Three visits to the doctor (yes, after more than five years, we finally have a family doctor 20 minutes from our home!). Please note, in the event my membership in the manly-men club is revoked, two of those visits were not my idea – step forward and take a bow, TLATO! Anyway, two prescriptions for antibiotics later and this thing continues to linger and work its evil within all eight sinus cavities – on occasion with remarkable independence yet often in a concerted no-holds barred all-out sinus attack.
I've suffered with chronic sinusitis most of my adult life. I've endured surgery, scrapings and flushing but still, after each cold, I become a candidate for pain due to serious sinus infections.
Last weekend, in desperation, I took matters into my own hands and went to our local drug store and purchased a Neti Pot.
This “miraculously simple” (not my description) medicine cabinet item has been featured on Oprah, and friend, Val had been swearing by it, so…
Essentially, this “thing” delivers warm water and a “patented” blend of “99.9% pure - and preservative free sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate mixture” – most folks would refer to this as salt.
A Neti Pot is filled with warm, slightly salted water and the spout of the pot is inserted into one nostril. The position of the head and pot are adjusted to allow the water to flow out of the other nostril. OK. Stick spout in nose, and pour. “They” then go on to state…
“The technique is not as uncomfortable or difficult as you may think at first. You will be pleasantly surprised at this simple and effective practice for maintaining your health. Once learnt, Neti (amazing, 15 minutes of fame and an adjective becomes a verb) can be done in about three minutes and is easily integrated into a daily routine of body cleansing such as showering or brushing your teeth.”
Still with me?
For three days, I followed this procedure to the letter, twice a day.
Did it help? Well, in truth, like “they” said, it did not hurt. I did learn however, due to major chronic blockage in my left nasal passage, performing over a sink wearing clothes you would be placing into a laundry hamper immediately after was the best idea – warm salty water, snot and mucous on a crisply laundered French-cuffed shirt is not a positive fashion statement.
I did notice after about the fourth “treatment” that the spout of the pot had a vaguely familiar look to it. Albeit it was blue and plastic. It was, to me, quite phallic in nature.
My new health and wellness regimen involved sticking a warm blue and unyielding appendage up my nose. From out of nowhere, the school-yard epithet “dick face” resonated… on the inside.
Perhaps a consult with an ENT specialist would be preferable?
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