Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 121/122 Energy Level- 6/10 Today was definitely easier than yesterday. It's encouraging that the days keep getting better and better and hopefully that pattern will continue. Since there is not much new to report on today, I thought I would explain how I am keeping my mouth as clean as possible while my teeth are banded together:
One thing I have learned while having braces is that no matter how confident you are that there is no food in you mouth, there is always something hiding somewhere. Especially with the crazy patterns that the elastics are in after surgery. My energy level is lower than yesterday because I had a hard time getting comfortable on my back. Thankfully, those headaches and neck cramps I was having did not occur at all today. It's weird, but that was honestly the worst part of the recovery so far and I'm pretty sure it was preventably had I known I needed better support for my head and neck. I tried eating mashed potatoes today (one of my favorites), but it did not go well. They did not want to go through my teeth the same way soups do, so I ended up making a big mess and spent 10 minutes cleaning it all out of my mouth. It was disappointing. They were even thinned out to an awkward and unnatural mashed potato consistency. I did not need to use the narcotic painkiller at all today. I am continuing to use the Ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory and to keep any sneaky pain away. The bottle says it is supposed to last for 8 hours, so I am trying to go at least 6 hours without taking it. A small dull ache emerges in my jaw at about the 6 hour mark and I have no idea what kind of pain will follow (and I don't care to know!). The swelling is also continuing to slowly go down. I think it is at the point to where it will be so gradual that I will not be able to tell without a photo comparison. Today, I noticed I could feel my jawbone. I have a fairly prominent jawline and it is nonexistent at the moment. Yesterday, I couldn't even feel my jawbone, so that's progress!
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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 |