Well, I do have a significant nasal valve collapse on the right, with both the internal and external collapsed. In fact it has been this way to some extent since the surgery, just worse now. The left may have a valve collapse as well, I do feel my nose pinch. BUT, at the same time, my "lower nose" as I call it is open and air can penetrate to the back and up a bit. I just can't figure out the sensation. Well, air goes in my lungs at any rate. So, I know something happens.

So, I think my upper nose and valve collapse make it hard to breath, but there is a large open feeling in other ways. I don't mind breathing to my upper lung with this arrangement, so long as I can breathe through my nose. But that is not always the case. I am convinced that things are still changing. Just don't know for the better or worse.

I have pulled my face and nose every which way to "fix" it. Using nasal cones, breathe  right strips, just sitting holding my face, etc. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. It is like shifting sands as I describe it.

Just when I think I have a "routine" figured out, things change. I just want a little bit of reliability. Sometimes I use the saline, it clears me, sometimes not; sometimes the cool mist helps, other times not, or makes it worse. The oils and bacitracin, same thing - sometimes they help a lot in opening my up in a better way.

Sometimes when I am really dry  my nose feels like it is shriveled ( it hurts) in the AM sometimes, I get an artificial resistance because my nose is so narrow. This makes me happy, because I can "breathe". But, the tightness and pain in tissues when the air hits them is not great.

I have been able to sleep (though fitfully) for the last few months, but now I feel that my nose is not cooperating. Breathing through my nose while sleeping is paramount.

I guess my DR's advice not to intervene with the nasal valves is the correct way to go?  I wonder how an ENS specialist can evaluate me when I am so messed up in other ways.

I feel frustrated because I can't describe it as I want to .

PS I do think that the moisturizing helps with sensation, I do think that parts of my nose feel more than they did, just not the "lower nose" or that weird space where air travels over the turbinate. I guess that is what I am not feeling?