Surgery in China!!!

Well, I never thought that would happen, but I've had surgery in China! I am ok - so no worries.

But, last Friday, after walking for about 3 hours in the Great Wall, we stopped to have lunch at a restaurant and I tripped going up some stairs - hit the bottom of my nose with full force. I have not broken any bone (thank goodness!) but have broken the cartilage in many places inside and at the end. I was about an hour and a half ride back into Beijing from the restaurant, with me trying to stay alert and keep an ice pack on my nose without causing myself further pain and misery. We just started with a new driver, Simon, and this was only his second day on the job! He did a great job driving as fast as he could and trying to take it slow over big bumps. The ER doc had to call in a specialist (the ENT doctor) and she did some really cool endoscopy up my nose, it was only cool to see on the screen - didn't exactly feel good! I was still bleeding 5 hours after the accident, so they needed to find the bleeding to stop it. They decided I needed to be put under and go into surgery so the ENT doc could examine it properly. I was very nervous, but going to sleep was rather easy. Anthony waited for about 1.5 hours till I was out of surgery. The doctor said there is a lot of damage to the cartilage and the bleeding was from one very large laceration in the nose - through the mucous membrane. She was not able to suture it due to the membrane - not sure why, but that's what she said - so she cauterized it - and another cut on the other side. I now have a badly deviated septum also. She said the surgery went well, but I will have to go back in about 2 months and have more surgery done to repair the cartilage. It was pretty swollen up - not up near my eyes, but the upper lip and nose area.

Fun, fun, fun :) Anthony said I looked like a different person, like a person from Whoville (in the Jim Carrey movie). Anthony, Ken and Carolyn were with me when it happened and were great helping out with the kids at home, along with the ayi. I went back on Monday for a checkup and for them to take out the "packing" they put up my nose. This packing made me feel like I had a sinus infection and was very uncomfortable. The doctor took it out, but there was still some bleeding, so more packing went back in - although not as much as before. I could actually breathe some air on one side of my nose. I go back again next week for another look to see how it's healing. It hurts quit a bit, and I can't really breathe through it yet. The swelling has gone done, I can actually smile now, and the bruising has set in - around my mouth and upper lip.

I saw my GP yesterday and she said I also have neck sprain - the front muscles in my neck along with some of my back muscles. Basically, I got whiplash from the fall. I also need to go to the dentist to have him check my front teeth and jaw. My teeth seem fine, they aren't lose, but the are a bit painful and my jaw hurts. So, I'll need to get that checked out also.