My poorly tonsils :0(

[Picky]

Hi all

I am 31 and because of chronic reoccuring tonsilitis am due to have my tonsils removed on the 15th of next month. Has anyone else had their tonsils removed at a slightly older age and how long were you in hospital, how long did it take for you to feel better and was it really painful??! I've got 2 little boys, one's nearly 3, the other is 5 months, so I'm hoping I won't be out of action for too long!

Thanks in advance
Px

[albaqwerty]

no sugar coating this. It's sore. But when you feel better, at least no more nasty sore throats. Hospital possibly 24 hours. Keep thinking positive x

[Picky]

Was a bit worried it would be :0( But I'm getting tonsilitis every 3 weeks at the moment, so it'll be better in the long run. Thanks! Px

[clipclop1]

Im due to have mine out in two weeks too! am dreading it a bit but sick and tired of tonsilitis... have got it at the mo. The last time i had it... i swear to god i nearly died.. LOL! was bloody horrific!
So iv been asking quite a few people about it and from what i can gather... yeah, its pretty horrible afterwards, they give you green stuff to gargle with to numb the pain, apparently thats really good strong stuff.. and you lose a load of weight due to not being able to let anything pass your lips... so not looking forward to it but definately WILL be looking forward to not having to worry bout a swollen throat x amounts of time in one year!
:)

[Sqad]

I still have my tonsils intact.

You will be in hospital about 24-48 hours, providing that there are no complications.

Painful for about 7-10days...........not the sort of thing that one does for a "party piece"

Pain can be reduced by eating solids, crisps, cornflakes etc right from the outset although it is not easy it will pay dividends, don't eat and your pain will be prolonged.

Soluble analgesics (Paracetamol) or better still Ibuprofen 600mgms if you can swallow the tablets.

Try and get someone to look after the kids for a week.

Earache may be your biggest problem, due to referred pain from you tonsil bed. Looking in the mirror it will look yellow and nasty....this is normal.

Good luck.

[Picky]

Thanks very much for the information. I'm not looking forwards to it, but once they're out and I've recovered, not more nasty tonsilitis for me - hurrah! Hope it all goes ok for you clipclop!
Px

[CAJ1]

I had my tonsils out the year before last, I was petrified!
My throat was sore for 2 weeks afterwards, I was told to take my painkillers before the pain had a chance to start. The worst bit for me was waking up in the middle of the night when the painkillers had worn off! I found tea soothing. As sqad says it is best to eat crisps, toast - I think they advise you to eat rough foods to clear the scabiness (mmm...nice!). I had a lot of earache too. It is painful but after the pain has cleared it is the best thing ever - no more tonsilitis!

[New Judge]

I had my tonsils out at the age of 21 – quite a few years ago now.

I too had suffered recurring tonsillitis (about every other month). I eventually contracted quinsy (which is a peritonsillar abscess to give it its proper name, and not to be confused with the similar-sounding Los Angeles Medical Examiner played by Jack Klugman). This causes the tonsils to swell enormously and at a very rapid rate, blocking the airways. I was driven to A&E where a kindly ENT surgeon lanced my tonsils there and then – no messing, no anaesthetic, nothing. However, I did not complain as the pain I was already in was far greater than that inflicted by his knife and in any case he probably saved my life.

He recommended that I have my tonsils removed (my GP did not believe in tonsil removal and always insisted I would grow out of my inclination to contract tonsillitis). So three months later in I went, alongside all the five and six year olds who were undergoing a similar procedure.

I was in hospital for a week and could only take liquids or jelly for about ten days after that. By contrast, the youngsters were up and about within 24 hours, playing football up and down the ward!

To be fair, I was in dock for longer than expected because I suffered one or two complications (mainly I kept on bleeding and had to have a fair amount of blood replaced).

I’m sure you’ll be OK, but be prepared for a little more discomfort than if you were twenty five years younger!

[danchip]

i had my tonsils out when i was 13, 15 years later at the age of 28 i still get tonsillitis, dont get your hopes up too much it is very common to still get the condition even when you've had your tonsils removed.

make sure you eat afterwards, i was in that much pain i couldn't bear eating anything, due to this i developed an infection in my throat which was 100 times more severe than tonsilitis

[slinky.kate]

i got my tonsils out when i was 21,i was in hospital for a week,my sore throat was the same as my bouts of tonsilitis,after 2 weeks i felt better than i had in years,that was 40 years ago and i think i could count on my right hand the times i have had a sore throat since then,the best thing i ever done,go for it and best of luck.

[dinkydoo]

My son had his tonsils out when he was 29 the first thing he ate in the hospital was a yorkie bar someone had brought in for him, His girlfriend at the time rang me up to bring him in a big mac from macdonalds, needless to say he didnt get one from me. The only problems he had after the operation was drainage problems, mind you like all men he was and still is a bloody moaner, so i am sure you will be fine. Good luck!

[Picky]

New Judge, I had that same vision, of me sitting in a ward with a load of 5 year olds! Thanks all for your posts, as I said I am certainly not looking forwards to it, but hopefully it will end these sore throats. I am hoping I have a high-ish pain threshold, after a 10lb 11oz baby, a couple of little tonsils shouldn't beat me......famous last words!
Thanks all
Px

[bushbaby_de]

Hi Picky,

I had my tonsils out 6 years ago when I was 21, having suffered 5 years of tonsiitis following Glandular Fever when i was 16. I stayed in hospital for one night only, and they put me on the ward with the older ladies not the kids. The first 24 hours I was pretty much out of it on painkillers in the hospital (i was in so much pain they gave me morphine and i was tripping out), and then I spent 2 days with incredible sore muscles as a reaction to the general anaesthetic. I remember 3 or 4 days of lying on the sofa drooling uncontrollably, so invest in some big hankies!

Make sure you have codeine and some sort of throat spray as it will be sore, and drink lots and lots of water. They'll tell you not to drink anything coloured so that if (when) you're sick you'll be able to see if there's blood in it (nice). I remember eating being unconfortable but I managed a dominos pizza at the end of the first week, so not the end of the world. Scratchy things help with the wound recovery apparently.

I hardly ever get sore throats now so its totally worth it, but you can get phantom tonsil pain sometimes, which is odd. Expect to be out of action for about a week, and get someone else to look after the kids. Best of luck, hope it goes ok x