Day 21 - Three Weeks and Some Reassurance

Well, today is the three week mark! All I can say is wow. I keep remembering those first days and how positively miserable I was. Day 7 seemed like a million years away and day 20 little more than a fool's hope, but here I sit (not quite "pretty") at day 21. It really amazes me what the human mind and body can endure.

Today I had my weekly meeting with Dr. A, and I told him all of my concerns, which he answered satisfactorily:
When I yawn, it crunches. Don't worry too much, these are micro shifts, but because they are in your face they sound very loud. Nothing is out of place.
When I look down the right side of my chin projects a bit more. This is just excess soft tissue swelling on your right. Your chin is quite lovely and symmetrical underneath all the swelling.
Has anything shifted since surgery? Nope, things look great. Well your bottom teeth seem a hair more to the left *
Are my teeth dead or just horribly stained? Just stained. The Peridex stains big time, but this is not permanent.
Is sleeping on my right side bad? Possibly, just sleep on your back from now on and you'll be just fine.

** He thought my lower teeth were a hair more to the left than post-op. So he pushed my lower jaw back into place. This didn't hurt, but it sure was unpleasant. I could feel the extreme force, movement and pressure, and I could feel one of the plates resisting. It was gross and unsettling. Ugh I cringe just thinking about it.

Dr A also took more x-rays. Nothing has moved out of place and all the plates and screws are just where he left them, thank god. I also asked if my upper jaw was parallel to my eyes because I feel I'm showing more gum on the right. He took out a stick to measure and all is well, it may be uneven muscle movement in my upper lip from the numbness fooling my eye.

There's also a teensy weensy chance that he will unwire me next week. If he does, I'll be put in bands to help guide and train my new bite. If he unwires me and things don't look right, he'll put the wires right back on. I'm not getting my hopes up, because in the world of Nora, the only luck I have is the bad kind and things don't usually work out as planned. But hey, it's a chance. Either way I'm fine.

I think that about covers it for today. I'm in no pain and the meeting with Dr A put yet more of my worries at rest, though he still can't believe just how much I can feel compared to others at this stage. I'm very aware of every position and weird movement of my jaws. It's a curse and a blessing all in one.

Brent and Catherine, I hope you two are doing alright. Keeping you in my thoughts!

Picture time! :)