Good News

Good news! So far no root canals are needed. I went back to the orthodontist this morning and I'm getting fitted next week for night guards which will act as my retainer too! Made my last payment to the orthodontist too that was truly wonderful! My teeth do feel a little better but I'll be curious to see what the other oral surgeon says and if the night guards work.

One problem after the next!

Can't say I would do this again, that's for sure. I am now almost 7 months post op and I have had nothing but problems. My primary care doctor did a cat scan a few months ago and I was told that it was okay but come to find out I have a 2 mm cyst in the right nostril. Although, I think it burst the other day because I had what you would consider a bloody nose but it was just clear fluid draining and just from the right side. I have had nothing but chronic sinus infections since the surgery and a lot of problems breathing (lots of mucus) so I'm going to see an ENT specialist at the beginning of the new year. My teeth have been killing me especially two of my top teeth. I'm actually going to a root canal specialist tomorrow because two of the roots have shrunk due to the trauma of the surgery. Root canals may not be the answer and I may just need a night guard but my orthodontist wants me to have a consult. Then I go to the orthodontist on Thursday morning to discuss the results with her. I'm also going to see another oral surgeon at the beginning of January to get a second opinion the surgery just doesn't seem to be what I expected and my nostrils are so deformed (internally). My PCP was shocked! I can however, say that this surgery wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't had any complications! At this point however, I am just disgusted with everything...

BRACES GONE!

Well, by September 15th all of the braces were off! It wasn't bad getting them removed either and my teeth feel so awesome. I had a permanent retainer placed behind my bottom front teeth. It took my tongue a few days to get use to it but now I don't even know it's there. My top retainer needs to be in for 6 months around the clock but it does come out to eat an hour here or there etc. I have had so many before and after pictures done both at the ortho and surgeon. My next ortho appt. is a meeting to go over the final results and to get copies of pictures, molds, etc. The surgeon who I saw for the last time until I reach the 1 year post surgery said it looks "damn good." My top teeth do feel a little squishy but it's actually that they are loose and this is normal and will take some time to firmly reattach the tooth fibers. My nose is still bothering me off and on but I think that is more from the 2nd surgery (complication). My bite is perfect right on and my teeth are straight as can be. I wasn't suppose to have my braces off until December so having them off in September was just fabulous news for once! All in all the surgery was worth it the healing process truly does take a year!

Braces 1/2 GONE!!

I went to the Orthodontist on Wednesday, September 5th and had partial bracket removal. They left 4 brackets on the top and 6 on the bottom. I have an elastic running across my top teeth. It's so weird running my tongue over the smoothness of my teeth instead of metal!
I go back next Wed. the 12th and have the rest of them removed. Then they will place the bottom retainer, do impressions, x rays, photos, etc. A long appointment but well worth it since it'll be one of the last for quite awhile. The best part is that we are 3 months AHEAD of removal!!

Day of Appts.

I saw the oral surgeon today for my 3 month post op check up. I was happy I was going because 2 days ago 1 one of my lymph nodes got really swollen and the right side of my bottom jaws hurts a lot. He said everything was fine and if the pain persist to see my primary dr. since they didn't do any work to the bottom jaw. He really brushed it off. I made an appt in the afternoon to see my primary dr. and at 8:30pm I was in having a full face/neck CT with contrast. Of course getting an IV in was a whole other story. I won't know the results till tomorrow but the dr. was concerned with the amount of tenderness with both the bottom jaw and the lymph node. I'll update as soon as I know more. Right now I'm just tired and frustrated!

Just shy of 3 months post op

2 days Post Op

Before Surgery

Orthodontist

I saw my orthodontist today and got the best news yet! The braces are coming off!!!!!!!!! My orthognathic surgery was done on May 15th and on September 5th the braces will start to come off by September 12th they will be completely off. I am just so happy. We are way ahead of plan since originally the braces were due to be on till December. It's nice to have something work in the positive sense!

Cardiologist

I had a heart monitor put on today for 24 hours. Ever since the surgery my heart rate has not come down under 100. They put me on a beta blocker but it doesn't seem to have helped. I'm hoping that this gets under control quickly as it is awful to lie in bed at night and feel nothing but your heart racing!

Orthodontist Visit

I saw the orthodontist for the first time since the two surgeries. Great news! She thinks everything looks terrific and she couldn't be happier. Usually the braces would be on for 6 months after the surgery but due to how great things came out she said that the braces would be off in about 3 months. Ya hoo!

Boston

I have been in and out of Boston to the surgeon about every week. Now 10 weeks post op I have graduated to waiting a whole month to see him. The swelling is going down but the dr. said that it would take a full year before it was down all the way. I am eating anything that I want, able to blow my nose and able to drink out of a straw (although I need to retrain my muscles for that one).

Surgery #2

I headed in for a angioplasty to cauterize the bleeder in my cheek. I was in surgery for 9 hours. It was a horrible experience for me as I could not open my jaw due to the 1st surgery so I had to intubated awake. The anesthiologist told me that I would be in a twilight state and wouldn't remember anything. Trust me when I say I remember EVERYTHING. It was awful. I woke up in ICU where I spent about 24 hours. I had so many IV's in me and they were trying to get blood and couldn't. Finally one of the nurses was successful in getting blood from an IV (something they are only allowed to do in ICU). I spent three more nights in the hospital and was finally allowed to go home and finally able to have solid foods (ice cream that is).

Problem

Two weeks out of work I decided to take one more week. Then the Wednesday before I was scheduled to return to work I started having a ton of pressure in my mouth and cheek. The pressure would get so intolerable and then it would release. I would have a ton of bleeding from the nose and mouth. I called the dr. and they told me to come right in. I was re-admitted and a catscan was performed that showed an aneurysm in the cheek from a blood vessel that was not closed after surgery. So, a second surgery for me.

Swelling

My swelling is unbelievable and I don't notice it going down at all. However, people who do not see me everyday say that they do notice a difference. My nose however, is another story. The breathing tube from the surgery that was placed down my nostril has distorted the nostril by pushing the cartilage over to the other side. So one nostril is wide and one is very small. Breathing is okay though.

Sleep

I didn't sleep at all at night during the first three weeks that I was home. My doctor finally put me on ambien to help me sleep and I came off of it a few weeks later.

Recovery

Thank god for all of the help I had from friends and family after coming home. I really couldn't do much for myself especially make my meals as I was just so weak. I started drinking from a plastic edged cup right away and was able to swallow pills too :-) The drooling was horrible for quite awhile but I just kept a towel on my chest at all times. I ate a lot of ice cream and a lot of italian food as it's easy to puree and doesn't look or taste too bad!

The Big Day

May 15, 2007 I had upper jaw surgery at Mass General Hospital in Boston. My surgery was 6 hours long and successful. I spent one night in the hospital and was discharged because I syringed some shake into me :-) My surgery wasn't suppose to be covered by insurance and then 3 months prior to surgery the insurance company changed a clause and I received 80% coverage.