It's ONE YEAR August 2004 buddies!! Woo-Hoo!

[Guest guest]

Well folks we made it. Haven't been around in a while, since my

second

surgery, been making a consolidated effort to explore the job market

and meanwhile try and make back some money I missed in my absence.

So the Good news and the struggles...

Good news...had upper and genio, Aug 9 2004. Went very well, healed

and got back to work quicker than he expected, and even gained a

little weight.

(A rare thing for this woman!)

I was recovering well, but started getting shooting pains in my

cheeks

and near my eyes and wasn't sure if it was healing or trouble. Being

as I was still seeing my OS regularly, I had him check things out,

and

we saw it on the xray-I had pushed OUT a screw from my rt

cheekbone...and it was like a right angle, think pulling a nail out

half way from a wall...yup! NG! (not good)

So what to do?, take it and all of it OUT (if one now, then all could

potentially become trouble)!

Argh.

Finally got scheduled for this past May 9 (05) (long story) and as an

out-patient, 5 days later I was again starting a healing process, but

could already tell I was in a much better place. Thank god

Since then,

I am working on getting a permanent retainer for my lower front

teeth,

as they are not super strong from yrs of previous gum removal to

bring

up teeth faster for braces when I was a kid, combined with some

recession...but won't have that until my cosmetics are done-so colors

match up. WHAT A BIG TICKET THERE!! Working on the 15k I was quoted

for 8 laminates w/work up wax, perm retainer, zooming w/tray, 1

cavity

and 1 crown...HOLY CRAP. Only thing partially covered are the cavity

and crown. so...I'll figure that out (after paying for 100% braces,

genio, and loss of wages, I could have a fully loaded Jag…but no

teeth-

--Ha!! And now at least I can get through the day w/o the pain I had.

Challenges:

Well certainly had wicked insomnia post-op about 5 days later...which

lasted about 5 more days –at that point, I was prescribed and it

passed, thank god...that was evil.

I had to have a second unscheduled or planned surgery, tough on the

body, but many countries like Canada take out all hardware from what

I

have learned, and lots come out in the US, but only when

necessary...my body said it was.

Some normal annoying things, like the cycle of shedding hair...which

no worries everyone, is only from the anesthesia and does not leave

you looking thin scalped or in fear of it not growing back...and it

did and as I go through another round, I just try and be kind,

conditioning well and not pulling, with tight pony tails or heavy

scalp scrubbing when washing my hair-or getting a cut, I tell the

shampoo people too-mine actually hurt some too...and you get through

it...just like some people shed with the seasons (no folks not just

pets and animals do this)...it's nothing dynamic like the dearest

people who have gone through hair loss from chemo…this is like

bad

knots after a windy boat ride and a little too much hairspray

VERY Weird thing DID happen...

Again first surgery Aug '04. It was about Jan or Feb '05...I was

showering, shaving my legs...and I look down to the right and as I

come up over my right thigh...swooooop...there's this sudden, deep

dip

in my thigh muscle.

Holy cow I got freaked out, but tried to remain calm & think it

out...but it looked like I had a biopsy during the night!

....no kidding, about 2 " X 2 " and about an half an inch deep!

So that day, first thing showed my fiancé, he was obviously very

concerned but tried to hide it...said maybe I pulled a muscle, check

with the dr...does it hurt, when did I notice...lots of questions.

did that...made the apt and asked all I knew who worked out, dieted,

what not...NO IDEAS. Just scared faces. Truly.

So, dr (GP-whom I love and trust totally) thought MAYBE pulled or

torn

muscle...suggested if I wanted to know more to go to an orthopedist.

(mind you don't trust them much, have not had any good luck with

orthopedists...few yrs back they wanted to open up my knees and do

exploratory surgery-turned out to need a little physical therapy for

weak muscles!) but went anyway to a not-quick-to-cut-orthoped and

again the faces... " What the F*% & ? "

Xray, nothing. PA shocked. Nurse not saying anything, Dr

stumped...then we talk about surgery- did I have any? yes. and about

6-

7 mths ago-...did I get any steroid shots in my thigh...nope. just IV

steroids in ICU...BUT I did get Demerol in my thighs – rotated...

well he had never heard of Demerol doing this-no one there did, and

offered an MRI if I wanted just to be sure. Said YES. My body just

did

something totally scary and UNUSUAL...I'm listening to it, let's

check.

MRI...all good. Just cellulite loss...concentrated in that area.

Perhaps the Demerol is all they could say. Hmm!

They said in the future be sure you get shots like those, deep into

the muscle.

AND-- it would it ever look the way it was...I mean honestly that is

the smallest price to pay to smile and eat well...but it was also

something so obvious, that while I am not super modest, going to a

pool and having a little kid there, that child would say, wow, what

happened to your leg...can you walk ok...after all I am barely a size

1 in jeans...so a dent like that on a body my size is like a softball

scooped out of a watermelon! You notice it and it's not

comfortable to

see…

Here's the cooooooolest thing ever!

They all told me, won't get better. Nope. Only way maybe would be to

cosmetically move some cellulite into that place-needle style

ironically...and I said seriously, where would you get it? You would

only move-switch spots on my body for dents!

True, so I was due to live with it...whatever.

Then my addiction started.

Those of you shut or barely opening again...craving REAL chocolate?

Oh

wasn't I! Enough with shakes and ice cream...give me a bar of

chocolate, but what's soft enough...Reese's PBCups! Oh yeah...like a

looney--gotta have em! Every single day….so bad…watch the

cholesterol

jump…

So about what June/July...I'm dressing and see OMG.....it FILLED

IN....the dent was almost 100% gone!

And so it is...almost totally GONE!

Scary, annoying, but recovered...and Wow. The Drs can't believe

it…My

OS was like Wow…that's amazing…I said that's

me…unique and amazing,

thank you!

Wacky right?! But true.

So now I heal slowly again with the bones resealing...tough with the

high humidity, but getting there.

Only other thing I noticed and am trying to figure out...is my

hardware and all was put in through my mouth...cut the upper gum line

and went up...so I noticed like last Sept that my skin-the pores in

my

face - were larger. I had always has nice skin, occasional pimple but

that's it...now I still feel like I need something to smooth out the

rough areas and hate thick foundation. OS said my skin could have

stretched out some from both surgeries...anyone else?

Suggestions other than surgery.

See this yr was supposed to be the yr of NO surgery for JO...last yr

had 2-first was unrelated, cancer scare...and only thank god a scare.

and now this yr, had one...so enough of that.

But what to use...so much of the over-the-counter is a BS advertising

scam....anyone had any ideas...ps, 33 now-so I'm sure that's a

part of

it, but not like turn over the hourglass, troubled skin NOW...Ideas

folks?

Sorry to go on and on...I wanted to catch up those who knew me and

say

I miss you guys -Tom P, Mindy (both) and all of you...LISA...my

bud...she's doing so well...hope you all are. With out you and

Cammie,

Fiddlestx and y'all, this would have been SO MUCH HARDER and

scarier...and heck who would I have talked to at 4:30a when I was up

twitching from my meds and no one else but my buddies were up

twitching from their meds...you guys ROCK. Much love to you all...

Send a note to my email when you can, so I don't miss you!!

Peace, JO

[Guest guest]

Hi Jo,

Happy anniversary! I'm celebrating my 3rd anniversary this weekend.

Hard to believe it's been that long.

I just wanted to correct one thing you said - that in Canada, hardware

is always removed. That's not true. It's only if the hardware causes a

problem that it is removed. Same as in the USA.

I still have all of my hardware, no problems.

Best wishes,