So nothing has happened since my appointment last week with Dr A (not that anything was supposed to happen), but a lot has been happening in my brain. That "lot" being questions, concerns and overall nervous little worries.
The first question is how on earth is this going to be done sans braces?! I totally forgot to ask Dr A about it when I had my appointment. I can be such a dope sometimes.
The second one is will I be able to get braces after surgery if I want? Or will it totally mess up wall the work done in the OR?
And what about the IV? My poor little veins blew 8 times during the attempts to sedate me for my wisdom teeth and that was for a 20 minute procedure! How are they going to hold up to 7 hours?
What if it doesn't help my pain at all? Yes I'll look better, but the main goal of this is to reduce my pain. I don't know how severe the degeneration of other patients' joints is. Is mine worse or better? Did it help at all for those who have progressed to osteoarthritis with disk displacement?
WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE MY FACE?! I actually have come to love my face. I think of it as cute and pixie-ish. Granted I have a pretty feeble profile, but from the front I just look fine-boned and delicate. I don't want to come out of this with less self esteem than I go in with.
Sorry for the rant and the whining, I'm just starting to get these nagging thoughts now that this is becoming more and more of a reality.
Hi, Nora. I understand your feelings completely, because I've had the same worries.
ReplyDeleteAbout no braces--I know someone who went through this without braces. She had braces about 8 years before as a prep for surgery, and then decided not to get the surgery then. When she opted for the surgery later, her teeth were close enough to where they needed to be for the surgery. She got braces just for the surgery (to have something to attach the bands to) and got them off after 6 weeks. She later had some tweaking to shape her teeth and some bonding to perfect her bite. If your OS thinks your teeth are in a healthy position, then it should be all right. But, I would definitely raise your concern to him. Can you call his office?
Ellie thanks for the reassuring words. My mom works at the same hospital as my OS so I'll have her talk to him tomorrow. And as much as I hate to wish these thoughts on another person it's good to know that I'm not alone.
ReplyDeletei remember seeing a picture like this somewhere by someone who had jaw surgery without braces
ReplyDeletehttp://faculty.washington.edu/bramhall/lectures/trauma/wiring%20the%20jaw.gif
I can't remember where I saw it though. Apparently its perfectly fine as long as your teeth are straight.
Oh wow that actually makes sense. After all, not all trauma patients have braces. Never even crossed my mind. Thanks Terra that's a comforting (weird, huh?) find!
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand your concerns about not wanting any negative facial changes, as well as the other concerns. I found it VERY helpful (pre-op, July 2009), to list EVERY single question/concern I had in writing. I addressed the OS about EVERY single one, and in the end, I decided to move forward with the surgery. It eased my mind a LOT to have my concerns addressed by a medical professional, without going totally crazy with "what ifs". Now, that's not to say that I didn't still have concerns, but at least I felt legitimized and more educated.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I am wishing you the best of luck, and I'll be following your updates...When might you be having your surgery?
Cece, that sounds like a wonderful idea! I'm seeing my surgeon again soon for more pics so I'll talk to him then. In the meantime i'll make that list you suggested. It definitely sounds like a really helpful and comforting thing to do. And surgery will be before this month is out if all goes well. I don't have a precise date yet.
ReplyDeleteCool...We won't be too far apart in the recovery process!
ReplyDeleteAre you planning to post pics?
You bet! What's a blog without fun pics?
ReplyDeletewelcome to the crazy jawz groupies lol i want to tell u i had jaw surgery 34 dayz ago and its great oh and what a coincidence i had my wisdom teeth removed even before they were out naturally u know after all I've been through i recommend u go for it
ReplyDeletez3 thanks for the welcome! It's good to know there are people all over the internet that understand what I'm going through right now. The support system is fantastic. Hope your recovery is going well!
ReplyDelete