Day 11 - GUEST POST!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome Dear Readers to the first (of possibly many) Guest Posts.

Today we hear from world renowned authors Gaby Stava and Courtney Camperell, Jen's most favorite people in the entire world.

Craving of the Day: Gaby and Courtney

We should start off by letting you know that when we travelled in from Los Angeles, we had many fears. These included….making Jen laugh too hard…and killing her. Making Jen cry…and killing her. And eating too much food in front of a sleep and food deprived Jen Maillo…and killing her spirit. However, when we arrived late Friday night, we were pleasantly surprised!

You can wire a girl's mouth shut but you can't wire shut her spirit.  As soon as we saw her trying to smile with her eyes we knew the same ol' hilarious Jen was in there.  We asked some questions, shared some stories and laughed a little - but not too much for fear of night time spasms. We even were treated to a video of Jen's surgery experience! After awhile we could understand most of Jen's grunts, and if not there was always her vocal app (Stephana Hawking) Kevin shuttled us off to the apartment complete with thermostat tutorial and thorough TV remote instructions from Ms. Jen.

After a restful night of sleep, we set off to grab breakfast (with college chums Cady Kollen-Fuste and Annie Green) in order to avoid eating in front of Jen. We only had beef broth Jen, I promise. Afterwards, we headed back to Jen's moms for movies, avoiding Francis's bites, more movies, and general hangouts. People texted us throughout the day asking how Jen was, and we pretty much continually had to brag about how well Jen was doing. I swear, I don't think we would last a day with our mouths wired shut, trying to still crack jokes, while on an all liquid diet (including a lemon poundcake concoction we found good, but pretty sure Jen was just putting on a good face for--pun intended). Eventually, us non-bane humans needed to have dinner, and Jen went on an outing with us to dinner without complaining once!

After a delicious "Thai" dinner from Taiwan we headed back to watch Jurassic Park - yes everyone, I (Gaby) had not seen the entire movie until tonight but fear not I am officially a member of the team now.  My life has been changed for the better and I feel like a new person.  All and all the weekend so far has been a blast.  We binged on some Theatre of Life videos and laughed until we spasmed.  Jen is doing 4,000 times better than we expected.  I was thinking we'd see her for an hour or so and that she'd look like death.  The girl is a champ and between her sarcastic noises and text-to-talk app it's like nothing has changed. She even doesn't look that swollen anymore! Show off…

We'd like to think that we are the reason for Jen's speedy recovery, but the truth is she has some pretty awesome people behind her. Her dad is always making her laugh and stay positive (even to the point where Kevin has to tell Jen to cool it down and stop laughing), her mom spends every waking moment making sure she is comfortable, and she has the most amazing boyfriend to keep her spirits up and brags about how much of a champ she's been. He even remarked on how cute it was that she could still do her "Jenny laugh" with her mouth closed shut. She's pretty lucky, and we have no doubt that she's going to rock this recovery.

Until next time (possibly tomorrow after more adventures), dear readers, good night!

Shows Watched:
House Hunters (with a weird guy with four cats!)
Footloose (the new one)
The Heat
Jurassic Park
Mighty Ducks

Shakes Devoured:
Ensure
"Fried Chicken"
Lemon/Apple Surprise
Chocolate Peanut Butter

Day 10 - our first experiment in the Nutribullet

Today's Craving: 

Last night. I had the best night of sleep yet! Today, dad is walking around with a puffed up chest. He insists that it's his good care that made it possible. I only had 2 spasms all night; one about 30 minutes after I fell asleep, and another in the middle of the night (around 4am). A Christmas miracle! Plus, I slept in until 11am!

Mom went to Madison's baccalaureate mass this morning (I can't believe she's old enough to be graduating from ugh school!) but when she got home, she made me an awesome smoothie with blueberries and bananas. Yum! That brought me to my first obstacle of the day: getting blueberry skins out of your mouth when you're wired shut. But it's okay, the smoothie was definitely worth the work :)

After breakfast we hung out and I watched a little TV. Since it's been about two weeks since I've been to my apartment, and Courtney and Gaby flew in tonight to stay there, I figured I should go by, grab some more supplies and clean up a bit. So Mom, Kevin and I did just that. Meanwhile, Dad went to meet Grandma, Grandpa and the rest of the family for dinner at Dio Deka in Los Gatos. No big deal. I'm not bitter at all that they wait until I'm wired shut to go have this amazing dinner. Just one more thing to look forward to, I guess. 

When we came home, we dove right into Game of Thrones again and then I got hit with a craving. A craving I could actually satisfy! So I asked Mom to make her greatest creation yet: A chocolate & peanut butter shake. The added bonus is that we finally found a good use for the chocolate ensure. You see, we had bought chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, but I didn't really like the chocolate very much. It made this weird film in my mouth that seemed to just get stuck in there no matter how much I rinsed or suctioned. Anyways, in shake form it was BOMB.COM. Plus it gave me a little but of protein, from the Ensure, so it kept me full for quite a bit. I have a new go-to snack, for sure. 

Around the time I was finishing my fourth syringe, Kevin took off for the airport to pick up Gaby and Courtney. They'll be here through the weekend! I'm so excited to have them here. I only hope my jaw can behave, because every time we're together, we're laughing. Which is normally painful for me.  Already, when Kevin got home from the airport, we all had each other cracking up with my talking app! It's gonna be a great weekend. 

Here's my progress picture for the day:

I'm managing to smile a bit now, despite the swelling and numbness. It looks like most of the swelling has moved down to my neck, which is exciting.

Thanks for reading!

Day 9 - New stuff to keep my mind entertained!

Today's craving: Onion Rings 

This morning, I slept in a little longer than I was expecting. I had another rough night of sleep. Plus, at one point I was having a very vivid dream that I had a big slice of white bread stuck in my mouth. I remember choking on the bread and when I woke up, I had my hands in my mouth, trying to pull the plastic between my teeth out. Luckily, that sucker is wired in. Guess my subconscious was feeling a little claustrophobic.

When I woke up, I went upstairs and took a bath before my visitors showed up. Soon after Grandpa and Michelle arrived! We sat down and visited a bit (as best I can without being able to speak). They brought me some awesome gifts. Grandpa bought me a set of colored pencils and a coloring book. He has the same book himself, so we can complete the book together! Michelle brought me an awesome book that will teach me how to crochet, plus crochet hooks and whole bunch of yarn! So many things that will keep my mind and hands occupied over the next 5 weeks :)

At that point, everyone was pretty hungry so they left to go have lunch. I was just about to settle in for a nap when Katlyn called me on FaceTime. You know, it's pretty ironic but I'm using FaceTime more than ever since my surgery. I can't really talk but I guess it's more handy because you can see my face and I can (most of the time) get my point across. 

Classic faces. 

By the time everyone got home, I had just hung up with Katlyn. So we all decided to watch a movie (The Bourne Legacy). I was going in and out of napping so I only saw a short bit of the movie. But Mom made me some soup for lunch. I downed 3 syringes; I was hungry! So every time after I eat, I have to rinse my mouth with saline to keep everything (especially the stitches) clean. As I was rinsing, I noticed that my mouth was bleeding. Of course, to me, this means I'm dying. :P So I ran to find mom and ask her to call Dr. Fujimoto, just to make sure this was okay. We paged him and meanwhile, I stressed. 

Suddenly the doorbell rang. It was the mailman and he had a package, for moi! I ripped it open and inside was a beautiful prayer shawl, made for me by my wonderful godmother, Aunt Cathy. She had packaged it with lavender so it smells wonderful! And it's my favorite color, purple! I've been using it today while sitting in my recliner and it's just so comforting. I'm so grateful and lucky to have so many thoughtful people invested in my recovery. It makes every day a bit easier. 

Dr. Fujimoto called us back and assured us that a little bleeding is perfectly normal. He says that the blood vessels back by the incisions are pretty sensitive so if anything disrupts them, we can expect a little blood. I was worried this would mean limitations on if I can use my suction machine or a straw, but he said I'm fine on both fronts. To soothe me from the trauma, Mom made me a milkshake with the ice cream Yvonne brought over and some banana. It was delish! I ate 4 syringes worth. Definitely gonna have to try that out again. 

The rest of the evening was spent watching TV with the family and explaining my medications to dad and Kevin. They'll each be taking shifts on the couch downstairs taking care of me at night. It's really just giving me my doses of pain meds in the middle of the night and making sure I don't die. Tonight is Dad's first shift. If you don't hear from me tomorrow, you'll know it didn't go too hot :P

Here's my progress picture for the day:

More of the same, if you ask me. But I'm happy with it!

Thanks for reading!

Day 8 - Trying new stuff

Today's Craving: Raviolis 

Well, last night I woke up every 2 hours with spasms. It wasn't exactly pleasant. But I ended up sleeping until 11am this morning. By the time I woke up, I ate brunch (ensure) and started watching Mad Men, one of the series I really want to finish before I go back to work.

After brunch, I got ready for the day and brushed my teeth. Also, for the fist time I used the Peridex rinse that Dr. Fujimoto prescribed for me. The Peridex is a prescription rinse that is supposed to kill any and all bacteria in my mouth. I'm supposed to use it because there is no way to clean the back side of my teeth. However, Dr. Fujimoto let me know that theres a downside to using it; it can stain your teeth. He said that this staining is, most of the time, irreversible, so he's recommended that I only use it twice a week. Can you imagine if after going through all of this I ended up with stained teeth?!? I'd be pissed.

I spent the rest of the afternoon plowing through Mad Men. Dad and Kevin came home early in the afternoon. I'm (reluctantly) happy to report that my nemesis, Francis, seems to have made a full recovery from whatever bug was plaguing him the past week. He's back to his ankle snapping old self. Dad is super happy to have his buddy back.

As the afternoon went on, I started to sink into a funk. The doctor had warned us that it might happen. That I'd have good and bad days. I just felt bleh and the more I thought about it the more I realized…I was freaking hungry! And I mean really hungry, not chicken broth and Ensure hungry. So after some tears, we decided to give the syringe another shot. Dad got out the cream of potato soup, cooked it up and then ran it through the Nutribullet. In order for it to run through the syringe and tubing, it had to be totally liquified. The moment of truth came and we loaded it into the syringe. I stuck the tube into my mouth, depressed the syringe and….

OH MY GOD IT WAS SO GOOD. I downed like 3.5 syringes in like 10 minutes, and to my surprise I finally felt satisfied. It's not the easiest way to eat, especially since I'm still so numb, but it will definitely do, for now. I can't wait to try some more new stuff now!

Check out that look of concentration. It's a delicate balance of "GET IN MY BELLY" and "Please don't explode out of my mouth"

After that Yvonne came over and introduced us to her new puppy. She was so cute and Yvonne brought me the prettiest flowers. She also brought me some yogurt and some ice cream. I can't wait to dig into that. I see a bunch of shakes in my future :)

Now we've all settled down to the couch and we're watching Captain Phillips, at dad's request. It's pretty fitting because now that I can eat out of the syringe, I am the freakin' captain now! Take that, pirate like wires holding my jaw in place!

Here's my progress picture for the day:

Thanks for reading!

Day 7 - 1 week down :)

Today's craving: Egg Salad Sandwich  


A week, people! 1 week down! We're 1/6th of the way there. Honestly, it went faster than I though it would. I've also been anxiously awaiting this day because it was time for my first post-op check up with Dr. Fujimoto. My main concerns with these jaw spasms was that I was scared I had accidentally knocked my jaw out of alignment. I was excited to be able to check with him to make sure that everything was A-Ok.

Another night of fitful sleep. I had a dream last night that I went into the office for a meeting. Since I am on medical leave, I am not allowed to do any work while I am out. So in my dream, I had come in just for this meeting and was planning on leaving. Since I had come in, they demanded that I now come off of medical leave and return to work immediately. I was freaking out because I couldn't communicate with anyone. My dream then went into a montage of my daily life, only at the office; Me trying to drink my ensure, me with my suction tube, trying to brush my teeth, me getting a spasm at my desk. Yes, even in dreams I think in montages. Then it ended, for some reason, with me hitchhiking home. Not sure what that's all about.

The bruising was worse this morning. It's much more noticeable. The majority of it is this weird yellow color. Like a highlighter exploded all over my chest. But there is one little spot under my neck that has some purple in it.

 

For the first time since I came home from the hospital, I actually put on some real clothes for my doctor's appointment. I've been living in PJs and my robe, but figured I should spare the innocent people of Cupertino from seeing me in that state. I put on my best yoga pants, put my hair up in a nice ponytail and Mom and I were off. 

We made it to Dr. Fujimoto's Office in Cupertino, and soon we were meeting with the man himself. Dr. Fujimoto was very impressed with my recovery, so far. He attributes it to how well my surgery went. Most surgeries take about 3+ hours and mine only ended up taking 1.5 hours. Then he sent me off to take X-Rays.

Here's my mouth and jaw from the front. You can see the pieces of my jaw that were broken (the yellow arrows). Jaw Bone 1 is hanging down a little lower, it's not exactly flush, but Dr. Fujimoto says that it is minuscule and will probably fix itself over the next 6 weeks. The red shows the wires that are under my gums, holding the 2 pieces of broken bone together. We used this wire, in order to avoid putting in titanium plates. 

Here's my new profile. The most exciting thing about this is the placement of my teeth. As you can see, the teeth on the top jaw are now extended over the bottom jaw. Before my surgery, they were flush with each other and the teeth were banging together and chipping. 

Like I said, Dr. Fujimoto was very happy with my results. He got a real kick out of my iPhone app that allows me to talk. He told me that my muscle spasms are totally normal and expected. And that in order to pull the bones out of alignment, something really terrible would have to happen, like me getting hit in the face or falling down. He also cleared me to use straws, start eating more substantial soups and take a shower. He did say that I should probably keep sleeping upright. Boo. We made an appointment to see him again next week for my next follow-up. 

After we got home, I (of course) put my PJs back on and took a little nap. Then Phil came to visit! He brought me a couple of magazines and an awesome collection of movies, specially curated by him. A good blend of more serious movies that won't cause me too much pain. I can't wait to dig into all of them! Kevin came over to build my suction machine (huzzah), so we watched Edward Scissorhands and Ace Ventura.

After the boys left and mom came home, I was starving so Mom and I decided that I should try eating some soup through my syringe. This is basically the only way to eat while you are wired shut. What it is, is a large syringe that you fill with soup. You then attach rubber tubing (normally a catheter or enema tubing), put the rubber tubing in the side of your mouth, along your teeth, until the end is at the back of your mouth. Then you depress the syringe so the soup shoots into the back of your mouth, kind of in that space behind your molars where there are no teeth. Well, Grandma had made me a huge pot of split pea, but it seemed too thick to try as my first soup. So we decided to try the tomato bisque we had bought. Mom watered it down to try and make it thinner, and we loaded it into the syringe. I put the tubing into my mouth, depressed the syringe and….soup exploded out of my mouth. The soup would just not get through my teeth. So I went and cleaned my mouth using some saline, and brushed my teeth. The just drank some ensure out of my little dixie cups. What a bust. Guess we'll try again tomorrow…

Here's my progress picture for today:

Doesn't look too different. Though it appears my right side is more swollen than my left? Which surprises me because most of my spasms come from my left side. Not sure why I would think there is a correlation…

Thanks for reading!

Day 6 - What's in my mouth?

Today's craving: Eggs in a basket

I slept pretty poorly last night. When I woke up around 3:00am to take my pain pill, I turned the TV on to relax a bit. Dog: The Bounty Hunter and Beth slowly coaxed me back to sleep sometime around 5am. Thanks for da help brudda. When I woke up later that morning, I had breakfast and started watching "Mad Men". It's one of the series I've decided to start watching while I am out on leave.

We had decided that his morning was the morning that we would attempt to wash my hair. You see, I can't really lay my head back. It puts too much pressure on my jaw. I also can't really take a shower yet, since the water isn't supposed to hit my face. Also they're worried about me standing for long periods of time. Go figure. So as I was getting ready to jump in the bath, I noticed a new development: my first signs of bruising.

It doesn't show very well in the picture above but you can kind of make it out. It's mostly just that my neck and top of my chest have a weird yellowish tinge to it now. I'm pleasantly surprised though, I expected it to be much worse.

So mom took me upstairs and we drew my bath. I got in and it felt AH-MAZING. I soaked for a while, then mom and I took on the 2 man task of washing my hair. So like I said, I can't just tilt my head back because it puts a lot of pressure on my jaw, which can make it move further back in the socket, which is no bueno. So I had to put my hands behind me, then lean back on them which allowed my head to tilt ever so slightly. Mom then washed my hair. Then I had to assume a whole new position to rinse it. Honestly, this struggle was something I never really thought about when preparing for this surgery. It just did not occur to me that I might have issues showering. So if anyone out there is prepping for surgery and found this little blog of mine, make sure you have someone you would feel comfortable pouring water over your head while you're naked, sitting cross legged with a washcloth over your eyes.  (thank god for moms…)

After that joyous experience, our family friend, Connie came over to visit. She was carrying a big box and said she had something for me. She had made me my very own T-Shirt Quilt! She took all of my old Delta Zeta tshirts and put them together to make the cutest comfiest quilt ever!

Connie is the craftiest woman alive and makes some of the most beautiful quilts you've ever seen. I feel truly honored that she took the time to make it for me. It is really something I will treasure forever. Mom hit the nail on the head when she said "Oh she isn't going to even let anyone else touch this quilt…". I can't thank you enough Connie!!!

I should add that mom helped with the quilt too (in that she did some of the ironing). So thanks Mom!

Connie and I with my quilt. Sorry for the bad lighting. 

Connie's visit left me pooped (and with a spasm from trying to talk) so I passed out in the recliner. When I came to, Dad and Kevin had both come home. Kevin mentioned something about feeling cold, having the chills and not feeling so hot. So we had to kick him out of the house. We just can't take the chance that I would get sick. If I get congested and my nose it blocked, I'm really screwed. So it was bye bye Kevin for the night :(

As for the rest of the night, I managed to suck down some ensure for dinner, with my usual antibiotic and pain med chasers. As Mom and I settled into season 2 of Game of Thrones (we're trying to catch her up), I noticed that it felt like there was something in my mouth. At first I thought it was just a bit of ensure, but as I played with it, I came to a terrifying conclusion.

I THINK THERE IS A HAIR IN MY MOUTH.

People, this is terrible. I can't get it out! My teeth are locked shut and it is stuck on my tongue. I've tried everything! I drank a crap ton of water, tried swishing with mouthwash (which is a poor excuse for swishing since I'm still so numb and fragile) and even tried drinking more ensure. No luck. Kevin ordered a suction machine, like the one I had in the hospital, off the internet for me, so I'm thinking maybe when that gets here and set up, it will help me with this little dilemma. But I guess I'll just have to live with it until then.

Here's my progress picture for the day:

Look at that clean hair! ;)

Thanks for reading!

Day 5 - Francis is plotting to kill me, I know it.

Today's craving: BK Chicken sandwich

Last night I was woken up with, you guessed it, another really bad spasm. I allowed myself a mini freakout at 3:30am and then told myself I needed to get some more rest, so I forced myself back to sleep. Regardless, when I woke up in the morning, I still felt pretty tired. Mom made me some breakfast (2 little cups of Kellogg's Instant Breakfast, and 2 cups of strawberry ensure) and I watched Erin Brokovich.

After the movie I got up to grab my robe and as I was lowering myself back onto the recliner, I was hit with another muscle spasm (Is this shit getting old for you too, yet?). This one had me in tears. I've been pretty good so far about just breathing through the pain and letting it pass but this one took me by such shock that I couldn't control it. I asked mom to page Dr. Fujimoto to see if we could get an answer about these spasms, and a couple of other questions we had brewing.

To try and take my mind off of it, we watched the Kevin James movie "Here Comes the Boom". It was a good distraction, and only had a few laugh out loud parts, so it didn't cause me too much pain to watch. After the movie Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for a while. Grandma snuck in some of her yummy food (that I didn't find hiding in the fridge until later). I was looking forward to them coming over so I was happy to visit with them.

The doctor called us back and let us know that these muscle spasms are totally normal. He said that my jaw has a muscle memory, so randomly it will "remember" that it wants to open and will try to. He says this will tend to happen more when I am very relaxed, which makes sense, because most of them have woken me up from sleep or happened shortly after. He also gave mom some information about the maximum dosage of the pain medications I can use each day. Brenda's a good nurse, but math has never been her strong suit :P Luckily, we were in the clear.

Mom was having a Matt Damon craving, so we decided to show Kevin "The Rainmaker". I went through this phase in 4th and 5th grade where I was obsessed with John Grisham's novels. I read all of his books, starting with The Client, and was convinced that I needed to move to Mississippi and practice Trial Law. It explains so much…So we watched The Rainmaker, and I was thinking it might be a fun challenge to watch all of the John Grisham novels that have been turned into movies while I am out on leave. Looking it up, it's only 7 movies, so totally do-able.

Francis had wanted to sit on my lap toward the end of the movie, and since we normally hate each other, I thought I would extend the preverbal olive branch and let him sit with me. We finished the movie and Mom and Dad were kind of play-fighting with each other. At that moment, time kind of slowed down. You see, Francis is a pacifist. This is ironic because he bites me all the time, and is generally a little a-hole. But he hates seeing anyone hurt someone else, even if its just in fun. So I saw mom wind up like she was going to sucker punch dad and I knew Francis was gonna freak. So I tried to yell "STOP" which I'm sure sounded something like "SSHHDRRRPPPP" but it was too late. Francis erupted, which scared me, and threw me back in the chair and led to the 3rd big muscle spasm of the day. Kevin brought me more pain meds and talked me off the ledge, while Francis really didn't give a shit. Just another day in the life.

In other news, all of the skin has chapped and peeled off my lips. You see, my tongue is trapped between the wires, so I can't lick my lips at all. I've been covering them in vaseline, but I guess it hasn't helped. Sorry if it's TMI, just trying to keep it real.

So, after a busy day, I sat down to the beautiful dinner below:

MMM beef broth with a side of antibiotic. 

Here's my progress picture for today:

I think it looks like some of the swelling has gone down from yesterday. And looks how nice and exfoliated my lips look! Silver lining I guess?

Thanks for reading!

Day 4 - Yep, still swelling...

Today's Craving: Cheese Pizza 

Another rough night of sleep but I made it. When I woke up at 3:45am to take my pain med, I watched TV because I couldn't fall back to sleep. Plus, "The Mighty Ducks" was on, and you do not turn that ish off when it's showing.  I noticed "The Joy Luck Club" was on but ending, so I set it to tape later in the morning. When mom and I woke up, we watched it and ate breakfast (Ensure for me). I'm not sure it was the best movie choice, since I'm not supposed to cry while my jaws are wired shut, because it blocks my nose (aka my only airway right now). On the other hand, I've discovered that laughing a lot really hurts my cheeks and jaws, so it's a catch 22. I'm stuck either watching poorly acted dramas or mediocrely written comedies.

After the movie, I went upstairs and mom helped me with a "bath". I can't take a shower yet, since the water is not supposed to hit my face and mom didn't have a stopper for her tub, so a solid wipe down with a wet washcloth it is! It was rather reminiscent of Game of Thrones. Just call me Khaleesi. It felt really good and refreshing though. Then mom put my hair in a bun, so it was out of my face.  A regular salon visit. 

After I ate lunch, Cady and Joanna came by to visit. Cady brought me a bunch of magazines and books, and Joanna brought me some TV box sets and a cute flower. It was nice to visit with them, and answer Joanna's 47 questions about the surgery :P I'm lucky to have friends who are so invested in my recovery.

After the visiting, I was super worn out, so Francis and I settled into the recliner for a nap. I was in that weird space where your half asleep and half awake, when all of a sudden something made Francis bark. It scared the crap out of me, so I started awake and the panic caused the biggest muscle spasm yet.   I'm having small muscles spasms regularly. Normally, in the middle of the night, or when I'm swallowing, but when these big ones happen, it's so unnerving (pun intended). It felt like my bone split and sharp shooting pains went through my lower jaw. It really scared me. I was worried I had jostled something out of place. Luckily, Mom and Kevin were able to talk me down and through it.

Francis is also on the mend. He has pneumonia and is also eating out of a syringe. Trying to steal my sparkle...

After that episode, Kevin's parents and brother came over to visit. Again, they spoiled me with some beautiful orchids. That segued nicely to a nice dinner of chicken broth and a little fun on the iPad. I've discovered my new favorite obsession, the MyVegas Slot app. Slot machines, from the comfort of my recliner, without risking any of my own money?!? This was made for me.

We ended the night by watching the documentary Blackfish. Again, not quite sure where my head was at with this movie choice. Because nothing perks you up after major surgery like watching the story of poor Orcas trapped in captivity and forced to live their days in isolation from their families…

Here's my progress picture from today:

Every other blog I've read says that the swelling usually peaks on Day 3. Even Dr. Fujimoto suggested that would be my biggest day, but I really think today I was bigger than yesterday. Mostly around my second chin area. And my face just looks wider. No real bruising yet though, so that's a good thing. 

Thanks for reading!

PS. I know a couple of people have had issues leaving comments on the blog. When leaving your comment, you have to select a choice in the "comment as" field. If you already have a Google account, you can login with your information. Otherwise, the easiest way is to select "Name/URL" and then just fill in your name in the comment. If anyone has specific questions, I'm happy to help :)

Day 3: So this is business as usual?

Craving Today: Taco Bell's Cheese Roll-Up    

The morning of Day 3, I slept in a bit. I slept in the recliner and mom slept on the couch and played my nurse. Every couple of hours she was up, getting me my pain medication and making sure I could sleep. I struggled to find a good balance with my pain med, and the pain woke me up a couple of times. I also had a dream that I was chewing something, and felt like i bit down, and that woke me up. It was a very scary moment for me, because though I am wired shut, I was worried that I was clamping my teeth, which would put pressure on my jaw. And my jaw needs all the freedom it needs without pressure so it can focus on healing. But mom was such a good nurse. I'm lucky to have her :) Since we were up so frequently that night, we decided to sleep in a bit.

All morning, my jaw was very tight. I think a lot of it stemmed from visiting with Amy the night before and trying to talk and communicate with everyone. I couldn't really talk this morning if I tried. So I decided that I should try and be as quiet as I can during the day. I actually downloaded a text-to-speech app for my iPhone and iPad. It allows me to respond and speak to everyone, and it's totally come in handy. Though it makes me feel like a female Stephen Hawking.

For breakfast, we decided to try something other than the broth I have been eating. So I had a carnation instant breakfast shake. I had the chocolate flavor and actually really liked it. We have these little dixie cups (like you would normally use in the bathroom when brushing your teeth) and I've been using them to eat and drink out of. It's much easier than filling up a syringe with food every time, and syringing everything in my mouth, which is a mess, believe you me.

After that, I figured I should look a little more presentable to the world, so mom helped me brush my hair and wash my face and…wait for it…brush my teeth for the first time! Okay, so for most people the whole not eating thing would be the biggest frustration (and yea, talk to me in a couple of weeks and it will probably be my new biggest frustration) but for me, not being able to clean my teeth has been KILLING me. As it is, I am able brush the outside of my teeth, but there will never be a way to get inside and brush the backs or my tongue. When I told my dentist about this surgery, he gave me the tiniest toothbrush known to mankind, so I am able to maneuver it in there and brush the front of my teeth around the wires. I still can't brush all the way in the back, since my stitches are still healing and I don't want to eff anything up, but just being able to brush those front teeth and using my floride mouthwash felt like heaven. Who knew I was so OCD about my teeth?!?

So that whole ordeal brought me to about lunch time, where it was time for (who guessed it?) BROTH! I was mid-drink when all of a sudden my jaw spasmed, hard. It was worse than the car spasm episode I had. It felt like my jaw was being thrown open, but then was being clamped shut at the same time. It was also accompanied with a crazy sharp pain rushing through my lower jaw. It really scared me! So of course, I yelped and went into panic mode, immediately followed by a meltdown about how now my jaw was probably totally misaligned and I was screwed. The cracks in the armor slowly reveal themselves. LOL.

After that Kevin's mom, Luisa, came over to visit. She of course spoiled me and brought over a lot of goodies, especially a beautiful orchid. It was nice to visit and catch her up on my surgery and what I've been doing the last couple of days. After that, I FaceTime with my gramma and she suggested that I have a task to focus on that evening, so I started coloring one of the giant pictures Amy brought for me.  Just call me Ozzy Ozbourne with my paint by number sets...

Today was all about adjusting to the new norm of my life for the next 6 weeks. I'm still trying to figure out how everything is going to go, what our routines will be and how I'm going to keep myself sane for the rest of this ordeal. Thankfully, I have the best care team in the world who are always willing to do whatever it takes. More importantly, they are willing to put up with my mumbling as communication and my hissy fits when no one understands what I am trying to convey. I'm pretty thankful for them, and I guess this means I'm gonna have to do something nice for them when this is all over. UGH :P

Photo courtesy of the selfie button!

Here's my progress picture for the day. I don't see much of a change:

Is it just me or are my jowls getting bigger? Keep packing on that chin, body. I really appreciate what it does for my look…

Supposedly, this is the day that is supposed to be the peak of swelling so we'll see. If this is my peak, I'll be overjoyed!

Do you see much of a difference? Thanks for reading!

Day 2: Home from the hospital

This morning I got to go home! But I guess I should explain how we got there.

Yesterday afternoon, Dr. Lee came to visit and said that I would need to stay the night again. He said as soon as I had a hold on my pain management I would be able to leave but he thought it best I stayed for the time being. He was very impressed with how well I was recovering though. So the nurses brought a roll-away in my room so Kevin could stay with me through the night. I worked with the nurses on duty to come up with a plan for my pain meds. I was still alternating between Tylenol with Codine and Ibuprofen, so every 2 hours I was taking a dose of something. I tried to spread out the dosages a bit, so I could get some rest and not have to wake up so frequently but after a while I got a little behind the pain and it was too much. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful, but Kevin was there to help me every time I needed to get up.

Dr. Fujimoto, my other surgeon, woke us up first thing in the morning around 6am. He asked about my pain and said that if I felt comfortable, I could go home. He also said I looked really well and was recovering nicely. After he left, Kevin and I rested until mom showed up. She had spent the night at Lauren's since Dad had to go back home the night before to take care of Francis (he has pneumonia so we're both on the mend. He's just trying to steal my thunder…). But dad told us he was going to pick us up when I was discharged.

Mom showed up and I had breakfast, and we started to get everything ready to leave. Around 11am they gave me my discharge papers and dad showed up to pick us up. They called the transport guy to take me down to the lobby, and it ended up being the same guy who brought me up to the recovery room from ICU. He said he remembered me. It's hard to forget a face like mine right now.

We made our way down to the lobby and loaded all of my stuff into the car. The ride home was nerve-wracking. My jaw felt so susceptible to every little bump in the road. Also, I'm not able to fully lay my head back because it puts too much pressure on my jaw. So in an effort to provide myself a little bit of relief and support for my neck, I laid my chair in the Escalade back a small bit. Unfortunately, it must have been too much though because all of a sudden my jaw had a huge muscle spasm. It seemed like my jaw was struggling to open and then stay closed at the same time. It was totally unnerving. I don't mind the pain so much, but just the idea that something might have gotten knocked out of place freaks me out! Apparently these muscle spasms are normal and expected in the first couple weeks of recovery.

We eventually made it home where Mom's team had sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers! Then we set me up in the recliner with all of my necessary things in arms reach: phone, ice bag, water, chapstick, tissues, etc. This will be my go to for a while; I plan on sleeping in the recliner for next couple of weeks. Those who I used to call family then proceeded to eat Togo's lunch in front of me. That's right people, on the very. first. day. home. It smelled so good. So I reminded them I had not yet eaten lunch and was promptly served some lovely chicken broth :P

As I dozed in the recliner, the doorbell rang and a delivery man showed up with a huge balloon bouquet from Mary Jo. I was grinning ear to ear, which is very difficult right now. Kevin was actually concerned that I would hurt my jaw from smiling and told me I needed to calm down. LOL. Thanks Mary!

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and being doped up, in my case. Later, Amy came over to visit and brought with her some awesome gifts to keep me in good spirits throughout my recovery. Supplies for 7&7's and an iTunes gift card from the TriPod (thanks guys!) and some crafts that are totally up my alley from her, dave and the kids. I don't know what I would do without the support I've received from everyone. The love and encouragement has been overwhelming and I'm so lucky to have so many people who care about me. It's one thing that has helped me stay focused so far through my recovery. So whether you wrote on my Facebook page, sent a card or gift or even are just following along here, thanks for sticking through it with me.

On a much more hilarious note, here's my progress picture for the day. I really think I am starting to resemble a certain Austin Powers villain…

Thanks for reading!

Day 1: Bye Bye Tubes

Last night was quite the challenge. You see, I was on morphine which was causing my breathing to slow, so every time I would fall asleep, an alarm would go off and I'd have to wake up and take a few deep breaths in order to prove I wasn't dying. Meanwhile, I just wanted to sleep! It was exhausting. The nurses came in every few hours to give me my pain meds and antibiotics. After that, we seemed to hit a magic level where I could sleep without the breathing alarm going off...which then convinced me that the alarm was broken and I'd die in my sleep. I'm telling you, I just can't be satisfied!

Meanwhile, my NG tube had come untaped, which left it flapping around on my face and down my throat. A most pleasant of experiences. So I asked the nurse to retape it, and she decided to retape it so it was pretty much blocking my whole nostril. I ended up writing notes like this:

Which brings me to my next point, I can't talk right now. Like, at all. So I have a mini notepad  filled with all of these weird notes.  I'm like an old timey reporter, only with huge jowls and sarcastic comments that I can't express out loud. 

Back to my night in the ICU, a couple of nurses came in around 4:30am to take some blood.  After a couple of tries, we were able to coax my veigns out and get a sample. After that, I watched TV and dozed until one of my surgeons, Dr Lee came in to check on me. As soon as he got there, I begged him to take out the NG tube and just like that  the heavens opened up and answered my prayers. Though the process itself was not really something to get excited for! They rather unceremoniously pulled the tube out of my stomach/throat/nose, which was one of the weirdest sensations ever. But I was glad to be rid of that damned thing and it made breathing and swallowing so much easier.

The new nurse, Mary, came on duty around 7am and she was my absolute favorite nurse I've come into contact with.  Mary immediately started making a list of goals she wanted her and I to accomplish before I was moved up to the regular recovery room in the afternoon. She genuinely wanted to help me out as much as she could. She took my catheter out (TMI, but so exciting!), she had me drinking water and apple juice and even had me take a little walk with her. After that, I had my first real visitor (besides mom, dad and Kevin), Rachael! She brought me a cute little mammoth stuffed animal and it was so nice to visit with her. While the fam headed out to lunch, Mary and I worked on getting me off of my morphine and transitioning me to my oral painkillers. Soon it was time for me to be moved up to the 7th floor, which was a general recovery room.

I was wheeled upstairs and got settled in my new room, but missed the nurses in the ICU. But man, was this a welcome change of scenery:

After getting situated in my room, I had my first meal since surgery. I am currently on a clear liquids diet so I had chicken broth with some apple juice. It was the best damned broth I've ever had. I'm sure I'll be sick of it soon, but I guess I didn't realize how hungry I was! Eating took a lot out of me so I relaxed a bit more, and every couple of hours my nurses and I experimented with my pain meds to find the right blend. I'm on Tylenol with Codine and Ibuprofen, which are managing my pain, but I'm still trying to figure out the right timing between them. Then I had dinner (beef broth this time) and a Popsicle for dessert. The nurses are bringing a roll-away in for Kevin to stay with me tonight.  It will be nice to have some company. 

Well I'm heading off to rest, but I'll leave you with today's progress picture. Brace yourselves :P

Don't mind my hospital hair and drugged out eyes. Just say no kids. The swelling isn't too bad today and I don't have any bruising, yet. My doctors seem very pleased with how well I am looking and progressing, so that's a good sign!

Thanks for reading!

The sound of silence

Hey everyone!

Just a quick note to let everyone know I'm alive and well :P The surgery this AM went well and I'm working on a full post chronicling the day. I'm adjusting to being wired shut.  Cheese and rice is it hard not to talk! This blog is going to one helluva tool for me.

To set the scene, right now I'm in my room in the ICU watching Full House. I just got my Tylenol and morphine so I'm feeling good.  Gross alert, I currently have a tube down my nose and throat leading to my stomach, so the hardest thing for me is swallowing (TWSS).  I'm hoping to get this tube out tomorrow. as it's pretty much the main source of my pain right now. I also have a little suction tube that I can use to pull saliva out of my mouth. It's my favorite thing right now.  Other than that, I have these leg massager thingsto keep me from getting blood clots, and my head is all bandaged up.  Oh and did I mention I'm numb from my lips down? A sight to be seen dear readers, a sight indeed.

In all reality I feel pretty good and I'm feeling very positive about day 1 of my recovery.  I'm excited to share this journey with all of you and for the days to (hopefully) fly by.

Well, Uncle Jesse is just about to serenade Aunt Becky on the steps of Cinderella's castle, so that's my cue. Time for this little morphling to slip off into dreamland. Thanks for reading.