15 week (?) post op

It's so nice to get to a point where I've lost count of how many weeks it's been!  I think last week I did hit 100 days post op.

 I had an ortho appointment today.  It was pretty non-eventful.  He fixed some wires that were tearing my cheeks up, and tightened some things.  He estimated it will be 4 months before I'm out of braces.  Yahoo!  I just have to be really good about wearing my rubber bands.

 As I was leaving for my appointment today, I told Lydia I was going to the doctor so he could fix my braces.  She then asked, "Is he going to take your braces off?" to which I responded "Not yet, but soon!".  I smiled as I walked to the car thinking she's just as excited as I am to have my braces off.  

In other news, I've eaten my first salad, and am starting to get a little more feeling back in my chin.  Dr. W. told me today, that the lower lip is the last place to get feeling back after surgery.  That was encouraging as most of my lower lip is still numb!

Worth noting - the good and the bad

I've been losing a lot of hair lately.(I notice when I comb after a shower). I researched it and sure enough, losing hair three months after major surgery (with general anesthesia) is normal! Though the general population might not want to know about that, those who undergo this surgery might want to have the heads up. Thankfully it's only temporary. My psoriasis isn't helping and I'm going to try to (start to) tackle that tonight.

On a happy note, I went for a jog tonight. I'm totally out of shape, but it felt so good!

12 weeks post op

Wow! I can't believe it's been 12 weeks!

Yesterday I saw my orthodontist, Dr. W. They removed a ton of stuff from my mouth. I was able to floss for the first time in months! He said I look like a normal orthodontia patient again. I no longer have the huge surgical hooks all over. Yay!

I also no longer have to wear the rubber bands in the front of my mouth. I still have to wear two (tighter!) rubber bands but they are a little off to the side.

He estimated I'll be in braces another six months

He also said I can start biting into things like sandwiches (nothing really hard or crunchy). AND I can jog if I want to. All of these things were very exciting to hear!

As far as numbness, I still have a fair amount. Hoping as time goes on it continues to wear off more and more.

And here's my pic:

11 weeks post op

There hasn't been much new at all, which is why I waited until I had another appointment to update.  I saw my surgeon yesterday, and he finally took my splint out, yay!  It was connected to my teeth by all sorts of screws and wires.  A lot of them were digging into my gums, so not only is it much less annoying to have it in, but also much less painful!  As far as splints go though, I'm not totally out of the woods.  He wanted me to keep the splint he took out in (without the extra wires), until my next ortho visit in a week, where they could fit me for a new splint.  Normally it should pop back in and stay pretty well. Mine didn't stick at all, so I went straight from my surgeon's office to my orthodontist's office.  There they fit me for a new splint that is supposed to be more comfortable.  I didn't get there until the end of the day so they just did the impression, and then I can pick up and try the splint today.

My next visit with Dr. K, my surgeon, is in November!  Can't believe I won't see him again for 3 months!  But I guess Dr. W, my orthodontist, kinda takes over things for now.

I've been getting more feeling back in chin.  It's always such a weird sensation.

I was soo tired yesterday and went to bed at 9 which is why I'm updating this morning.  I will not be posting a pic for that reason!

9 weeks post op

I'm continuing to eat foods.  I've had about 3 hamburgers in the past week(thank you Wendy's and Smashburger)!  I can't bite into them yet so I have to cut them into small bite-size pieces, but that's ok!  I still do some liquid meals as it's just easier, but it's nice to eat (chew) when I can.  Marc and I went camping with the kids this past weekend.  It was a little annoying to be away from modern conveniences (like my waterpik!), but next camping trip, I may just bring it with. 

I saw my orthodontist yesterday.  He shifted my elastics around a little bit.  He still can't do much since I have the splint in.  I'm really hoping that it can come out in two weeks, but I guess it's really holding my palate in place right now (it was expanded during surgery) and there's a high rebound chance, and they just want to allow it to heal properly and nicely.  He said I will still have a fair amount of orthodontic adjustments once the splint comes out.  I was afraid to ask what that meant, and hoping "fair amount" is still within the 6-9 months they expected.  We'll see. 

I haven't done any real exercising since surgery, but I decided I need to start somewhere so I'm doing a couple sets of push-ups a day now.  Baby steps.  :) 

During our camping trip I noticed a little more feeling coming back in my chin.  It felt tickly.  Sometimes it feels like small needles, other times tingly, but this time it was tickly. 

Besides the numbness and the splint, and just being out of shape, I feel pretty normal.  I've gotten pretty use to the elastics in my mouth, though at times I will forget they are there and try to stick a piece of food in and it will bounce back out.  But that's an easy fix ( I just take them out to eat and put new ones back in). 

Here's my pic for this week.  I actually took it yesterday.  My hair looks good (unlike right now!) though my chin kind of blends into my neck/chest due to the lighting. 

8 weeks post op

Not much new to report.....

I have been using the non-drowsy muscle relaxer (skelaxin) and it has been working pretty well.  It will be more expensive(but only by comparison to the previous medication I was taking).  We were paying pennies for the previous medication, and now we'll have to shell out about $10 a month until I get a mouth guard.  I wake up less drowsy, but find I am a little nauseous at times throughout the day (and no I'm not pregnant!) ;)  I am enjoying not feeling like a zombie in the morning! 

I have been chewing more, but it is very weird as I'm used to only chewing with my back teeth.  I've heard that takes a while to get used to.   I've been enjoying lots of pancakes and had some salmon last week as well. 

I have no pic for today.  It is a bad hair day by choice.  I'm actually getting my hair cut tonight, so I will try to post a pic next week. 

7 Week Post Op

Today was a busy day for the whole family.  We left here at about 7:30 am.  Both Lydia and I had our annual physicals in Hinsdale at 8:30.  (For the last year, all of our medical appointments have been in Hinsdale due to having to be on an HMO in Hinsdale for surgery to be covered).  Since Lydia completely dislkes going to the doctor, and needed shots, I was a little nervous.  I also knew we had a new doctor.  Most of the doctors at the practice we have to go to, are residents, as was the Dr. we had been seeing for the last year.  He has moved on, and we had a new resident.  I'm happy to report he was great and Lydia did great too (besides the crying when she knew it was "shot" time)  My physicals are usually pretty uneventful, but it turns out I have two moles that need to get removed, so I'll be back in Hinsdale in a couple weeks.  Apparently it's a really simple process.  It has been a pain and a nuisance make the trek down to Hinsdale for every appt, but I'm thankful to God, that none of us have been really sick!

We enjoyed lunch with some of Marc's old co-workers, and then I had an afternoon appt with Dr. K(my surgeon).  I expected him to attempt removing my splint, but I think when he saw how far I could open (not far enough), he knew it would not be possible.  So the splint stays for now.  When they said my next appointment would be in 8 weeks, I asked if we could make it earlier.  It pays to be a little assertive, because I now go back in 4 weeks! I just couldn't imagine waiting another 2 months before getting the splint out.   I'd like to get the splint out so I can A)talk easier B)not get food stuck under it, and C)move on with the ortho treatment (my orthodontist can only do so much until the splint comes out).  Dr. K did give the okay to chew soft things today (pasta, ground beef, etc.), so hopefully the chewing works my jaw muscles and allows me to open further.  Dr. K also added another elastic but said from here on out the orthodontist can be in charge of elastic placing. 
There were no x-rays today which kind of surprised me.  My appt with Dr. K. turned out to be quite uneventful, but the news that I could chew softer stuff was nice.  Dr. K. also gave me a script for a non-drowsy muscle relaxer.  I'm going to try that tomorrow night and see if it works. 

6 weeks post op

Well this is my first week on my own. However yesterday the kids spent the afternoon at Marc's mom's, and they had music camp in the morning, so it wasn't a "normal" day.

My energy continues to be at a good level. Like I mentioned in previous posts, my doctor put me back on a muscle relaxer which is good and bad. It's good because it will prevent night time clenching. However the cost is feeling more sluggish. I tried something new yesterday. I took the meds in the afternoon instead of evening in hopes that I wouldn't feel as sluggish in the morning. I'm happy to report that it worked. I just got tired earlier on in the evening, but I prefer that to feeling tired when I wake up.

I saw my orthodontist (Dr. W.) yesterday and he said it all still looks good. He can't start doing any adjustments on my braces until the splint is out so that's even more motivation to get this splint out. I'm still not opening far enough for my surgeon (Dr. K.) to remove the splint, and I see him a week from today so I'm really hoping I can by next week.

Dr. W. did add one more elastic to my mouth to help tighten things up and close a gap on my right side. I woke up with sore teeth due to the movement the elastic caused. I still have two elastics I also have to wear on my front teeth.

In food news, I've been able to eat Mac n cheese(no chewing, just swallowing), some chili, and egg salad. I can't believe I'm only two weeks away from (hopefully) being able to chew. I've heard it takes some time to re-learn and adjust to your new bite, but I'm excited nonetheless.

5 Weeks Post Op

Wow, crazy to think it's been 5 weeks!!!!  Time has flown, yet in many ways gone very slowly too. I'm in WI for the week.   Then next week, I'm officially on my own!  Scary, but good too.   There is not much new to report.  I've been on the amitryptiline (muscle relaxer) and it has made me groggier.  I used my dad's pill cutter and cut a pill in half, and just took half a pill last night, to see how that would go.  I woke up a little less groggy, and clenched a little more than when I take a full pill.  I guess that was to be expected.  Not sure if I'll do that again, but it may be a good option for days when I need to be in full swing early. 

I have tried eating real food.  I tried some lasagna a friend made last week.  I didn't eat very much, and got a lot on my face, but it felt good to eat real food.  Also I've found that the center portions of buttery garlic bread are easy to swallow without chewing, as long as they are in small enough pieces.  YUM.   Today my mom and I made some Quinoa and Vegetable Chili.  I pureed some and it was pretty good!!  Find the recipe here.

My energy continues to be at a much better level than the first few weeks, though when I'm on own with the kids next week, I'll probably get a better idea of where it's actually at.  :) 

I'm starting to get a tiny bit of feeling (about 10%) in the right third of my lower lip.  Not much but good to be slowly getting feeling back.

That's all for now. 

Here's the weekly pic, and yes I'm wearing patriotic beads.

Clenching

Well, I hit 1 month post op officially yesterday.  Yay!  Happy to be getting closer to eating "real" food.  As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm having to practice stretching my bite (mouth yoga) so I can open far enough for my bite plate/splint to get removed.  That's been going pretty good.

This past week I had the suspicion that I had been clenching at night.   I think I actually knew this earlier in the week, but was in denial and tried to just focus on keeping my teeth apart at night. But that's not the way it works.  Clenching is big no no, for recovery (and just in general!).  Yesterday morning when I woke up, I paid really close attention and sure enough I was clenching.  I knew what this meant.  I needed to go back on muscle relaxers at night. .  I called my doc just to make sure, and he confirmed what I had been thinking.   This was a little depressing, as the meds make me drowsier in general, but I also know the bone needs to heal, and if I"m clenching this is going to slow down or do something worse.  I wish I could just make myself not clench my teeth at night, but I've been doing it since I was a teenager and it's a bit of a habit, and since I do it while in my sleep, there's not a whole lot I can do to control it.  So now I'm officially back on meds until I can get a mouth guard, which will have to be after the braces come off.

I was researching clenching/grinding yesterday (the actual term is "bruxism").  I learned some new things.  1 out of 10 people clench or grind.  Consuming magnesium helps, because it helps relax the muscles. Putting a warm moist compress in front of your bottom ear lobe can help relax jaw muscles.   Eliminating coffee, chocolate, tobacco and alcohol from your diet can help reduce bruxism.  Also, some people put their tongue in between their teeth because it forces their jaw muscles to relax.

And for the picture...  They're starting to all look the same!

4 weeks post op

4 weeks!  I can't believe it.  Though just a number, it feels really good to hit 4 weeks for a few reasons. 

1) When I first met with my orthodontist, I remember him saying, people who get jaw surgery should take a month off whatever they do (like if you are a student, take a month off school, if working a month off work).  Obviously I wasn't able to fully take a month off, but my mom definitely has helped ease my load!  This surgery is not ideal with young children, but do-able as long as you have support.  The last few days, my energy is picking up more, and I've been able to do more than even just a week ago! 

2) 4 weeks is halfway to 8 weeks, which is when I'm allowed to chew!  Yeah!  I know I'll have to start small with softer foods, and that it will take time to get better since I have a new bite now, and I won't have chewed anything for a while, but I do look very forward to 8 weeks!


I am getting very EXTREMELY bored of liquids, but trying to hang in there.  Sometimes I forget I can't eat and we'll be driving past a McDonalds and I'll think, "Oh let's stop so I can get a cheeseburger!" and then I'll remember, "oh yeah, nevermind" and TRY to laugh about it.  But in all honesty, I know this is a small thing compared to much bigger life and health situations many other people deal with.  For now, I need to remember to just keep eating whether or not I feel like it.  When I don't I'm more tired, light-headed, and headachey. 

I got out yesterday with my mom and the kids and we visited with some friends of mine from college at the Morton Arboretum.  I actually felt pretty good the majority of the time.  The beautiful weather helped too!  And so good to see the girls and their kids!! 

In the last few days I have gotten a little more feeling back in my upper lip.  On the left side I would say it is now only 50% numb and on the right side it feels normal.  I still have feeling in my lower lip and area underneath it.  This is all to be expected and no surprise to the experts.

In final news, the mouth yoga is working, but ever so slowly.  It also makes my mouth hurt, but it will be worth it to get the splint taken out, not to mention being able to fit food in my mouth.  Here is a pic of how big I am able to open now:

It feels as though I'm open so huge, but I'm really not!

And here's a nice normal picture of me at 4 weeks post op:

Perception and reality

I had an appt with my surgeon, Dr. Kallal, yesterday. He asked me to open and close and apparently I can barely open my mouth still. When I try to open it feels like I'm opening very wide and big, but when I look in the mirror it's open about 1-2 mm. In order for him to pull my splint out, he has to be able to put two fingers in (height-wise). So between now and my next appt with him in 3 weeks, I have a lot of "mouth yoga" to do. And I'm motivated!

Perception: My mouth is open as large as a lion's.
Reality: I couldn't stick a cracker in my mouth if I tried.

Last night, Marc and I went on a "date". The first one since surgery. Normally food is a part of any date(for us). We both love food! Since I can't eat we improvised. I got the OK from Dr. K yesterday, to drink from a straw. So we used some coupons we had and got a free cherry chiller, and a $1 strawberry lemonade. Just because I had the OK to drink from a straw didn't mean I was physically able - I discovered that quickly! It took about 5x as long but I managed to drink most of it until it was mostly ice at the bottom. Marc and I spent our date driving around looking at houses that were for sale in the area. It was actually a lot of fun and I didn't have to exert any energy. :). However when I came home and did my daily drill of waterpik-ing, brushing, and elastics changing, I found my mouth was bleeding. Turns out while drinking from the straw I cut my gums with the straw but since I'm still mostly numb I couldn't feel it. It's scary to think parts of my mouth could be totally cut up and I wouldn't even know. On the flip side I'm extremely thankful my mouth was and is numb considering what was done during surgery!

All right I'm off to do my mouth yoga...

3 weeks post op

Today marks 3 weeks post op. I had an appointment with my orthodontist this morning. My mom has commented and this is so true, that both my orthodontist's practice and my surgeon's practice are exceptional. I'm very blessed to have such wonderful medical "caretakers". Anyways my orthodontist, Dr. Weintraub, was very pleased with how everything looked and said both my surgical sites and gums looked good. I asked him how long I would have my splint (it's like a bite plate I've had since surgery that is behind my upper teeth and prevents my back teeth from touching - kind of like a cast for your teeth) and he thought it would be another 5 weeks (which makes sense, since I was told no chewing for 8 weeks). Once that comes out my talking should be clearer and my eating options should increase (at least I hope!). So I'm almost halfway to that! In other news, I made a cream of potato soup that was pretty yummy. Otherwise I've been sticking to instant breakfast, malts, and fruit smoothies. I've dropped 8 pounds, which I'm sure is some muscle loss. The kids are keeping my mom and I busy. One of biggest pre-surgery fears was that I wouldn't be able to read to the kids for a while and I've been able to do that. They don't seem to care that I can't pronounce everything right! Also, Joe's vocabulary has increased from like 10 words to 50 words in the last couple of weeks. I know that has nothing to do with jaw surgery but that has been very exciting!

Thanks again for your prayers. I appreciate prayers for continued healing and energy.

Cooler by the lake

We decided to break things up and so we're up in WI for the weekend. It was a good weekend to come here as it's significantly cooler. We're actually up on the bluff right now (overlooking Lake Michigan) while the kids play at a really cool park. I'm sitting on the bench writing this while my mom, dad and Marc play with the kiddos.

There hasn't been much new to report. Swelling is about the same ( I've been trying to walk a little to get it to go down). Numbness is about the same.

I've tried one new recipe - Cheddar Chowder. It was good! I'm hoping to try a few other new ones this coming week.

One very positive improvement - I haven't needed to take pain medicine as often. I'm down to 2-3 times a day. Yay! This means I should be able to drive soon though my neck and head mobility is still a little limited. I can't look straight above me (towards sky or ceiling) unless I support my head. This also makes washing my hair in shower a little more difficult, though still doable.

That's all for now!

2 weeks post op

Today marks 2 weeks post op. Crazy! I'm 15% of the way to being able to eat a burger(can you tell I like burgers?!) My energy seems to be increasing, unless I have a night of bad sleep. By the 2 week mark, 80% of swelling is supposed to be down. From looking at my face I would guess that to be the case for me. I still feel swollen but to most people I'm sure I look "normal".

I'm finally mostly past the "drip drip" part of recovery. Aside from medication and thicker puréed soups, I can drink everything through an open cup. It WILL, however, make mealtimes significantly easier when I can drink (slurp) through a straw. Though my lips are still 70% numb so not sure how that will work. I tried to drink some "Cheese and Trees" soup from a coffee mug for dinner last night and it is not something I will try again unless I am all alone! :)

I'm a little discouraged with how numb my face is still, even though I know and have heard how long it can take to get the feeling back. I at least have have somewhat of a smile back. Seriously that makes being in public a little easier. I'm sure it weirds people out plenty that I look like a ventriloquist when I'm talking, lol! At least I can smile after I say "hello" to a stranger.

All in all I'm encouraged by how well I'm doing.

Thanks again to everyone for your prayers and support(not to mention all the meals and offers to help!).

Ice cream makes everything better!

Ever since having a malt Friday night, I've been using ice cream to make other things.  And let me tell you, even though I'm sad I can't eat a burger right now, ice cream helps ease the "pain"! ;)  I'm sure those few pounds that I've lost, will slowly come back now that I've added ice cream to my eating routine.  The BEST recipe I've found yet is for an ice cream coffee drink. 

Here's what I used to make it:
1/2 cup strong coffee (cooled)
1/2 cup milk
4 scoops ice cream
Chocolate Syrup (probably 2 T)
malt powder

YUM.  If you want to make it more like a frappe, you can use less ice cream, and 1 cup or so of ice cubes.  Otherwise, it's very dessert-y.  Seriously, sooo good!!!

In other news, the elastics changings have been pretty easy.  My mom has been using her dental tools to help. I will need to learn how to do it on my own soon.  It has been great to brush my teeth, and my gums aren't even bloody!  Yay!  I did try to eat some really creamy guacamole yesterday(I had to use a baby spoon), but my mouth still has very little range of motion, and it was difficult to sneak in there, even with my elastics off.  Oh well, I did enjoy the little bit I did eat. 

Today I started to get more feeling back in my chin.  It's a subtle burning sensation.  So very strange.  But it was encouraging to feel a drop of dinner fall onto my chin.  Maybe I have less embarassing moments in my future than I imagined. 

Thanks everyone for your continued support and prayers. 

You can't judge a smoothie by it's color....

My diet consists of smoothies, pureed soups, and as of last night, malts! I'm getting a little tired of smoothies and the like, but am thankful there is at least some kind of variety. I also know that you eat to live, not live to eat. I've been trying to keep my diet balanced even with the limitations a liquid diet presents. Something I've just started to add to some of my smoothies (I was doing this before surgery) is spinach. It doesn't taste too bad, and is SO good for you! The main issue I have is the color of the smoothie. For instance, yesterday, I made a smoothie with yogurt, berries, juice, banana, and spinach. It was actually pretty yummy!  Without the spinach it would have been a nice pink color. However, with the spinach it was a nice tan/brown.

I knew jaw surgery would mean a little temporary weight loss, and that has been the case.  It's not so much what I'm eating, it's the chore that eating is.  "Eating" means finding something that actually sounds good to eat, then either syringing it in, or drinking from an open cup and making a mess!  At this point I'm definitely eating to live (and heal) rather than eating to enjoy food.  I am definitely looking forward to the day I can eat pizza or a burger, or chips and salsa!  For now, I'm trying to enjoy the benefits of being a few pounds lighter, and fitting into some clothes I haven't worn in a few years! :)

Yesterday I did see Dr. Kallal.  Everything still looks good.  He took last week's elastics off and put some new ones on, and this week, I'm supposed to take them off once each day to brush and use the waterpik.  That will be nice.  Unfortunately, the elastics are to move my teeth AND keep my jaw shut (movement always means a little pain).  Last night was the worst night of sleep I had all week, I think due to the elastics.  My whole mouth/head was a little achey, and today I woke up looking a little more swollen than when I went to bed!  I'll have to change the elastics by myself (with my mom's help thankfully!!) today, and I'm hoping it's uneventful and easy.  He has them in some pretty weird spots, so it's my guess it will be a little tricky.  I'm hoping the achiness from the rubberbands becomes less and less as my teeth start moving in the direction the doc wants them to go.   

I was hoping when I take the elastics out to maybe sneak some yummier food in (I even bought stuff to make guacamole), since I'll be able to open up a bit wider then.  We'll see!

I forgot a pic yesterday, but here's one from today. 

Day 9 - Same old story

Today was more of the same. I feel good, and then around then lunch time, I need to lay down. I think my swelling is down quite a bit more. I had a very difficult time talking today, due to continual face spasms, and also because my throat was a bit scratchy. I probably won’t continue to update everyday unless there’s something worthy to mention.  Since I see Dr. Kallal tomorrow, I'll update with how the appointment goes.

Day 8 - Facial Contractions

Today felt kinda like yesterday. I again crashed in the afternoon, but then had energy at night. One of the biggest things I really noticed today was the amount of facial contractions I've been having. It feels like just that, my whole face tightens up and then eventually goes back to "normal". I was curious as to how much feeling I've regained in my lips and right now I can only feel my upper right lip. It is very strange. It will be interesting (and nice!) to slowly get feeling back. My chin is also pretty numb as well as a good portion of my left cheek. So weird.

I tried a new recipe today : Cheese and Trees Soup. Very good! Basically it was cheese, potatoes, broccoli, and milk.

No more dry erase board!

Just realized today was the first day I did not need to use the dry erase board at all. Yay, praise the Lord!

1 week post op. Go go go - crash!

Today was a playgroup day and since I felt so good yesterday we thought we'd attempt it if I felt good this morning. Well I didn't feel very good but the kids woke up on the wrong side of the bed and needed a change in scenery, so we decided to go. It was a beautiful day at the park and I felt good sitting in the grass watching the kids play while being with friends. By the time we got home I was exhausted and have been camping out on the couch since! Apparently between yesterday and today I exerted a little bit too much energy. My mom suggested that this just may be the ebb and flow of things for a little bit and she's probably right.

I'm just glad I'm feeling as good as I am at times. Part of me wonders if having detoxed from coffee(not by choice!) has been good for my energy as well as finally being off of the muscle relaxer I've been on for the last 21 months. The muscle relaxer helped me sleep at night without clenching but also made me feel a little less awake all the time, which is frustrating. Anyways, it's nice to have a break from it. The doc said I may have to go back on it at some point if I'm still clenching. (I think he meant during the recovery period or until I'm out of braces). I'm hoping the clenching ends or that a full coverage mouth guard will do the trick.

My face is feeling especially strange today which I'm assuming is just feeling returning.

Day 6 - A good nights sleep does the body good

Today was a really good day.  Last night was the first time since surgery I got longer than 4 hours of sleep, and it felt so good.  My speech is also getting clearer which makes things in general easier.

I tried a bunch of new things today, including:

Peanut butter chocolate banana smoothie (with slimfast, milk, yogurt, PB, and frozen banana)
Pureed mango salsa (salsa was brought by a friend yesterday, and I pureed it with some mango juice today, it was very refreshing, and even had a kick
Pureed Au Gratin potatoes (potatoes were bought as part of a meal today and they smelled so good, I pureed them with some milk - best thing I've eaten post-surgery!)
I also tried some Butternut Squash soup Marc got from Costco, which I wasn't crazy about mainly because of the flavor. 

I definitely ate well today! 

Feeling is slowly coming back into my face.  It all feels very strange.  It feels as though my lips are being contorted and twisted (more strange than painful of a feeling, though not exactly comfortable).  Swelling is down a little bit more. 

I did my hair for the first time and put my contacts in for the first time since surgery.  That definitely helped me feel more human.  However, when I was done, I was exhausted! 

All in all, I was encouraged by how good I felt today.  The next thing I look forward to is less drool, and more feeling in my chin.  I constantly "dribble" while eating (it's not easy eating through a syringe!), and I can't feel it so I don't know it's there.  I foresee embarassing moments in my future.  :)

Day 5 - New Recipe, Normal Craziness, and more bruising

All in all, today has been good.  It has been a little crazy, which I'll explain later. My appetite is coming back more.  I even had the urge to research a jamba juice smoothie recipe to try out(Razzmatazz - my favorite).  Rich and Leeann are letting us borrrow their Vitamix (an amazing blender that even blends up seeds, apparently it's what they use at Jamba Juice).  So if any of y'all are curious, this is what I used(actually Marc made it!):

1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup raspberry sherbert
1 banana
1/2 cup mango/orange juice
1/2 cup frozen strawberries

Then blend it all together!  The recipe actually called for raspberries too, but they were expensive so, we just skipped them this time.  Though not super nutritious, it tasted good, and since I have to eat 6 - 8 small "meals" a day, it's nice to to add variety.  Before jaw surgery I would have thought I would have been okay eating ensure/slimfast/instant breakfast 6 times a day, but I guess I'm more of a foodie than I realized.  Marc bought some stuff for us to make some southwest concoction (with refried beans, salsa, cheese, sour cream, cilantro), and also a cheese and trees soup (broccoli, potatoes, cheese, milk, etc.).  Once I try those, I'll update how they tasted.  I can't wait til I can just eat some guacamole, even if I can't eat the chips! 

This morning, Marc had to be at church for about 3 hours, and my mom and I opted to just keep Lydia home, just to keep things simpler(so she didn't have to sit in the sound booth for a few hours with him).  Mid - morning, it hit me that I was hungry and feeling a little weary from lack of sustenance.  My mom started to make a smoothie for me, and the kids, when they saw the smoothie, being made, wanted some too.  As it turns out, we couldn't get the smoothie as thin as we needed it which was very frustrating(in hindsight we should have used non frozen bananas instead of frozen ones).  My mom, while trying to figure the syringe out, broke it ( we only have a couple), and then a few moments later, Lydia while drinking her smoothie, spilled it all over the floor and the wall.   It was a little crazy in that half an hour, but it soon got calmer.   Unfortunately later, Lydia threw up the smoothie in the bathtub.  Thankfully, she's since been acting fine since then, but the thought of having the flu going around here, makes me a little nervous.  So pray for a healthy household for us!!

I don't look at myself too much in the mirror, but according to Marc and my mom, my swelling is down a little.  My bruising is up, which you can see from the picture, though I don't really feel the bruises. 

I apologize if my writing is disjointed at all. I blame it on the pain meds. :)

Sorry for the self-portrait, all the other photos had drool visible!!

Day 4 - Tomato soup has never tasted so good

I feel like things are finally turning a corner. The skin on my face DOES feel like it's being pulled in a million directions but I'd take this over difficulty breathing, any day. I have a new compassion for people with asthma, emphysema or other disorders that make it hard to breathe.

Last night, Marc, my mom and Leeann made a chart indicating when I need to eat, drink, brush, rinse, take meds, etc. it has really helped me (and my mom) stay on top of things. There's actually a lot to remember!

Today I came to a point where I just could not drink anymore Ensure, Instant Breakfast, SlimFast. I tried some tomato soup and it was a nice change! I was worried about the acidity but it wasn't bad.

The drool is starting to kick in, but I'm not going anywhere so this is just a little annoying but nothing too bad.

Also I just received flowers from my surgeon AND dentists. Now that lifts a girl's spirits. :)

I'm very thankful to all my family, friends, church family who have loved on me and my family during this not so pleasant time by your prayers, kind words, meals, texts, emails, phone calls, etc. It really means a lot!

As you can see from the pic, the bruising has started, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Yay!

Day 3 - Doctor appt, sleep, more swelling

I don't mean to be dramatic but this whole recovery thing has been a little bit more of a roller coaster than I expected. Yesterday was a very tough day until I went to the doctor. I was still having a lot of trouble breathing and Dr. Kallal cleaned out my nose (amazing feeling). He also removed the bands they had used to hold my jaw together after surgery. He later put some other thick rubber bands (called "chucks"). All in all I felt much better after appointment because I could finally BREATHE. In fact I have been very scared of suffocating that I hadn't really slept much. My eyes were so heavy I had no choice but to sleep on ride home from doc.

Dr. Kallal and all his assistants also commented on how good my swelling looked considering you peak at 72 hours and I had already hit this point. So I felt pretty good leaving the doctors office yesterday.

However later last night I had some nausea and the swelling got worse. Also pain has started to increase but I'm still only allowed pain meds every 4 hours. It's hard not to be a little disheartened. I try just to think about I can breathe and what a relief that is, and to focus on that. I did not get a picture yesterday but I already took one for today. Will try to update later tonight.

Day 2 Recovery, the hardest yet, with a few unexpected perks

We got home from the hospital about noon yesterday.  Though it's nice to be home, I miss (strangely) being connected to an IV.  I now have to make sure I'm constantly drinking water, instant breakfast (I'm already sick of Ensure!), and taking my meds.  I also am supposed to be ambulatory (moving around) and that was a lot easier to do at the hospital too!  No one gave me strange looks and there were really long hallways.  Here at home, I jsut walk around the main level a few times (not the same).  If I were brave I'd go outside, but I don't want to scare anyone, and since I can't talk well enough to explain the situation, it's inside I stay for now.  I was hoping Day 2 recovery would be easier, but it was not.  My face still feels very swollen (which it is!), and it's hard to sleep at night (afraid of suffocating, and have to get up frequently for meds) and the lack of sleep is catching up to me.  Supposedly swelling is supposed to peak at 72 hours (which is about 3 hours away for me).  I hope that's the case! 

I see my doc for my first post-op visit today, and I'm hoping he'll cut my rubber bands (which are banding my mouth shut for now). It's not a for sure thing, so I'll update later. 

I was a little disconcerted to find out at the hospital that I might need Physical Therapy to re-learn how to move my jaw.  I definitely need to stay positive and to remember to trust God through this process.  I am not in control, and you can't plan for everything!

On the bright side,  Lydia, has been as affectionate as ever, constantly telling me her love for me, and wanting to make sure I'm well taken care of with pillow and blankets, etc.  I wasn't sure how she'd react to this all, so that has been a nice surprise! !  And of course I'm so thankful for my mom (and Marc)right now!  She's a great "nurse", and Marc has been a trooper.  This has not been easy! 

Recovery Day 2 Picture

Day 1 recovery - Swelling, Ensure, and More

Today was a MUCH better day. I got some Ensure in my system as well as chicken broth and apple juice. I relieved Marc (he got no sleep last night as he was attending to my many needs!) and my mom is here tonight. Dr. Kallal said I could have possibly gone home tonight but with the rough night that it was last night he thought another night at the hospital would be good. Though I feel pretty good and have had no nausea today, my swelling is up and a little uncomfortable and apparently it's going to continue into tomorrow and possibly peak then.

Surgery Day

According to my doc, surgery went well. It was a much harder evening/night than expected between throwing up 3 cups blood (while rubberbanded shut) and swollen throat making it hard to breathe. Face swelling is worse today though I feel better in general. Breathing is currently ok with oxygen/humidity mask. Glad one day is behind me.

Why Jaw Surgery?

As I've been getting closer to surgery, more people are asking me, why jaw surgery? I've included a link on the right sidebar (see Why Jaw Surgery) to a website that gives a pretty thorough explanation of why people might need corrective jaw/orthognathic (which is what I'm having). The short answer is I have an "insufficient bite". I have an open and over bite. This bite causes me to have:

Difficulty chewing, or biting food
Headaches - from lots of clenching and grinding on back teeth (thankfully I've been headache free the last year and half due to being on a muscle relaxer at night)
Excessive wear of the teeth
Open bite (space between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed)
Receding chin
Inability to make the lips meet without straining

Though this is an "elective" surgery, if I chose to not have it, I would probably lose most of my teeth in the back (the only ones I have to chew with, currently!). And with my current bite, I am not a candidate for dental implants (they would just crack or break). This would either leave me with dentures at an early age, or on a limited diet (think mashed potato consistency).

Surgical Hooks

Tomorrow morning I get my surgical hooks "installed". YAY *sarcasm* But seriously it's one step closer to surgery which is a good thing. I've heard once you get the hooks on, you are super ready for surgery(they tear up your mouth). Should be a fun weekend... ;) I'm still not freaking out about surgery. Thanks be to God for giving me a peace about this.

The final appt before surgery.

9 Days now to go! I had my final appointment before the BIG appointment. I'm just updating now, because Marc and I have been out of town for the last 4 days, on a pre-surgery, break from busy work (for Marc), getaway. It was so nice and much needed for us both! Last Wednesday, I had a physical, labwork, and donated a unit of blood. This was somewhat stressful, as I always get faint when donating blood, and even when they prick me sometimes. But my iron level was great (thanks to the iron supplements!), and it wasn't so bad. I pretty much was a zombie all day Thursday, however, and Marc had to drive the majority of the way to Branson, while I rested/slept in the passenger seat. When I think about surgery I get butterflies in my stomach and feel kinda sick, so I basically try not to think about it.

Date: May 29th

The date for surgery has been set. May 29th. I am terrified and excited. Excited for the ultimate results and terrified to undergo surgery and the first few weeks of recovery. Surgery occupies a lot of my thought space these days, so I'm trying to focus on others and other things, and ultimately hand my worries over to God (Phillipians 4:6-7).