I fly back to Australia in the morning and I still haven’t packed. We’ve been out all day watching a friend compete in a Swimming competition, and compete very well I might add, and have just got home.
Now I have to unwind for a little while, then start packing. Ugh! I hate this part of travelling.
Well better get to it.
Hooroo!
Can’t stop, in a hurry. The only 2 more sleeps until I fly back to Melbourne, and I’ve stacks to do and little time to do it in.
So I’m gunna jet off to get myself sorted.
Hooroo!
… are pending. I booked myself in today to have my wisdom teeth removed. Guess how excited I am?
I’m not. Especially since the Orgnathic surgeon who’s removing them showed me a photo of a young wisdom tooth, with tiny if not non-existent roots, then an x-ray of my well established deeply set well rooted teeth. Urgh.
Fortunately I’ll be drugged out of my mind again when that happens. To think that only three weeks ago today I had my very first anaesthetic and I was terrified, and now that I’ve survived it I’m looking forward to the next one, just for the complete sensory deprivation of the upcoming procedure.
It’s amusing, my first 35 years were free of hospital, other than visiting friends or family, or the occasional X-ray, but now I’m in my 36th year I’m apparently due for the overhaul.
At least I get to have a break in Australia in what I believe is a super hot Summer first. I fly out on Sunday, and return 2 weeks later, to have my teeth out within 4 days of landing. Jet lag AND drugs. Woohoo!
I’d like to say I’ll be glad when it’s over, but once it is, then I’m getting braces. It’s just like a second childhood, only this time I get to foot the bill.
On that note, it’s time to wind down for the evening.
Hooroo!
Today was going to be my first day since my operation (three weeks tomorrow) that I’ve not had to have any form of painkillers.
But then I bumped my nose. Not hard, no damage, but just enough to leave a dull ache requiring Tylenol.
Urgh, I’ll be very happy when they kick in.
Until then, I’m off to have a hot shower and climb into bed.
G’night!
It rains…
That’s it. There was nothing profound, I just realised another day was drawing to a close and that I had absolutely nothing to post. The one idea I thought I had, vanished into the ether while I was waiting for my blog client to load.
D’oh!
So, wherever you are, I hope you’re well, having fun, staying cool, staying warm etc.
Hooroo!
I met with my Surgeon today for my third checkup since the initial operation, and aside from his being unhappy because he’s a perfectionist, and apparently more impatient than I am (making him the perfect Surgeon for me), he’s very happy with the results of my Septoplasty and reconstructive Rhinoplasty.
While I thought my nose looks fine, he told me it was swollen. *laugh* So I guess I’m going to have to wait for a final unveil as the days go by.
Happily though, he told me that I can return to full cardio activities effective immediately, but have to be aware that my nose is still healing and that I should avoid contact sports, or any other form of activity that may injure it. This includes hugging from overzealous friends. One got me the other day, it was an accident, but it certainly made my eyes water.
At approximately the six week mark, the bones and cartilage in my nose should have healed sufficiently to restore the original structural integrity and strength it had prior to surgery, and once the healing is fully complete I’m allowed to learn to scuba dive. In fact according to Dr Lee, it’s actually safer for me to dive now, than it was pre-surgery as my nose was so badly blocked I’d never have been able to equalise on a dive. Interesting…
So now I’m home, back to my thrice daily irrigations with a neti pot, massaging my nose to help reduce the swelling and just generally looking after myself.
It’s back to the gym tomorrow, and back on the health and fitness wagon. It’s going to be a busy year.
In ongoing nose news, today I tried a new product as part of post-op maintenance; Nasal Irrigation. While I’m healing the Surgeon advised me to use saline sprays and rinses to keep my nose clean and moist while I heal, and I’ve followed his instructions. Well sort of.
The saline sprays I’ve used religiously, they’re easy. It’s a pressurised can that releases a fine mist of saline into your nasal cavity that drains back out. Easy enough, and it works.
The saline rinse is a little more involved. Firstly you have a bottle that you need to put between one to three sachets of the special salt mix into, before topping the bottle up with either distilled, or boiled and cooled water. You shake the bottle until the contents is dissolved, pop the cap, insert it into one nostril, open your mouth, lean over the sink and squeeze.
The saline mix then shoots up your nose and drains either via your mouth or the opposite nostril. Now, if you’ve ever had water shoot up your nose when swimming, you’ll know it’s not a pleasant experience. Hence my putting off the nasal rinse for the last week or so. But today I faced my demons.
I followed the instructions, put my head over the sink, opened my mouth, inserted the nozzle in my right nostril, and gently squeezed the bottle. The experience itself is bizarre. You can feel the solution shoot up your nose, and it feels like it’s swirling around behind and above your palate (through your sinuses) before rushing out the opposite nostril in a stream. It wasn’t as unpleasant as I expected, although I did choke. It was so strange, I started laughing mid process, sniffed up some saline, and started coughing. Very funny!
It was amusing enough I called Mark into watch the next nostril.
I’ll save you the gruesome details, but let’s just say that my nasal passages haven’t been so clean, and whereas my nose was dry and blocked a little earlier this afternoon, now it’s squeaky saline clean and moist again. *laugh*
There’s never a dull moment.
I believe this is not an uncommon practice and some people do this daily as it can help with allergies, clear congestion and pressure in the sinuses and nasal passages. Prior to the mass marketed rinses and sprays, a Neti pot was used. It looks just like a teapot, you insert one end in your nose, and lean over a sink and pour.
I wouldn’t try this with a normal teapot though, but be my guest. Just make sure you at least either boil and cool the water you’re going to use, or use distilled water, with a proper saline mix. I’d not suggest table salt. But hey, it’s your nose, you do whatever you like with your own, just accept responsibility for it. I’m not accountable for anything you try based on what you read here. 🙂
Hooroo!
It’s been an interesting evening. The day itself was pretty lazy. We spent most of it lying on the couch watching television, then in the afternoon I went off to meet a friend to watch her son play soccer, then it was home again, and into Seattle to see Video Games Live, with Mark, Brad, Tom and Jeff. The show and the concept is brilliant, the main host is a complete egomaniac. The show in the second half becomes more about him than the actual Orchestra and Video Games that are advertised. It’s almost offensive, if not painful to watch a grown man, trying to steal the spotlight from the main performers, along with four wardrobe changes.
You get the impression whether accurately or not that he wanted to be a rock star, but never had the opportunity, so now is straining to give himself the experience. Only it’s ongoing. We’ve experienced it twice, and I’m sure it’s the same at every show. To quote our friends “it’s like you’re being held hostage in front of a very bad garage band”.
But, like I said, the actual show is brilliant, and worth seeing. It’s just the host; Tommy Tallarico, who is would be more aptly known as “Tommy Tallar-ego”.
Moving on…
Post show, we met my friends Justin and Lisa who’d just finished seeing a movie, for coffee. So much socialising in a single day, it was great.
On the way out, we bumped into another friend, who shall remain nameless. Anyway, this friend was out celebrating his birthday and rather enebriated. More aptly, he was pissed.
As he stumbled out of the venue with his friends, Tom heard him comment on my top, “Christmas sweaters are out”. Too funny, it’s not a Christmas sweater firstly, and secondly, he had no idea that the person wearing the top he’d criticized was someone he knew. It’s like your parents tell you. If you haven’t got anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut. I didn’t hear him of course, but when Tom relayed what had happened, I went over, and asked “what’s wrong with my Christmas sweater"?” *laugh*
Hehehe, he was a little ashamed, but recovered nicely with a hug and greeting, then pointing out it was his birthday.
I got a good laugh out of it anyway.
Anyway, we’re home now, and it’s snowing. Again! So much for my mowing the lawn tomorrow.
G’night.
It’s strange, it’s only now, 15 days since surgery, that some of the memories of what happened afterwards are starting to come back to me, now that the drug haze has lifted.
It’s quite an unusual feeling to have memories flood back. Until recently I had no recollection at all that I’d done certain things, or that some people had visited. Until last night and today that is.
I now recall being rather manic post surgery about Apple juice. The nurse in the recovery ward offered me some, but it wasn’t forthcoming until I’d been moved to another area, by which stage I was kind of manic about it. I want apple juice, she said I could have apple juice, where’s the apple juice. Very funny in hindsight. Especially given there’s still apple juice in the fridge at home because Mark stocked it for me. The craving has obviously passed. 😉
But, you have to remember I’d not eaten or drunk anything for over 16 hours, so was kind of thirsty…
Also, a friend and ex coworker Linda was in town. She arrived in Seattle the day of my surgery, so I was a little stressed that I wasn’t going to get to see her, but committed to seeing her on the Saturday (two days later) as long as she didn’t mind my being drugged out of my mind and potentially swollen. I wasn’t swollen, or bruised, drugged I most definitely was. Although I do remember making her and her husband a latte so apparently I still had some dexterity. No recollection until recently, but dexterity I had.
Weird… very weird.
Oh well, there you go. Something to think about, and fill up a blog posting. 😉
G’night, and have a brilliant weekend.
It’s hard to believe that this time two weeks ago, I was just getting settled in on the couch and taking my first dose of an ongoing every 3 hour regimen of pain medications after having surgery.
The time has flown by. I’m guessing in some part it’s passed so quickly because of the drugs.
If I was asked would I recommend the surgery to someone else. The answer would be a definitive yes, if of course they required it for medical reasons. It really was, and has been so much easier than I imagined.
I may have been lucky, I know I had a great surgeon, but there’s been no bruising, and unless you actually knew I’d had my nose “fixed”, you’d be hard pressed to guess. Apparently according to some people my voice sounds slightly different, less nasal, and more resonant. I can’t hear it myself, but if it’s true, excellent! I’ve never liked my own voice, always thought it was too nasal, but that made sense when I realised one side of my nose was physically blocked.
It’s a whole new era. Imagine, being able to breathe through your own nose, incredible! 😉
I know I’m well on the way to being healed, as, as of two days ago, my allergies have flared up again, so apparently my nose is healing nicely. The first couple of times I sneezed I was scared it was going to hurt, fortunately it hasn’t. The best part, sneezing and itchiness aside (some of it allergy related, some of it healing) is that even slightly congested, I can still breathe properly.
Joy and rapture! I’m a happy man!
Of course, I’m still healing, apparently there’s going to be some residual swelling for up to 6 months, possibly less, and it’s advisable that I don’t play any sports where I may be injured. Personally, I can’t really think of anything worse than a racquetball flying at high speed hitting me in the face. I’m pretty sure that would make me cry somewhat. Oh, and I can’t wear glasses for a month as it’s recommended that I not have anything on the bridge of my nose. A minor inconvenience, for now. It’s Washington State in Winter, it’s not so bright. However, I’ll be back in Australia, during the height of Summer in a little under 2 weeks. It’s going to be hot, dry and bright. Guess I’ll have to squint! 😉
Ok, that’s it from me, it’s time to call it a night.
“It’s a night!” 😉
Outside the Box - breadcrumbs from a random mind... 