Today I am 7 weeks post-op. Feeling good. I've been doing the jaw exercises my surgeon gave me 6 days ago and can now not only get one index finger in my mouth, but its big fat knuckle too! And the pain in my joint has gone down a lot.
Today I saw my orthodontist again. At the end of it he said he wants to SHAKE the surgeons for getting my top jaw off to the side, that they should be obsessive-compulsive about getting it right! And earlier when I said that I'd told my (main) surgeon 2 days post-op that I thought the midline was off to the side, and that he'd said it just looked that way due to swelling, he also made a comment about them just saying things like that as excuses (or to that effect, I can't remember his exact words).
Gosh. I didn't know what to say. I'm glad he shares my disappointment but I would rather not be aware of dissent between surgeon and orthodontist. I just want them to get it right. I wish they would sit down together and talk about it so at least I'd feel sure they were on the same track.
I got the feeling that he thought that the surgeon should have realised the midline was off when I pointed it out and taken me right back to theatre.
BUT I must point out: neither he nor the surgeon picked up on the midline problem. They only got onto it now because I pointed it out. That is WRONG!!! I could see it the whole time but stayed quiet because I forced myself to trust that it was just the swelling.
Really I am more convinced than ever that you can't just trust health professionals totally. I couldn't help anything here but we really have to look after our own health because there is no one you can totally trust to pick up the pieces.
Basically the orthodontist feels that he is left to clean up the mess, and has only very limited techniques at his disposal compared to a cut-and-shift.
So can he help get the midline thing right? He thinks he can improve it but it will take some time and wearing of a band configuration which is a bit of a pain.
He thinks that the top jaw is not just off to the right slightly (approx 1mm), but skewed around on its axis slightly. That is why when I close my jaw in its central position the teeth all fit nicely on the left but not on the right. There are a couple of cusps banging on the right. However I don't quite follow the argument that the skewing is the reason for the banging, because the surgeons fixed my lower jaw to my already newly fixed top jaw, so presumably the lower jaw is slightly skewed also and should therefore fit the top one. (I only thought of that while driving home).
So now I'm wearing one bizarre band only. I have a bracket on the inside of a top molar, with a band going from it to the outside of the molar below it, so when I close my teeth I'm biting on the band. This is meant to move the top molars on that side outwards a bit so their outer cusps no longer bang on the cusps of the lower teeth. He seems fairly confident that will work.
Then after that he works on moving the midline over.
Goodness knows how much longer I'll be in braces!
Recently whenever I've seen my orthodontist I come home feeling like there's a disaster. Then I see him again and it's somehow passed for him! I suppose that's just his personality.
Before this surgery I spent lots of time visualising a perfect outcome. Is this life teaching me that nothing is ever perfect? One of my main emphases (is that a word?) was lack of numbness. That worked well. But things happen that you'd never predict.
The people I've showed the off midline to all say you'd never ever notice it unless it was pointed out. Personally I could definitely live with it if I had to ... but not the banging cusps. I know they'd just wear away over the years and cause pain and dental problems. They have to be fixed.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Six week photos and some good news on the bite
My lips do actually touch. It will better without braces on.
This is probably the best place to see how my midline's over to the side. It would be really nice if the orthodontist could tweak that but I'll try to be philosophical about it if not.
Yellow/brown teeth eh. The mouthwash I was given did it, apparently. I will have to see my dentist after the braces are off to see what can be done.
I might not look 'perfect' but I can definitely live with what I have now!
Last night I slept on my back all night and NO PAIN in the joint. This is great. What's just as good is that my aligned bite, which always appears at night, lasted most of the morning instead of being gone by breakfast. Great. And I've been doing my mouth opening exercises. I'm meant to do them 6 times a day! Too hard! He said 4 would be OK.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
6 week surgeon's visit
Results of visit today:
- my surgeon is still sure my jaw joint will recover, perhaps not until after my braces are off. He says I'm in a very different category to people with chronically displaced joint because this is an acute response to the surgery. He thinks it's a great sign that my bite goes back into place at night.
- tooth pain up top.... go see the dentist, basically! He said that when the nerves come back to the top teeth pain is normal because the nerves are immature and haven't developed their protective sheath yet, so they are oversensitive. But I need to see the dentist just in case.
- midline - yes he agreed it's about 2mm to the side, he said it's a pity and seemed a bit disappointed. I did say straight out 'Is this a mistake' and he agreed. He thought it was possible the orthodontist might be able to fix it.
- I have a set of exercises to do 6 times a day! eek! To get my mouth opening properly (it opens only 15-20 mm) and being able to go side to side and backwards and forwards (it can barely do those movements at all).
- he is very pleased with my lack of numbness.
- he said that the stitch they put in under the nose goes from the nose into a strip of bone behind the nose. They drill a hole into the bone to make the stitch. I thought that was very cool! That is why it feels so tight, he said. "Nice nose," I said, "I like it." He looked pleased.
I have been chewing but let me tell you, it is pathetic! So much for being excited at being able to chew. I really need these exercises. The surgeon is sure they will help my jaw joint too. Yay.
Sorry no energy for photos. Tomorrow, perhaps.
- my surgeon is still sure my jaw joint will recover, perhaps not until after my braces are off. He says I'm in a very different category to people with chronically displaced joint because this is an acute response to the surgery. He thinks it's a great sign that my bite goes back into place at night.
- tooth pain up top.... go see the dentist, basically! He said that when the nerves come back to the top teeth pain is normal because the nerves are immature and haven't developed their protective sheath yet, so they are oversensitive. But I need to see the dentist just in case.
- midline - yes he agreed it's about 2mm to the side, he said it's a pity and seemed a bit disappointed. I did say straight out 'Is this a mistake' and he agreed. He thought it was possible the orthodontist might be able to fix it.
- I have a set of exercises to do 6 times a day! eek! To get my mouth opening properly (it opens only 15-20 mm) and being able to go side to side and backwards and forwards (it can barely do those movements at all).
- he is very pleased with my lack of numbness.
- he said that the stitch they put in under the nose goes from the nose into a strip of bone behind the nose. They drill a hole into the bone to make the stitch. I thought that was very cool! That is why it feels so tight, he said. "Nice nose," I said, "I like it." He looked pleased.
I have been chewing but let me tell you, it is pathetic! So much for being excited at being able to chew. I really need these exercises. The surgeon is sure they will help my jaw joint too. Yay.
Sorry no energy for photos. Tomorrow, perhaps.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Six weeks post-op today
No photos tonight, but tomorrow I promise!
Six weeks ago I had been out of surgery for 6 hours or so and was full of promise and hope for a 'perfect' outcome (if a bit groggy with it).
Tomorrow I see my surgeon again for the first time since 2 weeks post-op. I definitely don't feel like it's all 'perfect' but I must appreciate the good things so here goes....
1. I think my headaches, which had plagued me for years, have gone. That's a BIG plus.
2. My open bite is gone. I started chewing today and it is great to have all my teeth touching. A much better system than just two at the back! I am yet to feel a proper bite into food because my movement range is so small I can't get my top and bottom incisors together or my mouth open far, but I will be given exercises for that tomorrow.
3. I think I look better.
4. My lips sit together at rest.
5. My septum is straight (I REALLY didn't care about that but I am looking for positive things!)
6. At night my bite is perfect and, as a result, I'm fairly sure I'm not clenching (I need an arrow back to the 'no headaches' point for that because I think they're related). That also is a very big plus.
7. My healing has gone really well.
8. I had minimal numbness and most of what I did have has gone now. I think there is still some numbness on my nose but I'm not sure. It's still quite tight, presumably because of the stitch they put in to stop my nose going wide and piggish. My nose is a bit different but I like it more than before. The inner part of my top right lip is still a bit numb. I wouldn't care if I remained with this amount of numbness forever, but I know I won't.
But the bad bits....
1. My left jaw joint obviously still has the displaced disc that arose after surgery because my jaw HURTS all night. It's enough to wake me about hourly but not enough to keep me awake. The pain spasms occasionally during the day. Also my bite skews off to the right. Chronic pain is a big negative! So is a badly aligned bite!
2. I have some really sore upper teeth as they get their feeling back. This might be normal, I don't know. I'm terrified one or more will be damaged and I will need root canal(s) and crowns.
3. I am convinced my top midline is off to the side. The surgeon said it only looked like that because of my swelling but that's almost all gone now. I could live with it, but it seems like a bad thing to have got wrong.
4. My speech isn't normal. I think I sound like I have a bit of a speech impedement. Surely that will come right though.
Anyway, I await my surgeon's visit tomorrow. Mainly I want to know why he is so sure my joint problem will resolve itself. I've spent too much time searching for info about it on the internet, to repeatedly read how it is often a chronic problem. One of the reasons I went ahead with the surgery was because my surgeon said with a bite like mine I was very likely to get joint problems as I get older, and I'd read how awful the pain can be. Now I know and I don't want to know!!
Will update tomorrow.
Six weeks ago I had been out of surgery for 6 hours or so and was full of promise and hope for a 'perfect' outcome (if a bit groggy with it).
Tomorrow I see my surgeon again for the first time since 2 weeks post-op. I definitely don't feel like it's all 'perfect' but I must appreciate the good things so here goes....
1. I think my headaches, which had plagued me for years, have gone. That's a BIG plus.
2. My open bite is gone. I started chewing today and it is great to have all my teeth touching. A much better system than just two at the back! I am yet to feel a proper bite into food because my movement range is so small I can't get my top and bottom incisors together or my mouth open far, but I will be given exercises for that tomorrow.
3. I think I look better.
4. My lips sit together at rest.
5. My septum is straight (I REALLY didn't care about that but I am looking for positive things!)
6. At night my bite is perfect and, as a result, I'm fairly sure I'm not clenching (I need an arrow back to the 'no headaches' point for that because I think they're related). That also is a very big plus.
7. My healing has gone really well.
8. I had minimal numbness and most of what I did have has gone now. I think there is still some numbness on my nose but I'm not sure. It's still quite tight, presumably because of the stitch they put in to stop my nose going wide and piggish. My nose is a bit different but I like it more than before. The inner part of my top right lip is still a bit numb. I wouldn't care if I remained with this amount of numbness forever, but I know I won't.
But the bad bits....
1. My left jaw joint obviously still has the displaced disc that arose after surgery because my jaw HURTS all night. It's enough to wake me about hourly but not enough to keep me awake. The pain spasms occasionally during the day. Also my bite skews off to the right. Chronic pain is a big negative! So is a badly aligned bite!
2. I have some really sore upper teeth as they get their feeling back. This might be normal, I don't know. I'm terrified one or more will be damaged and I will need root canal(s) and crowns.
3. I am convinced my top midline is off to the side. The surgeon said it only looked like that because of my swelling but that's almost all gone now. I could live with it, but it seems like a bad thing to have got wrong.
4. My speech isn't normal. I think I sound like I have a bit of a speech impedement. Surely that will come right though.
Anyway, I await my surgeon's visit tomorrow. Mainly I want to know why he is so sure my joint problem will resolve itself. I've spent too much time searching for info about it on the internet, to repeatedly read how it is often a chronic problem. One of the reasons I went ahead with the surgery was because my surgeon said with a bite like mine I was very likely to get joint problems as I get older, and I'd read how awful the pain can be. Now I know and I don't want to know!!
Will update tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Overnight improves the bite
I can confirm: When I lie down at night my bite aligns. Last night I got a mirror and could see that even when I open my mouth, the deviation to the right is minimal, it almost opens straight. I guess it's gravity making the jaw settle in better.
My jaw joint aches a bit at night. Not badly.
My jaw joint aches a bit at night. Not badly.
Five week post op: photos
I think my bite is getting better - midlines getting closer. During the night and when I wake up in the morning, my bite feels perfect! The top photo is with teeth closed and the bottom one when I am opening my mouth a bit. You can see that as I open my bottom jaw swings more and more to the right, away from the joint with the displaced disk. But I really take heart from the nearing midlines when my mouth is closed. That has to be a great sign!
I think my jowls are shrinking!
To me it still looks as though my top midline is off to the left, but it could definitely be an illusion created by having more swelling on the right than the left.
I'm feeling good. Heaps of energy most days. Numbness continues to reduce. My cheek feeling is back. Lips are normal apart from the top right (that still sneers a bit), and it is giving me lots of tickles.
My backmost right upper molar has feeling and HURTS. I can barely brush it with my soft baby toothbrush without pain. All the rest are numb. I hope like heck it's just supersensitivity as the nerves come back - although that also scares me because if all my teeth feel like that I am going to be a bit miserable until they settle down. The only other thing I can think of is a damaged root during surgery but there is no hot/cold sensation problem, and it doesn't hurt to bite down on it. It could still be that, I know. Funny how it's not numb like the rest.
Almost everyone I see comments on how my looks have changed. Most of them make no comment on whether it's for better or worse! One did today, said it looked good. Most of them just say 'so when can you get your braces off' - they think it must be the worst thing ever! I would love to know, and to have them off, but it's low on my priority list.
The splits in my lower jaw, which were really sharp at the corners to start with, are nice and softly curved now.
I have NO pain apart from the odd twinge from the troubled right tmj joint. I have stopped taking my anti inflammatories as of yesterday (because I ran out) and stopped rubbing in the voltaren gel (because it said to use for no longer than 2 weeks).
I still feel pretty tight under my nose, especially when I wrinkle it up, and talk. I guess it's the stitch they put in there. It's more on the right side than the left.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Another slightly depressing orthodontist visit
My orthodontist did not scold me for wearing the bands differently but told me not to do it anymore. He said I am on the tightest bands he has and two is too much.
But he was impressed with the improvement in the bite. Now I am back on one band either side I fear my lower jaw will swing over to the right again.
He did say I could change them twice a day, because they get loose and saggy after a while. Certainly I can tell that by the end of the day. So that might help.
I know I clenched again last night. My teeth hurt this morning. I clenched on my improved but not perfect bite position - on my left hand side, the outside cusps of my lower molars clash against the inside cusps of my upper molars. Only the lower ones hurt (the top ones being dead numb still).
Just another 1mm over and I would be there.
He also suspects one of my canine teeth has died and I'll need a root canal. He went to do his test of putting cold on it and I had to point out to him that my upper teeth are completely numb so it was pointless. I can't believe he didn't know that! He might as well have been spraying a hunk of wood for all I could feel on any of my teeth and that is how it is with everyone who has upper jaw surgery for a while (longer than my 4 1/2 weeks post-op, anyway). However the reason he suspected it is that my tooth is discoloured and it might just be the savacol mouth rinse I had to use after the surgery, because that puts a brown colour on teeth.
He said there is nothing orthodontically he can do to fix my bite and if it doesn't 'settle in' then the only option would be another surgery, but he doesn't think it's bad enough to justify another surgery. However he says he really DOES think it'll settle in - yet his demeanor doesn't match the optimism of his words. So I was pretty disappointed to hear there was nothing he could do to help if it doesn't happen by itself. I don't know why he can't just drag all the teeth over slightly. But he's the expert.
But he was impressed with the improvement in the bite. Now I am back on one band either side I fear my lower jaw will swing over to the right again.
He did say I could change them twice a day, because they get loose and saggy after a while. Certainly I can tell that by the end of the day. So that might help.
I know I clenched again last night. My teeth hurt this morning. I clenched on my improved but not perfect bite position - on my left hand side, the outside cusps of my lower molars clash against the inside cusps of my upper molars. Only the lower ones hurt (the top ones being dead numb still).
Just another 1mm over and I would be there.
He also suspects one of my canine teeth has died and I'll need a root canal. He went to do his test of putting cold on it and I had to point out to him that my upper teeth are completely numb so it was pointless. I can't believe he didn't know that! He might as well have been spraying a hunk of wood for all I could feel on any of my teeth and that is how it is with everyone who has upper jaw surgery for a while (longer than my 4 1/2 weeks post-op, anyway). However the reason he suspected it is that my tooth is discoloured and it might just be the savacol mouth rinse I had to use after the surgery, because that puts a brown colour on teeth.
He said there is nothing orthodontically he can do to fix my bite and if it doesn't 'settle in' then the only option would be another surgery, but he doesn't think it's bad enough to justify another surgery. However he says he really DOES think it'll settle in - yet his demeanor doesn't match the optimism of his words. So I was pretty disappointed to hear there was nothing he could do to help if it doesn't happen by itself. I don't know why he can't just drag all the teeth over slightly. But he's the expert.
Monday, August 10, 2009
4 weeks today. This surgery is great!
My top right lip isn't so sneery anymore, it's definitely improving. The numbness isn't so 'solid' feeling either, but it's still there. I do have a kind of light sensation on the very surface of the top right lip and the skin above it now, but there's a numbness deeper down.
I am still pretty swollen on the right hand side.
Below I am opening my mouth slightly, which shows the bite better:
But check out what my bite used to be like! (This one is me trying to get my front teeth together - my backmost left molars were touching). I LOVE my new overlap. And I haven't even got to use it yet.
Wow. Seeing these photos, and comparing to the before photos (see more in July postings), makes me realise what a MAJOR improvement there is! It's just so amazing that the surgeons can do such things. And the way it happens in the space of a few hours, after years of wishing for that nasty extra bone to be gone. It is still hard to hang in there and wait for my bite to be aligned - wait for the midlines to line up - but it really helps to see the overall improvement.
Clenching update: on Saturday night I put 3 bands on either side and I was clamped tight so hard I couldn't do a thing! I did it so I couldn't clench/grind. But I woke up in agony, it was like my teeth were being ripped out of their sockets with the tight bands. So now I'm wearing two on the left and one on the right. It feels like it improves my bite, and the pain is all gone - well sometimes there is the slightest twinge in my jaw joint that scarcely enters my consciousness. Could it be the band configuration or the anti-inflammatory pills my surgeon has me on again? I don't know.
I feel like a renegade doing the different band configuration without my orthodontist's approval. But I can't bear to harrass the poor man anymore, and I see him on Thursday anyway. I wonder what he'll say. Has he ever had a patient who takes matters into her own hands? Will he scold me? Am I being silly doing it? It feels very right so I will just trust myself.
My speech isn't great because the bands are tight. I am still mainly on mush but can jam things like noodles, chocolate brownie and bacon and egg pie through the small gap in my teeth, and mush them with my tongue, so I am managing to eat plenty.
Today I was tired. Very hard to get out of bed and had to have a sleep in the afternoon. But this has become unusual and I'm fairly good most days. Although I can't do as much as I used to. I know that will return.
My sleep is acceptable. I sleep all night but surface quite often. There is a slight discomfort to my jaw. Not really pain. Often a headache still, but not a really bad one. It usually goes when I get up.
I definitely have less numbness. The spot on the right hand side of my nose that hums in a warm fuzzy way when I wash my face has a fair bit of surface sensation now although seems numb underneath the skin. And the exploding tight feeling under my nose has eased a lot.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Clenching
A terrible realisation came upon me this morning. I woke early and lay in bed half asleep. Then it happened - a big fat grindy clench. This was a huge problem for me in the years before my surgery.
This time, I was clenching together my two canine teeth on the right, then grinding them past each another down into my bite.
Before, I was clenching and grinding on my two back molars on the left that touched. My teeth are badly badly worn at the back as a result (and as a result of normal chewing on such badly positioned teeth/jaws).
So this is good and bad. Good because there was no guarantee that my clenching/grinding was due to my bad bite. Apparently studies have shown people with perfect bites grinding their teeth, and bad bites with no such problem. It was having a bad impact on me because of headaches, the tooth wear and having to wear a splint every night to protect my teeth.
However I always felt it was due to the bad bite. I feel this proves it. Now I have a different bad bite and the crazy subconscious part of my brain that wants to get rid of the 'incorrect contact' goes to town when I go to sleep. And it does it in a way that it specific to the bite - clenches down on the 'wrong' bit. Today's was quite a different movement to the old clenching.
Also it is good because this bite with the canines too close is expected to be temporary, so it's not like I need to worry about doing it long enough for the teeth to wear away. And it's good because it does suggest that when the bite is aligned there won't be the stimulus for me to do it.
Bad because it must be really hard on my injured jaw joint and indeed I wake - or more like slightly surface - fairly frequently with pain in it, even though there's no pain before I go to bed, or no similar pain during the day. During the day it's a stabbing, fast, brief pain.
Also, if I'm not meant to chew yet, what will this be doing to my bones etc? Apparently the force that goes into night time clenching far, far exceeds anything that can be done voluntarily during the day. (Although as my surgeon has said a couple of times, he had to detach the muscles to move the jaw, so the muscles very much lack strength to start with.)
Strategy: tonight I start sleeping in the same bed with my husband again (I've been in a different room scared I'll wake him). He is the best one at monitoring my clenching because I am very lucky to catch one. He hears it while I'm asleep. Then I'll get some idea of how much it happens. (Hopefully for me he doesn't sleep too heavily to make him a decent clench policeman!)
Then: muscle relaxants. I can't take the one my surgeon usually gives out because I get these horrible jerky full body muscle spasms. I can talk to my sister in law who's a pharmacist to see if there are alternatives.
Then with this info I can ring the surgeon. I dread doing it becaue I do feel like I've harrassed him a lot. But I may have to.
This time, I was clenching together my two canine teeth on the right, then grinding them past each another down into my bite.
Before, I was clenching and grinding on my two back molars on the left that touched. My teeth are badly badly worn at the back as a result (and as a result of normal chewing on such badly positioned teeth/jaws).
So this is good and bad. Good because there was no guarantee that my clenching/grinding was due to my bad bite. Apparently studies have shown people with perfect bites grinding their teeth, and bad bites with no such problem. It was having a bad impact on me because of headaches, the tooth wear and having to wear a splint every night to protect my teeth.
However I always felt it was due to the bad bite. I feel this proves it. Now I have a different bad bite and the crazy subconscious part of my brain that wants to get rid of the 'incorrect contact' goes to town when I go to sleep. And it does it in a way that it specific to the bite - clenches down on the 'wrong' bit. Today's was quite a different movement to the old clenching.
Also it is good because this bite with the canines too close is expected to be temporary, so it's not like I need to worry about doing it long enough for the teeth to wear away. And it's good because it does suggest that when the bite is aligned there won't be the stimulus for me to do it.
Bad because it must be really hard on my injured jaw joint and indeed I wake - or more like slightly surface - fairly frequently with pain in it, even though there's no pain before I go to bed, or no similar pain during the day. During the day it's a stabbing, fast, brief pain.
Also, if I'm not meant to chew yet, what will this be doing to my bones etc? Apparently the force that goes into night time clenching far, far exceeds anything that can be done voluntarily during the day. (Although as my surgeon has said a couple of times, he had to detach the muscles to move the jaw, so the muscles very much lack strength to start with.)
Strategy: tonight I start sleeping in the same bed with my husband again (I've been in a different room scared I'll wake him). He is the best one at monitoring my clenching because I am very lucky to catch one. He hears it while I'm asleep. Then I'll get some idea of how much it happens. (Hopefully for me he doesn't sleep too heavily to make him a decent clench policeman!)
Then: muscle relaxants. I can't take the one my surgeon usually gives out because I get these horrible jerky full body muscle spasms. I can talk to my sister in law who's a pharmacist to see if there are alternatives.
Then with this info I can ring the surgeon. I dread doing it becaue I do feel like I've harrassed him a lot. But I may have to.
Nerves nerves nerves
My nerves are speaking to me! The nerves I refer to are the ones in the big numb patch on the right hand side of my nose. When I wash my face, or rub that part of it, I get a very strong, warm tingly feeling there that lasts for a minute or so. I quite like it. The first time it happened (about 3 days ago) it was followed by the whole area doing some bizarre spasming - actually twitching and moving so it could be seen! Something is coming to life!
I have full feeling everywhere in my lips except the right half of my top lip. I feel very lucky about that, because I know in the top lip and upper jaw the feeling always comes back.
I rang my surgeon today because the shooting pains in my jaw joint continue. He spent quite a while kindly explaining things - the exact same things he'd said to me last time he saw me (he probably just thought I needed the reassurance of hearing it again). Basically that it's due to everything being in a different position and he's surprised it's not happening on both sides, and that the big pain I felt in the hospital was the disk moving outwards and that's still causing pain etc. I knew all that, but the orthodontist had said to ring him and tell him about this different kind of pain. Anyway he left some anti-inflammatory pills with his receptionist so I went to pick them up. I was meant to take one tonight with my meal but forgot... the pain has actually been much less today! They're really expensive little beasties, those pills, I think, so I don't want to feel like I'm wasting them. (Not that I pay for them, it was all included in the fee.)
More comments today about how different I look, including from a friend who I hadn't mentioned the surgery to.
I've felt great the last couple of days. I planted a plum tree yesterday! The weather has been stunning, great to be outside and hard to believe it's winter. And today I walked my son to and from school (the children biked, I walked). I don't feel particularly tired tonight at all. Running is not good - I had to run after my daughter on her bike - makes the face bounce and increases the pressure.
I feel my speech is still impeded but I'm not sure that others notice it.
I have full feeling everywhere in my lips except the right half of my top lip. I feel very lucky about that, because I know in the top lip and upper jaw the feeling always comes back.
I rang my surgeon today because the shooting pains in my jaw joint continue. He spent quite a while kindly explaining things - the exact same things he'd said to me last time he saw me (he probably just thought I needed the reassurance of hearing it again). Basically that it's due to everything being in a different position and he's surprised it's not happening on both sides, and that the big pain I felt in the hospital was the disk moving outwards and that's still causing pain etc. I knew all that, but the orthodontist had said to ring him and tell him about this different kind of pain. Anyway he left some anti-inflammatory pills with his receptionist so I went to pick them up. I was meant to take one tonight with my meal but forgot... the pain has actually been much less today! They're really expensive little beasties, those pills, I think, so I don't want to feel like I'm wasting them. (Not that I pay for them, it was all included in the fee.)
More comments today about how different I look, including from a friend who I hadn't mentioned the surgery to.
I've felt great the last couple of days. I planted a plum tree yesterday! The weather has been stunning, great to be outside and hard to believe it's winter. And today I walked my son to and from school (the children biked, I walked). I don't feel particularly tired tonight at all. Running is not good - I had to run after my daughter on her bike - makes the face bounce and increases the pressure.
I feel my speech is still impeded but I'm not sure that others notice it.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Unplanned orthodontist trip
I rang my orthodontist this morning and asked, via his receptionist, if I could put my elastics back to the 'box shape' he had them in before my last visit, because my jaw joint was sore. He asked me to go in, which I did, and he and agreed that the box shape would be a better approach right now.
He seemed disappointed the midlines are still so 'off'.
As soon as he put the elastics into a box shape my bite felt better. It touches on both sides now (even if only at one point on each side!).
But I am still getting unpredictable shooting pains in my left jaw joint. Horrible. Mind you it's only been about 3 hours since I was there. I must give it time!
He said that if the pains don't stop I should let the surgeon know what's going on.
He seemed disappointed the midlines are still so 'off'.
As soon as he put the elastics into a box shape my bite felt better. It touches on both sides now (even if only at one point on each side!).
But I am still getting unpredictable shooting pains in my left jaw joint. Horrible. Mind you it's only been about 3 hours since I was there. I must give it time!
He said that if the pains don't stop I should let the surgeon know what's going on.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Three weeks yesterday
Nice jowl. There is still a lot more swelling on my right side than my left.
Can you see how my top midline, between my two front teeth, seems to be off to my left? However on an x ray it clearly isn't, everything's symmetrical - it's an illusion created by the soft tissue, which will hopefully disappear when the swelling does.
The bite's not much better. However I have done some internet research and found out that what I am waiting for is 'disk recapture'. This is when the disk in my right jaw joint, which is bulging out of its proper home, returns. That is what is thought to be pushing my lower jaw over to the right at the moment.
So now I have the language to give instructions: joint, recapture your disk! Disk, be recaptured!
Two nights ago I woke up to find myself pushing my jaw over into the correct centre position and repeatedly clicking my front teeth together. Fun, such a novelty having not been able to touch them for years! BUT What actually woke me was the pain in my jaw joint - it was very angry with such behaviour and punishing me severely.
This week I am walking my son to school in the mornings but relying on others to deliver him home. I can walk to school fine but get really tired on the way home. It's about 1.5km each way I think. Yesterday I lay down and slept after lunch (while my daughter pulled out every toy she could find) only to be awoken by a man in my house saying 'Andrea!'. My friend's husband had unexpectedly done the picking up. Gave me a surprise! I must start locking the door.
I am generally having good sleeps at night now. All my stitches are gone from what I can see and everything's healed really well. I have energetic times but there is definitely a tiredness and lack of energy still.
Generally I feel pretty good about the whole thing, I just want my bite in the right place and my sneery lip to drop. Oh, and my nose numbness to end. Given that all these things are bound to happen, I am pretty lucky!
This is my daughter. She will be three next month and is coping SO well with me laying around a lot! She often asks me 'Are you better yet?'.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Energy UP
Gosh. Did nothing whatsoever yesterday and had a horrible headache all night. Decided that lying around all day was not that helpful after all.
Today I just did normal things. Went for a 40 minute walk with my daughter - no problem! I was only slightly tired. (I had a big rest half way.) Then did weeding and digging etc in the garden in the afternoon. It made me hungry, and then I had a 'normal meal' with the family - fried fish, mashed potato, peas. Mushed it up with my tongue and lots of tartare sauce. I was the only one eating it with a teaspoon.
On Friday I took my daughter to a dancing/music thing that happens at a local church (not that I am a church goer). I missed out the jumping bits! Afterwards I went to get a cup of tea and the man serving the tea said to me "Hi, I'm Jack, what would you like?" Well, I have been going there for four years and he's been there nearly that long too, I see him nearly every week! Crazy.
Then I talked to one of the ladies that takes the classes who knew I was going to have the surgery (her cousin's an orthognathic surgeon). She didn't know I'd had my surgery and looked at me and said "So, what have you been up to recently?" as in normal conversation, she didn't notice I was any difference! Funny how different people see different things. I notice this very much since having children - one person will say 'She is exactly like you' and another will say 'She is the spitting image of your husband'.
I'm not sure that I've mentioned my neck. It was quite sore to touch from day 1 and that is where all my bruising was. I also had a cough from the beginning due to whatever they ram down there during surgery so you can breathe. A loose horrible one. I still have a slight cough. But to cough is so painful! My neck is so tight at the front. I can look side to side fine but to look up - it is all tight and painful and on the right hand side there is a cord/tendon type thing that sticks out and runs from my jaw to my collar bone, it feels hard as iron and won't let my head go up further. I had never even seen this beastie before the surgery. So every day I look up as far as I can and stretch it until it hurts. I am sure it will give in one day.
Better dash. Have to put my son to bed (who also looks just like me or just like Ian depending on the beholder) and order seeds for our summer vegetable garden.
Today I just did normal things. Went for a 40 minute walk with my daughter - no problem! I was only slightly tired. (I had a big rest half way.) Then did weeding and digging etc in the garden in the afternoon. It made me hungry, and then I had a 'normal meal' with the family - fried fish, mashed potato, peas. Mushed it up with my tongue and lots of tartare sauce. I was the only one eating it with a teaspoon.
On Friday I took my daughter to a dancing/music thing that happens at a local church (not that I am a church goer). I missed out the jumping bits! Afterwards I went to get a cup of tea and the man serving the tea said to me "Hi, I'm Jack, what would you like?" Well, I have been going there for four years and he's been there nearly that long too, I see him nearly every week! Crazy.
Then I talked to one of the ladies that takes the classes who knew I was going to have the surgery (her cousin's an orthognathic surgeon). She didn't know I'd had my surgery and looked at me and said "So, what have you been up to recently?" as in normal conversation, she didn't notice I was any difference! Funny how different people see different things. I notice this very much since having children - one person will say 'She is exactly like you' and another will say 'She is the spitting image of your husband'.
I'm not sure that I've mentioned my neck. It was quite sore to touch from day 1 and that is where all my bruising was. I also had a cough from the beginning due to whatever they ram down there during surgery so you can breathe. A loose horrible one. I still have a slight cough. But to cough is so painful! My neck is so tight at the front. I can look side to side fine but to look up - it is all tight and painful and on the right hand side there is a cord/tendon type thing that sticks out and runs from my jaw to my collar bone, it feels hard as iron and won't let my head go up further. I had never even seen this beastie before the surgery. So every day I look up as far as I can and stretch it until it hurts. I am sure it will give in one day.
Better dash. Have to put my son to bed (who also looks just like me or just like Ian depending on the beholder) and order seeds for our summer vegetable garden.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Tired and often despairing
Yes, tired. Sleep fine at night but still so tired! I remember last weekend when I did fairly heavy gardening for hours on end and cleaned the house! What was I ON?
Only my right top and bottom canine teeth touch again. It feels awful. I can just get two teeth together on the other side but that's with a very hard squeeze (which I shouldn't be doing). So it seems like things are getting worse not better. I could not physically chew if I was allowed to. I am hoping it's because my orthodontist has moved the canines back. He told me he was going to do that. If I'd realised it would create this situation I would have asked him not to!
So this is how I'm coping: I'm trying to pretend I'm someone who's never had a bad cold before and has no experience from other people either. I catch a bad cold and feel miserable. Then I am my surgeon, assuring me that the illness goes away! Then the novice with the cold (me with my swollen jaw joint) has much trouble believing the surgeon-me. But, as a rational adult, just has to believe him.
Certainly all evidence suggests he is right. On a post op panex shot he sent me (hard copy I'm afraid, I can't put it up for you), there is a big gap at one side of the ball at the top of the left joint. And the joint spasms occasionally and complains loudly when I yawn. The other side is pain free. And my surgeon is in no doubt at all that it will heal fully.
Of course the despair is there... I envisage another surgery.... all the what-ifs in my mind keep churning around.
So then I fret about why this had to happen, it would all be so perfect if it hadn't. But hey, there's hardly any point, is there, this is real life. I would probably be so positive about the whole thing I'd be mouthing off on the yahoo orthognathic support website and annoying other people.
Strangely the eating is no longer bothering me much. We make our own bread and I arose from my full morning back in bed asleep to find a loaf my husband had made. It was fresh and warm. I had to try. Smeared on lots of butter, cut it small, inserted it in the small slot between my teeth, and mouthed it down. I had 3 slices. YUMMMMM. I had really bad pregnancy nausea esp with my second child - sheer torture and absolutely nothing to be done about it. This is easy compared to that. It takes me ages to eat enough to get full but once I am at least I have several hours off even having to think about it. Compared to 8 weeks of feeling horribly sick all the time and vomiting every day.... I would choose this over that any day. Mind you the pay-off was better for that, if much delayed! She is the yummiest little girl! In many ways I write this blog for her in case she needs the surgery one day and it helps her... her lower jaw.... cross bite, on a slope... not a good legacy to pass on. But she is gorgeous, she looks a bit like Drew Barrymore with curls.
I'd better go to bed.
Only my right top and bottom canine teeth touch again. It feels awful. I can just get two teeth together on the other side but that's with a very hard squeeze (which I shouldn't be doing). So it seems like things are getting worse not better. I could not physically chew if I was allowed to. I am hoping it's because my orthodontist has moved the canines back. He told me he was going to do that. If I'd realised it would create this situation I would have asked him not to!
So this is how I'm coping: I'm trying to pretend I'm someone who's never had a bad cold before and has no experience from other people either. I catch a bad cold and feel miserable. Then I am my surgeon, assuring me that the illness goes away! Then the novice with the cold (me with my swollen jaw joint) has much trouble believing the surgeon-me. But, as a rational adult, just has to believe him.
Certainly all evidence suggests he is right. On a post op panex shot he sent me (hard copy I'm afraid, I can't put it up for you), there is a big gap at one side of the ball at the top of the left joint. And the joint spasms occasionally and complains loudly when I yawn. The other side is pain free. And my surgeon is in no doubt at all that it will heal fully.
Of course the despair is there... I envisage another surgery.... all the what-ifs in my mind keep churning around.
So then I fret about why this had to happen, it would all be so perfect if it hadn't. But hey, there's hardly any point, is there, this is real life. I would probably be so positive about the whole thing I'd be mouthing off on the yahoo orthognathic support website and annoying other people.
Strangely the eating is no longer bothering me much. We make our own bread and I arose from my full morning back in bed asleep to find a loaf my husband had made. It was fresh and warm. I had to try. Smeared on lots of butter, cut it small, inserted it in the small slot between my teeth, and mouthed it down. I had 3 slices. YUMMMMM. I had really bad pregnancy nausea esp with my second child - sheer torture and absolutely nothing to be done about it. This is easy compared to that. It takes me ages to eat enough to get full but once I am at least I have several hours off even having to think about it. Compared to 8 weeks of feeling horribly sick all the time and vomiting every day.... I would choose this over that any day. Mind you the pay-off was better for that, if much delayed! She is the yummiest little girl! In many ways I write this blog for her in case she needs the surgery one day and it helps her... her lower jaw.... cross bite, on a slope... not a good legacy to pass on. But she is gorgeous, she looks a bit like Drew Barrymore with curls.
I'd better go to bed.
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