am i a hypocrit?

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ok i am 23 years old, in pre-nursing, which i really like so far. im in my second a & p class, getting a's and b's...im having a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy done on april 2nd.ive heard horror stories about the pain being worse as your older. am i a hypocrit for being scared of having surgery and being a pre-nursing student? should i continue my education in nursing??do other nurses get scared pre-op? i really need some advice thanks :)

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No, you are not a hypocrite! What I have experienced, is that the older the patient is the harder the recovery is. Usually the biggest risk comes 7 to 10 days post-op and that risk is hemorrhage at the surgical site. Listen to your doc and follow all post op instructions and you'll be fine! I had an appendectomy two years ago and that was the first surgery I've ever had besides my wisdom teeth extractions and I was very nervous. They gave me Ativan and Versed in pre-op and all my fears were gone! lol...To answer your other question, yes, continue your education! Being a nurse usually helps to alleviate some of the common fears associated with surgery but it doesn't take all the anxiety and fear away! Good Luck!

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thanks so much for the advice, ive had a pharangeal flap operation when i was about 5 or 6 i dont really remember it though, and i had two cysts removed (benign) from my toe and thumb those were my only surgeries..im glad im not a hypocrit though i really felt like one lol :) thank you

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No worries! You're not a hypocrite. A lot of nurses have fear of going under the knife! That's perfectly normal.

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No problem! Good Luck! :jester:

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back in november i was sick for 2 months with bronchitis and pleurisy...and pleurisy was the most painful thing ive ever encountered in my entire life. i was constantly on tylenol with codeine, i couldnt yawn without having pain, i was bed ridden for 2 weeks...would you say pleurisy or a tonsillectomy recovery is worse? in your experience?

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would probably have to say pleurisy due to the length of recover and pain associated with the recovery. That being said, the risks of the recovery for a tonsillectomy are greater than those of pleurisy.

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if any consolation, i had my tonsils removed at 32 was reallly painful. Took my analgesia 30 mins before i had anything to eat to make it easier. Stuck to cornflakes and toast and chewed gum inbetween. (dont eat chocolate you have to swallow more which in turn obviously hurts more, the chocolate tends to stick to your throat).

Took me 3 weeks to recover

however on the plus side lost 21 pounds in those 3 weeks!

sometimes i wish i still had those tonsils!

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Specializes in OB (with a history of cardiac).

When I was in the ER recently (the ER at the hospital I work at, no less) I, in a roundabout fashion tried to talk the ER nurse out of putting in an IV. I was really bad at trying to get my point across, and then just made it so much worse by saying "oh by the way I'm a nurse up on cardiac/prog care.

Sigh, I saw him a couple of nights ago when I was working a shift...and I hid.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

No one likes pain.......well, maybe some people do ;). Whenever I have had to have surgery, I am terrified. Knowledge maybe power but sometimes ignorance is bliss. Every experience as a patient has made me a better nurse.

Tonsillectomy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia a great simple explanation. I wish you a rapid recovery.

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Specializes in ICU.

Ummm, yes it is all true. I'm sorry to break it to you. I had my tonsils removed in 2010 at 29 years old. Everyone warned me of the pain.

They weren't kidding. And I have a high threshold.

BUT- it was completely worth it. I decided to have them out when I ended up in the ER during a shift, severely dehydrated, tacky at 130 and about to go down.(yes, I called out that night, but guess what they were short and begged me to come in, the nursing supervisor was doing rounds, looked at me and said "endorse your patients, you are coming to the ER with me" I was getting infections every week.

As nurses we worry about everything that could go wrong. But, I was getting strep so much, I was worried about endocarditits! There is a chance of rebelled, which I knew happened to someone, but it was easily fixed. I didn't bleed at all. And I have been the healthiest in my life since having them out. I only get sick once a year, instead of once a week!

TOtally painful, completely worth it. And, well, I couldn't take the vicodin Q4 act like they told me, because after 3 nights, I was taking care of a 2 and a 1/2 year old alone......

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Specializes in ICU.

I apologize for all of my auto correct on my MAC

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