Day 21: Three Weeks On...

Left Jaw Pain: 0/10
Right Jaw Pain: 2/10    (7/10 when you poke it)

Hip Pain: 2/10               (6/10 when laughing)

Inconvenience factor: 3/10

So here I am 3 weeks on. I am finally slimming down in my face but it's pretty obvious that the right side is still much fatter and more swollen than the left side. It's still too sore to sleep on and there a few spots that hurt like crazy when you touch them....I seriously need to stop touching them to see if they are better yet! It's like poking an ulcer, you just can't help yourself.

I went back to the surgeon Monday afternoon after finding some seriously gross red puffy bits of my gum oozing yellow stuff where it had been sewn back together. Given I'd stopped all antibiotics on Friday, the appearance of this goop on Sunday made me really nervous. The surgeon seemed okay with it, told me it was just one of the surgery 'drainage holes' healing and to keep it clean by flushing it with salt water - every time I eat anything. He did though, put me back onto antibiotics just in case. So I now have a new ritual after eating.....pop on a head torch, grab a syringe full of salty water, squirt away all the pus-like stuff, squirt in the hole, squirt all around my mouth and rinse with salty salty water. If you've never gargled salt water, I think you should try it! It's truly incredible how much you drool! (Which is made so much more disturbing when you can't feel it)!

I also asked the surgeon about the sore spots on my face and if it meant there was a problem this far down the track. After poking them until I was nearly in tears, he gently re-iterated that unfortunately, he'd had to break a few bones in there, and everything appeared fine. But... just like a broken jaw, only time would bring it right! It is definitely 2 weeks behind the left in terms of recovery. I just have to accept this and be patient (we all know this is my strong point - NOT!). I am still waiting for the X-rays.....I wonder what metal mechano creation he has constructed in my jaw and is now hiding from me.

Other Highlights of the Week:

1. I survived my first sneeze. Thankfully someone gave me the sage advice to open my mouth a bit when I felt it coming. It was pretty horrible and awkward, and my hip hurt like crazy but I made it through! However, I was really glad that no one was around to see the facial contortions that accompanied it! 
2.  I passed through airport security and did not beep at all despite the new metal face I am sporting! To be honest, I was just a little bit disappointed! 
3. I managed to eat some Vienetta ice cream! Mmmm!!!
4. I logged on remotely to work and attempted to do some actual work from home. I must admit that I found my attention span to be horrendously short and as a result my productivity is nearly non-existent. I'm up to date on emails but that is it!  
5. I finally managed to get some decent sleep. I am now sleeping for about 9 hours a night (only a few wake ups) and I am generally tired for most of the day! I am taking all this as a really positive sign that my body is in serious repair mode! 

Vital Statistics Update:

• I am still numb bottom lip down to my chin tip. :(
• I am on my puree food diet for at least another week.
• I will have elastics on my teeth until at least the 17th December.
• My hip still hurts when walking and very much so when laughing.
• My new cheekbones also hurt a lot when laughing. It is soo cruel!
• I have lost 5.2kg to date.

Day 15: Clean Teeth and Drooling!

Left Jaw Pain: 0/10
Right Jaw Pain: 2/10

Hip Pain: 2/10

Inconvenience factor: 4/10

I was pretty yesterday that I was running out of things to say and was consequently planning to begin posting weekly updates only. The last thing I want to do is bore you all to tears! But in finishing off yesterday's blog today, I realise that I already have new material. So.....you get at least one more story before I contract back to weekly reports.....Tomorrow may be a whole other story.

After 2 weeks, I am thoroughly fed up of my feral mouth and the ridiculous cleaning regime that I currently have to do after eating anything. The cleaning involves a curved end syringe, a lot of water sprayed through it and some mouth wash. This all makes a huge mess (numbness is only half the problem) and takes at least 10 minutes if I do it properly!

I have had a few experimental plays with my toothbrush and can kind of do the outsides of my front teeth but I can't open my jaws wide enough to fit the brush between my top and bottom teeth! Mightily frustrating!!! However, today in the supermarket, I struck upon a genius idea....get a smaller tooth brush!  I am now the very proud owner of an orange toddler's Bert and Ernie toothbrush. Success!!!! It can reach everywhere! Finally, a delightful clean and fresh feeling mouth!!! 

Today, I solved a problem but I also gained a new one! Now that I am out exploring the wider world, I have found myself ever increasingly staring at people eating food. I want what they are having. It's fixating! I fear that after weeks of liquid and puree I am becoming obsessed with the forbidden fruit - solid food!!! The worst part is when I start drooling, as my numb lip and chin means I don't realise until the string is well and truly on it's way to my shirt front! 

In an attempt to remedy some of this obsession, I decided to try takeaway food for dinner. Maybe it is simply that the soup and pureed veg on repeat is getting old and tired. Check out my nosh this evening......Indian....ok - can't recognise it - Pureed Rice (with a splash of milk) and pureed Palak Paneer (spinach and cheese). Despite looking rather unappealing, it actually tasted really good!!! Another success for the day! I am contemplating blending pizza next!

 

Day 14: Two Weeks On.

Left Jaw Pain: 0/10
Right Jaw Pain: 3/10

Hip Pain: 3/10

Inconvenience factor: 4/10

So here I am two weeks after surgery! Incredible!!!

Honestly, this little black duck is pretty happy with how it's all going! Of course, there is still much room for improvement...eating, talking, walking, sneezing, yawning, sleeping - you know - the little things! And today I definitely found that I still need to take it easy. Sitting on the couch feeling good is one thing. Exploring the wider world is not as easy as I remember. A few outings away from the house today and by nightfall I was utterly stuffed and in enough pain to have to submit to taking panadol again! Argh! Two steps forward, one step back! 

To mark 2 weeks post surgery, I have attached some photos. The first set is the changes in my side profile. The first shot of the 3 is me side profile at the start of this process back in January 2012. The middle mug shot is my face at maximum swelling post surgery (Day 4) and the last picture is me today....2 weeks after surgery. There is definitely less chin and MORE cheekbone and still a fair bit of puffiness to disappear if you ask me!

The fabulous photos below are of my bite back in January before they stuck braces on (not great photos but you get the idea). I don't recall my teeth looking this bad but you know what they say about the value of hindsight. I do remember them eating badly though! 

This morning was a trip to the Orthodontist for a post-surgery check up! He was very pleased with how my bite was looking and promised that it was now his job to get me a bite that will work! He also shook his head at my mouth full of fluoro pink and green elastics and gave me some neutral coloured ones instead. I could have kissed him!!!!!

I now have to wait 4 weeks to see him again, at which point the elastics and surgical hooks will come off and we get down to the serious business of getting me a perfect bite and hopefully, sooner rather than later, getting these confounded braces off!

I met another super nice double jaw surgery patient this morning at the Orthodontist. Her surgery was 2 weeks and 2 days ago. She was a lot less puffy and had some blue bruising still (I never had blue, just mucky yellow - JEALOUS). We swapped stories- the good, the bad and the ugly and I hope no one else in the waiting room was due for surgery as we laid it all out on the line. No one ran out the room screaming so we're probably in the clear.

The most shocking thing for me in meeting her was that unlike me, she was an ostrich and decidedly put her head in the sand over the whole matter. Her first question to me was "Did you realise how major this surgery was going to be? How bad the first week was going to be?" Are you serious? Can I scream YES, YES I DID! right now with offending you!?!? Apparently, she had friends trying to prepare her of what was coming but she didn't want to know, was actually glad that she didn't know. Luckily for her, she stayed with her mum for the first 10 days and was tended to.

I was gobsmacked, especially if I think how many hours this past year I have spent thinking about this, researching it, trying to understand it and ultimately deciding whether to do it or not and then trying not to worry about it. I still can not understand how you can go to your dentist and they inform you, "Oh by the way, you're going to need braces and double jaw surgery" and you reply "Okay then" and just turn up on the day! I wonder if life is so much easier that way?

One thing is for sure - I'm never going to know if it is, the Control Streak is far too strong!!!! 

Day 13: Driving Miss Daisy is No More!

Left Jaw Pain: 0/10
Right Jaw Pain: 2/10

Hip Pain: 3/10

Inconvenience factor: 4/10

A number of happy firsts today!

1) The feeling has returned to the roof of my mouth! Finally it no longer feels like there is a huge lump of plastic sitting in the roof of my mouth and my tongue feels normal in its own space again!!

2) Today was my first drug free day (apart from antibiotics) in nearly 2 weeks. I decided not to down any painkillers before bed last night. As usual, I woke up numerous times but the pain was bearable so I ignored it. And I was still feeling good this morning! Maybe now that my head knows I'm not going to hurt myself in my sleep by rolling onto something slightly broken and painful, it might actually let me sleep through? Please? Would it be wrong to beg?

3) Give me the keys Baby! Today it was time to put my hip to test! After a few tentative pushes on the pedals, I zoomed around the block for a real test run. No problemo my friend! With the big double thumbs up I was able to drive myself to my appointment with the surgeon. Accordingly my Inconvenience factor drops by 1 today! I can now escape the house without having to ring for a chauffeur! I still can't walk very far or very fast, but at least now my shuffling is not restricted to the same scenery on repeat!

It was a reasonably uneventful trip to the surgeon. I received a new wiring configuration for my face. Alas, there was still no x-rays of my poor smashed face (he will email them to me). He said "Open and Bite Together" about 100 times and concluded that I was going to get a great result. My bite is still a little off. Things definitely look to be lining up better but two teeth on my left side hit end on which don't let the rest of my teeth come together. This is now a job for the orthodontist to fix. Good thing I am seeing him tomorrow! I want to be chewing by Christmas! Get on it man!!!

The surgeon also informed me that the right side of my face is about 2 weeks behind the left, which is going to leave me asymetrical for at least 10 more weeks! :) And, when I quizzed him, he said that the numbness of my lips and chin could last for up to 3 months. Egads!!!!

A few more juicy details about my surgery.

A delightful sketch of my head!

I underwent a bi-maxillary osteotomy during which: 
My maxilla (the top jaw) was moved forward about 5mm.

My maxilla was also impacted posteriorly (tilted by raising at the back) around 3mm.

My mandible (the bottom one) was set back 5mm. 

That's quite a bit of change! Now I'm just keen for this swelling to go away so that I can get a better look! :)

Day 12: It's a Spud's Life!

Left Jaw Pain: 0/10
Right Jaw Pain: 2/10

Hip Pain: 3/10

Inconvenience factor: 5/10

Look at those cheeky chop cheekbones. Lordy!!!

I've been home for just over a week now, and honestly today was the first day that I have actually felt like a bit of a couch potato (and I am sure to some of my misery mockery friends, I probably look a bit like one too). 

Up until now, my days have been filled just trying to get through them. Everything that is normally pretty simple, ends up taking a lot of time and effort. I've had to force myself to do a lot of things - getting out of bed, eating enough food, shower, keeping the house reasonably clean and yes, occasionally even the blog. Sometimes, you just do what you know you have to and thank yourself later. 

But today, today things felt so much easier. If I was thirsty it was no problem getting off of the couch. I didn't have to debate with myself that I really did need to get up or I might die of dehydration. Today, I jumped up (using the term loosely) not only to get a glass and open the fridge, but also to fire up the juicer with zeal and make my own. Fresh orange juice is hard to beat. 

For the first time, I started exploring the pile of gifts that my friends donated to keeping me entertained during recovery. I really am shocked that it has taken me until Day 12, to look for something to do. I thought I'd be going out of my head by about Day 5. I guess all this double jaw surgery business knocked me around far more than I was prepared for.

Whatever the reason, I am assuming that this is a great sign. I must be getting better!

So what do you do when you are finally feeling better? You sit on your butt and do nothing!!! And boy did it felt GOOD!!!

Yet for doing nothing, I did more today than have all week! I started the day with a lie in, reading my book with a hot cup of tea. Over breakfast, I flicked through magazines, ripping out recipes and daydreaming about the first thing that I will bite into when I am actually allowed! By lunch, I'd read a few more mags, knocked off some sudokus, a few word games, tackled a cryptic crossword (phoned a friend to not much avail - nice try Ness, we suck separated) and started a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Post-lunch, I whipped up a banana, raspberry and mango smoothie, did a sink load of dishes and smashed that jigsaw puzzle some more whilst plonked on the couch watching Season 2 of The Tudors. Pure Heaven! I eventually migrated outside, tended the garden and then whipped up the most delectable dinner that you can imagine.... Okay, well at least you have to admit that it is colourful! 

My Dinner.....Mmmm!

The brown stuff is pureed butter beans and chickpeas with olive oil and salt. 

The green stuff is mashed potato, spinach with a touch of butter, milk and parmesan! 

The red stuff is the watermelon and pineapple just - they appear to have different specific gravities and refused to stay mixed! :)

I'm down to 2 drugs a meal and soon 1 (this the last stupid tablet I have to take). Yay!

The broad spectrum antibiotic capsule gets opened and sprinkled on dinner. 

The tablet gets broken into 4 pieces - I just couldn't stand the feral taste of it crushed! 

OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Today, I experienced my first, near-sneeze. Holy Cotton Socks it was scary. I felt it coming and did everything to abort. I have no doubt that a sneeze would be a freaking catastrophy right now!!

I have been tingling a lot more on my chin and the right side of my face this afternoon. I am hoping that this means some feeling may return soon! I'm kind of over the dribbling thing as humorous as others are finding it! Fingers crossed! 

My hip hurts. I think I slept on it wrongly! :(

With my extra energy, I took a head torch t0 my mouth for a look around and also decided to test out my mouth opening abilities. What an adventure!!!! There is still plenty of swelling of gums and cheek on the right side, a big hole where my wisdom tooth used to be and I can see big white stitches in very odd places. Frustratingly, though, even without elastics, I still can't open wide enough to fit a tooth brush in.... and well frankly after looking inside my mouth I REALLY do need to. Blek! :( 

Day 11: Laughter is the Best Medicine for Suckers.

Left Jaw Pain: 0/10
Right Jaw Pain: 3/10

Hip Pain: 2/10

Inconvenience factor: 5/10

I think that today is the time to throw out a HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my journey. There are so many of you.

THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO:

• gave up their time for me, 
• spared me a hug
• drove me around, 
• wrote me incredibly kind words,
• gave me presents, 
• held my hand, 
• cooked food for me, 
• visited me,
• made me amazing gifts, 
• bought me flowers, 
• made sure I was okay,
• spared me a thought,
• cared in whatever way they can. 

Your love, care and support has made the whole experience bearable and fills my heart with gratitude and love.

There is one special breed of people though....The kind of people who show you that they care by completely making a mockery of your misery. And you know?......It's right up my alley! Why not fill the heart up with laughter too!

Today, my Auntie visited me and I invited her to partake in some of my famous Pumpkin soup for lunch. I preped and then warned her that my eating skills are still somewhat dubious. I explained that as I am still completely numb - bottom lip down, that should she see any soup making a break for shirt that she needed to tell me. This does happen alot, especially when I am rushing and distracted. It became quite a game for her, saving my shirt from orange stains but it devolved into utter hilarity when she pointed and shouted "SONJA CHIN" at me.......I blinked, confused and she repeated, exaggerating the new inflection "S' on ya Chin".

Other 'caring' friends have called me Sponge Bob (on account of my initially very square face), Chubba and Baby Bird. They have told me that I look like a Chipmunk, a Cherub and YOUR  Mum! They also tell me that I talk like a duck and four of them have suggested a catcher bib! Grrr!

But taking the cake is the email I received from my workmates today. I have discovered that laughing hysterically really hurts my stitches. And honestly, I don't know whether they want me to come back or not?


Have a look for yourself: