Post 19 days & everything in the middle

Getting inpatient with me yet? I hope not! I don't get on the computer much, so i'm sorry about all of my late updates. I'll try to post more, even if they're small posts. 

On June 6th (12 days post op) I got my wires cut off, & boy did it feel great! I had to be at  the hospital at 8:30am, & the assistant lady cut them. It didn't hurt, but i did feel the pressure. It wasn't too strong. I felt like my jaw was going to drop, so I kept my hand under my chin. It doesn't drop, but the reassurance comforted me. Then I got to brush my teeth with tooth paste (I had to wash with only mouth wash before that), & my doctor came to see me. He said I was heeling good, & gave me my elastics. I only use two, & this feels so much better than the wire did!

(If you can see the elastic, it's kind of at the tip of my finger. I have another one at the other side of my mouth)

That first day, they told me I could eat anything that I could cut with a fork. My wonderful mom made me eggs & churizo to try to eat, but it was a bit too much. I stuck with soups & stuff like that for the next couple of days. On the 15 day post op, i decided to try some chicken while at my brothers going away party. He left to do his basic training in the U.S.A.N.G. I miss him a lot ): But before i change the subject, I had the chicken. All i had to do was rip it into small, swallow sized bits & i could eat it! It was delicious! A bit of advise: If you want to start eating soon after you get unwired, be sure to work out your jaw simply by opening & closing your mouth. I would get a mirror & do this. It felt a bit weird at first because i couldn't feel my teeth, but i felt a bit of discomfort when my teeth did touch together. Don't worry, this feeling will go away & your jaw will start to feel normal. 

I got a few questions from one of my lovely followers that i'm very happy to answer!

Did having the IV in hurt?

It didn't hurt, it was just a small pinch & i'm a wimp when it comes to needles lol. the needle they used for me pinched my skin , but the actual needle its self was pulled out & a flexable one was left in, so i didn't feel it c: I will admit though, I did faint because I had nothing to eat the night before. That was scary, but i laugh now that it's over with.

Did you feel sick after surgery when you were coming round and was there a lot of blood in your mouth?

When I was in the ICU, I don't remember feeling too sick. When I got to the hospital room i did feel a bit sick though. I was nauseous & very light headed. I was on morphine in the hospital though, so that made me feel a bit better. Before i left, the nurse gave me some medicine for nausea for the ride home. When i got home, i only had to use that medicine once. I didn't have any blood on my mouth (Well, none that I can recall) I did have a bloody nose in the hospital though.

What are you eating to make you recover so quickly?

I'm not sure it's what i'm eating, but the fact that i'm young & my body recovers quicker. But when I was wired, i ate some of my mom's home made chicken broth, & A LOT of protein shakes/ smoothies. (I didnt like the ensures, so i usually got the vanilla Kellogs Special K protein shakes & mixed it with fruit or Coffee ice cream c: ) Now that i'm unwired, i'm eating soft foods that i can chew or anything i can swallow whole. Yesterday I had an In & Out burger with Animal style fries!

Thank you for asking questions! Feel free to, i enjoy answering them! :) If there's anymore questions out there, don't be shy, ask. c:

Before i forget, here's my before & after x rays: 

Side view:

& panoramic view:

It's crazy right, the technology we have nowadays to where we can see all of this? :) I love my new bite<3.

& now to finish todays blog, my 19 days post op smile

& a poker face

As you can see, most of my swelling has gone down. I'm quite surprised myself that it's gone down so much! Thank you to all of those who have been praying for me! 

Love,

       Kay

I'm a horrible blogger..

I feel HORRIBLE.. Why? Because I haven't updated you guys since surgery! I feel so bad, I'm super sorry ): I'll tell you guys all about the first week now though! I wrote in a journal how i was feeling, so i'll use that as a reference ;)


First, let me tell you about before surgery. My arrival time was 8:00am. Now my hospital was quite a few cities away (about 2 hours), So we decided to leave early so we could stop by my moms work on the way there so she could get some stuff. By the time we did that & found parking at the hospital, it was only 7:30am, so we had to wait -_-  So we did. But we had to wait quite a while after we entered! Finally a nurse put me into a waiting room with my parents, where we had to do a bit more waiting. When the nurse came back, she gave me a plastic-type gown. It was paper on the outside, but plastic on the inside. It's cool actually, because in winter it can be heated to keep you cozy c: Then another nurse came in & gave me an IV in my hand. Granted that I hadn't eaten or drank anything since midnight the night before I fainted. Like jello. After that incident, i had to take a few meds that the nurses gave me, including a nasal spray, & soon enough I got wheeled into the surgery room! I'm quite surprised actually, because I watch A LOT of scary movies, some that include surgery rooms. & i didn't get scared c:


Now for after surgery. Alls i can say was I WAS A BALLOON. My face was puffy & i was in a lot of discomfort :c I mean, I had a massive underbite. They moved my top jaw forward 5mm, & my bottom jaw back 7mm. At the hospital, they gave me a purified air mask thing along with ice packs tied to my face. The ice is for the swelling, & the air mask was to I could breathe better. Since i'm a minor, I got put into the pediatric ward. My room mates consisted of a 12-ish year old girl who had to get an appendicitis, & a toddler (I'd say only about a year or two) who had a rash caused by who knows what. I felt bad for both of them, they were a lot younger than me & having to see specialists. ): 


After being released home, the first 5 days were pretty similar. I was in a whole lot of pain. Well, i wouldn't say pain. Most of what I wrote was i was in a pain 4 level, which isn't too bad. It's like a pokerface. The first three days were difficult. I wasn't very hungry. But when I did eat, i ate with a syringe. It was a bit challenging. I couldn't feel my face at all, so my food would drip & i wouldn't feel it. (I'm at 11 days post op & I still can't completely feel it) At day 5, that was the peak of my swelling. I felt super tight in the face, & I felt like my face was going to explode. It didn't luckily, & right after that it seemed like my swelling decided to go down A LOT. I stopped taking all my pain meds altogether. since then, i havent been feeling much pain. Honestly, i've been feeling fine lately, so i'm not too sure what to write about! So if anyone has any questions, please ask! I'm not too sure what to write about! I want to help any of you who may be getting this surgery done or anyone who is thinking about getting it done. :)


Now, what fun is there on reading a blog & no pictures? Well I took a few, so here's some updates :)


Here's the day of surgery after it was done. The scar on my lip was an accident, but it's gone now :)

Here's me & my handsome brother in our back yard with one of our dogs. He was making me laugh this day, & it hurt so much. But it also made me very happy. (5 days post op)

This was taken yesterday (11 days post op) I went to hang out with my Dad, Oma & Opa after this one was taken.

Suprisingly after surgery & to this day, I didnt bruise or get a black eye or anything. All that happened was swelling, thats it! God has blessed me so much through this journey so far, & i know he will during the rest & beyond it! Thank you, God!<3 


Tomorrow is the day I get unwired! I need to get up to get to the hospital at 8:30am & i should be unwired by 9:30am! I'll post about that tomorrow, plus i'll post up my before & after xrays!


Love,
        Kay

Late update & whats to come.

First off, I just want to apologize for updating my blog so late. I've been very busy with school, cleaning, & prepping for before surgery. But, now it's late at night & i am free. :)


Last Thursday (May 10) was my pre-op appointment with my surgeon. This appointment seemed to be pretty simple & to the point. My surgeon (DR Poor, amazing surgeon!) is going to pull my top jaw forward half way, by bottom jaw half way (no exact measurements) ANDDD... They're going to do my chin! Why, you may ask? Because Dr. Poor said that if they don't do my chin, it may look a bit disproportional. He also informed me that this whole surgery may help me a lot with my breathing, headaches, tension in my face, & locking in my jaw. This is all so worth it. :)


After the appointment with Dr. Poor, I went out to lunch with my parents at this amazing pizza place that I forgot the name of. :/ All I know is that it was the BEST. PIZZA. EVER. :)

After the pizza, we still had some extra time before the two hour pre-op class, so we just went on a walk. :) When we came back to the hospital for the class, we went into a conference room along with 6 other people. Some were getting only top or only bottom, & only ONE was getting the same exact as me :o The nice lady giving hosting the class happened to answer many common questions, so here are some that I found very helpful:

What are some symptoms of an infection?

Symptoms of an infection may include excessive puffing of the cheeks (not swelling, it will be much different), foul tastes in your mouth (such as puss drainage, you should know if it's an infection or not), and a fever over 101.5.

How long will i feel numbness?

Numbness can last from 2.5 - 3 months, up to a full year. Don't worry, this is normal.

How do i brush my teeth?

Using a CHILD SIZE tooth brush. The small head of it will fit much better in your swollen cheeks than a regular size toothbrush will. No water piks, & NO toothpaste. Brush with an alcohol free mouthwash 3 - 4 times a day.

What about if I have to cough, sneeze or yawn?

If you have to cough, you cant really stop it. So cough, but try to hold it in a bit without clenching your jaw. To sneeze, try & sneeze out of your mouth. It will relieve a lot of pressure from your nose, & that's what you want. & to yawn, just try to hold your yawn like you do usually.

How much do I have to eat in a single day?

For women, it's suggested that you have 2000 calories in your system daily. For men, it's 2600 calories. You also need 100oz of liquids a day. So if you reach this amount, you should be good. But i'm sure if you feel the need to eat more, you should.

I'm an active person. Will this surgery affect my daily activities?

Yes. Yes it will. For the first 6 weeks (at least) you can't pick up anything over 5lbs because you may clench your jaw. Jaw clenching is a nono. It could mess up the way your jaw(s) heal, & may even end up making you have to get another surgery. No bike riding, no running, jumping, swimming, spinning. Nothing. Walking is okay though. You definitely DO NOT want to be a lazy couch potato.

So there's the main questions, along with their answers. Have anymore questions? Feel free to leave a comment below. :) 

To end things here, here's a picture of me & the wonderful lady who gave me all the information I know:

Wow, can you believe.. Four more days left! eek, i'm so excited. :) Please keep me in your prayers, I know God will listen & help with this surgery because that's how awesome he is!

Love,

         Kay

X-rays & vlog

Guess who finally took their x-rays?:) I remember always looking at other blogs & wondering why everyone else was getting their x-rays before me, but I got them!:) I got a referral from my surgeon in the mail to get them in a different building a few cities away, so my mom & i went there, got my x-rays done, then went to lunch & did a few errands. 


Here's some pictures of my bite:

This is so trippy! I mean, I've always known that I've had a pretty big underbite. But seeing it like this.. Wow. It's amazing, the technology we have now!


Oh, but before I forget. I did want to make a vlog of my surgical hooks, because there are many different forms of these & it's a bit hard to describe how they really are through typing. So here you go!

After much tinkering with the camera, I got my video to work :D Sorry for the awkward face on the beginning & end of the video :P I'll more than likely make another vlog tomorrow. :) See you all then!
(UPDATE: okay, so the video may or may not work. I tried it once & it worked, but when I tried again it didn't. Please let me know if it worked or not. Thank you!)


Love, 
          Kay

Last dentist appointment before surgery!

The last time i went to the dentist, I thought we were all done. Well, it turns out that my dentist forgot to put my surgical hooks in my mouth. So, hence the name of this post. This appointment wasn't too bad. Better than I expected, actually. All they did really was take one of the crowns on my top jaw on each side, and I guess melted it into the crown. I would take pictures, but they're really hard you don't have anything other than a webcam. Hah. 


So to describe the hooks better, they're on the inside of my teeth. They point up just like the regular hooks on braces. But they make my mouth feel really small & filled up. :( I just have to keep remembering that this won't be forever. God will help me through this all.:)


That's all we did today. Heather (one of my dentists assistance's) Gave me some liquid band-aid, just in case I get a cut in my mouth or something. I'm actually going to miss the dentist when I get my surgery. But i'll still be able to see them. A lot. 


This Wednesday (May 9), I have to go to some x ray place to get my x rays taken. Then the very next day I have my pre-op appointment with my surgeon! I'm very excited to meet him & know how to prepare myself for the after surgery journey! On my next post, i'll make sure to take pictures & show you all more of how I am now before I get my jaw fixed:) Thank you guys for taking the time to read my blogs, & hopefully I'll be able to answer any questions you may have soon! 


Love,


                 Kay

Today at the dentist..

Well, to be technical, My dentist appointment was YESTERDAY (May 1). But this is close enough.. right? Hah. I was really busy with school, so I couldn't post. But i'm here now! :)

Anyways, so the dentist. I was originally supposed to go on May 8th, but my pre-op consultation is on May 10th and I need to take my teeth molds with me, so we just made an earlier date. I ended up being a half an hour early, so I got taken in early. Whoot whoot! I walked in the back, took a seat; my dentists assistant unwired my braces, then took x-rays of my teeth. My mouth is very crooked actually, now that I think about it. I had to bite down on a stick, but I couldn't even do that without my head tilting! After my awkward uneven x-rays, we made the molds. Oh boy, I think that's the one thing I really hate doing at the dentist, other than the fluoride.


Then last but not least, I got my wire got put back in & tied up. So much for relief on my teeth. :( hah. I got figure 8s, as my dentist calls them. Here's what my braces & my bite look like:

See what I mean about it being crooked? Try eating with that.. & this is a straight view! If you notice also on my front teeth, I have little ridges on them. This is because my front teeth have never touched, so they've never been able to grind down. I hate the feeling of them. :( But i'll get them fixed after surgery.


My molds got sent to my surgeon, so he can do a practice surgery. Now I don't have to worry about taking them there. All I have to do is go to the meeting. I'll be sure to tell you all how that goes. 


Other than what I've told you now, that's all that really happened at the dentist. I tend to have very quick, straight forward appointments. They're not too interesting. Well, if you consider my dentist accidentally punching me in the face while trying to get my wire put in interesting. I forgive you. :)


Here's a profile picture of me to end this blog:

Does anyone have any questions? I'd be glad to answer them. :) 
(Sorry if this post is a bit blan, it's 11pm and I'm a bit tired.. Hah.)


Until my next post,


Love,
           Kay

1 month before!

Hey guys! So, today marks 1 month and 1 day before my double jaw surgery! So I think for those of you who don't know me, I'll give you a short & simple bio of me. That way you know who you're following, if you decide to do so.(:
My name is Kay. I'm 16 years old, and I love God! He's blessed me with so many talents and people, & I'm so grateful! I like to draw, sing, dance & swim also.


Here's a picture of me & my cousin from my uncles birthday party-

(I'm on the right!) & now here comes the 'Why do you need surgery' portion. 


If you cant tell, i have an underbite. a BIG underbite. Plus my top jaw leans to my right, like a seesaw. My left teeth don't touch at all. ): but it's okay. On May 25, I get my surgery! This  means that I'll be missing my last two weeks of school, so i have to find out how I'll be doing my finals. Note: I go to a performing arts high school, so our finals are supposed to be singing, dancing & acting in a group. But because of this, I have to do an alternate.): It will pass though.


This is the beginning of my jaw journey, and I'm so excited to be sharing it with all of you who are reading this! If anyone has any questions about anything, comment & I'll try my best to answer them.(: I hope you guys stick around for my surgery!


Love,


         Kay