pics

k, so here are some pics, taken 18 days post-op.

An Update

Hey all.

Sorry for the lack of updates; I have had a rough week.

Last week I started having really bad pains in my left leg, and by Friday I couldn't even walk on it; it was all purple and swollen. So Nathan took me to the emergency room and they told me I had a clot from my ankle to the middle of my stomach. I was so scared... I thought I was going to die!

They performed this surgery on me where they go in through the back of my calf and put a catheter in, and the catheter runs through my leg, along with "clot-busting" medicine, and disperses the clot. They also put this little filter that is shaped like an umbrella in through my neck and placed it right below my heart so that no other clots can travel up into my lungs, heart, or brain. I get that taken out in three weeks.

So I'm on an anti-coagulant for six months and I have to give myself shots twice a day for a few days.

Apparently I have May-Thurner syndrome, which is where the main artery that lies on top of the vein to my left leg compresses the vein and doesn't allow blood to escape my leg. So they implanted this tiny little stent tube thing that will hold the vein open and allow the blood to flow. They said that being immobile after my jaw surgery, having the syndrome, and taking birth control pills all contributed to the clot.

I just got out of the hospital about an hour ago, and I am so glad to be out!!! At one point I had three IVs in me and I was just laying there sobbing... it was awful.

I have to wear these goofy stockings, I'm limping around, my arms hurt, my neck hurts, my stomach hurts, my hands hurt from needles, plus my jaw is still kinda swollen and sore.

The swelling has gone down tremendously in my jaw, though. I didn't look in the mirror for five days and when I finally was able to get up and go to the bathroom, I was so surprised at what I saw! My teeth have been sore; I think I've been clenching at night :( I couldn't go to my second follow up appointment with my surgeon because I was in the hospital, so I have to call and make a new one today.. or maybe tomorrow.. I'm so tired!

Well, I have to email my instructors (I've missed a week of school) before I run out of energy... I will post pictures in the next couple of days when I get some strength back.

Hope everyone is doing well!!

Day 8- Balloon Head!

Hey hey hey.

So today was my first post-op appointment, and Dr. Vetter said everything looks perfect! yay! We compared xrays from before and after the surgery, and it's so crazy to see my top teeth in front of my bottom teeth. My jaw looks way shorter, too.

He took all the rubberbands off, but he said if I want them back on I can come back in. At first it felt like my jaw was just hanging there, but now the muscles are getting used to it. Today I had mashed potatoes, and they were soooo goooood.

We got back from the doctor and I was exhausted.. had to take a nap.

My mom said I look more swollen today than yesterday... going in the wrong direction! School starts on Monday; I hope I can go!


Pics later.

DAY 5 - More swollen?

I think I'm more swollen today than I was yesterday, and my neck is all yellow. It also looks like I'm stuffing tennis balls in my cheeks!!

Today all I could think about was a McDonald's cheeseburger. Wah!

I slept most of the day, and then my mom came over and made me "dinner." A shower felt great today, too. I hope this balloon face doesn't last too much longer.

DAY 4 - Swelling

Well, I'm happy to report that the swelling looks like it's going down just a tad--or at least not getting any worse. I had a bit more energy today, too, and I am amazingly not sick of Boost yet :)

It's so weird to have a 100% numb bottom lip and chin!

Here is a pic from this morning (about 12 hours ago).. oh, and I'm not saluting, just holding my glasses up, haha:



And these two are from tonight... it looks better to me than it did this morning. ..Maybe it's that I'm getting used to it, though.

swollen

Arrrrgh, my face and neck are so swollen.. it's so freakin' uncomfortable! There is so much pressure... Im glad I just had bottom jaw surgery and not top. I couldn't imagine having cold symptoms too...

k, i'm a baby. ow.

Also, I want to thank my mommy and boyfriend for taking care of me. My mom bought me all kinds of stuff and has been reloading my ice pack all day. ...And it's her birthday, too!! Yay for moms.

for steph

Thanks so much for the zip n squeeze bags, Stephanie. They have really come in handy today. You're a lifesaver!

I'm so swollen!!

Post-op Pics

Here are some pics from the night before my surgery:











And after:

DAY 2 - Can't Sleep

Hi, everyone!!

Going into day 2 after surgery, and feeling/looking incredibly swollen. It's so funny how much my face can expand. I have no feeling in my chin and bottom lip, but my tongue is all tingly and coming back to life.

The surgery went very well! I arrived at the surgery center yesterday morning at 6:45, filled out some paperwork and was taken into the surgery waiting area. Had my blood pressure measured, an IV put in (ugh), peed in a cup and changed into my lovely hospital gown. At around 7:30 I was wheeled into the surgery room, and there were like six nurses in there, all of whom were very funny and friendly. They put stockings and warm blankets on me. My anesthesiologist was awesome, and before I knew it one of the nurses was asking me a question I couldn't answer because I was drifting off to sleep...

And then the next thing I remember I was waking up, and the lights seemed so bright to me. I wasn't in any pain, but I could definitely "feel" the numbness in my face. I had been wheeled into the post-operative area, and there was a nurse there who was making sure I was comfortable. Apparently Dr. Vetter was there (i don't remember that) and he told me I had been trying to smile when they were first waking me up, hahaha. Another thing I could feel with my weirdo tongue was my teeth... the bottom ones were behind the top ones, something I've never felt in all my life!! It was awesome.

I had put my anti-nausea patch behind the ear the night before, and I never did nor haven't yet felt one inkling that I may throw up, which is honestly what I was terrified of!! The nurse helped me put on my fentanyl patch, and a few minutes later I was wheeled into my little room/curtained off area. I had multiple nurses and doctors peek in as they were walking by and tell me how happy I was going to be for getting this surgery, and that I had such a great attitude. Yay.

My mom and boyfriend were let in to see me, and at this time I was not really swollen at all. I wore a humidified oxygen mask the entire time I was there, and it felt good on my sore throat.

So glad I bought a dry erase board.. my mom laughed when I first told her I was buying one, but I'm pretty sure she found it useful when she couldn't figure out what the hell I was trying to grunt/mumble/say. I asked for the time when she came in, and it was only ten! My surgery only lasted two hours.

The nurse came over and told me that if I continued to do that wonderfully then I could go home at two! I was so excited, as the IV and oxygen mask and pulse reader thing were making it incredibly difficult to sleep. I dozed off probably half a dozen times, but each time I woke up I was in a little more pain. I told the nurse at around noon that my pain was at about a 4, and they gave me morphine three times (which didn't seem to work right until the last dose). The nurse helped me get dressed around 1:45, and I was home and sitting in my couch recliner by 2:30.

All in all, I am very happy with the surgical center and Dr. Vetter. Everyone was so nice and helpful, and it doesn't hurt that they were telling me how beautiful my results are.

Swelling increased dramatically throughout the day and night, and I had to take a bunch of naps. I had two chocolate Boosts and some protein water, and I think I might have another breakfast Boost here in a bit. Just now when I woke up I felt like my bottom lip was taking over my face... I honestly look like the nutty professor!!

They gave me three ice packs, and I've been filling them with ice constantly because it feels great on my chin. Today I will start my antibiotics.

I'm soooo happy right now. I can't really tell too much about my results because I'm so swollen, but not having an underbite anymore is such a wonderful feeling. I finally have a normal bite!! I am banded shut pretty loosely, and I can open my mouth more than I thought I'd be able to (enough to get a pill through, most definitely).

Hoping my zip n squeeze bags will get here today from Stephanie, whom I am incredibly grateful toward. Thanks, girl!!! :)

Here ya go, day 2 pics:



I can't feel when I drip stuff on my chin. Wah!



Starting to bruise...

I'm home! I had my surgery at 7:30 and was home by 2:30! I didn't even have to spend the night. I'm so swollen!! More info later.

My mom wants me to mention that I look like Fat Bastard. HAHAHAHAHA And my boyfriend thinks I look like the nutty professor.

ahhh!

My surgery is in three hours and I can't sleep!! I'm so nervous!!!

Zip-N-Squeeze... !!!

So, I ordered two bags and a cool jaw wrap from Zip-N-Squeeze on July 24th. Surgery is coming up, and I still haven't received them. One phone number they have listed has a full mailbox, and the other number that is listed through Paypal is out of order. I sent them an email only to be emailed back with an automated response from the server saying that the account is not accepting new emails "due to inactivity."

$30 bucks down the drain, or what?

pre-op appointment

I had my pre-op appointment on monday... nothing spectacular.

I had my xrays and molds taken. dr. vetter came in and went over the surgery (which put my mom more at ease). He gave me four prescriptions, including a mouth rinse, amoxycillin, an anti-nausea patch and a pain medication patch. I think it's interesting that I was given patches... they're supposed to last for 2-3 days.

He also told me that I might not have to stay overnight. Sweet.

I called the surgery center, and my co-pay is only $150!! I thought it would be five hundred. YAY!

I work a double tomorrow, Friday night, and Saturday night... and then surgery on Tuesday. I get my surgery lug hooky things on Friday afternoon at my ortho's office.

It's coming up so fast, and I'm excited!