I saw my ENT yesterday because I can tell my trachea is narrowing again.
Here's a photo - the blue lines show where there is growth on top of the trachea.
I should have taken a photo of last year's photo which showed some growth on just one side. Now it goes all the way around. He estimates I'm about 30% closed.
(I was 30% last time, but my symptoms were much worse (Darth Vader breathing) --
but those numbers are somewhat arbitrary.)
Right now doing daily tasks I don't notice it.
But as soon as I start exercising, I can't get enough air and have to cough away the phlegm
that builds up on the ridges of the stenosis.
He's got a new procedure he wants to try instead of surgery.
Using a flexible endoscope (up the nose and down the throat... I HATE that one!)
he visualizes the stenosis, then makes multiple steroid injections.
I do it once a month for four months.
He says it dissolves the scar tissue. Pretty cool.
The disappointing thing is I won't notice a difference until after two appointments,
and I can't get in until April. So I have to be patient until May.
And the endoscope. Yuck.
But in happy news, Dan is home!!!
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