In the past week or so I have been to see Dr. D, Dr. F and Dr. K a Prostodontist.
Dr. D likes my progress and bone growth. She thinks I'm ready for the next step, a Prostodontist. She does think that one or two implants are possible.
My next stop was Dr. F who thinks I'm about done with my braces, OH HAPPY DAY! He wanted me to see Dr. K the Prostodontist about what he envisions for my teeth. Depending on what he says I may be done with braces soon.
Yesterday I met with Dr. K. Very nice, mild mannered guy. He asked a bunch of questions about my history and then reviewed the notes from Dr. F. He still has some more questions for Dr. F, particularly in regards to a specific tooth that he is worried will move after the braces come off. Otherwise he thinks Orthodontics has taken me as far as they can. The rest he thinks he can do with crowns and stuff. He may want to move a tooth or two, depending on what Dr. F says. But, he does think the bottom teeth are fine. Since they've been stuck in position for a while I'm hoping that at least those braces will come off this summer. But, I don't see Dr. F until August.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I have bone!
On Friday I saw Dr. D, she did X-Rays and I have bone in both the area where they did on distraction and where the bone graft was. YEA!!!! She already has me thinking about next steps. She doesn't think implants are a good option, so I will need a good prostodontist to work with.
I saw Dr. F yesterday and he's not ready to start moving teeth yet, he wants to see my teeth more solidly set in the bone. I go back in 6 weeks, which is around the 4 month mark that Dr. D had said was how long bone takes to set.
I saw Dr. F yesterday and he's not ready to start moving teeth yet, he wants to see my teeth more solidly set in the bone. I go back in 6 weeks, which is around the 4 month mark that Dr. D had said was how long bone takes to set.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
First Doctor Visit
This past week I saw Dr. D, she said my leg and mouth looked great - YEA! My heart did a happy dance.
As for my leg, it's still sore. It's frustrating too, I'm having trouble keeping myself comfortable. On top of that, my leg is leaving me homebound and as much I like being home and relaxing, I wouldn't mind getting some fresh air and seeing other human beings.
As for my leg, it's still sore. It's frustrating too, I'm having trouble keeping myself comfortable. On top of that, my leg is leaving me homebound and as much I like being home and relaxing, I wouldn't mind getting some fresh air and seeing other human beings.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Surgery #5 Complete
Last week I went in for surgery #5, another bone graft. Dr. D did this surgery and took bone from my right tibia.
From all accounts the surgery went well. Dr. D told my father (not a man to be trusted with details) that the work that Dr. S had previously done had made her job easier and that the surgery had gone well. I am hopeful. I haven't been in too much pain with this surgery, which is nice.
Here are my post-op war stories -
I wake up in recovery and I have a nurse who is an idiot and doesn't even know it. She goes to take my warmer away, except I'm still cold. When I warmed up she took away the warmer but left me under a stifling number of blankets, including the plastic one that connects with the warmer. Then I get a neighbor who "can't breathe" apparently he had a chest tube and it hurt to breathe, but he was actually breathing. For anyone who has come out of surgery - you don't really care, you just want them to shut up. Of course there was some mix up with the PSA so it took a little longer then necessary to get working and shut him up. Finally the nurse comes to check on me and I asked what I had to do to get away from the guy, she laughed. I wasn't actually trying to make a joke...
3 hours goes by and I'm still in recovery. The nurse assures me she's working on my release to post-op ambulatory, but times goes by slowly (I was in front of a clock, it goes very slowly) and now I'm starting to develop pain. I tell the nurse this. I know that if I get medication that I have to stay here for a while, my thinking was that if I'm going to be stuck here another hour, give me drugs, if I'm ready to go then send me on my way. She says that as long as my pain is below a 2 I should just wait. Who the heck said anything about the pain scale? I decided I should take my chances and get away from her before she killed me.
In post-op ambulatory the nurses were much better, I even had a student nurse who was a complete sweetheart. They even gave me drugs! Then I finally got to leave and go to my parents house.
Recovery has been ok, my leg is not as sore as I expected, but I do find it's often hard to get comfortable, particularly at night when I'm trying to sleep (emphasis on the trying). But otherwise I'm progressing ok.
From all accounts the surgery went well. Dr. D told my father (not a man to be trusted with details) that the work that Dr. S had previously done had made her job easier and that the surgery had gone well. I am hopeful. I haven't been in too much pain with this surgery, which is nice.
Here are my post-op war stories -
I wake up in recovery and I have a nurse who is an idiot and doesn't even know it. She goes to take my warmer away, except I'm still cold. When I warmed up she took away the warmer but left me under a stifling number of blankets, including the plastic one that connects with the warmer. Then I get a neighbor who "can't breathe" apparently he had a chest tube and it hurt to breathe, but he was actually breathing. For anyone who has come out of surgery - you don't really care, you just want them to shut up. Of course there was some mix up with the PSA so it took a little longer then necessary to get working and shut him up. Finally the nurse comes to check on me and I asked what I had to do to get away from the guy, she laughed. I wasn't actually trying to make a joke...
3 hours goes by and I'm still in recovery. The nurse assures me she's working on my release to post-op ambulatory, but times goes by slowly (I was in front of a clock, it goes very slowly) and now I'm starting to develop pain. I tell the nurse this. I know that if I get medication that I have to stay here for a while, my thinking was that if I'm going to be stuck here another hour, give me drugs, if I'm ready to go then send me on my way. She says that as long as my pain is below a 2 I should just wait. Who the heck said anything about the pain scale? I decided I should take my chances and get away from her before she killed me.
In post-op ambulatory the nurses were much better, I even had a student nurse who was a complete sweetheart. They even gave me drugs! Then I finally got to leave and go to my parents house.
Recovery has been ok, my leg is not as sore as I expected, but I do find it's often hard to get comfortable, particularly at night when I'm trying to sleep (emphasis on the trying). But otherwise I'm progressing ok.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Good News
Last week I saw Dr. D, she said my tissue looks great and I am set for surgery on March 8.
I also met with one of the other surgeons in the office who agreed my tissue looked great. I think he's the one who take the bone for the bone grafts. We discussed where he would be taking my bone from - likely the tibia of my right leg, not my hip as Dr. D had initially said.
I also met with one of the other surgeons in the office who agreed my tissue looked great. I think he's the one who take the bone for the bone grafts. We discussed where he would be taking my bone from - likely the tibia of my right leg, not my hip as Dr. D had initially said.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
It's out, at least part of it is out
Dr. D took out the external part of the extraction device. The process went smoothly, or so I'm told. I was under anesthesia. It was so good that I slept through my appointment with Dr. F too. I barely remember all the jabbing and poking that goes with getting a new wire put in. Dr. D did tell me that the bone seemed to be growing and developing nicely from the look of the X-Ray.
At my follow up visit with Dr. D she told me everything was healing well. She did, without saying it, give me the impression that March 8th for my surgery might be too soon. She say she would let me know when she sees me this Friday. Fingers crossed.
At my follow up visit with Dr. D she told me everything was healing well. She did, without saying it, give me the impression that March 8th for my surgery might be too soon. She say she would let me know when she sees me this Friday. Fingers crossed.
Monday, December 19, 2011
A clipping
Appologies for my lack of posts. I've been to see Dr. F and Dr. D, but it was right before and after taking a vacation and then with the chaos. But here I am.
When I saw Dr. F I complained that my teeth were moving (and they hurt a lot) - he told me that was good. It seems my teeth were moving into place, imagine that. The pain has subsided and I'm able to eat again!
Dr. D was a more interesting visit. On January 20th she is going to clip out the distraction device. Small in the office procedure. She is going to leave the part of the device that is under the gums, under the gums.
Then in late February, early March she is going to do another bone graft in the area that was not covered by the distraction. At that time she will remove the part of the device that is under the gums. She said she would probably take bone from him hip - I can't wait.
When she had initially mentioned doing the bone graft I had thought it would be a smaller procedure, but when you start talking about taking from my hip I know it's not a small procedure.
When I saw Dr. F I complained that my teeth were moving (and they hurt a lot) - he told me that was good. It seems my teeth were moving into place, imagine that. The pain has subsided and I'm able to eat again!
Dr. D was a more interesting visit. On January 20th she is going to clip out the distraction device. Small in the office procedure. She is going to leave the part of the device that is under the gums, under the gums.
Then in late February, early March she is going to do another bone graft in the area that was not covered by the distraction. At that time she will remove the part of the device that is under the gums. She said she would probably take bone from him hip - I can't wait.
When she had initially mentioned doing the bone graft I had thought it would be a smaller procedure, but when you start talking about taking from my hip I know it's not a small procedure.
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