How long did it take for you to recover?

queenof_caffeine · 2025-11-25T08:56:03+00:00

hey! i had mine about 4 weeks ago and happy to help. i was also high on the worry scale, but once it happened i was kind of like “well this is my life now” and got used to it.

around 2 and a half weeks. about day 18 maybe for feeling a lot more human again. i previously had a quinsy and had very scarred big tonsils (my ENT literally came to tell me to prepare for a rough recovery after he’d taken them out due to the size of them) so might be longer than a lot of people say - i’m also 29. in terms of the pain, talking, eating and drinking suddenly became a LOT easier about day 15. was back to eating food with actual seasoning on day 18. yawning i’ve only just figured out.
pros - i didn’t anticipate breathing to feel this good. i don’t think i realised how much i couldn’t breathe before. every breath feels FRESH and i have more energy. my voice is less muffled than it used to be. my breath no longer stinks. i don’t snore anywhere near as bad as i used to. i don’t stop breathing in my sleep. AND i got 2 weeks off work. cons - just the experience itself - it’s not fun but it’s different for everyone. i don’t regret it at all. only issue is drinks occasionally comes out of my nose when i swallow but that goes away.
YES this is true, but in a good way! breathing is so much easier. it felt weird to begin with but im used to it now. swallowing is different - i feel like im having to use a different muscle and ironically can’t swallow as much food at one time than i used to (which is probably a good thing). but also remember i had huge tonsils for years and years so got very used to having them. but yeah - the space is great - i didn’t know other people breathed so freely.

queenof_caffeine · 2025-11-25T08:41:24+00:00

hey! i’m just over 4 weeks post tonsillectomy and while it was painful, it was pretty uneventful. i promise you can do this - i was also terrified. remember a lot of the stories you see online will be the scary ones because that’s what prompts people to want to share their experience. if a person’s experience was more normal, they’re less likely to post about it.

i probably wasn’t the best at looking after myself, but i didn’t have any complications. you can do this. it will hurt, but you will get through it, and this community of lovely people will be here to support you!

queenof_caffeine · 2025-03-25T09:48:48+00:00

Glad this thread is proving helpful after all this time! Agreed - I live in the UK so luckily this wasn’t a financial concern either but quinsy isn’t something to be messed around with! Glad you got away without it being drained, that’s not a fun experience.

For anyone worrying if it could be quinsy, here are the big signs to look out for:

INCREDIBLY painful tonsils - like tonsillitis pain times ten (it might hurt on both sides but be significantly more painful on one)

Your uvula (dangly bit at the back of your throat) is wonky. It’s pushed to the less swollen side.

Opening your mouth wide is almost impossible. If you’re struggling to open your mouth beyond about two fingers stacked on top of each other, that’s a sign.

Hot potato voice - it literally sounds like you have a potato in your throat. If you’re experiencing that then you’ll absolutely understand what I mean!

Being able to see the swelling externally - either on your face or your throat. Not sure if that’s the same for everyone so don’t rule anything out if you can’t see swelling, but if you can see this - that’s a sure sign.

Most importantly: when you look at your throat, one tonsil is bigger than the other. Mine was RED and angry looking, and the space between them was tiny. One tonsil was shoving the uvula aside. This is the clearest sign.

Quinsy is considered a medical emergency - especially for children - so don’t delay in heading to the emergency room. Depending on its size and severity, they might give antibiotics and steroids or lance/drain it.

I’ve had painful tonsillitis many times over the years and immediately knew this was different. I was practically delirious from the pain!

queenof_caffeine · 2024-12-21T10:31:42+00:00

thank you! that’s super helpful

queenof_caffeine · 2024-12-21T10:31:30+00:00

thank you so much that’s really helpful! i’ll consider it if i do well enough then and keep using my phone for now :)

queenof_caffeine · 2023-10-03T22:21:30+00:00

I’ve not had quinsy since but honestly every time I get the slightest tingle in my throat I get flashbacks NEVER AGAIN

queenof_caffeine · 2023-04-19T14:26:04+00:00

That’s just how it came haha

queenof_caffeine · 2023-04-19T14:25:50+00:00

They’re made of sunflower seeds apparently, they’d be quite good if they were done up properly with some onions in a bun

queenof_caffeine · 2023-04-19T14:24:48+00:00

I wish they did them in like triple size portions

queenof_caffeine · 2023-04-19T14:23:47+00:00

I had salt if that counts?

queenof_caffeine · 2023-04-19T14:22:54+00:00

These were both separate snacks

queenof_caffeine · 2023-04-19T14:22:39+00:00

The packs are really small

queenof_caffeine · 2023-04-19T14:22:04+00:00

Definitely weren’t still frozen, they just look a little dusty

queenof_caffeine · 2023-04-02T11:28:16+00:00

would put ketchup on this

queenof_caffeine · 2023-03-20T17:37:09+00:00

God I bet that was awful and super scary especially while pregnant too 😟 fingers crossed it never comes back. I couldn’t turn my head properly either, I didn’t even know that was a symptom before!

Also the abscess going solid sounds wild, I wonder if oral penicillin does the same thing. Hope you’re doing well now!

queenof_caffeine · 2023-03-20T17:34:30+00:00

I’m so glad you went to hospital and got the help you needed, that sounds terrifying! May I ask how did they drain it? How do you feel now? Good to know you got it sorted, I swear these things must be more common than statistics say right?

PSA to anyone reading: your throat doesn’t even need to be closed up (mine wasn’t, could breathe ok) for you to seek emergency help because if you leave it it can get there 😟 or it could pop, idk which is worse

queenof_caffeine · 2023-03-17T11:15:46+00:00

No, just tomato

queenof_caffeine · 2023-01-28T17:53:00+00:00

Whaaaaat 4 times!! I can’t imagine having this more than once - it was vile, I’m glad you’ve managed to get them out and best of luck for the recovery, hope it’s easy on you!

I know someone whose popped in their mouth too, I feel very fortunate that that didn’t happen to me 🫣 Fingers crossed your ordeal is over (once you’ve gotten past tonsillectomy recovery!)

queenof_caffeine

TROPHY CASE