I started having a few more nerve firings on my palate around late June and I’d have occasional short ‘zaps’ up my face or deep inside my head. I read more about nerve recovery and learned that nerve regrowth and healing can result in unusual sensations. So, I did my best to keep on with all my healthy routines and try not to get into a downward emotional spiral.

I had a sore throat last week and was gradually becoming more congested. Two days ago, I went to see Dr. Javer for a follow-up appointment. He looked in my left naris (nostril) with the 2.7 mm scope and said it all looked good. Then he went into the right and saw some mucous that he suctioned out. He was able to see into my maxillary sinus and he noticed that it looked inflamed, so he sprayed in some antibiotic directly. Since then, my symptoms have improved a lot. I have another follow-up appointment in two months. It feels really great to be working with a doctor who cares. I am so fortunate.

Yesterday morning I went for the follow-up MRI at 6:00 am. It was 20 minutes and it was stress-free. The results will be available in about 10 days but I’ll have to wait for the neurologist to return from vacation next month.

Last night I did a nasal rinse and for the first time had the sensation of ‘water-up-the-nose’ on the right side. Since the surgery, I have only had that ‘water-up-the-nose’ sensation on the left side. Early this morning I blew my nose vigourously on both sides and cleared a lot of mucous.

A few years ago, I would have been cranky with a cold. Today I have a cold with minor nerve symptoms — I’ve been running around doing errands and chatting with people and feeling pretty happy. It’s all relative . . .

On Monday I was interviewed by a really nice woman from the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation. They will be writing up a feature about the Scotiabank charity walk and my motivation to raise funds for the Sinus Centre.

I have been seeing another physician for support as I deal with the emotional and psychological trauma of the past 26 months. He apologized to me on behalf of his colleagues for the poor treatment and neglect that I have experienced. He knows how fortunate I was to be able to have Dr. Javer diagnose me and perform the surgery, not only because he’s an outstanding surgeon — he’s also a fine human being. You don’t often hear doctors compliment each other in that way.

The MRI scheduling department called me on Wednesday to book an appointment. I returned the call yesterday (Thursday) and was able to get in on a just-received cancellation for Thursday, July 19. So, the first MRI took 10 months to complete and the follow-up will be done within two weeks. Go figure, eh?

This week I received some corrected reports from one physician from my hospital stay with the most egregious errors corrected but there are still some significant outstanding errors. Sigh.

I went to VGH to visit a friend today. While I was there, I decided to drop by my neurologist’s office on inquire about the length of time I should wait for the recommended follow-up MRI. His assistant opened the report and said that there was no recommendation for a follow up and she closed it. I told her to open it again and to read under “impressions” where the recommendation is clearly stated. She apologized and told me that she would let Dr. ___ know of my request.

When I got home, I decided to send copies of sinus surgery reports and images to the neurologist. By the end of the day, the request for a follow-up MRI had been sent in and I received a lab requisition for a serum creatinine test.

Do you think our system is broken? How do people navigate the system when they have difficulty with English or have trouble reading or trouble being assertive?