As a grade one teacher, I know the importance of patience. But when your recovery menu consists of pureed tuna sandwiches, it’s a little hard to be patient!

I should back up a bit here: I am currently recovering from double jaw surgery.

On April 7, 2022, I went to STEGH to receive the surgery that would get me one step closer to a straight smile and less pain.

It all started when I went to the dentist to have them look at my shifted teeth. I left knowing that my discomfort was caused by a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder– an issue with the joints connecting your jaw to your face. I also learned that I needed surgery.

Before my surgery, I was full of anxiety. I had to test negative for COVID in order to even get the surgery, and with two appointments having been rescheduled already, I isolated myself from everyone! It was hard to believe the night before that it was actually going to happen.

The day of, I walked into the hospital (alone), went through screening and headed up to the waiting room. I am no stranger to being in a hospital – I’ve delivered two babies and had other surgeries – but not having my husband or anyone by myside was difficult.

The nurses and staff at STEGH really helped me know everything was going to be okay. From reception to pre-op, each person was so kind and kept me informed of everything that was happening – it was great knowing that I would truly betaken care of.

In pre-op they put my IV in, and then I was wheeled into the Operating Room. Everyone said hello. It was so calm, and you could genuinely tell everyone loved their workplace. The nurses got me a warm blanket, and my anxiety melted away –before I knew it I was asleep.

My surgeon, Dr. Keyvan Abbaszadeh, even took the time to call my husband to personally let him know the surgery went well and I was okay.

I spent the night in the ICU due to the nature of my surgery. I was quickly given pain and nausea medication intravenously, and the nurses made me as comfortable as possible. Everything went well that night, and I was on my way back to my family the next day.

I am so grateful for my doctor, the nurses and the other staff who took such great care of me. And I have to thank you as well, because much of the equipment that was used in my surgery was funded by donations – your donations.

You can only do so much without all the tools you need, and I am grateful that you made them available for me when I needed them. I hope you will consider helping future patients who need IV pumps for their care too!

By the time you read this, I am sure I will be eating solid food and continuing to heal from my surgery!

All my best,