I can TOTALLY relate!!! I had my first surgery in 02 at age 26 and it was the hard core one where they scraped, bored the holes bigger, straightened septum, etc.  I went through 60 hydrocodones in 10 days because of the pain...every 4hrs on the dot. I think other than not being able to blow my nose for 2 weeks, it was the throbbing in my teeth that was the most annoying.  you will feel like you are breathing frozen air for awhile and when you go outside wrap a scarf so it isn't as bad...let me forewarn you what they will probably do when you do to your first appt....the doc will use tweezers to pull the scabs out, they are huge, nasty, and it will feel raw in there once again....next hold the chair arms or u might end up punching him because when he puts that suctioning rod up there it feels like it is DIRECTLY behind your eyeball and it's gonna suck it out from the inside...I worked in an automotive factory and was around a lot of dusty/dirty air and machines and experienced headaches ALL the time...I had had chronic sinus infections my whole life so I was hoping that the surgery would take care of it...well needless to say I was back in my ENT a year later.  When he did the surgery the sinuses where a lot worse than the CT scans showed and he had to do extensive work on my right side...about 6 mo post-op I started getting really bad headaches behind my right eye and I held out for a little longer until I went back in...time for surgery #2....imagine how u feel right now and here was my response: " Are you out of your GOD DAMN mind?"...well #2 reveled the pain was from severe scarring from the first surgery...recovery not as bad as first time, but I still have some problems.  They got better after I left that job, but I don't have infections or headaches as often, but when I do I can feel them coming a mile away....just keep on top of the pain and try not to sneeze!!!!!!! bad bad bad bad.....that's all I have to say about that, Good Luck and if you have any questions feel free to email...Amanda Duncan

mcmurraychick

11/13/09 4:52am

i honestly have to say that with the nor'easter moving up the coast the day i had it done i really expected more pain.

 

the worst thing i have found so far is the saline rinse, and that is because it makes me SICK! and no amount of nausea meds is going to help.

 

the doctor was up front that he knew this wouldn't help them all, but i have been in a constant infection since july 15, or so. and at least NOW i feel like i might live.

Anonymous

11/13/09 5:59am

the best thing to do in that kind of weather is to either stay inside or cover up your nose/mouth when you are outside...plus since it is so raw and sensitive up there your sneeze reflex is a little touchy so that's another reason to keep covered up for at least the first week...if you were to sneeze right now, let's just say for sanities sake...DON'T!  I don't know how he told you to do the rinse, but I made mine up with warm/room temp water and kosher salt and used a baby nose sucker bulb....I can't stand to use any nose sprays because they drive me nuts when they get into my throat so I made sure that i leaned over the sink and slowly blew out as I squirted the water in slowly...the rinse is the biggest pain! i couldn't do it 3 times a day, but if i noticed the scabs/gunk getting crusty I used it more often....after the first week I couldn't stand it and when I knew my stitches had dissolved I used my tweezers and pulled some of the stuff out (wasn't supposed to, but oh did it make it sooo much more comfortable) and would use a q-tip w/neosporin to lube up the inside of my nostrils...

mcmurraychick

11/14/09 6:01am

slowly getting there. the rinse is driving me bonkers, as it burns like he!! when you first use it, but it feels better after i use it.

 

i am also staying down and staying inside ( i might venture out this afternoon) i've only left the house 2 times since it was done, and that was only to go and do things i couldn't get out of.

 

everything inside my head is still swollen and if i move to quickly i get dizzy ( doctor said that's normal) and i get sick to my stomach really easy from the drainage ( again normal) and just to relax and take it easy.

 

i was dertermined that i was going back to work after 7 days, now my attitude is mnore we will see who i feel. the pain isn't too bad, i'm just weak. and that will improve with time.

jackied

11/16/09 8:25am

Hi! I'm new here but when I saw your post about the surgery it made me laugh because i thought the same thing after my sinus surgery. It was quite a while ago and it was bilateral ethmoidectomy and straightening the septum, and also creating more "windows and doors" so stuff wouldn't get clogged. Keep doing the saline rinse.

If you're not doing it already, bend your head over the sink and just spray up there until it comes dripping out. Do both sides and then just keep doing it everytime you go to the bathroom or in between. Saline can be a godsend. Also, the other poster warned about going back to the doc. Since my surger was the ethmoids, sinuses behind the eyes, when he pulled that string it was like I was having two super plus tampons being pulled out of there. So take plenty of pain meds before you go!!!

Jackie

mcmurraychick

11/16/09 4:24pm

yeah even the doctor warned me. i have to say though it may have helped, if nothing else it got rid of the infection i had for almost 3 months. i also got through the nor'easter without a migraine. first time in years that had happened. all i got was a mild headache, and when my husband called the doctor about that, they were surpriesed that i wasn't screaming in pain as i would normally have been. 2 lovely little vikdan really stopped the headache. they nurse from our ER knew i was having the surgery and had told them to expect me, and called me to see if i was ok since they hadn't seen me.

 

the only down side is a managed to lose a filling  during all this. i will be gald to get to the dentist on wednesday.

jackied

11/17/09 11:20am

Good luck!! Your sinuses should do well now....hopefully.