Day 127-ish: A Mouth Free of the Constraints and Restraints of Braces

Well, it has been a while since my last post and I apologize to anyone out there that was actually upset by this. But, school has kept me busier than I have ever been and there has been little noticeable change in my mouth during this time, until now. Earlier this week I got my braces taken off and I couldn't have been more excited. I was giddy like a little school girl on the inside for this to finally be here. After approximately 717 days of braces, I was excited to see the final results of them and my jaw surgery. I could walk you through each and every moment and emotion as the orthodontist plucked off each and every bracket until she pulled out each row of braces in one piece, but I'll sum it up by saying that with each pluck of a bracket, my confidence was slowly increasing to a level hardly felt during the past 717 days. Immediately after, I felt the slime-like feeling on my teeth and just smiled. At last, a mouth free of foreign objects...but not for long. Shortly after having the braces removed, my teeth were polished and cleaned. Then a few official "after" pictures were taken along with an x-ray. But before I knew it, my mouth was filled with the strawberry flavored goo that is used to make impressions that would be used to make my new retainers. After five impressions, a new personal record for a single orthodontist office visit if I'm not mistaken, and a messy face I was cleaned up and sent on my way to enjoy a day without braces or any other orthodontic equipment in my mouth.

The first thing I did was drove over to my dad's office and show him. His office staff hadn't seen me since the surgery and seemed genuinely impressed or surprised with my "new" look. They got a kick out of the fact that I stopped by only to show my new smile to my dad. He wasn't nearly as excited as I was, but let's be honest-who is going to be? But, I could tell he was happy for me.

Next, I went home only to be side tracked by the fact that aunt and cousin's cars were parked in my grandparent's driveway. I had to stop by and show them my new smile. I felt like a little kid during show and tell as I smiled big for them. Shortly after showing my grandma, she had a senior moment by asking me "Now Jake, are those your real teeth? Can you eat, chew, and brush those just like before?" I held back my laugh and kindly answered her, "Yup, these are the real deal, Grandma. They are the same as before just reshaped and realigned."

Before I knew it, it was time to head to the oral surgeon for another check in with him. After I told him I just got the braces off, he took a look and like usual he spit out a few positive adjectives to describe what he was seeing. Today's adjectives were "awesome" followed with "wow" and capped off with a hybrid "Wo-wesome." He asked if I was happy with the results of everything to which I answered by saying that I was happy with the results and will be extremely happy once I can get this lisp to go away. (I have been having trouble with the "s" and "z" sounds and would later meet with a speech pathologists who gave me a few pointers and with some time and practice I should be lisp-free.) I forgot to tell/ask him about the numbness I still feel in part of by bottom lip and chin. But I'm hoping that the nerves are still healing and I will regain more feeling in that area. He said that everything looked great and that he wouldn't need to see me for about 6 months. At the next appointment he said we would take some pictures and an x-ray to make sure nothing shifted during the healing process.

Early the next morning I was back at the orthodontist's office being fitted with a clear retainer to be worn on my top teeth during the day, a night time retainer also for the top, and a permanent retainer glued on the inside of my bottom, front teeth. And just like that, my mouth was full of orthodontic equipment again. But, these definitely beat the old equipment! I will be back to see her in about 6 weeks, after which she hopes I will not have to wear the clear retainer during the day and I will get to see the official before and after pictures (which I plan on posting for you all to see).

The next day I flew out to California with my cousin to visit my brother. I had a new confidence that I was excited to live with and what better of place to get use to this than in the paradise that is Southern California. Needless to say, it was a good trip. Here are some pictures from the trip, notice the new smile! haha:

Now it's back to the real world. Only now, I'm not constrained or restrained by braces and it feels great!

Day 63: It's a runner! It's a chewer! It's Jake!!/No More Chomping at the Bit to Chomp.

It's been 9 weeks, believe it or not, since the surgery. I had an appointment with my oral surgeons (both of the one's that operated on me were there this time) on tuesday. I apologize for the late posting but school is getting really hectic and we had a test on wednesday. But, it was an appoint filled with good news. They cleared me for running! They also said I could take off my rubber bands in the front. I hope this is okay with my orthodontist! It is so much nicer not having those on. I found them to be really annoying! I still have rubber bands on my back molars, which doesn't bother me. Despite being able to run, I still cannot play basketball or other "contact sports" for at least 3 weeks (12th week after the surgery) as this is when the bone is likely to be fully set and healed. At the appointment, they took another X-ray, the 3rd since the surgery, counting the 2 they took on the same day (the day of the dog incident). I can't wait to take my radiology class so that I will be able to better interpret the x-rays. To me, it looked like my bottom jaw, where they broke it, was still broken. It definitely was not as dense as the surround bone. But, it feels great and the oral surgeons said everything looks "faaaantastic."

They didn't mention anything about chewing at this appointment, but at the last one the oral surgeon said that after week 7 I could begin to try chewing foods harder than scrambled eggs and work my up as I felt comfortable. Well, today I took my first bite! While to other people it probably just looked like a grad student happy to be getting a free lunch, pizza at that, to me it was like fireworks were going off as I bite completely through the tip of the sliced pizza. I cannot remember the last time I was able to bite completely through a piece of pizza with my front teeth, without having to gnaw or rip at the pizza. I later told one of my classmates that I took my first bite earlier today and how exciting it was for me. She got a laugh at of it. (Hopefully, this means we can go on a dinner date soon!)

When the oral surgeons gave me the "okay" to run at the appointment, a huge smile came across my face. Then, I realized I had to drive back to school, which takes me about 3 hours. That's the last thing an athletic guy like myself, who has been unable to run for 63 days, wants to do after being cleared to run-sit in a car for 3 hours. Running that 175 miles on the other hand, sounded more like it! But that obviously didn't happen and because of my hectic school week, I was just now able to squeeze time in for a run, today. It wasn't easy, and I can only imagine how hard it looked. Surprisingly, I did have some discomfort in my top jaw with my first several strides. It quickly went away but it definitely made me think twice about going on the run. I ran most of it in the grass next to the road to cut down on some of the pounding, and therefore the jarring my jaw would have to suffer through. I ran just under 2 miles in 16 minutes, faster than I thought I would be able to do. But, like I said, it wasn't easy and I was hurting. The next couple of days should be interesting as the soreness sets in. When it was over, as I stood in the shower after most of the "out-of-shapeness" wore off , I began to feel that "good" feeling that I have been missing the last 63 days. I can't wait to get back in shape and get on some longer runs before it gets too cold, and before my other leg goes out on me-that's another story, or maybe even worthy of a blog.

As far as the tickling in my chin goes, it has morphed into just a weird feeling whenever I touch my chin. I can feel something, but it just doesn't feel right. It's hard to explain, but I mentioned this to my Histology teacher and he gave me the 4-1-1 on the nerves in the area and said that this is common and to be expected as the nerves wake-up. In parts of my chin, I will touch it and feel a sensation of sorts in another area of my chin or jaw line. It's a really odd feeling, but at the same time, it's kind of fun. I have found myself poking or tapping on my chin in the middle of lectures to try to pin-point these areas. I have also found myself being starred at for this, well I hope that's why they are starring haha.

But things continue to improve with each week and I am now setting my sights on getting my braces off ASAP! I will see both the oral surgeon and orthodontist in 2 weeks. I hope to get a timeline on the braces at one of these appointments-I hoping for just another 4 months of them, but I realize it depends on how well my teeth respond.

This has been a long enough procrastination session, so I better get back to studying.

"Ya'll come back, now."

Day 51: My Chin Tickles

It's hard to imagine that it's been over 50 days since the surgery! But, I am doing well! Despite not being cleared to chew everything, the oral surgeon said that I could begin trying things harder than scrambled-egg-consistancy on week 7. He didn't have to tell me twice! I decided I would try some boneless chicken wings, followed the next day by some sesame chicken and rice. While, I was able to eat these things, it wasn't always easy. What I ended up doing was cutting the large pieces of meat up so that I wouldn't have to bite completely through the meat. This also made it easier to fit between the rubber bands in my mouth. Once in my mouth, I would gently bite on the meat with my back molars. I would never bite completely through the meat, just to play it safe. Once I bite a little bit through the piece of meat, I would turn it and repeat this process a couple times before mashing the rest of it up using my tongue and pressing the meat to the roof of my mouth. It may sound like a rather long and complicated process, but in actuality it was a pretty short process that usually left me swallowing large pieces. But, it was worth it because I am ready to begin eating more regular foods. Although, I was a little let down with the sesame chicken I had-it didn't compare to Hyvee's!

Last night I was invited to join several of my classmates for dinner tonight at a nearby restaurant. They were hesitant to ask knowing my situation, but I reassured them I could eat more than they think, despite not being cleared to chew. We pulled up a menu of the restaurant from their website and they had several things on the menu that I would be able to eat, such as pasta. Then, I remembered the last time I attempted to eat pasta out in public with friends. After several forks full of spaghetti being loaded into my mouth surrounded by a numb lower lip and chin, I had just as much spaghetti and spaghetti sauce on my chin as I had probably gotten in my mouth-unbeknownst to me. My friends who I was eating with got quite the kick out of this but I wasn't too embarrassed because they were very good friends of mine. I just don't think I am ready for making a fool out of myself with my new classmates quite yet.

But, things have changed since that first outing. Most noticeable, my chin has been tickling me the last couple days (it's not literally physically tickling me like my brother use to tickle me, but I have been feeling a tickling sensation on my chin). This can mean only one thing (I hope)-my nerves are beginning to wake up! As annoying as this tickling sensation is, I am happy to be feeling something! Once I have regained feeling here, I will feel so close to the finish line of this whole process. The last hurdles being chewing, running, and my braces and rubber bands.

I still feel swollen when I wake up in mornings from sleeping on the side of my face, but I don't seem to physically see as much swelling any more. I'm looking more and more like my old self, minus the huge under bite. I am also beginning to speak more clearly-at least I think I am. I still have the occasional slip-ups here and there that produce a lisp but not nearly as much as a couple weeks ago.

"Stay classy, San Diego"

Day 46: Post Op Appointment #5

I met with an oral surgeon today, not my regular one. My regular oral surgeon was called to the hospital early this morning on an emergency so I saw his associate. He seemed up to date with my procedure and familiar with everything going on (my oral surgeon must keep good notes). He said that everything is looking good inside but I'm still not allowed to run, jump, or chew (anything harder than scrambled eggs). I was a little bummed about this because I really want to play basketball with my classmates during our study breaks (they played today-I watched) and I just want to take a massive bite out of a Chili's cheeseburger with my new teeth-touching-bite!

I say I "was" bummed about this because while I was watching my classmates play basketball, I was dribbling a ball and it got away from me so I ran after it-not more than 10 strides. It wasn't long before I noticed some aching in my jaw, accompanied with a little bit of pain. I can't imagine that 10 strides would do it but something caused it and it was enough for me to side with the doctor on his decision.

After I had asked him about being able to run and stuff he gave me a rather long explanation on the bone healing process and how at this time (6 weeks after surgery) the bone just isn't ready for the constant pounding that running comes with. He said that at my next appointment, in 2 weeks, they will take x-rays and will be able to give me a better timeline as to when I can expect to be able to run and jump. He also said that at week 7, this Thursday, I can try chewing some harder things but not to go overboard with it. He didn't give me many specifics and kept it as vague as I put it and I'm not quite sure what he had in mind but I'll figure it out. Unfortunately, I don't think this will allow cheeseburgers.

Yesterday, I got to see a good friend who hadn't seen me since the surgery. She thought I didn't look too different, but she did think that my nose looked different. I've actually thought the same thing so it would nice to hear someone else say it, too.

Today, I showed some of my classmates t my before pictures of my bite and the x-rays. They couldn't believe my bite before the surgery was as bad as it was. I have just been telling my classmates that I had a really bad bite that needed to be fixed, apparently they didn't imagine it was that bad. It was really cool showing them and seeing their reactions. I think they better understood why I had the surgery, now.

Day 42: Happy Birthday Mom!

Well, today marks six weeks since the surgery and my mom's birthday! I'm doing well, and absolutely craving a Old Timer with cheddar cheese, plain from Chili's! It's the only food that has come across my mind when I have been hungry. I'm hoping at Monday's appointment with the oral surgeon that I will be cleared to chew. I also hope he clears me to run and jump so that I can join my classmates in basketball!

School started this past monday and I got the flu or something by tuesday. It has forced me to miss a couple days of lectures but I was forced to go to the mandatory labs. I never thought I would be this far behind after one week. But, if I had to get sick I'm glad it happened this week and not mid-semester when things are moving even faster! Speaking of labs, in our first lab we had to take all sorts of measurements of the body, one of which was weight. I weighed in at 177 pounds-a three pound gain! Granted, it was a different scale.

I think I still have a little bit of swelling but not as much as a couple weeks ago. I noticed today that my cheeks felt normal, or that my cheek implants no longer felt extremely foreign. I'm still mostly numb on my lower lip and completely numb on my chin. I am constantly wiping my chin in fear that I have a piece of food dangling from it without me feeling it dangling there. My speech is still needing some improving. My S's are pronounced more as S-H's, right now. My whole enunciation is off, and worse than before. I'm not sure if its the four rubber bands I have in my mouth, the repositioning of my jaw, or what is the cause of my poor speech at this point. But it really feels like my lower jaw is so much closer to my tongue, which is taking some getting use to.

This past weekend I got to see a good friend from high school while I was in the city. He hadn't seen me since the surgery. I met him inside a crowded bar, where I was told to look for him in the back near the bar. I made my way towards the back, excited to his reaction. I saw him making his way towards me and I just stopped and stared at him as he was about to walk right by me. I saw his eyes scan my face and move on, then immediately they came back to me. He recognized me! Later on he would say that he couldn't believe how much I looked like my brother. He also complemented me on my extremely straight teeth as I was showing him my teeth that now touched. He was with his girlfriend and her sorority sisters who I have met a few times. His girlfriend recognized me but her friends swore they had never met me, at least thats the way they acted. But, it was great to see him and some familiar faces!

I'm going home this weekend at some point because I have my appointment with the oral surgeon early monday morning. Another one of my good friends from high school will be home, too. She also has not seen my "new" face, so I am looking forward to seeing her even more so than usual.

Well, I better get back to studying before I get even more behind.

Day 35: Five Weeks Down!

Well it's been a few days since my last post and I apologize to those anxiously awaiting my next post! Between orientation and moving in/getting settled in my new place I have been extremely busy. And because of that, I have decided that I will just post on the days that I have appointments and or notice improvements.

I have managed to work out twice since being cleared to do so. I am so weak now! I was barely able to do three sets of weights that I use to do a warm up set with. When I was done I felt like jello! Needless to say, I have been sore the last few days but not as bad as I thought I would have been.

I've also been very tempted to start chewing or eating solid foods these last few days. During these few days we have had every lunch and two dinners provided to us by the school. We had a class mixer at a bowling alley in which we bowled for free and were given free pizza. The pizza smelled so good and everyone looked so happy eating it. I enjoyed an ice water (with lemon) and a beer-keeping to my liquids! But I was able to eat today's lunch, which were soft shelled tacos. I pretty much ate their insides and then cut up the tortilla and ate it.

My classmates have been nice about the whole thing and no one has asked about the massive amount of hardware and rubber bands that fill my mouth unless I mention not being able to chew. I'm sure it's not hard for them to figure it out, especially after I start talking. I'm still not speaking perfectly clear, but I'm kind of close! I still cannot feel most of my lower lip and all off my chin. I'm getting use to it at this point- well as much as one can get use to not feeling these parts of their face. I haven't had much (hardly any) pain in quite some time, so this is good.

Day 32: Post Op Appointment #4

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I have been internet-less the last few days as I have been moving. Not much has happened until today when I had appointments with both the orthodontist and oral surgeon.

At the orthodontist I had a lot of changes made to my braces. There, they replaced my bottom wires, took off my surgical hooks (couldn't be happier about this), and changed and added rubber bands. Now, I have four rubber bands of the "gazelle" strength compared to two bands of the "gorilla" strength. Either the rubber bands or the new wires have made my bottom teeth sore. I'm just happy to be getting the process going again. I'll see her again in six weeks.

At the oral surgeon, the first thing out of his mouth when glancing at my bite was "wow!" I was surprised by such a positive response. But he said things are looking great. I am now allowed to lift weights as long as I am careful, use the elliptical machine, but no running. I can also start using my electric tooth brush again! He hasn't allowed me to start chewing yet, which I am a little upset about but better safe than sorry. I'll see him again in two weeks. I'm hoping he will give me the okay to chew, run, and jump at that time. I watched some of my new classmates play basketball today and it just made me want to play even more. I can't wait to get out there and play ball with them.

Day 29: Insert Witty Title Here

Another day of minimal noticeable changes, but these minimal changes are adding up. I am feeling more and more comfortable with talking and making facial expressions. Smiling and yawning no longer hurt much. Yesterday, I had done more laughing and smiling than usual and was surprised when I woke up without any soreness from this.

I'm still following the doc's orders and not chewing. I had lasagna today for lunch and I was able to handle it without any chewing. Thanks again to Patrick for taking me out for lunch, it's always nice to get out of the house. I'll be out of the house for good come the end of the weekend. I am moving up to school on Saturday night and will come back Sunday for Monday morning appointments with my orthodontist and oral surgeon.

It turns out that the bill we received the other day was just the surgeon's fee, not the complete bill. That would explain why it was significantly less that we thought it was going to be. Yesterday, while visiting our friend in the hospital, I saw a sign that looked more like a menu showing the cost of common procedures at the hospital. It had anesthesia listed at $50 a minute! (My surgery was roughly 5 hours long, yikes!) Hopefully insurance will be picking that up!

Day 28: One Month Anniversary

It's been a month! While the first two weeks seemed to have taken an eternity, this last two weeks have flown by. I can't believe it's been a month. In honor of that, I have posted some more pics of the surgery day (I was finally able to get them off of my mom's camera). I'll post them on today's post, and the surgery day's post.

As far as today goes, there hasn't been much improvement. I do feel like I am regaining more control of the muscles in my face allowing me more facial expressions. My chin doesn't feel as completely numb, but still predominately numb. I didn't have much, hardly any actually, pain. I did have another "food-first" (since the surgery) today in the form of the contents of a burrito. I poured the burrito's insides into a bowl and ate the tortilla afterwards. While I wasn't able to fully enjoy the burrito experience of the tortilla, the mess, and having to open your mouth as wide as you can with each bite. I did get to experience the mess (as with every meal at this point, but getting better with each day) and the delicious hot and cold flavors in my mouth. It was delicious!

I am talking better but still not perfect. I noticed a couple people giving me weird looks as I talked to them, as if they may have been wondering why I am talking funny. This happened while I was running errands, doing mature things like paying bills, going to the bank-nothing exciting. For a brief time I felt old, mature, older than my age. Then, I realized I was wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt and had to laugh.

I had a family friend be admitted to the hospital today. I went to visit her with my mom. She was placed on a restricted diet while there. I got to see her restricted diet menu, which brought me right back to the day I was in the hospital after the surgery (it was the same hospital, too). Her menu had three full columns of choices, while I remember mine (a clear liquids only diet) that was made up of about a half dozen choices. I can still not eat most of what was on her menu! That was a bit of a bummer, but it reminded me of all the progress I have made in the last month.

Now, enjoy some before-surgery pictures and some immediately-after-surgery pictures.

These two (above) were taken in the waiting room the morning of the surgery. No, that's not a milk-mustach but a mustache tan line.

Day 27: Fell Off the "No-Solid-Food" Wagon

First of all I apologize for not posting yesterday. There were no significant, or even minute, changes so you didn't miss much. I did have a couple beers with my dad and a friend. They hit me harder than I'm use to again. I'm glad to have stopped when I did.

As for today, I woke up with a little bit of pain. After visiting family friends who tend to make me laugh, talking, and some more back-to-school shopping, this little bit of pain had graduated into a significant amount of pain and discomfort. I was very tempted to take some Vicoden but luckily I held off long enough to give the Ibuprofen time to kick in. It relieved enough of the pain that it no longer really bothered me.

I did cough up more blood today but only a little bit. And I didn't seem to keep bleeding so it didn't bother me that much.

Later in the afternoon I went to a newly opened grocery store with my mom. I walked by their chinese food, which I absolutely love, and immediately began salivating. I made it all of about a half hour until I convinced myself I could handle the plain fried rice, and orange and sesame chicken. I got it to go and dug in once I got home. I was able to eat it without any chewing after cutting the chicken up into small bites. This is one of the foods I had been craving for so long and it tasted so good to finally get it.

In the mail today came the final bill from the oral surgeon's office for the surgery. The bill was for the amount that we owed after insurance paid their part. It was less than we thought it would be so that made my parents happy, and what makes them happy-makes me happy.

Day 25: Oral Surgeon Appointment #3

As I mentioned yesterday, I had another appointment with the oral surgeon today. Like my previous visit, this one was short and sweet. The oral surgeon said that everything looked good and that he doesn't know where the bleed would have been coming from because everything in my mouth was healed and sealed. He said I still have some swelling and that it will take another few weeks for almost all of the swelling to be gone. Otherwise he said that everything was looking good and to keep up what I'm doing. I didn't ask for a timetable as far as when I can begin chewing or using a straw. I have a feeling I could probably use a straw now. He had me close my eyes as he touched different areas of my face to check the numbness. The completely numb areas were my chin, my right cheek and area under my eye, and the left part of my lower lip. I'll see him again in another week, the same day I'll be seeing the orthodontist.

I didn't have any bleeding today (obviously, since the oral surgeon couldn't tell where bleeding would have been coming from) and only a little bit of pain. The pain came on after a couple hours of back-to-school shopping and a nap. But it wasn't much and I didn't need to take anything for it. I continue icing periodically throughout the day.

I ate my normal foods except for tonight I had a soft shelled taco. Well, I had a tortilla with ground beef and cheese in it. I had to cut it up into really small bites. I also had some rice and beans on the side. You'd be surprised what you can "eat" without chewing.

Back to Shark Week, ttyl!

Day 24: Two Pounds Gained

Today was a good day compared to the previous two. I had very little pain and made it through the day without needing to take any Ibuprofen. My mouth didn't start bleeding until about 4 pm. After showering I was able to put my lip up and find the source of the bleeding, well the general area. It was too messy to see exactly where it was coming from. But I will definitely be asking the oral surgeons tomorrow about this. I'm continuing to ice periodically throughout the day. Other than that, it was same old stuff.

I was able to eat some tortellini tonight for dinner. It was a good change of pace from spaghetti, albeit not much different from spaghetti. I also managed to enjoy a few french fries tonight. I mostly sucked on them until the were soft enough to swallow but they were delicious! I am pleased to say that I have gained two pounds back. It's not much but its a start. I've been tempted to do some sort or work out the last few days. I'm thinking I can handle a light weight lifting session, so that's on my list to try this week. Wish me luck.

I'm talking much better and I would say its no longer a mumble. I'm by no means speaking crystal clear, but much clearer than when this all started.

Day 23: Bloody Mary, no Bloody Mouth

This morning, after an uneventful night of playing cards with my grandparents (I didn't end up going out with friends), I woke up extremely sore. I immediately ate and took some Ibuprofen. This is really keeping the pain at bay. But it comes with its downfalls, bleeding. Ibuprofen thins the blood and causes more bleeding and well, my mouth has been bleeding all day. The constant taste of blood caused me to put gauze in my mouth to catch what it could. I seem to be bleeding from an incision above my gums on my top jaw. The blood is also really thick, thick enough that a q-tip was used to get it out of my braces and off my teeth. I guess I will have to deal with the bleeding rather than deal with the pain.

My parents came home today from being gone for almost 2 weeks. I told my dad about the pain and he asked if I think it's because "things are beginning to wake up." I thought this was a great way to word it. I am really hoping that things are starting to "wake up" because I am getting tired of these numb limps and chin. (My nose is no longer completely numb!)

The last few days I have had what I am calling "phantom itches." These are itchy sensations I get on areas of my face that are still numb. It feels like I have something on my face and when I go to itch it I can't feel me itching it so it keeps itching. It's like someone is putting a feather to my face and I can't do anything to stop it. It's very annoying but at least they don't last long.

Tonight, for dinner I went with my parents to a Mexican restaurant and figured I would try to eat an enchilada. It was a success! I cut them up into small enough pieces that didn't need any chewing. My plate looked as if it had be licked clean when I was done. It tasted so good to have something other than spaghetti, mashed potatoes, or macaroni n cheese. There were several points during the meal where my mom had to tell me to wipe my lips because there was sauce all over. This reminded me of when my friend Ashley told me I probably shouldn't go on any dates quite yet because of the spaghetti sauce being all over my face (and tablecloth). But when you can't feel your lips, there isn't much you can do about this.

This is my last week at home before moving and starting school so I am hoping there is a lot of improvement made in the next week. I am going to the oral surgeon on Monday and I hope he says I can try chewing soft foods or something like that but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Mumble to you later (It's almost not a mumble, anymore!)

Day 22: Emotionless? No, Expresion-less.

Yesterday, realized that due to the numbness in my face I can't make nearly the number of facial expressions I once could. It made me feel like one of those women in the movies that has had so much Botox that their face is stuck in that one expression. I hope this changes soon because that would not be ideal as I am about to begin school and meet a whole new class of students. At the same time, it might be pretty funny.

I woke up today with a reasonable amount of pain in my upper jaw. After breakfast and the moderate amount of jaw movement it takes, I was pretty sore. I took some Ibuprofen, which seems to be doing the trick. I was comfortable enough to go out to my cousin's and her boyfriend's place where they have a lake. Over the phone my brother had mentioned it probably wouldn't be a good idea to get in the lake because of the bacteria and the chance of it getting in my mouth and infecting things. He made a good point so I stayed out of the lake but not the dogs. They wore themselves out. When we got home a few hours later, the two dogs and I were all worn out and I feel asleep for over an hour. I woke up without any pain or discomfort so I'm happy about this. I did ice before and after the lake outing. Both times really felt good.

After my power nap, I'm hoping I have enough energy to make it out tonight with some friends. This would be my first time "out" since the surgery. I'm not planning on drinking, except for one beer, but I would really like to get out and see people and have some fun before school starts in just over a week!

Mumble to you later!

Day 21: Three Week Anniversary

It's been three weeks since the big surgery and it's felt longer! To "celebrate" I decided to go visit a friend for the day and get out of my house. I got up early and drove about 2 hours to my friend's in the outer Chicago suburbs. We then went to the airport and picked up her younger sister who was visiting for the weekend, her last time away from school for almost 6 months because of the riggers of being a student athlete. Then, we went to lunch at a nice Italian food restaurant. I had the spaghetti, which was really good. The girls got a kick out of me eating, because every time I stopped eating to cut up the spaghetti my mouth and chin would be covered in sauce (I still can't feel these areas). It also looked like a 5 year old had just eaten at the table when I was done. There was sauce stains and noodles all over the table linens surrounding my plate. But, it tasted great!

Later, after DQ for dessert and some rest at her place I began to have more pain, similar to yesterday. I decided I should take some Ibuprofen to make me more comfortable, which it did. This helped as we went putt-putt golfing and I beat both of them, but I only beat Ashley by 2 strokes. Since her sister lost, and is incredibly competitive, we had to find another "activity" for us all to do so that she had a chance to win. We ended up playing cards back at Ashley's place, where Ashley beat us both, badly. Then, I ate my left over spaghetti from lunch and hit the road to get back home before it was too late. It was great to see Ashley, Courtney, and Ted before I start school and am bogged down with school work. As I was driving I realized how much that Ibuprofen helped, because it was starting to wear off and I was getting sore. I

t wasn't too bad just an annoying pain. It probably didn't help that I had a 20 minutes phone conversation, either. By the time I got home I was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, maybe slightly before if that's possible. It was a good day, despite the little pain I had.

Day 20: Swelling?

Today, started with swelling. That's right, swelling. I woke up and just felt and looked swollen. I wasn't comfortable and a little upset that the swelling was back. But, this is the nature of the beast so I can't be too mad. Despite being swollen and uncomfortable I didn't do a good job of icing, which probably resulted in more swelling after a nap. This convinced me to ice and get the swelling down.

I also had some pain. Again, most of this pain was in my upper jaw and deep (below the skin). I didn't take anything for it but thinking back on it, it would have made me more comfortable so I probably should have. Other than these couple of "negatives" I didn't have many other changes, and unfortunately no "positives." Hopefully this is just a one-day thing!

Mumble to you later!

Day 19: Half Price Milkshakes

Another day without any noticeable improvements. I continue to ice my mostly numb face to get the remaining swelling down. I had another nose bleed today and coughed up more blood. I haven't had a headache in a while, now that I think about it. Otherwise, everything is the same. I'm still sleeping well, still numb, still "eating" mostly liquids with the exception of noodles and cheesecake.

Since I have begun eating spaghetti I noticed that I'm not hungry ALL the time. I just realized it's about time for dinner, but I'm not hungry. This hasn't happened in quite some time. It's a feeling I guess I have missed. At the same time, I might be so sick of spaghetti when this is all over I may never be able to eat it again. But, I doubt this as I have a big place in my heart for the classic Italian dish. I might not be hungry quite yet due to the milkshake I had about 2 hours ago. As the title of today's post implies, it was half price. It came out to a mere $1.93 for a "Very Berry Strawberry" MIlkshake from Steak n Shake. What a deal!

Today I also realized that I forgot to include a key solid-food on my post the other day. That food would be Hyvee Chinese Orange and Sesame Chicken with plain fried rice. Just thought I would add that as it crossed my mind several times today.

Mumble to you later!

Day 18:Doing Well

I had another appointment with the oral surgeon today. He was probably in the room with me no more than 3 minutes. During our brief meeting he said that everything looked good and that I'm doing a great job keeping everything clean, and to keep it up. He asked me a few questions and before I knew it, it was over. I didn't ask him about when I move and push my tongue on the top of my mouth and the looseness I feel since he said everything looked good. I'll see him and the other oral surgeon that was involved with the procedure again in a week.

With each passing day I am beginning to feel more comfortable and more motile with facial expressions. The nurses at the oral surgeon's office even noticed my smiling as I walked in. I could even hear them talking down the hall from me about my smile and the fact the swelling is down so much since the last time they saw me. This made feel good.

I haven't had much of that discomfort today like I had yesterday. I tried to sleep more on back to avoid sleeping on my jaw last night just incase this was the cause of that pain. I just noticed that the cheek implants didn't feel so foreign today. Normally, I'll notice them several times a day, but not today. I'm still numb in most of the areas but I think its beginning to wear off. The left side of my top lip and part of my cheek is beginning to regain feeling. My chin to lower lip area is still completely numb.

Day 17: It's me, Jake!

Sleep no long seems to be an issue so I will stop boring you all with my stories of normal amounts of sleep that seem so heavenly to me.

I did have an abnormal amount of discomfort today in my upper jaw. I think that as the numbness wears off and I begin to regain feeling in my nose and upper lip, I also begin to feel the "damage" done. This discomfort was nothing more than an annoying throbbing with periodic flashes of less-than-mild pain. It wasn't enough that I needed to take anything for it and I don't think I will have to. I did notice that it started after I woke from a nap, during which I slept on the side of my face. Maybe this positioning was the cause of the pain?

I also noticed that if I press on one side of the top of my mouth with my tongue, and then the other side, I can feel a looseness and hear a cracking. This has me kind of worried. I will definitely be asking the oral surgeon about this tomorrow!

For the second time since the surgery I saw someone I know, this person I went to high school with, that didn't seem to recognize me. In both incidences I either waved or said something like "Hey, how've you been?" with little acknowledgment back. I'd like to think it was because of the swelling. However, my cousins told me that I look very different in general. I don't think I look unrecognizable, though. Time will tell.

I've finally come to the point where I'm getting bored just sitting at home not doing much activity. When I get up and do something I find I don't have near the energy I use to, and tire quickly. I can't wait to be able to workout, and eat solid foods so I can get back into shape and regain some energy. Hopefully, this will be in the next couple of weeks. I'll have a better sense of time after tomorrow's visit with the oral surgeon.

I've had what I call "solid food cravings" more recently and have begun to make a mental list of the things I tend to "crave" the most. Here are a few that top the list:

Q'doba Chicken Queso Burrito

Pizza, at this point in time from anywhere!

Cilli's or a Khaki Jack's (local place) cheeseburger (cooked medium, cheddar cheese, plain)

& last but not least, a Belgium Waffle or a stack of pancakes.

Still mumbling, but not as bad.

Day 16: I Can Feel My Nose...Almost.

Another great night of sleep followed by another great afternoon nap. After both bouts of sleep I noticed and felt some swelling in my lips, again. I think this is just the result of lying down. I've decided that until school starts on August 10th, I am going to sleep whenever I feel tired enough to sleep. I hope that this will make up for all the sleep I've missed and get me ahead for all the sleep I'm going to miss.

Today was another day with no pain in my jaw. I managed to snap a rubber band while attempting to eat a doughnut (I pretty much put tiny pieces of it in my mouth and let it sit there until it was soggy enough to swallow). I also managed to replace the rubber band all by myself (the oral surgeon gave me a bunch incase this happened, but forgot to show me how to put them on). Since, the rubber band was off I figured I would try chewing a soft piece of doughnut. Let's just say I don't think I'm quite physically ready for chewing, despite how mentally ready I am. The whole chewing motion just felt weird, too.

I noticed some feeling at the tip of my nose and top lip, but not much. I'm still numb in the lower lip and chin. With each feeling in these areas, I get more excited that this whole process is coming closer to its end. The other day I went to kiss my dog on the top of her head before remembering I couldn't feel my lips. I was reminded of this incident today while my cousin kissed her horse, and I thought I'm lucky not to have a girlfriend at this point in time because there would be a lot (hopefully) of wasted kisses. It was really weird knowing your lips are touching something and not feeling it. I've wondered how many times I've burned my lips in the last 16 days while drinking hot broth. I can remember a couple of times where I swallowed some extremely hot broth and was thankful I couldn't feel my lips.

Day 15: Maintaining Weight

Another great night's sleep, followed with a mid afternoon nap for an encore have me feeling really good. I did notice that I was slightly swollen after each bout of sleeping. This quickly went away after a little icing.

I feel like I'm at a standstill with the recovering. I haven't had any noticeable changes in the last couple of days. My speech might be the only thing improving at this point-that I can tell. My bones may very well be healing and making improvements with each day, but without an x-ray I have no way of knowing this. Otherwise, I still have all the same issues: numbness, coughing up blood, little headaches, bloody nose, and random tingling.

I weighed myself today and have maintained my weight since the last time I weighed. I weighed in at 171 lbs. This is the lightest I think I have been since my early high school years. Being able to "eat" cheesecake has really helped with this. I am able to get so many Calories from it. I'm not eating it all the time, but I am having about a piece or two a day. I've also been eating a lot of noodles from the Asian/Italian Sides packages from the store. These make for great meals that are relatively Calorie dense.

I had my first beer since the surgery last night. I had a pint, but it was more like a stein, of Boulevard Wheat. My friend and I figured one beer wouldn't hurt, and it didn't, but I could definitely feel it. Between not having one for a while, losing weight, and not having much in my stomach, these all made me quite vulnerable to the drink's effects. By no means was I drunk after this one beer but I could feel a lot more than I usually would feel a beer. I can only imagine what the waitress was thinking as I ordered the beer with my mumbling.

Two Week Anniversary!: Sleeping In My Own Bed

I was able to sleep through the whole night, again. But this time, I did so in my bed, not the couch! It felt great to be able to sleep through the night in my own bed. That is about all that's been different in the last few days. Still on the liquid diet, still having no pain, still numb. But the swelling continues to go down as my grandpa noticed today. I did move my jaw around a little bit and it felt fine. I wouldn't go as far as saying I'm readying for chewing, though. I also noticed more motility in my bottom lip.

I went to a friend's house to watch a movie last night and we ended up watching a movie I watched shortly after the surgery, one I didn't fall asleep during. But I might have well have fallen asleep during it because I didn't seem to remember about a quarter of the movie! It must have been the vicodin!

Do I have a lazy eye?? I hope this is temporary!

Day 13: Feeling More Like Normal

Last night was the first night I slept through the entire night. I slept for 8 straight hours! I probably could have slept more but I woke up to one of my dogs snoring in the car next me. I thought it was pretty funny so I didn't mind.

I had my typical foods of blended cereal, mac n cheese, mash potatoes, apple sauce, V8 fusion, and a milkshake today. I had a tiny headache today and that was the extent of any pain I had. That quickly went away during an hour nap in the middle of the day. My speech is improving with each day. The swelling seems to have gone down quite a bit. It feels like I'm only swollen under my eyes and upper lip. At least I hope I'm swollen there and that's not the size of my cheek implants! I can actually feel the cheek implants when touching slightly under

my eye. They still feel so foreign!

My nose seemed to bleed slowly all day today. I also coughed up a massive wad of mucus and blood, mostly that thick, mucus-ey blood I have talked about before. It felt good to get it out, but it kind of worried me.

I still have all the same numbness but today I had a lot of tingling in those areas. This excites me for some reason because I think the tingling will lead to me regaining the feeling but the doctor never said anything like this. Once this numbness goes away, I will feel so close to normal (besides the mumbling) and I can't wait!

Day 12: Amazing Night of Sleep!

As the title of today's post hints, I slept the best I have in 12 days. I imagine I would have slept through the whole night but my dogs needed out early in the morning. Other than that, I was lights out for a combined 9 hours! I even slept through my dad making and eating breakfast in the nearby kitchen.

After my glorious slumber, I had my typical blended cereal and followed that with a shower. I brushed my teeth with a little more effort as I was about to go to the orthodontist. As I have mentioned, I have been excited to show the results of the surgery to my orthodontist. Once I got there and was seated at my chair, I had several assistants come and see how I was doing. They were so excited and thought I looked so different. When my orthodontist came by, she too thought I looked great. She looked around my mouth and thought everything looked good. She mentioned that I was doing a really good job brushing. This was good to hear because I can't feel most of my mouth still and when I'm brushing I'm doing it without seeing or feeling what I'm doing. She asked if I'd like to have one of her assistants brush them really good with some "peroxide gel" while I was there. I figured, "why not?" It actually felt great to have someone else brush my teeth. I know that sounds weird, but don't knock it until you try it. That ended my visit to the orthodontist.

Later today, I went to the grocery store by myself to pick up some things for myself and my dad before he left for South Carolina. While I was there, I was forced to "converse" with a couple of the employees. I am about 85% sure that both the employees that I had to mumble to thought I was either mentally handicap or deaf. Both of them responded to me in an overly friendly, loud, and slow type of speech. It didn't dawn on me that this could be the case until the cashier told me, "You. Have. A. Good. Day. Now!" with a big smile on her face. I thought it was pretty funny.

Besides the sleep I have had no other real big improvements. I'm still numb in all the same areas. I have very little to no pain or discomfort in my jaw, even when yawning. I only seem to drool when I least want to (such as telling someone I have the drooling under control). And swallowing is about as normal as it can be with numb lips.

Day 11: 17 LBS Lost!

Last night's sleep wasn't as good as the night before, but not bad. I'm happy to be getting 7 or 8 hours combined a night though!

I woke up this morning with a lot on my mind, mainly whether or not to go on vacation. But my day started off with a visit to my family doctor. While there, I weighed myself on their scale, the same one I was weighed on for my pre-surgery physical. As a reminder, I weighed in at 191 pounds at the physical. Today, I weighed in at 174 pounds. If I did the math correctly, that means I have lost 17 pounds in 11 days! I didn't think I had that much to lose in the first place. The first thing I did when I got home was eat a piece of cheesecake- a big, soft, fat-filled piece of cheesecake. But the crust is still too much to handle at this point so I wasn't able to eat it.

A few hours and a several hundred Calories later, I was on my way to the oral surgeon for another post-op. Before the doc even got in the room, many of his nurses had complimented on how well I looked (swelling wise) so soon after the surgery. I must admit that the surgery feels like it was weeks ago! The doctor gave me a quick look over and said that I am doing really well and to keep doing what I'm doing. He said that I can drive now which was good to hear. He told me to have fun on my vacation (if I go) and to see him when I get back.

After some deep thought I've decided to stay home and not go on vacation. I may do a weekend trip to San Diego or Scranton to see some family at the end of the month. But in the meantime I just want to heal and get things ready for moving and starting school.

I haven't had any progress with regaining feeling in my chin, lips, nose, and cheeks. I almost have the drooling under control, enough that I don't need to carry a drool rag or wear a bib anymore. This makes going out in public much less embarrassing. I have an appointment tomorrow morning with my orthodontist, my first since the surgery. I am looking forward to showing her the results! I can't help but to think how much further along I would be if I hadn't caught a back paw to my mouth, but I can't complain at this point.

Day 10: No More Penicillin!

Last night I slept the best yet. I got a combined 8.5 hours of sleep with just two brief awakenings. The first time I woke up was due to some discomfort in my jaw. I took a small dose of Motrin and iced my cheeks and read until I feel asleep. The second awakening was the result of falling asleep with ice on my face. I managed to sleep a straight 6 hours after these awakenings! It felt great not being the first one to wake up in the house!

I had my usual blended cereal mix, and my last morning dose of Penicillin. With all the advances in technology and food supplementation one would think they would be able to make Penicillin taste better than it does. I'm happy this is my last day of having to take it!

After breakfast, I showered and attempted to brush my teeth. In the shower I coughed up more of that nasty blood. When I got out of the shower I used a q-tip to clean out my nostrils as I could see some dried blood. As I cleaned them, I pulled out a huge scab. I asked my dad why

I am still getting nose bleeds. He said that when I take Ibuprofin (Motrin) it could thin my blood enough to cause some nose bleeds.

The rest of the day I iced my face but not as much as usual. I noticed the swelling is down a bit from the other day. Every other day I seem to notice a change in my swelling. I managed to go to a movie and hang out at my cousins with very little discomfort. Speaking is becoming less of a chore, along with drinking. Today, I tried to "eat" every couple of hours. I noticed when I went outside, I quickly become tired. I think my poor diet and the sun were having their way with me. I'm looking forward to weighing myself tomorrow and finding out what the "damage" was. If I had to guess I would say I've lost between 10-15 pounds. I'll let you know the true number tomorrow after my appointment with my family doctor. I also have an appointment with the oral surgeons tomorrow. I'm interested in seeing what they have to say.

Last night, while trying to brush my teeth, I noticed my teeth were touching in the front when I gently bit down. I also noticed I no longer had an under-bite. This spawned me to take a profile picture, above. So much different!

Day 9: To Go On Vacation, Or Not To Go?

Last night was the first night I was able to sleep fully reclined without any discomfort. Up to this point I have had to lay in a way that left my head above my chest. This was to help prevent swelling. Last, night I decided to take it upon myself to try to sleep like I normally would. I slept on my stomach. It was so much more comfortable. I was also in my bed for the first half of the night so this may have added to the comfort. I woke up after about 3 hours of sleep before falling back to sleep for another 4 straight hours. This felt great! And, my tongue didn't feel like it was super glued to the roof of my mouth, but it was still pretty dry.

I woke up to my mom scurrying around the house as she was about to leave for South Carolina. My dad is leaving Tuesday after work, with or without me. I was just there with them in late May/early June but our house wasn't finished, yet. Now, it is finished and all the furniture is set to arrive Monday. I'd like to see the finished product. If I went, I would have a friend meet me down there (he works for an airline so it wouldn't cost him much, if anything). But, I would have to ride in a van with my dad and a family friend-17 hours! I'm not sure I can handle 17 hours in a van at this point in my recovery. The doctor has okay'd it but I think the ride would be miserable. After all, it wasn't any fun when I wasn't recovering from surgery. This decision is occupying a lot of my thoughts. Today, I was home by myself (except for two dogs) all day except for a trip to my Grandparents' house, next door. I was pretty bored. I figured this is how it is going to be if I don't go to South Carolina. Decisions, decisions...Any suggestions?

Back to my jaw. Surprisingly, my jaw didn't give me any pain while I slept on my stomach. I can't wait for the night I sleep straight through. I woke up extremely hungary. Like usual, I had my blended cereal for breakfast. I have felt fine pretty much the whole day. My jaw is a little sore, almost like the soreness you might feel after chewing a laffy-taffy for a long time or something. Weird, considering I can barely move my jaw. But, I have noticed more mobility. I have been spitting up thick, dark red blood, though. I wonder if maybe I coughed too hard and it opened an incision or something like that. I have had a tiny headache. I'm on my last two days of taking Penicillin, thankfully! I don't particularly like the way that stuff tastes.

I have been eating every few hours. Today, I tried some Bob Evans macaroni and cheese. It went down without much of a fight. I'm glad to have found another option for a meal. I have noticed that I am cold most of the time, now. I think this is the result of my weight loss. I cannot wait to eat solid foods! I'm already planning my binge. Thinking about it alone increases my drooling. And yes, I'm still drooling quite a bit. I still have no feeling in my lips, chin, end of my nose, and part of my cheeks. i have also noticed that my nose is still crooked, hopefully due to swelling!

Mumble to you later.

Day 8: What a Difference a Day Makes

After last night's post I had a friend come over and we decided to run some errands. We picked up another friend, who hadn't seen me since the surgery, and returned some movies and ran another errand. It felt so good to get out of the house, and not be going to a doctor's appointment.

For the second night in a row I slept pretty well considering how bad I had been sleeping. I was exhausted come midnight and I fell asleep fast. But, not for long. I was up at 1:30 am 2:30am and 4:00 am. After 4:00 am I slept pretty well. But just as the night before, I woke up with the driest mouth ever! My tongue felt as if it had been super glued to the roof of my mouth. I finally got out of bed (actually the couch, still) around 7 and had my blended cereal breakfast.

I had to go to my family doctor for some vaccines for school. While there, my looks alone practical made a young girl cry. I felt like an ogre or the hunchback. On top of that, the nurses had lost some of my paper work and had to ask me what shots and titers I needed, like I knew off the top of my head. Luckily, one of the nurses understood my mumbling well enough that I was able to get the necessary info off a computer.

After getting home and doing another round of icing, I noticed my speech was becoming a little better. Then, I began to feel more tingling in my lips. I was getting excited. Then, my cousin texted me. We had planned on going to see Despicable Me in 3D with her boyfriend who is just coming off an intense battle with Lime Disease. At the last moment, he began to nauseous and thought a 3D movie might not be the best idea. I agreed. They still wanted to do something though. As I waited for them to come over I was "reading" some Facebook statuses when one my friend's statuses made me smile. It hurt. Then, I realized this was the first time I was able to smile since the surgery! (Notice the smile in today's pic, and the fun background my computer added for me.) Immediately, I was excited. Then, I realized I hadn't been drooling that much-maybe due to lack of my attention to the food commercials on TV. No, this wasn't the case because I could feel part of my lower lip!!! This last sentence was meant to be read in the "excited Oprah" voice. My cousin and her boyfriend got here and I showed them the x-rays (people are always impressed by them) and mumbled them the story of my dog busting my lip. I give my cousin a lot of credit, she can understand everything I mumble just as well as my Mom can. It's rather impressive.

With so much improvement in one day, I began to wonder if the heating was helping that much or if it was a coincidence. The heat feels good for a short time, then I begin to get a headache and feel uncomfortable. Also, I wonder if my improved appetite, or rather-my ability to eat, had any role in this improvement. Today, I was able to drink in a much more civilized manner. I was able to drink a whole smoothie and milkshake since yesterday's post. I also had more mashed potatoes, V-8 Fusion, and cereal. I'm really tempted to try some cheesecake. I figure if I can handle mashed potatoes I could handle a fluffy, crustless piece of cheesecake.

I got some mail today. I enjoy getting mail (that isn't bills). My friend, who I went to the DMB concert with, sent me a card and Andre Agassi's Open. This was a good idea because I am getting tired of movies, or at least starting them. I've also been reading The Sh** My Dad Says. It is hilarious, but it won't last long as it is a pretty small book. I also have 60 pages of introductory material for my clinical anatomy class that needs to read in the next three weeks.

Well, I am getting hungry and haven't decided what I want to drink for dinner. I'm going to change this. Mumble to you tomorrow!

It's now been several hours since I originally posted this. And a few things have changed. The drooling came back in full force. I also began to feel sick. I got nauseous, felt really hot, then really cold, had a headache and became dizzy.This lasted for about an hour. I immediately tried getting some liquids in my system by having some V-8 and beef broth.

Later, I was able to have some cheesecake. It wasn't as easy as I thought but it's comforting to know I consumed roughly 400 Calories from that one piece. After looking at myself in the mirror today before getting in the shower, I realized I have lost quite a bit of weight. Unfortunately, I can't quantify this right now due to the fact that I forgot to weigh myself with my scale at home before the surgery. Next time I go to my family doctor (this will be on Monday), I will have them weigh me. I weighed in at 191 pounds on their scale for my pre-op physical.

Official One Week Anniversary!

First and foremost I would like to mention that I slept for a combined 7 hours last night! I cannot express how great this felt. I still woke up at about 1:30 am for a little while but i was able to fall back asleep until 6:30 am! Turns out that the narcotic hydrocodone will keep patients up, as well as the Sudafed I was taking. Once I found that out, I quit taking them (after the doctor said it was okay to do so) and bam! What do you know? I got some quality shut-eye!

After that quality (relatively speaking) night's sleep, I only wanted a big breakfast to top things off. I unfortunately was out of my normal cereal, Special K. I poored the remaining crumbs into a pool and then added some multi-grain cheerios. I added the milk and wheat germ and then blended it all together. It went down real well.

Next on the list was to call the oral surgeons' office to schedule an impromptu follow-up. They got in me and took an x-ray. This is when I got nervous. I was so scared that yesterday's accident had moved something needing fixing that would either involve a lot of pain or surgery. The doctor pulled up the x-ray from the day before and the one from today, side-by-side. They didn't look the same...to me anyway. But luckily I didn't know what to look for as the doctor said that I had survived the incident. He had me bite down to double check and he said everything looked good. Well, I was more swollen, so maybe not everything.

When I got home, I could see there was a box at my door. It was my new laptop! I immediately opened it and began loading everything from my old computer. Because of the program/software on Macs called Time Machine, I was able to load everything from my old computer that I wanted onto my new one in less than 20 minutes. I spent the rest of the morning playing around on my new computer and synching the iPod that I got for free with it. I must mention that I love back to school shopping and this was to me the grown up version. Now, I'm almost ready for school to start-almost.

Back to the jaw. Today, I am noticeably more swollen from yesterday's accident. Otherwise, I have very little, if any pain. This is good because it will make not taking the pain meds easier, allowing me to sleep. I am still drooling out of control. I find it weird how I can drool so much during the day, but last night I woke up with the driest mouth ever! I also have had a little bit of a headache today but nothing bad. My jaw isn't hurting as much when yawning as it did a few days ago. I still can't feel my lips, chin, nose, and part of my cheeks, but I do get occasional tingling in those areas. This made for an interesting shave. I managed to get it done, for the most part. It was a very weird experience. I could feel the hairs being ripped of my face but couldn't feel the razor going over my skin. This was the case for another guy who had the same surgery. This guy mentioned that he would use heat on his face to control the swelling. I am trying that as we speak (well, while I type). It feels good on my cheeks under my eyes, but not any better than the ice does on my jaw. But, time will tell.

As far as the eating goes, I need to be getting more calories. I have a feeling my lack of food was causing yesterday's weakness and dizziness. Last night I had a twice baked potato. I'm having another one tonight. I also had mashed potatoes for lunch with some V-8 Vusion. I'm going to be tired of potatoes if I keep this up, but for the time being it will suffice. A milkshake sounds good so I will probably have one later on.

Comments

Hey guys, I know there has been a lot of confusion about the commenting. I was having trouble myself, and I operate the blog so I knew something must be wrong. Turns out it doesn't support FireFox, at least for me didn't. Once I tried it using Safari, and I used my google account (I have a google email) I was able to comment on a friends blog. I hope this helps some of you. I will continue looking to make sure I have all the settings correct, but I believe I do since a couple of you were able to comment as "anonymous."

Post Op Day 6: Blood, Sweat, and Chills

Today was an extremely eventful day and I don't know where to start, so I guess I go in chronological order. For starters, I got the worst night's sleep I have ever gotten, or not gotten. I got a combined 4 hours, maybe. I tried sleeping in my own bed, which worked for all of a hour. Then, I was wide awake again. Then, I spent the next six hours trying to fall asleep on the couch. I tried falling asleep to a movie, that didn't work. I tried walking around the house to wear myself out a little, that didn't work. You name it, I probably tried it last night. Finally, at 4:30 am after watching a movie and a half and 2 espisodes of The Tonight Show (apparently they play re-runs at 3 am), I took a dose of Vicadin and was able to sleep for a good 3 hours. What a miserable night!
The day started off with me blending my cereal again, but I didn't have an egg this morning. I took all the meds, did the nasal spray, and mouth wash and spent the next couple hours trying to get some more sleep before I went to the first post-op appointment with the oral surgeons. Before I went, I wrote a note of everything I wanted the doctor to know so I wouldn't have to mumble the whole time I was there. This ended up being a good idea, I think. The first thing they did when I got there was take a new x-ray of my jaw. This is what I posted several hours ago. It was so cool to see! I could see the titanium plates, the screws, and the wires they told me I was getting. I could also see exactly where my jaw was broken, and still is broken. Next, they undid the rubber bands and let me try to brush my teeth. This wasn't easy. I could not feel the inside of my cheeks and my lips. I also tried to do this without a mirror. I finally got it done and the surgeons moved my jaw around a little bit before replacing the rubber bands. The did put on stronger, thicker rubber bands. In the process of doing so one of the utensils slipped and dug into my cheek bone near where it's broken. It was the worst pain of this whole experience, but not for long. After the rubber bands, the oral surgeons talked to me and my mom and what to expect and they gave me permission to travel with my parents to our new vacation home in South Carolina in a week. (I haven't decided if I want to make the trip yet or not.) But, they told me I need to be more aggressive with brushing my teeth (easier said then done) and that they were REALLY impressed with how little swelling I had. Overall, they said I looked great. They did tell me I needed to eat more and should be having 5 or 6 small meals a day.
Shortly after getting home, I began to feel very weak and tired. I was getting hot, then would be chilled to my bones a second later. I decided I needed to eat something. This seemed to do the trick, for a little while. Not more than 2 hours later, I had another bout of this hot/cold stuff, plus I had a headache and was slightly dizzy. I decided to eat again, and more this time. I also drank/syringed as much water as I could. I felt better almost instantly. At this time I decided to take a picture of me for the day, and of my shirt to show you all what it typically looks like after "eating" a meal. Those spots on my shirt would be the "food" that doesn't make it down my throat. It's gross I know, but it happens.
Then things got interesting. My mom ran an errand and I decided i would check my email while my laptop was sitting on the floor, charging. While doing so, one my dogs came and laid next to me. I took a break from checking my email and laid with my dog and pet her. Shortly later, my other dog, a German Shepard, came and laid near us. It was all good for a few minutes and then the dog I was petting started growling at the other one. The German Shepard stood up and started walking towards us. At this point my mom came in door, surprising all of us, especially my German Shepard. Before I knew it, she was jumping over me, but her back legs were coming right for my face. I was able to block one of her legs from landing on me, but the other caught me square on my top lip. Immediately, I had blood pooring out of mouth and excruciating pain. I was screaming and army crawling with my blood soaked hands covering my face as my mom came in the room. Long story short, after several attempts of trying to get a hold of the oral surgeons office (it was after hours, barely) we just went there. One of the surgeons met us there and checked me out. He said it looked like my dog caught one of my stitches and ripped it out and that my top jaw still seemed in good shape. I have to go back tomorrow for another x-ray to confirm this. I left the office with a even more swollen face and a massive headache. Needless to say, I'm spending the rest of the night on the couch. This last picture is of me after the dog incident. As you can see, my top lip is more swollen as well as the right side of nose. What a day!