Microscope up my Nose

I was examined by the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist this afternoon because I have been having pain in the area around my trach. He used a bronchoscope to examine me. I referred to it as having a "microscope up my nose"



The doctor started by shooting freezing spray up my nose, into my trach, and all around my neck area. The bronchoscope is like a microscope with a long thin fibreoptic tube. He was very thorough in examining with the scope into my trach all the way down my airway (trachea) to the connections to the lungs. Then came the "fun" part. He put the scope up my nose like in the picture. The tube went up through my sinuses around and down past and tonsils and through my vocal cords back down to the airway to my lungs.

There were two student nurses watching the doctor and they had to take turns looking into the scope as the doctor examined each part. Elaine had her turn too. I should have been charging admission! I surprised one of the nurses when I talked while she was looking at my vocal chords with the scope tube down between them. (By the way talking with frozen vocal chords is strange.)

The good news is the doctor did not find any serious problems. He said I have "peristoma granuloma and neuroma." In simple terms I have a sore spot with a bundle of nerve endings in my neck opening (stoma) that the trach tube rubs against. He wants to put me on a waiting list for surgery to repair this. He says it is not urgent so it could be 1 to 3 months. I am in no rush and I am trusting this will be healed up before any surgery is needed.

All in all having a microscope up my nose wasn't that bad. Doctors have a lot worse places they can put scopes.