I made it though! Surgery took no time at all - about 2.5 hours and I had no genio (Mr T wasn't sure I needed one after all)Yay!
Waking up yesterday morning was awful, despite maintaining an air of calmness on the journey I was secretly terrified, and wasn't helped by the nurse who showed me to my room saying 'jaw surgery? Ohh you'll be uncomfortable tonight'. Just what I needed to hear! Following a quick visit from Mr T to go over final points, the anaethnatist showed up to say hello and wished me good luck for surgery. He also told me I would not be in pain afterwards. I hoped he was right.
So, I'd unpacked and changed into my lovely surgical robes when the nurse came back an announced it was time to go up. I kissed A goodbye and walked up shaking like a leaf, I was absolutely petrified! There I met Mr anaethnatist again with his team who told me to climb up onto the table to be put under.'Just give me a second' I said again and again, panicing and desperately putting off the inevitable, but the time had come! He asked me to count down from 20, and as I started a freezing sensation crept slowly up my arm. I remember reaching 14 and that it all went dark.
The next thing I recall was waking up here in bed. As the anaethnatist had promised there was no pain, and was feeling pretty good. First thing I did was run my hand over my face to discover that I had feeling - a different, tingly kind of feeling, but feeling nonetheless! The only place that was totally numb was the roof of my mouth which felt dead. Then came the best bit, running my tongue over my teeth and feeling for the first time my lowers sitting neatly behind my uppers. At last :)
Since then things have been pretty uncomfortable. As soon as I tilted my head blood would come gushing out and i've had to change my robe several times. Now my nose is full of dried blood but i'm not allowed to so much as touch it in case I trigger off more bleeding, and it's highly uncomfortable. As for the swelling it's as bad as everyone says, and I hardly recognise myself. I've had an ice pack on constantly which seems to help but i'm currently avoiding looking in the mirror as it triggers 'ohmygodwhathaveIdone?' thoughts.
I did manage a few hours sleep last night, but was constantly woken up by the need to visit the bathroom (tip: rehydration drips and constant drinking is not a good idea!), which meant calling a nurse, unplugging all the monitors, wheeling them in, cleaning up all the nose-blood that comes with it etc etc.
The worst part of all this has in fact being taking my Crohn's medication, which does not fit between my new bite, and i've almost been in tears of frustration trying to get it down. Still, one step at at time.
So now i'm just killing time reading the papers, surfing the web, and generally putting distance between me and the surgery. Hopefully i'll be going home tomorrow.
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2 comments:
Congratttttttts! Sounds like you are doing well. I hope you can go home tomorrow! That would be fabulous. :)
I am so excited for you.
-makay
Hang in there!!! you have made it through the worst part.
The numbness, bleeding, the frustration with pill taking, the wearing off of anesthesia, the multiple pain meds (and steroids for swelling), the nurses you've never met before, and a bed other than your own, is enough to keep you in panic attack mode.
Having been through the surgery last September, I promise you it will get better. Some days, for the first 2 weeks or so after surgery, are a bit up and down, and a bit unpredictable, but ultimately manageable. Be sure to really stay on top of your pain meds---I found it essential to stick to a strict 4 hr pain med schedule for the first 10 days after surgery. I could not comfortably get pills in my mouth (and swallow them) until about 2.5 weeks after surgery, and I was very freaked out by this, because it seemed like my jaw could lock up on me when I least expected it.
Yet, with time, patience, and a refusal to ruminate about horrible surgery outcomes, I eventually regained full use of my mouth and jaws. I am 7 months out, and while still wearing braces and elastics, I am chewing on sliced green apples, and can manage chewy and crusty sourdough bread, and chicken. Feeling in my hard palate is completely back. My upper and lower gums, as well as the left side of my chin are still somewhat numb, but it doesn't bother me.
I am so happy you have had your surgery, and that all your pre-surgery efforts are leading to really positive physical and emotional changes in your life. Just try not to get too panicked during the down times, and have faith, that slowly, but surely, you will get pass the parts of recovery that are unsettling and that you did not expect.
Lots of TV, good books, blog reading, napping, creative liquid menus, fashion magazines with tons of new makeup reviews (to celebrate your beautiful new face), good music, and visits from uplifting people in your life (be really picky about who you allow to spend time with you. Try to put tactless, energy draining/vampire, critical people in your life on hold. You need to put yourself first, and heal....if your gut/intuition signals that a person (even if that person is well intentioned) might be emotionally and spiritually toxic, please don't feel compelled (or guilty) to spend time with that person.......your well being is much more important, and if you need to mend fences with people who feel rejected, so be it.....you will do it later in your recovery, and hopefully, not until you feel good and ready).
Take care. Look forward to reading your blog for updates.
Julie
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