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Kraken update

Started by glennab, October 20, 2008, 06:35:25 PM

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glennab

Hi!  For those of you who are aware of my dreaded plans for the day, all went great.  I'm missing a small bone in my nose, but surgery was at 10am and only took half an hour. It's now nearly 5:30 and I'm just taking my first pain meds (only as a precaution.  Slight headache approaching.)  I couldn't have asked for better care, and actually feel pretty good – only tired.  So... hopefully in a couple of days there'll be no more CRANKY garrulous kraken, and things will begin to improve dramatically now that my head isn't full of impacted infection. I have the rest of the week to take it easy, enjoy our incredible Florida fall weather and hopefully complete my latest restoration before I head back to work.

Thanks so much, my wonderful OPR pals, for your concern, prayers and good wishes.  They did the job!  You guys have a lot of clout!

Hugs,

GK
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

(Photoshop CS5 /Mac Pro)

Mhayes

Hi GK, I'm happy all went well with your surgery! Did you know beforehand that they were going to remove part of the bone? Now if you will relax and take it easy; I bet you will feel a 100% better.

Margie
"carpe diem"

Margie Hayes
OPR President
[email protected]

glennab

Margie, I found out last Wednesday about the bone.  That ramped up the freak-out factor a bit (I believe that's when the insomnia struck)!  It was the only way the doctor could reach the infected area.  But it's done, and now I can return to my garrulous self and get back
to driving you all crazy!

GK
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

(Photoshop CS5 /Mac Pro)

Tess (Tassie D)

I'm so glad to hear all went well Glenna.  :hug: Hopefully you won't get too many headaches and will be back to your old self again soon.  >:D
Tess Cameron
Distribution Coordinator
[email protected]

Ausimax

Just goes to show, you can't keep a good Kraken down. :up:

Pleased all went well Glenna. :hug:

Max
Wisdom is having a well considered opinion .... and being smart enough to keep it to yourself!     MJS

"Life" is what happens while you are planning other things!

Hannie

So glad to hear the operation went well, now comes the time to rest! 

Hannie
Hannie Scheltema
Distribution Coordinator
[email protected]

Ratz

Get some rest while you can, Glenna. So glad everything went well :loveit:

Johnboy

GK,

Glad to hear that the operation went well. Isn't it great when things go better than what our mind conjures up.

Johnboy

glennab

Amen, JB

I'd had a really "funky" feeling about this whole thing, I think partly due to the fact that I wouldn't have gone through this if the oral surgeon who yanked my tooth in June hadn't botched the job.  Makes one really confident in placing one's face and life into the hands of another stranger (the removed bone was extremely close to my eye and too close for comfort to my brain.)  I got into a bit of a confrontation at the Day Surgery clinic front desk about the Do Not Resuscitate order, should anything go awry.  I had to sign an okay for them to use "heroic" measures in case something went wrong, supposedly because they'd have to revive me enough to take me next door to the main hospital.  I said "great, so salvage the vegetable enough to dump her at the hospital, then they can take responsibility. Can you say Terri Shaivo?  NOT!"

The ENT surgeon was wonderful – showed me the cat scans and exactly where the mess was (and, OMG, that there was actually BRAIN MATTER inside my skull), exactly what bone he'd have to remove, and he told me that many people don't suffer much disomfort after the surgery. I thought the last statement was BS to keep me from worrying too much, but it actually was the case.  He also promised NO HEROIC MEASURES and told me (sarcastically) he really appreciated my confidence in him.  I told him I knew he'd take good care of me, but after all I've gone through I didn't know how well I'd hold up under further trauma.  My arms are still covered with bruises from the incompetents at the emergency room trying to find a vein by which to give me meds I didn't need.

I was able to get up this evening and eat a really good dinner, scarf my favorite drink in the world – Florida orange juice – and hit the sack without pain.  Taking all that into consideration, I expect to have a good low-key week.  Works for me!

No art department battles this week!   Life is good.

Another reason for my apprehension about this procedure was that the last surgery I had on my face was to replace the cartilage in my right TMJ with a teflon implant, which was RECALLED 3 years later.  By the time the device was removed I had pieces of disintegrated implant lodged in my brain.  The photos of the debris are disgusting and frightening.  The only good thing about that is it's a great excuse when I have a major brain fade! "No, it's not because I'm ancient, stressed to the max and my hard drive is full.  It's the TEFLON, dammit!"

Anyway, Margie, Tess, Max, Hannie, Vicki and JB, thanks much for the moral support.  I'm so fortunate to have my best-of-the-best friends in OPR.  Your being here and caring means so much to me.

(I'm on the keyboard this late because Scooter decided to check on me and woke me up talking his furry brains out to let me know he was keeping watch.  Adore those kitties!)

Hugs,

GK
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

(Photoshop CS5 /Mac Pro)

Johnboy

Now I've heard everything. Teflon as an excuse for those thoughts sliding on out. At least it is a viable excuse when you make a slip up.

I know what you mean about the TMJ stuff. One of my wife's cousin's husband had that work done to both sides. He had to have his removed but I don't think his disintegrated as yours did. However in one of the operations the doc managed to hook up a couple of the nerves wrong. Now when he eats one side of his face sweats because the salivary gland nerve on that side is hooked to sweat glands. It is probably better that you heard this after your operation rather than before.

Johnboy

PatW

#10
Glenna, I'm so glad you've gotten through this.   Just wanted to remind you to take it a little easy.

A dear friend, who we affectionately call "Big Nurse" has reminded me in the past that the second and third days after surgery are often the hardest.   Once you get past that "Holly Cow I made It" feeling, reality can  rear it's ugly head.  But if it does,  rest assured that it's just for a bit.   On the other side, things tend to get better fast.

So, be good to yourself, take it easy and and don't' try to rush it. 


Pat


GP

Hi Glenna,

I am glad you have the surgery behind you! Take it easy and have a smooth recovery. Don't try do do all the stuff you usually don't have time for. Spend some quality time with your furry friends.

  :hug:     Gerlinde
PS CS5, PSE9, XP, Windows 7 -64bit

glennab

#12
Hi JB & Pat

JB the teflon excuse usually gets a few laughs, which is good for all of us.  I was so rattled last Friday that I couldn't remember our work phone number (after ten years, mind you).  "IT'S THE TEFLON!" worked wonders.  So that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!  I know about that mis-wiring syndrome, as well.  When the oral surgeon yanked the tooth that caused all this aggravation he was digging out a back molar on the top right.  All my discomfort and perception was that he was brutalizing the lower right molar.  Truly bizarre, yet I know several people with the identical bass-ackward nerve mix-up.

Pat, I know about that getting back into things too early routine.  So I've been dozing, reading and checking the forum when I am up.  I figure a couple more days of laying low should get me back on track. Thanks for the great advice and the moral support!  Getting plenty of rest is the reason I took the entire week off.  Not only was it doctor's orders, but I've been tired for so long, I reckon this extended time off will allow me to store up energy before going back to work.  A huge mistake I made when the implant was removed: I was laid off and ended up working 3 part-time jobs to keep us gong.  At that time I was putting Lon through college, so he couldn't generate any income.  I'd CuisineArt lunch and dinner and off I'd go to the sweat shops.  (I ended up with a full year of of being unable to eat solid food.)  Damn!  Those were fun fines!

And don't you know how much I enjoy ribs and/or a good steak now!  Unless you've been through a non-chew diet, you don't realize how much of an enjoyable dining experience is the texture of food!  My first jaw surgery was right before Thanksgiving.  I cooked my usual wonderful repast; then Lon had to run my entire meal through the Cuisinart.  I had little mounds of mashed everything, including the turkey.  Can you say demoralized!

The Kraken is made of tough stuff!  In order not to freak out any more than I already was this go-round, I'd picture the top of my head blowing off from the pressure and confetti and tentacles flying all over the place.

Thanks again for thinking of me and sending good wishes.  The Kraken won't be down long.  Gotta clean up the confetti and tentacles!  Or not.  Now that I think of it, the cats love that sort of mess.  It would make up for mama being absent for so long!

Gerlinde, you must have been posting at the same time I was.  I'm feeling well enough that I want to go work in the yard or do some house cleaning, but I'm forcing myself to crash out with a good book most of the time. (You pegged my butt when you mentioned not doing all the things I don't have time to do anyway.  I had to chuckle, becsuse it's so true. I love to knit, and I just got a couple more books on the subject.  That'll have to wait!)

I'd better get my butt back into bed.

Hugs!

GK
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

(Photoshop CS5 /Mac Pro)

klassylady25

Glenna, as always you're a kick. Keep getting better. Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaze....
I've been out of pocket via court duty.... but have thought of this crew often.

Hugs,
Candice