Like I said, days 1 through 4 were absolute hell. I felt like I was being suffocated. The pressure in my face and sinuses was worse than I had ever imagined. It caused major headaches and migraines. I was popping vicodin like House and imagining needing to join a substance abuse support group later. I had a harness looped around each ear holding gauze under my very swollen nose to catch all the blood. There were no black eyes but my face definitely looked like it got mistaken for a piñata. I panicked every time my kids came running towards me.
The first morning after my surgery my 5 year old came into my room at 5am and said, "I don't feel so good" and threw up all over our bed. Excellent. I had horrific images of my catching this virus and throwing up without being able to breathe. (Thank god, I think it was just something he ate. He never got sick again and no one else in the house came down with it.)
I didn't sleep all night (and wouldn't for several more). I had to sleep sitting up (to keep pressure down) and I could only breathe through my mouth. My throat hurt from the tube that had been down my throat during surgery, my mouth was so parched it was actually feeling like I had burns in my mouth. When I drank I could feel the liquid doing down all the way to my sternum.
Drinking was essential. I have new-found appreciation for what someone must feel like if they died of thirst in the dessert. I had a hard time bringing a cup up to my mouth--for one, the gauze was large and I couldn't see past it which made it hard to figure out where to put the cup. Then I would tip the cup up and bump my very tender nose. I had an idea: I'd use a straw. Several days later I called my ENT to complain and the nurse said, "You're not using a straw are you?" As it turns out, a straw was putting additional pressure on my sinuses and causing inflammation. Now I would say that would be USEFUL freakin' information for someone leaving the surgical unit, wouldn't you?
More bitching soon...
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3 comments:
How the hell have you been working??!
I don't know!! Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do. Can't go over it, can't go under it, oh no, you have to go THROUGH it. (Can you tell that's my daughter's favorite story this week?? I wonder if the author was referring to life in that little diddy... hmmm... too much wine with dinner.)
Had Septoplasty 2 wks. ago - Surgery isn't bad-you sleep-wake up- your done!! You feel good cause your still drugged. You go home - I couln't wait 4hrs to pass so I could have the next dose of pain medicine. The headaches were rough. I had gel packing(splints) The weren't pleasant/very uncomfortable. The good thing about splints is that they are removed in 2 days...Thank God!!!! It doesn't hurt to get them out!!! Just close your eye-It's not a good sight!! It actually feels great!! You can breath!! I feel better everyday. It was well worth it.
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