I finally had another post-op appointment with Dr. Keith on Tuesday. The appointment was pretty standard, we talked for a bit, he measured my range of motion and took a peak inside my mouth to look at my teeth and jaws. He was very happy with my progress and said that my range of motion is back to normal levels! He laughed when I told him I ate steak for the first time at my mother's birthday dinner at the end of January.
I did point out that my nose was still bothering me. Since my surgery, I can really only breath out of one side and my sense of smell is pretty bad. If you look at me straight on, my nose looks normal. But if you look at me from an angle, it's very obvious that one nostril is larger than the other. Dr Keith said that he wanted me to see an ENT specialist since he's an oral surgeon, not a nose guy, haha. He gave me a reference for an ENT specialist affiliated at Newton-Wellesley hospital and I called him and made an appointment. I might have a slight complex because this doctor has almost the exact same name as my oral surgeon. Oral Surgeon - Dr. David A. Keith. ENT Doctor - Dr. David A. Kieff. Too funny and only a little bit confusing, hahahaha.
I had my appointment with Dr. Kieff yesterday because they had a cancellation and were able to fit me in. I was honestly expecting to have to wait for awhile so getting such a quick appointment was a nice surprise. Dr Kieff was really nice and easy to talk to. I went in and had to have a full ENT appointment so I'm not sure what that's going to cost me. They examined my ears and cleaned them out since I had a lot of wax build up. It felt very strange but after it was done, I felt like a new person. He put lidocaine up my nose and then put a camera down there. The news? I have a deviated septum on my right side. What's interesting is that it looks so natural. You would think that it would look messed up since it's technically due to the jaw surgery I had in October but he said it's because Dr. Keith did such a great job that it looks as good as it does. It's weird saying that a deviated septum looks good but I guess what he meant was that if Dr. Keith didn't do such a good job, it would be a lot worse.
Now, here's the thing that really bummed me out. The only fix for a deviated septum is another surgery. I'm totally sick and tired and having to put my life on hold because I need to have surgery. This would put me at 4 surgeries due to my jaw. Luckily for me, this is actually a seriously minor procedure. The surgery is only about an hour long and recovery is about a week. I would have to be put under anesthesia but I would go home the same day and (hopefully) be back at work a week later.
I guess I have a decision to make. The office books out for surgery about 6 weeks in advance. If I were to go in today and make the earliest appointment, that would put me at the first week of April. Unfortunately, my hospital is getting a new computer system on April 2nd. Because the system is so different than our previous system, my department has doubled up on coverage for those weeks. Basically, it means that no one can take any time off because there's no one to cover. I'm going to be working a ton of over time during those first couple weeks as well. So, April is definitely a no-go for me, surgery-wise. So, the earliest I'm looking at for surgery would be May.
We have things that we had planned to do (begin renovating our house, for one). We are also going on vacation at the end of March which will use up a fair amount of my vacation time. Since this isn't an emergency and it doesn't bother me too much, I could wait until I'm ready. There is a certain appeal with getting it over and done with quickly but at the same time, I really just want some down time not having to prep for surgery. Plus, it'll allow me to build up some more vacation time through work if I wait. I definitely have a lot of thinking to do, that's for sure. I have a follow-up appointment on March 1st so I have about 10 days to really decide what I want to do.
I also have another appointment with Dr. Klein on Wednesday so I'll have another post next week after that appointment.
Showing posts with label Dr. David Keith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. David Keith. Show all posts
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Infection pt. 2 and my birthday!
I woke up this morning and my lip was still swollen. Not as bad as Monday afternoon but still sensitive to the touch and a tad uncomfortable. I went and saw Dr, Keith and he confirmed my pcp's diagnosis. I had an infection inside along my upper jaw incision. Fortunately, it was not to bad. He said that the area is slightly open which is allowing everything to drain out. GROSS. That's good because it means that he doesn't have to drain the area manually. I didn't ask what draining it manually would entail, didn't really want to know. He said that I'll have a gross taste in my mouth until everything drains out and begins healing. It'll probably take about 7 days.
He advised me to continue taking the antibiotics until the bottle was completed, use a hot compress on the outside of the infected area, do salt water rinses every 2 hours for the next 48 hours, and use chlorhexidine mouthwash for the next 7 days. He said that I was lucky I caught it so quickly because it could have been worse. Worse meaning that the area around the implants would become infected. That's super bad so I'm glad it didn't come to that!
He thinks it might have started due to one of my stitches not falling out. Those little bastards are terrible! I hate hate hate those stupid dissolving stitches. They are the worst! Thankfully, it's only superficial so it should clear up pretty quickly.
Since I started the antibiotics last night, he said I should be good to return to work tomorrow. I really don't want to use up all my earned time so that was a bit of relief. I'm not contagious but he thought it was a good idea to sit back, relax and let the meds do their thing for the rest of today.
I was nervous about what he was going to say so I didn't eat much of anything before my appointment. Just a bottle of chocolate ensure. If I had to have something done in their office, at least I didn't have much in my stomach to cause any delays.
He advised me to continue taking the antibiotics until the bottle was completed, use a hot compress on the outside of the infected area, do salt water rinses every 2 hours for the next 48 hours, and use chlorhexidine mouthwash for the next 7 days. He said that I was lucky I caught it so quickly because it could have been worse. Worse meaning that the area around the implants would become infected. That's super bad so I'm glad it didn't come to that!
He thinks it might have started due to one of my stitches not falling out. Those little bastards are terrible! I hate hate hate those stupid dissolving stitches. They are the worst! Thankfully, it's only superficial so it should clear up pretty quickly.
Since I started the antibiotics last night, he said I should be good to return to work tomorrow. I really don't want to use up all my earned time so that was a bit of relief. I'm not contagious but he thought it was a good idea to sit back, relax and let the meds do their thing for the rest of today.
I was nervous about what he was going to say so I didn't eat much of anything before my appointment. Just a bottle of chocolate ensure. If I had to have something done in their office, at least I didn't have much in my stomach to cause any delays.
I was told to go home, relax and to enjoy my birthday. Don and I had originally planned to go ice skating and then out to dinner but not sure if that's happening or not. I think I'll take a nap and see how I feel when I wake up. We also have to see what the weather is like since it's been raining on and off all morning. We'll make a decision based on that.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
An update! And some grumbling...
Yesterday was my 7 week check up with Dr. Keith. It doesn't feel like 7 weeks have past by! Everything seemed to just happen with lightning speed. My original back to work date is coming up on Monday which is exciting. I've already been back to work for 3 weeks so it'll be nice to really get back into the groove of things.
As I said, yesterday was the 7 week check up which went very well. Everyone at the office knows who I am so when they see me they always ask me how i'm doing and tell me how great I look. Dr. Keith had a resident with him when he saw me and he was taking notes so I'm assuming he's newly out of school or doing a rotation in maxillofacial surgery. He was very quiet. They asked me to take out my elastics since they wanted to accurately measure my open bite range. Dr. Keith and the resident were very impressed with how fast I took the elastics out! He said that it's amazing how good some people get at it so I must be one of those people.
We chatted for a few minutes, nothing crazy. I wasn't in too much pain, just generally sore. These elastics make me sore more often than not. It's nothing that tylenol or advil won't cure. It usually happens after eating. Dr. Keith recommended heat, he said it would soothe the joint area and help to promote healing. He gave me the go ahead to eat normally again, which means that I can officially come off a soft food diet! Yay! VERY exciting! I'm not sure if my jaw could handle really hard food just yet but he said the more I use it, the easier it'll become. Since I'll be eating harder foods, I'm going to start using the heat after meals. He didn't want to recommend heat until now because my swelling is finally starting to settle down. I can also use a straw again full time and was completely taken off of nasal precautions. WAHOO.
However, I did get a small amount of bad news. I complained to Dr. Keith about my right nostril. It's difficult to blow my nose on that side and I still have a hard time breathing fully through that side. It's also sensitive enough that it's started to bother me a bit. I showed Dr. Keith and he said that the right nostril opening is smaller than the left side. He said that it looks like the cartilage must have slipped either during surgery or sometime after. Either way, he said that it would need to be addressed. There is a chance that I may need to have another surgery in order to fix this issue. (-_-) To be honest, it made me extremely depressed. Here I am thinking that I'm completely finished with this whole surgery business and then he tells me that I'm maybe/probably going to need another one to fix this new issue. Luckily, since it happened because of the last surgery, it would be covered as a continuation of care. And the recovery time this time around is a lot shorter, around 1 week. And it would be a quick day surgery procedure. I still have a small amount of swelling on my right side so he wants to wait until that goes away before he makes any recommendations. I just hope I don't get sick or anything cause that would make this whole nose breathing thing even worse, hahaha.
Since I'm finished with the oral portion of my surgery, I've updated the tabs at the top to include before and after photos. I received my before photos from Dr. Keith yesterday and was able to easily upload them here for people to view. I haven't taken any professional after photos yet because Dr. Klein is waiting to take those for when I am closer to finishing. I will post them as soon as I receive them. Feel free to check out the before and after tab above. There are x-ray images up there so please check them out if you are interested.
As I said, yesterday was the 7 week check up which went very well. Everyone at the office knows who I am so when they see me they always ask me how i'm doing and tell me how great I look. Dr. Keith had a resident with him when he saw me and he was taking notes so I'm assuming he's newly out of school or doing a rotation in maxillofacial surgery. He was very quiet. They asked me to take out my elastics since they wanted to accurately measure my open bite range. Dr. Keith and the resident were very impressed with how fast I took the elastics out! He said that it's amazing how good some people get at it so I must be one of those people.
We chatted for a few minutes, nothing crazy. I wasn't in too much pain, just generally sore. These elastics make me sore more often than not. It's nothing that tylenol or advil won't cure. It usually happens after eating. Dr. Keith recommended heat, he said it would soothe the joint area and help to promote healing. He gave me the go ahead to eat normally again, which means that I can officially come off a soft food diet! Yay! VERY exciting! I'm not sure if my jaw could handle really hard food just yet but he said the more I use it, the easier it'll become. Since I'll be eating harder foods, I'm going to start using the heat after meals. He didn't want to recommend heat until now because my swelling is finally starting to settle down. I can also use a straw again full time and was completely taken off of nasal precautions. WAHOO.
However, I did get a small amount of bad news. I complained to Dr. Keith about my right nostril. It's difficult to blow my nose on that side and I still have a hard time breathing fully through that side. It's also sensitive enough that it's started to bother me a bit. I showed Dr. Keith and he said that the right nostril opening is smaller than the left side. He said that it looks like the cartilage must have slipped either during surgery or sometime after. Either way, he said that it would need to be addressed. There is a chance that I may need to have another surgery in order to fix this issue. (-_-) To be honest, it made me extremely depressed. Here I am thinking that I'm completely finished with this whole surgery business and then he tells me that I'm maybe/probably going to need another one to fix this new issue. Luckily, since it happened because of the last surgery, it would be covered as a continuation of care. And the recovery time this time around is a lot shorter, around 1 week. And it would be a quick day surgery procedure. I still have a small amount of swelling on my right side so he wants to wait until that goes away before he makes any recommendations. I just hope I don't get sick or anything cause that would make this whole nose breathing thing even worse, hahaha.
Since I'm finished with the oral portion of my surgery, I've updated the tabs at the top to include before and after photos. I received my before photos from Dr. Keith yesterday and was able to easily upload them here for people to view. I haven't taken any professional after photos yet because Dr. Klein is waiting to take those for when I am closer to finishing. I will post them as soon as I receive them. Feel free to check out the before and after tab above. There are x-ray images up there so please check them out if you are interested.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Update Jaw Surgery Day #2
Hello everyone! Things are going ok with me and my recovery so far. Didn't post anything yesterday because it was a very busy day.
I came home yesterday around 4pm which was great. Didn't get stuck in rush hour this time around. Got home yesterday and just kept hydrated and took some pain meds. My face is pretty jacked and very swollen. Was told that yesterday and today would be the worst of the swelling and they weren't kidding. I may post a picture later tonight. My jaw doesn't really bother me so much but my lips and nose bother me the most. The nose is very swollen and a little hard to breathe out of. They have me on a lot of meds. 2 different nasal sprays, pseudofed, 2 different pain medication, and the chlorhexidine mouthwash (my favorite... NOT).
Yesterday was pretty ok. Not sure why but I was just SO HOT in my room. Not sure if they kept it warm on purpose but I didn't sleep with any blankets which is very bizarre for me. My overnight nurse was awesome. She was attentive but not overly so. After she realized I was sorta kinda good, she left me to push some fluids on my own. I did have a catheter and was hooked up to IV fluids. I had to get 3 different IVs though. 1st one didn't take, and the 2nd one I had was good until I woke up and it was really bothering me. My nurse overnight called for my IV to be changed and it was such a difference. So I'm sure my arms are going to be all bruised and stuff. My left hand is very sore from the 2nd IV.
My parents came and visited me but I honestly don't remember much of the visit. I couldn't really talk since I was tightly banded shut. Thank goodness for my dry erase board. If you are having jaw surgery like mine, bring a dry erase board with you to the hospital. The dry erase board was a life saver. It allowed me to communicate with my nurse (who again, was awesome) and family. I wasn't my nurse's only patient so if I needed something, a PCA would come to help me. PCA's are essentially nurse's assistants but they often help every single nurse on the unit. They sometimes aren't as familiar with a specific patient since they help out with all patients on the unit. When I first arrived at my room, a PCA offered to put my bed down to a fully lying down position. She had a hard time understanding what I wanted because I couldn't talk. Not knowing what procedure I even had, she probably didn't realize that lying down flat would cause major swelling in my face. I declined and used the dry erase board after that.
Catheter was fine, I was sorta nervous about that since I've never had one before but it was actually ok. After that was taken out, I got up a little more and became a bit more mobile. I did have these things on my legs for blood circulation and man, I hated them! I was already so hot and they just made it worse. My nurse took them off part way through the night and I was much more comfortable.
When I woke up the next day, I looked and realized I had a pretty awesome view! I was on the 14th Floor in the Ellison building. I guess, most oral surgery patients go to that floor if they have space up there. Apparently, Don told me that I had a nice view but I was still very groggy and don't remember it much at all.
I did have a roommate but she was not an oral surgery patient. From the sounds of it, I think she had a double mastectomy procedure probably due to breast cancer, I couldn't really talk so I didn't get to know her at all. She was very quiet and by the time I got back from my tests and x-rays on Tuesday, she had already been discharged. The floor I was on was a plastic surgery floor so not everyone was an oral surgery patient (hence my roommate having breast surgery). I was in bed B so I got the window view which was nice.
At 10am, I had to go and get some final x-rays done. My teeth were banded together with these SUPER tight elastics. I wasn't wired shut, but it was almost the same. Couldn't move my teeth or jaws at all for the first 24 hours. At that appointment, they removed those super tight bands and replaced them with slightly larger ones. The nurse replacing them was a complete idiot and took forever to replace the bands. She was showing me how to replace the bands should they break and she had no idea what she was doing at all. After awhile, my pain meds started to wear off and it became painful. She finally just took some clamps and replaced them.
Once I was back in my room, I told my nurse what happened and she felt really bad. She told me that she'd give me a dose of pain meds a little early. After that, I relaxed in my chair near the window. Soon after, the nutritionist came to visit me and give me some advice on how to eat once I was discharged. After she left, my nurse and doctor came and spoke to me about beginning my discharge. I was off IV meds, could go the bathroom alone and was able to push fluids by myself. Since I could do all those things, I was allowed to go home. Before I left, my nurse told us we could take anything we wanted home since everything left in the room would be thrown away. She gave us extra syringes and even offered us free Ensure. Don't be afraid to ask for extra stuff cause once you go home, it'll probably be difficult to obtain stuff like syringes. And when you need them, you'll really need them. The free ensure was really nice since it allowed me to try various flavors without having to spend a lot of money on flavors I may not even like.
Don came by the hospital visit me around noon yesterday. It took him a long time because someone drove out of one of the MGH garages and crashed through another garage brick wall. The street was blocked off due to them trying to extract the car and person inside. But it took don almost 40 minutes to get to MGH from the exit at Storrow Drive (which normally takes 2 minutes). Since I was able to do some key things by myself, I ended up getting discharged around 2:30pm.
Since coming home, I've mostly pushed fluids and slept. I woke up last night to catch the end of the Royals v. Mets game 1 of the world series which was surprising. The mets lost in the 14th inning so poor don was not happy this morning. But it's only the first game, there will be plenty of other opportunities for them to win.
My nose keeps tingling, feels like water is dripping down it so I think the feeling will start to come back to that soon. Ok, I'm starting to get hungry and tired again so time to eat and sleep some more. Will have Don help me post some photos later tonight.
I came home yesterday around 4pm which was great. Didn't get stuck in rush hour this time around. Got home yesterday and just kept hydrated and took some pain meds. My face is pretty jacked and very swollen. Was told that yesterday and today would be the worst of the swelling and they weren't kidding. I may post a picture later tonight. My jaw doesn't really bother me so much but my lips and nose bother me the most. The nose is very swollen and a little hard to breathe out of. They have me on a lot of meds. 2 different nasal sprays, pseudofed, 2 different pain medication, and the chlorhexidine mouthwash (my favorite... NOT).
Yesterday was pretty ok. Not sure why but I was just SO HOT in my room. Not sure if they kept it warm on purpose but I didn't sleep with any blankets which is very bizarre for me. My overnight nurse was awesome. She was attentive but not overly so. After she realized I was sorta kinda good, she left me to push some fluids on my own. I did have a catheter and was hooked up to IV fluids. I had to get 3 different IVs though. 1st one didn't take, and the 2nd one I had was good until I woke up and it was really bothering me. My nurse overnight called for my IV to be changed and it was such a difference. So I'm sure my arms are going to be all bruised and stuff. My left hand is very sore from the 2nd IV.
My parents came and visited me but I honestly don't remember much of the visit. I couldn't really talk since I was tightly banded shut. Thank goodness for my dry erase board. If you are having jaw surgery like mine, bring a dry erase board with you to the hospital. The dry erase board was a life saver. It allowed me to communicate with my nurse (who again, was awesome) and family. I wasn't my nurse's only patient so if I needed something, a PCA would come to help me. PCA's are essentially nurse's assistants but they often help every single nurse on the unit. They sometimes aren't as familiar with a specific patient since they help out with all patients on the unit. When I first arrived at my room, a PCA offered to put my bed down to a fully lying down position. She had a hard time understanding what I wanted because I couldn't talk. Not knowing what procedure I even had, she probably didn't realize that lying down flat would cause major swelling in my face. I declined and used the dry erase board after that.
Catheter was fine, I was sorta nervous about that since I've never had one before but it was actually ok. After that was taken out, I got up a little more and became a bit more mobile. I did have these things on my legs for blood circulation and man, I hated them! I was already so hot and they just made it worse. My nurse took them off part way through the night and I was much more comfortable.
When I woke up the next day, I looked and realized I had a pretty awesome view! I was on the 14th Floor in the Ellison building. I guess, most oral surgery patients go to that floor if they have space up there. Apparently, Don told me that I had a nice view but I was still very groggy and don't remember it much at all.
 |
| My view from Ellison Room # 1438 |
I did have a roommate but she was not an oral surgery patient. From the sounds of it, I think she had a double mastectomy procedure probably due to breast cancer, I couldn't really talk so I didn't get to know her at all. She was very quiet and by the time I got back from my tests and x-rays on Tuesday, she had already been discharged. The floor I was on was a plastic surgery floor so not everyone was an oral surgery patient (hence my roommate having breast surgery). I was in bed B so I got the window view which was nice.
At 10am, I had to go and get some final x-rays done. My teeth were banded together with these SUPER tight elastics. I wasn't wired shut, but it was almost the same. Couldn't move my teeth or jaws at all for the first 24 hours. At that appointment, they removed those super tight bands and replaced them with slightly larger ones. The nurse replacing them was a complete idiot and took forever to replace the bands. She was showing me how to replace the bands should they break and she had no idea what she was doing at all. After awhile, my pain meds started to wear off and it became painful. She finally just took some clamps and replaced them.
Once I was back in my room, I told my nurse what happened and she felt really bad. She told me that she'd give me a dose of pain meds a little early. After that, I relaxed in my chair near the window. Soon after, the nutritionist came to visit me and give me some advice on how to eat once I was discharged. After she left, my nurse and doctor came and spoke to me about beginning my discharge. I was off IV meds, could go the bathroom alone and was able to push fluids by myself. Since I could do all those things, I was allowed to go home. Before I left, my nurse told us we could take anything we wanted home since everything left in the room would be thrown away. She gave us extra syringes and even offered us free Ensure. Don't be afraid to ask for extra stuff cause once you go home, it'll probably be difficult to obtain stuff like syringes. And when you need them, you'll really need them. The free ensure was really nice since it allowed me to try various flavors without having to spend a lot of money on flavors I may not even like.
Don came by the hospital visit me around noon yesterday. It took him a long time because someone drove out of one of the MGH garages and crashed through another garage brick wall. The street was blocked off due to them trying to extract the car and person inside. But it took don almost 40 minutes to get to MGH from the exit at Storrow Drive (which normally takes 2 minutes). Since I was able to do some key things by myself, I ended up getting discharged around 2:30pm.
Since coming home, I've mostly pushed fluids and slept. I woke up last night to catch the end of the Royals v. Mets game 1 of the world series which was surprising. The mets lost in the 14th inning so poor don was not happy this morning. But it's only the first game, there will be plenty of other opportunities for them to win.
My nose keeps tingling, feels like water is dripping down it so I think the feeling will start to come back to that soon. Ok, I'm starting to get hungry and tired again so time to eat and sleep some more. Will have Don help me post some photos later tonight.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Let's get this party started!
Today is the day!
First of all, thank you so much to everyone who has texted, messaged me through Facebook, and sent good luck vibes my way. I appreciate each and every message. Feel free to message me with a joke or something funny to keep my spirits up. I may not respond to all of them at first but I'll definitely look at them.
Just wanted to post 2 final pictures taken last night. One is a profile, the other is a frontal image of me. Excuse how tired I look in the photo. Haven't gotten much sleep the past few days.
Anyway, see everyone on the other side!
Friday, October 23, 2015
Final Pre-op time!
Tuesday was my final pre-op with Dr. Keith. At that appointment we went over general expectations, looked at all my xrays and photos together, and Dr Keith answered any final questions I had. The meeting went well! I had many of my questions answered which was reassuring. I will be updating the questions and answers section with the completed version of everything I had wanted to know.
When I first got there, we went over my x-rays and looked at all the photos. Apparently, there was a miscommunication between a few people and myself. I was originally told that my lower jaw would be moved in a way that would diminish my chin. However, that is not the case anymore! After going through my photos, it became very obvious to the surgeon and his staff that I would require advancement of both the upper and lower jaws. I thought my lower jaw would be pushed back but the x-rays show that neither jaws really advanced forward like they should have. It's not apparent when you look at me face on but my profile is kinda funky. My jaw and chin almost taper away into my neck. I'm hoping that I'll be able to grab copies of the images cause it's hard to visualize properly without photos. When they told me I'd pretty much lose my chin (unless I opted for the genioplasty) my first thought was "but I don't really have much of a chin to lose... oh well." It was nice to hear that after this surgery, I'll actually have more of a defined chin! Yay? Better than losing it, that's for sure!
After looking through some photos, I was presented with some options on how far to advance my jaw. All 3 options would help alleviate TMJ issues, give me a proper bite and help with reducing snoring and airway issues. The reason for the choice is purely aesthetic. The options were movement of 5mm, 7mm, and 9mm. It was difficult to make a decision mostly because I hardly look at myself. I mean, I see myself in the mirror everyday but I don't stand there inspecting my features. And I have a hard time visualizing anything. Thank god my hubby came with me to the appointment. I asked for his opinion. After all, he's the one who's stuck with looking at me every day! HAHA. After talking it out and going through all the options, we decided that 7mm was the right way to go for me. 5mm was just not enough, and 9mm was a little too much. Just like Goldilocks, I went with the option that felt "just right."
Then we went into the questions portion of the meeting. I came with my list prepared (cause i'm crazy) and Dr. Keith seemed impressed. I'm the kind of person who does not like surprises. I want to be informed on everything that is going on and have some kind of awareness that certain things are happening. One thing that I was not aware of would be sleeping restrictions. I figured I would need to be propped up somewhat but only for a few days. I will need to sleep sitting up for at a minimum of 2 weeks (YIKES). My head can't go below my heart due to bleeding risks so that's why he told me no sleeping lying down. He recommended a recliner or sleeping on a couch propped up against the arm of the couch. So now we have to slightly modify our living room to make room for our recliner that has been living in another part of our house for the past 6 months.
After everything was done, I was directed to his insurance coordinator (NOT MARY, YAY). She was very nice. We went over logistics for surgery day. More good news, my surgery was bumped up from 7:30am to 9:00am. I have to be at the hospital 2 hours before for prep so now I need to be at the hospital at 7:00am. I was originally going to have to wake up at 4am and get to the hospital for 5:30am. But now I'll be able to sleep in until 5:30ish or 6. Extra sleep is always good. I'll probably wake up at 3am due to nerves but whatever!
We are down to the final days before surgery and my nerves are just making me a little frazzled. Can't wait for this to be done and to start recovering.
When I first got there, we went over my x-rays and looked at all the photos. Apparently, there was a miscommunication between a few people and myself. I was originally told that my lower jaw would be moved in a way that would diminish my chin. However, that is not the case anymore! After going through my photos, it became very obvious to the surgeon and his staff that I would require advancement of both the upper and lower jaws. I thought my lower jaw would be pushed back but the x-rays show that neither jaws really advanced forward like they should have. It's not apparent when you look at me face on but my profile is kinda funky. My jaw and chin almost taper away into my neck. I'm hoping that I'll be able to grab copies of the images cause it's hard to visualize properly without photos. When they told me I'd pretty much lose my chin (unless I opted for the genioplasty) my first thought was "but I don't really have much of a chin to lose... oh well." It was nice to hear that after this surgery, I'll actually have more of a defined chin! Yay? Better than losing it, that's for sure!
After looking through some photos, I was presented with some options on how far to advance my jaw. All 3 options would help alleviate TMJ issues, give me a proper bite and help with reducing snoring and airway issues. The reason for the choice is purely aesthetic. The options were movement of 5mm, 7mm, and 9mm. It was difficult to make a decision mostly because I hardly look at myself. I mean, I see myself in the mirror everyday but I don't stand there inspecting my features. And I have a hard time visualizing anything. Thank god my hubby came with me to the appointment. I asked for his opinion. After all, he's the one who's stuck with looking at me every day! HAHA. After talking it out and going through all the options, we decided that 7mm was the right way to go for me. 5mm was just not enough, and 9mm was a little too much. Just like Goldilocks, I went with the option that felt "just right."
Then we went into the questions portion of the meeting. I came with my list prepared (cause i'm crazy) and Dr. Keith seemed impressed. I'm the kind of person who does not like surprises. I want to be informed on everything that is going on and have some kind of awareness that certain things are happening. One thing that I was not aware of would be sleeping restrictions. I figured I would need to be propped up somewhat but only for a few days. I will need to sleep sitting up for at a minimum of 2 weeks (YIKES). My head can't go below my heart due to bleeding risks so that's why he told me no sleeping lying down. He recommended a recliner or sleeping on a couch propped up against the arm of the couch. So now we have to slightly modify our living room to make room for our recliner that has been living in another part of our house for the past 6 months.
After everything was done, I was directed to his insurance coordinator (NOT MARY, YAY). She was very nice. We went over logistics for surgery day. More good news, my surgery was bumped up from 7:30am to 9:00am. I have to be at the hospital 2 hours before for prep so now I need to be at the hospital at 7:00am. I was originally going to have to wake up at 4am and get to the hospital for 5:30am. But now I'll be able to sleep in until 5:30ish or 6. Extra sleep is always good. I'll probably wake up at 3am due to nerves but whatever!
We are down to the final days before surgery and my nerves are just making me a little frazzled. Can't wait for this to be done and to start recovering.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Spacers finally gone and ... YUP still no molar brackets
First things first! After reading through the Common Questions for Oral Surgery section of my blog, I thought that the original formatting I used was a tad bit confusing. I have now changed it to a table format, left side with the questions, right side with the answers. Please click the links above or click HERE to check out the new updates. I had to use HTML coding for the first time in years so I am quite proud of myself.
Now, onto the update!
I saw Dr Klein last week on Thursday. I was excited to see her mostly because I was so done with these spacers. They were difficult to clean and hurt like a bitch the first few days I had them. I had forgotten what orthodontist pain felt like (haven't had an adjustment since the end of may since my teeth are straight) but the memories came back real quick. Spacers really suck. Anyway, I went back and we tried different brackets. Low and behold, the brackets didn't really fit. Dr. Klein and one of her technicians had been going back and forth with the rep who sells them their brackets. What's hilarious is that he told them that there isn't anyone who exists in this world with molar teeth that small. He assured her that these would fit and well, they really didn't. So apparently I'm the only adult in the world with baby teeth sized adult molars. She was able to fit one bracket on the left side but it was legitimately uncomfortable. I don't think giving it a few days would make it any better, I would be uncomfortable for the rest of my treatment. Thanks but no thanks.
She decided to take them off and not adhere them. She took some models (i'm such a pro at impressions) and said that she'd review them and get back to me. I probably wouldn't need to have them put on but she has to make doubly sure. Thankfully I have lots of time before my surgery so she has time to make the decision.
Long story short, I attempted to try to do the molar brackets again and they still didn't work. Basically wore spacers for 2 weeks for no reason.
My next appointment will be my last orthodontist appointment before my surgery. ;( and at that appointment, I will become "jaws" haha. This appointment is right before my pre-op day at MGH on Thursday September 24th. Every bracket will need to be ligature tied and then tiny little hooks will be placed in between each tooth in the front. I've been told to expect to be sore after so I'm definitely going to take some ibuprofen before the appointment. I've taken the day off too since their appointments typically run long. They told me 1.5-2 hours so I'm planning closer to 2-2.5. I really don't want to go into work late and have to rush around. I'd rather take my ibuprofen, grab a milkshake for lunch and then relax for the rest of the day without having to worry about causing a major hiccup at work because I'm late.
Dr. Klein is so awesome, she really has a terrific bedside manner. We talked a bit about feelings at this appointment which was nice and helpful. She warned me that 95% of patients become depressed during a long surgical recovery like mine. I loved that she was upfront and honest with me. I know this isn't going to be easy. In fact, this will probably be one of the hardest things I ever do. Talking with me about these things wasn't something she had to do but she took time out of her schedule to talk about them anyway. And we talked about them in depth, a good 10-15 minutes extra from what my original appointment was. Once I have kids, if they need orthodontic treatment, I'm going back to her because she's phenomenal.
I also spoke with Dr. Keith's new insurance coordinator Viviene. She never did return my original phone message that I left her a few weeks ago. However, I'm going to mark that down as her getting settled into her new position. And the phone number I called may have been an old number, who knows. I did speak with her and she was very friendly on the phone. She easily gave me all the information I needed in order to submit paperwork for my work leave. I'm looking forward to meeting her in person come October. I think she'll have settled in by then and hopefully everything will be a breeze.
I can't believe summer will be over in just about 2 weeks! Pumpkin everything is already here in Massachusetts. Can't believe how fast it went by!
Speaking of fall, I've recently gotten into canning! It'll be a great way for me to store some food supplies, especially when I may not be able to run out and grab something at the store. In the next few weeks, I may post an update or two with some info about my canning progress! Look for it soon!
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Happy Blog anniversary! Oh and an update!
Today marks the 2 year anniversary since I started writing about my jaw journey. I've reworked the blog a bit but today marks the day that I officially started writing about my jaw issues which is super cool (thanks facebook for reminding me!).
Since today is an anniversary of sorts, I figured that I had to give a quick update! No photos this time around but maybe next post I will. My teeth are straight anyway so it doesn't really matter much.
I had an orthodontist appointment on Wednesday. It had been awhile since I've seen Dr Klein so we had a nice catch up. I won't be getting the hooks and surgical wires on until after the summer is over (yay!) so that was nice news to hear. It will allow me to enjoy my summer without having to adjust to new things. My husband and I are going on a few long weekend trips so I'll be able to enjoy myself without being uncomfortable. I will most likely need to get the surgical wires and hooks placed on 2-4 weeks prior to my surgery so that's what I'm planning. Dr Klein really wanted to try again to get brackets on my upper two back molars (-_-) so she placed the uncomfortable spacers back there again. Maybe 3rd time's a charm? They are going to see about potentially ordering custom brackets for me so we shall see. My molars may have to be fitted with brackets that are primarily used in children so we shall see if they actually come in or not. If the brackets don't fit then she told me that she won't attempt to place brackets on them anymore. It won't affect my smile or my surgery in any way since the molars are in the correct position so if the brackets don't work out, oh well. Other than that, my appointment went very smoothly. Just had an A-chain replaced and the spacers inserted and that was it. I have another appointment in 2 weeks and that's when they will try again to place the brackets on. After that, who knows! I think I may have to get impressions done at my next appointment? Whatever, I'm a a pro at those so no problems there.
Another thing I found out is that I will not be getting a permanent retainer after surgery!!!!!! I will be treated like any other orthodontic patient after my surgery so once the braces come off, I'll be fitted for regular standard retainers. It was nice to hear that I'll be a normal patient once surgery is done! Very exciting. I was also told that I may not need to be in braces for a full year after surgery. So maybe by this time next summer, I'll be free of having braces! How terribly exciting! But I won't get my hopes up so I'm planning by September/October 2016 to be out of braces. Definitely something else to look forward to! Dr Klein gives all her patients 2 types of retainers after the braces come off, a standard hawley retainer (that metal retainer with the wire) and a standard aligner type retainer tray (similar to an invisalign tray). It gives the patient flexibility, especially if one is accidentally lost. If that happens, I won't have to freak out that I don't have a retainer. I can just use a back up.
I came home after my appointment and was a tad bit sore. And I didn't anticipate how uncomfortable I'd be the next day too. Ugh, definitely didn't miss that about these damn spacers! But the discomfort went away quickly.
I've been trying to plan accordingly for my surgery and that involves going on short term disability while recovering. My short term covers me for up to 70% of my pay which is pretty nice. However, I have to fill out some paperwork and there are some questions that I wasn't sure of so I gave Dr. Keith's office a call. I called asking about their fax number (because I'd need to fax Dr. Keith some paperwork for him to fill out regarding my leave from work) and making sure it was correct. I spoke to a very nice secretary. I also asked her about how long she thought I may be out of work for and if it was written in my chart. Apparently, she didn't have that information but she said that his insurance coordinator would know. To my surprise, she told me that Dr. Keith has a new insurance coordinator which means that Mary has either left his office or been fired! Wahoo! The woman who gave me constant admin headaches and never returned any of my phone calls has finally LEFT! What great news! I was referred to a new insurance coordinator named Viviene who I'm excited to get to talk to. Not sure if she is just filling in or if she is a permanent addition to their staff but I'm happy! Hopefully she will be more prompt than Mary and maybe she will actually return my phone calls when I leave a message, haha.
So now I'm just going along with my summer and enjoying life! I will definitely post in 2 weeks after my next appointment so watch out for it!
Since today is an anniversary of sorts, I figured that I had to give a quick update! No photos this time around but maybe next post I will. My teeth are straight anyway so it doesn't really matter much.
I had an orthodontist appointment on Wednesday. It had been awhile since I've seen Dr Klein so we had a nice catch up. I won't be getting the hooks and surgical wires on until after the summer is over (yay!) so that was nice news to hear. It will allow me to enjoy my summer without having to adjust to new things. My husband and I are going on a few long weekend trips so I'll be able to enjoy myself without being uncomfortable. I will most likely need to get the surgical wires and hooks placed on 2-4 weeks prior to my surgery so that's what I'm planning. Dr Klein really wanted to try again to get brackets on my upper two back molars (-_-) so she placed the uncomfortable spacers back there again. Maybe 3rd time's a charm? They are going to see about potentially ordering custom brackets for me so we shall see. My molars may have to be fitted with brackets that are primarily used in children so we shall see if they actually come in or not. If the brackets don't fit then she told me that she won't attempt to place brackets on them anymore. It won't affect my smile or my surgery in any way since the molars are in the correct position so if the brackets don't work out, oh well. Other than that, my appointment went very smoothly. Just had an A-chain replaced and the spacers inserted and that was it. I have another appointment in 2 weeks and that's when they will try again to place the brackets on. After that, who knows! I think I may have to get impressions done at my next appointment? Whatever, I'm a a pro at those so no problems there.
Another thing I found out is that I will not be getting a permanent retainer after surgery!!!!!! I will be treated like any other orthodontic patient after my surgery so once the braces come off, I'll be fitted for regular standard retainers. It was nice to hear that I'll be a normal patient once surgery is done! Very exciting. I was also told that I may not need to be in braces for a full year after surgery. So maybe by this time next summer, I'll be free of having braces! How terribly exciting! But I won't get my hopes up so I'm planning by September/October 2016 to be out of braces. Definitely something else to look forward to! Dr Klein gives all her patients 2 types of retainers after the braces come off, a standard hawley retainer (that metal retainer with the wire) and a standard aligner type retainer tray (similar to an invisalign tray). It gives the patient flexibility, especially if one is accidentally lost. If that happens, I won't have to freak out that I don't have a retainer. I can just use a back up.
I came home after my appointment and was a tad bit sore. And I didn't anticipate how uncomfortable I'd be the next day too. Ugh, definitely didn't miss that about these damn spacers! But the discomfort went away quickly.
I've been trying to plan accordingly for my surgery and that involves going on short term disability while recovering. My short term covers me for up to 70% of my pay which is pretty nice. However, I have to fill out some paperwork and there are some questions that I wasn't sure of so I gave Dr. Keith's office a call. I called asking about their fax number (because I'd need to fax Dr. Keith some paperwork for him to fill out regarding my leave from work) and making sure it was correct. I spoke to a very nice secretary. I also asked her about how long she thought I may be out of work for and if it was written in my chart. Apparently, she didn't have that information but she said that his insurance coordinator would know. To my surprise, she told me that Dr. Keith has a new insurance coordinator which means that Mary has either left his office or been fired! Wahoo! The woman who gave me constant admin headaches and never returned any of my phone calls has finally LEFT! What great news! I was referred to a new insurance coordinator named Viviene who I'm excited to get to talk to. Not sure if she is just filling in or if she is a permanent addition to their staff but I'm happy! Hopefully she will be more prompt than Mary and maybe she will actually return my phone calls when I leave a message, haha.
So now I'm just going along with my summer and enjoying life! I will definitely post in 2 weeks after my next appointment so watch out for it!
Friday, June 12, 2015
Too slow, too fast!
Well, these last few days have been quite hectic! I was booked for a pre-op appointment and spoke with Mary (insurance coordinator) within 1 day of finding out I was ready for surgery. It all seemed to be happening so fast, definitely way faster than last time.
The day before my pre-op appointment I got a phone call from Mary. It turns out there was some sort of miscommunication and I am not ready for a pre-op appointment since I haven't done any pre-op work or anything yet. (Which I initially questioned when we first spoke but she assured me that there'd be no issues. Uh huh. Should have known!)
Anyway, when I was talking to Mary, I asked her about Dr Keith's surgery schedule and when they thought they'd be able to book me. She said if my insurance comes back soon then they could probably book me for surgery at the end of July.
Anyway, when I was talking to Mary, I asked her about Dr Keith's surgery schedule and when they thought they'd be able to book me. She said if my insurance comes back soon then they could probably book me for surgery at the end of July.
Holy shit balls. Not what I was expecting at all. Usually surgeons are booked well in advance, especially for complex surgeries like my own. I couldn't believe that they'd be able to fit me in so quickly. I had such a difficult time getting a date last time that it blew my mind that I could have one within 4-6 weeks. Yikes! It's hilarious because I was so gung-ho about having this done as soon as possible and now here I am postponing the surgery. If someone had told me I would post-pone my surgery, I'd have laughed in their faces.
I told Mary on the phone that I honestly had expected to be going through surgery sometime in October. She seemed surprised and advised me to get in contact with Dr Klein because my waiting could derail/ruin her plan for me.
Great, just great.
Great, just great.
Thusly freaked out, I sent her a quick email asking about a surgery time line and if she'd be ok if I waited until October for the surgery. I figured that she would email me back with a yes or no answer but she surprised me with a phone call that evening. I was working and couldn't answer but she left such a nice and reassuring voice mail. She assured me that waiting wouldn't harm my teeth nor my progress and said she would call back tomorrow to personally talk to me.
You have no idea how much I appreciated that phone call. I've never really had a doctor personally call me before just to check in so it was just so nice. We talked the next morning and she told me that I have nothing to worry about. Any time that I am ready for surgery is good with her. I'm really glad that we talked. She really allieved a lot of my concerns. So it looks like I will be having surgery after Columbus Day.
You have no idea how much I appreciated that phone call. I've never really had a doctor personally call me before just to check in so it was just so nice. We talked the next morning and she told me that I have nothing to worry about. Any time that I am ready for surgery is good with her. I'm really glad that we talked. She really allieved a lot of my concerns. So it looks like I will be having surgery after Columbus Day.
I've already told my boss that he can expect me to be out anytime after Columbus Day for 6-10ish weeks. I will come back when I feel up to working again. I've been told that I may feel ok but my energy levels will be extremely low since I'll be on liquids for awhile. My job can be quite strenuous so I don't think I'll be able to perform my job in the OR until I'm 100% again. I walk a lot, carry and lift heavy items, and I talk all day to other doctors and nurses. So we shall see.
No photos this time because nothing has changed since last time. But I do have another appointment with Dr Klein in July. If I hear from Mary before my next appointment, I will certainly post about it!
EDIT: I got a phone call from Mary on Friday in the late morning but of course I missed her phone call. Left her a voicemail not 10 minutes after she left one for me on my cell. Never got a call back (and it was like 11:30am). Too good to be true? Hahaha. At this point, I'm not worried so it's not a big deal. Hopefully I'll get in touch with her next week. Maybe my insurance already came back with a yes for surgery (doubtful but you never know!)
EDIT: I got a phone call from Mary on Friday in the late morning but of course I missed her phone call. Left her a voicemail not 10 minutes after she left one for me on my cell. Never got a call back (and it was like 11:30am). Too good to be true? Hahaha. At this point, I'm not worried so it's not a big deal. Hopefully I'll get in touch with her next week. Maybe my insurance already came back with a yes for surgery (doubtful but you never know!)
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Sarpe Recovery - Day 5
Today was the big day! I had my post-op appointment this morning at 10:30am. My surgeon was happily surprised at how good I looked. My jaw has started to bruise and I was a lovely shade of yellow/green when I had my appointment. However, according to my surgeon, most of his patients who go through the same procedure bruise more heavily than me. He said the bruises will probably become more pronounced within the next couple of days but to just keep using the heat pad to help promote blood circulation. They should slowly start to diminish as I heal.
He told me that I can start to amp up my diet (which makes me very happy). This means I can eat more than ice cream, yogurt and mashed potatoes. My local grocery store had a sale on some really nice looking salmon and wild cod so I think I'll make that tonight to celebrate. Oh man, just thinking about it makes me so hungry!
I was also told that I can now take ibuprofen again. You have no idea how happy I was when he told me that I could start taking the ibuprofen again. Tylenol helps to take the edge off but doesn't even come close to what ibuprofen does. If I want to take the ibuprofen I will have to amp up my diet though because my stomach will be very upset if I take the ibuprofen without eating first.
I am still not allowed to blow my nose or use a straw. I can do both starting next week which is good cause I've been dying for an iced coffee and to be able to blow my nose. I think I can wait a little longer though.
And lastly, the best part, he gave me the ok to go back to work! He told me that it was up to me and how I felt but that if I wanted to go back, he said he was fine with it. He was a little concerned with me over-doing it though so he suggested a modified lite duty. For the first week I'm back, he doesn't want me to do any heavy lifting and to limit my talking on the phone which I'm totally fine with. I work in a pharmacy and there's a bunch of stuff I can do without answering the phone or lifting heavy stuff so I'm not concerned. I have another appointment tomorrow morning at the hospital where I will get cleared to go back to work. I can't officially work until occupational health clears me. It's a little bit of over-kill but I understand why they do it. Patient safety comes first and they need to make sure that I'm well enough to work so that my patients leave happy and healthy. I'll just have to talk to my boss about coming back early and hopefully she'll have something for me to do.
There was a slight hiccup with the orthodontist though. Apparently, I was supposed to also have a post-op appointment with my orthodontist. When I was last there, I asked about when I should see her again, and was told 6 weeks after my surgery. So that's what I scheduled. When I told Dr. Keith that, he said that there must have been some kind of mistake because I should have had an appointment to see her 1-2 weeks after my surgery. It doesn't really surprise me, the people at the front office can be super spacey. And they have a lot of new staff that aren't that familiar with schedules. But he called my orthodontist and fixed everything. Now I have an orthodontist appointment Friday morning at 8am. I'm not looking forward to driving into Boston on a Friday morning but I will do it.
Anyway, I feel a lot better and am looking forward to getting back to work.
He told me that I can start to amp up my diet (which makes me very happy). This means I can eat more than ice cream, yogurt and mashed potatoes. My local grocery store had a sale on some really nice looking salmon and wild cod so I think I'll make that tonight to celebrate. Oh man, just thinking about it makes me so hungry!
I was also told that I can now take ibuprofen again. You have no idea how happy I was when he told me that I could start taking the ibuprofen again. Tylenol helps to take the edge off but doesn't even come close to what ibuprofen does. If I want to take the ibuprofen I will have to amp up my diet though because my stomach will be very upset if I take the ibuprofen without eating first.
I am still not allowed to blow my nose or use a straw. I can do both starting next week which is good cause I've been dying for an iced coffee and to be able to blow my nose. I think I can wait a little longer though.
And lastly, the best part, he gave me the ok to go back to work! He told me that it was up to me and how I felt but that if I wanted to go back, he said he was fine with it. He was a little concerned with me over-doing it though so he suggested a modified lite duty. For the first week I'm back, he doesn't want me to do any heavy lifting and to limit my talking on the phone which I'm totally fine with. I work in a pharmacy and there's a bunch of stuff I can do without answering the phone or lifting heavy stuff so I'm not concerned. I have another appointment tomorrow morning at the hospital where I will get cleared to go back to work. I can't officially work until occupational health clears me. It's a little bit of over-kill but I understand why they do it. Patient safety comes first and they need to make sure that I'm well enough to work so that my patients leave happy and healthy. I'll just have to talk to my boss about coming back early and hopefully she'll have something for me to do.
There was a slight hiccup with the orthodontist though. Apparently, I was supposed to also have a post-op appointment with my orthodontist. When I was last there, I asked about when I should see her again, and was told 6 weeks after my surgery. So that's what I scheduled. When I told Dr. Keith that, he said that there must have been some kind of mistake because I should have had an appointment to see her 1-2 weeks after my surgery. It doesn't really surprise me, the people at the front office can be super spacey. And they have a lot of new staff that aren't that familiar with schedules. But he called my orthodontist and fixed everything. Now I have an orthodontist appointment Friday morning at 8am. I'm not looking forward to driving into Boston on a Friday morning but I will do it.
Anyway, I feel a lot better and am looking forward to getting back to work.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
The big day is here!
Today is the big day! Surgery number 2 is here! I'm currently sitting in the waiting area waiting for my name to be called. I'm already really hungry (haha no surprise there) and would really like a large coffee. Lol.
Don't know if I'll be up to writing a whole blog entry after surgery but I will try. If not, I will shoot for tomorrow.
I've already got a stash of movies to watch while I recover including the first season of game of thrones. See everyone on the other side!
Don't know if I'll be up to writing a whole blog entry after surgery but I will try. If not, I will shoot for tomorrow.
I've already got a stash of movies to watch while I recover including the first season of game of thrones. See everyone on the other side!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Rant #2
About 3 weeks ago, I completed my phone screening with a nurse of the MGH anesthesia department. We went over the normal stuff regarding general anesthesia and various things before surgery. Things were going great until we started talking about my specific surgery date. She mentioned that my surgery was going to be a single overnight surgery. I was very confused because my oral surgeon and I had discussed this surgery at length and he told me that it would be a day surgery only. When I mentioned this to her, she said that maybe my doctor saw something in my chart and decided to book me for an overnight just as a precaution. But she also advised me to call my surgeon's office just to clarify what was actually happening so I could plan to have a ride home or not.
So, a few days later, I called the surgeon's office and left a message with the insurance coordinator. I've had some issues with her returning my phone calls in the past so I didn't expect her to return my phone call that day. However, after a week of nothing from her I decided to call back and see if she was in the office. I got some office worker who was pretty rude to me. "Well, Mary is here in the office but she's very busy talking to insurance companies all day today. So..." I'm sorry but that is not something you tell a patient. Thankfully, I work in healthcare and am an understanding person and realize that she is very busy. And I'm sure she only has a limited window in which to talk to these insurance companies. But seriously, it won't kill you to give a little white lie or something. Tell me that she's in a meeting or that she's out of the office that day, anything besides what you just told me over phone. Telling someone that they are on the phone with insurance companies implies that insurance companies are more important than the patient who is on the phone asking a very important question regarding a surgery they are having in less than 2 weeks. I was pretty annoyed and offended by how rude they were to me. Especially since I've been going to their office for over a year and will be experiencing multiple surgeries with them. I'm spending a lot of money; I don't think they should speak to me (or anyone for that matter) the way they did.
After I left a second message, I decided to wait out the rest of the week and see if she'd call me back. She never did. Finally, after waiting for almost 2 and a half weeks, I gave in a called the office a 3rd time. Thankfully, the nice receptionist answered the phone and remembered me very quickly. I told her what was going on and she said, "Oh, Mary is in her office! Do you mind holding while I go and ask her?" Very simple and easy. I said no problem and waited. She came back on the phone after a few seconds and said, "I'm going to transfer you to her office because there are a few other things she wanted to talk to you about as well. Here's the number in case we get disconnected." Note the professionalism BTW!
Well, I spoke with Mary and she informed me that my chart said I was spending 1 overnight at the hospital. Do I have any other questions? I explained to her everything I had told 2 people and her voice mail twice. It was like she never even listened to my messages. She told me that she would clarify with Dr. Keith but that she was 98% sure that I was going to spend the night. I thanked her for the info and ended the call. She never even apologized for not returning my messages. I'm very tempted to say something to Dr. Keith when I see him at my post-op. Seriously just irritated me.
But wait! The best part about this whole thing? I realized I had a voice mail once I got into work. It was Mary telling me that there was some sort of "mix up" and that Dr. Keith told her that my next surgery was a day surgery. My 2nd surgery would require me to spend a night in the hospital.
I think the thing that irritated me the most was that my question was simple, yet important. And still she never called me back. If she had looked into Dr. Keith's schedule for next Thursday and asked about my specific case, he would have told her that it was to be a day surgery. THEN all she would have to do is call me back and leave a message on my cell phone. In total, it would have been 10, maybe 15 minutes out of her daily schedule. So irritating!!
I can't wait until this whole thing is over. I'm ready to start recovering so that I can get on with my life.
Sorry about the rant, just needed to get some stuff off my chest!
So, a few days later, I called the surgeon's office and left a message with the insurance coordinator. I've had some issues with her returning my phone calls in the past so I didn't expect her to return my phone call that day. However, after a week of nothing from her I decided to call back and see if she was in the office. I got some office worker who was pretty rude to me. "Well, Mary is here in the office but she's very busy talking to insurance companies all day today. So..." I'm sorry but that is not something you tell a patient. Thankfully, I work in healthcare and am an understanding person and realize that she is very busy. And I'm sure she only has a limited window in which to talk to these insurance companies. But seriously, it won't kill you to give a little white lie or something. Tell me that she's in a meeting or that she's out of the office that day, anything besides what you just told me over phone. Telling someone that they are on the phone with insurance companies implies that insurance companies are more important than the patient who is on the phone asking a very important question regarding a surgery they are having in less than 2 weeks. I was pretty annoyed and offended by how rude they were to me. Especially since I've been going to their office for over a year and will be experiencing multiple surgeries with them. I'm spending a lot of money; I don't think they should speak to me (or anyone for that matter) the way they did.
After I left a second message, I decided to wait out the rest of the week and see if she'd call me back. She never did. Finally, after waiting for almost 2 and a half weeks, I gave in a called the office a 3rd time. Thankfully, the nice receptionist answered the phone and remembered me very quickly. I told her what was going on and she said, "Oh, Mary is in her office! Do you mind holding while I go and ask her?" Very simple and easy. I said no problem and waited. She came back on the phone after a few seconds and said, "I'm going to transfer you to her office because there are a few other things she wanted to talk to you about as well. Here's the number in case we get disconnected." Note the professionalism BTW!
Well, I spoke with Mary and she informed me that my chart said I was spending 1 overnight at the hospital. Do I have any other questions? I explained to her everything I had told 2 people and her voice mail twice. It was like she never even listened to my messages. She told me that she would clarify with Dr. Keith but that she was 98% sure that I was going to spend the night. I thanked her for the info and ended the call. She never even apologized for not returning my messages. I'm very tempted to say something to Dr. Keith when I see him at my post-op. Seriously just irritated me.
But wait! The best part about this whole thing? I realized I had a voice mail once I got into work. It was Mary telling me that there was some sort of "mix up" and that Dr. Keith told her that my next surgery was a day surgery. My 2nd surgery would require me to spend a night in the hospital.
I think the thing that irritated me the most was that my question was simple, yet important. And still she never called me back. If she had looked into Dr. Keith's schedule for next Thursday and asked about my specific case, he would have told her that it was to be a day surgery. THEN all she would have to do is call me back and leave a message on my cell phone. In total, it would have been 10, maybe 15 minutes out of her daily schedule. So irritating!!
I can't wait until this whole thing is over. I'm ready to start recovering so that I can get on with my life.
Sorry about the rant, just needed to get some stuff off my chest!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
So many dates!
Now, I'm not upset because I have a 2nd surgery date. But within 2 days, I now have 3 appointments in less than a week.
Tuesday May 13th @ 3pm - Doctor Appointment
Friday May 16th @ 1pm - 5 week Orthodontist Check up
Monday May 19th @ 4pm - Regular Dentist appointment (check up/cleaning)
Wednesday May 21st @ 8:30am - Ortho Appointment to replace spacer
Wednesday May 21st @ 1pm - Cavity filling with dentist
Wednesday May 21st @ 2pm - Pre-Op Appointment with PCP
Wednesday June 4th @ 2:40pm - 3 Week Orthodontist Check up (Appliance Installed)
Thursday June 19th @ 11:30am - Surgery @ MGH
Tuesday June 24th @ 10:30am - Post-Op Appointment with Oral Surgeon
Wednesday June 25th @ 9am - Occupational Health Evaluation to Return to Work
Here's my calendar so far (note: this is far from complete BTW):
I'm probably going to need at least 2-3 more Ortho appointments after the initial 5 week ortho check up too.
My calendar is soon going to be too full to have much of a life.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
2nd Surgery date scheduled!
I finally got a surgery date for surgery #2! Yaaay!
The big day is Thursday, June 19th, 2014 at 11:30am. Thankfully, this surgery is before noon which is great for me! Last time I had surgery, it wasn't until 2:30pm which meant I had to go without food for most of the day. It was beyond terrible. Dr. Keith came in before my surgery and asked me how I was feeling. My answer? Starving!
I'll have to be at the hospital 2 hours before my start time which means that I'll arrive at the hospital by 9:30am to get set up. Way better than last time. :) I also spoke with the insurance coordinator for my oral surgeon and she said that most people are out for 7-10 days. But that if I wanted to go back after a week, Dr. Keith could write a note saying that I can only do "lite duty." She said that if it still hurts to talk, he can even write me a note saying limited phone answering or something like that. I don't think it'll come to that, but it's nice that he's willing to do that. She said that he would make the final decision on when I can go back to work at my post-op appointment.
My boss was very supportive and was ok with the date since she hasn't done up the next schedule yet. I'm just happy that it's set and out of the way. Now I can book other appointments and get things rolling.
The only bad thing is that the surgery is the day before the Wakefield Walk for Relay that I had planned to participate in. A bunch of my friends are walking and I'm wicked bummed out because I don't think I'll be up to walking the day after my surgery. I'm going to see if my hubby will walk in my place. And maybe I'll bring my spirit and my lawn chair and just hang out. I'll bring my drugs, it'll be all good! haha!
And then there's a cancer walk in Salem the Sunday after my surgery. I just can't catch a break! Such a bummer.
But at least it's happening and now I can move forward!
The big day is Thursday, June 19th, 2014 at 11:30am. Thankfully, this surgery is before noon which is great for me! Last time I had surgery, it wasn't until 2:30pm which meant I had to go without food for most of the day. It was beyond terrible. Dr. Keith came in before my surgery and asked me how I was feeling. My answer? Starving!
I'll have to be at the hospital 2 hours before my start time which means that I'll arrive at the hospital by 9:30am to get set up. Way better than last time. :) I also spoke with the insurance coordinator for my oral surgeon and she said that most people are out for 7-10 days. But that if I wanted to go back after a week, Dr. Keith could write a note saying that I can only do "lite duty." She said that if it still hurts to talk, he can even write me a note saying limited phone answering or something like that. I don't think it'll come to that, but it's nice that he's willing to do that. She said that he would make the final decision on when I can go back to work at my post-op appointment.
My boss was very supportive and was ok with the date since she hasn't done up the next schedule yet. I'm just happy that it's set and out of the way. Now I can book other appointments and get things rolling.
The only bad thing is that the surgery is the day before the Wakefield Walk for Relay that I had planned to participate in. A bunch of my friends are walking and I'm wicked bummed out because I don't think I'll be up to walking the day after my surgery. I'm going to see if my hubby will walk in my place. And maybe I'll bring my spirit and my lawn chair and just hang out. I'll bring my drugs, it'll be all good! haha!
And then there's a cancer walk in Salem the Sunday after my surgery. I just can't catch a break! Such a bummer.
But at least it's happening and now I can move forward!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Surgeries and Next Steps
Yesterday, I went to see Dr. Keith (my oral surgeon) to talk about how screwed up my jaw is and what needs to be done to fix it. Don came with me because I would have been a hot mess without him. He really kept me from not bursting into tears and hyperventilate.
Tip: If you are going to any kind of important meeting, bring someone who you 100% trust. They will help to keep a level head and maybe might ask questions that you didn't think of.
After talking about my jaw and about the results of the work up I did in January, Dr. Keith told me that I will require 2 surgeries. He told me that I have 2 problems.
Problem #1 : My upper jaw is too narrow. This is why my top teeth are so crowded. They don't have anywhere to move to!
Problem #2 : My upper jaw does not meet my lower jaw in the correct place. This puts strain and pressure on my jaw joints. It also makes chewing very difficult.
If left uncorrected, my jaw joints will become inflamed (again) and could potentially lead to bone loss in my jaw joints. This bone loss could cause me to not be able to open and close my mouth anymore. Basically, I wouldn't be able to eat solid food or talk without extreme pain. For that reason alone, I've decided to get both surgeries done.
The first surgery is known as Surgical Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (or SARPE). This surgery will widen my jaw to give my teeth the space they need to become straight. This will require day surgery at Mass General Hospital in Boston. Because I'm an adult, my jaw has stopped growing. This makes it really difficult for my orthodontist to move my teeth to make them straight. In order to do this, my oral surgeon will have to cut into my upper palate; one spot in between my top front teeth underneath my nose and near my cheek bones. It will be done from inside my mouth so I will have those lovely dissolving stitches. I've been told to expect to be out of work for 10-15 days. I've also been told that I'll be pretty uncomfortable for the first week. I'll have to sleep sitting up for a little while and won't be able to eat solid food for awhile after.
I'm not going to lie, I was really disappointed when I found out about the 2nd surgery. I've been resigning myself to this huge surgery and then BAM! I'm told that I need an additional surgery. It really sucks. When you are expecting one thing and then are told another, it can really play with your confidence. It made me have second thoughts about this whole process.
Thank goodness I have a really awesome support system. My family and friends have all been great throughout my journey. And I couldn't do this without my rock, my partner and best friend. I'm proud to call you my other half and my husband. Don, I love you more than anything. Thank you for always being there for me and making me laugh. The laughter is what makes me forget all my worries and to keep pushing on. Again, I couldn't go through this without you.
Since I'm going to be going through a lot in the next couple weeks, I'll hopefully be able to post more. My next dental appointment is March 5th where I will be getting my top braces fitted. And I think we will be starting the process of getting my appliance made. More on that to come!
Tip: If you are going to any kind of important meeting, bring someone who you 100% trust. They will help to keep a level head and maybe might ask questions that you didn't think of.
After talking about my jaw and about the results of the work up I did in January, Dr. Keith told me that I will require 2 surgeries. He told me that I have 2 problems.
Problem #1 : My upper jaw is too narrow. This is why my top teeth are so crowded. They don't have anywhere to move to!
Problem #2 : My upper jaw does not meet my lower jaw in the correct place. This puts strain and pressure on my jaw joints. It also makes chewing very difficult.
If left uncorrected, my jaw joints will become inflamed (again) and could potentially lead to bone loss in my jaw joints. This bone loss could cause me to not be able to open and close my mouth anymore. Basically, I wouldn't be able to eat solid food or talk without extreme pain. For that reason alone, I've decided to get both surgeries done.
The first surgery is known as Surgical Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (or SARPE). This surgery will widen my jaw to give my teeth the space they need to become straight. This will require day surgery at Mass General Hospital in Boston. Because I'm an adult, my jaw has stopped growing. This makes it really difficult for my orthodontist to move my teeth to make them straight. In order to do this, my oral surgeon will have to cut into my upper palate; one spot in between my top front teeth underneath my nose and near my cheek bones. It will be done from inside my mouth so I will have those lovely dissolving stitches. I've been told to expect to be out of work for 10-15 days. I've also been told that I'll be pretty uncomfortable for the first week. I'll have to sleep sitting up for a little while and won't be able to eat solid food for awhile after.
I'm not going to lie, I was really disappointed when I found out about the 2nd surgery. I've been resigning myself to this huge surgery and then BAM! I'm told that I need an additional surgery. It really sucks. When you are expecting one thing and then are told another, it can really play with your confidence. It made me have second thoughts about this whole process.
Thank goodness I have a really awesome support system. My family and friends have all been great throughout my journey. And I couldn't do this without my rock, my partner and best friend. I'm proud to call you my other half and my husband. Don, I love you more than anything. Thank you for always being there for me and making me laugh. The laughter is what makes me forget all my worries and to keep pushing on. Again, I couldn't go through this without you.
Since I'm going to be going through a lot in the next couple weeks, I'll hopefully be able to post more. My next dental appointment is March 5th where I will be getting my top braces fitted. And I think we will be starting the process of getting my appliance made. More on that to come!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Next Steps...
Hope everyone had some happy holidays! I got The Little Mermaid on blue ray so of course was Christmas was great.
But, back to reality! Right before the holidays, I had my 2nd appointment with the orthodontist. It included getting some more x-rays, pictures, and the dreaded impressions. After Dr. Klein and I spoke, she told me that I would have to schedule an Orthognathic Work-Up with my oral surgeon. I'm still a little unsure of what exactly will happen at that appointment, but I was told that my surgery team will form and they will decide exactly what type of surgery I need. They told me that I can expect anything from blood work to x-rays to an EKG. Unfortunately, it is not covered by my insurance (GRRRR) so this will have to come out of my own pocket. And it's not a cheap appointment. $1500 for a single appointment! Ridiculous! Thankfully, it's a new year and my FSA has just started. I opted to get the max my company offers. With the $1500 work-up and braces, we will definitely use it up no problem.
Speaking of braces, I have my appointment to get them on. Wednesday, February 12th is the big day. Now all I need to do is decide on a sweet color. Hmmm, decisions, decisions! I'll have to search online and see what all the cool kids are doing.
Well, hopefully I'll update again in a few weeks after my work-up!
But, back to reality! Right before the holidays, I had my 2nd appointment with the orthodontist. It included getting some more x-rays, pictures, and the dreaded impressions. After Dr. Klein and I spoke, she told me that I would have to schedule an Orthognathic Work-Up with my oral surgeon. I'm still a little unsure of what exactly will happen at that appointment, but I was told that my surgery team will form and they will decide exactly what type of surgery I need. They told me that I can expect anything from blood work to x-rays to an EKG. Unfortunately, it is not covered by my insurance (GRRRR) so this will have to come out of my own pocket. And it's not a cheap appointment. $1500 for a single appointment! Ridiculous! Thankfully, it's a new year and my FSA has just started. I opted to get the max my company offers. With the $1500 work-up and braces, we will definitely use it up no problem.
Speaking of braces, I have my appointment to get them on. Wednesday, February 12th is the big day. Now all I need to do is decide on a sweet color. Hmmm, decisions, decisions! I'll have to search online and see what all the cool kids are doing.
Well, hopefully I'll update again in a few weeks after my work-up!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Bilateral TMJ (Arthroscopic) Procedure
On December 2nd I had a bilateral TMJ Procedure. A lot of people are curious about the procedure, what happened and how it helped me. I'll try to be as simple as possible!
The procedure I had was done on both sides (bilateral) and dealt with the TMJ area, specifically the joints connecting the top and bottom jaws. My oral surgeon made two cuts, one cut on each side of my face in front of my ear. From there, he used a very tiny camera to see the joint. The camera was no bigger than the tip of a regular pen (totally cool how advanced technology is). Then, he injected steroids into the joint to reduce the inflammation I had. After that, he stitched me up, wrapped my head in an ice pack (known in the TMJ Surgery world as a face bra, lol), and sent me off to PACU to wake up. The procedure was about 30 minutes (15 minutes per side). I was probably out for a total of 2 hours though. The PACU nurse taking care of me was very surprised that I woke up so quickly. Most of the time, patients have a hard time shaking off the general anesthesia. I saw Dr. Keith before and after my surgery. He even gave me some pictures of my jaw joint after I woke up. It was great to actually see what he saw. After I was awake and had my IV line removed, I was given my prescriptions and sent on my way.
My experience was pretty easy seeing as how I work in a hospital and most hospital OR/Surgical Suites function in the same ways. Here are some tips for people having surgery that I found helpful to myself:
The procedure I had was done on both sides (bilateral) and dealt with the TMJ area, specifically the joints connecting the top and bottom jaws. My oral surgeon made two cuts, one cut on each side of my face in front of my ear. From there, he used a very tiny camera to see the joint. The camera was no bigger than the tip of a regular pen (totally cool how advanced technology is). Then, he injected steroids into the joint to reduce the inflammation I had. After that, he stitched me up, wrapped my head in an ice pack (known in the TMJ Surgery world as a face bra, lol), and sent me off to PACU to wake up. The procedure was about 30 minutes (15 minutes per side). I was probably out for a total of 2 hours though. The PACU nurse taking care of me was very surprised that I woke up so quickly. Most of the time, patients have a hard time shaking off the general anesthesia. I saw Dr. Keith before and after my surgery. He even gave me some pictures of my jaw joint after I woke up. It was great to actually see what he saw. After I was awake and had my IV line removed, I was given my prescriptions and sent on my way.
My experience was pretty easy seeing as how I work in a hospital and most hospital OR/Surgical Suites function in the same ways. Here are some tips for people having surgery that I found helpful to myself:
- If you are having any surgery that involves general anesthesia, make sure you have a reliable person to give you a ride home. If you don't give a contact name with phone number when you register, they'll 100% cancel your surgery. My hospital was liable for my care 24 hours after I left. And if I decided to operate a car and drive myself home and then got in an accident, it would be their fault. I'm married so it was a no brainer to me. My husband just drove me home.
- Since I had stitches on my face, I needed to keep my head straight. I bought one of those travel pillows and put it in the car for my ride home after the procedure. It really helped to keep my head from bouncing around and banging my stitches. I also had a light blanket (I'm always cold so the blanket was for added comfort).
- Wear comfy clothes to your surgery. You'll have to change into one of those uncomfortable and revealing blue hospital gowns but the clothes are for when you go home. I had pajama pants and a loose t shirt and a sweatshirt. There were some people there wearing tight sweaters and jeans and boots. I just can't imagine how they woke up from the anesthesia and put their clothes back on. I know I was barely able to pull my pants up, nevermind figure out boots.
- Make sure you have everything before you leave. Refer back to the reliable person for your ride home. They can be your second set of eyes. This includes any prescriptions from your surgeon. I left with a whole folder full information along with my two scripts. But don't worry, the OR staff won't kick you out before you are ready.
- The night before your surgery, have some soft food left overs on hand so you don't have to cook while you recover. Mashed potatoes, squash, apple sauce, jello, ice cream. My husband even made me a smoothie which was nice.
I'll talk more about my recovery in the next post!
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Next Steps, Surgery, and my doctors
It's been quite awhile since I've last posted. Within the last 2-3 months, my range of motion in my jaw decreased quite a bit. I was able to eat small pieces of chicken and a bagel (if i ate it one quarter at a time). But about a month an a half ago, it just became too hard and painful to open my mouth as wide as most foods require.
I was told by my oral surgeon that an arthroscopic procedure would really help with my range of motion and would help dub my pain down a bit. I was not sure I wanted to do it at first but once my condition got worse and I was told the exact same thing by a second opinion, my mind was made up.
I had a little hard time finding other blogs out there talking about the same procedure I was going through. I knew there must be a different name people were calling it cause there was no way that I was the only person going through this. Well, yesterday, all the nurses kept calling it a bilateral tmj procedure. Guess I know what the other name was!
Since I had such a hard time finding blogs about this procedure, I knew I had to write about it. Cause if I had issues finding stuff, then I knew other people must have as well. I'll go over all the things that I went through, the questions I had, the answers I got, and my recovery. In my next post I'll go over all that good stuff so that this post/disclaimer isn't super long.
It also occurred to me that people might want the names of the doctors/dentists/oral surgeon I dealt with. I'm from Massachusetts right outside Boston so I'm spoiled with the amount and quality of healthcare. I'll put their information here to not clutter up the next couple posts.
Primary Care: Wellesley Primary Care (781-431-2345) : I see Dr. Alan Glaser MD and Elizabeth Dewire NP. They are both wonderful and really care for their patients. Dr. Glaser actually called my phone one evening when I was really sick to check up on me. I really appreciated that he took the time out of his busy schedule to call me after my visit to see how I was doing. Really wonderful service. And Liz is just wonderful. She's so sympathetic and a great listener. I feel that some doctors hear their patients but don't necessarily listen. Liz does both which is great.
Dentist: Wellesley Dental Group (781-237-9071) : Dr. Femina Ali and Dr. Ejaz Ali are a husband and wife team of community dentists. They are wonderful and are the people who realized that I had all these problems. They're committed to going on this journey with me and get my jaw working like normal.
TMJ Specialist : Dr. Emad Abdallah : He is a part of the team at the Wellesley Dental Group and he has been helping me with my TMJ problems. He's actually one of the only dentists in the country that is also an orthodontist. He's great and will really tell me like it is. Doesn't sugar coat anything which I like. He's also very supportive of my decisions and is on board with my long term medical plan.
Oral Surgeon: MGH Dental Group Danvers/Boston (978-882-6600) : I visit Dr. David Keith at the Danvers office. He is a world renowned oral surgeon specializing in TMJ and Orthognatic Surgery. He's super nice and again is a great listener.
Orthodontist: MGH Dental Group Danvers/Boston : I've recently been referred to Dr. Katherine Klein by Dr. Keith. I've only visited with her once but she was extremely nice and knowledgeable. She also made a medical plan for me on my first visit which I liked.
Ok, so that's it! If anyone out there wants to call any of these doctors and set up an appointment, I highly recommend any of these professionals.
I was told by my oral surgeon that an arthroscopic procedure would really help with my range of motion and would help dub my pain down a bit. I was not sure I wanted to do it at first but once my condition got worse and I was told the exact same thing by a second opinion, my mind was made up.
I had a little hard time finding other blogs out there talking about the same procedure I was going through. I knew there must be a different name people were calling it cause there was no way that I was the only person going through this. Well, yesterday, all the nurses kept calling it a bilateral tmj procedure. Guess I know what the other name was!
Since I had such a hard time finding blogs about this procedure, I knew I had to write about it. Cause if I had issues finding stuff, then I knew other people must have as well. I'll go over all the things that I went through, the questions I had, the answers I got, and my recovery. In my next post I'll go over all that good stuff so that this post/disclaimer isn't super long.
It also occurred to me that people might want the names of the doctors/dentists/oral surgeon I dealt with. I'm from Massachusetts right outside Boston so I'm spoiled with the amount and quality of healthcare. I'll put their information here to not clutter up the next couple posts.
Primary Care: Wellesley Primary Care (781-431-2345) : I see Dr. Alan Glaser MD and Elizabeth Dewire NP. They are both wonderful and really care for their patients. Dr. Glaser actually called my phone one evening when I was really sick to check up on me. I really appreciated that he took the time out of his busy schedule to call me after my visit to see how I was doing. Really wonderful service. And Liz is just wonderful. She's so sympathetic and a great listener. I feel that some doctors hear their patients but don't necessarily listen. Liz does both which is great.
Dentist: Wellesley Dental Group (781-237-9071) : Dr. Femina Ali and Dr. Ejaz Ali are a husband and wife team of community dentists. They are wonderful and are the people who realized that I had all these problems. They're committed to going on this journey with me and get my jaw working like normal.
TMJ Specialist : Dr. Emad Abdallah : He is a part of the team at the Wellesley Dental Group and he has been helping me with my TMJ problems. He's actually one of the only dentists in the country that is also an orthodontist. He's great and will really tell me like it is. Doesn't sugar coat anything which I like. He's also very supportive of my decisions and is on board with my long term medical plan.
Oral Surgeon: MGH Dental Group Danvers/Boston (978-882-6600) : I visit Dr. David Keith at the Danvers office. He is a world renowned oral surgeon specializing in TMJ and Orthognatic Surgery. He's super nice and again is a great listener.
Orthodontist: MGH Dental Group Danvers/Boston : I've recently been referred to Dr. Katherine Klein by Dr. Keith. I've only visited with her once but she was extremely nice and knowledgeable. She also made a medical plan for me on my first visit which I liked.
Ok, so that's it! If anyone out there wants to call any of these doctors and set up an appointment, I highly recommend any of these professionals.
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