Day 34

Pain: 1 out of 10 just achy

It's been over a month wow how time flies.


My face is still swollen on the right...it looks weird.

I have eaten pizza already but it's torn into tiny pieces so I can mash it with my tongue. I had the stomach flu the other day and had to chew some tums which was hard to do. I had to stand in front of a mirror to watch myself. I still can't feel my teeth so I feel like I'm chewing on my cheeks.

My hubby and I went to olive garden on Friday and it was delicious. Luckily we sat in the bar in the corner because I was so worried about dribbling or having food sit on my chin and not knowing it. Kev messed with me and told me there was food even when there wasn't lol. I don't think I've ever used a napkin so much during a meal before.

Not much else is new...still soft foods and an appt with Dr. Lee on the 26th.

Going to Vegas to see my sister in April. Woohoo!

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Post op appt #2

I know I've been MIA but here is a pic of my X-ray after surgery




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Location:Dr Lee's office Seattle

Day 13

Wow I can't believe it's been almost two weeks!

As you can see I'm still swollen on the right quite a bit


The swollen smile...at least my teeth kind of show now


Left side


Right side



My slowly fading neck bruise...look at how swollen my lips still are, especially the right side.


I am down 18 lbs as of today including the 4 I gained before surgery...I went on a pizza binge and it was delicious! I need to lose weight anyway and I see this as a way of starting a new healthy lifestyle. It's easy to do when you can't eat chips, pizza, popcorn etc.

I just bought a super B complex vitamin in hopes it will help my nerves. I just want feeling back lol. It feels like I've been at the dentist everyday. I have been doing facial exercises and I can feel it coming back in patches. It would be nice to smile and talk when I go to the grocery store and not have people look at me funny. I feel so blessed to not have a disease like bells palsy. My heart goes out to those that have such issues.

Well I am going to go and play with my nephew. Have a goodday everyone!

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Day 8-soft food update

Ah ihop sounded wonderful but its too difficult to try and eat.

I ate a crepe which took forever...I never realized how much you take a healthy jaw for granted.

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Location:Lake Stevens

Day 8

My new rubber band arrangement...like the dental wax on the two bottom teeth? Lol...the surgical hooks have cut a huge hole in my lip.





I'm officially on soft foods now!!! Yeah it's time for crepes and scrambled eggs from ihop!!!

I couldn't find my humidifier so I just went and bought a new one...it's cheaper to buy a pediatric one that does the same thing..funny how they price things.

It was my first day out and about today. I had a post op with Dr. Lee and she said I look amazing even with the purply bruised neck. The nurse and Dr. Lee both said that's where they choked me during surgery lol!!!! The gals there are too funny.

Dr. Lee said I'm chewing on my cheek which is what is causing the lump on it and I need to take care to pull out my cheek before I bite down. It's smaller than the last two days so that's good and she said it's not infected.

It's mid afternoon and I am tired already. Going to Seattle and then going to the store is a process. At least I can get some protein in me now...mmmm eggs!!!

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Location:9th St SE,Everett,United States

Day 6

Pain: 5/10
Inconvenience: 10/10

My fish lips...left side





Fish lips right side...


















My wonderful neck bruise...

I think my nose is still swollen and upturned. My right cheek is still swollen but I think it's because I fall asleep and always end up sleeping with my head to the right side. I try to stay propped up but I manage to try and curl up around my pillows like normal. Normally I sleep on my stomach with my arm and leg on top of my body pillow. It will be amazing to sleep normal again.

Since I'm not fully banded an have a small opening I slurped down some spaghetti-os which I hope wasn't too bad of a thing because they are as soft as a milkshake. They still taste like crap but I haven't eaten much so it was okay lol

My small opening.






I think I only have one band on each side but I can't wait to have them off to brush my teeth. I know I had my teeth cleaned last tuesday but I could go for another cleaning. My mouth is disgusting. I had a white patch all over my tongue which I obviously wasn't cleaning well. I got my tongue scraper in and scraped the front but that doesn't help the rest of my mouth.

Does anyone else have throat pain like where there nose and throat meet? I can't figure out if it's from not having a humidifier on at night and just using a fan (thanks to my hubby it's a habit when I sleep) and/or having drainage from my nose. How can it continually drain so much...I even did a sinus rinse two days earlier than dr lee said I could and it cleaned out alot of mucous but whenever I bend over it seems to drip...yes I know tmi lol

Well I'm going to go and finish watching House...kinda makes me want to be in the hospital where I could just be shot up with Demerol and toradol again...this liquid vicodin makes me want to puke it's so gross

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Day 5

Pain: 5/10
Inconvenience: 10/10

Wow I didn't think swelling could get any worse but I think yesterday and sleeping for a few hours on my side didn't help.




I have such swollen Lisa Rinna lips right now...They keep shedding no matter how much lip stuff I put on them. I guess I won't need my lip plumper for a while.

I was so hungry I just ate some chicken and stars broth cause it tastes way better than plain broth...all those little stars went to waste

My sister Liz has been nursing me back to health and went and bought me some of those old fashioned ice bags...they are amazing and don't leak like the hospital ones.

I really wish I could eat right now...all that I keep seeing on tv are infomercials for food...and I just bought a bread machine a few weeks ago...mmm I am craving zucchini and pumpkin bread...hmmm maybe I can come up with a zucchini smoothie lol...eww that just doesn't even sound right. Although I think I'm gonna make a pumpkin smoothie today...mmm they are so good. Tastes like pumpkin pie without the crust. I will post a recipe as soon as I perfect it.

Well I'm going to try and watch another dvr since I can barely make it thru two of them. I finally got thru bones and I had tried to watch it 4 times before not falling asleep.

I think the mist frustrating thing is being so swollen and not being able to eat. I keep getting little spots where feeling is comic back and now my ears have started to hurt. I try not to take liquid vicodin because it tastes disgusting but when it starts to hurt enough I have to. I try to chase it down with some lemon lime soda but the taste is hard to mask. At least the antibiotics taste ok although they are starting to be unpalatable as well. I think the liquid ibuprofen is tangy orange and it kinda burns the throat.

I'm going to start making a list of food I want to ear when I'm healed lol...starting with popcorn and zucchini bread. Any bread would do though...



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Day 4

Pain: 5/10
Inconvenience: 8/10

I woke up after about 6 or so hours of sleep and found my face even more swollen. I read other blogs that said this happens alot. I still can't believe I can be so numb but be in pain.

I can't believe how many food commercials are on...in hungry lol

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Location:Lake Stevens

Day 2

Pain: 3/10
Inconvenience: 6/10

I made it home! I was in the ICU the entire time after surgery because my oxygen levels dropped, but Dr. Lee said she want surprised since I'm congested and my mouth was banded shut tightly.

Before I was discharged she came in and removed quite a few bands and now it's easier to breath through my mouth. She also told me to use a qtip with hydrogen peroxide on it to clean out my nose.

I have enough room to fit a stage 1 baby tooth brush in my mouth and brush my tongue and roof of my mouth...thank god it feels good just to brush my teeth a little bit. I even took a shower today which felt so good. After waking from anesthesia I was sweating like crazy.

My sister made me malt o meal which I thinned out and used a baby spoon to eat. I also had a frozen coffee which tasted amazing!!

I just woke up after about 6 hours of sleep and it's day 3 now so onto a new post.


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Location:Lake Stevens

Initial X-Rays

Geez I have a ton of root canals and crowns!

If you compare the jaw you can see how the chondylar process (rounded part) grew longer on the right side (xrays are read backwards lol) causing the assymmetrical jaw line.


In this pic you can see my overbite...unfortunately I have no idea what else this X-ray says



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4.5 hours to go

I got my teeth cleaned this morning and X-rays taken for my annual checkup and I'm excited...not a single cavity and I was praised on my gums being healthy. When I told the dentist I really only waterpik I was told I need to floss too. I figure that if my gums were fine to begin with before I mentioned my half-ass flossing then I'm good.

I then got my surgical hooks...they are annoying on the bottom lip only. I can't really feel them on top, but they are nowhere near the spacers I had before I had my braces. I cried the night they started moving my teeth, if felt like I needed a root canal. I hope that I heal fast and get them taken off soon. As you can see my top jaw is assymmetrical and I have a bad overbite.



My mom and I are spending the night in Seattle so we don't have to get up at 3 am to be at Swedish Hospital at 5:30.

I am so nervous that my delicious chicken dinner was barely eaten. Mmm the grilled chicken at Black Angus is amazing. I'm hoping to recreate it after I can eat again.

I've researched other blogs and have prepared my house...I got a blender for Christmas, leftover cans of baby food from my nephew, frozen fruit and yogurt for smoothies, malt o' meal (I have my sister on the hunt for the chocolate kind), carnation breakfast, and a ton of vitamins and herbs. I'd rather heal naturally and as fast as possible.

I went to Super Supplements and stocked up on Alive Multivitamin, Calcium & Mahnesium, silica ( helps heal skin, ligaments, tendons and other tissues), and a probiotic all in liquid form. I bought arnica gel and tabs (reduces bruising), bromelain (to reduce swelling, inflammation, and bruising), and Borion's homeopathic pellets Staphysagria (which promotes healing of surgical wounds) and Symphytum official (which promotes healing of bone trauma). Oh I almost forgot Vitamin C!!!

I know it seems like alot, but they don't interact with each other and they are more natural than pumping my body full of pain killers.

I will let you all know how they worked.

It's now only 4 hours to go. I'm so nervous I can't sleep.

I think all the YouTube videos I watched didn't help.

Will keep you posted.

I can't wait for the verced or whatever they give me to calm my nerves lol

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Location:Seattle