# Anyone here get their tonsils out as an adult?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-get-their-tonsils-out-as-an-adult/219387>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 16, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-get-their-tonsils-out-as-an-adult/219387 "2003-12-16T20:38:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Phoebestar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Phoebestar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phoebestar)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-get-their-tonsils-out-as-an-adult/219387/21 "2003-12-18T19:17:42Z")

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I had my tonsils and adenoids out at age 14 (not an adult, but older than the average tonsillectomy patient.) They were removed by laser.

First, the good stuff: I had been sick once every few weeks for years before that. After I got them out, I didn’t get sick NEARLY as often. I also lost a lot of weight in my face, where my adenoids had been so swollen.

The bad stuff: It really sucked. I didn’t eat anything other than popsicles or Kool-Aid for over a week, and very little after that. I couldn’t talk for about a month, and when I did I had to re-learn some of my vowels (E’s came out really nasal.) They cut off my codeine a few days into it, and all I had was Tylenol. I was praying for the four hours to be up so I could take another dose.

I found that ice ground in a food processor helped alot. However, I ate so much of it at one point I completely numbed/paralyzed my throat, and couldn’t swallow.

I wish you luck! At least you have the internet. That would have been nice during my recuperation period.

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**Author:** ![stikfiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ea924/32.png) [@stikfiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stikfiger)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-get-their-tonsils-out-as-an-adult/219387/22 "2003-12-18T19:57:49Z")

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My mom’s had three tonsillectomies. By good doctors who didn’t leave chunks behind or anything. A few years ago was the last time. Imagine the look on her face when she came home from the Dr’s: “I need to get my tonsils removed . . . again.” Huh. So far, it’s been about every 6 or 7 years for her. Strange.

But this is the woman who can’t wear a watch on her wrist for more than two weeks without the battery going dead and sometimes the entire thing frying.

She’s a strange woman.

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