Double jaw surgery the Monday before Thanksgiving. Who does that? Well, five years ago…me. Yes, four days before the biggest chow down day of the year, I underwent a surgery that restricted me to liquids and soft foods for weeks and left me relearning how to chew for months. While certainly not ideal timing, schedules aligned on November 25, 2013 and I was very ready to put behind me a procedure which had loomed large for years, even if it limited my Thanksgiving dinner to mashed potatoes and apple pie a la blender.
After spending most of my life ignoring dentist and orthodontist recommendations to correct numerous structural issues, I finally made the decision in 2012 to begin a long and painful journey to basically reconstruct my mouth. Had braces alone been enough to do the job, I would have embraced the idea much earlier. However, this fix involved more than a few brackets and wires. A yes to braces also meant a yes to two surgeries.
In May 2012, braces went on and I went under for surgery number one, an outpatient procedure known as a Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion, or SARPE.
Surgery number two followed about a year and a half later. To this day, I still don’t know all the details of what occurred during the 4 hours I was in surgery. It makes me too squeamish to even think about. I do know that I left the hospital the following morning with 21 implanted screws holding together my repositioned jaw bones. And no, they don’t set off metal detectors…just in case you’re wondering.
The first week of recovery was by far the most difficult. Beyond the dietary restrictions, it included pain, swelling, numbness and tightness in my face, recurring bloody noses, difficulty breathing, exhaustion, nausea and dizziness, along with a roller coaster of emotions.
But, as time passed, healing progressed, and over the next year and a half, I watched my mouth, which had literally been taken apart, come back together.
As I look back this Thanksgiving week and remember where I was five years ago, I’m filled with gratitude.
Gratitude for my God who remained faithful to the promises he whispered to my soul in the wee hours of the morning before surgery. Do not be afraid. I will be with you (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17). My grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). This is a light and momentary trouble (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). I will sustain you (Psalm 55:22).
Gratitude for family and friends who saw beyond my messy, swollen, under construction face and believed there was beauty amidst the brokenness, when the last thing I felt was beautiful.
Gratitude that even when life left me hurting, numb, struggling to get out of bed, and wondering if I’d ever make it to the end, God gave me strength and upheld me with his hand (Isaiah 41:10).
Gratitude for the healing and restoration He has since granted me.
I thought I’d reached the end of this journey in June 2015 when my braces came off and the joy of my refashioned smile eclipsed the pain endured over the prior three years.
But, in late 2017, I learned it’s not quite over. Some unexpected complications lurk beneath the surface, likely due to all the shifting of teeth and bones.
A bone graft followed earlier this year and now I’m under the watchful eye of my periodontist, the newest member of my team…as I like to call my dentist, orthodontist, periodontist, and oral surgeon…as he monitors the need for further treatment.
I’m not sure what lies ahead in the years to come. What I do know is the past faithfulness God has shown me provides present comfort and instills future confidence that His grace is indeed sufficient for wherever He leads, both on this journey and in all of life.
And for that, I am extremely grateful.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” ~ 1 Peter 5:6-7, 10
I had no idea you had gone through all of this, Michelle! Thanks for sharing. You are beautiful!
Aww, thanks Deb! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I remember when you went through this Michelle. You were such a strong trooper through it all ! And then, I remember when you came into work after getting your braces off flashing your beautiful smile! Praying that your team takes good care of you now as they help guide you through procedures and decisions. 🙏🏻🩷🙏🏻
Thank you Ranee!! What a journey it was. All is good and stable right now. ❤️
I remember that week! You were so brave… and still are! Take care of that beautiful smile!!
Aww, thanks Valerie! Miss you!