trying not to freak out

Lilymary

Wow, that’s not much notice, but great to hear you have a date. Everything crossed for you,

frogmorton

Brilliant @stellabean

Not to long to wait now just a bit of isolating to keep COVID free I expect.

We will all be right behind you ((()))

Shell_H

Hi @stellabean - so glad you've got a date, and sensible on the Covid test before. Do let us know how it goes. Sending wishes for good luck your way!

stellabean

Thanks everyone I wonder why everything happens at once, I care for 2 horses needing daily meds, one of the sheep was attacked by a dog last week and it takes 2 of us to deal with him ( he had a bit of his tail bitten off) and I must have got a cancellation so short notice for my op but it will all work out in the end. I had a pre surgery appointment on Thursday and was handed the letter with details of covid test and op then.

frogmorton

Oh dear me @stellabean

As you say it will all get sorted and done one way or another. Remember YOU are important too ((()))

stellabean

Op today so disappointed he didn't take lesion off jaw as there was too much infection have to have done in 6 weeks under local. Apparently I was FAR from happy when I came round he said " I know you are angry with me but..." I said " let me stop you there I am more disappointed if I was angry you would know about it " the nurses were laughing. Despite warning them I panic if restrained or confined they forced the mask onto my face so hard I thought my neck was going to break and I panicked. It was not a day I would like to repeat.

But I will have to deal with the healing of my swollen mouth and face get over it and repeat the process again in 6 weeks. I understand why he didn't do it today fully I was once a nurse but IF I had not been patronized about the problems with my jaw and throat last year ( told it was due to damage in my neck) I probably would not have had so much infection now as I apparently pointed out to the consultant today. He says he prefers me when I am a happy bunny !

frogmorton

Go you @stellabean !

A woman to be proud of - just like me the worst patient ever😉 With good reason in your case to be fair.

I am very sorry it's not all done and dusted, but at least you do have a good plan ahead and it will be done then finally .

I bet you are still a bit sore so rest up take care and will be with you again in 6 weeks for the saga of the jaw Part 2.

Much love

stellabean

Thanks frogmorton it is nice to see I am not the only one. It was not as bad as I said to my consultant when I had my eclampsia and fitted following my daughter's birth he advised waiting at least 1-2 yrs so I asked when he was retiring" in 3 "he said my reply" I'll wait then" I thought the ward sister was going to have a heart attack he was a consultant you did not answer back. I would not have fitted if he had done his job I was lucky to survive and he needed to know I also told him my brother who was a vet had diagnosed me the previous week. Several years later I trained in the same hospital to be a Midwife under that same Sister she made me look at the records of a hospital review on my delivery it was chilling. But my case led to the hospital changing the guidelines so something good came out of it. and I was a Midwife with the experience of the scrambling an eclamptic fit can do to your brain when you fit for several days.

My face is swollen and my throat feels as rough as a badger's backside and my neck is stiff so I am going to cuddle my cat Toby with a hot water bottle on my neck and take some pain relief my first since the surgery at 08.30 this morning it is amazing how high our pain thresholds are compared to mere mortals.

Lilymary

Crikey, what awful experiences you have had, I”m so sorry to hear that. I hope your mouth and neck are feeling better soon xx

frogmorton

Gosh @stellabean

You've had some scary times. Very odd too I had my first child two and a half months early due to pre-eclampsia myself. I think that is EXACTLY where my fear came from of hospitals Drs and all things medical. It was a dreadful time. My GP prescribed me lab-sticks! Didn't even take my BP🙄 My kidneys failed and liver joined in I looked like the Michelin man and was normally a size 8!

I was so rude to all the staff though 😳 I do remember it an actually felt quite lucky we both survived. I am glad you are here to tell the tale.

I think your own medicine for your poor neck is by far the best - one ball of floof and a cuddle + some painkillers ((()))

Brynmor

Thankyou @stellabean for telling us how it all went (so far!).

We are thinking of you and send (((()))) from the Mod Team.

Love, Brynmor

stellabean

I was lucky in that I had severe swelling but my organs were okay I apparently looked like a blimp but I was out of it so knew nothing about it on a ventilator. My poor husband had to deal with being told I could have brain damage they couldn't stop the fits for 7 days even now after 30 odd years he still isn't sure there isn't any!!! I did have to relearn a great deal, i had a habit of forgetting what I was doing and flooded the kitchen more than once,had a couple of chip pan fires but I always remembered to care for my daughter. I was put down as a over protective mother because I was sure there was something wrong with her right eye. She had been a forceps del but they were put on wrong, they said it was a lazy eye and we had to patch the other for 8 hours a day from the age of 6 months. It was hell, when she was 3 she saw a Dr privately she was blind in that eye 4 of the 6 muscles were damaged and the optic nerve partially damaged but it was too late to do anything about that. He straightened the eye as best he could and warned me we were going to have to fight the authorities to have her treated as a child with some sight loss not a blind child with some sight. He wasn't kidding but we did she was brought up to use her sight and even drives a car ( has special eye tests through DVLA so she is safe) We have had some laughter and tears like someone finding her eye didn't react to light when she was knocked out at school they had been warned!

My mouth and face feel like they have been kicked by a horse ( I do know how that feels by previous experience) but it will get better much of our every day pain doesn't. My mum had some strange sayings like what doesn't kill you make you stronger, when the wind is blowing a gale and is choppy it is joyful! and pouring rain is only water it stops at your skin even if you feel like a drowned rat.

frogmorton

Love your MUM!!!!!!!!!!!! Made me smile 🙂😁

Well you are both here to tell the tale and doing so well Stellabean. Your daughter is a woman to be proud of. My Charley also did well for being such a weany. Her lungs aren't great and my hearing is slightly down in one ear apart from that we are just fine!

I should have said I am so glad you became a midwife you would have understood🙂

Quite a few really lack empathy!

Hope your face is less sore now and you feel less kicked by a horse🐎

stellabean

Yes thanks frogmorton, I still look like a lopsided hamster and am black and blue but it will improve most of my mouth still feels strange but that can take months to get better if at all it does make eating ang drinking interesting.

It was lovely to be able to see my horse again and he gave me a cuddle ( or he was just checking my pockets for treats).

I am making some marmalade as I have had to get some stuff out of my daughters freezer so I am off to cut up the rid and hopefully jar up about 10 lbs of it.

I know what you mean about some midwives I was left speechless at times some of the worst hadn't had a child themselves.

frogmorton

Hope you heal in time for your next operation! Gosh.😣 Lovely to have a cuddle - even if it was really a carrot hunt - from your horse.

I need to make some applesauce and some sweet pickled garlic - I just need to sit on my bum and get it done!

Good luck with your marmalade.

stellabean

An update I had my review with the consultant yesterday and should have been having the lesion from the outside of my jaw removed next Tuesday. But they have cancelled the surgery and are reviewing me in 4 months, partly due to covid and also they want to see if it will shrink down anymore so there will be a smaller scar. They were happy with how the inside had healed and the lab result was a lesion formed because of the infection in the jaw, they admitted that they should have done something about it last year when I first saw them instead of telling me it was due to nerve damage in my neck ( they didn't even do an xray then).

My lip is still numb on one side so when I drink a cup of tea I can feel it on one side but not the other it is really strange,but I may have to get used to it as it seems to not be getting any better I have stopped spilling my drinks though!

Lilymary

So pleased the consultation went well. Hope it continues to shrink back, and that you don’t spill too much tea!

frogmorton

Hi @stellabean

The smaller the scar the better that is good, but it is annoying 'they' didn't investigate properly in the first place isn't it? 🙄That dreadfully scary time when that nurse frightened you too! That was horrendous.

No-one would really want surgery just now if it was avoidable anyway I suspect.

You should get used to your lip. I have three areas of permanent numbness on one leg due to nerve damage from my back, but I hardly notice now I have to scratch at them to test it! Initially the whole leg was 'dead' so i am happy with the improvement which continued for well over 2 years.

Glad you've stopped spilling your drinks now and no longer need a bib😁