T minus 8 days ...

A week from tomorrow ... I will be undergoing orthognathic surgery. A lot of people have asked me if I am ready, and I guess I am as ready as I can be, at least for the parts I "can" prepare for. I have been researching and reading about this surgery for over a year now, so from a preparation standpoint, I don't know how I could be more prepared. Now we'll just have to see how I deal with it after the fact. But I know what to expect, so hopefully there will be very few surprises.

So, my "official" post-op supply list ... this is what I have bought thus far to get me through the first 1-2 weeks post-op, and in some cases beyond:

List of supplies pre and post op

1) Arnica Montana gel (to reduce bruising/swelling)
2) Bromelain tablets (pineapple extract) – reduce swelling
3) L-Glutamine
4) Aquaphor (for lips – found in baby section of pharmacy)
5) Zip n Squeeze bags for eating
6) Sippy Cups
7) Baby Spoons
8) Baster (another method of eating if I don’t get syringes w/catheter at the hospital)
9) Zip n Squeeze jaw wrap (“Cool-Jaw” Wrap) – can also be heated for when I move to moist heat
10) Protein Powder (soy and whey)
11) Boost/Ensure
12) Baby Toothbrush
13) Children’s Sudafed (Non drowsy)
14) Extra Strenth Tylenol (Adult Rapid Blast Liquid)
15) Waterpik (I had one already, can’t use until OS clears me)
16) Q-tips and hydrogen peroxide to clean out nose
17) Afrin (for nose congestion)
18) Saline Nasal Spray
19) Dry erase board
20) Small notebook for writing down meds and frequency, Larger notebook for communicating, pen
21) Hydrogen Peroxide for cleaning mouth, Biotene and salt water for rinsing mouth
22) SudaCare Shower Soothers
23) L-Glutamine
24) Baby suction (for sucking spit)
25) Magic Bullet
26) Pill Crusher
27) Humidifier (I already had one of these)
28) Flaxseed and Flaxseed oil
29) Fiber (in powdered form)
30) USANA vitamins (I have taken these for the last year and will resume as soon as cleared by my OS … I will crush them in pill crusher or coffee grinder)
31) Coromega (Omega-3 fishoil supplement in gel form)

Food:

1) Sprite
2) Apple Juice
3) Cranberry Juice
4) Kellogg’s K20 Protein Water
5) Gatorade (Orange, Grape, and Fruit Punch flavor)
6) Beef and Chicken Broth
7) Ensure and Boost for when I graduate from clear liquids (I bought chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors)
8) Lean muscle milk from GNC (protein shakes)

… once I move on from clear liquids I will buy lots of frozen fruits (the seedless varieties) for smoothies, and blend regular food and soups.

I still need to pick up some more pillows for my bed to sleep upright. Other than that, I think I am pretty set, and maybe even excessive with everything I have bought. I have been searching for button up pijamas to bring to the hospital, but everything is so homely. If I can't find anything, I will just bring my robe, after all, I will only be in for one night.

Oh - and how could I forget! I picked up my post-op prescripions so here it goes:

One bottle of liquid Roxicet (generic of Percocet, which is oxycodone with acetaminophen)

4 bottles of liquid cleocin ped, which is the brand name for clindamycin, which is a lincomycin antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. I believe my OS usually prescribes amoxicillin, however I am allergic to penicillin, which it is related to.

2 transderm patches -- these patches are placed on skin behind the ear every 72 hours to prevent nausea and vomiting

3 Fentanyl patches - Fentanyl is a narcotic, a member of the same group of drugs to which opium and morphine belong. It is said that it has an analgesic potency of 80 that of morphine. This narcotic analgesic is used to treat persistent moderate to severe chronic pain that requires around the clock administration and can not be relieved by non-steroidal analgesics (such as ibuprofen or naproxen), narcotic combinations analgesics (such as oxycodone or propoxyphene) or immediate-release opoids (such as morpine sulfate immediate release). The patch is to be applied to the skin every 72 hours, prefered placement is the chest, back, upper arm, or on the side of the stomach.

Last but not least, I will be receiving a PCA pump in the hospital post op, PCA stands for "Patient Controlled Anagesia". Dr. P said I probably shouldn't need it to much though, since I will have a patch on for pain, which I am guessing is the Fentanyl patch. That would make sense ... if the fentanyl is more potent than morphine ...

Dr. P also said I won't have to go back on the doxycycline post -op ... if it is causing me gastritis, it is not worth it. I have to say I am more than pleased with that decision.

2 more appointments to go next week, my pre-op physical and my pre-surgical evaluation.

Now I just need to get things in order at work. It seems like there are just a million things going on right now, and to top it all off, the assistant for our division resigned last Monday, and she reports to me. So now, I need to scramble to get someone hired by this Friday, and arrange for her training since I will not be there to assist. I am trying to have everything in order so I don't have to worry about anything work related during the first 2 weeks post-op, I have 5 more business days to get it all done so that is probably the biggest thing that is stressing me right now. In the end, I know it will all work out, or at least I will have done everything possible that is in my control so it does, so I just need to take a few deep breaths and relax ...