Coughing Fits, Request for a Letter
August 2008
At night, I had coughing fits, due to the cigarette smoke coming into my apartment. When I did my irrigations, bloody, gray mucous came out in them. I had to get out of my apartment, but I could not afford to move. My only hope was to qualify for a rent reduction program, but I was too far down the list for it to happen soon. I called the program director, and explained my problem. He thought that possibly a letter from my doctor might help.
August 12, I e-mailed Dr. F’s assistant, K, asking for a letter from Dr. F., regarding my condition. The response was that Dr. F. does not do letters. I was told to get it from my GP. I e-mailed back that my GP was on maternity leave. The usual wrestling match ensued, and finally, I received this letter from Dr. F.:
“K___ ________ has chronic rhinosinusitis. This condition is adversely affected by poor air quality. She needs to avoid dusty and smoke in order to help prevent infections. She had surgery performed in the past due to the severity of the condition.”
I’d had surgery performed in the past due to the severity of the condition? Oh my God. Dr. F. knew that the surgery had caused the condition. This was like being kicked in the back. It was cruel.
Donna, Thank God you have an ENT who gets ENS. It’s not that any of them don’t get it or are really in denial. They will say any ridiculous, nonsensical thing in order to protect themselves and each other. My personal favorite was the plastic surgeon who determined, after my butchery, that I had had a recent nose job but that the ENT who removed a massive amount of bone from my face did not do it because it was not mentioned in his surgery report. Needless to say, I’d had no other surgery (which he knew) but he actually made this ludicrous statement.
I remember when I figured out that something was terribly wrong a few months after having an inferior turbinate removed. I was sitting near a “fire pit”, it was not emitting much smoke, or so it seemed. The next day I had pressure and pain, when I irrigated, black slimy soot came out of my nose that was just stuck up in the empty space. I was horrified!! My surgeon insisted that when I was completely healed, stuff wouldn’t accumulate up there. Well, we know that was not true. Your doctor sounds like mine…they are in denial. Fortunately I have an ENT who is helping me who “gets” ENS. Otherwise I would be nuts by now.