Four Weeks Post Op!

Four weeks post op!! I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that breathing difficulties are now behind me, as are syringes. Thank God! Those first 10 days were the toughest. Here's my profile as of today (left), and my face from the full front view (below right).

I've been eating a much more "normal" diet, consisting of cream of wheat, lots of fish, cottage cheese, and mixed-berry milkshakes. Oh, AND dark chocolate. It melts on your tongue. How convenient is that? My weight fluctuates between 135 and 137 lbs. I just hope I don't ballon up after I can chew again.

As I mentioned earlier, tomorrow I'm going in for another follow-up appointment with Dr. Li, my 3rd since the surgery. I also have my 2nd MLD appointment in the afternoon. It felt good the first time. So good, in fact, that I actually dozed off for a few minutes.

Dr. Kasey Li

Brandy left two comments today, first asking if my surgeon's name is Dr. Kasey Li, then telling me how famous of a surgeon he is. He does hundreds of jaw surgeries annually, and is apparently considered one of the best oral maxiofacial surgeons in the "world". Whoa. My friend Isabelle had recommended him (she was one of his patients, too), so I knew he was good, but I didn't appreciate how well-known he is.

My experience with Dr. Li has been a great one. He is thorough, patient, and approachable. His office staff are equally efficient and impressive. I have no reservations in recommending him. He has his own practice in Palo Alto, California, and performs his surgeries at Stanford Hospital. You can get more information by visiting his website at http://www.drkaseyli.com/.

He has been collaborating with Dr. Stacey Quo, my orthodontist, for years. I'm not nearly as impressed with her staff (little disconnects here and there), but they do an adequate job.

All Sorts of Sensations

This photo was dated three days ago, when I went to a shooting range in Texas with a couple friends. I was running around rubberband-free. Then someone left a comment about how his/her surgeon said rubberbands help train your jaw muscles to get used to their new positions. So I've put them back on since, one on each side. Plus, my OS, Dr. Li, never told me to go completely rubberband-free. I just thought that I didn't need them, and that my jaws felt strong enough (yes, I cut corners sometimes).

My lower lip on the right side, and my right chin, have been numb ever since the surgery. If I pressed them, I'd get the same feeling as if my leg had fallen asleep and I got up and tried to walk around somehow. Tingling, numb, and uncomfortable. Last night, they started doing that all on their own, no pressing required. Even now, as I type this, I could feel my right chin tingling. Not exactly pins and needles, but close. Is this because the nerve ends are attempting to reconnect? Also, my jaws - the bones and muscles - get sore, not terribly so, just enough to tire easily.

My next appointment with Dr. Li is tomorrow. I go back to work a week from today. Tick tock. Oh my, that means today is four weeks post op. Whoa.

I'm very fortunate to be able to take this much time off. Now I'll go enjoy what's left of it. Curl up on the couch with my cashmere blanket, read a good book, and have some fish, and soup. Life is good.

Oslo

This posting has nothing to do with teeth, jaws, or orthognathic surgeries. Nope.

Has anyone ever visited Norway?


It's 2:30 in the morning, I can't sleep, and I'm dreaming about the next vacation destinations. Last year I visited Frankfurt, Berlin, Rome, Venice, Paris (again), Hawaii, and Sydney. This year I'm going stir-crazy.

If you've ever been to Norway or Sweden, please kindly give me some pointers. What are the truly memorable spots to visit? What's their food like? Do's and don'ts? Thank you.

On that note, what's the best place you've ever visited?

We can't just all sit at home obsessing about jaw surgeries (not that we HAVE been). OK, maybe *I* have been. But, it's time to change that.

Li, if you're reading this - maybe I should hop over to Stockholm on the same trip. And yeah, I know YOU've got lots of tips on Scandinavia. ;)

Flex Spending Frustrations

Faxed my flexible spending claim form, along with the receipt from my surgeon's office, to Allegiance last Thursday. I'd written an insanely big check for the surgery (my OS is out of network, so even though Aetna pays a large %, I still have to pick up the rest). Naturally, I want to get some money back from flex spending ASAP.

Just logged into my account to see that even though they did receive the claim, they didn't seem to understand the fact that I'd already paid. They only recognized the charge, but not my payment. H-e-l-l-o? What is the receipt for then? Doesn't it state clearly on there that the doctor's already received my payment, hence, the receipt? I'm seriously annoyed. Tomorrow, Doug will help me resend the fax, this time WITH a copy of my check, front and back. Unbelievable how incompetent some people can be. It's really no fun dealing with all this, on top of everything else!

Before & After Photos

During my limited online research prior to the surgery, I couldn't get enough of the before and after photos. But sometimes you have to scroll down the pages and look for them. To make it easier for the folks reading this blog, I've added a "before & after photos" section in the left column, right below the counter, that links to my best before and after photos. Hopefully that helps.

Response to the Anonymous Comment

Hey anonymous reader who left a comment - here are my responses to your questions:

1) How long did your surgery last and did you have to stay over-night?
My upper and lower jaw surgery took exactly four hours. I spent three nights at the hospital. Initially my OS estimated a two-night stay, but he agreed I should stay an extra night because of my breathing difficulties. Don't worry - not everyone experiences those.

2) How long after were you able to talk after having the surgery?
Hmm. Let me think. Maybe 10 days. Through clenched teeth and the splint and four rubber bands. Once my OS allowed me to remove the splint during the day (after two weeks), it became much easier.

3) Do you have any regrets?
Good question. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. Well, on a second thought, I proceeded with the whole thing (braces, consultation, et cetera) as soon as I learned about this type of surgery. So I *wish* I'd learned about it sooner, but really, since I acted as soon as I found out, I have no regrets. It's something I can benefit from for the rest of my life. I'm glad I did it. There IS no downside, as far as I can see.

The way I stumbled across jaw surgery was through an ex-colleague/friend, Isabelle. One day we were out shopping at Whole Foods, and very casually she just said, very bluntly, word for word - "Kristen, show me your bite. Do you have a bite problem?" I was floored, and refused to. My bite problem was such an embarrassment to me! She then told me that she had had jaw surgery five years ago herself, to fix an open bite (she couldn't even cut sandwiches or eat noodles). She told me all about her experience - the braces, the surgery, the cost - as we strolled through Whole Foods picking up groceries. Boy, was I shocked! It felt as though a door had suddenly opened for me. The next day, I called her surgeon and orthodontist.... and the rest is history in the making. I'm so grateful that she told me about the whole procedure. It is truly life-changing.

4) How many weeks of work/school did you take off after having the surgery?
Five. It's been almost four, I've got one more week to go. Clarification: Kim makes a good point (see her comment on this post). Five weeks is NOT required. I've "known" people who went back to work after 10 days, two weeks, three weeks, whatever. The length of time off really depends on your speed of recovery, your company/school policy, benefit coverage, et cetera. I took five weeks because I had no idea what to expect, so I wanted to play it safe and not push myself too hard too soon. I'd concur with Kim that at two weeks post op I tired very easily. A couple hours out of bed, and I'd need a nap right away. But after three weeks, my energy level came back almost 70, 80 percent. Again, how much time you should take off really varies from case to case, due to a number of factors.

Less Is More

As in, less swelling is more desirable. Now that it's been 26 days since the surgery, I'm starting to wonder: am I permanently stuck with this slightly puffy, round face, or will it continue to deflate? I don't know quite what to expect, or get used to. There's still persistent tightness/tension/pressure around my jaws, cheeks, and neck. I go to sleep with it, wake up with it, feeling it every waking moment. How long will it take for that to go away completely? Will it ever?

On the other hand, I'm really glad that this is taking up less and less mindshare. The surgery and subsequent recovery are no longer the number one focus in my life. No more syringes - which makes it so much less intrusive and disruptive. Aside from the two rubber bands I've decided to put back on during the day - to help train the jaw muscles to get used to their new positions - I feel almost normal again (the braces are a constant, of course). It's amazing how quickly and relatively easily we adapt.

I couldn't help but wonder....

Why some people remain rubber-banded 24/7 for 6 to 8 weeks (according to message boards), while I only had to do that for about three weeks? And why some people have to wear the splint 24/7 for weeks, while I only had to do that for two weeks, after which I'm now only required to wear the splint at night?

Is my surgeon being too liberal? Is there such a thing as a liberal surgeon?

On the other hand, I feel perfectly fine. My jaws tire easily, sure, but that's to be expected after the surgery. I can't wait to ask my OS at my next appointment on March 1st.

Cookie-Cutter Houses and Rookie "Rednecks"

Another observation of mine is that all (new) houses in Houston look the same. Appealing red-brick exterior, high ceiling, beige wall-to-wall carpet, and a sizable backyard. Attractive package.... albeit a little too cookie-cutter for my taste. Here I was in front of my friend Peng's house, which he purchased last year, after leaving his engineering director position on the east coast to accept a professorship overseas.



Had a memory refresher on Texas and its love for guns this afternoon. It turned out one of our friends, Peng's neighbor, owns a shotgun. Before I knew it, the three of us were on our way to the closest shooting range, only a 5-minute drive away. I didn't want to deal with the kick on my shoulder, so I killed the time watching the boys. They killed nothing, thankfully - but they did manage to hit at least 70%. Not bad!

Clocked in another rubberband-free, splint-free day. My jaws can open wider and wider now without pain, which makes inserting chocolates easier and easier. Very nice progress. :)

Hmm....Something Is Different

I'm in Houston (my hometown) this weekend visiting some friends from college. Since my estranged parents refused to see me (long story, sigh), I'm staying with Jessica, a good friend from my school days. Thanks Jess! :) Here in this photo, we were at our favorite French bistro in town, La Madeleine. Jess kew about my jaw surgery, but did not make a big deal out of it. Somehow I think Texans pay less attention to appearances than Californians. Neither good nor bad - just an observation. Jess mostly noticed my weight loss (15 to 17 lbs), and joked that maybe she should consider jaw surgery, too. :P


Group dinner with old church friends tonight felt odd - most people showed up with at least one baby, even the only couple who didn't have kids in tow were pregnant. I was floored. San Francisco and New York RULE - for singles like me. ;)

Most of the folks at dinner hadn't seen me in five to seven years, so naturally they commented that I'd changed quite a bit. So did they. Only one girl said "SOMETHING is different about you, but I can't quite figure out what". Since I was never that close to her, I just smiled politely and didn't offer any details. Her husband, who was a closer friend, commented that my eyes look different. .... Sure, if you say so. :)

Fortunately, no one seemed to notice that my face was still slightly swollen. And no one noticed that I was eating weird - attacking only soft, mushy foods, and didn't touch any meat at all. It was such a big group thing I didn't want to tell everyone that I'm on a soft diet and have them act ginger around me (trust me, it happens....). Luckily, that worked great. Don't ask, don't tell. ;)

Disbanded

Yesterday I ran around rubberband free. Ditto for today. It feels liberating.
.................................................................
Sent Wirelessly from My CrackBerry.

Another Before & After at Three Weeks

The photo above shows my natural profile pre-braces and pre-surgery.

This photo above shows my profile three days after the surgery, on the day I checked out of the hospital.

The last two photos are of my profile today, three weeks after the surgery. I think it looks slightly different from the day I checked out of the hospital. The nose doesn't seem as perky; and the lower lip seems to have advanced a little - or rather, the upper lip isn't as swollen so the overjet seems smaller. Does that make any sense? But overall, no more concave face. :)

MLD

My first MLD (Manual Lymph Drainage) massage session this afternoon went well. I learned about MLD from the Yahoo Support Group message board. It's basically a light face/neck massage to help your lymph system to more effectively transport fluids where they belong, and therefore help reduce swelling and speed up the healing process.

My OS says he doesn't typically recommend physical therapy to his patients until at least eight weeks post op (he had never heard of MLD), but he gave me the greenlight with the condition that I, well, keep it light.

And light it was. My therapist applied gentle pressure to my lower face and neck with her fingertips, moving the fluids in my swollen chin where they belong. It felt so soothing I actually dozed off. Immediately after the one-hour session, I could already feel the tension in my face and neck lessen, and could turn my head sideways with a bigger range of motion and less pain. Even now, my face and neck don't feel as tense as before.

Let me share with you an exercise she taught me. Lie flat on your back with a pillow under your head. Take a DEEP breath with your nose. Expand your rib cage to the max and fill up your lungs. Stop. Exhale through your mouth. Expell every last breath you've got. Repeat a few times every hour. This is supposed to help your lymph system do a more effective job transporting those fluids, therefore reduce swelling and speed up the healing process.

She's not cheap ($112 an hour if no insurance). I'll have to find out tomorrow how much Aetna will cover. But, it felt so good, I've already made another appointment for next week.

Good stuff!

Cream of wheat with milk. Cottage cheese in individual packages. Easy to eat, no chewing required, tasty, and great sources of calcium and iron.

Three-Week Mark!

Three weeks ago, I was still in the operating room at this very moment.

Fast-forward 21 days, I'm here, in my warm and cozy house, cleaning out the closet, perfectly happy, and almost perfectly healthy. NO breathing problems. NO splint during the day. No more syringes. Plenty of soft fish fillet to gum through. I can even open my jaws wide enough now to slip in a small square of chocolate (see traces of it on my lower lip) - and when it melts on my tongue, it's pure heaven.

The swelling has persisted in my cheeks, and you can still see hints of green bruises, but it's not freakish anymore. I have an appointment with an MLD therapist tomorrow. Hopefully she can wave her magic wand and make my cheeks and neck feel better. And if she's good, I'll post her contact information here as a referral.

To all of you out there - thank you for reading my blog and sharing this unusual experience, and thank you for your encourgements. You made my recovery a lot easier. Many of you are going through the same thing: take good care of yourselves, keep breathing, think positive thoughts, and know all this is temporary. This, too, shall pass!

Stranger in the Mirror

Went on a hike and had lunch (soft Korean tofu pot) with my ex colleague Cindy. When I climbed out of the car to meet her, she said that my face has definitely changed from below the eyes. Yeah, tell me about it. I'm still getting used to the stranger in the mirror. Sometimes I shield the lower half of my face just so I can still recognize myself, and see the old and familiar me. It's an odd feeling.

When I went to see my Japanese hairdresser last week to get my bangs cut, he returned blank stares when I walked in and waved at him, as if he didn't know me. When I finally sat down in the chair, he said, looking unsure and puzzled - "Kristen, you look strange." LOL. "You mean I look DIFFERENT. Yeah, I had jaw surgery and my face is still swollen." "Oh!" He looked more comfortable now that he understood why I seemed "strange". After the haircut, as I tried to tip him, he kindly pushed back and said - "No, no. Take care of yourself!". That was nice of him. :)

On a separate note, Dr. Li (my OS) called to say he didn't usually recommend physical therapy (meaning MLD) to his patients until after eight weeks - but since I asked, he'd be happy to fax over a prescription. He suggested doing some jaw-opening exercises. I think I might still go see the MLD therapist on Thursday, just to check it out and see if it might make a difference.

Paranoid

The removable shower head slipped out and hit me in the left jaw this morning. Ouch! OK, I have to say there wasn't much impact since it was plastic. But still. I jumped out of the shower immediately to check and make sure it didn't shift my jaws. So far, it looks fine, and there's no pain. Scary! Also, when I drive I worry about getting hit in a car accident and causing undesirable jaw movement. Argh! Maybe I should pad my jaws with marshmellows to help absorb any potential impact. Crazy thought, huh? The things that go through my head!

Jawbreakers

Came across this at the mall yesterday. I couldn't resist! :P Notice how even though I'm showing some gum here, it's not nearly as gummy as before.

What to Venture into

Can you tell that I've got food on my brain? Blended anything, even milkshakes, quickly become boring. Through relentless experiments, I've discovered a few things that may help add variety AND nutrition to your diet during recovery.

• Cottage cheese. Really high in protein!
• Savory egg custard. See my recipe here. Add less chicken broth if you want it to be a little more dense. It'll still be soft and never requires chewing.
• Mashed potatoes. Add sour cream, extra butter, and/or guacamole to make it even fluffier.