Tonsillectomy in my 50s advice please.

I'm replying to keep this thread active for you. I'm afraid I can't give any advice as I had my tonsils removed when I was 7. I was off school repeatedly for a full half term with tonsillitis so they had to go. Only had the odd sore throat since.

I have no experience of this procedure in middle age and do I understand why your AC are worried about it. All I can say is I had a tonsillectomy st the the age of 16, after repeats bouts of tonsillitis. Never even had a sore throat since! Tonsillitis is debilitating and repeated bouts are exhausting!! You are at risk of a severe throat bleed so I can understand your worry. There is always that concern with anyone having a tonsillectomy but are you at greater risk than others?
I wish you well in your decision and hope you are able to talk with a medical professional prior to your given operation date. My instincts tell me you will be amazed how much better you will feel if you go ahead!
Please keep us posted. 💐

My husband had one removed in March. I'm sorry to say that he found it very painful, partly because he was sent home with just paracetamol. When we went back to see the consultant he called the surgeon in and gave him a real telling off. Apparently ge should have been sent home with morphine, insist that your husband is given proper analgesia.

I hadn’t given it much thought, but I still have my tonsils and my appendix at 71…..
Never had a problem with either, but now I’m aware that it can cause problems in later life…😬

My sisters had her tonsils out at 73, she dreaded it but was amazed how quickly she recovered after the initial expected pain and soreness.

Can you ask to speak to a specialist nurse about recovery?
Tell her you are anxious.

Thank you. 😃

Thank you so much for replying. That has made me feel a bit better. Did she find anything in particular helped in the recovery period?

It is painful afterwards, but the benefits are ten fold! A very reassuring post from Lady Gracie - that good to
' hear' .

My Mum had hers out in middle age and was warned it was a biggish op to undergo. It was and very painful afterwards. One of the benefits (about 1969) was that having had to give up smoking pre-op, she never smoked again.

When I was a nurse a century ago children who had tonsillectomies were fed a lot of ice cream as the cold helped to stop bleeding and ice cream is nice to eat. I expect the same applies to a fifty tear old today.

I had mine removed at 21 and remember crying into a bowl of cornflakes the next morning and a visitor bringing me salt and vinegar crisps!! I wondered where the ice cream was that kids used to get after tonsillectomy!! But apparently adults need rough foods to aid recovery of the op site. I did have stitches which were uncomfy, but recovered quickly after about 3 days of feeling unwell and uncomfortable. Good luck making your decision and hope you go on well.

I have had mine out twice!! Once at five and then again at seventeen. They obviously didn’t do it properly the first time! Sore for a couple of days. Not the same scenario as you Ninja an18 but it was worth it the second time anyway .

Totty, nowadays patients are consulted as to what they want to eat and have done to them in other ways. An adult in her right mind can refuse or request anything they like and do not have to do as they are told.

The wound heals with plenty of protein and vitamin C specifically .Ice cream is made with whole milk , is rich in protein, and it's easy to add vitamin C from bland sources

Totty, friction with rough or irritant foods does not help a wound to heal. Quite the opposite.

Where is Agnurse? She usually talks sense.

Modern pain control is adequate for post operative pain. If it's still too sore tell the charge nurse .

I have also heard the myth(?) that rough food like cornflakes was given after tonsillectomy to help healing. But common sense surely tells us this has to be utter rubbish.
If there's no ice cream available ask your visitors to bring some in, it can;t do any harm .... can it?
The nurses will know you're at risk of bleeding, they will be taking extra care about that, and you're a big girl now so keep reminding them and tell everyone how frightened you are, people in hospitals are basically kind and caring.

I had mine out when I was 9. I recall eating lots of jelly and ice cream. I had a sore throat for a few days and some bleeding but nothing much.
The child in the bed next to me bled a lot, a nurse sat with him for quite a long time.

Funnily enough, sfter I had mine out at age 6, the nursing home said that I could eat whatever I wanted, I requested toast and marmalade, still my comfort food!

My sister was told to drink plenty, she drinks nothing but cooled boiled water anyway, the warm liquid was soothing, she was also given some medication to gargle with.

I was in my twenties when I had mine out. I was put in with the children. All boys I think. Po in middle of floor. One kicked it over so pee everywhere.
Given tomato. Agony. Ice cream. Lovely.
Got home to find baby and toddler refused my husbands cooking.
Husband started new job next day so I had to cope!

I had mine out aged 4 or 5. Lots of ice cream for weeks, but also frozen jelly which is very nice! Never had a problem with throat infections since, unlike a friend who had repeated bouts of tonsillitis until she finally got them out aged about 16 after getting and infection during serious exams.

No personal experience to share I'm afraid but I did have a work colleague some years ago who had her tonsils removed in her 40’s IIRC.

I would follow the instructions you are given very carefully as there is, as you've correctly identified, a risk of severe bleeding afterwards. My colleague told me that after the op, if she opened her mouth wide to look at her throat she could see what looked like dark threads hanging down at the back. She asked her doctor what these were (thinking possibly stitches that would dissolve) and he said those were the blood vessels that had been tied off. So obviously care has to be taken until those heal properly. My colleague was off work for several weeks, not due to pain but because she was told she must avoid infection.
Hope all goes well for you