It's been 3 weeks since Erik's in-office balloon sinuplasty and turbinate reduction with ADVENT, and he's breathing better than he has in years!
If you haven't read the last part of Erik's journey, check it out here.
Transcript:
- Hi everybody, Erik here back again continuing my ADVENT patient journey, treating my sleep apnea and sinus issues. It's been a little over three weeks since I had my procedure done. That was in an in-office balloon sinuplasty and turbinate reduction and I'm really starting to feel the benefits. It's been exciting. That first week and change after the procedure, it was very stuffy, very runny, kind of obnoxious, but after about 10 days, it started getting a lot better. And yeah, I'm definitely at the point now where it's better than it was before the procedure. It's great 'cause when I lay down in bed now, I can use both nostrils at the same time. That hasn't happened in a really long time and it's kind of amazing. They say it takes about six weeks to get 80% healed so I still have a ways to go. So if it's gonna keep getting better, that's awesome. I'm excited. I feel like my one week visit, we did the debridement where they go in there and they suck some stuff out and they scrape some stuff out. I feel like that was my turning point. So I don't know, maybe they'll find some more stuff in there. Where I'm at right now is such a huge improvement from where I was and it feels, it feels great. It's kind of amazing. Once again, even with my crazy septum, it's pretty messed up, but we were able to do this without any surgery, without touching the septum, just opening up the sinuses and reducing the size of the turbinates. One thing I hear a lot from patients in my role at ADVENT is, "God, I wish I would've done this sooner." And that's where I am right now. That's what I'm feeling. If I had done this five years ago, would I be in a much better spot with my health, with my weight, with my mental health, with my relationship, with my family? I don't know, not going to dwell too much on that. The important thing is starting to see the improvement. I'm excited for things to keep getting better and I'm excited to finally treat that sleep apnea and to see if I can give CPAP or oral appliance a go and make it work this time 'cause I'm sick of being tired all the time.
- How are you feeling?
- Pretty good actually.
- Yeah?
- Yeah. I think starting after the last follow-up appointment, after the debridement, it actually has been better than it was before the procedure.
- [PA] Alrighty, okay, that's good 'cause you're still gonna improve as inflammation goes down.
- Yeah.
- [PA] Rinses going okay?
- Yeah, they're good.
- [PA] Okay and then you're doing them how many times?
- Three.
- [PA] Okay perfect. Flonase twice?
- Twice, yep.
- [PA] Ointment three times?
- Yep.
- [PA] And then saline throughout the day?
- Yeah.
- [PA] Trying?
- Yeah, trying. I have not been great about keeping up with that part.
- [PA] Well we'll see if you're looking dry or not.
- Okay.
- [PA] And then you have Afrin if you would get a nosebleed, right?
- Yes, I do.
- [PA] Because those tend to happen, like around this time.
- Oh, really?
- [PA] Yeah, so a lot of people think if it didn't happen in the first week it won't but it still could because you're gonna form scabs on the turbinates that are gonna slough off and that's typically when that starts them bleeding.
- Okay.
- Yeah, you got some stuff for me to get out for you today.
- Sweet.
- Are you a fan of the numbing spray or do you not like the numbing spray?
- I don't know, I don't mind it.
- Okay, so we'll give it to you.
- Are you ready?
- Mmhmm.
- One, two, three, spray. One, two, three, spray. So it'll be the same as last time. We're gonna use a little camera, we're gonna pull some of that dried mucus and dead tissue out of there, okay?
- Cool.
- Should we zoom in on this?
- Maybe, I don't know, do we? No, I think it'll be fine.
- [PA] No, we don't want that. We don't wanna take it too far. All right. So you're are gonna be a little raw 'cause there's some scabbing I pulled off of there.
- Okay.
- So you may notice a little bloody drainage. If you would, like, have drainage or blow your nose, still don't blow too hard. It should not start gushing out so if that happens, that's a nosebleed.
- Okay.
- I don't think that's gonna happen though.
- Okay.
- So keep it moist. It really didn't look too bad, but I want to encourage you, use your saline, okay?
- Okay.
- And we're gonna keep doing everything that you're doing so we're not gonna stop anything just yet.
- Okay.
- So then we will see you to visit three weeks from now for your six week visit, whenever that would be.
- Okay.
- For the next time.
- Okay, when are we looking at the sleep part of the treatment?
- [PA] So usually at six weeks we'll revisit it. I know it completely heals around the three month mark.
- Okay.
- [PA] But we start the process for either like a sleep appliance or a new CPAP usually around six weeks when people are reading pretty well then. It's a little early.
- Okay.
- [PA] So that would be the next visit.
- Okay.
- [PA] All right?
- Awesome.
- [PA] Good you're all set.
- Thank you so much.
- [PA] You're welcome. You can head up front.