I’ve been surprised at the sheer number of people who have contacted me about their sinus surgery experience looking for sinus surgery reviews. I’ve been encouraged that so many people had a positive experience and actually felt better after it was over. This is my story...
Sinus Surgery Reviews
Right after the doctor told me I needed surgery, I immediately started googling sinus surgery to try to figure out what was involved and what I was facing. I was so grateful for anyone that posted information on the internet. So I thought I’d put my experience out in the universe with the hopes that someone will feel a little better if they knew what to expect from the surgery.
Nothing in this is intended to be professional medical advice or replace anything your doctor tells you. I am just a girl who wants to help someone know what to expect.
**I will give you fair warning this is a little long winded, but I wrote it with intentions of helping someone going through the surgery. I am not writing about the bad parts of the experience to get sympathy or make you feel bad, I just want to pass along how it went down for me. I tried to keep it as realistic, but positive as possible.**
For practical purposes, I had endoscopic sinus surgery to clear the sinuses in my cheeks, in between my eyes, and the passage to my nose. I also had a septoplasty (completely internal procedure) to correct a deviated septum.
It’s been 8 weeks since my sinus surgery and I am just starting to feel somewhat like my old self. I had been extremely tired and light headed for weeks. For the first four weeks back to work all I could do was get through the day and then rest or sleep. I had lots of fatigue after sinus surgery and feeling dizzy after sinus surgery. It has been an extremely slow process that I don’t think I mentally prepared myself for. Sinus surgery is no joke and I would take it very seriously.
The good news is I am now feeling much less congested overall, I can actually breathe through my nose and I am slowly starting to bounce back. However, I don’t think we will know if the surgery actually worked or helped me until more time passes. I had been getting chronic, back-to-back sinus infections for years that long courses of antibiotics would not help. I basically was getting wiped out with flu like conditions and losing my voice any time I got sick. The doctor said the frequency of getting infections should be much less and they should be far less severe when I do get them. One good thing I’ve already noticed is I’ve used less over the counter medicine to help with my congestion. Hopefully 6-12 months down the road I will be able to say the surgery worked because I haven’t been sick as much. (Keep reading for an update to this!)
HERE, HERE & HERE are some posts I wrote during the sinus surgery process.
Sinus Surgery Recovery Tips
Some things I would recommend having on hand before the surgery…
- Bendy straws (It hurt to move my head for days. We had straws to help, but not bendy ones.)
- Sore throat drops (Your throat will hurt from the breathing tube they put down your throat during surgery. It will continue to hurt from not being able to breathe out of your nose.)
- Saline Nose Spray (helps your nose feel better. Your doctor may ask you to use this to help keep your nose clear)
- Soft food (My throat hurt so badly I wanted nothing to do with regular food)
- Chapstick for the hospital (I woke up from anesthesia and my lips were really dry)
- Chloraseptic Spray (sore throat after surgery)
- Tissues (drippy nose)
- Face Cleaner Wipes (I could not bend my head over or touch my face without pain. The wipes helped me clean my face for the first couple days)
My Sinus Surgery Experience
Day Of Surgery…. (Tuesday)
We had to be at the hospital before daybreak. My dad and husband went with me I was so grateful to have them there. You have to have at least one person with you to drive you home.
When we get to the hospital, the front desk took my name and asked us to sit and wait in the waiting room for a few minutes. 30 minutes later they called my name and officially checked me into the hospital. They put a band on my wrist and gave my husband and dad instructions on how to get updates on my condition.
We were directed to go upstairs to the surgery prep area. I had to leave my Dad behind because only one person was allowed to come with me at first.
When we got to the room the nurse gave me a hospital gown (UGH!). At least a half dozen medical personnel came in and out of the room asking questions. I ended talking at length with the anethestalogist about my past history of anesthesia making me nauseous. They took all precautions they had to keep my stomach as settled as possible including putting the equivalent of a “seasick” patch behind my ear. Something they did worked because while I felt very sick after the surgery, I did not actually get sick. I kept the patch behind my ear for several days.
I was incredibly nervous during this whole process and expected someone to offer me the medicine to calm my nerves. No such luck. They said they had to ask you all of the procedure questions with you completely aware.
At some point my Dad got the all-clear to come up and join us and we all tried to get a few laughs out of the situation.
Eventually, a nurse gave me an IV and this was actually the only “stick” I got during the process. All of the other medicines, including the anesthesia, came through this line.
After what seemed like forever my doctor arrived and checked on me. He made sure I didn’t have any last questions.
Finally, they made me lay down and rolled me out of the prep area to the operating room. At that point, they finally gave me the medicine that makes you fade away.
I first woke up several hours later with a nurse nearby. I was still fading in and out and hardly remember them actually moving me into the recovery room. Somehow I ended up in a big leaning chair, instead of the hospital bed, which surprised me.
In the recovery area, I felt sick to my stomach and extremely lethargic. Luckily the medicine the anesthesiologist gave me to keep me from getting sick worked. Even though I felt bad, I didn’t actually get sick from the drugs. There was a piece of gauze under my nose to catch any blood. Ew- sorry!
We waited in the recovery room for over an hour for me to get my bearings enough to be put in a wheelchair and taken home. The car ride was miserable. I had terrible motion sickness and just wanted to get out of the car. Every time my head was upright instead of laying down, including in the car, my nose started bleeding badly. We were back home by mid-afternoon.
Once we got home my hubs and dad helped me to bed. My Dad had to go to the pharmacy to pick up anti-nausea pills and pain pills. I would recommend asking your doctor if you can get these prescriptions ahead of time. If you only had one person with you, going to get these medicines could be a problem because then you would be alone. I needed someone with me. I was in bad shape.
I slept through most of the rest of the day and I only ate a few bites of yogurt. I felt like I had enough pain medicine still in me that I didn’t feel that much pain…. just extreme discomfort. I could not breathe through my nose at all and it was blocked with gauze. I could not get out of bed even at all without assistance because I was so dizzy and unstable. When I moved my head my nose bled… (sorry again!)
I was given instructions to keep my head elevated slightly with pillows in the bed. I found it hard to sleep like that and was just not doing well at all.
The Next Few Days (Wednesday – Saturday)
I woke up feeling miserable Wednesday morning with an extreme headache and nausea. I had skipped a dose of pain and anti-nausea pills in the overnight hours and that caused me to really suffer. After the first night, I set an alarm to take the pills in the middle of the night because the medication wearing off was not fun. I did not let the pain pills lapse until the following Monday because I would get very bad headaches if I did.
The doctor called me early Wednesday to check on me and let me know the next few days would be the worst part of the recovery.
They were. Not being able to breathe out of my nose meant I was constantly breathing out of my mouth and my throat ended up being very sore. I recommend keeping water with a straw by your bed, clorespectic, and Ludens cough drops.
My nose was so sore you couldn’t even touch it. The entire inside felt swollen shut and it was dry and painful. Saline spray provided some relief.
I didn’t have any external bruising, but my whole face felt and looked a little swollen and yellow. It was nowhere near bad as I thought it would be though, considering what they did!
I needed help getting out of bed for several days. I stayed in bed constantly until Saturday. I found I couldn’t do anything for too long… even watching TV or reading a book made my head hurt. One big challenge was it hurt to wear my glasses.
I was on complete vocal rest to make sure I didn’t cause further damage to my vocal cords after the surgery. I seriously hope you don’t have to do that. Not fun at all.
Sunday
I started feeling a little better and had breakfast out of bed! I was still very dizzy and needed some help going up and downstairs but I was able to watch some TV on the couch.
I stopped feeling nauseous and finally had some real food. Before Sunday, I had only had soft comfort food and very little of it. That probably didn’t help how I was feeling… but I was so sick to my stomach that I didn’t want to eat anything. I only ate enough to take the meds.
Monday
I tried to stop taking the pain meds. Bad idea- I was miserable. My head was still very tender. By the middle, to end of the week the pain had gone down and over-the-counter meds were enough. I was still very uncomfortable though and had trouble walking up and downstairs.
Wednesday
I had my follow up appointment with my doctor. I was still very dizzy, unstable, and taking a few pain pills so my husband drove me to the doctor. I still couldn’t breathe through my nose and it was still very painful. I was incredibly tired and still felt very bad.
The doctor said I was doing as well as could be expected, and started me on 3 times a day nasal washes. He said you have to keep your sinuses clear until they start working on their own again. Around this point I started to notice a ton of drainage from my sinuses. If I held my head anyway but straight, gunk would literally fall out of my nose. Yeah, I know. TMI.
He said my fatigue, dizziness, and pain were still normal and I should start feeling much better at the 2-week mark after surgery.
For the rest of the week, I improved a tiny bit each day but still could not breathe through my nose, was dizzy and very tired.
2 Weeks post op
The doctor was right again. I noticed a big difference at 2 weeks out. I finally felt well enough to drive myself and started back to speech therapy for my voice problems. The swelling in my nose started to go down but it still felt like I constantly had a cold. My nose was still painful to the touch though and the drainage was significant and hard to handle.
I was still extremely fatigued and felt like my asthma was making it difficult to do much of anything.
3 Weeks Post Op
I went back to work one day shy of 3 weeks post op. I was extremely fatigued and had a lot of trouble with my asthma. I could hardly walk from my desk to my car. All I had the strength to do was work and come home and rest.
The drainage continued to trigger asthma problems that I had to cope with. My nose was less swollen but it was still tender to the touch and felt congested. It felt like I had a bad cold.
4 Weeks Post Op
I started to notice the swelling in my nose a little less. I felt a little better but I was still very fatigued.
I went back to the doctor for my second post op and he said I was doing very well again and my fatigue was normal. The drainage from the surgery was still causing me problems and asthma problems.
The doctor said it would be another 4 weeks before I started to really notice more recovery and kept me on 3 times a day nasal washes.
The doctor also told me to avoid pollen, but I could try to start walking on my treadmill to build endurance… as long as I didn’t push myself.
5 Weeks Post Op
I was still struggling with work and fighting fatigue, but noticed improvements through the week.
My nose started to clear and I actually started to notice my sense of smell…. something that I hadn’t noticed in years and years.
I walked on my treadmill a few times (1 mile) and did some yoga. The small amount of exercise improved my spirits and didn’t make anything worse. Yay!
6 Weeks Post Op
I finally start feeling a little more like myself. I could breathe easier through my nose.
My allergist adjusted my asthma medications which provided some relief to the breathing problems. He said I was doing very well and he had seen many patients doing far worse following sinus surgery.
My nose was still a little tender but was remarkably clear considering it was the middle of pollen season.
The drainage was still causing me breathing problems, but I felt like I had more endurance.
I start adding some light jogging on my treadmill, but only in short increments.
7 – 8 Weeks Post Op
I started to feel like my old self. I still had to limit my activities out of work and found I got tired very easily. At the end of the 8th week I noticed a considerable improvement. It finally felt the drainage was starting to slow down and the head was less drippy.
At my third post op appointment, my Doctor told me my sinuses were healing and I could do the nasal washes less frequently. He suggested continuing to use a nasal mist spray. He also said the healing and recovering process would continue over the next 4-6 weeks. That means it will be over 3 months from the surgery to when I should be back to normal. He told me to be patient, but I was on my way to finally feel better.
Sinus Surgery Update February 2016
When I wrote this, I never could have imagined how many people would see this article. I'm so glad it has helped. Your responses below made me feel better than other people had a similar sinus surgery experience. I felt crazy when I was not better in two weeks. It was a hard thing to go through and for many, it takes much longer to heal than the doctors tell you!
I just wanted to post a long-overdue official update. It took about three months for me to start getting back into running and fitness. I was almost back to normal at that point, but it took about six months for me to feel completely normal again. I was working a very demanding job at the time though.
Despite the long recovery time, the surgery was worth it for me. I don't get sick as often and when I do, I have normal symptoms and recover quickly. My immune system has improved. Knock on wood, but I have not had a single sinus infection since the surgery. I also don't take hardly any over the counter medicines anymore. I can blow my nose like a normal person. I have kept up with occasional saline washes.
I did however end up leaving my job at the TV station in July of 2014. Despite the surgery working, I still struggled with health and voice issues stemming from getting up at 2AM for eight years. Learn more about my journey HERE and more about Running in a Skirt HERE. This blog is now my "job" and I'd love for you to spend some of your recovery time exploring it!
Check out my inspirational fitness ideas,
and random fun.
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Good Luck if you have to have sinus surgery. It is a tough process. I hope this helped you in some way. Again, I am not a medical expert and this is just my personal experience. Yours may be very different.
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QUESTIONS:
Do you know anyone who has had sinus surgery?
How long has it taken you to recover from surgery?
Aimee says
Just wanted to see if anyone is still reading this forum. I had septoplasty and sinus surgery I'm April and am still suffering from it five months later. One of my nostrils is clear, the other looks.inflamed inside and keeps throbbing. I have constant post nasal drip, and the mucus tastes awful in my mouth. I feel so down. I keep trying to tell myself that things will get better but am finding it really hard to believe when I don't understand what is happening to my body. My surgeon says my nose is healing well but it feels as if there is.mucus being produced constantly in the top of my nose where the inflammation is. Did anyone else have inflamed lining inside the nose 5 months post surgery? I'm just looking for some reassurance that things will.get better.
Ariel says
I am SO happy I came across this post. Tuesday I had septoplasty, turbinate reduction and adenoids removed since I had a mass there. I have to say my pain and immediate recovery after surgery doesn’t seem to be as bad as your experience. I recovered well from anesthesia and wasn’t too dizzy going home. However I did notice that everything seemed to make me out of breath that day but I chalked it up to the procedure and anesthesia. Friday I went to my dr to have my nose drained. Thankfully he didn’t expect me to wash all the stuff out. He drained the blood and mucus out in office and I’m going Monday for splint removal. However, I noticed that same day I got drained, my breathing got worse. Every little bit of movement no matter how minor, made me extremely winded like I ran a marathon. I also have asthma, and was immediately worried because this is not the normal for me. My dr office said it was unrelated to anesthesia or surgery so i assumed it was just my body went through something rough (the surveys is no joke!) and then I realized maybe it’s from all the drainage dripping into my airways AND im solely mouth breathing right now which I NEVER do. So maybe im not getting enough air. But it’s good to hear from a fellow asthmatic so i know im not alone on this. I’ve started
My main concern now is that today (day 5) I randomly got really dizzy 2 times. Once I was turning and my whole wisdom shifted like sideways but I didn’t nor was really weird. Felt like I was still And my world moved. Second time I was watching tv and not moving at all and my world shifted sideways again. I had almost no dizziness except first day maybe second day a bit. And it was like normal dizziness and nausea. Not my whole world spinning. Was worried but it seems you had bouts of dizziness so maybe it’s normal. Makes sense since sinuses are attached to ears and that controls your balance.
Anyway thanks for the great review! Glad I found it after my surgery cause I woulda been scared away lol. I definitely underestimated this surgery and it’s def no joke. The sudden onset of exhaustion is VERY real.
Also for those considering surgery, buy a bottle of biotene mouth rinse for dry mouth and keep in bathroom. I happen to have dry mouth cause of acid reflux. I remembered on day 2 and I tried it out before bed and it gave me hours of sleep before my mouth dried out. I woke up went to bathroom used it again and then back to sleep. It was a GAME CHANGER haha.
JulieWunder says
Thank you for leaving your experience too! I hope you continue to heal and feel better!
Osteopath Melbourne- James Mazzone says
Hi…
Go through the Lymphatic drainage massage to get some answers concerning myofitness
Jenn says
I am on my 3rd week recovering. It has been awful. I still have pain in my face and left ear. My left eye drains all the time and at night it mats up and I have to be very careful. Still clogged and have had horrible experience with blood clots. I never feel good and was so worried I was just healing slower than normal. I’ve not returned to work due to have autoimmune health I catch things easily. I really want to work from home at this point because being normal again doesn’t seem like it will happen! Thank you for your article it really helped me see I’m not just being lazy and drained for no reason.
Renee Martin says
Thank you for this great post.. I am three weeks post surgery.. totally exhausted if I do anything.. your post gave me hope that I will get better!!
Geoff says
I thought it worth commenting as my recent experience with FESS has been completely different. I had a late afternoon surgery, so spent the night in hospital. I found I didn't need any analgesia after surgery, except for the course of celebrex which my surgeon had prescribed. On my return home on the day after surgery I started saline rinses, which I found made a huge difference to reduce discomfort. To start with I was doing over 10 saline rinses a day. By day 4 I could breathe through my nose again, roughly as well as I could before surgery. That was where the revelations started as my nose became clearer and clearer, making me realise that I had never been able to breathe properly through my nose. On day 5 I was back on my gravel bike for an easy ride (against doctor's orders). For the first week I was rinsing out huge amounts of gauze (from the packing) and congealed blood. After 2 weeks the amount of gunk I was rinsing out started to drop dramatically, and I was sleeping through the night again.
I have had a very smooth recovery, and didn't even need to take paracetamol for pain relief. While I see a lot of people have had rougher recoveries, it is possible to have a very smooth recovery.
My 4 week post-op checkup is tomorrow. My main topic of discussion with the surgeon will be on the ongoing management of my allergic rhinitis, as unfortunately the surgery will not fix my allergies.
JulieWunder says
That’s amazing! Great to hear a positive story!
Geoff says
The 4 week checkup involved my ENT taking out the last pieces of gauze that had not rinsed out and putting me on a management plan going forward. For the next 6 weeks I am onto a sesame oil nasal spray to help with rebuilding nasal moisture and mucous. The vitamin E in the sesame oil also helps with the healing process. I am able to reduce the saline rinses, but maintain the mometasone (corticosteroid) nasal spray for at least the next 3 months and then as needed, picking it up again in the allergy season. (Melbourne has some of the worst springtime pollen conditions in the world.)
Dayle says
I had the surgery a few yrs ago and I decided to do the Allergy DROPS and it has been life changing! It is a process but WELL worth the time.
loon says
allergy drops?
Carol says
I had a tumor filling the entire sinus cavity in my right cheek, to get to it I had to have my septum corrected. This was my second surgery in 2 years, the first the Dr. took out half of the tumor and left it at that? I was in horrible pain for years until it was diagnosed and delt with finally. I am 5 weeks in after surgery and still in a great deal of pain. My nose and my sinus cavity (they had to drill into the bone as the root of the tumor was very deep). Still taking pain pills daily. I felt the same after going back to work, I was dead by the end of the day, going to bed early, totally exhausted!! I'm happy to know I'm not the only one, I was wondering if I was healing properly. I am on strict 'dont lift anything' for 6 weeks. At this point I'm not even sure I will be able to lift much in another week. The feeling is finally starting to come back in my gums and lips... but my nose, its taken on a new shape, its wider? I'm not sure if its still swollen or this is my new normal? I hope its still swollen! hah! Thanks for your story, and the comments have helped me to know I'm not alone in my recovery rate.
Sacha Milner says
I had FESS 5 weeks ago. My tongue was torn by the breathing tube so I lost the piece of skin underneath that had to be stitched. I'm just starting Penicillin 2nd round as Mucus isn't clearing from my right nostril I was clearly opaque on this side of my face in the CT and they pulled out a plug of pus from my middle meatus that had sat there for 6 months avoiding antibiotics....Positive bacterium cocci. So my nose is still congested and won't clear I've been doing nasal rinses and now blowing. The Consultant said it takes time for the cilia to start working again. The surgery itself was okay even with the complication I had morphine but when the pain relief wore off it was very painful and I couldn't eat. Very slow recovery. I asked the Consultant if I will need further surgery he said "Hopefully not" I cannot go through this again. When I had the sinus infections last year it affected my vision they were so bad....
Sam says
thank you for posting this. had surgery yesterday, and many of the items such as Chloroseptic are invaluable. My doc didn't suggest 5 of the 8 items on your list! And I used every last one of them. thank you again. SO helpful.
JulieWunder says
I'm so glad they helped. Hope you are feeling better.
Donna L Hinnant says
Yikes! I know now that a quick recovery is an unrealistic expectation. I had a fungal ball in my right sphenoid sinus cavity removed and my deviated septum fixed. I am 12 days out from surgery and the drippy nose is gone and I can breathe better. The pain is unrelenting but I get pain meds for other spinal issues and they are helping.
Not thrilled that full recovery will take 3-6 months. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories because I have a better understanding of the recovery process. I just have to be patient.
The chronic fatigue is horrible. I will be doing something and start falling asleep. I have to go to bed for several hours to kinda bounce back. I am lucky because I am retired and I don't have to deal with a job right now. I wonder how long does it take for the bleeding to stop? When I clear my sinuses and blow my nose I am still getting bleeding, blot clots and scabs coming out of my nose. I had my stents removed 5 days ago and I can breathe much easier on both sides of my nose. I am still having the headaches, earaches, and fullness feeling all day long. I thought those would go away and like many of the folks here I am not happy that still having those issues is part of the recovery. The surgeon could have mentioned something.
He is a CSF specialist and my surgery was great. The constantly dripping nose is gone and it is taking me a while to get used to the repair to my septum. I injured it when I was 8 years old and lived with it for over 60 years. Just wish I had known that this recovery will take months.
I am glad I had the surgery. I have been dealing with this for 7 months and things are getting better. Yay me! I just wish I had been told recovery would take months, but after reading the comments from everyone, I know now that this is normal.
Thanks everyone for helping me on my path to recovery! Hope everyone is progressing well on their recovery as well. This is one time I can say, "I feel your pain" and it is literally true. Best of luck!
Benjamin Miljkovic says
Wonderful blog. Im glad I came across it. I had turbinate reduction surgery here in Osaka, Japan about 8 weeks ago. The post op recovery was a lot harder than I had expected. Half my fault for not researching it before I had it done. Was suffering from stuffed up nasal passages on the left side of my nose for years so finally decided to have it done here.
The surgery itself was painless. Being in Japan, doctors are a lot more cautious so I was hospitalized for 4 days before going home. That is the norm here in Japan.
The biggest problem for me with the recovery is the numbness on my upper lip and upper teeth and to the side of my nose. Its been 8 weeks and the numbness is still present and quite uncomfortable but seems to be getting slightly better with time. Did anyone else experience numbness after their operation?
My nasal passages are a lot clearer now and Im able to breathe easier than before which is good. Im still using nasal saline cleaners twice a day (as advised by my Japanese doc) and Im still taking painkillers everyday.
Im a bar owner here in Osaka and I still feel like Im not ready to go back to work even though I had my surgery 8 weeks ago. Obviously the healing process depends on each person but it seems like 3-6 months of healing time is needed for me before I can start going back to normal. Havent had a beer since before my surgery which is sad but looking forward to when I get better!
Would appreciate any feedback on facial/tooth/lip numbness post op.
Again, very interesting to read the comments and comforting at the same time. I hope everyone is recovering well.
Arigato,
Benjamin
Cheri Swanson says
Benjamin,
My turbinate reduction surgery was two weeks ago. I have not experienced any facial/tooth/lip numbness. My worst symptoms are still stuffy nose and headaches, along with being very tired. I have been on an antibiotic since Monday of this week for a sinus infection. Also, I do not have much of an appetite. Yesterday was a terrible experience at my follow up visit with ENT. The debridement he performed was so painful! I do not think he used any type of numbing before. I have a high pain tolerance and literally thought I was going to pass out! Well, that's my story.....hope you feel better soon!
Cheri
Benjamin Miljkovic says
Dear Cheri,
Thank you for the reply and sorry to hear about painful experience! I hope you are healing up well and have a healthier nose than before. It really is not a nice experience at all but we do it for a reason so plenty of things to look forward to in the future!
Thank you again and all the best for a healthy future for you
Sincerely,
Benjamin
Lily says
Hi!
I had sinus surgery 12 weeks ago due to a Cerebral Spinal Leak and had to go through a second surgery due to a severe bloody nose. I am like you, I feel the numbness in my upper teeth and gums still. I did a little bit of research and found that there is a nerve called the nasopalatine nerve. This nerve runs along our nose and is tied to our gums/teeth area. Therefore, that nerve may be swollen due to the surgery resulting in the numbing sensation of the upper teeth and roof of mouth. I’m not an expert on this but it made me feel less nervous about the numbness. I just wish doctors would tell you about these side effects of surgery so you don’t feel crazy! Hope you get to feeling better soon!
Benjamin Miljkovic says
Dear Lily,
Thank you so much for the reply. Sorry you had to go through that rough time and I hope you are feeling better and healing well.
Yes the numbness is still with me but my doctor says that each patient heals differently and Im on the people who will need 9 to 12 months to recover from nerve damage during the operation. Yes its a long time and the feeling is unpleasant to say the least but just have to keep positive. My intraorbital nerve was slightly damaged during the op which is causing the numbness.
Yes I agree with you about doctors not telling us too much about some of the side effects of the surgery but I guess that is a risk we take when we decide to have surgery in the first place!
Anyways thanks again and all the best to you and your health!
Sincerely,
Benjamin
Toni Elizabeth says
Hello, I had deviated septum and turbinate reduction surgery almost 6 months ago. The recovery has been BRUTAL. I had to sleep sitting up for 4+ months. I can't do any exercise other than walk or some light weights. My nose is still swelling and so is my frontal sinus. I have headaches all the time. I am not congested and I don't have an infection. The nasal irrigations made my pain 10x worse and drove me to the ER twice. Nothing helps this pain except time. And it's going at a snails pace. I got the surgery because I had 2 sinus infections for the 1st time in my life in 2020. they were horrible. Dr. said its because of my nose. So I did the surgery thinking I would be fine in a couple weeks.
I took Advil or Tylenol for 3+ weeks around the clock and ended up getting rebound headaches. Now , i can't take those. Took steroids for almost 2 months. They helped at a strong dose but not a small one. Weaning off those was horrible. Now, I have headaches and pain with high pollen, rain, snow, barometric pressure drops and whatever else. I'm sensitive to everything and never was before. This is and has been a nightmare. I long for the good ole days. Anyone else in my boat?
CJ says
Yes, I am in your boat. I had FESS and turbinate reduction over 3 years ago. Scar tissue formed in the bridge of my nose and under my eyes which has caused numbness and pressure. I was much better before the surgery. Should have asked for 2nd opinion before I had the surgery.
Maria says
My husband has persistent headache since his sinus surgery over a year ago. Nothing abnormal in any CT, MRi, etc. Medications have not helped. Have you found any relief?
JulieWunder says
Hi Maria! I've actually had a lot of relief with daily sinus washes that use the salt packet AND the same medicine they put in the nose spray. My doctor prescribed it for me in a powder. It's made a HUGE difference for me and it might be worth asking your doctor about.
Hope that helps.
Julie
Kat S says
Hi Benjamin,
I just had turbinate reduction/septoplasty yesterday and am experiencing the same upper lip/front teeth numbness and pain! How long did it take you to regain feeling? It’s extremely uncomfortable!
MTort says
Hi everyone,
I know this blog isn’t about balloon sinuplasty but I wanted to ask if anyone has gotten balloon sinuplasty with liposuction type turbinate reduction and still felt face pressure and stuffiness at week 5 or week 6? I’m scared something is wrong with me and I can’t find much information about recovery for this procedure online.
Donna says
I am five days out from endoscopic sinus surgery to remove fungus from all cavities on left side. Today I still feel very tired and weak and have facial pain that is sore to the touch. wondering about others experiences? I am 65 and normally recover from things a little slow.
mamaligadoc says
With respect !!!
Jason Torres says
Wonderful blog. I had septoplasty last July 21. I’m at 3 months soon still have some inflammation and pain inside my nose as my surgeon checked it for me. I was told that healing processing takes about three to six months for septoplasty because of swelling, inflammation and pain needs to go away. I assume that you have some pain in your nose for awhile up to six months? Hopefully my nose will be fully opened! Thanks for your amazing story.
Marc Ginsburg says
Great feedback, I just had FESS with septoplasty 2 weeks ago. According to my ENT Dr had a pretty bad case of sinus disease with polyps. Surprisingly my biggest symptom was no smell or taste that came out of nowhere. I knew I had allergy issues and was just use to the typical symptoms. Thought for sure I had Covid!!
I had a great surgeon out of Mass General in Boston, although I am only 2 weeks in, jury still out. The surgery went well and never had any pain, only took Tylenol for head cold like symptoms for a few days. I was able to take out packing next day and immediately started irrigation up to 4 times a day. That helps a lot!! When I went back for the follow up I was not prepared for the cleaning up inside!!! Wow that was brutal for the few minutes but well worth it. My head felt so clear for the first time in a while. The reason why I am posting is just that, my biggest concern has been unrelenting brain fog! I am hoping that clears up, it was a slow build up prior to surgery and gotta say kinda worse since surgery aside of when the dr sucked a bunch of fluid out of my sinuses. I know there is a direct connection between sinuses and brain fog so I guess I need to be patient and wait it thru. So the positive sides is my taste and smell are coming back from 0 to about 60%, I breath fine which really wasn’t an issue, post nasal drip is improved, overall after just 2 weeks I am back to regular work outs and activities, just got the party cloudy feeling!! Good luck to all that is going thru recovery!
Lanna says
Hi! I am 2 weeks post op tomorrow 3/8/2021. I live in MA too, out on the Cape.
I still feel terrible!!! Hoping you are feeling better by now? I had no idea how hard this recovery would be. I feel like I have an intense head cold all the time. Have your symptoms improved yet? At what point did you feel “normal”
Lanna
Graham Adamson says
I had sinus surgery over twenty years ago .... I have suffered ever since with an often very painful neuralgia , a likely result of nerve damage during the operation ( according to my GP) , and have been treated with all available medications , but to no avail . All surgery involves a risk , I know , but please be aware that surgery in this facial area can sometimes affect the Trigeminal Nerve . Do ask your surgeon for more information before you undergo treatment .Hopefully , improved techniques over the last twenty years will have considerably reduced such risks.
Jean says
I’m so sorry that you have suffered with nerve damage for 20 years after sinus surgery. I had sinus surgery 4 years ago that has negatively changed my life. After two years of going to doctors, a pain management doctor told me that I have nerve damage from my surgery. I also have migraines that I had never had before. I really regret having the surgery. One year ago a rheumatologist diagnosed me with fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome that he said was probably brought on from the surgery. It said that it isn’t nerve damage. I hope that you have a medication that helps you.
Brandan Weeks says
Hi all
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for sharing their stories. I am now almost 8 weeks out from surgery. I had FESS on one side with a bilateral turbinate reduction and septoplasty.
For me, the roughest part of recovery is my anxiety going nuts. Thinking every little pain and feeling is a major concern.
Currently, I've been experiencing fatigue, brain fog, and persistent mild vertigo. I can work but I've been feeling like I'm on auto pilot and just not myself. I've also had this odd feeling of a "pulling sensation" on my nose / face.
I believe I am on the tail end of nerves coming back and finishing recovery. Today was the first time I felt mostly OK and not suffering these symptoms as much . Partly this may be that I wasn't allowed to use my CPAP machine for so long as well
Fingers crossed each day from here on out is better than the last. Thank you all for showing me that I'm not alone in these symptoms and they all seem to go away in time.
If you are having issues with anxiety and depression post-surgery, please ensure you speak with someone about it. It's hard when the doctors don't know exactly how each person recovers but just try to keep in mind that it just takes time.
Lynne says
Thanks so much! I am 2 1/2 weeks post op. It has not been easy but hopefully I am progressing. My uvula was scratched during surgery, it was the worst pain I have ever had, my main concern currently is a constant sore throat, pressure in my ears, hoarseness and fatigue. Reading the comments have helped a lot, thank you to everyone. Wishing everyone a healthy future.
Mara says
Hello. It’s so nice to read about others with similar experiences. I just had sinus surgery on Friday to remove a large mucous retention cyst in my left maxillary sinus. Has anyone ever had a surgery for this before? I am still having similar symptoms as I did before with the cyst in my sinus because it caused inflammation and pain in my cheeks, dull pain in forehead, pressure behind eyes, and fullness in ear. I even have experienced some burry vision. I’m wondering how long it will take for these symptoms to go away before I will know if surgery helped or not. I do feel very light headed still. I can’t wait to feel like myself again. Thanks!
Sam Shane says
I am happy to hear both of your stories. Although I am healing slowly from my surgery. I still need reassurance that this chronic horrible fatigue is not just me being lazy. I mostly keep in touch with my ent doctor in great neck. I just hope I get well soon, cause my doctor is really trying to help. I would recommend everyone to get yourself checked by an ENT specialist every month.
Lori says
Hi Gang--so sorry to hear those of you who had issues with sinus surgery. I had endoscopic sinus surgery 2 weeks ago and quite frankly, was up and around that night. I needed absolutely no pain meds. Dr. Eugenia Vining at Yale in CT (surgeon extraordinaire) removed a bone spur, removed a very large cyst, fixed deviated septum and cleaned out frontal and maxillary sinuses along with other roto-rooter stuff. I think it really does depend on the surgeon. I also have no issues with anesthesia which may have also helped. Do your homework before finding a surgeon and ask around. I knew two people who had surgery with this doctor and had great success. Best of luck and continued health to all!
Carol says
I had a bad experience with my first surgeon, who removed only the top of a large tumor and left it at that. 2 years later a different surgeon referred me to one of the top doctors in another city as he did not feel confident in removing the tumor fully once it was discovered, again. The new Dr I went to for this surgery was fantastic, it has been the best medical experience of my life and I am thankful every day that I was referred to him. But, I am in a lot of pain 5 weeks after surgery, I dont think its the fault of the surgeon!! Happy you had a great outcome.
Jean says
Is there anyone on this site that has fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and has had sinus surgery? I had a surgery 3 years and 2 months ago that didn't take care of infection in my maxillary sinuses and didn't remove a swollen cyst so I have suffered for over 3 years except that now I have chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. I've seen 2 different ENT's since my last surgery and they want to do another surgery to remove the fluid and cyst in my maxillary sinuses but I'm petrified to have another surgery since the last one was so bad and didn't correct my problem. Thanks for any help that you can give me!
Dayle says
OMG You poor thing! Did you have Fibromyalgia prior to the surgery? I had HORRIBLE fatigue that took nearly a yr. to go away and that was probably the worst part for me. Of course the entire surgery was HORRIBLE but it did solve the problem it just took wayyyyyy too long to re-coop from it. I since went on allergy drops thinking my allergies caused the horrible sinus infection BUT with all the news about Vaping I am wondering if that wasn't the cause. I was vaping to try to quit smoking at the same time but not sure that was it. I sure hope you can get some relief from the issues you are having without having another surgery. I don't know if there was any way to get rid of the infection I had but I know I never ever would want to have that Surgery again. It drives me crazy that NO ONES surgeons seem to think this surgery should be so very hard on the patient. I really hope this get better for you!
Dayle
Jean says
Thanks for your reply Dayle! I remember you from being on this site 2-3 years ago. No I didn’t have Fibromyalgia before my horrible sinus surgery. My rheumatologist that I saw just 3 months ago for the first time said that it was brought on by my surgery and I’ve done lots of research & that’s definitely one way it can rear it’s ugly head. My sister has had it for 16 years and hers started after she broke her ankle. She didn’t have surgery. My problem now is that a surgery would be harder on me but my ENT and primary doctor won’t give me antibiotics for an infection forever.
Karen says
I had endoscopic sinus surgery about 3 weeks ago and have felt dizzy off and on. The first week I felt pretty good but then the headaches started. Driving is the worst. About 15 minutes is all I can manage and then it is hard because I get dizzy and the headache gets worse. When I asked the doctor's nurse about it, she said she didn't know. I thought it was the antibiotic but I have been off it for a week so I don't think that is it. I did have an infection for two years and finally figured out it was in my sinuses, so assuming it is all taking some time to clear out. I am relieved to hear that others have been dizzy too and that hopefully it goes away.
Katrina says
Hi Karen. Too a must going through the dizziness. Aren’t you still having them. I am 4 weeks post op and still have headaches dizziness and facial pain
Karen says
The dizziness is finally going away at 4 weeks post op but I still have bad headaches. I talked to the doctor's office again and she said what I am experiencing is normal.
Court says
I stumbled across this blog on a Google search today and it has helped to read everyone's experiences. Recovery has definitely been harder than I expected, but I am slowly seeing improvement. I am a little over four weeks post-op and was beginning to think something was wrong with me since the surgery was seemingly no big deal. There is absolutely no way I could have gone back to work in 3-5 days. Even taking calls and behind my computer. Forget considering anything even remotely strenuous and active. I needed someone here to take care of me almost the entire first week. I'm interested to know if anyone really fully recovers in the 4-6 weeks. I've improved in some areas, but certainly not completely. Week one was total misery. I woke up from anesthesia and noticed the middle of my bottom lip was swollen. It happened during intubation and not only had white blister/ulcer things inside and outside my mouth around the area within a couple days, but also took me no less than 3 weeks to get most of my sensation back vs the weird numb feeling. I will say the surgery pain itself was bearable, but I took my pain pills (Tylenol 3) as directed the first 5-7 days. After that I used regular Tylenol for the most part. The absolute worst part was bleeding for a full week, the itchy feeling around my face and eyes, and above all, the severely blocked nose. My surgeon has been doing this for 30+ years so fortunately I didn't have any noticeable bruising or swelling despite the severity of my condition and procedure. My throat hurt so much from having to breathe out of my mouth and my asthma symptoms have steadily been more present the last few weeks. My lips were also super dry and chapped. Normally I have my asthma fairly well controlled unless I'm around something I am severely allergic to like cats, house dust, or mold. It's improved this week, but I still have to use my inhaler at least once most days. I was having to use a nebulizer most of the first week, which I hadn't needed since I had flu/pneumonia earlier this year. Week 1 post-op follow ended with some relief, but nothing close to what they acted like it would be. I mix up the splints/stents, but once I saw how big those things were when he pulled them out I realized why I could not breathe, taste or smell at all. The process was fast and overall fairly painless. It was uncomfortable and definitely felt weird, but wasn't what I would describe as painful. While not near perfect, I could sort of taste my lunch after the fact! I was so happy! The next morning was rough. I got sick once and had a ton of discharge, but by the following day the constant drainage from my nose and bleeding finally stopped. I was very diligent about using the sinus rinse every 3-4 hours the first week and several days following. I still rinse 3x daily at 4 weeks post-op. Thankfully I managed not to sneeze or vomit the first week. I imagine that would have been really awful. However, by the next week my allergies were worse than normal for some reason and continued into the following week as well. My two week post-op follow up was better than the first week, but still not great. I was particularly stuffy on one side. Not to give TMI, but once you see what they start pulling out of there you will see why you can't breathe. There were things in my nose I didn't even know where in my nose. The doctor cleaned out the gunk and pulled out the pieces of plastic looking splints or stents that he was able to get to. I didn't even know they were there after seeing what they pulled out week prior. How was there possibly room for anything else?! Again, not a comfortable process but didn't "hurt". The second round of antibiotics (Doxycycline) made me really sick the first day, but I was able to handle it better with food in my stomach. I had my four week follow up this week and my surgeon says everything looks great and that I am about 80% healed. He said I don't need to come back unless I have any problems. Not sure if that's the norm. I was surprised he didn't want to schedule me in a month or two just to make sure all is still progressing well. Don't be alarmed if you cough up clear plastic things or blow them out of your nose with yellow mucus and discharge. Apparently that is normal. I have noticed the past week or so that my nose seems to be opening more, but still feels a bit weird with certain movements (like turning my head/flipping over in bed at night). Right now I am struggling with severe jaw pain and pain around my teeth. My cheeks also feel strange and sore, which they didn't initially. I've also had a lot of neck/shoulder pain the last week. I've been clenching a lot due to urgency to "suck back" and try to clear the drainage feeling in my throat coming from when I sniffle my nose. I don't even know if this makes sense, but it's the best way I can describe it. Pressure around my jaw and cheek and urgency to clear throat. My teeth hurt too. Maybe post nasal drip or the urge to clear crud? Despite all of my sinus problems, I do think my sense of smell was better before surgery - though I hear it can take several months to see the full benefits and fully smell again. I still have a stuffy/off feeling in my nose, but not near what it was. It's pretty bad when you're excited to smell something gross! I occasionally even get a whiff of a foul smell coming from my nose following the procedure. Just wish my teeth, jaw and neck would stop hurting so bad. It's almost like my face is in pain yet sort of numb at the same time. I had a root canal done several months prior which went fine, but I never felt like my crown following that was just right. I am hoping I get fully better. Everyone I know that has had a sinus surgery done has said it helped them tremendously in the long haul. I just feel like I get rid of one problem and get another in this recovery process. I'm ready to see the full benefits of this and it looks like it will take much longer than I expected. The doctor told my husband he doesn't know how I lived like this so long and that I must be one tough cookie because of just how bad it was when he started working on me. I realize we are all different and that this is an old post, but it helps to know that most people take much longer to fully recover than we are led to believe. I hope everyone feels better and sees positive benefits over time!
Suze Swan says
HI Court,
You are still healing at 6 weeks. So, keep up your spirits, this too shall pass.
I had sinus surgery last Feb 2019. I had polyps in every nasal cavity and deviated septum. Couldn't breath during sleep, no smell, and asthma/allergies just like you. As you, my ENT couldn't figure out how I put up with my clogged sinuses for so long.
I agree about all the gunk that comes out with the sinus rinses after surgery. Like how does all of that stuff fit in there. LOL!
My ENT has me rinsing my sinuses out 2x a day with Budesonide (steroid) which I've been doing faithfully since surgery. It's supposed to keep the polyp's from coming back. I wish that I could stop the rinsing because I'm wondering, if all those rinses are messing with the sinus flora.
I also have been experiencing more allergies than normal (seasonal allergies) this year as you. I'm thinking that our sinuses aren't quite working right in order to handle the allergens and that the sinuses just need to heal some more. Some days my sinuses feel great and then other days they are just a tad uncomfortable or on bad pollen days - it feels like someone punched me in the nose. . I've also read that it can take up to a year for the sinuses to function normally.
It sounds like because of you clenching your jaw and stuff that it may be causing your pain in other areas. What they call it? Reference pain?
Well, if your sinuses continue on a downward trend with sinus pain, you may have to go back to your ENT and have them take a look to see if the sinuses are infected again. Maybe they will have to do a sinus culture to figure out if some bacteria is bugging you.
I wish you well on your pathway to full recovery. I totally understand where you are coming from and your struggles. Healing will come.
KAREN PINA says
hello, I had surgery 8 wks ago and I am still recovering, I returned to work 7 wks later and I regret it because I am not 100%, I also got a bad infection the doctor did not understand why. they gave me several medications, week after week i was on different antibiotics, i spent so much on medicine, I saw my doctor wks ago, I see him again in 2 days, lets see what else he tells me.
I still can't breath, I am still nasally, nobody recognizes me voice at work, I still have lots of crusting, and it grosses me out, all I want is to be myself again but be able to breathe, it's been to many yrs without being able to breathe.
Carolina Girl says
I had sinus sx 7/31/19, septoplasty/ bilateral middle turbinate reduction/ maxillary antrostomy. Had no packing surgeon used Afrin during proceedure, only had splints along septum wall which were removed on 8/2/19. Day 1and 2 post-op had a small bit of blood dripping from nose and running down back of throat, not too bad. Only needed tylenol 500 mg 3 x daily for first few days. Saline spray hourly to keep nasal passages moist and steam humidifier 24/7 at bedside. Drank lots of water and ate salads w meals to avoid constipation. After day 3 and splints out saline rinses w bottle to wash sinus once daily, i bought sterile saline to irrigate. Began washing out old blood clots day 3 and 5, then pain became worse, sinus began feeling swollen and bridge of nose from center up to eyes ached and i felt dizzy. I began using ice which helped and i began irrigating with room temp water ( i had warned slightly prior). I also discovered showering increased the edema in my sinuses so ice after showers when needed to reduce swelling and pain. Returned to work on day 8 post op but i sit at a computer all day so didn’t bother me sitting. I feel tired, and find anything that gets my heart rate up like walking stairs or long walks from parking lot to workplace make me dizzy and fatigued easily. I walk slowly now and its day 10 post op. I sometimes even feel nervous and experience concentration issues. I question if i am also experiencing adrenal fatigue symptoms as this is something i had also had before when my body is stressed. My biggest concern is this the fatigue and dizziness. I cant do too much right now it wears me out fast and i have to rest alot. It seems this is common complaint from others and hope this will resolve soon. I had several clumps of things removed from my left maxillary sinus which pathology report identified as a bacteria called actinomyces. I had taken Keflex 500 mg 3xdaily post op x 1week, but will now be taking Amoxicillin 875 2xdaily for 21 days. I have been dealing with dental issues which I suspect were also contributing factor. Had root-canal that had infection and cementoma tumor on root tip just under the left sinus. Tooth pulled now, but left ear and sinus pain followed so that was what sent me to ENT to determine if sinus involvement. I guess time to heal is needed but thankful at this point no major complications or extreme pain. I can smell things like a bloodhound now and breathe much better, and my husband says i snore less... lol bonus! Sleep is less disrupted now, i used to wake more frequently during the night for what seemed like no reason at all, my md said blocked airways can cause that. Glad i had the sx but hoping to get back to normal soon, im fairly active and this is a tough slow recovery. I found other peoples posted information helpful, so i hope this adds value as well for others.
joy says
please respond to me when you can, i had maxillary antrostomy and im not healing due to excessive opening which effected my tissues and nerves...he said he did it to remove the cyst.
How are yoi feeling? how long was your recovery?
i feel like i have no life after this surgery .
Jordan says
Karen, how are you feeling now?
Juana Martinez says
Oh my God, Thank you for giving such an important information i am on week two of my surgery and I was about to go crazy thinking that surgery didn't work . I feel relieved now to know that I just have to wait, I like your blog by the way!!!
Beth says
So glad to read about this! Any issues with vision after the surgery? I had several procedures done 4/30/19 & it has been 5 days since & my vision is like, well trying to focus when waking up from a very deep, deep sleep.
Jim says
I have been having vision problems in my left eye since the surgery. I most notice it in the morning. It's like a blurry blob in my field of vision. Was wondering if anyone else had vision problems too.
Mary Frances says
Hi, Thanks so much for your blog! And for the inspiration ... I am so looking forward to working on running once this whole process is complete! And it honestly helps to see what someone else experienced as I'm going through it myself.
I had my surgery (sinoplasty, turbinade reduction and nose valve repair) all done six days ago. Surprisingly, my surgery went really well. While my dr did tell me I could be back to work in five days, we've decided i need to take a few more as I reduce my pain meds (and because I"m an elementary school teacher, and need to be able to be up all day).
The day of my surgery was amazing. I as well get severely nauseated from anesthesia, and in this instance, I didn't have any at all. In fact, I was only in recovery for 50 minutes, and was able to walk to the bathroom with minimal assistance. I've never had an experience like that before. In fact, I brought stuff with me in case I got sick on the car ride home. My friend came home with me, and I was still shocked with how good I felt when we got home. I admit I did have an awful nosebleed which lasted the majority of the day, probably because I was up too much.
What I wasn't prepared for was how bad days 3-4 would be. By then, all of the anesthesia was out of my system, so the real pain took over ... and it was actually more rawness and tenderness in my nose and roof of my mouth than pain. I competely agree that having chlorespetic spray or lozenges is a necessity. And I love doing the irrigations because they feel so good.
My mouth and throat are still a bit raw, and my uvula was damaged from the entubation tube, so that hasn't helped. Though I'm not on OTC pain meds yet (the new meds they have me on keep giving me headaches), I'm getting close and the swelling continues to recide. The majority of the tenderness is only on one side now. I'm still stuffy (from swollen membranes) but it isn't too different now from how it was the entire time I was sick (which was almost four years straight while we tried everything else). I've been in for two debridements, and each time, my breathing was SO CLEAR ... something I haven't experienced in a LONG time! I'm hopeful for the end of this process and the healing to complete itself.
My biggest concern throughout the whole process was when I would be able to sing again as I'm a career singer ... and I am able to sing, though not as freely as I would like to, but still better than it had been. I was having vocal issues from all the post nasal drip and coughing. I can't wait to start singing on a regular basis again. It's been A LONG TIME! 🙂
dr vikram sharma says
Home remedies to assist relieve symptoms of a sinus infection (sinusitis) you must drink lots of water, inhale steam and use a humidifier, take hot, sticky showers, use lotion preparations like Vicks Vapor Rub, and irrigate the sinuses once or doubly daily employing a Neti pot or Sterile Saline Mist Spray. Use solely H2O in your Neti-Pot. don't use H2O in a very Neti-Pot as a result of it's caused serious infections.
Over-the-counter (OTC) expectorants, decongestants, cough suppressants, nasal steroid sprays, and pain relievers will facilitate alleviate symptoms. Prescription medications used for the treatment of redness embrace intranasal or oral steroids. Antibiotics could also be prescribed to assist stop complications, relieve symptoms, and scale back the danger of chronic redness. Sinus surgery may be expedient for those that don't answer medications.
nice blog.
Pam says
Hello everyone. I had my sinus surgery 5 days ago and can honestly say it was a bad experience. The surgeon was late getting me in and so, when I returned from my procedure, they had to get me out of their so they could close. People were moping around me. I looked and felt dead, except for extreme throat pain and my face felt like I had been smashed in the nose with a 2x4. The nurse pushed demerol and it did nothing. So she gave me 2 Norcos to swallow. Then it was time for me to get dressed and go home. I felt sick. I about vomited. She gave me Zofran. That worked. I was so gray - I moved like a zombie. My husband helped me to home and on the couch. I literally sat there for 8 hours. I said nothing. Didn't watch TV, I felt like death.
Fast forward 5 days, My face is so chapped from the constantly bleeding nose. I do the rinses every few hours. I get the stints removed tomorrow, but I had an allergic reaction to Lidocaine, so I can't have anything to numb the pain. I feel like I have PTSD from the procure. I can't sleep. I keep dreaming I am dying.
My ENT told me I could return to work in 5 days. Seriously? I'm so dizzy, it's hard to stand up. My nose is still bleeding. My ears are clogged ( have tubes in them) and its hard to even hold my head up. I do not feel like the recovery time of 5 days is reasonable. I have had abdominal surgery 3 times and felt better sooner than this. I am a nurse and have a hectic, physically and mentally challenging job. Help!
Pam says
I had tissue removal from both sphenoid sinuses, total ethoidectomy, tissue removal from front sinus x 3, Spentiss removal x 2, Septoplasty resection, and removal of maxillary sinus. I did not see the surgeon in recovery, but he told my husband he couldn't go any further with the procedure because everything was blocked & infected. Hopefully I will get more information tomorrow when I get my splints removed.
Mary Frances says
Pam, I hope you're feeling better! And I feel your pain! I'm a school teacher, and the thought of going back to work in five days made me laugh. There was no way that I could run a classroom all day on my feet with how I felt I'm still a bit concerned about going back 8 days after my surgery, but we will see what happens.
Pam Veselinovic says
Thanks for the reply. One month out, I'm pretty much back to my baseline. Dizzy. Clogged ears. Now I have rashes all over my arms and chest. I scratch and bleed. That's new. My ENT says its because allergens are successfully entering my sinus passages now, thus the systemic rash.
It's pretty frustrating. My sinus areas are popping the same way they were before surgery. If there is any improvement, it's minimal, and the surgery was invasive + expensive. I'm pretty much at my wits end.
PS I took two weeks off of work but I had to go back. I just endure.
Christian says
Hi Pam,
Just wanted to know how was it going back to work as a nurse after a few weeks after your surgery. I’m also a nurse and had a septoplasty and sinus surgery and wanted to know how you were while you were at work. Hope your recovery is going well.
Dr. David Greene Arizona says
Thank you for sharing these tips from your personal experience. I am glad for you.
Renee says
Thank you for sharing this. I’m 17 days post-op with my second sinus surgery. I was feeling discouraged today with still feeling so exhausted and this made me feel so much better.
PS- the number one item to help with sinus surgery is a firm neck pillow...holds your neck up, makes sleeping so much easier, and helps more than I can explain with stabilizing your head from the dizziness and pressure.
Pam says
Hi all. I have been very ill with mystery sinus issues and dizziness since the summer of 2018. I had an ENT put tubes in my ears last summer, which made my symptoms of dizziness worse. Last week I had sinus surgery and a different ENT removed everything he could - a total of 7 different areas. My surgical experience was bad. It was very painful and I was ill when they ex-tubated me. I had not been prepared for the pain I experienced after surgery, but I got through it.
Now I am on post-op day 5 and the bleeding is finally beginning to slow down. I can't taste anything, but none of that matters to me. What does matter is that my dizziness is worse. It's constant and can be described as a severe pulling sensation. This is terrifying as I have to work, and I am a floor nurse.
I would like to connect with anyone that experienced severe vertigo and a pulling sensation, if that makes any sense. If so, how long did it last, and when did it go away, if ever?
Amanda says
Hi Pam. I had surgery four weeks ago and I am experiencing the same vertigo and pulling sensation. I was wondering if it cleared up or what you did to help it. I ask the doctor and he brushes it off. I am tired of being like this!
Pam says
Hi Amanda,
No, unfortunately the pulling sensation has never gone away. My sinus doctor dismisses it, and I saw a neurologist today, and she said its vestibular. I am taking a low dose of clonazepam every night and it helps with the vertigo quite a lot.
I guess I have inner ear dysfunction and that is what causes the pulling sensation.
It's funny how doctors act like they have never heard of it before.
Pamela Wells says
Hi Pam, I am reading this blog and all the comments on the eve before my surgery and I am starting to worry as I already have chronic vertigo!! It is very odd that ENT doctors do not know all that much about vestibular disorders. I hope you are feeling better,
Pam says
Hi Pamela,
I hope your surgery went well,
I still struggle with dizziness but the neurologist I see has decided to keep me on 0.5 mg of clonazepam prn nightly, and that seems to help with with pulling sensation.
The last week, however, I noticed a foul smell in my nose. Drainage down the back of my throat. The smell became worse as the weekend went on and I was very concerned other people could smell it.
Fortunately I had an appointment to see the ENT Monday morning and he put me on tobramycin flushes twice daily. After only two flushes, I have been improvement. It's there - but going away. Thank God.
Bob K says
Hello Julie. I just wanted to add a quick comment on my experience, as it so closely relates to so many others on this page. I had a Septoplasty and double turbinate reduction back in June of 18'. My septum was so deviated I had 0% usage out of my left nostril and about 10% usage out of the right. I didn't think surgery was an option, I just thought this is how my life is. I delt with this for over 2 decades. Finally got to the point that I wasn't sleeping, and if I did it was only for an hour or 2 at a time. Immediately following the surgery, my surgeon told me he wished he had some students in the OR with us, as my turbinates were the largest he had ever seen. It was literally a worse-case-scenario. Here, 6 months later, I ma breathing SUBSTANTIALLY better, no more Afrin, no more Claritin. Just normal breathing. I experienced no pain at all, and couldn't be happier. The only bad thing I had to deal with, that wasn't expected, is now I am getting what I believe to be Tonsil Stones. They are smelly, gross, and make it feel like something is stuck in my sinuses. I haven't seen any other posts about this particular symptom for post op, so I thought I'd share. Really have no idea if it's even related. Thank you for sharing your story, and opening the door for so many others to share theirs.
Rhinoplasty Beverly Hills says
Hello Julie,
I'm so glad to read how well the surgery worked out for you. Thanks for sharing and being honest about the long recovery process!
Septoplasty Beverly Hills says
Hi Julie,
Thanks so much for sharing your insight on the whole process. I appreciate the personal experience as a great resource!
Jenn says
Hey, Julie! I had septoplasty, turbinate reduction, and nasal implants 8 days ago. I was googling some new symptoms I'm having today and found your article. Small world! I can't believe it was 3 months before you really started feeling normal again. Not exactly the news I wanted to hear. I'm on day 8 currently and still very congested and swollen. The last two days I finally started to regain some energy, but it's minimal. I stopped taking my Rx pain meds on day 4. I've actually had pretty minimal pain...the scabbing inside my nose has been the absolute worst part of the whole thing so far. However, today I started getting some shooting throbbing pains in my head. They go away as fast as they come on, but dang, they stop me in my tracks. Was hoping it wasn't a sign of infection or something. It shouldn't be as I'm on antibiotics, but to google I went to see what was up. If I don't feel better in the morning, I'm going to call the doc. My post-op appt is next Monday on day 12. Can you tell me what went down at your first post-op appt? I'm more terrified for this appt than I was for surgery. I'm just imagining him trying to do a scope again or something and I can't even imagine the pain that would induce right now.
JulieWunder says
Hey Jenn! I don't remember the first post-op appointment being bad. I think the worst part was the amount of time it took to bounce back fully. My head just felt off for way too long. It was worth it in the end though. Hoping you have a quick recovery.
Dr. David Greene Arizona says
Glad i found this. Tips are really helpful to me. Your experience inspires to me and i think there is nothing to be worried about.
Dallas Marcott says
I am a 69 year old gentleman. I had deviated septum surgery with double turbinator reduction. Also had my sinuses sucked out on one side, openings enlarged and the sinus cavity scraped. Needless to say it was very hard on me. At the end of 2 weeks my doctor was acting like something was wrong with me and my healing. I am appreciative for you sharing your experience and happy to learn that the real healing process can take 3 months or longer. During my recovery, I suffered from a massive bilateral embolism from sleeping in my large easy chair that cut of the circulation to my legs. All the details not important, but 50 -58% of the people who arrive to the hospital in an ambulance in the condition I was in don't live to tell their story. All in All I am recovering and breathing decently at 4 weeks post sinus surgery. I expect full recovery at the 3 to 4 month time frame for my sinuses, but now must recover from my life threatening post sinus surgery event DVT's and Embolisms. I am blessed to be alive and thank the Lord for the care I received from the ER team at my hospital. Sinus surgery can be a life threating surgery, your readers need to know this. If you sleep in a big over stuffed chair, be sure and get the pressure off you legs. Age has nothing to do with this kind of after surgery issue. The surgery in itself can contribute to DVT's, by sleeping, which is hard after the sinus surgery as you indicated, in a chair. I am happy to be breathing and recovering all the way around.
Blocked Airways says
I had deviated septum surgery when I was 18, however it didn't really work for me and I didn't notice much benefit from it only a few years later. Do you recommend getting another procedure done by a different doctor? I have to be careful because now it's difficult to find a stop snoring device unless it allows for mouth breathing, and I am trying to avoid CPAP since you can't stop once you start and I can't take a CPAP camping off grid.
Renee says
It's been a few months since I last posted with an update. Sinuses are still pretty good, minus one nosebleed due to dry air and subzero temps, but I did want to mention an update from the Kenalog injection I mentioned in my last post. I've actually developed a discolored dent in my arm at the injection site. It is now January. I believe it's atrophy and I'm not sure what to do about it. It's rather noticeable and it bothers me. Anybody ever deal with something like this due to a steroid injection? Did it reverse at all? On its own it was treatment sought out?
Emm says
Hey Renee, that happened to me. I had a steroid shot in my bottom a few years ago. I didn’t do anything about it. I guess because I didn’t think there was anything I could do. I remember seeing it on the paper that it could happen. I even asked the doctor about it. She told me don’t worry, it doesn’t happen. But the good news is that it did fill back in. It did take a while, maybe a year? And it affected the overall muscle, one side is still a little flatter than the other, but no indent. I haven’t worked out, so I don’t know if that would help. I know yours is in a different area but hopefully that will happen for you. I learned to believe what the paper says, even if the doctor has never seen it happen. The shot didn’t help my allergies anyway, so no more for me! Hope that helps.
Libby B says
I am so grateful reading through all of these posts. I'm currently 8 weeks post op and still very much in recovery mode. I'm dealing with dryness and cold sensitivity- well more when I breath in the air feels cold. Breathing still isn't the easiest. Just wondering how long it took you to feel like your breathing felt normal? I'm reading all these posts and seeing multiple months until people felt normal. Just hoping in the next few months I'll be there too. The recovery time on this surgery was nothing I ever prepared myself for.
Kate says
Hi, I know this is years later, but if you see this, how long did it take for your breathing to stop feeling cold?
Libby B says
Hi Kate- Unfortunately mine did not go away and I ended up with ENS. I've been receiving Stem cell injection treatments for the past 2 years with Dr Das in Columbus to help heal. I hope you get well soon! Most people go on to heal a few months post surgery.
Kate says
Not sure if my last comment went through, but I was wondering if a cold nose shortly after surgery is normal at all? I have jumped into the rabbit hole of ENS and am now freaking out about it. I’m only 1 week post op, so am not sure if this is normal symptom, or if I should be concerned. How is living with ENS? Do the injections help at all?
JulieWunder says
Hi Kate! It's been a while but I did eventually recover and had years of being healthier. I didn't get a sinus infection for around 5 years and now I have just gotten a few over a couple of years. It was a really hard process but in the end, was worth it for me.
I hope you feel better soon and heal quickly. Thanks for finding my post and reading it.
Jody says
Hi Libby. How are you doing now? I had turbinate reduction in November 2019 and ended up with ENS as well, took 8 months for the crazy ENS symptoms. I went to Dr. Das in January 2021 and got the implants into my turbinates. Just wanted to see how you are doing today? Hopefully better but always good to find out about other people's recovery.
Kat says
Hey! Thanks for this post. Just had my surgery 3 days ago and just looking at others peoples experiences and possibly what to expect. I’m feeling like weirdly okay for how soon it was. I’m just eating and sleeping. Feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded which is hard to do anything with but otherwise I have no pain, am able to breathe through my nose but trying to use my mouth while awake. The biggest thing to happen so far is how weird air feels in my nose! If I had to explain it to someone else I would say I used to feel like I was breathing through clothes or a filter on my face but now it’s just full on. Thanks again for your experiences!
Bryan says
It's nice to know you were able to breathe through your nose. I'm nervous about that for my surgery
Mara says
Hello. I just had sinus surgery on Friday to remove a large mucous retention cyst in my left maxillary sinus. Has anyone ever had a surgery for this before? I am still having similar symptoms as I did before with the cyst in my sinus because it caused inflammation and pain in my cheeks, dull pain in forehead, pressure behind eyes, and fullness in ear. I even have experienced some burry vision. I’m wondering how long it will take for these symptoms to go away before I will know if surgery helped or not. I do feel very light headed still. I can’t wait to feel like myself again. Thanks!
David Greene says
my 1st surgery was removing a left maxillary surgical cyst and my symptoms are the same as before the surgery..... cheek pressure, extreme nose pain
Amanda says
So, it has been a year and almost two months since my surgery. My nasal passages are widened and able too drain,
Unfortunately I also Found out I had Systemic Lupus and immunodeficiency disorder.
My sinuses did not fully heal and I continued too get infections.
I am now on an IV medication for a month called InVanz to help flush my sinuses, and a possible spinal tap to check for excess fluid and pressure due to headaches and eye swelling.
It’s been a long road and I’m only now starting to heal sinus wise.
Renee says
It's been months since I've been on here. I do have an update. Since my surgery in February, I no longer get migraines. (Yay!) However, I still suffer from seasonal allergies and my ENT suggested a Kenalog shot. Stupidly, I agreed without doing my research and found out it was a steroid injection. Well, I had a bad reaction to it. My entire arm swelled up and I had joint pain all over my body. Felt like a bad flu. Anyway, the shot didn't work and I am still suffering with allergies. Don't know if I should just see an allergist or just take my Zyrtec whenever I need it.
David Greene says
I'm still the same, almost 2 yrs later. I nose feels full of hard mucus and my cheek is swollen. . In 2 yrs, I've had a maxillary sinus surgical cyst removed, a FESS, and in Sept a nerve repair. I continue to have problems. My face in red now w/o a fever and I continue with swollen cheek and extreme pain. Has anyone had these issues?
David Greene says
Update: I had a infraorbital nerve repair and the swelling and pain continues. The mircroneurosurgeon had another CT scan ordered and was gonna send me to a neruosurgeon for a mama knife but the CT scan showed sinus issues so he diecided to send me to ENT first. The ENT said I had 4 issues that could case terrible pain and insists on another FESS. I was shocked and told him I had already had a FESS in Jan 2017. He told me to look at is as FINSHING the FESS. I'm totally confused and scheduled for the surgery April 11th. 🙁
David Greene says
Sorry for all the errors. I can't see what I type. print to small on puter.
David Greene says
My surgery went well yesterday. With endoscopic, doctor did the Maxillary Ethmoid,, Sphenoid,, fFontal sinus , and septoplasty. I've been on Demerol since the surgery. I set alarm every 4 hrs for night and day, so i can keep in front of the pain. This 2nd endoscopic sinus surgery is different than before. I didn't have the septoplasty or Sphenoid last time. This time I have the gauze in front of nose to collect blood. . I gargled air last night and this morning i'm coughing, sounding like I'm trying to cough mucus or blood. Is the gargling sound normal with breathing ? Coughing the day after surgery with mucus/blood ?
Jo says
Hi David. Glad your surgery went well. I had extensive surgery this time last year, just like you did. Recovery was not bad at all.
Totally normal to cough up some blood. I did the first day or two. It wasn't copious, so I didn't worry too much. I would imagine if there was a sudden increase and the blood was turning bright red, you would want to have that checked out asap.
Good luck with the rest of your recovery. I do think the way they do this surgery today is much easier to recover from than in days past. A year later and I am breathing wonderfully with no complications to speak of.
David Greene says
2 days after FESS and septum straightenig, my throat and mouth are totally dry. I woke with my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I can't drink 24 hrs a day. Anyone have suggestions other than sucking on drops ?
Jo says
I use Biotene at night. Just rinse with it like mouthwash, doing it for at least 30 seconds to coat everything inside your mouth. Do this after sipping the last of any liquids you may be sipping on. If you wake up in the middle of the night, there is a Biotene spray you can squirt in your mouth. I had the same issue, and this helped me.
David Greene says
Update: No improvement with my extreme pressure/pain on left and right side of nostrils and under nose. I had a Gamma Knife Dec 27. 2018. No improvement so far with that either.
Janice Sullivan says
Hello,
Thanks for all your information. I also had septoplasty, turbinectomy and deviated septum repair. I'm eight weeks postop and still have green mucus drainage. I thought the mucus would be gone by now but doc says I have allergies and need allergy shots now. Ugh. This surgery was worse than expected. I'm wondering when this mucus drainage will stop. I still can't blow my nose correctly. Everything drains down my throat and sinuses hurt on the left where the drainage is. I use the neti bottle with Alkylol or steroid twice a day. Still draining. Do you know when this drainage will stop. I really don't want allergy shots. Thanks so much
Janice
Dayle says
Hi Janice, I went through this horrific ordeal I feel your pain. I am grateful though that I did heal and am 100% better than I was before going into this. I wouldn't have said this a yr ago. It took me a solid yr to feel back to normal. It was horrible. As far as Allergy shots I had the same issue even after the surgery my allergies are so bad that I was still always sick. My Dr suggested I do allergy DROPS. the difference being you don't have to go to the office weekly you only go every 90 days and get a new Vial. I do one drop in the am and 2 in the pm and it has been 1 and 1/2 yrs I have been doing them and I just started my maintenance bottle. The vial is a mixture of all the allergens you are allergic to and the build up your immunities to them in 90 day increments. early on into the program I quit. I was still getting sick and they are costly ( which I told them I couldn't afford them and they take half of what they originally told me it was going to cost. So be sure to stress to them if you want them but cant afford it). They talked me back into it and I am so grateful. Everyone in my office are suffering with their allergies this month and I feel GREAT! It does take some time but I STRONGLY suggest you look into them they have changed my life!
spinal adjustment says
Rehabilitation process may be speed up by some Osteopathic help.
Daniel says
Hi beautiful: I just had nasal endoscopy surgery... You helped me understand it is normal to feel badly like I have a cold. I am in Tampa awaiting Hurricane Irma. You could be a real weather girl tonight. Thank you for your inspiration...Fair winds and following seas!
Ann says
Marice my pressure is above my upper lip and beside my nose, Also pressure, stinging on tongue and back of tongue. It wasn't caused by the sugery, I had the surgery in hopes that it would go away. I had the facal stimulator Monday, the trial. The trail will be removein 7 days. If it helps, surgery for permanent stimulator will be schedl
Jean says
Marce,
I'm not even on Facebook but this is an important reason to get on the site. I'll get on in the next few days when I get a chance after work and look for you. Thanks. Jean
Jean says
It's been one year next week since my sinus surgery and the symptoms that you describe are exactly what I feel. Constant pressure behind & between my eyes and up my forehead. I'm used to living with the pain but usually have to take ibuprofen or something about once a week if it gets bad enough. I've spent so much money at all types of doctors to no avail. From what I've read I think that it is trigeminal neuralgia but my newest doctor hasn't suggested testing for that. She has me on something for anxiety even though I tell her that I don't feel anxious. I'm still praying that it will eventually go away or I will get help for it. My surgery was definitely not worth it I'm sorry to say.
Marce says
Hi Jean. I have the same exact pressure in the same places. Behind my nose and up into my forehead. I have been trying to figure it out. I think Ann does too. I wish we could all communicate because maybe we could help each other find out what the best thing would be to do to make it better. It's been scary and awful to live with.
David Greene says
I do believe we could have nerve damage 🙁
Marce says
Yes. We do. If I could go back and never have had this sinus surgery I would. No one told me of the risk of nerve damage or empty nose syndrome. It should be required that the ENT's verbally tell you of these risks before you have surgery. Just so you have all of the info and are properly warned. So you can make an informed decision.
David Greene says
I had my pain before sinus surgery and I had my sinus surgery in hopes it would eleviate my pain. I thought a maxillary sinus cyst caused mine but as usual, doctors don't agree. I was just sent to another ENT who said I must have the sinus surgery again, to finish the surgery FESS I had Jan 1017. This ENT says with my sinus damage, 4 of these sinus issues could cause my serere pain. I asked him about nerve damage with another FESS and he said he isn't going near nerves. I'm soooo confused. I've seen sooo many docs since this pain and swelling started 1/2016. My names is showing as my hubbies now instead of Ann
Amanda says
Hi Pam. I had surgery four weeks ago and I am experiencing the same vertigo and pulling sensation. I was wondering if it cleared up or what you did to help it. I ask the doctor and he brushes it off. I am tired of being like this!
Marce says
Jean. Can you friend me on Facebook? I'm under Marcy Wecker Herbert. Or you can message me there I think it would be good to have a support group of people who have this. Maybe there is help out there.
CJ says
Marcy, I just sent you a message on Facebook. Not sure you will receive it since we are not FB friends. I am 7 months out from sinus surgery. I too have extreme pressure between eyes and up into forehead. And, now I have pain from eyes down to teeth.
Surgeon has me taking Itraconazole - an anti-fungal medication. After 2 days my blood pressure shot up. Not sure what to do.
CJ says
Also, lost sense of smell. Now I have strange "perfume-like" odor that I smell.
Sarah says
CJ --I had septoplasty, turbinate reduction via cauterization and cleaning of sinuses on 1/18/18. And then I had a 2nd sinus surgery to clean out infection on 8/2/18. I now have a strange "perfume-like" odor that I smell in my left nostril. I wanted to know if your perfume smell went away and if so what did you do? It is driving me crazy and all I want is to smell and taste again like a normal person. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
Marce says
Hi. I did get your message. We will start a support group on FB to communicate and see if we can help each other with these issues. Marce
CJ says
It was not the Itraconazole that caused my blood pressure to spike. Was OTC pseudoephedrine. And, since I posted my ENT has been in touch with me. Definitely trying to help me feel better.
Phytoloon@yahoo.com says
I saw a neurosurgeon then a microneuuosurgeon. I.have TN with compressin is the orbital something nerve. My surgery is Thursday to decompress the nerve
Anna says
Nice post, thanks for sharing..
Precious Leyva says
I've been thinking about seeing a doctor to help with my sinus problems; I didn't even cross my mind that I could possibly have surgery. I'm glad to know now that it is important to take it easy the first few days because they are the hardest. It's great that you are feeling back to normal after your sinus surgery. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Helen de Montalk says
I have had this surgery 5 times, the most recently being a fortnight ago. I have a cystic fibrosis type condition with the addition of bronchiectasis, a lung disease which results in constant, serious lung infections.
After my second sinus surgery I was recovering at home. Got to the 2 week post op mark and decided I was fine and could start doing stuff including lifting something quite heavy. That was a dumb idea as this caused an arterial haemorrhage which required an ambulance to hospital, several unsuccessful attempts to stop the bleeding (involving sticking a device up my nose which inflates. If you thought any part of the surgery was painful it wasn't compared to this, believe me). Finally that worked then I got transported by another ambulance to a different specialist hospital for 2 days. A nightmare. Lesson from this - DON'T lift anything heavy for a month post op.
The surgery I have recently had is bilateral partial medial maxillectomies and is the last surgery I can have so I'm rather hoping it works.
Ann says
Doctors don't care enough to reach the exact reason for the pain and insurance companies only want to go by their SET rules and not logical thinking
Ann says
MM
My horrible pain continues since Jan 2016, I've had no life. Neurosurgeon has scheduled a "facial pain stimulator" for July. Meanwhile, during a check up with my TMJ total joint replacements, another doc found heterotopic bone growth on my left prosthesis which can cause swelling and the pain. Sadly the doctor who found this on the same CT they were using, is not in network for insurance so i'll have to have stimulator
Heather says
Wow, thanks so much for sharing your experience with surgery. There are a lot of unexpected effects during recovery, but it sounds like you got through it with minimal complications. Thanks so much for sharing!
Ann says
I'm sorry to report that my symtoms are still the same. My ears remain clogged, popping sometimes. My sinus pressure is still the same and my tongue and back of tongue is still the same. I remain miserable and have been told it's Trigeminal Nerve pain. I've been sent to a neurosurgeon who recommends a face stimulator. at Emory. I will have the 1st surgery for a trial stimulator July 12th. If that works then a permanent stimulator will be implanted, much like pacemakers. This has been a very long 1 1/2 years, very miserable.
Ramona says
Ann before another surgery, get a complete physical--Check Thyroid (T4 and T3, it affects everything!!!) and Adrenals. Adrenals cause a lot of sinus issues, and ears can feel plugged. While it might not be what you're looking for it's worth a try
Ramona says
Ann--any update?
Marce says
I wanted to reply to Ann. I think I have trigeminal nerve damage/pain from sinus surgery I had 5 months ago. I'm trying to find out what to do. My recovery was difficult but I now have a horrible pressure behind my nose and up into my forehead, like if someone was squeezing in back of my nose up into my head. I think it stems from my nose. The pressure is horrible. It feels like if someone had just put their fist up inside and back of my nose into my forehead which always feels very tight. When I asked my surgeon why I had this pressure and what it was he just told me I have to "learn to live with the pressure." I asked him then why did I have sinus surgery? I did not have this pressure before sinus surgery. A neurologist mentioned that the bundle of nerves behind my nose may have been affected. I'm kind of lost and don't know what to do. It's strange, when I am lying down to sleep my nose is pretty clear but when I am upright it feels pretty stuffed up. If anyone else has this nose and forehead pressure after surgery or trigeminal nerve pain/pressure please let me know. Thanks.
Ann says
I keep trying to reply and it won't let me
Phytoloon@yahoo.com says
I'm at Emory now waiting for the surgery t place the trial fact pain stimulator. My Tmj surgeon is out of network for insurance so I have a flight Wednesday for Dallas and San Antonio in 2 wks to find a surgeon who can remove the hetertopic bone growth around my Tmj total joint replacements which could be causing all of this
Jim says
I have been having vision problems in my left eye since the surgery. I most notice it in the morning. It's like a blurry blob in my field of vision. Was wondering if anyone else had vision problems too.
JulieWunder says
Hi Ann! You're comment got sucked into my spam filter. You are approved to comment now! Sorry for the trouble.
Marce says
Please try again Ann. Thanks.
phytoloon@yahoo.com says
Thursday week, I had microneurosurgery on the infraorbital nerve, a division of the trigmeminal nerve. The entrapment of the nerve was caused by calcium build up where the nerve passes through the cheek bone. He cleaned out the passage, cleaned up the scar tissue around the nerve, and put a nerve bandage that helps to promote healing and regeneration of the nerve.
He compared it to a compressed nerve in the back. He said 50-50 chance for improvement given length of time for nerve damage The tightness on left side is better but the pressure like hard mucus up my nose is the same so far
David Greene says
I continue w/ the same pain and swelling now including red cheek. 🙁
Ann says
My pain continues and the swelling worsens as well. ... Ann
JulieWunder says
So sorry Ann!
Amanda says
I am now 5 months post-op the first four were terrible for me... I had the strep infection in my nasal passages and was not healing.
After two rounds of augmentin, nasal rinse with bactroban, normal nasal spray, my allergy pill and now having been 5 weeks on allergy shots and I am finally healing.
I also had my tonsils removed three mo the after the nasal done.
My post nasal drip down my Throat all the time is gone, I'm not crusting up any longer. It f
Renee says
Over 2 months post-op and I'd say I'm doing tremendously well. No problems, just slight nose tenderness. Having a clear nose certainly allows my allergies to flare up but it's not too bad. Thankfully, this has seemed to solve my migraine issues. I don't go back for a follow up until July, but I'm thinking my doctor did pretty amazing work.
Jo says
Same here Renee. I am only 3 weeks out and I am really doing surprisingly well. I can breathe! Best of all, I can taste my food and smell everything. I lost this ability before the surgery and didn't even realize how long I was suffering. I also had bad migraines and feared the surgery would worsen that. For me, my headaches are much better so far, not worse. I had a lot of surgery done too, so the fact I have had an easy recovery speaks volumes of choosing a good surgeon to begin with. I also swear by doing a lot of saline rinses during recovery, staying hydrated, and taking supplements to help repair your immune system.
Renee says
Yes, the saline rinse is a ritual for me. I've come to enjoy it actually. Glad to hear you're doing so well! Be careful not to bump your nose. My chihuahua gets overly excited with his kisses and he got me a few times. That was painful but no damage done.
Jo says
I like doing the rinses too. The more I can feel like I am doing something to aid in my healing, the better. I also put a moisturizer inside the nasal cavities. My doctor recommended a product called Ayr. I use the stuff that comes out of a small tube and it keeps the dryness down. I think it's comparable to Vaseline.
I don't let anything come near the nose. It got bumped once and it sent me through the roof. No damage done, but I know I will be cautious for a long time to come.
Renee says
I didn't use a moisturizer, I definitely should had though. My nostril edges hurt because they were so try. I do saline sprays like Ocean to keep moisture up in there. Don't want a nosebleed.
Speaking of getting bumped, last nurse who was prepping me to go home, bumped my nose and let's just say I was cursing at her for everyone to hear because the blood started to flow and I wasn't in pain meds. It was very painful and made me extremely angry.
Ann says
I'm post op 3 1/2 months. I feel tremendious pressure in my nose, tongue pain and ear feels "stopped up". Am I alone with this ? Is any of this normal that could go away eventually w/o further treatment? ............... A neurosurgeon wants to use a stimulator but I'm scared since I've had 2 surgeries already to fix this issue.
Ramona says
Ann--check out silent reflux--causes a lot of stopped up feelings. It's silent because no heartburn, but can still affect sinuses. Worth looking into maybe? Good luck!
Ramona says
Ann--have you considered silent reflux? It seems to be my problem now. My nose functions well, but I feel stuffed nose. When not stuffed it's serious post nasal drip. Dr put me on Nexium, Zantac, I've had to eat non acid foods (very limited) and sleep elevated. I have no heartburn (so the "silent" part) can make ears feel stuffed too. I've heard it takes a couple of months, but wow, it's miserable. Worth asking about though, half the country suffers from it, and it can explain the "clogged" feeling
Ann says
yes and I went back to my GI doc to check my nissen fundoplication. .... it's still good. ALso the GI did the camera down my throat with a PH meter check ......... all is fine so it isn't my reflux surgery going bad
Ramona says
Silent reflux sometimes doesn't show-- there's 4 different tests. Do you have post nasal drip? Also a rare thing called Mariners? Has to do with clogged ears.
Ann says
no I don't have post nasal drip and I never have colds and I don't have Mariners. My GI doc said the test showed the opposite of acid, alklin. The only thing I know I have is heterotopic bone formation on my left TMJ total joint replacement prosthesis. I have noise when I eat but no pain in joint area.
phytoloon@yahoo.com says
Thursday I had microneurosurgery on the infraorbital nerve, a division of the trigmeminal nerve. The entrapment of the nerve was caused by calcium build up where the nerve passes through the cheek bone. He cleaned out the passage, cleaned up the scar tissue around the nerve, and put a nerve bandage that helps to promote healing and regeneration of the nerve.
He compared it to a compressed nerve in the back. He said 50-50 chance for improvement given length of time for nerve damage Has anyone had this before please ?
Ramona says
Hi! thank you for this blog! I had what you had, cleaning out and deviated septum. Did they do anything to your turbinates? I'm almost 5 weeks out and really stuffy feeling! Dr said inflammation is down, but my turbinates are swollen? (He didn't touch those)
Did you feel stuffy for the first 8 weeks? Anyone else go thru this and what did you do to fix it? I don't have asthma and not allergic to anything (but I must be?) . Thanks!!!
Jo says
Hi Ramona. I had a turbinate reduction, along with a septoplasty. In total, I had 5 procedures done to make me functional again. Today I go to get my splints out and get my first clean out. I'm stuffy, but I am only a week out from the surgery. From what I read here, stuffiness is a very common complaint, even weeks out from surgery. Turbinate reduction is also a procedure many of us have had.
Have you been doing daily irrigation with a neti pot or saline sprays? Even if you are non allergic, I get the impression that our delicate sinuses really need this after surgery to stay moist and more functional. I personally intend to do the rinses from here on in. The rinses may also help with the swelling. I know I was doing them before surgery and it was the only way I could breathe at all.
Hopefully a few others can jump in and give you good feedback.
JulieWunder says
Hi Romona! I was def stuffy for a while. It think it was a lot of swelling like you mentioned. Sadly I think time was what helped! Perhaps someone else who reads this could offer some guidance. Good luck and thanks for writing.
Sandy says
Jo, thanks for your story! Can you talk about how you found a good surgeon and what skills you were looking for? Did you have the opportunity to talk with different surgeons and if so what were the questions you asked to determine who you wanted to perform the surgery? The breathing treatment was so smart...do you recall the name of it? And is there any possibility of naming your surgeon? It would be great to pass his/her technique on to other patients and surgeons. I appreciate the details you wrote about in terms of what made it more comfortable for you. Pre operative care is so important! Ive been on an elimination diet, cleansings, thyroid therapy all, very likely in preparation for the next step...sinus surgery. I hope mine is as successful as yours!
Jo says
Hi Julie. I just wanted to let everyone know how my septoplasty/ rhinoplasty went. I also was having cysts removed, turbinate reduction and a FESS done to open up all my passages. My procedure was 4 hours long. I was supposed to go in May 5th, but got the call last Thursday that I could go in yesterday. I took the date.
I truly doing well! I can actually feel my breath through my nose, even with the swelling that started last night. I thought I would be in terrible pain since I was having so many things done at once. I would say the hardest part for me was feeling woozie after the anesthetic. I have minimal bleeding right now and I can comfortably clean the crusts out of my nose. I am doing this several times a day. It hurt the first time I did it, but now it feels pretty good. I used saline spray up my nostrils, dab the inner cuts with peroxide (it only gives me a sort of pleasant warm feeling when I do it), and then I swab each cut with the antibiotic cream. I have only needed 3 Percosets since being 24 hours out and doubt I will need much more. I took one to actually help me sleep, which I did last night. I had several pillows propped up under my head and a few under my knees which was pretty darn comfortable.
I'll list what I think has helped me have a good experience so far;
I cancelled my surgery back in February since I got bronchitis and decided to get as well as possible before going under.
I really improved my diet before surgery, eating tons of fruit and drinking water.
I take several vitamins to boost my immune system and have been doing this for many months before I even saw an ENT.
I used my Netipot everyday for weeks before my surgery. It only worked for one side of my face since the other side was so obstructed.
I picked a really awesome surgeon who was not only very skilled, but truly kind and compassionate.
Had the surgery in a top notched hospital where I felt as relaxed and taken care as possible.
The anesthesiologist gave me a wonderful breathing treatment before surgery to protect my asthmatic lungs. I can honestly say I have no breathing issues now. I didn't even get a sore throat from being intubated. She also gave me an antil nausea patch before I went in.
I am resting, but do get up every hour of so to stretch to feel better. I eat a lot of small meals to keep my strength up.
Water, water, water. I drink tons of it to stay hydrated. I haven't been dizzy or nauseous since the ride home.
Along with the medications I was given, I added a supplement to my post surgical list called Bromelain. It's simply a pineapple extract that is a very good anti inflammatory (I am also on Prednidone). Bromelain is also used to help those of us with asthma. I did check with my surgeon that I could take this immediately after surgery since there were some vitamins and minerals I was't allowed before surgery and cannot resume until I am 2 weeks out like Fish Oil and Condrointin.
I do use ice packs on my cheeks and forehead for the swelling. I swab on Arnicare Gel on my bruised cheeks. It a natural remedy that even my surgeon recommended.
The surgeon had told my husband that when he went in there to see my nasal and sinus passages, he was surprised I could breath at all. So possibly the reason I am not having extreme discomfort 24 hours out may be because I was so obstructed and miserable before hand and was used to feeling this way.
If I can help anyone out there, please feel free to ask. I was really scared of this surgery, but now I am sitting here feeling pretty good and glad I did it. I must say, I do not have any packing up my nose, just splints which I really don't feel.
JulieWunder says
I am so glad you are doing so well! That's amazing. Best of luck with the rest of your recovery and thanks for sharing your story.
Jo says
Thank-you Julie. I am on day six of my recovery and it's been pretty uneventful. I am thinking I just had a really good surgeon who spared me the traditional packing (I think he used a gel type material because I keep cleaning out this goo when I do the saline rinses). I haven't been shy using the pain medication that was sent home with me, taking it more proactively than waiting to feel really miserable. I also sleep pretty well since I can sort of breathe out one nostril and it really doesn't feel that much different than my chronic sinusitis always felt like. I don't sleep upright, but up on a few pillows as instructed. It makes sleeping pretty comfortable.
I'm still drinking tons of water and taking my supplements.
I do my rinses several times a day which includes using peroxide on a q-tip to clean out the crusting and then applying the antibiotic cream.
I am staying pretty active without overdoing it (light house chores and cooking meals). It seems to be keeping my energy level up so far.
I finish off my antibiotics and prednisone tomorrow.
Tuesday (day 8) the cast and the splits come off. I had a rhinoplasty with the septoplasty, hence the nose cast.
I hope I can encourage others to not fear this surgery; that if you have been sick for a long time like I was, this will feel like a godsend if you put yourself in the right hands. I cannot give my surgeon enough credit for all the measures he took to give thorough instruction on caring for nose and for using up to date techniques in putting me back together. 🙂
I will check back in after my first follow up. Hoping that won't be too bad. I plan to take some medication before that appointment and have my husband drive me.
Kip says
Thanks to all for your perspectives - they've helped a bunch. I'm 3 months past a septorhinoplasty to correct a deviated septum, with turbinate reduction performed at the same time. I'll attest to the fatigue - feel better - increase the activity - fatigue cycle, as I've gone through it a couple of times, starting about a week and a half after surgery. I was feeling decent and rather than gradually increasing my activity I bumped it up fairly quickly, which knocked me back a ways. I think the swelling contributed to a sinus infection that idled me for a couple of weeks, then I resumed exercise on a limited level (about 60 percent of what I'd normally do, and every other day rather than 3 out of 4 days. That went well for a while, so about a week ago I increased to 80 percent for 3 out of 4 days - and really felt it again. It's not so much feeling tired as feeling like my nose and sinuses are swollen again, which is pretty distracting. So ... I'm easing off again and forcing myself to keep it at a more reasonable level longer. It's reassuring to hear that this isn't unique, that others haven't gotten back to feeling "normal" for this long or longer. Good luck to all!
Ann says
I had FESS in Jan .. my nose is better, still not good tho. I now have clogged ears, muffled sound.. popping sometimes. Did anyone experience this after sinus surgery, please ?
Aqil says
Hi Ann,
I am experiencing a similar issue around muffled sound and clogged right ear. Feels like water trapped which causes pressure and some pain. How are you now.? Did you also have head pressure headaches also?
Ann says
yes and I'm the same. I have pressure in my nose and cheek swelling and a stinging tongue. I've had two sinus surgeries in a yr 1 removed a surgical ciliated cyst in the maxillary sinus, 2 FESS .... neither has helped. 13 months later my Eustation Tube has pressure as well with muffled hearing. I have been referred to a neurosurgeon for nerve pain. I'll keep you updated
Ann says
yes ty ... I'm doing a tiny bit better with the nose pressure. But I continue with the earing issiue, popping, clogged, etc, m swelling in cheek, I also have head and eye pressure sometimes but not often . I have been referred to a neurosurgeon. I'll keep u posted I hope your better very soon
Jody says
Hi Ann. I know it has been a long time since you posted. I had turbinate reduction in November 2019 and have had major issues with my ears/eustachian tubes since then. Constantly retracted eardrum, needing to pop my ears constantly, pain in ears, and cloggged/muffled feeling. How are you doing now? Have you done anything for your ears? I have seen several otologist and they recommend surgery since my left eardrum is wrapping around my bone now.
Please let me know how you are doing now - hope you get this message.
ann says
hi, I;m so sorry you are having problems. My ears are normal now with no helicopter sounds. But I remain in horrible nose pain especially after eating, chewing. I've been through so much since my surgery in 2016 but my ears are fine at the moment. I hope someone can give you input help. Keep searching.
jo says
i have the samw..clogged ears
.somewhat stiffy and balance is off
does anyone have an wxplanation
my surgury was in january 2017
Amanda says
In just 6 hours I will be waking up to go in for surgery number 2. This time they are removing the tonsils and doing a nasal debriebment. Since thanksgiving I have battled Strep Throat three times ontop of finding out that When my nose was. It healing, a culture was done and low and behold I also had strep in my nasal passages.
They just did my streptomycin levels... should be between 0-200... I am a 308.79
The hope is with the removal of tonsils now that my nose is healing after about six rounds of medication is that the strep will stop as well. The same surgeon who did my nasal is doing tonsils as well.
Fingers crossed.
P.S. any advice would be great. So far I know drinks should be room temp or warm... nothing red. First week is soft things and cold things like jello. Ice chips, Italian ice and freeze pops.
If anyone hasn't more advice fantastic!
JulieWunder says
Good luck! I hope it goes well for you.
Gail says
Hi there
I just got fess surgery turb reduction tonsils and adenoids out all Sametime 2weeks ago and omg the tonsils are the worst part smoothies are the besttttttt for the PAIN I HAD THE ICEES POPSCILES ITLAIN ICE SNOWBALLS BUT THE SMOOTHIES HELPED. Hope you recover quickly...
Amanda says
So I’ve healed fairly well, although I still have some issues and found I have Sjogrens Syndrome, another autoimmune disorder which makes my eyes, throat, and nose dry.
But overall much better than I was doing previously.
Dayle says
Oh believe me sometimes I can give more encouraging words than I give to myself. It can really get you down being so fatigue and believe me there has been times I needed to be talked out of thinking there was something else seriously wrong with me bc it just didn't seem like this surgery should have taken so long to heal and so much longer to get your energy back. I just went to my ENT yesterday and I have another sinus infection which seems to be caused by my allergies but it scares me to death bc that is what started this whole ordeal for me was a sinus infection that they couldn't get rid of. Fingers crossed that I get rid of this one quickly!
Jean says
Dayle I do remember past posts & your comments helped me so much. I was just starting to feel like my old self for about 3 weeks & then suddenly I was extremely fatigued again. It's hard to pace yourself when you've been waiting so long to get back to doing the things you love. I needed reassurance so that I wouldn't start thinking something else is wrong with me. I appreciate so much everyone's support on this site.
Vikki Shantz says
Read this blog post-surgery, TG not before, probably would not have gone through with it. But thank you all for your input, I needed to know why I wasn't feeling any better as an inpatient patient. Am 3 weeks past a pretty major 3 hour surgery 15 years in the making. Suffered just about everything I read except for sickness and infections.Would like to add a few tips that helped me along the way in hope I can help someone feel better going through this process. My recommendations:
Meds: If taking opioids, try to get off them within a week and remember how they slow bodily functions so take precautions with that. Dr.’s recommend not taking ibuprofen or aspirin initially as they increase blood flow, use acetaminophen instead. Took both after getting off the opioid to mitigate pain. I took a probiotic along with the antibiotic to help with balancing the gut.
Daily routine: Lavage 3x a day using NeilMed sinus rinse system. Instead of buying packets, I made my own solution. 8 oz pure water warmed in microwave, add ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp baking soda. Stir, fill bottle, rinse. I also used Arm & Hammer Simply Saline when I needed extra rinsing. I could blow my nose gently after each treatment once the packing was removed. When going outside, I wore a scarf to cover my nose as the air hurt my raw nostrils.
Topical analgesics: I used a homeopathic nasal emollient called Ponaris (aromatic oils of pine, eucalyptus & peppermint in cottonseed oil base) to soften nasal tissue and reduce pain. At night I used Vicks vapor rub dabbed on upper lip and around nostrils to help me breathe better during the night.
Night routine: Pain pill, decongestant pill, Vicks rub under nose, ice water with straw next to bed along with Halls sugar-free lozenges, chapstick, box of tissues. I also used 2 pillows under head and a small lumbar pillow under lower back for support.
That's it. After 3+ weeks am still tired, taking ibuprofen, have tooth numbness/throbbing, feel facially fragile and sensitive, can breathe a bit better and can sleep for 5 hours straight, so think I am getting better, Wishing you well. VS
JulieWunder says
Thanks for sharing your tips too! Hope you get better soon.
Eric says
Great practical tips
Dayle says
Hi! If you read past posts everyones main complaint Post Surgery was the Fatigue and how long it lasted. I didn't feel like I got my energy back to where it was prior to the surgery for at least 9 mos. That was the worst part for me. I am 56 yrs old and a very hands on Grammie and it took me a long time to be able to take the kids over night after the surgery and prior to it I was taking them every other weekend.
Jo says
I'm also 56 years old and have read about this fatigue. I haven't had my surgery as of yet since mine got postponed due to a bad case of bronchitis. But I can tell you and everyone else that I do feel enormous fatigue now! I really believe that having so many URIs over the years does impact our health. Probably another consideration is that if you aren't feeling good, you probably exercise less. It's a vicious cycle. I hope I will remember all this when my time comes for my surgery and recovery.
I enjoy reading everyone's thoughts and experiences as I get ready for all this.
Jean says
Has anyone suffered from bouts. of extreme fatigue 7 months after surgery? I was feeling pretty normal & started my normal routine including watching grandkids & working out some & working full time, etc. & then the fatigue hit me hard & it's been 10 days now. I just want my life back. Please let me know if this is normal for anyone else. I'll be 63 in 2 weeks but my age never affected me until after this surgery. Thanks.
Jo says
Hi Jean. I had an unrelated surgery a few years ago and I do remember it took months for me to get my energy back. I think just about any surgery will have that impact. It's probably worse when we get older, since we heal a bit slower. I hope yours comes back sooner, rather than later. Wishing you the best.
jim pillow says
Julie I Had sinus surgery yesterday, March 7th 2017 and did not have any pain the next day and very little bleeding, My BIGGEST problem is my nose or sinus is completely stopped up. Having problems breathing through my nose. Anyone experienced this as well??? If so have any suggestions, have tried nasal salone solutions to no avail. Thanks jim
Amanda says
So not being able to breathe after surgery is completely normal. You have packing and possible splints in your nose depending upon the surgery. You will have scabbing and crushing. I started being able to blow my nose after a week. Unfortunately I had chronic sinusitis so I've had a few bouts while healing. But now it's been 3 months and I'm breathing better. I still have to have cleanings often but I can feel a difference. Use salene sprays to keep it moist. Good luck!
I'm going in for tonsil surgery due to three bouts since thanksgiving plus a round in my nasal passages: My sinus surgeon is doing my tonsils as well Monday.
Just keep resting, fluids and no strenuous activity. It's a long road but you will breathe better.
JulieWunder says
Hi Jim, I definitely remember feeling like I could not breathe for a long time but it did get better with time. Now I can breathe better than ever. Hope it's the same for you. --Julie
jim pillow says
Had sinus surgery yesterday, March 7th 2017 and did not have any pain the next day and very little bleeding, My BIGGEST problem is my nose or sinus is completely stopped up. Having problems breathing through my nose. Anyone experienced this as well??? If so have any suggestions, have tried nasal salone solutions to no avail. Thanks jim
Dayle says
I had my surgery cancelled last minute also due to a low result in my pre op blood work which ended up being nothing at all but the way I looked at it to get me through was everything happens for a reason and maybe the surgery wouldn't have gone well on that day! Down side is my deductible was all paid and I had to start over!
Jo says
I have to believe that when a surgery gets cancelled, it's for the better. My husband has been sick with the same virus, so even if I had been well enough for the surgery, recovery would have been risky with him still hacking around me.
Having to wait another 9 weeks though is a little demoralizing. Maybe I should be happy he is a well sought after doctor and getting rescheduled so far out is not a bad thing at all. I do like him and I think he will do his very best for me when the time comes. Besides, the weather is warmer and more humid in May where I live. That means it will be easier on my asthma symptoms when I am recovering.
Jo says
Just wanted to update. My surgery was cancelled because I came down with bronchitis. So demoralizing since I did all my pre op work to get ready. Now the next available date is May 5th! Yes, he's a busy surgeon. But having lousy sinuses and prolonged anxiety about this surgery is not easy to take. I can only hope it's worth the wait.
I guess the positive side of things is that I have two months to fully recover from this rather severe upper respiratory virus. It has been with me on and off since last Christmas! I can't imagine having any active virus going on with this sort of surgery and recovery.
I hope everyone that just had this done will be feeling better with each day.
Renee says
Today, I am 7 days postop. I'm feeling a lot better now that I can breathe and actually smell and taste my food. My stents came out yesterday which I was anxious about, but it wasn't bad at all. Didn't hurt, felt weird though, also had the goo sucked out as well. That, was an experience. No pain, just strange.
Since that appointment, I can breathe freely through my nose, sleep with my mouth closed, taste. It's very nice. My energy is still low, but I drove myself to Rite Aid to pick up some Neilmed Sinus Rinse. I love this stuff, works wonders already.
I haven't taken any pain medication. I had some ear pain and some sinus pressure, but nothing bad. I'm just using saline sprays to keep my nose wet, and the sinus rinse to flush it out. It's almost therapeutic and I can't believe I enjoy it.
I don't have any tooth numbness, some tenderness though, but I do have upper lip numbness. My eyes are still dry but I'm using Systane Ultra to help with that.
Still have nose tenderness, but I'm careful not to budge it or touch it too much. Can't wait for the day I can blow my nose. Two weeks, but I'll be gentle for a while.
Would I ever do this again? Only if it was absolutely necessary. I did have one of the best ENTs in my area/state, so I felt comfortable trusting him. I used to debate on getting a rhinoplasty just for vain purposes, but after this, I've decided to forego that decision.
Happiness will be achieved once I can get back to the pool and scuba diving without issues. Hopefully all is well and healed by the end of the summer.
Tiffany says
All the reviews were very helpful especially yours. I had surgery on Monday march 13th terrified it was my second surgery. It started out with sinus infection then eventually I started losing my smell and taste over the last 7 years since surgery which was the only reason I decided to have a second surgery because of all of the steroids I've been on over the years. Well today makes 5 days feeling a little better but still very light headed which is totally throwing me off because last time I was unable to drive for at least a month. I honestly just nervous about my smell and taste coming back honestly that's the only reason I convince myself to do the surgery again just to be healthy again. I go back for follow up on Tuesday can't wait till he tell me I can blow my nose thank goodness. If you can tell me any updates or advance I would appreciate it. Thank you
Dayle says
Yes I do remember having numbness for much longer than I would have thought but then again I didn't know I was going to have numbness in my teeth at all LOL! Hang in there!
Melissa says
I am a few months out from my surgery, but am still having numbness in a couple of my teeth. Has anyone else experienced this after surgery??
Dayle says
You poor thing! I feel so bad for everyone who goes through this bc I feel their pain. I cant believe or understand why NO ONES Drs. want to own up to the fact that that surgery is hell! Hang in there. I also have to say if you aren't able to rinse that will cause problems so if I were you I would go into the Dr. and demand they do something to make it possible to rinse. I get it about lack of sleep too. If you cant get any sleep how the hell are you supposed to heal.
GG says
Here I am day number 7 after surgery. After reading so much information about septoplasty I am educated after the fact. I am not sure I would have gone through with it. My biggest problem is not breathing and the tubes to my ears the eustacian tubes clog up and then there is awful pressure.
On prednisone day five and no results still clogged. I was told I could use Afrin but I am fearful of the retro issues which I had in the past. I had to sleep last night I washed both nostrils with saline hardly any goes in because of the clogged passages. Used a little Afrin in one nostril and then used two breathe right strips to open my nose, it helped was able to rest for 6 hours of sleep which I have not had.
I can deal with most of the pain but after 3 days of mouth breathing and no sleep it is depressing.
I too was not told about post surgery in fact many of the office staff said oh some people can breathe IMMEDIATELY
after the surgery they are so happy. I have not seen one person say that after septoplasty. I will keep you posted as to the length of time it takes to recover.
Renee says
Day 5 post op and I am definitely sleeping better. Still have to sleep with gauze under my nose for drainage but it's not too bad.
The one thing that is bothering me is my burning stinging eyes that will water. This is both eyes, but only the inner corners have this sensation. I called and asked my doc about it, he said use artificial tears. I do, yet no effects aren't lasting. Anybody else have this type of problem with their eyes following surgery? Should I see my eye doc about it? This started the evening of the day I had my surgery.
Renee says
Is it strange to be able to feel and hear my nose bubbling? I still have a steady trickle of blood and whatever else is in there, I'm hoping that means I'm keeping it moist enough in there. I can't wait to get the splints out of my nosebleed though, I worry about opening my mouth too wide because I don't want any shifting, but it'll be nice once those are out and the doc cleans me up in there a bit.
Dayle says
Hang in there! Don't fight the Fatigue sleep as much as you can and heal!
Dayle says
You poor thing I feel your pain! Sleep as much as you can and don't get down on yourself bc for some unknown reason the Fatigue lasts along time. Do what you can. I hope you Feel Better Soon!
Dayle
Jo says
I'm facing this surgery early next week and reading a lot about the FATIGUE that comes afterwards. I wonder if anyone had experienced a lot of fatigue BEFORE surgery from having chronic sinus issues and colds that never seem to go away. I know I haven't felt "good" for sometime and it's why I am willing to put myself through this. Thoughts?
Dayle says
Hi Jo, Yes I was fatigued prior to the surgery from all of the Sinus infections I had gotten and couldn't get rid of. Dr. explained it to me like this....she said when you have a infection your body has to FIGHT that infection and people don't realize how much energy that takes to do that. After the surgery Was the same thing it was fighting to heal and some of us still had infections that we needed to get rid of after the surgery. It isn't something I would wish on anyone. But I can HONESTLY say I finally feel great! It was a full yr. A lot of my sinus problems was caused by my allergies and I am now on a program that I take live allergens by drops daily and I am getting desensitized from the allergies ( allergic to everything) and I have seen a huge difference with it. It is a slow process but WELL worth it. I am so grateful that my allergist pushed me to do this bc I feel so much better. I wish you good luck Jo!
Renee says
Hi Jo, yes, I've been extremely fatigued before surgery. I've been having issues since last April and I was really worn down all the time. I'm on hour 48 post op, I'm finally up and getting myself food to eat, but I can't move fast or stand up too long for fear I'll pass out again. Be thankful that you'll be able to take pain meds for your pain though. My stomach's weak lining doesn't allow pain meds. Good luck and let us know how you're doing.
Jo says
This all is feeling a bit overwhelming since now I am researching all the risks of anesthesia and trying not to freak out. I have had nothing but one URI after an another since Christmas, my throat completely raw from all the coughing. I have a constant post nasal drip, even using the Neti pot and drinking lots of water. If that isn't bad enough, I have asthma.
Today I will be consulting with the hospital nurse via a phone call in preparation for my surgery. I am really wondering how they can do all this surgery with someone who is already sick and has been sick for quite a while.
I certainly will express all my fears and concerns. I am hoping they are all on top of this with people like me and won't do surgery if my body isn't up to par.
I do know I have never been able to breathe freely from my nose and have no doubts this is all affecting my immune system.
Renee says
The raw throat was crappy but was gone the next morning. What's killing me is fatigue and being light headed when I lay down. Still dripping blood too. Can't wait to be healed.
Renee says
Literally laying on my couch right now with gauze taped under my nostrils. I just had a septoplasty turbinate reduction surgery yesterday. I knew this was going to be hard considering I can't take pain meds, but I am so worn down. I could barely eat yesterday, so as a result, while flushing my nose with saline this morning, I passed out and hit my head on the bathroom door. Thank God I didn't hit my nose because I'd be in worse shape, but it was scary.
I am really tired, and the bloody ooze flow (sorry) goes from non-existent to a steady stream. Never gushing but is still nasty. My nose is all crusty with dried blood that I'm afraid to clear off because it shifts my nose and I only have splints, no packing. I did notice my eyes are burning and itchy. Anybody else have that! I don't know if my eyes were taped shut during the procedure and I'm having a reaction, but I can't get myself to use eyedrops right now.
I did wake up with an extremely sore throat, and sleeping (barely) with my mouth open doesn't help. Not to mention the chapped lips and I want to brush my teeth so bad!
I couldn't wait to leave the hospital. The last nurse who was getting me ready to leave actually bumped my nose. She bumped my freaking nose and there went the blood all over the place. I was not happy.
I'm glad I came across this blog though. Reading a timelined experience will help me determine how long my recovery may take. Three months does seem like a while. I'm desperate to blow my nose but I'll wait and see what my doc says. I almost sneezed today as well but was thankfully able to avoid it. The biggest problems for me right now are the itchy burning eyes, the congestion up my nose and the bloody drippings. That could cease any time. My headache and jaw ache is mostly gone, my nose feels pressure like you get chlorinated pool water up there so it burns a bit.
I'm hoping time goes by quickly and I heal rapidly.
Amanda says
Well, it has Brennan awhile since I posted last. Unfortunately my ENT has said I am a rare case that is not healing properly from my surgery. He took a swab and by Tuesday I should have the results, but he says I may need a hospital stay with a round of IV treatment.
To top this I am battling my third round of Strep Throat since thanksgiving and this time I have had it twice in two weeks. It's by far the worst, swallowing hurts, lack of sleep, headache, over tired, chills. Next talk is going under again for tonsil surgery.
And the fact after just having my nose cleaned yesterday and it's already scabbing up does not help breathing. Primary looked in he nose today and said it was not pretty.
McKenzie says
Thanks for sharing this experience. Sinus surgery really is some serious business. I am glad to hear the update and that you are doing better!
Jo says
Hi Julie. I stumbled onto your page in hopes of getting info on what to expect with sinus surgery. Thank-you for posting in detail about your experience.
I am facing sinus surgery on Feb 28th and I am terrified. You name it, it's getting done, including a rhinoplasty to fix a previous injury to my nose that I never got medical treatment for. I have suffered for years, but never consulted an ENT until I got real sick over the holidays. They did a CAT scan and I have some rather large growths in my sinuses. My septum is deviated and there is all sorts of inflammation going on. My ENT believes my surgery will be about 4 hours long! If that isn't enough, I suffer from asthma and migraines, so the thought of constant headaches and having my breathing affected while I recover is scaring me.
So my question to you and to anyone reading this, is there any additional things I can do to help my recovery and keep from panicking? Did you use ice packs to help with the headaches? How about using a vaporizer? I was thinking of getting one since I already experience terrible dry mouth with all the mouth breathing I do.
I will be consulting with my regular doctor next week in preparation for my surgery and will surely ask her if I can safely use any of migraine medicines should these headaches turn into a migraine. If you never had a migraine, they can be very painful.
Any words of encouragement is appreciated. My ENT certainly has NOT told me the recovery could be anything like what I read here. I'm in my mid fifties and already have a serious lack of energy, probably from always feeling sick from my sinuses.
JulieWunder says
Hi Jo! I get back headaches too and if I remember correctly the surgery didn't help right after but it did in the long run. It's several years since I've had the surgery so at this point I don't remember the details of those first few days well and have to relay on what I wrote here. Hopefully another reader can chime in with some additional tips for you. Best of luck with your recovery!
David Greene says
I'm doing the same thing now. I'm reading my notes b/c I was a 2nd FESS April 11th. I don't remember the headaches and ear aches at all but I sure was bothered by both b/c I wrote about it here.
Mary Villeneuve says
Now a day’s Sinus Surgery become a normal surgery, because a large number of people become affected by sinus problem. It solved by a minor surgery but the patient should take completely rest 4 to 5 days after operation. I was also a sinus patient but at present I have fully recovered from it. I operate it from the famous Calwest Head & Neck Surgical Institute last year.
Ann says
I had my FESS operation Jan 2nd. I've had 2 debridements but continue to suffer greatly. I had sinus disease, with sinus pressure and cheek pain, without mucus what so ever, although I could feel something going down my throat, throat tightness, stinging tongue, hoarseness, nausea, that my doctor denied relationship to the sinus disease. Since the surgery, no hoarseness, stinging tongue and throat tightness MUCH better, but I continue to experience EXTREME sinus pressure and cheek pain. Anyone else, please ?
Dayle says
Amanda I feel for you 🙁 I really wish I had the time and the energy to do research on this damn surgery bc reading all of the posts on this blog EVERYONE seems o have such a hard long recovery and no one seems to have been told that prior to the surgery. I had said once before I work in the health care field and I have pts that come here that recover quicker from Open Heart surgery and Kidney Transplants than most of us have recovered from this sinus surgery! WTH!
Dayle says
Good God no and thank god I didn't. I never heard of that!
Melissa says
Have any of you had trouble after sinus surgery with salivary stones of infections in the salivary glands?
Cherie says
I had salivary stones removed when I was 18. I am now 45 and had sinus surgery 7 weeks ago and feel so much better now,
Amanda says
Never had fungal before. But I am on my second course of meds since surgery.
My surgery was 12/9/16.... I had a course of antibiotics to prevent infection. A week later after finishing them I ended up with sinusitis and on augmentin 875mg twice a day.... my cleanings were upto weakly and within two weeks of finishing that I found out I had inflammation in the nasal area... and so to help they did another course.. this time steroids to help heal that.
It's been such an uphill battle.
Dayle says
Hi Amanda! Sorry to hear that but at least now they know what to treat. I was tested for a fungus infection when I wasn't getting better but that was negative. I hope now they know what you have it will clear up fast. I had a cold for a couple weeks that my co workers and I kept spreading back and forth and I woke up with such a sinus headache this weekend I knew it was infecting my sinus. I went to the Walk in clinic and they said I def had a infection and started antibiotic but I can feel the swelling like I got pre surgery and I am praying this doesn't start all over again UGH! I was just feeling back to Normal 10 mos after Surgery. It took so long to recover UGH!
Amanda says
Omg, that's really horrible. I have to return to ENT on Tuesday morning because I now have Strep Throat for the second time ontop of sinusitis.
Since Thanksgiving I have had Strep Twice, Sinusitis Twice and an Ear Infection. So I am through with it, I'm demanding they dig deeper and figure this out... I am sure that me having a weakened immune system is part of it, but I have not had a day since Thanksgiving where I have felt good. And this time around I am getting low grade fevers
Peter O says
I'm so glad this story had a happy ending. Surgery is always a huge pain, and it's really hard to stop being active while recovering. I remember feeling so restless when I wasn't allowed to move faster than a slow walk!
Ann says
I did ask over and over. I was given the number 1 more time only
Dayle says
Ugh! I feel your pain! I had that a yr ago and I still say I would rather have a baby! I think I have PTSD from this whole surgery LOL! IT SUCKED!
Cindy says
They finally figured out why these antibiotics havent worked....i have a FUNGAL infection. My ent prescribed me some medicine to put in my saline rinse. I sure hope this alleviates the problem. Anyone else here ever had sinus fungus?
Amanda says
I'd go to your ENT or primary. I'm a month and two days past surgery and I still get headaches and already had a sinus/ear infection and I'm still sick with my primary trying to be sure this isn't my chest or a cold... I get X-ray results tomorrow and if negative she wants me in my ENT telling them to fix this.... she feels I'm even worse after surgery.
And I get the whole not really having energy yet. Most days I'm working four hours due to my other health issues and come home to sleep due to lack of energy.
Don't wait, most certainly go back as soon as possible
Jean says
Has anyone still experienced headaches and terrible sinus pressure 5 months after surgery? They come and go but sometimes they last for 3-5 days. I don't know whether or not to go to my primary doctor to be checked for a sinus infection or not because I've had them all along for 5 months now.
If anyone else has experienced this please let me know. I still don't have my full energy back but I'm much better.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Suzanne Baron says
I am 3 1/2 months post surgery. It still really hurts to wear my glasses from the pressure on my nose. I still have days where I feel like I have an infection but my good days are slowly increasing. My doctor looked inside my sinuses the other day and said everything looks clear and that I shouldn't still be feeling like this but there are no answers. I get the feeling that everyone responds differently and doctors just go with what happens to most people. I had cancer 23 years ago along with months of radiation treatment. My health and immune system have never been the same since. I am a slow healer and just try to just remember that this is probably just going to take time. how are you doing now?
Best,
Suzanne
Ann says
I had the surgery yesterday. Doc found swollen, inflamed and infection of all sinuses. In addition she found 2 bone fragments in the sinus from one of the eye sockets. I have taken pain medication since the surgery and all the advise you have wrote has helped ALOT.
Ann says
I went for my 1 week post op 1st cleaning today. The pain was HORRIBLE during the cleaning. I don't think pain med's can help much for cleanouts. Tonight my nose is sore and breathing on the painful side like breathing very cold air.
Amanda says
Make sure that if your nose is feeling pain you sa something, they can continue numbing it up until you don't feel.
In the month since surgery I've had four cleanings already, one cleaning having been painful.
But stand up and tell them that it's not numbed enough
Amanda says
Omg I'm so sorry! I'm dealing with issues myself...less than a month after surgery and Thursday I am already going for my cleaning... I went from a sinus infection to an ear infection too a cold.
Hang in there, they say it's supposed to get better. Keep your chin up!
Dayle says
I feel so bad for all of you still not feeling well. I felt at time that something was wrong and maybe the surgery didn't work but thank god I was wrong it just took along time to heal and feel better. I really hope you all feel better soon. You know your body better than a dr does so with that said if you really feel something is wrong be sure to be firm about your treatments and what you want done or looked at. Even if you need a second opinion but as you have read from others this is a LONG recovery! It sucks!
Jordan says
Dayle, have you got relief since your surgery? I am 6 weeks out and while I don't have much nerve pain I have other symptoms that are bothersome.. I am so worried to develop ENS & I'm just upset that my doctor didn't even tell me the risks before the surgery. My anxiety is ridiculous because I am so worried all of the time. It is negatively affecting my life. I wish I wouldn't have got the surgery to begin with..
Dayle says
I hope everyone is feeling better and that we all have a better New Year! Stay safe and be well!
Dayle
Cindy says
I guess my post didnt post.
3 months post surgery and sitll habing problems. Last debridement 2 weeks ago the dr removed e large crusts and swabbed my nose. It came back as a sinus infection with a touch of staph. They put me on biaxin...as before....5 days later i still feel no better. Could it be the biaxin just doesnt work for me? I am soo worried this surgery didnt work for me
Amanda says
Well to top of having sinusitis already, I now have an ear infection to go along with it. Seeing my ENT next Thursday to figure this out... this is nuts only 2 weeks after surgery and end up double whammy. Some friends mentioned my adenoids and tonsils both of which I still have, so we shall see. He cleared my ear out yesterday at ENT seeing the ear doc.. that was no picnic and hurt badly.
So we shall see next week. Today was first day back to work and it was a bit tough. Between being sick and still healing I have no energy after just a 4 hour work day.
ann says
how are u julie ?
JulieWunder says
Hi Ann! I'm doing so much better since the surgery! I'm several years out at this point and it really made a big difference for me! Thanks for asking and hope you are well too.
Dayle says
Keep us posted I hope you feel better really soon!
Dayle says
You poor thing! I hope they can take care of what ever is still going on with you but keep on them. I hope if you need more time off work you are able to take it bc it doesn't sound like you are upto going back just yet.
Amanda says
I'm not but I also don't get paid for my time off and can't afford anymore time out of work. I'm a daycare teacher. I hope that this heals fast, my ENT is closed today in observance of Christmas. So I sent them a portal message saying what's going on and I'll call them in the morning to be sure that they got it.
Amanda says
Well, just 2 weeks after surgery and less than one week off preventative antibiotics, I ended up at my local emurgent care.
I've been dealing with severe headaches still that are more frequent, tender to touch under my eyes, ear popping like going up a mountain and discolor snot. Turns out I have fluid starting in the ear and sinusitis already less than a week off meds. So once again I am on antibiotics, throat spray, cough drops, Tylenol. Plus my nasal spray and continued my neti pod rinses which are the worst.
It's got me so discouraged. I was so hoping it would make my infections less frequent but doesn't seem so... today the clogging and full feeling of the ear is much worse.
I return to work tomorrow after two weeks out. Hoping this clears up fast.
Dayle says
This is a great site bc without it I would have been terrified! Do what your Dr. tells you let your body heal. Remember to rinse and try to eat soft foods so you don't swell as much. It is a long road but I finally have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. It will be a yr in Jan and it took me 10 full months. I have to say it was worth it and I didn't think I would ever say that! Feel better!
Karen says
This is a great site. I had fess surgery 10 days ago after 2.5 months of chronic sinus congestion that may have been caused by a badly fitting denture that punctured the sinus. I've been on augmentin for about two months and flagyl for 2.5 weeks along with three rounds of prednisone. This is only on my right side. I am still getting headaches and am so worried all the time, cant sleep. My Dr keeps telling me to finish the antibiotics and let the body heal itself, but if it comes back they'll have to go in sgain.
Dayle says
I am glad to hear they did a culture this way you will know one way or another. Them pulling a big crust means you are rinsing enough. When it gets dry that is what causes those crusts. Keep up the rinsing. I have been a yr nrxt month and if I think of it I still rinse.
Amanda says
It's officially been 1 week and 1 day since my surgery.
Surprisingly my doctor is letting me back to work on Monday, but if it's too much he said call and he will take me out longer.
Honestly if it's going to be how the weekends been, I'm sure I'll be out again. The nausea and dizzy spells are not fun. And since having the packing out my nose drains either clear or bloody when I look down. Blowing my nose (very gently mind you) leads to blood. And to top it there's a hurting burning feel in my nose.
But after reading this blog I know it will take weeks to be fully healed. I'm dealing with the no energy as well, 1 hr out of bed and I'm laying down the rest of the day.
I will say keep throats spray and cough drops very handy. You will certainly need them even after the packing and splints come out.
Looking forward too sunny times and saying I'm thrilled for this surgery lol.
Helen Andrade says
Hi Julie,
I'm scheduled for FESS on monday, 12/19/2016. Thank you for having this blog. I would definitely try to follow your tips..Thank you also to the people who left messages here, I've read them. I'll share my experience as soon as i can. I'm getting nervous but at least i have an idea on what im really going for.
JulieWunder says
Hi Helen! I hope you are starting to feel better!!!
ann says
I hope all goes well. My surgery in Jan 3rd and this scares me so badly. I've had a nisan fundoplication, surgery for reflux, so I can't throw up. I can't imagine my long ride with nausea. Thanks for the food suggestions.
JulieWunder says
Best of luck Ann! I hope your surgery goes well.
Amanda says
@Robin
take it easy. Today made day 6 out of surgery for me. I use afrin for three days and then switched to plain salene.
The dizzie and nausea will take time. I've relied on pasta, apple sauce, pudding and oatmeal.... yesterday I did canned peaches and held it down
Today they took my splints and packing out. Like you I had the whole extensive procedure. It's not easy and even having the stuff out I am having dizzy and nauseous spells they said that will take about three weeks to go away.
This blog and the comments were a lot of help and still getting through. I'm only 6 days in... doctor says it will be 6-8 too be 100% healed, but Monday I get to return too work so I'm happy.
Robin Smith says
I am one week out of surgery and still feel so awful. I had everything done - including the septoplasty. I have to say I was surprised to hear the surgery would take so long! 2.5 hours! At this point more air is (finally) passing through my nose but the pressure behind my eyes and in my head is uncomfortable and wearing. I am only taking extra strength Tylenol at this point - it takes the edge off ( I cannot take any NSAIDS like Advil or Alene). I am both nauseous and hungry st the same. I finally give in to eat something to keep me from fainting. Basically pasta in small portions all I can tolerate - everything else apples, salad, soup does not sit well. ( I have lost 4 lbs).
My first post op visit at day 6 was just exam. My surgeon thought there was too much swelling and irritation to do any cleaning.
I also swear by the Nelimef nasal rinse - it really helps.
I have no energy at all - my stamina is terrible. (I am very active and this is killing me!). I feel so worn out and lightheaded.
After reading this blog and comments I am hopeful that next will be better.
Question: has anyone flown 2 weeks after surgery?
JulieWunder says
Hi Robin! Hope you are starting to feel better!
Robin says
My doctor said because of the type of packing he does that I should lay off the saline sprays. I'm in so much pain and my nose is all crusty
Amanda says
On Friday 12/9/16 I had my Sinus Surgery.
Its still very tough for me....I had the patch behind the ear and right now I am thankful for that. Monday it came off...and on Tuesday I had a dizzy and nausea spell and now today on Wednesday...This one has lasted all day, everything I eat and drink leaves my stomach very upset.
Tomorrow I go for my first Post op appointment which I am quite nervous for as they say its pretty yucky having the packing and splints removed, I think my eyes will be closed.
I find I can breathe in, but its weird and I get a lot o drainage down my throat...and feeling like I have a runny nose and stuffy nose. I am def yucky feeling if I try and be up I get very dizzy and nausiated.
While right now it feels like a terror, I am looking to the bright side of breathing better.
ann says
No, I'm not on prednisone, only muccinex.
Dayle says
Jean I am not sure if you were ready to retire but the only thing I can say is your health is most important. I pray too that you have a speedy recovery. Don't get down bc that will just make it a longer process to get back up. Hang in there and only do what you can physically and mentally do what makes you happy while waiting to feel physically better. Listen to music or read or try to do something enjoyable. For some reason when I was recovering I couldn't focus so I ended up just sitting and doing nothing which was very depressing for me. Chin up it has to get better 🙂
Cindy says
I am 2 months post op. I will admit, sonce after the first 5 weeks I havent been rinsing like I should. My fatigue is getting worse again and i still have pressure . Could me not rinsing much sinslce my first 5 weeks be why i possibly have i think a sinus infection?
Dayle says
Cindy I do think you need to rinse more. That is VERY VERY VERY important. I thought I had gotten another sinus infection too but it wasn't. You really need to keep rinsing. I hope you feel better soon! Hang in there!
Cindy says
I just got back from the ent. He pulled out a big crust out of my right nostril, so that could be the culprit. Also he swabbed my nose and is doing a culture to see if anything comes up.
Amanda says
I think rinsing is super important. I am a week and four days after surgery, my rinses were not reaching the back sadly.
I had to go back to the ENT and request another week off of work, he also did a second cleaning. My left side numbed up nicely and cleaned well but the right had to take 5 numbing to clean and a 6th to go in with the tweezers where he found in the top of my nose a blood packet.
Now that he cleaned I am breathing better and doing rinses twice a day, salene twice a day and my medicated nasal spray.
Rinses are very very very important in helping aide along the healing process.
I am now listed as chronic sinusitis.
Good luck!
Jean says
Thanks so much for your answer. I did go to an allergist before surgery to rule out that problem & I don't have any allergies that they tested for but do have sensitivities to some allergens. I may be forced to retire because I'm now the only one at my branch to take care of customers as the bank has dramatically cut staff. As hard as I try some days I just don't feel like talking & I have no one to relieve me so I can take a short rest. I'm sure it will work out for the best but it is a little stressful right now. I'm praying for a miracle recovery! ? Hope your holidays are great too!
Dayle says
I have to say I am starting to forget what I felt like BUT I do know I felt awful and flu like symptoms would be how I would describe it. I can honestly say for 10 mos I would have a good day here and there but I didn't feel back to normal for 10 full months. The first day that I was able to take my grandkids out for the day and truly enjoy it not just drag through a day was 10 mos. after surgery. I just spent the good part of the day last weekend raking leaves and doing fall clean up and I was never so happy to do so but I was really starting to think that I would never get my energy level back to what it was. I do believe the root of my sinus problems were my allergies that I didn't even know I had. Now I am on allergy drops and things are getting much better. I can give you more info on that if you feel you have issues with Allergies. Hang in there but I do feel for you it isn't easy.! 🙁 Keep in touch. I hope you can enjoy the Holidays!
Dayle
Rebecca says
I had Septoplasty and FESS around 7 weeks ago, I just wondered if anyone else has experienced a 'wooshy' head (this is before and after surgery). It almost feels like liquid cement in my head when i move it, I was diagnosed with an MRI that showed sinusitis and inflammation. This wooshy head seems to have brought out some anxiety in me and now i've been given Sertraline, can't believe it! x
Bex
Dayle says
Rebecca I do remember having that feeling. I think your Anxiety ( of course I am not a Dr.) is from the fact that we have these things go on in our heads that haven't been told to us as something that is going to happen and without this blog I would have thought I was crazy or had a rare brain tumor. I cant say it enough that the Drs don't prepare the Pts for this surgery and this surgery is no joke. It sucked!
Cindy says
I had extensive sinus surgery 7 weeks ago. I still have pressure on my face and the fatigue is ridiculous:( So i can relate!!
Jean says
Dayle,
Can you please tell me if you still felt flu-like symptoms or like you had a sinus infection 4 months after surgery? It's not all of the the time but most of the time. Dull headache and nausea and of course the awful fatigue. Thanks for any advice.
Cindy says
I am 3 months since my surgery. I had a third debridement 2 weeks ago with 3 big scabs removen. He swabbed my nose and called me a few days later and said i had a sinus infection with a touch of staff. Put me on Biaxin and 5 days later i feel no better. Pressure and really bad fatigue. I am fighting not getting to down over this. I really thought i would be better by now...
ann greene says
grrrr.. my surgery will be Tues Dec. 6th, my agony started in Feb. I had a maxillary cyst removed in April and my symptoms continued.. sinus pressure, nasal drip, nausea, upper teeth pain, ear pain, horseness, burning and sores on tongue, and rashes with dryness. I can’t tell you how many docs I’ve seen since Feb. while being bedridden. In Sept. the maxillary sinus swelled again. At this time I was sent to another ENT and I was diagnosed with sinus disease. The sinus, with prior cyst, was not working and the other sinus’s were clogged. I have no idea what to expect from this surgery b/c all my symptoms have not been explained. The severity of this happens together so I can only hope this surgery will resolve this misery. Anyone experience any of this odd symptoms before or after surgery, please ? Thank you in advance for any responses.
ann greene says
My surgery was cancelled Dec 6th due to breathing problems so I was sent to ER for evaluation. My family doc has cleared me for surgery and it's rescheduled for Jan 3rd. I am terrified that something is being missed. My pain is unbearable. I'm hostile and bark at family for little reason. The face pain, sinus pressure is terrible and breathing is labored at times. I have no productive mucus. Another month of wait seems impossible. Did anyone have issues similar to mine BEFORE surgery plez ???
JulieWunder says
Oh no! I'm so sorry! Hope it goes well Jan 3rd. I was pretty sick before my surgery too. I hope you get some relief soon.
ann says
thanks ... I don't have a cold so this is so strange to me. I have terrible pressure on each side of my nose, nausea, labored breathing and I can get short term hot flash before I'm the worst.
Dayle says
Ann I am so sorry they postponed your surgery I know how hard that is. I had mine postponed also and as far as you being irritable you have every reason to be. Who likes to be sick ! Are you taking Prednisone bc I was and that is what I thought made me so irritable.
JulieWunder says
Hi Ann, I hope your surgery went ok and that you are starting to feel better! It sounds like it has to give you some relief!
corburt erilio says
Hi! I've been reading your blog for a while now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Huffman Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the good job!
JulieWunder says
Thanks Corburt!
Dayle says
Hang in there Diane! It is unfortunately a long haul for most to recover and the Fatigue is absolutely the worst of it. It took me 10 mos to get my energy back to the level it was. I raked leaves this past weekend and was THRILLED that I had the energy to do it bc there were days I honestly didn't think I was ever going to get me energy back. Bless your little girl for being so good for Mommy! I cant even imagine having to take care of a child through that 🙁 Good Luck and I hope it gets better soon!
Diane Geurts says
I'm just entering week three after having sinus surgery on 11/11, and have been doing research on recovery times as I this is taking way longer than I had anticipated. It sounds like we had somewhat similar surgeries - mine included fixing a slightly deviated septum, widening turbinates that currently have dissolvable implants in them, a polyp, and scraping out six other areas of my sinuses. And I somehow thought I'd be back to normal after a week, tops. I'm exhausted, fatigued, feel like I have the flu, and can hardly make it through a normal day still. I'm a single working mom and am blessed to have a very low-maintenance 8-year old daughter - I don't know what I would do if she wasn't such a laid back kiddo. I'm basically getting us to / from work / school, feeding us and sacking out on the couch afterwards, mustering up the energy to make it to the next day.
It's truly frustrating. Your post has definitely made me feel like I'm not alone in this recovery path and has me focused on the light at the end of the tunnel! Thank you!
JulieWunder says
I'm so glad it helped! Best of luck with your recovery!
Jean says
Thanks again Dayle! Once again you have described exactly what I feel & have helped me. I wish that you lived in the Kansas City area & we could get together & support each other. Have a fabulous Thanksgiving!
Jean says
Dayle,
I hate to bother you again but tell me if you still had terrible fatigue 3 1/2 months after surgery please? I am somewhat better but haven't been able to work a 40 hour week still. The most I have done is 32 hours. I do nothing on the weekend but go see my grandson and daughter and son-in-law and a little house work (nothing like I'm used to doing) and lay around so I will have energy for the work week. Today is Monday and after 9 hours at work I had to drag myself home once again and get myself ready for bed. I don't sleep all the time but I do have to lay around to recoup. It's really starting to get me down. I have lost quite a bit of income because of it and I'm on a single income. Thanks for any support or suggestions that you can give.
Dayle says
Hi Jean, Please don't ever think you are bothering me. I feel like I have posted on this Blog ( this is the first and only Blog I have ever posted on in my life) excessively but I cant say enough times that without the other peoples Blogs I have read I would have been in worse shape than I was and I felt like it was the only way I could let my family and friends know I wasn't crazy or being a baby. LOL! I have copied many of the blogs and forwarded them to my friends and Family LOL! Unfortunatly Jean it is normal or at least I was still very very fatigued 3 1/2 months after surgery. I was the same as you. I worked layed on the couch and visited my grandchildren if possible. It was HORRIBLE. The Fatigue was by far my biggest complaint and I definetly look back and know that I absolutely got depressed from it. I would have a good day once in awhile and say I was doing better only to crash a day or two after that. I now can say it has been 10 mos and I have felt great for the past month. I can remember the weekend about a month ago that OI took my grandchildren out for the day and I was not Fatigued and I honestly smiled all day! I hadn't been able to do that for almost a yr. I was very sick before the surgery. I hate to say this but I still unfortunately think you have a ways to go before you feel your energy level back to what it was. I have just started to go to the gym to try to get the weight off that I gained do to all the prednisone and sitting on my butt for almost a yr. Keep in touch and never hesitate to reach out to me. I am also single and I get the financial part of it too. I am swamped in medical bills right now UGH! I hope you can enjoy your Holiday Jean!
Dayle says
I feel your pain and to be honest one week out you shouldn't feel any better than you do:( It is such a long haul but hang in there and the only tip I have come up with is that I think if I ate softer food so I didnt have to chew as much and talked as little as possible ( not easy for me) I would have had less swelling which caused a lot of the pain and discomfort. I feel so so so sorry for you woman out there that have had or just had this surgery and have small children. My children are grown and I am a grandmother and there is nothing I like to do better than have my Grandkids for sleepovers on the weekends and I was not up to that for a very long time. I don't think people who are not the patient get how tough of a recovery this is. Thank God for Julie posting this Blog so we all don't think we are crazy or have a horrible disease that they are missing. I don't think one of us saw what was coming with this surgery. I hope I really hope you are feeling better soon and I also hope you have support to help you with your child. Hang in there.
Teryn says
Thank you so much for your article! And all the comments are so helpful. I had a septoplasty/rhinoplasty and turbinate reduction on November 1st. Today is my one week mark. My ENT said I had the most deviated septum she'd ever seen. I'm starting to get some clearing on the right nostril, but my left side, where it was most blocked and deviated is so full of pressure and 100% blocked. The last two days I've been getting painful pressure type headaches behind my eyes. I'm guessing because of all the swelling and blockage. Can anyone offer advice on how to get things moving? The eye aches are almost unbearable and even my pain pills aren't giving me any relief. I go in tomorrow to have my nose cleaned out (I'm slightly traumtized after the splint removal a few days ago) but I'm not feeling very optimistic at this point. I feel very dizzy and foggy brained and if I try to do very much I get really it and feel faint. I have a two year old who is obviously very demanding of my time and attention and I so desperately need to feel better soon! I've been doing the saline spray and cleaning out the lower part of my nostrils. Thanks for any advice!
P.s. Julie, I'm so excited to have found your website ?
Truly says
Hey there! Nice article! I'm about 5 weeks post op and have a horrible sore and "flemy" feeling in my throat. Nasal congestion is getting slightly worse. Wondering if I'm getting a cold or another sinus infection or if this was normal for you?
Thanks!
JulieWunder says
Hi Truley! I felt flemy for a long time, but I'd check with your doctor just to be sure. Maybe someone else can offer some tips too! Thanks for stopping by!
Jean says
Dayle, your comments have helped me more than you know. I was wondering what you did about your job? How did you work feeling so fatigued most of the time? I work full time with the public in banking. I have to talk non-stop and concentrate on the computer screen and deal with numbers, etc. It is wearing me out so badly that of course the clients notice it. I'm trying not to talk to my co-workers in between taking care of clients but it's not helping that much with the fatigue. I don't have another person in the branch to help so it's hard to get away and go to the break room to close my eyes for even 15 minutes . It's been 3 months since my surgery. Thanks for any suggestions you can give me.
Dayle says
Hi Jean! I am glad that my comments have helped bc like I have said in earlier posts if I hadn't had this blog to read others experience s I would have honestly thought something was seriously wrong. I never expected the recovery to be so long and hard from this surgery. As far as me working I was so fortunate to have great co workers who understood what I was going through and I was able to close my eyes for 15 min if I needed to in a back room. I work in a medical facility and deal with Patients all day who have much worse and more chronic illness than I did yet they are all so kind and always asking how I am feeling. I feel guilty complaining at all to them so I don't LOL! I work at a Dialysis Center so I see the same patients 3 times a week for their treatments. I have a desk job and I am not sure that helped or hurt things bc although I wasn't running around and on my feet when I did have to get up my legs were literally like rubber bands. Bc I felt so awful I sat on the couch at home and sat at work and normally I never sit at home but I realized I was getting absolutely no exercise at all. I am 10 mos post surgery and finally feel great. I have horrific allergies so I am doing Allergy drops to desensitize me from the allergies and that was rough through the healing bc it flared up my allergies bc I am ingesting the live Allergines through the drops but they are working and I am starting to see progress so I am glad I just bit the bullet and started even though I wasn't really up to it while healing. But I hope you are feeling better soon Jean. But chin up and just try to stay positive. Keep me posted 🙂
Dayle says
Clarissa I feel your pain this was such a hard surgery to go through and I honestly thought I was crazy or had something seriously wrong bc I felt so badly for so long. It is 10 mos and I have only felt back to normal very recently. I kept thinking I was back to normal or at least much better but when you are sick for so long you forget what it is like to really feel good! I do think the only thing I could have done different but no one told me was to eat soft foods and talk only as much as I had to for the first few weeks. I think any movement of your face causes the swelling which causes the discomfort. I didn't do that but I do remember feeling worse at night if I talked a lot that day or ate something that you had to chew a lot! I hope you feel better soon! Feel free to contact me anytime.
Dayle says
Cindy all I can say is hang in there and know that it is normal for what ever reason to feel crappy for a long time. I wish I knew what to tell you to speed up the recovery but I don't. I honestly kept thinking I was back but until I truly was back to Normal I think I had forgotten what normal was I felt so sick for so long. I think the fatigue was the hardest for me. I wish you well ! Feel free to contact me anytime.
Carissa says
I had FESS surgery on Oct 20th to unblock my frontal recesses. I've had 2 previous surgeries that didn't address my actual problem. This last surgery was done by a very experienced ENT doctor at a teaching hospital. They had to remove a lot of scar tissue from my previous surgeries. My energy is starting to get better now and the pain has decreased. I still have to take tylenol extra strength throughout the day. Mostly it's painful next to my eye where most of the work was done. And I have a tight pressure feeling across the bridge of my nose.
I hope that this surgery helps to reduce the facial pain I was experiencing on and off for 2 years due to almost constant sinus infections.
I took prednisone and an antibiotic before and after surgery for 7 days. And after surgery I irrigated 3 times a day with manuka honey and saline. I'm currently irrigating 2 times a day with saline and each week I rinse less and less. I go back to the ent in Dec for a follow up and to make sure scars haven't closed anything up, like last time.
The worst part was having my sinuses cleaned out a week after surgery. The little vacuum sucked out blood clots and wow that hurt even with freezing! But if this works then it's totally worth it as my life before was almost not worth living because of how sick I was.
JulieWunder says
Hi Carissa! So sorry you went through this. I totally get how you were feeling. Hope you are starting to feel better!
Dayle says
I can tell you by hearing you say that you see black up in your nostrils you need to be flushing them out a few times a day. That is very important. Keep it clean and irrigate as much as you can. And don't get discouraged bc you have a long rd ahead of you. Dont do too much... take it easy as much as you can. I do hope you feel better soon.
Cindy says
Hi! I had my surgery on the 12th..i had what my ent said is "the works." The first week was awful until after the debridement. I have still had forehead and facial pressure off and on and seems to be worse today..idk if it could be a sinus infection or still just healing from the surgery but it has been over 2 weeks
Brenda says
I had septoplasty and turbinate reduction on October 24. I'm very nervous about my appointment November 1. I have stents and packing that I assume the ENT will remove. Right now, I keep a headache. I feel stuffy, and I have a lot of pressure behind my eyes. My left ear feels plugged. I've been doing sinus washes from the first day home. Do you have any suggestions for making it through the next 2 months?
Dayle says
Hi Brenda! I am sorry I didn't see this until now but I hope your appointment went well. I really wish I had advice for you but I don't. All I can tell you is it unfortunately is very normal to feel all the things you do. I think one thing that may have helped me that no one ever told me was to eat soft foods and talk as least as possible at the beginning. The more movement in your face the longer the swelling lasts is my opinion. I hope you feel better soon.
Melissa says
Hi Julie,
I had sinus surgery one week ago today. I had 2 sinus surgeries several years ago, but don't remember a lot about it. My head feels really full and my right ear hurts. I cannot breathe through my nose and when I look in there, I can see hard black things blocking the holes. I don't feel well either. I am on Prednisone and Augmentin and Claritin. Any thoughts?. Glad you are better!
JulieWunder says
Hi Melissa! I remember feeling really bad for several weeks... congested, everything hurt, ect! So I don't think it's abnormal that you are feeling that way, but as always check with your doctor! Best of luck recovering! Perhaps one of the people who had the surgery more recently can chime in here and let you know how they felt! It's been a long time for me, so I don't remember those kind of specifics.
Jean says
Hi everyone, It's been almost 3 months since surgery for me and I do have a lot less fatigue now. FINALLY!!!! I am having bad sinus headaches or the ENT said that they sounded like migraine headaches about once a week still. Sometimes they last for 1 1/2 to 2 days even with me taking ibuprofen every four hours. I never had them before surgery except for a sinus headache when I had a sinus infection until the antibiotic helped. My ENT of course had no answers. I just wondered if anyone else has had this issue and how long it lasted.
Thanks for any helpful advice! I pray that everyone on this site feels better soon!
Nancy says
Hi everyone, thank you for sharing your surgery stories. I'm scheduled to have Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) on November 3rd so I really appreciate the post-surgery honesty, I think.....
I'm a 47 year old wife and Mom of a 14 and 8 year old. I've had "asthma-like" upper respiratory issues since I was a kid but have thankfully outgrown most of the issues. Prior to moving to South Florida from NJ three years ago I would get an occasional sinus infection, which would be resolved with a dose of antibiotics. However, the frequency of sinus infections have gone up drastically since living in Florida. The current one is the 6th one this year and it has lasted over two months. I've been on three different rounds of antibiotics and a round of prednisone with no change for the better. If anything, I am more miserable now than when it started in August. My Primary doctor referred me to an ENT, who said my case is too severe and chronic for the latest in-office balloon sinuplasty procedure and have to have endoscopic surgery instead. He said "most patients" return to their normal activities within 1.5 to 2 weeks after surgery and guesstimates that with no setbacks the same will be for me but after reading everyone's experience that sounds like a huge understatement!
Having fibromyalgia, I am very familiar with extreme fatigue and needing an occasional nap during the day. Without meaning to pry, can anyone relate with chronic fatigue prior to having the surgery? And if so, was the level of fatigue the same or worse???
Thank you Julie for starting this conversation and thanks everyone for your feedback 🙂
Jean says
Hi Julie,
I know that you changed careers sometime after your sinus surgery unless I read that wrong. Please tell me if you were able to go back to work full time at your high-stress job after surgery. I'm a lot older than you (62) and have always been active which I'm pushing myself to walk a little bit daily again and I still have overwhelming fatigue.It's been two months now since my surgery. I'm not exaggerating about it because I'm single and I still wanted to work for about a year before retiring. I did go back full time for 3 1/2 weeks and then stayed off for 12 days and back part time for a few weeks. I've always been able to push through anything but this surgery has really kicked my butt. I've been to several doctors that don't find anything else wrong. I only went to those doctors because the ENT insist that there's no way my fatigue is from his surgery. Thanks for any help you can give me.
JulieWunder says
Hi Jean! Yes! I did go back to work full time and would have been fine sinus wise. It was really hard, but I wanted to prove that this surgery wasn't going to take me out. My reasons to leave were very complicated, including lingering voice issues, terrible hours, ect... but it didn't come down to me leaving just because of the surgery. I worked there for a 1 1/2 after the surgery. If anything the surgery did help me a lot in the long run. Best of luck with your recovery and know it DID get a lot better for me.
Daniel says
Hi All,
Had been reading this blog and gotten some confidence and assurance to my progress after sinus surgery here in Singapore.
I had past the 4 weeks mark after surgery but to talk about the last 4 weeks is roller coaster. the 1st week was SHIT and terrible with elevation sleep, insomina, dry mouth(open mouth sleep) and plenty of Augmentin(875mg) causing bad stomach response. 2nd week was slightly better as removal of splint making breathing smoother(but not that well as said but only descriptively). 3rd week started struggling with post nasal drip making sleep in the night very bad(2 hours a day), muscus spitting and heavy cough. Went back to ENT for review and sent to Respiratory dept to check and found asthmatic development(never had Asthma before) and given turbohaler for prevention occurence. Will update more to give friends and ppl here to encourage one another.
Tom Kelly says
Thanks for the compliments...
The way I describe my head is that it is like I have a hangover, without the headache. Just my eyes are heavy and yes thinking, mathematically and/or solving complex technical problems drains me. The other thing is someone tells me something, and I know they told me, but I have lost where I stored it in my head. . Yes that is a kind-of nerd/geek talk, but well it is the truth. So I apologize and ask them to repeat.
It is all good, it is really cool breathing, I forgot what it was like.
On a side-note, depending on what you needed done, if your carbon-dioxide intake became imbalanced, which is partially explained in the article I provided, "http://www.breathing.com/articles/nose-breathing.htm" then my theory/guess, is that in my case my sinuses/nasal passages have not had to do there job in decades, which is what is contributing to my fatigue. As my head and body is relearning how to process the carbon dioxide... Again just a guess... I am a techy not a med guy.
Tom
Dayle says
I am happy to hear both of your stories. Although I am healing slowly from my surgery this past Jan. I still need reassurance that this chronic horrible fatigue is not just me being lazy. I was never a lazy person and was always asked " do you ever stop" to now fighting through the day of just normal activity, work , cooking , cleaning ( which I have now hired someone to do ugh!). It is reassuring to hear others who are suffering from this fatigue post surgery. I also am now for the first time hearing someone else having the feeling that they have a too tight helmet on their head. OMG I had that feeling earlier in my recovery and everyone looked at me like I was crazy even my Dr. At the time I was afraid I hade internal swelling UGH! Well I hope you both are feeling back to normal very soon.! Thank you both again for your comments which make me feel better!
Jean says
Hi Tom and thanks so much for sharing your story. It makes me feel better to know that a strong, physically fit man is experiencing the terrible fatigue that most of us have had or are still having. I've been physically active for 36 years with walking, riding my bicycle, and lifting some small weights. I can actually do some of that now 2 months after surgery but I can't work more than 4-5 hours at my private banker job. It seems that using your head for a living versus physical activity for a living can wear you out just as much. I talk all day at my job and after about 4 hours I would have to stop talking and go into the break room and rest my eyes. My head would feel swollen like I was wearing a tight helmet on it. I just saw a neurologist that prescribed prednisone for the swelling and Ritalin (for 4 weeks) so that the talking and concentrating on my work wouldn't wear me out. I'm currently using all of my sick leave and vacation before going back to work full time. Hopefully I'm able to go back full time because I wasn't mentally ready to retire yet. Thanks again for sharing your story. It helped to hear from someone my age regarding the fatigue. Good luck with your recovery and bless you!
Tom Kelly says
First thank you Julie, it helps to have place to read about other recoveries and share our own. This is long winded everyone... So if possible do please breathe thru your nose as much as possible 😉 ...
Background
=========
- Sinusitis possibly picked up in Saudi Arabia, during one of the intense sand storms, where I worked at the end of the 1st Gulf War '91-93, as a technical consultant
- By 1997 the sinuses were a mess, with severe headaches, drainage, right temple skull bone was infected and had to be scraped
-I had my 1st surgery, which only partially worked, but left a lot of scar tissue, closing or reducing more than one of the air passages into my sinuses, but it did seem to help
- By 2006 mild sinus headaches began again
- This time there was concern I had and advance bacteria or possible fungal type of infection.
- Given intravenously heavy antibiotics 6 weeks.. collapsed veins in both arms, blood now taken on top of fore arm muscles
- As of result I have only had maybe one or two colds and/or flu in 10 years, BUT.....
- Slowly my left and right nostrils were closing due to nasal swelling..
- The headaches returned by 2009
=========================
- By 2010 I started to experience the beginning of the vision problems, which after extensive doctor visits, resulting in no clue, to drinking two bottles of water as fast as possible, then resting my eyes for 30 minutes
- Radically changed my diet, lost 30+ pounds, began medium to high level of exercise, since I cannot "run" due to a military injury in the mid 70's, biking and swimming is how I exercised.
- No matter what I did the summer seasonal sinus headaches persisted, finding that Aleve-D helped me the best
- The vision problems reduced, but continued, only to become more frequent in 2015 to the beginning of 2016.
- Cat scans, MRI's, several doctors, only diagnosed "Sinusitis", oh yea drink water if that works...
2015 It was getting worst... the hour glass was running down, aging etc...
=================================================
- The reoccurring vision problems was a concern, they were now leaving me with a dull mild ache, a little above my right eye..
- I suddenly realized that the ache was located at near the very end of where the "sinus headaches" were.
- The sinus headaches encompassed across the entire nasal/sinus areas above my eyes
- After researching, since the doctors were not sure, I began to discover that diplopia, a form of double vision, had medical cases connected to "Sinusitis". Furthermore, that "Sinusitis" was an insidious disease that eats away "destroys" cranial bones, including your optical nerve channels.. ug... this was not looking good...
- Google "sinus infection causing diplopia" ... it is not good, there are a lot of cases...
- dry mouth every night, waking me up, complaints of excessive snoring and sometimes sleep apnea from friends was ever increasing
- Dug thru every every sinus doctor grade in my area, consulted my primary care doctor, and paid her to interview the doctor over the phone for me..
- Left nostril nasal passages were now 90% collapsed, my right nostril was 65% collapsed
- I was barely breathing thru my nose
- Here is a good link to an article on how important it is to breathe thru you nose, well at least an opinion 🙂
http://www.breathing.com/articles/nose-breathing.htm
So here I am ...
===========
- Age 59
- Sr Software Engineer, Executive Technical Advisor to governments and fortune 10 companies around the world
- Prior to the surgery I biked about 250-400 miles a month, here in flat Tampa Bay Florida terrain. Got to be honest!
- If overseas, I travel to Middle East & S. America for work, I would swim, in pools, 500-1000 meters per month
- Every August I hike mountains, east coast USA, then outside of Denver, Colorado, Higher and higher..
- In summary I was in very good shape for my age... no colds or flu in years, just sinus headaches, which were working there way up to migraines, plus debilitating every increasing vision problems, very disconcerning...
- This August I would have surgery
Aug 16th, '16.. 6 nasal procedures performed...
==================================
* Septoplasty revision - "deviated septum repair"
* Submucous Resection of Inferior Turbinates
* Lysis of Synechiae nasal - "removal of scar tissue"
* Bilateral endoscopic frontal Balloon Sinuplasty - "tubes replacing diseased bone canals, top nose bridge both sides"
* Left endoscopic ethmoid sinusotomy
* Right endoscopic revision maxillary antrostomy
Recovery
=======
- 4 days after surgery stopped taking the pain pills, "percocet" made me feel like a zombie/vegetable
- To be honest I only got maybe 50 hours sleep over 3 weeks, if I had taken the pain pills, I would have got more sleep
- My choice...
- Every 5 days the doctor would go in "Endoscopic" to inspect the progress, very painful, no local applied...
- Especially the "balloons" used to replace the destroyed bone channels
- since no pain pills, went to grocery store for supplies etc.. would have lots of mucas blood
- of course could not blow my nose for 4 weeks
- took 3 weeks off from work
- random minor mucus bleeding would wake me up
- slept at a 30-45 degrees for over 4 weeks
- headaches were ever present, but took very few Aleve pain only, do not believe in pain pills...
*** No I do not like pain. Yes I do feel it...
-- my opinion is by numbing the pain, your body stops trying to heal the problem...
-- plus by not taking it frequently, when you do it really works!
-- again IMHO
- the 4th week biked 20 miles, one day, 1 1/2 hours to see what do
- lots of mucus blood
- Work was tough, could not be at work more than 5 hours
- Now 6 weeks out, healing really good, biking is up to 40 miles per week, still less than my normal of 60 miles during this time of year, heat does not bother me as much as biking in 25 degree "wind chill", yea even in Florida...
*** The fatigue though is ever present, I can go a full day, but require at least an hour nap in the evening
- sometimes I sleep 5 hours straight
This was my story, I look forward to biking full time again, and not having the fatigue...
"Sinusitis" chronic is not something to full with, "behind the counter" medicine may and/or will allow it to further progress, be careful, and if surgery is suggested, make sure everything else has been tried...
I hope my story helps who ever reads it.
Ian says
Hey Tom,
I just read your comment and even got a teary eyes because your sinusitis symptoms were so similiar to mine. 4 weeks ago I had a surgery too.
It's been years since you've written this comment about your story, I just wanted to ask you how are you feeling today? Has the surgery improved quality of your life?
I know that there is a big possibility that you will never see my reply, couple of years has passed, but I just wanted to thank you for sharing your story and wish you all the best.
Jean says
Has anyone had a sinus surgery where they had a polyp and a swollen cyst in their sinus passages and the ENT didn't remove it? My ENT said that the cyst would shrink on its own after he opened up my nasal passages because more air could get to it. I spent $490 on another CT scan after surgery at my general practitioner's office. It showed that the cyst was swelling more and I had a thickening in the lining of the sinuses. I went back to the ENT and took the latest CT scan of my skull and sinuses and he said that the cyst had already began to shrink. I don't believe him. My primary care doctor sent me to an allergist/immunologist even though I don't have allergies. That doctor told me that the only way that cyst would shrink is if the surgeon had removed it or if I shrink it with nasal steroid spray which I stopped using because the ENT said that I didn't need it anymore. The allergist said that is wrong and wrote me a prescription for it or of course I could get it over-the-counter. I just wondered if anyone had anything like this before. I've only been able to work part time since my surgery which was 2 months ago. I have to take care of clients in a bank and the sinus swelling and fatigue can be pretty awful. I would appreciate any comments! Thanks!
Jean says
Dayle,
Thanks so much for your response. I forgot to say that I've been an avid walker, bike rider, and have lifted some small weights for 36 years. Since the surgery I have walked 3 times and it exhausted me for work the next day. I can force myself to do it but have stopped because I have to work as much as possible in my full-time job to keep my health insurance. I have 2 1/2 years left until I can get medicare. This is not how I wanted to retire but may have to or look for part-time employment. I actually have gotten more fatigued as the weeks go on (8 weeks since surgery now) and a friend of mine that's the same age and had the same surgery said that I went back to work too soon. She took off for 8 weeks. Besides working full-time, I'm single and maintain a house and lawn by myself. This surgery has really impacted my life in a negative way. I do have to say that I can breathe through my nose better now though.
Dayle says
Jean, This is so Normal and if it were not for this Blog every one of us would be thinking we were crazy and our families would think we were being babies and milking the heck out of this surgery. I do not understand why your Dr. along with my ENT will not see this as a part of the recovery for this surgery. I had my surgery 9 mos. ago and I still deal with the Fatigue but I am not sure that it is still from the surgery or my severe allergies. But I never had this fatigue prior to the surgery. I would love to know why this surgery is so hard to recover from since I work in the medical field and see patients who are much older than I am and have a lot more health issues than I did going into this and yet they bounce back from Open Heart Surgery ,Kidney Transplants , and much more invasive surgery than this Sinus Surgery from hell! I don't think I would do it again. Hang in there I hope things get better soon. Once again I will copy and paste your experience and send it to my family so they know their Mom isn't just being a big baby LOL!
Leana says
I had sinus surgery on Monday, and today is Friday and I'm starting to come out of the woods. I had the whole kit and kaboodle of procedures, lasting 4 hours. Honestly, I had read the original blog post prior to surgery, but thought my experience was going to be a cake walk. I mean, after having 2 c-sections (one after 4 days of labor) with super fast recoveries, it seemed like sinus surgery would be easier. Also, I had he luxury of not being in active sinus infection at the time of surgery, which I think made a big difference for me. I want to pass along a few comments from the trenches...
1) As an out-patient procedure, it gives the impression that you will be reasonably able to care for yourself right after surgery. Definitely not the case! They will literally wheel you out of recovery and you will be totally out of it for a while. I was not prepared for that, so it was a shock to find myself unable to walk on my own.
2) I would add a small dry erase board to the items to keep on hand. It hurt to talk for the first several hours.
3) Pain meds have lots of their own side effects, which you will need to weigh against your actual level of pain. Yes, I felt down right horrible, but when I really think about it, it wasn't so much pain but more extremely annoying and uncomfortable compounded by total fatigue. Yesterday, I started only taking Tylenol and I'm actually feeling better overall. With a clearer head, I'm better at the self-care strategies.
4) Ice packs and short walks (forcing myself) have really been helpful in turning the corner.
5) Just like they do in the hospital, keep in mind your goal for the day. For me today it was try and get BMs underway again (TMI, but keeping it real!).
I get the stents out on Monday and the day can't arrive fast enough! This surgery is no joke...wishing you all a fast recovery and excellent results.
JulieWunder says
Hi Leana, Thanks for sharing your experience and adding those tips. You are right, it is NO JOKE. Hope you start feeling better soon. Julie
Jean says
I'm 62 years old and had my sinus surgery 8 weeks ago today. I went back 5 days after surgery and had the worst fatigue of my life. I decided I needed more time off and then took 12 more days off. I went back for 3 1/2 weeks every day and am now feeling very badly again. I talk all day at my banker job and it is making my sinuses feel swollen and causing me extreme fatigue. My ENT has insisted that this is not a normal recovery and that my age shouldn't have anything to do with it and it shouldn't last this long. I've wasted time and money at 2 other family doctors who can't find anything else wrong with me.
Someone please let me know if you think that this is a normal sinus surgery recovery. My son had it with the same doctor when he was just 24 years old and he said it took him a year to feel totally back to normal. He wasn't living at home at the time so I don't remember. Thanks for any advice.
JulieWunder says
Hi Jean, It did take me a long time to feel better too. I finally did feel a lot better though and the surgery was worth it in the end because I was so sick. Best of luck with your recovery. Julie
Dayle says
Hi! I along with you was so grateful for this Blog. I respond to most every post I see bc I cant tell you how bad I feel for all of you. I do know what it was like but there is a end to this nightmare. I am 9 mos out and back to normal and feeling much better. Other than the weight gain I have from being on Prednisone trying to get rid of the original Sinus infection for 8 months. and quiting smoking knowing that it was not helping matters and sitting on the couch for months on end bc of the fatigue after the surgery and eating bc of the depression but other than that I feel much better. The weight gain is a whole other battle I am going to have to deal with and I am 56 yrs old so it is NOT going to be easy. Oh and I am in Menapause so that is just making it even harder. Hang in there. I truly feel for you having a two Yr old through this ordeal. I hope your Hubby is helpful and understanding bc you are going to need it and you sure do deserve it. Good Luck and have faith it will get better. KEEP FLUSHING WITH THE MEDI!
Natosha says
Hi,
What a wonderful post! I am 2 mos and 18 days post op. I had septoplasty and turbinate reduction. It has been the most horrible experience of my life. If I could go back, I would not have had it done. Right now my main issues are dull sense of taste and smell and dryness. How long did it take for your taste and smell to fully return? And, do you experience dryness in there?
I try to stay positive and hopeful with all this but as each day goes by and my smell/taste is still dull, I get so sad. The ENT nurse told me it can take 6 mos to a year to fully heal. She said I was an outlier, that I'm one of those that heals differently, takes longer than many. She said pretty confidently that my smell/taste would return. I can't help but wonder if she's just saying that....
The ENT that performed the procedure, well, I have another follow-up with him on August 25th. He's told me before to be patient. But this is too much to deal with. I had a very keen sense of smell and taste before all this. Not to mention I've scared myself with people's stories online. Ugh.
JulieWunder says
Hi! I'm so sorry you are going though such a bad experience. I don't specifically remember my taste and smell being worse for a longer time... But my smell has never been that great anyway. Was always stuffed up!! It took me about 6 months to fully heal but was almost better after 2... It just lingered for awhile longer. In the end it was still worth it for me. I haven't had sinus issues since then (knock on wood!)
Sarah says
Thank you so much for a great article. This documents pretty much all I have gone through so far. I am 15 days post op and I really feel that it's taking forever to recover. I had expected to be completely better by now. The pain is mostly gone - but the pressure in my head and the fatigue is like nothing I have ever known. I have a lively 2 year old - so don't have time to feel so tired!! I'm sure my husband thinks I'm exaggerating still feeling so bad. It is getting me down quite significantly - because I can't imagine feeling normal again!! I'm trying to be patient - and have taken to neilmed nasal douching every 2 hours as at my follow up appt my consultant said there is too much crusting and if I don't get it clear within a week the operation will have failed!
JulieWunder says
Oh no! I hope that's not the case. Best of luck getting your energy back and with the recovery.
Kim says
I came across this blog when looking for information regarding people with my same situation. I am almost a week post-op and had basically the same issue as you did Natasha. I had two really bad sinus infections within a few months of each other, and after the second round of antibiotics, I woke up one morning and realized that I couldn't smell! The ENT tried more antibiotics and nothing worked. I'm the mean time, I started losing my sense of taste. For someone like myself who loves to cook, these senses are a very important part of my life that was just GONE! My doctor told me honestly that I may not ever get my sense of taste or smell back, so Air am curious to know if anyone has had their senses returned to normal? I can honestly say that my taste buds are coming back somewhat, so it is slightly encouraging. Although the only 'sense' of smell that I have is a chemical note.
Natosha says
Kim
It's 7 months post op and my taste and smell have come back. I was seriously on the verge of suicide over it. I remember when I could even smell sewer and I was so excited for the stench because I could smell!! I dont care what I smell so as long as I can smell. And taste.
I really hope yours returns. You may be a slow healer such as myself.
I can honestly say none of it was worth it. If I had it to do again I would absolutely not have gone through with the surgery.
Kim says
Natasha, so glad to hear that you finally are feeling better! I really hope you are correct and I get my senses back. The only reason I had the surgery is that I lost my sense of smell and taste before, which is why they decided I needed the surgery. I pray that my sense of smell comes back soon. I understand what you meant about smelling bad things, I used to be able to smell every little thing....including my husband's friend who lackes in the hygiene department, lol! And my husband and I were just talking yesterday and I was saying that I almost miss not being able to bitch about the fact that his friend needs to take a shower!!
Becca says
Thanks so much for posting about your experience. My 8-year-old has had chronic sinusitis since she was 3. She had an adenoidectomy/tonsillectomy at age 5, and while that needed to be done, it didn't cure her sinus problems. We've run all kinds of tests and exhausted every possible option, and after a CT scan showed a deviated septum on one side and an unfortunately placed turbinate on the other, she is scheduled for septoplasty on Friday. The doctor has been very forthright about the difficult recovery and the pain associated with this surgery, so your experience doesn't come as a total surprise. And for me, it's better to be prepared ahead of time. Your list of things to have on hand is super helpful.
I came online looking for an answer to a question that I didn't find, though, and I'm wondering if maybe someone here might have some input. At her last surgery, we had to keep a bandage taped under her nose for the first 18 hours to catch the drainage. This worked fine except for the tape; constantly removing and reapplying it irritated her cheeks, which made it even more painful to change the bandages. Does anyone have any tips on how to avoid this? Thanks so much!
JulieWunder says
Oh no! I wish I had a good answer for you, but I don't. I didn't have that kind of bandage. Maybe someone else will chime in. I wish her a quick recovery!
Lynnette says
Yes!! The tape was painful for me as well. I ended up taking a surgical type mask that you can get at the drugstore and cutting it, basically into a sling. It loops on the ears, so after cutting it around the nose and mouth, it made a perfect sling to hold gauze.
Becca says
Oh, this is a great idea! Fortunately, my daughter's surgery ended up being far less invasive than they thought. Once they got in there and cleaned her out and could actually see, they realized they wouldn't have to touch the septum at all. It was just a matter of removing a bunch of haller cells and manipulating a turbinate that was in the way. So her recovery was SO much easier. Thanks for the reply. I'll keep this in mind for any future procedures :).
Dayle says
That is great to hear! I think I can safely say I am very close to 100% better from recovering from the surgery but it is very hard for me to tell how much better I am in general. I started taking the allergy drops to desensitize me from everything I am allergic to but bc they are giving me live Allergens on a daily basis so even if my allergies aren't flared bc of the season I am suffering bc I am taking them in the drops. They say this takes about 2 1/2 yrs I am not so sure I am doing the right thing at this point but I am into it now! But very glad to hear you are recovering!
Jennifer says
Thank you Julie for this blog and for everyone who has shared their experience 🙂 I had surgery on Wednesday July 13 and I am now 4 days out. I feel pretty miserable and am comforted to see that seems to be the norm. Julie my experience is almost identical to yours, other than they kept me at the surgery center for 23 hours after surgery and boy am I glad they did. On Thursday when the dr removed my packing in his office , it caused my nose to pour blood . If I leaned forward it poured out and leaning back caused it to pour into my throat. My dr quickly cauterized the blood and sucked out the clots , which was not pleasant. On Friday I tried to use the neilmed pulsating irrigator but it was too painful . I have been using oceans saline spray a few times a day plus hydrogen peroxide on a q tip to dissolve crusts , but I'm not sure how well it's working as I still have tons of congestion and post nasal drip. I can't wait to feel better and get back to normal life. Thank you for reading this and if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions I'm all ears 🙂 thank you !!
-Jennifer
Dan says
Hi Julie,
Firstly thank you for this post, it's been a source of comfort knowing that there have been so many other people out there who have gone through something similar.
I had FESS surgery just over two months ago & have been having a very rough time with the recovery, my doctor definitely did not set my expectations correctly.
I have a question regarding your experience with getting back to exercise in the early days...
Did you find at any point that if you maybe pushed yourself a little too hard with exercise or maybe trained a bit too much in a short period of time that you would get a bit of a relapse in your sinusitis symptoms?
For example I've started back up with Yoga & walking, last Sunday i went out for a mini hike which ended up being a bit longer & more tiring than planned. I got home & immediately feel asleep for about an hour, I woke up feeling sore & groggy but not too bad. The next morning however I had a serious headache, tired eyes, pressure through my sinuses & felt very congested, 3 days later i'm only just starting to have these symptoms ease up...
If anyone else has experienced anything like this or has any insight they can share it would be great to hear back from you as i'm obviously quite concerned about it.
Thank you again
Dan
JulieWunder says
Hi Dan! Sorry for the delay in my reply. I hope you are having a better weekend. I agree, that the doctor did not let me know it would take me so long to get better. But in his defense it seems to impact differently people dramatically different. Seems like both of us didn't tolerate it well.
I absolutely had little relapses when I pushed. I had a trip planned to Italy before all that happened and I remember a couple days into it I just had to take a day off of hiking and exploring. It got better though and I started feeling better again. I'd say just take it slow and know you are building endurance back, so don't expect to do something you could before-- baby steps! You'll get it back soon. Best of luck with your recovery and I'm so glad my little blog helped you.
Mary Villeneuve says
Thanks for your advices it will be helpful for the people who appearing in surgery for first time. Thank you.
Dayle says
I can honestly say the Fatigue was the WORST part for me! It caused other issues like muscle weakness and weight gain until I was able to get up and get going again but I am slowly taking the weight off and getting back to normal FINALLY! Hang in there!
Mark says
What a fantastic post! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I had the same surgery a week ago. I was so worried that something was wrong because I am getting fatigued very easily. I am so encouraged and relieved because of your post! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
JulieWunder says
Hi Mark! I'm so glad it helped you. Best of luck with your recovery.
George Miller says
When I read this story I realized just how similar it was to my condition.
Years ago, I was so desperate to get rid of a large polyp that was completely blocking my nostril that I ended up getting surgery. It was one of the most distressing procedures I had ever experienced, not to mention the ugly scars it left me.
At least the polyp was gone...or so I thought.
A month later the nasal polyps were back in not just one nostril, but in both nostrils! My doctor told me not too worry, that this was totally normal and that I would just need to get another surgery or use steroid sprays every day for the rest of my life.
I knew that there had to be another way. I searched long and hard and finally came across some simple natural remedies that finally made the nasal polyps disappear for good...to the amazement of my doctor.
In fact, you might want to check out this article, it really helped me a lot:
http://www.journalofnaturalhealth.com/nasalpolyps
Hope it helps anyone reading this!
Dayle says
OH YOU ARE NOT CRAZY! This is a very rough surgery! It took me 3 full months to recover. Hang in there 🙁 I feel your pain!
Shannon says
My daughter had a time with sinus surgery. Very very painful and ended up in hospital 4 days because of her pain. She is 18 now and still suffers with her allergies, and sinuses. Took her for an appointment Friday because we thought she had picked up virus while working at daycare, but dr. Looked in her right nostril and said "I know I didn't leave that in there" I'm like what? He asked if she may have been hit in nose or something. She hasn't and granted he is a great dr and knows how to deal with her and her anxiety. But she's still in so much pain and waiting for ct scan. She's on a steroid pack and antibiotics to. He said a piece of cartilage is blocking her airway in her right nostril. Anton had this problem? She's still in great deal of pain .any advice would be great.
JulieWunder says
Hi! I am so sorry your daughter is going through such a tough time. I hope she gets some relief. I didn't go through that experience but maybe another reader can provide some insight.
Dayle says
Oh I feel for your daughter. I had my surgery Jan 4th and I can honestly say it took me 3 full mos. to feel normal. It was a really bad experience for me and if it weren't for this blog that I came across I would have thought something was terribly wrong. Your daughters pain is probably from the cartilage how it got there I don't know:( I guess the ct scan will help figure that out. It sounds to me like that isn't supposed to be there and wasn't there when they finished the surgery. I am curious to find out what happened. As far as the pain with the surgery that was really better after the first week but it wasn't as bad as the Fatigue and the heavy head and pressure. I cant believe the fatigue that came with it and how long it lasted. I had a lot of swelling also. I have been put on Allergy drops to desensitize my reaction the allergens. It was pretty rough the first couple of mos bc it was allergy season so I wasn't only getting the allergens from the outdoors I was taking live allergens in the drops BUT I really think it is working. I go back the end of this month and they will retest me to see if any of the reactions have lessoned. I am allergic to EVERYTHING! I wish I had somethi9ng to tell you to relieve your daughter of the pain but I think the pain is from what ever he sees in the nostril that shouldn't be there. Has she been going and having cleanings done Post surgery? I am surprised they didn't see it then. I had to go once a week post surgery and they would scrap the sinus for any debry ( scabs....yuck...dried blood) that was actually the worse pain of all was having that done. Please keep me posted on how she is doing I really don't think anyone can imagine how rough this surgery is unless you have been through it. Please keep me posted. Oh also be sure she is doing the rinses that I think helped me a lot.
Kate says
I am so glad to have found this blog! I had septum/sinuplasty 10 days ago today and I still feel like total crap. I went grocery shopping today with a friend and less than 2 hours later, I was back in bed, sleeping.
You've documented the closest journey that I've experienced and it's so nice to know I'm not flipping crazy!
Seriously.
Thank you
JulieWunder says
Hi Kate! I hope you are starting to feel better! I'm so glad the blog helped you a little. You are NOT crazy!
Diane says
Hi There! I had surgery on April 25, 2016. I read your blog before I went in so I was prepared with throat spray, cough drops, popsicles, etc for throat pain. I was put under at 8:30 AM, and woke up at 12:30 PM (4 hours later) and was driven home by my roommate. I went to bed and fell right asleep. I woke up at 3 with some pain and took the pain med that the doctor gave me. That was the only pain pill I needed. After that I took Tylenol, as needed.
I did have pretty bad throat pain for three days and a blocked nose (so I had to breath through my mouth). I mostly slept for five days.
I returned to work after 7 days. The first two days of work, I was really tired. The last two days, I've gotten headaches. I'm taking Tylenol for the headaches.
What's strange to me if that I can hear the breath in my nostrils. It sounds really loud to me. I've had breathing problems for about 12 years, with sinus infections 2-4 times a year since then. That's why I chose surgery. Before surgery, they tried to clear my sinuses with 30 days of antibiotics and prednisone. But after 30 days, the mucus in my sinuses had only decreased by a small amount and the sinuses were still mostly blocked. So this feeling of air in my nose is strange. It's nice to be able to breath through my nose so easily. I can't wait until the swelling goes all the way down to see what it will be like then! So, today it's been 10 days since the surgery. I can't smell anything yet.
Hazel Owens says
I'm glad that you were honest about your experience and gave advice to others going through the same thing that you did. Knowing what to expect and preparing a bunch of cough drops and nasal sprays will probably make somebody's nasal surgery an easier experience for them. I'm glad that the surgery helped you get sick less often, and I hope you continue to live life to the fullest!
lisa says
Hi all i had sinus surgery on april 19th. They did a nasal aireay reconstruction, submucosal rrsection nasel turbinates, bilateral endoscopic sinus surgery. I arrived at the hospital at 530 am checked in and 10 minutrs later i was in pre op. They had keept me over night 23 hour obersavation. Before surger i was weighed in given wipes to clean my whole body, a cap , slipper socks and a gown to put on. They started an iv and a cource of iv antibotics prior to surgery. My hubby and aunt were in the room with me. My ent came in asked me some qurstions, tood me what to expect and that the next 2 days were going to be misrible. The anastegoliset came in asked me a bunch of questions then the took me off to thebor. I woke up in extream pain my throught was so sore and raw from surgery. They gave me ice chips to sucknon to help. Took me up to my room had me as a fall precaution from all the pain meds the doc had me on. Made me drink 2 glasses of water and a full liquid diet for 3 days. I had packing in both of my nostrols over night. They gave me 2 more cources of iv antibotic painnmeds every 2 and 6 hours steriroids to help with the swelling. Very little brusing. Each daybi feel a little better. But still have headachs. And cant get confey when i sleep. When they discharged me from the hospital they gave me a prescriptions for pain meds, antibotics, steriods, and a stool softner. And they have me a nasel deconjustion to use twice a day for 3 days, ocean spray 3 sprays each nostrol four times a day and to use the netipot twice a day
I hope this helps
Dale says
Hi! I definetly feel a lot better after 3 mos post op BUT I don't feel great bc it is Allergy season UGH! I started drops for my allergys but right now they are worse than ever but that is bc I am getting the live Allergen so it is like a double dose. As far as the surgery I feel 80 % better. The light headiness and heavy head and the fatigue and the occasional swelling didn't end until 3 mos. after the surgery. It was def a long long rd but the is a end. Hang in there!
Dale says
Well I hope this works bc for years any day that is a nice day outside for most to enjoy is miserable for me bc my allergies are at their worst.
Dayle says
Hi Patricia, My name is Dayle and I had this surgery3 mos ago and I was so grateful for this blog bc without it I would have never known what to expect or that I didn't have something go terrible wrong. It is a lot more than my Dr. or it seems anyone else Drs. lead on to. YOU should really read all the posts so you know what to expect and I REALLY WISH YOU THE BEST. EMAIL ME AT ANYTIME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
Dayle says
Hello! My name is Dayle and I have posted on this Blog to many of you who shared your experience. I have a question to all of you and that is have ANY of you had Allergy Drops? This is something my Allergist has adviced me to do. I had all of the Allergy testing done and I was allergic to 40 out of 40 things that they tested me for. They were all kinds of Trees, dust, feathers, molds,animals ect. The one thing that I scored highest on was Mold. I now take these drops at home twice a day under my tonuge and it is in place of the Allergy shots. This is much more convenient than the shots bc I do them at home and I only have to go every 3 mos. to get my dose changed. Right now the allergy season is at its peak so I am pretty miserable bc I am getting the live Allergen I am getting a double dose of anything I am allergic to. I would love to hear from anyone who has gone through this process and see how they did with it. I am praying this works bc after that surgery from HELL I don't want to ever need to do that again. I hope to hear from someone. Thanks! and I hope you are all feeling better!
Patricia says
Dayle, I did the immunotherapy drops two years ago, and shots in 2011-2012. They didn't seem to help me much, although some people swear by them. Plus, it is a pain to have to go to the allergist twice a week to start and get those shots which are uncomfortable and time-consuming. So drops are worth a try??? I too am crazy allergic to molds! in fact, to pretty much everything. I use Pataday eye drops and Montelukast (Singulair), and it works ok. I will be able to tell you really how great after I heal up from the sinus surgery.
Hind says
Kindly provide me with your email
JulieWunder says
runninginaskirt@gmail.com
Dale says
dballantyne@dsi-corp.com
JulieWunder says
I'm so glad my blog helped you. Thanks for letting me know. Best of luck on your recovery.
Patricia says
Thank you for the support! Yesterday was tough! I felt very uncomfortable and had to change my nose drip dressing quite a few times. I'm one of those who does not like to take any pain pill other than Advil, but I'm glad I filled the prescription. I had endometriosis surgery back in September of last year, and only had to take pain pills for two days, then 3 Advils did the trick, but nose surgery...well, proves more painful.
Here is my experience so far:
-Pain.
-Blood and drainage
-A sore throat first day and night. Chloraseptic was a great suggestion
-Swelling. However, propping up your head while sleeping and during the day is SO helpful. Don't do any bending over or lifting!
Dring water and get up and sit up every once in a while to get the blood to move a bit. Keeps it from going to the face.
I thought I was going straight to H*$# yesterday, but I feel like I'm on the mend!
Hind says
Hi Dayle, how do you feel now 3 months after surgery and when did feel like your old self?
I'm now almost 2 months post surgery.. Feeling a little better but not completely well, my head still feels weird and a little heavy
Patricia says
I just had sinus debridement and deviated septum fixed this morning. No nausea today, but some pain. My pain meds stated, "every 4 hrs", and I'd start hurting at 3hrs and 30. Have to do cold compresses, but only on cheeks and forehead, not on the bridge of nose! From Julie's comments, I'm afraid of how I'll feel tomorrow: however, I'm trying to focus on the grateful part because for the past 3 years I was in such agony from chronic sinusitis, horrible allergies which promoted more "goo", which they had to suck out (sorry) of my sinuses which were causing my left eye to not have full range! How spooky was that!!!
JulieWunder says
I hope you are starting to feel better. It's a tough recovery process, but it did help me. Best of luck!
Sonarita says
Hi Julie, Thanks for Sharing your Experience on Sinus Surgery.My sister is looking for sinus surgery but she is scared about surgery,After reading your story, I got hopes that after the treatment one can lead their normal life. Thanks for this post.
JulieWunder says
I'm so glad this post helped her. Best of luck!
Hind says
Dear Julie..
May I ask you for how many weeks after your surgery did you feel lightheaded? I am 5 weeks post op and still feeling dizzy I think it's due to the pressure in my sinuses..
Regards..
JulieWunder says
Hi! It took a long time-- maybe a couple months. I just felt off for awhile. Best of luck to you and I hope you start feeling better soon.
Hind says
Thanks a lot for taking time to share your story.. It truely helped me and many others! Like you said sinus surgey is not an easy thing to go through.. I'm 3 weeks post op and I'm still feeling like crap.. My main issue is the head pressure in my forhead and how heavy my head still feels.. Any movement or even talking makes the headache and pressure worse., I'm lying in bed most of the time and feel so unproductive .. Have you experienced this? And please if anyone has experience something similar to my complain of head/ forehead pressure please reassure me that nothing is terribly wrong .. I was operated on my maxillary, ethmoid and frontal sinuses where polyps were removed and my septum slightly fixed.
JulieWunder says
I'm glad it helped you. I hope you start feeling better soon. I did remember having lots of headaches and pressure. I am doing great now though!
Dayle says
Hello! I was never one to blog I am not even on FB but I found this when I was looking up Sinus Surgery looking for answers to why I still felt so horrible when the Dr. didn't seem to think I should. This Blog has saved me from thinking I had something terrible wrong. I was told I only needed to take a week off from work so that what I did and man did I regret it. I am so lucky I have the Boss and Co Workers that I do bc I was in a complete fog for the first few weeks. I also had terrible pressure in my head for about 2 mos or more. I think it was swelling bc as soon as I would go off the prednisone it would come back. I am almost 3 mos post op and I am still so weak and have such fatigue that I just basically go to work and that's about it. I am so miserable that I cant do what I used to do. It now is allergy season which is what triggers my sinus infections bc I wasn't draining properly and that is what the surgery was supposed to fix. Well I am now suffering from allergies and I am not draining any better than before the surgery. My dr. insists that I am draining beautifully. I beg to differ from her. I am totally disgusted. I hope that I will turn a corner real soon but so far I cant say it was worth it!
JulieWunder says
I'm so sorry! I'm sure everyone's experience is different. It took me a long time for the swelling to go down and feel like it helped. The nasal washes have been huge for me. I still do them.
Best of luck. I hope you turn a corner soon. I know how bad you feel!
Chad says
I had a septoplasty 2 months ago and my nose still feels very strange. It feels like it is numb on the incision side and the tip feels strange as well. I am having weird sensations in the roof of my mouth. I am so disappointed and worried this was a failed surgery and hopefully no permanent damage was done. Did you have any of these feelings? Did they subside? I still have inflammation in the nostril they did the incision in. Than you for posting your experience.
JulieWunder says
If I remember correctly, my whole head felt strange for awhile. It did get better. 3 months was a big milestone for me.
Diane says
Hi Chad,I had my surgery on August 12 so it's been about 2 weeks and 3 days, and I'm feeling everything you are feeling and today was my post op appt and I explained to my Dr all the symptoms I am getting, and he said to me let's give it a few more weeks ,then if I'm still feeling all the symptoms then he would send me to a neurologist, believe me I've been scared
Garima says
Hi Julie
Thanks for this blog. Im a few days over 4 weeks since my sinus/septoplasty surgery and I have been feeling completely exhausted. I was feeling quite strange for feeling just so tired when thankfully, I found your blog! When did the tiredness get better for you? I noticed that even 8 weeks post op you felt tired. It would be great to know so that I can know what to expect.
JulieWunder says
Hi Garima-- SO sorry you are going through this too. If I remember correctly I started running again at about 2- 2 1/2 months and started feeling 95% normal at 3. I remember at 6 I finally felt completely normal and felt like it had worked. It was still worth it for me.
Best of luck!!!
Danielle says
Hello Julie and other sinus surgery patients
Tonight I did a Google search of “sinus surgery patient accounts” and that is how I found my way here. My story is kind of long, but I’m happy to find a place to share what I know and who knows, maybe something I write will help another. I hope so!
I had sinus surgery on Feb 29, 2016…. I am 10 days post-op
14 years ago I had an extensive sinus surgery at OHSU in Portland, OR. It went very well and for the ensuing years I never had another sinus infection (or so I thought). Around 3 years ago, however, I developed a severe pain in the top of my head. My primary Doctor thought at the time that the symptoms matched something called “cluster headaches”, a form of migraine. She and I didn’t even think of sinus as an answer…because my sinus issues had all been taken care of very effectively years ago.
The Doctor sent me for a CT Scan and it came back “normal”. The problem persisted and the Doctor told me what I needed to do next was see a Neurologist. From what I read cluster headaches are really difficult to treat…so I cut out aspartame and I really did seem to get better (eventually) “on my own”. I didn’t want to go to a Neurologist! Then…in Jan of 2015 I got a terrible flu. From that time forward I felt continually awful and I would have pain in the same place on the right side of my head. Months went by and the flu was over with, but there was that pain back in the same part of my head again. I had “postural” headaches too, pain bending over each and every time…it was painful to just put down the bowl for the cat. This went on and on and on…and I asked my Doctor could I please have another CT scan (I thought I might have a brain tumor)!
Finally in August of 2015 I got a “regular” brain CT Scan AND a CT Scan specifically of the sinus. My Doctor was retiring so I just got a note in my online chart that the findings were “Bilateral Chronic Sphenoid Sinusitis” Ohhhhhh! So, it was found because she finally ordered the right test. The Sphenoid Sinus is deeper in your head than the Para-sinuses that are in the front of your head. When I Googled Sphenoid Sinus I knew finally what was going on…the symptoms are very similar to cluster headaches with pain usually in one place at the top of the head (or in the neck). Armed with this CT Scan I went to three different surgeons trying to decide what to do. (My original Sinus surgeon had moved away). I was treated conservatively with antibiotics and steroids for months and months and it did nothing to help me. I just got worse and worse…my whole life was practically over. I could do about ONE thing every day and that was it.
I was very indecisive about the surgery for months…but then it just got to a point where I realized I had to do something…I couldn’t continue on like this. I was like a zombie. Like everyone here, I didn’t have much idea about what to expect (even though I had had surgery before). This time, for me, it was going to be different because this sinus involved was this “weird” one deep in your head that is right next to the optic nerve. I researched and learned which one of the surgeons I had seen was considered the BEST. I got a humidifier (strongly recommend) and a Grossan Nasal Irrigator prior to the surgery date. I meditated and concentrated on believing in the skills of my surgeon and in being positive. (Mentally prepare, like an athlete before the big game).
When I woke up from my surgery I felt very weird and my throat hurt. I wasn’t at all nauseous. They didn’t use packing. My husband wrote down everything the surgeon said to him after the surgery. The Surgeon said that he was surprised that the inflammation/infection had reached my bone. (This is not something easily seen in CT Scan). So for a week I pretty much stayed in bed. I wasn't really able to do much. I felt "low" but not horrible. I kept the humidifier going and irrigated twice a day (starting the day after the surgery). I’m still taking antibiotics and prednisone. Yesterday was my first post op visit. The Doctor’s Fellow (it is a teaching hospital) cleaned my nasal passages with suction. It was not particularly comfortable, but I felt better afterwards. I felt for the past week like I had a cold without actually having a cold…I guess that congestion is congestion. My voice sounded funny, like I had a cold, but today it is more normal.
The surgery was NOT the nightmare that I thought it might be…and today I think I may actually get my life back and become normal once again. I wanted to write all this out because I wonder how many cases of “Sphenoid Sinusitis” there might be out there. I guess it is rare, because I have not been able to find any accounts about it on the internet (and I didn’t really want to watch those YouTube videos). For some reason my Sphenoid sinus had gotten walled off with all that infection inside. If I had gone to the Neurologist when my primary wanted me to go I MIGHT have gotten the answer sooner (if the Neurologist would have asked for a CT SINUS scan). My fault! I have learned that it is very important to be the best advocate for your own health (and that means following Doctors orders). Most important advise: Fight to get the BEST and most TOP surgeon in your area! Happy healing everyone…I!
JulieWunder says
Wow! What a journey. I'm so glad you finally got some relief. Thanks for sharing your story to help others.
Dayle says
Hi Danielle, I was just wondering how you are feeling and how is the recovery going? My heart went out to you after reading all that you went through! I hope you are feeling better!
Dayle
Danielle says
Dayle, so sorry to have not replied before now. I am not 100% yet--but I have lots of hope! I am SO much better than I was, so I always remember where I was. I still have some postural headache. I manage it with Tylenol or Aleve. I hope someday it will all be resolved. I am so glad I got to have the surgeon that I did.
Alicia says
Hey! I am currently looking at surgery for a retention cyst in my sphenoid sinus. It's nearly impossible to find info on it so I think I'm going to write about it after so that others can see. I am absolutely terrified.
JulieWunder says
Hi Alicia! That sounds a little different than what I had, but I imagine it will feel similar. It was hard, but worth it in the end. Best of luck to you and you should write about it! I wrote this and it seems to have helped so many people. Prayers your way!
Danielle says
Alicia, don't worry! Put your trust in your surgeon. If you are having symptoms you will be surprised with your improvement. It takes awhile for sure! Any problem in the sphenoid sinus is quite rare. I guess that is why we don't find much about it on the internet. Keep us updated! We're in your corner. 🙂
Nicole says
It took months and we also found a cyst in my brain, but the surgery was well worth it.
Rachel says
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I had the same procedures you had that were performed at the same time, a septoplasty and functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). I too am a fitness enthusiast and glad I found someone who had the same procedure that normally lives an active lifestyle. It's been exactly one week since I've had my surgery and I've had similar experiences as you. I've been a bit impatient as it's only been one week but I can't wait to start working out again. I wanted to go to the gym just to walk for a couple miles on the treadmill, but my boyfriend didn't think it was a good idea since my nose still drips (not as much as the first few days, but I stopped wearing the dressings under my nose) and I still feel a bit fatigued. I am still congested and I was worried but the nurse practitioner at my doctor's office says that is normal at this time. My doctor keeps telling me to be patient. About how long ago was your procedure? When would you said you were able to fully work out again like you used to, without restrictions?
JulieWunder says
I'm so sorry you are struggling too-- it was hard! My procedure was in 2013. I had been sick in the months leading up to it, so I wasn't in prime shape going into it, so it took me longer to rebound. If I remember correctly it was about 1 1/2 to 2 months and at 3 I was almost normal. BUT, your situation may be different. I had some other health issues like asthma to work through. Regardless, the surgery was worth it for me in the end. Best of luck!
Paola says
I had an emergency fess procedure after months of ineffective antibiotics. The 2 or 3 hr general anesthesia gave me SEVERE brain fog for at least one month. I had to take care of my young daughter on my own during this time and do all the necessary household duties. The experience was a complete nightmare; I never felt so disabled in my entire life. My teaching job requires driving into the Bronx to more than one location, which I still cannot fully risk, so I had to take a medical leave until further notice. The entire experience was so traumatizing that I developed serious depression and had to get treatment with top notch psychology specialists at Columbia New York Hospital. 35 days after surgery I became ill with an ear/throat/bronchial infection which so far 2 courses of antibiotics has not resolved. I am currently on Augmenting and have another appt with my ent surgeon on Monday. I need a new source of inner strength and patience very often in order to see the light at the end of this long tunnel. Julie, I read your posts very often to draw on some of your positive attitude. It is quite uplifting!
JulieWunder says
I'm so sorry you went though all that. Sinus Surgery is no joke! Thanks for reading my blog-- I'm so glad you get something from it. That makes my day.
Dayle says
Paola, I am so sorry to hear all you are going through. I too had this surgery and I cant explain to my family and friends the toll this has taken on me Physically Mentally and Emotionally. It was a nightmare for me also. The only thing that has gotten me through this is too read postings on this Blog so that I know I haven't gone crazy and it isn't just me that this surgery is horrible to come back from. I am 2 months out of surgery and still struggling with a lot of effects it has left me with. I also got another infection after surgery that antibiotic has not yet gotten rid of. This is all so discouraging. I am trying to ween off of the Prednisone which has been a nightmare in its self. I hope you are feeling better soon and I am so grateful for all of you that have shared your experience so that I know this is not just me this is not all in my head and hopefully we will all be feeling better soon! And god bless you taking care of your child bc I have said all along I cant imagine what I would have done if I were still raising my children through this. I can barely take care of myself.
Lori Bartlett says
Omg!I had sinus surgery 2 and a half months ago.I now suffer anxiety and panic attacks over this surgery! This was the worst surgery I've ever had!I'm still dizzy on and off.I'm glad I read your post.I'm glad to know their are people on here who also got depression and needed help.
Dayle says
Hi Lori! I feel so sorry for you and without this blog I would have thought something was terribly wrong after my surgery. I really wish the Drs would better prepare their Patients for this HORRIBLE surgery. I am just 3 mos Post Op and I FINALLY feel some what normal. You definetley aren't alone on getting depression from this. Between the painful cleanings after surgery to the lack of energy for mos to the Financial burden it has put on me and I cant believe the weight I have gained from the Prednisone that I am going to have to now try to get off. UGH! People say it was worth it and maybe someday I will too but as for right now AI have to say I would never do it again! Good Luck Lori I do feel your pain 🙁
JulieWunder says
I'm so sorry you've had so much trouble too! Prayers your way!
JulieWunder says
I am so sorry you are still struggling! Best wishes and prayers that is passes soon.
Victoria says
Hi. I had surgery 3 weeks ago for a deviated septum and nasal polyps. I ended up having an allergic reaction to the splints they put in so my recovery is much slower than anticipated. My asthma is considerably worse since the surgery. My ent says this is unrelated. Did your surgeon or allergist feel the surgery was the reason your asthma become worse? I know I still have alot of internal swelling so I would think this could contribute to worse asthma symptoms but my ent does not. Thanks for sharing your experience! It's nice to know I'm not the only one who found this surgery challenging.
JulieWunder says
My asthma was worse too. I think it might have been from the extra fluid and swelling in the body? I remembering them not being shocked my that. Best of luck with the recovery. For me the surgery was worth it, even though it was hard.
Sharon says
Had chronic sinusitis for years. Had sinuplasty 18 months ago and it cleared my infection for a while. About 5 months ago I had so much infection I was on 4 different antibiotics and steroids with no improvement. CAT scan showed infection in all my sinuses on the right side. I had so much pain in my face, eyes and nose with terrible headaches. My eyes and face were swollen. Doctor was concerned it would go to my brain. Turned out to be fungal infection. I am 3 weeks out from surgery and still so tired. The mucous drainage has just improved the last few days but still getting headaches and pressure. I do irrigations 3-4 times a day and just finished my steroids and antibiotics. So glad to be off them after so long. I have Sjogren's Syndrome (autoimmune disease) and was told to never have the surgery but I had no choice. Sjogrens causes dry eyes, mouth and nose and contributed to my infections and can cause you to not heal well from sinus surgery. I too thought there was something seriously wrong because I don't feel normal - no energy. I had a mastectomy last May and put a garden in 2 weeks after surgery and I'm 71 yrs old. This was worse but starting to improve. I know they removed all the cartilage from the ethmoid, some bone and a fungal ball from the maxillary sinus and flushed out all the infection. Thankful it's behind me and looking forward to Spring. My prayers to all who have gone through this.
JulieWunder says
I'm so sorry this happened to you! I hope you continue to get better. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Dayle Ballantyne says
Allison this is so bothersome to me that your Dr. is telling you this when their are so many of us having the same issues. My Dr. told me to take sugar out of my diet that could be the cause of my Fatigue. I feel like I have to figure all this out on my own. I had a cleaning ( which I never knew was a post op procedure) on Thursday and she did a culture bc she said she thought I had another sinus infection ( or the same one)and I just got the results back and YUP another Sinus infection. I am at the end of my rope. I had a melt down at the Pharmacy last night talking to the pharmacist about all of this. I use a cpap machine and I am looking into it today to see if I am getting the infections from bacteria that could be in the cpap. I just really wish that the Drs. would be up front and honest about what we should expect with this surgery so that we don't feel like something is seriously wrong or that it is in out head. Hang in there and just know you are NOT alone.
Dayle Ballantyne says
Has anyone had this surgery and use a cpap machine? I have gotten another ( or the same sinus infection) 5 weeks after surgery. I am worried that it may be my Cpap Machine causing these infections. I looked into buying a machine called SoClean that is supposed to sanitize your Cpap machine and after going through this surgery I am trying to be sure not to get another infection and when I read the reviews for the SoClean machine a lot of the users talked about no longer getting Sinus Infections. I am curious to see if anyone on this site has any knowledge about the Cpap Machine ot the SoClean machine and the relations with Sinus Infections.
Neck pain says
Thank you for posting your site. It helps me a lot to understand it will.
Alison says
Hi All,
It is so wonderful to hear all of your stories. I had my surgery Dec. 17 2015, and I am STILL feeling pretty terribly. I had the sinuplasty, they fixed a deviated septum, closed an opening in my nose that wasn't supposed to be there, and shaved down a bone spur I never knew I had. I expected to feel bad the first two weeks after surgery, but I had no idea that I would have the constant headaches and the debilitating fatigue even 7 weeks post surgery.
I'm a teacher, so I am exposed to all kinds of germs. Since the surgery, I contracted two bad illnesses- combined with the surgery recovery, I have been miserable! I went back to my ent and had to go on two rounds of heavy duty antibiotics. I went to my primary and he wanted me to get blood work done. I was convinced that I have mono or some terrible illness, because no doctor has told me that I would feel so bad for so long. My mono test came back today as negative, and I'm still waiting on the eppstein barr virus results. I just generally feel unwell. It's not all the time- but very often, just making the bed or drying my hair is exhausting!
I've missed days and days of school, convinced that I am sick on top of recovering. Could I just still be recovering? My principal has been very understanding, but I'm at a complete loss. If anyone has answers I would appreciate it so much.
Best wishes to everyone for speedy recoveries and healthy days ahead,
Alison
Dayle Ballantyne says
Hi Alison, I am so sorry to hear how miserable you are but there is something to be said when they say Misery loves company. I feel much better when I hear that other people who had this surgery are feeling as bad as I do. At the very least it makes me believe it is normal. I am 5 weeks post op and I still feel horrible. It is worse at times but I never feel good. The Fatigue is to me the worst part. I do one thing and I am exhausted. My doctor told me it is not from the surgery. I no longer believe that after reading all the posts from people who are suffering from the extreme Fatigue and Weakness weeks after this surgery. One person put in their post that this surgery is NO JOKE and man she isn't kidding. I think if I had been told more of what to expect I would not have been thinking someth9ing is wrong. This surgery is way more than I ever expected. I was told to take a week off from work which I did. OMG I don't know how I made it through the next week. I could barely walk back to my car after a days work. I have a desk job or it would have been impossible to have returned to work. I was never told that I would have to go and have cleanings at the Drs. office Post Op. The first cleaning 4 days after the surgery the MA was new and did not numb me and I thought I was going to die. It was very tramatic. I have had some complications bc I wear a Cpap to sleep with and that was making me swell. I still have swelling now and then. I am waiting on a culture to come back bc she saw I still have infection in my sinus now we are waiting to see if it is left over from the original infection prior to the surgery or do I have a new one. So with all that said I am basically miserable too. I feel your pain and frustration and without reading others experiences I would have thought something was terribly wrong. I hope we all feel better soon and never ever have to go through this again!
Alison says
Hi Dayle,
Thank you so much for sharing your story. My ENT just called me and said that he has never had a patient take so long to recover and should be feeling "pretty darn good by now." He said the weakness and fatigue are not related to the surgery, and he's going to give me another week and then he wants to do ANOTHER CAT scan and refer me to a neurologist. I feel absolutely devastated. I almost wanted to be like, "Wellllll check out this blog, because a lot of other people have difficult recoveries too!" I've had it with doctors and pain and the constant fear that something is wrong with me. It's all that I think about because the discomfort is constant. I'm losing hope. Thank you again for your response. It is wonderful to not feel so alone.
Alison
JulieWunder says
What a journey! I hope you start feeling better soon. Thanks for sharing!
sameerroy says
i am now on 2month on fess septoplasty
i am fill better 50% my thorot still sick i am going meet doc how long term recovry it is plz help
Dale Riggleman says
Thank you for sharing your experience with the us. I read your post prior to my same surgery, septoplacty, endoscopy to remove sinus polups. *******To all that will be going through this type of surgery read as much as you can to find out what is envolved, and the risks. Mine didn't go as planned, as an outpatient surgery. In recovery I was told that the unthinkable had occurred and there were complications while performing this very common, routine procedure.
While the surgeon was removing, repairing the deviated septum, she saw, and I quote, "I saw a bunch of mush, the I saw your brain as it was beating. I immediately knew that a hold had emerged in your Dura, which is a paper thin membrane surrounding your brain that contains CSF, cerebral spinal fluid, and all the fluid started leaking out, so I had to attempt to do a patch to close the hole to your brain" end quote.
Keeping this as short as I can, that membrane is so thin that it's like jello, and putting stitches in will tear it more, so scrapping as much nasal tissue to cover the hole, along with surgical glue, covers the hole. Sent me downstairs to get MRI to see if patch worked was horrible, I only lasted 3-4 mins when I yelled, and said get me out of here I'm drowning on my own fluid, gurgling.
Again keeping this kinda short, I had to be transported via ambulance to another hospital that would accept me after this procedure went wrong, was a day long attempt. Only 1 hospital would except me, which was a 1.5hr away. I spent 15 days in ICU, 6 spinal taps, 1 spinal drain for 2 wks, 3hr operation, lost 30lbs, had to learn how to walk again, memory loss, transfusion and all my stats almost flat lined, and had the dream that I was dead, and met a faceless human wearing a full gown that spoke and asked where should we put him until he's dead. I woke up with the nurses Yelling at me to wake up and breathe.
It has now been 5 weeks since my surgery, at home, still having some memory issues, unbalanced, and fatigued. One side of my nose hurts along with being clogged, but it beats the alternative of what the Nerosugeon, as a back up plan if this didn't work, which was to cut from ear to ear, pull down my face and repair the hole. I had air that got into my brain, a rare spore, and my brain shrunk.
Hopefully this long winded, but spared some other gory stuff, helps anyone thinking about this type of surgery. Know what Could Happen, be prepared and do your homework. This does happen, although rare, it may in fact happen.
You can reach out to me if you like, and I can go into further details
dayle Ballantyne says
omg you poor thing! I thought it couldn't be worse now I know it can! I did read that there was a very very thin layer between your Sinus and Your brain and there have been cases where people have had brain fluid leaking due to the pressure of the swelling in the sinus. This freaked me out I really wish I didn't ever read that and now I wish I didn't read your story for the fact that it really scares me. Ism so sorry that you have been through all of this. I don't dare complain about my experience after that I just want to wish you good health and I hope that you totally recover very soon!
Dale Riggleman says
Thanks Dayle, for you kind words and concerns. Surgery day was Dec 8 2015, discharged Dec 23, 2015 and today is Feb 4, 2016. Most of all packing has come out, still have clots coming out, get real tired around 3-4p but strength and memory starting to come back, but the dizziness is still active. I'm 63, 6'4" went in at 245lbs, came out at 224lbs and the only meds I ever took was vitamins, no illnesses pretty healthy active man, now I have list of issues and take all kinds of meds. Not complaining, I do look at priorities different now, blessed to wake up, work so things are not as bad as it sounds......bless you Dayle.
JulieWunder says
I am so sorry this happened to you. Thanks for reaching out and writing this, so more people can be aware of the dangers.
Mya says
Hello, I was wondering if anyone has been addicited to nasal sprays like afrin? I have to decide to go forward with sinus surgery but was thinking that using afrin for so many years due to my constant congestion and sinus infections may make the recovery period worse. I'm terrified and am so sick of antibiotics and steroids with no relief. !
Pat says
Nicole - have faith - it's going to get better. I am now 17 days post-op. One day this week I woke up feeling improved. I'm less dizzy and the fatigue is dissipating. It changes hour by hour and I'm still grappling with the NeilMed irrigations and then having "surprises" come flying out of my nose. I learned to do it first thing a.m., have my coffee then shower. While I'm doing my hair and moving around I can catch the surprises early on - i.e., before I go to the office and lean over a document and dribble on it. Then I irrigate again before bed. I can tell you that the ability to breathe through my nose has made it WORTH IT. And I am sleeping so deeply instead of tossing and turning all night. My husband says it's because I'm not mouth breathing and snoring and waking myself up.
There are a wealth of videos on Youtube of surgery post-op patients who have shared their rather graphic experiences. Seeing what comes out of other people's nasal cavities post-op made me feel more normal! Good luck.
Nicole says
Thank you so very much for posting. I am on week 3 and definately did NOT prepare myself. I got the splints out at 7 days and returned to work on day 10. At my desk now and feel miserable. I found an ice pack in the freezer here and am constantly using it. All I want is to do yoga and some exercise, but it just isn't possible. SO MUCH PAIN. Sorry, I had to share. Mucous party!
JulieWunder says
I totally understand. I hope you get better soon!! Sending you healing vibes!
Pat says
Thank you for posting about your experiences. I am almost two weeks post sinus surgery. I did not have a nasal septoplasty, but had a turbinate reduction, multiple fungus balls scraped out and something that my surgeon described as a sort of septoplasty but deep inside of one sinus. I could immediately breath better but continue to be plagued with really deep-seated headaches, different than the sinus headaches I sought help with. Like an ax is buried in my head. I am also surprised by the fatigue - but reading of your experiences makes it apparent that the fatigue is normal. I wonder why?
Tina says
What did you all do to help with the stuffy mose? Day 3 and i just want to blow the junk out!
JulieWunder says
The doctor had me doing a nasal wash at some point! There was nothing that you could do for a few days though. Best of luck. The good news is it was worth it for me.
Sandy says
My surgeon had me do a nasal rinse three times a day until my first post op visit, then it dropped to twice a day for about two weeks and now it's once a day for six weeks. It has really helped.
Tiffany Lee says
I just recently had my sinus surgery 5 days ago. It is really miserable but not as bad as I thought. I had to have cysts removed from each side of my nose as well as polyps and had a very bad deviated septum. I think the worse part of it all was the really bad sore throat and not being able to breath through your nose. I still have discomfort and soreness in my nose but no actual pain really. I am very weak and tired but I am back at work after 2 days. My doctor said I could return to work 2-3 days but light duty which I work in an office but I wish I would have given myself one more day of rest. I went black to the doctor yesterday and had my stents removed and boy was that weird and a little painful but it was over very quick. I feel much better having those out.
JulieWunder says
I'm so glad you have bounced back quickly! Thanks for sharing your story for others to hear! Good luck with the rest of the recovery.
Sandy says
I had my third sinus surgery two days ago, September 15, with a new, young sinus surgeon. I came home a couple of hours after the two hour surgery. He uses a new device, a Propel nasal stent, which he implanted in my sinus cavities. It disperses steroids, so I came home on no oral steroids, keeps the sinus open and basically alleviates bleeding, so NO PACKING! It also will help prevent polyps from forming and absorbs in about 40 days. I took one hydrocodone before leaving the hospital and took one before bed that night and haven't needed any more. I went out to dinner last night, about 26 hours after coming home and am going shopping in an hour. I'm not congested, have virtually no pain and only had a little bit of bleeding the first night when I did the first nasal irrigation, I do the irrigation three times a day and after the first one, there has only been a little bit of pink tinged stuff drip out, but it all stops right away. This surgeon is the only one in the Kansas City area who uses this new procedure and I'm so grateful I had him do the surgery. I'm flying to Albuquerque in two weeks and he said it would be no problem. This has been so drastically different from my two previous sinus surgeries - no comparison. If I were someone looking at sinus surgery I would definitely look for a surgeon who could do it this way.
JulieWunder says
Wow! Thanks for posting this! I'm sure some of the readers will really appreciate this information. I'm so glad you are doing so well.
Sandy says
Thank you. I'm still doing just fine. I quit using two pillows at night because I don't sleep with two and I'm sleeping well all night. Still no bleeding or pain.
JulieWunder says
Great news! Speedy recovery!
Michelle says
Thank you so much for your blog. I am 5 days post surgery. I had sphenoidectomy, turbinate reduction, ethmoid polyps removed and some other gross thing which has left me with face ache, head ache, dizziness, nausea and feeling so tired i can hardly move. I have lost my sense of taste and smell and have no appetite. It's not very exciting. I think my family have compassion fatigue already and I am cooking my own toast. My doc told me to take a week off work but I am seriously thinking that is not going to be enough unless something dramatic happens by Monday. My main concern is the lightheadness which i am left with after I flush out my sinuses which only improves as the day wears on and they become congested again. Makes me wonder how this will be long term. Mayvbe they have been congested for so long, they have forgotten how to feel clear??
Any thoughts??
Calvin says
Just wanted to say thank you so much for writing this. I kept reading that at 2 weeks you're supposed to be completely better, but I'm still feeling fatigued and some headaches, although it's still been slowly improving. I already feel better though, and it's great to hear about so many others having the same experience and a positive outcome! 🙂
Micah says
What made you decide to the surgery? having sinus surgery never came into my mind. It really scares me, looking at the utensils that Doctor's using. Anyways, I am barely breathing because of sinusitis, it has been awhile now and it's kinda irritating. Sometimes, I breathe through my mouth, yeah, it came to that point. So, I just want to ask, if, do I have to undergo sinus surgery.
JulieWunder says
I was so sick and kept getting debilitating sick over and over for about a year and a half. I was begging for answers and/or solutions. My doctor finally ran a catscan and figured out that I needed it. It really helped me. Good luck!
Vince says
Thanks so much for this.
I think I can deal with just about anything, and even deal with it mostly cheerfully, if I have at least a rough idea of what to expect and how to prepare. I know that a lot is unpredictable, but it's helpful to not be caught completely off guard.
Three weeks ago, I had the works, in order to fix longstanding congestion, and damage from an accident.
Despite asking multiple times, I got no description of what exactly the procedures would do, or of how the recovery process might play out. I relied on what I could find online, and only wish I had found this post and discussion sooner.
What disturbs me most is that my doctor and all the boiler-plate "what to expect" materials all say that five days is the time for recovery, for almost everyone, and that more than fourteen days is nearly unheard of.
I am having so many of the problems described here, yet my doctor insists that none of this could possibly have anything to do with any of the procedures I had.
I have deduced that I could have definitely chosen a better provider (US News rankings are helpful), and that doctors are fear lawsuits, and are reluctant to consider that even understandable discomfort is attributable to anything they've done. Gets in the way of communication, which gets in the way of smooth recovery. There was similar lack of communication, following the three other invasive procedures I've had in recent years.
Good to know I'm not alone, and that we'll all get through this. Realizing that this part of my body is taking time to recover and get fully back "on line", after the surgeries and the previous trauma, gives me a helpful way to look at how the recovery is progressing.
Brittany Wiggins says
Hi Julie,
I just wanted to thank you for this post and say that you inspired me to post about my experience since I'm also an athlete. I swore to myself I would pay it forward after so many sinus surgery forum and blog posts helped me during such a confusing time. Here's my post if you ever get a chance - http://queenbfit.com/2015/05/30/guess-whos-bizzack/. Again I just hope to help someone like you helped me. ☺️
JulieWunder says
Thanks Brittany! I just checked out your post and it's great too. Thanks for coming back and leaving a comment!
Amiee Kizior says
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this! I had an open septoplasty, turbinate reduction, and aneiodectomy 2 weeks ago. The pain the 1st week was like nothing I’ve ever experienced and I’ve had a baby! That has actually gotten much better, but I had nausea for 2 weeks also. I actually wished I had read more about others experiences online prior to surgery; the stories seem to prepare you more and are more accurate to what you actually experience. Knowing about bendy straws before hand, would’ve been a lifesaver lol! I wasn’t prepared for the fatigue at all! That now has become the most frustrating part for me because I just want to get up and go, but can’t. Did your Dr explain more about why the fatigue lasted so long with this surgery? Thank you again for writing this, it’s great to have a realistic idea of what to expect along with a timeline for a full recovery!
JulieWunder says
I'm so glad this post helped you. I have been blown away by the response. The doctor did not explain to me about the fatigue but it took awhile for me to feel normal again. I think anything that messes with your head can really throw you off. I really hope you are starting to get better. Just FYI-- I have been significantly better and less sick since the surgery two years ago. So far it has worked for me.
Good luck!!!
Alyssa @ Life of bLyss says
Hey, Julie!
I'm about to have sinus surgery/septoplasty tomorrow morning, and this article was really helpful (although, it made me super anxious... haha)!
I was planning on going back to work next Tuesday, which would be 6 days out. Do you think that's a crazy idea? I work in an office, but it didn't sound like you would have been up to that!
Also, I teach barre classes. Do you think I'm in any way going to be able to go back to teaching after 10 days?
Obviously, after reading this, I'm starting to feel like I'm being too aggressive with my post-surgery plans. 🙂
Thanks again for the tips!
JulieWunder says
Hi Alyssa! Ugh! I'm so sorry you have to go through this too.
I was sick going into my surgery, so I don't know if that made it harder for me to recover. However a lot of people have written me most surgery and told me they had a similar experience. I took me a LONG time to completely shake it and feel like normal. It was worth it though because I am doing SO SO SO much better and (knock on wood) haven't gotten sick nearly as much. And the few times I have been sick, it has gone away quickly.
I felt like there was a big disconnect in the recovery times the doctor told me and what it really took.
I hope you can make your goals, but I'd probably make a back up plan just in case! I really hope you have a better experience though.
Best of luck tomorrow!
Nancy Akhavan says
Thank you for writing this. I am four weeks out from surgery and I still am tired, feel light headed and dizzy and also have facial pain. I thought I would be better than this by now, but knowing you also had a slow recovery helps me feel ok with my progress.
Eileen says
I am 2 weeks today since surgery and having a rough time with not getting back into feeling myelf yet, so it is helpful to read others comments on this. I honestly feel like I'm never going to be myself again, after a long bout with trying to figure this out prior to surgery, so eventhough I know I have to be more patient with myself, it's a tough challenge. I feel bad for my family, like I've been a hypochondriac, though I haven't been. this stuff is real. My husband is very active and sometimes I feel like I hold him back. and guilt at work with my department, not being able to hold my own, is tough. i wish i could go away for a month and come back whole again.
Erin Kemble says
I'm on my third day of recovery from sinus surgery setopastry (I think that's the spelling) I wished I have looked up on advice about recovery stage!! But ahwell!! My surgery went well!! Only wishes that the doc could have prescribe me a smaller sized antibiotics! I didn't feel any pain til second day or third being only pain is blocked nose or sore back from resting in weird spot! Am going to get some lonzenes for throat! I don't throat pain just the sweelling from the upper roof of the mouth and numbness from first four teeth! I did get nasuea and vomited the first 24 hrs after surgery, which is horrid! Not much can be done about that!!! Now I'm going through stage where my stomach constantly need food!! To leaevge the upset tummy feeling!! I constantly swallowing sailva, I'm trying not to!!
I am tired but can't sleep much in one go! My mouth gets dried quickly if I don't moistens evough!
One thing they should given you a large quantity of those nose bandages so you can change them on regularly basis! I wish there's another way for sleeping and breathing at the same time! I suppose a lonzenes or drop lollies might help!!
May need to take more weeks off work! I work in customers service area in supermarket! There's constant movements at work I dont know if I could keep up the pace and not get sick or tired quickly!!! One way to find out is chat with boss about this!! Another thing I would look silly wearing bandag across my face!!!
Soft food is good way to start up even just alittle bit every few hours!! Instead of having regular three meals a day!!! Until you're fully back to normal state!!
Will come back check up again
Michael Broder says
Another grateful reader. I'm just over a week out at this point but I have moments of panic where I wonder if I did the right thing. Thanks for sharing your experience.
JulieWunder says
Best of luck! I totally understand. If it helps at all, I'm closing in on two years and I have been sick significantly less.
siva says
as i got the three times of sinus surgery, and now which type of youga as i require pls let me now about this
Andrea says
Now I am getting horribly scared. My sinus problems all started after a right side tooth extraction. My left side is clear, my right side is blocked and awful. Four courses of anti-biotics leave me without fevers, and able to function again. Cat scan shows surgery is the only things which will do the trick, since I am still filled with a pool of infected gook. ENT says he does not understand how I am functioning normal with so much infected material inside my head, and cannot believe I don't have a headache.
Now I am scared, extraction caused the problem, do I really want another surgery to try and fix it... and right now I don't feel sick just a little bit pressure behind the eyes and occasional headaches, and sounding nasal. I have sleep apnea because of strange shape of septum and throat, and I had mishapen adenoids which came out in a surgery many years ago.... What do I lose by just not doing it?
Scared and getting more scared the more I read
Alison Murray says
Wow! Such scary stories. I don't know if anyone will be interested in my experience of FESS and turbinate reduction - it was all fairly low key. No throat pain or nausea, minimal pain, just four days of congestion and an oozy nose and then a week and a half being pathetic and a bit lack lustre.
Apparently one of the big factors is whether you have to have a septoplasty. Having caught a few basketballs with my nose over the years, I can understand that breaking it to rebuild it is going to be real painful after the anaesthetic wears off! I'm in tears plucking out one nasal hair so it was great that my septum was fairly straight.
My surgeon had me doing the post-op nasal washouts at least four times a day. That was the painful bit in the first couple of days post-op but it did clear the blood clots, stray bits of the packing gauzes and years of grunge that had accumulated in my blocked sinuses. I felt I should have been on the X-files, the weird things that slithering from my nasal passages! Tip : don't take photos and show your friends - they won't find it as fascinating as you do.
This has been my experience in Adelaide, the sinus capital of Australia. I think because we are surrounded by deserts but still have enough rainfall to support massive cereal crops across the southern part of the state. The combination of dry air and high levels of pollen floating around means that sinusitis is very common. Our surgeons get a lot of practice.
I'm wondering if all the post-op nausea is caused by all the blood clots, mucous and debris being slowly swallowed instead of washed out? But also the pain killers and antibiotics are known to cause problems, especially if you are not managing to eat - they would just be landing in your stomach and mixing it with the blood clots, mucous, etc. Ugh, now I feel sick. And lethargic. But that is probably my liver trying to metabolise all the general anaesthetic and post-operative drugs. I was very proud that I cut right back on the wine well before the operation and in the two weeks since - so my liver is focusing on one major issue at a time.
Another tip : if you are doing nasal washouts, remember that the sinuses they have just opened don't drain straight down. Once you have finished with the washouts tip your head gently from side to side, then gently forward and back a few times. This will ensure that when you bend forward to pick up a saucepan from the bottom drawer, the nasal wash residue won't pour out of your nose and splash into the saucepans.
Extra tip : take the pain relief medication before you do the washouts - the increased pressure in those traumatised nasal passages and newly opened sinuses feels like someone has stuck a chisel up your nose.
Last tip : foods rich in Vitamins B + C, the ones that heal + and rebuild skin + mucosal tissue.
Carmel says
I want to share my experience as it was nothing like the ones posted above and hopefully may ease some fears as everyone is different and every surgeon is different. I had a bilat FESS, septoplasty, bilat turbinectomy and balloon sinuplasty. I had my surgery on a Thursday. My doctor said that barring any complications he would only approve time off of work for day of surgery and 1 day post surgery. I went back to work on Monday - I still had my splints and 'cement' that he used in place of packing. I was uncomfortable and really wished he had given me Monday off as by Tuesday I was much more comfortable. I only needed the pain meds for the day of surgery and part of the next day. Quite honestly the worst part was the inability to breathe through my nose - this made sleeping and eating a challenge.
As Julie mentioned, do ask for the meds ahead of time. My husband was able to get them filled at a pharmacy in the hospital while I was in recovery. I also have a hard time with anesthesia so they pre-medicated me for nausea and it was a lifesaver.
On Wednesday (6 days following surgery) doctor removed my splints which helped tremendously with breathing. I did still have some swelling which went down over the next couple of weeks. In fact 1 week after surgery we had a death in the family and I had to drive 500 miles to the funeral and back home and was fine. I am now 4 months post op and so incredibly happy that I had it done. This is the longest I have gone, in years, without a sinus infection.
So, prepare for the worst but hopefully your recovery will go smoothly.
Jordan says
Thank you for giving us hope, I am 6 weeks post op and my anxiety is horrid.. I just want to feel normal again 🙁
barett says
Hi I am exactly 11 days post Opp I have had a fess done. The only concern I have is that I feel very lightheaded and its has if the pressure is behind my eyes and for head it's really hectic to deal with on a all the time basis cause it never stops? Is this normal? Does anyone else have this problem or had?
Jo says
Hi there. I know it has been awhile since this blog was posted but just wanted to thank you for providing an in depth timeline around your recovery. I am just over two weeks post surgery and still feeling pretty miserable. I kept reading about people returning to work after a few days to a week after sinus surgery. I was starting to think there was something wrong with me as I am still so fatigued, congested and dealing with the various disgusting secretions this surgery gifts you with!! I have actually delayed returning to work until after four weeks. After seeing your timelines it reassured me that I made the right decision, and that the recovery from this surgery isn't as easy as some make it out to me. Thank you again!!!
Cheryl says
Hi Jo,i'm nearly 3 weeks post op with a bilateral fess and septoplasty, then was told they removed a few polyps! I can honestly say, like you, I thought i'd be over the worst and bouncing like so many others have said they have............In truth, i'm suffering with fatigue,ringing in ears and pressure in my head..............I was wondering how you are feeling now? and did you feel pressure? it is worrying me
Jo says
Hi Cheryl - I am now exactly 7 weeks post op and I have to say it is only in the last week I have started feeling a lot better. My surgeon said at my last post op appt to really give it 3 months (as opposed to the 3 weeks he said BEFORE surgery!!!). I am still not completely there though, as recently as last week I felt like I had something constantly stuck in my throat which has finally passed. I still have periods of congestion and sounding nasally but much less frequently now. I went back to work 2 weeks ago and was still exhausted after the first week. My endurance is only just starting to improve. I did have strange pressure sensations and various ear issues too up until about five weeks ago. I especially had pressure behind my eyes and across the bridge of my nose, it was almost unbearable at times. I think Julie really does provide a more realistic timeframe around recovery in this blog. I had septoplasty, bilateral FESS and turbinates reduced and it has really been a daunting recovery, but I finally am feeling like it was worth it. Hang in there there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!!
Jo says
Sorry that should have said up until week five not up until five weeks ago in relation to the pressure sensations!!!
JulieWunder says
Hi Ceryl,
Yuck! I know you must be feeling bad!
I am doing a lot better now. By 3 months back I was almost completely back to normal, but it really was close to 6 months before I got back all of my energy back.
The doctors told me that was all normal.
I hope you keep getting better and recovering quikcly1
julie
JulieWunder says
Hi Jo,
I couldn't have gone back to work! I've wondered if people that do didn't have the full surgery- but only parts of it. Maybe they went back to a low key desk job? Who knows? I guess everyone's body responds differently! My doctor seemed to think my experience was fairly normal.
I am glad my post helped you some-- that is exactly why I wrote it! I felt like no one told me I would feel bad for so long until AFTER the surgery!!!
Thank you very much for writing and commenting.
Julie
Tyfini L Brown says
Hi there! My name is Tyfini and I am currently 5 days out from a septoplasty, turbinoplasty, endoscopic intra nasal ethmoidectomy and antrostomy. All I have to say is your blog was SO helpful. In fact the day before my surgery I want and got everything from your checklist and the only thing I did not use religiously was the throat spray (only because of the taste making me even more sick). I have to admit...I felt like a major baby. They prescribed me Lortab for post surgery pain and it definitely did not work. I ended up having my husband call the in call and he said the only thing to do was go to urgent care. I hadn't eaten. Slept nor had I ever felt pain like that in my life. I was balling which made the bleeding worse and the pain throb. Ended up dragging my butt to urgent care where they prescribed me anti-nausea as well as percocet. Once I got home I took assigned meds and slept for 5 hours. My husband of course woke me to take the meds as im sure he wasn't going to see me like I was before again. Basically everything in your blog is so true. I am still nauseated as heck, feel like a wuss for still taking my meds because of major headaches. It is so hard. I had no clue (even after reading your blog) how insane this surgery was going to be recovery wise. I felt I needed yo thank you for your advice as it truly came in handy. 🙂
JulieWunder says
Hi Tyfini-- I feel your pain! I hope you are feeling a little better now. I know how awful I felt those first few days.
I am so happy to know my little post helped you some... That is exactly why I wrote it.
Good luck with your recovery - I'll be thinking about you. Send me an e-mail if you need anything else...
Jim Christoffersen says
Julie, you're a REAL "Trouper"!! We see you in the morning and Noon and you appear to be recovering well. Before long, you'll be back running a marathon!!
JulieWunder says
I get dizzy pretty easy and I think that made the nausea worse. I sort of thought id bounce back in a week or 2- but that wasn't the case at all.
I hope you are doing better. What you are going through sounds do scary. Sending you lots of well wishes from Asheville!
Kim @ Cooking in the City says
Same day recaps! Love it!
That surgery definitely sounds more tough than I would have expected. Nausea is the worst- was that because of the anesthesia? I'm so glad that you are starting to feel better! I like the list you provide about things that would be helpful to have on hand- I've started to make myself a similar list to be prepared if my lung collapses again. Thanks for bringing up the face wipes- I need to add those. Also on my list, some booty short type of underwear for max coverage to wear under my hospital gown 🙂
Jamie Anderson says
Thankyou for the read and honest information, I’m 1 week post op and fatigue is driving me insane because I can’t sleep when I feel I need too. And OMG if someone would of told
Me about the straws earlier that would have been golden! Here’s to breathing fresh air and enjoying the simple things in life x
KarenL says
Thank you to all posting as it helps those of us feel like we're normal! I had Sinuplasty 5 years ago (Turbinate reduction/deviated septum) and for 6 months following it felt like my lungs were compromised - couldn't breathe (sinus was fine....just s sense of not being able to get a full breath and lungs tight). My surgeon looked at me like I was a unicorn - as if he's never seen it. Went to Pulmonary Dr...put me on prednisone which made me feel like I was dying....was on steroid inhalers...antibiotics...nothing worked! I finally felt better after six months.
Then, this year started getting sinus infections (breathing was always fine but got bad headaches). Went back to my surgeon and my sinuses were completely obstructed. Did scan....and my sinuses were both obstructed. Surgery again. I asked him why this is happening again? I had been tested for allergies last go around and I was allergic to nothing. He said you're allergic to something and they can't possibly test for everything. I had him do surgery again. He said this time it will be much easier - just sinuplasty not the turbinate or deviated septum so recovery will be a breeze.
Well, a few days after surgery I couldn't breathe due to lungs being constricted. Went to my ENT who sent me to ER thinking blood clot. It wasn't. It was my lungs that were super irritated. It's a total repeat of five years ago! Surgeon and pulmonary dr's threw steroids at me and antibiotics and it's now almost 4 months post-op and although better, it's hard to breathe. Hard to go through a full day without crawling into bed. Can't exercise. No energy to be social.
I finally went to a NEW ENT who is phenomenal who basically said my lungs are irritated from the draining and there's nothing they can do about it. It just takes time. He said some patients take 6 months to heal and you are one of those patients. Why couldn't my original ENT say this or demand allergy testing???? He's been doing this for years and is board certified and well regarded. Grrrrr. Oh well. I will not dwell on this. My sinus feels fine. I just have non stop post nasal drip and my lungs are tight. I do not have asthma (breathing tests), or acid reflux. And an X-Ray on my lungs show nothing wrong.
This new Dr gave me allergy tests and I do have mild allergies to mold and dust mites. I did all the things you need to do for those allergies (encased my bed and pillows; got a hepa air filter and vacuum; got rid of throw rugs that were old). I still am miserable.
The new ENT has me on a prescription antihistamine nasal spray, Flonase, singulair pill, and I put two drops of Afrin in my daily nasal rinse. He also suggested Zyrtec once a day. I tried it yesterday but made me so sleepy. Will try at night.
Anyway, I am not seeing a lot of you saying your lungs feel tight and you can't breathe. New doc assured me lungs are not compromised. At least I know last time I also was fine after 6 months so now I just wait for another two months to pass.
Thanks for reading this!
Gina says
KarenL, I'm so relieved to read your post. I had sinus surgery 12 days ago. For months leading up to it, I'd felt my lungs were compromised and no amount of reassurance from my doctor could tell me it was all ok. When I finally got an ENT referral, the CT scan found that I had a significant fungal infection in my left sinuses which would need to be cleared (incision through bone between eyebrows (close to left eyebrow), turbinate reduction and bilateral nasal polyp removal. Last Sunday night, I took myself off to the hospital, worried that my shortness of breath wasn't improving. Had a chest x-ray which showed nothing of interest.
I'm wondering if I have to do anything about the fungal infection having spread elsewhere. It should be fine now in my sinuses but with all the post-nasal drip, it's bound to have reached my gut. And my lungs just don't feel good. But having reading your post, I'm reassured about the lungs and will just hold out for better days. It's so good to know that it's all related but will improve.
As for my gut, I'll see what I can do with probiotics and hopefully other gut-related issues will resolve.
Glad you're feeling better :).
joy says
it sounds like empty nose syndrome, I don't want to scare you, but there are support groups and im in one, it is very real to feel like you are after turbinate reduction...maybe you could look into it,
im nearly 8 months out of surgery (may 15th) and I suffer daily, I thought id die in june and then wanted to soon after...the ent surgeon says he regrets it himself, I had a maxillary cyst, it was never sent to pathology so we don't know what it truly was, antrostomy he did was not planned for on the mega level nor was the turbinate reduction and now I suffer from eye injury, nerve pain, and empty nose, I cannot live life like I once did.
im thankful for people sharing experiences....
oluwaseun owoyemi says
I had surgery 3months ago,am not my normal self yet,I went out today,suddenly I had these weakness and blurry sight from the inside,I had to lean on something, i was shaking.but I felt better after few minutes
KarenL says
Gina,
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear you are also struggling with all of this. It's so difficult to understand exactly what is happening to us. I can't speak to the fungal infection (I believe mine is from a build up from allergies? Even though allergies are not severe.) but my ENT told me - and I am living proof - that a small percentage of us get irritated lungs from all this post-op draining. Yours may have started pre surgery. He specifically told me it can take from 2-6 months to heal. I'm at 4.5 months and some days are amazing and others are horrible. But I always keep in mind it's temporary.
I can only tell you my experience 2 x now is that there is no straight line to healing. I feel like a million bucks on a Tuesday morning but by the evening I can't breathe. I track what foods I eat, etc. and can't make sense of it. I do know that when I went to my relative's house an hour away for Thanksgiving I felt SO much better consistently. I live in a heavily wooded area and the mold from the trees must be bothering me. The trees probably always bother me but it only is showing up now because my lungs are irritated so my poor lungs don't have a chance to dry out. Just because I'm dealing with this for 4+ months does not mean you will be.
Did you have allergy testing? I did and when I tested positive for mold I got these petrie dishes from Home Depot and left them outside and inside for an hour and a few days later the mold I was allergic to grew like crazy on the outside dish which is my deck. So that's a good clue that it's a problem for me.
If your lung scans and x rays are not showing anything then that is a sigh of relief...you just need time. I wish my first ENT had told me you can have your lungs irritated from draining but it does not mean your lungs are compromised. I now see an ENT in a highly regarded practice in Los Angeles and it was so great to hear this. Also, I am also sort of glad I've been through this before because I do know it eventually goes away.
Probiotics sound like a good idea as well.
Good luck to you! This too shall pass.
Karen
Karen says
Joy, My heart goes out to you. I am so sorry.
I did not have turbinate reduction this time. I had it five years ago. My lungs got better but now I have dizziness but that too is sloooowly dissipating. I have a feeling it's from all the antihistimines he had me on (I've since stopped).
I wish you the best. I hope you have relief soon and thank you so much for sharing.
John Belanger says
Hi there thanks for sharing your story! I do have a question for you tho that I have not been able to find an answer too. I just got my stents taken out of my nose this morning it’s been 7 days since I had them in maybe 8 depends on how you count lol. I had surgery Tuesday morning at 8am and had the stents taken out the following Wednesday at 1:30 pm.
It’s feels so much better with them out easier to breathe but still quite stuffy and back to normal. But the thing I’m noticing is the air I’m inhaling feels like it’s cool air and chills the back of my throat. Did you experience any of this or is this and off reaction?
Stacy says
I have a question I am on day 8 after having sinus surgery. I met with doctor today and he did some debridement and now I am in so much pain again. Can’t touch my nose and pressure headache is back! He wants me to come back Tuesday and have more done but now I’m wondering if this is really necessary ?? Has anyone had any experience with this?