So thank god my Ortho finally found out what had happened and is on the case. Apparently my surgeon can't make the wafer-fitting day but his registrar is going to come and do it in the morning, of the same day - I just don't know when.
It will be good to meet the reg though, seeing as he potentially may be assisting on the surgery... Do hope he doesn't put me off!
Having good days and bad days at the moment - seem quite weather-dependent, but think things will be a little easier once I've moved house and the end of term happens (i.e., I've handed my assignment in). Then I can just dedicate all my anxiety at the surgery. After reading other blogs am kinda sad I won't have an other half there with me, but think that's just because I am generally feeling sorry for myself today. I have tons of amazing friends who will all be on hand to mock my chipmunk face and cheer me up, so it could be a lot worse.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Morons
I received a letter in the post on Thursday that beggars belief. Before I divulge its contents let me give you a quick idea of what appointments I have left pre-surgery:
March 23rd - Pre op 'work-up'; this is where they take the final measurements and casts so they can make the wafer - as mentioned before this is the plastic mould of my corrected bite they will use during the surgery to guide my jaws into the correct position
Tues 31st - Pre op check up, bloods etc to make sure I'm fit for surgery
April 3rd - The fitting of the wafer, to make sure it will fit over my teeth - though in fairness my ortho did say not everyone does this (although I can imagine it will give me piece of mind)
April 8th - Surgery
So this letter tells me that regrettably, my appointment on April 3rd has had to be moved. To May 1st. Almost a month AFTER my surgery.
I tried to suppress the wave of panic building up (I'm so much more anxious about everything these days - especially as I'm convinced my date is going to get cancelled and I have no idea how I am going to cope if that happens) and gave the number a call on Friday morning.
Of course, the woman that books appointments for the whole (large) department had no idea why it changed. So she put me through to the consultant's office. I spoke to a guy (I assume the secretary) who took down my hospital number and contact phone and told me he'd get back to me. I hadn't heard anything by the afternoon so called back. He hadn't even looked into it yet, and I told him that actually I think my ortho should be in this afternoon - he told me that was good to know and he would get her to call me. Didn't hear from anybody (and I know she would have called me if she'd got the message, so figured the weakest link there).
I'm just so annoyed as now have had to sit stewing about it over the weekend which is what I didn't want to happen. And ortho is not back in at the hospital until next Friday. And I'm so busy on Monday I can't keep chasing it up.
Don't people realise how stressful going through surgery is, without making it worse? If it's a simple re-schedule it could've been dealt with there and then.
I know I'm just being overly-anxious but I'm struggling to keep calm as it is. Fingers crossed it will all get sorted by someone with a little more competence.
March 23rd - Pre op 'work-up'; this is where they take the final measurements and casts so they can make the wafer - as mentioned before this is the plastic mould of my corrected bite they will use during the surgery to guide my jaws into the correct position
Tues 31st - Pre op check up, bloods etc to make sure I'm fit for surgery
April 3rd - The fitting of the wafer, to make sure it will fit over my teeth - though in fairness my ortho did say not everyone does this (although I can imagine it will give me piece of mind)
April 8th - Surgery
So this letter tells me that regrettably, my appointment on April 3rd has had to be moved. To May 1st. Almost a month AFTER my surgery.
I tried to suppress the wave of panic building up (I'm so much more anxious about everything these days - especially as I'm convinced my date is going to get cancelled and I have no idea how I am going to cope if that happens) and gave the number a call on Friday morning.
Of course, the woman that books appointments for the whole (large) department had no idea why it changed. So she put me through to the consultant's office. I spoke to a guy (I assume the secretary) who took down my hospital number and contact phone and told me he'd get back to me. I hadn't heard anything by the afternoon so called back. He hadn't even looked into it yet, and I told him that actually I think my ortho should be in this afternoon - he told me that was good to know and he would get her to call me. Didn't hear from anybody (and I know she would have called me if she'd got the message, so figured the weakest link there).
I'm just so annoyed as now have had to sit stewing about it over the weekend which is what I didn't want to happen. And ortho is not back in at the hospital until next Friday. And I'm so busy on Monday I can't keep chasing it up.
Don't people realise how stressful going through surgery is, without making it worse? If it's a simple re-schedule it could've been dealt with there and then.
I know I'm just being overly-anxious but I'm struggling to keep calm as it is. Fingers crossed it will all get sorted by someone with a little more competence.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Nights
It's been a VERY long time since I worked a night shift.
And even then I used to get some sleep during the day.
Not have a full day of teaching during the day before and teaching the following morning.
I am pretty shattered, but am more peeved that it wasn't even worth it! Not one single neurosurgical emergency, dammit!
Though one of the wards (the same hospital I'm having my op) had a MaxFax patient on it, according to the board. I really wanted to sneak in and take a look to see what they look like in Real Life, as I don't think online pics *quite* cut it.
Probably just as well I didn't; don't want to freak myself out any more than I am already!
I'm off for a snooze!
And even then I used to get some sleep during the day.
Not have a full day of teaching during the day before and teaching the following morning.
I am pretty shattered, but am more peeved that it wasn't even worth it! Not one single neurosurgical emergency, dammit!
Though one of the wards (the same hospital I'm having my op) had a MaxFax patient on it, according to the board. I really wanted to sneak in and take a look to see what they look like in Real Life, as I don't think online pics *quite* cut it.
Probably just as well I didn't; don't want to freak myself out any more than I am already!
I'm off for a snooze!
Monday, 2 February 2009
Day off!
I love being snowed in - so although we couldn't fashion a brace, I still LOVE our effort, what do you think? :D
Snow
I'm snowed in!
I don't remember the last time we had this much snowfall in London. There are some pictures of me being very small and playing in the snow but I don't really remember it.
The ensuing chaos can only happen in England.
There is not a single bus running, the trains and tube are all but cancelled, and so I can't get into hospital today. Was dreading having to get up but I really needed to leave the house, so it's a bit of a shame really.
The BBC news is hilarious; the reporters look as though they are having a field day taking joy in reporting on the misery and chaos today; us Brits love to have a good moan (as I'm sure you can tell already!), and I have laughed for the first time properly in a couple of days at videos of people trying to push broken-down cars and sliding all over the place.
So I'm going to snuggle back into bed and may even build a snowman later. May try and find something with which to fashion some braces out for it...!
I don't remember the last time we had this much snowfall in London. There are some pictures of me being very small and playing in the snow but I don't really remember it.
The ensuing chaos can only happen in England.
There is not a single bus running, the trains and tube are all but cancelled, and so I can't get into hospital today. Was dreading having to get up but I really needed to leave the house, so it's a bit of a shame really.
The BBC news is hilarious; the reporters look as though they are having a field day taking joy in reporting on the misery and chaos today; us Brits love to have a good moan (as I'm sure you can tell already!), and I have laughed for the first time properly in a couple of days at videos of people trying to push broken-down cars and sliding all over the place.
So I'm going to snuggle back into bed and may even build a snowman later. May try and find something with which to fashion some braces out for it...!
Saturday, 31 January 2009
About... Turn!
It's amazing how quickly things can change.
The Boy slept with someone else Thursday night so I finished with him.
The old V without imminent surgery would've sat and agonised over why it happened, and The Profile would've been blamed at some point.
I'm so glad that I can just shrug off the whole thing now. To be honest it was quite hard to open up fully to him about the whole thing and it really is a journey I've made thus far on my own, and think it's better in the long run if I finish it alone too.
Sounds depressing: but really, I feel OK about the whole thing.
The Boy slept with someone else Thursday night so I finished with him.
The old V without imminent surgery would've sat and agonised over why it happened, and The Profile would've been blamed at some point.
I'm so glad that I can just shrug off the whole thing now. To be honest it was quite hard to open up fully to him about the whole thing and it really is a journey I've made thus far on my own, and think it's better in the long run if I finish it alone too.
Sounds depressing: but really, I feel OK about the whole thing.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Getting nearer...
I had my latest adjustment last week.
As Ortho and I were looking at our diaries for next appointment and making sure I had the right pre-op assessment days noted down, she said 'OK so next appointment is in February... then March.. But your work-up is March 23rd so we'll probably need to fit another one in between...'
And then it dawned on me just how quickly the time is flying by and how near it is until surgery (I know, I know, it's not until April, but appointment-wise there are only 3 or 4 left!) and I have shifted into being a little scared rather than just fed up as I have been for the last 18 months. In a good way, but it's still terrifying all the same. And after having waited for so long I still can't quite believe it's actually happening.
Then joy of joys she put back my old hardcore-heavy-duty wire (that was removed for the bracket readjustment when we went back to piddly little thin wire) and a power chain as the gaps had started to open up. It had been a LONG time since I had adjustment pain, I still can't quite bite down. Porridge was my friend that weekend (don't even LIKE the stuff!) and had to muddle through dinner meeting The Boy's friends (noodles again were soft enough, just took me ages). Spent most of the weekend panicking at the poor thing that if it is this bad now, what the hell is it going to be like when I have the surgery...
But all in all am feeling very positive and am so busy at school that I haven't been spending as much time thinking about it as I did over Christmas!
As Ortho and I were looking at our diaries for next appointment and making sure I had the right pre-op assessment days noted down, she said 'OK so next appointment is in February... then March.. But your work-up is March 23rd so we'll probably need to fit another one in between...'
And then it dawned on me just how quickly the time is flying by and how near it is until surgery (I know, I know, it's not until April, but appointment-wise there are only 3 or 4 left!) and I have shifted into being a little scared rather than just fed up as I have been for the last 18 months. In a good way, but it's still terrifying all the same. And after having waited for so long I still can't quite believe it's actually happening.
Then joy of joys she put back my old hardcore-heavy-duty wire (that was removed for the bracket readjustment when we went back to piddly little thin wire) and a power chain as the gaps had started to open up. It had been a LONG time since I had adjustment pain, I still can't quite bite down. Porridge was my friend that weekend (don't even LIKE the stuff!) and had to muddle through dinner meeting The Boy's friends (noodles again were soft enough, just took me ages). Spent most of the weekend panicking at the poor thing that if it is this bad now, what the hell is it going to be like when I have the surgery...
But all in all am feeling very positive and am so busy at school that I haven't been spending as much time thinking about it as I did over Christmas!
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