I wish hospitals didn't have such big crushes on me...

Well, after a summer of jaw surgery, and a semester in clinicals for nursing school... the hospital couldn't handle not having me in it for my winter break, and it dragged me in here for a spontaneous pneumothorax. Its basically my lung collapsing for no apparent reason. I'm writing this blog because I have now been in the hospital since last Tuesday. Christmas is not quite the same in a hospital bed with tubes sticking out of your chest. But I'm lucky to have my family here with me. So yes, hospitals just can't get enough of me.

Thanks for endulging me while I try to pass the time here!

Again, if anyone has any more jaw surgery questions (or now-- I could give you a few tips on spontaneous pneumothoraxes ;) ) let me know.

Happy Holidays :)

THE FINAL PRODUCT!!

awkward smile to show all the teeth!

































SO the process started January 16th with braces... mandibular advancement surgery was May 16th.... today is October 14th. I am absolutely thrilled with everything. Its great to finally be done with it all, but in the end, I'm glad I did it. I would love to answer any questions that any one has who may come upon this blog. Everyone has a different experience, so its good to talk to any one that you can. I wish everyone else quick recoveries and great outcomes! Let me know if you have any questions and just leave a comment so I can get back to you :)

A special thanks to all you bloggers who helped me through the process. It was a great support!

We have a date!!!

Yes, thats right. I finally have a date to go on. My debracing appointment is October 14th! Later than I was originally told, but its fine with me! I am counting the days...

My Ortho said that everything looks good, he just wants to let things settle a bit more before he takes my braces off.
Nothing to report from my last post op. It was literally a 1 minute appointment because of some office trouble. They will see me again in May for my one year post op appointment.

I haven't heard from many of you ortho bloggers lately, so I hope that means everything has just been going incredibly smoothly for you! =)

Nursing School = no time for ortho blogging.

Just a quick update... I have started my first semester of nursing school and am overwhelmed with work and studying! But... Sept 9th I have my next appt with my orthodontist. Hopefully we will hear some good news (fingers crossed). Then, my (hopefully) final post-op with my oral surgeon on Sept. 15th. I will try to update soon after.

Also, its been great to hear that my blog has been beneficial not only to me, but to others. If I can answer any questions, please feel free to ask!!

Quick funny story:
My surgery was done at my university's affiliated hospital. My nursing classes are in the same area. I went to grab a quick lunch and ran into my young, handsome doc. He then proceeds to check out my bite in the middle of the food court. I'm sure it was a funny sight.

Am I Crazy?

So since my surgery, I've felt that my nerve damage has been very minimal. But recently, I feel like there is more. I don't know if I'm just becoming more aware or if it has actually gotten worse. The only reason I don't think its just me becoming more aware is that I have been pretty much healed for a while now and I think I would have noticed this a long time ago. Originally I thought that the damage only affected the right corner of my mouth and a small area under it. Now its: right corner of mouth, ~1 inch square under it, the same area on the left side under mouth, and almost the entire area on the inside of my right cheek and right gum line. I don't think that any of these places are completely numb (except maybe part of my gums and inside cheek). The best way to describe it is that I can feel pressure put on it, but the lighter sensations just feel different or not at all.

Anyway, has anyone read anything to suggest that nerve damage could become worse after initial recovery? I'm really hoping that its just me... going crazy.

Well, put the celebration on hold...

I saw my ortho on Wednesday because of the spaces I was talking about. He put a power chain on and told me to wear rubberbands 24/7 for the next 6 weeks. So it looks like these braces won't be off until the beginning of October, at the earliest. I'm a bit disappointed, but once I saw those spaces I knew this would probably happen. I just want everything perfect (or perfect for me) after all is said and done with. If it takes more time to accomplish that, then I'll get over it.

I forgot how much power chains HURT! Woke up in the middle of the night because of the pain... had a flashback to the week after surgery. (Wasn't so much pain from the surgery, just intense discomfort).

Thats about the news that I have. Good luck to everyone this week!

First Dental Cleaning

Yep... so last Thursday I had my first dental cleaning since surgery. It was difficult with the braces... but I felt good knowing that my teeth were getting some TLC! I can't wait to have another after my braces come off. I'm worried that the braces may not be coming off as soon as he said they would... how long does it take to close two slight spaces??

2 Months Post Op

Nothing much to report:

• eating pretty much everything now- only exceptions are very hard crunchy foods like tacos, whole apples, etc.
• numb spots remain unchanged but are not bothersome- right corner of mouth and same area of chin, as well as inside right side of mouth.
• other people do not notice my swelling but when I compare the left side to my right, the left still feels like there is a hard pocket of swelling along the jaw line. When will this go away?
• Next ortho appointment is in late August when he will be deciding when the braces come off. There is a space between my two front teeth which is difficult to see unless you look specifically for it because the surgical hook hides it.
• Next post-op appointment with surgeons is in mid-September.
  

I hope everyone is doing well!

Big News.... (~6 Weeks Post Op)

My orthodontist has informed me that these braces can come off in AUGUST!! I'll recap the appointment...

He sat down and looked at my bite and said it looked great and how good of a job the surgeon did. I told him that I was tender on my left side and had more swelling there. My tissue on my left side had started to grow over the last back bracket (which my surgeon saw at my last appointment, but just to make sure to clean well back there). My ortho removed that bracket and things already seem better. But, that tooth is in "cross-bite". He said that he doesn't want to put me through more than is necessary just so he can say that my teeth are technically perfect, so he said he would just let that tooth stay where it is. That sounded fine at the time, but I've been thinking... this is my 2nd time in braces and I went through that surgery and pain, etc for a reason... I want things to be perfect. I'm going to talk to him again and make sure that if that tooth is left the way it is, that I won't have issues with bite or pain. Since I started thinking about all of this... I've noticed a few more "imperfections" that he didn't specifically mention to me. I want to make sure all of these things are taken care of before the braces come off, depsite how much I want my teeth brace-free!

So, all that considered, I'm hoping by the end of September... you will see these teeth naked again!

You may think... "3 months post op and she gets her braces off?!" Well... its only been about 6 or so years since I had braces the first time, so there wasn't much work that had to be done even pre-surgery. I wasn't even expecting it to happen so soon, though. My ortho had always told me that 4-6 months post-op would be the time frame...

If you saw my last entry... I was really nervous about getting a new wire put on because of all the yanking. He didn't even want to change the wire afterall. He said that even changing a wire can move the teeth and he did not want to do that. I was relieved... but these surgical hooks are killing me and apparently can't be taken off unless a new wire is put on. He gave me some more rubberbands and said to only wear them at night instead of 24hrs.

Thats about all that happened... I drove there and back the same day (5 hrs each way), and since nothing was really done... I'm so glad he gave me such good news to make that long trip worth it.

I've graduated to soft-chew foods! Tonight I went to a local seafood restaurant. Enjoyed actually CHEWING (instead of tongue-ing) blackened amberjack, their famous cheese grits, and black-eyed peas (can you tell I'm in the South?). Its a weird feeling. I've gotten so use to using my tongue, its almost easier that way. I've also accomplished cheese, scrambled eggs, and a soft cookie.

I have not had any pain. Its so strange... I can only be thankful that either a) I was just lucky and nothing went wrong during the surgery, b) my surgeons were great at what they do, c) my age helped me recover quicker, or d) all of the above. I'm just thankful for whatever reason(s) it was.

Question for post-surgery friends: Were your teeth tender? I can tell it is not the type of pain from the actual surgery... but possibly just from the teeth contacting in such a new way. Anyone else?

Here are 6 weeks and 2 days post op pictures =)
You can still see more swelling on the my left side. The scar on my right side is also still there. Hopefully it will eventually get smaller.

Don't Touch My Jaw!!!

So tomorrow (actually... its midnight now so I guess I should be saying "today"), is my first post-op orthodontic appointment. I'm not too fond of the techs there, but I continue because I'm pretty sure the docs know what they're doing. There is always so much tugging and yanking... not a good image right now!

On a good note... I'll have the all clear for soft chewing on Friday! It sounds strange but, 6 weeks really flew by. During my 1st post op week, I couldn't believe it when others said how fast the time went... but, its true. Didn't mind the liquid/soft food one bit once I got past the things I could only eat through the Zip-n-squeeze (which is a great thing to have but doesn't make food too appetizing). Also didn't mind losing the extra weight from my early college years! =)

Holly, you are looking great! You had to go through so much during your surgery; its just amazing how fast you're recovering! I know you're thinking I'm crazy because it doesn't feel like any change (I know the feeling)... but its true!

I still have this pocket of swelling on my left side that's probably only noticeable if you look for it. My surgeon said that there is usually always one side that lags in recovery. I look pretty normal except for when I smile... pretty chubby cheeks still and shouldn't be considering the weight that I lost. Swelling is stubborn.

I'll have an update soon about my appointment and hopefully some pictures. Wish my jaw some luck with those techs!

29 Days Post Op

I apologize for how long it has been since my last post! Also, for the poor quality of the pictures... I couldn't find my camera so I used the webcam. I had been delaying taking pictures for so long and I couldn't let myself procrastinate any longer.

Anyway, I had my second post op appointment on the 9th. They were very pleased with how I am healing and with my bite. I'm still unclear as to why I have only TWO rubber bands (thats all I've ever had). I was always under the impression that my mouth would be full of them (not to mention in addition to a splint that I never had!) Oh well, I won't complain! They didn't do another X-ray, which surprised me. My next appointment is in two months. My first ortho appointment is in one week. I'm somewhat nervous about it... they always have to jerk my mouth around to get the wires in right, and often break a bracket in the process. My mouth is really small so it makes it difficult for them to place the wire in the back molar bracket. Ahh, I really don't want them messing around with my jaw this soon. I will be so glad to get these surgical hooks off. Will they come off this soon since I only have 2 rubber bands? The surgical hooks on my bottom front teeth have made what seem like permanent holes in my bottom lip. Not pleasant.

I'm on a no chew diet for about 2 more weeks. But I've been able to "tongue-chew" and swallow fish, lasagna, baked potato, and cheese cake to name a few. I actually really haven't minded being on a soup diet. I definitely suggest Matzo Ball Soup... the broth is great and the matzo just melts on your tongue. It might be too much to cook on your own while recouping.. so either cook them beforehand and freeze them, or ask your friend or family to help you :)

I seem to have a heightened sensitivity to sugar (my HR goes up), so I was happy to find the premade Carnation chocolate no sugar added breakfast shakes! (I believe they are made with splenda.) If anyone has the same problem look around for those.

I think most of my swelling as gone down. I can still tell where the swelling remains, but I don't think many others can. I can't see the incision on my left side, but the incision on my right is still slightly inflamed and noticeable.

I'm already counting the days until these braces come off and I can whiten my teeth! I use to have pretty healthy white looking teeth but... having multiple Starbucks locations on campus and off have had quite a toll! I couldn't stay awake through my morning physiology lecture without a latte. It will also be nice to look closer to my actual age when I am braces-free! I've always looked younger than I am (20yrs), but in the past year another college student told me she thought I was in middle school... and most adults assume I am in high school. Oh well, I figure I will enjoy looking young while I do, even if I DO look like a middle schooler :)

My weight has been going crazy. I've lost about 9 or 10 lbs... but it shifts every day! +1lb, - 2lbs, +2lbs. My body must still be storing everything I eat because its not like I am eating big enough meals to account for the daily weight change. I really want to stabilize; I needed to lose that weight anyway (the college pounds were starting to add up). Hopefully my metabolism will speed up once I start to be more active ("Body, I'm not starving... I promise!!")

I hope everyone is doing well! Especially Holly! By the way Holly, your boyfriend sounds absolutely wonderful! Hang on to him! Mine has not yet gotten to such a good caretaker stage haha. Of course, he was not with me directly after surgery... and if you don't see it first hand, you just can't understand.

Heather, I hope your recuperation is going well!

KP, if you have any questions... let me know. Good Luck!!

Hope everyone has a beautiful Father's Day!!

15 Days Post Op

Its been a few days since I have updated, so I'll recap:

First Post Op Appointment- They were pleased with how I looked (bite and incisions). For some reason it felt like I had 4 bands in my mouth, but there were actually only 2! Which she replaced and showed me how to in case I needed to before my next appointment (June 9th). I'm pretty confused as to why I only have 2 bands. All the people who I read about before surgery had a mouth full of rubber bands. I'm hoping this is OK. She also showed me my X-ray. She told me that if everything looks good at my next appointment, then she wouldn't see me for about 5 more months. If thats the case, I will request that a copy of my records me sent to me at that time so that I can put up that X-ray!

Since then, nothing has really changed. The swelling seemed to go down SLIGHTLY, but this morning its back again. I'm more swollen around my neck and chin today. I'm just hoping its because I haven't been sleeping as upright as I should be recently... and not an infection or problem like that.

Heather (or any other post-surgery friends), do you have what feels like a hard "pocket" of swelling near your jawline? Its been like that since the swelling was down enough for me to feel the area. I'm hoping its just normal swelling.

I haven't taken any pictures since my last post, but I will hopefully take some tonight and post later.

I've been able to open a little wider; its so weird to feel like you are opening to a normal extent, then look in the mirror and it only be a little wider than the width of a finger! Can anyone tell me why this is affected by surgery? I would think that since the joint isn't actually manipulated that after the swelling was down you would be able to open normally. Why does lengthening the bone affect how wide you can open for so long? Is it muscular?

My mom thinks maybe I've been doing too much lately (talking, errands)... but I feel like I've barely done anything. As a whole, I feel perfectly normal. So its difficult to tell myself that I'm NOT normal yet, even though I feel that way. I'm home for the summer to heal and just be at home for a while before I head back for Fall semester.

Heather was saying that she has been feeling those "waking up" sensations of the nerve; I have not been feeling any. Somewhat worrying... but even if my sensation doesn't come back at all, its not terrible. I've pretty much already gotten use to it anyway. The only thing is when I have a drop of food or drink on that area, I don't notice it.

Heather, were your stitches on your cheeks the dissolving kind, also? Are they still there? Mine are. I'm not really sure how long they are suppose to remain there. I haven't felt my incision stitches coming out yet like you have. I can't believe you are still having pain. Its so strange how different this surgery can be for people. I hope that your pain/discomfort quickly goes away!!! My surgeon never even mentioned physical therapy. I wasn't aware that it was an option for this type of recovery.

Oh, one more thing. Every since surgery, I have been coughing like crazy. At first I just thought it was because my throat felt so raw and beat up. My throat doesn't hurt anymore, but I'm still coughing and having to "clear" my throat all the time. Has anyone else experienced this? I was on antibiotics for a sinus infection before surgery, then antibiotics after surgery so hopefully that cleared up anything. And since I don't have any other symptoms, it shouldn't be a virus...

Guess thats all for now. I'll try to get those pictures up soon.

10 Days Post Op

First off, good luck to Holly tomorrow! You'll do great! We're all thinking of you!

Tomorrow is my first post-op appointment. I'm curious to see how many rubber bands they put on me. I only have 4 right now (2 on each side), and they aren't really noticeable at all... especially since I can't smile too wide yet. Will they do molds? Seems strange to not allow me to chew, but do molds that have to be ripped off and tugged like crazy. Maybe just X-rays? I'm also going home tomorrow (5 hour drive). I had the surgery where I'm in school because there is a "top" hospital here associated with the university and my orthodontist's office is just down the hall from the surgeons. Apparently this proximity allows them to communicate well (though I have not seen any evidence of that.) I really ended up liking my primary surgeon and the resident who was involved in my surgery (met about 3 before I met the one who would actually be doing the surgery). One thing I remember about surgery, my primary surgeon was there when I was brought to the "pre-surgical area." As soon as she saw me she, she asked if I was ready and gave me a hug. It was comforting.

Surprisingly enough, I feel practically like my old self. Granted, this was my first day out and about (did a little shopping and a few errands), but I really feel great (knock on wood). I
NEVER expected this. I was expecting the worst, so that if it wasn't that bad, I would be pleasantly surprised, and if it was, I would be prepared. I thought I would still be sleeping constantly, unable to speak, and in pain. I'm happy to report that that is not the case.

My swelling seems to be at a standstill, but it basically just looks like I've had my wisdom teeth out now. The bruising has gone down almost completely on my right side, but still remains on my left side and top of my neck. The numbness hasn't changed. I'm not sure when/if it will, but I feel lucky that its only a small part of my lip and an area of skin on my chin and cheek. I was so worried about my whole lip being numb.

I still feel like I have an overbite, but as long as my teeth are in a correct "bite", I don't really mind if I still have that look. Its definitely better than it was. Aesthetically, I might have benefited from a genioplasty, but thats just more healing that I would have had to do, so I'm ok with the surgeons' decision not to do it (Which is what I was hoping for in the first place-- not to do it.)

New foods: chili; yogurt with a spoon instead of through the zip-n-squeeze; ice cream in its true form, not melted or thinned with milk.

Hope everyone is having a great week! It was a beautiful day here :)

Day 10 Pictures










My eyes are still puffy too.

One Week Post Op

One week down!































I can't wait for the swelling to go down and I'm not such an oval-face anymore.

This picture is right after surgery: my nose and forehead were already bruising



















Not much to report. Swelling has gone down some and my throat is getting better. My energy is definitely coming back also.

New food accomplishments:
-"spaghetti-Os" and "chicken-Os" which is just like chicken noodle soup. I manage to put a noodle-O on my tongue and just swallow it whole. Doesn't do much for taste, but it just feels good to have some non-liquid food on my tongue!
-carnation milk shake with chocolate ice cream
-cream of potato soup

I'm already so sick of sleeping upright. My rear just doesn't like all this responsibility! One of the books we have said to sleep upright for 2 weeks.

I'm not really sure how my profile looks yet, but I know things aren't exactly where they will be because of all the swelling.

For my pre-surgery friends:
-buy vaseline lip therapy tubes! They are a life saver.
-also, expect your skin to have some crazy changes after surgery. I never had a problem with oily skin, but I feel like I'm a teenager again (times 10! it gets that bad). I'm not sure if its a side effect of the anesthesia or the swelling.
-zip-n-squeeze bags are great. I mostly use them for fluids now. 2 days ago I started using a spoon to poor my "foods" (shakes, soups) in my mouth... it just makes them more appetizing for some reason.
-if at all possible, have someone with you for the first 3-4 days. I couldn't walk by myself for the most part for that time period.

I think thats it for now.

Surgery Recap: Surgery day->Day 5 Post Op

Hi everyone. I'm sorry that this is INCREDIBLY long. I tried everyday to sit and write a post, but I couldn't get past 2 sentences or so before I got too tired or the swelling seemed to intensify. I'll recap:
Surgery Day

Woke up at 6:15 and checked into the hospital at 7:30am. We were called back to the prep area at 9:45am. They went over all my history and I met with the anesthesiologist and a few nurses. I have always had problems getting blood drawn and IVs placed; my veins are small and always seem to "roll." Well, they put one in, and I started to get a lot of pain in my arm. They checked to make sure the IV wasn’t infiltrating. Apparently it was “fine,” although it still hurt in my forearm. They gave me some medicine to relax, and let me tell you, it had very surprising side effects!... but those were gone within 5 minutes. They told my parents to tell me goodbye, then rolled me into the OR. The last thing I remember is that 3 people were standing over me and told me to take a deep breath, I think I struggled for some reason and said “No, not yet.” Ha, don’t know why I, but I wasn’t ready to go under!

I woke up in recovery and I remember asking the nurse a lot of questions, and heard her mention that to someone. I definitely remember asking how long the surgery took (3.5 hrs) and if they ended up having to do the genioplasty (which was a slight possibility; and they did not, thank goodness!)

Next thing I knew, they were rolling me down to my room. I think the man rolling me tried to comfort me and said how pretty I looked. Haha, he could have said anything at that point.

I’m not sure what span of time passed, but eventually my parents were brought in, and my nurse gave me the pain meds, Roxicet (which is the only time I’ve taken them, surprisingly.) That night was pretty horrible. At first I was in a room with a lady who must have been delusional, she would scream for a nurse about every 5 minutes but never seemed to need anything. They eventually moved me to a private room, where I ended up vomiting up large amounts of blood twice. Now, I truly respect nurses and the jobs that they have to do (I’m a nursing student). However, my nurse that was pretty bad. There was somewhat of a language issue, but it was mostly that she hardly ever asked any questions, and basically only came in to check on my IV the whole night. When I noticed my hand was swelling, I told her and she called the Stat Nurse to come re-do it. I don’t know what’s wrong with my veins because I have had problems with every IV I’ve ever had. The Stat Nurse came to change it, because of all the nurses, she is the most experienced. It took her 2 more times; she thought I was on blood thinner because I bled way too fast, so she moved to the other arm. We asked the doctor and he said that they had not given me any blood thinner, so who knows. Then at about 4am, one of the surgeons that was still in the hospital came by to check on me and said “Now, I see you have only drank about 600ml of fluid so far. We need to get you drinking more than twice that before you can leave tomorrow.” I looked at him, very confused, and said “The nurse has never checked to see what I have been drinking and has not told me to drink a certain amount.” At that point, I had barely at 100mL of water. She also dropped my syringe tubing in the sink that was used to washing hands, and proceeded to put it back on the syringe I was using to drink. My mom saw her doing this and asked for a new one. The next shift that morning gave me an amazing nurse; she was really on top of things.

By that afternoon, I was drinking enough to go home. So they sent me for X-rays, then released me.

Days 1,2,3, and 4 Post Op

I’m grouping these together because that’s how I remember them. Pain never got too bad during these days, so I never took the pain meds (worried they would make me nauseas.) I have taken the phenergan a couple of times though, helped me sleep through the major discomfort. You feel like there are pounds and pounds of pressure on your face. I’ve had a hard time with my throat. It felt like I got my tonsils out (again). It doesn’t really hurt anymore, but it itches like crazy and makes me gag and cough about every 15 minutes.

I’m feeling better right now than I have since surgery. When people say recovery is slow, they are RIGHT! I wake up and touch my face to see if any of the swelling has gone down, and of course, it hasn’t. I’m just as swollen today (Day 5) as ever, but my coloring is a little better. I’m starting to bruise, but I think that’s good… shows I’m healing.

So far I’ve found a few numb spots:

-about a silver-dollar sized area right below the right side of my mouth is completely numb

-the right half of my bottom lip is numb, but the tingly type

-strangely, a part of the left side of my neck is numb.

I haven’t taken off my “jaw bra” except to fix my hair, so I’m sure when I do, I’ll find more.

I managed to get down 2 motrins today, so I’m hoping it might help a bit with the swelling.

Eating/drinking has been the biggest challenge yet. I’m NOT hungry at all, which is surprising, because I love to eat. Normally, I’m always thinking about food! Haha… but my mom has been making me eat. Everything is just so unappetizing. So Far:
-chocolate ensure

-gatorade

-apple juice

-V8 fusion

-yogurt + milk + soy protein powder

-attempted chicken soup (-minus the chicken and noodles) but I

started to bleed for some reason.

I have absolutely no urge to eat… which is bad because I know I need to eat enough so that I can heal.

I think those are the highlights. I’ll post soon. Thanks again for all your comments this week, it really has helped!

Pictures so far:
1 Day Post Op

2 Days Post Op

4 Days Post Op

5 Days Post Op

Hope things are getting better for you, Heather. Has the pain diminished at all? I’m guessing you have so much more than me because your nerves weren’t messed with… which is good! Although, I’m sure it feels like hell right now.

Holly, your day is coming closer! Getting ready?

HI EVERYONE, JUST A WORD OR TWO TO UPDATE YOU ON LEAH'S SURGERY. THE SURGEON SAID SURGERY WENT GREAT......THE SPLITS WERE GOOD.....THE NERVE ON ONE SIDE WAS "OUT OF THE WAY" AND THE OTHER SIDE IT HAD TO BE MANIPULATED SLIGHTLY BUT WAS DEFINITELY INTACT. SHE WAS TOLD THAT SHE SHOULD REGAIN COMPLETE OR NEAR COMPLETE NERVE FUNCTION AFTER HEALING, WHICH HAD BEEN A BIG CONCERN TO LEAH. SHE HAD TO DEAL WITH NAUSEA FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS AFTER SURGERY BUT IS FEELING SOMEWHAT BETTER NOW. WHEN IT GETS A LITTLE MORE BACK TO NORMAL FOR HER, SHE WILL BE FILL IN MORE DETAILS FOR YOU. BUT FOR NOW SHE JUST WANTS YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR SUPPORT AND GOOD WISHES MEAN TO HER. TAKE CARE, LEAH'S MOM

Last Post Before Surgery!

First off, I want to thank all of you for the warm wishes and thoughtful comments! It really does help to know that, in addition to my family, I have all of you to talk to about everything that is going on.

I have to check in at the hospital at 7:30am tomorrow morning. My parents came in town this afternoon, and instead of dealing with having roommates, we got a hotel to stay in for tonight through Sunday. But I may be in the hospital for a couple nights, they can't really tell at this point.

I've been really good at keeping my nerves at bay until this evening. I'm getting incredibly nervous and jittery. My mom has been amazing at helping me to prepare for all of this; she's been doing just as much research as me!

I'm letting myself analyze things way too much. I'm a pre-nursing student (soon to be in nursing school), so I keep thinking of little things that could happen, yada yada. But it makes me feel more confident to know that my surgeons do "1-2 of these a week."

So the surgical hooks were put on Tuesday-- they aren't terrible. They didn't bother me at all really until I woke up this morning with a huge hole/indentation in my lower lip from one of them. So for those of you who will be getting them in the future, keep that ol' braces wax handy just in case.

One thing that I could use some advice on from you post surgery folks!.. I sneeze ALL the time! Whether I'm sick or not, it must be allergies. They say to avoid sneezing at all costs... any advice on how to do this?!

Here are some before pictures for you all:


The last is just a normal smile with my jaw forward... hopefully it won't be forever until I can fully smile again! Wow, won't it be nice to smile like that withOUT jutting my jaw forward! (positive thoughts.. positive thoughts)

I told my mom to snap a few pictures while I'm in the hospital, even if I'm not giving her any cute expressions! I hope to be able to post myself by Sunday; I guess it all depends on how long I stay in the hospital.

Well, I guess thats it for me tonight. Thank you guys for all the support! It means the world! Keep checking in, there will be a post ASAP.

Pre-op... the real countdown begins!

Today was my pre-op appointment. First we met with my primary surgeon and the chief resident who will be assisting. This was nice considering I had only spoken with my actual surgeon for about five minutes at my other appointment, and had met with a completely different resident. But they were very helpful answering the few questions that I was still concerned about. So the surgeon went over the surgery and other details, then the resident took pictures, measurements, and molds. To give you an idea about my case, my overjet is 10mm (ah!). I'm the first on the list for Friday, so he said he would like me to be in the operating room by 8am. I'll try and bullet a few more highlights from the appointment:
-I will be having a BSSO. They say it is very unlikely that they will have to do a genioplasty which is good because I would much rather not have the additional breaks (more swelling, more risk for nerve damage, etc).
-Titanium alloy screws and possible plates. I asked if I would have to get those removed if I ever needed an MRI later and she said that those would not interfere with that.
-If the break is clean and they like the way my bite looks (stable) then they may remove the splint before I even wake up. This really surprised me because the first resident I had met with told me that I would definitely be in the splint for 4weeks (+). I think this is a good thing, right? It seems like everyone hates that thing and are relieved to have it off.
-They said it is not necessary to donate my own blood (in case there is need for a transfusion) for this procedure because I should not lose enough blood to need one.
After my visit with the surgeons, they directed me to the pre-surgical department where I met with a nurse practitioner who reiterated the do's and dont's for before surgery:
-no eating after midnight
-don't shave the day before... I think this is kinda iffy; it came from a not-so-with-it older RN. Apparently you can cut yourself and get an infection... but you can cut yourself and get an infection 2 days before surgery also, so I'm not sure why that matters. But maybe I'm wrong.
-call the night before for my surgery time
They took my vitals and then I was all done.
Those are the main points I remember, but I'm sure there are some that I'm forgetting. If so, I'll update later. In 4 days from right now, I'll be in the recovery room! My mother or sister will hopefully be posting some sort of update while I'm in the hospital. I'm also going to post "before pictures" at some point prior to surgery. Thank you everyone for your support! It really does help, and I know I'm just preaching to the choir. Good luck to everyone, especially to Heather this week!!!

I will be updating at least once more before surgery. Only 3 normal days left!

Two Weeks Left

Yes, two weeks left of normalcy... for a while at least!

The semester is over and today marks two weeks until surgery. I'm glad to be able to relax a bit before all of this starts. I'm planning on making a trip to a few craft stores to stock up on some things to consume my time while I'm a homebody; maybe a few books that I've been wanting to read but never find the time, also. For those who have gone through this already: how did you end up spending your time when you were still recouping at home? I'm assuming its going to be a lot of movie watching for the most part.

Thanks to Holly and Ingrid for the food suggestions! I'll definitely be adding those to my list.

No updates for now except:
-Preop: 5-12
-Ortho for hooks: 5-13
-Surgery: 5-16

So I've been trying to come up with a list of yummy, crunchy, chewy (and any other adjective that is the opposite of "liquid"), foods to enjoy in the next few weeks before my surgery. The list so far:
-tacos (+chips and salsa of course)
-hamburger
-burrito
-salads (may not seem like an indulgence but I'm pretty sure I'm going to miss those)
-a nice big turkey sub
-pizza
-apples

And thats about it so far. Doesn't seem like much; I eat a lot of yogurt anyway. If anyone hasn't tried the 60 Calorie Sugar Free Jello Pudding Cups, they're a nice treat. I won't have a problem eating those :)

Anyone else have some thoughts on foods they will be craving? I could definitely make this list longer.

25 more days to enjoy some chewy goodness.

Sorry in Advance... First Real Rant

Well, I may have spoke too soon on the feelings of preparedness I had discussed. After researching more an more about nerve damage, I began to discover more and more things that I feel I need to discuss with my surgeon. I found a document online that was actually very helpful, but a very lengthy read. "NEUROSENSORY DISTURBANCE AFTER BILATERAL SAGITTAL SPLIT OSTEOTOMY" by LEENA YLIKONTIOLA, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu. If anyone is interested, try googling that but if you can't find the pdf format (~80pgs), and if you would like it, I would gladly forward it to you. I would highly recommend reading it. It presented a lot of issues that I will be discussing with my surgeon. Another source of my obsession has returned: reading blogs. I believe I spent a total of 4 hours today doing just that. How pathetic? But they were helpful. I think before this week I had formed the idea that this wasn't going to be as bad as I thought. Well, I'm pretty sure this will be as bad as I thought. And the thing is, only the people going through this seem to understand. So I'm definitely glad I started this blog and have you all to vent to and share experiences with! I have gotten comments from other friends like "Well, we have all gotten wisdom teeth out before." That frustrated me beyond end, but I am too much of a people-pleaser and I just sat there with this "Well...." look on my face until they said, "I guess this might be worse." ..yeah! I had my wisdom teeth out, and having your jaw sawed in half and dealing with this troubling nerve damage issue is (for one), in my opinion is much worse.
I should really stop ranting because there are definitely worse things.

I hope everyone has this moments, and its not just me. I'm lucky that my parents are extremely supportive and they definitely understand the extent of this surgery. I'm sorry I'm having such a pitty party today-- I'm scared that after my surgery, I'll have little support from a group of friends just merely because they don't understand how hard it will be. Thats why I love my family.

I knew that this would pretty much consume my summer months, but not until tonight did it really sink in that this will pretty much involve the next year. From what I've read today, most people are dealing with issues from the surgery for that long.

I'm also wondering if I will really look that different after surgery. As far as I know, my mandible will be moved forward ~8mm. But I usually try to hold my jaw forward in social situations anyway, for proper speech and for aesthetic reasons. So will anyone else (besides family who I don't worry about seeing my "Marge Simpson" like jaw), really notice after this is all over with? One thing I will be happy about: When I eat in public, I always have my hand over my mouth because I have to let my jaw back to chew with my molars. I will be glad not to be self-conscious about that!

When I'm at home on the computer or studying, I find my self jutting my jaw forward, then having to make myself relax it. I'm somewhat worried about training myself NOT to jut forward after surgery. After so many years of trying to look "normal", its a conscious effort to allow my jaw relax.

I would love any feedback if any of your are experiencing the same emotions as I am... which I'm sure many of you are.
Have a great rest of the week!

One Step Closer

Got the "O.K." from insurance today. This just keeps getting more and more real. (To Holly) The less obsession thing must be going around, because I have been doing less and less of that too. Maybe its because I feel more prepared? I'm not sure. I still get super nervous about it though when I start to really think about it happening. It was really encouraging to see Wired Lady's pictures! I hope I recover as swiftly! (On that note, post some earlier post-op pictures!) One thing that I'm most concerned about is nerve damage. Has anyone heard anything regarding this from people who have already had the surgery? I know most people have temporary numbness, but how many people have permanent damage? And how large is the area that it affects?

Anyway, hope everyone is doing well!

D-Day Dreams

You know surgery is close (May 16) when you start dreaming about it! If only there was as little pain as there was in my dream. First off, I was in the hospital be prepped, then suddenly I woke up with a swollen face but no mandibular advancement! I look to my mom and motion that my jaw did not move! She tells me, "The doctor said it didn't set right, so he had to leave it. They have to do the surgery again."
Completely ridiculous, of course. But still, things are definitely seeming a little more real!

Today's Ortho Appointment

So today at my appointment... I got my steel wires put on for surgery! Today is exactly 1 month and 2 weeks until surgery (if everything goes as planned). I just can't wait for next fall when I'm supposed to get these braces off and all of this is over with! Besides finding out if I get into nursing school, which I applied to last month, that is what I'm looking forward to most of all! If anyone has any interesting surgery info, lay it on me :) I've been looking at the zip-n-squeeze website and others like that... any suggestions?

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can someone tell me how to add new blogger friends to my blog page?

a few things on my mind...

I'm excited to have met a few of you after only a day of starting this blog! Something that has been on my mind lately... have any of you who are recovering experienced permanent nerve damage to the lower lip, jaw, or cheek areas? I've been told that this is a possibility, however a small one. Has anyone heard of this happening frequently? Thats one issue that I'm kind of concerned about. I've been looking at people's post-op photos and it seems like it definitely depends on the person as far as the amount of swelling and how low it takes to go down. Has anyone had any complications that they were not aware could occur before the surgery? Is anyone else also having/had just their mandible advanced? It looks like a lot of the surgeries deal more with the maxilla.

Also, today I had an appointment with an ENT that I saw when I broke my nose a few years back. He wanted to make sure my nasal passages were in good shape before surgery because of all the swelling and congestion that occurs. I mentioned to him that about a year ago, I started to have pretty intense head and neck aches. My family doctor just told me to cut caffeine and other stimulants. I stopped drinking sodas (because of the aspartame which can cause headaches) and coffee (i had to start drinking coffee again to stay alert in my early morning classes this semester). However, last week I experienced another episode where I had to sleep for two hours, and after i woke up that day and even the next morning, I could still feel it a bit. Now, every day since then... when I get up from laying or sitting down, I have a throbbing pressure and slight pain in my head mostly on the left side. I've experienced that before, but not EVERY time I stand. He believes that this could be related to muscle strain in my jaw. Has this happened to anyone else? I hope its just a muscle issue, and not blood pressure related.

Sorry that was such a rant! Hope everyone's braces/recoveries are going well!

First Post!

So, I've been researching for awhile now... trying to prepare for my mandibular advancement surgery this May. I've seen a lot of these blogs from other people going through the same type of process as me, and it seems to help them and others seeking information to start blogs about their journey. So here I go!

I have an overbite, which over the past year or so started giving me a great deal of pain-- partly from jutting my jar forward in social situations to talk, smile, and eat properly, and also because of the class (#?) malocclusion. After consulting with my dentist, orthodontist, and a facial pain specialist, it seems that jaw surgery is the best (possibly only) way to stop the pain I was having (i say "was" because my pain has actually subsided after seeing the facial pain specialist and having a proper night-splint fitted. I still have occasional pain, but nothing compared to what i was having before.) They say that even after the surgery I could still experience jaw pain, but from what I gather, pain will probably reoccur if my bite is not corrected and if i continue to hold my jaw forward.

I had braces put on in January and I have gotten use to them again! I had them years ago when I thought it would be a one-time thing! They aren't so bad after a few weeks, and since my teeth were pretty straight from having them before, I didn't have too much pain. Only for about a week after the first 2 wire changes.

I have had two consultations with the oral surgeons and won't be having another until my pre-op appointment the week before surgery. I didn't realize that there would be so few appointments with them... has anyone else had about the same experience?

I will be sure to update with questions or new info that I think will be useful to others going through this process too! Although, I don't think i'll have a lot of interesting personal stories for a while, seeing as for the next 2 months i'll just be waiting!

If anyone else has any helpful info, I would be very appreciative to know also!