Nosebleed - Deaftones

My-oh-my, that was a weekend to remember. Probably the worst weekend of my life, trumping GBS and previous surgeries many times over. Yes, I had Septoplasty Surgery on my nose on Friday morning.

Septoplasty is a corrective surgical procedure done to straighten a deviated nasal septum – the nasal septum being the partition between the two nasal cavities. Ideally, the septum should run down the centre of the nose. When it deviates into one of the cavities, it narrows that cavity and impedes airflow. My deviated nasal septum or ‘crooked’ internal nose occurred when I was 14 or so when I face-planted the gym-floor during a basketball match at school. My facial injuries were then topped by a direct whack on the bridge of my nose with a very hard basketball later in the game. It's apparently the reason why I'm partially deaf.

Well I only just had the surgery, as I nearly copped out of the procedure at the last moment when my surgeon told me of the ‘two weeks of post operative misery’ (his words) I'd have to endure and alsothat I wouldn’t be able to run, bathe or drink tea for the foreseeable future. Add to that the blocked nose and chances of failure and the 48 years I'd endured septum displacement option.

However, I did have the pressure of 40+ people in my Coleman Coaching WhatsApp Group cheering me on. Failure in that environment would be ridiculed severely and it’s only the thought of that plus a good talking to from my wife Jen, that got me calm enough to get on the theatre slab, well that and some Temazepam.

How was the surgery? 

It’s the worst thing I’ve ever made my body experience - I did have to choose to do this. Coming out of the anaesthetic with a nose that felt like it’s been pummelled by a very angry bare-knuckled Mike Tyson will hopefully give you some notion of the level of pain I endured. The nasal-pain went well past eleven along with the amount of times I said ‘Fuck!’ FUCK it hurt!!!

Maybe it would have been better if I’d read the small print about what the operation would actually be like but like most big picture thinkers, I just thought the less I knew, the easier it would be. However, 48 hours on and I'm a whole lot better than I thought I’d be and I’m off the drugs, drinking tea and have enjoyed a couple of baths without any of the expected complications.

I’m very grateful to have such a wonderful wife that nursed me (again) when the going got tough, and her wise words were needed to point me in the direction. Add some amazingly supportive messages from my friends and clients and the world is a much brighter place than it was on Friday.

Will I smell any better? Let’s hope so eh? Will I hear any better? Well only time will tell.

I am glad I did it. And I hope that if you are ever in a similar situation, you’ll man up and take the plunge into the world of the unknown. It's always a good gauge of how tough you really are I've found.

1,178 Marathons - 276 Ultras - 9 GWR - 16 MDS - One Nose