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May 5, 2006
Appointment with Dr. Park
The appointment this morning with Dr. Park was somewhat disheartening. We were both a little too optimistic, and feel like our expectations after this morning are more reasonable given the extent of her injuries.
I'll start with the right eye. When I asked about the eyelid opening, he reminded us that it wasn't going to be perfect, and that it would likely improve from where it is now, but that it probably wouldn't open as much as the left eye. He was very guarded about saying just how much the difference would be. He also mentioned that the lower eyelid does seem to be a little lower than the other eyelid, however the level of the eyeball does seem to be correct. He said that you can see a little too much white beneath Courtney's right eye. He then mentioned that after at least a year, depending on how things look, he might recommend an ocular plastic surgeon to make some additional adjustments. Again he was very guarded about giving us anything definitive with regard to the final result, which really is quite sensible. I remember the head trauma surgeon in Roanoke warning us not to start making plastic surgery appointments until 6 months had gone by. I guess it's pretty common for things to change slightly throughout the healing process. It certainly wasn't what we wanted to hear, but putting it into the perspective of the past two weeks it is definitely something that we can live with for now. Courtney seemed to handle this pretty well.
Now for the teeth. I asked him if he had any oral surgeons that he recommended and whether or not we should start trying to schedule this next step. He said that we were months away from oral surgery, and that we have a few months of "hygiene" and cosmetic dentistry before we get to the implants. I had been thinking along these lines when we were in Roanoke, but had started to think that it would be quicker than I originally feared. In considering this on the drive home, it certainly makes sense. First we'll have to restore and care for the teeth she HAS in all sorts of ways: Moving them into the right position, adding crowns and other cosmetic restorative work, gum healing, etc. before we even consider replacing the missing teeth with implants. I'm not exactly sure what he meant by hygiene (in the context of healing), but I'm assuming this has something to do with restoring gum health and other daily maintenance issues. Perhaps there are temporary dentures that Courtney can use in the interim between real teeth maintenance and oral surgery. Dr. Park suggested we start with our family dentist and then proceed from there.
Courtney has some numb spots on her face and head. The biggest spot that feels numb is from her right chin up to the tip of her nose and then draw a semi-circle back to the chin. She also pointed to a numb spot on her scalp that I wasn't previously aware of. We asked about these and Dr. Park said that some would heal within a month, some would take a year, and some numbness could be permanent. There's no way to say definitively which would heal and which wouldn't.
He did remove the nose-cast, and told Courtney that she could start washing her face more aggresively, and in fact encouraged her to gently scrub the cuts in order to keep them clean. He looked at the trach hole, and said that while it is only a pin-hole, we still need to try hard to prevent air from escaping so that it can close up completely. It might be a few more days before that's completely closed up. Who knows? He did say that with the trach bandage on, and not having a nose cast, Courtney could be a little less careful about splashing water. Washing her face and hair just got a lot easier.
Courtney has major pain and discomfort with the teeth right now. Some of the holes from missing teeth and broken teeth are really painful. Even though she's still taking her pain medicine regularly it often doesn't eliminate the mouth pain. This pain and today's confirmation that the teeth restoration process is going to be lengthy was pretty discouraging to Courtney. I didn't ask about the timing of unwiring the jaw since we're planning to see him next Friday.
Overall, I'm thankful that Dr. Park didn't voice any serious concerns and that, while slow, Courtney is healing. Obviously, we're both still very thankful that she's alive and doing this well only 3 weeks since the accident.
Posted by mark at May 5, 2006 10:57 AM Subscribe (FeedBurner)
Comments
Hey Mark - What is she taking for pain? I'm wondering if there is a better "cocktail" out there so to speak. Hmmmm . . . Feel free to give me a call if you would like.
Amy
Posted by: Amy at May 5, 2006 1:10 PM
I'm a friend of Molly's and I just wanted to say that I'm praying for your whole family and especially for a full and complete recovery for Courtney. Praising God for sparing your life; He certainly was merciful.
Love, hugs and lots of prayers, Crissy
Posted by: Crissy at May 5, 2006 6:22 PM
Mark, I work with Judi at her answering service in Columbia and have been manning it in her absence. Just wanted you to know I've been praying daily (as many folks at our church, First Pres., have been doing) and that I will continue to do so. I know you and Courtney and the rest of the family have been learning new things about the grace and mercy of God! May the Lord send complete healing to Courtney, and may she beat the doctor's timetable by months!
Posted by: Rosanne McDowell at May 5, 2006 6:47 PM
Mark:
Thanks for the continued updates on Courtney - "amazing" does not begin to describe what I think every time I read a new one.
Our family continues to keep yours lifted up on all fronts.
Take care, friend.
Lou
Posted by: Lou at May 7, 2006 8:25 PM