Surgery Day

Surgery was scheduled to start at 9:00, so we had to be at the hospital by 7. When I first got there I was escorted back into the preop surgery room, which was just a row of beds with curtains around them. Here I changed into my gown, had an IV put in, and had a final talk with the anesthesiologists, and surgeons.

They then let my mom come in and hang out with me for a few minutes. They also came into give me a "happy medicine" that was supposed to help keep my nerves down. I don't remember anything after this point! My mom did tell me I was pretty crazy, and that I had asked if we could eat in the cafeteria the next day. =]
Then the lights were out for the next few hours. They flew by for me, surgery started at 9 and I didn't get out into the recovery room until a little after 5! Much longer than I had been told it would last. The surgeon said that my mouth was extremely small, and was a challenge to move around it. He also said that the one side of my jaw that he felt needed the most work had very little spongy bone in in, and that he had spent an hour alone chiseling out the nerve. 

My surgery was both both top and bottom jaw surgery, with chin surgery as well. My top jaw had grown more on one side and pushed one of the bottom jaw joints up, leading to discomfort.

But anyway... the next thing I remember is becoming aware of being in the recovery room, with  a nurse talking to me. I felt like he asked me if I hurt, or if I was nauseous 20 times! I remember more than anything just being sooo thirsty. I couldn't feel my lips or my cheeks, so the nurse spent a lot of time strawing me water... Haha! I also had to cough up as much as I could, because my Oxygen level was 87 and the nurse wasn't liking it. I had to wear an Oxygen tube for the entire 24 hours at the hospital.

The nurse then wheeled me into my room and this is where I had my first experience with nausea. The nurse kept apologizing, but It wasn't his fault. I was then stuck in bed got to see my parents, and a couple of friends, an then I was in and out for a while. Then I was given my first dose of ain medicine and threw it up, along with a ton of blood. I thought I was fine after a while, got up to go to the restroom and then threw up EVERYWHERE! All of the walls, the floor, myself... everywhere. There were a ton of blood clots, so the nurse said that I should feel better, and I did. 

I also had  to be threatened to be given a catheter to get myself to pee. I just didn't have to go, but I did NOT want a catheter, so I made myself go. It was much easier after the first time, but it took effort. 

The first night was horrible. I didn't sleep well because the nurses kept coming to take my vitals, and give me medication. 

I can't say I felt to much pain, but I did feel a ton of pressure on my face, like a horse was sitting on it. I had a "Jaw Bra" to keep ice on my cheeks, and bandages under my chin. I was definitely a sight, with my swollen lips along with all this!