Week 2: Bec had a severe headache that kept her in bed for a few days. Luckily, we had a phone call appointment scheduled with the physician assistant from Piper's office (Jeff) on one of those days. Jeff was pleased with the progress that Bec made on her therabite exercises. However, he thought we cut back on the muscle relaxers too fast which was causing the severe headache. Instead of taking 1/4 of a muscle relaxer 4 times a day, Jeff suggested 1/2 a pill 4 times a day. After a few days, this solution seemed to work. Luckily, Bec's mom stayed with us most of the week to help take care of the kids (and laundry!) while I worked.
Week 3: Bec regained her energy this week and has been busy organizing the house and shopping. She is also feeling good enough to plan 2 birthday parties in the next few weeks. She has continued with 5, 15 minute breaks each day from her splint. It's pretty hard to do the exercises, eat (I mean drink) food, and brush your teeth in a short 15 minutes. We are really looking forward to the 30 minute breaks that start in a few days! All the incisions are also healing very well. You can't even tell she had surgery around her ears, and her abdomen incision is feeling better.
Here are a few recent pics that show how good Bec is feeling:
One of my hopes in starting this blog is that others going through similar situations will run across Rebecca's story and find some answers and hope for their journeys. For those people that run across this blog, here are a few tips (from the caretaker point of view):
1. This surgery costs a lot of money with little hope of being reimbursed by insurance companies. It's stressful. The money might hit your bank account the day you are leaving for surgery. You might wonder if you will get everything done in time. But it's worth it. A better future is worth all the stress.
2. If you are the caretaker, download a pillbox smartphone app. The alerts will save you from forgetting medicine - especially since the patient is supposed to remain active - which means being away from your hotel/condo most of the day.
3. The Jaw Crew on Facebook is a great support group for those going through Dr. Piper's fat graft surgery. Bec met a great friend the night before her consultation appointment that has been a HUGE help through this process. I feel it's important to get as much info as possible and to get as connected as possible with other people in similar situations.
4. Find other blogs with other perspectives. The other two blogs I know of are:
These blogs were a HUGE help and have tons of great information.
5. The meds post-op will make the patient very groggy and will cause them to forget most post-surgery outings. The meds might cause extra emotions. But they definitely help keep the pain under control. It's worth it to stay on all the meds on the exact schedule that Dr. Piper recommends.
6. Don't worry too much about finding a special pharmacy that your insurance will cover. The Prescription Shop (the place Dr. Piper recommends) took our insurance and covered everything except the heating pad. It was one thing that insurance has covered so far! Also, if you don't already have one, purchase a pill cutter here. It's a great $6 investment!
7. Make sure you keep on top of the staff scheduling your approintments at the Piper Clinic. They are all very nice people, but we had many schedule problems throughout our 2 weeks in St. Petersburg. You will get a calendar with all your appointments when you arrive for the Friday appointment pre-surgery, but keep asking about upcoming visits at every appointment.
8. Don't be afraid to schedule another appointment with Dr. Jackson if your braces are causing a ton of discomfort. Bec had to see him post-op because a bracket came loose. She asked him to adjust nearly all the hooks on the brackets, and it gave her immediate relief.
9. Stay positive! There will be ups and downs. Being positive is a great support both to someone that has been through a big surgery and to someone that is trying to comprehend everything post surgery while on strong medicine.
10. Take everything one day at a time.
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