Hey guys,
I'm soo sorry it's been long since I've updated, unfortunately I haven't had internet at my house for about a week, so it's frustrating considering I'm here all the time lol. Anyway as far as updates have gone, I am 10 days away from removing my wires! Ahhh time has literally flew by these last couple weeks.
As far as swelling, numbness, pain etc., goes, I'm almost fully recovered. Enough so that people can't tell I've ever had surgery. Obviously, I personally can tell that I'm still swollen, it's definitely less noticeable now. I've also regained sensation back to my entire face except for a small part of my chin and right side of my bottom lip. Those two areas I still feel nothing at all, which I'm not too shocked about since I'm aware that those two areas are the most likely to lose feeling. As far as pain goes, generally I wake up in the morning with slight pain at my jaws but I think that's because I put pressure on it sleeping. My jaw muscles also get easily tired and sore because I've actually been talking through my teeth quite a lot. Plus smiling gets really tiresome. Speaking of which, I've discovered why I can't smile still; I used to think it was because of the stitches healing in my mouth, but it's also because the wires that are wired to my braces are actually attached to my cheeks and gums. Weird, right?
As far as physical recovery, I've been very good the last two weeks about trying to stick to my healthy diet plan and not rely on pudding and ice cream! hahaa. I've also progressed very smoothly back into a steady exercise routine. Right now I'm working on a ton of different healthy recipes that mimic the nutrition I've been getting right now. For example, for breakfast right now, I usually drink my green smoothie with an added protein boost. So I'm coming up with recipes for breakfast that has a lot of leafy greens, protein, and fruits and vegetables that are rich in fibre. I think this way my body is already accustomed to taking in the same amount of nutrients and processing the same things. It might be an easier transition into solid food.
Anyway, here's a couple of pics I've been holding hostage during the long break I've been MIA!
I took these pics a few days ago! Right side shows up so much more on camera :( Also threw in a side profile pic!
3 comments:
Yay! Kat's back!
Glad to hear you're doing so well and looking so great! So we have a couple other things in common: I also have been having a green smoothie with protein every morning for breakfast, and I, too, have 10 days left to go before freedom!
I still have a little swelling, too, which I don't think anyone else notices. I think I have more residual numbness than you, but I'm trying not to worry about it too much. My surgeon did a numbness test at our last follow-up visit, where he had me close my eyes and then poked and prodded my chin and lower lip on both the right and left sides with various pointy, bristly, and warm and cold things to see how much sensation I could detect. My right side definitely has more diminished feeling than my left, but at least it has feeling! Numbness is weird because the more time that passes, the more time it heals, right? But the more time that passes, the more you get used to it! So I can't really tell if it's getting better or if I'm just getting more and more used to it. Oh well.
I've still been kind of obsessing about how to maintain a healthy diet after this is all over, so I decided to go ahead and register on Livestrong.com. I've been keeping my food diary online there, which automatically tracks calories and protein and fiber and carbs and all that. And I've been tracking my workouts on there, too. In addition, you can upload your own recipes, and it'll tell you the nutrition breakdown of those, too. And this is just the free version... Not to sound like an ad for the site, but it's been a great help to me so far!
I found two new (to me) protein shake brands at the store that are nutritious and delicious and good if you're on the run: Orgain (vanilla, chocolate, or mocha) and Svelte (french vanilla, chocolate, spice chai, or cappuccino). I'm sure you can find one or both at Whole Foods. Oh, and I found 3 new flavors of Coconut Bliss, too: Ginger Cookie Caramel, Mocha Maca Crunch, Chocolate Walnut Brownie. YUM! You should be able to find those at WF, too, I think.
If you want to share any of your new recipes, please do! I'm still cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Made gluten-free coconut chocolate chip cookies yesterday. But my day mostly consists of green smoothie, low-fat kefir or protein shake, soup (had some good gazpacho the other day), and a little Coconut Bliss at the end of the day. Sometimes I'll sneak a carrot-beet-ginger juice in there, too.
Okay, enough about me and food! Sorry to hijack your comment box!
Keep up the good work!
Elana
ELANA! :)
So glad to hear from you, haha yet again we find things in common; I LOVE it! I've really grown to enjoy green smoothies actually, I try to sneak in as much goodness as I possibly can too, so I don't feel guilty. I think I might continue drinking my green smoothies once the wires are removed since I've grown so accustomed to the taste haha. I know what you mean about numbness, I've regained even a little bit of feeling everywhere except my lower chin and right lower lip. You're completely right about getting used to it hahaha, my only concern is whether I'm drooling or not! Which I never am, just extremely paranoid haha!
Oh my! Obsessing is the perfect word! I'm so diligent about making sure I start eating solid food the healthiest way possible. I've never heard of Livestrong, but I'm definitely going to sign up for it now though because that's amazing! It'll be great for me as a transition into healthy eating again.
I definitely need to find those protein shake brands too actually. My protein shake isn't very on-the-go friendly so I'll give those a shot, which do you prefer? Orgain or Svelte for chocolate? (I'm a chocolate FEIND). Ahhhh! Chocolate Walnut Brownie sounds amazing! Will have to pick that up too haha! As for recipes, I'm compiling a long list of healthy meals I can't wait to sink my perfectly aligned teeth into haha! I'll share with you when I pick out my winners :)
Keep me updated! I'll let you know how Livestrong works for me :)
Yeah, green smoothies are the best! I don't know why everyone doesn't have at least one every day! LOL. I first got into them a couple years ago when my mom decided to become a raw vegan. I was skeptical at first, but now my day doesn't feel right without one.
I totally get the paranoia about drooling -- haha! I haven't had a problem yet so far, but sometimes after I clean my teeth it's scary to look in the mirror and see toothpaste on my chin that I wouldn't have otherwise known was there! Yikes.
Okay, so I haven't compared the chocolate flavors yet -- I've just tried the mocha/cappuccino and chai flavors so far. I have to say I really like the Svelte brand, and it's so filling! The Svelte container looks almost twice as big as the Orgain, but it's only 5 calories more, and it fills me up for hours. Let me know if you get a chance to try them!
I hope you find Livestrong helpful like I have so far. There are also many forums and support groups you can use to exchange ideas and get encouragement. I haven't found any groups yet dealing with jaw surgery issues, but I've found a couple other groups that are more generally informative and supportive.
How are your workouts going? I've done a couple spin classes, and they felt really good. But then I did a workout with the stability ball, and it was hard! Go figure. Still trying to figure out my limits, I guess.
Looking forward to hearing more!
E
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