10 Months Post OP! Woot Woot!

So today is my big 10 month post op anniversary! Woot woot! Still have to pinch myself everyday that I lived through all of this, and that the results have been so fantastic. When the doctor told me it would take a long time to heal I knew he meant it. Of course I really had no conceptualization of just how long 10 months is. I mean until you have gone through it all, and your living the recovery everyday you really have no idea just how long 10 months is. Know what I mean?

So anyway...things are going well. Healing continues believe it or not! Parts of my lower lip is still numb. If you look closely at the pic you can see exactly where the lip is a bit droopy and thatis the numb area. I should add that part of the right side of my tongue is still a bit numb. Feeling is gradually coming back though all over, and is very tingly so I'm pretty sure that it will eventually come back 100%.

Most of the time I hardly notice the numbness at all. I mean it's there but I can feel my lip when I lick it, and have no trouble applying lipstick now so that is a plus. It is deeper, below the surface that I can't really feel yet. My teeth are sortof sensitive in the front right now. I'm guessing because the gums have been getting feeling back. I'm still not able to bite it to things like sandwiches. Not directly anyway. it hurts my teeth. I have to bite stuff off with the side, like with my canines, or break pieces off with my fingers and eat it. Pretty much everything that is really hard or crunchy hurts. Even rice cakes! LOL... NOT super bad, but enough to make me not want to bite into things.

I'm still doing the retainer thing nightly, and have my 3 month retainer check this Thursday. i'm sure it will take all of 5 minutes for him to say "hmmm...things look good, come see me in 6 months"

So here is some new news. I think I have finally discovered what the cause of my chronic sinus infections is. It is not bacterial but fungal......actually yeast! I have a freakin yeast infection in my sinuses if you can believe that! It seems that the Mayo Clinic has recently posted some more info regarding this. Saying that now that they are able to take better cultures that they are finding that many like 90 or more % are caused by fungal infections. Here's how it works. You get a sinus infection. Your doctor gives you antibiotics, which destroy your good intestinal flora. This some how causes like pitting in the intestinal wall which allows for yeast deposits to grow. It can actually sortof infiltrate your system and you can get what is called "systemic yeast issues" meaning that it has spread throughout your body. It can cause brain fog, hormone issues, sleep issues, ear infections, and chronic sinus infections. Also, your body craves carbs, sugar, and chocolate, as the yeast wants to be fed! Milk can also add to this because it has lactose sugar in it.

So....I finished another round of antibiotics while in Hawaii. Two days after I was done things seemed like they were getting worse. I was really stuffed up, and my sinuses were draining like crazy. I was getting a ton of crap I was sniffing out of my sinuses.........but the kicker is, that it was really really sweet tasting, like sugar almost.

My naturalpath doctor prior to surgery had suggested possible fungal issues with my sinuses but it was too close to surgery so I just blew her off. They other day she gave me a perscription for some Nystatin nasal spray (it is compounded at a compounding pharmacy) I decided that I would try it out as, the only reason I could think that my sinuses would be sweet would be from yeast (since it feeds on sugar)

WELL, I'm feeling so much better. I don't have junk running down my throat anymore, I can breathe, I'm not stuffed up, AND my head feels clear. You are supposed to use this stuff for 3 months, as yeast is incredibly hard to totally eliminate from your system, but even after only 2 days it feels like a freakin miracle spray. The doctor also has me on some pretty strong probiotics now to help with things too. I"M soooo happy right now, as I was so bummed about the ENT continually perscribing me antibiotics, and doing surgery with things never getting better. Now I feel like I'm on the road to recovery!

I have been insanely busy so I haven't had time to make an appointment yet for my implant stuff. I want to, but there is just not enough hours in a day for me lately. As soon as things die down I will get in to see the dentist and post the gory details. So that is my latest LONG update. I hope all my other surgery buddies are doing as well as I am!