Helping your Loved One After Tonsil and Adenoid Surgery

I went through a deep dive on tonsil and adenoid surgery recovery because my daughter had to have her tonsils and adenoids removed at 15. I wanted to ensure her recovery was as comfortable and painless as I could make it.

To keep her comfortable during her tonsil and adenoid surgery recovery, I went on a shopping spree to make sure her bed was super comfortable for her to recover in.

Her must-haves for tonsil and adenoid recovery were:

• A pillow shaped like a chair (similar to this. We already had one on hand that I had purchased from Walmart years ago). She found this very comfy to help her sleep upright and lounge on

• Humidifier. After surgery, she found her sinus’ and throat was very dry. Having a mist spray her way helped to keep her throat and nose less dry

• Magic Bag and ice packs. I purchased a ton of different shapes and sizes. Her absolute favourite was the magic bag as it could lay across her throat, and I ended up having to get my husband to run out and buy a couple more (it’s best to have 3. one that’s frozen, one that’s freezing, and one that’s in use).

• Chap Stick. Her poor lips were sooooo dry as a result of her being forced to breathe through her mouth
• Travel neck pillow (Similar to this one). This helped on the day of surgery because it stopped her from moving her neck too much.
• Comfy PJs and sweats. Side note: on surgery day have them wear a button-up shirt. My daughter threw up because of the meds and it was not easy helping her get her shirt full of throwup off of her while she was medicated.

Foods to eat after tonsil and adenoid surgery:

• Popsicles 
• Ice Cream
• Soups
• Jello
• Pudding
• Apple Sauce
• Mashed potatoes and gravy
• Eggs
• Oatmeal
• Smoothies
• Ice! She was absolutely obsessed with crushed ice as it helped sooth her throat.

For my best soft food diet options, click here.

My tips for the mamas and papas:

• Keep the meds consistent!!! If it’s 4 times a day, set an alarm for every 6 hours to ensure you don’t miss a dose, and if it’s 2 times a day, set an alarm for every 12 hours. 
• You’re going to be very tired as you will have to wake them up multiple times throughout the night. Set alarms and make sure your alarms are named with what you have to do. Eg “Advil dose: 30ml). On day 3 at 3 am you will thank me for this tip!
• If your child struggles to take pills (cause mine sure did!!!!) I found the easiest solution was to put a tiny bit of apple sauce into a small dish and then crush the meds up and mix them in. This helped her take the medication easier in the beginning.
• Offer to sleep with them or to sleep on their floor. Even though they’re teenagers, they’re still kids. Sometimes camping out on their floor makes them feel a bit better. 
• Have a ton of movies or a new tv show series ready to go. It’s going to be a long boring week full of naps, meds, and pain.
• For my best tips on how to prepare your child for surgery, click here.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nurse, or medical professional of any type. These are the very simple thoughts and ideas that I formed while helping my daughter recover from her surgery. Please do not take this as medical advice, and if you have concerns please contact a medical professional immediately.

If you’re wanting to do a care package up for someone going through this surgery and need ideas, I suggest you click here to read about my tips for care packages.

If you went through a tonsil and adenoid surgery recovery, I would love to hear about what worked for you in the comments section!