Under the Knife
Posted on Tuesday December 19, 2006 at 11:57am.
I've been blogging even less than usual the past two weeks, and expect that to continue for maybe another few days leading into Christmas. At least this time I have an excuse. I had a bit of surgery on Wednesday, December 13.
It wasn't anything major--I had my deviated septum undeviated--but it was surgery and was the first time I've ever been under general anesthesia. I've had "conscious sedation" a few times before, but this was the first time for the real thing, in a hospital with the tube down my throat and all that. I wasn't particularly worried, though I wasn't looking forward to the discomfort that I was told might come after, if there was packing in my nose and I had to breathe through my mouth (it turned out that there was no packing, but I still couldn't breathe through my nose, and probably won't be able to well until I see the doctor on Thursday). I understood that it is a minor procedure, as these things go, and I knew of a few people who had the operation with no complications. But I also knew of one person--the first cousin of a good friend of ours, a man in his twenties--who never woke up, the sort of freak thing that makes people nervous about anesthesia. But you can't live your life worrying too much about freak things, and I had the surgery because I believed it would help in my ongoing epic battle with nasal allergy symptoms. It remains to be seen how much it helps. Anyway, I had no complications. Like I said, not a big deal, though my nose feels like it's going to explode at the moment.
For the record, I did not use the deviated septum as an excuse to get a nose job. As several of my Jewish friends and colleagues joked upon learning of my surgical plans, "It's a shame you don't have a real Jewish nose, since they're going to be working on it anyway." Alas, my nose is a stereotype-defying disgrace to my heritage and, though it is currently swollen, I am already about as handsome as a man can be.
I am dashing this off in a semi-lucid haze, before the painkillers send me back to sleep. While I ordinarily don't need an excuse not to post anything for a few days, now I have one, and I'm using it (though maybe I'll have something else shortly). While you're waiting for my return, you can visit Book Promotion, Next Level, and actually spend some time touring the sites mentioned there. Consider participating.
It wasn't anything major--I had my deviated septum undeviated--but it was surgery and was the first time I've ever been under general anesthesia. I've had "conscious sedation" a few times before, but this was the first time for the real thing, in a hospital with the tube down my throat and all that. I wasn't particularly worried, though I wasn't looking forward to the discomfort that I was told might come after, if there was packing in my nose and I had to breathe through my mouth (it turned out that there was no packing, but I still couldn't breathe through my nose, and probably won't be able to well until I see the doctor on Thursday). I understood that it is a minor procedure, as these things go, and I knew of a few people who had the operation with no complications. But I also knew of one person--the first cousin of a good friend of ours, a man in his twenties--who never woke up, the sort of freak thing that makes people nervous about anesthesia. But you can't live your life worrying too much about freak things, and I had the surgery because I believed it would help in my ongoing epic battle with nasal allergy symptoms. It remains to be seen how much it helps. Anyway, I had no complications. Like I said, not a big deal, though my nose feels like it's going to explode at the moment.
For the record, I did not use the deviated septum as an excuse to get a nose job. As several of my Jewish friends and colleagues joked upon learning of my surgical plans, "It's a shame you don't have a real Jewish nose, since they're going to be working on it anyway." Alas, my nose is a stereotype-defying disgrace to my heritage and, though it is currently swollen, I am already about as handsome as a man can be.
I am dashing this off in a semi-lucid haze, before the painkillers send me back to sleep. While I ordinarily don't need an excuse not to post anything for a few days, now I have one, and I'm using it (though maybe I'll have something else shortly). While you're waiting for my return, you can visit Book Promotion, Next Level, and actually spend some time touring the sites mentioned there. Consider participating.