Tonsillectomy?
Answer:
I'm also 19 and had basically the same problems you list. I had the tonsil stones, and got Strep throat on at least 4-5 occasions, resulting pain that prevented me from eating and swelling so bad that my breathing was restricted. I had actually just had a Tonsillectomy yesterday(July 3), So I am currently in the recovery process.
What to expect(from my experience so far): When my tonsillectomy was scheduled, I was put on Amoxicillin, Prednisone, and Rantidine for the 5 days prior to my surgery. The Amoxicillin is an antibiotic used preventively against infection; the Prednisone is used to reduce swelling, and is given before the surgery so you have some in you; and the Rantidine is used to counter the Prednisone. the Prednisone has a side effect of upset stomach or nausea, and the Rantidine is used to prevent that.
I also had to get bloodwork done the week before my surgery, and you cant take any asprin painkillers for 2 weeks prior to surgery because they thin your blood and increase the chance of post-op bleeding.
Day of surgery: You can not eat or drink anything starting midnight before your surgery, because the anesthesia can cause you to vomit it up during surgery. It's not a long process. I got to the surgical center at 6:15am, was knocked out around 7:15, woke up a little after 8, rested for about 2 hours, and was home by 10:30am. (you can't drive for 24 hours after your surgery).
I'm currently taking the same three prescriptions from before the surgery for the same reasons, as well as a prescription for Percocet as a painkiller. you can't take ANY aspirin products until you are fully recovered because of the bleeding risk.
Today my throat was pretty sore at times, but the pills seemed to help. I slept for a few hours when I got home. I drank a lot of cold gatorade and water because the two main problems after surgery are bleeding and dehydration, they told me it's okay if i don't eat for a few days but I HAVE to have plenty of fluids. make sure they're cold because it helps to soothe the throat. i had a few spoon fulls of ice cream around 12:30. I had some scrambled eggs around 3:30 and a pudding as well. for dinner i had a small microwavable Mac & cheese, a yogurt, and a Wendy's frosty for desert(while drinking plenty of liquid all day!). you can have soft cook-able foods like mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, scrambled eggs AS LONG as it's at room temperature and not hot.
It's only been day 1 for me so if you have any questions for me as i recover the next few weeks, feel free to email me at superfot63@hotmail.com..good luck!
also, about the voice changing..my voice sounds different now..but it's because my throat still hurts...honestly you won't have any desire to talk, for the first day at least.
Edit: in response to keeping them in..if they are truly as bad as mine were, there is no benefit of keeping them. The fact that they catch bad germs...that is helpful in your childhood...once your body catches the germ as a child your immune system makes a copy of the correct antibody to treat the germ if it is found later in life. research has shown that adults with their tonsils removed had on average the same rate of sickness and infection as adults with their tonsils.
Sources: College Bio class on immune system and information from my ENT about the tonsils.
You will be in for tons of pain. I had a tonsillectomy when I was 23 years old and it's kind of uncommon for them to do tonsillectomies once you get to be that age. If they say that you should get one, it's because you really need one. It sounds like you do. I love not having tonsils anymore though so all the pain was worth it. I never get major sore throats or those tonsil stone things or anything like that. You will be in very severe pain for at least 2 weeks (no working, there's no possible way) and then the third week you might be able to tolerate most regular foods except acidic foods. Just a touch of acid makes your throat burn! I would say it took me about a month to feel well but like I said it was worth it. You also might lose some weight. I lost about 8 lbs. But you gain it back as soon as you get back to your regular eating habits and stuff. Just remember though, if your pain medicine isn't strong enough, don't hesitate to call your ENT and tell them and they will give you something stronger. That's what I had to do. I hope I didn't scare you too bad. Rent lots of movies and sleep as much as possible.
Your voice will not change other than the fact that you won't want to do much talking for the first two weeks.
After many years of dealing with swollen tonsils I made the decision to have them removed when I was 29 yrs old & though I don't regret doing it now, I sure did at that time, it was VERY painful. I'm not saying that it will be this way for you, I'm just sharing with you my personal story. I don't want to scare you but just to make you aware of what to expect. The surgery itself is not severe it's the recovery. In order for the inside of your throat to heal & not develop a scab (so you don't end up hemmoraging, like I did) you need to drink plenty of fluids to keep your throat moist & that's where the pain comes in. I didn't eat or drink anything close to 2 weeks because it hurt too much to swallow & ended up back in the hospital for dehydration. It was a good 3 weeks before I felt better but overall it was for the best. If your going to do it I would do it asap as I heard that the older you are the more painful the recovery is (that's why they recommend doing this type of surgery when your a kid). I hope this helps you & good luck.
keep in mind that while it may seem like a good idea, and while it may make you in pain to keep them.
they also ensure that you don't get any stomach viruses, they are there to catch the bad germs, so think about that also.
if you eat a under cooked steak for example, and the bad germs that would make you sick start to sit around in your mouth, when they floor it for your throat, then that's where your tonsils stop them, like a big muscle headed bouncer.
they also help protect against intestinal infections to.
so if some bad germs try to infest your intestines and make it past your stomach acid, then they are free to roam about, otherwise your tonsils are your best defence.
that's why you sometimes get a sore throat and your tonsils sometimes get swollen, is because it took a major hit and is trying to recover a.s.a.p.
and if you still don't believe me, have you ever noticed how, when you cough with swollen tonsils, that it hurts like hell? that's because you are also coughing up bad germs, the stuff that was really sneaky, and its all hitting those swollen tonsils cause it doesn't let any bad germs by it.
it acts like a sponge to soak it all up and waits for your body to get rid of the dead junk left over, just another one of your body's amazing defences, hard at work.
The medicine and health information post by website user , ByeDR.com not guarantee correctness , is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
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