Day 5 -- :(

Today has been not so good.  The first part of the day was okay, but after lunch time I started feeling the pain a whole lot more.  I'm still on my pain meds but it seems to be wearing off quicker and by the end of the day I feel like falling apart.  I think depression has started setting in too.  I haven't been out of the house since I got home Thursday and I'm normally not a homebody.  This evening after my husband and son got home from church, I lost it and don't even really know why.  I can't breathe through my nose because it is so stuffed up from surgery, and they told me I can't blow my nose for 2 weeks because of nosebleeds.  My face feels like it has been stretched as far as it will go and it burns and feels so tight.  My lips are HUGE and are chapped and burn.  I have kept them covered in Aquaphor the whole time.  That is what the doc recommended and I love that stuff.  My bruising is starting to show more and I feel like some distorted monster.  When I touch my cheeks, mouth and chin I cannot feel anything at all, so when I eat and drink I have to be extra careful or all my food will be running out of my mouth.  There is no sugar-coating for this type of surgery.  It is very brutal - but I hope and pray that it will all be worth it in the end, and look forward to the day when I can look back and say "I'm glad I did it and I'm glad it's all over." 

Here's day 5's picture...more bruising starting under the eyes.....

and this is a beginning of a smile, I'm working on this each day....

I DID IT AND I'M ALIVE!!

Hey my friends, I'm so sorry I haven't been on here since the night before my surgery, I'm just now feeling to where I can actually sit up and do something for a lengthy amount of time. Thanks for being patient with me. The pre-op morning went very well. I met all kinds of people that morning that would have dealings with my surgery, they were all extra-super nice and made me feel so at ease. They gave me my IV and then Dr. Farrell came in one last time before they gave me all the feel-good stuff and asked me if I had any questions whatsoever. I did have one question that made him laugh, but I was quite serious. I asked him to pleeeease do all he could to make sure I didn't come out with a double-chin. He laughed at me and promised me I wouldn't look like that :) He is the kind of doctor that will sit there and carry on conversation and act like he's known you all your life. Very laid-back and pleasant. If I had to have someone to cut the bottom-half of my face apart and put it back together, I would want it to be him.  They are by far, top-notch at everything they do. After all was said and done, and I gave my good-byes to my family...off I go to the OR.....

The next thing I know, I'm being pushed into my room with all my family walking along beside me....

Day of surgery.....4 plates and 18 screws later......

I was still feeling pretty good at this point.  No pain yet, just lots of swelling, tightness and pressure.  My main worry then was getting nauseated, but thank God, I never did get sick.  I could actually open and close my new jaws just a tiny bit by the time I was awake good.  I was soon drinking and eating with syringes in small increments and at least got a little something on my stomach.  There was alot (and still is) of medicine taking involved after surgery.  Most of them were able to go thru my IV, but there were a few I had to take orally, like my pain med. and it was Horrible!!! I've never been a good medicine-taker.  My throat was very sore due to the tube they had in me.  For the first 2 days, it was all I could do to swallow.  They also had me to start getting up and walking on the second day.  This was not so bad, I was just a little dizzy-headed from all the anesthesia and meds. 

Day 2......and let the swelling begin.... :(

Well ain't this a lovely sight??? How do you like my jaw bra?? LOL...

 



Day 3...Dr. Farrell lets me go home.....

The 2 1/2 hr ride home was rough, but we made it.  Now my main focus is rest, getting liquids and food in me, and more rest.  I still haven't been able to get a regular sized spoon in my mouth, so I'm having to use baby spoons for the time being.  I'm also having to drink out of sippy cups because there is no feeling in my mouth at all and it's better than having drink run out of your mouth onto your clothes.  It will all come back, I just have to take baby steps to get there and not get so frustrated. I have to say that I have the best family in the world.  My sister and daddy offered to pitch in at home with my boys during the school week and take care of them.  My mama and husband have been right by my side the whole time...baby spoons, sippy cups, syringes and all!  I am so blessed and grateful to have the family God chose for me. 

Day 4.....lots more swelling and bruising....

You can really see the swelling now, along with the ugly bruises.  It amazes me how much your skin will stretch.  Right now I feel like my nose and lips cannot get any bigger and may split any second.  It's awful.  All day today, I've been thinking, 'What have I done to myself? Why did I do this?'  I keep reassuring myself that it will get better. The two bandages on the bottom two pictures are the only places he had to go in from the outside.  The incisions are tiny and should not be noticable after everything has healed. These are the only two places he had to cut from the outside to get screws in.  The rest he was able to do from the inside. 

Here's the comparsion of my bite, the day before surgery and the day after surgery...Amazing!! I can't believe my x-rays are finally "Normal"!

The Night Before...

Hey all! Today was a very long day.  I spent the day with the surgeon going over every single detail that is involved.  They took more impressions and x-rays and did some other things that I had no clue what they were doing.  Also went to the hospital to have blood drawn and all that fun stuff.  I am very pleased with the surgeon and his staff.  The hospital staff is awesome too.  He told me exactly what he would do during the procedure and what to expect each day after surgery.  I knew that he was going to have to break both jaws, but I just learned today that he is also going to widen the roof of my mouth.  To do that, he will have to go in above the roof and cut the bone under my nasal cavity. Ouch! It's going to be a brutal surgery, but I am at peace about the whole thing.  Recovery is not going to be a breeze, but he did say that after the 1st week, I would be able to tell the improvement of each day.  My head is going to look like a pumpkin and I'll have to re-train the muscles in my face and mouth to open and close and work with my new bite. I have to be there at 5:30 am and surgery will be around 7:30 am.  Please keep me in your prayers as I face this giant in my life.  I know it will be worth it.  Love you all and thanks for the support!

2 More Days To Go!

This time is coming up so fast! I still can't believe what has seemed to take forever is finally here.  I have been thinking over and over all day of things that need to be taken care of before I leave, and trying my best not to forget anything.  I really hate leaving my boys but I know they'll be fine, we are blessed with wonderful family. Our boys have been so sweet about this, but I don't make a big deal out of it because I don't want them to worry about me. I'll be having the surgery at Carolinas Medical Center University in Charlotte, NC.  My surgeon is Dr. Brian Farrell of University Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.  I know I'm in good hands and from what I hear, they are the BEST of the best!  If I'm having both of my jaws sawed off and put back together, I definitely want the BEST, lol. :)  I am so thankful I will have both my Husband AND my Mama there with me.  I don't care how old I am, there's nothing like your Mother! :)

Here is an animation that might help you see what I'm having done...pay close attention to the part where they put the braces on and how it straightens the teeth and makes the bite worse in order to prepare the surgeon for correct measurements....

Here's a couple of pictures before braces....

And here's a couple of me as a child...I never really had an underbite until my teenage years....

Thanks for taking the time to keep up with me while I go through this huge stepping stone in my life. I really appreciate all the support and prayers!  I'll be back on here soon... :o)  God Bless!!

5 Days Until Surgery

That is all that is left until the surgery. Years of knowing what was at the end of the road and it is finally here. I don’t personally know anyone who has been through this and it's been hard not knowing what to expect.  I do know that God will get me through this and I have wonderful family and friends praying for me.  That helps me more than anything. 

It has been quite awkward for me to be in braces at 38, especially being a surgical patient. My orthodontist explained to me that he had to make my bite worse before it could get better in order for the surgeon to correct it properly. This has been the hardest part both for my self-esteem and physically.  It's much harder to eat now.  I had braces as a teenager from ages 12-14.  My teeth and bite were beautiful and we thought that would be the end of it.  At about age 15, I hit a growth spurt and my lower jaw grew back to its normal state which was an underbite.  It actually ended up being worse than it was before.  My orthodontist tried to put me back in braces, but being a teenager, I wouldn't have it. He also mentioned surgery to correct it and it terrified me.  I didn't want to go through all that.  I look back now and wish I hadn't been so stubborn. Now I'm having to go through this as a mother of a teenager and a 6 year old myself.  We live and we learn....:)

The exact procedure should take around three to five hours.  My upper jaw is going to be pulled forward and my lower jaw will go back.  The total recovery time for everything will be around 9 months and my biggest fear is permanent numbness in my lower face which does happen about 10% of the time.
I'm really trying to be excited about next Tuesday. I know that I'll finally have a normal smile, eat foods that you need to use your front teeth to bite, and most importantly sound and look normal when I talk. I will continue to update with posts and pictures.


I've never tried to let my jaw define me, but I've always been bothered by it.  It is a major self-esteem problem for me. I've always been quiet and shy and I feel like it's because people will notice it more the more I talk.  I feel like when I talk people automatically are drawn to stare at my teeth. It's a terrible feeling.  I absolutely cannot wait until all this is over. Five more days of real food, then good-bye to the old me and on to the road of recovery.