3 weeks post-op

Hmmmmm.

So the first two-weeks were so.much.easier than I ever expected.  The past week hasn't been bad...except for the numbness and nerve regeneration.  It's driving me crazy. It's odd really, because when you think numbness, you think that you don't feel anything. Right?  And in about 1/2 my chin and lip, I can't feel when I touch, or when I drop food on it, or when my husband kisses me...BUT I can feel so much.  I feel "pins & needles", "tingling", "burning".  That feeling you get when your foot is asleep...I feel that in 1/2 of my lower lip and chin ALL.OF.THE.DANG.TIME.  The sensations, for me personally, are worse than pain.  I seriously want to sleep all the time so that I don't feel all of these sensations.  I never thought that the nerve regeneration (I hope that this is nerve regeneration that I'm experiencing) would be the worst part.  I guess I should be thankful??  It is a sign that I'm going to regain nerve function, which is a good thing.

What else?

I wake up stiff and sore in the bottom half of my face.  It's annoying but improves as the day goes on.  I'm assuming that it's normal, but I'll ask Dr. Z about it next week.

Most of the swelling is gone, but I still have some underneath my chin and on both sides of my jaws (where the screws are).  Most people say that they don't notice the swelling, but I do.  I'm assuming that it's that "10% of swelling that lingers".  Remember when I said that it wouldn't bother me?  Well, it does.  Just being honest...but I'm still certain it's worth it.

I'm still sore around the areas where I have screws.  It's not unbearable, just a little sore to touch.

Okay, so I thought I'd make a list of items that I've found really useful over the course of the past few weeks.  I'm a bit of a minimalist and didn't go too crazy...that being said, these are the things I suggest having if you are undergoing jaw surgery:

• Recliner:  If you don't have one, borrow one for a few weeks.  I personally cannot remain upright in a bed when I'm sleeping.  I just keep slumping and turning until I'm on my stomach and face down.  That wouldn't have been good!  The recliner helped me to sleep upright for the first two weeks to help keep the swelling down. And ya know, it kept me from accidentally sleeping on my face.
• Juicer:  I have this one (though I paid significantly less than $99.95)...this thing has been absolutely essential for me personally. http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BJE200XL-Fountain-700-Watt-Extractor/dp/B000MDHH06/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1463114034&sr=1-3&keywords=breville+juicer
• Essential Oils:  I've used Helichrysum,  Frankincense, Copaiba, & Lavender multiple times a day since the moment I was out of the OR.  If you have any questions about why/how I've used the oils, just leave me a comment.  
• Blender/Immersion Blender:  Having some kind of blender is absolutely essential.  Does it have to be a Vitamix?  No.  (though I would really, really love to have one...shelling out the $500 just isn't worth it for me personally).  I made do with my Ninja and a $20 Hamilton Beach Immersion Blender.  I will say that the immersion blender is nice because it's so much easier to clean between the oh so frequent uses. 
• Trader Joe's Soups:  I know not everyone has a Trader Joe's nearby, but if you do they have some awesome pureed soup options.  I bought some of each and have just cycled through them.  They are yummy and convenient.  My fave is the Roasted Red Pepper.  It's delish.
• Waterpik: It just makes keeping your teeth clean (clean is a loose term) easier. 
• Infant Toothbrush: because it's all that will fit in your mouth for the first few weeks.
• TheraPearl Sports Packs: These are great.  You can freeze them or heat them for hot/cold therapy.  I suggest having four.  Two to freeze and two to heat.
• Jaw Bra: To keep the TheraPearl Packs on your face.
• Small Spoons:  Either baby spoons or just small spoons that will fit in your mouth easier are really helpful.
• Young Living Lip Balm Trio: They are amazing.  Must have.
• Coconut Oil: So many uses...moisturizing, oil pulling, cooking, adding to smoothies...
• Dental Wax: Let's just say, surgical hooks+incisions=ouch.  Just make sure that you have some on hand.
• Facial Moisturizer: Splurge on something good.  I cannot explain how dry/chapped your face is going to be.  Then again, I live in a dry climate, so maybe it's worse here.  But it was bad for me.

Honestly...that's all that I can really think of that I really couldn't have lived without for the past 3 weeks.  If I think of more...I'll come back and add to my list.

What have I been eating???: 

• Soup, Soup, SOUP!  I actually really love soup.  It's quick, easy and there is a ton of variety.  
• Avocado.  It's my favorite food in the whole world, so the fact that I can eat it is AMAZING.  I mush a whole one almost every day, add salt and pepper, and eat it with a spoon.  Yum. 
• Fried Eggs.  Not my favorite food, but it seems like "real food", so it has recently become much more appealing!
• Fresh Vegetable/Fruit Juice.  I juice fruits and veggies in my juicer.  If I miss a day, I notice a huge difference in my energy levels and how I feel overall.  I highly suggest juicing through this entire affair.
• Shakeology/Smoothies: Quick and easy meals.  Peanut Butter/Banana with vanilla Shakeology is my go to fave. 
• Mashed Potatoes.  If you can eat mashed potatoes, you can survive.  Am I right?
• Tilapia. I'm not sure if this one is technically "allowed"? But to be fair, it is soft and I swallowed it completely whole, so no chewing was involved.  
• Peanut Butter and syrup.  What can I say...I'm from the south.  It has been a staple.
• Chocolate.  It can absolutely melt in your mouth. 
• Cookie Dough.  Okay, so the raw eggs are frowned upon, but it's a risk I am willing to take.

Those are for the most part the staples.  I'm certainly not starving (though I do miss "real food").  My weight loss at 3-weeks is ONE POUND.  And you were all so worried that I was going to waste away.  Ha-ha.

 Day 17 Photos

 

Day 18 Photos 

Day 21 Photos

At 3-weeks in, I'm still very much not used to having a chin.  Maybe it'll grow on me ahem, I'll get used to it soon! 

Day-12 (*2-week* Post-op Appointment)

Today was my "2-week post-op appointment" (though 2-weeks is technically on Wednesday).

It was great!  Dr. Z said all the same things.  Bite still looks perfect, healing perfectly, etc...

He took another profile pic for my portfolio and printed this for me...

LEFT: 1-week pre-op                                                                         RIGHT: 2-weeks post-op

Isn't that insane?  Crazy how putting your jaw/chin where they're supposed to be changes the entire structure of your face.  It's taken some getting used to on my part (I did live with my other face for 33.5 years after all...it's a big change)!

That being said, it's been an awesome day.  I've had a ton of energy & zero pain...I can mostly smile again, which is pretty much the best thing ever, and I'm sleeping in my bed and on my face again (as opposed to upright in the recliner) which is really nice.  I'm supposed to be working on my range of motion (I can only open my mouth about a finger width right now).  Oh, and I'm allowed to start using my waterpik.

Dr. Z was so happy with my recovery that he doesn't want to see me again for 2-weeks which will be my 1-month post-op appointment.  Between now and then, I'll update with photos if I see significant change.  But if not, I'll just make weekly updates.

Day-11 (I didn't take any pics on Day-10)

Sunday.  I felt pretty good today.  My energy levels were down a bit, so we just had a family day and hung around the house.  I think the extent of my productiveness was making a batch of Zuppa Tuscana soup (which purees pretty well) and doing the dishes.  Other than that, Netflix spent a lot of time judging me and asking me if I was *still* watching?  Yes, darn it, I'm STILL WATCHING.

I did manage to get a few pictures...the swelling is going down more!

Day-9

So today was BUSY. 

I did stop in to see my surgeon because one of my incisions just didn't "feel right" and it looked a little inflamed and pussy.  He irrigated my incisions and said there was just a little food stuck in them irritating them (gross, I know). 

It was my first really full day out and about.  By the end of the day, I was exhausted.  But, I made it through, and it was a good day.  My biggest annoyance is that my smile is still super wonky, so socializing is at best awkward.  Hopefully that will improve soon. 

Smile is getting better...but it still isn't "my smile". The right half of my bottom lip is still numb and doesn't move.

Day-8 (just pictures)

I know I'm a bit behind.  That's because things have just been progressing more slowly now.

Day-8 was good.  My energy levels were up a bit, I was able to do laundry all day.  It's a charmed life y'all. 

Anyhow, I know when I was scouring blogs pre-surgery, I mostly wanted to see progression pictures...so here they are.  No makeup, PJs (which I stayed in all day), and all.  

This is just to show how much I bruised, all the way down my chest.  I should have taken a picture days ago, this doesn't really do it justice.  But yeah, the bruising was crazy.

Day-7 ONE WEEK!!

Today has been much, much better than yesterday.  I'm feeling a lot better and I have more energy.  And having my kids here is really nice too.

I can't believe it's already been a week!

Okay...so most people when they have this surgery lose a lot of weight, 5-10 lbs in the first week...20+ overall.  Then there's me.  I GAINED 6 lbs in the first few days.  Ha-I'm not sure if it was all swelling or the fact that my diet had a sudden mass increase in heavy whipping cream (I thin soups, shakes, smoothies, etc with it).  As of today I'm back down to my "pre-surgery weight".  And while I'm by no means "trying" to lose weight, I do expect losing some will be the natural consequence of a 6-week "no chew" diet.  I just found it humorous that I found a way to gain weight during this process! Ha-ha.

I honestly don't have much to report...

I am having some spasms in my face today.  Uncomfortable, but not unbearable.  And from what I understand, completely normal.

I did make the effort to put on make up and jewelry today, so that's special!

Attempted smile...

...but no, my face is still frozen.

Still a ton of swelling...but it's getting better every day!

Day-6 (Tuesday) Rough Day

Today was rough.  Maybe my roughest day home so far (which I didn't really expect at almost a week post-op).

The icky parts:

• Headache all day
• Ear/Nerve pain
• Ran a low fever all day
• Yawning hurts
• Laughing hurts
• Face still swollen, tight, tingling, and just uncomfortable
• Still not sleeping well 
• Can't smile (this is really, really hard...not being able to physically smile, has a serious psychological effect and truly makes me feel sad)
• Reflection still doesn't look like "me"
• Completely exhausted, ALL.THE.TIME.
• Lips and cheeks are still cut up and swollen
• Can barely open my mouth...still hard to even fit the infant toothbrush in there!

But even the bad days have good parts...

The good parts:

• Two of my friends offered to go to the grocery store for me, just the reminder that friends are willing to help makes the day better
• I had flowers delivered from another sweet friend
• Another friend brought me pureed Tomato Basil soup for lunch
• The swelling has gone down a little
• I am getting to try lot's of new soups (I do actually love soup...)
• My kids came home! 

Anyway, here are some pictures from today and hopes for a better day tomorrow:

Day-5 (Monday)

Okay...for those of you who don't frequent my Facebook feed, an excerpt from last night:

Venturing out to a movie (because I like to torture myself with the smell of popcorn and nachos that I can't partake in).
Nate: Happy Date Night!
Me: Sorry I look like this.
Nate: It's ok, it's why I waited until dark to take you out.
Me: Burst into uncontrollable laughter which causes mass pain because I can't smile much less laugh. Oh my goodness. Too much.

(FYI: He was joking, it was totally hilarious.)


Moving on to today, it was my first day on my own and I had to make the 40-minute drive to the Air Force Academy to get my stitches out. As I was driving myself there, I started to worry a little that they might not let me on Base (or back on Post) because my distorted face looks nothing like my ID photo.  But it wasn't an issue, they didn't say anything at all!  I'm not sure how I feel about that?  Maybe slightly offended? I made it there and back just fine, but I was completely exhausted for the remainder of the day. 

Dr. Z said my bite looks perfect and that I still don't need bands or a splint (insert internal smile as I still cannot muster an external one on my frozen face)!    He also said that on a scale of 1-10 (worst-best) for healing at a week out, I'm at a 9.  Considering I'm only Day-5 post-op, I suppose that means things are healing pretty well.  The stitches came out painlessly.  He was surprised when I told him that I'm getting feeling back everywhere, but said that is absolute best case scenario, so more good news.

He asked me if this "process" was harder or easier than I had expected.  I'm glad to say it's been so much easier.  I'm not saying that it hasn't been hard...it has.  But it hasn't been anywhere near as hard as I had anticipated, which I'm grateful for.  

He also asked me how I'm liking my new bite.  I told him I love it (which I do)...but that I'm not quite on board with my new face yet.  (He might have looked slightly offended, lol)...but quickly reminded me that I'm only 5 days post-op and I can't judge yet because there is still sooooo much swelling.  Yeah, easier said than done.  But I'm trying.

I asked how long it'll take for all the swelling to go away.  He said 90% would be gone in the first 4-weeks, but that the remaining 10% can linger for 3-6 months.  I can deal with that.  As long as most of it goes away.


Nightmares.
So on most of the jaw surgery blogs I've followed, it's been common for people to dream about food they aren't allowed to eat.  Most people consider these dreams to be amazing.  Not me.  In my dreams, it starts out awesome, I'm chowing down on a steak or a hamburger...or some other delicious food that requires lot's of chewing and biting.  The food is always amazing and I eat all of it, but then as soon as I take the last bite...I remember that I'm not allowed to eat these foods and I panic and run to the mirror.  When I check my reflection, my jaw is messed up and my overbite is back and then it flashes to my surgeon telling me that there's nothing he can do to fix it now.  So yeah, I'm a serious rule follower, but being haunted by food even in my dreams is quite sad and pathetic!  I usually end up waking up and actually having to go check my bite in the mirror to make certain all is good before I can go back to sleep!  Hopefully these nightmares won't continue for the entire 6-weeks!

Stitches out, still bruised and swollen.

Later in the day, the swelling had gone down some.

Days 2, 3, & 4

So I have some catching up to do...

Day-2 

It wasn't the best.  Honestly it wasn't all that bad.  I slept pretty well the night before, I got up, showered, and dressed (impressive, right?).  I even rode with my husband to a doctor appointment for our daughter.  I was able to eat and drink plenty.  The part that was hard was the crazy amount of swelling.  Let's just say I gained like 6 lbs and it was all in my face.  You can't really prepare for looking in a mirror and not recognizing the reflection looking back at you.  But I couldn't really avoid the mirror because I have to use it to eat (my lips are completely numb, so I have to make sure I'm actually getting the liquid food to my mouth and not just dumping it all over myself.  Ha.  It's hard to describe the pain that you feel.  Its not what you expect.  I didn't feel pain in my incisions or in my lip, which is butchered.  The pain is caused from the tightness and swelling.  It's an odd uncomfortable feeling, but it certainly hasn't been unbearable.

So I'll reluctantly share pictures from Day-2.  I'm not a fan...

Nate took this one of me sleeping...my cat and dog both snuggling me. 

This one is in the car on the way to our daughter's Dr. Appointment.

My face was huge on Day-2.  These pictures can't even do justice, but I was so swollen that I couldn't turn my head at all.

Me with my kiddos.  It was nice to see them for a few minutes.  

Day-3

I was slightly less swollen today.  Slightly.  I made it out of the house for a few minutes to run a couple of errands with my husband.  I also was able to take a very short walk, to the redbox and back.  I tried to walk again later in the day, but it was just too much.  I made it half way around the block and decided to turn back and sleep on the recliner for a few hours.  I can talk some, but I get tired quickly.  I still can't really show any emotion with my face at all.  That's about it for Day-3...  

This one shows a little bit of the bruising...it goes all the way down my chest.

I like this one because the face wrap hides all the swelling...

Day-4

And that brings us to today.  I slept until noon.  I was soooooo tired.  But after I finally woke up, I have had a little more energy.  One great thing about today is that I was able to remove the surgical tape, yay.  It's been a quiet day, but I was able to go on a short walk.  Nate and I are even going to venture out and catch a movie this evening.  I figure I can sit in a theater...and he has to go back to work tomorrow, so it'll be nice to get out of the house for a bit.   As for my face, I still don't really recognize my reflection and it's still stiff, tight, and uncomfortable.  I'm having weird sensations, which is great because that means my nerves are starting to wake up.  The bruising is really starting to show, too.  But I think from here forward, things will continue to improve which it good.  Tomorrow I've got to be at the AFA at 7:30 am to have my stitches removed.  I've stopped taking pain medication, so I should be fine to drive myself (since Nate will be back at work).  So glad to be making forward progress...

As far as my bite goes (the entire reason for this journey), the surgeon says it's perfect.  That's exciting.  From the small amount I can open my mouth,  it looks good.  And it definitely feels different.  I guess it'll be a few months before I can actually test it out.  Hopefully it'll be 1000% worth it!

My face is still expressionless.  Hoping I'll be able to show any sort of emotion soon!

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