Hey guys!
I hope you had a wonderful holiday and new year!
I definitely loved my break from work and classes, but I've been back to the grind for a few weeks now. I had my first check-in with Dr. K following having my braces put back on in December yesterday. Everything was pretty routine. He did some tightening and everything seems to be on track there. He did seem a little concerned about my surgery coming up so quickly. May feels like no time at all. So, he gave my the green light to get the scans that are needed to have my custom joints made.
I'll be calling on Monday to get that appointment set up. To my knowledge its just a CT scan and they'll use that to make the joint prosthetic specifically for my jaw :)
I'm actually doing some planning for the summer already. That is partially because of having surgery coming up, and I'm partially just dreaming about the summer because I have a MOUNTAIN of things to get done before then and I am already ready to be done. I'm being optimistic about what recovery will look like. For example, I'm planning a b-day party with a friend that will be occurring only 2 weeks after my surgery. I know I won't be able to eat anything, but I'm hoping to be functional enough to be present. I know recovery will take a while, but I don't want to lose my entire summer either. Especially, because this will be the last time I get this much time off all at once.
I'm trying to stay focused on this Spring semester. From now until the end of August I have 3 classes of my own, 2 that I'm co-teaching, research, presentations, and grants to apply for. Also, I'm attempting a new business venture by preparing to open a group counseling practice in the Fall. LIFE. IS. CRAZY. It is all pretty exciting, though. In all the craziness I'm trying to enjoy the now as much as possible.
All in all I think 2019 will be a good year. Surgery will happen, but hopefully it will only be a small chapter of the bigger story. As always, I will update again when there is something to update!
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Brace Face!
Well, the process officially started today! I had an appointment with my orthodontist, Dr. K, that I begged for after meeting with Dr. L last week and learning about the need to speed up my timeline. I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this appointment, but Dr. K decided to go ahead and put my new round of braces on. So, here I am all geared up for round 2 of this crazy journey.
Luckily, I was able to get clear brackets again. I think that helps with the overall appearance, but the consensus among my friends/family is still that I look like a teenager. Since I'm turning 30 in 2019 I'm not feeling too broken-hearted about that. It is interesting going through this process as a professional and business owner this time around. Last time I got my braces put on I was 21 and in the process of finishing up my undergraduate degree. It was actually kind of cool to reflect on this whole process with Dr. K today. He has known me and been helping me for almost a decade now. I have been really blessed with a great team through this process. It was difficult for me to decide to go ahead with this surgery, and it has really helped my anxiety knowing that I have a couple of absolutely excellent doctors who have my back.
Now that the braces are on it is a waiting game again. I'll be going back to Dr. K at the end of January for adjustments. He originally said correcting the current misalignment in my teeth would only take a couple of month to correct. So, I'm guessing it will be straightened out (see what I did there? ;)) by the end of February/beginning of March. At that point I'll go get a fancy CT scan done so that my custom joint can start being made. Theoretically, that will also take a couple of months to be completed. So, we're currently on schedule for surgery somewhere around the beginning of May. Here is hoping everything stays according to schedule!
Until my next appointment I'll be readjusting to a mouth full of braces, enjoying the holidays, and then getting back to the grind of graduate school and work.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!
Luckily, I was able to get clear brackets again. I think that helps with the overall appearance, but the consensus among my friends/family is still that I look like a teenager. Since I'm turning 30 in 2019 I'm not feeling too broken-hearted about that. It is interesting going through this process as a professional and business owner this time around. Last time I got my braces put on I was 21 and in the process of finishing up my undergraduate degree. It was actually kind of cool to reflect on this whole process with Dr. K today. He has known me and been helping me for almost a decade now. I have been really blessed with a great team through this process. It was difficult for me to decide to go ahead with this surgery, and it has really helped my anxiety knowing that I have a couple of absolutely excellent doctors who have my back.
Now that the braces are on it is a waiting game again. I'll be going back to Dr. K at the end of January for adjustments. He originally said correcting the current misalignment in my teeth would only take a couple of month to correct. So, I'm guessing it will be straightened out (see what I did there? ;)) by the end of February/beginning of March. At that point I'll go get a fancy CT scan done so that my custom joint can start being made. Theoretically, that will also take a couple of months to be completed. So, we're currently on schedule for surgery somewhere around the beginning of May. Here is hoping everything stays according to schedule!
Until my next appointment I'll be readjusting to a mouth full of braces, enjoying the holidays, and then getting back to the grind of graduate school and work.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Here we go again...
Today I had an appointment with Dr. L, the surgeon who completed my double jaw surgery about 6 years ago. I went into this appointment with the intent of getting more information about possibly going forward with total joint replacement, which he recommended last year. As expected, it appears to be a go.
Luckily, my control freak nature is helpful in this situation. I told Dr. L that I am good to go ahead with this second surgery, but I will need to coordinate with a lighter time at work and my time off from school. My hope is to get the surgery done in early May, and that will give me the summer to recover. I am basing my expectations on my last surgery experience. It took me about 6 weeks to get functional enough to return to school last time. So, I am expecting at least that long this time. This time around I have the added complication of talking literally being my entire job (I am a Licensed Professional Counseling in the state of Alabama). So, it'll be difficult to go back to work full time. My hope is to work my way up. I am only working part-time right now as it is, because I have just started a doctoral program in Counselor Education. So, this is helpful. I won't be taking classes over the summer, and I have put in for a summer job to supplement my income that I can do remotely. So, I'm crossing my fingers about getting the financial side of things figured out.
Here is what I know so far about the medical side of things. I'll be getting braces again very soon to correct where my bite has tried to compensate for the continued condyle resorption. Dr. K has said this will only take a couple of months; however, Dr. L wants me to go ahead and get them on ASAP, because he will need to get a CT scan in order to make the custom joint prosthesis. It takes about 2 months for the prosthesis to be made after the CT scan. So, that is 4 months of prep at best. Since I want to get the surgery in May I need to get started ASAP in order to leave some wiggle room to account for any possible issues. Curious what the prosthesis will look like?
That is the picture Dr. L supplied me with :) It only looks slightly different than the stock version. The benefit of getting a custom prosthesis is that it is guaranteed to fit with no issues. So, it will hopefully help the surgery go more smoothly. According to Dr. L, this surgery should have a slightly easiest recovery than the last surgery, because it only involves the bottom jaw. The primary issue will be the potential for nerve damage, but this is typically a temporary issue and nerves regenerate with time.
Overall, I left the appointment feeling optimistic about surgery and the potential results. I am very hopeful that this will finally be the last chapter of my jaw surgery saga. I will be trying to contact Dr. K to reschedule my braces appointment ASAP and I will update with new before pictures as well. I think it will be interesting the see how my bite has changed since the last surgery. I don't think it is very noticeable at this point, but I've avoided focusing on it until now.
As always, I hope all this information ends up being helpful for someone in a similar situation. From my experience it has been more difficult to find personal stories from people who have had a total jaw joint replacement. So, hopefully I am filling in the gap a bit by sharing my story. If you have happened across this blog in your search for information and answers feel free to contact me. I know this has been a stressful process for me. So, I'm happy to help others in any way that I can!
I'll update as soon as I have more information :)
Luckily, my control freak nature is helpful in this situation. I told Dr. L that I am good to go ahead with this second surgery, but I will need to coordinate with a lighter time at work and my time off from school. My hope is to get the surgery done in early May, and that will give me the summer to recover. I am basing my expectations on my last surgery experience. It took me about 6 weeks to get functional enough to return to school last time. So, I am expecting at least that long this time. This time around I have the added complication of talking literally being my entire job (I am a Licensed Professional Counseling in the state of Alabama). So, it'll be difficult to go back to work full time. My hope is to work my way up. I am only working part-time right now as it is, because I have just started a doctoral program in Counselor Education. So, this is helpful. I won't be taking classes over the summer, and I have put in for a summer job to supplement my income that I can do remotely. So, I'm crossing my fingers about getting the financial side of things figured out.
Here is what I know so far about the medical side of things. I'll be getting braces again very soon to correct where my bite has tried to compensate for the continued condyle resorption. Dr. K has said this will only take a couple of months; however, Dr. L wants me to go ahead and get them on ASAP, because he will need to get a CT scan in order to make the custom joint prosthesis. It takes about 2 months for the prosthesis to be made after the CT scan. So, that is 4 months of prep at best. Since I want to get the surgery in May I need to get started ASAP in order to leave some wiggle room to account for any possible issues. Curious what the prosthesis will look like?
That is the picture Dr. L supplied me with :) It only looks slightly different than the stock version. The benefit of getting a custom prosthesis is that it is guaranteed to fit with no issues. So, it will hopefully help the surgery go more smoothly. According to Dr. L, this surgery should have a slightly easiest recovery than the last surgery, because it only involves the bottom jaw. The primary issue will be the potential for nerve damage, but this is typically a temporary issue and nerves regenerate with time.
Overall, I left the appointment feeling optimistic about surgery and the potential results. I am very hopeful that this will finally be the last chapter of my jaw surgery saga. I will be trying to contact Dr. K to reschedule my braces appointment ASAP and I will update with new before pictures as well. I think it will be interesting the see how my bite has changed since the last surgery. I don't think it is very noticeable at this point, but I've avoided focusing on it until now.
As always, I hope all this information ends up being helpful for someone in a similar situation. From my experience it has been more difficult to find personal stories from people who have had a total jaw joint replacement. So, hopefully I am filling in the gap a bit by sharing my story. If you have happened across this blog in your search for information and answers feel free to contact me. I know this has been a stressful process for me. So, I'm happy to help others in any way that I can!
I'll update as soon as I have more information :)
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Total Joint Replacement?
It has been nearly 6 years since my double jaw surgery, and it turns out the story isn't entirely complete yet. I posted in January about my visit with Dr. L, my ortho surgeon. Based on most recent images he believes I will need to have total joint replacement surgery in the future. However, the timing of that was left up to me. I was told to come back and see him in a year for a follow up.
Since that time I applied, interviewed, and got accepted to a PhD program in Counselor Education and Supervision. YAY! I've move to a new city. I'm working part-time in private practice while I'm going to school. I'm helping to run the non-profit I founded with a friend back in 2015. I have a lot on my plate. BUT. I need this stupid surgery.
We knew this was a possibility back in 2012 when we planned my original surgery. I was just hoping my joints would remain stable and not deteriorate any further. Anyway, after getting the news in January I have mostly put the surgery out of my mind, and I've been focusing on the many transitions I have going on right now. With the fall starting and the end of the year approaching I feel like I should probably start considering it again. I am a planner. Even though I would prefer to not be dealing with this, I am going to deal with it in the best way I can.
SO. I got in touch with both Dr. K (orthodontist) and Dr. L (surgeon) this week and scheduled appointments. I need to talk with Dr. K because my teeth have shifted, and they will need to be back in line before surgery. I am going to see him later this coming week. I scheduled my appointment with Dr. L for mid-December once the semester is over. That is pretty close to one year since my last appointment with him, and I won't have classes to deal with for a bit. I'm sure he will take new scans at this appointment, and I'm curious to see if the situation has worsened any more. I am also wanting to get more information about the surgery. He didn't have an opportunity to talk me through it much at the last appointment, and now that I have accepted the reality of the situation I need all the details.
From the little I have researched on my own, supposedly Jaw Joint Replacement Surgery has come a long way, and tends to yield good results. I had a candid conversation with another ortho surgeon who claims one joint replacement should be good for my lifetime. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed on that. In terms of recovery, everything I have read seems to indicate it will be similar to last time, and this is my biggest concern. That surgery took me out for 2 months and I wasn't eating normally for more than that. Luckily, I was in a life position at the time that I could rely on family and take the time off. I was on break from grad school, and my job was on campus. So, I didn't need to request additional time. I was 23 for the first surgery. I'm 29 now. I have a business and a non-profit and TONS of responsibilities. It is tougher to prepare for this time around, but I'm figuring it out.
Like last time, I'm going to document the journey to the best of my ability in this blog. I know it was helpful for me to read others' experiences last time, and I want to make sure this blog tells the whole story. Hopefully, some of the info I share will be helpful to someone else. If not, it at least gives me a good outlet for venting, haha.
Since that time I applied, interviewed, and got accepted to a PhD program in Counselor Education and Supervision. YAY! I've move to a new city. I'm working part-time in private practice while I'm going to school. I'm helping to run the non-profit I founded with a friend back in 2015. I have a lot on my plate. BUT. I need this stupid surgery.
We knew this was a possibility back in 2012 when we planned my original surgery. I was just hoping my joints would remain stable and not deteriorate any further. Anyway, after getting the news in January I have mostly put the surgery out of my mind, and I've been focusing on the many transitions I have going on right now. With the fall starting and the end of the year approaching I feel like I should probably start considering it again. I am a planner. Even though I would prefer to not be dealing with this, I am going to deal with it in the best way I can.
SO. I got in touch with both Dr. K (orthodontist) and Dr. L (surgeon) this week and scheduled appointments. I need to talk with Dr. K because my teeth have shifted, and they will need to be back in line before surgery. I am going to see him later this coming week. I scheduled my appointment with Dr. L for mid-December once the semester is over. That is pretty close to one year since my last appointment with him, and I won't have classes to deal with for a bit. I'm sure he will take new scans at this appointment, and I'm curious to see if the situation has worsened any more. I am also wanting to get more information about the surgery. He didn't have an opportunity to talk me through it much at the last appointment, and now that I have accepted the reality of the situation I need all the details.
From the little I have researched on my own, supposedly Jaw Joint Replacement Surgery has come a long way, and tends to yield good results. I had a candid conversation with another ortho surgeon who claims one joint replacement should be good for my lifetime. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed on that. In terms of recovery, everything I have read seems to indicate it will be similar to last time, and this is my biggest concern. That surgery took me out for 2 months and I wasn't eating normally for more than that. Luckily, I was in a life position at the time that I could rely on family and take the time off. I was on break from grad school, and my job was on campus. So, I didn't need to request additional time. I was 23 for the first surgery. I'm 29 now. I have a business and a non-profit and TONS of responsibilities. It is tougher to prepare for this time around, but I'm figuring it out.
Like last time, I'm going to document the journey to the best of my ability in this blog. I know it was helpful for me to read others' experiences last time, and I want to make sure this blog tells the whole story. Hopefully, some of the info I share will be helpful to someone else. If not, it at least gives me a good outlet for venting, haha.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
5 years post-op!
Hey everyone!
I know it has been an incredibly long time since I have updated this blog. Honestly, after getting my braces off and making it past the year mark surgery stopped being something I remotely thought about. I have maintained yearly check-ins with both my surgeon and my orthodontist, but things have held steady until this year.
I'll start with all the good news. I no longer experience any side effects from surgery except for some minor sinus issues that may or may not be related. I do not experience any jaw pain or stiffness. My range of motion is great. I can eat pretty much whatever I want. The scars from surgery have faded substantially, and although I still know that they are there by touch I can't really see them. So, everything seems great! I have moved on with my life, graduated with a master's degree, and started my own private practice. Here are a few before and after pictures to show what I looked like prior to surgery and where I'm at these days :)
Big difference, right? So, all is good, but there is a bit of bad news.
I went to see my surgeon, Dr. L, for my yearly check-in and after a bunch of x-rays we now know a few things. 1. My bit has re-opened just a bit. It's hardly noticeable, but the fact that it has opened at all is terrible in my book. 2. My condyles have continued to resorb, and the one on my left side is now basically gone. This would explain why my bite has re-opened a bit. 3. It is likely that this process will continue, and my bite will get worse.
All of that is some pretty awful news I was just hit with yesterday. However, there are still a lot of unknowns. My bite has stayed relatively stable over the past 5 years. Dr. L said he would expect my bite to be MUCH worse than it is considered by lack of condyle on the left side. So, there is no way to know how bad the situation could get. It is likely that I will need total joint replacement surgery at some point in the future, but at the moment it is up to me when to explore that avenue. Currently, I have no pain and my jaw function is totally fine. I just don't want to let the situation get out of hand. I also don't want to go back through a major jaw surgery. So, we are on hold for the moment.
I also checked in with my orthodontist, and a few of my teeth have moved. This is entirely my fault, because I stopped wearing my retainer. This movement could lso be making the slight opening in my bite worse. So, he has offered to put one bracket on m upper teeth to fix that situation. Currently, we are going to just do the orthodontic side and hold off on surgery. I will be doing lots of research over the next year about what a total jaw joint replacement would look like, and I will of course be documenting that journey in this blog where it all began :)
I won't be updated as regularly as I did in the beginning, but I'll post new info as I learn. I knew this was a possibility going into the first surgery, but it is a major bummer that it looks like there is another surgery in my future.
I know it has been an incredibly long time since I have updated this blog. Honestly, after getting my braces off and making it past the year mark surgery stopped being something I remotely thought about. I have maintained yearly check-ins with both my surgeon and my orthodontist, but things have held steady until this year.
I'll start with all the good news. I no longer experience any side effects from surgery except for some minor sinus issues that may or may not be related. I do not experience any jaw pain or stiffness. My range of motion is great. I can eat pretty much whatever I want. The scars from surgery have faded substantially, and although I still know that they are there by touch I can't really see them. So, everything seems great! I have moved on with my life, graduated with a master's degree, and started my own private practice. Here are a few before and after pictures to show what I looked like prior to surgery and where I'm at these days :)
2017
2012
2012
Big difference, right? So, all is good, but there is a bit of bad news.
I went to see my surgeon, Dr. L, for my yearly check-in and after a bunch of x-rays we now know a few things. 1. My bit has re-opened just a bit. It's hardly noticeable, but the fact that it has opened at all is terrible in my book. 2. My condyles have continued to resorb, and the one on my left side is now basically gone. This would explain why my bite has re-opened a bit. 3. It is likely that this process will continue, and my bite will get worse.
All of that is some pretty awful news I was just hit with yesterday. However, there are still a lot of unknowns. My bite has stayed relatively stable over the past 5 years. Dr. L said he would expect my bite to be MUCH worse than it is considered by lack of condyle on the left side. So, there is no way to know how bad the situation could get. It is likely that I will need total joint replacement surgery at some point in the future, but at the moment it is up to me when to explore that avenue. Currently, I have no pain and my jaw function is totally fine. I just don't want to let the situation get out of hand. I also don't want to go back through a major jaw surgery. So, we are on hold for the moment.
I also checked in with my orthodontist, and a few of my teeth have moved. This is entirely my fault, because I stopped wearing my retainer. This movement could lso be making the slight opening in my bite worse. So, he has offered to put one bracket on m upper teeth to fix that situation. Currently, we are going to just do the orthodontic side and hold off on surgery. I will be doing lots of research over the next year about what a total jaw joint replacement would look like, and I will of course be documenting that journey in this blog where it all began :)
I won't be updated as regularly as I did in the beginning, but I'll post new info as I learn. I knew this was a possibility going into the first surgery, but it is a major bummer that it looks like there is another surgery in my future.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
ONE YEAR POST-OP!
I can't believe it has been over a ear since I went through double jaw surgery! I'm actually late in posting this update, because I have been pretty pathetic about keeping up with this blog after the first couple of months past surgery. However, I know that when I was reading all the blogs in preparation for my surgery I absolutely loved seeing the one year updates because it showed tat jaw surgery can actually be survived :)
So, here I am to say that at one year after jaw surgery I am still here and enjoying life. Jaw surgery is certainly not something that I think about every day or even every week anymore. I do still have jaw pain sometimes. The left side of my jaw gets sore if I do too much chewing or if I get stressed (I tend to tense up my jaw and if I do that for too long my jaw gets sore). Overall though, I am very happy that I went through with this surgery. I look at pictures and videos of myself from before surgery and I don't recognize that girl! To remind you, she looked like this:
That picture is from my college graduation about 7 months before surgery. I have no chin! Now I look like this:
Look at that chin :) It is insane to me reading back over my posts on here at what an incredible journey this surgery put me through. I'm not going to lie, it was extremely tough at times. If you are about to go through this surgery you will probably think you're dying for the first week after surgery. Things do get better though. Progress is slow, but you will get there. I no longer have an of the issues that I spent so much time complaining about on here. My swelling hug around for a long time, and the skin issues took the absolute longest to get under control, but it was always manageable. I think the most important thing to keep in mind in recovering from this surgery is to not spend too much time worrying about how you look. You never look as bad as you think. It will take a while to get used to your new look and your new bite. You might have people not recognize you immediately and you might have to teach yourself how to eat and smile with your new jaws. In the end though you will be really happy with the results! Eating is so much easier these days. It's astonishing really, because I remember what it was like before and I didn't realize back then that I ate weird. I can actually bite into things now! When I smile people don't see all the way to the back of my throat! Haha, it's great and I don't think I can fully explain how great all the changes have been.
I have gotten several questions about the scars but they really don't bother me much. They are also still healing. I've actually noticed recently that they are much less noticeable than the were 6 months ago. Also, I have never had anyone mention them to me. Usually when people ask about my surgery and whether I have scars I have to point my scars out to them even if my hair is pulled back. So, I've gotten to a point where I don't care much about them, and I'm sure that one day I won't even notice them anymore :)
So, to summarize, life a year after surgery is good :) I can look back and say I'm glad I did this, and that is a place I was worried I wouldn't get to. So Hurray!
So, here I am to say that at one year after jaw surgery I am still here and enjoying life. Jaw surgery is certainly not something that I think about every day or even every week anymore. I do still have jaw pain sometimes. The left side of my jaw gets sore if I do too much chewing or if I get stressed (I tend to tense up my jaw and if I do that for too long my jaw gets sore). Overall though, I am very happy that I went through with this surgery. I look at pictures and videos of myself from before surgery and I don't recognize that girl! To remind you, she looked like this:
I have gotten several questions about the scars but they really don't bother me much. They are also still healing. I've actually noticed recently that they are much less noticeable than the were 6 months ago. Also, I have never had anyone mention them to me. Usually when people ask about my surgery and whether I have scars I have to point my scars out to them even if my hair is pulled back. So, I've gotten to a point where I don't care much about them, and I'm sure that one day I won't even notice them anymore :)
So, to summarize, life a year after surgery is good :) I can look back and say I'm glad I did this, and that is a place I was worried I wouldn't get to. So Hurray!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Day 148: Sorry it's been so long!
Hey guys! I'm sorry for dropping off the planet for so long! Life just started to really pick up and between school, work, and traveling I have had next to no free time. Honestly, jaw surgery just became less and less of an issue that was constantly on my mind, but that's good news! :) I'm now at about 5 months post-op and I thought I would give a good update about how I'm doing at this point since I haven't updated since the first weeks after surgery (sorry about that!)
So, first of all I'd like to say that I absolutely can't believe that it has been 148 days since surgery! 5 months ago I couldn't even imagine being this far past surgery. At this point I feel like I'm almost back to normal. Surgery is definitely not something that is constantly on my mind anymore. Really, I only think about it when I eat and even then it's not much. I still can't eat absolutely that I want, but I am pretty close. The only exceptions are things that require a lot of chewing like crunchy fruits or vegetables, tough meats like steak, and hard or chewy candies. I also still have a bit of an issue with the range of motion of my jaw. I still can't open as widely as I could before. So, I have to keep that in mind when I try to eat burgers and sandwiches. Usually it doesn't create much of an issue though, because I can just squish them a little and it's fine. I can also tell that my range of motion is still getting better all the time so that isn't something that worries me really. I have noticed that I have some jaw pain that I didn't have before surgery. If I talk to much, yawn too widely, or accidentally knock my jaw in some way then I have some pain but it's not severe. It's just a dull ache. As far as numbness goes I have almost none remaining. The only spots that are still numb are parts of my gums like my upper gums (which are only partially numb) and the area directly behind my front upper teeth where the splint was (here I can feel pressure but it's still pretty numb). I was really worried that the numbness behind my upper front teeth was going to cause my to have some kind of permanent lisp, but it had turned out that my speech has adapted around the numbness. I still feel like I sound a little weird when I say some words, but my friends have told me that it is extremely slight and less than the lisp that I had before surgery. So I'm good with that :) I continue to have skin problems, which had been my biggest annoyance in this whole process, but it had really cleared up A LOT. So, I think I'll get my old skin back eventually. I only still notice it because I used to have such nice skin so the little bit of acne and dryness that I still have going on makes me really self-conscious. So overall, I know I'm still not completely healed but my recovery doesn't impact my daily life much at all. I just have to be a little careful about my food choices. Eating isn't as easy as it was before surgery, but it's getting easier the more I get used to my new bite. I think most people don't realize that you kind of have to re-learn how to eat with your new mouth, because the old way doesn't work when everything is lined up the way it should be. So, I'm still a pretty slow eater but I'm getting better and I'm getting close to not having to think about it when I eat.
I'm also feeling better about my new look than I was at 7 weeks post-op. Pretty much all of my swelling is gone, and I definitely think the surgery gave me an improvement over how I looked before. It's just still weird seeing pictures of myself, and being surprised again at how I look. It's just an adjustment. The only think that bugs me is that my braces seem to be more noticeable now. I'm not sure if this is just in my head or what, but I hardly noticed them before surgery and now they are all I can see almost, haha. The good news in this area is that the braces are set to come off in about a month!! I absolutely can't wait for that day to get here :)
Anyway, that's my update. In the next couple of days I'm going to post updated progress pictures so everyone can get one last look before the final product when the braces come off :) I'm also going to post some pictures of the scars on the outside of my jaw to give everyone an idea of how well they're healing. I know with the Inverted L the outside scars are a big worry. I know they were for me going into this surgery. I've been pleasantly surprised that they don't bother me much. They aren't visible at all with my hair down, and I've never had anyone notice them when I wear my hair up. I'm a pretty slow healer so I feel like they still look pretty bad, but I've been assured that they will heal to the point that they just look like a normal wrinkle in my neck at some point. If anyone has any questions or needs help finding information about this surgery feel free to let me know!
So, first of all I'd like to say that I absolutely can't believe that it has been 148 days since surgery! 5 months ago I couldn't even imagine being this far past surgery. At this point I feel like I'm almost back to normal. Surgery is definitely not something that is constantly on my mind anymore. Really, I only think about it when I eat and even then it's not much. I still can't eat absolutely that I want, but I am pretty close. The only exceptions are things that require a lot of chewing like crunchy fruits or vegetables, tough meats like steak, and hard or chewy candies. I also still have a bit of an issue with the range of motion of my jaw. I still can't open as widely as I could before. So, I have to keep that in mind when I try to eat burgers and sandwiches. Usually it doesn't create much of an issue though, because I can just squish them a little and it's fine. I can also tell that my range of motion is still getting better all the time so that isn't something that worries me really. I have noticed that I have some jaw pain that I didn't have before surgery. If I talk to much, yawn too widely, or accidentally knock my jaw in some way then I have some pain but it's not severe. It's just a dull ache. As far as numbness goes I have almost none remaining. The only spots that are still numb are parts of my gums like my upper gums (which are only partially numb) and the area directly behind my front upper teeth where the splint was (here I can feel pressure but it's still pretty numb). I was really worried that the numbness behind my upper front teeth was going to cause my to have some kind of permanent lisp, but it had turned out that my speech has adapted around the numbness. I still feel like I sound a little weird when I say some words, but my friends have told me that it is extremely slight and less than the lisp that I had before surgery. So I'm good with that :) I continue to have skin problems, which had been my biggest annoyance in this whole process, but it had really cleared up A LOT. So, I think I'll get my old skin back eventually. I only still notice it because I used to have such nice skin so the little bit of acne and dryness that I still have going on makes me really self-conscious. So overall, I know I'm still not completely healed but my recovery doesn't impact my daily life much at all. I just have to be a little careful about my food choices. Eating isn't as easy as it was before surgery, but it's getting easier the more I get used to my new bite. I think most people don't realize that you kind of have to re-learn how to eat with your new mouth, because the old way doesn't work when everything is lined up the way it should be. So, I'm still a pretty slow eater but I'm getting better and I'm getting close to not having to think about it when I eat.
I'm also feeling better about my new look than I was at 7 weeks post-op. Pretty much all of my swelling is gone, and I definitely think the surgery gave me an improvement over how I looked before. It's just still weird seeing pictures of myself, and being surprised again at how I look. It's just an adjustment. The only think that bugs me is that my braces seem to be more noticeable now. I'm not sure if this is just in my head or what, but I hardly noticed them before surgery and now they are all I can see almost, haha. The good news in this area is that the braces are set to come off in about a month!! I absolutely can't wait for that day to get here :)
Anyway, that's my update. In the next couple of days I'm going to post updated progress pictures so everyone can get one last look before the final product when the braces come off :) I'm also going to post some pictures of the scars on the outside of my jaw to give everyone an idea of how well they're healing. I know with the Inverted L the outside scars are a big worry. I know they were for me going into this surgery. I've been pleasantly surprised that they don't bother me much. They aren't visible at all with my hair down, and I've never had anyone notice them when I wear my hair up. I'm a pretty slow healer so I feel like they still look pretty bad, but I've been assured that they will heal to the point that they just look like a normal wrinkle in my neck at some point. If anyone has any questions or needs help finding information about this surgery feel free to let me know!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)