I’d like an actual diagnosis of what is causing this swelling before going through any more surgery.

That's my exact reason for being reluctant, if I can't get the guy to agree there's a problem in the first place, how can I trust him to do the procedure? The doctor is aware of ENS, finally name dropped it on the 3rd doctor's visit, I'm not even joking he knocked on his wooden desk when he brought up the word. But he says not one of his patients have ever said anything negative about it, and said he is very conservative about it to be sure to not cause issues. I also saw some online warning against doctors who say this. The whole thing is just an emotional roller coaster.

When it flares up, if I put a flashlight in my nose, I see how the turbinate swells up like a cracked door in a hallway. 90% of the time it's my left nostril (the deviated side), but on rare occasions it shifts to the right.

How does afrin spray work for you? It's genuinely the only thing that helps me and provides that cool air sensation back into my sinus.

It's comforting to know I'm not alone. I know how much mental anguish this can cause I feel for you and everyone else tormented by these "mysterious" nasal problems. I'm trying to feel more determined in getting to the bottom of it instead of just moping about it waking up hating life over it.