I'm planning on going for a big supermarket run sometime before next week. On the list is soup, Ensure, and frozen fruit (for smoothies). Any other suggestions for wired meals? Will I be able to handle something the consistency of baby food or applesauce?
Also, I'm looking for a powerful personal blender. We bought the Magic Bullet a few weeks ago, and were so disappointed when we tested it out that we brought it back. Not only could it not handle ice, it couldn't handle chicken, apples, etc. I don't mind spending around $50 for something powerful, compact, and easy-to-clean. Anyone find anything really good?
Monday, February 4, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Pre-Surgical Consult
Thursday was a day filled with pre-surgical appointments. In the morning, I met with my surgeon at his office in the hospital. The hospital he works at is a large, university hospital in the big city that my hometown is a suburb of. My dad and I commuted in together, filled out a lot of forms, waited about an hour, and then I was taken in for x-rays. Finally, I saw the surgeon. He answered my dad and my questions, and then he and my dad left (my dad had to go to work). I guess I'll do the Q and A here?
How should I take my pills? Because the pills I take are quite small, the doctor thinks I should be able to get them in my mouth and swallow them normally.
Will you be removing my wisdom teeth at the same time? No. When wisdom teeth are removed, a large hole is left behind. Because I will not have great access to my mouth in order to keep the "holes" clean, it's better to wait.
Do you recommend Zip-N-Squeeze? Are there any other products I should buy? My surgeon gives his patient a bunch of Zip-N-Squeeze after surgery. He recommended a child's toothbrush and a Waterpik (which can be used a week after surgery). He said not to bother buying the "JawBra"/icepacks that Zip-N-Squeeze sell, as ice is only effective 24 hours after surgery.
How long should I wait before going back to work at the ambulance corps? After I mentioned that I do some lifting, he recommended 2-3 months. However, I think I'll probably feel up to returning before then. I'll just play it by ear.
How long will I be wired? I am going to be literally "wired" for 4 weeks after surgery. For the two weeks after that, I'm going to be banded shut.
What will my recovery be like? The surgeon predicts that I will be very uncomfortable for the first week, pretty uncomfortable the second week, and more like myself the third and fourth week. After that, I hope to go back to school. However, the first four weeks, I won't be allowed to drive, and I probably won't want to go out unless it's to a movie or something.
What does my treatment look like after the surgery? The surgery will last approximately 5 hours. I will be in the hospital for 2 nights. For the first 6 weeks, I will see my surgeon once a week. On the 7th week, I will see my orthodontist. After that I will continue treatment with my orthodontist and see my surgeon after 3, 6, and 12 months. Braces should come off 3-6 months post-surgery.
So I have this tiny little cold-like thing. Problem? Well, kinda, yah. The anesthesiologist typically likes patients to have been healthy for the three weeks prior to surgery (my surgery is scheduled for about a week and a half from now). There are a few risks. First, when you are intubated for surgery, a breathing tube is inserted through your nose. If you have an upper respiratory infection, the bacteria can be pushed from your nose to your lungs. Second, the surgery involves a cut through the sinuses. If there is a sinus infection, the incisions and such can get infected. I'm feeling pretty okay (just a little stuffy), and I'm going to play this by ear. My bet is going towards showing up on the 14th and the anesthesiologist refusing me.
After the surgeon left, a resident came in to take molds and measurements. This was annoying, but mostly uneventful. At one point, the resident spotted something on my x-ray, and hurried into the hall to call another resident in. They spoke in doctor gibberish, and I asked what was up. "Don't worry hon, just shop talk," the second doctor told me. I didn't push it, but that really pissed me off. Not only do I, as a patient, have the right to know what they're discussing, but the way he responded was really condescending. Grr.
Finally, I was done and made my way home. I had missed the entire school day, and had an appointment with my regular doctor for that afternoon for a physical. That appointment was completely uneventful (minus a lot more waiting and annoyances).
At this point, I'm planning on surgery. Buying books, new knitting projects, and a new blender (more on this in a later post). I would be really upset if I got postponed. On the other hand, I really don't want pneumonia.
How should I take my pills? Because the pills I take are quite small, the doctor thinks I should be able to get them in my mouth and swallow them normally.
Will you be removing my wisdom teeth at the same time? No. When wisdom teeth are removed, a large hole is left behind. Because I will not have great access to my mouth in order to keep the "holes" clean, it's better to wait.
Do you recommend Zip-N-Squeeze? Are there any other products I should buy? My surgeon gives his patient a bunch of Zip-N-Squeeze after surgery. He recommended a child's toothbrush and a Waterpik (which can be used a week after surgery). He said not to bother buying the "JawBra"/icepacks that Zip-N-Squeeze sell, as ice is only effective 24 hours after surgery.
How long should I wait before going back to work at the ambulance corps? After I mentioned that I do some lifting, he recommended 2-3 months. However, I think I'll probably feel up to returning before then. I'll just play it by ear.
How long will I be wired? I am going to be literally "wired" for 4 weeks after surgery. For the two weeks after that, I'm going to be banded shut.
What will my recovery be like? The surgeon predicts that I will be very uncomfortable for the first week, pretty uncomfortable the second week, and more like myself the third and fourth week. After that, I hope to go back to school. However, the first four weeks, I won't be allowed to drive, and I probably won't want to go out unless it's to a movie or something.
What does my treatment look like after the surgery? The surgery will last approximately 5 hours. I will be in the hospital for 2 nights. For the first 6 weeks, I will see my surgeon once a week. On the 7th week, I will see my orthodontist. After that I will continue treatment with my orthodontist and see my surgeon after 3, 6, and 12 months. Braces should come off 3-6 months post-surgery.
So I have this tiny little cold-like thing. Problem? Well, kinda, yah. The anesthesiologist typically likes patients to have been healthy for the three weeks prior to surgery (my surgery is scheduled for about a week and a half from now). There are a few risks. First, when you are intubated for surgery, a breathing tube is inserted through your nose. If you have an upper respiratory infection, the bacteria can be pushed from your nose to your lungs. Second, the surgery involves a cut through the sinuses. If there is a sinus infection, the incisions and such can get infected. I'm feeling pretty okay (just a little stuffy), and I'm going to play this by ear. My bet is going towards showing up on the 14th and the anesthesiologist refusing me.
After the surgeon left, a resident came in to take molds and measurements. This was annoying, but mostly uneventful. At one point, the resident spotted something on my x-ray, and hurried into the hall to call another resident in. They spoke in doctor gibberish, and I asked what was up. "Don't worry hon, just shop talk," the second doctor told me. I didn't push it, but that really pissed me off. Not only do I, as a patient, have the right to know what they're discussing, but the way he responded was really condescending. Grr.
Finally, I was done and made my way home. I had missed the entire school day, and had an appointment with my regular doctor for that afternoon for a physical. That appointment was completely uneventful (minus a lot more waiting and annoyances).
At this point, I'm planning on surgery. Buying books, new knitting projects, and a new blender (more on this in a later post). I would be really upset if I got postponed. On the other hand, I really don't want pneumonia.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Sick
So, all of a sudden I have a cold. And, by all of a sudden, I mean 2 weeks before the surgery I've been preparing like mad for. I have exactly two days to get over this before my surgery gets pushed back a month, so I'm sucking on Cold-Eeze (basically zinc) every few hours.
More about my pre-op consult when I'm not feeling crabby, stressed, and slightly stuffy.
More about my pre-op consult when I'm not feeling crabby, stressed, and slightly stuffy.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Questions!
Thanks so much for responding to my fears about the IV, and also for answering questions about implants. I found it very comforting that the IV catheter isn't a needle but a tube!
Now I have another question, dear friends. I'm going to my surgeon on Thursday morning for my pre-op appointment, and I'm starting to make a list of questions to ask him. Any suggestions?
Now I have another question, dear friends. I'm going to my surgeon on Thursday morning for my pre-op appointment, and I'm starting to make a list of questions to ask him. Any suggestions?
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Autologous Blood "Donation"
I "gave" blood on Friday. I feel funny saying that I gave it, because I'm really just keeping it for myself. Nothing charitable involved. Anyway, I've never given blood before, but was expecting the very worst, as I do not do well with blood tests/injections/etc. It's not so much that I'm afraid of blood or needles or anything, I just get a really gross "ewwwww there's a needle in my body" feeling. I know no one (okay, most people) likes this feeling, but it really freaks me out.
I went in Friday pretty calm. I filled out the form, and watched as they took my blood pressure, temperature, and pulse. I didn't even react when they pricked my finger to test my hemoglobin! When I sat in the chair, I started getting upset. My mom came and sat next to my and tried to distract me quite unsuccessfully. I cried the entire ten minutes the donation took from the moment they put the tourniquet on my arm to the moment they removed the needle. Not something I'm proud of, and it was definitely annoying to the technicians and the other patients. As soon as I was done, I felt fine. Not faint at all, and my arm isn't bruised.
I'm nervous about surgery at all, really. Pain I can deal with, vomiting sucks, but it happens. It's the IV that I'm worried about. I freaked out for the duration of a 10 minute blood donation. How am I going to be with an IV needle in my arm for hours or days? Anyone have this problem? Any recommendations or suggestions?
I went in Friday pretty calm. I filled out the form, and watched as they took my blood pressure, temperature, and pulse. I didn't even react when they pricked my finger to test my hemoglobin! When I sat in the chair, I started getting upset. My mom came and sat next to my and tried to distract me quite unsuccessfully. I cried the entire ten minutes the donation took from the moment they put the tourniquet on my arm to the moment they removed the needle. Not something I'm proud of, and it was definitely annoying to the technicians and the other patients. As soon as I was done, I felt fine. Not faint at all, and my arm isn't bruised.
I'm nervous about surgery at all, really. Pain I can deal with, vomiting sucks, but it happens. It's the IV that I'm worried about. I freaked out for the duration of a 10 minute blood donation. How am I going to be with an IV needle in my arm for hours or days? Anyone have this problem? Any recommendations or suggestions?
Friday, January 18, 2008
Mind Your Business!!
Preparations for surgery have been stepped into high gear! I was at the orthodontist on Wednesday, who poked around a bit and then confirmed that I'll definitely be ready for the 14th. When I got home from that appointment, there was a phone message from my dad on the counter, saying that "Denise from the insurance company needs to talk to Allison" and that I should do it as a conference call with both of my parents on the line. That kind of scared me -- I thought I was going to get quizzed about whether or not I really needed the surgery! First Denise confirmed that I consented to having my parents on the line (I just turned 18 and that was kind of exciting for me). Then she went through what had been approved for coverage (osteotomy, le forte, and 2-day hospital stay) and what hadn't (geneoplasty), as well as offering to answer any questions. While none of this was really news, it was nice to hear it again.
I've also been working out my leave of absence from my town's ambulance corps, which I volunteer for as an EMT. This has been mostly smooth sailing -- I was told by the captain that I simply needed to write a letter requesting a medical leave and stating the time and duration. In any case, I was chatting with my crew last week. "We'll miss you!" said one of my crewmates. "Is everything all right? Do you mind if I ask why you're going to be gone?" I didn't mind, and I told her. One of the other people who was there said something like, "How does your jaw effect you working on the ambulance corps?" When I told him that I needed a few weeks to recover and that I would be out of school as well, he responded with a slew of obnoxious and kind of stupid comments: "Why can't you just wait until the summer? How do you know they'll let you graduate on time?" and so on. They weren't curious questions. They were rude and accusatory questions. I got kind of overly defensive, telling him to "Mind your business!" repeatedly with some profanity mixed in. Then, of course, I made sure that I let the school know I'll be out, instead of waiting a few weeks as per the original plan. Because, you know, I really want to graduate on time.
Just one more thing. Question: how long do you think I'm going to have to take off from the ambulance corps? I do moderate lifting, but that's really the only strenuous activity. I think I'll request 2 months leave and see how it goes (and of course ask my doctor). Also, do you think it's realistic to be back in school 4 weeks after surgery?
I've also been working out my leave of absence from my town's ambulance corps, which I volunteer for as an EMT. This has been mostly smooth sailing -- I was told by the captain that I simply needed to write a letter requesting a medical leave and stating the time and duration. In any case, I was chatting with my crew last week. "We'll miss you!" said one of my crewmates. "Is everything all right? Do you mind if I ask why you're going to be gone?" I didn't mind, and I told her. One of the other people who was there said something like, "How does your jaw effect you working on the ambulance corps?" When I told him that I needed a few weeks to recover and that I would be out of school as well, he responded with a slew of obnoxious and kind of stupid comments: "Why can't you just wait until the summer? How do you know they'll let you graduate on time?" and so on. They weren't curious questions. They were rude and accusatory questions. I got kind of overly defensive, telling him to "Mind your business!" repeatedly with some profanity mixed in. Then, of course, I made sure that I let the school know I'll be out, instead of waiting a few weeks as per the original plan. Because, you know, I really want to graduate on time.
Just one more thing. Question: how long do you think I'm going to have to take off from the ambulance corps? I do moderate lifting, but that's really the only strenuous activity. I think I'll request 2 months leave and see how it goes (and of course ask my doctor). Also, do you think it's realistic to be back in school 4 weeks after surgery?
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