Fixing It
February 14th, 2008I am currently waiting to have a CT scan of my sinus area. I’m only nervous about this because my dad died from a brain tumor. My doctor assured me that brain tumors are not hereditary, but I’m still worried.
I think I am also going to see an allergist and get tested. Our house was home to a cat with the previous owners and maybe that is contributing to all of the illness.
If I can get digital copies of the CT scan, I might post some images.
Happy Valentines Day, internet. o
UPDATE: Enlarged Middle turbinate. Treatment will be Nasonex, but I’ve been using it wrong… for years. ENT also suggested that ear pressure is from my jaw popping. Heat and mouth exercises as well as anti-inflammatories. We shall see.
Tags: ct scan, sinus, trying not to freak
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February 14th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Sending best wishes your way.
My father deals with chronic sinusistis and they recently found he just has some abnormal growth up there. Nothing cancerous, but they believe that once they surgically take it out, he won’t have issues anymore.
As for a netti pot, I use one and love it. Yes, it sounds gross. And it’s a bit uncomfortable to get used to. But it works.
February 14th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
My husband suffered for years for sinus infection & ear infections. He also had a large cyst (non-cancerous) removed and his sinuses roto-rootered (I know it sounds horrible) and it’s like living with a new person.
Oprah & Dr. Oz had the Netti Pots on a few weeks ago, might be worth looking into.
GOOD LUCK!
February 14th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I used be a CT tech at a small hospital — unless your doctor ordered a CT of both your brain and sinuses, they will most likely not take any images of your brain. And, like others have said, most places can give you copies of your study on a CD-ROM — depending on their policy.
Other than that, the only thing I can tell you is that the study itself will most likely take all of 5 to 10 minutes, you will probably have to lie in a pretty uncomfortable position, and it won’t hurt.
Best of luck, hope you get some answers from it.
February 14th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Hoping your visit will bring you relief. Sending good vibes your way.
February 14th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I had to have a head CD and contrast MRI for left-side facial numbness and different-sized pupils. The diagnosis? Migraine. Here’s hoping for a similarly treatable and unscary result. Be well.
February 14th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
i am going for an MRI soon because of some excessive headaches, unexplained weight loss & fatigue. i’m a little nervous too….but probably because i’m a little addicted to webmd and have convinced myself that i have malaria, Lou Gehrig’s and club foot.
good luck & happy vday
February 14th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
GoGo, NeilMed is wayyyyyyy easier than the Neti. No yoga necessary.
February 14th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Hey John!
I just wanted to let you know I got a CT scan of my sinuses after 15 months straight of sinus/ear infections and it turned out I had polyps in my sinus cavities. They were easily removed with out patient surgery. I was off my feet for all of two days, but I also had a deviated septum fixed at the same time. It sounds like you have similar problems with the constant ear/sinus issues. I wouldn’t worry too much. After my surgery I felt great! I could breath and smell and my ears were no longer in pain. Most of all I haven’t had a sinus/ear infection in over 3 years! HURRAH! Good luck with all that.
February 14th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Freak not! I too had to go to the doctor for some tests and as always, left feeling faintly ridiculous at the amount of stress I had put my body under worrying about the possible outcomes.
Watch some Flight of the Conchords for some light relief.
February 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Best of luck to you, Jon. I hope all goes well and that you are soon feeling much better.
And Dude… you are in the vast majority who hate doctors and most of all tests… I’m there with ya!
February 14th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
oh sure… blame it on cats. pffft!
Meow!
February 14th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Best wishes Jon. It could be so many other non-tumor related things, so it’s best to take it all in stride and get some answers.
You know, the cool thing with those CT scan images is that you can send them into a modeling agency labeled “head shots”. I was tempted to do that with the shots of my brain, but alas, I chickened out.
February 14th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!
February 14th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Good Luck and Happy Valentine’s Day Armstrong family.
February 14th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Good luck with your sinuses, Jon. We’ll all keep the positive thought waves going for you.
Of course, all I can think of right now is Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop: “It’s notta tumah!” I see that a previous commenter (Aimee) somehow resisted the urge, but I’m NOT that strong.
I had a benign tumor taken out of my neck about a year and a half ago, and I used the CT scan image for one hell of a rockin’ invitation to a Bon Voyage party for my tumor, which I had named Aloyisus. You can see it here:
http://greatdayinmaine.blogspot.com/2007/10/anniversary-of-my-aloysius-less-ness.html
Best wishes to you, Heather, Leta, Chuck, Coco, and Lou
February 14th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Good luck!
February 14th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Dude, if you have forced air HVAC, you need to get the furnace completely cleaned out, especially if you’re allergic to cats and there used to be one living there. A friend of mine is an HVAC guy and he tells stories about the crap hiding in the ducts that are especially harmful to those with allergies (tells about his own house that looked really clean but then when he cleaned out his ducts it was like pulling out a whole litter of cats). Being the clean freak family you are, you probably already cleaned it, but if not, give it a go. Good luck with the CT. Looking forward to seeing sections of your head.
February 14th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Interesting….I was going with some sort of infection. When this happened to me and I had to finally have a CT scan the left side of my face was filled with infection that wasn’t going anywhere no matter how many antibiotics they filled me with. Ended up having sinus surgery, having all the infection sucked out, my sinus passage widened and back to 100%.
Hope the new treatment gets you back to 100% soon!
February 14th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
What are the right and wrong ways to use Nasonex? (Besides the obvious, like sticking it in an orifice other than your nostril…)
February 14th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
“The turbinates are bony projections covered with thick mucosal tissues (harboring tremendous erectable capabilities, very much like the genitals)…”
so basically you have a boner in your nose.
February 14th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
@merkley???, exactly.
@Renee, instead of tilting your head way back and trying to get the spray as far back as possible, you tilt your head down like you are looking at the floor and point the spay toward your cheek while it’s up in the nostril and you spray it towards the wall of the nostril. Then you keep your head down for 30 seconds while your nose pulls the medicine through the tissue in your nose that needs the spray. The ENT doc showed me how. If you spray it and inhale it hard, most of the medicine goes down your throat and doesn’t get absorbed.
February 14th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
How do you use Nasonex wrong? Or should I ask what is the right way to use Nasonex? I have nasal passage and sinus issues and am curious if I am using it wrong too…
February 14th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I love that I asked the question you just answered! I didn’t notice there were two pages of comments - oh well.
My great news is that I’ve apparently been using Nasonex wrong for years too. Awesome!
February 14th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Wow, that article on enlarged turbinates was actually pretty darn entertaining. I had no idea that I had those flap things in my nose. Let alone that they get erect like a male part of anatomy (I bet you and Heather will get some giggles out of that!). What a thrill for us girls to know that. Yet another errogenous zone. Then the part about the importance of cilia and how the air we breathe in has to be humidified and warm and then the importance of being able to breath in and OUT properly. I liked the picture of the doctor widening the nose for an exam and the drawing where they color the area blue coming out of the nose. I will no longer take that obviously very important area of my body for granted.
Thanks….aren’t you glad you went to the doc?
February 14th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Sorry about the sinus issues, they suck.
But I actually came to tell you: You and Your Honda 928 (or whatever the hell it is) SUCK!
What are the signs of a heart attack? Numbness in the left arm? Or is that just from lifting shovel after shovel of wonderfully wet Utah snow. . .