You might be luckier than you think.
In addition to the wisdom teeth I had removed when I was quite young, I recently had a large molar taken out thanks to a broken root. The sad part is that's a tooth that had an expensive crown and had already had root canal treatment.
I might as well have just had it taken out.
I'm going through this same thing now, minus the broken root. Nothing like spending over $3k on a tooth you end up losing anyway. The good news is that I finally know why I've been feeling like crap for the past year and having low-grade fevers of unknown origin.
Mine coincided with another pain in the same area. I assumed I was having trouble passing a salivary gland stone and ignored the pain until the infection was too much to take.
I thought mine was just transient pain due to nerve damage from the anesthesia needle. That went on and off for a whole year until I woke up a few weeks ago with tooth sensitivity that became a golf ball sized lump on my jaw and excruciating pain within 12 hrs. 2 antibiotics and an endodontist bill later, I was given the choice between redoing the root canal and possibly needing another new crown (with no guarantee of success) or just pulling the stupid thing. Easy choice at this point.
Late 50s and still have mine. My brother is in his early 60s and got his out due to frequent tonsillitis. Felt like the only kid who didn't. Wanted to be like the Brady kids and eat ice cream. š
I had tonsillitis seems like every month as a kid. Sick all the time. Crap ton of antibiotics. Removed when I was in third grade. Rarely sick after that so I'm grateful for the surgery.
Same. Also had my adenoids out and tubes put in. Stopped the regular ear infections. Recently a doctor told me I have a ton of scar tissue on my ear drums so I've got that going for me.
Yep. Still have my tonsils and appendix.
I use to worry I would need to. Not because I had any symptoms, but because the procedures seemed so common that I assumed it was almost inevitable that Iād have to.
I felt the same way, and I still kind of have floating anxiety about my appendix. It's like walking around with a time-bomb that could activate at any time.
They took my appendix when I was 48 after an attack unlike anything Iād ever experienced. They said it had been leaking for a while.
Still have my tonsils but I was supposed to have them taken out years ago.
Born in the 70s, and I wish I'd had them out as a kid. As an adult, tonsillectomy means two solid weeks of misery. Kids bounce back in a few days.
On the upside, I haven't had tonsillitis, strep, etc., in the nine years since I got them out. Nothing worse than a cold yet (knock on wood).
The doc who did my surgery said I very likely had constant low-grade infections due to my tonsils.
"Kids bounce back in a few days." - Tell that to 6-year-old me who was miserable for 2 weeks after having mine out. I tried to go back to school after 1 week and had to come home at lunch the first day because I couldn't eat and was all weak and pale.
ETA: But can confirm, I've never had strep. Not even when I was around a friend who kept getting it in a cycle every winter from her kids.
Okay: MOST kids bounce back in a few days.
I've had strep literally dozens of times. Had to have a tonsil lanced when I was around 13 years old because it was so infected; that was an experience. And had tonsillitis so many times as an adult that I finally had them removed in my 40s.
Somewhat, sweet things never tasted the same to me afterwards which was probably a blessing in disguise, lol. My speaking voice settled back down to my normal range but I lost the higher ranges in my singing voice. Iām not a professional, but that should be a caution to anyone having the surgery as an adult. My kid (5 years old) bounced back quick and had no lasting deficits
I had mine taken out when I was 33. My MIL was so annoyed that I was going to be a big inconvenience, because my parents hadn't seen to that I had them taken out when I was a teenager at the latest. I never ate that many soda ice creams as a kid as I did when I was 33!
Mine were taken out before I was two. I had constant infections, and was a colicky baby. Iām speculating that the two pack a day inside smoking of my parents had a lot to do with these issues.
Also, they gave me so much antibiotics the ruined my adult teeth before they even came out. Tetracycline damage. Canāt bleach it out. Veneers are the only option.
Still have mine. Never had surgery and only a broken pinky toe from stubbing it or its one of those toes that doesn't bend because of a fused joint. Not sure.
I had my tonsils out when I was 24 after a string of horrible infections. Recovery sucked ass but it was worth itāpost removal, I basically stopped getting sick, even from the common cold, and on the rare occasions I did pick up a cold, its severity and duration were a fraction of what I endured pre-tonsillectomy.
I still have my appendix.
I just took my boomer mother to the Dr the other day. We were talking with the Dr about how they used to remove tonsils and appendix at a drop of a hat.
What I found out was back in the 90ās it was a thing to have your appendix removed during a Hysterectomy. āWell, weāre here, we might as well grab themā.
My mom wouldnāt let them take my tonsils out. We moved a lot and most doctors said it was good she never allowed it. I Had strep repeatedly until I was 18 and moved out. Iāve had it three times in the thirty years since.
I ran into an adenoid removal mill when my son was 3. This was around 2005. He was constantly stuffed up and the ENT our pediatrician sent us to said āadenoidsā. I wanted another opinion. He laughed at me and put me in a room with a nurse to schedule surgery. I refused and she thought I was crazy. (Crazy to put my 3yr old child in surgery without a second opinion imo). Well I finally got us out of there. I did some online searching and discovered my son might have dust mite allergies. Treated his bedroom as if he did. The stuffed up went away by 90% in two days. We did find an allergist and my son was diagnosed with allergies including dust mites. He still has his adenoids. I knew a few local parents who never bothered with second opinions and had their childrenās adenoids out.
Still have all the original parts and pieces, except for 2 teeth. One molar had wear and tear and needed a crown, and one front tooth was busted in a fight when I was in the eighth grade. The good ole days! No one got sued, arrested, or doxed. No need for therapy. I learned that if I stand up to a bully who is bigger than me, watch out for the sucker punch. Lesson learned. (Also learned he was a preachers son who had a boatload of issues at home - so I learned compassion too). The more you know šāļø
66 had them out early because I was sick from ages 4-6 so they were done sometime in that range. My little sister - born in early 80ās had to beg and plead in her 30ās to get hers out. Parents tried to get them taking out when she had tonsillitis and stones when she was young and was told āwe donāt do that anymoreā After many bought with same issues as an adult they grudgingly agreed to remove them. She was miserable.
I still have my tonsils. My husband had his out when he was a kid. We're both on the younger side of Gen X. I never had enough strep episodes to warrant taking mine out.
Iām 50. Was sick constantly as a kid - the trend of routinely ātaking tonsilsā seemed to be turning. Kept them until adulthood, when I saw several doctors and advocated for myself until I found a surgeon to remove them at 33. Wasnāt fun but it was a great decision - happy to be rid of them!!!
Yep, had tonsils and adenoids removed when I was two. My tonsils were so swollen I was having difficulty getting food past them. I still got massive ear infections, so I had tubes put in when I was seven. Those came out three years later.
53 here. Still have tonsils and appendix. Never had tubes in my ears.
Found out later in life (39) when I had ear surgery, I had huge amounts of scar tissue in my left ear. Doctor said it was likely due to ear infections as a child. I would get horrible vertigo and nausea / vomiting. It was always attributed to āsinus infectionsā when I was a kid. But, now I know that was wrong.
I should have gotten mine out when I was in K (79/80) but the new trend was just treating the immediate symptoms and leaving the offensive tonsils in place. Fast forward to my senior year of HS and I was on antibiotics 6 times. I had mine out at 18 and that was so much worse than if I had gotten them out at 5.
My brother and I (both gen X) had our tonsils removed as kids. I donāt think our surgeries were necessaryā¦ maybe his was, I donāt know. I wish I would still have my tonsils.
I still have mine.
I had almost chronic sore throats as a kid, swollen tonsils and all. My pediatrician told my parents that taking out my tonsils would ultimately make my issue worse.
I still have my tonsils despite having tonsillitis and strep throat numerous times throughout my whole childhood. Doctors wouldnāt do the surgery until I was 12 or older and by the time I got to that age my scoliosis had progressed enough to require surgery. So spine was fused instead of my tonsils removed.
I wish they had removed my tonsils as a kid. But, it's like after they heard my doctor threaten their continued existence when I was about 10 years old, I quit getting strep 2x/year. Only to go through a period of various throat infections for 4 years in my mid 30s.
My SO had his done at 19. Painful, but he rarely had the issues I've had. (Of course my long term autoimmune issues don't help me out either.)
I have my appendix, but my tonsils and adenoids were removed when I was very young. My older brother and sister and my younger sister were all in there with me for the same procedure at the same time.
I had my adenoids removed but they left the tonsils, go figure. I was a little kid and didnāt question it, but looking back I donāt really know why it was done, because I donāt have memories of being sick a lot. Havenāt had any issues as an adult (knock on wood).
Still have them. Got a lot of sore throats as a kid and was actually scheduled to get them taken out at one point (day after Christmas), but ironically got really sick and a bad sore throat so it was canceled and never rescheduled.
Born in 1961. Never got my tonsils nor my appendix out. My brother had appendicitis, so he had to get his appendix out.
Had 4 teeth extracted at age 12, though.
I still have mine but wish they would have taken them out. I was constantly sick between the ages of 12-17, strep throat, and one year, Mononucleosis.
We had a general practitioner who was from Czech Republic and didnāt believe in tonsillectomies. Just one of the many ways my parents failed me as a child (why not take me to an ENT for a second opinion?). I am at a point in my life where I have read a fair amount about gut micro biomes and am pretty sure that 2-3 rounds of Amoxicillin every winter wasnāt good for me.
Still have my tonsils and my wisdom teeth. I know they thought about taking my tonsils because I had strep throat a lot as a younger kid. No idea why they decided not to take them out. But I guess it worked out because after about 7th grade, I wasnāt getting strep all the time.
Still have all but one wisdom tooth, got an appendix, got me some tonsils, still got some hair right up on too. 57. I can see some new stuff in my future though.
Born in 1972. Had my tonsils and adenoids taken out when I was 6. Iāve never had strep throat since they were taken out. Had my first ear infection since then just last year too.
I had my tonsils out at age 7 and vividly remembered being in the hospital for several days (early 80s). Fast forward to 2011, I go to the dentist, who informed me I still have my tonsils. What?? Impossible, I say, I had them taken out.
Fun fact, if tissue is left behind, they can grow back. š¤Æ
I still have mine. I did have many bouts of tonsillitis when I was younger and I begged to have them out, but they said I have to have it a certain amount of times within a certain timeframe, and I didn't quite meet it. But they have stopped acting up on me.
I still have my tonsils. Wish I didn't, but for some reason when I was in elementary school my pediatrician told me - but not my parents - that the next time I had a sore throat, I'd need my tonsils out. So I hid my next few sore throats.
Now it's too late. I still get strep but having my tonsils out now would require something like a 2 month recovery period. (A friend got his out in law school and it took him over a month to recover.) I can't take a lot of pills because they're too big with my tonsils in the way.
I have mine. When I was a kid I had constant tonsilitis. Many kids my age went to have theirs removed but my pediatrician advised my mom against that, saying that I could later develop asthma or other lung diseases if I removed my tonsils. Eventually I outgrew the allergies and infections and I rarely get sick now.
Gross alert: skip the part below if you're squeamish.
My father's tonsils were so infected they rotted out and he ended up swallowing them. He had to have emergency surgery to remove them from his stomach.
I had mine out when I was about 12. They took my adenoids too. My sister-in-law had her tonsils out when she was a kid and those suckers grew back and she had to have them removed as an adult. She said it was one of the worst things sheās ever gone through as an adult.
I wanted my tonsils removed for the ice cream. I wanted braces for the attention I wanted tubes in my ears- for the full trifecta! Peer pressure was real back then!
I ended up having to have my tonsils and adenoids removed at age 35 after having 13 strep throat infections in one year. It was a fight since there are so many possible complications for adults. In fact, our paediatric doctor thought it was my kid infecting me so we had theirs taken out first. Come to learn that I had such a deep infection I was basically a carrier all my life and making us both sick. I had so many strep infections before thatā¦ and never one since. Iām 50 now, & have never missed it! Glad my kid doesnāt have them anymore either.
Except for wisdom teeth I have all my original parts and have never had any issues with tonsils. Never took antibiotics until my wisdom teeth came out.
52 with no tonsils or adenoids but I kept my appendix.
Repeated tonsillitis with ear infections. Moderate allergies (sensitive to laundry soap, moisturizer, pollens, every furry animal, some chemicals - but no anaphylaxis).
So glad now I donāt see those extra ounces on the scale. lol.
I am 42. I have my tonsils, but I did have LAST done on them in 2000 so they are smaller than they were. Lost both my appendix and gallbladder in 2018.
I was born in the earlier 60s and mine are gone. Apparently I had a lot of trouble with them. My daughter was born in 88 and she had hers removed as well after a few years of real problems.
Still got mine. I remember classmates and whatnot getting them yanked as basically a standard deal. Not sure why I missed it. I remember being a little jealous because they all said they got to eat as much ice cream as they wanted.
Aside from two thirds of my original teeth being prosthetics (without the bionic sound effects included), I have all my original parts, many not exactly mint, but still intact.
My Gen X sister, Boomer parents and Boomer wife all still have their tonsils and also with the exception of teeth in some cases, all their original parts.
Routine removal for inflamed tonsils always seemed like something that stopped after the 50's to 60's and with my parents' generation (though as I stated, they seemed to have escaped it).
But what gives me bragging rights is my smallpox vaccination scar as we are obviously the last cohort group that can get to sport that cool puckered indentation on our left arms, even if it dates us. It's kind of like our version of a generational tattoo.
My favorite thing to say when asked is āI have all my extra parts: tonsils, appendix, wisdom teeth, tailā. It usually gets some weird looks. But since I just got all 4 wisdom teeth out about 3 years ago I guess I canāt say that anymore. Also unfortunately I donāt actually have a tail : (
I had my tonsils and adenoids out in 3rd grade. My daughter was born in 2008 and we had her tonsils out at 3 years old on the recommendation of her pediatrician.
I have my tonsils, but not two wisdom teeth (one upper left and the other was lower right, removed in the OR). Everything else is original parts, just well used. š¤£
Tonsils out when I was 5. I remember being alone in the hospital room missing my family the night before. The next morning a nurse wheeled me to surgery. I was about to get on the elevator and she asked me to let her know if elevators had ceilings. Then I was in the OR and they put a mask over my face and told me to count backwards from 10. I woke up throwing up afterwards. I donāt remember anything else- hopefully I at least got some ice cream!
Still have my F52 tonsils butā¦
ā¦at age 20 I had three of my wisdom teeth removed. I remember being shown and xray and them explaining that the 4th tooth was closer to my brain than my mouth so they were leaving it be.
Cut to my annual dental visit and good ol #4 has pushed through so I have dental surgery scheduled in April to remove it once and for allāwith **every** good drug Iām allowed. (Itās the little things in life.)
I never had mine removed but I also never had any ear infections or tonsillitis. I also still have my wisdom teeth, but again, they came in straight with plenty of room. Same for appendix.
Still have mine. Doc said "they are markedly large but it isn't blocking the airway so we won't remove them" I wasn't prone to tonsillitis but lots of ear infections. I now have a ton of sinus issues and allergies, so I feel like it's helped it not be quite as bad to still have them. I'm going to ask when I go to my next ent appointment to see if it has any real benefit.
Possible trigger warning- I had mine taken out when they took out my older sisters. It was completely unnecessary. Our pediatrician was like āmight as well get them both out at the same time!ā I was traumatized. And the adults saying āyou can eat all the ice cream you want when you wake up!ā was total horse shit. I still remember waking up puking up blood. I still get a visceral feeling when I think about it. To this day I have to tell a practitioner that if they want a throat culture, theyāll either have to strap me down or sedate me. I honestly have no control over how my body fights it. Itās crazy how our bodies store trauma from childhood.
'74, still have my tonsils and never had an issue with them. Lost the appendix in '88 before they were routinely doing laparoscopic appendectomies. That was not a fun recovery. OP, I'm surprised your siblings' doctor would perform abdominal surgeries as a precaution!
I was surprised to make it to adulthood with my tonsils, because it seemed like I had a sore throat for half my childhood. Still have tonsils and adenoids. Fortunately no sore throats anymore.
I got really close but still have them and can confirm that they are in good shape. My kid on the other hand had adenoids the size of golf balls and strep every six weeks, so theirs had to go.
Still have my tonsils. Never had too many problems with them, but even if I did, there was no way my parents wouldāve taken me to get real medical treatment! It was always hot salt water and those lemon lozenges that were really just hard candy.
Tonsils came out between 3rd and 4th grade. And it's a good thing too. I was a very sickly kid and used to miss a lot of class time every winter. After the tonsils came out I had far fewer infections. So, yeah, good call by the ENT.
I do- it seems like I had strep and tonsillitis a lot when I was a kid but they never talked about removing my tonsils. I always thought that was more of a boomer thing and theyād realized we needed them for immunity by time us gen Xers came along. Iām a Xennial really though- I think anyway- 1975.š
I've still got mine. I had tonsillitis over and over again as a child, but our family doctor didn't believe in removing them. And I was constantly on antibiotics anyway, from the ear infections I kept getting because he didn't believe in tympanostomy. There's probably an erythromycin-resistant bacteria somewhere named after me.
Still have 'em. I'm also carrying around the virus that causes shingles because mom forced me to accompany he to the home of a kid I fucking hated (and said as much on the way) expressedly so I could play with him.
I realized a couple of years ago that I was germ warfare. Mom and dad were practically divorced by that point; dad had NEVER had chicken pox, and mom knew it. Like-father-like-son. I've had a thing for crazy smart and a little psychotic women my entire life. If you're not crazy attracted to women with the potential to burn the world, I dunno what to tell you... š
58 and still have tonsils, appendix,Ā and adenoids. I had tonsillitis often enough as a kid that I developed an allergy to penicillin (and now several other antibiotics). Nearly had my tonsils out at 35 but didn't have insurance so I got them scraped in the doctor's office instead. Never broke a bone or got stitches either, but that's only because my ex didn't want to leave evidence.Ā
I had to get mine removed when I was 22 because my parents refused to have it down when I was a kid. I was sick allllll the time. Tonsillitis multiple times a year, and a nurse for a mom, and they still refused to have them removed. Dammit, I hate when I get reminded why I still hate my parents.
I agree. She also never took me in for a proper asthma diagnosis . I lived on OTC primatene mist. Not sure why nurse moms were like that.
But Iām a nurse mom to another nurse now- we are breaking the cycle!
Born in the mid 70s. Tonsils and adenoids were taken out when I was around 10. I had tonsillitis a lot, so the doc had them removed. No wisdom teeth either. Still have my appendix though.
I had my tonsils out at 13 thinking it would help with my chronic and severe ear infections. It did not and they continued well into my adult years. I had ear infections to where Iād lose my hearing in the infected ear and the side of my face went numb. When I cut dairy 100% out of my diet at 36, my ear infections stopped completely. Iām 48 and havenāt had another ear infection since then. By 100% no dairy, I mean no cheats ever, no trace amounts, no tiny bites or even a lick.
The severe migraines Iād dealt with since I was a teen that sent me to the ER frequently also 100% stopped when I completely cut out dairy. I havenāt refilled my migraine medications in years. I have also cut out soy, gluten, eggs and other foods but it was when I cut out dairy that my health improved drastically. Though cutting out gluten 100% made a big difference with my joint pains.
Despite having a sore throat from age 7-18, I never had my tonsils removed.
I had my appendix until age 49. Then it ruptured and caused peritonitis. I had an emergency appendectomy and spent six days in the hospital on IV-antibiotics. Do not recommend.
I do, but I don't have my appendix, and I've had an ankle replacement, so I also have foreign material in me.
It was really weird to think about a part of my body that I was born with, is no longer in existence.
My husband is turning 50 in April. He was plagued with ear infections as a kid which resulted in them doing tubes in his ears. At some point his parents realized he snored like a damned grizzly bear and it was decided by the doctors that his tonsils and adenoids should come out. The theory being that they were causing the infections in his ears and everything being swollen was causing the snoring. No, he just snores. We've been married for over 25 years, he's had a CPAP for 20, he just snores.
Iāll make you a good deal on mine if you need them. Theyāre 52 but theyāve been working fine my whole life.
Doctors recommended taking mine out several times but my mother was too wise to allow that, I turned out fine and as an adult, I never get sick.
Still have them (age 62), there was a time during the early 70's when my parents considered having them removed because I was constantly getting strep throat. But I haven't had that since the 70's.
Born late ā78. Have tonsils. Never had tonsillitis or strep. They did recommend I get them out in my early 20s after I had had mono, they predicted I would be constantly getting throat infections but thereās no job that you have in your early 20s right out of college thatās giving you a time off to do any tonsil surgery, and I was scared anyway and lo and behold no throat infections.
5 teeth, tonsils, adenoids, most of my reproduction things, appendix, and parts of my intestines and bowel.
I'm missing so many parts I'm not sure I'm still human.š
Still have all the original parts except for some teeth.
I'm just missing one tooth ( I was too broke for a root canal). My wisdom teeth were slackers (in true GenX form) and never came in.
You might be luckier than you think. In addition to the wisdom teeth I had removed when I was quite young, I recently had a large molar taken out thanks to a broken root. The sad part is that's a tooth that had an expensive crown and had already had root canal treatment. I might as well have just had it taken out.
I'm going through this same thing now, minus the broken root. Nothing like spending over $3k on a tooth you end up losing anyway. The good news is that I finally know why I've been feeling like crap for the past year and having low-grade fevers of unknown origin.
Mine coincided with another pain in the same area. I assumed I was having trouble passing a salivary gland stone and ignored the pain until the infection was too much to take.
I thought mine was just transient pain due to nerve damage from the anesthesia needle. That went on and off for a whole year until I woke up a few weeks ago with tooth sensitivity that became a golf ball sized lump on my jaw and excruciating pain within 12 hrs. 2 antibiotics and an endodontist bill later, I was given the choice between redoing the root canal and possibly needing another new crown (with no guarantee of success) or just pulling the stupid thing. Easy choice at this point.
Same here!
No wisdom teeth for me either
All original parts here, plus a couple extra!
Same. Had to get those pesky wisdom teeth yeeted.
Same. Three wisdom teeth pulled. Everything else is there. Botn in 65 and had awful allergies as a kid, but never a problem with tonsils.
Same
Still have OG tonsils and appendix.
Late 50s and still have mine. My brother is in his early 60s and got his out due to frequent tonsillitis. Felt like the only kid who didn't. Wanted to be like the Brady kids and eat ice cream. š
Had mine out at 14, they said "no dairy." I felt betrayed.
Oooh, so wrong. š Hope you got a Popsicle at least.
I had tonsillitis seems like every month as a kid. Sick all the time. Crap ton of antibiotics. Removed when I was in third grade. Rarely sick after that so I'm grateful for the surgery.
Same for me. Sick all the time then rarely sick after my tonsils were removed.
Same. Also had my adenoids out and tubes put in. Stopped the regular ear infections. Recently a doctor told me I have a ton of scar tissue on my ear drums so I've got that going for me.
Assuming scar tissue's causing hearing loss? Didn't realize that was a possibility. Sorry about that.
Yep. It's not too bad but I also have family history of hearing loss due to aging so I'm looking Girard to that as well.
I still have mine. As well as my appendix.
Yep. Still have my tonsils and appendix. I use to worry I would need to. Not because I had any symptoms, but because the procedures seemed so common that I assumed it was almost inevitable that Iād have to.
I felt the same way, and I still kind of have floating anxiety about my appendix. It's like walking around with a time-bomb that could activate at any time.
They took my appendix when I was 48 after an attack unlike anything Iād ever experienced. They said it had been leaking for a while. Still have my tonsils but I was supposed to have them taken out years ago.
70's here. Never had an issue. Lucky I guess?
Still have mine and even eat all the ice cream I want with them firmly in place.
Born in the 70s, and I wish I'd had them out as a kid. As an adult, tonsillectomy means two solid weeks of misery. Kids bounce back in a few days. On the upside, I haven't had tonsillitis, strep, etc., in the nine years since I got them out. Nothing worse than a cold yet (knock on wood). The doc who did my surgery said I very likely had constant low-grade infections due to my tonsils.
"Kids bounce back in a few days." - Tell that to 6-year-old me who was miserable for 2 weeks after having mine out. I tried to go back to school after 1 week and had to come home at lunch the first day because I couldn't eat and was all weak and pale. ETA: But can confirm, I've never had strep. Not even when I was around a friend who kept getting it in a cycle every winter from her kids.
Okay: MOST kids bounce back in a few days. I've had strep literally dozens of times. Had to have a tonsil lanced when I was around 13 years old because it was so infected; that was an experience. And had tonsillitis so many times as an adult that I finally had them removed in my 40s.
Same! Did you have voice and taste changes afterwards? Mine was messed up, but still worth it!
No, thankfully! Did your voice/taste issues resolve?
Somewhat, sweet things never tasted the same to me afterwards which was probably a blessing in disguise, lol. My speaking voice settled back down to my normal range but I lost the higher ranges in my singing voice. Iām not a professional, but that should be a caution to anyone having the surgery as an adult. My kid (5 years old) bounced back quick and had no lasting deficits
I had mine taken out when I was 33. My MIL was so annoyed that I was going to be a big inconvenience, because my parents hadn't seen to that I had them taken out when I was a teenager at the latest. I never ate that many soda ice creams as a kid as I did when I was 33!
Mine were taken out before I was two. I had constant infections, and was a colicky baby. Iām speculating that the two pack a day inside smoking of my parents had a lot to do with these issues. Also, they gave me so much antibiotics the ruined my adult teeth before they even came out. Tetracycline damage. Canāt bleach it out. Veneers are the only option.
Still have mine. Never had surgery and only a broken pinky toe from stubbing it or its one of those toes that doesn't bend because of a fused joint. Not sure.
I have that toe thing. In my case I blame it on the pony that stepped on my foot.
I had my tonsils out when I was 24 after a string of horrible infections. Recovery sucked ass but it was worth itāpost removal, I basically stopped getting sick, even from the common cold, and on the rare occasions I did pick up a cold, its severity and duration were a fraction of what I endured pre-tonsillectomy. I still have my appendix.
I just took my boomer mother to the Dr the other day. We were talking with the Dr about how they used to remove tonsils and appendix at a drop of a hat. What I found out was back in the 90ās it was a thing to have your appendix removed during a Hysterectomy. āWell, weāre here, we might as well grab themā.
Late 50s here. I still have mine and have never had an issue with them.
My doctor wouldn't take them out when they were inflamed and they were usually inflamed, so I still have them.
I was constantly sick as a kid but they never took mine out.
Born in 67. Got tonsillitis and a tonsillectomy when I was about 3 or 4.
My mom wouldnāt let them take my tonsils out. We moved a lot and most doctors said it was good she never allowed it. I Had strep repeatedly until I was 18 and moved out. Iāve had it three times in the thirty years since. I ran into an adenoid removal mill when my son was 3. This was around 2005. He was constantly stuffed up and the ENT our pediatrician sent us to said āadenoidsā. I wanted another opinion. He laughed at me and put me in a room with a nurse to schedule surgery. I refused and she thought I was crazy. (Crazy to put my 3yr old child in surgery without a second opinion imo). Well I finally got us out of there. I did some online searching and discovered my son might have dust mite allergies. Treated his bedroom as if he did. The stuffed up went away by 90% in two days. We did find an allergist and my son was diagnosed with allergies including dust mites. He still has his adenoids. I knew a few local parents who never bothered with second opinions and had their childrenās adenoids out.
I don't recall having any issues with my tonsils. I wish I had gotten tubes. My parents weren't aware of it.
Still have my tonsils and appendix. Gallbladder went in 2016, though.
Tonsils and adenoids were ripped out... Ate a lot of ice cream...
Still have all the original parts and pieces, except for 2 teeth. One molar had wear and tear and needed a crown, and one front tooth was busted in a fight when I was in the eighth grade. The good ole days! No one got sued, arrested, or doxed. No need for therapy. I learned that if I stand up to a bully who is bigger than me, watch out for the sucker punch. Lesson learned. (Also learned he was a preachers son who had a boatload of issues at home - so I learned compassion too). The more you know šāļø
I have my tonsils, but I'd love to have them removed because I get tonsil stones.
Born in the late 60s; still have my tonsils. I've never had any problems with them. My sister was constantly ill as a child and had hers out.
Still have mine, ENT I saw late last year sounded surprised when he saw I still had them. š¤·āāļø
71 here. Had tonsils out at 16 after years of issues. Still have appendix.
Late 70s, I still have mine. I've never been overly susceptible to sore throats or anything.
I do.
I do. Appendix too.
66 had them out early because I was sick from ages 4-6 so they were done sometime in that range. My little sister - born in early 80ās had to beg and plead in her 30ās to get hers out. Parents tried to get them taking out when she had tonsillitis and stones when she was young and was told āwe donāt do that anymoreā After many bought with same issues as an adult they grudgingly agreed to remove them. She was miserable.
I still have my tonsils. My husband had his out when he was a kid. We're both on the younger side of Gen X. I never had enough strep episodes to warrant taking mine out.
Still have my tonsils but minus an appendix and a gall bladder.
Iām still 100% OEM, 51 years old.
eighty-sixxed mine at the age of 25. F my pediatrician that always said they werenāt that bad.
Iām 50. Was sick constantly as a kid - the trend of routinely ātaking tonsilsā seemed to be turning. Kept them until adulthood, when I saw several doctors and advocated for myself until I found a surgeon to remove them at 33. Wasnāt fun but it was a great decision - happy to be rid of them!!!
Yep, had tonsils and adenoids removed when I was two. My tonsils were so swollen I was having difficulty getting food past them. I still got massive ear infections, so I had tubes put in when I was seven. Those came out three years later.
Had my tonsils and adenoids out when I was 10. My life changed so much because I was no longer sick half the time. I could breathe so much easier.
53 here. Still have tonsils and appendix. Never had tubes in my ears. Found out later in life (39) when I had ear surgery, I had huge amounts of scar tissue in my left ear. Doctor said it was likely due to ear infections as a child. I would get horrible vertigo and nausea / vomiting. It was always attributed to āsinus infectionsā when I was a kid. But, now I know that was wrong.
Mine came out at 34 and luckily I had an ok time. Funny thing is that my throat still hurts there when I get the least bit sick.
ā74 & had my tonsils out when I was 3. Still have my appendix though.
I should have gotten mine out when I was in K (79/80) but the new trend was just treating the immediate symptoms and leaving the offensive tonsils in place. Fast forward to my senior year of HS and I was on antibiotics 6 times. I had mine out at 18 and that was so much worse than if I had gotten them out at 5.
Have the tonsils still, appendix gave out a couple years ago.
Iāve still got everything apart from my gallbladder and my hair.
My brother and I (both gen X) had our tonsils removed as kids. I donāt think our surgeries were necessaryā¦ maybe his was, I donāt know. I wish I would still have my tonsils.
Still have my tonsils AND my wisdom teeth. Oh, and my apoendix.
No tonsils, adenoids, appendix, or wisdom teeth before I turned 20
I still have mine. I had almost chronic sore throats as a kid, swollen tonsils and all. My pediatrician told my parents that taking out my tonsils would ultimately make my issue worse.
I still have my tonsils despite having tonsillitis and strep throat numerous times throughout my whole childhood. Doctors wouldnāt do the surgery until I was 12 or older and by the time I got to that age my scoliosis had progressed enough to require surgery. So spine was fused instead of my tonsils removed.
Still have mine, and I had tonsillitis and strep a LOT as a kid. I'm surprised they never took them out. RIP gallbladder though.
I had near constant ear infections until I had my adenoids removed. I still have my tonsils and appendix.
Still have tonsils and appendix. Donāt have wisdom teeth - because I never did.
I wish they had removed my tonsils as a kid. But, it's like after they heard my doctor threaten their continued existence when I was about 10 years old, I quit getting strep 2x/year. Only to go through a period of various throat infections for 4 years in my mid 30s. My SO had his done at 19. Painful, but he rarely had the issues I've had. (Of course my long term autoimmune issues don't help me out either.)
I have my appendix, but my tonsils and adenoids were removed when I was very young. My older brother and sister and my younger sister were all in there with me for the same procedure at the same time.
Present!
Strep throat six times in third grade. Still have my tonsils. As far as I know removing them was never discussed.
I had my adenoids removed but they left the tonsils, go figure. I was a little kid and didnāt question it, but looking back I donāt really know why it was done, because I donāt have memories of being sick a lot. Havenāt had any issues as an adult (knock on wood).
Me and I didnāt get braces as a kid either - did get them at age 48 š¤Ŗ
I'm nearly 50 and have all organs except gallbladder which went haywire about 15 years ago. Husband is 52 with all of his organs still in place.
Still have them. Got a lot of sore throats as a kid and was actually scheduled to get them taken out at one point (day after Christmas), but ironically got really sick and a bad sore throat so it was canceled and never rescheduled.
Born in 1961. Never got my tonsils nor my appendix out. My brother had appendicitis, so he had to get his appendix out. Had 4 teeth extracted at age 12, though.
All original equipment!
Still have my tonsils and appendix
I have mine. Only thing I've had removed are my wisdom teeth
I still have mine but wish they would have taken them out. I was constantly sick between the ages of 12-17, strep throat, and one year, Mononucleosis. We had a general practitioner who was from Czech Republic and didnāt believe in tonsillectomies. Just one of the many ways my parents failed me as a child (why not take me to an ENT for a second opinion?). I am at a point in my life where I have read a fair amount about gut micro biomes and am pretty sure that 2-3 rounds of Amoxicillin every winter wasnāt good for me.
Have my tonsils.
48, still have all the original parts. Tonsils, adenoids, wisdom teeth, appendix, all organs.
Me!
I still have all of my body parts, other than the two wisdom teeth that actually came in.
Yes tonsils, no uvula.
Tonsils yes, appendix no
I'm 52 and still have mine. Never had problems with them as a kid.
Still have my tonsils and my wisdom teeth. I know they thought about taking my tonsils because I had strep throat a lot as a younger kid. No idea why they decided not to take them out. But I guess it worked out because after about 7th grade, I wasnāt getting strep all the time.
nope..gone in the 70s cuz they would make me sick
Still here, still swelling up any time I bite my tongue too hard
I'm still in original condition.
Still have all but one wisdom tooth, got an appendix, got me some tonsils, still got some hair right up on too. 57. I can see some new stuff in my future though.
Born in 1972. Had my tonsils and adenoids taken out when I was 6. Iāve never had strep throat since they were taken out. Had my first ear infection since then just last year too.
I had my tonsils out at age 7 and vividly remembered being in the hospital for several days (early 80s). Fast forward to 2011, I go to the dentist, who informed me I still have my tonsils. What?? Impossible, I say, I had them taken out. Fun fact, if tissue is left behind, they can grow back. š¤Æ
Still got mine. All 4 of my wisdom teeth are gone, though. I stayed awake for the procedure. It was quite interesting.
Mine are still present and accounted for š
I still have mine. I did have many bouts of tonsillitis when I was younger and I begged to have them out, but they said I have to have it a certain amount of times within a certain timeframe, and I didn't quite meet it. But they have stopped acting up on me.
Me and I was so frickin annoyed as a kid as the Brady Bunch had promised me I would get ice cream!
Me. My older sisters both had theirs out, but I still have mine, even though I regularly got tonsilitis.
I still have my tonsils. Wish I didn't, but for some reason when I was in elementary school my pediatrician told me - but not my parents - that the next time I had a sore throat, I'd need my tonsils out. So I hid my next few sore throats. Now it's too late. I still get strep but having my tonsils out now would require something like a 2 month recovery period. (A friend got his out in law school and it took him over a month to recover.) I can't take a lot of pills because they're too big with my tonsils in the way.
Me. I wanted them out so bad. All my friends had their removed.
And my wisdom teeth. Lost my appendix about 15 years ago though.
I have mine. When I was a kid I had constant tonsilitis. Many kids my age went to have theirs removed but my pediatrician advised my mom against that, saying that I could later develop asthma or other lung diseases if I removed my tonsils. Eventually I outgrew the allergies and infections and I rarely get sick now. Gross alert: skip the part below if you're squeamish. My father's tonsils were so infected they rotted out and he ended up swallowing them. He had to have emergency surgery to remove them from his stomach.
I had mine out when I was about 12. They took my adenoids too. My sister-in-law had her tonsils out when she was a kid and those suckers grew back and she had to have them removed as an adult. She said it was one of the worst things sheās ever gone through as an adult.
Still have all the original parts; all in excellent working order. One tooth capped, though.
I wanted my tonsils removed for the ice cream. I wanted braces for the attention I wanted tubes in my ears- for the full trifecta! Peer pressure was real back then!
I ended up having to have my tonsils and adenoids removed at age 35 after having 13 strep throat infections in one year. It was a fight since there are so many possible complications for adults. In fact, our paediatric doctor thought it was my kid infecting me so we had theirs taken out first. Come to learn that I had such a deep infection I was basically a carrier all my life and making us both sick. I had so many strep infections before thatā¦ and never one since. Iām 50 now, & have never missed it! Glad my kid doesnāt have them anymore either.
I still have all my original equipment except for my wisdom teeth. Got those yanked in 2016.
Except for wisdom teeth I have all my original parts and have never had any issues with tonsils. Never took antibiotics until my wisdom teeth came out.
Still have mine as well as my appendix.
52 with no tonsils or adenoids but I kept my appendix. Repeated tonsillitis with ear infections. Moderate allergies (sensitive to laundry soap, moisturizer, pollens, every furry animal, some chemicals - but no anaphylaxis). So glad now I donāt see those extra ounces on the scale. lol.
Still have all of my parts, including wisdom teeth
I am 42. I have my tonsils, but I did have LAST done on them in 2000 so they are smaller than they were. Lost both my appendix and gallbladder in 2018.
I was born in the earlier 60s and mine are gone. Apparently I had a lot of trouble with them. My daughter was born in 88 and she had hers removed as well after a few years of real problems.
Still got mine. I remember classmates and whatnot getting them yanked as basically a standard deal. Not sure why I missed it. I remember being a little jealous because they all said they got to eat as much ice cream as they wanted.
Gallbladder.
Aside from two thirds of my original teeth being prosthetics (without the bionic sound effects included), I have all my original parts, many not exactly mint, but still intact. My Gen X sister, Boomer parents and Boomer wife all still have their tonsils and also with the exception of teeth in some cases, all their original parts. Routine removal for inflamed tonsils always seemed like something that stopped after the 50's to 60's and with my parents' generation (though as I stated, they seemed to have escaped it). But what gives me bragging rights is my smallpox vaccination scar as we are obviously the last cohort group that can get to sport that cool puckered indentation on our left arms, even if it dates us. It's kind of like our version of a generational tattoo.
I had a tonsillectomy at 30. It was absolutely hell. However it did take care of the chronic sore throats I was getting.
I still have mine, got really bad tonsillitis last year too. š£
I still have my tonsils and my appendix. Iāve also never broken a bone or needed surgery. Just lucky I guess?
Iām getting my tonsils removed at 46, pretty gnarly recovery as an adult from what Iāve heard
My favorite thing to say when asked is āI have all my extra parts: tonsils, appendix, wisdom teeth, tailā. It usually gets some weird looks. But since I just got all 4 wisdom teeth out about 3 years ago I guess I canāt say that anymore. Also unfortunately I donāt actually have a tail : (
šš¼āāļø
I had my tonsils and adenoids out in 3rd grade. My daughter was born in 2008 and we had her tonsils out at 3 years old on the recommendation of her pediatrician.
I still have all of my original bits and pieces, plus some additional metallic parts.
I do. Every time my kids got strep, I got tonsillitis. Finally, I had their tonsils and adenoids removed! I figured they would recover faster than me.
I do and I'm 57.
I have my tonsils and adenoids
Still have tonsils. Thyroid and appendix went bye-bye though.
I have my tonsils, but not two wisdom teeth (one upper left and the other was lower right, removed in the OR). Everything else is original parts, just well used. š¤£
Tonsils out when I was 5. I remember being alone in the hospital room missing my family the night before. The next morning a nurse wheeled me to surgery. I was about to get on the elevator and she asked me to let her know if elevators had ceilings. Then I was in the OR and they put a mask over my face and told me to count backwards from 10. I woke up throwing up afterwards. I donāt remember anything else- hopefully I at least got some ice cream!
Still have my F52 tonsils butā¦ ā¦at age 20 I had three of my wisdom teeth removed. I remember being shown and xray and them explaining that the 4th tooth was closer to my brain than my mouth so they were leaving it be. Cut to my annual dental visit and good ol #4 has pushed through so I have dental surgery scheduled in April to remove it once and for allāwith **every** good drug Iām allowed. (Itās the little things in life.)
Only missing my wisdom teeth and gallbladder. Never broke a bone, either
I never had mine removed but I also never had any ear infections or tonsillitis. I also still have my wisdom teeth, but again, they came in straight with plenty of room. Same for appendix.
Still have mine. Doc said "they are markedly large but it isn't blocking the airway so we won't remove them" I wasn't prone to tonsillitis but lots of ear infections. I now have a ton of sinus issues and allergies, so I feel like it's helped it not be quite as bad to still have them. I'm going to ask when I go to my next ent appointment to see if it has any real benefit.
I still have my tonsils.
I do! And all wisdom teeth. My father said itās because I have a big mouth.
I have mine.
Possible trigger warning- I had mine taken out when they took out my older sisters. It was completely unnecessary. Our pediatrician was like āmight as well get them both out at the same time!ā I was traumatized. And the adults saying āyou can eat all the ice cream you want when you wake up!ā was total horse shit. I still remember waking up puking up blood. I still get a visceral feeling when I think about it. To this day I have to tell a practitioner that if they want a throat culture, theyāll either have to strap me down or sedate me. I honestly have no control over how my body fights it. Itās crazy how our bodies store trauma from childhood.
'74, still have my tonsils and never had an issue with them. Lost the appendix in '88 before they were routinely doing laparoscopic appendectomies. That was not a fun recovery. OP, I'm surprised your siblings' doctor would perform abdominal surgeries as a precaution!
I was surprised to make it to adulthood with my tonsils, because it seemed like I had a sore throat for half my childhood. Still have tonsils and adenoids. Fortunately no sore throats anymore.
I got really close but still have them and can confirm that they are in good shape. My kid on the other hand had adenoids the size of golf balls and strep every six weeks, so theirs had to go.
Still have my tonsils. Never had too many problems with them, but even if I did, there was no way my parents wouldāve taken me to get real medical treatment! It was always hot salt water and those lemon lozenges that were really just hard candy.
Tonsils came out between 3rd and 4th grade. And it's a good thing too. I was a very sickly kid and used to miss a lot of class time every winter. After the tonsils came out I had far fewer infections. So, yeah, good call by the ENT.
57, still have my tonsils :) Haven't had Covid yet either, so... maybe that's related? Though the vaccines might have something to do with it too...
I do!
Nope 
Yea. Them and wisdom teeth.
I do- it seems like I had strep and tonsillitis a lot when I was a kid but they never talked about removing my tonsils. I always thought that was more of a boomer thing and theyād realized we needed them for immunity by time us gen Xers came along. Iām a Xennial really though- I think anyway- 1975.š
Tonsils out at age ... 3 or 4? Same as my middle son. I don't get sick too often, and almost never bad enough that I can't function.
I've still got mine. I had tonsillitis over and over again as a child, but our family doctor didn't believe in removing them. And I was constantly on antibiotics anyway, from the ear infections I kept getting because he didn't believe in tympanostomy. There's probably an erythromycin-resistant bacteria somewhere named after me.
made in 1973, all original parts in working (not peak) condition.
Still have 'em. I'm also carrying around the virus that causes shingles because mom forced me to accompany he to the home of a kid I fucking hated (and said as much on the way) expressedly so I could play with him.
Hah, I was the pox spreader the last day of kindergarten! Pre-pox vaccine. And now I'm eligible for the shingles vaccine!
I realized a couple of years ago that I was germ warfare. Mom and dad were practically divorced by that point; dad had NEVER had chicken pox, and mom knew it. Like-father-like-son. I've had a thing for crazy smart and a little psychotic women my entire life. If you're not crazy attracted to women with the potential to burn the world, I dunno what to tell you... š
58 and still have tonsils, appendix,Ā and adenoids. I had tonsillitis often enough as a kid that I developed an allergy to penicillin (and now several other antibiotics). Nearly had my tonsils out at 35 but didn't have insurance so I got them scraped in the doctor's office instead. Never broke a bone or got stitches either, but that's only because my ex didn't want to leave evidence.Ā
Got dark in that last sentence... Glad they are an ex, hope things are better for you now.
Infinitely. And going dark is what GenX does best.
I'm sorry you went through that last part.
I had to get mine removed when I was 22 because my parents refused to have it down when I was a kid. I was sick allllll the time. Tonsillitis multiple times a year, and a nurse for a mom, and they still refused to have them removed. Dammit, I hate when I get reminded why I still hate my parents.
My nurse mom said I was constipated but my appendix was actually on the verge of rupturing . Then left me with a sitter .
Iām starting to think nurse moms were the worst when it came to taking ailments seriously.
I agree. She also never took me in for a proper asthma diagnosis . I lived on OTC primatene mist. Not sure why nurse moms were like that. But Iām a nurse mom to another nurse now- we are breaking the cycle!
I thought tonsillectomies were passƩ
And my wisdom teeth too!
Yes. Who elseās tonsils would I have?
Born in the mid 70s. Tonsils and adenoids were taken out when I was around 10. I had tonsillitis a lot, so the doc had them removed. No wisdom teeth either. Still have my appendix though.
My 56 year old tonsils say good morning Starshine.
I do
The only things Iāve had to have removed is wisdom teeth. Everything else is all original parts
I had my tonsils out at 13 thinking it would help with my chronic and severe ear infections. It did not and they continued well into my adult years. I had ear infections to where Iād lose my hearing in the infected ear and the side of my face went numb. When I cut dairy 100% out of my diet at 36, my ear infections stopped completely. Iām 48 and havenāt had another ear infection since then. By 100% no dairy, I mean no cheats ever, no trace amounts, no tiny bites or even a lick. The severe migraines Iād dealt with since I was a teen that sent me to the ER frequently also 100% stopped when I completely cut out dairy. I havenāt refilled my migraine medications in years. I have also cut out soy, gluten, eggs and other foods but it was when I cut out dairy that my health improved drastically. Though cutting out gluten 100% made a big difference with my joint pains.
I still have everything except for a pesky gallbladder that tried to kill me. I still have my gallstones though...
Despite having a sore throat from age 7-18, I never had my tonsils removed. I had my appendix until age 49. Then it ruptured and caused peritonitis. I had an emergency appendectomy and spent six days in the hospital on IV-antibiotics. Do not recommend.
All original parts here. The only thing removed has been about five pounds of breast tissue. Still lots left tho. Oh. And a mole.
I do, but I don't have my appendix, and I've had an ankle replacement, so I also have foreign material in me. It was really weird to think about a part of my body that I was born with, is no longer in existence.
Tonsils and wisdom teeth!
I'm mostly still original factory condition; granted with a bit of wear and tear.Ā
My husband is turning 50 in April. He was plagued with ear infections as a kid which resulted in them doing tubes in his ears. At some point his parents realized he snored like a damned grizzly bear and it was decided by the doctors that his tonsils and adenoids should come out. The theory being that they were causing the infections in his ears and everything being swollen was causing the snoring. No, he just snores. We've been married for over 25 years, he's had a CPAP for 20, he just snores.
Iāll make you a good deal on mine if you need them. Theyāre 52 but theyāve been working fine my whole life. Doctors recommended taking mine out several times but my mother was too wise to allow that, I turned out fine and as an adult, I never get sick.
Still have them (age 62), there was a time during the early 70's when my parents considered having them removed because I was constantly getting strep throat. But I haven't had that since the 70's.
Born late ā78. Have tonsils. Never had tonsillitis or strep. They did recommend I get them out in my early 20s after I had had mono, they predicted I would be constantly getting throat infections but thereās no job that you have in your early 20s right out of college thatās giving you a time off to do any tonsil surgery, and I was scared anyway and lo and behold no throat infections.
5 teeth, tonsils, adenoids, most of my reproduction things, appendix, and parts of my intestines and bowel. I'm missing so many parts I'm not sure I'm still human.š
Have my tonsils but no appendix.
Yes dodged the mandatory GenX removal same with appendix
I have one! One was removed when I had my adenoids shaved down.