What a week! I was looking forward to getting my implant crown in and FINALLY getting these bothersome plates/screws out from around my nose, but this week ended up being a doozy. Was in Tahoe last weekend and my husband was sick as a dog. Then I came down with it like a ton of bricks. Nasty sinus/ear/chest infection kind of thing. I have no clue how I pulled it off, but I was able to tough out sitting in my prsoth chair for the crown and then get to my surgeon yesterday to be well enough to still get the hardware out. Phew.
So, lets start with the crown. I feel like such an asshat going in to my prosthodontist's office when I was REALLY sick, but this appointment was dependent on everything else I had scheduled this week. My surgeon didn't want to take the hardware out unless the crown was done and put in, and then all the other appts I had for follow ups and stuff after would have had to be rescheduled too. I already had the time booked off work. It would have been a mess to reschedule all of this. So, I owe their office some donuts when I go back since they took my sick butt in and dealt with me. But this crown.....wow. I didn't realize how incomplete my bite felt until this thing was in. That little bit of off I had this whole time where I couldn't get my left side to feel settled-- it was this missing tooth! Duh. Makes sense, right? My bite feels complete. I feel comfortable. I feel whole. My muscles are calming down, I am clenching less, and my headaches are better too (despite the constant sinus headache with the pretty severe sinus/ear infection thingy I had going on). I've had a smile on my face all week after this got finished up. I go back in two weeks to get the final check on it and they'll give it one more crank down on the implant post and then permanently fill it in and be done with it.
The plates and screws around my nose came out yesterday. I didn't sleep well Mon night ahead of this. I am not really worried about it or anything. This is a walk in the park (for me and for my jaw surgeon) compared to both jaw surgeries and all, but it was just seriously giving me the heeby jeebies thinking about how much they were going to be stretching my face to get all the way up to just under my eyes to take these plates and screws out. So, get in and they start some nitrous to make me chill before they get going with an IV and stuff. Nice surprise. I wasn't expecting that. Normally it doesn't really hit me, but this time it hit me and I was SUPER fine with that! ;) Dr. Karas comes in and I was just comfy and good to go. It's so nice to be in a chair and have trust again....finally! He's just always so warm and welcoming when he comes in to see me and I really love it. So, I felt pretty good drifting off in his chair yesterday. This IV anesthesia was weird. I didn't feel rested like I was all the way out for this one. I felt like I was aware of most of it, but at the same time I can't remember details past them starting to squirt a few things in to my mouth just as I was drifting off. And the 45 mins went by way too fast. Not instantaneous like usual, but way too fast. So, I guess I was out. I also came around very quickly. I don't think I was in their little recovery chair for more than five minutes before I was wanting to be up and out the door. I was just really glad to finally have this done.
I have to see if this was a dream either the night before surgery (like I said-- didn't sleep well and had interesting dreams) or if he said this in my anesthesia haze when I was coming around, but I could swear my surgeon said something along the lines of it all went well and those sets of hardware were a little loose. If that is the case then I for sure don't feel at all bad being bothered by them enough to go through the motions of getting them out. Even if they weren't, it was still the right decision. Just in the last day putting lotion on my face, touching under my eye, itching, etc, etc-- I am not feeling the screws sticking out and it's GLORIOUS. And then this last week I've been sick, there is also a part of the hardware that sticks out through thin skin just inside the bottom of my nose and it makes me want to jump out of my skin a bit every time I wipe my nose and catch that screw sticking out there. I can't feel that any more either. And I feel less pressure (despite the pain/swelling right now). I am just 150% happy I got these out!! Speaking of pain/swelling, I definitely have some. I stayed pretty well medicated and ahead of it yesterday. My face down through my front teeth started to throb not more than 10 minutes after leaving my surgeons office and I could feel I was swelling. Took something around 10pm before bed and by 7am this morning I was up and pretty sore, again aching down through my front teeth. Otherwise, it just feels like somebody socked me one in the face good. Pretty much what I was expecting. Even with pain pills it doesn't really do much for the pain from the stitches around across the top of my mouth again. The numbness out of jaw surgery is really a blessing in disguise! I can full out feel all of this now. Speaking of numbness, I actually do have some slight numbness on my right under my eye and in to my cheek (same exact areas that impacted me after jaw surgery), but it's really no big deal and I am sure will resolve itself again. The right side is the side that bugged me more, and coincidentally it's the side that was more bruised/swollen/numb after surgery and is now again more bruised/swollen and is seeing some numbness. I have a little shiner coming out under my eye on my right. Again, all things I was expecting with this. I'm sure in a few days I'll be feeling back to normal again and will just have to deal with the stitches that will be around 3-4 weeks probably. So, get past next few days, deal with the broth/soft foods this week or so, and be onwards and upwards from there!
I see my surgeon for a double duty appointment next week-- my 1 year jaw follow up AND the week post op from plate removal. I'm sure he'll comment on the implant too, as he should because it looks like it's doing great and his work is solid there. I see my prosth for the final crown check in two weeks, and then after that we'll just schedule the vaneer work on the upper fronts. Only other thing I want to address with him for now is I think it's safe to shave just a smidge more off the back of my left K9 and lateral incisor. I still have a smidge too much contact there on that segment vs my other side which is very comfy. After that my bite is going to be pretty damn dialed in, which is exciting to finally feel that!
So, lets start with the crown. I feel like such an asshat going in to my prosthodontist's office when I was REALLY sick, but this appointment was dependent on everything else I had scheduled this week. My surgeon didn't want to take the hardware out unless the crown was done and put in, and then all the other appts I had for follow ups and stuff after would have had to be rescheduled too. I already had the time booked off work. It would have been a mess to reschedule all of this. So, I owe their office some donuts when I go back since they took my sick butt in and dealt with me. But this crown.....wow. I didn't realize how incomplete my bite felt until this thing was in. That little bit of off I had this whole time where I couldn't get my left side to feel settled-- it was this missing tooth! Duh. Makes sense, right? My bite feels complete. I feel comfortable. I feel whole. My muscles are calming down, I am clenching less, and my headaches are better too (despite the constant sinus headache with the pretty severe sinus/ear infection thingy I had going on). I've had a smile on my face all week after this got finished up. I go back in two weeks to get the final check on it and they'll give it one more crank down on the implant post and then permanently fill it in and be done with it.
The plates and screws around my nose came out yesterday. I didn't sleep well Mon night ahead of this. I am not really worried about it or anything. This is a walk in the park (for me and for my jaw surgeon) compared to both jaw surgeries and all, but it was just seriously giving me the heeby jeebies thinking about how much they were going to be stretching my face to get all the way up to just under my eyes to take these plates and screws out. So, get in and they start some nitrous to make me chill before they get going with an IV and stuff. Nice surprise. I wasn't expecting that. Normally it doesn't really hit me, but this time it hit me and I was SUPER fine with that! ;) Dr. Karas comes in and I was just comfy and good to go. It's so nice to be in a chair and have trust again....finally! He's just always so warm and welcoming when he comes in to see me and I really love it. So, I felt pretty good drifting off in his chair yesterday. This IV anesthesia was weird. I didn't feel rested like I was all the way out for this one. I felt like I was aware of most of it, but at the same time I can't remember details past them starting to squirt a few things in to my mouth just as I was drifting off. And the 45 mins went by way too fast. Not instantaneous like usual, but way too fast. So, I guess I was out. I also came around very quickly. I don't think I was in their little recovery chair for more than five minutes before I was wanting to be up and out the door. I was just really glad to finally have this done.
I have to see if this was a dream either the night before surgery (like I said-- didn't sleep well and had interesting dreams) or if he said this in my anesthesia haze when I was coming around, but I could swear my surgeon said something along the lines of it all went well and those sets of hardware were a little loose. If that is the case then I for sure don't feel at all bad being bothered by them enough to go through the motions of getting them out. Even if they weren't, it was still the right decision. Just in the last day putting lotion on my face, touching under my eye, itching, etc, etc-- I am not feeling the screws sticking out and it's GLORIOUS. And then this last week I've been sick, there is also a part of the hardware that sticks out through thin skin just inside the bottom of my nose and it makes me want to jump out of my skin a bit every time I wipe my nose and catch that screw sticking out there. I can't feel that any more either. And I feel less pressure (despite the pain/swelling right now). I am just 150% happy I got these out!! Speaking of pain/swelling, I definitely have some. I stayed pretty well medicated and ahead of it yesterday. My face down through my front teeth started to throb not more than 10 minutes after leaving my surgeons office and I could feel I was swelling. Took something around 10pm before bed and by 7am this morning I was up and pretty sore, again aching down through my front teeth. Otherwise, it just feels like somebody socked me one in the face good. Pretty much what I was expecting. Even with pain pills it doesn't really do much for the pain from the stitches around across the top of my mouth again. The numbness out of jaw surgery is really a blessing in disguise! I can full out feel all of this now. Speaking of numbness, I actually do have some slight numbness on my right under my eye and in to my cheek (same exact areas that impacted me after jaw surgery), but it's really no big deal and I am sure will resolve itself again. The right side is the side that bugged me more, and coincidentally it's the side that was more bruised/swollen/numb after surgery and is now again more bruised/swollen and is seeing some numbness. I have a little shiner coming out under my eye on my right. Again, all things I was expecting with this. I'm sure in a few days I'll be feeling back to normal again and will just have to deal with the stitches that will be around 3-4 weeks probably. So, get past next few days, deal with the broth/soft foods this week or so, and be onwards and upwards from there!
I see my surgeon for a double duty appointment next week-- my 1 year jaw follow up AND the week post op from plate removal. I'm sure he'll comment on the implant too, as he should because it looks like it's doing great and his work is solid there. I see my prosth for the final crown check in two weeks, and then after that we'll just schedule the vaneer work on the upper fronts. Only other thing I want to address with him for now is I think it's safe to shave just a smidge more off the back of my left K9 and lateral incisor. I still have a smidge too much contact there on that segment vs my other side which is very comfy. After that my bite is going to be pretty damn dialed in, which is exciting to finally feel that!
RSS Feed
