Sorry for the absence!

Hey readers! Sorry I have been MIA these past few weeks. Honestly I just haven't had any new things to write about. As I am officially at 4 weeks post op I decided it was time to post. Things have been good lately. I was given clearance to go to work and my surgeon said the most amazing phrase I have ever heard anyone say..."you can go ahead and start eating ground beef and fish." Music to my ears.Goodbye mash potatoes and mac and cheese and hello to taco meat and protein! I have defiantly been taking advantage of the ground beef. I've been eating Salisbury Steak and hamburgers(just the patties cut up super small). My surgeon said I could chew just a tiny bit and only when absolutely needed but I've found it to be too painful so if I can avoid chewing I do. I started back work yesterday and I love it. I'm working with kids at a summer camp and it's amazing. I work around 5 1/2 hours a day and I come home and immediately knock out. It takes every bit of my energy. I have started getting spasms in my jaw. I know this is common but they only started after I started working again. Maybe it's from all the talking. I'm not sure, but it's nothing my ice packs can't fix! I have had to start taking ibproufen more which is a bummer but no pain no gain, am I right? Besides I love getting compliments on my jaw. All worth it. I am loving my new smile and face, it does look different. My journey is noy nesr over but for now all is good.

I hope you guys check in and comment any questions! You can also follow me on Twitter @mrjenkss

Thanks for reading :) enjoy the warm summer and cool pools!

Here are some recent pictures along with a before and after. I took these a week ago and since them my stitches have dissolved more and my upper lip looks more relaxed! I will post more pictures soon!

Update 2 weeks post op

Just an update! I went to my 2 week post op appointment today. My surgeon said I still have 4 weeks until I can chew..and by chew he means soft foods. Ugh I miss hamburgers and Chipotle. He put my in rubber bands. I am so tired of rubber bands. For those who haven't seen my older post I've had braces for 6 consecutive years then had them off for 2 years then got them back on this past September for this surgery so I've had my fair share of rubber bands. But it's a process I'm working towards getting through it. One thing I have been so surprised with is how understanding restaurants have been. They have all been so nice and have helped as best they can by specializing my orders. The only restaurant I had a issue with my Cantina Laredo, but that was more of the server I had rather than the restaurant. I've been very active these past few days. Last night I saw Disney on Ice with some friends and my stepmother and sister. It was so good to be out. Tonight I am going to see Tomorrow Land and tomorrow I have a job interview! Very busy! I got cleared to go to work today so this interview came at the perfect time. I wanted to thank you all for reading my blog. As I go farther in this recovery I will be writing less, but I hope this has helped someone somewhere. If you have any questions comment and I will try to respond as quickly as possible!

Bellow is my xray if anyone is interesred. It's creepy to see all the screws and bolts, but man do my teeth look perfect! Very excited!

For those considering jaw surgery

For all those out there that have stumbled upon my blog and are considering jaw surgery.... here are a few things to know that I wish I could have prepared for going into surgery.

1. You will miss food more then you think you will.
          I have not had food in 2 weeks. Yes I've had mashed potatoes and that is food but it starts to get really gross after 5 days of eating it. The first week you will be on a strict liquid only diet. And trust me it is as awful as you imagine it to be. You start to crave foods you've always hated. Prepare to lose weight and to be incredibly weak, nauseous and dizzy at all times. You are starving so your body will try to conserve it's energy by you sleeping 24/7. Doing simple things like showering and walking to the bathroom will feel like you just ran a mile. Take it easy. I am 2 weeks post op and I still have trouble walking and going places. You're just so weak that it's hard to move around.

2. The pain is intense.
          Have you ever had those painful growing pains in your legs? The ones that kept you up all night? Well that is kind of how your jaw will feel when you wake up in the hospital. Its that deep bone ache. Try to stay above the pain as much as possible. Take your pain meds around the clock the first week. You will defiantly need it. Don't think that after the first week the pain will go away. I still have pain in my jaw, it has dimmed down a lot to the point where now its more of a bother than actual pain pain.

3. You cannot blow your nose for weeks.
          I am sure this will not bother some of you like it has me, but not blowing my nose has been driving me crazy. It makes my ears all stuffy. I am still not allowed to blow it and its been 2 weeks. My surgeon said that if I were to blow my nose it would cause air to get into my sinuses and make my cheeks bigger. So I guess it's better safe than sorry.

4. Constipation is a thing.
          I am not a fan of spreading my dirty laundry all over the internet but this is a serious issue that you need to be aware of. Because this surgery requires you to only eat liquids your bowls will shut down for a while, but when they start back up again prepare for intense pain and yes I mean REALLY intense pain. Prepare to be constipated for a few days. I was for 4 days and it was a extremely painful experience. You will have stomach aches and probably bloat, milk of magnesia may work. I just tried stool softeners and waited. Defiantly buy Pepto you will probably go through like 2 whole bottles of it.

5. It is hard to keep a positive outlook.
           This is something I have suffered with this past week. It is hard to keep a positive outlook and to stay confident. All I want to do is to stop feeling sick and be able to get back to life, but my body is still not ready. It is hard to be patient and to remind yourself it is worth it, but I know it is. Surround yourself with people that can help you stay positive. It goes a long way.

6. You can't laugh or cry.
          When getting top jaw or double jaw surgery your surgeon will most likely cut the muscle above your top lip. Because the muscle is so big they will have to use a big stitch to stitch it back together. This makes it impossible to laugh or cry. Through my experience crying with that muscle stitched is incredibly painful and laughing is even worse. Just be aware.

7. The Dreaded 4th day.
          While considering this surgery you will hear a lot about the 4th day. It is suppose to be the worst. Your swelling and pain levels are suppose to peak on this day. The 4th day is no joke. Mine was spent in the bathroom throwing up and passing out. I am sure that is not very common but trust your surgeon when he says it will be the hardest day.

I am sure there are 1000 things I missed but honestly I am too tired to write anymore. This surgery is hard. The recovery is brutal. But it is worth it. If you are considering having this done just remember these points and also know that you will AT LEAST need to take 2 weeks off of work and/or school. And trust me 2 weeks does not seem like enough time.

Day 9

Today has been a mixed day. I have had my tough moments as well as my "I feel like a million bucks" moments. Its a process. I keep getting angry and I have to stop and remind myself that this was a major surgery and it will take a while for my body to heal. I am staying on narcotic pain pills throughout this coming weekend. I was nervous that I was staying on them too long but I called my nurse today and she said that is perfectly normal to still be taking them. I got up, blow dried my hair, put make up on and went to lunch and the grocery store. I over did it a little but it was great being out. I went to Panera Bread for lunch and after explaining my situation to the cashier she was nice enough to pure my broccoli and cheddar soup for me. By the time I got to the grocery store I was worn out and ready for a nap. On a very happy note I am starting to see a difference. My profile looks amazing and my face looks very different. I even have people comment on the difference. I am so ecstatic with the results and I cannot wait for my jaw to heal and these stupid braces to be off once and for all!

Here are some pictures of my face and my profile. I still cannot smile very much.

Day 8

And back down the "hump" I go.
Today was awful, and thats putting it lightly. I woke up with a 8 on the pain scale and had to go back to taking my narcotic pain pills. My stomach was hurting and I had a massive headache. It was just a tough day. I spent the morning packing up all my stuff to go home. I am excited to go home but also sad to leave my mom and stepdad. They have been so amazing and it has been so nice to hang out with them and strengthen our relationship, but It is defiantly time for me to get home and see my little furry four legged hamster child. I have always loved having hamsters and have really noticed that all hamsters are different with different personalities. Before you start laughing at me ask any hamster lover. I'm serious. To some they may mean nothing but to me they are defiantly as important and a dog or any other pet. I recently got my new hamster, Zelda, in December from my boyfriend. She is dark grey and believe it or not she has crystal blue eyes. It's weird. Anyway when I am not there and I send my boyfriend to feed her she gets angry and starts to bite people. Needless to say I was needed back home. Throughout the day my pain seemed to escalade making me miserable. It was discouraging. I did get to eat some Jim N' Nicks baked beans and mac and cheese. The baked beans were actually super easy to eat. The mac and cheese wasn't so bad! My surgeon has suggested I eat Kraft Mac and Cheese, but I found it way to hard to eat. I had to literally swallow it whole because I could not tear it apart with my tongue, but the Jim N' Nicks were much easier and I do recommend them. I am hoping I will start feeling a little better soon!

Day 7

Finally the amazing day 7. Through all of my research I did before surgery I found that day 7 was suppose to be this amazing day that meant you were over the "hump." My day was just that...amazing. My pain was so low that I was able to be on just ibuprofen and I had no nausea or dizziness. My boyfriend came over and spent the day watching Alaska State Troopers, our new addiction. We hung out until it was time to head out to my first surgeon appointment. I was super excited because I really had not seen much of the outside since before my surgery. It was defiantly hot. I live in Alabama so by now its in the high 80's and low 90's. My surgeon was very pleased with my progress, he said I looked great and that my swelling was good. This is a little personal but I am writing this blog for people having surgery so...one big problem I have come across the last few days is my ability to use the restroom. To put it nicely, it just hasn't happened. That is leaving me bloated and with stomach aches so my surgeon told me to take milk magnesia. Which is very chalky and disgusting. But it works. He said that is a common issue as your body is still trying to get rid of the anesthesia. My surgeon put rubber bands in my mouth to help stop my muscles from trying to move my jaw bone back, and trust me they are defiantly trying. Since I was in braces for so long I am defiantly use to rubber bands so I know that tomorrow my mouth will be so incredibly sore. On a sad note my surgeon said I am still on a liquid diet for another week. He said I can add mac and cheese but absolutely no chewing....ugh I guess its time to go get more boost.

Day 6

Day 6 has been a quick and pretty painless day! My sister and best friend sleptover last night which helped lift my spirits. I had so much fun catching up with them a watching ridiculous stuff on TV. I did, however, over do it on the talking. By this morning my jaw was still sore. Hahaha but it was defiantly worth it. Today went pretty great. I had