The history of my nose

It was developed between my 11th and 15th weeks in Mother's womb.

:p

It was when I was 11, I think, that I first realised I had a nose problem. My form teacher walked by my desk where a pile of used tissue paper was, and touched it! I was so shocked cos, I mean, that was pretty disgusting right? "Wet, as usual," he said.

I used cortisteroids to control the allergy at three points in life, the last time being 2005, before I was asked if I wanted to take part in a clinical trial on immunotherapy in 2006. The trial finished in one year. Some months later, I learnt that I was in the placebo group - crap!

Since late 2005, I have been developing bad colds during flights longer than three hours. And lately, when I was cleaning my room before Chinese New Year, I developed a bad cold that aggravated my allergy in the past weeks.

This nose problem absolute sucks! I kept having to sneeze (mine's the loud type) and honk - so unglam! Not to mention that lip balm gets wiped off frequently and no make-up ever stays on the whole day. My eyes tear easily so eye make-up is also difficult. When it gets bad, I can hardly concentrate on work. And I get colds too easily.

=(

SP recommended an ENT specialist Dr G Chee who helped her so I went today.

I pretty much knew what I wanted to do before I went so I had questions that needed answers. The consultation was thorough and also allowed me to ask everything. A prelim look into my nostrils resulted in a "my my!" that was followed by an anaesthetic.. Went out to do a skin prick test - this one included food. While waiting for the swelling, I made my decision.

Went back in for the dreaded scope, which couldn't go into my left nostril! He looked at the other one first before pushing the scope through the left one. I felt like my nose was raped *.*

When he was done, he replayed to show me my nostrils. They looked worse than the blocked nose in the pamphlet, especially the left one =( Had the chance to look at my vocal chords too - quite cute :p

We talked about the options after that. I decided that immunotherapy was out for me. It was expensive and too long-drawn and what if I were in the 20% non-responsive group?! I opted for cortisteroids of course but I also wanted the radiofrequency turbinate reduction to shrink those bits of flesh depriving me of air through both nostrils.

Was a little surprised when told that I could do that right away! I had two pieces of fabric soaked in some splution stuffed up my nose, and spent a most tak-glam 15 minutes outside. Sneezed some 10 times and part of the fabric started to hang out of my nostrils..!

Went in to take the fabric out. Had a pricklish but painless injection before Dr started the procedure. It hurt a little on the right but it was over in minutes. After he sucked out the mucous, I could actually breathe through both my nostrils!

There was some blood so I had some fabric up my nose again. Another 10 tak-glam minutes outside. Paid $1,500 for consultation, the procedure and cortisteroids before I went in to take the fabric out. It felt good! But the insides had had enough of intrusion so I was honking reddish-pinkish-orangish mucous the entire afternoon.

Now, I enjoy the wondrous feeling of a large volume of air flowing through my left nostril. The right is still blocked but it is supposed to clear after the dead tissue sheds off.

I can't wait for my follow-up next week!