On 4/7/05 1:13 PM, in article r05b51t107h0j1ujb07n04hn2m2b0epq1r@4ax.com,

My nosebleed patients do better on antibiotic, either systemic or topical.

Well, here's the final update. My ENT's partner finally managed to
argue with my insurance and get approval to operate. The problem was
that I work for a large university, and my insurance plan pretty much
covers the usage of university facilities and affiliated doctors. While
my ENT is set up to work out of the university, his partner is not. So,
someone at the surgery center yesterday apparently knew someone at the
university's insurance department and got them to approve it after
explaining the situation.

I was leery of going for another operation, but it had gotten to the
point where I could not stand up without having a nosebleed, so it
seemed apparent it was not going to just stop. The procedure was quick,
only about 20 minutes. I was under full general anesthesia but since it
was so short I woke up quickly and easily. The ENT said that when he
went in, he found a damaged vessel WAY back in the nose. He said he
could see it pulsating and leaking and in his 20 years of practice he
has never seen a nosebleed originate that far back in the nose. He said
it was good that he worked me into his schedule because no packing
would have stopped it and given the size and location, it would not
have healed on it's own. It's never good when the ENT tells you he's
never seen anything like that before...

So, since the operating there has been no more bleeding, which I'm
thankful for. I can live with a few nosebleeds, but when you are
getting 3-4 bad ones a day with constant drippage and a good surge
every time you stand, it's hard. I wasn't in danger of bleeding to
death, true, but the ER doctors just treated me like I was just another
person with a nosebleed who go too freaked out. Given what the ENT said
after the surgery, this was not the case and I should have gotten more
help at the ER than I did. I'm extremely happy that the ENT understood
all this, understood that there's no point in making me bleed more than
I had too, and understood that if the packing wasn't helping and I had
no previous problems with bleeding that I should really get some more
help ASAP. I'm guessing with *most* cases of noseblleds after surgery
it's really not a big deal and will stop, but it sounds like I was the
exception and the ENT at the hospital didn't bother to consider that I
might be.

Ah well, it's all hopefully over now. I've lost 14 pounds in the past
week and swallowed enough blood to make my stool black, but last night
I finally ate a full solid dinner and slept through the night, so I
feel better than I have since the surgery. The other benefit is that I
think all the clotted blood up there was really stuffing me up, after
the surgery yesterday I can actually breath through my nose for the
first time since the original surgery. YAY.