Wellness

[QueenDanceALot]

I had it done almost 3 years ago and would do it again in a heartbeat. Changed my life!

I haven't had so much as a sniffle since and for a few years prior to the surgery I was sick with a sinus infection several times a year.

Recovery from surgery was NOT horrible, I did NOT have pain (except the minor discomfort when the packing was removed).

I LOVE the ENT who performed the surgery. I do think that finding a good ENT is key to success.

I wish your son the best. I can SO relate to the constant headache (mine were debilitating in the last few months before surgery), the not being able to breathe (I was hooked on over the counter nasal spray just so I could get air) and the fatigue.

[NorskyGal]

I had surgery for this 1-1/2 yrs ago. Find an ENT that you trust. I got a referral from my sis-in-law who had the same surgery.

I was having to practically stand upside down while blowing my nose to get anything out. And I was sniffing all the freaking time. (What an annoyance to people around me!)

The surgery itself is not bad. He'll get antibiotics and a pain med. Regarding the packing, I had nose tampons (ha ha!) and I won't lie--the packing was painful because of how large it was--lots of pressure. But the pain meds help greatly. When taking out the packing, be sure to spray lots of saline solution into your nostrils so that the packing doesn't stick. Then when you pull the string to take the packing out----WOW! What a relief! It was like heaven. Not painful whatsoever.

I have to say, though, that I still am sniffing a lot again; however, I can blow my nose much more easily.

[fortune]

On 3/31/2014 Snowpuppy said:

On 3/31/2014 Fortune said:

Thank you all so much for your input! I feel so bad for him, because he can hardly breathe, has a headache most of the time, and is tired all the time. The only thing I can do to help him is to get as much info as possible. I just hope Kaiser will let him choose his own surgeon!

I had polyps at one time that lasted for about 2 yrs.

When I finally found a competent dr (NOT an ENT) he did an old fashioned q tip swab of my sinuses. I'd been on round after round of various antibiotics. All the antibiotics were doing was making my liver very unhappy. Not one dr, including 2 ENT's had swabbed my sinuses. It's call a culture and sensitivity.

Well, the results came back that I had a fungal infection, not a bacterial infection. My dr recommended a compound pharmacist who worked up a nasal spray (avoiding my liver) to treat the infection. OMG, within weeks I was amazingly better! $24 for a nasal spray. After nearly 18 months of antibiotics.

Sinuses are very hard to treat. Get a 2nd opinion, even a third before you put him thru this.

Interesting, Snowpuppy! I'm going to suggest they culture his sinuses before they do anything else!! He's used antibiotics and steroids--neither of which helped at all!