Updated pictures...
Okay, so I am a little upset tonight. My face hurts a lot. Kinda like blunt objects being pushed into my skin. I am not liking it at all. I am still taking ibuprofen daily and honestly, I am tired of it. Not just the ibuprofen, but just the fact of having to take it daily. I want this all to be over. The swelling and the strange pain!
On to vanity... when I was first told I needed jaw surgery to correct my narrow palate and my bite problems, I had no idea of the facial changes one would undergo. As I did my research, I found it did change the look of the person. Sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. Well in my case, I really don't see a major difference, but those around me do.
Honestly, I have had major support through all of this but there are always the few people who want to say things that they shouldn't. As my 16 year old daughter puts it, "closed minded people should have closed mouths". Well I am agreeing with her right now.
So what happened?? A lady came up to me while around lots of other people whom we know, and asked, "so is people asking you if you had and face lift and a nose job?" Well in my opinion, that was rude and uncalled for. I may look different, but I am still the same person. Maybe I shouldn't be so sensitive, but with all that we (jaw surgery patients) go through, I think a little more thought should be put into what one says.
I don't know anything about cosmetic surgery, but if it is as bad as jaw surgery, then I don't want to ever go there. Yes, the structure of my face and my nose did change, but I am hoping for the better. Right now, I think I still look like a... a... maybe a turtle. lol But whatever, I can breath better now than ever, never waking up at night to catch a breath... and when the orthodontist gets finished, I will be able to eat with a normal bite.
I know this will be worth it at the end no matter what other people think or SAY. Okay, maybe I am being overboard with this, but at least I have let it out. Thanks. : ) Blessings to you all.
Hey Rita,
ReplyDeleteI have to say you look really good post op! I had mine done about 3 1/2 wks ago. I noticed you had a prob. with your front tooth. I noticed one of my front teet has been turning a shade of gray. Did yours do the same. I don't have swelling or anything just a discoloration...I'm hoping there's no nerve damage and if the tooth will recover.
Haha she clearly is just jealous that you look so AMAZING! :) xxx
ReplyDeleteAh, sweetie pie, eff some people. You look amazing, and you have been through so much, people who make stupid comments really have no clue. I could have died when one of my coworkers told me I looked better before the surgery.... But, after some deep breaths I just let it go. People who have had "normal" bites all their lives will just never understand what it's like to be in our situation.
ReplyDeleteYou are beautiful, you will be able to eat anything you want without difficulty, and you are such a strong person for going through all this. You have lots of friends and family who were by your side. Don't let one dummy get to you. You've invested way too much into yourself at this point to let rude folks who don't know any better chip away at the progress you've made.
You're fabulous.
I agree with V. It's jealousy. You look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt must be so awesome to be able to breathe better!!
I'm sorry to hear you have pain in your face. I wonder what that is. Nerves waking up? It must be frustrating.
Hugs!
Thanks guys... you are the best and I do agree with you. We have gone through a lot and I am not looking back!!! Thanks for the encouragement. I still love having people around who really understand all of this. : )
ReplyDeletesteffiD - my tooth is a shade of gray. My dentist gave me another antibiotic just incase the swollen part comes back. He took an x-ray and said that both my front teeth looked the same so he didn't want to do a root canal too soon, so I am just waiting to see what happens. I hope your tooth is okay. Blessings!!!
There are so many people who just can't find the words ... so they just say something rude (most of the time not even realizing it). My sisters have been bugging me to SMILE in my photos, but I still don't feel comfortable. Mostly it's because I am vain and I don't like the braces look. In the first month I couldn't even muster up a smile that even remotely resembled what I had ... that was frustrating.
ReplyDeleteThe other day I shared a photo with my MIL who said that my smiled looked great ... different, but great. It's hard to not find the littlest grrrrrr in that ;)
You do look great. Hopefully the face pain stops. I had that for so long. It seems that once the feelings and nerves were coming back I would have intermittent pain. I still have numbness in my lower right chin/face. The teeth and gums have places where I have major sensitivity. I can't wait to feel all the way back ... NORMAL.
Oh, I sure hope tonight finds you feeling a bit better~ one of those things that gets a little wearing after a while, I'd have to imagine.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter gave some great words of wisdom, can I borrow her for my MIL? who thinks recovering from jaw surgery must just be a lot like jet lag...... You have to make yourself laugh or you'll hurt somebody :) (I agree with momto5minnies, in that most people are unaware of how hurtful they come across)
You do look amazing and do NOT look 41, Rita! Vent away! I think we all have those days that it's a given we don't feel that way deep down or all the time, but once in a while... it's like a big sigh, gotta let the bad air out before the good comes back in to fill you up again,haha.
Take good care :)
Thanks momto5minnies and Kate. I do appreciate you both and I am feeling better. I am glad to know this face pain will go away. I hope soon. Today it has felt like a hard pinch in different areas. BTW momto5minnies, I looked at your updated pictures and you look great. : )
ReplyDeleteAnd Kate, feel free to use my daughters words of wisdom. She is a jewel. Thanks for letting me vent. You are right about how we feel. It is good we have more good days than bad. Sigh... now I feel better. haha You are great and I love reading your blog. You are so funny.
Blessings.... : )
I'm glad to hear that ibuprofen has been enough to help with your pain! I know that once more feeling comes back I'll be having those strange pains that you talked about, but I'm sure I will be fine from here on out without the narcotics. That is a good feeling. I'm going to try to remember that the little pains are signs of healing as nerves are regenerating! It is hard to be positive about pain, though...
ReplyDeleteAlso it is so weird about the swelling... the first couple of days it seemed like it was going down so much each day and now it is slower. It frustrates me because I was used to seeing more dramatic changes, but I am thankful that the swelling has gone down so quickly... I won't complain!!
Thank you for all of your encouragement! It is so easy to be discouraged in this long process, but it is nice we have each other to share our highs and lows!
You are looking great Rita!
ReplyDeleteI slept on my face for an hour (short nap) wasn't too bad, woke up with my nose congested though... I cant wait to be 7 weeks!!!!
Hey Rita! It might not mean a whole heck of a lot, but I think you look fantastic! A turtle...too funny. As far as that lady's comment, I don't know...it's almost like she's saying you look unnatural, which I completely disagree with. Just keep pushing forward; there will be better days ahead!
ReplyDelete