Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 0/10 Weight- 120/122 Energy Level- 8/10 It took about 4 days after my orthodontist appointment for my teeth to not be constantly sore after my adjustment and addition to the box elastics. My teeth are sore from time to time, but that is to be expected since my teeth are constantly moving and shifting. Any discomfort is taken care of with a couple of Advil or Ibuprofen pills. I would say that my weight is officially back to where it is normally. I have always had a 4 pound fluctuation between 119 and 122 pounds. My energy is slowly starting to go back to where it was prior to surgery. This is my second week back into my normal routine and this week was much easier than last. I can start running again, but I would feel more comfortable waiting until 6 weeks post-op since where I run is either rocky or on trails, so the terrain is very uneven and I would hate to fall and hit my jaw. I got the OK to run at my last appointment when I was about 3 weeks post-op. I have been informed that it turns out that my surgeon was out-of-network. I am in the process of finding out why I was told he is in-network. The cost difference between the two is $2,500, so I am trying to figure out which it is. Frustrating. I feel like I am back to normal and I already forget that the surgery has happened. I have to remind myself while I am eating that I still have 9 days before I can chew. It's also confusing when I try to open my mouth wide and it won't open past two fingers. It takes a moment to remember that I had surgery and my lack of mobility is normal. The first two weeks of recovery really drag on, but once you get to the point where you cannot easily recall how many days it has been since surgery that is when time begins to fly. Each day goes quicker than the last. Through some research I have found the following timeline of how far you should be able to open your mouth at different recovery points:
I have not been instructed to do any sort of stretches and exercises yet, so I am currently not doing so. My next appointment is September 23 and I will be asking about this if I am not given the OK to start the exercises. My numbness still had not changed. I am having more burning sensations in the numbest areas, but from what I can tell the numbness is not going away yet. Before I wrote that talking felt awkward because my lip is numb. Thankfully, I am now used to this and it feels just as natural as it did before surgery. I still don't like being numb, but I don't really notice it anymore unless I am eating and drip something on my chin.
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Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 3/10 Weight- 119/122 Energy Level- 8/10 I met with my orthodontist for the first time since surgery today and the appointment took about 40 minutes. Everyone was so excited to see me! They knew it was my day to come in and everyone just couldn't believe the results. If you don't like to be the center of attention, mentally prepare yourself for this because everyone is excited to see you. The first thing that was done was the assistant took my wires out and took off most of the surgical hooks. I have some in my mouth still that I had before surgery for something called a tieback and these guys basically help close gaps. But the ones in the front and back are gone! The orthodontist put some detail bends in my wires and said my braces should be off in less than 6 months! So that is sooner than I was expecting. The assistant then put my wires back in and took some photos of my new bite and smile. The last thing she did was show me where to put my new elastics. They are called "box" elastics and are very forceful and used to really pull the top and bottom teeth into each other. I experienced no pain during this visit and the assistant was extra gentle with me. I can only open my mouth two fingers and that seemed to be plenty of space for them to do their work. The discomfort rating for today just comes from all the elastics that are making my teeth sore. It usually takes a couple of days to adjust after an orthodontist visit. Here you can see all the crazy going on inside my mouth. There are two different elastics. The first is the one going horizontally across the top and another going across the bottom. This is the tieback that I mentioned earlier. See the silver post? There is a gap between those two teeth on each side of my mouth and these tiebacks will close that gap. If not, then I will get a power chain my next visit. I had these tiebacks for months before surgery and the gap reopened after surgery since I did not have them through my recovery. I do not change these. They stay on 24/7 and of the 10 months I have had them, only one has broken. If one breaks, I have to go in and have the orthodontist assistant put it back on. The second elastic is the one in the square shape. This is the "class II box elastic." This will force my top and bottom teeth together so that they will lock into each other. These I do change myself and I have to wear them 24/7 except when I brush my teeth and eat. I was told that my teeth will be reshaped towards the end of my treatment, so I'm pretty excited about that! I have never really liked the shape of my teeth. When your teeth do not meet correctly, they don't wear down to look more aesthetically pleasing. See the ridges on the ends of my teeth? Everyone has them when their permanent teeth come in and the ridges wear down as you eat. But since my teeth have never met correctly, the ridges never had the change to be worn down.
I did not realize until the past couple of days that my entire lower gum line is numb as is the inside of my cheeks. So, I cannot feel when I have food stuck along my gum line. It's very strange to be confident that you don't have any food stuck, but then you look in the mirror and see more food than you ever have in your life stuck under the brackets and in the wire. I cannot wait until I have all the feeling in my face back.
Here is a list of additional foods that I have had success eating during my no chew diet:
My husband and I went out to Red Lobster and we always get their "4-Course Feast." I had no trouble eating the cheddar bay biscuits as long as I dipped it in the clam chowder, which was also no trouble eating. I love salad, but I was not able to eat that without chewing. I knew the vegetables and croutons would not work, but I was hopeful for the lettuce. Once I sucked the ranch dressing off, the lettuce was not possible to swallow. For the entree, I picked the shrimp and scallop linguini and this was nice and easy to eat. I just had to cut the scallops in half and the shrimp into thirds. Finally, I selected cheesecake for dessert. Again, no issues whatsoever eating this creamy dessert. So, it is possible to eat out at a restaurant, it's just important to really think about what you are choosing. Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 0/10 Weight- 119/122 Energy Level- 6/10 Today was my third appointment with my surgeon and I was only in there for about 15 minutes. He came in and looked at my bite and pushed hard on the incision sites and confirmed that they were completely closed. He said that the scar tissue is thick right now, but should thin out and not be so stiff in a couple of months. He then asked me questions about my numbness and took a sharp piece of wood and poked me with it to get an idea of the perimeters of the feeling. Basically, I have a circle about the size of a dollar coin the left side of my chin and lip. He said that each week the numb circle should become smaller and smaller. On the left side of my chin and lip, I could not feel the pokes at all. But on the right side I could. The surgeon said that I don't have as much feeling back as I think I do and it should be back in 2-3 months. He mentioned nerve repair surgery as something he sometimes has to do if the nerves did not heal properly or were too damaged, but he was hopeful that I would not need this. Whew! That was good to hear. That was basically it! He said he has spoken to my orthodontist and said that he is free to move my teeth and use whatever bands and wires as needed. I only have two more visits with my surgeon. One in one month and then he wants to see me one last time after my braces are removed. He told me not to start chewing until 6 weeks post-op and to start out with soft foods and work my way up. The bone will be fine. There is no chance of it breaking if I eat something too hard. The concern is the muscle and over working it. My jaw has a muscle that I have not used in 6 weeks by that point, so I have to rebuild the strength and endurance. If you can bench press 300 pounds, but break an arm in an accident, you cannot use that arm for 5-6 weeks. You lose muscle mass during that time and will be unable to go right back to 300 pound weights. You would have to start small and gradually work your way up. The jaw muscle is the exact same. He also said I should only be in braces for 3-6 months, but I think I will wait to see what the orthodontist says on Thursday before getting my hopes up. Yesterday and today were my first two days back into my original schedule of classes and running errands. I quickly became tired and my energy levels are definitely not where it was prior to surgery. Hopefully in a couple of weeks this will be back to normal. Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 0/10 Weight- 120/122 Energy Level- 8/10 Three weeks ago today I was being wheeled into the O.R. to have my lower jaw lengthened. I have halfway through my initial recovery to when I can start chewing again! If the next three weeks goes as quickly as the first three, then I will be chewing before I know it. This was also my first full week of being able to take my bands off to eat, which broadened my options for food. Eating The first two days of being able to take my bands off to eat was time consuming. I found myself eating a tiny bit and then making something I could just drink. However, after those first couple of days, it became easier and easier to eat. After five days of my no chew diet I have had no issues. I am now eating full meals and it takes me no longer than it did before when I could chew. I did learn a couple things though. The first is that as long as the food is wet, soft, and can easily be cut it will be no problem to eat. Dry foods cannot easily be swallowed without chewing. Here is a list of foods that I have successfully eaten with no chewing and no discomfort:
All of these foods were effortless to "tongue chew." It really helps your energy levels once you start consuming solid foods and your weight will begin to go back up. The second thing I learned is that as long as you can soften the food with a soup, milk, or other liquid it should be no problem to eat. I haven't tried this yet, but I could probably eat any sort of cookie (chocolate chip, Oreo's, short bread, etc) after being dipped in milk. If there is something you want to eat, just think if there is any liquid that would accompany it to make it easy to swallow without chewing. Third, you have to remind yourself not to chew. It's such a habit and it's unusual to not chew. I have accidentally chewed a couple of times and had no pain whatsoever, but that does not mean I can or should chew. I just have to really focus to keep from doing it. Talking I sound completely normal now. However, since my lower lip is still numb it feels awkward to talk, but the more I talk the less awkward it feels. I have looked in the mirror as I talk and it doesn't look weird, just feels like it. I am not getting sore or tired when I talk. I don't even really feel like I am recovering anymore. The elastics feel like something I would have received at the orthodontist and my teeth feel the exact same way. The main thing is getting used to talking with my jaw in its new position. Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 119/122 Energy Level- 6/10 This morning I took my bands off for the first time on my own! I had two elastics on each side, one set in the back and the other closer to the front. The back bands do not need to be put back on, but the others need to be worn 24/7. When I took them off, I used a pair of tweezers and they came off with no issues. I can only fit one finger in my mouth and I didn't realize how small of a space that was until I tried to brush my teeth. Even with my baby toothbrush, it was still too big to fit between my teeth. I was however able to use the WaterPik to get direct water onto the backs of my teeth and tongue, which was better than nothing. I decided not to eat soft foods right away, so I used the tweezers to hook the front bands on and gave speaking a try. I am so used to my teeth being clenched that I have to keep reminding myself that I can open my mouth a little to talk a bit clearer. With the bands on, I can fit half a finger in effortlessly. I'm sure I can stretch the bands more, but I don't want to put that strain on my jaw and risk snapping the bands. Maybe in a couple days I will be more willing to take some risks. As I mentioned, my speech is much clearer with just these two bands on. However, I have realized that I have habits of moving my jaw back and forth as I talk, so now I am trying to do that now post surgery. This doesn't hurt my jaw, my jaw is more like "hey, I don't like that anymore." It's a friendly nudge. Am I saying that I have to relearn to talk? No. Not at all. I just have habits that I didn't know about prior to surgery that are no longer necessary. I'm sure before surgery I was subconsciously trying to make sure my jaw was in the correct position by holding it forward while I spoke. I was aware of holding my jaw forward when just sitting and listening, but not while I spoke. Which makes sense because talking with my jaw far back felt unnatural and uncomfortable, so I would automatically hold it forward while my muscles fought to pull it back. Long story short, I have to get used to talking with my new bite. Just like going from driving your old car to a new one. You didn't forget how to drive, you are just accustomed to handling your old car and it will take a week or two to adjust to this new car. I'm expecting the same with talking and it will just take a bit of practice. For dinner, I attempted tuna salad and mac and cheese. It took FOR-EV-ER. Here's what I did:
Speaking of my tongue, I cannot stick it out between my teeth. If I try, it pushed my jaw past it's capacity and it hurt a little. This was a lot easier while looking into a hand mirror and make sure to have some sort of bib because this is messy! I'm going to try to eat this way at least once a day. It takes a lot of time and energy and I don't want to overdue it since I have not been approved to start stretching or exercising my jaw yet. While I did not eat as much food as I thought I would, it was nice to not be so tightly banded shut anymore. The soreness in my teeth seems to be better now as a result. 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? Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 119/122 Energy Level- 8/10 I decided since there really isn't any changes day-to-day anymore that this will be my final daily post. I will definitely continue to post as new things happen and when I go to appointment. I will make sure to do at least one post per week during my recovery. Today, I dealt with mostly soreness along the incision sites. A warm sea salt rinse gets rid of this soreness immediately though. Why sea salt and not table salt? I'm honestly not sure, but I have had several piercings and sea salt was always recommended by the piercers and table salt is a no-no. It just doesn't act the same as sea salt, so try not to use it unless that is what your surgeon says. Sea salt is soothing and extracts infections. So I figured the same applies to surgical sites. What I do:
It's important to not use too much sea salt because it is very drying and can cause irritation. I try to do this 2-3 times per day. I think I am having those spasms that you read about on everyone else's blog posts. However, mine don't hurt at all. It just feels like my jaw is involuntarily jerking. I also forgot my mouth is banded shut and tried to open my mouth real fast. Why? I don't know. No one else was in the room so it's not like I was trying to talk. Anyway, that more scared me than hurt. Any discomfort from that was gone after a few seconds. Sleeping no longer seems to be an issue. I didn't want to say anything until I has 2-3 nights of good sleep just in case it was a fluke. But nope! I have been sleeping well and not on my back. I can't do it. I did for a few days and just couldn't do it anymore. Last night was night 3 of being able to comfortably sleep on my side. I am still sleeping with 2 pillows (I usually don't use a pillow... I know, it's weird). So I am still elevated. I also did not take nor need to take any pain medications today! I occasionally have uncomfortable soreness in my teeth or a mild pulsing feeling in my jaw (rated 1-2), but these things only last a couple of minutes. My wisdom teeth removal was way worse than this. I was in pain ranging from a 7 to a 9 for two solid weeks. I felt completely normal again on day four. I know it's person-by-person, but I hope you all have as good of a recovery as I have. Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 120/122 Energy Level- 10/10 I actually slept 5 hours straight without waking up! It was amazing and I slept for an additional 5 hours and never needed to take any medicine for pain. I did take some Ibuprofen when I woke up just to help with any swelling that might have occurred overnight. The most noticeable swelling is still under my chin. It literally looks like I have a double chin at certain angles. My husband says it looks like all the swelling is gone. Aside from myself, he knows my face better than anyone and if he can't notice the swelling, I'm sure no one else will. Also, I bought a tub of Breakfast Essentials and it tastes so good! It looks, smells, and tastes exactly like Nesquik chocolate milk. Plus it is loaded with calories, vitamins, and protein. I drank about 1200 calories just in this drink today. Milk (I use vitamin D) is fairly filling and it kept me full for about 2-3 hours before I wanted something else/another glass. For Women I had to begin the next cycle of my birth control today. This past week I was on the placebo pills, so it wasn't a problem to skip last week. I debated skipping this month of pills and starting up again when I could, but the side effects of your body readjusting to the hormones was something I did not want to deal with. So, I decided I need to take the pills. But how do you take birth control when your mouth is too tightly banded shut and there is no way to squeeze the pill through? Dissolve them in water. Seriously. It took less than a minute to dissolve the pill in 5 mL of water. Then, I took it into a syringe and drank it. I made sure to drink a lot of water and swish it around to make sure it all was ingested. It seemed to work! Pain- 1/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 120/122 Energy Level- 9/10 I seriously cannot believe it has been a week since my operation. Time is going by much faster than I had ever imagined it would and before I know it, I'll be free and able to eat whatever I want! Last night I slept for 10 hours! I have been getting between 5-6 hours of sleep all week, so this was a personal best. I still woke up every 2-3 hours to pee and take some Ibuprofen, but that's it. The pain I am feeling in the middle of the night is more discomfort. It doesn't hurt, it just feels sore and achy. But a dose of medicine takes it away! I mentioned yesterday I was going to try to cut back on the Ibuprofen and I have managed to go 12 hours without any sort of medicine. I will continue to take it before bed to get me through the night and as needed any other time. The burning sensation I mentioned yesterday has gotten a lot better day and I think I have regained some feeling in that half of my lip. Not too much change any where else though. For Women I started my period 5 days post-op and it was very different than usual. I am on birth control, so I am very regular and it is the same every month. This month, my period was much lighter than usual and only lasted 3 days instead of 5. Jaw surgery causes a lot of stress on the body, so, don't be surprised if things are a little different. Pain- 1/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 121/122 Energy Level- 7/10 It's weird to be on "Day 7" when I am not quite yet at one week post-op. Since my surgery was so early in the day and a lot happened, it deserved to be "Day 1." Anyway... Yesterday, and all the other days post-op, it was very painful to even lightly touch my jawline because it was so tender. Today was the first day where this tenderness was not as bad. I think I mentioned this in past posts, but I always end up sleeping on my face no matter how I try to avoid it and it always hurt to have my skin in contact with something. I took a nap and woke up with no pain and little tenderness! Now I have to actually give a firm poke to feel any sort of discomfort. It seems as if the majority of the swelling is gone. I have a pocket of swelling under my chin and just a little along my jawline and on my face. I am pleased with how I look and feel already. I feel like I did before the surgery. I don't think I could have the energy for running around doing errands, but I don't get worn out while taking a shower or eating anymore. I am also going to start cutting back on Ibuprofen starting tomorrow. I am going to try to only take it before sleeping and if I need it when I first get up. I am going through a bottle of this stuff every two days and it's expensive if I don't need it. So, tomorrow I am going to see if I need it or not. The right half of my lower lip is starting to get feeling back. It feels as if I burned my lip on that half and and sort of touch, including a straw, burns. It's the weirdest thing. I looked at it very closely and it does not appear to be burned, so I think it's my nerve's way of waking up. Pain- 1/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 121/122 Energy Level- 7/10 I had my first appointment with my surgeon today. He said that I was healing better and looking better than he thought that I would at this point. He also said that the surgery could not have gone better, so that was good to hear! When I first arrived, the technician led me to a room to have an x-ray done. Prior to surgery, my back teeth only touched when my jaw was all the way back and resting. Even when I slid my jaw forward, there was a good 3-4 mm gap between my top and bottom teeth. Now my teeth touch! I have no idea how that happened, but it's a good feeling. It looked like there were only two skinny plates (one on each side) and each one was being held together with 3 screws on each side. So, two plates and 12 screws. The surgeon came in and clipped my bands off and had me move my jaw up and down a few times. It felt like getting a cast off: very fragile and unstable. He said I was doing a great job keeping my mouth clean and then he spent a little time irrigating my mouth. He told me I would be banded shut even tighter! That was disappointing to hear. I was expecting to have two tight bands that I change out 3 times a day when I eat. He says I will be tightly banded until week 3 and then each week graduate me to looser bands. It sounded like I would not be ready to go back to my orthodontist until week 5, but at this moment I am set to go back at week 4. I was too distracted and didn't think to bring this up, but I will for sure when I go back in 6 days. Another concern is that I go back to class 4 weeks post-op and being in a counseling program, I do a lot of talking. Therefore, I was not expecting to be banded shut for 5 weeks. I will share this with my surgeon and figure out a better timeline when I go back. I was honestly caught off guard by this because in every other lower jaw blog I ready this was not the case at all, so I did not think to ask these important questions. My husband and I ran a few errands today and it really wore me out. I was ready for a nap when I got home and I took a a very long one after I drank lunch. I also tried tomato soup (Campbell's with milk, not water) and it was amazing! I had been holding off because I was not sure how the acid would make my incisions feel, but it was fine. No pain or soreness. I accidentally discovered I can drink from a cup today too. As we were running our errands, I took a bottle of water with us and a straw. Without thinking I picked it up and drank and had no issues! I tried with a cup later and as long as I can watch the liquid it doesn't spill. I tried drinking in the dark during my nap and spilled all over myself since my lower lip is numb. This also makes taking medicine a lot easier as well! Sleeping still is not going very well. I keep waking up laying on one side of my face and it causes about 3-4 rated pain. Getting heat on it and taking some Ibuprofen gets rid of it in 5-10 minutes, but it is making sleeping very difficult. Even if I could lay how ever I want, it would hurt. So, I am trying to avoid pain when I sleep and I cannot wait until I don't have to worry about that anymore. I lied about only having a couple bruises. It was unintentional, but in my defense, the bruise is yellow, appears in only certain light, and is one huge bruise. It covers the entire lower fourth of my face, down my neck, and about 3-4 inches into my chest. The only time I can see it is when I am in bathroom (this room has the best lighting) and it does not even show up in photos. The surgeon pointed it out as well. It's a bit strange. 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! Pain- 0/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 121/122 Energy Level- 7/10 I am definitely getting a little bit better each day. I did not sleep well last night because I could not get comfortable no matter how hard I tried. So, my energy level was a bit down today. I thought that I would share how I am cleaning my mouth since there is not anything new to report:
One thing I have learned while having braces is that no matter how confident you are that you got all the food out of your brackets, there is some hiding somewhere... I love mashed potatoes, so I decided to have that for dinner. It was awful and messy and would not go through my teeth to be swallowed. It was disappointing to say the least. They were even thinned out to an awkward constancy, but I don't think I is a good food to try. If it works for you, good. If not, I understand the disappointment and sadness that comes from it. I did not take the narcotic at all today, but I am continuing to take the Ibuprofen since it is an anti-inflammatory and to keep any sneaky pain away. The bottle says it works for 8 hours, so I am trying to go about 6 hours between doses. I think I took it 4 times today, which is an improvement! It's really awkward to not be able to use your tongue. When you have this surgery, you become aware of the small things you didn't notice prior to having your mouth banded shut. Licking food of your lips and feeling food on your face are a couple. I can feel my jawbone today! I have a fairly strong jawline and it is nonexistent at the moment. Today was the first time I could feel it through the swelling. I feel like at this point, the swelling will be so gradual going down I won't be able to tell without a photo comparison. Today was definitely better than yesterday! Keep your chin up! :) Pain- 1/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 121/122 Energy Level- 8/10 Eating I slept most of the day, so not a lot of eating has been happening. I had an Ensure, milk, a bowl of blended chili, water, and broth. I am definitely getting tired of blended food already. Mostly because it takes so long to eat. It took an hour to eat a bowl of chili that I could have scarfed down in under ten minutes before. Oh well. I'm trying to remain patient and hopefully I can switch to soft foods after my appointment on Thursday! Sleeping Sleeping is getting easier. I still don't like being on my back, but I am able to sleep for more than a couple hours at a time now. Usually when I get up, I need to pee. I am peeing every two hours because of the liquid diet, so it's a bit frustrating when trying to sleep. Pain So, my pain from surgery today was basically non-existent. I had a head-splitting migraine this morning and the Ibuprofen was not cutting it. So, I had my husband bring out the hard stuff. I took the narcotic and have been pain free ever since. I may need to take that once a day until my neck figures itself out. Numbness Still numb in my bottom lip and chin. I am feeling some tingling today though. The bruise on my lip is looking much better today compared to a couple days ago. No new bruises have appeared and the old ones are slowly fading. Medication Mostly taking children's liquid Ibuprofen every 4 hours to keep the pain away. I'm not feeling up to not taking the medicine to see how the pain is. I'm not that curious. :) Other I keep thinking I still have an overbite and small jaw. My lower jaw is sitting in the same position as it used to when receded, but now it is the proper length. Without thinking I try to push my jaw forward like I used to. I can tell this is going to be a painful habit to break. Plus when you have gone your whole life having a small jaw and holding it forward to look normal, the idea of not having to think about what your jaw is doing is unconceivable. This is not just a physical change, but a mental one as well. Pain- 3/10 Discomfort- 2/10 Weight- 121/122 Energy Level- 8/10 Eating I did a ton of sleeping today, so I did not eat as much as I should have. Today's meals consisted of an Ensure, a half can of soup diluted with milk, 16 ounces of apple juice, water, 8 ounces of Gatorade, an apple sauce squeeze pack, and a cup of chicken broth. The soup needs to be strains in order to be eaten easily, but other than that, I had no trouble eating. It is definitely difficult to watch others around you eat wonderful things like sloppy joe's and french fries or a delicious smelling salad. It is even harder to watch all the food commercials on television, so I am trying to stick to Netflix TV, movies, and shows that have been recorded on the DVR. My husband bought things for chili tomorrow, so I am looking forward to that! Sleeping I was waking up every two hours as I was yesterday, but I was able to sleep for four hours straight. When I woke up, I felt great! Energy wise to say the least. Pain I gave my pain a three today and it has nothing to do with my actual jaw. The muscles in my legs and neck are extremely sore and crampy. My husband bought one of those U shaped travel pillows and it has relieved all the pain I was experiencing in my neck and the headaches. I had pain about a 1 with my jaw. It was more achy than anything. The Ibuprofen took care of all the pain I have been experiencing today. I got the OK to switch to heat today and that was when my swelling really started to decrease. Yesterday's photo is how I looked all day today until about 3 uses of the heat. It felt so amazing and my face feels much better. This has helped tremendously. I am also making it a priority to shower each day. It feels refreshing to be clean and my face is excessively oily after the surgery. Any little thing you can do to feel better, do it. It makes a huge difference. My teeth are also very sore. I'm not sure if this is because of the surgery or the orthodontist appointment before the surgery. If at all possible, try to go to the orthodontist at least a week in advance so your teeth are not more sore than necessary. Numbness I would say that it has not changed from yesterday to today. The bruising has gotten a lot better and the swelling and skin on my neck and under my chin are very sore when touched. Medication I took the narcotic twice today. The first time I was very achy and had a huge migraine. I was frustrated because I was so tired and could not communicate what I needed. I ended up crying and getting very emotional gain. I'm trying not to cry because my nose gets very stuffy and it is more difficult to breath. So, I'm trying to keep my emotions under control. Pain- 1/10 Discomfort- 2/10 Weight- 124/122 Energy Level- 7/10 Eating I have not eaten as much as I hoped I would today. I had two Ensures, a cup and a half of beef broth, a lot of water, one of those apple sauce squeeze pouches, 8 ounces of Gatorade, and a half can of Campbell's beef tip soup. I think the 2 pounds of weight gain came from the swelling. My head feels like a bowling ball, especially with the ice packs on. It is also more difficult to swallow because my neck is so swollen that it is partially cutting off my airway. It basically feels like I have a lump in my throat that a good cough would get rid of, but it won't go away. My throat seems to be my biggest complaint at the moment. Sleeping I am sleeping in two hour increments and staying up for two hours and then going back to sleep. I woke up at 2:00 pm and I have managed to stay up for the last six hours and I am feeling pretty good. I just got out of the shower, which helped open up my sinuses. Plus, it feels good to be clean. Pain The pain I have experienced is soreness in my neck and shoulders. Like I said, my head is like a bowling ball and my muscles are not used to supported a swollen head and a ton of ice. My neck is stiff and the warm shower helped that feel better too. My husband is calling the surgeon tomorrow to make my first post-op appointment and he is also going to ask when I can switch to heat. Numbness I am beginning to gain some feeling back. My bottom lip and chin are 100% numb and the rest of my face is slowly coming back. I can feel my face pulsating and tingling and itching, so something must be happening. Medication I only took the narcotic one time today and have decided I will only take it if I need it. I have been continuing to take the liquid Ibuprofen every 2-4 hours. Not because I am in pain, but to keep the pain away and it is also an anti-inflammatory so, hopefully it will help with the swelling. I began my antibiotic this morning as well. It tasted like Pepto-Bismal, so it wasn't too bad to take. I have to take this two times a day, so I took it again after dinner. I brushed my teeth using a tiny Monster's Inc. toothbrush. I mainly focused on the top row and the front teeth, staying completely away from the incision sites. I spent a good 5 minutes with my Waterpik (I have been given the ok to use this on the lowest setting) rinsing out the toothpaste and getting rid of food particles. What works the best for me was to allow my mouth to fill with water and gently swish it around and letting it fall out of my mouth into the sink. I'm sure I didn't get all of the food out, but definitely a good bit. Lastly, I rinsed my mouth out for the first time with the bacteria killing mouth wash, which tasted like Listerine and thankfully did not burn. Other My bottom lip has also turned blood red and I have no idea if this is normal. My mom had determined it's a bruise, which would make sense since there are other bruises that have appeared today. I also cannot tell if my teeth are banded super tight together or if I am clenching my teeth. So, my teeth are a bit sore today from that. It's probably a combination of the two. Yesterday, I could talk fairly coherently, but today I cannot be understood at all. The swelling has gotten worse and I cannot be understood at all when I talk. I don't think I mentioned this in the last post, but I do not have a splint in. The surgeon said he rarely leaves those in when working on single jaw surgery patients. Hopefully, that will help me keep my mouth cleaner and minimize nastiness. Overall, so far so good. This is no where near as bad as I thought it would be, which I am very grateful for! Pain- 8/10 (10 being the most painful) Discomfort- 2/10 (10 being most uncomfortable) Weight- 122/122 (122 being my pre-op weight) Energy Level- 3/10 (10 being normal level) Hospital Arrival I arrived at the hospital at 6:45 this morning. I mentioned in the previous post I needed to be there by 6:30, but on Friday I was called by the hospital at told to be there anytime between 6:30 and 7:00 am. I had to check in and the receptionist took my Driver's License and about ten minutes later gave me a few sheets of stickers that have my name, date of birth, and other information. I was given a hospital band and directed to go the surgery waiting room. Surgery Prep After about ten minutes of waiting in a ridiculously comfortable recliner, a really nice woman came to get me. She told my mom and husband to wait while she took my back to get prepped. I was allowed to go to the bathroom one last time and then was taken to change into my hospital gown. It was a very nice shade of pink with a teddy bear on it and had connections so that heat could be connected if I got too cold. The bed was also really soft and comfortable! The lady asked me a few question about my health and whether or not I had eaten or drinken anything. I was given a pill to help with nausea and the tiniest bit of water. I was dying of thirst! Lastly, she took my blood to check for pregnancy and then hooked up my IV. The anesthesiologist came by to tell me about what he will be doing and the risks. Again, a super nice man! He had me blow out of each side of my nose to see which one I breathe the easiest out of. He said that will be the nostril they will put a tube down and gave me a nasal spray to open up my nasal passages. I told him that I never use these sprays and I'm not sure what to do. He saw me struggling with it and came around to the side to help me out! It was so sweet. I held one nostril shut and he counted to three and then I breathed in. The spray tasted disgusting and burned, buy man it really did open my sinuses up! I only encountered one rude nurse during my stay. If you know my husband, he is the sweetest person and his intentions are for the best of others (I'm not saying this just because I am biased!). He was paging through my chart when a nurse cam out of nowhere yelling, "Who are you?!" He explained he was my husband and she said, "No! You CANNOT look at her chart." I was not nervous or anything until she did this. She was really rude and a kind, "Sir, I'm sorry but you cannot look at that" would have sufficed. I was angry and felt bad for my husband because he does not deserve to be talked to that way. Thankfully this person was not my nurse! I was prepared to suggest a switch if she was. So lesson learned: Don't look at the chart because you may get your head chewed off by a grouchy nurse. My surgeon arrived and went over again what I should expect and what he will be doing. He said he was moving my jaw forward 3 centimeters! The incision sites will be about three inches long on each side. He said there would be tube down my nose for the surgery to breathe for me and not to be surprised if I bled out of my side. He said he will take the tube out before I even wake up and slide another tube down my stomach to pump out all the blood. His goal for me to not experience any nausea. The anesthesiologist's assistant came by and introduced herself to me and explained what her job in the OR will be. Again, super nice woman! I was blessed in the amount of lovely people who worked with me. She gave me a medicine and said it may burn, but thankfully it did not. She said it will calm my nerves and will make me drowsy. What it really did was knocked me out! Before, though, I kissed and hugged both my mom and husband and was wheeled away and was out cold not even 10 seconds later at 8:20 am. Post-Op I woke up and was told that everything went well. I only lost 75 mL of blood and was good to go home when ever I was ready. The surgery took just under 2 hours and was quicker and easier than expected, so that was good news to hear! The time was about 11:10 am. I did experience nausea after the nurse gave me some Sprite. Let me just pause and say I literally could not have asked for a sweeter and more compassionate nurse. She was amazing! My pain was a 6/10 when I first woke up and slowly escalated to a 8.5/10 over a 30 minute period. The nurse gave me an anti-nausea and then a couple of doses of Codine. I was pretty out of it at this point. My mom and husband were great support and I was grateful that they both could be there. There was only one instance in the hospital where I felt as if I was going to throw up. I got very emotional and cried. I think I was just in the regretting stage and I was asking myself why I did this to myself. The nurse, my husband, and mother gathered around me and rubbed my back and told me everything was okay. I became very tired about an hour later and fell asleep. During this time, my husband and mom went out for lunch. I woke up and the nurse told me this and that they should be back soon and asked me if I was ready to go home. I said sure! She escorted me to the bathroom and it was so hard to walk. It felt as if I had weights attached to my limbs. Thankfully, the nurse was able to support me and I tried to pee. It was very difficult to pee and I could not get out what I needed to. This lasted all day until about 12:30 in the morning (a little more than 12 hours post-op). The nurse then helped me get dressed and by the time I was ready for my shirt to go on, my mom and husband were back and they helped the nurse finish dressing me. A really nice man came in with a wheel chair and I asked to go pee one more time. The nurse went in with me to make sure I was okay. Seriously, she has the BEST bedside manner I have ever encountered. I am so grateful for the staff there. I got into the wheel chair and my husband left when I went pee to get the car. The man wheeled me out and was giving my mom some tips with the ice packs (leave them on as much as you can and with as thin of fabric as possible. The more direct the ice is, the better). I was discharged at about 3pm the same day as surgery. Eating I was told to remain on a clear liquid diet all day (something I did not really comprehend for some reason). We stopped my Sonic for a banana milk shake, which is my favorite). This made me very sick and this was when I was the closest to throwing up. This thick shake combined with my narcotics was very nauseating. I got very emotional again and cried. I was so scared to throw up and I didn't want to. Thankfully, I was exhausted enough to fall asleep and I woke up feeling great! My throat is the most painful. Once I got home pain from the surgery was not really an issue, but my throat was really sore! I bought broth concentrates from Knorr and drank a cup and a half of warm broth. It was so soothing and set so well in my stomach. I have not had any nausea and my throat feels almost back to normal after slowly drinking that broth. Other than broth, I have mostly been drinking water and Gatorade. I plan to drink the broth anytime I am taking the narcotic to help prevent nausea. Numbness I am 100% numb on the entire lower half of my face under my nose and extending up to my ears. My lips are dry so I have been keeping Aquafor on them. I cannot tell they hurt or anything, but they are really dry and peeling, so I want to prevent as much damage to my lips as possible. Sleeping I have surprisingly been sleeping very well! I am a "fetal position" type of sleeper and was worried about what it would be like to sleep on my back, but it has not been a problem so far. Breathing I am having no trouble breathing. I'm not sure if this was a good idea, but I cleaned out my nose from all the dried blood and this made a huge difference. My nose did not bleed at all when I did this. I can breathe perfectly out of my mouth as well. I was panicing for awhile because My nose was clogged with blood and when I was drinking, my airway was blocked. Medicine The liquid narcotic tastes so disgusting that I gagged and almost threw up while taking it. So, my husband diluted it in about 4 ounces of water and some sugar. This made a huge difference and I have not had anymore problems getting it down and no more gagging. I begin mouth rinses and antibiotics tomorrow. I also have a liquid Ibuprofen. I bought the Great Value (off brand) for children in the flavor grape and I think it tastes really good for being medicine. When I was at the pharmacy (I went to CVS), I asked the pharmacist if he had any syringes and he gave me the cutest and tiniest ones (5 mL)! These have helped immensely in getting the medicine in my mouth. My anti-nausea is a tablet that dissolves on your tongue, but I had a difficult time getting it to dissolve. So my husband dissolved in a little bit of water and put it into the syringe (just enough to fill the syringe). Any time you are using a syringe, use a mirror too because you won't be able to keep where it is in your mouth. It makes it easier and you know its going down your throat and not down your chin. Conclusion The hardest part so far is getting to the point where the anesthesia has worn off. Once it did I felt like I was almost back to myself. The ratings I gave at the beginning of this post were me after surgery. Here it is again with how I feel right now at 14-15 hours post-op: Pain- 1.5/10 Discomfort- 1/10 Weight- 122/122 Energy Level- 8/10 I was required to go into the hospital I am having surgery for pretesting. The first stop was at a desk where a nice woman took my insurance information and gave me a quote of $2,598.59. This is my out of pocket cost after insurance and I was given the option to pay a little or all of the cost today.
From here, I went into another office where I answered a lot of questions regarding my medical history. So make sure you know every medication you are on (this includes vitamins) and the milligrams. Also, the estimated times of past surgical procedures. This is information they need and if someone fails to remind you, it can be hard to recall this information. Lastly, I was weighed and had my blood taken for testing. That's it! It did not take long and I was only in the hospital for an hour. I have to be at the hospital at 6:30am and the surgery begins at 8:00am. This is tentative and I will be given a definite time this Friday. Also, I have to stop taking all vitamins (not minerals such as Iron) and any form of pain medication. Which is unfortunate because my teeth are pretty sore after my orthodontist appointment. I'll be sure to copy information I was given today and post it in the Documents section. This appointment only took about 30 minutes and was relatively painless. It was just like going in for a typical wire-changing appointment, the only difference was that they put surgical hooks on. The orthodontist did some detail bending with my wires and an assistant put in six hooks on top and bottom. The hooks are small and the only one you can see is the one in the middle of my top two teeth.
They feel like just getting braces in for the first time all over again. Its awkward, feels bulky, and are rubbing sores in my mouth. Also, food get really stuck in them! It's a bit difficult. I go into to the orthodontist 4 weeks post-op to get the wires changes and hooks taken off. I can't wait for that moment! It feels so far away, but I know it will be here before I know it. I have not have elastics yet, but I will definitely be required to wear them once I go in for this appointment. Not sure how long or how many hours a day, but I will update once I know! I cannot believe how fast time has gone by! I don't think it has really set in yet that I am having this procedure done and that I will have to make huge adjustments for a few weeks in terms of eating and sleeping. So, what have I been doing? Eating everything! I have had so much Chinese food, deli sandwiches, fried chicken, Reese's, and barbecue ribs this past week its ridiculous. These are my favorite foods and it's going to be tough going so long without eating any of it. I just keep reminding myself that the limited food options won't last long and I will be back to my favorite foods before I know it!
Next week I am wrapping up my summer semester of classes and I have my final orthodontist appointment where I get the surgical hooks installed. I also have a pre-op doctors appointment at the hospital where I am having the procedure to have blood drawn for testing. The lady on the phone said it shouldn't take longer than 30 minutes to complete everything. I still have no idea what the final costs are, so I have decided to just wait until I get the bills. I have too much going on to call different people multiple times a week leaving messages to return my call. No one will call me back, which is a bit rude. Oh well, in one week I will officially be RECOVERING! |
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 |