You Don’t Have Your What?!

When I got my sleep apnea surgery, I had 3 things taken out. My tonsils, adenoids, and uvula. That last 1 always surprises people. “That dangly thing in the back of your throat??” “Yep, that thing.” “You don’t have that??” “Not anymore. Want to see?” It’s a fun party trick of mine. But it did get me thinking about post-surgery changes; is my life really all that different without one?

Post-surgery changes

Speaking is one thing, but singing?

I’m a singer. I’ve been taking lessons and training off and on ever since I was 5 years old. I had my surgery when I was about 16 years old. But I didn’t really think about the effects of not having a uvula until adulthood.

I was thinking the other day, about how I wondered if not having one affects the vibrations of the notes I sing. I haven’t noticed a difference that I can tell. According to Cambridge University “...it is a common practice in many parts of Africa for traditional healers to remove the uvula.” ¹

They do remove a uvula to prevent any infections that might appear in the throats of children. So this is certainly a thing that happens often enough. I suppose if anything, it gives me more room in my throat to make noise – haha!

Does it make me feel weird?

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever noticed a difference there either. I don’t think I remember the feeling of ever having a uvula. So I don’t really miss not having one.

The same thing goes for my adenoids and tonsils. Do I miss them? Not really. It doesn’t feel like I’ve lost a long-lost friend or anything. I wasn’t attached (emotionally) to them. I don’t feel embarrassed (obviously the contrary) not to have them anymore. It’s a neat story to tell.

Do I think it helps day to day?

I think so for sure. Not just with the sleep apnea but I also don’t get very many throat infections. I don’t think I’ve ever had strep throat. When I get sick, my throat can get dry and scratchy but I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as it could be. For the amount that I talk and sing day to day, I feel like my throat has kept up wonderfully. I’m not sure if the surgery has helped with that part per se, but it’s something I've noticed.

Seek a health care professional

As with anything, if you’re considering surgery for your sleep apnea please, talk to your doctor. But I can say from my own personal experience that it has helped a lot. I’m not a big fan of the CPAP masks. Personally, I don't think I could wear 1 even now as an adult, so it was a great option for me.

I’m glad that I got my surgery done early as a teenager when I was younger, and could bounce back more quickly. Do you have any concerns about possibly getting surgery done? Do you have questions about it? (Please share your comments.)