June/July 2015 Surgery Buddies

[snapdresser]

Btw, that's the best feeling in the world when your surgeon looks at your face from all different angles and goes "Yeah... Mmhmm... Yeah, this is gonna look real nice..."

[KaylaChristine]

Haha yeah I'm alright! Just been super busy the last few days!

Nozzelnut/Jaime - I watched a video of the procedure a few months back...I don't recommend it haha.

Snap/Jaime - I only put in 2 weeks off. I'm super jealous of you guys taking off that many weeks. I don't think I can take much more than three weeks. I work a desk job though so it shouldn't be too bad. I've also been cleaning like crazy before surgery. I want everything to be super neat & clean for when I get home from surgery.

Snapdresser - I hope you are feeling better! Good luck TOMORROW!! Woo! Sounds like you are all ready to go! The VSP sounds interesting! My surgeon doesn't use any of that. And oh yes, I'm getting really nervous now! Are you more excited or nervous right now?

I got my surgical hooks put on yesterday at my ortho appointment. They aren't as annoying as I've read about. Flossing sucks a little bit more now though. I also got new pictures taken of my face/bite and two sets of molds done for the surgeon. For some reason my teeth are super tender from yesterday. I felt like the assistants were really rough with me lol. A wire on my last right upper molar got stuck and it took them about 10 minutes to get it out. I had my pre-op at the hospital today and my appointment with my surgeon. At the pre-op they asked for my medical history, what meds I take, took my blood pressure and swabbed for MRSA. I was expecting them to take blood, but they said they didn't need to. My surgeon took measurements of my face and took impressions to make my splint. I try my splint on this Friday (which I wasn't expecting so I'll have to get off from work). He said he's going to "perform" the surgery on models of my bite before the actual surgery. The surgeon is hoping he won't have to widen my upper since my upper jaw is so small and thin. He won't know for sure until he does the 'test run'. I asked him how many of these surgeries he does a year and he said it varies. On average he does 5-6 a year, sometimes up to 10. He said when he worked in Texas he would do about 2 a week though (some accident related though). He estimated I'll be banded shut for 4 weeks. My husband was with me and asked about relations lmao. He said at least 10 days--it just depends on how I'm feeling. He gave me prescriptions for Keflex Elixir and Vicoprofen--I asked for them ahead of time. I went to go rent my nebulizer and apparently my insurance no longer allows rentals so I'll have to buy it. I have to meet my deductible first though for some reason, so I can't get it until after the surgery (when I meet my deductible). I paid my portion of the surgeon's fee today as well ($1,648...ouch...a bit more than I was initially quoted). The hospital didn't make me pay anything upfront though so that's good. Oh and my procedure is called Lefort I with partial palatal split and vertical ramus osteotomy. The surgeon said it would take around 3 hours... not the up to 10 like his assistant said. So I feel a lot better about that.

Ignore any typos. I'm too lazy to reread lol.

[snapdresser]

KaylaChristine - 2 weeks?? Daaang girl, you're a trooper! I was planning to be back at work July 13th (4.5 weeks off) but I might go back sooner. My surgeon said I could work the next day if I wanted to. That the pain isn't debilitating. I also work a desk job Thanks for the well wishes! I'm about 1000x more nervous than I am excited... It's been trending that way for the last few days lol At this point, I just try to keep my mind off it cuz it'll just make me nervous. My previous comment about what my surgeon said was unfortunately too fleeting and now I'm just sitting here feeling my own pulse, basically trying to keep from hyperventilating lol. On the plus side, my cold never developed into an infection! So I just take Tylenol Cold and I'll be starting the antibiotics tomorrow anyways, so it's all gravy. She confirmed I'll be getting scissors for my elastics in case I seriously can't breathe... Btw your surgeon does the same number as mine. Good to hear. I was a little concerned that she "only" did 5-6/year. Also, she's gonna have a "partner" (younger surgeon) assisting, and a Resident she's training up will probly do the SCUT work like the sutures. She said they all naturally disintegrate over time. That's good news about your surgery length, but surprising costs are always bad Anyways, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to tell you good luck before your procedure so I'll catch up with you before then See ya!

[Nozzelnut]

Well my second pre-op visit was pretty uneventful other than them losing my appointment paperwork and not calling me back for about an hour.

Then I was in the room for another 30 minutes. Grrrrrrr.

My surgeon (he was very apologetic about the wait) showed me the models; still going with the 10mm advancement top and bottom and fixing the cant. Lowering my left side 3mm I think he said. Not doing anything with my width. Still going to have a slightly open bite in the rear which will close with elastics. Which is good and bad; bad because I just want as much room for my tongue as I can get. Good for having less chance for complications... Still doing the sliding genio, fixing the deviated septum and turbinate reduction. Having it done in a university hospital; so I just confirmed he was going to do all the work instead of residents. He said yes he was and he enjoys his work too much to just let the assistants do it.

I did get my post op Rx's and are having them filled; picking them up tomorrow.

Surgical hooks go on next Wednesday; day before surgery.

For those that were wondering I'm a career firefighter. That's why I have an odd schedule. (And that where my username came from; it was a drunken misspelling a decade + ago that was always available; so I stuck with it.) I'm taking off as much time as I need to be 100%; guessing the weight loss and weakness that comes with it are going to limiting as to how fast I'll get back to work. My surgeon said 6-8 weeks but could be more for a demanding job. I've got plenty of time available so I'm going to use it.

Snap- Good luck tomorrow!!

***as for relations; things don't work too well for me when I'm on heavy duty pain killers. lol

[snapdresser]

Here we go!!! Heading to the hospital in about 40 minutes. Slept better than I expected, especially since I was wired and geeking out all last night! Only got a few hours of sleep but I think I'll be making up for that over the next few days I'll try and report in this evening

[snapdresser]

Checking in from the pre-surg area. Hooked to an IV of fluids. They said I'll be getting two more IVs after they wheel me into the back... Probly my last post before they wheel me back so catch y'all on the flip side!

[jaime]

Good luck!!! I'll be thinking about ya today!

[gruntled]

I have my surgery in a week, the 17th! Had my hooks put on on Monday, they're not nearly as irritating as I thought they would be.

I've just finished my degree so I haven't really had time before this to stress about the surgery. Now that it's getting closer I'm starting to get nervous!

What sort of stuff do you guys recommend bringing with you to the hospital? I've been asked to keep it to one small bag with no valuables, so I'm not really sure what I can bring!

[Nozzelnut]

I have my surgery in a week, the 17th! Had my hooks put on on Monday, they're not nearly as irritating as I thought they would be.

I've just finished my degree so I haven't really had time before this to stress about the surgery. Now that it's getting closer I'm starting to get nervous!

What sort of stuff do you guys recommend bringing with you to the hospital? I've been asked to keep it to one small bag with no valuables, so I'm not really sure what I can bring!

There's pre/post-op list sticky at the top of this section. Lots of things to consider. I'm not bringing anything that I wouldn't mind leaving at the hospital; lost, misplaced.... Other than my phone and charger. I'm only scheduled to be there 1 night, and from what I've been reading folks are in and out of it; so I don't have any need to bring the electronics.

The recovery period at home is a different thing entirely...

[jaime]

I'm all packed up for tomorrow! This is what I have:
-a few choices for pajamas/lounge clothes (tank top, t-shirt, zipup hoodie, shorts, longer capris, socks, slippers)
-magazines
-whiteboard and marker
-sports squeeze bottle
-large syringe
-pure lanolin
-my prescription medications that I take normally
-iPad
-phone charger

This may or may not be my last chance to post before tomorrow...I have a mere 13 hours remaining. If I get a chance tomorrow while I'm waiting for surgery, I'll check in, but no guarantees.

See y'all on the other side!! I posted a video to YouTube which you can find on my blog linked below, if anyone cares!

[Nozzelnut]

Good luck Jaime!!

Hope Snap is doing ok tonight.

[KaylaChristine]

Snapdresser - I hope your surgery went great and that you are recovery well!! Yeah, my surgeon's office said a week or two from work should be enough. I did talk to my work about possibly working half days after the 2 week period if I'm not feeling well enough. I'll be getting scissors too---actually my consent form that I signed stated that I must agree to carry them with me at all times.

Nozzelnut - I always have a 20-30 minute wait at my surgeons office...drives me crazy. Sounds like your surgeon has a pretty solid plan. Yeah, with your type of job you should definitely take a lot of time off! I'll just be sitting at a desk for the majority of the day lol.

gruntled - Yeah, the hooks really aren't that irritating. I thought they'd be a lot worse. I've got a list for what I'm brining to the hospital. I'll post it tomorrow when I have more time.

Jaime - Good luck tomorrow!!! I watched your latest youtube video. I wish I was as calm as you are! I'm getting more and more nervous each day. Not so much for the procedure itself but for the recovery.

[jaime]

I'm alive!!!! Kinda, lol.

In my (private, yay) room now, got out of surgery around 11:45am I want to say? It's 2:15pm now and I'm more or less lucid.

Woke up from the surgery BLAZING HOT and was drenched in sweat. I have not been able to swallow as my entire mouth area is numb (my surgeon gave me freezing). No pain. I am not banded shut or anything, no elastics whatsoever. My jaw muscles feel sore but it does feel like I have more room for my tongue which is cool.

Breathing has definitely been an issue, I felt like I couldn't get a breath in, even though I obviously could because I'm alive, haha. I am having issues with my asthma and either constantly coughing up mucous or blood (I can't tell).

All in all, kinda miserable right now but I think it'll be better when the freezing wears off and I can swallow.

[lalcharlie]

Well done Jaime! Can hardly believe you felt up to posting straight after surgery. Get lots of rest and I hope hope your breathing problems ease off. The worst is over for you! Now you just have a few days of feeling grim and then home to your own bed. I'm excited for you! !!

[jaime]

Thanks lalcharlie. I am surprised I'm as awake as I am. Surgery finished 4.5 hours ago now and I still haven't had any painkillers. Absurd!

Thinking about snap, hoping he or she is doing well too.

Here's my advice for my fellow surgery friends: remember you'll have an IV so tops with sleeves might be out of the question (as it is for me). Bring a white board or some way to write or type messages. I'm slightly coherent but saying a whole sentence hurts. I can open my mouth quite a bit since I'm not banded shut but it's still stuff and hard to talk.