I am now going to share all my tips in on blog post. This is a comprehensive list of Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips. Recovery in each person will be different that what I went through.

Most of these Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips are based on my experience from a Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy Surgery. Some of these are one what others have shared and what the doctor recommended to me too.

Also note with these tips based on my recovery, I not only had my tonsils removed, I had my adenoids removed too. So that can play a factor in some of these Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips.

You can also ready about my experience below …

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Extended Recovery

Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips

1. Don’t force or try to remove the tonsillectomy scabs, they will fall of, just take time. Let them do it on their own. (I never tried to remove mine, I allowed mine to heal on its own)
2. If I don’t constantly have cold food going to my throat, I can tell. For some people they couldn’t do or tolerate ice cream or dairy cold foods. Main thing is plenty of liquids! Do not allow to dry out. You don’t want to go to the ER or hospital for IV fluids.
3. Day 3 and 4 seemed to be one of the worst days since surgery.
4. It seems as days progress it was harder and harder to eat, after 3-5 days, as you are getting burnt out on what you do have. But you still must push the cold soft foods and plenty of liquids. Yes, it might hurt to swallow, but best to keep on then make things worse. Then after that mark it got a little easier to eat again.
5. It is always good to have someone checking in on you. Not being married, I don’t have that person to help me with recovery, so the recovery is all on my own. Enlist in friends, family and coworkers to check in on you.
6. I would keep monitoring your body temperature. I noticed on Day 5, I started to run temps around 99.4°. Which is normal to have, I was told. I know had body chills off and on during recovery. If I had a t-shirt off, I felt cold, with a t-shirt on I felt too hot. I would shiver a lot with the body chills. One reason I then started to keep track of my body temperature. I did notice that after Day 5, my body temperature was between 96° and 98°, this might be due to all the cold foods and even the medicines that lower your body temperature.
7. Keep tissue paper, toilet paper handy near you.
8. Keep trash can near you too.
9. The tonsillectomy scabs can cause bad breath too. This is normal.
10. Prop up or sleep reclined. I actually have a brick under the two head legs of my bed, you can buy bed blocks and do just the head. I even used an old pillow and put it between the box spring and mattress to make an incline.
11. I did keep a headache off and on too. I kept muscle cream on. That did seem to help ease some of that.But, I usually use a light application of muscle cream when I get normal headaches. I put it lightly on my forehead, neck and shoulders. Note, light application. If you put too much, it can make a burning feeling.
12. Keep a flashlight near your bathroom mirror so you can check your progress. Some people the look of the scabs might be gross. Just fair warning.
13. These tonsillectomy scabs, like I mentioned, looked to me like pus in the back of my throat. Almost like white balls on your throat. Some people say they look like mashed potatoes while others say they look like cauliflower. Looking back at my pictures it almost looks like bad cottage cheese or even melted cheese.
14. Sonic usually has half price drinks and slushes 2-4 and half price shakes after 8 (usually during Spring & Summer). I am sure at participating locations and restrictions also apply. Don’t forget to tip your carhop, they make below minimum wage.
15. Steak ‘n Shake often has half priced shakes too. 2-5 pm and 2-5 am (Weekdays). I am sure at participating locations and restrictions also apply here too. Make sure you tip your server, as they make below minimum wage too.
16. Cook-Out usually has a promo shake, different flavor each week for 99¢. This may vary based on locations and participating stores and I am sure restrictions apply here too.
17. It is always best if you can have someone that can be with you at times. It is not fun going through this alone, as I do not have a spouse to help out. But I am glad for church family who has checked in on me.
18. I am not a doctor, I just went by what mine told me and my experience. Your ENT may require different things for you to do during recovery. Be sure to check with them on your plan of recovery.
19. Homemade Heating/Cooling Rice Pack Easy to make, uses rice. Rice heats up nice and cools down nice. Makes a great heating or cooling pack. It is said you’ll want a cooling pack due to the swelling. So put the rice pack in the freezer. It comes out nice and cool.
20. T&A Surgery can take a toll on you both physically and emotionally. It could spiritually but I know I’m weak and need God.
21. Too much sleep seems to add to pain level. Though you want to try to sleep. Sleep is not your best friend.
22. Pain will fluctuate. Some days and times are better than others. At times it’s very unbearable.
23. Keep your throat moist and do not allow to dry, dryness seems to trigger more pain.
24. My uvula did swell a lot.
25. My tongue swelled too.
26. Cold helps reduce swelling. Heat promotes swelling.
27. I’d plan more than a week away from work, if you can swing, I suggest taking two weeks, but I know with most jobs that can be pushing it.
28. Make sure to chart when you took your pain medicine and your next scheduled dose.
29. Throats dry, seems to hurt the most. Keep moist! Keep something on it! A Cold Drink, ice, ice cream, etc.
30. Hot food or even warm food did not feel good on my throat for the first two weeks.
31. Don’t force yourself to eat other stuff too soon.
32. Mashed potatoes didn’t  work too well for me, heat and stuck to my mouth. (Worked better later on, thinning them out with chicken broth to make it like a potato soup).
33. Eggs did okay, but heat hurt more. I allowed to cool down and couldn’t stand taste of cold eggs.
34. I was able to eat canned chicken. Tiny bites. I guess it’s not hot not cold, room temperature. Just side note, that when you go to the restroom, you will smell the the canned chicken in your urine or stools, just fair warning there too.
35. Before eating spray your throat with throat spray. This seemed to help tolerate the food going down.
36. Before talking spray your throat with throat spray. This seemed to help with talking some.
37. Ice cream worked better for me, Popsicles didn’t. But other people are the opposite.
38. I kept a mirror near me so I can see my progress and changes in the throat. This come more as scabs fall off.
39. Any Medline you can fill ahead of time prior to your surgery, do so.
40. Plan for refills ahead of time if needed, don’t wait till last minute.
41. I recommend you prep things before hand like your Popsicles and food you will need to eat that week.
42. Constantly eating cold foods made me feel colder than I normal am. I usually always feel hot.
43. Liquid or Gummie supplements and vitamins to help make up what you are not getting.
44. I’d get fiber supplicants to help. I rarely had a bowel movement during the first two weeks. One I believe it was the diet and two the pain medicine.
45. Boost, Ensure, Nutrition Drinks, not the diets ones. Ones for nutrients and protein.
46. Your taste will be effected during recovery.
47. Prayer! There is power in prayer. Pray for your recover and surgery. Have others pray too.
48. Coke/Soda burns my throat. My sister recently had hers done too and said it burned her throat but dissolved hers.

Again these are a comprehensive list of Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips. Ask your doctor about if these tips or suggestions may be right for your recovery. Everyone’s recovery will be different and these Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips can vary from person to person based on healing and other factors.

Check back often, as I will update this blog post with more Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips.

Do you know of any Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips I should add, feel free to leave your comment below and I just might add it to this comprehensive list.

Introduction | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Extended Recovery | Recovery Tips

About the Author

Steve Patterson

A Christian Blogger that enjoys blogging about the Bible, Theology, God, Jesus Christ, Christian Music, Family, Cats, Odd Holidays, sewing and much more. I have been blogging since 2004, however, I have been blogging on Courageous Christian Father since 2012. I enjoy listening to Christian Music. I am married with 1 daughter, 2 step-sons and a step daughter.

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