Day of surgery June 19 2013:
Well, there isn't much to say about this to be quite honest, I was dopped up on drugs and trying hard not to throw up again.
I remember walking into the OR and laying my head down on this block, last thing I remembered was trying my very hardest not to cry (sorry I'm a bit of a wuss) and seeing my surgeons face before I woke up. Seriously, for anyone who hasn't gone under general anesthesia, it's seriously like a split second and your up.
I remember just completely freaking out! My jaws were wired shut, I was confused, uncomfortable and I reeeaaally need to hurl. So I did. Lots of blood into a bucket in the ICU where I spent my first night.
I had some great nurses taking care of me so it wasn't all that bad except for the damn catheter I was begging them all night to remove. I also looked at myself for the first time in a mirror, and unlike other people I just wanted to laugh. Maybe it's because I was expecting to come out looking like I'd gotten my ass severely beaten and run over by a tow truck but s'all good.
Day 1 post op:
I never wanted to be at home so badly in my life this day! My mom had told me the night before that she would come bright and early in the morning to stay with me all day but she didn't ---awww too bad. I never cried like I did for my mommy than on this day, seriously. It was a joke. However, in the afternoon I was visited by my lovely friends who made me an amazinggggg and delicious looking basket filled with my favorite candy, some cool fruit ninja candy, some asian snacks (I'll be looking at those for a few weeks sad I can't eat em.) that I love a whole bunch of face masks (which thank god, I know I'll be needing those) and one of those little hospital masks people wear over their mouthes, except it was green and looked like a frog, so cute!
It was fun and I felt more like myself being with my friends, just talking it was awesome and just what I needed to escape my little pity party I had going on, all by my lonesome self.
LOL I don't think I'll ever forget the look on my best friends face when she walked in and started laughing at me! That little bully! But it's okay, I needed the laugh. At this point, there really was no pain in my face except the few times I'd feel my jaw trying to like jerk out of the wires - so painful but only lasted a couple of minutes.
As for numbness, from the beginning I didn't have substantial numbing in my lips. The bottom lip probably has the most feeling out of anywhere on my face and my top left lip, the top right is completely dead at this point. My nose, oh gosh -- it feels like im wearing one of those fake rubber noses with the glasses. It doesn't feel like my nose at all!
I also kept feeling itchy on the numb parts of my face, sucks you dont feel it when you scratch it cause that just don't work. I also felt in my chin under the bandages a lot of like-- idek how to explain it yall-- wiggilingy? or like something was moving. Hopefully these are all good signs that feeling is indeed retuning because too be honest, I was never really a fan of those Groucho glasses.
Day 2 post op: the day I return home!
Seriously, from the moment I got up at like 5am all I had dead set in my mind was I. need. to. go. home.
I did everything was supposed to as uncomfortable and tiring as it was so I could leave that hospital. I don't know about anyone else, but hospitals remind me of the beginning of walking dead, yep, was waiting for some zombies to come pouncing at all times of the night. However, my mom soon came at around noon and we left the hospital. Man, I'd never been so happy to be outside in my life!
On the way home, I got a frappuccino which was heaven~*~ after barely scarfing down ensure and hospital food.
All was good, except for at night, when I felt completely nauseous, couldn't eat, couldn't drink, thought I was going to puke at any moment. And surprisingly I thought "I wish I was still at the hospital" lol.
Numbness was pretty steady and the swelling was starting to get bad at this point. Oh I also learned that the exam I deferred which was supposed to be after 3 weeks post op, is next thursday and on Friday. Fun, not only do I have to feel like shit, I have to feel like shit while studying. Fun times~
Day 3: First morning at home post op.
I slept pretty well that night, I woke up a lot and would always drift back to sleep. By now however, the pain was starting to kick in. I tried taking crushed up ibuprofen plenty of times but you know, I can just never get it down. So I've completely given up. Yup, broken jaws and no pain killers! To be honest however, the pain is pretty bearable so far, heres to hoping it doesn't get worse!
Nothing eventful really happened this day, I realized that it's pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to cough with your jaws wired shut, ouch. And, yawning hurts like a bitch, and when youre pretty much always exhausted, which you will be after this surgery, well be prepared.
Brushing as also proven to be quite a difficult task, in between wanting to pass out from no food in take, and trying to get a toothbrush in there without ripping out any stitches, it's quite the task. I ate soup this day, with blended chicken -- okay HORRIBLE idea. it literally stuck everywhere in between my top and bottom teeth.
So yeah this is where I basically hit rock bottom, I felt like crying all day, everywhere I look there is delicious food calling out to me that I can't eat for 6 weeks, my jaw stiffness is so annoying, I want to cough, and blow my nose and the fact that I won't be able to brush my teeth inside for 6 weeks makes me want to cry! I can already feel the damage done from the past 4 days.
You seriously, don't know how good you've got it until it's gone! Teeth brushing - total god send. I was at the point where I was about to go mad - Seriously I wrote this on tumblr:
"You know, this has probably been the worst experience of my life. I don’t at all get how anyone would voluntarily get surgery done on their face. Even I, who had this done for corrective measures honestly wish id had never visited an orthodontist from the get. I hate being negative but I have never felt this amt of suck in my life. Fuck biting into a sandwhich. I just want to be able to eat. period."
And trust me, that doesn't begin to explain how horrible this surgery is making me feel! At this point in the game, I cannot confidently say that I would do this again. I was never unhappy with my underbite and I'm miserable now without it! (ha it's quite funny).. To be honest, at this point in the game I would not recommend this surgery for anyone, so far only have negative things to say about this experience.
However, I have all these lovely people reminding me that time will pass and soon I'll be out of these wires and back to eating normally. So, I just have to keep remembering that it's gonna be a distant memory one day, and for now I can just look forward to the yummy things I will eat in the future! And hope that I'll good without my 'concave' face - seriously, thats what they called me.
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