Before the Surgery

I remember back to before the sinus surgery– I have to go a little further back to before the carbon monoxide poisoning. The carbon monoxide poisoning led me to the office of an ENT with a complaint of ear ringing. The ENT responded by performing a radical and obsolete sinus surgery called a Caldwell-Luc, a turbinate reduction and an aggressive septoplasty that destroyed the appearance of my nose and face. His surgeries resulted in “atrophic rhinitis,” according to his records. They resulted in acute and chronic antibiotic-resistant infections in my sinuses and eyes and breathing problems. They resulted in facial collapse and pain and ongoing tooth loss. They made my tinnitus worse but they netted the ENT a handsome profit both for himself and for the surgery center of which he is part owner. These surgeries have cost the medical system hundreds of thousands of dollars and will continue to be expensive for the rest of my life.

Before the CO poisoning and before the surgery–I saw my GP about three times a year. These visits were primarily for the monitoring of my thyroid medication and routine mammograms and pap smears.  In the five years prior to the carbon monoxide poisoning, I had no infections, no sinus issues, no referrals to specialists.

I suffered no agonizing quandaries about antibiotics: their side effects, effectiveness, long-term effects, natural vs. pharmaceutical, antibiotics for antibiotic-resistant infections. I had no concerns about heavy-duty painkillers.

I treated my auto-immune disorders with supplements and natural remedies. It wasn’t that expensive. Only about one fourth of what I spend on supplements since medical intervention destroyed my health. Before, I did everything I could for my health. I read and researched, ate a vegan diet, meditated, walked, practiced yoga.  Now it is almost beside the point.

Now I lay in bed, tortured by tinnitus made worse by the drilling of holes in my head and by heavy-duty antibiotics and pain killers I suffer severe pain in my face and teeth due to the unnecessary surgeries. The ENT created an invalid of a patient seeking treatment for ear-ringing.

I will never be what I was before. I don’t look the same. I had more bone structure in my face. My nose was  blissful. I had no facial pain. I almost never cried.

Before the surgery, I remember standing outside my apartment building talking to a 98-year-old neighbor. I told her I was seeing an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. Her eyes got big.  “Don’t go to doctors,” the old woman warned. She looked around to check if anybody was listening. Then she whispered, “They’ll ruin your health.” Silly old loon, I thought as I walked away.



~ by ens3 on August 5, 2010.