One Month Post-Op

Every day that I wake up and am closer to my three month "anniversary" is a beautiful blessing. I can't wait to spend more time out of the splint and fully feel the benefits of this procedure. I can feel them every day, progressing and making me a stronger, happier person. It is so great to be able to converse with others, shout and scream, and sing to my heart's content. I haven't done that in... I can't even remember how long. 

Recovery has not been easy pain-wise, but the pain changes the further down the road I come; keeping me on my toes, and teaching me what I need to fix to be 100%.

The inside of my mouth is a wreck from the braces, bands, and brackets, and the Therabite is now starting to irritate me as a little well. I feel like I have permanent lines tattooed into my cheeks from the bands, and have developed cuts on my lips and sores/cuts inside my mouth. They're my "battle scars."

I'm going to start doing more and trying new things to treat and prevent all of this as it's absolutely miserable at times! Honestly, the most comfortable thing to do is puff my cheeks out like a child having a tantrum; not the most becoming, though.

I was able to wear ear buds for the first time a few days ago. It wasn't too bad, but my ears were sore afterwards. The scars are more prominent than I thought they'd be, but I'm told repeatedly they are not noticeable (as people always say). I also feel like my ears are still swollen and the cartilage feels a bit harder than it used to.

Looking at this photo now, I can see that

the incision isn't all that noticeable.

The other side looks identical.

The incision on my abdomen is healing well, but is still pretty bumpy and I'm hoping that goes away or I can find a way to help it along. It isn't noticeable, but I of course don't like it. For someone who has never had an incision or stitches, I'm pretty fascinated by how odd they look.

I ate my first meal out in public yesterday. I just brought my bag of essentials along, ordered, and once my food was ready, went to the bathroom and took the splint out, putting it back in after 30 minutes. It was great! I had rice, beans and guac at a great Mexican place.

I'm exploring and trying more with meals; beans and rice, shredded chicken, BROWNIES, bread soaked in soup so that it's easily swallowed (PANERA - FINALLY), and I'm going to try a taco salad (sans-taco shells) this week. I'm having a hard time getting enough protein or hardly any meat, so now's the time to get creative.

I've just started today with this supplement, which is delicious and tastes like iced coffee.   I have clearance to get back into the gym  and hit some weights (light weights, high reps... better than nothing) and can't wait! 

I've been having Chiropractic treatment once a week, but still feel like a mess. If it isn't my upper back, it's my lower and vice versa; My C-spine is still a wreck but ice helps more than I give it credit for. I woke up Sunday with intense pain in my sternocleidomastoid muscle on both sides and was terrified they'd start spasming. Ice helped with that as well. My traps are still a constant problem as they're inflamed and have very obvious trigger points, but ultrasound therapy and everything that Dr. Hobbs has been doing is helping a lot. I've been advised to stop stretching my neck so much as I'm aggravating the capsules and to self-massage and use ice, which, I give the Doc credit for - really works, as simple as it is.

I have a quick check-up in the clinic in one week, and have a list of questions/concerns prepared that I'd like to ask Dr. Piper:

I have accidentally bumped myself in the jaw enough to raise concern a few times; Could it have done any damage?

Are there any parts of my braces/brackets that can be removed to avoid irritation?

Doubling the dosage of Trazodone has helped a lot with the sensitivity in my scalp and headaches. Are there any repercussions of increasing the dose?

I am still getting headaches almost daily though, is there anything I can take or do to prevent/treat them? They are in my temples and between the eyes.

The therabite pinches my cheeks very hard when I use it after moving up to Peg 4. 

I have a hook (on the braces) that is bent forward and causes the most pain and irritation inside my mouth. The hook in the front center causes a lot of irritation and pain as well.

I have heard of taking Magnesium to help with Bruxism and muscle pain. What do you think of this and would it be right for me rather than Trazodone?

I'm still maintaining my last instructions to double my dosage of Trazodone at night to keep my muscles from spasming, but it's still so hard to get out of bed in the morning. If I don't lay down soon after taking it, I feel like I'll fall, right where I am. I've heard a lot about Magnesium from different forums and want to see if maybe it could be a good alternative for me. Granted, the Trazodone is helping a lot, I'd just like to get away from the side effects. 

Truer words have never been spoken. Cheeeeese fries. 

As for the pain in my jaws, I have none! I wouldn't say none as in never, at any point, under any circumstance - yawning, talking too much, bumping my jaws, and doing the exercises cause small bouts of pain, but nothing like what I was going through before. Side-to-side movements while out of the splint seem to cause the most pain (sharp and acute, not lasting very long), for whatever reason. 

I am so happy with my progress and decreased levels of pain. My ice packs and heating pads, strict exercise regime, and timely medication routine have been a huge help, as well as Chiropractic and constant advice from the loving Clinic staff. 

I'm starting to become a "picture" girl, so surround yourself with beautiful things, keep looking forward, and see the beauty in your pain; that you are alive enough to feel it, and strong enough to survive it. I took comfort in that before I could find the help I needed; that even though I wanted to curl into a ball and never face the world, I was able to get up and do just that, day after day, despite the pain.