Nose Cameras

The other day I tried to make an appointment with my old ENT, the one that I've been seeing since before vasculitis was even on the radar and I was a more innocent creature, only to be informed that they no longer accept my insurance. I hadn't even gotten a note from them! Because I am a nerdy character in a movie made sometime in the 40's or 50's my response to this was to say "Well that's a fine how do you do!"

Thankfully, I did not say this out loud in the phone and instead asked if their office could recommend someone else to me so that I could be seen.

This led me to a new ENT and my first experience with the nose/throat camera thingy that's old hat to every other person with WG but was a wholly new experience for me.

In keeping with my old timey movie character, my old ENT tended to do things the old fashioned way. Like making me hold a tiny, lit light bulb in my mouth with the lights off. No, it wasn't something weird, it was to see my sinuses!

Anyway, this new ENT was training someone the day that I came in so she sat in while he shoved a little, flexible, and remote controlled camera up my nose.

Let me tell you, I've never had the experience of being embarrassed of what the inside of my body looks like but seeing my nasty looking, crusty inside of my nose on a tv in high definition while other people looked on certainly caused that.

It was a weird feeling, having the camera in my nose pushed back far enough that it had come out the back so we could see the inside of my trachea.

I wasn't nearly as embarrassed by my trachea. It wasn't as gross, just some swelling and irritation.

After the camera experience the doctor said he wanted me to have a CT of my sinuses as I hadn't had one of those in a while. While a CT wasn't in my plans for the day, I went down to the clinic basement and got it done. At least they were showing Pirates of the Caribbean while I was in the waiting room.

The appointment took over two hours and just about the time I was beginning to think that I was going to have to accept the fact that the clinic was my new home I was informed me that I have swelling in my trachea around my vocal chords and a sinus infection and sent home with a prescription.