I'll huff and I'll puff

Remember the movie American Pie? Who could forget it! One of my clients just reference Stiffler today in session even, it’s a classic! Well, remember that line, “this one year at band camp?” Well, sorry to disappoint, but that is the furthest from my experience as a flute and piccolo player at band camp. I loved spending 8 hours a day for 2 full weeks playing with random kids from all over the county. Then at the end, all our families would gather and picnic at Oregon Ridge a we’d put on a huge concert. I loved playing and have many fond memories of it, but I knew I’d never go anywhere with it. I was never going to make a career out of it; I wasn’t utterly fabulous. I didn’t practice as often as teachers harp on you to and I didn’t have good lung capacity. I noticed that song after song.

See, with much sheet music, they place what appears to be a comma in strategic places every few bars. This indicates where the player can take a breath and not skip a beat, literally. I could never make it that long and would always sneak in a breath more often that noted. I also noticed that I struggled breathing with sports I played in high school, well lacrosse, not when I played golf.

Side note: As you are gathering, I was that “cool” kid! Band camp every summer - county and high school marching band camp – and the golf team. Thankfully, the braces were off by the time I made it to high school and I totally nerded out.

Any who, fast forward to 2007. I had graduated college 2 years ago and was living in Rockville, just outside of DC, with a roommate, that of course I found on Craigslist.

Side note: Yes, she did end up being a little crazy. And no I didn’t find that out until months after we moved in and after she graduated from the Montgomery County Police Department academy and I had been interviewed and give my endorsement for them to hire her. I definitely don’t keep in touch with her.

Ok, back to 2007, I meet with my PCP, who sends me to an allergist, and I find out that, thankfully or surprisingly, I’m allergic to nothing. Next I’m sent to an ENT in Fairfax who operates on my sinuses to, essentially, widen my nose.

My parents, who are ever fabulous and supportive, take off work for 2 days to care for me. I recall waking up in the recovery room of the surgical center and asking the nurse if someone had punched me in the face, ouch! All-in-all though, I didn’t feel too bad. As I became more and more alert, we got the ok that I could leave. Now, for those that are familiar with the drive from Fairfax, Virginia to Rockville, knows that a huge mall sits right in the middle, Tysons Corner. It’s massive! Once in the car, I was alert and begged my parents that we should go to the mall. I had energy and didn’t feel like going home to sit on the couch. Wisely, my parents declined. They did understand that I was hungry, darn doctors not letting you eat before surgeries, so we stopped at TGI Fridays in Rockville. My sister also met us. We order and just after the food arrived, the medicine I’d been given must have worn off. I crashed and crashed hard! The pain, the exhaustion, everything. I started crying right there and wanted to go home! Glad it was around the corner from my apartment and not at the mall.

The recovery wasn’t horrible, after 2-3 days I felt good and shortly after was back to my normal active lifestyle. Wait…I didn’t want to be back to my normal, I had signed up for a new normal. A new normal that involved more sweet, cool oxygen flowing with ease into my body. Hmmm….

By the time 2011-2012 comes along, I’m back to the doctors and a new ENT in Annapolis. This time, I have a surgery to repair my stenosis, my nostrils would collapse inward each breath I took, blocking oxygen from entering my body. Ok, cool. Makes sense. I should be able to breathe now, right? Sighhhhh, nope. Sinus surgery #2 and still at square 1. I take a good hiatus for a bit, but when we come back, boy does it get interesting.