Day 0: Surgery Day

Today is THE day!

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I am all checked in at the hospital.  Surgery is scheduled for 11am and is estimated to last around 5 hours.

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In my hospital gown pre-surgery.... not so happy about the Carolina blue!

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The surgery actually started after 12pm and lasted about 7.5 hours.  The surgeon says it turned out beautifully, so I can't wait for all the swelling to go down so I can see the final product with my own eyes.

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Post-surgery pics (close your eyes if you can't stand blood!):

Apparently, I refused to wake up, so they had my Mom come back to the post-op room to take care of their light work.  Haha.

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Checked into my room:

Day -1: Tomorrow is the BIG Day!

Today is my last day at work for 3 FULL weeks!

I just got a call from UNC hospital that my check-in time for tomorrow is 9am.

Wish me luck!

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I have some amazing and loving friends who came out to support me at my 'Last Supper'.

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This is my host for the first 1.5 weeks of recovery... Mom/Momma Biegs/Karen/etc.

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How old am I?!?

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Time for me to go scrub my body from chin to toes with this delicious looking stuff.

Goodnight!! xx

Day -2: Saying Goodbye

So long tragus earring.  I hid you through many soccer games, but now it is time for me to say goodbye.  It was a great 11 years with you.

(Shout out to Erin for helping me take it out with as little blood as possible.)

Day -3: Butler Bell

Mom made a baaaaad decision…

Day -5: Surgery Prep

I was sent a great quote today that made me smile and feel encouraged.

‘Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together’ -Marilyn Monroe

(courtesy of my Mom's co-worker)

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Over the past few weeks, I have been gathering items that I will need pre- and post-surgery.  Below is a list (and the reason for the item).

 

Items that I (or my parents) bought pre-surgery:

Zip shirt (because getting a shirt over my swollen and bandaged head is going to be a struggle)

Iron supplements (to increase blood production, I started taking these 2 weeks prior to surgery and will continue to take post-surgery)

Pill crusher (in case I need to switch from liquid to solid pain and antibiotic meds)

Pill box/organizer (to keep track of medicines)

SPF 50 (no tanning, the severe bruising can stain my skin if exposed to sunlight)

Vasoline (for my chapped lips)

Baby spoons (since I will be numb and only have a small opening, the plastic coated smaller spoons will work better)

Bibs (yes, I will probably have food messes like a baby)

Nasal aspirator (for my sinuses)

Food grinder (so I can eat, duh!)

Blender (see above)

Items that UNC Hospital will send me home with post-surgery:

Baby toothbrush (so I can clean my teeth through my tiny opening)

Rubber bands (for banding my jaw shut, these will need to be replaced approximately 2x per day)

Nasal spray (for my sinuses)

Wound dressings (I will have two external cuts, all others will be in the mouth)

Facial cold wrap (how else am I going to get the swelling to go down?)

Day -8: Pre-Surgery Makeover

A new face deserves a new hair do, right?!

Before:

After (Warning: this is a selfie.  Don't judge me!):

Day -9: Hooks & Ties

I had surgical hooks and steel ties put in by my orthodontist on Monday, July 22^nd.  The process took almost 2 hours.  You can clearly see the surgical hooks in the picture below; however, the steel ties are harder to see.  The steel ties replace the rubber bands that go around each of the brackets.  My surgeon will place elastics on selected hooks from the top to bottom jaw to secure it in the proper healing position after surgery (a splint across my top teeth will also be used).  I’ll receive instructions on how often I can remove the elastics to clean my teeth and exercise my jaw.  I will have to wear the elastics and splint for 6 to 8 weeks after surgery.  During this time, I will only be allowed to consume liquid and soft foods.  I am going to be one cranky lady.

Introduction

HELLO to all my family & friends and WELCOME to my jaw surgery blog. 

About Me:

My name is Jenny and I am a 29 year old female diagnosed with hemimandibular hypertrophy (one-sided jaw overgrowth, in my case it is my left side). 

Back Story:

I first started noticing a difference in the right and left side of my jaw around 2009, when I was 25 years old.  This was concerning because most people’s jaw stops growing in their late teens or at the latest their early 20’s.  I finally went to the orthodontist seeking answers in 2010.  He (Dr. Engstrom) x-rayed my jaw and told me to come back in a year for another x-ray.  He would then overlay the x-rays to see if my jaw was continuing to change.  In 2011, I returned and my x-ray proved that my condition was worsening.  Dr. Engstrom then referred me to Dr. Turvey, a surgeon at UNC Hospital.  After additional x-rays and bone scans, Dr. Turvey diagnosed me with my current jaw condition and surgery is scheduled for July 31^st, 2013.

Next Steps:

I had braces put on July 2^nd, 2012 by Dr. Gilbert (who later retired and transferred his practice over to Dr. Vanderwall).  As of today, I have had my braces on for 387 days.  T-7 DAYS UNTIL THIS SURGERY HAPPENS.  (I have requested my medical records, so further detail on the surgery and ‘before’ pictures to come later.)  My jaw will be banded shut (a better option than wiring shut because it causes less scar tissue) for 6 to 8 weeks with only about a ¼ to ½ inch opening to be able to feed myself.  I will be out of work for 3 full weeks and then after that is to be determined.  For the first 1.5 weeks I will be staying with my mother (Karen) and the second 1.5 weeks I will be staying with my father (John).  I am thankful to have such loving and supportive parents that live close by.  They will both be integral in helping me through the recovery process.  I just hope they know what they are getting into!