Hey, gang! I swear I haven’t forgotten how to write in more than 140 characters, although you wouldn’t have any way of knowing that just by looking at my Geek Habitat blog here. Sincere (and ongoing, it seems) apologies.

Here’s some of what I’ve been up to this August 2010. I hope you enjoy it, and if you’re doing something similar or just returning to regular workouts (of any type) in general, let me know. I have a bit of a “Fit Club” on Twitter of folks who support and encourage each other to exercise, and their comments and support have been very helpful and enjoyable.

First of all, if you’re not following me on Twitter (@Ageekmom) or Facebook (wildtexas) then I’m not sure what’s inspiring you to read the blog, but…

In case you’ve missed my weekly tweet & update streams since my last blog post, here’s a post-sinus surgery update –

I’m Doing Great!

The first week after surgery was not especially comfortable, and pain medications were very much appreciated especially the first 48 hours post-op. Kidlet managed to knock me in the nose a couple times, including once in that painful first week, causing my world to narrow, my eyes to well up with tears, and me to sob like a baby for a couple minutes. All was well–no damage done (but she has a wicked right hook!)

Today was my 2 week post-op checkup. I see my ENT once a week for the first 6 full weeks after the date of my surgery (January 26). This means my next checkup is February 15, the day before I drive to Houston, TX, to attend my second NASA Tweetup. My first was, of course, the EPIC launch of STS-129, Space Shuttle Atlantis, on November 15, 2009. Expect a blog post specifically about the Houston, TX (Johnson Space Center / #JSCtweetup) tweetup after I get some sleep…

Today’s checkup went well and was very informative. I’m an information geek of the highest (worst?) degree, so I’d been wanting to ask my ENT if he’d taken any photos or videos of my surgery. Sadly, he didn’t and he would have been thrilled to, had I mentioned it prior to surgery. Oh well, lesson learned. I don’t plan on having a repeat sinus surgery, so chalk it up to a missed opportunity. That inquiry opened the door though, letting him know I wasn’t easily grossed out and was legitimately interested in some of the specifics about what he removed from my 100% blocked left sinus cavities. Suffice it to say that, while it wasn’t anything he didn’t expect to find, there was A LOT MORE of it than he sees when operating on a typical patient. He basically said his attending nurse at my surgery is one of the more “tough” gals and even she was a little grossed out by the amount of crud he removed. In short, he said, “You must have been MISERABLE prior to this.” YUP!

One of my doctor’s favorite phrases is, “Listen, the surgery won’t make you anything you aren’t already,” which basically means if you’re a really allergic person, it’s not going to “cure” your allergies. But if you’re a really allergic person and your SINUSES ARE BLOCKED, heck yeah, the surgery is going to open those up and try to give you functioning sinuses again (meaning: ones that can drain properly.)

The upshot with me is that I’m healing great, he is really pleased with where we are, but when he went in with a scope to check out my left maxillary sinus (cheek area; the place I had the worst collection of stuff) it’s filling slowly with “allergic mucin” again… that could lead to a sinus infection and we’d rinse and repeat. So he’s got me back on my sinus nebulizer which mists a specially mixed concoction of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medication directly into my sinus cavities. Prior to surgery this was minimally effective since, yes, even misted medication couldn’t pass into my blocked sinuses. Now? It’s like night and day…I can breathe, my left nostril isn’t perpetually useless (as it has been for the past year) and I can resume my medication free-saline sinus irrigation (think neti pot for you purists, or pulsing irrigator for you techies like me.) I think we’re on the right track and I certainly feel better than I did prior to surgery so it’s already paying for itself.

I may have some stuff to add–as a consolation prize for not having any photos or videos, he gave me a copy of some of his notes from the surgery, so I may find some useful tidbits in there that I want to post. Or not. “Journey to the Center of Shannon’s Sinuses” doesn’t make for very compelling reading.

Check back on Tuesday sometime for my Johnson Space Center (home of MISSION CONTROL / HOUSTON) NASA Tweetup post.

T’Care!

Yesterday, I took care of all the pre-operative activities associated with my upcoming sinus surgery. Surgery isn’t until Tuesday, January 26, mind you. With pre-op so far in advance of surgery, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it amounted to fairly routine stuff–bloodwork, x-rays, EKG. It was actually my first-ever EKG, and it took the nurse longer to attach all the sticky pads and leads to me than it took to perform the actual EKG. The x-rays were kind of odd, as well–I expected more x-rays of my head (to augment the CT scan films my surgeon already has from late November); instead, they did two chest x-rays on me. *shrug* I get the sense the ENT really likes to know your heart and respiratory systems are in good working order prior to operating.

That makes perfect sense, except my knee surgery in 2005 was pretty invasive, lasted longer than the sinus surgery will (knock on wood) and kept me in the hospital for 27 hours, yet I didn’t have an EKG or chest x-rays taken. Granted, I was five years younger, and maybe *that* is the entire reason behind the additional pre-op checks? At any rate, I’ve done everything I need to do so now it’s back to waiting.

Poor Sara is keenly aware of how ill I have been the past 16 months or so, and when I came home yesterday she thought I was home from surgery. She was excited and happy, until Justin and I reminded her I had only visited the doctor for a check-up and surgery was still well over a week away. Why would a 3 year old be excited and happy about her parent having surgery? She knows this sinus stuff and the concomitant headaches and lack of energy are going to be a thing of the past (knock on wood, again) very soon. She is looking forward, as am I, to getting back out to area parks and recreation areas and enjoying her energy levels again. Soon, kidlet, soon…

As I mentioned yesterday on Facebook and  Twitter, my sinus surgery is now scheduled–Tuesday, January 26, 2010. My pre-op appointment is on January 15 to get bloodwork, sign papers & discuss the surgery once more.

I have a sore throat today, even more sinus congestion than usual, and a doozy of a headache. I’m looking forward to the sinus pain/pressure and headaches backing off after the surgery–anything less than my 2009 Year of Chronic Sinus Infections & Debilitating Headaches will brand the surgery a success in my book. Just like my knee injury in late 2004/early 2005, just “being on the healing side of things” will be a blessed change from the status quo. At least with one’s sinuses, they’re not weight-bearing and they’re not muscles that atrophy, so there’s no 3+ months of physical therapy sessions in my future after the sinus surgery.

Not even sure I’ll be awake to catch the ball drop (in Times Square or the Tower of the Americas here in San Antonio, TX) with the way I feel.

It’s deja vu all over again, except this time I’m researching sinus surgery rather than knee surgery. I had a CT scan performed on my head just prior to my departure to Florida for the STS-129 NASA Tweetup. The scan confirmed what I already knew, thanks to my constant, worsening headaches & monthly sinus infections–my sinuses are screwed up. Specifically, I have severe left-sided maxillary, ethmoid & frontal sinusitis — 100% of the sinuses on the left side of my head are blocked, filled with fluid, crud and/or polyps. I’ve been on a sinus nebulizer 3 times a day for well over a month now, sending a fine mist/almost aerosol of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds into my paranasal sinuses. Unfortunately, they’re too blocked to allow me to use a neti pot or nasal irrigator (believe me, I’ve tried!) and they’re even too blocked for the nebulized medication to get everywhere it needs to go.

So, almost five years after my last general anesthesia-based surgery (2005 knee surgery), here I am researching surgery again–this time, of my sinuses. Why? Because I’m in constant pain and so very tired of writing status updates like these:

“Killer headache due to constant sinus issues. Moving closer to scheduling that surgery ASAP. Painful to touch my cheek&forehead on L side.” 4 hours ago

“…It’s an old refrain, me & this pain. Sinuses physically 100% blocked on L side. Wx changes exacerbate pain.” 3 hours ago

“…Hoped to hold off a cpl months for finances & weather to straighten out but it’s getting worse & altering my activities, mood” 3 hours ago

I’m so grateful to share that Dad’s home from the hospital as of 5 PM Monday (today) and is resting comfortably at home. He does have another eye surgery tomorrow (Tuesday) but at least he is free from his 12 DAYS in the hospital.

My family always hugs when we part. I highly recommend it…except it really, really sucks when one of us ends up in the hospital. Glad to have my Dad/Daughter Hug Meter restored/replenished.