Anyone had their tonsils out as an adult?

[2600]

If so, what am I really in for and how was the recovery?

[shmokes]

I did.  Stay on top of the pain.  Take your pain meds as directed, not as you think they're needed.  You stay on top of the pain it's not too bad.  You let the pain come and try to get on top of it after that and you'll have a hard time of it.  If you're on percocet, which I recommend, try not to get constipated.  That was the only hiccup I had.  Didn't ---Cleveland steamer--- for three days and it started to make me feel nauseated, and once I felt nauseated I got to the point that if I tried to swallow anything I would vomit.  And, of course, vomiting over my now tonsil-free throat would have been excruciating and probably torn out sutures and sent me to the hospital.  But since I couldn't take any pills the pain started to build and it finally became unbearable.  I went to the ER at about 3 a.m. and got a shot of morphine in the ass and drank a laxative.

Get ready ahead of time on the food front.  I'm not much of a sweets person, so the thought of subsiding on pudding and ice cream and jell-o for a week was revolting.  I bought a bunch of baby-foods.  Most of the meal ones are pretty disgusting, but at least they sat in my stomach without making me feel like I was eating nothing but candy.  And some of them weren't too bad.  But mashed potatoes -- not baby food, but real mashed potatoes.  That's the secret.  Have your wife make a ginormous pot of real mashed potatoes, with lots of half-and-half, and blended up so they're super smooth.  That ---Cleveland steamer--- will keep you sane.

Good luck.  It's not too bad till about day 3.  Then you get a couple days of worse, then it starts getting better and just keeps on getting better.  All-in-all it was no big deal, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  I'm very happy with the results.  FWIW, my wife got hers out a year or so before I got mine out, and she feels the same.  She'd do it again if she had to do it over.

[2600]

Thanks shmokes that was helpful and a little bit more detailed then what I've heard.  Good ideas on the food.

Were you strictly on bedrest the first week or did you get up and about? 

[shmokes]

I mostly stayed laying down reading, watching movies, and playing videogames.  But I was perfectly fine to walk around.  I didn't need any help getting to the bathroom or anything.  But I wanted to recover and didn't want to stress anything, so I pretty much stayed on bed rest for at least the first few days.

BTW, another food idea that I wish I'd thought of at the time.  Lately I've been making smoothies, but putting lots of greens in them -- usually spinach.  It's really good.  I much prefer them to all fruit ones.  Just fill the blender with fruits -- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc., and then put a ton of spinach in.  It will turn the whole thing green and nasty looking, but it's REALLY good.  Bananas work too, but I find that they overpower everything else and make it just taste like banana.

Also, I seem to remember applesauce being okay.  I was worried that it would be too acidic and be painful to swallow, but IIRC it was fine.

[shmokes]

My wife and I both did.  I know of at least two friends who had their tonsils removed as adults.  I probably know more, cos it's not something that really comes up often.  I'd say probably about 5% of my friends know that I had mine out.

[Ginsu Victim]

I'm 31 and still have 'em.

[2600]

The ear nose throat Dr. didn't sound like it was.  I think it used to be rarer and at one time people wouldn't do the procedure even to kids as they thought it was unnecessary.  Nowadays it seems it is also done for people with sleeping problems, but I'm not an expert on the matter.

As for me, for the past 4 years I've been getting a severe sore throat(tonsil infection) every 3-5 months.  Normally a little discomfort isn't a problem for me, but these things will wipe you out and they seem to last forever. I'm usually good with one round of antibiotics, but sometimes it requires multiple antibiotic treatments just to get rid of it.  Also, any cold will eventually cause the sore throat after the cold has run it's course.  Last year was probably the worst for me.  My new Dr. didn't want to over prescribe antibiotics, so I didn't get the antibiotics until 2.5 months later.  Worst Christmas ever.

I'm tired of dealing with it, especially with young kids at home.

Why did you get your's out shmokes?

[shmokes]

My plight wasn't so bad.  I got a horrible tonsillitis when I was 18 that left my tonsils with deep pits in them.  They started to develop tonsil stones, which are little whitish somewhat hard globs of bacteria and old food that would build up over time.  I could squeeze them out of my tonsils and it was all really rather revolting, especially since they smell terrible.  It made me very self-conscious that I might have bad breath at any given time, so I would squeeze the bejezzus out of my tonsils on a regular basis and I brushed my teeth at least 5 times a day.  I think they did not actually give me bad breath, but I couldn't help worrying.  So I finally decided that they caused me enough inconvenience and distress to have them removed.

My wife had hers out because they were huge and she got sick all the time.  She'd get sick like 7 or 10 times in any given cold season.  The winter after she got hers removed she didn't get a single cold.  Now she typically gets two or three per year, like anybody else.

[2600]

I've gotten those white things for a long time, maybe since I was a kid.  I never knew what they were and thought it was something from my lungs.  During my first appt with the ear, throat, nose doctor the nurse was asking me questions and ask if I had those, I was shocked because I had never told anybody about them and didn't know it was a common thing.

So, how the hell do you squeeze your tonsils?

[shmokes]

It was difficult at first, but over time I got good at it.  By squeeze, I don't mean like pinching between two fingers.  I don't think that would be possible or at least very effective.  I mean more pressing with one finger like you were squeezing toothpaste out of a tube that was sitting on the countertop.  I would just apply pressure until I could get one to squeeze out of one of the little crypts on my tonsils.  Over time I actually became really efficient at it -- kinda learned exactly where the ---daisies--- liked to hide and where to apply pressure to get the better of them.  This is all really disgusting, I'm sure.  

[HaRuMaN]

It was difficult at first, but over time I got good at it.  By squeeze, I don't mean like pinching between two fingers.  I don't think that would be possible or at least very effective.  I mean more pressing with one finger like you were squeezing toothpaste out of a tube that was sitting on the countertop.  I would just apply pressure until I could get one to squeeze out of one of the little crypts on my tonsils.  Over time I actually became really efficient at it -- kinda learned exactly where the ---daisies--- liked to hide and where to apply pressure to get the better of them.  This is all really disgusting, I'm sure.  

 

[lanman31337]

I had mine out when I was 21.  It was like clockwork for a while, every 3 months I'd have to take a z pack and have a horrendous sore throat.  Definitely keep up on the pain stuff, definitely keep up on fluids and food.  Day 8 I ended up in the hospital again, I hemmoraged, dehydrated and malnourished.  Everything I ate I would throw right up, and that just ripped the scabs from the coterized areas right off. 

[mpm32]

Not sure if this will help with the sore throat but I started using it around two weeks ago.  I get sinus infections, sore throats and since my son started going to pre-school he's been bringing home every cold that the little germ factories at his school pass on.

Everyone is sick at my house but I haven't caught it since I've been using this.

NeilMed Sinus Rinse. - like a neti pot but in a squeeze bottle.

http://www.neilmed.com/usa/index.php

I think this is helping me not to get sick.

Worth a try before you go under the knife. 

[2600]

When I first started getting these, my regular Dr. recommended a neti pot.  So, I've been using that for the past 3 or so years especially in the winter.  Definitely helps with preventing sinus infections, but not against the tonsil problem.

[Mauzy]

My plight wasn't so bad.  I got a horrible tonsillitis when I was 18 that left my tonsils with deep pits in them.  They started to develop tonsil stones, which are little whitish somewhat hard globs of bacteria and old food that would build up over time.  I could squeeze them out of my tonsils and it was all really rather revolting, especially since they smell terrible.  It made me very self-conscious that I might have bad breath at any given time, so I would squeeze the bejezzus out of my tonsils on a regular basis and I brushed my teeth at least 5 times a day.  I think they did not actually give me bad breath, but I couldn't help worrying.  So I finally decided that they caused me enough inconvenience and distress to have them removed.

My wife had hers out because they were huge and she got sick all the time.  She'd get sick like 7 or 10 times in any given cold season.  The winter after she got hers removed she didn't get a single cold.  Now she typically gets two or three per year, like anybody else.

I've gotten those white things for a long time, maybe since I was a kid.  I never knew what they were and thought it was something from my lungs.  During my first appt with the ear, throat, nose doctor the nurse was asking me questions and ask if I had those, I was shocked because I had never told anybody about them and didn't know it was a common thing.

So, how the hell do you squeeze your tonsils?

oh my god! Ive been dealing with something exactly like that for about 10 years! It doesnt happen constantly, but maybe every couple weeks or so. I still have my tonsils, but I've never had any problem with them. I wonder if its still related?

[Ummon]

From my first strep case in high school, through a case of mono at the end of it, and then increasing though briefer and briefer strep cases through the following years, I got mine out at about 22. I didn't have to but I had the opportunity and thought I'd take it. The whole procedure was fine. Loved the pre-surge IV, that stuff is great. The problem came after I got home. I hemorraged and bled all night, a bucket to spit the blood in by my bed, and eventually coughing up a big chunk of coagulated blood. In the morning, I had to go the doctor's private practice and he sucked all the stuff out and it was better.

[SirPeale]

I found this site a while back.  I've had tonsil stones for years.

http://tonsilstones.org/