I haven't posted for two weeks, so I thought I better write something while I actually remember!
Since the previous entry, where I had the splint removed, life has been better. I have been able to eat better food and be able to eat it easier- I had toast and it was AMAZING!! It was probably the food I had been craving the most since surgery, so to be able to finally eat it was fantastic. I still can't open my mouth wide enough sideways (if that makes sense) to be able to bite into it, so I have to cut it into soldiers. Never the less, I'm still loving toast. I've also been able to have hot chips and lollies. Any weight I lost in the first few weeks will soon be all put back on I'm sure, especially as I'm not allowed to do any strenuous exercise yet. However I do go for walks, not that I walk very fast and they're only for 40minutes max, but by that stage I am stuffed!
I was supposed to go back to work the day after getting the splint off, but I took the extra week so that my wires could also be removed, and I was so glad for it! Because my bottom teeth had no guidance from the splint as to where to go and be held in position, my jaw muscles had to work so much harder, and I was pretty sore for a couple of days. I still had the wires in and wore the bands, only taking them off to eat. It was great being able to brush my teeth. There was a lot of blood and it felt very strange as my gums were completely numb! The sensation is slowly coming back to them.
So last Wednesday night I had the wires removed. Once again I got the happy gas (the nurse pumped it a bit higher than normal because the procedure is quite brutal and unpleasant), then my surgeon gave me about a dozen local anaesthetic injections in my gums. Once they'd taken effect, he sniped where the wires were twisted into hooks, then yanked the wires out. My mum said she couldn't believe how long some of these wires were- a good few inches apparently. I had my eyes shut because I thought seeing them come out of my mouth covered in blood, and seeing the blood in the suction tube would freak me out. It felt uncomfortable, and I some of the wires required some pretty strong yanks to get out, but it wasn't painful. I then went and rinsed as much of the blood off my face as I could and headed home. I go back to see the surgeon in 6 weeks.
My top lip which was very swollen because of the wire rubbing against it, went down quite dramatically within the first couple of days. It's still a bit swollen, especially in the mornings, but I know eventually it will return to normal size and I will no longer look so much like a duck. The rest of my face is also coming down well since the wires have come out. I can now see I have a jawline and my cheeks aren't quite so puffy.
I went back to work the day after having the wires out, but I haven't been working full days- 6 hours is the longest shift I'm doing. I just get so tired! And working in aged care I have found it difficult raising my voice so they can hear me clearly, and the swelling has meant I've been speaking with a bit of a slurry lisp. But it's getting better.
I've had a lot of mixed reactions from people at work. I suppose because they haven't seen how swollen I initially was, they just kept saying how swollen I look and how I look tired and sore- not that I'm looking good. I had one of the staff come up to me and ask, "Crap! What happened to your face?!" which I can kinda understand because it is obviously different to how it was, but it was more the way she said it. I came away from work feeling really uneasy about it all.
I went to the orthodontist, and he changed the top wire because it got cut during surgery. I have to wear elastics in square shapes at night. I told him I was a bit concerned that my top teeth aren't straight across and are on a slant(?) and they're off centre to the left a little. He said these things should be able to be fixed with different elastic arrangements and we'll talk about it more at my next appointment in a couple of weeks.
My feelings about my "new" face change frequently. Sometimes I feel really good about the changes, sometimes I don't feel quite so positive about them. I suppose it will take some getting used to, and the final result can't be seen yet due to all the swelling. My boyfriend has to remind me about this a lot and reassure me that I'm doing well. He has been great through this whole process.
I have had a bit of excitement in the last 24 hours... I'm starting to get feeling back in my bottom lip and chin! Not much, but at least it's reassurance that that whole area won't be numb forever. But I have to continue to be patient.
Photos to come soon.
Wednesday 27 July 2011
Wednesday 13 July 2011
One step closer
No more horrible splint! I had it taken off earlier tonight and wow does it feel strange.
I got pumped with the happy gas at the surgeon's and felt like I was floating. It was a relief because I was worried about whether it was going to hurt and if I was just going to have to be brave. But man. That gas was bliss. I could feel them prodding around in there, and got jabbed in the gums and lip a few times, but it wasn't bothersome whatsoever. I still have my wire hooks in and have to wear elastics to help my muscles get used to closing my mouth correctly without having the splint there as a guide, the wires get taken out next week. My jaw muscles are sore tonight but I'm sure as they get used to their new demands it'll get better.
Swelling continues to slowly go down. Sensation continues to slowly come back.
For a while I've been finding the sitting up to sleep thing very uncomfortable. I wake up numerous times through the night, sometimes for a couple of hours at a time, and can not get comfy again. But because I wake up quite puffy and swollen I was scared that if I was to lay down it would be even worse. Last night after being awake for about an hour, I was fed up and thought, "screw this, I'm laying down". I slept gloriously. And to my pleasure, I was no more swollen when I got up than I had been previously when I'd been sitting up to sleep. So I'm going to sleep lying down ALL NIGHT tonight!
Nothing more to report. I'm about to brush my teeth and it's a bit ridiculous how excited I am about it!
I got pumped with the happy gas at the surgeon's and felt like I was floating. It was a relief because I was worried about whether it was going to hurt and if I was just going to have to be brave. But man. That gas was bliss. I could feel them prodding around in there, and got jabbed in the gums and lip a few times, but it wasn't bothersome whatsoever. I still have my wire hooks in and have to wear elastics to help my muscles get used to closing my mouth correctly without having the splint there as a guide, the wires get taken out next week. My jaw muscles are sore tonight but I'm sure as they get used to their new demands it'll get better.
Swelling continues to slowly go down. Sensation continues to slowly come back.
For a while I've been finding the sitting up to sleep thing very uncomfortable. I wake up numerous times through the night, sometimes for a couple of hours at a time, and can not get comfy again. But because I wake up quite puffy and swollen I was scared that if I was to lay down it would be even worse. Last night after being awake for about an hour, I was fed up and thought, "screw this, I'm laying down". I slept gloriously. And to my pleasure, I was no more swollen when I got up than I had been previously when I'd been sitting up to sleep. So I'm going to sleep lying down ALL NIGHT tonight!
Nothing more to report. I'm about to brush my teeth and it's a bit ridiculous how excited I am about it!
Friday 8 July 2011
Day 22 photos
Just quickly posting a few new photos. My lip is still swollen but it is soooo much better than it was! Still have a lot of swelling in the bottom half of my face...
Sunday 3 July 2011
Day 17
Slowly, slowly getting there.
The bruising is just about all gone- there's just a little bit underneath my chin which is still purple-ish, and my hand where I had my drip is still quite bruised and a bit sore, but I'm fine with that.
The swelling continues to go down, but the rate at which it's decreasing has slowed down. The right side of my face is more swollen than my left side so I look rather lop-sided! My lip has gone down significantly. It's still quite swollen, but so much better than it was. I now resemble a human more than a duck! The problem was that one of the wire hooks was sticking into my lip so everytime I talked or ate it would rub and iritate it. So when I went to see the surgeon he bent the hook around and hey presto- no more iritation! Hopefully it will return to normal size soon.
The surgeon is still very happy with how things are going. I now only have to wear my elastic bands when I sleep. I had x rays taken and the difference is amazing. I have four plates in my top jaw, one on either side of my bottom jaw, and one on my chin. Before surgery, my back teeth of my top jaw was sitting on the second back teeth of my bottom jaw, and now they line up perfectly. It's amazing what they can do in that little space!
I'm still sleeping propped up, but my body is getting sick of it. I wake up a few times each night and then find it so difficult to get back to sleep because I can't get comfy. And I wake up in the morning and my body has made its way down to a point where I'm almost lying down flat, except my head is still held upright by my pillows- sore neck! Can not wait to be able to sleep on my side, lying flat, with only one pillow under my head.
I go back to see the surgeon on the 13th to get the splint taken off, then my wires off the following week, and wow that will be a happy day! I can not wait to be able to brush my teeth properly again!
The bruising is just about all gone- there's just a little bit underneath my chin which is still purple-ish, and my hand where I had my drip is still quite bruised and a bit sore, but I'm fine with that.
The swelling continues to go down, but the rate at which it's decreasing has slowed down. The right side of my face is more swollen than my left side so I look rather lop-sided! My lip has gone down significantly. It's still quite swollen, but so much better than it was. I now resemble a human more than a duck! The problem was that one of the wire hooks was sticking into my lip so everytime I talked or ate it would rub and iritate it. So when I went to see the surgeon he bent the hook around and hey presto- no more iritation! Hopefully it will return to normal size soon.
The surgeon is still very happy with how things are going. I now only have to wear my elastic bands when I sleep. I had x rays taken and the difference is amazing. I have four plates in my top jaw, one on either side of my bottom jaw, and one on my chin. Before surgery, my back teeth of my top jaw was sitting on the second back teeth of my bottom jaw, and now they line up perfectly. It's amazing what they can do in that little space!
I'm still sleeping propped up, but my body is getting sick of it. I wake up a few times each night and then find it so difficult to get back to sleep because I can't get comfy. And I wake up in the morning and my body has made its way down to a point where I'm almost lying down flat, except my head is still held upright by my pillows- sore neck! Can not wait to be able to sleep on my side, lying flat, with only one pillow under my head.
I go back to see the surgeon on the 13th to get the splint taken off, then my wires off the following week, and wow that will be a happy day! I can not wait to be able to brush my teeth properly again!
Sunday 26 June 2011
Day 10
Today is day 10 post op. The bruising is noticeably less, but the swelling is taking a while. It's frustrating. The worst of it is in my lips. They're HUGE. I'm icing them to see if that helps, but most likely it will just need time. I just hope the massive swelling isn't due to an infection or anything. I'm sure the surgeon will let me know on Wednesday whether or not it's anything to be concerned over.
Sensation is slowly coming back, too. Every day I try to trace the outline of where my sensation cut off is and it's slowly getting narrower. I get these little pin prick feelings in my numb areas which I'm hoping is the sensation returning.
Yesterday I had soft foods for the first time since surgery and it was divine. Scrambled eggs never tasted so good! I had 2 for breakfast and then was so full I didn't want to eat the rest of the day. But I know I have to, so I had some mashed sweet potato and cottage cheese for dinner. Today I had mashed up avocado and cottage cheese and for dinner I'm having dahl- yum!!
I'm getting better at putting my elastics on. Still hurts a bit but I'm getting the hang of it. And I'm doing my exercises like a good girl so hopefully the surgeon will say I don't have to wear them during the day.
Other than the swelling, the other thing that's annoying me is the drooling. It's gross. I can't wait until I can lip seal and don't have to worry about dribbling.
That's it for now. Going to take some more photos tomorrow and hopefully I'll be able to notice a difference from a few days ago.
Sensation is slowly coming back, too. Every day I try to trace the outline of where my sensation cut off is and it's slowly getting narrower. I get these little pin prick feelings in my numb areas which I'm hoping is the sensation returning.
Yesterday I had soft foods for the first time since surgery and it was divine. Scrambled eggs never tasted so good! I had 2 for breakfast and then was so full I didn't want to eat the rest of the day. But I know I have to, so I had some mashed sweet potato and cottage cheese for dinner. Today I had mashed up avocado and cottage cheese and for dinner I'm having dahl- yum!!
I'm getting better at putting my elastics on. Still hurts a bit but I'm getting the hang of it. And I'm doing my exercises like a good girl so hopefully the surgeon will say I don't have to wear them during the day.
Other than the swelling, the other thing that's annoying me is the drooling. It's gross. I can't wait until I can lip seal and don't have to worry about dribbling.
That's it for now. Going to take some more photos tomorrow and hopefully I'll be able to notice a difference from a few days ago.
Thursday 23 June 2011
Photo update
Hello.
Had a bit of a bad morning. Taking off the elastics and putting them back on was INCREDIBLY painful due to the stitches in my upper gum and lip. The slightest movement was like being stabbed repeatedly with needles, and because the wire hooks I need to loop the elastics onto are up quite high under my lip, I have no choice but to move my lip out of the way. Excrutiating. I had a bit of a cry. I just have to take it really slow and carefully, but it's so frustrating!
Anyway, here are some photos.
Straight after the op
As you can see, the swelling has gone down quite a bit. Hopefully it won't be long until my lips are back to normal size and I can use my mouth normally again!
Had a bit of a bad morning. Taking off the elastics and putting them back on was INCREDIBLY painful due to the stitches in my upper gum and lip. The slightest movement was like being stabbed repeatedly with needles, and because the wire hooks I need to loop the elastics onto are up quite high under my lip, I have no choice but to move my lip out of the way. Excrutiating. I had a bit of a cry. I just have to take it really slow and carefully, but it's so frustrating!
Anyway, here are some photos.
Straight after the op
Day 1 post op
Day 4 post op, ready to leave the hospital
And today, day 7 post op (excuse the lip drool! hahaha)
As you can see, the swelling has gone down quite a bit. Hopefully it won't be long until my lips are back to normal size and I can use my mouth normally again!
Wednesday 22 June 2011
Survived!
I survived! I'm back at home and getting better every day. All up so far, I'm happy with the way things are going. There has been minimal pain, I haven't been hungry, and I have been getting so much support from friends and family and strangers. I can finally see the end in sight and I can't wait until it's all over.
So my surgery was Thursday last week (16th June). It was an afternoon op so I was sure to have a glorious breakfast that morning and savoured the ability to chew. Fasting started at 8:30am. Got to the hospital at 11, hung out in my room for a while, until I was taken down to the waiting room with my mum. There were a few tears, then I was wheeled away. The nurses didn't give me a pre-op med which they should have, so the anaesthetist wasn't impressed but it was no big deal. Next thing I knew I could hear my mum and dad talking to nurses but I was too groggy to open my eyes.
The surgery took 5.5 hours. They decided to give my sinuses a clean while they were there, and did a septoplasty and bilateral tubinectomy. I had a nasogastric tube in my left nostril and a nasopharyngeal tube in my right nostril. I had a tube coming out of each side of my neck to help with drainage. They were all removed the next day. Then I was taken from the high care nursing unit back to my own private room.
My mum stayed on a trundle bed in my room for the rest of my time in hospital. I had visitors come and give me flowers and everyone seemed really impressed with how well I was doing- not that I really felt it myself. I had no energy, even walking across my room to go to the toilet would absolutely wipe me out. Eating was a struggle, and wasn't helped by the fact that sometimes the kitchen would give me soups that were impossible to suck up with a syringe like brocolli soup! But every day I tried to eat a little more because I knew it was going to help me get better quicker.
I was given the OK for discharge on Monday. The trip home was exhausting so I went straight to bed for a few hours. That night I slept terribly. I couldn't get comfy, my ice packs were too cold, I had a headache... I was very grumpy and felt a little regret doing this whole thing. But the day went on and I looked through photos from when I was in hospital and realised how much improvement had already happened and started to feel better. My nose finally cleared and last night I slept really well.
Today I'm starting to feel really good and get a bit of energy. I can already notice changes despite all the swelling. My nose looks a little different and I can see a little bit of a jawline coming through. I am very bruised on my cheeks down to my chest, and I still have a lot of numbness but it's slowly coming back. I just keep reminding myself that each day my swelling, bruising and numbness will keep going down. And it will soon be all behind me.
I saw the surgeon tonight and he is really pleased with my recovery. When he cut my elastics it felt so so strange- my jaw just kinda sprung open (I'm sure it was only like a tiny tiny bit, but felt huge!). He gave me elastics so I can take them off for meals and brushing my teeth, then put them back on afterwards. He also gave me exercises I need to do 3 times a day to train my muscles into their new bite. Elastics coming off means... I can start eating soft foods!! Things like scrambled eggs and stuff. This es exciting. Not that I haven't been eating well- my mum's been making up yummy soups and custard and protein drinks- but it means I am that much closer to being able to eat a burger again! So I go back to see the surgeon next week for another check up.
It's not letting me add photos and I'm getting sleepy, so I'll be sure to put some up tomorrow.
So my surgery was Thursday last week (16th June). It was an afternoon op so I was sure to have a glorious breakfast that morning and savoured the ability to chew. Fasting started at 8:30am. Got to the hospital at 11, hung out in my room for a while, until I was taken down to the waiting room with my mum. There were a few tears, then I was wheeled away. The nurses didn't give me a pre-op med which they should have, so the anaesthetist wasn't impressed but it was no big deal. Next thing I knew I could hear my mum and dad talking to nurses but I was too groggy to open my eyes.
The surgery took 5.5 hours. They decided to give my sinuses a clean while they were there, and did a septoplasty and bilateral tubinectomy. I had a nasogastric tube in my left nostril and a nasopharyngeal tube in my right nostril. I had a tube coming out of each side of my neck to help with drainage. They were all removed the next day. Then I was taken from the high care nursing unit back to my own private room.
My mum stayed on a trundle bed in my room for the rest of my time in hospital. I had visitors come and give me flowers and everyone seemed really impressed with how well I was doing- not that I really felt it myself. I had no energy, even walking across my room to go to the toilet would absolutely wipe me out. Eating was a struggle, and wasn't helped by the fact that sometimes the kitchen would give me soups that were impossible to suck up with a syringe like brocolli soup! But every day I tried to eat a little more because I knew it was going to help me get better quicker.
I was given the OK for discharge on Monday. The trip home was exhausting so I went straight to bed for a few hours. That night I slept terribly. I couldn't get comfy, my ice packs were too cold, I had a headache... I was very grumpy and felt a little regret doing this whole thing. But the day went on and I looked through photos from when I was in hospital and realised how much improvement had already happened and started to feel better. My nose finally cleared and last night I slept really well.
Today I'm starting to feel really good and get a bit of energy. I can already notice changes despite all the swelling. My nose looks a little different and I can see a little bit of a jawline coming through. I am very bruised on my cheeks down to my chest, and I still have a lot of numbness but it's slowly coming back. I just keep reminding myself that each day my swelling, bruising and numbness will keep going down. And it will soon be all behind me.
I saw the surgeon tonight and he is really pleased with my recovery. When he cut my elastics it felt so so strange- my jaw just kinda sprung open (I'm sure it was only like a tiny tiny bit, but felt huge!). He gave me elastics so I can take them off for meals and brushing my teeth, then put them back on afterwards. He also gave me exercises I need to do 3 times a day to train my muscles into their new bite. Elastics coming off means... I can start eating soft foods!! Things like scrambled eggs and stuff. This es exciting. Not that I haven't been eating well- my mum's been making up yummy soups and custard and protein drinks- but it means I am that much closer to being able to eat a burger again! So I go back to see the surgeon next week for another check up.
It's not letting me add photos and I'm getting sleepy, so I'll be sure to put some up tomorrow.
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Some pre-surgery photos
From the photos, you can see how my whole face from below my nose slopes downwards, and I show a lot of gum when I smile. I really hope I don't look back on these photos after this whole thing is finished and regret going through with it because hey, I don't actually look that bad. At least my jaw should stop hurting, though...
OK I'm officially freaking out now.
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Goodbye, Solids
This time tomorrow I'll be arriving at the hospital... I can't believe how quickly it has come around! My surgery's scheduled for 1:30pm and will go for around 4-5 hours. And because it's an afternoon surgery, I get to have breakfast in the morning- hooray!
Food has become very important to me in the last week. I went out for the most delicious pizzas on Friday night with the boyfriend, had a very messy, boozy night on Saturday, went to see The Hangover Part 2 on Monday night, and went out with three of my best buds from uni last night. It's strange thinking that the next time they see me I'm going to look different. But it will be a change for the better.
I saw the anaesthetist on Monday and initially I wasn't filled with confidence. He got the wrong patient file, got the time and date of my surgery wrong, and seemed a bit scattered. But once those mix-ups were worked out, he was fine. He told us about all the drugs I'll be given and whatnot. And I got a call from the hospital yesterday about my stay in hospital and what my care needs will be once I go home.
I'm getting very very nervous. It's not the pain or the liquid diet that I'm worried about. It's how long I'm going to look horrible afterwards, and worrying about whether people will like my "new face" once it all settles down. And how long I'm going to be out of action, unable to talk properly, or not feel my face, or not be able to give my boyfriend a kiss (hahaha LAME!). I know in the grand scheme of things it won't take long to heal up, but that thought is not going to make it any less sucky while it's happening.
So for now I'll try to keep myself busy with cleaning my room so I don't completely flip out! Send me good vibes for tomorrow, and I'll post again when I feel up to it and let everyone know how it went.
Food has become very important to me in the last week. I went out for the most delicious pizzas on Friday night with the boyfriend, had a very messy, boozy night on Saturday, went to see The Hangover Part 2 on Monday night, and went out with three of my best buds from uni last night. It's strange thinking that the next time they see me I'm going to look different. But it will be a change for the better.
I saw the anaesthetist on Monday and initially I wasn't filled with confidence. He got the wrong patient file, got the time and date of my surgery wrong, and seemed a bit scattered. But once those mix-ups were worked out, he was fine. He told us about all the drugs I'll be given and whatnot. And I got a call from the hospital yesterday about my stay in hospital and what my care needs will be once I go home.
I'm getting very very nervous. It's not the pain or the liquid diet that I'm worried about. It's how long I'm going to look horrible afterwards, and worrying about whether people will like my "new face" once it all settles down. And how long I'm going to be out of action, unable to talk properly, or not feel my face, or not be able to give my boyfriend a kiss (hahaha LAME!). I know in the grand scheme of things it won't take long to heal up, but that thought is not going to make it any less sucky while it's happening.
So for now I'll try to keep myself busy with cleaning my room so I don't completely flip out! Send me good vibes for tomorrow, and I'll post again when I feel up to it and let everyone know how it went.
Wednesday 8 June 2011
Measurements
I saw my surgeon yesterday for a last check-in before surgery. They took more moulds which they’ll take into surgery as a reference, and bite impressions that they’ll use to make a big ugly plastic splint which will be affixed to my top teeth for a few weeks to train my teeth into their new bite position. He went over things like what to expect on the surgery day, what will happen during surgery, what my life will be like during recovery, and all the bits and pieces I’m going to need. He seems very confident that we’ll get a really good result. He is very experienced and I need to just trust that he knows what he’s doing, which is very difficult for a control freak like me! Another thing he did at the appointment was to measure me. Basically he used these huge metal pincer things that plugged into my ear holes and jammed into my bone, and this part that came pressing down onto my nose. I think they use all these measurements to work out how they need to secure my head during surgery. It hurt super bad because they had to have it very tight. I suppose it’s a good thing- means my head won’t have any chance of flopping around while they’re sawing and drilling into my face!
I’ll be in intensive care for a few days following surgery, then back in a “normal” room until I’m discharged. I’ll have lots of painkillers and anti-inflammatories to take and I need to keep my nutrition levels up to help me heal. My mouth will be elasticised shut for up to 2 weeks, which will mean a completely liquid diet, using a syringe plunger with a long tube to squirt my “meals” to the back of my mouth. Does not sound like fun! After the elastics are removed I’ll be able to introduce soft foods. And the surgeon said normal diet after about 3 months.
So it’s just over a week to go. I’m in the midst of trying to organise the coming weekend. As my friend said, it shall be “boozy, fun and foody”. My mum’s also got me thinking about what I want to eat the night before my surgery. It’s a big decision!
Thursday 2 June 2011
Fears
In 2 weeks it will be over (sortof). I will be in the intensive care ward, and my body will be starting to recover. I'll be in a deeeeep sleep.
It's no secret that I'm a worrier, and my boyfriend has been hearing all about my many concerns- what if I don't like the results, what if other people don't like the results, what if they do major damage to my nerves and I lose sensation in a huge chunk of my face or my lips, what if I wake up in the middle of the operation... He has been doing a wonderful job putting up with me and trying to calm these fears. Especially the last one. How often would someone wake up during an operation? They knock you out with anaesthetic and monitor you through the surgery, right?
Well.
Last night while I was having dinner, there was a story on the TV about anaesthetic awareness during surgery. And according to the presenters, "it's a phenomenon more common than you'd expect".
Fantastic.
I know that it's still very very rare, but it's something that still scares me. What if I become fully aware of what's happening to me and can feel the pain as they're hacking into my face? I guess maybe you might pass out from the intense pain, but it's a horrible thought.
Oh well. If it happens, it happens, and there is nothing I can do about it. Just have to hope like hell that I'm not one of the unlucky ones who gets to experience it!
In other news, I've been making the most of eating solid foods and I'm feeling like a bit of a fatty. It's not nice. And the anaesthetist will have to weigh me to work out my dosage- yet another thing to stress about! hahaha *sigh
I see my surgeon on Tuesday afternoon, so I will post and let everyone know how it goes. I'll also post some before photos at some stage... I can't believe how close it is getting!
It's no secret that I'm a worrier, and my boyfriend has been hearing all about my many concerns- what if I don't like the results, what if other people don't like the results, what if they do major damage to my nerves and I lose sensation in a huge chunk of my face or my lips, what if I wake up in the middle of the operation... He has been doing a wonderful job putting up with me and trying to calm these fears. Especially the last one. How often would someone wake up during an operation? They knock you out with anaesthetic and monitor you through the surgery, right?
Well.
Last night while I was having dinner, there was a story on the TV about anaesthetic awareness during surgery. And according to the presenters, "it's a phenomenon more common than you'd expect".
Fantastic.
I know that it's still very very rare, but it's something that still scares me. What if I become fully aware of what's happening to me and can feel the pain as they're hacking into my face? I guess maybe you might pass out from the intense pain, but it's a horrible thought.
Oh well. If it happens, it happens, and there is nothing I can do about it. Just have to hope like hell that I'm not one of the unlucky ones who gets to experience it!
In other news, I've been making the most of eating solid foods and I'm feeling like a bit of a fatty. It's not nice. And the anaesthetist will have to weigh me to work out my dosage- yet another thing to stress about! hahaha *sigh
I see my surgeon on Tuesday afternoon, so I will post and let everyone know how it goes. I'll also post some before photos at some stage... I can't believe how close it is getting!
Sunday 22 May 2011
Introductions
Hi.
My name's Verity and on the 16th of June 2011 I will be having jaw surgery. I'll be getting my top jaw brought up and slightly forward, my bottom jaw brought forward, and my chin enhanced. All held in their new positions by a multitude of metal plates and screws. The result of the surgery will be a "better" profile, and no more jaw locking. I've been waiting to have this surgery for what seems like forever, and now it's so close- I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly terrified! I'm hoping that documenting the journey will help me mentally deal with everything that's going to happen, and maybe help others who are planning on going through something similar in the future.
A history of my teeth.
I had braces through most of high school, in the middle of which I had 4 teeth pulled because of over-crowding. In this time, I had a lot of problems with my jaw "locking" into place- one time, it was locked for over a week! Very painful and annoying. I finally got my braces off at the end of year 11 and wore my retainer religiously. Then, about a year and a half later, I had to have my wisdom teeth pulled.
Because of the swelling and the wounds etc, I wasn't able to wear my retainer for a while and my bottom teeth shifted a bit crooked. It wasn't noticeable to anyone other than myself because my bottom teeth doesn't show much when I talk or smile, but it really bothered me because of all the time and pain it took to get them straight in the first place! So a couple of years ago I went to the orthodontist and asked if he could fet me with a plate or something to straighten them out a little. His response was not what I had expected.
He said that the only way to fix my teeth was to break my jaws and realign them. He went on to tell me everything that was wrong with my smile, including that I had incompetent lips, I showed too much gum and teeth when I smiled, and my lower jaw and chin are under-developed. It was a bit of a shock- I had never been happy with my profile, but to have someone else give you their professional opinion of what is wrong with your face was a bit shattering.
Despite how rude he was (and continues to be), I eventually went back to him and got full braces with the plan to have surgery. I got my braces on on the 5th of May 2010 to change the angles of my teeth to allow room for when my jaws change position.
I was sent to see the surgeon several times at the start, and then last week I was booked in for the surgery and all the follow up appointments, including elastic cutting, splint removal, and wire removal, which I'll cover as they happen. I've got my surgery consent and hospital admission forms which I need to fill in and send away some time this week.
And that is my story so far. I'll be in hospital for about a week following surgery, then recovering at home. I've booked four weeks off work, hopefully that will be long enough for most of the swelling and bruising to disappear! I'll keep everyone updated on the rest of my adventures over the coming months. For now, bye!
-Verity
My name's Verity and on the 16th of June 2011 I will be having jaw surgery. I'll be getting my top jaw brought up and slightly forward, my bottom jaw brought forward, and my chin enhanced. All held in their new positions by a multitude of metal plates and screws. The result of the surgery will be a "better" profile, and no more jaw locking. I've been waiting to have this surgery for what seems like forever, and now it's so close- I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly terrified! I'm hoping that documenting the journey will help me mentally deal with everything that's going to happen, and maybe help others who are planning on going through something similar in the future.
A history of my teeth.
I had braces through most of high school, in the middle of which I had 4 teeth pulled because of over-crowding. In this time, I had a lot of problems with my jaw "locking" into place- one time, it was locked for over a week! Very painful and annoying. I finally got my braces off at the end of year 11 and wore my retainer religiously. Then, about a year and a half later, I had to have my wisdom teeth pulled.
Because of the swelling and the wounds etc, I wasn't able to wear my retainer for a while and my bottom teeth shifted a bit crooked. It wasn't noticeable to anyone other than myself because my bottom teeth doesn't show much when I talk or smile, but it really bothered me because of all the time and pain it took to get them straight in the first place! So a couple of years ago I went to the orthodontist and asked if he could fet me with a plate or something to straighten them out a little. His response was not what I had expected.
He said that the only way to fix my teeth was to break my jaws and realign them. He went on to tell me everything that was wrong with my smile, including that I had incompetent lips, I showed too much gum and teeth when I smiled, and my lower jaw and chin are under-developed. It was a bit of a shock- I had never been happy with my profile, but to have someone else give you their professional opinion of what is wrong with your face was a bit shattering.
Despite how rude he was (and continues to be), I eventually went back to him and got full braces with the plan to have surgery. I got my braces on on the 5th of May 2010 to change the angles of my teeth to allow room for when my jaws change position.
I was sent to see the surgeon several times at the start, and then last week I was booked in for the surgery and all the follow up appointments, including elastic cutting, splint removal, and wire removal, which I'll cover as they happen. I've got my surgery consent and hospital admission forms which I need to fill in and send away some time this week.
And that is my story so far. I'll be in hospital for about a week following surgery, then recovering at home. I've booked four weeks off work, hopefully that will be long enough for most of the swelling and bruising to disappear! I'll keep everyone updated on the rest of my adventures over the coming months. For now, bye!
-Verity
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