One week after his in-office balloon sinuplasty and turbinate reduction, Erik is healing up nicely and feeling good.
If you haven't read the last part of Erik's journey, check it out here.
Transcript:
- Hi, everybody, Erik here. A update on my patient journey at ADVENT here. Going in for my one week follow-up after my in-office balloon sinuplasty and turbinate reduction. I'm feeling pretty good. Still a little stuffy and a little runny, but other than that, doing just fine. I was able to go back to work the next day. After the initial bit of a headache after the procedure, haven't had any pain or any real issues, just stuffy and runny, kind of like having a cold for a week. So we'll head inside and see how things are healing up.
- [PA] So tell me how the week has been for you.
- It's been pretty good, still stuffy and runny, but there hasn't really been any pain. Maybe a little pressure here and there, but yeah, I had a headache after the procedure for a couple hours, and then since then, there really hasn't been any pain or issues. The bloody discharge really only lasted that first day that I had the procedure. Since then, just kind of cold symptoms.
- [PA] Cold symptoms, okay. Are you having any improvement in breathing, or is it too soon?
- It might be too soon for that because it still feels.
- Pretty congested?
- Yeah, stuffy. Yeah, I think that's been my only issue, is just trying to sleep with mainly my right nostril being blocked up.
- [PA] Okay, any issues with significant bleeding?
- Oh, no, there really hasn't been any blood since that first day.
- [PA] And tell me kinda the regimen that you've been doing. Are you using the sinus rinses?
- Yeah, basically at least three times a day, sometimes four, doing the sinus rinse, then doing the Flonase, and then the ointment, whatever that stuff is. Yes. So yeah, that three times a day, sometimes a fourth sinus rinse. And then I haven't been keeping up with the saline spray as much as I should, but I have been trying to do that in between as much as possible, so.
- [PA] And you had used CPAP, but you're not using anything currently for your sleep apnea?
- No, no.
- [PA] So what I do is spray some afrin and lidocaine into the nose. That helps numb it up and decongest a bit. I'll look with a scope, and usually at this visit there's some stuff that we're getting out of there. Any questions so far?
- No, sounds good.
- [PA] Can I ask what you thought of the procedure?
- You know what, it was probably a little more intense than I was expecting. But once again, I am just so grateful that we're able to do with this without actually going into surgery. I'd call it like a marriage between a root canal and a COVID test. Kinda right around there.
- [PA] That's great. Has that bad taste to it. You can swallow, it just, like I said, tastes bad. Turn your head towards me. Are you getting stuff out when you do those rinses?
- Occasionally, not a whole lot, especially at this point. Earlier on there were little bits and chunks.
- [PA] So I will suction some mucus out. It looks like you've been keeping it moist, which is good.
- Okay.
- [PA] How's that feeling?
- Wow, that was nice, yeah that was a good one. That one was connected to my brain.
- [PA] There's still a little kinda thick mucus in there. Ideally, we get all that out, but it's just not wanting to come with the suction. The forceps won't grab it but things look exactly as I would expect at this one week. Keep up the same regimen. So really continue everything you're doing, the rinses three times a day, if you like another one, that's fine, Flonase morning and night, put the ointment in after each rinse. If you can add that saline then just to keep it moist, that will help things from drying out, getting too dusty, and it's tough to remove. So stay the course, and then we'll see you back in two weeks. And then I know you want us to go back at some point, regarding the snoring and sleep apnea. We usually discuss that more at that six week visit, once you've healed more.
- Makes sense, yeah.
- Are you leaning towards the oral appliance option?
- You know, I'm kind of leaning towards CPAP again. Yeah, I had a pretty, pretty horrible experience, but I do like the idea that it has all the built-in measuring and reporting. And my AHI is kind of at the, I think it was at 60 during my sleep study, so potentially oral appliance, but I feel like I'd rather just go CPAP, try and get that working and then go from there.
- [PA] Do you have any questions?
- I don't know if there's like a timetable, or it's different for everybody, when the kind of the stuffiness and discharge goes away?
- [PA] So that should continue to improve just as the general swelling from the procedure improves with time. This first week definitely was the worst. And that just gradually improve generally. I'd say you're about 80% healed at six weeks, so.
- Okay, 'cause I've kinda felt it even in the last few days, since I am closer to 10 days now than seven, yeah. So but yeah, I'm already starting to feel it, so that's probably just gonna.
- [PA] That's good, it should just keep getting better and better.
- And then you talk about that thick mucus layer. Is that something that if I keep hitting it with the washes, it'll kind of break down?
- [PA] Yes, it's normal to accumulate at this time. It's normal buildup there out of first post-procedure. That's why we have you doing the sinus rinses and keeping it moist. So it's gonna clear that stuff out. Any other question?
- No, I think that'll do it.
- [PA] Okay, so we'll schedule in two weeks to return.
- Okay.
- [PA] And the front desk knows that I'll suction you.
- Okay great.
- [PA] All right, great to see you.
- All right, thank you so much.
- [PA] You're welcome.
- All right, just had my one-week follow up. They suctioned some junk out of my nose, and I'm feeling pretty good. Yeah, still in the healing process. So still some stuffiness, still a little runniness. Not quite feeling that benefit yet, but that's to be expected. Got a follow up in two weeks, and we'll see how it's going. But they said I'm doing a good job with my post-procedure regimen, with the sinus rinses and sprays and whatnot. So I'm gonna stick with that, and it's just gonna keep getting better. Thanks for coming on the journey with me. And I'll talk to you again soon.