Almost FOUR Years Post-Op: Now A College Grad & Future PharmD

I have no idea why I feel inclined to post again on this blog, but here I am.  It might be helpful for people to see how my face has changed since my last post a couple of years ago, because I believe it has.  I graduated from college with my Bachelor's degree last week and will be starting pharmacy school in August. CRAZY. It's easy to forget about the drama of the jaw surgery this far down the road, but every time I decide to look back on my old videos and posts, the emotions all come flooding back.  Four years ago, I was prepping for this life-changing surgery and about to start college with my jaws wired shut?!  I still can't wrap my mind around it now.  And in what seemed like the blink of an eye, I now have my degree and am prepping for another life-changing transition...this time into professional school.

So just as a reminder, here is how I looked before surgery (I'm on the right, sister Camdyn on the left):

And a few more cringeworthy old ones:

And here I am now!  Four years, jaw surgery, and the discovery of brow products can work wonders in a person's life:

         

Also here's an awkward picture of me from graduation. I'm saying, "Thank you," in response to his "Congratulations," so that's why I wasn't perfectly prepared for the photo. Oh well!  I'll get it right next time when I am at last Dr. Peyton... :)

Honestly the only thing on my mind at this point was, "DO. NOT. TRIP. ON. STAGE."

And another (courtesy of Camdyn):

Big shout-out to this incredible lady and all she has done for me over the past twenty-two years, especially concerning my braces and surgery.  Words in general are an understatement for the love I harbor for my amazing mother.

Looking back now, I regret deciding not to blog all throughout my four undergraduate years, because it seems like it would be so enjoyable to read through those posts now.  Here's to hoping I can get back to regular posting now that a new chapter is opening in my life.  Right now the main concern is figuring out where exactly I'm going to be living in less than a month and a half.  Apartment hunting is a NIGHTMARE...can I get an amen?!

Thank you again for reading, and I will always enjoy answering any questions you may have about jaw surgery, preparation, recovery, or heck even the pharmacy school application process!

Take care!

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).

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. :)

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