Day 17

Today began like any other day, but I felt so horrible after the doctor’s appointment that it easily became one of the worst days post-op. There were two things that occurred that really brought down my morale. First, I had the stitches in my mouth removed. This was a very painful process, contrary to what others have written. I could feel some of the strings being pulled out. Other times, I felt a pinch and could taste the blood in my mouth. I spent most of my time trying not to be freaked out.

Second, I had my bite splint attached to my teeth. Since it moves around a lot, they wired it to my top braces. I’m supposed to wear this for another 21 days, until my next appointment. The thought of that is so discouraging to me that I have very little desire to do any of my mouth exercises. My muscles can form to what I have now for all I care. I don’t want to open my mouth ever again unless it’s to get this thing removed. 

After we left the hospital, I started crying in the middle of the street and told my mom that I regretted getting the surgery. I had no idea that the mental challenges would be like this. It's really on a whole other level. Yup, throwing a pity party means that today is definitely a bad day.