experience both since I had gone through 10 previous surgeries since I was 2. I
was pretty excited to be in a new building! We got there right on time! The
building was amazing! So colorful and inviting. It wasnt like most hospitals
where it smells and looks sterile, this was very clean but almost a home away
from home feel. We went down to the lower floor where I was to be checked in and
we went through everything and I got taken into my room with my mom. It was so
cool! They had this touch screen that was used to watch tv, movies or play on
the Internet!
Welcome booth!
to 3:30pm. My doctor had an emergency surgery that took precedent over mine so I
got pushed back to 3:30. We also heard that he blocked out 4 hours for my
surgery! So estimating the time we guessed I wouldn't be out of recovery till
around 8:30ish that night! Long day at the hospital! My mom and dad switched out
taking turns of waiting with me and taking breaks and doing things outside of
the hospital.
Before surgery!
The team, we all got our matching wrist bands!
It finally came time to do the one thing I feared the most, the IV. The nurses
are supposed to try atleast 2 times before getting a trained nurse to put it in
or to have the IV put in while the patient is asleep. So the nurse tried to find
a good vain, thought she found and one and put the needle in. She got it in but
wasn't able to thread it into my vain all the way. That's when the anxiety
kicked in. She tried to pull it out a little and try again but it was causing
pain and I phsyched myself out. I started crying and gettin really anxious.
That's when my mom told the nurse to call it quits. She told her not to try
again and just to have me get the IV in once I was out. I had hit my max.
I then sat there for another hour or so.
I met a couple residents studying under my doctor, Dr.Dierks. He talked over the procedure with me, he said that if there wasn't enough bone in my first hip they take out of then they may have to take from both. He initialed my hips and went on. My mom came back and swapped
with my dad and my mom and I took a walk around the hospital floor. It ended up
being 3 when some nurses came in and said my doctor was finished and that they
were going to take me earlier than planned to the pre-op room. There I met with
my anasthetiologist, Dr.Hughes, and he was awesome! He was probably the youngest
anasthetiologists I have had, and he was very interactive with us! I request an anti-nausea patch to be put on behind my ear before surgeries because in the past I have thrown up from the anastethia. So he got one for me but dropped it while trying to get it out and he says "and that is why I am not the surgeon" :) He was fun but most certainly knew what he was doing later as it proved that the dozes he did was just the right amount! I met with my doctor, more residents and OR nurses! My doctor
decided to add in another piece to my surgery, if necessary he was going to take
out 2 pieces of my lower jaw bone the size pf his thumb nail and add that to the
bond graft as well! Finally at about 4 it was time to be taken to the OR. Since
I didn't have my IV in yet they had to put me out with gas. They used this
laughing gas as they call it that was said to smell like Barbie plastic but it
really didn't haha it just smelt bad! Then they used this heavy stuff that smelt
like acrylic nails and then I was out!
I woke up a few hours later in the post-op. I woke up really easily and came out of everything really smoothly! Probably one of the best recoveries I have gone through out of 11 surgeries!
Me right after my surgery! We were amazed at how little swelling I had coming out
My hip right after my surgery!
My recovery from there was incredibly fast! I was told that this surgery would cause me to have a lot of swelling for 1-2 weeks and that my hip would be sore but not as bad as my last hip bone graft. Well, I was only swollen for about 4 days, and I was off crutches by the 5 day! Today is day 8 and I got my retainer back in, my swelling is completely gone, and I'm walking mostly like a normal person with a few aches and pains depending on what I am doing! Remarkable recovery!
My hip a week later once we removed all the stuff covering it
I saw my doctor today for a follow up, unfortunately the power had just gone out when we got there so we had to take the stairs up to the 3rd floor! That wasn't exactly what you call fun after a bone graft from the hip but it wasn't impossible! Dr. Dierks looked into my mouth and said everything looked how it was supposed to. We were going to do an xray of my mouth but since the power was out we were not able to do so. The next step is looking at a surgery sometime in December or January to do the next step of putting the actual dental implant bases into the new bone! Last year the set back was that the bone didn't grow enough, but it's a new year and anything is possible!!
Thank you to all who have been supporting me and praying for me through this surgery! The power of prayer is incredible and every prayer has helped! I only have one prayer request and that is if you think of me on some random day if you could remember to pray for the bone to grow in my jaw, so that in a few months when we go back in we aren't looking at another failed bone growth! I'd love to moving on and finishing up with all these surgeries! I've still got a few more to go :)
Thanks for all your support and I will update again in a few months!
1 Chronicles 29:13
"Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name"
-Katie Scheel
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