FESS and septoplasty recovery stories please!

[Elle18]

Hi everyone, I had FESS and a partial septoplasty 5 days ago with dissolvable packing and whilst it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting pain wise, I’m having pressure headaches around my temples/eyes, I can’t smell or taste a thing and I’m generally feeling a bit run down and poorly with it, especially in the evenings. I’ve also been told not to blow my nose for the first week, which is tough when everything feels blocked. I can breath through my nose now though but sinuses are still congested and I suspect swollen at this point.

Did anyone else have similar pressure or loss of smell/taste early on? How long did it take to improve?

Just looking for shared experiences and reassurance from those who’ve been through it as it’s all making me feel very anxious!
Thanks so much!

Hi I had it done last year and had a very severely deviated septum and a nose full of polyps. Hand on in there as breathing through my nose is amazing and not having the pressure around my eyes for years is great.

Lots of pressure whilst in recovery and I got through a lot of the saline nose wash stuff. I also bought so extra wads of bandages that elastic Ed around my ears as there was so much goo that came out for ages.

Enjoy this part where you can’t smell anything… DH told me it smelt like a morgue which I was offended by… until a while later when I started to smell it and couldn’t do anything about it! Hence the nasal rinse!

I would totally have it done again though if the polyps come back one day - although probably not 2 weeks before Xmas!

@BraOffPjsOn Thank you so much for this, that’s really reassuring to read.
The pressure headaches and loss of smell and taste are exactly what I’m struggling with right now, so it really helps to hear you went through the same and came out the other side.
How long did it take till it came back for you? I know it’s only day 5 but I’m so anxious it.
I’m not allowed to do nasal rinses yet, doc said after 2 weeks but it’s good to know that once I can, it helped you so much — and the smell bit did make me laugh!

It definitely took longer than I thought it would as I thought I’d rest for a couple of days and then be off to cafes and enjoying some time off. However, I was laid up for 2-3 weeks. I recommend sleeping upright with lots of pillows - the v pillow is good as well for the sofa.
I was off for 1.5 weeks before my kids broke up for Xmas and I thought that would be plenty but I was still so foggy and useless. After 3.5 weeks I was back to work and ok.
Have you got lots of support to look after you/kids?

I even woke myself up wondering who’s snoring was so bad but it was mine! It all gets better once the swelling and packing clears up.

I've had two septoplasties in 2004 and 2012, after I broke my nose AGAIN. There were a few other bits at the same time.
What you're describing is normal and goes after a couple of weeks. When it clears and you can breathe properly again, smell and taste come back more vibrant than you could have hoped for. I took ibuprofen for the head pressure, it helped a bit. Good luck with your recovery. And don't sneeze.

@BraOffPjsOn Thank you so much for this — it’s really helpful to hear an honest timeline. I definitely underestimated how wiped out I’d feel, but it’s reassuring to know the fog and pressure did clear for you.
Not being able to taste and smell are so annoying as at least if I could enjoy my food and snacks it would make the recovery nicer! I suppose at least I’m making all the healthy choices at the moment as I can’t taste it anyway!
I do have support with the kids, which I’m very grateful for.
I’ll try to be more patient with myself and let the swelling do its thing. So glad you’re doing so well now.

@TON618 Thank you so much — that’s really reassuring to hear, especially about smell and taste coming back properly. That’s definitely the part I’m finding most unsettling at the moment, so it really helps to know yours returned and even felt more vibrant!
The head pressure is tough too, so it’s good to know ibuprofen helped you a bit. I’ll also take the “don’t sneeze” advice very seriously!!

I had a septoplasty and polyps removed. It was a horrible experience (nurses and surgeons were great) and I was really surprised by how awful I felt in the recovery. It was SO worth it though, so hang in there. Have they given you the Neilmed rinse? It was so satisfying to use it and see all the dried clots coming out.

@Cosmication Thank you so much for sharing — I’m really sorry you had such a rough time with the recovery.
It’s genuinely reassuring to hear that it was still so worth it in the end.
I’m not allowed to start the rinses till I see the surgeon in 2 weeks but I honestly can’t wait!!
I can imagine how satisfying that must have been!

DH had his second septoplasty earlier this year. He definitely took longer to recover this time. He did end up taking a week off and worked from home the second week but he is self employed.

@weebarra Thank you, that’s really reassuring to hear. It’s been a bit up and down, but it helps to be reminded that recovery can take time. I felt a lot better yesterday and rubbish today so it’s very up and down.
Glad your husband is fine now.