I need opinions- what would you do???

[mummy2olivia]

I have had tonsillitis 6 times this year. Whenever I get a cold or even a slight snuffle my tonsils flare up and turn white.

A few of the times it has been no problem and after a couple of days and a load of painkillers they go down on their own. But then there have been times when it totally knocks me off my feet e.g I spent all day yesterday on the sofa, temp of 40 AFTER paracetamol, throat bleeding- it is just horrible!! Now obviously when it is like this I don't feel well enough to go to work- there is no question about it- I can barely stand, let alone work.

It has now got to the stage at work where I am facing a sickness review and this can ultimately lead to disciplinary.

I have spoken to the dr about the tonsillitis and he doesnt think I should have them out- I am 27 and he says that as you get older it becomes a very risky op and even carries a 1% chance of death.

What do I do? Do I just keep having time off work and risk getting into trouble? Or do I insist that they come out? What would you do? If anything I feel angry with work for indirectly putting pressure on about this- I dont take the piss, I am only off when I am truly ill.

Can I also add- I am very fit and healthy otherwise.

Work surely aren't going to discipline you if you have valid reasons and an ongoing health problem? Can you get a drs note to prove you have this problem?

Also was this your GP who said about the op? If so could you not ask him to refer you to the specialist and see what they say.

TBH the op might be slightly risky, but that has to be weighed up against your quality of life. It is entirely possible that the tonsillitis is only going to get worse over the years, and your age (and risk I am guessing) is only going to go up! So perhaps it might be sensible to get it done now to improve your life.

All surgery carries that risk due to the anaesthetic. Have you been to gp everytime when your throat is bad. Also not up to gp to make decision for you. Go back and politely demand and ENT referral as is your right, then explain to your work what is happening.

Everytime you are off sick, just make sure that you are fully covered with sick notes etc.
You sound like you need them out to me, and the risk is very low as with every other operation.

I would love to have them out- they are an absolute mess!

I am not covered by sick notes as I tend to rush back to work after a day cos I feel guilty, so I can self cert.

The least I can do is ask for an ENT referral I think and just keep work informed. I am just so worried about being disciplined. I have been off work 3 times this year with tonsillitis and once with sickness and diarrhoea (occupational hazard of working in a hospital!) and was off for 3 weeks with a miscarriage- my head is gonna be on the block

both my friends had their tonsils out two years ago, aged 28 and 29 and they had no problems whatsoever with op. ask for a second opinion.

Hi, I would just like to correct some misinformation.

1. Surgery and complications are responsible for deaths, NOT anaesthesia which only causes one in every 200,000 deaths.

1. Death rates of 1% occur in seriously ill heart patients having heart surgery on diseased hearts.

1. Surgical death rates are very dependant on external factors over which the surgeon has no control eg age, emergency, condition, size, operation, disease, nursing, analgesia, etc etc etc

4 The 1% figure for Tonsillectomy probably refers in fact to the readmission rate for complications in the first month.

1. There is not a huge amount of good information concerning adult tonsillectomies and it would be irresponsible to recommend surgery or otherwise without a proper history and examination. I know this sounds pompous but it is actually true, you just cannot give an informed opinion or advice with limited information.

6.In adults Tonsillectomy is very very painful for a few days and not always something to be taken lightly. Afterwards it will probably reduce the recurrence of tonsillitis but not necessarily the incidence of sore throat.

1. You do not have any right to demand a ENT/second opinion, however it would be sensible to mention/suggest it to your GP

1. Repeated single days off act as a red flag to HR departments so it would be an idea to get them and your GP on board sooner rather than later.

1. Keep a diary

XXX

An op is an option, but it is very painful recovering when having a tonsilectomy in the adult years.

But there must be a reason why your tonsils keep flaring up? Are you run down/exhausted? Could you do with a fresh look at your lifestyle, eg smoking, drinking? I think to really look after yourself with respect to eating really really well, would help your immune system to stop taking a battering. You know, loads of fresh fruit, salads, less dairy etc etc. What do you think?

I eat really well, I take vits, I eat fruit and fresh veg every day, I play netball, I do aerobics, I dont drink, I dont smoke, I relax, my job is stressful but I enjoy it and dont get upset about it, my DH is lovely, my DD is great, I sleep well- I don't know what else I can do??

I havent had a good year admittedly (year started with stressful TTC then an upsetting long drawn out miscarriage) and the tonsillitis has occured more this year than before.