San Francisco

Austin, Gianna and I drove up to San Francisco Sunday night for me to visit the California Sinus Centers and Dr. Winston Vaughn (one of the top sinus doctors in the field right now). I had my appointment Monday at 2:15pm but we drove up Sunday night so Gianna wouldn't have to be in the car for 6 hours in one day!

Monday morning we went to a Gymboree Play and Music center since we were missing our normal gymnastics class at home. We all had so much fun there! I really wish there was one closer to us here in SLO, it is really geared towards her age and what she can do now. We even came home with a bubble kit from them, this is the coolest thing ever! The bubbles are actually made of sugar so they are non-toxic and they stick around forever!

We then went to Bucca di Beppo for lunch. It was really crazy because when we first walked in you were in the kitchen!
After lunch we went to my appointment and can I just say, this was the most efficient doctors office I have ever been to! We checked in and within 2 minutes I was back for a CT scan. That took 5 minutes then I was out, waited another 2 minutes and we were into a room. I then talked in length with the doctors nurse practitioner about my sinus history, and then, saw him. THE doctor. It was crazy. He had an entourage. Not only did the nurse practitioner stay in to hear and help but he also had an assistant in the room. We reviewed my CT scans. He then did an endoscopy on my right there in the office and Austin and I were both able to watch it! I watched with these cool glasses that allowed me to see everything like I was watching tv, and Austin actually watched the insides of my sinuses on a big screen tv.

Thankfully he is not "pro-surgery" unless it is absolutely needed, and he had some very inovative treatment options for me which I started last night. So we will see. He only gave me a 30% chance of having to have sinus surgery #5 (1 and 2 were in 1990, 3 was in 2004 and 4 was in 2005) so I am very optimistic that these treatments are going to help.

The only bummer from the whole visit was the next time I get a sinus infection, we get to drive all the way back so they can take a culture of what bacteria is actually growing up there. It really isn't a bummer that they are going to actually start figuring out what is going on with me, it is a bummer that we have to drive the 3 1/2 hours one way to go back!

So here's to another adventure up in the bay area!