Judy/Re: My update at 4 weeks post op

[Guest guest]

Hi Judy,

So sorry I am just reading this post, but as you know I had been

without a computer most of the duration of my post op.

It sounds like you have been having a really tough time. I am sending

you big hugs hoping that it will get better for you as each day

passes. I noticed your b-day is August 3rd, mine is August 5th!

I know what you mean when you say it hurt like heck when your OS

touched your upper lip. When my OS touched my upper lip this past

Tuesday I thought I was going to jump right out of that chair.

OUCH!! He asked me if I was feeling better which I told him that I am

feeling about the same since my last appt. with him. I am at the

point where it doesn't seem to be getting any better just staying the

same. The swelling is starting to worry me a little.

Please let me know how you are doing since your post was sent at the

beginning of the week. Are you still having sinus/ear problems? If

so, I surely hope you have made an appointment to see your doctor.

--Caboose

> I haven't been online much this last week and have fallen far

behind

> in reading the posts here. I started to read some, like recent

ones

> from Sara and re: pep-talks and crying, etc.

> Boy, all I can say about the crying is that I've been doing a bit

of

> that myself lately. Honestly, I think I was almost too exhausted

> from the surgery and initial recovery period to cry too much;

> because I think I've saved most of my crying times for this past

> week. I think what brought it on was my post-op visit with my OS

> last Tuesday. I went in with high hopes of hearing that these

awful,

> awful wires would be taken out of my mouth at about 6 weeks post

op.

> I guess the jokes on me, because that's highly unlikely!

> The visit didn't go particularly well for me. The first irritating

> thing was that I had to wait TWO hours before even finding out if I

> would be able to see my OS! He had been called away from the

office

> due to an emergency case (someone was in a car accident, wasn't

> wearing a seat belt, went through the windshield and pretty much

> busted up their entire face - thus this person needed the services

> of my doctor). I'd been waiting an hour and a half by the time I

was

> even told about why there was a delay; and then given the option of

> rescheduling (I live an hour away from my OS office at the Mayo

> clinic), seeing an intern about any questions or concerns I

> currently had (which I had many and didn't want to ask anyone other

> than the person who had operated on me!), or continuing to wait for

> my doctor - with the forewarning that I may not even get to see him

> if that emergency case took longer than 'normal'. Ugh, I had my

> husband with me and it was at that point that the tears started to

> flow. I really, and I mean really wanted to see MY doctor.

> We decided to take our chances and wait for my doctor to come back,

> 30 minutes later his office got a call from him saying he would be

> back in the office within an hour, so we finally did get to see

him.

> I was the first patient that he saw, so even though I got to see

him

> the visit was rushed of course, because there were 10 other

patients

> waiting to see him after I did.

> He looked in my mouth - which by the way hurt like heck when he

> touched my lips to look in there; my lips are still pretty sore

from

> the surgery. He said 'looks good', changed my rubber bands - which

> feel like they are tighter than the last set, and so my mouth has

> been more sore due to that the past week. I asked if the wires

could

> come out at 6 weeks post op, and he said that would be too soon,

and

> they need to be in at least 7-12 weeks! The tears began to flow

> again and he said, " I told you this was a big surgery and it

> wouldn't be easy. " I said I know that, but you didn't tell me I'd

> need to be wired shut for up to 12 weeks!!! That's twice as long as

> the time he initially quoted me! I could be patient for a total of

6

> weeks; that would leave me with only two weeks left to deal with

> these torturous wires, but to think I may need them on for possibly

> up to another 8 weeks, well...the thought just highly depresses me.

> My husband said to just try to look at things week by week and not

> the entire time frame, but I can't seem to be able to do that. We

> have SO much going on in the next few couple and thinking of having

> to do it all while being wired shut is really bringing me down. I

> can't even talk for any length of time without my jaw/face becoming

> really sore due to the wires holding everything so tightly.

> I won't see my OS again until August 3rd (also my birthday), and at

> that point I'll be exactly 6 weeks and two days post-op.

> I still had (and still have) plenty of swelling in some parts of my

> face, and I was not only concerned about the amount that was/is

> left, but I was becoming impatient over the discomfort and

> inconvenience of it all to boot.

> It feels as though I have blocked sinuses - like a sinus infection

> sort of. I have pressure under/behind my eyes, which after reading

> or watching TV, or driving for any length of time - they become

> quite sore and painful. I also have a lot of pressure in and

around

> my ears...this feels like an ear infection and also is quite sore

> and painful. I cannot hear well since the surgery - and normally my

> hearing is perfect. People have to talk to me loudly for me to be

> able to hear what they're saying, it's like I'm under water trying

> to hear things, and after four weeks and one day post-op I'm

getting

> rather tired of having to say " What did you say? What did you say? "

> all the time.

> I called my OS yesterday and left a message for him telling the

> nurse that I'm still having considerable difficulty/discomfort with

> these issues, and what should I do now? I said I don't feel as

> though there have been any improvements for me in well over a week,

> and I am starting to panic a bit. The nurse called me back this

> morning and said the doctor would like me to wait 3-4 more days and

> if I still have the same issues at that point that I should THEN go

> see an ear, nose and throat specialist to 'see' if I need to have

> fluid drained out of my ears! Ughhh.

> I've avoided coming onto the website, because I was afraid I would

> vent like I currently am and didn't want to scare any people who

> have surgeries coming up.

> The temptation to touch base and read messages today was too

> overwhelming so - here I am.

> Sorry for the downer of a post everyone....

> Judy