Day 9

I saw Dr. Franco today. He banded me back up and gave me a small bag of rubber bands. I'm supposed to take off the bands for food and then put them back on myself. I tried it after my supper and it's not as easy as they make it look when they're putting them on you in the office or at the orthodontist. I really struggled to get the little suckers on and didn't have any coordination to do it. Also my gum line where the inside skin of my top lip meets really hurts. They made incisions there and it's swollen so when I'm messing with it I get stressed easily. What if I'm doing the wrong teeth anyway? He showed me but I'm not confident I did it right. Dr. Franco also removed those single stitches that were on both of my cheeks. He said that I needed to get really into the moist heat rule and make sure I'm doing it all day long so the swelling can drain. I told him what I did with the crock pot by my bed and he said I was smart. :) Before I banded myself back up I brushed and used my waterpik on the lowest setting. Dr. Franco said not to use it the first week but after it's ok. I was so grossed out by what came out of there even after I brushed! There is stuff stuck under the retainer and in between all the cracks and swells. Yick! But it feels clean now. After my appointment I went for a long walk around the park and through a neighborhood I like.

In the photos you can see some of the yellow bruising I have on my neck and chin. You can see how my chin is a little longer, although its still hard to tell with all the swelling. The one of my face is to show you how much i can smile. Not much but much better than the past week. That little dot in between my eyes appeared the day of the surgery. I'm not sure what it is. My skin is pretty gross and I'm looking forward to a good facial when this is said and done.