9 posts shown.
rustygardener172 said:Look, first off—I don't think it's okay to insult anyone. Even if someone’s dealing with their own insecurities, that isn't your business, and you definitely don't have the right to tear them down. Everyone is just out here living their own lives...
And regarding the whole thing about nobody taking you seriously... well, maybe that's because this forum spans 69 pages... and a lot of new people don't bother reading through everything at all. They just swoop in out of nowhere and drop a question, totally unaware that the exact same question has been asked a billion times already... which, honestly, feels a bit selfish to me.
If you have an issue, or if there's something you're curious about... well, then do your own research first, and if you still can't find the answer, then ask. Don't just jump onto this forum and act like your specific question is the most important thing in the world.
I'm also relatively new here... but before I even dared to post anything, I read through the entire forum... from the very first page all the way to the last. Though, I actually know quite a bit about the surgery since I've had one before. It's for health reasons and it's such a headache... kind of like your situation. It's been a few years since my last one, but I have to go back in because the issue came back—plus, my nose is starting to tilt to one side now, and it gets more noticeable every day... so this isn't about any "nose insecurities"... actually... I think my nose is pretty! I'm heading in for another procedure just to get everything back where it belongs and so I can finally stop relying on nasal spray just to breathe. 😁
As for removing the packing... there was plenty written about that too... though I completely forgot about that part because I barely felt it... almost like a tiny little tickle on my nose... 😁 What I remember much more clearly is that sensation of the first deep breath after five days... it felt like oxygen was rushing straight into my brain... it was wild... 🤣
True, I didn't read the whole thread—I started, but I gave up pretty quickly. Out of those
69 pages, at least 60 should probably be deleted because they have absolutely nothing to do with the topic. It turns out that for
most people, a nose is just a fashion accessory... 😁 Commenters act like a group of girls talking about a shopping spree.
Like, "Where did you get it?", "How much was it?", "This one is better," "I don't like this one," "This doctor does the best work," "this one is terrible," "now I think my nose looked better before the surgery..." and so on for 69 pages. Good grief... 😕
Sean Hill9 said:I honestly have no idea what kind of tampons you guys are talking about putting in your nose... I had those sponge-like things, and when they took them out, they didn't just yank them—they used some kind of liquid to dissolve everything around the wound first, so it just came right out without any pain at all.
So, I've been doing a little digging online looking up these tampons, and all I see are these tiny little
long 2-inch ones with a little string, or maybe those long, thin strips that look almost like
shoelaces. But mine? Mine were more like sponges—maybe 6 inches long and thick, sort of like a pinky finger... and there were two of them packed into one holder.🤷
Lucky you if you managed to get just one tampon in each applicator 👍 I ended up with two stuck in a single one 😁 You might actually be one of those lucky people for whom tampons slide out without any drama. As for everything else... it’s pretty much the same experience I had. Hang in there 👍
Amanda Morris76 said:Maybe you should've done a bit more homework before heading in there.
Well, where else was I supposed to go? It’s not like anyone else is out there helping...🙂
I mean, I've asked for specifics on this forum plenty of times, but honestly, nobody seems to take me seriously... 😁
Everyone is way too wrapped up in their own insecurities—you know, those people obsessed with minor cosmetic tweaks to their noses—so
they don't have any time to actually help someone who's dealing with real medical issues and needs surgery
for actual health reasons. It’s just a shame that the other thread—the one where we were mostly discussing deviations—got locked because I was getting so
fed up with all the nonsense happening here... 🙂It’s exhausting...
People spend huge amounts of money just to fix insecurities that, in eighty percent of cases, aren't even
real problems—they're just things they've made up in their own heads. And then, after everything is done, they realize they aren't happy
even after one... two... three surgeries... I really think they'd be better off seeing a therapist instead 😁
As far as the surgeon goes, he's great—really one of the best around. And from chatting with folks who went through similar procedures, I've gathered that everyone says having the packing removed
was easily the most traumatic part of the whole ordeal. Doesn't matter which doctor they used...
mellowviper22 said:I really shouldn't have watched that... honestly, I actually had my nose broken from a hit once, so does anyone else here have experience with this kind of thing?
Look, you don't really need to be scared—even in a worst-case scenario, it might just sting for a few minutes, though 90%
of people don't feel much at all. Personally, I saw three people ahead of me in line pull their tampons out like it was nothing... totally casual. In my case, they definitely did something right because, out of everyone there, mine was easily the smoothest procedure...
I want to give a real, honest account of my surgery experience. I had a deviated septum that was narrowing my left nostril, which made breathing a total struggle and triggered constant headaches. Even the simplest
common cold would leave my nose completely blocked for months, blah, blah, blah...
Anyway, the doctor told me he needed to straighten out that deviation and that fixing it should resolve most of my issues.
I was admitted to the hospital... the day of the surgery arrived—it was Wednesday... the anesthesia was a strange experience, though very pleasant. Then comes the hard part: my nose was swollen and packed tight with tampons, and the pressure
inside my head was building up to the absolute limit of pain. I could only breathe through my mouth, constantly swallowing air just to get by. I didn't have any fever or anything, but I was operated on at 11:00 AM and I didn't sleep for the rest of that afternoon or all night long.
I don't quite know how to describe it, other than saying it was the longest night of my life. Everyone else around me was also recovering from surgery, and everyone was snoring or making these bizarre noises... there was thunder and lightning outside, the hospital bed was nothing special, and the pillow
was even worse. The pain, the cranial pressure, blood leaking from my nose... I’d glance at the clock thinking half the night had passed, only to realize barely an hour had gone by since the last time I checked. That was my mistake right there
because I took a single ibuprofen for the pain, which definitely wasn't up to the task. By morning, I asked them to give me Voltaren via IV, and man, that actually helps for about 7 or 8 hours—something to keep in mind for anyone who
is facing this kind of thing; IV Voltaren is truly the only lifesaver.
Since mine was a straightforward procedure (the actual surgery only took about 15-20 minutes), the doctor told me on Thursday that I could go home, just lie down and rest, and then come back on Monday
to have the tampons removed. Once I got home, I managed to get some sleep and grab a bite to eat... once the Voltaren wore off, the headaches started creeping back in, but this time the ibuprofen was enough to take the edge off.
On Thursday, I was taking them at the maximum possible intervals—every 4 hours. Friday was every 5, Saturday every 6, and Sunday every 8. Basically, things were getting better with every passing day.
Looking back, that first night was the absolute worst; everything else was just a bit uncomfortable.
Monday finally rolled around for the removal. Honestly, I couldn't wait to get them out because by Saturday, when the swelling in my nose started to subside slightly, they had begun to feel like a foreign object stuck inside me.
I was a little nervous about the removal because I’d heard mixed stories, but I figured I wouldn't be one of those "bad experience" cases. Before me, two women and one man had their tampons pulled out,
and it was over in 20 seconds—they said they didn't feel a thing. That calmed me down. Then it was my turn.
I sat down on the chair, and the doctor looks into my right nostril, looking puzzled, and asks if someone has already removed them because he can't see anything. 😕 I told him that I had mentioned to him the very next day after surgery that it
felt like I only had tampons in the left side, because I could occasionally breathe through the right. He didn't say anything, just looked again and said, "Okay, let's get these out." He started pulling the tampon from the left side, and halfway
through, everything got stuck and the pain hit. He couldn't pull it with the forceps he started with, so he asked the nurse to bring him stronger ones. By that point, tears were streaming down my face and splashing
toward the doctor. He just goes, "Well, shoot, it's stuck, it happens, it's going to hurt, but we have to get it out now." Half the tampon was out and the other half was jammed. He braced his left hand against my forehead and used his right to yank the tampon from
my nose. It was so difficult I genuinely thought my nose might detach from my face. I could hear the sound of the tampon sliding through my head in my eardrums... like something out of a sci-fi horror movie. When he finally
got it out, he said, "Alright, now let's do the second one." 😲 THE SECOND ONE!!! He started tugging at the second one, which was also stuck. When he pulled it, half of this second one flew out along with a few ounces of bloody...
Warm, soothing mixtures... everything went by in maybe three minutes flat. It was an indescribable experience of pure, unadulterated pain—honestly, the kind of intensity where you could say
I was basically in shock. My doctor was trying to talk to me, but I just told him I couldn't even process his voice through the pain and asked him to just write everything down on paper instead. Once I finally made it back to the waiting room, my left nostril was still bleeding for another
15 minutes. That’s really when things started to settle. Looking back, everything leading up to having those tampons removed felt like child's play compared to the peak of it all.
Some parts of this whole ordeal feel a bit off to me... according to the surgical schedule, I should have been the last one in, but they called me in second. I'm no medical expert, obviously, but based on how my doctor reacted when he realized the right
nostril was missing its packing, I got the impression there was supposed to be a tampon in both sides. 😕 I'm not entirely sure if the surgeon handles the packing themselves or if some other staff member does it in the OR—maybe they just forgot the right side, or perhaps they were
using a different technique altogether. Now I’m sitting here wondering if it was actually my doctor performing the procedure or if he handed me off to some resident looking for practice... the doctor isn't exactly chatty when I try to grill him for details.
My guess? The nose was supposed to be completely sealed off so air wouldn't get in. Maybe breathing through the right nostril dried out the tampons that were meant to stay moist so they wouldn't stick...
Who knows, but it was over before I knew it. Within an hour, the pain had vanished. It was almost like nothing had happened at all. After a quick checkup, the doctor confirmed the surgery was a total success and that I shouldn't have any more
issues with headaches or breathing problems.
Well, I suppose every surgery is a different story for everyone. If someone had described this exact scenario to me beforehand, I probably would have thought twice about going through with it... though, logically, I’d likely still choose it, thinking that stuff like this only happens to 😁
When you step back and look at the big picture, it wasn't actually that bad. Just a little discomfort and three minutes of absolute agony. But hey, it's worth it!
I need to get surgery for a deviated septum—so, nothing cosmetic at all, just some functional repairs over at the local medical center... The doctor says it’s a routine procedure, maybe about half an hour or so. I was wondering what kind of technique they actually use... like, do they make an incision under the lip or is everything done through the nostrils from the outside? Since it's general anesthesia, will I be getting an IV drip afterward or what? And how long am I looking at staying in the hospital? I've also heard everyone talking about wearing some kind of splint or mold—will I have to deal with that too? Also, how many days will I have to keep those nasal tampons in? I'm a bit worried about bruising on my face... if I want to get back out there, how many days until I look pretty much like my old self again?...
Amanda Davis15 said:So, I’ve been scrolling through this thread and I haven't really bumped into anyone dealing with the exact same thing I am... or maybe I just missed it...
I was wondering if any of you dealt with similar issues before having surgery...
It goes like this—I've been struggling with these nasty, pus-filled tonsillitis infections for years now... sometimes they hurt more, sometimes less... but honestly, it’s just exhausting...😢...so, I finally scheduled a tonsillectomy (on my doctor's recommendation) and went into the hospital to be checked out by a specialist... apparently, my tonsils are in pretty bad shape, and my nose isn't much better... I ended up seeing a private specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Santa Barbara... who comes highly recommended... a great surgeon, too... He examined me... looking at the inflamed, infected tonsils... then he checked my nose... and there it was... a DEVIATED SEPTUM... and now he's telling me there's absolutely no way I should go through with the tonsillectomy... because it could actually make things worse and lead to lung issues, plus the fact that I had frequent bronchitis as a kid, which could flare back up and get even nastier🤷... he says I need to fix my nose first... because the deviation causes mucus to drain right onto my tonsils, creating this constant cycle of inflammation...🤷.......I was already terrified about the tonsil surgery... and now I find out the nose situation is even worse☕........Has anyone else here dealt with something similar? Does fixing a deviated septum actually stop these constant infections from happening? I’ve never heard of that before.............I know I haven't had the best luck with medical stuff lately, but this whole situation has just totally worn me down...😢 Please let me know if you have any advice🙂
I’ve been dealing with pretty much the same thing for years now. Every time the seasons shift, I seem to catch tonsillitis. There were stretches in my life where I was popping antibiotics four or five times a year. As soon as my nose gets stuffed up, the headaches start hitting, so I always have Excedrin and some menthol lozenges tucked into every pair of pants or jacket I own.
I’ve never had my tonsils removed either. To be honest, my local GP always told me it was actually better to keep them than to lose them. Back in the day, twenty or thirty years ago, everyone was getting them out left and right, but then they concluded that removing them might actually do more harm than good... so it's better to just leave them alone. I’ve also heard from several different places that a clogged nose or a deviated septum is actually the root cause of frequent tonsil infections. It feels a little strange that my regular doctor didn't refer me to an ENT specialist sooner 😢 given that I've been dealing with this for fifteen years. Right now, I'm just waiting for my surgery scheduled for early May. I have one last check-up with the specialist tomorrow, so I'll probably ask for a bit more detail regarding the procedure. At my last appointment, he mentioned that all my issues stem from my nose, and that once he fixes it, I'll feel like there's a fresh breeze flowing through my head...😁
Hey everyone!
For nearly 15 years now, I've been dealing with constant colds, tonsillitis, stuffy noses, and those nagging headaches... I end up needing antibiotics maybe 3 or 4 times a year because of it all. Every single winter, I’m hyper-aware—watching what I drink, avoiding the chill—my friends always tease me about being like someone living under a glass dome. For the longest time, I just assumed this was my reality and that I was somehow stuck with this kind of life... 🤷 But after 15 years, my doctor finally decided to send me to a specialist because he suspects there's something actually wrong with my nasal passages 😲
Anyway, I headed out to see a specialist in Miami, Dr. Sunara. He did an exam and told me I have some kind of deviated septum, then sent me off for more testing—allergy work and rhinometry. Turns out, I have a mild dust allergy—nothing too crazy according to the doctor—but the rhinometry confirmed the deviation and showed that my right nostril isn't breathing as well as it should.
After that, I went back to see another specialist, Dr. Poljak this time, and once he reviewed everything, he prescribed a two-month regimen of Aerius tablets and Flixonase spray. He also scheduled me for nose surgery in early May since, in his opinion, it’s probably going to be necessary.
So, I've been reading through various accounts of this surgery, though I don't take them too heavily to heart—they're all so subjective and depend entirely on the individual—but what I'm really curious about is the aftermath.
What is the recovery process actually like, and how long does it take?
How much time will I need to take off work, and when can I realistically get back to my routine?
And am I going to look like a young Frankenstein for a long time? 😁
Are there any lingering side effects, like months of a runny nose, or persistent pain in the nose or head... basically, when do I actually start feeling like myself again?