Look mom. I can drain myself!

Going to the doctor’s office so many times for the same thing you can get a inkling on how they fix things. Not major surgeries mind you, smaller stuff. Like how to drain your face when you swell up for the 3rd time. 4th if you count the few days after the first surgery. Yes, I did swell but I knew this was coming this time. The whole under my chin closed up… completely.

I knew I had to reopen the hole somehow. So, like I did before but this time on purpose I stuck the back of the q-tip in the closed whole (carefully) and POP, it opened. The junk that came out was not severe but it did do the trick. Over the next few days the swelling was smaller and smaller. By the time I had my appointment with Dr B it was gone. I told him what I did and he almost laughed. You have to laugh at these things because what is the alternative? Cry? I did that already on several occasions.

He did press the issue that I really need to get this plate out. It was up to me when to do it. But if I waited I just have to go thru this thing over and over, the swelling and aggravation of packing the wound and the bleeding that comes with it. Soon I would have enough. But I am going on vacation soon and I don’t want anything to interfere with it.

I need some tranquility. That and I am in denial.

Another two weeks...

It’s amazing throughout this whole process how many highs and lows there are. I have to say right now I am at a low point. Two weeks after my last appointment I started to swell up again, badly.

It has been getting harder and harder to pack the strip inside my wound. I had taken this as a sign that my wound was healing and rightfully so. But I guess the infection inside my jaw thought otherwise. It got so bad that I had to take out my jaw bra and put it on. Obviously I made another appointment with Dr B. I feel like I live there now.

Now I live about 3 hours from the hospital. Since my appointment was at 8 am I decided to stay at a local Baltimore hotel with my mom the night before. We ended up staying at a Marriott Hotel which was very nice and comfortable. It was located right along the inner harbor so the view was very pretty. That, and that fact they had a nice plasma to watch LOST made the stay enjoyable. Too bad I was not feeling that jolly.

The one side of my face right now was pretty big. It got to the point where I could feel the pressure around my eye. I was still trying to pack my wound as best I can. Guess this morning I applied to much pressure because as I packed it I heard a little pop. You can guess what happened next. I must have reopened the wound as trickles of pus started to come out. I covered that up very quickly. Let the doctor take over from here. Gross. :(

Dr B could not understand why I kept swelling. He could see no hole in my mouth where saliva could get in. The x-rays and Cat Scans call came back normal. It must be the plate. He stated sometimes bacteria can attach itself to the plate and he only guessed that could be it. He was hoping my body would fight off the infection by now. All we could do is drain the swelling and wait to see what happens. If this did continue we would have to take the plate out. Another operation. Ugh!

Two Weeks Later

Two weeks later I am back at Johns Hopkins. The drain has been working well. All the junk has come out and collected on the gauze that I had covering it. Quite gross but by this time I am so used to it. The swelling was completely gone and I looked normal. Well, as normal as to be expected after reconstruction. I had a big smile on my face when I saw the doctor. Things looked good.

Dr B took out the drain and replaced it with a sterile strip of gauze. I would have to pack the wound and change this every day and keep the area clean till the hole started to close up. (By packing I mean I would have to insert the strip into the hole as far as it will go with the end of a sterile q-tip.) After that, they would stitch it closed. He gave me the needed supplies and I went on my merry way.

I would see him in another month.

What's wrong now?

It has been about 4 months since my surgery. I have really been feeling better. I just came back from seeing my oral surgeon at Hopkins. He was taking a bite impression to start the process of getting my implants. In a few months I would have a full set of teeth. My spirits were high. My attitude was getting better. I could see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Until two days later, my face decided to swell. Great.

The right side of my face where the doctors did the reconstruction had swollen. I panicked. Is my bone graft failing? Will I have to do the surgery all over again? Fear had taken over. It was time to go back to Hopkins and see my other doctors who did the surgery.

I will say this about the secretaries of both Dr K and Dr B, they really try to work with you. I called both with a desperate sense of dread and I think they could tell by my voice on the phone. I was lucky to get an appointment that day with Dr K and although I did have to wait two days for Dr B I was satisfied.

Upon seeing Dr K and informing him of what I had been through over the last few days, he had come to the conclusion that I was some how allergic to the impression that my oral surgeon did on Monday. He prescribed antibiotics and I went on my merry way. After I got home I starting thinking that it would be odd for me to be allergic to that. I have had the impression done in the past and never had an issue. So I decided to call my oral surgeon to let him know what happened. He stated that swelling could not be possible from the impression. Regardless he stated to go see him on Friday after I see Dr B. Good.

I went to on Friday to see Dr B and he gave me a prescription to get a CAT Scan. Great my 6th one in a year. Anyway, the scan did not show anything other then the collection of fluid that had built up. In other words he had no idea. Regardless the swelling needed to be drained, which lead to another cut underneath my chin. They did this so they could create a hole where all the pus could come out and by this time there was a lot. Gross, I know. Let’s just say I was none to happy about another possible scar.

I broke down. As now I have a hole the size of a dime underneath my chin. The thought of yet another scar, another mark of what this stupid tumor did to me I could not take it. The nurse was trying to be so nice in saying that its will be very small and when its done draining they will close it up nice. I did not want to hear that. All I cared about was I would have another mark.


In the newly formed wound they place a sterile plastic tube which was really just a finger of a plastic glove. They stitched the end of it to my skin so it would not come out. This tube will help drain out the goo that was in my jaw. I will have to go back in a two weeks to see the Dr to make sure things are going well.

After this appointment I went to see Dr S, my oral surgeon. He looking into my mouth and saw the swelling and confirmed that it was not caused by the impression. Obviously no implant procedure can be done till this swelling is under control. I left the hospital felling drained both physically and emotionally. Another scar. More time to wait for my new teeth.

I called my mom when I got into my car. Usually she is by my side when I go to the doctor for follow ups in the past. But I told her not to bother this time. Putting on my brave face I told her what happened.