So I went in for oral surgery #3 yesterday. YAY! I had seriously been waiting for it for months. I just wanted to go in and get it done and get this ball rolling.
Good News
Well the good news was that I had my drugs in hand, the stent in hand (yes, it came with me :) ) and was ready to go!!! The stent was way cool! It was kind of like an invisalign braces tray- clear plastic with clear tooth with a hole in it to tell him where to drill!
Modest Office
So we get to the office- and I do have to admit I was a bit afraid of what the inside would be like. The promise of "modest" arrangements did have my imagination in a bit of a spin. I am glad to report it was a full functioning dental office. :) By modest I believe he meant it was a bit smaller and not quite as done up as the previous office. (Some lovely 80's wallpaper plastered all over the office too. ) But no Craftsman tool box on the counter, so we were good to go!
In the room where they took me, there were a series of those kitchy Successories poster with Teamwork, Dedication, etc. on them. So when Dr. Gomes walked in, I asked him which of those 5 we were going for today. I suggested Perserverence, but he thought it might be more like Determination. :) We exchanged plesantries, I told him that Dr. Mazur was going to pay for my stent, we were good to go! Game on!
Go Time
So we get going... the stent is a nice stent he says. Problems that arise with the stent is that they don't let successively larger drill bits go through them though. Hmm. I guess it's more like a pilot hole? Well, so things are coming along nicely, or so I think. My appointment did start at 10:30. :) And it's about 11 now. That's when Dr. Gomes announces that he doesn't think we are going to be able to get an implant in there because there's no bone to implant into. Excuse me? So he frantically starts searching around the room for something- I believe a smaller implant or something with a narrow head on it. A dental assistant comes in and announces that there is another patient ready to see him now too. So he shoves some gauze in my mouth, keeps saying that he's not sure this is going to work, but he's going to go check on the other patient and will be back and we can figure this out.
A Little Chat with God
OK- so he leaves and the assistant Tiana, says, well, that doesn't sound like good news, does it? Genius. Pure Genius. I'm pretty sure that's not the kind of stuff you're supposed to say to a patient in that moment. :) So anyway, she leaves too. And so I decide to have a little chat with God that goes a little something like this- "you have got to be kidding me. :)" I'm sure that's what God likes to hear. ;-) So anyway, I say a little prayer for Dr. Gomes and then sit back to listen to the Muzak being piped in the room. It's a soft rock station out of Indy and they are playing some song about how it will all be worth the pain. :) HA! The irony wasn't lost on me. :) I am pretty sure my life is all about irony anyway. :)
Triumphant Return
Ok- Dr. Gomes comes back in and is still saying how he's not sure this is going to work. He then throws in a 'we should have just left that other implant in there and Mazur could have restored it.' Um, No. And it's not there now, so what are we going to do? So with my mouth packed full of gauze, I say, can't you just get it in there and then pack it in tight with some bone grafting all around it and stitch it up real good and hope it doesn't move? He explains that we need to find at least some bone for it to go into and then we can pack around it even if it's not connected to bone on a couple sides. So he takes on the challenge and decides to take a look and see what we have to deal with here. Still repeating about how we should have just left the other one in there, but when he talked to Chriiisss he just asked him what he wanted to do and he wanted to redo it, so we redo it. So miracles happen- he finds some bone! Yay!!! So it is slightly over from where the stent has him drilling, but should still be ok. And sure enough, when he goes to put the implant in, I can definitely feel it is going into bone!!! So he gets it in, packs bone grafting around it, stitches me up and asks for the flipper. He tries the flipper in there to make sure it's not going to press too much on the incision and says it looks good and I am done.
That's right, no mouth full of gauze to walk out of there with- flipper in- I'm talking pretty normally. So I am still a bit sore-I always forget how it does hurt to do things like wash my face and blow my nose though too. So it's a little tender still today. I have been resting quite a bit though too, but of the 3 operations, this one has left me feeling the best. I get occasional twinges of bone pain, but its not too bad. (Of course, the 800 mg Ibuprofen might have something to do with that? ) It's like when you have braces and they have tightened them really good one time and you have a bit of pain... that's about all though.
So we leave the stitches in for 3 weeks now- per my request to try to keep bone grafting in there. He thinks the implant is still close to the same place it was before, but it's not in at an angle so that should be good. I guess we will know in about 3 months. :)
So it's in. It was just like a walk in the park- or the equivalent for me in the dental world at least! :) I'll report back in a few weeks after the stitches come out and maybe have some better idea of where it really is. :) So, I'll keep you posted!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
A Phone Call with Gomes
Well, I know the blog has been silent for months, and now- 2 blogs in one week! Amazing! But this is good stuff!
So I decided to put a call into Gomes today with a few questions for him before showing up Tuesday. The questions were:
1) I will be in Indy tomorrow, do you need me to stop by your office for anything- x-rays, paperwork, etc?
2) What time do you need me there on Tues?
3) Can You call my prescriptions in ahead of time?
Ok- so simple questions. Just collecting a bit of information and touching base. I like communication.
Question 1 & 2
So, he says no, you do not need to stop by - we will just do some x-rays when you are here. I have you scheduled for 10:30 (**LIGHT BULB** I have me scheduled for 10). So I tell him I have it scheduled for 10- oh, yes, show up at 10 for some pre-op stuff that will be fine. Get here sometime between 10 and 10:30.. that's fine too. Flexible. :) That's typically a good quality.
Sidebar- The Stent
He then goes on to say he has talked to Chriiiisss (that's the best way I can emulate his accent via a blog. ) And Chriiiisss is going to send the stent to him. (**LIGHT BULB**- no the stent is coming with me.) So I say, no, I am bringing the stent with me. He says, well I talked to Chriisss and he is having it mailed to me. (After a couple rounds of this, it's clear I'm not going to win this battle. :) ) So, I say, ok... I will check with them Monday afternoon and if they have it, I will bring it with me. He says, yes, it probably is better for you to do that, but I didn't want to put you in the Middle of it. (WHAT??!!!??? It's my tooth!) Right, right, it's no problem for me to pick it up.
Question 3
Can you call in my prescriptions ahead of time so I have them in hand and do not have to inconvenience the person taking me? And then I can pop a pain pill as soon as we are done for the ride home? Yes, of course, when would you like to pick them up? Oh, sometime before Tuesday? :) Ok, I will call them in tomorrow. Ok. He then needs a phone number of a pharmacy. I will look it up- silly CVS bought out Osco- so I will look them both up. Not sure which number is right!
Sidebar- Modesty
So while I am flipping through the phone book, I decide to continue with the conversation and ask how he is liking the new place and how it's working out. He proceeds to tell me he loves it and it is great , but it's a little more modest than the previous place. (**LIGHT BULB** what the heck does that mean????? I am wishing it meant the girls in the office wore their scrubs a bit looser, but I am thinking more along the lines of using an awl and hammer to make the hole for the implant! :) )
So back to the pharmacy- one of the guys I used to coach softball with used to say my job was to slip him a couple qualludes midway though the 4th inning if things weren't going well to keep him from killing the girls. :) Where is he when I need him to return the favor??? :) Do you think I could get a prescription for those too? :)
Grand Finale
So I ask, is there anything else I need to do or know before coming on Tuesday? Oh yes, there will probably be some cost for some consumables that we have to use and for the stent too.(I assume I am paying for a new dead guy to integrate with the implant. That was a previous statement that had been made. I am ok with that. I think I'll call this dead guy Monty. :) ) So the stent is about $130 and probably another $100 or so in supplies and stuff, so probably be about $200-300. Um, Dr. Gomes, so you want me to absorb the cost of the stent??? Yes. (Un Uh. :) ) Hmm. Ok.
Dr. Mazur, this is Mindy Hart calling.... :)
Bottom Line- Mazur is going to pick up the cost, but he's not going to let Gomes forget it. I really think there might be a meeting on the playground after school for this one. ;-) The stent should be in Monday morning's delivery and it will remain on Mazur's lab bill, and I will pick it up and take it with me. No cost to Gomes, no cost to me. I love Dr. Mazur. Please switch to him if you do not already use him as your dentist. :) (small commercial)
So here we go... if I see the Craftsman tool box out on the counter when I get to the chair, I am running. :) Other than that, I am sure it will be an adventure! I can't wait to get this rolling! Stay tuned next week and I'll keep you posted!
So I decided to put a call into Gomes today with a few questions for him before showing up Tuesday. The questions were:
1) I will be in Indy tomorrow, do you need me to stop by your office for anything- x-rays, paperwork, etc?
2) What time do you need me there on Tues?
3) Can You call my prescriptions in ahead of time?
Ok- so simple questions. Just collecting a bit of information and touching base. I like communication.
Question 1 & 2
So, he says no, you do not need to stop by - we will just do some x-rays when you are here. I have you scheduled for 10:30 (**LIGHT BULB** I have me scheduled for 10). So I tell him I have it scheduled for 10- oh, yes, show up at 10 for some pre-op stuff that will be fine. Get here sometime between 10 and 10:30.. that's fine too. Flexible. :) That's typically a good quality.
Sidebar- The Stent
He then goes on to say he has talked to Chriiiisss (that's the best way I can emulate his accent via a blog. ) And Chriiiisss is going to send the stent to him. (**LIGHT BULB**- no the stent is coming with me.) So I say, no, I am bringing the stent with me. He says, well I talked to Chriisss and he is having it mailed to me. (After a couple rounds of this, it's clear I'm not going to win this battle. :) ) So, I say, ok... I will check with them Monday afternoon and if they have it, I will bring it with me. He says, yes, it probably is better for you to do that, but I didn't want to put you in the Middle of it. (WHAT??!!!??? It's my tooth!) Right, right, it's no problem for me to pick it up.
Question 3
Can you call in my prescriptions ahead of time so I have them in hand and do not have to inconvenience the person taking me? And then I can pop a pain pill as soon as we are done for the ride home? Yes, of course, when would you like to pick them up? Oh, sometime before Tuesday? :) Ok, I will call them in tomorrow. Ok. He then needs a phone number of a pharmacy. I will look it up- silly CVS bought out Osco- so I will look them both up. Not sure which number is right!
Sidebar- Modesty
So while I am flipping through the phone book, I decide to continue with the conversation and ask how he is liking the new place and how it's working out. He proceeds to tell me he loves it and it is great , but it's a little more modest than the previous place. (**LIGHT BULB** what the heck does that mean????? I am wishing it meant the girls in the office wore their scrubs a bit looser, but I am thinking more along the lines of using an awl and hammer to make the hole for the implant! :) )
So back to the pharmacy- one of the guys I used to coach softball with used to say my job was to slip him a couple qualludes midway though the 4th inning if things weren't going well to keep him from killing the girls. :) Where is he when I need him to return the favor??? :) Do you think I could get a prescription for those too? :)
Grand Finale
So I ask, is there anything else I need to do or know before coming on Tuesday? Oh yes, there will probably be some cost for some consumables that we have to use and for the stent too.(I assume I am paying for a new dead guy to integrate with the implant. That was a previous statement that had been made. I am ok with that. I think I'll call this dead guy Monty. :) ) So the stent is about $130 and probably another $100 or so in supplies and stuff, so probably be about $200-300. Um, Dr. Gomes, so you want me to absorb the cost of the stent??? Yes. (Un Uh. :) ) Hmm. Ok.
Dr. Mazur, this is Mindy Hart calling.... :)
Bottom Line- Mazur is going to pick up the cost, but he's not going to let Gomes forget it. I really think there might be a meeting on the playground after school for this one. ;-) The stent should be in Monday morning's delivery and it will remain on Mazur's lab bill, and I will pick it up and take it with me. No cost to Gomes, no cost to me. I love Dr. Mazur. Please switch to him if you do not already use him as your dentist. :) (small commercial)
So here we go... if I see the Craftsman tool box out on the counter when I get to the chair, I am running. :) Other than that, I am sure it will be an adventure! I can't wait to get this rolling! Stay tuned next week and I'll keep you posted!
Monday, January 22, 2007
The Freaky Tooth Blog is Back!
Ok- so it's been a couple months since the last post. I hope you all enjoyed your holidays. Unfortunately Santa did not bring me a tooth for Christmas. But, maybe he will for Christmas in July! That's right, I said July. I will get to why it might be July in a few paragraphs, but first here is what has been happening.
The Stent
Ok- so remember there were a lot of things that were supposed to happen at the first of the year? One of which was that Gomes would call Mazur and make sure we got the stent ordered. Well, I did talk to Mazur sometime between the last posting and the Christmas break to tell him what was said, and he put it on his calendar to contact Gomes if he had not heard from him by about January 3rd. Well- it's January 22nd, the implant goes in on January 30th, and the stent is still not ordered. Mazur has put in a couple calls to Gomes with no return. He finally called him back on Friday and wondered if Mazur had ordered the stent yet. AAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!
The Flipper
Well, it just so happens that I think there actually might be some bone graft growth going on! YAY! My flipper started hitting something in the hole about a month ago and was continuing to do so. So I went in to Mazur this morning for a flipper adjustment thinking that would be good timing before the surgery next week. We got it all fixed up! Woo hoo!
Odds and Ends
So Dr. Mazur and I decided we would go ahead and order the stent today- we should be able to get it in by Monday next week. There was a debate as to if we should send it directly to Gomes or not... I decided I'd rather take it with me. It should come in their morning delivery on Monday and then I can pick it up Monday afternoon and have it for Tuesday. If Gomes doesn't pay for it, then Dr. Mazur will. I told him at this point I'd pay for it because I just want it done right- but he said I shouldn't have to and he would if Gomes doesn't. But guess what- that required more impressions. No joke. :) Dr. Mazur thought it would be best for them to have a current model to design the stent from, instead of the previous wax up- especially since I think there is bone growth going on there. I really really wonder what they do with those molds when they are done. Time for a Dateline investigation with Chris Hansen. :)
I also asked Dr. Mazur what kind of timeline we are looking at for getting this done. He suggested 3-4 months of bone growth and integration (i'm hoping for 3 months- I integrated very well last time!! ) Then we will start the prep work for the crown and the veneer. I agreed with Dr. Mazur that we would try to even out the space with a veneer on top of it and the adjacent I-tooth. Dr. Mazur also said he would be able to put the abutment in too- so then I don't have to go down to Indy to try to get it done and get back up here for an appointment to fit something on it. The crown and veneer and stuff will all take a few weeks too. So add on another Month. So... thats 5 months total... so July. Yay.
So I go to Gomes in a week. I have done a drive-by of his new place, but it was a weekend so it was not open. It is in a hispanic neighborhood- which I guess is a good population for him being from Venezuela and all. :) I will be giving him a call later on this week to make sure everything is in order and to see if he will call in my prescriptions ahead of time, so I can have some drugs with me to pop in before the hour long ride home. Pretty much the pattern has been that I get home, I take some drugs, I ice my face, and I take a nap. Then I am good to go by that evening. :) So hopefully I can try to continue that pattern in the car on the way home and will be no worse for the wear.
All I know is that I am ready to get this party started! Pack me with cadaver bone and ship me on my way! So wish me luck- or better yet, wish Dr. Gomes luck. :) The good news is that if he messes it up this time, Dr. Mazur is getting trained to do implants using some hi-tech equipment and I can go to him. :) I can't wait to report in next week and let you all know how it goes! Until then....
The Stent
Ok- so remember there were a lot of things that were supposed to happen at the first of the year? One of which was that Gomes would call Mazur and make sure we got the stent ordered. Well, I did talk to Mazur sometime between the last posting and the Christmas break to tell him what was said, and he put it on his calendar to contact Gomes if he had not heard from him by about January 3rd. Well- it's January 22nd, the implant goes in on January 30th, and the stent is still not ordered. Mazur has put in a couple calls to Gomes with no return. He finally called him back on Friday and wondered if Mazur had ordered the stent yet. AAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!
The Flipper
Well, it just so happens that I think there actually might be some bone graft growth going on! YAY! My flipper started hitting something in the hole about a month ago and was continuing to do so. So I went in to Mazur this morning for a flipper adjustment thinking that would be good timing before the surgery next week. We got it all fixed up! Woo hoo!
Odds and Ends
So Dr. Mazur and I decided we would go ahead and order the stent today- we should be able to get it in by Monday next week. There was a debate as to if we should send it directly to Gomes or not... I decided I'd rather take it with me. It should come in their morning delivery on Monday and then I can pick it up Monday afternoon and have it for Tuesday. If Gomes doesn't pay for it, then Dr. Mazur will. I told him at this point I'd pay for it because I just want it done right- but he said I shouldn't have to and he would if Gomes doesn't. But guess what- that required more impressions. No joke. :) Dr. Mazur thought it would be best for them to have a current model to design the stent from, instead of the previous wax up- especially since I think there is bone growth going on there. I really really wonder what they do with those molds when they are done. Time for a Dateline investigation with Chris Hansen. :)
I also asked Dr. Mazur what kind of timeline we are looking at for getting this done. He suggested 3-4 months of bone growth and integration (i'm hoping for 3 months- I integrated very well last time!! ) Then we will start the prep work for the crown and the veneer. I agreed with Dr. Mazur that we would try to even out the space with a veneer on top of it and the adjacent I-tooth. Dr. Mazur also said he would be able to put the abutment in too- so then I don't have to go down to Indy to try to get it done and get back up here for an appointment to fit something on it. The crown and veneer and stuff will all take a few weeks too. So add on another Month. So... thats 5 months total... so July. Yay.
So I go to Gomes in a week. I have done a drive-by of his new place, but it was a weekend so it was not open. It is in a hispanic neighborhood- which I guess is a good population for him being from Venezuela and all. :) I will be giving him a call later on this week to make sure everything is in order and to see if he will call in my prescriptions ahead of time, so I can have some drugs with me to pop in before the hour long ride home. Pretty much the pattern has been that I get home, I take some drugs, I ice my face, and I take a nap. Then I am good to go by that evening. :) So hopefully I can try to continue that pattern in the car on the way home and will be no worse for the wear.
All I know is that I am ready to get this party started! Pack me with cadaver bone and ship me on my way! So wish me luck- or better yet, wish Dr. Gomes luck. :) The good news is that if he messes it up this time, Dr. Mazur is getting trained to do implants using some hi-tech equipment and I can go to him. :) I can't wait to report in next week and let you all know how it goes! Until then....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
