Christine ™ aka Big Pink Cookie To Make a Short Story Long…

While I Was Sleeping…

A few weeks ago, I accidentally fell asleep on the couch one night. When I woke up around 6 am, I felt more refreshed than I had in weeks.

The very next day I insisted that Mike make an appointment to see the doctor for his snoring.

But I know I’m not completely innocent here, with the whole sleep moaning thing. So I decided to make an appointment for myself too. We both went in to the doctor last week (together) and got to have scopes put up our noses.

A scope. Up my nose. Oh, what FUN that was. (Ugh.)

Fortunately, the doctor said that about 90 - 95% of my problem stems from problems with my soft palate, and a UPPP (also known as Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) or a LAUP (done with a laser) should resolve most of my problems. Mike has slightly different issues though, so our treatments in the end will probably be different.

Before the doctor can decide what the best treatment is, we get to do sleep studies. Last night was my turn. Around 11 pm, the technician came to my house and hooked me up to all sorts of monitoring nodes - things to check my breathing, record my snoring, monitor the flow out of my nose and mouth, and check the oxygen level in my blood. Once we were all done, I got to stay up for awhile (I’m never really tired at 11pm), and then when it was time for bed - I got to connect myself to the machine. Just two cords, and I was being recorded.

The tape holding the mic on my neck was sticky, and by the time I went to sleep I wanted to rip it off. The electrode thing under my right arm was jabbing into my ribs while I tried to fall asleep. And that monitor on my index finger? I’ve had that before at the hospital, and I forgot how frustrating it is to suddenly have no use of your index finger. It took me forever to fall asleep last night - much longer than usual. I had to have a minimum of 6 hours of recording time though (otherwise we would have had to repeat the study), so I told Mike & Jason to be sure not to wake me up this morning - and I ended up sleeping until almost noon! Eep!

The technician just came to pick the machine back up, and once he downloads the data he will send a report on to my doctor. Thursday night, it’s Mike’s turn.

(Related links: Brian’s snoring surgery (non-medical perspective), Information on UPPP and LAUP, and a book on apnea and snoring.)

Ugh. I feel for you dude. I had a UPPP, along with my tonsils out and septoplasty (for deviated septum) at the same time. The recovery pain was… well, pretty bad. I don’t want to completely scare you to death though. I’m sure mine was just symptomatic of 3 surgeries at once. And the fact that general anethesia makes me throw up. Which I did, immediately after waking up from the surgeries. I did, however, read some others’ accounts of their UPPP procedures on the net back 3+ years ago. I’m sure you already have as well… If not, have a look!

Oh, but on the cool side, it’s a great party trick when you’re the only one with no Uvula! ;^)

Fortunately, for the most part - the tonsils are gone. But I do have a small node left that I’m going to ask him to take out - if I’m under, may as well do it all, right? I have a slight deviated septum too, but he’s not sure if we’ll even do anything on that - the UPPP may be all I need.

He said that the UPPP has become more advanced; they can do them as outpatient surgery in the doctor’s office now! However, I also have anethesia reactions, so I may be in the hospital for it after all.

Now I need to go find the accounts of UPPP surgery. I haven’t read them yet - I’m afraid I’ll get scared and chicken out!

You are so smart for getting the testing done. I read somewhere that lack of sleep causes a huge number of deaths each year. More than is actually reported because it is written up as things such as “heart attack”.

The football player that just died at age 43 died from apnea. I had heard of things like that before, but … man. Just scary.

My husband has sleep apnea and this spring I made him go in for testing because of his snoring. I’d caught him holding his breath many times, too. He would hold his breath for about 10 seconds and then start coughing or gasping for air. At the time he went in for observation, he was one of the worst cases seen (by that particular technician) for snoring. He actually had to go in twice, once for observation and once on a CPAP machine. It’s scary.

Whoa! That’s cool (except for the discomfort it caused you, of course). So you had your sleeping recorded. I think you should release it on CD under the title: “While I was sleeping…”

Okay, so that’s lame. But clearly I need some sleep. I always need some sleep…

I am recovering right now from having the trifecta(UPPP, tonsils/adenoids, and deviated septum/turbinates removed. It has been the most painful thing I have ever had done, but I already feel like I am breathing better than I have in years! I might still have to use the CPAP, but not without a fight. I would recommend the surgery so far, but don’t let anyone bullshit you- It really hurts! I am on constant painkillers and off from work for two weeks. Even so, it is better than the alternatives- no sleep and possibly living a shorter life. just some thoughts

I just had the UPPP surgery, deviated septum surgery and tonsillectomy done. today is my 5th day recovering. The recovery is rough. Swallowing felt like i had a cut up tube sock hanging from my throat and it was unbearably painful to swallow. My surgeon said that this surgery is more painful after wards when performed with a laser instead of a cutting tool. My biggest fear initially was going under but that was the best part. waking up was worse because of the pain. However, once you get pain medication it really helps. I sleep propped up for now. I would recommend not doing any nasal surgery at the same time because i found that when i breathed through my mouth due to the stuffyness associated with the nasal surgery my throat got so dry and created even more pain than necessary. Plan to be home for 2 weeks at least and have many soft & cold things to eat. Its a good idea to have someone home with you for a couple of days after surgery since you may sleep most of the day and be really out of it. Also, if you need to have the surgery, just do it- dont think about the pain too much because its never what you imagine it to be & you may scare yourself too much.

4 days ago I had surgery for deviated septum and removal of uvula because of sleep apnea. My biggest problem right after surgery (under general anesthesia) was an enormous headache.

Now, the most pain I have is my throat, which sometimes extends to me ears for some reason. My nose actually doesn’t hurt much at all. My splints have already been removed.

I was careful about starting back on foods, but my stomach still caused me a big setback yesterday. I am now starting all over again on clear liquids.

Even though I did not have my tonsils or adnoids removed with this procedure, I would not advise anyone trying to go back to normal activities in less than a week after this type of surgery. I am still not back on solid food and have nausea, fatigue, and of course the REALLY soar throat most people will warn you about..

I just had my surgey yesterday. for the most part my throat is on fire when the medication is wearing off. I can feel the difference already when i sleep. As far as food i have had pudding and icecream already. If you have any questions on the surgery feel free to email me.

I have sleep apnea and during surgery a year ago my uvula was sliced when they intubated me. Now my uvula sits on the back of my throat and gags me. I went to see if they could just shorten it, but the doc wanted to do a UUPP and nasal surgery. I really dont want that. There are other things much less painful for sleep apnea that I would rather do (I cant tolerate the CPAP), like pillars - but I need my uvula shortened. He said he cant just shorten it, he has to go up into the palate to tie off a couple of arteries. Now - I dont have any trouble breathing through my nose, and I am concerned he is going to do more to me than I want. He said that The pain can be controld with meds and that the nose wont hurt and I will need no time off of work. I’m having it done next Thurs. (Aug 25) outpatient. I took Friday off just in case, but he even told me that a guy he knows went back the same day. He is acting like this is nothing. Anyone just have the uvula done? Any suggestions? I am really concerned, but the gagging is almost unbearable -

Has anyone just had a uvulectomy? I’m supposed to have it next Thurs. and I was told I could return to work on Friday. They also want to so nasal septum surgery at the same time as an outpatient. I took Fri off because I cant imagine that I will feel well enough to work. Any comments? I think I am not going to agree to the nasal surgery and maybe just do the uvulectomy. My reason for doing it is that it hangs down on my throat and I am contstantly clearing my throat. I only wanted to shorten it, but he says that he cant just shorten it. I do have sleep apnea, which is the reason he is listing on the papers, but there are much less painful ways to deal with that. Any one have any suggestions for me?

I’m going in for septoplasty and uppp next month, and you guys are all scaring me?????

is anyone feeling better yet, and was it worth it

Nice to see this site. I just had the UPPP ,deveated septun and the tonsils and uvula removed, along with the base of toungue shrunk. Yeah I know lots of work. I had one day recovery in the hospital then sent home. I am allready amazed at my results. after i got my nasal cavities cleaned out from the first time they filled up post surgery …MAN I can breathe!!!So as long as i can keep my nose clear while im awake..this will already be well worth it. You see the last 4 years my brain has been going down hill. I just couldnt think ..i was in a fog I never dreamed it was cuase i wasnt breathing ..at night while sleeping a,,and i wasnt sleeping..Humm sleep studies do work. any way this is the best thing for me to do was to have this surgery ..its like my mind is suddly alive ave awake again …!!!

My husband went in for the UPPP and deviated septum surgery. That went find but two days later he’s dead from the hospital care or lack of. I hate to scare people but have someone stay around the clock with the patient. Can anyone tell me if the had monitors on them the whole time while at the hospital?

Wow, how did that happen Lonely Wife. I am very sorry to hear about your loss. It concerns me as I am schedule to go in tomorrow to have my tonsils removed and a UPPP performed. I can not sleep a night for more than an hour or two and my sleep study showrd a 44 count.

Again, I am sorry to hear about your loss.

I’ve had problems with snoring fr 30 years. It was probably the primary cause of most fights with the ex, it got me nudged in theatres and watching TV (I was wide awake, but still snoring, and oblivious to the fact). Fortunately minimal apnea (5-10 incidents per hour - quite low) I had UPPP last Tuesday - day surgery - got in at 06:30, checked in, got all gowned up and paperworked by numerous people. Last time I saw a clock was 08:50 as the anethesiologist said ‘this may sting’, and next was in the recovery room at 10:20. Throat really sore as expected. Eventually had 6 or 8 shots of liquid tylenol with a measured dose of codeine added. On an IV with antibiotics all day, and they let me out around 4pm. I needed a ride home and they also wouldn’t release me without a responsible adult being with me overnight. I’ve been home for a week - it’s forking painful. Swallowing anything hurts. Last night (day 6) we splurged on french fries - and all mushed up they still hurt. Oddly enough the burgers (sans bun) cut into small chunks didn’t hurt as much. And today it actually feels better! The doc gave me a 5 gallon pail of Tylenol 3, as well as 60 Percocet. I assumed this was WAY overkill, but in retrospect I have to thank him. The (new) wife says there is still some light snoring, but the doctor did say it would take 2-3 weeks for the swelling to go down. If it works - great! If it doesn’t the doc also said that any of the non-snoring applicances on the market are 98& effective after having UPPP, so either way I’ll be happy. As will others on planes, at the movies, or just staying overnight

Just checking in folks. Today is surgery plus 7 days and the scabs have begun to fail off where my tonsil use to be and all the scabs are gone from my Uvula, or where it use to be before the UPPP. So far my wife said she can tell an improvement in my snoring at night. I also feel that I am getting “deeper” sleep when I do sleep. Keep in mind I am still up every 4 to 6 hours to take the pain killers.

As for the pain, it has not been as bad as everyone made it out to be. I’m not saying it did not hurt because it sure it, but I was able to tolorate it much more than I thought and the Vicodine sure helped.

My ENT will be sending me back for another sleep study in about 3 to 4 months to see what the improvement has been. I had a 44 Incidents per hour which is moderate.

I am pleased that I had the procedures done and will check back and update you all soon. Raven777.

Cancelled my surgery in August. Just didnt feel good about the lack of information and cavalier attitude of the physician. My surgery is now scheduled for Wed. Feb. 15. I am having a simple uvulectomy. (Still not agreeing to the UPPP) They dont think it will do a whole lot for the sleep apnea, but hopefully I wont gag any more. Has anyone had a change in their voice since surgery? I didnt think abou that. but my daughter asked me about that, but I didnt think to ask. My voice is a distictive asset that I’ve found that my family doesnt particularly want to change (who would think anyone would care?) Now I’m curious. Can someone answer before Wed? - not that I can cancel…. Thanks!! Will let everyone know how it goes….

hey i hope all are great I love my sleep cpap~ never felt better…. i use it all the time and sleep much better~ kisses mihele orcasitas gr mi

hey i’m in the wronge place as always~ but i must say if u have a sleep cpap please use it all the time it helps sooooooooooooooooooo much~ kisses michele orcasitas~ gr mi

Well - I am now on Day 12 status post uvulectomy. They took a good portions of the palate as well. Figured they would! Doc didn’t give me the promised pain relief, either. Liquid Vicodan - but Vicodan has never helped much for anything I’ve tried to use it for. Better than nothing, I suppose. I do not recommend this surgery for fun and excitement! It’s masochist heaven! I went back to work on day 5 after surgery. Yes. I am certifiably out of my mind. With lots and lots of Vicodan and as little talking as possible, I was able to make through day 7. Day 9 I was in bed most of the day, in pain, and feeling quite sorry for myself. Saw the doc on day 8 and told him I was surprised that the pain was pretty much the same as it was on day one. He said it was typical and that in a day or two I should see a difference. Boy was he right! Day 10 was noticeably better and day 11 only took pain meds twice. Today (day 12), I’ve had pain meds twice already but I am at work and talking. A BIG secret is throat spray. I’m using something called “equaline” from Walgreens - its a cheap form of Chloroseptic- works great! - use it continuously and use it liberally. Keep the area moist. Yesterday my stitches started to dissolve, but just enough to be hanging down all over the place and making me nuts. Tried pulling one out - DONT!!!! LOL– They still hadn’t dissolved enough to come out! Made me really sore. I’m eating much better today. I’m still snoring. Don’t know if its changed the apnea at all - my rate was 67/hr – but anything should improve that, right?!? With what I’ve gone through, I probably wouldn’t have suffered much more if I’d just given in and had the whole kit and caboodle (UPPP), but at the time I thought I was saving some misery. Live and learn. For those of you contemplating the surgery – Its not fun, but it is survivable, and hopefully for most, a life-saver. I would not recommend going back to work as soon as I did, though. I have a history to pushing too hard and too fast, not always the brightest thing to do. (And me a medical professional, too!!) Good rule, I think, - take at least 15 days off. Good luck!!

Hi folks, just checking in with a semi-final update, once I have my new sleep study I will give you the before and after results/improvement.

I went for my 6-week post-op checkup at my ENT today. He said everything looked great and I would not need to see me for another 5 months when I have my next sleep study done.

Looking back I am very glad I had the surgery done. It was both an UPPP and a Tonsilectomy. I am still sleeping throughout the night and not snoring. My ENT stated that I need to keep the 20Lbs. of weight I lost from not eating much after the first 10 days of surgery off as that will make my sleep apnea worse.

Gayla you are so right with taking off 10 to 14 days from work. I stayed home for 10 days and then took it easy for another 4 to 5 and for me I needed it. You never think your mouth and throat would slow you down, but with the pain of eating and the lack of energy it sure does. As for the voice changing thing, for the first three weeks people told me that my voice sounded different than before. But after the first three weeks or so it returned to normal. You would expect some change as the inside of your mouth has changed in contour. The improvements from the surgery outweighted the voice change risks in my case.

Regards, Raven.

I had my uppp operation 6 days ago at first things were going pretty well, after the operation I was eating and drinking. My GOD my throat hurts now, I didn’t realise that the pain would get worse for a few days after the operation. I haven’t been able to get a full nights sleep yet and the wife is telling me I am still snoring. To top it all, I have an infection in my thoat which tastes disgusting and when I manage to take a drink it feels like it is going to come down my nose. Here’s hoping things change pretty soon!!!

I had my UPPP and terbinates done one wek ago. I am still not able to eat solid food and my voice still has a nasal sound to it. My question to you guys are: 1. how long did it take before you could continue your regular eating habits? 2. How long before stitches fall out and throat soreness continue?

I just had a LUAP yesterday and am glad it happened. I have tried to get this done, had several surgical teams abort after getting started because I am very difficult to intibate but finally found a doctor who knew his stuff and had an excellent antistesoligist and finally accomplished what for a while seemed impossible. I really needed it to because my apnea rate was at 102 an hour and with CPAP only get about 5 hours sleep a night with several wake-ups. It is worth the pain!!

Hi! I am having a septoplasty, rhinoplasty, and a tonsillectomy all done at the same time in August. From reading what everyone else has said and what my ENT doctor has said about tonsillectomies being very painful (especially for adults) so it should take my mind off of the pain from my nose, I’m pretty scared to do this but I did do the sleep study and found out that I have sleep apnea, so I’m sure the septoplasty and tonsillectomy will let me sleep better at night… and hopefully the rhinoplasty will make me look better! Has anyone else also had these three particular procedures done at the same time? I know I’ll never really know the pain without actually having to go through it and it’s going to only be bad for a couple of weeks, but I would still like to get a better idea of exactly what to expect. Thanks!!

This is Sunday night, and I had a UPPP done this past Wednesday (tonsils and uvula). I had tried CPAP for well over a year, but it was not doing any good for me (I stopped breathing 78 times an hour without the mask and 19 times an hour with it). After much thought I felt as though the UPPP was the only way to go.

This was my second surgery, my first was in 2005 (inguinal hernia). I had the UPPP and woke up in the recovery room afterwards, and thought I was still in the surgical room waiting to be put out. I had to stay in the hospital overnight and was amped up on Morphine. Unfortunately for a day or two following returning home, I was having wild delusions whenever I closed my eyes. I knew they were not real but it was still scary and frustrating.

I suppose I am lucky because I do not experience much pain from the UPPP operation. The pain I have is when I try to swallow. I seemed to hit rock bottom on Saturday afternoon but have steadily improved since then. I found that the only time I can swallow without severe pain is for about a 45 minute period after I take my pain medicine (Tylenol with Codine). I did not eat a single thing from Tuesday night until Saturday night. I was able to eat two Jellos and three slices of cheese, but only after tearing them into tiny bite size pieces. Today, Sunday, I had four jellos and that is it.
I have lost 12 pounds since weighing myself Wednesday morning.

I could tell that I was able to breathe better even while in the hospital. I am also told that I do not make a sound when I sleep. I have not been able to sleep more than four hours at any given time, but I am sure this surgery will be a total success for me in the long run. I was prepared for the pain, but having the feeling that knives are being stuck through your throat when trying to swallow surpassed my expectations.

This is a horrible operation, made worse by not being able to eat, but I am glad I went through with it. I rather go through 10-21 days of pain and discomfort than die due to sleeping problems 20 years before I am supposed to. That was the determining factor for me.

Missy,

I had the septoplasty, rhinoplasty, turbinate reduction, and UPPP with tonsillectomy done on July 11. I’m now on day 14 of recovery, and the only real trouble I’ve had is with my throat hurting. My nose feels a little weird and kind of numb, and is still swollen a bit from the rhinoplastyl, but it hasn’t hurt at all. The stitches in my nose are a bit annoying, but no pain.

I hope that eases your mind your mind a bit. Your nose won’t bother you, but your throat will definitely hurt. I’ve done a bit worse that most since I’m just now starting to eat soft foods in the past few days.

Take everyone’s advise, and drink, drink, drink no matter how badly it hurts. I had an awful time getting fluids down, and I think my pain was worse because I didn’t drink enough. If you have a really tough time with drinking, take the pain meds and wait half an hour then drink (sip) as much as you can. I stayed with my mother for a few days, and I had her wake me while the pain meds were working so that I could drink. Ice packs on your throat also help.

Also, I’m taking a full 3 weeks off work after having all of this done. I could probably handle a little work now, but I’m not up yet for 8 hour days with 2 hours of traffic. My throat still gets sore easily, and talking makes it worse.

Good luck. It’s not fun, but you’ll come through this just fine, and will feel much better afterwards.

i am getting a septoplasty and a tonsillectomy. i am very nervous and will be alone for the recovery. i am not sure how I will be able to get my pain medications but I can order peapod for groceries. I also have a broken knee that I am recovering in physical therapy and am not sure how I will be able to get to my therapy appointments. Should I wait? I am thinking of asking my little brother to stay with me (he is 16, I am 24) while I get this stuff done. That means I will have to postpone it to December because he is in school. Any thoughts? How bad are these two surgeries? How much pain will I be in? Do you take liquid pain medications or pills? Which hurt more, the nose or the throat? Did you get scared when looking at a big bloody mess on your face? What foods other than jello and ice popsicles do you recommend?
I sincerely appreciate any advice from those who have already gone through this.

Well I had my follow up sleep study and my number dropped down to 3 per hour. My ENT was very happy with the improvement as am I. I am so glad I had the UPPP and Tonsils removed. So this is it for me. I hope eveyone else gets good results as I did. Raven777

I will probably have to have the deviated septum operation; however, I am worried about the possiblilty that the doctor can cause damage by creating a fissure that brain fluid can leak from…leading to death. I saw that on the HBO show “6 Feet Under.” What are the chances?

I am in day 5 recovery from uppp. I have to say I read the post prior to surgery and they scared me. I almost changed my mind. I went through with it and I am still going through it. The First night I had to stay in SICU because I have severe asthma and my oxygen sat really dropped. Not much sleep and the pain was really bad. Day two at home a couple hours of sleep (only because I was afraid of the pain when I woke up). Day three pain still bad but could talk without drooling all over myself. Day 4 Good day bad night, I took a small pill and it lodged somewhere in my throat and the pain was a 10 for about two hours. I drank lots of warm tea and dissolved the pill. Day 5 Morning pain was incredible from the night before. I was literally having a panic attack trying to find my pain medicine, later in the day things are great. Do I regret this surgery? No, because they corrected a lot of problems that I had in my throat. I have notice a marked improvement already in my ability to breathe through my nose, my oxygen sats have gone from preop 92-93% to an amazing 99% and I am still swollen. I really have high hopes of my asthma being lessened. My OSA I hope will be lessened. The one thing I want to tell you all is that the UPPP is not guaranteed to cure your snoring problems. My Doctor gave realistic success rates in the 30 % range for OSA but because my throat was so constricted tha the airway had to be put through my nose for surgery and was impossible to intebate me in case of emergency Asthma Attack. I also was continuing to lose Oxygen saturation in my blood. My point this surgery is serious business and the pain is awful but in my case just to get 15% improvement will be lifesaving. The first Doctor I saw played this surgery off as a walk in the park cure all for OSA, like so many other postings have said. My third opinion I recieved from a realistic Surgeon who counseled me just as if he were a poster on this forum. If your doctor wants to cut first and promise you the moon find another doctor. Check as many as you need until you find out if you really need the surgery.This is very serious surgery and not to be taken lightly, do your research, find a surgeon you can trust and once you have all the information then make a decision. DO NOT MAKE YOU DECISION IN THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST DOCTOR THAT STICKS A SCOPE DOWN YOUR THROAT AND TELLS YOU HOW BUSY HE IS, SO HE NEEDS AN ANSWER. ESPECIALLY IF HE SAYS “WE USED TO DO THESE OUTPAITENT IN THE OFFICE” “ITS REALLY NOT A DIFFICULT SURGERY” (doctors and nurses actually told me this in order to pressure me into the surgery, I must have a real good health plan). Read the post; talk to others who have had the surgery; postop take your meds on time and never try to tough it out,it will break you; drink liquids and follow the directions of your discharge explicitly.

Still on Liquids,
Steve

Hi, everyone. I’m so glad that all of your experiences are on the web for others to read. I helps me feel as though I’m not the only one going through this. Well, I was released from the ICU 3 days ago for UPPP surgery (deviated septum, tonsils, adenoids and uvula). Both my ENT doc and my Sleep doc told me that it would be a painful recovery. They also did not make any promises in making my sleep any better, but I had it done anyway. At the most I’m hoping to be able to significantly reduce the pressure on my PAP machine, but that would be fantastic if I could get off of it entirely.

The day after my procedure I was whimpering from pain…and I’m usually a fairly tough guy. It’s important to keep trying to drink liquids. I can’t imagine how much more painful it would be if I would become de-hydrated. I’m trying to keep myself on a drinking schedule and at this rate I should be back to normal soon. The trick when drinking something is to try to suppres you natural tendency to gag when you have pain in your throat. When I can get myself into a calm mindset I can get down things like ensure and icecream fairly easily. But don’t let anyone kid you….It does really hurt. Another thing is to try not to get into a panicked feeling when your throat and nasal pasages are bombarding you with serum and phlem. It’s only your body’s reaction to trauma. Rather than constantly spit I just try to ignore it unless it is dripping down my face. Sorry - I know it’s gross.

Dan,
Hang in there day 8 and I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. I woke up this morning for the first time not running for my meds. The pain is still annoying but nothing like before. Still unable to eat solid foods but soup, applesauce and boost are my menu for now.
Better days are coming

Hey Steve,

I’m on day 5 now and it seems like the pain is a little more intense today than it has been. The swelling is going down and I can actually feel localized pain from the sutures. Is this your experience too?

Dan,
Exactly, I thought something was wrong it ramped up for a couple days but now day 9 it is subsiding but very localized in the back of my throat. My tongue has finally returned to normal and the slime and phlem are all but gone. I am still having trouble eating solids but I slept the night through until 5 am took my meds and went right back to sleep until the alarm at 6:30. Getting there!

I’m glad your feeling better. For me it is still painful but is getting better daily for me as well.

I had the uppp, tonsilectomy and septum surgery 4 days ago, holy crap it hurts, I have a high tolerace for pain but this is nothing like anything else, if it means my wife will have a husband longer and not be a widow then it is worth it.

Had UPPP done last Thursday.. Day # 2 : the pain is killing me. The actual procedure lasted only an hour and i couldn’t remember a freakin thing.. which was good.

I cannot swallow liquids.. have to take them very very slowly. Cannot smoke.. my cravings are getting worser.. if i do smoke.. throat hurts like crazy.. and dries out completely.

If i have to do this Up3 again.. i will rather stick to my old CPAP machine and take chances than go thru this escapade.

I had the uvalectomy surgery 6 hours ago. I was out doing yard work with my wife 3 hours after surgery and we are planning a huge party on Sat. I’m staying away from the pain meds as I don’t tolerate them very well, staying busy is all I can do. Cold stuff helps (e.g. ice cream, smoothies)

So far so good, but the rest of the stories on this page are scary. Just wanted to share my Day 1 experiences.

If you can do the nose and throat surgery seperately than do it. The sinus surgery just adds to the discomfort and painof the uvula surgery. I have no idea why they don’t recommend these operations be done seperately. I can’t really breath through my nose so I’m forced to breath through my mouth when sleeping. This dries out my throat and toung and creates enough pain to wake me up and substantial pain till I can re-hydrate. I’d never have both procedures done at the same time again.

Had my UPPP done yesterday morning, and I feel fine, swallowing hurts less than when I used to get strep and I am feeling fine, slept great.

wow, i wish i would have seen this website a couple weeks ago. Tomorrow will be three weeks since i had my tonsillectomy and adnoidectomy. I consider myself a pretty tough guy, but this was one of the worst experiences i have ever had. For the first seven days, i barely ate (forced down as much water, ice cream, and protein shakes as i could, even though it was extremely painful) I lost 13 pounds in 7 days, and i am a very skinny person as it is (6′1″ 163 before operation, 150 afterwards!) Sleeping was the worst, i could usually go about 30 min of sleep before the phlem trickled down my throat and woke me up basically choking on it) My throat is still sore and dry every morning, althought it gets better every day.

my one concern is that my stitches have not dissolved yet, and thats really the only place where the pain persists! its been 20 days now! anyone else had the “dissolvable stitches” last this long?? lol

anyway, good luck to everyone who is still recovering, it can only get better! oh and i think my snoring has stopped for now!

It has been two months from the removal of mu tonsils, uvula, and a deviated septum fixed. Two weeks of the most intense pain I have ever had. I have had eye surgery, back surgery, and two hernias. This is truly for the masochist. However,I have not snored or had a sleep apnea episode since. One problem though, there seems to be a lot of scar tissue around the soft palet and ex-uvula and it collects phlegm and makes you cough. It also never seems to stay moist and it is driving me slowly out of my mind. Not sure how long this will last as I have researched this for three weeks and cannot get an answer.
Help!
Craig

I have the same problem. Muconex (sp?) has been the only relief I have been able to find. Prescriptions the docs all like to order are for drying out the sinuses which is of no help. At least with the Muconex the secretions are thinner and drain better so that you dont have to constantly clear the throat. (Which drives me absolutely insane!!!!) If you find anything better please post!!! :o)

Day 20 since UPPP, Septoplasty, Hyoid Myotomy and Genioglossus. I am feeling much better except today my throat has become very irritated. One stitch came out last week and four remain and are becoming slightly red around the site. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how they can be dissolved quicker?

Hi wish i had discoverd this website before i undertook this insane operation, tonsils and uvula, day 6 after surgery worse thing is sleeping or lack of it only manage 1 or 2 hours then wake gaging and strugling to swallow, Still snoring though which i believe is making the pain worse. still unable to sleep without almost sitting up the whole of my jaw and neck feel like i have been badly beaten. then theres the Phlegm wich attacks you 10 minutes after you wake and makes you GAG, as the saying goes if i had known then what I know now there is no way on earth I would have gone through with this.

Unfortunately there isn’t really anything to do about the stitches, they are designed to dissolve slow enough that the incision will be sure to stay together. At the end of recovery I thought they would drive me absolutely crazy! I even resorted to trying to pull them out with tweezers thinking that they were dissolved and just stuck! Well, they weren’t and the attempt only made my throat hurt more (of course). When I mentioned this to the doc on my post op visit he just shook is head in agreement as if this was something he’s heard many times before. It was wonderful when he then removed them. - so you are not alone - and this will pass. Hopefully before you loose your sanity! LOL

It has now been three months and the white dry scar tissue circuling my missing UVULA seems to be a permanent fixture in my throat. Not getting bigger nor smaller, but it irritates the back of my toungue still and makes me gag occasionally. I have found keeping it moist is the best thing, but still have not found anything other than chewing gum that does the trick. Still no snoring or sleep apnea incidents. The congestion is greater, however, it is hayfever season. Long and short, I have learned a lot on this site that I wish I had known, however, I would have still gone forward with the surgery over using the CPAP.

I just had the UPPP procedure done friday morning. It’s now Sunday night and I’m doing just fine. My throat hurts, of course, but it’s endurable, particularly with the help of Tylenol 3. Having read all of the horror stories, I was very worried. My doctor also was pretty straight-forward in advising me that the recovery would be “very difficult”. I think it was acutally good that I had such horrific expectations because the reality was not all that bad. I’ve not had a lot of difficulty with the clear liquids and have acutally moved on, as of yesterday, to yogurt drinks, Slim Fast, and even a regular yogurt. I’ve found that drinking water is harder than drinking Gatorade - a tip I got off of a page like this. I’m still planning to take the full 2 weeks off, though I expect that I’ll be feeling much better about a week from now.

The antibiotic is NASTY tasting, and grainy and sour. I sort of sprained my stomach supressing a barf this morning. I’m thinking I might take a shot at eating scrambled eggs tomorrow (without toast, of course).

I’m not expecting perfection, as far as the results go, but I do know that I had a freakishly large uvula and that my tonsils looked like they pretty much filled my whole throat. I also got throat infections a lot, so at this point I’m really thinking this was the right thing to do.

The CPAP? Forget it. I just could not tollerate it, despite having a buddy who swears by his. I was even given a BIPAP, but it really wasn’t much easier to tolerate.

Day #14…doing much better after UPPP and tonsillectomy. Spent 2 days in the hospital and on pain meds - liquid oxycodone for 5 days or so, back to work (I’m a doctor) in 7 days. Lost 15# from a slender frame of 5′10″ 180# to start. Liquid diet and jello for the first week, pureed after day 5, then moist minced. Able to eat quite a bit now by chewing carefully and slowly but can’t bite into any sandwiches yet or tough meats and turkey was tough without gravy. Started swimming on day 8 and went to the gym on day 10, running yesterday 2 miles - slow jog. All in all, painful as heck but doing great. No snoring at all, dreaming a lot more and wife is happy!

I am scheduled for my UPPP in two weks and have been collecting as much information as possible.
Thanks for the great information on this forum !

I also had septoplasty and turbinate surgery last year which made an incredible improvement in nasal breathing and sinus health, but not much improvement in snoring (hence the UPPP).

Has anyone ever tried the neti pot sinus irrigation system for sinus health? I have done some resaerch on this and have been doing it for about 2 weeks now and have noticed some improvements such as less nasal congestion, improved sense of smell and less post nasal drip.
Here is a link for more informatio about the neti pot
http://www.houseofgar.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=2

The last few comments have been very positive, congratulations! It has now been 4 months and I am doing fine. I still have scar tissue but the weird sensation of it is now not so noticeable. I do still cough up phlem balls which I never ever did before in such a nasty gurgle. You have to be constantly aware of where you are when you clear your throat as it becomes an annoyingly gross habit. My wife is still elated that I no longer snore and stop breathing, however, I have begun to slightly snore, but in a more rythymic manner which seems normal and does not wake her. My first comment was that this procedure was worse than my back surgery 12 years ago, however, I threw my back out (slipped disk) four weeks ago and am now reminded how painful siatic nerve pain is running down your butt to your feet. I should not have spoken so soon. Must be bad Karma! You wonder when these annoying issues will ever stop, but I guess as we age, we need to continually be aware of how we take care of ourselves when we are healthy. So happy the last few of you had a good go of the procedure. No matter how bad, you will soon forget it and be happy you made the right decision.

Anyone had a GAHM? Where they put a screw in your jaw and pull your tongue forward. I just had my sleep study after the tonsils and uvula came out and I went from mild sleep apnea to severe. Looks like no pain no gain does not hold true. Lots of pain and no gain but a loss. Let me know about the tonque thing. They said this is my next step.

Great Site, surfing web 4th day after to kill time and dull the discomfort. In at 9 home at 12, felt great, was able to swallow, percocet 1 or 2 times st day, actually went to office on Friday…..then I hit the wall and have been in constant pain/discomfort since, 2 percocet 4 to 5 imes a day is normal, no sleep last night, a headache today.

It’s been a pain (literally)but she says no snoring, seemed less resless, seemed like I could breathe easier. I’m a mouth breather (helped with the snoring) but I felt like more air was passing through my nostreals.

Keep foor bland, eggs good old chicken soup with noodles, other pasta’s, soft food, well chewed. Constant hydrating, thought it huts on every swallow, percocet, swelling pills, antiobiotic, tynanal, welbruten all must go down and all hurt.

My regular Doc said expect depression issues to subside as you actually get some sleep, expect to lose weight as metobolism changes with return of normal sleep.

Daughter in from west coast and surprised that the “snore roar” was gone.

net/net….I’ll live with the pain as the benefits are already outweighing dark side.

Merry Christmas….no more percocet for balance of day so that a “few pops” can be taken at this evenings family meal.

Some very interesting comments. i was concerned because i had a tonsllectomy diathermy on my nose and laser palatoplasty but was surprised to find that they had removed my uvulva when i was told at the pre-assessment that they just laser either side of the uvulva. didnt know if the uvulva has a purpose. had my operation in november, sometimes when i drink it comes out of my nose and it seems noisy when i drink, dont know if this will change with time, i hope so does anybody else know?

I do not have fluid come out my nose when I drink, but do have to control how fast I swallow. The greater issue is the amount of food and phlem that just sits in my throat. My doctor told me that some say the uvula helps glide phlem down and thus it is now more likely to just sit there. He told me after about a year, your body somehow corrects this issue. I hope the same is true for your issue.

March 2, 2008

I had the UPPP with tonsils uvula and some scar tissue from my vocal cords being removed on Thursday Feb 28th (discharged fri 29) and for some reason feel absolutly wonderful. I am not in horrid pain although I am scared of being in pain so I do stick to a strict medication schedule. I was in more pain when I was in the hospital but once the nurses changed the medication I was on I felt much better. I have not yet been scheduled for my follow up sleep study but my father has said that he doesn’t notice me gasping for breathe in my sleep anymore. When I woke up this morning I felt much more rested than I usually do upon waking. As of now I think this surgery was a very good decision. Just have to continue healing and let the swelling go down more and hopefully that will make me feel even better than I already do. Go to a Dr you trust and follow your gut when it comes to making the decision on weather or not to have this surgery.

well its almost 7 months now although I have stoped snoring, still have the feeling that there is a big lump in the back of my throat, abd a very strange taste all the time. It feels like i have a fish bone wedged down there, got a apointment with consultant on 20th to put my mind at rest that everthing is ok. It just dont feel right.

I just had septoplasy and uvelectomy yesterday (4-18-08)and I would agree the pain is pretty intense when I swallow. Popsicles and Chlorseptic spray seems to help. I haven’t noticed much pain from the septoplasty but the uvula more than makes up for it. I think cold, thick drinks go down the easiest and I do better drinking several continuous gulps is more tolerable than slow painful sips. I have also been gargling with salt water helps later but is pretty intense at the time. I am intending to return to work Tuesday if it progresses satisfactorily. It sounds like that may be too fast based on most comments here but I have a pretty tolerable pain threshold (I hope)
Good luck to all!

I did go back to work Tuesday as planned but it was a rough day. Throat pain was pretty intense the first 8-9 days but has improved a lot. Salt water gargle and snorting it up my nose helped alot and helped keep the nasal passages open and clean. Now at day 12 and almost no pain but have a little problem with liquids going down my windpipe if I am not careful. Has anyone had a bony growth in the front roof of mouth after these surgeries? I will see my doctor again in almost 2 weeks and will have to ask him about then.

My husband is scheduled for the UPPP and tonsilectomy tomorrow. You guys have provided lots of great tips and information. I typed up a list to take home with me so that I will know better what to expect for the next few days. Thanks so much.

My relationship is in major jeopardy. I have tried the CPAP but am frustrated since it is not working. I have been recommended for UPPP, then possibly Somnoplasty or snoreplasty, then just having the Uvelectomy and Tonsilectomy. I am not concerned about the short term amount of pain but if I have some other side effect I will have to deal with the rest of my life. Should I go through with this surgery, Any suggestions. Somnoplasty and Snoreplasty are much less evasive.

It was well woth the short term pain with the UPPP. I would not think about it twice. I in the other hand have not done the snoreplasty or the somnoplasty. I did have the uvelectomy and it’s fine. The only discomfort I had was when I would swallow juice or the liquis meds, and that was only for the first 6 days after the surgery. I had mine done in May of 05. My wife did say that now I have a low snore but nothing bad. I do sleep alot better now.

I am on day 5 following septoplasty turbinate reduction as well as uvula removal. I thought for sure I had sleep apnea but the sleep study proved wrong. Snoring was still an issue so my ENT dr. recommended this procedure. It is alot of pain - that’s the truth - I’m hoping the results in a couple weeks are worth it. The liquid vicodin tastes horrible and caused pain until it began working. Today I had plastic stents removed from nose today - can’t believe how large they truly are! Now things are much better as I can breathe through my nose. Throat is the real issue although nose is tender to touch and a bit raw to breathe through. Looking forward to sleeping at night without the stents!

Wow, interesting stories on here. I have something to share about my experience with and after I had my tonsils out. I had my tonsils out 5 years ago and I still have pain. I have been to many many doctors and after many doctor visits and tests I went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. They thought my constant pain was caused from muscle tension dysphonia(sp)so I went to a speech pathologist for quite a while with no relief. I ended up going back to the Mayo clinic and they did exploratory surgery and the only thing the doctor saw in my throat was that I has nodules on my vocal chords and so he removed those and my vocal chords were really tight or something so he made slits in them to relieve some pressure, he thought this would surely relieve some of my pain. It didn’t. Anyway, I still have the pain to this day and zoloft was recommended to me and I was hesitant to try it because I am not depressed but somehow it helps relieve some pain. I gave in and tried it because I was always in so much pain and slept practically all the time. It helps the pain some but it still hurts 24-7. Anyone else ever heard of anything like this? I am thinking there has to be someone else in the world that has symptoms like this. If anyone has ideas let me know. Thank you!

PS. I have always loved to sing but now I can’t sing long at all before I am in too much pain. Please help!!