I am so thankful for Dr. L. He has had my back and worked with me so well for the past 7 years. I kind of can't believe it has been that long since I went through this last time. He has worked with me long enough to know I would come to the pre-op appointment with an exhaustive list of questions. So, he just pulled up a chair and we went through them together. I won't bore you guys with my whole list, but I'll go over what I consider the most important information.
1. I was most concerned with how long the joint would last. In previous conversations Dr. L had made it seem like there was some concern about this. However, he told me that it is unlikely that I would need another joint replacement after this one. So, with any luck this should actually be my LAST jaw surgery!
2. I also asked about appearance changes. Obviously, my last surgery resulted in a big change. I'm not hoping for a big change this time, though. I know my open bit has come back a little bit, which means that my jaw has moved. I can tell in the picture above that my chin looks further back than what I have grown used to. Dr. L said that changes will be smaller, but my jaw will be moved back into place to correct the open bit and my chin will be further forward again.
3. I'll be in the hospital for 2 nights, and surgery should take about 6 hours. They will be removing all the hardware from my previous surgery. Hopefully this will decrease the problems I have been having with severe sinus infections due to the screws in that area.
4. Recovery will be similar to last time, 6-8 weeks. However, I won't have to deal with having a splint or being banded shut. Dr. L said I need to be on a very soft diet, pureed foods only, but I should be able to get back to normal sooner than last time. It will be based on my pain level, not my ability. My jaw will be secure after surgery.
So, all in all it was a very productive conversation. I went through pre-admittance, did my lab work, and made plans for the day of surgery. I think it will be my boyfriend and my mom with my in the hospital. There is only a little under a month to go, and I'm all nerves. For the next week I will be focused on finishing up this semester and getting things ready. I'll post another update closer to surgery or if any new information comes up.
