The Storm that blew up strong ...

I had my tonsillectomy, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, and septoplasty performed at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston by acclaimed surgeon Dr. Neil Bhattacharyya on Tuesday, August 16th. [Captions to the pics: The one of me lying in the hospital bed is in the recovery room before I was shuttled up to a room; the one with the disoriented chap in the red polo shirt is me waiting to get wheeled downstairs to go home the next day; I got to meet my cousin Rhiannon from LA for the first time the day I got home from surgery. I couldn't actually talk yet so I had to scribble my welcome to the east coast greetings down on a pad. But she was very nice ... good luck at the performing arts high school in the fall Rhiannon if you see this.]

That was just about the 14 year anniversary of hurricane Bob in August of 91. (At that time I was at college orientation.)

I had been suffering from increased lethargy from sleep apnea and did not like wearing the CPAP machine I was issued - so I decided this surgery was worth it.

I had scared myself silly all summer by reading adult tonsillectomy message boards and the like and I was prepared for the worst. In reality - my surgeon was extremely precise and efficient and this enabled him to complete the surgery in a little over an hour and not have to fully pack my nose. I stayed in the hospital overnight to stay hydrated on an IV and monitor bleeding - but the whole recovery has gone much smoother than I expected. I have been taking liquid painkillers every 4 hrs, and will do so for another week. But I have never experienced more pain than a sore throat when swallowing, and the slight sluggishness from the painkillers. (Addendum - Day 9 has been a bit rough due to the scabs coming off where the tonsils once were. But it is still manageable. I look forward to having my nose back to functional on Friday.)



But, even with my nose still clogged with the plastic splints - I can already breathe better when I sleep. I just have to take it easy for the next week so that my beak can heal and the scars where the tonsils were fall off.

My diet has been mostly liquid, some applesauce and popsicles and some bananas. I have lost 6 lbs in 5 days - which is to be expected. I will be posting a few pictures on my Flickr page of my experience in the hospital. (Addendum - On Day 9 post surgery I am down 10 lbs and do not feel to worse for the wear.)

If anyone out there is considering these surgeries for sleep apnea I would definitely recommend it if you can find a top notch surgeon to do the work. My surgeon I was referred to performs over 200 ENT procedures a year and was described as "a true technician" by my primary care doctor. He also writes numerous articles about the subject and is quoted in newspaper and magazine articles.



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Now, what will the future bring in 14 years from now? More natural diseasters, non essential body parts ... stay tuned.