Andyody had their tonsils removed as an adult? How long did it take you to recover, how long 'til you were back in training? How painful, and was it worth it?
thanks!
I had my tonsils removed last March. I’m 36 (although I suspect some question my “adulthood”).
The procedure that was used was called coblation. I think it is a an older procedure but just being used more regularly for tonsillectomies. The pain was moderate. It was probably worse for me because I can’t take steroids so there was significant swelling. It was about 4 days of agony and then 4 days of recovery. At the start of the 2nd week I was about 100%.
I had cryptic tonsils that I believe was causing sinus infections. Since the surgery, I can blow my nose (productively) and I have had no infections. I wish I would have done it sooner.
You could probably search the archives because I am pretty sure that I posted about it. You could compare my story now (my recollection) and what I thought of it then!
If I can be of any further help, let me know.
Bernie
It hurt for about 3-4 days. And its gross when the stiches dissolve in your mouth…but the procedure is worth it if your tonsils have been causing you a lot of trouble.
Thanks for your reply. I searched older posts the other day but nothing came up. Tried again and found your thread from March.
I’m basically sick and tired of getting tonsilittis. I had one last year prior to a tri and my main races, this year it ruined my 70.3 in Switzerland, yesterday I had to skip Pacific Coast Tri and Malibu is on the schedule on Saturday…and then there are others times during the year that I had more instances. There isn’t really much pain in my throat, some discomfort but my body is completely drained.
I can handle pain during exercise well, I love to push hard and be in that pain zone 
but I’m a big wimp when it comes to surgery. I’ve never had a major surgery and am afraid. I’m a big chicken but from everything I read nobody ever regrets having a tonsillectomy done. I’ll have a doc appointment this afternoon and discuss it with them.
I had this done in May 1995, along with a surgery whose acronym is UVPPP, for sleep apnea. The surgeon didn’t expect to have to remove my tonsils but once he saw them he said he had no choice.
Post-op pain was severe and life was 2 weeks of not eating (and trying not even to swallow) along with a few spoonfuls of chocolate pudding every 3 hours just so I wouldn’t vomit back up the pain medication (oxycodone, or something like that). I didn’t eat normal food for a month, and was so weak by then that going down a flight of stairs was exhausting; going up was simply out of the question.
I was something of a fat sloth (230 lbs) then but used this opportunity to completely rebuild my diet and exercise and have kept the weight off ever since (now 188).
I would say to go see an ENT because they may have some more options for particular situations.
This was my first surgery that I have ever had to be sedated for. That part was weird and I didn’t really like that part psychologically. But it worked out. There are some changes in the after surgery part from the older days. No more ice cream, my doc wanted me eating regular food ASAP to help with the scabs. Slink mentioned stitches, but I didn’t have stitches because the coblation procedure does not require it.
The pain part isn’t anything like the pain required to run a 5 minute mile or a marathon. It is that horrid pain that comes with a fever and a sore throat. Just kind of achy all over. I too can tolerate pain, but give me a fever over 100 degrees and I’m pretty much useless. I figured this was going to be the case so I jst rented a bunch of movies and sat on my butt.
I was able to start running and cycling normally about 2 weeks after. I may have been a bit more tired than usual, but that was the same for any lay-off of training. I think I waited a bit longer to swim, but for no other reason than I don’t really like swim training too much.
The Dr. told me that after the surgical narcotics wore off (24 hours) I would pretty much be self-limiting. I think that was true. For about 4 or 5 days I really didn’t feel like doing anything. Then it was a gradual thing getting back to my routine. Definitely, no regrets.
Good luck, let me know how it works out.
Bernie