A New Plan
Well I have been documenting the pain of rubber bands for quite some time. It is this pain that has forced me to see my ortho after just seeing him for a week. So on friday, I saw him. I go to check in and as usual, I am greeted by the receptionists. Well there is one whom Ive known the longest who didn't see me last week. Immediately she says, "Didn't you have surgery?". I laughed and said yes. Then she says, "Wow you look really good". I don't think she realized I am over 7 weeks going on 8. I get called in by one of the techs and she is also amazed at how good I looked. She comments on how a girl just left who had surgery before me and who is still quite swollen and sore. The girl is a teenager. Poor girl. I empathize with her but am glad that I heal pretty well. She asks how I was doing and I inform her of all of the problems I have. Some spacing issues, open bite with my molars, poking archiwires, an incisor tipping, and of course the dreaded rubber band at night. She looked everything over and agreed. The ortho makes his way over and he spent quite a bit of time looking everything over and agrees with my complaints. He recommended a change of my archwaires with some minor adjustments on the wire for some of my teeth, power chains for gaps, and a new rubber band set up. All of which he informs the tech to correct. I have a class II bite in my molars. Just like last week, he stated that I am almost done with braces and that everything looks pretty good. Just my midline of my lower jaw is slightly off. I can't believe how stubborn my jaw is. But I will say that it is getting in line. Just very slowly. The bad news is I still have to wear rubber bands. 2 on each side in the shape of a triangle and of course the dreaded band in the front which I will wear only at night when sleeping. The good news is I was given rubber bands with less tensile strength. I was told the one I was using was the highest strength which is ironically called "Bummer". LOL The new rubber bands are called "Bill". After this appointment, I feel so much better. My teeth were pretty sore but mentally I was so much happier. The tech did say that with "Bill" it would take longer for my jaw to shift. But I didn't care as I rather have less pain.
The Test:
So night time rolls around and its time for bed. Just in case, I took some Lortab before putting on the new rubber band. I needed a full nights sleep. I placed the new bands on and everything was so much better. I had some pain but no where near the pain I had before. I woke up with some minor TMJ pain on the right side. Saturday night I was extremely exhausted but didn't want to take any chances just yet. I again take some Lortab and placed the band. Overall, it was just as good as the night before and in the morning I realized that I was in less pain than before. So there is a glimmer of hope after all.
"Bummer"
Well I have come to pretty much hate the "Bummer" rubber bands after all they have created much havoc (in terms of pain) in my life. But I have been wearing them on each side with no problem. So today (sunday, 2 days after my ortho appt on friday) I have the day off. I decided that I will do some much needed laundry and some cleaning up of the apt. Since I am going to be home for most of the day, I thought I would band myself up like I would do normally when sleeping. I put on the bands and noticed that "Bill" wasn't shifting my jaw anymore. It just wasn't strong enough as I think my jaw is actually shifting now. I was shocked. So after staring at the bag of "Bummer" I finally decided to give them a try. Normally I would have taken some Lortab but I had already taken ibuprofen prior to placing the "Bill" band. I am not one to overdose on meds so I decided not to take any Lortab. I place the "Bummer" band on and looked in the mirror. As usual it shifts my jaw a little past the midline. Now I would just wait for the pain to kick in. It usually takes anywhere from 15-30min. After an hour of cleaning, I realized that I wasn't in any pain. I was shocked. It only took 2 nights for me to handle "Bummer". Wish I would have started off with "Bill" then I wouldn't have had to endure all of that pain. LOL Now I have all of these bags of "Bill" bands. Well knowing my jaw, I might need them tonight. I just hope that I can now move forward with Bummer which in turn means that there will be no more delays in my progress.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Yup...Still In Pain
Its funny how when I was first received braces, I was intrigued spacers. When I read the testimonials regarding them I was glad that I didn't need them. As time progressed, I learned about rubber bands and wondered if I would ever be in them. As the one year mark passed, I realized that I probably wouldn't need them but they still intrigued me. Well lets just say I am absolutely no longer intrigues by them. LOL They are wonderful tools but they hurt like no other. Well everyone says they have a high pain tolerance. I don't think I do but doctors and nurses have said otherwise. I didn't need any pain meds after knee surgery and I didn't use much pain meds after jaw surgery in the hospital nor at home.....well that was until I was rubber banded. My right TMJ was in a tremendous amount of pain that lasted about 6 days. Well I will not get into that again since I have already documented that horrible time. LOL
Well now I have 4 rubber bands as mentioned in another post. All of the bands are fine except the one at night. I have tried advil, alieve, tylenol different nights at varying amounts and to no avail, I still had intense pain. Suddenly I thought about the bottle of Lortab thatI still had from the jaw surgery. I barely used any so I had this full bottle left. I thought that if this didn't relieve the pain then I am done with this band. So on the first night of Lortab, I still felt the intense pain in my ear/R TMJ but the difference was the Lortab took a little bit of the edge off. I was even able to sleep thanks to the meds. Then I realized that I am not sure if it might not be a good idea to be on these pain meds every night just for these bands. But I needed to try something since this would help shift my jaw. I was able to sleep for 8 hours. The second night, I wasn't so lucky. I made it a whopping 15min until the intense pain started. I took off the bands and threw it off the side of the bed. LOL
So I was fed up. Something has to give. I decided that since I already had 2 poking archwires that I might as well go see my orthodontist and explain to him what was happening. I wanted to wait to see if things would improve but they haven't. And not sure if they worsened but sometimes when I chew I get this weird feeling in my ear/TMJ like something isn't in place. I even feel it when I am talking. I will give it another try tonight but I am having my doubts. I go from being so curious about rubber bands to hating them. I guess its like how I can't look at canned soup nor Ensure/Boost the same way.
Well now I have 4 rubber bands as mentioned in another post. All of the bands are fine except the one at night. I have tried advil, alieve, tylenol different nights at varying amounts and to no avail, I still had intense pain. Suddenly I thought about the bottle of Lortab thatI still had from the jaw surgery. I barely used any so I had this full bottle left. I thought that if this didn't relieve the pain then I am done with this band. So on the first night of Lortab, I still felt the intense pain in my ear/R TMJ but the difference was the Lortab took a little bit of the edge off. I was even able to sleep thanks to the meds. Then I realized that I am not sure if it might not be a good idea to be on these pain meds every night just for these bands. But I needed to try something since this would help shift my jaw. I was able to sleep for 8 hours. The second night, I wasn't so lucky. I made it a whopping 15min until the intense pain started. I took off the bands and threw it off the side of the bed. LOL
So I was fed up. Something has to give. I decided that since I already had 2 poking archwires that I might as well go see my orthodontist and explain to him what was happening. I wanted to wait to see if things would improve but they haven't. And not sure if they worsened but sometimes when I chew I get this weird feeling in my ear/TMJ like something isn't in place. I even feel it when I am talking. I will give it another try tonight but I am having my doubts. I go from being so curious about rubber bands to hating them. I guess its like how I can't look at canned soup nor Ensure/Boost the same way.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Oh the Pain....THE PAIN!!!!
So for the most part these rubber bands have been uneventful....UNTIL LAST NIGHT. So I have one band on my right side in the shape of a triangle which is helping to lightly shift my jaw during the day. At night, I am supposed to place a band in front of my teeth that go from the upper right to the lower left at night when I am sleeping or when I am just sitting around at home and not talking. So when it was time for bed, I replaced the band on the right and put on the band in front. I am really tried so I go to bed. An hour later I am awaken due to this intense pain. I toss and turn and even sit up trying to endure the pain and attempt to fall asleep. Impossible. This pain resembles the same pain I had when I was first banded that dreadful day out of the hospital. After spending 30min in bed trying to endure the pain, I am forced to remove the central band. Sadly that didn't remove the pain. The pain lasted for quite a while so I took a couple of Alieve and headed off to bed in pain until I feel asleep.
Well in the middle of the night I woke up again to go to the restroom. I decided to give the band another try. Maybe this time the pain wouldn't be as bad since my midline is set with the one band on the side and the Alieve in my system. WRONG! I put the band on and things look and feel good. I lay down for bed only to be awaken 30min later in intense pain. It was unbearable. I then decide it will be impossible to wear this band at night. So I decide that I will just have to wear this one band at this point for the next 6 weeks. Maybe I will try again but at this point I can't endure the pain and I can't be on Lortab every night for these bands. Id be a mess everyday! LOL
Well in the middle of the night I woke up again to go to the restroom. I decided to give the band another try. Maybe this time the pain wouldn't be as bad since my midline is set with the one band on the side and the Alieve in my system. WRONG! I put the band on and things look and feel good. I lay down for bed only to be awaken 30min later in intense pain. It was unbearable. I then decide it will be impossible to wear this band at night. So I decide that I will just have to wear this one band at this point for the next 6 weeks. Maybe I will try again but at this point I can't endure the pain and I can't be on Lortab every night for these bands. Id be a mess everyday! LOL
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
First Ortho Visit Post Op
Well I have been looking forward to this day. I haven't seen my ortho since mid July and I have been wondering what would be next in my treatment. I knew that my stubborn lower was still not matching up with my upper jaw so I knew that would have to be addressed. I also have some small gaps and of course the issue of my small open bite on the left side of my molars. My appointment was too eventful. So the first thing was the removal of those horrible and dreaded surgical hooks. The funny thing is I was a bit nervous of receiving them but once they were put on, I was ok with them until the second day. They irritated my mouth and wrecked havoc on my mouth after surgery. So I enjoyed every single hook being removed. As the last hook was removed, the tech noticed a broken bracket. I thought I escaped surgery without a broken bracket but no. The lower canine on the left was off and replaced. After everything was removed, my ortho came by and checked everything out. He was really happy with the results. Said everything looked great. He wanted to address the midline issue of my lower jaw and start work on the open bite. Three hooks were added and 4 rubber bands were placed on. 2 of which will work on the open bite and the other 2 with work on shifting my jaw. I am to wear one most of the day and at night. The other I am to wear only at night. I recalled all the chaffing people complained about rubber bands and thought there wouldn't be a problem.... That is until I ate my first meal. The insides of my poor jaw was chaffing. After about 9-10 hours, I had to take it off. Hopefully I will last longer as the weeks progress. I will go back in 6 weeks.
At the appointment, we looked at the before pics. It was surprising to see how bad my teeth looked before I started orthodontic treatment. It was kind of embarrassing. It is really encouraging to see what a 1.5 years of treatment could do. My ortho says if everything goes well, I could be completely done as early as 4 months! I can't believe I am nearing the end of this whole process.
I still have complete numbness in my chin and bottom lip. I also realized that the inside of my lower lip and the front of my lower gums are numb too. I think I am starting to gain minor sensation at the left corner of my lip and when I brush on the left molars I feel a tingle that goes from that too all the way to my chin. I hope this is a good sign to show that the nerve only had a small amount of damage and will heal properly. Only time will tell. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the joy of eating.
At the appointment, we looked at the before pics. It was surprising to see how bad my teeth looked before I started orthodontic treatment. It was kind of embarrassing. It is really encouraging to see what a 1.5 years of treatment could do. My ortho says if everything goes well, I could be completely done as early as 4 months! I can't believe I am nearing the end of this whole process.
I still have complete numbness in my chin and bottom lip. I also realized that the inside of my lower lip and the front of my lower gums are numb too. I think I am starting to gain minor sensation at the left corner of my lip and when I brush on the left molars I feel a tingle that goes from that too all the way to my chin. I hope this is a good sign to show that the nerve only had a small amount of damage and will heal properly. Only time will tell. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the joy of eating.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Full Day of Food.....Unbanded
So for this entry its going to be all about food. I am currently in Houston for a tourney at Rice University. So one of the reason why I was so disappointed with being banded for an extra week was that I wanted to have a week of practice eating under my belt before heading off on this trip. This left me less than 8 hours to see what I could do. Things so far is a lot better than I expected with a few roadblocks.
Breakfast:
We headed for breakfast in the hotel at 9am where we ordered from the menu. At home I do not go for a huge meal and on the road I typically go for the oatmeal or a small breakfast that would sustain me till lunch. I took a gander at the menu and noticed that I would struggle eating half of it until I saw a few items that I do like. I ended up ordering a small bowl of oatmeal and brown sugar, 2 soft scrambled eggs, coffee and a yogurt. Two things to note. This was the first time since surgery that I have had coffee and my stomach isn't used to eating so much foods that I became full fairly quickly. I didn't even touch the yogurt let alone finish the oatmeal. I devoured the eggs. It felt like this was the best meal ever.
Lunch:
We headed to the mall as with most female teams, they want to shop. I went along with the staff and we went to jamba juice. I originally thought that I would grow sick of smoothies since I had at least one every day for 5 weeks. Surprisingly it was ok. I ordered an aloha pineapple with a shot of whey protein and a cranberry orange mini loaf. The task was to see if I could handle the loaf (which was pretty much a muffin in the shape of a loaf). To my surprise, I was able to eat it with minor to no issues. Granted it took about 20min to eat since I had to pinch of small pieces but again it was pretty good.
Dinner:
Since we are in texas, we opted for a good Steakhouse. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat a steak but good thing there is fish. Looking at the menu, I pretty much ruled out 80% of the items. Knowing I wouldn't be able to eat much I had to find things that I would be able to eat and sustain me till bedtime. We were served monkey bread which was very delicious. I noticed that the soft inside portions was very easy to eat and did not require much chewing. I would typically have a salad but veggies would be a nightmare to chew since they aren't cooked so I thought soup would be a great idea. On the menu there was one soup that caught my eye which is the split pea soup. This soup never really appealed to me before so since it said "our famous soup" I thought I would give it a try. I was glad I did. I do like peas and this split pea soup was very flavorful. It came with 4 croutons and I knew I wouldn't be able to take on those so I made sure to soak them in the soup to soften for consumption later. When looking at the menu for the main course, I noticed two types of fish that I was interested in: the mahi mahi and the wild salmon. We asked the server for a recommendation of the two and he opted for the salmon. So salmon it was and it was great. I was shocked at how easy it was to eat. It melted in my mouth along with the side of whipped potatoes. I was in heaven.
An Aside:
During dinner, we had a visit by 3 time olympian (Walton) Glenn Eller. He won a gold medal in Beijing and wanted to meet the team. He actually had the medal with him. The girls weren't impressed with he came to the table as no one knew who he was. When it was announced by the manager that he was an olympian and that he had won a gold medal, the girls went nuts. He had the medal with him and he actually left the medal with them so they could take pics of it and what not. I was surprised that he actually left so the girls could play around with it. After seeing the medal on tv through out the olympics, I must admit it was cool to see it close up.
Breakfast:
We headed for breakfast in the hotel at 9am where we ordered from the menu. At home I do not go for a huge meal and on the road I typically go for the oatmeal or a small breakfast that would sustain me till lunch. I took a gander at the menu and noticed that I would struggle eating half of it until I saw a few items that I do like. I ended up ordering a small bowl of oatmeal and brown sugar, 2 soft scrambled eggs, coffee and a yogurt. Two things to note. This was the first time since surgery that I have had coffee and my stomach isn't used to eating so much foods that I became full fairly quickly. I didn't even touch the yogurt let alone finish the oatmeal. I devoured the eggs. It felt like this was the best meal ever.
Lunch:
We headed to the mall as with most female teams, they want to shop. I went along with the staff and we went to jamba juice. I originally thought that I would grow sick of smoothies since I had at least one every day for 5 weeks. Surprisingly it was ok. I ordered an aloha pineapple with a shot of whey protein and a cranberry orange mini loaf. The task was to see if I could handle the loaf (which was pretty much a muffin in the shape of a loaf). To my surprise, I was able to eat it with minor to no issues. Granted it took about 20min to eat since I had to pinch of small pieces but again it was pretty good.
Dinner:
Since we are in texas, we opted for a good Steakhouse. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat a steak but good thing there is fish. Looking at the menu, I pretty much ruled out 80% of the items. Knowing I wouldn't be able to eat much I had to find things that I would be able to eat and sustain me till bedtime. We were served monkey bread which was very delicious. I noticed that the soft inside portions was very easy to eat and did not require much chewing. I would typically have a salad but veggies would be a nightmare to chew since they aren't cooked so I thought soup would be a great idea. On the menu there was one soup that caught my eye which is the split pea soup. This soup never really appealed to me before so since it said "our famous soup" I thought I would give it a try. I was glad I did. I do like peas and this split pea soup was very flavorful. It came with 4 croutons and I knew I wouldn't be able to take on those so I made sure to soak them in the soup to soften for consumption later. When looking at the menu for the main course, I noticed two types of fish that I was interested in: the mahi mahi and the wild salmon. We asked the server for a recommendation of the two and he opted for the salmon. So salmon it was and it was great. I was shocked at how easy it was to eat. It melted in my mouth along with the side of whipped potatoes. I was in heaven.
An Aside:
During dinner, we had a visit by 3 time olympian (Walton) Glenn Eller. He won a gold medal in Beijing and wanted to meet the team. He actually had the medal with him. The girls weren't impressed with he came to the table as no one knew who he was. When it was announced by the manager that he was an olympian and that he had won a gold medal, the girls went nuts. He had the medal with him and he actually left the medal with them so they could take pics of it and what not. I was surprised that he actually left so the girls could play around with it. After seeing the medal on tv through out the olympics, I must admit it was cool to see it close up.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Im Free!!!
I never thought the day would come. The day of when I would finally be released from the things that have held my mouth closed for 34 days and yes I counted. Every since I was told that I would have to be banded tightly for 3 extra weeks than expected, I literally became depressed. My friends today were telling me that they could tell I wasn't my normal happy self. Well I wasn't happy and I wouldn't say I was depressed. I was disappointed that I got my hopes up when I shouldn't. I went into today's appointment thinking I would get these bands off but I was prepared for them to stay but I wasn't going down without a fight. Not this time.
So today was a crazy hectic day for me. I woke up for a 7am meeting, ran home to eat (er..drink LOL) and then headed off to the appointment. I made it well before my appointment time and after 15min I was called back. After 10 minutes, a new fellow who I haven't met before comes in and takes a complete history. She apologized that she was going over everything but felt it was necessary since she hasn't seen me before. Everything looked good to her and she asked what was my chief complaint. I clearly stated through clenched teeth "These rubber bands!" We both laugh and she said she will make sure Dr Edwards understood. So she heads out to update him. So I read while I wait and I notice that time is slowly ticking away and there is no sign of the doc. Other techs were poking their head in to check up on me and made jokes about me finishing my book before I would get to see the doctor. I didn't really find this funny because it was now 2 hours and I haven't seen the doctor yet. So around 2 hours and 15min, Dr Edwards walks in with his crew and apologizes for being late. He looked like he's been running from patient from patient all morning. Basically he was overbooked with patients. Once I heard this I understood and was no longer upset. I just wish someone would have told me earlier. Anyway, he checked my sutures and my bite. Said everything looked good. He asked about my numbness and said everything from the itchiness, short stabs of pain, tingling, etc are all good signs. The fellow informed him of my chief complaint and Dr Edwards laughed and said "Well I have some good news, you are definitely getting out of those bands". It was music to my ears and I couldn't help but to have the biggest smile ever. I had to contain my smile as he removed each dreaded band. LOL He checked my bite a few times and started to say he will add one band on each side but in mid speech he checked my bite again and changed his mind. He said he likes my bite and thinks I didn't need them. I couldn't believe it. He said I can progress slowly to solid foods but to take things slowly. He said I do not need to come next week for my 6th week follow up but to schedule an appointment for my 10th week. He said I do not really need to be seen unless I am having trouble with my bite and range of motion. He say he wanted to see me once I had my braces removed. I had a couple of xrays and pics taken and was finally sent on my way.
It was now 3 hours later and I headed off to work. Everyone gave me a warm reception. They seemed so happy for me which caught me by surprised. Really showed me that everyone understood my frustration. It is strange to talk again with this new bite and I am still lacking a bit of ROM. I am at 1.5 finger widths so I can just fit a fork/spoon to each. My first meal was a naked ancho chile chicken burito from Qdoba. I found out that I could most of it but struggled with the chicken and the pinto beans. I need to mush them with the fork to be able to eat it. Rice was perfect and the cookie was no problem. I had pizza that night and leaned pretty fast that it wasn't a good idea. I won't lie, I did bite into the pizza and it was so cool (and weird) to bite into something with a normal bite. I didn't really chew the pizza which was the problem. Pizza isn't the most ideal thing to eat on a soft food idea. Chalk one up for lesson learned. The day reminded me of my first week at home after surgery. That week I had to learn what tasted good in liquid form so now I need to find out what soft foods to eat. All in all, I do not have any complaints. Im just happy to be able to talk and to be able to eat with utensils and not a straw. LOL
So today was a crazy hectic day for me. I woke up for a 7am meeting, ran home to eat (er..drink LOL) and then headed off to the appointment. I made it well before my appointment time and after 15min I was called back. After 10 minutes, a new fellow who I haven't met before comes in and takes a complete history. She apologized that she was going over everything but felt it was necessary since she hasn't seen me before. Everything looked good to her and she asked what was my chief complaint. I clearly stated through clenched teeth "These rubber bands!" We both laugh and she said she will make sure Dr Edwards understood. So she heads out to update him. So I read while I wait and I notice that time is slowly ticking away and there is no sign of the doc. Other techs were poking their head in to check up on me and made jokes about me finishing my book before I would get to see the doctor. I didn't really find this funny because it was now 2 hours and I haven't seen the doctor yet. So around 2 hours and 15min, Dr Edwards walks in with his crew and apologizes for being late. He looked like he's been running from patient from patient all morning. Basically he was overbooked with patients. Once I heard this I understood and was no longer upset. I just wish someone would have told me earlier. Anyway, he checked my sutures and my bite. Said everything looked good. He asked about my numbness and said everything from the itchiness, short stabs of pain, tingling, etc are all good signs. The fellow informed him of my chief complaint and Dr Edwards laughed and said "Well I have some good news, you are definitely getting out of those bands". It was music to my ears and I couldn't help but to have the biggest smile ever. I had to contain my smile as he removed each dreaded band. LOL He checked my bite a few times and started to say he will add one band on each side but in mid speech he checked my bite again and changed his mind. He said he likes my bite and thinks I didn't need them. I couldn't believe it. He said I can progress slowly to solid foods but to take things slowly. He said I do not need to come next week for my 6th week follow up but to schedule an appointment for my 10th week. He said I do not really need to be seen unless I am having trouble with my bite and range of motion. He say he wanted to see me once I had my braces removed. I had a couple of xrays and pics taken and was finally sent on my way.
It was now 3 hours later and I headed off to work. Everyone gave me a warm reception. They seemed so happy for me which caught me by surprised. Really showed me that everyone understood my frustration. It is strange to talk again with this new bite and I am still lacking a bit of ROM. I am at 1.5 finger widths so I can just fit a fork/spoon to each. My first meal was a naked ancho chile chicken burito from Qdoba. I found out that I could most of it but struggled with the chicken and the pinto beans. I need to mush them with the fork to be able to eat it. Rice was perfect and the cookie was no problem. I had pizza that night and leaned pretty fast that it wasn't a good idea. I won't lie, I did bite into the pizza and it was so cool (and weird) to bite into something with a normal bite. I didn't really chew the pizza which was the problem. Pizza isn't the most ideal thing to eat on a soft food idea. Chalk one up for lesson learned. The day reminded me of my first week at home after surgery. That week I had to learn what tasted good in liquid form so now I need to find out what soft foods to eat. All in all, I do not have any complaints. Im just happy to be able to talk and to be able to eat with utensils and not a straw. LOL
Thursday, August 14, 2008
To Sneeze or Not to Sneeze?
Ok when people tell me that I have thought and prepared for everything, I think I now believe them. So for the past 7 years I have been working on health. I knew I needed braces, I knew I needed oral surgery, and I knew I wanted lasik surgery. But before I did any of those, I opted for immunotherapy for allergies. Ever since I can remember, I grew up with allergies. No known food allergies but to grass, pollen, dust, mold, etc. As a child, I only had to worry about ragweed in august and september. My allergic reactions were moderate when I was younger but as I aged the severity lessened but I found that I was reacting to more things through out the year. So I felt it was time to get tested and see what happened. The test itself was one of the most uncomfortable things I have ever experience. Yes even after oral surgery. Just imagine someone poking various allergens in your back and watching the reactions. The worse part is I reacted fairly quickly. Some immediately while others took less than 5min. Unfortunately for me, the protocol is to wait 20min! My eyes watered due to the intense itchiness and I left a huge pool of sweat.
Well I underwent immunotherapy for over 4 years and yes it does work. But you have to deal with injections weekly for the first 6 months then biweekly then monthly. Needles do not bother me but after awhile it gets annoying especially when I had to shots in each arm. LOL So I finished up in may. And have noticed a huge difference. I rarely take allergy meds and its usually my eyes that only itch on occasion.
There is a point to all of this. LOL Well august is usually the worst month for me due to all of the ragweed and we have been getting great weather 70s and low 80s which ragweed loves. I have been working and thinking about surgery so much that I never though about my allergies post surgery until I was discharged. So I started to worry a little. The thought of being banded shut with intense TMJ pain and sneezing didn't sound appealing to me. I was worried mainly because when I sneeze, its not just a small sneeze. The earth tends to shake and I nearly explode. So I started to worry. LOL But soon those worries went away because I realized that I never had to sneeze for some odd reason. My biggest concern was pain and trying to yawn. LOL
Today was different. A coworker sneezed pretty hard today and I realized that I haven't sneezed in over 3 weeks. I stated to my coworker and she was shocked as was I. So I had the afternoon off and settled down to have late lunch at home. As soon as I sat down I felt the urge to sneeze. I didn't sneeze once, nor twice but three times! Once it was over, I realized that it wasn't all that bad. I am just happy that this happened today than 3 weeks ago.
So I wrote this huge entry to merely state that sneezing while being banded shut isn't all too bad. LOL
Well I underwent immunotherapy for over 4 years and yes it does work. But you have to deal with injections weekly for the first 6 months then biweekly then monthly. Needles do not bother me but after awhile it gets annoying especially when I had to shots in each arm. LOL So I finished up in may. And have noticed a huge difference. I rarely take allergy meds and its usually my eyes that only itch on occasion.
There is a point to all of this. LOL Well august is usually the worst month for me due to all of the ragweed and we have been getting great weather 70s and low 80s which ragweed loves. I have been working and thinking about surgery so much that I never though about my allergies post surgery until I was discharged. So I started to worry a little. The thought of being banded shut with intense TMJ pain and sneezing didn't sound appealing to me. I was worried mainly because when I sneeze, its not just a small sneeze. The earth tends to shake and I nearly explode. So I started to worry. LOL But soon those worries went away because I realized that I never had to sneeze for some odd reason. My biggest concern was pain and trying to yawn. LOL
Today was different. A coworker sneezed pretty hard today and I realized that I haven't sneezed in over 3 weeks. I stated to my coworker and she was shocked as was I. So I had the afternoon off and settled down to have late lunch at home. As soon as I sat down I felt the urge to sneeze. I didn't sneeze once, nor twice but three times! Once it was over, I realized that it wasn't all that bad. I am just happy that this happened today than 3 weeks ago.
So I wrote this huge entry to merely state that sneezing while being banded shut isn't all too bad. LOL
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