Oh Nose!

So one of the new specialists Dr. GI Amazing from CC said I needed to see was an Otolaryngolist (Ear, Nose and Throat dr.) He of course was surprised I hadn't seen one with my chronic cough and sinus infections. I of course thought well no one ever suggested it so why would I have seen one.

So when I got home I talked to Awesome PCP and he referred me to an ENT. I saw him for the first time two weeks ago and loved him and his office. They are all state-of-the-art, even take a picture of you (awkward like a DMV pic) for your file and ask for your email address to send info to. I love that efficiency. Plus the dr was straight forward but so good at explaining everything to me and very interested in me understanding what he was saying. LOVE it!

On my first visit, Dr. ENT took one look up my left nostril and said, wow has anyone ever told you your nose bone is totally bent and deformed (yes those are the words he used!) I said, "um no, I guess nobodies ever spent a whole lot of time looking up there."

He wanted to use his nasal telescope to go through my right nostril, since the left wasn't an option because it's blocked due to the "deformity", and look down at my vocal chords. I said, "You are going to do that right now?!" He said, "Yes, it's really easy, I'll numb it first and then just go right ahead. You do need to sign some papers because they technically consider it a surgical procedure because a foreign object is going in your nose, but it's no big deal."

I laughed and said ok sure. I really just couldn't stop shaking my head, seriously my life is FUNNY!

He numbed it up and in he went. But he got about half way up the right and said that side was very tight as well and "this might hurt a bit, just let me know if it's too much." Too which I wanted to say, "pshhh this is nothing, but I just said ok."

And really it wasn't bad, a bit uncomfortable but that was it. He said my vocal chords were inflamed and they shouldn't be since I didn't have a cold or allergies. That's when he said we needed a CT of my sinuses to look for blockages and to come back in two weeks. Luckily they had a CT appt open that afternoon, so check, check that off the list.

I went back yesterday for my follow up appointment. And drum roll please...good news is, right now my sinuses aren't blocked, (again his words) bad news I have a big problem with my nose!

Basically the bone deep inside my nose is bent like an elbow (basically a 90degree angle) and is almost totally blocking the left side and making the right very tiny. This effects all of my breathing as it blocks my airways through my nose, and he said I probably rarely breath through my nose (that explains the excessive drooling at night, yuck!) He showed me exactly what he was talking about on the CT images and there it was clear as day and bent nose!

He said it's been like this for a very long time and my problems with sinuses, coughing, etc will get worse with time because it will get harder and harder for my sinuses to drain when I am sick, etc.

Can you guess the only way to fix this?.....You got it surgery. A septoplasty and turbine resection to be exact (he said it won't affect the outside appearance of my nose at all, it's not a rhinoplasty) and it's out-patient. Basically if you cut off my nose now it's back there that's the problem, that's why my nose doesn't look bent on the outside, weird!!!!

And if I don't get this fixed in the next 6 months to a year, things will get worse like I mentioned above. So I'd have to have the septoplasty and also a sinus surgery too.

So obviously this has to be done and yes I know that in the grand scheme of things and all I've been through this is no big deal and it will hopefully alleviate my coughing and maybe even some of my headaches, but with all that I'm still kind of ticked about it.

It's another surgery, I was hoping 2011 would be free of surgical procedures. It sucks. Again in terms of recovery and all that, it will be a peace of cake, but really that's not the point for me right now. I just don't want to do it. What else is "deformed" with me? Will it ever stop.

And yes, I'm so thankful that Dr. ENT was so easily able to see that. But then I guess that leads me to the point of why did I have to go across the country for someone to suggest this seemingly easy solution. But also, I don't have the best track record for issue free procedures. This is my face and I'm not saying I'm hot stuff or that I have the best nose, but I don't want anything to happen to my face, I like it the way it is!

So there you have it, sometime in the new year I'll be going in to have my "deformed" nose fixed. Ahh is sounds so glamorous. At least I can actually say I really do have a deviated septum, and quite a doozy of one at the sounds of it. Just call me A.shley S.impson:)

Oh yes and I also saw a sleep specialist, for two weeks I was not allowed to take naps and I made a sleep journal. I went back yesterday and the long and short of it is, my nose is probably causing my lack of quality sleep, my body obviously needs a lot of sleep because my energy reserves are so low and I can resume my naps. WOO HOO!!!!!

Next up, I see the Rheumotologist on Dec 14 and I'm actually really excited for this appointment. I'm hoping for some direction on my other autoimmune issues, especially all my arthritic type symptoms.