So as it's the two week mark, I thought I'd update on all the main issues of concern...
Appearance
Overall, I'm really pleased with post-op appearance. My nose is smaller, my profile is in proportion, my face is rounder, and I think my smile will be less gummy and definitely less goofy... if I ever get to see it. I still smile like a weirdo, but I'm hoping this will improve...it better otherwise I will have to refrain from smiling for the rest of my life lol.
I still think I have a fairly small chin, and if I was aiming for perfection I think I could've benefited from a genioplasty, but I'm not aiming for perfection - my jaw's in the right place and that's what I wanted. The hospital did say that I've got the option of having the genio at a later date if I want to, but I don't want to put myself through another operation. Also I felt like I was justified in getting my jaw surgery because I seriously hated the way I looked because of it and it made me feel really negative about my appearance, whereas I don't think having a bit of a small chin is worth worrying about - I think I would just be striving for perfection and becoming obsessed if I put myself through another operation for it.
The only thing I don't like about my post-op face at the moment is that my top lip is thinner, but it's a small price to pay for all the benefits.
Swelling
The majority of the swelling has gone, it just seems like this last bit is being stubborn. I think I look fairly normal, just a bit chubby in the face!
Bruising
This has mostly gone now.
Bite
I actually feel like my bite is not that great at the moment because it feels like only my front teeth are touching. All the teeth down the sides feel like there's a small gap between the top and bottom ones, but I'm assuming (and hoping) all this will be sorted out with elastics.
Pain
Pain hasn't been too bad at all. At the beginning I was taking pain killers every four hours, but now I'm down to just taking some ibuprofen with my breakfast and that's it for the day!
Sickness
I had a lot of nausea and tummy ache at the beginning which I think was caused by the diclofenac medicine I was taking, but once I changed the diclofenac to just normal ibuprofen this stopped.
Eating
This is the kind of things I've been eating...
Breakfast: Ready Brek or Weetabix
Lunch: Soup, scrambled egg, boiled egg (I've been having one slice of bread with my soup with the crusts cut off, and cut into little rectangles, which I can kind of 'bite' with my front teeth, and then mush the bread up in my mouth)
Dinner: Jacket potato with cheese, cottage pie, mushy peas, ravioli, mashed potato, tinned spaghetti
Snacks/puddings: Fruit puree pouches, yoghurts, rice pudding, custard, jelly, ice cream, milkshake, chocolate buttons (I just suck these!), Complan drinks
Sleeping
I've given up sleeping sitting up, I now just sleep on two pillows propped up on a cushion. I do think that sometimes in my sleep I lay my head on one side, but I'm too propped up to actually roll over and lay with my face pushed against the pillow. I've been sleeping a lot better since I gave up with the sitting up, but I do get a bit of a neck ache.
Metal face
I find it a bit odd that I can actually feel some of the metal in my face! I can feel it right up by my eye sockets and along the sides of my nose. I still can't believe that they actually got all the way up to my eye sockets just through an incision under my top lip! How is that possible?! But I've seen on the x-ray that it does indeed go up to there! Crazy!
Speaking
The only thing that really stops me speaking properly is my elastic bands, apart from that I think I sound fairly normal.
Here are my two week post-op photos:
My attempt at a smile
This is how wide I can open my mouth, it's about a finger's width
Sarah, you look great! I actually think your smaller chin fits better with the shape of your face than a larger chin would. Your profile looks good to me! Glad that you're recovering so well. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Ellie :)
DeleteLooking GREAT Sarah!!!! When you say you can feel the metal in your face, do you mean feel it with your fingers, or feel it IN your face?
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yeah I mean I can feel it with my fingers, especially when I'm in the shower and my face and hands are wet, I seem to be able to feel it more
DeleteYour swelling is majorly down!! You look so good!
ReplyDeleteI feel like I can relate to a lot of what you say. Honestly your chin looks great without genioplasty. My surgeon told me when I was laying on the operating table that he was going to do genioplasty (not much time to argue it lol)
Your nose is perfect!!!
I have to admit I'm jealous of all the food you're able to eat. I still have to puree everything so I haven't been eating much, just with my meds.
How do you feel energy wise? Do you get much sleep at night?
Thank you Terra. What are you actually eating with? Are you still on syringes or do you use any cutlery?
DeleteI feel ok energy wise most of the time, but sometimes in the afternoon I get a bit tired and feel like I need to just sit down for a while.
Now that I've stopped sleeping sitting up I get a normal amount of sleep each night. I usually go to bed at around 11.30pm and wake up at around 9am, so I'm getting a good 9 hours I think. But I think I do often wake up and worry (in a half asleep kind of way) that my face has rolled to the side and I'm putting pressure on it.
Love seeing the progress Sarah! You make me anticipate your point more and more. I'm thankful for your blog, considering we had the same surgery, and you're a week a head of me. It gives me hope that things will continue to get better.
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy, I'm really glad that my blog is helping you through your recovery :) Things will keep getting better, unfortunately it just takes lots of time and patience!
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