Re: Sinus surgery

[Guest guest]

If medical treatment (steroids et cetera) keeps your symptoms in check, then it may be reasonable to delay the surgery. I put my first surgery off so long that it was more traumatic than it otherwise would have been. I was so bad off that I could NEVER breath through my nose, for years. One advantage of a surgery is that it allows one to determine exactly what is in the sinuses. It may uncover abnormalities of architecture, tumors, eroded shell between sinuses and brain, etc.

You can find links to documents about sinus surgery at http://personal.ecu.edu/wuenschk/Anosmia-Docs.htm, and you can can find links to other documents about polyposis at http://personal.ecu.edu/wuenschk/Anosmia-Polyps.htm.

Re: Re: I'm new here

Hello again, I signed on with this group and the next day had computer problems. So, here I am again. Please tell me more about the sinus surgery. I've been advised to have it by my ENT specialist. I've also been advised against it by my allergist. It would be nice to taste and smell again, but if the polyps grow back, why bother? My allergist suggested a couple of rounds of prednisone annually would not be harmful and would shrink the polyps. As a child (pre-puberty) I had asthma and was treated by a Homeopathic doctor. After menopause, the asthma returned. I don't know if there is a connection, but every little clue might lead to answers we seek. I'm taking Advair and it affects my voice after consistent use. Also use Nasacort and keep Theodur and Proventil handy, just in case I need it. And darn it anyway--I can no longer drink wine. Guess it's the sulfites.

[Guest guest]

If medical treatment (steroids et cetera) keeps your symptoms in check, then it may be reasonable to delay the surgery. I put my first surgery off so long that it was more traumatic than it otherwise would have been. I was so bad off that I could NEVER breath through my nose, for years. One advantage of a surgery is that it allows one to determine exactly what is in the sinuses. It may uncover abnormalities of architecture, tumors, eroded shell between sinuses and brain, etc.

You can find links to documents about sinus surgery at http://personal.ecu.edu/wuenschk/Anosmia-Docs.htm, and you can can find links to other documents about polyposis at http://personal.ecu.edu/wuenschk/Anosmia-Polyps.htm.

Re: Re: I'm new here

Hello again, I signed on with this group and the next day had computer problems. So, here I am again. Please tell me more about the sinus surgery. I've been advised to have it by my ENT specialist. I've also been advised against it by my allergist. It would be nice to taste and smell again, but if the polyps grow back, why bother? My allergist suggested a couple of rounds of prednisone annually would not be harmful and would shrink the polyps. As a child (pre-puberty) I had asthma and was treated by a Homeopathic doctor. After menopause, the asthma returned. I don't know if there is a connection, but every little clue might lead to answers we seek. I'm taking Advair and it affects my voice after consistent use. Also use Nasacort and keep Theodur and Proventil handy, just in case I need it. And darn it anyway--I can no longer drink wine. Guess it's the sulfites.

[Guest guest]

If medical treatment (steroids et cetera) keeps your symptoms in check, then it may be reasonable to delay the surgery. I put my first surgery off so long that it was more traumatic than it otherwise would have been. I was so bad off that I could NEVER breath through my nose, for years. One advantage of a surgery is that it allows one to determine exactly what is in the sinuses. It may uncover abnormalities of architecture, tumors, eroded shell between sinuses and brain, etc.

You can find links to documents about sinus surgery at http://personal.ecu.edu/wuenschk/Anosmia-Docs.htm, and you can can find links to other documents about polyposis at http://personal.ecu.edu/wuenschk/Anosmia-Polyps.htm.

Re: Re: I'm new here

Hello again, I signed on with this group and the next day had computer problems. So, here I am again. Please tell me more about the sinus surgery. I've been advised to have it by my ENT specialist. I've also been advised against it by my allergist. It would be nice to taste and smell again, but if the polyps grow back, why bother? My allergist suggested a couple of rounds of prednisone annually would not be harmful and would shrink the polyps. As a child (pre-puberty) I had asthma and was treated by a Homeopathic doctor. After menopause, the asthma returned. I don't know if there is a connection, but every little clue might lead to answers we seek. I'm taking Advair and it affects my voice after consistent use. Also use Nasacort and keep Theodur and Proventil handy, just in case I need it. And darn it anyway--I can no longer drink wine. Guess it's the sulfites.

[Guest guest]

> From: " sweatherston " <sweatherston@...>

> Subject: sinus surgery

>

> I have undergone sinus surgery twice now to remove polyps. On both

> occasions it made a huge difference to how I felt - I regained my

> sense of smell albeit on a temporary basis. My second surgery was last

> May - my sense of smell returned until November but I am not giving up

> easily this time! I have just ordered a Grossan Nasal Irrigator from

> the USA as it is not available in UK as far as I could see.I have high

> hopes for it - any users out there?

I attribute irrigation with the Grossan Irrigator (actually a Grossan tip

on a WaterPik) with most of the improvement I have enjoyed since I started

using it *religiously* since March. My ENT was stunned by the improvement

he saw between then and July. Very often I can actually smell.

Ken West

[Guest guest]

> From: " sweatherston " <sweatherston@...>

> Subject: sinus surgery

>

> I have undergone sinus surgery twice now to remove polyps. On both

> occasions it made a huge difference to how I felt - I regained my

> sense of smell albeit on a temporary basis. My second surgery was last

> May - my sense of smell returned until November but I am not giving up

> easily this time! I have just ordered a Grossan Nasal Irrigator from

> the USA as it is not available in UK as far as I could see.I have high

> hopes for it - any users out there?

I attribute irrigation with the Grossan Irrigator (actually a Grossan tip

on a WaterPik) with most of the improvement I have enjoyed since I started

using it *religiously* since March. My ENT was stunned by the improvement

he saw between then and July. Very often I can actually smell.

Ken West

[Guest guest]

Sorry to hear it, . What do you plan to do? What abx have you been on? Have any of the ENTs cultured you to identify the organisms and determine the right antibiotics? Have you tried the betadine irrigation? It's worth a shot. Pre and post surgery. Definitely helped me. I also just ordered a "salt pipe" that Barb told me about, out of the U.K. I saw my ENT today. She put a scope up and said my sinuses are no longer impacted with goo and look totally clear (despite the fact that I'm coughing continuously from new drainage from somewhere). I was going to ask for another CT scan but forgot. She took cultures, so I'll have to see if anything's growing. If not, I'll ask for another CT scan then. At least now that I've been cultured, I can start back on abx and hopefully get some relief from all this coughing. pennyspsgroup1 <spsgroup1@...> wrote: Dear Inflamtion Group,Well, the bad news is in. I'm not sure if anyone followed my case forthe past 11 months. I just had another sinus ct scan afew days ago.The results were horrible!!! Apparently, this thing spread into all ofmy sinuses areas and now I have polyps, thickening, in every singlesinus in my head. Now hear this. I went to 7 different ENTs startingfrom last August up until this May. 6 of them swore up and down that(based off of my CT scans at the time which were basically

relativelyclear) I did not need surgery. In fact, 2 of them flat out refused tooperate under any circumstance. There was only 1 who wanted tooperate. My current dr. who I started seeing in March (who isn't asurgeon) mentioned surgery each time. I said I was trying to avoid it.Last month, he became concerned about my lack of progress so sent mein for the scan. I said, "but 6 out of 7 surgeons were againstsurgery". He said, that that meant completely nothing. Boy, was heever right! Now, whammo, all of my sinuses are messed up. I don'tthink half of these dr's know what they're talking about. The scanresults also said it could be from a chronic fungal infection but I'vebeen on this antifungal stuff for 3 months so I guess it's not doinganything. As I may have mentioned, was working in a building with moldspores flying thru the air everyday. Look at me, this is how I endedup now. Oh, did anyone see the show on Dateline

about the fake drugs coming infrom China? They look so similar to the real drugs that even theexperts can't tell them apart unless they're analyzed in a lab. Thisis all we all need.

[Guest guest]

Hi Penny,

Sorry for the delay. Last summer I caught a sinus infection from a

pool. Unbeknownst to me, several dr's said that my sinuses were

already messed up prior to that infection. My chronic sinusitis is

from an environmental problem where I was breathing mold spores for 7

years in an office building and I'm highly allergic to mold. I had

cultures by 2 dr's for fungal and bacterial with no results. I was on

5 different antibiotics since last July (Amoxillan, Augmentin, Ketek,

Zpack and Avalox) and nothing cleared up the problem (except the

Amoxillan which cleared up the waterfaucet in my nose). I also spent

the last 3 months on Diflucan and Amphoterecin B which have not

worked. The last scan shows the condition is much worse that before. I

was just given Biaxin but am iffy about even bothering. The only

things that helped were the prednison, sudafed and Afrin. I think the

passageways are all blocked and need to be reopened, now the polyps

will need to be removed. I need to work in a fresh air environment. In

fact, I'm a bit skeptical about the surgery at this point, but since

my head has felt like it was blowing up and my ears have been clogged

24/7 for the past 11 months straight don't know of any alternatives. I

was told that I'm stuck with this loser forever now. Really nice. I

also will try mold allergy shots, but heard they are a waste of time.

> Dear Inflamtion Group,

> Well, the bad news is in. I'm not sure if anyone followed my case for

> the past 11 months. I just had another sinus ct scan afew days ago.

> The results were horrible!!! Apparently, this thing spread into all of

> my sinuses areas and now I have polyps, thickening, in every single

> sinus in my head. Now hear this. I went to 7 different ENTs starting

> from last August up until this May. 6 of them swore up and down that

> (based off of my CT scans at the time which were basically relatively

> clear) I did not need surgery. In fact, 2 of them flat out refused to

> operate under any circumstance. There was only 1 who wanted to

> operate. My current dr. who I started seeing in March (who isn't a

> surgeon) mentioned surgery each time. I said I was trying to avoid it.

> Last month, he became concerned about my lack of progress so sent me

> in for the scan. I said, " but 6 out of 7 surgeons were against

> surgery " . He said, that that meant completely nothing. Boy, was he

> ever right! Now, whammo, all of my sinuses are messed up. I don't

> think half of these dr's know what they're talking about. The scan

> results also said it could be from a chronic fungal infection but I've

> been on this antifungal stuff for 3 months so I guess it's not doing

> anything. As I may have mentioned, was working in a building with mold

> spores flying thru the air everyday. Look at me, this is how I ended

> up now.

> Oh, did anyone see the show on Dateline about the fake drugs coming in

> from China? They look so similar to the real drugs that even the

> experts can't tell them apart unless they're analyzed in a lab. This

> is all we all need.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well, yeah, sounds like surgical intervention may be your only choice. I'm really happy that I went with the baloon sinuplasty over conventional endoscopic surgery. So much easier on the body, very little bleeding, no packing needed, very minimal damage to the cilia. I also got my first major sinus infection (and a simultaneous foot infection) from a YMCA pool over 20 years ago and treatment didn't help me either. I had excrucitating daily headaches from it. Eventually the symptoms went away but that's when I developed migraines. Like you, sinus disease was a complete surprise. I had no clue until I saw those scans. Since that infection so long ago, I've never really had any sinus symptoms at all (except migraines) but since my surgery I do notice that I no longer wake up headachey or stuffy in the nose in the morning. But my ENT said the gunk in my sinuses that she sucked out was

years old. Like big abscesses in my head festering infection. I'm glad I had the surgery and am finally starting to feel better, so it was a step in the right direction for me too. My recent cultures showed nada growing either. So I'm back on my own trying to figure out how to treat the remaining infection in the rest of my head and body. I'm going to have good scans done of my jaw and sinuses soon, and that will confirm whether my sinuses are really clear or not. Good luck. I really hope you can hold out for the baloon sinuplasty. It's a huge improvement over the old surgeries. penny spsgroup1 <spsgroup1@...> wrote: Hi Penny,Sorry for the delay. Last summer I caught a sinus infection from apool. Unbeknownst to me, several dr's said that my sinuses werealready messed up prior to that infection. My chronic sinusitis isfrom an environmental problem where I was breathing mold spores for 7years in an office building and I'm highly allergic to mold. I hadcultures by 2 dr's for fungal and bacterial with no results. I was on5 different antibiotics since last July (Amoxillan, Augmentin, Ketek,Zpack and Avalox) and nothing cleared up the problem (except theAmoxillan which cleared up the waterfaucet in my nose). I also spentthe last 3 months on Diflucan and Amphoterecin B which have notworked. The last scan shows the condition is much worse that

before. Iwas just given Biaxin but am iffy about even bothering. The onlythings that helped were the prednison, sudafed and Afrin. I think thepassageways are all blocked and need to be reopened, now the polypswill need to be removed. I need to work in a fresh air environment. Infact, I'm a bit skeptical about the surgery at this point, but sincemy head has felt like it was blowing up and my ears have been clogged24/7 for the past 11 months straight don't know of any alternatives. Iwas told that I'm stuck with this loser forever now. Really nice. Ialso will try mold allergy shots, but heard they are a waste of time.> Dear Inflamtion Group,> Well, the bad news is in. I'm not sure if anyone followed my case for>

the past 11 months. I just had another sinus ct scan afew days ago.> The results were horrible!!! Apparently, this thing spread into all of> my sinuses areas and now I have polyps, thickening, in every single> sinus in my head. Now hear this. I went to 7 different ENTs starting> from last August up until this May. 6 of them swore up and down that> (based off of my CT scans at the time which were basically relatively> clear) I did not need surgery. In fact, 2 of them flat out refused to> operate under any circumstance. There was only 1 who wanted to> operate. My current dr. who I started seeing in March (who isn't a> surgeon) mentioned surgery each time. I said I was trying to avoid it.> Last month, he became concerned about my lack of progress so sent me> in for the scan. I said, "but 6 out of 7 surgeons were against> surgery". He said, that that meant completely nothing. Boy, was

he> ever right! Now, whammo, all of my sinuses are messed up. I don't> think half of these dr's know what they're talking about. The scan> results also said it could be from a chronic fungal infection but I've> been on this antifungal stuff for 3 months so I guess it's not doing> anything. As I may have mentioned, was working in a building with mold> spores flying thru the air everyday. Look at me, this is how I ended> up now. > Oh, did anyone see the show on Dateline about the fake drugs coming in> from China? They look so similar to the real drugs that even the> experts can't tell them apart unless they're analyzed in a lab. This> is all we all need. > >

[Guest guest]

Wow, so I'm not the only one who got sick from a pool. I'll keep that

in mind about the balloon surgery. I guess I'll give the Biaxin a shot

and see what happens, but I really think I just need to have my head

unclogged and have the passageways opened. Maybe I should just put my

head in a brown paper bag and spend the rest of my life that way.

> > Dear Inflamtion Group,

> > Well, the bad news is in. I'm not sure if anyone followed my case for

> > the past 11 months. I just had another sinus ct scan afew days ago.

> > The results were horrible!!! Apparently, this thing spread into all of

> > my sinuses areas and now I have polyps, thickening, in every single

> > sinus in my head. Now hear this. I went to 7 different ENTs starting

> > from last August up until this May. 6 of them swore up and down that

> > (based off of my CT scans at the time which were basically relatively

> > clear) I did not need surgery. In fact, 2 of them flat out refused to

> > operate under any circumstance. There was only 1 who wanted to

> > operate. My current dr. who I started seeing in March (who isn't a

> > surgeon) mentioned surgery each time. I said I was trying to avoid it.

> > Last month, he became concerned about my lack of progress so sent me

> > in for the scan. I said, " but 6 out of 7 surgeons were against

> > surgery " . He said, that that meant completely nothing. Boy, was he

> > ever right! Now, whammo, all of my sinuses are messed up. I don't

> > think half of these dr's know what they're talking about. The scan

> > results also said it could be from a chronic fungal infection but I've

> > been on this antifungal stuff for 3 months so I guess it's not doing

> > anything. As I may have mentioned, was working in a building with mold

> > spores flying thru the air everyday. Look at me, this is how I ended

> > up now.

> > Oh, did anyone see the show on Dateline about the fake drugs coming in

> > from China? They look so similar to the real drugs that even the

> > experts can't tell them apart unless they're analyzed in a lab. This

> > is all we all need.

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

My ENT dr told me it is difficult to get good cultures

in the office-sometimes need to go deeper in which is

the reason I am going back to surgery July10.

Marie

--- jellybelly92008 <herranenb@...> wrote:

> Is it possible it isn't the normal flora that is the

> problem, but

> rather a flora that has not even been identified as

> of yet?

>

>

>

>

> > > > > Sorry to hear it, . What do you plan

> to do?

> > > > >

> > > > > What abx have you been on? Have any of the

> ENTs cultured you

> to

> > > > identify the organisms and determine the right

> antibiotics?

> > > > >

> > > > > Have you tried the betadine irrigation? It's

> worth a shot.

> Pre

> > > > and post surgery. Definitely helped me. I also

> just ordered

> > > a " salt

> > > > pipe " that Barb told me about, out of the U.K.

>

> > > > >

> > > > > I saw my ENT today. She put a scope up and

> said my sinuses

> are

> > > > no longer impacted with goo and look totally

> clear (despite

> the

> > > fact

> > > > that I'm coughing continuously from new

> drainage from

> somewhere).

> > > I

> > > > was going to ask for another CT scan but

> forgot. She took

> > > cultures,

> > > > so I'll have to see if anything's growing. If

> not, I'll ask

> for

> > > > another CT scan then. At least now that I've

> been cultured, I

> can

> > > > start back on abx and hopefully get some

> relief from all this

>

=== message truncated ===

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

My 2 cents. I think that when people get angry and

lash out at other people. To me it is a sign of a

heavy load of bugs,etc in the brain. It will take

time for the body to get this population under

control. Only then will the anger retreat. Jimd

--- jellybelly92008 <herranenb@...> wrote:

> I can't help myself here. You have proof of abusive

> emails Penny???

> Let's see them, show them all to us. Let's see what

> you can make up.

>

> And as usual you exagerate. I was banned from one

> forum and when I

> was, 100's, literally left in protest and came

> looking for me on

> Suzanne's board and others like it. Don't believe

> me, ask her. Go

> check the Accidental Patient board. The highest

> numbers ever there

> were about 2 days after I got banned from ProHealth,

> no secret.. I

> actually felt kind of honored that then many people

> left looking for

> me, never to return. ProHealth lost some great minds

> that day.

>

> You are a piece of work. I feel like I am talking to

> a 5th grader.

> Ban me, oh, that will surely ruin my day. Like I

> really give a rat's

> behind.

>

>

> - In infections ,

> Penny Houle

> <pennyhoule@...> wrote:

> >

> > Not your style? Jelly, I've got emails that prove

> the opposite and

> have contributed to my growing impatience with you.

> For everyone's

> benefit, I'd really suggest dropping the matter and

> focusing your

> energy on other things.

> >

> > I've told you before that you are welcome here

> as long as you

> want to help others and participate in a

> constructive fashion. But

> if you just want to argue, find some place else to

> do it. None of us

> needs the additional stress.

> >

> > You've been banned from other forums, and you've

> been blocked

> from my personal email. I don't want to ban anyone

> from the group,

> but I've taken a lot of private abuse from you and

> like I said, my

> patience is running out. So again, forget about your

> issues with me,

> right or wrong, and focus on the positive or find

> another forum.

> >

> > penny

> >

> >

> >

> > jellybelly92008 <herranenb@...> wrote:

> > Now you have the oppurtunity to put your

> money where

> your mouth is.

> > You said, " If you could ever acknowledge that

> staph and other

> known

> > bugs should at least be considered dangerous, and

> that our doctors

> > need to take them seriously as well, then maybe

> I'd be willing to

> > listen to your endless speculation, "

> >

> > Now here is what I have actually said, to you on

> June 14, but

> > apparently you never read it, but why does that

> not surprise

> me. " I

> > am going to pursue my sinsues at great lengths

> next. "

> >

> > On June 21, I said to Tony, " The ONLY thing I have

> learned from

> > coversation with you is that staph is another bug

> I will pursue. "

> >

> > You have done nothing but speculate here. Yet I am

> not allowed.

> You

> > have yet to acknowledge even one thing I have said

> is a

> possibility

> > without sarcastic undertones, even though you have

> NOTHING to show

> > that my speculations aren't at least a

> possibility.

> >

> > No need to worry that I will call you a name, that

> isn't my style.

> > If I haven't don't it yet, then it isn't coming.

> Nor, will I tell

> > you that you obviously aren't as sick as you say

> you are, like you

> > have done to me. If you go back and actually read

> why I came here,

> > then you would see, I was not here to convert you,

> but rather to

> > discuss possibilities and find out how Mino works.

>

> >

> > You twist and exaggerate things I say, and I have

> had to make

> > corrections for you before. As an example, you

> said you wouldn't

> > reply to my " emails " as if I had been harrassing

> you behind the

> > scences. What was the purpose of that? I sent you

> ONE as in 1,

> > email, not emails as you exaggerated. I have come

> to realize this

> is

> > your style, kind of sad for a grownup.

> >

> > You simply don't like the fact that I have gained

> remission and it

> > had absolutely nothing to do with treating staph

> or strep, plain

> and

> > simple. Even worse, I gained this remission by

> using micro doses

> of

> > Mino. For some reason that seems to piss you off.

> >

> > Whatever, don't bother replying. I'm done here. No

> wonder this

> board

> > stays at a constant 10 people or less.

> >

> >

> >

> > > Do you even read the posts or do you just read a

> couple

> > of words and

> > > then fill in the blanks.

> > >

> > > First off, H. Pylori IS one of those NEW

> bacteria. IT was THE

> > > UNKNOWN. It was only discovered in the early

> 80s. In medical

> terms

> > > that is still a new born. Sure it may have been

> seen earlier,

> but

> > no

> > > one knew what it was, good or bad. Most people

> seem to have it

> so

> > it

>

=== message truncated ===

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

My second surgery made a world of difference. I still have flare ups but I can eat without blowing my nose all of the time. I say try to stay calm and follow you doctors dierctions. Roth <samsmom6602@...> wrote: Hi Everyone: Hope everyone is doing well and preparing for this holiday season. I had two questions that I posted for Lori awhile back but never got a response, so I was hoping that anyone might have some input.. I am going in for my 2nd Sinus Surgery at the end of this month. The first one did not help at all, but made me worse. Just wondering if anyone thinks it's a good or bad idea to try a 2nd surgery??.. Also, wondering if anyone has some good pre-op/post-op suggestions to make the whole process go better. Thanks so much for all your

help! elayconnolly <elayconnolly@...> wrote: I was desensitized to aspirin 4 weeks after surgery. I am happy to beable to take NSAIDs again, but it did not significantly slow my polypregrowth and I never regained my sense of smell (prior to takingXolair). So, the desensitization "worked" in the sense that I am not senstivieto aspirin as long as I take a couple every day, but it did nothing toalleviate my symptoms. I recall hearing that this is true for 15-20percent of Samters patients who have gone through desesitization. Ibelieve that many of the 80% of people for whom it works reallybelieve that it has changed their life. It is certainly worth a try.But it is not a panacea.I went to the ENT for the

first time since starting Xolair. My polypshave shrunk significantly since I started the drug. As i've reportedin this forum before, my pulminary function is up 60-100%, dependingon the measure, and I have regained my sense of smell. For me, Xolairis a miracle drug. Everyone is raving about the all-new beta.

Check out the all-new beta - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster.

[Guest guest]

I had

to have a second surgery about 8 months after my first surgery and it has made

all the difference in the world. I am not perfect, but I can smell most of the

time and my sinuses are not constantly inflamed. Prior to the second surgery, I

couldn’t smell a thing unless I was on prednisone. I have found that

irrigating twice a day since then helps a ton and I also use Flonase twice a

day (per my doctor’s orders) and I think these 2 things make a huge

difference. I am also on Allegra, Singulair, and Asmanax, but I think they

more help control the allegy symptoms and allergy-induced asthma than the nasal

issues. Good luck!!

K.

Sinus Surgery

Hi Everyone:

Hope everyone is doing well and preparing for this

holiday season. I had two questions that I posted for Lori awhile back but

never got a response, so I was hoping that anyone might have some input.. I am

going in for my 2nd Sinus Surgery at the end of this month. The first one did

not help at all, but made me worse. Just wondering if anyone thinks it's a good

or bad idea to try a 2nd surgery??.. Also, wondering if anyone has some

good pre-op/post-op suggestions to make the whole process go better.

Thanks so much for all your help!

elayconnolly

<elayconnolly > wrote:

I was

desensitized to aspirin 4 weeks after surgery. I am happy to be

able to take NSAIDs again, but it did started the drug. As i've reported

in this forum before, my pulminary function is up 60-100%, depending

on the measure, and I have regained my sense of smell. For me, Xolair

is a miracle drug.

Everyone is raving about the

all-new beta.

[Guest guest]

> I was desensitized to aspirin 4 weeks after surgery. I

am happy to be

> able to take NSAIDs again, but it did not significantly slow my

polyp

> regrowth and I never regained my sense of smell (prior to taking

> Xolair).

>

> So, the desensitization " worked " in the sense that I am not

senstivie

> to aspirin as long as I take a couple every day, but it did

nothing to

> alleviate my symptoms. I recall hearing that this is true for 15-20

> percent of Samters patients who have gone through desesitization. I

> believe that many of the 80% of people for whom it works really

> believe that it has changed their life. It is certainly worth a

try.

> But it is not a panacea.

>

> I went to the ENT for the first time since starting Xolair. My

polyps

> have shrunk significantly since I started the drug. As i've

reported

> in this forum before, my pulminary function is up 60-100%,

depending

> on the measure, and I have regained my sense of smell. For me,

Xolair

> is a miracle drug.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Everyone is raving about the all-new beta.

>

[Guest guest]

> I am going in for my 2nd Sinus

> Surgery at the end of this month. The first one did not help at all, but made

> me worse. Just wondering if anyone thinks it's a good or bad idea to try a 2nd

> surgery??..

I can't remember if you are doing irrigation,

but my opinion is that surgery should be avoided at all costs until it is

shown that irrigation and does not help sufficiently. Irrigate regularly,

2ce a day, for at least a month, and then decide whether you still need

surgery.

[Guest guest]

Hi Ken: It's so nice to hear from you... As far as irrigation I flush my nose twice a day with Sodium Chloride Solution, and have been doing so for a long time. Is that the right thing to do? My ENT said that my CAT scan shows disease in every one of my sinuses and that I am filled with polyps. Thanks, Jen q2 <kenwest@...> wrote: > I am going in for my 2nd Sinus> Surgery at the end of this month. The

first one did not help at all, but made> me worse. Just wondering if anyone thinks it's a good or bad idea to try a 2nd> surgery??.. I can't remember if you are doing irrigation,but my opinion is that surgery should be avoided at all costs until it isshown that irrigation and does not help sufficiently. Irrigate regularly,2ce a day, for at least a month, and then decide whether you still needsurgery.

Cheap Talk? Check out Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates.

[Guest guest]

> From: Roth <samsmom6602@...>

> As far as irrigation I flush my nose twice a

> day with Sodium Chloride Solution, and have been doing so for a long time. Is

> that the right thing to do? My ENT said that my CAT scan shows disease in

> every one of my sinuses and that I am filled with polyps.

If you are flushing with a pulsatile irrigator, ie., the Grossan or the

WaterPik with adapter, and *still* have polyps, then I guess irrigation does

not work as well for you as it has for me and some others.

Desensitization and/or surgery will be the next steps; however, this group

has demonstrated repeatedly that for Samterites, polyps re-grow after

surgery more quickly than for normal people, and repeated surgery really

can't be doing any good -- it is a mechanical " solution " for the symptoms of

chemical problem.

>

>>> I am going in for my 2nd Sinus Surgery at the end of this month. The first

>>> one did not help at all, but made me worse. Just wondering if anyone thinks

>>> it's a good or bad idea to try a 2nd surgery??..

>>>

>> I can't remember if you are doing irrigation, but my opinion is that surgery

>> should be avoided at all costs until it is shown that irrigation and does not

>> help sufficiently. Irrigate regularly, 2ce a day, for at least a month, and

>> then decide whether you still need surgery.

[Guest guest]

Hi Ken,

I think there comes a time when it is impossible to find the balance between

inflammation, irrigation, steroids and avoidance of triggers. When the

polyps take over, systems break down, and it is helpful to start over with

surgery.

For me it has been a real challenge to keep the beast under control. I am

getting better at it, but right now I have a cold or the flu, yuck.

PS. Did you read my post about GERD? What do you think?

Pam

On 11/12/06 4:57 PM, " q2 " <kenwest@...> wrote:

> If you are flushing with a pulsatile irrigator, ie., the Grossan or the

> WaterPik with adapter, and *still* have polyps, then I guess irrigation does

> not work as well for you as it has for me and some others.

> Desensitization and/or surgery will be the next steps; however, this group

> has demonstrated repeatedly that for Samterites, polyps re-grow after

> surgery more quickly than for normal people, and repeated surgery really

> can't be doing any good -- it is a mechanical " solution " for the symptoms of

> chemical problem.

>

>>

[Guest guest]

>Thank you Karl:

How long after surgery do you need to go in for an additional surgery

to remove polyps? In other words, if I use the nasal irrigation, and

flonase would this help prevent the return of polyps for several

years or possibly longer than that?

Thank you

Michele

> My polyps return, but there are things I can do to delay their

> return. As regards scarring, INSIST that your surgeon check you

every

> couple of weeks for three months after the surgery to find any

adhesions

> and break them. This is boring for the surgeon and inconvenient for

> you, but nowhere near as inconvenient as an additional surgery.

>

> Cheers,

>

> Karl W.

>

> Sinus Surgery

>

> I'm scheduled to have sinus surgery (FESS) in January. Before I

> proceed with the surgery I need to have a cat scan first. I'd like

to

> know if having the surgery will greatly improve my nasal breathing

and

> also if I use the flonase and nasal irrigation after surgery what

are

> the chances that the polyps will return? Also, is there scar

tissue

> after the surgery and does this require follow up surgery. And how

soon

> after surgery to you feel somewhat better. I just want to weigh

the

> benefits of the surgery vs. not having the surgery. Any insight

would

> be greatly appreciated. Thank you

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Ive had four sinus surgeries, I also go to an allergist 2x week,

which they told me would keep polyps from coming back. I use oral and

topical steroids constantly, I irrigate 2x day. I've noticed that the

sinus surgeries help alot, but the polyps reoccur after a year no

matter what you do. I have opted to have them because polyps also

agreviate my asthma. so, I have no choice. Regarding scaring,I have had

no problem at all. And Ive ran into luck none of the surgeries have

required packing which I had heard was a nightmare.

[Guest guest]

--Thanks dlilsheep for sharing your story. And this is wonderful news

that there was no scar tissue after surgery. Did you have the 4

surgeries in 4 years? My surgery will be performed in Philadelphia.

- In samters , " dlilsheep " <dlilsheep@...> wrote:

>

>

> >

> > Ive had four sinus surgeries, I also go to an allergist 2x week,

> which they told me would keep polyps from coming back. I use oral and

> topical steroids constantly, I irrigate 2x day. I've noticed that the

> sinus surgeries help alot, but the polyps reoccur after a year no

> matter what you do. I have opted to have them because polyps also

> agreviate my asthma. so, I have no choice. Regarding scaring,I have

had

> no problem at all. And Ive ran into luck none of the surgeries have

> required packing which I had heard was a nightmare.

>

[Guest guest]

This varies greatly from person to person, but my experience is that one

can delay the need for another surgery by years. As I type this, I am

more congested than I would like, but hoping to delay the next surgery a

bit longer.

Cheers,

Karl W.

Re: Sinus Surgery

>Thank you Karl:

How long after surgery do you need to go in for an additional surgery

to remove polyps? In other words, if I use the nasal irrigation, and

flonase would this help prevent the return of polyps for several

years or possibly longer than that?

Thank you

Michele

[Guest guest]

I thought I'd put in my two cents here. I had sinus surgery on Nov.

17th (my 2nd in 10 years). It went well and was pretty much painless

for me. I could breathe easily through my nose after a day or two and

I don't remember the last time I could breathe through my nose. I

have just now started to get my sense of smell back (it's been years

since I could smell or taste). I am using Nasonex nightly as well as

irrigating. I go in for aspirin desensitization on Dec. 11 and I'm

hoping that will delay the regrowth of the polyps. I was skeptical

about the surgery at first as well but Dr. son convinced me to

go in and clean everything out and then come see him to get

desensitized. So far so good...but I'm only 2 1/2 weeks post-op and I

haven't gone through the desensitization yet. Feel free to contact me

if you have more specific questions...

>

> I'm scheduled to have sinus surgery (FESS) in January. Before I

> proceed with the surgery I need to have a cat scan first. I'd like

to

> know if having the surgery will greatly improve my nasal breathing

and

> also if I use the flonase and nasal irrigation after surgery what

are

> the chances that the polyps will return? Also, is there scar tissue

> after the surgery and does this require follow up surgery. And how

soon

> after surgery to you feel somewhat better. I just want to weigh the

> benefits of the surgery vs. not having the surgery. Any insight

would

> be greatly appreciated. Thank you

>

[Guest guest]

Hi :

I'm so happy for you that all went well with the surgery and that you

are feeling better. Thank so much for the feedback.

Kind regards,

Michele

> >

> > I'm scheduled to have sinus surgery (FESS) in January. Before I

> > proceed with the surgery I need to have a cat scan first. I'd

like

> to

> > know if having the surgery will greatly improve my nasal

breathing

> and

> > also if I use the flonase and nasal irrigation after surgery what

> are

> > the chances that the polyps will return? Also, is there scar

tissue

> > after the surgery and does this require follow up surgery. And

how

> soon

> > after surgery to you feel somewhat better. I just want to weigh

the

> > benefits of the surgery vs. not having the surgery. Any insight

> would

> > be greatly appreciated. Thank you

> >

>

[Guest guest]

lol...Terry, i refer to the pre-sleep and after getting up as my " sound check " .