Friday, August 22, 2014
Here are some xrays I had done prior to and after my surgery. The post xrays are only three weeks post surgery, so there may be some swelling. I'm trying to get an additional set taken for this year. Not all of the slices (from a CT scan) match up 100%, so it is kind of hard to determine what is going on here. However I just want to note that my right inferior turbinate (IT) is much larger pre-surgery and post surgery, in my opinion. The surgeon states she did a bilateral turbinate reduction where I believe she should have only performed the reduction on my right side.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
how it happened
Always having a stuffy nose was the norm for me. I would use Allegra, Flownase, netti pot, I even was about to try shots for allergies. After many years of this, I ended up realizing that my right nostril was the side that was always larger than the other. Less air flow, always inflamed... very annoying. I even had x-rays taken of my airway that showed an inflamed larger right turbinate. (I'll upload them.) I ended up telling this to my general practitioner at Kaiser Permanente who then set up a consult with an ear, nose, throat surgeon.
The surgeon was Dr. Ann Richardson, who is now retired now, had a look in my nose stating that she would recommend a turbinate reduction and a septoplasty. I told her that my right side was the more inflamed side, showing most of my symptoms of congestion. I ended up having another consult with her before my surgery to make sure I knew everything that was going to happen to my nose. She was going to reshape my septum (apparently it was deviated) and perform a bilateral turbinate reduction. She said she would break some small bones to remove and reduce my turbinates... I didn't know the details.
My surgery was performed in August of 2012 in Folsom Kaiser Ambulatory Surgery. That morning I was getting ready, changing into my gown waiting for the nurse to give my further instructions. He said that plenty of people have this surgery and they feel relief after surgery. Great! I ended up reminding Dr. Richardson that my right side was clogged up the most and she said that she would do what is needed... Now, I understand that doctors have a better insight about how the body works, however I don't believe anyone knows their body better than themselves. Frankly I should have got up and walked out at that very moment...
Fast forward to about a week post surgery, I've just gotten my splints out and I'm breathing again! But there is something wrong. It doesn't feel right... I checked in the mirror with my flashlight. I was breathing great out of my left side, too much air in fact; where my right side was shut and very little air was passing through. I thought this is probably due to swelling, so I'll let the swelling go down and see the results in another week or two. It didn't change. Almost two years later, nothing is better, mostly worse. Maybe there was a mix-up of what side needed reducing... maybe she thought my right was her right when she was looking at me straight on. Regardless, I can't undo the surgery and now I'm suffering for it. It has changed me for sure.
Here are some symptoms I currently live with. I would like to point out that I had none of these symptoms pre-surgery. Please take these with a grain of salt, however these are very real symptoms for me. I still have my right side I can breath out of which curbs these symptoms, however my left is where the problems lie.
sensation of too much air flow in left nostril, inability to go to sleep or stay asleep when breathing through left nostril, feelings of suffocation or lack of satisfying breathing through left nostril, extreme dryness in left nasal cavity, extreme anxiety due to lack of air flow sensation, increased heart rate due to anxiety, inability to focus due to increased focus on breathing, redness of eyes, slight loss of sense of smell when breathing of left nostril, sleep deprivation, irritability due to sleep deprivation, lack of concentration due to sleep deprivation, mood swings / depression due to sleep deprivation, thoughts of suicide due to lack of sleep, overall lack of a feelings of well-being.
The surgeon was Dr. Ann Richardson, who is now retired now, had a look in my nose stating that she would recommend a turbinate reduction and a septoplasty. I told her that my right side was the more inflamed side, showing most of my symptoms of congestion. I ended up having another consult with her before my surgery to make sure I knew everything that was going to happen to my nose. She was going to reshape my septum (apparently it was deviated) and perform a bilateral turbinate reduction. She said she would break some small bones to remove and reduce my turbinates... I didn't know the details.
My surgery was performed in August of 2012 in Folsom Kaiser Ambulatory Surgery. That morning I was getting ready, changing into my gown waiting for the nurse to give my further instructions. He said that plenty of people have this surgery and they feel relief after surgery. Great! I ended up reminding Dr. Richardson that my right side was clogged up the most and she said that she would do what is needed... Now, I understand that doctors have a better insight about how the body works, however I don't believe anyone knows their body better than themselves. Frankly I should have got up and walked out at that very moment...
Fast forward to about a week post surgery, I've just gotten my splints out and I'm breathing again! But there is something wrong. It doesn't feel right... I checked in the mirror with my flashlight. I was breathing great out of my left side, too much air in fact; where my right side was shut and very little air was passing through. I thought this is probably due to swelling, so I'll let the swelling go down and see the results in another week or two. It didn't change. Almost two years later, nothing is better, mostly worse. Maybe there was a mix-up of what side needed reducing... maybe she thought my right was her right when she was looking at me straight on. Regardless, I can't undo the surgery and now I'm suffering for it. It has changed me for sure.
Here are some symptoms I currently live with. I would like to point out that I had none of these symptoms pre-surgery. Please take these with a grain of salt, however these are very real symptoms for me. I still have my right side I can breath out of which curbs these symptoms, however my left is where the problems lie.
sensation of too much air flow in left nostril, inability to go to sleep or stay asleep when breathing through left nostril, feelings of suffocation or lack of satisfying breathing through left nostril, extreme dryness in left nasal cavity, extreme anxiety due to lack of air flow sensation, increased heart rate due to anxiety, inability to focus due to increased focus on breathing, redness of eyes, slight loss of sense of smell when breathing of left nostril, sleep deprivation, irritability due to sleep deprivation, lack of concentration due to sleep deprivation, mood swings / depression due to sleep deprivation, thoughts of suicide due to lack of sleep, overall lack of a feelings of well-being.
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