Nose Job

I’ve explored every section in the ENT Department in SGH. Ears when I was young, a surgery for tonsillitis when I was in MI and now my nose. I landed in the same Ward 55B again and was due for a surgery to remove the excess skin foldings in my nose and to correct the middle septum. It’s funny how much excess flesh I have in my throat and nose that have to be removed.

I’d say going under General Anesthesia is morbidly exciting especially when the doctor tells you an hour before that there may be a risk of life in the surgery. It’s their disclaimer in case things go wrong and its also injects a good bit of excitement when you inhale your possibly last conscious breath.

Fluid down a drip into your hand, a mask over your nose and mouth and you’re told to inhale deeply while the surgeon relentlessly drive the cocktail of drugs down into your bloodstream. I did my best to remember every thing in GA. Your feet first feels exceptionally numb, and the numbness climbs up to your chest. Just when you think the numbness has left you dead, you go unconscious. GA success.

Woke up choking. Heck, they haven’t even tried to call me up. I was still lying on the operating table when I was carried onto a trolley and all the vitals tracking equipment being unplugged from me.

Can’t breath through your nose. It’s all clogged with blood. Must breath. Must survive. First four thoughts in my mind.

Breath through your mouth, you dimwit. Taste of blood. Damn, the throat feels stuck as well. Need to clear throat.

One great thing about surgery is that you’re treated like a god in recovery. Nurse came with a basin for me to clear my throat, brought other things and still wore a smile when I emptied a whole lot of blood and mucus into the basin. Ew, yuck. But I could now breathe.

Back to the ward.

Everyone’s glad your survived. And then, everyone wants to look at your nose. Still giddy, and since its late, they leave and offer you some peace for recovery. Giddiness last for at least 2 hours. I brought some shows on my iPod Touch for entertainment but could not last through 5 mins of watching any. Vision goes circular and I’ve to take a break.

10pm. Finally I feel better. Nose is still like a fountain and I call for dinner. Dinner rolls up and I realise I can’t eat much with so much junk dripping off my nose. Dinner passed.

Sleep. Dreamless sleep.

3am. Awake again. Some shows on the iPod Touch. Nurse comes in to take vitals and have a small chat. I’m told I have to take a pee to make them happy (or they think I’m in a serious condition). Ok, I’ll pee if you like it. Job done, back to show.

Discharge the next day. 16 days MC. I can hear my NS friends screaming blue murder.

1 week later. Nose is still in a semi bleeding stage. Additional 12 days MC. NS friends scream again. A twist this time, I have to pump a full cup of salt water into my nose twice a day to clean it.

Here’s a toast to less blood and goo from my nose as I’ve to leave my keyboard and get my nose cleared in the washroom.

Oh yeah on the sidenote, 7 working days left in the army.