[b][u]Procedure:[/u][/b][spoiler]Top and bottom jaw surgery. They removed a chunk of bone from below my nasal cavity, as well as separated the bottom jaw and chin area from the rest of it and moved it forward and adjusted the angle upward. They didn't end up doing anything with my chin, which was considered a possibility beforehand.[/spoiler]
[b][u]Reason I Had The Operation:[/u][/b][spoiler]I had an underbite and an open bite; open bite means my front teeth didn't touch and close together. Also, my back teeth grinded together alot and caused migraines. This surgery was necessary because my surgeon told me that, without it, I would lose all of my teeth by the age of 40 or 50 due to the major grinding and it would extremely painful to experience that as well.[/spoiler]
[b][u]Weird Steroids Injections:[/u][/b][spoiler]I was given a steroids injection; it's to minimize the swelling that'll come after the surgery. For some reason that (according to my surgeon) is unknown, this certain injection creates a very short-lasting, but unbearable itching feeling in your genitals. It literally felt like ants were crawling all over mine in a frenzy.[/spoiler]
[b][u]Catheter[/u][/b][spoiler]While I was under the effect of anesthesia and completely knocked out, a urethral catheter was inserted into my penis. I had it pulled out the second day. The tube was in there way deeper than I'd thought. Having it pulled out (rather quickly) was very uncomfortable.[/spoiler]
[b][u]Pain:[/u][/b][spoiler]I've actually experienced very little pain from the surgery itself. The most painful thing throughout all of this were the hiccups. I've had nearly constant hiccups, and those hiccups were very painful for about 12 hours after the surgery. The hiccups have thankfully stopped.
I can feel pain at the points of bone and skin which were cut, but it's really not all that bad. I'm having a much harder time with the headaches and the heartburn.[/spoiler]
[b][u]Eating and Drinking:[/u][/b][spoiler]I'm not allowed to chew for the next six weeks. I'm also not allowed to blow my nose for six weeks as well. In order to eat, I have to crush and grind my food into a paste or sauce, and then drink it slowly using a rubber syringe. Cream of Wheat and soups are my best friends.[/spoiler]
[b][u]Headaches:[/u][/b][spoiler]My sinuses are very inflamed due to the swelling, and stuffed due to being unable to blow my nose, and so I'm having to deal with pressure headaches most of the time. It's about as debilitating as your usual migraine would be, so it's really not that bad and could certainly be much worse. The headaches are the worst thing I have to deal with at the moment.[/spoiler]
[b][u]Sleeping:[/u][/b][spoiler]I am required to sleep on my back. My mom has been spending the nights in my room in case I wake up in the middle of the night in pain or anything. My sister piled up a bunch of thick blankets and pillows on my bed to create an upward incline, because it was recommended that I sleep with my head and upper body elevated. I'm glad I have my family to help me.[/spoiler]
[b][u]Stitches:[/u][/b][spoiler]The inside of my mouth is filled with stitches, because they cut the bone from the inside out to avoid any visible facial scarring. Where my upper lips meet my upper gums was cut through, and where my lowers lips meet my lower gums was cut through. It's pretty nasty to visualize. There are also more toward the back sides of my cheeks that run vertically.
And finally, there are two little spots on the outside of my face toward the far lower back point of my jaw, on both sides. I didn't ask the surgeon, but the nurse said they were either where screws were placed to keep my newly located jaw in place, or they were used to insert little cameras on thin tubes so they could see what was going on in the back of my mouth during surgery.[/spoiler]
[i]Note 1:[/i] While incredibly unlikely, it is technically possible that I could die during surgery. If I disappear from the forums, I wish you all well. And goodbye to my friends. (:
[i]Note 2:[/i] I did not die. :D
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Yay!!! How do you feel now?