First of all I'd like to say that if I can get through this, absolutely anyone can.
I read on several blogs that you shouldn't expect to feel normal until the 3 month mark, and I definitely agree.Of course I thought I would be different, and would just get through this and it would be no big deal. But my surgeon reminded me at my last appointment that this is still the early part of recovery, and it's hard to remember that. It's especially hard for people that aren't going through it, because 3 months is quite a while. But unless you have gone through this surgery, you don't realize what a toll this takes on your body.
But I feel normal 99% of the time. There are still some moments where I think about it, but most of the time I actually forget I had surgery. Every now and then, my jaw pops if I bite down (which is normal) or some mornings the muscles in my face feel really stiff, but none of that is even a big deal. I am a little bothered by the numbness I still have in my chin and lip and all of my upper jaw/gums/teeth. But since I don't have the feeling back at this point, it is likely permanent, and I'm just going to learn to live with it I guess :/ When I was reading about surgery, one of my biggest concerns was numbness, and I know someone is reading this right now thinking "okay there's ANOTHER person that is still numb after surgery, to hell with this." But the benefits that I have gotten from having surgery (a bite I am in love with, I can breathe, I feel rested and energized all the time, I don't look like a grandma from the side anymore, etc.) are well worth it. I don't know how I lived my life so freakin ridiculously tired and miserable ALL THE TIME before surgery. I am so thankful to feel normal.
OKAY MAJOR BREAKING NEWS:
My grandpa and I are totally obsessed with Steak and Shake, and I always make time for him and my dad during my insane week and we usually go there. For 21 years, I have pulled my food apart and broken it up and eaten it, rather than biting into it. WELL, on Tuesday, I BIT INTO MY CHEESEBURGER! And not only that...I also bit into the lettuce. THE LETTUCE! The. Lettuce. It was so awesome! All my "normal" readers are thinking"Wow, really? You're that excited about biting into a f-ing cheeseburger?" YES I AM. And I know all my pre-surgery readers are thinking "Wow, I cannot wait to do that!" I am so happy to bite into food!!! Now I just have to break that habit of pulling my food apart into bites, because I found myself still trying to do that just because I have done it for so many years.
Last night I had an awful dream that I woke up and, for whatever reason, my teeth were all screwed up and turned around the wrong way, some were completely backwards and behind other teeth, and some were loose, and some brackets and parts of wires had fallen off. It was a total mess and I was horrified. I was beyond relieved when I woke up and saw my teeth were exactly where they were when I went to bed haha
That's my big update for you guys for now. I have to go back to the surgeon at the end of this month, and to the orthodontist at the beginning of April. So there will definitely be updates then. I open a little wider, but I seriously need to start doing more exercises next week, or my doctor is going to kick my ass.
Pictures from this past week:
ahhhhhhhhhhhhh you look amazing!!
ReplyDeletefirst off im so happy things are going good, it feels like just yesterday we were on our ways to surgery and now months later its almost done =)
lol awh man that must of tasted good, the cheeseburger as a whole!! its funny what we can do with a perfect bite..
those nightmares are crazy cause they seem so real..ive had those before crazyy what your mind can do to you lol
i wish you the best & hope braces come off soon
Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteYes they do feel very real, but what a relief to wake up and see everything is okay!
Me too! :)
I wish you the best with your second surgery and hope this is all well worth it for you!