I was really hoping to be well over tonsillectomy recovery by now, but that wasn't in the cards for me. It was as if someone had set a timer for exactly two weeks post-op that I would have another bleeding experience (exactly 1 week after the 1st post-op bleeding)! The bleeding started in the wee hours again and off we went to the ER -- this time at my Doctor's request.
I spent the first hour in the ER waiting for a room and spitting up leftover blood into a beer cup that we picked up in Ocean City this summer. Sadly, the ER was busy, and I was already familiar with the check in process. So familiar that the staff recognized me as the lady that was just there last week for the same problem.
While I sat in the ER, certain that the bleeding had stopped, a room became available for me. As I heard my name being called, the bleeding started up again and I found myself spending the next hour vomiting blood and preparing for another surgery. I can't remember the last time I had felt so defeated. I was expecting to already be fully recovered and there I was, frightened about what would be my third round of anesthesia in a two week period.
Today I'm nearly three weeks post-op. All of the pain and bleeding (knock on wood) has stopped and I've been given the okay to eat anything I want. Problem is I now have yeast growing on my tongue as a result of the surgery and medication. Talk about being let down! I've been so hungry these past few weeks and now that I can finally eat, I can't taste sh*t. Wonderful.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
my tonsillectomy experience...
I was hoping to write about the details of our Disney vacation soon after we got home. However, there was just too much to do in between settling back in and preparing for my tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. I only gave myself 2 days to get our household in order. My mental preparation was already in check. I suppose it had something to do with being taken to the ER via ambulance as a result of a tonsil infection spreading into my bloodstream. Ever since then I've been ready to get these suckers out. As for the adenoids? Well, up until now I had no idea what they were. I guess they are a package deal.
The Doctor told me that I'd be in recovery for about 2 weeks (yikes!)and that I would need help with my kids (figured as much). Since my parents live in NY, it was easiest to have the surgery while my Mom was already in town. I was told that the 2 weeks would be "hell" and that there would be days that I wouldn't be able to get out of bed. I warned my husband but up until the Doctor repeated those words to him, I think he was expecting an easier recovery.
Day 1
The surgery itself went well and is quick. I'm a lightweight when it comes to anaesthesia so I don't remember much from the operating room. I don't even remember getting the anaesthesia. I was in recovery for about 2 hours and awakened to a sore throat. I was given some pain medication, apple juice, and time to "wake up." My husband joined me, armed with pain medication for home, and within half an hour or so we headed there.
All in all, the pain was manageable but I was visibly swollen and felt bloated from the fluids. The pain mostly felt like a really bad sore throat. I slept the day away due to the lingering effects of anaesthesia. Eating wasn't even on my mind. My husband woke me up for pain meds and I was good about staying hydrated. It's really important to stay hydrated even if you don't want to. You'll heal faster. My husband bought me some potato soup but I found that the starches got stuck on the roof of my mouth.
Day 2
The pain worsened and I had no desire for food. My Mother kept offering and I kept shaking my head. I missed my kids and they me. I also moved from our bedroom down into the living room. I found it difficult to lean over from the bed to the night stand for water in the dark and didn't want to bother my husband.
Staying hydrated started to become more difficult and I still had no desire for food. I think the fluids they pump you with at the hospital help to sustain you for a day or two. I found that the pain was still manageable with meds.
Day 3
As I expected, the pain got worse and I kept hoping that it was the peak of it all. I cried a bit. I tried to eat but nothing went down without a fight. I had some Italian ice, but it tasted like acid. Soup? Yuck. Ice cream didn't do a whole lot for me either. I read that dairy can cause excess saliva and I found that to be the case. Eventually my husband convinced me to keep trying and I had a plate of scrambled eggs. It took forever to eat, but I was glad I tried. I dropped about 5 lbs by this point.
Day 4
Surprisingly, I felt okay. I was still sleeping a lot (pain medication) but I managed to get down some of my Mom's rice soup with some eggs. The Cambodian cure for everything is rice soup. I don't think it has any nutritional benefit, but it's soft and comforting and I ate a whole bowl. The pain seemed to be lessening and I thought I was getting off lucky. I even started skipping doses of pain medication.
Day 5
I was sure that the worse had passed. I still couldn't eat or drink a whole lot without struggling, but the pain was very bearable. I was however still weak from a poor diet and noticed that my hair was coming out in clumps in the shower. I had lost 7lbs by this day. My husband became concerned about my weight loss and was really pushing me to try and eat more. He eventually went out and purchased some chocolate Ensure drinks for me.
Day 6
*)&*^*!!! Turns out I wasn't going to be spared 8 days of pain and recovery. I was back on the couch and unable to eat. My tongue had turned white at some point along this journey and yes, my breathe left something to be desired. My ears were starting to hurt and overtake the pain of my throat. I was warned about the ear pain but this wasn't something to prepare for. It's as if someone is taking a knife to the inside of your ears and repeatedly stabbing in there. The pain comes and goes and the pain medication didn't always help. Lots and lots of tears at this point.
Day 7
The ear pain was excruciating. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. My throat felt obstructed. I couldn't drink the Ensure and food was getting stuck. There seemed to be resistance both ways. I WAS HUNGRY and tired and ready for this to be over.
I had read that bleeding was a possibility and more common in adults. Bright red blood is the concern. Around midnight, I coughed up some phlegm with some blood and thought it was concerning enough to reach out to the Doctor. I was instructed to gargle a concoction of ice water and hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes. The Doctor said that if I was truly bleeding, "we would know." That seemed to do the trick and put my husband and I at ease...
Day 8
Around 2:30AM I made a trip to the bathroom. I felt like something was sitting in the back of my mouth and needed to spit it out. Seconds later I found myself spitting out a mouthful of bright red blood. This went on for about 5 minutes. I ran upstairs to wake up my husband and I ended up filling up another toilet with more blood. He tried to call the Doctor and while he was on the phone, I vomited more blood. We weren't going to wait for the Doctor to get back to us before making the decision to head into the ER. Fortunately, we live minutes from the hospital. We woke up my Mom to let her know what was going on. I was crying and scared.
By the time we got to the ER, the bleeding had stopped, but I was still coughing up some leftover stuff. They drew some blood and I was taken into a room and set up with an IV. Not long after my Doctor appeared and it was decided that I would need to go back under anaesthesia so that he could cauterize the origin of the bleeding. He assured me that I wouldn't be set back in recovery time. That's what I wanted to hear. Back to the operating room I went...
I woke up in pain and was in recovery for a bit longer this time. My Doctor noticed my weight loss and had instructed the Nurse to give me two bags of fluid. I went home feeling bloated and tired and swollen again. The ear pain had become worse, and my throat was worse than ever. There was a burning that accompanied every sip of water. I think it was due to the cauterization. The burning pain in my throat triggered my ear pain. I was in so much pain I couldn't cry. Pain medication could not come soon enough. I wanted to sleep as much as possible to forget about the pain. I couldn't bare to drink water and eating was out of the question.
Day 9
I think this day was the peak of the pain. I was dehydrated but found it too difficult to fix that. I was watching the clock so I could take pain medication as soon as possible. The pain seemed to lessen on the right side and I could swallow water on this side easily. However, as soon as the water touched any part of the left side of my mouth, it would burn and trigger the ear pain on my left. Apparently our tonsils and ears share a nerve. Joy. My Mom and Husband were getting on me about food and water. I know they were trying to help, but I just couldn't do it. Water and food seemed to make my pain worse.
Day 10
I woke up hoping that this was the end of the pain. My Doctor had said that around day 10, most adults start feeling better. I can't help but think that had I not gone back into the operating room that it would have been the case for me. But the site of the cauterization was still burning and my left ear was still hurting. I just wanted to eat. I was weak and tired. I wanted to hold my kids.
Day 11 (Present)
I felt much better today. I decided to start weening myself from the pain medication. I skipped all my morning and afternoon doses. The sun was shining outside and I really wanted to get out and knew I couldn't drive under a narcotic pain medication. The right side of my mouth seems to have gone back to 85% normal. I still have pain on the left side and the burning is still there. The ear pain is also still there, but to a much lesser degree and not as often. Be warned though. While the ear pain isn't as severe, it's still enough that I have to clench my fists to get through it. I read that chewing gum can help, so I was determined to get myself some.
I busted out of my house with my 4yo daughter while my Mom stayed home with my napping son. We picked up some apple cider donuts from a local farm and made a quick trip to Target. It felt good to get out but I must admit that when the pain kicked in, I was wishing for my meds.
As I write this, I'm technically in Day 12 as it is 2:46AM. I don't know what the day will bring, but I have plans to take my kids to a pumpkin patch. I miss them and our family time. They're also starting to revolt against Grandma so we really need to get back to our routine.
It's the weekend so I'm hopeful that when the sun comes up I'll feel like my old self. I miss food. I miss coffee. I miss sleeping in the same bed with my husband.
This has been a very difficult and painful recovery. Delivering my babies was much easier. That being said, I'm still glad I did it. I don't want to be sick from my tonsils anymore. My Doctor was right. This has been nearly two weeks of my life that I'd like to forget.
Here's hoping to some normalcy soon...
The Doctor told me that I'd be in recovery for about 2 weeks (yikes!)and that I would need help with my kids (figured as much). Since my parents live in NY, it was easiest to have the surgery while my Mom was already in town. I was told that the 2 weeks would be "hell" and that there would be days that I wouldn't be able to get out of bed. I warned my husband but up until the Doctor repeated those words to him, I think he was expecting an easier recovery.
Day 1
The surgery itself went well and is quick. I'm a lightweight when it comes to anaesthesia so I don't remember much from the operating room. I don't even remember getting the anaesthesia. I was in recovery for about 2 hours and awakened to a sore throat. I was given some pain medication, apple juice, and time to "wake up." My husband joined me, armed with pain medication for home, and within half an hour or so we headed there.
All in all, the pain was manageable but I was visibly swollen and felt bloated from the fluids. The pain mostly felt like a really bad sore throat. I slept the day away due to the lingering effects of anaesthesia. Eating wasn't even on my mind. My husband woke me up for pain meds and I was good about staying hydrated. It's really important to stay hydrated even if you don't want to. You'll heal faster. My husband bought me some potato soup but I found that the starches got stuck on the roof of my mouth.
Day 2
The pain worsened and I had no desire for food. My Mother kept offering and I kept shaking my head. I missed my kids and they me. I also moved from our bedroom down into the living room. I found it difficult to lean over from the bed to the night stand for water in the dark and didn't want to bother my husband.
Staying hydrated started to become more difficult and I still had no desire for food. I think the fluids they pump you with at the hospital help to sustain you for a day or two. I found that the pain was still manageable with meds.
Day 3
As I expected, the pain got worse and I kept hoping that it was the peak of it all. I cried a bit. I tried to eat but nothing went down without a fight. I had some Italian ice, but it tasted like acid. Soup? Yuck. Ice cream didn't do a whole lot for me either. I read that dairy can cause excess saliva and I found that to be the case. Eventually my husband convinced me to keep trying and I had a plate of scrambled eggs. It took forever to eat, but I was glad I tried. I dropped about 5 lbs by this point.
Day 4
Surprisingly, I felt okay. I was still sleeping a lot (pain medication) but I managed to get down some of my Mom's rice soup with some eggs. The Cambodian cure for everything is rice soup. I don't think it has any nutritional benefit, but it's soft and comforting and I ate a whole bowl. The pain seemed to be lessening and I thought I was getting off lucky. I even started skipping doses of pain medication.
Day 5
I was sure that the worse had passed. I still couldn't eat or drink a whole lot without struggling, but the pain was very bearable. I was however still weak from a poor diet and noticed that my hair was coming out in clumps in the shower. I had lost 7lbs by this day. My husband became concerned about my weight loss and was really pushing me to try and eat more. He eventually went out and purchased some chocolate Ensure drinks for me.
Day 6
*)&*^*!!! Turns out I wasn't going to be spared 8 days of pain and recovery. I was back on the couch and unable to eat. My tongue had turned white at some point along this journey and yes, my breathe left something to be desired. My ears were starting to hurt and overtake the pain of my throat. I was warned about the ear pain but this wasn't something to prepare for. It's as if someone is taking a knife to the inside of your ears and repeatedly stabbing in there. The pain comes and goes and the pain medication didn't always help. Lots and lots of tears at this point.
Day 7
The ear pain was excruciating. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. My throat felt obstructed. I couldn't drink the Ensure and food was getting stuck. There seemed to be resistance both ways. I WAS HUNGRY and tired and ready for this to be over.
I had read that bleeding was a possibility and more common in adults. Bright red blood is the concern. Around midnight, I coughed up some phlegm with some blood and thought it was concerning enough to reach out to the Doctor. I was instructed to gargle a concoction of ice water and hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes. The Doctor said that if I was truly bleeding, "we would know." That seemed to do the trick and put my husband and I at ease...
Day 8
Around 2:30AM I made a trip to the bathroom. I felt like something was sitting in the back of my mouth and needed to spit it out. Seconds later I found myself spitting out a mouthful of bright red blood. This went on for about 5 minutes. I ran upstairs to wake up my husband and I ended up filling up another toilet with more blood. He tried to call the Doctor and while he was on the phone, I vomited more blood. We weren't going to wait for the Doctor to get back to us before making the decision to head into the ER. Fortunately, we live minutes from the hospital. We woke up my Mom to let her know what was going on. I was crying and scared.
By the time we got to the ER, the bleeding had stopped, but I was still coughing up some leftover stuff. They drew some blood and I was taken into a room and set up with an IV. Not long after my Doctor appeared and it was decided that I would need to go back under anaesthesia so that he could cauterize the origin of the bleeding. He assured me that I wouldn't be set back in recovery time. That's what I wanted to hear. Back to the operating room I went...
I woke up in pain and was in recovery for a bit longer this time. My Doctor noticed my weight loss and had instructed the Nurse to give me two bags of fluid. I went home feeling bloated and tired and swollen again. The ear pain had become worse, and my throat was worse than ever. There was a burning that accompanied every sip of water. I think it was due to the cauterization. The burning pain in my throat triggered my ear pain. I was in so much pain I couldn't cry. Pain medication could not come soon enough. I wanted to sleep as much as possible to forget about the pain. I couldn't bare to drink water and eating was out of the question.
Day 9
I think this day was the peak of the pain. I was dehydrated but found it too difficult to fix that. I was watching the clock so I could take pain medication as soon as possible. The pain seemed to lessen on the right side and I could swallow water on this side easily. However, as soon as the water touched any part of the left side of my mouth, it would burn and trigger the ear pain on my left. Apparently our tonsils and ears share a nerve. Joy. My Mom and Husband were getting on me about food and water. I know they were trying to help, but I just couldn't do it. Water and food seemed to make my pain worse.
Day 10
I woke up hoping that this was the end of the pain. My Doctor had said that around day 10, most adults start feeling better. I can't help but think that had I not gone back into the operating room that it would have been the case for me. But the site of the cauterization was still burning and my left ear was still hurting. I just wanted to eat. I was weak and tired. I wanted to hold my kids.
Day 11 (Present)
I felt much better today. I decided to start weening myself from the pain medication. I skipped all my morning and afternoon doses. The sun was shining outside and I really wanted to get out and knew I couldn't drive under a narcotic pain medication. The right side of my mouth seems to have gone back to 85% normal. I still have pain on the left side and the burning is still there. The ear pain is also still there, but to a much lesser degree and not as often. Be warned though. While the ear pain isn't as severe, it's still enough that I have to clench my fists to get through it. I read that chewing gum can help, so I was determined to get myself some.
I busted out of my house with my 4yo daughter while my Mom stayed home with my napping son. We picked up some apple cider donuts from a local farm and made a quick trip to Target. It felt good to get out but I must admit that when the pain kicked in, I was wishing for my meds.
As I write this, I'm technically in Day 12 as it is 2:46AM. I don't know what the day will bring, but I have plans to take my kids to a pumpkin patch. I miss them and our family time. They're also starting to revolt against Grandma so we really need to get back to our routine.
It's the weekend so I'm hopeful that when the sun comes up I'll feel like my old self. I miss food. I miss coffee. I miss sleeping in the same bed with my husband.
This has been a very difficult and painful recovery. Delivering my babies was much easier. That being said, I'm still glad I did it. I don't want to be sick from my tonsils anymore. My Doctor was right. This has been nearly two weeks of my life that I'd like to forget.
Here's hoping to some normalcy soon...
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