Posted by learian on March 04, 2008 at 14:56:37:The big news is that I had my follow-up, post MMA sleep study with great results. My RDI's have been reduced from 46 to 13, and I find those results very rewarding. I continue to have much improved sleep and a much better quality of life even without knowing the significant reduction in my score. Dr. KL's interpretation of the results is that my MMA produced "excellent, but no exemplary" results. He would have like to have seen the RDI in the single digits. Although he could have advanced me more, he chose not to in order to insure a favorable aesthetic outcome. Here again, I am more than satisfied with the 12mm advancement and know that I would not have liked the look of anything greater than 12mm. He also pointed out that my initial RDI of 46 was probably inaccurately low given that I was only asleep for an hour and half for the first study and got a whopping seven in the second. His thought was that my RDI was more realistically in the 60s prior to the MMA.
I had a tooth pulled yesterday in preparation for an implant. I did not "go it" without the novacaine. Although not all feeling has returned to my teeth, I felt good, old fashioned pain when the oral surgeon poked around the molar. That was first time that I had my mouth open big and wide for such a long period of time, and I have to say that I am none the worse for wear today. Not all sensation has returned to my palate, gums, and teeth; but I think there is slow, but continuous progress. I wonder how much will come return to normal.
As the feeling returns in my mouth, I notice that I have had to relearn the eating thing again. Now that I am so physically aware of how far my teeth have been advanced, I am also having to work to keep the food back in my mouth. Coming from a background of "hardy and joyful" eaters, this means I really need to put less in my mouth with the fork or spoon.
If I have one complaint at this point, it would be that I don't like the feeling of my soft palate in its new, forward position. The partial uvulaectomy really helped part of the situation. Now I can realize just how much numbness has been reduced because it's only been within the last couple of weeks that my awareness of the soft palate as being like "a wad of extra tissue" really came into my consciousness. I did talk with Dr. KL about the possibility of a pillar procedure; however, he did not recommend it or a pharyngoplasty. His suggestion was to give it time. I'd like to think that I will just get used to this feeling.
Thanks so much for taking time to read this post. Not a day goes by that I don't think of the rich support you have given.
- Re: Post MMA Sleep Study & 8 Mos Update 23:06 3/05/08 (0)