Ok so the appointment wasn't exactly fun this time around, but it was worth it. Dr A had me show him how I open and bite down several times, and deemed me fit to have the arch bars removed. This involved needles. Lots of needles. I got stuck at least 20 times, and no that's not an exaggeration. There may have been more but my gums were too numb in spots to tell. Having numbed me up Dr A and Dr K spent the time removing each little wire from my arch bars. I'll spare you the gory details, but it did involve feeling the wires rip through my gums no less than 14 times. It didn't hurt, (though sometimes I could feel a little pinch) but there was a lot of pressure and I could feel the wires passing through my gums. When the last wires were out, the arch bars just fell off. I even got to keep them as a souvenir of this whole journey! :)
Now I only have 3 rubber bands. Two going from top screws to bottom screws and one from the top right down to the bottom left. The diagonal one is to be take off at night. I can take them off to eat, too.
I also brought up the little bump beneath one of my scars and my mother brought up how it dimples when I move my face. Dr A was not so thrilled with this. The scars are dark and the dimpling means that it's healing to the muscle rather than free to slide over it. He wants to go back in when he fixes my nose to cut them out, free them up, and make them tinier so they're less noticeable. In the mean time the little lump was the main concern. The solution? Another needle. Boooo. They stuck me with a little needle right in the scar (actual needle didn't hurt) and injected some kind of steroid. The steroid itself burns a LOT, so it's mixed with lidocaine. It still burned, but I just squished my eyes shut and did it. In another six weeks if the lump is still a problem I'll get another injection. Lots of needles today, I'll tell you that!
Next on the list was the change in my bite. I was right, it is significantly different. Drs A and K stared at my mouth utterly perplexed. It seems like my front four teeth have impacted a bit, leaving my bite slightly open. The only thing is, teeth don't move that fast, so everyone is really confused. The good news is that the shift isn't bad enough to be a problem. He even said that as soon as they come down (whether with time or braces) I'll have a perfect bite. Dr A is really starting to realize that the usual never seems to apply when I'm involved, lol.
My teeth are of course quite stained. I'll be talking to my dentist next time about getting a prescription toothpaste to get rid of the stains.
I mentioned the pain I'm having in the right, and he told me that it's just the bone healing. Because it popped into a new position about two weeks ago, it needs at least another four before it's fully fused. A quick look at my latest x-ray assured me that all was as it should be, and that the rest of the breaks are healing nicely. This was a HUGE relief, because there was an interesting incident that involved my face getting grabbed, and I was worried about things getting shifted. Thankfully all is well.
I have also been cleared to eat whatever I want, within reason. No really hard or crunchy foods (nuts, crunchy snacks, etc), no chicken that I need to gnaw off of the bone, no tough steak and no pizza crust. I'm ok with that! Time will fix it all. I celebrated with pizza (don't worry I didn't eat the crust) that I was able to eat without cutting up for the first time in seven weeks. Soooo delicious!
As for longboarding I'm not so lucky. Dr A really wants me to wait for my bones to heal more before boarding. Then when they are healed more he still wants me to take it easy and avoid anything that may make me fall on my chin. This isn't much of a problem since I only cruise and never do anything like downhill bombing or tricks.
Also, I can now start physical therapy, so when I go back to school I'll be setting up an appointment at the new place that opened up just off campus.
Now to my actual healing progress. Swelling and pain are hard to judge because of all the manipulation and work that I had done today. I'm re-puffed if you will. My gums are a bit shredded, too, from having the wires pulled out. My weight is stabilizing between 104 and 106, so I'm not losing any more, which is good. Even better, the breaks are nearly undetectable on my x-rays. As Dr A said, I'm a nightmare on the operating table, but when it comes to healing I'm incredible. I'll take that!
I hope the rest of you are doing great, no matter what stage of this process you are at. I feel so fortunate for this whole journey and the ability to share it with others who know what it's like. Be well!
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| A little puffy and crooked from all of the work |
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| Smile is still goofy, but I'll develop it in time |
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| You can see my teeth! A bit stained, no? Braces time! |
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