Day 38: Chewing right along

It's day 38 (just a bit over five weeks), and things are going great. But I don't have too much new stuff to report. So I thought I'd post these photos below.

I've received insurance claim statements from my stay at the hospital that includes the services I received while there. Here's how much it all "cost," apparently (fortunately I'm double insured, so I don't pay this):

And in other news: I'm eating more and more items, including some of my favorite foods: hamburgers, pizza, nachos. I'm essentially able to eat anything that's not too hard, tough or chewy and as long as I cut it into bite-sized pieces. So, no steak still for a while. Some of my teeth, especially my front teeth are still too sensitive to put much power into a bite. It's mandatory I brush my teeth after every meal because pieces of food get stuck in the rubber band hooks and braces in my mouth. 

Rubber band business overall is going good, too. They're just annoying, but at least I can talk while I have them in. I have an appointment with orthodontist Dr. Montano in two days to get a new wire for my braces. 

And that's about it. Thankfully, it's all good news.

One finger to go

Three fingers in three months ... that's the goal.

First, get your mind out of the gutter trying to figure out what that means. Second, it means that by the third month post-surgery, the goal is to be able to open my mouth the size of the width of three fingers (go ahead, see how many fingers you can fit. I'll wait). So far, one month after my surgery (Day 31 today), I have two fingers down.

I visited with Dr. Relle on Friday, who seemed sincerely satisfied with the healing and recovery process (he said he was "psyched" to be exact). He was kind enough to share some before-surgery and after-surgery shots of my mug.

Whatcha think?

This isn't it for changes, obviously. There are still more to come. I still have a bit of swelling and numbness throughout my mouth, and I'll still have braces on for several more months. But so far, I'm more than happy with the changes.

I'm eating more and more food. I keep on getting nice compliments from folks. And I'm back at work now, doing just fine talking with folks for articles I'm writing. It was a hassle juggling taking out my bands and putting them on between assignments, eating, etc. I won't have to do that for long though. I can now go the day without the front bands.

Dr. Relle gave me some updates to look forward to moving forward. The two hooks in my gums for my front bands will come out June 1 (2.5 weeks from now). And after that, I'll be OK to start chewing on more stuff, but no steak -- nothing too rough, Dr. Relle said.

Until then, I'll be stretching out my mouth trying to fit one more finger in there.

Back to reality

Tomorrow, it's back to reality. Well, back to work, anyway.

I've spent three weeks away from work (I'm now on Day 24), slowly learning how to use my new bite. I'm still not 100 percent - more like 75 - but I'm ready to work. That's according to my Dr. Relle, who cleared me as "fit to work." But I personally feel ready to work, too.

Energy-wise, I'm fine. In fact, I spent the weekend traveling around and visiting family (which included a hiking trip), and I feel fine. I believe I can handle an 8-hour work day with a little deadline pressure mixed in. Here's a picture from today (May 6) of the wife and I in Santa Monica.

As for my mouth, that's where the 75 percent grade comes in. I'm numb in certain parts of my mouth (side of gums, roof of my mouth), and slightly swollen still. And my mouth gets a little sore after talking, eating, etc.

For one work week, I'll have to manage taking off my bands to eat, brush, stretch, and to do long interviews, and then put the bands back in. Obviously it's easier to talk with the bands out. When I talk, it will be evident that something isn't quite right with my speech.

I can eat plenty now as long as it's on the soft side, and bite size. Examples: eggs, soft chicken, pancakes, soft breads, pastas, potatoes, etc.

I have another appointment with Dr. Relle on Friday. I'll ask him when he think I'll be able to eat harder foods, and when these hooks for the bands will come out.

Making progress

The word of the day: progress.

I feel I've been making progress with each and every passing day. It's been 18 days since surgery. I feel like I've gotten my energy back. In fact, I've done some fairly tough yard work, and felt fine afterward.

Swelling is minimal. Most people haven't noticed it, but I still do. This is what I look like now:

I've had several people compliment me on my "new look." Some said they didn't recognize me when they first saw me. Kind of weird.

I'm eating more and more soft foods, including stuff that doesn't have to be blended or mashed. I won't post all the pictures but they include pancakes, spaghetti and other pastas, soft bread, cheesecake and soft desserts, baked potato and chili fries. I'm still drinking various shakes and smoothies, just because they're good for you and nice to have in between meals. My weight has stabilized.

It's getting easier and easier managing my rubber bands -- taking them off and putting them on. Every time I take them off, I do jaw exercises, stretching my mouth by yawning and closing repeatedly. This is as big as I can open right now:

My mouth is still numb in certain parts: the roof of my mouth and my upper gums, specifically. It's a little weird eating and brushing when you can't really feel.

My nose has constantly trickled a bit of blood since the surgery. That stopped just a few days ago. Pain has also gone away.

I've been hanging out more and more with friends and family. I'm understandable now to everyone, even with bands in.

Nothing else too exciting going on. I've been trying to keep busy with various things while I'm out of work. This is my last week before I return. In the meantime, here's to more progress.

Rubber band man

It's all about the rubber bands now.

Exactly two weeks have gone by since surgery, and recovery is moving nice and steady, docs say. In fact, I visited Dr. Relle for post-op part two and he described my recovery as "boring," which he meant as a good thing.

My swelling is minimal. I can eat soft foods. I have no pain, and feel great.

My weight has stabilized. I've lost no more weight from the first week to the second, and only 5 pounds total. Relle said before surgery to expect to lose about 10 percent of my body weight, or about 16 pounds in my case. It looks like that won't happen.

My only obstacle now really is managing my rubber bands. For the next two weeks, I will need to continue wearing my bands throughout the day, taking them off to eat, brush and exercise my mouth.

Those bands, in case you want to know what they look like, attach to my braces on the sides of my mouth and also on two hooks implanted within my front gums. Sounds and looks painful, but it's not. Here's what the front bands look like:

During the appointment, Dr. Relle removed the bands and said I could put them back on when I arrived home. With my mouth free for several hours, I visited my buddy Tim in Redondo Beach while I was in the area (I had to make fun of him for getting older -- it's his birthday today). We walked around his neighborhood and to a juice bar. I drank a smoothie out of a straw for the first time, with ease I might add. And it awesome being able to open my mouth and be understood clearly while I made fun of him.

During the drive home, I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly. Other drivers on the freeway must have thought I was crazy. When I finally made it home, I ate, brushed, and placed the bands back in. It was great while it lasted.

Once I return to work one week from Monday, I will need to take the bands off and on in between interviews and such. Starting two weeks from now, I have permission to go through the day without rubber bands, and use them only at nighttime.

As for food, I keep on trying new dishes. Here are two more, which I had yesterday and today:

This is one of Carla's specialty dishes blended up. It's called Guatemala Pie, a delicious creamy, spicy chicken casserole. Notice the food processor, blender and steamer (for baby food) on the top. It blends great (thanks Vanessa!).

This next one is pasta fagioli on bread, with bread crumbs on the side. Another delicious one, courtesy of Marie. And she brought plenty for leftovers. Thanks a bunch!

Survival kit

Say you too have a bite that needs fixin' with a bit of surgery. Or say, God forbid, you get into a bad accident and your mouth hits the steering wheel. Or let's just say you make me really mad and I take it out on your jaw.

These are some things that you will not be able to live without during jaw surgery recovery. Here are just a few things that have been life-savers for me.

Clockwise from top left:
- Nasal spray: You will get mucus, most of it bloody mucus, it will dry, and you are forbidden for 6 weeks from blowing your nose. This liquid wets everything up there without damaging your insides. Once the junk is all moist, you can un-embarrassingly pick your nose with a tissue using your finger. I prefer the pinky.
- Temporal thermometer: You want to be sure you don't get a fever, and this of course will immediately tell you. You can't use a mouth thermometer, and most people don't really like to put thermometers in other places. Most people.
- Carmex: Without being able to lick your lips, they will get drier than the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Carmex or Vaseline will do the job.
- Ensure (or my cheap asses case, Equal): Contains many of the daily nutrients you need in liquid form. Comes in strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, and "Man this stuff gets old quick." No, it's actually pretty tasty.
- Mustard/ketchup bottles: Probably the most valuable player in the survival kit. For the first week, I used this device anywhere from 10-15 per day to feed and hydrate myself. Just point and shoot. Get at least four of them.
- Kleenex (or cloth): There will be mucus, blood and drool dripping everywhere. Use this instead of your shirt.
- Jaw bra (with ice and heat packs): Dr. Relle's office was kind enough to provide the jaw bra with four ice/heat packs. Besides pain meds, this setup provides the best relief to get you through the pain. Equally important, the heat/ice packs get you looking less and less like Shrek with each day (i.e. it helps decrease swelling).
- Baby toothbrush: Soft and small to help clean your sensitive teeth.

Other important recovery items not pictured include:
- White board: You won't be able to talk much in the first week, and when you do, you'll be hard to understand. Save yourself the trouble and just write what you want to say.
- Humidifier: Again, to prevent drying.
- Hydrating drinks: Gatorade, Pedialyte, cranberry juice and orange juice are my faves.
- Prune juice: To help battle constipation caused by pain reliever.
- Medication: It's prescribed for you to use, so use it. The strong pain meds helps you cope with pain, and will get you through the uncomfortable nights of having to sleep sitting up (you have to keep your face elevated always).
Get refills well before you run out. The last thing you want is to run out when your jaw feels like it's about to fall off.
And for your other non-jaw surgery prescriptions, be sure to chat with your doc before the surgery. Remember, you can't open your mouth to take any pills you may have to take. Prepare for that.
- Loved ones: Without these people, there is no recovery. You won't be able to use the items above in the first days because you won't be able to get them yourself. These people become your caretakers from the moment you're carted to your hospital bed (in my case, even more so than the nurses). Thank you Carla and mom.

In other news today:

My mouth felt uncomfortable most of the day. I didn't have any pain, but felt as though all I wanted to do was clinch my teeth constantly. It may have something to do with these damn rubber bands pulling on my teeth constantly ... maybe?

For my soft meal today I had breakfast for dinner: biscuits and gravy with spicy sausage. Delicious.

After eating, I did the routine of stretching my mouth and then brushing for a good five minutes and replacing the rubber bands. I can fit my finger in my mouth, but not much more. It's getting easier by the day to remove and install the four tiny bands. I face a mirror and use tweezers.

Man v. Food (jaw surgery edition)

Can you guess what this is?

I'm sure you guessed the rice and beans. But what about the third item? That, my friend, is a tamale with some salsa and Tapatio on top of course.

This was my second non-liquified meal since my surgery on April 12. The first meal was mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. It's not easy eating, but it sure is satisfying.

I can't bite my food, and can open my mouth only enough to fit a toothbrush. So what I have to do is use a flat spoon (in this case a spork), slip the food past my teeth, and use my tongue to slide the food down my throat. I take a sip of my drink to help moisten everything.

The past few days, what I've been doing -- and what I hope to continue doing until I'm able to eat hard food -- is continue the liquid diet throughout the day. That diet consists of Complete Breakfast, Ensure with some protein mixed in a couple of times a day, fruit smoothies, a ton of water (hydration is very important), and various juices. The highlight will be dinner, when I will eat a mashed up meal. Carla has talked about making biscuits and gravy, hamburger, and pizza using recipes she's found online. Any other suggestions?

Not being able to eat solid food was one of my biggest worries heading into the surgery. In hindsight, it hasn't been that bad. Sure I crave an In-N-Out burger, nachos and pizza. But the way I see it, the liquids taste good, I'm eating fairly healthy and getting all the nutrients I need, and I'm really going to appreciate eating normal again once it's time. Plus, it's going to be nice to use actually bite food using my front teeth, something I haven't been able to do in years.

In other news, today I had my first orthodontic appointment since the surgery. And Dr. Montano and staff were blown away. They were surprised how fast I've healed (I have little swelling now) and how well my bite turned out. Montano said he was also surprised Dr. Relle did not place a splint in my mouth, something he said he typically does. That splint would sit on the roof of my mouth, take up valuable space, and essentially hold my top teeth in place. Apparently my bite fit so well after surgery, it wasn't needed.

Montano expects rubber bands to be in place just a bit more. I will return to Montano in two weeks for another checkup, and then a week after that to have a new wire placed. Looks likes it's all coming together just fine.