Surgery Day!!! Not... {Growl}

Happy Surgery Day to me! NOT.
Today at this time I should've been moaning in agonizing pain, but I'm not. I'm going about my normal day. Happy about the non-pain part... really pissed off about the non-surgery part. Oh well. Such is life. The doc obviously didn't care that I had changed my entire life and that of a whole part of a consulting company back east. It didn't matter that now I will be too swollen to attend my parents' 40th year anniversary party I am helping to throw or have family Christmas card pictures taken. He obviously didn't care that I had already begged and borrowed, turned in favors at work to get things learned and duties changed and time off granted. He didn't care that I had arranged for sitters and rides for the kids, and purchased the liquids for my new diet or the handy waterpik I was going to be relying on to clean my banded-shut mouth. It didn't matter to him that I had paid extra bills in advance thus making us scrape by -and of course it happened during a week when our youngest dog needed costly surgery and then found out it was cancer. Nope. They had "scheduled two surgeries on the same date at different facilities"...and he "couldn't facility hop". Really? Really? I personally believe there's more to the story. My surgery had been scheduled for 3 weeks now and it took them until 5 days before my surgery to figure that out? I had just called the day before to verify the hospital knew I was coming too because I knew they didn't. I work here. I know these things. I had called down to pre-registration. I know my reponsibilities. I knew they'd have the info. But they'd never heard of it. I personally think they never called to schedule the surgery and then realized he couldn't do it. Then and only then did they also decide to call and tell me it's moved and use the excuse of the authorization not being approved for the nasal part of the surgery. Not that I didn't already tell them I was fine with that and would rather not have the nasal surgery if it wasn't approved. I know how auths work. It's not gonna happen...regardless of how they beg in a peer-to-peer review or change the medical records. Blech. I'm just mad. I now have an entire month to continue to sit and stew about this and to get myself worked up into even more of a panic attack. I'm sure I'll end up with a stress induced cold sore. Lovely...
So now I can pretend to be positive about the change of date: I can be glad the date has changed for a few reasons. First of all I will be around for K's first week of school and before school testing. That's a real good thing. I can get my hair colored before surgery now since my hair lady was on vacation before. I am able to become more fluent in the new system at work...even though I'd rather I didn't and don't think I'd be missing much if not. I can go swimming with my boys a couple more times for the summer. I can still eat whatever I want. There. I feel a little less negative. Still really pissed off though...but at least I can say I tried to turn it around. Haha.

5 days before surgery

I'm in pure panic mode about the upcoming surgery. I have only 5 more days left to do so many things but I have rearranged my life for this and it's happening...well...
Nope, just kidding...it's not.
The boys and I had to run our lab mix to the vet for a surgery to get a large mass removed from his thyroid and my cellphone rings. It was Dr S's head secretary, Lauree. She's the one all the young little receptionists have to ask all their questions to. As soon as I heard her tone of voice I knew there was a problem. Lauree proceeds to tell me that the doctor has had another surgery scheduled longer than mine and its at another facility and he can't 'facility hop' the day of my surgery. I think to myself, 'OK, so it'll change a day or two...no biggie'. Then she continues to say that he feels strongly that I still have the nasal septum repair and turbinate surgery that my insurance company has denied as not medically necessary so he's continuing to appeal that denial. Then comes the date. September 18th. Oh. My. God. Anger cannot even begin to describe my feelings. I have literally put my life on hold for this. I have my leave of absence papers filed and approved at work, my actual work duties covered, babysitters arranged, hubby took off work, I've paid a whole bunch of bills early that would've been due when I was off and low on money- in turn putting us in a bit of a pinch for a couple weeks, and lastly had the consulting company that is working with our company schedule their next visit (from out of the state!- so airfare/hotels/etc) for when I would have returned from surgery - but now for when I will be gone. I'm beyond pissed off. Livid would be a better description.
Well, I guess I will make the most of this. I guess its good that the insurance authorization will be approved (hopefully) so I can have the entire surgery. I guess its good that I will be OK for K's first week of school. Now I can go to all the restaurants I've been wanting to eat at before I can't chew for months. I can learn the new system at work better before going out on leave. Its OK...right? Sigh. I guess it has to be, I have no choice.

Week before surgery

Well, with less than a week until surgery day I'm about ready to have a complete and utter panic attack. I'm so scared! I've had many surgeries, I've never been this scared for a surgery or any procedure in my life... even my kids' surgeries weren't as scary! I keep reading through all the blogs and patient experiences I can find and the phrase "life changing" is said pretty much every time. I'm literally praying for that! I need it to be. I need my life back. I need energy, less pain, less meds! I know this will lower my risks of a stroke or a heart attack. I know my organs have been deprived of oxygen for so long that they are in desperate need of help. These are all the reasons I'm putting my face on the chopping block, so to speak. I'm hoping to drastically reduce or even cut out my naps that I require I'm not working. My kids are growing up and napping while they're napping is no longer feasible. LOL! I want to be the mom who is *happily* awake in the morning with her kids while they get ready for the day....not the one that they as a toddler and kindergartner get themselves fed and watch tv while mom sleeps in till 9am. I want to wake up without a headache or even worse a migraine! I want to wake up refreshed...not in a state of confusion and achy. These are the reasons I decided to do this. Well, that and the two doctors recommendations that no surgery less than this would help my severity of sleep apnea.

Molds, CT Scan & Family Appointment

I had one last appointment to go to before my surgery today. I had to go in for my molds, a CT scan of my jaw and a pre-surgical split. I had DH come to help out with the boys as well as to hear it 'from the horses mouth' just how actually horrible the surgery is. I wanted him to hear the details and recovery info from the doctor before the actual surgery so he knew what we were getting into. I needed him to understand just how major a surgery it is. It was ironic really, because one of the papers I had to sign said as much. Paper signed and everything worked out through the office and all 4 of us went back to the room. The doc came in to talk to us and tell DH just what I hoped he would and to look at my mouth one last time. He answered some questions and then I was left with the nurse. She pulled me into the next exam room away from the may-lay that is my family to do the molds. We had to do two sets. I was so scared of it because I'm so claustrophobic but she went fast and I did OK. I guess the reason they do two molds is because one has to be sent to the manufacturer before surgery and then the doctor likes to have one to perform a mock surgery on. That made me feel much more confident. After doing the molds I was done. We were out of there. I just had to have the LOA papers for work signed and that would be the last time I saw anyone in that office again with the current face and jaw I have. The office staff filled out my papers with a 2 week leave after talking with the doc. He was hesitant to only let me off 2 weeks but after I said I'd be able to work from home the 3rd week he backed down with a "as long as you realize you can have more time if needed". Yea, yea, yea...I thought, I'm a quick recover-er, and I had stuff to do! I also asked the office staff for the CPT and ICD-9 codes for the surgery I was about to have so I could do a little insurance investigation of my own. Just for anyone's reference that cares, they are:

Dx codes- 327.23 Obstructive Sleep Apnea, 524.03 Maxillary Hypoplasia, 524.04 Manibular Hypoplasia, 524.12 Other jaw asymmetry

CPT codes- 21141 LeFort; single piece without graft, 21196 Bilateral Sagittal Split, 21199 Genioglossus, 30520 Septoplasty, 30130 Turbinectomy, 21085 Surgical Splint- to be done 2 weeks prior to surgery.

When I got home that afternoon I IM'd my boss to tell him the news and date. I apologized profusely for the timing but we agreed it'd be OK. Phew. Thank God! Now, to hurry and finish my quarter at work and learn a new system all in a 3 week period! Sigh...