My pre-op appointment to formulate my treatment plan was originally scheduled for March 4th. The Chief Resident handling my case (yes, I am going to a teaching hospital) called me to see if I could come the week prior as he believed they required a greater amount of time to plan my case. This the same resident that did my 2nd surgery in July '10 and I know him and he has a great bedside manner. I had requested someone that knew my case so that I could have some sort of continuity of care. I really like my surgeon a bunch and have an enormous amount of trust in him, but I don't see him for a great deal of time since this is a teaching hospital.
The appointment took a great deal longer than expected. A Junior Resident that I haven't met yet completed most of the assessments. First I had to bite into a thin tray with blue material that became really hard and really hot (ooh, that sounds dirty). Then the tray was hooked up to a sort of "Wii-Fit" like apparatus and I had to move around. Then a CT scan of the head still biting on the tray. My mouth was tired by then. My surgeon came in because there was concern regarding the large build ups of arcrylic on my back molars impeding the bite. These were built up once my orthodontist and once after my first surgery to avoid biting into the bone graft. My surgeon said that it wasn't a problem.
More impressions X 4 (the standard kind). Measurements every which way. Pictures with the camera, pictures of my bite which really hurt because my mouth is so small that they pulled the plastic holders SO HARD. One of the impressions ripped off a front tooth bracket. My prosthodontist also came in and at one point, I had physicians staring at me.
My surgeon thinks we will not have to do the upper jaw; only the BSSO accompanied by a large rotation downwards of my chin. He said that in a person of my age (hmmph) moving the upper jaw can be quite aging. I was concerned that my chin is now too small, but he indicated he didn't more it as much as he could have in the first surgery, because of this one. My upper lateral regions will also have bone grafts that they will take from my lower jawbone when they move it. I will need a 5th surgery for implants once those heal. There was going to be a planning meeting the week after my appointment and they would let me know the outcome.
I feel much more confident and much more at ease since I met with my surgeon.
Jen - I understand it's hard to see what others see sometimes, especially after hearing negative things your whole life(just read the list of things that have been said to you), but please believe me when I say that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL - inside and out! I'm looking at your pre- photos and I truly see a beautiful woman that's patient, kind and bright and persistent (thank the Lord) and who doesn't take no for an answer (praise God!) :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteGood Lord, you have been through so much! So sorry so many people have said such lousy things to you! I have mildly weird teeth- lack of one permanent tooth (dad and cousins have the same missing tooth) and several teeth with two sets of baby teeth and one permanent. The worst I'll ever have to endure is an implant for my one missing tooth- not multiple surgeries :(.
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