(Almost) 2 Months Post-op!!!

I'm beginning to think I'm not a very dedicated blogger...my last post was August 20th. Sorry if you've been pining away to read about my adventure. As crazy as this sounds, this ordeal has been quite disappointing in the "entertainment" field. I was expecting a traumatic time with lots of weird stories but for once, my mouth has been pretty boring! I was "released" from Dr. Miller last week. I've officially started eating "normally" again--with the exception of sandwiches and subs that require a big 'ol bite. I am flossing daily and brushing like there is no tomorrow. You never know how much you appreciate super clean chompers until you enter a long standing relationship with PLAQUE.

I must say I have no problem hollering or yelling. I DO teach 8 year olds all day everyday, so my newly situated jaws got adjusted to screaming pretty quickly. I'm still numb around the outer edges of my lips, so really, if I've gone a little overboard with lip gloss people, you must inform me!!! Other than this, I can safely say this surgery gets a 99.9% approval rating. If there are Oscars for Best Jaw-Breaking Performances, I'd immediately nominate my surgeon :) I've also decided to become the 'poster child' for orthodontics/surgery for my orthodontics' practice. I've been emailing and offering encouragement to other patients who are just beginning the process. It's a scary ordeal, but so worth it. I have an appointment with my orthodontist in the next few weeks. After I receive them, I will be posting the true before and after pictures. You will be amazed!! Until then, forgive me for falling off the blog-wagon :) I'll try to keep you posted in a more timely fashion from now on!

Day 24!!

I can't believe I just titled this post as "Day 24"! Time has been flying by these past few weeks. I think I mentally over-dramatized this entire ordeal, therefore I can't get over the fact I'm pretty 'normal' at the 3 week post-op date. I've had a ton of progress with eating this week. I graduated from chicken-noodle soup to Spaghetti O's, Beefaroni, and I even scarfed down spaghetti on Wednesday. I know I was told to stick to blenderized foods, but it's either eat what I can with a spoon or don't eat at all. The "don't eat at all" method got me down 16 pounds in 2 weeks, so I'm sticking to what I can with a spoon.

We went to a picnic at my dad's fire station last weekend. They had grown men, a grill, and fresh ground beef. This is a recipe for awesomeness if you like to eat. This is a recipe for torture if you physically can NOT. My most fabulous dad made a special trip to the kitchen to warm up Spaghetti O's for me. I had to sit at the table by myself while everyone else was loading their plates with 3000 calories. I felt like a child being punished. I really felt like a child when I started laughing and spit Spaghetti O's all over the table!! My mouth is still numb and sometimes I forget that. When I eat lately, I make everyone eating with me sign a contract that says, "While you are dining with Kristin, it is your civic duty to inform her of any and all spills, crumbs, or stains that occur on her face. While it may be hilarious to let her go through the day with green birthday cake icing on her numb, lower lip, by signing this contract you forfeit your right to let this happen".

I went back to work Monday and today is my last day here. I have to report Monday to a real-life school district where I'll be employed as a real-life school teacher. I had no idea that I would feel as good as I have been, that's why I decided that I could hack going back to work as quickly as I did. Believe it or not, daytime TV and naps are not really my thing. Okay, that's a lie. Long periods of time of nothing but Home Improvement marathons and sleeping half the afternoon away is not really my thing.

I've popped 2 smaller bands this week and I managed not to freak out when they popped my cheek. I had a major fear of that, but I managed to overcome! Brushing, eating, spitting, (when I brush...not while I'm chewing tobacco) and talking have all improved this week...surely Dr. Miller will let me go "soft-foods" when I visit next week. I already have major guilt for "cheating" with the foods I've been eating, so how hard will it be to let me be reintroduced to potatoes, vegetables, pastas, etc. I know it's still weeks before I can handle chips and salsa, but that day will be here before I know it! I'm sure Los Cocos' financial books have seen a horrible set-back since July 28th...hahaha. Wish me luck for next week and I'll keep you posted!

2 Week Post-Op!!!

My mouth is feeling a little sore tonight as I write this...perhaps it's because I'VE BEEN TALKING ALLLL DAY!!!! I went this morning for my 2 week post-op check up. I stressed to Dr. Miller last week (almost in tears) how important it was that I could talk freely (without the blasted rubberbands). Keep in mind that after the surgery, I had 2 bands "holding me down" on both the left and right sides, plus 3 bands on my front teeth. When I went into Dr. Miller's office today, the assistant says "I'm going to take everything off and let you go clean really well". At this point, I'm about to jump out of my seat from excitement. After she takes the bands off, I almost immediately said, "PUT THEM BACK ON!" Having the same bite for 24 years is something, so having to learn an entirely NEW bite is pretty scary. It seriously felt like my bottom jaw was going to fall off of my face. The assistant asked me if I needed to go to the bathroom and I immediately took the chance. If I was going to freak out, I wanted some privacy!

I closed the door to the bathroom and stared in the mirror at this new bite I have. After prepping myself up to *try* and open my mouth again, I clenched my teeth and tried to do a short bite. I also kept sticking my tongue out because I missed the little guy. Hadn't seen him in 16 whole days! Pretty freightening. I stared at myself for about 3 minutes, then decided I better try to clean something so Dr. Miller wouldn't be totally grossed out. Let me put it this way: 16 days of not being able to brush behind your teeth is pretty disgusting. I could never be homeless. I'm sure they don't practice good oral hygiene. If I ever become homeless people, don't give me money; just make sure I have a good tooth brush and paste.

I was finally able to clean as best as I could. I went back to Dr. Miller's room to listen to him praise me for the wonderful recovery I seem to be having. I'm thinking to myself...I got the bill from the insurance company for your charges yesterday, Miller. You are just so happy that God blessed me with a crooked mouth that you could fix so you could rake in more money than most people in Lunenburg earn in a year (or 2) from my 1 surgery. Whew--what a run on sentence! You get my point. Anyway, he says I couldn't be doing any better so he only put 1 band on the left and 1 band on the right. I can talk (clearly!) and am able to eat better. Still on a "blended" diet for at least 2 more weeks. I cheated tonight though...I ate an entire can of Campbell's Chicken & Noodle for supper. I usually ONLY like that when I'm sick, but after basically only having Ensure Shakes and McDonald's Sweet Tea for 2 weeks, Campbell's was like filet mignon :) I was able to eat the noodles with no problem.

With this surgery, I learned I had to take things in small doses and set small goals. After being let down last week, I knew the "light at the end of tunnel" had to come soon. Today, the light grew much brighter! I'm so excited to talk and eat and talk and talk and talk. If I could change this blog from written to audio, believe me, I would. Until now, keep in mind that if I call you, you better have plenty of time to talk. I've got 2 weeks of pent-up information that I must get out!! I go back to Dr. Miller in 2 weeks...let's start praying now for permission to go to "soft foods". I sense mashed potatoes in my future...until then, I'll keep you posted!!

Day 11

Hi guys. Apparently I've become a "slacker" with this blog! I just don't want to bore you to death because I haven't really had anything exciting happen in the past two days; however, each morning I wake up, there is sooo much improvement. The swelling has REALLY gone down. It's so refreshing knowing that I still have cheek bones under there! It's like when I started going to the gym months ago...a few weeks after my love affair with the treadmill, I was like, "I DO have a collar bone under there!". The bruising is practically gone...so things are looking up :) I'm still pretty numb and 'tingly'. I went with Ryann (first cousin) to her wedding dress fitting today. I also had to get my MOH dress fitted--fun times having to get a dress altered down 2 dress sizes from what I originally ordered!! I know I should be proud and excited to be 'skinny' again, but NOT eating is NOT worth it. My inner fat girl is still alive and kicking though. I'm constantly thinking of FOOD and how easy it would be to sneak these bands off and throw down on some chips. For like an entire month.

Anyway, back to the numbness. Because the nerves that were torn during my surgery are growing back together ( I think), I get tickling sensations randomly. Feels like a stray hair on my face and nose I can NEVER get it off. I'm pretty sure I was caught picking my nose while waiting for Ryann to be fitted today. I wish I had T-Shirts made before I embarked on this journey. My slogan would read: " Please excuse me. I had jaw surgery. I can't talk to you. I can't eat anything. I randomly pick my nose. Don't pay any attention to me". I think I'd save myself many explanations. It is kind of weird when I go in public and people try to speak to me...I just look at whoever I'm with and they speak for me. It's like I'm in a foreign country and have translators. Awesome.

While cleaning my teeth tonight (a 30 minute process), I actually moved my jaws! I was just curious, so I tried to open and surprisingly, my jaw opened and shut just like normal. Just don't have a very wide bite. Like non-existent. It was just nice knowing that the surgeon actually knew what he was doing, haha. Well, the light at the end of the tunnel is definitely bigger and brighter here. I'll make sure to post pictures of the final product with no swelling. Should only take just a few more days to get back to my new "normal". Enjoy the rest of the weekend...I'll keep you posted!

Post-Op Check Up! (Day Nine)

I've come to think of this adventure like a bad break-up with a boyfriend. My old jaw & chin being the boyfriend I had to break up with. Read on to see why I feel this way.

I went to Dr. Miller today for my 1 week post-op check up. I had gotten my silly hopes up only to have them shut down...like only a bad ex boyfriend can do ;) I've been closed up tight with rubberbands since last Wednesday. It has been VERY difficult to talk, but more importantly, very difficult to eat. I thought for sure that Dr. Miller was going to loosen my bands to give me some breathing room. Unfortunately, I have to continue to wear them this way until he feels a little more comfortable about loosing them up. He says I am healing better than most people do with the type of surgery I had and that my swelling (or lack thereof) is great. He just doesn't want to mess with something that's doing so well. SO...I go back next Thursday to try all over again.

They did take new x-rays today and showed me what I looked like on the inside. Pray that I don't have to go through any airport security check-points in the near future. I have 2 pins in my bottom jaw that are holding together the most perfect bite you will EVER see! It is truly amazing that one week ago I had one face, now I have another. Deep down I was starting to miss my unique chin, then I saw the xrays with the new improvements and realized I was crazy to miss something that caused me much trouble...just like an ex! (See where I'm going with this??)

Since I was on the verge of tears, we decided to get my mind off it by going to Target. I don't know why I thought this was a good idea, because being in public and NOT being able to talk is pretty darn AWFUL. I've always tried to be friendly and personable to strangers, so not being able to tell a person "thank you" for holding the door open is pretty upsetting to me. This happened 3 times, and I felt like a snobby mean girl when each person tried to say something about the storm and I couldn't reply. I just grinned and acted like I didn't hear them...kinda like I do to Mike 99% of the time he tries to tell me something. (Just kidding. Not really. ;) After waiting the storm out for 2 hours in Target, the electricity finally went out. I had asked Mike earlier if that happened did it mean we could run free in the store and take stuff. He wasn't too thrilled with that idea--guess it's the whole "cop" thing. As it happened, the only thing I could think of in Target in pitch black dark was...if I get lost, nobody would ever find me because I couldn't yell!!!! This whole jaw-thing is getting to be pretty overrated.

So as it seems, I'm stuck with complicated words and complicated eating habits until further notice. The swelling is pretty insignificant...and yes, I've posted a "before" and "after" of my profile, against my initial wishes for this blog. I figure I've had pretty regular followers and you deserve a visual aid! Left is "after", note the still-present swelling and minor yellow/greenish bruising. Right is "before". I'm still pretty numb from right below my eyes to my chin. I am getting a little feeling back around my lips, but it still feels like I have a hair on my face and it tickles. Talk about the most annoying feeling on the planet. But in the end, if you ask me if I would go through this whole unpleasant process from beginning to end, I would do it in a heartbeat. The experience was worthwhile and I feel like a stronger, braver person because of it.

Enjoy the pics (if I'm smart enough to figure out how to upload them on here) and I'll "talk" to you soon!!

Day SEVEN!

Sorry for the day-delay!! There are only so many exciting things to tell so I felt like I could load up 2 days worth of "stuff" to talk about into 1! I seem to be moving right along...slowly the air is escaping from this Blimp on my shoulders...My sleep is MUCH better. I actually feel rejuvenated when I wake up instead of soreness from sleeping uncomfortably. Still NO pain!! Just getting REALLY aggravated with not being able to open this mouth. Eveything I eat (or try to suck up through a straw) has been pretty much disgusting. I am proud of myself for *trying* some of the recipes that were in this ridiculous cook book of liquified foods, but let's be honest people, if I'm eating something out of a blender, it better consist of something with alcohol or something with Oreos.

I had a bit of excitement last night. I made Mike take me "riding". Don't get excited--this wasn't your Lunenburg type of riding where you leave the house and go sit in a parking lot and talk for 2 hours. It was a good ol' fashioned "cruising". Because this was the first time I left the house, I had to go out incognito. Mike made me trade my trademark Yankees hat for my Bass Pro Shops hat (it was a gift, people). He even went and got a fish hook to accent my look with that extra redneck appeal. Basically I left the house looking like a bridesmaid on the set of "My Big Redneck Wedding" with a wad of chewing tobacco stuck in both of my cheeks. Thankfully this was after 10 so I was not afraid of running into anyone I knew.

I felt comfortable enough with my puffy cheeks to accept visitors today!! My personal trainer and SHBFF, Stephanie, came over and we had a lovely time chatting. Well, I had a lovely time listening to her chat. I'm having trouble holding up my end of the conversations lately ;) I tried a new blender recipe today. Needless to say, I ending up eating another Ensure. I think Mike's in the kitchen making me a Black & White shake now. Surprisingly, I haven't eaten many fattening milkshakes this week. To be honest, I haven't eaten much of anything. I'm definitely getting skinny, but not the cute white girl kind. I'm the cute ethiopian girl that is kind of pasty. Ha. When this adventure is over, I'll continue my secret love affair at night with the treadmill. It's too dang hot to lay out, so I'll rely on decent food after Thursday to give me some color back. Mike says I stare at the TV when restaurant commercials come on like I'm watching something dirty. I've been craving food and restaurants that I normally don't even like! There is a Chilli's commercial advertising new hand-made burgers and I literally pause it and make it go in slow motion just for thrills :) When we rode my Los Cocos last night, I looked like a kid plastered to the windows when pulling into the lot at Disney World for the first time. It's going to be a looonnngggg 5 weeks.

Well, I'm pretty sure I hear the blender coming to an end, so I must come to an end. I'm expecting more visitors tomorrow, so I may actually put a little make-up on these stuffy cheeks. I'll let you know how exciting that was. In the departing words of Frankie Tanner, "Carry own." (Supposed to be 'carry on', but we are country people. I think it's got spunk.)

Day Five

So I've made it to post-op day five with a heavy weight on my shoulders. Apparently, it's just the increasing platepus duck lips on my face, so we're still in business. I figure as long as I can walk to the bathroom and milk this special treatment from Mike, I might as well stick out this process without going back to Dr. Miller and begging him to just cut my head off and give me a new one. While the swelling HAS gone down (a very small amount), I have developed a lucious shade of yellow/green blush on my face. Obviously, Cover Girl's shade of baby food pea green blusher is NOT a hit. I'm the poster child for all REJECTED cosmetics here lately.

I made a list of my favorite FAILED products:
New Fragrance: HOSPITAL. Fail.
New Concealer: Inflatable 24 Hour Stay-on powder. "We'll distract your zits by blowing up your face 3x it's actual size". Fail.
New Lip gloss: "Crusty Peely" for enhanced texture. Fail.
New Self-Tanner shade: Elmer's Glue. Fail.

Now that I've vented about my otherwise unattractive portrait, I will tell you that I was reunited with a long lost VERY BEST FRIEND today! Bojangles Sweet Iced Tea. It was like wattered-down heaven in a crappy fast food cup. Made my day though. The straw-eating has improved greatly. Still bothers me after about 30 minutes of trying to eat. I've been "eating" in about an hour here lately. It really takes effort to work these lazy jaw muscles. Mammaw made homemade potato soup and it tasted scrumptious, however, it was too thick to get through my trusty syringe/straw so I have to save it for later in the week. For now, it's still Ensure, Dannon Kid's yogurt, and amoxicillan. Then I go to the bathroom. Take a rest. And do it all over again. So greatful for not wanting any pain meds. That's been a miracle for the girl who hyperventilated over an IV BEFORE they sawed her jaw into.

Got a really cool gift basket today too! I'm going to win the World record for crosswords/word searches by the time this process is over. At least it keeps my brain from turning to mush from watching too much Tom & Jerry. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to dress appropriately and walk around outside for longer than 5 minutes. I've been noticing how weak my hands are so I definitely need to jump on the bandwagon and step up my exercise program--or lack thereof. Hopefully I'll be able to overcome my insomnia tonight. Been having difficulty sleeping upright when I'm normally a side squeezer (fetal position while holding a pillow). Wish me sweet dreams and I'll continue this adventure tomorrow!!! Hang in there with me. I'll keep you posted!

Day Four!!!

Hi all!! I brushed my teeth today!!!!!!! So excited about that. Well, excited that I could actually open my lips, mostly. I have to brush twice a day, and when I mean brush, I mean opening my lips, taking a Sesame Street baby toothbrush and ONLY going over the top of the braces that are visible. Pretty intense. I also have to rinse with some kind of muddy-brown-water-looking stuff. I used this before when I first got braces to help with inflammation. Let's just say, if they are going to clear up this "inflammation" on my face with this little bottle of rinse, we are going to have to call in for backup!!!

Mammaw was a darling and sent a huge assortment of juices, yogurts, and children's smoothies--which are DELISH. Mike made me an "orange julius" (vanilla ice cream & orange juice) this morning. Have I mentioned how fabulous he's been?! While I was in the hospital I tried to force down chicken broth so I'm getting ready to down some tomato soup. Keep in mind that I normally like my Campbell's loaded with pepper and a big ol' grilled cheese. If Mike can make it taste that good in a syringe, I'll marry him all over again.

After eating all this good stuff, I wanted to walk around outside earlier. In case you didn't know, we live by the ONLY cow pasture within South Hill town limits. And yes, since we both love animals, I've named all the cows I can recognize (there are about 7 that are all brown so I just go with the flow when I talk to them). It's like living beside the petting zoo when you walk over to the fence. They are really funny, actually. Don't think I'm just high from meds--I've been talking to our cows like pets since I moved in over here. You don't have to be insane only when you're on painkillers :) Mike escorted me to the fence and apparently I didn't look appealing enough for the cows because they just laid in their usual spots fighting off flies. I'm sure it's just because they didn't recognize me--not because I'm the annoying girl who talks to cows.

Anyway, after a long visit with Mama and Daddy, I took a nap and now I'm about to eat again. Thus the story of my life. I've been googling "jaw surgery recovery" pictures and am glad to see that in comparison to hundreds of others who've had this exact surgery, I seem to be doing remarkably well with the recovery. My face now seems like what most people look like on day 8 or 9. So even though I just about come to tears when I look at myself, I am extremely thankful for being healthy and having awesome "healing" genes. Cross your fingers I'll be able to open and talk by Thursday! Charades are getting pretty fun around here, though. I'm hopeful for a tournament to open possibly after Bingo on Wednesday nights. We could win some serious money with all this practice!!

Thanks for reading...I'll keep you posted!!

My Lovely SWOLLEN Face!

Dear readers,

It's post-op day 3!!
I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to be home in my own bed!! Let's just say, catheders and other various tubes are NOT my friends. I was highly disappointed at my check in Wednesday morning. Surgery was scheduled for noon, however, I got taken back almost immediately at 10:30 without seeing Mama, Daddy, and Mammaw. I did get the chance to smooch the greatest nurse alive (Mike ;)...with lips that actually WORKED! After heading to the AM holding at St. Mary's, I had to do a "meet and greet" with the bathroom and a little white cup. The first news Doctor Miller told me before he rolled me away was, "Congratulations, Kristin. You're not pregnant". Bless my heart. In all seriousness, the most scary part of this entire adventure was inserting the IV. My veins are extremely thin, so it took 4 times and a hightened blood pressure to get it right. Once that horrific scene was over, I woke up and it was after 7pm. 2 things I recognized when I woke up: I have a balloon in my blatter. I can't breathe. Forget the fact that my face had been sawed into, I was having serious complications with getting air. I read about this before the surgery and how patients create mantras to repeat while trying to breathe. I didn't think I'd have that problem, but I was resorting to my inner "Dory" by chanting, "just keep breathing. just keep breathing.". It seemed to work for awhile, but not before the morphine they were pumping into me began to make me sick. Broken jaw=killer strain when trying to vomit. Just FYI :)

When my fabulous nurses woke me up the next morning, it was like heaven when they told me I could get the cath and nose tube out. Once this happened, I was 90% better. Because of the fear of nauseous, I had no pain killers for 24 hours. It wasn't too bad...just anxiousness when I couldn't catch my breath. At this point, Dr. Miller stopped by to let me know that I was in Pediactric ICU. Considering that I'm 24, this is cracking me up. All my nurses thought I was the greatest patient ever, but they weren't wiping my rear so I understood their happiness. To keep the swelling down, I have to wear this contraption that look like basset hound ears filled with ice. It is highly annoying, but seems to be doing the trick as Dr. Miller said I was doing "exceptional". I try!

Keep in mind that my teeth are bound shut with 6 rubberbands. I can't speak or chew, but my profile is pretty much on target. I left the hospital this morning at 9 and had an 80 year old volunteer roll me out to the car. Down 6 stories, I swear he hit every bump, crack, and pothole on the way down. I couldn't fault him though. I'm pretty sure he didn't know my mouth was banded shut and he thought I was a hoity-toity snob. I couldn't manage a "thank you" and that was pretty upsetting to me. I've been in the bed for the majority of the day, with the exception of Mama coming to help wash my hair. No matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to get the "hospital" off of you. I have so many things I want to tell you, but I can't keep my eyes open long enough to write in paragraph form. Please see below for brief thoughts :) Will check in tomorrow!

1. Pretty sure if Jim Henson calls, I'll be able to do a stand-in for Miss Piggy's face.

2. Ensure is probably the most disgusting drink EVER CREATED.

3. My lips are numb. Pretty much my entire face is numb. Drooling seems to be all the rage with me.

4. I want to talk. I've thought of about 100 jokes today and I'm the only one who seems to think they're funny.

5. Never had a bloody nose before. Can positively tell you that if I never have one for the rest of my days, I'll be a happy camper.

6. Even Long John Silver's commercials are beginning to appeal to me.

7. If I could just SMELL a McDonald's french fry, it will make my year!

8. I have a balloon in my room. Watching it float around reminds me of what my head must look like at this point. :)

Day (Negative) One

Today is Tuesday, July 27, 2010. I feel like I need to accept the fact that I am having Orthognathic (jaw, lower jaw, to be specific) Surgery tomorrow. TOMORROW! This is something that I have been anxiously awaiting since 8th grade when a fellow classmate jokingly called me "Jay Leno". While he has his funny moments, I'm totally cuter than Leno. I've been planning this for more than a year, but I still haven't come to terms with reality that it's less than 24 hours from now. I've been reading (and reading, and reading) others' blogs and while I wanted to keep this experience strictly private, I've been thinking it will do me 'good' to post daily "yacking" since I can't well, "yack", after tomorrow. Oh boy. What have I signed myself up for.

I know you are excited and would probablyPAY to see my face looking like it took a bad 12 rounds with Rocky Balboa, I'm pretty positive I won't be posting pics of this experience. I'm a pretty good BS'er, so I think I can color you a decent picture of what I look like without actually showing you. If I recover smoothly, I may change my mind. But I doubt it. Truly :)

I won't get all "medical" on you and try to explain exactly what this surgery entails, so I will give you the Kristin version. I wore braces for 2 years (age 12-14). At the time, my orthodontist, Dr. A. Wright Pond, suggested jaw surgery to correct my underbite and asymmetrical bottom jaw. This was in 1998 and this particular surgery was "unheard of". At the time, the surgery involved cutting my skin which would leave a significant amount of scarring, etc. My parents opted out of this option. So I wore braces for 2 years with the result of shiny, perfect teeth, with the exception of a crooked bite! Around 2007, I began to notice my upper teeth shifting. I consulted Dr. Pond again because I became really self-aware of the over-lapping teeth and he highly reccommended doing the surgery...again. I read and researched to the point where I thought I could perform the surgery on somebody :) I weighed the risks and decided it was definitely worth it. We began doing molds, impressions, pics, etc. and I had braces put on for the 2nd time (WAY TOO MANY TIMES IN ONE LIFETIME) in August of 2009. I met with my surgeon, Dr. Michael Miller, Commonwealth Oral and Facial Surgery, and we developed a game plan for surgery the summer of 2010...

Which brings me to this day! For now, I must be on a liquid diet for approximately 6 weeks, thus the reason why I OD'd on Krispy Kremes and Ukrop's Chocolate Chess Pie a little while ago...No wiring of the mouth, just rubber bands on my teeth for about 2 weeks. No scarring--everything is done on the inside of my mouth. I haven't had the chance to let myself get nervous quite yet. I try NOT to be a worrier, because I know whatever happens is supposed to happen. So if you're worried from the sound of this surgery, please don't be. Don't pray for me (I'll know I'll be a decent patient), pray for Dr. Miller, my surgeon. I'd hate to see what happens to my lovely broken face if he accidentally sneezes about an hour into the surgery :x I'll keep you posted...