Hoping for Answers....

Well, the time is finally here. We are heading out to Philly next week hoping to get some answers to my medical issues. Just to get you up to speed, I have been diagnosed with Stage 5 osteoarthritis of both my TMJ joints -its the worst it can get and my oral surgeon here has never seen it so bad in someone my age. I basically have the disease of that of a 70 or 80 year old person....not good!!! So our plan it to go see a surgical specialist (because I will have to have a total joint replacement in both joints).

Now the surgeon we are going to see basically helped develop the prostetic joint devices that would be used in my surgery...thus the reason for the trip -I want someone who has done this procedure SEVERAL times and knows what they are doing. This is not a common disease, at least not in the TMJ joints. So we need lots of prayers for answers and just some overall guidance on where I really am in all this and how much time we can buy before surgery.

Now the next complex part is that insurance just sucks!! Medcial and dental just fight over who should pay, no one wants to and they all want to exclude it from their policies. But the end result is this is medically necessary for me, nothing cosmetic about what I need done, I can barely open my mouth or talk at this point!! I don't see how its any different than a knee replacement and they pay for those all the time....so needless to say I am overstress about the insurance part of this as well! Its costing us enough just to head to Philly for a few days for this consult.

So I am asking for everyone to please keep me and my family in your prayers. This is a very serious medical condition that is not going to go away. I am hoping to get lots of answers on our trip. I am nervous and anxious as to what we are going to find out, but ready for it...so here we go!

Stressed....to say the least!!

So much has been going on.....first my baby has turned into such a big boy!! Can someone please just slow him down!!! But in all reality I LOVE this age he is SO much fun. He is such a strong willed and independent little man, sometimes a little too much for his own good!!! He also has the greatest personality we could ever ask for and is very funny! Where he comes up with some of the stuff he does is beyond me. Just the other day it was time for bed and he was not ready to go (he never is but he always fall fast asleep) and he was going up the stairs and he turned around and looked at me and said "mom, don't make me through a fit!!" It took everything I had not to laugh, like he was saying you know what will happen if I do and it won't be pretty!!

We are also in the process of potty training and its going really good. We started him early because he gets diaper rashes so bad. He does have some accidents here and there but for the most part does so good. He loves to get on the potty and go and knows he gets candy if he does and he has this little "potty" dance he does when he goes -I love it!!! And now if we are out and he has his diaper on he will still tell us he has to go and off we go and then if he does go in his diaper he wants if off immediately and doesn't like it on. So hopefully we are close to only having diapers for nap/bedtime!!!

My big boy is also getting ready to start school, mom's day out, next month. Its one day a week for about 3 hours. I am excited for him, he loves to be around other kids and do little projects and Iam excited for him to learn new things!! He loves Sunday school so I know he will love this as well!!!

Now for me I have major TMJ issues that my oral surgeon has never seen in someone my age before. So I have osteoarthritis in my jaw joints and its so bad he said he would expect to see it that bad in like a 70/80 year old person but not in someone my age!! GREAT! So basically I am going to most likely going to have to have a total joint replacement in both jaw joints. We are doing everything we can to make me as comfortable as possible for as long as possible and put surgery of for as long as we can....but for as much pain as Iam in it doesn't seem far off in my eyes right now, let's hope I am wrong. So I could use lots of prayers right now!!

We are sad that summer is coming to an end. We loved being outside this summer, hanging out with friends, family and at out family lake!!! We like fall and the bonfires, fall festivals but are not looking forward to that cold weather that will follow...well maybe little man is but I am not. For now we will enjoy what warm weathe we have left and hope you and your familys also had a great summer!!