Biquette's 2022 Christmas card and good news!

[elagache]

Dear WeatherCat faithful,

Well here we are, two days before Christmas.  With all that was going on, I hadn't planned on making a Biquette card.  However, in mid-November I reconsidered.  While going through old photos of Biquette I ended up finding a sequence that captured my year and what I was feeling at the time:



It is very hard to describe the experience of the facial surgeries that I have gone though.  Beyond the suffering and misery is the feeling of violation: Will I ever feel like a normal human being again?

Nonetheless, this story may yet have a happy ending.  After struggling with breathing throughout this year-long ordeal, I had a 7th surgery on my nose last Friday (December 16th.)  This surgery worked on both sides of my nose at once.  The skin graft on the left side was thinned to open up the nostril on that side.  There was some scar tissue on the right side that was acting as a valve flap which was removed at the same time.

The surgery itself was hard and the first few days were difficult.  However this past Wednesday, I had the stitches removed. At the same time, stints that were inserted to support the each nostril while they were healing were also removed.  All of a sudden I could breathe again!  I have to be careful to make sure no new scar tissue is formed that would block the nostrils once more.  However 7 days after the surgery, it is looking like the end of the this ordeal might be finally within reach!

Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers during this very long year!

Edouard

[Weatheraardvark]

I hope you feel better.   by the way, those were not "stints"  they are called "stents"  Sorry I am married to a college English professor for the past 45 years. and yes, she has been known to correct signs in stores.

[xairbusdriver]

Thanks for the updates, Edouard! Looks like you can smell the odors at the end of the tunnel. er. . . something like that. It’s so cold here the ISS only sends data every 20 minutes!

[Blicj11]

Great news Edouard. I am really happy for you.

To the rest of you WeatherCatters around the world, I wish you a sincere Merry Christmas and let's hope the New Year is an improvement on the old one.

[elagache]

Thanks Weatheraardvark, X-Air, and Blick for your well wishes!

By the way, those were not "stints"  they are called "stents" 

Actually, thank you very much!  I suspected I was misspelling the word, but couldn't think of an easy way to find the correct spelling.

To the rest of you WeatherCatters around the world, I wish you a sincere Merry Christmas

x2!!

let's hope the New Year is an improvement on the old one.

I suppose we can all hope for that, but better still, perhaps we all should hope in a really BIG way and aim instead directly for the Second Coming!!

Cheers, Edouard 

[Steve]

I’m glad to read that things are looking up, Edouard! 

Stay warm, everyone, and enjoy your holidays

[elagache]

Dear WeatherCat faithful,

Sorry to have not kept folks informed but I have been dragging since the surgery of December 16th.  I'm still having considerable difficulty breathing through my nose.  It did appear to be getting worse even.  Back on March 1st, I sent to see the reconstructive surgeon because I was still bringing up bits of blood from my nose.  Sadly, the scar tissue that was removed in the surgery of December 16th had reformed because the stint in the right nostril was removed too early.  So that is the explanation for the worsening breathing on that side.  The skin graft on the left side continues to be very restrictive.

So in a clear about face, the surgeon decided to try one more time to improve my breathing in both nostrils.  However, his success has resulted in him being seriously backlogged.  The earliest surgery date that was available was April 21st.  Well, time has gone by and the 21st is this Friday.  This time, the stints will be left in for 2-3 weeks to make sure the scar tissue on the right side doesn't form again.

Of course I'm not very happy about this, but I really have no choice.  I simply cannot breath very well at this point and I'm putting saline almost hourly to keep my nostrils open.  I really need to at least get the right nostril working more normally.

Assuming nothing goes wrong, this would have to be the last surgery.  Whatever the results, I'll have to live with it.  Still, definitely not looking forward to going under the knife for an 8th time.

I would appreciate your positive thoughts and prayers as Friday closes in.

Thanks for your support.

Edouard

[xairbusdriver]

You are on my list. Seems to be a lot of prayer needs this year. Apparently, I'm not the only one getting older!!

I did get a good report from my cardiologist last week. I guess my cramming for the tests helped!!

[Blicj11]

Edouard, thanks for the update. This has been a terrible ordeal for you. Let's hope tomorrow goes well! You are in my prayers.

[elagache]

Thanks X-Air and Blick for the prayers and well wishes,

This procedure isn't exactly starting off on the right foot.  CVS botched the COVID test so I barely got the results to the surgery center on time.  Then at 2pm this afternoon the surgery center decided to move my start time tomorrow from 10:45 to 6am!  Fortunately, I was able to adjust my transportation, but that's asking a lot of a patient on such short notice!  At least I won't have to fast for as long.

Thanks again,

Edouard

[xairbusdriver]

6am there is not so bad. That would be 8am here.

[Blicj11]

Fortunately, I was able to adjust my transportation, but that's asking a lot of a patient on such short notice!  At least I won't have to fast for as long.

At this point, you take any good news you can get. Hang in there.

[WCDev]

Good luck with it Edouard!

[elagache]

Dear X-Air, Blick, Stu and WeatherCat faithful,

Thanks for the prayers and good wishes.  This surgery went considerably better than the December one.  No problems with nausea from the anesthesia and last night wasn't as tough as the first night after the December surgery.  The plastic surgeon succeeded in opening up left nostril where the skin graft is.  That turns out to be especially appreciated since he had to block the right nostril in order make sure the scar tissue that he removed doesn't form once more.

All in all, I'm in as good a shape as can be expected from this sort of surgery.  The situation looks promising after a day.  It is hopefully onward and upward from here.

Thanks for your support!

Edouard

[xairbusdriver]

"It is hopefully onward and upward from here." Usually said after a takeoff from what we called a runway in the jungles of 'Nam!