Thanks for understanding...

I've had several health issues during recent years that have prevented me from being as active here as I would have liked. Many of my early health problems were related to Strabismus. My Eyes Apart web blog explains more about Strabismus and those who suffer from it. (I hope to start updating "Eyes Apart" again this fall.) Strabismus interfered with my ability to focus my eyes. I've had eye muscle surgery twice, as well as vision therapy, for the strabismus. My focusing problems are better.

I've also experienced a gradual closing of my upper airway near my larynx. This caused a moderately severe sleep apnea, which has been greatly relieved with CPAP. But daytime fatigue during mild exertion worsened until I could barely walk without exhaustion and shortness of breath. Medical doctors marvelled at a dental xray that revealed less than 1mm of airway space in my larynx area. But it was hard for them to understand it or relate it to my air hunger.

In October of 2007, I saw an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Scott Bolding. Dr. Bolding confirmed what I had suspected -- that my airway problems were related to a lower jaw injury I'd experienced in 1965, plus an upper jaw that stopped growing in late childhood.

I was also diagnosed with MGUS in 2002, and Multiple Myeloma early in 2008. Medical doctors often related my breathing problems to that, or to "deconditioning." At one point they were relating them to heart failure, but that has since been ruled out.

Then on May 21 of 2008, Dr. Bolding performed a surgery that gave me back my life! Dr. Bolding said optimal surgery would have been to replace the joints in my jawbone, as well as surgery to extend my upper jaw. But I had lost my insurance when I lost my job because of health issues, so I could not afford it. My Oncologist wants to give me Zometa for the Multiple Myeloma, which will likely make it impossible to have jaw surgery in the future. So Dr. Bolding did a more affordable procedure, a form of chin augmentation surgery which moved my tongue forward and gave me several millimeters of airway space!

Immediately after surgery I could breathe more freely again. I had more energy and stamina than I've had in years, though I have remained on CPAP at night. My Myeloma is well controled at present. But recently my breathing and fatigue level are not quite as good as they were the first weeks after surgery. So I continue to hold off on the Zometa for now, in case I find a way to do the joint replacement surgery. Dr. Bolding has told me that there is a tendency for the tongue to revert back to its previous position after this type of surgery. He says the joint replacement surgery would be more permanent and would likely provide me significantly more airway space. At the same time, he realizes the importance of my taking Zometa for the Myeloma.

Meanwhile, I'm catching up with things I've had to neglect at home. Hopefully I will be able to do more on my websites eventually also. Many of you have offered encouragement or expressed thanks for this website. I'm not able to respond to all, but your notes have meant a lot to me. Thank you for taking time to write.

God bless you all!

Lois Turley, RN
July 5, 2008