WITHOUT A NOSE

I have always had a stuffy nose - as long as i can remember. My smell has never been the best. However just a few days ago i was like WHAT? Having a laryngectomy infringes on your ability to smell???? Think about it. the air doesn't go through your nose and mouth anymore so its hard to get a whiff of things. Is this natures way of not making me lust for chocolate chip cookies or just another cruel twist of fate.

I've been reading and there are some techniques in for capturing some air (blowing a fan up my nose?) called 'polite yawning' that i can try out once i'm a bit more healed and can actually pivot my head on top of my neck. Lovely. I will get back with you on that one.

Today is just 2 weeks post surgery so i know i have to be patient, but my neck and lower cheeks are still blown up like a balloon. It feels like someone took an inflatable tire around my neck and is continually squeezing it. Not fun. I can move my neck about 10 degrees in any direction. It's funny but that feels like more of an impediment in walking than the 14" scar on my left thigh.

ANOTHER thing about my nose. Well it's disconnected from my airway now, so that means i can't 'blow' it. Doctor gave me the all clear to use some saline spray in it so that will be this afternoons adventure. I'm a little nervous. I mean the water would just go down into my stomach i guess but its odd to have your systems start working differently, hard to know what to expect from them. Every once in a while i get some gurgling sound that seems to be in my nose/mouth cavity is it coming from my stomach?...let's hope that passes in time...AWKWARD!!!!