Hello, everyone!
I have had a handful of people email me to say that my blog has inspired them to document their own journey! Which is fantastic! If you want to share your blog/website on mine, I thought it would be neat to have one place where others can share their sites. When I was looking for different blogs, I found one really good blog, but I wanted to find other blogs too in order to get a better idea of what this journey would be like from multiple perspectives. Plus, I would love to follow your journey with you! With all that said, post in the comments your own journey and/or a link to any website or blog you have started. Anything you contribute will be of help to at least one person who is reading through multiple websites trying to alleviate some anxiety from such an intimidating procedure. Quick Update: Nothing has changed. I wish I could say otherwise with the numbness, but the only thing that has changed is that I am more used to the numbness.
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I apologize for being a couple of days late with this... I had an emergency in the family and was not able to find time. I do plan on adding pictures, but right now the camera on my phone is broken. I'm hoping to have that fixed within the next couple of weeks.
The jaw popping and locking has gotten better in the last month. I think I may have hurt my jaw while trying to unlock it and that made it more painful for awhile until it healed. It does still pop and and lock up, but not too bad right now. It may even be weather related... I'm pretty sure that's a thing. I never regained feeling in my chin, lip, and gums. I still have sensations, so there may still be hope. Everyone has a different opinion on how long it takes the nerves to heal. The longest I saw was 18 months. I'm used to the numbness now though, so if it is something you are afraid of happening, it isn't all that bad. More annoying at times than anything. I have said this several times, but once you get past that first couple of weeks, time flies by. If you are following my journey, you are probably wondering if it is worth the pain and inconvenience. I would do it all over again if I had to. This process was 100% worth it in the end, but it won't always feel that way. You will wonder why you did this to yourself, but those moments of discouragement are just moments. The results of a comfortable bite is something you will be thankful for the rest of your life. Personally, I am grateful that I no longer have to always be thinking about holding my jaw forward so that I look "normal." I can relax and not care anymore and know that I do not look and feel deformed. That alone made this worth it for me. I have really enjoyed everyone's emails and questions. Please don't hesitate to ask me questions or what your concerns may be. I'd love to help! Sorry for being M.I.A. for the past couple of months... Grad school has been crazy!
Not too much to report on other than numbness and jaw popping. Numbness and feeling has not changed at all. I am still numb in the left side of my lip and chin and inside along my gums, but I still have random sensations and poking feelings from time to time. I am just now starting to not notice the numbness as much and I'm getting used to it. Like I've mentioned, it can take a year or longer for the feeling to return and if it doesn't, I would still have gone through with this entire process. To have my teeth fit comfortably together and not have to hold my jaw forward to look "normal," makes it worth it. I would honestly say that I'd do it again even if I needed double jaw surgery and a genioplasty in order to achieve these results. 3 months of pain, discomfort, and inconvenience is nothing compared to a lifetime of a comfortable, fully functioning, and beautiful smile! Since my last post, my jaw popping has increased quite a bit. It feels as if my jaw slightly pops out of place and I am unable to close my jaws fully until it pops. It's a little painful and sometimes my jaw feels sore afterwords. I may get it checked out one day, but for now it isn't too big of an issue for me to make an appointment. I believe that is all there is to update you all on! Thank you all so much who have read my blog posts and followed me through my journey so far! Please feel free to ask me anything you want or just seek encouragement as you venture through your own journey. Wow! Six months since my surgery! I'm not lying when I say each month goes by faster than the one before!
In all honesty, nothing has changed. I am having more sensations in the numb parts of my chin and lip, but no additional feeling has returned. It still tickles when I touch it, which by my understanding is a good sign. From what I gathered from research, once the tickling feeling has stopped, that's when you know your nerves are done healing. Don't quote me on that, though! Just a common thread I noticed! Last month my jaw popped a lot! This month I can recall one maybe two times my jaw popped. Now it's like popping my knuckles; no pain or soreness afterword. My teeth are still sore. My guess is that this is because my teeth are trying to shift back to where they were, but my retainer is not letting that happen. Therefore, the force is making my teeth sore. I do expect this to subside after a couple months post-braces. I bought some denture cleaning tabs to soak my retainers in once a week. It's just the off-brand at Wal-Mart and this seems to help a lot with buildup. I rinse my retainers overtime before and after removing them from my mouth and once a day I clean them with the hand soap at my bathroom sink. You are not supposed to use toothpaste because it can scratch the plastic and bacteria can grow in those crevices. My whitening treatment is still going... I got tired of doing it after 15 treatments and have 5 left. I am determined to get it all done this week though! One theme I noticed when searching through jaw surgery blogs and forums is that a lot of people needed/wanted this surgery, but had no way to pay for it. Let's face it, surgery is expensive and jaw surgery seems to be a surgery that is needed, but not exactly pressing in most cases such as a heart surgery. Therefore, many people are waiting for the right time to make that move into orthodontics and surgery. Whether it be that your insurance does not cover this type of surgery or does not cover enough of it, I wanted to share with you the various options I have come across that may help.
Care Credit This is a credit card designed specifically for medical purposes. If you have good credit, or know someone who does that would be willing to cosign, you can apply for this credit card to help pay. Every surgeon's office is different, but mine prefers to not do payment plans. If you cannot pay, they want the balance paid with this card. Thankfully, this is a much smaller bill when compared to the hospital bill so if you had to choose which bill to put on a credit card, this one would be the fastest to pay off. From what I understand, based on what you use the card for, and other reasons, you qualify for a 6, 12, 18, or 24 month promotional period. Meaning that if you can pay off the balance within whichever promotional period you have, you do not have to pay any interest. If this is something you would like to look more into, click here to be directed to their website. Note: I did not need to use this option, so I don't know too much about and how exactly it works. If this is something you are considering, do your research and ask someone in your surgeon's insurance department any questions you may have. Also, make sure they will take it! Not everyone will take Care Credit, so make sure you do this first if you are seriously considering it as an option. Payment Plans My hospital is giving me 12 months of monthly interest-free payments of about $200. So, if I were to do the Care Credit option to pay my surgeon bill, I would have a monthly payment of about $200 as well (Assuming a 12-month promotional period). $400 a month for 12 months is a lot, but if it's something you think you can afford it's worth considering. Tax Return Money This is how I am paying for my surgery. Last year I used taxes to pay for my down payments for the surgeon and hospital and this year I am using it to finish it off. I'm honestly not sure what people usually spend their taxes on, but if you are willing/able to sacrifice a years worth of tax return money, it is well worth the investment! Sorry to be late with this update. In the midst of the holidays I came down with the flu, so I didn't feel up to writing a blog post.
Anyway, one more month down! Honestly, not much has changed this month. I rarely experience those stabbing pains or tingles anymore. By my understanding, as long as it tickles or tingles when touched, the nerves are still trying to wake up. I experience these tingles when I touch my lip or chin and I have noticed more tingles as I floss my gums. Before, I couldn't feel the floss on my gums, but now it tickles when I floss. This is by far the slowest process of recovery. It took me a week to get used to my retainer. I still have a little bit of a lisp when I talk and I have a hard time keeping it in all the time. I eat all the time and brushing my teeth and cleaning my retainer is a big commitment to ending my snacking for a length of time. I'm working on it though. I am in the middle of my at home whitening process and it's going well! I can already see a difference in the color of my teeth. Hopefully the results show up in the photos. In a couple weeks I should be completely done and see the full results! Well, I think that is all to report on for now... Please email me or comment below with your questions! I'd love to be of help! Today was my appointment to pick up my retainers. I chose the Hawley retainer per my orthodontist's recommendation because of how severe my issues were and this retainer is stronger and more likely to keep everything in place.
How did the appointment go? When I arrived the lab tech brought my retainers and showed me how to put them in and take them out. She then spent about five minutes taking them in and out in order to bend the wire as needed to make sure that the wire fits snuggly against all my teeth. After this was done, she taught me how to clean them and other care instructions. To clean them I cannot use toothpaste because it is abrasive and will scratch the plastic, which will be a place for bacteria to grow. So, I am supposed to use a little bit of hand soap and warm water. She also gave me a photo collage of my before and after photos and we spent some time looking at them. I have gone through a dramatic change and I literally forgot how bad my teeth were. My self-esteem was tied into my smile and I didn't talk to anyone or smile or laugh because of how self-conscious I was. I was isolated and depressed because of my smile. I don't even recognize that person anymore because of how my self-esteem has grown and I can finally come out of my shell. So, if you are thinking about doing this, do it. It will be beyond worth it. I would do it 100 times over if I had to because of how much my life has changed. Two years is all I invested to have decades of confidence and comfort with my bite and smile. How long do you have to wear the retainers? I have a retainer check appointment in two months. Until then, I have to wear them 24/7 except when eating and brushing. After this appointment, hopefully I will get the OK to only have to wear them at night. My orthodontist came by and made sure the retainers fit correctly. I then asked him a few questions: What can I do about the white spots on my teeth? He told me that most of those spots were already there and the new ones should fade with time. He also suggested whitening because it will minimize the contrast and help the white spots blend in. Google says the white spots are there because I did not take care of my teeth during my treatment. I did the best I could with brushing, flossing, and waterpiking. So, hopefully they will fade away soon! When can I bleach my teeth? Right now. He ground off all the glue and I am good to start my whitening phase. Should I use a whitening strips or go to the dentist? He said "try the cheap stuff first." Makes sense. The whitening strips work for some and not for others, so why not give the cheaper alternative a try first? How do the retainers feel? My talking is very slurred and hard to understand right now. I was told this will get better as I talk more and get used to them. The bottom one is sorta cutting into the area under my tongue, which is uncomfortable. I didn't realize this until I got home though, so make sure you move your tongue around a bit to see if you have this problem and maybe it can be fixed before you leave. When I take the retainers out, my teeth initially feel a little sore, but nowhere near as sore as I expected. They are real easy to pop in and out and haven't been an inconvenience so far. As I went in for a typical checkup my wires, tie backs, and power chain were removed and I waited for my orthodontist. He looked at my teeth and said that they are where they are supposed to be and if I had an extra two hours, he could take them off because he had an opening! So, of course I said yes! I literally was not expecting my braces coming off and was actually worried that they wouldn't come off at my next appointment. So, here is what all happened: Permanent Retainers For starters, my front two teeth will not stay together. So, the orthodontist's assistant took a very tight power chain and to hold them together and said that the permanent retainer will hold the two teeth together. It took about 30 minutes to add the permanent retainer behind my top two teeth and then my bottom six teeth. My orthodontist said he would add more to the top, but I have a filling in one of the teeth and that could cause damage if a permanent retainer was attached. The assistant cleaned the teeth that would get the retainer, shampooed them, rinsed, and dried the area for application. It was a bit painful to hold my mouth wide open for 30 minutes. It felt as if I was holding a stretching position for too long. The permanent retainers do take time to get used to. I'd say that after 3 days, I am almost to the point where I no longer notice them behind my teeth. Pain for Permanent Retainers: 2/10 Removing Brackets Most of the brackets popped off without any pain or problems. There were about 5 or 6 brackets that were really sensitive and felt as if my tooth was being pulled out. Thankfully, it only took less than 5 minutes to remove all the brackets. Pain for Removing Brackets: 5/10 Grinding Off the Glue The orthodontist did this part. This was by far the worse of the experience. First, he would grind up into my gums, which really hurt and then some of my teeth were sensitive as well. It felt like an intense tooth cleaning. Again, my jaw feels sore and stiff from having to hold it open for so long. I think this part took about 15-20 minutes. The smell was awful. It smelled like when you grind your nails to shape them (if you've ever done that). Not to mention all the dust that flies off your teeth. When the orthodontist is grinding your front teeth, the dust easily flies into your nose and that makes it hard to breath. Not to mention the constant urge to sneeze and your jaw being angry. Pain for Grinding Off Glue: 7/10 Polishing This is to smooth out each tooth and make them shiny. Again, had some sensitive areas, but this was much more bearable. Once he was done, my teeth felt so amazing and smooth! This was a short process and only took about 5-10 minutes. Sorry I don't have details on more of how he ground the glue off and polished. I had my eyes closed most of the time and didn't see what what he was doing. Pain for Polishing: 1/10 X-Rays
I had two different x-rays taken, one for a profile view of my teeth and another of my full mouth. Again, quick and painless and took about 10 minutes. Molds It is much easier and less awful to have molds done without brackets for the goo to hold onto. It took her a couple of seconds to pull the trays out. The top tray still felt like a mouthful, but it wasn't bad because I knew she would be able to take it out easily. Once she got each tray in, they had to set for a minute, this this took only about 5 minutes. Brushing I was then asked to brush my teeth really well... twice. This was also the first time I saw the "finished product." I didn't like my teeth at first. I thought they looked awkward and incomplete. I have had my braces off for 3 days now and I am starting to get used to seeing my teeth without braces and I like them more and more every day! Photos Once I brushed my teeth, it was time for all the photos to be taken. I had 3 taken with the awkward cheek pull apart things. Then another three: one relaxing my face, another smiling, and a side profile. After that, I was done! Retainers It was recommended that I get the metal retainer, not the clear one, because of how severe the gaps on my top teeth were. The orthodontist said that if any gaps do form that he can use the retainer to close them, which he can't do with the clear one. I go in on Tuesday to pick these up. Another month has passed! Seriously, I cannot believe how quickly time is going. Most of the time, I don't even remember that I had the surgery! If you are reading this an you are in the beginning stages of recovery, there will come a time where you don't even think about it anymore. My first month of recovery I felt as if time could not possibly go by any slower! Once you are able to chew again, time speeds up and before you know it, you will be 4 months post-op too!
Bills I still have not received the hospital or surgeon bill. Not really sure when to expect those either, but I am assuming that it will be any day now. Numbness If I had my feeling back in my chin, lip, and gums, I would definitely never even think about the fact that I had my jaw broken and repositioned. This numbness is literally the last reminder left. I have gained a little feeling back in the last month, but nothing dramatic. It feels strange to brush bottom row of teeth because of the nerve feeling starting to come back. By strange I mean uncomfortable. No pain at all, it's just awkward. The bottom left half of lip is about 75% numb and the area right below the left half of my lip is also about 75% numb. The rest of the left half of chin is 100% numb Remember nerves take 6 to 9 months to heal and for feeling to come back. Numbness at this point in recovery is completely normal and to be expected. Range of Motion My mouth now opens 100% (four fingers width). I can move it side to side and back and forth with no pain. Sometimes, if I move my jaw in an unusual way, it will pop. It hurts a little bit and is sore for a few days following. My jaw popped three days ago and it currently feels as if I pulled a muscle. I'm assuming that as my jaw gets used to moving around that it won't be an issue. My jaw pops less and less as the weeks go by. Swelling Since I was told that it takes a year for 100% of swelling to go away, I am hesitant to say I have no swelling. I no longer see or feel any swelling whatsoever. My jawline is just as defined as it was before surgery, which was something I was concerned about. I wrote a post (which you can read here) about the fears I had with my impending surgery. If you are about to have this surgery, chances are that you have some fears that may be the same as mine. I wanted to write a post to share how the fears I initially had really were in the midst of my recovery. Fear #1: I won't be able to breathe with my mouth banded shut. If you are having surgery on your upper jaw, your nose will be clogged and your mouth banded shut (most likely). Breathing will not be easy, but is still possible. For me, I had absolutely no issue breathing. My right nostril was filled with dried blood from the breathing tube, but I cleaned that out and had no issues breathing. I actually felt like I could breathe easier and better actually. When your lower jaw is underdeveloped it closes your airway to a degree. When the jaw is brought forward the airway is opened up and I noticed that immediately. Verdict: Not an issue Fear #2: Vomiting while my mouth is banded shut will be gross and impossible. I experienced nausea on only the first day and that is because I drank non clear liquids. If you stick to clear liquids (water, juices, broths, clear sodas) for the first couple of days, it decreases the nausea. I shared this fear with my nurse because I was drugged up on narcotics and needed to vomit. She told me since I have only had liquids that the vomit would only be liquid and would come out easily. Makes sense, right? For some reason I didn't think of that. Narcotics make me nauseous. However, I have never been given an anti nausea pill before and that made a huge difference. I would take that 30 minutes before (or anytime I had nausea) and never had an issue. Verdict: Not an issue Fear #3: I will accidentally poke through my incision site with the syringe and not feel it. Eating without a mirror is next to impossible and makes the process much more frustrating. Since I used a mirror, I was able to see what I was doing. Plus, I didn't really use syringes to eat, just to take medicine. I was able to use a straw to eat with ease and it was a much quicker process. On top of that I discovered I could drink from a cup as long as I was careful. Verdict: Not an issue Fear #4: I will be STARVING for 3 months. My first week of recovery I was in survivor mode. I ate to prevent weight loss and so that I would not be taking narcotics on an empty stomach. I would get hungry, but thankfully the hunger was easily satisfied. So, that leaves me with one more week that I ate with my mouth banded shut. I literally just accepted the fact that this was how it was and it was only temporary. Hunger was harder to satisfy and I got sick of pureed soups, but again I focused on it being temporary. My third week of recovery (day 16 to be exact) was when my bands could be removed to eat without chewing. It took a week to get my mouth to stretch enough to comfortably fit in a spoon, but it was a part of recovery I expected. Keep in mind I was told I would be on a liquid diet for a month and not chewing for another two. I was just excited to be eating solid food so soon. Noodles are filling and easy to swallow without chewing. While I was not eating what I wanted and not chewing, I could get so full that I was beyond satisfied. Again, I accepted this was a part of the recovery. I am a foodie. I love food. That's why I was so scared to have this insatiable hunger for three months. Keep in mind that double jaw surgery I much more invasive and a liquid diet will be much longer than two weeks. Also, every surgeon has different beliefs in how long to band patients shut. Verdict: Only an issue for a couple of weeks Note: Since every person and surgeon is different, please don't read this and get your hopes up. Ask questions and prepare yourself for whatever it is that your surgeon says to expect. Let me know what your fears are! I can let you know if I experienced anything like that and how it was for me. Which may help you feel better. Fear is always worse than the actual. Being 3 months post-op is the milestone that all jaw surgery patients are excited to get to because it means the bones have fully fused together and you are healed! This is also where eating is typically back to normal for those who had double jaw surgery.
The bones may be healed, but the nerves will take much longer still. I have been experiencing fairly painful stabbing and poking sensations in my chin and lower lip. When I drink something cold, it feels as if something cold is touching my outer chin. It's weird to feel sensations in one where when it's a different area being touched! I'd say that I can open my mouth as wide as could before the surgery. Yawning has helped stretched my jaw out and, as a sleep deprived student, I do a lot of yawning. I have been wearing my elastics at night as I am supposed to. The gaps are slowly, but surely closing. I still cannot believe how comfortable my bite feels and not having to always be thinking about where I am holding my jaw so I look normal. If you reading this a trying to decide if you want to get it, my advice to you is do it. The first week is the worse and it gets better after that. I'd say the first 3 weeks were the hardest overall. The first week you deal with discomfort and some [bearable] pain. This is the week I was in "survival mode" and didn't really care about what I was eating. I would eat and sleep and watch Grey's Anatomy. The second week was when I got tired of the liquid diet and felt more normal, but restricted. At week 3 I was aloud to start taking my bands off to eat soft food, but the challenge of that week was trying to get a spoon in my mouth. 3 weeks of all that for a LIFETIME of having a comfortable bite, ease of chewing, and a beautiful smile is worth it. It's okay to be scared. This is a scary operation. The fear is always worse than the actual thing itself. Still nothing new to report. My teeth were very sore after my orthodontist appointment and, as usual, I dealt with soreness the day of and then the following two days, but everything went back to normal on day 3 after my adjustment.
The power chain definitely made my teeth sensitive, but as of now I have no discomfort. The small gap between my two front teeth has not closed at all. However, it isn't very noticeable, so I'm not concerned about it. This will be my last weekly post since not too much is going on. I will post once per month and when I have my orthodontist appointments. I suppose it's a good thing that there isn't much to report anymore! Today was one of my last orthodontist appointments before my braces come off! I know it won’t be the next visit because I am scheduled for a ‘regular appointment.” Which I’m okay with because I want everything to be as perfect as possible so I don’t have to go through this again. Besides, I have had braces for so long that a couple more months than expected even wouldn’t be a big deal to me.
The assistant took my bands and wires out as usual and then I waited for my orthodontist to make his way to me. He checked out my bite and told me to wear elastics only at night now! So exciting. He then reshaped my teeth! No more ridges and awkwardness. The change is not that drastic, but it definitely looks a lot better. The assistant then put my wires and tiebacks back in and added a power chain along my top row in order to close the gaps. Also, I pointed out that in between my front two teeth there is a gap on the upper half, but not the lower half. So, my two front teeth were not fully touching on the sides. It was probably only noticeable to me and I pointed it out to my orthodontist and he was able to file it in a way so the power chains will pull two front teeth snuggly together. You know your teeth better than anyone else does because you spend the most time looking at them. If you see something you are not happy with, no matter how minor, ask to see if that will be fixed. Maybe it’s on your orthodontist’s radar or maybe he hasn’t noticed it. This is the week since I lost all that feeling in my left half of my chin and lip that I have experienced the most sensations. These sensations are either a sharp poke or as if someone is gently pressing a cool spoon against my chin. It feels weird!
Other than waiting for my feeling to return, life is normal and there isn’t really anything to report. My insurance claim is resubmitted and my responsibility for the hospital bill is about $2,900. Which is much better than the nearly $6,000 it was before. Make sure you are 100% sure that everything on the EOBs reflects what is in your insurance plan because if I didn’t know how much my in-network versus out-of-network benefits was, I would have been out $3,000! That is definitely not pocket change. As far as I can tell, my gum line and the inside of my cheeks are still 100% numb. Whereas my chin and lip are probably about 95% numb. Some change is good change! If I have residual swelling where I think I do (under my chin), it hasn’t changed in the past week. If you look at my swelling photos, you can see that under my chin and neck area was where I had the bulk of my swelling, so it makes since that this is where the last bit of swelling resides. Since last week, numbness has gone unchanged. I am experiencing very sharp poke-like sensations in my lip and chin, but no feeling has returned.
I seem to be eating whatever I want and no longer feel limited. I have successfully eaten and bit into burgers, a 3 inch thick club sandwich, and a grilled chicken wrap with no pain or discomfort. It is so amazing to be able to bite into something like that and my teeth tear the food perfectly. Before surgery, when I bit into food, my teeth would only cut halfway through the food and then I would have to savagely tear the rest off. If I was in public, I cut EVERYTHING into bite sized pieces, including burgers. I still do this while I have my braces on just because it helps keep my braces as clear of food as possible when I am out with friends. I have received my first bill and all of my EOB's are available online through my insurance company. Make sure you carefully look over your EOB's to check that the company deducted what they were supposed to according to your policy. My insurance clarified the hospital was in-network on the EOB and only paid 60% of the bill. According to my policy, in-network is to be paid at 80%. That is a difference of almost $3,000 dollars! So, I am in the middle of having that claim refiled. Once I receive all the bills and I know all the EOB's are correct, I will be doing a separate post and uploading all that. I would just prefer to do it all at once so it is in one place. My lips are FINALLY no longer abnormally dry! I still keep them hydrated, but it seems as if now applying a simple non-fancy lip balm is finally enough to do the job and actually combat the dryness.
The numbness has not changed and I have not experienced too many tingles or stabbing feelings as I did last week. Since my surgeon was not worried about my numbness suddenly returning, I'm not going to worry about it either unless it's still the same around being one year post-op. The biggest issue I am having right now is dealing with tight elastics and allergy season. I am very sensitive to ragweed, which is outrageously high in my area right now. The elastics are not tight to where it is difficult to open my mouth, but it does take effort to open it. At night when I am sleeping I have found myself waking up having trouble breathing because my nose is clogged and my teeth are banded together. I have an orthodontist appointment in 3 weeks and I am hoping that I won't have to wear elastics anymore. Although by that point I would have been wearing elastics for 3 months, which isn't that long compared to most people. The gaps that my orthodontist was hoping would close with the tiebacks are not at all closing, so I know I will get a power chain at this next visit. I am really excited to go because it is my first appointment since surgery where they are going to go back to the heavy duty shifting. He wanted to take it easy on me since I was only a month post-op, so I am hoping to see some huge changes from here on out. As for mobility, I can fit three fingers easily and now I have a little bit of wiggle room. Maybe a fourth of my fourth finger. If I continue at this rate, I should have 100% of my mobility back by the time I am 3 months post-op. I was not given any instruction to exercise my jaw, but it does feel good to massage the area and it does feel tender still. I would imagine that the swelling will stick around until everything is healed and I know I look and feel healed, but 100% recovery takes a full year. Which is something I have to keep reminding myself! Today was my final appointment with my surgeon until my braces come off (hopefully early February 2015). Since it was only a checkup, I was in and out in about 15 minutes. He checked my bite and commented on how well everything was touching. He then checked out my incisions sites by pressing his fingers along the site. The surgeon also spent some time rubbing the outside of my jaw where the plates are to feel to see if there is anything abnormal going on. I am still 10% swollen and that last little bit will take a couple more months at least to fully go away. (Click here to compare pre-surgery profile and 8 weeks post-op). The surgeon gave me the OK to resume to my normal diet! So I am good to eat those tougher foods like steak and apples as long as it does not cause any pain to chew or bite into it. Sunday morning I woke up and noticed that my chin felt weird. So, I touched it and the entire left side of my chin and lip went numb again. All that feeling I and gained back was, and still is, gone. I mentioned this to my surgeon and he said it is unusual, but as long as I had feeling it should come back. He is still confident that I will gain 100% feeling back. I have been experiencing at least 3-4 level stabbing pains in my left side chin and lip. It's sharp enough to make my eyes water, wake me up in the middle of the night, and make me stop what I am doing until it subsides. Still feeling sensations is also a good sign. I'm hoping by 6 months post-op I have most of my feeling back and 100% of the swelling is gone. At almost 2 months post-op, I can say that I have hit the point where changes are slow and patience is needed because there isn't much going on. I am still waiting for:
I have not had too many sensations in my numb areas. Once in awhile I get a sharp poking sensation or tingling sensations. My lips are almost back to normal and are not as dry this week as they were last week. I have not needed as much lip balm this week when compared to previous weeks. So, hopefully in a couple of weeks this will be back to normal. I'll admit, I panicked this week a bit thinking the swelling left is what my face will forever look like. I have a surgeon appointment on Tuesday and I plan to ask if I am swollen where I think I am. Through extensive research, it can take 6-12 MONTHS for 100% of the swelling to go down. So, if you are panicking like I am at this point, don't fret yet. There is still plenty of time for your face to return to normal. What is still left orthodontically:
At this point, I should only have 5 months of orthodontic treatment left! I have officially been chewing again for a full week! After reading the blogs of other jaw surgery patients, I thought that this process was going to be slow and painful and that is what I went into this week expecting. However, I experienced absolutely no pain or soreness while I ate and it felt as if it did not take any extra time to eat compared to where I was before surgery.
The more you have done in surgery (double jaw vs. single), the longer it will take to chew normally again. Honestly, I believe I have been very fortunate and since I did not have a splint and was only banded shut for a few days, that really sped up my recovery. I'd say the longer your jaw is immobilized, the longer it will take to feel comfortable chewing. I also bit into soft things and my teeth work! I have never been able to bite into a food and it be cleanly cut. I used to have to bite and then pull (like an animal) to get the bite of food to break away. Also, I have absolutely no more popping when I yawn, chew, or open my mouth. Meals I have chewed normally this week with no pain:
Sounds like a healthy menu, right? Right now I am focusing on just building my jaw back up with different textures of food. I don't usually eat all that type food in a weeks time, but it's been really good! So, how did it feel to chew? Awkward. When the insides of your mouth and inner lip and gum line is numb, you find yourself accidentally trying to chew your skin. After a week, I have gotten used to chewing while numb, but the first couple of days I was self-conscious about it. I also looked in the mirror after I ate and thought my face looked swollen! I panicked because I thought I hurt something without realizing it. However, and this is gross (warning), there was a TON of food stuck in my braces along my lower gum line. So much that I thought my face was swollen. The worst part of it was I could feel anything since my gums and inner cheek is numb. Tip: When eating in public, drink a non-carbonated beverage such as water or tea. That way you can discreetly swish it around to dislodge stuck food. That's a helpful braces tip in general actually. Why no carbonation? When soda is swished, it bubbles and fizzes and wants to exit you mouth the same way when opening a shaken bottle. Also, this fizz does not help dislodge food the same way as tea or water. I am still drinking a glass of the Breakfast Essentials a day since I am not eating as healthily as I would like and I have huge box to drink through. Once I finish the box I have I probably won't repurchase them. Here is a list of how I have been mentally categorizing foods so I can better illustrate what I am eating:
Going off of these various "levels" of chewing, here I began this past week at Level 4 and prior to being allowed I chew, I was at Levels 1-3. As I felt comfortable, I moved up a level and did not go passed Level 7. As I mentioned, I did not experience any pain or soreness or tiredness while trying to chew. Levels 9 and 10 I probably won't attempt until my braces come off to minimize the chances of breaking something. Level 8 I would personally feel comfortable waiting until I am 3 months into my recovery. I would say that my diet is 90% back to normal now. In all honesty, it won't be 100% until my braces come off, therefore while I have them on I'd say I will reach 95% of my normal diet before surgery at about 12-13 weeks post-op. When I say "normal diet," I mean that I can eat whatever I want without worrying about hurting myself or my braces. There is little right now that I have had to deny and if you go to a restaurant, there is something on the menu you can easily chew and enjoy. Numbness: I would say I do have more feeling back in my right side of my chin and lip. It seems to be maybe at about 75%, maybe? and the other half of my lip is at about 25% as if the parts of that half of my chin I can feel. For the most part, I am still 98-100% numb in the left side of my chin. I went a couple of days without putting on any sort of lip balm and I woke up one morning to find a small crack in my lip that was bleeding. It wasn't too bad, but it took a couple of days of constant lip balm application to get my lips back to normal. Lesson learned: keep applying lip balm. I can now comfortably and effortlessly fit 3 fingers in my mouth, which means I have about half of an inch until I am back to where I was before surgery! Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 0/10 Weight- 120/122 Energy Level- 8/10 It has officially been six weeks since my lower jaw surgery, which means I am allowed to begin chewing again! Also, I accidentally lied about not seeing swelling. From the front, I look 100% normal, however from the side its a different story. I had looked at my profile before, but I didn't really look. Does that make sense? The swelling is under my chin and makes my profile look chubbier than it is. Since my front profile looks the same, I will start posting side profiles from now on. So, far it feel awkward, but I believe that it is mostly due to the entire lower part of the inside of my mouth being numb (inside bottom lip, cheeks, and gum line). As far as my jaw position, it just feels so good to know that I look normal when I chew and it feels comfortable to do so. I will post more about this in my 7 week post once I have more to go on. I am still tender to the touch when I lay my head on my hand. It's not painful at all, it feels like poking a bruise. Not painful, but sore. I'm sure it will take several weeks for that to go away. I would have to say that my energy levels are back to where they were before surgery. I have had 2 solid weeks scheduled full of errands, appointments, travel, hanging out with friends, and classes. It is still tiring, but who isn't tired after a long day of running around? This past week my numb areas have had a TON of sensations. Two nights ago, the sensations were enough to actually wake me up! The half of my chin and lip that I was 100% numb in I would say is now only 95% numb. The "circle of numbness" is definitely getting smaller and I have maybe a quarter size that is still 100% numb. The sensations come in the following feelings:
These sensations are more annoying than painful. It feels like it itches, but it is below the surface so scratching does nothing to alleviate the itch. It's torture. I can now fit 3 fingers in my mouth. It's tight, but they fit. Once I get to four fingers, I will be back to where I was before surgery. If I move my jaw forward and backward, it hurts a little. It feels like a muscle being forced to move a way that it hasn't had to in a while. Which makes sense since that is what is going on here. There seems to be a thin piece of gum tissue that has grown, sort of like a flap, and is over my back right molar. That is what is causing me the most irritation right now. I'm not sure how much of the feeling I have in this "flap," but if I am going to get more feeling back still then I will have to get it cut off. I will ask my surgeon about it next time I go in. Box elastics are not very easy to put in, so I thought I would list some tips since most of you all will probably have box elastics at some point in your treatment:
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WelcomeThis blog documents my journey through lower jaw surgery in hope of providing help and insight involving the experience. Archives
October 2015
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1 Year Post-Op 9 Months Post-Op 6 Months Post-Op Paying for Jaw Surgery 5 Months Post-Op Retainers Braces Off 4 Months Post-Op Fear vs. Reality 3 Months Post-Op 12 Weeks Day 81- Ortho. Apt. 2 11 Weeks 10 Weeks 9 Weeks Day 59: Surgeon Apt. 4 8 Weeks 7 Weeks 6 Weeks 1 Month Post-Op Day 27: Ortho. Apt. 1 Day 25: Surgeon Apt. 3 3 Weeks Day 17 Day 12: Surgeon Apt. 2 Day 10 Day 9 Day 8 Day 7 Day 6: Surgeon Apt. 1 Day 5 Day 4 Day 3 Day 2 Surgery Day (Day 1) Pretesting Appointment Surgical Hooks 1 Week Pre-Op Insurance is Complicated Caution with Insurance Pre-Op Appointment Planning and Preparing Orthodontist Apt. My Fears Pre-Op Date Surgery Date Phases of My Journey Life with Braces The Operation 3 Months Pre-Op |