Pre-Op Rush

I was supposed to visit Dr. Franco tomorrow but they called and had me come today. I had to pay 1/2 down. By "I" I mean my mom. I signed some waivers. Do I agree to have blood given to me if I need it? Yes, but asked if the blood could come from my dad if I need it. He's my blood type and he's my dad so I felt like it was less gross. Dr. Franco said that it's not likely that I'll need any anyway. Do I agree to let Baylor take the body parts or fluids that they take out? Yes. Do I agree to allow video or photos to be used by Dr. Franco or Baylor? Yes. He said they're not taking a video but some students want to watch behind a glass. Yes, that's fine. Some of the side effects page scared me. It mentioned dead lips forever, pain forever, wonky bite, etc. Oh, and of course paralyzation and death. But I think those are all worse case scenarios. Dr. Franco assured me that none of his patients have had those things.

Dr. Franco said, "Please Please Please don't blow your nose." He's told me this before, so I know something bad could happen if I do. He said no breathe right strips. He said not to eat dairy if I can help it. He went into some detail about the procedure. The TMJ part is first - through the ear he'll rebuild and basically nail in the disc to each side. Then he cuts the tissue above the gum line and pulls upward to make the incision from molar to molar. The entire top jaw comes out and forward, and he'll expand through the center (palate) to make it wider. Then the lower jaw will be cut behind the wisdom teeth and pulled forward. He said that here, he will make tiny incisions through the outside skin itself. So, I will have a small blue stitch on both sides of my jaw. But there won't be a scar. That's the gist of it! Finally, we talked about some after surgery side effects such as depression, insomnia and stomach problems. I'm supposed to keep him in the loop about any emotional problems I have.