Part 3

I am getting my most recent profile pictures from my orthodontist. For now I will continue where I left off. My surgery was scheduled for the afternoon on April 12th, 2011. I flew my mom to Hawaii a week before the surgery so we could have some time before the procedure. I checked into the hospital in the morning and we spent the night there as well. I was in surgery for six hours.

I decided I won’t withhold details so if you’re squeamish, be warned.

The night after surgery is among the hardest nights of my life. I had surgery once before: I had my appendix removed the night before 9/11. That was mild stomach pain, this was something else. It wasn’t painful but I could not shake feeling as though I had been kicked in the face by a horse. Even harder was being unable to express my discomforts with the ease I could that same morning.

Rubber bands held my jaw closed so it wouldn’t move and ruin the surgeon’s positioning. The worst part of the night was having a reaction to nausea medication. I vomited. With my mouth held shut.

When looking at the pictures of myself compared to other people who have undergone similar surgeries I feel like I look much worse. My lips were massive following the surgery. Below are pictures taken during my recovery. I only included pictures I felt showed the changes the best.

Mousing over them will show the date. I will talk about stories behind some of those pictures next.

Part 5