Journal entry by Sandra Dee —
Austin’s surgery was on Tuesday. Check in time was at 12 pm and he was instructed not to eat past midnight (last ate at 10:00 pm) and no drinks after 10:00am. During pre admissions, we were told the the surgery was projected to begin at 3:30 which began the frustration. We sat in a waiting room with signs all over that said “out of respect for the patients, please do not eat or drink in this waiting room” AND we were told by the staff during admissions. For hours, we heard the sounds of chips and pops opening, and smelled McDonald’s as someone walked in and finished off their food and shakes. We sat until 3:30 then I asked staff what the status was. We were told they were behind and didn’t have an estimated time at all. By 4:30, the hangriness was setting in for both of us. The charge nurse came and apologized and I expressed my frustrations which got the snacking family to stop. I asked if she could get us into a room at the very least. We were finally called back at 5:00. We were surprised to hear our favorite doctor in the hallway at almost 5:30. This surprise made everything better!!
Surgery started at 6:10 and was expected to last 1.5 hours. Surgery was “coming to a close” at 7:34 and at 8:13 he was then sent to recovery.
It all went well and just as expected. They removed the dead bone from his upper jaw, packed it with some gauze to fill the hole that lead to his nasal cavity, and sutured it to make sure it stays. We were able to leave at 10:45pn and made it home by 1:00am.
Dr said it’s a good thing we did it now rather than waiting til end of July because it was infected which caused an odor and put a bad taste in Austin’s mouth. He continues to be on a soft food diet and is on an antibiotic and a mouth wash to prevent another infection. We will be returning July 1st to meet with prosthetic staff to discuss the future plans. He needs to get fitted for a temporary partial that will fill the hole until he can have the bone graft surgery. They are working towards the ultimate goal of building his jaw bones to make implants a possibility because right now there is nothing there to put implants into.
He is currently doing well. He continues to have a positive attitude and his strength amazes me everyday!
Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers!
Patients and caregivers love hearing from you; add a comment to show your support.
Help Austin Stay Connected to Family and Friends
A $25 donation to CaringBridge powers a site like Austin's for two weeks. Will you make a gift to help ensure that this site stays online for them and for you?
