the swelling is the worst part i think ,,,it tightens everything makes it hard to to talk. my lips still dont touch and i start thinking what if they dont, i have little control of them is that normal?
today i have had a down day i just want to fast forward to 2 months and be better
could be since my daughter had her 10th birthday and it was hard for me to be around people and noise.
two friends popped in and couldnt believe how different i looked....but i am still swollen so not sure what they see
I think at 1 month you'll start to really turn around, but also take time each day to see the small or large progresses you are making no matter what they are. By doing this I was able to at least attempt to keep my spirits high. Try to limit your talking, use a white board, paper, or chalk board as much as possible. I still use my white board when I feel too tired to talk. Have you been taking pictures of yourself each day? I found doing this really helped me see even the minimal changes from day to day. This might help you feel better.
So tomorrow I go in for A BOTTLE of botox to be injected into my head to stop the muscle spasms that aren't reacting to the muscle relaxers...this however is less scary than at my weekly apt. with my my ortho today she say that the upper right part of my mandible is WOBBLY! She stabilized it (we hope) by using a different band configuration....wowzer...just when I think things are getting better i get a shocker like this...just have to be very careful and keep with my liquid diet...
@RYAN- I can't feel it at all...no feeling still in my gums. I had no idea it was a problem till my ortho said something. That's why Dr. G has us go to the ortho every week for 8 weeks, so they can catch these types of things.
I hope everything tightens up as well! I am being careful by not talking and being cautious while doing my exercises and brushing.
Asmile-- I'm a lurker of both this thread and I've also been following your blog. I haven't had my surgery yet, so like many others on here who are pre-surgery, I am a bit obsessed with following progress of others.
If I'm not mistaken, you had the botox injections today, correct? How did that go? I've been amazed at how quickly your swelling has gone done, and I hope that the botox helps you with the pain you've been experiencing. Take care!
Hi charlsie142- I hope this thread and my blog are helping you prepare for surgery!
I did get my botox today...it was painful. I think it would have been fine if I my muscles were so contracted when the shots went in....I was given nitrus (laughing gas) right before the shots, but I don't think it had a time to take off my anxiety edge before they did the shots. They did two shots on each side in the muscles right below the joint. In those 4 shots a whole bottle was used. I don't feel any different yet...hopefully I'll feel results in the next few days. I am still required to take Clonazepam for muscle relaxation...
So still no relief from the botox. Dr. Gunson said it could take up to two weeks, Dr. H here in VT who did the botox said I should feel it in a couple of days...Dr. G has more experience so I am going to go with his school of thought on this one. My joints have started hurting more, this may be a result of the botox. I go back on Feldene for jaw pain/health management next week. I really hope this helps. It's better than before surgery, but it is is still pain. I guess I just need to be patient. There was/is arthritis in the TMJs that needs to heal now that it isn't being irritated all the time with bone on bone contact.
My ears feel a lot better, still a little stuffy, but much better than before.
Only 5 more weeks till I fly back out to Santa Barbara for my 10week Post-Op evaluation!
keeping my fingers crossed that the botox starts working its magic for you
did you find that your teeth shifted after surgery? i have one tooth on the bottom that is now out of line and they hurt like i just had an adjustment done at the ortho..is that normal?
i see the surgeon tomorrow again and i am pretty sure he is going to take off the bands to putnew ones on and that scares the heck out of...also my top lip is still swollen and it actually gets caught in my brackets. when i look i have indentations from the top brackets OUCH that hurts
Hey, I forgot to ask you something. For some time now, I've known that I'm going to need jaw surgery sooner or later. When it finally comes to be that time, I know I'm going to be pretty scared of going under the knife. From the looks of your pre-op pics, you seem excited to go under. How did you get over the nervousness and fear? I always have the image in my mind of my upper jaw split into three segments and I know I'm going to be scared. Did you take any anti-anxiety meds before surgery?
@candycin- I haven't found that my teeth have shifted at all. If they did I would be concerned. I would bring it up with your surgeon & ortho for sure! My lip also used to get stuck to my brackets, it does get better! I actually felt some relief when my bands were changed by my surgeon! I hope it goes well for you!!!
@Ryan- No anti-anxiety meds for me, I was just so pumped to FINALLY be getting the surgery, and I had/have full trust in Dr. G and A that I really was not nervous at all. I felt that after reading so many blogs, this message board, and talking with Dr. G and his team I was so fully prepared for surgery that I was SO excited to be getting it done! I was scared in the weeks coming up surgery, but the closer I got the better I felt actually. I thought and kept waiting to get scared, but I really was just so excited! I mean I had 3+ years to think about the surgery and research it and to think about all the things that could go wrong, so by the time surgery came around I just wanted to have it done and over with!
okay seen the surgeon today he left the original bands on as my lips are still too tight for him to stretch them to open them wide enough to change
the tooth i was worried about did infact shift as the bracket is no longer attached to it!!!!! cant get it fixed till i see the ortho jan 15th...so that is a set back for ortho i guess ggrrrrrrrr
i have also been given to go ahead for soft foods!!!!
I'm so jealous of your soft food "green light"!!! I still have 4.5 weeks of liquid diet...
I had my post botox appointment today, I guess it went okay. I go back in a month to see how the botox has or hasn't had an affect on my pain levels. Dr. H seemed pleased with everything so far. Right now I am just so tired...it's hard to get a good nights rest sitting up...I can't wait till the two months are up and I can start laying more flat...or even on my side sometime!
hang in there your soft food will come
and let me tell you it isnt easy ....since i am still tightly banded took me about 35 mins to eat a small bowl of mashed potatoes....
and made a big mess then takes 30 mins to clean my darn teeth arrhhhhhggggg very frustrating thats for sure
i have lost 13 pounds in 2 weeks my DR was not happy about that
i am more concerned about my tooth with no bracket attached to it and the fact that it already has dropped behind my other bottom teeth sure hope it doesnt hold me back
i just want to fast forward to 2 months and be better
