tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76930289451277472572024-03-13T09:24:20.914-07:00My Jaw Surgery StorySarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-32864393732946650212013-10-13T05:17:00.000-07:002013-10-13T05:17:52.355-07:001 year since surgery!Firstly, I have to apologise for being a rubbish blogger. I know I haven't posted for a few months, but as it was my one year anniversary since my operation I thought I should post!<br />
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This is the first time I've been on blogger for a long time, and it was actually really weird coming back on and seeing people talking about jaws. It kind of feels like a different world that I've now left behind. I used to be obsessed with coming on here and looking at people's blogs and their photos, but now it just feels like a lifetime ago. <br />
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So 1 year on... I am completely happy with my new face. I have no regrets at all. I've had my braces off for about 3 months now. I still wear retainers during the day (they're see-through though, you can't notice them), but I'm going to the ortho next week so I'm hoping he might say I only have to wear them at night. I still have some problems with opening my mouth, it has improved but I can still only open just over two fingers wide. I've got jaw exercises to do though so hopefully that will improve with time. I don't get any pain or anything like that. <br />
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I probably won't really post much on here anymore, unless anything particularly exciting happens. I feel like this part of my life has come to an end now, and finishing this blog marks the end of that journey. However, I know what it feels like to think about jaws every day, so I'm more than happy to answer any questions. You can leave comments on here, and I'll make sure I get back to you. Or you can email me on <a href="mailto:sarahf1407@aol.com">sarahf1407@aol.com</a>. I really hope my blog has helped some people who are before, during, or after jaw surgery. I know that looking at other people's blogs really helped me throughout the whole process, so I hope I can do the same for other people.<br />
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Here are some 1 year photos. As I always say when I post photos, I think they make me look a lot worse than I do in real life! I'm just not very photogenic! But if I do happen to take any nicer photos (which is unlikely haha) I will post them too.<br />
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-53291720546475776822013-07-07T09:53:00.000-07:002013-07-07T09:53:34.960-07:009 and 1/2 months post-op.... AND DEBRACING!!!!!<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: black;">So firstly, I must apologise for having become a rubbish blogger... I never thought this was possible, but I have actually got to a stage in my life where I don't think about jaws every second of every day! When I was in my pre-op days, I used to not understand it when I saw post-oppers blogging less and less, and was like 'How can you not be interested any more?!', but now that I am a post-opper, I've got to the point where it's not something I think about all the time. Don't get me wrong, I am still soooo grateful and happy that I've been able to do this, but you do get to a point where it's not the main point of your life any more! I was meant to post at 9 months, but never got round to taking photos, so it's ended up being about 9 and half months!</span></div>
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Anyway, onto exciting new... I GOT MY BRACES OFF ON WEDNESDAY!!! I was so worried that when I got to the hospital my ortho would change her mind, but thank god she said it was ok to take them off! I didn't enjoy the actual debracing process... the taking off the brackets part wasn't as bad as I thought, but the bit I didn't like was taking off the rings on my back teeth. One of then just did not want to come off, and she was pulling away at it with her pliers for ages. I felt like my tooth was going to come off with it! But eventually it did come off, and then she got her little sander type thing and sanded off all the glue, and then she gave them a polish. Since then I've also been to the hygienist to get them cleaned, but tbh they're not quite as white and glistening as I'd hoped... but still they're not too bad so can't complain really! </div>
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The only slight bad news is that I have to wear my retainers all the time for three months, and then I should be able to switch to just nights. However, my retainers are completely see through (which I wasn't expecting!) so you can't even notice them unless you look up close! It's slightly annoying as I have to take them out every time I eat, or drink a hot drink, but it could be worse! Apparently I still have a slight cross bite on one side, so they're hoping the retainers will sort that out, but tbh I don't really care too much, I'm just glad to be out of braces. I think because it's their job they kind of aim for perfection, but to me they look fine as they are!</div>
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I was meant to see my surgeon on Thursday, but actually ended up seeing a woman who apparently works with him instead. She looked at how wide I can open my mouth and seemed a bit concerned (I can still only do 2 fingers), so they given me some jaw exercises to do, as well as some fat lolly stick type things, which I have to put between my back teeth! I've got 12 of them, and at the moment I can fit 9 in at a push, but I've got to try and gradually increase it. I'm going back in 6 weeks for them to see if it's improved at all.</div>
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Anyway, here are my debraced pics! They're not the most attractive pictures of me, so I will try and take some when I'm a bit more made up! But hopefully you can see my beautiful brace free teeth! When I've got more time I will do some proper before and after comparisons.</div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-92008801093385596692013-06-02T05:36:00.001-07:002013-06-02T05:36:41.743-07:0032 weeks (8 months) post-opSorry these are a bit late, and there also not very good photos. My mum took some proper ones of me the other day but they were just too ugly lol, so I just quickly took some of myself (still not great but slightly better!) So sorry for the wonkiness/darkness of the photos.<br />
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I've got an ortho apt on Wednesday, and hopefully will get a definite date for brace removal, so I'll update after that.<br />
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-43312651854301860602013-05-06T09:54:00.001-07:002013-05-06T09:54:46.422-07:0028 weeks - 7 months post-opHi all, just posting my monthly update. Not much has really changed jaw wise. I had a hospital appointment on Thursday, and my ortho just did some usual adjustments. My next appointment is on 5th June, and at that appointment they will decide whether or not I can have my braces off... I think the chances are they will say yes...I'll be very angry if they say no! Assuming they say yes, then I'm meant to be having two appointments on the same day at the end of June. The first one will be to take my braces off (YAAAAAY!) and the second will be to do the moulds for my retainers. So at the moment I'm waiting to get my two appointment dates sent to me in the post. And once I know when I'm getting my braces off, I need to book an appointment to see my surgeon too, just for a check-up.<br />
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I also had two fillings done the other day. My dentist had a hard time trying to do the fillings with my stupid half open mouth, but she did a good job and it didn't take too long. I've got to have another one in a couple of weeks, but I think she thought she'd put me through enough doing two in one sitting!<br />
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Here are my 7 month pics...luckily they're more attractive than my 6 month ones!<br />
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-2625879995373065252013-04-01T04:44:00.000-07:002013-04-01T04:44:02.217-07:0024 weeks (6 months) post-op and an appointment update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I can't believe it has been half a year since my surgery! Crazy! Although at the same time it kind of feels like a lifetime ago... it's just the braces that remind me it wasn't!</div>
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Generally things are all good jaw-wise. Still sooooo happy with how I look. I don't like to sound big-headed, but the photos I put on here don't really do my new face justice, and I'm not saying I'm now the most gorgeous person it the world, but when I look in the mirror there is nothing I'm unhappy with. Of course I'm not perfect, but to me, there is nothing there that I'm not content with, and that's exactly how I wanted to be. I think before I had this surgery, people thought that I was striving for perfection, and that I wanted to be stunningly beautiful when I came out of it. Of course, that would have been nice, but all I wanted was to feel content with the structure of my face, and although it probably still doesn't seem like a big change to most people who know me, to me it has made a world of difference. I always said that this was about how I saw myself, not about how other people saw me, and that's so true. If somebody said I don't really look much different or much better, it doesn't really matter, because to me I do.</div>
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The only slight concern I have is about how wide I can open my mouth. It's still only about two fingers. The other things is, that when I have my mouth open for a long time, like when I'm cleaning my teeth, I sometimes find it hard to close my mouth without having a sharp pinching feeling in my left TMJ. It's not agonising or anything, but I sometimes have to stand over the sink with toothpaste dripping out my mouth while I slowly try and close it. I've come to the conclusion that part of the reason for this is that I'm still subconsciously trying to push my bottom jaw forward a bit when I clean my teeth, because that's what I always used to do. So now I just try and relax my jaw a bit more when I brush, and that seems to have helped a bit.</div>
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I went to see my ortho a couple of weeks ago. She took three of my brackets off and replaced them in a slightly different position, but oh my God it bloody hurt!!! The pain only lasts for a split second, but I think because I still think of my jaw as fragile, I have this irrational fear that she's going to pull the bracket and my whole jaw will come off with it! I don't know how I'm going to cope when I have to have them all taken off!</div>
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Anyway, she moved some brackets, and thank God, she changed my archwire, so I don't have so many surgical hooks left any more. The ones in the middle have gone, so my mouth is looking a lot more clear of metal. I also don't have to wear my bands at all any more! Yay! </div>
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So the plan now is... I've got an appointment on 2nd May, then the one after that will be on 3rd June, and at that appointment she will get the more senior ortho man to come in and see whether I can have my braces taken off, and if he says yes, then they will come off at the next appointment, which hasn't been booked yet, but is likely to be in July. So, overall, the whole thing has taken a lot longer than I expected, but it's only another 3 or 4 months I suppose. I bloody hope he says I can have them taken off then, otherwise I think I might cry right there and then in front of them!!</div>
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The other thing my ortho kept talking about was the poor quality of my two front teeth. Since I was a kid I've had problems with the enamel not forming on my teeth. The result now is that my two front teeth have a rough, mottled front surface, and the bottoms are worn away. My ortho was saying about me getting some veneers put over them once my braces are off, but as far as I'm concerned, this really does seem purely cosmetic. So I will enquire about it next time I'm at the dentist, but I'll have to see how bad they look once the braces are off, and whether they look bad enough for me to justify spending hundreds of pounds on it!</div>
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Talking of dentists, I went to my dentist the same day, and as I suspected, I need three fillings. However, because I still can't open my mouth very wide, the dentist said she'll have to do the fillings in three separate appointments because it will take her so long to do each one with my mouth only opening a small way! Oh what fun!</div>
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Here are my 6 month pictures, I just took them myself and I'm not wearing much make-up so they're not great, but hopefully they give you some idea of my progress... As I always say, things look a lot more wonky in pictures than they do in real life.</div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-66475399394952506222013-03-10T08:52:00.001-07:002013-03-10T08:52:25.357-07:00Silly me!Sorry I've just realised that in my last blog post I put the title as 5 weeks post op! Sorry, that was meant to be 20 weeks post-op! I got confused with it being 5 months! Sorry for any confusion!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-49037936399653374432013-03-10T06:35:00.002-07:002013-03-10T08:52:45.490-07:00Day 140 - 20 weeks post-opHey bloggers! Sorry I'm a little delayed in my monthly post. 5 months was last Thursday (28th Feb), and my mum was staying with me for the weekend so I got her to take some photos.<br />
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General jaw update - pretty much the same as last time. I can open my mouth about two fingers wide, I've been eating more difficult foods, e.g. I've been eating burgers (veggie ones so prob not as chewy as real ones) and I can actually get the burger, in a bun, in my mouth and bite it. I've also eaten quite chewy cereal bars, and sandwiches with cucumber in. So I'm slowly getting there. I still have my stupid puffy left cheek. I don't think anyone else would notice it, but I can still see it, particularly in certain lights and in photos.<br />
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I've got an appointment in a couple of weeks (21st March) where I think they're going to move a bracket to deal with the crossbite that I've apparently developed, so I'll update again after that appointment.<br />
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I so cannot WAIT to get these braces off! I can see my poor beautiful straight teeth just longing to break out from their metal chains!!!<br />
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Here are my 5 month pics! They're quite close up so not the most flattering, but I think it's more important that I give you pictures where you can really see everything.<br />
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This is how wide I can open!</div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-44807417442495341162013-02-03T09:53:00.002-08:002013-02-03T09:53:48.239-08:00Day 112 - 16 weeks post-opHi bloggers, not much to report, just waiting and waiting for my next appointment. Also still can't open my mouth very wide, I should really do some exercises but I just forget about it. Anyway, here are my 4 month pics...<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-90589799608858321202013-01-19T07:10:00.001-08:002013-01-19T07:10:54.936-08:00Destined to be a brace face forever...I went to the hospital on Wednesday for the first time since November. Since I had my op, several different people have said to me on several different occassions that I will only need my braces for about 3 months after the op because my bite is so good. I'm 3 and half months post-op so I was thinking it would happen very soon...<br />
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On Wednesday I don't think my ortho actually did anything to my teeth, I think she just looked and realised that there's a problem that needs fixing. She said I'm developing a cross bite on one side (I hadn't noticed this), so at my next appointment she's going to move some brackets and change the wires and stuff, and then after that I'll have another appointment, and then after that I'll get my braces taken off. That didn't sound too bad... 2 more appointments and then de-bracing. Well it didn't sound too bad until I went to the reception desk to book my next appointment. Because doing the moving bracket stuff takes a long time, I need to have a 45 minute appointment, and the next time an appointment that long is available is.... 21st March!!! And then my appointment after that has to be 6 weeks after, so it's on 2nd May. And then assuming I have to wait another 6 weeks before they'll take the braces off, it will end up being at least June!<br />
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I know it's better that they fix it and get it right rather than try to rush it, and I'm not blaming the hospital or anybody that works there, but it's just so frustrating when they initially say you'll have braces for 4-6 months after surgery, and then they say that your bite's so good it will only be 3 months. And then because of the lack of appointments, it ends up being at least 8 months! I really wanted to have normal teeth by the summer, I can't bear another summer looking like a teenager :(<br />
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Anyway, the only good news was that I don't have to wear my bands in the day any more, I just have them on at night. It definitely is nice not to have to keep taking my bands off every time I want to eat, so I suppose I should be grateful for that. Don't get me wrong, I am always so grateful for everything that has happened jaw-wise... just being able to have it done at all, not having to pay for any of it, getting a cancellation for my surgery, not having any complications... I know I should be grateful and I really am. It's just so frustrating when you get these time scales in your head and then it ends up being three times longer than you were expecting.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-59914655417153024962013-01-13T07:41:00.000-08:002013-01-13T07:41:04.438-08:00I've got a lot of catching up to do...Hello bloggers! Sorry I haven't posted in so long! I moved house about 6 weeks ago now, and despite the fact that I've moved somewhere where I don't know anybody, I've been surprisingly busy! <br />
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So... as you may have seen below, I've posted all my pictures from the past few weeks. I'm now at 13 weeks and 3 days post-op, and have decided that now I'm past the 3 month mark, I will only post pictures every month, as I look pretty similar each week now. I'm now kind of at the point where jaw surgery doesn't fill my mind every second of everyday... of course I still think about it, I still have the daily hassle of braces and bands and eating etc., but it's not the main focus of my life now. I will still post when I have appointments though, and will post pictures every month.<br />
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Anyway, I've got quite a lot to update on so I thought I'd put it into neat little headings so that I don't just ramble...<br />
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<b>Appearance</b><br />
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I'm still sooooo pleased with my appearance. As I've said a million times, my photos make me look more swollen and assymetrical than I really am, and if I actually looked like what I look like in my photos, I'd probably be a bit disappointed lol. I've had a couple of people who didn't know me pre-op comment on my 'petite features', which I never would've got when I had a big nose and goofy gummy smile.<br />
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<b>Braces and bands</b><br />
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I'm still wearing my bands, although I have been a bit naughty recently and taken them off for social occasions. I'm going to the hospital on Wednesday (16th Jan) and am hoping they say I don't need to wear the bands any more. Even more than that I'm hoping that they'll book me in for my appointment to get my moulds done for my retainers, because I think once the retainers are ready they will take my braces off. All along they've said my bite is so good that I'll only need my braces on for 3 or 4 months post-op, and I'm now over 3, and my appointments have been delayed because of Christmas, so I think, and hope, it will be soon!<br />
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<b>Eating</b><br />
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I can eat most things now, just not really hard things. I can bite into things like a sandwich, but I couldn't open my mouth wide enough to eat a burger for example. Which leads me onto my next point...<br />
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<b>Jaw mobility</b><br />
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I still can't open my mouth very wide, I can't even get two fingers in. If I try I can move my jaw from side to side, but I don't really feel the need to do this when I'm eating or anything so I don't really mind about that. When I next see my ortho/surgeon I will ask whether it's normal that I still can't open very wide.<br />
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<b>Weight</b><br />
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As I said in my last post, I've found it hard to gain my weight back. I don't have any scales at my flat, but I will weigh myself on Wednesday when I'm back at my mum's. I feel like I've put weight on, but we'll see what the scales say!<br />
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<b>Swelling</b><br />
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I do still have a tiny bit of swelling in my left cheek, but again this is more noticeable in photos and I don't think anyone would notice it in real life.<br />
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<b>Numbness</b><br />
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The only part that's still numb is the front of my top gums, like above my front teeth, but as I've said before I've been really lucky with numbness and didn't have much to start with.<br />
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<b>Tooth sensitivity</b><br />
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Since surgery my teeth are really sensitive. This is probably partly because two of my teeth are in desperate need of a filling, but even without that, all my teeth just feel so sensitive. I tried brushing with my electric toothbrush, but it was just such a horrible feeling that I've got back to a manual (not my baby toothbrush though...although I do still have it!)<br />
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<b>Meeting other jaw surgery people</b><br />
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When I was out on New Year's Eve, I spotted a woman with braces while I was queueing for the toilets. I was a little bit drunk so struck up a conversation with her, and it turned out she'd had jaw surgery 7 months ago! We had a good old drunk chat about braces and jaw surgery!<br />
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The other day I also met up with someone who I've been emailing for a long time... probably about 2 years now... about jaw surgery. When I moved house we realised that I was moving to the same town as her, so we met up last weekend. She's almost a year post-op now and out of braces, and it was so nice to be able to talk to someone who has been through it all.<br />
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<b>Jaw surgery videos</b><br />
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The other day I decided that since my surgery is over, I'd quite like to know what actually happened to my face during the operation, so I went on youtube and looked for videos of jaw surgery actually being done. Now, I've got quite a strong stomach but even I winced at parts of it! It was very brutal... pretty much like something you'd see in Saw! I certainly do NOT advise this to anybody who is pre-op, because it's not pretty! But if you're post-op and don't mind blood and graphic surgery, it's very interesting! It was amazing to see how they actually did what they did to my face!<br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-82501716542981059472013-01-13T07:16:00.002-08:002013-01-13T07:16:21.453-08:00Day 84 - 12 weeks post-op<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-90547903709803903642013-01-13T07:11:00.002-08:002013-01-13T07:11:32.262-08:00Day 77 - 11 weeks post-opI was at home for Christmas at the 11 week mark so I got my mum to take quite at lot of pictures...<br />
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And some slightly more attractive ones after using my new Babyliss Big Hair!</div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-26075374110891263022013-01-13T07:00:00.003-08:002013-01-13T07:00:58.788-08:00Day 70 - 10 weeks post-op<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-90044107294610263952013-01-13T06:59:00.005-08:002013-01-13T06:59:47.655-08:00Day 63 - 9 weeks post-op<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-65858983831983076212013-01-13T06:56:00.003-08:002013-01-13T06:56:32.948-08:00Day 56 - 8 weeks post-op<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-66356315599533602802012-12-23T06:15:00.002-08:002012-12-23T06:15:50.854-08:00Weight... or lack ofI forgot to say in my post yesterday about my lack of weight gain. Before surgery I was about 7 stone 10 lbs. Three weeks ago I was 7 stone 3 lbs. I weighed myself yesterday for the first time since then, and was hoping I would have gained at least a few pounds, and guess what I was... 7 stone 1 lb!!! It's so annoying, I really want to put some weight on because my torso is starting to look very skeletal. I'll definitely be stuffing my face over Christmas!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-21988235748018555092012-12-22T07:37:00.001-08:002012-12-22T07:37:18.158-08:0011 weeks post-op... An update<br />
Hi bloggers, sorry I've been away for so long, I've only just got the internet at my flat, but I have been keeping up with everyone else's blogs... been having a sneaky look while I've been at work!<br />
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So...I'm just over 11 weeks post-op! Can't believe it was that long ago. It's starting to feel like a distant memory now rather than something I live with everyday. I've been taking photos every week, and was going to upload them today but I'm at my mum's house for Christmas and have just realised that I forgot to bring my camera lead with me! But I will put them all up asap. <br />
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I haven't seen my family for a few weeks because I've moved quite far away for my new job, and when they saw me they all said that my face has gone down and it looks smaller, which is good. Overall I'm still really happy with my face! I just can't wait to get the braces off now. The only thing I'm a bit concerned about is that I still can only open my mouth about one finger. It is gradually opening more, but it's very gradual, and I'm worried I should be able to do more by now. I also get these sharp pains in my TMJ area, they're quite occassional but also quite painful. I've only started getting those since I started chewing.<br />
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That's all I really have to tell... life is becoming more and more normal. I'm just sick of having to take my bands on and off every time I want to eat, and I'm just running out of patience with all the usual brace annoyances like having food stuck in it all the time.<br />
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Hope everybody else is doing well, I'll put my photos up soon! Merry Christmas everyone! May 2013 bring happy and healthy jaws!<br />
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-66026849164140938512012-11-30T13:26:00.000-08:002012-11-30T13:26:03.545-08:00No internet access :(Just thought I'd let you all know that I'm not going to have the internet for a while because I'm moving house so it will take a while to get sorted. I'll still be taking photos though and will catch up on my blog (and reading everyone else's!) when I'm back online.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-86739400393950940052012-11-30T13:22:00.000-08:002012-11-30T13:22:14.897-08:00Day 49 - 7 weeks post-opI went to the hairdressers on this day, and when the hairdresser was talking about what kind of cut would suit my face she said that I've got quite a petite face! I've never had a petite face in my life so I loved her saying that lol!<br />
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I also went out for dinner with my mum and sister to Pizza Express. I had dough balls to start which I managed to eat quite slowly, and then my pizza had goat's cheese and spinach and onion. The spinach was a bit annoying because it kept getting stuck in my braces and was difficult to swallow, and I couldn't eat the crusts, but apart from that it was fairly successful!<br />
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This is how my new bands look...<br />
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-31314756612866094042012-11-30T13:13:00.000-08:002012-11-30T13:13:20.510-08:00Day 48 - orthodontist appointmentI went to the ortho on Wednesday and once again he said how good it all looked! He was showing me to a woman who I assume was training, and he said that for 7 weeks my swelling is pretty good. However, he did say that I should 'lubricate' my face a lot and massage it to help the swelling go down more... he even recommended I go for a facial, which I'd love to do but I'm afraid I just can't afford it right now!<br />
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He changed my bands... I was hoping (but knew it wouldn't actually happen) that I'd get my bands off so that I'm a little more normal when I start my new job on Monday, but alas, he just changed them. But they are better now, I don't have any at the front so it's much less noticeable. I haven't got another appointment now until 16th January. It was meant to be in 4 weeks, but with it being Christmas and now that I'm moving away and have to travel back a long way to go to appointments it's ended up being 6 weeks. So my hopes and dreams of getting my braces off in early January have faded, but hopefully it shouldn't be too long after. He said that if before my next appointment my bottom teeth start to come level with or even go past my top teeth (i.e. I start getting an underbite) then I just need to stop wearing the elastics.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-27390169156822131832012-11-27T04:41:00.002-08:002012-11-27T04:41:22.654-08:00Day 46 - Appointment with the surgeonYesterday I saw my surgeon for my 6 week post-op check-up. He had a quick look in my mouth and said it all looked good. He asked if the orthodontic department had said when I could have my braces off, and I told him that they keep saying 3 months post-op, so he said to make another appointment to see him again when I get my braces off and have my retainers fitted.<br />
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He also brought up the subject of genio, and said that they usually let the jaw surgery completely settle before they do it and it usually isn't done until your braces are off. But I told him that at the moment I don't want it done, because I'm 100% happy with my results from the jaw surgery, and he said that that's often the case! I just don't see the point in getting genio done now. I like my new face...ok maybe a slightly bigger chin would look better, but having a slightly small chin does not bother me now that I have my jaws in the right place. If they'd done it in with the jaw surgery, then my decision may have been different, but there's no way I'm putting myself through all the worry and risk and stress of another operation. I know you could argue that the whole jaw surgery is just vanity, but to me getting a chin job now would be vanity - it's not correcting any functional or medical problems, and the appearance of my chin does not upset me in the slightest. I never went into this process searching for the perfect face with the perfect measurements of all my facial features - I just wanted my jaws in the right place and I got it. Also I'm surprised that the NHS would give me genio. It really would be purely cosmetic, so I can't believe that they would be willing to pay for a whole new operation just so I could have a nicer chin?! Crazy!<br />
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He didn't actually mention chewing, despite my anticipation of this appointment because of the possibility of being given the all clear to chew. So I asked at the end and he just said yes, but said that I should gradually increase the hardness of the foods I eat (which I was planning to anyway). So last night I had a fairly soft dinner but I chewed it instead of mushed it. I had a vegetarian sausage, mashed potato, peas and carrots with gravy. It actually didn't take me too long to eat it and the chewing went well. Now I can't wait to start chewing more and more food! I really need to put some weight on so I hope that now I can chew I'll start to pile on the pounds. I'm starting to look skinny to the point where my clothes are baggy and I look unattractive in anything I put on, so I really want to gain some weight.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-1823272804610487282012-11-24T03:34:00.004-08:002012-11-24T03:34:56.327-08:00Surgery supplies - what I actually usedBefore my surgery I did a post of all the things I bought, so I thought I'd do a list of all of them and say how much I actually used them:<br />
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<b>Beaker: </b>This came with a lid with a little spout. I did use it with the lid for the first couple of days, but to be honest I found it pretty easy to drink from a cup normally from quite early on. I still use the beaker now though because it has measurements on and is very handy for making Ready Brek and Complan!<br />
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<b>Coccyx cushion: </b>I have not used this once. I didn't feel the need for it in the first few days and then after that I just kind of forgot about it. Bit of a waste of money but oh well.<br />
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<b>Complan: </b>Complan drinks have been a saviour. They're a good quick way to get calories in, and seeing as I'm still underweight I'm still drinking them. It saves the hassle of taking bands off. The chocolate ones are delicious.<br />
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<b>Tissues: </b>I got through a lot of tissues, and still use quite a lot now. I don't know whether it's just the weather here, or maybe I've got a bit of a cold, but I've found that my nose has been quite runny since surgery.<br />
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<b>Cotton buds: </b>I didn't really use these for anything surgery related.<br />
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<b>Facewipes: </b>Didn't use these any more than I normally do.<br />
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<b>Lip balm: </b>I have used this, and there's been a couple of times when I've had sore/dry/cut lips, but I haven't been really reliant on it like I know some people are after surgery.<br />
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<b>Children's toothbrush: </b>I'm still using this now as I can't fit my normal toothbrush in my mouth.<br />
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<b>Baby spoons: </b>Still using these now. I can use a knife and fork but when it comes to something that needs a spoon, a baby spoon is the easiest option. I can eat off of a teaspoon, but a baby spoon is easier because it doesn't dip in the middle.<br />
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<b>Nasal decongestant spray: </b>Haven't used this at all, just didn't feel the need, I never really had a clogged up nose.<br />
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<b>'Healthy water': </b>I got these in a health food shop, and while I'm sure they did good, they didn't taste very nice, and I found it hard to force myself to drink them.<br />
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<b>Baby food: </b>I couldn't bring myself to eat this, and seeing as I was eating fairly solid things within a couple of days, I didn't feel the need.<br />
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<b>Spirulina protein powder: </b>I tried to use this but it was just too disgusting. If you put it in your drink it just turned the whole thing into green sludge, and I couldn't bring myself to ruin my food with it.<br />
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<b>Arnica gel: </b>I put this on each night, and intend to do so until it runs out. You're meant to put it on up to 4 times a day, but because it kind of dries on your face like a face mask you have to clean it off each time, so I've just put it on at night and taken it off in the morning. I don't know whether it's really helped or not, the swelling may have gone down at the same rate without it, so I can't really say how effective it's been.<br />
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<b>Neck cushion: </b>I used this in the early post-surgery days but haven't used it much since then.<br />
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<b>Cylindrical cushion: </b>I used this to put under my pillows when I could start to lay down a bit more, but don't use it now.<br />
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<b>Bed wedge: </b>I'd say this is probably the best thing I bought for surgery. It was so useful during the first couple of weeks when I was sleeping sitting up, and after that I still used it just for sitting up in bed. I'll continue to use it now just because it's more comfortable than propping up on pillows, although I do feel like a bit of granny having my back support in bed!!<br />
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On a different note, I've been thinking about when I should start posting less often. I was thinking about stopping my daily posts at 6 weeks, and when I realised I forgot to take photos yesterday, that kind of made the decision for me. Also I'm moving out of my parents' house soon so I won't have my mum to take photos. So from now on I think I'll just take photos each week for a while, and then maybe each month once I feel I'm not having many changes. I'll still post to report on hospital appointments and any other exciting jaw events though!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-12995431730197326252012-11-23T04:59:00.003-08:002012-11-23T04:59:41.681-08:00Before and after at 6 weeks post-op<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-84685802458489130872012-11-23T04:43:00.003-08:002012-11-23T04:43:41.228-08:00Progress weeks 0-6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7693028945127747257.post-5171113657279133812012-11-23T04:03:00.000-08:002012-11-23T04:05:19.822-08:00Day 42 - 6 weeks post-opCan't believe it has been 6 weeks already! I went out for 'lunch' yesterday, but wasn't actually expecting to be able to eat anything, so I had lunch before I went. However when I got there I saw a dessert that I thought I could tackle, so I had churros with melted chocolate and it was really nice. It took me longer to eat that than it took anyone else to eat their lunch but I got there eventually!<br />
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So, as it's 6 weeks I thought I'd give an update on all the major jaw related issues...<br />
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<b><u>Pain:</u></b><br />
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Occasionally I get these shooting pains around my TMJ area, but they're not very frequent and don't really bother me. That's the only pain I get.<br />
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<b><u>Numbness:</u></b><br />
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As I've said before, I haven't really had any numbness since the operation. The only bits that were ever numb were the roof of my mouth and my top gum, and the only bit that's still numb is my top gum, but this really doesn't bother me at all.<br />
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<b><u>Eating:</u></b><br />
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I'm seeing my surgeon on Monday so I'm hoping he'll give me the all clear to chew. I haven't found the eating situation too bad overall, I've found quite a few things that can be mushed rather than chewed. The only thing that is hard is finding things to eat for dinner, I'm getting a bit bored of mashed potato, pasta etc.<br />
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<b><u>Weight:</u></b><br />
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I lost half a stone after surgery. I'm finding it hard to gain this back, but I'm hoping this will improve once I can chew. The lowest I went down to was 7 stone 2 lbs and 2 oz, and the most I've been at post-surgery was 7 stone 5 lbs 6 oz. At the moment I'm back down to 7 stone 3 lbs.<br />
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<b><u>Bite, braces and bands:</u></b><br />
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As I said in a previous post, I have some minor concerns about my bite, but I trust the orthodontists to do what they do best, and overall my teeth look great. I still have the surgical hooks on as they're needed to put the bands over. Every time I go to the ortho she changes my band configuration. I'm going back on Wednesday and I really hope they might take the bands off so that I look/talk a little more normally when I start my new job.<br />
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<b><u>Brushing:</u></b><br />
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From early on I've been able to brush both the outsides and insides of my teeth. I still find it hard to clean the top/bottom surfaces because I can't open my mouth wide enough. I really want to start using my electric toothbrush again (I'm still on the baby toothbrush) but I just can't fit it through my mouth to get to the inside surface of my teeth.<br />
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<b><u>Swelling:</u></b><br />
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I still have a little swelling in my cheeks, especially on my left side. I don't think this is very noticeable though, and it always looks worse in the photos that I post than it really is.<br />
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<b><u>Appearance:</u></b><br />
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If I'm honest, the main reason I wanted to get this surgery done was because I hated the effect my jaws had on my appearance and I wanted to look better... I know, I know, some may say that's vain, but it's the truth. However, it was something that really bothered me and I just thought I looked horrendous as I was before. So, am I happy with my new face? 100% yes. I love my new face. At the early stages after surgery there were a few times when I had doubts, but I can safely say I'm happy with my new face and I'm 100% happy that I went through with this surgery. I no longer have a gummy smile, a long face, a wonky top jaw, a recessed chin and a big nose. How could I not be happy to have got rid of all of that?! I find myself looking in the mirror quite a lot now because I like admiring my new face, but I don't mean this in a way that I now love myself and think I'm the most stunning person in the world. It's just that I'm really happy with the results and I appreciate them so much. I never expected to come out of this looking perfect and being the most beautiful person in the world, and I haven't come out looking perfect and being the most beautiful person in the world. But I did this to make myself happy, to correct the things that <i>I </i>felt were wrong with my face, and I've done that. Of course it's nice when other people say that the surgery has improved my appearance, but the main thing is that I'm happy with how I look now, which I definitely am! I am so grateful that I've been able to have this surgery done on the NHS. There's no way I ever would've been able to afford to have it done privately. The orthodontist and the surgeon have done such an amazing job and I'm so grateful and truly count myself lucky that I've been able to have the surgery and that I've had such amazing results. I really think that this surgery has changed my life because I'm now content with my appearance and have more self-confidence.<br />
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Photos... By the way the red marks on either side of my nose are just where I've been wearing glasses, they're not some weird side effect of surgery lol<br />
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This is how wide I can open at the moment. It's about a finger's width. I'm slightly worried because I still feel like I can see a slight cant in my top jaw... I'm sure I'm just being paranoid though...</div>
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As I keep saying, I'm really not photogenic, so I thought I'd upload another video as I feel this looks more like the real me... or maybe I just like to think that because I look better than in photos! Sorry for how dark it is.</div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806483465000990374noreply@blogger.com0