It started with Adam. For several years, every New Year’s Eve, we had a tradition to make “Top 5” lists and recount the adventures and drama of the last 365 days before the year closed. Each person could name a category, and, considering the contributors, it got pretty creative.
So, it was funny to me this weekend when the surgeon walked into Joel’s hospital room after his “routine out-patient nose surgery” turned into a hospital admission/call-their-family-doctor fiasco for 30 hours. She said, “Well, Joel, I’d say you fall into my ‘Top 5 Nastiest Noses’ category. I’ve done a lot of nose surgeries and I won’t give you the number one slot, but I’d say you could probably slide in there in second place.”
We’d been so excited when the ENT doctor thought she’d discovered the secret, not only to Joel’s breathing/sleeping problems, but also his migraines! She made the surgery sound so easy. But, after a rather scary reaction to the anesthesia and recovery with cotton stuffed up both sides of his nose for three days, we’ve realized we might have been a little optimistic.
Looking back, we smile at how light-hearted we entered the OR prep room, laughing and making jokes. Those nurses must have known and smirked at our smugness that was about to be stripped away, after two hours on the table.
Don’t worry. No Michael Jackson look here. Most of the drilling, hammering and burning was done all the way back near his throat! (yuck!) So, why rush into surgery when we’ve already had a crazy month? Well, imagine not sleeping a full night for years and years and then someone hands you an opportunity to get some rest. Maybe it was the oxygen-deprived delirium, but the pain seemed worth it. And getting ready to head out on a major video shoot, we both dreaded the almost inevitable migraine that comes with the long plane rides. Now we know the change in altitude/cabin pressure caused part of Joel’s bone to sit on a nerve ending when we’d travel. He’s hoping this helps a lot with that. And I’m hoping to not have to shoot the first couple days alone.
And we’re both hoping this production makes it into our “Top 5 Videos We Produced in Our Lifetime” category!
Again, we’re optimistic.
End of post.
——————————
This is the bonus material.
Sarah, Terri, Stacie, Mark & Melissa, Lisa, and all the rest of you medical wonders who enjoy grossing us out on occasion — this one’s for you. The rest of you, DO NOT WATCH THIS; it is nasty, disgusting and will keep you awake at night. I’m warning you, you don’t want to see this: