A Smile Connects Us You And Me

Disclaimer: If this is your first time viewing my blog, welcome! I started this blog prior to my double jaw surgery to give information, support, and a sort of therapy for myself. If you're on the road to surgery and recovery  I encourage you to take a look at  this post  - just as no two humans are alike, and no two jaw surgeries will be the same. Greetings from 10 years post jaw surgery! Prior to my jaw surgery I remember reading blog posts created by other jaw surgery warriors who were 10 years out from surgery and dreaming about when I would be so far along in my own journey. Would I have a giant party? Balloons, streamers, fireworks...with family and friends by my side we'd enjoy all the hard, crunchy, chewy food I had been denied for so many years...maybe we'd have a concert where the feedback from the amps wouldn't bother my plates and screws... ...and now, here I sit 10 years out from the day of my jaw surgery and honestly, it doesn't feel like I nee...

Disclaimer: If this is your first time viewing my blog, welcome! I started this blog prior to my double jaw surgery to give information, support, and a sort of therapy for myself. If you're on the road to surgery and recovery  I encourage you to take a look at  this post  - just as no two humans are alike, and no two jaw surgeries will be the same. "Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." - Marie Curie In the last year, I have learned so much more about my body and I am learning more about how to take care of it; self-care never being a forte of mine. Since being diagnosed with my auto-immune diseases (Ankylosing Spodolydis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Ulcerative Colitis), discovering more about my Marfan Syndrom, and starting treatment with TNF inhibitors I have been on a non-stop journey of try...

I cannot believe it's been 8 YEARS since jaw surgery! It has absolutely been both one of my greatest struggles and one of my greatest accomplishments. Last year I posted that I'd been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), and this year I add another auto-immune disease to the mix: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (pronounced ank-kih-low-sing spon-dill-eye-tiss). This is a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine; however, Frequency of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has varied from 4% to 35% (source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3669964/). Because of my Marfan Syndrom that also causes so much joint pain and back pain, AS has essentially been "hidden in plain sight". A few months ago I went to my dentist to have some work done and my jaw was very tired and sore for about three weeks. I knew I was pushing it having my mouth propped open for an hour...b...

HAPPY 7 YEAR "JAWVERSARY" TO ME! Sam, Addie and I on our first day at Seattle residents. Hello to anyone whose found their way to my little blog. It's been 7 years since my double jaw surgery. Please look back and see how far I've come. Some (I dare say, most  days) I forget I even had jaw surgery. Never, ever thought I'd say that. In the last year, in addition to being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (an auto-immune disease), I've also been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (another auto-immune disease). So combine that with my Marfan Syndrome...my body has a lot going on....but my jaw is holding steady. In terms of residual symptoms in my jaw/from surgery....I would say I have minimal jaw tension and have had one lip-twitching incident in the last year. Both, I'd say, are aggravated by stress. I've had no dental work done in the last year and a half, besides the routine check-up and cleaning(s). The extensive work I've had done ...

Hey there devoted blog readers. Today marks my 6th anniversary of having my double jaw surgery...what I fondly call, My Jawversary! I used to make this a night of copious amounts of food I couldn't eat before surgery, but this year I plan to celebrate in just giving thanks in how far I've come. Head-butting Queen Our daughter is now a year old, and gave me a nice head-butt to the cheek last week. I'm a bit sore and still a little swollen (I've been taking tylenol as needed, but have not been heating/icing as I should). I know this too shall pass, and head-butts during a tickle session from your toddler are probably one of the best ways to get hurt. Without looking back at my previous posts I can't tell you how many screws and plates I have in my face, what was used to replicate bone in my face, or many of the other details. I think it's testament to how far I've come. My jaw pain does not control my life. The only doctor I saw for my teeth this ...

When I started this blog I promised myself that I would continue to post updates for at least 5 years post-op. It was really challenging for me to find blogs beyond 3 years post-op when I was reading about other peoples experiences. I want people reading about personal experiences with jaw surgery to have some knowledge of what it's like not just a day, month, or year out - but years!  Here's where I'm at today: Nerves: The nerves in my lower lip only twitch when I am really exhausted or stressed (same as 4 year mark). Places in my face that I am still lacking some feeling- chin, lower lip, and gums. This lack of feeling isn't annoying or problem causing- it just is what it is... Swelling/Pain: I still have days where my face puffs up a bit- usually in extreme heat/humidity, or when I have a lot of neck tension. Plates and Screws: I still feel vibrations when at a concert where there is feedback from the amplifiers, so I try to stay away from concerts with a lot of f...

So, it's been 4 years since my jaw surgery...HOOORAYYY! It has been so long I feel quite disconnected from the experience. Well, other than knowing it was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. As a teacher I am constantly telling my students to persevere and that "struggling" can be a good thing, it helps us grow. This is exactly how I feel about my jaw surgery experience. No matter how challenging, I am so happy that I had the surgery done. I don't even want to think of the pain I would be in if I hadn't done it.  Here's where I'm at today: Nerves: The nerves in my lower lip only twitch when I am really exhausted or stressed (same as 3 year mark). I have almost all of the feeling in my chin and lower lip. I got the feeling back in the tip of my nose this year. I have feeling in my gums, but not full feeling. Swelling: I still have days where my face puffs up a bit when I have chewed or talked too much, but it goes down when I get a goo...

Wow! Has it really been 3 years? It's very exciting to me to think of all of the progress I have made, and continue to make, yay! I am very happy I had the surgery, and my life has forever been changed for the better. A lot of positive changes have happened in the last year, Sam and I are engaged and getting married next summer (WHOOHOO!), I've changed schools and grades (4th grade!), my brother has had twins, and I'm sure there's more I am forgetting. So much to smile for! This morning Sam and I celebrated my 3 year anniversary with bagels! Mmmmmm.... In the past year I have gone through a lot of testing for my joints. As I have posted in the past, I have pain in many of my joints. It is a daily battle for pain management. In the Spring I had an MRI for back pain. They found that I have a couple herniated disks in my low back, and I have dural ectasia. Dural ectasia " is a  widening  or ballooning of the  dural  sac surrounding the...

Here I am, 2 years post-op and  smiling on ! Last year at this point I had some PTSD of sorts from the anxiety of my surgery. This year I am celebrating my 2 year anniversary, but I didn't have any anxiety! Yay!   I am still so happy I had the surgery, and my life is forever better for it. I recently saw Dr. Gunson here on the east coast for a visit, and he continues to be pleased with my recovery. In the past year I was finally able to get a classroom of my own! I have 16 amazing Kindergarten students, and I could not love it any more! It is truly my dream job, and I went through at lot to get where I am. I'm not sure of my current ROM (range of motion), but it isn't even a concern for me. I eat apples at least 3 times a week, and I don't usually have to choose foods that are really soft. I do have days where my jaw is more sore because of stress. I am still  working with my physical therapist on neck and shoulder tension related to how my body holds stre...

Day 365 Days Post-op - 11.4.2010 This was the fortune I got the week before my surgery. I decided to keep it as my good luck charm. Before and After Profile Here I am, 1 year post-op and smiling on ! It's hard to believe it has really been a whole year since surgery. In the last couple of weeks I have been getting those same feelings I had last year before surgery (stress, anxiety, fear, etc). PTSD of sorts perhaps? I am so incredibly glad that I do not have to mentally and physically prepare myself for such an intense surgery this year! It was 100% worth it, but as my other post-op jaw buddies know, it is very stressful! Besides recovering from the enormous surgery over the past year, I have also been getting back into teaching! I could not be more happy or excited! :) I am currently a cooperating teaching a local kindergarten classroom. We have the greatest class, and it is great to finally be doing what I love!  My ROM (range of motion) is at 35mm which is in the ...

Today I fly to NYC to see Dr. Mac for some teeth restoration (hopefully the last of it!). I'll try to remember to post what happens ASAP. Thank you to everyone for their continued support! Smile :)

Recently I have had several other "jaw buddies" state that my situation has made them second guess getting their jaw surgeries. This scares me because if anything my experience should do the exact opposite! If I didn't have this surgery I would have eventually lost all of my teeth due to my clenching/grinding/terrible alignment of my teeth. Not to mention the terrible/unbearable pain I was in pre-surgery. Compared to where I was pre-surgery I am doing amazing! I just still have pain and muscle spasms (due to the arthritis) that the average person doesn't have. These are things I knew would not be cured by my surgery. Surgery DID help tremendously and I have not regretted for one second getting my surgery. Dr. Gunson and his team have been so supportive and helping in figuring out what treatment is best for me pre/post-op. Nothing is black and white, and no two people will have the EXACT reasons for having surgery, nor the exact results. It is a personal choice, and ...

Today I go to see a Rheumatologist about my joints to see if there is anything they can do to help my joint pain. This isn't something that could have been fixed by my surgery, in fact surgery has made them feel better. But because I still have pain/swelling in my joints on a daily basis my surgeon has decided to send me to the Rheumatologist . I'll let you all know how it turns out! Still loving my new bite! Keep on Smiling! :)

Nearly 4 years since my journey for a healthy smile and jaw here I am, braces free!! SMILE!

After nearly two months without a post....I'M BACK :) I decided I needed to take a summer break from thinking and writing about my jaw. On Wednesday I will be nine months post-op! Time really does fly. Today I saw Dr. Mac up here in Vermont. It was decided that TOMORROW morning I will be getting my top braces off, so I will FINALLY have all of my braces off. I am quite excited! Dr. Mac also gave me an exercise to do to help with my jaw tension. I make a clucking noise with my tongue on the roof of my mouth. It may sound silly or easy to do, but I had a hard time figuring out how to do it! The point of the clucking is to get my condyle to sit back in my joint properly. The muscle memory post surgery is just crazy. As a reminder, here is a picture of the jaw joint: In the last couple of months I have spent a lot of time with family and friends enjoying the summer while it lasts. My jaw has not had so much control, as I can basically eat anything I want - as long as I keep in mind m...

Yesterday I saw Dr. Chira and she assured me that my joints are just stressed due to the arthritis. This is nothing that has to do with my surgery, just something that needs time and tender care to feel better. I just need to choose safe foods to eat and listen to what my body needs. The best news she told me is that I will be getting all of my bottom braces off next Wednesday!!! I am quite excited. She said she would take all of the braces off at one time, but with my highly sensitive joints it would not be in my best interest. The top will come off in August, giving my joints plenty of time to adjust to not having brackets on the bottom, and for Dr. Chira to go on vacation, and me go to a conference. WHOOHOOOOOO!! I am very excited! It was the greatest birthday gift I could have received from my ortho! Also, since I posted last, the feeling of the screws in my face has subsided. I think the feeling there also comes and goes depending on how much I push myself. I have to remember my...

Me, Dr. Mac, and Lindsay in NYC This picture was taken when I was in NYC and had the work done on my top canines. This was after nearly three hours in the dentist chair (my jaw is a bit swollen). My jaw buddy Lindsay met me at the end of my appointment, she is just starting out in the splint process (w/ Dr. Mac), and will be having a similar surgery to mine (probably)...Linds, you are a ROCKSTAR! Thanks Dr. Mac for treating us! We really couldn't be in better hands...as he has also had double jaw surgery with the same docs, I think he understands more than others might. Currently my joints are starting to become more angry, chewing isn't as easy as it was a couple weeks ago, and I have a lot more pressure in my ears. My energy level is also much lower than it was a few weeks ago, I am begining to feel like I did pre-op. My bite feels GREAT (teeth fit together just the way they should), but my joints just feel terrible. Ugh. I am also beginning to more increasingly annoyed...