December Buddies ................

[badbite]

Well I have made it to day five. I am feeling much better today. I can't stop worrying about my nose though. I is crooked now. I really hope it straightens out when the swelling goes down.

My face/nose is really itchy. I can't feel anything though, very strange.

I have no feeling in my upper palette or any of my top teeth.

How are my Other December Buddies doing?


hduggan, I know what you mean about insurance. Mine wouldn't have been covered after December either. I barely squeaked by. I have BCBS, I want to warm anyone who has it, that they are changing........ I had to fight to get it covered at all, but the policy is changing in January and they no longer cover it at all.

[hduggan]

That's interesting about BCBS. We're with a blue cross-type insurance (Independence Blue Cross, out of Pennsylvania). We actually managed to stay on them (I'm guessing because my husband's ex-employer figured out that they didn't have any legal ground to cancel us). The overview of the new policy doesn't mention this in the exclusion section, but I'll research it more to make sure.

I do think that, if I stay with the same company, I'll have a stronger case arguing to whatever insurance agency oversees them that they should have forseen the possible change in policy when they approved our surgery for so late in the year. The federal/state system has been incredibly helpful so far in helping us keep our insurance, so I'm hoping they'll be there to help if he has an uncovered complications down the road.

For insurance issues, the agency to turn to for any problems is the state insurance commission. If you run into hassles having your insurer cover any follow up visits/issues, I'd strongly recommend calling them and seeing if they'll help intercede.

[caseyref]

Hey everyone im back, I could not get on here due to internet being down but hey im back and i feel pretty good.

Caschill: Im doing good thanks, how are you?

Hduggan: Its good to hear your son came out of surgery well, how are they doing now?

Badbite: I know exactly that feeling of itchyness with no way of scratching it as the skin doesnt feel anything. Its like tourture.


So 10 days on my nostrels are still wide open due to the swelling around the upper lip and area it is getting unbareable the swelling on my top lip as i can now feel the dissolvable stitches rubbing on the gums and braces where sometimes it burns.

I have some swelling on my chin and cheeks but not too much i dont look to bad now.

My jaw is quite stiff when it gets to one point of opening which i expected but it is hard getting a spoon/fork in my mouth with stuff like youghurt on as it catches on my teeth.

Inside my mouth the stitches i can feel and the bands are annoying as hell but if they are needed let them be. Also i still have no feeling of hot and cold or pain on the top pallette of my mouth and gumline. Other than pressure points im partially numb still.

I saw the orthodontists on Wednesday and they were happy and Tomorrow morning I see my Surgical team to see how everything is going jaw wise.

I hope everyone is good and I will update you tomorrow on what they have to say about my progress...

[badbite]

hduggan, Our insurance carrier is an independent company from pa also. A big one. I have already talked to the insurance commission who has helped me out tremendously! I don't want to get into all the details since it is so long and boring, but BCBS tried to change my benefits mid-ploicy so my operation would not be covered. They approved my treatment plan over three years ago, and I had the SARPE done in Jan 08. The insurance company knew I was almost ready for my second surgery and started changing things. The insurance commission helped me out. My surgeon said he has five people with the same insurance carrier and they are doing this to ALL of them.

[badbite]

caschill, Are you nervous? Have you completed all of your pre-admission "stuff?"

[badbite]

Hey, what is everyone eating (drinking) these days? I am trying a V8 fusion for the first time.

[hduggan]

So, after a bit of a rocky start, my son is all good today. He saw his surgeon, got the number of bands reduced, and can now take them on and off to brush his teeth. He's breathing well and no longer drowning in mucus.

What I have learned is that man was not designed to breathe with his teeth clenched

On another question, how are people cleaning the part of the teeth inside the splint? He's not normally a sugar eater, but he's consuming a ton of gatorade to keep his electrolytes in balance. I'd hate to get through all of this only for him to end up with massive cavities on his oh-so-straight teeth.

[Jumpman25]

Hey guys, I've been lurking around these forums for quiet some time now and finally decided to create an account to announce that my surgery date is set for next week Dec 27th!

A little background info on me which may be of interest to some ppl: I started noticing I was developing an underbite at the age of 13 and had always wanted to get it fixed for aesthetic reasons (I also have some TMJ issues with my jaw popping out of place if opened wide enough). Due to insurance reasons and my family not being able to afford it, I had to wait until I could financial do it myself. So throughout high school and college, my underbite only got worst and it was frustrating seeing it happen but not being able to do anything about it. But here's the kicker: I'm an identical twin, and my twin brother - naturally perfect smile...no underbite...(btw, twins get compared to each other like no other by family/friends so you can imagine the extreme feeling of getting dealt the short end of the stick). Anyways, fast forward to me graduating and landing a job with insurance which does cover the procedure, I finally set on this journey at the age of 23 back at the beginning of '09. Initially, the plan was braces for 6mo, BSSO surgery, and then 6 more months of braces. However at the end of the pre-op orthodontic treatment, my underbite grew too severe for only lower surgery and now required both upper/lower jaw surgery, which I did not want due to the higher possibility of me looking like a totally different person (I generally liked the way I looked sans the gremlin smile). But thanks to the awesomeness of this forum, I had recalled reading a member's experience where she had gotten both of her premolars extracted in preparation for surgery, and I suggested the same to the oral surgeon. He agreed it to be a viable option in reducing the underbite orthodontically and sticking with only the BSSO on the lower jaw. I took that option but it added another full year until I was ready for surgery again.

So here I am, one week away from surgery, a surgery I've been wanting to get for 12 years. I live in a city with no family so it was a blessing that I was able to get the oral surgeon to agree to a surgery date on such late notice during the holidays. So now my parents and my twin brother are able to come and support me for a few days before and after the surgery. Kinda crazy that at one point, I was planning on doing this alone. But now I'll have the support of my family with me and the wonderful ppl of archwired!

Gluck to all my December buddies!

[hduggan]

Good luck jumpman! Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[caschill]

Hey Badbite,

I am doing really well actually and i'm not at all nervous yet... Its rather strange. Its like its not real. I will probably just be extremely nervous when I get to the hospital on the 29th. My surgeon had a BSSO only surgery scheduled before mine; however, that was cancelled, so i won't have to deal with the jitters for 1/2 a day now and will hopefully just go straight into it without much wait. My pre-op was scheduled for the 23rd and got pushed back to the 27th. The holiday is kinda messing with the schedule, but we agreed that the surgery date in December would be best since my pre-approval for surgery came earlier in the year. After reading the BCBS change in policy for some, I am glad too. That is the first time I had heard about it. I am BCBS federal, so I am not sure if it would have affected me or not.

I am glad to hear that everyone is improving. December is flying by...

[hduggan]

So, we *think* we've found a solution to cleaning inside the splint. We have a little plastic syringe with a curved, small, tip, and we're filling that us with warm water, putting the tip in the top of the splint, and gently flushing it out. That seems to be working.

We're going to work with his regular dentist to see if there's anything else we can do to make sure his teeth don't get hurt by being stuck inside a filthy split for 6 weeks

[badbite]

Welcome Jumpman25!


I am one week post-op now. I feel pretty good today. My surgeon said I could take off my bands for a few minutes to eat some "no-chew" food. I decided today was the day. I took soup, crushed crackers in it (alot), took off the bands and dove in. What a huge disappointment. I felt like I was eating wallpaper/paste.

My swelling looks a bit worse today, I have no clue why. Maybe it was my lunch, lol!

My first post-op visit with the surgeon is tomorrow. I am healing pretty fast, and I honestly think he will put me in "training elastics" and tell my to start eating whatever I want (starting with soft foods).I do home daycare in my home and my husband has been here the last two days "helping" me. I think I can go at it alone tomorrow and I will be fine.

Well I hope everyone else is doing great, more later,

badbite (maybe I will need to change my name)

[RyanND]

I've been out of surgery since 2ish today (one of the best he's had in quite awhile for ease ) and have not been that tired after I woke up in recovery around 3-330. I had chatted for a few hours and have been keeping ice on it - eating the small ice chunks the hospital gives me is nice. I somehow lucked out and got my own room so I'm really excited about this one!


Pain so far has only been around a 6-7 for the worst, but I've been getting some good drugs to help. We shall see what the next few days leads. I have had a non-stop bloody nose since 5ish though, but have quite a fair amount of feeling, there is numbness on the swelling but I'm suprised!


Hope everyone else's are going this well!!!

[badbite]

RyanND, glad to hear your surgery went well.

[badbite]

Went to the surgeon today. He told me things look as good as it can possibly get. Meaning my case is ideal so far! He said my crooked nose is just from the swelling. I need to keep the bands the same and see him again in a week.

I stopped by the ortho on the way home and they were all awing over me. If felt nice that others were excited for me too. I left there feeling pretty good.

I had to work today (home daycare) and ouch is my jaw sore!!!!!! I have to talk a lot and I am hurting so bad now.