One Year Today

So how my face has changed. I notice. Not everyone who doesn't know about the surgery, can see the difference. I love that my teeth can break down food in the back when masticating (=chewing; throwing out a favorite word).

 

I just have to show you a flash back the morning after surgery leaving the hospital. Eww.

And don't forget about the bruising - yikes.

Well a lot has changed. Love, love not having the braces on anymore. My face is still numb; a constant fullness to my lower lip. Fells like it is big and puffy when I talk and touch it - but it's not, it's normal size.

I can't bite into an apple. You would think after all this I would be able...maybe it is just a fear of breaking something - but I am good with just cutting it up with a knife.

Love to smile in a picture now. Don't know what my bottom lip is doing when I smile, but I don't care. LMAO.

Thanks everyone who stood by me. Especially my now husband - Jim. Who purred food, medicated me, fluffed my pillows, listen to me have a meltdown, listened to me plan a wedding in Scotland, and be stressed out all at the same time - AND yes he still married me.

I guess I'm 5 months post op

It's too early - to count and there is no coffee creamer - so therefore no coffee in the house this morning.

My orthodontist appt went well the other day, the said 2 more appointments and they should debind. I am figuring about 3 months...especially since my next appointment is May 5th.

At least they will be off this summer so I can get the stress off me for the wedding.

Overall I am feeling great. I still am wearing these rubber bands on the side, and I think my speech is okay without them in. But I shall continue wearing them if it means 2 more visits.

I ate a salad and enjoyed it several weeks ago. There are somethings I don't like still  - croutons :( My face is still numb on the right side below the lip. I wanna say it is getting better but I really cannot tell.

My surgeon appointment is in April - he should be releasing me, according to the ortho. I only have to deal with the $1500 bill that is still sitting here, I am refusing to pay the whole amount, but I have not had time to get on the phone with BCBS and discuss this.

Until next time.

My visit to the surgeon today....

Was quick and easy. I do not have to see him for 2 months!! Woohoo. Not that I don't like him, but when you have to pay a copay for him to tell you that you look great and he is happy with the results - it does add up.

The most important thing I need from him is the bill being cleared up. Blue Cross denied a charge of $1500. And what was that charge you ask...for the other surgeon to assist him in the O.R. Now I called them once I got to talking better at the beginning of the month and she told me that there were several things pending and that they would re-submit the claim.

I hope so, because that is unfair that they charge for another doctor and not get it covered.

so i am still numb more on the right side.
my smile is a little crooked.
looks like I have had a stroke.

these are those hooks that are gone. FOREVER!!!

my new method of torture for this month

My teeth hurt so BAD. I woke up at 7 and popped an alleve. I have not taken a single thing in over 6 weeks. My poor little teeth have been on a vacation from the rubber bands since the end of September. And that is all I am going to complain about.

Luv ya, keep you posted. :)

Oh - and another revelation. Running. Is difficult with these rubber bands and being a mouth breather when I run, is going to take some getting used to.
4.5 shitty miles today - and YES I tripped and fell on the sidewalk.

11 Weeks Post Op - And Finally some changes

Other than chopping the hair off today, I got rid of those blasted surgical wires. CAN YOU SAY YEA!!!!

No one may understand the agony of having your lip caught up in the metal tie around the bracket (this was happening on a regular basis). I have been feeling good about the surgery except for a my inability to speak well to patients and such. So I go to the surgeon tomorrow and I plan on asking if he thinks if it a good idea to go to a speech therapist.

I spent an hour in the orthodontist chair tonight. All the surgical wires removed. I know have a speed chain on both the top and bottom and I have to wear those stupid rubber bands all day and night. I had been just wearing the surgeons issued rubber band on the front when sleeping. But now I am in the final stretch to get this over with, so I am being very compliant. GOAL TO HAVE THEM OFF - September!

I will tell you how the OS appointment goes tomorrow. It should go well. I have behaved myself! I will even glamorize myself and maybe take a pic. LOL. I ate LaNop tonight - man that was a good bean burrito. So I will not show you the food in my teeth.

this was my first real dinning out experience with my close friends on my birthday-ish last week. SUSHI!!!


I will keep you posted as long as you are interested.

Little over 6 weeks Post Op

BANDS IN THE TRAP: Went to my surgeon, for one more visit. I have been allowed to only wear the rubber bands at night. I get to go all day without them. Which sounds wonderful, but now I have to train myself to relax but make sure that my teeth are lined up without tension on them from the bands. The bands made things a lot easy on positioning. But I am sure it will take a few weeks to adjust to the new alignment.

EATING: I am eating more. I have put several pounds back on. Not so thrilled about that, and not so thrilled that I will be out of those size 4 jeans in the wink of an eye. Oh well, I will put them in the back of the closet soon. I ate 3 slices of pizza today. THANKS BILL!!! Cutting every piece into super tiny pieces, and realizing it takes soooo long to masticate, and the then the next slice is freezing cold. I need to pick up my pace.

LIP: I am starting to feel my bottom lip. I can bite it, and I feel that. But I still have a lot of tingling to the lip and especially the chin.

SMILING: I find myself walking by the mirror and trying to teach myself to smile. It's sounds funny, and to me it looks funny.

WHISTLING: I cannot do this anymore :(

Mostly everyone has seen my less swollen face, but I am tired I will post pics later.

My Glamour Shots by JU

So it didn't work out to get these pics before the surgery, I wanted people to see how I looked. Because even I had forgotten.

This is me pre braces initial consultation at JU (2/19/2009) I think I really started the full treatment in May-June because of the file-bit in my root canal issue.

These were taken 3-4 weeks before surgery.

And this is yesterday, 4 weeks post-op.



I will still tell you I am very, very happy with all of it. For a lot people who don't understand and have always had straight teeth that touch in the back, you are lucky. But I know have it and cannot wait to bite into a pizza and chew it up.

There are issues still: I have no feeling on my chin, however I think my lip is awaking. I feel like there are fireworks on my chin (or strange sensation of shingles, yes - I have had them and know how they feel). However, I seem to biting my lip with the side teeth and not knowing until I feel something tug strangely. My left side has been hurting the last 2 days, but I think and I hope it is because of use. I am starting to eat a little more solid...such as beans, mac and cheese. But the down side is the 10 plus minutes I have to sit in the bathroom trying to get all those darn little pieces out. Rice pieces are a pain!!!

Love you all, and I cannot wait to go out and enjoy a normal meal with my friends.

P.S. put on a pound or 2 this weekend. But broke down and bought a size 4 jeans (last time I was in that size I was mal-nourished and just divorced.)



T minus 4 weeks Post Op

Got a good report at the surgeons office today. Swelling has gone down a lot. I have to follow up in 2 weeks and have to wear the rubber bands another 2 weeks. I have an appt with the orthodontist tomorrow but I cannot imagine what they can do to me. Hopefully just check the "hardware" in there. I will protest if they want to do a plaster mold on me!

Food Update: I have graduated to eating things like beans & rice, scalloped potatoes, grits, mashed potatoes, mozzarella salads (minus the lettuce), fried rice...basically anything that doesn't require a good chew. But cleaning rice out of the grille is a bitch. I still cannot open the mouth too wide, I am thinking about 2-2.5 cm wide open.

But I still want PIZZA. I thought it was sushi I really wanted, but it's PIZZA.