Re: My update at 4 weeks post op

[Guest guest]

Judy, vent when you want to! You're entitled, and that's part of the

reason we're here. People anticipating surgery need to know the good

and the bad that can happen.

I think it is unusual to be wired shut for 12 weeks -- but your

surgeon knows more about your particular circumstances than anyone

else, and I'd trust his decisions, frustrating as they are. You don't

want to jeopardize all you've been through at this point, I'd think.

As for the nose, ears stuff: Did he prescribe any sort of

decongestant for you? Most people are told to take Sudafed (I believe

there's a liquid for children available, but you'll have to adjust

the dosage.) or something similar. That may well clear up that

problem.

The other thing that really helps with congestion, at least for some

people, is a humidifier. Do you have one going?

It will all get better, and the memories of this trying period will

fade.

For those anticipating lower surgery only, the congestion at least is

not typical in those cases.

I can certainly understand your surgeon having to drop everything to

tend to the patient who went through the windshield. I will never

understand doctors who don't instruct their staff to tell waiting

patients immediately when something goes awry. But at least they

finally did give you a choice. (I once waited in an orthopedic

surgeon's office for three hours for a five minute appointment with

him, and I gave him heck about it, too. Turned out there had been

some sort of snafu in the office procedure. Another of our docs does

surgery on the mornings he's in the office where we see him in the

afternoons. that one is fraught with the possibility of waits. I've

learned to ask if I wait more than 15 minutes past the appointment

time -- and I've noticed more and more docs' offices posting signs

asking patients to do just that.

It's frustrating, and you're probably still somewhat under the

influence of the aftermath of the steroids and anesthesia. But do

what he tells you, hang on, keep reading and posting, and know that

we're all sending good and healing vibes in your direction!

Cammie

> 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

[Guest guest]

Judy,

I'm new to the group, and haven't had surgery at this point, but I'm

so sorry to hear what a rough time you're having. I will keep you

in my prayers as your recovery continues.

If you don't mind, may I ask what kind of surgery you had done?

Angel

> 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