Should I cut off my tonsils or nah?

The year is 2006, and I’m crouched under the big mango tree at our family house on Stadium Road, struggling to wash my socks. It’s Saturday, the day Aunty Biliksi comes around to wash clothes and fetch water.

As she wrings out a wrapper, she recounts her experience with a local doctor over the week: “Wọn ṣi ẹnu mi, wọn si ge awọn berebere mi kuro”(they opened my mouth and cut my tonsils ). She animatedly described being strapped to a chair, mouth forced open, and two “berebere” (tonsils) snipped out. It sounded like something out of a horror movie, and that was my first introduction to Tonsilitis.

Fast forward to 2018. I had travelled from Lagos to Ilorin to visit my parents. Out of nowhere, I developed a sore throat so intense I could barely breathe, much less swallow. I was gasping for air.  It felt like I had fiery needles being tightened around my throat, neck, skull, and jaw. In every muscle or movement, the pain throbbed. My parents rushed me to a specialist hospital, and after some tests, the doctor said, “You have tonsillitis.”

Between then and now, I have had around 5 episodes, and I quickly understood that 1) there are sore throats, and then there are sore throats: the ones that come on suddenly and make it hard to swallow for days. 2) Sore throat? easily in my top three most unbearable pains, after menstrual cramps.

Now, let’s pause.

What exactly is tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis is when your tonsils — the two soft lumps at the back of your throat — become inflamed. The tonsils are part of your body’s defense system. They help fight infections, especially in kids. But sometimes, they get overwhelmed and infect themselves, usually by viruses or bacteria.

It is sometimes caused by a cold or flu virus. Or it might be a bacterial infection like strep throat. You might notice symptoms like sore throat, fever, headaches, pain when swallowing (even saliva), and swollen tonsils. It can be acute or chronic.

For acute tonsillitis case, medical treatment often involves antibiotics, pain relievers, cataflam or ibuprofen, and home remedies such as gargling with warm salt water. And when chronic, surgery might be on the table, especially when they become so enlarged that they obstruct the airway, making it difficult to breathe.

Last month, tonsillitis paid me another visit. At first, it started with that all-too-familiar tightness and a pinch at the back of my throat. Then came the real pain. I couldn’t speak. I lived off tea and painkillers. In my pain, I consulted with a doctor, and she said, “You know, you could consider surgery…” Lol. Ma’am?

So here I am, thinking about it.

Should I cut off my tonsils or nah?

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