Reality

I went in to see the surgeon today. Yup, the Sunday before the big day. He wanted to take a look at my bite one final time before practicing the procedures on my models. It was like being at a zoo, poked and prodded and analyzed by the surgeon and his residents.

One commented, “She doesn’t seem phased.”

Yeah, well two post-op appointments would do that to you. I also had a string of other mouth-related appointments earlier in the week, so pulling of my lips up and down and sticking popsicle sticks along my gums? Used to it.

I’m glad he called to meet up beforehand though. He explained the procedure, and the gist of it is this: Break the upper jaw, move it forward, tilt it, and also widen it. To widen it, they make it into two pieces before they screw everything together and hold it in place with titanium plates. Risks include possibly killing the blood supply to certain parts of the mouth and potentially ending up with dead teeth. Gross. During the surgery, my sinuses will fill up with blood too, so I’ll be congested for awhile, and I won’t be able to blow my nose. The lower jaw will be cut around the nerve and then put back together, so that it lines up with the upper jaw. If they hit the nerve, it might be numb indefinitely.

Fantastic, huh?

The surgery will last between 6-8 hours. The good news? The surgeon has had one of these such surgeries every week for the last month or so. Bad news? I’ll be wired shut with a splint for FOUR weeks.

It’s too late to back out of it now. I knew what I was getting into when I started all the appointments, sorta…

Two more days.

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