Tonsilectomy – YEAH!!
Well, I started an all liquid diet on Monday (March 12), or anything that can go down without chewing (soup, jello, pudding, Popsicle). I had my tonsils removed. A big step for someone at my age, they say the longer you wait the worse it is…it’s a bit rough. Nothing like not being able to swallow and the little thing that hangs down in the back of my throat is about the size of an apple instead of a pea; therefore when sleeping it’s like I’m suffocating myself with a piece of myself. I just have to lean to the side so it will fall over out of the air passage. It kinda freaked me out in the recovery room, I could get air in but nothing out.
I had them removed because the one on the right stayed inflamed (swollen) to a size 3 (the doctor was impressed upon seeing it the first time); it also had holes in it that would allow food particles and such to get in there…then it would cause bacteria and white stuff to create (kinda like a pearl forming in an oyster…though I wouldn’t get paid for what my tonsil made). I got tired of having to dig the stuff out of my throat, it caused a sore throat and bad breath. So I went to the doctor and he decided to take them.
Some things I found out.
I have rock & roll veins. They rock and roll back-and-forth to the point where the nurse could not get an IV started. But then a really nice guy came in and got one started in my hand; it caused some problems because it was on my right hand (which is the one I use all the time), but it worked.
My mom cannot handle it when I throw up and it comes out my nose. I got sick and threw up in the wash basin (luckily it wasn’t the little kidney shaped pan…I wouldn’t have been able to aim that well). Mom went running out the door heaving, trying to tell someone that I myself was throwing up. The kind CNA gentleman took one look at mom, laughed, and said ‘Oh, she’s throwing up’. Mom continued heaving, but was able to shake her head ‘yes’ so my nurse came in to take care of me.
It takes awhile to go to the restroom when they haven’t allowed you to have anything to eat since midnight the night before, and you’re unable to swallow enough to make yourself go pee. And then they even give you a little pan in the toilet so they can measure how much you ‘don’t have’ in you. I finally went, but then the nurses didn’t know who was doing what and kept asking if I had had a BM or urination since being out of surgery. I think she was upset that she wasn’t the one to get to dump the pan.
They strap you down to the operating table with very large seat belts. The guy that was putting me to sleep did not give me the knock-out meds until I went into the operating room. I got to see the whole room and they put me on the table, then strapped me down with my arms to the sides with my hands tucked under my legs. The heart monitor things were really cold too. The operating room had the three large lights with all the little lights (just like in the movies). About two seconds after he gave me the meds I was out…it’s amazing how fast that stuff works.
All in all, it’s been an interesting experience. My mom stayed with me at the hospital and I think she’ll be staying at the house for awhile. I’m enjoying some drug induced sleep (the best kind there is…you totally relax and rest). Now I’m just hoping for speedy recovery, though my fridge looks like I bought out the jello, pudding, and Popsicle isles at Wal-Mart.
Until later…ERM