First Colonoscopy

 

Nose Surgery

It was nearing my birthday and I decided that I wanted to do something I've needed for years and years but had always put off for another day: sinus surgery.  I've had a deviated nasal septum ever since I was in high school when I got beaned in the face by a basketball.  I haven't been able to breath out of the left nostril since then and have always had to sleep with my face pushed up hard against my pillow to pull traction so I could breath.  Dr. Petersen performed the surgery and when I woke, I felt like my face was full of plastic.  Turns out it was.  These huge stents were in my nose.  I had to walk around the house for the next 4 days with this gauze under my nose for all the blood that would drip out.  I wasn't allowed to blow my nose at all, so it all clotted up and made it impossible to breath.  That was ok, since I hadn't been able to breath for years... When I went in to have the stents removed, I became teary-eyed and almost wept for joy when I could actually breath through my left and right sinuses together!  I should have done this procedure years ago...

Tonsils and Adenoids Surgery

Emily has been snoring like an old man for over a year and she would be a lot of times really grumpy in the morning. Well we finally came to the conclusion that her grumpiness might be because she is not getting the rest she needs. And just this past month her tonsils were very red and her throat hurt her a lot. So we decided to take immediate action and get her tonsils and adenoids out as soon as we could. Here is Emily right before surgery (3/31), all smiles. She obviously had no clue I think what it would feel like after she woke up. She knew they were going to cut something out of her throat and that she would be sleeping when they did but the pain and grogginess she felt was difficult.

She woke up tossing and turning and moaning with cries in between. So they gave her Demerol and pain medicine and she fell asleep again and slept for 30 minutes or so. 

When she woke up the second time she was feeling a little better and more awake.She even gave me a slight smile. :) She was very brave and didn't cry anymore. Her recovery this week hasn't been too bad either.  She is a pretty tough girl. When they drew her blood she didn't even flinch or whine at all. Madisen and Avery kept telling her how brave she was. Avery still says every once in awhile, "Emily is the bravest person in our family!"

And she most likely is. 

And there has been no more snoring at our house since! Yahoo!