Back to 2007...

So I knew I would need these surgeries for a long time, and finally at the end of 2007 I was 'ready' to get the expansion surgery. It was pretty much a rush job getting scheduled, and I with a few days to go before I had it done I still didn't know what hospital I was going to lol. Well we figured it out eventually...
The day before the surgery as the day I had to go claim my bed at the hospital. It seemed pretty pointless and weird having to stay overnight when I was perfectly fine and normal, but I suppose they wanted me there in good time (maybe this is a UK thing? because I know a lot of people in the US get SARME and then leave the same day). It was a pain though, because in the morning I had to go and get my expander fitted by my ortho at my local hospital where the clinic is, but my surgery was being conducted at a different hospital, so straight after I had the expander in we were off to the next one. Also what needs noting is that beforehand I had an appt to see if the expander would fit my mouth. It didn't.

Now the thing with my ortho is that she is very persistent and tenacious, so even though it didn't fit she was going to make it fit. The worst thing with appliance fittings- and which I'm sure those with braces will know- is that you have to bite down on a stick thingy yourself to push the appliance onto your molars securely- so not only was she forcing this thing into my mouth and causing me pain, but I had to inflict it on myself to try and push it in place. Maybe sadism is a require qualification in order to be a dentist/orthodontist? Anyway she finally decided the expander didn't was too small and I needed another mould taking, so I left in pain, slightly bleeding and dreading round 2 and the next expander. Thankfully next time the lab technicians or whoeer got the size right, and it fit perfectly.

The expander was horrible at first, and even a measly sandwiche thwarted my attempts to eat properly. At that point I was actually glad I would be staying at the hospital because I had an excuse not to eat their food (I actually ended up having pea soup, but it was really just warm water in a cup with a pea floating in it....good old NHS :D)! I wasn't nervous about the surgery in fact I was pretty excited, but it was boring waiting for tomorrow because I was in a ward alone. There was an old woman with me for a while, who only had about 8 fingers (though maybe she just had arthritis...my memory is distorted somewhat now!), who came in because her nose wouldn't stop bleeding. At one point her nose started bleeding uncontrollably again, and because she was fingerless or had lost the use of some of them, I pressed the buzzer thing to call a nurse to come. About 3 came and all gathered around me, but I swiftly told them I was fine (I was just some girl crashing in a hospital at this point, afterall- though to be fair the expander made me sound rather odd) and they went and saw to her. She was fine eventually and she could go home. The ambulance guy who came for her kindly asked me if I wanted something from the vending machine, but I told him I couldn't eat anything, but thanks. To him I was just some normal girl crashing in a hospital too, and he didn't know i had the expander in, so I hope he wasn't too hurt by my refusal, but he'll live.

So the next day I was looking forward to going down to surgery. That morning the ward filled up (it had 4 beds), and they all got their surgeries before me! I was like hello, I'm pretty sure I bagseyd first spot when I got here at 3:00pm yesterday! But hey, I'm not the selfish type. Turns out one of the women came from the same town as me, and I've seen her a few times afterwards round and about. Small world!

So finally it's my turn, and when I'm being wheeled down to surgery I finally start to get a little nervous. I remember the anaesthetist not being able to get the vein in my right hand (because I have 'delicate veins', apparantly) so I ended up with two bruised hands getting it right, but that wasn't exactly the most important thing on my mind. I drifted off, then suddenly it was over.

I wasn't in pain, but I the anaesthetic really did me in. It was probably the worst thing about it, really. I stayed for the night, then the next day I had to wait for my perscription which took pretty much the whole day. While I was waiting to go home I wasn't told whether my mum or dad had rung, or what was happening. They let me ring them but of course I could barely talk, and I started to cry (aaaww). Turns out they'd been ringing all day but the nurses said I couldn't go until I got my perscription. Eventually things were sorted out and they came and got me.

Next post: recovery and turning the expander

Toodles xXxXx