Braces adjustment and some news!

I had my most recent orthodontist appointment on Friday. The visit went very well! Dr. Klein still can't get over how fast my teeth are coming together. She was extremely pleased. I showed her a few pictures that I had taken. She was astounded, and again, very happy with the progress.

My teeth have been moving so fast that she told me that I would need to come back in 4 weeks and redo my impressions. The models that she had are no longer valid. Impressions are really such a pain but I don't have to pay to redo them so I'm fine with it. They are just a diagnostic tool for the doctor. And getting impressions doesn't really hinder my progress in any way so it's really not a problem. It just sucks that I'll have to redo them again.  

When I went she told me that I'm very close to being ready for surgery. (!!!!!!!!) At my next visit, she's going to put on a surgical wire on my bottom teeth and then reevaluate and decide when to put a surgical wire on the top teeth. I'm not sure what a surgical wire is exactly but I'll find out in 4 weeks. I'm thinking it's a thicker/stronger wire to keep the teeth together during and after surgery. Oh how wrong I was! See this post to find out what an orthognathic surgical wire actually is. 

The only issue she had is that one of my back molars isn't moving in the direction she'd want so now I have to wear an elastic to help encourage it to move in the right way. I only have to wear 1 elastic at night on the left side. It's very weird, it hooks onto the front of the back tooth but then the other side hooks to the back of my bottom tooth. It seems very strange but that's what I'm doing. The past 2 nights have been a little rough. The elastic puts a lot of pressure on that tooth (doing what it's supposed to) so I've been waking up a lot during the night. Last night I took some tylenol before bed and it didn't seem to bother me as much as it did the night before. I've been very good about not taking ibuprofen so maybe that's why my teeth are moving so quickly? Who knows!

After getting both top and bottom A chains replaced along with the bottom wire, Dr. Klein and I talked about surgery. It's now looking like I'll have the surgery sometime around August or early September. It seems sorta like a perfect time to get it done I think. If it's in August, I'll still be able to enjoy the summer (my college bestie is visiting again in July so that's exciting!). And then another friend is having her bachelorette party in October that I'm hosting. If I have surgery in August, that'll give me more than enough time to recover fully. I may not be able to eat much but I'll still have a good time I think. If the date gets moved back to anytime after September though, I'm planning on waiting until the end of October. That will allow me to enjoy the bachelorette party and my own wedding anniversary. Plus, If I get the surgery in October, my recovery will include Thanksgiving and that's all soft foods. It'll probably be one of the first meals I'll be able to enjoy that's not a liquid.

I can't believe that I'm so close to getting this surgery date. I know that August seems so far away but I've been waiting for this surgery since May 2013. I can sorta see the light at the end of this tunnel! 

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.

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!

The big day is here!

Today is the big day! Surgery number 2 is here! I'm currently sitting in the waiting area waiting for my name to be called. I'm already really hungry (haha no surprise there) and would really like a large coffee. Lol.
Don't know if I'll be up to writing a whole blog entry after surgery but I will try. If not, I will shoot for tomorrow.
I've already got a stash of movies to watch while I recover including the first season of game of thrones. See everyone on the other side!

Surgeries and Next Steps

Yesterday, I went to see Dr. Keith (my oral surgeon) to talk about how screwed up my jaw is and what needs to be done to fix it. Don came with me because I would have been a hot mess without him. He really kept me from not bursting into tears and hyperventilate.

Tip: If you are going to any kind of important meeting, bring someone who you 100% trust. They will help to keep a level head and maybe might ask questions that you didn't think of. 

After talking about my jaw and about the results of the work up I did in January, Dr. Keith told me that I will require 2 surgeries. He told me that I have 2 problems.

Problem #1 : My upper jaw is too narrow. This is why my top teeth are so crowded. They don't have anywhere to move to!
Problem #2 : My upper jaw does not meet my lower jaw in the correct place. This puts strain and pressure on my jaw joints. It also makes chewing very difficult.

If left uncorrected, my jaw joints will become inflamed (again) and could potentially lead to bone loss in my jaw joints. This bone loss could cause me to not be able to open and close my mouth anymore. Basically, I wouldn't be able to eat solid food or talk without extreme pain. For that reason alone, I've decided to get both surgeries done.

The first surgery is known as Surgical Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (or SARPE). This surgery will widen my jaw to give my teeth the space they need to become straight. This will require day surgery at Mass General Hospital in Boston. Because I'm an adult, my jaw has stopped growing. This makes it really difficult for my orthodontist to move my teeth to make them straight. In order to do this, my oral surgeon will have to cut into my upper palate; one spot in between my top front teeth underneath my nose and near my cheek bones. It will be done from inside my mouth so I will have those lovely dissolving stitches. I've been told to expect to be out of work for 10-15 days. I've also been told that I'll be pretty uncomfortable for the first week. I'll have to sleep sitting up for a little while and won't be able to eat solid food for awhile after.

I'm not going to lie, I was really disappointed when I found out about the 2nd surgery. I've been resigning myself to this huge surgery and then BAM! I'm told that I need an additional surgery. It really sucks. When you are expecting one thing and then are told another, it can really play with your confidence. It made me have second thoughts about this whole process.

Thank goodness I have a really awesome support system. My family and friends have all been great throughout my journey. And I couldn't do this without my rock, my partner and best friend. I'm proud to call you my other half and my husband. Don, I love you more than anything. Thank you for always being there for me and making me laugh. The laughter is what makes me forget all my worries and to keep pushing on. Again, I couldn't go through this without you.

Since I'm going to be going through a lot in the next couple weeks, I'll hopefully be able to post more. My next dental appointment is March 5th where I will be getting my top braces fitted. And I think we will be starting the process of getting my appliance made. More on that to come!