Septoplasty Fun

On Monday, I had a septoplasty to correct a deviated septum.

The main reason I need it is that I have recurrent sinus infections.  Lots of 'em.  Like maybe 3 or so per year. 

Once, when I was about 12, I had sinusitis that ended up backing up into my face.  All I remember from the incident was begging to go to the E.R. on a Saturday night, having to wait for all the typical Saturday night type trauma people go fo first, then being admitted and spending several days unconscious in the ICU in critical condition.  (Okay, I don't remember being unconscious... those details got filled in later.)

I've been paranoid about my sinuses ever since.  I hack and spit a lot to try and keep them clear all the time.  Apologies to anybody who has ever had to witness this ritual.  Without that sort of diligence, though, my 3 times a year sinus infections can result in hospitalization, as they did when I joined the Army back in the dark ages.

The surgical procedure?  Can't really tell you much about that, other than I was comfortably resting on the bed and woke up feeling drugged up.

The nurse kept administering meds to try and get my blood pressure down.  It was ungodly high right after surgery.  Apparently, they give you some vasoconstrictors to control bleeding during surgery.  Then, they need to reduce the effects before you can go home.

The doctor came in, said things went well, then proceeded to yank out two things that felt about like pipes from my nostrils.  They were big and hard and it hurt like the dickens when he did it.  In fact, I felt pretty okay until right when he did that.

I felt really weak, but had to go to the pharmacy to pick up some drugs and supplies.  Because I'd been under general anesthetic, I had to have somebody else drive me.  Got a little bit of food, and felt much, much better after that. 

Tuesday, I stayed home all day, bored.  Didn't really drive or do anything of the sort.  Just puttered around the home.  The doctor said I didn't need bed-rest, per se.  I just needed to take it easy.  No heavy lifting or exercising or that sort of thing.

I actually felt very good on Tuesday.  I have some pretty strong pain killers, but wasn't even tempted to use them on Tuesday.  Was able to handle everything with the help of maybe 2 Tylenol.

Wednesday, I figured I'd drive to the office and take my son to his baseball practice.  Big mistake.  It's amazing how the smallest amount of physical effort completely saps me.  With the baseball practice, all I did was carry a lawn chair and his light bat bag to the dugout.  I was drained after that.

I felt much better once I got home and got some food.  I figure I probably lost a lot of blood over the course of the past few days.  I should probably be trying to eat some more red meat, but just haven't really had the appetite.

Other than that, though, my eating habits are fine.  I can eat everything I could ever eat.  Not a biggie.  Day of the surgery, I was eating a toasted sandwich afterwards. 

The toughest part, so far, is that I can't breathe through my nose.  It feels about like being waterboarded.  If I swallow, my eardrums feel like they're going to burst.  If I'm drinking something I have to make sure to take a deep breath first, or it feels like I'm suffocating.  This is obviously more of a psychological issue than a physical one.  However, it's funny how you take things for granted, like being able to breathe through your nose.

I really like my doctor.  When I got out of surgery, I asked how long until my nose would be clear and he basically said not for a couple of weeks.  I told him that I'm paranoid about that (he knows my history with the whole coma thing) and he said we could meet 3 days after surgery so he could check everything out.  Having my nose clear is something beyond a compulsion for me. 

Since it literally could have killed me before, it's something approaching a phobia.  It's very hard for me not to freak out after over 3 decades of keeping the knowledge that "plugged up nose" = "might die" in the back of my head. 

My sinuses will drain out now and then when I least expect it.  I'm spitting up blood pretty regularly.  I'll hear the sound of air entering a sinus, and then spit out a wad of clotted blood about the size, shape and consistency of a gigantic garden slug.

Yesterday, I was thinking that this is so unbelievably uncomfortable that I really, really expect this thing to yield results.  Granted, I had a physical condition that needed to be addressed, but it could be controlled with diligence and a few hundred bucks of antibiotics every year. 

This?  This just blows.  I must be getting old because this sort of thing never used to hit me all that hard.  Maybe I'd feel better if I'd go whole-hog onto the pain killers, but I've never been much of a pain killer guy.  Several times in my life, I've had prescription pain killers in my medicine cabinet from a medical procedure from a year or two before. 

I think my odds of ever becoming drug addicted are pretty low.  This is sort of in keeping with the whole not-drinking thing, too.

I think my biggest mistake, which was predictable, was trying to do too much on day 2 post-op.  I should have spent the entire day in bed or putterring around the house.  Instead, I tried to get to work and take my son to baseball and it really wore me down. 

Will update everybody after seering the otolaryngologist today.  Really, I can deal with almost all of this, but being easily fatigued is a bit of an adjustment.  Once I can breathe fully, I'll feel a lot better.