Tuesday
Today was the day…
I saw both my surgeons. They are so great. The lead surgeon is Professor Johan Reyneke. I was his 8983rd operation – that’s 17 to go before he has done 9000 and today I learned from his assistant Dr Singh that that’s lower jaw only. If you add top jaws, he’s exceeded 14000 operations altogether. He pioneered the surgery in South Africa 40 years ago, when everything was different. The technology was not as advanced as today. The anaesthetics not so refined and the equipment chunky and not as gentle as used in my operation. I shudder to think what I would have gone through if I had been operated on as a 15 year old. Forty years later, the techniques, tricks and tips have been perfected by the Prof to enable a clean cut and the far less painful recovery that I have so far enjoyed. Prof Reyneke has risen to become world renown for orthognathic surgery and is asked to speak around the world on a regular basis. He rues the day he will have to stop operating. He is passionate about his work and very good at it. What a privilege to have had him as my surgeon. He’s 73. I sent him daily updates via whatsapp from Friday to yesterday. He thanked me profusely for them saying they were great to receive. I think it was because I had no complaints! Unique surgeon indeed. He was fine with my progress and I see him again in 6 weeks time.
Yesterday I wasn’t feeling 100% so asked David to be on standby today to drive me to today’s appointments. He said he’d drive me even if I was fine, so he had taken me into town. Right after the first appointment, we scuttled into the city centre to Chris Barnard Memorial Hospital for me to see Dr. Singh. He was the assistant surgeon who had done the implant and he asked if I could stop by to have an x-ray. I got there 15 minutes later than planned. Getting into the hospital needs extra time to begin with and then I got flagged by their computer system because I’d been in hospital within 7 days. Eventually, I got up to the rooms and greeted the receptionists. There were other people in the waiting room. I stood to one side, carefully socially distancing myself. I’d been there 30 seconds when the secretary called me. She told the person waiting that I was to go in first! I felt so privileged, but such is the nature of Dr Singh. And he didn’t rush either. We had a chat and he did the X-ray himself before examining the implant site. Dr Singh’s initial quote was R16000, but after the operation he had it down to R8000, submitted it to medical aid and they paid immediately. I was thrilled with that.
These are the final costs:
- Prof Reyneke – R35000 (He gave me a 10% discount for paying in advance)
- Dr Singh – R8000 (Medical aid paid his whole bill)
- Dr Spies the bubbly anaethetist R13000 (she also gave me a discount)
- Mediclinic Cape Town copayment R3300 (this was just my payment – I haven’t seen the balance of the hospital bill yet)
- I’ve rounded the figures out, so the final cost was R60 000.
Medical aid covered a chunk but not all.
I’m grateful the worst is over and now it’s time to march forward through the balance of the 6 week recovery period. Week one is done – 5 to go.The swelling is slightly down and the bruising is varying shades of purple through to yellow. The pain is ten times better. Pain pills taken today:
- 3am – Genpayne x 1
- 7pm Genpayne x 1
The discomfort is like when you’ve had a local anaesthetic at the dentist and it’s wearing off – you get this ache in the region – that’s what I’ve got in my bottom lip and in my chin. It will all take a while to subside but eventually it will.
We drove back to Echo and David and Mike went to stand in the entrance so I could take a comparison photo….15th October 2019
23rd June 2020. The bush next to Mike’s head in the photo above is the bush next to David’s head in the photo below.
The main thing that is going down at Echo at the moment is the light steel frame corners of Julian’s floor are being reinforced with concrete inners. This will make them far more resistant to the wind.
We’ve had some beautiful weather this week. Purloins have also been going in…
And our super duper spa bath arrived….I’ll take a soak in that.
Mike has been a superstar. I aspire to be as fit and able as he is when I’m 69.
I did a few hours work today, but now I’m tired and will turn in early I think.
Corona Stats – June 2020
- Tuesday 16th – 2801 new cases – 57 deaths (42063 recoveries/32646 active)
- Wednesday 17th – 4078 new cases – 79 deaths (44331 recoveries/34407 active)
- Thursday 18th – 3478 new cases – 63 deaths (44920 recoveries/37233 active)
- Friday 19th – 3825 new cases – 94 deaths (47825 recoveries/38059 active)
- Saturday 20th – 4966 new cases 😨 – 46 deaths (50326 recoveries/40478 active)
- Sunday 21st – 4621 new cases – 53 deaths (51608 recoveries/43764 active)
- Monday 22nd – 4288 new cases – 61 deaths (53444 recoveries/46155 active)
Total cases: 101 950. Total deaths: 1991
1 Peter 5:10
The God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
The best is yet to come.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Braces:
1 year and 223 days