I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of the people who have made blogs. They helped me SO incredibly much going through my recovery. I'm also really glad I made my own blog... It was a great way to just get out my complaints. Also, looking back at some of my earlier posts, it makes me feel like i have actually come such a long way from when i was in the hospital. and i'm extremely grateful for that.
In other news... as of today it doesn't hurt to smile or laugh anymore!!!!! hello to watching comedy movies again. i am actually so thrilled. i realized as i was talking to my friend and we were laughing that my upper lip didn't hurt anymore when i was laughing. this might be the best moment ever. haha. on top of this, my upper lip is tingly (which is annoying) and i know i've posted about this before. but i can kinda tell when things are touching it now, or at least i can feel the pressure on my lip. whereas before.. i had absolutely no clue if anything was touching my top lip. so yay for progress! (even if it is ever so minor).
| i am really happy with my new profile with my overbite and open bite gone! :) |
| my left nostril is now a ton smaller than my right one (the picture is flip-flopped, so you guys see it opposite) |
I feel like in some of the other blogs I have read, others have experienced their nostrils changing.. I have noticed that the cartilage (im guessing) between my nostrils is now bent to the left. joy. i guess i can deal with it. just i havent been able to breathe out of the left side of my nose much at all since surgery... and when i can, it isn't very clear. hopefully i just have a lot of swelling in there still, and it will get better.
in other news... i ate mushy raspberries today! before surgery i lived on eating fruit. my favorite foods by far... so i am now going to explore mushy fruit and see what else i can eat!
Down in the Dumps
I also wanted to talk about how i have felt emotionally during this whole process.... the first few days in the hospital i realized would be that hard, i could handle it and was positive about my recovery still. but, the night i ended up in the emergency room after being discharged from the hospital, and then being readmitted back at my hospital the next day... gosh, i just kept wishing and hoping and praying over and over again that eventually things would get better. spending a total of about 8 days in the hospital was also hard. i mean most people only spend a couple, and then they are fine at home. but my excess swelling, nausea, and the fact that i was barely able to eat, made my stay long... i felt so isolated from the world. i missed my friends immensely. the whole situation just got depressing. then, i finally arrived home.. only to just alternate between my couch and my bed for several days.. i now truly understand the term "loneliness". sure i had lots of time in the hospital with my parents, grandparents, aunt, and my sisters... but once i was home, their lives got to return to semi-normal while i was stuck in bed. it was hard to me to accept that mine couldn't be normal yet... finally i got a visit from some of my closest friends. and that made me realize just how important the presence of other people can be. just wow. so i wholeheartedly stress the importance of being around people after surgery that are close to you. isolation is not fun! in the last week or so though, things just completely flipped. i have seen more of my friends, forced myself to leave the house, and seen a glimpse of normalcy again.
did i ever regret doing the surgery at any point? no. even though things were awful the first 2 weeks. i am still so happy i was able to get this surgery over with. I can't say that i am perfectly pleased with everything yet.. just because i am swollen. plus, the main reason i chose to have surgery was due to my extensive jaw pain and headaches every day. and seeing as i still have pain (although temporary) i can't judge if the surgery has completely fixed that. but im sure it will! i absolutely LOVE having all of my teeth touch. going from just my back molars touching.. to every single tooth, is one of the best feelings ever.
i guess that is everything on my mind tonight... take care you guys :) much love and many thanks.
-Katie:)
Thanks Katie for sharing your ups and your downs with all of us. You have helped all of us who are about to endure that swollen world soon get a glimpse of what we can expect along with a worst case scenario. My best friends are already planning a smoothie movie day 9 after surgery, and my other friends are planning to start stopping by around day 6. I said no to them, I didn't want them to see me all swollen, and droolly, but after reading this. I know you are right... You need the support of your friends and family. Push yourself to communicate and not be a hermit to keep your spirits up! I am so glad your feeling is returning, and you once again have a beautiful pain free smile.
ReplyDeleteaw thank you :) and yes! see your close friends the second you feel up to it. because that helped me so incredibly much. hope your surgery goes smoother than mine has :) keep updating on your recovery once it comes. ill keep you in my thoughts and prayers as it gets closer! -katie
Delete