A Smile Connects Us You And Me

I'll start with a positive, my ROM is now 13mm. I gained 1mm this week! Can I get a "Whoohooo" for progress?!?! While at my weekly ortho appointment I also found that my brushing isn't great...I already knew this as it is difficult to even get a baby toothbrush into my mouth. I have to put in even more effort into brushing. It is just so difficult when you can't feel your gums and use the feeling of your brackets and what you can see in the mirror as a guide. All I can do is continue to work at it! I do not want to have issues with plaque. On a different note, my jaw muscles refuse to relax just as before surgery. My body does not react well to the high dose of muscle relaxer needed to force them to relax. Due to this there is talk of a referral from Dr. G to a doctor who will do BOTOX injections to force my muscles to relax. This scares me because I think it's very invasive; however, the pain from the spasms is exhausting. I just wish my body would relax on i...

Sam and I just got back from "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and it was pretty great. It was REALLY great to get out! We also went to the co-op on the walk home and I got a "Naked" brand drink which was delicious! I believe it was strawberry. It was one of the thinner ones so it went down like a charm! I also went to the fresh soup and they had a minestrone. I took the ladle and got all the broth I could. I still had to strain it when I got home, but it was REALLY tasty! I am still nauseous today, but these foods made me feel like a real person. On top of going to the movie, and on top of going to the store, I am very proud of myself for walking to the movie, co-op, and back home. Round trip probably just over half-a-mile, uphill on the way home. I was tired when we got home, but it felt good :) I think it will help me sleep tonight. So this blog really is about pictures since I haven't posted any since day 21. I think you all will be impressed with my swelling! I still hav...

Today I talked with Dr.G again. I was wrong about the reasons for stopping the Zocor, it was for the leg cramps. Apparently this is a side effect he has seen before. He thinks my nausea, et. al. is flu like symptoms...I haven't felt feverish, and if I have been around you in the last week are you sick? Please let me know... I just don't feel like I have the flu, I feel like they are still side effects from the medicine. Either way I hope it goes away.... As for my muscle spasms and jaw tension that is not being relieved from the muscle relaxer I am currently on, or on ones I was on prior to surgery. Dr. G is going to talk to Dr. Chira tomorrow about different routes to go and get back to me tomorrow. I will of course blog and let you all know. I just really would love for the spasms to stop. That's all I really have to blog on today...pain is the same- 6/10, feeling is the same. I dream of having full feeling in my chin and lip. It's crazy, the right nostril of my nose ...

I feel like each day I progress in different ways, and other ways I fall behind. It is a back and forth struggle that has me spinning! However, after talking with Dr.G today I am hopeful that it will get better. He told me to stop taking the Zocor, which I was taking for it's side-effect of anti-inflammatory. We think it is the culprit for my terrible upset stomach, et. al. I have yet to feel relief, but I hope it comes tomorrow! Dr. G asked I call him again tomorrow (even on a Sunday!) to update on my status. Last night I was crippled with terrible cramps from my hips to my toes. I got up to walk several times in the night, this brought no relief, but it did slightly take my mind off of it. When I woke up and came to my senses I realized the cramps were from dehydration for sure! I have been good today about staying hydrated and the cramps have stopped. Sam also made me a variation of the previously mentioned banana-apple juice- peanut butter smoothie. This time substituting milk ...

I have this saying on a picture from my Great Aunt Verna that reads: OH NO!- I ain't complainin' 'Cause things are on the bum; I'm more or less contented T' take 'em as they come; I'm jes' a-settin', watin' Wi my head held kind o' high- For the better days a comin' BY---AND---BY. I'm trying to use this as my motivation. I am going to call Dr. G again this morning to update him, and see what he has to say. I'll post again later to let you all know :) My mood is about 90% better than it has been in the past few days, so I am very grateful for this!

This week has been a roller coaster with pain meds , muscle relaxers, and trying to eat. On top of it I have apparently got the "post-op blues." This is quite common, but I thought I had skipped it since it usually comes around day 10...AND on top of this I am quite nauseous and sick. After talking with Dr.G he thinks I have too much acid in my stomach and has put me on Prilosec along with reducing the muscle relaxer back down to only two pills a day instead of three. I hope this helps both my stomach and my mood. My mood really didn't start heading south till I upped the muscle relaxer. Here's hoping! Thanksgiving was very difficult. The pumpkin soup was a fail, I was too nauseous to even get one sip in, so I had chicken broth instead. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, I love being able to cook, and enjoy spending time with family and friends...and of course the food...but this year I felt like I missed out on it all. I'll just have to make it up in several ...

I've made it to 3 weeks! Black Jack! Wow, so today started out quite rough. After getting the approval yesterday for taking 1 more muscle relaxer at bed time to help with relaxing my jaw muscles I slept quite well...waking up on the other hand, was rough. I was in a lot of pain and very stiff. To get out of bed I had to ask for Sam's help, my legs were so wobbly! I made it to the living room where I perched myself on the futon for a couple hours where I "ate" breakfast and took my morning meds . which includes a muscle relaxer. I decided about 30 min later I was going to try to make my day better by taking a shower....forgetting I had taken the muscle relaxer...needless to say while in the shower the muscle relaxer kicked in and it made things interesting...made it through the shower, had to prop myself up to get dressed, and then perched myself on the futon for a good ol ' nap for a couple hours. So I guess I've learned my lesson with the muscle relaxers, don...

Today I have become painfully aware of my mouth. This seems weird to say, but I can feel inside my mouth much more than I could before, and it is painful and awkward. I don't know how to describe it other than that. To add to it, I am no longer on my pain medicine. I am trying Extra Strength Tylenol, it seems to be taking the "edge" off, but it is not perfect. I am happy to be getting my nerves back, I just wish it didn't have to hurt so much! On a positive note I got the green light to take a little extra muscle relaxer to help with the spasms. This is a GREAT relief! And so far it is helping a great deal today! I think the look of my face is starting to come through the swelling. Today I had another appointment with Dr. Myers. She is still very excited about how far I have come! I also went to physical therapy. I just went over the surgery, and my exercises and that was it! Again I got a great reception, with very positive feedback! I still did not get enough rest t...

Today I had my first post-op ortho appointment. It went very well. All Dr.Chira will be doing for at least the next 8 weeks is checking my bite and measuring my ROM (range of motion - how far I can open my mouth), along with making sure my bite is still spot-on. Today my ROM was 12mm, my goal is 46mm...so I have quite a ways to go; however, I am proud of the progress I have made as I haven't even been at the exercises for a week yet. She took pictures, and I think she'll be sending them to Dr. Mac at least. Today I am again quite exhausted. I drove myself to the ortho because it was a short 10 min drive. I felt normal and okay driving, but I don't think it is best to drive. Tomorrow Sam will be driving me to my appointment with Dr.Myers in the morning before he has class, and I have a couple people lined up to drive me to physical therapy in the afternoon while Sam is at work. At physical therapy we won't be doing anything. She is just going to check in and see how I am...

Today has been very long. Katy was able to come over and spend time with me while Sam had work to do. For dinner she made me Progresso beef stew blended with beef broth. This has reportedly been "very good" and "one of the best." I for one will not be having this again. After finishing my mug of this concoction I nearly vomited. I swear the only thing that stopped me is that I didn't want to have to taste is twice...sorry to be so graphic, but it was that bad. As for the banana, peanut butter, apple juice smoothie I reported on yesterday...it was at best, OK. I will probably have it again because I know it has great nutrients in it, and I didn't have to gag it down...I have yet to find one blended meal that I enjoy. I may just be stuck drinking Special-K drinks till January...I do not have the energy to keep trying terrible blends, they are too much effort...(feeling a bit negative, I'll probably sing a different tune on blends tomorrow...) My pain today...

So the swelling is still slowly going down. I can see that my smile is still more open on one side than the other today. I think it is because of the swelling. Maybe I should practice in the mirror. I'm not going to worry too much about it, I'm sure it'll come with time. Today I tried a new smoothie, recipe compliments of my friend Bunny: -Banana -Peanut butter -Apple Juice It is high in protein which is great for healing. It tastes OK, not the best, but certainly not the worst! I have a lot of pain in my chin. It is a burning, throbbing feeling. I think it is feeling coming back, but it hurts quite a bit. My bottom lip also hurts quite a bit. I have the two old scars on the inner part of my lip from when I had mucus ceals removed. One of the scar sites feels like it did when it was initially healing 6 years ago! The hook on the bottom is still a huge pain as well. I think this area is the biggest pain for me right now, around a 6. Other than that I have pain, I think, in t...

Today I decided to try giving my biggest smile in my daily picture. It is uneven, I think because I don't have feeling on one side of my face. I also have a lot of swelling still in my upper lip and cheeks so that part looks a little odd. I had my first post-op with Dr.Myers (osteopath) today. She was very excited about my results and my treatment went really well. She checked out my ears because of my right ear. She found that my right ear tube is bent or twisted in some way, along with having fluid in it. I asked Dr. G's office about this, they said it will fix its self in time. It is twisted because of the way they had to rotate my jaw during surgery. I hope it fixes soon because I am sick of the water park in my ear! Other than my ear my pain has been under control today. I would say a 5. I haven't had a nap, but I have been resting. I have noticed that my bottom left part of my lip has been twitching a lot. This is the side of my lip that I actually have feeling. I don...

So today started out quite rough...I slept for most of the morning and rested for the afternoon. I was able to get a new pain prescription which I hope I will only need for a couple more days. My sister, Katy, has been helping me out all afternoon. We went to Costco to get my prescriptions and some bulk food. I appreciate all of her help! She has been helping me unpack my bags from California, and organize all of my new food into our tiny kitchen. Normally I love to unpack and organize, but my energy level is at about a 2 these days....that and whenever I try to do anything Katy reminds me I need to rest and sets me up on the futon with pillows and blankets and liquids :) So my pain right now is about a 5. I am feeling so much better now than I was this morning! It is like a complete 180! I still do not have feeling in all of my bottom lip, or my right cheek/nostril, or chin. I think I have feeling everywhere else, although each day I feel like it changes a little bit. I have tingly, i...

Today I woke up in a lot of pain, around an 8. I did miss one of my doses of medicine overnight...so instead of having it every 4 hours I had it after 8 hours, but then the next one was at 4 hours. All morning I have been sleeping and just resting in hopes of keeping the pain levels down. I feel like I have back tracked to day 7 or 8...really frustrating. I have been drinking water and Gatorade, and drinking my Special-K drinks today. I do not have energy to puree any type of smoothie... I also run out of the Oxy today, which yesterday I was totally OK with because my pain was down at a 4...but now I don't think the pain I have will be reduced with Tylenol. I told myself I would see how I feel this evening, and if it is still at a 6 or worse then I will request another prescription...I want to be off of the prescriptions...ugh....one step forward, 6 steps back... I'll post pictures later today. More resting, less stressing.... ....still smiling (I really have come a long way!)

I feel like the last 24(+)hrs have been such a whirlwind...flying red-eye and changing time zones really confuses the mind, but apparently is good for swelling! I am currently so exhausted I'm not sure how this blog post is going to turn out, but I figured I needed to update so everyone would know I got home OK and of course update on the jaw. Flying. Flying was less than pleasurable. My right ear was the devil. It was clogged, ringing, and shooting pain for about 75% of all the flying we did. I did take Sudafed and nasal spray, but it just didn't do a thing. Before getting on the long red-eye from Portland to Newark I took a Claritin which did help for this flight. There was less pain and more of a water park sound in my ear. I was able to sleep, so I am grateful for that. I currently still wish my right ear would "pop." The left ear is OK. I am told continuing Sudafed for several days should help... Last Post-Op went really well. Dr. G said everything looked "f...

Day 13- Swelling is better! Pain is better! I'd say more of a 4, I'm thinking by the time I get home I really won't need to be on heavy meds anymore! I am still fatigued easily, and am very excited to start my new diet!! In a couple hours Sam and I'll be going to my final post-op with Dr. Gunson. I get to brush my teeth!!!!!! Biggest fist pump of victory of the week!! So excited! It is like a horror film in there! I also get to practice opening/shutting without the elastics, learn how to put on the elastics, and maybe I'll get more pictures?? Maybe not. Not sure. I think this appointment is about an hour long. We fly out of Santa Barbara at about 5 tonight, we connect up in Portland, then take the red-eye all the way back east to JFK. We get in to Burlington, VT at 10:30 tomorrow morning! Thanks to Mom, Dad & air miles we get to fly first class from Portland to JFK!! WHOOHOOOO!! So lucky! Thank you so much Mom and Dad! The last 13 days have gone by so fast! I am...

Twelve days post-op and it feels the same as 10 and 11 for the most part. My swelling my have decreased a little, and I do have some feeling now in the left half of my bottom lip, but other than that I think everything is the same. Again, my pictures are not great because of the camera phone rather than a real camera, but they'll have to do. I am really excited about the lack of dark circles under my eyes. It is amazing what larger airways and solid sleep can do! I still have a lot of strain on my joints. I think it comes from the elastics. I am going to ask Dr.G tomorrow at my final post-op before flying home later in the afternoon. My ears are also still blocked up, I really wish they would "pop" before getting on the airplane tomorrow. I am worried if they don't it'll be really painful with the air pressure. I wonder how long I am going to have the swelling in my cheeks. I know it can last weeks or months...I hope it goes down sooner rather than later. I am anx...

So today, as I expected, I overdid it. I did try more potato-cheddar soup which was good and filling, BUT Sam and I also spent too much time walking on the beach and the wharf. It was really nice to get out for fresh air, I just maybe shouldn't have gotten so much of it. I am now completely spent. I don't have any regrets because I really enjoyed seeing the art show on the boardwalk, putting my feet in the ocean, and walking down the wharf. I just need to remember that I should break up these events, after all I am recovering from major surgery...sometimes I am too stubborn for my own good. My pain level is still the same- 6/10. My muscles in my joints just feel a bit more tense, and the rest of my body is letting me know it's going to be an early bed time tonight! My biggest complaint right now is the numbness in my chin (because it hurts/feels like burning) and the numbness on the right side of my nose/below my right eye (because it has a constant itching feeling). The it...

This morning we had to bring Mom to the airport at 4:30. I hope that she has a good flying day! Day 11 feels a lot like day 10. I get fatigued easily, pain level is at about a 6, and I feel like swelling is even about the same. Sam says he thinks the swelling went down from yesterday, but it feels the same to me. Today's pictures are as great as other days as I had to use my camera phone. Mom and Dad took their cameras with them, so the ' ol camera phone will have to do. I feel a lot of pressure or strain in my jaw joint areas, and I have a headache right behind my eyes. I am trying to up my calorie intake to help with the fatigue and maybe it'll help my headaches as well. Because my pain level has been stable for a couple of days I am lowering my Oxy by only 1/2 a tsp. from 3 to 2.5. It seems to be working just as well, so I feel good about it. My nose is still running quite a bit. Not bloody at all, just drainage. It's annoying because a lot of the time I can't...

Today is very exciting because Sam is finally coming!! It's been a long two weeks and I have missed him a lot! Mom and I pick him up from the airport at 4:30. Mom flies out very early tomorrow morning. Whoohooo it is 10 Day's Post-Op and I am amazed by how low my swelling is today! I thought that with the stress of yesterday I would have ballooned up even more, but I did the exact opposite! I think now the spots that are left most swollen are the grafting sites (which is a lot of area). I am beginning to feel like I look a little more "normal." I am still curious as to what I am going to look like at the end of all of this. My smile is still quite contrived. I just can't find a natural fit for it yet. Check out that profile!! Seriously! I am impressed with Dr. G's work! Well done Doctor!! I feel like I am also getting some natural color back in my face! I think maybe the exercises Dr.G had me do yesterday in the office helped with the blood flow. I am still su...

So at 1:30 I had my second post-op with Dr.G. He took off my rubber bands and had me practice opening my mouth, and shutting, and opening, and shutting...for about 10 minutes. He looked all inside and checked my bite to make sure it was perfect, and it is! Phew!! He then had to put the elastics back on, which hurt more because they are fresh ones, not stretched out from the week + of use. I also asked to be weighed since I hadn't been weighed since before surgery. Before surgery I was 172lbs @ 5'11". Today I weighed in at 160lbs. I put on 20lbs for surgery, so losing 12lbs is good! Dr. Gunson also checked my breathing because I told him I had started coughing up some mucus again. After listening to my lungs he decided it would be best to get a chest x-ray. Better to be safe than sorry! So Mom and I drove right from his office to the ER to get the chest x-ray done. At this point it had been 4 hours since my last pain med dose. I thought I would be okay waiting till the x-ra...

Overnight a headache has settled in right between my eyes, I think a little higher than where my Frankenstein stitch was. I also have more pain & muscle stiffness in my joints, and chin. I do not think the lower dose of Oxy every 4hrs with a dose of Tylenol at the 2hr. half mark is working. I'll have to ask Dr. G about it today. I woke up today at 7AM (an hour after taking 2tsp of Oxy ) and my pain level was at a 7-7.5. At 8AM I took the Tylenol as it was at the 2hr mark past when I last took the Oxy . I still feel the same. I think I just need more patience. The grafting sites are going to hurt. And compared to me this time last week, I am doing a heck of a lot better! (Ignore the 10 Day Post-Op...I guess it was wishful thinking...) I still feel like my face is lop-sided because of the swelling. This could have something to do with the fact that I woke up tilted over again. I don't know what's happened to my pillow system that used to hold me up all night, but it is f...

Today has been a pretty relaxing day for healing. There a couple things that have become more of an annoyance today, besides the usual pain and stiffness. (1) My ears are more clogged and (2) my skin is very dry itchy feeling all over. This just started yesterday, so I'm not sure what's going on. Yesterday the only thing that changed in my diet was that I added Liquid Tylenol. I took some Benadryl as a caution just in case I am allergic to something. It may just (I hope!) be that my skin is dried out from being in the Cali climate vs. being in Vermont. The new jaw here is quite stiff, my muscles are really tired, and I still feel like I have a huge pumpkin head. I know the swelling is going down, but i just can't feel it. I took a good 2 hour nap this afternoon, which did help with the pain, but I think it made me more stiff. I also woke up from my nap with me cheek resting on my shoulder! This is not cool with me. I always sleep elevated and have a neck pillow around my ne...

These are the flowers from "the garden" in our hotel room. Over the last week some have been sent to the flower graveyard, but there are still many thriving! Thanks again to everyone who sent them :) Here's the front view for today...I think I'm looking a little lop-sided (and a little creepy) with the swelling. Under my right eye I think I have some extra swelling as well. This could also have something to do with exhaustion. I did not sleep well last night, sleeping upright is getting quite annoying, but I know it has to be done to keep the swelling down as much as possible. The profile- I would like to introduce the audience to a jaw line! I think today shows a better jaw line than in the previous days. I do have harder swelling in my lower cheeks and in my upper lip/nose area for sure, but I am pleased with how well it's coming along. I got a call this morning from Dr. G's office wanting to schedule an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. This is just to ...

I would consider today my most comfortable day since surgery. Pain wise I am still at a 6/10, but it is reliable. My doses of medication are working well to maintain this level, and not go higher. I think a 6/10 is a good place to be. It reminds me that I need to take it easy and rest, while at the same time I am not miserable. The Mucinex is working wonders for my congestion (both nasal and chest) so I didn't have to go in for a chest x-ray today! Waahooo!! Mom and Dad had some quality time venturing out into the "real world" while I was able to stay back and rest. My body needed this time. Numbness is the same as this morning, although I have been moving my lips in different ways trying to promote some nerve activity. I get a lot of tingles and itches, along with some sensitivity to temperature. Dad took me on my 5 min. walk this evening, and by the end of it I just wanted to lay down. I am easily fatigued. I think if I try to up the intake of calories I will be better,...

One week ago today I went under the knife for a surgery I had been waiting three years for. I woke up in the recovery room after surgery vomiting blood and instantly thinking "why in the hell did I do this." Those feelings lasted only as long as the morphine did. As soon as I got "home" from the hospital I had no regrets. This last week has been anything but easy, but I think it has been a good test of strength. My appearance has obviously changed, to what extent? I won't know until all of this awesome swelling goes down. I mean the top was moved 10mm forward, the bottom 14mm. The right upper cheek/nose area is starting to itch, which I believe means the nerves are thinking about waking back up. My current pain level on the new dosage of pain medication is down to a 6/10. I would like it to be at a 5, maybe I can get it down that low by today. My energy level today has been greater than in the last week. I am going to attribute it to the lower pain levels and mo...