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Click on any of the images here to see a larger view
Had another good night last night of med free sleep. I like it! I still think I'm a bit restless in my sleep, because I'm still tired in the mornings and get tired in the afternoons, but I'm just happy to be sleeping. I've got feeling back on the upper lip (on the outside, I still can't feel anything on the inside). I believe the swelling is decreasing still, but there is still more than I'd like. I guess that will continue to decrease over time as well.
Here are today's requisite pics.
I'm going back to the doctors again today at 11:20. Hopefully he'll put me on removable rubber bands and start letting me eat some softer foods. I could be chewing now, but the only problem is that I can't get my tongue all around my mouth because the rubber bands are in the way (see yesterday's pictures). I'm unable to pull food from the cheek and gum area.
Just got back from the doctors. I wish I'd taken the digital camera!... He started by taking a panographic X-ray (where the camera and film move around your head to give a [slightly distored] view of the full jaw, upper and lower). He then removed my rubber bands and had me open and close my jaw and said it was looking great! In the old configuration, he had the primary force vector actually pulling the lower jaw back. He said that due to the differential swelling (and reduction thereof) he needed to ensure that the bite-line stayed straight and this seemed to be the way to do it. He did put the rubber bands back on, but this time he set them up so the primary force vector was mostly vertical (up and down), just to keep the jaws, in their naturally resting (closed) position if I wasn't using them.
He reviewed my panograph with me and I was able to see where he put in the titanium screws and plates (cool!). I wish I could have taken a picture of that for you, but you'll have to settle for this instead:
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This shows, in red, the positioning of the screws and, on the upper jaw, the plates. I'm going back in next week and I'll take a picture of the real X-ray then and we'll see how well I did in setting this up.
He also indicated that my hygene was 1000% better (I was barely brushing before the first time I saw him, now I brush twice daily, fairly thouroughly). I mentioned that the numbness on the external upper lip was gone and he was impressed. He said I'm healing rather quickly. He did, however, state another form of the universal 80/20 rule: that last 20% of the swelling in my upper jaw is going to take 80% of the time to reduce... A well. At least it will go away eventually.
I mentioned to him that my weight seemed to have stablized and he indicated I probably won't see any weight gain until he's done with his stuff and I'm released to the orthodontist again (by then all the rubber bands will be off and I'll be able to eat for real again). Generally, he's happy with my recovery and thinks things look great. I've got another appointment with him next week on Wednesday so we'll see how things improve.
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