004-02-22): Bieng 32, I've been having problems with my tonsils for 10+ years; white deposits, ingrossed swelling of the nodes, scarifacation, touching when I was becomming sick, painfull when swollen and too boot I live over 7,000 feet in elevation. I am a strep carrier on top of all of that. Finaly got surgery after many run-a-rounds with 2 surgeons on January 14th, 2004. Within 20 minutes of waking up after surgery, and had 2 golf ball size tonsills removed, I noticed I could breathe easier!! Almost every pain killer does not work on me, but childrens liquid Motrin worked very well and went through many bottles. The pain was nothing compared to having my wisdom teeth impacted out of my jaw. The pain is like dull throbbing pain that if you are active-movies, books, walking out doors, it can be ignored. I did have a bleeding session 14 days after surgery and drove myself to the ER at 3am, 4 hours later the bleeding stoped. I do have a weird lack of taste where almost everthing is bitter in the back of my tounge especially sweets and I have heartburn even with water. I'm told that's because of the different, read liquid & soft food diet that your body is not used to being on and the antibiotic I was on. JASMINE IN OH (2004-02-29): Hi there. I am 6 days post op. I had my tonsils and my uvula removed and something done to my nose. As far as pain, it was quite weird I was crying yesterday because it still hurt so bad. Today I woke up and I feel ok. I wonderif it had anything to do with the fact that yesterday was the first day that I took the steroids my doc gave me (I couldn't swallow them). I was wondering if anyone had an answer to a couple of my questions. First is my scabs have not fallen off yet is this normal? Second, does anyone know how to help reduce the awful taste in my mouth...it literaally makes me want to vomit. Thanks for your help. Erik (2004-02-29): You should ask your doctor about the scabs, but remember: Everyone is different in how they heal. You will, eventually. As for the taste, it'll go away eventually. Until then: Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream. JASMINE IN OH (2004-03-01): ERIK....THanks for the fast response. I was hoping people still used this site. It is really helpful to be able to talk to people who can understand what you are going through. THanks again. Erik (2004-03-01): Good luck Jasmine! I'm sure you'll finish up healing, and feel better than ever. Until then, may I recommend Starbuck's "Mud Pie" ice cream. Mmmmmmmmm. Natalie (2004-03-01): Hey Jasmine! I am sorry you are experiencing so much pain. Coincidentally I am having my tonsils out on 3/9/04. I have found this site to be interesting. And I now know some of stuff that I will be experiencing. I hope the pain and scabs go away for you soon as well as the awful taste in you mouth. Take Care Jasmine and hang in there. And oddly enough I am from Ohio. David UK (2004-03-02): Worth every moment of Pain! NO snoring anymore, no sore throats - great result, went back to work exactly 2 weeks after Operation and all OK. First week after Op was very sore and painful, but as the second week progressed so did I. Don't worry anyone - its worth it! Erik (2004-03-02): Congrats David! KariMN (2004-03-04): I just decided to have my tonsils out, adnoids out, a deviated septum fixed as well as turbinate reduction 3/22/04...I am keeping the uvula. Hoping that the surgery will make life better. I found out that what I can smell now is so much less than most. So I am excited and if Two weeks (or so) of pain means that I don't snore and can smell...I am all for it! Question...did anyone experience a change in their voice? JASMINE IN OH (2004-03-04): HEy all. I just wanted to say what a difference a couple of days makes. Although I still can not eat, I feel so much better. THe other amazing thing is I actually feel rested in the morning! For that alone the pain was worth it. For those of you scheduled for your surgery soon....good luck and I truely believe it is worth it. KariMN...AS far as the voice change, not really. I am less nasaly (sp?) when I talk though. Take care. Erik (2004-03-04): That's great Jasmine! Kari, no, I didn't experience a change in my voice either. While I was healing, it was deeper and stuffy of course, but I'm back to normal. NMS (2004-03-15): Hello! I had my tonsillectomy done 6 days ago. I have had little to no pain during the day but at night it is really painful. I wake up occasionally during the night and drink a little water because my mouth is so dry. However, last night I went to drink a little water and realized that my mouth was filled with blood. I went to the emergency room and it eventually stopped. This made me a little nervous. I had a couple questions and I was wondering if anyone could answer them. Is this bleeding normal and is it because my scabs are falling off that I experienced this bleeding episode? Erik (2004-03-15): NMS, I've heard quite a bit about post-op bleeding from a tonsillectomy. It seems to be common, but I've also heard that it sometimes can mean a very serious problem. You should talk to your doctor as soon as possible. The ER doctors and nurses know all about post-op bleeding, and wouldn't have released you if you were in danger, so I wouldn't worry, but it's always best to know all the facts. nadge (2004-03-16): I am 42 years old woman and just had my tonsils uvula and adnoids done my main concern was how I was going to feel when I just woke up from the Anesthesia since I heard so many nightmare stories and I must say waking up was the easiest part of the whole thing, you have so much drugs in your system you have no pain, and lets face it I had three procedures done all at once this is presently my 5th day out of surgery, yes you have some days better than others but lets face it to many scary stories out there I was told so many scary stories I ran out of surgery the first time I was scheduled to have it but let me tell you day 5 and already breathing better so for everyone who fears the pain you wake up that day to, don't when you get home take your medication on time and plan your diet ahead of your surgery. JG (2004-03-18): Thanks for hosting this page; I'm scheduled to have my tonsils removed March 31, 04, and I'll admit to being more than a bit nervous, more about the anaesthesia than the cutting. It's being done on an outpatient basis, which is fine because I loathe hospitals. Too, I'm no real stranger to pain, having collapsed a lung and broken numerous bones in various accidents over the years (Call me Mr. Lucky.) I am under regular treatment for chronic pain as a result of one of these escapades, and have mostly learned to live with it. I'm a tad concerned that I'm probably opiod tolerant, as I use Demerol semi-regularly; it's the only thing I've found that works, without undue stomach upset, and believe me, I've run the gamut of pain meds. Although I've never been clinically diagnosed w/ sleep apnea, I don't typically sleep well, although insomnia runs in my family, and sleep disorders are characteristic of some of the neurological issues I suffer as a result of one of my accidents. Still, the idea of not suffering from constant tonsil/respiratory infections is appealing, and the abcesses within my tonsils no longer respond to scary-strong antibiotics. I suppose I'll miss the the nasty little fellas after all these years (I'm 44,) especially the left one, which is typically about the size of a walnut. Ah well, loss and gain, all a part of the cycle of life... Thanks again for helping to alleviate some of the pre-op anxiety, and I look forward to that Superman feeling. I am used to regular, vigorous exercise (when I'm not sick, which has been pretty much every few months for 2 years) and wonder how long it'll take to get back on my bike. Erik (2004-03-18): Good luck! Don't push it, but I'm sure you'll be back on your bike soon, and with more energy! Brooke (2004-03-18): I had surgery 9 days ago, and I do not have scabs, but white patches on my tonsil beds. Is this normal? Erik (2004-03-18): I remember seeing that, but it's always best to check with your doctor. Rach. (2004-03-25): Hello, I'm 19 and had my tonsillectomy done a week ago today and i really wanted to know how they exactly do the op, but i didnt find out. At 10.10am they took me into theartre and was putting the needle in they was having abit of problems as my veins are very small so they had to keep trying in my other hand and eventually they told me to look up and lift my chin up as i did i could taste the anestetic and that was it i was out cold. When i woke up in the recovery room i was crying and said my throat hurts to which the nurse replied ''well, you have just had your tonsils out''. i didnt actually feel that bad at that point. Once i had fully come round thay gave me some pain killers and wheeled me off to the ward, now it was 11.30am so it hadnt took that long. Once i was there it didnt really hurt much some of my family came to visit me later that day they couldnt believe i had it done as i looked really well and wasnt in any pain. The next day i was allowed to go home the pain did actually start to get worse, i knew it would as the nurse said it would get worse before it would get better. i went home and had my medication which did ease off the pain abit but i wasnt pain free, i just tried to sleep when ever i could. Now 5 days after surgery i feel alot better i have got quite alot of ear-ache though which is terrible at night as i cant sleep on my sides as i usually do as if i lie on my side and swallow i get a sharp pain up through my throat and into my ear and it feels like it is going to burst open. I thought i might of had a infection so i saw my g.p yesterday who advised me there is no infection and everything is normal.The white scabs have fallen off its just red and sore now. She gave me more tablets as i had run out off what the hospital had given me i'm on soluble co-codamol, Phenoxymethyl-Penicillin which is brilliant this really eases the ear-ache, and Diclofenac which again is really good this eases my pain in the throat and the ear i have this one just before i go to bed as i manage to get the full 6 hours off sleep until it wears off. I'm really glad i had the operation as i suffered from tonsillitous twicw every month for the last 18 months and this pain for 2 weeks is better than going through the pain i used to go through with tonsillitous. Everyone says have ice-cream and cold drinks after but i thought that actually coldness made the pain worse i have stuck to cups of tea, and steak and kidney pies. I usually am out all the time clubbing and having a good time i havnt even thought of going out also i have smoked since i was 14 and again i havnt missed smoking at all i just hope i can still not have any after i feel better and i'm out and about. Rach (2004-03-25): Hi again i forgot to put this on but what on earth do they do with your tongue through surgery my tongue is absolutley in agony at the sides its as if i had bitten it on either side i cant stick it out and i think this is a reason why i cant eat prperly as my tongue doesnt work the same as it usually does? Erik (2004-03-25): Rach, I'd bet your tounge, throat and ear pain are all related, or even the same pain. Dentists will often tell you that a sore tooth will cause ear pain because they share nerves. However, it's never a bad idea to check with your doctor (the one who did the surgery). Rach (2004-03-26): Hi i think i have found out why my tongue hurts because when they do surgery they pull your tongue out so they can see in your mouth properly and so becuse they had pulled my tongue as far as it would go it feels sore because the muscles had been stretched for so long they have advised me the best thing for this to chew chewing gum so that my muscles in my tongue dont stay sore chewing the gum eases the pain and should relieve the pain so i can move my tongue properly to eat and speak more clearly. Thanx DaveE Bristol UK (2004-03-30): After complaining to my doctor time and time again that I had tonsil problems (that always seemed to disappear when the appointment was due) I finally got seen by a consultant who said "we'd better get them out in the next 8 weeks"! Any way�s ended up in hospital with terrible head pain, suffered at the hands of a junior doctor doing his first attempts at a lumbar puncture fortunately for him all the attempts he will ever need he did on me! 8 weeks came and went, 20 weeks later after chasing on the phone they finally found me, still with terrible head pain. Had my op on 23rd March 04 went in, in pain came out in even more! Had my first what I call bad bleed on the Thursday morning, very little support from anyone got through that, learnt very quickly to keep on top of the pain killers, getting only as much sleep as the pain killers provide relief... so here I am a week later, god awful taste in my mouth, my tongue appears to of swollen, get regular bleeds that wake me up in the morning, struggle to sleep, struggle to eat/swallow, struggle to talk, lost nearly a stone in weight, not the sort of diet I would recommend. People seem to think "you've only got a sore throat how bad can that be, I've loads of really bad ones" ... what makes this worse is I've been off work for so long with my chronic head pain I'd decided I'd just got to get on with it before fore I get sacked, so had planned to go back to work next week, I can see me saying, "I'm going to be out for another week" and that going down like a led balloon... when will this pain end, I have had such enough of it. Erik (2004-03-30): I think it's about time to get a second doctor. Someone who can advise you on the healing process, and prescribe a more effective pain killer. DaveE Bristol UK (2004-04-01): Went to A&E couldn't swallow at all, gaging all the time, seems I've got an infection, so I've they gave me some horse pills to swallow! and soluble voltrol, seems to be getting better now.. thank god, and thank you. Erik (2004-04-01): The only medical advise I try to give out is: See a doctor. I'm glad that helped you. JG (2004-04-01): Just thought I'd give an update to my earlier post. Yesterday's surgery went smooth as silk, back home exactly six hours after departure. It does indeed hurt tremendously, but that's manageable. (Forgive me if I ramble, I'm on lotsa Percoset...) Surgeon said tonsils were "impressively disgusting." Doc actually phoned at 10PM last night just to check in--I'd recommend this guy to anyone who needs an ENT in DC. (E me at [email protected] if you'd like his name/number.) In addition to being an ace w/ the knife--and a cyclist like me--he put himself through school as an EMT/paramedic, and does volunteer surgery on indigent population in Guatemala every year. Pretty cool guy. Actually hurts more today than yesterday, but that's normal. Kind of high fever, but that's also normal per doctor. He's changing my oral antibiotic, because I, ummm, lost the first dose, which was pretty unpleasant with my throat so raw. My wife Susan's fantastic, taking very good care of me, feeding me vegan "ice cream." Perhaps the nastiest part is that my uvula is swollen to about the size of my thumb--again, normal, and usually treated with steroids. Unfortunately, I've had pretty bad psychotic reactions to steroids in the past, so I'm just toughing this out w/ Rice Dream and ice packs to neck. Thanks again for the supportive site. Can't say I feel great now, but it's a finite thing, and all indications are that they really, really needed to come out. If you've had chronic, severe tonsillitis for years, (as I have,) find a trustworthy surgeon, and just take the plunge. Keeping them is a huge drain on the immune system, and, though painful now, I think the long-term benefit will be well worth it. Erik (2004-04-01): Excellent news JG. The second day is the worst, so you're almost over the hump. From now on, life is going to be a lot more pleasant. SAM (2004-04-01): JG Have you tried Toffuti Ice Cream I survied on it for the two weeks I was healing. JG (2004-04-02): Thanks for the tip SAM--I prefer Rice Dream, a rice-based ice-cream substitute, because I find rice easier to digest than soy. Also, I'm hypoglycemic, and Tofutti has refined sweeteners--Rice Dream is sweetened with brown rice syrup, which metabolizes much more gradually. I spent many years in the natural foods industry, and have a pretty good background in nutrition. And not to get preachy, but folks, cutting the dairy out of your diet--and reducing intake of animal foods in general--will do wonders for sinus and allergy issues. I've been a veg for 30 years, and vegan for almost 20. Been a competitve cyclist, too, so I can attest that it's possible to eat a balanced, nutritious diet w/o meat or dairy. I'm not a militant vegetarian, and I know what human dentition looks like, but believe me--milk is food for baby cows, not adult humans, and it can be very, very mucus producing. Rant over--everyone's body responds to something different, but I really believe that nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. (BTW--Rice Dream isn't distributed as widely as Tofutti, but you should be able to get your local nat'l foods store to order it--it's made by Imagine Foods. Highly recommended for anyone with congestion issues, and pretty tasty to boot. Of course I haven't eaten real ice cream since 1979, so I'm sure my basis for comparison is poor...) OK, I'm ramblling again, but I'm still on lots of pain meds. iId rather avoid them, but w/o Percoset, I can't drink, and hydration is key to healing and keeping fever down. Finally, you're right on, Erik: Day three is much, much better than day two. I like this trend. DaveE Bristol UK (2004-04-04): JG funny you metnion milk is for baby cows, I used to love milk by the gallon! following my tonsilectomy I think it's awfull stuff! latoshia (2004-04-04): I'm a 26 year old female and I had my tonsils taken out Wed. March 31, 2004. Today is Sunday April 3, 2004. I'm doing much better. My ulvula is swollen and is sitting on the back of my tounge. It is somewhat hard for me to swallow. But I must admit it is much better. JG (2004-04-04): Any idea of when I might expect to get my voice back? In a brilliant bit of comedic timing, I got called in to a job interview two days after surgery. With Susan acting as my vocal proxy, and me scribbling notes, I tentatively set it up for Friday upcoming, nine days post-surgery. They were very understanding about the possibility of re-scheduling, and I'd like to make as good an impression as possible. Now, on day five, unable to speak and still living for the next painkiller, I'm wondering if this is going to be possible... Kris (2004-04-04): Thanks for the page-hope someone can help me with some concerns. Had a uvulaectomy 2 days ago on 4-2-04. Went very well. Was in and out of the office in half an hour. Somewhat a sore throat of course hard to swallow becuse of the swelling. Feeling good otherwise maybe tired from the tylenol with codine. Believe I'm still snoring and breathing hard and heavy at times while sleeping. Can anyone give me any ideas on if the snoring and breathing get better or go away? Any input that may be helpful would be appreciated. Thanks. Erik (2004-04-05): JG & Kris, as I'm sure you've read above, healing time varies wildly from person to person. Everyone heals differently, and I think it depends a lot on how much tissue you had removed, and how long you were on the table. I wish you both good luck. JG: I think you'll be OK, but have someone drive you, and take it easy. Latoshia (2004-04-08): I'm a lot better know. My throat is remains sore after a week and 1 day, but I'm able to eat a little more. Still only soft foods. I still takes me one hour to eat though. The scab is still on the back of my throat and my uvula remains swollen. Today was my first day back to work. It was hard because I was out for a week. I'm still weak and I get tired when I do a lot of walking. I have not had to take any pain med. since Saturday. I thank God for my healing. From the begining I made myself drink plenty of water. I knew of a girl that had the same type of sugery. She had a hard time because she was hard headed and would not drink and she also eat some fried Chx. There is no way I would think of doing such a thing. With me working in the health care field I kind of knew what to expect and what I could do for a speedy recovery. James in FL (2004-04-12): This page rocks! As for me, I am getting surgery in 9 days. I am getting tonsillectomy, soft palate removal, and getting my deviated septum aligned. This seems like lots of surgery, my only concern is post-op bleeding but it should be fine. Some of you said you only got tylenol/codene for pain, if they give me that I'll murder them! LOL j/k I'll re-post to give info on how it went. Wish me luck! Christine - Santa Monica (2004-04-14): i had my tonsillectomy on monday, april 12 - just two days ago. i am happily surprised that i don't feel as bad as i've read i should. my only worry now is the taste, or rather lack of. sweet things, like ice cream and pudding, don't taste like anything at all. and smells that used to smell good, now don't. everything seems a little "off". it's probably too early to tell though what's up with this side effect. my doc used coblation which is supposed to be lighter on pain and bleeding and i'm really glad i don't have stitches on top of everything else. Erik (2004-04-14): Christine, you're lucky you feel so well! Enjoy that, don't worry about taste and smell, they'll come back in time. Remember, you're all swollen (or were), on medication, and they took tissue out of your head! Give it time to all come back into ballance. Good luck! Diane _UK (2004-04-20): Had a tonsillectomy carried out on Friday, April 16th after having umpteen bouts of tonsillitis over my 36 years. I've had a few surgeries in the past that required 6 week convalescence periods and I've always bounced back quicker than expected and required very little pain medication. Oh boy has this been different. The surgery itself only took about 18 minutes from the records, but they took out 2 large clots in recovery. I woke up in recovery. They gave me a whack of pain medication in theatre/recovery and as a result I was zonked for the day, and unfortunately awoke dehydrated, and in a lot of pain by late afternoon. I've never been good with soluble medicine so when they gave me soluble diclofenac it promptly came up 30 seconds later with a lot of old blood (must have been swallowed earlier). Anyway had pain medication delivered in alternative ways. There seem to be very different ideas on what should be eaten post-tonsillectomy. The nurses refused to let me eat soup or ice cream and would only let me eat crispy/crunchy foods such as cereal or for some reason, sandwiches which I couldn't swallow without them sticking at the back of my throat and making me gag. I did manage some cereal by the next morning so was discharged as per schedule but was forced to drink fresh orange juice with it (by nursing assistant who was adamant I had to have it - though the sister on the ward was horrified when she came round later). Still felt nauseous on discharge and was sick twice during the hour long car journey home (that was a real joy). Since being home, I've drunk loads water which does seem to help but the earache is awful even with chewing gum as advised. Yesterday (third day post op) was the worst yet pain wise but I've definitely found that chewing gum and keeping drinking helps in the long run - but dread sleeping due to the drying out overnight. On the subject of throat appearance - definitely still white on the tonsil beds though that is decreasing, and smell wise everything seems to smell different. For instance, I usually adore the smell of my shampoo and now I can't stand it. Have never brushed my teeth so much either but it definitely keeps the bad breath at bay! Seeing my gp this morning for him to assess whether progress, fill prescription for painkillers that will run out this afternoon and to assess whether antibiotics are required. Can't wait to get back to normal although it's unfortunate I've had so much tonsillitis this year when I'd change career to teaching via an employment based training route. I received a letter a couple of days before the surgery to say I would not be allowed to complete my training due to sickness absence this year (40 days) although it doesn't say when my employment will end (one year training contract and it's not spelt out in it what happens if the training aspect ends). The college (which act as assessor of the course) agreed with my proceeding with surgery asap (during Easter) as this would show that I took getting the problem sorted quickly but obviously this hasn't been enough for the school. Guess I'll be using the second week of convalescence to job hunt! Dhia_UK (2004-04-20): Apologies for the essay (and the mistakes in the above) - was at peak earache when making that post! Erik (2004-04-22): Diane, sorry to hear this has been such an ordeal for you. I has chronic tonsillitis too for years before I finally got to have the operation. I don't know why doctors wait so long, I'm sure we'd all have more strong immune systems if they didn't. Then again, surgery is a big deal, even small ones, as we can see here! Good luck, I'm sure you'll start feeling better now, it sounds like you're coming over the hump. Susan (2004-04-22): It's been 14 days since my tonsillectomy. The doctor gave me Tylenol/Codein for 5 days only for painkiller, which I spilled a lot due to reduced motor ability after the surgery. However, the greatest thing that bothered me was not the pain--but the inability to eat--and I lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks. So the question: I can eat now, but NOTHING taste good--everything is BITTER--and there is stuff covering all my tongue, which I think is why things taste so BADLY. Does anyone know when foods will actually taste decent again? Erik (2004-04-22): Susan, as you'll read here, everyone heals differently. Lots of people have said that post-op food tastes badly, but it'll clear up as your wounds close, and everything else goes back to normal. Remember, there are at least two giant gaping holes in the back of your mouth. It's going to affect taste, smell, and lots of other things. Talk to your doctor if you think something is wrong, but you're experience seems pretty normal. It should go away in time. Surrey_Dave (2004-04-27): Am sitting here at 5:12am, 4 days after my tonsils and some soft palete went in the bin, having been woken up with the mother of all earaches. Just reading this site has helped me to realise what's normal/not. Have been fine during the day, eating most normal food (doctor advised me to stick to 'crisp' food to dislodge any infection), it's just when I wake up that the pain is intense. Co-codamol is my new drink of choice! Good site. James in FL (2004-04-29): It has been 8 days since my tonsillectomy, UP3, and septoplasty plus turbinate reduction. I am doing somewhat better but its still tough to eat as each time I swallow it hurts. Had nasal splints but had to go back to hospital for bleeding and got 5" packing jammed into nose (ouch!!!). I lost 13 pounds in 6 days! The pain is better only so bad is when I wake up, doc gave me lortab elixir for that :) will post more if complications arise Marcie from RI (2004-05-03): Hi GREAT web site! I'm having a tonsillectomy/Uvulaectomy done in the morning 5/4/04. I've rescheduled twice, but am determined to go through with it tomorrow morning. I'm a 42 year old woman with mild sleep hypopnea (not exactly sleep apnea, but related) and have had a bad snoring history for many years. My Dr. recommended the uvulaectomy, but I thought that having the tonsils removed (although they are very small and give me no trouble) couldn't hurt. They are leaving the soft palate alone. I'm scared to death, but after reading the website, it seems like almost 100% of people who have had this done find the results very beneficial (after the pain goes away to some degree!!). That's really nice to know. Wish me luck!! Erik (2004-05-03): Good luck Marcie! Marcie from RI (2004-05-08): 4th day post op: I've had a really rough time these last 3 days. My throat is killing me, I live from narcotic to narcotic. I have ice packs on the outsides of my neck constantly or my ears ache. I feel like, and sound like I drowning in snot (sorry to be gross). I've lost 10 pounds in 5 days, all water. I've also been told that If I don't keep properly hydrated the scabs in the back of my throat will rip off and start bleeding, sending me to the emergency room. Let me tell you, it is impossible to drink as much as I am supposed to! They want me to take in a gallon a day, I'm lucky if I get even half of that, it hurts so bad to swallow. I'm light headed from not eating, and all drugged out. Luckily I don't seem to get an upset tummy from the pills on an empty stomach. I can't sleep for more than 3 hours at a time, cuz' that's when the oxycodone wears off (I'm only to take it every 4 hours, so the last hour is agony). Anyway, I'm not having fun at the moment. The good part is I can tell a difference in breathing. My uvula was very enlarged, and it is wonderful not having that icky thing sitting on the back of my tongue any more! I always felt like I had post nasal drip, but now know it was just the uvula. It sounds like the "hump" was supposed to be a few days ago, and now it is day 5 and I'm still in great pain and can't eat. Like "Rach" who posted above, my tongue is hurting almost as much as my throat!! It is all purple and bruised on the sides. I can't imagine chewing gum though, just the thought makes me hurt!! I'll write in a few days with an update. Erik (2004-05-09): Sorry Marcie, you seem to have gotten the short end of the deal. I too lost several pounds in the first week. Keep hydrated, and you'll come over that hump, eventually. Just focus on that silver lining you can already see: You can breathe! Good Luck! Frederic, New York (2004-05-13): Erik: Thank you for this page! I had a UPPP 21 days ago and all of the info here helped me get through the worst, knowing what to possibly expect. My uvula and soft palate were HUGE. Now I can breathe easier, I don't snore (I'm told I now "purr",) and I consistently sleep nine hours a night, instead of 12 to 13 before surgery. Daytime sleepiness is gone and I no longer fall asleep on the subway every day! It was painful and scary but it has been worth it. Ya just gotta be brave. My doctor reminded me that every one of his patients got through it, annoying as it is. I am still experiencing the gag reflex phenomena that BrianMNUSA mentions. Has it subsided, Brian? Anyone? I'm also at the three week mark. It bugs the heck out of me. Marcie: My advice: Don't look at it. (Helped me...) You'll just worry more. It's not cosmetic surgery. Just do your best to stay hydrated! A vaporizer helped me a lot. broadwaylizzard (2004-05-14): Hi. I am 15 years old and i am getting my tonsils out in a month. I was wondering how big the IV is compared to the big scary ones that you give blood with. Erik (2004-05-15): Boradwaylizzard, you need not worry. The IV needles are MUCH smaller than those used to take blood. I fact, they're so small, that I didn't even notice when mine was put in, or taken out. broadwaylizzard (2004-05-15): Thanks! Now I'm not so worried. cindy (2004-05-18): I had a UPPP, tonsillectomy and septoplasty on Thursday May 13th. I wish I had found your site prior to my surgery. Yesterday I felt "ok". Could swallow without too much pain, but today, I feel just crumby. Earache, throat pain, tired and probably depressed, feeling like I made a hudge mistake and will never be the same. I feel like a big whimp because I still need to take pain meds every 4 hours in order to drink or eat. I go to the ent tomorrow. I am 45 years old. Is this normal? Does it get worse before better? Quik tip - I keep a mist spray bottle by my bed and spray all the time in addition to drinking lots (as much as I can) of liquid. Erik (2004-05-18): Cindy, at 45 you're probably not going to heal as quickly as some of us kids. It's always a good idea to be in close communication with your doctor, but I don't think you should feel like a whimp. Many people seem to just take longer to heal. General health, age, fitness, and I'm sure the scope and length of the surgery all factor into recovery time. Good luck! Christine-Santa Monica (2004-05-18): Hi - I had my tonsillectomy on 4/12/04, 5 weeks ago and the taste in my mouth is still awful and I am unable to taste much of any food I eat. The worst though is the bad taste in my mouth. Does anyone have any info or experience with this? It's awful! Thanks. Tracy in GA (2004-05-20): I had my tonsillectomy on 5/11/2004. This was done in the Doctor's office as an outpatient. My surgery was scheduled for 2:00, I was home by 5:00, less a set of rotten tonsils. I never had any sleep tests done, but was always tired and had throat problems. The first week was horrid. I am allergic to Percoset so I got sent home with Meperzine for severe pain, Oxycodone for moderate pain, Lidocaine in a viscous solution, and Tetracaine lollipops, but no antibiotics. I was told that with the laser surgery that I would have less pain and heal faster. Well, if this is the "easy" way, then I don't want to know what the hard way is like. The first week was nothing but pain pills and sleep - usually two hours at a time and then 2 hours of suffering before I could take another pain pill. I was told not to eat ice cream until Saturday, but when I did, it burned. I have also noticed that I'm not as tired when I wake up. My pain usually got more severe during the day and the middle of the night. Now, 9 days later, my constant pain is almost gone, just not the swallowing pain (and the constant feeling that I'm going to hurl). I'm still on soups and drinking through a straw. One other good thing, I've quit smoking (after 20 years and as a bonus for my husband) and have lost about 20 lbs. By the way, I'm 34 years old and own my own business. I just started back trying to work some today. I was trying to do some computer work the second day, but was in a drug fog most of the time. I'm really looking forward to being able to drink a Diet Coke and eat some pizza (or anything besides soup). I guess I'll quit rambling now. I really wish I had found this site before my surgery. Kris (2004-05-21): Had my uvulaectomy done on 4-2-04. Have been back to the ENT for post op checks twice now. One at 3 weeks and one at 6 weeks. Still snoring the same. The doctor now is talking about tightening the tongue> Is this a somnoplasty? I'm hoping this may help. Has anyone had this, or know of it? Thanks. Georgia (2004-05-23): I had my tonsils out due to the chronic tonsillitis that had been coming back over the last couple of years. I had them out just last tuesday. It's now sunday at 4:36 am. I've spent every night on the couch sleeping sitting up with ice packs around my neck. The day of the surgery I was put on codeine and morphine. It must've been the morphine because that day was the best i've felt so far. Swallowing was easy, talking was easy, i was just a little irritated (perhaps by the fact that my doc burned my lip and my tongue ^is that a normal thing to have happen?^). The biggest annoyance was the swelling of my uvula and soft pallet. It felt like i had something constantly stuck in my throat. The day after I came home I threw up once, which was not fun and everything in my throat was still huge. My advice would be to continue drinking even right after you throw up, the longer you wait the harder it becomes. I'm surprised at the number of others who were given percocet, I was given tylonal and codeine. I stuck with the codeine for the first four days, every three hours on the dot. The first hour after taking it would bring relief, but by the third hour i was crying for more. I've switched over to the tylonal, at least now i don't half pass out every hour. last night i attempted to eat some noodles. I'm not sure what happened but after a few bites i was spitting up my scabs. (yes i know this is all horribly disgusting) Another thing no one has seemed to mention is those people who wont understand the pain us tonsillectomy patients are going through. I had one friend call me a drama queen. Which was uncalled for and really hurt. I guess some people are just ugly on the inside. The uvula has now gone down and the scabs are starting to fall off. But that also means the earaches are starting. I've just tried to stay as quiet as possible. No harsh lighting or noises. Thank god i've had my mother to take care of me. I'm 18 and have felt like such a baby from all the pain but this site has brougt a great deal of comfort, to know that others have gone through the exact same thing and know how much this sucks. The surgery is easiest on little kids, i guess they bounce back faster. But the older you get the longer the recovery takes. My heart goes out to you in your 30s and 40s who are getting the proceedure done. Hopefully it's been worth it. I spend most of the day thinking about all of the things i cant wait to eat once i'm done with recovery. Mmmmmmm crunchy things. Good luck to those getting this done in the future and I thank everyone who has already shared their story. john in richmond va. (2004-05-23): i had a tonsillectomy,uppp,septoplasty,turbinite cautery/outfracture procedure done 10 days ago on 05/13/04. i really wish i had seen this site before the surgery. there are so many questions and concerns that could have been answered if i only knew. i had no idea about the intense pain i would have to go through.(even with the pain medication taken every 3 hours(instead of every 4-6 hours as perscribed). i have had 3 scabs come off in the past 3 days. this was very scary because the blood just came gushing out of my mouth and seemed like it would never stop. lucky for me my wife has a good head on her shoulders and called the doctor on call before just rushing me to the hospital. they told us this is normal and to put ice cold water in my mouth and keep it there until it stops.i was starting to panic (big time) even the 2nd & 3rd time it happened. here it is day#10 and it's almost over.i also have lost weight because i have had nothing but liquids for the past 10 days. the reason for my surgery was sleep apnea. i would stop breathing 25-30 times per hour.all of my life i sleep anywhere at anytime. i cannot even drive 1 hour on the road before trying to fall asleep behind the wheel. i believe only by the grace of god i never had a sleep related accident.i was suppose to use the c-cap machine during the past 5 years. i think i used it 10 times total. i was determined not to use it because it was so uncomfortable and needless to say did nothing to encourage my sex life. for now i will close and i will write again in 2 weeks to give my testimony on what a great new life i am having. Frederic, New York (2004-05-23): OK All you newbies, Here's my point of view: I only had a UPPP so I can't give advice on tonsils being removed. BUT for those of you who have had the UPPP, I'll drop some pearls of wisdom. I'm now 32 days post-op. I has been annoying and hard to deal with, but I'm here to tell you it does get better. My pain and numbness and gag reflex are all SLOWLY going away. Let me repeat: SLOWLY. It takes a long time for the nerves to regenerate. Be patient. I'm tellling you this and I'll bet I'm the most impatient of you all! I can identify with the above remark about feeling you made a huge mistake. If it helps with the sleep apnea, it was not a mistake. Search the internet for "REM deprivation" and you'll come up with some compelling reasons for having the surgery to hopefully help. Kris: I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, but has your doctor mentioned any other possible solutions? You say you had a uvulaectoomy, but was it a full UPPP? (Involving also the soft palate tissue, or just the uvula was trimmed down?) Maybe you have an excess of tissue, as I did. It could be the tonsils in the way, upper airway obstruction or deformity, jaw structure, there is Hyoid advancement to pull the tongue forward. I suppose your doctor was choosing the least invasive treatment before recommending more drastic proceedures. I believe somnoplasty IS the laser treatment on the back of the tongue. The tissue is apparently lightly "burned" under the surface to reduce the bulk fo the tongue. Supposedly it is useful, my doctor ruled it out because control of a laser for this kind of proceedure is still less precise than using a scalpel (Possibility of burning tissue in the back of the throat.) and my uvula and soft palate were glaringly obvious as the reason for obstruction. I'm not trying to scare you, every proceedure has it's negative aspects. Have you also been diagnosed with or tested for sleep apnea? My other observation: In searching the internet, I have come across various websites that vary GREATLY in their use of statistics to compel you why certain proceedures aren't as efficacious as others. I believe the this is because they're trying to steer you in their direction for treatment. Dentists will tell you why their appliances are the best and safest treatment for snoring. CPAP manufacturers have websites telling you why surgery is dangerous and that only a CPAP machine will help. Other "sleep clinics" tell you that laser surgery is the safest way to go. All of these websites cite "statistics" to back up their claims. "UPPP Surgery only helps in 17% of sleep apnea cases." Well, yeah, if your jaw or tongue is the problem, of course it won't help. The trick is discovering what's causing the snoring or apnea in the first place. Jamie G (2004-05-24): Hello! I had my tonsils out 3 weeks ago and still have pieces of what i hope are scabs in the back of my throat, my uvula is still somewhat swollen and i have horrible breath! I am worried because it's been so long. I am 26...have any of you had longer recoveries as well? Erik (2004-05-25): John, that does sound pretty scary! I had just a brief nose bleed (big for a nose bleed, but I certainly wouldn't say "gushing"), and that freaked me out! Glad to hear you're healing, and I wish you luck! Erik (2004-05-25): Georgia, sounds like you're having a rough time. Living from pill to pill is certainly not a fun time. It should be short lived though! (It's taken me so long to respond, that you might already be feeling better, I hope so.) Erik (2004-05-25): Jamie G, three weeks isn't too bad, certainly there have been people here who took far longer to heal, but it's always a good idea to check with your doctor. Good luck! tess (2004-05-26): hi - 21, in MN and just had my tonsils out 6 days ago - chronic tonsillitis (however it's spelled). I never had problems until I went to college and then had trouble ll the time - it started effecting my grades and my job, everyhting. finally had a doctor listen to me after 3 years (i realize this isn't a log time to some people, but i'd never had so much as the flu before and cold almost never hit me - in Minnesota) so finally I get the surgury done - i was so nervous my pulse was up to 103 in the pre-op room, so i asked the nurse for something to calm me down - i was so close to bolting - and from there on felt fine. have spent the last few days in pain, but nothign too bad- i went off the tylenol/codeine mixture (in pill form, for whatever crazy reason) teo days ago - three days ago. the first day i tried to go without any painkillers and i wouldn't recommned that- i jsut got really, really crank trying to control the pain and it seem like crying with my throat like this would just hurt. but even through the pain isn't so bad- i haven't been able to eat anything - a bite or two each days,but nothign substancial and ice cream, sobert, and popcicles just hurt. so really only chicken broth, apple juice, and water. so far it's just been horrible and i haven't noticed any results. I can't even sleep more than a few hours at a time because i dream that i'm chokcing (my throat's so swollen) and either my tongue dries out if i sleep on my back or i drool all over the place if i sleep on my side (and we're talking cute little, aww isn't she adorable asleep drool, but like i might as well have puked up water amounts of drool) so in regards to that, i'm not too happy. but i guess it's a good thing because my boctor said my tonsils were some of the worst she'd ever seen and that they were falling apart as she was takin them out, they were so rotten (sorry abtout imagery) I had soem questions though: 1. People kept on mentioning gum-chewing as a way of unstiffening your tongue/jaw. Does this really work? 2. Did any one else have other things go wrong with their body whiel they were recovering (i.e. getting a boil or a yeast infection)? 3. does the sense of taste eventaully come back? (i.e. does it always take a long time) 4. How long on average did it take for people's voices to come back? (this could be an issue at my job) so, thanks Kris (2004-05-26): I asked for a copy of my records from the cclinic including the SNAP test results as I wanted to see if there is something the doctor said that I might have missed. I'm not sure if I want the procedure done on my tongue. Stiffening the base. Could this effect my speech? What are other down sides to this procedure? Do I want another opinion? My snoring analysis says it shows 100% Type I snoring. No apneas. Post-op visit doctor said the pallate is the way he wants it. My uvula was completely taken. Any info that may be helpful or suggestive websites would be much appreciated. Thanks. My appt. for the tongue procedure is here soon. It's set for June 1st. I may postpone. Wayne (2004-05-29): I had an Apnea test in Singapore several months ago and they said the machine would help...no mention of surgery. My doctor in the US last summer immediately wanted to cut...reduce the uvula and soft tissue. I can manage the apnea only if I'm careful, but some days I forget.. like last night I slept on my back and now my uvula is swollen and very red...not bleeding, but looks like it. So my dilema is that both machine or cutting will cost about the same (not covered by insurance) and I am not someone who likes surgery at all. On the other hand, the machine is small, but I often have to travel to weird places in Asia and hauling another gadget around, well maybe it's inevitable. I'd just like to hear from people who did the machine... and then got fed up and did the surgery or kept up the machine. Is it really that inconvenient? BTW, I am not a fan of painkillers either. Frederic, New York (2004-05-31): If anyone has doubts, I would Recommend Postponing. Kris: What ever surgery you choose, it is irreversable. Let time help you decide. Get as much info as you need to make an informed decision. You'll feel better about your choice. My Opinion. Kris (2004-06-03): My husband and I decided to wait before doing anymore procedures. Having a copy of my records, I've decided to get another opinion. Will be calling to set something up. Thanks. megan (2004-06-03): Nothing prepares you for a tonsillectomy. I was scared up until it was done and then I went into "deal with it mode". I am 22 years old and I have been dealing with tonsil stones and infections for the last 5 years. The first two days after surgery were ok. To me I thought it was no big deal. The thrid day was a whole new story. I had a lot of pain from the 3rd day to the 8th day. I was real concerned during that time that I had an infection or that I was doing something wrong; but the truth was that I was just healing and it takes a while. today is the 9th day and I am in a little bit of pain when I swallow but for the most part I am functional and off pain medication. I had a rough time on the 5 th day when I bleed for two hours . I must have scracthed off a part of the scab but luckly it was not a hemorage and the doctor took care of it with a 5 min painless procedure of burning the open area closed. I am not sure if this surgerey was the best thing I did but I am able to handle it now. Good luck to those who go through this. It gets better JamieG (2004-06-03): Tess- I experienced everything you are experiencing when i had my tonsils out one month ago and it took me a full 2 weeks to get back on my feet, eating, talking etc, and still after a month my body is not back to normal. Funny you should mention the yeast infection because I did get one but could not figure out why. I also have had major digestion problems (constipation) which i hear is a side effect of codeine but i stopped taking it 3 weeks ago and have not returned to normal...I guess what I'm saying Tess is, I know that you feel absolutely horrible right now, but you will recover, I promise. It will just take some time, but you are completely normal! Anna (2004-06-04): Tess and JamieG - Were you given an antibiotics? If so, that is probably the reason for your yeast infection. I get one every time I start a new antibiotic. Apparently the medicine kills off the good bacteria that controls the yeast (or whatever). Your body usually gets use to the medicine after a week or so. Fortunately for me I was already on an antibiotic a month before my procedure, so I had already been through the infection. I am 19 and I had my tonsillectomy/uvuleactomy nine days ago. I am relieved to hear that my experiences are normal. I am still in a lot of pain even though I was told I would be up and running after a week. Now my doctor says it will be another week so I guess I'm a slow healer. I'm having a lot of trouble swallowing, it seems to be forced and is still very painful. I am also struggling with food going up my nose instead of down my throat. Because of all my problems, I haven't been eating much so my energy is very low. I have to go back to work on Monday so I have to force myself to eat more. My mother just bought me Ensure, but it tastes terrible. My nights are the worst, I wake up every two hours crying like a baby because of the pain. I have to sip on water for about ten minutes before I can go back to sleep. This has been a horrendous nine days and I still have pain ahead of me, but I don't regret the surgery. I can tell that my sleep has improved which will make my life improve. I can wait to get a full nights sleep :) Great site!! vic (2004-06-05): Hello Erik, great site, I just got turbinate surgury and a spetum correction this past week and boy it hurt like hell. I was wondering, how was it like after the doctor took off your nasal packing, did your nose bleed as much? I still am experiencing a slow bleeding/oozing once in a while. Did you experience any problems with your turbinates swelling up again? Thank you for sharing your experience and insight. Lisa (2004-06-06): Hi Erik! Definitely a great site. I am 20 days post op. I had tonsillectomy/adnoidectomy. Mine was done in Germany and I have to say they believe in pain over here. I was only given diclofenac. Basically an NSAID type med, but it was enough to take the edge off. Like a lot of the people here I felt like it got worse every day, and by day five was worried I had an infection of some sort. I went to bed thinking that if it wasn't better in the morning I would have to go back to the hospital. I woke up at 5 am with a thick tickling in my throat and coughed one time. That was enough to start me hemmorageing, I just happened to be one of the small percentage of unlucky people. I had to take a bucket with me in the car as a friend drove me to the hospital. After looking at me they decided it wasn't going to stop on it's own and rolled me into surgery a half an hour later. Talk about wondering what you've gotten yourself into. Forty five minutes later I was awake and doing fine. They only recauterized the small area where I had the problem. Even though I had a second surgery, pain was still never as bad as day five after the first one for me.I must still have a little swelling. My voice was much worse for the week after the second surgery, but now sounds normal to everyone but me. There is no pain, just a tightness I can feel particularly if I yawn. My big question is about swallowing. I have read a couple of people complaining about it, but wonder how long it will generally take to get the new method down. Just when I think I've got it down, without thinking I'll take a big gulp of something and here it comes right out of my nose! Forget drinking anything carbonated! I fear I will never again enjoy a coke!I am so sick of water, but it is the only thing I know isn't going to sting if it comes out of my nose. Any stories, suggestions or time tables to measure myself by? Erik (2004-06-07): Vic, I did not have any nasal packing, but I did have quite a bit of nasal bleeding. After a couple of days, it stopped, and I begun using a warm saline wash to get all the dried blood out of there. As for more swelling: Yes, my turbinites are almost always swelled, but due to my alergies. I'm simply grateful to have less turbinite tissue to swell! Erik (2004-06-07): Lisa, it took me about 10 days to recover, and re-learn how to swallow. Sodas took a bit longer, but you will get used to it, I'm back to my 2 liter/day Dr. Pepper habit. What I ended up doing was changing my swallowing movement to more like what I did before the surgery to take a big gulp. I kind of move the liquid farther back in my mouth, and force it down with my tounge, if that makes any sense. Vic (2004-06-07): Hello Erik, thank you for your reply, I got my nasal packing off today, one thing I notice though was I couldn't smell anything and everything I ate I can't taste, did you experience this problem? Hopefully I haven't lost my sense of smell and taste. I am just hoping that I get my sense of smell and taste back through time, hopefully in the next few weeks. Erik (2004-06-07): Vic, I never experienced any loss of smell or taste, but several other people here have. I'm sure it'll come back, but when in doubt, ask your doctor. Wendy (2004-06-09): I recently had full sinus surgery having my turbinate bones removed and my septum straightened nad my tonsills removed. I am 23 the seventh and eighth day after my surgery all i could do was cry. I couldnt even get down pain meds. Its now 13 days post op and I still feel horrible my throat is killing me and I am way past my pain meds. Is this normal? I hate it. Please email me back [email protected] Thanks Erik (2004-06-09): Wendy, if you're still in pain, you should get more pain medication. There's no reason for you to suffer. Call your doctor, and if he doesn't prescribe something, call a different doctor. MichelleAL (2004-06-10): I'm having a tonsillectomy at 7:15 tomorrow morning... I wasn't very nervous about it, and scheduled to be back at work Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm usually pretty good with pain- went back to work 5 days after having a baby... He stayed in my office. I'm hearing all these horror stories and hoping I don't get to write my own... Thanks so much for all the info! MichelleAL (2004-06-10): Additional... My doc is giving me liquid Demoral for pain. Do you think that'll do the trick? Erik (2004-06-11): JG posted a while back that Demoral was the only thing that worked for them, but if you're in doubt check with your doctor. It'd probably be a good idea to also ask him/her what you should do if the Demoral didn't do the trick. MichelleAL (2004-06-11): I haven't had to take but one dose... pain's not nearly as bad as I was expecting. After years of one strep infection after another, this doesn't hurt nearly as bad. Of course, it's my first day... I gather tomorrow won't be quite the breeze. Wish me luck! MicheleP (2004-06-16): I had my tonsils removed on May 14th, 2004, almost 5 weeks ago. It was the worst pain I've ever had, hands down...I gave birth to 2 kids with no meds and this hurt worse. Anyway, I'm not here to ask or talk about the pain, it's obvious...what I am bothered with at this particular moment is my taste buds in and around the very back of my tongue. It tastes like Sweet 'N' Low is back there or just Nutrasweet is stuck back there. Does anyone know if these taste buds grow back? And, which taste buds are these? Bitter? Sour? I can't tell which it tastes like. This new "taste" just started yesterday and is constantly bothering me. My saliva glands are going crazy. Kris (2004-06-16): Questions here--I've had my uvula removed, hoping to help my sleep problems. Snoring hard heavy breathing and various other sleep sounds. That didn't help. I did the SNAP (sleep test) done at home. I have type 1 snoring, if that means anything. I read where some on this site have had anything from septum correction, to turbinate surgery, and tonsillectomy. My doctor said my tonsils look good. What did these procedures help correct. I'm considering a second opinion, but have gotten a little frustrated and haven't gone through with it. I don't feel a somnoplasty is the answer. Erik (2004-06-17): MicheleP, several people have complained of bad or odd tastes. I suspect they'll go away, but it never hurts to check with your doctor! Erik (2004-06-17): Kris, a second opinion couldn't hurt! MichelleAL (2004-06-18): My pain has not been nearly as intense as some have described, guess I got lucky... But it won't go away! It's been a week now and I feel exactly the same! When does it get back to normal??? Megan (2004-06-19): Erik-Great Web Site! It has been 3 weeks from my tonsillectomy and the pain has gone away. To all who wonder when then pain will stop ~it stop for me almost three weeks to the date (horrible pain till then). The doctor says it will be tender when I yawn and sneeze for a couple more weeks. I have taste buds on my right side of my mouth I am waiting for the bitterness to go away on the left (funny the ways your body heals I guess the right is better than the left). I think this website is great for people going through this because it comes with so much pain which then gives you anxiety. Thanks for all the advice going crazy (2004-06-29): my son, age 9, just had his tonsile and adnoids out along with tubes put in his ears. Its been 8 days since and were very concerned! He wont eat or drink no matter what! He lives on pop-sicles and his meds. He cries all day and night and its like pulling hens teeth to get him to take the medication. 3 days ago he was stung by a bee on the toe, coming in from the car,{I told him to put his shoes on} and now all of a sudden its all red and swolen going up his foot. I cant give him anything because of all the meds he's on and so now I find there isnt enough gel ice-packs in the house! I am an e.m.t. and still I find that this whole mess is very stressful! I know he has lost at least 10 lbs already and I'm afraid he will have to be put back into the hosp. I feel sorry for anyone who has to go through this! After all this is over, I really hope he has no more bouts of strep and ear infections! How much should people have to go through just to try and be more healthy? Seems kinda contradictory to me.This kinda surgery is not to be taken lightly and all who are faced with the decision should think long and hard. Tim (2004-06-29): Erik, Did you think that when you started this thread that so many would reply? I'm glad I found it. I'm scheduled for the Triple U (tonsilectomy, uvula, adenoids and soft palate) this Thursday (1 July) I just did a google search and your site came up. All I can say is thanks and most of my questions have been answered. The general consensus is...it hurts! Looking forward to THAT I must say. Tim (2004-06-29): By the way...I'm 41. Erik (2004-06-29): Going Crazy, if your son won't eat or drink, he may by now be severely dehydrated. Get him back to his doctor, or the Emergency Room ASAP. Lots of people here have noticed loss of apetite and weight, but nobody can go without water! Erik (2004-06-29): Tim, I'm very glad this site could help you, and so many others, but no, I never had any idea this page would become so popular, and it does scare me a bit. (Hense the disclaimer top and bottom.) I'm thinking about implementing a much more robust comment system just to deal with this page, and others which are similarly popular! vic (2004-07-04): Just an update for everyone viewing this page, a month ago I had turbinate surgery and I complained about not tasting and smelling anything. Well my smell and taste came back after 3 to 4 weeks after the surgery and I am breathing better through my nose. I now don't have to rely on nasal sprays and antihistamines anymore! But as always before you go under the knife do your research, I guess I am the lucky majority that benefited from turbinate surgery. Kris (2004-07-06): Vic I see you had turbinate surgery and spetum correction done. Can I ask how that came to be? I had a uvulaectomy done, which helped with my snoring problems, but still am breathing heavy and hard most every night when sleeping. Also makilng other noises while sleeping. Have had a second opinion. I believe my turbinates are a problem. Doctor has me using a nasal spray every other night to see if that helps with the breathing. It's only been a week, but not noticing any difference yet. Also, what is spetum correction? Anyone have these same type of problems.Thanks Tim (2004-07-06): Now that I can sit at a computer...After the surgery I felt fine. The day after I felt fine and was wondering what everyone was complaining about. On the second evening the pain started to get worse and on the third day, I wanted to die. The drugs they gave me started messing with my head and I started thinking that the doctor screwed up. I had a sinus drip that prevented me from sleeping very well and only after I took a Tylenol Sinus which dried me up, I slept very well for about 5 hours. Tonight should be better but the swelling is still far from down and my most painful moment is swallowing. The pain isn't from the operation site it is in the lymph nodes below my jawbone. They really hurt still. I can honestly say I'm feeling better every day now and I hope the surgery was a success. We'll see. Erik (2004-07-07): Ugh! Sounds like you're over the hump Tim, so hang on! Good luck. vic (2004-07-11): Kris, I had my septum, sorry for the mispelling (the cartilage/bone that is the wall that divides your nasal airway) and my turbinates surgery, because I had allergies problems that always enlarged my turbinates to the point of having my breathing block through my nostril. My left side of my nostil was usually 80 percent blocked and my right side was usually blocked about 40 percent. My nasal breathing will get worst when I would get allergies also. For many years I was on antihistimines and nasal sprays like claranex, and nasanox. One day I was reading the los angeles times and I ran into an article talking about nasal surgery. Check out websites out there involving turbinate surgery there are alot of info out there. I am happy I got my surgery. Hope this helps kris. Skip (2004-07-12): First, I want to thank all for their contributions of their experiences, which helped prepare me for my surgery. I have waited to post my experience until I was sure that I wanted to recommend it to anyone else. It is a horrible operation, but the results have been a success. I tried a CPAP before I opted for surgery. My mother uses a CPAP and I was familiar with the routine. It just didn't work for me. I had my uvula removed, the base of my tongue reduced, turbinates reduced, and septum straightened all at once. In the recovery room, my thoughts were that I want to change my mind. Pain medication required melting the pill in water to be able to swallow it. The day after surgery, I called for an ambulance to take me to the hospital, because my throat swelled and I was having trouble swallowing and a slightly restricted airway, which gave a panic attack. I later found out that many doctors give steroid medication to prevent this, but mine did not. I did receive a steroid injection and a course of steroid medication from an on-call surgeon. Once the pain died down, about 3 weeks, I could sleep all night. Ice chips and Jello were my diet. My nose never really gave me any pain. My doctor used airway stints in my nose to allow me to breathe, and the blood seepage prevented any black eyes or swelling. I did use scissors to trim the stitches hanging down the back of my throat. That cleared the saliva hang ups. My wife says that I now sleep well. I do breathe loud with my mouth open, but it does not disturb my sleep. I still have a numb feeling in the roof of my mouth and I have had to learn to live with the different swallowing sensation and realize that I can complete a swallow and will not die! I am an avid recreational bicyclist and ride long rides and take week long bicycle tours. I was able to complete a 7 day tour last month and I was not gasping for air as I did on the 5 tours that I did last year. I slept well, in a tent on the ground every night. Not bad for 57 years old. Sleeping again has brought back some of my thinking ability. I still forget names. I am not exhausted all the time as I was before. There has been a period of sleep adjustment. I slept so well that I required only about 5 hours of sleep per night at first. Now I sleep 7 or 8 hours a night. I am an expereinced patient with 14 hospital stays and 9 surgeries. This one still hurt and I missed 3 weeks of work, but in the end my quality of life is better as a result. Skip H. http://home.comcast.net/~herriman/index.html SueW (2004-07-15): Thanks so much for this web-site. I mentioned to my Dr. that I was going to do some research on my up coming uvulaectomy and tonsillectomy. She didn't seem to want me to get to inquisitive, thinking I might be scared out of it. After reading all of the comments, I think she's right. I'll still go through with it (surgery is July 22/04--and I'm 54 yrs old). At least I know what to expect (which seems to be alot of pain) and what drugs to ask for the pain. I'm planning on taking 10 days off of work--hope that's enough. Wish me luck! Erik (2004-07-15): Good luck Sue! anonymous (2004-07-16): I just want to say thanks, Eric, for this site and to everyone else for sharing. I thought I was tough. I had a tonsillectomy and uvulaectomy last Friday (exactly 1 week ago). I knew there would be pain, but I didn't know it's the wipe you out kind of pain. I just wanted to sleep the whole time. I wasn't in pain while I was sleeping. But had to take meds (lortab)every 4 hours as prescribed (the pain actually came back every 2 hours). The first 2 days I thought this is nothing-- I've had kidney stones, 6 of which while I was pregnant and in labor and I've had hemmorhoid surgery... This was nothing compared to those. Then the third day came... and the fourth... and the fifth. I just doesn't seem to end. I'm still in pain today, but less. I just feel very emotional and tired today. I really thought I'd be back in the swing of things by now, but I'm just sooooo tired. I'm still taking meds... not eating much, but drinking plenty. I'm very upset that I've only lost 5 pounds, I haven't eaten much of anything. I'm still having trouble swallowing. It seems everything gets stuck at the top of my throat and can't even drink it down. The first few days when I'd drink water it came straight out my nose. How long does it take to get used to swallowing different? Also has anyone else experienced constipation, rectal bleeding after your surgery? I know I haven't eaten much, but I'm crampy like I need to go, but all that seems to come out is blood and mucous. Could this be from the pain meds or anesthesia. Sorry to bring up such a yucky problem, but let's face it... we've been through so much, this is nothing. Thanks again, KG Erik (2004-07-16): Wow, sory it's been so tough on you KG. I don't know why you would be seeing these new side effects, if they indeed are side effects. They may be totally unrelated. As always, my advice: Seek the opinion of a doctor or two. SueW (2004-07-29): Hi-well, it's been exactly one week since my uvulaectomy and tonsillectomy and I gotta say, It's been tough!! The first day was a piece of cake, but then day two, three, four, and five set in. The best pain reliever the Dr. would give me was Vicodin ES (extra strength) and an anti-inflamatory once a day. I lived for the next 4th hour when I could take to pain pills again. I had to plan it so that I would eat about an hour after taking them so that I could swallow. Everyone is right, the first swallow in the morning is the worse. Can't say they get any better after that either. But today I think I might be on the other side--finally feeling better, instead of worse. Erik, you said you had to learn how to swallow again, but I don't seem to be having that problem--Yeah!! Can't tell if the scabs have fallen off the tonsils yet, but don't really care either. Just want to get back to feeling normal again. Everyone said it's a veeeerrrrryy sssslllloooowww process, and they weren't kidding. The only reason I had this done is because of my snoring. I never had any problems with my tonsils. In fact the Dr. said on a scale of 1 to 4, mine were a 1 (which are the smallest). Sure hope that after all this pain I don't snore anymore. We'll see. Thanks again for this great web-site. Just wanted to add my response after my surgery so everyone knows they're not alone. Erik (2004-07-30): Sue, I'm glad to hear you're comming over the hump, and that this site could help a bit. Be very glad your swallowing wasn't disrupted. Food and drink in your nose is terribly unpleasant! Good luck! Blair (2004-08-01): I was very surprised to see a website that had posts on what I'm about to go through. I'm scheduled to have a uvulaectomy, tonsilectomy, and sinus straightening done on September 9th. I've had problems breathing when I do anything strenuous since about February and was diagnosed with an enlarged uvula. I completed a sleep study Friday night and the tech said I had mild sleep apnea. He wants to bring me back for another and put me on the CPAP. I really don't even see the need to go back (I only went because my ENT said that was the only way my surgery would be approved by my insurance company)because I can feel my uvula obstrucing my windpipe even during the day. I know I should probably have it removed but the tech who gave me the study was very adamant about checking out what other people had to say about the surgery. I really didn't know it involved so much pain. I wonder why some people say they have to learn to swallow again and others do not? My surgery is scheduled for Thursday and I had planned on going back to work on the following Tuesday. The problem is I'm a produce salesman and all I do is talk on the phone. Are ya'll having problems speaking after your surgery? Also, how long does the bleeding last? Also, what's the consenus on the best pain meds to take after the surgery? Thanks for all the replies. Sue W (2004-08-03): Hi Blair, Isn't this web-site great? You can ask questions about your procedure and get answers from people who have been through it. As for going back to work after only 5 days--unless you're not like the rest of us, I don't see it happening. I talk on the phone all day too, and find even now (almost 2 weeks later)my throat gets sore after too much talking. I didn't really have any problems speaking after the surgery, just couldn't (or didn't want to) talk too much. Also, I never had any bleeding-so far. I don't think the scab has come off yet from the uvula surgery. There seems to be something back there that I can't swallow or cough up, which I'm assuming is the scab. As for pain meds, the best my Dr. would give me was Vicodin/extra strength. They seemed to work OK and made it easier for me to sleep. I asked for Percoset, but she said she has never given that to anybody who had this surgery. Anyway, I wish you well. After your surgery and you're feeling up to it, report back how you're doing. Good Luck!! Derek (2004-08-03): This is a little off topic but I was wondering what some of you may think of this. I have breathing problems for a while. I have had my sectum corrected as well as my tounsils taken out for excessive swelling. But my whole life i've always had one nostril stuffed. But the big puzzlement to me is that I've always had a hard time talking also. I feel that part of the reason is because of my tounge. I feel like it's just so large compared to my throat that I'm 'stuffed' all the time. I noticed this because my friend mentioned that when I sing, I stick my chin out which interestingly enough, helps me pronounce words much better and seems to open the air passage a lot better for me. And here sitting at the computer, if I stick my chin out, I feel like I can finally breath good (through my mouth of course since my nose is always stuffed even after the sectum surgery). What are your guys opinion on this? Poh (2004-08-06): "Macroglossia" means large tongue. http://www.geocities.com/beckwith_wiedemann/drmarsh.html talks about "Common Questions for the Surgeon About Tongue Reduction for Individuals with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS)" uzz (2004-08-08): Ok this morning really freaked me out, when i woke this morning i felt like i had to spit, but nothing came out, i thought it was weird but i still felt like i had something in the back of my throat. when i looked in the mirror i noticed my (what i later realized was called a) "uvula" was dangling longer than usual, pretty much resting on my tongue. it kinda scared me so i went on line and was pleased to find this website. since today is sunday i cant really go to the doctor, but from what i've read it seems to be an enlarged uvula, that just grew over night. does anyone know of any home remedies to cure this or is surgery my only option? will it go away as soon as it came? Erik (2004-08-09): Blair, I agree with Sue W: Five days is not enough recovery time if you talk all day at work, unless you are a super fast healer! Uzz, my grandfather had a uvula which touched his tongue for several years. Very annoying. If you have a significant other, ask them to keep an ear out for your breathing at night. If it's obstructing your airway, it can be very serious. Jan (2004-08-09): I was very glad to read about everyone's experience with tonsillectomies. My son is 21 and just had his tonsils and uvula taken out 4 days ago. He seems to be progressing qutite well, but the swallowing without a uvula is giving him fits. Does anyone have any suggestions? He will relearn, won't he? Also, the doctor never mentioned this problem to him before the surgery. He is definitely going to tell him that the patient needs to be informed of this possible complication. Erik (2004-08-09): Jan, my doctor never mentioned the swallowing issue to me either. However, for me, it was more of an annoyance than anything else. I relearned in just a few days, with just a little coughing during the adjustment period. Mary (2004-08-09): (2004-08-09):This has not been discussed on your site as far as I can tell. I have cryptic tonsils/tonsil stones. Gross yellow/white things that get caught in the crypts. Major source of annoyance and I don't believe I can live like this the rest of my life. Cannot dig them out. The do occasionally come out on their own, but never completely and I am constantly plagued with this. Gross taste in my mouth also. However, I am completely terrified of a tonsillectomy. That is why I'm here, reading on how everyone did with their's. Seems like it may not be that bad. In any case, if anyone has any suggestions or alternative remedies to a tonsillectomy, it would be greatly appreciated. I am going to another Dr tomorrow and another one in a few weeks. I have seen that laser surgery may not be as bad and a partial tonsillectomy where they just take some of the bad tissue and leave some there. (chance of them regrowing). I have never heard of getting the little "hangy" thing cut out. That sounds drastic. P.S. I am a 35 yr. old female in decent health. Erik (2004-08-09): Mary, I think someone did a while back mention tonsil stones, but just in passing. Sounds awful. Sounds much more awful than the surgery. The "hangy thing" is the Uvula, and removing or shortening it usually has to do with sleep apnea, I think. It was by far the most painful part of my surgery, far more painful than the tonsillectomy. Good luck, don't let fear, or your tonsils make you miserable. Sabrina (2004-08-10): Hi my son is 6 years old and going to have a uvulaectomy, tonsilectomy and adnoidnectomy on Mon 8-16. Im terrified please help me. He has sleep apnea his blood ox reaches 72% at night and only reaches 89% during the day. Thanks Erik (2004-08-10): Sabrina, why are you terrified? Those blood numbers are bad, worse than mine were, but his surgery is soon. Taking all that tissue out has got to help, at least it did for me. Do you just need reassurance? Click on the link above, saying "click here to view the first comments to this article", lots of people have posted their stories here. Matt (2004-08-10): uzz - I have exactly what happened to you. It happened 2 year's ago. After seeing an ENT and every allergy test known to man was run, and a million medications tried, he finally used some ultrasonic/laser/high frequency thing that cauterized it and cut it off. It was about 1 cm that was removed and it looked like a fettucini noodle dangling back there. The surgery was painless in the office and he gave me lots of happy pills. Now, it has happened again and here I am looking to see what the Hell is happening to me. Once again, my uvula looks like it grew, this time it is wider too, more inflamed and puffy looking than last time and getting longer. The soft tissue around it also seems more puffy and inflamed, but no pain, just annoying as all Hell. I keep thinking did I have strep throat (& not know) and this happened as a result, maybe I just need a mega dose of antibiotic. If any one has insight, cures, herbs, etc., let me now at [email protected] J Rae in NH (2004-08-17): This site is great and I wished I'd found it before my husband had his deviated septum worked on. It has made a world of difference already, he can breath better, snores less and can taste food better. He has sleep apnea and our insurance wouldn't allow the uvulaectomy at the same time? so tomorrow he goes back....the Doctor has said that he can drive himself there and home and should be back to work in 2 days? Is this realistic? should I take him there and stay home tomorrow? also, what sorts of foods are best during his recovery? Erik (2004-08-17): J Rae, I didn't eat much for a few days after my operation, and when I did I think it was mostly water and mild soups like Split Pea. Definitely drive your husband to and from the hospital. In fact, if your doctor was suggesting that he could drive himself, I would be worried that he wasn't prescribed a strong enough pain killer. My uvulaectomy hurt like hell, and I was very glad for both my percoset and my girlfriend taking care of me. Mel (2004-08-22): I recently had a tonsilectomy and turbinate reduction. I'm in so much pain! My nose is ok, but my ears hurt like heck. Did anyone else have this problem? I am counting the hours between pain pills they hurt so bad. Hurts to swallow more so because of ear pain than throat pain. And have chronic ear pain. Every day I wake up hoping it will get better, but it doesn't. Today is day 4. Also I'm snoring.. waking myself up snoring even. Is this because the tissue back there is so swollen? Erik (2004-08-23): My dentist once told me that ears often feel painful when the pain is actually comming from a sore tooth. Maybe tonsils hit thate same neve... It's never a bad idea to talk to your doctor. It could also be an infection of some kind, or even totally unrelated. At the very least get some better pain medication! Why are doctors so stingy with that stuff?! anonymous (2004-08-23): Husband called the doctor today and he said I should take antihystamine (like sudafed). That the turbinate surgery has my sinuses inflamed... tonsilectomy has that area inflamed... so he thinks this is why I have such awful ear pain.. Was so bad today I was crying, holding ears and rocking back and forth. Doctor won't give me anything else for pain. He gave me Vicodin which doesn't work. I've been using my Percocet which takes the edge off, but it wears off pretty fast. Guess he can't give me anything stronger because he doesnt' have proper lisence for that. I agree... doctors are stingy. Thanks so much for your reply. I appreciate it. Mel (2004-08-23): Forgot to put my name next to that last email... sorry. Erik (2004-08-24): Mel, I'm really supprised that Vicodin and Percocet don't work for you. Percocet made me loopy. Good luck, you should start feeling better as things heal, but I'm sorry you can't get strong enough medication! SueW (2004-08-24): Mel--I know what you mean about the ear pain. My doctor said it was "deferred" pain. I said I don't care what kind it is, give me pain pills. My hairdresser's daughter just had her tonsils out (she's 18) and complained about the horrible ear pain. So what you're feeling is normal and when your throat heals the pain should go away. And I also agree, doctors are stingy in the pain medication? What do they think? That we're going to become drug addicts? Good Luck, Mel Mel (2004-08-24): Sue and Erik -- Thanks so much for the emails. Had another bad night and day. Woke up in horrible pain (ears), crying, etc.. Went to doctor and he says everything is fine and this is normal. That I will have the bad ear pain for about 4 more days. We told him I wanted to be put in a drug enduced coma to get through it!! He laughed. But boy is this pain horrendous. He wouldn't give me anything stronger than what I already have for pain, but did prescribe Prednisone in hopes that that would help. He said I'd be at greatest risk of a bleed around 10 days, when the scabs come off. Not looking forward to that.... just think it's going to be disgusting when the scabs come off. But I think I can handle that a lot better than the ear pain. Regarding the pain medicine... I take a lot of pain meds because I have chronic daily headache/complicated migraine. Pretty much I have a headache/migraine every day, and no one has been able to help me with this. So the doctor felt that that is why the percocet wasn't working as good as it normally does. He said that was the strongest thing he could give me. Sue... what did your doctor mean by "deferred pain"? How long did the ear pain last for you? Really looking forward to this whole ordeal to be over with. Had big blood clot from nose (turbinate reduction) go down throat tonight, and got a bit scared of that bleed stuff. Am fine though. Tanya (2004-08-27): well im 14 and on Tuesday im having a tonsillectomy. Im scared out of my wits. can you give me a detailed description of what happens. This isnt my first op ive had my appendix and gall bladder removed Erik (2004-08-28): Tanya, if you've had your gall bladder and appendix out, you know what surgery is like. You know what the anesthesia is like, you know what the recovery room is like, and you know about keeping up on your pain medication while you recover at home. I didn't want to know what the actual surgical procedure was like, so I didn't ask. I'm sure it's got all kinds of sharp things and tubes going down my throat. I try not to think about that. There is very little to be scared of. Ask your doctor how many of these operations he/she has done. Think about how many other doctors and nurses there are in the building. Think about how great it will feel to have those nasty things our of your throat! 50'sLady (2004-08-31): Hi Erik.. was just reading about the surgery you had awhile back! The tonsillectomy thingie. I am scheduled for the same surgery on 9/2/04 and am getting pretty apprehensive about it. I guess I fear the pain the most. Any last helpful hints before I go under the knife? thanks in advance for any response. -gail Erik (2004-08-31): Gail, don't fear the pain. It's going to suck, but it's not life-threatening, it's just a few crappy days to trudge through. If you're lucky, and your drugs work well, you'll sleep through most of it. My advice is, as always: If you have questions, no matter how small, ask your doctor. Also, make sure he/she is planning on giving you good medication. Tylenol just doesn't cut it here. Stuart (2004-09-04): sorry, it couldnt hold my whole writing :) Hmm...time for my story: Im 18 and have had chronic tonsilitis so they told me to get them whipped out. I went to hospital, had it all done and was fine, so spent the night. The next day I asked the nurses when the doctor would be round to check up on my do i could leave, as he promised to do so. About 30 mins later, my mum rang my mobile and said the nurse rang her and said the doctor wasnt coming to see me and she should just pick me up. I packed my stuff up, then tried to get the nurses attention, but they were pretty scarce and seemed to be ignoring me...so I had to untape and remove (with one hand) the IV needle in my left arm vein, which i left on the side. My mum came, and we walked to the desk...no one was there, so we just left as on the way in, my mum asked a nurse where to sign out and she said that we neednt bother. Neither of us had been informed about what to do/not do etc etc, but i just wanted to get home as i was tired. Stuart (2004-09-04): I did have a prescription, but have not been taking any painkillers at all since the op as I dont really want my judgment clouded in anything...Ive been on pethodine (morphine derivative) before and wasnt keen to take anything else (particularly suppositories). Well, everything seems fine. Then last night at midnight I swallowed and suddenly got a shed-load of pain from my left tonsil hole and it started bleeding like mad. I managed to spit out blood in a bowl until 5AM when finally the bleeding and pain subsided and I was able to get some sleep. Woke up at 10am, and it turns out Id slept on my side and a blood had come out of my mouth forming a pool down my pillow and onto my sheets about the size of 3 hands. Part of my face and my whole left arm were also caked in blood. So...had a shower and rang the hospital. They got the ear,nose,throat (ENT) specialist to phone us back as he was at home. He said that as long as it wasnt gushing blood, it was okay...so he told us not to come in. I have a high pain threshhold, but this was flowing through my jaw and all around my head, so my dad decided to take me in anyways. Stuart (2004-09-04): We arrived at accidents and emergencies, where the nurse on duty recognised us as the ones who rang earlier, and said the doctor told us all was okay and we should leave. My dad stood up for me and managed to convince them to ask the on-duty doctor to have a look down my throat, even though she didnt know that much about tonsils (though they said they couldnt promise she'd oblige). Luckily, she was nice and had a quick look. She identified a blood clot coming from my left tonsil hole, and rang the ENT doctor on duty for the area (as it was the weekend) to find out what to do. The procedure was to gargly iced water repeatedly to dislodge it, which I did until a huge chunk of blood surrounded by a membrance (which resembled a scaled-down liver) was choked up by me into the sink. I was relieved, but the duty doctor came in and had another look only to tell me that this was the tip of the iceberg. Apparently a larger clot still remained. So...back to gargling... Stuart (2004-09-04): Then the ENT doctor came and took a look in my mouth. His words were "Wow...thats a serious clot!". Apparently I am the lucky 1 in 100 who have bleeding that forms clots after a couple of days. Since the clot was continuously rubbing the area and would not move, the wound was bleeding a lot and wouldnt stop again. He immediately said hed have to remove it. He then took an anaesthesia spray (oh, and in case you were wondering, 'banana flavoured' = 'paint thinner flavoured') and sprayed the whole of my throat, making me gag several times. He then made me hold a tray under my chin, whilst he used a large pair of tongs to hold a cotton wool bud. With this bud, he vigorously wiped the blood clot back and forth several times, very violently for about 10-15s, whilst I was choking and in extreme pain, then said "go on...spit it out". I spat and choked for about 20s, finally spitting out the clot (which had broken into 3 pieces), the largest being about the size of 4 average sized grapes joined together. I then had to keep gargling to try and get rid of the extra bleeding and pain. It was then that I noticed this blood clot was interfering with my breathing through my nose, as it had previously been preventing me from breathing out through it. Stuart (2004-09-04): Finally, the ENT doctor said that if it was still bleeding my 8pm tonight then he would have to put me under a general again and operate to solve the problem. Luckily, it had stopped bleeding now (though maybe just to form another clot? I hope not...) Well, thats my tosillectomy story up to now. I can also add that I havent eaten since the day before the op, so ive now had about 5 days without food, drinking only iced water. Still not taking painkillers... Hope you enjoyed reading my nightmare with a tonsillectomy ;) -Stu Erik (2004-09-04): I just don't know what to say about that Stu, that's the grossest thing I've read in a long time. Glad you're ok, and they didn't have to operate again, but damn! Stuart (2004-09-04): Thanks...I just hope it heals properly now with no more complications. Ive lost in the op and swallowed so much blood now Im starting to feel woozy at times :( PS. Sorry I ruined your next meal ;) eg (2004-09-04): Im on day 9 of recovery (not including a 30 hour hospital stay) for the works (tonsilectomy, adenoidectomy, turbinate reduction, UPP... and they were about to give me a septoplasty until I reminded the nurses I had had one 4 years ago) and am greatful for having discovered this discussion because I was just about ready to go to the emergency room for my ear pain. My doctor was honest about how painful recovery would be, and even gave me a script for Oxycontin. Don't get me wrong, the throat pain sucks and being really hungry and having only more applesauce to eat sucks too. But the drugs dont seem to end or prevent ear pain, attack of which seem to also cause pain way down in my throat and underneath my tongue (?). Anyway, I was relieved to see that this is normal, and not go whining to my doctor. I swear, there should be some support group for sleep apnea. Having been diagnosed last year as a 100lb, 21 year old female, I didn't know what to do with myself, and don't have many people to talk to. Thanks Mel (2004-09-05): I'm on week 3 now of recovering from tonsilectomy and turbinate reduction. I'm feeling MUCH better. I still have some ear pain, throat pain, cracking ears, tired, etc.. But this is nothing compared to that awful ear pain I went through for the first 2 weeks. I must admit I'm happy this is my only set of tonsils because I don't ever want to go through this again. On the good side though, I'm thrilled to have the big (mine were "big and ugly" according to the doc)buggers out!! They were such a pain in the bum. Got one question... how long does it take for the scabs to disappear? I still have them. The ecky junk on my tongue is just about gone (that was gross), but I still have the scabs. Erik (2004-09-06): Eg, that's an awful lot of tissue to remove! You sound like you're handling the pain pretty well! Good luck, and I'm very glad this site could help. Mel, I'm glad to hear you're feeling better! Lucia* (2004-09-08): hi, im 17 and just had my tonsils out. i must say i agree with stu's comments on hospital staff it seemed like everyone else on my ward got attention and checked on all the time but i was kinda ignored (which isn't nice on your first time in hospital!) i'm now on day 6 of recovery and can't believe the pain i'm constantly in. i'm on paracetamol and ibuprofin but it seems to only take the edge off the pain now.i was also given a codine supply for 3 days but it seems to have run out when i need it! i guess this is normal but the pain is up round my ears down through my jaw under my tounge, my gums, teeth and throat...everywhere basically. went to my gp today, as floods of tears at 6.30am and barely any sleep as it is was getting a bit much, he said i was healing fine but may have an infection lucky me so i'm now on penicillin too.call me stupid but isn't the excrusiating pain suppose to calm slightly after like day 4 mine is getting worse not better?! i know it'll be worth it in the long run (well i HOPE it will be)but at the moment i just want it to stop :( also wanting to eat a proper meal and get out of the house!! Stuart (2004-09-09): Day 8 was the big improvement for me. Surprisingly it was the morning when i woke up with the most blood in my mouth (I had to gargle about 10 times before the water looked only pinkish instead of Jaws red!). However, Ive been able to eat a bit of quiche, as its soft, and am feeling a lot better in general. I think the healing starts off slowly, as it has to get over the trauma of being cut open, but once it has, it increases at a great rate. -Stu Lauren (2004-09-13): Wow. After reading such horrible stories on this site, i'm glad i discovered it after my tonsillectomy. For any of you about to undergo it, i think you need to hear a positive story. I'm 20 and just had a tonsillectomy. The pain from the surgery wasn't near as bad as the pain i had from my last bought of chronic tonsilitis. Sure it was hard to swallow at first, but the water and ice chips made my throat feel better. I only took pain meds at night to help me go to sleep (which i did for the first 4 nights). Now on day 6, my scabs are starting to fall off. Yesterday i was talking away and felt wonderful. Today a lil less because as the scabs are starting to fall off its a lil sore. But other than that, things are looking good. Good luck to everyone else!-Lauren Dawn (2004-10-15): Hi, I'd like to give a positive story as well. I'm 23 and I just had a tonsillectomy 7 days ago. It was the first surgery I'd ever had so I was a bit scared, but all the nurses and doctor and anesthesiologist prepared me as much as possible. I remember nothing of the surgery, but afterwards, especially the first 3 days, my throat hurt something AWFUL. I've had absolutely no bleeding, thankfully!! My doc put me on Lortab and then Augmentin as antiobiotics against infection. Something that my doc did before surgery was give me a Vitamin K shot, and he said that it helped prevent bleeding. If anyone reads this who is about to go through this procedure, mention it to your doc because it definitely worked for me! It absolutely sucks to be eating popsicles and jello for days on end, and my throat has been so so so sore... but now on the end of Day 7 after the surgery, I'm feeling much better and the scabs have nearly all come off. My breath this past week has been rancid though because of those scabs, so watch out... people will not want to cuddle with you. ;) So yes, while the pain is awful, make sure you get good pain meds, a Vitamin K shot before the procedure, and lots of good friends who will bring you your 5th box of popsicles because you went through four in 2 days. ;) Good luck to anyone who has a tonsillectomy. :) - Dawn Danny (2004-10-18): Hello, I had a tonsillectomy done 6 days ago. This was also the first surgery I ever had besides getting my wisdom teeth broken and removed. I have to admit that this is the worst pain I have ever went through, and with all the pain meds i was on it seemed to only get worse, to where just last night i had to go into the ER and get fluids pumped into me because I couldn't even take my pain meds. I feel mush better today, but this was the worse thing in the world to go through. When I woke up this morning my tongue was all white and my breath smelled awful. I can't wait till I can eat regular foods. Just a few questions, when can I start to eat regular foods, and when will these darn scabs fall off that seem to be cause all this awful nauseating breath? Danny (2004-10-18): Another question.. why am i spitting all the time, its awful, but i can't swallow, i mean i can swallow fluids but this spit is so thick.. what is it? Erik (2004-10-18): Several people here have commented about odd saliva and odors/flavors. It seems to go down after a few days. When you can start to eat regular foods is entirely up to your body. I started eating real foods as soon as I could, but not before it would have injured me. You don't want to tear open anything, nor get food stuck in open wounds. Don't push it. Eli (2004-10-23): Hi, I came across this website and I'm not sure what's it for... could someone enlighten me? Anyway, I'm going for a turbinectomy soon and wonder if anyone here has experience and could share with me. :D Erik (2004-10-23): Eli, it's just a site of my random ideas. Some ideas, like my tonsillectomy surgery gets a lot of comments. This page seems to be a good information source for people having the surgery. Good luck with yours! Karen (2004-10-24): Karen(2004-10-24) My daughter who is 23 had her tonsils removed in July/04. She experienced pain had trouble swallowing was on hydrocodone and tylenolw/codeine. She lost alot of weight about 15 pounds or so. She gradually got better, but after several months she is still experiencing her ear being cloggged and when she swallows liquids they go up into her nose. Her voice isn't quite the same as it was either. She also had a uvulectomy and some soft palate removal. Certain consonant sounds are not there. She is going back to the dr. because she is very concerned about this. Any comments or info? Erik (2004-10-26): My voice was affected by the surgery, but only for a short while, and not nearly to the degree your daughter was. Good idea, see your doctor. Tang (2004-10-27): WOW thank you guys for this site...Im actually going in Tomorrow at 630am to get my tounsils and uvula removed...and I know some precautions now for the operation. I am ready for the pain and I hope Im not a big bleeder like some of you guys seem to be. So I am going to def. ask for that vitamin K shot. Also I heard from one of my friends that got it done that sleeping alot is what messed up her throat, she said she had to go to the ER and all cause of the constant throwing up of blood and she directly blames it on sleeping all the time. What do you guys think....I'll probably post a comment tomorrow after the surgery if I am able to thanks alot again Erik (2004-10-27): Good luck Tang, take it easy. Keep hydrated, and get a friend to take care of you! Tang (2004-10-29): 2nd day, believe it or not Im doing really good. It doesnt hurt as much as people make it out to be, although it does hurt when you need to swallow your spit or anything...but other than that nothing...I woke up coughing alot did that happen to you...the Uvula does feel more irratated than anything and when I drink water it sometimes goes up my nose. But yeah I would say that the percocets work nicely and as long as I keep taking one every 2 hours I feel good. I asked for the vitamin K shot but he said its only for people with liver disorders, he said it would do nothing for me, but what they did was give me a steroid shot before the operation, which helped with the swelling. Oh well I will write back in a day or two to give an update...but yes I am doing good a lil blood here and there, but I guess im one of the people with a decent experience, thus far Erik (2004-10-29): Great Tang! Remember though, take it easy, day 2 and 3 seem to be the worst. Rest, and keep hydrated! Tang (2004-10-30): Your right day 3 sucks, waking up was horrible, felt like I had a rock in the back of my throat. Anyways after taking medication I feel better. Is it normal for scabs to start coming out this early, cause I def had some this morning and spitted alot of them out. How do you know when you ready to eat soft foods, like sandwich meats and what not? Other than that I feel good, the mornings do suck and the back of my throat looks disgusting its all white and stuff. Erik I noticed you said you got your uvula removed, i did too, is it different now that your healed, like does water go up your nose alot cause I noticed thats been happening alot now for me, also do you really have to be careful when you eat cause I hear the uvula helps keep food and water out of the wind pipe. Also did your voice change at all, in paricular your singing voice? Erik (2004-10-30): I don't know about the scabs, but I'd bet if it didn't start heavy bleeding, you're alright. Never hurts to ask your doctor though. As for food, take it easy, try a bit, chew well, just don't over do it. I did have my uvula totally removed. It took me maybe a week to re-learn how to swallow. These days I don't have food or liquid go up my nose any more than I did before the surgery, but it did take a while to get used to. As for my voice, I don't think it changed at all, though I did sound kind of congested for the first week or two. Take it easy, good luck! Cindy (2004-11-01): I had my tonsills out 5 days ago. The uvula has dropped down and lays on my tongue. When I tilt my head back the thick flap of swollen tissue blocks my airway. Scary! Has anyone else choked like this? Any idea long how this takes to tighten back up? I'm so hungry, last night I dreamed I was baking a ham. Tang (2004-11-02): Yeah I heal very well, today I did have a lil spill of blood but nothing out of the usual. My throat feels a little better, the only time it really hurts is in the morning and thats because its all dried out. I am eating normal foods now, Im on my 6th night by the way, but I do have to chew up the food alot more and be really careful when I swallow. Anyways just wanted to give an update. Erik (2004-11-04): Cindy, if your uvula hasn't already tightened up, definitely go see your doctor. That sounds dangerous! Tang, sounds like you're doing about as well as I was at that time. Good! You don't need some of the horror stories some other people here have had! Good luck, take it easy! Cindy (2004-11-05): Thanks for the concern. I went to the doctor yesterday (7 days after tonsils removed) and he smiled and said in his outrageous French-Canadian accent, "I've seen worse." Apparently he had to scoop out my head like a pumpkin to remove all the infected tissue. He told me to sleep on my side with pillows in front and back to keep from rolling over and choking on my swollen uvula. Ha! I figured that out the first time I though I was going to asphyxiate! He gave me prescriptions for more amoxicillan and codeine w/Tylenol elixer and an appointment to come back in five weeks. I feel like a big whiner after reading about the problems everyone else suffered after having the uvula removed. Thanks for keeping your page current. This is the only place I've found were adults can compare their progress and get an idea of what's "normal". Erik (2004-11-05): I really don't think almost chocking on your own uvula makes you a whiner! Good luck, do what your doctor says, but if it doesn't reduce, go back and smack him around. Jolene (2004-11-11): (2004-11-11)I was excited when I came across this website!! I just had a tonsillectomy 6 days ago. It was not as bad as I thought it was gonna be, til the 3rd day anyway!! It kills to swallow anything, even ice chips and ice cream. I mean even now going into day 7. I noticed that no one had mentioned anything about the ear pain that often occurs with a tonsillectomy. My ears have been hurting terribly the last two or three days that I find myself counting the minutes til I can take my next vicodin pill. The tylenol with codeine did absolutely nothing for me so I had to move on to something stronger. I think I am the oldest one so far on this site that has had a tonsillectomy... I am 26 years old. I ended up having 9 cases of strep throat in 15 months so my dr finally sent me off to see a specialist who said the tonsillectomy was the only treatment option. I am just really looking forward to being able to swallow without any pain, as the action of swallowing causes my ears to hurt very badly. Well I'll try to update you in the coming days!! Justin (2004-11-12): Hi, i had a tonsillectomy and an addenoidectomy yesterday morning and i found this site...its great!! im 21 and its wonderul to see a forum where you can compair progress...i had a chronic sore throat for 7 months straight and being a singer i had to almost completly stop recording my cd completely. i went to about 3 specialists and 3 different antibiotics before a tonsillectomy was suggested. it being my first real operation i was nervous, but more anxious to feel normal again. needless to say yes my uvula is huge and swollen, my tonsills were way bigger than anyone had imaggined (i can seriously fit like 2 printers and a cat in the gaping holes lol) and very infected. yes my saliva is thick and diffuclt to swallow but i attribute that to the healing process...im currently taking Hycet for the pain which isnt too bad at all and amoxacilin (sp?) for the antiboitic. its day 2 and my breathing has quite improved. i too will update in the coming days. good luck to you Jolene, Cindy and Tang...fight the good fight :) Erik (2004-11-13): Good luck Jolene and Justin! Hang on, you'll feel much better in a couple of weeks, and your sleep will be terrific! chelsey (2004-11-14): hey ive just had my tounsils removed, im 16 i had them done 3 days ago and the 3rd day was really painful i can just about eat and drink but without my morphine painkillers it would cain. It feels like sumings stuk kinda ting to the back of my throat, neting you can relate with? Jolene (2004-11-14): Hello again!! Today is day number 9 and I am finally starting to feel normal again. My ears no longer kill like they did, but my throat is still a bit sore. I am able to eat just about anything, but pop still irratates my throat, so maybe I'll be able to give it up for good!!! One great benefit of the surgery was that I was able to kick the smoking habit!! It has been 10 days since my last smoke and I sure feel better!! My muscles are still a bit sore too, yawning hurts quite a bit... I assume it is just from all the work the dr did gettin the tonsils out. But I feel much, much better now and I am sure glad it is all over. I just hope I don't get strep again or I will be really disappointed!! Anyway, good luck to you all who are going through this, it will get better soon!! Justin (2004-11-15): hi...ah okay its good to know that the ear ache's will go away soon, its a pain (literally) to wake up with them every morning. also a bit annoying to wake up in a pool of my own drool (anyone else have that problem?). and yea jolene ive kicked the smoking habit too because of the surgery, i think anyone who wants to quit should just go through with it lol. Jolene (2004-11-15): justin, sorry to disappoint you, but I still wake up in a pool of my own drool!!! who knows when that'll stop!!! Maybe when we are able to fully breath through our noses and not through our mouths!!! Anyway, hang in there, it"ll get better....I was really irratable and wondering if I'd ever feel "normal", but rest assured, it'll happen... have a bit of patience... great job on the smoking thing too!! Tiffany (2004-11-17): Hi Erik, I am scheduled to have turbinite reduction surgery in 2 weeks can you or anyone thats had the surgery fill me in on what to expect after surgery? I'm sort of worried, I dont handle pain well. Any info would be great! Thanks! Erik (2004-11-17): Well Tiffany, of the three tissues they cut out of my head, the turbinites hurt the least. However, they were kind of a pain. They bled a lot, and clogged up my nose until my doctor gave me a sinus wash. I also had one large nosebleed one night. Just take it easy, get the sinus wash, and you should be fine. BTW: The sinus wash is really, really wierd feeling. Really wierd. However, after the fourth use, you'll love it, really cleans you out. Emily (2004-11-17): I am scheduled to have a tonsillectomy on December 20. Although I am not anticipating that I'll feel very festive this Christmas, I don't care - I can't wait to get these nasty things out of my throat. If it weren't so close to final exams, I'd even throw a "Farewell Tonsil" Party. I have two questions: (1) Are these reports of 2+ weeks recovery time from the traditional burning procedure? I'm having the Coblation procedure done, which I'm hoping won't be quite as bad. (2) The reports of weight loss concern me. I'm already quite thin, and I really do not want to lose weight. Besides pigging out in the days preceding the surgery, I need some suggestions of high-calorie stuff that I can choke down afterward. Until now I had been planning on milk shakes, but from what I've read here, I'm wondering if juice is the only feasible option. By the way, this blog is great. Thank God for the internet. Emily (2004-11-17): Also, and this is an off-the-wall question, but can your voice sound different after a tonsillectomy? (By that I mean not the initial hoarseness stuff, but the fully-recovered post-op voice.) Erik (2004-11-18): You'll be OK on the 25th, the third day is the worst, I think by the fifth day, I was up and about a bit. I don't know about the differences between the burning and coblation procedures, sorry. Weight loss is almost certain, you definitely won't feel like eating for at least a few days. However, I think most of the weight loss reported here is water loss, since keeping hydrated is a challenge. Milk shakes might be OK, if they're not too cold, and you don't have to suck them out of a straw! Regarding your voice, several people have reported changes, but it seems to be temporary. Good luck! Sue (2004-11-18): Hello. My husband who is 40 just had a tonsillectomy last Friday. Tomorrow will be a week. He had severe bleeding on Saturday that stopped with cold water rinses and then he woke uo around 5am on Sunday morning choking on his blood. The doctor said to meet him at the ER and he had to go back into surgery to have a blood clot removed that was hanging down and have some places cauterized. Has any one else had this to happen? He says the pain has got worse each day so far. When does it go away? The pain meds take the pain down but it's not lasting long enough. Jolene (2004-11-18): Sue, I had a tonsillectomy 2 weeks ago on the 19th and I must say that I too thought the pain seemed to get worse each day. I didn't have any bleeding post-op so I can't comment about that, but my vicodin that i was taking for pain barely lasted 3 hours and I was counting down the last minutes til I could take the next pain pill. I really think that the pain part is normal. I still am not 100% yet and it has been two weeks. I still can't yawn w/o pain and I still have a really dull sore throat. Tell him to hang in there cause it does get better. Colleen (2004-11-19): I am 21 years old and had a tonsillectomy 11 days ago. Yesterday, I had my first solid meal which was rice and chow mien, now my throat is sore and bleeding once again and I am freaked out! I guess I over did it but I couldn't help it. I lost 10 lbs and for me thats not a good thing. My taste buds in the back are also swollen and I cant eat anything with a strong taste. I hate this! Erik (2004-11-19): Sue, some people just take longer to heal. Most of the rest of us here are kids, and heal quickly. Hang in there, and good for you to going to see the doctor. It will get better, and in the end, it will be worth it! Colleen, even though you're only 21, you seem to just be healing slowly. Take it easy. Go see your doctor, have him/her check around, maybe it's just taking a while, or maybe there's something he/she can help with. fritzi (2004-11-19): Hi, my son is 16 and has had six infections of the uvula since June. our doctor has referred him to an ENT and he will most likely have a tonsillectomy and uvulectomy over Christmas break. What are some things I can tell him to prepare him for this? He has never had surgery and has a low pain tolerance. Erik (2004-11-19): Fritzi, both the tonsillectomy and uvulectomy are very painful procedures. Your son will need to keep up on his pain medication, and do nothing but rest for at least three days. There are over 200 comments to this article, many of which give ideas on things like food to eat, liquids to drink, etc. The main thing to do is keep hydrated. When you get dried out, like after sleeping for several hours, the pain is much worse. However, with your love and care, I'm sure he'll make it through quickly. April (2004-11-21): I had my tonsillectomy on 11/15/04 and I have a white patch where my tonsills used to be and the pain is better today 7 days later but still hurts quite a bit. I'm 27 with 2 kids and its had to do anything for the last week. Laura (2004-11-21): It's been 2 years since I had my tonsils and soft paltte shrink via sonoplasty and had my uvula removed and my turbines done for the second time. The best part of the surgery was eating all the banana popcicles I wanted. I lived on popcicles and potato soup for a while and lost over 30 pounds. Regarding the turbinites surgery, it's an easy surgery, you will feel like you want to blow your nose, but don't blow too hard or it will bleed. Blow ladylike and it will help. Also remember not to bend over, stoop to pick something up. Bending over will make you dizzy and can cause bleeding and sever pain in your head in the beginning. Recovery time for this surgery is a week or two. Regarding the shrinking of the tonsils, soft palette and removal of the uvula. It's painful, take your medicines, sleep, eat popcicles, drink plenty of water, talk but not too much that you strain your voice. Because of my sleep apnea, asthma, and muscle tension disorder in my neck, it took my a good four months to feel totally healed in my throat. I still have a tightness in my throat and my voice is more pronounced.brb... have a phone call Amanda (2004-11-22): I am having a tonsillectomy in 9 days, can't wait to have these nasty bacteria sponges taken out. will post when it's done!!! Lisa S. (2004-11-23): It has been four weeks since my tonsillectomy and I still suffer from a bitter taste. Anything with sugar (processed, milk, etc.) becomes bitter with a tough of metallic taste when it hits the back of my throat. Does anyone have any time frame as to when the awful taste and bitterness starts to subside? Every morning I wake up with hopes that my taste buds will be back to normal. It seems as the day wears on the awful taste gets worse. Help! April (2004-11-24): I am 26 and had my tonsils taken out on 11/18/04, today I still hurt when I swallow, but only in the ears, especially the left ear. I am on liquid hydrcodine which I have already drank like 2 bottles of that stuff since surgery, and am on the third one that I had to call into the doctor. The healing process has not been to bad for me and I had no bleeding but am told that depends on the person and how they heal. I just wanna know when the pain from my ears will go away. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving I may actually get to to eat some turkey (hoping) :) Let me know about the ear pain if someone one knows.... Thanks..... Lisa S. (2004-11-24): Hi April, I too had incredible pain in my left ear. My surger was performed on October 28, 2004. It took me about a week for the ear pain to subside. I also survived on liquid hydrocodone. I went through two bottles and started the third but I hated the taste so much that I suffered with the pain. I thought after the pain in my ear went away I was on my way to recovery but that is when the awful taste in my mouth started. I called my doctor today and was told that it is a result of the tongue retracter used during surgery. Apparently it pushed down on some nerves and he says I may take up to two months before I no longer have the bitter metallic taste in my mouth. Good luck I hope you have a good Turkey Day! Dave (2004-11-25): I'm 27 and on day 7 of recovery from my tonsillectomy. From reading these posts, I feel good to see that I'm not alone in feeling that the pain gets worse toward the 1 week mark! My doctor said day 2 and 3 would be the worst. So much for failed expectations. Meanwhile, my mother has been encouraging me to phase off the vicodin because she's worried I'll become dependent, so every time I reload I feel guilty.. Some other points I should comment on: 1) throat and ear pain seem to be the worst when I wake up in the middle of the night 2)I also had a septoplasty and I still can't breathe freely out of my nose 3) Hot tea seems to help soothe the throat. Thanks for all the posts.. Take care. Kelly (2004-11-26): I'm 29 and I had a tonsillectomy last week on the 19th. I am in a lot of pain on the right side of my throat and my right ear. I also have a metallic taste in my mouth. My tounge appears to be discolored as well. Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks! Erik (2004-11-26): Kelly, it sounds like you might be experiencing some of what Lisa S. went through. You'll probably heal, but it never hurts to ask your doctor. Cherie in Tx (2004-11-27): OK, I've read almost the entire thread(which took me 3 days..LOL) and now I'll post MY story...... I got my tonsils removed and had tubinate surgery on November 18, 2004. I was really scared as many people are. The worst part for me was when I woke up from the surgery. I was scared to death. I am 30 and have 3 children. But, I wanted my mommy and they wouldn't get her. I cried out of control. I'm sure it was due to all the meds. Then, I had a reactioon to what ever they cleaned my face with. I was clawing at my face like crazy. My mom was freaking out and kept stopping me. When your on pain meds, you don't realize what your doing! They gave me benadryl and it helped just a little. Well, I then went to my mom;s house and took Lortab on the way!!hehe!! Day 1 was GREAT! I has pudding and applesause and an icy drink from sonic! Day 2 was GREAT! I just was sure to take my pain meds as schecduled!! Day 3 I woke up crying in pain, my DH was so sorries he almost didn't go to work. Once they pain meds kicked in I was fine. Then it hit me again at noon! Again..pain meds!! Day 4 got better and so on. Day 6 I quit taking the pain meds as the gas it gave me almost ran my family out of the house! I started taking tylenol. Doesn't totally rid the pain, but makes it tolerable! Each day gets a little better. No bleeding whatsoever! I'm tickled about that! Although I am quite congested and sniff often to spit and its pink. BUT< I wouldn't consider that bleeding. I'm now on Day9 and my scabs have not fallen off yet. OH, I forgot. Days 1-4 were rough because my uvula was SOO swollen, I think they shorten it, or lasered it by mistake. It had an AWEFUL scab that touched my toungue, but it fell off day 4 and its MUCH better! Well, I will go to work in 2 days and am not looking forward to it, I teach pre-K and they have a lot of germs! I was near my ill morther in law for 5 minutes yesterday and today I have her cough! NO IMMUNE SYSTEM!! This will get better too I assume! Well, That's it..thanx for letting me share my story! Erik (2004-11-27): Good luck Cherie! Jules, London UK (2004-11-28): Had mine, plain old tonsillectomy, on nov 23rd at noon. So now just past 5 days elapsed and I have to say, I was not prepared for this level of pain at all. I have never experienced anything like it - my entire throat feels coated in glass, and literally *everything* hurts. Breathing/chewing/drinking/burping (especially!)/eating/solids/liquids/hot/cold it's all just bad bad bad. I feel really guilty for moaning at all my friends but usually I have a reasonable tolerance for pain. I feel like a complete wuss at the moment, almost debilitated by it! I have diclofenac three times a day and was also prescribed codeine four times a day for the first four days. my prescription has now run out and I'm supposed to be on "paracetamol as required". Well, I require it more than I should as the maximum 4 doses/24hr period is just not enough. Am almost in tears with the pain, the only thing keeping me going is knowing that it won't last forever... - I must agree with what's been said before the worst thing is how so far at least, every day seems worse than the last! I can't put into words how depressed I am by it at the moment, and I'm usually a pretty outgoing cheery kinda person... put this down to experience I guess. Erik (2004-11-28): Jules, there is no reason you should be in that much pain. Get some heavier-duty pain medication. Scream (with your hands) at your doctor for some. With that much pain, your healing process will be slowed down! jackie (2004-11-28): yo i got my tonsills out 6 days ago and man that was definatly NOT fun. i even threw up once i got home. im still in pain after this much time. for some reason the pain does get worse as the days go by..why the hell does this crap have to hurt so damn much..coughing,hiccuping, laughing, sneezing,all hurts like hell..i dont know what the doctors are sayinng when they say you can return to a full diet in 5 days..im sure as hell aint on solid food yet..when is the pain gonna go away?? im on tylenol with codeine and im on another bottle already...this sucks. Chris (2004-11-30): I just had mine out yesterday, and was searching for Post Op info. It went pretty well i suppose. I didn't like getting the i.v. needle. I heard it's a lot better in Canada for the surgery from what i've read. I went in, waited 1/2 an hour, got the i.v., waited 1 hr. then they made me walk to the Operating Room and there was like the doc and 5 other people there and a student doctor. They told me to get on the table, and breathe deeply as they stuck me with 2 needles and i sucked down some oxygen. Then I woke up in post anasthetic care unit. I am glad it was laser surgery, After a while the nurse came and told me that i wasn't on any pain killers yet, so she gave me some and some antibiotics. I guess i was still doped up. I slept a bit (they make you wait 4 hrs in recovery) then i walked out. I only felt a bit of nausea as i was leaving and spit clear saliva into a bag they gave me on the ride home. It's kinda painful, anytime i spit, it hurts a bit and i can't really drink yet. Get lots of popsicles, once your throat hurts you really go for one and it numbs it a bit. and make sure you take your Tylenol that takes away most of the pain and lets you drink and rest more easily. I still can't talk yet (i kinda choose not to) But i am soo glad to read i'm doing a lot better than some of you guys who are throwin up stuff. ick. I've had about 2 tylenol pills since i've been out they are the best. Hopefully i can start playing X-Box tomorrow. It seems the worst is over. jackie (2004-11-30): lol it may seem like the worst is over.. but it gets worse before it gets better.. it will really start to hurt bout 3-4 days afterward.. well at least thats what happened to me Cherie in Tx (2004-12-02): Well, its been 2 weeks since my tonsillectomy and turbinate surgery. I saw my doc at my checkup today. He was so thrilled at how well I am healing. WOO HOO. He actually did a little dance it was hillarious!! My nose, though isn't healing as well, because of my darn allergies. We are working on that. I have been through one set of tests and will go through another in a couple of weeks. He said once my allergies are under control, I'll be breathing like a new person! CAN"T WAIT!! Hang in there guys...it does get better!!! TV in San Diego (2004-12-03): Erik, thanks for the site. I've read your and everyone else's story with great interest. For years, I've had really bad sore throats, to include bouts with strep. My tonsils were huge, but when inflamed, they became freakishly large. As a kid, I told my mom that one of them had "ruptured." She shook her head in disbelief and just gave me some over-the-counter stuff. My wife has complained of my snoring and occasional foul breath from "tonsil stones," and everything just seemed to be getting worse. So, finally at the age of 39, I decided to have them out. I recently returned from Iraq, and while I had some down time there before I shipped home, I asked a Navy doc about the procedure. He told me that it was fairly serious for adults, but that upon getting home, he would write me up for a consult. The Navy Capt. ENT who took a look at me here in the states was a real pro. He took one look at my throat and said, "yep, those are nasty. When do you want them out?" This was just a week before Thanksgiving, so be both agreed that December 1st would work the best. The surgery went great. Can't say enough about the staff who assisted. In a military hospital, you kind of feel like you're a "part owner" of the facility, and being a fairly senior officer (Lieutenant Colonel) probably has something to do with the pleasantries I received. However, there were some fairly junior guys going into the OR for various things, and we all were enjoying the friendly, "at ease" manner of the folks there. Had my tonsils removed and the uvula trimmed. The doc gave me a ton of PERCOCET, but I felt so loopy from it, that I've decided to tough it out. Pain comes maily from swallowing, and seems to be coming from the uvula. Breathing seems a lot easier, and there seems to be no pain coming from where my tonsils used to be. I am excited about becoming a "superman." My new air flow should help me run faster and farther without hacking up nasty tonsil stones. Having some degree of PERCOCET withdrawal after only three dosages. All using this drug should be careful. Toughing it out in San Diego amanda (2004-12-04): well, i had my sugery on 12/2. thurs. and friday weren't so bad... i guess i was still pretty drugged up. friday night i started feeling sick and threw up, no blood :) today i am getting a little better. i'm trying not to take too much tylenol w/ codeine, i think that is what upset my stomach. so i'm now on plain tylenol elixir. the pain on the right side is far worse. and i'm starting to hurt from laying on my back with 2 pillows under my head. i am so happy someone else on this page mentioned having gas!!! it's pretty gross. i think the pain is just from the swelling at this point, which the tylenol helps, a lot. and i too have a funny taste in my mouth and my tongue is pretty swollen. all in all, it wasn;t as bad as i thought. tonight i'm going to try some room temp. soup!!! thanks for this site...it has given me so much comfort and support amanda (2004-12-05): now three days post-op. doing pretty well. i am extremely hungry and eating is a bit of a chore. i swallow a lot of air when i eat so i need to take breaks to burp. i'm nit in any real pain, i little discomfort from my jaw. it has been very tight since the op. i have tmj which i am sure doesn't help. i talk funny, i guess from being swollen. but i can say i feel a whole lot better today. i even took a short walk aroung the block. being up and moving really helps. Erik (2004-12-06): That's great Amanda! You're one of the lucky few to heal quickly! Matt (2004-12-06): It's been a week and 2 days sence i had a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy i am still recoveing and doing great the first week was good during the day and bad at night i was seen in the emergency room twice for dehydration and that suck really bad you guys do not wanna go through that it was so much pain. AT first i did not want the removed but i was snoring really bad and my girlfriend couldent stand it and plus only 30% of my air way was open. When i got them out and i was in recovery the surgen said that they were the biggest ones that he has ever seen and everybody in the operating room was so supprised that they had come out of a human well now that there out i would have done it all over again if i had to accept the emergency room visits. billa (2004-12-06): how long till u can smoke after a tonsillectomy and a adenoidectmy do u know? please help i am gying for a smoke Sheri (2004-12-06): Hi. What a great site. I am going in for a tonsillectomy and uvulopalatotomy early this morning. Am feeling quite apprehensive about the pain and bleeding possibilities post-op. Am losing sleep because of it, signed on and found this site. Thanks, Erik, it has helped. Scott (2004-12-07): It's going on five days now since my tonsillectomy. My uvula is huge now. Finished my first bottle of hydrocodone in less than 3 days and I'll be half way through my second one before the day is over but I have cut back. The gas is horrible to say the least. The ear-pain is the worst and doesn't come right away. I just wish I could cough without my uvula ending up on my tongue. I hate having to swallow it when that happens. Erik (2004-12-07): Sheri, good luck! I'm glad we could help. Scott, it never hurts to talk to your doctor, perhaps he/she can help with the swelling. You're probably over the hump though, hang in there! Sheri (2004-12-08): Hi again. Surgery went well, I had to stay overnight at the hospital. The pain isn't unbearable, but I'm keeping on top of it. I was released today and am staying at my mom's tonight (for some reason my husband thought it best, he thought our 4 and 5 year olds would be too much strain - I'm smiling, he's right). Have a question. When our little one had tonsillectomy last year, she had renewed/additional pain about day 3 - 4 when the scabs came off. Is this likely to happen to this old codger too? Just want to keep myself ready. (Boy are those nasty looking scabs, by the way.) Erik (2004-12-08): Sheri, sorry to say it, but I think the general consensus is that the third or fourth days are the worst. Scabs comming off, pain meds being scaled down, etc. Just hang in there! Mike (2004-12-09): Hi my name is Mike and I am in a great deal of pain with my tounsils. I have been to my family doctor once and the e.r. twice now. Family doctor said just to take tylenol,drink plenty of fluids and rest as it were a virus and would take 7-10 days to heal. The pain got so unbearable I went to the e.r and they gave me ery-tab for an antibiotic. That just made me sick to my stomach and made me get dehydrated. I went back again and they gave me a shot for pain, a shot for nausea, and a shot for inflammation. The rest of the day and the following day I felt fine. No pain at all and I noticed that the left tounsil is back to normal but the right one is still huge. I just figured I could get some from on what this may be. cause I have no idea and the pain is unbearable. I have been living off vicodin for the past week. Erik (2004-12-10): If I were you, I'd go see another doctor, or see what channels you need to go through to get the referral to the ear-nose-throat doc. Some doctors seem reluctant to go to surgery, but at some point you have to call it, and just cut 'em out! Shawn (2004-12-12): Hello Shawn here. I had a tonsillectomy, uvulectomy,and turbinate reconctruction about 6 days ago. It is so good finding information that is liken to my own experience. There expression HELL ON EARTH applies to this type of procedure. I have been in pain. My doc said that most of it would come from the sinus region but the throat has been the primary by far. Swallowing hurts so much I try to avoid it altogether. Thus I have become seriously dehydrated. I am hungry, want real food, and hate that I can't swallow it!! My doc has prescribed a narcotic syrup called Hydrocodone. Not bad once swallowing is complete but hurts my teeth strange. I also took Arnica a natural homeostatic bruise and sorness reducer. I did not have alot of bleeding or throat swelling. I recommend it if anyone wants to avoid all of the blood drainage. I see the doc again tomorrow, one week after my surgery, hopefully all is well. Blessings! Erik (2004-12-13): Good luck Shawn! I know it hurts, but you have to stay hydrated. Dehydration slows healing, and will dry your throat, causing more pain. If you can, just sip on a glass of water all day long. Matt (2004-12-13): Can anybody give me the name of a place that does tonsillectomy with a laser in Ohio? After hearing all your stories I don't want to get it done at all. Jon (2004-12-15): Yesterday, my ENT and I finally agreed to go ahead with tonsillectomy. The weird thing is that I don't have a sore throat, or any other cold/flu like symptoms. However, my tonsils have been HUGE for almost 2 months now. Antibiotics and steroids have done nothing. I will have spells where I become very light-headed as well. I'm not sure if that is related to the freakishly large tonsils, but we'll see. Surgery for me should be in about 2 weeks. Doesn't sound like fun, but it helps to read all of your stories. Thanks to all. Sarah_UK (2004-12-17): I had my tonsils taken out on Wednesday (15.12) and have had a white substance covering my tonsil beds and the back of that dangly thing since the second day of recovery. I just wondered whether this was normal, as the doctors and nurses never mentioned this to me! Otherwise, think I have gotten off quite lightly in comparison to some of you guys on here. Will (2004-12-19): Hello Erik, you had a bit more work done than I. I also had an insanely low oxygenation level during sleep. I had my surgery on 9-20-04. As far as post operative healing, did you notice any oddities occur that went awawy over time? I have had vision trouble , like double vision and very mild headaches as well as increased blood pressure. I'm taking High Blood Pressure meds now. My main concern is my vision, I think it's related to the blood pressure, as I only have the problem when moving around. It's hard to explain. Went to an opthamologist and she stated my eyes look fine and the the visual acuity is good but may be decreasing due to my age (35). I guess what I'm asking is, have you had some experiences post surgery that may be related to healing the damage done while you weren't breathing as you slept, anything? Glad to hear it's worked out well for you. Will Maxx (2004-12-23): I had the tonsillectomy,uvula removed and the turbinate done in Oct 2003, I am 57 and had no problems with the surgery. I took all the drugs as directed and had very little pain. My Doctor said I may have a little soreness for up to three month, but that was normal. It has now been 14 months and my throat feeld like I have a birds nest in it, The Dr said everything looks good, but I know something is not right. He suggested that I have several test done, of which I did. He also suggested I get another opinion (from one of his Dr friends. Go figure) He first said he thought I had acid reflux. After the test he now suggest that the test "demonstrates findings that are suspicious for a small hiatal hernia" I am not saying I don't have a hernia but I know that is not my problem. I can look in my throat and see that it is lop-sided.ie, the opening in my thoat is not centered and the little taste bumps on the rear of my tongue are actually rubbing the top of my mouth where the uvula was removed. This is causing the problem with the throat irritation.Has anyone else had this problem? What to do? My wife said that I snor as loudly as ever, Although I cam breath through my nose I find myself sleeping with my mouth wide open and a very dry throat. I guess at 57 I am just falling apart but I could use some advise from anyone who has the same problem Laura (2005-01-08): Wow! My 18 year old son is scheduled for a tonsillectomy due to chronic acute tonsillitous -- after reading postings on this site, I am terrified for him! But have also picked up lots of good hints and questions for the dr. My son has friends that had their tonsils removed with laser, as opposed to the more traditional surgery, and they are telling him that the recovery was extremely easy. I can't find much info on the laser procedure. Has anyone had it done by laser? Erik (2005-01-10): Laura, don't be terrified. I am very glad I had the surgery, it has made a wonderful change in the quality of my live (sleep). Yes, it's a awful two-week recovery period, but well worth it. With your love and care, your son will pull through it, no problem. Especially having that great 18 year old capability for healing! Patti (2005-01-11): I had the tonsillectomy and uppp 5 years ago. It cured my sleep apnea, and I get less frequent colds. It's been great. Only drawback is there seems to be a shorter "shelf" at the top of my palate where food gets caught. Every few weeks I'll give a good cough, and tiny rice-like ball will dislodge, and boy does it stink. If anyone is planning the sugery, I'd recommend freezing small bottles of water, so y ou can place them on your neck later. Also, don't be surprised if fluid comes out your nose when you swallow for the first six months after surgery. This would happen to me if I were tired. A word of caution...stay away from rootbeer. It hurts like the dickens! Emily (2005-01-11): I had my tonsillectomy almost 4 weeks ago. The pain was significant but not unbearable. Earaches were bad and pain was worse in the morning. I have a word of warning for those of you who are about to undergo a tonsillectomy: do NOT sneeze, cough, etc. If you feel like you are going to sneeze, press down on your nose to get rid of the reflex. I sneezed and started bleeding profusely and had to go to the ER - all of that could have been avoided. But that said, the pain and trouble was TOTALLY worth it. It was all over by two weeks, and after a week I felt a good bit better. Also, the painkillers made me feel really lathargic and awful. crystal (2005-01-11): It's 1:45am and I am so thankful for this site. I am on day 6 from having my tonsils removed and my turbinates reduced due to chronic sinus and tonsil infections. My dr. said it was going to be painful but I was not prepared for this after all...wish I would have found your website prior to surgery. The pain is incredible and like others it seems like a lifetime for just 4 hours to pass so i can take more liquid Lortab. My first bottle was not flavored and the taste was horrible had to mix it with warm apple cider just to get it down. However, my husband asked the tech at the pharamacy could we get it flavored..for $3 bucks extra my second bottle was grape flavored. Not sure if that was the best idea because I am sneaking in an extra teaspoon every 2 hours instead of 3 hours. My tongue is covered w/ some sort of white chalking. Plus my tongue is finally starting to heal from what my dr. called tongue trama...I have 2 huge soars on each side of my mouth. The dr. said this is due to the number of tools that put in your mouth to move the tongue out of the way. Nice huh. I am still not breathing through my nose however in the last day I have had 2 really strange looking tissue fall from my nose...not blood but funky mucus like...when they came out it was like wow I can breathe but than it went away and I am stuffy again. The mornings are rough since my throat dries out in the middle of the night...not sure why since I am up every 3 hours. Alot of you mentioned how tired you are...I am so weak and fall asleep every couple of hours sitting in the chair. My mom says it's because of lack of food. I've lost 10lbs so far but I know it just water because I am drinking like a race horse atleast 64 oz of water a day but it took until day 4 to drink water. I personally could not tolerate cold fluids...this is going to sound gross but I was actually warming ginger ale. I am glad to hear others were suffering w/ similiar issues because today I was about to call the doctor to see if he accidently screwed something up because I didn't think this was normal. Thanks to all of you that have written in saying 2 weeks is normal vs 5 - 7 days like the pamphlet said for healing. My voice is still horrible and it hurts to talk longer than 10 mins. I just pray that it was all worth it...will be nice not to be sick anymore. I am concerned about the bleeding that some of you wrote about...so far I have not had any bleeding. The back of the throat is still white and inflamed. Currently, my biggest issue is teeth and lower jaw pain. Anyone else had this problem? I just stop taking the predisone (sp) because I read this can cause your face to swell and so I started to freak out when the teeth were hurting. I go back to the dr. on Thursday (day 9). Hopefully, it will be good news. Erik (2005-01-12): Chystal, it certainly sounds like you're having a rough time of it, since most people seem to start feeling better around day four, though that you're able to drink now is a good sign! Good luck seeing the doctor, I'm sure he/she will have good news for you. Jon (2005-01-12): I am now on Post-Op day 6. I'm not convinced yet, but I may have turned the corner. Days 3 and 4 seemed to have been to worst. The pain is every bit as bad as they say it will be, but hopefully the pain meds will allow you to forget about it. I'm only able to eat popsicles, applesauce, and jello at this point, but that is certainly enough to keep me alive. Drinking fluids isn't much of a problem either. I would also like to remind everyone about to go through this procedure to do EVERYTHING YOU CAN to AVOID COUGHING. The last couple of mornings, I would begin to cough, and it felt like someone was raking my throat. That triggered a bit of bleeding, but I was able to stop it with an ice pack around the neck, and by sipping ice cold water. I am hoping that i will make noticable improvements in the coming days. Good luck all! Dave (2005-01-12): I'm start Day 8 of my recovery. I had tonsils, adnoids, somoplasty, and the UPPP with all of my uvula removed. Been working since Day 5 just to keep my mind occupied. Eating is a real pain, but starting to get the hang of it. Last night, my ears hurt so bad and hate every day this goes on. My doctor didn't see me and I have an appointment with him on Day 9. Will tell him that they need to follow up more closely or it this their plan to wait for so long so you forget how much it hurts. Jeff (2005-01-13): I had my tonsils out, uvula hacked off and turbinate bones removed all at once about 3 weeks ago. All is well except for having a "white ball" or egg-looking thing on the end of what's left of the uvula. It is tickling the back of my throat constantly and still slightly obstructs the airway when I lay down. Is having this "white ball" normal three weeks post-op? I was told it's a scab, but I've never seen a scab like this!!! Marc (2005-01-13): Hi Guys, I had my tonsillectomy On 12/01/2005, and on the 3rd day (today) i woke up with nausea and threw up everything! no blood though luckly. Im on some antibiotic called Keflor or something, and im allergic to penecillin. Could this have anything to do with me throwing up? By the way, the pain hasnt really been that bad, just overly uncomfortable. tODAY has been the worst by far. Erik (2005-01-13): Marc, what are you doing posting to a web site?! Call your freakin' doctor! I can't think of anything worse to wash over your new tonsil-holes than stomach acid! anonymous (2005-01-14): Day 10...starting to finally feel normal again. I went to dr. and he removed some really gross tissue from nose and I am now finally able to breathe. Yippie !! I did get a 3rd refill of Lortab but not taking it every 4 hours like before. I would have to say this has been the most painful experience to date. My dr. today told me give it just another 3 days and you will feel normal again..I promise. Jennifer (2005-01-16): my husband is going to have this done. Can you give us any advice on the matter. Jeff (2005-01-17): Jennifer....closely follow the pain medication schedule! Erik (2005-01-17): Jennifer: My best advice is to keep in close contact with the doctor. See him/her as often as possible, and be very aware of any changes, especially bleeding. Kendra (2005-01-17): Im on Day 5 following my tonsillectomy. Found the first day to be a piece of cake, mostly because I was on so many drugs I had no clue what was going on. The 2nd & 3rd day absolutely sucked, the pain hit me in the face, especially halfway through the night. I would wake up and feel this raw awful pain that radiated into my ears. This is the 5th day now and I actually feel ok. For half the day swallowing barely even hurt when drinking water. I even ate macaroni and cheese, and some scrambled eggs. THis was a big step from popsicles and ice cream. Im kinda scared to sleep cause I feel so good right now, and I know how excrutiating it feels halfway through the night. One can be hopeful. If my recovery is this progressive for the next couple days I think I will be doing just fine by day 8 or so... Kendra (2005-01-17): whoops i forgot to mention a helpful tip. I read a few study reports before my surgery which mentioned that regular ingestion of vitamin c one week before your surgery will significantly increase your recovery rate. They recommend taking 500mg 3 times a day. After surgery continue the regime if you can swallow. (be sure to by capsules not pills) Do not even think about taking the powder form it will burn your throat like crazy. I think this has helped me along, but just a suggestion. Erik (2005-01-18): Good luck Kendra! Thanks for the tip about the vitamin C! Keep hydrated! George (2005-01-20): Thank you all for the comments. I'm going to have my turbinites reduced - cauterization I believe. I was wondering what to expect and what the recovery period for that procedure is. I know it is not nearly as much of a surgery than the rest of you have had but I don't view any surgery lightly. BTW I'm a young 54 - Ok, not that young. Thanks Kendra (2005-01-20): Im on Day 8, feeling good...My scabs looked like they were dissolving this morning, I could see pink flesh back there..but as the day has progressed they came back, kinda weird I thought. The great thing is that it doesn't hurt to eat soft foods or drink water anymore. Only when I swallow with nothing in my mouth, chewing gum is good for this. Still have pain when I wake up in the middle of the night, but I just take an extra strength tylenol and go back to bed. Im very excited I havent had any bleeding yet, and crossin my fingers that it wont happen! Jeff (2005-01-21): Tonsillectomy, Uvulaectomy and Turbinite Reduction done 4-1/2 weeks ago. Still feels like a scab or something is in my nasal cavity just above the area where my uvula was cut off. Is this feeling normal? Would there still be a scab in that area? Erik (2005-01-21): George, good luck! Given your position on the edge of "youthful", be extra careful to keep hydrated, and in contact with your doctor. Jeff: After four weeks I doubt it's a scab, but it could be scar tissue, or anything else. Best to have your doctor take a look. Clifford (2005-01-22): I am on day 14 recovoring from UP3 and tonsillectomy. Pain was pretty immense, and no solids until just a couple days ago for me. I tried eating solids five days ago and began to hemmorhage, almost required cautery. Just wondering id someone knows how long it might be before I feel the 'Superman' effect I hear about, or should I feel it by now? I am assuming the 'obstruction' was gone the day of the procedure so in theory shouldn't I have ben feeling the benefit soon after (days) following the procedure? I someone knows a solida answer to this one please email me at home: [email protected], I am not so sure yet that I fall into the 50 percentile of cured. Erik (2005-01-23): Everyone heals differently Clifford, and as long as you're healing, you'll have some swelling. Be patient, keep hydrated, and let your body heal itself. Of course, if in doubt, see a doctor. Lue (2005-01-23): Have been to 2 different ENT's. Had a uvulaectomy done last April. Believe it sounds like the noise I make is coming from nasal. Am stuffy most of the time. Can usually breath thru my nose, but use a nasal spray at night. Getting frusterated. Considering another ENT, but insurance doesn't cover that well. Has anyone else had any similar problems, and what have they done about it? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks. Brianne (2005-01-25): I had a tosillectomy done yesterday morning. I was feeling ok most of the day and now in the middle of the night, I can't sleep because of the pain and I am gagging. I looked at my uvula and it is huge and just hanging back there. Is it normal for it to be so enlarged after surgury? Or is it so big now because my huge tonsils were covering it up? After reading others info on here, it seems like everyone has theirs removed along with the tonsils. I have terrible sleep apnea and was having tonsillitis and that is why mine were taken out (not to mention the fact that they were giantic!) becky (2005-01-25): becky- hi this is day 18 post surgery hade super large tonsils and uvula removed im still spiting up alot of flym. clear to yellow brown im so fatiqued cant eat much i also have corhns desease and i iam on mp6 glad to find this sight my ears are so senitive and hurt Erik (2005-01-25): Brianne, I don't know if swelling of the uvula is normal, it could be, but it's best to check with your doctor. It might also be nice to know why he/she didn't remove or shorten it while the tonsillectomy was being done! Becky, sounds to me like you need to go see your EMT or general Doc. Brianne (2005-01-25): I called the doc today to findout about my uvula. He gave me steroids and said it was normal. If it doesn't shrink up though, I am going to question the doc why he didin't remove it or shorten it. Thank you! Randy (2005-01-26): Dude, you need to lay off the soda. Its bad for your teeth, its bad for your bones, it's bad for your blood sugar. It's going to kill you if you keep it up. Dave (2005-01-27): I am scheduled for tonsillectomy in a few weeks. I keep hearing about the pain, potential complications, etc. Some comments sound like it's hardly worth it. My main motivation is to stay off the CPAP machine. I tried it and could not sleep very well. Any words of wisdom are appreciated. Erik (2005-01-27): Dave, yes, there is a lot of pain. Yes, recovery can be long. It's almost guaranteed to suck an awful lot. However, I'm very glad I did it. It was much more than worth it. There have been several comments to this site of the same sentiment. Look at it this way: You have three choices: 1. Learning to sleep with a CPAP machine, and like it, for the rest of your life, 2. Insomnia, for the rest of your life, or 3. A week or two of discomfort. (2005-01-28): scheduled for my tonsillectomy, septoplasty, and bilatteral turbinoplasty for the 22nd of feb. this site has been great, i too was scared away from the surgery a year ago, but this site has given me the confidence i need to go through with it this time. thanks averyone here Erik (2005-01-28): Good luck John! Emily (2005-02-01): I am on day 4 from my tonsillectomy. Really, there is nothing fun about this. Even ice cream is painful! But what they say is true... it hurts like hell to drink water, but the wetter you can keep the scabs the better you feel. So drink it down, keep them wet, it cuts down on the pain. I've found that blasting a humidifier in my face while I sleep has kept my throat a bit moister and therefore lessened the discomfort... a little. Good luck. I can't wait until next week when I can eat some real food. Helped jumpstart my diet though! JT (2005-02-01): On day 5 of Tonsillectomy and uvula snip. Pain is tolerable-I am 33. surgery needed for apnea and Chronic tonsil problems. Found out I am seriously allergic to narcotics Nice to know after the fact This site is great and has helped Me a lot. I would recommend the Surgery to anyone having problems IMHO The uvulaectony hurt much more than the tonsillectomy. I have scheduled 2 weeks off work I think I will take it to be sure I am healed My experience has not been too bad! Thanks again for the site! Erik (2005-02-01): I had the same experience! Who knew the uvula would have so many nerves in it?! Kate (2005-02-03): I am now 7 days post-tonsillectomy. My uvula is so huge it keeps coming forward and practically into my mouth! Is this normal? I wish the doc had snipped it while he was back there! Anyone know the uvula and when it should not be so swollen? It is almost see through it is so big... it is gross! Ann (2005-02-04): I had my tonsils removed and both turbinates resectiones in oct 04. I experienced intence pain after surgery and insisted with nurses that the pain was quickly getting stronger they kept saying it's normal and to try to drink, I did my best but pain was still unbearable, I looked in my mouth and all I could see was white.. I was discharged still unable to eat to drink after 2 days..At home things only got worse but I thought IT WAS NORMAL.. after surgery so "I was told by nurses". This intense pain went on for a week until I could no longer speak or open my mouth all I could do was cry, until my hubby could no longer see me distressed and (loosing weight extreemly quickly) against my will dragged me back to hospital where I was re-admitted for severe dehydration. No explanation was given to me as to why my body reacted so badly, after a day I was rehydrated and the following sent home. I still do feel some degree of pain especially when I drink It's like a burning sensation on my palate and many times my drink comes through my nose after drinking... has this happened to anyone else? Am I exagerated? Erik (2005-02-04): Kate, the swelling will go down, but if you think it might be problematic, or it is obstructing your breathing, go see your doctor right away. Ann, that's awful. Don't ever resist going back to the hospital or your doctor, it's just not worth it. If the pain is still to bad, ask your doctor for more or better meds. Why suffer? You will get used to drinking with your newly shaped throat, but it will take time. Until then, take small sips, and keep hydrated! Brianne (2005-02-07): Kate, my uvula finally shrank down to normal size about day 10 but that was only after being on steroids for 5 days. I am now at day 14 post op. Pain is still an issue, but I am so sick of depending on the meds, I've switched over to tylenol. 4 days ago I started bleeding and had to go to the ER. The doc on call at my doc's office showed up and cauterized my throat (it tasted nasty!!!) I still feel something lurking down on the right side and it bothers me. Something I can't hack up. Don't mean to be gross, lol. Doc says it's normal, but I worry. Anyone else feel that kinda thing back there? Also I've heard that tonsils can grow back if not all properly removed. Does anyone know how soon that can happen? Because the cut was clean and I look at it everyday and it seems that there is something new at the top of where the initial cut was. I am probably overreacting, but I am worried. Any advice would be appreciated. Also, sleep apnea people; are you doing better now, or before you had this done? Dave (2005-02-07): Posted on Day 8 (1-12-2005) and now it has been over 4 weeks since the operation. I'm feeling a lot better, but I feel a real tightness in the tissue where my uvula was and also the back of my tougue where they did the somoplasty. I'll see the doctor later this week. I had coughed up some tissue and left a hole in my tougue. Dr. said it wasn't usual, but left the hole for now to fill in. Think he tried to convince this was a good thing. Anyway, thanks for the postings, it helps to measure progress based upon others experiences. Michelle (2005-02-08): i had my tonsils & noids out 6 days ago. The worst part is my hubby is in iraq and I have 2 small kids! I had to plan, but everything turned out OK, got babied by my mommy (I am 27) which was nice! I am finally drinking lots, b/c i realized I wouldn't get better if I didn't,and yey! I ate a bowl of broccoli & cheese soup tonite! Couldn't taste it, though! It seems like my tastebuds are scraping off, is that normal? The earache and ear stuffiness is the worse part, Darvocet helps a little, lying flat and ice packs. I am slowly getting better, it has truly been hell! I have the grey membranes, it seems like there are still tonsils there to me! Glad I did it, but wished I would've did it when hubby was home, moral support goes a long way! Couldn't eat ice cream, it coated my throat & made things worse. Thanks for the page, the advice is very helpful! Erik (2005-02-08): Michelle, I'm glad the site could help. Good luck! Hossein (2005-02-08): It's been two weeks since I had my tonsils removed, my Uvula shortened, and my turbinites shrunk through Coblation. Let me begin by saying ouch!! But like Erik I lived for years with out being able to breath properly without nose spray. The proceedure was hard, and with out boring you all with details, I will say, the older you are the harder it is. I am 39, and found it to be very tough. BUT I would do it all over again to have a life of easy breathing. Hang in there. If you want details of how I felt on each day contact me. [email protected] PS Erik, I like the Discovery, my brother is big on off roading and own both a discovery,and off roads with his defender 90. Being that I am a Jeep guy, he wears a tee shirt that reads "I would rather push a Land Rover, than drive a Jeep" Erik (2005-02-08): Hossein, I'm glad to hear your experience, like mine, has been positive, overall. It is an awful experience, but compared to a life of infections, sleep apnea and constricted breathing, it's more than worth it. I love that shirt, it's funny, but a little stinging, given the trouble many people have with their Land Rovers, including me. Nina (2005-02-08): Coblation is a method of removing soft tissue like your tonsils and or turbinates with considerable less post operative pain then standard techniques. I've heard about it from friends and am looking for a surgeon who does it. Andrew (2005-02-09): I love this site... made me feel a lot better. I'm 7 days in, (tonsils and septoplasty - sleep apnea) Day 3 is defienitly the WORST. My ADVICE is STAY HYDRATED. No matter how much it hurts, DRINK WATER. DOn't drink, things will get much much worse. I've had ear pain, and teeth pain, it seems common from all your posts, so if anyones worried, don't be - unless it persists. At 7 days, I feel generally ok. My throat always feels dry, but swallowing no longer hurts. Except when I eat anything other than Jello or icecream. My worst problem, that doesn't seem to be common, is the feeling there is a papercut running down the center(back) of my tongue down the back of my throat. It stings like hell, on certain foods, yoghurt, juice, and if I GULP water. It does seem to be getting better. So GOODLUCK to everyone going through the pain, it gets better slowly. I'm dying for a steak, pizza and a beer. It's going to tast so good :) Nina (2005-02-09): Andrew, when they do a tonsillectomy they suspend your mouth open with something called a "mouth gag." It's made to hold your mouth open during the surgery. You very well could have been cut with the gag. It sould get better very soon. Michelle (2005-02-10): What I want to know is are my tastebuds going to comeback? brenda (2005-02-10): I am in day 16 of the tonsillectomy. I am also ready to change dr's. I experienced bleeding on the right side 6 days after initial surgery, that required me to be put under again and recauterized. That side is healing nicely, but the left is having issues. in the last 3 days, it has swollen back up, is making it difficult to swallow and appears that the uvula is attached to the left side of my throat. My surgeon was out today, but his partner basically threw up his hands and walked out on my exam today. I am going to another surgeon (the one on call when I had to go back to the ER at 2:00 am ) to see what he says. I am firmly convinced that the group of dr.'s that I saw was a "chop shop". (cincinnati ohio, to be exact). The reason for my surgery was that the right tonsil was triple the size it should have been and had puss pockets on it for several years. I still have the "gagging" feeling that several folks mentioned above, as well as at night the swelling does still block my airway. I am hoping that once it goes down, I can breathe much easier. The uvula was swollen for the better part of 10 - 12 days. I will let you know what the 2nd doc says tomorrow about the uvula growing into the side of my head. Becci (2005-02-10): I'm on day 4 after having my tonsils and turbinites removed. Other than the fact it might hurt, would drinking alchohol in a weeks time do any damage? alana (2005-02-10): I had a tonsillectomy on 2/2/05. I am 26 and have had previous surgeries which included TMJ surgery. I thought the pain with my TMJ surgery was bad, in retrospect that was a cake walk compared to the pain with my tonisllectomy. The OR nurse commented that I had the largest tonsils she had ever seen and she didn't know how I could even breathe. So that explains why I always had problems breathing out of my nose (the tonsillectomy was done because I had chronic tonisillitis). When in the recovery room, I was given 7 shots of morphine. That only took an edge off the pain. Once I got home, I was taking vicodin or percocet every 3 hours. My doctor told me that I could take either 15ml of vicodin or 2 7.5mg percocet pills every three hours if needed. Unfortunately, the pain pills only worked for about 2.5 hours, so there was a little bit of pure misery. I also kept ice on my throat, this did help. Just a warning to all, the second day is hell! All the anesthesia and morphine is out of your system, and I thought I was going to die. I would rather spit than swallow. I couldn't drink anything that was cold, it had to be room tempature and through a straw. And only sipping. As for eating, pudding and mashed potatoes were too thick, ice cream burned going down, popsicles were tolerable, as was jello and campbells cup-at-hand broccoli soup. I ended up calling my doc about the pain it was so bad. Since I have had previous surgeries I have quite a high tolerance for pain med's, so the doc gave me a prescription for Oxycotin. I took those twice a day and continued taking the vicodin/percocet. I was completely drugged up. I had to wake up in the middle of the night to take the pain med's, because the pain would actually wake me up. I contiued all these drugs for 5 days. What the doctor's didn't tell me is all the pain medicine make you constipated. I had to take a stool softner to have a bowel movement. Also, I was taking a liquid antibiotic. Which gave me thrush, for anyone that doesn't know what thrush is, it's a yeast infection in your mouth. My tongue was white and sore and everything had a weird taste to it. My doctor gave me diflucan for it and after a day it started to clear up. After day four I stopped taking the Oxycotin. alana (2005-02-10): I couldn't stand the way I was feeling on it. Up through day 7 I could barely stand to eat anything. I was only eating jello, popsicles, and soup. I had to slowly sip apple and grape juice so I didn't come dehydrated. I am now on Day 8 and things are a little better. I kept reading about scabs coming off, but every time I looked in the back of my mouth all I saw was white stuff and black (from the cauterization). I saw nothing that looked like scabs. Then I looked in the mirror this morning and saw the scab on the left side of my mouth was about to fall off. After taking some sips of something to drink, it came off. Once that happened, I felt like half my throat had opened up. I was actually able to eat chicken noodle soup, with the noodles, life was great! A few hours later I looked at the left side of my mouth, and that scab looked like it was about to come off too. I felt so good after the first scab came off, I was determined to help this one along. To make a long story short, I took tweezers and pulled the scabs off. There was no pain or bleeding at all. The scabs actually look like dead tissue. They were gray and mushy. i now understand why it felt like I had lumps in my throat when I swalled, I actually did. They were really gross!!! I now look in the back of my throat and see pink. There are a couple of white spots still on my tonsils, but I think that is normal and should clear up within the next week. I have actually been able to have some pasta and eggs now that all the scabs are gone. I still have pain, but am now just taking regular tylenol. My taste is a little off, but it isn't as bad as it was before the scabs came off. Also, my voice is different. It sounds like I am talking into a sock, very muffled. I am hoping that goes away soon! If I had to do it over again, I would still have the surgery. I figure a couple of weeks of hell will be worth not having to worry about tonsillitis and strep again. Anyone who is about to have the surgery, be prepared. There is no words to describe the pain. But it does get better. Erik (2005-02-10): Brenda, good luck! Becci, I bet drinking would hurt a whole lot! Alana, sorry, I had to break up your comment into two pieces. Looks like I need to make the comment size larger in my database! Sheesh you had a rough time of it. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better. Hang in there, it's all down hill from where you are! Erik (2005-02-10): Michelle, I'm sure your tastebuds will come back, eventually, but if you're really concerned, ask your doctor how you can help along their healing. brenda (2005-02-10): another friend described drinking beer as "a chorus line of stilletto heels going down his throat". Basically the carbonation. Also, you might want to watch the interaction with your pain meds. I had a beer 2 days after I quit the pain meds. It tingled and went up my nose when I swallowed, but cannot say that it caused me any problems. check with your doc to be sure. (2005-02-11): hope everyone is feeling better , i am patiently awaiting my surgery on the 22 of feb. cant get here soon enough, although im still a little apprehensive. sounds like breathing out of my mouth is going to hurt like hell, since im having septoplasty,turbinate reduction, and adenoidectomy along with the tonsil removal. will post my thoughts after my surgery. thanks to everyone thats posting in here, you have all been a real inspiration. thanks again john Erik (2005-02-11): Good luck John! brenda (2005-02-11): met with my surgeon today and found that although it looks like the tonsilar pillar is consuming the uvula, it is not. The two are separate. I will be taking a 6 day course of steroids to reduce the swelling on the left side of the throat. It was also explained to me today that some of the pain I am still experiencing is muscular related to the overall throat. (kind of understandable). It is amazing the difference when you get a doctor that will sit down and talk with you and literally "point out" the pictures of what is going on. I am returning to work on the 15th. Still eating slowly and avoiding "sharp" edges on my food. Tried a shot of single malt scotch today, and that still smarts a bit. will stick with my iced tea and watered down apple juice for a bit more. I will check back on the log and see how everyone else is doing. I am still curious as to if the back of my throat will get back to normal with an arch and the uvula hanging down. No one seems to know exactly what this will look like in another 2 - 3 months. (not something I am really happy about.) I just hope the benefits of feeling better in general come before summer. Becci (2005-02-13): DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL. I didn't think for a moment that having one sip of beer would do anything other than sting a little. It stung. Oh yes. It hurt like hell but was soon tamed by a glass of water. 1 hour later I started bleeding a little. I ignored it thinking it was coming from the back of my nose (which I was told would be to a certain extent expected) but then 15 mins later I was bleeding perfusely in the kitchen sink. I had to be rushed to hospital. It didn't occur to me for a second that it was due to the beer. But when the consultant asked me if i'd had any alcohol i jokingly replied, "well i had one sip of a beer if that counts" Turned out, it does count and that the beer had burned away a protective layer... I had to stay in hospital for two nights. :( Erik (2005-02-13): Thanks for the advice Becci! Eva (2005-02-13): Hi. Thanks for all of your comments. I have had a stuffy nose, sore throats, and sleep apnea for years. I have been to many doctors and they all have a different version of what is wrong with me including the fall back of "it is all in your head". Well I believe it is all in my head. I believe I have chronic tonsillitis and something "wrong with my nose. I have kept insisting that it is my adenoids. However all the doctors I have seen say that adenoids shrink and adults do not have them. How then did all of you folks on this site have your adenoids taken out if there is presumably "no such thing".So I will be taking all the information I have recieved from you and will be armed with my next visit to my ENT. Thanks a lot, Erik (2005-02-13): Good luck Eva, sounds like you need to get a more sympathetic, and knowledgeable doctor! Michelle (2005-02-13): It is day 9 for me after surgery now. Feeling better, my throat is still lumpy, I guess you could say! My ears still pop everytime I swallow! I have my post-op dr. appt. tomorrow, and I have a funny feeling I have thrush in my mouth thanks to the antibiotics!! Ewwwww! I ate a "real meal" today, although I couldn't really taste it, and my tongue stings! I had salad & soup, was probably pretty good...I am now starting to not regret the surgery, because for the first week after, you will wish you never had it! I have to say that in comparison to other situation in my life, that it felt like I gave birth through my throat! Sorry that's gross but the best way I can explain it! I know it will be SO worth it, and I will never have tonsillitis again!!! YEY! Emily (2005-02-16): I am on day 19! It gets soooo much better! I feel like I only have tiny scabs in the throat, and my uvula which was so swollen is better and better each day. I still have a bit of a sore throat at night, but I feel so much better. I, too, had to go on steroids becuase of the the intense pain, and after day 14 I was still not sleeping and ready to put pens into my ears to alleviate the pain... went back to the dr. honestly to get some "drugs" and he discovered that the steriods had caused acid reflux (a really common side effect of steroids) and the acid was rubbing into my sores! He gave me some stuff for that and I swear, I almost immediately felt better. I did the whole recovery thing practically drug-free... Tylenol with Codeine is a joke! It is just red sugar water with no help. If you are pre-operation ask your doctor how he or she plans to treat the pain and ask how much pain you should tolerate before you call and ask for something stronger. Ask ahead of time, when the pain is happening, all you can think about is drugs and jamming pens into your ears.... okay maybe those were just my thoughts. (2005-02-22): well todays the day its the 22nd of feb, and time for my surgery. im still a little apprehensive,but i will be fine. i will let you all know how im coming along later in the week. take care all talk to ya later Charlie (2005-02-24): I had my tonsillis, adnoids and uvula removed on the Feb. 1st. I am 47 years old and have had problems with them all my life. The last couple of years I have had problems with tonsilliths or tonsill stones. Now I'm three weeks post op. I still have a little pain. There is still a little white coating back where my tonsills were. What is really frustrating to me is my sense of taste is off. I can't pick up the taste of sweet stuff. I can eat ice cream cake or anything like that but it does't taste sweet. Has anyone else had that problem? On the plus side I am sleeping so much better. It is great to go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. I used to wake up six or seven times a night. Erik (2005-02-25): John, good luck! Keep hydrated! Charlie, many people have complained of damage to their sense of taste, but it seems to be temporary. If you're worried it's taking too long to heal, your doctor should be able to help. (2005-02-25): thanks eric it is day 4 and i feel pretty good been dumping the fluids down. went to see my ent today and he says everything looks great. a big thank you too everyone who posts in here. god bless u all and god speed Jason H (2005-02-26): Has anyone used Hycet for pain relief? (2005-02-28): well its now day 7 and i have to admit i think i turned the corner this morning. ive had two breakfast burritos this morning and just finished a piece of pan pizza for lunch. i forgot to mention in all my posts that im 38, and was really not looking forward to this surgery. but not as bad as i thought it was going to be. im going to see ent today to have my nose vacummed out, anyone else in here have that done? hope everyone is feeling better and god speed too you all. thanks eric for a great site. Erik (2005-02-28): John, my ENT gave me a "Saline nose wash" to accomplish a cleaning. It feels wierd, but works great! Curtis (2005-03-02): I am in Day 8 of my recovery and by far it is the most traumatic experience I could ever have. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. My experience has led me to lose sleep, I can't breath when I lay down, my uvula is swollen and falls back into my throat and blocks my breathing. My soft pallete hurts, my toungue hurts and every muscle in my throat hurts. But today I must say I feel 20K times better than I did a few days ago. Problem is I have developed Thrush. Don't know what to expect waiting for my doctor to call me back. I am glad I came across this site because I thought the issues I was having was unique to me. But I see many other tonsillectomy patients have experienced the same thing. I just can't wait until I can eat again. I have lost 20lbs in 8 days, guess I am on the diet I have been dreading.. LOL... I have lived on jello, popsicles, flat clear soda. Everything else hurts or what go down. I will post later as it gets later in the week. Curtis (2005-03-02): I had a really bad day today. I have developed thrush and it is very bothersome. Any suggestions on how to make this more comfortable? Also, I tried eating my first meal today. I did ok but then... the pain started, it felt like something was ripping then it felt like alcohol being poured on an open wound. My throat to my ear felt like it was on fire and sharp pain shooting at the same time. Anyone has any idea what that was? Depression is starting to set in because I am a very active guy but this recovery has gotten me down. Someone please help. BTW, I still have problems swallowing, my uvula is still very large, and it still hurts after the pain medicine wears off... Sincerely, Miserable Jason H (2005-03-02): Has anyone used Hycet? Its a hydrocodone apap liquid combinant. Because of the lower apap content u can have more doses daily than lortab. Erik (2005-03-02): Curtis, hang in there, the swelling will go down, and the trush will subside, and you'll feel better. However, there's no reason not to ask your doctor if there are antibiotics or anti-swelling agents to help. Good luck! Curtis (2005-03-03): Thanks Erik for the encouragement. I must say this is the best free counseling there is out there. I have read every post since this website inception. It really gives support. I called my ENT surgeon and he wasn't helpful at all. He said the thrush will go away and gave me nothing for the swelling. I called my PCP and he prescribe me an anti-fungal for the thrush, it is clearing it up already. I should of told him about the enlarged uvula too, maybe he could of prescribed something for that. I will call him today. Jason, I used Hycet and it worked for me. Never took away the pain but took the edge off to make it bearable. For the first 8 days I took it religiously, every 4 hours, because at 3 hours and 15 minutes the pain becomes unbearable. It doesn't make you sleepy or cause you to weird out like Percocet or Demerol. So far today, I feel a lot better. I think the scabs fell off yesterday and the reason for the shooting pain. I had a severe coughing attack this morning for about 45 minutes, think it is from the thrush and scratchy throat. But I must say it didn't hurt a bit coughing, really good sign. When I swallow slight discomfort but no real pain, so I am coming off the pain meds today. I will see how the rest of the day goes it is only 7am est. Curtis (2005-03-03): BTW Erik, I have been taking Amoxcicillan Anti-biotic, my PCP says that may be the reason for the thrush. Is the anti-biotic supposed to relieve swelling too? Jodie (2005-03-03): I have my tonsils out 3/7/05 yikes you are all young. I am 33, but I will say I am in good health and I hope that boasts in my favor. I had it scheduled for this last Mon and as I was in my hosp bed and they did the IV and then drew my blood and sent it off to be tested for the coagulation they sent in the Anestesiologist to discuss his role and when he left they gave me my "relaxation drugs" as the dr is standing at the end of my bed waiting for the results of my test he says normally I don't run this test, but since you have been on this antibiotic for 3 months sometimes they can cause thinning in the blood he walks over gets the results and comes back and says no surgery today you will have to take Vit k for 5 days and we will try again on Mon. I was ready last week mentally now I am nervous. Curtis (2005-03-03): Jodie, I am 33 as well. My surgery was Feb 22, 2005. I am in the 9th day of recovery and I am doing so much better than I was by the 3rd day of surgery. The surgery is no problem, the initial recovery is no problem either (day 1 after the anesthesia) but Jodie by the 3rd day you will not know what hit you. Make sure your doctor gives you great pain medication. It will be your best friend. Drink plenty of fluids. It will help speed up the recovery because of our forced swallowing. Good luck and speedy recovery. Erik (2005-03-03): Curtis, I'm glad this site helped you! I don't think antibiotics help with swelling, but you're right, they'll probably make the trush worse. Your body should take care of it eventually... Jodie, Curtis is right, the second-fifth days are the worst, but in the end, I think everyone agrees it is worth it. Good luck, and do make sure you're getting good pain medication. Something good and illegal to have without a prescription! jodie (2005-03-03): give me some ideas of "good pain meds" or of what to ask for or what to say no that is not going to cut it. and for how many days were you on pain meds post surgery. Erik (2005-03-03): Jodie, I was on percocet and then darvocet for 10 days. Percocet worked almost as well as morphine, but made me loopy. Darvocet was good too, but not as powerful and made me feel a bit more on-balance. Curtis (2005-03-04): Jodie, I had 2 pain meds - Hycet (hydrocodone/acetemenophin) It is low dose tylenol with higher dose hydrocodone. It worked but when pain was really unbearable I took demerol, which I found to be just as good as morphine. But it will make you loopy too. Also, ask your doctor to prescribe you promethazine. This is for the nausea that narcotic pain meds can induce. Thanks again Erik. Chelsea (2005-03-07): I am 33 and I had my tonsils out about 10 years ago due to a constant soar throat. However, I started snoring a lot about 2 years ago. So in November 2004 I had my deviated septum fixed. I had hoped that would solve the problem, but it didn't. Then on Feb. 25, I had my uvula removed. I took Hycet liquid for the first 3 days but it made me extremly loopy and it also made me itch. But it was worth it because it took all kinds of pain away. However, it also wired me so I didn't get any sleep. I also too Hydrocodone tablets. They work great. Be sure to eat something before taking any pain medicine or it will often make you queasy! Has anyone else had just their uvula removed? How long did it take to stop snoring. It has been 10 days for me and I'm still snoring. jodie (2005-03-08): hey all I had my surgery yesterday and I felt awesome in the afternoon.After surgery I ate yogurt pudding ice cream ham and string cheese crackers and p.b. And walked about 4.5miles. I woke up this morning and I feel ok I had a humidifier by my bed last night and I think it made all the diff. also I made sure to set the alarm to get me up to take my meds in the night. I have darvocet and an promethazine liquid. but all is well here. I do get the shakes after the promethazine, but I think it works better than the darvocet. Thanks for all!!! Chelsea how was the uvula removal I have heard those can be very painful. Erik (2005-03-08): Chelsea, I had my uvula removed, and I believe I stopped snoring right away. However, I would wait to for all the swelling to go down before getting frustrated. Jodie, of the three things I had taken out of my head, the uvula removal was the worst. Still, I'm glad it's gone. Rika (2005-03-08): Hi all....I am 34 years old and am scheduled to have a tonsillectomy, septoplasty and my uvula removed on May 19th. I just happened to stumble on this page, and I've been reading everyone's comments. I'm mostly afraid of the packing they put in your nose (I heard it's terrible when they remove it), my voice changing (a little change would be ok, but not drastically), and food/drinks going up my nose since my uvula will be gone. Also, I have had a bad taste in my mouth for many years and am hoping it will go away after the surgery, but it seems to be a common complaint in here for many people. Any advice would be appreciated! anonymous (2005-03-08): Would you reccommend Hycet above other pain meds? Where would you rank it in effectiveness/side effects? jodie (2005-03-09): today is day 3 and I am doing surprisingly well can eat most anything and drink most any thing I think that the promethazine liquid works the best. (2005-03-09): hi all im on day 14, havent had any pain since day 7. the second through sixth were the toughest for me, continual ear pain along with the feeling that someone was stabbing me in my throat. hang in there it is all worth it im getting the best sleep of my life, and the wife says no more snoring. again eric thanks for this site its a great help too many. doc with big tonsils (2005-03-10): as a doctor and a fellow tonsillectomy pt, I have a different perspective than most. I think this page is great because it allows many of us to share experiences. however, it also allows for the perpetuation of disinformation. Let me address some things, first adenoids are usually shrunken down in adults. That's not to say it can't be a problem, but to say the MD whom said this isn't an idiot. Secondly, steroids are the likely culprit for thrush. Whereas women may get yeast infections from antibiotics, oral thrush is less commonly related to antibiotics. Thirdly, pain meds work differently for all, a fact that some have readily noted here as some of us have elected to not take any narcotics at all- others have required stronger doses of combination drugs like lortab/vicodin/darvocet and some have even needed MS contin. How much is enough is between you and your doctor, but demanding the most powerful pain meds just because you read it on a website isn't the best rationale. If your pain isn't controlled, you should reasonably be able to get more. However, this is a crucial problem I'm noting here on this page that as a physician I hope to change. There seems to be poor communication between many of you and your docs. I'm not trying to point fingers since I think this is a relationship, and therefore both parties are responsible. The surgeons should be more responsible in explanations about what to expect (something some obviously did spend some time to explain to the people above). Patients should be less apt to doubt everything their MDs say because they read something slightly contrary on website. Erik does point out something important: if something weird or unexpected happens, you should talk to your doc and not just post on a website. by the way, day 2 and am I'm still having some pain, no bleeding but fearful of it. Eating chicken noodle soup and jello mostly. good luck to all. do with big tonsils (2005-03-10): also, the strange metallic taste could reflect local distortions of taste buds, or be medicine related, but if they don't resolve over time, could reflect damage a nerve that innervates a portion of the ear as well as the back of the tongue. Also, the pain that some of you are describing is "referred pain" not "deferred pain". It occurs when a two separate nerves join at one nerve root, therefore tricking your mind into where the pain is. For those of you above whom have had gall bladder problems and yet felt right shoulder pain. Chelsesa (2005-03-10): Hey Doc? Why am I STILL snoring? Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since my uvula was removed and I am now getting extremely frustrated! I go to see my doc again tomorrow and I think he is getting tired of seeing me and listening to me complain about my snoring. Jodie - The pain was bearable. The doctor gave me good pain medicine so I did fine. The doc said take the pain meds every 4 hours but I took them every 3 hours to make sure I didn't get pain. I stayed on the pain meds constantly for 1 week. Then slowly got off of them. Erik - I am extremely frustrated! I still snore and it's been 2 weeks!! Erik (2005-03-10): I completely agree with Doc about pain meds. I was lucky enough to have medication that worked so well I was able to quickly back off of it, allowing me to get back to work. I think many people here want to find out what medication worked for others so that they won't be caught with excessive pain, and a doctor who will not respond quickly enough, or refuses to prescribe powerful enough medication, as we have seen from a great many other posters here. The answer is not getting the most powerful medication, but getting the most responsive, agreeable doctor! Before any surgery, you should interview the doctor, and make sure you are absolutely comfortable with his or her availability, responsiveness and personal views on medication. If you want to get off of narcotic pain medication as quickly as possible, make sure your doctor knows of less, or non-narcotic alternatives. If you have a low pain tolerance, or are afraid of excessive pain, make sure your doctor isn't excessively against the strongest medication. Chelsesa, same deal. If you are dissatisfied with your current doctor, find a new one, one who will work to your level of comfort. Remember, the internet is a great place to find lots of opinion, but it's probably the last place you should look for accurate, trustworthy information. Even if Doc is the best doctor in the world, he can't accurately diagnose you through this web site. Erik (2005-03-10): Rika, adjusting to swallowing food and drink without the use of a uvula took me only about a week to fully master, and I think I was able to keep liquids from going up my nose, even at first. Just start with tiny sips, you'll get it, and soon, you won't even miss your uvula. Chelsea (2005-03-10): Erik - I'm not asking the doc to diagnose me. I'm simply asking for any ideas he might have to offer. I don't use the internet to get trustworthy information. But it does give me some ideas of other questions to ask my own doctor. Afterall, I have never had this kind of surgery and I really don't know what kinds of questions to ask in the first place. If I had, I would have been concerned about the idea of food or drink possibly going up my nose. But since I had never even thought of that particular situation, I was lucky and never worried about such things and didn't have any of those kinds of problems. Arline (2005-03-10): Hi all! I'm 24 and had tonsils and adenoids removed on the 23rd of Feb. I don't think I have been quite as lucky as you guys cause I am on day 15 now and still in a lot of pain mostly on the left side. My right side feels pretty good though. I still can't eat much solid foods and when I asked the doctor for suggestions he told me it was going to take longer to heal than normal cause I didn't follow his 2 weeks off work and no activity directions. (My employer denied my request for medical leave and threatoned to fire me if I did not return to work the Monday after surgery) I am still taking pain pills heavily - I had Hydrocodone Bitrate and Acetaminophen liquid as well as Hydrocodone pills - the pills seem to do better for the pain though in the mornings I need the liquid cause it hurts so much worse then and it kicks in quicker. My boyfriend has been driving me to work every day the past week and it has been quite miserable. I am not doing as well as I would without being on meds but the way I see it - my employer forced me so what do they expect? I looked in the mirror earlier today and it seems like my scabs are just now starting to come off. Also I notice great pain when I yawn - do any of you have that as well? I am so worried about opening up something and bleeding. Erik (2005-03-10): Chelsea, good, that's exactly what I hope this site can do for many people. Good luck! Arline, your employer sucks. I have about the least active job in the world (programmer), and I was completely unable to work for the first week. You're a trooper, your boss is a weenie. I remember yawning hurting a lot too. Hang in there! Better yet, get a new job and give your current employer the bird. Arline (2005-03-10): I know it will get better in time. As far as employment I've been thinking about it a lot especially when my supervisor came to me with someone's mistake I didn't catch while proof reading yesterday. I was thinking wow only one I'm surprised the whole batch didn't come back. Then walking out came to mind but I managed to control myself. But I probably would have if I didn't have to pay rent. The Vicodin has me half asleep, everything going in slow motion. But the pain is less with it, at least I don't have to drive. Am hoping to be able to eat normal foods Monday. I hate how long it is taking to heal up. I do notice I can breathe through my nose much better than before the surgery though and that's a plus! Before I was always breathing through my mouth cause my nose was stuffed up all the time from the adenoids being inflamed. I thought I had sinus infections but now that the adenoids are gone I guess it was them causing it. I used to go through about one box of tissues a day trying to keep my nose clear but since the surgery have only gone through 1.5 boxes this entire 14 days, and only that much cause I've been using them to cough up the stuff that keeps falling off the scar area. Chelsea (2005-03-10): Arline - You are having a terrible time! I feel so bad for you! You're boss really sucks! I had my uvula removed on a Friday and I was back to work on Tuesday. The pain lasted for just over a week. By then, the only time it hurt was to yawn. It has now been 2 weeks and it is still soar when I yawn. But everything else feels fine. When I had my tonsils out, it was a Tuesday and I was eating pizza by Friday. You poor thing. I feel for you. Carol (2005-03-10): Hello, I am 46 and had a tonsilectomy 11-05-04, due to sore throats and cyrptic tonsils. After four months, I have sore throats and I feel like I got somrthing stuck on the back of mt tongue that i can't see. Has anyone experienced this? Chelsea (2005-03-10): Carol - Not at all. Chris (2005-03-11): Went to another ENT for another opinion after having my uvula removed last April. That helped with my snoring problem, but am still having problems with being stuffed up most of the time and loud different types of breathing problems while sleeping. After 3 doctors, I'm feeling pretty confidant in what he suggests--septum, turbinates and tonsils done. I'll be calling to set up the procedure. I know everyone heals differently, but any info on how long to get back to normal and how long before I may notice and improvment in the noises and better breathing would be helpful and appreciated. I think this is a great site and it's wonderful to see so many share their ups and downs of their experiences. Thanks. It's all helpful. anonymous (2005-03-12): Chelsea....just wondering how long it takes fro your throat to heal. Carol (2005-03-12): ooooops, that was my post, forgot my name. (2005-03-13): hello,Iam 31& I just had my surgery on 03/07/05 they removed my tonsils,uvala,and did a throat scrap. I am in my 6th day of recovery and have found that day 5&6 have been the worst so far. The doctor gave me codine as a pain killer first which did not work so I called & told him the pain that I was so he gave me percocet wow what a difference. sometimes even one does the job but it is sunday & I am running low so i have been rationing until Monday so I can go see the Doctor and get a refill. I have booked two week off and think I will need every day & more. Here's to water,ice cubes,jello,slush drinks from Dairy Queen,&weight loss. Boy I am hungry & have to thank my wife for the great care. Good buy for now I am going to get my 50th glass of water. Carol (2005-03-14): this is to the last post. My doc gave me liquid percoet. It still hurt and he told me I could increse the dosage. Good luck. I was off two weeks. I lost 10 pounds. I ate applesauce, then scrambled eggs in about 4 or 5 days. It still was painful eating. I was eating sandwiches in about three weeeks. Chelsea (2005-03-14): Carol - My throat is still healing. I don't have any problem eating but it has been just over 2 weeks and I'm still swollen. I went back to the doctor last Friday and he said everything looks good. One stitch didn't dissolve so he pulled it. Swallowing feels very strange these days. Other than that, I don't have any problems. Arline (2005-03-14): Hi All! I am almost at week 3 now and I have been eating more solid things now had chinese yesterday and it did not hurt too bad, I have no pain in the right side at all anymore and the middle is much better too - my left side is keeping me on the pain pills cause it is still quite bad. I am wondering how much longer it will take for these scabs to come off. I thought they were starting to come off last week but they are still on. I am just glad I can eat somewhat normally now - still no bread stuff but I didn't eat much of that before the surgery so I am not really missing it. I do miss cereal though. I will be going for a follow-up hopefully sometime next week, maybe my doc can let me know what is wrong with the left side that it is taking so much longer than the rest. Thank you guys for being supportive too - it helps to know others are going through/have gone through the same and are getting better. Alex (2005-03-14): Hi All. I had my tonsils taken out in Dec. I am 44 and the pain lasted about 1 1/2 weeks. Then I had my Uvula removed March 2005. The Doc said this would be a walk in the park. LIAR! 10 days later and I am still in pain. Good luck to all. Chelsea (2005-03-15): I was watching a commercial last night about Advar, or something like that. Some type of allergy medicine and in the commercial it states "May cause a longer healing process after any type of surgery." For those of you who are having a long healing process, you may want to discuss any medications you are taking to see if they are affecting your healing time. Just a thought. Chelsea (2005-03-15): Oops. I mean discuss any medications you are taking WITH YOUR DOCTOR to see if they are affecting your healing time... O.T. (2005-03-19): I am 40 yeras old. Just had my tonsils taken out, uvala shaved and somnoplasty done on 3/14. It's been 5 days and I'm feeling much better already. I did go through all of my pain medication already however, and am picking up more on Monday. I'm still trying to figure out what my limits are for eating. I've been doing ice cream and jello. I've been trying applesauce, but that's been difficult. I also tried a water based protein shake and scrambled eggs, but both were difficult. My Doctor says that days 7-10 will be the hardest. I'm a little afraid of that as I will be going to work on day 7 of recovery. Anyone, have any food suggestions for weeks 2-4? joni (2005-03-19): I am 50 and 6 months ago i had a septoplasty done to fix a severe deviated septum, a turbinectomy because they were enlarged and an uvulectomy the md said was overly large, plus the tonsil paring because he said i had a "botched" tonsil job when i was five and had excess tonsil tissue there. All was done in one surgery. I had the usual pain and recovery, he uses cromic stitches in my nose and packing, but no splints. i had always had a stuffy nose, but no allergies, but suspected sleep apnea and some snoring, due to sleepiness during the day. My only complaint, and i have not seen it listed here, is about the drainage from my sinuses i am having. I do sleep all night now. But all DAY, which is even more annoying than not sleeping well, i have to do this horrendous and embarrassing sounding gagging cough to clear my throat and cough up (and out) what appears to be (sorry to be gross) thick nasal draingage (ie, snot) that instead of draining into my nose, drains down my throat. My nose stays dry, but the thick drainage that should be going into it, instead goes down my throat, but hangs up and stay at the area where my uvula used to be, because the skin (palatte?) where it used to be is now lighter and apparently seems to almost touch the back of my throat now. The gap beween the palatte and the back of the throat is now very narrow, and drainage hangs up there, and does not go down my throat. I did have thick scabs and had to take antibiotics for 3 months, but now he says they are gone and i am healed and he is pleased with what he sees. He says it is normal to be drier with the turbinates gone, but he never told me before the surgery that thick mucous from my nose would go into my throat and hang up there til i gagged it up every 2 minutes. This is ruining my life. Does anybody know anything about this? Drinking tons of water does not help. I can swab with a Q-tip and thick mucous comes out. But i know my nose does work, cuzz if i cry it drains well. ANY HELP APPRECIATED. Thanks so much. Bill (2005-03-20): Hi all. I am scheduled for tonsils and adenoids out and a partial uvula removal on April 1st. Pretty much petrified. I'm 34 and have never even been in the hospital except for some dislocated fingers. Nothing even close to serious. Dr. says 7 days of intense pain. I scheduled my surgery for Friday, so I wouldn't have to miss work. I don't take sick days so I don't like to waste any days off. I'm hoping to be back to work on Monday, Wednesday the latest. I'm curious what methods were used for your surgeries. My Dr. is using a plasma knife? I'm not too sure what it is. Any help and info would be appreciated. Thanks. And Arline I'm happy to see you are feeling better. Dave (2005-03-21): To Erik, and all. This site has been a great help. Thanks. I had an entry earlier, when anxiety was high. I am very glad I went through it all, now. I am at day 10 post-op, and most all pain is gone, just relearning to swallow. It does suck for several days, but steadily get better. My only words of wisdom are 1) it IS worth it, 2) try to get off heavy pain meds soon if they are screwing you up, as they were me. I went to advil on day day 5 and felt much better by day 6, but of course, check with your doc. Thanks again for a venue for all to get a bit of encouragement and support. Erik (2005-03-21): Joni, I'd say you definitely need to talk to a doctor about this. You might be able to ease it a bit with something like flonase, but only if there isn't a deeper problem to fix! Bill, Good luck man, but if I were you, I wouldn't even think about going back to work on Monday. Rest, heal, if you don't you'll make your recovery much much longer. It's going to hurt, a lot, but everyone heals differently. You might be fast, you might be slow. Don't force it. Dave, glad we could help! anonymous (2005-03-21): Dave, ask your Dr. if he is using "Coblation" to romove your tonsils. I've read all about it and it's less painfull then a regular tonsillectomy. It's a new technology that many ENT's are starting to use. I doubt you'll be at work by Monday. Hopefully the technique your Dr.'s using will make for a faster recovery. Good Luck! Bill (2005-03-21): In case anyone is interested, here is a link to the coblation procedure. http://www.arthrocareent.com/dph/dph.aspx?s=0301a anonymous (2005-03-21): Thanks for the link Bill!!! I think Coblation is the way to go when having your tonsils out!! They also do turbinate reductions, Bill (2005-03-22): I am hoping this surgery will clear things up for me. I am having this all removed due to sleep apnea. I also have a deviated septum which might have to be fixed later down the road. I am encouraged by eriks superman comments. Leigh (2005-03-27): I had my tonsils and adenoids taken out on Feb. 22, 2005. I just turned 36 in March. They were taken out due to "tonsil stones" don't know the medical term for it, but basically I had a cleft in my left tonsil that would accumulate food particles and bacteria that would cause bad breath, and white particles that would periodically shoot out of my throat when I would cough or sneeze. Really gross!!! They smelled really bad. That was my reason for the surgery. I didn't want to live the rest of my life with that problem. My suggestion if one is about to have the surgery is be prepared because once you have the surgery, you'll be practically at the mercy of an aid to help you. Have your perscriptions already picked up at the pharmacy, make sure all your medical paperwork is filled out for your employer, doctors office, the hospital, your personal household bills, erronds, and etc. make sure you have soft food you'll be able to actually eat, like: jello, rice, mashed potatoes, pudding, yogurt, ice cream, etc. I also lived on water and gatorade. Especially gatorade, because I was in so much pain a couple days after surgery I had gotton nausiated, dehydrated and was very hungry. I had to go to the Emergency Room at 4:30 in the am. They gave me two I.V. bags, and a male nurse mentioned that gatorade was almost as good as the I.V. I was being given to rehydrate me. I was told this surgery is much easier if it is done before a person hits puberty. My pain med. was disgusting tasting, and made me sleepy all the time, so I would take liquid adult tylenol about 15 minutes before I would try to eat anything (you can take it on an empty stomach)It would finally kick in and would make it much easier to eat, but everything I ate was in very small baby size or smaller bites. This is gross, my throat hurt so bad sometimes I had a hard time swallowing, and I would put the bathroom waste basket lined in papertowl next to me to spit out saliva. I was out of work for three weeks. Thought I would only need 1 or 2 weeks, but the third was for the fact I just didn't have all of my energy back. I was on short term disability for two weeks, and one week was off and no pay to receive my benefits at half pay. It put me on a tight budget, but well worth it, and I'd do it again to receive the result I have now!!! P.S. Remember to have a family or friend with you at the hospital while your having your surgery. You cannot drive for at least a week or two, they don't want you walking up stairs, and you'll be weak, and in pain. I had day surgery. Take it from me I know first hand. Reading all the stories of other fellow Tonsilectomites made me feel like others understood where I'm coming from...........Good Luck & Take Care. Erik (2005-03-28): Thanks for your account Leigh! I'm glad you're feeling so much better! Chris (2005-03-29): Am scheduled to have a septoplasty,tonsillectomy and turbinate reduction done on April 25th. Taking 12 days off work to rest and heal. I am confidant and have a positive attitude about the procedure and that it will help relieve the nasal stuffiness and help with the noises and breathing while sleeping and hopefully sleeping better thru the night. I am a smoker. Being advised not to smoke for 24 hours before or after the surgery may be a bit tough. Maybe after the surgery I won't want to for a long time,huh. How has anyone else handled this? Erik (2005-03-29): Chris, good luck! Another person has commented before about smoking and the surgery. I'd be quite surprised if you had any inclination to take a drag for several days after the surgery. It'll be just too painful. Melissa (2005-03-29): I am 29 and had my tonsils and adnoids removed 4 days ago. I am taking Tylenol for pain, but mostly I am frustrated with not tasting food at all. I am barely eating...applesauce, ice cream, soup broth, jello, popsicles, and I did try some ramen noodles (not quite ready for that yet). I am so hungry and so thirsty. The pain feels a lot like strep throat. Hurts to swallow, swollen neck, dry mouth feel. Is this all normal? Erik (2005-03-29): Melissa, there are over 400 comments to this article, so you can see for yourself what's normal and what's not, but it sounds pretty normal to me! In fact, you seem to be doing fairly well! Greg (2005-03-30): Hello All, This is a great site!! It was just decided yesterday by me that I should have a Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (remove the uvula). Every month or so my uvula gets swollen and has a sack of puss(or something) at the end of it and hangs on my tongue. Which pretty much gags me all the time. It lasts about 2 days and then goes back to normal, which mow normal means longer that it was. Last week it happened again and it got so sore that I could hardly swallow. It hurt for 5 days!! I was out of town for work and I got back on Friday night and the earlest I could get in to ENT was yesterday. The Doctor has seen me before and thought it was due to an infection, so he gave me some sort of cillin and I took that for 10 days and everything was fine until a month later when it came back again. So I guess the next step is to remove it. I was wondering why they remove the whole Uvula and part of the soft palate, and not just part of the Uvula? They are going to call this week to schedule the surgery. I am a little nervious about the whole thing since I have never had surgery before, except for tubes in my ears when I was one. This is a great web site to read about people that have experienced this, and how they came through. I guess it is a little more common than I thought. For the most part I read that there it a lot of pain, after last week how bad my throat hurt I can live with it for a couple weeks then it will be over. I was wondering if when you drink, does it come out your nose? Thanks for letting me post. Erik (2005-03-31): Greg, I'm not sure exactly why, but when you get your uvula removed, it's just harder to keep liquids from going up your nose than it used to be, at first. You'll re-learn quickly. Good luck! MMC (2005-03-31): I HAD MY UVULA TAKEN OUT A DEVIATED SPECTUM DONE.I HAVE SPLEEP ABNEA,THAT IS WHY IS WAS DONE. IT TOOK ME ABOUT THREE WEEKS TO GET BETTER. I WAS IN ALOT OF PAIN.TOOK ALOT OF TYLENOL THREE FOR THE PAIN. I ALSO GOT A VERY BAD EAR INFECTION.THE OPERATION WAS DONE ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. BELIEVE IT OR NOT I AM BACK ON THE C-PAP MACHINE.I FEEL I TOOK THIS OPERATION FOR NOTHING, AFTER THE OPERATION ON MY THROAT AND SINUS, I WAS GIVEN ANOTHER OPERATION ON MY TOUGUE WHERE IT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD, BECAUSE MY TONGUE WOULD REST ON THE BACK OF MY THROAT WHEN I SLEPT. I FEEL NO ONE SHOULD DO THE OPERATION AND JUST STICK WITH THE C-PAP MACHINE. ASK YOUR DOCTOR WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT GET BETTER AFTER THE OPERATION. IT IS NOT A SIMPLE OPERATION LIKE SOME DOCTORS SAY. TO LEIGH I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH DRAINAGE, IT BEEN THREE YEARS I HAD THE OPERATION AND I STILL GET SINUS INFECTIONS. THE OERATION WAS SUPPOSE TO BE DONE AS AN OUTPATIANT I WAS IN INTENSIVE CARE FOR THREE DAYS, WITH A TUBE DOWN MY THROAT,COULDN'T TALK IT, IT WAS HORRIBLE Bill (2005-04-01): Hey all. I had my surgery this morning. Things went somewhat as expected. I of course threw up after the surgery. That was not fun. The Dr. said that my throat tissue is very thick and he wasn't able to open my airway up as much as he would have liked to. He did inform me from the beginning that there are no guarantees but that it would help. How much is yet to be seen. I am taking Tylenol 3 for the pain. It is very painful to swallow. Just resting, the pain is not too bad. The worst part so far is the feeling in my throat. I can feel the swelling and the scabs and it makes me feel like there is something there that I need to cough up or swallow. I keep delicately trying to clear my throat. Eating ice pops, some yogurt, and some very cold ginger ale. Looking forward to some food with some real substance. Thanks for listening. Erik (2005-04-04): Good luck Bill and MMC! Bill (2005-04-08): Its been a week. Its been awful! I am still in pain and have a real hard time swallowing. The Tylenol 3 does nothing. I have been in and out of work trying to do what I can. The worst part next to the pain is the constant nasal drip that goes for hours at a time. I can't clear my throat because of the pain. The mucas/saliva that I keep swalling every couple of seconds makes me sick and I keep dry heaving. I almost think this is the worst part. Today was the first real day that my body as a whole felt much better. I just need to get over the pain and the drip. BTW..I've lost almost 15 lbs this week! Erik (2005-04-12): Hang in there Bill! Katie (2005-04-13): My mom found this site a few weeks ago, and I'd like to say that it was great. I read almost every comment when I was having the worst day, and it just made me feel better because I realised that it was OK to feel or horrible as I did. I got my tonsils and adnoids out about three weeks ago and also had the turbinite reduction done. Right after the surgery (well, pretty close to right after), I felt perfect. I could kinda talk and it didn't really hurt. I spent the night in the hospital and felt fine the next day as well. I didn't eat anything at all. My tongue was numb and stayed that way for almost two weeks. The nurses had me get up and walk around before they let me go home. I did fine walking around the floor of the hospital. Then they had me shower. After the shower, I passed out. I was walking to my bed and just kinda shut down. After that, I really didn't feel good at all. My mom tries to get me to have a smootie and some applesauce. Neither tasted good and they were so hard to swollow because half on my tongue was numb. Once I was home, it got worse. I basically sat around watching TV, propped up on a couch, taking pain meds so that I could drink water. I was supposed to go back to school (in another town that my house) a week after surgery, but I still couldn't eat so I had to stay home. About 5 days after the surgery I started getting the nasal drip and was basically spitting all day long. It was horrible. And I still can't tell if my sleep is getting better. My uvula seems to be enlarged from what it used to be and now is always touching my tongue, which feels really weird. Oh, and no food tastes good. Whatever I eat there is this really gross aftertaste, and anything sweet tastes horrible. I'm hoping that it will soon be normal again. But never again will I think about a tonsillectomy as a small thing again. I'm only 19 and can't imagine being any older as they say it gets worse with age. To all of you who are past their youth, I don't know how you could deal with this. I bet everyone is wishing that had just done this when we were kids and would simply get excited over the fact that you get to eat ice cream for a weak. Erik (2005-04-14): Katie, sorry to hear you're having such a rough time of it. Many people here have complained of tounge-related issues after surgery. Please post again when the effect goes away, so we can get an idea of how long it takes. I was lucky, in that even through my surgery was extra long, I didn't have any damage to my tounge. I am glad that this site could help however! Good luck, rest and keep hydrated! JOHN (2005-04-14): ON SEPT.23 2005 I HAD MY TONSILLS OUT BECOUSE OF TOXIC MOLD EXPOUSRE.MY UVULA SWELLED UP AN KNOW HAVE THAT SCHELUDED FOR NEXT WEEK .THE TONSILLS WAS HELL,THEY SAY THE UVULA ONLY SHOULD BE EASIER.I HOPE SO Chris (2005-04-17): Having a tonsillectomy, septoplasty, and turbinate reduction done on April 25. Had a uvulaectomy done last April. It did help with some of the snoring. Still having stuffiness, not feeling rested after sleeping and making a few different nasal sounds when sleeping, causing my husband or I to go to another room in the night. Am confidant this next surgery will help. Other than Sleep apnea, what are the reasons others have had these procedures? Is it for reasons such as mine? How much has it helped? Any feedback would be great. Great site. Glad to see so many with similar situations, giving there experiences. Erik (2005-04-17): John & Chris: I don't know about mold, or other reasons for sleep problems, but keep on it, and keep in contact with your doctor. Good luck! Julia (2005-04-23): I had my tonsils out on Monday and it's Friday now. It still hurts severely and I am still having to take Tylenol with codeine every 4 hours, which I hate doing because it makes me feel horrible. It just started to bleed a little today and I freaked out, but it seems to have stopped so I guess this is normal. I think mine hurt more cause they went way down my throat too. Oh well, I sure hope the end is near for this pain. Thanks for listening! Erik (2005-04-23): Julia, you should be nearing the "hump", good luck! I'm sure you will start feeling better soon. Mary (2005-04-27): I'm probably considered to be one of the "older" ones, at 42 to have my tonsils out. I am on my 7th post-op day for tonsillectomy and septoplasty. This is probably the most painful day due to healing process, or maybe because I'm trying new foods. The first 5 days I kept an ice pack on my neck daytime and nightime. I drank alot of ice tea and water. I found popcycles and mashed potatos (luke warm!) to be very helpful. I had been taking 3tsp. of Hydrocodone for pain every 4 hours but found it only lasted for about 3hrs. My doctor said it would be ok to go every 3hrs and that has helped. Last night I took my last dose of the day at 1 a.m. and did't wake up until 6:30. I know it will continue to get better and I'm so glad I've had it done. I'm still stuffy but my husband says I'm not nearly as noisy as before. I'm actually looking forward to my first sorethroat because my tonsils were so big it's got to be less painful! I'm also hoping to see improvement with ear infections. I encourage anyone reading this, to find a reputable doctor and go for it! Chris (2005-04-27): Am almost 47. Had my septoplasty, turbinate reduction and tonsillectomy done the 25th. Of course it's hard to swallow and my tongue hurts some. Am taking Hydrocodone, Amoxicillin, Ibuprofin and a saline nasal spray. Things went well, am looking forward to see how things turn out later. Have been drinking lots of water. Eating soup broths, puddings and ice cream. Of course still stuffy-am sure this will get better. Hopefully these procedures will help with the stuffiness and all the nasal sounds I made while sleeping--looking forward to a restfull night of sleep not having for me or my husband to leave the room. Will do more feedback later on my progress. Erik (2005-04-27): Mary, good to hear it's getting better for you! Chris, hang in there, and good luck! Angel (2005-04-29): This is a question for Mary or Chris-I am a 41 year old female with nasal issues. I do not have snoring problems, but seem to live on antibiotics. I have an enlarged turbinate on the left, a bone spur on the left and a deviated septum on the right. I have chronic sinus infections and at least 4 ear infections a year. And, I forgot to mention that my tounsils are enlarged and porous. I am scheduled to have surgery May 18th to correct all of the nasal problems and possibley have my tounsils removed as well. Being 41, what can I expect as far as recovery is concerned? When will I be able to talk and function normally? And what should I do to prepare? I need to know as quickly as possible, because I am expected to start a new job on May 23rd as a pharm. sales rep. Do you think this time-line is feasible? I would appreciate any insight from either of you or anyone else on this page. Thanks so much. (2005-04-30): I am 39 years old and had a turbinectomy and a septoplasty on April the 14th. The first two weeks after surgery I was very happy because it seems that everything was going very good with the surgery but after a couple of days I started to get a terrible type of headache on my left side. I consulted with the doctor and he told me that it was normal, speciall on the left side because there was some extra work done on that side. I feel a lot of relief about my breathing and my recurring sinus infections but now I don't know what's worse, the headaches or my Rhinosinusitis. Does anyone knows if this headaches are just part of the recuperation or I just acquired chronic headaches for life? Chris (2005-05-02): Angel--Being able to read others experiences, we are able to see how everyone else's procedures went. I don't know how it will go for you, but I'd be a little concerned about going to work so soon after. What has your doctor said? I haven't had any problem that I've noticed with my septoplasty or turbinate reduction. I think my tonsillectomy has been the most uncomfortable so far. Still having a hard time swallowing and my throat is still sore. With the pain meds, I do get drowsy. Haven't had much trouble with talking. Does make my throat uncorfortable if I do too much talking at one time. I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd be ready to go back to work after a few days. This is day 7 for me.Maybe without a tonsillectomy you'll be ready to go back to work to sooner. Good luck! Let us know how things are going. Erik (2005-05-02): Angel, I agree with Chris about your timeline. Four days of recuperation may not be enough, especially for something as active and social as a sales rep! Chris (2005-05-02): Mary--if I can ask, what were your tonsillectomy and septoplasy procedures done for? Your husband says you're not as noisy as you were. I had my procedures done due to being stuffed up so much of the time. Didn't sleep well and my husband said I had made a few different sounds while sleeping. Most of the time, one of us usually ended up sleeping in another room because of it. My doctor had recommended me to sleep in a recliner. My post op check up is set for this thursday. Hopefully things are progressing as they should. Chris (2005-05-02): OOps--forgot to add my doctor had recommended me to sleep in a recliner after my surgery during the healing. Chris (2005-05-09): Had my post-op check last thursday. Went fine.Things are still a little swollen. I not stuffed up like I was. Able to breathe better now. Still having the noise while I sleep yet. The doctor said it takes up to about a month to feel pretty much back to normal. SAid things are looking good. I'm just waiting for the saliva/mucas to hopefully go away. It does, doesn't it? I still have it caught in my throat especilly at bedtime. Still somewhat hard to swallow yet, but much better. Having a copy of my medical records sent to see just what all was done. I believe he trimmed some of the soft pallate along with the septoplasty, turbinate reduction and tonsillectomy. Great site--always interested in what others have had to say. Thanks. Erik (2005-05-10): Chris, your mouth and throat will go back to normal, in terms of swelling, pain, and mucus. Just hang in there! Rika (2005-05-16): My surgery is this Thursday, May 19th. I had my pre-op on Friday, and it sounds like it will be no fun at all. I'm having septoplasty, tonsillectomy and a partial uvula removal. I'm pretty nervous and really not looking forward to that packing in the nose. I just hope it works and is worth all the pain in the end. Steve (2005-05-17): I had my surgery 6 and a half days ago. 12 hours til my post op awakening. I just wanted to thank everyone here for posting because I felt like I wasn't healing as quickly as I should, but it sounds like I am fine after reading your posts. I had the tonsils, uvula, and part of the soft pallette removed. The most pain for me has been the cut where the uvula was removed and it sometimes feels like it is splitting when I swallow. I still can't eat solid foods and I have to wash everything down with water because it seems to get stuck to my pallette which is really swollen. My biggest trouble has come from tongue swelling however. My tongue is swollen and in the way. It is impairing my speech and it gets in the way when I try to swallow. It is swollen so much that there is an imprint of my teeth all along the edge of my tongue. Just wondering if anyone else had trouble with a swollen tongue and if so, how long that aspect of the recovery took. Also, is scabbing possible if the mouth is always moist? The doctor said it should scab up and I am waiting for it, but it seems that since my mouth is always wet, it won't ever happen. Please let me know and thanks for posting your experiences. Erik (2005-05-18): Rika, good luck! Steve, yes the holes in your mouth and throat can scab over, even though it's always moist in there. The scabs don't look like one you'd get on your arm, but greyish. I'm sure the swelling of your tounge will go down, but if it's concerning you, or imparing your breathing, see your doctor. [email protected] (2005-05-30): Eric, I just want to say THANK YOU for this thread/post. I had a full tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy and had a load of questions -- all of which were answered on this site. I, too, have sleep apnea and use a C-PAP, but I've barely needed it even in the days post my surgery. Thanks for posting such a wonderful resource. I've bookmarked this for the future -- next step, turbinates! Erik (2005-06-01): Jennifer, I'm very glad we could help, and congratulations on your new, restful life! Rika (2005-06-04): Well, it's been just over 2 weeks since my surgery, and I'm starting to feel back to normal. I have to say, the first week was pretty rough. I thought I'd get on here sooner to give and update, but I just wasn't up to it. At first, it was my nose that was hurting the most, but then it turned into my throat being the most painful. Days 1 & 2 weren't as bad as I thought, but 3-7 were the worst. I was in a lot of pain. On the morning of the 7th day while I was sleeping, I started hemorrhaging from my mouth and nose and had to rush back to the ER. It turned out it wasn't my throat that was bleeding at all (like I thought) but it was the back on my nose (turbinates, I guess) where they are unable to put sutures. I guess this is a pretty common thing to happen, but it was pretty scary. They gave me an IV of morphine and something for nausea since I had swallowed so much blood. That evening, I felt great. Not sure if it was from the morphine or just the hydration, but I was laughing and hanging out with visitors at my house. I feel totally back to normal now, but my throat, uvula, and soft palate are still quite sore when I swallow. I'm bummed I only lost about 7 lbs, unlike many others who lost 10 - 15 lbs. Oh, well. Once I got the packing and splints out of my nose, I was able to breathe again, which made my panic attacks of stopping breathing in my sleep go away. My boyfriend said I have not been snoring at all, which I am ecstatic about. I'm just looking forward to the pain going away and the food to not get caught in my throat anymore. Thanks again for the site, Erik. It made the entire process much easier for me!!! Cindy (2005-06-06): Erik, thanks for the site. I had my tonsills out in October and whined about choking on my swollen uvula on your page. It didn't quite tighten up as much as I had hoped; I still make little piggy noises when I laugh, but WOW is it worth it. I'm 37 and I haven't had this much energy since I was a teenager. At work I'm no longer "The Mucus Lady" because of all the horrible sneezing, coughing, throat clearing noises coming from my drafting table. My fellow cartographers, self proclaimed "Old Fat Bastards", have changed my title from "The Mucus Lady" to the much more fearsome moniker of "That Woman". I haven't been sick at all in 8 months and no longer need allergy medicine. I love not turning my head away to speak to people because of fetid tonsil-stone stink-mouth. I feel so good I bought a bike and joined the YMCA. I sought out a French-Canadian ENT working in New York to remove my tonsills. Does anyone have ideas about why US doctors are so reluctant to recommend surgery? I've had so many doses of penicillin over the past two decades, I think the only benifactor is my HMO. Beth (2005-06-07): Wow, what an awesome site!! Too bad I didn't find it before my surgery!! I had UPPP/Tonsilectomy/Septoplasty/Turbinate Reduction done on May 27th! I had read lots of posts on another site and I was scared to death. Thankfully though I prepared for the worst and was surprised that it wasn't that bad. Now I'm not saying it was a picnic by any means, but just not nearly as bad as I thought. I have mild/moderate sleep apnea and snored terribly. No more snoring!! Yeah! Once I start sleeping in my bed with my hsuband again he'll be greatful! So far still sleeping in the recliner. My pain has been very managable the entire time. Worst days were 1 and 2 or course and then day 6 was tough. I think my scabs must have come loose around that time. Now my biggest complaint is the gagging feeling I have which I assume is from the stitches. Today is day 12 and I've started taking Tylenol Sore Throat Liquid for the pain and I'm hoping to be off the Hydrocodone except maybe a little at night. I'm sleepig all night now without waking for meds! Great feeling! I'd like to share a few tips that might help others deal with this surgery: 1. Take those meds on time! DO NOT WAIT for the pain to get bad. I took mine right on schedule for the first 4 or 5 days then was able to back off a little. Even set an alarm at night to make sure I took it! didn't want to wake up in terrible pain and have to wait for meds to kick in! 2. Do try to chew some gum beginning around day 3 or so. I know sounds pretty sadistic but I think it helped with my jaw pain. I dont' know what they do to you in that operating room but my jaw was sore. Plus I've found that chewing gum helps to aliviate some of the saliva issues (actually found this trick out when I was pregnant with child number one). 3. Drink plenty of water! And I've found that using a straw really helps. Actually I haven't even tried drinking without one yet. I also have been drinking at least one Boost drink (kind of like Ensure) to make sure I'm getting plenty of nutrients. 4. Try to stay away from too many dairy products. That just increases the mucus. 5. Gargle with warm salt water. Yes, I said gargle. Now I couldn't do this until around day 9 or so but it sort of soothes the throat and seems to help with the nasty taste in my mouth. 6. If you are having the sinus stuff done, irrigate your nose while in the shower. The steam from the hot water helps to open up the passages. I took at least two nice hot showers a day and it really helped! Ok, I think that's about it. guess I've rattled on long enough. Hope that this will help someone that is going through the whole ordeal!!! And many thanks again to everyone who has posted here. As I said this site is AWESOME!! Erik (2005-06-15): Beth, thanks for the compliments, and the great post, I'm sure it'll help new visitors! Chris (2005-06-20): It's me again. Had my septoplasty, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, turbinate reduction and soft palate done 8 weeks ago. Have had 2 follow ups with the doctor. He says things are looking good. Maybe a little swollen yet and still producing mucus. Sounds during sleep are better, but still have some. Hoping they will continue to get better with time and as the swelling and mucus go away. I know it takes awhile, but I'm still a little concerned. What are the time lines others have experienced? How do I stay positive in getting the results I'm hoping for? Sorry to say I'm getting impatient and maybe a litle confused. Thanks! Thanks to you and everyone who posts here. Mark (2005-06-21): I am 31, 5'10, 170lbs. so weight is not an issue with my sleep apnea. I have an RDI of 57, which is severe, and my ENT has recommended I have an UPPP combined with soft palate removal and a tonsillectomy. I already had my deviated septum corrected, which was a breeze. I know the UP3 and tonsillectomy will be painful, but for those of you who have had it, have you found it to be worthwhile in helping you achieve a more restful sleep? Nina (2005-06-22): Mark-a friend of mine had a UPPP, and the doctor used a technique called Coblation. It's supposed to be less painful post-op. If I were you, I'd look into it. The companies web site is www.arthrocareent.com. It's worth a look. Good Luck!! Greg (2005-06-23): I had my Uvula and part of the soft palete removed yesterday (6/22) I am doing really good!! I think almost too good. Not talking is the hardest part for me, I am using my son's Magnadoodle to "talk" to my wife and mom. There is quite a bit of pain when I swallow, but other than that not too bad. The percocet is working great for me. Now it is just a lot of R&R. Thanks for all the comments, this made my whole procdure go a lot better knowing what to expect. Thanks again - Greg Rika (2005-06-23): Mark - although the tonsillectomy, UPPP and soft palate removal is no picnic, I think it would have been a lot easier for me if I didn't have my deviated septum corrected at the same time. There's something really scary about not being able to breathe through your nose while your throat is all swollen too. The first week or so is a little rough (or maybe not according to Greg), but if your Dr. thinks it will help with apnea, go for it. My apnea was not as severe, and I'm feeling a lot better. It's only been 4 weeks, so there's still a some swelling, but I'm waking up so much more refreshed than ever before. If you have insurance that will cover it..I say do it! Beth (2005-06-24): Mark- I agree with Rika. I'm 4 weeks post op today with everything you are talking about having done plus septoplasty and turbinate reduction. I hated the nose packing and breathing through my mouth those first few days. My apnea was only mild/moderate and weight was not an issue either. Husband says I am no longer snoring or even that deep heavy breathing while sleeping. I sleep much more soundly and wake up without a headache which had been going on for a long time. So I say go for it. Just be sure to take it easy and rest as mcuh as possible for at least two weeks after the surgery. Your body has a lot to recover from!! I do have a question for those who have had all this done. I was feeling great but now my throat has been a little sore again and my ears are bothering me again. Is that typical. Nothing major, just annoying. Gonna go back to taking the Tylenol Sore Throat for a few days to see if that helps. It could be that I haven't been drinking as much water these last few days. I can tell a difference when i don't drink enough. Rika (2005-06-24): Beth - I think the lack of hydration has a lot to do with it. I went out 2 nights ago, was talking loud because of the music playing and around some smoke. Now my throat is hurting again too. If the Tylenol doesn't help, you should tell your Dr for sure. I haven't had any new ear pain, so maybe it's something else. Terry (2005-06-26): A friend of mine has recommended somnoplasty in lieu of having a UPPP and tonsillectomy. The downside is that insurance will not cover somnoplasty because it's primarily used for snoring, but everything I've read said it's EXCELLENT for treating apnea because they also shrink the tongue base, whereas UPPP does not. Has anyone had somnoplasty? If so, would you recommend it? Nina (2005-06-27): Terry-I've heard of somnoplasty, It's kind of a thing of the past. I would check out Coblation at www.arthrocareent.com It works kind of the same way as somnoplasty, but better. Check it out. Rika (2005-06-27): I looked into Somnoplasty as well, but my insurance wouldn't cover it. I got a 2nd opinion, and my new Dr suggested the tonsillectomy, UPPP and deviated septum surgery. My insurance covered it all, so I did it! Steve (2005-07-03): Just wanted to add that I had my tonsils removed on 6-1-05 and am still experiencing discomfort as of 7-3-05...it toowk three weeks for the intense pain to leave...but then my doctore believes I have developed a yeast infection inmy throat...symptoms are a gag reflex when I push my tongue out of the way to floss; a weird taste in my mouth; and a feeling of a scab on the throat area. My doctor did not examine me but prescribed some anti-yeast medication via phone medicine. After 4 days on the anti-yeast meds I have expereinced some reduction of the symptoms but none has gone away. I fear I will be living with the aftermath of this procedure for a long time to come. And the painful thing is that the reason for the tonsillectomy was because the doctor discovered a mass on my tonsils (although I was asymptomatic) that he thought was unusual. Turned out to be actinomycetes ( a common bacteria) that was not hurting me at all. Of course, I was afeard of cancer. Mark (2005-07-06): Rika, how is your apnea coming along since your UP3 and tonsillectomy? Do you think it is helping you sleep better? Rika (2005-07-11): Mark, I am definitely waking up much more refreshed than before, so that is a good sign. And I don't think I've been snoring at all(Yay!). Although I haven't had another sleep study, I am pretty sure my apnea is a lot better! Sarah (2005-07-17): I want to thank you for this website. I am home recovering from having my tonsils and adenoids removed as well as tubes being put in my ears. I am a bit freaked out right now because my uvula is swollen really bad. I don't know if that is normal. Plus I am starting to feel pretty nauseus. And, even weirder, I can't seem to go potty if you know what I mean. Erik (2005-07-17): Sarah, people have commented here about each of those problems, but if you're worried, especially with the swollen uvula (since it could get in the way of breathing at night), see your doctor. That's what he/she's there for. Good luck! Nicole (2005-07-19): Thanks everyone for sharing! My 29 year old husband had his tonsils out two weeks ago. The first week was NOT fun but he survived and by the end of the week was feeling ALOT better. But I'm writing to let any "caretakers" know the importance of staying close by, even through the second week. On day 8 my husband lost about a pint of blood and fast, had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. The most important thing he learned was to lean forward, let the blood fall out of mouth, and try not to swallow. (A bystander, trying to be helpful, kept saying " Tilt your head back and pinch your nose!") He could hardly talk it happened so fast. The bleeding stopped just before he got the the ER. He stayed in the hospital the whole day and was then sent home. On day 11, he bled slowly but steady for about a 1/2 hour and then stopped. This wasn't as intense as the first episode and it was at 3AM Sat. so he opted to wait until Monday to see an ENT. ER doctor thought it would be O.K. Today, day 14, yet another bleeding episode but this time the bleeding didn't stop. Started at about noon and bled a little faster than day 11, but on and off until they could get him in surgery at about 4. Just got home from surgery and my poor little angel is finally resting. ENT cauterized couple of spots and it should be better, we hope! Of course the doctor said he has to go back on soft foods for 10 days!! Again!! My poor guy! Anyway, I left him a few times that second week and I thank God that he was not alone when any of the bleeding happened. All in all, I still think the surgery is going to be worth it. He was feeling like he could breathe better right after the initial surgery. Maybe he'll give his comments on this site when he's feeling a little better! Good luck to you all! I hope I didn't scare any of you. His case is not a typical one! One site I was on said only 2-3% of people have post-operative bleeding. Rika (2005-07-20): Nicole, I had a very similar experience around 6am on day 7. Luckily, my mom was right there with me. She and my boyfriend grabbed a bucket and took me to the emergency room. It was very scary. I was paranoid for the next 2 weeks that it would happen again, but it didn't. I'm sure the new surgery will do the trick for your husband, and he will be doing a lot better. Sarah (2005-07-20): Well I guess I am coming along. I still can't go to the bathroom and it hurts like hell but I am still alive. I run out of pain meds tomorrow so I 'll need to call the dr again. When do you stop needing pain meds? Erik (2005-07-22): Sarah, you really need to talk to your doctor. If you're backed up, he/she should be able to OK a laxative. He/She will also be able to answer your questions about pain meds. Everyone's different, you'll stop needing them when your pain goes away. c scott (2005-07-30): Hello everyone. I am 6 days out from Uppp and tonsillectomy..Man the pain in my ears and throat when trying tio swallow are so intense. Worse at night due to night breathing. I snored alot but no sleep apnea but my doc claims I had so much issue he recommended getting everything cleaned out. By the second week should i feel better. I have lost 10 lbs not eating in the first week. Gargling up scabs and lumps of tissue ..ill Andrew (2005-08-01): C Scott - I am scheduled for an UPPP and tonsillectomy next month; I have heard the pain is very intense first week but supposed to ease up after the second week. Did you have any sinus issues? My ENT is going to do the UPPP with tonsillectomy for that; he said my sinuses will clear up when he gets rid of the tonsils, and he said I have some extra tissues as well that he wants to get rid of while he's in there. Keep us posted on how you're doing. I know 2 people who have done this surgery and they say it's pretty bad at first, but the long-term effect is quite positive, so keep your head up. Tanja (2005-08-03): Erik, this is an awesome site. My doctor has recommended removing my tonsils, soft tissue, and uvula. The whole idea about taking the uvula really scared me. (I have had the sleep study and tried the CPAP, I fought the hoses all night). I feel much better after seeing everyone's thoughts and suggestions. I think I am prepared for the pain. What scares me the most is losing the uvula. Most everyone in these posts has seemed to recover well. After reading all the posts I am now pretty sure I will schedule the sugery. Thank you for all the information. Erik (2005-08-03): Good luck Tanja! I've been uvula-less for 2 and a half years, and don't miss it. Nicole (2005-08-03): My husband is now doing GREAT! Feels a whole lot better and is glad he had the surgery. No post-operative bleeding this time! Thank GOD! A few more weeks of summer that we can now enjoy!! Thanks for the site Erik. Thanks for the encouraging words Rika! Erik (2005-08-03): That's great Nicole, I'm glad we could help. Scott (2005-08-05): Erik -- I read your post about sinus surgery. Thank you. I just had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction done, so it's nice to be able to read ahead and get a sense of where my own recovery will be. Also, after reading your glowing review of the ribs from Tulsa, I'm going to have to check that place out the next time I'm down in So. Cal. Mark (2005-08-08): Had the UPPP surgery on 8/1. Today is day 8. I've slowly been going off the percocets and switching to Tylenol 3 with codeine. Yesterday was the last of the percocets and last night was the first night with just the T3. It was a miserable night. I probably got about 2 hours of sleep. The pain is unbearable and is at least at an 8. It's worst in the morning if I haven't had anything to keep my mouth from drying out. Liquids, liquids, liquids. That's what the nurses kept telling me. I've been out of work for a full week and am undecided as to whether or not to go to work tomorrow. My post-op appointment is tomorrow morning and I'll ask the doc about the pain situation. Ensure, chicken broth, pudding, pea soup, cream of wheat and applesauce are about all I can tolerate right now. And ice cream. It's funny, some of the foods that I figured I'd be able to tolerate based on their consistency and softness I haven't been able to tolerate. Don't know why this is. All I know is, have plenty of water by your bedside and drink it constantly all day long. Really hoping this pain subsides soon. It's by far the worst pain I've ever endured. Erik (2005-08-08): Scott, thanks! I'm glad this site could help. Do visit tulsa if you get the chance! Mark, good luck at the doctor tomorrow. There's just no reason to be in that much pain! Don't push it too much in trying to go back to work early, you'll just be miserable. Aaron (2005-08-13): I am day 4 post-op from tonisllectomy and UPPP --- this site prepared me for the worst pain, and so far, it has been bad but manageable......this site is wonderful b/c it lets me know I'm not alone and that I will get through it -- I had severe OSA and I can already tell a difference at how I am sleeping --- I have been taking my pain meds every 3.5 hours instead of every 4, so hopefully staying ahead of the pain will help the recovery continue on. Erik (2005-08-15): Good luck Aaron! Sara (2005-08-17): I had a tonsillectomy and UPPP July 22nd, so it's been a little over 3 weeks now. I returned to work on Aug 2nd but still wasn't feeling completely better. It was very painful and got more painful around the 5 or 6th day, my dr. said that was because it was starting to scab and that's normal. Pain meds (vicodin) didn't seem to really help much and some days it was pretty unbearable but I got through it. And it did take about 3 weeks for my throat to completely stop hurting. I still have a hard time swallowing without stuff going up my nose- does this ever go away. Also sometimes when i swallow it makes a weird noise (like a suctioning sound)- I'm sure it's not as loud as it seems to me but I know others can hear it because I've asked them. It makes it kind of embarrassing to eat with other people and sometimes gets to the point that I just don't want to eat at all because of the noise and it going up my nose. Has this happened to anyone else? Will it ever go away? Also my dr. told me that my stitches would disolve in about 3 weeks- they are still there and don't seem to be coming out. I think 2 did but the others seem pretty good in there still- how long do they usually take to go away? So far I haven't seen the results I was hoping for- I was really hoping for a drastic change in my life with more energy - after living all these years constantly being tired I really wanted things to change. Does it get better after a little while or is this all it's gonna be. I mean I am a little less tired than I used to be but it's not that much. I guess I'm kind of disappointed :( Erik (2005-08-17): Sara, even though your wounds may be closed, you're still healing, and until your body has fully recovered, you're going to be sore and swollen, so your sleep will not be as restful now as it will be eventually. Hang in there! As for the swallowing: It will get better, but not on it's own. You're going to have to practice. Try different muscles, see what works, and think while you're eating. You'll have to keep it in the forefront of your mind, until it becomes reflex. What worked for me was mimicking the action of gulping. It's now second nature to me, and I don't even think about it. No weird sounds, and nothing up my nose. Sara (2005-08-17): Thank you so much! I really appriciate the advise and encouragement- that means alot! Mark (2005-08-20): Sara, how are you doing? I am scheduled for an UPPP and tonsillectomy on Sept. 13. I am very nervous about it; I know it's going to hurt but this site has helped me get prepared for it. I keep thinking that 2 weeks of hell will mean a lot better quality of life afterwards. How are you coming along? HK (2005-08-21): Hello, Great site. I am 24yr old male. I've self-diagnosed myself with sleep apnea (from resources on the net). I had gone to my Family Dr regarding this.. i have had huge tonsils and intensely loud snoring / stop breathing while sleeping. My doctor had told me just to gargle with salt water. I came back a few months later with the same complaint and was brushed off again. I finally went to another Dr. who took a look in my throat for two seconds and was like 'WOW' you need that removed! So i have scheduled an appointment for a tonsilectemy (sp?) about 6 months ago.. however I have still not gotten an a date for surgery.. this is getting quite annoying i would really like to get this over with... I do feel like i have 0 energy during the day and am very tired all the time.. I hope this is going to help me. I am in Canada which i thought had great healthcare? I am going to go speak to my Doctor again to see if there is anything he can do to get me an appointment asap... it has helped a lot reading peoples experiences here. Anyone else here from Canada? How long did it take to get an appointment? Sheila (2005-08-21): Do you have to wait for appointments in Canada? In the USA, we don't leave the doctor's office without knowing the exact day and time for the tonsillectomy. How does the Canadian system work? HK (2005-08-21): In canada, atleast for me... i would go to my Dr, who sets up an appointment with the specialist (the surgeon) then they will give you a call when they have a date for surgery. I already got a call from the hospital pre-admissions telling me exactly what was going to happen... but now after a few months still no call with my date... I then gave them a call and they said that I will 'probably' get a call sometime during the fall. The kicker was that they said they can probably only give one day notice. I'm sure my work is going to love that...I am going to go back to my family Dr and see if I can see another Surgeon. Sara (2005-08-23): Mark- things are coming along- my stitches are still there and feel like they are getting sore. I called my dr. and he said to gargle with salt water three times a day so hopefully that works. I also spoke to a friend of mines dad that had the surgery and he said he had the same noise as me and stuff going up his nose but it will go away- that was a relief! I hope your surgery goes well. I was really really nervous before mine mainly because of the anesthesia but there really isn't anything to be afraid of- you're in a hospital and there is someone constantly monitoring your vitals. You're out within seconds of them giving it to you and when you wake up it's like it never happened except you'll know it happened because you'll be sore as h*ll. My tongue was really swollen afterwards- I think they had clamps on it to hold it out. I'll check back with ya after your surgery. Just make sure you have some good movies to watch and lots of soft foods to eat. Greg (2005-08-24): Sara, I had my uvula removed on June 22, because it would get infected and swell up. I lost all but 1 of the stitches in 2 weeks, the last 1 took 4 weeks until it finally went away. I was never diagnosed (sp?) with sleep apnea but I think I had it. I never realized how much my over sized uvula impaired my breathing until it was removed. I can breath soo much easier when I lay down to sleep. I feel the same way that you do, I thought I would feel more rested and need less sleep, but I still feel tired in the morning. I am VERY glade I had it removed, because it was really bothering me. Beth (2005-08-26): Hi everyone! I am 3 months post op UPPP, Tonsillectomy and turbinate reductions. I am sleeping so much better. No snoring. I still find that I have a weird sensation in the back of my throat, I'm sure it's scar tissue. I no longer snore which is great. No more morning headaches either. Sodas and spicy food still bother my throat some but it's getting better. Those of you who are recovering, hang in there! It will get better! :-) Mark (2005-08-28): Beth, do you know what your sleep apnea RDI number was before your surgery? Mine is a 60, and weight is not an issue (I"m 5'10" and weigh 160lbs). My sleep apnea is most definitely because of obstructions, so we are hoping this is going to at least HELP if not cure the apnea events. Thanks! Tanja (2005-09-04): My UPP was scheduled for Sep. 2nd, but had to be postponed because I broke out in hives. We are shooting for the 14th now. I found two people at church who have had the procedure. They did say it would be painful but endured me that I would survive. I have found that UPPP surgery is more common than most people realize, but it took a website like this and asking everyone I knew if they had ever heard of it. My ENT has already said that another sleep study would be done after healing to see how much improvement was made. Thanks to all of you for logging on to this site. I has made me much more comfortable knowing I am not alone. Jack (2005-09-05): Tanja - I will be having this surgery on Sept 13 myself; I too was worried and asked around and I have also discovered 2 people at work and one acquaintance who have had it. All told me it's a terrible sore throat and that you get really weak from not eating, but that it is the best thing they have ever done! I am nervous, but I keep telling myself that I can endure 2 weeks of being uncomfortable for the benefit. You are right, too - -this website is WONDERFUL - hats off to the guy who created it! anonymous (2005-09-06): Mark, my apena was only mild/moderate 26 RDI. I have not had a post surgery sleep test and may not. Mine was not a weight issue either- 5'5" 140. I hope that the surgery helps you as much as it has helped me! When do you have your surgery? Or have you already had it? Mark (2005-09-06): I have my surgery next Tuesday, the 14th. I am hoping it helps! Pete (2005-09-10): I just stumbled across this site on day 8 and am writing this on day 9 after a traditional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, tonsillectomy, resection of turbinates, septoplasty and hyoid suspension."they" said 10 day recovery. I don't think so. I am still running a 99.2 temp and that weird stuff that appears on your tonsils is not completely gone yet. But hey I sure can breathe better. I am 52 years old. 6'1" now 180# was 195# about three weeks ago. Had a total RDI of 76.7. I had plenty of pain medication but hurt my back at work a week before surgery and had been taking percocete for a week. That was a big mistake the #10 vicotin hardly worked. That liquid hydrocodone gave me the worst runs I ever had. Once I figured that out all was good. Back pain and this type of surgery don't mix well. Hot poker in my back and hot coals down my throat. I have waited years to have this done so nothing was going to stop me. Research well, find the right DR. and go get it done. I am happy I did already, as I sit here with fever and back pain, hey the back pain is getting beter from all this laying around. Good luck every one. Get pain medication!!!!!!! Beth (2005-09-10): Mark, I posted that anonymous post! opps, forgot to put my name there! Sorry! Hope that all goes well on the 14th. I'll be thinking about you. Post when you can! Take it easy those first two weeks. I ate lots of yogurt (found the whipped kind was best, it's not too thick), drank some Boost, and drank broth. Also, I forced lots of water and it made such a big difference! Best of luck!! Mark (2005-09-14): I am home from my UPPP + tonsillectomy. I had terrible sleep apnea - RDI was almost 60 -- my ENT said my tonsils were huge, that they were almost 4 times the normal size and literally met in the middle at my uvula, actually touching it. Because I'm 31 years old and 5'10" with weight of 160lbs, he most definitely feels like this surgery will be a success for me. I am surprised at how well I seem to be taking it...I was terrified going in and I am now home, feeling OK. I have taken my meds as scheduled, and that means waking up through the night to take them on schedule. I also eat ice chips continuously to keep my mouth from drying, and I really think this is helping me stay ahead of the pain. I am so glad that I did it. I know I will probably have some rough days ahead but when I hear how bad my tonsils were, I just wish that I had done this before. I will post again in a day or two to let you know how I am. But for anyone considering doing this surgery, DO IT. I can already tell a major difference at how much air is getting in my airway! Erik (2005-09-15): That's great Mark! You have exactly the right plan: Keep hydrated. It's also nice to hear that some people do get effective pain meds. Beth (2005-09-15): Mark, sounds like you are doing awesome!! Yes, set that alarm to take those meds at night! DO NOT GET BEHIND! Don't wait until it's too late. Also, be prepared. I think around day 6 was one of my toughest days. I was feeling really good and did too much on day 5 (went grocery shopping) and then my scabs came off on day 6 and I was in a lot of pain! Be sure to take it easy and don't do too much because you are feeling so good! Yes, the ice chips will be a big help!! My tonsils were really big too. Doc told my husband that he had a tough time getting them out! Glad that this has been such a positive esperience for you and hope it continues to be so! I know I'm really glad I had it done too!! Mark (2005-09-16): OK everyone - I'm heading into the 3rd full day of this; not going as great...pain is pretty high but I just feel so weak from not eating hardly anything .... I can tell it is improving my sleep already but I'm sure ready for this part of the process to pass. I keep trying to stay positive, remember that "no pain no gain" but it's tough. Tanja (2005-09-17): To Jack, How do you feel after your surgery? I am at day 3 after and I do really hurt, but I am trying to look ahead at the final results. THe day after surgery I felt great and was able to eat some creamed potato soup. Since then, I have been too sore. Jello is ok and so is yogurt as long as I drink lots of water. We can do it. anonymous (2005-09-17): Pete, I can't blieve how many people have the nasal surgery adn the UPPP at the same time. I had the septum surgery a couple of years ago and although it did not hurt too bad, I can't imagine both surgeries at the same time. I am so glad you are improving. Taking medication on time is easy to do when you are up every hour and a half going to the restroom because of all the fluids. Did you ever get relief from your back pain? Mark (2005-09-17): I just appreciate Erik for hosting this website...it has helped me prepare for the surgery and now it is helping me deal with surgery. Until I found this board, I had no clue how many people have had this surgery. It is very comforting to just hear from people who are in the same shoes I'm in. It is amazing though at how many people have had UPPP and septum surgery at same time. I had my septum surgery done in March, and this UPPP plus tonsillectomy surgery was Tuesday. I couldn't imagine doing both at once! Hats off to the brave souls who do it all at one time! And once again, Erk, this website is a great system of support for those of us out there with that silent sleep apnea. Jack (2005-09-17): Tanja, I feel like a truck has run over me but I am healing. I know each day is a day closer to feeling better! I can get down a little soup each day and am overall weak, but I'm making it. Beth (2005-09-18): I had the UPPP/Tonsilectomy/Septoplasty/Turbinate Reduction all done on 5/27. It was rough, but really as soon as the packing was out of my nose it was much easier to deal with. My nose was sore to the touch for quite a while but that was the worst part for the nose thing. I hope everyone who is recently post op are healing well and getting lots of rest!! Hang in there! It will get better! Mark (2005-09-18): Beth - wow.... I couldn't imagine this UPPP and tonsillectomy with the septo at once. I had that done earlier this year and that was tough enough --- every day seems to be getting a little better, but I have lost almost 15 pounds now and feel horrible because all I can eat are broths and those great soft foods. I am already making my shopping lists for steaks, chicken, and all the sides to cook for my celebration of getting over this! Amy (2005-09-19): This is funny, I was just going on the net to find out about recovery...who knew that i would find all this personal info! I had my tonsils out and my septum ( i am not up on the medical terms for what i had done) fixed a little over two weeks ago. I feel that i have recovered pretty okay! I did not stay overnight in the hospital...felt good for a couple of days and then real bad for two days. I was just out of work for a week. (I wish that it could have been longer) Now I just feel something in the back of my throat and pressure from my nose. And i am not loosing weight because I am eating everything to find just something that taste okay. I am already over eating ice cream! I went out with my friends last night and it was a pure waste of money ..Beer..yuck!...cheeseburger...yuck! even tried my friends salad...yuck! I am a big water girl too...but now...yuck! Please tell me what taste okay besides sprite and sherbert? Thanks Erik for this site...it has given me a wealth of information! Oh yeah, I quit smoking too! Yeah me! Hopefully, I will keep it up! The thought of a cig makes me sick now! Mark (2005-09-20): I am one week post OP now and this is my second day of not taking any pain meds at all, day or night. My throat is still scratchy, sort of like a cold coming on, but I am slowly eating foods again (slow and easy though) and I am starting to feel human again. My scabs have started coming off, and when the first one did, I freaked a little because it had some blood involved. However, my ENT assured me this is a normal part of the process, and he has been right. I also had a little bleeding this morning but again, it was due to a scab coming off. I am waking much more rested --- I am awake and up/moving by 8:00 every morning, no alarm. I am really optimistic that this surgery has already helped my apnea. I have NOT ONCE woken with dry mouth, a morning headache, or have I woken and felt tired. Noone has heard me snore a peep since the surgery either. The biggest problem I had with all of this was the pain from ear aches. I found those to be very annoying and a couple of times, really painful, but those have passed now (as my ENT promised) and I am just excited about telling everyone how this worked for me. Mark (2005-09-20): While I am praising this surgery, I do want to emphasize I think it's important every person carefully research this and make sure it is something that can deem successful for you individually, because research shows UPPP doesn't work for everyone. I am only 31, and am 5'10", 160lbs,, and had huge tonsils (4 times bigger than average). I emphasize that because it doesn't appear that weight or other health issues contributed to my obstruction with sleeping. There are some factors that won't be helped with this surgery, so RESEARCHING all your options and what applies to you personally is very important. Also, I think you have to find the RIGHT ENT that you can talk to openly and who will talk back to you. The first one I went to, had me do a sleep study, told me I had OSA and that I needed a CPAP for the rest of my life. He even went as far as saying there was a surgery out there but that I would just hate him for 2 weeks and there is no way to know if it works til you try it, so his suggestion was "why risk it?" Well, after his ever-so-relieving pep-talk, I got a CPAP and that lasted a few nights and that was it. For awhile, I just dealt with it but I knew I had to get help, so I kept looking. The 2nd ENT examined me, said I had large tonsils but that sleep apnea wouldn't really be affected by those (SO WHAT MED SCHOOL DID HE ATTEND, RIGHT???? I knew more about obstructive sleep apnea than he did!)) The third ENT I went to was the first one who even mentioned this surgery to me and we went through all options and risk factors of it. I was well aware from the beginning that this may not work. However, weight, age, and good health were on my side, so it was worth the risk for me trying. I would never just jump into having a UP3 + tonisillectomy until you know exact areas of obstruction and whether those areas can be fixed through a UP3. (There are other surgeries out there for other obstructed areas, so a UP3 may not necessarily treat the area you need it to.)But if you have OSA, research it.... I have spent countless hours on the Internet reading tons of information about OSA and I can say the decisions I made were results of hours of research and question/answer sessions with my ENT. Don't give up if you have this sleep disorder because there is help out there, but I have found that finding the right doctor and information is the biggest, single most important factor. My ENT that I have used told me that many ENTs are not comfortable with OSA treatments because there is not much research out there, so he feels that is why many of them just put you on a CPAP and live with it like that. He said he agreed it is hard to find one who has gone to OSA seminars and training, and I found that to be very true. I am so thankful I found the doctor I did. I guess more than anything, I learned to not give up; that I knew there was help out there and that I shouldn't dread going to sleep every night. And already, just after this short time after surgery, the difference in how I feel is incredible -- there is no way to describe how much better I already feel! Mark (2005-09-20): While I am praising this surgery, I do want to emphasize I think it's important every person carefully research this and make sure it is something that can deem successful for you individually, because research shows UPPP doesn't work for everyone. I am only 31, and am 5'10", 160lbs,, and had huge tonsils (4 times bigger than average). I emphasize that because it doesn't appear that weight or other health issues contributed to my obstruction with sleeping. There are some factors that won't be helped with this surgery, so RESEARCHING all your options and what applies to you personally is very important. Also, I think you have to find the RIGHT ENT that you can talk to openly and who will talk back to you. The first one I went to, had me do a sleep study, told me I had OSA and that I needed a CPAP for the rest of my life. He even went as far as saying there was a surgery out there but that I would just hate him for 2 weeks and there is no way to know if it works til you try it, so his suggestion was "why risk it?" Well, after his ever-so-relieving pep-talk, I got a CPAP and that lasted a few nights and that was it. For awhile, I just dealt with it but I knew I had to get help, so I kept looking. The 2nd ENT examined me, said I had large tonsils but that sleep apnea wouldn't really be affected by those (SO WHAT MED SCHOOL DID HE ATTEND, RIGHT???? I knew more about obstructive sleep apnea than he did!)) The third ENT I went to was the first one who even mentioned this surgery to me and we went through all options and risk factors of it. I was well aware from the beginning that this may not work. However, weight, age, and good health were on my side, so it was worth the risk for me trying. I would never just jump into having a UP3 + tonisillectomy until you know exact areas of obstruction and whether those areas can be fixed through a UP3. (There are other surgeries out there for other obstructed areas, so a UP3 may not necessarily treat the area you need it to.)But if you have OSA, research it.... I have spent countless hours on the Internet reading tons of information about OSA and I can say the decisions I made were results of hours of research and question/answer sessions with my ENT. Don't give up if you have this sleep disorder because there is help out there, but I have found that finding the right doctor and information is the biggest, single most important factor. My ENT that I have used told me that many ENTs are not comfortable with OSA treatments because there is not much research out there, so he feels that is why many of them just put you on a CPAP and live with it like that. He said he agreed it is hard to find one who has gone to OSA seminars and training, and I found that to be very true. I am so thankful I found the doctor I did. I guess more than anything, I learned to not give up; that I knew there was help out there and that I shouldn't dread going to sleep every night. And already, just after this short time after surgery, the difference in how I feel is incredible -- there is no way to describe how much better I already feel! Beth (2005-09-23): GREAT post Mark! Glad to see yo uare feeling so well. YES, to the EAR PAIN!! I had it for a while and it drove me crazy! I hope your recovery continues to go well!! Matt (2005-09-25): Great site. Its 10:45PM here and I am worrying and starting to freak out a bit and I don't know what to do to calm down. I am having my Tonsillectomy, Uvula "Trimming" and treatment to my tongue done at 8 AM tomorrow. I have been fine with this for weeks....until last Friday when I left work and realized I had to have this surgery done Monday morning. I am not looking forward to the recovery mostly. I am taking this weel off work, but I am supposed to return to work next Monday. Starting to wonder if that will be possible. I too was looking for "What to expect after a Tonsillectomy" on the web (despite my girlfriends objections) and came across this page. I am a 30 year old male, with OSA and I hope to GOD this will cure it. I havent felt rested since I was 20 years old. The pain will be worth it if I can finally feel good again. I will see how I am feeling next week and hopefully be back to tell everyone about my "experience"! Thanks again for the great personal information on this page! Im still very nervous, but I think it helps to here how so many people have come through it OK. Erik (2005-09-25): Matt, you will be fine, you will recover, and chances are you'll feel much better after everything is done. Just be smart: Prepare for the down-time, keep hydrated, keep in touch with your doctor, especially in the latter part of the first week. (That will be the most painful.) And most of all, keep that loving girlfriend close by, mine made all the difference! Chris (2005-09-26): Me again. It's been awhile. Had a uvulaectomy done back in April of 04. for snoring etc. Went to 2 other ENTs. April of this year I had septoplasty,adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, turbinate reduction and soft palate done. Snoring is better, but still doing some. Also am noticing it feels like I have mucous from my nose into my throat. Don't know if this is causing some of my problems. Would Flonase maybe help this. I do use a saline solution sometimes with some relief. Don't care to go back to the ENT. Just frustrated with how things have gone. The doctor is a couple hours away. Maybe I expected more than I should have with the procedures. Just not completely satisfied with how things have gone. We are disapointed with my ENT. Don't care to spend any more money on following up on this. Does anyone have any possible suggestions or have they had these same kind of problems? Many thanks! Matt (2005-09-27): Erik, thats for the encouragement. It was a restless night Sunday night. Well, I'm home now. Surgery went well. Definitly painful. They did the tonsillectomy, the UPPP and the Uvula trimming. I think its the Uvula that is killing me the most. I am eating somewhat OK. I have had eggs, sausage and toast for breakfast, and chicken salad and pudding for lunch today, but, what I cannot seem to do is drink very well. Every time I try, even the smallest amounts, it gags me and most of it comes out my nose. Anyone have any remedies for this? I worry I will dehydrate if I can't get any liquids down. Same with my medicine. They gave me an elixer mdeicine that is supposdily equal to vicadin. It works ok, but wears off within an hour or 2 and I can only take it every 4 hours. I was doing well with it yesterday, although the taste is a mix of Nyquil, Robitussin and Whsikey, I was able to get it down. Now today it too tends to gag me and some of it is coming out through my nose. If anyone has any ideas I would be very greatful. Jordan (2005-09-27): Sir, I comend you on your recovery. I have found your website to be a wonderful source of information and, as cheesy as it sounds, inspiration. Let me enlighten you on my situation. I am curently 15 and have just had my tonsils removed, adnoids removed, turbines shortened, and a deviated septum fixed. It has been a week since the surgery, well the second one, (emergency surgery 11 a.m. after a breif ambulance ride and what was believed at the time to be moderate convulsions)and I am still having trouble swalling mere WATER! Water, as odd as it may seem, still ventures to pain by the mere sip. I am asking, neigh BEGGING you, You MUST email me so that I might strike a converstaion and thus gain some INVALUABLE knowledge as to the treatment, and dare I say cure, to this unfortunate ailment. Please dont make me BEG! E-Mail: [email protected] (Ignore the e-mail address, Teens may be teens) Lawrence Gould (2005-09-28): I had the tonsils and the uvula trim done exactly a week ago. For personal reasons I decided that I needed to do this without narcotic pain killers - just tylenol and ibubrofren. I have to say that it didn't hurt as much as I feared it would, but it did hurt quite a bit. In fact, at day 7 it still hurts quite a bit. The first thing that I learned was that it actually gets worse before it gets better. It gradually got worse for about 5 or 6 days. Today, at day 7, it is not quite as bad as it has been. Swallowing is still very painful, but I am forcing myself to drink lots of water. I can't really eat much - plain yogurt.. but even that hurts quite a bit. I've lost about 8 pounds in the last 7 days. I think as long as I can stay hydrated I'll be ok. Have been back at work since Monday, but can't yet put in a full day - get too tired. Talking hurts a bit, but only if I try to put some volume in it. I'm really ready for this to start getting easier - at day 7 I had expected a bit more improvement. I'm still hopeful for a better day 8. I'm reasonably sure I'm sleeping much better and do feel very rested. Lawrence Gould (2005-09-29): Day 8 is a bit better. Still hard to eat. I actually couln't eat even ice cream last night... kept feeling like it was going into my nose. I've decided that I'm going to live on infant formula for the time being, and forget about solid food until it doesn't hurt quite so much. Still only on advil. Hurts like hell at night and first thing in the am. Saw my doctor today - he says all is progressing as it should and in about 4 days I should be in the clear. [email protected] Tanja (2005-09-29): I had my UPPP done on Wed. Sep 14. I ended up taking the whole next week off from school. There was no way I could teach with the pain I had and the medicine I was on. I was not prepared for missing that much work. Luckily I had wonderful coworkers that helped. I recommend to anyone having this sugery to plan for at least ten days before you try to go back to work. There is no reason to push yourself. The first 6-7 days was rough. I was able to drink a lot of water. I used slimfast drinks to make sure I was getting vitamins in my diet, since food was hard to eat. I started with soft scrambled eggs, pudding, jello, and slimfast. Even after two weeks I am still eating pretty soft stuff, but improving every day. My husband says he has not heard me snore once. THe first week I slept in the recliner. It was just easier that way because I would wake up every hour hurting, so I drank more water. I stopped the pain meds after a week and just started using liquid tylenol. I recommend that to everybody. I agree with Mark that this surgery is not for everyone. I know two people that have had the surgery and still use the CPAP. My ENT explained that I was not the typical apnea type. I am 5'9 and 150. He did a couple of tests in his office and said that I was a good candidate for the UPPP and gave me an 85% cure rate. I elected to do the surgery. As I said before, my husband hasn't heard me snore since. I wish everyone the best of luck and a speedy recovery. Lawrence Gould (2005-09-30): Day 9 - a bit better. Still not food. I discovered this liquid stuff called "Boost" that is like a meal drink. Now I feel pretty alert, since I'm hydrated and have calories. Haven't eaten any solid food yet, but I sure am thinking about pizza a lot. Hoping that tomorrow is the day I can eat again. Swallowing still hurts a lot. It is worst at night and first thing in the morning. During the day, if I drink a lot of water or Boost, then swallowing doesn't hurt so much. By the end of the day though, even talking hurts a bit. Remember, I did this without narcotics, and have been back at work since day 5. I don't really reccomend either, but that's the way it worked out for me. I will say that this week at work has been pretty light... which is good..... I don't think I could have handled a really tough week. The main thing was staying hydrated when it hurt like living hell to swallow at all. Like swallowing razor blades.... dee (2005-10-01): Any thoughts? My 15-year old (6 feet a mere 145 pounds, all muscle, basketball player) has OSA. On October 14 he is having surgery to have tonsils and adenoids removed and uppp. Ideas of preparation for this or suggestions how to encourage the liquid intake or how mom can survive her son's pain? Mark (2005-10-01): Dee - I just had this surgery 3 weeks ago and am doing great. My recommendation is to NOT fall behind on pain meds - take exactly as prescribed, even if your son may not be hurting at the next scheduled dosage. I even set my alarm the first week to get up every 5 hours to take my meds as prescribed, and that helped me stay ahead of the pain. Also, I drank Ensure so that I wouldn't get so weak from not being able to drink. Gatoraide is also a great alternate to water --- I got tired of drinking water all the time so I drank Gatoraid too. Have plenty of chicken broth on hand for the first week. I'm sure your son will do great -- keep us posted. Elaine (2005-10-01): Tanja is very correct in planning to be out of work for two weeks. I also teach and my ENT had told me to plan to be out that long and I really didn't think I would be ---- but I was! I haven't snored since the surgery and I wake up sooooo much more rested. anonymous (2005-10-02): Dee- have Boost or Ensure on hand, I found the chocolate Boost to be good. I also ate a lot of whipped yogurt. The regular kind seemed to kind of "stick" in my throat but the whipped kind was easier to eat. I also had very running mashed potatoes made with chicken broth! Also, I totally agree with Mark, make sure you stay on top of his meds. That is the MOST IMPORTANT thing to do. DO NOT fall behind or he will pay for it while he's waiting for the meds to kick in. Also, be prepared, as someone else said, days 6 and 7 are pretty rough- at least they were for me. That is when the scabs came off. I was doing great on day 5, even went grocery shopping but on day 6 I was in tears! Just hang in there and best of luck to you and your son! Tanya- I substitute teach and I had my surgury done the end of May and I still find my voice hoarse and sore when I teach several days in a row. Hope your recovery continues to go well. I no longer snore either! It's great to not have husband complaining! :-) Now a question for all of you who had the surgury a while back. If you had morning headaches before did they return? Mine have suddenly returned and it'm making me nervous. Is the OSA back, but with no snoring?? What's up. I'm sure it may possibly just be that my allergies are bad because we've had virtually no rain since August and it is so dry and nasty. that's what I'm hoping is the culprit. Beth (2005-10-02): oops, did it again. The above post is from me! Sorry I keep forgetting to put my name in! :-) Dee (2005-10-02): To all, thank you for your advicea and kind words. I have minor panic attacks and then remember the alternatives to this surgery really stink (at least for my son). I will let you know how it goes..... Randall (2005-10-04): Dee - I just remember being TERRIFIED before this surgery and after I had it, it hurt, but it wasn't as bad as I had predicted. I agree with the above posts -- STAY ON TOP OF THE MEDS!!!!!! That is the most important because they will keep your son comfortable. Also -- remember it like this: a couple of weeks of pain beats a lifetime of suffering from OSA and feeling exhausted all the time. I have never had more energy in my life -- I feel GREAT and it was the best thing I've ever done for myself. The healing time is the worst -- it seems like forever -- but after you heal -- you are so thankful and glad you did it! Matt (2005-10-04): Dee - Tell your son not to be anxious or nervous. It is not nearly as bad as he or you think it will be. I was a wreck the night before my surgery on September 26th. Didnt sleep at all the night before I was so nervous. But the procedure was over before I knew it and I was waking up in recovery. I was in some pain right away and was very very dry. I asked for a popsicle immediatly because it makes the pain worse when you are dry. That night in the hospital wasn't awful, but it wasn't pleasant either. I didn't sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time due to the pain. But then, day 2 through 5 steadily got better. I was eating chicken noodle soup and even soft bean burrito's from Taco Bell. (Although they were a little rough - I don;t advise unless he is feeling really good) What I WASN'T prepared for, and I guess I should have been because EVERYONE on here says this, was day 6 and 7. That was the absolute worst! I was in so much pain and could not eat, drink or suck on ice chips. I didn't know why until late in day 7 when the scabs started coming off. My God what a relief it was when they came off!! I felt like I was choking and I just couldn't do anyting about it. The pain medicine only helped for 30 minutes, so I would be in pain for the next 3 and a half hours until I could take another dose. But here is the thing, on day 8 I felt a TON better. And besides my tongue being very tendor still, I could swallow quite well. And now, on day 9, I feel almost 90% recovered! I have slept great the last 2 nights and I think that in the end this week of pain is well well worth the suffering. I haven't had a good nights sleep in 10 years! Tell him to think of how great he will feel after the surgery and help him relax! Also, if you get a choice, you may want to stay away from HYDROCODN/APAP Elixer for the pain meds. I think I could have swallowed actualy Vicodins easier than getting this stuff down my throat. All it is is liquid Vicodin, but the taste is the worst thing you can imagine and when taking the dose, it would hurt very badly because, like with many strong tasting medicines, it is hard to swallow down and takes MANY MANY swallows to get it down and keep it down. The pain of taking this medication was so awful, I actually called my family doctor on Saturday and asked for a script for regular Vicodins. He did not return my call and so I was forced to stick with this stuff, but it made me not want to take my pain meds because they themselves were so painful to take. Good luck to you and your son! Better to get it done now at his young age than to wait and do it in your 30's like I did! Let me know how it turns out for him. I am interested to know how he feels after he has it done! Beth (2005-10-05): About the hydrcodine and bad taste. I found out AFTER I had gone off the meds that you can pay a mere $2 extra and get the medicine flavored- like they can add cherry or grape flavoring at the pharmacy. wish I had known this before!!! dee (2005-10-07): Sorry I did not get to read these wonderful postings sooner. I have had a rotten week at work. Thank you all, again; I am thrilled to have you all on our side. I have bought various flavors of Boost-like drinks, Gatorade (a mainstay for my son the althlete anyway)and liquid cherry-flavored Tylenol. I will ask for both a flavored liquid pain killer and a prescription for the pills in the event the flavored is just as disgusting. Matt, can you tell me a bit more about the choking with scabs? Is it a day or two of feeling you are choking or does it hit all at once, they fall off and then fire hits? What did you do those two days of burning--it sounds like nothing will help, huh? I am pulling my emotions together and putting on a cheery face (smile)....... Matt (2005-10-08): Dee, it wasn't two straight days of scabs just hangin there choking me. Its just that they kept coming off and each time it was a feeling of choking briefly. They just came off between days 6 and 7 a little at a time. The problem will be that they will be coming off, but not completely detatched (at lest this is how it was for me) and so you have this feeling like something is stuck in the back of your throat. You can't swallow it and you can't spit it out. But, little by little they came off. Its rather gross to describe, but it was like a large flem ball in the back of my throat that I could not get rid of, and I had to keep clearing my troat for about 10 minutes and I finally coughed it up. It had a flesh look to it so at first I didnt know what it was. Once the scabs come off he will feel so much better, however, during this time, he will probably just be miserable. Just have him keep taking the medication. Again, this was my experience, and may not be common. Healing is different for everyone and for me, its been a roller coaster. I have thought I was fine more than once, only to find out I am still quite sore and having problems eatingt. I thought I was 90% better last Monday, but on Tuesday I was miserable again. Wednesday I was OK, Thursday I was bad again. Its been up and down for me. Today is now day 13 and I am still a bit sore. Just ate a real meal last night for the first time. Went to the doctors yesterday and he said I am healing slower than most usually do and I should be fine by now. He said its probably because I haven't eaten in so long and my body has nothing to help it heal. Make sure your son eats. It will speed his recovery. Also, I asked Kroger pharmacy about the flavoring of the medicine. They do not flavor their medicines, but the pharmacist said some small little pharmacies do. I dont know where you go, but make sure they can flavor it before they fill it. I am on the Vicodin tablets now (thank God) and I have felt better ever since I started them. Good luck to your son! Hope I have helped you. dee (2005-10-09): Matt, Most definitely you have helped me. I see great value to this string of information and will be sure to post as my son goes through his recovery after surgery this Friday (October 14)so the next person reading these will have another example of how it will all turn at great in the end. I hope it is all positive for you now and you are feeling 110% shortly. Take care! Beth (2005-10-09): Anyone who had the surgery have insurance problems. Prior to the surgery the doctors office called for pre-authorization. Now my insurance is saying they will not cover the surgery. We're talking over $5000. I am so upset. I received the letter yesterday. They say they cover it if it is "medically necessary", which is why I thought I saw teh pulmonologist and he wrote a letter saying the surgery was the best choice. Evidently they say I should have done a CPAP trial first. Why didn't they say that when they called for the pre-autorization. I am sick to my stomach worrying about this now. Tomorrow A.M. I am calling both the doctors office and the insurance company. UGH!!! Erik (2005-10-09): Good luck Beth! Sounds like they're trying to screw you. It might be worth calling a lawer if they stick to it. Matt (2005-10-09): If the office called for pre approval it is on them Beth. Either the insurance company gave them the approval and are now going back on that, or the doctors office never got the pre approval and did the surgery anyway, which is on them. Get a lawyer if they try and stick you with this. It is either the doctors office or the insurance companies fault. That is why they have pre approvals.....so they know for sure that it will be covered. If they submitted the approval, and they were denied, they had to tell you that before they did the surgery. Beth (2005-10-10): Thanks guys. I am getting ready to call the doctors office now. I did get notice earlier-AFTER the surgery-that the claim was denied and I called the doctors office. The lady said they HAD called and gotten pre-approval. She said and I quote "we'd be fools to do surgery without pre-approval". So I know they called. Let's see what happens now. Funny that I got NO denied claims from the anesthesiologist or the surgery center. Just the doctor. I thought that was strange. Who knows. I'll keep you updated. Jeff (2005-10-10): Beth, I am an attorney in Florida. You are not liable for the cost of the surgery because the insurance company denied the claim. Your doctor's office is required by state statute to receive verification for the surgery. This is why there is always a 10-day window prior to the surgery where it could be cancelled. It is the responsibility of the doctor's office to provide all necessary documentation to the insurance company and the doctor's office knows PRIOR to surgery if your claim is denied or approved. If it is denied, your doctor's office must contact you. Because you have not received notification that your claim was denied and the surgeon went ahead with surgery, it is his responsibility to eat the cost. It is not your fault this happened and you cannot be held liable for the doctor office's mistakes. They are responsible for notifying patients if clients' claims are denied. If you continue getting a run-around on this, I strongly suggest you contact an attorney in your hometown and pursue this. But do not give them one dime. Beth (2005-10-10): Thank you Jeff. The doctors's office has not returned my call- maybe that's a hint that they screwed up! Jerri (2005-10-10): 10-10-05 ENT Dr. wanted to do the U triple P which is short for having the uvula & part of the palate removed with Septoplasty & turbinate reduction. I chose not to have the U triple P done because my sister had it done due to having a deformed uvula. This procedure did not stop her snoring by any means and the surgery is very painful for most people. My brother also is certified in performing the Sleep Apnea tests and found most patients did not fair well a year after surgery. I also found sites on the internet that stated most patients after 5 years started having problems again and sometimes worse. I also was diagnosed with sleep Apnea but could find no benefit from the C-pap machine due to my deviated septum. I also found losing 50 lbs helped tremendously for weight can push on the neck muscles causing pressure. It is always best to check all avenues before relying on what a doctor states. Weight can be a big factor in sleep apnea as well as allergies. I am doing extemely well just having my deviated septum fixed and turbinate reduction. I also do a sinus rinse once a day or at least every other day to help keep the sinuses flushed. Unfortunately if people have severe allergies it may take a total turbinate removal for the turbinates can swell up again and cause problems. I am hoping that is not going to be the case for me. I am going in for another sleep study to see if losing weight and surgery was enough to fix my sleep apnea. I believe so since I have not been tired for a couple of years now and since my surgery recently 9-27-05 I sleep much better. :-} Erik (2005-10-10): Jerri, good point. Surgery may not be the best answer, and definitely should not be the first avenue of pursuit. If I could have found an antibiotic that worked on my chronic tonsillitis, I would have far preferred to use that than go through surgery. Todd M (2005-10-11): Wow! I'm glad I found this site! Lots of good info here. I just got home this morning after having UPPP and Septoplasty done yesterday. The surgery was a breeze (at least for me since I was out cold). I woke up in recovery and my throat was hurting at about an 8 on the 1 o 10 scale. I was given a shot of Demeral which helped a LOT! I had one other shot that night. This morning I started the Darveset. It's doing a good job in controlling the pain. My nose hasn't hurt at all, and my throat is tolerable most of the time. I was told to stay on a cold, soft diet for 2 weeks. I don't think so! I just can't find anough of a variety of cold, soft food that is actually nutritious AND tastes good. Tonight, I had some bean soup for dinner. I let it cool to close to room temperature. It was easy to swollow and tasted great after all the jello, ice cream and yogart I've had over the past 20+ hours. Pasta will be my next "treat". Anyway, the only things that has really been bothersome is the nose thing... trying to keep it flushed and the blood coming out the front instead of down my throat. It's already slowed down a lot (the bleeding). My throat seems a bit aggitated in the back, almost like it's scabbing already. I've always been a "fast healer", but this seems a bit too fast. Maybe it's the sutures I'm feeling. I'm not even sure what the doc used to close up the wounds. After what I've read here, I guess the worst is yet to come... around days' 6 and 7. Oh well... It's worth it after living the past 40+ years without a good night's sleep! I've always had to work the night shifts. That was I could sleep until I woke naturally. I have always been allergic to alarm clocks! LOL! Overall, the entire experience so far hasn't been bad at all... at least not as bad as I thought it would be. I've been up and around all day with no problems. I'm just taking things a bit slower than usual. I'm planning on going back to work on Thursday (Day 4). My job is with field service, so we spend 95% of the time just sitting in the office surfing the web anyway... nothing too strenuous. If I start to feel tired, I'll just go home early. I just can't afford to lose too much time... no sick or vacation days left. Here's a question for ya all.... Who has gotten the hiccups after this procedure? I've had them since late last night. They come and go, but are pretty rough and last about 10-15 minutes at a time. I hope this stops soon! It can be really painful, or at the least, very annoying. I've been trying to keep the nostrils flushed with saline about every hour. I have read that I shouldn't blow my nose. The doctor didn't say anything about that, but I imagine that it's because you don't want to blow the healing scabs out too early. I'm just blowing very, very, lightly while the saline solution is in there. That's the only way I can get anything to come out. So far, so good! Thanks everyone for the great information! It's already helped me out a lot. dee (2005-10-15): Okay, we've made it through 24 plus hours. My 15- year-old had his tonsils removed and UPPP at a Children's Hospital (if only we all could go to a children's hospital--the care and gentleness is great). He spent the night for monitoring and came home in the morning. Last night was particualry rough (mind you, he really has never even had a sore throat, so this truly is an experience that could not be understood ahead of time). However, there has been a definite improvement this afternoon. Life seems to have returned, although the pain is certainly there and eating is minimal (great the 6-foot kid only 145 pounds will now blow away....). Really, I am not terribly worried, as my husband says "if he is awake he is eating"--he will make up for it, I am sure (smile). A trick we learned from the hospital" rather than eating a popsicle they have us heat it in the microwave for 19 seconds and turn it into a slushy. Also, I have no idea if it will help, but based on my own experience with four broken noses that finally had to be fixed, a plastic suregeon had me take arnica montantana and bromelin for days before and after surgery to relieve the swelling, brusing and bleeding so I sought permission from my son's doctor before starting it with him. I'll let you know if the healing seems any better than that discussed by many on this site. I guess it can't hurt. Oh, by the way. My son did not have one single episode of breath holding last night (and believe me, I heard every breath he took!!!). I am very hopeful!! Karen (2005-10-16): Erik, the posting by Jerri has me a bit concerned regarding the UPPP. My brother-in-law is a pulmonoligist who runs a sleep study program. He is not found of the UPPP either but does believe it works for a small percentage of people and does help snoring if not apnea. I am thin, in good health and could not stand the CPAP. My doc has recommended tonsils, adenoids and UPPP. Are your results as good out in 2005 as they were when you first had surgery? Erik (2005-10-17): Dee, that's great! The best thing I had during my recovery was my girlfriend taking care of me, your son is lucky to have you! Karen, I have not studied statistics on long-term surgery effectiveness. If you're worried about it, you really need a good statistical sampling. Asking a few people just isn't accurate enough. I'm sure there's some university study somewhere out there. However, I do still feel great, but then I might be the minority. Matt (2005-10-17): Dee - Glad to hear your son is doing so well. Sounds like he will recover quite well! Good luck with everything. Dee (2005-10-18): Thanks, Erik, Matt, all. Things are progressing much better than I would have imagined. My son ate a lot yesterday (at least relative to the prior days)including oatmeal, a quesadilla and pizza (do you see the phlegm-building diet going on here?), and a lot of liquids (bless his heart!). We are bracing for the scab-falling-off days, but I must say my son is the trooper! I am crossing my fingers as I believe I heard some breath holding (still much shorter in duration than before) this morning. I am writing it off to the fact that he had too much dairy yesterday and the scabs are probably in the way. Also, I am ignoring some of the previous writings becuase while I know that this was no guarantee, like Karen's comments, Jake is not over weight and not able to tolerate CPAP, so we chose to take a leap in faith. Matt, are you up and about and feeling well? Are you eating well (I am a mother after all--smile). Be well to all who are reading this and congratulations for your desire to improve your health. You are courageous and making a great choice to care about yourself! Matt (2005-10-18): Dee - Thanks for your concern. I wish I could say I am feeling better. The healing from the suregry was finally coming to an end, and I was eating and feeling so much better, and then I got sick this past weekend and I feel miserable again. The aches and pains are much worse due to the recent surgery too. I can't yawn or caugh without feeling it quite sharply in my throat. On the plus side though, I can eat anything again and have been able to for about a week and a half now. I am down to just taking pain medication in the early morning when I get up and sometimes after work, when I am run down, sick and exhausted. I am almost out of pain medication though so I will be ending this routine soon and will just have to deal with any pains I may encounter. Sounds like your son is a great healer. I hope his day 6 or 7 isn't nearly as awful as mine was. So far, from what you have stated, it sounds like he is recovering much better than I did. Looks like it is true what they say about youth helping in the healing process. Either that, or I am a huge wimp and sissy boy. lol They do say grown men act the worst when sick. We act like we are dying when we get the slightest cold. Keep him hydrated like you have been and he will make it through the next few days easily and be back to normal in no time. Dee (2005-10-19): Matt, I actually read this is the number one most painful surgery; you are not a wimp. How rotten to get sick on top of this. You must be exhausted. Youth and luck are on my son's side (plus a hovering mother!). He seems to sleep a fair amount; he has always had this sixth sense about what his body needs to get over a cold or whatever. Of course, he has the luxury of just missing school and no pressures of having to get back to work to pay bills. On the bad side, only 5 days in and my son has already lost 9 pounds. On the good side, this must be the calm before the storm, because he is having a super day. He shot some baskets (don't worry, he didn't break a sweat or over do it), is enjoying being all guy playing Playstation games with a friend and eating much better. So the story continues and will certainly have a good ending...keep tuned. Matt (2005-10-20): Dee - How is your boy doing? Any "Day 6" symptoms yet? I hope that he doesn't have to experience any of what I, or others did. I am sure many just breeze through all this, which he has done so far, so maybe he will not have any problems. I figure, today should be Day 6 so I wanted to check and see if you had any postings. Dee (2005-10-21): I am almost hesitant to tell you all, my son is breezig through this, at least relative to what others have experienced. Day six, yestereday, was one of his best days. He was able to eat some more (still not up to par, but I am not complaining) and did some homework (now isn't that a feat!). I even looked inside his mouth for the first time last night to make sure they really did something in there. He still has the white scabs although it looks like some must have come off without his knowing it. So there is still an "event" pending and I will let you know how that goes. As for today, day seven, he was up earlier, ate an obligatory amount, did some homework and now is at a friend's house for a few hours. He is taking Tylenol during the day and the "heavy stuff" just at night. He is an anomoly or could it be the homeopathic combination, too??? Matt (2005-10-21): LOL @ anomoly. He is young and is doing great. That's all that matters. If he is not recessing by day 7, I bet he isn't going to have any problems. I did heal extremely slow and had a rough go of it all, as some others on here did. Sounds like your son is in the other percentile of those who just breeze though it all. I had my second follow up appointment yesterday with my ENT doc. He was concerned 2 weeks ago when I had come in and wasn't even close to better, so he scheduled a second follow up. I told him, aside from being sick currently, I feel great. He looked at my thoat and agreed that it was all healed up, but may still be swollen, and that could take over a month to go away. He thinks that is why I am still not getting any real rest. Once that goes away, I should be better. He scheduled another sleep study for early January to see if I have gotten rid of the sleep apnea. If I could just shake this cold, or flu, or allergies, whatever this is, I would probably feel 100% better and rest just fine! Well, back to bed for me. Baby is sleeping so its my only time to get any sleep myself. lol Had a rough week between the sick feeling and a restless 5 month old. Jerri (2005-10-21): Hi Karen, yes any surgery needs to be researched and thought through to see if is something that you think will work for by exhausting all the avenues you can without surgery, but sometimes it may come to it. I am glad there are some of you who have had good luck and fairly easier recovery. I hope you can find comfort in whatever you decide and best of luck to you. :-} Dee (2005-10-22): Matt, All this and a baby? No wonder you haven't been able to get good sleep or heal quickly. You must be wiped out. It sounds like things are starting to improve--best of luck to you. You have been a gem for me and I truly appreciate you. Today is day 8. My son now says that his pain is a 4 and at different times of the day it is even better. He is up and about and finished with being pampered (you know, those 15-year-old hormones). So I think we are through the worst of it. He thinks he swallowed some more scabs today(yum)and eating has been much easier since that episode. For what it is worth, a couple of other things we did was put bricks under the head of his bed to raise his head without stuffing pillows underneath him and possibly putting a problematic bend in his neck (that would be stinky for an OSA kid, don't you think?). Additionally, as mentioned I think by others, we ran a humidifier 24-hours a day. I hope whoever reads this will find help and support as I have. Erik, did you ever think you would help so many people? Thank you and thank you again. Todd M (2005-10-23): I'm back. Everything is going very well. The scabs are almost all gone and I've been eating solid food for the past 3 days. The pain has been minimal since about day 9 or so, and I took myself off the pain meds. My throat still hurts very slightly when I cough and during the first few swallows of water in the morning. Nothing really uncomfortible at all. The nose had a slight setback last week when I developed a slight sinus infection. I'm on antibiotics now and feel much better. I can actually breathe through my nose for the first time since I was 7 yrs. old! My girlfriend says that I am no longer snoring, although I did for the first few days after surgery, most likely due to the nose being plugged up. I'm also dreaming again!! Most of my life, I've remembered maybe 2 or 3 dreams a year... now I'm dreaming every night! I don't think I've yawned at all during the past two weeks, either. I used to yawn constantly. I don't have that all-day groggy feeling anymore (now that I'm off the Darviset). I have to say that the week or so of pain and not eating well (I lost 14 lbs in 10 days) were well worth the results! I do not regret getting this surgery done and I'd do it again if I had to. I hope the rest of you are getting good results, too. Hang in there, it's worth it! Good luck! Erik (2005-10-25): Thanks Dee, no, I never expected this much popularity for this page (or any really). I'm glad I could help! Lee (2005-11-03): Hello all. I am having the uvula, soft pallet, tongue shaven, tonsillectomy and deviated septum surgeries together on DEC. 2nd. I have lived with snoring and deteriorating memory loss added to the crankiness and total change in attitude over the past 2 years at least. I have snored since I was around 9 and I am now 31. I have noticed over the past few years that heartburn began about the time I started to feel lethargic and lacked my normal attitude towards exercising and everyday activities. I found myself not enjoying my spouse and my daughter like I had in the past. Trips to the store seemed excruciating because I would be tired around 2 p.m. When I would run even a 3K I would have to sleep afterwards because I just had to shutdown. I feel as though I have live in a fog and I have told myself, for what seems not very long, that I will just snap out of it. That brings me back to the surgery. I had a sleep study and was surprised to receive the call a few weeks later that I needed to see the ENT doc ASAP. I visited the ENT doc and was told I needed to get surgery scheduled ASAP. I am in the military so the doctor will not be available in NOV. so we had to go with DEC. 2nd. I can not wait, not that I have false hopes, to see just what I will wake up as in a few months. I feel as though I am waiting to break free of this cocoon and reveal myself, transformed, into a new man. Erik (2005-11-04): Good luck Lee! What the heck is a tounge shaving? That sounds like it would hurt! Dee (2005-11-04): Quick follow up. My son had his post op. yesterday (with surgery originally on 10.1/4/05. Everything is healing well. I learned something interesting that perhaps all facing UPPP should ask about. Caveat: I have no medical background and don't want to pretend I understood all about what I am writing, it is my imperfect understanding...Part of the reason for the realitively quick rebound is because this doc does not believe in cutting everything off, rather he takes off the first 4 layers of the area and then actaully pins up what is left of the uvula and flacid tissue to that area, in essence creating a covering for the exposed part. I have the impression it is almost like a graft. If anyone is interested and running into unfamiliarity, let me know and I will give you the doctor's name and number. There is still significant pain, but at least for my son, not as excruciating for as long a time period. Lee (2005-11-05): Erik they have to shave the back part of your tongue down. My tongue is too large in the back and when I relax my tongue it falls back to the back of my throat. The doc said I will be out for 4 weeks. He said the scab from the uvula and soft palete will be bad and the tongue will be worse!. I can`t wait. HAHAHAHA I was told this will cost me about 40-50 lbs because I won`t be able to eat for at least a month or more. I can`t wait to stop yawning all day long. Anthony (2005-11-05): HI all I am in day 5 of my recovery. I also had the three procedures done. The pain really isnt that bad, tolerable with Percoset. The thing that is driving me nut is the plugged sinuses. After sleeping my throat is very dry and painful. I have tried taking hot steamy showers, all the rinsing etc..to no avail. I do get the stints removed on Tuesday maybe that will help. Any other ideas? I do have to say that this procedure was not nearly as horrendous as some websites make it out to be. I would decribe it as the worst cold sore throat I have ever had. Anyway, I am sure I am rambling, gotta love Percoset. Erik (2005-11-07): Good luck Lee, keep hydrated! Anthony, no idea about the stints, sorry. Beth (2005-11-07): Insurance update: still noting solved. I received another notice from the insurance company. Called the doctors office who said they hadn't received anything yet about the claim being denied. This was about 3 weeks ago. They still haven't called me back. Should I contact them or just wait for them to do something about it? I am goign to appeal to the insurance company. I just find it strange that the doctors office has not contacted me about this! Well, I am not 5 months post op and still doign great! Still getting the best sleep I have had in years. And so is my husband since I no longer snore. I still have an odd sensation in the back of my throat. Does that ever go away?? Oh and once in a while I will still have liquid come out my nose- usually only if I drink really fast! Continue success in the recovery for everyone who has had this surgery recently!!! Jody (2005-11-09): Hi my name is Jody. I am 37 and have had a problem with sore throats, tiredness and snoring for about 2 years now. I have had enlarged tonsils most of this time too. I had a sleep study and was told I had it, but not bad enough for insurance to pay. I went in to an ent. dr. and he said I would benefit from the tonsillectomy, uvulaectomy and soft pallette surgery. My ins. wouldn't cover the surgery since the sleep study was not severe enough to warrant the surgery. I let it go for about 3 months and I decided to go back to the ent. dr. because the snoring was tearing me and my hubby apart(not to mention the couch). The ent. dr. said he would do the tonsillectomy but it wouldn't fix all of the problem. But since the ins. wouldn't pay for all I had to do whatever I could to try to fix the problem. We scheduled tonsillectomy surgery for Oct. 27, 2005,(the day before me and my husband's birthday). I was looking at this as his bday gift from me. Hopefully it will end up being both of our gifts. I was scared like a lot of the people getting ready for surgery. Will I wake up-or worse will I not ever wake up. I wasn't too worried about the pain although the doctor did a graet job describing the horrific pain involved (he said I would wish I were dead for about 5-10 days.) I hoped he was exaggerating. Tommorow will be 2 weeks and I think some days were that bad but not all. By the way he also went ahead and removed 3/4 of the uvula even thought the ins. wouldn't pay. He did it free so I would have a greater benefit of the surgery, with the snoring. Like a lot of patients on the page have said, the 3rd day was the worst, till the 6th day. I quit taking pain pills on about the 5th nite, I couldn't hardly get them down. My doctor really pushed the idea of eating regular food from day one for a faster recovery. But that is easier said then done. Now that it has almost been 2 wks. the only problem is the remaining stitches still in my throat. He put in quite a few and they are supposed to disslolve but a few have there are still a lot in there. I will gag on them a lot. I guess they are rubbing in the wrong place because if you say something sometimes it will catch and almost make me throw up. That is not a nice feeling because it is still sore and it stretches the back of your throat. I am scared to yawn, but I have half yawned and it scares me because to does hurt. But what the heck is gonna happen if I sneeze? I am so scared. Usually sneezing feels good but I know it wouldn't now with stitched and soreness. Oh please God don't let me sneeze. I enjoyed the web site. I am going back to work Mon. That will be 2 1/2 wks. off. I want to go back to work. I feel good enough except gor the little gagging episodes, but I work in a sewing facotry and I know the fabric particles are gonna do it-- they are gonna make me sneeze. Bye Jody Erik (2005-11-10): Good luck at work Monday Jody, be careful! Anthony (2005-11-12): Jody, sneezing sucks bad. I had a sneezing fit about 12 hours after my surgery. OUCH! You might want to try a dust mask at work. Day 11 for me! I finally ate real food today, a soft taco! Best taco I have ever had. The pain is down to a sore throat now. I think I am going to go to work Monday. I would encourage everyone who is thinking about this surgery to try other alternatives first such as a CPAP. This is quite a painful experience to go through when the odds are not in your favor. I also read in several post where the Dr is prescribing medicore pain medication. I would demand from your doctor (since you are paying him/her good money for this) that he prescribe nothing less than Percoset for the pain. Tylenol and Lortab don't have the umph! necesary to quell this level of pain. I hope the benefits from my surgery are good, although I expect to continue using the CPAP but with better results. Hopefully I will be selling my CPAP machine in a couple of months!! Good luck to all! Melissa (2005-11-21): Hi my name is melissa and i am 38 years old i had my tonsils took out on nov 9th and it was so bad lol the pain omg but i am not snoring anymore well on friday nov 18th my throat started bleeding bad so i called the dr at 6:30 in the morning and i was by myself my hubby works 3rd shift dr said i had to come right there so i had to go there and they sprayed this stuff in my throat to numb it then they burned it back well it had busted open for some reason so now i am on day 13 of recovering my throat hurts again where they had to patch it and i have not been able to eat anything but like soup and grits i cant wait to eat a hamburger again ..has anyone else had trouble with bleeding before i had my tonisls and my adnoids taken out he said when he got in there my tonsils was rotten.. please let me know if anyone else has had any bleeding and they had to repair it thanks alot melissa Erik (2005-11-22): Melissa, lots of people here have had trouble with bleeding. (Check the archive of comments by clicking above, where it says "Click here for the first XXX comments") Be careful, don't let your throat dry out at night. Good luck! anonymous (2005-11-22): my throat does get dry at night i tried eating today some real food and it hurt to eat i guess i better stick to grits i have been doing good eating them i know everytime i go to sleep and wake up my throat is really dry and hurts also i have ear pain dr said that was normal my sister keeps telling ppl i should be better now..i hope to be able to eat thanksgiving dinner oh i want food bad lol ty all talk to you later Melissa (2005-11-22): oops that anonymous was me forgot to put my name ok i am still taking my pain meds dr gave me 3 different ones but the tyleonol with codene seems to help the most..especially with my ear pain Erik (2005-11-23): If you have to, set your alarm to wake you up every hour so that you can sip some water. A dry throat, or being generally dehydrated will set back your healing a lot. Good luck! MELISSA (2005-11-23): HAPPY THANKSGIVING ERIK BOY I WISH I COULD EAT ALL THAT FOOD LOL I TRIED EATING FOOD TODAY IT FELT LIKE IT SCRATCHED MY THROAT OH WELL BACK TO GRITS FOR A FEW MORE DAYS FRIDAY WILL BE 7 DAYS SINCE THEY HAD TO REPATCH WHERE IT HAD BUSTED OPENED AND STARTED BLEEDING THEY HAD TO REPATCH THE HOLE AND THAT HURT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS JUST A BIG QTIP LOOKING THINGY..GOOD LUCK ALL HEY ERIK DID YOU KEEP YOUR WEIGHT OFF THAT YOU LOST I HOPE I DONT GAIN MY WEIGHT BACK TKS MELISSA Beth (2005-11-28): LAtest update: Thanks to everyone that gave advice about the insurance mess. My doctor has sent in a "level two" appeal to the medical director of the insurance company stating the surgery was necessary. I am also sending in an appeal. On to other news. My recovery is still going great. It was 6 months yesterday. The only problems I'd say is still feeling a weird sensation in the back of my throat and my throat getting dry at night. Also, I have noticed much more drainage in the back of my throat. Those of you that had the turbinate stuff done, have you noticed any drying out of your nasal passages? I really am dried out in the mornings, but that could be the allergy medicine I am taking. Overall, it has totally been worth the pain and suffering!!! Still no snoring!!! And I am still sleeping much better than I was before!! Erik (2005-11-30): That's great news Beth! Matt (2005-11-30): Beth, I also have a strange sensation in the back of my throat from time to time. Seems to happen when something gives me the chills or something seems weird or odd. It has dulled a bit, but was strong for about 2 months. Also, as strange is it may be, water tastes funny to me now. I could never drink Dasani bottled water because I thought it tasted funny, but even regular tap water and my favorite, Aquafina, taste weird now and I cannot drink much. Its been 2 months since my surgery now. I have been feeling 100% since the first of November. Only problem, I am still exhausted every damn day. I have another sleep study scheduled for January 19th. I am not really too happy at the thought that I went through al this misery for nothing. Not to mention the price tag...a cool 3K and growing AFTER insurance. Melissa (2005-12-01): hey matt what did you have done? melissa (2005-12-01): Has anyone that had there tonsils and adnoids out ever have anything that they have been spitting up like cold stuff it is so nasty but ever since my surgery i have been doing it tks Beth (2005-12-06): Melissa, I have constant drainage. I had this before the surgery, just seems to be a little worse now. I attribute that to the fact that there is more room back there now. My allergist says it has to do with my sinuses and has put me on a nasal spray that is really helping. Matt, I still have a little trouble with sodas and sometimes spicy food. Just still burns a little. And what I hate the most is that I sometimes still have nasal regurgitation (liquid coming out my nose) but that only happens if I drink way too fast. I've learned to drink much slower!! :-) melissa (2005-12-07): this is really getting on my nerves i know a nurse at my church said because of my age and i am a diabetic is way i am healing slow it seems i am always spitting this stuff up i cant chew gum yet and i love gum the lady said it could take 6 to 8 weeks to heal i am into my 4th week Erik (2005-12-07): Hang in there Melissa, everyone heals differently, but you will eventually heal completely. todd (2005-12-10): thanks everyone for scaring the shit out of me. I get my tonsils and Uvula shortened december 16. Im really looking forward to the pain. damnit.... todd (2005-12-10): About how long after the surgey can you drink alcohol. Because new years will be comming soon and I don't want to miss out on a good night of drinking. Erik (2005-12-10): Good luck Todd, it'll suck, but when the healing is done, you'll feel a lot better. Regarding the alcohol: You can ask your doctor, but at two weeks, you'll probably still be on pain killers, and pretty raw in the throat. I don't think you'll be wanting to put any alchohol in there. Melissa (2005-12-12): it will be a while todd for the alcohol it well sting so bad if you drink it good luck with surgery it is worth the pain but it is a rough surgery..I am going into my 5th week and i am eating better but i am still spitting some but i have noticed a difference since last week but i am also a diabetic so i heal slowly..you may heal fast good luck BostonGuy (2005-12-13): I'm 29 years old and having my extra large tonsils and adenoids removed on the 29th of December. Did anyone else's doctor prescribe Oxycontin? I just had my prescription filled and felt like a criminal when I was there. I hope this stuff works! I have zero tolerance for pain so it better. todd (2005-12-14): What kind of food will i have to eat for the first 2 weeks. my surgery is in 2 days. and im excited to write you guys and let ya know how much pain im in. that is if the surgery is as bad as all of you are saying. BostonGuy (2005-12-14): I heard nothing warm/hot for the first 3-5 days. Popsicles I guess is what I keep hearing! Lots and lots of popsicles! todd (2005-12-16): Well i just had my surgery today and so far so good. surgert was at 12:00 and its not 5:00 and no pain. first meal i ate was chinese food and that was not so hard to eat. unless i get alot worse the surgery was a nothing to worry about. Melissa (2005-12-16): wow Todd so proud of you that is wonderful keep us updated and i hope it goes really well for you i couldnt eat for 3 weeks but i am 10 years older then you wtg Todd todd (2005-12-17): Im still feeling good . last night i ate pizza, my throat was a little sore i had to chew my food up a little more than usual. i only slept for about 3 hours last night and when i woke up my throat was the sorest its been. but on a scale of 1 - 10 id say it was a 4. But now that im awake i feel just fine and i dont have any pain. Melissa (2005-12-19): Hey Todd how are you feeling now let us know how you are doing also i have to go back to dr on wed they seem to think i may have a infection is why i am doing all the spitting i will let you know what they say i sure hope they dont put that thing down my nose to find out if i have a sinus infection i didnt like that at all has anyone ever been checked for sinus infection please help i am nerves about going thanks BostonGuy29 (2005-12-19): T-Minus 9 days... I have my surgery next Thursday. Did anyone else get oxycontin for their pain? Erik (2005-12-20): Good luck BostonGuy29, don't worry about the Ocycontin. Percoset, Vicodin, etc... They're all opium derivatives. Dee (2005-12-20): The anticipation is the worst. The moments of "crap why did I do this?" short and end result worth it if only to not snore and keep your partner up or if you are lucky, to get better sleep. 2 months post surgery and while there is still sleep apnea, it is not as bad and at least others don't have to bury their heads under a pillow to try and muffle the sound. Good luck to all! Jim (2005-12-20): just got my uvula removed, pretty uncomfortable after 2 hrs, had a large growth on it, anyone else have this ? anonymous (2005-12-21): OK. today is the 5th day after my surgery. Now the pain is comming. todd (2005-12-21): that was me Erik (2005-12-21): Good luck Todd, keep hydrated! Melissa (2005-12-21): Hey all I told ya i would update after the dr visit to see why i am spitting so much i have a sinus infection and alot of drainage in my throat so he put me on antibotics keep drinking todd dont let it get dry it could start bleeding good luck todd (2005-12-22): Holy S*%#, ok the doctor told me the 3rd and 4th day was going to be the worst. im on the 7th day and my throat and ears are KILLING me. before these last couple day s i really didnt need to take much of my pain medicice but now i have to take it every hour or else the pain hits me like a ton of bricks. i was prescribed liquid hydrocodone and im supposed to take it every 4 - 6 hours. and the pain medicine made me constipated once already im worried if i keep taking it like i am it will happen again. Melissa (2005-12-22): Todd sory to hear that but yes your ears will kill you omg i remember that pain so good keep taking your pain meds is all you can do it really helps and keep drinking Jody (2005-12-24): Erik, Do you miss your uvula? Erik (2005-12-24): Jody: Nope all it did was make me snore. todd (2005-12-24): this is my 8th day after the surgery. i dont have to take much of the pain medicine but i have to CONSTANTLY sip water every minute of every hour. i cant drink ice water bc its too painful and i cant drink anything to warm bc that also hurts. in the past 2 days i have slept a total of 5 hrs and i regret ever falling asleep. i try to stay up as much as i can bc when i wake up after those short naps the pain in my throar is unbearable. im so freaking tired and im in such a bad mood all i want to do is fall asleep. this surgery better be worth it. melissa (2005-12-24): Merry Christmas all hope you feel better soon todd.. my snoring has stopped and i sleep so much better sometimes i make noises but i also have alot of drainage right now due to a sinus infection my nose is not runnning because it is going all in my throat grrrrrrrrrrrr todd if you have a cool mist humidfer that will help alot when you are sleeping..eat alot of popcicles you will be happy after you feel better i had a rought time of it so i know jan 9th will be 2 months and i am still healing i cant chew gum yet not sure why but every week i feel better so i am getting there take care Jody (2005-12-26): Erik, you don't gag for no reason from the scar tissue where the uvula used to be? And you don't get fluid or food in your nasal passage? Erik (2005-12-26): Jody: I can't feel any scar tissue, now that everything is healed, and while I did have trouble with getting fluid into my nasal passage for a while, I fairly quickly re-learned how to swallow. For me, if I remember right, I trained myself by swallowing like I was chugging water, or trying to get a big pill down. It's all in the movement of the tounge. But since a few weeks from the surgery, I haven't had any problem. Beth (2005-12-29): Jody, I had the fluid in the nasal passage problem too. For me it happened when I drank too fast. I'm 7 months post op now and don't have the problem very often. Todd- I totally agree with Melissa, run a cool mist humidifier. I have a cold now with lots of drainage and coughing and I'm having trouble with my throat being really dry and sore when I wake up and the humidifier is helping some. And yes, your ears will hurt on and off. Best of luck and I hope you are on the mend soon!! STILL fighting with the insurance company about paying for the sugery. I should hear back from appeal number one in the next few weeks. UGH!!! bostonguy29 (2005-12-31): I had my surgery yesterday. The doctor had to cut out a lot more than normal because I was so scarred but I have yet to feel really any pain. I was given Roxicet and Oxycontin and have yet to use that. I'll avoid taking the Oxy unless I get a lot of pain. I have been totally fine and my throat hurts less than some of my most painful strep infections. I hope that it continues like this but from what I have read I'm afraid that the pain is coming. Anyone here not have the pain come after day 2? bostonguy29 (2006-01-04): Oh god...everyone is right...the pain starts around day #3...today is day #5 for me. this sucks. The pain is out of control. I'm literally counting down the minutes until I can take more pain medication! I should have started the OC's but I was too nervous to take them, and now I'm paying for it! Erik (2006-01-04): Sorry guy. It'll only get better from here! Amber (2006-01-08): hi everyone my name is amber im 12 and i had my tonsils removed wensday today is sunday so it is my 4th day from the surgeory... i have big white bulges in my throat i have been notified that they are scabs and you cannot pick them well i had a small one on my euvela and i picked it i am lucky i did not bleed but it definitely hurts worse my tongue and my ears is what has hurt the most and i really havent eating anything but icecream and popsicles and i have not thrown up or spit up at all i play volleyball and im in the band so i cannot participate in thesea ctivities for 2 weeks and well that seriously sucks im currently takin 2 tsps of amoxicillan 3 times a day and 1 tsp of liquid percocet every 4 hrs as needed...when i wke ^ from my surgeory i was confused and i could not stop coughing it hurt 2 brush my teeth i also couldnt stp napping and sleeping the 1st couple of days i live in ohio and i had my operation done at the valley surgeory center where my nurses were VERY friendly and i was treated with respect im actually getting better and 4 every1 who says its awful it reallly isnt soo dont worry Erik (2006-01-08): Amber, it's great you're healing so well! That's definitely one of the greatest advantages to youth! BostonGuy29 (2006-01-09): She's only on day 4. Wait! It's day 10 for me and I'm just starting to feel a bit better. I was feeling great from the day of the surgery until day 4 and then all he** broke loose! holly (2006-01-09): My husband wants to have the sinus surgery where they take out the uvula, tonsils, part of the pallet, etc. Has anyone heard of people who have had this done and have continual problems of choking and food going up their nose for the rest of their lives? Anthony (2006-01-09): I am about 8 weeks post op. A very expensive way to stop snoring. Absolutly no benefit from the surgery. I do choke on saliva often (sometimes 4 or 5X a day). I do not have anything go up my nose fortunatly. I have not had a sleep study done yet, but I tried sleeping without a cpap and that didn't go over well. Oh well, I knew the odds going in. Sorry to hear about you all in pain. Day 8 and 9 were the absolute worse. make sure that you keep your throat moist with lots of liquid and keep on top of the pain meds. Try malt o meal for a change of something to eat. Nice to get substance besides yogurt jello and ice cream. Hang in there, it does get better!!! Jeanette (2006-01-10): I too had the Tonsillectomy, Uvulaectomy and Turbinite Reduction in August 2005. Before surgery I had frequent sinus infections; the drainage led to bronical infections and normally I would end up with a lung infection. My lung doctor sent me to an ENT. I suffered from shortness of breath, even from a walk in the shopping mall and now that is gone. I do have some difficultlies with eating since surgery. Eating is not always a simple task, some foods are difficult to swallow it is as if I am retraining myself to swallow. I have also had difficulty in the past few months with food and liquid going up my nose however it seems to get better with time. When I came home from surgery my husband purchased a small kids($20.00)snowcone machine from our local department store and I ate shaved ice for two weeks. The shaved ice was a life saver for me. The doctor told me the most important thing was to stay hydrated, and without the shaved ice that would have been a problem for me. Beth (2006-01-11): WARNING- before you have surgery be completely sure it's all covered by insurance. I posted about this earlier but got my second denial today!! Denied because "not medically necesary". Well you can bet I'm fighting this. Not with the insurance company but with the doctor. I was told they would schedule AFTER getting approval from insurance. Insurance company says it was not pre approved. Wish me luck in my FIGHT!!! Beth Eileen (2006-01-12): (1-11-06) Just had an almost complete uvulectomy yesterday,plus FESS and something with the turbinates. Tonight I noticed white stuff under the stitches on the incision in the back of my throat.It is redder than a raw piece of steak. As my surgeon promised, it is the worst sore throat of my life. Did anyone else have this problem with the white stuff. Is it and infefction or pus?? I am taking Hydrocodone elixer for pain and I will start my antibiatic tommorrow from the pharmacy, which should help very well. Please respond. Eileen (2006-01-12): Hello Beth- Fax or send your insurance company a certified letter or both, that if anything happens to you because of their decision, you will hold them legally and morally responsible. It is also helpful to tell people what insurance you have so they do not participate in this insurance company. It is usually the for-profit HMO's that pay and approve poorly. Try to change to a not for profit HMO. Bill (2006-01-12): I'm on day 14 of my tonsil removal does anyone know if I can drink alchohol? Beth (2006-01-12): Eileen- I had the surgery done in May- they are now saying it wasn't approved. I really think this in on the doctors office now! Believe be I'm gonna fight!!! I have BCBS of NC insurance!! Eileen (2006-01-14): Hello Beth; One problem that I found out that sometimes interferes with payment is the medical receptionist will code the diagnosis or the procedure wrong. Ask your insurance company what codes the surgeons office used for billing, than compare it with a copy of the doctors operative report.You are entitled to both under the freedom of information law. Another problem that I and my family encountered, is that the doctor will not bill the insurance company until after the billing period, so the insurance company refuses, and then the doctor tries to get his full fee from the patient. Keep in mind that most HMOs usually pay the doctor only fifty to seventy percent of his original fee, especially the FOR PROFIT HMOs. If doctors are not happy with what they get paid, then they should not take the insurance. Everyone shopuld try to have a Not for profit HMO. Eileen (2006-01-15): to my knowlege, all blue cross and blue shield is now a FOR PROFIT. Try to change to a not for profit if you can.We all need to stay away from For Profit HMOs. Good Luck. Kirsten (2006-01-15): My 20 mos old son is having his tonsils and adnoids out on the 17th. I hear how painful it has been for some people. But I thinks its going to be 10x harder for me seeing him go through this. Iam taking 2 weeks off of work to take care of him. I don't know if he'll be able to have to strong of pain meds because of his age. I hope everything will go ok for him. Beth (2006-01-16): Kirsten, Although neither of my kids has had their tonsils out, I have heard that is pretty much a breeze for children. A friend of mine's son had his out and he was up running around the house two days later!! Best of luck to both you and your son!! Ann (2006-01-16): Did anyone have their tonsils removed due to bad breath? If, so was it effective? Nina (2006-01-17): Kirsten, I've also heard it's very easy on children. Don't be worried about your son, he'll bounce right back. Adults are much bigger babies. Eileen (2006-01-18): Had my partial uvulectomy, Fess and turbinate reduction on Jan 10 2006. Today, Jan 18, The upper palate in my mouth is white. Has anyone else had this problem? Anthony (2006-01-18): Eileen, the white you are seeing is scar tissue. It is a very good thing. Anthony (2006-01-18): sorry not scar tissue, the white stuff is scabs Derrick (2006-01-24): Hello all, I to am having the uvula, tongue shaven, adnoid and tonsillectomy surgeries together. A little nervous, but look forward to great results. Anyone heard from Lee who had similar surgery on Dec 2, 2005? Almost forgot, Erik thanks for the site...best prep surgery informaiton I've found so far. I meet with the surgeon Monday, Jan 30th. Sher (2006-01-29): I had tonsillectomy & uvulectomy on Dec 16. My ETN said the adnoids did not have to be removed. I find I sometimes have liquids come out my nose when I swallow. Also, I have a squeaking noise when I swallow liquids and food. What can I do to prevent this? Beth (2006-02-06): Sher- Had the very same problems for a while. I promise it will get better. Give it another couple of weeks. Hang in there!!! melissa (2006-02-06): anyone had problems with spitting after there tonisls surgery it has been 3 months and still spitting and i know a little boy that had has out the day after mine and he is still sptting please help so tired of spitting after i eat Derrick (2006-02-09): I had my tonsillectomy & uvulectomy this past Tuesday. Dr kept me in hospital overnight due to pain level. I miss the 24-hour nursing care. Taking pain meds and feeding through an IV was great. Now I'm suffering becuase it's soooooooooooo hard to swallow plus it's almost that my throat won't allow me to sallow...the amount of mucus build-up is horrible. It's very hard for me to swallow...anyone have any suggestions on other ways to take pain medication (i.e., patches, via veins, etc)? Anthony (2006-02-11): Derrick, try crushing them up an mixing them with pudding. karen (2006-02-11): Derrick, I asked for all my meds to be liquid and then I used a syringe to stick in the back of my mouth as far as I could. Good luck. LisaUSA (2006-02-16): Is this still active? I am one week post tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy and would really like to talk to anyone about it. My family is okay -- but I do think they think I have gone overboard with it. Would be nice to have someone to whine with. :<) Thanks! Erik (2006-02-16): Lisa, Check the dates on the above comments, this page is the most active on my web site by far! It's great to have family to take care of you, isn't it?! LisaUsa (2006-02-16): Hi Erik. Yes, thanks. I am married, 40, with 2 children. Actually, my husband is mostly caring for our children -- which in turn, helps me. It's nice not having to be "the mom" 24/7 when you don't feel well. It has been interesting reading many of the posts -- the discrepancies among doctors -- to eat rough foods vs. not to, etc. My doctor's guidelines just included plenty of fluids (water & chocolate milk -which is smoother than white) and whatever you think you can handle for food. I was brave the first couple of days (in a daze from anesthesia) and probably bruised parts that shouldn't have been. Since then, I am sticking mostly with softer foods. I am anxious to have a chicken sandwich and a salad -- and oh, yes, CELERY. Also, I completely agree with those who have had sores from the device that keeps your mouth open during surgery. YIKES! Very painful indeed. I had a fabulous doctor and it still happened -- couldn't be avoided. I am still in the throes of pain meds (tylenol w/codeine rotating with 2 ibuprofen (not much help) every 4-6 hours -- yes tablets, which you can get down if you really need to), but I think I am starting to feel a little better. Am anxious for the swelling in my throat and nasal passages to do down and the white scabs to slough off (feeling VERY thick still). Prior to surgery, I had strep throat pretty much continually for 6 weeks -- so I am ready to feel better! Also, nagging tonsils and stuffy adenoids for years which pulled on my immune system. I am feeling some of the benefits from having the adenoids out -- I am (sorry, gross) able to blow out BOTH sides of my nose now -- which is absolutely glorious! Unfortunately, the immense amount of green crap (again, sorry) draining is never-ending. Those sinuses must have been really packed in there -- but now are draining. The actual shape of my face seems to be different (maybe not, but it feels like it). Looking forward to being able to breath through my nose at night -- and not waking with tonsil pain and cotton mouth. Sleeping through the night is a goal. I am allergic to latex, so in addition to all the meds most people have, I was given an IV drip an hour prior to surgery. This included benedryl, a steroid, and some other anti-inflammatory thing. I was also given a shot of penicillin in the leg (while on the table, asleep). I feel like a pincushion! One interesting side-effect I had was when they wheeled me into the OR to do the surgery, I had to go to the bathroom (from the excessive IV's)-- so for whatever reason, they had me WALK out to the bathroom! I remember waving at the nurses saying "I had changed my mind". They must have thought I was absolutely whacko -- but at that moment, I didn't seem to care. I'm sure they have worse stories....;<) In the end, you have to keep your sense of humor. I don't know how many times I've had to tell myself "This too, shall pass". Thank God it is a one-time-only thing. I don't know how people get through the laser-type tonsillectomy -- from what I understand they have to keep going back to have layers removed. I am glad I did this in one shot -- get it over with and move on. It is still very fresh to me -- but as with childbirth, the memory fades. I am determined to let this be a new lease on life for me -- anything that allow more oxygen to my brain has got to be a benefit, right? :<) LisaUSA (2006-02-16): Grocery List for preparing for tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy: 1) Popsicles, ice cream (plain choco or vanilla -- less acidic), applesauce, chocolate milk (sometimes the only thing I can get down), instant oatmeal, chicken broth, baby food -- LOVE Gerber "Blueberry Buckle", baby pears, baby veggies if you can choke them down (great nutrition if you can handle the flavor). 2) Tissues, tissues, and more tissues (adenoid surgery) 3) Saline solution nasal spray (helps clear passages -- this is NOT the Afrin type -- saline has no chemicals in it -- which would be more painful. 4) Soft, warm headband -- helps with ear pain that often accompanies tonsil surgery -- around Day 5-7. I've been sleeping with a headband on and the warmth has really helped. 5) Humidifier -- a MUST. Warm air/cold air -- whichever is easier for you to keep clean/maintain. Helps with dry mouth at night (but does not alleviate it). 6) Hot/cold pack (microwaveable/freezable) 7) Alarm clock - wake up for those meds -- don't let the pain get ahead of you or you'll be asking for trouble. 8) Chapstick 9) Neosporin or antibiotic cream/ointment -- helps with sore nose exterior or sores around mouth (from mouth stretcher). 10) Frozen leftovers or frozen dinners for your family -- if you are the main cook in the family, trust me, you won't feel like cooking for a while. 11) Cups that don't spill easily, but don't take a great deal of suction to extract the liquid -- not Sippy cups that your kids use (I picked up a couple at Walmart in the picnic-type aisle) At night when your tongue is shriveled to 1/2 it's size, you'll appreciate some water without being drowned in it. 12) GUM! Chew lots of it -- as a public service for your family (vile breath), as a moistener for your tongue, and muscle strengthener for your throat. Also helps you feel more normal, like you didn't just have your tonsils ripped from your throat. Really it does help! 13) Flashlight -- as gross as it is, you'll want to check out the back of your throat -- leave the bathroom light off and really get a good look with the flashlight. Actually quite interesting. Drink TONS of water -- keep you from getting dehydrated -- which causes fever. Also, helps maintain digestive system (you may not need it much yet, but you will) and helps strengthen your tongue and throat muscles. In my best motherly voice (which I have little of right now) You will get through this ......Good Luck.... This, too, shall pass. :<) Take care! LisaUSa (2006-02-16): One more quick thing -- Hiccups are a common side effect after surgery. My mother is retired from an Oral Surgery unit and according to her, the thing that stretches your mouth during surgery often stretches a certain muscle that has to do with hiccups. SO, don't be freaked if this happens to you.... normal. Erik (2006-02-17): Lisa, that's a fantastic shopping list! That should save a few people a lot of agony. LisaUSA (2006-02-17): Thanks you Erik for having this forum. I guess when you are trying to get through something, it helps to try to help others too. Being prepared can only help. Mary (2006-02-17): Hi Lisa, I'll gladly whine with you. :-) I had a tonsillectomy one week ago exactly. Thanks for the info on the hiccups. Will this symptom go away? The hiccups are very painful and when I'm having them, it feels like everything is coming undone. I'm at the stage now, where the scabs will begin to fall off. I heard this happens mostly between days 7-11. I also heard that this phase presents the easiest chance for hemorrhaging, which is not fun news. Behind the white scabs, in areas, I can see a few bright red splotches. So, I'm a little nervous. Do you see any red behind your white scabs? Thanks, Erik, for this helpful and comforting page. :-) LisaUSa (2006-02-17): Hi Mary!! So great to have someone to commiserate with! I think that's 1/2 my problem -- I just need to talk it out. How about you? Yes, I have a bit of redness back behind the white -- back behind the very swollen uvula (hanging way down still) Actually this morning I woke up spitting a tiny bit of blood -- which really freaked me out. You read so much about hemorrhaging and it is very frightening. Anyway, I sucked on some ice and it quickly stopped. It wasn't all that much blood, just enough to be disturbing. I'm trying to go without the tylenol w/codeine today too -- hoping to just use them at night -- so far not TOO horrible. Took a couple of ibuprofen an hour ago to hopefully eat some dinner. Your hiccups should go away soon. How often have you had them and for how long at a time? I must have had them 10 times/day the first couple of days. Thankfully only a couple of times since then. During normal times I just sip water 3 times fast and can usually get rid of them. During these abnormal times, it hasn't been so easy. How are your ears? Before surgery, the office nurse did tell me it that sometime in days 7-10 post-op, it is common to have pain in your ear and eustachian tube area. There is a nerve there that for some reason likes to act up around this time. Mine is pretty sore right now -- right on schedule (at least I know it is real, not just in my head :<)). Can you breathe through your nose at night? I really thought that by now I'd be able to breathe better through my nose. Not sure if it is still just swollen up in there (I had my adenoids out too), or if I am getting a new infection. I know this all just takes time to heal, hard to be patient sometimes. Can you talk much? It hurts to talk -- and when I do, junk seems to feel like it is collecting in the back of my throat more. Even too much whispering is uncomfortable. Are you staying in most of the time? I am starting to go a bit stir-crazy staying in so much. I feel the need to get out, but don't want to catch any bad germs from other people either. I may be a bit paranoid about that -- but don't want to take chances either. It has been hard enough to get through this, I don't need anything additional. I do have that hemorrhaging fear too -- great reason not to lug around full laundry baskets. :<) What foods are you currently eating? What are you craving? :<) LisaUSA (2006-02-17): Is your tongue still really sore? It wasn't bad the first couple of days, but seems to be getting more sore -- no matter what I eat or don't eat. Are you still taking meds? Mary (2006-02-17): Hi Lisa, yes, it's great to have someone to commiserate with, especially since we had our surgery on practically the same day, and we're close in age. We are probably going through similar stages together -- though your surgery was more extensive. Lisa, I was told not to take ibu profen or aspirin for the week before and 2 weeks after the surgery because they're blood thinners. Please check with your doctor before taking more ibu profen! I have about 2 bad bouts of hiccups a day. SO painful!!! You're right, it's harder to stop them under these circumstances. They last 2-3 minutes. Today is day 7 for me, and I'm only just starting to feel some discomfort in my ears -- not enough yet, to act on. I'm breathing through my nose, but cannot sleep flat on my back. Still too much swelling. Like yours, my uvula is still shapeless and hanging way down. Today has been tough. No pain, just discomfort and SO tired of soft foods. I started with apple sauce which was lovely on my throat those first few days, but now I'm over it. ;-) Add to that -- yoghurt, chicken noodle soup, scrambled eggs, popsicles, pudding, tea, jello, mashed potatoes, and mashed yams. A friend is on her way over with baby food -- not sure if I'll like it, but it gives me some variety. I also asked for frozen creamed spinach and creamed corn. Any suggestions of what I can add to my menu of culinary delights? You asked what I am craving. CRACKERS, PIZZA, POPCORN and just a plain old sandwich. Never realized how much I love crunchy food or non-soft food. What are you craving? Can't talk much because it hurts when I do. Staying in every day except to check the mail. Though tomorrow I will venture out to Blockbuster -- for more movies. :-) May also go to the grocery store to try to find better soft foods. And, the good part? We get to watch all the movies we want, get all the sleep we want, catch up on our reading and paperwork, and the Olympics are on -- so we get to watch that, too! I won't add "eat all the ice cream we want" because the excitement of that lasts about 1 day. ;-) Hang in there, Lisa! Lisa (2006-02-17): Good to hear from you, Mary! Actually my doctor prescribed the 2 ibuprofen -- or actually Motrin -- which is equal to 2 ibu. I know what you mean about blood thinners though -- I guess I have to trust he knows why/what he says to me. Trying to take them sparingly nonetheless. I'm going to take some of the tylenol w/codeine soon for sleep. Hoping to be able to sleep for a number of consecutive hours tonight. Between waking for the pain meds and (with the ton of water I've been drinking), it seems like I am up constantly. Sorry it that was too much information. :<) I am extremely tired of soft foods too! Tonight I did have some macaroni and cheese -- which went down okay. Good to have something a little more solid -- at least one meal per day. Have you tried the Blueberry Buckle (Gerber) baby food? YUM! Getting the veggies in is the hardest part. I had made and frozen some broccoli cheese soup a couple of weeks ago and that has been really good. Bean soup has been good too -- just the Campbell's canned kind -- not too chunky. I am looking forward to a grilled chicken sandwich, regular green salad, and celery. May sound strange, but I NEED some celery! :<) Went to the store today for the first time in over a week. Woo-hoo, an outing! Gosh I feel like I'm about 105. I really haven't felt like watching much TV or movies -- but we did rent and watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tonight. I hadn't seen that in forever -- it was fun to watch it with our kids Yes, I am over the excitement of ice cream too (and anything sweet). Looking forward to returning to normal -- which does seem within grasp at this point. Hope you sleep well, will check back in with you tomorrow. Lisa (2006-02-17): Almost forgot -- you mentioned missing pizza. Try melting some shredded cheese in the microwave for 10 sec or so-- just plain on a glass plate. Just enough to melt some of the fat out of the cheese -- about as close to pizza as we're going to get for a while. The acid in the tomato sauce even sounds painful! Lisa (2006-02-17): If/when your ears start hurting, I have found it helpful to wear a warm, fleece headband -- especially at night. I am sure I am very beautiful in it (as my family will tell you), but sometimes function over beauty prevails! I am anxious to have popcorn again too! Nick26OH (2006-02-18): How funny that I found this site right now! I had a tonsillectomy 9 days ago now. My pain level is still pretty high, especially in the morning, oh god how the morning sucks. Anyway, I really haven't been eating much of anything because of my pain level but I wanted to thank you all (esp Lisa) for the food suggestions, I'm on my way out to get some baby food right now! It actually sounds like it might go down as well as supply me with some nutirents that I am no doubt missing. So far my experience seems on par with what most people have felt, which is good to know. I had some light bleeding on day 6 which stopped right away, but the flashlight showed me some serious gross throat. Um ya, so on day 9 now and the pain is still pretty high until my vicodin and lidocane swish (nasty awful stuff), but I'm only on those every 4 hours or so. It was really nice reading all of the comments here, thanks to Erik and all of the rest of you! Nick26OH (2006-02-18): Oh, and just something I've been experiencing is that pretty much any food that is creamy leads me to some very intense pain, which water does not help. My spit (ew) is still very thick all by itself and the only thing that helps the pain is to continually swallow or spit, then after 5 minutes or so, the pain goes away.. so basically milk (even choc), apple sauce, and ice cream are all out for me.. boooo. On the up side, I can do eggs.. and well, so far that's about it :) Lisa (2006-02-18): Hi Nick! Welcome to the club! :<) I hear you about how mornings are tough. Are you getting sleep through the night? If only I could breathe through my nose, then I think the nighttime would be better -- as it is I wake up about every 1-2 hours with dry tongue/throat pain -- which is horrid. I know I have to drink water to get moisture in there -- but then that hurts it even more. Vicious cycle. I can't wait until this is over. Tell me more about that swish -- my tylenol w/codeine is doing nothing for the pain -- actually increases the pain trying to get them down. What all did you have done? Sorry to hear you aren't able to eat any milk products. Chocolate milk has been my saving grace. I just had some instant oatmeal (apple crisp) and that went down ok. Water is the only thing that seems to actually be doing any good. Hopefully it is helping those scabs wear off and also reduce my mucous levels -- sorry, gross. Lisa (2006-02-18): Mary -- how are you doing this morning? They say it will get worse before it gets better -- so I am SURE I must be due to get better soon. Hope you had a good night. I am tired and cranky due to the lack of sleep, but being vertical seems to be better than horizontal right now. Have you tried any new foods? What is working best for you right now? Lisa (2006-02-18): I had found this website before my surgery and read through some of it. It really scared me -- I thought that no way would I be one of those whiners out there. But, here I am! Thank you SO MUCH Erik for this place! It does seem to help to be able to share with other people that are going through the same thing. It's nice to know you aren't alone in this. Thanks! Nick26OH (2006-02-18): I am sleeping through the night finally. I sleep on my stomach and wake up on my stomach. I'm a back-sleeper so my body is obviously telling me that the belly is the way to go for now. Even still, I'm pretty sure that I'm mouth breathing the whole night which is why I'm so sore in the morning. I'm just thankful that I can make it through the night. I only had tonsillectomy, no adenoids or uvula so I can't even imagine all the additional pain that must be involved there, my hat's off to ya. The funny thing about water, which is probably a false observation is that it seems to wash away the mucous and it actually really really stings. My drink of choice over the last 4 days has been chamomile mint tea. Nice a warm and soothing and it really makes me feel better.. another tip that works for me when things get really bad is to cup my hands around the mug and breathe the hot steam in through my mouth. The vapor really feels good on my throat. I just hope that the liquid is helping the healing, water or otherwise. The swish is a three-part mixture of "dipeh..." + maalox + lidocane. The dipeh... I think is basically liquid benadryl, but I'm not sure. I heard my doc refer to it as somthing-or-other's miracle mixture or something like that (he was in the other room). It's really retched stuff, tastes awful, like.. maybe melted plastic or something but I give it a swish for a minute or two, gargle for a few seconds and then drink it down (two teaspoons) and it numbs me up very nicely. I give the lidocane like 5 or 10 minutes to do it's work and then I can finally eat some food. I only use it when the pain is really bad, like in the morning s or right before bed. If you would like more specifics, let me know and I'll ask my doctor exactly what's in it so that you can ask your doc about it. On another note, I am eating some gerber sweet potatoes.. they are wonderful and are going down with no assistance and they aren't even burning me! Thanks so much for the idea because I REALLY need some nourishment! Hope that helps! Lisa (2006-02-18): Don't eat too many sweet potatoes -- the exterior of your nose will turn orange! No, just kidding -- when our kids were babies and they ate a lot of orange veggies, their faces did turn a bit orangey -- but I'm sure your's won't. Thanks for the info on the swish. I'll just hold out until Monday (just endure the agony) and then call the ENT if it hasn't gotten any better. I did try some green tea and that was a bit comforting. Trying to just keep my mind on other things. Chewing gum is helping too. On another note, my son said that if I smashed my thumb in the car door, maybe my mouth/throat wouldn't hurt so much -- hey, maybe he has something there!?? Hang in there, this has GOT to start subsiding soon.... doesn't it.... please, please?? Mary (2006-02-18): Hi Lisa and Nick! I'm on day 8 now and just had half a can of refried beans which added a little excitement to my day by exploding in the microwave (they were on a plate -- it was the *beans* that exploded!). I slept in my bed for the first time last night (the sofa was easier for sleeping with my head way-elevated), so that's getting better. I've slept well every night since the surgery, but I only had my tonsils removed, so my situation is a little different. Also haven't had to take pain meds in 2.5 days, but am still taking nasty liquid antibiotic. :-P A great discovery for me was the STRAW -- the bendy kind. If you're having trouble drinking water, get some of those bendy straws -- the suction through a straw is different and easier, so I'm drinking 3X the water I was drinking before the straw. Nick, I just read that chamomile tea is an anti-inflammatory, so I'm going to try to get some today, since I can't take ibu profen or aspirin. Would love for some of this uvula swelling to subside. My throat looks like a horror show and feels ... like there's debris in it. I guess that's the scabs peeling up? Another *great* discovery was a tea called Lemon Echinacea Throat Coat made by Traditional Medicinals (www.traditionalmedicinals.com), bought at Whole Foods. *Very* nice on the throat and comforting. I know lemon (citrus) sounds scary, but I found this tea only soothing! Lisa, I haven't tried the Gerber Blueberry Buckle, but have tried the pear/blueberry combo. Baby food does seem nutritional, but so far, not too tasty. Now I know why babies are always spitting their food back at their parents. Why is it so bland? And then, when kids get old enough for regular food, everyone wonders why they don't want to try anything new -- they've become accustomed to tasteless food!!! But, I digress. ;-) I *loved* your son's comment about smashing your thumb to make your throat pain feel less --- HA! :-D That made me laugh! May venture out to Blockbuster and Whole Foods. I'll let you two know if I find anything good. It gets better!!!! Lisa (2006-02-18): Hi Mary and Nick! What has the highlight of your day been? I'm guessing what foods you ate -- same here. Oatmeal for breakfast, chicken noodle soup for lunch, and I think I'll try scrambled eggs for dinner. Trying to get back into a framework of mealtimes -- not just "whenever" I feel brave. :<) How were the beans, Mary? Do you get to eat any of them? Sorry your antibiotic is gross, Mary. I guess I'm glad they gave me a shot in the leg while I was asleep -- supposed to take me 2 weeks past the surgery. I'm off the pain meds today too. The tylenol/codeine didn't really seem to give any pain/discomfort relief -- just made me feel loopy. Starting to feel more human today -- can think a bit clearer off the meds. Tonight the plan is Benedryl before bed (allergic to other decongestants). Hoping that helps with the sleep. Are you two on steroids too? Mine started out 2/day, then 1/day, and now down to .5/day. Supposed to help decrease the swelling in the throat/nasal passages. Only 3 more days of that to take. You're right, baby food is very bland. They don't need all the salt and sugar we are accustomed to. :<) I remember tasting the foods when our kids were little -- only a couple seemed edible -- though they seemed to like most of them. Isn't it weird that a straw can make such a huge difference? I agree. I have a cup with a straw/handle attached. Kind of hard to explain, but it has been great to get the water down. Has the thickness in your throat started to feel any less the past couple of days? Mine doesn't look any different -- yep, still a drippy horror show -- but I thought it would be substantially less by now ... ?? Wondering when people who have gone completely through this would say that should occur? Any idea? Mary (2006-02-18): Today has been a good day. Was great to get out. I managed the grocery store, but that took all the oomph out of me, so didn't make it to Blockbuster. Mixed Gerber Toddler ravioli and peas (Lil' Entrees) into Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup. Actually pretty good. Then mixed a little fruit cocktail into pear baby food for dessert. So, I'm getting adventurous. ;-) But, I just have felt stronger all day. Lisa, I hope you sleep well tonight. I hope the Benadryl does the trick. How did the scrambled eggs go down? They've worked well for me. I add a bit of milk to make them fluffier and cook them a little less time than normally. Both makes them softer and easier on the throat. I wasn't given steroids -- really nothing for swelling. And, I've had a lot of swelling. I'm hoping the camomile tea will help. I noticed that even Safeway carries the Throat Coat tea. It's good stuff. You're lucky to have gotten an antibiotic shot that lasts 2 weeks! I can't wait to finish my thick, gritty nasty antibiotic. Perhaps tomorrow will be the last day for it? Your throat should start feeling less thick tomorrow? Mine felt less thick today and we're on a similar time schedule. Sleep well! [email protected] (2006-02-19): They say misery loves company, so I must be in the right place. I had a hat-trick, the uppp, septoplasty and tonsillectomy four days ago. I have the exact same symtoms as those listed by the others. A lot can be said for character building by sleep deprivation, pain, starvation and dehydration.It is hard to keep a sense of humor after such a surgery, but a little humor goes a long way to keeping the spirit up. Get well wishes to all patients and I'll raise my glass for a little sip of water to salute your health and mine. I would like to also thank Erik for the web site. Means a lot pre and post -op. Nick26OH (2006-02-19): Hey all. Day 10 and I woke up with no pain what-so-ever! Too bad it only lasted for one swallow! The pain is definately getting better but I still medicated this morning after about 20 minutes.. the pain gets bad until I get a few cups of tea down. Other than that, I had an excellent night of sleep. I only got 6 hours but woke up totally refreshed. I really think that the lack of tonsils has dramatically helped my apnea which means when I get better I'll get far more better sleep. I didn't get an Rx for either steroids or antibiotics. I vaguely remember the doc saying something about loading me up with zithromax (i'm alergic to keflex) in my IV. I have no idea why I didn't get steroids, but maybe something to do with the procedure used to do the tonsillectomy because the doc said he was using some "new method" or something. Whatever... :) Jogrady, my advice is to get as much liquid as you can. stay hydrated! If you dyhydrate, the pain gets worse, which in turn makes you not want to drink any more and it turns into a viscious cycle. At least if you can keep drinking you keep the pain at an even and manageable level and still stay healthy. Good luck to you, it'll start getting better in a week :) Mary (2006-02-19): Welcome, Jo! Have you tried using bendy straws for water? It's so much easier, that you may find you're able to drink much more water than previously. It's really important to stay hydrated -- it keeps the scabs moist, so that they won't start coming off sooner than they're supposed to. Also, will just make you feel better in general. I only was able to really start drinking water when I started using straws. Also, baby food provides so many nutrients, that you'll get a lot of what you need, even in small quantities. I hope you feel better soon. You had a lot done. Just think, once you're healed you'll no longer have to deal with all the issues that brought you to the surgery. What kind of pain med do you have? I just got off my liquid hydrocodone a few days ago. It actually aided my sleep. Good morning, Lisa and Nick! How are you today? Lisa, were you able to get a good night's rest? I hope so. Lisa (2006-02-19): Good Morning my fellow tonsil-free recuperators! Welcome to the club, Jo! I just chuckle every time I come to this website... how we all just stumbled in. Erik -- must make you feel good to know you provide such a haven for us. :<) I had a rough night. Slept a little longer at a time, but I think that only made the dry throat more painful. All along I had wondered why my doctor didn't give me LIQUID pain meds (though it wasn't too bad at the beginning).... last night I was really unnerved because of it. So .... lesson to learn if you are still in the pre-op stage .... BE SURE YOUR DOCTOR GIVES YOU LIQUID MEDS. DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. Even if you think you can tough it out, there will be moments (middle of the night; sleep deprived) where you will need them. I think the benedryl helped a little -- just wish it work for more hours at a time. If I could just get a really good night's sleep, I know I could get through the last bit of this ... it can't be that far off. I have facial sinus pressure -- not sure if I am starting a new infection (though I shouldn't because I have had so many antibiotics in the past month or so), or maybe it is the normal healing process of the adenoids/nasal passages. Trying to just give it time to heal .... in nature's course ... but getting hard to do that. Will be calling doctor tomorrow if not better. Glad to hear that you, Mary and Nick, are doing better. What is on the menu for today? I am going to go back to the not-much diet and not take any chances today. I feel like there is just this last stretch to get through and don't want to disrupt anything -- fine line between helping/hindering healing. I have Lipton little noodle soup cooking right now. Jo, I hope you have someone there to help you through this -- it does help a lot. Take care and check in again soon. Holly (2006-02-19): Due to have surgery on Tuesday the 21st. I'm having T&A and a UPPP I've been reading on this site for over a week. This site has both scared me and reassured me. At least I know some of what I will go through and I'm gearing up for the pain and misery. lol I'm concerned with the mouth stretching and tongue stretching... I have been trying to repeat in my head... be nice to all that will take care of you... you need them :) I'm trying to keep mid march in my mind as being a better and happier time. I'll survive and pain will pass. Thanks to all who have contributed to this site. Hopefully I will feel like posting next week sometime. I know I will need to talk. Mary (2006-02-19): Hi Holly! It's good you're checking this before the surgery, so that you can prepare for certain things. Like Lisa just mentioned, be sure to ask your doctor to prescribe only liquid meds (pain med, antibiotic, etc.). You know, after my surgery, I couldn't see any evidence of the mouth/tongue stretching (could anyone else?). Except for the bouts of hiccups that followed for 3-4 days after the surgery. Lisa heard that when they stretch the mouth, it also stretches a muscle associated with hiccups. The hiccups have finally subsided -- thank goodness!!! Lisa, have you tried calling your doctor about switching your pain med to liquid form? My first prescription for antibiotics was for pill form (and they were as HUGE as horse pills), and 2 days later I called and asked for liquid instead. I was having to crush the horse pills which turned into a pile of sharp pieces, so it was just wrong in a lot of ways. A couple of hours after calling and asking for liquid form, it was waiting for me at my pharmacy. Nick, thanks for turning me onto the camomile tea -- I really like it (with a little sweetener). Glad you're doing better. The menu for today .... hmmmmm .... And the Iron Chef ingredient for today is ...BABY FOOD!!! Who can come up with the tastiest most tantalizing recipe? ;-) Lisa (2006-02-19): Welcome Holly! "They" say it is all worth it ... so that is something I think each of us holds on to. :<) My mantra is "in the long run". The short run is tough, so now I am telling myself "it is darkest before the dawn". Not sure if I am fooling myself or not, but it is something that I am trying. I'll let you know. Do you mind if I ask your age? I am 40, so I am thinking that is why this is so tough. I also have med allergies, so I am limited to what I can take. That may be why they didn't give me liquid meds ... I'll be calling my ENT to ask tomorrow. Tempted to call today ... but you never seem to get your own doctor on the weekends ... and I don't really have the energy to deal with one of the associates. Plus, I live in a small town and the pharmacy is closed for the day. I'm doing okay without pain meds during the day, it's just at night that I may still need them. There again, IF I could breathe through my nose, then my throat wouldn't get so dry and then I wouldn't need any pain meds! My nose is my #1 problem -- and that probably just needs time to fully heal. Yes, Holly you're right .... be as nice as you can now to your caregivers ... and remember you will probably owe them after this is all said and done. ;<) This being President's weekend, that means no school last Friday or tomorrow. My husband and kids are out for a walk right now ... nice to have a quiet house. Overall they have been great, but (here's another saying) "When Momma ain't happy, an't nobody happy!" :<) It sure has made me realize that I set the tone of the household. Just had some vanilla yogurt. Makes me think that we need to come up with a new line of nutritional foods for people that just had throat/mouth surgery. Way too much sugar out there. I had made the diet resolution on Jan 1 ... but woke up with strep throat on Jan 1 ... so maybe this is the way I am supposed to jumpstart my diet ... 10 lbs gone so far! That'll probably be right back on soon enough. Let me know what you come up with Mary! Want to start a new line of foods together? Tempted to try some mashed carrots, mashed potatoes, and jarred baby food beef to have a roast beef dinner. May sound gross, but I am seriously considering it. Need some protein. Have had some peanut butter on a spoon (chased directly with water) and that has been good. Good Luck Holly! I'll be thinking of you on Tuesday. You are going into this with a good attitude. Kiani (2006-02-20): hi there all, hope your recoveries are coming along nicely (& best wishes holly). i am into day 11 post-tonsillectomy and have noticed lollipop-step improvements since day 8. i had a lot of nausea and vomiting to start with but the pain that comes and goes in waves is even more surprising. i'm going to try and get some sleep now while i'm not hurting but i wanted to say THANKS as this site has been very comforting to me and i wish i had found it earlier. like lisa i'm trying to remain as positive about the next few days as possible. i'll try and think of some tips for next time (tho i think i've ticked off mostly "dont's" unfortunately!), take care, and good night. x anonymous (2006-02-20): Thanks for your well wishes. Lisa I just turned 41, so I'm right there with you on age. I have a small mouth is why I am concerned with the mouth stretching and whatever they do with your tongue. My boss keeps telling me to stay off this site cause it's freaking me out but it's kinda addictive somehow. She is the one who found it for me so it on her. ha ha HollyTX (2006-02-20): Forgot to put my name above, noticed there was another Holly from before so I've added TX to mind :) Lisa (2006-02-20): Hello everyone. I am happy to report that I got some sleep last night!! Not fabulous sleep, but at least 5X better than the past week has been. I found Aquadrops -- sold as a mint (by the gum, etc in the store), but kind of like a cough drop too. They are to hydrate your mouth. See website: http://www.aqua-drops.com/ Anyway, whenever I would wake up with the painfully sore dry mouth, I would put one of these in -- it helped immensely. Then I was able to take a drink of water and go back to sleep. I didn't even need pain meds in the night either. I'm not confident enough to say that I've turned the proverbial corner yet, but I think I can start to see it. Welcome Kiani! Sounds like we are on the same time schedule for when we had our surguries. Sorry to hear you had so much nausea and vomiting. That is one thing I did not really have, thankfully. I do agree though that there are certainly waves in the pain department. Very much a roller coaster. My family told me to stop reading online too... but once you start, you just can't stop. Very addicting. Good that your boss knows what you are in for -- how much time off work will you have? Hopefully your boss will be very understanding. It is strange to stop and think that you just never know who out there will read what you are writing. It's a big old world out there -- but seems very small when people from all over fall into the same place. Very 21st Century. HollyTx (2006-02-20): I'm scheduled to be off from the 21st until March 6th... 14 days, hopefully I will be in ok shape to get back to work. holly smith (2006-02-20): Hello i am 13 years old and i have had my tonsills out on the 17th febuary since then i have been in so much pain i can't talk or eat and i keep on having bleeds from my throat and nose. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ELSE THAT HAS THERE TONSILLS OUT, AND I HOPE THAT YOUR THROAT IS NOT AS BAD AS MINEXXXXX P.SMy email address is [email protected] Mary (2006-02-20): Hi All! Day 10 for me, and I finally feel I've "rounded the bend." The swelling is almost completely down and the scabs seem to be ... dissolving? From what I can see with the flashlight, they don't appear to be peeling up or falling off, but instead I can just see more of my throat poking through. I can sleep flat on my back for the first time and am eating food with more substance. Throat feels like a mild sore throat. I drank oodles of tea yesterday -- all camomile and Throat Coat, so I don't know if that made the difference, but I literally drank tea or water the *entire* day. I'm doing the same thing today. HollyTX, your surgery is tomorrow and I wish you the best. Stay focused on why you're doing this, your quality of life/sleep will improve after these next two weeks. Stay hydrated!!! You'll heal faster. Note to All: Exercise caution in using this (or any) site. Best wishes to you all. :-) Lisa (2006-02-20): HollyTX -- yes I would think 14 days should give you a nice recovery. Maybe not 100%, but close. HollySmith -- you are lucky to get this over with while you are young! I only wish I had -- they say it is worse the older you get. Hang in there -- it does get better. Mary -- My scabs seem to be dissolving a little too. I talked to my doctor's office today and they say that what I am going through is normal. It is normal to still have substantial swelling in the nose and nasal passages (had adenoids out) this long. I was concerned I was starting a sinus infection because of all the green (sorry, gross). Evidently because the nasal passages are so narrow, "it" turns green in the time it takes to move through.... or something like that. The nurse said that if I don't have major progress in breathing by Day 14, they should see me. I have seen good progress in the tonsil/throat area, so that is reassuring. I'm keeping water close at hand all day too ... maybe flooding it out is the key. :<) New subject: bad breath. Has anyone told you just how disgusting it is? I, myself, cannot smell it. However, my kids seem to enjoy telling me. I am supposed to go to a banquet for my son's Cub Scouts tomorrow night -- I think I feel well enough to go (but probably wouldn't eat there since it will be italian food (ouch, tomatoes!). Here's my dilemma: I don't want to offend everyone in my 10 foot radius (or embarrass my son!) I asked the nurse today and while she didn't say not to go, she did say that earlier today they had a young boy in that had recently had his tonsils out -- and that they bad smell filled the room -- and that the brother of this kid was throwing a fit because of it. SO? I guess I won't be going. Take care HollyTX -- good luck with your surgery tomorrow. I am hoping to be completely done with this in a matter of days, but will check back in to see how you are doing. Kiani (2006-02-21): loving the chamomile tea (thks!) and an anti-inflamatory throat spray with the extension thingy that reaches way back there! anyone got a free tip as to why we're advised not to use ibuprofen? does that still apply at this late stage? (Day 12).... x Lisa (2006-02-21): Good Morning Kiani! Ibuprofen thins your blood -- so if you were to bleed from your throat -- or if a scab came off prematurely you could hemmorhage and lose a lot of blood. Questionable about this late stage -- I've read you're supposed to wait 2 weeks from surgery to take ibu -- but then, my doctor prescribed Motrin (which is equal to 2 ibu) as a pain reliever right after surgery. My pain meds were Tylenol w/codeine every 4 hours and Motrin every 6 hours. I'm Day 12 too -- and for discomfort I am taking just regular tylenol to be on the safe side. Just wondering, have you shed your scabs? I can see lots of white back there still, but it does feel different -- thick. possibly loosening, and kind of itchy. Anxious to have them gone, but slowly -- don't want a raw throat either. Kiani (2006-02-21): thks lisa. ibuprofen would be my pain reliever of choice is all. i have no scabs to my knowledge. i can only see more of my own throat and it's quite red. the white stuff (scabs?) seemed to have dissapeared on its own. i vomited several times daily until day 6, and a couple of times after then (but never saw any blood). so i don't really know what that means, not seeing my surgeon for follow up for another couple of days yet. (i practically stalked him when i was vomiting so i thought i'd leave him alone 4 a while if i could!!). i'm glad you mention the discomfort as that and sleeping are my main problems at the moment. i must keep popping some pain relievers as i'm also still scared to eat properly. i'm flying on a holiday o/s for 3 weeks in 7 days and want to make sure i'm spritely. i am staying positive as i do improve a little every day but if i'm not eating properly by then i don't think the pain etc will have been worth it. hope your scabs are coming along properly (such a bizarre thing to say to someone isn't it?!?) Lisa (2006-02-21): Kiani -- you poor thing! I am so sorry you have been so nauseous. Almost sounds like a reaction to the anesthesia. That must have been absolutely horrible. I can see why you'd be afraid to eat properly -- but you really do need to try to start so that you can get some energy and vitamins in you to help the healing. Have you tried eating lukewarm soups? Baby food? Some nutrition without being edgy/sharp on the throat. Macaroni and cheese and green beans (regular/not baby) have been a staple for me the past couple of days. Having not eaten for so long, my tummy has not been real accepting -- though I haven't vomited. It will take time to build back to a "normal" diet. You said you had your tonsils out -- anything else? I had my adenoids out, so my nasal passages are just now getting to a stage where I can breathe through my nose. My nasal swelling really went down today -- so I am looking forward to *hopefully* getting some good sleep tonight -- will be good to not wake up with my mouth hanging open to breathe and having the dreaded throat-on-fire and dried-up-sponge-of-a-tongue. Once I have succeeded having a good night's sleep, I will be able to say this was all worth it. I hope soon you will be able to say that as well. Stay positive -- and lucky you -- a vacation coming up! You deserve it!!! Sleep well. Lisa (2006-02-21): Oh, and yes, my scabs do seem to be coming along properly -- drinking loads of water to help wear them away. Hope you are staying hydrated as well -- it really does help. Kiani (2006-02-22): i have only had the tonsils out. ate the most i ate in one sitting last night after i read your message. it was good for me as physically i felt relatively full and relaxed going to bed. so thank you! i have a feeling at this stage it's a bit like you say having not eaten properly for so long coupled with my vomiting experience i've gotta break thru the psychological barrier to return. today i have only had some warm mashed-up cereal so far but i will have some soup. some of the food you mention i tried when i was nauseous so it's like i've developed some aversion to them. soooo odd for me as i am such a foodie Lisa, literally there is nothing i will not eat! i just keep thinking to myself that one day i wil endure pregnancy and childbirth so this is probably all good practice for me?!!! it's great you can breathe, cos i guess thats prob why they needed to come out!! last night i was thinking my throat feels like a "drafty hallway"! re hydration you are soooooo right, when the doctor said to me "keep up your fluids" i really didn't grasp the full impact of the difference it makes. amazing really. how is your progress today? Kiani (2006-02-22): oops! A TIP for any other patients: i have found it very soothing (especially b4 eating) using ice in the shape of a straw against the area. it seems to numb, soothe and re-generate (or similar!) the nerves there. weird but wonderful. i'm in australia so i got the ice trays from IKEA, if you have the same where ever you are x Lisa (2006-02-22): Hi there Kiani! So glad to see your reply. Congratulations on getting some food in you! I hope you are able to eat more today too. I did really well today (I'm in the US and it is Wednesday evening). I had a banana, oatmeal, bean soup, and some rice casserole! Yippee! I still have some scabs back there, but definitely seeing more pink too. I have found that it is essential that I run the humidifier at night or my throat will become even more sore. Forgot to turn it on last night -- and have had a sore throat and ears today. It is cold and windy here (dry air), so that doesn't help either -- plus my husband just caught a cold -- hoping I don't catch it from him. Funny you should say that this is good practice for pregnancy and childbirth. We have 2 children and I had c-section deliveries with each of them -- and truly, having my tonsils and adenoids out has been harder to get through! I feel like such a big baby saying that -- I have friends that have been through cancer treatment and here I am complaining about my tonsils! Embarrassing! Pregnancy and childbirth isn't usually an easy time -- sometimes quite difficult -- but you are so centered on your child that you really don't think about yourself. :<) It'll be a breeze for you since you've gone through this! Tomorrow is Day 14 -- supposedly the "magic day" where I will be completly healed! Sure wish I could hold the doctor to that! I don't expect to be 100%, but will settle for 85%! I can already feel energy that I haven't had in ages -- must be the increased oxygen to the brain since shedding my huge tonsils! I know they had been draining my immune system for months -- maybe years. Hooray -- happy to be rid of them! Continued progress to you, Kiani! You are lucky to have your holiday to look forward to -- hopefully you will be able to get additional rest (and eat yummy foods!) while you are away. Take care. Kiani (2006-02-23): Me too Lisa, day 14 tommorrow also!! good luck if i don't get a chance to log on then. gosh you had such a good day today food wise, well done! i had a bit of regression today with the nausea but i still remain positive. thanks so much again, this site has definitely been the most helpful part of my recovery. HollyTX (2006-02-23): Well, I made it through everything ok. Didn't really want to post on 1st or 2nd day because everyone says the 3rd day is bad. Is that counting the day of surgery? So I'm either on day 2 or 3 however you count it. I sure can set my clock by the pain in my tonsils when the medication wears off. Within 5 to 10 min. my throat feels like it is going to close up and the pain is bad. Hard to even swallow water or the medicine. I've already called in today for a refill on the liquid pain medication. It's scarey to think of running out of it. I've tried not to try too many things to eat on the first two days. I don't want to scratch or irritate my throat prior to the bad days #3 through #9? Surprisingly I'm not starving yet. I'll be having rice and beans tonight that I cooked then blended then pushed through a sieve. Smooth but still tasty, better than baby food. Sick of sweet stuff already... ice cream, pop sickles,malts...I'm ready for protein. :) Well, it looks like some of ya'll will be dropping off here since your well now or almost there. Keep in touch and let us know how great it is later. I'm having no trouble breathing through my nose. Sleeping good until the pain comes back then take a dose and go right back to sleep. Hard to drink lots though... that's be a challenge but I'm keeping up with it because I don't care to have anymore pain than I have right now. take care everyone. Lisa (2006-02-23): Hi HollyTX! Glad to hear everything went well for you. I would say you are Day 3. I am Day 14 and feel really good. Eating is back to normal. Going to try pizza tonight (a bit nervous about the tomato, but willing to give it a try). Still a little of the white scabs back there so I have a really foul rusty horrid taste in my mouth -- and according to my family -- just as horrid smelling. I REALLY hope this part is over with very soon. I feel fine and want to get out more -- but I can't -- just too stinky -- even after brushing my teeth and while chewing gum! I wasn't quite prepared for how long this part would last. Yesterday I started doing a salt water gargle to help assist the healing -- so hopefully that will help speed things up a bit. I don't plan to eat ice cream, popsicles, fudge bars, applesauce, bean soup, or chicken noodle soup again for a long, long, long time! Good for you with the rice and beans! Definitely better than baby food -- some taste! Hang it there -- it does get better! Nick26OH (2006-02-24): Hi all. I took some time away from the site to continue recovering. I actually went back to work on day 12 (desk job, no biggie). It's now day 15 for me and I feel about 90%. I can eat normal food and I feel good most of the day. If you can tough out the pain on the surgery, the reward is worth it. Not much to say, I still get a little pain when I talk a lot but just because my throat dries up. I'm still guzzling tea and water just to keep things moist, even though my scabs are all but gone. The sad part is that I asked my doctor and he said no serious physical activity for another week. After tonight I'll have missed 6 volleyball games, which really sucks.. I can't wait until next week so that I can start playing again! Nick26OH (2006-02-24): Oh, and Lisa, I found that seriously scrubbing my tongue (even way in the back) really helped with the bad breath. HollyTX (2006-02-24): what is this the 4th day? worse day yet... pain and everything feels so swollen...don't care to eat because everytime I do it seems the food produces thick mucous that is impossible to get rid of. Beans and rice were good for my system but they seemed to stay in my throat forever. just trying to keep liquids in my system for the moment, I know I don't want to be dehydrated but I may put off trying to eat to just once a day. Hour by hour right now (actually 4 hours by 4 hours) pain meds. ya know.... Lisa (2006-02-24): HollyTx -- I feel your pain! Hang in there! Don't worry about the foods -- just push the water. It really does make a huge difference. The whole thing is a roller coaster, isn't it? There were days where I only ate once a day -- and that might have been only a popsicle. Making up for it now -- that 12 lbs. I lost will be back before I know it. And here I was hoping to use this as a springboard to a diet! Oh, well, just glad to be feeling better than ever. You had your adenoids out too, right? I had a lot of swelling from that -- but now, it's weird, it almost feels like I have 2 huge holes on the front of my face -- I am getting SO much more air in. What a weird thing to say -- but you'll understand in time. :<) I never realized just how congested I must have been prior to all of this -- it does feel like a new lease on life. Last night I slept SO good -- it was wonderful! Nick -- thanks for that -- yeah, I've been scrubbing away, hoping that helps -- the real test will be when my kids get home -- they'll tell me the truth for sure! :<) Glad you are feeling better and feeling the rewards. Congrats on getting back into at least part of your real life! Becky (2006-02-25): Im 33 and had my tonsils out and my soft palette cut out and tightened (the dangly bit it in middle!) on the 16th February and I am still only drinking water. I havent eaten since then cos everything tastes so disgusting. Everyone keeps telling me I need to force my self to but I cant its horrible. I was hoping to read some of you may have found this too but you havent so am more deflated now as dont know how long this will last???? Becky (2006-02-25): Did just read lisas comment that she had rusty taste in her mouth and she is still eating. I just cant force myself too althoug I really want to it just tastes so horrible. How long did it last Lisa?? Does it get better?? Has it gone yet?? Please give me a glimmer of hope!! Lisa (2006-02-25): Becky, Hi there! You haven't had anything in 9 days? You really do need to get some nutrition in your body -- it will help the healing by restoring some energy in you. Do what kids do when they don't want to eat something -- plug your nose and choke it down. Start with something simple -- maybe mashed potatoes with some butter? You need the calories. I hope you are drinking lots of water and staying hydrated. Water really helps reduce your mucous level. I am Day 16 now and the gross taste is lessening. It's all because of the scabs -- so when they go away the horrible taste should too. You had a lot of work done back there -- so I'm sure your taste buds are messed up right now too. It will heal -- but it all just takes time. I know it is hard and it is difficult to be patient -- especially since you aren't eating and possibly you aren't sleeping real great either. But, really, it will get better, just give it time. Hang in there! :<) Becky (2006-02-25): hi Lisa. No I hadnt had anything for 9 days until today I did force down a piece of toast this morning and tonite I just forced some mash and peas down but only about 10 mouthfuls its just so hard to force myself cos it tastes so horrible. I am drinking water but probably only about 3 glasses a day Im not good at drinking! It has been really sore today cos I got up yesterday and the day before and done some coursework and housework and think I over did it but its so hard to just lay in bed for 2 weeks and do nothing but I did lay on the settee under a blanket all day today under orders! I am just not very good at being patient I want the horrible taste to go now. It will be day 18 when I go back to work I will find that really hard and tiring if it hasnt gone by then and Im still not eating. I will try and hang in. Thank you :) Kiani (2006-02-25): hi becky! today is day 17 for me and this is the best i have felt so fair. comfort-wise, pain-wise, food-wise, sleep-wise, energy-wise. i know EXACTLY what you are saying about the foul taste. for the first 6 days i had nausea and vomiting and have had a couple of similar incidents even since then. i am also on the receiving end of orders from family to rest and eat but have been finding it so hard as anything brought to my mouth has a likelihood of coming back up again. i've been relatively disappointed in my surgeon's post-operative care but two initiatives from this website have stuck with me and i wish i had realised the full benefit of them earlier. they are PAIN MEDICATION and HYDRATION. i got lazy with my pain medication cos i was scared of it coming back up and i thought i could tough it out. i was dreaming. the less pain you experience the more you will be able to consume food and drink and the more you will be able to care for yourself properly. re hydration, it's beyond just "keeping up your fluids" - it has to be constant. this will assist with the pain and the healing. i'm the same in the sense that i usually love my food and only take small sips of water, struggling to get my 6-8 glasses in when i'm healthy. i also have kept pushing myself with coursework and housework but unlike hydration, i can't honestly measure how (un)helpful this may have been to my recovery. as lisa has said, it's a roller coaster. i've had good & bad days consecutively even for the last 5. apparently it is in 3 months that we are to compare ourselves to our pre-op condition. it seems like a long time becky but today at day 17 i feel almost like a normal person again, i think my taste buds are growing back! suggested foods: jelly, custard, ice blocks, ice creams, soup, chamomile tea. and remember - pain relief and hydration. good luck i hope this has been helpful. x HollyTX (2006-02-26): Ok people I'm dying here...I'm on the beginning of my sixth day..... my tongue is swollen... I swear if it wasn't I would be lovely... Did anyone elses tongue swell? It kills me to take the pain medication which is liquid Hydrocodone. I'm a ibu kinda girl so it's killing me not to take some IBU to try to get the swelling down. Someone tell me the rest of day six will be ok...:( Becky (2006-02-26): Hi Kiani. Thank you for your comments they were really helpful and I will keep trying. I was also very sick the first 4 days in the end the hospital had to change my medication to suppositories!!! Thank fully I have finished them now. I promise I will try and drink more and keep trying different bits of food. My throat does feel a lot better today than it did yesterday was really sore yesterday. I think I may try rice pudding tomorrow. x Becky (2006-02-26): Hi Holly. My tongue didnt swell up but you must feel awful Im an IBU girl to I couldnt stand the taste of my medication. Im trying not to take too much now. Try sucking an ice cube it may help your tongue. Stay in bed or on the settee and look forward to a better day 7. x Lisa (2006-02-26): Good Morning everyone. I am now day 17 and feel absolutely great! I almost feel bad saying that -- reading how miserable you all are -- but that should give you hope -- hope so anyway! HollyTX -- Becky is right, suck on ice cubes, that should help everything back there. How is your nose doing? Are you able to breathe through it at night? Looking back that was my single worst symptom (other than the obvious throat pain) -- it made everything else worse. I also made a new discovery regarding having my adenoids out. Earlier on I mentioned the horrible smell that permeated from me -- it is more the adenoid scabs that are stinky -- waaay more so than the tonsil scabs. So, to anyone out there that had your adenoids out: around Day 14 or so(for me one on Day 14, the other on Day 15), you will (sorry, this next part is very gross) blow out of your nose (one, each nostril) 2 black, vile, disgusting (the smelliest things EVER), scabs. These are the scabs from where your adenoids were removed. Once these are gone, you no longer will have such putrid, digusting breath. Your breath probably will still require gum or a mint to be near people, but at least it will be within your ability to control. Mine are gone now and I feel like I can get out and live again. Becky and Kiani -- Kiani, I know you said you were in Australia -- are you also, Becky? In Australia, do you have your tonsils out in a hospital and stay overnight? Here in the US, it is usually same-day surgery (I had mine out in a surgical center, not a hosp), and went home 5 hours later. Just wondering. Becky -- Glad to hear things are looking up for you! As Kiani said, it is so vital to drink water. Kiani -- Glad to hear you are doing so much better too! Have a great holiday! Lucky You!! It sounds like we are all ibuprofen girls. Once I got past Day 14, I did switch to ibu. I really think they work so much better than tylenol -- even better than tylenol w/codeine. That stuff just made me loopy. Just wondering, did your doctors give you any brochure/papers outling what to expect in recovery? Mine didn't give me anything and I'm tempted to type something up for him to give adult patients. But then, maybe this wouldn't be a good idea -- don't want to freak patients out TOO much -- they might back out of the surgery. What do you think? Would you have gone ahead with the surgery knowing what you were in for? Or is it too soon to say -- since you are still in the thick of the recovery. Have a good day! :<) HollyTX (2006-02-26): I was in so much pain last night and today. I also think I was having anxiety because my hydrocodone wasn't working as long and was about to run out for the second time. I called my doctors office this morning crying and he called back 2 hours later so by then I was really upset, crying and whining... He said I could take more and I said I didn't have enough that he was only prescribing enough to last for 2 1/2 days at a time. He said he would call in a larger bottle for me. So now that I have had ample medication and a shower and clean sheets I feel alot better. Lisa, I've been able to breath through my nose the whole time. No problems there and I have even been spitting up stuff the whole time... scab here,black stuff there, green junk, yellow junk it's kinda tricky to do but I would rather slowly get rid of some of the gunk. Well I better go down some water... or I will be up crying again at 2:30 in the morning Kiani (2006-02-26): oh holly you poor thing, you are so right i felt like i was dying too!! unlike you i only endured the tonsillectomy so i shudder to think of your discomfort. i hope the blow is softening day by day for you. reading back over all the 600 or so entries on this site, unfortunately it really seems to be a waiting game. lisa - i was in a public hospital overnight and could've stayed longer if i wanted, but the first day i think i was pretty high and deluded thinking "i'll be fine" - yeah right!! you're correct; i do wish i had received some post-operative literature from my dr. i have been somewhat disappointed with his briskness and lack of availability. i don't feel as if i was fully prepared for what to expect at recovery time. i think you have a great idea there, i'm sure that you could come up with something that was balanced but realistic. for me personally, i think i still needed to have the surgery so yes i would've gone ahead BUT it would've been an INFORMED DECISION. i certainly would've appreciated not having to deal with the shock and (nausea, vomiting, pain, dehydration) in addition to everything else. this could only be helpful in reducing the 'trauma' of it all. anyway everyone, i prob won't be logging on again for a while as i'm off to the states (never been to your homeland lisa - v excited!) and the uk / europe for 3 weeks for a wedding and to visit friends and family. believe me the pendulum has swung from me feeling very sorry for myself to feeling very grateful about my life. crazy. as i said before this site has been the most helpful part of my recovery. so thank you very muchly and take care, xoxo Lisa (2006-02-26): I don't know if it is the great pain we all endure going through this, the drugs that we take or what -- but it is definitely an emotional journey as well as a medical/healing journey. I don't even know any of you people and as happy as I am about being almost completely done with my recovery (just a tiny bit left!), it is just a tad bit sad to be leaving you all. It has been great to be able to commiserate with you -- comrades in arms, if you will. Farewell Kiani, HollyTX, Becky, Nick, HollySmith, Jo, Mary, and of course, Erik Burrows, the owner of this website. Your website has been a true blessing to each of us! Take care everyone and enjoy your lives in a whole new way! :<)!!!!!! Tracey4Andrew (2006-02-28): Hi my husband has just had his tonsils out and his uvula shortened(I think thats what they did to it)...I was just needing some advice in general on how best to care for him. This is day 2 he seems to be in alot of pain even though hes not saying much about it. I am feeding him a little bit but often and hes drinking only about 2 glasses of water a day. He just doesnt like water any suggestions on another beverage that wont sting or make things worse. Thanks so much :) Lisa (2006-02-28): Hi there Tracey. I just said goodbye to everyone around here and here I am checking back in. I had my tonsils & adenoids out on Feb 7 and doing great now. Like it or not, your husband NEEDS to drink a ton of water... even if he doesn't like it. In the long run (and even in the short run) he'll FEEL much better when he drinks the water. He'll heal faster and generally just get through his recovery better with the water. It makes a HUGE difference in overall ability to get rid of the mucous that builds up and helps everything along. All the doctors say don't worry about food -- just push the fluids. Water really is the best. Doctors debate over daily products (some say dairy makes more mucous whereas other docs don't believe that at all)... so depending on what your dr (and you) believe, milk is good to drink as well.... but still MORE WATER than anything else. 2 glasses a day isn't anywhere near enough ...more like 2 glasses an hour at this point.... yes, really... as others have pointed out on here, a straw is the easiest way to get the water down. If he falls behind in water now, he is in for an even rougher recovery... and with that being said ... it's already hard no matter what. Good Luck and yes, it IS worth it in the end. Tracey4Andrew (2006-02-28): Thanks Lisa,,I told him what you said and he has promised to drink much more water. I keep stressing to him how important it is. He was trying to run into work to sign for something today and I told him that was a really bad idea and that he should stay in bed. Its day 3 thats too early to be going anywhere right?? Lisa (2006-03-01): Yes, WAY to early. He is on meds, isn't he? With most meds (I was on tylenol w/codeine) they say not to drive or sign important papers, etc while on them as they can impair your senses. Be ready for a roller coaster -- he'll have good days (where he'll "think" he is good to go) and bad days. I hope he has adequate time off work. Supposedly this surgery is easy on kids (I'm starting to doubt that), but for adults it is much more serious -- not a surgery he is just going to bounce back from in a few days. Tell him the more he rests now (and drinks water :<)), the better off he'll be. Good luck -- everyone says husbands are the worst patients. ;<) I sure hope mine never has to go through it. Becky (2006-03-01): Hi Gang havent log on for few days, been feeling sorry for myself!! I still cant eat anything due to this awful taste in my mouth. Today is day 14 but it hasnt magically gone I am trying to force myself to eat little bits but I just cant manage more than 2 or 3 mouthfuls. The weight is dropping off and I am due back at work on Monday. The actual pain of my tonsils and soft palette are loads better really its worse first thing in the morning when it is so dry and sore. Glad you are still logging on lisa. Holly in answer to your earlier question, sorry I havent answered earlier but I am in the UK and I stayed in hospital overnight because I had both things done. Hope you are feeling better now than you were a few days ago. Tracey, Lisa is right she was my saviour when I was really bad he has got to drink lots of water and he must rest for 2 weeks or it will take him longer to get over it. Darlene (2006-03-01): Hi Everyone! I got my tonsils taken out Friday Feb 24 and it is hell!! I just noticed today that where the tonsils used to be it is coated with white stuff. It looks like mold is growing in the back of my mouth. Anybody experience this? Im wondering if I have an infectionof some kind. Lisa (2006-03-01): Becky -- Hi there! Doesn't it make you mad when you hit Day 14 and you aren't completely healed? ;<) EVERYONE says 2 weeks --- but I think it is often a bit more than that -- to be completely through with this. You should be good to go by Monday. Does your work require you to talk a lot? I am still finding (above I said I had mine out Feb 7 -- that was wrong -- it was Feb 9 -- so I am Day 20 right now) that if I talk a lot in the morning, my throat hurts the rest of the day. I am also finding it best when I continue to drink lot of water. Disgusting taste is 95% gone -- just yucky in the morning now. You really need to get some food in you -- even if it doesn't taste good. I don't think my tastebuds are working right yet -- which makes me sad! I feel good, I am able to eat, but food isn't as good as it used to be. "They" say that can take a while to return -- maybe that's a blessing in disguise for me -- good time to diet. You are so sweet! I feel like I am such a Mom on here! Glad I've been able to help you. Becky -- So you are in the UK? I figured you were from either Australia or the UK -- could read the British influence. We just got the BBC America channel and we are enjoying some of the programs -- and learning the way you talk over there -- my kids have picked up "brilliant" (they say it ALL the time on Changing Rooms), and "telly" instead of TV. Just having a little fun. :<) Darlene -- what you are experiencing with the white stuff is 100% normal! You've probably heard about the scabs that will form in your throat -- that is what that white stuff is. You are Day 5 now -- so yep, you are in the middle of the worst of it. You will have good days and bad days -- just try to drink LOTS of water -- it is by far the single most important part of your recovery. Hang in there -- you've come this far -- you can get through the rest of it! Darlene (2006-03-01): Thanks, Lisa! You've made me feel better. Im trying real hard to drink lots of water. I see that there's more stuff to come i.e. yucky taste in my mouth! Frustrating!! There better be a happy ending after all this pain. Darlene (2006-03-01): I am quite humoured at how I just stumbled across this site. Who would have known there's a forum for tonsillectomy's. I am so glad. I was begining to think I was the biggest baby on earth. Im 27 years old and this was my first surgery ever. Needless to say I was quite scared about the whole thing. The surgery itself was a piece of cake but this recovery process is horrible. I've found that popsicles help a great deal. Im on day 5 and still cannot talk properly. I've never done so much grunting in my life! Anyways, Im glad we have our own sub culture going on. Bye for now. Ben Greer (2006-03-02): I was walking through the forest one day, and I stopped breathing. I couldn't even talk to the squirrels. My tongue was so swollen from my tonsillectomy, that the squirrels began to laugh at me. Okay, so this may not be so cohesive because I am still on the good pain medication... you know what I am saying? Having said that I have some thoughts. Maybe the squirrels, weren't actually laughing, maybe they were just jealous of my tongue. You see, maybe if a squirrel had a larger tongue he could gather larger acorns. So in my post surgery state I apparently have become selfish, trying to make everything about me... clearly the squirrels just need to eat. I clearly need to sleep. Oh right, that leads me to my original thought... I can't really sleep because I can't breathe and I can't breathe because my tongue resembles the state of California (with handles, like a bicycle). Any suggestions? Lisa (2006-03-02): Darlene -- I agree, the surgery was the easy part -- it's the recovery that stinks (figuratively and literally!). Popsicles saved me in the beginning too -- that, and being able to commiserate with people that were going through the same thing I was going through on this website! If you really want to drive your family crazy, instead of grunting, ring a bell when you want something. ;<) Ben -- Since you seem to be of a creative mind, I'll answer your question in the immortal words of Vanilla Ice -- "Ice, Ice, Baby" .... it should help your swelling. Did your doctor put you on prednisone? It helps reduce the swelling too. Good Luck. Darlene (2006-03-02): So I went to the Doctor just to double check this white stuff. Long and behold it's a yeast infection from the antibiotics!!!!!!!!!!GROSS! I knew there was something odd about the "white stuff". So now not only do I have to take pain killers and antibiotics but I also have to ingest 2 other types of medicine. How life just gets better and better. Ben - When did your procedure take place? I like the squirrel story. At least you're creative under all this craziness. I can barely read a book. One because I cannot comprehend the words(thanks to tylenol 3) and secondly Im too weak to hold the book up!! Lisa - What's your take on going back to work? I've been off for a week now. For sure Im taking another week off but Im wondering how will I be the 3rd week? Probably still sore especially if I have to talk lots. Lisa (2006-03-02): Darlene -- Really? That IS gross! I've never heard of such a thing -- usually the white scabs are a normal part of all of this -- but, obviously, you had something more than the normal stuff. Do you have liquid meds or pills/tablets? On going back to work -- does your job require constant talking? Everyone recovers/heals at a different pace -- so your scabs may heal up faster than mine have -- you are quite a bit younger than I am; so that is a positive. If you go back to work after the 2 weeks, you'll just have to pace yourself. Maybe the first day or two you could work just a 1/2 day? You could see how things go then -- is that an option? I work part-time from home (I have my kids here too), so I have a different situation. Other than conversing with my family, I am able to email most of my work, so that is good. Hope you are beginning to feel a little better -- just think how strong you'll be by getting through all of this! For your first surgery, you picked a doozy! :<) Any future surguries you may require will be a piece of cake! Darlene (2006-03-02): Lisa-- There's something about the "white stuff" that I thought it's not the typical scabs. I can't explain it. It's disgusting!!!! Just thinking about it makes me wanna vomit. I have pill meds but also a liquid one for the yeast. I can work 1/2 days which is probably what I will do. I knew it would be a difficult recovery but not this difficult. It's so difficult we have a special forum for it!! Jonny (2006-03-03): Hi there. I got had a coblation tonsillectomy one week and 12 hours ago today, and I'm still in similar-or-worse than day 1 pain. The pain is managable to where Ive only been given tylenol codiene when leaving the hospital. But the pain seems to be steady and sometimes worse as the days go on. The gross white stuff that looks like chewed gum stuck in the sides of the throat remain, but some disappeared tonite after eating some pizza(which was a chore). I almost choked on a sandwich at work today, scary. About the quicker-recovery/less-pain theory of the coblation tonsillectomy, i would say "not substantially". There is a less chance for bleeding, in fact, i never even had blood right after the surgory. But the pain is still there, and its especially spreading to my left ear, driving me nuts. I can compare it to getting my wisdom teeth out and having dry socket. So tommorow is day 8 or 9. I can't wait to get this hell over with. I tried to do some moderate excersize yesterday (a small dumbell) and small hints of blood was showing up as I spit into the sink. I went back to work on day 5, not fun, since talking really hurts and makes the tonsil-less areas swell. I was told not to go to work for 10-14 workdays. That is insane! Unless you live in Europe (im in the US) where 2 months vacations are common, we dont have time for that. Good luck with everyone else, maybe i'll let you know my day 14 progress. Jonny- again- o yea! (2006-03-03): By the way, Im 23, almost 24, so healing might take a bit longer!! Darlene (2006-03-04): Jonny - You went to work on day 5!!!!??? Im on day 8 and still can't talk properly. And the pain!!! I was going to try moderate exercise but decided against it due to the bleeding. My left ear is killing me as well. Im 27 so the healing will take even longer. Pizza? That sounds good! Im not that brave. Lisa (2006-03-04): Good Morning. Welcome to the club, Jonny. You are back to work on Day 5? Wow, that is amazing, but I do understand about not being able to take more time due to your job. That is too bad. You are brave eating such regular food so early on -- especially the pizza with the tomato sauce -- so acidic. Make sure you are drinking tons of water too -- that really helps speed up the healing process. The nurse at my doctor's office pre-warned me about that left ear thing -- said it usually shows up around Day 6 or 7 -- so what you are going through is pretty normal -- horrid, but normal. Hi there, Darlene! Is it getting any better? Are you getting decent sleep? Is the extra white stuff starting to go away? I went to my dr yesterday and found out that unbeknownst to me, when my dr was doing the adenoidectomy (along with the tonsillectomy), he also reduced a turbinate (just the tissue; not the bone)! Until yesterday, I didn't even know what my turbinates were!! Anyway, because of this reduction (extra bleeding, etc), I have extra gunk going on back there -- so I'll be doing nasal irrigations to decrease that. Controllable now that I know what is going on and how to treat it. After the surgery, he did tell my husband that he "reduced additional inflammed tissue" -- well, that was the turbinate thing. Evidently if he would have labeled it "turbinate reduction", then he would have had to have it coded and billed. Hey, so I guess he did a little something for free! He was right near there anyway, so did a bit extra. Can't complain about that! Becky (2006-03-04): Lisa - Ok mom how are you!! Youve got a lot more patients to now!!!!! Its now day 17 and still not much food, 2 mouthfuls of my tea and the rest went in the bin. I am being good and drinking more water though like you told me! Have been back to the doctors and theyve signed me off for another 2 weeks and said I have to give it time and get better properly. Have got some green medicated mouth wash stuff to gargle with 4 times a day and have to try and eat natural yoghurt, yukk! Aparantly its got bacteria in it that will help return my mouth to its natural balance. Glad you are feeling loads better and you got a freebee, I already had a full nose job done in june last year to improve my nasal passage luckily all our treatment is free here on National Health Service its a bit mean you have to pay for it. Hope you have a good weekend. Darlene - hang in there and do whatever Lisa tells you she is everyones saviour. I cant tell you when it gets better cos im still waiting. I found this website by accident too and Im so glad I did. Darlene (2006-03-04): Lisa- Yes, it is getting a little better. The mornings are still horrific. I still cannot talk properly. As far as food goes: popsicles, eggs, soup, macaroni&cheese, chocolate(gotta have that!!), jello. Still struggling with drinking 8 glasses of water. It's great you got some surgery done for free. I take it you have to pay out of your own pocket? Im from Canada so our Health Care covers this sort of stuff. Nasal irrigations...does not sound like fun. Take Care. Becky - I received some type of liquid stuff as well. I have to use it 4 times a day. It's for the lovely yeast infection I got. Wow, you're on day 17 and still got signed off for 2 more weeks?!! Hang in there. I know this is so difficult. A couple of my co-workers told me it's nothing more than having Strep throat. What were they talking about??? This is 100 times worse. Hope you get better soon. Bye for now. Lisa (2006-03-04): Hello! Becky -- Nothing more than having strep throat? What planet are they from?? ;<) Unless people have been through this themselves (as adults, not as children); people have NO CLUE what this is all about. And since most people think this is just a little thing, when you tell them just how awful it is -- they think you are a big baby. Good thing we can come here to talk among ourselves. Becky and Darlene -- So, the UK and Canada both have National Health Care Services -- you don't have to pay for ANY healthcare at all? Yes, here in the US we do pay for healthcare -- but not 100% of it. We have health insurance that pays for a portion of it. We pay the deductible (the first $1000) and then our insurance policy picks up 80-90% of the remainder. We are able to choose the doctor and the surgical center or hospital where we will have procedures done. With National Health can you choose your doctor or are you assigned one? Do you have to pay for prescriptions? Through our insurance policy, we pay only $20 for each prescription -- whereas if we didn't have the insurance (insurance is deducted from a paycheck through a person's workplace) some prescriptions can be over $200 or more. It is a lot to understand -- especially if you get it all for free. People in the US who cannot afford to pay for healthcare do get some things for free -- but they may not have as many choices either. Becky -- since your country does things differently, could you explain what it means to be signed off for 2 more weeks? Does that mean that if you are feeling better you can't go back to work for 2 more weeks? Will you still get paid if you aren't working? I am feeling so much better that I just spent 5 hours today out in the cold weather watching my son participate in some scouting activities. We identified the pelts of numerous wild animals (minks, bobcats, mountain lions, raccoon, various types of fox, muskrats, etc), we hiked, they played kickball, we learned about Search & Rescue on frozen lakes, learned about turkeys and how a person uses a turkey call, and we roasted hot dogs on a campfire. It was freezing cold and windy, but it was kind of fun too -- good to get out after being inside for so long. Nasal irrigation -- no not exactly fun, but so helpful. If your doctor suggests it, do it. It makes a HUGE difference in the ability to breathe clearly. It sounds worse that it really is -- and once you understand correctly how to do it, it isn't any big deal. Good luck to both of you getting some food down. Becky, I'm a little worried about you. Not getting even the tea down? What did the dr say about that? Yogurt really is a great food -- you said natural yoghurt -- so does that mean no flavor in it? It the yucky taste in your mouth lessening? Darlene -- so glad you are getting food in you! Be happy you are only 27 -- I'm 40! When I was at the dr yesterday he said that the tonsil beds (place where the tonsils "were") are doing really well. They look a little grainy, but he said that is normal for the stage I am at -- and that will be replaced with "mucous membranes" in time -- which just means tissue like what is around your throat. So, it all just takes time. Take care everyone. I hope you get good sleep tonight! Becky (2006-03-06): Morning. I did have a little to eat last night. I am trying I think the taste is slowly going but it is a very slow process. We cant choose our surgeon we just get allocated one. We have to pay �6.50 for prescriptions. My doctor has said I cant go back to work for 2 more weeks and has given me a certificate but I am getting paid from work I think I have only been there 4 months but I should do. If I do feel better before then I can go back to the doctors and she can sign me off as being fit to go back to work. But she said I need to be eating properly before I go back and build my strength up. The natural yoghurt is to help restore the natural balance in my mouth so I suppose it is more effective if I dont put anything in it. May try a little honey just to sweeten it. Take care all. Darlene (2006-03-06): Hi Everyone. Im on day 10. I've decided to get off the pain meds but my throat is still sore. The razor blade feeling is gone (thank God!!!!). I still cannot talk properly nor eat a lot of solid food. My parents made ribs last night for supper. I figured no problem. The meat is soft enough to swallow. So I take a piece. Bad Idea! The BBQ sauce was way too spicy for my throat. I wanted to cry. Not because I felt like someone lit my throat on fire but because I couldn't eat any ribs:( So back to the soup I went. Becky, keep eating!! Lisa, are the nasal irrigations helping? Take care! Lisa (2006-03-06): Hi there! Yes, the nasal irrigations are helping immensely. My ENT dr suggested I use the NeilMed Nasal Rinse premeasured packets mixed with distilled or boiled water. They are so easy to mix and use -- I had used other irrigations methods previously, and this is by far the quickest and easiest. Keep it in mind if you ever need to do this. Darlene -- glad you are getting somewhat better -- you should begin to see improvement daily from now on. Bummer about the ribs! It is good to be able to eat regular food again now -- though my tastebuds still aren't 100% -- hopefully soon. Becky -- thanks for the lesson! Very different indeed. Have you tried eating baby food from a jar? You really need some nutrition. Were you able to get the yogurt down today? Hope so! I've gotta go run kids to activities! I'll check back again later! Darlene (2006-03-07): Hi everyone! The throat is getting better. Still sore but tolerable. I now have caught the flu. That's my luck! Im still very weak and get tired quite easily. How are you all doing? Lisa (2006-03-08): Darlene -- Hi there! Glad to hear your throat continues to improve. Sorry about the flu. That's not good! Your immune system must really be down. I hope nights are getting better and that you aer able to nap during the day. Hope you feel better -- flu-wise and tonsil-wise soon. I don't know about you -- but I am really ready for Spring -- warmer weather and getting out more. Take care! keith jax (2006-03-08): go in 9 am 3-9-06 for up3 tonsils and septum hope for fast healing! Lisa (2006-03-08): Good Luck, Keith! After your surgery, if you feel well enough, try to eat! Not to be the bearer of bad tidings -- but Day 2 it will be more difficult to eat than Day 1. Nothing about the recovery from this is easy, but the most helpful thing that most of us have found is that when you drink LOTS and LOTS of water (even if you don't feel like eating), it will help immensely. Keep a large glass of H2O around at all times and keep sipping (much easier to get it down when you use a straw -- especially the bendy kind). Best of luck tomorrow. Darlene (2006-03-08): Good Luck, Keith! Im not gonna sugar coat it for you but recovery is horrible. Lisa's right. A lot of water!! Popsicles were my saving grace as well. Try to eat as much as you can. I didn't eat enough nutrients and caught the flu. Keep us posted. Becky (2006-03-09): Oh well here we are day 22 and still not eating properly but taste is getting better very slowly. Am having toast in mornings now as they are better as taste gets worse as day goes on?? Am trying every day when I do my partners tea to force a small amount down. Managed about 8 mouthfuls. Trying really hard and cant wait till things taste normal again as I love my food so much. Meant to be going out for meal tomorrow night for my dads 60th birthday, I guess I will pick and watch everyone else enjoy their meal!!! Oh and drink water!! Lisa and Darlene - hope you are both ok. Lisa make sure you dont over do it all this rushing around. I am still napping during day! Darlene hope your flu is getting better and your throat. Nina (2006-03-09): I read that Jonny had a "Coblation" tonsillectomy and he seems to have had an easier recovery then everyone else. I did some research on Coblation and it seems to have better post-op outcomes. It may be a better way for a tonsillectomy. Does anybody know any more about it?? Darlene (2006-03-09): Hi everyone! Im on day 13. My throat is still sore especially the left side. My left ear is also paining. Becky- Are you not eating because it's painful of because of the taste? Are you back at work? Im still napping too. Lisa- I agree with Becky. Don't overdo it. Nina- I don't know anything about "Coblation" tonsillectomy. Are you having this procedure done? Lisa (2006-03-09): Hi Becky, Nina, and Darlene! Thanks to all for your concern -- I am doing fine. Today is Day 28 for me -- and I'm back to my regular life. Still some nasal/throat congestion gunk, so I'm hoping that there is just a bit of healing yet to happen -- but this could be the way I am going to be (but I sure hope not). Nasal irrigation helps control it, but it could end up being allergies too. My adenoids were swollen for such a long time that my sinuses never completely drained -- I'm talking years here. Now my adenoids are gone and the draining just keeps going and going and going. Could be increased allergies. Time will tell. Rushing around (remember, I have kids, I'm a soccer Mom :<)) is just a part of my normal life -- I live in my mini-van. ;<). However, this weekend, my husband and one of our children will be going out of town -- so my other child and I will be napping! Currently, my project is sorting photos and papers from the past 5 years -- time consuming -- but not energy-consuming. One of those things I've "been meaning to do when I get the time" -- well, the time is here and now. Next step, start scrapbooking! Becky -- Glad to hear you are eating a bit more. Yay for water!! Hope you are able to enjoy your Dad's birthday! Hey, maybe they'll serve ice cream!! :<) Nina -- I've read a little about coblation, but it is still pretty new. What I did read was that some (but not all) adult patients seemed to have a little easier recovery -- but hard to judge that I would think -- since they didn't really have prior experience to compare it to. If someone told me that I had a new technique, I might "think" that I had an easier recovery than some. Know what I mean? As difficult as my recovery was, I just try to keep in mind that we all have it easier than people 100 years ago. My son's class visited a museum and they showed the students how tonsils were removed 100 years ago -- sheer torture! It was this metal instrument that was inserted in the person's mouth (no anesthesia, nothing) and the tonsils were basically cut off. The only sterilization they had for the instrument was to put it over a candle flame. YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think we all have to agree that medicine has come a long way in 100 years! :<) Darlene -- Are you getting over the flu? Your left side/ear pain should subside soon. Have you been able to get some food in you (and keep it down?) Nina (2006-03-10): Hi Darlene & Lisa, I'm looking into having my tonsils out and i've heard nothing but great things about Coblation. Two of my friends had it done and they said it was not that bad. My surgeon really believes in it. If I can feel better in less time, I'm all in. It's not that new, it's been around for 5+ years. I think I'm going to go for it. Lots of surgeons use it in my area (Los Angeles.) Coblation is the latest thing in Tonsillectomies!! Melissa (2006-03-10): Hello everyone. I had a tonsillectomy on 3/7/06 and for me the pain in my throat is not all that bad. My tongue is what really hurts. i think the doctor clamped my tongue too hard. Melissa (2006-03-10): My tongue is swollen from where they clamped it. I am able to swallow and eat okay. I was talking the minute i came out of the recovery room. I have had severe sore throats in my 24 years of life so his does not hurt all that much, only my tongue. Has anyone else had this problem with their tongue hurtng from the clamp? So far, the day of the surgery 3/7/06 I hate rainbow sherbert and some popsies. The nex day I ate 2 eggs some french toast and a sausage link...we went to IHOP..it was soooo good.I just wish I could get my tonue to stop hurting... Derrick (2006-03-11): Hello everyone...it's day 33 for me since my tonsillectomy, uvulectomy & shaven soft pallet. Post-op visit went well; Dr ordered another sleep study to be sure sleep apnea is gone. I'm pretty sure it's gone; I'm back in the master bedroom with the wife and she continues to wake me throughout the night because I sleep so sound now (without any noise). I'm a happy camper now and 25lbs lighter (working out 6 days per week; Dr said that I must keep weight off to keep sleep apnea away). The pain from my surgery was the worse I've ever experienced. I was warned, but had no idea it would be as bad as it was at age 40. Nonetheless, it was well worth. Still a little difficult to swallow normally (due to the uvulectomy & shaven soft pallet). I've been told that it may take up to 3-4 months for full recovery. If anyone has difficulty swallowing after a procedure such as mine, I suggest liquid meds (which they finally gave me), gatorade (sipping through-out the day) and ensure (I couldn't do anything else for 3 weeks. Had a dinner meeting last night and had my first steak; thought I was in heaven. Thanks to everyone for posting the comments and my hat's off to Erik who started chat...it prepared me for the recovery process and I'm grateful. Tommy (2006-03-11): Don't sleep very well. Tried sleeping sitting up, but still having a hard time. The pain medicine makes me very sleepy, but I can't seem to fall into a deep sleep. Any suggestions? Lisa (2006-03-12): Hi everyone! Nina -- If you have coblation available to you, that's great! I did not really do much research prior to my surgery -- I only knew I did not want laser surgery -- as (at least with my dr), it requires multiple procedures and I just wanted to have the surgery and be done. I knew someone who went through the laser procedures and it sounded like torture repeating itself. Best just to do it all at once and then deal with the recovery, I thought. Melissa -- Hi there. I am Day 31 now and for the first 8 days or so I had tongue pain too -- a couple of vertical cuts on top and what felt like lots of knicks and bruises way back and under -- ice seemed to help -- but mostly it just takes time to heal. You could also swish with salt water -- that promotes healing too (just be sure not to swallow it). Derrick -- Congratulations on your successes -- back in your own bed and your weight loss. That is fantastic! I agree that even when you are warned, you don't completely understand the intensity of the recovery until you are in the middle of it. I'm 40 as well -- and sure wish I could've done this as a younger person/child! I had my tonsils and adenoids out and a turbinate tissue reduction. I can say I am 90-95% right now -- but still have an issue with post nasal drip (sorry, gross)-- which could be increased allergies or possibly still recovery in the turbinate area and my taste buds are not fully functioning yet. They say that can take up to 3 months to return as well. I find when I talk too much I pay the price later in the day. It is great to be able to breathe through my nose now though and hopefully I'll never get strep throat again! That in itself was reason enough for me to go through this. Tommy -- What did you have done? Do you have swelling in your nasal passages and so you can't breathe through your nose? That's what happened with me and so everytime I would try to sleep, I would awaken with a horribly dry mouth and throat. It was miserable. Another possibility could be your meds -- some make it difficult to rest or sleep. Talk to your pharmacist and see if your meds cause restlessness. If so, they sometimes will change your meds. Do you have a humidifier? Depending on the climate you live in, if you have dry air, a humidifier really provides some comfort. I know it's hard to heal when you can't get any decent sleep. Good Luck. Darlene (2006-03-12): Hi everyone! Lisa, yes I am eating. No problem with that. I actually have been over eating. I forgot that my stomach has shrunk and cannot hold a lot of food so my tummy feels like it's gonna burst! But that's ok. I'll take bursting tummy over empty tummy any day. Melissa- Fortunately I had no tongue pain. Try popsicles and ice cubes. It will help. Keith Jax (2006-03-12): Lisa and Darlene thanks for the encouragement i used boost and ensure and tons of gatoraide with hycet. I think i will get by. sunday 6 pm 3 rd day-- i can think a little more clear now !!!! Does humidifier HELP ? Keith Jax keith jax (2006-03-12): Darlene lisa end of day 3 10 pm my throat and nose are so stiff and dry constant sipping ice and gatoraide not helping - what to do next??? thanks kl Anthony (2006-03-12): Keith The next 5 days will be the worst, so you will want to get it together now. Hang in there. I ate alot of cold jello, pudding, and apple sauce. The more you can eat the better you will feel. Get a humidifier, it will certainly help. Set your alarm clock to keep a tight schedule with pain meds. If the pain meds you have aren't working good. get better ones. 4+ months now, the swallowing issues are gone now!! If asked if I'd do this again...NO Anthony (2006-03-12): Here is another great support site! http://www.apneasupport.org/ Lisa (2006-03-12): Keith -- Yes, a humidifier really does help -- especially if you are in a climate with dry air. Truly, I think plain water does more for you than the gatorade. If you don't have a humidifier, take a warm shower and breathe in the steam. Drinking tea seemed to soothe too -- but be careful not to burn your mouth -- let it cool down a while before drinking it. The combination of the warmth and the natural stuff in the tea are healing/soothing. It was mentioned earlier that Chamomille tea is supposed to be helpful -- I only had green tea at home at the time and that was helpful too. Do you have any cough drops at home? You don't want anything too strong, but they can help with the dryness for a little while. Be sure you are staying on schedule for your meds -- set your alarm to get up in the night to take them -- the misery is even worse if you fall behind. With your septum surgery, did they pack your nose? Is the packing still in there? I didn't have that -- so I only know a little about that procedure. If you don't have a humidifier, have someone go out and buy one for you tomorrow -- we have both the cool air kind and the warm air type. I think the cool air humidifier is good for extended use as an everyday thing -- but my opinion is that the warm air humidifier provides more humidity and quicker relief when you are going through surgery recovery = more comfort to your dry passages and painful throat. The warm air humidifiers are usually less expensive too. When you get one, be sure to use it in an enclosed space (bedroom) so that the humidity doesn't get lost before it gets to you. Keith -- do you have a cold pack or warm pack? Maybe a hot water bottle? Do whichever would feel best to you -- I had a warm pack I could warm in the microwave -- that seemed to help some. Breathing into a warm wet washcloth can help for a short time too. The first 5 days or so I really tried to sleep as much as possible -- which will help your body have the energy to get through this. Good luck. We feel your pain! Darlene -- Hi there! Glad to hear you are continuing to improve. Good luck going back to work -- tomorrow, right? Lisa (2006-03-12): Anthony -- you wouldn't? What all did you have done? Did you lose your sense of taste with your surgery? You mentioned the apnea website -- did you have this -- is it gone now? I hope to be able to say it was all worth it soon -- but I follow that by saying Thank God this is one-time only thing! Darlene (2006-03-12): Keith- Keep drinking ice cold water!!!!! Popsicles help too. The mornings are the worst. The more you hydrate yourself up until you go to bed the better. I hear you, Anthony! I wouldn't do it again either. Maybe I'll change my mind when I feel better and realize I won't have to endure strep throat. Lisa- No, Im not going back to work. My throat is still infected. I went to the Dr and she gave me stronger antibiotics. Im off of work till the 22nd. KEITH JAX (2006-03-13): LISA THE COLD HUMIDIFIER DID HELP. SO DID COLD FROZEN PACK OF PEAS. I TRIED WARM SHOWER TOO THANK YOU - IT DRAINED OUT NICE. 3 RD DAY TODAY PAIN IN STITCHES IS THROAT WAS REALLY BAD. SEPTOPLASTY AND TURBINATE REDUCTION. THEY PACKED 1ST DAY THEN TOOK IT OUT. LOTS AND LOTS OF DRAINAGE. SALINE IS HELPING THAT NOW. HOW BAD IS DAY WHEN SCABS COME OFF??? GOD BLESS KEITH Lisa (2006-03-13): Darlene -- Hi! Your throat is still infected? Boy, that yuckiness is really hanging in there, isn't it? Hopefully your new antibiotics will kick in and kick the infection out of there. Glad you are able to stay home longer. Keith -- Glad you are getting some relief. My tonsil scabs didn't just fall off all at once -- mine wore away with drinking the water -- gradually. That was a blessing. I never really had horrible-losing-scabs-pain. There were scabs where they took out my adenoids -- and when they came out, they weren't painful -- just really gross and disgustingly smelly. Keith -- with your turbinate reduction, did they reduce the tissue or actually go in and remove some bone? The dr hadn't planned to do mine, but when he was in the adenoid area, he spotted a turbinate that was too long and shortened it through reducing the tissue. Evidently I have a crooked septum -- not totally deviated and evidently doesn't need surgery to fix. That added to my nasal passage swelling -- which was very uncomfortable for quite a while. You said you were using saline -- so drops, then? Has your dr suggested doing a nasal irrigation? That really has helped me reduce the amount of drainage. It isn't exactly fun, but it gets easier as you do it. I irrigate twice daily and can be done in less than 2 minutes -- and it really helps. angie (2006-03-13): Hi , Had tonsils out on the 8th. My tongue hurts pretty bad. Some of the scabs are slowly falling off. I just turned 30 in january. My doctor doesnt believe in pain meds so i had to call another one. Crazy huh. I have drank so much water it is making me sick. Im dying for some real food but cant open my mouth big enough to chew really. Any suggestions.........Will this end soon.......HELP...Im a single mom with 3 kids.... Lisa (2006-03-13): Angie -- Hi there, welcome to the club! :<) I had my tonsils, adenoids, and a partial turbinate reduction about a month ago. You sure have your hands full! Great that you are drinking lots of water -- that does really help. Real food -- mashed potatoes, baby food, yogurt, applesauce. Semi-real foods -- popsicles, fudgesicles, ice cream, chicken broth. I also melted cheese on a plate in the microwave and ate that -- sounds weird, but tasted really good and real. Your dr doesn't believe in pain meds? What, is he mad? Obviously he has never had his tonsils out! Glad you called another one. Wish I could tell you that everything will be great in a couple of days, but I really can't. Every person heals at a different pace -- but I would guess you are in the worst of it right now. Most of us have a rollercoaster time -- good days and bad days -- but in the end, you most definitely will get better. Your tongue probably hurts from the clamp they use to hold your mouth open during the surgery. The pain from that should lessen soon -- sucking on ice or popsicles helps. Is there anyone who can help you with your kids while you are recovering from this? Getting adequate (or more) sleep does help the healing process along too. Take care and let us know how things are going. Mom of patient (2006-03-14): Hi all, my daughter had her tonsils removed (today is day 5) and has developed a strange, metallic taste that makes eating impossible. Has anyone else experienced this metallic taste? We researched it last night on the internet and one medical study said it was a rare occurrence from tonsillectomy connected with a low zinc level, that 2 persons suffering from this metallic taste were "cured" by taking zinc sulphate, 220 mg. twice daily, brought back normal zinc levels and normal taste. I have a call into the ENT to ask about this. Was wondering if there would be any harm in giving her zinc sulphate to get rid of the metallic taste so that she can eat again. Also connected to zinc deficiency is depression, irritability, confusion, etc. Any thoughts on this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Eric. Love this connection. Lisa (2006-03-14): Dear Mom -- the metallic taste is from what I understand very common. I had my surgery about a month ago and experienced it as well. I am sorry to say that I don't think there is anything you can do to "cure" it -- it will just have to run its course. For me it didn't really start until Day 9 or so -- but lasted for more than 2 weeks. My tastebuds still haven't come back completely -- and according to my dr it (normal taste) can take up to 3 months to fully return. I wouldn't give her the zinc until you have heard back from your ENT. How old is your daughter? Hang in there, this does take time, but things will get better. Erik (2006-03-14): Hello everyone! I know I haven't been as active on this page recently as I have been in the past, but then I don't have to, do I?!!! I think it's terrific how you all are helping each other, and have transformed this from one person's account to a real community! Thank you all for making this a better resource than any one person ever could have! keith jax (2006-03-14): Dear lisa Ice cold and popcycles have turned into the pain devil. end of day 4. dhould i try warm teas and warm broth tonite and day 5??? keith keith jax (2006-03-14): lisa I did have a deviated septum he repaired and thick tubinates - he reduced. HOW DO YOU DO THE NASAL IRRIGATION? keith keith jax (2006-03-14): Angie you got to get on the pain meds and take the correct ammount for you. I backed off hcept just 1/4 teaspon a little bit. did not fell as goody and could function some better. get the right DR. and pain meds. good luck i see lots of ups and downs. keith right Lisa (2006-03-14): Erik -- Hi! I was just thinking that you hadn't been on here in a while. Hope you don't mind us trying to just take care of each other -- for me, I guess it is just the "Mom" in me. Hope all is well in your world. Keith -- What works for one person may or may not work for another person -- but if the cold isn't working for you, you sure could try the warm. Hopefully that will work for you. Maybe a hot water bottle on your neck would feel good too? Worth a try? My ENT dr gave me a nasal irrigation bottle -- called NeilMed Sinus Rinse. It is an 8 oz plastic bottle with small packets of salt/baking soda mixture that you mix with distilled water then squirt up into your nasal passages twice a day. Do you have a follow-up appt with your doctor? If you do, ask about nasal irrigation. It may be too soon for you right now -- don't do it unless your doctor suggests it as appropriate for your condition. If your doctor does suggest it, do it. It is a little difficult at first, but once you have done it a few times, it gets easier. I have found it to be very effective. Hope your pain meds are working for you! Hang in there! Tasha (2006-03-15): I am getting my tosil, adenoids and uvula removed in a few weeks. I am not as scared about my tosils and adenoids as I am my uvula. I have been researching and the horror stories and complications I am hearing are making me rethink the uvlua removal. Any suggestions as to whether or not it is a good idea. Angie (2006-03-15): Hey guys...Kudos for me...lol Day 7 I feel so much better. Thinking of weaning myself off the pain meds. The scabs are falling off now and new skin is there its tender and stings a bit to eat or drink a little but huge improvement from yesterday. YAYYYYYYY....Im so hungry I want some olive garden but I know Im not ready for that. Your advice on here and knowing the way I was feeling was normal helped me alot. I still have a bad taste in my mouth but not as much as I did. It must be the scabs thing. Anyway, I think its really great to have this here to help with some advice. Thanks everyone. Lisa (2006-03-16): Hi all. I hope everyone is continuing to improve. Tasha -- sorry, I didn't have my uvula removed, so can't address that. Hopefully someone who has gone through this will respond soon. I did have my tonsils and adenoids out and can say that yes, it was worth it. Take care and good luck! Angie -- Sounds like you are doing fabulously! That is wonderful. You must be a fast healer. Lucky you! Olive Garden white sauce might be okay -- but the acidity of the tomato sauce probably isn't something you want to try yet. Ouch! Continued good days to you! :<) Garry (2006-03-16): Tasha, The only thing I had done was my Uvula reduced. The doctor took about an inch off. It was done in his office and the entire procedure didn't take 30 minutes. I had the procedure on March 6, it is now March 17. Everything was going well until March 12, then the pain really started. I have been back to the doctor twice this week and he seems to feel I am just one of those people who will take a little longer than most to heal. The last twelve or so hours have been my worst. It is now almost 2 a.m. and I woke up with the worst pain yet. For some reason it has started bleeding again. Initialy, I had planned to have my tonsils removed also. After this, my tonsils will stay where they are, (Everyone I have spoken to about this assures me this surgery is nothing compared to the tonsil removal). The only pain medication I was given was Tyleonol 3, it hasn't provided much relief. I wish I had a better report for you. STICKERBOT (2006-03-17): Greetings, I am not the type to post much but I must say that this site has givin me much needed information and tons of helpful advice. I am on day 4 of the Grand Slam. UPPP Tosilectomy tib reduction with devated septum. My spelling is terrible. I will blam the pain meds. I have to say that day 3, yesterday was like white hot death ripping at my soul and now today I feel much better. I believe the pain is very well controlled buy a every three hour self medication. What has helped me almost feel normal is taking a motine every six hours and 1 1/2 teaspoons of codine elexor every six hours. so every 3 hours I get one or the other. I was taking Propoxyphene and that made my chest and arms hurt so bad. I must have allergies to it. The worst part was the packing taken out of my nose on day two. I agree that the humidifier and two hot showers a day and nasel irragation are whats making me feel freash. I have big blue vains and white scabs and gunk hanging all around in there. I hope the worst is over but I will have to wait to see. I feel the combanation of pain meds are working well. Also I have been drinking gadaer aid and slim fast. The nutrition is great. I have lost 6 pounds in 4 days too. I am also taking photo's of my throat every day and will maybe post them for others to stare and compair LOL. well, I am gonna go watch the tube. Thank you everyone. This site has been a saving grace. great advise found here.Oh yeah, I am a 41 year old male. I have had a history of sleep apnia, tonsillitios,strep throat, could not breath trow nose. bla bla bla. already feeling better. If questions you can write me [email protected] HollyTX (2006-03-18): Tasha I had my all that you are going to have done I needed my uvula removed because it was touching my tongue most of the time... It's not a great feeling after the surgery but I love not having it in the way anymore. My surgery was on Feb. 21st and I'm doing well. My Uvula, and tonsils are healed but I still have some time left on my adnoids healing. My taste buds are all out of wack. I can't taste anything sweet. What's bad is my sense of smell is good and I'll smell something really good and then get my fork loaded up and when I put it in my mouth it taste like cardboard or metal. I'm ready for the return of my taste buds. Life is not as enjoyable without tastebuds. I hope you do well and don't be scared of the uvula removal, pain is pain and we can endure as long as we know it's not forever. STICKERBOT (2006-03-20): OK, me again. Day 7 from tonsillectomy and uppp and tim reduction/devated septum fixed. Today is the first day of spring, I have turned the corner. Last night I slept for 7 hours and woke up alart and had the most fantastic dreams. I have not done that in years. I only woke once at 3:30 am to have a spoon of codine. I closed the bedroom door and ran the mumidafier on full blast in there all night and boy did it get damp but it sure did the trick. I breathed throw my mouth most the night and never dried out. The saving grace for me has been the every three hours pain meds, the humidifier, the nasal erragation, the hot showers and to chew gum when the ear pain gets bad. that really helped. I have lostabout 8 pounds and still only drink water and slimfast. I have not ate any solide food yet but find I feel great with 3 or 4 slimfast and 1/2 a gollon of water every 24 hours. Today I have no pain and I have drank 2 bottles of water and a slimfast and have no need for meds right now. I have had no post op bleeding still and the new skin is peeking through all over back there and smothing out too. For anyone who is afraid. its ok, I was scared too, It will hurt like heck but take your pain meds and at all cost drink drink drink. it hurts but will save you much pain if you dry out. A humidifier on full blast by you will help tons too. one of the toughest weeks in my life and thank God I feel better now. would I do it again? you bet! but I wouldnt want to. Good luck everyone getting this. This site has all the helpful hints needed and I took 4 days to read and reread every word the week before I went in and it sure did help me. I really would like to thank Erik for starting this site. Your my hero! Well I am off to skip and giggle around the yard, see ya all. and Good Luck! [email protected] Tasha (2006-03-20): Thanks everyone, all of your advice has eased my nerves a little. I should hear from my Dr this week about scheduling the surgery. Again thank you for the pointers, hopefully they help and I heal just as fast and it seems some of you did! kelly (2006-03-20): I had my tonsils out on march 14th and i have a difficult time at night as well. Because I have so much mucus in my throat, I'm not able to keep any food down. It also feels like there is something hanging on my throat. I cant wait to feel better. Angie (2006-03-20): Kelly, This is day 12 for me, I had a tonsillectomy on the 8th. No more scabs. I still feel like I have something in my throat now and then like food is stuck but I just keep drinking cold liquids. I try to eat real food now instead of soup it takes forever to chew. I stopped taking pain meds the end of last week. I have no real pain except when I yawn. And I still cant talk normal. I cant wait until that is back to the way it should be. I only had mucus in my throat first thing in the morning or if I went periods of time without ice water. Ice water was my savior it should help wash alot of that out. Im still a little sore first thing in the morning but once again...Ice water. People laugh when I talk they say it sounds like my throat is swollen even though it isnt I dont believe. Well Good luck Hope I was some help. Angie (2006-03-20): One more thing. Anyone with fillings experience seriously sensitive teeth after all this. It hurts to brush my teeth, eat certain things and chew gum? kelly (2006-03-20): thanks angie for the good luck. do you have a lot of trouble sleeping also? between the strange dreams ive been having because of the pain medication--I also cant seem to get to sleep--if i sit up my throat gets so sore from the draining and if i lay down my throat gets so dried out. thanks again angie for the advice!! kelly (2006-03-21): how long does the pain in the ear last? Had my surgery one week ago today and the pain is actually getting worse. and does your throat actually scab over and if so do the swallow the scabs or do you have to cough them out?? Anthony (2006-03-21): Kelly from my own experience an from the vast amounts of research I have done, the pain usually peaks 7-9 days after the surgery. The white stuff in the back of your throat are scabs. They will go away on their own...do not try to knock them off. If you start bleeding... well research the procedure the Dr's take to stop the bleeding... Not pleasant Anthony (2006-03-21): I just read the earlier posts. I had the UPPP, septoplasty, turbinate reduction, and tonsillectomy. The main reason I had the surgery was to help with my severe sleep apnea. I hate wearing the CPAP so I thought I would try this. Unfortunatly, my apnea is no better and I am still on the CPAP. AS far as the surgery goes, you are right Lisa..thank god it is a one time thing, however i'd say 50% of people I have spoken with that have had a septoplasty have to return a few years later to have the procedure re-done. Those packs are absolutly the most miserable thing, but It sure is nice to breathe easier again. I didnt loose any taste, but had numb spots which are just about gone now. I also had trouble swallowing for a while. I did know the odd's going in and thought it was worth the risk at the time. You know what they say about hindsight...I am going in for another sleep study soon and that will tell me alot. At least I won't be getting strep throat anymore! anonymous (2006-03-22): Is there anyone who would recommend not having the UPPP done based on the poor result they have seen. My biggest worry is about the having to relearn how to swallow and having other problems with that. I am almost ready to say no to the UPPP and just have them remove my tonsils and adenoids. Tasha (2006-03-22): The last one was from me sorry... Angie (2006-03-22): Kelly, My ear pain peaked about the 8th day and then started to slack off. I do not notice it now though I do notice sometimes it seems I cant hear well. I drank lots of water so I didnt get a chance to spit up my scabs. They were just washed down with liquids. Seems gross I know but I didnt notice it at all. I no longer have a bad taste in my mouth nor do I notice the bad breath but I still cant taste things they way they should be I guess. I cant stand to drink sodas anymore. Still sticking to water and tea. Gotta love cocoa also. Nutritious and easy to swallow. Angie (2006-03-22): I forgot. I did have trouble sleeping. Mainly from the same. Having to wake and go to the restroom from so much liquids, Mucus and Bad dreams. Once the pain med was done I stopped having the dreams but I still drink lots of water so Im still up at night from that. There is nothing you can do when your throat gets dried out except have a bottle of ice water beside your bed and the second you wake up start downing it. Thats the only way I could get it stop hurting and clear my throat. I also gargled Ice water to help clear the mucus. STICKERBOT (2006-03-23): I disagree with some things I read here. I found that scabs will bleed and fall off if dried out. If kept moisten they will not bleed and will not fall off. they will slowly wear away each day. The cure for the night time direness is a humidifier on high with a new filter and lots of dampness in your room. That means run it on full 24 hours a day with all the room doors closed. If you keep it that way the room should feel damp and heavy. The blankets should feel cool and almost damp. If that is set up I truly believe you will not wake up with sore dry mouth. I slept on night on the sofa and woke every six minutes in day pain and had the worst night of my life and the next night I slept for 7 hours straight in my wet bedroom. My pain was worse on day 3 and continued to be very bad until day 6. I am now on day 10 and have no pain. No pain med's for 3 days. slept 14 hours yesterday, two sessions of 7 hours each. ran on the tread mill for 3 miles today, ate steamed broccoli, pea's and carrots and a haddock and a snapper filet, had coffee and cinnamon rolls. I feel no pain. I can talk chew, swallow better than I ever have, breath better, sleep better and no longer snore. I know every one does not heal at the same rate. I also no that people have different medication, I also know people have different pain thresholds. I was very scared and was wondering if water and rice was going to come out my nose for the rest of my life. I believe I have healed extremely quick and I had a fantastic surgeon with the right combination of pain medication and Knowledge before I had any of this done. It is up to you to read everything on this site and not from one or two people. Your out come will be based on your condition, healing ability, Your doctor's skill and intelligence. I am 41 years old and bounced back better than most so I don't believe age has a lot to do with it. I believe its the individual. I believe if your biggest problem is sleep apt than this is not your first choice. For me I didn't give a crap about my sleep apt. I had a plugged nose, sinus infections, snored very loud,tonsillitis, My dangly thing would get 3 inches long and I would bite it from time to time. It always layed on my thong, I would suffocate at night when I slept with my throat closing. After the UPPP, tonsillectomy, deviated septum fixed, tim reduction with septoplasty. I have made the mentioned 20,000 time improvement in 10 days. Its like getting my life back. I am so happy I could pee on myself. So if you have questions, read and reread this site until you get the average answers and hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Find the best Dr. you can. Talk to people at work or at school who had similar things done. get in shape and get healthy before you go under the knife and good luck. It maybe the worst two weeks of your life, But it could also be the best thing to happen to you in your life. If your in pain and daily discomfort, It maybe well worth the pain and suffering. It was for me. Would I do it again, In a hot second! Besides, I have not seen ANY long term bad side effects that are even remotely common but have seen a ton of positive side effects that are life long lasting good things. The scale is tilted to the positive very deeply. Thank all for being my sounding board. [email protected] I have before and after photo's so if your scared and want to see what they do to you send me and e-mail and I will shoot you a few photo's. Thanks again Erik. Great site. John Mayer (2006-03-25): I had my uvula removed during a tonsilectomy when I was a child; my parents and I always assumed it had been removed by accident as the doctor, it turned out, had a reputation as a drinker. I've always been told its absence would prevent my ever having any timbre in my voice. There was a cruel jest involved, as my parents had told me that after the surgery I could have all the ice cream I could eat and, of course, as they all knew, my throat was far too painful to swallow any more than I had to. I did manage to choke down a few bites, just to hold them to their promise. To give you an idea how long ago this was, the anesthetic used was ether. That was a miserable experience for a five-year-old, rather like having one's head held underwater. I was told it took five people to hold me down while the ether was administered, and that I'd managed to kick one of them across the room. But, of course, being drowned does get one's adrenaline flowing. Angie (2006-03-26): For those of you using a humidifier. I also heard they worked. Never tried it. But just to let you know. I have a computer and a TV and DVD and VCR in my room. No way was I going to remove them to leave a humidifier on 24 hrs with the door shut. Moisture is not a good thing for these electronics. So be careful you could start a fire. Michelle (2006-03-26): I hope there is somebody out here that can please help me. I have this feeling of something hanging in my throat for about a month now, I finally went to the ER on Last Sunday. They told me my tonsils were huge and thats why I was feeling that hanging sensation in my throat. I followed up with my primary doctor on Monday and he gave me Amoxicillian and a steroid. I dont feel any better and last night which was 3/25 my throat started hurting and on top of everything I got a cold. My uvula is bigger than before and it looks like a round ball at the tip. Very swollen. Im afraid and Im starting to think the worse. Can someone please help me. Erik (2006-03-29): Michelle, I've been where you are, it's awful. My Doctor kept prescribing me antibotics and steroids for years, until I convinced them I needed the surgery. Be careful about air flow while you're sleeping, and keep on your doctor for treatment. If this is a one-time thing, then the drugs should take care of it, but if it's a way of life for you, I'd start taking more serious measures. STICKERBOT (2006-03-30): This is My last post. I am now on day 17. I went to my Dr. for my 2 week follow up and he took one look and said everything is great. I have no pain and I sleep all night now with out waking. I will have a sleep lab in 3 months for a follow up but I can tell I am much better rested in the morning as I wake very refreshed and before my alarm. I feel as if my throat was meant to be this way. I will not miss the parts removed and feel relief its all over now. Spicy stuff is still a bit much but I am comfortable eating most anything now. I was 235 pounds on Christmas and with running on a treadmill, diet and the UPPP Tonsillectomy and Rhinoplasty surgery, I am now 205 and looking to get down to 185-190. I believe weight has a lot to do with it as well. Good luck to everyone and thank you everyone for all the great reading. I found that if you have a good attitude and find a good Dr. You really cant go wrong. I am returning my CPAP machine today and looking forward to the fact That I will not have to depend on the Darth Vader head gear just for a good night of sleep. I still laugh at all the string that flew out my mouth and nose every time I sneezed or coughed. Looking back with fond memories of sleepy days and steaming ahead with my new life, throat, and nose. Good luck all and hang in there. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Becca (2006-04-02): I just found this website and don't know if I'll even get a response from anyone before my tonsillectomy tomorrow Monday (4-3-06)morning. I am hypoglycemic(low blood sugar) and am concerned about not being able to eat or even what can I eat after surgery to keep me from crashing. I also take a while to heal from things because my immune system is low and I'm concerned about what happens after surgery as this will be my first one ever. Does anyone have any ideas about what I can eat since I can't have stuff with sugar in it? Lisa (2006-04-02): Becca -- Hi there. Some suggestions I would have for you include baby food and mashed potatoes. Can you have natural sugars -- found in fruits? Baby pears are smooth going down. For the first few days though, don't worry about getting food/nutrition in you -- concentrate on drinking water continually. It really will help you. I kept water nearby during all of my waking hours and could see a large benefit. Aren't there sugar-free popsicles and ice cream products? Can you have those? I found the coldness of popsicles to help. What about Ensure drinks or Slimfast? I'm not sure what their sugar content is -- you'd have to check the labels. Good Luck tomorrow. If you feel like eating later in the day after surgery -- do it. By Tuesday, you'll probably feel less like eating and will be glad you ate something on Monday afternoon or evening. I am 6 wks + post surgery and am SO glad I did it. Take care. Lori (2006-04-04): Hi everyone! boy I wish I had found this site sooner, had an uvulaectomy and my deviated septum repaired 12 days ago. I appologize in advance for typos or run-on sentences, I'm still on pain meds. All of the comments and suggestions here are just great. I'm sleeping through the night, if my 2yr old son lets me..but I'm concerned about a few things. Yesterday, my husband told me that the previous night I had snored LOUDER than any other time. I have my cool mist humidifier, use the saline spray and bacitracin for my nose, followed all the rules... this comment almost made me cry! Any one else experience this after surgery? I certainly hope it's temporary. Also, I still have quite a bit of pressure in my sinuses when I'm not on the drugs. My throat is very VERY sore when not on the drugs also. I've kept to soft foods and staying hydrated, just wondering if anyone as bits of advise on this. Good luck everyone, and thanks for all the great info! Nina (2006-04-04): Lori, it's normal to snore louder then before. You throat is very swolen and your still healing. It's normal for your snoring to get worse before it gets better. I would give yourself a few weeks to heal. Don't worry, it will get better charlotte (2006-04-11): i have had a tonsillectomy and my surgery was not pleasant my throat is still swollen and now i believe that my tonsils have grown back due to fluid in my ear and the sudafed and medication does not help only made things worse for me on top of things the freaking doctor let me go on a count of he did not like my mother so this has been a horrible experience for me i now have sleep apnea because of it and now ringing in my ears oh and also a lump under my chin and that goes to my ears the only way i get relief is to take scissors and cut 2 holes back there and let it bleed some and get some relief their or also take some sudafed i dont understand and now i cannot breathe thru my nose no thanks to the doctor for not calling me in some more antibiotics for this an infection did set up and closed up inside of their on top of things the doctors down here think that it is all in my head for Gods sake would someone help me out in this aread. Erik (2006-04-12): Charlotte, for god's sake, don't cut anything yourself! If you don't like your doctor, get a new one. Today, right frigging now. This is not something to just guess about. Get a doctor who knows what he's doing, and be done with it! Lisa (2006-04-12): Charlotte -- Erik is right. Get a new doctor right away. It is very rare for tonsils to grow back -- but could be possible, I guess. Talk to your mother; I'm sure she wants to help you get through all of this. Take care. Lisa (2006-04-12): Hi there everyone. I was a regular around here about a month ago. I had a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and turbinate reduction. Now I am here with an entirely different set of questions. My husband was just diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I know many around here either have or had sleep apnea too. Just wondering if you could give me any info at all. He goes in to see the doctor next week to discuss options. Most likely a CPAP machine first -- then if that doesn't help, then oxygen. HELP! Tell me about those and did they help you? If it is a uvula problem, I am all for him having him have his surgically removed -- but since I just went through a throat surgery -- he is a bit hesitant of that. He saw how horrible it was for me -- and I am thinking that the uvula surgery is even worse. Any thought? I would appreciate it. Thanks. Renee (2006-04-12): As everyone else has said I too wish I would have found this site earlier. I am about 2 months from surgery and am still having difficulty tasting and enjoying food some food like breads (that I love) I still have difficulty swalling. But most foods I have a heard time tasting and enjoying and coming from a food lover and amature cook what is a girl to do. I read something about trying Zinc pills anyone have any suggestions. Renee (2006-04-12): As everyone else has said I too wish I would have found this site earlier. I am about 2 months from surgery and am still having difficulty tasting and enjoying food, some foods like breads (that I love) I still have difficulty swallowing. But most foods I have a heard time tasting and enjoying, and coming from a food lover and amature cook what is a girl to do. I read something about trying Zinc pills anyone have any suggestions. Lisa (2006-04-12): Renee -- Hi there. I am in the same boat you are. I can taste salty foods, but not sweet or starchy. Actually, overall, everything is dulled -- of what I can taste. Chocolate is still vile and so is soda. I can't really taste bread either -- but at least I don't get a yucky taste from it. My surgery was Feb 7 -- so just over 2 months. My ENT said it can take up to 3 months to get your tastebuds working properly again -- though I must say with each passing day I get a bit more discouraged. Sorry I don't have any words of wisdom for you -- but maybe it helps to know you aren't alone in this. :<( Please keep in touch here -- I will be interested to see how you progress. Darlene (2006-04-13): Hi Everyone! Lisa, you're still here! I had my tonsils taken out Feb 24 and didn't go back to work till March 26. I was wondering about food tasting funny. I cannot drink soda either! It tastes vile. As soon as the foods hit the back of my tongue or mouth everything goes downhill from there. I also feel like Im swallowing a huge gulp of air when I drink anything. Oh! Did I mention my voice has changed!! Some people say I sound like I inhaled helium others say it got deeper. I don't recall signing up for that part. This all better be worth it! Renee (2006-04-13): Lisa and Darlene isn't it discouraging that after all this time we are still here. My surgery was Feb 22nd. Darlene I have the same issues with the back of the tongue thing. I went back to work on liquids March 13th. Glad to know someone else feels as I do. My figure is all the better for it but I really miss being able to enjoy food. It is very frustrating to desire food and not be able to taste it. I usually don't finish food I can't tast. Not worth the calories if I can't enjoy it. I am going to try the zinc thing and keep you guys posted. Lisa (2006-04-13): Darlene - Hey there! Yep, I'm back. I was hoping I could put all of this behind me; but the taste issue just doesn't let me forget about it. :<( I'm sorry you are dealing with it too -- but I must say that makes me think it is semi-normal and that gives me hope. :<) No one has said anything about my voice, so I think I am still the same. Did you ever get rid of that icky infection in your throat? Renee -- I miss being able to enjoy food too! It hasn't really stopped me from eating -- in fact, I somehow think if I keep trying different things, something will break the barrier and taste will reign again! Unfortunately, that hasn't happened. Eating lots of fruits and veggies though so that is good. I've been loving dill pickles too -- they don't taste "quite right", but still good. Popcorn still tastes pretty good too. Renee (2006-04-17): Lisa it is amazing to me that others are experiencing the same things as I am. I also am loving the dill pickles. Just bought a jar this weekend. Loving Movie theater popcorn as well. One of the first things I enjoyed when I regained eating solids. I was once a big potatoe chip eater and now they just don't taste the same. I do not enjoy eating them at all. French fries either. It is day 2 of the zinc thing. the metal taste is horrible but it will be worth it if it helps regain my ability to enjoy the foods I once loved. Will check back in a week about the zinv thing. Oh by the way the voice thing was high pitched for about 3-4 days then went away. Beth (2006-04-17): Had to jump back on here. It's been a long time since I posted. I had UPPP, tonsilectomy, reduction of turbinates and septoplasty done in May 2005. Everything is great! Sleeping much better, husband says I don't snore at all, just breath a little heavy sometimes. Anyway, the best part is the insurance company finally agreed to pay!!! My part of the bill went from $4625 to $252.30! You can imagine how excited I am!!! For all of you just beginning your recovery, hang in there. It will get better! Please feel free to ask me any questions. This site helped me so much during my pre surgery and post surgery days!!! Darlene (2006-04-19): Lisa- Yes, the infection in my throat is gone. Thank goodness! But food and drinks just don't taste the same! I hope it goes away. It's really frustrating to crave something only to find out it tastes awful. Beth- Glad to hear you don't have to pay $4000 !!!! Renee- How's the zinc thing going? Mike (2006-04-19): Hi Everyone, I am in HELL! I had a Tonillectomy on 04/14/06. They were HUGE as the doctor said. The first three days were bearable...Thank you Percocet...I was able to eat Miso soup, pudding, chicken noodle, popsicles and a ton of water. Now each day gets worse w/ more pain and the Perc's seem to be less of a help. Nights are the worst. I wake up every hour and have to spit up this clear and yellow fluid--disgusting!~ I don't think I swallow in my sleep. At that time I can't even swallow w/o being in excruicating pain.. All day my throat does this constant sliming. I try to sleep but when I wake up during the day the pain keeps slamming my head, the day light bothers me, I also feel like I just had my molars ripped out of my SKULL w/o pain meds. As for food I can't even hardly drink my water. Back to chicken noodle soup. I went over my brothers for Easter and had to leave, the Percs make me MOODY as all hell and I couldn't stand anybody. Plus insult to injury everthing they were eating looked SOOOOO good and I would not dare sit there and watch everyone feed there FAT tonsil intact heads. Sorry for being such a negative nancy but I am so MISERABLE and misery loves company. OK what have I learned for people that will be experiencing this: IT IS GOING TO BE HELL!!! (***Everybody told me this but I didn't believe them!***) Just be sure to DRINK WATER do not worry about food until later. As for popsicles, sherbert, icecream....it all has to be SWALLOWED....it is goin to HURT! the more creamy the more swallowing the more PAIN! Chicken Noodle soup is your only friend. Don't get fancy.. go to your local chinese restuarant and order it by the quart! Thanks for letting me vent!!! Be back soon with more MISERY! Renee (2006-04-19): Darlene: I am not exactly sure if the zinc is working because day 2 of usiing it I was put on another antibiotic because I broke out with terrible pimples and my doctor said it was from the prednizone. I am tasting food a little more than before but still not as enjoyable as I remember, although it appears to get a little bit better every week. Mike: Hang in there it does get better. I too found that the broth from the chicken noodle soup was easier to swallow. Ice-cream and such eventually went down easy but had a bad taste. For those of you who have strong stomachs I found a website that has a very good video of the surgery's. www.entusa.com. After watching the video I now have a better understanding of why my taste buds have gone haywire. the harmonic wand they use touches everything if their not careful and singes the tastebuds. Lisa (2006-04-19): Mike -- YOU NEED NEW MEDS!!! Call your doctor and try to get something different. The mood changes don't help things -- and if the meds you have aren't doing much, ask for something different. Different people react to different meds. You don't necessarily need something stronger -- just something DIFFERENT. Yep, water is what is going to get you through this -- so you need adequate meds so you can swallow water. It shouldn't be excruciating to swallow water during the day at this point. Step #1 -- new meds. Step #2 -- water and sleep. Check back later. Good news for me! (Sorry, Mike -- I promise you will get better too). My tastebuds have started to "turn the corner" at last! I drank some Dr. Pepper last night and it wasn't awful! I can't say it was 100% delicious (as it once was) .... but, hey, I can say there has been some progress! I am happy to report that I do believe my tastebuds will return! Yippee!!! FINALLY! Good luck Renee and Darlene! Lisa (2006-04-19): Renee -- I am afraid to watch that video! :<) But, since I already had it done, it can't be too awful. Would be worse to watch BEFORE the surgery. YIKES! Beth (2006-04-19): Ok. I have an extremely strong stomach and I could not watch but a minute or so of the video. I actually though I was going to pass out. and just think for most of us that was only part of the surgery! UGH!!!! Lisa (2006-04-19): Beth -- did you have tastebud problems? If so, when did they return to full function? Congrats on getting your ins co to pay! That sure took a long time! I have heard of others with a lot of insurance coverage problems for this surgery. Beth (2006-04-19): Lisa- I do remember things not having a lot of taste- or tasting strange. I couldn't drink soda for a long time or eat anything spicy but that was because it burned my throat. I also had trouble for a long time when I drank too fast- I'd have water come out my nose. It was not fun. That took a while to overcome. And I couldn't drink water from a water fountain because of this. the biggest thing that helped me out was just staying hydrated. I have never drank so much water! Again- I am so glad I had this done. I haven't had a post-surgury sleep test but would like too- but I doubt insurance co would pay after all the trouble I had with them! Oh well! May I ask what everyone RDI was? (I think that's the right initials). I only had mild apnea I was at 16. Oh and Mike- my tonsils were huge too. Doctor told my husband that the tonsils took the longest and that he had trouble with them! Oh and someone please tell me WHY THEY GIVE YOU PILLS TO TAKE IN THE RECOVERY ROOM???!!! LOL Lisa (2006-04-19): Don't know what RDI means -- I had my tonsils and adenoids out and a turbinate reduction -- but mine was not because of sleep apnea; I had recurring strep throat that would not go away. The turbinate surgery was a "since we're in here" kind of thing... but, in the end, probably did the most good. My husband was just diagnosed with sleep apnea so we are just starting down the road of that mess. He did an at-home oxygen test thing and they found abnormal oxygen levels (surprised him and the doctor -- but didn't surprise me). He goes in next week to see the doctor and then probably more tests. So, we'll see what's next for him. Mike (2006-04-20): Thanks, Lisa I called the doctors and they prescribed me a 6 day steriod pack (Medrol 4mg Dose Pack) As for the Percocet they won't give anything else unless I go to ER. The problem is the uvula is so swollen and at the top right and left side it's all white. Hopefully the steriod brings down the swelling. I am still in hell I hope by tomorrow I will feel better. Oh and to add insult to injury I have not had a bowel movement since the morning before the surgery 4/14/06. I went to the pharmacy and they recommended Colace which I took 3pills Tues. and Wed. and nothing, I do even fell like I have to go. Guess I will call the Doctor AGAIN! Lisa (2006-04-20): Mike -- Hi there. Glad you got the steroids. I started taking them on the day of surgery and they seemed to help with the swelling. Regarding the bathroom -- not surprising that you don't need to go -- you haven't eaten much -- there is nothing there to get rid of. I wouldn't worry about it. Your body will know when the time is right (not until you eat substantially more). Try to relax. If you can't sleep, watch a movie and "try" (easier said than done) to forget about your throat for a bit. The steroids work better when your body is relaxed -- and in turn, your swelling will start to go down. Hang in there -- IT WILL GET BETTER. Lisa (2006-04-20): Mike -- also -- the white is normal. That is the healing starting to happen. Mike (2006-04-21): OK I can't win. Yesterday was a huge improvement from the day before. I notice my swollen uvula went down not all the way but enough for or it not to be resting on my tongue. I was drinking water fine, and even attempted to eat some crab legs, which was great. Woke up this morning and my throat was on FIRE!!! I thought maybe because I slept through the night and didn't take a percocet that would of been the problem. So I quickly took 1 instead of 2 that I have been normally taking. Went back to sleep to wake up a hour later in more PAIN then before. So I took another perc. Mornings is when I do better. At night is when I seem to have all the problems. DID anyone else experience this with Percocet: When I 1st started the Percocet I was taking 2 pills every 31/2 to 4 hrs. Which the first couple of days I was in a Percocet Haze, But the last 3 to 4days I don't even fell anything off of the percocets. Can you really build up a tolerance that fast to a drug that is so strong? I hate this roller coaster of tonsil HELL...Miserable Mike Liz (2006-04-21): I found this site and read all the posts....and I can relate to a lot of them. I came on the web to find some kind of information to help me. Last weekend I got really sick and had a really bad sore throat....Three days later I decided I couldn't take it anymore. My mom took me to the doctor(since I am only 15!) and he said I have Tonsillitis....and thought I might have Mono ....well I went to the Hospital and the test came back negative for Mono. So the doctor gave me medicine for my throat....I got on the medicine Tuesday....I woke up Thursday feeling great...it was pretty amazing cause over night my thorat just stopped hurting. Everyhting is fine. The one problem I have is I can't taste alot of foods. They are all dull and pretty nasty....I hate eating because I can't enjoy some of my favorite foods. I read that some of you have the same problem...and came for some advice or something. Sodas aren't enjoyable....When I drink them they are dull and when I swallow it feels like a big gap of air or something. Chocolate is not good at all....A few Dairy products are ok...there is a little taste but not all of it. Well just looking for some kind of advice or answeres....Do you know how long it might take to get the taste back? Miserable Mike (2006-04-21): Well another exciting thing just happened! I finished eating some chicken noodle soup, of course my mouth was aching from eating so I layed back to relax and let the aching go away. Then I proceeded to cough and choke and bring up a blood clot, went to the bathroom not sure what was in my mouth. I spit a cute little blood clot that swam around until it went down the drain. So I grab the flash light to check out the damage and on my right tonsil hole is now filled w/ the rest of the gelatiness blood clot. So I called the doctor freaking out and still waiting for a call back. I and not spitting up any blood yet. I think it was a clot that broke free...yeah! Hopefully he asks me to come in to check it out. I do not want to have to go to the ER. Erik (2006-04-21): Liz, a lot of people here have complained about loss of taste, but my understanding is that those people's taste buds are affected by some of the devices used during surgery. Since you didn't have the surgery, your loss of taste is probably for a different reason. It could be the medication, or the infection, or something else entirely. Mike, I doubt you'd need to go to the ER, since you're not bleeding, so here's wishing you good luck it's just a sign you're healing! ildy (2006-04-21): It has been almost 8 weeks since my surgery, and I am still having problems with my taste. Everything I eat, other then liquids taste like cardboard when it reaches the back of my throat. I really miss food!!! Has anyone else had this problem, and for this long? Mike (2006-04-21): thanks, Erik I am now doing a lot better. The clot has since been removed (one of the most DISGUSTING things I ever saw) My doc now prescribed me Lortab which is not as strong as Percocet but should do the trick. I am actually feeling better right now. Liz, I think when you get sick it sometimes can mess w/ your taste buds. I would call the pharmacist or doctor to get the proper info-good luck. ildy- Sorry to hear about the no taste. I haven't any problems w/ that. If you read previous blogs someone mentions upwards of 3 months to be able to taste. But once again I would ask the doctor. Liz (2006-04-21): I hope ya'll get better soon and recover....I know I didn't need to go through a surgery like the rest. But I still understand what the pain is like, and I know it is worst on some of ya'll. I feel a little selfish typing my previous posts because most went through surgery. I was just looking for answeres about my taste. Well I wish you all luck. Jennifer (2006-04-22): Hi, I am 33 yrs. old and am on day 9 after a Tonsillectomy and I am still in pain! I thouhgt it was getting better around day 3 and was eating mash potatoes and noodles and on my way to recovery. that didn't last long. Now I can hardly get Ice water down! My Uvula is so swollen and makes it hard to swollow. I am starving! Everything I try to eat doesn't work. I can't do anything since I have no energy. If I go to sleep I wake up in severe pain due to my mouth drying out. I sleep with a humidifier but it isn't doing the trick. Im so frusterated that all the internet searches I do keep saying I should be fine by now and eating food comfortably. the doctor has me on Loratab which helps but is not enough. Tomorrow I am going to try baby food, though it looks disgusting. I'm loosing to much wait. any idea when the swelling might go down? Looks like someone mentioned taking steriods for the swelling. Does it help? Mike (2006-04-22): Hi-Jennifer, I am in the same boat of HELL! YES call your doctor and tell him how swollen your uvula is. I was prescribed a dose pack (Medrol), take 6 1st day then 5, then 4,3,2,1. This should bring the swelling down so you can at least swallow water and some chicken noodle soup. Mornings are hell and so are nights. The problem I was having the uvula was so swollen and sitting on my tongue that anything I tried swalling (including spit) was excruciating pain. I was also told the average Tonsillectomy patient loses 10 to 15lbs. After that it's just a waiting game of pain and misery. I was originally prescribed Percocet but they just switched me to Lortab which is less of a narcotic then percs. Good Luck! Jennifer (2006-04-22): Thanks Mike, it's reassuring to know there are others out there that understand. Last night I started the gargling warm salt water thing religiously and it seems to be helping just a little (every bit counts. Right after the surgery the doc put me on Methylprednisolone which was the same concept (1st day take 6 then 5 then so on)I have taken it all and it didn't seem to help so I will call him Monday, thanks for the suggestion! Mike, I definately feel your pain and hope you are feeling better soon! Mike (2006-04-22): Jennifer- I wouldn't recommend gargling at all. Unless told by the doctor. From what I understand you do not want to annoy that area at all. That white to yellow slim I believe is the scabs and if you remove them to early you might cause bleeding. If doesn't stop worst case is that you have to go to the ER and they wil have to recortorize that area again. You will start the whole healing process over. Now I am not a Doctor and I might be wrong but I would hold off until you do speak with your doctor. Take care...Mike Debra (2006-04-25): Boy, can I relate to all that has been said on this forum. I had my right tonsil removed because I had a cyst under it and the only way the ENT could get to it was to remove the tonsil. I also had a partial uvulectomy done. It is day 13 and I am still in agony. The pain that was shoting into my middle ear seems to of calmed down, but the swallowing tasting eating is horrific. Good thing I didn't start out skinny but sure wish I had a few more pounds on my bones. I'm downright skinny now and it has been difficult trying to maitain my weight and energy level. Good luck to all that are suffering like me. Never thought throat pain could be so aweful. I still wake up in the middle of the night for meds. Jennifer (2006-04-25): Hang in there Debra, I definately feel your pain! Today is day 12 for me. I just started getting some food down, thank goodness!Not much but enough to get some energy back and start feeling a little more normal. My throat still hurts like hell and i can't talk worth a damn. For what it is worth, here are some best practices that have really helped me out. Gargle constantly, especially after you eat (yes Mike, I confirmed it with the doctors office). Sometimes add salt and make sure the water is warm, it sooths the pain and clears out some of that mucus in your mouth. I also gargel regularly with my ice water that I am drinking before I swollow it. it really helps to moisten the back of your throat. Also use a straw (just be very careful) your mouth has to work less with a straw and it helps get the cold fluid to the back of your throat better. Unfortunatley I have to go back to work tomorrow. this should wipe me out completely! I'm a little nervous about it. I hope everyone can get some sleep tonight! Debra (2006-04-27): Thanks for the advice Jennifer. I have my doctors appointment on Monday and I'm going to ask for another week, I really still feel yucky. When I swallow I feel as if there is something in my throat, and I still feel pain when I swallow, though not like before. When I take a flashlight to the back of my throat, which is still hard to do I see alot of filmy white skin where the tonsil was, is this normal? I have reduced the meds quite a bit and am not getting up in the wee hours of the night in pain. Food is still an issue, soup, pudding, jello, eggs, mashed potatos and pancakes etc are ok, no real food yet. The worst part of this is the bad metallic taste in my mouth no matter what I eat. Hope my taste comes back shortly. Debra (2006-04-27): PS Jennifer, how was work today? Jennifer (2006-04-27): Hi Debra, I'm sorry you are still in so much pain. I managed to get through the day though it was rough! I am still on the same soft diet and not eating much but it is better than the all fluids diet I was on! The swelling is going down for me so my voice is starting to come back through it is still a stuggle. I believe the white stuff is normal and is part of the healing process. I still have some myself. I have read alot of sites regarding the taste coming back and it was all across the board, everyone was different. Everything pretty much tastes blah or burning to me. gatorade even burns. I have stuck to ice tea and water. I tried drinking a normal bottle of water today and it was kinda hard to get down. Guess I am still stuck with everything on ice and a straw. When I am sitting around I eat a lot of ice chips, I think that has helped me the most when the pain is bad. Well, I am exausted, not got my energy back yet so I am off to bed early tonight. Good luck at the doctor Debra! Debra (2006-05-04): Hi Jennifer, Hope all if better for you. I got a two week extention on my time off, the throat seems to be healing, I just seem to still have the feeling like there is something in my throat. Sensation goes from the right then the middle and then to the left side. This is extremely annoying. I am reaching out to all on this site. Did anyone have this feeling, or is it just me. Kinda like I have something in my throat, when I swallow, feels like food has problems going down smoothly. Any suggestions or confirmations would be great. Asked the doctor if there was something he could give me for the swollen feeling. He said it wasn't swollen it was just healing. He is not one to give out medications. Very stingy. Hope everyone is recovering well. Debra Matt (2006-05-04): I remember the awful pain between days 6 through 10 after my Tonsillectomy/Uvula removal. It will get better Jennifer! For me, I wasnt 100% for about 6 weeks though, but by week 3 I would say I was at around 80% recovered. The worst part is the uvula trim! That was very difficult to get past. Between that and the scabs coming off and coughing up blood from that, those were the worst two parts. For me, unfortunitly, the surgery was a huge waste! I STILL have OSA and now have a CPAP anyway! I went though all that pain and it didnt help! Anyone have any advise on these cpaps? I have had it since January now, and just recently got a full face mask. I had the regular nose mask, but could only wear the thing for a couple hours before I would wake up miserable and all dried out. I now have a full mask that fits over my mouth too, but I still havent been able to use it for more than an hour or two a night. I havent had a good nights sleep in years and I am running out of options. xsammileighx (2006-05-04): I am going in for my tonsillectomy hopefully soon as I have not been givin a date yet. If anyone is interested, I am going to post updates on my site at http://www.disorderforum.com/sleep-apnea/ Please feel free to share your experiences as well. Debra (2006-05-05): Matt, Did the scabs make you feel like you hade something in your throat? When I swallow, I get this sensation and after 3 weeks it still is a bit sore. Never thought it would take so long to heal from this. fortunately, I don't have sleep apnea, I had a cyst under my tonsil, so it had to be removed. I am sorry that the surgery didn't help. And Sam if you are waiting for a date you probably are staying in the hospital. Lucky you, I had out patient surgery, they cut you up and send you home with percriptions. Good luck sam on your upcoming surgery. Felicity (2006-05-06): I had my UPPP and tonsils out 9/1999. If you're contemplating this surgery, there is a 50-60% success rate. My apnea is not as bad as it was, but I have excessive scar tissue in the back of my throat now. Having allergies only makes my throat very sore at night. I also experienced the problem of food going up my nose instead of down my throat, for the first few years. Also, if I sneeze, I tend to dislodge a very smelly substance, the size of a tiny grain of rice which I think is food collecting in some scar tissue. Gross, eh? Also, I can't roll my french R's as well as I used to. Not a good thing! Amy (2006-05-10): I'm glad to know that at least I'm not alone, though I feel bad for you all as I know what you're going through. I had my tonsils removed (outpatient) on 5/6. (I just turned 40). I was miserable for the first couple of days, but I'm feeling better now except that my uvula is so swollen it's making me crazy. It feels like I'm gonna gag on it when I talk, and it's preventing me from eating much at all. I've already lost quite a bit of weight, and I was pretty skinny to begin with. If any of you have had this problem resolve, please let me know how long it took. It seems to be getting worse, not better. Thanks! Felicity (2006-05-11): Amy, before my surgery I used to get a swollen uvula, but taking allergy meds helped shrink it. Maybe you should talk to your doctor about it. Mine used to stick to my tongue when I slept! Now it's gone for good. Felicity (2006-05-11): P.S., I was 40 when mine were taken out too. Shanita (2006-05-13): Thank GOD for this site. I had a tonsilectomy, a turbinate reduction, a uvula trim, and a septal reconstruction on 05/03. This site has been a lifesaver. I am the magic 10th day as my doctor calls it, and I am beginning to feel somewhat better. Just about everything that has been said is on point. Day 1 - 3 were bareable. After that look out I felt like I had just been released out of surgery on days 7-8 and now am starting to come around again. I have lost 19 pounds, and I am so sick of soft foods. However, I know that I must forge ahead. I also woke up my 8th night to bleeding because the scab on my left tonsil came off. My doctor performed an in office procedure on it. It was very scary experience. To everyone hang in there, I am. benny (2006-05-13): I read this message board before my tonsilectomy, to get an idea what people have been going through. for a little background, i'm 22 and i've had 5 cases of tonsillitis in about a 2 month period, so my ent decided to get them out. i'm on day 3 after surgery, and feel pretty fine. i got a bit nauseated after the surgery, but then it went away after the nurse put some stuff in my iv. i was surprised though, i thought i would be feeling like crap. i have only a little trouble swallowing, and my uvula is a bit swollen, but besides that i feel pretty fine. i can eat fairly easily, and so am not having trouble with losing any weight, which i was a little concerned about as i am a recreational bodybuilder and didnt want to lose the hard earned muscle i've put on. i was expecting worse after reading these message boards, but maybe its still to early to talk, since i've read that people have said the second week is worse. but we'll see, i feel i have a pretty high tolerance for pain, so that just might be it as well. i'll try to put up another post after a few more days to see how i'm affected Chris (2006-05-14): I had my tonsils removed, a UPP, deviated septum repaired and a turbinate reducation this past Thursday. It's now Sunday, so just over 72 hours. The only thing that really hurts is my throat, and then mostly only when I swallow, but its painful. I'm on "Hydrocod", a yellow liquid for the pain. It only works "OK", and it burns like hell on the way down. I'm also a weightlifter, so I hope I don't lose a years work in 2 short weeks. I will also check in here and let you know how I'm doing. benny (2006-05-17): it's day 7 now after my surgery. I'm feelin good still, except this morning has probably been the worst on my throat, just hard to get down my breakfast. But the mornings have always been a bit tougher than the rest of the day, so i'm betting it will get better. I'm just waiting for the scabs to come off now, not looking foward to that. Though I feel I don't necessarily need the percocets they gave me, they do help me forget about the throat a little. will keep you posted. Chris (2006-05-17): Must be nice to have the percs, this liquid doesn't work and burns. Day 6 for me, I agree, mornings are really tough because my throat is bone dry. I go for my followup today, I'll post this PM on what the DR says. I'm trying to drink protein shakes and even 'ensure' (the small ones) to try to keep my protein up. benny (2006-05-19): Day 9 post surgery now, still doin well, the last couple days were a little worse on my throat, but it's gotten better since. Some of my scab must have come off yesterday, was chewing gum, then realized it started to taste a bit funny, so i knew it was bleeding, went to the sink and spit out some blood, not too much though. I figure there will be more since i don't think a lot of the scab came off. I must just be a lucky person because all in all, the pain has not been bad at all. Hope you have the same luck as my chris, call up your doc and try to get some percs, they definetly (i know that's probably spelled wrong, i can never get it right) helped make it easier. Warren (2006-05-21): I had a UPPP and nasal turbinates reduction yesterday. They used the Arthrocare coblation method. It was for sleep apnea and snoring. All local anaesthetic. The turbinate reduction surgery is painless, except that the injection for the local anaesthetic is a nightmare. The injection for the UPPP I found much easier to deal with. I found the surgery to be painless enough, and I was told my uvula was enormous, so quite a bit was cut out. The doctor made two incisions on each side which he said were very important as they will pull the soft palate up and out of the way when they heal. At the moment the whole lot looks like a mess and is hanging down a bit. Like some other posters here, I am amazed at the attitude of doctors to painkillers. I am in Asia, and know that I can source morphine 30mg tablets from any one of a number of dodgy chemists in the city I live in. However, I was sent out of the hospital with Paracetamol (!) Don't let this happen to you, especially if you are having coblation surgery which is "painless" or "less painful". It is NOT painless after the anaesthetic wears off. After discovering my lack of meds, I went back and got some codeine phosphate tablets. Fairly useless I thought even after taking the maximum permitted dosage (well I stopped at 180mg), so in agony after 12 hours I went to Casualty and got some better painkillers, including an injection. Incidentally, they gave me ketorolac thromethamine 10mg capsules which seems to be working a treat, and far better than the codeine. Perhaps narcotic analgesia doesn't work for me? I have always needed far more local anaesthetic than doctors and dentist have prepared, and no exception for this operation. Great site. Very helpful for me. If I could give any advice it would simply be to make sure the doctor is prepared to medicate you for pain. Some doctors are, and some doctors think that patients should suffer. This is what has made all the difference for me. I went 12 hours without so much as water, and ended up unable even to swallow the tiny codeine tabs. What good is that? Who benefits? If your doctor won't give you something to manage the pain, get another doctor. There is nothing macho or character-building about rolling around in agony and being unable to even drink water, and there is something sadly ironic about all the drug abuse that goes on in the world but people in post-operative pain can't get relief. Madness. However, I am now able to drink water, take some vitamins, and eat something for the first time in over 24 hours. On the same subject: Is coblation really less painful that the laser? I don't know and I suspect it depends on what painkillers the doctor gives you post-op. It doesn't hurt one little bit when it's being done, obviously. But I have to say with the correct painkillers I am not in any great pain or discomfort 24 hours after the op. Swallowing still hurts like buggery but nothing compared to how it used to. Warren (2006-05-22): Been back for a check-up and the wound where my uvula was is fine and is apparently scarring properly. Now that I have adequate pain medication there is just a little discomfort. I have since found out that the injection I had in casualty was also ketorolac thromethamine and this (non-opioid) painkiller really seems to work for me - far better than codeine. I have also noticed that I do not have any swallowing issues. Nose is still a bit stuffy, but doctor says that is normal for about a week until the turbinates fully heal. So far so good. I also feel that my airway is much improved, especially when lying on my back. I expect to go back to work on Wednesday, which would be the fourth day after the operation. This recovery time does indeed appear to be quicker than the laser or rf teatments. Let's see. Mike (2006-05-22): I had my Tonsils, Uvula, and part of my Soft Pallet removed on 5/4/06 to fix my Sleep Apnea. It is now over 2 1/2 weeks later and I still have some pain. I don't seem to snore anymore, but now I gurgle at night due to the large amount of thick mucus in my sinus area and throat. In order to free up the mucus I have to "snort" to get it loose (which hurts a lot). Shortly after I start to gurgle again. Has anyone noticed anything similar? Does it eventually disappear? I know I'm not fully healed yet (still painful in the morning from dryness), but it's really annoying to me and my wife (who put me on the couch until the gurgling stops). Chris (2006-05-22): Day 11 for me, last Wed they removed the tubes from my septoplasty and cleaned the area. Tomorrow I go and get the stitches out of my throat from the tonsillectomy. I've been feeling better and eating better, but still no where near at the level of eating that I was before the surgery. I don't snore anymore, which was the purpose of the surgery so in that respect it was a success. I'm curious: How many days are any of you taking off work? Thursday will be my full 2nd week, and I intend to go in then or on Friday (I do office work). Lisa (2006-05-22): Warren-- "there is something sadly ironic about all the drug abuse that goes on in the world but people in post-operative pain can't get relief" -- isn't that the truth? You're right, absolutely crazy. I am 3 months post-op for tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, turbinate reduction now and doing so much better. I currently have my first cold since surgery, but it seems easier to handle now that I can breathe through it. The turbinate reduction and adenoidecomy sure helped that -- my sinuses don't get so clogged up now. I still don't have my taste buds back 100% -- I'm probably at 85-90%. Still holding out hope they'll return to full function. A friend that is a P.A. said she thought it could take up to a year -- so there is hope yet. It's probably a good thing that chocolate tastes horrid -- as does soda. Mike -- Has your doctor suggested that you do a nasal irrigation? I do it daily and it helps that mucus drain away better. I have the Neilmed irrigation bottle/sodium packets and they are easy to use and once you get the hang of it; very quick and not uncomfortable to use. They are only sold at a handful of stores --see their website www.neilmed.com for more info. (and, no, I don't work for them -- I just REALLY like their product -- so much easier than other types I tried previously :<)). If you irrigate, I find it best to do in the morning so your system can drain away while you are upright -- definitely do NOT use within an hour or two of going to bed. That would make your nighttime gurgling worse. Chris -- Hang in there, sounds like you are right on schedule. From what I've read, 2 weeks is the average of time off work. Can you talk? Don't overdo it; you'll only set yourself back. Erik (2006-05-23): Lisa, thanks for that link, the nasal wash from Nielmed is the one I used too, and it was great! Beth (2006-05-23): Well, this Saturday will be my 1 year anniversary from having UPPP, Tonsilectomy, Turbinate Reduction and Septoplasty. I will tell you all in recovery that I do remember the first two to three weeks being the toughest. Thought around day 7 or so I was doing so much better but then pushed a little to hard and had a rough few days. Overall, it was not nearly as bad as I expected. Biggest problem was not being able to eat real food, having to spit all the time and waking up with the driest mouth in the world! LOL I can still tell when I don't get enough water. My throat will still bother me some. So I've really done so much better on taking in water now. As far as results- I was a VERY HEAVY snorer. SO much so that my husband would leave our room, close our door and close the door to the spare bedroom and still hear me. No more snoring- I do often "breath heavy" as he says, but nothing like it used to be. My sinuses don't bother me nearly as much either. So, yes, I'd say it was worth it. For me the worst part was dealing and fighting with the insurance company to get things paid. To everyone recovering- hang in there!!! Take those meds on time and drink lots of water. to those considering surgery- be ready to rest and recover. Be sure to have EVERYTHING completely approved and in writing before you go through with the surgery. Best of luck to you all!! Marc (2006-05-25): I had a tonsillectomy on 5/23 and it is the most painful thing that i've ever experienced in my life. The surgery was easy but right now it's day 2 and I don't feel better at all. Also, the pain medicine (tylenol 3) doesn't help me at all. The doctor said it's because my tonsils and adnoids were 4 times the size that they were supposed to be and therefore it was a big loss and a hard operation. Shauna (2006-05-26): Gosh...I'm so glad that there are blogs out there like this one! I needed to hear everyone else's account to feel like I wasn't just being a wimp! This (tonsillectomy) hurts and unlike kids...it seems to take forever to feel better! I'm at day 10 and finally starting to turn the corner. I've been without pain medications (Lortab elixer) for a day now. I started taking ibuprofen...which may not be the best idea for bleeding...but it helps tremendously with the swelling - especially the swelling of my uvula!! I still haven't decided which part of the surgery was worse...the tonsillectomy...or the OVERLY ENLARGED uvula!! The first night after the surgery I looked at my husband after waking up from a slumber and was like...something is in my throat. Imagine how horrified I was to learn that something...was there to stay!! Gosh...talk about gagging all the time. It looked like an oversized carrot dangling down and laying on my tongue. I called the doc on call only to learn "that is normal in adults". Of course my next question was..."I can't breath when I lay down...will it cause obstruction of my airway?" My doctor said, "It is extremely painful and annoying...but I haven't ever seem anyone die from an obstructed airway." Well...good to know you've never seen anyone die...but I wasn't convinced that wasn't going to be the 1st case that night!! Of course, I accommodated the change in my throat by sleeping on my side...which seemed to help and wrapped ice packs around my neck to ease the pain a little. On day 10 I'm still off from work, and it's Friday and I've got the holiday weekend now to recover more. I plan on being front and center at work on Tuesday and start putting some of this behind me. I'm not sure that I would do this again knowing now what I know. This absolutely has sucked! My brother (37 yrs old) is having his tonsils and uvula removed and soft palate lifted today...and I sure hope that his recovery is much less painful than my own. My cousin in-law had her tonsils removed the day after I did and I learned last night that she was not doing well and was heading to the ER due to bleeding. Goodluck to everyone!! Beth (2006-05-26): Shauna- that's why I'm glad I had my uvula removed!!!! Hope it gets better soon!!! Marc (2006-05-26): Day 4, and I'm finally starting to feel a little better. On the morning of May 26, I woke up, as I had the previous 2 mornings, coughing up mucus that had trickled down my throat while i was asleep. When this episode was finished, my throat was very sore and I had a burning feeling in my chest so I went to the hospital. They checked me out and gave me a type of steroid because my tonsils throat was still swollen with no signs of improvement, and also they determined that i had a form of acid reflux because i was swallowing so much saliva and mucus, and barely eating. After the new meds they gave me, i'm feeling slightly better and optimistic for the rest of my recovery. Yesterday i just wanted to go back in time and erase what had happened but I think in the long run it'll be for the better. Jessica (2006-05-26): I also had the problem of mucus build up in my throat. Does anyone know how to remedy that? Lisa (2006-05-26): Hi everyone. Water in the answer. Drink LOTS and LOTS of it. I know I didn't eat much that first week -- but when I made sure I drank a lot of water, I felt somewhat better. Water will help drain the mucus -- not completely; but it will help. The water also helps the throat heal faster and paves the way for future food -- it wears away the scabs gradually (which is what you want). I feel for you -- I've been there! Hang in there, in the long run, yes, it will be for the better. Lars (2006-05-27): I have severe sleep apnea event index after surgery 80 on side 125 events on back per hour. It is still very bad. I was able to drop my CPAP from 22 to 11 afterwards. I have severe asthma also when the operation was over I came to with the tube out of my throat and could not move any air at all and wide awake. Everyone was screaming at me to take a breath and hard as I tried I could not move any air at all even to tell them what was wrong. Five of them holding me down and couple more sitting on me to keep me on the strecher. After what seem like hours god bleesed me, I passed out or they put me out again. I woke up the next day in the ICU on a Ventilator and a tube back in my very sore throat. I just wanted to scream but the tube was in my throat. They explained they could not give me much pain killer so I could breath on my own and pulled the tube. Felt like some one riped my throat out. I just wanted to die.Throat so sore I could not scream but I did my best! Because of the apnea and asthma being so bad they left me on the floor for 24 hours then sent me home the next day. Was it worth it? Still on CPAP more neck mobility was all I gained out of it and lots of nights I wake recounting the event. HELL NO!!! Good luck on the surgery. Marc (2006-05-29): Thanks Lisa.. yeah it's day 6 now and i'm feeling better than before, i started to drink tons of water. my problem now is that whenever i eat, i'm getting a bad ear ache and headache.. But hopefully within the next week, that'll start to feel better too. Marc (2006-05-29): Also, my uvula is huge!!! Does it get smaller after it heals more or does it stay like that?? Amanda (2006-05-29): Sorry about about your problem Lars, it sounds terrible but I can't say I have any suggestions. I also, like most other here had a tonsillectomy and andectomy (i think that's how you spell it) and I have a question. It's been about 9 days since I had mine and before that I lead a very active life. Do you think it would be harmful to me to get back to my regular exercise program, how long should I wait? Erik (2006-05-30): Marc, the swelling should go down as you heal, but if it's causing you problems, you should bring it up with your doctor. Amanda, you have to be very careful about hydration, and not hurting yourself from getting dizzy, or causing bleeding, but if you take it slow, and really pay attention any trouble that might be starting, you should be ok. markgb007 (2006-05-30): I just had a tonsilectommy and UPPP performed 5 days ago. Day 4 has been the worst so far. I've just found that drinking, although painful at first, really does help the pain. My tonsils were slightly larger than average. The liquid vicotin they gace me only seems to workk for a couple hours. I'm looking forward to eating soon. Today is day 5 and I must say I feel pretty good, all things considered. Sleeping upright is critical i think. I spent one night sleeping prone and woke up in agonizing pain! I think, no matter the pain, i was going to get the procedure done no matter what. My sleep apnea seems to have retreated. Marc (2006-05-31): Day 8 and i'm feeling a lot better! There is not a lot of mucus in my throat anymore and I have a lot less trouble eating (except for when i first wake up). The only problem is that I get bad ear ache's when I eat but my doctor told me that it's normal because your tonsils and your ears are connected to the same nerve. My uvula has gone down and is actually resembling a uvula instead of a gong like it was before. James (2006-05-31): I'm a 26 year old man, and I got a tonsillectomy 2 weeks ago. I've had broken bones in both my feet, tattoos, torn ligaments, etc... so i believed that I could take just about anything. My mother took me to the hospital to get my tonsillectomy.. After FINALLY getting the IV in me on the 6th try, i believed that the worst was over. When I woke up, it was over and i felt surprisingly better than normal.. When I tried to drink the water they gave me, it was the worst pain i've ever felt. I hate to admit it but i was so overwhelmed by the pain that i broke out in tears...Advice to adults who receive tonsillectomy's.. don't underestimate the pain that you'll feel. But don't worry,it WILL get better as long as you keep eating and drinking that first week, as painful as it is. Chris (2006-06-01): 3 weeks after my UPPP, Tonsilectomy, Turbinate Reduction and Septoplasty (well, not sure if was a UPP, they totally removed my uvula (that lil hangy thing in the back of your throat). At any rate, I feel much better now, but I have 2 issues. 1) If I drink liquid really fast, it shoots out my nose (talk about a cool party trick NOT), and 2) The back of my throat nearly constantly feels like I've got something stuck back there, like a hairball or something. Anyone else experience this? Those of you in week 1/2, week 3 is 1000% better and you start to feel nearly normal. Alex (2006-06-02): Chris, I'm in week 2 and I have that feeling too, like something is stuck in the back of my throat. Also, I have some weird yellow looking stuff on the left side of my throat. I don't know if that's scar tissue or what, but it's not on my right side. Anyone have any suggestions? Lisa (2006-06-02): Chris -- Hairball feeling is normal. I had it for over a month. Didn't have the pleasure of the fountain nose trick, but I think once everything heals back there and gets back to the place it is going to stay, normal drinking should return. I have heard of that happening to others. I agree that week 3 is much better ... and you will continue to think that week by week. Isn't is a great feeling to have the worst behind you? James -- You're right, the pain is overwhelming. Thankfully time does make you forget. I am almost 4 months past -- and though I remember that the pain was worse than childbirth (yes, really), I can't remember the EXACT feeling. Just as long as it is worth it in the end, I think most people can find their way through it -- and by that point, you don't have much choice, right? Glad you are getting better. Marc -- Day 8 for you was much better. That's great! How are you doing now? Mark -- Congrats on your progress! I think you have something there -- sleeping upright does help. Hope you continue to feel better day by day. Lisa (2006-06-02): Alex -- Hi there. I would think that the yellow stuff is probably still the scabs from your surgery. What all did you have done? If the yellow is in the waayy back, then it would probably be post-nasal drip (sorry, I know, gross). Marc (2006-06-03): It's day 11 now and I'm seeing improvement everyday although it's not completely better. I still feel a lot of pain when I wake up, as well as having headache's and earache's when i eat.. but i'll take that over the pain i felt in the first week ANYDAY!! Also, I think my scabs are starting to break off, and thankfully, that hasn't been a painful experience for me.. its just kind of happening natuarally as i eat. But, the good news is that i'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. At one point, I thought I would never get better!! The pain was horrible. But, worse than childbirth? really? wow! Lisa (2006-06-03): I think I need to explain my "pain worse than childbirth" line. I don't want you men to think you've had such horrible tonsillectomy pain that it is worse than the pain or potential pain any women in your lives may feel giving birth. For me, at the time of my surguries, the pain was unending. I had strep throat for 5 weeks prior to the surgery (couldn't get rid of it with antibiotics), so I was already worn down -- and then I had the surgery. We all know how that is no fun -- the pain went on for agonizing days and my pain meds (tylenol 3) did absolutely nothing. The pain of having to swallow the tablets just made it even worse. My doctor wouldn't give out anything stronger or liquids (for adults anyway). So, YES, for me the tonsillectomy pain and recovery was worse than childbirth. That being said, childbirth is NO picnic -- but for me, labor was far shorter than the time it took to recover from the tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and turbinate reduction. Childbirth is much more intense, but then it is over within (for most) less than 24 hours. So, please NEVER say to a pregnant woman "I've had worse pain than that" .... because you probably haven't. Your pain probably lasted longer, but the intensity she'll feel will be stronger. I probably shouldn't have said "pain worse than childbirth" to begin with, huh? Thankfully the same holds true for delivering babies and having tonsillectomies .... time makes you forget the pain. Steve (2006-06-04): hey all, i really apprecciate all the posts that people have put up they are real help helpful. im 19 and had my tonsils removed on may 30, and this has been a painful experience for me. thank god my doctor gave me pain killers that are far stronger then tylenol i couldnt imagine the pain you guys have. i just have a question for anyone who notices that some days are worse than others, like for me day 2 was terrible, 3 was not bad,and 4 was worse than 3 but not 2. its like 5am and i am awake only because of how much pain i am experiencing right now. is this increased pain on day 5, which seems the worst so far maybe a sign that scabs are coming off? ive been able to eat pretty good for the week but it seems like day 5 is going to be terrible. Marc (2006-06-04): Steve, I don't think that your scabs are coming off as early as day 5. At that time, your scabs are possibly just starting to form. The explanation my doctor gave me for feeling worse than when you wake up is that overnight you don't eat or drink and the pain lessens the more you do that. The pain is gonna take a while to alleviate, I had my surgery on May 23, and it's still here... but it is much less. Lisa, don't get me wrong, I was looking for an explanation on the "pain worse that child birth" comment. I know that I will never experience that kind of pain. However, I had severe pain leading up to my tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy surgery. This was because, I am allergic to penicillin and therefore they couldn't give me a medicine to get rid of my tonsillitis. Also, the tylenol 3 didn't help me either.. I could barely even swallow things like ice cream and apple sauce. That being said, i'm not underestimating the pain of child birth.. I was just kind of surprised by that statement. Chris (2006-06-06): I had my surgeries May 11, it's now nearly 4 weeks later, I just noticed some dead skin hanging where my scabs and stitches were on the back of my throat(top). Anyone still have scabs after 4 weeks? There are just a few, and they don't hurt or bleed but just feel annoying. Chris (2006-06-07): Well, I figured out my problem. The Dr. forgot to take out 2 stitches, talk about annoying. Going to get them out today, I figure I'll hold the "Did you forget one tonsil too" until he's done removing them :) James (2006-06-07): I'm in week 3, and I still have some scabs on the left side of my throat. Also, I still experience pain when I wake up in the morning, and also when I yawn or sneeze. Gigi (2006-06-12): I'm seeing my doctor in a few days and I need to give him my decision about surgery. I'm really scared. This site has helped with some of my questions but a few family members in the medical field have mentioned the possibility of excessive bleeding. All I know is that I'm 36 and do not want to wear that damn CPAP machine the rest of my life. I recently saw my internist and she told me that because I have gained weight that the surgery won't make a difference. Has anyone had the surgery that is obese? Edward (2006-06-15): I just had the UPPP done eight days ago. It was difficult but I think the worst of it is behind me now. I had them turn my turbinates and fix my deviated septum. It's been hard but it will all be so worth it if I can do away with having to wear my cpap equipment. I just hope it works for me. My case of apnea is pretty bad so although I'm very hopeful, I'm also a bit worried. I'll let you know if it worked. I'll post here again in a couple of weeks to let you know. Tawnya (2006-06-15): I am 22 years old and just had my tonsils removed on may 31st. I just hit my two week mark yesterday. My throat is way better!! But when i try to eat more solid foods it feels like it gets stuck in my throat. Is that normal? When will it feel normal to eat again? Edward (2006-06-15): Hi Tawnya I just posted. My doctor said that it takes about 1 month to heal. I had the surgery 9 days ago and yesterday I ate some cereal (solid food) and boy was that a mistake! I think the cereal cut me all up. Be patient with the healing process and let your doctor know if you think something is totally wrong. Has anyone here had the UPPP and actually had it cure their sleep apnea? Monica (2006-06-17): Hi Erik, - Thank you! Your page is what I have been in search of to quench my curiosity about my upcoming operation on July 1st. Ever since I can remember I always had problems with my tonsils but I never dared having them removed. Two years ago I had a sleep study done and the results were astonishing! I had stopped breathing 58 times during the time tested. My ENT doctor said that I would feel 100% better once I take care of my apnea. Last year I had to have an operation on my sinus and correct a deviated septum. The operation went well but I did get a staph infection afterwards. I have been on antibiotics since then and two months ago I had another sinus operation to unblock my frontal sinus. The infection is still present however and it makes my tonsils and adenoids swell up. I've been on all types of medication and still no relief in sight. My doctor maintains the belief that once I have my tonsils and uvula removed I will feel like a new person. I've heard that before and it hasn't happened. Now I'm very skeptical. Also, I lost weight after the first operation but I have gained weight since the last- two months ago. My doctor claims that I will loose at least 10lbs right after the upcoming operation. Has that happened to you? It has been a number of years since your surgery... do you feel that it was well worth having it done? Have you had any throat or infection problems come up since the operation? I desperately wish for relief from the constant infections, restful sleep and energy-full morning wake ups. Are these unrealistic expectations? - Keep up the good work! Love the pix of your cat napping on by your pc. mary (2006-06-19): I am so glad I found this site! I am supposed to have my uvula and tonsils removed some time this summer (yet to be scheduled b/c i have to have a sleep study done first) and am really anxious over it. my uvula is being removed b/c it is enlarged and my ENT said my tonsils look pretty horrible (makes sense since i've always had strep and sinus infections). i'm just nervous b/c i'm 28 years old and have never been under anesthesia or had any sort of surgery. i'm not so worried about the actual surgery but the recovery and pain involved. i would rather go into the situation with a realistic outlook as to the actual extent of the pain and how long it will last. what can i expect from having uvula/tonsils removed when it comes to talking and getting back to work? Lisa M (2006-06-19): Hi, I am 43 and have always been tired after waking for as long as I can remember. Over the past few years I have had sinus problems and allergies but never as a kid. No sore throats as a kid or tonsillitis, or anything like that. Actually, I don�t get sick much at all. However, over the past couple of years I have noticed that I do have some sort of apnea as I can feel my self stop breathing as I try to fall asleep. It actually feels like something relaxes and gets in the way. I constantly feel that there is something in the back of my throat that needs to be clears and food sometimes does get stuck on the way down. I had my sleep study a week ago and they suggested I wear a mask at night so I would feel better in the AM. Ok, great, that helps me sleep at night but what about my morning problems with breathing and swallowing. Does anyone else have similar problems? Tawnya (2006-06-19): Almost three weeks after my tonil surgery now! Just started eating slowly. But food is still getting stuck in my throat. Does anybody know what is causing this? Whats swolloen? Brad (2006-06-20): I had the UPPP three weeks ago. It put an immediate end to my snoring. Of course, it's my severe apnea that concerns me most. So far, I'm still remaining pretty foggy-headed after I wake up, though not quite as much as before my surgery. At my post-operative appointment today, my ENT explained that it's still too early to come to any conclusions. Although the swelling has disappeared, the tissue in my throat has to tighten, etc. He says we'll know how successful the operation was by my next appointment, which is scheduled for three months after the procedure. For those of you who are frightened to death by the reports of intense pain (my ENT promised "exquisite pain"), I thought you might like to know that I didn't experience a single moment of anything that could be considered pain. The most difficult thing was getting food and water into my stomach. Of course, I had only the UPPP. It seems that the most vivid reports of pain come from those folks who have had their tonsils and adenoids removed, or had their septums straightened, in addition to the UPPP. Good luck to all of you. And thanks, Eric Burrows, for maintaining this site, which does so much good for so many people. Lias M (2006-06-21): More great news. Had my barium swallow the other day and now they say my esophagus muscles don�t contract the way they should� what does that mean? Jeeze, anyone else have any of these problems or know anything about them? Lisa (2006-06-21): Hi, Lisa M. I'm sorry, but no, I haven't had what's going on with you -- but after reading both of your posts, I just had to respond. I have a feeling you need a shoulder to cry on or may need to talk and get it out. The only thing I can say is that it is good that you are getting everything checked out -- and that once they have it all figured out, the doctors can help you. So, you are on the right path -- that IS good news. Hang in there. It will get better. :<) I'm 40 and never had problems as a kid either; but in the past few years had sinus and allergy problems and then in the past year or so lots of strep. I had a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and turbinate reduction. It wasn't exactly fun, but I am 4+ months past surgery now and feeling SO much better! No more strep or sinus crud and even my seasonal allergies are manageable now. sharon (2006-06-26): I had a my tonsils and adnoids removed and a UPPP Thurs. 6/22 I agree with Lisa I have had 4 children and this has been far worse. Ice cream has been horrible slimey! Tried soup but the salt burns, tried cream of wheat this am it started out as pretty okay but after about 2 bites it started hurting like the grit was getting stuck. I agree day 2 was worse than day 1. I'm p/o day 4 and feel alittle better but still hard to swallow anything. How long does this last? I really need to go back to work I have slowly weaned my self down off of my pain medicine (Darvocet) can't take Lortab (allergy) so its not liquid big horse pill! I too have sleep apnea my ENT said this may help but I had chronic infections too leaving behind horrible scar tissue in my tonsils where food got stuck(painfull) the uppp was to hopefully help the apnea. So do the stitches disolve or to I wait until my post op appt to have them removed? They are bothersome feels like hair stuck in the throat!!!! yuck! How long before you can talk normal I need to go back to work this Thurs. doc released me to go but said I wouldn't be ready. Lisa (2006-06-26): Hi Sharon! You are planning to go back to work after just one week? Wow! From what I've gathered on this board, the minimum I've seen is 2 weeks -- but most have 3-4 weeks off. I guess it would depend on how much talking you need to do at/with your job. I'm a SAHM, so my kids enjoyed the time when Mom couldn't talk much. :<) Can you breathe through your nose right now? With having my adenoids out and the turbinate reduction, it was over a week before I could even breathe through my nose -- which meant mouth-breathing -- which was worst at night with the drying out. Waking in the night to choke down that huge horse pill (which didn't do much for me anyway) was the absolute worst! The MOST painful time of all with the dry throat. Stitches -- mine melted away. Hopefully you have the same kind. Hang on to the fact that you'll only have to endure all of this once ... and the fact that yes, it will get better. Take care! Samantha (2006-06-26): I am on day 5 now of a T & A and turbinate reduction. The first 4 days were okay. I could swallow and eat normal things with a little bit of achiness. This morning, I woke up and it feels like someone has slashed open the left side of my throst. It feels like it burns, it is ripped and very acute. I can barely drink anything. Does this pass? I thought just achiness was normal. Also, I haven't been able to lie down since I got this done. I choke on everything back there. I have to sit up straight all the time. I tried to lay down last night and woke up because I thought I was choking to death. Does the swelling go down and feeling of choking when I lay down go away? Does nyone have any tips on what to eat or drink and at what temp to consume it at that would help me get something into my body? Thanks for you help. Lisa (2006-06-27): Hi, Samantha! How are you doing today? I had the exact same surgery you had. I hope you were able to sleep last night. Try to sleep as much as you can right now -- sleep and water -- the 2 most important things at this stage. I know I couldn't sleep on my back for quite a while at first -- can you lie on your side? The swelling should start to go down in a few days. Foods -- fudgesicles, popsicles, and chocolate milk at first. Eventually I added Lipton little noodle soup (but not right away), baby food pears, and yogurt. I'm sure it's different for everyone -- how much you can tolerate foodwise and when. Drink lots and lots of water -- it will help form and then wear away the scabs in your throat as well as hydrate your body to help the healing process along. I know this website really helped me through it all -- just being able to talk with someone who has been there -- being able to whine with someone and commiserate about what I was going through helped. Just wondering, what prompted you to have the surgery? For me it was primarily strep throat that wouldn't go away. Harlan (2006-06-27): Hello Erik. It sounds like I have just had exactly what you had done, tonsillectomy, uvulaectomy, and turbanite reduction (and an unexpected rhinoplasty to repair a perferated septum) I have found this site a blessing as I can look to posts from people who have had this done and compare experiences. I am no stranger to pain, but this is by far the worst pain (and most enduring) that I have ever expereinced. I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and prescribed a CPAP machine to wear at night. I found this COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. I soon determined that there was no way I was going to continue to live my life tied to a machine at night. A visit to an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialists confirmed my thoughts. He could not beleive that people in the medical profession would even consider putting aa otherwise healthy 40 year old on a CPAP. He took a quick look at my tonsils (which have been enlarged since I was a child) and chuckled and said "They have to go." He also checke! d my sinuses and said that I should have a turbanite reduction. He said it was evident that I must have had a soft fracture of my nose at some point. I honestly don't remember breaking my nose, but as a kid I took my share of shots to the nose (One particularily brutal incident involved a motorcycle that wouldn't start, an angry friend, a sarcastic mouth and a front bumber of a 1973 Ford LTD) Anyhow the Dr. said he knew he could help me out and get me off the CPAP. That afternoon I boxed up the CPAP and told the medical supply people to come and pick it up, I was done. I scheduled the procedure for 6/15/2006. The surgery itself took a little longer than what he expected as he found the additional damage to my nose. He now says I took one hell of a shot at one point The words "Ford Motor Company" flash thru my mind. (Thanks Gar) I was in surgery for a little over an hour. After a few minutes in post-op, they packed me up and sent me home with my wife. I had prewarned them to not send me home with some "just-get-by" pain meds. (I had read the horror stories on this site before my surgery) They did not disappoint as they sent along what seemed like a gallon jug of Roxicet liquid (Oxycodone and Acetaminophen). In hind sight, I would have rather choked down the pills, as the liquid is like the worst cough medicine you have ever tasted. Day 1 was not too bad, as I was still pretty drugged up. It's like what I have read in other's comments, between doses of the Roxicet, you sleep and "watch" TV. Day 2- Pure hell. Everything hurts. Food isn't even a thought at this point. Y! ou count the minutes till your next Dose of Roxicet, which you now call "your date with Roxy" Day 3- grossest day of my life. Spent the entire morning pulling quarter size pieces of flesh out of the back of my throat. (They were on their way out anyhow, and there was NO WAY I was going to swallow those) Felt better after the sludge had cleared. This was my first hint that it wasn't going to be 24/7 pain. Day 4-5 Extreme pain upon waking. Tried experimenting between Tylenol and Ibuprofen. What I found is that the Ibuprofen does a much better job at taking down the swelling, which eases swallowing. It also lasts longer than Tylenol. I decided to try these things in order to get myself off the Roxy. The Roxy works great at ELIMINATING the pain, but you are pretty much a zombie for the entire dosage time. Day 6-7 "Mr. He-Man thinks he can get by without me, I'll teach him..."-Roxy My pain alternates between a "10" and a "6" on the pain scale. For the 6,7 and 8 pain I will still use the Ibuprofen, but when the 10 hammers me, I have to reach for Roxy. But I hate doing it. Last night I got up at the usual 12:00 a.m. with my "10" pain. I poured the Roxy and waited. Couldn't bring myself to take it. It's almost a personal cahllenge with me now to see how much pain I can take before I take the Roxicet. I'm hoping to get out of the house to go to my son's baseball game tonight. I think I'll take Roxy with me just in case. I'll keep you updated. I am morbidly curious how long this pain will last. I only took a week off work, am I going to need more time? sharon (2006-06-27): Well going back to work this thurs. is completely out of the question! I was nuts to even think I could I still have a very hard time talking and eating/drinking is still awful! I actually slept all night last night till 5am when I woke with pain. Today day 5 p/o is worse than yesterday day 4. I really hope all this is going to be worth it in the end! Some food and drink actually feels like it goes up the back of my throat when I swallow does this pass after the swelling or do I have to relearn how to swallow effectively? Harlan (2006-06-27): Day 9- I went withmy wife on a shopping trip to Wausau and ate at my favorite place, Hereford and Hops. Had a chef salad and a beer (yes, a beer) The beer now tastes completely different. I hope this is temporary! Pain is now easily managed with the ibuprofen. Every once in a while a good quality "10" pain hits me, but I fight thru it. Day 11- Back to work. Back on solid foods again, but some still hurt (potatoe chips, salty foods, acidy foods) Like Sharon, I too am having to relearn how to swallow, but I think there is still swelling. Mornings are still a little painful. Day 12- MY FIRST FULL NIGHT OF UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP! NICE!!! Still some pain on waking, but is easliy managed with Ibu. I think I'm out of the woods. I can feel my sutures on the back of my tongue. I hope they fall out soon. Curiously I find that it hurts like hell when I yawn. Right at the base of my tongue, in the corners of my mouth. Yeah, I know...then don't yawn. Tawnya (2006-06-28): Its been 29 days since I had my tonsillectomy. And I am still having trouble swallowing. I thought I would just have to re tech myself to swallow. But thats not the problem, I can eat all normal foods, just some are harder to swallow than others. Sometimes choke, I just wander when the day will come where I can swallow my food 100% normally. And there is no way people can return back to work after a week, after this procedure. You need atleast two weeks minimum....three would be more like it. I lost 15 lbs, in two weeks. It takes time to heal, you have to have patience, but things do get better, I promise! Tina (2006-06-28): I just went to the ENT Dr. this a.m. and was told I need a tonsillectomy. I thought nothing of it and thought they just froze your throat and snip snip. What an awakening when I was told you are put under and then all the post-op stuff like bleeding, intense pain, not being able to sleep, eat, talk. I've been reading how intensepain is. Is it worse than giving birth? How long do you really need to take off of work? I was only planning on 4 days but should I really expect longer? Maybe I should reconsider this. Tawnya (2006-06-28): Tina.....a tonsillectomy is totally worth it. At first not eating, not talking....its seems like the pain will never stop. It is tough,but you make it through it. 4 days, no way!! By 4 days, your pain is getting worse. Minimum, stay home from work two weeks....but better off being home three weeks almost. But everbody is different. And also, expect on loosing like ten pounds or more. Its been almost a month for me and I still am dealing with eating problems. But I know it will be worth it!! I was putting up with strep throat for over 6 months! It is pretty painful, I do admit, but it will be nice not getting sick anymore! But....... good luck Tina!! Tina (2006-06-29): Ok no one on this site has talked about smoking once. do any of you smoke? I do and my dr. didn't say i couldn't. i am thinking that will be like you all describe drinking alcohol...oouucchh. well if any one smokes please let me know. this may be the best time to quit if i don't smoke for a week or two or three. Holly (2006-06-29): Does anyone regret having this surgery? I am second guessing it since I found out how very painful it will be. Any of your thoughts or opinions will help. Thank you. sharon (2006-06-29): Holly I do however I am only one week post op and in alot of pain still!!! I had a t&a and a uppp. I have sleep apnea so is why we did the uppp the t &a because of bad scar tissue and food would get stuck in the scarring pockets and cause pain. Im not say in a month that I would still say I regret it but right now I do! I still cant eat yesterday I thought okay we are rounding the corner but last night took me back to intense pain woke 3 times in bad pain and the mornings are horrible! Tina I thought I would be able to go back to work in a week. NO WAY did that happen, now I am hoping to go back on Mon. but still not sure because I have to be off of all narcotics. I will say that when I started taking motrin alternated with my Darvacet my swelling got better. Got that tip off of here!! Thishas been the best thing ever to be able to talk with others who have gone through this and at the same time! Harlan I applaud you I only wish I could eat a salad!!!! I dont smoke but I couldn't imagine wanting one in the amount of pain that you are in I just think that it would burn!! As far as the weight that might be the only good thing about it I started a week ago at 217 and now weigh 201 one week later. That cant be very healthy to lose it that fast. I have no energy because I can't get in anything to give me any! Im losing patience and its very deppressive!!!!! Lisa (2006-06-29): Hang in there Sharon! I promise it gets better! I know it is hard to keep your spirits up when you can't eat -- and maybe can't sleep decently either. It does feel like the misery is never going to end -- but I promise, it will! It's hard to imagine unless you've been through it -- and I think most of us here have. I know I thought (or hoped) I'd be one of the few lucky ones to have an easy time of it -- but the reality usually is -- having these surguries really stinks! Not fun, not one fun thing about it. But, if you need it, you need it and you will get through it -- and be all the better in the end. Don't "they" say What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger -- just think how strong you're gonna be! :<) Tina and Holly -- Good Luck making your decisions. I know all of this sounds really scary and horrible, but if you need it, it is better just to do it now and get it over with. Likely, if you don't, your symptoms will just increase. I don't know how old you are, but they say the older you are the more it hurts. I believe that! Tina -- now would be a good time to quit smoking. Just prepare before your surgery -- get the patch or whatever. I don't know much about that. Good Luck! Nina (2006-06-29): Ladies lets look at the positive side of this. . . Tina you get a jump start on quitting smoking and Sharon you've lost 16 pounds!! I would give anything for that!! I had my tonsils removed a few months ago with Coblation and the recovery was not as bad as I expected. Coblation it the name for the type of technique or insterment they use to remove your tonsils. I would definatly check out the company website before I had surgery. It's www.arthrocareent.com. They even have an area where you can find an ENT who uses Coblation in your area, that's how I found mine. Good Luck!! LUIS (2006-06-29): HI EVERYBODY A HAD A UPPP, Tonsillectomy, Uvulaectomy AND A NOSE SURGERY DONE ALL AT THE SAME TIME. IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND THE ONLY PAIN I GET IS WHEN I SWOLLOW. THE PAIN IS ABOUT A LEVEL 4. THE FIRST DAYS THAT WAS HARD FOR ME WAS NOT ABLE TO BREATH THROUGH MY NOSE DO TO SPLINTS IN MY NOSE. I GOT THEEM OFF YESTERDAY AND I CAN FELL THE DIFFERENCE NOW I CAN BREATH. BEFORE THE SURGERY I COUNLD ONLY BREATH THROUGH ONE SIDE. I STARTED EATING THE SAME DAY OF THE SURGERY AND I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL. THE ENT TOLD ME TO START AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO I DID, THE ONLY PROBLEM THAT I HAVE IS WHEN I SWOLLOW (WATER, SALIVA,FOOD) IT HURTS IN MY RIGHT SIDE UP TO MY EAR (PAIN LEVEL 4) AND IT IS NOT ALL THE TIME. Kirstie (2006-06-30): omg i think i mite have tonsilitis but i dont want a tonsillectamy or woteva it is.... does ny 1 no of anything i can do apart from get treatment?? please say there is something !!!! ive kinda got a REALLY REALLY big phobia of surgerys and needles so would only do that if it my oli option... im really scared peeps please help me out!!! luis (2006-06-30): Hi Kirstie Tonsillectomy is the only thing that will help you out. The surgerys is a piece of cake. I was afraid to go under the knife. I had just about everything done to me. I know it is a long shoot that it will improve my sleep. I do not wish i did not get it done. I had tonsilitis three times this year and it does not get better. Think about it. [email protected] (2006-07-01): Kirstie dont believe luis piece of cake my butt!!! I think the pain is at different levels for everyone but definately not a piece of cake! Well everyone after day seven and a visit to the ER for fluids and different pain meds as well as some Decodran for inflamation I must say I'm in heaven being able to drink with out problems other that really cold still makes it hurt so must of what goes in is luke warm to room temp. I truely enjoyed yesterday morning (morning after er visit) eating the peaches that was a great idea no pain at all wonderful and then at lunch we were out running errands and the kids were hungry so we stopped for chinese I never new how awesome a bowl of Egg drop soup really was!!!! Well I broke down and decided to deffinately take off the two full weeks that was originally planned by the surgeon the boss wasn't very pleased but o well. So for any one who is as crazy thinking as me and think your going back to work in a few days forget it! It doesn't feel good that fast! Kirstie how often are you getting tonsilitis? If its just a couple times a year then I wouldn't do it thats just my opinion because it has been a really rough time for me and I would rather be sick 2-3 times a year than to go through this. Luis I only wish I had your pain tolerance!!!! I had everything you did minus the nasal surgery and it really wasn't a piece of cake unless I was eating that cake in HELL!!! Harlan (2006-07-01): It's funny that I can read almost every post here and completely understand what everyone is feeling. I am now 16 days post-op. Is it worth it. I never thought I would here myself say this (or type it)but, yes it is worth it. I do not snore at all anymore and my sleep is pretty much uninterrupted. There is no way around it, it was the worst pain of my life. I was aksed would I do it again, knowing then what I know now. I would have to answer yes. But I would be more mentally prepared. Tina, I would use this opportuntiy to quit smoking. I have heard that it can complicate the procedure. The only residual effects I still have is very slight pain when I swallow, and I am having to "relearn" how to swallow. It seems that liquids tend to go up my nose. Speaking of my nose...since the septoplasty it looks different. It is now noticably crooked. Still a little sensitive to touch and numb in other areas. I really haven't noticed a big difference in my ability to breath thru it. I think I am still having some allergy issues that need to be addressed. To those who may be on days 2-8 HANG IN THERE. Do what you have to to stay pain free and heal up. It does get better. And for those that are wondering, my beer tastes like beer again :) LUIS (2006-07-02): SHARON IT'S TRUE..PEOPLE DO HAVE DIFFERENT PAIN TOLERANCE. FROM MY EXPERIENCE IT WAS NO SOO BAD,I'VE ONLY BEEN TAKING TYLENOL WITH CODEINE FOR THE PAIN. I'M AT DAY 11 AND MY PAIN LEVEL IS DECREASING. THE ONLY THING THAT'S IRRITATING ME IS THE PAIN I GET IN MY RIGHT EAR WHEN SWALLOWING. I READ ALOT OF PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY HAVE A HARD TIME SWALLOWING AND IT'S DUE TO THE SWELLING IN YOUR THROAT. JUST TRY TO EAT ALOT OF ICE AND THAT WILL HELP EASE THE PAIN(THAT'S WHAT I DO ALL DAY LONG LOL!) MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HELPED ME OUT ALOT. I'VE GONE FROM EATING LIQUIDS TO NOW EATING PIZZA, SOFT TACOS, RICE, ETC...IN LESS THAN A WEEK. FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE THINKING ABOUT GETTING THE SURGERY I REALLY DO RECOMMEND IT BECAUSE IT HAS REALLY IMPROVED MY SLEEPING PATTERN, AND I CAN BREATH THROUGH BOTH OF MY NOSTRILS =) Scaleman (2006-07-05): Day 7 for me and 3 Tylenol X-Strength for me every five hours. I can tell time by the severity of the pain. I had this done over the 4th and boy did that stink watching endless amounts of propane grill everything in site and me not being able to eat a lick of it. Ha! Whoever said is it worth it or second guessing it I would say this. I have not had the chance to see if it truly works. I was told by my Dr. that it would. I trusted him as I could not go on much longer with the sleep pattern I had. I work 12 hours (min) a day and sleeping on four (4) hours a night (so the clock says) How much of it was good recooperative sleep I do not know but how I felt, felt like I was running on pure adreneline alone. So you have to make the decision how bad you are. I am tolerating it because I think I am adding years to the end of my life if the Man upstairs thinks i need them :) Scaleman (2006-07-05): Oh yes, I smoke about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a pack a day. Marlboro Lights ordinarily. Yea, I know smoking is no good. I have been having about three to four a day not too aggressive on the draw and do not let it get hot. My post op is Friday 7/7/2006. I feel everything is normal. I am not a Dr. but I am certain it is effected my heal time but nicotine is a very powerful addiction for those that know. jami (2006-07-05): I am 27 year old and just had my tonsillectomy on Thurs. I think I am doing pretty well. I had had strep 9 times this year and was hell bent on not getting surgry. I tried naturpaths, accupunture, etc. to no avail. I decided that if I was going to do it I'd use Rescue remedy (health food store) and a homeopathic to encourage healing. I also got Ensure from the store and have been living on that. Not the best tasting but it goes down easy and is filling. Yeah, it hurts but I lost my scabs on day 5 and feel healthy other than slight pain. I am so excited to never get strep again.!!! Joepurnell (2006-07-07): So its early friday morning and I had my tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and UPPP (trimming of the soft palette and uvula) done on Wednesday. I am on Morphine Sulfate and Lortab (Tylenol with oxycodone). I too have the feeling of food and drink begining to travel up the back of my throat, towards my nose. Hopefully that will fix itself as swelling goes down. And if it doesn't what do you guys mean "relearn how to swallow?" For others who have the UPPP done, does it look like you no longer have a Uvula at all? My dr. said he would be "trimming" it, but it looks like its not even there anymore! To be honest, I don't care if he took it, if that means I'll sleep better. As many of you have said, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired! The doctor almost gaurenteed my snoring would stop, but said the chance of it curing my Obstructive Sleep Apnea is only a 30-50% chance. I am just glad that they are suggesting this for me at age 17, where as it seems like many of you have had to struggle with this issue for a much longer time. Thanks for any help in advance! [JOE] LUIS (2006-07-11): A JOEPURNELL IT IS NOT SO BAD, TWO WEEKS OF PAIN. ABOUT RELEARNING TO SWALLOW- IT IS THE SWELLING MY DR. SAID TO ME BEFORE THE SURGERY HE DID NOT WANT TO CUT TO MUCH OF MY SOFT PALETTE SO I WOUNLD NOT HAVE THAT PROBLUM WITH THE NOSE AND THE WATER. THE SNORING IS NOT A SURE THING BUT IT MAY TAKE ABOUT A MONTH TO FIND OUT. YOU MAY BE SNOREING NOW AND NOT REALIZE IT. THE SLEEP APNEA CAN WORK FOR A COUPLE OF YEAR BUT CAN COME BACK. I HAD ALL YOU HAD PLUS A NOSE JOB THREE WEEKS AGO AND I FEEL GOOD... monica (2006-07-13): Hello everyone! I had the operation on July 01. It was just like everyone has described it. I'm still hurting and having a difficult time. I'm still hopefull that by this time next week I will be all smiles... monica (2006-07-15): Hello everyone! Day 15 and I'm still miserable! I keep checking here pretty much on a daily basis hoping that someone will say that there is really light at the end of the tunnel and that it is coming soon... I'm still on jello and apple sauce and even that I have hard time swallowing. I'm still taking all the medication and have to use the magic mouthwash to ease the pain. Can anyone tell me what the ugly things in the cavities where the tonsils used to be are? They do not look like scabs and they are not scar tissue... they are just some glob and they sit there ever since the surgery. I thought they'd be gone by now but they are still there no matter how hard I rinse my mouth... Help I used to have a very pleasant personality. I'm becoming an ugly person! LUIS (2006-07-15): MONICA DON'T LOSE HOPE. THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. I'M AT DAY 28 AND I FEEL GREAT. THAT UGLY THING IS BURN FLESH. IT WILL GO AWAY. IT TOOK ME 21 DAYS FOR IT TO GO AWAY. I KNOW IT HURTS BUT DRINK LOT OF WATER, IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER FASTER AND HELP WITH THE PAIN. jack (2006-07-15): wow, im so glad i found this site. im 21 years old and i had my tonsillectomy 9 days ago. and let me tell you it has been the worst pain in my life. and ive been through alot of pain through surgery. when i was 15 i broke my femur completely and had a 4 hour surgery. recovery from that was a piece of cake compared to this. anyway, today is the first day i have felt better. my throat is still sore but i have had energy enough to get out take and take a shower. i also developed pneumonia 4 days ago so that hasnt helped at all. i hope i have hit the bend and i will improve from now on. but i am definately looking forward to not having a sore throat non stop anymore. my whole freshman year in college my throat was sore and it hurt to swallow and sometimes talk. i was desprerate so i went ahead with the surgery. i definately wasnt prepared for how much pain it was going to be to recover. monica (2006-07-16): Thank you Luis. Honestly, a moment ago, I was about to start searching for a sight that possibly had some info as to why I can not swallow. I'm really totally drained. I try to drink water but even it doesn't go down my throat very easily. Most of the time it spouts out my nose but that makes me laugh so I suppose it's okay. You are a delight and a ray of hope- thanks again Luis jack (2006-07-16): hang in there monica, just remember how good you will feel when its all over! Brenda (2006-07-19): This site is so helpful! My 19 year old son is having surgery on 7/31/06. T &A, Septoplasty, turbanate reduction. Any caregiving helpful hints would be greatly appreciated. I've been trying to locate AquaDrops, can't seem to find them anywhere. I'm so worried - mainly about the nose surgery. One side is blocked. Having this surgery is horrendous I've heard, but add on the tonsillectamy. I'm having nightmares of him not being able to breathe....... I'm a worry wart I know. He's had Strep 7 times in 10 months. Doctor is keeping him on amoxicillin until surgery. He had never had it before this year. monica (2006-07-19): Hello everyone :) I'm smilling a bit today. Thank you Jack.-Brenda Good Luck on your son's upcoming operation!@};-//-/-- Luis, yesterday I drank 3 8ltr bottles of water w/very minor mishaps - that's an improvement right?...It's day 20 and I'm still on jello and apple sauce though. For the past two evenings, I have tried to eat some chicken broth with chinese noodles but my stomach is protesting. I will keep on trying though. -- Good luck to all! Erik (2006-07-20): Brenda, common sense mothering is going to be your best tool. Keep your son hydrated. If he can't drink much, have him just a tiny bit every couple of minutes. If he dries out, it'll hurt a lot more. Also, make sure your doctor has a plan for the pain. Something better than tylenol. I don't know what AquaDrops are, but a saline sinus cleanser did wonders for me. Also make sure you have an appointment with your doctor 1-3 days after the surgery so he/she can check on his progress. Good luck! Monica, yep, drinking is great! The noodles will help get you your strength back, but take it easy. If you're on day 21 now, and still on soft food, it might be a good idea to get checked out by your doctor. He/she might be able to help the healing along. Melissa Graves-Brook (2006-07-27): Hello everyone first time post for me. I have five weeks to go until my surgery. I am optimistic about the procedure improving my overall health, because I have seen how effective adnoid and tonsil removal has been for my son. My son (3 years old) had his tonsils removed a month ago and his adnoids removed a year and a half ago, he is doing great other than ejecting fluids out the nose... no more ear infections and hopefully no more sinus infections now. The ENT told me that I need my tonsils removed, the partial trimming of my soft pallet and uvula, as well as windows cut in all of my sinus cavities. I am nervous about the UPPP procedure and am considering telling the doctor to just do the tonsil/adnoid removal and sinus windows. I am interested in any and all opinions. I just turned 31 and hope that this will be an easier recovery than the one I had after my emergency C-section. LUIS (2006-07-27): MONICA I'M GLAD YOU ARE DOING BETTER NOW. REMEMBER THAT IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO HEAL THAN YOU THINK. IT IS ALWAYS WET IN YOUR THROAT. I AM IN MY 36 DAY AND I CAN FEEL SOMETHING IN MY THROAT. MAYBE I STILL HAVE SOMETHING HANG IN ITS LAST THREAD WAITING TO FALL. I HAVE A BAD ODOR COMING FROM MY THROAT, AND THAT IS NORMAL. I STARTED EATING THE SAME DAY I HAD THE SURGERY. I DID NOT WANT TO FEEL DIFFERENT OR IT WAS THE END OF THE WORLD FOR ME. THATS IS WAY I FORCED MYSELF TO EAT. DRINKING WATER WAS THE SAME WAY I POSITION MY HEAD DIFF. WAYS SO WATER CAN GO TO MY THROAT AND NOT COME OUT OF MY NOSE. MELLISSA GRAVES-BROOK I WAS THE SAME WAY THINKING IF I SHOULD DO ONLY HALF OF MY SURGERY. I GOT EVERYTHING YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE. I SLEEP ALOT BETTER AND I FELL GREAT. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN I COULD BREATH THE WAY I DO NOW. I CAN'T SAY IT HELP ME WITH MY APNEA TILL I GO TO MY DOCTOR IN TWO WEEKS. GOOD LUCK AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT, AT THE DAY OF THE SURGERY I DID ALL OF IT. jack (2006-07-28): im on day 21 from getting my tonsils out and tonight was the first night ive actually felt "normal" in so long. It was the first night i drank since i had my tonsils out, and let me tell you drinking beer was so much more pleasant since i got them out. It goes down much easier than ever before. however i still have a pain towards the back of my neck/ears that happens occasionaly that feels like someone is kind of strangling me around the kneck. however, it comes less and less and the days go by. have any of you felt anything like that post surgery? mellisa- i would go ahead with the surgery. yes, the 1-2 weeks of recovery is near hell. but for me waking up every morning of college with a sore throat and barely able to talk in college was worse of a hell. and getting my tonsils out has cleared that problem up completely. we only have one life to live and it is better to give up 2 weeks of it for many future years living in happiness and good health. ive realized through this that health is the key to happiness next to family and friends. without your health its hard to enjoy life to the fullest. Brad (2006-07-30): Hello, Thanks for the good information here. I am 6 days out from my surgery, uvulectomy, tonsills, This has been the most ALL consuming health issue I have ever had.I am 31 and thought that I would be stronger than this, but have found it to be terribly overwhelming. Rightnow I can eat and drink, even has some pizza, but am having 2 problelms. 1) There is skin hanging in the back of my throat on one side, it looks scabby and burnt. 2) I am gagging up a ton of thick phlem. Anybody experience this or have any answers? Any reassurance would ease my mind considerably. thanks! brad... Melissa (2006-07-31): Jack and Luis, Thank-you for the advice. I will keep it in consideration. I am sure about two of the three procedures and about 50:50 on the partial pallet/uvula procedure. Hearing from those that have experienced it is comforting and reassuring. I have severe sleep apnea, chronic simusitis, and allergic rhinitus. I am not sure what makes my sleep apnea worse... the tonsils or my naturally small and reactive airway. Either way, I can not wait to have the holes drilled in my head and my severly oversized tonsils removed. I hope that the surgery will put an end to having sinus infections and ear infections 8-9 months out of the year. Respectfully yours. MG (Melissa Graves-Brook) Melissa (2006-07-31): Brad, My son had similar symptoms to yours between days 5 and 8 post operation. The ENT said the increased phlem was due to increased air flow through the sinus cavities... which increased irritation and stimulated mucus production. It took my son about 3 weeks for his sinuses to adjust to the increased air flow. Now snot production is normal for a three year old. The scabby/burnt skin maybe just that... the scabs formed after the tonsil removal begin to shed between days 5 and 7 and should be gone by day 10. My son was text book with this as well. Day 7-10 we expereinced decreased food and water intake, due to increased throat soreness and severe ear pain. The numbing ear drops helped greatly with my sons pain and irritability during those days, and the peeling scabs on the back of the throat looked pretty gross. Good luck with the worse part, and best wishes for good health. Sincerely, MG Brad (2006-07-31): Melissa, Thanks for the help, I really appreciate the reassurance. I have a post op appointment tommorow to follow-up. Thanks so much! Melissa (2006-08-01): Brad, The mom in me offers a suggestion that worked well for my son. Using the Ayr baby saline nasal spray periodically allowed for a reduction of the gagging an coughing due to increases phlem production. Children's saline sprays are a sanitized mild salt water solution (lower concentration than the adult versions) that you can use to rinse out your sinuses and thin the phlem. There are some draw backs; salt can make your throat burn a little and if you are like me, I always gag on saline solution (be it gargle or nose spray). My sister-in-law, whose is an MD used a perconogesic (spelling is off here, but the chemical compound is Ipratropium Bromide... I am a chemist not a MD) after here sinus surgery and recommended it to me. This nasal spray is by prescription only, it is designed as a nasal mucus production inhibitor. I use it in conjunction with Nasonex right now; however, I do not know if it is recommended for those that have recently had a tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy procedure. ALWAYS consult your doctor, but it never hurts to ask about new things. In my experience the side effects of the nasal spray have been nil, with only a temporary nasty taste in the back of the throat immediately after use. Respectfully Yours and wishing you the best, MG Holly (2006-08-01): Has anyone else had problems with Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC insurance? My husband needs this surgery done but insurance will not pay for it. They told us we had to do all of this stuff before they would even look at it. We did it all. He had to have several catscans which insurance would only pay for one and he had to use a cpap machine for 3 months which insurance called us the day before he met with his doctor to pick it up that they would not pay for the machine but he has to try it before they will consider him for surgery. We did everything they said and is cost us over $2000. We then set a date for the surgery and we get a letter in the mail saying insurance has denied him for the surgery. Has anyone else had this problem? Melissa (2006-08-02): Holly, My husband and I have BCBS of TN insurance. We have not had any problems with coverage of incidentals... scans, CPAP, and the like... The jury is still out on my UPPP procedure, I am unsure if they are going to approve it or not. First question to you: Is your insurance copay or percentage bas for services rendered? Copay policies tend to have stricter regulations on services rendered. Second: Have you gone to the BCBS main office yet and got in peoples faces yet? When I was in Mississippi, I had difficulties with coverage payments and approval. After the umpteenth phone call, I got the name of the surpervisor and her office number... then I drove over 200 miles to have a face to face with the woman. After an enlightening conversation, with the implied threat that I was more than willing to drive and sit in their office each time a problem occured wait until it was resolved... I never had a problem, that picking up a phone to call Dianne didn't fix. Opinion and Recommendation: In my experience a health insurance company is just another business, but they are not selling a product... they are gambling on the return of investment in you, with the hopes that you pay them more than they have to pay out. They are in it for the money, not to make you feel better; but, if you are willing to stick to your guns and prevent them from putting you off... they tend to buckle. So gather your paper work, and copies of your medical records and go to the NC branch office. Talk to someone and make them tell you why these things are not covered... if they can not give you a straight answer, go over his head... repeat as needed. Make them give you there reasons in writing... the problem may be that the Dr's office is not filing it properly and that you need to file it yourself (had that happen for prescript drugs and pediatrician's office visit charges). Good luck and be sure to scream out all your frustration in the car. Sincerely, MG Melissa (2006-08-02): Brenda, I hope your sons surgery went well. I had bilateral turboplasty done 2+ years ago at the age of... 28. I didn't miss a beat other than sleeping a lot for 2 days. However, sneezing and coughing will hurt and keeping the sinuses moist and irrigated was a must to minimize this... try an infant or children's saline solution, if you can not find these "AquaDrops" or check with your nurse for an alternate brand. My husband and his sister had surgery for deviated septums and pollumps(sp?) along side turboplasties. *My husband was a little more sensitive to the pain, whined alot... but had no serious complications other than not being able to wrestle with a 36 lb 2 yr old. *My sister-in-law did not miss a beat, she was in her last year of med school and felt so much better after the surgery that her productivity double after a weekend of rest (I believe dimeral(sp?) was her friend for 2 weeks). *T & A I can not give advice from the adult perspective, yet; but, my son was a trooper. The adenoidectomy was a breeze, all complications and pain were over by day 3. Keeping a 3 year old calm after the Tonsillectomy was the biggest challenge, he felt so much better he wanted to climb the walls. My son appeared to do the best when we used regular doses of pain medication: lydocaine ear drops, a regular small snack/drink routine (peanut butter, apple sauce w/graham sticks, mash potatoes, and homemade smoothies/shakes doped with protein powder, by the end of the week crackers/chicken fingers/meatballs/fries ... you name it and it was consumed), and a regular routine of saline nasal rinses. ***The worst pain came when the scabs began to come off.. days 7-10, this may result in a desire not to eat; this is fine just keep drinking (I recommend making some milk shakes or banana smoothies, laced with protien powder to keep the strength up) a little weight loss is expected and looked forward to in my case. Hopefully, by day 10 your son will become a monster like mine did; my son had enough of restraints by this time... it was time to GO and DO in his opinion. Good luck and best wishes to your son. MG Laurie (2006-08-02): Brenda, my 16 yr. old son is scheduled for the same surgery in a couple of weeks. I was fine until my sister (nurse) began to tell me about how "much" it is to have done at the same time, worrying about the ability to breathe after surgery. I'm hoping that your son is doing well - I would love to hear how his recovery is going... And, I would love to hear from anyone else who decided to have the combined tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and septoplasty procedures done at the same time. My son has sleep apnea and this surgery is recommended to help correct this problem. LS Brenda (2006-08-02): My sons surgery went well, the septoplasty was a little more involved - but he did fine. He stayed in the hospital overnight, came home the next day. The dr. said it would get worse, and it did. Last night was awful. He's on vicadin and oxycodone. We alternate every 4 hours. The throat is worse than the nose pain. (Taking out the packing wasn't excruciating for him, horrible - but got through it}. He is having trouble using the saline. It's not a childs - I'll go to the store and find another one. He's just stuffed up and the saline won't go in, it stings. Anyone else know if he should be having more progress with the saline by now? It's been 2 days since surgery. I'll keep you posted Laurie. LUIS (2006-08-03): DEAR BRENDA I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SALINE. IT IS THE BLOOD AND THE SPLENTS IN MY CASE. IF YOUR SON HAS SPLENTS, IT SHOULD HAVE A HOLE AND THATS WERE THE BLOOD IS AT. THE SPLENTS ARE PRETTY LONG. LAURIE, I HAD ALL THAT DONE TO ME AND THE UPPP. I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH ANYTHING ONLY ONE THE DAY THE DR. HAD TO TAKE OUT THE SPLENTS. A LITTLE ANXIOUS TO TAKE THEM OUT. Brenda (2006-08-03): What does it feel like to have the splints taken out? My son goes on Monday, 1 week after surgery. He's basically not using saline in his nose at all. He also has white sores along the sides of his tongue. The throat is so sore, we are keeping ice packs on his neck and that seems to help. Any advice greatly appreciated........ LUIS (2006-08-03): BRENDA, HE HAS TO USE SALINE, SO WHEN THE SPLINTS COME OUT IT WON'T STICK TO THE BLOOD AND THE SIDES OF THE NOSE. ITS GOING TO FEEL GOOD WHEN THEY COME OUT. HE IS GOING TO FEEL KIND OF ANXIOUS... DUE TO HIM BREATHING SOO SOO GOOD! =) THE WHITE SORES HE HAS ALONG THE SIDES OF TONGUE MAY BE POSSIBLY BE SCABS. THE THROAT WILL BE SORE ON THE 5TH TO 10TH DAY DO TO SCABS COMING OFF. THE EAR MAY HURT AT THE SAME TIME. I ONLY USED TYLENOL 3 AND IT HELPED ME ALOT.. Jimbo (2006-08-03): Why do you want to know what color a black cat is? Is that a ? to see if one is still taking their meds? Anyway I had a UPPP and a septoplasty two weeks ago, 7-19-06, my wife says my snoring has decreased about 90%. The stents they put in my nose were described pre-surgery as small straws, but when they removed them they looked like thin credit card sized rolls of plastic. They also had to pack my nose with gauze because nobody bothered to tell me not to take aspirin or Ibuprofen for the week before surgery and my blood was thinner than the pancake syrup at Denny's. The packing turned out to be a small mattress sized gauze pad that they could only have shoved up there if I was heavily medicated. It felt like my teeth were coming out along with them. DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN or any other blood thinners before surgery and do not depend on the hospital staff to remind you. The lack of snoring is the good news, my snoring and apnea kept my wife and I both sleep deprived for too many years. I am glad I finally did something about it. I tried the CPAP but could never feel as if I was not being force fed oxygen before I wanted to have some. I never got a decent nights' sleep with that plan either. As for the UPPP and septoplasty it hurt to swallow for about 10 days, it still hurts a lot to yawn and the worst part other than the almost constant headache like it is in a vise is MY TASTE BUDS ARE BARELY WORKING!! Is that common and does it usually go away? I can hardly taste water sometimes. Anyone else out there in post UPPP land with the same problem? Please tell me my taste buds will return. Melissa (2006-08-03): Brenda, As Luis said keeping the sinus cavities and back of the throat moist is a must. If your son is opposed to even the milder children's saline solutions like Ayr, you can try using a baby aspirator bulb with distilled water to open things up and moisten the area. Be sure to use the aspirator bulb carefully, it can produce quite a punch if you are not careful. Once things have opened up a bit, you can then try the saline solution once more... my 3 year old fought it, but after a time realized he felt better with the routine rinses. Good luck reasoning your son through the pain. Sincerely, MG Laurie (2006-08-04): This site is great - thank you for all the helpful information. I was told about not taking aspirin before surgery, but I didn't know about the saline spray. I guess our doc will mention it as surgery gets closer, but I rather know ahead of time. I'm SO hoping that this surgery helps several problems that my son has struggled with. He is 16, and in his junior year in high school, and barely made it through 9th and 10th grade. He's a very smart boy, but his grades began to drop steadily, along with his motivation level. We checked-out possible physical causes, and then took him to a therapist. He was diagnosed with ADD and depression associated with the ADD. We tried meds, but over time, things just weren't getting better. In the meantime, he slept (and snored) and complained about being tired all of the time. I blamed it on the depression and teenage hormones and feel like I may have delayed his progress. A different therapist recommended a sleep study. In 6.5 hrs., his sleep was interrupted 77 times. I was shocked. He began using a CPAP machine, but is struggling with it. I took him to an ENT for an eval., and he was surprised at the nasal obstruction he found. The ENT believes that my son broke his nose at some point, causing the deviated septum. There is also other obstructions that are blocking his ability to breathe... even while using the CPAP. The T&A are also enlarged. The docs believe that the lack of "good" sleep may be the root of the ADD and depression symptoms... and could also have been the cause for eneurisis, bed-wetting, that he also struggled with for many years. Surgery is scheduled for Aug. 16. The timing stinks, as school here started yesterday. I spoke to his teachers at open house, and they are all supportive. My son is ready to have it done, but I get nervous thinking about it. I've got to stay focused on the positive outcome that he should experience. This has been a long, bumpy road that we've been on, and I'm ready for a different route..ha! Thanks again for all of the helpful posts. Brenda (2006-08-04): Luis and Melissa thank you for the tips. Today is 4 days out from surgery. The throat is still incredibly sore. We are keeping icepacks on the neck. Swallowing water is so painful, even on the meds he's taking. The only luck I've had with nourishment is a carnation instant chocolate breakfast mix, and a hot chocolate mix heated with half milk and half water. He had planned to have several friends over tonight to play Halo, an x-box game. I don't know that he can possibly manage it, but what do I know........ monica (2006-08-10): Luis & Erik thank you for your sound advice and well-wishing! :) This site is truly fantastic for all of us- whether about to have the operation or during recovery. --My news- I have started eating solid foods. I had very little choice since after 28 days on liquids and soft foods- I was suffering from starvation. My advice to all: "Please be very very careful in selecting an ENT" -I'm currently being treated for severe dysphagia. If my problems -with the difficulty in swallowing and the food entering my nasal and sinus passages- continue I may have to be fitted with a feeding tube in my stomach. MY BEST WISHES TO ALL!!! jimbo (2006-08-13): Any one care to respond to my query of 8-3-06? Taste buds are slowly returning and it doesn't hurt as much to swallow. Melissa (2006-08-13): Jimbo, I have been looking over a few post sites about complications and trends with ENT surgeries. www.Healthboards.com has an ENT board, where there have been many documentations of similar side effects. It is another free group information site... and might offer some additional insite. Good luck and Best wishes on improving your health. Sincerely, MG Melissa (2006-08-14): Holly, Was your husband denied for T&A, UPPP, or something else? I just got my letter friday denying my UPPP and thus the T&A, and Sinus windows were denied as well. This occured two weeks after I had told my ENT I was refusing the UPPP procedure, but wanted everything else done. I think after two days of in your face leg work I have got my answers and will be able to have my BCBS covered surgery. What did I have to do? First I called the insurance company... where a wonderfully nasty lady named Joyce refused to answer questions and said to go through their appeals process which hardly ever works. This just initiated my bulldog reflex, I couldn't back down. So, I went to the insurance division at my ENT's asked what documentation do I need to get to prove the procedure is a medical necessity, and we made some calls. Turns out BCBS has three criteria that you must meet before they will cover a UPPP the biggie is that you need to be within 10% of your optimal weight, the blood oxygen saturation stat's and BP/vitals normally don't cause problems with the procedure. But I am not within 10 % of my optimal body weight, I would have to drop 30 pounds... as a result I was denied... and because the UPPP required the surgery to be attached to an over night stay, the T&A and sinus window procedure was denied. My BCBS only approves outpatient T&A, and sinus procedures. Now if something happens as a result of surgery, then they will cover the costs incurred due to surgery complications... this is not an ENT procedure. Thus working our way through the minions and finally reaching the supervisor of the precert. surgery BCBS division we were able to get their attention and resubmit my surgery as an outpatient T&A, Sinus window operation which will over write the previous denial and allow for BCBS coverage. So the moral of this story is when denied go through a back door. If the back door is locked, keep contacting the company to determine why you were denied so that your ENT can work with you to get what needs to be done, done. Good luck, MG Jimbo (2006-08-18): Melissa Right on! Don't let them ignore you. The squeaky wheel etc. Jimbo (2006-08-18): Melissa Thanks for the tip RE: Healthboard lizzzzzz (2006-08-19): I took my tonisls out on Aug 14, and i've been up and running for 3 days already. Whoever is taking there tonsils out do not be scareddd!!.. People make it seem worse then it is. Just fight it off, take your medicine and you will be fine. Melissa (2006-08-23): Jimbo and Liz, Glad that you like the healthboards tip. I visit there daily now. Liz, I am glad your recovery is going well. I plan to fight through my pain, my 3 year old doesn't believe his parents are allowed to feel bad... we must play at his behest. Luckily, I will have a grandma to run intereference for a few days. :) MG Lisa (2006-09-02): Hello everyone. Just checking in here for a minute -- I had a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy & turbinate reduction last February. It was a tough recovery, but now I am better than ever. Just a note about the taste buds recovering -- my took a full 4 months to completely come back -- so yes, there is hope for those of you wondering. "Normally" they come back much sooner and believe me, I was afraid mine might not come back, but eventually they did. Hang in there. IT WILL GET BETTER!!! Food, soda, and even water may taste incredibly vile right now -- but don't give up hope. Melissa (2006-09-04): Thank-you Lisa. All advice and experience is appreciated. It helps if you know what is coming. It will still be aweful, but we can reason through the pain and discomfort... because there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Respectfully, MG Donald (2006-09-11): I had my surgery(UPPP,tonsillectomy,repair inferior biturbinates,nasal septum repair) on 8/31. Worst 8 days of my life occurred immediately after, due to complications with thrush, bladder and bowel issues. After my stints came out on 9/8, I had the best two hours of sleep since I was a kid. My wife and I are sleeping in the same room and I dream the best dreams at night. No nightmares since. Lesson? You get what you pay for. IF you need this surgery, just push through it and get it done. It really is brighter on the other side. Melissa (2006-09-18): Donald, I agree, I can not wait for my surgery... I am looking forward to feeling normal. My son has been a new little person, infection free and a bundle of less grumpy energy. Sincerely, MG Carrie in Las Vegas (2006-09-19): I had a UPPP, tonsillectomy and turbinate reduction on September 11th. I am one of he lucky ones--I was eating lasagna 3 hours after surgery. My doc stressed the soft diet and I am thankful for it. I was prescribed liquid Lortab and antibiotic. I have found the following things really helpful: humdifier to keep your throat moist, drinking at least 16oz of water or more an hour, sleeping upright and frozen peas!!! I use the peas as a cold pack--I am sleeping upright with the peas in a towel wrapped around my neck. This really reduced the swelling. As for foods, I have been eating srambled eggs, mac and cheese and chicken soup. I ate an english muffin on Sunday-6 days after and KFC gravy and really scraped the crap out of my throat--I aspire to eat crunchy and spicy food in the future. I was really freaked out about the surgery and found the info on this site great. Be realistic about your recovery and take care of yourself!! Good Luck!! Melissa (2006-09-20): Carrie, Thanks for the tips and advice. Something I learned with my son's surgery that I plan on using with mine is Oticaine prescription ear drops. These were like liqiud gold when it came to soothing my 3 year olds distress due to ear pain. Thought I would share for anyone out there. Sincerely, MG Sincerely C.S (2006-09-22): I read your site to see if anyone had any horror stories like mine, but you all are a bunch of healthy go-getters! I had my surgery 8 days ago and still feel like I am going to die, I have had two days of feeling ok-good, and the rest have been horrific! Unlike the rest of you I was not the least bit afraid, my doctor said it would be the worst pain I had ever experienced for the first three to five days and then I would be ok. I consider myself to have a high pain threshold (GEEZ, Was I an idiot! I guess the whole having a baby like a breeze thing doesn't qualify me for squat!) Anyway! I have one horrible exerperience after another, my first being I COULD NOT PEE! First I should say I probably deserved to feel this bad, because the doctor wanted me to stay one more night and I just wanted to go home and sleep without the nurses poking and prodding me, so I refused and insisted on going home! BIG MISTAKE, I would not recommend it, cause once you leave they wont let you back in, trust me I tried. But on to the pee.... I went four days without being able to pee until I felt like I was going to pop and went to the ER where they did a cathader (sp?) once again not a pleasant experience. Got that taken care of with some meds I only had to take a few days and started to feel good. Went on errands, thought, great, life is good. Well dont know what happened, but slowly I got worse until I was in such agony I was calling and begging my doctor for better pain meds (which of course he refused) Then in the middle of the night when I was up (one of many) It was too painful to swallow so I went to the sink to spit, (again a common occassion) and I started spitting out these white chucks of yuck! I opened my mouth and looked in side and I thought I was going to puke! I had thrush, it was everywhere. Lucky for me my daughter had it as a child or I wouldnt have known what it was. I called the doctor the next day and he sent in a prescription for some nystatin and for vicatin (I was/am taking oxycotin). The nystatin seems to be clearing things up and with that the pain gets less, the vicatin my doctor can shove up his you know what, cause if Oxycotin isnt working why would Vicatin. I am getting better, It would seem, since I can sit here and complain and whine. I am rationing out the little bit of Oxycotin I have left cause the doctor said I cant have anymore, I am hoping the pain will get better and better every day. Well I am done complaining, moral of the story, dont go into major surgery thinking you are all that and a bag of chips! Tough mom I am NOT!!!!!! Melissa (2006-09-22): Sincerely C.S., I will have my surgery on October 17th. SO I will let you all know how I am feeling then. 3-5 days is optimistic for recovery from a tonsillectomy... and adniodectomy... good estimate. What does thrush look like... my horse occasionally got thrush in its hooves, but I do not know what the human equivalent is like. As far as pain I am sure it is going to be rough anything hurting in your head seems to be magnified ten fold... I however had an emergency c-section with my big headed baby after 13.5 hours of labor... then was stuck in the hospital for three weeks with a uterine infection and septic pelvic vein thrombosis... not an easy recovery. Maybe the T&A won't seem as bad... yeah right! I am sorry you are in pain and having a rough recovery, you are almost through the worst of it... after the scabs come off between days 5-10 you begin to rebound exponentially. For horror stories check out healthboards.com, ENT board. Sincerely, MG David (2006-09-22): Well I have Tonsillectomy done on Monday. I was told I have may some discomfort and a little pain by the surgeon but now a little freaked. I am 42, been reading all the foods and my plan is to use any time i have in a semblance of normality playing on a new xbox 360. Scarily enough i am still lokking fowrard to it as the impact of my tonsils on my sleep has been profound and for teh first time in my life at the moment i cannot guarantee I will not do a nodding dog anywhere anytime. Gulp. Thanks for all the info and will update you on my experiences. Lisa (2006-09-23): Hi, David. Try not to be too freaked out. You will live through this and come out on the other side a better person. :<) If you remember only one thing from reading this website, remember to drink lots and lots of water. Sounds simple, but it really does help. Water and sleep = the 2 most important ingredients to your recovery. That, and ASK your doctor to be sure your meds are LIQUID. Insist that they are. You'll be glad you did. A humidifier can really help too. They say it's better if you have this surgery when you are younger; but I am 40 and did fine. You will too. Sounds like you are looking forward to the xbox -- (not to sound too much like a Mom, but....) don't let the games rob you of your sleep. Sleep really is crucial. Good luck! David (2006-09-26): Hi All . had the tonsillectomy on Monday 25th, so now day 1 (or is it 2). The op day was a bad one, because of my airway they put the nasal tubes in and this seemed to cause a lot of blood which went into my lungs (still coughing up clotted blood now 36 hours later). Ended up intheir High Dependendy unit because (dont know why but sonmething to do with airway) my oxygen was in low 80's without oxygen mask. Got out of that this morning. They pushed the oxygen through a water tank and this together with morphine helped. From not being able to take any thing (glass of water took over an hour yesterday) I have managed to drink tea, water (within a couple of minute timeframe) and ecen manaed a fishcake. so far not the pain that has kicked in but felt like there was a vice on my throat initially and couldnt swallow, and the main thing bothering me at teh moment is that my nose is still bleeding. Drinking water like crazy (probably like 4 litres today) but waiting for pain to kick in - is this what happens. Wasnt sure if the start meant that maybe it isnt likely to be so bad...... Melissa (2006-09-26): David, The pain really sets in when the scaba start coming off. My son was great, came out of the hospital wanting to eat all the normal things... chicken nuggets, tater tots, peanut butter crackers, apple sauce... the only thing that hurt was ketchup and vineager initially. As the days progressed he got worse, by day five he had a lot of ear pain, day 7 descabbing full blown... lots of crying not wanting to eat or drink.. on day 10. He was fabulas.. as if nothing had happened. He was still sensitive to acidic things but back to drinking and eating fairly normal foods. I found a very good guide to what to expect. LisaMP's Adult Guide to a Tonsilectomy for Family and Friends. This goes into detail of what to expect. The guide and many other T&A sufferers can be found at www.healthboards.com... board Ears, Nose, and Throat. Good luck on your recovery. Bret (2006-09-27): Hello, I am a 34 year old male 5'10, 185 lbs. who was diagnosed with a light case of sleep apnea. I had a tonsillectomy, sestoplasty, & UUUP on the 7TH of Sept. It has been 20 days since my operation. My throat is still mildly sore and I have swollen lympth node in my neck. I have been off of pain meds for about a week. My Doc prescribed liquid Oxy-Codone for the first few days after surgery and liquid Hydrocodone fore the rest of my pain period. The pain was unbearale for two week straight! I still do not feel like myself. I feel tired and weak and am asking anyone if it took longer than normal for them to heal from the same type of procedures I have had. Did anyone experience swollen lympth nodes and joint pain in arms and legs (knees) after surgery? Is it possible that I feel this way because of the many different nerve endings being disrupted because of my tonsillectomy? Any and ALL Experiences/advice pertaining to this would be greatly appreciated!!! Thamk You! Bret - Scottsdale, AZ David (2006-09-27): Hi so about 60 hours in after the op, my nose has FINALLY nearly stopped bleeding. Does this mean I am at increased risk of secondary bleeding BTW? I am still coughing up blood but i am sure its from the nose, i have been coughing clumps up, some mixed with mucus which i assume has been there longer My doctor seemed nevrvous about something although i didnt understand what and eh sad he had stitched me as well as immediatelty putting me on antibiotics because he didnt want anyone else to have to work with my air canal? Hope i wasnt a pain while unconcious! I seem to be able to eat and drink freely, though noticed fruit popsicles more biting than yesterday. Look forward to tommorow like the people in blair witch looked forward to another day in the forest!!! scaring me that i know its (horrific scabing pain) is probably just around the corner and maybe i wont be able to cope. Nathan (2006-09-27): Hi I'm 19 years old and I'm in the process of deciding whether or not to go ahead with a tonsil removal and a part of my uvula as well. I'm scared to death of doing it. But I have moderate apnea and that's just me barely asleep during the study. Well I guess I'm trying to say is it worth it? (all the pain and most importantly- will it effect my singing cuz I'm an aspiring singer)? Lisa (2006-09-28): Nathan, yes it is worth it. But, as you've read, there is a price to pay to get to that point. You are young and your recovery will probably be easier than most. Can you imagine your life without the surgery? I am not an ENT doctor, but as they say -- your quality of life would most likely be much better with the surgery. You have to think long term -- short term, yes, there will be days that you will wonder if you did the right thing (moments of agony -- but you can handle it); but in the end, I truly think you'll be glad you did it. Better to do it now and get it over with -- just plan to have at the very least 2 weeks rest and recovery time. Your voice will not be the same for probably a month or so and then you will slowly get it back -- and probably better than ever. Good Luck making your decision. David (2006-09-29): Hi all just coming up for 5th day in about 6 hours. Sleep is causing me major problems as it dries out my palate, wakes me up and leaves me in a pain that it takes a good few hours to recover from. As a result obly getting maybe 3-4 hours sleep a night. Is this uncommon? Recently coughed up blood about 20 times, sometimes up to maybe a teaspoon, though the advice from teh hospital when i called was that if it wasnt literally pouring or causing me to swallow continously, just coughing it up that this should be fine..... havent had any major scabbing yet, though now worried about the bleeding potential. hope you are all well and recovering well David (2006-09-30): Hi everyone, now into day 6 post op (Op was 25/9). Now heavily dependent on the painkillers and highly awate of time. I have quite a bad cough chesty, which i am now coughing up green pleghm from in my chest. Will i need different anti biotics for this? One of my stiches seem to have ripped out due to the coughing. Now much blood but do u ned to call jospotal or EMU Pain eems stronger yet again and now i am in cycle completely dependent on pain killers and food choices very limited, though i dont think i could stand any more ice cream or similar Melissa (2006-10-01): David, Day 6, your scabs are mostlikely coming off... triggering the increased phylem production as a result of irritation and the minor bleeding. Try sucking on ice chips and placing a cold pack on your throat to ease the bleeding. As to the coughing, you need to minimize this... you can try spraying diluted chlorospeic(sp) throat spray on your throat. This will help desensitize the throat cough triggers temporarily. Anti-biotic if the infection is bacterial it should work, however different anti-biotics are better in different locations. When you have a question it is best to call your doctor or the nurse, because theyu are the most familiar with your case. Nathan: My doctor recommended a T&A, endioscopic sinus window insertion, and UPPP to help with chronic sinusitus and sleep apnea (mod-severe). However the UPPP is still highly subjective.... and many MD'd believe that the T&A is more helpful that the UPPP in alleviating sleep apnea. My sleep MD told me that in my case there would only be a 30% chance of improvement with a 5% chance of bad complications... thus I denide the UPPP, and went for the rest. I will have my procedures performed on the 17th of October. It took almost 3 monthe to get BCBS insurance approval, but it has happened and I am going for it. The three criteria looked at to determine the probability with in 10% of optimum body weight +30%, good vitals and BP +30%, throat and sinus structure +30%. So ask yourself those questions and tally the result 90 % go for it any less and I wouldn't... However get your T&A's (tonsils and adnoids) removed... we don't need them anyway. MG Melissa (2006-11-06): Hello Everyone, Day 21 post operation after my tonsillectomy, adnoidectomy, and full endoscopic sinus window insertion, passage openning, membrane removal... etc. I was roto-rootered in the head. Other than three bleeding incidents, oral thrush, and a couple days of vomiting and hiccups... it went pretty well. And I would do it again if I could rewind time and retain my experience. I wish others well with there procedures and hope that you all get the answers and care that you need. Sincerely, MG Steve (2006-11-07): Hi, I'm 30 years old and just had a tonsillectomy on the 1st, going on day 6 of recovery. Had a couple of questions if I may. First, how long is it usually before everything will start to taste somewhat normal again, because I can eat small amounts of just about anything as long as its chewed properly, but it all tastes awful. Secondly, I had been reading these posts for weeks before my procedure, and was really expecting the worst as far as pain. Now granted every Dr., procedure, and patient are different and pain/recovery will vary accordingly, but when does it seem to hurt the worst. I've heard that it is yet to come for me(around day 7 to 10) is this about right? I haven't been in really too much pain yet, the day after surgery and the day following that(Thurs and Frid) I actually felt better than before the surgery, and was eating normally, common sense applied to food choices of course, and just had a dry throat sensation. It's progressively gotten slightly worse each day(I thought I was in "recovery") They put me on Liquid Loritab. I can tell that it is wearing off if I forget to take it for a few hours or so, so it must be pretty good stuff, makes me sleepy though. If it weren't for that I'd probobly try to go back to work since my Dad expected me back on Friday the 3rd(yeah right 2 whole days good as new), but really when is it seem worst, and for those of you who are recovered fully how many weeks before no apparent evidence as far as eating, tasting, ear pain ect. Erik (2006-11-07): Steve, you nailed it: Everyone is different. The best answer I think you can get to when the taste will come back, and when the pain will go away is by reading the above posts, and talking with your doctor. Just be careful with the eating, make sure the food isn't going to irritate your wound, and prolong your healing. Good luck! Melissa (2006-11-08): Steve, I can not tell you when you will feel the worst, or when you will get better. It depends on the procedure performed, as well as your own physiology and pain tolerance. The worst of my pain was between days 5-9. I had three bleeding episodes as a side effect of oral thrush, which had spread to my tonsils, resulting in an extra ER visit and an emergency visit to my ENT. The pain was always managable for me with my liquid Lortab, and oticaine ear drops. The only time I stopped eating was when I was bleeding. Those three days were horrible, because I could only eat ice... anything else would promote a new bout of bleeding. The more you drink the better you will feel. You will also get tired easy, and may need to take naps beyond the 14 day sit in period recommended by our ENT's. Best wishes, MG Judy (2006-11-15): Well, I certainly wish I had seen this site before my surgery!!! I'm 45 years old and 2 weeks ago from today I had a tonsilectomy, uvulaectomy and they scrapped my soft pallet. This procedure was done because of mild-moderate sleep apnea. I was terrified!! I had heard all the horror stories. I had had a few different surgeries before and had gotten really sick from the anesthesia. All I can say is, talk to your anesthesiologist. He was wonderful and was aggressive with the anti-nausea meds. It made all the difference for me. Recovery has been pretty much what I expected. Nothing drastic - just followed the doctors orders. My doctor did not recommend using the chlorseptic spray. Instead, he wrote a prescription for a throat spray - Medomizer with Lidocaine. It has worked well. I go for a follow-up visit this afternoon and I'm really curious as to what they will say. My allergies have been flaring up and the coughing has increased. The good news is that within these 2 weeks I've lost 10 pounds!!!! :-) If I could offer any advise to someone who is going through this - just hang in there. Take it just one day at a time and don't try and speed up your recovery. It will come and you don't want to do anything that will cause any harm to your throat. Thanks again, JB Justin (2006-11-17): This really sucks. whatever that thing is that hangs down the back of your throat, mine is about the size of my thumb, I can hardly breath sometimes. Just had the tonsilectomy done yesterday. Really hope I don't lose too much weight, already down to 155 and I'm getting married in 47 days. How bad is simply being around smoke? Richard (2006-11-19): Richard (2006-11-19) Septoplasty, UPPP and Tonsillectomy performed on 11-10-2006 due to Severe Sleep apean. The only time I take my pain medication is when I go to bed so I can get to sleep. I went back for my checkup for my Septoplasty on 11-14 to have my nosed unpacked and that is doing great. I go back on 11-27 to folloup up on the progress of my tonsillectomy. I have lost 20 pounds, but it will return after I start eating more I am sure. I am feeling great, just feels like I have a bad sore throat. I am really keeping the makers of Gatorade in business. I was terrified beofre the surgery, but it has not been bad. Julie in Aus (2006-11-21): Hello... I've a couple of comments from a partner point of view. My partner had uvulaectomy, soft palate reduction and nose "clear out" one week ago - all to aid with his sleep apnoea and snoring. He is still in heaps of pain - and worse at night because (I think) he's having difficulty breathing through his nose and therefore his throat dries out. No amount of pain medication seems to help. I've tried to get him to sleep a bit more upright, but he just ends up lying down flat and more often than not on his back. Does anyone have any ideas for clearing this "blocked" feeling?? He's tried saline sprays without much success. I just wish I could see the smallest glimmer of light at the end of the tunnell. Erik (2006-11-22): Julie, are the nose sprays your partner tried the sprays like flonase or afrin? If so, check with your doctor about the use of those, I was warned against them. If you haven't tried it yet, try the saline nasal wash. This is a bottle of warm saline you squirt into the nose, and really did wonders to clear me out. As for the pain: Go straight to your doctor and get better meds. Matt (2006-11-22): OK... I have had CHRONIC sinus problems for over 10 years, and I always have to spit or "gut it". Here is what my ENT wants to do. I have a friend that's a Dr. and he thinks it's overkill. OK... Here's the run down on what they want to do. What do you think? All scheduled for 12/13. Opinions? Septoplasty SMR Turbinates Endoscopic Sinus Total Ethmoidectomy Endoscopic Maxilary, Antrostomy, Frontal amd Sphenoid Erik (2006-11-24): Matt, I don't even know what most of those things are, so I can't give you much advice. A second oppinion is always a good idea! David (2006-11-26): Greetings all, it is now 9pm and I am having a tonsilectomy, uv333, and turbanate reduction at 7am tomorow. Will post again to let you all know how it goes. I am 5'5", 200, and 33yrs old. I have been suffering with chronic sinus problems for ever and my toncils are huge. I am not as worried as you might think just want to get this done and move on. David, Cols,OH,US Malcolm (2006-11-26): I am so glad this site exists.I am scheduled to have my tonsils removed due them being enlarged and constantly choking me as well as my uvula choking me as well.My ENT wants tonsils,uvula and soft palat,as well as some etra tissue in my throat.I have severe sleep apnea, HP,and diabetes.I am 33 yrs old and very overweight.I am very worried becuase I am in the high rish group for complications.I just need to talk to others who are going through the same or have already done it.I will check here everyday until I am healed 12-26-06 is my surgery I hope I feel well in time for my 34th b-day on jan 14 Erik (2006-11-26): Good luck David and Malcom! Malcom, I'd think (but can't be sure of course) that by your birthday you'll feel 95% back to normal. Solid foods, etc. Malcolm (2006-11-26): Yes good luck David I have yet a month to go before I go under the knife my prayers are with you for speedy rcovery Melissa (2006-12-05): Matt, I had all that was recommended for you done and then some.. minus the septoplasty. They won't be able to pack your sinuses.. so you will have to be very careful of how you move and the angle you tilt your head. As far as pain goes.. it was no worse than my chronic impacted sinus infections. Hiccups, sneezing, or coughing will suck.... OUCH is the optimum word there. Now six weeks later.. I am basking in the ability to breathe, lack of sinus headaches and pain and gloriously well. I may actually have my first Christmas minus anti-biotics in my 31 years of existance. I had a tonsillectomy and adnoidectomy as well my sinus surgery, my ENT wanted to perform a UPPP as well, but my insurance refused to cover due to lsck of medical necessity. Since my sleep apnea is still severe, I am betting I can go back whenever and get the UPPP done at will, however I am not quite ready for that right now... I will stick to my CPAP. The recovery from the T&A was far worse than that of the sinuses. It wasn't until I was two weeks into my recovery that I truely noticed my sinus complaints other than the nose bleeding if I moved to fast or leaned over. Important things to note on recovery: T&A sufferers: 1) Keep the throat and sinuses moist (drink 100+ ounces of water a day and use a saline nasal wash) 2) Take you pain medications around the clock 3) Use oticaine prescription ear drops for descabbing pain 4) Use a 2% viscous lydocaine solution swish and spit throat numbing agent 5) Ice on the throat, heat on the ears. 6) If pain becomes unmanagable, a steriodal shot from your ENT can reduce swelling at least 80% in a 8 hour period. 7) Bleeding - go to the ER, bring plenty of ice to chew and suck on as well as keep an ice pack on your throat. Sinus Surgery Sufferers: 1) Keep the sinuses moist. 2) Do not take decongestants. 3) Do not use steriodal nasal sprays such as nasonex or flonase or afrin... these dry you out and may cause bleeding and will cause a pain increase. 4) Use a saline rinse like Simply saline every two hours while you are awake. 5) There is also a composite oil after 3 weeks that you can use to help fight the sinus driness issue. 6) Do not think about using your CPAP for at least 4 weeks.. and be prepared for pain when you do. It will get better. Sincerely, MG malcolm (2006-12-27): I just had my surgery yesterday the uvulopharynxoplasty tonsils uvual extra soft tissue in the throat with stitches runnind acrosss the entire arch.I am o.k I am home now I left this morning I am drinking about 40-50 ounces of water a day so far.the dry mouth was bad due to anesthesia but thats gone coughing up a little blood not bad I will popsicles later today or tomorrow it sucks ahving thesurgery but it is moving along the day didnt last as long as I thought it would good luck to anyone else who has to have this. I hope everyone had happy holidays no matter what your religion happy new years wish me luck I will post probably everyday til my b-day which jan 14 just give you all an idea.I love this site it has helped me alot now all I want is to return the favor.Also I lost weight I was 390 now I am at 368 I was a high risk case due to high blood pressure diabetes obesity and sever sleep apnea I am still on the cpap with a mask that covers the entire nose instead of the nasal pillows that hurt my throat when I tried it. g-bye for now friends Melssa (2006-12-28): Malcolm, I hope that all is continuing to go well and that you continue to lose weight. I am working hard at the weight loss bit myself, and am finding excercise as well as diet essential. I recommend drinking a little bit more.. pain will increase with an increasingly dry throat. Also after 10 - 14 days your health and strength will return dramatically. Best of luck with it. I am still using a CPAP with a full face mask, however I now feel a need for a change in my CPAP settings due to airflow changes in my throat and sinuses. I am returning to be evaluted again in mid-January. The sleep doctors strongly recommend a 3 monthe post operation sleep study to be preformed, after any throat/sinus surgery. Sincerely, MG malcolm (2006-12-29): thank you Melssa I appreciate that a lot.I appreciate anything anyone has said or thought as far as encouragement goes. malcolm (2006-12-29): well now it is friday my surgery was tuesday morning and I am still doing o.k.I was able to eat about 0.0001 ounce of chicken and mac from boston market to take my high blood pressure medicine. It did not hurt per say it just felt weird.My strength comes and goes and I am not counting the minutes til my net medicine dispense I go maybe a half hour to a hour after I am due but take everything else on time like antibiotics.I can still feel the stitches but it is o.k. they will melt in 2-4 weeks malcolm (2006-12-31): I want to thank my wie Courtney and my daughter Kendall for being there for me my surgery ent great my recovery is going pretty good.I am eating boston market and sweet potatoe souffle yum. the only thing is that the stitches tug when I chew and I can not eat fruit only soft food like fish, chicken,pudding any wya just wanted to let people know it is not really that bad just have a good attitude happy new yrs everyone Kim (2007-01-01): I had a tonsillectomy the day after christmas (I know, what a great christmas gift). I am 18 years old and had chronic tonsillitus so my tonsils were pretty scarred and rather large. It has been a week since my surgery and let's just say these past 7 days have been absolute hell. My doctor had to put me on a stronger pain med because I could barely swallow on the other one. Now my throat just feels like I have strept and I just yesterday i was able to start eating pasta, even though it takes about 45 min to finish a small bowl. i think that scabs have fallen off becuase now it just feels like my throat is raw. I didnt notice them falling off but I am guessing they did becuase now it stings to drink apple juice and what not when it didnt before. But now i have this horrible ear pain. It keeps me up at night and is constantly bothering me. Any helpful tips for this? Also, i know that everyones recovery is different but how much longer. I cant stand laying in bed anymore! Another thing, today i woke up and it hurt to talk really bad. I have been able to talk the past couple of days even though i havent had much of a voice but today it kills, do you think somethhings wrong? For anyone getting this surgery, GOOD LUCK! Melissa (2007-01-03): Kim, See my above posting from December 5th. It list the best medication combinations my son and I lived by during our recoveries this year. Ear pain is closely linked to swelling the oticaine prescription ear drops will help but if you want immediate relief. The steriodal shot in the preverbial backside gives relief in eight hours post injection. Also you can check out the www.healthboards.com website, Ears, Nose, and Throat Board. It is a very active posting with many past and present T&A's suffers continually checking in. Malcolm, I hope things are continuing to go well. I still get drier foods hung in my throat and I had my surgery October 17th. I need to continually drink so that I literally wash some foods down, versus choking. It is improving, but it will take time. It turns out if you had engorged tonsils or if you get your uvula worked on the dimensions of your throat change and the muscles in your throat must adapt, so says the ENT. As a result for 3 to 6 months you may have complications like fluids shooting outing of your nose for the uvula and throat flap needs to get stronger to close off the back of the throat when swallowing. As a result if.. say you drink from a water fountain, the forward tilt of the head allows for pooling water to fall up into the nasal cavities versus going down the throat (been there done that three times). My 3.5 year old son.. thought it was the greatest thing to shoot drinks out of his nose that clean up was fun (picture heavy sarcasm here). I am glad that he can not do that easily now, it is now 6.5 months post operation for him now and he shows great health and no adverse side effects. Respectfully, MG Sharm (2007-01-05): My 16 yo daughter had Tonsils and adnoids out on 12/29/06, she is slowly getting better. now I think she may have Thrush. I am wondering if I should call the doc, and if she will need a med for it. Melissa (2007-01-06): Get the thrush treated.. I had it and it led to three episodes of bleeding that were aweful.. not too mention lengthened my recovery. If eating yogurt doesn't restore the balance a dose of Diflucan (yeast in fection medication) or a swish and swallow rinse can be prescribed. Get it treated.. it only amplifies the pain. justin ([email protected]) (2007-01-09): hello, I just had a uvulaectomy and aednoidectomy performed on Friday, although, I am getting sick from the pain meds I am feeling just fine, like everyone else says-just a nasty sore throat. I am trying to find foods to eat that will not get me sick, as I vomitted all over the bathroom the other night trying to eat some lausagna...not a smart choice but I paid for it. What kind of food could you eat after the surgery? The aednoids are not bad anymore, but the uvula is killing me. Thanks Melissa (2007-01-10): Justin, Non-acidic to low-acid foods are the best. I survived off of blended mac-n-cheese with deli thin ham slices and boiled brocolli thrown in. Other items mashed potatoes with melted cheese and blended roast. Cucumbers, apple sauce, oyster crackers, mandarin orange slices, jello, ice cream, protien fortified shakes and smooties. My son didn't really miss a beat. He was 3.5 for his tonsillectomy and 2 for his adnoidectomy. It took seven days to get over the tonsilectomy, but the adnoidectomy took only three. His food preferences were french fries, tater tots, chicken tenders, apple sauce, corn, greeen beans, and peanut butter crackers. Other items the fortified shakes and smoothies, molasses cookies, and oreos. I wish I was able to do such after my T&A and full sinus window insertion. Best of luck on you recovery. Sincerely, MG Lisa D (2007-02-09): Hey my son who is 17 is supposed to have a tonsillectomy and an adnoidectomy on Tuesday. He is a student at a rigorous military school with tough mental and physical demands. How long will his recovery take...usually? Erik (2007-02-11): Lisa D: The best answer is: "It varies". Everyone heals differently. Your son is young, and probably healthy so has a good chance of healing quickly, but don't push it. If he works too hard too early, it'll take twice as long to heal. Melissa (2007-02-16): Lisa D. It varies for each individual and it varies by the technique employed. On average it take approximately 2 weeks for the bleeding complications to be lifted. He can feel physically fatigued and drained for up to a month. The quickest recoveries normally correspond to the less invasive surgical techniques. The best out there right now is cold laser coablation with chemical caurterization. This technique employs a laser for precision removal of the tonsils and adenoids. The laser operates at a lower temperature and does not burn or traumatize the surrounding tissue like electrocaurterization (No. 2 preferred technique). Chemical caurterization is the packing of the wound sites with Barium powder (bright yellow) and that powder eventually washes down and out revealing white spongy scabs versus the previously yellow swatches. The recovery can be seven to ten days with this technique given age and healing capabilites. My son was good after seven, but kept inactive until day ten. I recently had this done at the age of 31 and was recovered by day 14 even with three episodes of bleeding. Hope the tonsillectomy went well. Respectfully Yours, MG logesh (2007-02-26): hai erik my doctor has advised turbinectomy for my nasal block problem,People around me are frightening me by saying that I will land up with empty nose syndrome after the removal of my turbinates,did you experience any problems like this after the removal of your turbinates hillhopper (2007-02-28): I had tonsils and uvula removed on Feb. 20th. I'm SO happy that thinks are starting to settle down. Still taking pain meds, no hero here. This morning I'm finding large quanities of gobby blood when I cough or clear my throat. Normal saliva is clear but I am freaked out by the large chunks. Erik (2007-02-28): Logesh, I've never heard of "empty nose syndrome", but I can tell you that having some of my turbinite tissue removed has been great for me. I breathe much easier. I'd discuss your concerns with your doctor, rather than get too worked up by the speculation of your friends. Erik (2007-02-28): Hillhopper, I had a bunch of bloody grossness in my throat too, but I think it came mostly from my nasal surgery. You should ask your doctor what he/she thinks of it. Melissa (2007-02-28): Logesh, ENS is not something to fear. I had over 60% of my turbonides removed in my frontal and maxillary sinuses and well as my ethnoid and back sinuses completely cleared out. I do not feel any emptyiness in my nose at all.. I CAN BREATHE NOW! Talk with you ENT about your concerns, but if you are having teh turbinectomy done ysing bilateral turboplasty.. the membranes will regenerate over time..the elctrocaurterization used in the bilateral turboplasty method results in a 10 to 15 year relief period before one has to repeat the procedure. Pain and recovery.. EASY, in comparison with a T&A. You will mainly have to watch out for your sinuses drying out. Keep saline solution handy when you feel a sinus headache coming on. logesh (2007-02-28): Thank you guys I will immediately discuss the things that concern me with my ent. Bahama mama (2007-03-11): I am really freaking out abut this T&S. I am having it done on tueday, I'm a 37 female with two small kid, should I get say in help with kids. Bahama mama (2007-03-11): that's stay in help Melissa (2007-03-27): Bahama mama, YES! YES! It is going to suck and you do not need to be up and about cooking, cleaning and taking care of the kids. My husband couldn't so it alone. Grandma came to help and she was wonderful. I actually let her take my son back home with her for an additional week, because at four he didn't need to see me suffer. My being sick was stressing him out. Arrange for help. Sincerely, MG Bjbaca (2007-04-27): I just got a tonsillectomy, and uvulaectomy, as well as turbinite reduction just two days ago...i was diagnosed with sleep apnea, and i've been on a cpap machine for quite a while...i don't use it at all anymore, i had to stay extra days in the hospital because i do have congenital heart disease(single ventricle, a.v valve regurgitation) and im on coumadin...so i had to stop that cycle of medication way before my surgery dat. Anywho, im home now and today i woke up with the worse dry mouth possible, my tounge was dried out completely...its really hard to swallow, and it feels like the left side of my tounge is numb??? i am on some liquid pain medication called Hydrocodone. Anywho i guess i'll try eating just broth, is it better to drink cold fluids or room temp? Anyone else have there tounge dry out pretty bad? well any suggestions would help thank you very much. Melissa (2007-05-01): Yes, the tongue is going to dry out.. you will be more prone to mouth breathe due to swelling. Drinking? I recommend cold/ice water and luke warm foods the first seven days to minimize bleeding chances and help with swelling. I also recommend using saline nasal sprays at will.. at least 4x daily.. this will help with increased dry sinus headaches and pain. Only warm baths and ice packs for the throat. Best of luck it will be worth it in the long run. MG Kim (2007-05-07): It has been one week since I had my tonsils out and I still have not regained my sense of tate. I can't tell the difference between different flavored popsicles or even tast chocolate. Has anyone else had this problem? Melissa (2007-05-09): Loss of taste is common and in some cases it takes months to a year to return but it will return. When the ENT pulled and stretched your tongue out of the way they damaged some nerves that need to recoup. I never lost my sense of taste. It seems to be dependent on the surgean and their technique. Sincerely, MG Vangie (2007-05-09): I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. I'm on the CPAP Machine and I hate it. I have the full mask which causes me to sweat and it breaks my face out. I need to have my tonsils removed, uvula, a tongue reduction, and something in my nose straigthened up. I'm so worried and scared. How long would the recovery be for all of that? Melissa (2007-05-11): Two to four weeks depending on state of health and your ability to heal, method of Surgery, etc. www.healthboards.com has a very active ENT board so you can get a variety of opinions and a list of what to expect. Respectfully, MG Conni (2007-05-16): I would greatly like to hear from anyone who has had a laser tonsillectomy. I have had very little luck finding first-hand accounts, my daughter is due to have one and the doctor's office is giving us a fairytale about 2 - 3 day full recovery. Everyone's stories about how to get through recovery have been wonderfully helpful for us to prepare. Renee (2007-05-19): Renee (2007-05-19): I was diagnosed about 3 months ago with moderate to severe sleep apnea. I just had my deviated septum corrected and a uvulaectomy at the same time one week ago. The pain from the uvulaectomy was unbelievable - I didn't imagine so much pain. Luckily they gave me morphine every two hours in the hospital and percocet for at home. It's been a little over a week, and I'm still on a liquid diet - still difficult to even swallow let alone eat solid foods without pain. Hopefully the pain will go away soon. I live on soup, frozen yogurt, jello, and gingerale - recommend letting the soda go flat before trying to drink it, otherwise the carbonation will definitely irritate the incision in your throat. Patty (2007-06-11): Renee thanks I wish I would have found this site before I tried solid foods. I had my deviated septum corrected and also had a uvualectomy 5 June 07 and I am still in pain. So I guess it is back to a liquid diet for me. Yes I am still on my pain meds also. My thorat feels raw. This site really helped thanks. seth (2007-06-27): i had two back surgeries in the last year and a half. neither did anything to help the pain i have when sitting. now my ribs are in constant pain from prolonged bed rest and i got the idea that if i could sleep inthe bathtub submerged in water i could at least help fix my ribs, which are now the biggest problem. the problem is that i can't sleep on my back because i choke on my uvula. i thought all i had to do was trim the uvula a little, but the day before the surgery the doctor changed what he had told me months ago and i had to do the whole soft palette operation. i am now regretting it big time. the pain is beyond description. i wish my doctor had told me the whole story regarding what i was getting myself into. he said i would have a "sore throat" for a week or two and "nasal drip". what an undersatement!!! John (2007-06-28): I had my deviated septum corrected, turbinate reduction, and a uvulaectomy on June 22nd. Before my surgery, I read the posts on this site and others, and started to panic. Going into the surgery, I expected that after, I would not be able to talk for many days - this turned out to be false, I could talk just fine. I was also panicked I would not be able to breath since my nose would have stints, and throat would be swollen. I was afraid I would have an apnea episode the first night, and maybe would not be able to wake up (being so drugged on pain medicine and having residual anesthesia still in my system). Once again, I worried for nothing, the stints were great, and had holes inside them which actually allowed me to breath deeper than I could before the operation, even with swelling. Yesterday was the 5th day since the operation, the stints are out, and I am off the pain meds (Lortab), and back to work. For the first 3 days, I had to take pain medicine every 4 hours � which controlled the pain very nicely. On day 4, the pain meds not only cancelled out the pain, but also made me feel euphoric, so I switch to plain Tylenol once a day in the morning. My throat is still sore, and looks disgusting - white stuff + 5 stitches are clearly visible. I don't mean to preach but I think one thing that helped me recover was eating properly. With a good blender (I used a daiquiri blender that you can put right in a glass, or bowl to blend stuff) you can puree anything you might normally eat. The day after surgery, I had cheerios blended with soy and skim milk + pur�ed cantaloupe for breakfast. For lunch I combined boiled potato, yogurt, silk tofu and salmon, and pureed it into what looked like pink mashed potatoes � served chilled, I no problem swallowing it. I am not sure anyone would feel good sipping ginger ale, and eating jello and ice cream for several days, even if they were healthy. I read in Runner�s World, that you lose less muscle mass, if you eat adequate protein while on bed rest, so my liquids have included 2 glasses each of soy and regular milk. I have lost 5 lbs in 6 days � hopefully that was fat and not muscle. Tom (2007-07-06): Reading this post has really helped to decide to go through with my septoplasy, turbinate reduction and partial uvulaectomy. What is very ironic is that I am the Director of a Sleep Disorders Center in KY and have a BMI of 22, which is on the slim side. I have been on CPAP for the last several months and have good compliance because it makes me feel so much better in the morning. However, it drives my wife out of the bedroom because of the noise etc. I am going to have surgery because of this. Reading the posts the things I fear most is voice change, nasal regerg and soft palate stenosis. Obviously, my sleep apnea is from the hypertrophied nasopharynx tissue and the deviated septum. Surgery will fix them. It seems most people had good outcomes and the common thread on the down side was pain. Beside the humidifer, water, blended foods and pain meds anything else that will help? Thanks. Johnathon's Momma (2007-07-10): My son is 6 years old and just went threw surgury yesturday. They did a tonsillectomy, Uvuaectomy and Turbinite reduction. He's doing great! And it's just been a day. He acts like nothing has happened to him. Maybe it's true when they say, the younger the better. The doctor said that day 5 and 6 will probably be the worse. We'll just have to wait and see. So far, we've seen no blood or anything. Keeping Fingers crossed Erik (2007-07-11): Hi Johnathon's Momma, It's good to hear that your son is doing so well! Day 1 isn't the worst though, as you've heard. My worst day was day 3. But if you keep on top of the pain meds, and keep him well hydrated, the subsequent days won't be too bad. Good luck! John (2007-07-11): Tom. One other suggestion is make sure you get a liquid medicine. My doctor prescribed Lortab... my wife came home from the pharmacy with generic Lortab in pill form not liquid. Every 4 - 5 hours, I was crushing pills and mixing with water in a shot glass - tasted horrible. I also had to crush and drink my antibiotic pills. One thing I have been surprised about with my recovery is how long it is taking to return to completely normal. I was off pain meds in 5 days, and eating chili dogs by day 8. My routine is back to normal, I am running again - on day ten I ran a 4 mile 4th of July race no problem. However, I do not feel totally normal yet. Yesterday was day 20 post op, I just had the knots of stitches inside my nose cut off yesterday (5 on one side, 2 on the other). My nose is mostly healed now, no bleeding, and swelling on septum is mostly gone, but is still a bit tender. I probably will wait another week before swimming underwater (note: have been swimming with head above water since day 4). My throat is healed, but still slightly sore, and definitely swollen still. Right now I have what looks like a small stub of a uvula still in throat, my doctor says it will shrink back up into the palate as I continue to heal over next few weeks. I can definitely breathe better, and have been sleeping fine without the CPAP, but I do not think I will realize full benefits of the operation for another month or so. I am not giving this as advice, I am not a doctor, but for me, I stopped using my CPAP about 1 � weeks before the operation, I wanted to make sure my body was use to sleeping without any help, and lungs were use to breathing as deep as possible naturally before the surgery. Stefanie (2007-07-27) (2007-07-27): I just had a tonsilectomy and UPPP yesterday morning. All I can say is ouch!! and I am so hungry. My doctor told me to expect a lot of pain, but he did not mention that I would not be able to swallow. I was finally able to get down some cream of wheat and sherbert this morning, but it took two hours and my throat has been so sore ever since that I continue to gag on everything I have tried in the 12 hours since, even with pain meds. I have lost 4lbs so far, so I guess there is a bright side. I do hope things get better soon. Kurt (2007-08-02): Stefanie - How are you doing today? What pain meds are you taking? I hope you're feeling a lot better on Day 7. I have my own UPPP, septoplasty, and turbinate reduction scheduled for next Tuesday. I'm trying to be brave. Kory (2007-08-02): I had a tonsillectomy/uvulectomy 7 days ago. The 3rd/4th days waking up was especially a bitch... swallwing, referred pain, 2 areas of my mouth (lower lip and under the tongue) are still kinda numb from the clamp. Btw I'm a 45 year old male. Kory (2007-08-02): PS: unless bleeding is a problem (it wasn�t for me) I recommend against really cold foods (ice cream, ice water etc.). What cold things will do is create an deep �ache� within the throat (much like the phenomenon of an ice cream headache?), this is NOT responsive to pain meds. Kory (2007-08-02): PS again: Please ensure you write down med times. I swear to God I always looked at the clock & said "I'll remember what time I took medicine"... and almost EVERY time I forgot!! Kurt (2007-08-02): Kory: Thanks for your advice. After 7 days are you still in pain? Are you back at work? Kory (2007-08-02): No work until Monday and yes I do still have pain. Pain meds are still rather necessary, and doing these medications leaves one in no shape for work. I should also say that I have TONS of sick time. My surgery was performed on Wednesday the 25th and the pain started to subside a lot last night (1 week). Now the pain is to a point where if needed I could get by without meds, although it would be rough indeed. Kory (2007-08-02): ps: your scheduled for Tuesday Kurt? Yes be brave, get it done. I think you're smart checking out these boards ahead of time, that way when you get bored & lonely & FEEL alone, you'll know you're not really alone. Kurt (2007-08-03): Thanks, Kory. If they had bravery pills I'd already be on those. Glad your pain is subsiding after 1 week. Wish me luck on Tuesday. GloriaP (2007-08-04): Thank you everyone for your honest comments! I am having a tonsillectomy, uvulectomy, soft palette reshaped deviated septum fixed and turbinates reduced on 8/9/07 and I am SCARED. Not sure what to expect afterwards, but it has got to be better than the feeling of always being tired and the snoring which has driven my husband to the sofa for the past 6 months. I have stocked up on liquid meal replacement shakes from the HMR clinic at our hospital so that I do not lose muscle - thanks to those who mentioned this, and I bought a few spray bottles of Evian in hopes I can use these at night if my throat gets too dry. Is there anything else that has helped those who have so bravely gone through this? Kurt (2007-08-04): Hi GloriaP. Sounds like we're partners in pre-suffering. I'm having the same procedures two days before you, this Tuesday. The antipatory anxiety is no fun, so I'm glad to know you're out there thinking about the same things. I will let you know how it goes and offer any advice I can with my slim lead. My main strategies for post-op are to stay hydrated even if it hurts to swallow and to take my pain pills every 6 hours without fail. Stay in touch and good luck. GloriaP (2007-08-05): Hey Kurt, so here is my list of supplies I am going to buy today: liquid Tylenol, hydrogen peroxide, swabs, a child's sippy cup, bendy straws, more Fiji water, ginger ale, humidifier, angled pillow for sleeping, and rubbing alcohol for ice packs. Keeping my fingers drossed for you that your surery goes well and your recovery is smooth and quick. Will you be staying in the hospital one or two days? I was approved for two days and plan on staying so that my husband and son do not have to worry about me too much at home. Did your surgeon mention the possibility of voice changes? Kurt (2007-08-05): GloriaP: I love your shopping list! I am also taking an over-prepared approach to this surgery. I've stocked up on stock (chicken, beef, and mushroom), baby food, soy milk (I've read that dairy products create more mucous which is uncomfortable), 2.5 gallons of spring water, and champagne sorbet. As for the hospital, I've been approved only for a "23 hour observation," so I'll be spending one night at the hospital and going home early the next day. I would jump at the chance for two nights just so I could have the morphine and IV hydration. No swallowing sounds great! I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're not going to an American hospital. I did talk to my surgeon about voice changes and re-learning to swallow, which are mentioned on this board above, but he assures me these are not a factor because he's not touching my tongue. It sounds like my wife and your husband are sharing in the suffering. My wife and I are newlyweds, and I'm having this done so I can stay in the same bed with her. My snoring has been known to keep people in other rooms awake. Thanks for keeping in touch through this great web site. Makes me feel a lot less lonely. I'll be on here again as soon as I can after surgery. Take care. Kory (2007-08-05): Gloria & Kurt. A couple thoughts: The "pre-suffering" as you call it may be in many ways the worst part. It will go something like this � the nurses will prep you and the docs will talk briefly. You�ll be wheeled into the operating room and they'll knock your ass out. The next thing you know you�ll be waking up groggy, laughing, saying things that are ridiculous, trying to grab people etc. You�ll go home giddy and believe it or not, talkative. For about a day or so you�ll still be in an anesthesia-induced state of indifference. By the 2nd or 3rd day your job will become real and 2-fold #1 stay hydrated #2 manage your pain. Yes it will be painful and at times it will totally suck, but you�ll deal with it and before long the pain will be waning & you�ll be on the road to recovery. So for yourself and for those around you, chill out and relax, you�ll be fine. Kory (2007-08-05): Some more thoughts: Oxycodone & espresso make for a good buzz. Get a good book started, you�ll find yourself finising it. Have a comfortable place to read, lay, sip water, and be miserable, a hammock works great! Don't plan on being productive, trust me it won't happen and you need to be okay with that. Catch up on e-mails, you�ll find yourself pleasantly sharing stuff that you might not otherwise, it�s all good let the drugs do their job. Stay hydrated!!! GloriaP (2007-08-06): Kurt - good luck tomorrow! Keep us posted if you can. Kory - thanks for the advice, I guess I too need bravery pills cause I am scared, I don't do well with meds stronger than Tylenol, I throw up and this is what scares me. How are you feeling now? Was today your first day back at work? Kurt (2007-08-08): Dear Friends: I'm back from the hospital and everything went very smoothly. Following a couple Percocet, I was able to eat a surprisingly large breakfast, including a banana, oatmeal, juice, and coffee. Kory's description of going to the operating room and waking up moments later in recovery is right on. I actually walked home from the hospital this morning, with my wife's help, due to bad storm flooding and ensuing transit problems in New York. Luckily, we only live a block-and-a-half from the hospital. I know that the pain will get worse from here before it gets better, but I'm thankful that the medication works. GloriaP, what has your doctor said about pain meds? Can he give you something for nausea? A nausea medicine was added to my anasthesia as a routine precaution. I think the type of reaction you're describing is common, but I wouldn't try to face the pain only on Tylenol. Unlike my wife, who never takes a headache pill, I am not a "tough it out" type. Good luck to you tomorrow, GloriaP. I'll be sending you good thoughts! Kurt (2007-08-08): GloriaP: Regarding an earlier question you had about voice changes, mine is completely normal, though it's much easier to speak in a whisper, of course. Be brave! Kurt (2007-08-08): I know a lot of people have been suggesting popsicles and ice cream above, but I have to say warm food--broth and oatmeal--have been much more soothing on my throat. Kurt (2007-08-09): I've been sleeping more on Day 2, which dries out my throat and causes discomfort, but the sleeping itself feels good for me. I'm taking a little more Percocet today than yesterday--I'm not getting nauseated so I want to stay ahead of the pain. The pills work; I just need to get over feeling guilty about taking them. GloriaP (2007-08-10): going home! not as bad as expected 15ml of hydrocone every 8 hours, an anti-inflamatory, an anti=biotic but before any of that i get anti-nausea meds in my iv, all this medicine really upsets my stomach, plus the cool mist mask. surgery only 1.5 hours. kurt, hope you are feeling better :) motr when i get home, single finger typingvis no fun thank you all for great advice and insight Kurt (2007-08-10): Great to hear from you GloriaP. We're survivors! Sorry that your stomach is upset. I'm having my first cup of organic mushroom broth right now, and I can say that nothing that sounds so gross has ever tasted so good. Get some rest--you deserve it! Kurt (2007-08-11): I'm on Day 4 of recovery now and entering the more painful, drier part. My throat is feeling very raw now. I set up my humidifier, which works well, but also have another good suggestion from a doctor who's not involved in my case. He told me to wet a cloth and tape it lightly over my mouth when my throat feels driest. This works very well and feels like using a humidifying oxygen mask at the hospital. Hang in there, everyone. Kurt (2007-08-12): Day 5 is looking a little worse. I could only sleep if I put my head right in front of my humidifier running on high. After a few hours' sleep, I'm glad to have earned more Percocet. I'm planning to stay well-medicated today. I'm hoping for one more bad day or fewer before I'm over the peak of the pain and on my way to full recovery. Gloria (2007-08-13): Hi everyone! Kurt, how are you doing? It's day 4 for me, things are going pretty well, I get a terrible headache if I don't take the Hydrocodone every 8 hours, that's the max time I can handle without it. I am still on broth, jello, tea, and today I added non-fat pudding. I can feel some scabs in my throat and boy do I ever want to blow my nose and clean it all out - which I can't until Thursday. The humidifier has been awesome for night time, a little noisy but it really helps with my drying out. I've also been sipping water non-stop since my surgery day. I stopped the promethazine yesterday as I can drink the hydrocodone without throwing it up now. My teeth also started hurting today as my jaw. Anything else I should be looking forward to as I recover? Thank you!! Kurt (2007-08-14): Hey Gloria! Glad you're doing okay. You ears might start to feel a bit sore in the next day or so, but from the sound of things, you're already becoming an expert on which drugs to take when. Days 4-6 were the worst for me, I think. I had splints removed from my nose today and am breathing much easier, not to mention my nose no longer itches like a giant mosquito bite. The surgeon said everything looks really good, and I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, even though I'm still very hoarse and speak in a whisper when I can't write notes. I even went to a restaurant with a friend today and had the most delicious oatmeal, carrot-cucumber juice, and coffee. Hang in there Gloria! You're probably snoring worse than ever now, but don't be disheartened. In six short weeks you'll feel like you had a complete snorectomy. GloriaP (2007-08-14): AH, oatmeal! I know, patience grasshopper! Yes, the ear ache has already started and only napping makes it go away. How did it feel when the splints were removed? Were yours stitched in place? Were was our numbed before the removal? I get mine out on Thursday. Kurt (2007-08-15): I had one small stich in each splint that were snipped off before the splints came out. All my other sutures are self-disintingrating and mostly gone by now. The splints themselves were shockingly large, but it didn't hurt--repeat--did not hurt to get them out. I did take Percocet before I saw the doctor, but I'm not sure how much difference it would have made. I had no bleeding and the whole procedure only took about five minutes. Now that the splints are gone, the air I breathe seems somehow straighter. Sadly, I still have plenty of throat pain, and expect to be enjoying the many varieties of oatmeal for the next few days to come. GloriaP (2007-08-15): Okay, I will make sure to take some Hydrocodone before my appointment in the morning. I cannot eat anything too gritty or it just gets stuck back there. I tried mashed potatoes but they sorta hurt. I am still on Pho (just the broth) and jello. How is sleeping? I tried the wet towel over the mouth trick last night - worked great. Thank you! Kurt (2007-08-15): I'm feeling better and better now that the splints are out of my nose. Instead of dry and itchy, my nose is wet and drippy, which doesn't sound like a great trade-off, but just somehow seems healthier. I'm sleeping okay except for pain, which wakes me up every 4-5 hours. The stitches in my throat feel like they're almost entirely gone now, but the edges of the surgery are still very raw. Again, I feel better, healthier, and stronger every day, but the sore throat is taking its time. I'm guessing I'll need the high-powered pain killers for another 5 days or so, though at widening intervals. Sorry that you're having trouble eating. I would really encourage a nice fresh vegetable juice. After days of jello and broth, a celery/carrot juice feels much more substantial. Good luck with the splint-out tomorrow--it'll go great! Kurt (2007-08-16): GloriaP: How did the splint removal go? Here's my exciting news of Day 9 (2 days since my own splints came out): I took a nap during which I breathed through my nose! For one thing, I've never been able to do that in my life before, and for another, my throat was slightly less dry and painful than it has been when waking up. Granted, it hurt, and I did need a pain pill, but I didn't have that shards-of-glass-caught-in-my-throat sensation until AFTER I realized I was breathing through my nose. Hurray for small victories! GloriaP (2007-08-16): Yay, got my nose splints out. My surgeon is amazing! He removed them without any pain, just a weird feeling. Talk about BIG! My gosh those things were huge. It feels great to be able to breathe through both nostrils, i feel like a kid at christmas. My other scars are healing well. Now that I can breathe through my nose I'm hoping my throat will not dry out so much at night. I am still on the liquid hydrocone and still on broth, juice and jello. Dr. said I can add mushy food on Sunday - scrambled eggs here I come! I get an awful headache/throat ache at hour 8-9 when my hydrocodone is due, working my way up to 10 hours and then once per day and then stop, hopefully by next week. I went into work yesterday and it was really way too soon. I will go back tomorrow for a full day but plan on napping in the nursing room for at least an hour. I don't snore anymore :) If I had to do this again, so far I can say - YES. Still trying to figure out what other mushy foods I will make next week. I plan on going very slow since I really really do not want the bad scarring or bleeding some people get after day 10. What else are you doing for the dry mouth? I wish there were a spray that would coat it. Have you scrubbed your nose? I am thinking of getting one of those steam face washing things from Rite Aid so I don't need to scrub too much. Glad things are going well for you :) I've heard nothing but horror stories from people from work. I am gonna go to Whole Foods today to pick up some vegetable juice. How is your stomach doing after so many days from soft foods? Kurt (2007-08-16): Good work with the splint removal, Gloria. I was shocked at the size of the splints, too, kind of like having a schnauzer up your nose and not knowing it. You asked about food and though I'm certainly tired of the soft diet, my digestion seems to be getting back on track along with the rest of me. I'd love to have another option besides oatmeal, but I'm stumped. Let me know what you find. I'm not sure about the nose scrubbing you mentioned--are you having trouble with the skin on your nose? Mine was blotchy and red for several days (who knows how they clamped it open during surgery) but is mostly normal now without any special treatment. I'm very interested in what you said about the bad scarring and bleeding some people have after day 10. I want so desperately to think of myself as out-of-the-woods, but I have read some scary stories about people eating KFC too soon and wrecking their throats. Is this what you're talking about? The best spray for fighting dry mouth has been a mister bottle of spring water, which I think you've mentioned using as well. It doesn't really coat the throat, but it's gentler than swallowing when first waking up. We've come a long way. Let's keep up the good recovery! GloriaP (2007-08-17): I've been reading in a few forms of people not bending at the knees when bending down, instead bending at the waist and this causes bleeding from the scabs/incision. Or eating things that will move the scabs around. Regardless of how hungry I get I will refrain from eating anything too gritty as I'd rahter go slow and heal properly. Today I had a full day at work and my jaw is now killing me from talking. I went 10 hours between hydrocone. Tomorrow I will try extra-strength liquid Tylenol and see how I feel using just that. Thanks for the vegetable juice recommendation :) I tried a wheat grass carrot juice mix and boy was that a treat! Hope you are feeling better! GloriaP (2007-08-17): PS - Today I learned that I cannot talk for 10 hours straight at work - PAIN tonight! Kurt (2007-08-19): Gloria--thanks for the info about about eating too hard too fast. I will be careful. The scabs that we're talking about, are they over the tonsil areas? When I look in my mouth, I seem to have holes or pits in those areas--I'm not sure why food, even soft food, doesn't get trapped there. Do you know if these close up eventually? Guess I should ask my doctor when I see him Wednesday, but you've been very helpful, so I'll throw it out there. This weekend has been very nice overall. I'm steadily improving and the pain is diminishing. I'm really enjoying breathing through my nose--who would have thought that would be a big deal? Pain is down and energy is up, but I think it's an important time (Day 12!) to be careful and not reach for that back of chips that seems to know my name. How are you doing, Gloria? GloriaP (2007-08-19): Day 9 - WOW, I woke up with so much energy! Finally breathing through my nose. My scabs are falling off because my swallowing is becoming more smooth. Still on hydrocodone once a nigh and in the morning. Still on broth and jello. I tried eating sherbert, hummus, a chocolate meal replacement shake this weekend bu tit really stung. Also mashed potatoes. Tomorrow morning I am gonna try eating a scrambled egg. Are those just scars. Maybe the scabs have all fallen off and this just needs to finish healing? Other than the pit areas how are you feeling? Kurt (2007-08-20): Today is two weeks since I had the surgery. I think everything is going fine with the recovery, but today was a bad day. Low energy, general malaise. I'm so tired of soup I could scream. I'd love to get off the painkillers, but there's no doubt I still need them. To add to my weariness, I got some paperwork from my insurance company showing that they paid my surgeon 9% of the retail rate for two of my procedures. The third procedure they denied coverage, so I had to pay 100% of the retail cost. It makes me questions everyone's motives and feel ashamed of our health care system. Mark up Day 13 as a downer. GloriaP (2007-08-20): Oh no! Your doctor is supposed to get pre-approval before your surgery! There is a lady "Beth" who posted on here who was charged as well but she fought it and ended up only paying $252.30 out of nearly $5K. Attaching her post below. I hear you about the pain killers, I can go about 10 hours but at night and in the morning I really need them. The scabs are falling off, I can feel them but am too chicken to look. It easier to swallow but still stings if I eat anything not bland like broth or jello. I spoke to a nurse today who said it would take about 1.5 more weeks before I can eat solids again. It will get better! It will get better! How is your throat feeling? Are you snoring at all? Hope tomorrow is a better day. DO NOT LET THE DR. make you pay! Fight it. "Beth (2006-04-17): Had to jump back on here. It's been a long time since I posted. I had UPPP, tonsilectomy, reduction of turbinates and septoplasty done in May 2005. Everything is great! Sleeping much better, husband says I don't snore at all, just breath a little heavy sometimes. Anyway, the best part is the insurance company finally agreed to pay!!! My part of the bill went from $4625 to $252.30! You can imagine how excited I am!!!" GloriaP (2007-08-20): Drs are supposed to get approval BEFORE surgery, have the dr. write the insurance company and appeal this for you! I am so lucky, my husband and I both have insurance through work and we are double covered. The dr. himself called one of the insurance companies when they refused to pre-authorize the uvula removal and got approval. Kurt (2007-08-21): Feeling lots better today. Even talking and eating feels normal at times. I hope yesterday was the last bad day. Thanks, Gloria, for your kindness. Life is interesting, no? GloriaP (2007-08-21): What have you been eating? I feel so hungry sometimes but then I drink water and work on small projects to get my mind off of food. Have you lost any weight? I am down to taking the hydrocodone twice per day, not sure if I will get more from the doctor when this bottle is gone. I have not snored since the night before my surgery. Now if only day time could be as pleasant. Kurt (2007-08-22): I started eating semi-solid food two days ago--soft cheese and bread softened in soup. I just saw my ENT this morning, and he said my progress is great. I asked him about the danger of moving to solid food too fast, and he said I have nothing to fear, that I'm ready to eat what feels okay. I've lost about 12 pounds, which looks good on me, but I expect to gain most of it back pretty fast. I'll try my best to keep it off, and yet, as soon as I finish typing this, I'm going for my first real breakfast--eggs and toast--at the local diner. I'm not taking narcotics most of the time, but still need OTC Tylenol. My snoring is better, but it's too early to tell the overall effect. Breathing in general is definitely better. You should be eating better in a couple days, Gloria. Keep in touch. Alexandra (2007-08-24): Hi, i am having my tonsils out and my nose cauterised on tuesday, i am very scared as only 19 and dreading it, i have been reading the above and it has helped me try to feel less concerned about the whole procedure. Just dreading the going to sleep bit :((. I am sure I will be ok when it comes round to it. Kurt (2007-08-24): Gloria - How are you doing? I hope you're eating solid food by now. I'm doing well; still a sore throat and not up to my normal strength, but I'm getting to the end. Thanks so much for keeping in touch with me through the process. You don't have any idea how much you've helped! Alexandra - Good luck on Tuesday. I think your fear of anasthesia is normal. The truth is the sleeping part will go so fast you won't have time to be afraid on the day of the operation. Dreading the operation is much harder than sleeping through it. You should read the tonsillectomy guide here: http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=490161 You might want to have whoever is taking care of you read it too. Let us know how it goes. GloriaP (2007-08-24): Kurt - thank you for your kind words. I am eating regular food now and only have a slightly sore throat. No more meds :) and best of all NO snoring! My nose is still a bit tender and I still have to rinse my mouth out really well after I eat or I feel like I have little pieces stuck back there. When will you start exercising? Alexandra - Good luck Tuesday! After the anesthesiologist put in the IV and started the meds I was wheeled into the surgery room, all I remember was being told to put my arm up and then I woke up, it was really that quick. 3 things helped things helped me so much right after surgery were promethazine for anti-nausea, drinking water throughout the day no matter how hard it was cause my throat did not dry out and my humidifier, helped me breathe so much better. Take your pain meds on time and let others take care of you! Best wishes! GloriaP (2007-08-25): Alexandra - forgot to add, the liquid promethazine should be given to you at least 20-30 minutes before the pain medication. I took liquid hydrocodone and it worked great. Your insurance may not want to cover liquid meds but have the pharmacist call and let them know you had throat surgery. Keep us posted if you can. GloriaP (2007-09-04): Today I go to see my sleep specialist! YAY! She had given me two choices - CPAP or surgery, so her nurse leaves a message asking me to being in the card reader for the CPAP so the doc can check my levels and when I heard the message I just smiled :) Will let you know how it goes. Some bad news to report. Last week I walked into as I was getting ready to go to bed (no nightlight), nose still really swollen and lots of pain but hopefully once the swelling goes down I'll be okay. No snoring and I sleep all night so stacey (2007-09-21): I just had mine out last week.. its like day 11- i havn't been able to eat solids yet.. still on ice and slimfast. ive lost 15 lbs and am wishin this was over.. SOO HUNGRY This is the most awful thing one can go thru GloriaP (2007-09-22): Hi Stacey! It will get better, hang in there. Aside from the only having liquids how are you feeling? Are you able to sleep? Have the scabs started falling off? It is awful but I would do it again in a heart beat. I am almost at 2 months post op and I have never felt better, I can breathe, sleep and exercise. Best wishes! Dianne (2007-09-23): Hi, 37 year old woman here who had her tonsils out, pherengoplasty, septoplasty and turbinate reduction five days ago. Still in a lot of pain but seem to be breathing better. I'm going to the doctor for a checkup tomorrow and am hoping to get a different pain med. I'm currently on Hycet (liquid vicodin) and it doesn't seen to be working that well. I've lost 6lbs since I've only been able to eat small amounts of Jamba Juice and drink some Pedialyte each day. I'm dying for a cheeseburger as soon as I feel better. My throat feels a little like it was burned. Great site! Good to hear others have gone through/are going through the same thing. Cheers! GloriaP (2007-09-23): Hi Dianne, my doctor gave me Hydrocodone which really worked with the pain. I stayed on a broth and jello diet for over 10 days so that I would not hurt my throat, it's really worth it. I no longer snore or move around at night. My husband has been getting full nights of sleep :) I feel more energized and have continued losing weight and getting healthier each day. Do you have a humidifier? Using one at night really helped with dryness. Get lots of rest! I went back to work too soon and really wish I had stayed home the full two weeks. You'll be having that cheeseburger in no time at all. Best! Dianne (2007-09-23): Hi Gloria, Thanks! I'm going to see if the doc will switch me from Hycet because it's not working as well. They gave me Demerol shots and Oxycodone in the hospital and the pain was much more manageable on those. I don't have sleep apnea and don't snore but I have restricted airways which caused the same kind of problem, insomnia. My brain wouldn't let me fall asleep because I wouldn't breathe :-) Luckily I"m off work for three weeks and I can tell that I will actually need those three weeks off. I assumed that I would feel better within in a few days but boy, when the doctors say it's going to hurt, they're not kidding! I figured they were just saying that so I would mentally prepare myself for the worst then it wouldn't be so bad. Nope, it's that bad! :-) Michael V (2007-09-24): I just found this website and am a little scared, but after this I am aware that there will be pain before the gain. I find out tomarrow when my surgery is. I can not wait to get this completed and be back to the normal sleep that I had before. I remember sleeping nonstop for 8 hours and nothing could wake me up. I will add this page to my favorites and keep everyone updated on my status. Dianne (2007-09-26): Hi Michael, Good luck! Keep us posted and ask any questions you might have. I found great information and a help on this website. Michael V (2007-09-27): My surgery is October 23rd. Little scared, but I am sure it will all go away. Erik (2007-09-27): Good luck Michael, remember to keep hydrated! Ernst (2007-09-28): anybody have problem with food ore drinks coming up your nose Ernst (2007-09-29): had Tonsillectomy, Uvulaectomy 3 weeks ago and still have problems swallowing liquids, it come up my nose. will it be better one day ? I am 61, and it was very painful !!! Sorry my bad English I am Swiss. Thanks Ernst Erik (2007-09-30): Ernst, after my surgery, I did have trouble with liquids going up my nose. The only thing that fixed it was trying a different way of swallowing. I kind of push my tongue up in the back, to block the passageway to my nose, then push the food or liquid down. It's hard to explain, but if you experiment, I'm sure you'll find the way. Good luck! anonymous (2007-10-01): Thank you Erik, I will try it, have a great day Ernst Paulette (2007-10-02): I also hade the tonsils and the uvula removed. The first three days where pure hell. I could not and would not swallow anything. I am at 1 week and 1 day and I too am learning to swallow all over again, I sometimes feel like when I take my medication it goes into a storage cabinet, it almost feels like something is up there. I have not begun to drink soft drinks yet as it burns to much and makes it harder to swallow food. So I have a nice warm tea with my meal so that I may swallow better. I am 45 years old and let me tell you I have had a c-section, gull stones and kidney stones and I have to say this is the worse. It is like having an ear ache, tooth ache and throat ache all at the same time. I was even afraid to swallow my saliva. It's all good and getting there now. Michael V (2007-10-03): Well I got a call from my doctor that the insurance company will not pay for the UPPP, but I am still having my tonsils removed instead. I was very scared to lose my uvula, with learning to swallow differently, and the liquids out the nose. I hope the tonsils out will be worth it. I will keep everyone in touch. 19 days to go till the cut! Ernst (2007-10-05): The swallowing is getting better, when I do it one by one sip, but out of a bottle, still not good, and this after 4 weeks !! The only good thing is, I sleep better, and my wife to, (no more snoring ;-) ) I feel for you all, I am 61, it was hard, but worth . Sorry my bad English I am Swiss. Thanks Ernst Neon_Scotsman (2007-10-15): Excellent page. Very helpful. My surgery is in 2 days (10-18) getting the UUUP, tonsils, and septoplasty. Paulette (2007-10-16): Hey there I am back, I have to say it is getting much easier. I am at week 3 can swallow still a bit of discomfort not much. Can drink from a bottle now. I wonder am I the only one that feels this, it is like I have a loose skin in the back of my throat. Overall I can sing again yahoo for that. I can speak, the flap as I call it gets to me sometimes. I can take my meds no problem. DARREL (2007-10-16): I am 55 years old and had my tonsils removed and the uvula.This was three weeks ago. Still having trouble drinking. Eating is getting a little bit better. But my biggest worry is my voice. Has anyone had trouble being able to speak corrrectly after their operation? David (2007-10-18): After my UPPP I couldn't eat, but scrambled eggs saved me. Believe me, if you're hungry, eat warm (not hot)scrambled eggs. Sorry to inform you guys but the odds are against you that this operation will work. After I eventually healed my snoring was back as well as my sleep apnea. What a waste. Time, money and pain. Would never recommend this for anyone. DARREL (2007-10-20): Can anyone tell me how long it took for them to be able to drink without any trouble? It has been almost one month since my operation and I'm still having trouble trying to drink. Kanzla (2007-10-21): I have had my uvula and tonsils removed in March 2007. Since then, my mouth is always dry and the place where my uvula once was is hard. Will this ever soften? Is this unusual? GloriaP (2007-10-24): I had surgery on August 9th and feel amazing. No more snoring, my sleep is very good quality and I would have this surgery again - depsite the pain. The one thing that helped me was drinking water the minute I was awake from surgery. My nurse and husband made sure I drank at least least 4 oz of water every hour while in the hospital. At home I lived off of chicken broth, jello and tea for the first few days. Do not be afraid to swallow. I have had no issues swallowing, no water comes back through my nose and I am able to finally work out and breathe through my nose! Michael V (2007-10-24): Well all, this is the second day after my Tonsillectomy and I am having a problem with swallowing because my Uvula is about the size of a marble and comes towards my teeth when I am not careful. I am still scared about swallowing and the meds that I am taking seem to be working a little. Michael V (2007-10-25): Day Three and I had to go back to the doctor and get more medicine because of the Uvula. My doctor is the best just because he apologized for my pain. After visiting the doctor and being prescribed steroids and antibiotics, I have eaten a can of noodle soup, a bottle of Vitamin water, and am extremely pleased to be on the right road of recovery. I hope this will help others. Neon_Scotsman (2007-10-29): Wow. Day 11. Pretty much back to normal. Still a little sore swallowing, but back to standard foods. I found warm green tea the most helpful. First night the only thing that helped was ice cream. After eating some ice cream I was able to drink water. Getting the packing removed the next day was painful (from the turbinate reduction) but not as bad as I was expecting. I was able to breathe much better without snoring on Friday the 26th once the slipts were removed from my septoplasty. This was not painful at all. I was wondering about it since I hadn't read about it anywhere. So far so good, back to work today. After about day 5 I stopped taking the liquid narcotics all together, it was day 4 that I didn't take them during the day. I am finding that cold air is painful to breathe in, but that's nothing a scarf won't help. Thanks again all. DARREL (2007-10-31): I am now 5 weeks post-op and the stitches that were put into my mouth are still there. They are causing me problems when I eat. Did anyone else have their stitches last this long after their operation. I had the tonsils and uvula removed. Still having trouble with my voice also!!!!!!! Michael V (2007-10-31): 1 Week after Surgery and I am doing still better. I am not able to eat as much as my eyes would like to but I am able to get enough into me. I still have a sore throat especially when I have to yawn or swallow and drink certain liquids like carbonated drinks. Other than that I am still on the road to recovery. Teresa (2007-11-08): I had a tonsillectomy and some work done to my deviated septum on October 31st. It appears I also had some sort of cysts in my nose that needed to be removed. It is now November 8th and I am still utterly miserable. I still cannot swallow without pain. Eating anyting....forget it.... I beleive I have finally given my mouth frost bite from frozen popcycles. Doc assures me I am past the worst part of it. If this is true, then why do I feel like I still have razors in my throat!! I'm beginning to wonder if I should start drinking warm or hot liquids, even though I was told not to. Seems my throat is now retaliating against cold stuff. Ugh..... When my doctor asked me how I felt, I told him I would much rather give birth (which I have done 3 times already). Hands down, this pain is far worse. Erik (2007-11-08): Theresa, I'm sorry you're feeling so bad! If your doctor said not to drink warm or hot things, I'd do as he/she says, but I'd think sipping room-temp water would be ok, and that's mostly how I stayed hydrated. Also, if you're in that much pain, up the meds. There just isn't any reason to grit through it, in my opinion. Dianne (2007-11-10): Hi Theresa, I'm so sorry you're in so much pain. I had a tonsillectomy, pherengoplasty, septoplasty and turbinate reduction and it took eight days before I felt any better at all and then it was on a little better. What seemed to help me was getting stronger pain meds which helped me to eat something more than a fruit smoothie and I think getting some food in my system helped me to gain strength which helped me to feel better. It does get better, it just takes time. Good luck! Kevind (2007-11-14): I'm going to have the U-Triple-P surgery Thursday and am worried about food and water going up my nose. Hope it wont last long. Any words of wisdom about the procedure? Thanks Michael V (2007-11-17): I fell bad for all that are having problems during recovery. I did not have the UPPP but only the tonsillectomy. That was a trip and I can not imagine the UPPP. Theresa, up your meds or ask to be put on pain meds, and or steroids, 2 hours after taking the steroids I was able to eat a little. The only regret is that I did not keep better hydrated. Janet (2007-11-19): My doctor says I need the uvula removed but I also have a deviated septum... moderate sleep apnea. I feel like I always have phelgm in my throat because my large uvula is touching my tongue. One dr. wants to remove the uvula as an outpatient (general anesthesia) and then do the nose at a later date. Another doc wants to do both nose and uvula (not tonsils) at the same operation and keep me overnight in the hospital. What about this laser surgery I've been reading about? Any advice???? I am scheduled for uvula removel on 11/26 and am ready to cancel till I find out more info... DARREL (2007-11-19): JANET, PLEASE TALK IT OVER VERY CAREFULLY WITH YOUR DR. I HAD MY TONSILS AND UVULA REMOVED SEPT. 24TH I WAS HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE EATING, DRINKING AND SPEAKING. I WENT TO A NEW DR. THIS PAST FRI. FOR A 2ND OPINION AND WAS TOLD BY THIS DR. THAT THEY CUT TOO MUCH AWAY AND NOW I WILL HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER OPERATION TO PUT SOME SOFT TISSUE BACK AGAIN. WHEN I SPEAK I HAVE A VERY NASAL SOUND. SO I DON'T SPEAK UNLESS I HAVE TO. THIS WAS DONE IN ALTOONA, PA. Brian (2007-11-21): I had a UPPP, tonisillectomy and tongue base ablation 11 days ago. Surgery was 2 1/2 hours and I spent one night in the hospital for observation. I have to tell you...the recovery has not been anywhere near as bad as I had expected. Not unbearably painful... just uncomfortable to swallow. I stopped taking any pain medication about 5 days ago. I am having some minor bleeding now as the scabs have been coming off. I am eating normally now. Actually went out with the family to grab a burger last night. One thing...drink lots of water...it makes a difference. JoeW. (2007-11-26): This has been enlightening. I have moderate sleep apnea, but snore like my grandfather. Am considering the UPPP and need all the reassurance I can get that my snoring will stop and I can get a decent night's rest. (2007-11-29): i am now 7 days after a UPPP and septoplasty. Let me say the septoplasty is a doddle. The UPPP however is the worst pain i have ever felt in my lifetime (im 36). I have yellow puss looking all over the back of my throat now, it started exactly where the uvula used to be and has now moved down the left side of my throat. Like others say drink plenty water. The problem is tho you dont drink while sleeping. I am living on about 3 hours sleep per day. I dont want to sleep as i know when i awake the pain is frightening. My nose is still blocked from the turbinate reduction but is clearing. OH if you are wanting to loose weight then a UPPP is extreme but boy does it work. 10 pounds in one week - now there is one unhealthy weight loss for you. Michael V (2007-12-02): I lost ten pounds the first week but have gained it back since. I am proud to say that I am not snoring at all, Yippee!! I have noted though that ever since the surgery I have had a lot of gas. Is this something that is normal or just me?? And to everyone that is looking at getting the surgery, I only had the tonsils removed and not the UPPP, I had a rough time at first but after it was well worth it. I breathe better and sleep quieter. I totally appreciate everyone on here talking about their experience because it helped out a lot. I might not be posting hardly since everything is back to normal and my doctor gave me the thumbs up and no more visits. Michelle (2007-12-04): I am having my uvula and tonsills removed in January due to sleep apnea, can anyone give me any information about this? DARREL (2007-12-08): Yes Michelle. Please talk it over very well with your doctor and see if he 0r she can let you talk to someone that has had this operation done by that doctor. I have had a very bad experience with mine. The doctor cut too much of my soft tissue away and now I have to have reconstructive surgery done to help correct my speech and help my eating and drinking process again. I'm not a very happy camper right now. Anything that you want to know about my operation please just ask me. Bob Henry (2007-12-10): Had my Uvula removed 12-07-2007. I had a Growth on it and I snored terribly. Alot of pain the first two days but I am now only taking a half pain pill twice a day. Eating does hurt. The best advice I could give some one is to go to sonic and get Cherry slushes. This helps with the pain alot. I did this in my Dr.s Office. Walked out of there with my voice and could speak clearly not even a harshness to my voice. I am not having any problems eat or drinking. Wish the best to all with this. Renee (2007-12-11): I had the UPPP, tonsilectomy, septoplasy, and turbinite trim. I stayed in the hospital over night and very sore. I am doing a little better every day, I am worried about the sound of my voice and especially after I read some of these comments. I do sound like I am talking through my nose. On the other hand it has only been 4 days out from surgery.If it helps like I think it will it is all worth it. Michelle (2007-12-13): I have asked my doctor about the talking through my nose and having trouble with eating and drinking and he has not had any patients so far complain of this problem. Darrel, I hate to hear that you are having complications. It does worry me, since you told me about this but this will be the best solution to my sleep apnea. I hope so anyways. My surgery is scheduled for Wed, January 9th, I am staying in the hospital over night and staying out of work the rest of the week and the whole next week. I will keep you guys posted as to how I recover. Renee and Bob, thanks for the comments, please continue to keep us posted. Thanks. Renee (2007-12-14): Day 7 and I still talk through my nose but I do have this things that will be removed from my nose on tuesday and I hope that this will help. I dont feel any better but no worse either.I have to go back to work the end of next week and I am a Customer service Rep. think about it, if my voice dont go back to normal Im going to sound like Nanny Fine, LOL. anyway I will keep you posted. The thing that has helped the most for me is not letting my throat get dry, which means I wake every 2 hours to drink something. I sleep throught the night one time and thought I was going to die, throat was real bad the rest of that day. GOOD LUCK Michelle Keep me posted Paulette (2007-12-16): Hey all, the only problem I find is that I feel like there is a little skin hanging in the back of my throat. This makes me gag, over and over. I also get dry in the back of my throat. but I have to say I sleep better and I am able to sing and speak normal. I can even hit notes I could not before. I am seeing the specialist next week about the loose skin I feel is back there. DARREL (2007-12-19): Well I'm glad to hear that most all of you have had good luck with your surgeries.I am not so lucky. I just came from my 2nd opinion Dr. and he is sending me to Pittsburgh, Pa. to see a reconstructive surgeon to see if he can repair what was damaged during my first surgery.(UPPP) My first question will be, how often does this happen to people? Doesn't look like I have too much to look forward to in the next several months. Paulette (2007-12-20): I went to my ENT specialist yesteday and he told me the feeling I had at the back of my throat was temporary and that it will be gone after a while. I was happy to hear that let me tell you. I feel like there is a skin flapping there. Chelsea (2007-12-22): Gah! I got a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and a turbinate reduction a week ago from yesterday. I still cannot sleep through the night and when I wake up it feels like my uvula is swollen. Anyone else having this problem? I just want to sleep! Paul (2007-12-26): I am on day 7 after having UPPP, tonsillectomy, turbinate reduction, deviated septum fixed and sinus surgery. This is the first day that I have not felt like I needed pain meds every 2 hours. I haven't been able to drink much and have only had limited food. So far, 15 pounds lost. Hope the next few days are in the right direction. Karol (2007-12-31): I am on day 12 of UPPP and I am doing pretty good. I still feel like I have a very sore throat, swallow even liquids carefully, and eat little more than jello, pudding, drink broth and water. However, I am not taking pain meds any more because I ran out after the 3rd refill of liquid hydrocodone and truly figured that they would give me no more. I wanted to add that keeping the cool humidifier running in the room you stay is sooooo helpful, as well as sleeping in a recliner. These two things as well as drinking water "constantly" as little as the sips might have been, made an incredible difference in my opinion. JOANN (2008-01-04): I just came back from the ENT. First visit. All these comments are enlightening to say the least! they give me a list of questions for my next visit! I had my tonsils out many years ago. This surgery is for the uvula. He said it was painful and that I would loose weight.........also talked about bleeding a bit. He'll be doing the surgery as an out patient. Seems like everyone stays overnight........ Michelle (2008-01-10): Well yesterday was my surgery and I home. I am very restless and here it is 3:20 in the morning not being able to sleep. I have been sleeping off and on since yesterday. I am not in a lot of pain just in a very uncomfortable mode. I have noticed that almost all my waking moments I have to be sipping on something. So far I found chicken broth, iced tea, gatorade, jello, yogurt and applesauce all work very well. I am sure the next few days are going to be a downside for me because my doctor said the first day is usually the easiest since I am still under all the anestega. I know I didn't speel that right. I will keep everyone posted. Also, very berry smoothies from Sonic help. My friend brought me one last night and yummy. Well time for some more pain medicine, taking it every 4 hours... Michelle (2008-01-12): Well it is day 3 of my UPPP and tonsillectomy. I am a little sore but over all very pleased. As long as I take my pain medicine every 4 hours I am really good. Last night I was able to eat KFC mashed potatoes with gravy and mac and cheese. I still find the best thing to eat is chicken broth and smoothies from Sonic. My sleep schedule is still all out of wack and I seem to very restless but I guess as long as my pain is not bad I'm happy camper. RENEE (2008-01-12): WELL ITS BEEN 1 MONTH PLUS, MICHELLE IF YOU ARE EATING ANYTHING AFTER 3 DAYS YOUR LUCKY CAUSE I COULD NOT GET PUDDING DOWN UNTIN AFTER 2 WEEKS. THEN ALL THE SUDDEN I HIT 3 WEEKS AND IT WAS ALL OVER. I REALLY FELT GOOD OVERNIGHT. I DONT SNORE ANYMORE, WHICH IS AMAZING, LOL I SLEEP MUCH BETTER, BEFORE SURGERY COULD NOT GET OXYGEN OVER 68 AFTER 98-100 THE NIGHT AT HOSPITAL, BEFORE SURGERY I WOULD STOP BREATHING 95 TIMES AN HOUR AND GET UP ABOUT 15-20 A NIGHT NOW I WAKE UP 2-3 TIMES AND IM SURE THEY WILL WANT TO DO ANOTHER SLEEP STUDY AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME TO SEE HOW MANY TIMES I REALLY STOP BREATHING NOW, I FEEL BETTER NOW THAT I EVER CAN REMEMBER... I WOULD DO IT AGAIN EVEN IF IT HURT MORE THAN IT DID, BUT GLAD IT DID NOT, LOL Michelle (2008-01-13): Today I actually ate a cheeseburger from McDonald's. I have been amazed at how little pain I have. I can still tell my speech is off. I have trouble saying things like ball or wall. It's the L in the words. My husband said he hasn't noticed me snoring so hopefully the surgery has worked for my sleep apnea since I can't tolerate the Cpap machine. Thanks for your reply Renee and I am glad to hear you are doing well. I almost feel like I could go back to work but I'm going to stay out the next week just so I can be safe and take the pain medicine if needed. Michelle (2008-01-17): I am now 1 week post op of my surgery. I am feeling pretty good still but have noticed that the back of my tongue feels like I may have a few ulcers on it. This is very sore. I go back to work on Monday and pray that I will be ok without taking the prescribed liquid codone. I have really depended on this for pain every 4 hours. Guess I will try and wean myself off of it this weekend. If anyone has the best over the counter pain medicine for this please share with me. I usually just take Tylenol for pain. GloriaP (2008-01-20): Hi everyone! I had my surgery on August 9, 2007 and I cannot tell you enough how happy I am with the outcome :) I have lost 20 lbs since my surgery because I can now exercise with out weezing, I sleep for a full 7-8 hours with no snoring and no waking up ever few hours, my husbands health has improved because he gets s great night's sleep and I feel 100% better than before I had my UPP surgery. David (2008-01-29): I am having my UPPP and tnsillectomy tomorrow morning (1/30/08) and want to thank everyone for the comments I feel less nervous now going into my surgery. I will update when I am able. Bill (2008-02-03): I'm scheduled to have my tonsils and uvula removed on 2/8/08. Still nervous for the post op effects you all have described. Has everyones voices returned to their normal pitch yet? My Doc did not want to do the deviated septum surgery until I have healed from the tonsillectomy / uvulaectomy. David (2008-02-04): it's now 5 days since my surgery. I have had good days and bad, today is a bad one, pain has been almost unbearable. I have lost 15 pounds, and have eaten very little food (soup), today I gave in and had a milkshake even though my ENT said no dairy products. Overall, Im doing ok with no complications from surgery. My surgury was done because of infections more then because of apnea. So, Im hoping it all works out... as for my voice, it is weak but steady. Lisa (2008-02-10): I had a tonsillectomy and turbunate reduction on Jan. 16th. Now, after 3 and a 1/2 weeks my face/nose still feels numb and I feel dizzy. All is going well with the tonsills healing except that my neck still aches on the left side. I have lost 10 pounds and still have no appetite, although, I make myself eat 3 meals a day. Has it taken anyone else this long to heal? GloriaP (2008-02-11): Hi Lisa, yes, it takes about 2 months to start feeling better. Have you been back for check ups? Are you still drinking lots of water/tea throughout the day? I found that drinking water throughout the day, like 1 glass per hour, really helped me my facial muscles not atrophy. Also try to get plenty of rest. Best wishes for a speedy recovery! lisa (2008-02-14): Thanks Gloria. I have had all sorts of complications. Has anyone had a horrible taste and smell of rubber after a month? Has anyone had persistent diahrea? Randy (2008-02-14): Like Bill I needed both my septum fixed and to have my uvula removed. I got to keep my tonsils but also lost my adenoids. I had my septum fixed in july and had the uvula and adnoidectomy today. SO far so good. I can swallow fine and only have a slight discomfort and no real pain. So far all is well and I found the deviated septum procedure much more painful the day of surgery. Hopefully day two is not a downturn. Thanks for this site, it has helped give me some needed info going into the surgery today. Randy (2008-02-15): Throat still feels great, had pancakes and eggs this morning but my nose feels really stuffy. Is this from the adenoidectomy? Also I have lost feeling right at the tip of my tongue. I thought it was from the anaesthetic but that should have worn off by now. Has anyone else experieced this? Lisa (2008-02-15): I am still dizzy and feel like am breathing too much air after a month of having my rurbunate reduction. I can't even sleep. Is this normal? DARREL (2008-02-16): Just an update from my UPPP which was done 9/24/2007. I have found out that I am 1 in 3000. It has been about 5 months now and I am still having trouble with my speech. I was told by a 2nd opinion Dr. that I would have to have reconstructive surgery done to correct my speech but I went to specailist in Pittsburgh, Pa. this week and he tells me that a speech pathologist may be able to help. I still can not taste food. Coffee is so bitter that I can't drink it anymore and may other foods that I loved now taste terrible. So good luck to all of you and I hope you have better luck than what I have had. Lisa (2008-02-16): Darrel, I am not sure exactly what UPPP is. I had a tonsillectomy, turbunate reduction, and septolasty on jan. 16th. I am still dizzy, feel like I am taking in too much air, and have difficulty tasting anything but a rubber taste in my mouth. I am on yeast meds for my mouth and taking acidophilus probiotic for my bowles after being messed up from all the antibiotics. I have not heard about the speech problem. What causes it? DARREL (2008-03-09): Lisa, My speech problem is due to the doctor cutting too much of the soft tissue in the back of my mouth away. Now when I speak the air passes up behind the soft tissue and into my nasal passageway. The UPPP is uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. In simple words it is the removing of the tonsils and the uvula (in my case) to cure my sleep apnea. This was done back in Sep. 2007 and to this day I am still having trouble speaking, swallowing,and tasting food. Sorry it took me so long to see your posting but I haven't been coming to this site much any more. I'll check it more often from now on to answer any questions you might have. Now that it has been about 2 months since your operation how are you feeling? Lisa (2008-03-10): Darrel, It sounds like you are suffering just like me. The doctor took out too much of my turbinates. I am looking for a support group. Let me know if you know of any support for those suffering after sinus surgery. Lisa Randy (2008-03-14): Its been a month and I'm doing well. Had a setback last week. I was brushing my teeth when I started bleeding. I read for a bit and went to bed but could still feel blood in my htroat. Went to the bathroom and blood started pouring out of my mouth and nostrils. It was really bad and coming fast. My. fiancee rushed me to the hospital(down the street luckily). I livre in a small town and my Dr. happened to be on call and was there in a flash. He packed me full of gauze and it seems to be fine now. Aside from that scary incident all is well. DARREL (2008-03-16): Lisa, I live in small rural town in PA and we have no support groups near here that I know of. That is why I found this web site when I was looking for others that have had this same problem. The good news for me (maybe) is that I have found a speech patholoist I am going to see this Wed. to see if she can help me. Have you gone to any other doctors to get a second opionion yet? If I were you I would at least see what another dr. thinks. For awhile I thought I was going to have reconstructive surgery done to correct my problem but the doctor in Pittsburgh tells me that is the last thing that he would have done. Please keep me posted on what you fine out. Darrel Griffin (2008-04-02): Thank you for sharing your experiences. I am scheduled to have the Uvula removal, tonsil removal and a small screw placed in the jawbone under the tongue to anchor a stitch under my tongue. Although all of you gave me positive food for thought about all except the latter, please let me know if you've experienced or heard of such! Thanks Griffin julz (2008-04-14): I have suffered from sinus allergies and infections for many years almost half of my life. It was the most misirable time of my life. I thought life will be like this forever until one day i decided to see my doctor and referred me to an ENT guy. I was prescribed with nasal sprays and etc but did not not work. I finally had my first endoscopic surgery which did not help me at all. I continued to lose hopes and getting more depress everyday. I came to a point to prepare myself to my graveyard since my oxygen level was bad and i will end up dying with a heart attack. But then, i thought life is full of joy, i decided to see another ENT, now i have my tonsils removed, uvula, and resection of my soft palate. now, life is goood and I am able to sleep without those CPAP machine. Lisa2 (2008-04-16): Hello everyone. I am a past member of this board. Two years ago I had a tonsillectomy, turbinate reduction & adenoidectomy. It was tough going for quite some time, but IT DOES GET BETTER. Lisa -- I had the horrible taste for a long time too. It started getting better at about 4 months, but truly, my tastebuds didn't totally get back into shape until 6 months. From what I understand, that is the extreme, most ppl can taste far sooner. I continue to do a nasal irrigation 2-3 times per week and though recovery was tough, I am SO glad I had the surgery. In the end it was worth the agony. :<) So, hang in there everyone. Be glad you have this board (Thanks Erik!) to commiserate with one another. I don't think anyone can really understand what you are going through unless they have gone through it. We all have well-meaning family & friends, but sometimes you just need someone who really has been/is going through the same thing. Darrel -- I hope the speech pathologist has been able to help you! Griffin -- Sorry, I've never heard of the last procedure you mentioned. Best of luck with your surgery and recovery. **** Biggest secret to recover ***** Water, water and more water! Yes, really and truly! Lisa2 (2008-04-16): Julz -- Glad you found relief! Congratulations! Isn't it amazing? Very happy for you! Maggie (2008-04-17): julz -- I am glad you have a good doctor. My was not good. I have not been happy seen I had tonsillectory. It is the worst experience ever in my life. Maggie (2008-04-17): Has any one experienced the gagging sensation after tonsillectomy? One side of my soft palate is low and touches the back of my tongue all the time. I alway feel there is something stuck there! My doctor and the 2nd opinion doctor told me I will get use to it. But it has been 4 months. I am still not getting use to it. It feels awful! Any suggestions? Maggie (2008-04-17): Darrel-- Have you seen the speech patholoist? How did it go? I hope he is able to help you! Lisa --How are you feeling now? Jennifer (2008-04-21): Hi everyone! I am getting my tonsils and adnoids out on 6/4/08. I have a hard time breathing through my nose. I have really head nasal congestion. It feels like I have a year round cold or allergy. Hope this surgery will help my breathing so I can breath like a normal person. Toni (2008-04-26): HI I am getting a tonsilectomy, and partial uvulaectomy this Thursday May 1st due to fleshy growths on my uvula that really are making my apanea bad and my husband is threatening to make me sleep in the other room. I ma irratible and tired all the time and wake up evry morning feeling exhausted and really looking forward to feeling like myself again in the morning! Erik (2008-04-29): Good luck Toni! Remember to keep hydrated, and in regular communication with your doctor! DARREL (2008-05-01): Maggie, you asked if I feel the speech pathologist has helped. Well, at this point I'm not really sure if it is more the speech pathologist or if it is just the time period since last sept. when all of this began. I'm still going to speech class and I return to the ENT specialist in Pittsburgh in about 2 weeks. He will then tell me if I will have to have this device fitted for my mouth that I will have to use each day or not. (I can't wait!!!!!!!)...lol Maggie (2008-05-03): Darrel -- It seems you are happier now. I hope it helps. Life is hard, isn't it? They ask why bad things happen to good people. I started to wonder now. I hope you have the good news after you see your ENT. Good Luck! Maggie (2008-05-03): julz - your doctor sounds wonderful. Where is he? Toni (2008-05-11): I am 10 days post op and it was harder than I thought the worst days were 3-5. I ahd a reaction to pain meds and thye made me very sick but I finally feel like I am gonna make only pain when I try to eat and at the end of the day. Hydration was very important and I chewed alot of gum in the last few days which helped pain becasue of natural saliva hydration. The uvulaectomy which I was worried the most about was actually the easiest. My tonsils had been so infected for so long they were actually grown into my thoat muscles with scar tissue so still sore but returning to most very day activity but at the end of the day I am pretty raw. Just wanted to give a short timeline for those who are reading this just before procedure like I did. I will definately appreciate eating again with no pain! I JUST WANT SOME CHIPS AND SALSA!! God Bless Michelle (2008-05-16): I had my tonsils and uvula removed in Jan. Everything has gone great but I seem to have a taste in mouth sometimes almost like a metal taste or something. Has anyone experienced this? I even taste it when I swallow liquids. It's strange.... hopefully this will go away. No problems with speech or anything else. Thank God! DARREL (2008-06-06): Michelle, yes I do have that metal taste in my mouth all of the time. I guess that I am one of the unlucky ones. I had my operation back in Sept. 2007. Have gone thru the speech pathology, and now it has almost been 10 months and I've given up hoping that I will return to my normal self again. Food does not taste good at all. I have trouble eating. And my speech is not like it used to be. But I'm eating to live now instead of living to eat and I'm still here, that is what counts the most. Best of luck to you and the rest of you. A Michelle (2008-06-10): Thanks Darrell. I guess I can be happy my sleep apnea is gone now but living with this taste sucks! Even liquid has a different taste to it. oh well.... lol... thanks for commenting me back! ellen (2008-07-13): 22 years old...ok so i just had my tonsils removed 6 days ago.im still in so much pain i wake up out of my sleep from the pain of feeling like i have a (burp) stuck in my throat. throbbing all day long...i can barely swallow anything because the pain hurts so much..so all i do is sleep i know that i need to eat something what are somethings that worked for someone who only got their tonsils out oh yeah by the way my my speech is off i can barely talk cuz it hurts so much how long does it take for me to be able to talk again and eat normal or at all????help me pleaseeeee Capriana (2008-07-14): I had my uvula and tonsils removed in January and I regret it BIG TIME! I would give anything in the world to have them back - could've lived with the awful tonsil stones and I didn't have bad snoring to begin with, just mild but I listened to the doctor, Mr. Two-Birds-One-Stone. I am now 7 months post-op and in CONSTANT DISCOMFORT! Every breath of air sends ice cold air into my throat because of the uvula cushion not being there to block it and I have dry mouth and dry throat every moment of the day. Cannot fall asleep with this discomfort so I am hoarding Ambien so I can sleep the rest of my life. There is absolutely NO lubrication in my throat at all, just 24-hr. dryness. Water doesn't help and anything stronger than water - soda, juice, wine - I can NEVER enjoy wine again! - sends burning acid down my throat and makes me gag. I wake up with a load of mucus all the way at the back of my throat and gag on it every morning. I wish I had NEVER done this because every doctor I go to says the same thing: it's perfectly healed, no scar whatsoever and they can't figure out what's wrong with my throat now. All I know is I NEVER had this before the surgery and now I'll have to live with this 24/7 for the rest of my life. If anyone out there is thinking of having this done, please think VERY CAREFULLY about the long-term effects. Tonsils stones suck, but they aren't lethal, apnea sucks, but just lose weight instead. Trust me, if you have what I have you will regret this the rest of your life. Erik (2008-07-15): Ellen: Be patient, you will get better, but until then, if you're in major pain, get your doctor to look you over, and possibly prescribe stronger pain meds! Remember to keep hydrated! Capriana: That's a terrible story. I can't imagine what the problem is, but there's got to be some ENT that can help somehow! Brad (2008-08-25): Interesting thread. I was supposed to be in for "23 hours", but got too stay at the hospital for several days, largely due to low oxygen levels after surgery. That part was a pain. Italian ices can go down, though watermelon got stuck someplace, so that will have to wait. :( I am kind of tired of puddings and eating the nose tissue plugs.... I had Septoplasty, hyoid suspensiong, turbinate reduction (tonsils out I think) and one other thing. My sister said she had it done several months ago and it takes a good month to learn how to swallow, but that it helped her immensely. It seems to run in families. Mashed potatoes are the most "solid" I can handle. I am going to be trying some Pepsid AC for the acid stomach. I was extremely glad to get the drainage tube out today take a "real shower". I am planning on not pushing back to work too soon. I have great benefits, so I will check up on email and likely be out for a full 3 weeks, though I may feel better once I get some real nutrition in me. Brad (2008-08-27): Pepcid AC helped a lot. I can also eat some things, slowly, without stuffing my nose now. I did get completely exhausted really quick earlier, so watch on taking the recovery seriously. Minimal work is much more exhausting than it can seem! Give your body time to recover. Chris (2008-09-15): I had septoplasy, turbinite reduction and an uvulaectomy the end of May. I threw up for 10 days straight and lost 10 pounds! It did take about a month to be able to swallow most things without intense pain. I don't snore anymore and feel much more energetic now! I do seem to have a lot of postnasal drip, especially at night, that makes me gag and I have a hard time falling asleep with it, and a dry cough. Does anyone else have this? And does anyone know if it eventually will go away? James (2008-09-17): Having the dead done in the am. 8-18-08(nose & uvula) Hope it works... Snore louder now than when I weighed 300 lbs. go Figure. Will check back after I get home wish me luck. :) Shay (2008-10-01): Holy cow, I just had all the surgeries you had and more. Sept 26th 2008, I have Deviated Septum, UP3, Rhnoplasty, Turrbinate surgery, tonsilectomy, uvualecotomy, throat resection, turbinate pinback, and nasial grafts, and 2 bone grafts in nose with cartilage buildup, and let me tell, you (PAIN, sheer pain, It has not even been a week, and I am dying, I can;t talk, the meds surpress te pain for an hour at best, my ears are killing me at the root of my skull, and swalling forget it. I have never felt pain like this, I pray that I will have some of the positives that you folks have shared, I am freaking out, my wife is a MD and she feels helpless in what I am going through, the Morphine, just does not touch me. What foods can you get down, everytime I drink it ocmes out of my nose, I am feeling depressing helpless, and My DR has been great from the confidence side, and today almost 5 days later he took my pain level seriously. Any kind words email me [email protected] Lisa (2008-10-13): How are you doing now, Shay? You poor thing, hang it there. I know it is hard to believe, but it WILL get better. I had a tonsilectomy, adenoidectomy and turbinate reduction. It took a few months to fully recover, but in the end, I am so glad I did it (though it did take a while to be able to say that admittedly). I hope your dr has given you better pain meds. Drinking water and sleep really seemed to be the most helpful for me; neither was easy to come by at the beginning; but improved with time. Foodwise, what worked best for me was mashed potatoes and baby food (especially the fruits!), melted cheese (sounds weird, but tasted wonderful), and chicken broth (and later on Lipton "little" noodle soup). Take care. Good Luck James!! Hope you are doing well. Nick from the UK (2008-10-14): Hi everyone, im amazed at this site, anyway i snore and things are bad between me and the wife, i dont have apnea but just snore, im 6ft 3 and 20 stone and not too much fat, but the ENT say im obesese, they have recommended that i have the uvalplasty and my tonsils out which are the size of missles, im a bit scarred as the ENT surgeons recenlty lost a policeman having the same op, and at 34 and just had a new baby bit worried. Also what i think im really worried about is that i may have it done and go through hell and it not work, i have heard of this and that is why i am writing to you for advice. Many thanks shannon (2008-10-14): i had a uvulaectomy due to a growth on it. i had the surgery sept 07 07. after the surgery i kept on choking i then ended up with aspiration pneumonia in both lungs.ever since the surgery i have had this condition every time i choke which has been several times i ahve been on antibiotics. On friday oct 10/08 i choked again and now i ahve aspiration pnemonia again. i never had this before the surgery but now its all the time. i choke i get aspiration pnemonia. help Erik (2008-10-14): Nick, all surgeries are dangerous. Mistakes can happen, and deep anesthesia is always dangerous. You'll have to research to safety, re: death rates. My opinion is that if you need surgery, get it. If you don't NEED it, don't do it! There are significant health risks that sleep apnea can cause though, so you have to decide that risk balance yourself. Shannon, I've never heard of anything like that! See your doctor, if he/she doesn't help, get a new one! Robyn (2008-10-26): Hi Erik, My husband is scheduled for septoplasty, turbinate reduction, soft palate and uvula reduction next week. Any special recommendations for the caregiver? I want to do whatever I can to make his recovery easier. Thanks for providing a great site. It has been helpful to read about your and others' experiences. Erik (2008-10-26): Robyn, Reading everyone else's stories, and learning from those is probably the best way to prepare. I'd only add that proper hydration, check-up visits, and proper pain medication are critical. Good luck! Aggie (2008-11-07): Seriously...what is withthe taste of Metal in my mouth??? I had my tonsils out 4 days ago & the Metal taste is what is killing me. I've gone off my pain meds thinking they were what was making my feel nausea, but I really think It's just thtis horrible taste. Any way to get rid of it? Adam C. (2008-11-17): I just had a UPPP (Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty), septoplasty, inferior turbinate coblation, tongue base coblation, and tonsillectomy all at the same time. I know it sounds crazy but I figure why go through the pain multiple times, take off work multiple times etc. Mine went quicker than was expected (just over an hour instead of the expected 2 � hrs.) because of a new way of trying it and it caused less swelling, blood loss, and pain (believe it or not). He used coblation on my UPPP and tonsils which he usually does for only the tongue and turbinate. I think that it is not that much sorer than having tonsillitis (I am 29 male). I spent only one night in the hospital just to watch for bleeding. He even said that the tonsils were the size of a kids. I had been having problems with them for the past few years. My mom (RN who works in the O.R.) came to babysit me (5 hours away) and said that even the position I was sleeping in now would have had me snoring extremely loud but wasn't snoring at all. (I have snored since I was about 1 years old). It is weird drinking but it is getting better as I recover. I was able to take pills the first night also. I have stuck to things like jello, broth, pudding, hot chocolate, juice etc. I would be glad to anwser any questions someone has. Just shoot me an email with UPPP Question in subject line so I know it isn't spam. [email protected] Tanya in Phoenix (2008-11-21): Today I just had a septoplasty, tonsillectomy & turbinate reduction. I'm not in too much pain, mainly just uncomfortable. I have liquid penicillin and vicodin and swallowing them is kind of difficult; the vicodin burns. I'm fine with water though if I just take it easy. It usually feels like I'm going to choke. What makes it harder is that I'd breathe through my nose while drinking so now I'm just limited to sips. However, my uvula is swollen. It's about the size of 1/2 my thumb and rests on the back of my tongue. Always feels like I have a big goober back that and it is very annoying. From what I've read though on this site and others, I'm glad my doctor didn't remove it. I had this surgery because of chronic sinus and breathing problems I've had all my life which got worse 6 months ago after moving to the desert. According to my CT scan, my sinus' were fine but my septum was very deviated to the right. My ENT said it was pushing on the turbinate so much that it couldn't work and my left one was swollen up over twice the size to compensate. This was what was causing the pressure and poor nose breathing. When he got in there he said it was deviated nearly 100% to the right and there was a spur on it pressing into the turbinate causing an abscess. Other than removing the bone spur, the septopasty went fine as well as the turbinate reduction. He did the tonsillectomy first and side that they looked normal sized at first but once he got in there they went back further and wider than usual. Now with them removed the back of my throat looks cavernous to me. All in all, the 3 procedures took less than 45 minutes total and I was home in bed about 3 hours after they started the surgery. My ENT said now of days they are using radio waves to remove tonsils because it is less traumatic and reduces complications. The radio waves simply disintegrates/dissolves the tissue he touches. The old way damaged surrounding tissue and increased bleeding risks. I don't have much pain and other than needing a ride home from the hospital I can do all the aftercare myself. He did say I will feel worse tomorrow probably. I have to sleep sitting up and wake up every 1/2 hr-45 minutes to drink some water because the mouth breathing dries up my mouth and throat. I don't know when I'll be able to eat solid food, probably not for a week, and even then it needs to be soft and room temperature. As long as I stay hydrated is the only thing that concerns my doctor. I get my splints removed in 5 days and should be feeling much better after that. The only thing I have to say is that make sure you have a great ENT that is up to date on the current technology. I was referred to my ENT by my PCP and didn't know that he is considered the best in the area until I did research on him and spoke to a couple people that had used him. After hearing the horror stories about recovery from tonsillectomy as an adult, and not even including the septoplasty, I'm glag he cares enough about his patients to make the procedures the least traumatic as possible. Otherwise I'm not sure I would have had the surgery, much less both of them together. Erik (2008-11-25): Tanya, Sounds like you're going through a very similar recovery to me, and probably most other people... It's going to suck, but you'll feel better in a week or so. Hang in there! Darrel (2008-11-30): This is an update from the surgery that I had over one year ago.(Sep. 2007) I had sleep apnea and was told by a ENT that if I had my tonsils and uvula removed that would cure everything. Well, over one year later I am still having trouble speaking.( I have gone to a speech pathologist) Still have trouble swallowing. And food does not taste the same as it once did. And now for the "bad" news. I'm now using a c-pap machine at night. After all that I have been through it did not work for me and I'm right back to square one. I know that a lot of you have had very good luck with your operations and recovery but just be aware that bad things do happen. Going into this operation I never thought that things would turn out like this but it did. Lisa (2008-12-10): I am scheduled for a septoplasty, SMR turbinates, and excision of uvula on December 30. I'm a substitute teacher and just wondering how long I should take my name off the sub-list after the procedures? I was very confident in my dicision to have to procedures due to the inability to breath and SNORING (my husband leaves or bedroom on the 2nd floor to go to the basement, he can still hear me!)but after reading the blogs I am a little worried. I was expecting 1 week of really bad pain with the throat and irritation and discomfort from the splints. And then manageable pain for another 2 weeks with the uvula. Am I way off base. I'm the type of person that can handle any pain (just not the dentist) as long as there is an end in sight. But now I'm wondering...... Alice (2008-12-17): I just had the septoplasty, turbinate reduction, uvulaectomy, and pillar procedure done last Tuesday. I stayed home from work for the rest of the week, returning this past Monday. I'm doing fairly well, although yesterday and today my throat and nose hurt more than usual. I was eating solid foods, which just about killed me, so have gone back to soups and soft foods. Be careful wtih tomato soup and salt, though ... the acid in the tomatoes is a killer. The weirdest thing is the uvulaectomy. The day after surgery I was surprised to look into my mouth and see a big white spot and my uvula still there. I thought something was wrong. At my post-op check up today, I found out that they don't *remove* it, but cauterize with an implement that looks like a pen, that is used instead of a knife. It kills the tissue which then sloughs off. I find strings with globs of burned white tissue hanging from them. It's pretty gross!! And, it's uncomfortable ... like having food stuck in the back of your mouth all the time. The soreness varies, sometimes worse, sometimes better. A lot depends on what you eat or drink. On the bright side, I no longer snore .. I "hum" instead, but that's due to the uvula hanging down. Once it's gone, the humming should cease all together. I am already sleeping much better and look forward to continuing improvement. Although it isn't the best time I've ever had, I already can say that it was worth it and I'd do it again. Short-term gain for a life time of gain. Good luck!! Chabon. (2008-12-18): I just got mine out today.. I am in the worst pain I'veever been in to my recollectiopn. I'm 14. It even hurts to cry but I can't help it.. any suggestions on a speedy recovery? Erik (2008-12-18): Chabon, If it hurts that badly, you need better pain medication, period. There is no reason for you to be in that much pain. Elizabeth (2008-12-19): I'm thrilled that this site is still going! I started reading at the top and it was so far back. I still thought I could get some motivation. I had my tonsils taken out, terbinate reduction, and septoplasty on Thursday, 12/11/08. I'm 28 and have had other surgeries before. I had even had my tonsils and adenoids removed as a toddler. From other surgeries (not from throat or nose), I have recovered faster than expected and have been known to have a high pain tolerance. These expectations changed that horrid morning of 12/11/08. After surgery I woke up extremely slowly and was in so much pain. I had a burning sensation in my nose throat and ears. (Of course I was warned that I would hurt in all of these areas.) I finally got to go home but threw up all of the "old blood" that had drained in my stomach on the way. The wheel chair ride to the car and the car ride home gave me motion sickness. We didn't make it home and had to pull over. Oh I was so scared to throw up after a tonsillectomy! But surprisingly it wasn't that bad seeing as though I was on a ton of pain medicine and it was only liquid. Sorry for the yucky details. Anyhow, the second day has been the best day thus far. I am now at 8 days post op and everyday keeps getting worse. Well, except for today, it is about the same as day 5 or 6. I can now eat mashed potatoes and a couple of soft noodles. Yeah! But today I flushed my nose and now have a stitch that is hanging from my left nostril. Thinking that it was no longer attached I attempted to pull it out. Not a great idea. The stitch is still attached up through and around my nose to the other side (high up). Oh it hurts so bad!!! Now my nose is burning worse and I can't breath through my nose again. So it's back to breathing through my mouth and my throat hurts worse because of the constant dryness. Blah. Sorry to sound like a constant complainer, but I feel horrible. I did call the doctor but they said they would remove it on Tuesday (in 3 days). So for 3 days I have to lay around not only feeling sore, but with a stitch hanging out of my nose. Well.. I seem to have gone on a small tangent, I guess my pain meds are helping do that. I haven't talked in a while so it's like the gateway of communication has opened with this blog. However, I do have a question... When do the "scabs" that I keep reading about fall off? I know you can't predict when mine will because everyone is different, but when did yours? Or when is the norm? Do you feel them? Are you able to spit them out or are you stuck gagging them down? Oh, on top of the pain and uncomfortable feeling, I'm nervous about that. I wish I could heal faster with this! My teeth even hurt! Well, thanks for the page and any advice or info. :-) Good luck to those scheduled with it too. Chabon, usually the younger you are the faster you will heal, good luck. Judy (2008-12-29): Hi All! I have been reading all your comments and stories. I had my uvula removed several years ago to treat sleep apnea. I didn't have many of the other surgeries that many of you mention. The doctor worked on my throat area 4 times under local anesthetic. At the end of it, I couldn't even pretend to snore. The snoring did come back though and still had sleep apnea. I am now on a CPAP (Continuous Passive Air Pressure) machine for sleeping. I have a nose mask rather than a mouth mask because I couldn't handle having air forced into my mouth - and what a drying affect that would have! The nose mask is ok - I need a new one about once yearly. I keep water by the bed because although the air is force in through my nose ( my mouth is closed all night), my mouth gets kinda dry. The uvuala does have function. Swallowing, directing a sneeze, sinus drainage - I have found out from personal experience. If sleep apnea is the only reason for removing the uvuala, I urge you to ask your doctor to try the CPAP machine for you first. I wish the best for all of you. Bridget (2009-01-06): I am having my tonsils and uvala removed on 01/12/09 and i am so scared. i keep hearing all these horror stories about the pain and honestly do not know if i want to do it. i have sleep apnea becuase my uvala and tonsils are so big. i am glad that i am able to read these stories. it is somewhat comforting to know that so many people have experienced what i believe i am about to. Would anyone out there say thay would not do it if they had a choice? DARREL (2009-01-10): Bridget: I started posting my info back in Sep. 2007. It started out that I had high blood pressure. My Doctor thought it may be caused by sleep apnea. I had the sleep study done and found this to be true. So rather than go on a CPAP machine the rest of my life I went to an ENT who told me he could correct the apena by removing my tonsils and "trimming" my uvula. Well, to say the least, he cut too much of the uvula. After over a year of follow-up visits to a specialist in Pittsburgh,Pa and a speech pathologist I am still having problems. I have lost the ability to taste most foods, I choke on most foods that I try to eat, and now as of Dec. 2008 I am now on a CPAP machine. I know that most of the people that have this operation have had good luck with theirs but I just want people to be aware that it is not a simple and trouble free thing to go into without weighting the good against the bad. I wish you the best of luck with your operation on Monday. Please keep posting your progress so we know how you are doing. Mike (2009-01-11): Bridget, Hi, so glad to be able to talk to ya before the big day. I had this surgery done on 1-5-09. that's right 6 days ago. Let me say, yes, it is very painful. However, your doctors will keep you in la la land so it wont be too bad. Also, you feel some irritation in your throat as if you swallowed a hair brush and the bristols are poking at you. That is from the stitches. The first 100 hours (4 days) It is a rough ride. after that, the pain subsides, the swelling starts to go down. Here's what I have done the last six days. First, I excepted that my problems with sleep apnea are not going away by themselves. This acceptance made me less nervous about the surgery. Second, I realized that this surgery has been around for years and doctors do it 100 times a day across the country. This helped me to calm down. Third, immediately after the procedure I remembered a conversation with a doctor friend of mine who told me. "After any surgery, get up walk around as much as possible, drink lots of water, and eat as much as you can" This is what I did from 1 hour after surgery. I had more complications from the anesthesia, than from the procedure. Let me say this, today I have some discomfort and some funny sensations swallowing. Also, it's hard to talk. But I think as time goes on I will find this surgery to be helpful. Bridget, I know how you feel, 1 week ago today I felt the same way. Try to have a good day and enjoy yourself. Remember 100 hours til you feel somewhat normal, start the clock as soon as you wake up, and fight the good fight!! Finally, give this to Dr. Jesus Christ He'll take good care of ya!! Let me know how it goes, I wont say good luck, good luck really means "God bless" DARREL (2009-01-22): Bridget, just checking to see if you had your operation on Jan. 12th or not. I wanted to see how your recovery was going. Carl (2009-02-15): To everyone who needs to have the sleep study, I say DO IT! I am 45 years old with extreme high BP (176/126 yesterday) can't loose weight, always tired, never feel rested, have ED, headaches, etc. I was told by my doctor in 2004 to have the study, but I refused. Now I am regretting that decision. I am unemployed with no health insurance and wondering if I will even make it through the night. I know that my tonsils are enlarged and, with this bad head cold, I can't breathe from my nose or mouth. And I am alergic to every weed, tree, and grass that the clinic tested me for. So if you have the means to do the study, do it; don't wait. And if they say remove the tonsils, adenoids, etc do it (maybe not the UPPP). Use the CPAP. I have given all this to Dr. Jesus Christ (see Mike above) and my wife and I are hoping to get some sort of help somewhere. God bless you in your search for answers. Mike (2009-02-19): Hey guys, just checking in to let you know that today is Feb 19 2009 and I had my surgery 6 weeks ago today. I got to tell ya, Thank God!!! I sleep at night with or without my c-pap machine. I no longer snore!!!!! I am no longer tired all day. And I cant sleep longer than 7 hrs a night even if I try because I am so rested!!!! I use to always wake up choking and gasping for air, my heart would pound and my BP would go through the moon. I would wake up every couple of minutes and today I wake up MAYBE 1 or 2 times a night to go to the restroom or because I hear someone outside. CARL my friend find a way to get insurance and get this done.. I'm a big guy too I'm 6'3" 348. I'm 45 and the doctor told me no more beer, no more smoking, Get your uvula and tonsils removed and loose the weight or DIE. He scared me to death!! I quit drinking and smoking I had my uvular and tonsils out and in 1 month I'm going in for bariatric surgery (weight lose surgery). I feel ten times better today than I did just 60 days ago. It's a miracle. It was a hard process, but I recommend it to EVERYONE who suffers as I did. I lost my job over this surgery cuz I was on FMLA to long. (The doctors would not let me return to work until now.) My BP was too high and I had irregular heart beats to the point of fainting. NOT NO MORE. Everything is much better for me!! And I look forward to being normal size in a year or so. I had lost all hope...I really felt like life was over. I'm still not done or out of the woods, but I feel I have hope!!!! CARL..Make it happen!!Im praying for ya bud!! Mike (2009-02-19): PS. On the down side....yeah, the first couple weeks talking hurt and was kinda weird and swallowing is still different. However, these minor difficulties are nothing compared to what i was going through. LOL I'm so happy i forgot to even mention them. Geoff (2009-04-03): Hi Erik, I am having UP3, Tonsillectomy, Septoplasty, Reduction of Concha Bullosa and Turbinate Reduction this afternoon. I feel much better about my recovery due to the information you have posted on this website. The doctors all say I am not going to like this. I will try to post my progress when I can. Geoff (2009-04-06): Day 4: This surgery was successful. Recovery room had a difficult time with pain control. I got sick a few times resulting in an extra night stay at the hospital. I got out yesterday feeling pretty good. Today is awful. I thing the Morphine and Demerol is wearing off. My guess is I will have good days and bad days for a little while. I was prescribed liquid Vicodin for pain control which is a lot stronger the tablet version. However, I am still in a lot of pain, especially the throat. Erik (2009-04-06): Hii Geoff, I'm glad this site helped prep you! You're right in the crappyiest part of it now. Pretty soon, each day will feel better than the last. It's good you have good pain meds! Remember to keep hydrated! Massia (2009-04-07): I had a upp and tonsillectomy done on March 9th and prior to my surgery i was so scared becuase i was reading so much negativity until i came accross this site. I am glad i was able to read some of the stories prior to my surgery. I received my surgery at Mass Eye and Ear in Boston, best hospital around, I had to stay over night and the pain management was great. i was talking two hours after my surgery and eating about fours hours later. Well that only lasted two days. I went home with liquid percocets and if you take them every four hours you will be fine. whatever you do, do not wait till the pain to arrive. just take the percocets as directed. Well it has been thirty days since i had my surgery and i will say it has been a rough ride but well worth it. I still have stictches in my mouth and my ears and throat is still a bit irritated but i must say the benefit did out weigh the risks and the post op recovery. I no longer snore and i finally can get a piece of meat down my throat without having to chew it a hundred times. Well for anyone that is scared about having surgerym i total understand, just pray and keep yourself healthy and drink lots of water and gatorade even if you are not thirsty. My surgeon could not believe how well i did in recovery and he stated it was most likely becuase i kept myself hydrated. Good Luck and stay healthy. Geoff (2009-04-12): Update: It has been very painful to drink fluids or eat since the surgery of 4/3/09. The reason I mention this is because four days after surgery I found out I needed hand surgery immediately (nothing to do with original procedure on 4/3/09). That surgery was performed the next morning. I had to fast and no liquids again. It has still very painful to drink fluids. Result: very bad and painful constipation. I was in so much pain I almost had to go to the emergency room for treatment. Lesson learned: fluids are very important to the recovery to this type of surgery. Eric, I know it is emphasized to drink plenty of fluids and I you can offer me as an example of what may happen if one neglects to take that advice seriously. I appreciate all you have done on information on UP3�s. Please continue the good work you do on this matter and if possible, add extra emphasis to the issue of hydrydration. Erik (2009-04-13): Massia & Geoff, I'm SOOO glad this site could help prepare you! I'm glad you're both beginning to feel better. Good luck! lisa (2009-04-15): My husband had a tonsillectomy septal reconstruction nasal polyps removed all turbinates cleaned and packed and sinus polyps removed on Monday the 13th. We read this site as well as many others so we were well prepared for the recovery I thought. Our ENT also gave him a script for lidocaine suckers which has been a huge help along with the sucret popsicles. He is taking the Lortab elixir every two hours because we halved the dose so his pain is well under control. He actually ate diced hard boiled eggs and some pasta yesterday. He drinks water or gatorade constantly and gargles with the Biotene mouth wash several times a day. I can't thank all of you enough for all the helpful hints. He is a county sheriff and so used to being in control that he was terrified of this operation and was very anxious (almost walked out of the pre op area). The nurses were great and put him at ease and our ENT is wonderful (we're in Southern Indiana) Today the problem is constipation and we're waiting to see if the laxative works or if have to do enema. The pain is a must but everyone should be aware of the side effects of constipation etc. My question is the scab formation and the sloughing how bad, when and what really works to help get them off quicker and what works with the breath? Also did any one else have packing in the sinus cavity that was removed in the office? What was that like and should I give him pain med prior to office visit? Thanks again for all the helpful hints. Hang in there patients and caregivers. In the long run benefits out weigh the risks. Erik (2009-04-16): Lisa, I don't know the answers to your questions, but I wish you and your husband luck! Brad (2009-05-05): I see folks talking about broth, gelatin, pudding, juice, baby food, ice cream, shakes and Italian ice. Aside from what has been mentioned, are there any other good ideas for food that you've tried, especially for the first most painful days. I live alone, so want to be sure to have what I'll need before I have the surgery on June 3rd. My ENT/surgeon is thinking that my tonsils might be small enough to let them alone. They have not given me much trouble; maybe once as a child, and once or twice as an adult, a while ago. But, I'm thinking that maybe I should go ahead and remove them to never have to worry about going through this, again. I am having him be conservative on the uvula, as I need to be able to close off my nasal passages from my mouth to build air pressure related to my work. I was told about 37 years ago that I clear my throat frequently due to an elongated uvula. My ENT describes it now as "man-sized". I expect to still need the C-PAP I got last month afterwards, but hope it can be at a lower pressure. I have had some heartburn-like pain from some air going the wrong way. If nothing else, I look forward to no longer clearing my throat every few moments, with the big frog in my throat trimmed down to size. I had some turbinate work about 30 years ago, and the ENT says that I have a slightly deviated Septum, but not enough to do anything beyond the UP3, and possible Tonsilectomy. Shirley Louw (2009-05-16): Aged 74 I had Septoplasty, turbinectomy and Uvula removal 6 weeks ago. Wasn't expecting removal of Uvula but seems surgeon decidedit was necessary. Gee throat was dreadful, but being a tough 'old' girl I have survived. Nasal problems still not 100% here's hoping........... Brad (2009-05-25): Crickets... Surgery in just over a week. Someone recommended injectable painkillers. Does anyone have any experience with them. It sounds pretty good, what with not having to swallow them, but I was wondering about the cost, and how long I would want them. I see the ENT Wednesday for the final pre-op check, and that would be when I ask him for the drugs. Any response to my earlier query? Roz (2009-06-12): I had my tonsillectomy up3 surgery exactly 1 month ago today & i still cnt eat without food feeling like its getting stuck in my throat. I've been to the emergency room twice since the surgery. Once for bleeding from my throat & dehydration because everything i attempted to eat, i would vomit, even ensure. I went a 2nd time because i still wasnt getting anything down & i felt extremely weak. I'm now past the 4 week mark & i still have a few stitches & i can't eat the way i would like to & on top of this i can't breathe out of 1nostril because of a sinus infection that i was treated for on yesterday. If anybody has experienced a longer tnan normal recovery time, please tell me when will i be able to eat a pizza with extra cheese, pepperoni & mushrooms without getting choked & feel normal again!!!!! Tim L (2009-06-12): Really Glad your keeping this page going! I'm at day 4 after getting my uvula,adenoids removed plus a procedure to open up my sinus,still have considerable pain in throat an bloody discharge from my nose, my doctor said my septum was straight so I didn't have to get the packing or tubes in my nose, I was really hoping this would heal quicker but I am not surprised, I had my tonsils removed in 1991 and thought it was going to kill me, as someone else mentioned above my tongue is bruised and swollen also, they clamped it and positioned out of the way during the 1.5 hour surgery ( ouch), mine is purple and swollen, man I miss eating so far its soup, ice cream and cream of wheat, also my sense of smell and taste is diminished greatly but I think this will come around, my doctor is having me irrigate my sinuses 4 times daily with saline not fun but it helps, will keep this updated, its time for my liquid Loritab. Tim L (2009-06-16): We'll its been 1 week since the surgery and I still feel pretty rough, there is no way I could have gone to work today, really glad I took 2 weeks to recover, still have a bad sore throat! was able to eat pasta today(yeah) so I am getting better, as for the sinuses I have only had to irrigate 3 times so far today to reopen them, still getting a lot of large dark brown and bloody clots coming out but much better than yesterday, two very important things to know if you are getting this done is irrigation is critical to keep the sinuses open and to prevent infection, my doctor provided a kit containing NeilMed sinus rinse, the stuff this product clears out is not something you want to leave in there! also the best pain reliever for my throat has been Ibuprofen, the anti-inflammatory properties are the trick for the throat pain, again if you get the sinus work or adenoids done you gotta irrigate or risk the mother of all sinus infections regardless of the antibiotic your taking. Brad (2009-06-16): Glad to see some life here, again. Today is two weeks post-op; I see the ENT this afternoon. I can't wait to ask him where the &*%^ my Uvula is. I had made clear that I wanted only the excess taken off due to needing to have really good closure between my sinuses and mouth/throat for my work. Given that the partial Uvulaectomy was the only thing he had to do, you'd think he would get that right. No pain killers for a few days, but the sutures feel like I've grown a mustache in my throat, which makes me gag on occasion. I didn't find just the Uvulaectomy as painful as I had expected from the other posts, and the ENT's description, so I didn't lose as much weight as I thought I might, either. I am curious to learn how my Oxygen sat levels were the night in the hospital, though I did have the C-PAP on, too. Tim L (2009-06-19): We'll 11 days have passed since surgery and I'm feeling stronger, it still hurts especially in the morning, I'm eating better but nothing to rough, got two days left bfore returning to work, I think I'll make it, still getting some dark bloody mucus out of my sinus , irrigated about 5 times today, I've never breathed better through my nose! Amanda H. (2009-06-29): I found out today I have to have a tonsillectomy and have my turinates reduced. I have heard hundreds of horror stories about adult tonsillectomy and now I have to have the turinates done too! I'm a little scared to say the least :) Anybody have any suggestions or has anyone had these procedures done at the same time? I'm just kinda wondering what to expect....Thanks! Brad (2009-07-02): 4 weeks post-surgery. The ENT says that he was careful to leave enough soft palette for sufficient closure. Since he approved me going back to work, I know that I can indeed still keep adequate pressure in my mouth without blow-through via my nasal passages. I can't tell you how eager I am to lose the sutures; they are more obvious now, which I hope means that they are closer to dissolving away. I gag through brushing my teeth every time. I forgot to ask the ENT about my Oxygen Sats when I was snoozing, especially during naps, when I didn't have the C-PAP in use. I see him again in two weeks. Tim L (2009-07-04): Just a quick update, feeling at about 95% now , can eat solid foods just not any hard chips yet, breathing is better than before the surgery, swallowing just fine, sinuses much better than before, I think could snort cottage cheese through them, only small amount of throat discomfort remains, confident that it will heal totally in a few days. Oh snoring still present but barley, much improved! Brad (2009-07-10): Yeah; after five weeks and a day, I lost the second of three sutures, I'm eager to lose the final one so I'll know what my throat baseline feeling is subsequent to the UP3. I grabbed it with my toothbrush after brushing this am. Maybe I will be able to brush w/o gagging so much; the loss of the first one a few days back helped some. Michael in SC (2009-07-16): I had the UP3 surgery on July 9th, 2009. Reason was for sleep apnea. I am 28 and not overweight, but had an extremely long uvula. My ENT said that it was the longest he had ever seen. Stayed overnight in the hospital. I was actually eating solids the first night, I felt so good. About 4-5 days into I have been great, didn't take any pain medicine last on 4th and 5th day. However, since the scabbing is going away, I am in more pain than ever, especially when I try to eat or drink. I have to let all fluids sit out and get to room temperature before I drink them. I have not been able eat anything and starving like crazy. Nancy in Co (2009-07-17): My 15 year old son had his tonsils and adnoids and his sinus lasered. Should he be using the sinus rinse? Erik (2009-07-18): Nancy, That sounds like a good question for your son's doctor! Brad (2009-07-21): 7 weeks tomorrow: Something I don't recall mentioned in the prior messages is the scar tissue from the Uvula removal. I lost the last of the sutures, but now the scar tissue at the back of my soft palate is quite a nuisance. It always feels like there is something stuck behind the soft palate and the opening to the nasal cavity. Without the sutures, I am gagging less, but the scar tissue keeps it going when brushing my teeth. Michael in SC: Hopefully you are back to eating soft foods by now. I had moderate pain, but still lost about 8 lbs, even with drinking 2 Ensure drinks a day. Good luck. Roy Boy (2009-07-26): Its been 2 months after the UPPP operation,I feel that that there is something touching feeling behind the throat. Or the behind part of the tongue is touching the missing part of the uvula. Do you guys have this feeling experience? Brad (2009-08-02): Roy Boy, I am about at that same point in my recovery. Could it be the scar tissue like i am feeling? I only had the soft palate reduced/ Uvula removed, and it feels like something is there; sometimes there is some phlegm there, but mostly the ENT says that it is the scar tissue, due to being tight, that feels like that. bob l (2009-08-30): I think I had nasal septal reconstruction, endoscopy , septoplasty prits and turbinate hypertrophy on August 20th.Had sleep apnea and unable to breathe while trying to sleep for any extended period. Been 11 days, no significant pain, but still do not sleep more than 15 to 45 minutes at a time unless I take a sleep medicine. Seeing doc on Sept 2 for follow up. Seems like a bit of infecvtion or yellow mucus appears un a cavity in one nostril. Will see what happens Wednesday. Nares are remaining open while breathing so that's good result to report so far. Has anyone figured out a good way to sleep almost practically standing up while in bed. Desperate for 4-6 hours of solid sleep after so many years. Maybe a recliner? Ken (2009-09-16): I'm scheduled for a tonsillectomy and uvulectomy on Oct. 6th.... after reading these entries and stumbling across some additional ionformation about 'nasal sounding' speech, and inability to swallow without food coming out my nose has caused me some serious resevation about this procedure! For those who had this a while ago, what is the current status of you health and are these conditions affecting you? I have bad snoring and moderate sleep apnia, and the cpap machine just doesn't work. This is why my ENT is suggesting the surgery. I guess bottom line: Is it worth it? Thanks...! DJ (2009-09-19): Hello Ken - I'm a 41 YO Female - 4 weeks post tonsillectomy and turbinate reduction (I noticed my ENT also removed my ulvula). I still can't talk right and sometimes drinking comes out of my nose - just overall hard time swallowing and talking (kinda sound like a deaf person). My Dr. said I'm about 1 in 3000 that this happens to (LUCKY ME). I may have to go to speech therapy - YEAH! Risks are low but I am an example of that few statistic. My tonsils were so full of bacteria I had no choice but to remove them so hopefully after this is all said and done I can say it was worth it. My speech evaluation in 1 week. In mean time hard to do my job as a sales rep! I sell CPAP's LOL Rebecca (2009-09-20): I am so glad I found this site, and it has been going on all these years! WOW. I am a 42-year-old female who just had UPPP & tonsillectomy last Thursday, 09/17/09. It has been nearly four days and I cannot eat/drink without it going up my nose. I really hope this ends soon. Was sent home with Percocet, so I am not having a lot of trouble with pain, it�s mainly the nasal regurgitation and the inability to speak at a normal level that is bothering me. Thank you Erik for keeping this up; it�s helpful to read of other�s experiences and knowing we are not alone! Erik (2009-09-21): Rebecca, I found that I had to re-learn how to swallow after my surgery. It took a while, but is completely automatic now. The way I do it is to pull the back of my tongue down to make a space for the food/drink, then push the front of my tongue up to help push it down. Good luck! James (2009-09-28): I am scheduled for the UPPP tomorrow morning. I'm a little nervous but am anxious to stop snoring and breath again. This is the first of two operations that the ENT is doing as he is doing my deviated septum in about a month. I am a body builder type so I am worried about eating. I weigh 230lbs. and I hope not to lose too much. I hope I can suck down a protein shake in a few days! James (2009-09-28): Oh, I have a tonsilectomy and UPPP tomorrow! Gwendolyn (2009-09-28): I'm a 40 year old female that had an tonsillectomy on September 14th and have had all kinds of trouble since then. I was sent home from the hospital without being able to swallow water, popsicles, liquid lortab, etc. I was admitted into the hospital for dehydration on September 16th and not being able to take antibiotic also. I was released on September 18th. Once again I was admitted into the hospital on September 23rd and released on September 25th. On the morning of September 25th the Gastrologist came and took me to be scoped and found out something was now wrong with my esophagus where it is not working properly. I've lost 32 pounds already and now they are talking about sending me to speacilist that deal with people that have strokes that can teach me how to eat and drink again. If by Friday I still can't hold anything down they have said they will put me in the hospital on a feeding tube. I see a string hanging in my throat and was wondering would this have anything to do with me not being able to eat? When does the string fall off? Sorry for venting but this is a real life horror story. James (2009-09-30): I am now home a day after my tonsillectomy and UPPP. I feel good and the surgery went well. I was eating jello and pudding last night. When I tried to drink my milk through a straw though, it came up through my nose. I did best with crushed ice and right now that is my favorite fluid. I had oatmeal for breakfast, which really surprised me. At home today I was able to eat chicken noodle soup along with a Muscle Milk Protein Shake. This will allow me to hopefully keep my weight and muscle mass up. After hearing some of the horror stories on here, I actually feel quite lucky to have progressed this far on my second day! James (2009-10-02): This is my third day after my surgery and talking is hard right now. I sometimes speak with a lisp. It feels like I have bad strep throat(times 3). It is hard to drink fluids as they eventually go up my nose. I have been chewing on ice chips and sucking down Muscle Milk Protein Shakes through a straw. I need to get more rest today as I have not been napping since I have been home. I have been popping the Percocet's every 4 hours! Rebecca (2009-10-04): Gwendolyn - I am so sorry to hear that you are having such a terrible experience (and I thought mine was bad)! If you haven�t already, I would certainly ask the doctor about the string; I didn�t see one when I had mine done. Please keep us posted so we know how you are doing. It has been a hellish two-plus weeks here. I have to say, that first week, I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life having the surgery. It�s getting better though; I am starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. I still don�t know if it was worth it yet, as I have had a sinus infection; between the discomfort and swelling of the surgery and the sinus infection, I haven�t slept enough to know if it has improved my sleep apnea. I guess time will tell. Thanks Erik for the eating tip; I will have to give it a try! James (2009-10-07): The string may be your stitches. James (2009-10-07): Well, it's been 8 days since my surgery and I have begun eating things like pizza again and I had a peanut butter sandwich yesterday. I try eating these things when my throat feels the best throughout the day. The protein shakes with ice chips, strawberries, peanut butter and 2 scoops of Whey Protein, blended together feels very good on the throat not to mention being very good with calories and nutrition for you. I am still on the Percocet's about every 4 hours and I find that I feel the best when I take 2 naps during the day. I was up yesterday painting around the house(my wife is a slave driver). I also asked if she has heard me snoring and to my surprise she said, 'no'! I have a big problem snoring and it seems as though the surgery has cleared my airway enough to rid me of this problem! I feel as though the surgery for myself was well worth it! Claire (2009-10-07): I am now 6 days out from my up3. The regurgitation of liquids is getting better but it is still very painful to eat any foods. My doc says I am doing good. The hardest part is trying to swallow foods which I guess I will have to relearn. When does that seem to improve? I've also had a lot of nausea with the pain meds. I guess time will heal everything. James (2009-10-14): Claire, it get's better at about 8 or 9 days. I have been cleared to return to work after about 15 days. I had a hamburger over the weekend. Can't eat my favorite spicy foods yet but getting better. My first stitch feel out today, I can look in the mirror and see the stitches in the back of my mouth. James (2009-10-14): I am now scheduled for Part 2 of my surgery: Nasal Septoplasty. I will hopefully be able to breath better through my nose and not sound so nasally when I speak. Rebecca (2009-10-22): Okay, it has been almost five weeks since my surgery. My stitches are hanging down and bothering me; I still have a terrible sore throat; my breath is always ghastly; and I have copious amounts of mucus in my nose and running down my throat; and there is no way to put this politely, but the boogers are monster-sized!! Sneezing is always a mix of amazement and disgust. On the bright side, I can eat anything I want now and I am getting better with liquids. This has truly been a long recovery. James � Hope your surgery went well! Lisa (2009-11-11): Rebecca - I hope you are doing better by now. Have you tried nasal irrigation for the mucus? I had by tonsils & adenoids out + turbinate reduction 2+ years ago and still do the irrigation almost daily. Helps cut down on allergy symptoms for me (without meds). I like the Neilmed squirt bottle method best -- gross to begin with, but it gets a lot easier. I like to say it's just like brushing your teeth - it's that easy! Good luck! It DOES get better! I haven't checked this website in ages, but remember it as a haven when I was going through recovery. Thanks Erik! Tami (2009-11-12): I am 48 years old and I had the U3P surgery and diviated septum last Tuesday. It has been just over a week and starting to see results. Stitches are in my nose, and I still can't breath good through nose. I haven't experienced pain in nose. I was worried about the tonsil pain, but I haven't had the severe pain as planned, and they were extra large! The extreme pain has been in the throat with the soft pallet and uvula removal. It hurts, but the med's have helped. All in all, I am doing much better than I expected. It's going to be wonderful to breath so much air and be healthy again! Brad (2009-11-20): Surgery was in early June. Stitches are long gone, and the pain is long gone. I am curious, though. . . does anyone else have occasional gagging for no apparent reason? I gag when I brush my teeth at times, and every time I try to gargle or brush my tongue. But, there are times when there is nothing that I can point to as a catalyst; I just start to gag. Ann (2010-01-04): Hi, I am scheduled to have tonsils,atnoides and turbinite surgery on the 28th of jan. Very afraid is this surgery realy worth it. I am 47 yrs old and alone. will I need to find help this does not sound good. any words of advice for me?? (2010-01-14): had the full job on 8/1/10 tonsils.out uvula removed. nip n tuck to tighten up age worn muscle . septum adjusted to suit the nose .1 week on an still sore as . swallowing still a chore.earaches annoying. the end result is ful of promises. heres waitin n hopin Amanda (2010-01-15): Hi, my daughter is 2 and a half years old and had surgery at the beginning of november having tonsils and adnoids removed. Being 2, she really cannot communicate what she is feeling but she constantly gags and coughs all of the time. Now that she has had the surgery, she won't let me even see her throat, much less the doctor. Do you have any similiar symptoms this late after surgery? Thanks Amanda (2010-01-15): I forgot to put that she vomits from the gagging almost daily. She has also gotten very particular about what she eats....nothing but chicken nuggets all the time....I have to stock up on tyson....lol. Any help would be great to try for her. lori (2010-02-23): I just had UP3, tonsilectomy, adnoids, turbinate reduction and 2 tubes in ears on 2/15/10. I am still having to take the pain meds on regular schedule except not waking in middle of night to take them. I still have pain, but not really sure what it is from?? Referred pain? I dont know. Swallowing better and very hungry. I ate a muffin and feel like the majority is stuck in back of throat at this moment. still 2 weeks out before returning to work. i think i over did it in the first week, house cleaning and etc... my sleep was all messed up. worst dry mouth ever in the mornings. dred opening my eyes sometimes. i just want everything to get back to normal with no snoring. herb (2010-04-04): just had my enlarged uvula removed. hopeful;y it will help mild sleep apmea and snoring. time will tell. came through 1 hour operation with sore throat but no real pain. starting eating 3rd day after operation. go for it. Randal (2010-06-26): Hellos to you all. very new to this whole uvula removal process I am stringly considering getting it removed because it has given me nothing but grief as well as my tonsils. But I want to keep them. I just got over a tonsil infection and now my uvula is acting up again. I do snore QUITE loudly then wake up not being able to find a comfortable position to fall back asleep in due to the gag reflex. Uvula has been swollen and quite discomforting to talk or move into the right position. Its quite distended and has only become worse over the years. Sleeping is now just a fear. Is it worth it to get it removed? markgb007 (2010-08-01): wow! what a find with this page! had turbinate reduction was put out cold, felt and remember nothing. The part of turbinate operation I disliked most and no one here has mentioned it was the two subsequent dr visits where he had to remove the "crusts" from lower turbinate. YIKES!!!! More pressure than pain though. Breathing much better 30 + days after surgery. Going to have laser reduction of soft palette and uvula in 12 days. Dr performs procedure in office along with the PILLAR procedure. Have any of you had this done. (Insertion of tiny teflon rods into soft palette)must stop my snoring pray that this will do that.I will post how I feel after procedures are done. Wish me luck. kinini (2011-01-10): Iam 65 in feb and dr. told me 4yrs ago that he had to remove my tonsils and my uvula,Have severe sleep apnea.I snore,wake myself up and I use to sing and it is like my voice is blocked on certain notes.i keep putting this off due to my age and afraid of bleeding.Is there a new procedure for this .I stay tired all the time and afraid to go on trips by my self due to being so tired when i drive. Erik (2011-01-12): kinini, I cannot give you medical advice, but I think if you choose a good doctor, and have someone with you for the first day or two to help you eat and drink, you will be OK, and better for it in the end. Good luck, and remember to stay well hydrated! Daryl (2011-02-28): I am 49 and haven't been to an ENT yet but it sounds like I have the symptoms caused by an enlarged uvulah. I can't go to the dentist anymore for cavities and or Novocain because it relaxes the tissues and you know you have to breath out of your nose or drown. I snore and wake up through out the night due to uvulah sticking and or blocking airway. If my mouth is closed breathing through my nose while on my back, I will puff when my uvulah blocks thus waking me right up. Now I keep water by the bed and drink when I wake up and I have tried training myself to side sleep and it has helped but I can't keep from snoring because I can't tell when I'm on my back. In the past I used to drink alcohol and party and crash. This would cause me to be very unconscious and I would snore horribly all night resulting in an extremely swollen uvulah that would literally lay on the gag reflect area of my tongue. I would gag uncontrollably and not be able to catch my breath. Anxiety has become a common place occurrence for me every night before bed as I do inventory on my throat and what I ate and drank. This has been the worst experience in my life to overcome and I feel like it is going to be the death of me. I want to do the surgery but the anxiety of gagging to death due to post op swelling is stopping me. George (2011-04-10): Hi, I am on day 5 of my uvulectomy. My ENT only removed half of my uvula. I went off of pain meds after day 2 because they were doing little if anything for my throat. Swallowing is all but impossible still, though I have had some luck with ibuprofen. Breakfast causes severe pain just after swallowing. I am 53 years old and had it shortened because of swelling and irritation by my tongue. I opted for a local anesthetic and kept my own tongue out of the way. I had my sinuses reamed the month before and the pain was over with that in 4 days. The blood balls kept comming for a month. With the uvula, they froze the cut to keep it from bleeding. The white scab still exists somewhat. I will post again if anything improves. George (2011-04-24): Day 19, What an awful three week ordeal. It was about two and a half weeks since my uvulectomy, before I was able to swallow without major pain. During the first 2 weeks, while swallowing, the pain hurt even the lower left side of my jaw and teeth. Especially at the hinge where the lower and upper mandibles attach, there was extreme pain as well as my upper molars on the left side. Now that the pain is almost gone while swallowing as well as the rest of the time, I think it was worth it. My uvula doesn�t stick to my tongue or get inflamed anymore. Erik (2011-04-24): Hi George, yep, the procedure sucks. Glad to hear you came out of the other side with a positive attitude and result! George (2011-04-24): I think this was a good sight to get a variety of information, to help make a good decision about having these types of operations completed. After reading the posts I chose to have a partial uvulaectomy done. This sight also helped with understanding the after effects which prepare you for recovery. Eddie (2011-06-07): I had all the same items performed as the original poster and had a much longer recovery. Painful but so far worth it since i can finally breath out of my nose for the first time in 15 years. mouthsg (2011-06-20): These lasers were created by dentists, receiving extensive clinical trials before receiving Federal Drug Administration approval. This technology is set to reinvent periodontal surgery as we know it. Pat (2011-11-18): I am 33 years old and, for the past few months, I have not been able to sleep. My doctor says I have a large uvula. I can feel all of the flesh (uvula, tonsils, back or toung) sliding back and blocking my airway just as I start to fall asleep. I can't sleep well on my side because my arms and hands fall asleep very easily. I dread going to bed because I know I have hours of tossing, turning, and gasping ahead of me. Usually after about 4 hours I fall asleep for a few hours because I am just so exhausted. I think I am going to look into this surgery. Steven (2012-02-21): Nearly a year later and the gag reflex is still BAD! Though structurally there is no issue, something is not right. I would never recommend a tonsillectomy/uvulaectomy. Scott (2012-04-14): Hi, I had my ulular removed and septoplasy performed on my nose, its now 3 days since surgury and all is well still cannot breath from my nose and only getting 1 - 2 hours sleep at a time and waking up with severe dry mouth. as far as pain goes nothing from my nose, pain score on my throat is 10+ man this hurts like nothing i have felt before still cannot swallow or eat properly, well I hope time heals . Jeff (2012-07-23): No more uvula.... hello gag reflex. I gag when my head bends over the sink as i brush my teeth or if i breathe in very deeply. I'm 33 & opted for the whole ball of wax... goodbye tonsils, polyps, & uvula.. terbinate reduction and septoplasty. Pain was not bad until day 3 then all hell broke loose. It was awful! I would recommend the procedures ... but, would not do the surgery again. Godwin (2012-07-26): I removed tonsils and uvula on 07/23/2012. The first day was a lot of pain. Today is not as bad. I have sleep apnea and I hoping that it gets better. My uvula was long and thick. I have noticed that when I drink there is a little coughing. Most of the feedback says there is only a 50%-60% chance of eliminating the sleep apnea and snoring. However, after 3 years of a CPAP machine, this is worth trying. ron (2012-08-07): 7/7/12 Wow, never realized that so many people are/were suffering the same as myself. This uvula has to go....As soon as i lay down i feel it choking me. And as for the swelling,infections etc, well to say i am over it would be an understatement, can't even have the ocassional drink any more. I can really relate to Daryl, mate, i feel EXACTLY the same way. This has been a very informative site. Erik, we share the same surname Matt (2013-01-15): Hi, i'm now at day 11 after having my tonsils removed, Septoplasty and uvula trimmed, I am over the worst but still have plenty of pain which is under control. the breathing through my nose is a lot better, I can use both sides now, before one side of my nose was completely blocked up, My wife says I am still making noise when I am asleep, though a different noise compared to before the op, could this still be down to swelling the doctor said it could take up to six weeks to completely work but most people seem to say their snoring stopped straight after the op or it has not worked. has it worked for anyone after 2 weeks? Verna (2013-03-01): Hi people's, I don't know if anyone goes on here anymore, but I had my uvula and tonsils removed about 7 years ago. This was mainly due to it getting swollen all the time and my snoring. Well I can tell you I unfortunately went through all of that for nothing, and I have heard since it has a very low success rate if you are trying to cure snoring, it comes back :( sorry for the bad news hopefully you will be one of the lucky 20%. V Erik (2013-03-02): Hi Verna. I'm sorry you didn't get what you wanted. I too snore still, 11 years after the surgery. However, I do not have the sleep apnea that was the primary reason I went under the knife. Paul (2013-03-05): i had just had my tonsils an uvula an also got the septoplasty done this past thursday i was wondering wat im looking at for recovery time appormitly as i went back to work two days after my surgery Matt (2013-03-13): Paul, there is no way you can cope with going back to work after two days, if you did let us all know how you got on!! Me I am now 9 weeks since my op, the good is no snoring, my Asthma is 100% better, the only bad is taking a big drink sometimes goes down the wrong way and my taste buds are not the same. I lost over 22 pound in the first three weeks after the op but put back on 9 pound between week 4 and 5, managed to get that back off over the last month but its harder when you can eat and drink. If I had the chance again I would defiantly have all the procedures again, My wife and I have slept in the same bed since week 2, any questions I will check back on here and answer every few weeks because after going through the first few weeks I really needed reassuring. Shada (2013-07-22): It's such a painful experience... would not recommend to anyone. I did septoplasty, tonsils and uvula reduction. My Dr made a misake and removed my Uvula completely. Donna (2013-10-18): Thanks everyone for your sharing. i am considering a tonsillectomy. For me because if have tonsil stones and constant minor sore throat (but it is disgusting) My dr wants to also take the uvula and cut into the soft pallet of the roof of my mouth. I just found out i have severe rem apnea, dropping ox level to 70%. I am starting CPAP next week. Going to see how that goes first and work up the courage to to the tonsillectomy. Michael Fla. (2013-11-03): Just had my toncillectomy and Uvulaectomy four days ago. The pain is mainly from the toncills area and I am taking liquid pain med hydroco/acetamin everythree hours. I can not swollow anything without first taking pain med. Will this get better or stay this way until throat has healed? I did the surgery due to sleep apnea. CHRIS K (2013-11-13): Getting a bit nervous reading all this stuff about uvula removal mine is really long and thick i can touch my tonge with it. real bad sleep Apnia problem too. Does it really help? B (2013-12-06): Had my surgery three days ago, uvula reduction and tonsillectomy, on the back of at urbanite reduction and septoplasty last month. The medication is helping with the pain, my throat is exceptionally sore and the stitching on the uvula is really painful as it catches my tongue. Drinking and eating is painful, but necessary for recovery. Overall surprised that the pain is not as bad as I had expected but hear that it gets worse after day six/seven. [email protected] (2013-12-13): I have a similar condition currently that Brad has, 2 months or more, still feels like somethings in my throat above my palete. Would loive to hear how you made out Brad... See also: erikburrows.com source code permalink |
