New Pics!!

I know, it's been a while since I've posted some pics. Between Chris being gone, school starting back up and homework stacking up I've been all over the place!! But this morning before running off to school I took some quick pics of myself. Taking pics of yourself is difficult!! :) I notice alot of the swelling has gone down even from my last pics and I feel like it's gone down too. There is still some swelling right under my nose and a little on either side still as well...but not nearly like it was! So...enjoy!

Elastics are Fun

Yikes! It's been a week since I've posted anything new! Sorry, but school is putting the beating on me this semester. I had to do 100 different sketches of logo designs as well as 50 different resume layouts. That's just for ONE class I have 2 others!! ugh! But, I can't forget about this either!

Well, I'm getting more and more used to the elastics. The teeth they are connected to aren't screaming anymore!! I do get that 'heartbeat' throb like right around my front teeth area. I'm sure it's just due to elastics and healing and braces...etc., etc. Eating is difficult with the elastics in. Sometimes when I put the fork into my mouth I catch one of the elastics and get stuck!! It's very embarrassing when it happens around other people!! For lunch at school (if I was lazy and didn't pack a lunch) I get either soup or a tuna fish sandwich and eat it with a knife and a fork. Yeah I get some strange looks from my classmates but all I have to say is "I had jaw surgery this summer" and they immediately understand why!!

Chewing is a bit weird. I do favor eating on my right side. When I try to eat on my left my jaw starts to click. I'm not sure if I'm moving my jaw off to the side (and not up and down) when I chew on that side or not. You see, before the surgery, the only way I could chew food was to move my jaw over then bite down. I must be unconsciously trying to do the same thing now. But only on the left side. Maybe I'll look in the mirror next time to see. I don't see the orthodontist again until October 16th. So, I have to keep up with my elastics till then. It is hard to change them at lunch...we don't have much time to eat let alone switch elastics!! But I change them every morning and night.

I'll try to post new photos tomorrow. I was going to the other day then noticed my batteries were dead! whoops! The swelling has come down more but...still hanging on a little!! The left side of my chin is the only place that is not quite 100% feeling back, it still like that pins and needles feeling when I touch it. My gums are taking a bit longer to get all the feeling back too. Some spots it's back, some they're not. The surgeon said that would take a bit longer to get back. It's kinda funny when you drink something hot and only feel it in certain areas and not others!!! Oh well such is life post-op!

Two at a Time

So I had both an OS and an OD appointment today! The surgeon said everything was looking and healing great! Again, I forgot to ask about the possibility of that palate/appliance thingy he mentioned weeks back. But, hey maybe they will forgo it? He cleared me to eat anything within reason...'no jawbreakers!' he said. I would be petrified to eat something hard anyways. With that he said he didn't need to see me back for another 3 months! My next appointment won't be until December! wow!

So off I went to buy some bread and cheese...I've wanted a grilled cheese for some time now!! I made one for lunch but still cut it up into bite sized pieces!! It's just easier that way!

Then this afternoon I had my orthodontist visit. It went smoother than last time. Taking the surgical wires off is tough! They have to clip it into pieces and slide it through the brackets instead of just pulling it right out. I guess that's due to it's rectangular shape instead of the normal round wire! After that, it was time for the real test...rubber bands. Yes they are back, with a vengeance!! I have a band on each side of my mouth in a rectangular shape, nothing really drastic but oh my god are they tight bands!!! I have to wear them 24/7 and change them 2-3 times a day!! They also suggested to wear them while eating. While eating?!?! But, they explained that 1) they are there to have constant pressure to ensure my bite is where it should be 2) I need that guidance even when I'm chewing (which I agreed with) 3) people are less likely to forget to change them after eating when they are know they are probably gunked with food!!! So off I went with my diagram of which teeth they go on and two bags of bands--one for the purse and one for the medicine cabinet! I didn't get any word on how much longer they suppose I'll be in braces. They were really busy today so I'll try again next time.

I figure I should go and take some Advil before something decides to hurt a lot!

Getting by

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. The last few days have been crazy ups and downs. My husband got shipped off overseas this past Sunday and won't be back until early next year (next year!!). So needless to say, I wasn't in the best shape that day. But, I have school to keep me occupied which they wasted no time in doing that. It's my senior year and they push you quite hard!

On the teeth front, my front teeth are calming down more and more. They still get a bit sensitive but, much better than before. I seem to favor eating on my right side since when I try to eat on my left my jaw on that side seems to click and it doesn't feel as strong as the other side. It's a new way of chewing and I'm still getting used to it I guess! I almost want the bands back just to give me a guide of where and how to chew. I'm sure they will be back shortly! I see my OS on Thursday morning and then the OD Thursday afternoon. I wonder what they are going to say!?

The H2O Factor...

So with school starting this week I'm way off in my water and food intake. I'm already bad at drinking enough water but I was doing good for a while there. Now that I'm back at school and water is at a steep $1.35 a bottle...I forget to drink any. Now I feel like I'm paying for it. My face felt really puffy yesterday and I didn't feel like talking a whole lot. Drink, drink, drink is my new motto!

Also, I had someone else tell me that my voice sounds a bit different. Chris had already mentioned this to me once before. He says it sounds a little higher pitched. I can't tell! I know it feel a bit numb on the right side of the roof of my mouth and a little in the way back of my mouth too. I wonder if it's still swollen and that's why I sound different or, it's just because the roof of my mouth is a different shape now which affects the sound of my voice?? Hmmmm...

Back in Books

So, I'm back to school. I had one class yesterday but only knew a few people in it. But today, I got to see my entire senior class. I got many a mention, or a look like 'you look different somehow...' My close friends knew what I was going through during the summer but wanted to see it in person. They noticed the difference...even the small stuff I wouldn't think anyone would!! yay!

As for my teeth, my teeth are calming down with the occasional zing! My mouth does get a bit sore with all the smiling, laughing and talking now that I'm around people all day long!! But with my 45 minute commute I relax the mouth and take it easy.

I've found myself clenching my teeth sometimes right as I'm waking up. I used to do this before the surgery as well. I do catch myself and tell my brain to tell my mouth to knock it off. Maybe that's why some teeth are sore!?

Ahhhh...ouch...to not have a splint.

It's great for eating and talking but now...my teeth are sore!! About three teeth are being pains...literally. My front right tooth, the one next to that and a molar in the back left are sore to the touch. I guess I should be happy that I'm feeling anything in my teeth but...ouch! But, a little Advil does the trick. I might also stop tomorrow to get some Sensodyne toothpaste...that used to help with the post-OD tightenings.

It also seems that my top stitches fell out as well. I used to see to little white strings hanging down under my top lip but...they are gone!!

Well we were gone all weekend visiting family and school starts tomorrow so I'd better go and get my stuff together!

My New Bite pic!

Ok, here is a mega close-up of my bite in all its fantasticness! My husband is still snoozing so I had to take this on my own. When I smile big you really can only see my top teeth and not alot of them either. My top lip is still stiff and my bottom one as well since the Genio stitches were right in the front! So I had to hold my bottom lip down myself!!

My midline isn't quite lined up perfectly (but we 're not out for perfection are we?!) but the OD hasn't started her magic yet either. But it is a vast improvement from my open/cross bite (see second pic)! Oh and nevermind the tea stains...I just can't part with my tea and coffee!!

This is the before...big difference huh!