Day 96 (October 27th)

I keep thinking of posting, but things have been so busy and just doing normal routine things that I just haven't had the time.

I went for my 3 month follow up with the intern on October 11th and had a good report. I saw one intern first, then he went to get the other one that  treated the infection, and I've seen for almost every visit, so he knows my case well. When that intern walked in, he told the other one that I am the first person in 3 decades that required a transfusion during the surgery and also talked about the infection and said that I was an "anomaly"! haha! I think he will remember my treatment then :)
He then checked things out and said that everything looked great. I was opening fine. The bite looks good, he is happy with the profile and asked what I thought about it. I said that I am still figuring out if I am happy with that. We talked about their reasoning for not doing the genioplasty and I knew that before the surgery-it depended on the measurements once they worked up the models and they felt that it wouldn't be beneficial to move it once they realized how little it would be moved after bringing the lower jaw forward. But I said that since I still feel like there is still some residual puffiness along the jaw line then it's hard for me to tell and I haven't taken a good profile pic to see what it looks like, I only try to angle the medicine cabinet mirror and look in the regular mirror.  Not the best method to see my profile, for sure!!

There is some scar tissue, especially along the top front part of my gums that pulls sometimes and I asked about that, the other intern said that it might go down with some more time or if not, then it can be revised (meaning, they do more cutting to fix the scar-not thrilled about that prospect, so I will live with it)

There is some popping on the left side that started once I was opening and chewing more and it hasn't gone away, but the Dr. said that it may go away eventually. He said as long as it doesn't hurt that they are starting to think that some of it is just normal in people and that about 40% of the population have some sort of popping, clicking etc. going on. If it turns painful then they will look into it more.

I also reported that there has been a tender spot on the left lower jaw line since the surgery that has been sore the whole time (the right feels fine now) it's also the spot that I had the infection, but everything looked good on the inside of my mouth. I figured it's just where the hardware is and would take some more time to heal on that side since I did have the infection there.

He knows that I drive a long way to get there (about 2 hours each way) so he said that he didn't think I needed to return until my braces are off. He did ask that I try to come back and get final records done (pics, xrays, etc) since I was "a good case."

Everything was going great with eating too, I was gradually working up to crunchier things since he cleared me at that point to eat whatever I was comfortable with. I was happy about that. I still haven't done too much hard or chewier things though.

I was relieved to get such a good report and was then so surprised, freaked out and worried when I woke up last Saturday (October 19th-a week after my 3 month checkup) and the left side of my face was swollen again. It was not horrible, but it was definitely getting worse as time went on.  I waited until the afternoon to call the emergency number for the surgeon and a nurse called me back. I was told that since I didn't have a fever, or redness to wait and if it lasted for 3 days, call and come in.

So, as the weekend wore on and I was getting more swollen and it was getting more painful, I was getting more worried. I am thinking at this point that I have a problem with the hardware and it needs to come out, etc! My mind was running worse case scenarios for sure! I could tell that my gums were getting more swollen as well, not just the cheek so I looked in there again and saw a white spot forming. I rubbed my gums and it got bigger. I took one of my little gum brushes for my braces and poked the white spot with it. And this part is gross, so you can skip it if you want to...it opened up and blood and pus came gushing out! It did relieve some of the pressure though. I got the salt out and started rinsing with that again and then tried to get to sleep since it was about 1:00 am!!

I called Monday morning but couldn't be seen until the afternoon, so I left work a little early to make the long drive up there. The surgeon and the intern couldn't believe that I was back with another infection! But the surgeon could see that it was draining, so after an xray to check the hardware, they numbed me up and opened it even more to irrigate and clean it out. That was a really torturous appointment. I was breaking out in a sweat. I was numb for the most part, but the shots hurt like heck, then I could feel the scraping on the bone and that was very disconcerting to me. She also reported that she could see the hardware and was pushing on the screws and nothing was loose. Also, the bone looked like it was healing well.  The good news is, no loose screws and bone is healed well, the bad news-she cut me open enough to see all that!! She also left if open so that it could keep draining-yikes.

I told them that I really like them and think they are great, but this is ridiculous!! The intern said that they don't want to see me back there but out and about-like at a bar ;) I said, "yeah-I can use a drink right about now!"

That was not a fun ride home, the novocaine was fast acting and was wearing off before I could get home with the antibiotics and get ibuprofen in me to help with the pain. Now I am still on antibiotics and softer foods until this heals up. I usually chew on the left side and because it's cut open, I was chewing on the right, which made that sore due to the braces rubbing on it and biting myself over there! I can't win I guess!!I also have to use a syringe to flush the open side with saline that she gave me a bottle of.

The good news is that the swelling was really down after another day or so and I think the spot that was so tender before is gone too. They thought the infection was from the other one that didn't resolve all the way the first time or is somehow related to the bleeding issue that I had during surgery.

I noticed the intern had given a refill on the antibiotics so when I called to update them on how things were going, I asked about that and he said that is "just in case". If I called in another month with something else going on, they would tell me to start taking it until I could get in and be seen. Since this one started on Saturday and I didn't see them till Monday, they don't want me to wait next time, I can just take it. I will fill it and keep it handy as insurance. If I have it then it won't come back right?!

So sorry for such a long post, I meant to update after the 3 month follow up and then the infection happened-so it's a combined post. Until next time...

Day 46 (September 7th)

It was officially 6 weeks since surgery on Tuesday, September 3rd. I had my follow up appointment yesterday.  It was a long ride for a short appointment, but I got a good report. It was the first time since surgery that I actually saw the surgeon. She left for vacation right afterward and I usually saw the interns at my other appointments. She wants to see me at the 3 month mark, but won't be available for that appointment either, so I scheduled it with the intern again. He is the one that treated the infection I had at the one week mark.

The surgeon said that everything looks good. I can open my mouth enough at this point. She isn't worried about jaw exercises or anything. I can chew now but still only softer stuff that won't put too much pressure on the bones. No steak yet! I have tried to chew soft stuff, but it just feels weird. The food is getting stuck between my braces and my cheek, so it's hard to get the food worked around and actually chew it. I guess it will just take time. I realize that just because I'm allowed to chew doesn't mean I can actually do it!! She said the midlines and my profile looked good and I asked how soon the ortho could start making the final adjustments and she said that can get started now. I go to the ortho again next week, so I'm hoping to get an idea of a timeline for finalizing things. I still have lots of cosmetic things to do after the braces though-crowns, bonding or veneers-not sure what will be recommended, but that will take time and money. I wanted to make sure the bite was fixed before doing any of the cosmetic stuff anyway.

The discomfort and achiness has subsided alot. I am not taking the prescription anti-inflammatory at all right now, just acetaminophen when needed if it gets too achy. The tingling is still in spots around my face and the left half of my tongue still feels numb or sore like if I burned it- which is annoying.
I think the tingling in my chin is getting a little better too. I know this could take more time, but sometimes it's hard to have patience and not get sick of all this. I know it's temporary but I just want to be done with it!! I'm glad that I got a good report and I am feeling much better overall. Still very tired at the end of the day, but that's good-I have no trouble falling asleep! I guess that's it for now, until next time...

Day 32 (August 24th)

This week was my first week back at work. It's been fine for the most part. It's tiring.  I've napped on the couch everyday after work. Is that because I had surgery recently or just because I'm not used to the schedule yet? I'm sure it's both! It's been hard doing alot of talking. Everyone has been so nice and asking how I've been doing or asking about what I had done- but it all requires more talking. My face is really achy by the end of the day. Another hard thing is eating at work. I have to find some good snacks and some easy things to eat. I still have about a week and a half before I can start chewing. Actually, I'll probably wait till I go to my next surgeons appointment which is September 6. So that's about 2 weeks away.

I've been wearing the elastics 24 hours a day. I was giving myself more of a break but felt like things weren't sitting quite right. It seems better wearing them all the time even though my teeth really hurt. I wonder how much ortho work I'll need to finish things up. How long until the ortho can start tweaking things? I go to the ortho a week after the appt with the surgeon so I guess u can ask about all that then.

I worked out in the garden for a few hours today, which at times made my face throb when bending over. Now my allergies are acting up. I'm not crazy about gardening because of that but the weeds were taking over and I wanted to get it done before my husband comes home from China at the end of the week. He's been gone sine July 30th. He was only home for 5 days after my surgery. He hasn't seen a picture for at least a week. I wonder what he'll say about my face when he gets home.

I've been sleeping fine. I'm still propping up on several pillows. I also use a warm compress on my face at bedtime. it just feels nice and helps me relax. It helps some of the aches and pains I feel at the end of the day.

The hard part is just deciding what I want to eat from one meal to the next. The quantity hasn't been that much at any given meal. My jaw gets tired.  I know that's normal and will last awhile. I can open a little more than one finger width, it's close to 2 but not quite. I don't know what it should be at this point. I think that even when I get the ok to chew or try to do exercises that I will be nervous  to put extra strain or pressure on my jaw/face. I still wish I could have a full yawn.  It hurts to only partially yawn and its not very satisfying. Lol!

Also, I'm still talking funny. I really looked forward to getting the splint out, hoping that it would be easier to speak and I would sound more normal-well, I still have a lisp!! It is easier to eat without it though and I'm really glad I got it out before I went back to work! The hard part with the lisp is that I can't feel where to put my tongue since I'm numb behind my front teeth. It's weird to feel your palate with your tongue, but not feel your tongue there properly. It feels weird to brush my teeth there too. I tried to floss my upper teeth for the first time the other night. I can't feel the floss on my gums-weird. It was hard to get in there, but it was a good first attempt I thought.  Wow, I just realized I used the word weird about 7 times in this paragraph! I guess that sums up this whole process!!

On Friday, at work, my face just felt really stiff and hard to talk all day.  I felt like I was muffled when trying to talk. That can cause problems when working in a school and having to supervise classes and give direction to the whole class. I finally did say that I need them to listen closely since I had jaw surgery and it bothers me to have to repeat myself or try to talk loudly. I hope they don't think I sound too funny.

Well, I guess that's all I can think of right now-it's late and I'm tired from working out in the heat for a few hours today, so until next time...

22 Days (August 14)

Yesterday was technically 3 weeks since surgery. It really doesn't seem possible, but I'm glad that I have this much healing time behind me since I go to work next Monday.  The last three weeks have definitely seen their share of ups and downs during this process. I didn't update anything yesterday since today I had 2 appointments scheduled that would be good to update on,

First, I had to travel the 1 3/4 hour trip to the surgeon's office to get the splint removed-yes-REMOVED!! I was terrified that this would hurt alot, I told the intern that I was really nervous about it hurting, but it did not. It was gross-since food was still stuck in there, which I'm not suprised, but-gross!!! He said it didn't matter how thorough oral hygiene is, there will be food stuck in there when it's removed.  I couldn't wait to brush the backs of my top teeth. When doing that, I realized that the front teeth/palate area is numb , which I couldn't tell before since the splint covered it. I also had the stitches removed-some of those did hurt a bit, pulled and pinched type of feeling. Also, I told the surgeon that the left side of my face was more puffy again-starting yesterday morning, once I woke up. So he had a closer peek in there and poked it (with a sharp instrument-ouch) and sure enough-it started draining from that spot. He then irrigated it and suctioned it out again. Now it's open to drain. I need to keep doing the warm compresses and the salt water rinses (ugh!) He didn't prescribe more antibiotics yet. He said he would if it gets worse. The drainage doesn't look like the other infection did, so he wasn't as concerned. He did say that alot of weird stuff happens to me though. Tell me about it!!

The second appointment was with the orthodontist. Once the splint was removed, I needed a replacement wire put in the top jaw since they cut that wire during surgery to widen the top jaw. I was also dreading that appointment. It wasn't so bad getting the wire segments out, but putting the new one in-holy cow!! Not fun at all. They tried to be gentle, they even offered to wait in putting the wire in, but what good does that do? The surgeon said both appoinments need to be coordinated on the same day to get the wire placed to hold things stable since it basically replaces the splint. Also, I didn't want to worry over the appointment anymore. I could barely sleep last night as it was. So I said, please-just change the wire and be as gentle as possible!!  They did try, but when he had to trim the wire in the back at the bands, he really pressed on the right side. I have scar tissue back there and can't open very wide to begin with. That one really hurt-and made me cry-but I had to tell him that I have been very emotional that last few days anyway. He felt really bad and patted my shoulder and asked if I was ok, but I was ok and just wanted him to get done and leave my mouth alone!! He ended up having to trim the wire on the right side again-with smaller clippers-but they weren't very sharp and he needed another pair. Yeah, the right side took that abuse 3 or 4 times.  Not happy. The left side-where the infection was didn't even hurt. Can you believe that?? Also, I have one of the brackets on the top front that for some reason, the door doesn't like to stay closed on it and so he had to wire tie that one and that took a few minutes to sort out, with him pushing on my upper lip-right where the stitches had been only a few hours earlier-again-ouch!! The ortho also gave me a new configuration of elastics to wear (except for eating and cleaning). They are in the shape of triangles on each side. I do have a 1mm open bite after surgery, but it was expected and I know that there is more otho work to do, but my from teeth are so close to each other-it's freaky.  They have never been that close in my life.

So, after all that today, is it any wonder that I came home with a headache?? I put my comfy clothes on, took tylenol, made a cup of coffee and warmed up the compress for my achy face. Now I just need something soft and easy to eat for dinner and I will be better. I do hope that I sleep much better tonight after all that.

The next surgeon appointment is in three weeks and the the next orthodontist appointmenr is in 5 weeks.  Until next time...

Day 19 (August 11th)

Things seem to be going fine. My face is so tingly though, it drives me crazy at times.  My chin area is constantly tingly. I know that I shouldn't complain as some people are completely numb for a long time and wish they had the tingly sensations, I just wish it would calm down a bit.

I have slept in my bed for the last two nights and that seems to be fine as well. I am not waking up with more swelling or anything like that. I don't wake in the middle of the night from pain or anything either so I guess everything is ok that way.

I sneezed for the first time last night and made sure my mouth was open like everyone says and it wasn't too bad, my nose area is tender to touch and still really puffy along the sides of my nose and cheeks.  I also think the swelling is going down around my jaw line so that is looking a little better.

I am experiencing something that I don't think anyone else has ever mentioned though- maybe because it would freak people out? But when I try to eat, swallow, talk or just move my head or when I try to (not) yawn- I feel a clicking in my upper jaw, especially where they made the left cut. I made a comment to the doc. when I went for my one week follow up and he said that it would feel like things are "loose" in there. I do think as the time is going on that it's getting better or I don't feel it quite as much but it does worry me. Is there a problem? I go to the surgeon's office again on Wednesday to get the splint taken out. I think it's interesting that some people have the splint removed after a few days, others 6 weeks after surgery. Mine is 3 weeks after surgery. They also need to do an xray since they haven't done that since surgery either. I am nervous for the splint to be removed-I don't want it to hurt. Then I go to the ortho the same day to get the wires replaced.  I am looking forward to not having so much metal and stuff in my mouth-all the hooks and wires from the splint are rubbing the insides of my mouth all the time, so that part will be good. I am also looking forward to talking without the  splint in my mouth. I can't wait to hear what that sounds like!

I finally finished the antibiotic yesterday afternoon also. It seemed like the never ending bottle of pills, so I am glad that is done. I also stopped the salt water rinses then too. I think that the cheek healed up inside and it wouldn't make much difference any more.

For lunch I blended up our left over chicken soft tacos-last night I ate the rice, beans and shredded meat with fiesta ranch dressing and sour cream to soften it up some more, but today I put the rice, meat, and beans in the blender with salsa and the dressing and blended everything. That was easier to eat. I heated it up and then added sour cream. It tasted good. I am noticing how many food commercials are on the tv and everything looks soooo good.  *Only* around 3 more weeks of not chewing.  I know that even then once I can chew, I won't be able to really chew everything-it will take time. I am really going to miss deep dish pizza!! I guess that's it for now-I will update after the appointments on Wednesday.  Until then...

Day 16 (August 8th)

I can't believe it's been over 2 weeks since surgery.  It's been fast and slow at the same time-sounds weird, but I think everyone knows what I mean by that.

Sleeping is ok. I slept all night last night but I am still sleeping in the recliner. The doc said at my one week appointment that I could sleep normally, it might just increase swelling and that I wouldn't hurt anything. My face is still tender to touch in spots, so I am nervous about laying on it-it will hurt. I don't want more swelling either since that is doing pretty good. I don't know how long I will sleep in the recliner. I remember reading someone else's blog and that she was afraid to sleep in bed normally for a long time too.  I know I will get over it eventually. No big deal, I'm getting sleep.

Eating is ok too. I have a yogurt smoothie with bananas and strawberries for breakfast with some tea. I have been having blended soups for lunch. I had split pea soup yesterday, it had extra carrots and potatoes in it and some ham, I put it all in the ninja along with a little milk and a few crackers and blended it, heated it and ate the whole can!! It tasted good. Blended vegetarian vegetable soup was good that way too.  No chewing needed.  I ate really soft stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and a little bit of shredded up bbq chicken for dinner last night.  It was all really soft and mushy and doesn't require chewing, of course, but my tongue gets sore from working it around to swallow it since it's rubbing on the roof of my mouth and the splint all the time.

The infection seems to be gone. I still have a little hole in my cheek where they removed a few stitches to let it drain. I am still on the antibiotics till Saturday and I thought I would keep doing the salt water rinses till then too. The swelling still seems a little more on the left-which makes sense since that is where the infection was.  I am trying not to judge my face because it is way too early for that, but my nose seems a little crooked at the end right now. I hope just from the swelling.  My face does feel puffy right along both sides of my nose so I'm sure that's why. I don't see much difference in my jawline right now.  Still swollen along there and into my neck, it's tender.  I hope I have some good cosmetic benefits, even though that wasn't the main reason for doing this. I can still hope to look better though, right??

My energy level seems ok.  I did about 4 hours of running around on Tuesday. I was tired after that. Yesterday I felt just kind of blah and headachy so just took it easy. No plans today, I can just get some laundry and small chores done around the house.  I have my appointment for the splint removal next Wednesday, the 14th. I go to the surgeon's in the morning and then the ortho in the afternoon to get the wires replaced and the surgical hooks out (I hope). I am nervous for those appointments-I am afraid it will hurt for them to do that work.  The quick check I had with the ortho on Tuesday, she said I probably wouldn't even feel it with being numb and all-I said, I am not numb!!! I have feeling on the left and light tingles on the right, my chin is very tingly, but I am not numb!! I am glad that I have feeling, but at the same time, those appointments could be painful! I can't wait to eat and talk without the splint in my mouth and I am so glad that it comes out before I go back to work on the 19th!! I want to know how I sound without it in there, I hope the lisp that I had before surgery (due to a 10 mm overjet) will be gone, but will I know how to talk properly when everything has been moved so much?!

Well, that's really all I can think of right now...until next time.

Day 11 (August 3)

The good news today is that the infection seems to be really clearing out. I only have a little drainage occassionally, but I am still taking the antibiotics (10 day course), doing the salt water rinses and the warm compresses. The warm compresses just feel good on my tender face. The right side feels alot better than the left, so I never use the warm compress there. The swelling seems about equal now, meaning all that extra swelling from the infection on the left is just about gone. I even have been trying to wear the elastics for short periods of time and I plan on wearing them to bed to make sure the bite lines up. After all, that's why I did this crazy surgery to begin with.

My parents went home today, so I was doing more around the house and I haven't napped today either. I guess I have given that up so that I can get to sleep at a decent time at night. I am a night owl anyway. I have still been getting up several times at night to drain the infection and rinse my mouth. I don't know how long I will need to keep doing that.

I am going to call and update the surgeon on Monday, to see if they want to see me again before the splint comes out in a couple weeks.  I hope not, it's a long drive and I am afraid my energy isn't quite up to that drive yet. It should be by the next week though-which will be good, since I am also getting closer to having to go back to work at that point.

I didn't have too much to eat today. My tongue hurts trying to eat soft stuff and push it around my mouth to swallow it. I have a sore on the end of it. I drank dinner-soup-and I plan to make a banana milk shake for a treat tonight.  Sounds good and refreshing. Trying to eat soft stuff without chewing is more difficult than I thought it would be and tiring trying to work it around with your tongue to swallow it down. My water intake is going up, since I have to wash so much food down!

My chin is very tingly and I have a sensitive tooth on the bottom right side that seems to react harshly to cold things. I hope that's just normal nerves waking up from surgery and not an indication that there is tooth damage or anything like that. I would think it would be a little early for signs of that-I hope, anyway!

How long do people sleep elevated?? I asked at my one week check and was told that I could go ahead and sleep normally, that I wouldn't hurt anything surgically. But my face is still swollen and tender. I am nervous about that. I know the swelling might increase by laying down now. But I'm afraid of hurting something. I am still in my recliner. I guess I will just do that for a while until the tenderness subsides more.  Well, that's about it for now I guess...until next time.

Day 9 (August 1st)

Day 9
So things have been going a little better today. I think the swelling is down somewhat (still more on left side-infection-than the right) and my food intake is up (good thing-I have been really hungry) I have continued to do the warm compresses and drain my mouth and rinse with salt water several times a day. I did get up every couple of hours last night again to follow that same routine. I think tonight though I will only get up once in the middle and leave it at that. I actually left the house yesterday and today and was seen in public! Yesterday was also the first time I drove since surgery. I just went a few miles down the road to the pharmacy to get my antibiotic filled. Today, we went to the High School to watch the marching band perform their  set that they have been practicing all week at band camp. My oldest two are in High School right now. They do a great job, it's always fun to watch them. I wasn't sure this morning if I felt up to going since not resting well and the swelling and all, but I was feeling pretty good, so I surprised them and showed up.  I haven't napped at all today and I really think I will be ready for bed tonight!! I have had to write down the times I take all the meds-tylenol, penicillin, diclofenac, salt water rinses, to make sure I'm not forgetting anything.

My parents are staying for a few more days, they will make sure that I'm set for food (my oldest can also drive me to the store if need be) and they will go home, they have been here almost two weeks now.  I really appreciate the help with laundry and making meals for the kids, etc.  I was just starting to feel really good, then got the infection, so that was a little setback in recovery. But I think the meds are kicking in and everything will be fine soon. I still have 3 more days before appointments next week. So there is still time for improvement on the antibiotics. I guess that's really it for now...I was thinking there might be something else, but I can't remember right now! I hate that feeling! until next time... (Oh! I remembered what it was-I have the drooling under control, I am not constantly holding a tissue, napkin or paper towel to my face!!!!!-how could I forget that, it was so annoying!!)

Days 7 and 8 (July 30/31)

Day 7-
We went to the surgeon's for my 1week follow up.  I got a really good report from the doc. My mouth is really clean-one if the cleanest he's seen one week post op:) and my bite was just a little out of the splint so they tried some loose bands and let that settle for a few minutes. When they checked, it still wasn't quite where they want it, so I got the heavier bands. That did the trick. So I left with 2 bands toward the front to pull things in line.  We got home several hours later and I crashed on the couch. When I woke up, my mom noticed my face had really swollen on the left again. Like, right after surgery swollen! We spent the next few hours calling the doc to relay different information to see what to do.  As I was sitting there, all of a sudden I started bleeding. I hadn't done that since right after surgery. When I pulled my cheek out to let my mom see what was going on in there, blood and puss started pouring out of the incision line by my bottom teeth.  SOOOO GROSS!!  We got some more direction from the doc and we were to talk to them this morning. I spent the whole night waking up every 2 hours or so to let the spot drain and to rinse with the antiseptic mouthwash. Not a restful night at all.

Day8-
I got up early this morning to shower and call the docs office right when they open at 8. The attending was already in a surgery, but when I told the woman all the information, she called him (or texted him) to see what to do. I reminded her that if I needed to be seen, it takes 2 hours to get there, I need travel time.  She called back fairly quickly with the news that the doc wanted to see me at 1:15. So we made another long trip up to the surgeon's office. (I won't miss that part) it was a fairly quick appointment. He did remove a few more stitches to let it drain more easily(yes, really gross!) suctioned it and irrigated it and pressed on my face (hard).  I got an antibiotic and was told to rinse with warm salt water 4 times a day and use warm compresses. He said really he would like to see me next week to check things, but he knows we have the huge drive, so he said to call and give him an update.  He could then decide if I need to come up before the splint removal appointment or just wait till then.  Obviously I am to call sooner if things aren't improving.
The plan is to wake up every couple of hours again tonight to let it drain and rinse my mouth and put the warm compress on it at least once during the night. We'll see how that goes.

Day 6 (Monday, July 29th)

Today is my son's 15th Birthday! Where has the time gone?? Luckily we celebrated before my surgery. Anyway...

Today has seen improvement of a few things. I am getting more fluids, the drool seems to be lessening and I actually slurped some soup and a vanilla malt with a spoon! Which is good as it seems the syringes are starting to malfunction! I guess I need to transition to cups and silverware now otherwise I will just delay learning how to use the new jaw.  When I use the cup to swallow my meds, I have had water come out my nose several times, so annoying. My one week follow up appointment is tomorrow. I spent some time writing down some questions for the docs. I hope all goes well.

I didn't sleep that great last night, it kind of felt like I was half awake most of the time. I did catch a little nap this afternoon once the house got quiet.  I feel a good sleep coming on though:) one thing I have been worried about was my energy level returning quickly, since I have 3 teens, 2 pets and a husband that travels alot for work. My parents have been helping me out alot, which I really appreciate. They will drive me to my appointment tomorrow since it's so far away. I know I won't have the energy for that so soon.  Then we have some days off, so my parents will go home and I won't have any appointments or obligations till next Monday. I plan to just hang around the house and rest. I still have three weeks before I start work again. My splint will come off the week before I go back-thank goodness! I will have to take that trip with my youngest daughter, we can have a girls day:)

I just have doctor appointments set for the kids for their school physicals and that's about the only obligations I have till work starts. I know I will have another ortho appointment once the splint comes out so they can replace the wire that they cut when they widened my top jaw. My lips are doing much better, but the skin around my mouth has been peeling. I will get the splint removal appointment tomorrow, then we'll have to coordinate with the ortho.

My face feels pretty tingling all over, which I guess is a good sign, it just feels so weird. There is a spot on my left cheek that feels normal, the rest is all tingles. I also have this spot on my left cheek that looks like a blister, so I'm going to ask what that's from.  I have been swallowing pills today, a combo of ibuprofen and acetaminophen. My jaw is just really achy right now, from trying to open and get a spoon in there when I had my malt, so I have a warm compress on it. That feels good.

Well, I guess that's it for now.  I'll try to update tomorrow after my appointment.  Did I mention I wish the drooling would stop already?! until next time...

First five days

Since I'm several days post op now, I need to catch up the blogs so I'll do a long post but try to re-cap each day. Hope it's not too long/boring :)


Wednesday, July 24th (day 1)
The docs visited me in the morning and removed the compression bandage completely, which was awesome since it made me feel like I was suffocating. I was only allowed to get out of bed that morning once they removed the catheter and the leg compression stocking things. Due to the fact that I hadn't really been moving, had been so nauseas, couldn't get anything down,etc. the docs said that I was not being released but they would move me to a regular room for another night. Thank goodness. I felt like a train wreck. They did say the swelling in my lower lip was looking better though and my bite was good, still biting into the splint so no elastics needed to guide things yet.

It did take a while to get moved, we had to wait for a room to open up on the med/surg ward. The staff was all super nice. They did their  best to try and help my pain. I was refusing the stronger stuff and was basically getting iv Motrin type stuff. They were giving meds for swelling, nausea and pain. I had tried some oral pain meds too, but they wouldn't go down either and they tasted horrible and gagged me.  I would rather have the pain than throw up again! But due to more old blood in my stomach I threw up again-so nasty, but that was the last time. Thank goodness. I was able to sleep a little better that night and was getting up to use the bathroom, etc since I was still hooked up to the iv.

I tried to get fluids down, some tea, melted sherbet, etc but nothing really worked or tasted very good.  I have noticed that my taste buds are on high alert right now and things taste stronger.

Thursday, July 25th (day 2)
The docs visited me again in the morning and said everything looked on track, I was doing better, they had a few early afternoon surgical cases and would check me after that, but the plan was for me to be discharged after the afternoon visit.  They wanted me to walk the halls for some exercise and to see what else I could take in fluid-wise, so they capped the iv but didn't take it out yet.  I walked down to the nurse's station twice, was able to get down  some tea and plain water and ice chips. The docs came back around 3 and started the discharge process.  They knew I had a long drive home (about 2 hours) so they got me going fairly quickly, we just had to wait for the prescriptions to be ready, one more dose of pain meds, then they removed the iv, then I was transported to the door. I was awake (I think)  for most of the very long drive home.  Once I hit the door, I burst into tears. I was happy to be home. I slept a little better in the recliner. Lots of pillows, cozy blanket, ice packs, etc. 

Friday, July 26th/Saturday, July 27th (days 3 &4)
I was able to sleep a few hours at a time.  I finally was able to shower also, that makes such a difference.  The swelling is going down day by day and the fluid intake is going up as the swelling improves.  I mostly laid around all day. I did fall asleep late on the couch and woke up at 10, but then couldn't sleep again until about 4 am. That sucked. Then I took a nap after lunch on Saturday and then was up until around 11:00pm.
We also called the doc on Saturday to ask a few questions about cleaning my teeth, and why my tongue was still so swollen and sore. Everything is going normally-nothing out of the ordinary and I go for my follow up on Tuesday, July 30th, so they will double check everything then. At least the phone call reassured me on what I could or  couldn't do to clean my mouth. There was so much dried blood in there-so disgusting, but he said I could brush as much as I was able to.  I wouldn't hurt anything. So I brushed and rinsed for the longest time and got the grossest blood clots and gunk out-sorry if that's TMI! But my mouth felt and tasted so much better and I have been using the rinse 3 times a day.

Sunday, July 28th (day 5)
Since I went to bed around 11, I woke up around 3:30 and actually tried swallowing some ibuprofen. It worked!!  I couldn't feel it go down though, so I had to check my mouth with a little flash light to make sure it wasn't hiding in there. I'm sure I would have tasted the nasty medicine though. But I was so happy that I was able to swallow it whole without drinking it all ground up and mixed in my drinks!! So, when I woke up around 6, I showered again and drank some juice, then around 9, I swallowed another dose of pain meds-it's a prescription I had for knee pain, but it's a stronger anti-inflammatory and I only have to take once every 12 hours so that's really helpful.
It's time for me to take it now, actually. I took a 1 1/2 hour nap today, but didn't want to mess up my sleep tonight, so I set the timer on my phone. I got up and had more soup for dinner. I had my mom make a cheesy potato soup (blended and strained) and had about 1/2 a mug full. The liquids fill you up fast, but they don't last long. I also had some other smoothies and shakes and trying to get a much water as possible. I am still drooling an outrageous amount and wish that would stop, but I feel I am getting better control of my lower lip and am able to close my mouth better,so the drooling should stop soon too.  The swelling has gone down dramatically, my face is a lovely greenish-yellow from bruising though, but my lips are looking much more normal and not all peeling and inflamed like just two days ago. It really is amazing how fast your body tries to get back to normal. I need to take another picture for my records, at least I have the "after surgery" ones on my phone, so maybe I can figure out how to post them. I really am terrible at this technology stuff ;)

Well, sorry for such a long update, but this is the first I felt up to trying to get it all down. I wanted as much detail to look back on later. I do not know how people feel up to blogging right away, but I am glad they do, I wish I felt that good. I am getting there. I will blame being older on this rough time I am having. It seems all the younger patients bounce back much better. I am glad for them and a little jealous, I guess! Lol!

I will try to update daily for a while, I go on Tuesday for my one week follow up. Not really looking forward to the long ride, but I guess I've come a long way since I came home on Thursday, so another couple of days should make even more of a difference. I just hope the drooling stops by then:)


I just took my pain pill and when I swallowed, water came out my nose! Does that happen to anyone else?? It feels so weird. I remember when I was a kid and had my tonsils and adenoids removed, the same thing happened a few times, then I guess I figured out how to drink properly! Until next time...

Day zero-July 23rd

I had to be at the hospital by 6 am. I was scheduled for 7:30 surgery time. They took me back for surgery right on  time. First was the typical pre-op stuff, met the surgery team to talk to, placing the iv, etc . It was nice that my mom could sit with me and keep me distracted. I had this weird gown to wear that they hooked up to a warm air pump- it was nice!

The nurse doing the iv stuck  me three times and still didn't get it. She was probing around in there. I have two really nice bruises from that. The anesthesiologist resident got an iv in first try.  Then they gave me the "happy juice" and took me back.   I remember changing to the surgery table, they start hooking things to me, then put the oxygen mask on and it was lights out! I woke up in my room when I needed to transfer to the regular bed. That's so hard to do right after surgery. I don't think I remember anything from the recovery room.

They actually started the surgery at 8:15 after everything was prepped. Waking up was tough. My bottom lip was the size of a small continent. It was just dangling in the air. I had ice on. I remember being aware that my mom took a picture. (My lip was shocking when I saw the pic days later.) I had lots of bleeding going on. The nurses actually called the drs back sooner to check me, but they said everything was ok.  I had lost a lot of blood during the surgery, I needed 2 units of blood. That's not really supposed to be a problem with this procedure. So glad it happened to me- not!! So since losing so much blood-guess what happens? Yes, you throw it up-repeatedly. I think I threw up 5 times that night. The pain meds do that to me too. I had so much swelling. They left the catheter in place till 6 am which also meant I had the leg compression stockings on-til 6 am (annoying) also when I was awake I got to stare at the clock at the end of my bed.  Minutes dragged on for hours!!

By the morning, I was desperate for the docs to come and take the compression bandage off. I felt like I was going to suffocate and was trying hard to focus on breathing but I was shaking and couldn't stop. Finally the nurse loosened it a bit and I got some relief from that. Holy cow-it was a horrible  night.

I'll post the next day starting with seeing the doctors....

Tomorrow is the day!

Tomorrow is the day-7:30 am! I need to be at the hospital by 6 am. Thankfully the hotel is only about 20 minutes away instead of the 1 1/2 hours it normally takes from my house. It was actually longer today due to road construction, but we had lots of time-nothing scheduled today.

The nurse called this morning to give me instructions such as arrival time, no food or drink after midnight, etc.  and to get some more medical history before I arrive.

I need to remember to tell the intern "happy birthday" :) it was discussed at my pre-op that it's his birthday because he was asking what day my surgery was and said "oh, that should be easy to remember, it's my birthday!" He then asked when the other interns'  birthdays were, another was in July also (my son's is July 29th) then the other one said his was March 7th, I flipped out-that's MY birthday (and also my daughter's!) so I said we have some good birthday vibes going on for my surgery:)

I am now just trying to relax and not be completely freaked out about what is happening tomorrow!

I still don't know how to do pictures. That's so lame!! Until next time...

Surgical hooks are in!!

The name of this post pretty much says it all-my surgical hooks were put in today. I miscounted at first-it turns out that I have 9 on the bottom and 7 on the top. I had to make a second trip to the ortho after lunch when I noticed that one of the top hooks was loose and moving around on the wire. So back I went to get that tightened. I also had them poke some wires away from my lower lip since it was snagging me.  Ouch.  My ortho put  wire ties on my bottom front teeth to place a hook there, but it wouldn't fit. My bottom teeth are too small and there wasn't enough room between the brackets so that resulted in the poking wires. She left them longer so the surgeon could straighten them and use them as hooks during surgery if needed.  I had asked to get the elastic ties back on since the hook didn't fit and the wires were poking me but she then explained why she left the wire ties longer. I went ahead and grabbed more wax to save my lip. Not looking forward to swelling and pushing on more wires and things.  Hopefully that won't be as bad as I fear.  4 days, 9 hours til surgery-not that I'm counting;)

Phone call about the 23rd!!

I almost didn't answer the phone this morning because the caller id said unknown name/unknown number. I usually let those go to voicemail because most of the time they are  telemarketers that I don't want to talk to anyway. But I'm really glad that I answered since it was the intern from the surgeon's office calling to go over the surgery one more time and to see if I had any questions, etc.

I had to tell him right away that I have been dreaming that my teeth are loose and I will have problems getting the surgery done. He said that is totally normal with this procedure-they hear that a lot. I have also been afraid that they will call and cancel after what happened last time. I figured they would look at all the recent models, etc. and say "NOPE, still not ready"!! He said everything is ready, they "crossed all the T's and dotted the I's".

He said that they worked up the models and did the surgery on them and all the measurements and predictions were done on the computer. He said after doing all that and considering everything, they think that doing the genioplasty would be detrimental after all that and from the predictions and measurements they would only be moving it a .5 mm anyway, which he said they don't even make a plate that size. It would be like cutting the chin and putting it back in the same place. Kind of pointless!! It would save recovery from that procedure and would take about an hour off the total surgery time. Which I've been told can range from 6-8 hours. That's along time. At my pre-op appointment, he also talked about taking all the measurements so that they can look at all the esthetics of it and get a balanced result, they don't just worry about function. That was reassuring as I want things fixed but I want to look better too:)

He said they would be widening the top 3-4 mm and leveling the bite to close the open bite that I have in the front, which would then allow them to move the bottom jaw forward 9mm, which would also take care of needing the genioplasty. We talked about how if you just look at me now, it appears that I would really benefit from the genio, but actually doing the model surgery and looking at the tracings, etc. that's when they decided it would not really be needed. He said they move the jaw 10 mm in their sleep apnea cases, so it is very close to that and I should notice a great improvement in my airway-if I had any sleep apnea symptoms (never been tested, but it should be helpful anyway to get more air!)

He said that I won't be happy with them for the first week and a half but after that I should really be pleased with the results (once the swelling goes down he said) We discussed the diet a bit more. They have been saying a "no chew" diet from the start since I'm not supposed to be banded shut, but from all the other blogs and videos that I've seen, I am guessing that due to swelling I will only be able to manage liquids the first few days at least, and he agreed with that statement, so when I go shopping on Friday, I will be stocking up on things to drink.

I have to remind him on Tuesday that I want to see the predictive tracings, etc. that we talked about today. They generated all that after my workup appointment and I haven't been back for any kind of followup since it's 1 1/2 hours away. He confirmed that I am scheduled for 7:30 Tuesday, the 23rd. Of course I need to be there 2 hours early, I will be staying closeby the night before. I am not driving 1 1/2 hours on the morning of surgery!!

 It's not long now, I am nervous and excited!! I guess I will tell my friends that it's back on, I was waiting to make sure.  Tomorrow I go for the surgical hooks. I need to figure out how to get some pics on here too:) I'll post soon, maybe some pics of the hooks??

So much going on...

As the title of my last post states, these past few weeks have definitely been a roller coaster ride, and not a fun one either.  I spoke to the surgeon's office on July 1st but I was told that they were going to workup the models that my ortho sent them the week before to see if I was ready and they would try to get me back on the schedule for July, but I also let my ortho know that I didn't have a firm date yet, because I think she thought I was rescheduled already. Anyway...I was told by the surgeon's office not to expect any word from them till July 12th. If I didn't hear from them by then, she told me to call the afternoon of the 12th.

My surgery was originally scheduled for July 2nd, so as that date came and went, I was having a really emotional day trying to get through it and angry and upset that it wasn't happening, all due to a miscommunication and no chance to clarify things that would have kept it on track.

I was busy cleaning the basement on the 2nd, trying to distract myself and keep busy during the day. I already had one phone call from the periodontist saying that they recommend I get a deep cleaning before my surgery. It only costs 1,200. She mentioned that insurance would cover 80%, then actually checked my insurance coverage and said it would only cover 50%, but (lucky for me) they can stretch out the payments to make it easier for me. I did not need that call, on the day I was supposed to be having surgery!! It pushed me over the edge (again!) I went back to work, but when I needed a break, I realized that I had a voicemail. Imagine my surprise when I heard that it was from the surgeon's office saying that she had good news for me and to call her back.  I couldn't dial fast enough! Luckily she answered the phone right away and said that since my first date was canceled due to a miscommunication, they were putting me on the schedule for July 23!!!! She also scheduled me (again) for the work up for July 11th. I told her I would be there for sure!! See what I mean about a roller coaster?!

My husband had  just returned from China after a month long business trip and then he was only home for 5 days before traveling to see his critically ill mother.  I stayed home with the kids. He called early on July 4th to say that his mom had passed away, only about 12 hours after he arrived to see her. I then packed and left two days later to be there for the services and to help his dad organize things around the house. Her service couldn't be scheduled until Wednesday. That meant we had to leave immediately after to make the 8 hour drive home (through tornado warnings and torrential rain) I was so stressed out and emotionally and physically exhausted after that trip.

I made it to my pre-op appointment, and had 2 to 3 interns doing things for me throughout the appointment.  The office was really supposed to be shut down at the time, but they were trying to make it up to me for canceling the first one.  The one intern said that after what they did, I deserve to have them bend over backwards for me:) especially since they put me out into a horrible thunderstorm that day ( and I got lost trying to get home) I appreciated the extra attention:)  The appointment lasted for three hours! They did more molds(they started that last time), wax bite, face bow and measurements and lots of talking about the procedure,etc. I signed the consent for the surgeon (with the specifics for my procedures) and a general consent for the hospital. I am excited and anxious to get this done, but I still am afraid that they are going to call and cancel the whole thing. I haven't updated my friends from work, they know it's been postponed but not rescheduled. I think I will wait a few days just to make sure things are still on. Wish me luck!! Thanks for reading this book!:)

Roller coaster ride

I had my otho appointment on Thursday, June 27th. My ortho said that she was just as confused, maybe more confused than me as to why my surgery was canceled for July 2nd.  Once I suggested she call the surgeon to see what was going on, she left and placed two calls in the time that I was there, even asking if one of the interns could call to speak with her. Of course, no one was available at the time. I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would hear something from someone yesterday, but that did not happen. The next hope was that I would hear from my ortho today, but that did not happen either...so frustrating!! I did call the ortho, she wasn't even in the office today.  I also called the scheduler person at the surgeon's office.  She is aware that the original surgery date was canceled, and she said that she would talk to the one intern to see what was going on. He said that it is definitely something that needs to be worked out between the ortho and the surgeon.  I waited till the afternoon, but I called back with a different question and at that point as we were talking, I said that this is just due to a miscommunication. If they would have been able to reach my regular ortho on Friday (she was teaching a seminar and they couldn't reach her) this whole thing could have been avoided!!! The scheduler did say that the dr is booked all of July now because I was asking if they could pencil me in on a date while the two doctors figure it out. (The ortho said they would try to get me back on the schedule and get it done this month.) At this point, I told her that I am panicking that it won't get done and be delayed for 6 months, but she said for me not to panic, she will talk to the doctor and maybe the doctor could get me in when she normally isn't scheduled for the O.R.  I really hope that's the case. I want as much recovery time as I can get, and the summer time is it for me.  Keeping fingers crossed. I will post again as soon as I get an idea of what's happening, you better believe that I will be calling them next week!!

change of plans...

I had my pre-op work up appointment with my surgeon today and as you can tell from the heading of this post, it did not go according to plan! I had a nervous feeling for the past few days that something was up and I was a little worried about the appointment. Well, the feeling got verified today when my surgeon said that I am NOT READY for surgery, which was scheduled for JULY 2!  Did not want that news.

The problem seems to be some lack of communication between the surgeon and the orthodontist and my ortho just put a new wire on me at the last visit with the springs and my teeth are still changing too much to even do the molds, etc for them to make surgical splints since my teeth would keep changing in the meantime!  I only had to drive an hour and a half each way, and in a monsoon on the way home! I was stressed, to say the least!!

The surgeon said that I need to be in a straight wire to maintain things steady for at least a month before they could do the molds, etc. Well, there goes my summer timeline to get this done and heal up a bit before returning to work in August.  But, the surgeon did say that she thought the best result would be to do the top too, (in three parts), the bottom and the chin. I asked about how much time off they would recommend and was told three weeks. I also asked about diet at that point of recovery and the intern said that I would not be wired or banded(the splint is just attached to the top) and that I would be on a soft diet-anything mushy that I don't have to chew. At that point, I would just be worried more about energy level to go back to work and deal with kids all day long and do lots of talking. I do reading groups with kids in K-4th grade, and it can be alot of discussion. I guess I will have to prompt them and let them do all the talking! :)

So, given my work schedule, I set a tentative surgery date for December 17th, I would still have to take a few days off, but then would have two weeks for winter break from school and that would give me about 3 weeks off.  That should also give the ortho and surgeon enough time to make sure things are absolutely ready for surgery!!!!!!

I'm just trying to look at the positive side of things, even though I am so frustrated with the situation right now. But if reading all the other blogs has done anything for me, they've shown me that this happens alot and I really need to be prepared for anything! I am reminding myself that this is not something that I want to rush and I want the best results possible so if it takes a few more months, then I'll roll with it.  I have an ortho appointment next week, (which was supposed to be for surgical hooks) so I will see what goes on then and try to update after that.

Updated Plan / Ortho Visit / 30 day countdown

I went to the ortho again on Thursday, May 30th. I was due to get my first set of sure smile wires and molds done (to be sent to the surgeon).  The assistant took my old wires out and did the molds, the ortho also did a bite mold, but it wasn't the typical sheet of wax since they were fed-exing the molds to the surgeon, and heat in a shipping truck would ruin the mold, so the ortho used what looked like a caulk gun to squirt goo on my teeth then I just had to bite and hold it so the material could set up.  It was easy, didn't taste bad or anything, but different.

The molds are another story, I hate doing them to begin with. I dreaded having it done for the first time with the braces on.  The bottom one wasn't bad and the first top one went ok too, until she came back with the tray full of goo again and had to re do the top, that one was more challenging since there seemed to be way too much goo in the tray! yuck, hard to breathe on that one!

Then the assistant had to wrestle the wires in place and they also added springs in a couple spots to open up space between a few teeth on top, since now the ortho is saying the top needs work too. Now, the was news to me, since the surgeon really only wanted to do the bottom, unless the top isn't wide enough. Well, I guess when the ortho and surgeon had their latest consultation together, they decided the top needed to move too and this is the first I am hearing of it. So as the ortho is casually showing me on the computer how they are going to move the top, I had to stop her and ask for clarification. Now, as far as I know, insurance has only approved for the lower jaw. When I asked about that, my ortho said she had seen that it was approved, but couldn't find it in my record at the moment, so I am waiting on confirmation about that. I am at the 30 day countdown point right now!! Yikes, at least I don't have too much time to worry about double jaw surgery, I was finally getting settled with the thought of what was going to happen to the bottom. I am having more feelings of "what the heck am I doing?!?" at this point. Now I am worried about requiring a splint, longer period of liquid diet, etc. I guess I better get my list of questions ready.  Has anyone had the upper jaw done (in three pieces) and NOT need a splint for any period of time? I am thinking I need to be ready for anything at this point!!

I really wanted to call insurance yesterday, but had to leave work early due to touch of a stomach bug, thanks to my sick family-they are so kind to share their germs! I was too out of it to call anyway. I will have my daughter at the ortho on Monday for her own appointment-I wish they gave family discounts- maybe I'll get the insurance information I need then, otherwise I will be calling several different people to find out what's what! I am waiting for the insurance person to call from the surgeon's office though.  Anyway, I will end this post as it's rambling on a bit! Hope to update soon with the insurance confirmation-that will help put my mind at ease...

Problem solved...

This seems to be a recurring theme with my teeth, I was flossing last night, when yet again that crown popped off! It happened a few months ago, before I got braces on in January. That was an old crown and it had a lot of decay under it, so it was good that was found and taken care of, then the temporary popped off, also while flossing! So when I got the permanent one in, they used stronger cement. When I was eating yesterday, I did feel a weird crunch on that side when a piece of food found its way to that side. I don't normally chew on that side since it feels uncomfortable ever since I got my braces on.  So again, flossing that side and Pop! I admit, I freaked out when that happened.  The only thing I think of is how much more money will this cost me?!

I took the day off of work to deal with this problem. I was lucky that I got into the dentist first thing and got the crown re-cemented, but they had to trim my wire that ran to that bracket so then I had to run to the orthodontist.  I am due to get my sure smile wires next week so they actually didn't give me a new wire today, they just looked at things, trimmed the wire even closer to that next bracket and let me go. They didn't want a new wire to change anything before I get the sure smile wires.  She also told me that she would put the surgical hooks on closer to time and change to a surgical wire also about a week before my surgery.

I made the appointment for my physical and history and also moved my dental cleaning closer to time of the surgery since I won't be able to get a cleaning for a while afterwards.

So, crisis averted and everything seems back to normal! I hope it stays that way!!

Surgery Date!!!!

So after asking the ortho at my last visit if I would be ready for surgery next month, she said that she and my surgeon both agree that I will be ready for surgery. So,  I tried calling several times to get on the schedule. The weeks in June that I was hoping for a date were already booked but they did have June 11th open. But I needed to talk to someone else in the office first, so once I called later in the day, I was told that date was taken then too.  It would have a been a little rushed to get things done by then, but I wanted to go for that date! The insurance approval was only good through the 14th of June, so I had to talk to that person to get it extended, which it now is extended until July 31st.

The next available date was *July 2nd* so I took that date. That gives me time to do the necessary appointments-the history and physical and the 2 hour appointment with the surgeon 2 weeks before the surgery. That also gives me time to get things organized and ready around the house. I will have a little down time to relax also (I hope!)

 I am so excited. I have been waiting to know the date, but now it feels weird to know that it's more official now that it's on the calendar. I wanted to put a count down gadget on here, but I haven't figured that out yet! It's not quite 7 weeks away.

My next ortho appt is May 30th.  I get molds done that day and get the sure smile wires then too, unless they are ready sooner. They said they would call, if so. I guess I will find out at that time what other ortho appointments I would need before surgery.

I hope the time goes by a little faster than it has been, it's been kind of dragging along to this point.

I hope to see everyone's updates on their recovery, since I am close now, I am really interested in seeing how others are coping!  I will update again after the 30th appointment.

...and more braces!

I had an ortho appointment back on March 5th where they put new elastic ties on, but kept the same wire and placed spacers between my very back molars to make room for more bands. Yes, I was really looking forward to that! I guess I am just a big baby, but those spacers killed me the first time around. They actually weren't too bad this time. I actually forgot they were in after a few days and tried flossing that spot and popped one out! I  used the ortho's technique of using floss to put it back in. It turns out that the contacts of my teeth are too tight to use the plier type tool thing so they had to floss several of them in(both times). Anyway, I got it back in there and it stayed, so that worked out!

So the follow-up appointment was just today to get the  bands placed. Not too pleasant, but obviously not as bad as getting the whole set of braces on! I just feel like I don't have room that far back in my mouth for all this metal! I also got heavier wires placed today. I think they said 15's but I'm not sure exactly what that means!

I did get good news recently that the insurance approval was extended for another 90 days (good til June 14th) I wasn't worried about it, but just needed to get it done. The ortho talked to the surgeon today before my appointment (good timing) and the surgeon still thinks that just doing the bottom jaw is the way to go, she is worried about changing the top since when talking and normally smiling, it looks fine and she doesn't want to change that. My ortho will be making adjustments to make sure the bottom fits the best way with the top without changing the top. She did say that I will be having the biggest jaw advancement that can be done (10mm) That's huge!!  She also said that I should be good to get the surgery done before the insurance needs to be extended again. As long as I stay healthy, which might be a little challenge since I work in an elementary school and the germs have been flying lately!

The next appointment will be at the end of April, so not too long away really. That appointment will include impressions, pics and scans to send to the surgeon and between the ortho and surgeon they do their digital surgery planning-cool! I'm glad they do it that way, since they only get one crack at my face and I want them to know the plan ahead of time!! I guess as the treatment goes on, they will see how things are looking/fitting to see if the top needs done too. I just want the best result if I am going through this!

I think they said I would get a new wire at the next appointment  too and they would be planning the surgery wire from the impressions for all the hooks and things.

I also need to ask when I need to see the specialist she was referring me to, so I can check  that my jawbone is good enough to withstand the surgery! Has anyone else had to do that too?

Braces!

Okay, so now that I got the metal installed today, I am having a lot of "what am I thinking?!" moments right now! My appointment was at 2:30. I met with the ortho and went over a few things before they started with the braces but I didn't even leave until about 5:00. They had some trouble fitting the band on the upper right tooth and now those two teeth (top and bottom) are the only ones touching when I bite down. This will be fun to eat on!  They did say they would probably refit that band when I have my next appointment but that's not scheduled till the beginning of March. Should I call and tell them or is this just part of the process as things start moving anyway?

The ortho did say that we will probably be able to set a surgery date for the summer when I see them in March. That would be fabulous! She is still sticking to the 4-6 months timeline of braces before surgery. I guess I am comitted to the process for sure now that I have the braces on! I went to the store and got a lot of soup to eat. My mouth already feels torn up inside. I will have to baby it for awhile.

Going back to work on Monday and doing a lot of talking will be lots of fun, I'm sure! Things are on the move now, literally! I started this process back in August so it's good to finally get the braces on and start seeing some changes-for the better!:)