Tonsillectomy and Septoplasty recovery (among other nose issues)

Fair warning -- includes details of a medical procedure and its recovery. ---

I'm writing this little entry because from what I've seen, not many sources are available online describing the duo-procedure of a tonsillectomy and septoplasty at the same time (also had the adenoids and turbinates reduced, but laypeople don't usually know what those are, so moving on....). Also, this provides me an opportunity to vent.

The other inspiration for me to write this, and far less Helpful Hannah, is that I've been sleeping on and off and naturally waking up when I'm due for another Percocet (which has to be crushed in apple sauce, because there's just no way I could swallow that horse pill with my throat like this).

Percocet is no longer what I consider a gift from god. Oh sure, it was at first, but I think that when you're on a semi empty stomach of a spoonful of applesauce and a few popsicles (which are a challenge to get down and only tolerated because they help soothe the throat), the Percocet adds a new and entirely unwelcome monkey wrench: extreme nausea. Yeah. Already yaked a few times, not really sure what the contents of my stomach had to provide, but it was gnarly. At least I find that when I lay down flat on my back with my head elevated, I don't feel so nauseated.

Still attempting to breathe through the nose to little avail. It's filled with goo and dried blood and scar tissue, so now I really can't breathe through it hardly at all. It bleed excessively if you don't keep your head above your heart, e.g., if you decide to bend over or, y'know, hug the porcelain throne while silently cursing god for this painful affliction. What happens when you do put your head below the heart area is a massive nosebleed -- happened to me a couple times already because I forgot about that rule. And I can't blow my nose or anything normal, I have to clean it out with a q tip and hyrogen peroxide and neosporin every few hours, then change the gauze pad under my nose which collects blood.

I'm sure this will all be worth it in the end, because my sleep will improve dramatically once my nose is fully open and doesn't congest as soon as my head hits the pillow. Not to mention my tonsils were obstructing my airway to a degree that dictated their removal, as well.

It's not just sleep, either, but that in exercise I find myself needing more air in my lungs and I just can never get it. Even while riding horses I needed more oxygen.

One more log of discomfort to throw down on the fire is my EARS. Loud noises really hurt. I can only watch the TV at a mere hum, or when I chat with people they have to take down the volume.

I'm not really trying to complain (maybe just a bit), I just want to detail what it's like to go through these procedures. And it'll be worth it. The doctor said I had "monster tonsils," big adenoids which really obstructed my breathing (which were removed, too, but the funny thing is that part of the anatomy usually disappears after age 13), then that deviated septum, which I had no idea was a factor for me at all until I met my doctor, so they just included the procedure, too, so more air can flow through my nostrils.

As of now, I can't attest to the success of any of these procedures yet, since my nose is blocked, my throat hurts like none other, and I'm just exhausted and a bit nauseated from my pills. Something tells me I will be a very happy camper in the end, though, so I'm looking forward to being able to breathe!