Tonsillectomies

I was 4 when I got my tonsils out. I barely remember anything: just eating ice cream and getting a visit and present from a friend!

 

Expect to have a sort throat for a while afterwards. Its like a constant rough feeling like you've been coughing way too much. Just be ready for the down time and avoid rushing trying to talk again.

 

I was two when mine were out, and I've no memory of it at all. I've had over twenty surgeries, though, so I remember some. My advice would be to make the best of it. It's a reason to be pampered, to relax, read, watch TV, have someone bring you milkshakes, and give you hugs. And you get to take pleasing drugs.

 

I was about 6 or 7 when I had mine done. It wasn't too bad a thing. Didn't even have a sore throat after. I remember there were comic books.

 

Really? I've taken both of those drugs and all they do for me is relieve pain, which is what they're supposed to do. Never got high, buzzed or trippy on hydrocodone or anything of that ilk.

Maybe you've got some weird brain chemistry or something.

 

Same here. You don't heal as quickly now as you did when you were 4.

I also got addicted to hydrocodone.

 

My wife had her tonsils removed when she was ~30, but she would have *loved* to have them removed at least 15 years earlier. She kept getting very severe infections several times a year with high fevers, but it seems that the medical community was going through a "no surgery at all" binge. She finally got them removed when they were so badly infected that it nearly closed up her entire throat, and her tonsils were *black*. It's never a good sign when the doctor takes a look in your throat and says "Holy crap! Hey guys, you have to come see this!" And since they were removed, she hasn't had any problems.

 

I had mine out a little less than five years ago. I had unknowingly been suffering from sleep apnea and got diagnosed when my wife-to-be moved in with me; until then I thought it was just snoring, but apparently I STOPPED BREATHING at various points at night and it (and the snoring) was driving her nuts.

They knocked me out all the way to take them out and aside from all the waiting, I didn't remember anything of the surgery between "Okay Mr. Nguyen, I've applied the anaesthetic. I want you to start counting backwards from a hundredzzzzzzzzzzzzz.." and when I woke up and it felt like they were extracting a pizza oven's worth of medical stuff from my mouth. Was groggy for a couple hours after that, passing in and out of consciousness, but was awake and ready to go quickly after that.

The pain was noticeable the first day, though T3s were quite helpful at keeping it manageable. The thing I remember most was that first night though, where I couldn't sleep on account of being terrified I wouldn't be able to breathe. It was an effort to force air down my throat and I couldn't sleep at all given what a conscious effort it seemed to be (turned out I was scared over nothing, after the first night I passed out anyway and had no problem breathing with the same amount of swelling).

Lost a good 10 pounds while recovering. I've lost 70 MORE pounds since then with diet and exercise, which ironically may have made the operation redundant, but I'm not regretting the decision. You'll be fine!

Mark

 

I've never taken Percocet, but I actually rather love Vicodin. It makes me happy. I think I'd have the potential to become addicted to it if I wasn't careful.

 

Sounds like my experience with Ambien. Veerrrry interesting!

I hope your surgery goes smoothly and you recover quickly.

 

I think the primary reason I take Ambien is for the hallucinations!

 

Finally, a drug I dislike: Prednisone.


You'll be fine, Wookie.

 

So I'm guessing that there'd be a lot of...

(puts on sunglasses)

....Ambien-ce.

YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

 

^ Reminds me of that old George Carlin bit where he thought of what would happen if birth control meds became patented. They'd have names like Mommy-Not, Fetus-Fail, Kiddie-Kill, Papa-Stopper, Womb-Broom, Humpty-Dumpty...along with ones that maybe don't work all the time, called Baby-Maybe! (available in the six pack, the sex pack, and the handy shack pack for you weekenders)

 

Got my tonsils out when I was 14, and I'm not sure why they even waited THAT long. I got my adenoids out at a much earlier age and they really should have done them both at once.

Mostly what I remember is how sore my throat was after the surgery, and I think it took me about a week to not feel in pain any more. I don't think it was so painful that it put me out of commission much though. Then again I was used to having upper respiratory issues like sore throats and the like for years leading up to that. I don't remember which drugs they gave me, may it was Tylenol 3 (the type with codeine) like they did for my ear surgeries. I don't have much experience with other pain meds that I remember other than most everything making me sleep A LOT.

Even since I had my tonsils out I've still had periodic bouts of laryngitis, usually at times of high stress. But having them out has definitely reduced the amount of colds and other upper respiratory issues I've had. Since I've grown up I've had a cold maybe once a season if even that, but before the tonsillectomy it was probably 3-4 a year usually leading to ear infections as well.

Good luck! It may be initially painful but it'll end up being worth it not to get sick nearly as often during the cold and flu months.

 

I can understand that! I've never taken a recreational drug in my life. Never been interested. But I was so fascinated by my reaction to Ambien that it kind of scared me. It was probably a very good thing I never tried LSD or something when I was young.

Excellent!