9 Months Post-Op

I FINALLY reached the 9 month mark on October 4th!!! Originally, this was supposed to be the end of the road for my splint and pureed/soft chew diet. But, as most of this has played out on my journey of recovery, I am on my own path and an exception to the rule.

September 17, 2012
9 Month Appointment

 {Waiting for Dr. P and the last photo of me with -b-r-a-c-e-s-}

10:00 am
My checkup started off as usual with a CT scan. Next, I met with Tonya and Dr. Piper to discuss my progress. I let them know that I was feeling really great, but that I had experienced some achiness with the cooler temperatures and rain. Dr. Piper assured me that it was normal for changes in the weather (barometric pressure) and altitude (from flying or going into the mountains) to cause discomfort, but that this would subside and then totally go away in another year or so. This was great news, as I thought that I would have to deal with this soreness forever.

Dr. Piper took measurements of my widest vertical opening and side-to-side movement. He was very pleased with my range of motion, as it was even better than my last appointment. My right side moved from 5 mm to 7 mm and my left went from 7 mm to 8 mm. My vertical opening increased from 37 mm to 39 mm and my protrusion decreased from 5 mm to 3 mm. However, I do still have a Class II anterior open bite with molar occlusion of about 1 mm on the left and 2 mm on the right. Next, we were off to view my CT scans to see what was happening inside the joints.

CT SCANS
In viewing my scans, we saw that the condyle on my left side had increased in height, but the best news was that the bone on my right side had finally started to grow, as well. You might remember from my last post that my left side showed boney remodeling with expansion of bone dimension posterior and superior to the original condyle, but my right side had no such reaction. Thus, Dr. Piper said if I gained no new bone on my right side, that I would have to have another surgery, this time to lengthen the jaw bone, to get my bite back together. However, with the latest progress, he said it is much less likely that I will have to have that bite corrective osteotomy.

At my 6 month appointment, both condyles were slightly forward positioned. The left condyle has now centered itself more in the fat graft in the joint, but unfortunately, the right condyle isn't completely centered. This is why it is forward postured along the slope of eminence and why the occlusion on this side is more Class II than the left side.  

In all events, Dr. Piper said I will still need another surgery (in about 9 months) to pull my chin into a normal forward position, because it receded so much with the original condylar bone loss. But hey, one more procedure is much better than two!

SPLINT + EATING
Since my right condyle just started to grow, and is very fragile because it has not totally calcified, Dr. Piper decided to keep me in my splint for three more months. He also increased my splint time to 12 hours per day (8 at night and 4 during the day). I also have to stay on the soft diet with only one soft chew meal per day.

This news was a let down, as I had gotten used to my freedom from the splint and I was so ready to finally eat real food again. When you start out on a huge journey like this, you get through the tough days by having an end goal in sight. Nine months was my mark. After one deep breath, I accepted that my finish line was pushed out. No matter what, I totally trust Dr. Piper and I have chosen to look on the bright side and do whatever it takes to fully recover.

BRACES

After a little bad news, the WONDERFUL NEWS came next. Although I had to keep wearing my splint, Dr. Piper said that I could still get the braces off, except for eight brackets in the back, top and bottom, around which I would just wrap the bands. So, I was off to Dr. Jackson's office to have the ugly metal taken off. HALLELUJAH!

12:00 - Dr. Jackson Appointment
Getting the braces off only took about 35 minutes. The little wire cutters were a sight for sore eyes. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but it wasn't horribly painful either. Basically, the orthodontist just put a ton of pressure on the brackets until they popped off. And several of those little guys didn't want to go. She also buzzed off all of the discolored glue. Although all of the noise made my skin crawl a little, it was music to my ears. She let me take breaks as needed, and I took a 1/4 of a Klonopin and Advil beforehand, so I was fine.

Here you can see my NAKED TEETH and slightly-off bite right after.

 

Overall, I'm hoping that my right side will continue to grow and that my bite will start to come back together enough that my Incognito braces (which I'll get in December), will be able correct my bite enough that I won't have to get the jaw lengthening bite surgery. I don't need to take the Klonopin anymore either, which is great. I've made it through so much and progressed so well thus far, so until then, I'm just going to...

So it's back to wearing the splint for half of the day, three more months of not eating regularly, continued therabite and jiggle exercises, and remaining on all the vitamins and supplements... but the braces are gone, and I am feeling so much better that it is all totally worth it. And really, what is three more months in the grand scheme of things?

I am just so thankful to be where I am today. For the first time in 5 years I can smile and talk to my heart's content without having pain! What a true gift and immeasurable blessing.