Today, at long last, they took off the arch bars. It's been 6.5 weeks. I would probably be raving about mouth freedom right now, but I can't, really.
That's because they removed my two fractured teeth because they'd hurt too much when I would chew. I'm holding an ice pack to the side of my head and biting down on gauze.
Truly I couldn't be happier. Those teeth hurt so much when anything at all touched them. And I can worry about prosthesis later--not like I can really afford it. What this really means is pancakes, pasta, rice, and fish! I'll be able to chew pie crust! I won't miss those two teeth at all after the pain they've caused me.
Dec 8, 2009
Dec 3, 2009
Improvement, New Issues
By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I had the wires off and was opening but not chewing for six days. And I ate so much food on Thanksgiving.
I didn't even have to use a food processor to eat most of it, although the food processor has become my best friend. That thing chews better in four seconds than I ever did.
I'm able to open wide enough now on my own to fit two fingers between my bite (imagine making a little pistol with your hand and putting it in your mouth--morbid, but accurate). When I do the stretching exercises the opening is a little wider, but so far I'm plateaued here. The thing is, I don't know how wide I was opening before.
In just five more days they'll take the arch bars off. Of course, this will give me the same anxiety about my fractured teeth that I had when they unwired me. They won't be able to take them out immediately, unfortunately. And starting just today, I started to feel some pain in my cheekbone. Might this be where the root of my fractured tooth leads? Or is this some normal side effect of opening? It only hurts when I clamp down or swallow in certain ways.
I hope I can start chewing really soon after the arch bars come off. I've never been so happy to see the days on the calendar fly by. Just get me to February or so, when I'll be almost all the way recovered. At least recovered enough to eat a sandwich.
I didn't even have to use a food processor to eat most of it, although the food processor has become my best friend. That thing chews better in four seconds than I ever did.
I'm able to open wide enough now on my own to fit two fingers between my bite (imagine making a little pistol with your hand and putting it in your mouth--morbid, but accurate). When I do the stretching exercises the opening is a little wider, but so far I'm plateaued here. The thing is, I don't know how wide I was opening before.
In just five more days they'll take the arch bars off. Of course, this will give me the same anxiety about my fractured teeth that I had when they unwired me. They won't be able to take them out immediately, unfortunately. And starting just today, I started to feel some pain in my cheekbone. Might this be where the root of my fractured tooth leads? Or is this some normal side effect of opening? It only hurts when I clamp down or swallow in certain ways.
I hope I can start chewing really soon after the arch bars come off. I've never been so happy to see the days on the calendar fly by. Just get me to February or so, when I'll be almost all the way recovered. At least recovered enough to eat a sandwich.
Nov 21, 2009
Freedom Hurts
Yesterday I got the wires snipped. I was so anxious when the doc told me to open my mouth. It was like opening an old chest in your attic: creaky and jerky.
It was the first time I could really feel how screwed up my teeth are. They don't line up with one another like normal because there are so many pieces missing. I also kept tapping my fractured tooth accidentally as I spoke, which was very painful. I'll have to learn how to close reliably without hitting it the wrong way.
Then the doc stretched my mouth open with his fingers a little bit. He was impressed with how wide it got, but I was floored--literally. I started to get light-headed and tunnel vision from the discomfort, my blood pressure dropped to about 80/50, and they had to recline the chair and get me some ginger ales. I got better quickly, but it was still a lot to go through.
Bottom line on going forward:
I had completely normal scrambled eggs today and it was glorious. Even eating small spoonfuls very gingerly got me through two eggs way faster than through a straw. And so much tastier. On the menu today is going to be some pureed mac & cheese with tuna salad, and pasta with sauce for dinner.
I'm so excited.
On the flip side, when I do the stretching exercises I can feel either latent injuries or atrophy in my teeth. Every tooth feels sensitive when I press against them. I imagined that chewing would have been off-limits at first because of muscle atrophy, but maybe it's because of tooth sensitivity? It could just be that when I hit the floor I really hurt my mouth.
If so, I'm apprehensive about the dentist and the reconstructive process. I could be eating purees for a long time.
It was the first time I could really feel how screwed up my teeth are. They don't line up with one another like normal because there are so many pieces missing. I also kept tapping my fractured tooth accidentally as I spoke, which was very painful. I'll have to learn how to close reliably without hitting it the wrong way.
Then the doc stretched my mouth open with his fingers a little bit. He was impressed with how wide it got, but I was floored--literally. I started to get light-headed and tunnel vision from the discomfort, my blood pressure dropped to about 80/50, and they had to recline the chair and get me some ginger ales. I got better quickly, but it was still a lot to go through.
Bottom line on going forward:
- Doing stretching exercises, just using my hand to open my jaw wide, 3-5x daily, 5 reps per set,
- Wearing 2 rubber bands instead of wires. They're really easy to manage.
- Able to take off the bands to eat (no chewing!) and clean
- I can finally eat pureed food that isn't diluted!
I had completely normal scrambled eggs today and it was glorious. Even eating small spoonfuls very gingerly got me through two eggs way faster than through a straw. And so much tastier. On the menu today is going to be some pureed mac & cheese with tuna salad, and pasta with sauce for dinner.
I'm so excited.
On the flip side, when I do the stretching exercises I can feel either latent injuries or atrophy in my teeth. Every tooth feels sensitive when I press against them. I imagined that chewing would have been off-limits at first because of muscle atrophy, but maybe it's because of tooth sensitivity? It could just be that when I hit the floor I really hurt my mouth.
If so, I'm apprehensive about the dentist and the reconstructive process. I could be eating purees for a long time.
Nov 17, 2009
Anticipation and Improvement
It's Tuesday. Friday I get my wires off and graduate to rubber bands.
If I can open my mouth enough to spoon things into it, I'm thinking of making an omelet and pureeing that. It'll be a good way to deliver some vegetables to my system and see how they interact. Eggs are pretty much always a safe bet for IBD folks.
Another strange but positive thing I've experienced lately is feeling better and better every day. I've never fallen so sick, so fast, and so fundamentally before:
Just think about waking up in the morning and thinking, I haven't felt this good in two months. That's every day for me, lately.
If I can open my mouth enough to spoon things into it, I'm thinking of making an omelet and pureeing that. It'll be a good way to deliver some vegetables to my system and see how they interact. Eggs are pretty much always a safe bet for IBD folks.
Another strange but positive thing I've experienced lately is feeling better and better every day. I've never fallen so sick, so fast, and so fundamentally before:
- I lost a lot of blood,
- was dehydrated for a while,
- I am currently anemic,
- 30 lbs underweight, and
- currently consume under 2,000 calories/day (but 100% of nutrients)
Just think about waking up in the morning and thinking, I haven't felt this good in two months. That's every day for me, lately.
Nov 15, 2009
Mac 'n' Cheese and a New Strategy for Clearing Blockage
Had some delicious leftover mac 'n' cheese today. It blended better when it was fresh, probably because it was still warm at the time and a lot more moist. Maybe I should heat leftovers first before I blend them?
The really exciting thing that came out of this though is that I discovered a new way to clear my teeth after eating. We went for a drive immediately after I ate, and I had no access to my Water Pik which I can normally use to quickly clean things out. I could feel some annoying pieces with my tongue, and in a flash the solution came to me.
I rolled open the window, spread my lips, and blew as hard as I could through my teeth over and over. The macaroni pieces soared out in all directions and in a few seconds my mouth felt totally clean and clear. What a relief! I'm so sad I only discovered this on day 23!
I hope to reschedule my rubber-band upgrade for this Friday if I can. I'm very excited at the prospect of spooning pureed, undiluted food into my mouth. I hope that's realistic.
The really exciting thing that came out of this though is that I discovered a new way to clear my teeth after eating. We went for a drive immediately after I ate, and I had no access to my Water Pik which I can normally use to quickly clean things out. I could feel some annoying pieces with my tongue, and in a flash the solution came to me.
I rolled open the window, spread my lips, and blew as hard as I could through my teeth over and over. The macaroni pieces soared out in all directions and in a few seconds my mouth felt totally clean and clear. What a relief! I'm so sad I only discovered this on day 23!
I hope to reschedule my rubber-band upgrade for this Friday if I can. I'm very excited at the prospect of spooning pureed, undiluted food into my mouth. I hope that's realistic.
Nov 14, 2009
Recipes & Foods
You'll be able to eat things of various consistencies at different points in your recovery process. Below, recipes are organized according to when your mouth can handle them, and grouped by ease of preparation. Obviously anything you made in an earlier stage is fair game for a later stage, but I doubt you'll want to go back.
Stage 1: Wired Shut
Stage 2: Rubber Bands
Stage 3: Freedom, 0-14 Days
Stage 4: Freedom, 14+ Days
Stage 1: Wired Shut
Thin Mashed Potatoes. So easy. I will assume you have a recipe for mashed potatoes.
Almost Any Soup. Try to avoid soups with seeds in them because the seeds won't blend. Strain them out before you blend or else a chunky soup will be too thick for your strainer to work.
Fruit Smoothie with Yogurt. Try to get in one of these a day because of the great vitamin content and the yogurt. Yogurt will help during the period when you're still on antibiotics from the surgery/break to keep you from getting diarrhea.
Stage 2: Rubber Bands
Stage 3: Freedom, 0-14 Days
Stage 4: Freedom, 14+ Days
Stage 1: Wired Shut
Stage 2: Rubber Bands
Stage 3: Freedom, 0-14 Days
Stage 4: Freedom, 14+ Days
Stage 1: Wired Shut
Thin Mashed Potatoes. So easy. I will assume you have a recipe for mashed potatoes.
- Prepare a bunch of normal mashed potatoes in advance, or just get a box of dry potato buds.
- Mix in 1/2-1 cup extra chicken broth and stir with a fork if using buds, blend if using real mashed potatoes.
- Season to taste. I like a little Paprika or Cayenne pepper.
- For added nutritional value, throw in a little meat and blend. Scrambled eggs are good, too.
Almost Any Soup. Try to avoid soups with seeds in them because the seeds won't blend. Strain them out before you blend or else a chunky soup will be too thick for your strainer to work.
Fruit Smoothie with Yogurt. Try to get in one of these a day because of the great vitamin content and the yogurt. Yogurt will help during the period when you're still on antibiotics from the surgery/break to keep you from getting diarrhea.
- 1/2 cup each of 2-3 of the following fresh fruits: banana, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple, mango, melon, you name it;
- 1 cup fruit juice (OJ is my favorite)
- 1 container of yogurt
- Instead of ice, simply freeze your fruit beforehand. This is great because you can stock up on berries when they're on sale and save a bunch of money, and also not have to dilute something for once.
Stage 2: Rubber Bands
Stage 3: Freedom, 0-14 Days
Stage 4: Freedom, 14+ Days
10 More Days of Wires; Cream of Mushroom Chicken & Pasta
I get the wires cut November 24th. I can't wait.
November 24th is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I really hope I can open wide enough to swallow some spoonfuls of pureed turkey and vegetables. I'll be sad not to be able to chew buttered rolls though.
I recently had a pretty delicious and simple meal: chicken, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, and pasta. Others ate broccoli with it too, which would have been great, but broccoli is potentially a problem food for my gut, so I abstained for now.
It took a lot of chicken broth to get the pasta to blend, but experience so far shows that pasta blends easier than rice.
November 24th is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I really hope I can open wide enough to swallow some spoonfuls of pureed turkey and vegetables. I'll be sad not to be able to chew buttered rolls though.
I recently had a pretty delicious and simple meal: chicken, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, and pasta. Others ate broccoli with it too, which would have been great, but broccoli is potentially a problem food for my gut, so I abstained for now.
It took a lot of chicken broth to get the pasta to blend, but experience so far shows that pasta blends easier than rice.
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