Re: Dammit, 3 Months Post Op-Ix-NAY prev message Dammit

October 7, 2004

Hey Dammit, you answered a lot of my questions in this note that i

was asking you in the one i just wrote, so ignore it.

You sound great! You and i were 3 days apart in surgery. i am still

wearing 9 bands, odd configuration and it changes all the time

depending on what my OD wants to do. my bite is still not right, but

getting there. I have issues with assymmetry, but come to find out,

it was me before surgery too, now just enhanced post surgery. LUCKY

ME (hmph.) I agree about the liquid diet, not bad. since i had

upper and genio, i still can't even hard foods, i have one half of

my tongue still numb and one side of roof of mouth and almost all my

gums. lower lip and chin coming back. i can finally lick my lips

and i just whistled today for the first time! Yahoo. katie

>

> Hello to all my friends and June Surgery Pals!

>

> It's been 3 months since I had my lower jaw moved forward 12mm. A

> brief recap for those of you who are new to the board: I went in

on

> June 22nd to have my lower advanced. When I was moved from the

> recovery room to my overnight room, the aide 'dropped' me and I

hit

> my newly reconstructed jaw. The result was 3 of the 4 screws my

OS

> had installed were jarred loose, and I had to have the surgery

> redone a week later, this time with 6 new screws.

>

> Fast forward 3 months. I've been wearing bands since one week

> following the second surgery. The size, thickness, and

> configuration of the bands has changed, but I expect to be wearing

> some sort of bands for another 3-4 months. By then, hopefully,

I'll

> get my braces off and have a fully normal bite for the first time

in

> my 41 years.

>

> As a result of the surgery I now sleep much more peacefully. My

> sleep apnea has been completely eliminated. I no longer clench my

> jaws at night, which means I wake up without a headache for the

> first time in memory. As my bite is coming together, I'm able to

> chew almost anything I want and the braces allow. My bride also

> sleeps better because the surgery eliminated my snoring. My bite

> has progressed to the point where I no longer cut the roof of my

> mouth with my lower teeth, and soon it will be finished and look

> great!

>

> At my 3 month checkup my OS was a little concerned about a loose

> screw (go figure). He's asked me to come back at 6 months, and we

> may have to remove that one under a local anethestic in his

office.

> He's also noted a slight relapse, but we won't get too worked up

> about that until the 6 month mark.

>

> My midline is off slightly on the lower, but my OD hopes to fix it

> with the final rubber bands later in my treatment plan. I'm

> regaining sensation on most of my chin and lower lip. Right now I

> can feel some sensation on all areas, but there is a quarter size

> spot that just feels tingly if I run my finger across it. If I

> don't touch it, I can't tell any difference.

>

> As for cost of the whole shebang, well I paid around $4K for the

> braces, and $100 in copays to the OS. Add another $50 for each of

> the two 'outpatient' surgeries, and I'm out of pocket $4,200 or so

> for the whole deal. Kaiser paid for both my surgeries, and the

> hospital, OS, and Anethesia ran $20K each time, of which Kaiser

paid

> around $14K each time.

>

> Would I do it again? Absolutely. Was the 'liquid' diet bad?

No.

> Was the emotional aspect bad? Actually it was worse for my bride

> watching me than it was for me.

>

> I hope this finds all my June Pals doing well, eating their

favorite

> foods, and ready to get the hardware out of their mouths once and

> for all.

>

> Dammit

October 7, 2004