Pain- 1/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 118/122 Energy Level- 7/10 I had my second surgeon appointment today and he said I am still healing well! He also said that 70% of the swelling is gone. Where is this other 30%? I have no idea. I can't see it, but I do believe him. He said the final 30% of swelling should be gone in two weeks. I'm excited to see what my facial features look like after this final 30% is gone. I'm thinking a lot of the swelling is inside my mouth (it feels crowded in there) and some is still along my jawline. But like I said, to the untrained eye, you can't even tell. I am still tightly banded shut, BUT only until Monday (17 days post-op). I currently have two bands on each side. One set in the back and the other set more towards the front and the positioning is exactly like what the orthodontist would give you for overbite correction (Class II bands). So, on Monday, I remove the bands in the back and were the Class II bands 24/7 (except when eating) and change them as needed. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited. This should also allow me to open up just wide enough to talk more clearly. I honestly believe the biggest challenge will be the psychological adjustment. When I had my bands off at the surgeon's office, I found my self pushing my lower forward just like I used to without even thinking. I was hoping that having my jaw immobilized post surgery would mean I would lose that range of motion, but it's still there. It hurt a little when I did it. I felt a pop that felt like when your back is achy and you pop it and it hurts, but feels good... Does that made sense? So, I need to be very careful and I have no idea how long it will take. According to psychologists, it takes 3-6 months to break a habit and form a new one. I'd imagine it will take about the same amount of time. Once I am through that portion, I will write a post about how to help yourself through the psychological process. Right now, I plan to spend a lot of time looking in a mirror so that my brain can connect the image it is seeing. My brain still thinks I have an overbite and is moving and behaving as such. You literally have to retrain your brain. Sounds intense, right?
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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 |