Posts by James Edwards

stormyharbor2 said:A little thread popped out for me after about 13 days, but honestly, it was probably just from me constantly picking at it and cleaning everything. rustygardener172 still has hers, even though she had her surgery ages ago...

Did your ears ache too after they took the packing out? I haven't seen anyone else mention this, but for me, it felt like someone finally uncorked my ears. Such a gross feeling. I wouldn't go through the whole surgery again just for that part—removing the packing was absolutely revolting.

@Megan Moore76, clear out your inbox!

My ears didn't hurt, but I was right on the edge of passing out. My blood pressure was sky-high in my head, and once they pulled that stuff out suddenly, my pressure tanked. No matter how much I insisted I was fine, I suddenly hit a wall and felt like I could have passed out cold 🤣. I’m telling you, that shock was the worst part because I was expecting maybe 20cm of those twists. It feels like they’re pulling chunks of your brain out of there later on xD

Look, I’m no doctor, but if I were you, I’d ditch the weights and just move freely for a while—especially since this happened so recently. Your ligaments are probably still pretty fragile, and that nagging pain is likely just them telling you to slow down.
That was my experience, anyway.
As far as exercises go, the elliptical trainer at the gym was my absolute lifesaver. I’d pair that with some resistance band work and maybe a tiny 2-pound weight here and there. Mostly, I just stuck to the stuff my physical therapist at the Mayo Clinic showed me, mixed in with a few things I made up on the fly.
Eventually, I graduated to the knee machines—you know, those ones where you push your legs out or pull them in, and the standard seated or lying leg extensions.
Whatever you do, stay away from squats, especially if you're trying to add extra weight. That’s basically a death sentence for your knees 🙂 .

That’s all I’ve got.

So, they had me wearing nasal packing for six days when the plan was seven. They ended up pulling it out early because the pressure in my head was absolutely killing me. Every single time I tried to blow my nose, it just felt more congested than before. Honestly, the worst part wasn't even the congestion—it was having that thing yanked out, which caught me totally off guard😁. I figured those dressings were just some quick little strips, but when the doctor suddenly hauled about two feet of gauze out of my nostril, I nearly blacked out 😁.

Someone was asking about the discomfort... I don't know how everyone else handled it, but I had this weird sensation in my nose for a solid five months, so I just didn't touch it👎.

Now, I’ve got a nagging feeling that everything went sideways. My deviated septum hasn't just returned to how it was; it actually feels worse. My nose has a bigger hump now than it did before the surgery, it hurts like hell, and nothing is draining properly—it either clots up inside or just drips straight down my throat.

Just wanted to let you guys know that it isn't all sunshine and rainbows😁.
Just for context, I had this done at the public hospital through my insurance.
Now, it looks like my only option for a redo is going private.
Does anyone know if it's possible to get a free consultation or something similar?
I’d actually be brave enough to go through with another functional surgery at the hospital, but since I'm no longer covered by my insurance, I assume it would cost me just as much as going to a private clinic anyway.👎

rustygardener172 said:Hospitals... what can I even say? My nose was leaning to one side, and they told me I had a deviated septum that required surgery. I only went in because I couldn't breathe without nasal spray and the migraines were becoming unbearable. They claimed the surgery was a "success," yet my nose stayed just as crooked as before. When I asked why they didn't fix the shape, they had the nerve to tell me I said I didn't want cosmetic work. Sure, I said I didn't want an aesthetic overhaul—I wanted my original shape preserved—but surely that goes hand-in-hand with fixing the actual structural bend that was blocking my airway? I honestly don't get their logic. Ever since that first procedure, things actually got worse; breathing became a struggle and the deviation seemed even more pronounced. I have no idea what they were even doing in there. So, about three or four years after that initial mess, I finally went under the knife again. This time, it actually worked. It’s been two and a half months and I can breathe better than ever. Note to self: go private next time.

As for the mucous membranes... they're healing, but give it a year or two. Honestly, right after surgery, you might feel like breathing is actually harder, but that’s just the initial phase. Once the deviation is straightened out, oxygen starts hitting spots in your airways it couldn't reach before. It’s like the tissue is just recalibrating or cleaning itself out—I don't know how else to put it. You probably get what I mean. 😁 It usually takes about a year before she's actually back on her feet and running like a normal person again.

Thanks for getting back to me. If you don't mind me asking, what did you end up paying at a private clinic? Just looking for a ballpark figure so I have some idea of what I'm getting into.
I told them I wouldn't even care if I had a hump on my nose as long as I could actually breathe. During the initial consultations, I made it crystal clear that the bump formed right around the time my nasal passages were constantly blocked, so I naturally assumed they’d fix it. Clearly, I was wrong. It's hard to describe exactly how this looks, but imagine splitting my nose into two sides and a front section. One side seems to have tucked itself under the front part, lifting it up entirely. Now, that part that slid underneath actually feels like it can move around, which—honestly—is pretty terrifying.
So, I know there’s another surgery on my horizon, but honestly? The thought of the medical bills is scaring the hell out of me.😕

Hey everyone.
So, I have a question. I had septoplasty last year, and things seemed fine for the first two months before everything just reverted back to how it was. My nose is driving me crazy again, and I want to get it fixed properly this time.
The catch is that I don't have private insurance anymore, so I'm wondering what an operation like this actually costs out of pocket?

I can give you the backstory on my situation. When I woke up from surgery, they told me everything went perfectly and they were happy with the results—even though they ran into issues because my nose was actually broken (they didn't realize that until they were mid-surgery, despite me pointing out the huge bump on my nose beforehand). It was a total shock when I looked in the mirror and realized they hadn't even touched the shape of it.😲 It was pure disbelief, but honestly, I reached a point where I was willing to live with a crooked nose just so I could breathe normally.
Like I said, after two months, my breathing went right back to square one; I can't breathe through one nostril at all. Also, if you'll excuse the bluntness, the mucus in my nose feels... stuck. It’s not that it’s runny, it’s just that every single morning my nose is completely stuffed up, and I can't blow it out—I basically have to pick at it just to clear the airway. Is it possible they messed something up with my nasal mucosa or something?👎
Anyway, the main thing is my first question: how much would a redo cost? I'm not exactly in a position to drop a massive amount of cash on this right now.