Let It Snow...Let It Snow....

Well it has been snowing up here in upstate New York since my arrival two days ago. This is the first day that is clear with no snow but as pretty as this scene is of my mom's log cabin it was freezing outside...I think it was probably about 15 degrees out with windchill that made it feel below zero. We had probably close to 10 - 15" of snow over the past few days and it sure does look pretty outside.

Off to the Snowy Northeast...

My son and I are flying to upstate New York today. We're hopeful that the weather will cooperate as we were expecting some storms here in Arizona...ya...I know...snow!! We do get snow in southern Arizona as we're at 5,000 feet but usually only once or twice a season and it's usualy melted by noon time. The Albany area was hit with some ice and snow storms over this past week and it's not letting up. We're traveling on a good day because they're expecting another 7 - 10" tomorrow...and then another storm is coming right behind that one...I just might not make it back to Arizona on Christmas Eve if this keeps up. I'll have some good snow pictures I'm sure so I'll post a few over the next days...cya in N.Y.!!!

Surgery Hooks are Shiny

Went in for my last orthodontist appointment before my sugery day on Dec. 31st. They put in some very strong wires and can't seem to get rid of those powerchains so they're still part of the scene. Hey...but look at my new hardware, my very own set of surgical hooks on top and bottom...I think they add a bit of bling bling...HA! They sent me home with a lot of wax so I'm ready with my wax but so far not a big issue. I'll let you know how they're doing in a few days!

Mentoplasty Reduction Surgery

Mentoplasty is actually a surgery on chin reduction. It basically promotes the reconstructuring and the reformation of the mentum of the face. Mentum refers to the most anterior region of the jaw or the mandible. For some people, the jaw region is prominent, this is called macrogenia. If the jaw is somewhat deficient or receding, then the condition is called microgenia. With mentoplasty, the mentum region is aesthetically enhanced to make a better profile to the face.

During the mentoplasty surgery, the surgeon usually makes an incision in one or two possible location. He may either do the cut under the lower lip inside the mouth or under the chin in an inconspicuous location or in both. The procedure uses a bone burr or a drill, which is an electrical instrument, to change the shape of the bone in the chin yet still give it a natural appearance. For problematic fat chins, the same procedure is applied. After sucking or melting out the fat, the surgeon will stitch the incision or apply a tape to suit up the incisions.

I will be having this done when I have my lower jaw advanced. I'm a bit nervous as I would like to see my chin before he finsihes...LOL..so I can tell him whether I like it or not. I also would like to try to negotiate the charges for such surgery. My doctor is wanting to charge me $4,000 for this surgery and I feel that is a bit much for this procedure and for what I've been researching. Has anyone ever negotiated these types of charges??? Let me know because I really can't afford that much and as part of my jaw surgery I think it should be inlcuded with a small fee. What do you think???

My Son is Brace-free

Just thought I'd post a picture of my son, Schuyler who just had his braces removed less than a month ago. What a beautiful smile. Dr. K did a great job.

Zip 'N' Squeeeeeezzzzzeee.....yum!

http://www.zip-n-squeeze.com/zns.html
I just placed my order for this wonderful product that others have told me about....Zip 'N Squeeze bags. You can purchase them individually or as a package deal but I just bought what I thought I'd need for the six weeks I'll probably be wired shut. I bought both the liquid and pureed food bags, 3 food and 4 liquid which I'm sure will get me through those weeks. They're washable so that's a good thing. :) Great product because you squeeze them verses having to suck as the doctors don't want you to suck...Hahaha...no really...they forbid you from sucking so this is a great product! Ok...no...I'm not being paid for this commercial but I'm just excited to know that they're available for all of us maxiofacial surgery patients. God Bless!!

Oral Surgeon Appointment

Hi Everyone...wow...time sure does fly by. I am not real good about keeping you all updated on my progress and so the new news is that I had an appointment with my Oral Surgeon this week...yay!!! Anywhoo...he met with my ortho, Dr. Kawakami and they discussed my case and when surgery should happen. Dr. K told him I'd be ready for surgery the end of January beginning of February and I started to panic as I've been tellling Dr. K that I need surgery before the end of the year due to the $4500 we've put into a Flexible Spending account for expenses that would be above and beyond what my insurance would pay for and if we don't use that money before the end of the year...we'll lose it!!!!!!!!!!! That's WAY too much money to be losing and we based this deduction on my ortho telling me that I'd be ready for surgery around May/June and it's now November...so I'm a bit anxious with getting this taken care of before the end of the year.

Part of the surgery is having a sliding genio to reduce my chin that will be very prominent when they pull my lower jaw forward 6-7mm. Right now I have a beautiful chin but that will change when my jaw is moved forward...it will be quite strong and masculine and insurance will not cover that as they see it as cosmetic which my feelings is...yes...but I'm only doing it due to the fact that my jaw is misalligned and once it's where it needs to be that changes my entire facial appearance from what it once was to something that will look totally off balanced. My flex spending that we thought would help us to pay for the genio now we're finding that even with the flex spending account that you can not use "YOUR" money that you've put into this savings medical account pre tax dollars that you can not use it for plastic surgery....I'm FURIOUS! I just found this out and I'm about ready to explode as this is "OUR" money that we put into this account for this specific procedure thinking that we could pay for it because insurance would not cover it...and now we're finding out we can not use it for my genio. I'm going to be spending time calling the insurance company which the flexible spending account is through and having Dave follow up with his human resource department to work on our behalf to help us be able to use this money without losing it. Pray for me that everything will work out.

In talking with the financial person at the OS office I will have to pay about $2100 in hospital fees as well because I have not met my $500 deductible for the year so that's another expense I didn't think about so some of the flex money willl help to cover that but that will still leave over $2.000 in the Flex account to be used. So...there's a lot I need to be working on over the next few weeks so pray for me as I deal with insurance company.

OH...my seventeen year old son has his braces removed a few weeks ago and his teeth look beautiful. I'll post a picture of him soon. He also is having surgery the day after Thanksgiving to have his four wisdom teeth removed as they showed up in his final xrays at the ortho office and they were sitting there pressing against his newly brace-free molars so they need to come out...no more WISDOM for him. :) More pics to come soon.