Fistfight

Yesterday I got into my first fistfight ever.......with myself....Can you believe it?!? I must have had one too many painkillers, because I somehow reached up and punched myself in the nose. It hurt like crazy!! I had a headache for hours and I am still feeling the effects of the punch this morning. My nose has not fully recovered yet and I feel like a complete idiot. Rich and the girls have been laughing and trying to figure out exactly what happened. I was incoherent, drugged, and in a lot of pain. That's what happened! (Maybe) Now I may have a black eye and I am sitting on my hands for the rest of the day! What a week this has been.....Please tell me someone else has had something this crazy happen to them.

A Little Bit of Heaven

These flowers arrived yesterday from Rich's dad. They are beautiful. When the doorbell rang and the woman brought these beautiful flowers inside, it was a nice surprise. It was a tough day yesterday, as far as recovery, and they were a bright spot in my day. Thank you Jay for thinking of me.

Surgery Update

Thank you for all your prayers and support. My surgery went well. The doctor said everything went according to plan, except I had more blockage in my sinuses than the MRI showed and he cleared out my 'turbinates' in the back of my sinuses. This has been a painful recovery and next week the doctor will remove the splints he left in my nose. So, for now I still cannot breathe, but I look forward to it next week. They were able to do the entire surgery with tiny instruments so I feel blessed there are no incisions on my face at all. I also have no black eyes or bruising. I have been very lucky. The girls took pictures in the hospital because they thought I looked hilarious and I was funny after they gave me morphine, but I cannot post them because I look dead. They are still laughing at me. Such funny girls I have. : )

Breathing is overrated

Here is recent picture of my nose. It seems to be working just fine from outward appearances. What you don't see from the picture is that I really can't breathe out of my nose at all. The airways are completely blocked thanks to a deviated septum gone awry. I have become the dreaded mouth breather and snorer! I have even gone so far as to hold the side of my face at night up so that I can get a better airway at night to breathe. This has a downside, of course. It has caused a permanent wrinkle on the side of my face. My kids tease me everday about holding up my face and causing premature wrinkles. This has forced me to the dreaded septiplasty, PRIT, surgery tomorrow. I have been putting it off forever because of what they do to you. Just for those who have a sensitive stomach, stop reading now. I have given the Wikipedia version of the surgery with the picture of the splints they sew into your nose to hold it together after they fix the deviated septum part. I am anxious and nervous, but it will be nice to breathe again. It has been a real problem lately, and I will be glad to have the painful part over. I am also thankful for anesthesia! Here are the splints they put in the nose. (I am glad I am not a doctor)

Septoplasty
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Septoplasty is a corrective surgical procedure done to straighten the nasal septum, the partition between the two nasal cavities. Ideally, the septum should run down the center of the nose. When it deviates into one of the cavities, it narrows that cavity and impedes airflow. Often the inferior turbinate on the opposite side enlarges, which is termed compensatory hypertrophy. Nasal obstructions caused by serious deviations frequently lead to chronic sinus problems. Turbinate reduction may also be advised to further enlarge the nasal cavities. If turbinate resection is indicated special care should be taken to avoid over-resection leading to Empty nose syndrome. Most surgeries are completed in 90 minutes or less, not including recovery time.

Typical flexible splints that may be used in septoplasty. They are held in place in the nose with a stitch through the hole, and are typically removed seven to 10 days after surgery.

[edit] Procedure
Because the deviation is a result of a cartilage and/or bone surplus, the procedure usually involves an excision of a portion of those tissues. Under general or local anesthesia, the surgeon works through the nostrils, making an incision in the lining of the septum to reach the cartilage targeted in the operation. Often an "L" strut of cartilage in the dorsal and caudal areas (1cm width or more) is preserved for structural support. After excess cartilage and bone have been taken out, the septum may then be stabilized with small plastic tubes, splints, or sutures.