elfination

There’s always a little bit of reservation on the part of the specialist’s staff when one self-refers. Are you here because you need to be? Or are you here because you’ve got a hangnail and think you need a surgeon? Are you ACTUALLY sick enough to need to be seen in THIS office, or did you, say, discover an ingrown hair in your armpit and believe you need an Oncologist?

It’s not that doctors don’t take people seriously, it’s just that there’s a population of people who cries wolf and wastes everyone’s time. So… there’s always just a tiny bit of skepticism.

So, there’s just a tiny bit of validation to hearing, “well.. the fact that you even KNOW what Allergic Fungal Sinusitis even IS… tells me we’ve got a problem here.” And then, “WHOA… wow…..THAT polyp’s got a LOT of blood supply…”

The Otolaryngologist (that’s an Ear-Nose-Throat physician, of course) told me on Monday I’ve got polyps crawling through my sinuses. I am unsurprised, given the lack of breathing that I’ve been able to do lately through my nose. Within two weeks of my unfortunate seven-week vacation from life, I knew this was coming. The institution failed epically to treat a sinus infection properly ONCE, and this is what happens.

And although occasional air movement comes and goes, my sense of smell has diminished over the last five months… and this past few weeks has been completely nonexistent.

Dr. Hagood prescribed steroid nasal spray to reduce the swelling enough to get decent information on the CT scan (I’m having one Wednesday at 9 AM - that is to say, 6 hours from now). He’s hoping to be able to “count” the polyps. LOL, someone tell him it doesn’t work like that with me!! Polyps in my sinuses are like cockroaches… there are always more that you just don’t see.

Tuesday, I took Barrett to the airport. I came home in a bit of a blue funk. I chewed on some food and aimed myself toward bed. Yes, at 5:30 PM. I wasn’t very happy. (That’s why I’m up at 2AM)

I woke up and ambled out into the kitchen to feed the cats. I popped open the can of catfood and caught a whiff of chickenny goodness.

Wait, what? Stop everything.

SNIFF.

Oh my GOD I can smell… stuff. OH MY GOD. I CAN SMELL STUFF!!

I took a big sniff of the catfood. Yes! It smells! Like… chicken cat food!! And… EGG NOG! it has a taste! And it’s delicious!!!!

And my apartment smells … **AWFUL.**

oh god.

I guess I know what I’ll be doing while Barrett’s gone.

–Em