P.S.

I'm back from the work-up appointment at the hospital. I had green gunge, pink gunge and a series of rulers put into my mouth as well as something that looked like a good old fashioned medieval head vice attached to my head and into my ears. Apparently this is all so that they can build the right size model of my jaws and how they fit within my face. After this I was then sent on to have panoramic x-rays done and a series of photos taken. It all seems scarily close now.....

I may well have to go back in so that they can check that they've built everything to the right size...I wonder what would happen if they hadn't. Could I finish up with a bite worse than the one I've got, or one side even higher than it already is?? Doesn't bear thinking about, really.

One interesting thing I picked up from the surgeon was that the famous "wall" that people hit after about day 2 is nothing to do with drugs in the body, but more about the massive build up to the op over a period of months and possibly years and then a sense of anti-climax that it's all over and you feel a bit rubbish.

The other fun thing that happened today was that I discovered that I'm not fully covered cost-wise for my anaesthetist's fees. They're only prepared to pay £330 of a £560 bill. It's not a huge excess really, but considering they paid £450 for the anaesthetist when I had my wisdom teeth out and that didn't involve sawing through any bones, I figure that there must be some mistake and sent the woman dealing with me away to check her sums.

Anyway, that's me signing off for the night. It's been a long day....

So much for surgery in July...

Well, it's been a while since I posted, since here we are in mid October, 3 months after I was hoping to have had the surgery, and 6 months since I created the Blog, and there hasn't been a great deal to write. However, I have a surgery date, finally! I will be going under the knife on Wednesday November 7th. I'm intending to Blog the whole experience with photos so that you can all enjoy the experience with me :-)

It's hard to explain how I feel about surgery. I know, from reading other blogs, that I am going to be deeply uncomfortable for a few days after it, but I'm also excited to be getting on with it after so many months of waiting. Having had SARPE (Surgically Assisted Rapid Palate Expansion) to make my top jaw (maxilla) wider in July of last year I know how long the face takes to heal. Nerves are cut and have to grow to rejoin, which leaves you with prolonged numbness. But the sooner I have the op, the sooner the healing process can begin.

I'm having the sugery at the McIndoe Centre in East Grinstead which is famed for its maxillofacial unit. Today I'm heading there for my pre-surgical appointment where I will meet with my surgeon, Mr Ken Sneddon, who is great and performed my surgery last year. I have every confidence in my surgeon/orthodontist team. I'm sure I'm in really good hands.