Tonsillectomy aged 45: What should I expect?

Gizmodo

Next week I'm going in for tonsillectomy aged 45. It will be my first ever op and my first ever general anaesthetic.

Has anyone else had a tonsillectomy at middle age that can tell me what to expect? So far all my friends have just said things like "you really don't want to ask me!" suggesting they had a terrible time :shock:

PS. I told them they couldn't do it until at least the 16th because I've got a 100 mile sportive booked on the 15th

roddixon

It'll depend on your anaesthetist.

TheEnglishman

Unless you've gone off jelly and ice cream in your dotage you're in for a treat!

Oh - and appear really nervous before hand - with any luck they'll give you a shot of some form of opiate to calm you down. Absolutely the best bit of any operation


I've had half a dozen general anesthetics and never had an issue - I've tried beating the 10 second countdown every time and never got past 5... Oh - and if you have any secrets make sure the Mrs/significant other isn't about when you come around - I've (apparently) had lengthy conversations that I have no recollection of. My mother still looks at me funny when such things are mentioned.

MattC59

Still got my tonsils, so no idea I'm afraid. However, I'm pretty sure that a sore throat will be order of the day, but nothing to worry about unless you find marks from your surgeon's knees on your chest

Bunneh

Never had tonsils removed but had a circumcision in March, which was done under general anesthetic. I remember going into the surgery room, then waking up in my private room 20 minutes later.

Secteur

I had a general anaesthetic in March when I broke my scaphoid. I was terrified, but nedden't have been - anaesthetic feels lovely when it goes in, and even thoug you'll be thinking "i'm not sleepy... It's not working" all of a sudden you'll feel all warm and lovely and then you're suddenly awake a while later back in your room, with a big gap in your day!

Older tonsillectomies tend to bleed a lot, so they will monitor for that afterwards, and you'll have the mother of sore throats for a week or two, but just take it easy, rest, fluids and soft diet and you'll be fine. Avoid coughing / scraping your throat.

But the anaesthetic really is lovely!!! I'm almost jealous!

TheEnglishman

Bunneh wrote:

....Never had tonsils removed but had a circumcision in March ....

Quite possibly too much info there

alihisgreat

A tonsillectomy will be a walk in the park. Nothing to worry about.

cooldad

Pain, suffering, possible death.

OffTheBackAdam

Sod-all sympathy from your wife!

Gizmodo

cooldad wrote:

Pain, suffering, possible death.

Gee thanks cooldad :?

Bunneh - did you leave the surgeon a big tip?

Bunneh

Not quite, ha, although apparently after just waking up I asked the nurse 'am I a woman yet?'. Don't recall it at all.

random man

When I had my tonsils out I was in a small ward with two others and got told off by matron for messing about. I also got a battery operated racing car from my parents.

But that was over 50 years ago and I was only 4 years old, so maybe it'll be different for you

TheEnglishman

random man wrote:

When I had my tonsils out I was in a small ward with two others and got told off by matron for messing about. I also got a battery operated racing car from my parents.

But that was over 50 years ago and I was only 4 years old, so maybe it'll be different for you

Yea - only this time he'll long to be 'told off' by matron (unless it's Hattie Jacques) and the battery operated play thing will be a 2 rotor mini RC Helicopter.

Cleat Eastwood

just pray someone doesnt turn the table round.

Gizmodo

TheEnglishman wrote:

Yea - only this time he'll long to be 'told off' by matron (unless it's Hattie Jacques) and the battery operated play thing will be a 2 rotor mini RC Helicopter.

:shock: Sounds good to me!

I should have put this in Bottom Bracket and we could have had a great excuse for Naught Nurse pics :P

OffTheBackAdam

Let's see if we can slip a few past the censors!

TheEnglishman

Very thereputic

DanSound

Tonsillectomy as a child is no big deal.

Tonsillectomy as an adult is a world of pain!

I had mine out last year and the pain goes along the lines of

Straight after the operation, not too bad, feel pretty fine.
Morning after the operation, starting to get sore.
Day 1, can be controlled with very strong pain killers, eating takes a long time, but is possible.
Day 2, much like day 1
Day 3, scabs start to come off, very sore, counting the second until I could take my next set of painkillers. Eating is likely to bring on tears
Day 4, much the same as day 3
Day 5, not too bad
Day 6, almost normal

Highlights for me, waking up the street screaming for opiates on night 3
The worst thing you can do, in the world ever, is eat anything acidic.
I ate a piece of pineapple and the enzyme process must be very similar to that of tenderising pork.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromelain
I ate the pineapple chunk and fell to the floor for a good 30min in pain.

if you have a partner, they will also enjoy the bedroom smelling of off meat due to you sleeping with your mouth open and the rotten tissue falling off the back of your throat.

the benefit to me was certainly worth it in the long term, but don't underestimate the pain!

Gizmodo

I'm looking forward to it now :shock: Ever wished you'd never asked? Thanks Dan.

PedalPedant

Gizmodo wrote:

I'm looking forward to it now :shock: Ever wished you'd never asked? Thanks Dan.

I'd love to tell you that Dan's exaggerating but I had mine done a few years back and he's not far off the mark

Co-codamol is your friend especially the soluble kind and as he says avoid anything acidic for the first few days (it was a tomato for me).

Don't let us freak you out though. Yes, it's pretty painful but it's also fairly short lived and it's a small price to pay for being free of tonsillitis.

PP

P.S. The jelly and ice cream thing is a lie, they actively encourage you to avoid soft easy to swallow food to avoid infection.

DanSound

yes, was told to avoid the ice cream.
makes your mouth goo'ey.

They want you to eat rough things like toast, as the roughness clears down the bake of your throat and prevents infections.

Tramadol was my drug of choice :-)

like Gizmodo says, it's all over in a week and the benefits last a lifetime, unless you are a genetic freak and they grow back ;-)

Dan

cyco2

I went in to get wisdom teeth removed. At the same time they removed my tonsils but never told me or the nursing staff. So they gave me cornflakes and toast for breakfast which wouldn't go down because I had the mother of all sore throats. I thought it was something they use down the throat to helped breathing that made me sore. In my ignorance I didn't find out for a year what they had done after not getting my usual tonsillitis infection.
I could only eat mashed up food for a week afterwards but I had to draw the line at liquidised liver
You'll really feel better when they've gone.

roddixon

cyco2 wrote:

I went in to get wisdom teeth removed. At the same time they removed my tonsils

Do you still have the wisdom teeth aswell? If I was really cynical I would say that you are probably due damages for the bodily harm they inflicted without consent :twisted:

pauldavid

TheEnglishman wrote:

Bunneh wrote:

....Never had tonsils removed but had a circumcision in March ....

Quite possibly too much info there

Not at all

Wheres the piccies

capt_slog

I had four wisdom teeth removed under general anaesthetic too.

It wasn't on the list of experiences I want to repeat, thank god there are only four of the buggers to a mouth.

The problem is that you are dried out before the op, the anaesthetic dries you further, then you wake up with a mouth full of blood and snot, and
a. You're not allowed a drink for ages
b. when you do get a drink, you can't!

I remember sucking a paracetamol tablet when I got home and thinking how nice it tasted. Anything tasted better than blood.

BBH

Mate, good luck, ull b fine!

Tonsillectomy is a straight forward op in the majority of cases, both surgically and anaesthetic
As others have said, adult tonsils are painful afterwards and u will need strong analgesics but it will pass.
Anaesthetic wise - nothing to worry about, into anaesthetic room, drip in back of hand, monitoring on, followed by a drug cocktail of strong analgesic followed by anaesthetic agent that will send u to sleep (this may sting or feel cold) but ull b asleep in no time, next thing ull remember is waking up in the recovery room. It is very likely u will b given the stuff Michael Jackson had (but by safe hands!!!!).
When asleep u will probably have a couple of antisickness meds to prevent the retching and feeling sick because of the enevitable blood u will have in your stomach after. U should also get some paracetamol, strong ibuprofen and some morphine - all of which should continue post-op (unless ur home same day). U should also have some Iv fluid whilst ur asleep to help rehydrate u (make sure u hydrate well after ur sportive!!!).

Rough food is the order of the day to promote healing of the op site, so make sure u have all painkillers when prescribed and regularly, even if ur feeling ok.

Hope that's some insight and good luck

beverick

48 hours on a paediatric ward, a bed that's only 4'6" long and a confused look from your surgeon who, from the case notes, is actually expecting someone 4.5 years old.

As long as as the anaesthetist doesn't make the same mistake you should be ok.

nb, avoid the meatballs in spaghetti until you can verify the source of the meatballs......

Bob

Gizmodo

Thanks for the advice :shock:

Out of surgery, they definatley did the correct end. Not too bad at the moment, feels swollen and sore but no worse than my legs in the last 10 miles of yesterday's ride.

Yossie

I'd expect to wake up with no tonsils and feeling a bit drowsy really, but at least they aren't touching your willy area so you can bash yourself senseless while the missus/mr is at work.

Bunneh

Sounds like all went well, now feel sorry for yourself and milk it! And Yossie, he was lucky, I couldn't even touch mine for 6 weeks ha.