septoplasty update...stents are gone!!!

JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:54 pm

[quote="sharon1965"]jeff

how soon were you back on your cpap? from the pic it looks like a nasal pillow interface, right? i'm feeling pretty good, no pain, just uncomfortable with all the congestion and draining...i can't imagine going on cpap tonight, i can't breathe in or out through my nose, at least not enough...i'd love to get back on as i'm not sleeping much at all, but there's no way...how did you do it?!

I could breath with the stints. I didn't have packing. Not even sure what that is. I did have what they called nasal tampons when I had the nose bleeds. I got enought air thru the stints to use cpap the night of the surgery. If you have something besides stints, (and it sounds like you do) you won't be able to use cpap until that is out. I could not use cpap with the nasal tampons in. I got really tired and crazy as hell not using cpap for one week. I would hate to think I had to go two weeks without treatment.

thanks

sharon

p.s. i know you said the stents came out after 1 week ( i'm bitter) but didn't the packing still take 7 to 10 days to dissolve? or was yours different in that respect, also?

It was different. I didn't have any packing.

I sounds to me like you had serious nose bleeding, so they put nasal tampons in. When I had those, they removed them. The first one after one day (and I started bleeding again) and the second time it was in 6 days. That was bad.

You said they had to cauterise your nose from bleeding so you have had something done I did not have done.

Hang in there.

JeffH

i hope you don't mind me picking your brain over and over, jeff, i just really appreciate the input...thanks

frapilu · Post by **frapilu** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:08 pm

JeffH and others who have had a septoplasty,

I'm picking your brain too. Has your pressure requirement for xpap lowered since your septoplasty? My DME/RT told me that I should get a prescription to have an APAP trial (I only have a cpap myself) about a month or two after my septoplasty since it's likely that my pressure will lower. Please tell me it's true I'm at 13.8 now.

Sharon,

Any chance you could borrow/rent a full-face mask from your DME so you can use a cpap while you're waiting to get those stents out and for the packing to dissolve? I'll probably have that a little easier since I currently use an Ultra-Mirage full face mask. I couldn't breathe through my nose enough anymore to be able to tolerate a nasal mask only. I'm truly hoping that this septoplasty will allow me to go back to a nasal mask.

France

JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:04 pm

[quote="frapilu"]JeffH and others who have had a septoplasty,

I'm picking your brain too. Has your pressure requirement for xpap lowered since your septoplasty? My DME/RT told me that I should get a prescription to have an APAP trial (I only have a cpap myself) about a month or two after my septoplasty since it's likely that my pressure will lower. Please tell me it's true I'm at 13.8 now.

Sharon,

Any chance you could borrow/rent a full-face mask from your DME so you can use a cpap while you're waiting to get those stents out and for the packing to dissolve? I'll probably have that a little easier since I currently use an Ultra-Mirage full face mask. I couldn't breathe through my nose enough anymore to be able to tolerate a nasal mask only. I'm truly hoping that this septoplasty will allow me to go back to a nasal mask.

France

frapilu · Post by **frapilu** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:00 pm

JeffH,

Good to know. At least I know not to expect too much. Next summer will make 5 yeas with my cpap so I'll be able to get a new machine. I will definitely be getting an apap with a reader & software then.

Thanks.
France

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:04 am

well, guys,

i tried , i really did...i've been having a terrible time with insomnia the last 3 or 4 nights and i thought i was going to lose it! last night i decided to try getting back on cpap, although i was freaked out by the congestion and finding it hard to breathe through my nose...anyway, i put my cl2 nasal pillow 'direct seal' on and there was no seal at all! the stents are starting to stick out of my nose a little since most of the swelling has gone down, so i couldn't get a seal...so i tried the simple cushion mask that comes with it and watched tv for a while, trying to calmly breathe in and out...that seemed to go reasonably well, but when it was time for lights out i lasted about 10 minutes and started to feel panicky...just couldn't get enough air...so, i tried, i did... it's 6 more days till the stents come out and i guess i'll just have to survive...i'm so tired i'm loopy...who knew i'd be looking forward to getting back on cpap? i also have the NP twilight (aura) coming, so i'm geeked to try that out, too...

thanks for all your support...i'm feeling ok, no pain, just congestion and soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo tired

sharon

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JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:46 am

I can't imaging going two weeks without CPAP. One week like to have drove me nuts. I feel for you, Sharon1965, I really do. I remember that loopy feeling at one week....Jesus.

JeffH

frapilu · Post by **frapilu** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:38 am

Poor thing, Sharon! I was looking for this thread to ask you how you were doing after a week so I'm glad you posted. You must be so exhausted!!! I had a bad night last night (sometimes I get into insomnia and last night was one of those) so I thought I'd try having a nap at lunch time. Of course, because I snore so badly without my cpap, I didn't dare go lay down in the nurses rest station in our building so I curled up in the back seat of my car. I spent 20 minutes dozing and waking myself up snoring. I feel like I didn't sleep a second and the back of my throat is sore from snoring. And you've been doing this a week! My heart goes out to you.

Take care
France

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 1:38 pm

thanks guys!

i really hate to be a whiner...i'm actually feeling ok in general, just tired...it's kind of like having a huge cold at this point; i just can't seem to relieve the congestion and draining...but...ta dah! 5.5 days and counting!

i just went out for a 20 minute walk, first time out the door since i got home and it felt pretty good (trying to pretend i didn't have huge nostrils with plastic sticking out! )...nice weather, sun shining, all good things

thanks again for your kind words!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 1:54 pm

I quess I was very lucky. My ENT ordered a full face mask before I had the surgery. He instructed me to use my CPAP immediately when I got home from the procedure, even if I was awake for a couple of days. He directed that I should turn the humidifier up to the point where I just did not get any rainout and indicated that the humidity and rest would more than offset any potential problems with the CPAP usage. Did not find out until the followup that the Doc is a hosehead too!

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:49 pm

Wow Sharon, you are really being put through the wringer! I hope it all comes together soon.

My splints, stents whatever were hollow and allowed breathing through my nose from the start, other than a bit of excess bleeding plugging me up the first night. Even the first night was a better night sleep USING CPAP than my average CPAP night pre-surgery, and it quickly got better after that.

If I read correctly, you are only doing a light saline spray. A dainty little spritz would NOT have done much if anything for me. The heavy FLUSH using a big blue squeeze bulb is what really made a big difference for me. Lots of clots and blood would come out when flushing (downright scarey the first couple of times), but after the flush I was a whole lot clearer. I can't imagine trying to nose breath if all that stuff remained in there.

Speedy healing and good sleep!!!!!!!!!

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 5:39 am

snork

i'm using a commercial saline spray, and it's definitely not dainty, but maybe it's still not enough (the one the doctor prescribed was a very light mist, i gave that up after one day)...however, i haven't had any blood or clots since the 4th day or so; also, the stents are hollow, and i can breathe a minimal amount through my nose, just not enough...i can only assume the congestion is partly due to the packing that is still dissolving (it was a gel packing that the doc said would dissolve in 7 to 10 days) and who knows? maybe i have a cold?! it is very frustrating, as i was told i could use my cpap the first night and i definitely don't see how that could have been, and even now, one week post-surgery, i'm still clogged up...oh well, 5 days till the stents come out (2 weeks is toooooo long) and hopefully all will be well...i'm getting there
thanks for your thoughts
sharon

bookwrm63 · Post by **bookwrm63** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 5:45 am

Ugh! Sharon, you poor thing!

I hope it all gets much better for you very soon! You don't have a FF mask? Can you borrow one from your DME as Jeff suggested? They may help also with the panicky feeling since you can breathe through your mouth.

Good luck!

Mary

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 7:58 am

ya know, mary, i guess it's just so close to the big day, and i'm not back to work yet, so at least i don't have to cope with no sleep and working..my supplier doesn't really work that way, anyway...and to be honest, the thought of a ff mask really flips me out...i can hardly stand to have the tiny simple cushion from my cl2 on my face, never mind the ff...

i'm managing ( ) lol, and i guess the positive thing is i realize how accustomed i have already become to using my cpap...insomnia is not something i normally have to contend with...i can usually fall asleep in less than 5 minutes, and i could sleep on a clothesline at high noon! but i was thinking maybe i just think i'm not sleeping, when really i'm just not sleeping deeply...when i went for my titration the tech told me that i had achieved some good deep sleep on cpap, and that when i was there for my 1st study, i had never moved out of light sleep, not even for a minute! so maybe that's what's going on right now...either way, i'm counting the days till these nefarious stents come out!!

thanks for your kind words
sharon1965

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frapilu · Post by **frapilu** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 11:07 am

Sharon,

For the saline spray, is that just Salinex or something else? I want to prepare as much as possible for my upcoming surgery. Salinex is what my ENT's information sheet recommends (he also gives a recipe to make your own but I'm not convinced I would do that).

Hang in there! Just a few days left, as you say. I'm sure that as soon as you get home after your appointment, you'll be curled up in bed with your cpap, sleeping away.

France

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 12:56 pm

hey france!

my ENT had salinex on my list of prescriptions (although is it otc) and i used it for the first day because i still had so much pain and was afraid of more, but then i switched to hydrasense (the infant one, very gentle) and after that i switched to 'simply saline' which is sort of a pump-like nozzle and it certainly seems to have kept things clean...i have to laugh, the salinex came out so gently that i wasted half the bottle spraying it into the air to make sure it was working...it's definitely too gentle to do any flushing, it's just supposed to help clean up a little, i think

the good news, france, is that i don't have anything gross draining out anymore, and in fact, that stopped after just a few days...now, like i said, it's more like having a runny nose from a cold...in fact, i think i just may have a cold lol, wouldn't that be a kicker? all this complaining and it turns out to be a flippin' cold!

try not to worry too much, after the first couple of days it's really just uncomfortable as opposed to painful...you'll do great!

sharon1965

p.s. were you told you'd have dissolvable packing, too? no one else seems to have had that experience...i wonder if it all depends on how severe the deviation was? mine was practically sideways...

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