Back from sinus surgery

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 | Best Of, Home Life |

A guest post by Les’s anesthesia

Here’s the anesthesia blogging I promised.

So apparently the bad old sinus surgery involved packing your nose with gauze afterwards. A week later the doc would remove the gauze - filled with dried blood so as to simulate concrete - from your nose. He removed it with a chain attached to the trailer hitch of a Ford Bronco in low gear. Same way you pull tree stumps.

In the new kindler, gentler sinus surgery they instead use a “drip pad.” It’s a 4″ X 4″ gauze pad folded into thirds and secured under your nose using an elastic band with ear loops. Picture a mustache made with a sideways tampon and you’ve got the idea.

(Remember, this is my anesthesia talking, not me. - LJ)

Because of the incredible absorbent qualities of gauze you change this very infrequently, like about every 10 minutes.

Even though you can’t breathe through your nose and you feel like Old Faithful has taken up residence in your sinuses the doctors and nurses are very insistent that you not blow your nose. Dude. If I hadn’t blown my nose where would all of the clotted blood have gone?

For the next few days I’ll be on the couch wearing a tampon moustache, hopped up on prescription goofballs, watching movies and intermittently posting on the blog. I’ll talk to you later, seven foot tall bunny rabbit!

Tags: sinus surgery, tmi

9 Comments to Back from sinus surgery

Lisa
May 5, 2009

ha! My nose was firmly packed with a trash can full of gauze. No lie!! It was a horrendous amount. They removed it the day after my surgery and gave me the drip dealie. I figured that was to try and take people’s attention away from the two black eyes and swollen cheeks.

I gently blew my nose on day four and a wad of stitches came out. I didn’t even know I had stitches. I also remember thinking I would never breathe through my nose again. I’m happy to report that some 20 years later, I almost never get a stuffy nose. Enjoy your rest and relaxation and DON’T BLOW!

Les Jones
May 5, 2009

“Enjoy your rest and relaxation and DON’T BLOW!”

Too late.

Now that I’ve done it a couple of times I’m good. There was just too much muck and blood and blood clots up there to not blow.

gnus
May 5, 2009

Best wishes from an ex pat lurker. Get well soon.

Les Jones
May 5, 2009

Thanks, giant bunny rabbit!

SayUncle
May 7, 2009

I had nose surgery before. The return trip was not fun. They pulled four tampons and enough gauze to fill an office trash can out of my head.

SayUncle´s last blog post..Because nothing says “they hate us because we’re free” like the government taking someone’s land

guncozy
May 7, 2009

ahh yes i remember it well….the doctor pulling gauze out of my nose like a magician and the handkerchief trick….been in the SAME boat.Did they do a septoplasty? you will love it when the pull out the rolled up plastic splints.You have my deepest sympathy. but i can now breath through BOTH nostrils

Breezer
May 11, 2009

Hey all! I just had sinus surgery on May 6th. It went well. For the 1st day and a half I had the mustache to help with the bloody drainage but no pain. Just felt all congested like everyone else. In fact, I have been able to eat and everything. On Saturday, I started noticing my jaw was tight and if I opened up too fast or chewed wierdly, I got a shooting pain on the left side of my jaw. Today (Monday), I am really struggling to open my mouth to put food in. I can’t really chew without pain once I manage to get the grub in my mouth. Should I be worried or will this go away?

Les Jones
May 11, 2009

Call your doctor, for sure. Pain is nature’s way of telling you the doctor forgot his wristwatch in your nose.

Breezer
May 12, 2009

Hi Les, et al! First of all thanks for helping me sort of smile (not too much yet) through this! You’re the best! So I called my doctor’s office and they said I should take advil with the vicodin and put a warm compress on my jaw. This didn’t really seem to help. I am now avoiding the vicodin and gumming scrambled eggs, apple sauce and mashed potatoes. They didn’t really tell me why this is happening so I will have to call again and ask. Maybe I’ll get better results from her office if I ask if she is missing any jewelry! I’m trying to hang in there until my post-op appointment on Thursday. The doctor put in gel packing which is supposed to dissolve. On Thursday, they check to make sure it dissolved and that there is nothing left over. Based on what you all have been through, the gel might be a bit more tolerable???!! I’ll be in touch!