Gingi-what!?
29 Days Till Surgery!! And I feel pretty prepared! Besides a few last minute drug store items. If feels good to be so prepared so early :) Thus far my splint has proved to alleviate a lot of joint pain which gives me great hope for post surgery results. Lately my hormone therapy has proved to be really annoying, but I hope in the long run it will be worth it for my joints to be on it...if not, I'm going crazy for nothing :)
Tomorrow I go in for a gingivectomy with Dr. Hardy. They will be using a laser of sorts to remove two sections of gum tissue from both the left and right sides of my bottom gums. This is a preventative measure for surgery. I have excess gum tissue from where they pulled one tooth on each side nearly 2 yrs ago? Or was it last December? I can't remember, there have been a lot of appointments from then to now. They are removing the tissue to reduce the risk of infection during surgery. Because I won't be able to clean my mouth very well for a little while after surgery, this gum tissue could be harvesting area for germs, thus infections. I am not too nervous about the gingivectomy given Dr. Hardy told me it was very minor, and I would be fine to drive, go to work, and go about my normal day afterword. However, I still have reservations because I have been told this before by a different oral surgeon who removed a mucous seal from my lower lip. I was awake for the whole thing and, for me, it was like torture. I hope the removal of the gum tissue tomorrow won't be so horrendous.
Below is my very first report from the radiologist. I know the quality isn't great, but I'm not sure how to make it bigger without making it blurry. I think it's cool how you can see the joints in the top right corner. It really shows how small my condyles are. I would also like to point out (in the bottom picture) that the fillings you see there are no longer there. Dr.Mac has replaced all of my silver fillings with better, stronger, higher functioning ones. Thanks Dr.Mac!
One thing on my mind currently is numbness. I know it is a huge risk, but I also trust my body and my surgeons. After both of my mucous seal removals (both on my bottom lip, about 5 years apart) my nerves have come back to normal after being cut during the removal. This gives me hope for the nerves they have to cut for surgery. I know it is on a much smaller scale, but I like the power of positive thinking!
I have also been thinking about my recovery, and being so far away from home. My parents will be going out with me to start, with Sam coming to take care of my and bring me home at the end. I just wish I could come home from the hospital like most others do. Although, I am pleased with the Inn we found in Santa Barbara and am excited to recover in such a beautiful place!
Thank God for supportive, Boyfriend (yay Sam!), Family, Friends, and Doctors...otherwise I would have gone crazy by now with this whole process...we're almost to there!
Keep on smiling :)
Tomorrow I go in for a gingivectomy with Dr. Hardy. They will be using a laser of sorts to remove two sections of gum tissue from both the left and right sides of my bottom gums. This is a preventative measure for surgery. I have excess gum tissue from where they pulled one tooth on each side nearly 2 yrs ago? Or was it last December? I can't remember, there have been a lot of appointments from then to now. They are removing the tissue to reduce the risk of infection during surgery. Because I won't be able to clean my mouth very well for a little while after surgery, this gum tissue could be harvesting area for germs, thus infections. I am not too nervous about the gingivectomy given Dr. Hardy told me it was very minor, and I would be fine to drive, go to work, and go about my normal day afterword. However, I still have reservations because I have been told this before by a different oral surgeon who removed a mucous seal from my lower lip. I was awake for the whole thing and, for me, it was like torture. I hope the removal of the gum tissue tomorrow won't be so horrendous.
Below is my very first report from the radiologist. I know the quality isn't great, but I'm not sure how to make it bigger without making it blurry. I think it's cool how you can see the joints in the top right corner. It really shows how small my condyles are. I would also like to point out (in the bottom picture) that the fillings you see there are no longer there. Dr.Mac has replaced all of my silver fillings with better, stronger, higher functioning ones. Thanks Dr.Mac!
One thing on my mind currently is numbness. I know it is a huge risk, but I also trust my body and my surgeons. After both of my mucous seal removals (both on my bottom lip, about 5 years apart) my nerves have come back to normal after being cut during the removal. This gives me hope for the nerves they have to cut for surgery. I know it is on a much smaller scale, but I like the power of positive thinking!
I have also been thinking about my recovery, and being so far away from home. My parents will be going out with me to start, with Sam coming to take care of my and bring me home at the end. I just wish I could come home from the hospital like most others do. Although, I am pleased with the Inn we found in Santa Barbara and am excited to recover in such a beautiful place!
Thank God for supportive, Boyfriend (yay Sam!), Family, Friends, and Doctors...otherwise I would have gone crazy by now with this whole process...we're almost to there!
Keep on smiling :)
Was it really Dec. 1, 2006 when we went down to Mass. for those xrays?! Just think how you're going to be looking back at all this 3 yrs hence! You'll probably have 5 kids etc etc etc :)
ReplyDeleteDAD
Hahaha sure was! 5 kids, 3 years? ha no thanks.
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