Hi everyone,
at first, I wasn't sure whether to share this details in this blog or not, but I think, it can perhaps helps other, in terms of making decision, recovery and surviving in this past few weeks getting through 3 surgeries at once.
Warning, these images will not be suitable for anyone, blood is presented.
First, let's start with how I come up with all of these surgeries.
I was ill on and off, it was getting worst and worst, those flu and cough where most people could easily get by in a matter of days, I can't. I have to went through series of fever, very weak conditions and finally antibiotics. I've consume antibiotics for years (on and off) due to those terms and I thought I just getting weak as age goes by. Plus I don't exercise much.
I went through many doctors and a few already recommend tonsillectomy years ago but most of them doesn't. They all say it haven't been an urgent matter (yet). Just get better and hopefully the condition will get better, until recently a sinusitis strike me and I have the most painful headache I've ever experience and of course 3 sets of antibiotics to fight the germs and my condition is definitely going south.
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Another Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist finally made a thorough check up including CT Scan and Endoscopy, he found that there's a bone inside my nose that slightly bend. The bend part mostly causes the on and off headache and probably sinusitis while my tonsil are so big even though I feel no pain.
I've suffered painful tonsils before and lameson has been my friend. Those steroids are not good but it made them better and I can eat. I've taken the full dose and yes, I have moon face thanks to those steroids and I want to stop.
It has becoming a habit to belittle-ling medication and I consume any medicine that stops the pain and goes on with my lifestyle without making effort or decision to permanently or do something for a long term period.
This is it, Tonsillectomy has to be done, the doctor add Septoplasty to cut the 'bending' part of the bone inside my nose and yes, it is not rhinoplasty, hence the outer side remains the same, plus concha reduction as it is getting bigger too (as a bonus).
He advises me to do everything in one go and I agree.
I thought, why wasting money and time in going back and forth to the hospital, OR and recovery while I was given a chance to do all at once (or so I thought). I googled here and there, I rarely find anything regarding doing all of these three in a go, mostly about tonsillectomy or septoplasty alone.
But I still went through.
The day of the surgery.
I was already 'healed' or at least cleared to go as no more sinusitis (after all those antibiotics, for sure the sinus are gone) and I'm in a good condition. I've made a reservation in the hospital and told to go to the hospital at 7 am for a surgery at 3 pm. I was like, what am I doing there until 3 pm?! I brought my laptop and thinking I could probably blog while waiting.
The fasting starts at 9 am, I can get breakfast, take a shower as well before going to the OR (recommended) and have a relaxing time, the doctor also said lightly, I can have dinner, no worries, nobody going to starve.....like really?!
I came at exactly 7 am, the staffs at admission are not ready, but after around 15 minutes, they show me to my room. I thought okay, I can get some meals now, since the cafetaria still closed, I just get a go-food.
While waiting for the food, nurses are coming in and immediately checking my temperature, blood pressure, and start with the needle and all for the IV, I was like so confuse, I thought I would have a relaxing time waiting.
So I asked whether I can take a quick shower before the IV since it is pretty much difficult to do everything once it was inserted, so I did. I know after surgery it is not easy to even standing up due to the painkillers and I need painkillers more than I need shower.
And then I thought, that's it, blood check, but it doesn't stop, continue with consultation with internist, getting my heart checked and a lot more making sure I was ready for the surgeries and there's no abnormalities going on that will endangered my condition during and post surgeries.
Everything went well, but it does took me the whole day, I only have an hour left before surgery and I'm blogging my ass off as I will be resting for a while.
I've been fasting for around 6 hours now, I'm thirsty and hungry too, plus I'm worry since it took a while for the doctor to come, everyone whose waiting for me is restless. I scared of the pain, the doctor who will perform the anesthesia already came and explain everything, tonsillectomy is one of the most painful and uncomfortable surgery there is, the area affected is a very needed one where you breath, talk, drink and eat through it. No painkillers will truly work, it can help subside but there are pain involved. Oh God, what do I get myself into.
At this point I was scared and thinking of going back, should I done this surgeries, should I just ignore the sleep deprive due to the large tonsils, or keep taking those antibiotics every now and then, which one should I do.
Soon the doctor came into my room and said he is present and ready for the surgery, he told me everything will be fine and I should not be worry. It is something that common to be done to improve my condition, and then I asked whether all three need to be done at once, he assured me yes.
Using nothing but a hospital gown, I went into the OR, I ask my mom who was with me to pray for me, I was scared.
Then it went so fast, going into the OR, before the anesthesia went in, the doctor told me to pray once again, and in a blink of an eye, I was gone. I wake up like it was a very fast sleep, that actually took around 4 hours from the actual surgery time to waking up.
I woke up several time in the recovery room, since my husband has to work and my kids are all in my room, no one is waiting for me in the recovery room. I was in so much pain and there's this things suffocating me, I can't breath, my nose are blocked, there's two thingy to stop the blood inserted and I pulled them right out. I feel like I can't breath and there's this immense pain on my throat, so painful. I can even swallow my own saliva, it's just too painful.
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It was true, no painkillers actually works, and having a painful throat, nose, it just too much. It's hard to breath from the nose and if I breath from my mouth, the area will become dry and more painful than before. It was so difficult and I truly wish no one ever gone through what I've been through. Just do one at a time, it might be more expensive since we have to pay the operating theater more than once, but it wont be as difficult and as painful as this.
I'm writing this post on H+19 and I still can move my tongue freely, eat soft foods and speaks in indoor voice only. The nose still feels weird when touch and pain when someone suddenly touching it, hence it is indeed a major surgery.
Ice is my best friend, but it felt like salt being put on to a wound when the water first touching the tonsils area, it hurt so bad. But after the coldness went in, it numbs a little. After making sure I can go into my room, the nurse transfer me, and there's so much noise there and so my pain I felt, I made everyone go home, including my girls. I felt sad now that they wanted to see their mom, but I could not bear the pain, I can't hug them nor let them touch me, since the areas especially on my nose and mouth is super sensitive and I can't speak, even a whisper was so difficult, the vibration is just too painful.
My first one can stay since she's a big girl and understand much, she does helps around with my sister too, she helps me eat a bit of bubur sumsum, I was starving but 1-2 spoon is maximum, it was too painful.
The hours went on so slow, the medicine kept being inserted and I still ask for more, it was too painful.
The doctor need to check on the next day, inserting those tiny long metal things and suck all the blood and gooey stuffs inside my nose. It was difficult but has to be done. I was kinda angry as well, I should've not done all the surgeries at once, I feel suffocated, I need oxygen so the nurse put an oxygen to my nose using tubes.
Day 3.
Eating liquid food has become easier, swallowing half a spoon no longer a problem, however, the first drink is just the worst and it will keep being so painful until Day 7. The open wound last really long and so difficult at times, I have to cringe and bear the pain as there are no choice. No painkillers can help numbing those pain.
My nose on the other hand is better, as long as the doctor doesn't do his scheduled cleaning which involves long metallic tubes to suck all the blood and everything that blocked the nose, apart from that on daily basis, as long as no ones touching the nose or I accidentally touched the nose, it's fine. Since a single soft touch can made me cry, it feels weird and pain at the same time. Like the whole nose and throat is swelling.
On this day, I asked the doctor whether I can come home and he encourage me to do so. Removing all those IV's are a blast, I can take a normal shower again and wash my fried beehon like hair. It felt so clean and alive.
But I regretted it almost immediately as the pain on Day 4 or H+3 after surgery is in the climax. My throat feels so painful, my body refuses to waking up as it is so lethargic. I should've stay 1 or 2 more days in the hospital where the painkillers in running though my veins and meals is provided as per order, super soft lumps.
I have no idea that everything that comes with pepper can be so painful, I just finds out that almost all the porridge sold here are using pepper. I can't stop coughing when pepper hits me and every cough made me cringe in pain. I even cried and feels so desperate. If I could only turn back the time and told myself not to went through all of these surgeries at once. It was a very, very difficult moments for me.
It took away almost everything, I get angry a lot, I prefer keeping things to myself as it is harder to explain to anyone how painful it is to do things like talking, eating, and drinking.
As days goes by, the pain doesn't subside. The doctor kept telling me that I need these kinds of medicine or other kinds to help with the pain and phlegm and the cough and I have gastric issues too so there's medication for the ulcer and so on. I hate all those medicines.
Day 7 comes, I feel better today, I eat better and I can laugh watching KBS World until suddenly I feel that there's this salty thingy running down my throat. I thought it was the phlegm that becomes liquid so I just swallow it as there's is no way I can spit it up. The tonsil is still swollen hence spitting anything from area that was in there is nearly impossible.
But it felt different, and it would not stop. I has been going on for 5-10 minutes. And I feel that some of that liquid is coming into my mouth and on my tongue, I open my mouth and there's blood. There has been a bleeding for the past 10 minutes and I didn't know.
I immediately get some ice and put them inside my mouth, I waited and waited but it just doesn't stop. I said to my husband that I need to go to the hospital and he reluctantly take me there.
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As we arrived at the hospital in a hurry on a Sunday afternoon, the only entrance is through the Emergency areas. While in the car, I send whatsapp messages to the doctor. And here's a tip from me, always get a doctor that willing to give you their private number. It shows responsibility.
He then met me at the emergency after around 30 minutes and the blood hasn't stop. After around 3 plastics everyone finally agree that I have to go back to the OR. Clots of bloods are getting worse and fresh blood are furiously running back to my throat and I vomited the blood as they can't be swallowed. Swallowing blood can cause internal irritation.
This time, since it was an emergency, everything is setting up withing 30 minutes. No fasting, no blood check, no taking xrays like last week, and everyone moves so fast. Things go bad in a matter of minutes. I tried not to panicked looking at those bloods but I can't help it. I tried calming myself down, but the exhaustion has got the best of me, only after my husband prayed for me, I feel a sense of assurance. We are nothing but God's invention and everything is in His hand now as I completely surrender.
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The doctor told my husband that the procedure should take less than 30 minutes and I should be out within an hour from the OR. After a 1-2 hours my brother comes and bring me my clothes and other things that I might need. I still haven't get back to my room. The surgery is held on 8 PM and I was back in my room close to midnight. Everyone was worry.
Waking up from the surgery, I feel different, like the open wound in the throat are gone, it was now closed by a stitches, organic stitches that doesn't have to be removed and it will dissolves within 7 days. I can feel there's something there in the throat, but no more pain. During the surgery, the doctor also cleans my nose and remove the stitches too, so it's kinda a good thing, this surgery helps me went through several things without pain, I should've add regular dental check up while I was knock out.
After the surgery, I was back in soft food meals. Again, say hello to bubur sumsum, my friend in need. I stayed in the hospital for another 3 days, just like when the first surgery procedure, but this time, I felt really ready to go home on day 3 and felt better too. The doctor still warns me about bleeding, so I need to be careful as perhaps the Ginsent I ate on Sunday is the one that made the bleeding happens. So I avoided all food that warms up, including ginger.
I'm sick of ice cream, I don't even remember how many sundaes I've eat, I love it at first but after a while, I was like so fed up. I missed steaks and friend chicken, plus beer too thank you.
Day 14
Another visit to the doctor.
It is important to keep the appointments as the doctor can see the progress of everything that has been done. It is definitely not comfortable going back and forth, hence finding a hospital that near ones homes also helps. Sometimes it takes up to 6 visits after the surgery before the doctor can "let you go". In my case some of those visits are crucial as I'm in so much pain and visiting the doctor means painkillers are released.
During this visit the doctor said everything appears like they are healing 75%. Which means I still have weeks to go before 100%. There are still bloods in my nose, even until Day 21. But now I can go to the malls and do regular things. I still have to avoid spicy and peppery food but I can eat rice again. Bye bye bubur sumsum and porridges.
As I'm writing this post, I'm on Day 24 and I feel so much better. I breathe easier, sleeps without snore, there's still recommended visit to the doctor to clear the nose and my throat is 90& healed. I'm back on antibiotics since there's a white coats on my throat that could be leading to infection and the doctor wants to eliminate the chance of bleeding again, but, I think, I'm in the right path of completely healed.
It is a long journey and I still hope for the best. Whoever with septum deviation, huge tonsils and concha, could really think about whether they want to do it all at once or take their times and perhaps have it in different timing. Finding the right doctor plus pray a lot also help. I surely wish, this post somewhat helps others out there.
Always get second, third to even fourth opinion before surgery. Make sure you're in a good condition before surgery, except during emergencies. Pay attention to the doctor's order, eat and drink only what advisable or at least use common sense. Try to rest a lot. If you're in pain, don't hesitate to ask for a painkiller or ask the doctor to check or recheck. If the bleeding doesn't stop after 10-15 minutes, rush back to the hospital. Get a doctor that willing to give you their phone number, you can simply ask things that you probably missed during the visit or like me, when in emergency. Speak clearly of your condition and try to be as accurate as possible, like I was having a fever around 39 degree celcius for 2 days, or I've ate ginseng and seafood for lunch today before bleeding, or like after the painkillers consumed the pain usually subside within 1 hour but comes back after 3 hours, etc. It helps the doctor to understand the condition better.
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As I'm writing this post, I'm on Day 24 and I feel so much better. I breathe easier, sleeps without snore, there's still recommended visit to the doctor to clear the nose and my throat is 90& healed. I'm back on antibiotics since there's a white coats on my throat that could be leading to infection and the doctor wants to eliminate the chance of bleeding again, but, I think, I'm in the right path of completely healed.
It is a long journey and I still hope for the best. Whoever with septum deviation, huge tonsils and concha, could really think about whether they want to do it all at once or take their times and perhaps have it in different timing. Finding the right doctor plus pray a lot also help. I surely wish, this post somewhat helps others out there.
Always get second, third to even fourth opinion before surgery. Make sure you're in a good condition before surgery, except during emergencies. Pay attention to the doctor's order, eat and drink only what advisable or at least use common sense. Try to rest a lot. If you're in pain, don't hesitate to ask for a painkiller or ask the doctor to check or recheck. If the bleeding doesn't stop after 10-15 minutes, rush back to the hospital. Get a doctor that willing to give you their phone number, you can simply ask things that you probably missed during the visit or like me, when in emergency. Speak clearly of your condition and try to be as accurate as possible, like I was having a fever around 39 degree celcius for 2 days, or I've ate ginseng and seafood for lunch today before bleeding, or like after the painkillers consumed the pain usually subside within 1 hour but comes back after 3 hours, etc. It helps the doctor to understand the condition better.
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Last but not lease, stays healthy, stay gorgeous!
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