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
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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 |