Braces Free for 5 Months Now!

It's been a long time since I've updated here, but I wanted to make one final jaw update post with proof of my finalized smile!  Here is the final vlog I uploaded a few months ago. :) And feel free to contact me on here, YouTube, or Twitter @peyton_michelle with any questions!  Thank you all for reading.

8 Months Post-Op - Removal of Braces?! + Hospital Vid

So it's been a very long time and I'll just start off by saying...yes...I am still in my braces. And yes I feel as though my teeth are basically perfect underneath them but I'M NOT THE EXPERT. Yet. Sigh.

Fantastic news is at my last ortho appointment, I was told they could come off not at the next appointment but the one after that, which means early June hopefully. Happy happy times. I have pledged not to make another vlog until that time comes BUT! I did remember this little gem. It's the last pre-surgery video footage of me ever and it was taken on my mom's phone in the pre-op room about an hour before they wheeled me off. My head is even wrapped for surgery already. It's very brief and relatively frightening seeing as I still have that underbite and am wearing zero makeup along with that glamorous surgical gown but I wanted to share it anyway because it's kind of special to me.

If I seem overtly calm, it's because I miraculously was as far as I can remember. There is also this photo of my profile taken the day after surgery I believe and as you can see, I was hardly swollen at all for it being less than 24 hours post-op. Keep in mind, I'd been up the night before vomiting blood through wired-shut teeth and also hadn't taken a shower or received any sustenance aside from the IV fluids, so I wasn't exactly in a presentable state.

My face is red because of the constant wearing of the ice packs, but see...no swollen lips and my cheeks aren't bulging all that much. Based on results of people I had researched beforehand, I was expecting WAY WORSE than this. This photo was also my first opportunity to see the newly-adjusted profile which is what makes it very special indeed.
I'll post this again just so the before surgery/after recovery comparison is also here:

I'm overall still sooooooo thankful for the entire journey and finally being able to enjoy the fruits of a perfect bite. Now if I could just get these braces off so the bite would be somewhat more visually appealing...I mean I've had them since the week before my senior year of high school and here I am less than a month away from completing my first year in college.


Can't go without saying a huge congratulations to my Louisville Cardinal men's basketball team for making it to the NCAA Final Four. I can honestly say I've never been so proud of a group of individuals. And though we fell short in the game yesterday, I'd venture to say we exemplified the most tenacity and endurance of any team in the country this season after the neverending string of injuries and setbacks. Proud era to be a Cardinal, that's for sure.
And to any family members reading, I do not desire your pity or sympathy because I know you're only trying to reach out because your precious NBA-primed team - who has been expected to advance to the championship all along and therefore does not impress me in the slightest - actually made it through and you have nothing to mourn yet. The fact that we tied the game in the second half should be enough to warrant your chagrin given that everyone and their second cousin twice removed in the sports world picked your team to stomp us, no questions asked. And no, I still will not root for them tomorrow. Go Kansas.


Bitterness aside, this semester and a half since I last updated the blog has been crazy and mostly in a positive way. With the exception of one or two, every professor I've had so far has been placed in my "lifelong heroes" category and I could not be more certain that I made the perfect choice in university.


Last time I said I was going to post my top 10 "current" favorite songs on every following post, and that I shall.


1. "The Flood" - Take That → blame Liam Payne's twitcams
2. "If You're Not the One" - Daniel Bedingfield → I know it's kind of old, but it started playing when I was on hold with a Kroger pharmacy the other day at work so my love for it has been rekindled. hahahaha
3. "Wild Ones" - Flo Rida → because Harry Styles.
4. "Climax" - Usher
5. "Be Here" - Parachute
6. "Under Control" - Parachute
7. "The Remedy" - Jason Mraz → because of the fan fic I'm writing...don't judge
8. "Autumn Leaves" - Ed Sheeran (seeing him in concert April 4th)
9. "Ready to Go" - Panic! At The Disco → I listened to this a lot in the weeks leading up to surgery
10. "Fields of Gold" - Sting → blame my mother


Thanks for reading and please don't have nightmares about my pre-op video. haha
xo Peyton


PS - I survived the One Direction VIP ticket apocalypse and came out victorious. Come at me, June 26th.

Long time, no post. Brief update.

Well hi there. If the app on my phone is correct, it has now been exactly 107 days since surgery.  And to think, I never thought I'd survive the first 10...unbelievable.  I may no longer be suffering through the hardships associated with post-surgery turmoil, but that doesn't mean I go a single day without reflecting back on the miraculousness of the transformation, thanking God for granting me the privilege of going through it.  If enduring the rocky road of recovery was what I needed to build a framework of empathy for future patients as I pursue a career in this field, then it was by all means worth the struggle.

Not having to be self-conscious about people at my side seeing my profile when I smile? Miracle.
Biting cleanly through a slice of pizza or a sandwich? Miracle.
Speaking more confidently and with better enunciation than ever before? Miracle.

The only significantly negative aspect of it all is the fact that I honestly can't bear to look at pictures from before. I was dissatisfied with my appearance then, but somehow it's even worse now that I have a "better version" of me with which I can compare it.  I hate that I let it bother me so much, but I can't help myself.

Now for some webcam pictures with my precious little brother, Blaine, who has just started walking back home.  Miss you, buddy!!!!

And by the 20th take or so, he was done. haha

So what has happened in the life of Peyton since I last posted? Well, I have a job now. Pharmacy technician...not the most glamorous position by any means, but my certification guarantees more than minimum wage which was why I pursued it in the first place. It's not too shabby for an on-the-side desperate college student position.

I may or may not have also become a tad more obsessed with a certain British/Irish boy band from last year's X Factor UK. Ahem, ahem, NO they are not constantly on my mind. No I don't tweet about them incessantly to the point of driving my followers mad (I'm sure.) But by some miracle, they ARE coming to America in March and Nashville happens to be on the list. Nashville...where I saw 2 of my favorite bands for the first time, met Nick Jonas, and underwent the life-changing surgery that has been a major turning point in my life. And now where I'll see the 5 gentlemen from a foreign boy band who I never dreamed of being able to see live. Pretty pivotal city in my life, I must say.

I also saw Owl City and Days Difference in concert a week ago, and it was without a doubt one of the most brilliant concert and post-concert experiences I've had. I, along with the four friends I went with, made a pact to just remain enigmatic about sharing the details, but here. Have a nice picture of Adam from the show.

We were front row against the barrier!

He is precious and adorable and bubbling with enthusiasm for his music. I was very impressed by how much more enjoyable his songs are live than they are on the albums.

A conclusion I came to recently was how exactly to differentiate between my "all time favorite" songs and my "current song obsessions." The all-time favorites are those that I may not listen to every single day but when I do, I feel just as exhilarated and musically-stimulated (??? lol) as I was when I very first heard them. Coming up with a list of these would be really challenging, by maybe I will tackle that task in a future post.

For now, my top 10 current song obsessions! Because these are [obviously] much easier to pinpoint. (Some may be repeats from last time. And yes, I am from the USA, much to my dismay.)

1. "What Makes You Beautiful" - One Direction
2. "Say You Don't Want It" - One Night Only
3. "All Time Low" - The Wanted
4. "Kiss the Stars" - Pixie Lott
5. "End Up Here" - Cher Lloyd
6. "Gotta Be You" - One Direction
7. "Another World" - One Direction
8. "This Woman's Work" - Greg Laswell
9. "Some Days" - The Maine
10. "Fight for You" - Jason Derulo

One Direction's first album will also be released in 2 days in Ireland and next week in the UK. I preordered my copy from Amazon UK, but you know I'll be finding the tracks online before that arrives. I am so feverishly enlivened by the idea of having a selection of fresh new legitimate studio tracks from them, I can hardly stand it.

Guess that's all for now. I will attempt to update more consistently from now on.
Thanks for reading! And don't forget to send me messages or tweets if you have any questions or want some surgery advice/encouragement!
http://www.twitter.com/peyton_michelle
http://www.youtube.com/purplescheerchic


Peyton

64 Days Post-Op: Because I felt like posting.

I have found myself with 2 hours of time to waste here on campus since my Philosophy class was cancelled, so blogging is naturally what I have chosen to do with some of this precious free time.  Smooth sailing in the surgery recovery portion of my life - it's hard to believe just a few weeks ago, all of my nutrition came from a rubber tube.  The misery accompanying that level of desperate longing and hunger will haunt me for the rest of my life, I'm sure.  I literally remember looking at other people and nearly hating them for their ability to eat solid food and speak clearly.  It was certainly not healthy emotionally or physically.  And while I was feeling so sorry for myself, I also despised seeing other people pity me as if I had some sort of handicap.  Confusing and contradictory, I know.  BUT...thankfully that bleak period of my life was short-lived and, as much as I hated to admit it at the time, totally survivable.

Profile Shots:

There are still times when I look in the mirror and almost don't recognize myself, especially if I've just seen some of the pictures of the former "me" I have hanging up in my room.  I wonder how long it's going to be before I always know what to expect when I see my reflection...

Also - I will probably be uploading a new video blog tonight if I can find time.  My channel is: http://www.youtube.com/purplescheerchic.

As far as the college scene goes, one major thing I'm realizing is just how innocent and non-rebellious I seem to be in comparison to a large percentage of my peers.  My aversion to the idea of partying with drugs and alcohol makes me an anomaly in this environment.  We've recently begun studying the genetics of psychology in Psych 201 as well, which has triggered me to wonder if I'm genetically predisposed to be this way.   Because I've had plenty of opportunities to experiment, but there is absolutely no appeal to any of it from my perspective. I can not for the life of me decipher why having "fun" that you won't even fully remember the next day is such a popular pursuit among college [and high school] students, especially when novelties like Facebook and YouTube can end up making you look like a complete imbecile because of these habits.

On to more non-ranty subjects.  My fantasy football team is sucking majorly this year...as in I haven't won a single matchup so far.  No matter who I have on the bench, that bench always scores more points than my actual lineup...EVERY TIME.  If I didn't know it to be completely absurd, I'd say the gods of football are completely hardcore trolling me on a weekly basis.  But I've decided to look at this season from a positive perspective: having an inconsistent, imperfect team has made me more open and willing to observe and analyze other specific players constantly -- something I never really had to do last year since my team went undefeated until the very end.  This way I'm not complacently confining my observations to my own team, but instead soaking up information and attaining a broader awareness of a large variety of players.
Also, JP Rosenbaum (winner of Ashley's season of Bachelorette) tweeted this morning that his fantasy team has also yet to win a matchup, so I don't feel TOO bad. :)

I can't go without mentioning the book I'm currently reading as well.  It was so graciously lent to me by my mother and it's called Before I Go To Sleep.  Thus far it has been one of those that toys with your mind and challenges you to put the hidden pieces of the puzzle together before the main character does.  So basically it has been keeping me up at night and overall just driving me up the wall.  I'm convinced there are shady details being kept in the dark and if you've read the book, you understand.  If you haven't, I would highly recommend it.  Definitely a page-turner that I have to force myself to put down at night.

One thing I'm going to start adding to these posts is a list of 10 songs I'm currently addicted to, and they may stay relatively the same from post to post since I tend to obsess over certain songs for long periods of time. Haha, so here's my very first "current song addiction" list (in no particular order):

1. "Fight for You"- Jason Derulo
2. "Do It 2 Me" - Allstar Weekend
3. "What Makes You Beautiful" - One Direction
4. Live "Grenade" cover by One Direction (There are many versions on YouTube, but this is the one I have on my iPod: youtu.be/-ucSyZ8IvOo)
5. "Unbroken" - Demi Lovato
6. "Paradise" - Coldplay
7. "Just In Love" - Joe Jonas
8. "Two Shots" - Lil Wayne
9. "Mirror" - Lil Wayne & Bruno Mars
10. "Lovesick Fool" - The Cab

Ten might not even be enough actually, but I'll leave it at that for now.  I'm a sponge when it comes to music; always on the lookout for song/artist/album suggestions from anyone and anywhere.

Guess that's about all I have for now.  More updates soon! Thanks for reading.

Peyton

52 Days Post-Op! Life is Grand.

Well the reason I haven't posted in 10 days is I simply haven't had much of anything new to report as far as jaw progress. Honestly I don't see that there is much more progress to be made at all aside from having the braces removed eventually. Everything is completely ordinary for me now except for wearing the elastics, but the new configuration even allows me to talk with those in. So overall, I'm completely normal again. To the family members and friends who have supported me through this: you have no idea how much I appreciate you. It's been easy to differentiate between those who care and those who have other more important concerns/priorities throughout this whole process.

So from here on, I guess this blog will start to transform into more of just a blog about my life as opposed to a surgery blog. I'll still post profile shots and pictures of my progress from time to time; plus I'll update after visits with my surgeon. No worries.

College...ahh college. I started classes exactly one month ago today, making this the fifth complete week.  As if I haven't already emphasized it enough, I have to say I'm still just overwhelmed with satisfaction and contentment in this environment. I wasn't all that apprehensive going into this new chapter in life, but any little fears and qualms I may have had are completely gone now.  As much as I enjoyed high school, I could not possibly bear to return after experiencing the freedom and flexibility of college life.  I especially appreciate how most of the work here is NOT busy work, but instead work that requires reading and attentive studying. High school classes (not all of them, obviously, but many) always seemed to require so many petty little efforts that ultimately didn't add up to much in the long run, looking back.  It so often felt like I was working just to receive a certain grade instead of working to benefit and actually gain something from the material. That has all changed though, and I couldn't be happier.

I am starting to have math withdrawals though. After having AP Calc EVERY DAY for an hour and a half throughout senior year, it's been tough quitting cold turkey. I miss my derivatives and integrals! That was one class where I could very clearly witness my own progress and always knew I was advancing for the purpose of learning the material, not just to make As.

Now if you follow me on Twitter, you know that last Saturday was a monumental occasion for our university's football team. We had our rival game against the University of Kentucky, and it ended up being an extremely on-edge game--constant tension; never a stagnant moment.  I, for one, take the rivalry very seriously...sometimes too seriously, I know. I'm workin' on it. If you're not from the state of Kentucky, I couldn't possibly expect you to understand the heat there is between UK and UofL. Virtually every Kentuckian has a preference over one or the other, and I happen to be one of the diehard Louisville fans who would sooner root on a school from Pakistan than be caught supporting UK in any athletic event. There may have been a time in the past when that wasn't quite true, but the never-ending ridicule I've had to endure (being from a small town chock full of people who blindly support UK just because everyone else does) has solidified my aversion to the big blue nation.

I guess I should also mention that 95% of my family loves UK, ironically enough. My mom even cheered there during her freshman year before transferring to WKU. I started out supporting Louisville because my dad is the rebel of the family who has always preferred UofL, but now I do believe I hold more reason than anyone else in the family for my choice of side in the rivalry.

So, to get back to the story, I went to the game with a large student group on charter buses (because it was in Lexington this year) and the first thing we encountered on our way to the stadium was a group of visibly drunk UK fraternity guys at a tailgating tent. They proceeded to BOO us the entire stretch of our little walk past them when we had not made one gesture or spoken one word to them to begin with.  I'm sorry if they thought that was funny or cute or whatnot, but to me that just exhibits an extreme lack of class. It's amusing how I've witnessed such acts of incivility from UK fans my entire life, yet I still manage to be baffled when the pattern continues on days like Saturday.

There is something about walking into a stadium on foreign turf, surrounded by people who see you as inferior to them and make no efforts to hide their disgust that makes you yearn so desperately to be able to walk back out with your head held high, KNOWING your team...your own school...has proven that assumption wrong. 

And so we did.

I wish more than anything I could bottle up the surge of emotions I felt every time we made a touchdown and celebrated amongst ourselves as proud students at the top of that stadium. The memory of walking down the ramp from the 2nd level of Commonwealth Stadium, surrounded by blue and red alike, screaming the Cards cheer and throwing up our Ls was so invigorating and fulfilling it even sends chills down my spine even now, 5 days later.

I really despise how the general public of Kentucky views the city of Louisville in such harsh lighting. The reaction you get when you tell people you live/go to school here is either someone offering to buy you pepper spray or mockingly bidding you luck in not getting jumped or shot on the way to buy groceries.  This idiotic, thickheaded assumption irritates me to no end because it is absolutely far from the reality of this place. Sure, there are criminals here as there are in any city, including my little old hometown. What people fail to consider is just how large Louisville is and that only a fraction of it is the "hood" where shady business goes down all hours of the day.  For crying out loud, 80% of the people I see when I make my Walmart trips are senior citizens; not drug dealers or criminals plotting to assault me.  I'd love to know how this beautifully diverse, culturally-stimulating, entertainment-packed city of ours earned such a negative reputation throughout our narrow-minded (SORRY but it's true) state. On any given day, I could go out and experience any sort of event I could dream up without having to leave this city! I mean, it really is a blessing just to be here, surrounded by that array of opportunities.  

Just last week, I attended a play - Dracula - put on by the Actors Theatre of Louisville and was overwhelmed with amazement by both the quality of the acting/production and the intimacy of the theatre itself. I can't even find a proper picture to show, but the stage is in the center of the room, not raised even, and the actors utilize basically all 360 degrees of the place--aisles, steps, etc.  I guess I'm just so used to mediocre plays put on by kids my age that to witness quality actors in a production with incredible acrobatics and effects was simply mind-boggling. I swear to you there was one point at which Dracula disappeared into thin air when they didn't even turn the lights off or use a trap door. Still trying to figure that one out....

AND TOMORROW I GET TO SEE MAT KEARNEY IN CONCERT! <3 RIGHT HERE IN THIS VERY CITY! I've never been able to attend a concert so close to home -- hehe yes I claim Louisville as my HOME now, and I hope I stay here for the rest of my life! I could not be more ecstatic. My sister, Camdyn, is going with me and I think it will be a great opportunity for some sisterly bonding. She hasn't seen my apartment yet, so I'm stoked for that as well.

As far as classes go, I'd like to address the fact that I now know from experience you can't trust the reviews you read on ratemyprofessor.com. The reviews for my Bio 240 professor had me almost terrified to even attempt to make a decent grade because of how negative and non-encouraging they were. People said things like the averages on exams are always Ds or Fs and that he purposely tries to fool you with trick questions...so not true so far. I made a 94% on the first exam and I didn't even have to kill myself studying. It's an entry-level class for mainly Bio/Chem majors and is supposedly designed to weed out slackers who think they're making it all the way to medical/dental school in a few years. OBVIOUSLY you can't be a complete dimwit who doesn't commit to the material and expect to make an A. Common sense.

Bottom line: DO NOT post negative reviews on that site if you yourself were not willing to put forth the effort to succeed in the class. You'll end up falsely terrifying those of us who actually enjoy the subject and are more than willing to exert ourselves to learn the material.

Sorry this has been so scattered; I just had a lot to say and it feels so great to put it into words. Hope all is well with each of you across the world. I love being able to see what country each reader is from!  Remember, I will still be including some jaw updates from now on and I'd love for you to keep up!

Happier than I've been in a LONG time,

Peyton

6 Weeks Post-Op with Some Good News!

As you may have inferred from my previous post, as of this past Friday I am now free of both skeletal wires which (if you didn't know) were going into my gums at the front of my upper and lower jaws.  Now, they may not have hurt while they were in, but the removal........OUCH.  Not only did the 7ish numbing shots burn/sting/pinch/kill my gums, but I could STILL feel when she (yes, she -- it was a girl resident this time........OH, SAD OCCASION!) finagled the lower one out. Imagine someone stirring the inside of your gums up with a fork. Yeah. Removal of the top one, however, didn't hurt as much since some of that gum tissue is still numb from surgery - fine by me! My other grandma went with me this time and she actually had to turn away from my chair while they carried out the removal - LOL I thought she was going to pass out!  Apparently I didn't inherit my strong stomach from her.

So once my gums were all bloody and skeletal wire-free AND my lips looked like they'd received some heavy-duty botox injections, I got to see my surgeon.  My bite still looks great and I actually remembered to ask him about measurements. My top jaw was moved forward 5 millimeters and lower was moved back about 4 millimeters, which means there was almost an entire centimeter of discrepancy to begin with! I'll never understand how I functioned like that.

And here is the fabulous news. The phrase I had been waiting to hear since the July 31st, 2011 (the day before surgery.) I have official surgeon-recommended permission to resume a normal diet now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:)

Hearing those words was like hearing angels sing, I kid you not. I had anticipated having to wait another couple of weeks before I'd be given permission for that. So after the appointment, we celebrated with a meal at Cracker Barrel - meatloaf (I see you turning your nose up, but CB has the best meatloaf in the entire universe), biscuits, baked apples, dumplins, and green beans. DELISH! And since I was back in my home town, we of course saw 80 billion people we knew there. Such aspects of small-town life I am definitely already missing.

I am still wearing elastics, but it's a new configuration that isn't anywhere near as tight as the old one. Small steps!!!!! (Seems to be my motto throughout this process. haha) Also, now that I am eating like a human being again, pudding has gone back to being the most disgusting item in my fridge. I don't know if I'll ever finish my last 6 cups.

I also posted a new video a few days ago, so check it out here: Double Jaw Surgery: 37 Days Post-Op

Thank you for the nice feedback if you've been one of the contributors. :) Every encouraging comment means a lot!

Peyton

Thirty-Seven Days Post-op! Hospital Bill Breakdown + Profile Shots.

HELLO!
Two more days until skeletal wire removal...oh yeaaaaah. As I said before, that will be the final major step performed by the surgeon in this whole process. Then I get to see my lovely orthodontist again and HOPEFULLY hear some fabulous news regarding removal of my braces within the next several months. Fingers crossed!
And I'm actually feeling a bit guilty about how experimental I've been with food over the past few days...BUT IT FEELS FINE! No pain when I chew, only a little tenderness if I try to bite clear through anything with my front teeth (which I therefore have NOT been doing!) I figure as long as I'm not in pain and my bite doesn't seem to be affected, I should be broadening my culinary horizons as quickly as I please. After all, it has been 37 days. Whew.

For the purpose of financially educating anyone out there who may need this surgery in the future, I will now include an outline of the cost of my specific surgery, copied straight from the bill we received in the mail.

Hospital/Clinic Bill Breakdown (EXCLUDING Physician Charges):
Inpatient Services 08/01/11 to 08/03/11
Summary of Charges

Surgical Stepdown 2 Days ------------------------------- $6,000.00

Recovery Room -------------------------------------------- $1,947.00
Procedure Room ------------------------------------------- $23,903.00
Anesthesia, Materials, & Serv. -------------------------- $7,694.00
Radiology --------------------------------------------------- $391.00
Pharmacy ---------------------------------------------------- $5,130.59
Laboratory --------------------------------------------------- $70.00
Central Supplies -------------------------------------------- $2,455.00
Respiratory Therapy --------------------------------------- $1,026.00
Total Charges ----------------------------------------------- $48, 616.59
*Estimated Insurance Coverage ------------------------- $48,616.59
Amount Now Due From You --------------------------- $0.00

Now, the whole billing/insurance thing confuses me greatly but if you'll notice, the above amounts don't even include physician charges. I don't know why. Probably because there would be an uproar over the massive amount of money the physician receives for such a procedure. (BUT HELLO - THEY DESERVE EVERY PENNY!) That is complete speculation obviously. What I do know is we did have to pay the deductible on our insurance plan so I suppose that went toward paying the physician charges...? Maybe. And don't forget that you also have to pay for braces and wisdom teeth extraction (had that done summer of 2010) for a procedure like this, and that can cost upwards of $6,000 - usually not covered by most dental or medical insurance plans. In order to receive maximum insurance coverage from your provider, you have to send them the information as well as reasoning regarding why the procedure is medically necessary as opposed to being purely cosmetic. Waiting for approval can take around 3 months, and you're not supposed to start ANY treatment (not even braces!) until you receive approval. In our case, it took about 2 months to hear back.

Another weird little factoid that occurred to me recently: I had my surgery exactly one year to the very day after my braces were put on, and it was totally not planned out that way; just occurred by chance. How odd.

So many of the other jaw surgery bloggers I've followed mention the numbness lasting quite a while afterward, and I am pleasantly surprised by how little I've had. My upper gums are still numb, but nowhere on my face or lips has been numb in quite a while. I didn't really even have much facial numbness the DAY AFTER surgery. My lips were never numb or gigantic at all and I remember that being a huge complaint from fellow orthognathic surgery patients. Even my swelling was very minimal compared to the majority of cases I've seen online. After all of my research, I was expecting to come out of the hospital with lips the size of watermelons and bruises all over my face, but neither were the case. I think my surgeon just has actual superhero powers/capabilities or something..... :) Haha...really though. He is meticulous, meticulous, meticulous about everything, so I really shouldn't be surprised by how physically problem-free my recovery has been.

Another thing that has been bothering me is the fact that people refer to being wired shut as an antiquated form of recovery since elastics can pretty much do the same job. Well...that is NOT the case. As much as I despised it at the time, I fully understand why my surgeon still wires patients shut for the first 3 weeks, especially patients like me who had one jaw split into multiple sections. It really is the most stable way to keep the jaws immobilized in order to encourage optimal healing. And if I'm gonna dedicate 6+ solid hours of my life standing over a patient on an operating table, meticulously sawing away at their face then bolting it back together, I'd be darned to not take every precaution afterward to make sure nothing screwed up the results.
Plus, if I had been forced to mess with 8+ elastics during that exhausting time period immediately following surgery, I would've gone NUTS! Dealing with 2-3 at the front of my mouth right now is plenty. Was being wired shut and eating through a rubber tube miserable? Absolutely. Would I go through it again without changing a single thing? NO DOUBT. You truly don't understand how much more satisfied I am with my facial structure now that I've been able to see it in proper proportions. I don't have to worry about smiling/talking/laughing with someone looking at my ugly profile from the side. It's pretty incredible.

One thing I've noticed about myself is that I now study and mentally critique the teeth/jaws/facial arrangement of every single person I encounter. I can point out even the smallest discrepancies - too much of an overbite, too much gum showing, sunken-in cheeks, asymmetrical chins, open bites, slight crookedness of the teeth - everything! I hate being that way, but I really can't help it. I've conditioned myself to spot these things after analyzing and criticizing my own for sooooo long. For years, I've planned on going to medical school after I finish my undergraduate degree, but after this experience I am seriously considering dental school instead so that I can possibly go into oral and maxillofacial surgery. I've already researched the (post-dental school) oral surgery program my university offers, and as daunting as the academic journey may be, I feel this weird inner exuberance when I contemplate being able to help other people the way Dr. McKenna has helped me.
Plus, how cool would it be to have an oral surgeon who has undergone orthognathic surgery herself?! Talk about empathy.

Now for some pictures:

I really did not like my face from this angle before, but now I love it!

Teeth shot, sans elastics.

Definitely looking forward to not having to wear the elastic bands at all - which will hopefully be next week? I'm not 100% sure. And I've been forgetting to ask Dr. McKenna about how many millimeters he moved each jaw, so I'm sorry to the person who asked! I will remember this Friday, I promise!  I believe it was along the lines of 7 mm forward on the upper jaw and 3 or 4 mm back on the lower jaw, but don't hold me to that.

Also, if you haven't watched my most recent video (25 days post-op), you can check it out here: Double Jaw Surgery: 25 Days Post-Op. Keep in mind that was 12 days ago! I'll probably post another update video within the next week.

LOVING LIFE,
Peyton

One Month & Two Days Post-Op

Absolutely nothing new happened at my appointment 2 days ago, which is why I haven't made a post this week. I have, however, started chewing again. :O At previous appointments, they have made a point of telling me to NOT chew yet, but at this one nothing was mentioned about my diet. I took that as my cue to just experiment with what I feel comfortable eating, which is probably not completely within the rules but...I'm a lover of food. VERY soft foods only though, so I'm not causing any harm. Macaroni & cheese, ravioli, powdered donuts, eggs/omelets, SOFT french fries, mashed potatoes, green beans, cheesecake, dumplins from Cracker Barrel (mmmmmm!), and even some soft breads. Nothing too extravagant, but it feels like I've climbed Mount Everest on my way to this point in recovery. For some of you who've been through or are going through recovery, it may seem a little early for me to experiment with actual foods already but I'm being slow and cautious with my chewing. Still feeling a bit guilty since I didn't technically ask for permission to do this, but my bite hasn't been affected and I'm still wearing elastics like I'm supposed to. It's not like I'm about to go bite into an apple or anything. Small steps.

First college football game as a student! :)

The final major step in this whole process will be the removal of my skeletal wires, which are the ones that are apparently going into my gums in 2 places, yet managing to not be painful. I don't understand it but I'm thankful they haven't really bothered me. They will be removed one week from today! After that, I'm free to go to the orthodontist and hopefully hear an estimate of how much longer I'll be in braces.

Another weird factoid I feel like I should mention is that I've been waking up randomly in the middle of the night (almost every single night), and I can feel myself trying to open and stretch my jaws while still in elastics and half-asleep. It's not comfortable to work against the tension of the elastics, so I have no idea why I do it. Just thought I should throw it out there in case someone else has done this too during recovery. I hope it stops soon. :/

That's all I have for now. I'm home now to enjoy Labor Day weekend with the fam. Here's a pic of me with my 2 full siblings, Ty (15) and Camdyn (12).

24 Days Post-Op: MY SPLINT IS GONE!

Let's take a look at my BEFORE-surgery smiling face:

Bleh

And as promised, the glorious smiling-with-teeth after splint removal picture:

Just braces - no extra contraptions! Except the hooks for the elastics.

And a close-up:

Flattering view, I know.

Being rid of that horrid splint brings me indescribable joy! I can now fit my teeth together and feel exactly what it's like to have a proper bite. It seems like I should be saying it feels fabulous/amazing/incredible and so much more comfortable, but truthfully it just feels plain strange right now. Biting down and feeling actual contact in the front just doesn't quite seem right...yet. It's something I'll have to adjust to over time. I do obviously love the way it looks as well as the idea of someday (in the near future hopefully!) being able to bite into a cheeseburger and actually create a perfect bite mark. Oh the glory.

I am, however, still in 3 elastic bands all the time aside from meals, snacks, and Photo Booth pictures. Weirdly enough, they give me a sense of security -  like nothing will screw up my bite or the healing process while they're in; so I don't completely hate them. My speech is 95% understandable most of the time when I wear them so they don't restrict me from conversations, which is helpful for me, being a brand new college student and all. People have been surprisingly accepting of it and not visibly bothered by my speech - even when I had that hideous splint still in. Plus it makes for an excellent conversation-starter, ironically enough. Still no chewing in the eating department, but I'm not sure I would even feel comfortable attempting to chew if they told me I could. Everything still seems so fragile - as if one wrong move on my part at this point could screw up the years of preparation and execution behind this smile.

Even when my bands are off, speaking is still a strain almost because of the newness of this bite. I've never had teeth that touch like they're supposed to, obviously, so I'm having to relearn how to produce certain sounds. I feel like I need speech therapy.

I can tell just by feeling around there is still some orthodontic work that needs to be done, especially since the surgery involved my upper jaw being split into 3 pieces and consequently the wire of my braces being cut in 2 places to allow for the rearrangement. I'm praying the work left to be carried out is minimal though and maybe I'll be out of these braces in early 2012! We shall see.

I'm actually going to try to make a quick video tomorrow with my bands off so the YouTube world can see how much progress I've made. No more using note cards to talk, that's for sure!

As much of a hassle as it is to drive down to Nashville for appointments especially now that I'm in college and living even further away than I was before, I have to say I don't mind making that trek once a week one bit if it means I get to enjoy the double eye candy. I always feel so creepy talking about that on here, but seriously. I can't even describe it adequately so you'll just have to take my word. My mom agrees wholeheartedly.
It's the little things in life, truly.

Growing happier each and every day,
Peyton

3 Weeks Post-Op! First Day of College Classes...

Today marks exactly 3 weeks since surgery! On one hand it seems like I was just in the hospital yesterday, and on the other it seems like these have been the longest 3 weeks of my life. I may not survive if I'm ever forced to be on a liquid diet again for any period of time throughout the rest of my existence. Pudding now seems like the most glorious treat on earth now that I'm actually allowed to use a spoon to eat. I've also tried a few things that would usually require light chewing but I just swallow it all instead: scrambled eggs, oatmeal, thick ice cream, and non-blended Spaghettios. Letting chocolate melt in my mouth is pretty satisfying as well. Feeling full is definitely no longer an issue.

My first day going to class as an official college student really could not have been more comfortably picturesque: 72 degrees, no humidity, light breeze, sun shining. Our campus is beautiful as well, so my time on campus always feels like something out of a movie. As worried as I am about my course load and being stuck studying 24/7, being here already feels so natural in a way I can't explain.

Splint removal in less than 2 days! I CAN NOT WAIT. Once it is gone, I will finally be able to see exactly how my teeth fit together--basically the entire reason I had the surgery. Expect a nice smiling-with-teeth-and-no-wires-or-splint-or-elastics picture Wednesday night! Opening my mouth is still really difficult, but Dr. McKenna said he would start me on some jaw exercises at our next appointment. I'm just really ready to chew and be 100% human again.

That's all for now! Just couldn't go without posting on the 3-week anniversary. Here's to 3 more weeks and hopefully being able to at least chew pasta and pizza by then.

I like how my lips look in this. haha

Freshly new & hopeful college student,
Peyton

Very brief update: No longer wired shut!

Just wanted to say for the record that I am no longer wired shut and am finally able to open my mouth for meals. It felt like the day would never arrive. The bad news is I still have my splint BUT only until next Wednesday! Dr. McKenna said he would have to numb me up in order to remove the wires currently connecting the splint to my gums...yes directly to my gums. As in the wires are secured into my mouth around the point where the gum meets the lip, but only in 2 places. The surprising part? I hardly even notice it unless I'm brushing my teeth. So a numbing shot or two seem to be the only remotely painful procedures left to endure. I think I can handle that.

The moment the last wire was snipped and removed from my mouth was honestly one of the strangest and most liberating experiences in this journey so far. After 19 solid days of not opening my mouth, finally being able to do so and talk like a somewhat normal human being was downright bizarre. Now, before the image of this becomes too wonderful-sounding, I have to admit my jaws were both very stiff at first and could by no means open as widely as they normally would. Even now, a day later, I can only open to the point of sticking 2 fingers in with my hand turned to the side (if that makes any sense,) and even that is quite a stretch. Tylenol and Ibuprofen have taken care of the soreness though -- PILLS and not the disgusting liquid crap any more! Hallelujah for that.

I'm not completely home free though. I still have to stay in elastics (3 bands to be exact) when I'm not eating. There is one on each side of the frontal view of my teeth (in upside down V shapes) as well as one going straight up and down in the middle. My goal is to still be in them for 22 hours a day at least, but that leaves plenty of time to enjoy each meal without them. I'm still not allowed to actually chew anything, but foods that can be swallowed without hardcore chewing - soft noodles, oatmeal, ice cream, pudding, soft vegetables, cracker mushed up in soup, etc. - are fair game as far as I'm concerned. I know that still makes it sound so limited, but you have no idea how much better it is than trying to fit my entire diet through a rubber tube. I am so chucking those syringes as soon as I figure out where the dumpster is here at the apartments. By the way, I think my final weight loss ended up being around 9 pounds total (113.6 pounds last time I checked.) I do not anticipate any further shrinkage due to my new dietary freedom. :)

My first meal without the wires was absolutely incredible: a large bowl of cheesy potato soup from Rafferty's (see above image) with a slice of cheesecake for dessert. The soup even had some chunks of potatoes and really moist bacon, but mashing those with my tongue against the roof of my mouth worked pretty well. Come on now, it's not like my stomach can't handle a bit of extra work now that it has enjoyed a nearly 3-week vacation. I EVEN GOT TO USE A SPOON! :O This meal provided more satisfaction than I've had in a very long time.

To anyone who is considering or anticipating this surgery: DO IT. All the pain/discomfort, the torturous diet, and even the blood-vomiting are COMPLETELY worth the trouble. The physical struggles that go along with recovery are no match for the emotional struggles I was going through regarding my appearance before the surgery. I have no regrets at all. And once you make it to the point of being unwired and able to eat food with your mouth open again, you will feel so much more human.

I promised myself this one would be brief, so I'll stop here. To the person who commented on my last post, I responded on there but I'm not sure if you'll get an email or what, so go check it out!

No longer sippin' on a rubber tube,
Peyton

PS - That apartment tour is coming soon!

Choose to be happy.

Well I am officially completely moved into my new apartment for college AND I have survived the first 2 days on campus. As I sit here contemplating how I should reveal my state of mind in a simple blog post, I'm realizing there truly is not a properly fulfilling approach to summing up how I feel. Every possible phrase I try to spell out seems weak and insufficient but I'll do the best I can. And yes there are jaw updates later. :)


For as long as I can remember, "college" has been this tantalizing term ultimately implicating the initiation of adulthood: a keen & unwavering understanding of oneself as well as the confidence and assurance to make life-altering decisions without even blinking. Of course it's foolish to honestly believe you could be so intellectually/developmentally/emotionally refined fresh out of high school after being thrown into a completely new environment with a wide span of opportunities and potential adventures. It's like when you're a freshman in high school and you just know that once you're a senior, you'll be this completely different version of yourself with all the class, maturity, and swagger of an individual who knows where they're headed in life. Then you finally become a senior and what do you know: you're the same person with similar doubts, fears, worries, and desires...dying to be done with the slew of college and scholarship applications bombarding you from every direction. Wanting, yet again, to fast forward to "the good life."


I feel like this sort of nonsensical logic has influenced the expectations I've held for myself since I was a kindergartener marveling at the oh-so-smart 4th graders with their writing portfolios, mechanical pencils, and fine-print textbooks.
The cycle never ends it seems.


I even find myself NOW looking at the older college students who are completing their final couple of semesters, wishing I already had as much life experience under my belt as they do. They know the campus like the back of their hand. They have established connections and friendships with their professors. They have mapped out and fulfilled the requirements for their majors and minors. They must truly know what they're doing.


But I can't fool myself back into this pattern of thinking. Next it will be me as a junior in college studying for the MCAT, envying those who have already been accepted into medical school. Then as a medical student, yearning to be done with the 4 grueling years of nonstop work/growing debt and to already be working in a residency program. Then as a resident, killing myself to make it to the security of an established career in medicine. Then as a doctor, dying to retire. It will never end unless I have the sense to stop the cycle now and take each step as it comes.


And with that, I will close this little peek into the strange logic of my mind. On to more positive thoughts.


I love love love our apartment. It is perfectly spacious without being extraneously large or wasteful of space. Some may say it's preposterous to attend college without roughing it out in a dorm and community bathroom, but I genuinely think I would have developed a serious emotional disorder over time without having enough space to comfortably store my belongings and without my own bathroom to keep pristine and clean. The one time I have ever used a community bathroom was at our overnight freshman orientation this summer, and it was without a doubt one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. I think I almost have a clinical disorder where sharing that kind of space with strangers puts me under an unhealthy amount of duress. I do, however, have the utmost respect for those who do make it through such an experience and I'm sure such close living quarters make for excellent opportunities to establish lifelong connections to the people with whom you share space.


As for the pictures I promised, there is still quite a bit of decorating to complete before I feel comfortable sharing anything on here. I have several things hanging in my room already, but I only want the finished results to be published. :)


A very large plus of apartment life (especially on the first floor!): I literally had to take approximately 10 steps from our cars to the front door of the apartment when moving everything in. The transfer of my belongings was a staggeringly quick process.


On the flip side, a very interesting obstacle I faced on move-in day: the lock to my bedroom door did not work with the key they gave me OR the master key for all of the apartment bedrooms. So my first 30 minutes or so in the apartment were spent worrying myself to death while a maintenance man removed the entire doorknob to allow me in and then installed a new lock. All works well now, but it was not the best first impression, especially since I was already on a time crunch to get to our first Honors College Welcome Week activity. Luckily I have a loving, dedicated mother and an equally loving grandmother with a knack for interior decorating, so they both continued to piece my room/closet/bathroom together even when I was forced to depart early in the afternoon.


Does anyone else ever have those moments where you're so overwhelmed by the blessings of life that you nearly break into tears? It happens to me at the most random moments, and one of these was during our first little class session with our Honors 101 instructors. First of all, I was just so humbled by how understanding and sympathetic people were when they saw I was wired shut and could hardly talk. Secondly, both the instructor and the advisor of this course just seem like genuinely nice, down to earth individuals who will be easy to work with. And okay, maybe the minor case of sleep deprivation and starvation-level lack of nutrients in my diet made me over-emotional, but I was intensely thankful to be where I was, looking ahead at what was/is to come.


Okay no more sappy, ridiculously happy moments in the blog. I promise.


Every organized event I've attended at my university so far, from Accolade in the fall of my senior year (before I even knew where I would be going) to Orientation this past summer to this week's activities with the Honors College, has involved some of the best food. Yeah. That's not so much a good thing when everything you consume has to fit through a straw or a syringe & rubber tube. Today, in particular, I sat and watched everyone devour Papa John's pizza (Papa J sponsors like everyyyyyy event on campus it seems) as well as burgers and hotdogs fresh from the grill outside...while I drank Juicy Juice from a box. The day before that, it was catering from Moe's. I'm telling you, the world can be a cruel place for us recovering orthognathic surgery patients.


About the hunger...now that it has officially been 18 and a half days since I have consumed solid food, my hunger is no longer just that empty feeling in the stomach we're all accustomed to in this society of selfish, greedy gluttons. I feel the tingle of emptiness in every cell of my body--not something you could even begin to imagine unless you yourself have ever been on the brink of starvation. It's not even something I understood until about 2 weeks into the process. Every activity I attempt requires more strain and effort than I honestly ever anticipated at the beginning of this journey.


Add that into the mix of moving into a new apartment and walking around a college campus...what do you get?


Another pound lost...when I was almost sure the weight loss part of this agony had come to an end. I'm down to 114.2 pounds (and that was in the evening...I usually weigh in the morning when the human body is typically at its lightest point in fluctuation). What makes me sad about this is I remember just earlier this year being 10 pounds more than that and still perfectly happy with my self-image in my Aerobics class. I hate losing muscle mass and looking more rail-ish by the day. There are plenty of girls out there who strive for that stick-thin physique, but I personally prefer the toned, athletic body of someone in shape who still allows herself to eat.


Good thing I'm planning on feasting for weeks on end once I'm physically able to do so. I'm sure the energy, muscle mass, and consequentially the weight will be back in no time. This is where the blog title kind of comes into play. I could sit around and be indefinitely bitter about my inability to eat right now while I watch everyone else eat whatever they please without even fully appreciating their perfectly functional chompers. But I've come to the conclusion that it's better to picture myself gorging on these items in the coming weeks and not having to worry about burning off those calories. Surviving this experience requires my personal choice to make the best of a truly sucky, miserable, physically torturous time in my life. Wallowing in self-pity helps in no way. Granted, I've had my days and moments so far where I inevitably choose the negative route, but my sanity depends on me clinging to the path of optimism. And so I shall.


NOW FOR SOMETHING INTERESTING.
I'm listing 10 useful items that incoming college students may want to remember to pack that may not necessarily already be on their lists, whether they're living in a dorm or an apartment.
1. Power sticks for outlets: You never know how many actual wall sockets may be available to you individually, so these ensure a plentiful availability of power outlets for your lamps, televisions, DVD players, phone/iPod/laptop chargers, and other electronics.
2. Plenty of batteries: Pretty self-explanatory; you might be surprised by how many little odds and ends require batteries, especially when you've just purchased a load of nifty new items for your living quarters.
3. (For girls mainly) Lighter or matches for candles: I brought a very yummy-smelling vanilla cupcake candle for my room but nothing to light it with. Dumb mistake. Avoid it.
4. Lamp(s) and light bulbs: Every place has different situations with lighting, but our apartment bedrooms have no overhead lighting so I brought 3 lamps for my room. I think most dorms have overhead lighting, but if your roommate ever needs to sleep when you're still up studying, a smaller lamp would be a nice way to avoid conflict.
5. Laundry detergent/fabric softener: Again, every location has different policies, but you're going to have to do laundry at some point, so you might as well be stocked with the proper supplies. (Our apartment has a washer/dryer btw. :)
6. Tissues: This one especially applies to those in dorms who don't have a bathroom 5 feet from their bed. You never know when you'll need to blow your nose, as trivial as it may seem.
7. Hand sanitizer: Yet again, this one is important if you don't have your own bathroom. Better safe than sorry.
8. Air freshener: Never a bad thing just in case your building is musty or stale-smelling! Or just for bathrooms.
9. Clorox disinfecting wipes: This is starting to sound like a clean freak list, I know. But really, these are soooo handy for small spills/messes!
10. A planner or agenda for classes: Even if you didn't keep one in high school, I'd highly recommend trying one out for college since each day is different and due dates are harder to keep track of. The iPhone app I mentioned in the previous blog post functions as a planner as well, so check it out! -- iStudiez Pro


:)


The ironic part of this entire post is I've been typing it back in my own house because I have to leave somewhat early in the morning for my appointment with Dr. McKenna to get these stupid wires out of my mouth. Hopefully by this time tomorrow I'll be eating mushy foods again. Sigh.
This means I'll probably post again tomorrow except it will be much shorter and less weird.


Let's wrap this up, shall we?


Willing to kill for a bowl of mashed potatoes,
Peyton

Quick Break from Packing: Two Weeks Post-Op!

Hello everyone. These next few days are going to be absolutely insane for me, so I wanted to go ahead and post another update before I get lost in the whirlwind of packing/moving.  Wednesday is the big transition day for me, which means TOMORROW is my last full day at home! I can't believe summer 2011 is already coming to a close; it literally seems like we were graduating just last week. I'm about to call the 16th largest city in America my home. Whew. Talk about being anxious/excited/apprehensive/terrified/stoked/overwhelmed!!

As far as my overall attitude toward recovery and my torturous diet goes, not much has changed since my last post. Still downing milkshakes, soups, and whatever I feel like blending/filtering. The strangest part of it all is being able to physically fill my stomach with these drinks and concoctions, yet NOT being able to satisfy my cravings to have actual substance in my system. I am convinced that no matter how much liquid I intake, I am destined to feel weak and almost lightheaded every time I stand up or exert myself in any way. SO convenient considering I'll be moving boxes and suitcases galore in less than 48 hours. -_-

I have found that adding maple syrup to regular blender-made vanilla milkshakes makes them more flavorful as well as more filling in the long run. I know that sounds bizarre, but it's true. I discovered this after trying to blend a pancake with milk, ice cream, and syrup and ending up having to filter most of the pancake bits out. Hey, any method for cramming more calories into that blender is worth a shot.

I can not comprehend the fact that I have not eaten solid food in 15 days. Never would have guessed that was even humanly possible back before I endured this "adventure" to be honest.

Huge thank you to everyone who attended my friend Tiana's cookout last night and attempted to make conversation with me despite my insufficiently muffled, splint-and-wire-stricken attempt to speak these days. The scariest fact is I'm starting to get used to speaking this way, almost to a point where it feels natural. Lord help me. Oh and did I mention how much fun it was to watch everyone around me chowing down on steaks (though I don't eat steak, it still looked delicious in my desperate hunger), pasta salad, deviled eggs (which I then ended up dreaming about later that night), baked beans, and the worst...S'MORES...all while I sipped on my Sprite. Livin' the good life fo sho. I am enjoying all the lovely compliments, however. That part I could get used to.

I am so hoping my surgeon decides to let me abandon the splint this Friday, but I have a feeling that won't happen due to the nature of my specific surgery (my top jaw was split into 3 pieces in order to correct the width-can't remember if I've mentioned that in an earlier post of not.) The splint is apparently what makes talking so difficult. At least I'll be wire-free for sure.

My face hasn't really changed much since the last post either, so no new pictures for now.

BUT - I promise I will have lots of new apartment pictures to share as soon as I get everything decorated, organized, and moderately photo-worthy. :)

Follow me on Twitter if you are not already!
http://www.twitter.com/peyton_michelle

Your halfway-delirious-from-lack-of-dietary-intake blogger,
Peyton

11 Days Post-Op: Favorite Recipe & My Grill

Still have some swelling that needs to go down, but I feel like this is a big improvement from my last blog picture.

Metal smiles rock the world. PS - the wiring makes smiling with my teeth so awkward.

Hello all. Nothing new has really occurred over the past couple of days (except for the appointment with my surgeon - more on that later), hence the lack of blog updates.  I did actually go back to my old high school to visit some of my favorite teachers today and say some final farewells before I make the big move to my new apartment for college next WEDNESDAY!!!!!  I must say, I'll never grow tired of the shocked/fascinated look on people's faces when they see me for the first time in person since the surgery.  Nobody realized exactly how drastically it was going to change my facial structure, and now I think they all better understand why I had been looking forward to it for such a long time.

Tip for fellow jaw surgery patients: do not make the same mistake I did yesterday and overestimate your ability to lift heavy things and carry out physical activities so soon after surgery. We don't have diets with any real substance yet, but it's easy to assume you can do all the things you're used to if you're feeling dandy like I was. That didn't last long when I tried to start cleaning, packing up my room, and lifting objects that normally wouldn't be a big deal. I overworked myself and it felt awful for a while afterward, but thankfully my grandma was there along the way and made the process more manageable as I become exceedingly weary. Just remember to take it easy on yourself.

I've hit some road blocks in the food department here recently as well, and have accordingly lost another pound. Grand total is about 7 1/2 pounds lost now, which is still not quite as terrible as I had expected. BUT today I tried out a new recipe I found online, and it has renewed my desire to eat again and explore new options. I wanted to share it on here in case any of you are or will be in the same situation:

Enchilada Soup
1 can refried beans
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. ground cumin (or more - I added more)
sour cream (optional - I forgot to add it to mine, but it was still amazing)

Blend refried beans with enchilada sauce. Pour into sauce pan with chicken broth and heat gently. Add cheese & cumin and stir. Simple!

I found it somewhere online and didn't bookmark it. So credit goes to whoever created this delectable dish. If you are craving Mexican food during your oral entrapment, this is the perfect way to satisfy that craving.

I also thought some of you might like to see what my teeth look like, so here's a nice & large, unflattering picture of mah grill.

Still wired shut with that lovely splint in between my top and bottom jaws. Even so, I can already tell my teeth are going to line up perfectly once the splint is removed

I'm typing this in the kitchen right now and my sister just pulled a pizza out of the oven. Cruelty. Though I must say I'm becoming more and more immune to the sting of watching others eat solid food in my presence. I'm actually afraid I might forget how to even chew once this is all over and I'm free. The thought of biting into and chewing certain foods like chips, peanuts, apples, and carrots is beginning to scare me slightly. I can't imagine being able to handle that kind of friction anytime soon. :(  

I HAVE THRILLING NEWS THOUGH! My surgeon, the nicest and most caring individual on the face of the earth, has agreed to unwire me next Friday, August 19th - one week from today! This is a few days earlier than he usually unwires patients, and I am forever grateful that I won't be wired shut for my first day of class on August 22nd. I will still be rubber-banded shut and may have to keep my splint for a while longer, but it will definitely be a step up from feeling like I have a bear trap in my mouth.  

***iPhone app recommendation for any incoming college students who are worried about keeping track of their schedule: iStudiez Pro ($2.99). I just bought it for myself a few days ago and am honestly blown away by how thorough and organized it seems to be. You can input every small detail of your entire schedule as well as all assignments and due dates. I'm very excited to put this to work throughout my first semester of college!

I've also been to see 2 movies during my short period of recovery - Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Crazy, Stupid, Love. - both I really enjoyed even with the aroma of buttery movie theater popcorn surrounding and taunting me. Don't let being wired shut keep you from joining the outside world every now and then. It's not healthy to stay cooped up in a house 24//7. I was given "official" permission to drive again 2 days ago, so I made my first outing last night to Zaxby's (sad face here due to the torture of smelling their chicken without being able to tear into it myself) and a late movie. Second outing today was to my old high school which, as I mentioned before, was incredibly bittersweet. I miss those simple days. I'm on my AP Calculus teacher's Hall of Fame now for passing the college board exam! :) The starred nameplates are those of us who scored fives. :)

I blacked out all the names except mine - didn't want anyone mad at me for sharing their names on a blog like this.

Guess that's all I have for now. More updates to come - especially after I move in. My room right now is a WRECK as I'm in the midst of packing. Oh what a life!

Thankful to have music getting me through this mess,
Peyton

PS - I posted a new video a few days ago on my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/purplescheerchic if anyone wants to check it out.