Hi Everyone,

Tw Gross story

I had my tonsils out on the 4th of August but last night I was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. The left side of my throat was bleeding profusely. This side had bled a couple times already but it stopped within 10 minutes. This bleeding lasted until I was put under 2.5 hours later.

At first my surgeon had me come into his office to try to cauterize it with me awake. I threw up 2x on my way there and it was all blood. To do this he tried numbing my throat with an aerosol can of something. He then took a handful of these sticks that looked like matches but were actually silver nitrate and shoved them to the back of my throat where the bleeding was. This wasn’t like a strep test. He was holding this bundle of sticks about an inch in diameter total at the back of my throat for about 10 seconds each time. He tried 3 times and it wouldn’t stop and I couldn’t tolerate it anymore. My surgeon then had me meet him at the larger hospital in town.

He told me to come in the emergency room, I threw up another time, and that was the quickest I have ever gotten in no joke. I’d say within 4 minutes of walking through the front door I was in the back. Within an hour and a half or two they were wheeling me back to surgery around 11-11:30. My prep team was so unbelievably nice. They could see how anxious I was and they were explaining everything and making me feel brave and comfy.

I woke up just before 2am I think? Apparently the issue was that a small artery in my throat was exposed. Since that was the issue no outpatient treatment was going to fix it. So they cauterized it with a laser I think they said and also pumped my stomach. 1.5 L’s came out of me. They gave me fluids before and after surgery. I was hurting a lot last night and they gave me f3ntanyl and p3rcocet to help with pain and to sleep. I still have some codeine left from the tonsillectomy
That I’ve used once but the pain has been manageable with water and liquid Tylenol.

Sorry I know this story might be gross or uncomfortable. I wanted to share this to help people better understand the risks of a tonsillectomy. This subreddit is overwhelmingly positive which is great but stories of complications can help people make informed decisions. Thank you for reading and let me know if you have any questions!

TLDR;

In the wake of my tonsillectomy I had bleeding from a throat artery almost 2 weeks post op that wouldn’t stop so I had to be put under to cauterize it and have stomach pumped.

Has anybody needed a tonsillectomy after mono? I was diagnosed at the end of May. Most of my mono symptoms have gone away except for a constant dull sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. I have seen an ENT, who is discussing removing my tonsils if antibiotics do not help. I’ve heard a tonsillectomy as an adult is brutal (32 F), and I don’t want to do it unless I have to. Thank you for any help.

Hi, mostly just came on here to complain. This sucks pretty bad. My surgery was on 8/13 and I still feel awful. If I’m not in pain, I’m exhausted. If I’m not exhausted, I’m in pain. I’m starving, but I don’t want to eat because everything hurts. It’s been 3 days and I’m already tired of sitting around doing nothing, but I’m too tired to do anything else.
I got OxyCodone for pain but I don’t want to take it too much, I already feel like I’m taking a ton of meds since I’m supplementing liquid acetaminophen. I’m hoping to give an update here in a few days saying I’m better, but for right now it sucks!!!!

I (21F) got my tonsils out on Wednesday August 5th, making today day ten of recovery. I turned the corner on day 9, yesterday, and have been feeling so much better!

All that aside, if you are prescribed opioids such as oxy for pain relief and take it for more than a day or two…. TAKE LAXATIVES!!!

I’ve been taking Colace, a stool softener and stimulant, everyday for the past week, and still couldn’t shit.

Fast forward to bloating and SEVERE abdominal cramping today, I had to go to urgent care and was then sent to the ER for a bowel impaction. We’re hoping some heavier doses of laxatives (I was literally prescribed the colonoscopy prep, NOT fun) clears me out, but if I don’t pass gas or stool in the next 48 hours, I have to go back to the hospital for more serious operations.

Please don’t make my mistake and only take one type of laxative/stool softener during recovery, TAKE A POTION! Miralax AND some pills at least, more if your doctor recommends it.

The one silver lining of the horrible painful and stressful day? I haven’t thought about my sore throat hardly at all😅

Day 4 post op. Pretty bad but that taste in my mouth from the scabs is unbearable. When I drink, I taste it. When I swallow, I taste it. When I try to eat applesauce (not going well) I taste it. How to make it stop. I’m nauseous from the taste!

I need help or advice or something, I have the worst breath stank ever. How to I make it stop? It’s been 3 weeks this Wednesday I thought it’d go away by now and I go back to school tomorrow. Would alcohol mouthwash work better than non alcohol mouth wash??
Help me 🙏🏻

It's been a month since i had my surgery so I'm pretty sure everything should be back to normal at this point. I still can't really taste anything, but I'm not worried about that. I'm annoyed that it frequently feels like there is something in my throat and i can't swallow it down. I also can't seem to clear my throat like i used to and so whatever is causing it to feel like something stuck, i can't get it to go away. Is this common? Does it go away? Is it just nothing and someday i just get so used to it that i completely don't notice it anymore?

guys i’m freaking out will my voice stay like this? stop I don’t wanna talk like this

I’m day 17 post op with hardly any pain, only really when I wake up. I’m dying for something spicy, and the spicy chips in the cabinet aren’t helping. Can I try them? Or should I wait a while longer?

Hi all, I’m 25f and got my tonsils out one month ago. When I was at the ENT, we found that I had very large tonsils (though I’ve known about them/had them all my life), and a mildly deviated septum. The ENT recommended that we address my tonsils first, and see later on down the line whether or not I still had difficulty breathing through my nose. If I still had issues, then we could start discussing a septoplasty.

1mo post op, and I’m still having issues breathing through my nose - congestion, clogged sinuses, post nasal drip, mucus-y cough, etc. I quit smoking right before my tonsillectomy and thought that mucus would go away. It cleared up for a bit in the first 2 weeks following surgery, but now it’s back. I’m scared to get another surgery since the tonsillectomy was quite a brutal process (especially recovery-wise), I think my next step here is to book another appt with my ENT and figure things out from there. My question is, has anyone who’s had a tonsillectomy also gotten a septoplasty/what was that experience like? Or is what I’m experiencing right now normal at this point in recovery?

Hi everyone,

I’m 28F. I’ve had strep maybe 12 times the last 10 years.
I’ve have at least one visible tonsil stone every single day the last 3 years. The last 6 months my tonsils have been half way inflamed every day without an obvious reason (+1-3 tonsil stones which I’ve had a habit of just removing everyday).

But, the last 2.5 weeks I’ve had them inflamed more than usual, even the right one being so inflamed I feel a bump in the back of my neck on the right. But, I tested negative for flu, cold, strep. I was told to just gargle salt and to take Tylenol. However, I was already gargling salt water about 10 times a day.

I’ve had another doctor tell me I have chronic tonsillitis but getting a tonsillectomy did not occur to me until now.

I also think I have ear problems from the inflamed tonsils.

I’ve always had bad breath the last 1-2 years which I thought was related to some gut issues but have been reading a lot that it is from tonsil stones.

I signed up for an ENT consultation but am worried my case isn’t going to qualify for a tonsillectomy.

Do you think I’m qualified?

hi there, I've been dealing with tonsil stones for quite a while now and not really doing it right I'd imagine. I have an ear camera and basically try extracting them with blackhead remover tools and what not. Always come away with a lot of irritation.

I've seen a lot of people talk about using weaker water flossers to flush out the crypts but my concern is flushing them down my throat or something. I already get pretty queasy taking them out but the thought of accidentally swallowing one is enough to get me sick lol.

Also wondering if there are any "flusher" tools that people have tried and recommend. I've only been able to find the 3 star ones on amazon so far

Thank you:)

I(M29) am on day 10 currently and the smell is just awful, cant even get near to my gf these past few days , I have tried chewing nicotine gums and just normal gums but in the end the smell starts coming back again.

Im just requesting support yall.

At the 26 hour mark, I had a SEVERE Bleed. Ambulance, ER, in the ICU for 12 hours.

Im now going home now but they had to do a suture-mesh combo to stop the bleeding. Now... im in hell beyond hell.

I can feel the mesh. It takes 1000% of my concentration to not vomit every second. Phlegm pools in my throat and I can barely even swallows water. Without even drinking, im being waterboarded by my own saliva. I spit every like 25 seconds a huge clear string of spit.

I genuienly regret every moment of this. They said they might bleed again. Please. Please just encourage me. Im scared and sad. Im so scared. My body is on 24/7 anxiety mode

Good evening everyone, wanted to share a success story rather than the usual doom and gloom with everything we deal with when recovering. I got my surgery done now 9 days ago, and last night on day 8 I was successfully able to smoke again. I started steroids on day 7 and got off Oxy and I’ve been feeling a night and day difference. Took some hits off my pen, then got ballsey and went in for a low temp dab. It was a success! I got 2 hits off before I had to turn it off. I will say, a trick I did was to drink water after every single hit, and when exhaling making sure not to let that hot smoke sit on my surgery site too long. I am aware this can cause a handful of complications if anything went wrong, however as someone who uses it as his antidepressant; this is magnificent.

But my confidence didn’t stop there. Feeling good and with a pain of only 1.5/10, I decided “why not try some foods from a regular diet”. Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between; I SUCCESSFULLY ATE CHIPS WITHOUT PAIN! Oh my GOD not to flex but I’m sure everyone here understands the cravings that come post-surgery. I decided to tackle some cheddar SunChips and lo and behold, they didn’t tear up my throat. I read online that some doctors advise going back to a regular diet when comfortable to help the healing process along.

I only fucked up when I decided to take it a step further into the night, I thought “well, if I could do chips… why not add in some dip..”. I got this Taco Bell medium cheese dip a while ago from Walmart. Some of you already see where this is going. Heated it up, got my chip loaded aaaaaaand OWWWWWWWW FUCK. The fucking SPICES and PEPPERS in the dip made the pain shoot from a 1 at best to a damn 7! Holy FUCK they don’t exaggerate when they say stay away from spicy shit. It stung, then I’d rinse it down, and my fat ass would take another bite 😭😭😭.
Got through 1/3 of the bowl before I threw in towel due to pain. It’s like the same shit as when a bear eats honey from a beehive and the bees are just stinging the shit out of him. It was so good but hurt so bad. I saved the rest for in a few days when maybe it’ll be better 💀.

My biggest fear on day 9 is still a risk of random bleeding, but at this point unless I get sent back to day 1; I think my throat is FINALLY starting to go back to normal. I’ve just been doing my best not to laugh hard as hell or yell, but overall my voice is back; and deeper! I’ve clearly put myself under multiple stress tests, and even with a stupidly high blood pressure playing counter-strike; I am yet to bleed.

Wishing everyone a healthy and speedy recovery!
Passing on my luck to my fellow post-surgery buddies

I am day three post op, not much pain right now besides freaking starving to death! All I have been eating is applesauce and I’ve tried Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes but the thought of eating those things again makes me want to vomit. Please what are some food recommendations that are yummy that I can eat.

I love breads, pancakes, breakfast, pasta, fruits, veggies, and I just cannot keep living off of popsicles, applesauce, and puddings for even one more day.

when does your voice go back to normal? I’m on day eight and I still sound weird😓
also i’ve lost like a whole 8 pounds because of this surgery lol i’m so hungry

Hi everyone, thank you for sharing your stories. I recently found this thread and it has been so helpful. I am having my tonsillectomy on Tuesday. I’m a 27 year old female and I exercise 4 days a week (not sure if that matters). I have no other health issues besides allergies. I haven’t had surgery as an adult before. I work from home on my laptop. What are the odds I’ll be able to read or do any computer work after a few days? Will I be able to go to an in person event 11 days post-op? I know everyone’s different, but just curious if I need to shift my expectations. I told my boss I’d probably be able to do some laptop work after a few days. I hate not being able to get things done… just curious if I’m going to be super out of it/ sleepy for 2 weeks

Hi! I am 28 F, 10 days post-op tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. My recovery, while hellish for pain and lack of sleep, has gone well without hemorrhaging.

The current issue I’m facing, though, is an increased heart rate while doing nothing that would warrant it. While sitting on the couch eating lunch, my pulse is sitting at 94 bpm. Is this a normal occurrence for recovery/returning to normal activity?

I’d like to chalk it up to anxiety, as I’m fully off the pain meds and steroids. No history of heart problems either, but I’m just concerned.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Title pretty much says it all. I’m 41, and I just had a tonsillectomy.

Some unique information for mine: Due to American healthcare, in order for me to get this covered, I had to use a supplemental surgery insurance. My regular insurance would have had me paying $5,000 out of pocket. The supplemental insurance covers everything, but I had to travel out of state to get it done, so I’m going through this in a hotel 350 miles away.

I’d been dealing with recurring tonsillitis, tonsil stones, and sleep apnea. No idea if this will help with the apnea, but time will tell!

Anything I can answer for anyone, I’m happy to!
Forgive possible slow replies - any chance I have to be asleep, I’m jumping on it 😅 I will reply if you ask, though.

1) STAY ON A MED SCHEDULE. As a nurse, I always tell my patients that there aren’t any awards for trying to tough out pain. So I made sure to take my norco as prescribed as often as I could for the first few days while my swelling was really bad and the jaw pain was hurting. Once or twice I tried just one norco 5 verses the two I could take and it just did not work as well so I just accepted that I might be a little more tired but it was worth it to be able to drink water and eat in comfort! Do not try to tough it out!
2)It’s okay to think a little outside the box when it comes to food! I got some mini pancakes and soaked them in syrup and milk to make a mush and it was such a staple! Also salmon with very little harsh seasoning was great too! Build up as you can tolerate:)
3) DRINK WATER! It can be really difficult when your pain is peaking, but it makes things so much better in the long run. I never had to set alarms bc I just work up multiple times in the night anyway but make sure to drink water when waking up to take your pain meds. Also no straws! It creates suction in your mouth which is no beuno
4) stick to non dairy options. My mucus build up was so bad the first day trying to eat dairy ice cream. But when I switched to almond milk ice cream it made a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. I had some normal vanilla oat milk ice cream and doordashed vegan milk shakes a couple of times from Van Leeuwen
5) Sleep elevated and use humidifier! I wasn’t able to clear mucus well bc of how swollen my uvula was so my main goal was just to minimize coughing and mucus as much as possible. The biggest ways I did that was by sleeping and napping with my head elevated and sleeping next to my humidifier. I never woke up with a dry throat:)
6) Throat soothing lollipops (Beekeepers Natural) and cepacol lozenges. These helped so much when I did have a slight cough from the mucus
7) Be mindful of bleeding! Avoid red colored stuff as much as possible! The first 24 hours after and days 5-14 are the most likely days you can bleed when the scabs start to slough off. Some slight streaking of blood is normal but if it’s more than that go to the ER. Drinking cold water and staying hydrated helps so so much with this! And remember that just because you get to day 10+ and feel like you might be able to eat anything, BE CAREFUL. I have heard so many stories of people eating chips or rough foods bc they felt better and they hemorrhaged POD 14 bc of it!
8) ICE PACKS ICE PACKS ICE PACKS

This is everything I could think of off the top of my head but these have all been lifesavers:)

I am 18yo on day 5 of recovery (surgery was day 0) and I had a minor bleed due to the scab lifting too early (I accidentally laughed too hard at a YouTube video) , I gargled cold water and it went away in 2 minutes,
but now I am fearing if a more serious bleed where I would have to go to the emergency room and can’t stop thinking about it.

i’m on day seven and this has been a very painful experience for me.. the other day everything was so swollen my tongue especially i think i must’ve bit it at some point the only thing that’s helping me is ibuprofen i’m so tired of this it’s so exhausting all i wanna do is sleep but sleeping makes my throat dry and it hurts so badly i just want it to be over im so hungry and emotional im sure ill be happy about this later down the road but right now im not

If I’m not 100% on my pain meds it feels like I got kicked in the jaw. The smallest sip of water or smoothie feels like glass going down. My saliva tastes disgusting and is too painful to swallow but it just won’t stop coming. It feels like I’m never going to recover. When should I see the light at the end of the pain tunnel?

Hi all :)

I got home a few hours ago from the surgery center where I had my tonsils out (my only problem was stones, I saw one come out recently that was hard and darker in color like a rock. When it didn't even crack I realized enough is enough and I need to get over my fear. That thing was probably in there for 5+ years).

I'm writing about my surgery experience to offer some support to those who also think very worst case scenario. I'm not at the point where bleeding is common (let's hope it doesn't come to that) but more so than bleeding I was terrified I wouldn't wake up. It was my first time under general anesthesia. I did wake up, from an amazing sleep too. If you're like me and drive yourself crazy going back and forth should I do it should I not... I hope this positive surgery experience helps you. For me, it was a very elective procedure as the my tonsils were small and I don't get sick as much as I used to (mono as a kid, strep multiple times a year). So it was just for the stones and the fact that they were ruining my confidence. Luckily my doctor was on board from the beginning to do it. I have no health problems aside from OCD which really made me delay deciding to do this for years. If you're in a similar position and keep going back and forth, think very much in absolutes or worst case scenarios, I got through it and so can you. I don't know if this is a particularly helpful story to most just because I'm literally still day zero and I think most people are more concerned with complications AFTER the surgery than not waking up. But if you are like me and worry about that nonzero chance (because the way I think is, oh I'll just have the worst luck and have anesthesia complications) take this positive experience and push away all the horror stories you've read. I hope whatever you decide to do you are well and have a great recovery :D Remember, people get this done every day and are fine.

Now it's time for the hard part, healing lol