Firstly, apologies to those of you who have been sat watching this blog frantically pressing "refresh". I know it has been a while but other things have been taking priority recently.
11 weeks have passed since my operation and if I'm being honest, things haven't exactly gone as I'd anticipated. Yes I knew it would be a slow process and I knew that it would be uncomfortable for a while. I knew I would be struggling to eat certain things for a while and I knew that psychologically, this was going to be a fairly tough journey. I didn't anticipate such a prolonged infection though which has really hampered progress both mentally and physically. In total I have been on seven courses of antibiotics (some of them simultaneously) and none of them have worked.
Since I first raised my concerns about the apparent hole in the back of my gum, I have seen a number of different consultants including my surgeon who have all alluded to the same problem but not actually been able to resolve it. About 2-3 weeks ago, I pulled out a piece of bone about 8mm square which had obviously been left in my gum as part of the operation. This had started working it's way to and through the surface of my gum until I was able to pull it out. (Felt like a kid pulling out a wobbly tooth!) When I took the piece of bone to the dental hospital, they were quite dismissive of it and just threw it away. I was hoping to keep it as a souvenir. I thought that this may have been the cause of the infection but, alas, here I am, still with infection.
At one point they were intending on replacing the titanium plate on the left side which they thought was the most obvious source of the infection. However, they have decided to wait until the 3 month milestone for the jaw bone to heal fully and as such, I am now on a waiting list for a second operation to remove the plate and screws on that side completely. I'm told that this is likely to be sometime after Christmas which is a bit shite if you ask me. Oh and any hope I harboured of the braces being removed before Christmas has evaporated as well as I still have an open bite at the back which requires continued use of the tight elastic bands to pull the teeth together.
In terms of how all this looks... internally you can see that the gum has receded from my lower back left molar and has exposed the root of the tooth and some of the jawbone. As part of the second operation, they will chisel off the exposed (now dead) jaw bone and reseal the gum as far up as possible. Externally there is obvious swelling on my left hand side which I'm assuming will remain until such time that the plate is removed. I just hope that all this is resolved sooner rather than later as it is quite uncomfortable and the asymmetry of my face is just...well... frustrating. I can also still feel the swelling on either side of my nose and along the right side of my jaw although it is hardly noticeable now and I assume that this will gradually disappear over the coming months. My chin and lower lip are still numb although the feeling is returning to the left side and I am just living in hope that this improvement will work its way round to the right hand side over time.
That's about it really. Not much progress but at least I'm on the waiting list. After all the antibiotics I am now able to enjoy a beer or (and) a glass of wine and I have now contained the dribbling to pre-operation levels. ;-) I am eating pretty much anything now, except steak and other thickly cut meats although chewing is still a chore and doesn't feel natural. My speech has improved but with the bands in place, it is quite tiring to talk for any length of time. I can't say that I'm glad I had this done at the moment... apart from the discomfort, I still think that I look more like a chipmunk than a Chippendale! Time will tell I suppose. Regardless, I am one of the luckiest blokes alive and I'm not as manic a depressive as this post might suggest. I just wanted to be honest for the benefit of anybody reading this who has had or is having the same operation.
Cheers for now...
Thoughts to two little babies who are having to go through more than they should at their age. Love to Reuben (my son) and Izzy (my friend's little girl).
Wayne,
ReplyDeleteI've spent the last 45 mins reading your entire blog and I now understand what you've had to go through. You're a braver man than me.
I take my hat off to you and Jodie.
Having met you for the first time, I would never have known what you've gone through. I meant what I said, you would never know.
You looked normal and in a completely non-gay way, quite good looking! Mind you, that sun tan probably helped!
Anyway, great blog, please keep posting. An update would be awesome and I'm now intrigued to know what was wrong with poor little Reuben.