This must be the immense pain THEY were talking about when they said it hurt to get your tonsils out as an adult. I am 10 days post op and hot damn does it hurt. This whole phenomenon is very strange to me, considering the first 7 or so days were relatively pain free. Let us back track to when the pain the started seething.
First things first I was originally given Roxicet for the pain. I was told to take 1 to 2 Teaspoons every 4 to 6 hours. The prescription bottle also noted that this would last me 10 days. Incorrect. I started off taking 2 TSP every 4 hours but 2 days later I realized I was halfway through the bottle and started reducing. I would take 1 TSP or so every 6 hours. Eventually I stopped taking it on the hourly period and started taking it when I needed it. This was about a week post op (or 3 days ago).
The taste of Roxicet was somewhere between Robetussin and vomit. It was pretty bad and the small hint of cherry made it worse. However, I wisely took it when it was needed. 3 days ago I realized that it was almost gone, even with my little conservation method in play. It was at this point I realized I had about 4 TSP left. MUST USE WISELY, my brain thought (sounds like the start of an addiction to me!). I used the first TSP Thursday morning when the pain was bad after sleeping for 8 hours with no dose. Then I got smart and decided to call the doctor. (Note: When I woke up there felt like there was literally a hole in my throat. Unfortunately, I didn't get the cool voice box to go along with it)
I didn't want to call the doctor before because I was afraid I'd sound like an addict. ( Hey doc, I know this medication is supposed to last 10 days, but it's day 6 and I need more. Do you have any morphine?) I call anyway and much to my surprise they say they will call it into the pharmacy and I could pick it up later. That was way too easy, what if I was an addict? I could just call up doctor's and ask them to call in prescriptions to pharmacies! Free drugs (with a $10 copay).
I go to the CVS (across town, because the one next to my apartment apparently doesn't carry pain medication) and wait in a 10 minute line to find out that my doctor has not called in a prescription. Faaaaaaaaaaantastic. I go home and take another dose (don't worry its not a coping mechanism, it had been 6 hours). Down to 2 TSP gripping the bottom of the barrel. MUST FIND DRUGS). The doctor (secretary) calls back and says that they can't prescribe this drug over the phone, I either have to come into the office (60 miles away) or they can call in a weaker drug. I chose the weaker drug since it would get into my bloodstream faster (full blown addict here I come!).
It was at this point something magical happened. When tonsils are taken out a white scab forms in the back of your throat covering where the tonsils used to be. It was at this point in my life that the tonsils (one at a time) fell off. Ah! It was glorious (except for the eerie fact that I swallowed them and they made my mouth taste reminiscent of a sewer). All it took was some solid food and a week's time. My mouth felt brand new and I swore that the scabs was what was giving me pain. I felt almost normal for the rest of Thursday night and went to bed thinking I won't even need to pick up the prescription tomorrow.
Sometimes your body lies to you. This was one of those times. Friday I woke up and the pain was bad enough that I downed the rest of the Roxicet from the bottle (Good thing this wasn't through an IV or else I'd really look like an addict with needles sticking out of my arm.) I went to work, took a half day and came home and then pain was getting worse. Every time I swallowed water it felt like it was going into holes and pores in my throat that had never been touched and shunned any human contact (apparently all of my body is emo). After quickly running errands I picked up the new prescription - Hyrdocodone (which a quick google search reveals is similiar to Vicodin - cha ching!)
We returned home before our roadtrip to MD and I took the yellow liquid (neon urine anyone?). This taste was even worse than the first, a lemon zest that can only be found in Lemon Pledge. We picked up Wendy's on the way out and I had some chicken nuggets and that seemed to help the pain. I washed it down with some soda but the carbonation decided to eat away at what was left of my throat and now I'm convinced there are holes in my throat.
Anytime I try to swallow I'm fighting an uphill battle. My throat has somehow managed to act like a civ that doesn't let anything through. For now I keep taking the new pain medication and I will resort back to my steady diet of yogurt, ice cream and nothing. (7 lbs weight loss, that's whats up!) I'm 3 servings into my new bottle and it already looks like it's down to 75% and I'm worried that soon I will be feigning.
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