From: spsgroup1 <spsgroup1@yahoo.com>
Subject: [helpsinuses] surgery update
To: helpsinuses@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, September 25, 2008, 1:35 PM

I haven't posted anything on here in a while. I had sinus surgery in
August, 2006. It's now over 2 years later. I am much better now. The
surgeon saved my life I feel and my precious mother was there with me
the whole time. However, my ears still crackle a bit and my head
occasionally will become clogged and then unclog, but the symptoms are
a small fraction of what they once were. This has been an extremely
slow and long recovery. I thank God for just the little things, like
being able to lie on my left side now when I go to sleep (in the past
the stabbing in the middle of my head would stop me from doing that),
but even sometimes I have to sleep on my right side.

You may be wondering what caused this. The building I had worked in
for over 7 years had leaking roofs, mold and a broken and little
maintained HVAC system. Like a fool, for years I put off how sick I
felt in the place, I was sneezing my head off all day long (tests by 2
allergists showed I'm allergic to different molds). Finally, it was
too late and the allergies from the place caused chronic sinusitis.

During July, 2005, I was in a swimming pool at a party. It was about
100 degrees out and for some reason the heater was on in the pool
which made the water at least in the upper 80's. I had always avoided
hot tubs due to fear of germs. I did know that there are strict
chlorination and other rules about hot tubs. Anyway, someone in the
pool had a terrible sinus infection. Within a week, I came down with
it and then put 2 + 2 together later on. Unfortunately, I had no idea
I had a sinus infection because I'd never had one before. I let it
drag on for weeks without going to the doctor, but when I went it was
the day before going on a trip to Europe.

Well, this, that, and the other thing, I muddled my way thru the trip,
but could hardly stand up. By the time I got back, I was taken to the
emergency room. This was were my sinus odysee began. Due to breathing
in toxic mold and already having chronic sinusitis, the infection
pushed it over the edge.

I went to a total of 12 doctors in less that a year. Yes, I thought I
was going to die. Only 2 of them could diagnose me. Out of the 8 ENTs,
a couple said possible surgery, but they were afraid I suppose. You
see, they based their decisions on Sinus CT Scans, and those don't
show inflammation or infections most of the time. I mean face it, how
can you see inflammation on an X-ray? How can you see tiny little
microbes without and microscope?

By the time I had my 4th CT Scan (each progressively got worse), there
were polyps all over almost every single sinus in my head. I finally
found a doctor who could diagnose me, who was up-to-date on all of the
sinus research and used the latest procedure. As I said above though,
the recovery has been very, very slow. I'm much better though. Someday
I hope I can be the way I once was.

Monica