Nasal/sinus surgery: Independence Day report

My recovery at this point is mixed.

I'm no longer bleeding from the schnoz, so the nasal sling/gauze pad is gone. There are points in the day where I don't have to take Vicodin for pain relief -- just plain ol' liver damaging Tylenol. I seem to be doing well having quit caffeine cold turkey.

But my stomach is still in an uproar. I am craving a hamburger or hot dog today, but my stomach protests at the little chocolate truffle that I ate this morning -- a get well gift from the parents. And my energy level is relatively low, to where I could fall asleep without the help of narcotics. And I still need the Vicodin at certain times of the day. And I can't bend over or stoop down, meaning I need help doing basic tasks.

I'm getting a bit stir crazy, but I'm under orders not to do anything too strenous or to get too over excited. I honestly feel lazy and loser-ish when I'm not doing anything -- and having watched those "hurt in a wreck? One call, that's all!" lawyer ads on daytime TV does nothing to help me feel like I'm not lazy.

To get out of the house, mom and dad are taking me to McDonough to see my baby niece and my sister. I will miss not going to ABF or Blowoff today. That's what hurts the most -- missing the 4th of July fun -- but I guess my recovery is more important.

I'd like to know how things were and the fun people had; I just don't want people lording it over me.

Nasal/sinus surgery: 24h after

Well, I'm out of the hospital.

I can't say it didn't hurt. I woke up and it felt like my nose and the bones behind it were on fire. They had me pumped up with as much Versed as possible. The BF and sister were with me, and it made me feel better that they were. (It was kinda cute that the BF was smiling and had a tear in his eye when I woke up. He was just concerned about me. Yeah, we're sickenly in love.)

I've been eating crackers and pudding, and ingesting ginger ale. I really haven't felt like eating too much.

I'm wearing a sling around my nose to hold gauze in order to drain the unpleasantness. I'm using vaseline to keep the nostrils moist, and spraying saline mist to make sure the nasal passages don't dry out. I'm also using a q-tip to get crustulence (sorry, it's gross) out of there. With this thing around the nose, I think that the cat believes I'm a monster, and he hisses and runs away from me.

(Also, invest in Chapstick if you ever have to have this done. Breathing through your mouth will dry you out something wicked.)

Right now, I'm on Vicodin to help with the pain. The doc is trying to have me use it only as a last resort and to use Tylenol alone but honestly, I hurt too much to just acetamenophen. I can't tell if the surgery is helping, because I can't breathe through my nose right now.

I've been resting in bed and watching DVDs of Family Guy in between naps. I've tried not to move around too much.



BF is being a great nurse and oh so sweet. I can't bend down, so he's had to help bathe me, pick things from off of the floor and reach into cabinets. I'm so lucky I have him, and it's not just the drugs talking (well, maybe a little).

Nasal/sinus surgery: T-Minus 24 hours and counting

My stupid sinuses, a deviated septum and a cyst in a sinus.

I will have nasal surgery tomorrow at Emory University Hospital Midtown (formerly Crawford Long) in Atlanta for multiple problems which have caused me miserable sinus infections:

Septoplasty: this surgery will straighten out a deviated septum which keeps me from breathing normally.

Turbinate removal: these things can keep the sinuses from draining normally.

Cyst removal: I have a cyst in my left sinus above my cheek, which is causing me problems.

This will be done intra-nasally, which means that I will not have to have my face cut open. The surgeon has an excellent reputation, so I'm not worried about him.



However, I'm a little nervous. Yesterday was my pre-op visit, where I received instructions as well as a prescription for Lortab (hydrocodone), 10 mg with 325 mg of Tylenol. I was simultaneously amused and made nervous by the doctor's instructions: take 1 to 2 tablets every 4-6 hours for severe pain. Do not exceed 12 tablets in a 24 hour period Is it going to be that bad? Will I become House? I also received some post-op antibiotics.

I am lucky that I will have family to take care of me: the BF and my sister. I am not looking forward to riding home in Atlanta heat with no A/C, though.

I must arrive at the hospital at 11:30 a.m. to do the pre-op surgical procedures, blood work, anaesthesia consult, etc. Surgery will be at 2:30 p.m.; I probably will be at the hospital until 7 - 7:30 p.m.

I will not be a very happy person before the surgery as I can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight. So, no breakfast + low blood sugar = heightened anxiety and bitchiness.



After surgery, I will be given the equivalent of a nose sling to hold nasal maxi-pads (fancy gauze) to catch drainage. Luckily, there will be no nasal packing or splints, which hurt like hell when they are removed. I will be at home for at least 7 days, missing work, not to mention Atlanta Bear Fest 2009, as well as other fun July 4 events. I'll sit on the deck at home, stoned on Lortab with a hot dog and playing with sparklers to make up for it, though.

There will obviously be no update on July 1 due to being out of it; I might update the blog July 2 if I'm not too high. Teh wurds migt be a litl strng tho.

Other fun times: no strenuous physical activity for one week, which includes you-know-what; no sneezing for 3 weeks (I'll have to cough it out, which will be hard to remember); general mouth-breathing only for a week; nasal sprays/douches; strange and disgusting discharges.

But in a way, I'm looking forward to this -- being at home for a week on a forced vacation, not to mention the prospect of better breathing.

I will try to spare y'all post-pictures as they're generally yucky. I've seen them on Flickr and other blogs, and I generally don't want to subject people to them after looking at others' pix.

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