All Clear!

The follow-up appointment with Dr. Li went really well this morning (the photo was taken right before we went into his office). He said my lower jaw is, in fact, NOT crooked. The fact the lower teeth appear to be misaligned is precisely why I need further orthodontics work. He showed me the model they took of my bite prior to surgery and moved the upper and lower jaws to demonstrate their alignment, and how that affects how the teeth meet. Thank God I don't need to go in for a Take 2!

He was pleased the swelling has gone down - "We're not quite there yet, but this is much better than the chipmunk look." Ha. You can say THAT again. He said my chin looked more defined now, and asked if I were happy with the way it looked. YES! Yes I am. :) He's a brilliant surgeon!

Unfortunately I'll remain banded shut for the next two weeks. The good news is, I'll only have to wear the splint around the clock for another week - after which it's only required at night. That would make it so much easier - the splint is my least favorite thing! It's annoying and ever-present. Tick tock. Just another week....

Rambling Thoughts

Pretty tough day today. Maybe it's because I over-extended myself by running around all morning and didn't get home almost 3 pm. Thank goodness Doug drove - in the rain, no less.

I have a follow-up appointment with my OS, Dr. Li, on Monday at 11 am. My burning question? Well, I noticed that my lower jaw appears to be slightly crooked. It's not in perfect parrellel to my upper jaw. Does that make any sense? It's almost as if the lower jaw needs to be slightly rotated, again. I know it was one of the problems my OS and ortho wanted to address via asymmetrical set-back (yes, problems, not issues. George Carlin made a good point: Isn't it strange how no one uses the word "problems" anymore? Instead, we skirt the "issues" and have "concerns". But problems? Nooooooooo.) But, I digress. My lower jaw was slightly "crooked", as you can see from the photo hours before surgery. However, that problem seems to have persisted, though to a lesser degree. I have to ask Dr. Li about this! Please, please, don't let me go back to surgery again. And, IF, in the unfortunate event that I have to, please, please, don't make me wait a long time (I know he's fully booked through the end of March). Sigh. I suppose the fresh x-rays on Monday will tell the story. We shall see.

Since there's nothing I can do between now and then, I'm going to put down the mirror, push this to the back of my mind, and focus on the positive.

• For starters, no more breathing problems! It's SO NICE to not have to HEAR yourself breathe.
• Second, the swelling has gone down quite a bit.
• Third, the pain is still there, but I only need liquid Tylenol about twice a day - once during the day and once before bed. Not bad!

Doug just came in with a bowl of warm Chinese food while I was writing this. String beans and sesame chicken. Yum. I've been craving Indian food (garlic naan, curry chicken, and lamb) and sashimi for the past few days. Sadly, warm, liquified ice cream and blended porridge make poor substitutes. I've lost 13 lbs since the surgery and my jeans are loose. As much as I love food, the effort of working the giant syringe effectively deflates my enthusiasm. Oh well. Until Monday. Wish me luck!