Yesterday I saw Dr. D and let me just say that she is marvelous, I really do love her.
She started by rewiring the work that Dr. F had done. On my upper left there are 4 teeth in the back, then the 3 toothless gap and then the right middle tooth. The 2 left back teeth are staying where they are, the other 2 left teeth are the ones that will be moving into the gap with the bone. She tied the 2 teeth that are moving together and then tied them to my bracket so they are guided by the wire as they move.
Yesterday Dr. D started to move the 2 teeth. She turned the screw once (.3m), then my sister turned it once and later in the night I turned it once. I can already feel the difference in the gap between my teeth in the back. But when the teeth move I don't have any pain, I barely feel anything actually, just an extremely mild strange sensation.
She also took some weird high tech x-ray and showed me what she was doing. I'll admit, there was nothing earth shattering in this but the x-ray was very fancy and a little over my head.
Oh, and she did say the surgery went well.
I have to go back on Monday.
I'll work on a picture or two so you can see what's going on.
Showing posts with label oral surgery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oral surgery. Show all posts
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
I didn't have surgery...
I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but my Mother got an infection after having her hip replaced, MRSA. It's not a pleasant infection! I've spent a lot of time around her - helping her, keeping her company. Not surprisingly I tested positive for carrying MRSA.
My surgeon decided to postpone my surgery until an infectious disease doctor could review my case. When I spoke to my primary care physician he told me that Dr. S was concerned that maybe I had been carrying it when I had my previous surgeries and that was part of the reason that my bone grafts were not a sucess. But my primary care pysician also said that I had been cultured during the surgeries and didn't show MRSA then. But, Dr. S wanted to have my case reviewed. I'm told that my case was reviewed and I was cleared for surgery by infectious disease. But of course this is a holiday weekend so I wont get an update until at least Tuesday when Dr. S can take a look at the note sent over to him.
It worked out well though, my Mom was pretty sick earlier this week and I wasn't totally comfortable with having the surgery. But I'll feel better about it in another week or so, she is doing much better.
My surgeon decided to postpone my surgery until an infectious disease doctor could review my case. When I spoke to my primary care physician he told me that Dr. S was concerned that maybe I had been carrying it when I had my previous surgeries and that was part of the reason that my bone grafts were not a sucess. But my primary care pysician also said that I had been cultured during the surgeries and didn't show MRSA then. But, Dr. S wanted to have my case reviewed. I'm told that my case was reviewed and I was cleared for surgery by infectious disease. But of course this is a holiday weekend so I wont get an update until at least Tuesday when Dr. S can take a look at the note sent over to him.
It worked out well though, my Mom was pretty sick earlier this week and I wasn't totally comfortable with having the surgery. But I'll feel better about it in another week or so, she is doing much better.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Coming along
So I'm coming along, the swelling is down to a point where I don't look grotesque (or did my sister say I looked grotesque? Ahhh, sisters!) Well, I don't look that bad, but am still pretty swollen. I also have some bruising on my neck and throat, but it's light and hard to see. My mouth still hurts too, but I'm taking mostly just Advil and the Percocet at night to help me sleep.
This morning I woke up with a gross taste in my mouth and it seemed very mucusie mixed in with a bit of dried blood. There also seemed to be bits of something in there. I'm hoping it's just some particles from my smoothie last night, but I'll find out more today when I see the surgeon. But after losing the bone last time I'm a bit nervous about anything that doesn't seem 100% right.
This morning I woke up with a gross taste in my mouth and it seemed very mucusie mixed in with a bit of dried blood. There also seemed to be bits of something in there. I'm hoping it's just some particles from my smoothie last night, but I'll find out more today when I see the surgeon. But after losing the bone last time I'm a bit nervous about anything that doesn't seem 100% right.
Friday, August 27, 2010
good news and more bad news
Yesterday I saw one of Dr. S's colleagues. The good news is that he said I'm fine to take my trip in September.
The bad news is that it's because it will be a while before Dr. S will be able to put in the bone stimulating proteins. Apparently, I need to heal up before he can put thim in and this doctor indicated it would be a few months. But what was even more interesting was that he indicated that Dr. S might need to put more bone in. I'm not sure if this doctor was seeing more bone loss then Dr. S had initially seen, or if Dr. S was giving me the better scenario hoping that he would be able to just use the bone stimulating proteins. Either way, time will tell how much bone I lose and how to deal with it.
I had thought the bone stimulating proteins would go in sooner, but the more I think about it Dr. S didn't give much of an indication of when they would go in. It was Dr. F who seemed to indicate that they would use them soon.
The most frustrating part is knowing that all this will delay the whole process. I'm not sure if it will delay the braces much since the bone is more for the implants then for the the braces. But this would certainly delay getting the implants.
The bad news is that it's because it will be a while before Dr. S will be able to put in the bone stimulating proteins. Apparently, I need to heal up before he can put thim in and this doctor indicated it would be a few months. But what was even more interesting was that he indicated that Dr. S might need to put more bone in. I'm not sure if this doctor was seeing more bone loss then Dr. S had initially seen, or if Dr. S was giving me the better scenario hoping that he would be able to just use the bone stimulating proteins. Either way, time will tell how much bone I lose and how to deal with it.
I had thought the bone stimulating proteins would go in sooner, but the more I think about it Dr. S didn't give much of an indication of when they would go in. It was Dr. F who seemed to indicate that they would use them soon.
The most frustrating part is knowing that all this will delay the whole process. I'm not sure if it will delay the braces much since the bone is more for the implants then for the the braces. But this would certainly delay getting the implants.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Pre-Operative Stuffs
On Tuesday I went to Dr. S for my pre-op visit. He outlined my surgery in too much goory detail and we discussed drugs.
Here is how the bone graft works - he doesn't actually put bone in my gap, he puts bone where the teeth should go and bone promoting protein in the gap. At least that was how I understood it. He'll cut the skin the the hole and then stitch it back together to make a base for the sinuses and a roof to the mough. Then he went into the bone graft part and I only got so far as him cutting open my gums in the front of my mouth and lifting them up. I'm guessing then he puts in the bone, but I had heard enough. He'll take a piece of bone from my left tibia and then my leg will hurt and I'll be hobbling around for a week to 2 weeks.
Dangers - biggest concern is infection and banging my leg and breaking it before it heals. ACK!
Recuperation - I have an overnight reservation at the hospital. I'm wondering if I can get an email confirmation of it so I can add it to my tripit app on my iphone. Then I'll be on clears for the first and second day and after that soft foods until I see him again 8 days after surgery.
Wednesday I went for some pre-op stuff at the hospital, the usual stuff - blood work, a million questions on your medical history and pre-surgical instructions. The Physician's Assistant I had this time was a million times better then last time, she didn't even screw up my paperwork!
Here is how the bone graft works - he doesn't actually put bone in my gap, he puts bone where the teeth should go and bone promoting protein in the gap. At least that was how I understood it. He'll cut the skin the the hole and then stitch it back together to make a base for the sinuses and a roof to the mough. Then he went into the bone graft part and I only got so far as him cutting open my gums in the front of my mouth and lifting them up. I'm guessing then he puts in the bone, but I had heard enough. He'll take a piece of bone from my left tibia and then my leg will hurt and I'll be hobbling around for a week to 2 weeks.
Dangers - biggest concern is infection and banging my leg and breaking it before it heals. ACK!
Recuperation - I have an overnight reservation at the hospital. I'm wondering if I can get an email confirmation of it so I can add it to my tripit app on my iphone. Then I'll be on clears for the first and second day and after that soft foods until I see him again 8 days after surgery.
Wednesday I went for some pre-op stuff at the hospital, the usual stuff - blood work, a million questions on your medical history and pre-surgical instructions. The Physician's Assistant I had this time was a million times better then last time, she didn't even screw up my paperwork!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Another painful experience
Last week I was back at Dr. F's office and left feeling slightly irritated...
Apparently my wire on the top shifted a bit and had to be moved back. Also, he did fix the wire that was attached to the palate expander, I think I left him wondering how I did that. Also, one of the girls put a shorter chain on the lower right tooth that they've been trying to rotate. It has hurt a fair bit since then so I think the tooth might have actually moved. Looking at it though sometime I think it did move, other times I don't think so.
We also had a conversation about my surgery on the 27th, he's not sure how Dr. S wants to handle it. Then he started to almost think out loud to me about how they usually wait 5-6 months from the time the palate expander finishes expanding - that would acutally be Aug 17. This is the first I've heard the wait time this way. I was originally told by Dr. F 4-6 months and the same by Dr. S, no one added in the rest about after the palate expander finishes expanding. This irritated me quite a bit since it was 3 weeks before my surgery and he decides to bring it up then. At this point I'm pretty much committed mentally to July 27th. But once or twice Dr. S has made comments about Dr. F being conservative, which fits well with my perception of him. But at this point I'm sticking with the July 27th date. My theory is that if the surgeon thinks this is enough time then it probably is. If it was an orthodontic issue then I would defer to the orthodontist.
Two other things that I have thought of/ noticed since that visit. The numbness in my gums has gone away on the right side of my mouth. I'm still dumb a bit on the left side, but being as the tooth on the left side of the cleft hurts I know that the area there isn't still numb. The other thing I thought is that when Dr. F gets me ready for the surgery he's probably going to take the wire out of my braces and it probably wont go back in for a few weeks. My fake tooth is held in with the wires. 3 weeks after the surgery I'm going away with the family for a few days, I can deal with a gap for that trip. However, in the middle of September I'm going away on a 2 week tour and I do not want to have a gap there. I feel funny meeting new people and having to explain the lack of tooth, but even worse is that every picture from that trip will have me missing a tooth and that will drive me crazy for the rest of my life.
Apparently my wire on the top shifted a bit and had to be moved back. Also, he did fix the wire that was attached to the palate expander, I think I left him wondering how I did that. Also, one of the girls put a shorter chain on the lower right tooth that they've been trying to rotate. It has hurt a fair bit since then so I think the tooth might have actually moved. Looking at it though sometime I think it did move, other times I don't think so.
We also had a conversation about my surgery on the 27th, he's not sure how Dr. S wants to handle it. Then he started to almost think out loud to me about how they usually wait 5-6 months from the time the palate expander finishes expanding - that would acutally be Aug 17. This is the first I've heard the wait time this way. I was originally told by Dr. F 4-6 months and the same by Dr. S, no one added in the rest about after the palate expander finishes expanding. This irritated me quite a bit since it was 3 weeks before my surgery and he decides to bring it up then. At this point I'm pretty much committed mentally to July 27th. But once or twice Dr. S has made comments about Dr. F being conservative, which fits well with my perception of him. But at this point I'm sticking with the July 27th date. My theory is that if the surgeon thinks this is enough time then it probably is. If it was an orthodontic issue then I would defer to the orthodontist.
Two other things that I have thought of/ noticed since that visit. The numbness in my gums has gone away on the right side of my mouth. I'm still dumb a bit on the left side, but being as the tooth on the left side of the cleft hurts I know that the area there isn't still numb. The other thing I thought is that when Dr. F gets me ready for the surgery he's probably going to take the wire out of my braces and it probably wont go back in for a few weeks. My fake tooth is held in with the wires. 3 weeks after the surgery I'm going away with the family for a few days, I can deal with a gap for that trip. However, in the middle of September I'm going away on a 2 week tour and I do not want to have a gap there. I feel funny meeting new people and having to explain the lack of tooth, but even worse is that every picture from that trip will have me missing a tooth and that will drive me crazy for the rest of my life.
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