March 2016 surgery buds

[jawa]

Cbrfoltz

Coffee stirrer, hah, dear god that is awful. Isn't it awful that a percentage of the population suffers through a constricted airway and it isn't more well known. A lot of people just look at me like I am making things up when I explain why I had this surgery. Many people don't even know they could have a much better experience in their own body if their airway was larger. Many people are suffering but don't know why. Before I was aware of my small airway I inherently knew something was wrong, but I couldn't pinpoint what. I think it caused me a great deal of anxiety. I am becoming very interested in the idea that a portion of people suffering from anxiety and depression have a legitimate physiological basis for the manifestation. I believe the small airway and the inability to breathe through my nose was the ONLY reason I had anxiety as a teen. How many people are diagnosed with depression when really they have sleep apnea and just desperately need a good restorative nights sleep.

I feel so much better. My quality of life is so much better. I am more calm. I think clearly. I am a better human! I noticed I socialize better too.

Also, so what is the ideal airway(area) again 300 millimeters squared? 3/4 of an inch is ideal diameter?

[snapdresser]

Snap,

After enlisting my husband to look closely at my nose and the dent, he's assured me that I'm just seeing residual swelling and that there is no dent. I knew going into my LeFort that my nose would be prone to puffing back up since those tissues were mightily disturbed not that long ago. Any manipulation of the area in the first 18 months post rhinoplasty = swelling. The work was just done on the area this past October, so I only had 5 months under my belt with the new nose. The LeFort definitely raised my tip slightly, which I was prepared for, and actually had the ENT/plastic surgeon account for when he was in there. (Didn't want a piggy nose, and I'm very very tall for a woman so too much upturn would mean a clear view directly up my nostrils). I'm thrilled with where it ended up. They did do the alar cinch during surgery to prevent excessive widening, but I can see that there's been some spread. Not bad, but some.

My out of pocket for the nasal work came to about $6k, for the pre-op appointments, surgery, facility fee, anesthesia, meds, etc. Total cost on my EOBs was close to $32k, but my nose was a disaster internally so there was a lot of reconstruction above and beyond your garden variety septoplasty.

Thanks for the info, MagnoliaMama! Good to hear about the dent too

[cbrfoltz]

JAWA,

Have you read "Sleep Interrupted?" If not, I highly recommend it. You can finish it in a night. You're going to see yourself over and over in the book.

The author definitely thinks that anxiety/depression are common to those with obstructed airways. And, ADD/ADHD, Infertility, I can't remember what all else, but there are a whole lot of things in common.

I wish that I'd known about this whole part of the equation sooner, but the science hadn't caught up. I feel a little late to be starting at 55. I was a competitive runner in high school, in the 70's. I had a lot of All American's on my team (top 3 in the nation). I could train with them, but never push myself like they did when you're giving it everything in a race situation. It was always my breathing that held me back. Now I wonder, "what kind of times could I have run?"

I'm totally with you on the anxiety/depression. My panic attacks have all been over breathing. Except one, and that was just post-op, so I was wonky with the anesthesia.

I also know what you mean about people not getting it that you're doing this. People look at me and say, "you look fine!" They can't imagine why I would willingly undergo such a procedure. But, the last 12 months, I've gotten more and more debilitated. I want to be able to walk. I want to be able to run 5K's, I know that if I don't get this done, diabetes is next, and being disabled. I can't do that. Even one of the world famous surgeons told me that just looking at me, there was no way he'd do surgery, but when he saw my sleep study, he felt like I'd "earned" it.

As for the airway, the 300mm2 being "normal" is still being debated, but if my math is correct, that's about 3/4" across. But, one of my many dentists reminds me that it's not a circle, it's an irregularly shaped area. He said, that you want to think of it like a garden hose with a kink in it. How much can the hose be restricted and still work? That's where they get the 150mm2 which is about 1/2" across. So, my hose lets water through an opening about 1/8" across. I can tell that it's not enough, but the surgeons don't agree yet what normal is, and which test to use to determine your airway. All the famous surgeons I saw were impressed with my 15mm2 airway on a CBCT, they said "yep, it looks pretty blocked there." But then they want to do another test called a lateral Ceph, with the deals in your ears, to determine your volume. Either way, in the end, I guess it doesn't matter which test they use, they're going to give me a bigger airway, and I can't wait!!

Mom and I leave next Tuesday, I've got everything on my list except a few items. Getting very excited now.

Claire

[ToniMaree]

Hi everyone, new to thw board. I had SARPE/SARME surgery as well as all 4 wisdom teeth extracted on March 18. Feeling much better now but the swelling in the top lip/nose area has yet to fully go down. Gap is at 9mm and i see the ortho on Monday.

[MagnoliaMama]

Out, out, damn splint! I'm free!!! 5 weeks and 3 days with that funky splint in my mouth!

Removal was totally pain free and the feeling of teeth on teeth for the first time in my life is pretty freaking exciting! I'm on my way from the OMFS to the ortho now, then I'll be trying out my new chompers on a crabcake this evening.

I'm feeling on top of the world right now.