Day 1

oh where to begin.

I've been so sleepy, but I'm home now..took a nap and had a chocolate boost so I thought it would be a good time to get everything down before I forget. I'll post pics later, my sisters and mom took plenty.

so what day is it..Friday that 9th....

ok so Wednesday the 7th was my surgery.....
I got to the hospital around 11:30, signed some papers about my living will that I don't have..and just hoped for the best :) since I have so many valuables....
after that I went into a room where I changed into my gown and laid in the hospital bed and hung out with my parents where I met the anesthesiologist team, Dr. Kallal (my primary surgeon), Dr. Johnson (another surgeon that assisted Dr. Kallal who also works at his office), and Dr. Fullmer (a resident at Northwestern). Obviously I met Dr. Kallal before this day, but everyone else was really nice, made me feel really comfortable before going to the O.R. then one of the nurses gave me some sleepy drugs and I remember hugging my parents before they wheeled me away. Then I remember being in the O.R. and it was really cold..but then I was out and woke up in the recovery room with a nurse (maybe someone from anesthesiology) saying my name, I remember waking up, but really tired, and since I couldn't talk I went "mmm hmmm" and gave her a thumbs up then went back to sleep. I woke up again and I made a motion with my hand trying to tell her I was nauseas after she took the oxygen mask off of me and she tried to calm me down, I just went back to sleep. I heard her saying to some other nurse that they changed the room I was going to and she didn't know why and that she was coming with me until my nurse got there because my mouth was wired shut and I was nauseas and she needed to be there in case I threw up to cut the wires. Hearing this I was confused because I was told I'd be rubber-banded shut, but I was too out of it and couldn't say anything if I wanted to so I just closed my eyes. I remember getting to my room and my family wasn't there yet, but I was so tired it didn't faze me. Then Rachele, Michele, Tony and my parents came in and woke me up. No one told them about my room change, so they were in another room for 30 min., they weren't too happy about that. My surgery ended up being 3 hours and I was in recovery for another 3. I was in and out the rest of the night..mostly out. I was told I might wake up with a plastic splint in my mouth after surgery depending on how my bite lines up, I was fitted for this 2 weeks before surgery just in case. I do have it in my mouth, it's not bothering me too much, I'm sure when I get it out it will feel better. I think it's making everything I drink taste plasticy which is kind of gross.

Dr. Fullmer came in to check on me that night and I asked about why I had wires instead of bands and he just said that with my right side lagging and the splint in, it was better for my mouth to say in position. (I think that was the reason). I heard him talking to my family about what they did. I have an incision along the right side of my ear. I have 4 plates on my maxilla and one on the bottom left of my mandible, 5 screws in each plates...so 20 screws! The doc. said I only lost a little more blood than someone getting their wisdom teeth removed, so no blood transfusion. :)

My mom stayed overnight with me the first night, when everyone left I wanted to go to the bathroom, and when I sat up I felt like I was going to throw up. Ever since I woke up from surgery I felt nauseas and once I sat up there was no stopping it. My nurse was being a little slow so I was "yelling" at her the only way I could with a lot of "HURRY UP" hand motions, I might of even mumbled it. I remember my mom telling her she was going to throw up so cut her wires, and she was like trying to wait for the last possible second to cut them, then she got a bucket...I'm like come on! I'm going to throw up - it's coming! She cut 2 of the 5 wires and it came. It was actually only a little blood, it didn't hurt so much, but I felt so much better after that. and I obviously ruined the wires.

I have to sleep reclined because it's hard to breath. I had oxygen tubes in my nose down my throat during surgery. So my nose was semi bloody and stuffy and my throat was sore from the tubes and I can't blow my nose...so that sucked. I used nasal spray to try and clear and loosen anything. The worst was the phlemmy coughing, since there is no where for the phlem to go. I was horrified I might taste it and make myself gag..and throw up again, but I've been able to keep it down..thank goodness. Sorry that was gross.

The first night I woke up like every hour to pee. I eventually managed to go my self after a while, I didn't want my mom to keep waking up. I had these leg warmer looking things on my legs that would compress every 10 sec. to keep my blood circulation going. So everytime I got up I'd have to take them off.

The next morning (7/8) I was served breakfast...apple juice, chicken broth, tea, and jello. I laughed at the jello on the inside. (I can't make any facial movements), and the reason that is so funny is because I can't eat jello! hello! Well at least a lucky family member got a snack. I can only have liquids through a syringe with a catheder attached to the end which goes in the left side of my cheek. The right side is too tender right now.

My sister Rachele came back in the morning and Dr. Fullmer and Dr. Johnson came to fix my wires. I have two in tact on the sides still and the replaced the 3 that were cut with doubled up rubber bands. So it's pretty tight, I have no opening in between my teeth at all. I have my first post op. appt. on Wednesday where they will see if I still need the splint and change my bands.

ok I'm getting sleepy, I will finish tomorrow, my pain isn't so bad, but everything below my eyes down to about my throat is very sore to the touch. and I just noticed my right eye doesn't blink because it's more swollen higher on that side from the ear incision. Kind of amusing.............ta ta for now :)

thanks again for all the messages..love you all!