2 Months Post Op

Yeah! I'm two months post op today! I swear as each week goes by I'm amazed at how fast the time has flown.

Things continue to improve, but are progressing (as expected) a bit slower now. Numbness continues to get better in my lower lip and chin areas, and my lip no longer feels like it was inflated with a tire pump.
I'm starting to get a lot of feelng back in my teeth now. My whole lower right quadrant is very sensitive now, and my lower left quadrant is also getting feeling back. Remarkably I'm also getting feeling back in my upper teeth. I can feel the upper right quadrant quite well, and the left is starting to have whispers of feeling return too. I can really feel my left canine. This is very surprising as with my SARPE it took a long time for feeling to come back on top. My OS even told me a couple weeks ago that I was going to be feeling numb on top for quite awhile. I'm not complaining mind you, actually I'm pleasantly surprised. When I think about it though, my whole recovery has sorta been on the fast track so I suppose it is just going along as it should.

My tongue is about the same as last week. Still a bit numb and tingly on the tip and about a 1/4 of the way down the left aide. It is getting better though. Eating is still a challenge and I suspect it will be for quite awhile. I still have 4 more weeks of soft chew, but honesty I don't mind as I hate eating anything that really requires me to use my teeth. It just feels uncomfortable, and my left cheek still has a bit of swelling on the inside so I'm constantly biting it, or chomping down on the numb part of my lower lip. So...I pretty much continue to eat stuff that requires little chewing or that I can swallow whole. I will probably continue to do this until my doctor clears me for a "chewing free for all" at 12 weeks post op, or tells me that I HAVE to eat! I should mention though that I CAN chew with my new bite. Things are actually feeling very secure. I have experimented a bit and can chew peanuts with no pain or discomfort, fried foods, and even french bread. Now I realize this is a bit of a contradiction. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm ABLE to chew and it doesn't really hurt, but it is not comfortable, nor does it feel normal, so I'm not liking it, and therefore I'm not doing it very much.

I can officially say that I hate these rubberbands. Not sure if its because my teeth are in super fast moving mode or what, but I feel like they are constantly moving back and forth everyday and it is really annoying me. I'm also starting to notice that they are creating a small gap between my right front incisor and second incisor as well as one on the bottom between my canine and first premolar. This of course is the LAST THING I WANT!!! GAPS have to be closed! which means more time in these stupid braces! I was so hoping we were going to be just about finished after this rubberband configuration, but I'm starting to think that is NOT going to happen. I want my teeth to be perfect (as much as is possible) so that means I will have to stay in these babies for as long as it takes to make that happen. Sometimes I feel like I just want to put a power chain on my own teeth! Know what I mean? Like take my orthodontics into my own hands! I swear sometimes I think I could do it better or FASTER! Not sure why I think that but I do! Mostly though I just want out of these braces and everytime I see something thats not perfect I think...NOOOOOO....8 more weeks! :(

On a happy note, I have been able to get back to the gym and really get back into my exercise routine. I have managed to lose 16lbs so far since surgery. I'm sleeping so well now, and have a ton of energy! I mean I feel like my old self, before I started having the apnea events. Like I'm 25 again! It is a great feeling and has made this whole surgery more then worth any of the aggravation I have endured.

A funny thing happened today. I went to this regular restaurant we frequent for some pho noodle soup. There is this very adorable hispanic girl that works there and knows my order by heart (since I go there all the time) I was checking out today and she says to me "Do you mind if I tell you something?" I was a little surprised but said "no not at all, go ahead" She said "I noticed from the first time you came in here to eat that you had braces, and I have to tell you that you are the first adult that I have seen with them that looks so cute." She said "I see people in here all the time with them but they never really look good, but they look sooo cute on you" I had to just laugh and say "thank you" I told her that the thrill for me had sorta worn off and that hopefully they will be coming off very soon, but that I appreciated the compliment" I guess I have never really thought about how my braces looked, only that they were doing the job I had hoped they would. I know I have never been self conscious about them or anything like that, so it was sorta funny to have someone tell me that they thought I looked cute in them. Oh...well, if you gotta wear braces I guess that is a good thing right?