Monday, August 15, 2016
Final Result!
I am done! Pain free and happy! I am 8 weeks out, eating normally, numbness gone, and my nerves are almost back to normal.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
6 Weeks (And 4 Days)
I am terrible at this update thing. I think it's because my recovery is now slower, I don't have as much to write about. I will make a brief update here.
Swelling: Most of my swelling is gone, though I still have a bit in my cheeks. I've always had chubby cheeks, but I can tell the right side is still more swollen. It is not noticable to other people though.
Pain: My pain is pretty much gone. I still take ibuprofin twice a day, but this is for tooth pain, not jaw pain. It is also to help with the swelling.
Eating: I am back to a normal diet! I can eat just about anything, although my bite strength is still so-so. I can bite things like pizza, but I can't bite through meat yet. I can chew fine, and eat things like chips and crackers. Chips hurt my teeth a bit, but again this is more brace pain than surgery/jaw pain.
Appearance: My bruising is gone, save for a yellow tint under one of my eyes. I have noticed my chin is more pronounced, as are my cheekbones. My face is rounder, and my chin is not as pointed. The circles under my eyes have also gone! My nose is slightly wider, but my surgeon minimized that as much as possible. One of my front teeth was chipped during surgery, but again it is hardly noticable. The best change for me is the cheekbones, though they are not as prominent as they would be without the swelling. I think once all the swelling is gone they will look even better. My lips are also more symmetrical, and my cupids bow is more defined. I will post photos for you to compare!
Before = Left
Before = Right
Before = Left
After:
Before:
Swelling: Most of my swelling is gone, though I still have a bit in my cheeks. I've always had chubby cheeks, but I can tell the right side is still more swollen. It is not noticable to other people though.
Pain: My pain is pretty much gone. I still take ibuprofin twice a day, but this is for tooth pain, not jaw pain. It is also to help with the swelling.
Eating: I am back to a normal diet! I can eat just about anything, although my bite strength is still so-so. I can bite things like pizza, but I can't bite through meat yet. I can chew fine, and eat things like chips and crackers. Chips hurt my teeth a bit, but again this is more brace pain than surgery/jaw pain.
Appearance: My bruising is gone, save for a yellow tint under one of my eyes. I have noticed my chin is more pronounced, as are my cheekbones. My face is rounder, and my chin is not as pointed. The circles under my eyes have also gone! My nose is slightly wider, but my surgeon minimized that as much as possible. One of my front teeth was chipped during surgery, but again it is hardly noticable. The best change for me is the cheekbones, though they are not as prominent as they would be without the swelling. I think once all the swelling is gone they will look even better. My lips are also more symmetrical, and my cupids bow is more defined. I will post photos for you to compare!
Before = Left
After:
Thursday, July 14, 2016
5 Weeks
On Monday I had another post op appointment, and I also saw my orthodontist for the first time post surgery. I recommend waiting more than 4 weeks to see your ortho, because this wasn't fun!
Usually when I see my ortho the appointment last a maybe 10 minutes. This time it took 2.5 HOURS. He started by taking off all of the wire ties on my brackets, and then removing the wires. Removing the wire required a lot of pulling and yanking on my sore jaw. Then he replaced the wires with heavier gauge ones, which also required lots of pushing and yanking. It also took 2 people, which meant my mouth was stretched uncomfortably wide. I then had chains put on (anyone with braces knows the pain), and a new figurative for rubber bands.
I have to wear 4 rubber bands everyday, and they are a bitch to put on correctly. I have 2 going from the back of 1 tooth to the front of another, one of which goes around 4 teeth (imagine square shape). Then over that I have 2 more elastics. It is hard to eat with these in, but I don't want to remove them lest I have to replace them.
My surgeon said everything is healing well, and that putting heat on my face will help with the residual bruising. I still have a good amount of swelling in my cheeks, but hopefully that goes away in the next few months. I can sleep lying down now, which means no more tossing and turning! I finally feel like I'm sleeping some. I have also upped my chewing game, even though my jaw is protesting. I was able to eat a pop tart today, which is a huge step. Hopefully I will be back to chewing relatively normally soon!
Usually when I see my ortho the appointment last a maybe 10 minutes. This time it took 2.5 HOURS. He started by taking off all of the wire ties on my brackets, and then removing the wires. Removing the wire required a lot of pulling and yanking on my sore jaw. Then he replaced the wires with heavier gauge ones, which also required lots of pushing and yanking. It also took 2 people, which meant my mouth was stretched uncomfortably wide. I then had chains put on (anyone with braces knows the pain), and a new figurative for rubber bands.
I have to wear 4 rubber bands everyday, and they are a bitch to put on correctly. I have 2 going from the back of 1 tooth to the front of another, one of which goes around 4 teeth (imagine square shape). Then over that I have 2 more elastics. It is hard to eat with these in, but I don't want to remove them lest I have to replace them.
My surgeon said everything is healing well, and that putting heat on my face will help with the residual bruising. I still have a good amount of swelling in my cheeks, but hopefully that goes away in the next few months. I can sleep lying down now, which means no more tossing and turning! I finally feel like I'm sleeping some. I have also upped my chewing game, even though my jaw is protesting. I was able to eat a pop tart today, which is a huge step. Hopefully I will be back to chewing relatively normally soon!
Saturday, July 9, 2016
4 Weeks
So by now I only have a bit of bruising left under my eyes, although the swelling is still obvious in my cheeks and cheekbones. I think the swelling is much more obvious to me, to the casual observer I probably look pretty normal!
My jaw is regaining more movement, because I am snapping more rubber bands! When I first finished surgery I didn't break any, now they break almost every day. My stitches have almost all come out, except for the ones under my nose. I think those always last longer though. I will go to the orthodontist in 2 days, and will see if they adjust anything then.
My pain is pretty good, I'm down to ibuprofin 800mg and acetominophen 1k MG twice a day. I am also taking 1.5 MG of oxy once a day, but this is more to keep me from going through withdrawal than it is for pain.
Chewing has been pretty good, although I'm still sticking to very soft things. Too much chewing causes a lot of pain. I did eat a piece of cut up pizza for dinner, so yay! I've been craving pizza more than anything, and couldn't resist. My appetite is also back to what it was, although still lower than 'normal.'
My sleep has not been great. I'm not sure if it's because I'm still basically sleeping sitting up, or the narcotics, or what, but it sucks. I go to sleep around 2am, wake up 6 or 7 times, and then wake up by 9am for good. My doctor just gave me hydroxizine, so in a few days I'll let you know if it's helped. I've also noticed I'm hardly dreaming. I've always been a lucid dreamer, so I have very vivid, detailed dreams. Now my dreams are barely there or unmemorable. I miss my dreams most I think, hopefully they'll come back.
Whelp, here are some photos!
My jaw is regaining more movement, because I am snapping more rubber bands! When I first finished surgery I didn't break any, now they break almost every day. My stitches have almost all come out, except for the ones under my nose. I think those always last longer though. I will go to the orthodontist in 2 days, and will see if they adjust anything then.
My pain is pretty good, I'm down to ibuprofin 800mg and acetominophen 1k MG twice a day. I am also taking 1.5 MG of oxy once a day, but this is more to keep me from going through withdrawal than it is for pain.
Chewing has been pretty good, although I'm still sticking to very soft things. Too much chewing causes a lot of pain. I did eat a piece of cut up pizza for dinner, so yay! I've been craving pizza more than anything, and couldn't resist. My appetite is also back to what it was, although still lower than 'normal.'
My sleep has not been great. I'm not sure if it's because I'm still basically sleeping sitting up, or the narcotics, or what, but it sucks. I go to sleep around 2am, wake up 6 or 7 times, and then wake up by 9am for good. My doctor just gave me hydroxizine, so in a few days I'll let you know if it's helped. I've also noticed I'm hardly dreaming. I've always been a lucid dreamer, so I have very vivid, detailed dreams. Now my dreams are barely there or unmemorable. I miss my dreams most I think, hopefully they'll come back.
Whelp, here are some photos!
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Before and After Photos - 3 Weeks
Before on right, after on left.
3 Days after (worst of swelling)
3 Weeks! (and 2 days)
I must get better at this whole blogging thing. I haven't been updating everyday, basically because not much has happened. My swelling is almost gone, and my face looks mostly back to normal. I don't have the heart shaped face that I used to, so I'm still getting used to that. I don't feel as pretty as I used to, my face feels like it's too big.
I was chewing, but I got overzealous and made the pain worse. So I am back to a no chew diet for a while, until things settle down. I didn't need to take any oxy today, which is a huge step forward! Unfortunately it led to me accidentally getting a major case of the DT's, which you DO NOT want to have to go through. Never stop any medication cold turkey. Okay body, lesson learned.
If you want to know what withdrawal feels like, imagine a horrible flu. Runny nose, sweating, shaking, nausea, no appetite, etc. The worst part is that I keep going between being freezing cold and boiling hot, and I can't regulate my temperature at all. I am back on the oxy to help with this, and I will titrate off of it more slowly this time.
Tomorrow is the fourth of July, and I am sad that I can't chew anything! Maybe I can blend steak and watermelon? Only joking, don't worry. On Saturday I went to the salon with my mom and we had our nails done, a get well gift from a friend. Thank you if you are reading this! It was really nice to get out of the house and go relax. I've never had a manicure before, so that was fun!
Other than the chewing thing, I am healing well. My jaw has started cracking and popping every so often, but I'm pretty sure that is normal. I am able to open my mouth wider, which means I am snapping more rubber bands. I am trying to be careful, because I have a very limited supply! I am also able to smile more, although the right side of my face starts drooping after a few seconds. I had a lopsided smile before the surgery, and it is actually my favorite feature, so I'm glad it didn't go away. Although if I'm not paying attention I start to look a little too much like Sylvester Stallone. ;D
I still have green circles under my eyes, but other than that the bruising is gone! But in place of the bruising my acne has really flared up on my forehead. I've never had perfect skin, but it has never been this bad before. Hopefully it will go away soon. My chin and lower lip are still numb, as well as my upper palate. But I am starting to get the itching/burning that means nerves are regenerating! My upper teeth are resting on my lower brackets, which is causing pain. I have to wait until my next appointment to get this fixed. My lower brackets are also tearing up my lower lip, and because its numb I keep accidentally biting it. It's not pretty, and I've actually chewed a hole through part of it. Ive bought these bumpers off Amazon that should help, so we'll see. My nose is also still stuffy, but I think that is from residual swelling. Otherwise I'm feeling great! I am hungry though...
I was chewing, but I got overzealous and made the pain worse. So I am back to a no chew diet for a while, until things settle down. I didn't need to take any oxy today, which is a huge step forward! Unfortunately it led to me accidentally getting a major case of the DT's, which you DO NOT want to have to go through. Never stop any medication cold turkey. Okay body, lesson learned.
If you want to know what withdrawal feels like, imagine a horrible flu. Runny nose, sweating, shaking, nausea, no appetite, etc. The worst part is that I keep going between being freezing cold and boiling hot, and I can't regulate my temperature at all. I am back on the oxy to help with this, and I will titrate off of it more slowly this time.
Tomorrow is the fourth of July, and I am sad that I can't chew anything! Maybe I can blend steak and watermelon? Only joking, don't worry. On Saturday I went to the salon with my mom and we had our nails done, a get well gift from a friend. Thank you if you are reading this! It was really nice to get out of the house and go relax. I've never had a manicure before, so that was fun!
Other than the chewing thing, I am healing well. My jaw has started cracking and popping every so often, but I'm pretty sure that is normal. I am able to open my mouth wider, which means I am snapping more rubber bands. I am trying to be careful, because I have a very limited supply! I am also able to smile more, although the right side of my face starts drooping after a few seconds. I had a lopsided smile before the surgery, and it is actually my favorite feature, so I'm glad it didn't go away. Although if I'm not paying attention I start to look a little too much like Sylvester Stallone. ;D
I still have green circles under my eyes, but other than that the bruising is gone! But in place of the bruising my acne has really flared up on my forehead. I've never had perfect skin, but it has never been this bad before. Hopefully it will go away soon. My chin and lower lip are still numb, as well as my upper palate. But I am starting to get the itching/burning that means nerves are regenerating! My upper teeth are resting on my lower brackets, which is causing pain. I have to wait until my next appointment to get this fixed. My lower brackets are also tearing up my lower lip, and because its numb I keep accidentally biting it. It's not pretty, and I've actually chewed a hole through part of it. Ive bought these bumpers off Amazon that should help, so we'll see. My nose is also still stuffy, but I think that is from residual swelling. Otherwise I'm feeling great! I am hungry though...
Sorry for the bad photos, I'll add better ones in the morning.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Day 19
Sorry, for disappearing, but I am back! All of the purple on my face is gone, as is a good amount of swelling. I still have a fair amount around my cheekbones, but my lower jaw is mostly swelling free. I still have green bruising on my face and chest. The bruising on my chest is really painful! I'm surprised it is so sensitive. My stitches are also starting to dissolve, so that's great! I realized that during surgery my surgeon accidental chipped my front tooth, but it is really minor, so I probably won't get it fixed until I get back from Korea.
In the last few days my pain has really spiked. I'm not sure why, but I think it may be because I've started chewing more. I might try going back to the liquid diet and seeing if that helps. I called the surgeon office to ask about pain, and now I am taking 1000mg of Tylenol, 400mg Ibuprofin, and 15mg Oxycodone every 6 hours. It still doesnt seem to be doing much, and ive built up a tolerance to the oxy. Im thinking about asking if i should change the medication. We will see. I was able to eat a cut up burger and fries today, so that was delicious! I never thought McDonald's could taste that good. I also went to the coffee shop for a couple hours, and went on a short walk! My energy is almost back to normal.
I found out that I leave for Korea on August 27th, so that leaves about 2 more months for braces. I hope the orthodontist will take them off before I go to korea. I know it's not enough time, but 6 years in braces is long enough. I might just tell him I'm not coming back from korea. Decisions decisions.
In the last few days my pain has really spiked. I'm not sure why, but I think it may be because I've started chewing more. I might try going back to the liquid diet and seeing if that helps. I called the surgeon office to ask about pain, and now I am taking 1000mg of Tylenol, 400mg Ibuprofin, and 15mg Oxycodone every 6 hours. It still doesnt seem to be doing much, and ive built up a tolerance to the oxy. Im thinking about asking if i should change the medication. We will see. I was able to eat a cut up burger and fries today, so that was delicious! I never thought McDonald's could taste that good. I also went to the coffee shop for a couple hours, and went on a short walk! My energy is almost back to normal.
I found out that I leave for Korea on August 27th, so that leaves about 2 more months for braces. I hope the orthodontist will take them off before I go to korea. I know it's not enough time, but 6 years in braces is long enough. I might just tell him I'm not coming back from korea. Decisions decisions.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Day 15
I am feeling so much better. The purple on my face is almost gone, although now most of my face/neck/chest is now green. Sadly, I still have no super strength. (Hulk SMASH) I am however back to being a panda, only instead of purple it's green.
I had enough energy to go to the movies today. I saw Independence Day: Resurgence, and it was actually really fun! I couldn't resist popcorn, so I just sucked on it until it was soft enough to swallow. Still delicious! I also only had to take pain meds twice today, so that's great too! I also made myself a pair of shorts, I have been in a sewing mood lately.
I had enough energy to go to the movies today. I saw Independence Day: Resurgence, and it was actually really fun! I couldn't resist popcorn, so I just sucked on it until it was soft enough to swallow. Still delicious! I also only had to take pain meds twice today, so that's great too! I also made myself a pair of shorts, I have been in a sewing mood lately.
Friday, June 24, 2016
2 Weeks!
I had my first solid meal today. Eggs and cheese. It was so nice! Look at this cheesy goodness.
My jaw is a little sore from having to open it wide enough eat. I think tomorrow I might take it a little easier. My throat is all cleared up, and I have totally gotten rid of the syringes. Feeling is starting to come back into my chin, which is making it painful and itchy. The stitches on my cheeks are also really itchy. Well, at least they're healing.
I was able to be up for a most of the day today, and I cut my oxy back to 5mg 2 times and 10MG before bed. I started at 15mg every 4 hours, so much better! I sewed a makeup bag for my mom today also, so my energy is coming back. Here are some photos.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Day 13
Sorry for the missed days, I've been pretty busy. I had my 2 week post op appointment today, and that went well. The surgeon gave me the go ahead to start chewing soft food, so that is wonderful! He also said the swelling is about 90% gone in my lower jaw, although it is only about 60% gone in the top. The surgeon said that everything is healing well, and my bite is great. I posted my xray below so you can see the plates and screws.
The pain is doing well, although I am still taking oxy. I was able to go to the fabric store today, and it was nice to get out of the house. I am talking much better, and my airway has opened up a lot.
The pain is doing well, although I am still taking oxy. I was able to go to the fabric store today, and it was nice to get out of the house. I am talking much better, and my airway has opened up a lot.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Day 10
I woke up this morning with my shirt drenched in blood. After a couple hours of trying to stop the bleeding I discovered that one of my stitches on my top gum line had come out. So now every hour I have to do a tea compress to help clot the blood. Fun times.
On a better note, today has actually been a really good day. I had enough energy to make my own breakfast and get my own pain medication. I also started knitting a hat today to pass the time. I still get tired very easily, but I am starting to feel much better.
The swelling went back up a bit because of the stitches, and for some reason my chin is very painful. I removed the chin bandage yesterday, and since then it is very sore. It is a different type of pain than my jaw though, more of a sharp, stabby pain.
I am still on a blendered diet, but I was able to eat some squares of chocolate. I just let them melt on my tongue. Heaven!
I have my 2 week post op appointment on Thursday, so I am interested to see what they will do with my rubber bands. I currently only have 2, but my bite seems a bit off. I am also having trouble breathing through my nose, so I must remember to get that looked at. I am also going to ask about how long the liquid diet will last. I am going on vacation in a few weeks and I hope to be able to chew! It is probably too much to ask though. Below is a profile photo from today showing the difference. Before is on the right. You can see in the second picture the green bruising all the way across my chest, this is apparently normal after surgery?
On a better note, today has actually been a really good day. I had enough energy to make my own breakfast and get my own pain medication. I also started knitting a hat today to pass the time. I still get tired very easily, but I am starting to feel much better.
The swelling went back up a bit because of the stitches, and for some reason my chin is very painful. I removed the chin bandage yesterday, and since then it is very sore. It is a different type of pain than my jaw though, more of a sharp, stabby pain.
I am still on a blendered diet, but I was able to eat some squares of chocolate. I just let them melt on my tongue. Heaven!
I have my 2 week post op appointment on Thursday, so I am interested to see what they will do with my rubber bands. I currently only have 2, but my bite seems a bit off. I am also having trouble breathing through my nose, so I must remember to get that looked at. I am also going to ask about how long the liquid diet will last. I am going on vacation in a few weeks and I hope to be able to chew! It is probably too much to ask though. Below is a profile photo from today showing the difference. Before is on the right. You can see in the second picture the green bruising all the way across my chest, this is apparently normal after surgery?
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Day 8
So today has been relatively uneventful, although I've gotten into a bit of a schedule now. I wake up around 7 in the morning in really bad pain, because the pain meds don't last overnight. I then take oxycodone, tylenol, paxil, and amoxicillin. After about 2 hours the oxy has me passed out, and in another 2 hours I repeat the process! So I am basically on a baby sleep schedule, hahaha.
The swelling hasn't changed much, although I can feel my lips a bit more now. My lips are both very swollen, so I can't close my mouth as of yet. This has led to some problems with a desert mouth! I can finally drink water from a bottle, but I have a tendency to choke and dribble everywhere. I feel like I've reverted back to infancy. My nose is also still swollen shut, so I'm having trouble breathing.
The biggest annoyance right now, besides not eating, is this oily feeling on my face. Imagine covering your face in really thick peanut butter, and not being able to wipe it off. This feeling is maddening. I'm not sure if it's the nerves or what, but I am going crazy.
The swelling hasn't changed much, although I can feel my lips a bit more now. My lips are both very swollen, so I can't close my mouth as of yet. This has led to some problems with a desert mouth! I can finally drink water from a bottle, but I have a tendency to choke and dribble everywhere. I feel like I've reverted back to infancy. My nose is also still swollen shut, so I'm having trouble breathing.
The biggest annoyance right now, besides not eating, is this oily feeling on my face. Imagine covering your face in really thick peanut butter, and not being able to wipe it off. This feeling is maddening. I'm not sure if it's the nerves or what, but I am going crazy.
Friday, June 17, 2016
1 Week!
I am officially 1 week post op! It's amazing how quickly the time goes when you sleep all day long.
The swelling is starting to go down some, but around my nose and upper lip is still VERY swollen. That spot is also my only really numb spot, although I discovered my upper palate is also numb. I am still in a good amount of pain, but as long as I take my meds every 4 hours it is bearable.
The hardest part has been sleeping on my back and propped up, my back is so sore! I've never wanted to crack my back more than now, but that would hurt my face way too much.
I am down to 99 lbs, but it seems to be leveling out, which is good. So far I've only lost about 5 pounds, but being 5'9 I didn't have any extra weight to lose.
Another thing that is hard to deal with is the mucus feeling in my throat. No matter what I drink it won't go away, and because my sinuses are blocked I have to wheeze through my open teeth. I feel like a gorilla. On the plus side, my brother stayed home to help me today, and I really appreciate all that everyone has done for me on this journey. Except for you, cat who keeps stealing my syringes. No one likes you.
Here are some 1 week photos! On the top is my gnarly 2 day photo, and on the bottom is a photo from today.
This looks like a PSA warning. o_0
The swelling is starting to go down some, but around my nose and upper lip is still VERY swollen. That spot is also my only really numb spot, although I discovered my upper palate is also numb. I am still in a good amount of pain, but as long as I take my meds every 4 hours it is bearable.
The hardest part has been sleeping on my back and propped up, my back is so sore! I've never wanted to crack my back more than now, but that would hurt my face way too much.
I am down to 99 lbs, but it seems to be leveling out, which is good. So far I've only lost about 5 pounds, but being 5'9 I didn't have any extra weight to lose.
Another thing that is hard to deal with is the mucus feeling in my throat. No matter what I drink it won't go away, and because my sinuses are blocked I have to wheeze through my open teeth. I feel like a gorilla. On the plus side, my brother stayed home to help me today, and I really appreciate all that everyone has done for me on this journey. Except for you, cat who keeps stealing my syringes. No one likes you.
Here are some 1 week photos! On the top is my gnarly 2 day photo, and on the bottom is a photo from today.
You can see how much the swelling has gone down, although I can't wait for the bruising to go away! The surgeon scratched under my eye somehow, so I also have scabs under my eyes. Because of the bandages my face is also getting all gross and oily.
Hopefully everything will clear up soon, I'm glad I seem to have gotten through the hardest part! I still can't close my lips, so dry mouth is really sucking right now.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Day 6
I was finally released from the hospital today! The swelling has gone down some, but it is still pretty painful and uncomfortable. I hope this pain doesn't last too long. I also now have bruises all the way down my chest, like someone dipped my head and shoulders in mustard. It is nice to be home, but also tiring. In the photo you can see the bruising. My face is yellow too, but it doesn't stand out as much in the photo. I am still eating all liquid, and I have found it is really hard to get aftertaste out of your mouth! I think the hardest part is eating so much creamy stuff, it's just gotten gross. I am trying to drink more broths now, hopefully that will help.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
This Hospital Sucks!
After being transferred fro ICU I have no meds. My alarm went off for 15 miutes, with staff just walking by no problem. No food, pain meds, no one knows what they are doing. Something needs to change for this very unhappy patient. After being in ICU for 5 days, you'd think they might worry about the shrill alarm going off for 15 minutes straight. And yes, I pushed my call light twice, no nurse. Sorry for griping, sometimes it is just necessary. I was also told I would be brought pain meds almost an hour ago, still nothing. I would definitely not recommend the "Jaw Ward", at Saint Mary's Campus. It might be quiet, perhaps because everyone is dead.
Edit, things have turned around a lot after the neglect was brought to the attention of the nurses. I took a nice walk today, and my surgeon let me know he is going to change my bands at 6am tomorrow. He is leaving early, so I have to meet him before he lives. My surgeon also let me know how bad the swelling was, and he is still confused. Haha, but at least it seems to be receding a bit. I am also doing a pretty good job drinking, I just wish I could brush my teeth! It is very stormy outisde, so my time clock is all messed up. I have no idea if it is morning or night. Hopefully I can sleep pretty well tonight w/o the icu machines beeping in the background. I am reading other people's blogs to try and figure out how they deal with swelling, but I haven't seen anything like mine. Interestingly enough, when I got my wisdom teeth out there was no bruising and barely any swelling! Same surgeon, so who knows... I should be discharged tomorrow, so long as swelling is okay. My eyes are also half full of blood, but that is slowly getting better. I hope I can go home and start healing faster! I also can't breathe out of my nose, which is not helping my dry lips.
Edit, things have turned around a lot after the neglect was brought to the attention of the nurses. I took a nice walk today, and my surgeon let me know he is going to change my bands at 6am tomorrow. He is leaving early, so I have to meet him before he lives. My surgeon also let me know how bad the swelling was, and he is still confused. Haha, but at least it seems to be receding a bit. I am also doing a pretty good job drinking, I just wish I could brush my teeth! It is very stormy outisde, so my time clock is all messed up. I have no idea if it is morning or night. Hopefully I can sleep pretty well tonight w/o the icu machines beeping in the background. I am reading other people's blogs to try and figure out how they deal with swelling, but I haven't seen anything like mine. Interestingly enough, when I got my wisdom teeth out there was no bruising and barely any swelling! Same surgeon, so who knows... I should be discharged tomorrow, so long as swelling is okay. My eyes are also half full of blood, but that is slowly getting better. I hope I can go home and start healing faster! I also can't breathe out of my nose, which is not helping my dry lips.
Day 5
I woke up today round 3:30am, and have been dozing on and off since then. By dozing I mean completely passing out. I don't think pain meds are helping me stay awake. I am now on tylenol, paxil, oxy, and just stopped hydroxyzine. I am still in icu, but I will be moved to a room on jaw specialty floor later today. Sorry again if this post makes no sense, I am having trouble getting my eyes to focus. Because of the epic bruising these last 4 days were mostly a blur, and I'm just starting to wake up. I still have a major panda face, which is why I'm still in icu 5 days post op. The surgeon is not sure why there was so much bruising, because they only put tape on my eyes. I learned the moved my lower jaw forward 13mm, the upper to match, and my chin an extra .9mm. I am excited to see what I'll look like when this swelling is gone.
So far this 1 or 2 night stay is up to 5 nights, so we will see how much longer I'll be here. I wish my lip swelling would go down so I could close them.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Surgery! Day 1-4
I arrived in Rochester the night before surgery, June 10th, because I didn't know when my surgery would be until Midnight. I waited in a room in the hospital for about 3.5 hours, before being wheeled back to the OR. They placed nitrous over my face, and then I was out!
The first I remember is waking up in the PICU. I had a nasogasttic tube, so I was having trouble breathing as well. My mom asked a question about my eyes, and it turns out I was bleeding from them! Due to the sinus pressure, there was no place for it to go. My surgeon said this is the first time he had ever seen it happen.
At around 3 o'clock in the morning, I was awoken with ICU bustle. Unfortunately it turned out a bot in the room next to me had passed away, and his mother was screaming for hours. Always great for a first night in hospital! After praying for his family, I realized because of the commotion my pain meds were skipped. I also have A TON of swelling and bruising, so I have yet tol eave the ICU. It's odd because this surgery is only supposed to be a night or two in the hospital. I am on my 4th night in ICU! Hopefully tomorrow my pain will be managed well enough to move to a regular room. The worst thing about icu is that you are woken up every hour for vitals.
I am starting to wake up more, and I am going over an hour without napping now! Because of the swelling, my rubber bands holding my mouth closed snappes. They replaced one, but they are waiting until the swelling is better before putting new ones in. Even without the bands, my jaw feels very stable. I am supposed to be trying to close my mouth right now, because it kind of just hangs open. I also have compression bands, and am taking liquid paxil, ibuprofin, acetominopen, oxicontin, and deproxid. I am also taking hydrocortisone for itchiness.
I am sorry if this post doesn't make much sense, I am still kind of out if it. Below you can see my horrible swelling before and after surgery. I am so grateful for my surgeon for keeping me calm, and checking on me when that boy passed. I have never witnessed it before, so it was frightenimg. I also had a panic attack when they put on a himidifier, and everyone is great with helping!
I look like Mr potato head, but the swelling appears to be going down slightly. I also can't really talk, and my nose is all stuffed. So I am also doing nose spray every hour, along with a pain pump. I also have a ice pack to help my bleeding eyes. There are movies for me to watch, but I've mostly just been sleeping. I'll keep you updated on how things went!
The first I remember is waking up in the PICU. I had a nasogasttic tube, so I was having trouble breathing as well. My mom asked a question about my eyes, and it turns out I was bleeding from them! Due to the sinus pressure, there was no place for it to go. My surgeon said this is the first time he had ever seen it happen.
At around 3 o'clock in the morning, I was awoken with ICU bustle. Unfortunately it turned out a bot in the room next to me had passed away, and his mother was screaming for hours. Always great for a first night in hospital! After praying for his family, I realized because of the commotion my pain meds were skipped. I also have A TON of swelling and bruising, so I have yet tol eave the ICU. It's odd because this surgery is only supposed to be a night or two in the hospital. I am on my 4th night in ICU! Hopefully tomorrow my pain will be managed well enough to move to a regular room. The worst thing about icu is that you are woken up every hour for vitals.
I am starting to wake up more, and I am going over an hour without napping now! Because of the swelling, my rubber bands holding my mouth closed snappes. They replaced one, but they are waiting until the swelling is better before putting new ones in. Even without the bands, my jaw feels very stable. I am supposed to be trying to close my mouth right now, because it kind of just hangs open. I also have compression bands, and am taking liquid paxil, ibuprofin, acetominopen, oxicontin, and deproxid. I am also taking hydrocortisone for itchiness.
I am sorry if this post doesn't make much sense, I am still kind of out if it. Below you can see my horrible swelling before and after surgery. I am so grateful for my surgeon for keeping me calm, and checking on me when that boy passed. I have never witnessed it before, so it was frightenimg. I also had a panic attack when they put on a himidifier, and everyone is great with helping!
I look like Mr potato head, but the swelling appears to be going down slightly. I also can't really talk, and my nose is all stuffed. So I am also doing nose spray every hour, along with a pain pump. I also have a ice pack to help my bleeding eyes. There are movies for me to watch, but I've mostly just been sleeping. I'll keep you updated on how things went!
Friday, May 27, 2016
Pre-Op and Before Photos
I can now begin counting down to the surgery date! I had my preop appointment today, and everything is a go. My surgeon explained more about the surgery, did molds, etc. I will explain more in detail now.
• I had to leave my house at around 6am to get to the hospital by my 8 o'clock appointment time. Once I arrived they took me straight to the room to do two sets of molds. This is the mold where they fill a tray with goop and hold it on your teeth until it hardens.
• My surgeon came to the room and looked at my bite and smile. He took a couple of photos of and a video. The video was me saying Mississippi and 55, I guess so they can make sure everything is aligned correctly? At this time 2 other residents came in, as well as the nurse. 4 people is a lot to have in your mouth at once! My surgeon also discovered I have 2 smiles! I apparently have a half smile and what he calls a "tickle smile". (Yes, there was tickling involved to get me to do that smile. Ahaha) He said that it is unusual to have such a difference, and he asked which one I preferred. He will try to keep my smile as close as possible to my current "half-smile" per my request.
• Next one of the residents did a bite cast for some type of imaging. It was a sheet of paper which he poured blue sludge onto. It came out of what looked exactly like a caulking gun. Next, he moved my lower jaw into the correct position so my over bite isn't as prominent, and had me bite down onto the blue goop covered paper. The only thing he forgot to mention was that ti tasted and smelled exactly like hot glue, and burned like it too! Apparently there is some type of reaction that makes the gel heat up as it hardens. After this mold was hardened he went to sculpt it for the machine. Then the piece of now solid blue was put into a little holder that attached to the machine. Unfortunately, when they tried to do the panoramic image with the machine, it refused to turn on, so we had to skip that part.
• Next, my surgeon explained that they would be moving my lower jaw forward about 12 mm, and my upper jaw to match. They will also rotate my lower jaw up slightly. My surgeon wants to move my chin as well, but he said it might not happen, depending on what the insurance will cover. Sometimes they consider it an elective procedure and will not cover it. He also said to expect lots of swelling, numbness, etc. I will stay 1 night in ICU, and then 1 or 2 more in a pediatric room. I also learned I will only be on a liquid diet for 1 week! I was expecting more so that is fantastic! After 1 week I can begin eating "anything I can easily cut with a plastic fork."
• After all of this I went to another floor to have a CT scan done. I wore the blue mold that was made earlier during this scan.
• I then went to ANOTHER floor to have photos taken of my face and teeth. These were nice, high quality photos.
All in all the pre-op took about 3.5 hours. Now onto before photos! I apologize in advance about the quality, especially of the profile view.
My face while resting. Major RBF.
This is my half smile, according to the surgeon.
Here you can see my small jaws, which is the problem!
My surgery is June 10th, so check back for more details!
• I had to leave my house at around 6am to get to the hospital by my 8 o'clock appointment time. Once I arrived they took me straight to the room to do two sets of molds. This is the mold where they fill a tray with goop and hold it on your teeth until it hardens.
• My surgeon came to the room and looked at my bite and smile. He took a couple of photos of and a video. The video was me saying Mississippi and 55, I guess so they can make sure everything is aligned correctly? At this time 2 other residents came in, as well as the nurse. 4 people is a lot to have in your mouth at once! My surgeon also discovered I have 2 smiles! I apparently have a half smile and what he calls a "tickle smile". (Yes, there was tickling involved to get me to do that smile. Ahaha) He said that it is unusual to have such a difference, and he asked which one I preferred. He will try to keep my smile as close as possible to my current "half-smile" per my request.
• Next one of the residents did a bite cast for some type of imaging. It was a sheet of paper which he poured blue sludge onto. It came out of what looked exactly like a caulking gun. Next, he moved my lower jaw into the correct position so my over bite isn't as prominent, and had me bite down onto the blue goop covered paper. The only thing he forgot to mention was that ti tasted and smelled exactly like hot glue, and burned like it too! Apparently there is some type of reaction that makes the gel heat up as it hardens. After this mold was hardened he went to sculpt it for the machine. Then the piece of now solid blue was put into a little holder that attached to the machine. Unfortunately, when they tried to do the panoramic image with the machine, it refused to turn on, so we had to skip that part.
• Next, my surgeon explained that they would be moving my lower jaw forward about 12 mm, and my upper jaw to match. They will also rotate my lower jaw up slightly. My surgeon wants to move my chin as well, but he said it might not happen, depending on what the insurance will cover. Sometimes they consider it an elective procedure and will not cover it. He also said to expect lots of swelling, numbness, etc. I will stay 1 night in ICU, and then 1 or 2 more in a pediatric room. I also learned I will only be on a liquid diet for 1 week! I was expecting more so that is fantastic! After 1 week I can begin eating "anything I can easily cut with a plastic fork."
• After all of this I went to another floor to have a CT scan done. I wore the blue mold that was made earlier during this scan.
• I then went to ANOTHER floor to have photos taken of my face and teeth. These were nice, high quality photos.
All in all the pre-op took about 3.5 hours. Now onto before photos! I apologize in advance about the quality, especially of the profile view.
Here you can see my small jaws, which is the problem!
My surgery is June 10th, so check back for more details!
Monday, May 2, 2016
Details of Surgery
After I had decided to do the surgery, my doctor explained what would happen. I would have 4 teeth + my wisdom teeth removed and braces put on. I would then have the braces for about a year to move my teeth back and close the gaps. This was done so that when my jaw wis move forward my teeth will still look even.
My actually surgery is called a Maxillomandibular advancement with genioplasty. This consists of a BSSO (bilateral sagittal split osteomoty), Lefort 1 Osteotomy, and a genioplasty. Essentially, this involves cutting my upper and lower jaw and moving them forward, along with my chin. My jaw will be held in its new place with metal plates and screws. I have linked to a cute video below which explains the surgery.
This surgery will take about 7 hours + 2 nights in hospital, but the recovery is the worst. I will be on a liquid diet for about six weeks, followed by a soft diet before going to regular food in about 4 months. The surgery will change how I look (hopefully for the better ;p), but of course the real benefit will be the (hopefully) curing of my apnea!
I was originally set to have my surgery later this year, but I found out that I was accepted for a program to south korea! I told my orthodontist that he needed to start moving things faster, because I would be leaving in august and would need time to recover after surgery. The aggressive last few months of braces haven't been fun, but I know it will all pay off in the end.
As of today my surgery is schedule for June 10th. I will keep this blog updated with recovery info, recipes, before and after pics, etc. So check back often!
My actually surgery is called a Maxillomandibular advancement with genioplasty. This consists of a BSSO (bilateral sagittal split osteomoty), Lefort 1 Osteotomy, and a genioplasty. Essentially, this involves cutting my upper and lower jaw and moving them forward, along with my chin. My jaw will be held in its new place with metal plates and screws. I have linked to a cute video below which explains the surgery.
This surgery will take about 7 hours + 2 nights in hospital, but the recovery is the worst. I will be on a liquid diet for about six weeks, followed by a soft diet before going to regular food in about 4 months. The surgery will change how I look (hopefully for the better ;p), but of course the real benefit will be the (hopefully) curing of my apnea!
I was originally set to have my surgery later this year, but I found out that I was accepted for a program to south korea! I told my orthodontist that he needed to start moving things faster, because I would be leaving in august and would need time to recover after surgery. The aggressive last few months of braces haven't been fun, but I know it will all pay off in the end.
As of today my surgery is schedule for June 10th. I will keep this blog updated with recovery info, recipes, before and after pics, etc. So check back often!
The Diagnosis
So about a year ago I learned that I had Midface hyperplasia (a receded jaw) that was causing my severe sleep apnea. I am 5'9, healthy, and only weigh 100 poundss, so my sleep apnea had never been explained before then.
I was diagnosed with SEVERE sleep apnea at only 18 months old, which honestly should have been more cause for concern. I have an ATI of 104, which means that I stop breathing 104 times EVERY. SINGLE. HOUR. I have tried all types of cpap, bipap, etc. but nothing seemed to work for me.
After a move, I started seeing a new doctor, who instantly realized that my misshapen jaws were causing my airway to collapse, leading to the sleep apnea. This happened around May, 2015. He immediately recommended surgery, and so began my journey to having my face broken and rearranged.
Check the next article to hear about the first steps of my surgery process.
I was diagnosed with SEVERE sleep apnea at only 18 months old, which honestly should have been more cause for concern. I have an ATI of 104, which means that I stop breathing 104 times EVERY. SINGLE. HOUR. I have tried all types of cpap, bipap, etc. but nothing seemed to work for me.
After a move, I started seeing a new doctor, who instantly realized that my misshapen jaws were causing my airway to collapse, leading to the sleep apnea. This happened around May, 2015. He immediately recommended surgery, and so began my journey to having my face broken and rearranged.
Check the next article to hear about the first steps of my surgery process.