To breathe or not to breathe.... that is the question...

Well it's July... and I am sick... another sinus infection.  It's ridiculous!  And I am so sick of it.  I went to the doctor yesterday, this time the ear nose throat doctor instead of my primary care doc...I wasn't supposed to have an appointment with him until next week... to get the results of the results of the CT scan I had Monday... but because I was feeling so crappy, knowing a sinus infection was going to happen, I called his office...an said that I was happy to wait to see him until next week, but believed that I had another sinus infection if he wanted to see me in that state... To my surprise they asked me to come in yesterday afternoon.  I was happy about that.  He had looked at the CT scan, reviewed my history and diagnosed me with chronic sinusitis... (No kidding??!! I could have told you that!)  CT scan shows all of my sinuses inflamed... he said sometimes he sees people who show some inflammation but rarely someone with so much inflammation and in all sinuses.  (I think he said we have 8 sinuses... can't remember!) His theory... which matches what I have been feeling... is that the opening to my sinuses are small and with even minor inflammation, nothing can drain from my sinuses... so things collect and the bacteria has a field day.  When I get a sinus infection (seems I don't get colds, I go immediately into an infection.) nothing moves... my lymph nodes get swollen and painful and I stay 'full' until the antibiotics offer some relief.  I also believe that I don't ever get rid of the sinus infection completely... I feel like it's a constant and gets aggressive at times until antibiotics calm it down... the doc didn't say that but I think so...
So... he told me to once again be on antibiotics...said that we should also do steroids for a few weeks.. that the steroids should really reduce the inflammation... and then have a follow up with him... I asked what the follow up would be.. he said to consider surgery... I asked him to expand on that... and he said to talk about surgery as an option.  I asked him if we could have that conversation now because I didn't see the point in waiting for another sinus infection to go away and another to revisit... I asked him what would be different in three weeks vs. now... he hesitated a bit...saying that he is pretty conservative when it comes to surgery, even in suggesting it.  (Which I am happy to hear.) but since I have had so many in such a short amount of time, and given the CT scan, he feels it would help me. He said that after a few weeks of being on steroids I may feel better than I have in ages and may feel that I want to hold off and see what happens... but he agreed that another infection was likely.   So I asked him what surgery would entail and he gave me the short version... he said the sinuses have openings, like doors to a room... and said that he would go in and make the doors bigger by knocking out some of the walls around it... this will entail breaking a couple of bones... he said he wouldn't know exactly how much he would need to do until he gets in there.  He says this surgery helps 90% of people... that after surgery I will have to follow a regimen of rinsing my sinuses... but that he expects it will make it so that the fluid drains... so that it is less likely for me to be prone to sinus infections...
I asked about recovery time... he said it is day surgery (I would be knocked out!)... I should be able to go home the same day... and then I will need to lay low for a couple of days, take  pain meds, and reduce activity for two weeks, but then should be fine...
He said he does surgery on Wednesdays and Fridays.  I told him that I would prefer to do it sooner than later.  Asked what the benefits of waiting would be... he debated a bit... he said after being on steroids I may feel a lot better.  I told him I am sure I would be feeling better next time I saw him, that the antibiotics alone would make that happen.
In some ways I feel like I was pushing him to do the surgery... but if that is the ultimate direction, why wait... I do not want to be having to go through another sinus infection and another round of antibiotics and then do surgery... he couldn't disagree.  I also told him that I was looking at my work calendar.  That if this was going to cause me to miss a few days of work, I would prefer to do it before school starts.  I wanted to have a date... wanted to have a date before kids start coming to school... and he was able to accommodate that.  I will have surgery on a Wednesday... which I also like... if there are complications, it is easier to get in touch with doctors during the week vs. the weekend.  So... I got a surgery date... to widen my sinus openings... I was relieved... to a point...

This sinus infection has been painful... I went to work this morning and had a couple of meetings... it was hard to focus in the meetings because I was groggy and  to top it off, my stomach was a mess... I think from the steroids I took this morning... apparently they settle better when taken with food.  I took them when I first woke up and then got something to eat once I got to work.  Not smart...and because of the post nasal drip, I lost my voice and have had coughing spells... the kind where I was walking and had to find a place to sit down or brace myself because I was going to fall, coughed so hard my eyes watered and felt like they were popping out of my head...  I left work by 11 and came home... feeling miserable... and so frustrated... I got emotional... weepy... just tired of feeling this way, tired of feeling so bad I can't enjoy things... it was a beautiful day today, I was supposed to meet up with Kris to kayak, but there was no way I could do that... so... I was mad.  And while I want surgery, because I want to fix this... I am nervous about it.. it is after all, surgery... I wonder if being on steroids all the time could also alleviate the problem... but part of the thing I hate about this chronic stuff is being on medication all the time... I hate taking meds... and hate spending the money on meds... I have not added up all the money I have spent on medicines, both over the counter sudafed with advil, which I take 5-6 times a week when not on antibiotics, the antibiotics, the $60 nasal spray, not to mention co-pays at the doctor's office... but mostly... I am just sick of being sick... I feel like each time I get a sinus infection it hits faster, harder, and knocks me down harder... and it is harder to rest because I cannot breathe... I also think that the constant infections zap my energy... and I am not willing to feel that way anymore...

So today I came home... tried to rest, cried, tried to rest more... and I did get some rest... wouldn't say I slept, but rested... and I do feel a bit better...

I am wondering if I am jumping into this surgery too fast... but then think the other option is more of the same... so... I need to research and find out what questions to ask... I have started a list... and would welcome emails with questions I may not think to ask...