Yesterday was another ENT visit to Dr. Tabor at the USF Health building on the TGH campus. He’s really growing on me; great chair-side manners, very knowledgeable and confident, and the technology he uses that lets me see what he’s doing fits me perfectly. Like usual, he hit “record” on his high-definition scope for this visit, and I’m so glad he did! He found a small polyp growing in my right side that was nearly coming out of my frontal sinus opening, and therefore completely blocking it from draining.
This is why I have monthly appointments – that polyp was not there 4 weeks ago to the day.
The video below is a tad graphic, so if you can’t handle blood or fluid, I’ll let my mild description be enough for you. Don’t worry, I won’t be too graphic in my description for you, unless your stomach is extraordinarily weak – in that case, I can’t help you; I’m biologically gross because of CF.
When Dr. Tabor saw the polyp’s location, he decided he wanted to remove it… now. I instantly wondered how he was going to shoot me up with lidocaine without me flinching. Sure he uses topical numbing, but I’m sure I’d feel a pinch with the needle and juice for that split second. I’ve had lots of cavities and even had a shot in my big toe and sensitive hamstring, so I know what that first pinch is like.
Answer: he just went with the topical spray and said, “tell me if this hurts,” as he went up with the forceps in the image above and grabbed it and pulled it out. I’ve been trying to figure out a similar sensation to describe it. It didn’t hurt, but it was a noticeable tugging that I had to resist with my neck muscles. I’d say that it felt like the faint “pop” that I remember from pulling out my very loose teeth as a kid. He went back to get some leftover tissue a second time and I would say that was more of a tug than the first one.
I expected to see blood all over the place since this is what they do in surgery, and we know how much bleeding that causes. There wasn’t any, though, and the video shows him getting a little trickle with suction a couple of times and I stayed a little while after as we burned the CD of the video and he showed me what he did before I left.
Before you watch the video, I’d like to apologize for two things, seeing as how I’m a designer and this does not represent my knowledge of what looks good. The font is hard to read, but I kept selecting black, but it never changed. I tried to get the text of the pre-The End scene to be the same as the rest, but that also didn’t change. I’ll watch more tutorials on iMovie when I’m doing my treatments. I know I’ll be making more videos with my next computer, as this one was agonizingly slow 43 minutes to finalize a 55-second video that took me about 20 minutes to create. I’d also like to add a nice music track soon and delete this sentence. Without further ado, here it is:
Wasn’t sure I wanted to watch the video when you described it as “a tad graphic,” but decided to go ahead. It wasn’t as bad as I expected, so that was a relief.
Glad the doctor was able to take care of it right away for you.
Want to try it sometime?
That wasn’t so bad. You cracked me up with the biologically gross because of CF line. LOL!!
BTW, for background music, you can hit the little music icon over where the titles & stuff are. Then click the iLife Sound Effects folder. In there, the Jingles folder has pretty much all the music I use for my videos. You’ll love using iMovie when you get a quad core. It uses all 4 processors nearly 100%.
Back to the original topic — I’m glad he was able to clear that polyp in the office with just topical. It’s sure nice when something goes that easily after so many things being obstinate.
I know I CAN insert music, as I’ve done in the past. It wasn’t for lack of knowledge, but lack of patience.
Wow!! How nice to be ont he viewing end of that. 🙂 That’s so cool that he records it and burns you a copy. I can’t believe how little blood followed.
And your dad’s right — the “biologically gross because of CF” is priceless.
Glad you enjoyed it, as always.
Jesse,
So glad it went well. It has been about 25 years since I had polyps removed and the Dr. used a thing that looked like hoop to go around the base of the polyp and cut it off. He also pulled so he might have actually pulled some off. I think he removed quite a few. There was a lot of blood and the nose packing wrapped up the procedure. Hopefullly yours will be like mine and stop coming back after a bit.
Highly unlikely. January was my 11th surgery. All have included polyps, and this is the 3rd one since January. This is my sinus life.
I had several also. Starting at about age 14 or so with the last when I was about 30. I can only attribute it to God’s mercy. Don’t have any other explanation. I think the surgery when I was age 14 produced 16 polyps. Ouch!!
That was oddly fascinating and very interesting. I am wondering if I am in the wrong field. After that fascinating me and watching Kaleb’s port removal and that being interesting verses gross I am wondering if maybe I have a future in the medical field.
I would love to see a port procedure and a lung txp! I was pre-med until Chem 2 brought me to my knees.
I was so happy they let me watch!!
Oh my gosh! That was really cool. I kinda covered my eyes but watched at the same time. Aidan’s polyps grow back within 2 weeks of surgeries so I’ll be happy when he’s old enough to tolerate that in the office. I’m glad there was no pain involved! Right now, he freaks even when they put the Lidocaine in his nose for the scope. He is scheduled for surgery #10 in September and lives on Aleeve while we try to buy time….The ENT said it will be more manageable when he tolerates more suctioning and procedures in the office.
Glad he was able to remove the polyp right there when he found it. The video was awesome! And BTW, loved the “biologically gross” comment! It is so true! LOL
Thanks for watching. I wasn’t even trying that hard with that comment – I’ll have to see what I can come up with when I try, eh?