Knowing a thing going into it can help you prepare for it. The procedure was definitely necessary, as in my post-op the doctor noted how bad my tonsils actually were when he got them out. In his words, they were "very enlarged and particularly nasty." I probably should've gotten them out about six years ago when the problem started getting out of hand.
That said, here's what to expect if you go through the procedure:
* Don't underestimate the pain.
* Percocet (Oxycodone) is the doctors' pain reliever of choice, but those really screwed with my mind. Plus, they're loaded with acetaminophen, so you can only take so much without damaging your liver. I wish they would have prescribed oxycontin instead so I could have just been doped up on a 12-hour opiate instead of a 4-hour one. Because I had problems, they switched me to Tylenol 3. Great, more acetaminophen and less opiates. They were about as effective as M&M's, hence all my bitching. T3s did keep me calmer than the Percs, but the pain itself was pretty damned bad on them.
* Invest in a good blender that will puree anything. You'll be blending all your meals, even soup, for about 2 weeks. I lost only about five pounds, whereas the norm is 10-20. Because I blended meals and kept eating throughout all the pain, I did keep my energy from totally bombing out. I was able early on to eat scrambled eggs mixed with very soupy grits, and this was VERY good for boosting my energy in the day. Say goodbye to cereals and toast for at least two weeks. Say goodbye to crispy stuff like tortillas and baguettes for a good month.
* Contrary to popular belief, stay away from ice cream and dairy. In the beginning, I was living on Ensure and yogurt for the nutrient value. Unfortunately, dairy causes your phegm to overproduce. I had to quit dairy cold turkey around day 4, and then reintroduced about 1/2 can of an Ensure in the morning around day 8 to get some quick nutrients into my system, but that was it. If you can handle cold foods, try popsicles and chocolate sorbet. The latter is like ice cream without any of the dairy. Jello is also very easy to eat or drink and coats the stomach prior to a dosage of pain meds.
* Push fluids like there's no tomorrow. I couldn't stand the taste of just about anything, including Gatorade, which I forced down routinely to keep my electrolytes in balance. Because I couldn't stand hot or cold very well, I mostly drank lukewarm water, about 16 oz. per hour all day. I kept a large sports bottle full of it while I sat around watching movies in my drug-induced haze.
* Don't spit, swallow. In addition to being great advice for your wife/girlfriend, it's important advice for recovering. When my phlegm was in overdrive, I got into the habit of spitting constantly, because it didn't like swallowing did. Unfortunately, this will not retrain your throat, it will cause you to dehydrate, and it will also stink up your entire living area.
* You'll be sleep deprived. Most of the time I couldn't sleep because of the pain. When I did get to sleep, I would awake within an hour soaked in some foul drool that tasted and smelled like bile. I burned through 2-3 pajama tops a night before realizing I could get decent rest by sleeping upright with a towel wrapped around my neck and torso to catch this mess.
* Plan to be off work two weeks, not just one. You'll be sleep deprived, foul-breathed, and generally miserable, so there is no purpose in bringing that into the workplace or any other public place for that matter.
* Communicate this to everybody who you live with. It is major surgery and you'll be an invalid for two weeks (longer if you're over 40). People need to understand that and help you through it. You shouldn't be driving, lifting, exercising, doing chores, watching the kids, working, going out, or anything like until the scabs slough off your throat. Then you'll suddenly be just fine. Some healing continues afterwards, but you'll largely be able to resume normal life when the scabs come off, which kinda happens in waves. Oh, and the smell gets worse when that happens. Then it goes away. No amount of oral hygiene will change that.
Expect all this going into it, and your surprises will be few. I only wish somebody had set these expectations for me going in.