Guest guest Posted August 29, 2004 Report Share Posted August 29, 2004 I think that those of us who are in cities that aren't world capitals (I measure that by which temps. I can get in the local international cities weather listings) don't have as much of a struggle as those in Big Cities who are using top surgeons. (We have the joy of top surgeons with fewer people competing for their time!) Anyhow. My surgery was originally scheduled for May 7. To the point that the hospital called me the day before to be sure I knew what to do! That was startling, as I had noticed my ortho getting nervous as May 7 approached, and told him it didn't matter to me whether we waited another month (my employer was amazingly kind about all this, and I knew I could schedule the month off any time. Unlike certain bean counters, I organize my time around daily deadlines, but generally Mondays are all alike and so are Thursdays -- I don't have quarter endings, or year endings, or tax seasons or such.) So my ortho immediately looked very relieved, and told me to call the surgeon and postpone by a month. I did, and although he's a very busy guy (does 3 or more surgeries in hospital a week at one hospital, plus his in-office stuff, plus maybe other procedures at other hospitals, and it took me a month to get the initial consult) they were able to schedule me at that point for June 26. I did ask for a day on which I could get the first surgery of the day... To me, there's nothing worse than waiting in a hospital, with an NPO order, for them to come and knock me out! Never bad to ask, though; it can help everybody's planning, and yep. I too believe in taking the lead when docs get tangled up in scheduling, missed communication and everything else. You don't wanna hear about how I know that one, either! As for blood donation: Some considerations are: Your surgeon's recommendation. Some docs recommend that you do it. Usually it's two pints, or units, done in two donations -- and around here, usually through the Red Cross. There is a fee, and I don't remember what it is. The reason for the fee is that an autologous (for yourself) donation is processed in a different way, and if you do not need the blood yourself, it will be discarded. That strikes me as a crime and a shame, and I do not understand it, but that's the way it is. So if you don't need it, it will be wasted. Another consideration is that some folks, including some medical folks, believe that giving that much blood at a time close to surgery can set you up for a situation in which you NEED transfusions and would not have, otherwise. Whatever, I believe that it's better to get your own blood, should you need it, and that the upper jaw surgery deals with a lot more vascular (hence, more likely to cause blood loss) tissue than lower. I dunno about the genio. Talk with your surgeon about this one, too. In times past, I have not hesitated to authorize transfusions from donor pool blood for loved ones, especially when it came through the Red Cross. But we live in a time of new perils that we did not know here in the '60s, or even in the '80s. My doc said I wouldn't need transfusions, and he was right on. So I didn't do the blood banking. (A friend who had a totally different surgery scheduled was told to store two units. The surgeon withdrew, another (most excellent one!) took over, and didn't suggest that; there was no more blood storing for the procedure -- also in pretty vascular territory -- and all went well.) But I'd want my doc to have whatever he thinks he needs. I have read (but can't cite) info online that donor-pool blood is generally safer than blood taken from friends and relatives. I have a dear friend who had been told by her long-time family physician not to accept a transfusion under any circumstance. If I get hit by a truck tonight, and am bleeding to death, I want the docs to decide what's worth pumping into me. Cammie > Thanks for the input, . I do know that the orthodontist and > oral surgeon talk a lot. The OD told me last visit that he and the > surgeon meet several times a week to discuss cases they are working > on, so I feel pretty good about that part. I'm already seeing the OD > every 4 weeks. It's been like that from the start. I believe I'll > ask him what the waiting period for scheduling surgery is, though. I > hadn't thought about that. Did you (or anyone else) donate your own > blood in case you needed transfusions? > > I'm in Birmingham, so I'm sure the surgeon is not one Cammie is > familiar with. Didn't she have her surgery in Mobile? > > Anyone else out there in the Birmingham area? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 29, 2004 Report Share Posted August 29, 2004 I think that those of us who are in cities that aren't world capitals (I measure that by which temps. I can get in the local international cities weather listings) don't have as much of a struggle as those in Big Cities who are using top surgeons. (We have the joy of top surgeons with fewer people competing for their time!) Anyhow. My surgery was originally scheduled for May 7. To the point that the hospital called me the day before to be sure I knew what to do! That was startling, as I had noticed my ortho getting nervous as May 7 approached, and told him it didn't matter to me whether we waited another month (my employer was amazingly kind about all this, and I knew I could schedule the month off any time. Unlike certain bean counters, I organize my time around daily deadlines, but generally Mondays are all alike and so are Thursdays -- I don't have quarter endings, or year endings, or tax seasons or such.) So my ortho immediately looked very relieved, and told me to call the surgeon and postpone by a month. I did, and although he's a very busy guy (does 3 or more surgeries in hospital a week at one hospital, plus his in-office stuff, plus maybe other procedures at other hospitals, and it took me a month to get the initial consult) they were able to schedule me at that point for June 26. I did ask for a day on which I could get the first surgery of the day... To me, there's nothing worse than waiting in a hospital, with an NPO order, for them to come and knock me out! Never bad to ask, though; it can help everybody's planning, and yep. I too believe in taking the lead when docs get tangled up in scheduling, missed communication and everything else. You don't wanna hear about how I know that one, either! As for blood donation: Some considerations are: Your surgeon's recommendation. Some docs recommend that you do it. Usually it's two pints, or units, done in two donations -- and around here, usually through the Red Cross. There is a fee, and I don't remember what it is. The reason for the fee is that an autologous (for yourself) donation is processed in a different way, and if you do not need the blood yourself, it will be discarded. That strikes me as a crime and a shame, and I do not understand it, but that's the way it is. So if you don't need it, it will be wasted. Another consideration is that some folks, including some medical folks, believe that giving that much blood at a time close to surgery can set you up for a situation in which you NEED transfusions and would not have, otherwise. Whatever, I believe that it's better to get your own blood, should you need it, and that the upper jaw surgery deals with a lot more vascular (hence, more likely to cause blood loss) tissue than lower. I dunno about the genio. Talk with your surgeon about this one, too. In times past, I have not hesitated to authorize transfusions from donor pool blood for loved ones, especially when it came through the Red Cross. But we live in a time of new perils that we did not know here in the '60s, or even in the '80s. My doc said I wouldn't need transfusions, and he was right on. So I didn't do the blood banking. (A friend who had a totally different surgery scheduled was told to store two units. The surgeon withdrew, another (most excellent one!) took over, and didn't suggest that; there was no more blood storing for the procedure -- also in pretty vascular territory -- and all went well.) But I'd want my doc to have whatever he thinks he needs. I have read (but can't cite) info online that donor-pool blood is generally safer than blood taken from friends and relatives. I have a dear friend who had been told by her long-time family physician not to accept a transfusion under any circumstance. If I get hit by a truck tonight, and am bleeding to death, I want the docs to decide what's worth pumping into me. Cammie > Thanks for the input, . I do know that the orthodontist and > oral surgeon talk a lot. The OD told me last visit that he and the > surgeon meet several times a week to discuss cases they are working > on, so I feel pretty good about that part. I'm already seeing the OD > every 4 weeks. It's been like that from the start. I believe I'll > ask him what the waiting period for scheduling surgery is, though. I > hadn't thought about that. Did you (or anyone else) donate your own > blood in case you needed transfusions? > > I'm in Birmingham, so I'm sure the surgeon is not one Cammie is > familiar with. Didn't she have her surgery in Mobile? > > Anyone else out there in the Birmingham area? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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