Posts by Grace Williams19

I’m getting ready for nose surgery.
I know it’ll most likely involve general anesthesia...
When I think about the actual procedure—it isn't the surgery itself that scares me (I know there are much worse things out there)—but... But...
The second I think about the anesthesia, I get the chills and just feel completely uneasy.
Just a heads up—I have never, ever been under anesthesia before...
..is it going to affect me differently?
..will I actually wake up when it's all over?
..could something go wrong?
..will I end up in some "half-conscious" state when I shouldn't be?

It’s a constant struggle for me every single day.😵
Maybe someone out there finds this ridiculous... but it sure isn't funny to me.

Hey everyone...

Does anyone happen to know—my internet is acting up so I can't exactly Google this without spending an eternity searching—what the visiting hours are at Mayo Clinic Chicago?

Also, do they serve meals to patients just in the morning, or is there lunch too?

I’m trying to surprise a colleague who’s currently admitted there—nothing major, just some urological stuff—so I obviously can't ask her directly.

Thanks so much 🙂

Thanks, ladies..

I've been taking Celeste for about a year and a half now—and honestly, they've been great from day one. No nausea or anything—it was actually kind of weird, I felt like I wasn't even taking them... 👍
and I was really happy with the results 🙂

As for smoking—I don't touch the stuff, never have 🙂
and regarding alcohol—maybe a beer or two when I'm out on the town and that's it... you just don't get those crazy hangovers like you did back in your twenties!

I've heard people talking about that folic acid...
they come in pill form—does anyone know of any good brands they'd recommend?😛

Thanks

Hey everyone...

I have a quick question for anyone who’s been through this...

Basically, I've been on birth control for about a year and a half now—and this is actually my last pack.
I'm finally stopping because I want to start trying for a baby soon—and I know it takes some time for your body to reset after being on those things...

So, what should I be taking? Any specific vitamins, minerals, or supplements to help my system get back to "natural" as fast as possible?

Thanks a lot 🙂

🙂Ugh... Drew Vaughn5, you described that perfectly—thanks 🙂🙂🙂

I have this random question—maybe it’s not so random after all—but when you get a referral from your primary care doctor, do you actually request a specific hospital, or how does that work?

I've been reading through this forum—apparently some doctors (ENTs) just refuse to perform certain surgeries, acting like they can't even if they wanted to??? I mean, that's just ridiculous... honestly, I don't have the time or energy to go trekking through all those massive medical centers just to be told "no" at the end—especially since any specialist could see they're more than capable 🙂

Anyway, how many days after being discharged—once you're home without the braces and all that—are you supposed to head back in for a follow-up?

Laura Castillo7 said:this is just terrifying—a total nightmare. my surgery was such a breeze that I’d honestly do it all over again. they didn't even bother with shots in the butt or anything—they just gave me some liquid sedative that makes everything feel wonderful... well, okay, I felt "fine," but my brain was basically gone... I had my chat with the nurse to fill out those forms—allergies and all that nonsense—then the anesthesiologist, and finally the surgeon right before the procedure. In the OR, it was just the anesthesiologist and their tech, and the anesthesia was in me in a heartbeat—didn't feel a thing. They were actually joking around with me the whole time to help me relax, though I drifted off pretty fast. When I woke up in bed, there wasn't even a mold on my nose; I wouldn't have even known I'd had surgery. Out of the five of us there, nobody threw up after the general anesthesia. We were all in great spirits, just joking around... when I came to, my mom, the head nurse, the anesthesiologist, and the doctor were all there asking how I felt, and the doctor even commented on how beautiful my nose looks and stuff...
and I wasn't even covered in tape all over my face—just something hard on my nose, like a cast, and this purple mold thing, haha.
I got two IV bags and took antibiotics for a few days to prevent any infection, but as far as pain goes—zero. Just like the doctor said.

Oh, right—during my first consultation, I asked if they could do it under local anesthesia because I was terrified of going under, but he told me that facial surgeries—especially nose jobs, since that's one of the tougher ones—have to be done under general. Apparently, there's too much blood draining down the throat and other stuff—I forgot the specifics—but with general anesthesia, they use a breathing tube, so they can suction the blood out much easier than if you're breathing on your own. You can't have them shoving things down your throat while you're struggling to breathe. And hey, he's a maxillofacial surgeon—he probably knows more about this than I do. I don't regret it; everyone tells me I made the right call.

For those of you heading in soon, fingers crossed! Good luck!

reading this actually makes me feel better immediately 👍

Laura Castillo7, where on earth did you have your surgery for everything to go so perfectly??🙂

ruggedbadger9 said:Hey hey!

My doctor finally handed me the referral for a specialist. I went in for the consultation, met with the specialist, and we worked out the surgery details—basically, he said it was necessary, and I just said "fine."

As for the hospital stay, you're looking at a minimum of five days post-op—give or take a day or two if you're traveling from out of town or if things get complicated. In reality, you should budget about seven days total. Day one is admission, day two is the actual surgery, then five days dealing with the packing, and on the seventh day, they let you go.

Regarding the wait times, I saw my specialist on April 28th and didn't head into the hospital until September 10th. Apparently, I could have gone as early as June, but he didn't recommend it because of the summer heat. From what I gathered, there’s at least a 30-day gap between seeing the specialist and getting into the hospital—that's including everything, the waiting lists, choosing your surgeon, all that stuff.

To get the surgery done, you just complete whatever tests they prescribe, show up at the hospital with those results and your referral, and you're set. 🙂

Oh, and the anesthesia... man, it's the real deal... you won't remember a thing. 🙂

Oh, awesome, awesome. 🙂
This is exactly the kind of answer I was waiting for...
For me, it's this—when I was maybe 10 or 15 (I'm 25 now), I fell off a curb—straight onto my face. Thank God the curb wasn't high enough to kill me, but I broke my nose. Now, it's slightly crooked, and there's this bump when you look at it from the left side (the right side is okay, I guess)... and I have breathing issues all year round—constantly using nasal spray, and it drags on for weeks while I'm dealing with it. 😢
I really want to get this fixed... I should have done it immediately after it happened, but you know how kids are—they just won't do it. My mom would try to take me, and I'd run away... well, can't blame anyone but myself, I suppose.

I'm working right now, so I don't think I could disappear from work for two weeks... and since my contract ends on January 1st, I'm not renewing it because I plan to take a month or two off specifically for stuff like this. So, I'd likely be looking at surgery around January or February.
Is it too early to go in for a consultation or to get things scheduled?

By the way, what's the hospital vibe like? Is the room crowded or anything? Because I'm planning on doing mine at Dubrava Medical Center!

ruggedbadger9 said:I’m currently at the Sisters of Mercy—over on Vinogradska—and based on the bed list they have here, it looks like I'm stuck in this place until Tuesday.
I saw my own nose from that angle—right at the exact moment I was busy swapping out my lighter.
As far as food goes—I don't have any issues there.

I went through that exact same stinging sensation last night—really nasty stuff. I made the mistake of skipping my pain meds, and by around 2:00 AM, the nerve pain started absolutely shredding me. Honestly? Just take some Advil—it’ll make things a hell of a lot easier for you.

So, a roommate of mine just had his nasal swab pulled out about two hours ago—honestly, he said it felt like trying to extract two aliens from his brain. He had some nosebleeds for a bit afterward, but he’s doing fine now. At least his sense of smell is finally coming back.

Finally—someone who actually spent time in a public hospital instead of just some overpriced private clinic. 🙂

Could you please walk me through how you actually ended up at the hospital—did your primary care doctor just hand you a referral to an ENT, or what exactly happened?
So—how many days am I actually stuck in the hospital? 😲
So—you were under general anesthesia, right???
So, I have a really important question here—how long does it actually take to get scheduled for surgery once you’ve had that initial consultation? Like, following up on my first question—how much of a wait are we talking about?

Thanks a million. 🙂

Honestly, I can’t even believe what I’m reading here 😲😲
I wouldn't wish an operation like that on my worst enemy... absolutely terrifying!!!
I feel like the sheer shock—if anyone were actually going through that—would just knock them unconscious on the spot!!

I see we have some medical professionals in this thread 🙂 so let me ask one quick thing --- when someone is under general anesthesia --- are they breathing on their own? Or what exactly happens????
I know this is all routine stuff for hospital staff, but still... I'm curious..

+ also, how long do those bruises/hematomas/discoloration actually last??
Can you fix that with some kind of cream 🤷🤷 i.e., just slathering it on to speed things up, or do you just have to wait it out??

(I'm planning to go in around January or February -- but I'll be using my insurance, which I think should kick in soon, so that's why I'm asking -- because I really need to get back to work, you know?)

God help me...
I honestly can't believe this... 😲😲
It’s absolutely horrific!!!

I need to know—has anyone actually dealt with the public hospital system over the last year or two? I mean, through Medicare, not some private clinic???
How does that even work—do you just sit there for 7 or 8 days?? And during surgery, are you under general anesthesia—where you literally see nothing and hear nothing, you're just out cold???? 😕

There’s no way everyone is just flocking to private specialists!! LoL 🤷

By the way, how long are we talking for waiting lists for surgery at a public hospital?? Is it a couple of months, or more, or less??

wanderingmason86 said:If the numbers haven't shifted, they aren't letting you go. Back in the late nineties, I was stuck in the hospital for five days straight after surgery—on penicillin the whole time...
And honestly? No complications at all, felt perfectly fine.
They’ll always use "precautionary measures" or potential infections as an excuse to keep you hooked up...

So where did you have this surgery—was it a private clinic or a public hospital????

If it's a hospital—which one, and is it actually any good??

Laura Booth6 said:Well, things are okay now—thank God the worst part is over... It hurts a little, but it's manageable. I might post a photo tomorrow if you guys want—actually, since everyone seems obsessed with the details and how everything looks—I'll take daily photos and put them in an album... then you can see for yourselves. I felt fine today, and I looked pretty normal (no bruising or anything yet, though that'll probably show up tomorrow or the day after... so for today, it's a decent enough picture)🙂

I don't get it... did you actually feel anything during the surgery or what???
I'm out of the loop here—was this done privately or through Medicare at the hospital???

Oh my God...

Yeah, yeah, post it so I can see how it looks afterward???

Susan Watson31 said:Well, just go ahead and read this 🙂

Thanks so much 🙂

Maybe things won't work out that way for me...
Do I actually get to pick which hospital handles the tonsillectomy—or does my primary care doctor just handpick one for me???

Which facility is actually any good?
The local City General?
The big metropolitan center?
Or where else?

thanks

Susan Watson31 said:Mine was looking great before the accident too... and yeah, I tried going through my insurance—you can read about how that disaster unfolded a few pages back. Basically, you grab a referral for an ENT from your primary care doctor (make sure to specify the hospital), show up, bring all your previous medical records regarding the fall, explain your symptoms, etc. I really hope you have better luck with the hospital staff than I did.

Thanks 🙂, but reading 42 pages is just too much right now—everything is fine, but my internet is acting up, so waiting for it to load is a nightmare. Can you just give me the short version?

Look, I don't have any medical paperwork from the fall 👎 because it didn't feel that serious at the time—and as I've grown and changed since then... well, those issues have "grown" right along with me 😲
I've never been to a doctor in my life 👍 so... not even back then. Aside from getting blood work done (because of birth control) and seeing my OBGYN, that’s literally it 🙂
Thank God I don't need a doctor...

Which hospital is actually good? Maybe the one in downtown Chicago?

Thought I’d jump into this thread too 🙂—same exact issue here. A few years back, I took a tumble off a swing (or something similar, I can't quite recall) and landed right on my face... ever since, my breathing hasn't been great because of a bump that popped up—and honestly, I used to have such a cute nose before all this. I keep blaming myself for not getting it checked out immediately... just being foolish, I guess 😢—but hey, it’s never too late... 👍

I could always see Dr. Tončić privately...
—though it would be amazing if I could go through Medicare... which brings me to my questions
. I mean, I’m not worried about whether I’ll get a referral, because even a local doctor would see that this needs fixing. So, no issues there...
—but I have a different question
— what’s the actual process when you go through insurance???

Do I just head to my primary care physician to get a referral for an ENT, or what?

Okay, so I see the ENT... then what??? Which hospital do they send me to? Can I actually choose, or how does it work???? (By the way, I'm living in a major US city now, so I have a local GP here)

And how do these doctors usually handle things??? Is it even worth trying to go through insurance, or is it better to just pay out of pocket to ensure everything is handled correctly???

Thanks so much 🙂