Just a quick newsflash to report that the nerves in my upper jaw seem to be awakening! As noted in earlier posts, I woke up from surgery with no feeling whatsoever in my upper gums and palete - my toothbrush felt like it literally disappeared when I cleaned along my uppers . Since then there have been intermittent shooting tingles and fizzles, but nothing like normal sensations.
In the last few days however, things seem to be happening. It started with the roof of my mouth suddenly feeling cold, then another new feeling that was a bit like champagne bubbles fizzing upwards - I was delighted! Now when I try the 'toothbrush test' the roof of my mouth reacts with a strange zinging sensation, not yet normal, but feeling nonetheless. My surgeon warned me not to expect to feel anything up there for months so it's great to get some feeling so soon, hopefully this means the same will happen in the gums pretty soon.
As for external numbness, I still have a patch covering my lower left lip down to my chin. The behaviour of the nerves here is even stranger - when I run my finger along the edge of my chin tingles shoot upwards into my lip. It's not remotely painful, in fact I find myself absentmindedly stroking this patch whenever i'm thinking things over..
Next ortho appt is August 11th when I hope to get these finishing wires on. Planning to spend as much time as possible between now and then lounging on picnic blankets soaking up these glorious sunny days - we don't usually get many of them around here!
In the last few days however, things seem to be happening. It started with the roof of my mouth suddenly feeling cold, then another new feeling that was a bit like champagne bubbles fizzing upwards - I was delighted! Now when I try the 'toothbrush test' the roof of my mouth reacts with a strange zinging sensation, not yet normal, but feeling nonetheless. My surgeon warned me not to expect to feel anything up there for months so it's great to get some feeling so soon, hopefully this means the same will happen in the gums pretty soon.
As for external numbness, I still have a patch covering my lower left lip down to my chin. The behaviour of the nerves here is even stranger - when I run my finger along the edge of my chin tingles shoot upwards into my lip. It's not remotely painful, in fact I find myself absentmindedly stroking this patch whenever i'm thinking things over..
Next ortho appt is August 11th when I hope to get these finishing wires on. Planning to spend as much time as possible between now and then lounging on picnic blankets soaking up these glorious sunny days - we don't usually get many of them around here!
6 comments:
YAY! I am so happy for you! I actually already started getting feeling back. In the middle of my top lip, and my bottom jaw line... oh, and the tip of my nose haha.
I just wanted to say your blog is awesome it really helped, and continues to help! THANK YOU!!!
And yes soak in that sun girl! :)
-makay
Great news! so, perhaps for the festival coming up you could be an "awaking nerve!" Although, that would still be as hard as a timeline ortho.
Cheers to your continued healing!
Brent
Hi D. I'm so happy for you that things are progressing and that the surgeon said everything looks great. Yeah!I think you're scheduled to get your braces off before me. My ortho said about 5 more months. That would be a nice Christmas present.
Enjoy that summer sun! Let us know how the fact-or-fiction party goes and what your costume is.
P.S. I really like the way you write - you're funny and descriptive. Have you ever thought of being an author?
Hi:
Love your blog. Happy your recovery is going well.
Am curious about why you describe your orthodontist as the torturer and your jaw surgeon as the savior? do you still feel that way? seems to me that lots of orthognathic surgery patients seem to see their surgeon as a savior, and the orthodontist in a less prestigious role. Am trying to understand why that might be, since one can spend more treatment time with the orthodontist. Wonder why the orthos seem to get less recognition from patients than the surgeons. Might you be able to shed light on this issue?
PS.I am an orthognathic surgery patient, and I have a hunch that my ortho resents me for favoring my surgeon over him (although again, I could be mistaken). Thanks for your help.
Grace M.
Glad to see how well you're doing! Everyone is right about what a good writer you are.. reading your blog is always fun. Hope it's still sunny there. Btw, in response to anonymous, I think it's because every visit to an ortho usually involves and ends in pain/discomfort; I feel like mine is a torturer too!
Louise
Hi Mackay, glad to hear you're still enjoying it, and great to hear you're on the road to recovery. Hope you'll be out enjoying showing off you new profile soon :)
Hi Brent. The nerves are indeed becoming stronger every day, but they're still very random - touching my gum in one place sets off tingles in another place entirely. Very stange but cool nevertheless.
Hi June, fingers crossed for us both enjoying a wire-free christmas dinner! Very kind of you to compliment my writing, it has crossed my mind to write more but i'm far too lazy. Blogging is far more fun (and less demanding!)
Hi Grace - I wrote those descriptions two years ago right back at the start of the this journey, based on what I was expecting to experience more than anything else (it was also a little tongue in cheek so not to be taken too seriously). Anyway I can now say that my ortho is definitely top dog in this situ - the surgeon's success is very reliant on his work so they're definitely both of equal importance! He's also not a bad old stick and not really a torturer :)
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