My tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and uvulectomy (uvulaectomy)

Someone commented on my older tonsillectomy entry and it reminded me I should write a brief update on how everything turned out.

The picture taken a few days after my surgery still had a small portion of my uvula attached. After healing, I have no uvula left at all. I guess it was just swollen.

I don’t snore anymore, but I also can’t oink like a pig. I’ve had some issues with drinks and/or saliva going up my nose accidentally but I’m much more comfortable breathing (a good trade-off). I can’t gargle because it drips down the back of my throat. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to do that again. I’ve searched the internet for some answers but I guess people don’t like talking about gargling too much.

The day of surgery I felt great. Day after was another story. I bled for the first two weeks but after they cauterized the wounds bleeding stopped. It was extremely painful for the first 19 days. I took liquid hydrocodone every 3-4 hours on the dot. Needless to say I slept a lot. After the pain died down, regular old tylenol did the trick. It took me just over 3 weeks to eat normally. Yawning still hurts a little and my throat has a general sensation of being tight. Drinking water helps and I’m sure this will go away in time. I lost 12lbs, ate 4 boxes of jello, went through 2 boxes of Quaker apples and cinnamon oatmeal, and used about 38 ounces of liquid hydrocodone.

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You’re currently reading “My tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and uvulectomy (uvulaectomy),” an entry on Jason Lancaster

Published:: 02.09.05 / 12pm

Category:: Tonsillectomy

Tags:: adenoidectomy, Health, surgery, Tonsillectomy, uvulaectomy, uvulectomy

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Hev 02.10.05 / 7pm

Haha. Now you cannot oink like a piggy!
Daddio 02.11.05 / 1am

38 ounces of narcotic! Wow, you must be addicted by now!
Daddio 02.11.05 / 8am

I googled “tonsillectomy adenoidectomy uvulaectomy” and guess what–you’re number one! You’ve found a whole new audience!
Jason Lancaster 02.11.05 / 3pm

I’m a recovering addict who can’t oink like a pig, woohoo!
Anonymous 02.17.06 / 1pm

Hi jason,
I am curious what side effects you are still suffering from the uvulaectomy? Was it worth it? My husband needs to get it done and I am very worried.

- Lucy
Jason Lancaster 02.17.06 / 1pm

It took a while to re-learn how to gargle (but I can now) and I tend to have more times when I forget to swallow properly and gulp a bunch of water down my windpipe. It was worth it, however… I don’t really even notice the lack now, and the benefits (breathing and whatnot) are great.
Anonymous 04.30.07 / 2pm

Hi Jason,

I have been recommended for UPPP with CO2 laser surgery here in Vancouver – Canada. I have been using a CPAP machine for about a year now as I have severe sleep apnia. My tonsils are the size of golf balls (have been for years) and the sleep apnia just got worse and worse until I finally found out what it was about a year and a half ago. Question for you???? On this comment card hiimlucyAThotm asked you a follow up question about a year later and you say the surgery seems to have done you well. Hows it going 2 years later now?
Im a bit apprehensive after googling the UPPP and tonsilectomy and seeing all the pain and failures that people have written about.
Thanks in advance,
Josh
Jason Lancaster 04.30.07 / 2pm

No problems at all. I don’t know anything about failures — I had a good doctor I was very confident in. I guess things could always go worse, but I didn’t worry at all about the surgery.

As for the pain, yeah, it hurt. It hurt a lot. It was just about as bad as my surgery the year after where they split up my jaw. In fact, I think the pain was probably worse, however the painkillers really helped — whereas with my jaw surgery the pain killers didn’t have as much of an effect. I think the best thing with the surgery was that I stayed with my parents, who ended up taking care of me and making sure that every 4hrs I got a dosage of pain killers.
Anonymous 04.30.07 / 4pm

Thanks for your quick reply, that helps me out a lot coming from someone who has had the surgery and posted results from a few mo`s after to a year after.
One last ? for you! heh heh. Have you had any other complications/problems it being now 2 yrs after the fact? Has the surgery been successful? Do you breathe well? Has your voice changed? Do you get less colds now? (this question i posed to a few people who have had large tonsils with the relation to their getting colds/sore throats more often than people without) I am very confident in my ENT Dr (Dr Richard Smyth – Sleep Surgery Centre Coquitlam, BC Canada)as he has performed many of these surgeries not to mention being a leading ENT in Western Canada. – That gives me great confidence! But still I have reservations as my googling of UPPP w/co2 laser and tonsilectomy have shown about a 50 – 80% success rate. I know It is a big choice to make considering that my CPAP machine does “cure” me when I use it but saying that I want to be free of the machine. Hopefully with fingers crossed. Look forward to your answer.
Thanks again for your info!
Josh
Jason Lancaster 05.07.07 / 1am

No complications. Less colds for sure. Before, I’d end up getting tonsilitis about 2x a year and random colds mixed in, so it’s been nice. I think I’ve gotten two or three serious colds since I had them out. Not bad at all!

It sounds like the laser stuff is a bit more serious than what I had. I’m pretty sure they just used a scapel on me. I really don’t know though. Sorry about that. It sounds like you’ve investigated quite enough though.
dee watson 08.30.07 / 3pm

I had the operation and because I wore dentures , and had no structure for my palate I am no longer able to wear my dentures. Also I have a mucos pocket in the back of my throat and can’t swallow the mucos and have to continualy expel the mucos so that also keeps me from being able to wear the dentures. If you know of anyone else that may have this same problem I’de like to hear from them.
randy petralia 09.09.07 / 9pm

does anyone know of clinical data on the impact of UPPP on the sense of taste? None, subtle, a lot? Assume some taste buds around the soft palate will be removed during the surgery, but if the surgery kills one’s sense of taste, truly one of the great joys of life — eating — would be erased and (frankly) the surgery would not be worthwhile.
Sally 09.27.07 / 1pm

I had my tonsils out 7 weeks ago now and my taste hasn’t gone back to normal. I have a really low uvula and am starting to wonder if it has anything to do with that, as the smell of food is a huge part of taste. My uvula seriously hangs so low I can constantly feel it touching the back of my tongue all the time. It has made breathing a bit harder with such a smaller opening at the back of my throat and I am seriously considering getting it taken out. Has anyone else has this problem after a tonsillectomy?

I agree losing one’s sense of taste is really annoying; it’s dulled a lot of foods I used to really enjoy. Particularly bread and butter, such a simple pleasure, I can hardly taste at.
Jason Lancaster 09.27.07 / 4pm

Didn’t affect my sense of taste. I find the past couple comments worrisome — although I don’t think things like that happen all too often.
Joanne 10.02.07 / 11am

I had my tonsils out six weeks ago and my sense of taste still isnt right. I get bored of eating quite quickly, as everything always ends up tasting the same as the weird taste i now always have in my mouth. I don’t eat sweet foods generally, but now i eat them even less as it totally clashes with that taste.

It also makes me wonder if its my sense of taste playing up, or if there is something in my saliva (which puts me off the idea of kissing anybody)
Paulette 10.03.07 / 12am

I too had this surgery it has been 1 week and 1 day, I breathe a lot better now, I still have a hard time swallowing. I feel like what ever I drink or try to swallow goes up towards the nose for now but is getting better. The first three days were really painfull the next and until now getting better. Learning to swallow, tea helps, and drink a lot of water the more you use the muscles on the side of your throat the better it will be for you. and I found that childrens liquid tylenol coaded my throat so that I could swallow my other pain medication.
Rick 10.03.07 / 7pm

I am scheduled to have the UPPP surgery along with the removal of my tonsils and adenoids. Also, I am having the sinus, turbinates, and deviated septum fixed. I have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea, but I do snore, and it has gotten worse. I’ve been sick a lot and the doctor said my tonsils are huge. My septum has a bi-lateral blockage so I can’t breathe through either nostril. Here’s my question….if I back out of the UPPP, but have all of the other procedures, do you think my breathing will improve and snoring will cease or be reduced? Also, do you recommend liquid pain medicine or should taking pills be ok, given the throat pain?

Feel free to email private responses to doctorrosen@yahoo.com

Thanks…Rick
jesi 12.09.07 / 10pm

I had my tonsils removed and a lump removed from my uvula on december 5th… I know it has only been 4 days but I am slowly losing patience with this.. I wasnt even sure I wanted to have my tonsils out but decided it would be for the better of not becoming sick anymore.. I since then have not been able to eat anything and can hardly drink anything.. I drink water with my meds and that is it.. I have seriously never felt anything more painful in my life… I just had a couple questions… my uvula before was never as long as it is right now.. will it shrink up in a couple days or am i going to be stuck with this thing hanging half way down my throat forever, also when should I be able to drink water?! Or better yet eat anything?! Like I could drink a cup of water if I wanted but I would be in alottt of pain… I am on demerol for pain but it doesnt seem to be killing the pain that much.. anyone got any suggestions?! I am lost and would do anything.. Thanks a bunch… Jesi
Jason Lancaster 12.10.07 / 2pm

Jesi, the pain for me was pretty awful for the first week. If I remember, things died down the second but I was still taking hydrocodone all the time. I have no idea why your uvula is so long, all I can suggest is to talk to your doc. Needless to say, this out of all of my surgeries/experiences with pain was by far the most painful of all so I understand where you’re coming from. Hope you feel better soon.
C Hayes 12.15.07 / 8am

I had my Tonsils out just over 3 days ago, and boy am I in agony, my biggest issue isn’t the pain (although it’s by far the worst physical pain i’ve ever experianced). My biggest issue is the fact that I cannot swallow anything, I’m barely able to get my hyrdocodone down, when I swallow that it feels as if the meds are getting stuck in the “flap” on the roof of my mouth, this then triggers my gag reflexes and I spend the next 5 minutes in pure agony. Water or any other liquid will not go down and I’m starting to get dehydrated, when I attempt to drink water 80% of the water comes out my nose the rest very painfully goes down my throat. I’m thirsty and want to drink!!
Jon 12.16.07 / 3am

Well, it has been about 36 hours since I had a tonsillectomy and adenoids removed. It was a tough deal. In the recovery room I began spitting up/swallowing an enormous amount of blood. They had to take me back into surgery, put me back under and “recauterize” the area. When I came out the second time I felt like I was hit by a truck! The first night was one of the worst I can remember, I was so swollen that I would wake up suffocating! Their was nasal discharge (snot) that was caught in my nasal passage, and this was the only way to breath! I would say that my throat passage was cut off about 90 percent!

I gave up on the “cold drinks” it was brutal. I had my wife buy me some “on the go soup” (Campbells I think) I sipped that in a lukewarm state and my throat felt better! It was also nice to get something in my stomach! I was up about every 15 minutes, and by the end of the night, and a soup or 2 later, I felt better. (Creamy tomato, and the broth from chicken noodle)

Today I have been gradually feeling better. I have been able to sleep an hour or two at a time, I have been very timely with my meds (Tylenol w/codeine and antibiotics) I actually thought I was going to get a good nights sleep tonight, but now I am having additional side effects. While the swelling of my throat has gone down significantly, and the soreness is slightly better, I am now salivating like crazy! If I fall asleep next to my wife, I think she might drown! This is insane! I have read that this is normal, and I hope it goes away soon!

Obviously, it is still tough to swallow (very similar to swallowing with strep throat) but I have been able to survive on soup and water. I can already tell a difference in my breathing, it has dramatically improved already! I still am having a tough time swallowing meds, etc without it wanting to go up my nose….but other than that, I am encouraged at the progress I have made thus far, and I hope this speedy recovery continues! (minus the saliva!)

Best of Luck to everyone!
Samuel 12.21.07 / 12am

OK. I just had my tonsillectomy. Like some others who have posted, I had a rough recovery, including blood, recauterization, and other complications.

I too have this swallowing problem where water and liquids come out of my nose. One tip which has worked for me is that when I drink, I sit in a chair upright, with my body slightly leaning forward. After I sip water from a bottle, I immediately point my chin straight down, and I swallow while keeping my head down. For some reason, water doesn’t come streaming out my nose when this happens.

I have no clue whether or not this technique helps you relearn that muscle-memory technique that your mouth/throat/tongue needs to know for swallowing, such as what Paulette mentioned above. For all I know, this prohibits long-term progress. However, if you are desperate for liquids as “C Hayes” is, perhaps this can help.
DJ 12.23.07 / 1am

Did anyone have a problem with a fever after their tonsillectomy, and if so, did you need to go back to the the doctor? My duagher had hers out and is has had a fever off an on, for a couple of days up to about 101.
Rishi C 12.24.07 / 2pm

Just came across this article, through looking for an image of a tonsillectomy AFTER the operation. As I have white stuff there, thought the tonsil beds may be infected! Realised it’s just aftermath of the eletronic burning procedure.

Thanks for all the info on here, really good POV account.

I went through a lot of pain last year, through a lympoma scare, and long term illness.

However, the tonsillectomy was much more painful. They wouldn’t even give me any strong pain releif, as the hospital didn’t have anything strong in soluble form. Obviously, couldn’t swallow tramadol pills!

Has been 2 days, and so far haven’t bleed (apart from day or two after surgery). Have been eating as much as I can, mainly soft, but some crispy/hard food, whic is speeding my recovery.

Feeling pretty beat from the anesthetic, propofol, i think it was. Has given me a lot of hypotension! I think the method of surgery was same as yours, the electronic burning type. Seriously painful.

I can’t believe how people think the surgery doesn’t hurt much. They obviously had it easier on them, having it performed when they were children.

Also, we’re generally more stressed out about work etc, as adults, which doesn’t help!

I did have a fever after surgery, just put it down to the anesthetic.

“When I came out the second time I felt like I was hit by a truck! The first night was one of the worst I can remember, I was so swollen that I would wake up suffocating” = I said the extact same thing, well it felt more like a bus…:P

I did suffocate a lot during the night! But I did rough it and drink as much water as possible. Also drank, milk and tea. I know hot drinks, and especially dairy products are not advised, but it made sense to me somehow. Now I’m feeling good, can eat what I feel like, but having to swallow HARD to get things down.
Jason Lancaster 12.24.07 / 2pm

I had 2 major mouth surgeries… one was a pretty complicated mouth/facial bone reconstruction (Lefort) and the other was the tonsillectomy. By FAR the tonsillectomy hurt longer and on a higher scale of pain than the Lefort surgery. Based on real life experience… you’ll probably never have anything as bad again. I don’t think anyone commenting on this is at all a wimp for saying it hurt so bad. Perhaps my initial experience with the intense pain helped deal with the second surgery but I think the tonsillectomy really was just more invasive.

If you’re interested in the other surgery I had, I have them tagged here in another part of this weblog.
berta 12.27.07 / 12am

I need to no did anyone split cold and did they have blood mixed in it?
berta 12.27.07 / 12am

Dec 19 2007 is when I had surgery I am 37 years old I did not think it was bad. I guess I can take pain. I had sinus surgery also.
Steve 03.27.08 / 6am

Hello All! I’m 42 YO and I’m day 14 past tonsils/ adenoids/ uvula/ turbinate/ septoplasty/ ethmoid surgery. The fact is: this is major surgery and you need to take it seriously BEFORE you have it done. We aren’t little kids any more and eating ice cream won’t make you all better. Plan on 3 weeks down minimum. Plan on setting an alarm to wake you up for timely doses of pain meds. Tell your doctor in advance you need liquid pain killers. Make arrangements for 24 hour company (I stopped breathing the night of day 7 from the swelling/ scabs/ drainage.) Take your pain meds and eat lots and lots of crushed ice. Dehydration is your nightmare. The most pain is the uvula – there is a muscle in the roof of your mouth that extends down into it – so it will hurt a lot – and often. Yes your tastebuds are traumatized. The dizzy spells and earaches are no fun either. The ability to breathe freely for the 1st time in my life makes it all worth while. I still have some sinus bleeding into my throat, which is not uncommon, and food tastes mostly like heavy salt, or ash. It will pass. I can breathe better than at any time in my life, and the swelling isn’t all gone yet. There will be bad days, and there well be very bad days. Accept it. You will heal. Pay attention to the literature given you by your doctor. It really has a lot of good info. I was attached to liquid vicodin for about 9 days. I weaned off a little and went to liquid tylenol. I also used chloroseptic spray to numb the mouth before meds for several days. Avoid company – they will just keep asking you questions, and it hurts to respond. It has been hell for 2 weeks. It’s not over. And YES I’m still glad I did it.
Steve 03.27.08 / 6am

Another thing – plan to sleep sitting up, 45 degrees at least. Drainage away from the wounds is extremely important for comfort and helped me breathe easier.
big rosie greenbaum 03.28.08 / 2am

Hi Jason,

I had my tonsils and uvula removed in January 2008 and I am regretting it BIG TIME! Not the tonsils, but the uvula. My scar tissue doesn’t seem to have healed although my doctor says there is no obstruction at all that he can see in my throat. I had the best doc in the city so I know he did a good job. I can swallow pretty much anything but have constant dry mouth and have to carry ice water with me 24/7, not to mention a blast of cold air in my mouth every time I breathe in.

It’s only been four months, but I’m always told I should be 100% healed by now. Can you tell me if you have any of these same problems 2 years on and where you at comfort-wise around the 4 month mark?

Thanks a lot!
Jason Lancaster 03.28.08 / 12pm

Rosie, I was fine after 4 months. I can’t remember exactly what issues I had lingering but it was something more along the lines of a tickel. Nothing major, no pain, no real long term issues other than not being able to oink. Oinking is very minor though… I’m sorry I can’t help more but all I can suggest is seeing someone for a second (or third) opinon. I don’t think your situation is normal at all. Good luck!
Chris N 04.19.08 / 1pm

Hi All….I am so glad I came upon this site. Thanks Jason for starting this string. Well, I had UPPP 4 days ago alongwith nasal/sinus surgery for a deviated septum. All I can say now is OUCH! Seriously, this is the worst pain I have ever experienced. I have gone thru my first bottle of Roxicet and when I went for a follow-up yesterday the doc looked surprised when I told her about the meds an I needed more. Has she not had this procedure? Anyway, they have the cool suckers that numb the area. I started using them last night and it seemed to work well along with my pain meds. Yesterday I had the “splints” removed out of my nose. I think she had to practically kneel on my chest to yank these suckers out….I kept my eyes closed as I didn’t want to see how big these monsters were. I still have trouble drinking just like everyone else…it just plain hurts and I am getting frustrated. When I need to swallow I just suck it up, know it is going to hurt and go for it…..sorry no easy answers. Even the cold stuff doesn’t help like they suggest. I even have sucked on ice….some relief but not much, plus the area is aggrivated after.

I did sleep good last night. My first night on my side…yes my side. I know they say sit up but this seemed to work awesome. The pain did wake me after a few hours but this morning, I felt very RESTED as I am brething soooo much better. I will keep you updated as the weeks goes on. I have also starting weaning myself off the narcs….still use them just not as much.

One I thing I have doen that helps with the ear pain and throat pain is to use an ice pack. This really helps the ear pain go away and my throat feel soemwhat better.

At this point I can say it is worth it. I am breathing better…..we’ll see how things progress in the long run.
big rosie greenbaum 04.24.08 / 3am

Hi All,

Big Rosie Greenbaum here. It’s now nearing May and still no improvement with my scar tissue from my uvula surgery. I’ve had second and third opinions and all I’m ever told is to wait 6 more months, after that it will have been a year from surgery (Jan. 7 ‘08) and it will be as healed as it ever will be and if not, I have to learn to live with it. I’d rather sue instead.

Will someone who has recently had the surgery please stay in touch with me to talk about our recoveries? So far Jason’s site is the only one I’ve found for answers on this stuff from people who’ve actually been through it.

Thanks!
bigrosiegreenbaum@gmail.com
mariocruz 06.08.08 / 9am

Just had a uvulectomy 4 days ago. This is the worst pain ever. Swallowing, burping, yawning, all hurt. Ice cream hurts at the very beginning, then it eventually numbs the uvula. I felt great on day 1 and 2, but since then has been difficult. I’ll keep you posted. I took percocet on day 1 and 2 but it was too strong and i was woozy and sleepy all day, my job won’t allow me to take percocet at work so i’ve been loading up on tylenol, motrin, and a half percocet (keeping in mind that percocet has tylenol in it). This seems to do the trick. Avoid spicy food (it’s like pooring salt ona wound). It is still pretty swollen, actually it is wider (but shorter) than my old uvula. Hopefully the swelling will go down soon. It was really small immediately after the procedure (which was a 10 minute laser procedure), but since then it has gotten quite swollen. The uvula moves all the time so know that it will hurt with just about any oral movement, especially swallowing. I’d love to hear comments about this. I feel like a wimp for being in such pain but it looks like others are having similar experiences.
bigrosiegreenbaum 06.10.08 / 12pm

Mario, I’m confused about what you’re saying. A uvulectomy means that your uvula was removed, not made shorter. Why would you have a doctor shorten it instead of just taking it out? Did you have your tonsils out at the same time? Ten minutes seems like an incredible short procedure for throat surgery.

I am now 6 months post-op from my tonsillectomy and uvulectomy. I am still experiencing a lot of dry-mouth and a feeling that there is tissue at the back of my throat. I’ve gone back to my surgeon and like every other doctor he has told me that there is no obstruction at the back of my throat – he even drew me a diagram of what it actually looks like now and what it would look like if it was not healed. Basically, there are no scars from the surgery and everything has completely healed. BUT I did have a barium swallow study done and what my doctor believes is the cause of the dry-mouth and a feeling that there is something stuck in there is…..ACID REFLUX! He says that it can be a common thing after throat surgery because there is so much more room in there now than before. He says that I have probably always had it but it’s more noticeable now. There’s no other treatment other than avoiding certain foods and taking medication.

Good luck to all who are experiencing the same.
mario 06.10.08 / 10pm

Hi Rosie,
The doctor used a cauterizer (basically a hand held electric current) to remove the uvula while simultaneously causing the blood to clot. It is used all the time for other procedures. I’m not sure why they left a little nub of uvula. If you remove too much you can have side effects (like reflux of food/fluids into your nose when swallowing and some people even speak funny afterwards). It is now 6 days after, swelling is down significantly but the uvula has a really dry feeling and is very tender…even sorbet icecream hurts to eat because it is too cold. soup works well though, so does gatorade. Anyone else experience this? I hope this pain goes away soon, i’m almost out of percocet!
Jason Lancaster 06.10.08 / 11pm

Mario, as far as I’m concerned, 6 days is completely normal. I know quite a few people from my post on this procedure and it is very common to see extreme pain for at least 14 days. Your doc should absolutely give you more percocet if you run out — don’t fret!
big rosie greenbaum 06.10.08 / 11pm

Hi Mario,

Even 6 months post-op, I can still feel my uvula gone. Mine is COMPLETELY gone. When I breathe in, I get a cold draft into my throat. That will probably never go away. The worst is that there is no barrier in my mouth anymore, so I can’t breathe in aromas. Some things like air freshener, even powder, I can’t use anymore, because they immediately close up my throat. All the doctors say there’s nothing I can do about it other than try to manage the acid reflux and unfortunately that means giving up a lot of stuff that I love.

For the first 4 weeks post op, all I could eat was jello, pudding, soup and what my mom calls “egg in a cup” and of course tons of water. I have literally not had anything other than water and smoothies since my surgery. There’s no more carbonated beverages or sugary juices in my life anymore, and I am still drinking through a straw. If I don’t I have a tendency to cough while stuff’s going down. In my experience, the colder the better – it numbed things a lot. The best advice I can give you right now is to completely chew EVERYTHING you eat before you swallow it. I didn’t do that and ended up in the emergency room.

Keep us posted!
Ian 06.11.08 / 5am

Hello,

I had a uvulectomy two days ago. My wife says I am still snoring a little. Is this something I should expect to go away as it heals?
Mario 06.11.08 / 12pm

Hey Ian, the uvula will swell for the first few days and will then shrink down to normal size. While its swollen you will still snore (i’m now on day 7 and i’m snoring alittle but less than i was on day 2, and certainly less than i was before the procedure). I haven’t had the scar tissue yet that i’d expect to see on the uvula, i saw the ent today, he said i should be fine and reassured me that these things hurt a lot and that i’m not being a baby!
Paulette 06.11.08 / 1pm

I had my tonselectomy and uvula removed in Septembre of 2007. I no longer snore. I do have the sensation of loose or hanging skin in the back of my throat. The ENT specialist assured me that this was normal and that nothing was there. I also had my Dentist check and I was going in for another procedure and had the GI Doctor check and nothing so I have to endure, Also have major dry mouth but for the most part not to bad. For myself the first two days where bad only because the meds they gave me werer too strong and I was throwing up once that was settled things got better faster .

Hope this helps yoou guys I felt better about my situation reading about similar ones and it set my mind at ease to know I wasn’t alone.
big rosie greenbaum 06.11.08 / 9pm

Hey Paulette,

Whew! SO GLAD someone else is having the same exact sensations as I am! My doctors too keep saying I am completely healed, no scarring left, but these sensations of dry-mouth and having something in the back of my throat are here to stay. The tonsillectomy got rid of my psoriasis and tonsilitis but I still regret the uvula though – it was totally unnecessary to remove it, just a 2 birds with one stone thing. I miss you, uvula!
Mario 06.25.08 / 1pm

Whew! 3 weeks later I am on a full regular diet after my uvulectomy! My girlfriend says that I don’t snore anymore but I can’t tell yet if it will improve my sleep. Only time will tell. Hang in there for the rest of you!
Mardi 06.28.08 / 2am

Hi everyone. I’m due to have both a UPPP and a transpalatal advancement done on Wed 2nd Jul 08. Anyone who has had both operations done? Pain rating please? I have 3 small children and just want to be prepared. I have heard that I will be placed on a morphine pump – Morphine makes me vomit – anyone else have any success with any other strong stuff? Thanks for your comments
Mardi
Drew 06.29.08 / 9am

Hey all,
I’m scheduled to have a septoplasty and uvulectomy on July 2. The focus of the surgery is to repair my septum. However, my ENT said that I have an elongated uvula, and that by removing it, I may stop snoring. I do have apnea, but it is as mild as it comes. I am hoping somebody could give me some guidance on whether to have the uvulectomy or not. Thanks
big rosie greenbaum 06.29.08 / 5pm

Drew, I would NOT do it! I had my uvula taken out in January and it has been a nightmare (see my previous posts). I too had very mild snoring but my doctor convinced me that it would be like ‘two birds, one stone’ because of the tonsillectomy. Here it is six months later and I have constant mucus and cold air in my throat. The uvula is a cushion and a barrier and now I don’t have the benefits of that anymore. I would NOT do it – it is SO not worth it.

Rosie
Mardi 06.29.08 / 7pm

Hi Drew,
I have been visiting an Apnea forum which discusses all sorts of questions and comments regarding your surgery. I urge you to visit it:-
http://www.apneasupport.org/index.php?sid=143e1a0e60f8cdb53d043b7d7db053e9
I’m also having surgery on 2nd July.
Good luck!

Mardi
mario 06.29.08 / 9pm

Hi Drew, As mentioned above. I also had my uvula out for mild sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome…it was extremely painful beginning from day 2 – day 12 or so after the procedure. I could not even eat water ice (too cold and my uvula was really sensitive)….all i had for that stretch was gatorade, slightly melted ice cream, jello, and pudding….I lost 7 pounds! I’m now about 3 weeks out and am on a full diet. No more snoring either (which is really nice for me…and my girlfriend). My experience has been different than rosie’s (Rosie, I hope you feel better soon). I agree with your doc, however, and would say that if both procedures are painful why not do them at the same time. Make sure you alot plenty of time away from work (at least 1 week, and probably more). The only way to contorl your pain well is with good pain meds (like percocet) that will make you unable to drive and think well.
If you are really bothered by your snoring, then add on the uvulectomy….if not, then definately don’t. My snoring was interfering with my sleep so badly that it was worth it for me.
BobG 07.04.08 / 12am

My situation is a tad different. I don’t have apnea and I generally don’t snore. I did however awaken to a swollen uvula about 7 mos. ago. It never went back to it’s original length and now I’m considering surgery as it is driving me nuts. It feels like a N.Y strip hanging there, resting on my tongue. I keep trying to swallow it.

This would not be a total removal of the uvula but a ‘trim’, just enough to get it off my tongue.

If there’s any consensus in this blog about the procedure it has to be the pain angle and I’m ready for that. The long term post op complications scare me the most.

I’m thinking that removing half of my 15mm long uvula will give me relief, but not cause any swallowing problems.

Thoughts people?
big rosie greenbaum 07.04.08 / 3am

Mario, did you actually say ‘water ice’? You from Philly too?!

Still no improvement on my throat. I have no choice but to accept that it will fee this way forever. Just like Bob G said, it feels as if there is something hanging in my throat as well, I have the instinct to “swallow” it every waking moment, trouble is, there’s nothing to swallow. Doctor says it could be acid reflux, but even he’s stumped and he’s the best ENT in town. Water 24 hrs a day and a teaspoon of olive oil down my throat – neither helps all that much, but at least emotionally I guess it feels like I’m doing something positive.

Bob, your surgery might now be as bad as mine if you are only getting a “trim”. My doctor says that anytime you have throat surgery it makes every sensation in your mouth that much more intense and that’s why you could experience acid reflux afterwards. Good luck!
BobG 07.14.08 / 12am

Drew? Did you have the procedure? Do tell.
ScoutKC 07.14.08 / 12pm

On July 7th I had a Uvulectomy and septoplasty. I suffered from some pretty nasty birth defects inside my nose – it was a zig zag and required a heap of work. Over time, it almost completely blocked breathing through my nose. It was also found that my uvula was too large. It has only been a week and breathing is already much easier. My face hurt so bad that it countered the pain in my throat, but all in all it wasn’t really that bad. I am just taking Tylenol now. I can’t yet account for the ultimate results as it is too soon, but I believe that they will be great.
So – the reason I am on this site is not to brag that it wasn’t that bad, but to look for answers (which I found, thank you very much!) as to why the roof of my mouth feels like I have been kicked by a horse! Aside from the normal, stitches, hanging skin and other annoyances, that is the worst pain. It is sooo sensitive to hot and cold I can only eat luke-warm things. I was so looking forward to weeks worth of Chunky Monkey, but no go – it is too cold and very painful to eat!

I hope everyone else is doing well and thanks for all of the great info!
Bob 07.17.08 / 11pm

Hello All,

I have seen three ENT specialists. The first indicated to have a UPPP. the second did not really believe in the UPPP but said Somnoplasty or Snoreplasty may help. The last ENT suggested to have the Uvulectomy and Tonsills taken out but actually my tonsils are not that bad. My relationship is in very bad trouble due to the snoring. Any suggestions, the many messages I see so far appear to show removal of Uvula can be disasterous.
Mardi 07.18.08 / 6am

Hey Bob,
I have found a great support group in the Sleep Apnea Support Group at http://www.apneasupport.org/index.php?sid=424004b7a455ef8a0f52e1443bea49a9
Give it a go – I’ve found it to be fantastic
Good luck
Mardi
bigrosiegreenbaum 07.18.08 / 5pm

Mardi – DO NOT REMOVE YOUR UVULA! Go back and read my prior posts – I am 7 months post-op and regretting my surgery. You have to look at the facts – removing the uvula cures snoring less than 50% of the time. So say you have yours removed and the snoring doesn’t get cured, but what you ARE left with is what I have – every time you breath in, you have cold air going straight down your throat (the uvula is what keeps the air you breathe warm) and the result is a dry, tight throat 24/7. Trust me, you DO NOT want what I will have to deal with the rest of my life. Think about what little gain you might get and what you will lose permanently. I’d give anything to be able to do this over and say NO.

Good luck

Rosie
Mardi 07.18.08 / 8pm

Hi Rosie, Too late. All done. I had to do something for my apnea hun – it was serious stuff. I also had a transpalatal advancement (palate removal). Yes I totally agree about the tight throat – mornings are the WORST! I am only just over 2 weeks post-surgery and now have a hole going from the roof of my mouth to my nasal cavity so everything that goes into my mouth ends up in my nose..eww tis gross. I’m trying to stay positive atm. I’m sorry to hear you regret your surgery – I’m hoping I don’t

All the best

Mardi
big rosie greenbaum 07.21.08 / 10pm

I wish you all the best, Mardi. I personally do regret it, but I am a whiner to begin with. The difference is that my surgery was definitely not necessary, like I said the doctor said he might as well take the uvula out while he was going in after the tonsils. I now think he wanted the money for the surgery.

I am hoping things get better with this tight throat. What you have is to be expected only 2 weeks post op, me I’m now almost 8 months and no end in sight. Please stay on the board and give updates as the months go by – hopefully you won’t have as tough a time as I have, but if you do at least we can bond.

Vive La Uvula!!
Rose 07.24.08 / 12am

Hi. I just got my tonsils and uvula removed last thurs (7/17). The pain from removing the uvula is awful. I haven’t been experiencing the cold and dry throat that Rosie had posted, but I kinda wished that found this website before removing the uvula. I had snored, not sure if I had sleep apnea, but I would often times wake myself up from my own snoring.
I find that since I don’t have a uvula (the stitches are still intact), I often have a runny nose and that the liquids (I’m still on a liquid diet) go up my nose if I’m not careful. Any tips on how to swallow without this happening? I can just imagine myself squirting food or drink out of my nose by accident when I’m at a formal dinner or something, it would be pretty embarrassing. In addition, it is very uncomfortable. Thanks.
Jason Lancaster 07.24.08 / 9am

Rose, I must chime in on your comment and stress that not everyone here has had problems with this procedure. Both Mario and Chris N seem to have good results, as well as myself.

The fact of the matter is that the people who go out and research this type of thing after are generally the ones who have had problems (or are very curious). There are lots of people every day who have this surgery and come out just fine, albeit a bit of pain.

That said, I personally think you’ll re-learn swallowing and other things that the uvula assists with very quickly. Every person is going to be a bit different too depending on how much of the uvula was left after it was removed. I believe I could swallow easily after about two months and even upside down after about a year.

Oh, and if anyone wonders, my ability to “oink like a pig” came back after about two years.
Rose 07.24.08 / 11am

Thanks for your quick reply. I was just concerned after reading all of this. You’re absolutely right in that everyone’s experience is different. Thanks Jason for also setting setting up this string, it’s a great resource.
After all of the post op pain is gone, I will concentrate on re learning how to swallow, it’s just all so very new to me.l
big rosie greenbaum 07.29.08 / 11pm

Ok all, for all my whining and complaining, it looks like things are getting better. At least my doctors have all pinpointed my problem – acid reflux seems to be the consensus. My latest ENT says that a large buildup of mucus in the throat is an indicator of reflux. I refuted the reflux theory because all the research I did about it said that heartburn and stomach cramps went along with it. Now, I know different. My throat being so dry has much to do with my habit – since the surgery – of breathing through my mouth instead of my nose. The doctor thinks my deviated septum is what has made me unconsciously start breathing through my mouth. I have noticed an improvement since I have trained myself to breathe in through the nose. I think that’s key. Also, other things like using Oasis dry-mouth mouthwash and a spray called Simply Saline – something I HIGHLY recommend (I use it right before bed and first thing when I wake up and NEVER leave the house without it) – helps a lot.

As it turns out, the uvula really is a useless piece of tissue and not the buffer I thought that it was. It’s just that any type of throat surgery is going to intensify sensations in the mouth for a VERY long time. I am now focusing on the positive parts of the surgery – no more tonsilitis and my psoriasis is 99% gone. Who knew tonsils controlled that?

Oh, and I can’t “oink” either – another positive, I guess!
big rosie greenbaum 07.29.08 / 11pm

Rose, as for tips on how to swallow, I remember after my surgery the best thing I could do was to hold the liquid in my mouth like a little puddle for a few seconds and then tilt my head back and just let it flow down and wait for it to go all the way down – that way it didn’t come back through my nose.

Today, I don’t need to do that but I still find it easier to use a straw than to chug anything because chugging just goes straight down and makes me cough. I don’t know why but I don’t seem to have the “chug” control I had pre-op. Also, water is pretty much all I can drink now except for creamy things like milkshakes (which probably doesn’t help the reflux issue at all). I find that sodas and juices burn my throat and don’t taste good anymore and with wine, I can only do a few small sips and have to use the “puddle” technique because of the acidity.

Good luck and I highly recommend using Simply Saline as much as possible.
Rose 07.30.08 / 12am

Glad to hear that you are feeling better Rosie. I tried tilting my head back and it works! Thanks for the tip. I can do without soda but no more wine? I can imagine like you said that the acid burns it, but I love my vino! I hope that that is just temporary. Did anyone else experience this sensitivity to alcohol after the surgery? If so, for how long or is it forever?
I’ll look for Simply Saline at the store. When my uvula gets dried out it starts getting really raw, so this product should help.
Thanks!
Paulette 07.30.08 / 1am

Hey there;
My surgery was September 24, 2007 and I have to say I still have times where I gag because of the little skin I think I have hanging in the back of my throat. Turns out it is scar tissue and now I have to get used to feeling it there. For the most part things are greart, I no longer snore, I can eat anything and drink soft drinks, I cannot say for wine and other drinks as such as I do not drink. But I can drink gingerale and pop no problem. I am sometimes sorry I did it, and that just on ly when I am having problems with the so called hanging skin.

Glad to hear everyone seems to be healing from the surgery. I do sometimes gewt really dry mouth. Supposed it will stop some day soon…..

It is nice to see though that I was not and am not alone when it comes to having the surgery as well as some of the after effects.
Paulette 07.31.08 / 9am

Although I have the skin in the back of my throat sensation, it has cured my snoring, and to makes me drink more water. To anyone who just had it done, and cannot swallow send your other half to the pharmacy, most have a liquid form of what you need to take away the pain, I had children’s gravol as well as children’s tylenol ask the pharmacist he will tell you what to take and remember drink drink drink you cannot or do not want to get dehydrated. It does get better and some of the after effects are not felt the same by two people, we are all different.
Rose 07.31.08 / 7pm

How about the voice? Did anyone experience a change in your voice? I seem to sound nasally all the time, is that normal? Permanent? If so, is there a way to correct it?
Paulette 07.31.08 / 10pm

Hey Rose

That will go away, I am a singer and I was so afraid that this would affect my singing voice and I am happy to report it has not. I was nasally for a bit but not anymore, my surgery was in September 2007.

Paulette
Rose 07.31.08 / 10pm

Kool! I’m glad to hear that Paulette. =)
Kates 08.06.08 / 6pm

I just have one question…for any of you that had a tonsillectomy and experienced a change in your taste buds. I had my tonsils out over a month ago and still experience a generally bland taste of many foods. I’m starting to worry that my sense of taste will not return. My throat feels 99% healed – only minor tightness and discomfort when I sneeze or yawn. If any of you noticed a change in taste, how long did it last? Did your taste return? My sweet tooth misses tasting the sweetness of all my foods Although, I’ve noticed that overly processed foods taste gross and that’s not all bad since they’re not great for me anyway

Thanks!
Vera 08.13.08 / 8pm

It’s day 22 since my tonsillectomy (and adenoidectomy). The first 4 days were hellish. I dropped 10 lbs, the liquid vicodin and codeine made my stomach upset (in fact I stopped taking them and just lived through the immense pain) and my breath was foul. Eating ice cream is a myth. It just creates phlegm! Applesauce and lots of ice packs to my throat were the only things that soothed me. My mom tried to make me drink Metamucil, one little sip, and I was done (it’s way too grainy).

The second week I was starting to talk a bit, although like Elmer Fudd. What I found most distressing was sneezing. Even now, my sneezes are violent and everything just comes straight out my nose with such force, that it’s embarrassing. I’m grossed out by the amount of snot that gets deposited on my shirt. Will the sneezing ever improve?

It’s the third week and my sleep apnea is just about non-existent…and I’m keeping the weight off. My voice is still not back to normal. I sound like a little kid, and one person even asked if I were “from the Islands” – whatever that means. I’m thankful I did this surgery despite all the pain.
Paulette 08.17.08 / 1am

It is almost 1 year since my surgery. September 24 will be my anniversary. My voice has changed on the phone I have to say that I like it a lot. My singing voice has not changed, however when I sing in French not the same, the little skin that is supposed non existing really bothers me and there are some words I have problems with. I am also greatful in some instances for the surgery but when I get so dry and the skin that is not at the back of my throat makes me gag I am not so happy. And the sneezing on one self will improve that is for sure. The nasal voice also goes away and things seem to remember where it is they come from and where they should go ie: throat, nose or elsewhere. there are the odd strays but for the most part everything back to normal. I too had experienced a lot of pain the first week and what is this ice cream bull I too could not take it down, nothing with grains it hurt even swallowing childrens gravol and children liquid tylenol but it knocked me out for a bit and I got some sleep. I wrote a lot of the things I wanted to say the first few days and I slep in the lazy boy in the livingroom not to bother anyone with my wimpering, everytimes you experience a new pain you think nothing is worse than this. I can tell you, I have had kidney stones, gull stones, ulcers, one natural child birth and nothing compares to the pain of this surgery because it not only affects your mouth but your ears. Once you have ear pain to go along with the mounth pain that is when grown adults become sad little children looking for their mommies. But all in all I am still alive better and still living my life thank you Doctors for the good job and thanks to my home support for being patient and helping me find the solutions to my pain control. Hope this helps someone.
Jim Archer 08.25.08 / 5pm

I am having UPPP surgery this coming Friday, August 29, 2008. I am trepiditious to say the least after doing all of this research and learning about the negatives. I have mild sleep apnea and snore like a freight train. It affects my personal life and probably ultimately my health. Should I go for it in spite of it all? My number is 678.427.2142 if anyone would like to weigh in on my major decision. My pre-op is this coming Wednesday.
paul pantazopoulos 08.26.08 / 1am

Hi my name is Paul and I have never had to make such a difficult decision in my life.I do have severe sleep apnia that I was diagnosed with 1 year ago,the doctors told me that losing weight might make the sleep apnia go away which im sure was relayeed to all of you,Im 6′2 and when diagnosed with sleep ap I was 225 lbs,Im now currently 200 lbs,1 year later and I still have it.My doctor says that even losing 10-20 lbs more might cure the apnea.My reasoning to this is that im 36 yrs old and realistically speaking,I can’t be 185-195 the rest of my life,people do gain and lose weight over time.I tried using the sleep apnia machine.NO DAMN WAY i can live with a vacuum on my face the rest of my life,not to mention,I can’t naturally fall asleep at the beach or in any of lifes normal given circumstances,or even if I have a cold or a flu that the machine would be useless.My ENT suggested the super long named surgery which involves septum,turbines,removal of tonsils and Uvula which will open my passage ways and most likely help me sleep better,my decision was to only continue losing weight as well as getting the septum and turbine surgery.My ENT still stated that will not cure sleep apnia.Im confused! My surgery will take place on September 19/08 and Im strongly thinking of doing what my ENT recommends.I don’t mind going through pain if it will help me sleep better,after all, slep apnia can be detrimental to the health,even causing death. Its not the pain that scares me but more so the side effects from most of you with the removal of the uvula. I dont want to have a permanent feeling the rest of my life in my throat.Can you all please be so kind and help me with my decision making.I must say that sleep apnia is effecting my whole life in a negative .i hve no energy,im always tired,moody,nervous,indecisive and afraid of falling asleep.Sleeping and resting properly seems like a treat and I forgot what it’s like……
Paulette 08.26.08 / 11am

Hey there Paul

Listen the feeling is not always there for the most part now I have to say that I only now and angain feel the scar at the back of my throat. I do say in the beginning drink lots of water that will help. The pain is intense the first four days and then it isn’t all that bad and you will be on the way to eating normal and having anything you want. I have to say I sleep much better and I sleep through to the morning now. I did not have sleep apnea but a little discomfort at the back of the throat is so worth not needing the cpap to sleep. Those machines are a pain for the individual and some are loud. Trust me today I am sitting here and cannot feel the scar my surgery was September 24 2007 and I am good.

I gave Jim archer a call this morning and I was telling him the little bit of discomfort varies from person to person. Just like no two people has the same pain threshold. You may be a little nasal in the beginning but that slowly disappears and you will not notice it anymore after awhile it goes away. I am a singer and I have my total voice only in French do I have problem but again very minimal. And you no longer can snort like a pig but that is not a bad thing….lol
Jim Archer 08.30.08 / 6am

I had my UPPP surgery yesterday and approaching post-op day one. I went in to the place at 6:00 AM and was wheeled in at 7:30 AM on the dot. Surgery commenced at 7:50 AM and I was out at 8:40 AM. My uvula was removed and my palate was trimmed. 16 stitches in total. Pain index – a 4 on a 1-10. I was mostly bored yesterday having to wait there to ensure that I wouldn’t swell up or suffer from a blood clot which I didn’t.

I am very glad I did it and I would do it again. I have one of the best ENT/sleep disorder doctors in the country here in Atlanta. He did my deviated septum surgery a year ago first which he found to be screwed up due to a cosmetic nasal surgery I had done with another doctor 5 years prior. I refused the UPPP surgery after the septum surgery with this new doctor. I had three sleep studies and all indicated mild-moderate sleep apnea and heavy (shake the walls) snoring, not a sexy thing for a guy who wants to keep a nice woman in his life. I am 6′1″ and about 215 lbs. but I’m come to learn it has some to do with weight but very thin people snore like trains, too. Unless you are 300 lbs. or more, I wouldn’t blame it on your weight. I am anatomically narrow in my airway. The CPAP machine sucks (or blows rather) and I kept taking it off at night. Hardly sexy looking either. So, that failed. A year after his performed my septum surgery, which was last month, I went in and “enlisted.” I called them and I told them, “I want UPPP surgery ASAP.” I went in for a consultation with the doctor and he said, good idea, but let me give you the options again: CPAP (no!) and laser assisted treatments that reduce the uvula and tighten surrounding tissues (4-5 of them, in office, less invasive, not covered by insurance companies) to which I said no.

So, here I am: completing the first 24 days, and right now, I am very happy! And get this, my wife tells me I didn’t snore one time last night. Call me anytime, 678.427.2142, even this weekend if you’d like. I can speak just fine. Jim Archer
Jim Archer 08.30.08 / 6am

Meant to say, 24 hours, not 24 days…
Jim Archer 08.31.08 / 9am

Starting Day 3 – post-op recovery: If you take the pain medicine every 4 hours, it’s a good thing and keeps me very comfortable. I take the antibiotic every 6 hours but only AFTER 30 minutes of eating because it upsets my stomach very briefly. If I wait 30 minutes, it’s a no-brainer. I wake up every four hours and take the pain medicine. I eat oatmeal, apple sauce, soups, jellos, and drink lots of water. Take gulps of liquids, not sips and do not use a straw. Make the liquids ice cold — they feel better going down. You are getting used to a different kind of swallow where you don’t have anymore help from the uvula. Is it worth it? Yes. For now the third day, my wife says you haven’t snored once. That’s a nice thing to hear and I’m probably sleeping better, too. I can tell around the three-hour mark that my throat feels as if I have a couple of razor blades in it but in 5 minutes after taking the pain medicine, I am good to go. I will keep coming back here and updating everyone. Jim
J. Archer 08.31.08 / 8pm

Took a nap tonight for about an hour in a supine position and snored a lot for the first time. Wonder what’s up with that? Maybe congestion, who knows.
J. Archer 09.01.08 / 2pm

Starting Day 4 – congestion causes some snoring; eating only applesauce, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes and pasta — all of which taste and go down well. Sleeping most of today (cat naps) and it looks as if I’ve lost some weight already (not a bad thing, right?). Needed to lose about 15 lbs. anyway, and so I’m on my way. I am hoping that when all is said and done from this UPPP surgery, my metabolism will increase, sleep apnea and snoring disappear and recup a lot of lost good years of sleep and health. I should be able to manage my goal weight more effectively as I continue to exercise. Today, the pain is very minimal. Remember to take big gulps of liquid when drinking because you are learning a new way to swallow. You don’ thave the uvula to act as a “rudder” anymore. Also, when the I take the pain medicine, I have a tendancy to sip it and it likes to go up my nose which is annoying and stings a little. I suggest take it, hold it in your mouth, then gulp a bunch of water and down it all at once. That works very well for me. Watch a lot of TV and do mindless things. Reading is difficult because of a lack of focus.
Paulette 09.01.08 / 6pm

Very important to remember if you have any kind of surgery take the recovery time needed to get better. Although it is in the mouth you will still feel tired.

And as Jim says do mindless things, I found the TV kept me company and then also helped me sleep. lol

I also mentioned Big Rosie if you still come here this will be for you also. The scar tissue you will feel for a long while, I am almost 1 year post op and I have to say that I do not always feel the scar tissue in my throat only now and again. I does get better guys, think of it this way.
When you have a scar on your arm it goes from dark red to light red then pink and then white to almost blend into your skin and it doesn’t happen over night. This scar at the back of your mouth is slowly going to disappear and you will no longer feel it. Took a long time and I noticed the other day that sometimes I feel it and most time I don’t.

Things will get better, sleeping with a C-Pap or a Bi-pap machine is not only a pain it is in some cases depending on the machine noisy. This is much more comfortable. Within the first days of the surgery you should be able to sleep on your side or your back, but until the swelling goes down maybe sleep at an angle. And remember to ask your Dr for the liquid for of the pain killer and it is as effective if mixed with water to swallow, it softens the blow.

Take care all an patience is what will get you through this.
J. Archer 09.02.08 / 1am

Liquid pain and antibiotic medicines as Paulette says – yes, for sure. Also, if you were taking tablet form medications prior to surgery, I am finding that these are still OK to take but one at a time (to be safe) with a big gulp of ice cold water.
J. Archer 09.02.08 / 9am

Starting Day 5 post-op – lots of congestion in back of throat and phlegm build up on tongue; snored a lot last night probably due to congestion (what else is left to blame it on??). I find that a really good tongue scraper you can buy from the drug store is excellent and removing all of that crap from your tongue. By the way, I scrape my tongue every day anyway–good for your cardiac health–and keeping you healthy in general and away from bacteria–Google! it and find out for yourself. Anyway…minimal pain and I’m finding that pain medicine is required in longer intervals (say, every 5 hours instead of 3 hours). I forgot to take it at 6 AM today and woke up at 8 AM with hardly any pain. I feel more rested today and than in previous days…it’s a slow process but fun and exciting to watch things get better slowly…I mean this seriously…Yes: I would do it again. Jim
J. Archer 09.02.08 / 9am

Continuation-Day 5 post-op: Pain it is not; I would describe the feeling since surgery as “mild to moderate discomfort.” Pain it is really not. If you take your pain medication, you won’t have either. Make sense? The word pain has bad connotations to most everyone when they read it and fear sets in. I would not describe this post-op recovery as “painful.” Paulette????
Paulette 09.02.08 / 9am

That’s right Jim, it is more discomfort than pain. It also depends on the individuals as to how they interpret their discomfort, no two people are alike. By day six I was humming and day 7, I was singing a song. The problem I encountered was that I was not drinking enough water and was getting dehydrated, you have to remember to drink a lot so as to not get dehydrated.

I have personally spoke with Jim and he sounds great, did not sound nasal at all, that also depends on the individual.
J. Archer 09.02.08 / 10am

I think I sound fine as Paulette states. Swallowing smaller sips is annoying and cumbersome at times because the liquid wants to come up my nose. Paulette tells me that that goes away. The congestion and phlegm build up are consequences of the healing process. I am using that little breathing exercise machine to strengthen my lungs so as to minimize the potential for pneumonia. Again, last night I snored which is annerving but that’s hopefully due to congestion only at this point. Again, I would not classify the post-op recovery as painful. If you say pain, my people going into fear mode. This is not the case for me.
J. Archer 09.02.08 / 4pm

I ate some tender roasted chicken breast and pasta ravioli today for lunch – small bites – no problem in chewing and swallowing the chicken breast meat.
A. Barrera 09.06.08 / 11pm

I’m getting ready to schedule Septoplasty, turbinectomy, tonsillectomy, and uppp here in a couple of days. It’s been comforting reading all the entries. I’m almost 30, and I’ve had apnea and various nasal problems since I was 6-7. My sympotms have gotten worse in the past 6 mos. The fact that there might be some light at the end of the tunnel is exciting.
J. Archer 09.09.08 / 3pm

Almost completing Day 11 post-op UPPP surgery – Yesterday, I turned the corner remarkably with respect to the discomfort index. Wasn’t needing any pain medication at all. I have lost 12 lbs. and able to fit into some old jeans. I am not snoring anymore. I have had some issues with congestion on Days 3 & 4 and Days 10 and 11 (today), predominantly in the throat and tongue area. I have been breathing heavy at times due to congestion but this is temporary. Bed partner says I haven’t woken her up once since the UPPP surgery. This is an accomplishment. A tongue scraper works wonder on getting rid of any phlegm or congestion build up on the tongue and makes you feel that much better. Also, it’s better for your health anyway to use a good tongue scraper on a daily basis. I highly encourage you to get one if you already don’t have one and use it at least once a day. What you’ll find is that you will use it 2-3 times per day while you are in recovery and it makes you feel so much better. Would I do this UPPP surgery again? Absolutely. No doubt. It is well worth the benefits, and I think I am going to be a signficantly healthier individual for it all. The stitches go away in 6-8 weeks. I had 16 of them and during post-op appointment today, my first one, one of the 16 stitches is loose but no big deal. All looks great. The stitches tickle me a little bit and it’s still difficult and slow eating bread, salads, and other foods because of the discomfort associated with swallowing. If you maintain a soft diet, it’s a no brainer but I want to get back to eating regularly. I enjoy the weight loss though, so I might not. I find that it takes a lot longer to eat a meal than ever due to the temporary nature of the recovery but that’s a good thing. Eating slower and swallowing more chewed food are always good things anyway. Helps with digestion, etc. People who ask me should I do this along with a septoplasty and a turbinectonomy procedure, and I said, yes. The nasal surgery is a cake walk recovery (almost zero discomfort and no pain medication for me) compared to the UPPP, so why not knock them both out at the same time? I would MOST certainly advise you to do so.
J. Archer 09.09.08 / 3pm

I spoke with A. Barrera from British Columbia yesterday and advised him to do it all at once, and he thought it was a good idea and he was going to check on it.
J. Archer 09.09.08 / 4pm

Spelling error…turbinectomy.
J. Archer 09.10.08 / 11am

Beginning Day 12 post-op UPPP – status quo today; no discomfort really of any kind and, therefore, I have not taken any pain meds; slept OK (but not great) last night and didn’t snore at all which makes her very happy. Good for a relationship – getting rid of the snoring. I am still physically tired from it all. Little naps here and there are wise moves. I am very happy about my results. Will check in later.
Lauren 09.13.08 / 5pm

Im 16, & had my surgery thursday morning, it is now saturday night.
I am still in constant agony,
I cant actually open my mouth, i cant only open it very slightly.
As it is constatnyl filled with saliva.
I struggle extrememe amounts with eating, I have eating 1 sausage a mouthful of mash a slice of toast & 3/4 of a cheese pasty which isn’t alot at all as i am a very big eater.
I can’t even swallow tablets.
Just swalloing down the saliva brings tears to my eyes instantly & this happens 24/7 it is making it extremly hard to sleep also.
My mum is constantly having a go at me to eat more else i cannot take tablets.
But I’m in agony either way.
I just want to know if anyone else feels as though there throat is literally blocked.
I have also been told that it is where im too tense but it is almost impossible to relax with such agony.
If someone could replu asap it would be extremly helpful….
Thanks Laurenn.
J. Archer 09.14.08 / 12am

What surgery did you have Lauren? You didn’t specify anything. It’s hard to help you if you don’t explain the situation.
J. Archer 09.14.08 / 12am

Completing Day 15 – post-op UPPP surgery – drinking beer and carbonated drinks doesn’t feel really good and I hope this changes with time and healing. When I wake up in the morning, my mouth and throat are really dry. When I drink them, it feels as if I have a slight sore throat when I swallow. No snoring. I am napping a lot and sleeping as much as I can. Not sure how well rested I am yet. The body is still in recovery and I tire easily at mid-day. I haven’t resumed racket sports yet but I plan to starting mid next week. I hope that all works out well with physical activities.
Claire 09.14.08 / 2am

I am having a UPPP, tonsils out, and a back of the tongue reduction on Weds, Sept 17th. Is there a soft foods I should stock in the house before I go?

I am also scheduled for one night in the hospital. Is that normal?
J. Archer 09.14.08 / 5pm

Hi, Claire: Yes, overnight in the hospital for all that you are having done is normal. They are looking for blood clotting potential and you don’t want that. Everything soft like yogurt, jello, noodles, soups, apple sauce, and oatmeal and that’s about it. Nothing carbonated for a while and nothing spicy. Nothing more than these things for at least 10-14 days but listen to your doctor’s instructions. You are having quite a bit of work done and so your down time will be significantly greater than mine. Call me if you’d like at 678.427.2142 as I would be happy to further discuss. Also, if you read my blogs on this web site, you’ll know more, too. I just had the UPPP surgery. Jim
J. Archer 09.16.08 / 1am

Paulette: I had the first sensation of a cold drink going up my nose today. Will that go away with time or will that happen often? I was really thirsty today and stopped off for a big gulp at 7 Eleven and drank it fast and it came out of both my nostrils. Funny! Other than that, I am doing fine. Jim
Paulette 09.16.08 / 1am

Hi Jim
Yes that too will go away, your body will retrain you to swallow and in not to long awhile your big gulp will be going down your throat again. wow that must have been sticky….lol I can’t say that anything went up my nose that way, just little bit and I catch it right away. I still sometimes asparate when I am drinking, being a woman seems I can’t wait to get what I want to say out before I am done drinking….lol

I am almost one year post op, my surgery was September 24, 2007 and I am better swallowing is ok and if dry mouth occurs I drink water or something else. I has not affected my singing voice it has helped me sleep so soundly and much better, I also sleep right through to the morning without waking up. Oh yeah and forget about entering a pig calling contest you will loose…..lol have a great day everyone and good luck with any up and coming surgery and remember to relax and get plenty of rest if you are recovering from any kind of surgery let nature tell you when you can take on a full day.

Good night signing out…..
Paulette
Vera 09.16.08 / 5pm

I was doing some biz dev work and I came across this Dreyer’s Fruit Bar FREE tonsillectomy care package. Wish I knew about it before I had mine taken out!!

http://www.dreyers.com/brand/fruitbars/tonsillectomy.asp?b=135
J. Archer 09.16.08 / 10pm

Thanks, Paulette. It has only happened once but I was majorly thirsty and gulped several mouth fulls and swallowed them and one didn’t make it so well. It’s really difficult to tell if I am sleeping better. You are right, I can’t make a pig snorting noise anymore but that’s OK. I went into this as the objective to eliminate snoring, and I think it’s successful.

Hope you are doing well. When is your next surgery we talked about?

Jim
Paulette 09.17.08 / 1am

Hey there Jim

My next surgery will be I believe in November sometime. I am meeting with the surgeon next Thursday the 25th of September in Utica New York. I am nervous and excited at the same time.
Claire 09.17.08 / 2am

Surgery is tomorrow morning. I will let you know how it goes! I have had other kinds of surgeries before but this one makes me more nervous……it’s the throat and mouth, used for two essentials things…..eating and breathing. When I got my gall bladder out, it was used for very little and I never missed it!

Stocked up on all sorts of liquids and soft food. We will see what goes done well and tastes good.
Paulette 09.17.08 / 2am

Hey there Claire;

If memory serves me right , on the first day try to get water down, the more you drink the better. I also was able to swallow luke warm broth that helped also.

Good luck I will be thinking about you.
Paulette 09.17.08 / 2am

I also had my gull bladder out and I never missed it either but this is different. I remember thinking to myself there is nothing worse than a gull stone attack, then that got topped by kidney stones and then by ulcer but let me tell you no two people are the same, we all have our own way of dealing with pain. Myself I felt like a little kid, I didn’t complain but at first the pain was overwhelming than I remembered to breath and it got better real fast I was singing within a few days. So remember breath and relax and if you feel like sleeping do that also it will make time go by and if you can’t sleep watch PBS and that should do it…..lol I remember I couldn’t sleep and this is how I found this site and I have to say it helped a lot to come on here and share how I was feeling and knowing I was not alone.

Take care and good luck
J. Archer 09.18.08 / 6pm

Recovery still underway – it will be three weeks tomorrow since UPPP surgery. Difficulty (moderate discomfort) in swallowing carbonated beverages (beer and sodas) probably due to carbonic acids. Paulette: Will this improve? Also, sometimes I hear a squeeky little noise when I eat fast and swallow. Will that improve, too? Removing the uvula has eliminated my snoring, but want to ask you, Paulette, if these things will improve over time. Also, I still feel my stitches and they say it’ll take 4 – 6 weeks for them to completely dissolve. Please advise. Jim
Paulette 09.18.08 / 11pm

Hi Jim:

Yes these things get better with time. The scar tissue you will feel for awhile. Just think when you have a scar on your arm or leg you can see it because it goes from red to pink and then finally white to match your skin. Same with the scar in your mouth only instead of seeing it you are feeling it, another sensation. The weezing sound does go away but every now and then I catch myself when I breath a little whitle, specially when I am medatating and at the end of my breath I hear sound nothing but almost like my voice trying to coe out. It all gets better with time. I drink soft drinks, no problem I eat no problem sometimes I wish it was a problem lol….just kidding. I swear everyone it all gets better and time is the only healer in this situation. Everything in good time. I barely notice the scar now, only now and again but I am almost 1 year post op.
J. Archer 09.18.08 / 11pm

Thanks, Paulette. It sounds like a wheezing sound, exactly. Don’t feel any scar tissue, only the stitches. I have had a very minor sore throat for the past three days, and I seem to be very tired. I go in for another post-op appointment in October and for another sleep study in December 2008. We’ll see if the sleep apnea and the snoring are officially gone! Would be curious how my other health issues are positively affected – metabolism, blood pressure, and weight management. Jim
Paulette 09.18.08 / 11pm

Weight loss for sure, in order to loose weight when on any diet you need to get your sleep in. If you are not sleeping right than it affect weight loss. As for other things I am not sure
J. Archer 09.19.08 / 1pm

Paulette: Call me when you have a free moment, please, at 678.427.2142. Jim
J. Archer 09.20.08 / 1pm

Paulette: I wonder how Claire is doing and our friend from British Columbia. Too bad they haven’t checked in yet…also, Paulette, I am dreaming more now and seem to sleep a lot deeper and wake up a little groggy. Is that normal? What does that mean? Sleep apnea is finally gone??? Jim
Paulette 09.20.08 / 4pm

All it means is that you are now catching up to all the sleep deprevation that you have had over the years.

Oh and the groggy maybe having to do with the pills not sure
J. Archer 09.20.08 / 4pm

I am on no pills. Are you serious about the sleep deprevation comment? What about the dreaming? Wondering if my sleep apnea has gone away…only time will tell after I get the sleep study done in December 2008…
Paulette 09.20.08 / 4pm

Yeah I am serious, you have been all this time without a good nights sleep. As well you are dreaming now because when you have sleep apnia you do not sleep a whole night, you can wake so many times that a dream does not have time to come along, if you understand what I mean. And your are groggy because it is a different kind of exhaustion.
lesa 09.21.08 / 11am

my husband had the septoplasty,tonsilectomy,uppp three days ago and the pain is unbearable,he can barely swallow the pain meds,can’t eat or drink and the mucus is horrible. he has sleep apnea and he is not snoring but he also is not sleeping. he has also been brought down by major panic attacks he said he would never do it again and would not advise it.However he may feel differently after the pain subsides some. Right now he is miserable. Any suggestions on anything he could eat, I am afraid of dehydration.
Paulette 09.21.08 / 9pm

Hey there Lesa
Ask his pharmacist about getting the pain meds in liquid form. The most important thing is to drink even if he doesn’t eat drink. I also managed chiken broth when I had mine done and I totally identify with him as the first four days for me where hell also and I go dehydrated and that is when my honey went to the pharmacist and even children’s gravole worked to help me sleep, it was liquid form. again remember to ask the pharmacist as everyone is different.

I at the time could not imagine ever doing that again, lucky he will not as this only gets done once poor dude.
Marla 09.21.08 / 11pm

My husband had UPPP surgery on 9/18 and he is miserable. Day 2 after surgery he was doing much better now we are on day 4 and he is a nightmare. He won’t eat or drink anything…says it just hurts too much so why would he do something that will just cause him pain. He was given pills percocet which he has been taking religiously every 3 hours and will run out in Tuesday. He also is very cranky and moody and not sleeping. Is this normal? How can I convince him he needs to be drinking and eating????
J. Archer 09.22.08 / 2pm

Lesa and Marla: Get liquid pain meds like Roxicet and Hydrocodone. Don’t take pill forms of the meds. Roxicet you he’ll need for the first two weeks. I know because read my blogs aforementioned. I am nearly 3.5 weeks post-op and I’m doing very well. I would do it again. I am occasionally experiencing mild discomfort but nothing major. It just takes weeks and maybe a few months. What I can tell you with 100% confidence, they need to stay AHEAD of the pain management schedule. If they say every 6 hours, take pain meds every 4 hours, but listen to your doctor. Don’t let up on this schedule for at least 10-14 days. I had a full-time nurse post-op for the first 10 hours and she filled me head with great information and so I’m passing it along. Also, gulp water and liquids. Don’t sip. It’ll all work out; be patient and tell your mates to have patience. It’s all for the good. Jim
J. Archer 09.22.08 / 2pm

Lesa or Marla, you are welcome to call me at 678.427.2142 to further discuss. Jim
dylan 09.22.08 / 10pm

im 15 male in australia i had my tonsills and adenoids taken out 8 days ago i have a school camp to the goldcoast in 15 days im realy looking forward to it but right now im in so much pain constantly spitting up flem bleeding and havent eatin since the operation ive lost 6 kilos (which is nice:) ) but im reall worried about bein healed enough to go to theme parks and enjoy myself ? can anyone give me some advice im current taking panadol and thats it is there anything that helped anyone else
J. Archer 09.23.08 / 8pm

Dylan: Read the aforementioned notes I’ve made regarding pain management, etc. I think they will address your concerns. Best, Jim
dylan 09.24.08 / 7am

thanx but i cant get the hydrocodone any other ways today i felt a tad better i ate chinese food
was the best feeling finally eeating i just get really sore in the mornin and night what kinda things should i eat and drink to help and things that i should do to help
Claire 09.24.08 / 1pm

Sorry for the delay in my reply. The surgery (UPPP/Tonsillectomy/base of tongue reduction) went ok. Ended up spending two nights in hospital. Probably a good thing because I benefited from the IV fluids for one extra day. It is now 7 days since my surgery. The pain is awful. I have tried liquid vicodin and tylenol with codeine, and both upset my stomach. Do NOT want to throw up so I am trying to manage on just Children’s liquid tylenol. It alleviates some pain but not all.

I am HUNGRY but find it hard to eat. I am so sick of the few things I can eat…..broth, jello….and I hope to never eat another popsicle again in my life after I get better! I feel stuck at home but too weak to go anywhere. I need to get this throat feeling better so I can eat again.

I also don’t sleep well, especially without the benefits of the pain medication. Acid reflux is a problem. Got some liquid maalox which seems to help. I never knew I burped so much. Now, I know EVERY burp because even the tiniest bubble hurts.

This morning I sneezed! Owwww.

I just want to feel better! I always considered myself tough and have had a couple of other sugeries in the past and recovered quickly. This one is different. Even my doctor warned me about hard it was going to be, but really it is very very difficult…more than I had imagined. I keep hoping that each day I will feel a bit better…… One day I will be back to normal, I hope.
lesa 09.26.08 / 7pm

update, My husband is feeling some better, I have been giving him ensure drinks (they come in three different flavors) and they have a lot of vitamins and now I don’t think he seems so week from not eating,you may want to try them the pain is nowhere near gone but he has been able to drink these.
Cris 09.28.08 / 1am

Hello all, I had the UPPP/Tonsillectomy/base of tongue reduction back on August 22nd, so it’s been almost 5 weeks.
I found days 3-10 were the worst, just as my surgeon told me. This is when you have to make sure you get enough fluids so you don’t get dehydrated.

It has helped with my sleep apnea, snoring, and breathing. I have found my taste buds to be more sensitive to tastes now. I used the liquid Hydrocodone for pain, along with Tylenol. They worked well for me. I also slept alot – my sleep patterns were completely disrupted where I only slept about 2-3 hours, woke for 1-2 hours then sleep 2-3 hours, etc… for at least 1 1/2 weeks. Now, as my sleep patterns getting better, I sleep about 5-8 hours a night, and generally take an afternoon nap. I have noticed that I am starting to feel rested after sleeping now. I don’t think I’ve felt that since I was a child!

I did had a set back though. On day 14, I woke up coughing – or really trying hard not to cough, and found I was bleeding. I spat up blood for about 7 hrs. (6 1/2 in the ER). The IVs helped to reduce the bleeding, but did not stop it. Everyone in the ER wanted to wait for my surgeon to come and cauterize my throat. ( He was operating in another part of town, and came to the ER from there). While it is not common for a bleed, it is not uncommon either. But most bleeds occur within the first 10 days of the tonsils being removed. Kind of set me back to feeling like I did just a few days after the surgery. My surgeon said I did not break the record, though. He had one that bled on day 15.

Just be aware – I lost a lot of blood, I know it was over a pint. When they say to go to the ER if you start to bleed, they are not being conservative, get to the ER!.

My main staples have been Carnation Instant Breakfast, jello, pudding, water and Freezer Pops. I much preferred the Freezer Pops to popsicles or ice cream.

I am back to most foods, but much of the time I feel like I have something stuck in my throat when I eat because the taste buds in the back of my throat are enflamed. They are shrinking very, very slowly. I always have 1-2 Freezer Pops after eating too, as it lessens the stuck in the throat feeling.

While I say this is a very painful and difficult surgery, I had periodontal surgery many years ago where they cut open all my gums and added bone to my upper jaw. That I would say was worse. It took a good 6 months before I could really eat solid food, and over a year to lose EXTREME sensitivity to hot and cold. Ever go to a restaurant or bar and ask the waitress if she can microwave your beer for 10 seconds?

I add that bit of the periodontal surgery in to show that it may take longer than expected to really be Comfortable with eating, sleeping, swallowing, yawning, tightness, etc.. even though you can do these things.

Still, at this point I think the surgery is definitely worth it. It has helped my breathing and sleeping.

One last suggestion – make sure that your bedroom has plenty of humidity. If my throat gets too dry after sleeping, I have a bad throat day the next day – more liquids, probably no solids, and really hate talking, swallowing, or anything.
J. Archer 09.29.08 / 11pm

Paulette: Occasionally get the liquid in the nose, and when I eat fast I squeek a little right as I swallow my food. Will this subside and/or go away for good? Carbonated beverage including beer aren’t really enjoyable. Still irritates my surgical areas. How much longer or is this permanent? Stitches still in. It’s been 4 weeks and three days since UPPP surgery. Jim
dylan 09.30.08 / 7am

yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy im better now
i drink eat and everthing without even noticing
i got em out goldcoast trip is next week
sooooooooooo exited thanx for the tips
J. Archer 09.30.08 / 9pm

Glad you are better, Cris; do you hear a little squeek sometimes when you are eating or drinking fast? When you swallow in short frequencies, do you hear a squeeky sound? Read my aforementioned blogs and see what you think…Jim
J. Archer 10.10.08 / 10pm

Hi, Paulette: Call me if you would, please, 678.427.2142. Jim A.
j bornhorst 10.11.08 / 3am

anybody have trouble using a straw? I ad UPPP three days ago and cant get any suction which is really hurting my swallowing. Did something go wrong with my surgery or is this something that will get better. Not too much pain just no real ability to swallow. Thanks
big rosie greenbaum 10.11.08 / 4am

Hi All, Rosie here.

Many of you have read my sob story about my tonsillectomy/uvulaectomy and the complications I have had since January 08. I have been finally diagnosed with LPR – which is the throat version of acid reflux. There is no heartburn associated with it, but it causes a host of complications in your throat such as what I have: severe difficulty swallowing, extreme dry-mouth, a constantly coated tongue, the feeling of a huge lump in the throat (globus sensation). All my ENT’s have said that this was probably already an existing condition (news to me) that intensified with the surgery I had because of the trauma involved. There is no cure other than lifestyle changes, which is going to be extremely difficult to do, but there’s no choice now.

I guess the point of my post is that if anyone comes to Jason’s site because they are considering a tonsillectomy or uvulaectomy, my advice would be to have all kinds of scopes, tests done beforehand to determine if GERD or LPR is in your system. If it is, DO NOT HAVE THE SURGERY because you will end up with the same problems and regrets I have now. If I had it to do over again, I would have had those tests in a minute.

Just something to think about, kids.

Good luck!
amber2 10.15.08 / 7pm

Sally,
Oh my God, I am so glad I found this site!! I thought I was the only one. I had my tonsils and adnoids removed on August 4th. Since then I have had the feeling like there is something stuck in my throat. Never had the feeling before.
When I open my mouth, you can actually see my uvula resting on my tongue. I asked my doc and he said to “give it more time” I am not sure how much more I can take, as I feel like I want to gag all the time. If you have found anything that works, PLEASE let me know. thanks.
amber2 10.15.08 / 7pm

Rosie.
What exactly does LPR stand for?
Paulette 10.16.08 / 8am

Hey j bornhorst

It will get easier, I had the UPPP last September and I feel now that the only thing is that I feel scar tissue every now and then but asside form that I am very happy with the results. I no longer snor, every now and then if I am not careful and laugh while I am eating, but I mean a do not expect laugh it could come through the nose. lol

Rosie sorry to hear about your problem. I hope that with time some of your symptoms settle down. I was not that happy myself after the surgery but a year into it, I feel lucky that I do not have the same problem that you have.

Anyone considering the UPPP remember that no two individuals are the same and no one heals the same either. Think back on other medical things that you have been through and how you healed or came through those.

Paulette
Paulette 10.16.08 / 3pm

I had the gagging feeling for a while after the surgery. I still get it sometimes but it goes. I drink and it gets better, try smilling when you feel you will gag, that usually helps me.
Lucia 10.17.08 / 3am

I had my operation 22 days ago, now it seems ages, and I am in general fine. The day 7 was a nightmare but suprisingly, the day 8 was much better and it has been improving since then. Just one question. The stiches, is it normal that I still have them in? And moreover, they are covered with some whitish stuff, how about you?
j bornhorst 10.17.08 / 10am

Well,

It is now 8 days into it. I can swallow most liquids now with some confidence. The straw thing is annoying at about days 5 I could suck a little water up a straw (still cant drink at the same time). However a smoothie or milkshake is still beyond me. Little more pain but not to bad. Hopefully things will improve with time.
Alice 10.22.08 / 5am

Dear all,

I had my tonsillectomy 3 weeks ago. I am glad I found this site as I knew many of you have the same effect as me. The only concern that I am worrying now is whenever I drink any liquid, it goes to my nose and I need to control the way I am drinking water now. It is kinda frustrating. Will this go on forever? Can somebody advise me when it will back to normal again? So worried till I can’t have a good night sleep.

Thanks!

Alice
Gail 10.27.08 / 1am

Just a short note to add to all those going for a uvulectomy.
I had mine 4 wks. ago. I thought I was a wimp with the pain thing. My doctor gave me Dilaudid which helped a lot, but I found that adding liquigel Advil (or could take just liquid in pediatric formulation) with the Dilaudid made a big difference. Gotta be careful if you’ve got any bleeding issues with the Advil. I got up every morning and immediately made a cup of lukewarm Earl Grey tea. Kept a water bottle at the bedside for middle of the night drinks. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Even began sucking on sore throat tabs which kept the mouth moist. It was absolutely the most painful experience of my life for about 2 weeks. Now I’m almost back to normal and best of all, my husband says I hardly snore at ALL. (also had turbinate reductions which was a SNAP–just a little dry nose to deal with). Additionally, DO NOT EAT RAW TOMATOES or anything very spicy. OMG! One fresh garden tomato sent me spinning for days. Took awhile to get back to normal. I’d do this all again, even as self-sacrifice for my husband cause I think I do sleep better.
Catherine 11.01.08 / 8am

Had my tonsils out 2 days ago. Lots of pain killers and toast and I feel ok. glad i saw the piece on the white scar tissue – I thought I was infected. I find food easier to swallow than drinks and i find I am dribbling a lot in my sleep. I also ate fruit – stay away from kiwi, tomato etc they burn like mad. I have followed the advice about gargling which makes my throat feel better. really tired but should be worthwhile
John 11.14.08 / 5pm

Hi guys,very interesting reading all your comments.There isn’t much information on tonsillectomies and lose of taste I had my tonsils removed on the 15th of October it is now the 14th of November my ENT specialist said some people do experience a loss of taste,I love food and everything smells great but as soon as I put food in my mouth it is either not sweet enough or not salty enough and when it goes to the back of the throat it has a different unpleasant taste .Food has no flavour anymore.I read a lot of people eat soft food after taking their tonsils out but I discovered that my ENT dr was right,eating hard foods like toast,biscuits ,maize chips and drinking carbonated drinks like coke speeds up the process.Everyone said the pain would be terrible,but I found it not to be so bad.Day 7 to 9 were a little bit difficult but if you take your painkillers regularly you shouldn’t have a problem.Each person is different I read Kates info and I had almost the same problems with taste could anyone reply if they had the same problem with taste and how long it takes to get your taste back to normal as I read taste buds do grow back.This is the only useful site I found,thanks to Jason and to everyone who contributed.
Jim Archer 11.16.08 / 2am

Paulette: I am occasionally snoring (2-3 times per week) but not nearly as badly. Described as mostly “heavy breathing.” Any suggestions? I just went for my 8 week post-op sleep study and don’t have the results until late next week. If you would call me on Sunday, I would like to discuss, 678.427.2142.

Jim
Paulette 11.16.08 / 9am

Hey there Jim:

The snoring will happen now and again but as you said it is mostly heavy breathing. Try to notice on the days when there is heavy breathing if you are not over tired. I feel that when I have over done it on occasion I will heavy breath also. And remember that the seasons changing you may be getting a bit of a flu bug. I would say maybe you are over tired.

I can’t call you my dear I am on my way to Utica NY today, my surgery is on Tuesday. I have a pre-op on Monday and meeting with a Nutrionist and I will be on may way to a healthier me.

Have a great weekend and hope I shed some light as to why you are heavy breathing.

take care

Paulette
Lori 11.17.08 / 3pm

OK. I am kind of scared to death to have UPPP surgery now. I hate pain!! (OK, who doesn’t?) I have recently gone through sleep study. I was rated pretty low for apnea (my Dr. says 5 is low end/average and my highest was 10), but I snore like a freight train and never sleep through the night. My husband (who is on CPAP), says I wake him up over the noise of the machine. Between him nudging me and me waking myself up due to loud snoring, I have not had a decent nights sleep in years. I have the symptoms of apnea, morning headaches, daytime drowziness, irritability, ability to fall asleep at my desk (boss loves that one!), etc. My ENT did the scope down the nose and throat and then sent me to the sleep study. He says that I have a very small opening in the back of my throat for breathing. (This is what my PCP sent me to the ENT for in the first place.) He also says I have a deviated septum. I am scheduled for UPPP and nose surgery on Monday, the 24th. Am I making a mistake??? I don’t want to be tied to a CPAP for life to correct snoring, I tried it once for a few nights and thought I was being smothered. I couldn’t breathe! I have read everything that I could find about the subject, but can’t make up my mind. I have come up with the thought that instead of jello, mashed potatoes, etc., has anyone thought of trying baby food? I must admit that I love most of the fruit flavors. This seems like it might be an alternative to just yougart. Anyway, sorry for the long post but……HELP!!!!!!!
Ron G. 11.25.08 / 6pm

Hello all, i just had a tonsilectomy/uvula removal and partial uppp surgery on nov. 19th. The surgery went well with no problems. Woke up in recovery feeling good but a little sore. Was released that day to go home and all was o.k. that first day. When i got home went pretty much straight to bed, slept through the night waking up about 7:00 in the morning in ridiculous pain. My neck was swollen my gums were swollen my ears hurt my teeth hurt my throat hurt, heck I even think my hair hurt. i have had other surgeries on my back and neck and i have never had this much pain. The third day was really no better still very sore all over. Liquid pain meds and tylenol was all that kept me from going back to the hospital. Stayed on a diet of popsicles and ice water. The good thing was I had no bleeding at all. The 4th day changed it all. I was so hungry I decided to eat some scrambled eggs, about two hours later I was tired and went to lay down and felt this weird swnsation in my throat, of i was bleeding very heavily. Went to the hospital and the bleeding had slowed down after I had gotten up. They had me gargle with ice water for about 30 minutes and that stopped the bleeding wich was great becaause I did not want to go back to the O.R. for more cauterizing. It has been very painful/sore to touch my neck,swallow,shaving hurts,eating hurts. I have not been snoring at all. I had severe sleep apnia wich consisted of full obstructions to my airway 98 times per hour. I am very excitedd to get another sleep study done. I am now on the 6th day of recovery and like I said it is still very sore but slowwwwwwwly getting better. I am so jealous of all of you who can eat real food. Just take your meds and get rest and plenty to drink. I know it sucks and is very painful but it will stop and will be worth it. Thank you to all who have posted on here it really does help those that need some extra reasurance that it is all normal and gets better.
Jim A. 11.26.08 / 1am

Lori, hi: Go back and read all of my aforementioned blog regarding UPPP. It addresses all of your questions. Jim
Paul Pantazopoulos 11.28.08 / 10pm

Hi, when I was diagnosed with sleep apnia around one and a half years ago I was 220 lbs,im 6′2,both my e.n.t. and sleep specialist told me to lose weight and also told me that losing weight would pretty much give me an 80 % chance of curring severe sleep apnia,im now 195 lbs,still have sleep apnia.I went back to my e.n.t. specialist contemplating tosnillectomy & uvulectomy last week and the doctor told me to continue to lose around 10- 15 more lbs and said that little weight could make all the difference,when I asked the success rate of uvula removal,my doctor told me that is less than 50 % succesful and that many patients that he has operated on have sleep apnia still.He also told me that many complications could occur from this type of surgery and that full healing can take up to 2 yrs. I am very confused because there seems mto be many risks and symptoms behind this type of surgery but if I knew that the sleep apnia would be gone I would do anything because I cannot get use to a sleep ap machine.The e.n.t. also told me that he found removal of Uvula has more succes with snoring,not so much with sleep apnia cure.Can You guys please guide me on how many of you have done a sleep test and shown that the apnia was gone or simply just decreasing after surgery??? Thanks!
Mike F. 12.06.08 / 11pm

I am scheduled for uppp dec. 9 and have read all of these entries. I have mild sleep apnea 6-14 per hour but also snore like a train. so bad I wake myself up several times a night. I am encouraged by these results and not looking forward to the pain. After reading this I am almost reconsidering.
Mike F. 12.14.08 / 8pm

well I went thruogh with it. the fist two days were terrible and then the next three were even worse. lots of pain and discomfort. swallowing was near impossible so eating is out of the question and taking pain meds on an empty stomach is no good. then headaches from no food. while the pain still comes and goes it is getting better. I cant wait until this is over so I can eat.
Kevin S. 12.15.08 / 1am

I am on Day 4 of tonsilectomy and UPPP. I have to say Day 1 was literally UNBEARABLE. Water was going down wrong pipe and the pain/bleeding was so intense I couldn’t stand it. Today I am eating soups, Italian Ices, jello, and can drink coffee which is a must for me.

I want to agree with everyone else that the keys to recovery are staying hydrated. I find room temp water works best for me. I gag if too cold for some reason. Also, take the Hydrocordone every 4 hours. Every hour you miss is pain you’ll endure when you take it again – man that burns going down. And lastly, sleep. I didn’t start feeling human until I gave in and just started napping as much as possible. I probably sleep 12hrs a day. 7-8 through the night and another 3-4 in naps. HOwever, the pain is more manageable and I find it easier to eat/drink when not tired.

Thank you everyone for your posts – helped me feel SO much better.
Alice R. 12.17.08 / 3pm

Reading the comments on this site has made me feel so much better. Misery truly does love company.

Just had a septoplasty, turbinate reduction, pillar procedure, and uvulaectomy Dec. 9. I was so proud that I really didn’t think it was as bad as the dire predictions I received before surgery. But .. no pain, no sleep, right? So, I went ahead and did it.

I returned to work this past Monday, and I have felt worse these past 2 days than I did when I was out of work. I guess I must not have been ready to return when I did. Thankfully, I work in a school, so tomorrow is our last day before winter break. I should have plenty of time to recover.

The uvulaectomy has been the worst of it. At first, the pain was localized right at the site of the uvula, so it wasn’t too bad. But now, my whole throat is sore. I tried eating solid foods, but that nearly killed me, so I’m back on liquids and whatever soft stuff I can tolerate. I don’t even care about food at this point, just as long as I can sip on my room temp iced tea.

Also, the sides and tip of my tongue are sore, as is the roof of my mouth up near the front. Anyone else have that problem? And, my body has ached for the past 2 days. (We won’t even discuss my head) Thought I was coming down with something, but just had my post-op check up this morning and the Dr. said I’m fine and healing beautifully! Boy, I sure feel sorry for those who are having a “rough time” if this is considered a smooth recovery.

The good news is that I’m already sleeping much better and the Dr. says the improvement should continue over time. Can’t wait for a real night’s sleep!! Haven’t had that feeling since the first time the kids slept through the night as babies. The snoring and apnea seem to have stopped … but, now I kinda “hum”. I think it’s from the uvula still being partly there. They cauterized it and the dead tissue is sloughing off. I have the smell of burned flesh in my nose constantly. With the pillars, I no longer feel the soft palate collapse just as I’m falling asleep, so that’s a good sign.

For those of you who said you experienced a “metallic taste” in your mouth, I had the same thing, but I think they put betadine on my tongue during surgery. I actually scrubbed it with a terry towel, which turned that brownish betadine color – the taste has improved ever since.

I’d like to read some updates from Mike, Paul, and Kevin to see how you’re progressing. It’s nice to have someone to compare yourself to.

Good luck to us all … here’s wishing for a 2009 filled with sweet dreams and sound sleep!!
Paul 12.18.08 / 12am

I went to a third ENT specialist and agian the advise i was given was not to go through the surgery of removing the Uvula because of recent studies,I was also told that if I remove my Uvula and that does not cure sleep apnia which i was given a 20% chance that I would be unable to use the sleep ap machine.I apologize to you all because I don’t mean to ad a negative damper on the surgery.But not sleeping at night is driving me crazy! It seems like sleeping one good night is a special treat! How many of you have had to use a sleep ap machine and how well did it work.How many of you have had a sleep test after the removal of the Uvula and the apnia went away??
Kevin S. 12.18.08 / 6pm

I had my first post-op appt yesterday and like Alice I got the “you are healing wonderfully!” speech which made me want to bite her! She also is anti-painkiller Dr and refused to provide any additional Hydrocodone due to risk of addiction. I finally convinced her to give me Tylenol with Codeine so I can at least eat something other than ice cream, broth, jello, and water. I had a baked potato, 1/4 of a grilled cheese, and soup today. I have to say – IT HURT REALLY BAD – but the fact that I got it down felt like progress. Also – I can’t stress enough how well this Cepastat losenge is – it’s like novacaine and halls mixed together. It’s AWESOME – I can eat/drink very well when sucking on it before/after. Much relief.

Alice – I too got metallic taste and cuts all over my tongue (which have now healed). Just think it’s a surgery thing.

Lastly, I highly recommend drinking “Ensure”, “boost”, or “Slimfast” drinks – lots of vitamins/protein which we don’t get from our ice chips and jello!

Later gators
Roxane M 12.19.08 / 3am

Hi. I’m on day 14 of having my tonsils removed. Needless to say, it has been rough to say the least as I am 38!! I have come down with a sinus infection that is about to drive me nuts due to the drainage and cough. I, too, have a problem with nothing tasting right. My problem is that everything tastes salty even when it’s not..And if something is too salty, it’s awful!!
andrea 12.21.08 / 3am

hello everyone who is suffering like i am right now!!! my name is andrea and i am 22 years old and just had my tonsils removed on december 17th, 2008. i am on day four now. and for some reason it hurts more around day 3 and four. all my neck muscles hurt and i cant bend my neck back cause it feels so tight. my uvula is sooo swollen that whenever i drink water or swallow something i feel like im swallowing it with me. its gross but i got used to it… but can someone tell me WHY DOES THE UVULA swell so much when they havent even done anything to it?? anyways right now i am sitting upright in bed(only way i can sleep without choking) and im starving! i cannot eat regular foods and iam soo hungry for a pizza. i look at regular foods and i think about how painful this is and i just get turned off. soup, water and jello are my best friends right now. oh! and so is the hydrocodone… i LOVE IT.! it helps me soo much but doesnt last that long… its almost gone and im on day four only! i need something else to help me because when the pain comes back i just want to cry!! i wake up in the mornings choking and barely breathing… and everytime i swallow i shed a tear it hurts sooo much in the morning. i set my alarm but i am sooo tired from not sleeping at all that i for get to wke up and next thing i know my throat is on FIRE!!! its soo painful and i feel like a wimp for telling my bosses at work that i just cant come in ( im a waitres) and they tell me its okay but i know they probably think its not that bad and that imonly being a baby about it… come onnn no one knowss how intense this pain can be!! not being able to even swallow your own spit without cringing!!! well thats me and im only on day 4… its looking pretty gross back there. its all white and puffy. the surgery was perfect nothing went wrong and i went home normally and everything… but the other days havent been so great. it hurts to talk and i sound like i have down syndrome. i cant yawn or say certain words because the muscles in my throat will twitch and it KILLS ME. the pain is ridiculous… i dont know how long this will last but i am dyinggg to go out with my girlfriends for some cocktails and have a ciggarette. its xmas break and i want to enjoy it not sit at home and sleep all day because of this!! does anyone know when its okay to drink alcohol agaiin oreven have a ciggarette???? please someone let me know when this pain will go away and when the swelling will go down!!! please!!! anyways i dont know if i would do this again. i bet it is worth it in the end but right now WOW it hurts alotttttt. anyways we will see how it goes in the next couple of weeks. xmas is almost here and i dont want to be in agony.

anyways if anyone has any good recovery advice please let me know!

also, the best thing that i have been doing is drinking alotttt alott of water. its honestly the best thing ever and you wont feel so crappy. i promise you! keep that water bottle next to you at all times no matter how much it hurts!! okayy good luck to everyone in pain I FEEL YOU RIGHT NOW TOO!! ahhh
rachel 12.21.08 / 10pm

omg woman i just had my tonsillectomy the same day as you 17th so i guess i’m on day 5 now…its finally become bareable but its still the most agony i’ve ever been in… my uvula wasn’t affecting me until today and now i can feel it swollen… i cant open my mouth wide enough to see what it looks like but im not so sure i want to….the pain is mostly on the right side and my ear has never ached so bad….theres times when you don’t see how your ever going to recover…. its no 2.50 and this is how i spend most of my nights because sleep has the ineveitible dryness after you wake up…the taste in my mouth is awfull and im constantly drooling…also my speech is badly affected and my siblings tell me i sound like a deaf person trying to speak…its a week till chirstmas turkey and to my 18th birthday which i wont be able to party for as i’ll still be on antibiotics…can anyone tell me when i’ll finally be able to eat a proper meal im dying for a burger and chips….the drugs my doc had me on is regular intakes of solphadine and an oral mouthwash…..they dont do much and as far as i can see the best cure is liquid….keep hydrated…im having trouble drinking aswell but it seriously improves it!!! my stomach is constantly rumbeling from the hunger….
the operation itself wasn’t so bad i did spit up an awfull lot of blood afterward but i took it as par for the course i dozed in and out for the rest of the day but when my family visited i was right as rain….day 3 and 4 are definitely the worst and i hope that was my lowest point coz i don’t wana get any worse….!!!
anyway the end is near so everyone WE CAN DO IT
Jim Archer 12.22.08 / 10am

Paul–please call me at 678.427.2142. I received your voice mail but deleted it.

Jim
Kevin S. 12.22.08 / 12pm

hey Andrea – sorry you are in such horrible pain, but it absolutely starts to get better. If you are on Day 4 you probably will feel much better in just a few more days (3-4). I too thought the agony would never stop. I started to spit vs swallow my saliva cause it hurt too bad. I cried when i had to take the hydrocodone cause it burned like acid down my throat. BUT – I’m on day 12 and I had a nice meal last night of chicken, pasta, and broccoli! I went the entire day yesterday on just one dose of Tylenol (OTC – not codeine). I still feel sore back there, but it’s much more manageable – and I have partially gotten use to it.

No smoking or alcohol for a few weeks – trust me, you’ll regret doing it any sooner. I don’t know from personal experience, but I’m just guessing based on how I react now to salt and tomato sauce – no shots in my holiday plans!
Debbie 12.28.08 / 8am

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, and I wish you all a speedy recovery.

My situation is a bit different. I had surgery six days ago — on December 22, 2008 == to trim my uvula. Basically, I have had a chronic cough for about six years, which other remedies have not helped. The cough was affecting every facet of my life and causing other health issues. I went to see a new ENT this year, and he said that he thought my problem stemmed from a very long uvula that touched the base of my tongue, causing a constant cough reflex. He mentioned that he had performed the uvula trimming on a couple of other people and that all were much better.

I had my surgery, as well as a gallbladder removal, done at the outpatient surgery center this past Monday. Both surgeries took about 1 1/2 hours; the uvula trimming took about ten minutes. I was home within 1 1/2 hours of waking up. The first day was not bad as they use a numbing agent on the back of your throat, which takes a while to wear off. The second through fourth days brought a very bad sore throat. They gave me Vicodin tablets, which I sometimes could swallow and sometimes had to chew. These seemed to keep the pain to a manageable level. I am now taking Tyneol 3 with codiene. Yesterday was the first day my throat was not sore, although it felt very tight. I also had the sensation of something in the back of my throat. I read all of the posts above and found that this sensation can take a while to go away. It is very unpleasant, but I guess I will have to get used to it.

Today, my throat is sore again — maybe it is the day 7 and 8 thing. My cough does seem to be improved, although I find I am clearing my throat a lot due to the feeling in the back of the throat. I guess I am goig to have to work on other coping techniques for this. Any suggestions on dealing with this feeling?

I guess my main problem right now is mental. I have become depressed and have been experiencing anxiety attacks. I have not mentioned these to my husband yet as I am normally a very unemotional person on the outside. I have just been retreating to my room when they happen and trying to talk myself out of them. Has anyone else experienced anxiety attacks following their surgery?

This is a very good website. Thank you Jason for starting it.
Debbie 12.28.08 / 8am

Hi Rachel,

I was reading your post and saw the part about the dryness in the morning. I have had the same problem. Yesterday was really bad, so last night when I went to bed, I put on a vaporizer. I woke up in the middle of the night to take my pain meds and found that my throat was not near as dry was usual. If you have not tried a vaporizer or humidifier, you might want to try one. It really seems to help.

Take care.

Debbie
Jason Lancaster 12.28.08 / 1pm

I also agree with the last message about a vaporizer/humidifier. I didn’t have one when I had this surgery, but I’m sure it would have helped because at a later surgery I had I was given one by the hospital. I used that thing all the time during recovery. (This was my Lefort surgery which I’ve referred to in other posts).
Valerie 12.30.08 / 11am

I had my tonsils out in August (43 year old). I have a very high tolerance for pain so the surgery wasn’t that bad. I think part of what helped with the pain is I took my meds every three hours (lowered the dose in stead of taking it every 4 hours), and I slept in the chair for the first week. I couldn’t really eat anything that first week but, broth and lots nad lots of water. I was actually feeling pretty good and thought I was ready to back to work after a week. I had been at the grocery store and was even at the mall that day. Unfortunately I woke up in the middle of the night coughing and ended up couging up chunks (yes I said chunks) of blood. After that the blood ran out of my mouth like water. I can handle pain but, that was by far the grossest thing I’ve ever seen. It finally stopped after about an hour. It started again in the moring so I called my ENT. I went in to office and he took a suction hose thing and cleaned out my throat then recauterized one side. It wasn’t painful to have it done as he sprayed my throat to numb it. It fixed the bleeding and he told me I absolutely “could not go to work”. He said the problem was probably because I thought I was better and up running around. I took the second week off work. I could talk pretty much normal after the first week. I had problems with taste for about a month. Thankfully that returned to normal. Was the sugery worth it…I’m not sure yet but, normally at this time of the year I’ve had several sore throats, lost my voice a couple times and colds and sinus problems. Suprisingly I’ve had none of that (even though my daughter has had a cold twice in the past month). I’m hoping the surgery is the reason why. My only complaints are that I cough a lot and when my throat gets dry I can barely speak. It’s been since August 11th so i would think 4 months would be enough time to heal. The ENT says the age factor may be part of the issue. He seems to think i will be fine just takes time I guess.
gman 12.31.08 / 6pm

I seem to get pain where my uvula is. Its like a pulse pain
I look in my mouth and I have little dots or what looks like
very very small pimples. I hade my tonsils taken out. I did
have and infection before and all the doctors I went to
say its the scaring from the infection I have on the uvula.
I take a cought drop and it soothes it. I wash my mouth with water and peroxide. Its a very annoying pain. Especially after having a few drinks. The next few days the pain is very annoying. I been thinking to possibly remove it or live with the pain. The pain is really annoying. I was told scarring on the uvula can cause pain. Sometimes the pain is bothering me a jusr ruins the day and the week.
Any body experienced this
I been to penn pa and columbia hosp in ny ent and they say everthing looks great. I am still in pain. Go figure and I went to the best. I know the pain is the uvula because if I gargle with salt and water and Peroxide my mouth The pain goes away for awhile. The little dots or pimples stay.

Thanks
Gman
W.Brown 01.02.09 / 12pm

Hello,I would like to thank everyone for there posts on this subject..i had my tonsils and uvula removed and a little trim of the soft pallet..i have been regretting it ever since….July 1 2008…i am 37 years old….going into surgery everyone’s like you’ll be fine you’ll feel so much better…Bull*&^%.I have never experienced anything so horrible i ended back in the ER 1 week after cus i coughed so hard i ripped open the wounds….my wife and daughter were in another part of the state..i am alone bleeding severely..or so i thought..i called the surgeon he told me to relax drink ice water..and see what happens(blood mixed with saliva looks like more blood than it really is) anyway i w8 for my wife to get home ….finally its like 2 am we run to the er.. they cant get a hold of my surgeon so they get his partner this quack tells them to prep me for emergency surgery…I am like WTF my wife is freaking out …they finally get a hold of my surgeon he tells them to release me and come to his office the next day A( the bleeding had stopped)I should have sued his jack*&^ partner for mental anguish…..so after all that he says it was a blood clot that had come lose and that’s what all the blood my stitches were still in tact..im like relieved but this is where it gets interesting…OK so i lose 60 lbs in 3 weeks cus im eating nothing but Popsicles and drinking ice water…i finally get to go back to work “yes” yeah i actually missed work …well here it is 6 months after surgery i have gained some w8 back but not that much i constantly have the feeling there is something stuck in my throat…i have trouble swallowing sometimes…the smell of things i used to love make me sick….Pine needles WHOA….used to love having a real x mas tree and we stopped for awhile after my son was born due to allergy’s but we were able to have one for him this year…guess his allergies went away…all is good get the tree get it home get it set in the stand…and all of a sudden i cant breathe ….first real Xmas tree for my little boy is going to kill me…so here i am watching my sons eyes light up as he gets to decorate his first real “cwismas twee…i want to kill my self and the doctor…..i have never felt worse than i do now after the surgery…and whats worse ther was no reason to remove the uvula and do the soft pallete work i went in for a tonsillectomy not major reconstructive throat/mouth surgery……I have to chew gum constantly or i get so dry its like someone is sitting in my mouth with a blow dryer…after i eat no matter what it is i spend the next 20 minutes clearing my throat of mucus or whatever just to get back to somewhat normal ….i cannot breath in the cool fresh air of winter as it tears my throat apart to do so ….i wish to god i had never had this procedure ….by the way thanks to big Rosie i am going to try the spray you mentioned.oh yeah BTW i also have G.E.R.D……………Acid reflux but i take my meds regularly and guess what I still have the feeling of something in my throat…..Hm mm i hate this feeling i don’t want to live with it for the rest of my life…but looks like because my surgeon decided to do something to me we never discussed i have to….well im done with my ranting Ty i just needed to vent..my wife is sick of listening to me ……also sorry bout the composition of this post im not very good at separating into paragraphs
Lilly 01.08.09 / 1pm

I am glad to find this site. Thanks every one for sharing.

Talking about Regret, having the tonsillectomy and uvula moved a year ago is a big regret in my life! I have been suffering since. My doctor did not do a good job. After the surgery, one side of the pallet ( the scar tissue) formed very low and is constantly rubbing the end of my tongue and making me want to gag. I have seen a couple of other doctors for 2nd, 3rd opinions for the first 6 months after the surgery. All the opinions I got were: you need to get used to it. Here I am, one year has past, I am still not getting used to it. That awful feeling is with me all the time!

Does any one has the similar experience? Is there really no cure for this?

Lilly
Lilly 01.08.09 / 1pm

BTW, W.Brown and Big Rosie, What is wrong with some doctors? I went in for tonsillectomy only. But came out with my uvula done as well! It cost me a lot of grief.
ClintG 01.09.09 / 9pm

So I have to get the UPPP done shortly and I am wondering what the recovery time will be with supervision. How long do I need to have someone watching over me? Also since I have sleep apnea will i need to wear my cpap after the operation?
Jason T. 01.10.09 / 6pm

Hello to everyone out there and my sympathies to Your experiences. I just found out that I should consider having my uvula removed due to two separate episodes of uvulitis that is supposedly from snoring. The forst time was in april of 2008 and scared the you-know-what out of me. It had never happened before so I immediately went to the ER and was given i.v steroids and ativan for anxiety. I was told to follow up with an ears nose and throat specialist the next day. I could not get in to see the Doctor who did my sinus surgery and turbinectomy/septoplasty in 2002 ,so saw a very old school doctor who advised me to have the uvula removed if it happened again. Well ,it took 8 months and on the 30th of December 2008 , I had it again only this time it did not scare me as much. I did go to the ER again and went through the same treatment only this time I did wait and follow up with my original ENT Doctor who assured me the sweling was from snoring. He basically mentioned that surgery would correct the problem and that the tonsils would be removed as well but was still an elective surgery. After reading some of the bad experiences that these people have had,it really makes me think twice about having this procedure done. I commend everyone of You who have undergone this ,both with and bad experiences and i will take serious consideration before I have this done. Peace,cheers and god bless to all.
j bornhorst 01.10.09 / 6pm

Despite much consternation before and immediately after my UPPP , septum repair, and hyeloid suspension it was worked out for me. I am three months post-surgery and except for having to be careful sneezing it is all back to normal, despite how bad it was in the first month.

The good news is that my apnea/h index which was 60 events an hour, is now 0.2 events per hour. Thus I feel like it was a very good decision to go ahead with UPPP as my condition really was life threatening. One caveat is that side effects are a very real possibility and I was lucky to avoid them. This is not a surgery to sign up for lightly. If you are overweight I would try to lose weight/get fit first before and seeing how that changes things before trying the surgery. I was running 50 miles/week beforehand and it didn’t help the apnea. I think that if you get into shape first, and it doesn’t help then you may be more confident there is something structurally wrong that the UPPP surgery might fix. In the end, I am very glad I had it, but it was taking a very big risk, and I feel bad for those who have experienced long term side effects.
Juls 01.12.09 / 4pm

I see that most of you have gone through way more than I’m going to go through. I’m having a papilloma removed from the tip of my uvula. Has anyone here gone through this surgery minus the tonsils or adenoids? I’m wondering what kind of pain lies ahead for me. While this thread has been informative in many ways, I’m now nervous about the pain I’m going to endure.
Daffyd J 01.18.09 / 10am

Day four post uvulectomy and tonsillectomy. First day or to weren’t too bad in terms of pain, I wondered what all the fuss was about. But last two days have been hellish – really sore just to swallow saliva or yawn or burp or anything. Hospital only gave me a few days supply of codeine and said to take tylenol after that – it’s nowhere near enough to control the pain.

Trying to keep hydrated, food is a no-go at the moment, so diluted fruit juices and water are keeping me going. They say eating solid food helps the healing process and prevents infections, but I literally can’t chew anything because of the pain. Luckily I don’t feel hungry at all, and I could do with losing a couple of pounds.

The alternative was to wear a CPAP machine for the rest of my life – I’m just 25, so this wasn’t really an option. Hopefully it will be worth it in the end. Haven’t had any snoring or sleep apneoa so far, and my sense of taste and smell seem preserved.

I’ll post updates if that’s OK, I really learned a lot from people’s diaries above.
Steve M 02.10.09 / 5pm

Hi everyone. I am 32 hours post-UPPP surgery and things are going great so far! I was very apprehensive about the surgery after reading some of these posts but so far it has been rather easy. I am 42 y.o., male, 150 lbs. The surgeon removed my enormous tonsils, uvula, and trimmed my palate. The procedure lasted about 30 minutes and I woke up in recovery after about 3-4 hours. They kept me overnight to administer anti-swelling meds and antibiotics. They shoved a glass of chipped ice in my hands and I have munched on it ever since. My first meal (lunch) after surgery was basically liquid (with some non-dairy sorbet). My second meal was salisbury steak (vegetarian), mashed potatoes/gravy, peas/carrots, a blueberry creme muffin, dinner roll, side salad (vegs were softened a bit) and coffee (cooled).

They pulled my IV after taking me to my room and then only used it for the antibiotics and anti-swelling meds. Swallowing was painful but no more so than a bad sore throat. I had strep throat occasionally as a child and it was about the same. As the time approached 10 pm, the pain became worse until it was 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. I mentioned this to one of the nurses and they said “oh, do you want pain medication?”. I was a bit put off by this because it seems like that is something they would anticipate. Maybe they are required to wait until you ask for it(?) Anyway, they injected a liquid which did absolutely nothing, so the next nurse gave me two Vicodins which did the trick. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t sleep because 1) the coffee turned out to be non-decaf and 2) my roommate “had” to sleep with his television on!!. (He was in for colon cancer surgery so I gave him a break.)

The doc checked me out this morning and sent me home with my prescriptions. The only ones I am taking are the antibiotics and the pain meds (liquid form). He also gave me something for nausea (which I don’t need) and a gargle solution that supposedly numbs your throat as a backup to the pain meds. Something you might do is stick with the pills if you can handle them (take them fast with a bit of water – don’t hesitate) because the liquid meds burn a bit going down. The really important thing is to sip lots of water – keeps your throat from drying out and being tender.

All that said, I am expecting the pain to get worse (judging by the other posts) so I will make more entries to let you know how I fare. No complications, though, I have no trouble swallowing, nothing comes out my nose, my voice sounds funny but this is normal. My breath does stink, but that is also expected.

-Steve
Steve M 02.11.09 / 6am

Well, it’s been almost 48 hours post-op and I’ve just woken up after sleeping most of the night through. I’m not going to assess my apnea improvement for a while longer as I occasionally swallow in my sleep and wake up a bit when I feel the pain. I’m also not sleeping in the recommended position – head elevated – because I’m so accustomed now to sleeping on my front. My throat was sorer after having gone for 5.5 hours and because having some accumulated phlegm in my throat prompted me to swallow more often than I normally would. I took the meds and it feels the same as yesterday now: on a 10-pt scale, 2 with no swallowing and maybe 5-6 when swallowing. Still no problems with bleeding or loss of taste. People remark that my voice seems weak and I tell them that it is because I am being gentle with it.

A note about my roommate at the hospital: I was being a bit sarcastic and it may have come across as callous. I didn’t know about his condition until the morning after my long night when I heard his doctor speaking to him. After requesting some earplugs at first from the nurse I then tiptoed out of the room and used a hideaway bed in the vacant visitor’s lounge. There I discovered that the coffee I drank was probably a greater factor in not falling asleep than his TV. Anyway, in the morning I heard his doctor say that his surgery was successful and that he would probably go home the day after I did. I guess the takeaway from this is to realize that, in spite of the temporary suffering you’re putting yourself through, other patients may well be much worse off!
mike f 02.13.09 / 6pm

I had the uppp on Dec. 9,08. I posted earlier in this thread about it. I am now several months removed from surgery and feeling great. I have read some of these posts and they disturb me, I was in a lot of pain also but what bothers me is people talking about their doctors removng the uvula without discussing it with the patient. Also the “botched” surgeries some of you are explaining. I havent had any of the bad symptoms some explain. A little dry throat and that is it. I suggest to anyone contemplating this or any surgery is do your research. Your doctor should be well qualified, ask how many successful procedures he has performed. I am sleeping better than ever and do not regret having this done, although if you would have asked me on day 3 or4 I might have told you something different. Good luck to all.
mike f 02.13.09 / 6pm

I also wanted to say to the unfortunate people whom are having long term negative side affects, dont give up, remember when you would do anything to sleep at night well use that same attitude and persue fixing the problems that trouble you today. Find a great doctor, get a second opinion, just dont give up. Good luck to all.
Steve M 02.13.09 / 6pm

Four days post-op and our power has just been restored after a windstorm. Yesterday and today have been noticably more painful when swallowing and eating. The biggest source of the pain seems to be the back of my tongue which hurts when I chew or try to move food around. The pain meds are still helping though and I’ve cut back from 20 ml to 15 ml every 4 hours in order to lessen the odd “visions” they’ve been giving me around bedtime. The dull ache I feel when not swallowing is a bit more severe as well. It’s still bearable and I am able to focus on other things and forget it from time to time. I’m still planning to return to work on Tuesday.
Steve M 02.14.09 / 11am

Five days post-op. I woke at 3:30 am this morning and my throat didn’t seem to hurt as much as it had during the day. Now, it feels more like it did yesterday but is certainly no worse than it was then. My tongue may even hurt a little less. So far, I haven’t had a fever or earaches. Also, no problems with fluid coming out of my nose.
Ryan 02.14.09 / 10pm

Well, my mom is writing for me, I am 8. I just had my tonsils out for a tonsil tumor on one side and had my adenoids shrunk down. I felt good the first day (yesterday) and I woke up in alot of pain the second day (today), I spit out yellow mucous this morning, and take antibiotics and lortab for pain. Thank you for all the posts, it has helped me understand what may be coming and answer my questions, as I am the first child of my parents to have a tonsillectomy. I am eating ice cream, noodles from cup a soup, popsicles, frozen go-gurts, and drinking water and juice – all in very small amounts, as it hurts mostly to swallow the plain liquids, but a little better with the frozen items and noodles.
Steve M 02.15.09 / 7pm

6 days post-op. My throat and tongue feel basically the same as yesterday. It’s now day 4 with the sharper pain when I swallow and I notice that the pain meds don’t seem to last as long between doses. Ice water really helps as does working large jigsaw puzzles as they keep my mind off the pain. I’m still eating solid food which has kept me from being hungry.
Steve M 02.16.09 / 3pm

7 days post-op. Today is pretty much like yesterday, although its possible that the pain is a bit less. This morning was extremely painful, as usual for mornings, before I took my meds. I think tomorrow I will keep the meds by my bed and swallow them while I’m still groggy with sleep before the pain sets in.

I’ve decided to take another week off work and hopefully this thing will play itself out in the meantime. My doctor had advised me to take 10-14 days off work but I was hoping I wouldn’t need so much time. My voice is still weak and I work in an environment where impromptu talking is a requirement.

The reason I had UPPP was to treat sleep apnea and so far I have been sleeping very well (other than the pain part!).
Steve M 02.17.09 / 3pm

8 days post-op and the pain finally broke. There is still a sharpness when I swallow and a tightness all the time but it is noticeably less than yesterday. I’m still taking pain meds every 4 hours but I find that the time goes by faster and I almost feel as if I could skip a dose.

Taking meds while groggy didn’t work too well at 3:30 am. I grabbed the cup of hydrocodone, tipped it into my mouth and began coughing because some of it must have gone down the wrong pipe! I coughed for another hour and finally got back to sleep around 5:00 am. I’m glad I didn’t do this last week or I might have started bleeding. I was afraid the experience would leave me sore, but I think it’s fine now. In future, I will wake sufficiently not to do that again!
Steve M 02.18.09 / 4pm

9 days post op. The pain is very much subsiding. Swallowing in the morning isn’t nearly as painful as a few days ago. I still have a sense of tightness because of the stitches and I am looking forward to them dissolving. I checked my mouth and they look very much intact. I’ve cut the dose of painkillers from 20 to 10 ml every 4 hours. Evenutally I will run out and will have to go to Tylenol.
Steve M 02.19.09 / 5pm

10 days post op. The pain is once again less than it was yesterday, but it is a gradual decline. My throat is still tight and will be until my stitches dissolve. I’m down to 10 ml hydrocodone every four hours except that I slept through my dose overnight. I bought a bottle of extra strength tylenol to use when the liquid runs out. I think it will be smooth sailing from here on out. My voice still sounds pinched but this is probably due to the stitches.

To summarize my recovery: the pain was minimal to moderate during the first three days. Days 4 through 8 the pain was moderate to severe with the most pain occuring in the mornings. Days 9 and 10 are probably about the same level as the first couple of days. All in all, I think I came through with flying colors. I’ve had no complications: no liquid coming out my nose, no earaches, no bleeding, no infections, and no odd sensations in the back of my throat (other than the stitches). I think what helped me was taking my pain meds according to the doctor’s instructions, sipping cold water throughout the day, every day, eating solid food that I thoroughly chewed and carefully swallowed in spite of the pain. With the benefit I’ve seen in my sleep, the surgery was definitely worth it! Good luck to all!
Steve M 03.03.09 / 8pm

Wow, it seems like this blog is finally dead. Well, there may be no one left to read it but I have an unfortunate complication to report. I suspected my recovery was going a little too well and it was. I have an uncommon disturbance in my taste sensation as a result of the surgery. This is sometimes called hypogeusia and it can be permanent. For the two weeks following surgery I didn’t notice any change in taste but then it sort of crept in. I have this omnipresent metallic taste in my mouth that really makes it hard to enjoy food. The front part of my tongue seems to be ok so I do most of my chewing at the front of my mouth. I haven’t talked to my doctor about this yet but I plan to soon. A study I found says that 5% of the people who had UPPP have this disturbance (5 people in this case). Of those, 4 of the people had their taste restored sometime during the year following surgery. I hope I’m not in the unlucky 1 percent! Anyone else have this problem? Is there anybody out there?
Ashley 03.05.09 / 9am

Hey I just had my tonsils taken out Feb. 25th and I was wondering how long after the scabs fall off does the pain stop. It’s like my throat is raw.
Sue Ann 03.08.09 / 6am

I am suppose to have the UPPP Surgery on Monday the 4/16/09 and I am scared to death. But have found some satifaction at this site , very glad I found it. Thank you all for the info……

Sue Ann
Linda 03.09.09 / 11pm

I had my tonsils and uvula removed last Tuesday (a week ago). The pain continues with no let up. I have been able to eat small amounts of pudding, ice cream and soup. When I say small amounts.. I mean just that.. When I eat anything or drink anything (other then water) after a few bites/sips my mouth just starts burning.. it feels like it is on fire. Has anyone else noticed this?
I have notice a lot of saliva in my mouth, especially in the morning when I wake up. I sure have no worries about dry mouth right now. I kept up with laundry, and cooking some for my husband (I just can’t sit all the time). I didn’t sleep much the first 4 nights, but the past 2 nights I have slept a good 8 hours. I paid for it when I woke up and had not taken any pain meds. I think it was worth it because I did sleep very well for the first time. I have to thank everyone who has posted on this page, I just found it tonight… and after reading the posts I see I am not alone (or acting like a baby).. LOL..It is nice to read the other posts and see myself in so many of them. Thank you Jason for starting the post.. bet you didn’t know it would keep going so long.
Goose 03.10.09 / 4pm

I had a uvulectomy and some tissue removed from my nose on March 4th.. Basically afterwards my throat really wasnt so bad to me because my nose was packed for 4 days and that had most of my attention although i could not swallow much of anything because it didnt matter what it was it hurt…So 4days later i get the packing removed so i can finally breath out of my nose now i can start to feel my throat killing me lol… Its been 6 days total so far..Already downed 1 bottle of hydrocodone to ease the pain and it reallly helps big time trust me.. Still no solid foods yet..Water..Juice doesnt matter what it is still hurts to swallow..Jello hurts..Popsicles hurt…Anything cold seems to be the worst..So im reserving myself to chicken noodle soup because its about the only thing that isnt that bad to me. If anyone has any questions i’d be more than happy to answer..Ryan
Steve M 03.13.09 / 9pm

It’s now a little over a month since my UPPP and I am happy to report that my sense of taste is improving. For about a week, everything I put in my mouth tasted like ashes, or perhaps it didn’t taste like anything at all, hard to describe. At some points, it seemed like I had a funny diet cola aftertaste in my mouth. Anyway, it was something I didn’t want to deal with for the rest of my life! I’m hopeful that it will continue to improve as time goes on.

My ability to sleep is much improved as long as I sleep on my side. When I sleep on my back, I still have trouble. This isn’t a big deal as I’ve grown accustomed to sleeping on my side over the past several months as an attempt to thwart my sleep apnea.
Nick 03.14.09 / 1am

I have also had a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and uvulectomy all in the same procedure. I am fortunate to say that I have had no problems at all since the procedure. In accordance with Jason’s testimony, the first two to three weeks following the procedure were most certainly painful. I will say, however, the first three days I experienced little pain and it is imperative you drink as much water as possible during this time. Even when the pain begins to peak, drinking water is essential because it helps to re-train the swallowing muscles in your throat. After about day six every time I attempted to drink any water it would splash against the back of my throat and relay back into my mouth. If you do happen to experience this, rest assured, you need not worry your ability to successfully swallow will be restored within the next week. I am now two years post-surgery and have still had no problems at all. My initial reasons for surgery were as follows: I suffered from tonsilitis around 15-20 times per year, had severe sleep apnea, I could hardly eat, drink, breathe or swallow as a result of the size of my tonsils, which had become so large that when entering surgery my anesthesiologist later told me that my tonsils were so large he could hardly find space to stick the needle in the back of my throat. My doctor also told me that my tonsils were, by far, the largest ones he had ever removed, and my adenoids as well. He also told me that he had to perform an emergency uvulectomy because my uvula was fused with my tonsils. I also was unaware that my adenoids were to be removed during surgery as well. However, this is common because it is difficult to determine whether or not the adenoids should be removed until the tonsils have been removed. Therefore, the decision is typically made during surgery. I have done extensive research on the procedures I have undergone since the event and would love to provide any helpful information I may have attained for those who seek it. I extend a special thanks to Jason for creating this site for those of us that need an outlet when considering or reflecting upon such a life-altering procedure.
Carlos Correcha 03.15.09 / 7pm

Hello all,

I just had my surgery done three days ago and although, I’m in a lot of pain – things are going well. I’m 28, weigh 165 pounds (not obese) and have been sleeping with CPAP for over four years.

I had my tonsils removed, my septum straightened, my turbinates shrunk and my uvula partly removed. This certainly does sound like a lot and it is a lot, but you might as well get it done all at once.

I took two weeks off from work and flew my mother in to stay with me. She has been doing a great job at blending everything and making soup out of things that you would normally don’t think you could make soup from – including chicken breasts.

I’m on liquid oxicodone and I take it every four hours, I drink lots of water and, before going to bed, I rub an ice cube up and down my nose – that seems to help me relax.

I will continue to write as this develops.

Results so far:

- My mother says that I snore a little bit still – I am swollen and don’t expect the snoring to go away anytime soon.

- I sleep with my CPAP machine to keep my nostrils open – also the doctor told me to keep it on for at least three months after the surgery.

- I do feel that I sleep better. I don’t regret having the surgery done yet.

Feel free to e-mail me and ask any questions. I may or may not have an answer for you.

Take care.

Carlos
Shannon Denny 03.16.09 / 9am

I just had tonsilectomy, uvulectomy, and septoplasty 8 days ago. One thing I was not ptepared for at all was the panick I felt when I swallowed and could taste the putrid dying flesh left over from cauterizing in the back of my throat! Not to scare anyone but NOTHING can cover that taste up. I must still take vicodin every 3 hours on the dot to be somewhat comfortable. I ended back in the hospital 4 days post-op due to extreme dehydration and vomiting. The next day was filled with diarhea and trying to keep fluids down. The doc ended up giving me a chemo-strength anti nasea drug to stop the vomiting. This has been truly intense but I will recommend to all of you a humidifier next to your bed. It will help you not dry out so fast. I have found popsicles to BURN the back of my throat tissue so I have steared clear from them. Frosty’s have been ok and mac and cheese has been ok as well. Of course jello is fine too. Hope this helps. I promised myself I would contribute to this board once I had my surgery since I found it very comforting finding stories such as mine.
Tom 03.16.09 / 1pm

I have my surgery scheduled for March 19th. I am getting a deviated septum fixed along with the UPPP. I have always had trouble breathing my whole life and hope this will help out. I will write back and let you know how it goes.
Brandon 03.21.09 / 11am

I just had a tonselectomy and uvulectomy yesterday. I have to say that I feel really lucky. I have been in minimal pain. All of my pain is from my uvulectomy and only hurts when I swallow. I am taking hydrocodone every 4 hours on the dot, this is probably helping a lot. I feel for everybody that says this is the worst pain they have ever felt, I’m sorry. I had this done on Friday so I could go back to work on Monday, and as of right now I will be.
I had this done because I had large tonsils and a uvula that touched my tongue. Its nice to see that other people have had there uvula that long as well.
I still snore some which I thought would hurt but doesn’t.
One thing I am curious about is when I look at my uvula now it is as wide as it was long. Has anybody else noticed this? Will this go down? Its gotten to the point where it touches my tongue (which I think is swollen too) and I feel like I am going to gag.
I haven’t had any problems drinking water except for the pain of swallowing. I at Farina (cream of wheat) last night because I hadn’t eaten anything for 24 hours and my stomach was empty, it hurt a little afterwards but the calming of my stomach was worth it.
I will let everybody know if my snoring has gone away in a few weeks. Good luck to everybody else.
Carlos Correcha 03.28.09 / 11pm

Hello everyone. It’s been two weeks and two days since my surgery. I had the following done:

- My tonsils removed
- My turbinates reduced
- My deviated septum fixed
- My uvula reshaped
- The tissue around the uvula and the back of my throat stitched to open a little more room back there.

I have to report that I’m in excellent condition. The pain was not as bad as I expected it to be. I’m eating normally now. No pain. I videotaped myself sleeping and the apnea seems to be gone. I barely snore in some positions, but nothing compared to what it was before surgery. I would do this again in a heartbeat.

I’m starting a blog to talk about my experience with sleep Apnea and plan to write a detailed account of the surgery in the days to come. Please check it out if you like. I’d be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Best,

Carlos

http://sleeplessgato.blogspot.com/
Tom 03.29.09 / 12pm

This is a followup to my previous message before my surgery.

I had a uvulectomy and my turbinates and deviated septum fixed on Thusday, March 19th, So this is day 10.

I came home and was on a liquid painkiller but it made me very drowsey so i switched to just tylenol. It hurt … but mostly when I swallowed. It has slowly gotten better but i had a little set back due to some aggresive eating of solids (That hot roast beef sandwich on a kaiser roll was a baaad idea on day 7). Overall I do not think the pain was too bad. I had it done on a Thursday and was back at work on Monday.

However – when the doc took out the splints in my nose I could breathe like I never did before. I felt like a brand new person. I also do not snore anymore.

While I still have some pain .. esp when i wake up in the morning, I would encourage anyone who has sleep/breathing issues to consider this surgery.

Good luck to all

-Tom
Mary Jo 03.30.09 / 4pm

I had a tonsillectomy and uvulectomy on 10/30/08. Unfortunately my results have not been that great. I am wishing at this point I had never had it done. I have been for a second opinion because after follow up with the original surgeon he suggested I see a GI specialist because he thought I had a hiatal hernia. I never had a problem with this before the procedure. After much research I am beginning to wonder if I now have laryngopharyngeal reflux. It has been five months and I still cannot drink soda or anything with alcohol. I have to be careful with any sauces, salad dressings and even ketchup. As of now I am drinking large quantities of water (up to a gallon plus a day) and taking Prilosec an hour before each meal. It is getting better, but five months after I am still waiting for the day I wake up with no pain.
Joe 04.01.09 / 12am

I had my surgery yesterday, March 30. Procedures included septoplasty, turbinate reduction, and a uvulectomy. I was afraid after reading some of the posts here and in other forums. I must report that my surgery and recovery so far has been a piece of cake. I was mostly concerned with the uvulectomy. Not anymore. Pain is very tolerable, I can swallow my saliva, eat some soft/solid food, drink lots of ice water, pita bread sandwich, crackers. I have no packing inside my nose, but do have stitches and had dressing that I changed every hour for the last 24 hrs. Dressing is not necessary now after 24 hrs. Oh, almost forgot… When I came out of general anesthesia, my throat was killing me. Major pain with a burning intolerable sensation. They gave me a shot of morphine in my IV setup and within 15 mins. I was in heaven and the pain died down. About 1 hr later they gave me crackers and ice water, was ok and I was able to eat them w/o pain. They then gave me iced apple juice and within 15 secs, I was so nauseous and I vomited. It was mostly blood! After that things calmed down and the pain was very tolerable. I’m on Roxicet liquid/oxycodone and I love it. Have been taking 1/2 the dose on day after surgery and only every 6-8 hrs as needed.

I think my suregon who’s also my ENT had a lot to do with my (so far) successful surgery and easy recovery. I feel blessed and lucky. Joe
Mike 04.03.09 / 10pm

Just had my surgery on Monday 3/30/2009. They took out my tonsils and performed the good ol UPPP with my Uvula.

I have broken many bones (amateur skateboarder), suffered many crazy days (combat infantryman), but this surgery…. GOOD LORD. The pain the day after when you swallow was the worst pain I had ever experienced.

HOWEVER, I am ALREADY enjoying the benefits. I can breathe so much easier now, and my snoring in GONE! Today is 4/3/2009 and the pain is finally starting to go away! I havent taken ANY pain medication today and I am thinking about what I can eat now!

My first few days were really diffacult to eat/drink. Every time I tried to drink something my throat would hurts tremendously AND the water would drip through and down my nose (which was very uncomfortable). I started plugging my nose when I tried to drink fluids and it works wonderfully!!!

Anyway, I have no regrets now that the pain is gone!!!
Jay 04.07.09 / 11am

I had a lot of work done on my nasal passages 5 days ago (nasal septal reconstruction, endoscopic bilateral ethmoidectomy, bilateral antrostomy, partial resection of the middle turbenates, electrocauterization of the inferior turbinates, and a uvulectomy). Yes, the area where the uvula was located is a bit tender, but it is not that bad. I have not changed my eating routines (I am eating an apple right now). It is a bit painful to swallow harder stuff, but nothing worse than if I had a sore throat. Breaking an arm, having stitches in a finger, or having a cavity filled without novacaine are all much more painful. The doctor gave me hydrocodone (usual dose of 3-4 tspns every 3 to 4 hours) and that has taken care of most of the pain. For me coming out of the surgery was the worst. I was on dilauted and kept asking for more, but after about an hour, the pain subsided to a manageable level and the hydrocodone has taken care of it for me ever since. I haven’t had any problems with acid refulx or with fluids going up into my nasal cavities. Without a doubt, though, I cannot make the snoring sound. My breathing is raspy, but I think that is because of the healing that is going on in my nasal passages. I would recommend this surgery.
Jennifer Ray 04.23.09 / 12am

Evening all,

My name is Jennifer and I just got the approval from the insurance company for the UVPPP. I was diagnosed with severe apnea in Feb, AHI of 160/hour, no arrhythmias. I got my cpap the morning I walked out of the sleep lab and I have gone through 3 masks, lovely leakage, and I will start my 3rd pressure bump tonight. Up to 17 now. Not sure why but now when I wake up gasping for air, even with the mask on and humidity cranked up to 5 (maximum), my heart is pounding, and I am sweating. Hoping I get the call from the surgery scheduler tomorrow or Monday, (she conveniently works M-Th, 8-2:30), to get an exact date. I have 4 kids so getting rest will be limited to school/daycare hours. I am both excited and nervous as hell about the surgery. I haven’t “slept” since highschool, ah good ol’ early 90’s, so that has to be NUMBER1 for me. My tonsils are huge, my uvula is GInormous, and it sounds and feels like I have a whole mouthfull of crap stuck in my throat. I snore while I am awake…on the computer, watching tv, and reading. Of course I have weight to lose, but that is not the main issue. I sure know that feeling tired all day, everyday, sure makes life boring as I have no energy to do and enjoy things. Especially with my kids. I love my job, I am the patient representative for a major DME supplier and we do the billing and collecting from the insurance companies. Since my position requires me to be on the phone, how much time to you think I need to be away from work and when I go back, do you think I need to do half days on the phone for a week or 2? Didn’t meant to write a book before the procedure, but I want to make sure that I have all of my ducks in a row before going in. Thank you and have a great evening.

Thank you for the post!
Judy 04.26.09 / 9pm

I’m 46 and had septoplasty, antrostomy, UP3 and turbinate surgery 5 weeks ago. I had my tonsils and adenoids removed when I was a kid. I’ve had a CPAP machine for several years and most recently, before surgery had it almost maxed out on strength. Let me say that not being able to oink or pretend to snore is true. You’ve got to have your uvula to do that, it vibrates. The surgery was the absolute most painful one I’ve had out of the MANY surgeries i’ve had. I couldn’t breathe through my nose for 2 weeks, breathing through my mouth dried my throat out and it hurt really bad to swallow. At about 3 and 4 weeks I began complaining of feeling like I had something sharp stuck in my throat plus,no matter how much water I drink, it feels dry. My doctor says that is normal for this stage in recovery. This weekend, I’ve had a strange thing happen. Papers from the hospital said to not blow my nose for 1 month after surgery. I couldn’t keep from it. I did try to be safe though. Papers say that I could cause bleeding or blow air into my eye sockets. I’ve noticed the past couple of weeks horrible almost black mucus from my nose, also can call it up from my throat when spitting. This weekend I blew my nose and felt horrible back pressure. Felt like I needed to continue blowing like I couldn’t get it cleaned out. I had the worst pain. It got worse all night. Woke up with sore cheek, teeth hurt, all the signs of sinus pain. When I blew my nose this evening, it took a long time to get it cleaned out and not to be blowing out old blood. I’ve tried Zyrtec, don’t really know what else to do. My doc gave me a saline nose spray with liquid antibiotics in it. Said I had to use it for 6 weeks. My doctor asked me if I’d lose any weight yet. says that everyone does after this surgery. The hydrocododone made me have a panic attack so I switched to a different pain med. Only took them about 2 weeks, then switched to tylenol. It really looked horrible in my throat following the UP3 surgery. I had long white patches, not infection, but just skin that had been lasered. drinking with a straw at first was tough. I really avoided talking or eating anything scratchy for almost 3 weeks. My husband said I do talk differently. Like I always have a sore throat. It’s just more airy. I’m going for the sexy voice, like Marilyn Monroe. lol
Good luck to all who may be getting this surgery. I do have a larger opening in the back of my throat, so breathing is easier.
Steve M 05.08.09 / 7pm

It’s now 11 weeks since I had UPPP/tonsillectomy surgery (see my previous posts) and I just wanted to let everyone know that things are great. My sense of taste has returned to normal and I am sleeping like a baby again. I suffered from poor sleep for about 4 years and had forgotten what it felt like to sleep well. I had started attributing my tiredness, higher blood pressure, and certain “male-related” issues to the “inevitable decline of old age”. I’m happy to report that I feel like I’m 10 years younger and now have as much energy as I can ever remember having. I’m not saying that everyone will have the same results – I’m not overweight and am healthy in other respects – but the potential benefits of the surgery far outweigh the risks, in my opinion.
Jim Archer 07.14.09 / 1am

The UPPP surgery I had back in August 2008 did NOT work. The snoring was not fixed. I just had a hyoid advancement surgery two weeks ago, and the jury is still out on whether it has finally fixed the snoring problem. I do not recommend the UPPP surgery after my experience along with at least 5 other friends and referrals complained of the same failed result. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, has cancelled doing any of these types of surgeries due to their low success rates.
Pete Starck 07.16.09 / 1pm

After tons of research I’ve scheduled an appointment with the ENT surgeon this Friday. I have moderate OSA with moderate snoring. I’ve been on the c-cpap for 2.5 years and hate it. My research from tons of blogs and scientific studies indicates that the best chance for success is to address all three areas of the airway; nasal, palate area (uvula, palate, tonsills etc) and the tongue base area. It seems if only one area can be concretely be determined as the cause then maybe only one procedure can be performed but quite often the obstruction is caused a little bit by two or all three areas. The UPPP surgery alone has a low success rate but add in, say, a turbinate reduction and a tongue advancement and the success rate soars to over 80%. I read this on a surgeons website who claims to have done hundreds of these procedures. Is there still a gamble, of course. But I’m hoping I can have all three of the above done wihtout any hassle from the Dr./HMO.
Re: Jim, thanks for all the posts, and everyone else. If I am able to get this done I’ll be posting here. Hopfully I won’t be alone. Jim, it seems you addressed the problem with your snoring piece meal and maybe that’s why you haven’t had success yet. It seems the Dr. didn’t correctly identify the obstruction area and/or didn’t do the correct job on the areas he did work on. I suggest you keep at it till they get it pinned down. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. More soon, hopefull!!
kelly thomas 07.16.09 / 9pm

Hello, I am greatly concerned here. I have had sleep apnea for years, though it was not diagnosed till yesterday, my problem growing increasingly worse. My doctor recommended me to a ENT for Tuesday and he also recommends the UPPP procedure.I have been doing research since then and boy i just don’t know waht to do.I do know , however that i must do something soon. I don’t know what the ENT will recommend, i am not interested in the CPAP experience.On the other hand the horror stories are making me sick, just when i made up my mind that i would probably consider the UPPP Mr.Acher as now broken my spirit,wow! I mean please explain to me please sir what has failed?the fact the snoring is back or the sleep apnea?. Don’t get me wrong i would love to give my husband that joy of not having to listen to my frieght train at nights, not to mention the peace of mind for me,but i would rather deal with that i think, than this sleep apnea thing, please tell me. By the way way great site!
kelly thomas 07.16.09 / 9pm

Please respond soon as i have a great descision to make soon.Thank u.
Peter Starck 07.17.09 / 12pm

HI Kelly, I’m going to see the ENT surgeon today. I’m hoping she will be on board with addressing this surgically. You may want to try CPAP first for a couple months. Maybe you won’t mind it. I can’t stand it and am ready for surgical options. I read 50% don’t adapt to CPAP. Read my post. I’ve read several surgeons reports on success/failure and they consistantly say UPPP alone has limited success. However, when you combine opening up the nose and a tongue procedure with the UPPP the success rate sky rockets into the 80% range. Still a risk, as with any surgery but I have read many posts from people that are estatic by the results. One the surgeons pointed out that people with success stories are much less likely come back and post on these types of boards. They’ve moved on. I’ve also read even if you’re not completely cured, usually you’ve opened up the airway significantly and the CPAP will be much more comfortable to use. Anyways, I’m not trying to talk YOU into anything. This is just where I’m at after my experience with CPAP for nearly 3 years and having done lots of research. A good surgeon is key and the patent has to have a positive attitude and the willingness to make sure a thorough evaluation is done and the ENTIRE airway is address to give yourself the best chance at success.
kelly thomas 07.17.09 / 4pm

Peter you are now my hero,love u babe. I believe in positivity and i share all your points in weighing the pros and cons of surgery.I really noted after posting yesterday that most in my research say the success rate of the UPPP increases significantly with other procedures,it cheered me up that this was not a complete failure, i guess most of us just want a one stop complete fix. I may have to try the CPAP,i guess the ENT will suggest that, but the thought of being hooked up to a machine for the rest of my life,wow!I am not giving up i have too much to live for but i think eventually i will choose surgery.I will post daily if possibly to let u know the scoop of my visit to the ENT on Tuesday and please keep me informed about your experience,having someone in my position to talk to is great,especially when everyone, including friends and family are leaning against an operation,guess in the end we know what’s best for us. Thanks again Peter.
Peter Starck 07.17.09 / 5pm

Have you seen this blog Kelly? http://www.ski-epic.com/snoring/surgery.html I emailed this guy. He did have a touch up surgery later but admits he is obese. That is a given that many don’t admit I suspect. You HAVE to keep your weight in check. If not it seems you wasted you time with the surgery. I also have noticed that many follow up sleep tests after surgery test patients lying on their back which I find ridiculous. I learned long ago not to sleep on my back. Side sleeping greatly decreases the chance of the tongue falling back in the throat. Well I’m about to head to the surgeon. I’m in an HMO so I expect a battle to get surgery. Keep your fingers crossed.
kelly thomas 07.18.09 / 11am

Sleeping on my side has certainly given me a little peace these last two nights. I know working on the weight is going to be an important issue for me.I am certainly going to check out this site, as soon as i am finished. I hope greatly for you the best.Keep in touch.
Peter Satrck 07.18.09 / 6pm

My appointment with the surgeon went fairly well. She was receptive to surgical options with no incidents. She examined my mouth and put the scope down both nostrils. I have a very long Uvula, droopy palate, Slighlty deviated septum and large turbinates particularly on the right side. She says my tonsils are normal size. With the scope down my nose she plugged my nostrils and did the snore test to see what happens. A good thing is my lower throat area that she could see showed no signs of collapsing. Lot’s of obstruction up top. I discussed what I had concluded from my reserarch regarding the UPPP alone has a 50% success rate, give or take, but add in opening up the nose and a tongue base procedure and success rates are much higher. She agrees. She is Stanford trained and I am with kaiser, an HMO, so I know she isn’t looking for my $’s and just saying what I want to hear. The fly in the ointment is she doesn’t do the tongue suspension procedure and I may have to travel nearly an hour away to the Oakland center (the arm pit of the Bay area) to have it done. So, if that holds true. She reccomends that I have the nasal work done first. since she packs the nose with material and I wouldn’t be able to breath through my nose if I had the rest of the work done at once and that would make it much harder. So she would do the nose work and a couple months later I would have the palate and tongue done at the same time. I’m hoping she can find a better facility to have the other work done because it would be tough to get from San Mateo over to oakland with my wife and two year old. We have no family or anyone who could help. When I was in the hospital before my wife was there the whole time to help so this time I guess it will just be me and the nurses, uhg. A nice thing about the tongue procedure is it’s fully reversible if I don’t like it. So the next step is the Dr. will call me next week to further advise. I’m going to send her an email with more questions as well.
OUCH! 07.19.09 / 4pm

Hey all, it has been 3 days since I had my UPPP. They took the ulula & tonsils out and did something at the base of my tongue. This is how it has been so far.

1st day I actually ate a grilled cheese. Pain wasn’t that bad probably because I was still under meds. I am on Percocet 5-325 MG, one pill every 4 hours.

2nd day I had a banana and a little pancakes. Pain was there but I know I have to eat so I pretty much forced myself. I was discharged from the hospital and when I got home, I had Cheese (sliced very thing to the point of melting), Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream & Jello. Again, pain was bad but the percocet helped keep the pain down. I can’t drink much though because it has come up the nose a couple of times. The worse part of the feelings is not really the pain but the sensationg of brissols down the back of my throat which is probably because of the stitches which I hope will disolve in a few days.

3rd day, I went shopping for a little while and then hung out with some friends. This day was the worse because I didn’t take any Percocet all day and by the time I got home later that day, I was in soooo much pain. I had a turkey sandwich, a little soda to wash it down and a few chips. I also tried to have a chocolate shake but didn’t go to well with that. When I got home I took the Percocet and went to bed.

4th day, WOW, I actually had a good nights sleep. Pain hurt when I swallowed but it wasn’t that bad at all. I had to stop the Percocet though because I felt like crap! I felt like the med was breaking down my body. It is not 4:43 and I haven’t had any pain med since last night. I only had cheese and a little shake today but may go out in a few to get something more to eat as I have to keep my calorie count high. As for snoring? I don’t know if I do or don’t but I am hoping it is better.

EVERYTHING is a mind frame you put yourself in. YES, it hurts like anything I have experienced but I know every day it will get better and in time it will be completely healed. I don’t baby it at all! I guess I should have in the beginning but I seem to be ok. No bleeding, just sore when I swallow and that annoying feeling of a toothbrush in the back of my throat when I swallow. Burping & Yawning actually soothes the throat for some strange reason and when I swallow food, I find it not that bad. Drinks are the worse!!!!!

Anyway, I will try and keep you updated. I hope this helps anyone who wants to get it done. Remember that pain goes away but the postive things that can happen from the surgery can last the rest of your life.
OUCH! 07.20.09 / 4pm

Day 5, I was able to eat my first whole meal (Raviloi) and am in mild pain. Took a nice hot shower and tried to clean some of that crap off my tongue (just front of the tongue as back is sore of course). I am only taking Tylenol Extra Strength and only took it once in the morning. Drinking is much easier and I find to gulp drinks rather than sip because when I sip, well, up the nose it goes. I gargled some in the shower today but when I tilted my head forward, well, up the nose it goes…lol.

I read a lot of the posts around on the net about people who had this done. I will tell you that a lot of what I read frightened me to the point of reconsidering the surgery, but a lot of it helped me prepare for it. Let me tell you the straight up forward of it. IT WILL HURT!!!!! but, pain is manageable and you just have to will the pain to get food down. Hydration is the key to helping it heal quicker. I am on day 5 already and I think I am on the road to recovery and I am predicting in a few days I will be good as new. I do notice that after I eat, it may swell a little as I feel more but that subsides in a few hours. I don’t know what else to say except I hope this helps someone ease their minds to this procedure. I also have Cystic Fibrosis which is why I have to force myself to eat and I am sure my pain tolerance is high but I just wanted to share my few days with you all and let you know that everything is ok and you should not be afraid to have this done if it makes your quality of life better. I know each individual is different but the body is amazing and can take a lot and it has the ability to heal itself. Keep the faith and I will post again when I can eat without ANY pain.
Peter Starck 07.20.09 / 5pm

Good news on my front. There is a Dr. on staff at the local hospital that does tongue procedures so I don’t have travel anywhere else to have that procedure. I have an appointment on Wednesday to speak with him. The first Dr. apparently will do the septum and turbinate work. She says she will pack the nose and in 2 or 3 days she hopes to remove the packing from one of the nostrils so atleast I can sleep. The other one will then be “unpacked” in 5 to 7 days. She said to plan on a week off work but she advises her patients to allow two weeks. I’m going to shoot for one week since I’ll be off atleast two when I have the palate/tongue done later. I had read that they don’t pack the nose with gauze anymore for these nose procedures but she does, for whatever reason. If anyone has experience with this I’d like to here about it. I’ve heard it’s a walk in the park compared to the palate surgery regarding pain so I’m not too worried about that. I can’t wait to have open nasil passages for a change.

I enjoyed reading your posts OUCH although you could have a more encouraging name .
Can you advise specifically what type of tongue procedure you had? I think they are considering the tongue suspension for me but I’ll know for sure when I talk with the DR. on Wedn.
I’m amazed how well you’re eating, from the beggining. I’m 6′5″ and 225 lbs and the thought of going a week without grub while taking pain pills on my somewhat delicate and empty stomache has me worried almost more than anything else. That’s ok tho, I’m gonna “put my man pants on” and plow ahead knowing it will be short lived and easy breathing awaits at the other end of the tunnel. More after my Dr’s appnmt on Wednesday…..
OUCH! 07.21.09 / 7am

Sorry Peter for the name. At the time of my first post, I had a little pain and that was the only thing that came to mind…lol. The procedure I had on my tongue I am not sure. When the doctor said he wanted to do surgery, all he said was he will take out the Uvula, Tonsils and shave the base of the tongue to open the airway a little more. If anyone else knows what this is, jump right in. I don’t ask too many questions as I am a problem, fix it guy. I put my trust in my doctors and I am usually 90% on target with that.

Ok Day 6, last night, for some reason, was not as good as the others as I experiened a little more pain than usual. I still have that annoying stitches feeling in the back of my throat and the pain is still there when I swallow. I am going into work today for a couple of hours. I can’t just sit and do nothing even if I hurt a little. If anyone at all knows when the stitches will disolve or can give me a time frame, please let me know as that is the most annoying thing as I have stitches on the roof of my mouth from the uvula and where the tonsils were. I am sure once those are done with I will be feeling 50% better just from that alone.

Other than the worse and longest sore throat in history for me, I am still alive and kicking and that is something to be said for…lol. I hope everything goes well for you Peter and anyone else who decides to get this done. Please remember that my experience will NOT be the same as anyone else as we are all different and pain tolerance is also different in us all. These are my experiences and my opinions in hopes of easing some minds. Anyways, off I go, have a good one all.
kelly 07.21.09 / 10am

Hey guys, Peter i am quite glad things are looking up for you,i had to re schedule my appointment as i am still waiting on a thyroid test result.Things are a little bit better for me in the days, i guess the meds for my sinus has helped some what and i am able to sleep some more.I will certainly keep you guys informed as to my visit with my ENT. Ouch you are a trooper, i mean to eat all that stuff on those first days, you are a first.I hope for you a speedy recovery and lets all stay tuned.
Peter Starck 07.21.09 / 2pm

Ouch,

I googled your stitches issue and found this, “Dissolving times for:
Vicryl (synthetic resorbably sutures), takes about 21 days to fully dissolve.

Cat-Gut (plain or chromic), takes significantly shorter time at 1 week.”

Seems I noted others saying around 10 days. Maybe the Dr. can trim the ends at your follow up appointment. It sounds very anoying and I’m looking forward to that. When I see the the Dr. re: the tongue procedure tomorrow I’ll mention the reduction procedure you had done to see what he thinks. I did read it’s more painful than the suspension procedure but it doesn’t seem to be bothering you much. I’ve heard tho the palate surgery area is so much more painful than the other areas that that you don’t notice the other areas.

Kelly, if I were you when you see the Dr. I suggest you have him put the scope down your nose to find out right now what issues you have. It’s not painful and you’ll get a better handle on your problems and if/when you elect surgery you’ll have a better handle on what you need.

Dr/ appointment tomorrow. Should be interesting and hope all goes well.
OUCH! 07.26.09 / 8am

Hey all, I haven’t posted in a few days but here it is. Thanks for the info Peter on the stitches. I am not sure what kind of stitches he used but I guess I have to wait and see.

Lately I have been miserable due to the fact that I am just annoyed with the pain. Even though I eat solids, going through the pain, a person can only take so much. I stopped the pain meds awhile back because I need to operate and they were dragging me down and making me feel broken down and chose to deal with the pain. I am only able to eat a little before the pain is too much to handle at one sitting.

It is day 11 now and this morning it feels like the swelling went down a lot. Stitches feel different and I was actually able to drink with very minor pain. I feel like I am dehydrated due to not drinking much the past week and hopefully will be able to drink more now. I am not sure about eating today, if that is better or not but will find out at lunch. I can’t wait to get over this hump (the pain) enough so I can eat comfortably.

All things considered though, 11 days and I feel good this morning and I am not going to jinx it. I will just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best in the next couple of days.
Peter Starck 07.26.09 / 6pm

A consistant theme I’ve read from everybody is they are surprised days 1-3 aren’t as bad as they thought. Days 4-8 are the worst. Days 8-10 still hurts and they are tired of it. Days 11 and on the pain diminishes significantly. Seems like you are over the hump. How are you sleeping. Do you feel like you’re breathing better at night and more rested? Snoring/apnea episodes? It may be too early to tell but I’m interested in your early resuilts.
kelly 07.27.09 / 5am

Hi guys,thought i would check in and see how your doing.Report on state,well it seems to be improving a little a day. I still have not seen my ENT yet, i was waiting it out for my thyroid results,which are negative by the way. Anyhow i seem to always keep diagnosing my own problems and doing well at that might i add,soooo,even after the antebotics and anti inflammmatory meds (for sinuses) i still found it hard to swallow,had shallow breathing and the feeling a lump was in my throat,all of which i was experiencing greatly for the past 3 weeks,preventing me further from sleep.I did research and found i had GERDS, thanks to this site and Rose for bringing it to my attention.These 2 things,chronic sinus flare up and acid reflux seemed to compound my sleep apnea condition.I have almost completely gotten the sinus in check, but today i found out that apple cedar vinegar is a natural remedy for this {acid reflux} condition.Fellows i swear it works i bought it this evening and in minutes i have felt the best i have felt in 3 weeks,go figure! and there are no side effects to worry about.So i am selling its praise and its good in so many other areas because of it’s ability to destroy microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and others, and prevents poisons from reaching the rest of the systems of the body,wow!Anyhow i feel good and i will still see an ENT,though it may not be as bad, i hope.I will keep you guys informed.Best regards to all.Here is the link to one of the sites,if interested: http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acvinegar.html
OUCH! 07.27.09 / 6pm

Day 12, went to Medeival Times yesterday and I was able to eat most of the food. Pain is at its all time low with mild pain, swallowing is much better except for the annoying stitches. The only thing I notice is, for some reason, it is a little harder to talk as it sometimes feels like I am talking through my nose. This happened around the same time the stitches got more annoying and I think the swelling went down. I will know more when the stitches finally disolve and I am able to eat a meal without ANY problems. I am able to drink but, again, with the stitches, it is a little of a task. Peter, you asked if I have been sleeping better. Well, honestly I want to give you the best answer without misleading you in any way, I don’t know. I live alone right now and I feel like I am sleeping better but as far as the snoring, I will know this weekend as I will be with my girlfriend and trust me, she is straight forward…lol. I haven’t seen her since I had the surgery due to me not feeling well but we will see. I am most likely going to see my ENT doctor sometime next week for a followup since surgery. Other than that, I really have nothing more to write about. I really think I am over the hump and hopefully every day will continue to be better. Have a great night all and keep the faith.
Peter Starck 07.28.09 / 12pm

I have my nasal surgery set for 9-3-09. The Dr. will reduce my turbinates, correct the deviated septum and stabilize the outer nose wall. This last procedure seems very inovative. He will use the cartilage he takes from the septum and insert it into the portion of my nose that collapses when I inhale. I have to use Breathe Strips even with the CPAP to keep my nose open and he says anyone who uses them is having nasal wall collapse. The 1st surgeon said I’d be out of work a week but allow for two. The Dr. says to allow for a week but will probably only need two/three days. I’ve scheduled it on the holiday weekend which will give me five days. I was not impressed with the limited time this 2nd surgeon gave me at my appointment and I could have had the 1st surgeon do the procedure but I feel the 2nd DrR. has better skills and that’s all that really matters. I’m in an HMO and these Dr’s don’t have the same attitude as those in PPO’s. It stinks but that’s the way it is. As long as the skill level is there that all that matters. He wants to wait to see how much I improve after the nasal work before schuduling the palate work. I have no intention of waiting and will push to set up the palate job asap. I’ll have to wait two months to heal up anyways and I can always cancel the 2nd procedure if I don’t need it. From my research I think it’s highly likely I’ll need it and I don’t want to waste the deductible I will have satisfied if wait till next year. The Dr. says he does very limited to no packing of the nose, contrary to the 1st surgeon I saw, and the pain level will be a 2 out of 10 so this looks to be a cake walk. Out patient too which is great. I can’t wait to breathe through my nose when I mountain bike and windsurf!
Kelly, if your natural remedy doesn’t work, they make generic Prilosec, over the counter, that will completely eliminate it. I’ve taken it off and on for years with no side effects. GERD is nasty and sneaks up on you. It can cause serious issues with the esophogus lining and you don’t want to mess around with it. FYI, they now have laproscopic procedures that fix it permenantly. I had it done 10 years and it was like a miracle.
Ouch, I can’t tell if you had the procedure to fix snoring solely or to fix apnea as well. I’m interested in your continuing analysis of how well it has cured or reduced obstruction issues while you sleep so keep posting.
Well, I have a month left to enjoy the remainder of the windsurfing season here in the Bay area and then it’s GO time come September.
kelly 07.29.09 / 9am

Peter i really honor your opinions, thanks.I will most certainly check out the prilosec and i most certainly am still going to see the ENT, because the problem is still there, somehow i still have problems with the septum and have to look further into that. I am hoping next week to make an appointment. It seems you are getting closer to your big day, i hope it will bring relief as we all yearn for. Ouch,keep up the progress.
Peter 08.06.09 / 12pm

Here’s a link to an interesting new study that seems appropriate for this blog. There has been much talk from the small minority of patients who has adverse outcomes from this procedure telling stories of the huge risks involved. While there are risks from any surgical procedure, this study followed patients for 44 months and found the surgery did not effect quality of life at all vs. 26% of cpap users who could never adapt to it and quality of life plummeted. So, if cpap works for you, great. If it doesn’t, surgery is a good option. Interesting and timely study.

http://www.rtmagazine.com/reuters_article.asp?id=20090804clin015.html
Jason Lancaster 08.06.09 / 12pm

Hi Peter, Thanks for taking the time to post that link here. I sometimes cringe at the fact that the comments tend towards the negative when my original surgery was so successful. This post was meant to highlight that fact. Hopefully others will get as far as your comment when investigating this surgery for themselves.
Peter 08.06.09 / 5pm

Thanks Jason for the feedback. Your post is ironic in that I’ve meant to get a status on how you’ve done. I’ll mark you in the success column along with my brother in law. I just discussed this with him the other day and he says he had the procedure 15 years ago for severe apnea/snoring. He says he still snores a little but sleeps like a baby and jumps refreshed out of bed in the AM.

I’ve learned that blog forums and review pages on the internet attract people with complaints while satisfied people don’t bother, regardless if the subject is palate surgery or LCD TV’s.
Anyways, thanks for providing this forum and I feel good about my game plan coming up this fall.
Anthony NYC 08.14.09 / 1am

Hey guys i just had tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy today but I am not sure If the doctor decided to remove my uvula also. It really hurts when i swallow and it feels like there is a flap of loose skin at the back of my throat. When i looked in the mirror is seemed like my uvula is still there but it seems like its just loose thin skin like a shell. When I exhale the flap moves and obstructs my breathing. Is this normal for a uvulectomy?? Please answet thanks
Peter 08.16.09 / 11am

Hi Anthony, All I can add regarding your question is from what I’ve read on some posts from others. I’ve read some who’ve had the uvula removed still had a swollen knob right after surgery and it recedes after it heals up. I’ve also read some have had a partial removal of the uvula and some of it still remains. You should call or email your Dr. anbd ask what was done for you. I’m interested in why you had the procedure done would like to hear about your recovery so keeping posting. Two weeks till my Septum repair and turbinate reduction surgery and looking forward to getting it over with, then comes the palate job.
Peter 08.27.09 / 4pm

Tomorrow I have my pre-surgery physical for the deviated septum and tubinate repair. I then meet with the anesthesiolgist. I’m particularly interested in the 2nd appointment. I’ve read it can be a little tricky coming out of anesthesia for a patient with apnea. After they take the breathing tube out it takes a while for you to wake up and of course my nose will probably be clogged and I don’t mouth breath well laying on my back because of the apnea. I have to find out what precautions they take to make sure there are no issues.
I may be posting to an empty room here but I guess I’ll keep at it and if anyone has any feedback on this issue let me know.
Dom 09.25.09 / 2pm

Hi,
Thanks for starting this post Jason. Has really been great for getting peoples experience on the surgery.
Im from england and i am booked in for the surgery (UPPP,Tonsil removal + turbinates) on the 28th October. I dont have any sleep apnea but snore like a harley davidson crossed with a tractor (according to my boyfriend). Its highly embarrassing and I am finding it very hard to have a normal relatiionship.

I am 24, female and very athletic so losing weight was not an option. Tried everything from steroids to sleeping with a tennis ball strapped to my back(which is the only thing that kind of works) however a tennis ball on your back every night is quite uncomfortable. Had previous sinus surgery two years ago which did nothing to help!!!
So here I am with one month to go before surgery and while everybody I speak to is horrified I am going through such painfull surgery I am looking forward to an 80% success rate that my snoring will be cured. Thank you to everybody for all the tips on what people need after surgery,what to expect with pain and even on the tips on how to drink without it going up your nose!!
I will write back once the surgery is complete to update my results/pain, but if anybody has any more tips on getting through the surgery it would be appreciated or any questions I will reply back. Dom
Peter 09.28.09 / 2pm

Dom, Just an FYI. There is a significant chance having the nose surgery at the same time as the palate surgery will make the recovery much more uncomfortable. I’ve read this from multiple posters who had this done. I just had a somnoplasty and turbinate reduction and I can vow that my nose was completey shut down and I had to mouth breathe exclusively for 7-8 days. Any surgical wounds in the throat will dry out considerably and increase the pain. My Dr. told me to wait two months to have any palate work done to let the nose open up fully. It’s still doable to do both simulaneously, and many have, but I just thought I’d pass along the info. If you’re concerned talk to your Dr. about it. Keep posting your evolving story. I’m interested as I plan my palate surgery, hopefully for November. p
Joe - 6 months post surgery 09.28.09 / 6pm

Thought I’d give an update 6 months post surgery. 1st, I’m doing GREAT and breathing and sleeping like never before! I was diagnosed with mild OSA and couldn’t stand a xPAP mask and opted for surgery out of the shoot. My ENT diagnosed me with nasal and throat blockage. I had septoplasty, turbinate reduction, and uvulectomy/palate (NOT UPPP) work done all in 1 procedure. There was pain, discomfort, and inconvenience for sure, but it was very tolerable and well worth it. I now experience deep sleep again, have deep and vivid dreams and feel refreshed when I wake up. I had an excellent ENT who ordered the sleep study, reviewed the results with me, looked up my nose with a scope and down my throat, explained what procedures he’d do and why. He was also my surgeon. I had excellent results and am so glad and fortunate to have opted for that set of surgery. I sleep like a baby and wake up with a smile! YMMV. Joe
Dom 09.29.09 / 2am

Hi Peter

Thanks for the advice. Not sure what to do? Its all booked now and I just thought it would be best to do it all at once as i cant see me going back and forward and taking loads of time off work. All im keeping in my head is that its two weeks of pain and then its done? I didn’t think about the breathing and drying my throat out though. Oh dear!
Have you found your nose surgery to have any benefits so far?? I know your going through the procedure more for apnea but have you any relief from snoring at all?
Dom 09.29.09 / 2am

Hi Joe – nice to hear a success story. With you having both procedures done did you find a problem with breathing through your mouth and drying it out as you couldnt breath through your nose? Also did you snore beforehand and if so, has it stopped now you’ve had the full whammy surgery?
Peter 09.29.09 / 2pm

Hi Dom, I am three + weeks post op and my nasal breathing is much improved. I think my turbinates use to swell, alternately, and one side of my nose was usually closed off, especially at night. Reportedly they are especially prone to swelling when one lays down to sleep. As long as I keep up with my nasal rinses and put a dab of nasal gel in afterwards, my nose is open all the time now. I think I’m 75% back now which is already way better than pre-op. Nasal work usually doesn’t elimnate snoring or apnea in most people I’ve read but still worth doing if you have an obstruction.
My Dr. went into a long story about doing both surgeries at once on a colleague of his. It was a success but he said he could tell the patient was unhappy about the rough time he had. The 1st surgeon I saw also reccomended the two stage approach. I see the temptation to get it all over with at once. You need a week off work for the nose, sometimes less, and definately two for the palate. It’s also two trips to the hospital, two anesthesia etc. But, my Dr’s felt pretty strongly about it so it sounded logical to me. I suspect some of the peoples’ horror stories regarding pain after the UPPP AND nose surgery together might have been reduced to only very painful, but manageable, if they UPPP was done alone. The pain from my nose surgery was only a 3 out of 10 but there is some significant discomfort from nose splints and packing if your Dr. does that. I’m lucky, I had no packing. The dry mouth from mouth breathing was sort of rough for me at night. I also couldn’t use my CPAP for the 1st 8 days and only slept 2 hours a day which was miserable for me and the worst part of the whole thing. Did your Dr. rule out tongue base obstruction as contributing to your snoring? You might want to ask him as tongue base procedures I hear are easy to do at the same time as UPPP and not very painful. Your lucky you don’t have apnea, just snoring. I do think you need to get off your back when you sleep. That will help keep you tongue from falling back and closing off your throat. Maybe a large pillow wedged against your back may keep you from rolling off your side.
Hope this helps. I’m no expert, I’ve just done tons of reading and researching over the last year on blogs and Dr’s research sites etc. There is such an individualistic reaction to these surgeries that it’s tough to predict how somone will do based on someone else’s experience. maybe this won’t even be an issue for you. Post how you are doing. p
Joe - 6 months post surgery 09.29.09 / 6pm

Hi Dom,

1. Expect a dry mouth/throat whether you have only nasal and/or nasal + mouth/throat surgery. The key is to stay hydrated, i.e. ice water.

2. I was a mouth breather prior to my surgery as I had a badly deviated septum and enlarged turbinates, so mouth breathing was instinctive and natural to me. I did not have any problem mouth breathing post op. It’s not as if one’s whole mouth/throat will be blocked due to the surgery and all air will be blocked. Again, you must stay hydrated for various reasons (anesthesia will dehydrate you anyway; you’ll be constipated b/c of the pain killers; you would want ice water to cool down and relieve your throat). Mind you I did not have the full UPPP (only uvulectomy/palate work, along with septoplasty and bilateral turbinate reduction), so YMMV.

3. I did snore loudly pre-op. and had Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). My wife, bless her heart, was the one who was influential in getting me diagnosed (“you snore like a train, but I’m more worried because you stop breathing and suddenly grasp for air – you might have Sleep Apnea!”), checked out, and supported me. My wife says I still snore post op., but it’s a different tone and loudness, more like a baby snore to quote her. Mind you snoring was not why I had the surgery, but it was a nice side “prize”. The fact that I slept on my side pre-op. was also a great advantage.

4. Make sure you get a very good ENT/surgeon. Ask him/her questions, do your research (don’t be scared by the stories) and then make your decision based on YOUR individual medical diagnosis, and recommended medical treatment once you have confidence in what you have been told by your ENT. In my case, I needed at least 2 weeks off work, and then about 1 week “working remotely” before I felt human again. Pain was definitely there, but it was tolerable with pain killers and rest. Some days I’d feel ok and giddy, others it’s like being hit by a truck – but it was all manageable and tolerable (so don’t be too scared.) Eating/drinking was uncomfortable, but I learned to stick to cold foods/drinks as warm/hot was really “burning” my throat — it was not as bad as I expected. I was eating solid food from day one. Anything acidic was out of the question for a while (3-4 weeks?). YMMV.

5. In my case, my ENT did not use any splints and the packing was removed in the recovery room. I did have stitches. I did feel stuffed for about the first 2-3 weeks. Using a saline rinse helped a lot, highly recommended once your ENT says ok. I really did not feel the real benefits of the surgery (septoplasty was the one for me, and it was a night and day difference) until about a month post-op. Morale here: patience, patience, patience, and lots of it. Easy and steady wins the marathon.

6. YMMV. Check with your ENT/med staff pre and post recovery.

7. Good luck. Ask away. Keep us posted.
Dom 09.30.09 / 5am

Ok well I have decided to go ahead with both. I breath through my mouth all the time so probably used to a dry mouth. Joe if your wife reports now that you snore only like a baby then that must be a god send to her and that gives me great hope as 6 months post op you must be pretty much all healed.
Going to take everyones advice and stay hydrated. Glad to hear some people werent as in much pain as others seem to be. I am praying im going to get lucky with the pain. I have 4 weeks left in which time im going to spend preparing and stocking up on things like humidifiers, jigsaw puzzles, dvds and vitamin drinks. Im taking three works off as I work in sales and need my voice back as much as normal as possible and me and my two dogs are packing our things and moving into my mums for two weeks for some TLC as my partner works full time.
After my last nose surgery I had the nose rinse I had to squirt up my nose 3/4 times a day which i HATED, highly annoying and uncomfortable. One day we ran out of the rinse the hospital gave us so my mum mixed salt with warm water. I couldnt stop screaming for an hour, SO much pain. Advise to others – be careful how much diluted salt you put on raw wounds!!
Will of course keep everybody updated and Peter your surgery may be soon after mine so will keep you posted on what to expect!!
Peter 10.01.09 / 12pm

I hope I didn’t freak you out Dom regarding the warning on all in one surgery protocol. It does seem many people do just that and you do get it over with all at once which is nice. Seems Joe was very fortunate to have no splints or packing. That is unusual from what I’ve read and most likely helped limit his nose “shut down” time. I was VERY grateful to not have the packing, the splints were bad enough.
FYI, I have a home recipe I got from the Dr. for salt mixes for the nasal rine. I’ll post the exact recipe later but it’s generally a NON-iodized salt and baking soda concoction. Regular salt alone burns very badly and shouldn’t be used my DR. says. Buying the store made stuff is expensive so I’m going to start making my own.
I have my 4 week post-op tomorrow. I’m praying the Dr. gives the go ahead to schedule the palate/tongue procedure. I’m in the dreaded HMO system so you never know what kind of hassle is coming when they have to spend money on you. He’s the only one at the facility I go to that does tongue ablations and tongue advancements. I’m told I have a large tongue and since the tongue often plays a roll in OSA I want to get that done too to give myself the best shot for success.
Peter 10.02.09 / 11pm

The Dr. was very pleased how good my nose is looking 4 weeks post op. The 4-5 nasal rinces a day, the first week I did two a day on Dr’s orders, really exelerated the healing time. He said he just had seen a guy who had the same surgery when I did and his nose was crusty and nasty. He hadn’t been doing the nasal rinces and gel applications.
I have my next surgery booked for 11-12 which is two weeks before Thanksgiving. With the holiday weekend, that gives me 17 days to recoop while only missing 10 days of work. I really lucked out getting the exact day I wanted.
He’s going to remove the tonsils, adenoids and trim the palate slightly. He says he removes the tonsils in a special way so that nerve endings aren’t exposed which is the reason why some people have a lot of pain. Sounds good to me. I’m tall and relatively thin and don’t have much extra material in the palate area like an obese person with OSA does. He’s going to be conservative in trimming the palate to make sure there are no long term fluid up the nose issues. He said you can always remove more but can’t replace it. He’s right of course and that’s the trick of this surgery I guess to take just the right amount off. He’s torn whether or not I need a tongue ablation procedure. He says my tongue lays fairly flat on the bottom of my mouth and per some type of measurement scale, I forgot the name, mine is only at the 1 stage out of 4 levels. #4 is when you look in your mouth and the tongue blocks the view of the palate area completely. I’ve read when the whole palate area can be seen when looking past the tongue, the chances of success for eliminating OSA is much higher. Anyways, it seems the jury is out for the ablation procedure for now. One surprising thing is he says is a it’s day surgery and I go home later. That’s pretty unusual from what I’ve read. I was supposed to go home after the nose surgery too but I couldn’t keep my O’2 level above 90% from the anesthesia effects so I ended up staying anyways. He says if I end up having the tongue ablation I would be staying over night to monitor my airway. He made a really big deal about soft foods only for 3 full weeks to avoid bleeding issues. No excuses. So, 5 1/2 weeks to go and I might start having some of my favorite hard to swallow dishes while I can. It’s going to be slim pickings come 11-12.
Dom 10.03.09 / 1pm

Hi Peter

You sound like you have a really good doctor who takes time to explain things properly – I got none of that! I will deffo do the nasal rinses as i dont want a crusty nose!! haha.
Well were both in the same boat now i guess waiting for surgery. Im eating as many McDonalds and take-aways while i can because im really going to miss solid food. Interesting that your doctor insisted on avoiding solid foods. I have read sometimes its encouraged to eat solid food as soon as you can?? Im stocking up on liquids to be on the safe side.
As for staying overnight my form says im to be at hospital for 8am and I might be asked to stay over so to bring along personal things like PJ’s. I’ve read some people stay in for 3 nights?? Im wanting to stay as long as possible in hospital so I can get as much pain relief as possible!!
Glad your nose is healing ok tho – well done!
Peter 10.05.09 / 12am

Hey Dom—I wish I could say my Dr. has been the great communicator but actually this last appointment was an abreisen from the norm. He talks a 100 mph and doesn’t slow down for the tedius question. The 1st appiontment after 20 minutes he just got up and left. I was chasing him down the hall asking questions. My wife thought I should say something to him but I thought it might not be a good idea to irritate someone who will be sticking sharp instruments in my head I do think he’s very skilled so I decided that’s most important and I’m trying to adapt to his style.
The Dr. says he had a couple bleeds at 10 and 14 days out recently. One girl eat a big hamburger and some younger boy was eating tortillas against his instructions. Back into surgery they both went. I think scrambled eggs, soft soups, jelly sandwiches etc are OK by the 2nd week so I guess I can live on that for a few weeks.
I really doubt I’ll be coming home the 1st day no matter what. I actually want out of there asap. They’ll stock me up on the heavy meds for home and I’d rather be in my own bed than laying around the hospital with needles and tubes hanging out my arm and walking to the bathroom while wheeling the IV cart. It’s very noisy too. I brought ear plugs this last time and they really helped It’s still so fresh in my memory from 9-3. That’s good tho I think. I’ll just slip back into the routiune of going thru with the procedure and veging at home. Not easy at my house with a 2 year old running wild.
I need to get my grocery list together too. maybe I
‘ll scan the blogs again to get supply suggestions……p
Jim A. 10.06.09 / 4pm

I’ve posted blogs regarding UPPP surgery dating back to August 28, 2008. As a matter of update, the UPPP surgery was unsuccessful in correcting the snoring. I had since done a hyoid advancement surgery back in July 2009, and that was also unsuccessful. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, purportedly is no longer doing these kinds of surgeries because of their low success rates. For the first 2 months post-op UPPP surgery, I did not snore because the upper palate tissues were tight, but when the swelling diminished, the tissues began to sag, causing snoring. My recommendation to everyone is not do any of these surgeries but to consider an anti-snoring appliance that can be customized for you. I still have very mild sleep apnea due to airway restriction. A dentist who specializes in TMJ may be able to help. Also, Cheryl Lang and I spoke and she swears by the following in remedy of snoring:

http://www.oasyssleep.com/About.htm

I am going to try it myself. For those of you who have heard of puresleep.com, my recommendation is not to purchase from them.

Jim
Peter 10.06.09 / 8pm

Sorry to hear Jim, you didn’t achieve the results you were looking for. I know you must be dissapointed. If the tissues that have sagged in your case are in fact the the problem, there are non-incision procedures available that can tighten up them with little pain and on an out patient basis. I have read that sometimes additional touch up procedures like this are nessesary to get it resolved. I have two family members and have read many posts from patients who are thrilled with their results to include the author of this thread, just recently Joe, see above, and many others. The Standford Sleep Clinic, the gold standard in sleep apnea and surgery facilities, obviously disagrees with the Mayo Clinic. Standford includes UPPP as part, just part mind you, of their phase one surgery proticol. Phase two is the jaw advancement for those that don’t respond to phase one. Perhaps you fall into the class that would need phase two to to be cured. You may be one of those who has a very narrow airway and removing tissue is not enough. I would think an expierenced and motivated sleep surgeon could give you the definitive answers if you haven’t already given up. I feel confident that even if my OSA isn’t cured, the pressure on my CPAP will be reduced making it more tolorable and I’ll breathe better for sports activeties.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed you stay motivated and get the answers and results you’ll be happy with.
Peter 10.07.09 / 10pm

Here’s the saline water home recipe for sinus irrigation my Dr. gave me. It’s cheaper than the pre-made packets and you can fine tune the salt content. I like the Neil Med dispenser bottle.
1—1 to 2 heaping teaspoons of NON-iodized salt. Not table salt.

2—1 teaspoon of Arm & Hammer baking soda.

3—1 ltr or qrt of warm water, not hot.

Add salt to maximum tolerance. More salt increases decongestant effect. The baking soda makes the saltwater less irritating.
Dom 10.08.09 / 5pm

Having trouble posting on the blog at the moment?!
Peter 10.09.09 / 6pm

I tried the home recipe for nasal rinse last night. Basically mixed at 1 to 1, salt to baking soda. Maybe a 1/4 tsp to 8 oz of water. I didn’t let it sit and disolve 1st but just shook it up and did the rince. It burned my nose and made me sneeze. It must work because I see recipes for it all over the internet. I’m going to play with the mixture over the weekend to see if I can get it right. It’s $12 a box for the Neil Med ready made packets so I don’t want to go back to that expense unless I have to.
I can see doing a daily rinse or two for the rest of my life. The Doc says everybody should do them daily like brushing you teeth. All the dust, pollen and crap you breathe in will just sit in your nose causing allergies etc. It also helps to avoid gettig sick he says. My nose has never been so clear now and no allergies!
Computer trouble Dom? I can see your post.
If anybody has had the tongue base ablation procedure ( a needle is stuck in the back of the tongue and some type of current shrinks it) I’d like to hear how it went for you. I’m having a hard time finding any personal reports on this on the web. The Dr. did say the tongue swells up some and is “concerning ” when done with the UPPP. That’s why the mandatory stay in the hospital after the procedure I guess.
I stepped on the scale last night and noticed I’ve gained 5 lbs since 9-1. The nose surgery down time, just a few windsurfing sessions and NO mountain bike time have taken thier toll. I’m 6′5″ and 225 lbs, now, and thinking I’ll lose at least 15 lbs from the UPPP?? I’ve been eating like a bear before hibernation lately for the surgery but I don’t want to pack too much on either. I’d like to weigh 210 lbs post surgery recovery and keep it there. My Dr. said gaining even as little as 5 or 10 lbs post UPPP can bring the symptoms back. Pretty wierd how fat stores in practicularly every inch of the body, even the palate and tongue.
Peter 10.13.09 / 5pm

I figured out the nasal rince mix. I cut the salt/soda mix down by 1/3 from the above, a big pinch, for lack of an exact measurement. Works perfectly. A box of Arm & Hammer and a regular sized salt container seems like it would last months especially since I’m doing only two rinces a day. It’s been about two weeks since I’ve flushed anything related to the surgery out of my nose i.e. blood, scabs etc. Only using the nasal jell when needed now. My nose is more open than I can ever remember. My allergies still seem to be gone. I’m very excited to open my throat passage to go with my new wind tunnel nose
Starting my substinance list. Someone noted, check all labels for citric acid and avoid like the plague. One woman said she did well with pain pills broken up and buried in jello for swallowing. I’ve read liquid pain meds burn terribly. Need to research this more as this seems to be a tough issue.
Pre-op appointment set for 11-5-09.
Jennifer 10.19.09 / 12am

Hi to everyone well for me I had my uppp surgery which incuded tonsils, and my adnoids, but i also had two boney growthes removed from my turbinates still not to sure what that is, and sinus surgery and my deviated septum fixed, I dont know about anybody else but I think this was the most painful thing I have ever went through,and it will be 2 weeks on the 20th, I have went through so much pain meds, my doc put me on liquid hydrocodone for the first like 2 weeks but it burned like hell going down I would have to mix it with kool-aid to be able to tolerate it. and when I went for my first post- op appt. he wrote a script for the 5 mg hydrocodone pills. ok if I cant swallow food how am i going to swallow these pills. but I have to because even after 2 weeks after surgery it still hurts pretty bad especially at nite. I have to take the meds exactly every 3-4 hours. I just wonder how much longer will it take before the pain goes away or at least to where it is bearable….
Peter 10.19.09 / 5pm

Hi Jennifer…
I’ve had the 1st procedure (nose) but not yet the 2nd (palate). I’ve read if you put the pill in a chunk of jello it slides down easier.
Steam showers and constant vaporizer/humidifier in your room at all times limits the throat drying out.
Most people report day 9/10 the pain SLOWLY starts to subside. Your just a little past that time so I bet you’re ready to get over the hump. Everybody is different it seems.
Try to stay positive knowing 90% of the worst of it is over for you and I’m jealous, my ordeal is yet to come.

Dom…Are you still around? Isn’t your surgery next week? Wondering if you’ve gotten your stuff together etc……?
Dom 10.20.09 / 4am

Hi Peter,
Still here! Jennifer, sorry to hear your suffering so bad – I hope its getting easier by now.
Its Tuesday today and my surgery is next Wednesday so getting quite nervous now. Im at the doctors tomorrow to sort my sick note out for work and to ask what kind of pain meds I might be able to receive after my surgery etc.
Ok well I think im quite prepared so far – I have sorted all paperwork out for next month as i will be staying at my mums for 2 weeks and wont want that hassle, I have my bags packed ready. I have bought a horn to use to get my mums attention so I dont have to shout for her when she’s in another room (she’s thrilled about that)
I have stocked up on Soups, Gatorade, Lucozade sport, Protein Gel sachets, hot dogs, sliced chicken/ham, Jelly, noodles and tea and plenty of ice bags and ice lollys. I have bought a good blender to crush Ice so i can enjoy Slushies and I have bought a Vics Cold Mist Humidifier to help at night. I have Gel Ice Packs in the freezer to apply to my neck which I have heard helps sometimes. A tongue scraper to help keep the bacteria down for the first few days when I probably wont want to brush my teeth. A tip I have heard is to brush your teeth on your knees and never to bend over from the waist as it promotes bleeding. So if you drop anything on the floor, drop to your knees to pick it up – NEVER bend at the waist untill the throat has healed as the pressure might burst the stitches. I have bought a small bottle spray to spray water on the back of my throat to stop it drying out for times when i feel it is too painful to swallow water. A numbing mouthwash to gargle with and an anesthetic throat spray (cepacol) may help.
Another tip i have heard is to chew chewing gum for ear pain? Will give it a try. Keep all liquids at room temperature so its not too hot and not too cold. Eat and drink as much as you can 15 minutes after taking pain meds as this is when they are at their strongest. Dont talk for 8 days, you CAN talk but i have heard you pay for it later on in the week, so talking as little as possible is the best way to avoid the pain and certainly something Im going to be trying. I have also heard using a straw and aiming to one side of the throat and swallowing to one side of the throat is a good idea instead of chucking it all down there. Small sips to start with as we will be re learning to swallow (might help the liquids stop going up the nose).
Sleep as much upright as possible (plenty of pillows). Do not sleep through pain meds, set your alarm so you always take them. i personally am going to try pain meds every 3 and a half hours as some people say they wear off by the time it gets to 4 hours. The stitches will take around 6 weeks to dissolve so not to freak out when they are still there 3 weeks later. Jigsaw puzzles to keep your mind occupied and plenty of DVDs to watch.
I am a young woman and vanity does play a part of my life so before the surgery I am getting all waxing, shaving and spray tanning done 2 days before surgery. You might think this silly but i know im gonna feel like crap so i dont want to also look like crap as well. New PJ’s and jogging suits for a little bit of comfort afterwards!!
This is just the advice and tips I have picked up off the blogs and forums I have read, none of this has come from my surgeon or hospital.
I will report back on what has worked best etc and hopefully the preperation will pay off
Dom
Peter 10.20.09 / 5pm

I have to say Dom, it seems you have your act together. I haven’t made any lists or done any shopping yet but I have been copying suggestions from blogs and emailing them home from work.
The horn idea cracked me up. I think I’ll round up a bell we have somewhere, sounds like a good idea.
Someone said their Dr. suggested gargling with a table spoon full of vegitable oil before sleeping to keep the incision moist. Sounds like the same concept as that anti snore spray, Snore Ease, which I have used in the past and does help a lot with a dry throat. Maybe I’ll pickup two spray bottles, one for water and one for oil.
Did you pick up your nasal rinse supplies yet? You might want to ask your Dr. when is the absolute soonest you can get any packing/stints out of your nose so you can start nose breathing.
I’ve read comments across the board about pain meds and don’t know what to do. I’m pretty concerned about it. Some say liquid meds are easier to swallow, some say they burn terribly. Others say pills are easier to handle when you insert them in a glob of jello and slide them down. I have a touchy stomache taking meds when it’s empty, which it will be, and I don’t need ulcer type pains on top of the rest. I wonder if liquids are easier on the stomache?? This could be one of those unknown x-factors for me because there will be antibiotics in the mix as well. I have an ominous feeling about this issue. Hope it’s unfounded.
My wife wants me to bug the Dr. again about getting the perscriptions ahead of time since she has a two year old in tow and it’s a hassle to wait. The Dr. doesn’t like to do it b/4 hand tho in case the surgery is cancelled. I’ll give it a try I guess anyways. We have no family or anyone else to help us so it’s a reasonable request.
I want to talk to the Dr. about laxitives too. I was out of commision for 3 days after the nose surgery and I wasn’t taking the pain meds which makes it worse. Some guy said he didn’t go for 6/7 days…X-factor #2!
Dom 10.23.09 / 6pm

Hi Peter
Gonna try the vegetable oil, anything is worth a shot if it might help. My surgeon gives me a weeks supply of the rinse things and a bottle to use but after that I will be sticking to your recipe so thanks. I’ve had turbinate surgery 2 years ago and did not have any packing or splints. I know this time my surgeon said she would be more aggressive with the nose surgery so perhaps I may have them this time round.
With the medication side I am hopefully sticking to liquid meds. I’ve always had trouble swallowing tablets due to a small throat so would prefer liquids to choking on a tablet plus stitches any day. I heard take a sip of liquid meds, sip of water, etc so will try that to relieve burning. Im asthmatic so will be interested to see which anti inflamatries I will be given as Ibuprofen makes me wheeze.
My friend is abroad at the moment and spoke to an american guy and explained about me having this surgery – turns out he had the surgery done a while back and it totally worked for him and that it wasnt as bad as other people have made out. Each person is different with pain tolerance but I did feel a little comforted by his words.
4 days to go
Dom
Peter 10.28.09 / 12am

Good luck with the surgery tomorrow Dom, or is today already in England?
I’m sure all will go well and give a report when able.
Mark 10.29.09 / 3am

What an absorbing site this is. I’m in the UK and had a complete uvulectomy on Oct 20th. So just over a week ago. I didn’t suffer from apnea or excessive snoring, but my uvula was huge and hung down my throat. It was frequently enlarged too; this gave a horrible sensation, and I seemed to pick up more than my fair share of colds, sore throats etc. When doctors saw the uvula, they went to fetch their friends so they could see it too….
The first few days post-op were bearable, but the pain is getting worse now. It’s good to read that others are finding 2 or 3 weeks discomfort is the norm (the surgeon had said I’d be back at work after 5 days or so). But despite the pain, I can already feel the benefits. It’s wonderful not having a permanent lump in the throat. It took me a year to summon up the courage to get this done, but to anyone else wondering about whether to go through it, I’d suggest that it’s definitely worth it.
Dom – hope you’re OK. It sounds as if you have the right attitude, which is probably half the battle!
Dom 10.29.09 / 3pm

Hi
had surgery yesterday at 4pm – Just got home now (7pm).
Surgery went well. Was sick 7 times after I came round which was not pleasant. Hospital wouldnt let me leave untill I had eaten a full meal which was painful. Dont feel as bad as I thought i would but swallowing is very very sore. Hopefully the pain wont get too bad but i know days 6-10 are the worse so not looking forward to that. So far so good
Dom
Peter 10.29.09 / 4pm

Congrats, the scary part is over. Kick back, take your meds and start working that horn
Dom - In pain 10.30.09 / 12pm

Ok this is day 2 and im in absolute pain. The painkillers make me throw up so im off them and only on Coedine so in ALLOT of pain. My ears hurt, my jaw hurts and cant swallow for the immense pain. They spIit the side of my mouth when wedging it open for surgery so thats fun. I would reccomend taking some earplugs into hospital as they helped me get my sleep and have helped with my painful ears. Changing between ice packs and hot water bottles on my jaw/ears also is nice. Sipping cold water and chewing gum is nice. Strawberry Ice lollys are the nicest – dont get pineapple. I cant talk at all today for the pain whereas yesterday I was able to chat and laugh.
Any questions just ask
Dom
Peter 10.30.09 / 2pm

So codiene does nothing? I’ve been afraid all along my empty stomache won’t allow me take all the meds. Careful with the heat as that promotes swelling.
How’s the nose? Any packing or splints?
They gave me earplugs at the hospital and I used them tho I didn’t sleep one minute.
Can you keep any food down?
Hang in there and feel free to vent and complain, it’s helps relive the stress…..p
Dom - In pain 10.31.09 / 6am

Hiya
Ok today is day 3 and feel a TINY bit better. My main concern is that im snoring worse than ever before – I hope this is just to do with the swelling.
The dissolvable paracetemols are a deffo no go for me – make me throw up every time so im still just on the Codeine. Its manageble but very painful. Small apple slices is all im managing to keep down and the odd ice lolly. My grandma bought me some sugar coated jelly sweets which i can bite in tiny amounts. They taste so wonderful and give me some well needed energy. My partner is bringing me some protein drinks today to try so I will see how that goes.
Anything other than water in my mouth feels so thick. A small sip of orange feels like a huge slurp of thick syrup. My mum tried me with a bit of warm porridge this morning but the grains felt huge and stuck to my stitches. Swallowing is the worst thing and you have to build yourself up for it. I find that banging the table with my fist when i swallow helps – lol.
The surgeon said she didnt do as much work as she thought she would have to on my nose so no splints or packing and no nasal rinse. Its been bleeding and running non stop but should stop in a week or so. I have a spray to put up every 4 hours.
Mark did you snore at all pre op?? Has that stopped or got worse since the op?
Peter the codeine seems to help me sleep, I find I am constantly half asleep and as soon as i lie down im off to dream land. The earplugs really did help in the hospital. I didnt think my ears would be too badly affected but they are SO sensitive. I wince when anyone talks as it feels so loud so the earplugs are in 80% of the day.
I have halfed my pain meds by not taking the dissolvable stuff but i do have tramadol incase the pain gets too much. The tramadol is 50mg and im not that happy about putting so much drugs in my body so going to continue with the 30mg Codeine every 4 hours.
Peter if you expect the worse than anything less is a god send. The worse thing for me was the vomitting. If you are sick then change your pain meds immediately. I kept taking mine and kept being sick which has not helped the stitches at all. When it gets VERY painfull to swallow chew gum – gives a little bit of relief but feels horrible in your mouth.
Will report back if anything changes, going to watch some DVDs and relax!
Dom
Mark 11.01.09 / 11am

Hi Dom, good to know the op went OK.
Re the snoring – I didn’t snore much, but I did gasp and splutter in my sleep apparently. Also I woke from time to time (probably a couple of times a week) fighting for breath, confused and a bit panicky. This may well have been a mild form of apnea. Since the op, it hasn’t happened at all. Also, I am now sleeping quietly (between waking up reaching for the paracetamol!). So I’m sure you’ll find that there will be long term benefits. It may be hard at times, but you have to hang on to that – think long, it will take time but it’ll be worth it. I only had the uvulectomy – I’d feel a fraud discussing pain after what you, and others, who’ve had the whole lot out have gone through. Have a look back at what Joe said about this taking time.
I had my annual work medical shortly before the op, and was discussing it with the doctor. He said three weeks was a more realistic estimate for getting back to work.I’d say catch up on the newspapers, but they’ll just depress you!
Mark 11.01.09 / 11am

Oops, pressed ’send’ button in error! As I was going to say – my company doctor said three weeks when the consultant said a lot less. Everybody’s different when it comes to healing, so don’t pay too much attention to anyone who says you’ll be fit by such and such a date. I was given a gargle called ‘Difflam’, which just ran out. It took the edge off the pain; I must try and get some more. All the best, let us know how you get on.
Peter 11.01.09 / 11pm

Mark, Sounds like you definately had apnea pre-surgery. That’s great you’re not having symptoms post surgery. Did they trim a little of the palate too or just the uvula?
Dom - In pain 11.02.09 / 2pm

Still snoring terribly – I hope to god that this hasnt been a total waste of time.
Peter good luck for the surgery and report back when you feel you can
Dom
Peter 11.02.09 / 3pm

Dom…I think it’s WAY too early for you to lose hope. Your throat is all swollen and can only imagine the poor shape your nose is in. You need 3-4 weeks to get a better idea of where you’ll be at.

Pre-op appontment this Friday. Hope I see the Dr., I didn’t at the pre-op for the nose, so I can stress that I don’t want him to be TOO conservative about trimming the palate. He said he wasn’t going to trim too much. I don’t want him to leave too much there making the procedure inefective.

Starting feel a little apprehension seeping in for the big day. I’m going to try to talk my wife into just staying home the 1st day when I’m in the hospital. My two old may be too much for me when I’m just out of surgery.
Dom - In pain 11.03.09 / 5am

Ah peter I thought your sugery was on wednesday or thursday?
I suppose i’ll have to wait and see but most of the people i’ve read up on stopped snoring straight away. Had another bad night, waking up is the worst because your first sip of water feels like broken glass.
Peter you will deffo not want a 2 year old around you non stop but it will help to take your mind off things. My niece is 15 month and i look forward to her coming to visit as it keeps me occupied but i do wear ear plugs the full time as she likes to squeel and sing allot.
I dont know what i would have done without my mum looking after me. You really REALLY do need someone there the first week, hopefully your wife will be up to date with the after care so you can get plenty of TLC.
Try and get a tongue scraper because i found this helps getting the gunk off your tongue – especially in the mornings
Dom
Peter 11.03.09 / 2pm

Geez, I’m glad you questioned the dates. My pre-op is actually on Thursday the 5th and surgery on the following Thurs 11-12. That would have sucked missing my pre-op appointment. My son’s 3rd b-day is the 11th so his big day and my last meal will be combined. We’re currently living in a 1 bedroom apartment and all sleeping in the same room so undoubtedly this is going to be a difficult recovery in cramped quarters. My son’s a big, physical toddler who loves to jump on me and wrestle. After the nose surgery I was giving him the stiff arm to keep him away from my nose and after a couple days he left me alone completely. I felt bad but had no choice.
I’ve got the tongue scraper already.

Here’s a couple links to UPPP forums you might want to peruse if you haven’t already. The first one is littered with anti-surgery posts by moderators so I suggest you just don’t read those. The 2nd one is an active thread that the moderators have finally left alone, for the most part. I’m positive I read at least a couple reports of people complaining of continued snoring that cleared up abruptly 2-4 weeks post-op…I go by Pstar over there…

http://www.apneasupport.org/about6932-0-asc-0.html

http://www.apneasupport.org/about16855-60.html
Mark 11.04.09 / 1pm

I had all of my uvula removed, but none of the surrounding soft palate. It’s been better the last two days, but still very tender if any food touches it. I can drink a beer again if I’m careful. My uvula area was very swollen after surgery – Dom, you have to give it time; things won’t have had time to return to normal yet. Make sure you get enough follow-up from the Dr. The whole treatment shouldn’t stop just because the surgery is over – make sure you get the after-care too!

I’d only considered the apnea angle quite recently when I found a colleaue suffered. I’d never heard of it before, but it sounds awful.

Peter – hang in there! My doctor was keen to remove all my uvula. His approach was that it wasn’t doing anything, so may as well get shot of it. And he did. However, he said my voice would be OK post-op. It wasn’t – I’m an air traffic controller so I use my voice all the time. I’m back on nights this coming weekend, so hopefully will feel up to it. All the best.
Dom 11.06.09 / 2pm

Well I went for my check up today and everything is healing ok. Peter /Mark you were right about the snoring, its way too early as everything is so swollen.
Yesterday was my best day – the pain was minimal and managed to eat some weetabix and pasta shapes with hot dogs.
Today im in quite a bit of pain but Im putting that down to doing too much because I’ve been out and never rested. So for the next couple of days im staying in bed.
The pain is much better than a few days ago but still quite sore. Im on day 9 and I think in a couple of days i’ll start cutting down on the meds.
Dom
Peter 11.06.09 / 7pm

That’s good to hear you are progressing ok. Sounds like you are over the hump. You sure don’t complain much so you must be pretty tough.

Had the pre-op yesterday and the bad Dr. showed up again. Maybe some of you Brits may know what I’m referring to when I now call him Doc Martin. I watch that show on PBS here in the states. This guy seems to have a contest with himself to see how fast he can close the appointment down. He makes me feel like he is always “squeezing me in” and needs to rush off some place, probably the golf course. As he was trying to exit stage left after 5 minutes I told him I have a list of questions for him. He looked at me like I had just bounced him from the last stand by flight out of Iraq before the war. He also likes to go into these looong stories about patients that didn’t follow his instructions and then stops mid sentence and stares at me waiting for me to finish it. Like I’m back in economics 101. I usually can’t answer correctly and I have no doubt that if I wasn’t 6′ 5″ 225 lbs he’d probably rip out his knee jerk hammer and hit me over the head.
Anyways, I think he’s a very skilled surgeon and he did an excellent job on my nose so I’m going with the flow to get through this.
Dom 11.10.09 / 6am

Hi Peter

Best of luck for the surgery. Post back when you feel like you can.
Its been nearly two weeks now and im much better. I managed my first night sleeping all the way through without the meds. Woke up this morning a little sore but im managing. Im down to just one codeine every 5 hours. I would like to be off them completely this time next week for my return to work.
Dom
Peter 11.14.09 / 3am

Hi Dom-

Hope your still progressing. You still have one more week off right? Any improvement on the snoring yet? It’s still early. Let me know how you’re doing. I wrote a book on my procedure on another site so I guess I’ll just copy it here for you or anyone else who’s researching. It’s pretty long but what else do I have to do right now?

Everything has gone pretty well for me I think. My Dr. took off his Mr. Hyde mask and showed up as Dr. Jekle. He couldn’t have been nicer. He couldn’t get his hands on the tongue somnoplasty machine and had a nice talk about that before the surgery. I can do it later if it’s nessesary, he doesn’t think it will be. He gave us his pager number for emergencies and called me first thing this morning to see how I’m doing. I went into the surgery around 3pm yesterday and was released to go home around 6pm. I told the anesthesiologist about the hard time I had coming around last time. He cut out some of the heavy stuff and when I came to my O’2 levels were at 100% almost immediately. We both mountain bike and I was telling him about where I was riding on Sunday and the next thing I know I wake up and it was over. Ice chips were waiting for me when I woke up so don’t know what the big deal was about that. Pain was at about a six so they gave me a shot and I didn’t take any liquid Lortab til 9pm last night. I’ve been eating fairly well at times and in case this is just the honeymoon period I’m trying to take advantage of it. Last night I ate a can of cold speggettios, jello/pudding, power drinks with protein supplement mixed in. Last night the pain was a 2 when sitting there quietly and a 9 when swallowing. This moring too I could only hydrate/eat dring the 1.5 hour window at max medication. Right now I have almost no pain at idle and a 3 when swallowing. This medication cycle I broke the pain meds up into 2, half doses, since I wasn’t agonizing from the pain when my dose time came around. My Dr. keeps saying the paid should lessen by day 5 though that doesn’t seem to be the case per most peoples reports. I’m just continuing to expect the worst and enjoying anything better I get. I’m pounding as much protien mixes and green drinks like Odwalla super food drinks as I can tolerate. This type of stuff is supposed to super charge the bodies tissue repair processes so I’ll see how that works out. My antibiotic is a once a day pill and I’m having no problems getting that down. No nausea at all and no stomach isses from the medications.

I was asked to keep using the CPAP for a while and due to the swelling I need it. I slept 2.5 hours last night and 4 this afternoon and feel pretty damn good in that regard. I only got 1-2 hours sleep a day during my nose recovery which made that hell. On that subject, it was a great move seperating the nose and palate procedures. It would really suck right now if I was dealing with both simulaneously. Kudos to my Dr. for suggesting I seperate them. In a way, having just gone through the nose hospital/recovery process, it hasn’t been too hard to get back into the same frame of mind even with the jacked up pain involved with this procedure. I notice the pressure on my CPAP has ramped up a couple pounds due to all the swelling and I wake up after a few hours gagging on the constant flow of saliva/phlem. I think that’s the bodies way healing the trauma. You had this issue too didn’t you?

I haven’t looked too much in my throat since it pretty ugly but I can tell it much wider and more open. No more uvula and palate dragging on my tongue. I would gag sometimes when I was doing heavy cadiovascular excersize and all that tissue would get in the way of clear breathing so clearing that up, alone, is worth it. I have no fluid regurgitation up the nose, no voice change, though I’m talking very little, and I have no problem using my nasal mask on the CPAP, perfect seal as before. I have a lump on the tip of my tongue where I suppose they used some procedure to pull it out of the way. I don’t have any jaw soreness, no ear pain, so far, and aside from the pain I have no problem swallowing. I have no stiches in the tonsils. The Dr. said I have a lot of muscle in the surounding tissue and he didn’t want the stiches to rip and cause a bleed should I cough or hack too hard. He said stiches ripping the tissue is the main cause of bleeds. I had a little blood trace in the saliva at one point last night but it’s been pretty clear besides that. I had more blood in the nose mucos from my septoplasty than this procedure. I calculated my pain doses and he only gave me five days worth so I expect to have to ask for a refill in a few days. Still no bowl movement but not having any discomfort. I’ll probably ramp up some prune juice intake tomorrow.

That’s it so far…more later…Peter
Dom 11.15.09 / 6am

Hi Peter
Fantastic to hear that your doing well. I think days 3-5 were the worse for me. Your doctor might be right about day 8 though – I started to feel a bit better then, by day 10 i knew i was on the road to easy street. Hopefully your voice will stay the same, I lost mine day 3 but regained it by day 8/9. Best of luck for the next few days and your doing the right thing by getting as many fluids into you as possible. Keep us posted on how your doing
Dom
Thomas Van Pelt 12.16.09 / 11pm

Jason, I have had the same procedure as you about 2 months ago. I also had a turbinectomy. No pain from the sinus’s at all. The uvula was terrible not because the pain was so great but because it was so persistant. 10 days of the worst sore throat I’ve ever had in my life. The liquid hydrocodone helped with sleeping but as with you, nothing has helped me regain my oink. I do have a question for you though…the tight feeling in the back of your throat, has it went away? mine also feels dry and I can’t seem to drink enough.
Jason Lancaster 12.17.09 / 2pm

Thomas, regarding your tight throat question, I definitely had a tickle for quite a long time, and perhaps still do. I’m sure the feeling subsided some and I probably got used to it too. It’s hard for me to judge whether or not it really went away since pretty much all I can remember at this point is where I am now. I drink a decent bit of water and always have. I get into situations sometimes where I HAVE to have water right then or else I’m not very comfortable. As to whether that can be attributed to my surgery I’m unsure. I can tell you that I’m used to whatever my body has done and at this point I’m glad I went through with the surgery. I hope I’ve been helpful and thanks for taking the time to post to this entry.
Peter 12.18.09 / 11am

I just realized I never came back and reported on my recovery. I frequented some tonsillectomy forums during my recovery since they were very populated and this one died down.
I was on liquid Lortab for about 8 days but was half dosing by day three. I was instructed to use my cpap for a while and needed it due to the swelling. Days 3-8 my cpap presure ramped up to 11-12 and I was having a hard time keeping a seal with my nose mask. I picked up a full face mask and tried it on and that thing didn’t work for me at all. Anybody want to buy a full face mask used for one minute? Anyways, the swelling started to go down and I could get a seal and use my nose mask again. By the third week I noticed my nightly presure had dropped to the low 4’s, almost as low as the machine will go. BTW, my RDI was 33 at my sleep test. So, I took a nap one day and bingo, slept deeply with no snoring and no apnea events. I started sleeping without the cpap then at night in progressively longer increments every night. I now sleep about 6.5 hours in a deep sleep. I don’t even move and when I wake I slowly come around. My wife is up frequently every night as we have a two year old that sleeps in the room with us. She says I don’t snore at all and breathe through my nose most of the time. Neither I nor her have ever seen any apnea type events. I dream when I sleep. My adenoid and palate area still swell up a little after 6.5 hours sleep and I usually put the mask on for another hour or so. My Dr. says it takes 2-3 months for the selling to go down completely and that should resolve. BTW, they hospital did not have the tongue somnoplasty equipement when I went in so I couldn’t get that done. The dr. says I can do that later if needed. B/4 the surgery, I used to wake up every couple hours on the CPAP and adjust a leak, or wipe my face off and lift the hose to drain out the moisture and of course when I rolled over having to lift the hose over and get adjusted again blah blah blah. It’s like a miracle to fall asleep without that thing. Aside from sleeping, it’s so nice to work out now and breathe so well through my mouth. I used to have my palate and uvula flapping like dog ears out the car window on the freeway. The Dr. trimmed both upper palate flaps, front and rear and rebuilt my uvula. I still have sort of a uvula but it’s much smaller and firmer. I have no swallowing problems, no water up the nose issues, as I said I can use the nose mask with no issues, no scarring issues that bother me, no loss of taste; really no complications at all. During the 1st 7 days my pain was managed under Lortab at a 2-3, out of 10, while not swallowing and 7-8 while swallowing, at it’s worst. So, I just didn’t swallow much except for right after I took my meds and I was fairly comfortable. By day 8 the pain level dropped off dramtically each day. Lost 7 pounds. Lack of sleep for the 1st week was worse than the pain. Many of the tonsillectomy patients seemed to have a harder time than I did.
So, I’m very glad I had it done and would do it again only 4 years ago. I’m breathing better, both night and day, than I have in years. My expierence was nothing like the reports I’ve read of three weeks of total agony and wierd complications. It’s the worst sore throat I’ve ever had but totally manageable.
Chris 01.26.10 / 11pm

I had my tonsils and adenoids removed and UPPP surgery on 12/18/09. Worst pain of my life recovering but well worth it as snoring has essentially stopped, no more CPAP, yea! Big problem I have now is swallowing. Feels tight, like I am congested, and when I drink liquids sometimes goes up my nose, very frustrating. I am also experiencing a lot more sneezing. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if so, does it get better or go way? Thanks for your response in advance.
Peter 01.27.10 / 1am

Hey Chris~
I was aware of the palate surgery area for two months or so and I’m finally getting used to the new feeling and I don’t notice it most of the time. Best thing you can do is try to ignore it and pretty soon your brain will get accustomed to the new landscape in there. I don’t have water up the nose issues unless I bend over to drink at a low sink and turn my head sideways. I’ve read after a while those that have issues with that alter their drinkning technique and it becomes a non-issue.
I’m closing in on three months post op now. I now sleep through he night entirely without CPAP. I’m getting ready to pack it in a box for good. I am stoked how well this has worked out for me!! I’m so glad I didn’t listen to all the naysayers. All the research I did and two surgeries I had was worth it in spades!
Chris 01.30.10 / 1am

Thanks for the info Peter, good to hear some of my issues I’m having will eventually go away!

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About

I have three passions: Dancing, climbing, and technology.

I am a Lindy Hopper, a style of dance that began in the early 1920’s. I dance with Charm City Swing, Baltimore’s premier swing dancing venue. You will find me EVERY Monday night on the dance floor.

I live to climb things. It took me 25 years to figure this out but I can’t imagine life without it. I primarily enjoy bouldering — For me, the lack of ropes and freedom take bouldering to purest level of climbing.

I founded and work at Fusion Bay, a web application development firm with Adam Douglass. We program cool things for clients and ourselves, like the popular Wordabble iPhone application and GiftListIt.

Jason Lancaster

My tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and uvulectomy (uvulaectomy)

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