16 Days Post-Op

It's been 2 weeks and 2 days since the operation. The second week has gone a bit slower if I'm being honest. Food has a big part to play in the time dragging! But you really do realise how much unnecessary food you reach for during the day when you're not able to eat it! I still find myself reaching for cereal at night or craving a slice of toast.

I've lost a total of a stone in this process but I'm maintaining my weight now. I still allow myself treats such as custard and milkshakes. My mother made a coffee cake the other day and everyone in my family were making no secret of the fact that it was delicious. I got a slice, threw it in my blender along with some Ben n' Jerry's and milk and whizzed it together. It was gorgeous :)

Desserts are quite important to keep your weight up but I wouldn't recommend too much sugar as it wouldn't be the best for healing. Also because you're not fully able to brush your teeth yet you dont want them beginning to rot!

Took this picture after a long day travelling to the hospital and back. Your energy levels can get quite low at times which I'm still trying to get used to!

In terms of pain there is none. The only discomfort I'm feeling is pressure in my teeth due to the tight elastics, but I only feel this at night and it's quite bearable. My bottom teeth also feel quite sensitive. I stopped taking my painkillers 2 days ago which I'm delighted about because I really dont like them.

The swelling has gone down quite a bit since last week although it tends to flare up when I do too much talking and especially laughing! Mum doesn't want my friends to come over anymore as they're making me laugh too much! Ice packs are good for when your face swells.

I went to my surgeon today for my second visit post-op. I was hoping he would put looser elastics on but instead he put even tighter ones and doesn't need to see me until the 4th of June. Am quite disappointed as it's my cousins 21st next week and I was hoping to have looser elastics by then. 

Have to keep reminding myself to be patient. There's no point in trying to rush healing!

He said my mouth was nice and clean. I rinse my mouth with saline solution after every meal. It's very easy to be lazy with this part but its so important to prevent unnecessary infection of the stitches.

I also use a baby toothbrush which my surgeon gave to me to brush around the outside of my teeth.  

He told me to start applying Bio Oil to my face to help bring down the soft tissues that were brought up my face during the surgery which I'm going to start tonight. 

My First Attempt at a Smile

God I dont even remember the last time I smiled at a camera. This feels so strange! I'm gonna have to start genuinely practicing. My lips are still kind of numb and my elastics are quite tight so it's very difficult to smile but here's my first attempt. Not gonna lie, it feels great :)

First Visit to Orthodontist and Surgeon Post-Op.

Today I went to see both my orthodontist and surgeon. When I arrived at my ortho the receptionist asked me had I the operation done 2 or 3 weeks ago! They couldnt get over how good I looked 9 days post-op. My ortho was delighted with my results. He said they were even better than he ever thought they were gonna be. He deals with lots of cases like mine so is able to see through the swelling. He said my results are going to be fantastic and that I'm gonna have to be "locked up" :P
He didnt do anything he just wanted to have a quick look for himself. I have to go back in 2 weeks.

My surgeon was very happy with my healing. He said my stitches were nice and clean which I was relieved about as the one above my top lip was hurting me. He said that was very normal and that most people experience pain with that particular one as it can be quite tight. I was very lucky I had my appointments today as when I was brushing my teeth this morning my elastic band snapped.
I got a new set of tighter elastics put onto my braces which I was confused about as I thought they got looser with every visit. These ones are very tight, my teeth feel like they're being crushed against each other. I was told to make an appointment for next Thursday. Getting the elastics on hurt quite a bit as he had to stretch open my mouth which cause my tender stitch to stretch even more :(

I then went to visit my cousins on the way home and they couldnt get over my results. Getting such positive feedback really is so rewarding and makes the recovery feel so much more worth it. Having said that the recovery really is much easier now that I've gotten through the first week. I have a lot more energy and am not in as much pain.

Today was also the first time I tied my hair up for a full day outside in over 7 years. Words cant express how great it felt, even with a swollen hamster face :D

Preperation for Before and After Surgery

There are many things you're gonna want to stock up on before undergoing jaw surgery. It's vital to be as organised as you can beforehand so that you can sit back and recover to the best of your ability.

• Arnica - In the weeks leading up to the surgery I began taking Arnica pills to help with the potential bruising and swelling. It is a natural plant so there's nothing to worry about. These I can vouch for as the only bruising that appeared on my face was a slight one under my eye which was gone in a day. Even though my swelling was pretty bad, it has definitely been subsiding since day 6.
• The second my bandages came off I began using Arnica cream on my face which I applied twice a day. 

• Manuka Honey - After the surgery your throat is going to be tender because of the tube they insert down it to aid breathing. As soon as your given a cup of tea after the procedure, spoon some of this into it. It soothes and promotes healing. I recommend getting Manuka 50+ even though it is quite expensive.
• One of my stitches was hurting me so I applied some manuka onto it. It worked wonders! 

• Lip Balm - Can't stress it's importance enough. I forgot to apply it religiously in the weeks leading up to the surgery and my lips were so swollen and dry afterwards. We found an excellent lip repair cream called La Roche-Posay Ceralip in a pharmacy. Its especially for lips that have undergone 'trauma' and I found it extremely effective. 

• Ice Packs - My hospital were pretty terrible for ensuring I always had an ice pack. Even if you feel you're annoying the nurses keep asking for them, the more you ice after the surgery, they less severe you'll swell.

• Cotton Buds - I found to be extremely effective for cleaning out the stitches in my mouth. Dip them into warm salt water and gently clean in and around the stitches. 

• iPod - Might be obvious for some but an iPod filled with relaxing soothing music was vital to calm me in the hospital and ensure I got a few hours sleep. I recommend composers like Hans Zimmer and Yan Tiersen.

• Books/Kindle - I thought that I would be too exhausted and weak to read much in the hospital but I was actually very alert and was able to read quite a bit. Make sure you have a light-hearted, easy read picked out for your hospital stay. I put Game of Thrones aside as it was much too heavy for it. Instead I downloaded a humorous book that was able to give me a few laughs.

• Showering - I read somewhere that you should avoid showering as the pressure from the water can hurt the healing bones. I had to gently wash my hair when I got home from the hospital though as I couldnt relax with 'hospital grime' all over me. I waited 7 days until I washed my hair again though to give my bones the best chance of healing. I know it sounds disgusting but just keep your hair tied up and take a bath every evening. It's actually good for your hair to get a chance to produce natural oils :) 

So....It Finally Happened! Account of Day 1-6.

Today marks exactly one week since I had my double jaw surgery! I cant believe how both fast and slow this week has gone simultaneously. 

I'm quite happy with my healing so I plan to share many of the recipes for liquidized meals my mother has come up with in order to help anyone going through this surgery.

This post I'll talk about my experience for the first 2 days I was in hospital.

Here's a few pictures of me before the surgery. I had an underbite which was corrected by moving my top jaw forward 4mm and the bottom back 2mm.

When I arrived at the hospital I was weighed and told to change into robes and produce a urine sample. I then had to wait for about an hour until I they confirmed a bed for me after the surgery. 

I kept expecting myself to get nervous, but it never came. I wanted this surgery way too much and waited far too long to get nervous. I surprised the doctors and nurses who kept looking at me like I was deranged. I was like a child on Christmas morning!

I was wheeled into the anesthetic room, given a relaxant through an IV (which feels great, not gonna lie! Pugs not Drugs people!) Then the next thing I knew I was waking up.

Now I dont want to scare anyone, but I'm telling an account of my experience so Im gonna be honest. I woke up to a lot of doctors and nurses surrounding me looking worried. My heart rate had gone up to 160 and there was a rash on my chest. They kept asking my was I allergic to morphine and I kept saying no as I knew I had morphine when I got my wisdom teeth removed over a year ago. Anyway because of that scare I had to stay in the recovery room for 4 hours which kinda sucked.

Waking up is a bit claustrophobic. If you're having double jaw surgery (or bottom jaw) you will have a bandage wrapped around your entire face and you will find it difficult to breathe. They give you an oxygen mask which really helps with the breathing. Expect your nose to bleed quite a bit. They stuck a bandage underneath mine to catch the blood. You wont look pretty.

 

 The first night in the hospital was very tough for me. I suggest loading your iPod with soothing soundtracks and songs that relax you. I recently downloaded the Life of Pi soundtrack which really helped me catch a few hours sleep.

Because they insert a tube down your throat during the surgery, my throat felt raw and sore. It felt like it kept lining itself with mucous and I was afraid of suffocating. Thats perfectly normal you just have to keep calm during this. I told the night nurse I was afraid of the mucous suffocating me and she gave me a mask with moist oxygen in it. This really helped. 

The music helped drown out the noises of the ward and focused my mind elsewhere.

In the morning you are given anti-swelling, anti-nausea and antibiotics through your IV. I didnt much like the feeling of fluids in my veins but its not so bad.

My surgeon came to see me the next morning and removed my head bandages which was a huge relief. This was when I first saw my 'new face'. I couldnt believe how much smaller and shorter it was. 

He told me to go down to his clinic in the hospital and he would wash my face rinse my mouth out for me. I then had to get X-Rays done. He told me I should keep my hair tied up. As I walked down the corridors of the hospital with my hair up I will never forget how 'free' I felt. Now I have to remember I was still pretty pumped with drugs, but all my life I've NEVER tied my hair up as I've always hated my profile and my long face. Even with a swollen face, I walked down those corridors with a new sense of freedom. It was amazing.

My lips were veeeery swollen. They took quite a beating during surgery. My only advice would be to lather on vaseline and lip treatment in the weeks leading up to the surgery. I know I forgot to do this and my lips are still swollen, but its perfectly normal.

After that I returned to my room and waited until visiting hours when my mum dad and aunt could visit. Visiting hours were terrible in my hospital, 2-3pm and 7-8pm.
Word of advice, apply arnica cream religiously. I started applying it the minute my bandages came off and I have yet to bruise badly. My relations couldnt believe the difference in my face. They hadn't seen me since the bandages were removed and weren't even sure if it was me in the bed or not. I was given a bit of soup and some tea that evening. I put some Manuka honey into the tea to help my throat.

Night 2 I slept a little easier but it was still uncomfortable. I didn't need oxygen this time. The nurses gave me nose drops to help with the congestion. You're not allowed to blow your nose for a few weeks after the surgery so you will experience a lot of congestion. Sleeping upright was a pain too.
The next morning I was given softened warm Weetabix which a slurped down and more tea which I added honey to again. Really recommend doing that, you get a nice burst of energy. My surgeon came to see me and told me I was doing well so I could go home that day. I was so happy not to have to spend another night in the hospital. The nutritionist came to see me and talked me through a leaflet of a diet plan. My mother's is 100 times better, just say'n heh.






The ride home was pretty emotional. My swelling had gotten worse and I began to get scared of my reflection. Thoughts like "what are people going to think?!" kept coming into my head. The swelling really does throw you off. It's why I'm glad I waited a week to write this blog. If I had written it on day 2 or 3 I would have had a totally different mind frame.
The picture says day 4 but its was actually Day 3, sorry!
The swelling got worse on Day 4. Days 3-7 really are very tough and you just HAVE to keep remembering that it is worth it. Strive for day 7, its when I finally felt more myself.

 Above is when I was most swollen on Day 4. I remember sobbing uncontrollably as I convinced myself that I had no chin and that I'd made a huge mistake. This was just the swelling though so I cant stress enough how important it is to wait it out before you make any judgements!

You can see the difference a day makes in terms of swelling.

I just cant believe how much smaller my face is and I'm so happy. No more hiding my chin in a scarf walking down the street, or being self conscious to tie up my hair! Things normal people really dont think twice about. I cant wait until I can try out my new smile though!

Gonna go to bed now but I'll write up a post about the things I did to prepare myself for surgery and also a list of recipes to keep your health at its best during recovery!