Months 4, 5, & 6 post TJR (May 9)

So what has changed from month three to month four?  Actually quite a bit.

The pre-planning week at school was rough, but once the year actually began my jaw settled down.  It still gets tight and achy throughout the day, but nothing like it was previous to the surgery.  Taking one or two Excedrin keeps my pain level at a 0.  In addition, I do physical therapy exercises and ice my face throughout the day. 

August 12^th, I had to put my 13-year-old Bengal Cat, Gato, to sleep.  In my unprofessional opinion, he went from being himself to not eating, drinking, and howling in pain over night.  The vet found a mass in his stomach and he wasn’t going to make it, so we decided to ease his pain.  I was a mess.  I had been crying since early that morning and hadn’t stopped.  This was the first time in ages that crying didn’t actually cause me excruciating pain.  Knowing that I can appropriately show emotions felt life changing.

August 24^th (week 14), I went to my physical therapy appointment.  Because I knew I was seeing my physical therapist, I didn’t bother doing my exercises that day.  He examined my jaw and muscles.  Even with the tightness, I opened to a 41, moved to the right side at a 5, and my left side a 3.  My eyes are close to even, my smile is almost even, and my swallowing is normal.  Impressed with my recovery, I was discharged from PT.  Yay!  I still have to do my at home PT four times a day for a month, then three times a day for a month, and then three days a week.

Overall, I am still figuring out what triggers my jaw pain. I know that weather does, but what else?  Is it stress?  Is it when I am talking too much?  Did I eat something that wasn’t soft enough?  Overall, my jaw feels better than before but it is still healing. 

 Me on a BAD day

My scars are healing quite well.  There isn't much numbness left and my face appears to be back to normal.

You can definitely see my side burns 

I do have a few questions for my surgeon (or anyone else that might know)

1) When does scar tissue stop forming?

2)Am I still at risk for infection?  If so, when does that risk decrease?

3) Will talking a lot negatively impact my implants?

I didn't get to post because Florida was hit with Hurricane Irma.  I live in south Florida, which was supposed to be a direct hit, however, it shifted to the west at the last minute (thank goodness).  We still received rain, high winds, and tornados. 

Not much changed month five, except the fact I can wear my hair in a ponytail.  I have learned to find ways not to use my jaw as much while teaching, so I feel better.

I also went to see my OMS in Miami, and he was pleased with my joints and my recovery. 

                                            My panaramic x-ray

I also went on a last minute, weekend cruise to the Bahamas with my friend!

Much has changed and much has stayed the same.  Being optimistic about my future is the biggest change.  Yes, I still have aches and pains, but it is not nearly as bad as it use to be.  On occasion I can even eat tougher foods (I do not do this often).  

I still have side burns, but since the hair is getting longer I can tuck it behind my ears.

I have had a strange complication, and at first I had no idea if it had to do with my jaw or not.  Mid September my tongue started looking white and feeling dry.  I ignored it and figured it would go away.

Mid October, my tongue felt the same, so I made a dentist appointment as I was due for a cleaning.  First of all, I felt like an animal on display as everyone in the office had heard that I had bilateral TJR (they had to prescribe me Clindamycin to take an hour previous to the appointment).   The office manager, the dental hygienist, and the dentist all clamored around me to ask questions and look at the pics of my joints.  None of them had ever met anyone who had this procedure.  Needless to say, the teeth cleaning was relatively painless.  I asked about my tongue and they said it wasn't fungal and that it must be a clogged gland. They suggested I use Biotin mouthwash.  

October 31st, I mad an appointment with a local oral surgeon to check my glands.  Once again, my panaramic x-rays are uploaded and examined.  Again, no one in the office has ever met anyone that had this procedure and they are shocked at how well I am recovering.  The oral surgeon wanted to know why I didn't go back to Miami to have my OMS look at it, and I explained that if it has nothing to do with my jaw then why bother.  

Getting ready for Halloween shenanigans!

Bride of FrankensteinBumble Bee

 OH English Department

He examined my tongue and glands.  My glands are not clogged and my mouth is creating saliva.  He then asked if my taste buds have changed....umm yeas, actually after surgery they did.  He explained that many nerves are located in a person's face and that this is, in fact, a jaw issue.  Even though my tongue feels like sandpaper, it is normal.  He suggested I go to a neurologist.  I have no idea.  I haven't decided what to do yet.  

Overall, I am pleased that I chose to get this procedure.  Recovery is long and I still need time to heal; however, it is worth it.  I have had more fun these past three months than I have my first three years back in America.  My life is changing for the better and I am embracing and loving every moment of it (well, almost every moment)!

Oktoberfest

 Volunteering at a 100+ adoption event

3 Months Post (TJR) OP (August 9th)

Even though I don't feel as though much has changed from the 2nd month to the 3rd month, it has.  The muscles and nerves in my face are regenerating.  The sharp pains associated with this regrowth have mostly subsided.  My smile is slightly lopsided, but it gets stronger every week.  My left eye is also closing tighter.

 I no longer have first bite syndrome, which is a relief.  I still crave sweets if I see a commercial, but still can't stand the taste.   I no longer enjoy chocolate, candy, or...Moscato wine.  I can now tolerate a soda every once-in-awhile, but mostly drink water or orange juice.  I rarely drink anything with caffeine, even before surgery.

 Last week I went out twice with friends and drank a bit too much wine, and woke up the next day with my jaw in a lot of pain.  This is strange as I don't know if it has to do with the wine or the way I was holding my face.

Much to my discontent, the muscles in my forehead are also coming back.  I can lift my eyebrows a bit, so I do have more facial expressions than last month.  I am enjoying the benefits of this as long as possible, as it looks as though I had Botox.

My face is still asymmetrical, but it is less noticeable.  Of course, I haven't let this stop me from going out or anything like that.  My left cheek occasionally has a weird sensation, it gets tight and then feels like a snap.  I believe it's muscle spasms.  In fact, I went out to lunch the other day with my mom and she could see my cheek having spasms.

The small patch of hair that was shaved during surgery is growing back and it looks like I have side burns.  Also, near my incision sites are still numb. My incision area looks the same.  My amazing surgeon is very talented with stitches.

I recently was brave enough to get my hair dyed, so I could stop wearing boxer braids every day.  Luckily, my friend (thanks Danielle) and hairdresser knows about my jaw and was extra careful when working with me.

As far as opening, I am at a 40. This is absolutely amazing and I can't believe it.  My side to side range is still at a 3 and 4.  I still go to physical therapy once a week, but that could end shortly if my insurance doesn't approve it for longer.  In addition, I do physical therapy exercises 5X a day. I even do jaw exercises when I'm driving my car or walking.   My range of motion is being maintained, so I am thrilled about that.  I still get a tightness in my face if I go to long without doing PT exercises.

I am still on a limited, mushy diet.  I sometimes cheat and eat grilled chicken, but for the most part I stick with it.  Recently I learned I will probably be on a TMJ diet forever.  Titanium joints do not last as long as Nickel joints, which is something I didn't know prior to surgery.  It is imperative that I take care of these joints so they last as long as possible.  As of August first, my physical therapist changed my diet, so I  can now eat baked chicken, salad (must be chopped and mushy-lots of salad dressing), and small sandwiches.

Before I was allowed salad, I made this and it was delicious.  I just used whatever pasta noodles I had in my cabinet, strawberries, chicken (I bought it cooked), pees (from a can), onion/red pepper (chopped and steamed), and dumped Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing in it.  I also added some pepper and garlic seasoning.  I put it in the fridge :) . Once it cooled, it was a nice refreshing, soft pasta salad.







Most days my pain level is at a 0.  When the pressure outside changes and it begins to rain, my head hurts.  It starts off with my jaw feeling tight and then my entire head begins to ache.  It hurts to walk, to touch my head, or lean forward to read or pick something up.  One Excederin takes care of the pain within ten minutes.

 Also, I get achey if I spend more than four hours doing something.  For instance, hanging out with friends or going to a concert.

Work begins next week-August 7th for me.  It's only preplanning, so I am not concerned.  Even though I feel amazing compared to the daily pain I was in, I am distressed about the amount of talking I will be doing once the school year actually commences.  I intend to do my PT and ice during planning and lunch.  I purchased a microwave for my classroom, so I can easily eat in there and no one will see me doing my exercises.

Update:  Pre-planning week for teachers has not been as easy as I thought.  I naively assumed that my jaw would be fine at least until the students came back, and this is not the case.  I have been talking to many colleagues, collaborating with fellow teachers, and setting up my room.  At the beginning of the day, I am typically fine.  By 11am (3 hours into the day), my pain is at an increased level.  I made the mistake of wearing a pony tail Wednesday, and my pain was through the roof (when I realized what had caused the increase pain, I promptly took it down).  By the end of the day, it hurts to walk (vibrations in my face), breath, and my face is sensitive to touch.  It's not fun.  I keep attempting to calm myself down and stay positive by reminding myself to appreciate the fact I didn't have to give up my career, that the pain is manageable and to ignore it, and to try to find joy and celebrate small successes every single day.  Thursday and Friday were not as bad.

My concern:  How will I get through the first day of school?  How am I going to talk for 6 hours straight?  Is it possible?  Will this get easier with time?  I just don't know.  I'm an English teacher, and truly enjoy what I do.  I will modify my class as much as I can, but there is a great deal of direct instruction and reading.