I saw Dr. M (my surgeon) for a 5 month follow-up today and he says that everything looks great! Nothing is shifting and he measured me at a 42mm vertical opening!!! At my last PT session we got to 39mm, so I'm not sure where that extra 3 mm came from but I'll take it! I was at 48mm prior to surgery so I am within 80% which he says is the goal for this far post-op!
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| This is what I made with popsicle sticks to help with the stretching. |
Now I know that I haven't posted much in the last few months, but I and my physical therapist have been working HARD for that opening. It has been a painful few months of deep soft tissue release, stretching, and more stretching! In case I concerned anyone, physical therapy should not typically be painful ("No pain- No gain" is NOT the way to go) EXCEPT for a few rare instances after surgery where someone develops a contracture and the only way to regain mobility is to really push it. There was real possibility that if I wasn't able to get the contracture stretched out on my own I would of had to have a procedure where they cut the tissue with a laser (called a
z-plasty). So its been a sore couple of months for me, but I made it! No additional mouth/jaw procedures for me! :)
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| Look at me! I can open my mouth! ;) |
As to my braces...I am so over them and the rubber bands. I see my orthodontist again in mid-July and its going to be very difficult for him to convince me to keep these on any longer. I'm just about ready to take a pair of plyers and remove them myself. (Ok, not really, I've paid WAY too much for my jaw/teeth to risk ruining them like that...but a girl can dream, right?). The rubber bands have crossed beyond discomfort and minor nuisance to an outright loathing. It's impossible to eat a snack with 24oz of pressure keeping your teeth closed and it has made stretching my vertical opening throughout the day near impossible.
On a positive note I am eating a REAL person diet again! I can't remember the last time I made a smoothie and I really do begrudge the sight of mashed potatoes now! I had my first bite of steak in >6 months this weekend and it was...heavenly. I still do not have full jaw strength yet, so the chewing of the steak was a process and I fatigued before I was really done eating, but it was worth it! I still struggle with harder and chewier foods like pizza crusts and snap peas, and I'm nowhere near eating a carrot yet, but it is really getting better! I feel like a nutritionist might (almost) approve of my diet again :)
I'll update again when I see my Orthodontist next month...hopefully with the amazing news that these braces are coming off!!
