Four Months

Wow, four months have come and gone, it's amazing how long ago it seems I was wired shut and filled with spit and slurp. =)

I switched sides of the bed for sleeping and that seems to help the pain in the mornings. It was very bad for a while, even emailed the doctor, but told him I'd keep an eye on it because with the new side I have had a lot less pain.

I ate a corn dog today. I couldn't fit the whole thing in my mouth but I cold tilt it up and take bite, that was nice. =) I can eat almost anything now I guess if I just take my time. Occasionally I will get a pop in my jaw that's painful, but during the day, other than the numbness in my chin and lower lip I am doing alright.

I see my orthodontist on Wednesday and my surgeon in November. Until that time, there's not much else to report.

I wanted to get some progression pictures done in a slideshow just for myself, but there it sits at the bottom of my never-ending to do list. =)

Luci June starts Pre-K tomorrow, so maybe once I get her settled I will have some free time in the coming weeks. What ever will I do with myself?

Blah...

It's been a while since my last update. I don't really know what to say, I'm discouraged.

While my bite went back on track, the pain in my upper joint is, well, painful. I wake up each morning in pain, after a night of tossing and turning and jaw popping. I'm hoping this is permanent, but who knows.

Just blah.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Backyard Camping

Kenny-Ray and I camped out last night. We had a wonderful time.

15 weeks have gone by

It's amazing how that time has flown since the surgery. There were some tough times and still are, but not nearly what we endured those first couple of weeks. A new friend had surgery a couple of weeks ago, I am so blessed to have gone through the surgery so that I can offer prayer, support and understanding to others.

I saw my orthodontist on Monday and my alignment is back on track. I still have a numb bottom lip and chin, but the feeling is coming back significantly each day. I often times at night feel a pop or have some pain on the right side while sleeping still, but I am blessed to be back in bed and no longer on the couch or in a recliner. If you didn't know I had the surgery, you wouldn't know there was something different. I still feel like my smile isn't quite right yet because of the lack of feeling in the lower lip.

I am looking forward to the start of school on Monday and life getting back to normal. Next goal: being able to eat a big ole hamburger without cutting it up. I can open 31 mm as of Monday, but I don't think I could bite down on anything.

Follow Up

I saw Dr. Hoang on Monday for my follow up to last weeks appointment. He said the swelling was gone and it was/is probably fluid up there in the joint. He advised trying to wean from the muscle relaxer but stay on the Aleve and go back on the Flexeril if going off it causes pain. One night off of it and I will be back on it tonight. I attempted that last night, but woke up in pain, so I will be taking it tonight. I am also back on a soft food until it heals.

Overall I am doing ok. I get frustrated at times, but am reassured that it's a long process and just be patient. The feeling in my chin is really making significant progress. I'm ready for the braces to be off mostly, but that's still going to be a few months down the road.

Thanks again for all of your love and prayers.

11 Weeks and Plugging Along

This week has continued to be tough on me. I thought I had simply overdone it last week, but I emailed Dr. Liberty and he said it could be a new problem. After three days of trying to get antibiotics he wanted me on, we finally got them and I feel somewhat better again. I have appointments with both my orthodontist as well as my surgeon tomorrow.

It's been tough mentally. I was in a lot of pain up by my right ear along with some swelling. I could not even eat a cupcake as of Wednesday. Then I smiled in the mirror and noticed that my midline is off again. Hopefully Dr. Gere can address that tomorrow, I fear rubber bands, but I didn't come all of this way to have a bite that's not PERFECT.

We celebrated Luci June's birthday this weekend (although it's not until Thursday officially). Here is my 11 week picture from her birthday party.

Overdid It

If ever I have overdone something, it was this week. I am now 10 weeks post surgery. This week I volunteered at VBS at church. By Thursday the pain had set back in, I can only imagine it's from all the talking. I woke up this morning (from the couch) and thought I felt a pop of some sort in my upper right, by my ear. I haven't felt it again. The right side of my face started swelling up again on Thursday and when I touch it there is pain. I guess I'll put a call into the doctor. I was hoping it would go away.

We had a party last weekend at my parents house and the weekend before, so I have been doing a lot more talking then normal and trying to eat too much probably. I'm not easing my way in to stuff. Oh well, back on soft stuff for today.

I also celebrated my 34th birthday this past week. The family spoiled me tremendously and I enjoyed have my sister in town.

Here's a new picture, not really much change. I'd like to go back and do a sequence of progression, but that would require time, which I don't seem to find right now.

Mentally I am doing alright, just really tired from being so busy. I generally like to just hang out and relax.

I am alive !

I am ok. It has been a long week with the kids. Will update tomorrow.
Having some pain.

Amazed

Once again I am amazed when I see pictures of myself. I'm all smiles now, not so much before. I think I talked about this previously, but I just can remember now not wanting my picture taken and now I'm all for it.

Praise God for the antibiotics! I feel great, as close to normal as can be since the surgery. I'm sleeping in bed most nights, the discomfort is still enough to keep me up some nights but not all. I can feel my fingers and tingling when I touch all parts of my chin. It's still tight but the feeling is coming back and it's very sensitive to the touch. I still can't tell when I have food dribbling down it.

My teeth hurt, I'm ready for the braces to go away. I wonder when that will be. I clarified that it's probably more like nine months after the surgery. So I still have 6 months to go or so. Maybe I will get a Christmas present. I feel like I have already stated this.

My parents continue to be a huge support for me. Mom makes dinner, dad take KR so I can rest and even lets him stay the night. They are awesome people. God has blessed me abundantly.

Here are a few 4th of July pictures:

It was just Eight weeks ago.

Wow, time has really flown. A few bumps along the way, but truly way better than I thought the recovery was going to be.

I am happy to report that the medication seems to be working and the headaches are going away. I went nearly 18 hours without having to take Motrin or be in pain. My swelling is down considerably and while my chin still is still numb, the area between it and my lip is no longer numb. I can also feel most of the roof of my mouth and most of my teeth. So I feel like I am making progress, which continues to help mentally.

Tomorrow is our 4th of July party. I can't wait. We were suppose to have Memorial day but it didn't work out. I am kind of glad because now I will be able to enjoy some food with the family

I haven't tried eating anything new lately, sticking to the soft stuff, but feeling like I can eat almost anything. I do avoid Tortillas, but eat the filling of the burritos. =) It's just too tiring.

Happy 4th of July. Thanks to all of our vets and servicemen for fighting/volunteering to fight for our freedom.

Stuffy Nose and Headaches

Both the stuffy/runny gross nose and headaches continue. My nose runs most of the day and the headaches are still coming on just as the previous dose of Motrin wears off. I emailed my doctor and he wants to wait and observe the headache thing. I was a little discouraged because he said they were not normal. I pray that they don't continue.

Today I got a surprise email from him stating he was going to give me Amoxicillin (sp?) for the green/brown/red snotty nose. Please pray with me that maybe this is an infection and that this medication will take care of the runny nose and the headaches. I don't mean to be gross, but the amount of stuff coming out is high volume and just really nasty and annoying.

Matt's out getting the medicine now and my ice cream! Love being on a diet that include ice cream. =) I did have a piece of pizza or two tonight. The crust was amazing soft, so as long as I broke it up into pieces I could chew it. I get lazy, it's tiring chewing and I don't want to do it. I have to work my jaw though back into action.

Onward and Upward to healing! God is the great healer and he's my best friend so I should be good to go.

Forgotten Video

I found this video today, I didn't even remember taking it. Matt took the first part and I do remember trying to talk when I was alone the morning after. I have no idea what I was saying either. =)

This week of struggle continues. I have been getting headaches every six hours right before it's time to take meds again. The only thing that helps is medicine and getting into a dark quiet place. Until the medicine kicks in, I just can't function. I did email my doctor to find out if this is normal or not. I'm just overwhelmed. It's probably just sinus headache, but I have never had them before.

Weird Sensation

7 weeks post-operation. Felt good today to get out. I spent some time with Luci June at Theme Days at church. So, here is my 7 week picture.

I am having a weird sensation. When I drink or eat something on the cool side, and I put it between the bottom lip and the teeth, I get a cooling sensation. Even though the food may not be extremely cold, I feel like my chin had a cup of cool water poured over it. I don't think I have ever had this feeling even when I could feel my lip. =) It makes me giggle actually.

Another boost for the day was swimming with my kids. I could hold them in the water because there's not 10 pound weight limit. I am not sure if I enjoyed it more than they did, I've really missed being able to wrestle around with them and lift them. Heck, LOL, I even had Kenny-Ray carry me around the pool. Talk about a smile and giggle on a kids face, he thought it was the funniest thing. Nothing but Joy to cure a case of the blues!

I don't think I look good in this picture, but it's 6 weeks post-op.

It's been a rough week for me. Emotionally I have just been down in the dumps. Making so much progress but ready to be done with it all some days. I really struggled this week, I tried to sleep in bed again and woke up with feelings of post battle with someone's fist. I had a couple of bad episodes where my cheek hurt, but there was no relief to be found.

The kids have been doing more arguing than playing and it takes it's toll on me because I end up doing more talking. Things are stressful.

I have been desperately seeking the positive in all of this and am slowly coming out of this dark time. I wish I could say I handled this whole thing with a great outlook. They warned about depression, I just didn't think it would come this far out, I figured it would happen in the first few weeks.

I am better today than the past days, so we're on track again. I saw the orthodontist on Monday and he says everything looks good. I informed him that Dr. Liberty (surgeon) said to wear rubber bands according to his direction and he didn't think I needed them at this time.

My teeth hurt, my lips are dry, my chin numb, the roof of my mouth numb and some lack of sleep. But I have a life, two beautiful kids, the best parents in the world and those that send kind words to keep me going. So here's to finishing the recovery more gracefully.

A Wonderful Kind of Pain

We attended family night for the kids VBS last night. I have been feeling just fine, but I find that laughter sometimes just hurts, even if it is good laughter. And this video me laugh. Well cringe and laugh. If you are getting this via email, I'm guessing you'll have to visit the blog to see the video:

Quick Update

I am way too tired to get dressed and have a picture, but hopefully soon, since I am six weeks post-op today. The journey is still going ok. I am still a little swollen in the lower part of my face, still numb in the chin and roof of my mouth. The numbness is all within the normal timeframe.

I saw the surgeon on Monday and everything looks good he said. I will see him again in 3 months. He seemed to get a kick out of me talking about chewing for the first time. Have I mentioned what a great doctor he is?

I have been a little tense lately and frustrated too much so my jaw has been hurting. We went for a late night swim last night and I realized that being cold is bad for the jaw too, the clenching, shivering and teeth chattering hurt. =)

Not much else to report. I'm still sleeping on the couch, it hurts to sleep on the side of my face overnight, so sleeping mostly upright is what I need to do right now.

I can eat pretty anything that's easy to bite into. I tried some cabbage last night and that was too much work, so I gave up on that. I probably wouldn't try pizza crust or hard bread yet, I tried a chip, but had to moisten it before I could eat it. Too much work, I shouldn't be eating them anyway. =)

Oh Denny's, how I love you so...

5 WEEK Post-Op Picture:



I still have a little bit of swelling down at the jaw line, but really am amazed at where I am right now. I saw other blogs before and was very scared. My chin is still numb and it's still annoying. I'm enjoying not having the bands on and hoping I won't have to put them back on, but I think that's unlikely.

My weight loss has stopped, which is probably a good thing. I don't have a total but it's way more than they wanted me to lose.

I went out to dinner with the family at Denny's tonight and enjoyed Hash Browns, Eggs and Pancakes. It's so nice to be able to eat again. I also had a peanut butter sandwich, string cheese and banana for lunch at the park with my mom2mom group today. I did throw in a smoothie for good measure. My jaw is a little sore and it takes a while for me to eat those things and I get tired, but I'm making progress.

Thanks for anyone praying for my cold. Yesterday was a horrible day, but today I am not congested in my head so I am able to breath through my nose again and what a blessing. Thanks mom and dad for the help yesterday and for putting up with my grouchiness.


I know I posted the x-rays before, but I recently got the before x-rays from the surgeon, so I am posting them together. In the first one you can really tell the difference, look how my lips and nose line up. I'm getting used to this!! I like it!! The others you can notice some side to side differences. Also, the orothodontist mentioned that my bite was now open in the back and he hoped that settled into place. You can tell that by the second set of before and after pictures. I'm hoping it does too, but don't plan on letting the surgeon near my mouth, so if it doesn't - tough luck!

Rubberband Free

I am rubberband free, well at least for a couple of weeks. I had a really painful tooth and when I looked in the mirror it appeared that the rubberband was pulling it upward. That was not the case, but I had three loose brackets (probably knocked loose in surgery) that were not inline with my other teeth. Dr. Gere (orthodontist) pulled off my wire and put on a lightweight one to bring those teeth back up level where they should be, and told me that I wouldn't be wearing the bands for a while. YIPPEE! So now that one tooth does not hurt, but the other three do. I guess it's a trade off. I can lick my lips and not worry about taking the bands off to eat. It's been a good day.

I did come down with a cold a few days ago. It's not helping my positive outlook since I can't blow my nose and the congestion in my chest is causing me to gag. I'm trying to get through this in style, one day at a time, but I am wearing down. I'm tired, not sleeping at night. Still not in my own bed and it takes so long to get to sleep. I try and catch a short nap during the day, I'm just so exhausted. Pray for me!

1 Month Post-Op



I truly am feeling much better than I thought I would be at this point. I was looking at my x-rays today in amazement at what they had done. I'll post them below. I was hoping to have the before pictures before posting these, but it's taking a while.

In this one you can see the two lower plates;



In this one, you can see the lower one and the ones up by my nose, if you click on the picture for the larger version you can actually see the screws...gross I know, but fascinating, sort of. Now you have all seen inside my head.



Here you can see that I was still wired shut when these were taken. You can see the lower two plates and the four upper plates, they are backward L's and L shapes. Again, click on the picture if you want a larger version.



This was a rough week for me sleepwise, but the family showed mercy on me today and I was able to nap and get the rest that I needed. I still feel like I have a little swelling in my cheeks, and it hurts when I wipe my nose sometimes (guessing where the plates are). My chin is still numb, but I am getting some feeling back in my lower lip. That's probably the reason I can smile in the upper picture so well. I took my rubber bands off so you could see the new bite.

I am very happy with the results. I look at pictures of the "old" me and guess I never really noticed how much my jaw was off. I know that I never really wanted my picture taken, but didn't realize the impact it had on me.

I have an appointment on the 15th. I'm guessing just a follow-up. The rubberbands are annoying, but I will take them over being wired shut any day.

Chew Chew Chew your Cheeseburger

Yep, I ate one today and it tasted so good, but not as good as the Chicken Parmesan that a friend brought for dinner. Yum!! I never ever thought that four weeks post-op, I would be eating such things. These are the first things I have tried chewing since the Mac N Cheese on Monday because my jaw hurt a little on Tuesday and I wasn't sure what it was from.

This week has been alright, I'm tired a lot, not sleeping much at night. The pain one night kept me up, so I opted to finish the Kindergarten Slideshow, so at least I was productive.

I'm still taking motrin and tylenol. I'm still sleeping on the couch. I laid down for a bit in bed today and just having my head that low had my chin throbbing.

I know I'm not very exciting today. =) I hope to get a picture up tomorrow. It's KR's last day of Kindergarten. Grandma, Grandpa and I are all heading to work at the Kindergarten Play Day.

Thank you all for your continued prayers, meals, and emails. A special thank you to my extended Lewis Family. I received a card in the mail today signed by my great-aunts and great-uncles, along with some cousins and it brought tears to my eyes.

I am so blessed!!