Day 46 - Ugh #2

I've been rather quiet partially because September start-up is always chaotic and partially because nothing I have to say is good.

Initially, I was doing alright with work, despite my jaw. The slight increase in irritation that I did experience, I chalked up to increased use. When I spoke to the orthodontist about it at my last appointment, nearly two seeks ago, he said that everything looked alright.

Since then though, things have continued to get worse. The swelling is pretty significant again, inside and out. It has swollen even just tonight. The tingling and feeling is no longer just in my chin. Now, it is all over my jaw bone. I am pretty concerned that I have an infection of some sort.

Add to that the fact that I have a virus and I have been feeling pretty miserable.

The other thing that I've noticed and that may be of interest to people considering this surgery is the decreased range of motion in my neck and shoulders. Both had been sore for a while a few weeks ago, but in the last week or so, I've noticed that I can't turn my neck the amount I usually could. It is similar to what I experienced after the car accident back in 2000. I am going to ask about physiotherapy.

I am going to see my surgeon tomorrow; I'll have a more thorough report then.

Day 39 - Weird Science

This weekend was a busy one; we made a last ditch effort at summer fun and are now ready (or as ready as we are going to be) to bid the summer of 2011 adieu. I expect next summer will be chock-o-block with fun since there are no surgeries or pregnancies or sick babies or other such crazy shenanigans planned. While we were soaking up the last rays of the season, some fun things happened in my face. The feeling has been coming back gradually, but my entire bottom lip and the center portion of my chin have staunchly refused to budge from their state of numbness up to this point. Well, all of a sudden, on Sunday, while we packed up to take the kids to brunch and then to Centennial Park for some playground fun, I could feel my lips touching one another...ever so faintly. This was closely followed by what I can only describe as my chin being struck by thousands of little bolts of lighting. I can actually pinpoint the exact moment when nerve regeneration began in those areas. For the better part of Sunday, my chin and lip were alight....even edging into being uncomfortable. The next morning, *every* *single* muscle, joint and tooth from my nose/ear line down was in a state of agony that I haven't experienced since the very early days after my surgery. I suspect, given the type and position of the pain, I clenched all night long, possibly as a result of the sensations from the nerve-regeneration. Whatever the reason, I was in enough pain that I took a bunch of Advil and was lining up Tylenol 3 or Robaxacet for the next dosing, if necessary. By evening, it had become bearable. The craziest part of this weekend's developments is the cross-wiring that seems to have occurred. Here's a pictorial essay:

"This all feels really weird. So much tingling and...."

"Ummm...wtf?!?!?! I am touching my chin and my lip thinks I am touching it...."

Yes, there appears to be a small spot (about the size of my index finger tip, conveniently) on the bottom ridge of the left side of my chin that, when touched, sets off nerves in my lip (just to the right of center). It is very strange.

Here are the actual glamour shots for the day:

Day 33 - Muscle Relaxants and Maritime Chowder

I took all my complaints to the orthodontist this morning. He was sympathetic and took a good look around in there, making sure there was no infection. The consensus was that the discomfort was likely a combination of the nerve regeneration in my chin and my return to work, which has resulted in a lot more talking and activity than I'd been doing in the weeks since my surgery. The suggestion on the part of the ortho was what surprised me a little - he recommended a moist, warm compress and muscle relaxants. The idea of me taking something so strong is laughable, in my opinion, but it is tempting. The great news from the appointment is that I came out free of one of my elastics - the ortho said I could get rid of the front one and suggested that, at the next appointment, we may be able to change the rest of the elastics out for lower-tension ones!! This is such good news - I am cool with baby steps because progress is progress. After my appointment, I went downtown to join the rest of my colleagues at the district professional development day. There were lots of interesting little tidbits in the speakers' presentations. I met up with a friend for lunch. Neither of us could eat the bag lunches that were available, so we decided to head over to the restaurant across the street in the hope of finding something palatable (though I wasn't entire convinced it would work). Much to my pleasant surprise, I found a delectable Maritime Seafood Chowder on their lunch menu. I loved every spoonful and my only regret was that I couldn't devour the warm, multigrain roll that accompanied it. Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, 3 being the highest, today was an 11. ;)

Day 32 - This is a little disappointing

I seem to have regressed again :( My swelling has about doubled. I am in enough pain to take Advil a couple of times each day. The feeling is still coming back in my chin, but the swelling and pain are keeping me from being comfortable and using my lips properly.
I am getting cranky about the whole thing, honestly. I am seeing my orthodontist tomorrow and I am hoping he will be able to shed some light on the situation. I really hope that it is short-lived because it is making my job, sleeping, eating and just generally existing rather less pleasant.

The glamour shot for the day.

Day 30 - Back to Work

The new semester starts tomorrow. I am not entirely sure how this is going to go, given that I am still pretty difficult to understand at times and am in a lot more pain than I was last week because of the nerve regeneration in my chin. Only time will tell, I guess.

In the meantime, I continue to try little bits of new solid food. I am changing my elastics one to two times each day now and, while it still causes my face to ache, it isn't like it was.

My swelling is sitting at about 10% of the maximum it was. That said, it flares up with activity. For example, when we went for a walk last night, the swelling in my chin and cheeks about doubled in size. I am hoping this lets up soon since I would like to start in with more physical activity - I am looking to do zumba class through the fall and winter.

Anyway, otherwise things seem to be progressing gradually. Here are the pics:

Day 24 - Mixed bag

It has been a pretty ordinary weekend in terms of how I feel. My face is still uncomfortable and the swelling/sensation fluctuates with irritation (like putting in the elastics). I'm still kind of tired all the time and have been struggling to stay warm (the house was 26 degrees last night and I was huddled under a blanket because the breeze from the ceiling fan was giving me goosebumps). I have been gradually incorporating solids into my diet - I had Smitty's pancakes and a milkshake last night for supper and today I indulged in rice and minced chicken doused in my creamy mushroom sauce. I topped it off with a mini peanut butter cup, which was, to be honest, to die for.

Isabel's birthday party was yesterday. It went really well; the kids all had fun. The cake went over *so* well. The trampoline is an absolute hit. I am pleased.

Today, something kind of crappy happened; Jack Layton, leader of the NDP and all-around inspirational guy died at the age of 61. I wouldn't normally be moved by this sort of thing (the death of a celebrity/politician/whatever), but this has moved me. :(

Anyway, here are the pics.

Day 13 - Clean Bill of Health

Well, I've been to see my surgeon and my orthodontist and both have been very pleased with my progress.
The surgeon said that all of the hardware was where he'd left it (apparently, it can shift post-surgery), all of the incisions are healing up nicely and that I am am "a superstar" at keeping my mouth clean. He wants to see me again in a month. I think I will ask for copies of my xrays when I see him next because they were really something else - both the difference in the before and after and the sheer amount of hardware they've used to make the changes.
The orthodontist visit today involved changing the top wire and showing me how to change the elastics. I am truly flabbergasted at the fact that I am supposed to take the elastics off to eat (still can't chew anything, but can eat soft food that is blended enough to be considered "pre-chewed") and brush. I told the assistant and ortho that I don't know how much of that I will be doing this week since I don't feel terribly comfortable, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.
As for my general, overall feeling, I am doing well. The swelling continues to decrease (you will see a difference between the pic from two days ago and today's pic). The bruising is all but gone. Overnight last night, I got back a who whack of feeling in underside of my chin and along my jaw bone. It was so significant that I noticed it immediately upon waking up. There is still a rather large swath in the center of my chin that is numb and my lower-lip is still mostly numb, but the feeling is returning much faster than I'd have expected.
Given my improvement and the good words from the docs, the in-laws are heading home tomorrow. I understand their draw. It is tough being away from your comfort zone. We will miss them, but it won't be long before Courtney and Spencer are here visiting and school starts and my course and Isabel's dance classes start. Time will fly and, before we know it, it will be Thanksgiving. Time flies when you're having fun :)
Today's pics:

Day 9 - Home Sweet Home

Don't get me wrong, I am eternally grateful to my sister and to Jane & Moe for the use of their spaces and even to the Dartmouth General Hospital and especially to my mom for spending more than a week of her vacation this year caring for me. Seriously, she didn't have to and it means a ton to me that she did.
All that said, my friends, I cannot tell you how elated I am to be home. My bed is so comfortable....it might as well be made of marshmallows. My children are angelic and perfect (this will probably last until bed time ;) ), my pets are the most delightful, well-mannered animals on the face of the planet.....you get what I am saying. It is that wonderful feeling of returning to your comfort zone after a time out of it, sometimes, as in stressful situations, WAY out of it.
The kids' reactions were better than I expected actually. Orin had a look of immediate recognition when he saw me, but also a definite sense of hesitation. He toddled right over and kind of coyly, sweetly, quietly asked to be picked up. I put him in my lap and almost immediately, he leaned into me, looked up into my face and smiled. After about twenty minutes, he was running around, plopping in my lap instructing me on the names of all of my belongings and species of animals that we have (he now calls the dog "dog" rather than "cat", people....can I get a Hallelujah!). Isabel was out grocery shopping with her dad when I arrived, so when she came in, she smiled right away, walked over to me, wrapped her arms around my legs and strung this all together, "I won't jump on you, mom. I'll be gentle. I love you so much. I missed you." She's been a right little mum to me, bringing me her friends to comfort me, helping me pour soup, grabbing a face cloth to mop up soup that I got on my shirt. Truly, heartwarming.
As for me, I feel much the same as I did yesterday. This is the first day when I haven't felt that the swelling and feeling in my face haven't changed. The bruising is fading already, which surprised me. Otherwise, I am feeling pretty similar to yesterday. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring with it a little more energy and a little less puffiness in the chin....it just still feels...well...gigantic.
Oh! I tried one of the soups that I bought today....V8 Cream of Broccoli. It is good. It has more substance to it than I was expecting, so I may need to hold off on using the rest for about a week because I can't quite manage the small chunks of broccoli yet, but the taste was really good. I was pretty impressed.
Pics below were taken while resting in my own bed before supper :)