Tuesday, June 16th: Since Rebecca was drained from the whole process, I took her to the beach for dinner to try and get her mind off everything. We ate at Spinners on St. Pete beach. Bec was able to have some soup that was put in a blender. This was the first time we attempted eating out, and the restaurant staff was very accommodating. The view from the restaurant was awesome. We didn't actually have a table on the part that spins, but we still had a great view:
Wednesday, June 17th: Rebecca saw Dr. Piper for the final time today. We had several questions since it would be 3 months before we saw him again. One of the holes in the splint was causing some discomfort due to a sharp edge, so Lisa was able to polish the splint to make it more comfortable. In addition, one of the posts on the splint needed fixed so Bec could band the splint properly. Dr. Piper gave Bec a vitamin schedule to follow in hopes it would help the condyle in her jaw to stop degenerating and possibly grow some. Today also included the removal of the stitches from her abdomen (where they took the fat grafts).
Becca also noticed her back bracket was loose again, so we had to schedule a 5pm appointment with Dr. Jackson. Luckily, Dr. Jackson is at the St. Petersburg office on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings, so we didn't have to spend extra time driving up to his Largo office. After the bracket was glued back, Bec re-banded her splint. While re-banding, she felt something pop, and sure enough, the bracket came loose again. Dr. Jackson re-attached the bracket, and she hasn't had any problems since. Evidently this is common due to the splint.
Thursday, June 18th: We had one last appointment with Dr. Hobbs before heading back to Illinois. It was hard for Rebecca to leave the security of the doctor office and return to Illinois, but it was also exciting to head home. We met 2 of the other 3 surgery patients that had surgery the same week as Bec, so it will be nice for her to keep in contact with others going through the same process. In addition, Bec has met some great people on The Jaw Crew Facebook page that have helped her with various questions and concerns. The surgery and recovery is a huge process, but the support system we have in place is great. Our next appointment with Dr. Piper is in September. We will find out then how well everything is healing.
Until September, Bec will have 5 breaks per day where she does exercises, eats (non-chew diet - so she basically drinks), and enjoys some freedom from the splint. For those that might be curious to see what the exercise looks like, here is a pic of her using the Therabite:
I'm relieved the surgery is over and glad to be home to start the recovery. Bec is super strong and is doing amazing so far. I'm sure there will be ups and downs over this process, but I'm excited and still hopeful that this is the beginning of a much better future...
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