Long over-due update #1

I labeled this number 1 as I know that it will be too long to post all in one. I have been avoiding writing it because of this, so hopefully in 2 posts it won't be so hard.  In the last post I had just seen Dr. K and was preparing for my shot doctor the next week (sept 23). Unfortunately I ended up with strep throat and had to reschedule the appt for October 6. That will be for the next post.
I went back to Dr. K on September 30 for a long and detailed appointment.  It was an appointment much like the very first appointment where they did tons of measurements, took pictures of me at all angles, did a full head CT scan, did a biting vibration test, rating my pain levels throughout my body...you name it and the test was run! Ha, at least it felt like it! When he went through the results with me and compared it to the test/pictures taken back in June, it was very interesting to see. There was great improvement in nearly every area.  Even my posture was different, which he attributed some to the mouth appliances and some to the surgery on my nose for the most part, as well as to my lessened neck pain.  After going through all of the results, he told me that we were going to begin weaning off of my day appliance. This is exciting and nerve wracking a bit for me.  But in my mind...I'm still thinking, "but my neck pain is still there....why are we stopping?"  More on that in a bit.  Anyway, the weaning process is about a 5 week process. Each week I have the day appliance out for longer and longer periods of time. The first week I only had it out in one hour increments.  I am now up to four hour stretches, which really means that I mostly have it in to eat and then have it mostly out.  I will wear it to eat for awhile, as the time the jaw is injured the most, is when we are chewing. (interesting factoid 😄). My night appliance will be worn fairly long term. He didn't really give me a time frame on that one.  It will depend how my check ups go and if progress is still being made or maintained. It is going well with weaning and I'm anxious to see how my "tests" show if I am adapting well to it.
So back to my thought of the neck pain still being there...at this point with my jaw being mostly healed up, the nose healed, the shot doctor is where the neck pain will be treated from here on out with direction and guidance still from Dr. K.  At this point, my neck is still not showing up as the primary injury point to be treated. It is my foot and back. More on that in the next post.  As I said above, my tests showed great results on treating my jaw and the doc was very pleased.  He made a comment about as I return for my check ups, we will see if I continue to pass the tests or if I will fail them long term and having jaw pain return.  If jaw pain returns with the weaning off of the day appliance I am to put it back in and call them for an appointment to discuss options. Well, first of all, I never really thought I had that much jaw pain in the first place. So, how will I know if it returns? The dental assistant and doc were so patient with me. Hers is a case like mine and she never felt much jaw pain and things went smoothly until her 6 month check up where she "failed" the testing.  I asked her what happens then?  She said that the dr would completely re-evaluate and move onto step 2 of the process, which could be orthodontics, surgery or other.  This discouraged me to a point, as I don't want to do that...for lots of reasons but that would be a whole new round of bills and I don't know how we would do that at this point.  BUT, God has been amazing through this, so why wouldn't He continue to be amazing, right? So after this appointment, I had joy at seeing the improvements in my tests, discouragement that I still have neck pain and that it has actually increased a bit again, worry over what this process will look like, unclear on what the rest of this process will really be with shot doc and just a feeling of being overwhelmed. There was good news, but also lots of uncertainty. That is hard,especially for a planner like me...but I'm trusting in God's timing and plan in all of this and grateful for a family who picks up the slack...
The next post...the shot doctor...it will be a good one...not fun at all, but definitely full of God's presence and plan.  He IS awesome all the time!  Until the next post...hoping and believing...