I needed a lot of cheering up after my tonsillectomy–but not right after the surgery, like you might think. The first day was relatively easy: thanks to local anesthesia, steroids, and narcotics, I was able to drink, eat, and even chew mushier versions of my favorite foods and drinks. This isn’t too bad, I thought, nibbling on a buttery cookie. Soon I’ll be back to cooking and eating like normal.
Then days two and three happened, and things changed. The doctors had warned me about it, but I hadn’t wanted to believe them. All the drugs I had been loopy on post-surgery wore off, and without local anesthesia and steroids, my whole face started to swell and ache. Swallowing got tough; chewing became nigh impossible; and my food choices, though extended by my mom’s ingenuity, were limited to things that were still edible in paste/babyfood consistency.
Needless to say, I needed a lot of cheering up along with my fluids. This is where my younger sister came in.