I woke up thinking that a week from today I will be waking up and getting ready for work. No, scratch that I forgot that next Monday I have an appointment with the surgeon first thing in the morning in Oakland, which means I have to sit in traffic for an hour and a half or more. Yay. I love California traffic. Oh, wait, I hate it.
Luckily, I have a few students who are on vacation next week so I won't start teaching until Noon, so I have plenty of time to get home for my first lesson. I have to tell you I am pretty anxious about teaching. As I have mentioned I am a voice and piano teacher, and well I talk & sing ALL day long. My three longest days I teach for about 8 hours. I am going to have to be really careful to not over due it and tell the kids what they need to do and not show them how to open. Well to be honest I can't show them anyways. I can only open a little over 1/2 an inch, and I def want them to open farther than that on certain notes. I have been singing and doing warm-ups the last few days to try to get my voice and jaw ready to get back into work mode. My jaw doesn't hurt after, more feels achy. I also feel a bit more swollen after singing.
Yesterday I was super annoyed with swelling. Today I have decided that it is what it is, and it's not all bad. I feel like it makes me look like I am a teenager again. Someone commented on Friday that I looked so much younger , um thank you, thank you, thank you. Not that I am OLD per say, but I am not in my beloved 20's anymore.
Sitting here thinking of things I am allowed to do, and what I want to do this week before I go back to work. I really want to clean out our closets, but I am afraid that will strain my jaw. Def need to get some reading in, and lounge in the pool. I am not a lounger. I prefer to be moving, but the RN told me no swimming for 6 week post surgery. I would like to go shopping for a few things we need. Maybe book a massage? I wished that my husband was off this week so we could go somewhere.
This morning my chin is still having non stop tingles, which I am not complaining better to feel something than nothing right? So what I can't feel food running down my chin, but I can feel tingles, and imaginary needles being stuck into my chin.
Can anyone tell me how long it took them to be able to drink out of a straw after surgery??? I am really getting frustrated. I seriously can not get the straw between my teeth and my lips closed to get suction without slurping. Or if I just barely get the straw in, teeth closed and suck liquid squirts everywhere as soon as it hits my teeth. I LOVE STRAWS. I drank my coffee with straws, tea, water, smoothies. Starting to get worried I will never be able to drink out of a straw.
Well that's all for today. Hope everyone who is recovering from jaw surgery has a great day chewing their baby bites, or sipping their liquid food. One day soon we will be biting into a juicy hamburger, and not even think twice about it.
i feel more swollen still after i sing! not sure if i actually ever swelled up more, but i know the exact feeling... also i felt a ton of pressure on either side of my nose when i first sang, much better now though! and oh! I wasn't allowed to drink through a straw after surgery until my incisions were pretty much healed, on day 31, my surgeon gave me the "ok" to drink through a straw, it took some practice, but i just put it on the side of my lips since they were (and still are kinda) super stiff. so i managed to do it day 31! it is still hard to drink through either a super small straw or one with a super thick liquid, but getting better by the day! hope you are able to soon :) you look beautiful, yay for being on the "up-side" of recovery :)
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Good to know Katie!! I was thinking next week when I really start talking and singing a lot I will probably swell more : ( I really notice the swelling when I smile. I feel like my top lip is so stiff and small, like my lips are curing in, especially on the sides. : ( Oh thats good to hear about the straw. I feel so awkward even trying. I guess my incisions were already healing up super fast when I saw him at 14 days so he said at day 20 or so I could start using a straw, which the way he said it seemed like oh, it won't be issue. He should have said I can "try" to use a straw. lol I will have to try the side of my lip. Thank you for the tip, and it is so good to know I am not alone in not being able to use a straw. I was starting to worry there was something wrong with me. Thank you, I feel like I look strange. I was fine with everything until seeing myself in pictures other people take. My face seems so wide at the bottom, and my lips won't close all the way due to swelling in them and my braces. Well, I knew there was a possibility they might never naturally close : ( I was just hoping...
Deletemy lips don't close naturally still :( i was going to add that in my last post but i may have forgotten.. they are closer than before surgery, but not quite. but hey, could be worse, i hope your swelling goes down a lot in your lips so that they have a chance of closing naturally! and i know what you mean with the swelling.. eventually i couldnt really notice my swelling when my face was at rest, but then i would smile, and bam. there came the swelling... goodluck with the straw and continued singing!
Delete: ( I have a feeling mine will not close naturally. They will be closer though! : ) You are so right it could be worse! Yes, I totally agree I think wow my swelling has went down, and then smile! YIKES, hello tight and strange looking smile. Thanks Katie for all your encouragement!
DeleteI'm only 5 days post op and I was able to drink from a straw tonight...not easy and my jaw is super sore tonight. It is crazy to read these blogs and see how different surgeons are...my surgery was not simple at all but I've been cleared for straws and blowing my nose. I had a three piece on top and my upper jaw was moved up and slightly over. My lower jaw was moved forward and rotated. My right lower jaw tried to fracture incorrectly but he stopped it. Thank goodness! It is just crazy the differences! You really do look great, Heather! I am still a swollen and bruised chipmunk. :) I haven't tried singing yet...so numb and stiff!
ReplyDeleteTraci, I wanted to check in with you and realized you don't have a blog! How are you doing? Sounds like you are doing great already drinking through a straw, and blowing your nose. I am jealous! : P I was just telling a friend how crazy it is that the procedure is so similar slightly diff movements, and recovery's vary so much! Wired shut, not wired shut, liquid no chew diet for weeks, some chew a few days after. Crazyness! Thank you for the encouraging words. The next few days things get WAY better. Day 5 was when I felt like my swelling peaked and after that it came down a lot. Are you wired shut? Hope the rest of your recovery is a breeze!
DeleteHeather, if my right side had continued to fracture the incorrect way, I would have been wired shut for the 6 weeks but thank goodness my surgeon stopped it. I also didn't need a splint because he was able to fixate my three piece on top well enough. Really good surgeon! Drinking through a straw is possible but painful. I've started a blog but right now it is private...not sure if I'll open it up to others. I feel really swollen today (day 7) and unfortunately my puppy and my 4 year old managed to hit me in the upper jaw within an hour of each other...ugh! Recovery really is going well but I get so sore after talking that I'm not sure if I'll be ready to be back at school in less than two weeks! I'm still on a liquid diet but can move to soft chew now though my surgeon told me that I wouldn't feel up to it, and I don't yet. I am having dreams about hamburgers, bread, etc.! Aaah!
DeleteOh wow. That would have been terrible! Thank goodness he was able to stop it! Two hits within an hour does sound terrible! I've been super careful to keep my head out of reach from the dog. His head is ginormous one hit from his huge head and I would be doing round 2 of surgery. lol Well, this past week so day 27-30 my jaw has been way less achy of sore when I talk, and I have been on the phone talking to clients and also have been doing vocal warm-ups daily to prepare myself. I hear you on the hamburgers! I had a hot dog cut up the other day, and pulled pork. Trying to get inventive on real food that is easy to chew in super small bites. : ) Hope talking gets easier on your jaw! If you need more time off you should take it. You don't want to rush back in to teaching and hurt yourself. Not worth it! : )
DeleteThank you Chloe! I appreciate your encouragement through this ordeal : ) So nice to have people who have been through this or will be going through this give you support! Hope you are doing well! : )
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