Surgery. The word makes most people cringe. I don’t know a single person who jumps with joy when their doctor tells them they need surgery. No matter the type of surgery you may have to undergo, it’s a scary process nonetheless. The “what ifs” cloud your brain, and everything you learned from “Grey’s Anatomy” is finally put to the test. (Either you suddenly feel like you can conquer anything like Dr. Gray, or you start over-reacting and assuming the worst like Dr. Stevens.) While there are potential risks to any surgery, it’s important to note that surgery is, for the most part, better for you in the long run if your doctor does tell you you’re out of options. So, get into your scrubs, and snap on your gloves—it’s time to go under the knife. (If your surgeon happens to resemble Dr. Shepherd, what’s there to complain about?)

I recently (and by recently, I mean last Wednesday) had sinus and nasal surgery. OK, what does that entail? For me, a lot. I have suffered monthly sinus infections and exposed myself to possibly everything under the sun that could be harmful to my poor sinuses. (Literally… I’m allergic to everything. It’s hard to avoid everything when you don’t live in a bubble.) I tried every over-the-counter cold and flu remedy and almost began the dreadful allergy shot once a week before my ENT doctor told me, “Allergy shots will be a waste of your time. You may not see improvements for another three years. Let’s consider surgery.”

*DING DING DING* Surgery. There’s that nuisance of a word.

We discussed it, weighed the pros and cons and scheduled the surgery right away. Since my life seems to be a series of unfortunate events… I had more than one thing done:

1. Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (All eight sinus cavities, four on each side of my face)
2. Septoplasty
3. Turbinate Reduction

I had no clue what those procedures entailed, so instead of copying and pasting medical terminology for you to read and potentially not comprehend, I’ll put it into my own words:

Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery was performed to widen all eight of the sinus cavities in my face (Sphenoid sinuses, Frontal sinuses, Ethmoid sinuses and Maxillary sinuses). Basically, all your sinus cavities are little holes. My surgeon went in endoscopically and widened all those little holes to make it harder for them to get clogged when I have a sinus infection in the future.

A Septoplasty was performed to straighten my septum. I don’t know how crooked it was originally, but apparently, it was crooked enough to be surgically corrected, so… Thanks, Doc.

Lastly, a Turbinate Reduction was performed to remove teeny-tiny inferior turbinates in my nose that obstructed my nasal passage. Once again, another procedure done to help me breathe better.

All three of these procedures took place just six minutes shy of three hours. Of course, I looked forward to the amazing sleep I knew I would get thanks to anesthesia. (Honestly, the good sleep and pain meds were what curbed my anxiety and got me through my surgery.) My surgeon told me that the first week would be dedicated to acute recovery, the second week would be hell because I’ll feel like I have an amplified case of sinusitis and then another eight weeks will pass before I’m completely healed. 10 weeks dedicated to recovery… all for some silly, endoscopic procedures.

What scared me the most about this surgery were the people who told me it would be the worst pain of my life. They told me horrible stories of people they knew who had undergone the same procedures. Let me tell you just how WRONG those people were (except for my boyfriend… he told me it would be easy peasy, and I should’ve listened to him). The first two days after surgery were a breeze. I felt pretty damn fantastic because I felt a difference in the way I breathed—I mean, I could actually breathe. Once those first two days passed… eh, I started to feel the pain. The pain wasn’t excruciating, though. The pain was simply uncomfortable. My nose hurt like a b****, and my face was all puffy and tender, but if I had to rate my pain on a scale from 1-10, I’d say my pain remained at a steady four.

What people told me versus what I experienced were two completely different things. *Cue the sarcasm* Thanks for making me freak out over nothing, everyone. You’re all awesome.

My experience with these procedures was a pleasant one: manageable pain, very little facial bruising and excellent care from a compassionate surgical team at Charleston ENT & Allergy.

Surgery doesn’t have to be scary, and you should never undergo a surgical procedure until you’ve discussed all possible options with your doctor. But after struggling with crappy sinuses and allergies all my life, I’m glad to have found some relief. Only four days have passed since my surgery, and I can already tell a significant difference in the way I breathe.