Member-only story
My Deviated Septum Surgery
The Doctor Said, “Wooow”
Did you have sinus troubles all your life? Do you have trouble pinching your nose during swim class? There might be a reason for that. A deviated septum!
Content Warning: This story involves medical issues that some might find gross. (In other words, a lot of snot — and a little vomit.)
When I went to an otolaryngologist for the first time, the doctor my sinuses and then said, “Wooow.” Some might say that’s not a good thing to hear from a doctor. But to me, it was a validation.
Still, it took me decades to get to his office. Because my problems weren’t obvious — to me or to my other doctors.
Blowing My Nose as a Kid (This Is Going to Get Gross)
I had trouble blowing my nose as a kid. The adults around me probably thought I was misbehaving. Or sensitive. Or that I wasn’t trying hard enough. No honking from me. At best a sad little toot.
My sinuses ran like leaky faucets when I had colds or allergies. So I wiped my nose as best I could. In school, I often got scolded for the way I wiped my nose. A preschool teacher once gasped at me when I wiped my nose, and something long and horrible came out.
