5 Weeks 4 days Post Operation

The swelling and numbness continue to go down. The numbness on my lower lip and chin still feel quite prevalent yet I sense that the affected area is shrinking.

Beyond the numbness, the rest of my body is feeling great. I've been getting out with my family for walks, jogging next to my daughter while she is riding her bicycle. I've been talking more as well.

I get the plastic splint out in 2 days at which time I can bite and chew delicious scrumptious FOOD! I feel excited and full of glee at the prospect of biting into food. I have missed and longed the sensation of chewing food and look forward to having that back.

I recall a few weeks ago watching an episode of SuperGirl on NetFlix. There was a scene where Kara was taking a bite of a delicious looking sandwich. There were tears of desire in my eyes. I've also had numerous dreams where I've chewed food and then thought to myself oh yeah my surgeon told me not to chew food.

I believe I will still have to wear the rubber bands. I'm uncertain about the frequency. I must be honest I dislike wearing the rubber bands and yet I feel better about having them in. As if they would protect me from accidentally moving my jaw wrong causing injury or pain. It is difficult to communicate with them in because it takes extra effort to open my mouth. Especially difficult not being able to talk with my little daughters. I always sleep with the rubber bands on. Sometimes I'll leave them off for a while after mealtime.

For the first time today I had a rubber band snap while talking. I expect that the frequency of these snappings will increase if my surgeon continues to require me to wear these rubber bands every day.

In short, my recovery is going well.

Thank you to all those who have been supportive, offered prayers for me or my family or visited us to bring love, food, friendship or all of the above.

Thank you,

Trevor

Post Operation Day 30

Pre-Operation and Today (30 Days After Operation)

I feel good today notwithstanding the numbness on my face. Still a lot of numbness on my lower lip and chin. A little numbness on my upper lip. I still am making a mess when I eat because I can't feel my lower lip. At the end of this article, I have placed a photo that highlights the places on my face that are numb.

I felt around my gums on the inside of my mouth to check for feeling. I have no sensation along my gums above my upper teeth. I have no sensation on my lower gums either except in the very back of my mouth.

The swelling is continuing to subside. There is still swelling in my lips, jaw, chin, and cheeks.

I love my job at Domo. Having catered breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided has been amazing. I am still on a no chew diet. Among the catered meals at work I have been able to find many foods that I can eat without chewing.

Some of the foods I have been able to eat include beans, cottage cheese, eggs, macaroni, rice, noodles, soups, strawberries, yogurt, and protein shakes. I have also been able to get meats such as beef cooked such that makes it easy to cut up or smash and eat. At home, I have been making a variety of shakes and protein drinks with Almond milk. Some foods I can slurp up without chewing and others require me to mash up with my fork to prepare it for eating. At home, I do a lot of blending or I eat things such as applesauce or rice that does not require being mashed.

I've got about one week left with this plastic splint on top. I'm excited to get that removed and begin chewing again.

Lastly, here is the photo with the purple highlights to mark the locations on my face that are numb. Most of the numbness is on my lower lip and chin.

I Added Purple Highlight to highlight spots on face with numbness

Post Op Four Weeks and Counting

1. Pre Braces, 2. Year of Braces, 3. After Surgery

Today I had my four-week appointment with the jaw surgeon.  I waited for him in the waiting room patiently. One of his assistants came in and asked how I have been doing and if there was any pain. I told her that the only pain I had been experiencing was while I was wearing more than one rubber band. I recognized after I said it that the statement was not completely accurate. Though she understood that the clenched feeling would cause pain.

The truth is that there have been a variety of sensations I have been experiencing during this recovery. In the past few days, the variety of discomforts has included a feeling of pins and needles upon my chin, feeling a cold numb feeling on my lower lip and chin, and  numbness and pressure in my teeth, jaw and various places on my cheeks. I recognize that the worst experiences related to this surgery were over in the first 10 days.

The oral surgeon Dr. Stosich came in and took a look at the swelling. He said that it's looking very good and has gone down well. He expressed that my bite is positioned correctly and landing properly on the jaw splint attached to my top teeth. He also indicated that I can get the splint removed at my next appointment in two weeks. I am very excited to get this splint removed and return to chewing my food.