Tonsillectomy

Hello earthlings!

I'm documenting my tonsillectomy experience here since I know how much it helped to read and learn from others' experience. Hopefully this comes in handy for somebody that's frantically googling about 'Tonsillectomy'  :)  *If you're looking for my background story, click here

For illustration purpose, I'm going to describe my pain level with a scale of 0-10.
10 being absolutely unbearable, curled-up-in-a-ball kind of pain and there is nothing that I can do to feel better except to wait it out. Anything above 5 would be painful but still tolerable & anything above 7 would be painful and relatively intolerable but I can still make it feel better e.g. take deep breaths to distract myself or zone out for abit.

Surgery Day 27/05/15 

Pre surgery : I was on IV drip and general anaesthetic for the surgery. I have near zero pain tolerance so I requested for local anaesthetic before having my IV plug in. I was more afraid of the injection than the surgery itself since I knew I was gonna be completely knocked out during the surgery.

Once I was hooked up on the IV drip and the operation theatre was available, I was wheeled in. I remember taking deep breaths into the oxygen mask as instructed by my anaesthetist and slowly slipping into unconsciousness.

Post surgery : I woke up wanting to puke and my head was spinning. Since I had to fast for the surgery, it was mainly spit and blood. Initially I was afraid puking would hurt since my tonsil cavity's raw but it didn't. I was nauseous and puked 5-6 times that night.

Drinking iced water and apple juice in particular, was helpful. I couldn't get any food in though I was encouraged to eat soft food e.g. cooled porridge, oats and ice-cream. I was given Difflam (anti inflammatory) to gargle. Again, it didn't sting my wound as much as I thought it would. Medicine wise, I took 2 panadols and 1 antibiotic. The nurse was also attentive enough to help me crush my antibiotics into smaller bits so it was easier for me to swallow.

Recovery Day 1 - 5
Pain level 0-4

This period was relatively pain free aside for the inability to eat much because 1) throat area was in general discomfort 2) food tastes bland/gross cos of my wound.

I guess normal people might deal with this period better than I did because I was so upset that I couldn't eat! This was sheer torture for somebody that proclaims to love food more than people. Plus I get nauseous when I'm too hungry so there was a couple of mornings I had to force food in so I don't end up puking.

Overall there was nothing too uncomfortable even though it does start hurting after a couple of swallows so I usually stop eating altogether after a few bites. As a result each meal was only 3-4 bites and I was constantly hungry. During this period I was on antibiotics and painkillers (panadol) as well as Difflam mouthwash & lozenges.

Favourite food: Tauhuay, cold water, mashed potatoes & carrots.

On the 4th day I even managed to get out of the house to catch Tribes with Martin. Though I did take a stronger pain relief (Etoricoxib) in the morning just in case. When I was out of the house I had ramen and iced mochi. Both of which were a waste of money because I ate in bites and stopped after 3/4 mouthfuls. 

On the 5th day I actually stopped eating my pain relief altogether because I felt that the pain was manageable and I didn't want to take too much medication. My lips were kinda drying out and cracking at the corner which the mother pointed out to be a result of me eating meds (not too sure though). I had spaghetti this day and when my throat burnt, I stopped eating.

Recovery Day 6 - 12 
Pain level 4-10

The beginning of hell week.

I was still off pain meds on day 6 even though the pain (left side especially) was spiking. By evening, I was wincing in pain and twitching in anticipation of pain with every bite during dinner. To make matters worse, I had to sneeze!! OMFG it was so painful I teared. I got back on pain relief day 7 and I took panadol on & off throughout this period.

From here on, the pain was just progressively worse. It hurt when I'm drinking water, swallowing saliva, eating and even when I was not doing anything. Occasionally my throat felt like it was burning. I usually remedy this by sipping water and this worked when my burning throat was because of dryness.

The worse kind is when it feels like I'm swallowing broken glass and I simply can't do anything to make myself feel better. I usually clench my jaws and wait it out. There was also a night where it hurt so bad out of the blue, I curled into a ball on my bed and winced/teared in pain. During such times I'd try my best to think positive and remember that such moments will only last for 2-3minutes (even though in that moment it felt like fucking forever) and that I JUST HAVE TO WAIT IT OUT.

It was during this period that my mum got me Difflam anti-inflammatory spray. THIS SHIT WORKS LIKE GOLD. I sprayed it whenever I sensed that my throat was about to act up and the medication in it helped to numb the pain (as it is with the lozenges and mouthwash, but the spray is more effective).

Here I was eating even lesser because the pain was simply unbearable during meal times. I'd literally eat whatever mouthfuls just to stop myself from feeling too hungry or nauseous. It was so torturous too, I'd sit infront of the TV during lunch and 3hours would pass and I'd still be there, wincing and trying to eat. Every bite took so much courage cos I had to brace myself for the pain, fml.

Recovery Day 13 & 14 
Pain level 0-2

Got back on my meds and I established a routine of having my strong painkiller (Etoricoxib) & 2 panadols on both mornings. It was also in attempt to finish my last two Etoricoxib pills cos I was given 5 in total and like, might as well finish them right. Anyway, my routine worked like magic and I guess the fact that my throat was well on recovery attributed to the relatively pain-free last two days. I was out and about on day 14 and eating pretty 'normal' though my throat did feel a little dry or itchy but nothing a little water couldn't fix.

Day 16 11/06/15

I had my first review at the hospital today and I was told my throat's recovering well. The doctor also gave me the green light to eat normal. My appetite has decreased significantly since surgery but I'm not complaining #ProjectDiet It still stings a little when I'm eating so I'm trying to avoid fried/hot/spicy food for the time being. Also, think I lost a bit of weight having underwent this ordeal. 


Here's some tips I find useful, both from experience & reading forums/blogs : 

- Drink water, even when you're in pain. I swear it hurts less after the first few sips.

- Set an alarm at night to eat your pain med/take sips of water so you won't wake up with a burning throat.

- Iced water might sting your throat. Try cold or room temperature water instead. Avoid hot food/water!

- Difflam spray**

- Don't limit yourself to an ice-cream diet. Try soft food like porridge, oats and etc. Keep experimenting and expanding your food options. A good diet is important for recovery!

- Be positive!

Good luck & all the best if you're still in recovery / undergoing the op soon!