Six Months!

I can't believe it! Exactly six months have passed since I had my orthognathic surgery. How has it been an entire half of one year already? That absolutely boggles me.

When compared to six months ago, I feel like a totally different person. I certainly look like one. Numbness is gone except for my upper and lower gums and teeth. Well that's not entirely true, there's some new numbness from the rhinoplasty, but the numbness from the first surgery has gone away now. Pain from surgery is also a distant memory at six months out. That went away months ago.

The good:
     1. I am no longer in pain!!!
     2. The conscious urge to crack and crunch my jaw is gone!!!
     3. My diet is back to normal and I can handle everything except for carrots and corn on the cob.
     4. Mobility is improving.
     5. I have a chin :)
     6. I no longer look like a shark when I smile, haha.

The not so good:
     1. My teeth have shifted like mad, and my bite is off again. It is no longer anything like what it was out of surgery. I really want to get braces to fix that.
     2. Clicking and crunching have returned to both sides, though it happens on it's own without any help from me. It's not painful though, and I think if I get my bite fixed, then this will go away again.
     3. Since my second surgery I have lost progress and slightly regressed in how much I can open my mouth.
     4. There's still some muscle stiffness, though it's slowly going away.

These last four concerns will be brought up when I next see Dr A, just to get his take on them and see what can be done. Other than that I couldn't be happier. This surgery was 100% worth every bit of trouble, pain, and frustration. I can't imagine what life would be like if I hadn't had this done. The results are above and beyond what I could have expected. I feel so blessed to have gotten back something I thought I never would again, a life free of pain. :)

Tomorrow I go back to college. This semester is going to be pretty heavy, but knowing what I went through last semester between balancing classes, exams, healing and constant travel to medical appointments, I  know I can handle just about anything. I'm excited to see my friends again and fill my day with the kind of silly things that make wonderful memories. There's definitely a chance that I won't sleep tonight, lol. My room is a war zone of clothes and hangers, bits and bobs. Leaving packing until the last minute probably wasn't my most brilliant idea...oops!

I have no pictures for you tonight because I'm an absolute mess, but I will be taking some tomorrow when I get back to school. Though I have updated my Christmas post and added pictures for you wonderful people!

And speaking of you guys - I cannot express my gratitude enough. There's just no way to put it into words. From the beginning when I was just starting to look into this surgery, and the entire way through the process, you've all been here for me. You've answered my questions, celebrated my successes, and comforted me in my moments of doubt. This community has been so valuable to me, and I want to thank all of you from the bottom of me heart for what you have done.

Be well, be happy and remember that no matter how tough things get, things will always work out right in the end :)

I plan on updating every once in a while and leaving this blog up as a source of information for others like me. If I've helped at least one person then I know this blog has been worth it. Until next time, bloggers!!!