Sarpe Recovery - 3 Week update

Well, the last of my stitches finally fell out! It's been roughly 3 weeks since my surgery and I'm so happy that all my stitches are finally gone. The last two stitches were in the center of my incision and have been really bothering me the last couple days. I really wanted mother nature to just take its course and wait for them to either dissolve or fall out. But if they hadn't fallen out by next week, I was going to mention something to my orthodontist at my next appointment. Thankfully, they fell out on their own so I don't need to mention it to Dr. Kline.

I can now sorta use my tongue to feel the scar around my upper jaw and it sorta freaks me out a bit. I try not to do it a lot but most of the time I can't really help it. I also got some feeling back into my upper right teeth which is good. Makes me feel like I might not accidentally drool on myself as much anymore.

Still cranking PEA but now only once a day. I initially did it 4 times a day for 1 week and then 2 times a day for 1 week. Once I get fitted for PEA 2.0 then I'll probably go back to 2 times a day until I'm completely finished.

surgery weight loss

Recovery has been going really well. The bruises are all gone and almost all of my stitches have fallen out. I just have 1-2 more stitches left near the center of my top lip. I really just want to yank them out but I'm trying to be good.
Some of the stitches fell out over the holiday weekend. I was drinking a glass of juice and felt something in my mouth. Apparently, I had a huge giant clot near the top of my mouth. It fell out while drinking my juice and it even had a few stitches still in it. Totally grossed me out. I ended up throwing my juice out and brushed my teeth for a good 10 minutes after. Thankfully, I didn't vomit. Can't imagine that throwing up with PEA would be any fun.
Since my surgery,  I've lost roughly 10-12 pounds. And I've kept it off too! Its made me realize that I should try and make healthier choices. Since the weather is nice and its july, I want to try and fix up my bike. I might not be able to do much but I can ride a bike! And Don's parents have an old stationary bike that I might be able to use. That way I could use it all year long. I've been good and stayed away from bread and I think it's working. I can't say no to pasta all the time but I can say no to bread. We shall see!

SARPE Recovery - 10+ days

I am now 11 days post surgery and I feel pretty good! My bruising is very minimal and almost completely gone. I also have a noticeable space between my front 2 teeth. Food is still somewhat difficult to chew and process which is why I'm still eating a lot of softer foods. Fish, applesauce, yogurt and ice cream are some of my favorites. Mostly it's hard to chew because things get stuck in PEA or they get caught up in my scar/stitches and it's uncomfortable to fish them out using my tongue. I feel that this will be the way of things for a while. I'll just have to get used to it I guess. :)
Bread is still one of the harder things to eat so I've decided to just forgo it as much as possible. I think cutting out bread will help me to keep off the weight that I've lost. I didn't realize how much bread I was actually consuming before my surgery. Crazy because I didn't think of myself as a huge bread eater! I really only like french toast and sandwiches but I guess I was eating them all the time. I had a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch today and I think that'll be the last sandwich that I have for a while. I felt kinda yucky after eating it and it took me almost 25 minutes to eat the darn thing. Thanks but no thanks.

I have 2 more orthodontist appointments in July and was warned that I will probably need to get refitted for a new PEA. It'll be PEA 2.0! I guess the screw that widens your jaw only has so many turns and it looks like mine are going to run out before my jaw gets to be the right size. AKA they get me a new PEA with a reset screw. Thankfully, I won't have to turn it forever.

Now that I'm 10+ days into my recovery, I know for sure that this was the right thing to do. Yea, it was a little difficult and I know I have a long road ahead of me but I know that it was part of the journey I'm on. If anyone is thinking getting this done but is on the fence about it because they are afraid of surgery or the recovery after the surgery, please don't be afraid. Yea, I was a little sore and bruised after the surgery. And the whole soft food/liquid diet thing was a pain in the butt but it just doesn't compare to how I will feel when everything is done and I have a brand new smile. The confidence boost alone will change everything. I can't wait!

Updates for the next few weeks might be a little sparse because the 4th is coming up along with my vacation! I'll try and post some short updates after my orthodontist appointments. Until then, Happy 4th everyone!

Sarpe Recovery - Day 7

It's been a full week since I last had surgery and I feel pretty good! I went back to work today which was exciting. I've been given a special project at work that doesn't involve answering the phones or lifting anything too heavy which is exactly what I wanted. I'm just glad that I don't have to stay home anymore because I was starting to go a little stir crazy with all the free time I had! Although I probably could have spent another 3 or 4 days power-watching the 2nd season of Game of Thrones that I recently acquired. Oh well, work is better anyway! Gotta save that earned time and make some money!

I've slowly started to eat tougher foods but not a lot. I had a hot dog and potato salad for dinner tonight which was perfect. I might go and have a bowl of ice cream before bed. It's sorta calling my name. :P

People at work have been very supportive. However, I don't think some of them expected me to come back so soon after surgery. I work in a larger department so I don't get to see everyone on a regular basis. Some people work a limited schedule and quite a few people left for vacation the week before my surgery. Now, the bruises around my face are slowly starting to get worse, especially now that I am talking more and eating a wider variety of food. They've gone from a yellowish-green to a greenish-purple in some spots. When I came back today, a lot of my coworkers seemed surprised at the bruises around my mouth and along my jawline. I guess people were just surprised that I came back so soon after surgery with the way the bruises look. I honestly don't really care. I'm not going to let a couple bruises stop me from going back to work and doing my job. One coworker said that it almost doesn't look like a bruise, it sorta looks like I got bbq sauce on my face and was too lazy to wipe it off! It made me laugh which I appreciated.
I'm sure some people thought I had just taken a week off for vacation, lol. A Blue Cross Blue Shield vacation maybe, HAHA. It was just amusing to see people's reactions. As one of my coworkers put it, "They broke your face!" Which, yea, they kinda did but in a not so bad kinda way.

I've got a teeny tiny space starting to appear between my front two teeth which is exciting! My front two teeth are still kinda numb though. When I brush my tongue up against them I don't really feel anything. I hit one of my front teeth with a spoon yesterday and expected to feel something but didn't. Doing some more research online, I found that this is actually quite common and the feeling will come back eventually.

Since my teeth have started to separate, I've discovered that I have a cavity on my front left tooth. It was hiding behind the other tooth! However, I'm not sure when I will be able to get this cavity filled. I might have to wait awhile since I don't know how novacaine will affect my upper jaw now that there are stitches and such up there. I'll ask the orthodontist tomorrow what she thinks and go from there.

Anyway, here are some more images of my recovery!

Sarpe Recovery - Day 7

Attempting to smile.

Sarpe Recovery - Day 5

Today was the big day! I had my post-op appointment this morning at 10:30am. My surgeon was happily surprised at how good I looked. My jaw has started to bruise and I was a lovely shade of yellow/green when I had my appointment. However, according to my surgeon, most of his patients who go through the same procedure bruise more heavily than me. He said the bruises will probably become more pronounced within the next couple of days but to just keep using the heat pad to help promote blood circulation. They should slowly start to diminish as I heal.

He told me that I can start to amp up my diet (which makes me very happy). This means I can eat more than ice cream, yogurt and mashed potatoes. My local grocery store had a sale on some really nice looking salmon and wild cod so I think I'll make that tonight to celebrate. Oh man, just thinking about it makes me so hungry!

I was also told that I can now take ibuprofen again. You have no idea how happy I was when he told me that I could start taking the ibuprofen again. Tylenol helps to take the edge off but doesn't even come close to what ibuprofen does. If I want to take the ibuprofen I will have to amp up my diet though because my stomach will be very upset if I take the ibuprofen without eating first.

I am still not allowed to blow my nose or use a straw. I can do both starting next week which is good cause I've been dying for an iced coffee and to be able to blow my nose. I think I can wait a little longer though.

And lastly, the best part, he gave me the ok to go back to work! He told me that it was up to me and how I felt but that if I wanted to go back, he said he was fine with it. He was a little concerned with me over-doing it though so he suggested a modified lite duty. For the first week I'm back, he doesn't want me to do any heavy lifting and to limit my talking on the phone which I'm totally fine with. I work in a pharmacy and there's a bunch of stuff I can do without answering the phone or lifting heavy stuff so I'm not concerned. I have another appointment tomorrow morning at the hospital where I will get cleared to go back to work. I can't officially work until occupational health clears me. It's a little bit of over-kill but I understand why they do it. Patient safety comes first and they need to make sure that I'm well enough to work so that my patients leave happy and healthy. I'll just have to talk to my boss about coming back early and hopefully she'll have something for me to do.

There was a slight hiccup with the orthodontist though. Apparently, I was supposed to also have a post-op appointment with my orthodontist. When I was last there, I asked about when I should see her again, and was told 6 weeks after my surgery. So that's what I scheduled. When I told Dr. Keith that, he said that there must have been some kind of mistake because I should have had an appointment to see her 1-2 weeks after my surgery. It doesn't really surprise me, the people at the front office can be super spacey. And they have a lot of new staff that aren't that familiar with schedules. But he called my orthodontist and fixed everything. Now I have an orthodontist appointment Friday morning at 8am. I'm not looking forward to driving into Boston on a Friday morning but I will do it.

Anyway, I feel a lot better and am looking forward to getting back to work.

Sarpe recovery - Day 3

Nothing really to say today. Feeling a little better every day that goes by. I actually took a shower and interacted with real people (meaning not the hubby, the dog,  or immediate family) which was nice.  I went to a bridal shower for a good friend who's getting married in October. I knew I couldn't let a little swelling and bruising get in the way of me wishing her well. Plus, she couldn't believe that I had made it there only 3 days after surgery. It's cause I'm a badass, haha! Actually a lot of people were surprised that I made it. But seriously, I didn't do anything to get there. A friend drove me to the party, I sat and absorbed the sun (it was beautiful out today!) and then a friend drove me home. It was probably the best first outting that i could have gone to. Lots of sitting around, talking and a few easy going bridal shower games. I ate some mashed potatoes before the party and then almost a while pint of chocolate ice cream when I got home. Not too shabby.
I also ate a hot dog! I cut it up into really small pieces and was able to swallow it with minimal chewing. It was nice to feel like a normal human again.

I did nap though. We hung out at a friends house to watch some fifa soccer games after the shower and I napped while everyone was watching that on the big screen. I'm still not taking the narcotics (wahoo!) But I think the decongestants I'm on do a number on me. They just knock me out. I get so tired after taking them that I have to take a nap almost immediately. But other than that I feel good!

It's been practically 48 hours since taking the narcotics so I think I'll be Ok to drive myself to my post op appointment on Tuesday. It's after rush hour so I won't have to contend with traffic which is good. I don't know what he will say on Tuesday but I'm hoping that I can go back to work Thursday or Friday,  maybe do some light duty. That way I won't have to use all of my earned time. I'm sure there will be something that I can do at work that isn't too strenuous.

Any who, time to relax and watch my stash of movies. Heavy weights is up next!

Sarpe recovery day 3

SARPE Recovery - day 2

Well, it's been roughly 48 hours since my operation and things are going good (i think? haha)! I've been a little weak but that's probably because I haven't had any solid food in two days. My face is still swollen but you can tell that it's slowly going down. The right side of my face is definitely worse than the left. I've been putting ice on my face when I remember (trying to do the whole 20 mins on/20 mins off is hard!) and generally just relaxing and taking it easy. When I'm tired, I sleep. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm thirsty, I drink. All that good stuff.

I actually haven't been in too much pain. It's been 48 hours since my surgery and I haven't needed to take any narcotic pain meds today. I did take some tylenol but other than that, I've been pretty good. I am still very sleepy though. I've been mostly taking the nasal decongestants and nasal sprays.

Yawning is really hard. And my nose hurts a little. More than my jaw anyway. I also can't blow my nose which I'm dying to do! I can just feel all the gunk in there and it's bothering me a lot! My ears hurt a little too. Basically, everywhere on my face besides my mouth hurts, lol. Very strange.

Last night, Don helped me to turn PEA for the first time. I definitely felt the turn but it didn't hurt. I've read some blogs where the writer felt the palate expander was the worst pain ever. I feel the pressure but it's not painful. I've been turning the key 2 times, twice a day. Generally, I've been doing it in the morning when I wake up and right before going to bed. I might also have an advantage since I've had PEA before and know what to expect.

Not a whole lot to say but I'm getting there, if a little slowly.

SARPE Recovery - Day 2

SARPE Surgery write up

So, after sleeping a bit and resting, I finally feel ok enough to write a more in depth account of my surgery.

My surgery was scheduled for 11:30am but I arrived at the hospital at 9am. Once I was called in, I had a nurse do my vital signs (take my blood pressure, temp, and pulse) and then I changed into the very stylish johnny and robe. I even had to remove my underwear which was kinda horrifying! I made sure to wear natural cotton undies but they still had me remove them!
After getting registered and changing, I spoke with a really sweet nurse. She asked me all the regular questions. Name, date of birth, what surgery I was having done, meds I was taking, ect. I finally broke down and asked the nurse about the underwear situation. I really didn't want to go into surgery without SOMETHING protecting my modesty. Plus, I was freezing! The nurse assured me that it's just a precaution because they want the OR to be very sterile. She gave me some PJ pants to wear in lieu of underwear and I was so happy! Definitely better than going without. After that was done, they brought in my hubby to sit with me. By that time, it was around 10am. I was able to watch the first half of Let's Make a Deal. Soon after, I said goodbye to my hubby and was transported to the pre-op area.

Now MGH takes cleanliness and everything being 100% sterile very seriously. I went through 2 check points before going into the operating room. Day surgery pre-op where I got registered. I also had to change out of my clothes and leave any other belongings there. Then I was transported to the OR pre-op. What sucked is that my hubby couldn't come into the OR with me. He had to say goodbye at that registration point. Hopefully since the next surgery is way more major, I'll see if he'll be able to stay with me until the last possible second. 

In the OR, I was able to watch TV however, I had to leave my glasses and all valuables back with my hubby. So I was unable to actually really see anything on the screen, lol. Once in the OR, I met with my surgeon, the surgery team, anesthesiologist and nurses. I had my IV put in along with all the good drugs. If you are at all concerned with the procedure or drugs they will be giving you, speak up and tell your nurse, surgeon and anesthesiologist. They will be able to answer all your questions. I was concerned about the narcotics making me nauseous and vomiting after. If you know you have a weak stomach, request a scopolamine patch (it helps against motion sickness and nausea). I got one and it definitely helped.

After that, I was brought into the operating room and put to sleep. My surgery was roughly 45 minutes long. I went in on time but I guess it took me a long time to wake up from the anesthesia because I don't really remember anything until I got to the post op area which was around 3:30pm. My nurse, Joan, was just wonderful. She was an older lady and was very motherly. She was the perfect nurse and I couldn't have asked for anyone better. We didn't leave the hospital until 5pm. The only thing that sucked is that we left at the height of rush hour. I don't know what was worse, leaving at rush hour and getting stuck in traffic or not eating all morning and getting home late.

After the traffic, I went home and immediately lied down. My hubby and brother in law went to the pharmacy for me to get all my drugs along with some other stuff I needed. After that, I just iced my face periodically and relaxed. I even ate a bowl of chicken broth. It helped a lot.  They pumped me full of fluids while in the OR so I've been peeing like a racehorse since yesterday!

I am still very swollen. I've been icing my face constantly. My nose is very sore. I can't blow my nose or sneeze with my mouth closed for awhile. I can't wait until tomorrow when I'll be able to hopefully eat more solid food again.

Here's another photo, you can tell that the swelling as gone down dramatically since yesterday. Under my upper lip and near my cheek are where the stitches are.

Day 1 Recovery

Today at 5pm I will be turning the key in PEA for the first time. I'm sure it'll suck but I'll hopefully write about that tomorrow!