JesusA (imported) wrote: Sat Aug 11, 2012 7:25 pm
While the EA is gentler than a lot of sites, politics here might do bad things for B-3's blood pressure. Even over the aether I can see smoke rising from the ears of some of the members.....
Certainly Bob must care for his health. But I hugely miss him. Trying to demolish his arguments was the most fun I've had in a long time. Without him this place is kind of dull. I loved the impish way he had of provoking us liberals into frothing at our keyboards. I still have fantasies of him rising from his sickbed to gleefully return to the fray, like Charles Laughton in "Witness For the Prosecution."(with Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich and directed by my favorite director Billy Wilder, from a book by Agatha Christie)
Here's an update on yesterday's surgery and my improved prospects -
The operation on my throat was a great success, which is what I expected of the world renowned Dr. Peak Woo. He not only removed all the "granulation" and swelling in my throat, he also removed the tracheal stenosis. All my local doctors had said the stenosis (hardening and narrowing of the trachea) was forever, or at best that it might be removed at the cost of 2-3 reconstructive surgeries on my throat, with cartilage grafts from ribs, and no guarantee of success. Dr. Woo removed the stenosis without trouble. I guess all it takes is know-how. The vanities of the local doctors wouldn't let them admit that what they couldn't do was easy. I'm lucky to live near NYC with its great doctors.
Also good - I'm already breathing more easily, and the volume of mucous discharges and coughing is noticeably reduced. When healing is complete in about 2 weeks, improvement should be significant.
Dr. Woo kept the same size trach tube for the time. When I see him again in about a week, he may install a smaller size to prepare me for its eventual removal.
I still have to pass the hurdle of a Sleep Study, which I dread. Dr. Woo wants to see that my sleep apnea has lessened from severe to moderate before he removes the tube. I've read about a new apnea treatment called Provent. A small device is inserted in each nostril, and this somehow increases air pressure with much less discomfort than wearing a CPAP mask. I'll research this. Dr. Woo is not familiar, and says I should discuss it with a pulmonologist (the doctors who treat apnea).