SARPE Day 4 Post Op

Here is my bright smiling face on day 4 after my SARPE (Surgically Assisted Rapid Palate Expansion.) Ok, I guess I'm not smiling, but hey would you be if your face looked like this?

Swelling has come down considerably now, however, I'm still quite swollen when I wake up in the morning. After a shower it really calms down though. I'm sure being in and upright position verses laying down in bed has something to do with the fluid migration and increased circulatory flow. As you can see the bruises are quite bad, but trust me when I tell you it really does look much worse than it really is. They are not painful, just rather unsitely.

Ok....now I'm going to complain a bit here. I mean come on, no one has surgery and is all sweetness and light right? For whatever reason, be it the expansion, swelling, whatever, I can't sleep at night without drooling like a faucet. It is SO DISCUSTING! I sleep with a beach towel on my pillow at night now. I'm hoping it will quit soon as there is just nothing grosser (well ok maybe there is) but it is nasty to wake up several times a night in a puddle of spit! EWWWHHH! I'm also really really disliking this expansion stuff. I think for me it is much more psychological than anything else, but it is freaking me out pretty bad. I'm down to 27 turns of the RPE left, and yes I'm counting them! I can honestly say when the key is turned that it is not "painful" It doesn't really hurt, not in the literal sense of the word anyway, but it is the most bizarre feeling ever. You get this big sensation of pressure on both sides of your teeth, and through your sinus area for awhile (for me it seems to last about 2 hours.) It is uncomfortable, and weird, and well.... hard to accurately describe, suffice it to say that it is unpleasant at best! Worst part about it is that it is constant. For me, mild discomfort that is ongoing, is worse than short bursts of extreme pain. I just want there to be no pressure, and to have no headache! Now with that being said, some of this is probably my doing. I have only been taking Advil, and perhaps jumping up to something a bit stronger might do the trick. I think I'm going to try one of the pain killers tonight when I sleep and see if it makes a significant difference for me.

I will also say that I have read a lot about this possible "POP" that can happen during the expansion process. It is not suppose to be painful either, but just sorta unnverving. I'm pretty uncomfortable with that. Every time my husband turns the key, I'm just waiting for the dreaded PoP to happen! In fact just anticipating the key turns is creating a high amount of anxiety for me. I found myself having a hard time sleeping last night, as I was dreaming about him having to turn the key again! I suppose that everyone has something that is hard for them or more of a struggle with this procedure, for me the expanding is the worst! I truly can't wait til it is done.
Now with that being said, I must tell you that it is working! My bite was in a totally different spot when I awoke this morning, so even though all of this is aggravating, it is also rather exciting knowing that we are making progress and getting closer to the prize! I just want everyone to know that this procedure is not without its irritations, or frustrations. You will have good days and bad days with it, and at times may even question why you did this. Just remember that the things in life we have to work the hardest at are the things that mean the most. I will get through this, relatively unscathed, as will those of you also having this surgery. For today though.....I just needed to vent a little and be honest with you!