That's what I'd like to tell my dentist, Dr. F! He's a nice guy, and clearly, he means well, but the man is stressing me out! It all started a few months ago when the boys and I went in for our routine cleaning & check-up. Actually, that's not true. It all really started over a year ago when our old dentist, Dr. K, mentioned there was a strong possibility that Jaxon would need headgear in the future to correct his underbite. I only thought that was the "bad" news. However, Dr. K went on to tell me that if the headgear wasn't successful, Jaxon would probably need jaw surgery!
Fast forward from Summer 2010 to the beginning of 2011, and you'll recall that we met with our new dentist, Dr. F, for the first time, and he essentially told me that surgery was pretty much unavoidable for Jaxon because of the severity of his underbite. Yeah, not what I wanted to hear! A few days later, we met with our orthodontist, Dr. O, for the first time, and he basically told us that Jaxon was too young to do anything and a "wait & see" approach was what he would advise at that moment. Of course, one specialist's opinion wasn't good enough for us, and we promptly scheduled an appointment with our orthodontist friend, Dr. B, who practices an hour away from us. Sadly, Dr. B's office is too far away for him to serve as our actual orthodontist, but he's someone who we completely trust to level with us and provide guidance. Thankfully, his advice was to wait a year or so and then fit Jaxon with braces which should resolve the underbite issue.
Now, fast forward from our meeting with Dr. B in February to our scheduled cleaning this summer with our dentist, Dr. F. Again, Dr. F stressed to me the need to get Jaxon fitted with headgear as soon as possible because there's a narrow window to achieve the best results before Jaxon's jaw stops growing, and after the jaw stops growing, surgery will be our only option to correct the underbite. I explained that Dr. O, the orthodontist that Dr. F referred me to, had recommended we wait at least a year before even forming a strategic plan on how to address Jaxon's underbite. Surely, if Dr. F referred us to Dr. O, he trusts his opinion? After all, Dr. O is the specialist. Well, apparently, Dr. F does not agree and urged me to call and reschedule our return visit to Dr. O's office as soon as possible.
That's how we arrive at today's appointment. Dr. O's staff was more than willing to move my second consult visit up by 4 months, if that's what I wanted. Truth be told, it's not what I wanted, but rather what Dr. F made me feel like I needed to do or risk being declared an unfit & uncaring mother that doomed her first-born to unnecessary jaw-breaking surgery! Geez! And, wouldn't you know it, but we were at Dr. O's office today for all of 15 minutes. In that time, he examined Jaxon's bite and then explained that while he appreciates Dr. F's referral, I really need to trust that Jaxon is in good hands with him and that surgery is now looking completely unnecessary, and braces fitted next year should achieve a wonderful result. In short, please stop listening to Dr. F (a.k.a Chicken Little). Whew! Say it with me now..."Woo hoo!" Aside from the fact that braces are ridiculously expensive, I'd say that's great news. Now, I'm off to research the possibilities for a new dentist!
Showing posts with label Jaxon's Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jaxon's Health. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
GONE
July 24th was a BIG day for Jaxon. He finally lost his first tooth! This was a long awaited milestone for our little guy. Jaxon waited patiently for this moment throughout the past year as he watched friend after friend reap the financial rewards a visiting Tooth Fairy.
Finally, it's Jaxon's turn! Well, that's IF the Tooth Fairy deems his tooth worthy of collection. I'm sure this beautiful case will prove to be entirely too hard for the Tooth Fairy to resist. It was a gift Jaxon received as a baby, and it added a bit of formality to this special occasion.
Congratulations, Buddy! We're all excited for you!
Finally, it's Jaxon's turn! Well, that's IF the Tooth Fairy deems his tooth worthy of collection. I'm sure this beautiful case will prove to be entirely too hard for the Tooth Fairy to resist. It was a gift Jaxon received as a baby, and it added a bit of formality to this special occasion.Congratulations, Buddy! We're all excited for you!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Teetotaling Terrific
Today, we had reason to celebrate. We enjoyed a terrific day complete with terrific weather and news. With Jaxon and Anh off for Presidents' Day, we headed North across the Florida-Georgia border to meet with our friend, Dr. B, for a final opinion on Jaxon's underbite. Dr. B put our minds at ease as he sorted through the various options we received from other professionals and then offered us his recommended course of action which is to wait approximately another year and then fit Jaxon with braces that should improve Jax's bite drastically. If (and Dr. B stressed it was definitely an if) Jaxon still isn't happy with his bite, surgery would only be an option around the time Jax turns 18 or 19. Unlike the other professionals that indicated surgery is likely unavoidable, Dr. B believes it's a small possibility, and I don't think he was just telling me what I wanted to hear as the worried mom.
Dr. B's positive report was the perfect start to our day. To celebrate, we made a beeline for St. Mary's small on size but huge on charm historic downtown. We explored the area once before and knew there were plenty of options for lunch. This time around, we selected The Mad Hatter's Tea Shop. Dr. B's office recommended the restaurant for it's fabulous salads and cake. Once the boys heard the word "cake" all other options were out the window!
The restaurant did not disappoint. Anh and I enjoyed savory crepes and hot tea while the boys gobbled up fish-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches and sipped on pink lemonade.
Oh, and of course CAKE...HUGE slices of chocolate cake!
Knowing that a sugar rush was imminent, we walked along the waterfront admiring all the sailboats and pretty scenery. Aside from a little wind, you could not have asked for better weather. Thank you, Mother Nature! I guess that silly groundhog got it right this year! We definitely seem to be enjoying an early Spring.
Unfortunately, the timing of the orthodontist appointment prevented (once again) from taking the ferry to Cumberland Island. Well, the fact that Baylor STILL isn't potty-trained also played a role in the decision to remain on the mainland. I'm still not interested in carrying around a lovely "package" all day since all trash must be carried out by the visitors that produce it. One day we'll make it on that boat, I swear!
The sugar rush was kicking in. So after a few pictures for mom, the boys made a mad dash for the playground. Woo Hoo!!!
Baylor watched with extreme concentration as Jaxon made his way across the monkey bars or at least attempted to.
Then, Baylor gave it his best effort. He didn't like it when dad let go. Clearly, Baylor isn't confident in his arm strength. Can't say I blame him. That's quite a drop for someone his size!
What they lack in swinging abilities, the boys make up for with their climbing skills. They really are little monkeys!
You absolutely must compare this tunnel picture with the one from our last visit (follow the link above). My oh my, our little guy has grown! 
Eventually, Anh and I were successful in prying the boys away from the playground and back towards the waterfront. The sun was dipping in the sky, and we only had an small window to avoid rush hour traffic on the way home. While we were fortunate to have the holiday off, I was fairly confident that the break was not extended to all in our area and being caught in a traffic jam would not be the ideal ending for our lovely day.
A more pictures for mom, and we were back in the car heading home to "normal." Of course, normal isn't necessarily negative. On the contrary, "normal" and "boring" are often welcomed adjectives around here because it means we got a break from the CRAZY world that seems to swirl around us 95% of the time.
I'm going to hope for many more normal, boring, terrific days in the future!
Dr. B's positive report was the perfect start to our day. To celebrate, we made a beeline for St. Mary's small on size but huge on charm historic downtown. We explored the area once before and knew there were plenty of options for lunch. This time around, we selected The Mad Hatter's Tea Shop. Dr. B's office recommended the restaurant for it's fabulous salads and cake. Once the boys heard the word "cake" all other options were out the window!
The restaurant did not disappoint. Anh and I enjoyed savory crepes and hot tea while the boys gobbled up fish-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches and sipped on pink lemonade.Oh, and of course CAKE...HUGE slices of chocolate cake!Knowing that a sugar rush was imminent, we walked along the waterfront admiring all the sailboats and pretty scenery. Aside from a little wind, you could not have asked for better weather. Thank you, Mother Nature! I guess that silly groundhog got it right this year! We definitely seem to be enjoying an early Spring.Unfortunately, the timing of the orthodontist appointment prevented (once again) from taking the ferry to Cumberland Island. Well, the fact that Baylor STILL isn't potty-trained also played a role in the decision to remain on the mainland. I'm still not interested in carrying around a lovely "package" all day since all trash must be carried out by the visitors that produce it. One day we'll make it on that boat, I swear!The sugar rush was kicking in. So after a few pictures for mom, the boys made a mad dash for the playground. Woo Hoo!!!Baylor watched with extreme concentration as Jaxon made his way across the monkey bars or at least attempted to.Then, Baylor gave it his best effort. He didn't like it when dad let go. Clearly, Baylor isn't confident in his arm strength. Can't say I blame him. That's quite a drop for someone his size!What they lack in swinging abilities, the boys make up for with their climbing skills. They really are little monkeys!You absolutely must compare this tunnel picture with the one from our last visit (follow the link above). My oh my, our little guy has grown! Eventually, Anh and I were successful in prying the boys away from the playground and back towards the waterfront. The sun was dipping in the sky, and we only had an small window to avoid rush hour traffic on the way home. While we were fortunate to have the holiday off, I was fairly confident that the break was not extended to all in our area and being caught in a traffic jam would not be the ideal ending for our lovely day.A more pictures for mom, and we were back in the car heading home to "normal." Of course, normal isn't necessarily negative. On the contrary, "normal" and "boring" are often welcomed adjectives around here because it means we got a break from the CRAZY world that seems to swirl around us 95% of the time.I'm going to hope for many more normal, boring, terrific days in the future!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Everyone's Got One...
An opinion! Well, unless you want someone to have one. In which case, they never do! That's how things played out today at Jaxon's orthodontist appointment. After speaking with two dentists in the last 6 months and hearing two different strategies on how to best correct Jaxon's underbite, it was finally time to meet with a specialist that could not only weigh-in on the issue, but also take action. So, it should come as no surprise that his advice was to do nothing...for now.
Our new orthodontist, Dr. O, feels that we have two options. At first, he was hesitant to even discuss those options with me. However, I'm pushy and don't take no for an answer. Shocking, right? Well, it's true. The options are dependent on whether Jaxon's underbite is a result of a dental or skeletal issue. Apparently, that can only be determined via x-ray. Since regardless of the cause, Dr. O wants to wait a year to take any action, he opted to not waste my money today by conducting an x-ray that would need to be repeated in a year anyway. For the record, I did appreciate his concern for my out-of-pocket expenses. Clearly, his staff made him aware that we don't have dental insurance. Otherwise, something tells me the x-ray would have been ordered.
Now, the hypothetical options that I pretty much forced him to discuss with me because he feared I'd refuse to leave his exam room without some sort of information. Option 1, Jaxon will be fitted with braces and through the use of elastic bands, his upper jaw will be pulled forward and the lower one pulled back until the two are aligned. Option 2, surgery. When pressed in a not so delicate manner to weigh-in on the likelihood of surgery, Dr. O admitted it was a strong possibility. He agrees with Dr. K and Dr. F when it comes to the severity of Jaxon's underbite. When I continued to press Dr. O for details, he said he would probably recommend that we do the surgery sooner rather than later meaning we could do it at the age of 7.
So, I had mixed feelings when we left the office. On one hand, I was relieved that Jaxon will not be having extensive jaw surgery when he is 6 years old. On the other hand, there's still a strong possibility that this surgery is in his/our future, if Dr. O determines that Jaxon's underbite is due to a skeletal problem. I wanted to hear that surgery wouldn't be necessary, but that can't be determined at this point. Of course, I also felt somewhat hesitant to accept Dr. O's "wait & see" approach when both of our dentists seemed to agree on one thing, and that's the need to do something now while Jaxon's jaw is still actively growing. Of course, Dr. O is the specialist which means his opinion should mean more, right? Who do you trust?
When in doubt, start calling all of your professional friends. Thankfully, we have a few. Anh met quite a few orthodontists-in-training during his surgery fellowship because there was a bit of overlap with the oral maxillary fellowship program at the medical college. Well, now, they're all in private practice. Our friend, Jenny Beth, strongly disagreed with Dr. O's willingness to perform the surgery (should it be deemed necessary) at the age of 7. She advised us that waiting until Jaxon is an adolescent would be much more advantageous because we need to rule out the possibility of a post-surgery growth spurt undoing the alignment.
Then, Anh spoke with another friend, Mike, who is an orthodontist about an hour North of us, and he offered what will hopefully be the best advice...to come see him. After hearing everybody else's 2-cents, he seems convinced that surgery doesn't have to be an option. God, I hope he's right! So, we'll be calling Dr. Mike's office tomorrow to set up an official appointment for our 5th opinion, I think??? Yes, 5th opinion. Like I said in the beginning, everyone has got one!
Our new orthodontist, Dr. O, feels that we have two options. At first, he was hesitant to even discuss those options with me. However, I'm pushy and don't take no for an answer. Shocking, right? Well, it's true. The options are dependent on whether Jaxon's underbite is a result of a dental or skeletal issue. Apparently, that can only be determined via x-ray. Since regardless of the cause, Dr. O wants to wait a year to take any action, he opted to not waste my money today by conducting an x-ray that would need to be repeated in a year anyway. For the record, I did appreciate his concern for my out-of-pocket expenses. Clearly, his staff made him aware that we don't have dental insurance. Otherwise, something tells me the x-ray would have been ordered.
Now, the hypothetical options that I pretty much forced him to discuss with me because he feared I'd refuse to leave his exam room without some sort of information. Option 1, Jaxon will be fitted with braces and through the use of elastic bands, his upper jaw will be pulled forward and the lower one pulled back until the two are aligned. Option 2, surgery. When pressed in a not so delicate manner to weigh-in on the likelihood of surgery, Dr. O admitted it was a strong possibility. He agrees with Dr. K and Dr. F when it comes to the severity of Jaxon's underbite. When I continued to press Dr. O for details, he said he would probably recommend that we do the surgery sooner rather than later meaning we could do it at the age of 7.
So, I had mixed feelings when we left the office. On one hand, I was relieved that Jaxon will not be having extensive jaw surgery when he is 6 years old. On the other hand, there's still a strong possibility that this surgery is in his/our future, if Dr. O determines that Jaxon's underbite is due to a skeletal problem. I wanted to hear that surgery wouldn't be necessary, but that can't be determined at this point. Of course, I also felt somewhat hesitant to accept Dr. O's "wait & see" approach when both of our dentists seemed to agree on one thing, and that's the need to do something now while Jaxon's jaw is still actively growing. Of course, Dr. O is the specialist which means his opinion should mean more, right? Who do you trust?
When in doubt, start calling all of your professional friends. Thankfully, we have a few. Anh met quite a few orthodontists-in-training during his surgery fellowship because there was a bit of overlap with the oral maxillary fellowship program at the medical college. Well, now, they're all in private practice. Our friend, Jenny Beth, strongly disagreed with Dr. O's willingness to perform the surgery (should it be deemed necessary) at the age of 7. She advised us that waiting until Jaxon is an adolescent would be much more advantageous because we need to rule out the possibility of a post-surgery growth spurt undoing the alignment.
Then, Anh spoke with another friend, Mike, who is an orthodontist about an hour North of us, and he offered what will hopefully be the best advice...to come see him. After hearing everybody else's 2-cents, he seems convinced that surgery doesn't have to be an option. God, I hope he's right! So, we'll be calling Dr. Mike's office tomorrow to set up an official appointment for our 5th opinion, I think??? Yes, 5th opinion. Like I said in the beginning, everyone has got one!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
On Second Thought, Keep Your Opinions to Yourself
Yesterday was kind of tough. Jax and I had our routine 6-month dental cleaning. Since our last appointment in July, the office has hired a new dentist, Dr. F, and I figured it would be good to hear his thoughts on potential treatments for Jaxon's underbite. Our last dentist, Dr. K, felt that Jax's underbite would be best corrected with headgear worn at home/overnight to pull his upper jaw forward into alignment with the lower jaw. The idea of wearing headgear for 6-12 months is certainly less than ideal, but definitely better than the surgical option she said we'd be looking at if we waited too long and his jaw stopped growing and could no longer be manipulated. The only true problem in the scenario is that Jaxon can only be fitted for the headgear once he loses his baby teeth and his molars come in, and in that department we are running behind schedule. When faced with the knowledge that the jaw typically stops growing around 7 years of age, I realize that we're in a bit of time crunch now that Jaxon is 6. The clock is ticking on the window of opportunity.
So, obviously I welcomed Dr. F's thoughts as a second opinion. Well, until he actually examined Jax, paused for what seemed like FOREVER to collect his thoughts and form a plan, and then told me that in his opinion, headgear would do very little to improve the situation. After another long pause, Dr. F informed me that there's a very good chance Jaxon will have to undergo surgery sooner rather than later. When I told him, that wasn't the news I expected or wanted, he offered the possibility of Jaxon being fitted with a retainer-type aparatus that could be adjusted biweekly to encourage his jaw bones to expand. However, Dr. F said he wouldn't be at all surprised if surgery was the only option. I'm telling you, Jaxon's underbite doesn't look "that" bad to me. I'm shocked that such drastic measures may need to be taken.
By drastic, I mean a surgery that will break his jaw and reset it in proper alignment. His mouth will be wired shut for 3 t0 5 weeks which will be painful and limit him to a liquid diet. Who wants that for their 6-year old child or anyone for that matter? Needless to say, I found the news quite upsetting. We'll meet with an orthodontist, Dr. O, next week for a true assessment of all the possibilities. After hearing his thoughts, I'm sure we'll be meeting with another orthodontist and possibly some oral surgeons to hear their thoughts. I'm hoping for better news. My fingers are crossed! At least, neither of us had any cavities. Yay for some positive news!
So, obviously I welcomed Dr. F's thoughts as a second opinion. Well, until he actually examined Jax, paused for what seemed like FOREVER to collect his thoughts and form a plan, and then told me that in his opinion, headgear would do very little to improve the situation. After another long pause, Dr. F informed me that there's a very good chance Jaxon will have to undergo surgery sooner rather than later. When I told him, that wasn't the news I expected or wanted, he offered the possibility of Jaxon being fitted with a retainer-type aparatus that could be adjusted biweekly to encourage his jaw bones to expand. However, Dr. F said he wouldn't be at all surprised if surgery was the only option. I'm telling you, Jaxon's underbite doesn't look "that" bad to me. I'm shocked that such drastic measures may need to be taken.
By drastic, I mean a surgery that will break his jaw and reset it in proper alignment. His mouth will be wired shut for 3 t0 5 weeks which will be painful and limit him to a liquid diet. Who wants that for their 6-year old child or anyone for that matter? Needless to say, I found the news quite upsetting. We'll meet with an orthodontist, Dr. O, next week for a true assessment of all the possibilities. After hearing his thoughts, I'm sure we'll be meeting with another orthodontist and possibly some oral surgeons to hear their thoughts. I'm hoping for better news. My fingers are crossed! At least, neither of us had any cavities. Yay for some positive news!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Scare
We all had a pretty good scare today with Jax definitely getting the worst of it. My little Kindergartner somehow managed to nearly knock himself unconscious when he slammed face-first into the side of his classroom table. Jax tried to explain the scenario to me over the phone after the school nurse called to inform me of the uncontrollable nosebleed and massive amount of swelling and bruising that was taking over his little face, but after hearing the nurse's description of the situation, I couldn't imagine that Jax's story of simply bending over to pick something up would result in such a traumatic injury. Was he covering for somebody? A bully perhaps? Had he tripped and didn't want to admit it? There had to be more to the story.
The nurse's description of the damage was so dramatic, and when I considered the fact that usually medical and school personnel downplay the seriousness of a situation so as to not freak out the parent, I became really worried! Baylor and I abandoned our shopping cart in the middle of the store and raced towards Jaxon's school. As I waited anxiously for my turn to claim my child from the school clinic, I told myself that no matter how bad Jax looked, I wouldn't let my facial expression deviate from calm, cool, & collected. Well, luckily my acting skills were NOT put to the test. Jax was just fine! Sure, there was a slight bit of swelling, but Baylor's forehead looked worse last week when he slammed face-first into our treadmill after tripping over his own two feet. I'm not complaining that Jax was okay. Trust me, I was more than grateful! I was also a little annoyed that the nurse had embellished the situation so dramatically. Doesn't she realize that when a parent hears, "Hi, this is _____ from the school clinic..." they immediately enter freakout mode?! I mean we know she's not calling to chat. Obviously there's a problem with my child!
However, after looking around her office, I realized that the 10 or so other children in there were all waiting to be picked up because they had sniffles or coughs or just threw up their lunch. I guess Jaxon's bleeding was dramatic by comparison. It was the nurse's "code red." As a precaution (and because I had called and relayed the same horrible imagery and probably created mass hysteria), I took Jax by Anh's office for an official examination. We needed a clean bill of health to report to tennis in the afternoon. As soon as we got to the office, everyone was relieved to see that little Jax was absolutely fine and would not need to have his nose reset. It was decided that the biggest concern was what germs Jax might have contracted in the nurse's germ-infested office. Whew! Crisis avoided! Just a bad case of the nurse who cried wolf...
The nurse's description of the damage was so dramatic, and when I considered the fact that usually medical and school personnel downplay the seriousness of a situation so as to not freak out the parent, I became really worried! Baylor and I abandoned our shopping cart in the middle of the store and raced towards Jaxon's school. As I waited anxiously for my turn to claim my child from the school clinic, I told myself that no matter how bad Jax looked, I wouldn't let my facial expression deviate from calm, cool, & collected. Well, luckily my acting skills were NOT put to the test. Jax was just fine! Sure, there was a slight bit of swelling, but Baylor's forehead looked worse last week when he slammed face-first into our treadmill after tripping over his own two feet. I'm not complaining that Jax was okay. Trust me, I was more than grateful! I was also a little annoyed that the nurse had embellished the situation so dramatically. Doesn't she realize that when a parent hears, "Hi, this is _____ from the school clinic..." they immediately enter freakout mode?! I mean we know she's not calling to chat. Obviously there's a problem with my child!
However, after looking around her office, I realized that the 10 or so other children in there were all waiting to be picked up because they had sniffles or coughs or just threw up their lunch. I guess Jaxon's bleeding was dramatic by comparison. It was the nurse's "code red." As a precaution (and because I had called and relayed the same horrible imagery and probably created mass hysteria), I took Jax by Anh's office for an official examination. We needed a clean bill of health to report to tennis in the afternoon. As soon as we got to the office, everyone was relieved to see that little Jax was absolutely fine and would not need to have his nose reset. It was decided that the biggest concern was what germs Jax might have contracted in the nurse's germ-infested office. Whew! Crisis avoided! Just a bad case of the nurse who cried wolf...
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Doctor or Dentist?
Maybe Anh should have chosen dental school over medicine? I'm sure he's having the same thoughts after our family's latest dental visit! Anh only required a simple cleaning, and I started off with a clear report, no cavities or apparent issues. Our dentist saved the big whammy for the last few minutes of my exam when she started discussing options to address an aging filling I received as a teenager. It seems the filling is starting to breakdown, and the dentist's advice is to replace the filling with a crown before the situation progresses and becomes painful. I agreed. If we can avoid pain, let's be proactive. Then, I learned the crown will cost me $1300. I thought we were trying to avoid pain! I winced at the thought of writing that check!
Sadly, the news only got worse. My dentist asked me whether I was aware that I grind my teeth. I confessed that my past dentists had mentioned there is evidence of the bad behavior, but had never seemed concerned about it. This new dentist feels I should have been fitted with a protective mouthpiece to wear at night that would provide some protection for my teeth from the grinding. She advised me to consider the protective mouthpiece at a minimum, but stressed her advice would ultimately be to see a specialist that would be able to determine a surgical solution to stop the behavior all together. Surgery? What?! No, let's talk more about that mouthpiece. I was thinking plastic mouthpiece similar to what athletes wear for protection. Cheap, simple, effective. Oh no! My mouthpiece is going to cost me $650 and depending on the severity of my grinding, it will last anywhere from 4 MONTHS to 2 or 3 years. "You've got to be kidding me!!!" was all I could think at that moment. Still, I'm thinking that's a better alternative to having my jaw broken & reset.
Thinking the worst was over and at most I was looking at having to shell out approximately $2000 to have my issues resolved, I felt mildly relieved. I was trying to be positive and reminded myself that for more than 10 years I never had a single dental expense outside of regular cleanings. I was due for some work, right? Plus, neither issue was new. I was aware of both problems. Sure it would suck to fork over so much money for something like dental work, but that's life. At least it's stuff that can be fixed before it gets worse & costs even more, sort like home maintenance.
Well, then it was Jax's turn. Again, we were off to a good start when the dentist declared that he was cavity-free! Woo hoo! The only thing of concern on his x-rays was that his nasal cavities appeared to be inflamed. The dentist suggested we schedule an appointment for Jax with an ENT to rule out the need to schedule him for surgery to remove his adenoids. What?! More surgery?!? I guess we'll wait to see what the ENT says before stressing over the unknown. An appointment to discuss Jax's frequent nosebleeds and allergies was in order anyway. We'll just add this newly discovered swelling to the growing list of ailments.
Next, the dentist wanted to discuss Jax's underbite. She diagnosed it as a class III and said more than likely Jax will need to be fitted with a retainer and reverse headgear as soon as his 6-year old permanent molars come in. This will help pull his upper mandible forward and even out his bite. Otherwise, we're looking at surgery to correct the problem when he's older. By then, I was thinking, "What is it with this dentist and surgery?!" Ultimately, I felt better when she told me that Jax's underbite was inherited from his father. She knew this because she had examined Anh earlier that day and taken his full dental history which involved an extended period in braces to correct an underbite. Ahh ha! I knew it. It's Anh's fault. That's usually the case!
Sadly, the news only got worse. My dentist asked me whether I was aware that I grind my teeth. I confessed that my past dentists had mentioned there is evidence of the bad behavior, but had never seemed concerned about it. This new dentist feels I should have been fitted with a protective mouthpiece to wear at night that would provide some protection for my teeth from the grinding. She advised me to consider the protective mouthpiece at a minimum, but stressed her advice would ultimately be to see a specialist that would be able to determine a surgical solution to stop the behavior all together. Surgery? What?! No, let's talk more about that mouthpiece. I was thinking plastic mouthpiece similar to what athletes wear for protection. Cheap, simple, effective. Oh no! My mouthpiece is going to cost me $650 and depending on the severity of my grinding, it will last anywhere from 4 MONTHS to 2 or 3 years. "You've got to be kidding me!!!" was all I could think at that moment. Still, I'm thinking that's a better alternative to having my jaw broken & reset.
Thinking the worst was over and at most I was looking at having to shell out approximately $2000 to have my issues resolved, I felt mildly relieved. I was trying to be positive and reminded myself that for more than 10 years I never had a single dental expense outside of regular cleanings. I was due for some work, right? Plus, neither issue was new. I was aware of both problems. Sure it would suck to fork over so much money for something like dental work, but that's life. At least it's stuff that can be fixed before it gets worse & costs even more, sort like home maintenance.
Well, then it was Jax's turn. Again, we were off to a good start when the dentist declared that he was cavity-free! Woo hoo! The only thing of concern on his x-rays was that his nasal cavities appeared to be inflamed. The dentist suggested we schedule an appointment for Jax with an ENT to rule out the need to schedule him for surgery to remove his adenoids. What?! More surgery?!? I guess we'll wait to see what the ENT says before stressing over the unknown. An appointment to discuss Jax's frequent nosebleeds and allergies was in order anyway. We'll just add this newly discovered swelling to the growing list of ailments.
Next, the dentist wanted to discuss Jax's underbite. She diagnosed it as a class III and said more than likely Jax will need to be fitted with a retainer and reverse headgear as soon as his 6-year old permanent molars come in. This will help pull his upper mandible forward and even out his bite. Otherwise, we're looking at surgery to correct the problem when he's older. By then, I was thinking, "What is it with this dentist and surgery?!" Ultimately, I felt better when she told me that Jax's underbite was inherited from his father. She knew this because she had examined Anh earlier that day and taken his full dental history which involved an extended period in braces to correct an underbite. Ahh ha! I knew it. It's Anh's fault. That's usually the case!
(An example of the headgear. Yes, that's Dakota Fanning. Even celebrities have underbites.)
I couldn't pin everything on Anh, however. The dentist felt a need to share that Jax also grinds his teeth. Apparently, I don't have to take the blame for that trait quite yet. The dentist assured me that most children grind their teeth, and she was not advising me to purchase a ridiculously expensive mouthpiece for Jax as well. Well, that was a freakin' relief! Although, something tells me the retainer and headgear won't be cheap! Oh, and before you're horrified about poor Jax's self-esteem when he's finally fitted with the contraption, let me pass along that he will only be required to wear it at home and probably for not more than 6 months. I guess that's not so bad when you consider the alternative is jaw-breaking surgery. Again, what is it with this dentist and her threats of future jaw-breaking for both me and Jax? Maybe we need a second opinion. Yes, I think a second opinion is in order. Just to be safe...
Monday, May 24, 2010
Here's to Good Health
While they can be a handful at times, Anh and I are extremely lucky to have two happy & healthy little boys. That thought was confirmed yesterday by our new pediatrician, Dr. M. The visit came just in time for Baylor's 2-year old check-up and Jax's required Kindergarten physical.
First, let's get the stats out of the way. Not much has changed. As usual, Jax landed squarely in the 50th percentile for both height (42.5 inches) and weight (41.5lbs). Baylor is still an overachiever when it comes to his weight (32lbs) and landed in the 97th percentile. However, he's slacking a bit when it comes to his height (35.25 inches) and ended up sliding to the 75th percentile. All in all, both boys fall into healthy ranges, and that's all that really matters.
After going over the boys' medical histories with Dr. M, I was instructed to stop listing that both boys had once been diagnosed with heart murmurs. At this point, Baylor's murmur appears to be completely gone. While Dr. M could still hear Jax's murmur, he agreed with the cardiology report in Jax's records and labeled it completely innocent. When I pressed for more info on whether it would become a concern if it was still present at a certain age, Dr. M reassured me that the murmur is just a characteristic of Jax. It's just a part of who he is & how his little heart sounds. It's in no way a defect and should just be considered normal. Good to know!
When Dr. M asked whether I had any other concerns, I mentioned my worries about Baylor's communication and Jax's "allergies." Dr. M reassured me that Baylor may be struggling a bit with communication because he's hearing both English and Vietnamese, but that his language skills are not so lacking that we should be worried. Dr. M offered to refer Baylor for speech assessment if it would ease my worries. I haven't decided yet, but I may take him up on the offer in the future.
With Jax, I mentioned that we worried about his frequent throat clearing. I explained that the best we can tell it seems to be seasonal and related to what we assume are allergies, but that the over the counter allergy medications we've tried haven't been able to provide relief. Dr. M's advice was to purchase hypo-allergenic pillow and mattress covers. It seems Jax could be reacting to dust mites. If we don't see improvement with that change, then we'll move on to trying prescription Singulair. Taking pills daily does not sound pleasant. So, I'm crossing my fingers that the pillow & mattress covers do the trick.
I think we made an excellent choice in Dr. M. He has a great bedside manner and clearly has experience with anxious mothers that tend to over analyze minor details when it comes to the children's health. I'd say that makes him perfect for us!
First, let's get the stats out of the way. Not much has changed. As usual, Jax landed squarely in the 50th percentile for both height (42.5 inches) and weight (41.5lbs). Baylor is still an overachiever when it comes to his weight (32lbs) and landed in the 97th percentile. However, he's slacking a bit when it comes to his height (35.25 inches) and ended up sliding to the 75th percentile. All in all, both boys fall into healthy ranges, and that's all that really matters.
After going over the boys' medical histories with Dr. M, I was instructed to stop listing that both boys had once been diagnosed with heart murmurs. At this point, Baylor's murmur appears to be completely gone. While Dr. M could still hear Jax's murmur, he agreed with the cardiology report in Jax's records and labeled it completely innocent. When I pressed for more info on whether it would become a concern if it was still present at a certain age, Dr. M reassured me that the murmur is just a characteristic of Jax. It's just a part of who he is & how his little heart sounds. It's in no way a defect and should just be considered normal. Good to know!
When Dr. M asked whether I had any other concerns, I mentioned my worries about Baylor's communication and Jax's "allergies." Dr. M reassured me that Baylor may be struggling a bit with communication because he's hearing both English and Vietnamese, but that his language skills are not so lacking that we should be worried. Dr. M offered to refer Baylor for speech assessment if it would ease my worries. I haven't decided yet, but I may take him up on the offer in the future.
With Jax, I mentioned that we worried about his frequent throat clearing. I explained that the best we can tell it seems to be seasonal and related to what we assume are allergies, but that the over the counter allergy medications we've tried haven't been able to provide relief. Dr. M's advice was to purchase hypo-allergenic pillow and mattress covers. It seems Jax could be reacting to dust mites. If we don't see improvement with that change, then we'll move on to trying prescription Singulair. Taking pills daily does not sound pleasant. So, I'm crossing my fingers that the pillow & mattress covers do the trick.
I think we made an excellent choice in Dr. M. He has a great bedside manner and clearly has experience with anxious mothers that tend to over analyze minor details when it comes to the children's health. I'd say that makes him perfect for us!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Winded
Well, it was reported to us by Jax's teacher, Ms. L, that his week long absence from school definitely took a toll on him. It's not that Jax fell behind on the school work. It's only preschool, after all! The effects of Jax's lingering chest cold were witnessed on the playground. Ms. L laughed as she described how Jax was winded after running a few laps around the yard. She said that the absence of his "endless amounts of energy" was proof that Jax is in fact human!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
A New Hobby
I'm sure some of you were beginning to think that Anh & I decided to stay in Vegas to pursue new careers as professional gamblers, but my absence was not due to anything quite that glamorous. Nope, the lack of blogging is because we returned home to 2 very sick little boys. I'm not sure of the diagnosis, but both have horrible chest congestion, runny noses, and fevers. They were symptom free when we left town last week. Well, Baylor did have a runny nose, but that's it. My oh my, things changed almost overnight.
Aunt Nguyen reported that both boys were miserable by Saturday evening. Evidently by Sunday, Jax was having mild hallucinations thanks to a lack of sleep resulting due to night sweats and the inability to breathe thanks to his horrible phlegm. Neither of the boys had much of an appetite, but thankfully, their moods stayed relatively pleasant. Although, I doubt Aunt Nguyen would rat them out either way.
My fingers are crossed that we'll see a big improvement ahead of this weekend's excitement, The Daytona 500 race. Like Grandfather, Jax has been looking forward to this race since the moment last year's race ended. I won't deny him the chance to go, but it would be nice to know that he'll actually enjoy himself & be able to breathe while enjoying the sights from the grandstands.
Who am I kidding? He's going to have a blast regardless of his health. It's the Daytona 500 & he's a car-obsessed 5-year old boy going to the race with his car-obsessed best friend, Grandfather. Guaranteed good times!
Aunt Nguyen reported that both boys were miserable by Saturday evening. Evidently by Sunday, Jax was having mild hallucinations thanks to a lack of sleep resulting due to night sweats and the inability to breathe thanks to his horrible phlegm. Neither of the boys had much of an appetite, but thankfully, their moods stayed relatively pleasant. Although, I doubt Aunt Nguyen would rat them out either way.
My fingers are crossed that we'll see a big improvement ahead of this weekend's excitement, The Daytona 500 race. Like Grandfather, Jax has been looking forward to this race since the moment last year's race ended. I won't deny him the chance to go, but it would be nice to know that he'll actually enjoy himself & be able to breathe while enjoying the sights from the grandstands.
Who am I kidding? He's going to have a blast regardless of his health. It's the Daytona 500 & he's a car-obsessed 5-year old boy going to the race with his car-obsessed best friend, Grandfather. Guaranteed good times!
Monday, November 23, 2009
18 Month Check-up
Friday was rough. We love Dr. N, but I think Friday's appointment has convinced me that it's time to find a pediatrician closer to home. It's a decision I've been struggling with for a while because Dr. N is about the best pediatrician you could ask for, but the 2-hour round trip drive has just turned into such an ordeal. I don't think I can do it anymore. Regardless of how great our doctor may be.
Aside from the drive, the visit went relatively well. I was pleased to discover that the waiting room wasn't packed with sick children. Jax and I were probably the ones that made everyone nervous with our coughing since we are still dealing with chest colds. Luckily, we were called back pretty quickly, and all of the other mothers were able to breathe a sigh of relief, literally.
Baylor was cooperative while the nurse checked his measurements. His noggin falls into the 85th percentile, and he landed squarely in the 95th percentile for both height and weight. Dr. N seemed pleased that he was at least on the growth chart, since for a while there he was skyrocketing off!
Once we made our way into the exam room, it's like a switch was thrown. Baylor immediately decided that he was not interested in being there anymore. I strongly suspect that he's now old enough to remember what happens when he visits Dr. N...shots! As soon as Dr. N came into the room, Baylor became combative, refusing to let her examine him. He was running a temperature when they checked him which wasn't a surprise. I thought he felt warm when I picked him up out of the crib that morning. My first thought was, "Great! I hope this doesn't prevent him from getting his flu vaccines. If I drive 2 hours and don't end up with him vaccinated, I'm going to be pissed." Luckily, the fever wasn't an issue.
However, Dr. N did want to thoroughly check his ears, nose, and throat to rule out any infections. Like I said before, Baylor wasn't having any of it. I did my best to pin him to the exam table, but clearly, I need to lift some weights or something because he easily overpowered me. Out matched by an 18-month old. I should be ashamed! After a 15-minute struggle, Dr. N was able to rule out any obvious signs of infection.
Weary from the battle, I put Baylor down on the floor while Dr. N explained which 18-month vaccines Baylor would be receiving and also outlined what symptoms would be considered warning signs of complications from the flu vaccines. I did my best to listen, but I was distracted by Baylor who was trying to completely dismantle the exam room in record time. Dr. N asked me whether I had any concerns that I wanted to discuss, and I said no, but explained that Anh and I both suspected that Baylor may be going through the "Terrible Twos" early. Dr. N just looked at me with an expression that clearly said, "Gee! Ya' think?!?!"
With that, Dr. N was out the door and on her way to see the next patient. I can't say I blame her. I would have run screaming from the room too, what with 2 out of the 3 people coughing their lungs up and the 3rd behaving like a nightmare. So, while I may be sad that we won't be able to continue to see Dr. N, I have a sneaking suspicion that she's not going to miss us quite as much.
Aside from the drive, the visit went relatively well. I was pleased to discover that the waiting room wasn't packed with sick children. Jax and I were probably the ones that made everyone nervous with our coughing since we are still dealing with chest colds. Luckily, we were called back pretty quickly, and all of the other mothers were able to breathe a sigh of relief, literally.
Baylor was cooperative while the nurse checked his measurements. His noggin falls into the 85th percentile, and he landed squarely in the 95th percentile for both height and weight. Dr. N seemed pleased that he was at least on the growth chart, since for a while there he was skyrocketing off!
Once we made our way into the exam room, it's like a switch was thrown. Baylor immediately decided that he was not interested in being there anymore. I strongly suspect that he's now old enough to remember what happens when he visits Dr. N...shots! As soon as Dr. N came into the room, Baylor became combative, refusing to let her examine him. He was running a temperature when they checked him which wasn't a surprise. I thought he felt warm when I picked him up out of the crib that morning. My first thought was, "Great! I hope this doesn't prevent him from getting his flu vaccines. If I drive 2 hours and don't end up with him vaccinated, I'm going to be pissed." Luckily, the fever wasn't an issue.
However, Dr. N did want to thoroughly check his ears, nose, and throat to rule out any infections. Like I said before, Baylor wasn't having any of it. I did my best to pin him to the exam table, but clearly, I need to lift some weights or something because he easily overpowered me. Out matched by an 18-month old. I should be ashamed! After a 15-minute struggle, Dr. N was able to rule out any obvious signs of infection.
Weary from the battle, I put Baylor down on the floor while Dr. N explained which 18-month vaccines Baylor would be receiving and also outlined what symptoms would be considered warning signs of complications from the flu vaccines. I did my best to listen, but I was distracted by Baylor who was trying to completely dismantle the exam room in record time. Dr. N asked me whether I had any concerns that I wanted to discuss, and I said no, but explained that Anh and I both suspected that Baylor may be going through the "Terrible Twos" early. Dr. N just looked at me with an expression that clearly said, "Gee! Ya' think?!?!"
With that, Dr. N was out the door and on her way to see the next patient. I can't say I blame her. I would have run screaming from the room too, what with 2 out of the 3 people coughing their lungs up and the 3rd behaving like a nightmare. So, while I may be sad that we won't be able to continue to see Dr. N, I have a sneaking suspicion that she's not going to miss us quite as much.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Contagious
This week has been a bit of a struggle. Jax and I have both fallen victim to an evil cough, but it has affected us in very different ways. While my cough is dry, it is constant and has lead to some horrible irritation in my chest and throat. Jax's cough is the exact opposite. His is only occasional, but it sounds terrible because he's horribly congested.
Today, we are all headed to see Dr. N, but Baylor is the only official patient. Jax and I are just along for the ride as Baylor receives his scheduled 18 month vaccinations, as well as the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines. The poor boy is going to feel like a pin cushion!
I suspect that during our visit, Jax and I will be asked to model the latest fashion accessory, a face mask, and honestly, I hope they're available because these coughs are anything but pleasant. I don't want to pass them along to anyone. Especially, with Turkey Day right around the corner. Hopefully, that doesn't scare anyone out of coming to our house! I've already made out the menu, and the food will be worth the risk. Trust me!
Today, we are all headed to see Dr. N, but Baylor is the only official patient. Jax and I are just along for the ride as Baylor receives his scheduled 18 month vaccinations, as well as the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines. The poor boy is going to feel like a pin cushion!
I suspect that during our visit, Jax and I will be asked to model the latest fashion accessory, a face mask, and honestly, I hope they're available because these coughs are anything but pleasant. I don't want to pass them along to anyone. Especially, with Turkey Day right around the corner. Hopefully, that doesn't scare anyone out of coming to our house! I've already made out the menu, and the food will be worth the risk. Trust me!
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