8 Weeks Out

I went to visit my brother, we look more like twins now (even though we're not)

As of today, its been exactly 60 days since my surgery. TWO WHOLE MONTHS. I've been one busy girl; being a full time student, working out, running a website, my schools athletic Instagram account, and working in the game room. Also this was the week when I was finally cleared to play volleyball again! I was so pumped to be on the court again, but then I actually jumped into a drill and I was instantly reminded of how out of practice I was. I am SO thankful that I waited the full 8-9 weeks as suggested by my doctor, because the first ball that was served at me, I took to the chin. I kid you not, it bounced off my arms and hit me square in the face. I guess I've been away too long because my depth perception and reaction time were SO off.

I went in last week for an Orthodontist appointment and once again, he said everything looked good. I apparently only have one more top wire and then I'm technically done. Then they re-evaluate me and see if they want to make any last minute changes, and if not, then the braces come off next appointment! I can't believe how soon it all is- MY BRACES COULD BE OFF IN TWO MONTHS. And if time keeps flying like it has been, that's super soon.

Updates!

Chewing:

I've started chewing more tough and crunchier things lately. Its almost the end of the 9 full weeks so I've been testing the waters a bit more. The good news is that nothing really hurts when I bite into anything. I've ripped of pizza bites, although its not a clean bite because I'm still timid, its still a bite! I've chewed more meats including chicken and ground beef, I had some soft sausage as well. I've been attempting to eat sandwiches with soft bread and that is going well. I've also tried eating cereal again which is divine. After I hit the 10 week mark, I think I'll be in the clear and eat whatever I want without fear of dislodging something.

Exercise:

I'm back into full fledged beast mode! Two weeks ago, when I would jog or run, I could still feel pockets of swelling in my face jiggling. Now there's nothing at all and I can do every exercise that I was doing before. No problem!

Breathing:

The doc said most people report feeling a better sense of breathing after the surgery because when your chin is pushed back it closes your airway. I never thought I had any issues breathing and I never snored so I haven't felt any improvements. I seriously cant tell any difference in my breathing whatsoever.  It was a nice thought though Doc.

I'm going to post my tips page in a few days, I've put a lot of thought into it so its taken a while to compile. But hopefully that can be a huge help to some of you as you prepare and get through surgery!

6 Weeks Out!

Yeah I almost forgot to post this week... that is proof that life goes back to normal!

My Surgeon kindly agreed to take a picture with me.

I had my 6 weeks post-op appointment this week. It was my last appointment with my surgeon until my braces come off. They want my to come back so they can take their "after" pictures and brag about what a good job they did on me. I'm super excited for that appointment because that'll mean I'M FREE. Also I'm hesitant to post any before pictures because I feel like it'll take away from the whole dramatic "before and after" unveiling. So stay tuned for that post. At my appointment, I was expecting him to clear me to chew whatever I wanted. But he wiggled my upper jaw, said it was still a little loose, and told me to continue the soft food diet for the remainder of the next three weeks. They say that my bone will be 100% healed at 9 weeks and I'll be good to go! Chewing to my heart's content. They also cleared me to start exercising as much as I want, meaning lifting weights running and exerting myself. I'm not allowed to play sports for two more weeks because if a ball were to hit me the wrong way, my face could move and eventually heal wrong. So as much as I hate not being able to train with my volleyball team, I think I can wait at the cost of my face.

I'm keeping super busy as usual so time flies and I occasionally forget I had the surgery in the first place. My speech is back at about 95% normality. The only time I feel like I have a lisp or awkward movement is when I'm smiling and trying to talk at the same time. My upper lip still has a tiny little bit of stiffness which is still prohibiting me from closing my mouth when its relaxed. Don't get me wrong, its definitely improving, but its not normal yet. And my chin feels pretty stiff still but I don't really need my chin for much at the moment. This is the best news yet....THE NUMBNESS IS ALL GONE! Even though there are still areas that have some tingling left in them, there isn't any place on my face that has no feeling. I can't even tell you how happy this makes me! (Shoutout to my Surgeon)

Let me preface this next part by saying I am so extremely happy with my results. I'm only 6 weeks out but my bite is perfect and fits beautifully. However, like I have read on other blogs, its been kind of a trip getting used to my new face. Its really psychological and it's not that I don't like myself when I look in the mirror, but its freaky. I saw myself one way for 20 years and now I look different. I tried not to make a big deal out of it or tell anyone, but I had some rough days these past few weeks. I've also had some freaking bomb days where my confidence is through the roof. Here's a picture of me on a day I was really feeling myself lol. As a side note, now that people are used to seeing the "new me," the general consensus is that my face looks thinner in shape. That it looks slimmer. Looking at pictures I feel like my nose looks wider when I smile, but maybe there's still swelling I don't normally notice? Only time will tell!