Today it has officially been 2 weeks since my surgery, but it feels like it has been 2 months. So much has been packed into the past 2 weeks.

We drove back home late on Wednesday night and got the dogs back, so that was a nice treat to come home to (thanks to my awesome in-laws, sister and parents for baby sitting!). They still recognized me which was good 😉.

Coming home

Being home now, it has kind of set in what a long recovery this will be. I feel like I was making great strides and the fact that I wasn’t in bed all day with pain just made me so happy. I think my brain is getting ahead of itself wanting to get back to the “normal” I have so longed for, meeting friends, eating without difficulty in restaurants and at home, enjoying talking and laughing without the pain in muscles, back teeth and joints. But my body really did just go through a major trauma from this surgery so it feels weak and wants to lay on the couch all day and continues to have facial pain from the surgical movements. Wish my body were up to speed with my brain🧠. Going to do one thing a day, like seeing my pain doctor today, is probably all I can manage for a while as it took some energy to muster. But I drove myself the 20 min there, talked to my doctor and drove back home so I was proud. And I think it will take small steps like this to get back to life faster – so I plan to push my body more in the weeks to come to go on walks, stretch my stiff face, practice opening and closing my mouth to get a larger opening, etc. It just feels all very overwhelming in this moment.

My pain doctor wants to put me on a new medication to manage the surgical, teeth and muscular pain that I have, and will probably continue to have, as nerves wake up and my body heals itself. My teeth still hurt when they touch, so I tend to keep those apart too. It is just a new face/ skull with new sensations but I accept it as my own and give myself grace and love through this time in my life of healing ❤️ as I have done before with my other jaw surgeries.

Mental resolve with these kinds of medical issues that effect how you eat, socialize, breathe and laugh is as much a physical game as it is a mental game. I’ve told my husband before this almost feels like a “social” disease because it completely impacts how you are able to interact and build relationships with others. I am so thankful for the medicine that has helped me manage for so long, but ultimately it was a bandaid beginning to fall off. It is easy to get really down about all of this and the amount of time that it has gone on while I remained hopeful on other treatments. Sometimes a good cry is needed. Yet ultimately, it is necessary to pull yourself up, keep going and keep hoping. This is the life I have been given and I will live it to the best of my ability. I am thankful to live in 2022 where I have options to deal with my ICR and was able to receive this surgery, I have had a successful surgery so far with little complications and I am showing signs for continued healing and a good prognosis 🦾.

Right now my complications are,

1. A deviated septum that I can hopefully get fixed by May (requires another surgery). It is making my left sinus congested and causing ear pain from the congestion. I really hope I don’t develop a sinus infection as I don’t know if that could negatively effect the Le Fort. I stay on top of my sudafed and afrin.
2. Cracking sounds in my 1 piece Le Fort as I swallow 😖. Not really a “complication” but more of the healing process, but I can only find 2-3 other patients online currently who had this happen to them too. My maxilla was cut away from my skull and repositioned, needing to fuse back to the top of my skull. So this tells me it is not fusing in the area with cracking. I talked to one patient long ago that had non-fibrous union (her le fort never fused), so I know it is a concern. But my surgeon said mine should resolve. So I try not to worry but it is so unnerving to swallow…on top of it already being really difficult to swallow correctly.

So if you can pray for the 2 complications above, that would be great! And for continued healing, bite opening progress and for my anxiety levels through this whole process to stay low.

Thank you all for the continued encouragement, support and messages! My families and Rick are taking good care of me ❤️

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For those considering TJR

 (or just want to keep reading)

2 week post op | Swelling and Feeling :

1. Swelling
   • Same from what I wrote a week ago – face near joints and under eyes and cheeks are still swollen and puffy but going down, most swollen part is around the genio area.
   • Bruising is all gone now

1. Feeling– in % of what I can feel (ex: 99% have the feeling back in my lips) – also this is very arbitrary and everyone’s anatomy and surgical cuts are different. I’ve heard feeling comes back even years later sometimes,
   1. Top lip 99%
   2. Bottom lip 90%
   3. Palate 60%
   4. L of tongue 100%
   5. Below eyes 50%
   6. Cheeks 85%
   7. Skin over joints 40%
   8. Chin 15%