Sinus Update - Unexpected finding but a Path Forward

After two months of waiting, I saw the ENT.  Let me step back a moment; I got a call on the Friday before my scheduled Tuesday appointment saying my appointment needed to be changed.  ACK!! I stayed calm and learned that my original appointment was with a nurse practitioner and my case is better suited for a medical doctor (MD). I ended up seeing the ENT MD a day earlier than the appointment that had been scheduled for two months.

The ENT came in and seemed rather abrasive and abrupt.  After after talking with him for a little bit, I learned that he was coming from a place of concern. The CBCT scan I had back in July showed a untreated sinus infection. He asked about the tooth.  I told him my dentist tested the tooth and I didn't react and I was told to see an ENT. I could see frustration on his face and it appears this has become common; a disconnect between the teeth and sinuses.  The doctor explained that I didn't react because the nerve of the tooth is dead.

The ENT performed a scope of my nose, both sides.  He had hoped to extract pus from the right sinus but could not; gross, I know.  I am on a 14-day course of antibiotics and I go for a CT scan in a couple weeks.  Given that my CBCT show a deviated septum and other structural issues, sinus surgery is still a possibility but something that will be decided and discussed after my CT scan.

I went to my 4 PM Crossfit class and I was able to update my friends.  The coach said once I'm through this, I'll want to run a marathon.  I told him "let's not get crazy, I just want to breathe well."

If you're new here, thanks for stopping by.  I have linked some of my related blog posts here if you want to catch up.  If you're a regular reader, thanks for being here.  I have not walked this journey alone; aside from friends and family, God has been with me and through Him all things are possible.

Health Journey - Sinus Headaches, Crossfit, HRT, Appetite 

Living with Chronic Sinus Issues

Advocating for My Health

Where It All Started: When the Office Makes You Sick

Weathering Life's Storms: Finding Strength Through Rain and Sinus Struggles

The weather the past week has reminded me of Snoopy at his typewriter when he typed out "It was a dark and stormy night." It has been stormy morning, noon and night at times.  I was supposed to run an errand on Tuesday afternoon; it had cleared up after a morning with tornado sirens blaring only for those sirens to blare once again shortly before I planned to leave.  I moved my errand to Thursday.

I shared on socials that our yard was a mess with tree branches, leaves, and lots of weeds in our flowerbeds but I quickly said I'm blessed that's all we had to deal with.  Friends, loved ones, and strangers around Ohio have experienced storm damage and flooding.  It's Sunday and the thunder has been rumbling again.  I turned off my alarm and allowed myself to get some extra sleep instead of going to my women's AA meeting.  I enjoyed a slow morning of water, coffee, and peanut butter toast with reading and coloring after prayer.  I did go outside and removed weeds from the front flower beds and picked up branches from the back yard.  

After returning home from the National Scout Jamboree, my husband Jon got hit with a bad head cold.  He unintentionally shared it with me. While the worst of it has passed, my sinuses, especially the right one, have been very "stormy" so to speak.  I've mentioned as part of my recovery from sinus issues after being in a sick building that my dentist did a 360 scan of my head which uncovered some structural issues with my right sinus.  I will be seeing an ENT in September for diagnostics and treatment.  Meanwhile, I've gone through a million tissues and decided to buy a nasal cleaning device.  The canned saline mist I've been using isn't enough.  If you have children/grandchildren, you might have used a nasal aspirator or a "boogie sucker" during infancy to clean out noses.  What I ordered is a the adult version of a "boogie sucker" which is USB rechargeable, had good customer reviews plus a recommendation from Howie Mandel!  We'll see how well it works when it arrives later today.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who are dealing with storm damage and cleanup.  Do not forget that God is with us through all of life's storms.

Resources:

YouVersion - Scripture Image

Window Pic - my personal picture of a very weedy flower bed before I cleaned it.