My Latest Remodeling Project

The outside of my nose has served me well over the years.  But the inside....well, let's just say I've had a sinus infection to go along with pretty much every major life event.  First date?  Check.  First leading role on stage?  Check.  Graduation from college?  Check.  Wedding Day?  Check.  Honeymoon?  Check.  Birth of children?  Check, check, check, and check. 

Since my mother, brother, and two sisters have all had to have the inside of their nasal passages surgically repaired, I had some idea that I needed to have the same thing done.  In high school, my mom took me to see an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist (ENT) about my recurring sinus infections.  He looked inside my nose and said I was fine.  When we lived in Connecticut, I went to see another ENT about my recurring sinus infections.  Again, he looked inside myn nose and said I was fine. 

This fall, I went to see a third ENT about my recurring sinus infections.  Dr. Gutt didn't just look inside my nose, he did a CT scan.  And then he said I was not fine.  He said that I needed a major sinus remodeling job.  Dr. Gutt promised that his remodeling project would remain true to the existing footprint of my nose, but would really open up the interior spaces.  (Haha!  Can you tell I love to read home improvement magazines?)

This week, Dr. Gutt went in and really knocked some walls down inside my nose.  Thanks to the guided imagery he used during surgery, I now have before and after pictures for my blog! 

Are you ready for this?  If you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to scroll past quickly!

Pretty crazy, huh? 

Surgery went well, and I'm happy to report that the recovery hasn't been nearly as bad as I thought it would be.  I'm really stuffed up right now from the swelling, but that's about it.  I can't wait to see what it feels like to go running with all that room for breathing!  I have to admit, I'm kind of horrified to see the evidence of what I've been putting up with for all these years.  (If you really want to know, what I was putting up with was a deviated septum and hyper-enlarged turbinades.)  The good news is, the outside of my nose looks just like it always has.  Moral of the story:  if you keep having recurring sinus infections, find a good ENT.

Thanks, Dr. Gutt!