Back to the grind

Well, I went back to work this week. It has been so good to actually get back to work. I never thought I would say that! I missed my friends at school and the kids more than I thought! Monday was kinda of rough....just tired and sore. But it has been getting better every day! I did pop a rubber band in the middle of teaching yesterday...Ouch! The kids have been so sweet and some of the classes made me a card. It was so nice to hear that the sub did a good job.

I'll write more later....don't have a lot of time because the cabinet guy is here measuring my kitchen!! More to come on that very soon!

Good News!

Thank you so much for all the prayers! I got wonderful news today! My jaw is healing very well. The doctors all said they are very happy with the results so far. I still have a little bit of swelling...which was very evident to me when I ate a little bit today. Most of my bruising is gone as well.

I did have four rubber bands in my mouth holding my mouth closed but now I only have two rubber bands. I can take them off to eat (soft foods) and to BRUSH my teeth! I am soooo excited! So after my appointment Aaron took me to Cracker Barrel. I had a vegetable plate with mashed potatoes, macaroni, hash brown casserole and pinto beans. I have to say...it was harder than I thought. I can't open my mouth as far as I thought I would be able to. I can open just enough to get a fork in my mouth. BUT I ate some real food!! =) I have also been pretty sore since then. I knew that was to be expected. So I just have to keep Ibuprofen close. The doctor said I could have things about the consistency of scrambled eggs. He said I could have fish and soft meats. I feel like I am going to have to work up to that.

Thank you again for all the prayers!

Tomorrow is the day!

That's right! Tomorrow I hopefully get to start on soft foods! I have 2 appointments tomorrow...orthodontist and surgeon. If everything looks good they should be taking off some of the rubber bands. I'm not totally sure what they are going to do right now because I don't think all the bands are coming off...but I am going to be able to chew. I'm thinking I'm just going to have the normal braces rubber bands that I can take off when I eat. I will be on soft foods for another 2 weeks before things will be back to normal....Rosie's chips here I come!! Right now I'm just looking forward to new tastes...I've been having the same soups over and over (just the broth, though). Mashed potatoes, macaroni, brownies and just maybe...PIZZA. For some reason that is what I have been craving the most!

My swelling is just about all gone and so is my bruising. It's weird because I can really tell a difference in my jaw line. Yesterday I thought I was still swollen but when I felt my jaw...I felt bone!

Say a prayer for me tonight that everything goes well at my appointments tomorrow!

Dreams

The past couple of nights I have been having some interesting dreams. They have all be about FOOD, of course. Food that I can not eat right now. (I know you guys are probably tired of reading about my surgery, but I have nothing else going on right now!) My food dreams have been interesting because I don't think I have ever dreamed about food before, but since I can't eat a lot of things right now...I have been dreaming about it!

Two nights ago, I dreamed (dreamt...weird) that I was eating barbecue...probably from Thomas Pit. The weird thing is that my mouth was banded shut still. Somehow I pushed the meat to the back of my mouth and was able to use my back teeth to chew. This is really not possible.

Last night, I dreamed that we had this immaculate kitchen. In this kitchen was a huge freezer....think grocery store...that's exactly what it looked like. Anyway, I reach in to the freezer and pull out some salmon (I love salmon!!). Then I marinate it in honey mustard and coat it with cashews...put it in a pan and cook it up. Then I make this amazing looking salad and dressing then place the salmon on top. AFTER I have done all of this, I realize...I can't eat this! Then I woke up. Nice, huh? Well, I would love to say that I made up a new recipe in my dream, but if my mom is reading this she would know that's not true. We were watching the Food Network the other day and they made that on one of the shows. Didn't forget that one!!

Progress Update: Since my last post I took a little turn for the worse for about a day and 1/2. Monday night got really bad. I have just had such bad nausea that I could not eat anything. Then my stomach got so empty that it was making me more nauseous. Anyway- let's just say Aaron had a lot to deal with! Sorry Aaron! My mind and stomach just really got the better of me. At that point, I was just thinking that I never should have done this. BUT..keep reading it gets better!....Tuesday morning my mom got me in to see the surgeon. They took my stitches out and gave me some medicine for nausea. I have been eating/drinking every since! We had a lot of visitors yesterday...thank you! A friend brought me some great soup and Aaron's mom brought me some chicken broth. I am finally finding some things I can eat that taste good and work! Aaron went to Rosies and got some tortilla soup. We strained it so I could have the broth and Aaron ate the chicken and veggies. It was wonderful!! Who knew I would still be able to have Rosies!!

Here's To Better Days

Well, another day down...almost. I am already beginning to count the days to real food! Today I did get to have some potato soup. It had to be strained because the potatoes can't go through my teeth. But it was so good. Today is the first time I have had anything hot. I'm hoping I can do more soups in the next couple of days. Maybe some chicken noodle where I just drink the broth. The most important thing is that I get enough protein and so far I haven't been doing a very good job. I have been trying to do milkshakes but then I started getting nauseous because of the codeine. Of course, then I didn't want a milkshake. Those are really the best for me right now. I think Aaron is going to stop by Arby's on his way home and get me a jamoka shake!!! Yummy!!

I've decided that it's all really a mind thing. I have issues drinking things through a straw that aren't meant to go through a straw. I am trying to get over that. I go back to the doctor on Thursday. I'm not really sure what to expect. I've heard that they will take the bands off and let me brush my teeth. That sounds wonderful!!! Right now I have been sipping mouthwash through a straw and then letting it seep out of my teeth! I think they are just going to put the rubber bands back on though. I'm trying not to get my hopes up. They told me 2 weeks of liquids.

I think I am looking better. They swelling is continuing to go down...although I still look like a chipmunk! Some bruising has started, though.
You can see some yellow on my cheeks. I am feeling much better today. I have been able to talk a little more...thru my teeth of course. Also- today is the first day of school I have missed. I took off 3 weeks because I knew at least 2 of those weeks I would be totally closed. I guess we will see what happens after that!

Thanks again for all the encouragement and kind words! Since this is basically my only communication right now it's been nice!

Details and Thank You's

I am finally feeling like I am able to sit up and blog a little. First of all, thank you so much for all of your prayers, visits, concerns and flowers! It has been a rough couple of days but I am hoping it is looking up.

Everything went pretty smoothly on Wednesday. I have to say...they were very timely. There was not a lot of waiting around. Once they started the anesthesia I think I was only in surgery for about 45 minutes. The surgeon did say there was more bleeding than he would have liked but it was nothing threatening. Basically it was just annoying to him. I was only in recovery for about 45 minutes as well and they got me straight to my room. That 45 minutes in recovery was pretty bad, though. I don't think I have ever been in that much pain.

My nurses and techs took very good care of me in my room. I only had to get one real shot...and my arm still hurts!! I slept most of the day Wednesday, but yes I do remember everyone that came by =).
My cheeks are still pretty swollen and I am in some pain but the medicine they gave me is helping. You can't really tell how swollen my cheeks are in the picture but my mom says they have gone down a lot. And I really only have a little bruising. I don't know if I should expect more.

I haven't really been that hungry yet but I have had a couple of shakes. I can have anything that I can get through a straw on the side of my mouth. Which means it has to be thin enough to go through my teeth. We've discovered that seeds and applesauce are not good. =)

Anyway, I will try to keep blogging as I get better. Right now I'm just praying for some easier days. It's hard to get comfortable because they don't want me to lay all the way down and today is the first day I don't have to keep the ice pack on so that should help.

Thank you for all of your encouragement!

Surgery Prep

I know it has been forever!! I really have no excuse. I just haven't really felt like I've had a lot to blog about. But as most of you know...I'm going to have a lot of time to blog in the next week or so. I have my jaw surgery on Wednesday this week. I am anxious, nervous and excited all at the same time!

Last week I did all of my prep like going to the surgeon for another check up and I went to the hospital to check-in. At this point I am really just ready for it all to be over. I will be on a strictly liquid diet for 2 weeks. Probably at least one of those weeks my mouth will be banded shut. I have a check up one week after the surgery and I'm not sure if they will keep me shut or start taking some of the rubber bands off. I do know, however, that I am going to be pretty bruised. I will then have another 2 weeks of soft foods only. I have taken 3 weeks off of work. Right now I'm hoping that is the right amount of time. I want to be feeling and looking well enough to go back to work but I don't want to be wishing I had gone back sooner.

Anyway- Please just pray that all goes well on Wednesday and that this surgery will really be the answer I have been looking for. My biggest fear is that it won't help! Thank you so much to those of you who have already been praying for me. I have such wonderful friends!!!