Sticky Face

For over 25 years, I only used my nose for breathing out. If it was a little stuffy or clogged, it didn't make much difference to my breathing. Now that I have uses it both directions for a few years, the trouble of stuffiness has become an issue.

At night, I sleep completely on my side at about 90° to the bed. It's great for getting my back off the sheet for once, but my left side is also very difficult for breathing. I try to struggle to bring in air, but my nose is just too tight and I often end up on my back again. It's not very conducive to sleep and doesn't help with skin trouble either. Therefore, I talked to my ENT about it a few weeks ago.

He said two parts of the body of the body continue to grow with age, ears and nose tissue. I would also add lower abdomen, but this was new information to me. Investigating further, he noticed my nose looked fairly closed. It's likely due to not getting full use for so long, but that can't be changed. The doctor said I had two choices, extensive surgery, or try a breathe right.

Nose itching

I haven't added any surgeries to my extensive list lately, but opted to try the second option first. The first struggle was figuring out how to get them to stay in place. My night nurses would hold it in place tightly, but it kept popping off as soon as they let go. One tried rubbing the skin with an alcohol wipe, drying, and then applying the strip. Thankfully, this process worked for at part of the night. Therefore, in order to sleep, I now take 2-3 medications and also use alcohol every night.

Since I sleep with a pillow over my head, and on my side, the breathing aide frequently comes at least partially off during the night. While it's place though, it is much easier to breathe. When it comes off in the morning, my nose is left with glue on it. Even after washing, it doesn't fully come off until it wears off.

My nose is something I can feel very well, especially when it itches. Since I try to be as independent as possible, I frequently itch my nose by pushing my lip up either on my own or with my mouth stick. I noticed my lip kept feeling sticky though the last several days, but wasn't sure why. It finally dawned on me that it's likely coming from the glue residue on my nose. Such is the quad life, getting myself in sticky situations.

I have been attempting to wash more, and itch less, and it seems to be helping. I'm thankful for simple solutions and learning to adapt with changes. Next week will be another project from this doctor's visit, if my mouth isn't stuck shut.