Yahoooooooooo

Good day!

I just woke up and I am watching House. I am just trying to tell you that I am having the time of my life! I get to sleep all day and drink as many juices as I want. Although, today has been the most interesting so far.

Just to give you an insight as to what I am eating... here it is.


My fridge has every liquid possible, but I am still unappetized. I don't feel hungry, I just feel that I have no energy. I can't really stand up that long... or I will feel like I am going to pass out. I guess that my daily regiment of takeout was a beneficial source of energy! I have lots of milkshakes that I can drink, but milk makes me feel like crap. It tastes good... but then I feel nauseous. Today marks my first time feeling this. I didn't feel horribly sick, but I was more scared of what it would be like trying to barf my guts out and not open my mouth. So, I just lid on my bed and tried to think myself out of it. I feel fine now.

I also found out that McCain Berry Bunch is the best solution to getting my medicine down. It's one of those frozen juices that require very little knowledge to mix... and it's perfect. It's light and tastey, and it lets me get that horrid taste of anti-inflammatories out. Eeeeeouh.

I have been taking pictures of my dental progress for some time now. Well, mainly when I started, then the day before the surgery, and now... today. I decided to show you guys, even if it is not the most candid sight. I guess that you can appreciate orthodontics much more after seeing it!

So, here i was on November 7th, 2004. That is when I actually got braces. It was embarrassing and painful... but I didn't want to have those crazy rabbit teeth anymore. They told me that I would get my jaw surgery in May of 2006, and then get my braces off after completing 24 months, which would have been November of 2006.


After over three years of braces! Dr. Jackman had to find a new surgeon because the other one died... so they finally squeezed me in. I was way past due and my teeth weren't moving a lot anymore because they were as straight as my jaws would let them be. The teeth were straight, it was just that my jaws wouldn't let them fit together good. So... you can see that they are not symmetric and there is a space between the jaws.

This is where the surgery kicked in. My jaws are clenched together due to some heavy duty elastics. It's kind of hard to get a good picture because I can't feel my face and it's hard to maneuver something that I can't feel. But, now you can see that my jaws are aligned because the centers of both my top and bottom jaws are now lined up. It's all pretty cool.

And here is my vogue pose for today. This is me actually forcing my eyes open... because they are swollen and blackened. It looks like I got in a horrible bar fight or something. My bruises are like... neon yellow today.

And, I am feeling no pain.

-Chelsea

Last bag of chips

This is me indulging in my last food before surgery. I figured that since it is a momentous occasion, that you just might want to watch it! (I think that my mom likes to hear her voice too much)

Here I am

It's been a while and I feel that I can actually do this now. It isn't a hard task, I just now that I haven't updated since Tuesday... which means that I have a lot to tell.

First thing, I survived. We went in at about 8am. I just did some questions with the nurse, and I was given scrubs. They were hot, I must say. I decided to tie the waistband, just for the minimized waistline, and highly defined hourglass look. Afterwards, I just chilled in the "surgery daycare" until after 10 sometime, which was when my surgery took place.


I went into the pre-op room, where the walls were plastered with findings of some surgeons over the years. There were huge frames of all of thes weird things, like coins, hooks, and Barbie toys... all found within kids. It was weird, but definitely something to calm you down before going in. I talked to Dr. Harris, who was my anesthesiologist. She just asked me questions and told me what she was going to do.

Then, I got carted in.

The room was extremely bright and just like what you'd see on any medical drama. There was a guy prepping me and I asked him about the music. I went in and they were playing "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zepplin. It was just funny because it's like... my dad's song, and the idea of heaven in the OR probably isn't something that you'd laugh about. So, we laughed... together.

Then they said that I was going to start to get blurry vision... and, and, and...

I woke up in the recovery room, I think.

Then I woke up in ICU. Apparently, I was bleeding a lot through my nose and my mouth, so I need to be watched. I just remember being asked if I was feeling any pain. I wasn't, and I haven't been at all. I am pretty sure that I was stoned, and I am pretty sure that I kinda am right now. I remember waking up every hour and looking at the time... and I remember nurses looking at me and asking if I was okay. I remember choking on my blood and making my mom walk away from me because she was freaked out. I remember asking to pee a lot. I remember ice. I remember drooling, too much.

I chilled in the ICU for Wednesday night... I watched Shrek the Third... and drank about 50ml of apple juice. I moved to the fourth floor on the Thursday. I can't really remember much. I watched Seinfeld and got to shower. I laughed at the idea that they gave me really watered-down Cream of Wheat for breakfast on Friday. I didn't drink it.

On Friday, we moved to the hostel. It's like a hotel in the hospital... and I had to go to an appointment on Newfoundland Drive with Judy, Dr. Bourget's nurse. She gave me some prescriptions and I got to go out in public! What more could someone ask for? I sat in the lobby and fell asleep. I went to Shopper's Drug Mart... and fell asleep. I went back to the hostel, and slept. A lot.

Over the days, I managed to collect plenty of teddybears and liquids, even though I wouldn't drink much. I have a lot of fluffy things... which hung out with me during my state of drooling in utopia.

My dad came out on Friday night for some work and to visit. We met at the hostel... where we realized that I now have his cheeks. The only thing is that his are permanent and mine are considered "temporary."

They gave me a lot of medicine. I have some codeine, anti-inflammatories, mouth washes... and sinus relief. I do not feel any pain whatsoever, not even hunger pains! The only thing that I can feel is pressure, and that only happens when I do certain things. I can't bend down or I can feel all of my blood rush to my head. Actually, I feel like my head is like 50lbs. I have spit build-up all of the time... but it actually is not as bad as what is seems to be.

I flew home on Saturday, on a regular Air Labrador flight. Dad got the entire back row for us, to kind of sway away from the embarrassment of having such a huge head. I was knocked out with codeine, so I slept the entire way. Let's just say that my IDs were pointless. I do not look like the registered Chelsea Ford of my driver's license. Everything is so funny to me.

Of course, my lovely Aunt Shell pleased me with her creative love.

I am bruised up a lot and I woke up this morning with my eyes blackened and swollen shut... but nothing is painful because it just feels like my dentist went nutz with his needles before a root canal. It's all deadened and I can't feel my face whatsoever. My bruises are green, so I kinda feel like Shrek, or even a godforsaken frog. I haven't really been drinking much... because I am not hungry... but I am getting better with it. I have already lost weight.

So, this is how I look right now. I even did my hair for you!

And, this is how I look while I am trying to build up the courage to take medicine. It's about an hour process.

The most frustrating and beautiful thing (at the same time) is the idea of blending. Mom invested in this really cool blender with eighteen speeds... but I have already ran out of ideas. My fridge is full of a lot of shakes and juices, but I can never think of anything that is salty... and a liquid. If you know me, I'd love to be able to plunge into Pizza Delight, grab a huge pizza, add extra sauce, and blend it. But, I can't do the food-mixing thing. So, I strained cream of chicken soup tonight, and I am already sick of it.

BUT, I did get this great recipe from my surgeon. I blended a Jos Louis, two scoops of icecream, a chocolate pudding, and half of a cup of milk and got the biggest sugar rush ever. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to run a marathon! You could be the next Lance Armstrong or something...

So, there it is. I am done surgery and I have an appointment in Corner Brook on the 1st of February. I am not sure about when I will be going back to school, or work, or... anything. I have no idea of how I am going to look... I was just assured that my swelling WILL go down, and my skin has not turned permanently green. It's actually stretched to its capacity... and when I smile, it has stretch lines. Imagine stretch marks on your face! haha.

I'd kill myself.

LOVExo

Bidding farewell to my bone structure

This is kind of cool to me. In twelve hours, I will be about to "go under the knife." In about fifteen hours, I will have a completely different face. Beyond all of the swelling and bruising, I am going to look completely different. I guess the the only thing that I can do is embrace this idea... because I doubt that any doctor would do the reverse procedure on me, just because I am not completely satisfied. I am not worried about what everyone else is going to think, but only what I am going to think. Anyone's face is like... the method of expression, and that's a big thing. Let's just hope that I have no resemblance to any ungodly creature.

Oh wow.

I am pretty interested in the anaesthetic aspect of it all. I don't know how I am going to react, but I imagine that it's going to be pretty freaky to have to countdown from ten, and then find myself in the recovery room once I get to nine. I hope that I don't go ballistic and do back-flips in confusion. I can't imagine how my mom is going to take it.

My dad is coming in too... which is good for many reasons. Well, of course, I get to see him, AND he can bring our bags of shopping back home with him on his flight. It's all perfect, but sadly... my bank account cannot agree. It's okay to shower myself with gifts, right?

Wish me luck...

and I will communicate (I was going to say "talk") as soon as I can.

-CHELSEA, the one from January 15th, 2008

Up to par

I am officially ready for surgery. Everything is done, and the next time that I have any appointment with a surgeon is going to be on Wednesday, the actual date for surgery.

We went to the Janeway today for the appointment at one. My grandfather met us there, which is probably fitting because he can send anyone to a hospital. He just needs to know what is going on at every point in life, and it kinda made Mom want to check into the mental ward.

I am now a member of Eastern Health, and I have my own admitting card. Everyone around me was in their enfants years... but the jungle themed walls were comforting. One kid was a complete hillbilly and insisted that he get a "pinned" room for the blood collection, so he won't squirm and fight the nurse. I hope that she didn't let him out of it yet.

I got my blood pressure, temperature, etc. done by some RN. She wasn't very pleasant. Actually, nobody was that pleasant or welcoming, especially for a childrens hospital. It's just a little confusing.

Tomorrow (well, technically today if you note that it is past midnight) will be my last day of eating solid foods for a while, and I have to fast, starting at a TBA time. This means Swiss Chalet. And Mary Browns. And Subway. And New York Fries. And. And. And. And. And.

WOW.

Becoming reality

All of the facts are quickly forming, and surgery is in three sleeps. Everything is becoming a milestone to me. Like, this is the last time that I am going to celebrate the 13th of January with this face. Just a thought.

We had our first pre-op today. We were picked up by our Nunatsiavut driver, Faye (who wears Vans slip-ons), then carried on to the doctor's office on Newfoundland Drive. We talked with Dr. Bourget's assistant... but I don't know her name. She is very cha-cha and definitely has a few Louis Vuitton purses in her possession. She explained what I should expect, which was also given in my "bible." I won't feel pain, but instead, uncomfort. I will be numb and swollen up (this is where she actually blew her cheeks up similar to what my dad naturally has).

Once Dr. Bourget came back from his lunch, he showed us models of my moldings. It was clearly sawed apart and glued back together with some sort of handy glue. He is going to make three incisions on the top... and "simply" move the bottom jaw back and to the centre. He said that it's going to take about two hours, and Dr. Jackman apparently prepared me well for the procedure.

I'd like to think so... since I was supposed to get this surgery in May of 2006. (This is January of 2008).

I was supposed to get a medical sort-of-thing before I came here, to fill out a sheet that is labelled "Same day admission surgery"... which we kind of forgot about. Thinking about it, it would have been pretty much impossible to get it done at the hospital in Goose Bay. In order to get an appointment there, you have to be nearly dying... and even if you are nearly dead, they would just prescribe you some ibuprofen and rest. Sadly, I don't have a family doctor that would fall under the title as the "Ford Family Doctor, MD"... which leads to my next point.

This form is apparently crucial, which does not make sense, because it only asks someone to tick off all of the chronic diseases that I do not have, etc, then sign the bottom. So, we go to the clinic downstairs, because the doctors would not have a problem doing a quick medical with me.

We talked to the receptionist. "Well, we already have 15000 patients, and we are not accepting more. The doctor kind of got disgruntled with me for even asking to do the medical... plus she doesn't even know you guys, so how does she know that you are telling the truth?"

I gave her this look for two reasons:

A) most people are intimidated by heavy duty metal; and

B) she just might feel some pity for the jaw problems that are clearly depicted in my "growl" face.

It's safe to say that I don't have a doctor that would know about my family history. Anyone could lie about anything, so I am not sure about how personal this doctor's relationships are with her patients.

Besides making personal attacks on the clinic girlz, we managed to do some shopping. Out of everything that we managed to buy... I am most excited about a few beneficial purchases.

I am thinking that the idea of having a brightly-colored assortment of dishes will be motivating for my liquid diet. The straws are attached, so I am not sure about what more I could possibly want!

But, the most functional is definitely this one...

It's spill proof! This feature is especially cool in case I become an alcoholic. The best part about it all is that everything was like $0.97 each!

overandout.

-CHELSEA!

Primetime

So, I got this nifty webcam for christmas, from Tyler. Contrary to my belief, webcams come with SPECIAL EFFECTS these days. I have no way of explaining this... for Mom's exercise routine in the background and Mom and Giz's conversations have no words that can describe.

I guess that this is coherent to my jaw, for my bite is motioned countless times. Note the deep concentration that I use because everything is actually the opposite of how I see it.