Dr Jon's Braces journey

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#31 Post by **lionfish** » Tue May 22, 2007 3:32 pm

Really sorry to read about all this, Jon. Your orthodontic problems sound like the least of your worries at the moment.

I'm not sure I'd be in a hurry to chuck the job.

#32 Post by **Dr Jon Harrow** » Fri May 25, 2007 8:41 am

Hi everyone

Well its friday, the holiday weekend, and i have got a whole three days away from the hospital...that is as a patient, they have given me the weekend off, and at home, so i spent this morning in bed, got up and had a late breakfast, or is that early lunch, and am now catching up on mail, and this forum.
Thanks Lionfish, for your thoughts, i don't want to stop working, its the only way i can keeep registered, and that is essensial for all the other jobs and things i like to involve myself in., plus the cash comes in very handy for those essential items.
Im actually feeling a little better, well actually a lot better really, i ve got to see the gastroenterologist on tuesday, managed to bring the appointment forward from August!!, and im hoping he will have some ideas on how to procede long term with the crohns and also liase with the endocrinologist on finding chemo meds that do not mess up my diabetes routine as well.
The ortho stuff... well at the moment its just there and im managing it. My teeth have setted from the having the ceramics removed, K Karen you were not wrong, when you said about the pain. i shall take some oramorph before my removal of the uppers on the 7th...just two weeks away.
Well, the surgery? Im not thinking about it at the moment, the ortho said wait until i have the making of an arch, then She will re assess the possibilities of further treatment, which may take place after the first ortho finishes, i have got to see the maxillofacial surgeon at that point anyway...so for now lets think about that being at least 24/36 months in the future, and get on with the present journey. I will keep you informed when i find out more.
So long may the sun continue to shine over the weekend and beyond, i might even get the sprite out..(.that will make it rain

)
Bye for now
Jon XXX

#33 Post by **Dr Jon Harrow** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:02 pm

Hi friends
No I had not been abducted by aliens, and a worm hole did not appear in the bathroom causing me to fall into a parallel dimension, but it seemed like it..
I have been back into hospital for a couple of weeks, went for a routine appointment, but alas it was a cunning rouse by the gastroenterology team to have me stay for a while... no invite, or cream cakes, just another exciting

episode of being woken up to be asked if I'm having trouble sleeping, being told I'm anorexic, because I'm very underweight( its the crohns),but being given the smallest portions of crappy food I would not give, to a house mouse. I know it is said doctors make the worst patients..its all true, we like to be sarcastic to other medical professionals, not be the brunt of this type of comment, so I managed to get enough material for another series of GW..
Anyway, the out come is I will need more surgery...hey guys could have told me this over the phone... not kept me in a bed next to a 95 yr old who dribbled and had the nurses at His beck and call...mainly because he pissed in the bed every hour..(hmm have they heard of inco pads....or a large cork and clamp??

)
Anyway I hade my top brackets replaced the end of last week, it really felt strage removing the ceramics...so Im now in all metal with alternating Purple and blue ligs, the ortho said it was a second childhood.....only the second????, but still he is much happier with the metals, as he prefers them....so why not mention that in the first place then Mr No Communication?
Anyway Im keeping away from the hospital for the time being, Im on a promise to rest and stay local...so Im off to France in a month and a half to work in one of the old hospitals i used to work in..its a favour for an old friend....Im really looking forward to it

Bye for now

Jon XXX

#34 Post by **minlou01** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:29 pm

Sounds like things are starting to work out Jon. Have a great time in France!

#35 Post by **Dr Jon Harrow** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:28 am

Hi friends
guess what?, no still not found the entrance to that wrom hole...well unless the local hospital can be classed as a worm hole(or should that be hell hole!!

)Anyway another routine appointment ended up with me being back in, but im out for a few days, then back in again

, but this time i'm hoping for just a week or so, so that my holiday is not jepodised, i know i can go later, Im not stuck to flights, or hotels or the such like, ah the joy of the Channel tunnel, so as long as I'm fit to drive. Anyway, the braces stuff is sort of okay, still pain, but since I ve been on IV morphine, its not been an issue, but the real issue has been toothbrushing

, in that the nursing staff do not see the reason for keeping teeth clean!!, could not believe it...its on my nursing notes that I'm obsessional about wanting to keep my teeth clean. The problem is being confined to bed, and so not being able to go to a sink, or a washbasin.Instead Im given a bowl of water (not very hot either)

, and expected to keep clean with that.hmmmmm.
So at least its official, about being OCD about teeth cleaning, I can't wait to tell my ortho the news

So i hope to be back soon, Im trying to arrange a telephone connection for my laptop in my room, so that i can keep in touch with everyone, here and on my blog as well.
So more exciting news when I am able to be back again, an adjustment to look forward to...and there was talk of elastics when i last spoke to the ortho..

Bye for now
Jon XXX

#36 Post by **Laurie** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:09 am

I think I might come unglued if not allowed to brush my teeth as I wished. I think you have every right to raise a bit of heck over it.

#37 Post by **Dr Jon Harrow** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:52 am

Hi Friends
I have returned from hospital, for good this time i hope, or until the next time they want to do some more surgery, or an emergency arises and they need to operate in a hurry...oh oh they joy of crohns disease..NOT!!!
Anyway after i arrived home from hospital I had just enough time to get my teeth really clean before a visit to the orthodontist. As i said in the metal mouth forum post "I got rotation wedges".. i well did get rotation wedges, oh and a really thick square wire on the top arch which is really tight after the original thin one, it also has a sort of loop in it, to which an elastic is attached, which is then connected to the tooth beyond a gap... i suppose the reason is to close the gap (large one), and so the elastic is doing a pulling job. Anyway all this activity in my mouth..its quite uncomfortable...especially as i had almost forgotten i had braces up to that point

..now I can feel they are there...thank goodness for lots of wax

Anyway I also had to go to the dentist this week...some fillings to do..next weeks excitement to come

..and She said, ooooohhh you don't see them very often... She was refering to the wedges, and another friend who is an ortho nurse also said She had never seen them used...so some visual activity for friends...as well as being told by someone id never met before i had groovy lig colours I opted for purple and red alternate this time.
So well not much else is new at the moment...Im enjoying this watery sunshine we are all not enjoying in the UK at present. I think Im one of the lucky ones... i don't have my own personal water feature in the lounge, the kitchen, the dining room etc... we got off quite lightly in the south... hope UK archwired friends in the North and other flood affected areas are all okay

One piece of news... the ortho has a new nurse, as the old one was very pregnant....its a good choice...in 'guy' talk Shes a babe (sorry Ladies, but sometimes boys will always be boys)...so we talked, I told Her about my band.. or rather the ortho told her about my band and She was impressed, but then forgot to ask her name Doh!
Enough said.
Bye for now
Jon XXX

#38 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:54 am

At least you had something to keep your mind off the appointment, regardless if she was a babe. You've had tons to deal with, what's a little eye candy?

#39 Post by **Dr Jon Harrow** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 10:00 am

Hi Friends
Guess what I am still with you, no not abducted by aliens, but rather working in Darfur for MSF, with very occasional visits back to the UK for med check ups etc...but alas no e-mail where i was..in fact, no real shelter, clean water, or secure safe places..sesame..how do we do this to one another?.I feel so fortunate to be alive and safe living in a country where we have all the stuff we need and more,I will be thinking of my patients every time I turn on the tap, or run to the larder when im peckish.
So braces good and groovy, have got some power chain to help with the movement of the molars, as well as some really thin nylon stuff keeping a couple of the front ones in place...they moved even though they did not need to

hope to hear from some of you all soon
Hey guys I promise i will update the ticker when I have some spare time...

Jon XXXX

#40 Post by **lionfish** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:40 am

Wow - working in Darfur, you are one amazing person.

Glad to hear everything is going well.

#41 Post by **Dr Jon Harrow** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:12 am

Hi Everybody
Well after an absence of,what was it?, about 6 months!!!, I am now back,and raring to go, it has been a combination of working for MSF and then also in hospital

, but things are on the mend, (as much as they can be with crohns anyway), and I'm back to my usual routine.
I had a couple of months off of the braces journey, v.hard to fly back for a half hour appointment from Sub Saharan Africa, but all was okay, no emergencies or that.
I think I have returned with a new outlook on life..even for me, makes me wonder why we worry about those things that are of no real importance in life...like stuff...I'm sure you know what I mean, the important things are friendships, and all those things that cash cannot buy.
Ive now got off my soapbox

, so the teeth are looking good, I will have to teach myself putting photographs on the site

.
So at present colours

, well its turquoise and purple on the top, pink and blue on the bottom, had to do my return in style eh

Hope to hear from some of you soon...let me know how things are going, has anyone finished yet

Jon XXX

#42 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:51 am

Brilliant! Welcome back. I'm glad you're doing well with the Crohn's and Dafur was a good experience. I'm still braced, and I think your color choices are outstanding, I can't wait to see what that looks like.

#43 Post by **lionfish** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 3:44 pm

Welcome back, indeed. Sounds like Darfur was a profound experience. Yes, we do tend to sweat the silly stuff...

I finished up treatment last November, very happy it's all over (it wasn't that long in the scheme of things - 21 months) but really glad I did it.

#44 Post by **Dr Jon Harrow** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:08 am

Hi Friends, thanks for the messages, yes in a way it is good to be back, but I also miss things aswell, iI think it will take some getting used to, especially in the array of food to eat in the Waitrose (local supermarket), lots of things i had forgotten all about, so here is to Fluff and strawberry jam on toast, mummmm

Its good to be back with friends.
LoL Jon XX

#45 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:47 am

OMG I LOVE FLUFF!! lol oh yea happy 4th!

Metal Mouth Message Board

Dr Jon's Braces journey

not abducted by aliens..MSF