Recovery Week 1: November 2-8, 2015

So for those of you interested in following along with the journey of recovery after my double jaw surgery and bone graft I will post weekly updates on Mondays. Obviously, I am a little behind on this first one, but it was a long week.

Monday was surgery day, Please click to read my previous blog post about that.

As Tuesday came, I was still in the hospital, but I was lot more in tune with what was going on around me. I was still fairly tired and medicated, but they were planning on sending me home late afternoon/ early evening. I was able to get out of the bed and sit in a chair. I was able to eat, well drink smoothies for breakfast and lunch along with some water and Gatorade. Here are some pictures of how the swelling was Tuesday morning:

During breakfast and lunch Sarah and I learned the process of eating from a syringe for the next few weeks would not be fun. Syringes sometimes glide very smoothly and sometimes they don't. When they don't glide smoothly and you force them a little, the contents inside explode, everywhere. As Sarah and I were figuring out this whole eating from the syringes thing, we both took a food shower or two.

My surgeon came to visit me again on Tuesday, and said that he would start the discharge process for us and wanted us to stop by his office in South Denver (Lone Tree) before we headed home to Colorado Springs.

The nurse came shortly after that and pulled all the tubes out of me (IV & Catheter) except they left a port (actually just an IV) that they put in my hip in the area where they took the bone graft. My Surgeon said he would give us medicine at his office that we could put through that port which in turn would help with soreness/ pain in the bone graft area.

Now it was the very fun process of waiting for your evacuation system to start working again on it's own before you can leave the hospital. Yes this means I had to pee a certain amount before I could leave. It took a bit, but I got it done and then it was off to my Surgeon's office. Below is a picture of me ready to leave the hospital. We were finally able to leave the hospital around 4:45 PM.

Still rocking that fashionable Jaw Bra!

At the Surgeon's office he looked things over, gave us some stuff, showed Sarah and I how to administer the medicine through the port in the bone graft area, and he gave me a portable suction device to use. Then it was off to home. We got home around 6:45 PM.

Wednesday, I just took it easy at home and Sarah I tried to figure out a routine for eating/ medicine etc. My Surgeon told me that today would be the peak of the swelling in my face. Here are a few pictures we took on Wednesday of the swelling.

On Thursday, we had a follow up with the Surgeon. During this visit he pulled the port from my bone graft area, which I thought would hurt, but did not. He took the rubber bands out that hold my jaw shut and let me brush my teeth with out them in, that was glorious. Then came the not fun part. He decided to put a pallet expander in my mouth. This is a metal bar that runs across the roof of your mouth and attached at the second to last molars. He also informed Sarah and I that he wanted me to get a reverse pull mask from my Orthodontist. Joy!

After the bad news, He taught Sarah and I how to change the rubber bands and let us know that we can do that once a day. He also told me I can eat (well drink) and brush my teeth while the bands are out. We did not know this would be the case, so that was nice to know. He also said I can shower as normal which was great news.

On Friday, I went to visit my Orthodontist to get the reverse pull face mask. This thing sucks. It's purpose is to help make sure that my jaw muscles don't try to pull my top jaw backwards, and help everything stay right where the Surgeon and Orthodontist want it.  Here are some pictures.

Saturday & Sunday were pretty uneventful days. My Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister-in-law and few friends stopped by for a visit on Saturday, and that was nice. My parents had been watching our dogs and brought them back to us as well. Mostly, I watched a lot of football and napped on Saturday and Sunday.

All in all, the first week of recovery went fairly well. There were a couple of times where the pain got pretty bad, but the medicine was able to help bring it back to a tolerable level. I am still adjusting to all the numbness in my face. My nose, lips, and chin are still very numb. The first time Sarah and I tried to change out the rubber bands that hold my jaw shut was an adventure as well.

If you took the time to read this whole blog, thanks! I pray that God blesses you and your family.