Day 38: Now I know how toddlers feel

I've spent the past two days trying out my jaws and now I know how toddlers feel. I'm basically learning how to eat all over again. Before the surgery I could only chew with my back four molars so I would grind down food in a side to side motion (like a cow or horse I think haha!). My jaw doesn't even move that way right now. I can actually chew food in an up and down fashion, that I assume is how the majority of the world eats. It's weird. I've never in my life ate food this way and I'm not used to all of my teeth touching anyways, so I make some pretty interesting facial expressions while trying to eat my mac and cheese. It's a very odd process because I have to consciously think about not biting my cheeks, numb lip, or chew too hard and hurt my healing bones. I'm enjoying it though. Last night I had a meal that I didn't have to cut or mash up. I made haddock, green beans, and tator tots and it was fantastic. I work at the Curve tonight so I'll just go with the protein shake dinner since it's easy.



I'm going back to the gym on Saturday. This should be hilarious since I haven't worked out in 6 weeks and I was in pretty good shape prior to surgery. I've lost around 10lbs from the surgery and I think it's mostly muscle mass. I'm just going to start from the beginning and go back to lifting lighter weights and less time on the cardio machines. If you were wondering how running is going, see the meme below from my favorite TV show, Parks & Rec.

5 Week Appointment

This afternoon was my 5 week check up with Dr. Ochs. Neil was able to come with me again and got to see my X-rays and how cool my new bite is. Let me just say how much I love Dr. Ochs and the staff I've dealt with at Pitt Dental. I have nothing but good things to say about them. I've been going to Dr. Ochs for over a year now and he has done both my wisdom teeth extraction and my lower jaw surgery.  He's kind, explains things well, and is a top notch surgeon. I'm thankful that I was able to have this all done at Pitt and what an awesome experience it has been. I recommend him to anyone considering this type of surgery. When I first met him he told me he did over 80 of these surgeries a year and I took comfort in knowing that.

All good news today. He said my jaws lined up exactly where he wanted them to. I realized that last week when all of a sudden my back molars touched and for the first time in my life, ALL of my teeth touched each other. It's hard to explain this to people with a normal bite, but just know that it made me feel very happy and extremely grateful to have been able to have the surgery. Eating is necessary for survival and when you can't eat right not only is it hard but, not at all enjoyable. I couldn't chew food the whole way because I had to eat so slow and more often than you would think, ended up choking. Not anymore! I can't wait to pulverize things with my new choppers!

Following the diet he put me on helped ensure the jaw stayed put post surgery. Everything has been healing okay, the bite hasn't shifted, and I didn't fracture anything. I still have about 15% swelling near the breaks and he said that fluid will start to dissipate as I begin chewing again. On that note, I can chew food again! I still have 1 more week of the very soft food diet, then another week of soft foods, and after 3 weeks I can start building back up to harder foods. He DID say I could have a good tender steak and pizza without the crust so I'll be taking that green light next week!

It's still too soon to tell what's going to happen with the numbness. It hasn't budged much. He poked my face in the numb areas to check and said that after 6 months I'll have 90% of my feeling back (that could just end up being a small area) and after a year whatever I'm left with is what I'll have the rest of my life. He thinks I'll get feeling back in my lip and I'll count that as a victory if I do. I knew this was one of the risks going in, and I'm fine with it. The benefits far outweighed this risk.

 No contact sports for 2 more months but I can start exercising and lifting again! I just can't strain myself or clench my jaw during activities. So now I'm trying to plan my embarrassing return to boxing class (NON-CONTACT). I think I'll wait until next week and maybe try to get some running in this week to make sure I don't die on Monday at boxing.

So overall, everything is good! I don't have to go back for 3 months and he gave me a note to take to my Ortho to resume treatment. He said I am a good patient and told Neil that if every patient was like me no one would have to worry about gray hairs! Great man, love him! I got to see Katie and Dex for a little bit to before heading back home. Now that I can play again, I can't wait to spend time with my buddy Dex the cutest kid in the world (I am partial).

Now, without further ado…. The before and after x-rays!

First x-rays before braces in April 2014. You can see the wicked overjet
and small lower jaw.

This was taken 10 days post-op. It's amazing! It looks like a whole different
person!

April 2014 - Before braces and wisdom teeth extraction.

10 Days post-op. My favorite part is that you can see the screws, 4 on each side and the gap in the bone where
the breaks are. Oh… and look how straight my teeth are! 

One Month Down!

I still can't believe my surgery was a month ago! That means i'm 1/3 of the way to what they consider a full recovery (of the jaw bones). After 6 months the swelling will be gone and at 12 months whatever numbness is left is what I'll live with. I'm not going to lie, I'm getting nervous I won't get any feeling back because I haven't had many changes. Other bloggers have said that by now some had more feeling back than I do at this point. I still get tingles and sharp pains so I guess that means it is healing.

I think I over did it a little this week. I had work at my regular job, then went to work a double header at the Curve on Tuesday which ended up being a 14 hour work day. I also ate things I wasn't supposed to ( hot dogs, then Sheetz food) since it was such a long day and the protein shakes weren't cutting it. This resulted in me waking up the next morning more swollen than I had been in a week. Lesson learned, there is a reason you're not supposed to chew food! I won't do it again. I'm so close to the end, I don't want to mess anything up.

In way more exciting news, my cousin Deb had her baby today! I rode down with Crystal and her dad to see them after work. Mom and baby are doing good and Hadley is absolutely adorable! Congratulations Deb and Mark, she is beautiful!

Below are some before and after pictures of my profile. I'm amazed. I hadn't noticed the changes until comparing the before and after pictures. I like it! My follow up is next Tuesday with Dr. Ochs and I can't wait! 

Wow!

Congratulations Deb and Mark on your beautiful baby girl!
Newest member of the Wolfe pack! :) 

4 Weeks Post-op!

Today was my 4 week mark! Later this week it will be ONE whole month since my surgery! A friend from the Curve asked me tonight what the worst part of the experience was and I think it was the first few days after surgery. I just felt miserable and weak but the pain still wasn't bad enough that I couldn't handle it. The hunger is hard to deal with, but I've started to cheat (shhh! Don't tell!) by adding things I consider soft food to my diet.... like stromboli, hot wings, and shredded chicken. I don't do this often, just every few days to keep my sanity. I just keep reminding myself that I'm on the home stretch.

From reading other people's blogs I've been able to compare how they were doing at the same milestones.  I was worried about post surgery depression and if I had it, I would say it was last week. Which seems to be right on point with everyone else. I miss being active and what it feels like to go for runs and weight lift. I just keep telling myself this is only temporary and it's almost over. I'm very fortunate to be as healthy as I am, and I think a lot of time we take our health for granted. I'm going to appreciate the health I've been blessed with a lot more from now on!

One thing I've learned that helps fight the "blues" is keeping yourself busy and spending as much time as you can with friends and family. You will forget your current predicament of not being able to eat, and will be much happier. I have a great support staff that's been there for me through the whole process!

Okay now here's the jaw status:

Numbness: Still the same. From my lower lip down to my chin is still completely numb. My outer gum line and teeth are still numb as well. I have found two spots that have regained feeling near my back molars though. I'd like to say the numbness doesn't bother me, but it does. When it tingles, it's annoying and right now it's almost always tingling. I'll take this as a good sign.

Swelling: I think it's about 90% gone. There is just a little bit left where the breaks are and under my jawline but it's not noticeable. I feel like I look "normal" again.

Pain: Only some joint stiffness in the morning and when I stretch it too far yawning. Also, sneezing is painful if I let my jaw move too much.

Range of Motion: I can open my mouth 1 1/4 inches (two fingers) wide. This is much improved from when it was just 1/2 an inch. I'm doing the stretches I was told to do and this improves every couple of days.

Energy: More and more each day. I'm not tired at work anymore, but still not sleeping right. If i can sleep in, I do. I also still take naps when possible which might be why I can't seem to get to sleep before 1:00 AM. This week will be the test since I'm back to working at the Curve too. Tomorrow we have a double header and will end up being a 16-18 hour work day for me with both jobs.

Overall: I feel pretty good! I know I'm on the home stretch now so I'm excited. My 5/6 week appointment is next Tuesday! I can't wait to see what Dr. Ochs has to say!

I've again forgotten to take pictures so here is the cat and I on Saturday. I'll probably be a crazy cat lady some day and I'm okay with that. 

23 Days: "We have 5 different soups"

Yesterday I forgot my daily Ensure at home so at 2:00 PM I was starving again. It was at that point I remembered that Hoss's has a SOUP, Salad, and Dessert Bar. So I drove straight from work to Ebensburg so that I could eat all of the soup they had. I explained my predicament to the hostess and she informed me, "Well ,we have five different kinds of soup so you should be good!" I also ordered a baked potato with my meal despite wanting the Wild Willy Burger that I cannot eat.  For 40 minutes I was in food heaven! I had Chicken Noodle, French Onion Soup, AND Chili. Then for good measure I sampled every soft dessert they had and for the first time in 3 weeks I actually felt full! I soon came to regret this decision since I hadn't had some of these foods for a long time and my stomach protested. It was worth it though. So worth it!

I love Hoss's!

Since boredom has peaked I've taken to online shopping which has resulted in a new iPhone 6. I'm debating purchasing a Pebble Watch for $99, new boxing gloves for when I can return to AF, and  I also specked out some MacBooks. I planned two trips to see the Buccos play before summer is out, and I'm looking for a nice weekend trip at the end of summer in the tri-state area. My cousin and I usually go to Gettysburg in the fall but we're open to suggestions.

Any Suggestions? They're all on sale!

Today I had a 10 minute battle with this microwave from 1985.

My nemesis.

I could NOT figure out how to get this thing started to warm up my instant potatoes. I almost gave up and ate them cold but I couldn't let pre-historic technology defeat me. Finally after just pressing a bunch of button combinations the thing started up. It's a myth that tech people know how to operate every piece of electronic equipment, especially if it's older than they are. This won't be an issue tomorrow when I can get back to using the microwave in our team room. The floors our being waxed outside of our office so we've relocated until they finish.

Look at those teeth all touching! Victory!



Three Weeks Post-Op

Today is the half way mark to getting back on solid foods! I find myself thinking and even dreaming about food a lot. I can't wait to eat a salad with crunchy vegetables and a Texas Roadhouse Steak. Or...  a burger from Burgatory and an Old Farm Inn Pizza! So many options, and only 21 more days to wait.

I was reading Graham's blog today and this post sums up the food desperation and the numbness that I'm experiencing. I'm thankful for the numbness because I had very little pain throughout this experience. As annoyed and hungry as I get at times, I'm so glad I had this surgery. I look forward to the day that I can bite sandwiches and apples and chew food with all of my teeth.

My diet is still the same. Since I like tomato soup and grilled cheese I've had it every day for 8 days straight. Tonight I made myself try something else so I made mashed up tator tots and pierogies. Tomorrow I might try fish.

After dinner I went for a walk around scenic Patton with my friend Melisa. I'm forcing myself to be more active again and cut down on the Netflix time! It's hard because I have to be minimally active. I can't do anything that will raise my blood pressure too much because the blood vessels in my face are still healing and tender and too much pressure could cause tears or bleeds.

The weird occurrence today is that my lip numbness has felt more like frost bite. I kept looking in the mirror today to make sure my bottom lip wasn't turning purple since in my mind it felt so cold even though it wasn't cold to the touch. Nerve regeneration is the weirdest thing.

I forgot to take pictures today so I'll add them tomorrow.

Day 16: Small Victories

Today my jaw stayed in the correct position ALL DAY! I figured out that if I lightly stretch my jaw like I'm yawning when it starts to tense up it settles back to where it should be. I also slept in a bed like a normal person for the first time last night. I've been too afraid of rolling over onto my face that I've continued to sleep propped up on the couch which is really uncomfortable.

In my spare time since I can't box, run, weight lift, or do anything else that I like to do, I've taken up binge watching Grey's Anatomy. Great decision! I forgot how much I loved this show when it first started. I would recommend a Netflix subscription to anyone planning on having this surgery. You're going to have a lot of down time.

I went to dinner with my Aunt Penny, Santana, and our friends from boxing tonight. I got a platter of gravy fries, mashed them up and ate half the platter. I've had a hard time getting full today, I was just hungry all day no matter how much I ate or drank. Below was today's menu:

Breakfast: Vanilla Protein Shake mix with banana, almond milk, and PB2 (made in the Ninja)

Lunch: Mac & Cheese, Hasbrown, Apple Sauce squeeze pouch, yogurt, Mean Green Juice (made via the juicer), mini gatorade, and bottle of water. This sounds like a lot but I was still hungry afterwards!

2:00 : Daily Ensure

Snack: Half a coconut cream doughnut dipped in milk

Dinner : Gravy Fries, Sherbert, Mt. Dew and more water.

Day 14: Back to work

Today is two weeks since my surgery and my first day back to work. It went well, it feels good to have a purpose in life again! I didn't get tired, my jaw was just a little achy at the end of the day. I'm not sure if it was from talking or because I'm starting to get feeling back near the incision sites. Not a lot of feeling, but everything feels tight in that area now and I didn't notice it before.

My new favorite meal is grilled cheese with tomato soup. I'm still drinking ensure and making a protein shake for breakfast. For the past three days I've been craving pizza. I miss pizza more than anything. Pizza and cheeseburgers! I've already decided my first real meal will be Five Guys since it was my last meal.

Nothing new to report. Swelling has stayed down but I still have just a little more swelling on my right side. A small amount of the numbness has gone away and my bite keeps shifting throughout the day.

Days 11 & 12

Happy 4th of July everyone! Not too many changes over the past two days so I will probably stop posting as often.  The only pain I have is joint pain at night when my jaw relaxes into it's new position. So far the last two days my jaw has started to shift into that position for an hour or two at a time. I sincerely home it stays there since right now only my front four teeth touch.

Last night I had a hard time falling asleep because my nerves must be waking up. My chin and lip were tingly all night and felt like something kept touching my face. The worst part is you can try to scratch the itches but it doesn't do anything since it's numb.

I went to a family cookout today and there was a lot of food I could eat after mashing it up. It just takes so long to eat anything that I usually just quit after one plate and still end up being hungry. Deb and Mark brought a pudding dessert and cheese puffs when they came so that made my day since I can get those down fairly easily.

I go back to work Monday and I am so excited to get back to my normal routine. If I watch any more tv, or read any more books my head might explode.

Below are some pictures of my new side profile. I'm happy with it! I don't think I look that different but people have told me it's a pretty big difference. I even had someone not recognize me yesterday, which is pretty crazy. I still have some swelling and it will continue to fluctuate. How my face looks after 6 months is how I can expect it to stay. After a year whatever numbness I still have left I will most likely have for the rest of my life. I'll just be happy to get feeling back in my lip. I can live with a numb chin.

Day 12

A shot of the new bite! Some of my teeth moved when they took out the springs so that needs fixed again, but overall I'm happy!

Days 9 & 10: 10 Day Appointment

Days 9 & 10

Overall pain: 1

Discomfort: 1

Swelling: Same

Weight loss: 8 lbs

Yesterday I actually did things that a normal person might do. I grocery shopped, took my car through the car wash, and had ice cream for three meals. I finally decided that if I'm on this diet, I might as well be happy about it!

Today was the big 10 day post-op appointment! We left at 6:00 AM and hit the usual Squirrel Hill tunnel traffic. The check up went well. Since Dr. Ochs is on vacation and Dr. Parker is off to bigger and better things, I saw his new resident. He said I looked good for 10 days and was surprised how minimal my swelling was. He took my face stitches out, checked my incisions and told me everything looked good. He looked at my bite and said it's right where it's supposed to be. I asked why my bite keeps shifting and he said that's normal. He said at night my jaw rests in its new position (Where all of my teeth touch). During the day the muscles are reverting back to where they're used to being and it will take time for them to settle in to the new position. Good enough answer for me.

Still no chewing, but I can have things like flaky fish now. I can go for walks (which I have been doing) but I cannot do anything strenuous that would disrupt the muscles from reattaching to my bone. That's a convincing enough story line to keep me from even trying to do anything strenuous. I can go back to work Monday but I absolutely have to take it easy and cannot over do it. I can do that.
My next appointment is the 6 week check up where I should be released to a normal diet.

We stopped at Dean's Diner on the way home and I attempted to eat sausage gravy and biscuits, scrambled eggs, and blueberry pancakes. It was a nice change from what I have been eating that's for sure.

I had to stop at my orthodontist's office on the way home to drop something off so I got to see him and his staff. They asked about the surgery and were impressed that I was doing so well. I won't go back to him until the 7 week mark to finish up my adjustments. At that point I should have 6 months to a years worth of treatment.

When I got home Kier and I showed Grandma how to use the juicer that's been in the box for a month. We made Joe Cross' Mean Green Juice and then Kier made a Pineapple smoothie that was also good. Dinner tonight is tator tots since I'm full from everything else I had today.

I also accomplished another milestone today and finished the Stephen King book, Revival, that Ken got for me. I can't say how it ends or what I thought about it in case he sees this since he is reading it too.

Day 9

Day 10

The next three pictures sum up my two weeks off. Basically just the cat following me around the house while I do three things. 1. Sleep 

2. Read

3. Eat. (I can smile and show teeth now but with a numb lip it's best not to.)