When surgery (ies) go wrong-- Osteomyelitis...

Hey, Bek!

Well, I don't even care about him not admitting how he screwed up.  I care much more about the fact that nothing was done (by him or anyone else) to correct the error.  This is keeping my jaw infected and will keep the infections (or others) in there.  At this point, I am to have the PICC until the 12th of June.  But, if the ear is not repaired by then, I will have to have another one inserted-- as I will keep getting sick.   And, now;  though I did take precautions (including a mask in public), I am getting a terrible cold- something I have not had in years.  Bleh.

Good to hear from you!  I will try and be around more.. but, now, I need to sleep (I think)..

Anne

Hey there

You're definitely right, someone should have noted the error and fixed it ASAP. You went through so much to get your new joints, someone should have noticed the problem and fixed it so you could have been able to keep your joints inplace.

Feel free to write me anytime you want to chat, I'm always here!

Bekah

Hey, Sue.  Yep.  I am having some weird problems with the puters too.. think it's not really the computer but the site but it keeps posting my things two or three (usually three) times.  Hmm;

Anyway, thanks for your note, and I will try and be here a bit more.  Just kind of an exhausting week/month and going into a year (yeesh)  I have been sick since July.. and that's not cool! 

Will be in touch tho@

At first Anne I didn't know if You were too scared to re-hash everything.I am Jo.I often speak to mostly younger women.I am not sure if that is because I am just getting to be an ole geisher or if women are getting sick younger.I have a friend who has been like a sister to me.She is about a year younger than me.Her father was a dentist and she later put her husband through college to become an architect.Good thing she did.But she has worked for an oral surgeon for over 35 years.It all started with me because I needed some oral surgery.My oral surgeon retired so I got a joke for one.Too bad I didn't know it at the time.I mean why aren't we allowed to know these things.I understand that they are only human but gosh atleast own up to what you have done.He kept telling me there was nothing wrong.I begged for antibiotics.I told him I had a low immune system and rarely took them.Ergo I needed them when I did.But he just wanted to be right.I had my surg on a Tuesday and by Friday I had 103*.Still no drug therapy.Also I had an abcess about the size of a babys fist.His junior assosciate came in to introduce her self to me she would see me on Monday.She had already admitted me into the hospital.But she didn't tell me that until Monday.I couldn't even talk.All weekend with a fever that high I was surprised I was alive come Monday.I was halliciating.I could't speak or eat and I was in so much pain I told him I thought my jaw was broken.He took a panoramic and threw it at me and said well your jaw isn't broken.Satisfied.If only I could talk.Well I went into the hospital.One that was well known for staph and other bad bugs floating around.But that was the only hospital she had access to.That was about 10 or 11 years ago.One by one I had an oral surgery averaging about 3 a year.One day I would tell my dentist my tooth hurt.He would take a picture and say see there is nothing wrong.But he soon figured it out himself.He would say things like I took a picture of that tooth 3 days ago and it was perfectly healthy.Today it is rotten.He said if I had not taken that xray myself I would accuse you of lying.He always said if I was coming in get the whole office prepared for the worse.And it usually was the worst possable outcome.So after about 4 or 5 different surgeons and just about had nothing left I agreed to do this implant things  I litereally screamed for 3 days the pain was so unbearable.Once in an oral surgeons office there was a cyst in my chin.Now why didn't he put me in the hospital for that.But no he did it in his office.He had to let all the people in the lobby out to lock the doors.I was screaming so bad I do remember him telling me to shut up.Then I guess the anesthesiologist turned it up so high I quit breathing.And they wonder why we get worried.But as my husband said this will cause a stop to all of this.He is so wonderful.What a blessing he is.Anyway to get back to the story I always called my girlfriend and tell her what was going on.And she would check with her boss.She said I just don't get it.You take better care of your teeth than I do.But no matter what you do it seems like going to the doctor never helps you get better.You always have the worst possible thing happen.So I always would check with her but she said this last oral surgeon should have done a culture after 6 weeks of that much pain and infection...He kept me going on and on like that from Feb 14,2007 until now.I finally got an E.N.T. and she did a great job.I know she is top of her field.But the infection didn't come back until after 3 weeks.So Anne I thought I could show her your picture and story and say I don't want this to happen to me.I am borderline suicidal at this point.All it would take is one more pain and I think I will get Dr.Kavorkian on spreed dial.But I sure did want to thank you for letting me tell your story to who I think is a good doctor.That doesn't mean that all of those things that may go wrong.... do with us.It never fails.I always have to go through the whole thing all over again every time I get a new doctor for a certain condition.I really think they think I must have gone to some terrible doctor or something and surely something like that couldn't happen to them.Then we are in for a few more surgeries because they just don't seem to get it.I mean how many people have had Lou Gerhrige's Disease besides him??Maybe a hundred in the whole world.I hope I spelt that right.Probably not.I am not good on sports names.Buyt if only I could get something to heal that would be great.I go to pain mang for the other problems I have with chronic pain.No need to go through them you probably have some of them yourself.It is the mental part that gets to me.I have been trying to prove to one daughter and my sister that I am not a drug addict.And I would gladly change places with them and be tired from working all day instead of feeling like I have a case of the flu mixed with period cramps mixed with sinus headaches and mix that with what I think a hang over must feel like(I have never been a drinker,so I don't know)But it must be pretty bad the way they describe it.And that is a good day.I have raised 3 girls practically by myself.And have tried to give them a good education.I wanted them to not be dependant on a man.As I was left with a 5 month old and a 23 month old at the age of 19.Then I just married another loser so that I could feed my children.I told him I was not in love with him but he said it was ok.That he loved me enough for both of us.What a mistake that was.He was a burnt out Nam druggie.And I didn't want my girls raised like that so I went to live with my parents with 3 girls when I was 29.For 5 years.What fun that was.My mother just was so cruel to me.My father and I got along great.But mom was not the same mother as when I was a young child.She was bitter and mean and I don't even know how I made it through that.She once told me who would want you.Who would ever want to marry a woman with 3 kids.I was so hurt.But then I told her I had had the worst and I deserved the best so I wasn't going to settle for anything less.And I got him.Maybe that is how we should be about our illnesses.Just don't take no for an answer.That would be great.Wouldn't it be great if we could all get together and stay at some resort with people waiting on us and we could just chill out.I think we deserve that.I told someone else on this site to meet me at my imaginary weeping willow tree.And she did.We did it in our minds.It was kind of cool.I think we both hypnotized ourselves.But it was kind of like being paralized and the only way we could escape was in our minds.I am so glad we got to meet each other.I wish it was for better circumstances.I feel so much love on this site.I pray for each of us each night and hope hope hope hope hope that someday there will be an answer.But my biggest fear is infection.I think you are the only one here that could understand that.I thank you for sharing your story with me.And maybe we can take a walk down a pathway to a weeping willow tree and just sit and let the sun warm our feet and the branches shade our faces.Good night or as my grand kids say have a good dream night.All my best wishes for a painfree day....With you,beside you,walking the same path and hoping to meet ourselves being healthy and not in pain......Take care I really thank you so much for sharing your story and talk to me anytime.Jo 

Hey, JO.

Sorry I missed this!  I am rarely here as I don't like sitting in the mire of my complaints.

BUT, I had one thing to say about what's going on with you:  MY OMS specifically told me (after he removed the new joint) NO FLOSSING.  You MAY be pushing bacteria into the jaw by overflossing (I personally WAS guilty of this).  Please, get youreslf a waterpik!  I did and I am healthier-- at least my gums are, I can't say the infection from the joint area and ear is better, but I am not tempting fate with floss!

Really, please do take this advice.  A waterpik will clean the area and it will not create the problems a bit of flosss or a pick will!  I've seen the major difference and I hope this could help.  Yes, it may not clear up all of your problems, but I would not hurt to make the change.

Hey, I have to say this about the waterpik people:  I bought one about a year ago and suddenly, if stopped working,  I wrote them a note on their site and they SENT ME A NEW ONE, completely free of charge and in under a week.  At least they DO stand behind their product, so I say go with Sensodyne!

Anne

Hi, Jo.

Yep, I have also had to go through a lot of dental stuff because of this.. and, I am thinking I will lose most of my molars (if not all) very soon as there's NO getting dental work done in this country when one only has one jaw-joint.  It's not good and I don't know what to do (quite a catch-22).

hey, as far as docs and antibiotics (and other scripts).. I have noted that I HAVE to bring in a note about what we need to do.. You know, questions (like don't I NEED antibiotics for thi?).. and, so far, the newer oms I have in Boston seems to hear me and do what is best.  I think he learned his lesson with me a while back.  he was not the one who screwed up so badly, but he had to follow the jerk, so I am in better hands (when I am in his hands.. I need to email him!!).

Hey;  send a note to the waterpik people.  You;ll be surprised at how compassionate they are (they DO care if their products keep working).. so, why not?  The worst they can do is refuse to replace it, though I think they WOULD do it.  Like I said, they did it for me!

And, now, I have to go and make myself a latte..  It's my breakfast (yeah, I know).. since I can't really eat anything,  it just stinks, ya know?

And, kiss that dh;  I don't have a man in my life now and I really don't know IF I will ever have anyone new again,  It's been a very long few (like twenty) years!

But Anne I have no teeth to use a water pic on...It sounds to me like you do atleast still have teeth left.I do not have any teeth at all.And my left tmj is degenerating.So I do not know what to do about that either.We are just between a rock and a hard place aren't we.Take care,Jo 

And, so, the implants need cleaning (at least from what I understand).. Oh, and i have NO "virgin" teeth left in my head and I have had MOST of my recent dental work done in mexico (very inferior).  It's very possible that I will lose ALL of my teeth-- including those I had crowns and bridges made for, over the next year.  I can't even get a dentist to CLEAN my teeth these days AND I have a 5-unit bridge (temporary) on my upper right side, which should have been replaced at least a year or more ago.  I don't have the dentist OR the money to do that.

IF you have dental implants (as I understand it), you DO need to clean them, or you will possibly lose them AND more of your jaw-bone, on top of it.  That's what I am saying...

Yes I see what you are saying.But what I am saying is that the water pic didn't save my teeth either.Even ones which had root canals and crowns.I virtually chewed my crowns.Which my dentist said I was basically chewing glass in my mouth.It loosened the crown and then it got under there and the bacteria was caused by dry mouth called rapid mouth tooth decay.I have followed the instructions about cleaning the implants from the ent surgeon.But I will ask if a water pic will help.Jo 

I'll tell ya what;  If I had the cash and was not totally exhausted all of the time, I would go back to school for dentistry... I mean, I am a sculptor AND I have worked for and with dentists and oral surgeons (as well as other dental specialities)..  But, with what has been going on, I am lucky to get out of bed, it seems.

Today (right now) I am finally eating something (frozen manicotti).. and I usually AM on liquids, with the most solid thing I eat being flan (an egg pudding from Mexico, which I happen to be pretty good at making).  And, the diet I am on simply does not create a whole lot of energy for me.  Funny, since my doc told me I should exercise more (last week).  I looked at him and laughed.  Sorry, but exercise is out of the question right now.  I'm not looking to weigh only 80 pounds, after all.

Anyway, I NEED sleep.. it helps with the hunger.  Good luck with your dental issues...  you don't want to lose your joints like me because, at that point, there IS no chewing.. and I mean at all.

I too use sleep as a way of escaping what ever is going on at that moment.Whether it be fatigue or pain.Like you I am not strong because we are limited in what we can eat.I get hooked on one thing and eat it until I cannot look at it anymore.I ate oatmeal for about 6 months or more.I thought well atleast it is something healthy.Then I simply couldn't eat another bite without feeling quesy.My husband is so helpful by cooking and going to the store and going up and down the isles asking me what sounds good.And even then sometimes when I taste it I nearly barf.It didn't taste as good as it sounded.I am mostly eating turkey meat.I have to put it in the microwave and take the chill off first.Don't ask me why but it just taste better room temp.And hot dogs.I used to hate hot dogs.But here I am eating them.All beef of course and no bread.I cannot get my mouth open that big.We get those Hawaiian rolls and use them like a bun to make a hamburger.Kind of like a Crystal hamburger thickness.I do well with rice or fettucini.But it has to be cut up and sometimes I often aspirate it into my lungs which is the worst.I am sure that has happened to you as well.I see my doctor Wed.the 19th.My husband will go with me.I want them to take out 2 implants but the oral surgeon who put them in just wants me to sit in the chair and let him yank them out .I said no way.First of all I have 3 herniated disc in my neck and you push so hard on my head I feel like you are going to do damage to my disc.And another thing this is not a sterile enviroment.So when I talk to the surgeon who did the sinus surgery I am going to ask her if one of 2 other docs at shands can put me in the hospital and take them out without breaking my jaw or cracking it so the infection gets into the bone.Do they think we are just stupid or what.I cannot figure this out.But I just cannot live with this infection in my mouth anymore.I used to drink coffee as a child and all of my life.Now I can't stand it so I am sure it has done something to my taste buds.I appreciate your warnings.I really do.But as you know we cannot make them do what we think is right.They think we don't understand about this.And we probably know more about it than them.I am with you.If I was an oral surgeon I would make my fortune.I will let you know what she says Wednesday.I would feel a lot better if I could just get 2 of the implants removed.I do not even feel the other ones.They feel ok.And you can tell the difference.So I thank you so much for letting me know what has worked for you and what to be aware of.Sending you prayers of love and hope.....Jo