Adult Tonsillectomy Pain

[carole321]

I posted this in the wrong forum so I am reposting it here.
I have two reasons for wanting a tonsillectomy and probable uvulopalatopharyngoplasty....I have tonsiloliths (my primary reason) and mild sleep apenea for which I use c-pap sometimes, but don't tolerate it well.
The ENT I saw said a tonsillectomy at my age would be extremely painful..."more painful then having a baby".  He went on about how much pain I would have and really scared me.  I want to have it done but am thinking about childbirth and do I want that much pain for 10 days or so!!!!!!   Anything I read on discussion groups talk of terrible pain the people have gone through,  I know these discussion boards are usually filled by people who have had problems and those who don't have problems usually don't feel the need to write about it.  
Has anyone had this done that can encourage me?

[rockersissy]

Good morning!  I had my tonsils removed 2 years ago at the age of 28.  I was told too that it was not going to be a "walk in the park" but the procedure was needed.  Honestly, the worst part for me was the scabbing where the tonsils were.  And that was not so much that it was painful, it just looked gross!  ;)  I would just recommend getting a lot of rest, and just sleeping through most of the recovery.  You can't have ice cream, because the dairy coats your throat, but jello was my best friend!  I was actually ready to go back to work before the Dr's would let me, and it's been such a blessing not having to worry about chronic tonsilitis anymore.  Well worth the few weeks of discomfort.  I wish you the best, and a speedy recovery!

[carole321]

here is an update.  I went for a 2nd opinion and this dr. did a scope through my nose.  My larynx is inflamed and swollen and also because of some of the symptoms I was having he said I have esophogeal reflux, so I am going to treat that.  As for my main concerns..he said that my tonsils are not very enlarged (which I knew) and he said that UPPP surgery may work quite well for me since my sleep apnea is mild.  However, the "return" rate of the same problem is very high.  Usually the surgery is done to IMPROVE the results of the need for cpap.  He said my results are not bad and questionable whether i even need cpap. He has done surgery for tonsil stones but is not comfortable with it because there are risks such as bleeding, voice changes and nasal regurgitation.  He would feel terrible if this occurred when the need is not so great (in his opinion).  After seeing him I called and cancelled my scheduled surgery with the first dr.  I guess I just need more time to think about it.  I have decided I would be willing to tolerate the pain.  I may be lucky like some people regarding pain and maybe not, but I would do it. (drastic, you really encouraged me!)   I just have to think a little more.  I will get the GERD under control and then decide at a later time.  Thank you all for your responses.
Carole321

[drastic]

Hi Carole321,

I too had a tonsillectomy over a week ago. The pain from my tonsilectomy was nothing. After 3 days I stopped all pain medication because the meds made me dizzy and nauseous. Now I am day 10 post OP and been going strong for 7 days without pain medication. I just didnt find it painful enough to take pain medication. I am 28 years old. The only downside is not being able to eat things like fried chicken and fries. I am still on a liquid diet.

And the reason I did the operation was for bad breath. I was desperate and tired of people treating me like some dirty, disgusting person because of bad breath. I lost all my friends and job because of bad breath which i could not control. People avoided me on the bus, train, in public. I was an outcaste like i was a diseased feeling.

It was the worst feeling in my life.

Carole the pain from the operation will not kill you. I would do it. You have nothing to lose just an opprtunity to get your life back.

I dont regret the operation.   I only wished i had done it sooner.

Listen to your feelings noone truly knows what you are going through especially with bad breath and tonsil stones.

I wish you all the best.

[denise76]

i had my  tomsillectomy when i was 21 and it was very sore in fact the pain was bad it is very sore and having a baby is nothing to the pain i had after mine if i had my chance again i wolundnt never ever get it do in fact i still get very sore thr infections and now get it in my gums cos i dont have any tonsils the only gud thing was losing weight after i had it done but if it going to help u then get it done

[AshleyLynn]

Have you ever tried using the nasal pillows? My husband has them and really likes it, he can't use the actual mask because he took his off in his sleep as well. The nasal pillows he does a LOT better with.

Surgery is painful, there's no doubt about that. However, everyone's experience and pain tolerance is different as well. The thing with surgery is that you have to outweigh the risks and benefits. I'm sure your surgeon has advised you, but you have to remember that there are also risks whenever surgery is concerned, and that has to be something you take into consideration. I'm really surprised that your ENT is just willing to do surgery because YOU think you should, especially if you think you could get by without it. I've had several surgeries in my life (I've had 5 sinus surgies alone in the last 16 months) and I can still honestly say that I would not have a surgery if I could ever honestly look myself in the eye and say, "I can get by without this". Surgery would always be my last resort.

Best of luck in whatever you decide...

Ashley

[carole321]

It was my idea to have the tonsillectomy because of bad breath with the tonsil stones primarily.  I don't want to be really old and no one wants to get near me because of it.  The second reason, in my mind, is the sleep apnea.  In my drs. mind, this is of course the most justifiable reason. Regarding cpap.  I have the least annoying mask for me..  I am used to cold, moving air when I sleep, and when I wear the cpap I feel like I have a baby octupus on my nose!  I can breath okey, just that this kind of feeling causes me to take it off a few hours into my sleep cycle. I am usually not fully awake when I remove it.

So I suppose the surgery is not a last resort.  I could get buy without it.  But these two things I mentioned are enough for me to want it done.  My ENT is willing to do it, but he thought I should be able to manage the tonsoliths without the surgery.  He said when I was that old, I probably wouldn't care anymore.  

But for the sleep apnea, he seemed to think it was reasonable to request it...the surgery includes removing tonsils if they are present.

When you say you wouldn't undergo the surgery unless it was a last resort, do you mean because one should never have surgery unless it is absolutely necessary, or because your experience was so bad, painful, etc?

Carole321

[AshleyLynn]

These two procedures are quite painful. I've personally had my tonsils removed, but I have not had the uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.

It's very difficult to swallow after surgery. This is the biggest complaint, and I personally had a lot of swelling after my tonsils were removed. It is painful, but if its necessary...

What about the CPAP do you not tolerate? Could you try a different mask/machine? Sometimes adjusting humidity levels, mask types, temperatures, etc. can really make a big difference...

Did your ENT recommend the surgery, or was it something that you suggested? I wouldn't undergo surgery unless it was a last resort.

Best of luck!
Ashley