Day 4 was NO Day 3 - Where's the Meds?

Days 1-3 seemed to be tolerable as far as pain goes (perhaps due to the fact that I did not miss a dose of oxy). The major issue is the squirts of liquid that are attempting to shoot into my nose. Other than that, day 3 was uneventful. Still not eating, but hey ... I can stand to miss a meal or 9 (LOL).

I had not been sleeping well, as lying down is uncomfortable due to breathing issues. Last night, I get to sleep waking periodically to sip on water. I even slid down, a bit, to get a bit more comfy. What a BAD choice. I missed my pain meds, last night and I woke up in some crazy pain. My tongue, my gums, my jaw, my ears, my throat and my neck hurt. There was swelling and so much discomfort that I was annoyed that I chose to sleep over taking the meds. I will not make that mistake again, tonight.

The back of my throat looks like a dandelion convention. My uvula is swollen and looks attached to my tonsil bed. I didn't know what all that 'white' stuff was ... did some reading and it appears to be scabbing.

I took pain meds without thought of coating stomach, because my mouth felt so horrible. My temperature got up to 100 degrees, today and I just felt like crap. After 3 doses of meds, the pain seems to have gotten better. I am now back to my itching tolerable pain self ... smiling. OH yeah, my voice just sounds like I am congested. Doesn't hurt to talk, like some people have expressed. I feel fatigued, but that could be from the autoimmune issues. Ice packs, iced drinks and pain meds are my friends.

Day Two - The Calm Before the Storm?

To be honest, I am having a pretty good day; pain-wise. There is a great deal of swelling and scabbing and phlegm - my mouth is dry (mainly because I am  unable to breathe through my nose due to sinus inflammation), but the pain is more than tolerable. Again, the main issue - dry mouth.

My family taunted me with the smell of fresh baked cookies and other food related dainties, but I am not overly hungry or craving, at this time. Things taste thick and bland, like butter. I am still having trouble with juice simply flowing down my throat - it seems to want to take a detour through my nose. I am attributing that to my insanely swollen and out of place uvula. A low-grade fever is toying with me and confusing me (1200mg of Clindamycin daily). Lucy ran out to the store and got me some children's liquid tylenol which is hard to get down because of swelling and rerouting that happens.  I have been able to talk, not loud, but without too much pain. I am grateful for the oxycodone, except for the incessant itching that has not been alleviated with my strongest allergy medicine. I am itching from crown of my head to the soles of my feet, but no pain.

Funny moment
Grandson: Bubby, is your throat still soreded?
Me: It  isn't sore, but there are still some things that need to be taken care of before it is all better.
Grandson: Well, you still sound weird. Lucy, can you give something to bubby to make her voice all better?
Lucy: Like what, Pudty?
Grandson: Well, you can cook her something.
He believes food will fix everything - LOL

Day Zero - The Day Before My Tonsillectomy

Well, I have decided to make some use of my recovery time and journal my experience of having a tonsillectomy at 45 years of age. I know this is not common, however, I have had more trouble than most with my tonsils down through the years -- plagued by tonsillitis, strep throat and tonsil stones -- lately, a large tonsil cyst that has been on my left tonsil since July 2012. I have been officially diagnosed as having 'hypertrophic tonsils and adenoids (laymen terms - tonsils that are always enlarged).

My surgery is at 7:30am, tomorrow morning (Fri., 4/19/13) with Dr. Reiter of MCV Medical Center in Richmond, VA. I hear he is one of the best. I will be his first patient of the day ... 'Yay, for me' ... which means that I have to arrive at the hospital at 5:30am! Not looking forward to that, at all. I know people think that I will be sedated, so it should not be too bad. For anyone who has been sedated, they can tell you that you do not feel like you have been asleep. It must be something with being forced to sleep and the body is not fully at rest. I don't really know ... I just know that I, usually, still feel tired after surgery.

One thing that I am looking forward to ... losing a bit of weight. I have officially dubbed this time of recovery, "The Ice Diet." We have approximately 40 lbs of ice designated for the first week -- to be used for cold beverages and smoothies, which I should be sipping during every waking moment (to avoid dehydration and other complications).

So, as soon as I am lucid and comfortably (and I use this term, lightly) tucked into my bed. I will let you know how I feel and any other details from the surgery. Do not worry, I will not be too graphic (unless asked).