I'm still here

Thank you all so much, for Your sweet words and advice. I am sorry I have not posted for a few months! I think I have figured out this blogging app. If I type it in my gmail, I can then copy and past it to my blog, and it lets me post! I seriously can't believe it has been a year sense I had a computer last. Thank goodness for iPads. To top off not having a computer, I dropped my phone in the toilet two weeks ago too! I am totally too disgusted to use it, so I'm using an oooold one that does nothing but text, haha. Now I really never have internet. Luckily I've got a trusty iPad right now. 

I really do appreciate all of you commenting and helping me out :) Isn't the internet amazing? It's so nice to be able to be in contact with, and follow blogs, of all you lovely people. Yesterday I had my second surgery. This time it was just to take all that soft tissue out of my chin. I decided it best to go through with it, and am hoping it takes care of a lot of the problems I was having. Those that showed concern and shared personal experiences with me, thank you. You know who you are :) 

I am on a soft foods diet right now, but am doing well. I woke up extra swollen today, but it will only take about 4 weeks for bruising and swelling to go down. This little surgery seems so small in comparison to my last one. I am so greatful to have that one behind me, And am praying for all of you who are still recovering from yours. This one is bringing back many memories I had not nessicarily forgotten about, just didn't remember the exact details of... Like the pain. I remembered I was in pain! but didn't remember the exact feeling of it.  The stitches will start to fall out with in the next week or two, and once the swelling has gone down, we will be able to see if I will be needing another surgery. He is thinking I will, and told me to plan on it, but I'm crossing my fingers that this one took care of everything, and I won't be needing any more. 

I'm supposed to be going to a company christmas party tonight, but I'm just not sure how that is going to happen... Not to mention I've got my face taped up like someone getting a terrible wax job! Yeah I,m not sure I'm really in the mood to embarrass myself any more tonight, lol. 

Anyway, I just wanted to update while I could, and tell you all thanks for everying! And I'm still around, just blogging when I can is all :) Now I'm going to go eat my butterscotch pudding, and watch The Mindy Project on Hulu. Have you seen it? I may be a little obsessed :)

Thanks friends!

Thank you all so much

I don't know why I am still numb inside and outside of my mouth, and neither does my surgeon.

I don't know why I was bleeding too much, that he had to finish before he was done.
I don't know why I have so much tissue in my face, that I am still swollen.

I don't know why my nerves are not growing back.
I don't know why any of this is the way it is, but I know I can't keep comparing and waiting for it to get better.

There are so many people that have or are having jaw surgery. I know I am not a lone.
 For so long, I had no idea, and then I found you through blogs.

 Your blogs and sweet comments are what helped me, and what can help so many more people.
THANK YOU!
I hope mine can too. This is why I decided to keep blogging.

I hope by keeping this blog, I will be able to help those of you who are preparing or recovering, and that maybe you will be able to help me too. Email me or comment here on the blog, if you have any advice, or questions. I think it's good when having such a huge surgery, to have support. To be able to talk to other people who have a small understanding of what you are going through. 

Because it is hard.

I am just as happy with my face now, as I was before. I do not like it, but I didn't like my jaw before either, which was one reason why I got the surgery. The hard part now, is that it is so completely different. I would much rather have my jaw before, but look like the person I am used to. Now I look too strange to myself. And I am numb. But I am okay. God made me healthy and beautiful, just as he made each of you. This whole post surgery thing, just takes a lot of getting used to. And with each day, it get's a little easier.

So just remember to keep smiling, because a smile looks good on everyone..

This is a before and after picture. 

You can see the full cheek bones, and knobby chin. This is the result of tissue build up.

There are a lot of things I see in this picture, that I don't like.
To my eyes, I look so different..

Do any of you know how to get rid of hard, thick tissue, that is under your skin? I am really desperate. 

It's been a while..

It's been a while since I checked my blog.
It's been a while since I checked your blog.
It's been a while since I posted.

It's been a while since my last Doctors visit.
It's been awhile since my surgery.
It's been a while since my face wasn't numb.

I guess it's just been a while.

I must say, I was getting bummed when I would read other surgery blogs.

How can they move on and practically forget they even had jaw surgery?
How is it that they look better and I don't?
How come they aren't still swollen?

How come they don't have to have ANOTHER surgery to correct the problems from the first one?
How come they aren't numb anymore?

I had to stop. 

Because..
Every recovery is different.
Every surgeon works differently.
And Every person is different.

I hate that this blog is so neglected. I have been really busy working lately and getting wrapped up in life! My computer is still broken of you can believe it! I'm so ready to have it fixed. All my stuff is on it, including things I want to share with those of you preparing for surgery. Lots of stuff I hope you will find helpful... if I ever get it posted.

Anyway, huge news!! My braces are off! Seriously the best thing ever. I put up with my awful orthodontist for 6 years too many. Hallelujah! I'm done.

• I have my appointment to meet with my awesome surgeon the end of this month and then only one small surgery and I should be finished for good! I'm really excited.
•  I'm still numb, my nerves are healing enough that it's painful in some places, but the majority of the bottom half of the face is still numb.
• I'm still swollen and feel huge! But nothing compared to how I was during my "cheese burger days" Which most of you refer to as "post surgery" You know what I'm talking about. Those few months when you're so swollen it looks like you ate too many cheese burgers at McDonalds.

This is my fourth time trying to publish this post. Having to re-write it each time. Needless to say it was a lot more put together the first time around. Sorry guys.
I hope you're all recovering well, and getting ready for a fun summer! Thanks for sticking with me, I can't wait to have a computer again! (Someday) lol.
I feel like the worst blogger ever, I haven't even stopped by your blogs in ages. I'M SORRY! I can't wait to see what you've all been up to, and how the recovery is going! It's a long process, it's crazy. It feels like it'll never end! ...Much like this post, lol.
But here it is, the end. And it won't let me post pictures at the moment so that's fun.
Thanks everyone!!

Pictures 6 months post op!

I tried to publish a post today, and after the fifth time, I decided to give up and just post some recent pictures for you guys.

im still computerless and feel like the worst blogger/follwer ever. I read your posts but it never lets me comment from my ridiculous phone, so Im sorry, guys.

Ill try publishing my original post again later, vut for now this will have to do.

Hope youre

all doing super well, and thsnk you for sticking with me and putting up with my neglect!


Ps, braces are off and it feels amazing! :D

Forgive me?

Oh gosh. I'm terrible. But as you can see, it isn't just this blog I'm neglecting, it's internet in general. I was doing so well updating, and had like, all these recipes for recovery I typed up to share, that I thought Hey! I should make a real blog that anyone (family and the occasional stalker) can see! A "me" blog! Obviously that worked. I haven't had a computer in who knows how long, so I've been using my phone. and unless it has a simple little app like facebook and instagram, I'm not on it. But apparently blogger does... you just have to text your entire post... and it's proving to be a bit more annoying than a laptop. I'm just hoping it posts when I click the button. You guys deserve a blog post from me, dang it! That is, if any of you are still following me? What the H. Someone better be, if I'm going to be blogging from my tiny phone! Lol.

So this whole process has been a pain. I am finally out of bands, yay! No more rubber jail! But I am now having to see a Tongue Thrust Therapist. Who knew they existed? Not this girl! I can't get my braces off, until I correct my tongue thrust. What is a Tongue Thrust you say?

Apparently your tongue should be resting on that bumpy area of your mouth. You know, on the roof behind your front teeth. The tongue should not touch your teeth. Ever. Mine rests against my bottom teeth, and pushes against my top ones when I swallow.

It seems impossible to break this habit, but apparently it can be done. And unless it is, my teeth will forever be in braces. Noooo!!!  My orthodontist should have seen this when he first put my braces on (6 years ago) and I could have been correcting this problem all this time. But he's a horrible Ortho. And he didn't even know I had a tongue thrust.

I also will be having two more (though smaller) surgerys in the next few months. My swelling was happening too quickly durrying my jaw surgery, so my surgeon had to finish the procedure quickly. Because of this, my chin didn't get shaved off properly, and is still very jagged, making the scar tissue pile up. So, my jaw is fixed, but my chin is having major issues. They will be taking the tissue out in one of the surgeries.

My face is still numb, from the corner of my lips down. Mostly just the area they will be correcting.

I still have tissue all over, but it is going away properly. I just feel like it's taking forever. I want this all to be done already!

I forgot to mention, that because of my rapid swelling durrying surgery, my surgeon had to act fast, and stitch me up quickly. Which resulted in a terrible job. And he knows. I have a wonderful doctor. So it is all messy inside my mouth, and it will be nice to finally have things cleaned up ans back to normal in there. It's really a site for sore eyes, I'll tell you what.

I am recovering from a horrible sinus infection at the moment. Because I've been dick, I've had to cancel my last two Tongue Thrust appointments. My Dr. Emailed me and told me if I don't make it in this week, I have to start therapy all over. So I'm lying in bed trying to recover so I don't have to do that! I ate a clove of Garlic and drank a cup of garlic tea just to try and get over this. Yes, I am just that desperate guys. And I smell delicious! Lol.

Anyway, I'll try to be better at posting. Let's see if it posts from my phone though!

Brytt

Also, I don't know if this picture Im adding will work. It's a good side shot of my chin at the moment. People ask me about it a lot. It's really wierd and annoying right now.

Happy Monday, friends

Look who's alive!

Sorry the blog has been pretty neglected! I've been super busy lately, and out of town a lot for the holidays.

My face is still big with scar tissue, and my lower right side of my chin is still pretty swollen. It is also still numb, but it is slowly coming out of that! In fact, while I was at my parents house after Christmas, my chin was starting to itch and hurt. Later that night, I smiled and it was the best feeling in the world!! I cannot explain it, it felt so weird, but I was able to move the bottom right side of my lip! It has been too numb to move, but I now can!! Hooray!

(I took this picture right after I realized it was moving. I was so excited. Lol.)

If I touch my chin in a certain spot, it sends a shooting pain up into my bottom tooth. It is very similar to the feeling you get when at the dentist getting a root canal. Have you ever had them put one of those blue Q-tips in dry ice, and then hold it on your tooth, to see which one needs the root canal? Well it feels just like that! It's quite strange... slash painful.

As I mentioned before, I have a lot of scar tissue in my face still. Because the right side of my face is still pretty numb, and has so much tissue in it, I find myself biting down on it, and it hurts so badly!

(Snapshot from a few days ago)

As the numbness goes away, I am able to feel more of the screws, it's really strange.

I am still wearing my bands at night, and then two during the day. Everything is healing up nicely, just taking a long time. It's supposed to be gone, by July.

So much to say, but I'll save it for another post, as this one has become quite long. 

Hope all of you that are in recovery, are doing well! And good luck to the rest of you!!

I've uploaded some pictures from post surgery. Don't look if you're easily grossed out. I look mighty nasty.

 (Best husband in the world award, goes to my guy. There is no way I would have done that for him! lol)

 (Using wipe off markers on the mirror. Make sure you have good company, to keep you entertained while you're in that awful hospital room!)

 (I thought it would be a good idea to take a photo like this every day. But, The pictures went missing, so this is the only one I've got.)