Re: one more try for this question--FOR ashley

[Guest guest]

Wow. THat's some trip.

Can't say I would have wanted to be in a car for 12 hrs one week post

op at ALL.

Where are you in NY and what's your special situation?

I was not a simple case, as was another poster I met and have since

learned that we shared the same OS...here in NY and her case was

opposite of mine but severe also. Maybe I can share his name for a

second opinion.

How does your OR feel about sending you to someplace SO far away? I

will tell you that while I have been healing well (until my recent

overuse sweeling)and I have been in weekly for check ups. Was banded

to 3 wks...and had upper and genio...and still tonight I go in and

today is 8wks to the day.

concerning....tell me more please.

JO

> Hi all! I've asked this question before but I didn't get any

> responses, so I thought I'd ask one more time. I've been reading

> over the posts a lot, and I can see that after surgery, you must

see

> your surgeon quite a bit. I'm considering having surgery in North

> Carolina, which is 12 hours from my home in NY. I'm planning on

> staying there for a week to recover initially (and to see the

> surgeon after a week), and then drive home. About how often do you

> have to visit your surgeon after surgery? i.e. how often can I

> expect driving to North Carolina for check-ups? Would anyone feel

> comfortable seeing a different surgeon for simple check-ups, or for

> complications? I am concerned about the distance, how often I'd

> have to drive there, and what would happen if I had complications.

> This surgeon was the only recommendation my ortho would give me due

> to my condition. I'm not sure if it would be wise to go against

his

> strong advice and do my own research of surgeons that are closer.

> I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks! - O.

[Guest guest]

Wow. THat's some trip.

Can't say I would have wanted to be in a car for 12 hrs one week post

op at ALL.

Where are you in NY and what's your special situation?

I was not a simple case, as was another poster I met and have since

learned that we shared the same OS...here in NY and her case was

opposite of mine but severe also. Maybe I can share his name for a

second opinion.

How does your OR feel about sending you to someplace SO far away? I

will tell you that while I have been healing well (until my recent

overuse sweeling)and I have been in weekly for check ups. Was banded

to 3 wks...and had upper and genio...and still tonight I go in and

today is 8wks to the day.

concerning....tell me more please.

JO

> Hi all! I've asked this question before but I didn't get any

> responses, so I thought I'd ask one more time. I've been reading

> over the posts a lot, and I can see that after surgery, you must

see

> your surgeon quite a bit. I'm considering having surgery in North

> Carolina, which is 12 hours from my home in NY. I'm planning on

> staying there for a week to recover initially (and to see the

> surgeon after a week), and then drive home. About how often do you

> have to visit your surgeon after surgery? i.e. how often can I

> expect driving to North Carolina for check-ups? Would anyone feel

> comfortable seeing a different surgeon for simple check-ups, or for

> complications? I am concerned about the distance, how often I'd

> have to drive there, and what would happen if I had complications.

> This surgeon was the only recommendation my ortho would give me due

> to my condition. I'm not sure if it would be wise to go against

his

> strong advice and do my own research of surgeons that are closer.

> I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks! - O.

[Guest guest]

Hi ! Just thought I would share my experience with you, for

whatever it is worth. I am almost 3 weeks post op (will be 3 weeks

on tuesday) and I traveled about 11 hours to have my surgery. I had

upper advanced 3mm, lower advanced 10mm and had mitek anchors &

artificial ligaments put in to repair my tmj. My ortho in St. Louis

recommended a surgeon in Dallas and was adamant that this surgeon was

top notch especially for all three surgeries combined and felt very

strongly that I only go to him. I was very frustrated like you for

several months wondering why there was not a surgeon closer I could

go to. The thought of having a major surgery so far from home was

scary. Anyhow, to make a very long story short, after many months of

being frustrated, I finally decided that I truly trusted my ortho and

wanted " the best " surgeon working on me even though it meant

traveling. I also did my homework and found that with my tmj

problems, this surgeon was considered top notch for repairing them.

My surgeon initially told me I would be hospitalized 3 nights and

would need to stay in Dallas at least another week. My surgery went

very smooth. I ended up without a splint (was so very happy about

that) and only a few rubber bands. I was out of the hospital after 2

nights and was even able to come back home 7 days after surgery. I

will say that the car ride was rough, but the pain medication made it

bearable. My husband and I first decided we would split up the drive

and only go about 5 1/2 hours each day. However, as we got closer to

home, the thought of my own bed was very appealing and we ended up

driving the whole way in one day. I will not need to go back to

Dallas until Feb. (right around the 5 month post op mark). This is

only because I didn't need the splint though. With the splint I

would have gone back at 6 weeks post op. My ortho here in St. Louis

is monitoring my bite weekly, checking for infection, etc. I only

tell you all of this so that you know it is do-able! You can make it

through the surgery so far from home. Good luck with your decision.

> > Hi all! I've asked this question before but I didn't get any

> > responses, so I thought I'd ask one more time. I've been reading

> > over the posts a lot, and I can see that after surgery, you must

> see

> > your surgeon quite a bit. I'm considering having surgery in

North

> > Carolina, which is 12 hours from my home in NY. I'm planning on

> > staying there for a week to recover initially (and to see the

> > surgeon after a week), and then drive home. About how often do

you

> > have to visit your surgeon after surgery? i.e. how often can I

> > expect driving to North Carolina for check-ups? Would anyone

feel

> > comfortable seeing a different surgeon for simple check-ups, or

for

> > complications? I am concerned about the distance, how often I'd

> > have to drive there, and what would happen if I had

complications.

> > This surgeon was the only recommendation my ortho would give me

due

> > to my condition. I'm not sure if it would be wise to go against

> his

> > strong advice and do my own research of surgeons that are

closer.

> > I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks! - O.

[Guest guest]

Hi ! Just thought I would share my experience with you, for

whatever it is worth. I am almost 3 weeks post op (will be 3 weeks

on tuesday) and I traveled about 11 hours to have my surgery. I had

upper advanced 3mm, lower advanced 10mm and had mitek anchors &

artificial ligaments put in to repair my tmj. My ortho in St. Louis

recommended a surgeon in Dallas and was adamant that this surgeon was

top notch especially for all three surgeries combined and felt very

strongly that I only go to him. I was very frustrated like you for

several months wondering why there was not a surgeon closer I could

go to. The thought of having a major surgery so far from home was

scary. Anyhow, to make a very long story short, after many months of

being frustrated, I finally decided that I truly trusted my ortho and

wanted " the best " surgeon working on me even though it meant

traveling. I also did my homework and found that with my tmj

problems, this surgeon was considered top notch for repairing them.

My surgeon initially told me I would be hospitalized 3 nights and

would need to stay in Dallas at least another week. My surgery went

very smooth. I ended up without a splint (was so very happy about

that) and only a few rubber bands. I was out of the hospital after 2

nights and was even able to come back home 7 days after surgery. I

will say that the car ride was rough, but the pain medication made it

bearable. My husband and I first decided we would split up the drive

and only go about 5 1/2 hours each day. However, as we got closer to

home, the thought of my own bed was very appealing and we ended up

driving the whole way in one day. I will not need to go back to

Dallas until Feb. (right around the 5 month post op mark). This is

only because I didn't need the splint though. With the splint I

would have gone back at 6 weeks post op. My ortho here in St. Louis

is monitoring my bite weekly, checking for infection, etc. I only

tell you all of this so that you know it is do-able! You can make it

through the surgery so far from home. Good luck with your decision.

> > Hi all! I've asked this question before but I didn't get any

> > responses, so I thought I'd ask one more time. I've been reading

> > over the posts a lot, and I can see that after surgery, you must

> see

> > your surgeon quite a bit. I'm considering having surgery in

North

> > Carolina, which is 12 hours from my home in NY. I'm planning on

> > staying there for a week to recover initially (and to see the

> > surgeon after a week), and then drive home. About how often do

you

> > have to visit your surgeon after surgery? i.e. how often can I

> > expect driving to North Carolina for check-ups? Would anyone

feel

> > comfortable seeing a different surgeon for simple check-ups, or

for

> > complications? I am concerned about the distance, how often I'd

> > have to drive there, and what would happen if I had

complications.

> > This surgeon was the only recommendation my ortho would give me

due

> > to my condition. I'm not sure if it would be wise to go against

> his

> > strong advice and do my own research of surgeons that are

closer.

> > I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks! - O.

[Guest guest]

Cammie - thanks for your opinion on travelling to NC for surgery.

It's nice to know that if I HAD to travel that far, I could stay

there longer and just drive myself home whenever I felt up to it.

- It sounds like I'm in the same situation that you were in.

Is it necessary for you to see another surgeon near where you live

for check-ups, or is your ortho doing a good enough job monitoring

you? It seems like most people need to see their surgeon on a

weekly basis, but that would be impossible for those having surgery

far away from home. Perhaps it's also possible to have a video

conference instead of travelling so far to meet with the surgeon. I

definitely want to be in the best hands...your experience has given

me confidence that this can be done. Thanks! -

> > > Hi all! I've asked this question before but I didn't get any

> > > responses, so I thought I'd ask one more time. I've been

reading

> > > over the posts a lot, and I can see that after surgery, you

must

> > see

> > > your surgeon quite a bit. I'm considering having surgery in

> North

> > > Carolina, which is 12 hours from my home in NY. I'm planning

on

> > > staying there for a week to recover initially (and to see the

> > > surgeon after a week), and then drive home. About how often

do

> you

> > > have to visit your surgeon after surgery? i.e. how often can

I

> > > expect driving to North Carolina for check-ups? Would anyone

> feel

> > > comfortable seeing a different surgeon for simple check-ups,

or

> for

> > > complications? I am concerned about the distance, how often

I'd

> > > have to drive there, and what would happen if I had

> complications.

> > > This surgeon was the only recommendation my ortho would give

me

> due

> > > to my condition. I'm not sure if it would be wise to go

against

> > his

> > > strong advice and do my own research of surgeons that are

> closer.

> > > I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks! - O.

[Guest guest]

Cammie - thanks for your opinion on travelling to NC for surgery.

It's nice to know that if I HAD to travel that far, I could stay

there longer and just drive myself home whenever I felt up to it.

- It sounds like I'm in the same situation that you were in.

Is it necessary for you to see another surgeon near where you live

for check-ups, or is your ortho doing a good enough job monitoring

you? It seems like most people need to see their surgeon on a

weekly basis, but that would be impossible for those having surgery

far away from home. Perhaps it's also possible to have a video

conference instead of travelling so far to meet with the surgeon. I

definitely want to be in the best hands...your experience has given

me confidence that this can be done. Thanks! -

> > > Hi all! I've asked this question before but I didn't get any

> > > responses, so I thought I'd ask one more time. I've been

reading

> > > over the posts a lot, and I can see that after surgery, you

must

> > see

> > > your surgeon quite a bit. I'm considering having surgery in

> North

> > > Carolina, which is 12 hours from my home in NY. I'm planning

on

> > > staying there for a week to recover initially (and to see the

> > > surgeon after a week), and then drive home. About how often

do

> you

> > > have to visit your surgeon after surgery? i.e. how often can

I

> > > expect driving to North Carolina for check-ups? Would anyone

> feel

> > > comfortable seeing a different surgeon for simple check-ups,

or

> for

> > > complications? I am concerned about the distance, how often

I'd

> > > have to drive there, and what would happen if I had

> complications.

> > > This surgeon was the only recommendation my ortho would give

me

> due

> > > to my condition. I'm not sure if it would be wise to go

against

> > his

> > > strong advice and do my own research of surgeons that are

> closer.

> > > I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks! - O.

[Guest guest]

,

My only concern about this would be post-op complications. You never

know what can happen, some of us, including myself, have had

complications and you want to be near your surgeon if that happens, I

saw my surgeon every week up unit 9 weeks due to the problems I had.

Then again you may breeze though without a hitch. I hate to be the

pessimist, but there is no way of knowing.

Marsha

> > > > Hi all! I've asked this question before but I didn't get any

> > > > responses, so I thought I'd ask one more time. I've been

> reading

> > > > over the posts a lot, and I can see that after surgery, you

> must

> > > see

> > > > your surgeon quite a bit. I'm considering having surgery in

> > North

> > > > Carolina, which is 12 hours from my home in NY. I'm planning

> on

> > > > staying there for a week to recover initially (and to see the

> > > > surgeon after a week), and then drive home. About how often

> do

> > you

> > > > have to visit your surgeon after surgery? i.e. how often can

> I

> > > > expect driving to North Carolina for check-ups? Would anyone

> > feel

> > > > comfortable seeing a different surgeon for simple check-ups,

> or

> > for

> > > > complications? I am concerned about the distance, how often

> I'd

> > > > have to drive there, and what would happen if I had

> > complications.

> > > > This surgeon was the only recommendation my ortho would give

> me

> > due

> > > > to my condition. I'm not sure if it would be wise to go

> against

> > > his

> > > > strong advice and do my own research of surgeons that are

> > closer.

> > > > I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks! - O.

[Guest guest]

,

My only concern about this would be post-op complications. You never

know what can happen, some of us, including myself, have had

complications and you want to be near your surgeon if that happens, I

saw my surgeon every week up unit 9 weeks due to the problems I had.

Then again you may breeze though without a hitch. I hate to be the

pessimist, but there is no way of knowing.

Marsha

> > > > Hi all! I've asked this question before but I didn't get any

> > > > responses, so I thought I'd ask one more time. I've been

> reading

> > > > over the posts a lot, and I can see that after surgery, you

> must

> > > see

> > > > your surgeon quite a bit. I'm considering having surgery in

> > North

> > > > Carolina, which is 12 hours from my home in NY. I'm planning

> on

> > > > staying there for a week to recover initially (and to see the

> > > > surgeon after a week), and then drive home. About how often

> do

> > you

> > > > have to visit your surgeon after surgery? i.e. how often can

> I

> > > > expect driving to North Carolina for check-ups? Would anyone

> > feel

> > > > comfortable seeing a different surgeon for simple check-ups,

> or

> > for

> > > > complications? I am concerned about the distance, how often

> I'd

> > > > have to drive there, and what would happen if I had

> > complications.

> > > > This surgeon was the only recommendation my ortho would give

> me

> > due

> > > > to my condition. I'm not sure if it would be wise to go

> against

> > > his

> > > > strong advice and do my own research of surgeons that are

> > closer.

> > > > I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks! - O.