Day 8: The Lopsided Face

It's amazing how much the swelling can go down during the day. Well it feels like it has anyway... I am starting to resemble a normal human being again! Well, a human being that has had some serious botox.

Numbness:
I have started to get feeling back in my left cheek, which is actually the cheek with more swelling. You can notice when I smile because I can lift the left side higher!

It's hard to describe the amount of feeling coming back because sometimes it's not black or white, there is kind of a scale between 'has feeling' and 'has no feeling'. Areas can be tingly or ticklish or sometimes temperature-sensitive, but not have full feeling back. I am still completely numb on my chin, bottom lip, and parts of my right cheek. The rest of my face has some kind of feeling, whether it be full or partial. This is a diagram of the numbness I have at the moment, the red highlighted parts are the areas with complete numbness. I think there are also some areas on and under my nose but for the most part there is some kind of feeling in the rest of my face:

The inside of my mouth is pretty much completely numb. I can feel some small areas when I am brushing but otherwise it's just the back half of my tongue (from what I can tell) and possibly the inside of my top lip?

I am still getting tingly and some other weird sensations which I think is a good sign! Here's to staying positive!

Food:
I am still using my squeezy bottle. I will see what my surgeon says tomorrow, because I can open my mouth pretty wide... I'm wondering if I can start using a spoon. Though I'm guessing that will be a no until the three week mark still... probably for the best seeing as most of my tongue doesn't have any feeling. I can imagine it getting pretty messy. I just tried drinking out of a cup and it went well! No spillages!

Drinking out of a straw is going well! I can drink a whole glass :-) It still feels weird and kind of hurts a little but I'm guessing as my muscles get used to it and I heal it will become more natural.

I tried blending some poached eggs and hollandaise sauce this morning for breakfast... wasn't good or bad in terms of taste but it did make me feel a bit sick haha. Mum made macaroni cheese for dinner so I tried blending some of that up with some milk. It tasted pretty good but was still too thick so I'll try more milk next time.

Med:
I haven't taken any pain medication since the morning of day 5, not even the paracetamol. I hope I don't need to start again at some point, I'm enjoying not taking it! My antibiotics should be finished either tonight or tomorrow morning which is great :-)

Pain:
The pain hasn't been too bad, the pain in my left temple has gone but my ear is still bothering me. I really hope my surgeon or ortho can fix this tomorrow! I have had some pain in my lower jaw on the left but I think it must just be an ulcer and not an infection as it feels similar to the pain I get from ulcers, and I haven't swelled up or been feverish like I should be if it was an infection. I was thinking it could also be where I have bitten on my cheek or possible caught a stitch between my teeth. I'll get my surgeon to look at it again tomorrow.

I've had a bit of muscle ache in my lower jaw but nothing too serious. It feels like the muscles are trying to pull my bottom jaw forward... I'm guessing this is normal!

The bit right in the middle on the inside of my top lip is pretty sore, but I'm guessing this is where the incision is rubbing against the screw that is there. I thought I saw a stitch there last night.

Talking:
Talking is getting easier, though I still sound like I have a mouth full of marshmallows haha. I was reading today that you should slow down your talking and make sure you are pronouncing everything correctly because your muscles are going to have to get used to you talking again in a different way. I want to make sure I do it correctly! A speech therapist might be a good idea at some point.

Hip:
Everything seems to be going well, I am going to try and go for a longer walk tonight. It's been very hot here for the last couple of days, I thought it would be best to wait until evening!

Appointment:
So I have my second post-op surgeons appointment and first ortho appointment tomorrow... I have lots of questions for them! I'll let you know how it goes :)

Kelsie

Day 5: No More Pain-Meds

I finally got a decent night's sleep! And by a decent night I mean I slept for about 8 hours and only woke up twice :-) Hopefully this continues to improve! I still felt quite groggy but I'm sure as time goes on this will disappear.

I noticed as I was trying to go to sleep my face muscles were quite tight and sore, I've been getting some pain/ache in my left temple. Hopefully this disappears by my surgeons visit on Wednesday otherwise I'll bring it up.

I tried drinking through a straw again today but it still feels weird and kind of hurts a little bit. However I have now upgraded from the 60mL syringe to the squeezy bottle for my food. This is making eating a hell of a lot easier. Today I had some vege juice:

Kale, celery, apple, cucumber, and lemon juice. It was actually pretty good!

I have noticed my hearing in my left ear has been a bit weird the last few days. It's not blocked or ringing but it feels very sensitive and like it needs a good pop.

I've managed to survive without pain medication today, apart from an initial dose of paracetamol this morning.

I have stayed at home most of the day watching movies, but I did go out for a walk this afternoon. My hip hurt quite a lot at the end of it, but it seems okay now. It seems to be more of a muscular pain rather than 'wound' pain if that makes sense...

Here are some photos:

Nothing much seems to have changed but I'll keep taking photos! I've lost quite a bit of weight, I managed to lose about 3-4kg before surgery and since surgery I have lost about 2-3kg. I don't really want to lose any more, my skin has already started to get a bit saggy haha. I'm just gonna have to eat more!

I have also developed some slight bruising on my lower cheeks, the small yellow patches in the following photos:

Hardly anything. I'm interested to see if more will develop over the next few weeks!

It felt soooo good to wash my hair and face in the shower today. The sticky stuff from the bandages on my neck didn't come off but ah well.

My nose has continued to bleed today, even with using the nasal spray. Did anyone else's do this? When does it stop?

Until tomorrow :-)

Kelsie

Day 4: And All The Days Before

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

I made it to day 4 :)

I can't really believe it, it's gone pretty fast. I'm hoping the rest of the time will zoom by too! My first pre-op appointment with my surgeon is this afternoon, so I'll let you know how that goes. It seems very soon for an appointment, nothing much has changed, but I'm looking forward to seeing him.

I guess I should start with a run-down of what has been happening over the last week!

Surgery Day - Day 0

I had to be at hospital at 7am so I went and stayed at my mum's place the night before and she brought me to hospital. I wasn't allowed to eat from 2am or drink from 5am. Everything went smoothly once I got there, I got dressed and sat around with mum in the waiting room for the various appointments. I had to see the anaesthetists, some nurses, get a pregnancy test done, check blood pressure etc. all the pre-surgery checks, and then I was waiting around again until it was time to go in. It gets kind of blurry at this point, I remember being in the little room beside the theatre with my anaesthetists and they were talking to me, and then walking into the theatre and possibly lying on the table... but after that I don't remember anything.

Here's the last pre-surgery photo taken in the waiting room:

Surgery took 11 hours. The theatre was booked for 8 hours so this was longer than anyone expected! I don't remember much of the first night but one of the vivid things was waking up briefly straight after surgery and seeing the time and being confused as to why it was so late! Now I know why! Mum had arrived back at hospital after about 7 hours and had to wait around for about 5 more until she could see me after I had come out of recovery. She says it was horrible having to wait around which is understandable! Again, I don't remember much from the first night but I do remember her being there until she had to go home about 5.30am because she was just so tired. I was very groggy and disorientated but I remember feeling relaxed, I think mum was more worried than I was haha. This was probably the drugs! I vomited about 4-5 times during the first night and the nurses and mum used the suction to get it all out of my mouth, I was pretty tightly banded shut.

Day 1

 Wow!! One thing I can't get over is how my top lip is in front of my bottom!!

The swelling has been pretty consistent over the last 4 days, though my lip swelling went down for a while and the rest of my face swelled up... Now I think my lip swelling has come back. Anyway...

The first day wasn't very fun, I didn't get any food until about 11am as they brought around my food and then just left it and nobody came to help me... I probably should have called the nurse but nevermind! I finally got some food and felt a whole lot better after that. I was using a 20mL syringe.

My surgeon came to see me briefly, he was extremely happy with how everything went which is a good sign! He snipped off a band at the very front which meant I could open my mouth a bit wider, this was good because I was having trouble breathing - my nose was blocked and I couldn't open my mouth very far. I was getting a bit panicky. It has also made eating much easier! My drains and one IV was removed soon after this so I felt a bit freer. One IV was left in and I was fed fluid through it overnight - this was very frustrating as I kept needing to get up and pee every hour or so and every time I had to do this I had to call a nurse to release me!

I was moved to another room which I was sharing with another lady, but it was very spacious and I had my own bathroom. My stay at hospital was great, my room was awesome and the nurses were just absolutely fantastic the whole time I was there. I feel very lucky!

I was pretty miserable and panicky for most of the day, though my mood improved after lunch and when my mum came to visit :) my bf also came to visit me after he finished work :)

I was pretty down again for most of the evening, I had a very disruptive sleep as well and woke up tired.

Day 2

 My mum brought me some flowers and my aunty in Australia got some sent to my room :)

Day 2 wasn't much better in terms of my mood, I was still pretty miserable. I really wasn't prepared for how much of a downer I would be! I was too excited for the surgery and seeing the results of the surgery that I didn't really think too much about how taxing the recovery would be. Luckily I have my mum, all of my amazing friends, and all you other jaw surgery bloggers out there to keep me going! I wasn't in the mood for any other visitors while I was in hospital, just my mum, but just being able to text my friends was an absolute saviour. I was up and walking at this point which killed some boredom, and they had taken my IV fluids off when I woke up as I could now drink enough water to sustain me (yay!). Everyone was impressed with how well I was doing and they said I could go home if I wanted to but we decided it would be best if I stayed in hospital another evening (which I was very glad about in the end). I got some x-rays done when I went down to see my dental assistants (they look AMAZING, I can't wait to get a copy and show you!) and they were happy to see me and said I was doing well.

I had a marginally better sleep this evening without the IV connected but I was still waking up every hour or 2 so I wasn't feeling very rested the next day either. I am finding sleeping upright quite uncomfortable and it hurts my back but I guess I'm just gonna have to deal with it!

Day 3

Not really much difference but I'm not too worried.

I was still miserable today but looking forward to going home!

I just had to wait around for my discharge papers to come through and I had to go and see one of my doctors to show me how to put my bands on, I ended up leaving about 2pm after picking up my enormous prescription.

I also had my last dose of IV antibiotics just before I left which was good, now I'm syringing them in.

I was exhausted by the time we got home, I think I actually fell asleep briefly in the car. I panicked a bit when we got home, I think I was just very overwhelmed and the house was messy because mum has been on her feet all week! But once I got settled in it was fine.

I have only been on antibiotics and paracetamol up until this evening, I was in a bit of pain before I went to bed so I decided to try and take some Ibuprofen and see if that made a difference. I don't think it did so if pain gets really bad then I'll try taking the codeine I've been supplied with instead.

My prescription was for Antibiotics, which I have to take 3 times a day until they are finished; Paracetamol, which I think I will also take until it's finished 4 times a day; Ibuprofen, which is the next step up from the paracetamol and I am supposed to take if pain is getting worse; Codeine, for even more intense pain relief; and some Chlorohexidine mouthwash which I am supposed to use 3-4 times a day after meals. I am reluctant to use the codeine because apparently it can make you constipated and I don't want to risk that at the moment!

Day 4 (Today)

I've got some shots that show my new bite!! I can't believe it! My top teeth are in front of my bottom, and the open bite is gone!

Also one that shows how far I can open my mouth at the moment. A bit gross, sorry!

I can smile! (Kind of):

Mum says that she already notices my resting face is naturally a smile now! I've always suffered from 'bitchy resting face' where I looked angry all the time, though it was just my natural expression. Hopefully this continues as my swelling goes down!

Here is a nice one of my hip where I got the bone graft from for the widening of my top jaw. My top jaw was widened 6mm! I can already feel the difference with my tongue, my mouth just feels so different already.

*Update

I had my first post-op appointment with my surgeon this afternoon and he was great, he's really happy with my results so far! He changed the bands I had on to thinner ones which means it's even easier for me to open my mouth at the moment. He did make me open as wide as I can, that was an interesting experience haha. He took off the bandages covering my drainage sites so you can now no longer tell I had surgery on Monday apart from my swollen face! Here is a photo of me with him, the magician:

And some more photos from this afternoon because I just can't stop taking photos!!

I can start washing my face under the shower, I was bit hesitant to do this until I got permission from him. Until now I have been washing my body in the shower and using a face cloth for my face. Nothing is getting rid of the dreaded hospital-sick-oily skin but I'm looking forward to washing my hair!

He also said I can use a saline nasal spray to help with my nose blockages. I have continued to bleed a bit from my nose, though it's a clear brown liquid now instead of blood, and it blocks making it hard to breathe. Hopefully the spray helps and I can sleep a bit easier.

I started using one of these today for water instead of the 60mL syringe. I'm still finding it quite hard without the control a syringe provides and I choke a bit sometimes but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I'm going to try using a straw again tomorrow.

This stuff has been amazing for my lips! I was also given some cream at the hospital but this stuff I use all day:

SUCH a life-saver!

For food I have been surviving on milk, sometimes with protein powder and banana added, soups, and yoghurt. Mum is concerned with my protein intake which is fair enough, and calcium will be important right now with bones healing! Milk is my favourite, it's easy and doesn't make a mess in my mouth. Soup and yoghurt tend to be gritty and make a mess in my mouth, and cleaning it is not fun. Mum has a juicer so she is going to start making me vege juices tomorrow :) tonight for dinner she made a seafood chowder and I just blended some up and syringed it in. variety is key! I don't miss normal food..... yet! Eating is still quite exhausting so it doesn't really bother me.

This afternoon is the first time I have felt myself properly all week and it feels good! I went out in public for the first time, to the supermarket and the chemist. I even talked to people! It was good getting out and walking around and feeling normal again. Hopefully I can get a good night's sleep tonight and feel okay in the morning, I am finding mornings the hardest at the moment. Probably because I haven't been getting much sleep.

I have been tingly in my face since surgery which is a great sign. My hip has started to get itchy today which is also a good sign I believe. I have been yawning a bit and I don't know how good this is... though I noticed my hearing being a bit weird this afternoon and a good yawn fixed that right up! It's a bit painful, I guess just because my muscles aren't used to the motion yet.

I have my next surgeon post-op appointment on Wednesday along with my first post-op ortho appointment. This will be day 9! Squee!

This has been quite a long post.... I wanted to make sure I got everything down. It has been a hell of a week!

Day 3: Post-Surgery... I am ALIVE!

I've made through surgery! This is counting Surgery Day as Day 0, just for good measure. Sorry I couldn't post from hospital, my phone wouldn't let me :(

So surgery was on Monday, it lasted for 11 hours which is longer than anyone thought it would last. My surgeon seems happy, I have my first post-op with him at his rooms tomorrow.

I was released from hospital this afternoon which was nice. It's good to be home, though it's been a bit overwhelming.

I have had a pretty miserable time over the last few days, it has definitely been a lot worse than I expected it to be. Here's hoping to being over the worse of it though, the doctors said today should have been the worst swelling.

I will post photos when I can, I've been taking them every day so I have quite a few! I'm pretty exhausted still, hopefully I have enough energy tomorrow.

A big thanks to my mum who has been the BEST, she has been such a life-saver. She dropped me off in the morning and came back in the afternoon, however had to wait around for surgery to finish... and then she was up all night suctioning the vomit from my mouth... And THEN visiting me every day and putting up with my miserable moods, and then finally bringing me home today to take care of me! What a trouper!

Thanks everyone for reading, I'll try and post a more in depth update tomorrow :)

Kelsie

T-1 day

It is now the evening before surgery and I am extremely excited and nervous! It is so surreal to have been waiting for this for 9 years and all of a sudden surgery is tomorrow. Bizarre!

Hopefully I will see you all on the other side :-)

Kelsie

T-4 days!

Unfortunately I have been too busy to post recently, and now my surgery date is almost upon us!

I had my surgical hooks put on yesterday, along with my pre-op appointment to check that I am fit for surgery. Everything went fine! :-)

Surgical hooks:

They haven't been too irritating so far which is good, I have some dental wax anyway just in case. I have to go in to hospital at 7am on Monday and am not allowed to eat anything 5 hours beforehand, also no water 2 hours beforehand. I checked with the nurse co-ordinator yesterday how long the theatre is booked for and she said it's booked for 8 hours!!!! Eeeeek!

I am so excited, though the last few days I have been getting a bit nervous as well which I think is normal. I'm still much more excited than anything!

I'm staying with my mum on Sunday night and she will take me to hospital, and be there for the day until I wake up. She's also taking me home from hospital when I am discharged and I will be staying with her for a few days at least and she'll take care of me... mums are the best :-) I am expected to be discharged from hospital on the Thursday (Happy Valentines Day to me!). Liquid food for the first 3 weeks, very soft foods for the next 3 weeks and then firmer food after that. It will take approximately 6-8 weeks for the bone to heal/fuse. Apparently the first couple of days is the hardest and you can often feel pretty down and sorry for yourself... I'm not looking forward to this! Hopefully the painkillers keep me happy :-)

I have been planning what food to eat, things like soups and smoothies and juices (my mum has a really good juicer). I want to stay away from anything with added sugar because I won't be able to brush my teeth properly for a while! I bought some squeezy bottles to inject food into my mouth with haha. Hopefully this goes okay!

Here are some final photos of my face pre-surgery, please excuse the tacky bathroom shots haha:

Squeeeee! I'll try and do another post before surgery but if not, I'll see you on the other side!

Kelsie

I have a (new) date!

I got a call yesterday from J, the dental assistant at the hospital, to tell me that Dr. W is back doing surgeries and that my new surgery date is February 10, 2014!!!!

That is about 10 weeks away which sounds very close, I am so excited!

Unfortunately this means that I will have to finish my summer job about three weeks early, but fortunately my boss was okay with this and also the timing works out PERFECTLY with university! I am due to start back on the 3rd March, it really couldn't have worked out better. Everything happens for a reason....

In a side-note, I got an A- for my honours dissertation I spent all year working on. It's been a good few days. :)

Watch this space!