‘Ice Cream is Overrated”

Last Wednesday (8/1) I had my tonsils removed.  The days leading up to the surgery I was nervous.  It was my first time being put to sleep and the support system I always had was no longer there.  I prayed the night before and woke up the day of surgery calm and ready. When I awoke from surgery my throat was sore.  The nurse gave me some water to drink.  OWW!  She gave me some liquid medicine.  Even a stronger OWW! ’Please don’t let me have this type of pain for two weeks!’

By the time I arrived at home, the medicine (hydrocodone) had kicked in.  I thought I’d be tired the rest of the day, but I stayed wide awake until 4am.  Water became my best friend and although my throat was sore, it wasn’t the ’death pain’ I’d heard from others.   Thursday I moved on to milkshakes and applesauce.  It was still very uncomfortable to swallow, but not terribly painful.  ‘Hey maybe I’m the wonder girl and my pain doesn’t exist!’……….. So, I stop taking my pain medicine.  BAD IDEA!!! By Friday afternoon my throat (and now ears) was throbbing.  I had to take my medicine every four hours just so the soft foods would go down.  This made me very loopy.  A friend found it exciting that I could swallow but not suck (get your head out of the gutter)

Monday was my worst day.  I couldn’t sleep all night.  I went to get a smoothie and couldn’t even drink it.  The pain shot straight to my ears.  It hurt to even swallow. ’I can’t stand this!  I changed my mind. I want my tonsils back!’ I had to spend a couple of hours yelling internally, crying outwardly and just being dissatisfied with the entire experience…and then I was fine.

I still haven’t been back to work this week and am taking my time with eating solid foods. I look at the two open wounds where my tonsil used to be and look forward to the scabs forming and falling off.  I’m sick of ice cream/smoothies/icees etc. They don’t soothe your throat, they just remind of the pain that exists in your mouth. I haven’t planned my first real meal, yet, because it would be just a tease. But, this too shall pass!

M.Y.  August 2007