*WARNING * This article may include disturbing images with traces of blood
Here you can find my personal experience which I want to share with you for those who have this or similar problem.
First things first, to understand what I have been through you need to understand what septum deviation is.
Nasal septum deviation
Nasal septum deviation or deviated nasal septum (DNS) is a physical disorder of the nose, involving a displacement of the nasal septum. Some displacement is common, affecting 80% of people, most unknowingly.
Signs and symptoms
Only more severe cases of a deviated septum will cause symptoms of difficulty breathing and require treatment. Symptoms of a deviated septum include infections of the sinus and sleep apnea, snoring, repetitive sneezing, facial pain, nosebleeds, difficulty with breathing and mild to severe loss of the ability to smell.
The nasal septum is the bone and cartilage in the nose that separates the nasal cavity into the two nostrils. The cartilage is called the quadrangular cartilage and the bones comprising the septum include the maxillary crest, vomer and the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid. Normally, the septum lies centrally, and thus the nasal passages are symmetrical. A deviated septum is an abnormal condition in which the top of the cartilaginous ridge leans to the left or the right, causing obstruction of the affected nasal passage. The condition can result in poor drainage of the sinuses. People can also complain of difficulty breathing, headaches, bloody noses, or of sleeping disorders such as snoring or sleep apnea.
It is common for nasal septa to depart from the exact centerline; the septum is only considered deviated if the shift is substantial or causes problems. Many people with a deviation are unaware they have it until some pain is produced. By itself, a deviated septum can go undetected for years and thus be without any need for correction.
How did I find out that I have a problem?
Since I was born I always had problems with allergies, mostly in spring when the plants began to flourish and on few animals like dogs and cats. At the age of 7 I already started visiting all kinds of doctors specialized for allergies in my home town. None of them were a 100% percent sure what to do wtih me, but one thing they all established the same. That I should visit a children's hospital in Zagreb called Srebrenjak because they were allegedly the best allergies hospital in Croatia.
And like so, with my 10 years, I started visiting the children's hospital every 6 months to keep my allergies under control.
I have to praise the hospital because they do a great job, they have a lot of patience unlike all the others state hospital where they just give you any medicine to get rid of you. I had big problems with my skin, breating and eyes. And there they were doing a bunch of testing on me for a whole day, and the next day I would talk to my doctor specialist. The doctor said that I have asthma and a huge problem with allergies.
When I turned 16 I stoped visiting the hospital because I thought I know everything about my condition. And since then I thought my breathing problems were connected to asthma, and they are but not as much as I thought.
When I turned 20 I got tired of my problem, I really badly wanted to see how it is to breath through my nose like other people do, and feel the smell of my food on the table. That is why I went to visit a doctor that everyone says he the best expert for sinuses in the area. That was about a year ago. When I told him all about my problem, he said that he daubt my problem are only allergies. And like that he sent me to do all kinds of testing and scaning. CT, blood tests and other disgusting things like pushing a small camera through my nose. After all of that he established that I have a bad nasal deviation and that I should operate that as soon as possible because the recovery is long.
About a month ago I got a call from the hospital and they said that in 10 days I will have that operation and I should do few more testing before I lie down on the operating table.
I had to prepare:
-blood test
-bood type
-spirometry test
-opinion of the pollologist
-anesthesiologist's opinion
-CT scan of my head
The operation and the next days at the hospital
I needed to arrive at the hospital night before the operation because of some medicine I had to take 12 hours before the operation starts. And they told me not to eat anything The next morning doctors waked me up early, around 7 and told be that in about 2 hours the operation will start and that I should relex. I was alone in the room and somehow I was all, but just not relexed.
They connected me with a braunil to some medicine and about half and hour before the operation the nurse came and gave me a small blue pill, and told me that if I need to go to the batheroom that I should call the nurse to help me because the medicine was strong. Of course, I didn't call anyone.
Later, around 9 o'clock a bunch of doctors came into my room and took me to the operating room. That small pill kicked in and I had a hard time to climb on the operating table. After I managed to do that they gave me the anesthesia and I fall a sleep.
The next thing I remember is waking up at the moment they moved me to my bed. I remember that they asked me do I feel okay, I said half unconscious that everything is allright and I felt a sleep againt. When I again woke up it was already night and I noticed that I have bloody bandages over my nose.
I didn't feel well so I called the nurse. She said that is all normal after an operation. I puke few times and I felt better. Also, the nurse said that the operation lasted 4 hours. And then I figured out, that my operation wasn't so harmless as I thought.
Next 3 days while I was in hospital nurses were changing my bandages every 4-5 hours depending how much blood it would get out of my nose. That part was worse then everything else, You can't breath through your nose, and all the time you are bleeding. Luckily, Nothing about the operation didn't hurt so much. The first day after the operation I didn't eath anything, when It was diner time I tried to get up from my bad and that just ended me puking again. That is why they connected me on the infusion, and I fall a sleep again. The next day was a little better but still I could not eat properly. Belive me when I say it to you, It is hard to eat something when you can't breath through your nose. First you need to chew the food, then breath and then swallow. So somehow, before you get used to it, it is exhausting.
Nasal tampon removal and does it hurt
Nasal tampons aren't really tampons. They are about 4 inches (10 cm) long sponges that are injected in your nose to prevent big bleeding. In my case I was lucky to be unconscious when they puted they in, but sometimes it is done while you are awake.
While I was waiting the day when my doctor will remove them, I did google about removing them. And If you are going to do the same operation as I did. Don't look for anything online! You will only get scared for nothing.
One morning, 4 days after the operation I think, the nurse called me to stand up and to follow her. I knew right away what is going on. The doctor will finally remove the tampons. and I was happy about it. I walked in his infirmary and he asked me to sit down. He gave me a metal bowl to keep under my nose so I don't get blood all over myself. He explaned me what will he do and he said that is must hurt, that there is no other way to remove them. I said okay and he pulled the first one, it lasted about 4-5 second and it was not like people on internet say, no, it was not like someone is pulling your brain through your nose, and it didn't hurt a bit. It was a bit unpleasant but nothing to fear about. He pulled the second one and it was all over. In reallity it looks much worse then it actually is.
I found some videos on youtube so you can see how it looks like. Like I said earlier, It looks much worse then it actually is.
After that the doctor said that I sould lie down for about an hour and that I can go home after that. After about half an hour he came in my room and gave me the leave letter and said that I should come again in a week and in the meantime I should not lift heavy objects, drive, walk a lot and that I should clean my sinuses with a special water that he gave me a prescription to it.
