Blood. Lots and lots of blood.

After seven years, I finally got the sinus surgery that I needed to be able to smell, breathe and (hopefully) eat again. I was expecting to be laid out in bed for a few days, in pain and pressure, face all black-and-blue, etc.; but, I feel about as normal as any other day--a little sinus pressure, slightly less than usual--except for the heavy nosebleeding.
I've been trying to milk some sympathy out of my rommate Sue, and it's going okay...she's cooked a big pot of veggie soup for me, as well as french toast this morning....sweet! but I feel that maybe I'm not acting pathetic enough to really work the wait service...:grrhee:

 

My problem was sinus polyps, which developed from repeated infections from working with Medium Density Fiberboard. At it's worst, I couldn't eat because I couldn't breathe enough to chew....trying to blow would cause me to pass out. Steriods gave relief for about a month, then the cycle started over. All expenses out-of-pocket, no insurance, and doctors refused to write refillable scripts...had to pay for an office visit to learn the same thing over and over every single time :grrr: Moving to Hawaii allowed me to get insurance.

The treatment? Have you seen "Armageddon"? You know that big drill thing they use on the meteor? That's what they used on my sinuses...all of them, including that one under the brain. The bone walls between them were also removed.

Hawaii isn't a great place for sinus trouble. There's "vog" (volcano dust) and lots of dust from the sugar cane fields on the leeward side of the islands. Lots of mold on the lush, green windward side. I'm not sure how I'm affected by it yet.

 

MDF is too heavy for boxes anyway. I'd use shop birch whenever possible.

 

I don't understand it either...I should be in horrible shape. But I hacve better contact with my God than I used to, so maybe I'm being given a hand.

The med center just called for a checkup, and they're stunned also.

I'm sorry that you others here had a worse time with it; but I'm not complaining...I'm at a point in my life where I couldn't afford a bad recovery, so I'm VERY grateful. I was scared to death for the preceding week.