April 28, 2007
So, sinus surgery probably isn't fun in the first place, but it sure doesn't get better when, while still groggy from the procedure, no less than 6 (!) different people ask you whether or not anyone has ever mentioned that you happen to have one pupil larger than the other, and, oh by the way, instead of letting you go today we're going to keep you here at least until the next morning just to make sure you don't have neurological problems, since we were operating pretty close to your eyes and brain, and well, it's unlikely, but you never know.
So, yeah, there was that.
The last week hasn't been a lot of fun. I've looked roughly like this the majority of the time:
Nose diapers are the hot accessory for Summer '07
I've spent 7 days straight laying around watching movies. While that idea has it's charm, it's been a dreadful time - so much to do, and yet, so little of things required to do them, like stamina and concentration. I'm already squeamish about blood; having to deal with so much of it being coughed up and poured out hasn't helped.
On the other hand, something extraordinary has just happened, I think. There were a number of things done in the course of the procedure - I had my deviated septum realigned, a fair amount of overgrown and abnormal turbinate (look it up) removed, and, well, had sinus openings created.
When I was a small child, my doctor said my sinuses were closed up. He said at the time that the openings should be about the size of your thumbnail, and mine were the size of a head of a pin. So they opened them up.
Flash forward almost 18 years later, and adult me discovers that they put the sinus openings in the wrong place. So my sinuses have essentially never drained properly, and, in fact, the incorrect openings caused an overgrowth of turbinate that was essentially blocking the air passages in my nostrils.
My inability as a child to deal with my brother holding me down, covering my mouth, laughing, and telling me to breathe through my nose suddenly makes a lot more sense. Because I couldn't.
And just a few hours ago, I felt a bizarre new sensation. I drew in air through my nose and felt it circle back down into my throat. It's completely alien to me, and frankly, kind of feels uncomfortable, but then I'm still sore and bleeding, so who knows.
I'm looking forward to breathing; it's supposed to help with my diagnosed sleep apnea. But I'm not out of the clear yet - there are still plastic stints in my nose/sinuses that'll have to be removed. And I hear they're far longer than I assumed.
Then of course, there's always that throat surgery I'm supposed to have to fix, among other blockages, the scar tissue from the tonsil removal that the same sinus doctor from my childhood screwed up. But I might skip this one, lest I wake up to "Has anyone ever told you you've only got half a windpipe?"
Posted by starlen at April 28, 2007 3:52 AM
Comments
Hope your recovery continues!
Posted by: EricaLucci at April 28, 2007 7:17 AM
Wow. Congrats on the new breathing. I have similar nose airway issues, and have considered surgery before, but have never pursued it for roughly this reason. You're tough.
Hang in there.
Posted by: Sandor Weisz at April 28, 2007 8:12 AM
Congratulations on breathing and stuff! Hope it does indeed help with your snoring and sleep apnea.
By the way, just a day after you posted this, you're already #5 in Google for "abnormal turbinate." That's how much Google likes you. Or hates you, depending on your mood.
Posted by: Andrew at April 28, 2007 10:23 PM
