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.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
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!
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