Oh, how frustrating?!?! The pain finally subsides to the point that I can cough without assistance from Hydrocodone and I get an allergy attack. These past two mornings I woke up with a really scratchy throat, unrelated to the Tonsillectomy.
Also, since my nose is runny, apparently I'm snoring (according to my weefee-poo-kins). Which explains the incredible soreness (combined with the scratchiness) that I experienced the morning of Day 8.
I'm also having other bodily reactions that aren't worth detailing in this public blog. I theorize that my body is disagreeing with my brain's decision to remove part of it and this is it's act of protest... "Oh yeah, you're taking out my tonsils... let's see what other preventative measures I provide that you can 'live without'"... my body is so passive/aggressive.
But, there is hope! My voice is returning. I don't sound as stupid as I did a week ago (except when I actually say something that's stupid). Although I now sound like I have a cold.
The white coating, if you will, that was left on my tonsil-cavities is slowly coming off almost like it's by attrition. I was under the impression that it would come off all at once like a scab. Maybe this is better... 'cause, seriously, who wants to swallow a scab?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tonsillectomy - Day 7 (07/28/2008)
Meet my new best friend: Liquid Extra Strength Tylenol. Yep, that same stuff that does little-to-nothing for a headache has done wonders for my throat pain.
Today was my first day back at work and my first day without prescribed pain medication. I woke up feeling better but by 10am the pain was back to Day 6 levels.
Some at work noted my goofy voice. Others noted the Easter Lily in my cube that nearly died in my absence. Others just wanted me to get my work done (j/k). There are a couple of guys at work considering a tonsillectomy who wanted all the details from my experience. They may have to wait until it hurts less to talk for full disclosure.
In the evening, I decided that I needed more pain medication. We rounded up the family (which, for 5 more weeks includes… well… just Ailee Mae) and headed out to the Wal-marts (“the Wal-marts” is SE Missouri for “Wal-mart”).
Cherry-Flavored Extra Strength Liquid Tylenol was the only OTC Liquid pain killer at the Wal-marts. And wouldn’t you know it, it worked! I felt great in the evening… better than I have since Day 0 of this Tonsillectomy Blog.
But, if that stuff is cherry-flavored, then I still have tonsils. The taste of "Cherry"-Flavored Extra Strength Liquid Tylenol can be described as a combination of liquefied muffler residue and Robitussin with some Louisiana Hot Sauce to make sure it burns on the way down. I mean, is that really necessary? I wonder if the horrible taste is there solely to ensure that no one overdoses?
Disaster averted!! I will not be overdosing on "Cherry"-Flavored Extra Strength Liquid Tylenol!
Today was my first day back at work and my first day without prescribed pain medication. I woke up feeling better but by 10am the pain was back to Day 6 levels.
Some at work noted my goofy voice. Others noted the Easter Lily in my cube that nearly died in my absence. Others just wanted me to get my work done (j/k). There are a couple of guys at work considering a tonsillectomy who wanted all the details from my experience. They may have to wait until it hurts less to talk for full disclosure.
In the evening, I decided that I needed more pain medication. We rounded up the family (which, for 5 more weeks includes… well… just Ailee Mae) and headed out to the Wal-marts (“the Wal-marts” is SE Missouri for “Wal-mart”).
Cherry-Flavored Extra Strength Liquid Tylenol was the only OTC Liquid pain killer at the Wal-marts. And wouldn’t you know it, it worked! I felt great in the evening… better than I have since Day 0 of this Tonsillectomy Blog.
But, if that stuff is cherry-flavored, then I still have tonsils. The taste of "Cherry"-Flavored Extra Strength Liquid Tylenol can be described as a combination of liquefied muffler residue and Robitussin with some Louisiana Hot Sauce to make sure it burns on the way down. I mean, is that really necessary? I wonder if the horrible taste is there solely to ensure that no one overdoses?
Disaster averted!! I will not be overdosing on "Cherry"-Flavored Extra Strength Liquid Tylenol!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tonsillectomy - Days 4, 5 and 6
These days are notorious for being the worst part of the pain. And it is, indeed, painful.
However, I think it’s important to note the kind of pain you experience after a tonsillectomy. It’s not a constant, unbearable pain. For the most part it’s annoying. When not talking or eating, the pain is actually manageable even when you’re not on pain medications.
Ah, but then comes the time when it’s customary for humans to eat or talk. It feels like a real work out. Dull pain, then sharp pain… you wait a few moments to let your mouth rest. When eating (and you only dare eat mushy foods) you’ll quickly learn to take small bites. Large bites require disengaging your jaw, stretching every part of your mouth including those cauterized cavities where your tonsils used to live.
Likewise, talking is a mouth stretcher as well. My uvula is still very swollen and very sore and hurts when I talk. What’s more, the strange sound that comes out when I talk almost makes me laugh… but laughing would be a mistake as well. I really hope this dorky voice is temporary.
Other hazards include coughing, yawning, sneezing (do WHATEVER you have to do to avoid sneezing) and blowing your nose. All of these create air pressure in the back of your mouth which is not fun at all.
On days 5 and 6 I started getting pain in my ears. I heard about this beforehand and experiencing it is no fun. But, to be honest, it’s a dull pain that isn’t much different than the ear pain my tonsils were causing before they flew the coup.
At this point, I’m just tired of not being myself. I’m ready to be back to normal.
It’s amazing how much you miss crunchy foods when you can’t have them. I have a list of several delicious, fatty and/or spicy foods I would love to have right now…
• Chicken Curry w/ Samosas
• A Meat-Lovers Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut
• A Chili Cheese Burrito from Taco Bell
• Original Wings from WingStop
• The Ribeye from Steak and Ale
• A Calzone from Angeli’s
• Oreos
• White Castles and an Orange Soda (well, that one’s always on the list)
• A box of Krispy Kremes
One more item of note: I woke up on days 4 and 5 with red splotches on my white “scars.” It’s as if part of what cauterized came off during the night and left a real scab. It doesn’t hurt (well, not any more than it already does) but I did not expect to see that. I’ll have to check with Dr about that when I have my follow-up appointment next week.
Tomorrow I’ll be back at work! Fantastical!!
However, I think it’s important to note the kind of pain you experience after a tonsillectomy. It’s not a constant, unbearable pain. For the most part it’s annoying. When not talking or eating, the pain is actually manageable even when you’re not on pain medications.
Ah, but then comes the time when it’s customary for humans to eat or talk. It feels like a real work out. Dull pain, then sharp pain… you wait a few moments to let your mouth rest. When eating (and you only dare eat mushy foods) you’ll quickly learn to take small bites. Large bites require disengaging your jaw, stretching every part of your mouth including those cauterized cavities where your tonsils used to live.
Likewise, talking is a mouth stretcher as well. My uvula is still very swollen and very sore and hurts when I talk. What’s more, the strange sound that comes out when I talk almost makes me laugh… but laughing would be a mistake as well. I really hope this dorky voice is temporary.
Other hazards include coughing, yawning, sneezing (do WHATEVER you have to do to avoid sneezing) and blowing your nose. All of these create air pressure in the back of your mouth which is not fun at all.
On days 5 and 6 I started getting pain in my ears. I heard about this beforehand and experiencing it is no fun. But, to be honest, it’s a dull pain that isn’t much different than the ear pain my tonsils were causing before they flew the coup.
At this point, I’m just tired of not being myself. I’m ready to be back to normal.
It’s amazing how much you miss crunchy foods when you can’t have them. I have a list of several delicious, fatty and/or spicy foods I would love to have right now…
• Chicken Curry w/ Samosas
• A Meat-Lovers Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut
• A Chili Cheese Burrito from Taco Bell
• Original Wings from WingStop
• The Ribeye from Steak and Ale
• A Calzone from Angeli’s
• Oreos
• White Castles and an Orange Soda (well, that one’s always on the list)
• A box of Krispy Kremes
One more item of note: I woke up on days 4 and 5 with red splotches on my white “scars.” It’s as if part of what cauterized came off during the night and left a real scab. It doesn’t hurt (well, not any more than it already does) but I did not expect to see that. I’ll have to check with Dr about that when I have my follow-up appointment next week.
Tomorrow I’ll be back at work! Fantastical!!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tonsillectomy - Day 3 (07/24/2008)
Today was definitely more painful. Not much to report... just that today was a very long day with the worst pain yet.
I did two stupid things today. First, I decided to see how long I could go without pain meds. I made it through seven very painful hours. The second stupid thing I did was to eat lasagna for dinner after five hours without meds. Oh man, was that painful. I went into the guitar room and played loud music to take my mind off the pain.
What finally convinced me to break the pain medication fast was when I was tried to quickly down some water and some went the wrong way and I ended up coughing. Wow... Wow...Wow... absolutely excruciating.
By my math, I have four doses of pain meds for each of the next three days. Dear Lord, please help me to not spill any of it. :)
I did two stupid things today. First, I decided to see how long I could go without pain meds. I made it through seven very painful hours. The second stupid thing I did was to eat lasagna for dinner after five hours without meds. Oh man, was that painful. I went into the guitar room and played loud music to take my mind off the pain.
What finally convinced me to break the pain medication fast was when I was tried to quickly down some water and some went the wrong way and I ended up coughing. Wow... Wow...Wow... absolutely excruciating.
By my math, I have four doses of pain meds for each of the next three days. Dear Lord, please help me to not spill any of it. :)
Tonsillectomy - Day 2 (07/23/2008)
It was a long first night. I have a tendency to snore which is something I hoped might be fixed by the removal of my MASSIVE tonsils. It may still help but my uvula and soft palate are so swollen that the problem still exists at least temporarily. What’s more, when you snore, your soft palate flaps in the wind. My soft palate is extremely sore and when I snore I wake up immediately in searing pain.
The pre-op nurse gave me a motion sickness patch behind my ear. She warned me that it would dry me out. She was absolutely right. When I woke up my mouth was almost white it was so dry. I quickly removed the patch and choked down a bunch of water to try and counter-act it. Ouch!
Talking was fairly easy on day one. Day two was a completely different story. I used a lot of hand signals and body language to get my points across. Even when I did find the courage to say something it sounded really goofy. I sure hope that goes away.
The truth is that the pain is tolerable at this point provided I don’t talk or eat. Actually, I feel well enough to do some things around the house if my wife would let me. The pain medication works, I think, which is to say that it doesn’t make much of a difference.
So far my diet consists of water, Jello, pudding, water, Chef Boyardee ravioli, mashed taters, water, ice cream, pain medication, water, scrambled eggs and egg sandwiches on soft bread, and some more water.
The pre-op nurse gave me a motion sickness patch behind my ear. She warned me that it would dry me out. She was absolutely right. When I woke up my mouth was almost white it was so dry. I quickly removed the patch and choked down a bunch of water to try and counter-act it. Ouch!
Talking was fairly easy on day one. Day two was a completely different story. I used a lot of hand signals and body language to get my points across. Even when I did find the courage to say something it sounded really goofy. I sure hope that goes away.
The truth is that the pain is tolerable at this point provided I don’t talk or eat. Actually, I feel well enough to do some things around the house if my wife would let me. The pain medication works, I think, which is to say that it doesn’t make much of a difference.
So far my diet consists of water, Jello, pudding, water, Chef Boyardee ravioli, mashed taters, water, ice cream, pain medication, water, scrambled eggs and egg sandwiches on soft bread, and some more water.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tonsillectomy - Day 1 (07/22/2008)
Today was a day of firsts for me. Never had surgery, never been under anesthesia (that I know of). Never had someone send me home with a narcotic (thank you Dr. Fenwick). Heck, before today, I never had an IV in.
During last week’s pre-admission meeting/screening they gave me surgical scrub to wash my body with the night before and the morning of the surgery. The pamphlet they gave me said to make sure to thoroughly clean the area to that will be operated on. Sure… but, I might need a different kind of narcotics before I start scrubbing on my large and infected tonsils.
But, I did disinfect the rest of my body with that stuff, put on my “fat guy” jeans, grabbed my laptop and Bible and we were off.
We dropped the baby-lumpkins at her Aunt Christie’s where we saw Poppy (my dad) and Pastor Ayub who is the pastor at Deliverance Church in North Nakura, Kenya. We first met Ayub on our trip to Africa in October of 2006. My Brother (Ayub) and Father prayed for me. It was neat having two pastors pray for me before the operation.
After that, we were off to the Hospital for our 11:30 arrival time. It wasn’t till we got there that someone told us that I wouldn’t be in for surgery until after 2:30. Grrr. But I did have my beautiful and wonderful wife to keep me company.
Shortly after I arrived, the first nurse started my IV. I got fluids, which I desperately need since had nothing to eat or drink since 10pm the night before. She also gave me an anti-inflammatory intended to help shrink my tonsils prior to removing them. As she was injecting it she said “Now, about half the people I give this to will get…” what she called …”Ants in the Pants.”I took that to mean I'd have an adrenaline surge and that I might need to run around the room with my rear end showing out the back of my hospital gown. No, that’s not at all what she meant. Suddenly, I felt the need to scratch… ya know… the “area.” I didn’t have “ants in the pants” so much as I had fire ants snapping at my Satchel Paige… if you know what I mean.
Sometime just before 3pm, the nurse gave me the “woozy” pre-meds. It felt pretty good but it wasn’t as wonderful as everyone made out to be. By that point, I didn’t care. I just wanted to get it over with.
They wheeled me into the OR and had me switch tables. They stuck several sensors on my chest and back, and then let me breathe in some oxygen while they gave me the anesthesia.
That’s all I remember.
The next thing I know, an hour had passed and the nurse in the recovery room woke me up with the news that my tonsils are gone!
I was really groggy at the time but also very happy/relieved that everything went well. My gown was untied which, now that I think of it, is a tad disconcerting. Other than that, tonsils notwithstanding, everything was still in its place.
Dr. Fenwick’s tonsil removal method of choice is Coblation which uses radiofrequency and a saline-solution at relatively low temp to create an ionized reaction that will separate tissue without burning (like a laser) or slicing with a knife. The procedure cauterizes as it cuts which should speed up the healing process. *fingers crossed*
If not for my VERY enlarged uvula, I would have felt great after the operation. They gave me water, apple juice and some Jello afterward and I scarfed it.
Later, I went to bed without a whole lot pain. I’m sure that will all change in the next couple of days.
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