Day 75: Another appointment with the surgeon

So for those of you that are preparing for your upcoming jaw surgery, I will tell you that looking back the worst of it all came and went so quickly. I am now 2 months and one week post surgery, and I can do and eat pretty much anything. My only limitations at this point is biting into hard or tough foods, chewing to much causes a few issues, and opening my mouth wide.

I had an appointment with my surgeon this past Thursday, he said my swelling looked to be almost completely gone and was impressed with my bite. It hasn't shifted or moved and all looks good. Which is good news, as when your teeth are moving, and your bite seems to be changing constantly due to braces I worry daily that something is going wrong. Like oh no my teeth don't touch like they did yesterday. It's all part of the process I guess. It's good to hear that things look good.

He gave me another exercise to do to help stretch the muscles, as they are still extremely tight. He told me to place the tip of my tongue behind the top front teeth and open until you can feel the pull and hold the stretch. Also to continue prying my jaw open. He is much stronger than me or maybe I am more afraid of hurting myself, because when I pry my jaws apart it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as when he does it. I will have to get more forceful as my end goal he said is 2 knuckles wide, and I am shooting for full range by November. That gives me 5 weeks. I can do this. I also bought tongue depressors and I stacked them all together and put them in and hold it there feeling the strain. 

I was having problems with my right jaw hurting and feeling an uncomfortable pain when yawning and things that required my mouth to open slowly or over and over again. My surgeon looked at that, and from my description and where the pain was coming from it was my lower jaw muscle. He said that my right side wasn't opening as far as the left and felt much tighter. So to continue with the exercises, and not to baby the jaw. He said I can work out like normal, but in moderation, and I can chew/eat anything in moderation. Though some things would be hard due to my mouth opening being one knuckle. I had sushi last night, and I could not fit it in my mouth so I had to cut it in half and squish it down. It was messy. So glad we brought it home! : )

It also seems like that was my last appointment with the Surgeon he said I am now in the hands of my orthodontist, and to message him with updates with the jaw opening. Of course if I have any issues I will be going back to him, but he said at this point everything looks good, and I just need to work my jaw more. I am free to do whatever I feel up to doing.

I had an orthodontist appointment today, he was impressed with the way my teeth were moving and I was told to only wear my bands every other night! Yipee, a little more freedom. I forgot to ask him if he has an idea of how much longer I will be wearing these wonderful braces for. I think I am afraid to hear the answer so I don't ask. I would LOVE to have them off by Christmas, that will be the best Christmas present ever. 

Numbness is slowly going away. It's weird I don't feel a ton of tingles any more but the area feels more normal. I can feel somethings better than others on that area. For instance warm things I can't really feel, but cold things I slightly feel. I don't care, as feeling anything on the chin at this point gives me hope that I will gain full feeling in my chin.

Pictures from the last few days:

I still see swelling under my bottom lip. 

I make this face constantly to help break up scar tissue.

Day 69: Water!

Day 69:

Well, I can't believe it has been 69 days since I had double jaw surgery. It seems like at this point life is back to normal until I eat.

This past week I have had jaw pain in my right side. It has been a little uncomfortable and almost like a popping. I say almost, it is different than when it popped before the surgery. It seemed to happen at random times, and also felt strange when yawning, chewing and so on. I realized this morning I wasn't feeling good and started thinking I haven't been drinking very much water like I was a few weeks ago. I have gotten busy and stopped making water a priority. So this morning I have drank 80 ounces, and my jaw tightness and pain is gone! So I guess what I am saying is that the muscles and joint need to be hydrated... which is why they recommend 100 ounces of water daily. I guess I just thought I was in the clear. I need to stay on top of the water not just for my jaw, but for my body. Water is pretty important.

I have an appointment this Thursday with my surgeon hopefully all is well. I have been trying to get my  jaw to open to two fingers. It has not been cooperating. How long did it take everyone else to get their jaw opening to a normal width? I feel like I am falling behind in this area. My muscles are so tight. I thought they would loosen quicker than everyone else due to my singing/talking 8 hours or so a day.

Numbness. I am starting to get more feeling back. It is still numb below my bottom lip, but I can feel a little so it is no longer completely numb.

My teeth have been super sensitive the past 2 weeks to the point where I shudder and cringe when I am brushing my teeth, or doing nothing. It is the weirdest, most horrible feeling. It's so hard to explain. I am sure other people have experience this terrible feeling, at least I hope I am not alone in this!

No word on when the braces come off, I have an ortho appt on Monday so I will probably ask if he has an idea. : ) I am really hoping before Christmas.

I am loving my new profile and smile! The swelling is coming down in the chin area, but I can still see a half circle where the swelling is.

So glad to see everyone doing and looking so amazing!

2 months!

I made two months! Woo hoo! At this point I am getting comfortable with everything, and can eat and do most things. I am slowly becoming more active. Not running and jumping around like a crazy person, but active. I started dancing again, and taught my first two weeks of classes with no problems. I am officially 100% back to work.

Eating is easier and harder. I CAN chew more things, but after a ten minutes of chewing hamburger meat or something my right side of my jaw starts to hurt. Actually the last few days I have had the most pain in my jaw since the beginning.  : ( Probably due to starting to push myself a little more. Trying to open my mouth wider, and eating more meat, and tough things.

All my little tingles and weird phantom feelings in my chin have kinda stopped I rarely feel itchy or weird things any more. However, I can slightly feel when I touch my chin, and when certain things touch my chin. It's not a lot of feeling, but some is better than none, right?

I just ordered tongue depressors, I decided the stretching the jaw with my hands is to much for me to do. I need to physically see how much wider I am getting. I need something to measure my progress with. So I will start adding one or so a day until the Doctor is happy with where I am at : )

The one thing that is bothering me is this line I am getting below my bottom lip when I close my lips. It is becoming a half circle, and I know its from the swelling, it started about a month or more ago as just a line and now spreading. I am hoping that it will eventually go away when the swelling in my chin area is 100% gone. I was hoping at 2 months swelling would be gone, and while I don't feel super swollen I know that I must be. It's so hard to tell, from how I was the first 2 weeks to now the swelling has gone down so much... so in my mind the swelling is gone. Then I see pictures and see one cheek a little larger than the other or the chin line and think please God let that be due to swelling.

So all of this to say it hasn't been all bad. I haven't had a migraine in weeks, my neck hasn't really hurt or been tense like it used to before surgery. My jaw has not popped constantly, every once in awhile it has the past few weeks, BUT not nearly like pre surgery. I am happy that I had the surgery and I know that in a few more months things will be almost normal. One day at a time!

See the half circle under my bottom lip. I still struggle closing my lips all the way. It in no way feels natural.

I can open wider! 

Day 55: Aches and pains.

Day 55:

Well, while I am getting my energy back the past few days I have been experiencing some aches on pain on my right side when I chew or open to wide. So I have been taking Advil again to help get some relief. This is the first time in weeks I have been taking any meds, so I don't think this is to bad. Though it is a little annoying to be back to feeling some pain. I thought things were on the up and up. Just a reminder that I still have a ways to go.

My chin has had less sensation going on the past few days, not sure if that is a good thing or bad. I didn't mind the phantom feeling or the zings, as in my mind it just meant the nerves were healing. So I took that as a positive. Hopefully, the feeing is coming back and within the next 2 months it will be back to normal.

Life is so much better without the bands on 24/7. I can go out and enjoy myself more. I definitely need to start working my jaw more. If I could open it just a little more eating out and eating overall would be sooooo much easier! : )

This is as wide as I can open. : ( 

Day 51: Ortho appt & bands are gone during day!

Day 51:

Well, I am officially terrible at updating this blog. Life has become so hectic and insane that  I don't have time to sit down and update how I am doing, let alone think about how I am doing.

BEST news as of late is that I just got home from seeing my orthodontist and he went ahead and changed my braces on the top, took off all the surgical hooks, and said I can stop wearing the bands during the day. So night only! Boy is that going to make life so much easier. Eating has been such a pain due to the bands. If we are out I have to go to the bathroom to take the bands off, and then after eating go to the bathroom to brush my teeth and put the bands back on... bleh. I am so happy to wear them only at night. No complaining about that from this girl! : ) It's crazy how those little hooks really covered my teeth. I feel like I look different without the hooks. My teeth show more, and seem so white again!!

I am definitely a little more swollen today. I think it's primarily from keeping my jaw open for 45 minutes. It was getting a little sore while all the changes were being made. I didn't care though. I was so happy to see those stupid hooks go!

I feel like things are already starting to really get back to normal. I am back to work 100%. Tonight starts the show choirs I teach. So I will be moving and dancing, carefully for the next few weeks. Back to normal braces, and eating most things I ate prior to surgery, though I wouldn't say I am eating like I did prior. I mean like taking bites, and things. I can't fit large pieces of anything in my mouth, but I have a system that seems to be working for eating : ) 

Some feeling is beginning to come back to my bottom lip and chin slowly. It is no longer completely numb, but it still feels extremely strange, and sometimes I don't catch warm stray food on it, or warm liquids running down it. 

My jaw is starting to open a little wider, I am still terrible at doing the jaw exercises, but hey I am working it all day with teaching voice and piano 7-8 hours a day. When I think about it or have time I do the jaw exercises, which is usually at stop lights. People probably think I am insane prying my jaw open. haha Oh, well. 

All in all things are going great! Hope everyone is doing amazing!

Say what, no more bands during the day???