I think I might be getting cabin fever. Today was particularly annoying for some reason.
The biggest thing today was going to get the two splints out that were holding my newly constructed septum in the correct position. I had read in other people's experiences that the splint removal wasn't too bad, nothing compared to the packing removal (which luckily I didn't have). I think a lot of times they will numb you a little bit when they take the splints out...that was not the case for me.
We got up early to drive to Bellevue for my appointment. I checked in and we both went back when I was called. A Nurse's assistant came in to do a blood pressure check, and to set up the tools the regular Nurse would be using. This is what she prepared:
At this point, I wasn't horrified, I didn't expect it to be very comfortable. What I wasn't prepared for is how foreign it felt, and how painful it was!
The Nurse came in and let me know that she was going to cut the stitch that was holding the two splints together. I don't even know how to explain how strange the feeling was, it didn't hurt but it just felt so...wrong.
Next, she went in and loosened up the splints. This is when I started to understand that this would be worse then I thought it would be. The initial loosening was a little painful, and not being able to see what was happening was very unnerving. After the splints were prepped for removal, she let me know that she was going to finish taking them out. She gripped them steadily with one of her tools, and pulled them out in about three seconds. Ow. If you've ever pondered childbirth, specifically how something so big comes out of something so small, you can easily imagine what this was like.
Chris was sitting watching the removal, and all I heard him say was "Woah....," in awe and disbelief of what had just come out of my little nostrils. Below is a picture of them, just after they came out so they are a bit icky. I'm guessing the size of them was about two inches wide and 3.5 inches long. I tried to take a picture with my finger in it for scale, but it didn't help much:
Without any numbing agent...the aftermath was very painful. It felt like someone had drug a rusty nail down the top of the inside of my nose. It burned. I felt lightheaded, which the nurse said almost everyone does, so she promptly reclined me and gave me a little bit of water. People will just straight pass out apparently, something to do with the shock to your system and being on meds and what not.
After the work was done, they wheeled me out of the building in a wheelchair to where Chris was parked. I knew I needed some additional meds when I got home, and couldn't wait to get there.
When we got back to the house, I immediately took another half of a pain pill. From this point on, I felt like I was going to throw up. No matter what I did, nothing seemed to make me feel better. I took one of the uber-anti-nausea pills, and it didn't seem to work as well as it did a few days ago. I was miserable. Too hot then too cold, nothing that I put in my mouth helped my stomach, and I had to take more pills four hours later. Finally I tried slowly sipping peppermint tea, and that worked wonders. By the time Chris got home I was up and around a little bit.
I have to say I immediately noticed a huge difference in my breathing. When my nose is clear, it's REALLY clear and I can really get air in through my nostrils! Rinsing now is a little easier, and more productive. Still not a ton of stuff coming out, but a little more than before. I also forgot to mention a couple things yesterday - I noticed that when it's about time for a new pain pill, my front teeth and gums hurt a little bit. Also, my sense of smell and taste seem to be muddled, they go in and out. I hope that goes away when I am finally done healing.
So it was a pretty eventful day! Here is a before (left) and after (right) picture from this morning. I'm not sure if anything looks different, I am still a bit swollen.
And now that I finally feel well enough to go to sleep, I am going to take full advantage of that.
More to come tomorrow, thanks for visiting!
Ow - that's all you could say? I screamed like a bitch when mine were taken out which took seemingly forever. I have rarely felt such intensity of pain as those couple minutes at the hands of my sadistic ENT! Never once did he warn me of the upcoming pain or offer to give me a shot for this. I was half in shock afterward and in lots of pain when I left his office. I felt nose-raped by his callous indifference to my excruciating agony.
ReplyDeleteI had mine out today..it wasnt bad at all! I was more shocked at the size of them ! I went right to work afterward. Its been about 8 hours and I an just now getting sore and did take a pain med....I would never do this again though! I use cpap and can't wait to use it tonight after a of sleepless nights!
DeleteSorry to barge in randomly like this but I have to thank you :) This post was my bible for the past ten days! I had splints too and was every bit as anxious. Gladly, it was removed today !Yaayyyy! I felt a pinch when the doc removed the stitch but that's about it. It was awesome and scary at the same time, to see those huge ass things come out of my nostrils.I'm loving it now. I hope you're doing good and your new nose rocks as well. :)
ReplyDeleteCheers
Oh I'm glad it helped! I totally get how it's awesome and scary at the same time. My nose is definitely still rocking!
DeleteIs it normal to have a cut in your nose after having splints removed?
DeleteI have mine taken out in 2 days. Pretty anxious. Not sure whether or not I should take Ativan before the procedure. I went without it throughout the whole ordeal, until Day 3, then needed to take it twice... panic attacks just aren't my thing.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say you'll need to take an ativan, I'd just be sure to take whatever pain meds are advised. You won't have time to have a panic attack, it's very fast :). I get them too and by the time it's over any panic you will have will be gone with the relief of it being done.
DeleteI'm getting mine out tomorrow. My dr assured me my nose won't look different with this surgery yet the top of my nose is swollen. I truly hope it is due to the splints and when they come out, the swelling will rapidly improve!
ReplyDeleteMy doctor told me to come back on 7th day for the removal of splints but due to some reasons , I will have to remove it on 9th day ... Would that be okay ?
ReplyDeleteI'm scared of the pain I will feel on Thursday when the splints are removed for this reason, my son jumped up to give me a kiss goodnight and bumped into my already sore nose and as a result I have a painful cut inside left nostril. The right nostril seemed like it reposition slightly. Ugh!.. My doctor said there's nothing they can do until removal day!.. This is torture!
ReplyDeleteInterested to hear what happened as I have had the exact same thing happened with my son and go tomorrow to the doctor's for removal
DeleteOne of mine ended up partially lodged in my throat (whoops!). I took it out at home and it didn't hurt a bit. It's amazing how different people's experiences are after surgery! :)
ReplyDeleteI've had my splints in for 13 days now. Tomorrow they come out. I'm so miserable with them in, whatever happens when they come out can't be too bad lol I'm counting the hours!
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DeleteI've had my surgery on the 29th of Dec. and my splint removal 'll happen on the 8th of Jan. Oh God! I can't describe how I'm counting the hours impatiently till I got these damn splints off my nose!
ReplyDeleteI am on day 1 after surgery! I hate this I'm in pain and the blood and sneezes are not stopping. I want the splints out now!! But I have to wait. I also has a spot removed from my tongue! Double pain. I'm ready to feel better
ReplyDeleteI am on day 1 after surgery! I hate this I'm in pain and the blood and sneezes are not stopping. I want the splints out now!! But I have to wait. I also has a spot removed from my tongue! Double pain. I'm ready to feel better
ReplyDeleteCan you please give me tips on how to sleep? I'm on night three right now and haven't gotten more than two hours of interrupted sleep total per night. I've been using two pillows to prop myself up and taking a pain pill before bed. But the pain pill messes up my breathing and I still have a slight headache at night
ReplyDeleteI slept better on night 4 after I gave up the pain pills. Side effects listed was sleeplessness and I finally slept six hours last night - hallelujah! Pain is not gone but at least I can do more than doze off.
DeleteI avoided taking Narco pain meds, they make me feel like I'm breathing shallow and give me anxiety. I used a non pressurized saline spray (day4) in my nose before bed and used a million q-tips to spin in one direction in my nose to sort of mop up the mucous, then took tylenol PM which cleared my congestion and made me sleepy, worked wonders.
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ReplyDeleteMy splints will come out Monday, on day 10. The instructions say to take 2 pain pills before coming to the office and to bring a driver with me. At this point, I am so ready to have them out, that I'm not worried about pain associated with removal.
ReplyDeleteI have slept in the recliner for a week because I can't breathe when I lie down. I have eaten very little because I have no sense of smell or taste. I took a pain pill every 4-6 hours until day 6 when I became concerned that I was taking so many and cut back to 2-3 a day. My surgery was for a medical reason and I'm just not sure why anyone would consider doing this for cosmetic purposes. Can't wait until Monday!!
My splints will come out Monday, on day 10. The instructions say to take 2 pain pills before coming to the office and to bring a driver with me. At this point, I am so ready to have them out, that I'm not worried about pain associated with removal.
ReplyDeleteI have slept in the recliner for a week because I can't breathe when I lie down. I have eaten very little because I have no sense of smell or taste. I took a pain pill every 4-6 hours until day 6 when I became concerned that I was taking so many and cut back to 2-3 a day. My surgery was for a medical reason and I'm just not sure why anyone would consider doing this for cosmetic purposes. Can't wait until Monday!!
I get my splints out next wednesday and im so worried that my nose is clogged with dry crusty blood that when they take them out, it'll rip something.. Do they rinse your nose or soak it or something before they yank out the splints? So worried itll hurt .
ReplyDeleteI am in the same situation. Day 3 after surgery and tons of crusty blood. How are they going to get these out?
DeleteMy splints come out tomorrow morning! So thankful for that! I haven't been advised about any upcoming pain with removal. My surgery has been almost painless. I'm hoping this will be too!
ReplyDeleteMy surgery (septoplasty only) was 6 days ago, and my packing was removed day 2. Due to the holiday my stent/suture removal is delayed until day 8. Unfortunately I will have to wait until I get to the MD office to take any pain meds. My question is this: is this stent/suture removal painful enough for Percocet or would Tylenol be sufficient??
ReplyDeleteFrom the sound of other experiences the pain level can really vary. Mine was painful enough to take the heavy meds they gave me initially for the surgery afterwards, so maybe have them do it and then decide for yourself afterwards. Some people don't even feel they need to take anything.
DeleteI've had my splints for 2 months now, is that a problem?
ReplyDeleteI've had my splints for 2 months now, is that a problem?
ReplyDeleteYeah you're only supposed to have them in for about a week...
DeleteI had my surgery and my splints for 5days. My ENT took them out and it was fast, but very weird feeling and painful for a few seconds, and after that if was more relieving. I took two pain pills before I went though, because I had a feeling it was going to hurt, my nose was already sore. I'm glad I did, because I think it helped with the pain a lot, I felt like passing out for a split second, but got over it fast. I think the extra pain pill helped me get through it a lot.
ReplyDeleteI was one of the few who had agonizing pain after surgery, extreme nausea, no apatite, dehydration, and tons of swelling and inflammation.
ReplyDeleteI have had dozens of surgeries, supposedly much more in-depth than this one; such as a full nissen surgery and esophagus replacement due to esophageal cancer beginning.
I had multiple malignant tumors removed and cysts removed from my nasal cavities. They said this would be a walk in the park compared to my past.
It was so horrible, that me as a grown man who normally can take pain well was in tears begging to help get me out of pain. They tried hard, but I had a very high tolerance to opiates from my past surgeries and the extended periods of time where I had to be on pain killers.
I started my first surgery with Percocet 5's, and had to move up to 7.5's during the recovery. That was just my wisdom teeth.
Throughout my major esophagus surgeries I was on Dilaudid via IV for 2 days in recovery, Morphine for the next 2, and 2 Percocet 10's every 3-4 hours. Some moments so intensively painful (relearning to walk) that they sometimes had to administer Dilaudid in my IV along with the Percocet for instant pain relief.
After a little over a week in the hospital, I was discharged with 2 Percocet 10's every 4 hours. At this point they were still effective, and that lasted about a week after discharge. At that point I was moved up to 2 12.5 mg Percocet every 4-6 hours. That lasted around a month and a half of constant pain, and nausea, vomiting from painkillers while nausea medicine was ineffective.
Most people would say, just don't take them. But I was in so much pain that vomiting was the least of my worries.
What I am worried about is that I have been on Percocet 7.5 the first night of recovery, and I had to make an emergency call to the surgeon in the middle of the night as my pain had been so tremendous. He understood my circumstances and past history, and knew that I was not a narcotic abuser(I am 6 months away from graduating college, and becoming a police cadet for 3 months before working as a Law Enforcement Officer.)
He wrote me a new prescription for 10mg rather than the 7.5. Take 2 every 4-6 hours. He also stated that if my pain was unbearable, that I could take a 7.5 in-between or take half of a 10 in-between as it would not hurt me with a tolerance as much as mine.
My pain is still unbearable and my nose is a bloody scabby mess almost 2 weeks after surgery. My bleeding just slowed down yesterday on day 12. It still bleeds 3-4 times a day for about 45-60 mins, and when I bend over.
I am afraid removing the splints will tear the scabs, cause bleeding to reoccur as well as swelling. I am also afraid he will not write me a pain refill as I am set to run out the day after the splint removal.
It would be only the 3rd refill. I had 1 refill at the beginning of the second week and was due to run out the day of the splints but managed to save enough for that extra day.
My question is:
Is it likely my surgeon will still make an effort to manage my pain; even though technically his job is done after removing the splints?
I have not seen this question asked, but from what I've heard other patients say it is very painful after splint removal although you can breathe, and some say that the swelling and bleeding returned worse than before and infection occurred.
I am going to ask him for the last med refill, and am willing to try going down to a dose if he instructs me to; although I am worried it won't defeat my tolerance and pain level. I think with the amount of pain I am experiencing and expect after the splints, that a third week refill is reasonable.
Does anybody have any experience with a situation like this? Did they manage your pain after splint removal? Is a third refill reasonable? Did your surgeon blow you off with some Tylenol and an ice pack? I can't take Ibuprofen due to my stomach and gastric issues. Thanks for any insight and answers, it is greatly appreciated!
Since your Dr knows your pain history, I would definitely request more meds before stent removal. Just be sure to call a couple days before so you will have them before removal.
ReplyDeleteThis is the most miserable surgery I have ever had! The splints hurt, kind of feel like there digging into my nose.. No sleep, no food and can’t take pain meds because they make me nauseous.. I wouldn’t recommend this surgery to my worst enemy.. Stints don’t come out for three more days and I don’t think I will last that long with them in.. I have had other major surgeries but none as painful as this..
ReplyDeleteI can completely relate. I get my stents out on Monday. Had surgery on Tuesday so 6 days post op. I have been bleeding pretty constantly, more so out one side of my nose than the other. The stents are so uncomfortable. My nose is swollen and hurts. My eyes are swollen and watery. I had my septum straightened, polyps removed, turbinate reduction and eustachean tubes dilation. Oh, my front teeth and roof of my mouth are very sensitive and painful. Dr said that had to d o weirh nerve between m9uth a nd septum. But I am thankful for this post. Makes me feel that all these weird things are not just me feeling crazy. Good luck to all. Now come on monday... I cannot wait to get these stents out of my nose!
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Had the septoplasty done last week Wednesday. Since then I've only been mouth breathing, nostrils totally blocked and creating that awful blocked/stuffy nose pressure which is causing a lot of discomfort. Splints coming out on Thursday and I cannot wait. If it hurts momentarily I'll get over it so long as I can sleep without waking up every hour coZ my mouth's dry.
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ReplyDeleteMy son has septoplasty last month, age was 13 years, the operation was good, but the surgeon said it takes 2 months for proper results and to avoid the allergies. Better i suggest to go for adnoidectomy also. https://www.medesunglobal.com/online-training.html
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I get my splints out later today. I can’t seem to sleep because I’m so nervous. Florida just passed the new pain medicine law soooo I only had pain meds for 3 days after the surgery...a total nightmare ��♀️ Praying I don’t pass out from the splint removal. The surgery day was hell.
ReplyDeleteReading this right before going to the doctor was so wrong, especially one comment that said they screamed, I shut it immediately and kept freaking on the inside.
ReplyDeleteI had mine out today, what a relief! The doctor and the nurse were both assuring me it doesn't hurt but I was already feeling a hot flash as for the past 4 days post op wasn't really good. As soon as he inserted the scissors to cut the string I couldn't take it and started screaming with mouth shut, haha. As soon as he took the first one I felt a lot of weight off, then for the second it was morr of a scare, however as soon as he got them both out I collapsed, I felt really hot and all I wanted was to vomit. It has been about 7 hours and I feel much better.
Thank you for your post.
My first few days was hellish so I was more than happy with 20 seconds of slight pain during my stint removal. What a relief it was, a lot of built up pressure around my nose just eased away.
ReplyDeleteNow while I’m here, if you’re are reading this and about to get septum or rhinoplasty please understand that it will be damn sore. Even though I knew it was be sore I never thought in my wildest dreams that my teeth and gums would burn like they did. Nothing could stop the sensation. Strong painkilllers never even scratched the surface. I never slept for 3 days. My eyes were so sensitive to the light it was unreal. Anyway I’m happy that it’s done and those awful stunts are removed. Funny that I look at everyone’s noses now, haha!
I had mine removed yesterday and was surprised how big they were! Immediately I could breathe and smell. So thankful I had this surgery done and would recommend it!
ReplyDeleteAlso I had no pain all week!! Just plenty of Hallmark movies and rest!
ReplyDeleteI made the mistake of reading these posts 2 days before I had my splints removed today. I was so nervous about the preconceived pain that I took a Norco an hour before the procedure. It turned out to be a piece of cake. It was fast and hurt less than the packing removal five days ago. The worst part was not the splint removal but the irrigation and suction afterwards in my nose. That really burned. The pain from my septoplasty and turbinate reduction was minor compared to the pain of my prior bout of kidney stones. The worst part was the discomfort of the packing. I would rate the worst pain a 2/10 vs 9/10 for kidney stones.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting mine taken out today, thanks for the heads up, I've been sleeping on my recliner for 7 days!Ready to sleep in my bed,surgery wasn't so bad,just sore and drainage head ache sore nose and lots of saline nasal spray and jell, sore front gums and teeth I rate the surgery pain a 7/10.
ReplyDeletegetting my splints out tomorrow morning, I sure hope I feel better after this, I had hernia surgery before and had to ice my privates and I would take 5 of those surgeries before I had another one of these! the mouth breathing watery eyes and congestion do not make for a pleasant recovery
ReplyDeleteIm no expert, but I believe you just made an excellent point. You certainly fully understand what youre speaking about, and I can truly get behind that. https://www.surgeongate.org
ReplyDeleteGetting my splints removed tomorrow day 12.
ReplyDeleteMy surgery was straightforward. I am in good health generally and that helped. BUT post surgery i have been miserable with the stuffiness and feeling whacked. I am 61 years old and i have decided that this is my final EVER nasal surgery. I had similar surgery over 20 years ago that did not involve splints. It was also horrid at the time, but i recovered more quickly as there was nothing foreign lodged up my schnozzer. I think there is a lot of mind over matter, and that in a few weeks i will be, as before, absolutely thrilled that i had this done.
Well they are out. I was out of the surgery in less than 5 minutes. No pain or even discomfort. I am breathing freely and feel like a new me. I have suddenly forgotten my ordeal. I walked in with splints that had me feeling as if i had a horrible cold. When they came out it is like someone flipped a switch.
ReplyDeleteIf you are contemplating this surgery i hope you enjoy the same positive experience and outcome. It was pretty miserable, but will help immensely with
Nosebleeds
TMD
Sinus infections
Sinus headaches
Sleep apnoea
Snoring
Clenching
Teeth grinding
Mouth breathing (which helps cause buildup of scale on teeth)
and when all swelling is totally gone, maybe a prettier nose lol.
I am thrilled i have had this done and wish you all the best
May 13th complete all clear and thumbs up from specialist
ReplyDeleteHad my splints removed today and it wasn't bad at all! It sounds like most people had a really harrowing experience with their surgeries. I had a septoplasty, turbinate reduction, sinus surgery, and partial removal of my ethmoidal glands. All of this is to help with sinus infections, nosebleeds, and bad post nasal drip. I had a slightly bad reaction to the anesthesia (threw up after I got home from the hospital and twice the next day). I was most concerned about not being able to breathe with the splints. I am not a mouth breather, and based on a past experience where my nose was packed following a very nasty nosebleed that landed me in the ER, I was expecting no sleep and to constantly choke myself awake. I bought a wedge pillow and a mouth guard to help open up my airway. But the splints worked great! I breathed really well with them at night, better than before the surgery. There was pain three days after the surgery, which I took hydrocodone for. By the fourth day I was taking acetaminophen. I also took nausea medicine, and had a anti nausea patch for three days after the surgery. My antibiotics also got switched out as my doctor surmised they were also causing the nausea and vomiting.
ReplyDeleteFor recovery, I did two sinus rinses a day, morning and night, used qtips to clear gunk from my nose, and had humidifiers in every room in my home. I coated the entryway of my nostrils with mupirocin to further moisturize my nose. I also made sure to eat lean protein and healthy foods, and drank lots of water and Gatorade (it helped having my fiance and mom taking care of me too). I took a week off of work, mostly watched shows in bed. And another week to just relax. The hospital let me keep my compression socks to help with the rare blood clot complication, which has not occurred.
Today, I took a hydrocodone an hour and a half before my splints were removed (eight days after surgery). They also used a local anesthetic spray to numb my nostrils. The stitches were cut and those suckers slid right out. Barely felt them. The worst part was the debridement afterwards where they suction out mucus because my nose is still tender. I teared up for that. If I have more pain tonight, I have more pain medication to take. In all, I'm happy with my experience and will go back for weekly debridements for the next 4 weeks. Hope this helps others for planning for their surgeries and alleviates some stress about the spli t removal process!
One other thing to mention is that there is significant pressure on your face from the splints, but it got better every day for me, to the point that I wasn't using pain medicine all that much by the sixth day. And there is congestion and it feels like the flu, but the sinus rinses really help with that.
ReplyDeleteI had rhinoplasty for my deviated septum in OC Cali. I did not have a nurse remove my splints my doctor did and that was yesterday. I took two Norco pills and cleaned my nose with ointment right before my appointment and glad I did. It was still pretty painful when the doc cuts the stitches but the splints slide right out without any pain. Your head will fill instantly relieved from pressure once the splints are removed. For some reason I got very light headed and pale and was about to faint after the splints were removed. I told my doctor and he instantly reclined me fully down in the chair and after 2-3 minutes I was feeling great. I have never been able to breathe so good through my nose!
ReplyDeleteI get my splints out tomorrow and I'm absolutely bricking it after reading all these comments some people say it's the worst pain ever some say it was better than the packaging which was ok for me so i don't know how it's going to be for me
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ReplyDeleteDay five after surgery. Woke up this morning and my top lip is huge. Very swollen. Stents do not come out until the 28th. Nose is constantly dripping. Scared about having them taken out.
ReplyDeleteI just removed my nose packing...and doctor telling me to come on 7th day from this day to remove splints....will it be painful?because today was worst day of my life
ReplyDeleteSo my splints just came out an hour or so ago!! Omg I felt so much better. Didn’t feel a thing I was kind of surprised.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering is it normal to have the air feel cold when breathing in? If so how long does that last for?
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