Surgeries are never really any fun, are they?
Well, since that's the case, then this daily update should be no surprise to you. I woke up this morning in more pain than normal and not only that, but my stomach was just not having it today. I woke up with extreme dry mouth which I hate with a passion and I've been stuck with a ton of blood/mucus build up in my throat. I also woke up with a headache and my left ear was bothering me. (My surgeon took cartilage from that ear).
Anyway, I had some soup and some grits this morning and then took some of my strong pain meds and took a nap with my doggies. And I have to tell you, those dogs have been the only thing that's been making my recovery a little bit easier. They're constantly sleeping with me and laying next to me and they're always being very gentle with me. They've done a great job comforting me and just giving me some sort of company. And I love them dearly for it.
As for the pain, the pain has now subsided as I write this. My ear is fine and my stomach feels a lot better as well. However, my mouth is still dry as ever and I'm a tad dizzy. The swelling still exists and it will continue to exist for another year and a half, but in the end, I guess it's worth it. Fortunately, as I've said before, I've been blessed with no bruising except for in my left ear. I'm constantly changing the gauze underneath my nose and unfortunately, since the blood usually dries, it likes to stick to my nose and it can really hurt to take off.
Overall, it's been an okay day. I'm kind of tired of having something on my nose/on my face all this time. And I'm really tired of breathing through my mouth when I sleep just because of how dry my mouth becomes. I've been a mouth breather for basically all my life but I've never had to come across dry mouth as severe as it has been for the past couple of days.
So. . . another day has gone by and I'm anxiously waiting for the rest of the week to be done as well.
My daily scale:
Pain (currently): 1/10
Swelling: Pretty darn bad. . . it's just my cheeks and my nose though.
Nausea: 1/10
Headache: 3/10
Dizziness: 4/10
Emotion: I'm overall pretty good now. Every once and a while, I'll be extremely frustrated and just angry because I no longer want to have to put with my splints and a congested nose, but it hasn't gotten to a depressed state this time around which is really good.
I look the same as I have for the past few days so there won't be any new pictures today, but maybe there will be some tomorrow!
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Saturday, July 26, 2014
A Typical Update
So because it's been two days since my surgery, I thought I'd do an update for all of you who are new to me or this blog in general.
So here's a little bit about me:
I'm going to be a freshmen in college next year and I will be studying Neuroscience with a minor in biochemistry. I'll be moving away from home and onto main campus on August 17th and I very much am looking forward to it. I even have a blog on Tumblr that's dedicated to students just like myself. I basically am writing an advice blog for college and high school students. I write about stuff like: study tips, the importance of homework, how to stay optimistic, how to stay stress-free, college applications, what to expect when going into high school, the 'do's and don'ts' of high school, and plenty more! I will also be blogging about my own college adventures including: moving out, living with a roommate, my classes, the food, what I'm bringing to college, and a whole lot more! Anyway, I also answer questions on that blog if you need any advice, let you guys give your own advice, and let you guys give me topics to write about it underneath the ASK tab at the top of the page! Anyway, if any of you would like to check that part of my life out, feel free to check it out at: http://collegechickadvice.tumblr.com
Anyway, enough promotion of that! (;
I was born with cleft lip and palate and for those of you who don't know that is, it's basically a birth defect in which your lip and the roof of your mouth (your palate) isn't completely developed when you are born. Typically you will have surgery when you're just a wee little baby and you may continue to have surgeries throughout, like I have. My first surgery was done when I was about 3 and a half months old and I had a couple other surgeries as a baby and as a child.
I have had about six and a half years of braces. The first year of braces included one year with an expander and ONLY braces on my upper teeth. The following year, the expander was removed and my bottom braces were put on. I've had plenty of other orthodontic work as well over the years and I also got my wisdom teeth out in January of 2013.
Following that, I had a maxillary jaw surgery. This took care of my underbite. It was about a 6-7 hour surgery. I did stay overnight for that surgery, as I believe all do. It was not the most fun thing I've ever done, as I very much remember having thrown up blood and I had a headache. Anyway, since then, I've been very happy with the way my teeth look and we've been planning my current rhinoseptoplasty for a while now.
So I underwent my rhinoseptoplasty on July 24th. It was approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes long. She used some cartilage from my ear to help shape my nose and everything and I look forward to getting all of this stuff off my face and out of my nose!
I am a tad nervous about getting out as far as pain goes, but I'm intrigued to see what it's going to look like.
Anyway, that's me in a nutshell! I've had many, many surgeries and this is basically what this blog is about. I started this blog to not only share my own experiences and kind of 'vent' but I've also done it to help other people who have had to deal with the same kind of experiences that I've had to deal with. There have been times when I'm extremely frustrated and sad about getting the surgeries done. And there have been times when I'm extremely excited and just overwhelmingly positive.
This particular surgery has had it's ups and down right now. . . as I'm unbelievably congested, just as I was for my last surgery. I have splints in both of my nostrils along with a splint on the outside of my nostril. I also have gauze on my upper lip to catch any drainage of course. . . which again, I also had for my previous surgery.
I have to be honest though, right now, I'm more frustrated more than anything. My left ear, which they took the cartilage from feels clogged, my nose has a throbbing, dull pain, and I'm super groggy. AND my throat has old, disgusting blood in it and that's by far is the MOST annoying part about this surgery. I had a breathing tube down my throat during the surgery and that made my throat extremely upset and as a singer, I've hated it a lot.
I'm not as upset emotionally as I was during my previous surgery. I've learned a lot from the past surgery, as a lot of you might know from reading previous posts, but overall, I'm just more excited to get all of this over with.
I have learned that I will always be somewhat anxious and nervous about my outward appearance. . . especially because every surgery that I've had has changed my outward appearance in some sort of way. So that must be a given.
So yeah. . . that's me in a nutshell.
As for how I'm doing right now. . . I'm doing okay! I am no longer working which I am thankful for and I am basically going to be recovering right up until I head off to college and I think that's what's helping me be motivated.
I've slept A LOT in the past three days because of all the medication that I've had and fortunately, I haven't nauseated at all. My throat is aggravating and nose kind of hurts, but it isn't something I can't handle. I am fortunate enough to say that I do not have any bruising on my face except for on my ear. My nose is swollen, but I can already see a difference so like I said, I'm excited to see what it will look like next Friday!
And here's an updated picture:
So here's a little bit about me:
I'm going to be a freshmen in college next year and I will be studying Neuroscience with a minor in biochemistry. I'll be moving away from home and onto main campus on August 17th and I very much am looking forward to it. I even have a blog on Tumblr that's dedicated to students just like myself. I basically am writing an advice blog for college and high school students. I write about stuff like: study tips, the importance of homework, how to stay optimistic, how to stay stress-free, college applications, what to expect when going into high school, the 'do's and don'ts' of high school, and plenty more! I will also be blogging about my own college adventures including: moving out, living with a roommate, my classes, the food, what I'm bringing to college, and a whole lot more! Anyway, I also answer questions on that blog if you need any advice, let you guys give your own advice, and let you guys give me topics to write about it underneath the ASK tab at the top of the page! Anyway, if any of you would like to check that part of my life out, feel free to check it out at: http://collegechickadvice.tumblr.com
Anyway, enough promotion of that! (;
I was born with cleft lip and palate and for those of you who don't know that is, it's basically a birth defect in which your lip and the roof of your mouth (your palate) isn't completely developed when you are born. Typically you will have surgery when you're just a wee little baby and you may continue to have surgeries throughout, like I have. My first surgery was done when I was about 3 and a half months old and I had a couple other surgeries as a baby and as a child.
I have had about six and a half years of braces. The first year of braces included one year with an expander and ONLY braces on my upper teeth. The following year, the expander was removed and my bottom braces were put on. I've had plenty of other orthodontic work as well over the years and I also got my wisdom teeth out in January of 2013.
Following that, I had a maxillary jaw surgery. This took care of my underbite. It was about a 6-7 hour surgery. I did stay overnight for that surgery, as I believe all do. It was not the most fun thing I've ever done, as I very much remember having thrown up blood and I had a headache. Anyway, since then, I've been very happy with the way my teeth look and we've been planning my current rhinoseptoplasty for a while now.
So I underwent my rhinoseptoplasty on July 24th. It was approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes long. She used some cartilage from my ear to help shape my nose and everything and I look forward to getting all of this stuff off my face and out of my nose!
I am a tad nervous about getting out as far as pain goes, but I'm intrigued to see what it's going to look like.
Anyway, that's me in a nutshell! I've had many, many surgeries and this is basically what this blog is about. I started this blog to not only share my own experiences and kind of 'vent' but I've also done it to help other people who have had to deal with the same kind of experiences that I've had to deal with. There have been times when I'm extremely frustrated and sad about getting the surgeries done. And there have been times when I'm extremely excited and just overwhelmingly positive.
This particular surgery has had it's ups and down right now. . . as I'm unbelievably congested, just as I was for my last surgery. I have splints in both of my nostrils along with a splint on the outside of my nostril. I also have gauze on my upper lip to catch any drainage of course. . . which again, I also had for my previous surgery.
I have to be honest though, right now, I'm more frustrated more than anything. My left ear, which they took the cartilage from feels clogged, my nose has a throbbing, dull pain, and I'm super groggy. AND my throat has old, disgusting blood in it and that's by far is the MOST annoying part about this surgery. I had a breathing tube down my throat during the surgery and that made my throat extremely upset and as a singer, I've hated it a lot.
I'm not as upset emotionally as I was during my previous surgery. I've learned a lot from the past surgery, as a lot of you might know from reading previous posts, but overall, I'm just more excited to get all of this over with.
I have learned that I will always be somewhat anxious and nervous about my outward appearance. . . especially because every surgery that I've had has changed my outward appearance in some sort of way. So that must be a given.
So yeah. . . that's me in a nutshell.
As for how I'm doing right now. . . I'm doing okay! I am no longer working which I am thankful for and I am basically going to be recovering right up until I head off to college and I think that's what's helping me be motivated.
I've slept A LOT in the past three days because of all the medication that I've had and fortunately, I haven't nauseated at all. My throat is aggravating and nose kind of hurts, but it isn't something I can't handle. I am fortunate enough to say that I do not have any bruising on my face except for on my ear. My nose is swollen, but I can already see a difference so like I said, I'm excited to see what it will look like next Friday!
And here's an updated picture:
Friday, July 25, 2014
Last Surgery is Done!
Hello everyone!
Well now that I'm awake, I'd like to update you all on what my surgery was! Basically, I got a rhinoseptoplasty and some other crap that has to do with the turbulences in my nose to help me breathe better!
And unfortunately. . . here's what I look like. . .
My doctor (who has been with me since day one) did my very last surgery for me and what she did was take some of the cartilage from my left ear to help shape my nose and then she helped a ton with the breathing for my nose.
So here's an actual. . .update on what's happened since yesterday:
I woke up super early because I needed to get to the hospital by like 5:30-ish to start my pre-op stuff and sign some consents. As usual, I had to get an IV and like usual, I've been told that my veins are very hard to see, but my nurse was very sweet and tried her hardest to make sure she only needed to prick me once and thank god she did. I changed into the typical hospital gown and then they gave me some compression stockings and those "stylish" socks that had grips on them so I wouldn't fall. Then she put these things on my legs for the circulation.
Anyway, my anesthesiologist came in and put some sleepy stuff in my IV which was. . . nice I guess. He was very dry, which was rather weird and boring. I didn't like him too much, but I guess that's okay. He did what he needed to.
To clear things up, this surgery was for me both as an aesthetic surgery and for a functional surgery. I've never really been able to breathe through my nose that well, and this is what this surgery did for me. As soon as I woke up, I could actually tell that I could breathe through my nose a lot better, but other now. . . I really can't.
Anyway, they gave me several types of pain medication including valium, Percocet, and celebrex. And then I also have my antibiotic medicine which is Keflex.
So yeah. The surgery was about three hours and forty five minutes long. My surgeon has known me since my very first surgery when I was only a couple months old. She was understudying during my first cleft lip and palate repair so she's known me for quite a while.
So the surgery, she said, went really well and that there might still be a bit of an unevenness on the left side of my nose which is understandable. Anyway she said that is probably one of the best surgeries she thinks she's done. . . and who knows if she says that to everyone, but I do trust her and she's always been very supportive of me and just has done a very good job in the past.
So the pain wasn't that bad when I woke up and neither is it right now, however I woke up last night at 12:30AM last night and I was in a lot of pain and I had a ton of blood all over my face and it took a while for me to feel better, after taking more medicine but you get the idea.
And that's basically it! I will be getting out my splints next Friday at some point. My doctor has said that the swelling should go down completely in about a year and half--that should be about the time that I should be able to actually see the full results of the surgery.
My nose is super stuffy right now and I'm overall, very groggy, but you get the idea hopefully. I'm not in too much pain, but my nose is swollen and my ear (where they got the cartilage for my nose for shaping) is a bruised. I've also been taking naps all day long because of all the medication so that's been kind of nice. Unfortunately, my mouth is super dry all the time because I have to breath through it and I have a patch on my arm that makes me have dry mouth as well. . .so that's not very nice either.
I've gotten a lot of support and love over Facebook from a lot of the friends that I went to high school with (as I graduated in May) and I'm also getting some support from my future roommate and some of my friends from church! So I definitely feel like I'm being well taken care of and everything!
Now, let's get on with the scale:
Pain: 3/10
Dizziness: 2/10
Sleepiness: 7/10
Swelling: I'm definitely swollen, but I really can't tell how swollen because of all the gauze, splints, and tape,
Breathing/Congested: I'm very congested and my mouth is super dry. I'm supposed to only be breathing through my mouth anyway, so that's really frustrating.
And that's about it! I'm really glad that this surgery is done with and now all I have to do is wait for it all to heal just be patent!
My jaw surgery was by far a lot worse than this when it comes to this one, but partly it's mic just because I'm able to eat normal foods and such. I think if any of you are worried about getting any more surgery after your maxillary jaw surgery, then I honestly wouldn't worry about it being any worse than that one!
I love you guys, as a lot of you have given me a lot of support! (:
Well now that I'm awake, I'd like to update you all on what my surgery was! Basically, I got a rhinoseptoplasty and some other crap that has to do with the turbulences in my nose to help me breathe better!
And unfortunately. . . here's what I look like. . .
So here's an actual. . .update on what's happened since yesterday:
I woke up super early because I needed to get to the hospital by like 5:30-ish to start my pre-op stuff and sign some consents. As usual, I had to get an IV and like usual, I've been told that my veins are very hard to see, but my nurse was very sweet and tried her hardest to make sure she only needed to prick me once and thank god she did. I changed into the typical hospital gown and then they gave me some compression stockings and those "stylish" socks that had grips on them so I wouldn't fall. Then she put these things on my legs for the circulation.
Anyway, my anesthesiologist came in and put some sleepy stuff in my IV which was. . . nice I guess. He was very dry, which was rather weird and boring. I didn't like him too much, but I guess that's okay. He did what he needed to.
To clear things up, this surgery was for me both as an aesthetic surgery and for a functional surgery. I've never really been able to breathe through my nose that well, and this is what this surgery did for me. As soon as I woke up, I could actually tell that I could breathe through my nose a lot better, but other now. . . I really can't.
Anyway, they gave me several types of pain medication including valium, Percocet, and celebrex. And then I also have my antibiotic medicine which is Keflex.
So yeah. The surgery was about three hours and forty five minutes long. My surgeon has known me since my very first surgery when I was only a couple months old. She was understudying during my first cleft lip and palate repair so she's known me for quite a while.
So the surgery, she said, went really well and that there might still be a bit of an unevenness on the left side of my nose which is understandable. Anyway she said that is probably one of the best surgeries she thinks she's done. . . and who knows if she says that to everyone, but I do trust her and she's always been very supportive of me and just has done a very good job in the past.
So the pain wasn't that bad when I woke up and neither is it right now, however I woke up last night at 12:30AM last night and I was in a lot of pain and I had a ton of blood all over my face and it took a while for me to feel better, after taking more medicine but you get the idea.
And that's basically it! I will be getting out my splints next Friday at some point. My doctor has said that the swelling should go down completely in about a year and half--that should be about the time that I should be able to actually see the full results of the surgery.
My nose is super stuffy right now and I'm overall, very groggy, but you get the idea hopefully. I'm not in too much pain, but my nose is swollen and my ear (where they got the cartilage for my nose for shaping) is a bruised. I've also been taking naps all day long because of all the medication so that's been kind of nice. Unfortunately, my mouth is super dry all the time because I have to breath through it and I have a patch on my arm that makes me have dry mouth as well. . .so that's not very nice either.
I've gotten a lot of support and love over Facebook from a lot of the friends that I went to high school with (as I graduated in May) and I'm also getting some support from my future roommate and some of my friends from church! So I definitely feel like I'm being well taken care of and everything!
Now, let's get on with the scale:
Pain: 3/10
Dizziness: 2/10
Sleepiness: 7/10
Swelling: I'm definitely swollen, but I really can't tell how swollen because of all the gauze, splints, and tape,
Breathing/Congested: I'm very congested and my mouth is super dry. I'm supposed to only be breathing through my mouth anyway, so that's really frustrating.
And that's about it! I'm really glad that this surgery is done with and now all I have to do is wait for it all to heal just be patent!
My jaw surgery was by far a lot worse than this when it comes to this one, but partly it's mic just because I'm able to eat normal foods and such. I think if any of you are worried about getting any more surgery after your maxillary jaw surgery, then I honestly wouldn't worry about it being any worse than that one!
I love you guys, as a lot of you have given me a lot of support! (:
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Another Surgery Down One More to Go!
Hello people of the internet!
It's been a while since I last updated, but things have been busy with me as I've been finishing up my last year of high school (woo-woo!). Anyway, I thought I'd give y'all a very quick update on what's going on in my life as far as surgeries and any orthodontic work and I guess what's going on in my life in general.
I have decided to make an advice blog on Tumblr and I thought that maybe some of y'all could go check it out. It's for anybody going into high school and needing advice and I will be sharing some of my own insight as I go on my journey through college!
Here's the link: http://collegechickadvice.tumblr.com/
Anyway, I have graduated high school (finally!) and I am so happy to be done. I feel like getting surgeries in high school and even in middle school can be scary for people and they can really take a toll on you--especially when you're trying to catch up on school and stuff like that. However, any maxillary jaw surgery can be quite frightening no matter what your age because everyone has to put their life on pause to recover.
So, I have graduated high school and I am currently looking for a silly job for the summer so I can start saving up for some spending money for college. I will be majoring in Neuroscience and I am super stoked about it (despite the fact that some people seem super awed by it and some people look at me like I'm weird. . .but whatever). I will be going to a 4-year university and I really am excited to start a new part of my life and meet new people and most of all. . . be DONE with surgeries!
So that's where my surgeries come in! So I just got one with a frenectomy with my periodontist which surprisingly wasn't as bad as it sounds! The shots definitely hurt than the actual "operation". For all of you who don't know what a frenectomy is, it's basically removing some tissue so that my lip can move farther and stuff. Anyway, it was a 30-minute procedure and it really just involved some cutting and some digging and then a little bit of stitches! So yay!
Anyway, there's like a triangle of my face that's numb, which I guess compared to the jaw surgery, is really nothing, but I really never have enjoyed the feeling of being numb on my face. . .but I guess you do need it. Of course, there will be some slight swelling and the recovery time probably a couple days to about a week and then I'll be all done with that surgery.
However, my orthodontist is really nervous about this bone that's showing in my gums from my jaw surgery so she wanted me to ask my periodontist about it and apparently, he just said that it was dead bone and it really wasn't going to affect anything. . .but I will probably ask my orthodontist about what she wants me to do about it if it's really not that big of an issue. But I'll probably find out in the next week. . .
Anyway, I have one more surgery that I've scheduled for this summer and it is for my nose, in other words I'm getting a rhinoplasty which. . . is basically a nose job.
Now before y'all start getting judgmental in your heads when reading this, I thought I'd let you know that my nose has always been just fine in my own view. There are times when I really hate how asymmetrical that it is but it was the way God made me and that was one thing that took me a really really long time to accept, but I think it's time I just get it fixed and most importantly and what I'm more excited about is that it should be helping me fix my breathing! I've said this before in previous blog posts, but I've had a really hard time breathing through my nose throughout my life and I've always been a mouth breather, but of course, the jaw surgery really did help, but I do want to be able to help it as much as I can.
I will be updating my recovery time for that as I go toward it, but I don't think I'm looking forward to the post-op stuff for this surgery either. I think I'll look more like crap than I did after the maxillary jaw surgery which isn't something I'm looking forward to, but I think I'll be happy with it after a year, just like the jaw surgery.
Anyway, that should be my very last surgery which makes me ecstatic, you have no idea. It's been a long journey for me and I'm really excited to have that all behind me and just look forward to enjoying the rest of college and everything else.
Anyway as far as the pain level for this last operation. . .
Well, I'm starting to feel a little, tiny bit of pain which is like a 3/10 but I am still pretty much numb. If anything, the shots hurt the most and I really don't really like shots. . . ever so yeah. The recovery time is quick and I look forward to healing easily from this little operation!
Hope you all are enjoying your summer!
It's been a while since I last updated, but things have been busy with me as I've been finishing up my last year of high school (woo-woo!). Anyway, I thought I'd give y'all a very quick update on what's going on in my life as far as surgeries and any orthodontic work and I guess what's going on in my life in general.
I have decided to make an advice blog on Tumblr and I thought that maybe some of y'all could go check it out. It's for anybody going into high school and needing advice and I will be sharing some of my own insight as I go on my journey through college!
Here's the link: http://collegechickadvice.tumblr.com/
Anyway, I have graduated high school (finally!) and I am so happy to be done. I feel like getting surgeries in high school and even in middle school can be scary for people and they can really take a toll on you--especially when you're trying to catch up on school and stuff like that. However, any maxillary jaw surgery can be quite frightening no matter what your age because everyone has to put their life on pause to recover.
So, I have graduated high school and I am currently looking for a silly job for the summer so I can start saving up for some spending money for college. I will be majoring in Neuroscience and I am super stoked about it (despite the fact that some people seem super awed by it and some people look at me like I'm weird. . .but whatever). I will be going to a 4-year university and I really am excited to start a new part of my life and meet new people and most of all. . . be DONE with surgeries!
So that's where my surgeries come in! So I just got one with a frenectomy with my periodontist which surprisingly wasn't as bad as it sounds! The shots definitely hurt than the actual "operation". For all of you who don't know what a frenectomy is, it's basically removing some tissue so that my lip can move farther and stuff. Anyway, it was a 30-minute procedure and it really just involved some cutting and some digging and then a little bit of stitches! So yay!
Anyway, there's like a triangle of my face that's numb, which I guess compared to the jaw surgery, is really nothing, but I really never have enjoyed the feeling of being numb on my face. . .but I guess you do need it. Of course, there will be some slight swelling and the recovery time probably a couple days to about a week and then I'll be all done with that surgery.
However, my orthodontist is really nervous about this bone that's showing in my gums from my jaw surgery so she wanted me to ask my periodontist about it and apparently, he just said that it was dead bone and it really wasn't going to affect anything. . .but I will probably ask my orthodontist about what she wants me to do about it if it's really not that big of an issue. But I'll probably find out in the next week. . .
Anyway, I have one more surgery that I've scheduled for this summer and it is for my nose, in other words I'm getting a rhinoplasty which. . . is basically a nose job.
Now before y'all start getting judgmental in your heads when reading this, I thought I'd let you know that my nose has always been just fine in my own view. There are times when I really hate how asymmetrical that it is but it was the way God made me and that was one thing that took me a really really long time to accept, but I think it's time I just get it fixed and most importantly and what I'm more excited about is that it should be helping me fix my breathing! I've said this before in previous blog posts, but I've had a really hard time breathing through my nose throughout my life and I've always been a mouth breather, but of course, the jaw surgery really did help, but I do want to be able to help it as much as I can.
I will be updating my recovery time for that as I go toward it, but I don't think I'm looking forward to the post-op stuff for this surgery either. I think I'll look more like crap than I did after the maxillary jaw surgery which isn't something I'm looking forward to, but I think I'll be happy with it after a year, just like the jaw surgery.
Anyway, that should be my very last surgery which makes me ecstatic, you have no idea. It's been a long journey for me and I'm really excited to have that all behind me and just look forward to enjoying the rest of college and everything else.
Anyway as far as the pain level for this last operation. . .
Well, I'm starting to feel a little, tiny bit of pain which is like a 3/10 but I am still pretty much numb. If anything, the shots hurt the most and I really don't really like shots. . . ever so yeah. The recovery time is quick and I look forward to healing easily from this little operation!
Hope you all are enjoying your summer!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Updates and My Personal Thoughts on New Years
Well hello internet!
So, my last blog update wasn't my nicest blog ever but sometimes I just need to vent so I apologize for that. I really just needed to get out what I was feeling. However, that doesn't mean that I am forever grateful for being able to get my gums fixed so I wouldn't get an infection or for something worse to happen.
Anyway, this blog is kind of a two one. Right now, it's 11:02 where I live. . . almost new years and I figured I'd do an update for you guys and do my thoughts on "New Years" and all the ideas that come with it. Some of you might agree with me and some of you might disagree with me and that's okay, but this is just sort of a reflection update for me over what New Years is and just this past year or whatever.
So my update. . .
My gums are feeling better. It still hurts when I smile or when I put any kind of pressure on my upper lip. And what's funny, is because my graft was taken from two locations on the roof of my mouth, it feels better for me to have my retainer in because it puts pressure and makes the pain non-existent there, but when it's out in the open, without the retainer, everything is super sensitive.
Looking back at the surgery, I didn't like it. Obviously. And when I was going through it, I was thinking, "Man, if this is is what they're doing for this small kind of procedure (I put 'small' lightly) then what the heck did they do during my jaw surgery?" And you know what, that brought back some bad memories and that's probably why I ended up writing that interesting blog post this last week. I think I'm still learning to deal with surgeries and what it means for me to have them.
I may or may not have mentioned that when I finally got out of the office and went into the bathroom I broke down into tears. I deal with physical pain pretty well. However, I don't deal with emotional pain very well. I don't really know why. . . maybe it's just me but there are moments when I feel kind of broken down and I don't want to have to put up with going through surgery after surgery or problem after problem when it comes to my mouth and my teeth or even my face.
I still have at least two or three surgeries left, as far as I can see. My dad told me to look for noses I like. Why? Because I can get a nose job after everything's all done. And inside, that kind of makes me sad because I just can't seem to be okay with a lot of what that sentence means in context. Do I not like my own nose? Why can't I just accept my own nose? Sure, it's crooked. And definitely not symmetrical but it gives it a little bit of character, I guess.
But compared to where I was, last January, I definitely have a lot more self confidence and a lot more perspective on things. Surgery was a major deal. There were a lot of down and very few ups at the time I got it down but I love my new smile and even more so, I love that I can breathe! It's done loads for my playing the clarinet and it's done a ton for my singing.
Overall, surgeries are my least and favorite thing about my past. They've helped me in more ways I can say. They've also hurt me in more ways I can even think about. I've had a lot but at the same time, it's kind of something I have to go through. What's funny though, is one of my classes at school, I met a boy who was also born with cleft lip. No palate. I don't think, from what I can remember. He had six years of braces--pretty much like me. But no surgeries. And he's one of those guys that people like in high school and also. . . hate. He's cool. He's an athlete. Or. . . he was. He switched schools his senior year. But it made me think about how circumstances are always different and it's kind of interesting to see how other people have dealt with the same ordeals as me.
Anyway, from what I can see, I'm pretty okay. Pain is minimal except when smiling. My dentist said it looked good today. I was supposed to get a cavity filling in today but she didn't to mess around the grafting site so they decided to postpone it. Which in my mind, is totally okay because I really hate shots that go in my mouth. I really do. Like. . . with a passion.
**********************
New Years--it's a big "thing" around the world. It gives people the opportunity to change who they are and it gives them hope that change can happen.People make resolutions and plans such as, "I'll eat healthier!" or "I'll be more organized." "I won't procrastinate." "I'll work on my love life." Whatever they may be--it's kind of something most of us do and over the past 17 years, I've realized how silly they are. People will be so excited to get to it for the first past few weeks and then suddenly, things go back to normal.
Raise your hand if this has happened to you? **awkwardly looks around the room and raises hand slightly** Yep. Me too. I think the problem with New Years is it gives me a fake version of hope for change. Change can be great. Sometimes you're thrown into it and you have no word in it and then there are times like New Years. We have complete control over this sort of change. Change is a touchy thing because if you have the ability to change something then that means you're deciding whether or not happens and sometimes, it won't happen only because you aren't ready for change. You're not committed to making the change--despite the fact that you seem like you are because New Years has psyched you up for change. Hell, it makes sense! Change for the better makes all of us excited and proud of ourselves. We get motivated. But here's my question for me and the rest of you: If you wanted to change so much then why didn't you change some other time in the year?
Sounds harsh, but I definitely think I make sense. I could have ate healthy back in the summer. I could have started being organized yesterday. I could have stopped procrastination several years ago. But I didn't. And a lot of the times, I make the same resolutions every year and it just never happens. Why? Because I don't think I actually care.
New Years Resolutions are great. But only if you're ready for them. . .
Now, onto a different topic: Reflection.
Reflection through any mile stone is just kind of a natural extinct for us humans to do. We're emotional creatures. We're social creatures. So we look back at our year and say, "Wow. Thanks [fill in important people here] for making this year such a great one! Here's to another year!" Or maybe, "Wow. This year sucked. Next year will be better." Or "Wow! I learned so much through this year. I've met new people and I've had my heartbroken. Despite all of that, this year was great and I really hope next year will be just as great!"
I love reflection--as you can see. And here's my hypocritical side coming out of me--why the hell do we have to do this every year? Why can't we reflect every day? Or every month? Or every 6 months? I don't get it. What makes the fact that the number of the year changes makes us reflect on the past year?
I personally look back at 2013 in both a personal way and a social media way or pop culture way. Two totally different things but I feel like reflection isn't really much until we actually take it and really learn from it. Here's what I have to say about both pop culture of 2013 and my own life.
Pop culture? Crap. Don't get me wrong, this year had some intriguing things in it. Miley Cyrus and her tongue. The U.S Government shutting down. A shooting nearby. The Harlem Shake. "What Does The Fox Say?" More war. More hatred. More technology. Sexist music and videos. Great movies. Bad movies.
All of it isn't all that memorable sometimes. Personally, I hate Miley Cyrus' public image. I don't know about her as a person but to me, she really just wants to be remembered. And she will be. I don't know if she will be memorable for really genuine moments, but who knows. Politics aren't even worth discussing. People are always going to be hateful and spiteful. Catastrophes all over the world are always something that I think are touchy. People remember them but I don't know if anybody really change because of them. I say this because I look back at my own school shooting from when I was in 8th grade and sure, protection has gone up but I feel as though community only happened because of the tragedy. And in ways, it's both good and bad. Community should always be there--it shouldn't matter the circumstance. But in the same way, tragedy always ends up bringing out the absolute worst and best of people. It's crazy to me. Pop music will forever be something that I either absolutely HATE or love. That's just me. Catchy tunes make me happy. However, music is something that means the world to me. So when I see artists doing crazy things. . . well, to me, I don't think it makes sense to call themselves musicians just because that person can look psychotic on a stage while sing well. Real music is music that makes you reflect on life. Pop music is a great way to have fun with, but it isn't music that touches my heart and my soul.
On a personal note. . . this year has had some major ups and some major downs. As you all know, surgery has just taken over my life. My face looks different because of it. I sound different because of it. I loved the overall outcome of it. I hated it at the moment. I think, it just goes to show that if you're too closely involved in a situation, sometimes it's impossible to see things clearly until you take a step back or ask for some guidance from an outside perspective.
This year, I saw a friend leave my life. We're still in contact but it's certainly not the same. At the same time, I made two really awesome gals who have really helped me kind of become myself. They're just as crazy as me but the three of us are so different that it's good because we balance each other out.
I got closer to God. I met some really great Godly people who I truly admire and look up to because they've helped me through some really hard times. I met some really awesome girls at camp from youth group who taught me a lot. And some of them were several years younger than me. They taught me that it doesn't matter your age--God is always there and if you let Him, He'll bring some really awesome people into your life. You just have to want it. And because of that, I met some really great, Women of God who changed my life.
I grew a lot in passions that I love.
Marching band was tough on me emotionally this year. The friends I met came from marching band. Despite the fact I wasn't really fond of it, they were there and dealt with my venting and pushed me as a clarinetist. And hell, as a marching band, we put on one HELL of a last show. It was memorable.
Choir . . . has been. . . interesting. Since it's been two school years in the last year, there was a dramatic change. I don't love school choir anymore so much but I learned a lot from the gals who were in it last year. I'm learning how to be more of a leader. I'm learning that I don't deal with people very well and I need to asking for patience. I've learned what it means to become more of an independent singer. I learned that failure is okay. . . especially when it comes to auditions. In the past three years, I auditioned each year for my school's musical and not ONCE did I make it. However, I decided to do tech for musical. Yes, there are people who annoy me there too (that's just my personal nature) but I still loved some of the people who I did meet and make bonds with. I learned that just because I didn't get into something doesn't mean I won't have a talent somewhere else. And even though I failed several other auditions, I managed to get into ALL STATE CHOIR and be the ONLY girl from my school who got in. Which is a HUGE deal. I learned to have confidence in myself in ways that means I need to be okay with my failures. Music is always going to be a part of my life--small or big. I love it. I love doing it. But I don't do it so I can do great things with it. Even if I'm not very great in say, acting and singing, I still love being able to sit in my room and pluck out some beautiful sounds on my guitar in my room in private.
Most of all, I've really just learned acceptance. Hell, I'm still learning it. I'm learning what it means to accept myself and my own flaws. I need to learn not to be so hard on myself. I need to learn to be patient still. I need to learn how to just take things as it goes and just kind of go on with things. I need to learn to understand people a little bit better. I need to learn to deal with things better. But this year was full of well, just a lot of events and a lot of memories. I took them and made reactions out of them and lessons. That's what every year is. But mostly, I've really learned what I need to work on.
In this next year, I don't really have resolutions. I just hope that I can learn them and not force them upon myself. I hope that college will go accordingly. I hope that All State Choir will be bombtastic. I hope that I learn to survive more surgeries. I hope that graduation will just come and go and I won't have to see people from high school EVER again. I hope that other people plan to change things because they want to NOT because they feel the NEED to.
As for me, I'm going to go and read Harry Potter and enjoy myself. I don't care that I didn't do anything special tonight. Most people feel so upset because they didn't do anything enjoyable. But to me, tonight is just another night. I've reflected tonight just as much as I did, if not LESS, than I did when I got my surgery done.
It is now 11:59. My last moment in 2013 and all I can say is I just hope throughout my life, things go well. NOT just 2014. Or 2015. ALL OF IT.
Happy New Years everyone and I hope I enlightened some of you.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Procedure Done
I'm home!
Unfortunately, I'm in a good amount of pain. And I really, really, really, really, REALLY hate doctors. For so many reasons.
If anything, this blog post might be a venting post if not anything else. So, I had tissue grafts done which means I had two areas of the roof of my mouth taken apart and put somewhere else. I don't know about you, but that sounds PAINFUL! And it is! Especially when your doctor doesn't give you enough Novocain to begin with! Second of all, my periodontist was all, "Oh there's this new technology that we use! It vibrates and it makes sure the shot that you put in for the Novocain doesn't hurt at all!" WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In fact, the vibrating stick DOES NOTHING for the pain when you get a shot--ESPECIALLY when it's on the roof of your mouth! WHY THE HELL DO YOU DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?! What?!?!?! HAVE YOU TRIED IT ON YOURSELF! I DON'T THINK SO DOC!!!!!!!!!
Second of all, I just feel the need to say something about how doctors just randomly talk to their freaking assistance as if the patient isn't there! NO DOCTOR, I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW AT THE DAMN DRIVE-IN! It's completely irrelevant and I don't care about it! And quite frankly, your making the procedure sound super nonchalant as if it's no big deal! Uh. . .no, doc, sorry. . . it IS a big deal!
Third of all, this procedure? Yeah. . . LOTS OF BLOOD. And because I was completely aware of everything that was going on around me, I was NOT a fan of having the damn assistance jab a freaking suction thing in my mouth every chance she got! I'D MUCH RATHER SWALLOW THE BLOOD than having you freaking choke me with a freaking suction thing!
Fourth of all, after going through jaw surgery, I don't even want TO KNOW what they did during my jaw surgery and what that felt like during the surgery. Because these grafts were NOT fun. All you hear is freaking chipping going on in your gums and scraping and they prick YOU A TON! It's not fun! Quite frankly, I miss my doctor for my jaw surgery because at least he was personable. This guy? OH NO. He was just "let's do this and go from there." In my own opinion, I don't think that's the best way to go about something as painful as a tissue graft.
Anyway, now that I'm done with my venting here's how it went:
I got there. They brought me back and the used that STUPID vibrating crap in my mouth while they were giving me the Novocain shot (which did NOTHING) and then they waited a little bit for it all to settle in. All in all, I think I got around 4 shots. All of them hurt. After that, they did a lot of poking and prodding around my tooth that was getting the graft and then they a lot of poking and prodding on the roof of my mouth where they were getting the tissue for the graft from. That DID hurt. And only one graft took about. . . hmmm an hour and like twenty minutes or something. I was gagging on my own blood it was FANTASTIC. Then they moved on to the other graft which was just as annoying as the first one. All in all, it was the same thing. They cut out tissue, they poked me, stitched four areas in total in my mouth and now I'm done.
Quite frankly, going through it just reminded me of jaw surgery and that experience. . . isn't something I like to remember. It was painful and it made me feel very vulnerable. And that's basically how I'm feeling now.
So let's start to gage some stuff:
Pain: 4/10 (It's throbbing pain)
Emotional state: I'm a mess. Let's be honest. It brought back bad memories.
Diet: I'm on a liquid diet for the day. WHOOPDEEFREAKINGDO.
Numbness: I'm basically numb anywhere in my upper lip, my gums, and like the first part of my palate which is where they got the tissue from.
Overall, I'm more annoyed than anything else. Nevertheless, I'm still a sarcastic person who doesn't like doctors.
I am now going to spend the rest of the day in my bed, reading Harry Potter, watching Harry Potter, and going on Pottermore and be taking strong meds.
Unfortunately, I'm in a good amount of pain. And I really, really, really, really, REALLY hate doctors. For so many reasons.
If anything, this blog post might be a venting post if not anything else. So, I had tissue grafts done which means I had two areas of the roof of my mouth taken apart and put somewhere else. I don't know about you, but that sounds PAINFUL! And it is! Especially when your doctor doesn't give you enough Novocain to begin with! Second of all, my periodontist was all, "Oh there's this new technology that we use! It vibrates and it makes sure the shot that you put in for the Novocain doesn't hurt at all!" WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In fact, the vibrating stick DOES NOTHING for the pain when you get a shot--ESPECIALLY when it's on the roof of your mouth! WHY THE HELL DO YOU DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?! What?!?!?! HAVE YOU TRIED IT ON YOURSELF! I DON'T THINK SO DOC!!!!!!!!!
Second of all, I just feel the need to say something about how doctors just randomly talk to their freaking assistance as if the patient isn't there! NO DOCTOR, I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW AT THE DAMN DRIVE-IN! It's completely irrelevant and I don't care about it! And quite frankly, your making the procedure sound super nonchalant as if it's no big deal! Uh. . .no, doc, sorry. . . it IS a big deal!
Third of all, this procedure? Yeah. . . LOTS OF BLOOD. And because I was completely aware of everything that was going on around me, I was NOT a fan of having the damn assistance jab a freaking suction thing in my mouth every chance she got! I'D MUCH RATHER SWALLOW THE BLOOD than having you freaking choke me with a freaking suction thing!
Fourth of all, after going through jaw surgery, I don't even want TO KNOW what they did during my jaw surgery and what that felt like during the surgery. Because these grafts were NOT fun. All you hear is freaking chipping going on in your gums and scraping and they prick YOU A TON! It's not fun! Quite frankly, I miss my doctor for my jaw surgery because at least he was personable. This guy? OH NO. He was just "let's do this and go from there." In my own opinion, I don't think that's the best way to go about something as painful as a tissue graft.
Anyway, now that I'm done with my venting here's how it went:
I got there. They brought me back and the used that STUPID vibrating crap in my mouth while they were giving me the Novocain shot (which did NOTHING) and then they waited a little bit for it all to settle in. All in all, I think I got around 4 shots. All of them hurt. After that, they did a lot of poking and prodding around my tooth that was getting the graft and then they a lot of poking and prodding on the roof of my mouth where they were getting the tissue for the graft from. That DID hurt. And only one graft took about. . . hmmm an hour and like twenty minutes or something. I was gagging on my own blood it was FANTASTIC. Then they moved on to the other graft which was just as annoying as the first one. All in all, it was the same thing. They cut out tissue, they poked me, stitched four areas in total in my mouth and now I'm done.
Quite frankly, going through it just reminded me of jaw surgery and that experience. . . isn't something I like to remember. It was painful and it made me feel very vulnerable. And that's basically how I'm feeling now.
So let's start to gage some stuff:
Pain: 4/10 (It's throbbing pain)
Emotional state: I'm a mess. Let's be honest. It brought back bad memories.
Diet: I'm on a liquid diet for the day. WHOOPDEEFREAKINGDO.
Numbness: I'm basically numb anywhere in my upper lip, my gums, and like the first part of my palate which is where they got the tissue from.
Overall, I'm more annoyed than anything else. Nevertheless, I'm still a sarcastic person who doesn't like doctors.
I am now going to spend the rest of the day in my bed, reading Harry Potter, watching Harry Potter, and going on Pottermore and be taking strong meds.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Another Surgery
Why hello!
It has definitely been a while and I really had to go back and think about all the things I've been through for the past few months. I have to say, things have been going well since the last surgery that I had. Jaw surgery is a major surgery. It's a big deal and it definitely can have it's impact on you. It made an impact on me, that's for sure.
Anyway, recently, just about two weeks ago, I got my braces off. . . if you couldn't tell by the last post! It felt so great to get them off, but of course, my upper teeth (since I had upper jaw surgery only) are still a bit unstable. Hell, I had my braces on for seven years so getting them off was a big difference to me! I felt myself running my tongue over my teeth all the time after I ate because I was afraid I had food in them! Haha. . . how ironic.
Anyway, as a real update for all of you, I would have to say that jaw surgery is definitely well worth it. I look into the mirror and I feel really proud of my smile and it's definitely been a long journey for me. I've had MULTIPLE surgeries, including the jaw surgery, as well as seven years of braces. I had them on since fifth grade and I am now a senior in high school. However, I started with only braces on my upper teeth and I also started out with an expander (also not very fun) but all in all, it was all really worth it. It's definitely been an emotional roller coaster for the past few months, but with some really great friends, an even more amazing GOD, and my family, I've been able to get through it. Sure, my best friend moved away, but I managed to get closer to new friends and God and that has really proven to help me become stronger as an individual. Oh. . . and using jaw surgery as my college essay was a huge help too (; hahaha.
For the most part, the feeling in my face and upper mouth is back. If I touch it, I can definitely feel that I've been touching it. However, my upper gums don't really have their feelings or sensitivity back, which in ways can help sense my teeth are still sensitive. I still find it hard to eat certain things, because my teeth are sensitive and I definitely find it hard to play clarinet sometimes because I do bite with my upper teeth.
One thing I did fail to mention (or so I think) is that after my jaw surgery, I had a tooth root showing in my upper gums. Basically, it looks like gums. My surgeon, from my jaw surgery, assumed that it would close up after a few months and that just never happened. And on top of that, it seemed as though I have either one or two dead teeth from the jaw surgery which is kind of disappointing. Because of that, I had to go to the periodontist last week (Tuesday to be exact) and now. . . well, tomorrow morning, I have two tissue grafts planned. I have to say, I'm nervous but I'm definitely not as nervous as I was for the jaw surgery.
The jaw surgery scared me to pieces. As most people have told me, I have a HIGH tolerance for pain. It's just who I am and I've been through a lot of pain because of other surgeries and I manage to deal with it. (Except when I fall, I'm sick, or I get hit, then it all hurts like hell). But of course, despite my high tolerance of pain, I was extremely nervous for my surgery and looking back at it, I certainly had every reason to be. It HURT. And it was not fun at all. Of course, that morning of my jaw surgery, I basically broke down into tears when I went to go change into my hospital gown. That's how scared I was.
However, now I'm looking at tissue grafts which also. . . don't seem to sound that pleasant. I mean, for all of you who don't know what tissue grafts are. . . well it's basically taking a piece of your tissue on your palate and taking it and putting in your gums. I don't know about the rest of you, but that really doesn't sound that pleasant. And of course, my friend's aunt had the same operation, and she said it hurt like HELL. She said that it took months for it to heal because it's healing in an area that's wet and damp (your mouth). However, my periodontist said that it only takes a few days for it to feel better and just a couple of weeks for you to feel better. And let's be honest, I think my friend's aunt's condition was rare and was an exception.
Just like I did for my jaw surgery, (I was stupid) and I decided to look stuff up about it just now and it turns out, it really isn't that bad. It really does take a couple weeks to heal and the most pain you feel is like having a really bad burn on the roof of your mouth.
After having a week to process it (well 5/6 days), I've realized that it really can't be ANYWHERE nearly as bad as jaw surgery. The pain will be nothing. The emotional damage will be NOTHING. The diet will be nothing. Overall, I feel pretty confident in myself. I feel pretty good about going in tomorrow morning and being okay with everything. I think at the end of the day, I think it's more important to get it done. I mean, the jaw surgery I don't think was NECESSARY for my health but this is and it'll make my smile look even better than it already is.
I think after going through a ton of other stuff, I think I'm more than well prepared for this surgery. It's amazing what past experiences can do for you. I actually decided to get two surgeries in one day and I also decided to only get numbed up instead of having an IV or even having laughing gas which just means I'm not as nervous which definitely brings comfort to myself.
For any of you going through jaw surgery or any surgery at all, I wish you luck. . . especially as I go in for another one tomorrow morning! (:
It has definitely been a while and I really had to go back and think about all the things I've been through for the past few months. I have to say, things have been going well since the last surgery that I had. Jaw surgery is a major surgery. It's a big deal and it definitely can have it's impact on you. It made an impact on me, that's for sure.
Anyway, recently, just about two weeks ago, I got my braces off. . . if you couldn't tell by the last post! It felt so great to get them off, but of course, my upper teeth (since I had upper jaw surgery only) are still a bit unstable. Hell, I had my braces on for seven years so getting them off was a big difference to me! I felt myself running my tongue over my teeth all the time after I ate because I was afraid I had food in them! Haha. . . how ironic.
Anyway, as a real update for all of you, I would have to say that jaw surgery is definitely well worth it. I look into the mirror and I feel really proud of my smile and it's definitely been a long journey for me. I've had MULTIPLE surgeries, including the jaw surgery, as well as seven years of braces. I had them on since fifth grade and I am now a senior in high school. However, I started with only braces on my upper teeth and I also started out with an expander (also not very fun) but all in all, it was all really worth it. It's definitely been an emotional roller coaster for the past few months, but with some really great friends, an even more amazing GOD, and my family, I've been able to get through it. Sure, my best friend moved away, but I managed to get closer to new friends and God and that has really proven to help me become stronger as an individual. Oh. . . and using jaw surgery as my college essay was a huge help too (; hahaha.
For the most part, the feeling in my face and upper mouth is back. If I touch it, I can definitely feel that I've been touching it. However, my upper gums don't really have their feelings or sensitivity back, which in ways can help sense my teeth are still sensitive. I still find it hard to eat certain things, because my teeth are sensitive and I definitely find it hard to play clarinet sometimes because I do bite with my upper teeth.
One thing I did fail to mention (or so I think) is that after my jaw surgery, I had a tooth root showing in my upper gums. Basically, it looks like gums. My surgeon, from my jaw surgery, assumed that it would close up after a few months and that just never happened. And on top of that, it seemed as though I have either one or two dead teeth from the jaw surgery which is kind of disappointing. Because of that, I had to go to the periodontist last week (Tuesday to be exact) and now. . . well, tomorrow morning, I have two tissue grafts planned. I have to say, I'm nervous but I'm definitely not as nervous as I was for the jaw surgery.
The jaw surgery scared me to pieces. As most people have told me, I have a HIGH tolerance for pain. It's just who I am and I've been through a lot of pain because of other surgeries and I manage to deal with it. (Except when I fall, I'm sick, or I get hit, then it all hurts like hell). But of course, despite my high tolerance of pain, I was extremely nervous for my surgery and looking back at it, I certainly had every reason to be. It HURT. And it was not fun at all. Of course, that morning of my jaw surgery, I basically broke down into tears when I went to go change into my hospital gown. That's how scared I was.
However, now I'm looking at tissue grafts which also. . . don't seem to sound that pleasant. I mean, for all of you who don't know what tissue grafts are. . . well it's basically taking a piece of your tissue on your palate and taking it and putting in your gums. I don't know about the rest of you, but that really doesn't sound that pleasant. And of course, my friend's aunt had the same operation, and she said it hurt like HELL. She said that it took months for it to heal because it's healing in an area that's wet and damp (your mouth). However, my periodontist said that it only takes a few days for it to feel better and just a couple of weeks for you to feel better. And let's be honest, I think my friend's aunt's condition was rare and was an exception.
Just like I did for my jaw surgery, (I was stupid) and I decided to look stuff up about it just now and it turns out, it really isn't that bad. It really does take a couple weeks to heal and the most pain you feel is like having a really bad burn on the roof of your mouth.
After having a week to process it (well 5/6 days), I've realized that it really can't be ANYWHERE nearly as bad as jaw surgery. The pain will be nothing. The emotional damage will be NOTHING. The diet will be nothing. Overall, I feel pretty confident in myself. I feel pretty good about going in tomorrow morning and being okay with everything. I think at the end of the day, I think it's more important to get it done. I mean, the jaw surgery I don't think was NECESSARY for my health but this is and it'll make my smile look even better than it already is.
I think after going through a ton of other stuff, I think I'm more than well prepared for this surgery. It's amazing what past experiences can do for you. I actually decided to get two surgeries in one day and I also decided to only get numbed up instead of having an IV or even having laughing gas which just means I'm not as nervous which definitely brings comfort to myself.
For any of you going through jaw surgery or any surgery at all, I wish you luck. . . especially as I go in for another one tomorrow morning! (:
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