This post is a tad graphic, so you may not want to read it.
I saw my nose doctor (otolaryngologist) on my trip to Dallas. Since 1984, I’ve had 7 or 8 surgeries for nasal polyps, the last one being in Jan 2000. Nasal polyps are small non cancerous growths in your sinuses. People that have asthma and allergies are at risk. I had both. If you don’t have the surgeries, you get lots of nice sinus infections.
I have two theories about them which are probably both bogus, but heh, this is my blog! The first theory is that I think I caused them. (The doctors tell me they are genetic.) I used to chew tobacco back when I was working summers in the oilfield. I was young and impressionable, and I thought it looked cool having a fat cheek and spitting all the time. I did this for a couple of years before I gave it up. The reason I bring this up, is because I always chewed in my left cheek. I got polyps about 7 years later in my LEFT sinuses.
Theory #2. Why are they apparently dormant now? I personally don’t think any of the surgeries (except the last one) got all of them out. The doctor I am using now, was the first one to actually get them all out. Of course, I don’t know this for a fact, but I do know that he was the first to do the top sinuses, (the ones behind my eyebrows, which are incredibly hard to get to.) I don’t think polyps have a chance of disappearing, if they aren’t totally removed.
Why am I discussing this? I don’t know. We all have our crosses to bear, and I thought I would share mine. Miraculously, my sinuses have been wide open for almost 4 years now and the polyps seem to be in remission. Even my doctor is surprised. He told me point blank a couple of years ago, that I would continue to get them, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. My allergies are also apparently gone. I credit both “miracles” to living in Tucson, and taking Flonase every day.
So I have a lot to be grateful for. As Daniel Dennett philosopher says, atheists want to thank someone for their good fortune, but they don’t believe in God, so who do they thank? He suggested thanking our lucky stars. So I do.
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