Your case is definitely extreme, though; most kids who have their tonsils out are back home within 48 hours.

I never had them removed, but many of my classmates did, when I was in elementary. They had ice cream, and popsicles. I did have several egregiously bad cases of strep, and sucked on ice-cubes constantly; to this day if I have a very sore throat I want water as cold as is humanly possible, whereas I've had other people look horrified at the idea.