A breath of fresh air
So, I should follow up with how the Sinus surgery went.
It went far better than expected right out of the gate. Apparently they're getting very good at this particular surgery, as I didn't need to have packing up my nose or splints or anything like that. Which means I was in half the misery as many of the people who have had this same surgery just a few years ago.
Which isn't to say it wasn't hellish during the first three or so days of recovery. I was not allowed to lie down, at all, so sleeping had to be done sitting up. Which I am not good at. And I had to wear gauze over my nose, and change the dressing every hour or two. It was held on by tape to my face, and my face got raw from having tape ripped from it every hour or two. Never mind every time I started to drift off, I would wake up panicked, gasping for breath, and tearing at the gauze like I was suffocating.
The following Tuesday I went for my follow up, and they did this thing where they deep-suctioned out my sinuses. It was just as unpleasant as it sounds, and even more disturbing. However! I walked out of there with the biggest smile on my face, as I breathed through my nose more clearly than I had in well over six months!
That didn't last very long (still healing, still swelling, still had stitches in), but it was still getting better every day. Two weeks later, I went for another follow up, and had the final stitches out and another suctioning. And again, I was breathing more clearly than I think I ever have in my life. And since then, it's been just fine.
One of the biggest bitches though, right after the surgery, was the medication. Apparently, science is working hard to take the 'high' out of massive narcotic pain-killers, presumably so that people won't be interested in using them recreationally. Because I never felt high during my constant taking of these stupid pills for the two days after the surgery. The only effect was maybe an 'edginess', which means combined with having to sit up, I probably got about two hours of sleep over the three days after surgery. It sure as hell would have helped me cope if I could have at least gotten a little buzz! Dammit!
Oh well, can't have everything. But at least so far, so good, and it certainly seems worth it so far. I have a final follow up in July. But I'm finally feeling healthy and finally have some level of energy for the first time since last October. Which is definitely good, because I have a LOT of crap to do in the next month or two...
It went far better than expected right out of the gate. Apparently they're getting very good at this particular surgery, as I didn't need to have packing up my nose or splints or anything like that. Which means I was in half the misery as many of the people who have had this same surgery just a few years ago.
Which isn't to say it wasn't hellish during the first three or so days of recovery. I was not allowed to lie down, at all, so sleeping had to be done sitting up. Which I am not good at. And I had to wear gauze over my nose, and change the dressing every hour or two. It was held on by tape to my face, and my face got raw from having tape ripped from it every hour or two. Never mind every time I started to drift off, I would wake up panicked, gasping for breath, and tearing at the gauze like I was suffocating.
The following Tuesday I went for my follow up, and they did this thing where they deep-suctioned out my sinuses. It was just as unpleasant as it sounds, and even more disturbing. However! I walked out of there with the biggest smile on my face, as I breathed through my nose more clearly than I had in well over six months!
That didn't last very long (still healing, still swelling, still had stitches in), but it was still getting better every day. Two weeks later, I went for another follow up, and had the final stitches out and another suctioning. And again, I was breathing more clearly than I think I ever have in my life. And since then, it's been just fine.
One of the biggest bitches though, right after the surgery, was the medication. Apparently, science is working hard to take the 'high' out of massive narcotic pain-killers, presumably so that people won't be interested in using them recreationally. Because I never felt high during my constant taking of these stupid pills for the two days after the surgery. The only effect was maybe an 'edginess', which means combined with having to sit up, I probably got about two hours of sleep over the three days after surgery. It sure as hell would have helped me cope if I could have at least gotten a little buzz! Dammit!
Oh well, can't have everything. But at least so far, so good, and it certainly seems worth it so far. I have a final follow up in July. But I'm finally feeling healthy and finally have some level of energy for the first time since last October. Which is definitely good, because I have a LOT of crap to do in the next month or two...