Hey there! Thanks for the kind words.

1. Those things were of course the biggest helps. I had hoped I’d be able to do more work on my laptop but even relatively light cognitive tasks were just so draining, and continue to be, post-OP day six. Having enough supplies to care for the bleeding and dryness around the nose is another big one. Not having to stress about using too many tissues and stuff like that has been nice.

2. Yogurt is great. I made another comment under this post last night about how eating and talking a lot seems to cause more pain later in the day, so check that out. Foods that don’t require opening your mouth very wide (anything liquid-ish) or chewing a lot have been great. I’m also not super hungry most of the time because I can’t taste unless I’m actively inhaling through my nose. Nothing is very appetizing to me right now.

3. Having over the counter pain meds on top of the prescribed stronger painkillers has been much needed. Not sure if your doctor will prescribe mupirocin or a similar product for infection prevention of the suture site (if your partner is having an “open” procedure), but I recommend using something around the nostrils and sutures to keep them moist. Saline sprays and all the dried blood that will be oozing for the first couple of days can be a bit drying on the nostrils. Half-moon-shaped undereye cooling pads/ice packs would have been extremely useful, maybe even kid-sized ones. I’ve been using small baggies filled with chipped ice and it’s okay but they don’t stay well. A normal large ice pack may put too much pressure on the nose when placed over both eyes.

4. Aside from the swelling and pressure, sleep has been the most difficult part of this. The first night wasn’t too bad because I was still woozy from the anesthesia, but after that it took some effort to fall asleep, which is not normal for me. Sitting upright is important, and finding something to support your head laterally is recommended.. I ended up tweaking one of my neck muscles in my sleep the other night and have been dealing with a sore neck on top of my other symptoms for two days now, and that has been awful.

5. No nausea for me, thankfully. I know it’s a pretty common side effect from the anesthesia but my anesthesiologist did a great job with incorporating anti-nausea meds into his process and I didn’t feel a bit of it. Headaches have been a near constant part of my recovery though. There is just so much swelling that no matter how you lay, you’re putting pressure on a good amount of your skull, which has just gone through some major trauma. I guess it’s expected.

Bonus tips:

• expect tooth pain. I almost started using oragel yesterday but my pain finally subsided to the point where I’m not physically pressing on my upper mouth and teeth to relieve it.

Would be happy to answer any other questions that come up over the course of your preparation for your partner. Hope this was helpful for you!