Re: SoCal patient needs info on insurance, cost, recover, etc:long post - sorry

[Guest guest]

I just want to say thanks for your input.

M

>

> Hi Mike,

> Sounds like you've had a hell of a time with your mouth- for which

> I'm very sorry. I never like hearing the stories that come up about

> people that have had such a hard time. I'm glad you're finally

> tackling all of this once and for all though! Good luck! I'm not in

> CA, so I can't speak to your questions regarding CA, insurance,

etc.

> However, I can answer a couple of your questions:

>

> 6)Is there really a chance of permanent nerve/loss of feeeling in

> the nose,lips and mouth?-

>

> YES. This is the risk that my surgeon highlighted the most. He

said

> that I couldn't live with the idea of some numbness, then he didn't

> think I should persue the surgery. That said, he had very good

> statistics of nerve recovery. Maybe one or two cases in 26 years of

> some problem- he also alluded to much older patients having a

harder

> time with this than younger patients... He wasn't highly concerned,

> but wanted me to be aware. He also made it clear that nerve

recovery

> doesn't happen overnight... it can take quite a while.

>

> 7)Is 2 weeks a realistic recovery time?

>

> Well, recovery definitely seems to be individual... and it has

> different stages. I am at 2 weeks today. I have not yet returned to

> work. I plan to return this friday part-time, all next week part-

time

> to ease myself back into full-time work. I would say that a lot

> depends on what you do. My job involves being on my feet all day

and

> actively talking/interacting with people all day AND I have to be

> nice!! So, after two weeks, I am not yet feeling up to it all

> that. I hope I can handle work next week. There is a stage of

> feeling very exhausted. I'm still waiting for that stage to pass

> along.... sigh.

>

> 8)My job requires to talk on the phone I would say 80% of the

day?

> How difficult is it to speak after recovery?

>

> My job also involves quite a bit of talking on the phone too. I'd

say

> 75%. Basically I've made it clear to my boss that there is no way

> that will be immediately possible. She can't really dispute it

after

> hearing me talk either! I have my splint still and am not sure when

> it will be out. That would be something for you to find out- if you

> will have a splint and if so, for how long. I cannot speak

> comprehensibly with this splint. I also am banded. I'm not sure how

> being banded alone would affect my speach, but I'm convinced that

the

> splint is definitely making speaking understandibly really

difficult.

> I don't know if there is anyway you can arrange to do some work

that

> doesn't involve talking. My boss and I talked about doing that

ahead

> of time.

>

> Good luck to you! Sorry I wasn't able to answer more of your

> questions! Katja

[Guest guest]

Of course! k

> >

> > Hi Mike,

> > Sounds like you've had a hell of a time with your mouth- for

which

> > I'm very sorry. I never like hearing the stories that come up

about

> > people that have had such a hard time. I'm glad you're finally

> > tackling all of this once and for all though! Good luck! I'm not

in

> > CA, so I can't speak to your questions regarding CA, insurance,

> etc.

> > However, I can answer a couple of your questions:

> >

> > 6)Is there really a chance of permanent nerve/loss of feeeling

in

> > the nose,lips and mouth?-

> >

> > YES. This is the risk that my surgeon highlighted the most. He

> said

> > that I couldn't live with the idea of some numbness, then he

didn't

> > think I should persue the surgery. That said, he had very good

> > statistics of nerve recovery. Maybe one or two cases in 26 years

of

> > some problem- he also alluded to much older patients having a

> harder

> > time with this than younger patients... He wasn't highly

concerned,

> > but wanted me to be aware. He also made it clear that nerve

> recovery

> > doesn't happen overnight... it can take quite a while.

> >

> > 7)Is 2 weeks a realistic recovery time?

> >

> > Well, recovery definitely seems to be individual... and it has

> > different stages. I am at 2 weeks today. I have not yet returned

to

> > work. I plan to return this friday part-time, all next week part-

> time

> > to ease myself back into full-time work. I would say that a lot

> > depends on what you do. My job involves being on my feet all day

> and

> > actively talking/interacting with people all day AND I have to be

> > nice!! So, after two weeks, I am not yet feeling up to it all

> > that. I hope I can handle work next week. There is a stage of

> > feeling very exhausted. I'm still waiting for that stage to pass

> > along.... sigh.

> >

> > 8)My job requires to talk on the phone I would say 80% of the

> day?

> > How difficult is it to speak after recovery?

> >

> > My job also involves quite a bit of talking on the phone too. I'd

> say

> > 75%. Basically I've made it clear to my boss that there is no way

> > that will be immediately possible. She can't really dispute it

> after

> > hearing me talk either! I have my splint still and am not sure

when

> > it will be out. That would be something for you to find out- if

you

> > will have a splint and if so, for how long. I cannot speak

> > comprehensibly with this splint. I also am banded. I'm not sure

how

> > being banded alone would affect my speach, but I'm convinced that

> the

> > splint is definitely making speaking understandibly really

> difficult.

> > I don't know if there is anyway you can arrange to do some work

> that

> > doesn't involve talking. My boss and I talked about doing that

> ahead

> > of time.

> >

> > Good luck to you! Sorry I wasn't able to answer more of your

> > questions! Katja