Under the knife.

[Greenhorn44]

My wifes says I snore like a cross between a foghorn and a freight train. I wake up with sore ribs, from her elbow :).
So i went and got one of those sleep studies dun, yep I need surgury.
1. Fix my septum
2. remove my sinus cysts
3. scrap my sinuses
4. cut my soft pallet and uvula off.
5. ballon my sinuses for maximum expansion :)
3 hour surgery.

I know that there are worse surgeries out there, much worse. but im having problems dealing with this one. Never had any major surgery like this. they say minimum weight loss is 20 pounds. yikes!!

Going under the knife tomorrow, ya'll jest keep me in your prayer.
God Bless.

Josh

[Hickory]

Sounds like something that I need.

Will they remove your horns too?:kidding:

[imashooter2]

I'd get a new wife before I let them cut me over snoring.

That said, prayers inbound for safe surgery and a speedy recovery.

[BBA]

Make sure you keep a couple of bottles of sinus decongestant spray on hand in case of bleeding. You may have your nasal cavities packed and if you have any bleeding(heavy) dump the spray up into the packing. This causes the blood vessels to constrict. I know this doesn't sound pleasant, but they don't always tell you the tricks. My son had alot of this kind of surgeries a few years ago. It doesn't stop a trip to the E.R. but slows the blood loss if you throw a clot. Good-luck!

[Tazman1602]

Man I don't know, surgery is awful risky. I know because I've had a few that were unavoidable -- have your doctors considered CPAP at all???? I use CPAP regularly and have for 7 years and it CURES the snoring issue.............

Just a thought, GOOD LUCK and I'll say a prayer for you man.

Art

[lavenatti]

My wife has been poking me and telling me to 'roll over' for twenty years because of snoring. After she started telling me I needed cpap or surgery about five years ago I devised a horribly devious plan.

I poke her in the ribs and tell her to roll over three or four time a week, I complain about her snoring and how I can't get any sleep.

Now that she's convinced she snores and is as guilty as I am when it comes to snoring she just goes and sleeps in the spare room when my snoring wakes her up.

Is that wrong?

[gray wolf]

snoring is not the worst thing in the world, going under the knife can lead to all kinds of post operative things. -------- IF-------- it is only for the snoring and no other major health issue
I would think about it.
But I stand behind whatever your choice is and I wish you all the best for the out come.

Your friend

Sam

[1Shirt]

My wife and I both use CPAP and it works well. Brother in law had the surgery, and still snores, just not as bad.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[scrapcan]

I was kicked in the face a few years ago by a horse and I quit snoring until I healed up ( I also have all my own teeth ( six were in my hand) and have patched up real well (lower lip almost severed and pallet sutured back in place), I had a great oral surgeon). My wife said it was a great year, all I know is that I slept many hours in a dental chair.

Now she threatens to get the bat or conspire with the horses.

I have friends and relative sthat had sinus surgery and all of them have been back at least once. Trips to the dentist tend to take care of my snoring for a week or two afterwards. It just spoils the wife, so I try not to go any mroe than I have to.

[thx997303]

They suggested one or two of those surgeries for me, but I chose CPAP therapy and it's working out alright.

Sucks if you move and change elevation in the process though.

[Doc_Stihl]

Snoring isn't just annoying, sometimes can be a serious health issue. Can cause alot of stress on the heart due to sleep apnea(spelling).

My father and sister both had the pallet trim and uvula removal trick done.
It's going to be some uncomfortable time during recovery, but they both said that they'd do it again.

[grages]

I have sleep apnea and sleep with a cpap machine. Snoring can be a serious problem and I'm glad that I don't have to have surgery to solve it.

Shawn

[Nazgul]

Had it done 10 years ago. Surgery was rough, the cleanings afterwards was rougher. But, well worth it. Hang in there.

Don

[Echo]

Pretty major surgery - my snoring is controlled by lieing on my left side. Good side effect is that puts my deaf ear up, so I can't hear SWMBO's snoring.
Have faith in your surgeon - assume he has the proper training, and experience, relax, and do what they tell you. That's what I did when I had my bypass surgery...
And I won't wish you good luck - luck doesn't have very much to do with it. >I've< got faith that they know what they are doing, and so should you. Relax

[DLCTEX]

My son had sleep apnea until the orthodontist stretched his palate prior to applying braces. We suddenly realized that he was breathing normally. An unintended consequece, but a happy one.

[Gelandangan]

I also use CPAP, it gives me a good night sleep and leave me alert and bright the next day.
The inconveniences having to use a machine to help me sleep is a small cost.

[sleeper1428]

As a retired anesthesiologist I'll give you a couple of old adages that while sounding trite, are quite true as my over 30 year career has proven. The first adage is this:

"There are never too many surgeons, just too many doctors doing surgery" Now this may seem rather convoluted but after you observe surgery being done day in and day out for many, many years, you realize that very few individuals are truly 'born' surgeons and that most docs doing surgery are only mediocre in their abilities. And believe me, no matter how much experience they have and no matter how long they practice, these mediocre surgeons will never be any more than mediocre.

And the second adage is this:

"A good surgeon deserves good anesthesia - a bad surgeon requires it!" Remember, with a good anesthesiologist taking care of you, even a bad surgeon will eventually struggle through an operation although the outcome will likely be far less favorable than what would expect from a truly gifted surgeon.

And finally, in regard to this 'snoring' surgery, I'd have to say that the one thing you probably weren't told was that you're going to have a LOT of post-op discomfort - read that as PAIN! I can say this with some authority because I did the anesthesia for many, many of these surgeries during my active practice days. Not only will they be doing the procedures you've outlined, they will also very likely take some fairly healthy 'tucks' in your upper pharyngeal tissue which will 'tighten' this area when healed thus contributing to opening your airway.

Personally, I've had a problem with snoring for many years (over 20 years in actual fact) and rather than surgery, I opted for the use of CPAP at night, a decision that I'm still happy I made. I'm a bit surprised that your pulmonologist (pulmonary specialist) didn't offer this to you, at least on a trial basis, to see if your snoring couldn't be reduced or eliminated without the risk of major surgery. But since it appears that you're going ahead with surgery, I'll wish you the best and trust that you chose your anesthesiologist as carefully as you chose your surgeon.

sleeper1428

[leadeye]

I don't snore often but when I do, it's loud. Wife just relocates to another bedroom.

[steg]

I'm with lead eye, seperate bedrooms, wife would fall asleep soon as her head hit the pillow, talk about sawing wood, she used a chainsaw !

[pmeisel]

I come from a family of legendary snorers. Wife adapts with a mix of going to bed first, changing rooms, elbows.... On golf trips, I just tell my roommate to drink early and often....

Sister uses a machine (she's a lot louder than me).

[PatMarlin]

I use these:

http://www.vitacost.com/Scandinavian-Formulas-Nozovent-Anti-Snoring-Device

Keep to wives and 2 separate bedrooms. Works for me ..:mrgreen:

[Kenny Wasserburger]

I spent a good bit of time and 2 sleep studies before I went ahead with the Cpap. Damm glad I did too.

The Surgery, will work however you have a 80% chance of going back to snorning in a short time.
Depending on your age the surgery is very hard on you, with my asthma and only 62% of my lungs working it was not a smart option.

Have been on the CPAP since Nov of 2003 and very glad I did it.

Kenny Wasserburger

[SciFiJim]

I've had the surgery AND I use a CPAP. Expect some pain. I used morphine syrup for the first week (couldn't swallow a pill because of the sore throat). After healing, my snoring is greatly reduced, but I still have sleep apnea and stop breathing occasionally without the CPAP.

[Mallard57]

I've had the surgery and use a cpap also. I sure feel better, I used to be able to fall asleep anywhere and often did. I can pretty much guarantee your throat is really going to hurt(sorry) but it didn't hurt as much as the Dr. said it would. The outcome should make it all worth it. Snoring/ sleep apnea kills people.
Jeff

[Old Goat Keeper]

I been using my CPAP since February 2, 1996! It saved my life! I had one heart attack which the doc said was cause by the sleep apnea. Now I can't even take a nap with out it on. Without it I just can't fall asleep.

Tom

[Ajax]

i have used a CPAP for about 5 years now and refuse to sleep without it. they offered me the surgery but i promptly refused it. i have a good friend who had it done and said he has one hell of a gag reflex now, which he didn't before. I already have a bad gag reflex so i dont think it would get better. once they finally find a mask that will work on me i have had no problems i feel more rested but still not a perfect fit yet.

A

[looseprojectile]

Lotsa CPAP users here.
The wife used to complain that I quit breathing a hundred times a night.
It was when I shook the bed when I started breathing again that woke her.
I never had a problem with sleep apnia but others did so I did a study and started using the CPAP. What a hassle. I still don't see any difference myself.
I guess it could be dangerous to not use it if you really need it.
There must be a whole industry grown up around the CPAP thing.

Life is good

[pmeisel]

The wife used to complain that I quit breathing a hundred times a night.
It was when I shook the bed when I started breathing again that woke her.

That was my dad. Didn't have CPAP or surgery back then. He made it to 82, and it wasn't his breathing that got him.

Not knocking it, but I am skeptical. My very obese little sister is now on a machine. She snores worse than my dad did.

I just get elbowed a lot, myself. And my wife does occasionally prefer the couch...

[PatMarlin]

That's what I don't understant...

Why now the big problem, when since time there were no CPAP machines? Is there a genetic tic that kicked in sometime and God messed up on the design plans and forgot to cover it?

Should he annouce a recall?... :mrgreen:

I've always been a shallow breather with low blood pressure, plus I've had my nose busted in fights and have had a harder time breathing at night,.

[mroliver77]

My nose was broken a couple times in fights and was so full of cysts, puss bags and whatever I was sick quite a lot. I had the Roto Rooter surgery and you are not being lied to about the discomfort while healing. When the packing was pulled out I thought my neck would be (more) damaged! How they got a bed sheet up each nostril I will never know. It hurt coming out an bled like a stuck pig! There were a half dozen med students watching and one girlie asked me if it hurt. All I can say is that I am USUALLY a gentleman.
Jay

[troy_mclure]

my doc just referred me to an ENT. thinks i may have cysts or polyps in my nasal cavities as well.

ill find out tomorrow.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I had nasal surgery on Tues. Deviated septum, turbinates, septoplasty. I was in surgery for 1 1/2 hours. That was the cake walk part. I had a big honkin headache from the anesthesia. The main problem I am having is that the sinus is completely clogged. This causes me to only be able to sleep an hour at most. When I wake up it feels like I was drinking sand. It should start to get better in the next day or so. I had sinus infections on and off for years. This past year I just couldn't get rid of them and that is why I got the surgery. Glad I did.

[Greenhorn44]

Brothers,
Im 8 days out of surgery and it was a nightmare. Surgery was tuesday t 12;30 it lasted 2 and a half hours. I received pain medicine two times in the form of tylenol 3 liquid. over the coarse of 8 hours.... pissed... you bet.
I bout came outta that hospital bed I tell ya. After my wife chewed out the night nurse, she finaly came in and asked for my pain scale. 9, I said in tears. She tells me that popsicles and ice is all she can give me doctors orders.....
Ohhh, we called the doctor, a good friend of the family. May I speak to her? he asked.
We handed the phone over to her and she turned white.
She found out real quick that there was multiple surgerys.
She jumped up gave me morphine and after 8 hours of feeling like my face was packed with pepper..... I was able to tell my wife I still luv her:)
The kicker is this is one of the hospitals I donate video libraries too. So im what you would call a V.I.P. they put me in a hospital suite so my wife had a room all to herself.
Yup, that nurse didnt know my parents name was on the front of the hospital, and after her night of shennanigans, by morning the hospital director and head nurse was in my room with me, our doctor, my mother and my loving wife. And we had a wonderful chat about the night of my surgery.
The way I look at it... yes, I was under alot of pain for a long while... but. Obviously this nurse had lost her passion about her profession. And just maybe, this was Gods way of giving her a wake-up call before she really done herself damage and someone died under her neglected care?
Well if im the puppet... So be it. Im healing well, and fast. Quickest the Doc has ever seen. Im his new "Poster Child" and better yet...No one died:) But I dont think she works there anymore.
Doc says 4 more days and im free!!! Thanks for all your suggestions guys, They really helped. I used them all.
And, I thank you with all my god fearing heart for all your prayers. Its amazing what the power of prayer can do for a man.
And I cant wait to get back to casting. Git'r'Dun.

[SciFiJim]

Greenhorn,
Glad to hear that you are feeling better. It only gets better from here. I've been wondering how things turned out. I can truly sympathize with your pain. I too, had to use morphine syrup after surgery.

I am also glad that a wake up call was given without someone having to die to give it.