Blogcation

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I have been seriously AOL, but for good reason. I have taken on new duties at work and my focus has been there.
Let see, the last time I went to my ortho not much happened....got a larger wire on the lower teeth, but still with the same wire size on the top now for several month. My back molars are pretty tweaked out so they are taking their own sweet time to fall into place. I asked at the time if he thought that surgery would be in May and he said that until my teeth get a little straighter he could not really make that predictions. Although, I will say the since that appoint my back molars have come a long way and I am hoping to get more clarity on my next appt Feb 8th. May will mark the one year mark of being in braces...time does fly! I am not completely tired of futzing around with braces, but there are day like today that they are driving me nuts! The inside of my mouth is being rubbed raw on one side. Also, the more I get clearer about the frustrations about my bite, the more I actually look forward to getting this surgery done to fix it!! It will be the weirdest thing experience to be able to bite through food! I am still very excited about the new surgeon I am working with. Haven't had the sleep study yet, but went to my family doctor just recently to get the referral. That should be rather interesting!
Thanks Tara for checking in!!
I will post after my Feb 8th appt, I am hoping to get more clarity on when the surgery will be.

News and Changes!

So, went to the orthodontics last week and he said I was still on track for May'ish. They tried to change out the top wire to a larger one, but after getting it stuck and having to cut is out the remainder - they came to the conclusion that I needed to stay with the same guage. I was excited about the notion of getting the upgraded wire...because I equate that with faster progress.

While I was there, I spoke with treatment coordinator (Shelley) about the surgeon I have and how it seems to be rediculous to get help and coordinaiton from the hospital for quotes on the surgery package I need. During our conversation, we both decided that we should shift surgeons and go back to the guy the I originally worked with. In the beginning, I was hestitant to go back to the same guy in fear that he would throw some kind of temper tantrum about me never follow through 20 years ago. Well, today I went and visited him, and I am so excited about working with him again. I could not get the comfort level everone speaks about with they bring up their surgeon with the other guy. Both me and my wife went today to see my new surgeon and we both walked out of his office very pleased. So, that is my very exciting news today to announce my new surgeon Dr. Feldman out of Seattle. And he also provides a "surgery package" and has options for financing the surgery! The last surgeon's staff essentially said that coordinating with the hospital was my job and I could not get any help at all from them.
So, next step for me - wait for results from new cast. Also, Dr. Feldman wants me to go take a sleep study to see what extent my open bite is causing apena. Sounds silly, me picking my underwear out of my ass on camera with a bunch of probes in my head! (I make me laugh). But I got to do what I got to do, more later!

Thank you all for your support and encouragement!

Cheers for now!
Brent

Tardy Update

Wow, time flies and I have been wacky busy! Lots of very exciting things going on at work that have been grabbing my attention lately (all good)!

Teeth, well I go see the ortho this Wednesday and as you can see in the fabulous picture in the last post the bottom teeth are really whacked out, but they have adjusted further inward lately (but still looks weird). The last appointment the orthodontist inserted the large wire into the very back molars, and the flossing is freaking frustrating. All is good because I signed up for this program, but what is interesting is that when I had braces back in my 20's they didn't put brackets on the last molars. I know this because I still have the molds for my teeth from back then and they don't have brackets. It is fun to to compare my progress today to what I had done previously.

Insurance issues are dead. I can't say this enough...insurance companies that exclude this from coverage across the nation SUCK! That being said, I am on to plan b, saving money, and/or getting loans!

I have been checking in with the community, I can't believe how fast Shaye's teeth are moving and it looks like January/February for you! Shout out to Makay, Elisha, Mandy, Sarah, Alexis, June and Stephanie! All your blogs are so wonderful and I enjoy the community and knowledge I gain from them!!

That's it for now. I will post after my orthodontist appointment on Wednesday.

Cheers,
Brent

Labor Day Update

So, I am a couple week past my 4th adjustment. Got a larger wire installed and the first few days where pretty tough, but all is well now. while at the orthodontist I asked his opinion when I might be ready for surgery and he said about 8 more months (which rounds out about 1 year from my start date). That puts me in surgery around May'ish of 2011... I was originally thinking February, so time will only tell. As far at the insurance woes go - that front is going good and not so good. The not so good part is that the insurance company has denied me totally, and the Insurance Commissioner reviewed their claim and substiantiated too. But, on the good part, my boss said she will help me financially with the surgery (how much of a commitment I don't know now). We are going to get together soon to discuss the level the company will help, I will keep you posted. I am going to make an appointment/consultation with the oral surgeon again to begin to get to know him a little better - when I was at the ortho I also asked when I would see him next and he said that it wouldn't be until I got closer to the surgery date...I feel like that is a little too late in the game. So, in October I am going to take my list of questions to Dr. Surgeon and chat him up!
Pattie and I went shoping this weekend to look for something for me to sleep in while in recovery. I remember when I broke my collar bone I sleep upright for 2 weeks, but it sounds like this may be much longer. Looking into perhaps a really comfortable recliner...any thoughts about sleeping arrangements?

Also, I thought it might be good to throw a picture or two into the mix, but I really hate pictures, so I had my puppy help me out to so "progress"...here you go..




That's it for now...stay well!
Brent

4 months, Well Almost

I see the ortho next wednesday, I am kinda excited for that...wierd but progress is progress. In terms of the insurance/paying for the surgery...I enlisted my employer into the process too. After getting the standard "your insurance contract provided from your employer doesn't include coverage blah, blah, blah" I ran the issues I was having with my boss. She is super cool, and I know will help me in some kind of way! Needless to say though, I also need to hunker down for "Plan B" which is selling off assets, my beloved garden tractor. I don't use it too much, and it seems that this would be more important to do then having it just sit around like large, expensive yard art!
On other fronts, OMG, because I am sooooo curious about the process of this surgery, I found myself watching a timelapsed video of a Lefort I procedure...SHIT THAT'S SOME CRAZY STUFF! That is really all I can say. Funny though, it did not bother me as much as maybe it should. But for now, that is all I am going to watch of the live surgery (I will stick to the animated videos thank you!) I really think that being in the "orthognathic blog" community helps my realize the anxiety I have around the surgery (all though it still worries me that everyone's first words in their day 1 Post Op blog is "I am alive"!!!!!!) It seems that being alive should just be a given, but it's not. But, just seeing that old and young all make it through this with pretty predictiable results is comforting. I really enjoy the company!

Have a wonderful week!
Brent

The Big FU

So, my week has been roughed up by the stupid insurance company. I called early on Monday, because I got yet another letter from them that did not contain any further clarity then the others. I got someone on the phone and she essentially said tuff, tuff coco puff. Saturday, I got the letter explaining in more detail why they exclude it from coverage, except for a whopping $1000.00. Well, that may pay for the anesthesiologist! All that being said, I know I am on an up hill fight with the odds stacked way against me, so I got my employer involved. The insurance company keeps saying that this is what your employer has provided and to go to them to modify the policy. Which, by the way, is nearly impossible for a mid-size company like ours. Needless to say, my boss said she will work on it and do the best she can. In the mean time, I need to keep planing for the next step of getting enough money together to take care of the surgery, ug and booo. It just seems wrong to spend so much money on something that will be so uncomfortable for so long. HMMMMM, I just got to keep saying to myself that this is the healthiest choice for my future.

GOODnews is that in the Pacific Northwest it is really hot and we have air conditioning! And, even though I have been without my truck and having to ride my motorcycle for two weeks (because my truck is in the shop having the engine replace) my extended warranty will pay the entire bill for the engine replacement and car rental for 4 days! Sweet!

Okay, that is it for this week. I see the orthodontics in 2 weeks and will begin to work on further surgery quotes, without insurance.

Brent

Insurance Update

Shortly after I wrote this letter I got a call from my surgeon's staff saying that the insurance commissioner needed more information; they forwarded on to me additional forms to complete and mail off - so I did. Then shortly after that, I got a call from the insurance company (only because they had to contact me by law) saying they received my letter and that I would receive a letter from them soon. Today, I check the mail box and got a letter from the them saying that they will approve the surgery subject to the limitations of the contract...which good news, but still does not tell me much. The difference between this letter and the last letter is that it includes approval for the hospital, but again does not tell me how much they will cover. I will follow up with them on Monday to get more clarification. I don't think this is a response to my complaint to the commish because it makes no mention about that. In the mean time, I have been working on the hospital coordination for my surgery. I know that I can go to a surgeon that has a "surgery package" but I am working with the surgeon that my ortho suggested (which by the way did the same procedure on his wife this year) and he does not have that kind of arrangement. So, I find myself in the midst of booking the hospital and anesthesiologist and thinking to myself that this is wierd. Although it does allow me to interview each of the people that will be working on me, but I wish at times that someone would just do it all for me. I know this option is available to me, and I may pull the trigger on that if I get too far in the weeds of confusion.
On other fronts, I am very grateful to the encouragement from my wonderful wife, she is the BEST! I think my bite has actually gotten worse with the braces on, only because the repositioning of the teeth. When I first started, I measured the distance between my bite and it was about 3mm and it probably is 4mm now. Flossing is just annoying because of the threading of floss between the braces. I go for my next adjustment on Aug 25, I can't belive how fast time goes by!