Face update

Still a bit swollen! 

See? ;) 

"Your face actually looks like a face now!"

This is a comment one of my best friends made, which is pretty accurate. Of course, there is still swelling, but things are starting to come together, and I think the final result is not too far away! I can't wait to do official before and after pictures, especially when I can finally get my braces off too! 

I go for another check up at the jaw surgeon's office on Wednesday, so expect another update then! 

Thanks for reading! 

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Three weeks (and two days) since surgery

The past few days, I haven't really had any pain at all. However, today I woke up in quite a bit of pain. My nose hurts, and I also have a headache, so I feel like my sinuses are maybe still adjusting from the surgery. Hopefully this pain doesn't stay for long. I still have a bit of swelling and bruising. 

Thanks for the continued support! 

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This just in!

I think I'm actually used to my face now. 

That is all. 

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Summa time

I've been able to go out a little more over the past few days, which has been really nice. My energy level and appetite are still pretty low, but I've been able to actually do some regular summer activities,  so yay! Swelling around my nose is starting to subside, but it's a slow process. Same with the swelling under my chin and on my lower jaw. I've sneezed a few times...good news: I didn't explode like I thought I was going to. It actually doesn't hurt too much to sneeze. My facial muscles are taking their time to adjust back to normal, so I still look a bit like I just had botox injections, haha. It's slightly amusing, actually.

So here's my face at two weeks and four days!

Drew wanted to be on the blog

nice to know I can still make this stunning expression...

attempting to make serious expression
(not succeeding)

Numerous people have asked me if I'm used to the changes yet. 

Nope. 

I suppose it takes time! 

Thanks for reading! 

Whoa.

So today, for the first time since my surgery, I got dressed in actual clothes, did my make up, and went to a pool party then to hang out with some friends. I can't really explain how I felt when I looked in the mirror once I finished my make up. It was weird. I think all the changes finally hit me. It's definitely going to take some getting used to. Everyone has just been so unbelievably kind about the surgery. Not gonna lie, I expected: "ummmm, so like, did you get a nose job...?" 

So, I will admit that I took a bunch of pictures of my face at different angles. It's not even a vain thing; it's a "my face is different and I don't recognize myself" sort of thing. Haha. It's so weird. Here's a few pictures: 

one of the first pictures I took once my make up was done.
this was actually my unplanned reaction to how it looked, haha. 

Thank you very much for reading. :) 

Two Weeks After Surgery 

Today marks two weeks since my surgery! This second week, I've definitely felt more like myself. The pain is still there, but I've been able to handle it mostly without any pain meds these last few days. Swelling continues to decrease, but there is still some there, especially around my nose. Bruising is slowly fading away, also. I'm excited to finally see the final result within the next few weeks. 

Yesterday, I went back to my jaw surgeon for another post op appointment. He said everything looks perfect. Now, however, I have to wear rubber bands in my mouth to constrict my bite and guide my teeth in the right direction. My surgeon said that teeth start moving very quickly after a surgery like this, so the rubber bands are there to guide my bite. They're not too comfortable to put on because I have to stretch my mouth out a whole bunch, which hurts my nose. However, it gets easier every time. The key is to not get frustrated. 

Soooo here's my face as of ten minutes ago:

Thanks for reading! 

Busy Bee

Well here's pretty much a representation of what I did yesterday:

stared off into space. I did, however, get started on my summer reading (bleh) and receive some very lovely visitors. Even though I'm feeling better than I did last week, it still brightens my day to see my friends. 

I had quite a bit of pain last night. My pain seems to increase in the evenings. 

Although yesterday was a slow day, today was very action-packed. My mother let me go see Monsters University, even though I'm technically not supposed to leave the house (but sitting down in a theater is hardly different from sitting down at home.) The movie was really cute! It was sort of weird, though, to be out in public for the first time. 

the guard lovelies <3

After the movie and various errands, (including a trip to DQ for a quite satisfying hot fudge sundae) I took a much needed nap at home. I was exhausted from not just laying down all day. Then at 4:30, my mom was awesome yet again and let me go watch color guard practice up at my school. I've missed all the guard girls, and was thrilled to go sit in the band room and see everyone. I could tell some of the girls didn't quite know how to react. ("Uh, congrats on your face?") They were all so sweet, though. Being there made me really miss guard, and I can't wait for my six week restriction to be up! 

I still have some pain today, but my jaw and chin swelling has gone down quite a bit. However, my nose remains very swollen, which is a bit frustrating. Baby steps. 

Also, I got bored and put one of my bandannas on my cat. (Did you know bandanna had three n's in it? 'Cause I sure did not. Thank you, spell check.)

stud

Thanks for reading! 

First Taste of Freedom (erm, mac and cheese)

This was on Thursday, the first day I was allowed to ingest something other than liquids. My mom decided to film the joyous occasion. You might also notice that my glasses are taped to my forehead in an oh-so-stylish way. Like I said before, I'm not allowed to wear my glasses the normal person way because they can indent on my nose as it's healing. Contacts are also a no-no for one more week because, due to nerves (body nerves), they can cause my nose to bleed. I'm nearly blind without my glasses, so I must adorn this supergeek look. I'm also extremely mellow and expressionless due to pain and pain meds. Enjoy. 

cute hair

While browsing my mother's iPad, I discovered this gem of a photo taken as soon as I was wheeled to my room in the hospital, right after the surgery. 

Tips & Tricks

There are some things that the doctors don't exactly prepare you for when having jaw surgery and rhinoplasty, leaving you to have to figure out some things on your own. I want to share some of these things to help out anyone who is undergoing or is about to undergo the same process!

I really love Reese's cups, but I'm not allowed to eat those yet because I'm restricted to only chewing mushy foods. If you have a sweet tooth, or just really love peanut butter and nutella like I do, just put a spoonful of each into a mug or a bowl, heat in the microwave until smooth, stir, and eat with a spoon! Sounds strange maybe, but it's essentially liquid peanut butter cups. 

Most hospitals have these, (which is where I got mine) but if you don't have one, I would definitely consider acquiring one. In the hospital right after the surgery, (gross topic warning) I was extremely nauseous. I thought it was because of the pain meds, but it was actually because the incisions inside my mouth were bleeding, and I was swallowing the blood. The doctors failed to tell me they would bleed that much, so I had no clue. My nurse suggested rinsing my mouth with water and spitting it out to get the blood out. She gave me this thing to spit into, and I used it for rinsing and spitting up until like three days after the surgery. I also use it to rinse and spit with my prescription mouth rinse twice a day. Super useful! Would recommend. 

My grandmother bought me this pillow, and it has been really useful for sleeping and resting. In the car on the way home from surgery, I put the pillow in front of my neck, and it helped stabilize my face while I slept so my head wouldn't swing everywhere. Now, I use it behind my neck while I sleep to keep my head facing forward. I like to nuzzle when I sleep, which would be super not great for my nose, so the pillow keeps me from doing that. 

I would also recommend buying all the chapstick you can carry because it is much needed. On the subject of dryness, my skin has been super dry, especially where the tape and splints were. Your skin is likely to freak out after this surgery and get flaky and gross, so I recommend using Vaseline. Face lotion works too, but Vaseline is much more powerful. 

take Vaseline

rub all over face

I hope these were helpful and/or entertaining. Thanks for reading! 

And the second week sedentary grumpiness sets in. Bleh.

The Swollen Chronicles

lovely bed head 

dramatically looking down

Swelling has gone down on my jaw and chin, but my nose keeps swelling in different places. It's weird, actually. It kind of looks a bit different every day. Today, the bridge doesn't appear to be as straight as before because the top part is swollen.

Also, the other day, my mom was curious, so she got out a tape measure and we measured my waist. I lost two inches off my waist, which I thought was weird. If you're about to get this surgery, prepare for your clothes not to fit you for a little while after!

All downhill from here

Today was a really good day! I didn't hurt bad enough to take any pain medicine during the day, although I am taking some right before I go to bed because my pain at night is a little worse, and it will help me sleep. I couldn't breathe through my nose at all today, which is frustrating to say the least, but it will get better! Swelling has gone down as far as my jaw and chin go, but my nose is more swollen. This will decrease with time also. 

This last week of laziness will be more tough than last week because as I feel better and better, I'll want to get up and do things, but I am constrained to my chair to watch the horror that is daytime television. But at least I won't be in much pain! I'll just have to remember that it's for the best that I take it easy! I still feel slightly weak, so I need to regain my strength! 

I'm more than thrilled that the worst part is over. That first week was rough, but now I look forward to healing more each day and, after a few weeks, getting back into the groove of things!

I'll continue to post photos to track the process of the healing!

Thanks so much for reading! 

No More Splints! (Week after surgery)

Appointment with jaw surgeon

My jaw surgeon said everything looked really good! He examined my incisions and took a look at my bite. He was very pleased. As I mentioned before, I am now on to the mushy food stage, which I am stoked about. I've lost about twelve pounds, so my body will definitely be pleased with better nutrition. I look forward to not feeling so weak! 

Ortho appointment

My orthodontist took pictures and x-rays to track my progress. Everyone in the office said I look great, which I didn't really know how to take because I'm, you know, puffy-faced. But I guess they're used to seeing these cases and have a good idea of what the final product will be. (That's one of the hardest things of this kind of surgery-- not having any idea what you're going to look like due to swelling and bruising. But patience is my medicine on this one.) 

Plastic surgeon appointment

My plastic surgeon wasn't in the office today, so another one of the doctors removed the splint on top of my nose, which actually wasn't too painful. Kind of like removing a big band-aid. However, removing the splints inside of my nose was a whole different thing. The doctor stuck these pointy tweezer things in my nose and cut the stitch holding the splint in. When she pulled the splints out, (one in each nostril) I couldn't believe they had been in my nose for a week. They were these weird oval plate things that were about two inches long. It was weird. Then she stuck a suction thing up my nose and removed all the gross stuff in my airways, which was a bit uncomfortable but not too bad. Now I can somewhat breathe through my nose! Although, my passages are still inflamed, so I am still having to breathe through my mouth.

And nowwwwwwww, here's my nose! (It's very swollen, along with the rest of my face, so the final result won't be visible for up to six weeks, especially from the front view.) 

(dazed and confused?)
you can kinda see here that the bridge and the tip
is swollen

before and after

Exciting News

Real food <3

I have now received the okay to add mashed potatoes and soft mac and cheese to my food choices. I am beyond thrilled. I almost cried when my doctor told me.

I'll post again today after all my appointments! (I'm a little nervous about the rhinoplasty one...but excited to finally see my nose!)

Sixth Day After Surgery

There really hasn't been much to report in these past few days. 

Well, except yesterday morning, I nearly passed out when I was walking to the bathroom. My stomach hasn't been feeling so nice, so I hadn't really been getting proper nourishment. Today, my mother was very adamant about my eating schedule, so today was a bit better. I had about five or six tea cups of soup. Speaking of nutrition, I lost another pound. But hey, one pound in two days is better than the ten pounds in five days. My diet will soon include more actual foods like runny mashed potatoes, which will hopefully curb the weight loss.

Tomorrow, my mother and I embark back to my three doctors for three different post-op appointments. I'll be stopping by my orthodontist for x-rays, my jaw surgeon for more x-rays and examination, and my plastic surgeon for a more tedious occasion. He'll be removing the splints inside my nose and the one covering my nose. I'm a little nervous about this part because it probably won't be too pleasant. However, I am excited because I might actually be able to breathe through my nose and, you know, get to see my nose. I'll be excited to post about tomorrow's events!

Thanks for reading! 

Five Days After Surgery

I slept all through the night last night, so I'm counting that as a small victory in my recovery process. (I could definitely use some victories.) 

Yesterday was nice because all sorts of friends came to see me, and it really made me happy. Company is always nice and helps cheer me up!

My pain is a bit more intense than it was yesterday, but it's not too bad. Also, when I say pain, I don't necessarily mean sharp pain. It's more like aching and intense pressure. 

Nothing really to report today thus far! 

Thanks for reading!

Update: I was curious, so I weighed myself...Lost ten pounds so far. Scary. 

Four Days After Surgery

fun

Feeling a bit better than I did yesterday! Swelling is about the same, but today, I am also yellow due to bruising. I think I've also dropped a few pounds. I feel a bit weak. 

But I'm looking forward to the rest of recovery because apparently the third and fourth days are the worst. 

I was able to brush my teeth today with a little baby toothbrush and my prescription mouth rinse. I also drank some of a protein shake for breakfast. My appetite hasn't really come back yet, though. 

Thanks for reading! 

Three Days After Surgery

Everyone usually says that three or four days after the surgery is the worst.

Thus far, they are right. Today has been pretty rough as far as pain goes. The swelling is still the same as it was yesterday. My dad made me a protein shake, and I was able to drink a bit of it.

I am not a happy camper today, but I'm looking forward to the better days ahead. 

Thanks for reading! 

Two Days After Surgery

Headed home this morning! I've been able to take a few sips of protein shake today, which is the most I've eaten since the surgery. I don't really have much of an appetite. 

I only had to wake up about three times during the night to rinse my mouth and use the bathroom. 

My face is still swollen, but here is a comparison of "before and after" so far. I've already noticed my chin is shorter and the bump on my nose is gone. Final results won't be visible for a few more weeks, though.

Update: Got home about two hours ago. Definitely nice being in my own house! 

Also, when we got home, I had a nice surprise waiting for me from my brother, sister, and brother-in-law! 

Here's another picture taken of me in the hospital when the swelling wasn't so severe.

Update:

this morning

this evening

The swelling seems to be increasing as the day goes on. Also, the more I'm up and about, the more my face swells.

Day After Surgery

I actually remember pretty much everything that happened right after I woke up from surgery, surprisingly. I just got out of the hospital this morning, and now we are staying in a hotel. Up until this afternoon, I was dealing with a painful amount of nausea due to excess blood building up in my mouth and going down my throat. My mother got me more anti-nausea medicine,  and now we are working on getting swelling down. 

I had my post-op appointment with my rhinoplasty surgeon today. And he showed me how to redress and clean my nose, which I have to do four times a day. This will allow the tiny splints in my nose to come out more easily next week. 

My face is still swollen, and the doctor said my nose is pointing up more than it usually will because it is taped up for support. 

Here's what I looked like in the hospital:

cute

The thing around my head is circulating ice water to reduce swelling. I'm also wearing an oxygen mask that dispenses water vapor.














Here are some other pictures taken today: 

Morning of Surgery

My mom, dad, grandma, and I are packing things up and fixing to leave. 

Check in time at the hospital is 10, and my surgery should be at about noon. I'll continue blogging as soon as I'm more alert! 

Bye for now! :)

Twenty minutes until I can't eat or drink anything

Drink all the water! 

BEFORE PICTURES

Figured since my surgery is tomorrow, I needed to take "before" pictures. 

So here is my official before: front view and profile 

mugshot style

Here are a few other ones (figured I had a good excuse to take a bunch of pictures)

                                    

Goodbye, old face!

Day Before Surgery

Well, the day is almost here, which is super weird. I'm a little nervous, but I'm very excited. I'm blessed to have many supportive family members and friends who are believing in a smooth recovery with me! 

Yesterday,

I had my crunchy food get-together. We ate and swam, and it was a lovely day. No more crunchy food for a while!

crunchy supplies

Today,

lovely day

I completed my last work out at the gym and enjoyed laying out by the pool with loved ones. It was a beautiful day, and now my mother is preparing my final meal before surgery, which I am super stoked about. 

comfy things

Also, some friends dropped off a surprise at my house, which was super sweet. Everyone has been really caring and such, which, you know, is really nice and stuff! 

So, tomorrow morning, my mom, dad, grandmother, and I will depart for the hospital. I'll be staying over night one night in the hospital and one more night in a hotel. During these two days, I will be going to post-op appointments so my surgeons can clear me for the travel home (about an hour and a half.) 

I probably won't be able to post until Friday, at least. So check back in the next few days for pictures and some videos. (Mom said she is going to film me when I wake up, which will be interesting, to say the least.)

Thanks for reading! 

Liquid Diet Recipes

*This is more for the aid of people who are also going through jaw surgery*

These are a few of the recipes I'm going to try after surgery that were in a book given to me by my jaw surgeon.

Beverage

Mocha Mint Shake

4 teaspoons perked coffee

1/2 teaspoons chocolate extract

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 8-oz. cup milk

1 teaspoon sweetener

1 scoop vanilla ice cream

Combine in blender. 405 calories.

Soup

White Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can chicken broth
2 cans white beans, drained
1/4 teaspoon crushed basil
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Saute onion and garlic in hot oil. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, simmer over low heat 10 minutes. Puree in blender until smooth. Makes 4 servings, 260 calories each.

Entree

Creamy Chicken Delight

1 chicken breast

1/2 can cream of mushroom soup

3 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 teaspoon oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken breast until very tender, skin, and debone. Save broth. Cut up chicken and place in blender. Heat remaining ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat. Pour sauce over chicken to liquify. Add chicken broth if desired. 470 calories.

From Dinner Through a Straw by Patti Rann Thigpen

Post-Op Necessities!

My jaw surgeon gave me this fancy bag with free stuff inside! I got a recipe book, an ice pack, and a baby toothbrush (I will be using this to brush my teeth with, along with prescription mouth rinse.)

 I also went to Walmart and got a tiny marker board to communicate with. 

I got rolls of gauze to put on my glasses. I'm not allowed to wear my contacts after, and if I wear my glasses, I have to fix them to where they don't touch my face. If the glasses rest on my nose, they could permanently dent it. My eyesight is absolutely horrible, so I had to figure out a way for my glasses not to touch. We're going to wrap gauze around them so they can rest away from my face. I'll most likely make another post when I try it out for the first time. 

Thanks for reading!