My name is Ankush Joshi. This is an article about my experience of undergoing tonsil removal surgery or tonsillectomy from Pristyn Care. I have been suffering from tonsillitis for a while hence, I finally decided to remove it permanently. It’s been 2 weeks since the surgery and I am happy that there is no throat pain anymore!

Sore Throat That Doesn’t Cure

I always have a sore throat whenever there is a change of seasons, be it summer to winter or vice versa. Usually, I gargle with some warm water and take some prescribed medicines. Within a couple of days, the pain subsides. Once I developed fever along with sore throat, so I visited an ENT doctor who diagnosed me with tonsillitis. I took some antibiotics and some throat sprays and I got better.

So, this time also at the end of summer, I started having throat pain again and I knew the reason. However, this time something felt different. In addition to the pain and fever, there was a feeling of something stuck in my throat. I went back home and gargled with some warm water which helped me get some relief. As the night progressed, the pain became severe and I couldn’t gulp water also. Panic struck me. I tried to get some sleep but it was of no use as the pain started moving from the throat till the ear.

At The Doctor’s Clinic

While checking the symptoms online the next day, I came across a blog of Pristyn Care explaining the procedure of tonsillectomy. It looked like a legitimate website with real patient reviews. Several patients spoke highly of the tonsil treatment from the Pristyn Care doctors. To make sure that it is not a fake website, I spoke with one of the medical coordinators from the clinic who helped me explain the whole procedure.

Convinced, I booked an online appointment on the Pristyn Care application due to the current pandemic. I spoke with the doctor and explained to me the entire problem. He listened to me intently and recommended me to visit their clinic for a physical examination.

On the same day itself, I went to the clinic desperate for a cure. I didn’t have to wait much as the appointment was pre booked. The doctor asked several questions related to medical history and physically examined. I kept reiterating that this problem always developed since childhood, especially during weather change. After a thorough examination, he suggested a tonsillectomy.

He explained that it is the surgical procedure of removing tonsils. It is recommended to patients who suffer from chronic tonsillitis, such as me. He added there won’t be any pain as it is performed under the influence of anesthesia and with proper care, the recovery is also fast. I wanted a permanent solution to the sore throat, thus I agreed and scheduled an appointment for surgery.

Before The Surgery

On my way back home, one thing that troubled me was the cost of the surgery. I had employee insurance from my job but the amount of paperwork I had to do just to get the insurance claim, made me nervous. But at the same time, I wanted to get rid of the problem permanently. Hence, I called the medical coordinator and explained my problem looking for a solution. Luckily, there was!

They understood my concern and told me that their insurance team takes care of the entire procedure of insurance claim. I sent them the necessary details and documents on WhatsApp and on the same day, they sent me a message saying that my insurance claim has been approved. I never imagined insurance approval to be so easy!

As asked by the doctor, I stopped taking any anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. The doctor explained that these drugs can increase the risk of bleeding. I also stopped taking my vitamin supplements as per the doctor’s advice. Starting that day, I stopped drinking alcohol until my recovery was completely over.

On The Day of Surgery

I got up on the day of the surgery. My surgery was scheduled at 11 am. . Hence, without further delay, I took a shower and got ready. The doctor prescribed me to not eat anything after midnight the previous night. Thus, I skipped breakfast. I didn’t have to worry about transportation services either. The medical coordinator sent me a cab at the stipulated team near my doorstep. Me and my wife simply sat in the car which took us to the hospital.

We reached the hospital on time. As soon as we went near the waiting room, a Care Buddy from Pristyn Care approached us. He took care of the entire paperwork for the admission process. Meanwhile, I stayed with my wife to gain some strength and emotional support. This helped me to prepare mentally for the surgery. Within a few minutes of waiting, he took us to our private consultation room which was well ventilated and hygienic. There was a personal room kit also.

I was prepped for the surgery with the help of the nurse. Then the doctor came in and checked a couple of body parameters which was necessary to make sure that the anesthesia doesn’t cause any severe side effects. Luckily, there were no side effects. After this, the anesthetist checked me thoroughly and injected the anesthesia through an IV channel. Within a couple of minutes, I dozed off.

After 2-3 hours of the surgery, I woke up feeling groggy due to the anesthesia. The doctor came in and checked up on me. He informed me that there were no major complications and the surgery was 100% successful. I slept off again and only woke up the next morning.

After The Surgery 

The doctor discharged me after physically examining me for a final time. He provided me a list of a checklist and prescribed me some painkillers to get relief from the throat pain. A cab arranged by Pristyn Care dropped us at home.

As the anesthesia effect didn’t wear off completely by then, I could not feel any pain but I felt tired and groggy. On reaching home, I took complete rest for the initial 24 hours. Prior to the surgery, I installed a humidifier in my room so that the dry air doesn’t irritate my throat and lead up to coughing. I made sure that I keep myself hydrated so I regularly drank a few sips of water. While taking rest, I made sure that I sleep in a position such that it doesn’t hurt the surgical site.

The doctor did warn me before that there can be some instances of mild bleeding hence when I coughed up some blood, I simply drank some ice-cold water and eventually, the bleeding stopped.

After resting for a couple of hours, I woke up and could feel some pain in the throat. Without delaying any more moments, I took the painkillers prescribed by the doctor. This helped me get relief immediately.

Although I could have started work on the second day itself, I decided to work from home so that there is no risk of any infection developing. The second and third day of the recovery was very difficult for me. I was having tremendous throat pain so I contacted the doctor. He advised me to suck on ice cubes or ice popsicles and reassured me that there is nothing to worry about unless there is any excessive bleeding. Thankfully, there wasn’t any. Starting the fourth day, I started feeling better and the pain started to subside.

For the initial 10 days of the recovery, I was completely on a liquid diet. Gradually, I started to eat soft foods such as mashed potatoes and bananas keeping in mind that nutrition doesn’t take a back seat. Until I felt completely normal, I avoided sharp and crispy foods completely. Also, I stayed away from oily and processed foods. Furthermore, I resumed my daily routine of exercise.

I went for the followup appointment on the 7th day as I was feeling completely normal. The doctor at the clinic physically examined me and reassured me that the healing process is happening as expected.

It’s been 14 days since my surgery and there is no pain nor any discomfort in the throat. I am able to sleep properly at night. I was skeptical about the tonsillectomy at first but I am happy that I took the right decision of getting treated from Pristyn Care. I got relief from tonsillitis permanently and all because of them!