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Surgery again

Pizza

Member
I had surgery to open my nose up inside (simple surgery, just to clear the airway, not septum construction) in December. IT was not enough (and I KNEW it would not be, but the insurance wanted me to prove that my CPAP is not really working, and it really doesn't always work that well.

SO, after more tests, the insurance agreed to pay and they did it today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty THey took my Uvula, tonsils and a lot of tissue/cartiledge in my throat and from around the back of my nasal cavity.

Not sure when I can go back to work, certainly by the 27th. I can't drive cause the pain med is a narcotic and I don't think I'm quite 'right' mentally at times.

On the ohter hand, I can tell that my airway is wide open, or it feels like it - maybe that's just the sensation of the air moving over the torn up area. I'll be down for a few days, they say the pain will be the worst on days 3-4-5- or so - not cool. I won't be driving due to the drugs, not sure when I'll go to work, certainly by the 20th. I did manage to eat semi-solid food: Scrambled eggs, Sherbert, crushed peaches, bread dipped in Chicken soup - with nothing much to drink but apple juice.

This is the most painful surgery recovery I've ever had. The surgeon actually told me last year, "The insurance won't pay unless the CPAP is proven to not be effective, and fact is, you don't want me to do this unless it is absolutely needded - it is awful to recover from". So he was honest with me, not that I listened but fact is, the CPAP has let me down and I've woke up out of breath a few times in the past six months - which can lead to a return to Atrial fibrillation. And THAT I do NOT want to go thru again.
 
I guess I didn't mention it, but coming out of the anesthetic has always been fun.

THis time, it was no fun at all. Very unpleasant. NOt sure why.
 
The pharmaceutical industry is my best friend right now. Tylenol, Oxycodone, Chloraseptic and Promethazine - only way I'm gonna get thru this.

On the UP side, I can tell that my CPAP is not gonna be needed anymore - I can feel that my airway is wide open, and when I got up this afternoon, I had 0.0 incidents per hour. I'm still using it tho, cause I don't wanna risk it till my doctor and I talk. ALSO, the CPAP has a very effective humidifier in it, which keeps my throat moist while sleeping.
 
I'm so sorry you have to go through this Pizza.
Will be praying for an easy recovery and hoping the worst is over.

.
 
Thanks.

Sadly, they say the worst pain is often days 3-4 or 4-5. I hope that I'm the exception to that rule.
 
Well, the doc warned me every time I saw him that "You don't want this surgery unless you really need it..."
And yea, it is painful when I get up in the morning (or from a nap where I sleep much past the 6tth hour after taking Oxycodone).

Oxycodone wears off after six hours and takes an hour to work when you DO take it. This has been the most painful surgical recovery ever - as warned by the doctor.

BUT, undeniably the surgery was just what I needed - on a good night, had .6 to 2 events per hour and it rose to as high as 4 per hour in the past six months. CPAP showed 0.0 events for the whole night last night!
 
CPAP showed 0.0 events for the whole night last night!
This might have saved your lungs also. Many times people living with your condition are also oxygen deprived sleeping under those conditions, the brain tries to correct the problem by pumping more blood to the lungs which causes pulmonary hypertension, and the increased pressure can destroy lung tissue necessitating the patient to wear a mobile oxygen supply at all times. God has bless you brother Pizza. I don't know if you were advised that about half the time such invasive surgery is not effective in a cure, and it appears yours was. Praise God.
 
My GP doctor told me that he was "almost certain" this would work for me, after one look into my throat.
The view of my throat pre-surgery apparently made the outcome obvious.

The actual surgeon was not as encouraging, and put the surgery off for two years as the insurance would not approve it without trying the CPAP.
 
Pizza I have a request. More talk about my rotator cuff surgery and less about your nose, please. I started my cuff thread on the same day you did this one about your nose, and look at the post count. :neutral

It's a nose, folks! Tell Pizza to stop picking it so much and let it heal on its own!

:lol Just kidding bra. I do pray for relief for you. That's a serious thing. Once I get through this cuff thing, I've promised my wife I'll do a sleep study and probably end up with a cpap. Until then, the sound of sawing wood sends my wife if 27 years out if the room to finish her sleep somewhere else. If I'm congested, I keep the kids up in their rooms. Hopefully, that will help, and I won't be forced down your path of surgery. Be well, my brother.
 
This time it is not my nose. That was EASY compared to a UPPP.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

And, as predicted, the pain has apparently peaked. It's been four days and it was the worst so far today. Docs say I should start feeling better now. Surgery was last Friday and it looks like I"ll be able to go back to work and drive next monday - the pain drugs are not to be messed with, no driving and no working.
 
Well, the pain is backing off. And I started my step-down dose of Oxycodone-Acetamenaphine this morning. Of course, I'm not out of the woods yet - did you know that eating a "Twinkie" is very painful in my current state? It certainly surprised me - the essentially liquid diet continues.
 
Well, the pain is backing off. And I started my step-down dose of Oxycodone-Acetamenaphine this morning. Of course, I'm not out of the woods yet - did you know that eating a "Twinkie" is very painful in my current state? It certainly surprised me - the essentially liquid diet continues.
Eating a Twinkiie could hurt anyone.
It's just not a natural thing to do!!
 
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