Of Mice and Men...

[Minimalist]

---

Hello. I Figured I'd open up about what's been going on since yesterday morning. 

As some of you know, I was supposed to be getting a rhinoplasty (nose job) yesterday morning. I broke my nose when I was very young, and it seems the older I get, the bigger my dorsal hump becomes, and the more difficulty I have with breathing. Improving the appearance and function of my nose is something I had wanted ever since I can remember, but always put it off because of how expensive it is. 

Well, I decided this year would be the year I was finally going to be able to make it happen. In October, I started working by cleaning houses for other Air Force pilot wives who have kids and needed some help keeping their home clean. That same month, I also started doing a bunch of research and looking for the best rhinoplasty surgeon in Texas. After a couple weeks of research I found the perfect man for the job - a rhinoplasty specialist with a practice in Austin... 4 hours away from my home. 

Unfortunately, he is in such high demand that I couldn't even get a consultation with him until December... which at the time was 2 months away. When I finally went in for the consultation and was happy with him and with how it went, I requested to schedule a surgery date ASAP... which wasn't until March 23.

I spent the next few months not only working to save up money to pay the $9,000 up front, but also researching everything that has to do with nose jobs, and making preparations accordingly. Nose job recoveries are no cake walk by any means, so I researched everything I could do to make the whole thing go smoother. I seriously have a whole duffel bag of supplies I bought/ordered for this, my freezer is full of special meals I prepared and froze the past week, I bought a whole house humidifier, and rented a lazy boy recliner. I was also preparing my body for it by being on a special paleo diet for the past 2 weeks, aimed at speeding up recovery. And I avoided foods that cause bleeding/swelling like the plague. I was taking about a dozen different herbal supplements and vitamins to prepare my body accordingly, and trying to get as much sleep as possible. I deep cleaned the house and had everything set up and ready to go for when I came back with a new nose to nurse, and my husband had arranged a whole week off from work to take care of me.    

So after all this investment and all this buildup and all this preparation/planning, the day was finally supposed to be yesterday - Wednesday March 23. My husband and I drove the 4 hours to Austin on Tuesday, spent the night at a hotel, and walked into the surgery center at 6:30am for the big event. The nurse took me back and the pre op procedures began. I changed into a hospital gown, peed in a cup for testing, and was sitting on the lab chair ready to get my blood drawn for more last minute testing. That's when the nurse came in and told me my urine tested positive for pregnancy, and that the surgery would no longer take place. 

First of all, ummm, what?? I'm pregnant?? I hadn't even missed a period yet. My period wasn't even due to start for another few days. 

And second... what was that about the surgery being cancelled??? 

Unfortunately, I can't feel happy about finding out I have a baby because I'm too disappointed and frustrated about the surgery to feel anything else at the moment. But that was my very long way of letting you guys know I am with child.

---

As someone who is almost qualified as a health professional, let me say that's total BS. If you want to have half a glass of wine while pregnant no one can show it's harmful. And things need to be put into perspective in any case. Even if the procedure is harmful while pregnant - in the first 2 weeks it's not going to do diddaly squat. And by that I mean anything that harmful will just abort the zygote, not cause ongoing developmental harm to it.

I was hearing on the radio recently about a lady that was denied a coffee because she was (obviously) pregnant. And to be honest at her stage of pregnancy caffeine can be harmful to the child, that's not theory it's a fact. There's no known safe level. But that said, health advice allows women to have two coffees a day. So I do disagree with refusing her a coffee, but if the barrister knows that caffeine is harmful to pregnancy I don't disagree with his choice either. I also kind of respect the other point of view and I would have preferred to have heard the lady say something like "health advice is I can have two coffees so it should be fine" which she didn't say (on the radio). When people don't know what's advised then they're in a position where they're not able to defend themselves the way they should be.

Anyway, I'm very sorry to hear about that situation sounds like you are certainly in the right.

But you are not qualified as a lawyer.  That doctor was practicing "defensive medicine" as in, "if I do it and something goes wrong I get sued and my malpractice insurance rates go up."  The US does not have enough doctors but we have way too many fucking lawyers.