Post Surgery X-rays!

Ok, these are pretty neat. First of all, the whole digital X-ray thing is awesome, they just emailed them too me! These are from the morning after surgery. Take a look at them, I'll tell you what I think is the best part about each one!

This is a general pan, they show the 4 L plates each with 4 screws holding my upper jaw on! See the three screws on each side for the lower jaw. Also, the outline you see on the upper teeth is from the splint, and the extra wires are from the ties holding it in place!

Ok, the coolest picture of any! Look at how LONG the screws are holding my lower jaw on!!! 12-14 mms!!!!!! They will be there forever!

Ok, the coolest part about this picture is that you can see how BIG my lips were the morning after my surgery!

The best thing about Winter!

So if you're reading this you have seen all the ugly from the last 8 weeks. I did take a hmmm.....Month off from posting I think, and I do apologize for that! I started a post a couple weeks ago but found other things to do besides sitting in front of the computer! I've been to movies, played soccer on the beach, started working out again, to Travis to visit the Orthodontist 4 times in 10 days, sick off my ass (I dont get sick so I was a wimp!), partied like I was 21 (If anybody remembers me after a night like that...I loose my voice for several days!), been out in the "city," to a tiki bar in Oakland and even to a Kings game in Sac! Basically, I'm back to me and enjoying everything there is about life in the Bay!

So on Friday, 23 JAN, I made my last trip to my Oral Surgeon! They took out the splint that had been holding my upper teeth in the proper alignment for the past 6 weeks, which meant many many great things! First of all, I could actually get to all my teeth to brush them! (Trust me, I got thanks...Alex would thank me I'm sure!) Next it meant that my upper jaw was healed well enough to be considered in one piece again!!! And 3rd, I was able to start running again....and as long as I didn't fall, I could even ski again! Basically I was told no trauma to the jaw area at all. For everything else I'm good!! I still have rubber bands in, but they are bearable, I have to take them out for each meal, but they are finishing up my alignment. Basically, as my orthodontist said today, you've never had this many teeth touching!! My entire right side of mouth is touching and all but about 3 teeth on the left!! In time the rest will come together also!

Here is my new ski look! Also, see the link, I've added lots of pictures of the two ski weekends in Tahoe in January!!http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16053&l=aac68&id=1261493975 (You dont have to be on Facebook to view these, just click the link and enjoy!)

One last thing to update....something you all know that is very important to me, I had a WHOLE Chick-Fil-A sandwich, waffle fries and sweat tee yesterday!! I was able to eat it all!! I cut nothing up, just ate it like a normal person!! (ok, not perfectly normal, I'm still learning how to chew haha but no knife, no fork no ripping it apart, just open, put in CHEW and swallow!!!) Hard, crispy and extra chewy things are still off limits, mainly because I cant chew that well, but slowly it will all be coming back!!

So I'm guessing this wont be my last post, I'll TRY to update this occasionally, but I am not good at these things, so no promises! Hope you have enjoyed the odyssey of my jaw...ski season is on so hope to see you out on the slopes!

New Pics!

So I hear people are still checking this, so figured I would post some new pics...Alex and Nell were intown this weekend so had to get Nell to take a picture for me! She wasnt happy with the lighting but I figured it would be about the same as the original...I'm not picky!

Also, I'm eating well, still all soft now chew foods, but its amazing how much good food you can find! My jaw is slowly opening farther and getting used to the new position, I even had to loosen my rubber bands some. They were pulling my jaw too far forward and I was having to hold it back! Hope my Drs dont care! I have another appointment on Wednseday, going to talk to them about what I really can and cannot do...I NEED to start working out again, I am actually getting more calories than I need right now, so the gym would be nice!

People who know me would also know that I am not good at following drs directions, and def not good at taking it easy after surgery....so I was very impressed with myself when I ended up at the beach New Years Day, hanging out in board shorts and a tee shirt and even doing the "polar bear plunge" but I did NOT go surfing! New Years Eve and Day was another holiday this year where good friends make it so relaxing and fun...nothing but laughing and eating and drinking! Happy New Years!!!!

On a side note....I am going back to work this week for 5 days (like most people), but the only thing is that it has been at least 2 months since the last time I had to work 5 straight days! I'm not sure how this is going to work! haha

Before and After Pics...Same shirt, Same wall, Same camera!

Before: The Jay Leno look

After: Yeah, Brad Pitt look out!

Here are some pics from New Years Day...

Look at all that junk in my mouth! When we went out last night, I went without the bands, I didnt slur near as much...and eating was much easier! They are back in today though!

Real Food and a good Christmas!

So the last posting I was telling you about how I was carefully chopping up a burrito and shoving it in, well I moved up from there! It started with a chicken casserole, and a breakfast casserole Christmas morn, and culminated with a prime rib and twice baked potato Christmas Dinner!!!! I even went out to Mexican and Chick-Fil-A over the last couple of days!

I am almost talking normal...only sound slurry and drunk about half the time! The food I eat is chopped really small and has to be soft, it goes straight down the pipe how it goes in! Chips and salsa, crispy fries and toast are all out right now; rice, chicken and just about ANY other soft food. The more flavor the better...only prob is that it is just SOOOO slow going!

I still have some bands on, but they are loose enough to talk and shove food in. I can only open my mouth about 1/3 or maybe halfway, slowly trying to get it bigger. I can also feel a little more through my mouth and nose, but not my chin yet! I have another appointment the week after New Years so we'll see what they say!

I had an awesome Christmas, stayed with the Flynn's. Its a family I met through running of all things, and they were nothing but fun and more than welcoming! So even though I was in CA, I still had a family for Christmas! I'm going to see them all on New Years Day too! I also went snow shoeing on Saturday, figure its not much different than walking, except for I actually got to play in the snow! I go back to work in the morning (Monday), so had to shave tonight, thankfully I still cant feel my chin so I couldn't feel the skin ripping under my razor!

Ok, here are some recent pictures! The one that is REALLY cool I'm NOT going to post. I have a SURGERY PICTURE if anybody would like to see it, as a warning though, its not for the faint of heart!!! Send me an email or leave me a comment and I'll send it to you!The Flynn Family plus one on Christmas Eve! Only one missing from this picture is Dixon, hes taking it!Here is another one of my infamous self portraits, from snow shoeing on Saturday. Notice the beard (scraggly as can be!), well no more! I guess I have to be in the military sometime!

Real food!!! (from a spoon)

So yesterday the food was just blenderized....well tonight I had an epiphany...why not more!? So on the way home, I stopped by Chipolte "Real" Mexican which is just a glorified (but pretty good) burrito shop! Some carnitas, beans, rice, pico, salsa and cheese chopped up EXTREMELY fine and it just slides right to the belly, no chew style! Have my next appointment tomorrow, they'll prob just tell me you're looking good, and to keep scrubbing my teeth, and eat what you can! Here's the smile so far...slightly crooked, one side is working better than the other as of right now...we'll see how it all turns out!

Food from a spoon!

So just got done with my first meal from a spoon...it was not easy, it was not pretty, but my mouth made it just big enough to fit a spoon full of blenderized Nepalese food...over and over and over...I think it took me 30 min! But it was a start! Now time to polish dinner off with a milkshake made with Dryers and whole milk mmmmm. The first two pics are from last night...Notice the Panthers gear! At least it was a good game!

And its not that I'm trying not to smile...Its just that things aren't working quite right yet...on a lighter note, I do have a really annoying tingly sensation on my chin, that means my nerves are repairing itself, maybe I'll be able to feel my lips before long! And I love the beard and longer hair, I don't think anybody would believe I'm in the military anymore! (If they did before haha)

GO Panthers! (Oh and I'm doing pretty well too!)

So its Sunday Morning, day 10. I am doing pretty well these days. I had my first follow up with the surgeons on Friday. They said that I looked very good. After talking with people and following a forum of a group that all had their surgery within the same week I did, I am doing pretty well! The Docs gave me tight rubber bands to bring my lower jaw into the final position, which was a little farther forward than where it was sitting. I have to head back up to see them again on Wednesday, yes Christmas Eve! I will prob be in the tighter rubber bands for several weeks, their goal is to get my jaw used to being in the new position.

I have been out running errands, stopped by work for a couple hours, cleaned my house, done some Christmas Shopping, watched alot of TV and movies and last night I even headed over to the city for a party a couple friends were having! I was only there for about 2 hours and then I headed out, but I did end up talking way too much! Although I was in more pain when I got home and was looking at ski and weather reports! There is snow EVERYWHERE!!! I even had a friend that went to Tahoe yesterday...

So here are some pics, I will post a couple later today after I get cleaned up to show the "profile" shots, you will see the swelling is almost gone, I really think they just Botoxed me while I was out! If I could talk normal people wouldnt even know that I had surgery, they would just think I had chubby cheeks! Speaking of that, yes, I am eating alot, my shake this morning for breakfast was at least 1000 calories...but I've def lost some weight! If anybody has any suggestions on something super flavorful to eat "blenderized" that also has tons of calories than let me know! And dont recommend a McD's hamburger...I've tried blending one of those...less than desirable!

So this is what the plates actually look like on my upper jaw...this was a pic they took during surgery, I promise!

Look Ma, I can open my mouth really wide!