RE: Re: RE: my son having double jaw surgery

December 14, 2004

When your child is going thru this and is just a teenager, the parent is

the only one there. The parent is theeeee support. Friends are fine

but they can't be with you 24/7 and after all they are just kids. As

parent you do what you must, it sort of comes naturally. I took my

vacation when my daughter had her surgery... actually, her surgeon told

me that a week would be enuf bec I would be ready to kill her... how

rite he was... so the second week we went to look at colleges - wired

and all.

RE: my son having double

jaw

> surgery

>

> Oh you are a wonderful group of people! I was not even through the

> first reply when I suddenly found myself reading through tears, I

> still am. I feel so much better after hearing from you all and you

> know who you are. I am wondering why the doctors did not give me

> more advice, maybe the are leaving it up to the nurses. Thanks to

> you all, I will be much more prepared to deal with this and be the

> best assistant I possibly can for Myles. He is 17 and a junior in

> high school, he does not want to miss much school so has decided

> that if he has to do this, now is the time. I hope he does not have

> negative feelings about Christmas for the rest of his life. It

> sounds as though almost everyone is thankful that they had the

> surgery and that is hopeful for me, maybe he will look back on it

as

> a positive turning point in his life. What is best, a smoothie

> machine or a blender? I am planning to buy a smoothie machine, but

> have a blender on hand (for my pina colada's, hee hee). We have a

> fantastic natural foods store here in Virginia Beach that I plan to

> visit for protein shake powder and soups. I make a mean chicken

soup

> that I think will taste just fine after being strained. He will not

> have his jaw wired shut, but will have plastic splints with

> additional support from rubber bands on his brackets. These are to

> be in place for six weeks. I am a wildlife rehabber (currently on

> leave) and am quite good with a syringe an/or eyedropper with a

> multitude of patience as well. I am also wondering about something

> else. I have asked and have been told that I am allowed to spend

the

> night in his room the first night after surgery;however, it is not

> recommended because I will need all the sleep I can get before he

> gets home. He will spend at least two days in the hospital, in fact

> the doctor said he may be able to come home the day after surgery.

I

> can't thank you all enough for your support - I feel 100% better

> than I did yesterday. The fact that there are so many of you that

> have done it, survived it and are happy you did it means so much.

> He has been getting procrit injections for two weeks and gets his

> last one tomorrow. This is to make his body produce more red blood

> cells as there is alot of blood loss during this surgery.

> I am off to buy supplies! Thank goodness we already have a lazy boy

> recliner! Keep on writing, I will be checking back with my new

> family, the orthognaticsurgery family on a daily basis. All the

tips

> were useful, ALL of them.

> Love,

> Ann

>

December 14, 2004