This is a blog about my recovery process after getting orthognathic surgery. I hope that my story is as useful to you as the countless blogs I've read this past year.
It seems that everyone heals just a bit differently. So this is me.
So I knew that I might be getting my braces off today, but I didn't wanna get too excited about it cuz you never know, right? Lemme give you the backstory...
Six weeks ago my ortho basically says to me, "After 30 years, they might be kicking us out of this office building soon. They wanna make more room for retail shops... Let's see if we can't get you out of these braces before that happens!" So he doubles up on the power chains (my front lower 4 teeth) and gives me a new rubber band configuration. It hurt like hell! Now, I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that you can't just rush teeth like that. But maybe he wasn't rushing - maybe it just sounded like he was rushing. :P
Lemme find a picture... this one doesn't show the gap, but it does show off my awesome rubber bands.
Not my favorite configuration.
The goal was to close up the gap I had between my lower left #2 and #3. I went back 3 weeks later and he said everything looked good, and we set up today's appointment to get the braces taken off.
However, there's this slight gap between my upper and lower teeth on the left side - you can see it here. (In the picture, it's on the right side.)
Definitely not terrible, but visible.
It's fine, right? I thought he might want to fix it up all perfect, but nah, whatever. Which is fine with me. It doesn't bother me and I don't think it'll affect my bite. So there you go, no more braces! :)
My (omg) last 2x2 picture?
MONTH 8 - no more braces!
I made this video today. :D Yay! I think I'll make another one soon to show you guys my new retainers - and to let you hear how I sound when I wear them. I'm totally dreading it...
And then came the retainers...
Pain: Normally, ZERO, since the brackets no longer rub against the inside of my scarred up cheeks! However, when I EAT I bite my left cheek. So then it's like, I don't know, a 3 when that happens? Hopefully, it's because my cheek is still swollen from being rubbed-up-on by my brackets. Maybe it'll chill after a few days of non-rubbing??? Otherwise I'm getting those scars cut off.
Numbness: Bottom gums numb on the outside portion. Chin area and right side of jaw very very slightly tingly.
Discomfort: When I eat, I still feel like there's a "shelf" of food in my mouth - and there kinda is. Basically, food is getting stuck between my cheek scars and my bottom teeth. I don't know what to do about that. Maybe nothing?
Weight: Meh, normal now.
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
Sorry I've been a terrible blogger. I knew this would happen...
Work is stupid busy. And I've added to it by volunteering to do additional activities like competing in the Staff Lip Sync Battle, being a judge at the annual talent show, and participating in Dancing With The Staff. What. Was. I. Thinking. I don't know - mostly I just want to show my kids that I <3 them. Lame. Haha.
As an apology, here's a video of my group's champoinship lip sync performance from last month. Yeah, that's right, we won. (This is obviously our "we're hardcore!" pose. I think we nailed it. :D)
Today's dentist visit:
My dentist and her assistant (both of whom I really like) kept telling me how different I looked. I don't think I look that different. I was like, "Oh, I don't know... The husband can't really tell, either... And my friends say I look pretty much the same." But they just kept saying it. Apparently, I look very different to them - in a good way? But I guess that's okay. Whatever!
I have never been so excited to get my teeth cleaned before! Jaw surgery and braces definitely make you appreciate a good clean mouth. It's been 7 months since my last cleaning, and the tartar was kind of ridiculous. (I obviously didn't floss right after the surgery, and then I just kind of gave up cuz my teeth already felt fuzzy and gross.) My teeth and brackets are CLEAN again!!! Yay!!! Here's me super happy about it:
Look, no wires!
By the time I left the ortho, though, I was less happy...
Today's orthodontist visit:
He put ANOTHER rubber band in my mouth. :-/ I now have...
regular ligatures on the top,
power chains on the bottom,
an extra pair on power chains connecting my 2-3's on the bottom left where there's a gap,
3 metal ligatures with hooks,
a rubber band on the right in an inverted V shape,
a rubber band on the left in an super slanted V shape,
and ANOTHER rubber band on the left side going from the top molar to my lower 3.
OMG.
Supposedly I might be done with braces in another 4 months or so, but... I'll believe it when I see it. It's pretty terrible in there right now.
*Side note: Either nobody cares that I have braces and ridiculous amounts of rubber bands in my mouth, or people are REALLY nice and don't ever talk about it to my face. I'm thinking it's the former. Cuz high school kids are pretty good about saying whatever's on their minds. Then again, they probably don't want me to fail them...
Here are some old and new pictures:
WEEK 21 (aka 5 MONTHS!)
WEEK 25 (aka 6 MONTHS!)
The swelling has possibly subsided a bit from 3 months.
I am just now realizing that curling my hair might make my face look more plump. Or is it just the angles of the photos? Hmmm...
This video talks about the days and weeks right after jaw surgery.
Pain: 0-2/10 (At this point, only my cheeks hurt - from the surgery scars rubbing against my brackets.)
Numbness: Bottom gums numb on the outside portion. Chin area and right side of jaw very very slightly tingly.
Discomfort: Still hate rubber bands. Still have to wear wax/silicone almost 24/7 on all of my molars.
Weight: Meh, normal now.
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
Don't get me wrong - I like my job! But, man, working is way more tiring and way less fun than NOT working. Haha. And it totally puffed my cheeks and jowls back up. I don't think anyone else can tell (including my husband) but I know it to be true. I feel like I went back to week 7. And then just stayed there for 4 weeks. It's fine, though, it's fine...
Most days, my job involves a LOT of talking and walking and being semi-animated for 5 hours straight. I see those blogs of 19-year-olds who go back to school AND work at 3 weeks and it's CRAZY to me! I didn't even feel like myself until 4 weeks - just being able to stay out all day and not feel exhausted was an achievement. You young people and your super-healing abilities. Damn.
Okay, I don't have much to write, but here are a few pictures and videos of my progress. I've been taking pictures and making videos, but I've been too lazy to post them. I'm sorry. :(
1st day of work =
1st time icing in weeks.
And being too tired to chew all day.
Fun at the Long Beach Aquarium.
A kissy face picture, requested by a mom friend.
Okay, so let's discuss that last picture. We spent the day with some of my friends (+ kids, cuz they basically all have kids now) and somehow left without kissing one of the little twin sisters goodbye. Being a 3-year-old, she wasn't really having that. Therefore, we were asked to send a picture of us making a kissy face. Crisis averted.
But I also included that picture because it shows that I can't really suck in my cheeks anymore. I mean, I'm sure I'll be able to in a few more months (3? 6?) but for now my cheeks are still too swollen. That's partly how I know that they're swollen, by the way. I guess I should be happy that my face wrinkles are a little bit puffed out, huh? Meh, whatever. I'm not too concerned either way I guess. I either look puffy and un-me or wrinkly and like-the-new-me (which I wouldn't even be able to identify, yet, since I've never seen it before).
When people ask, "are you happy with the results?" My response is still, "um, yeah - I think so. My teeth fit together, so hopefully they won't fall out anymore. And my face is fine. I don't know."
~Regarding Jaw Surgery and Beauty~
When I look at before and after pictures of other people online, I almost always think that the after picture is better. Like, objectively better. And, yes, I know that looks and beauty are subjective. But, for real, when a face is more aligned it almost always looks more aesthetically pleasing. There was only one instance of the before picture looking better to me, but that was of a woman who had an "open bite" - the open bite made her face longer and, once it was fixed, her face looked like it got a little smooshed vertically. Therefore, she had this old-lady kind of mouth situation where she looked like she was missing teeth. In reality, she just had small teeth. It made me sad cuz she was in her late twenties and went from looking "cute" to looking like a mom. (Sorry, moms - as a group, you don't look old. I promise.)
In every other comparison, though, whether the person used to have an under bite or an over bite, that person looked obviously better to me after the surgery. So it was always weird that people would write about how they couldn't tell if they liked their new face. I'd be thinking, "That's ridiculous. You look better. You're just writing this so you don't seem vain or don't seem like you just did it for your looks. Come on, you can be honest. Admit that you look obviously better." And, the thing is, these people would readily admit that other people TOLD THEM they look better and/or look "so different."
Okay, so that's the difference - most people really can't tell that I had surgery. Some can, but some supposedly really cannot. A close coworker friend of mine (who I see and talk to on a daily basis) claims that she really can't tell the difference. Former students, who had the misfortune of having to stare at me for an hour each day, would come back to visit and only notice my new braces. (And everyone knows how honest kids can be.) Very few people see me and go, "Oh my gosh, you look so different!" There's been, like... 2.
So do I think I look "better?" Um... I don't look worse. And I was perfectly happy before. But I'm also happy now. And I'm smart enough to not hate my new face because that's just stupid. (You have to self-brainwash, sometimes, people. You can't change what you can't change. Unless you wanna live your life constantly being unhappy.) I will say that my profile is very nice now. But, if you read the beginning of my blog, you know that I very rarely thought about my profile before this whole adventure started. ~End of Random Thought~
Back to the aquarium - did you know that annual pass holders can scuba dive at the aquarium?!?!?! You get to dive in a tank that houses all of their CRAZY sea animals! Like fish and crab and sharks!!! And, because it's a fake environment, it's all perfectly clear water. Freaking amazing!!! Since we're not certified, it's going to cost us the price of certification ($250, but you hold the certification for life) and the actual "Dive Immersion" experience ($279). That's a sh*tload of money, yes, but where else would you be able to dive somewhere that is so safe, so full of sea life, and with such clear water? :D Plus the aquarium is awesome so I'm down to contribute some monies their way.
On a side note, I'm really not into zoos cuz I feel bad for the animals. But I love aquariums! Is that weird? Am I mammal-biased? Oh, oh, there is some other news - I got new Rubber Bands!!!
Okay, technically they're the same rubber bands - they're just in a new position. The "V" now come forward onto my #3 teeth at the bottom. That makes them a little tighter and it makes me... look like a VAMPIRE! Muah ha ha... I think the red lipstick really helps.
Maybe I should be a vampire for Halloween... Hmmm...
Which reminds me... here's a picture of my Halloween makeup from two years ago. Not only is it just an awesome photo, but it also shows the state of my teeth from below. Not terrible, but you can tell that they're crooked. In high school, they use to be straight. Like, perfectly straight. Tooth on tooth contact + some crookedness = teeth that move every time you bite down.
Halloween 2014
See in the first/vampire picture how they're still not perfectly straight? These braces aren't coming off anytime soon...
At my last orthodontist visit:
Me: "Dr. (surgeon) asked me when my braces would be coming off. He thought they'd come off really soon. But I told him it's gonna be a while, still."
Ortho: "Oh, yeah, those surgeons don't know. Haha."
Me: "I told him I haven't even asked you how much longer it would be - it would probably just make me sad."
Ortho: (Little laugh.)
And that was it. No response from him. Hahaha.
So that's about it... here are some update pictures and videos.
Week 11
WEEK 13 (aka 3 MONTHS!)
I didn't do a good job showing off my jawline, sorry.
The first video talks about pre-surgery things; the second talks about the actual surgery itself plus a little bit of pain management afterwards.
Pain: 0-2/10 (Sometimes I'm fine. But when my cheeks hurt from my brackets, I NEED silicone.)
Numbness: Bottom gums numb on the outside portion. Chin area and right side of jaw very very slightly tingly.
Discomfort: I still hate rubber bands. I still have to wear wax/silicone almost 24/7 on all of my molars.
Weight: -6 lbs
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
Happy anniversary to my hubby! Well, not today, but sometime last week. We've been married for... wait for it... nine years and we've been together for... wait or it... SEVENTEEN! Like, seriously, that sounds crazy right? Seventeen years is an almost-adult! I've been with my husband for longer than most of my students have been alive. (So. Old.) I wanted to post a picture of us at dinner, but I think they're all on his phone. Oh well.
And then it was my dad's birthday! While I didn't end up buying him anything ("Don't get me anything! I have too many clothes already!") I did make him his favorite noodles. Well, his favorite noodles that I make. Haha. It's just this Chinese cold noodle sauce with egg noodles and julienned vegetables. My dad used to make it when I was little, but I think he forgot how cuz he said he tried to make it recently and my mom said it turned out terrible. :P I've been making my version for a few years now - it's a recipe I got from (omg, so embarrassing) Andrew Zimmern. It's pretty tasty, though. And super easy. I add more veggies and baked tofu, though, since it's so carby. Anyway, here's us:
(So I think my sister might make me remove this animation if she ever finds my blog, but it's SO CUTE I had to include it. Hehe.)
Ice cream cake, of course.
Acne (mostly on my chin, but sometimes above my lip as well)
I am not going to post a picture of my pimples (cuz eww) but I'm telling you they're there, okay? I started noticing them about a month after the surgery and then it's slowly gotten worse. And, by worse, I mean that at any point in time I usually have 2-3 little whiteheads and about 10 either forming or healing. It's not the worst thing ever, by any means, but I've also never had "acne" before so it's totally new to me and annoying as heck. I'm required to cover them with foundation and concealer every day - it kinda reminds me of those "before pictures" that Katy Perry or Brittany Spears would use in Proactive commercials.
So I was feeling a little more irritated about the whole thing... until I found this blog post. DO NOT click on that if you don't wanna see the worst reaction to a facial EVER. It's reeeeally sad (I feel for this girl) and it's really sobering (I no longer feel sad about my measly little pimples). On a side note, she recently had to take down a blog post where she basically mean-girl live-blogged a wedding and she got totally roasted for it. Comments included something like, "what a terrible person...maybe that's why she was punished by the facial experience" which is also totally mean-girl! Jeez.
Back to my acne. Haha. It may be getting slightly better. I went crazy researching skincare and acne products and decided to change my entire skincare routine. Drastic, I know. What I found was that the only products that are proven to change the texture of your skin, unclog pores, and stimulate new skin cell growth are alpha and beta hydroxy acids - things like vitamin A (retinoids), vitamin C, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, etc. Fruit enzymes (ferulic acid), antioxidants, blue light, and whatnot are cool, too, but more like "extras." What I was using, La Mer (I know that sounds uber-fancy but my aunt bought me a little starter set), was fine, but it's kinda froufrou. Oooooo, miracle seaweed. Before that, I used Algenist, who's claim to fame is also some kind of secret microalgae. The new skincare products are mostly from Drunk Elephant. I would tell you exactly what I'm using, but... let's see how it works first and I'll keep you updated...
I don't wanna be bagging on Algenist, though - both me and hubby really like their Triple-Action Micropolish & Peel. And I still really like their Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SFP 50. So there. :)
Video and Compulsory Face Pics
This video is about how and why I chose my oral surgeon, some insurance considerations (in the USA), and what I paid for the surgery. While the hospital costs were relatively minor/non-existent, since the hospital was in-network for my PPO, I did have to pay for most of my surgeon's costs, the assistant surgeon's costs, and some x-rays. (That's on top of my orthodontics costs, which my dental insurance chipped in $1500 for. Ha. While appreciated, that's a pretty minor contribution.) If you live in the states, definitely look into your company's "flexible spending plan," which takes a predetermined amount of pre-taxed money out of each paycheck that you can then use for medical/dental/vision/childcare reasons. It's kind of a pain, but totally worth it when you're saving thousands of dollars.
Random update: I can open my mouth 2.5 fingers now!
And here's me at 8 weeks... someone told me last night that I look "ten years younger." That's sweet, but I sort of hate those compliments. Unless she was trying to tell me that I now look like a teenager. :P
(Once, in college, an acquaintance I hadn't seen in two years told me that I "got so pretty" after I lost a few pounds and grew out my hair. She was seriously like, "oh my GAWD" and she obviously really meant it, but... Not cool, girl. Not cool.)
These are kinda fuzzy, huh? Sorry.
Unless something interesting happens, I don't think I'll be updating the blog for a few weeks. My summer vacation is ending, so I'll be pretty busy for a while...
Pain: 2/10
Numbness: Bottom gums numb on the outside portion. Chin area and right side of jaw very very slightly tingly. Discomfort: I still hate rubber bands. I still have to wear wax/silicone 24/7 on all of my molars.
Weight: -4 lbs
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
I got a comment today on a video! Hahaha, that shouldn't really be a big deal, but it was my first comment and confirmation that this is actually slightly helpful to somebody out there! :D Therefore, I shall continue. Haha.
Here's my video this week. It's about how I chose my orthodontist, how much that choice may matter in terms of your future face, and a small list of braces must-haves.
By the way, just a note about last week's video. I mentioned that I didn't get saw surgery for aesthetic reasons (which anyone who gets orthognathic surgery knows, I'm sure) but I also want to say that I have nothing against cosmetic surgery or anyone who gets it. Do what you wanna do. Live your life. Whatevers. My point was just that I did not get jaw surgery to "look better."
Swim Lessons
Today, I went with my friend to her son's swim class. It was ADORABLE. There was some crying, but overall the kids did great. The 10-student classes were held in someone's very nice backyard pool. $250 for one week of classes. Let's see... conservatively, maybe he teaches 4 classes per day for 10 weeks out of the summer... that's $100,000. Pretty good racket! (Really, though, it was very cute and the kids progress quickly throughout the week. Day one and two might entail major crying, but by day three they're pretty into it. Amazing.)
My face today:
My bottom lip is def smaller now.
Pain: 2/10
Numbness: Bottom gums numb on the outside portion. Chin area and right side of jaw still tingly/numb, but getting better. Discomfort: I still hate rubber bands. I still have to wear wax/silicone 24/7 on all of my molars.
Weight: -4 lbs
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
My day started off so great! Everything seemed to be healing well, I've had pretty much zero pain for a few days now, and I've been on a roll with my workouts - I even had another one planned for this afternoon. And then... I met with my orthodontist.
All Orthodontists Should Have to Wear Braces!
I'm pretty sure that nice older man posing as my orthodontist is really just a sadist. Or maybe all orthodontists are sadists. (Like that dentist from Little Shop of Horrors, you know?)
Things started off normally. He took out my wires, gave them a little bend, and put them back in. Then, he said something to his assistant about my needing rubber bands. At this point, I'm not shocked/scared. I've had rubber bands before and, although they were kinda annoying, really they were fine. As soon as she put these bands in, though, I could FEEL the tightness. O.M.G. They were so f-ing tight. (Each one is hooked onto my top 4's, loop down to my bottom 4's, then looped onto my top 3's in a "V" shape.) I could barely open my mouth. I could TELL they would hurt, and quickly.
As soon as I went home, I had some delicious homemade noodles that I made with my parents the other day and then I immediately took some Advil.
Three hours later, I sent the following text to my friends:
I'm sorry to be a big cry baby, but I need to explain to you guys my dilemma right now. So 6 of teeth feel like they're slowly being ripped out of my skull. But I can't exactly hold my teeth completely shut because then the contact between all of my upper and lower teeth hurt. So I have to keep this constant pressure to slightly keep my teeth apart. But long term that just makes those 6 teeth hurt more! So. Sad.
A few hours after that, I didn't even have to worry about it anymore cuz I couldn't open my mouth AT ALL. Those 6 teeth hurt, AND all of the other teeth that had any contact with each other hurt as well (from the pressure of the rubber bands holding my bite together).
Oh, and when the husband came home from dinner I made those noodles again. This time, as soon as I put a spoonful into my mouth, I knew it was over. No chewing on anything. No noodles. No tofu. No super soft potatoes. Just no. I swallowed a few spoonfuls, felt totally sorry for myself because food doesn't TASTE like anything when you can't chew, and gave the rest to hubby. Back to shakes for me.
Am I pathetic or what?!?! Sorry.
Homemade Noodles
Ok, I'll stop complaining now and show you those delicious noodles that I can no longer eat. I can pretty much guarantee that you've never eaten, seen, or even heard of them before. I've never seen them in any restaurant and nobody outside of my family has ever heard of them before. In Chinese, they're called "mian pian." Literally translated, it means "noodle sheets" or something to that effect. Basically, they're flat little squares of noodles. You make the dough, then cut/pull them into little logs for later use. Then, when you're ready to actually make the noodles, you flatten the logs along the edges, pull them out long, and then you pinch off little squares that get dropped into a pot of boiling water. (They're kinda similar to "la mian" which is "pulled noodles" or this other thing called "dao xioa mian" which is "knife-cut dough." These can be found in certain Chinese restaurants.) Anyway, I took some pictures for you, cuz why not?
That's what they look like after they've been pulled long.
You could just dump them in the water like this.
And this is the finished product. I guess it's kinda like soup?
This is one my favorite foods. Like, on every one of my birthdays, this is what my parents make me. Usually we just eat it with chicken broth, but I went crazy when my parents came to visit me and I made this soup (which is also one of those very particular dishes that none of my friends have ever heard of). I say I went crazy cuz it takes 2 hours just to chop up all the ingredients. It's called "sao z" which may or may not translate into "soup for things." (I totally made that up.) You can pretty much put anything you want in it, but I used...
beef
garlic
scallions
potatoes
king oyster mushrooms
daikon
firm tofu
napa cabbage
It's definitely a comfort food for me. So not being able to eat it made me super sad.
New Video Series
I decided that my weekly videos are super boring and non-informative for anyone who happens to stumble upon them on YouTube. So, from now on, I'm going to do a little series of videos talking about why I got the surgery, the surgery itself, and so on. (I obviously haven't really thought it through yet. I'll work on it, though.) Anyhow, today's video is about why I decided to get the surgery. While I've already covered this topic in my very first post, in the video I talk about it in a different way. Feel free to skip it, though, if you want. Haha. Again, these videos are mostly for me to look at a year from now - just to see how my swelling and speaking is progressing.
And my face today...
See the smile? Yeah, this is before the rubber bands.
Pain: 5/10
Numbness: Bottom gums numb on the outside portion. Chin area and right side of jaw still tingly/numb, but getting better.
Discomfort: I HATE RUBBER BANDS!!!!! So. Much.
Weight: -4 lbs
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
The swelling, the numbness, the nighttime soreness - it's all unchanged from week 4. Aesthetically, I feel like I haven't changed since week 3. Here's a very short video so you can see for yourself:
Too Much Fun?
I do wonder, though, if my "sameness" from last week has anything to do with the general eventfulness of this past week. I went from doing nothing (and staying away from alcohol, as it can cause facial bloating) to having multiple days of lots of activities (as well as a few bday and holiday drinks). For three days in a row, I was out and about. That's a lot for a hermit like me!
I am trying to go out more, though. I have little outings planned as I am feeling less tired in general. I'm SO ready to start working out again. I actually bought some dumbbells - 10, 12, and 15 lbs - but basically everyone is telling me it's too early to do those kinds of exercises. Um, did you know that weights are really expensive? As they increase in poundage, they increase in price. And colored weights are generally 3-4 more pricey than black ones. Haha. I bought these, btw, and I really like them. (I got black 10's and 15's, cuz they were so much cheaper, but I got the blue 12's cuz the price was almost the same. They also sell them in pairs here, but they're not necessarily cheaper. Gotta do the math, guys.)
I think I'm gonna start out with some pilates soon... go with the lightest coils. I NEED to gain some muscle.
Pictures
Here are some random pictures of the week's festivities, followed by my normal face pics:
'Merica block party with my softball buddies and their neighbors.
You can see me in my Captain America shirt over on the right!
I got to have zero Cotixan burritos. Isn't that sad?
Birthday picnic with some of my fav people.
Maybe the alcohol made me puffy-faced?
Or it's just my face now.
Oh, and I colored my hair. Does anyone know anything about "ash" tones? I swear I have a little bit of a greenish tint to my hair right now, but the colorist said that the ash tones will wash out in a few shampoos. Here are some photos that he Instagramed - the greenish tint is totally absent from these, but I got confirmation from friends (like 3, is that enough?) that there is indeed a faint greenish tint in person... I'll wait a week while using clarifying shampoo. See what happens. (I look crazy blonde in these photos!)
Pain: 2-3/10
Numbness: Bottom gums numb on the outside portion. Chin area and right side of jaw still tingly/numb, but getting better.
Discomfort: My cheeks keep getting stuck in the brackets when I talk. Wax/silicone all day every day.
Weight: -5 lbs
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
Omg, I can't believe it's been FOUR weeks. That's crazy. I feel incredibly lucky that my progress thus far has been sooo damn good - way better than I ever imagined!
Also, it's my birthday in 2 days! Ahhh! :D
Four Week Video Update
I go a little more in depth about what I'm eating and how to give yourself a light facial massage.
(So here's the problem with posting every week or even every few days - I don't remember the important points of my week! I should probably write them down, but it's hard to not be "in the moment" and have to think "I need to write this down for my blog!" I'll work on it.)
Doctor's Visit
I saw my surgeon two days ago. The visit was super quick. He looked at my bite and my stitches, then answered a few questions. Here goes:
I should be sticking to soft foods.
I should keep working on opening up my jaws/bite.
Incision sites/stitches look good.
The stitches will fall out on their own in a few weeks.
For my residual swelling, I can use heat, then massage, then ice.
I will see him again in two weeks.
That's it! I really should have taken a picture of my x-ray with all of the screws and plates in it. I'll have to make sure to do that next time and show you guys.
Uneven Swelling (that's a good thing!)
About 50% of the time, my normal sitting/relaxed position while watching TV (when I'm not on my phone or iPad) is with my hands somewhere on my face/jaw/neck area. And the other night I suddenly realized that my right jawline was less puffy than my left! So of course I immediately jumped out of bed to take pictures for me/you guys. Haha. Even though I had on zero makeup and some of the pictures were quite unattractive (you'll see). But I figured it's good to show you the real un-made-up version of me once in a while. Cuz, really, they're all me. The nice pictures and the yucky pictures - that's what I look like as a real person. With all of the filters and posed crap that inundate our eyeballs in ALL kinds of media (on Instagram and Facebook, in print media like magazines and ads, on TV and in the movies) I feel like I constantly have to remind myself that what I see is NOT REAL. They're Photoshop-ed and beautified and perfected versions of people/life. The good thing that I've noticed is that kids realize this. Having grown up in the age of filters, they get that everything is kinda fake. Good for them!
Sorry about my rant. That came outta nowhere, huh?
Anyway, here are some of the pictures I took.
These aren't yucky - they're just me. Notice how my left cheek (your right)
is chubbier than my right cheek? I swear I didn't turn or tilt my face.
Also, omg, my nose is still crooked. Wth.
I can't believe I'm posting this. But here you can
really see the difference in the swelling. So neat!
Acne
That reminds me. I totally have little pimples all over my chin! They're tiny little whiteheads and bumps. Once in a while, I get a normal sized pimple. I still think this has something to do with the bandages that were on my chin area for 6 days. Although... it seems that a lot of people get their bandages taken off on day 2 but they still get acne. Hrmmm. I don't know. Once again, I'll just count myself lucky (for now) to just be having problems on my chin. (Knock on wood.)
I even started looking into acne facials. :P And I've been researching acid peels and laser treatments. I know I sound crazy to some people, but I swear these are common and not out-of-the-ordinary insane. Uh, unless they are and I just don't know it because I live in Southern California. ??? There's actually this at-home fraxel laser, Tria Age-Defying Laser, that increases collagen production, diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, fades old acne scars and sun spots, and seems to help with acne. The only problem is that it's $500. Most people love it. But, again, it's $500. I'll sleep on it. And, yes, I feel the need to defy my age. I have issues. See above rant.
My 4-week pictures. (What a difference makeup makes, right?)
Another terrible lighting bathroom pic. Sorry - no more daylight.
Pain: 2-3/10
Numbness: Bottom gums numb on the outside portion. Chin area and right side of jaw still tingly/numb, but getting better.
Discomfort: My cheeks keep getting stuck in the brackets when I talk. Wax/silicone all day every day.
Weight: -5 lbs (That's a NEW pound, guys. However, let's keep in mind that I gained about 7-8 pounds before the surgery, so I'm still "over" my normal weight. Darn this excellent healing! Just kidding just kidding I love my not-rubber-banded new bite!)
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
A shitload of stuff happened today to make up for yesterday!
But first, an update video!
Is it weird that my video cover pictures are not screenshots from the videos? I feel like that's some sort of false advertising. Whatevers!
Ortho Visit
It was a pretty quick visit, but the orthodontist changed out my bottom/front ligatures to a power chain. So now I have one long power chain across the top and three separate power chains on the bottom. I imagine he couldn't put in a long one on the bottom, even if he wanted to, cuz my cheeks are all swollen up against my back brackets. (And, man, do they hurt. I can't even spend one minute without the silicone.)
He also said he spoke with my surgeon: "I talked to Dr. Mandel and I asked him why you weren't wearing any rubber bands. He said your bite just came out so perfect you didn't need them!" Sweet.
So, while I'm TOTALLY HAPPY to not be wearing any runner bands for my bite, I think that the fact that I'm not makes some people think I'm basically all better. But my good friends are awesome and caring and know that I'm still slowly recovering.
My Sephora Makeover
Let me just say that I've been putting on makeup since I was 13. And I do a pretty good job of it! However, I can only do a few looks with confidence - a light cat eye, a serious cat eye, and a smokey cat eye. (Notice a pattern here?) So I was really excited for this makeover. As someone who spends a ridiculous amount of money at Sephora (I buy almost all of my makeup and skincare there, easily spending hundreds of dollars twice year when I stock up) I can get makeovers pretty much whenever I want without having to buy anything, but I'm usually just too lazy to schedule an appointment. But not this time! I asked for... a "cut crease" and/or "luminous, summery skin." I told her she could just do ONE of them if she thought it would look weird together. She said it would be fine. And then... she did this to my face...
OMG, isn't that AWEFUL??? I look like a clown. Or hooker. Actually, yeah, I look like a hooker. I kept being like, "wow, that looks crazy, but keep going. I wanna see the end result." It's not like her makeup was a clown mask. Wtf. My friends' responses: "Why are you so shiny?" "Why did she make your eyebrows so thick?" "That eyeliner is nuts." What I couldn't get over was the "cut crease." You see that terrible little shadow above my eye? That's the worst cut crease I've ever seen. Nobody walks around like that! How could she even let me walk out like that? I marched right into a restroom, wiped everything off, and put on some red lipstick. Better, right?
Now I don't know what to do. They have a customer satisfaction survey, but I feel bad saying that she did a terrible job. Especially when I thanked her when she was done, didn't complain, and didn't quite realize how horrendous I looked until I saw myself in a non-Sephora mirror. Maybe I can just upload my pictures so they can see the results for themselves? Or maybe that's what non-Asians think Asians should look like? No way, right? Yuk.
YouTube makeup tutorials, here I come!
Book Club Meeting
We went to Urban Plates (kinda like Tender Greens or Lemonade in concept) and we ordered ahi with squashes, a flatbread pizza, curried veggies over brown rice, mac and cheese, and a giant salad. Things I tried but couldn't/shouldn't really eat: pizza was too chewy, curried veggies were too hard, squashes were way too hard. Things I ate as my meal: ahi and the mac and cheese. Not bad. As long as there's something I can eat, I'm happy. :)
And my THREE WEEK picture:
Love red lipstick. I redid the whole face once I got home.
So I took a picture from a different angle to really show my swelling and my now-more-emphasized jowl lines. I hope they go away, but I don't think they will. I figure, with the movement of my jaw back into my face, these things might be permanent. Like old-lady face bags. (Sorry, old ladies.) Plus I'm getting pretty old myself, so I feel like I saw it starting already and now it'll just get worse.
Jowl lines taking up residence.
Pain: 2-3/10
Numbness: Bottom gums totally numb. Chin area very stiff/tingly, but the right side and chin more than the left side.
Discomfort: My cheeks keep getting stuck in the brackets when I talk. Wax/silicone all day every day.
Weight: -4 lbs
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
A Video!
I wish wish wish I did this before the surgery. It's so hard to tell what the exact differences are in my speech and smile without a side by side comparison. I know it'll change as the swelling goes down, but still. Oh well. Also, this is a terrible clip of my video cover photo! :-/
Parents...
I totally love my parents. They are so sweet and loving and caring, especially now, bringing me food every few days and checking up on me. But I got the most annoying texts today. From both parents.
They asked how I was doing, so I sent them a picture. My dad wrote back, "So beautiful, congratulations!" In a separate text message thread, my mom wrote, "So pretty! Like a movie star now!" WTF. I know they're probably just trying to make me feel better about the swelling and what not, but it felt... insulting? My parents KNOW why I got this surgery. Plus, I was already un-ugly. Yes, yes, that's vain, whatever. I'm just saying.
Anyway, my mom came to visit and I told her to please not comment on my looks right now because I just don't like it very much. She totally understood, cuz then she goes, "Oh, I know this isn't cosmetic. It's for your bite, yes, yes. Okay."
As a side note, I think the focus on looks and being vocal about how other people look (to their faces, not just behind their backs like normal people) could be an older Asian thing. Older Chinese people say things like,
Ohhh, you gained weight, huh?
What's that on your chin? A pimple?
Your skin looks terrible - stay out of the sun.
You lost weight! What, like 20 pounds?
My parents generally don't say these kind of things to me, but it's really common with all of the aunties and uncles (parent's friends) and you just have to grit your teeth and smile. However, my favorite comment came from my dad when I was 16. He patted my cheek and said, with a smile on his face and I'm pretty sure love in his heart, "Good thing you're not fat. You wouldn't be pretty fat." Nice one, right? I think my response was, "Daaaaaaaaad! You can't say that to a teenage girl!!!" But he just laughed and said it was basically a compliment. Hahahahaha.
Here's me today:
I'm gonna keep doing these lip pics, sorry.
I wanna see when/if it dissipates.
Pain: 3/10 (Today I woke up and, since it didn't hurt so much, I didn't take any painkillers. But around dinnertime it started to throb some. Still no Advil/Aleve. I'm gonna try to tough it out. I don't know why...)
Numbness: Same. Gums totally numb. Chin area very stiff/tingly. (When something brushes against my chin, I feel SOOOO uncomfortable all the way INSIDE. It's so weird. It almost reverberates into my teeth or something.)
Discomfort: My cheeks keep getting stuck in the brackets when I talk.
Weight: -4 lbs
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
My cheeks have been hurting me lately - maybe starting yesterday? (By the way, the general jaw pain is better today! Which is probably why I started to notice the cheek situation.) So today I stuck my finger in my mouth to feel around and it felt super weird and jagged and crazy in there! Of course I whipped out my cell phone flashlight to get a better look. What's it look like? Like someone took the tip of knife and sliced up my cheeks to bits. Then just left it like that. (There are probably some stitches deep in those cheeks, but I can't see them or feel them.) I made hubby take a look and he thought it looked crazy as well. I spent much of the day imagining food bits getting stuck in the folds and growing happy little bacteria families. I tried to take a picture, but it's a little blurry. I'll put it wayyyyy under my normal daily photos, so you can scroll down if you wanna take a look. It's pretty gross.
My Favorite Videos (& More Blogs)
As promised, here are my favorite jaw surgery videos/vlogs on YouTube. Some are single videos, while others are a series of vlogs. (For the vlogs, I'm posting the first video in the series.)
Double Jaw Surgery: Before, During and After (Pictures & Videos)
Jaw Surgery Journey (#1)
Braces & Jaw Surgery Update #9
And here are two specific blog posts that I really liked as well. I would just add them to my favorite blogs list, but they're like real bloggers so these posts get lost in their sea of fashion/health posts.
This story on THUNDER AND THREADS is from a blogger in Ireland. She has videos embedded in her blog posts and I think I really enjoyed listening to her cute accent. Haha. The surgery portion of her blog was pretty informative and interesting.
This article on THE SKINNY CONFIDENTIAL is a one-off about her jaw issues and surgery experience. It's not detailed in terms of what to expect while healing, but I appreciated her honestly and sense of humor.
Obviously, as you already know, there are a TON of videos and blogs out there. These are just the ones I like read/watch over and over again for whatever reason.
And here's my face today. (The pictures of my cheeks are way down under this...)
Those bruises just don't seem like they're going anywhere.
Pain: 3.5/10
Numbness: Same. Gums totally numb. Chin area very stiff/tingly.
Discomfort: My cheeks hurt, so I keep puffing out my cheeks to make them not rest on my brackets. It's... annoying?
Weight: -3 lbs
(Black items stayed the same as the last post. RED items changed slightly.)
Jaw surgery day 10, done.
~m
(keep scrolling down)
I think this one has a white spot in there
cuz it got caught on my bracket today. :(
