Bike Accident :-(

[emily_in_nc]

Hi TE friends,

I haven't been around for a few days because I had a crash on Friday. I guess I am in the Anger stage right now. I really still can't believe this happened. Here are the deets, copied and pasted from my Facebook post:

We had just had a wonderful road ride in Georgia on a beautiful day. We were staying in a COE campground on the shores of Lake Strom Thurmond. On our cool-down loop through the campground, I was coasting around a blind curve, downhill, so probably going a bit faster than I should have, when a tiny little girl (maybe 3 years old) on a teeny-tiny bike pulled out right in front of me, crossing the road.

I couldn't stop or swerve in time and crashed right into her and endo'd. First time I have ever done that. I chin-planted right on the concrete road. I was bleeding quite a bit and felt like I'd lost a bunch of teeth in back as my bite was immediately messed up. Some nice campers at an adjacent site called 911, and an ambulance & sheriff arrived pretty quickly. The little girl's father showed up and felt terrible. She was okay, just a skinned knee and shook up, of course. I feel bad that I hit her, but I blame her parents for not paying attention. I guess Dad was down by the lake nearby (and my mind wonders if he was on his Smartphone, as I see that all too often these days when parents are supposed to be taking care of their kids.) No child of that age should be on a bike in the middle of any road unsupervised, even in a campground. She could have been hit by a car just as easily as by me. But if it had been a flat or uphill section, I would have been able to avoid her, since my speed would have been slower. DH had just gone through that area and had seen her, but at the time she was on the side of the road. He didn't anticipate her pulling out so didn't yell for me to be aware.

I was whisked off to an Augusta hospital about 30 minutes away. I was in the ER for six hours. Got both hands xrayed (have a left thumb fracture and right pinky sprain) and a CT scan of my jaw. The jaw wasn't broken as I'd feared, but I wish I'd thought to ask about dislocation, because it certainly seems to be. My teeth are not matching up anywhere close to right, though it doesn't seem like I actually lost any, thank goodness. I guess I still could, but hopefully NOT. I have been able to brush them, very carefully, but I can't open my mouth very far, my bottom lip and part of my mouth inside is numb, making eating challenging (soft food only), and my face is swollen like I just got all my wisdom teeth out. I look bad.

They sutured cuts above my upper lip and my chin. Have a pretty good strawberry in both place and am cleaning & changing bandages daily. I've got bruising on my neck and a big one on my left quad. I'm sore here and there (ribcage, sternum), but nothing too bad, so I'm getting around fine.

I am going to see a doctor to follow up about my jaw, of course. I'm hoping that once the swelling goes down, it will miraculously fit together again, but I am not counting on that. I'm hoping the lip numbness isn't permanent because I really do like my smile, and I enjoy eating without worrying that I'm dribbling all over myself, like after a dental appointment! My thumb seems to be healing quickly -- I even took the splint off (they told me I could in the ER) so I could type better, and it really doesn't hurt, is just stiff and swollen. I'll put it back on for sleeping.

Each day is a bit better than the one before, so I am trying to remain optimistic. It could have been worse, but as you can imagine, I'm not a very happy camper at the moment!

We just arrived in Hickory, NC, where my mother and step-dad live, yesterday and will be in Chapel Hill next week. Good timing for doc appointments. I already had a routine mammogram scheduled. To add to the fun, it appears that my step-father may have had a mini-stroke about a week ago. So, my 82-year old mother is frantic about that, and now worried about me too. I hate that she is having to do more than usual. I hope my DH can help her out some while we are here. Normally I would, but.... :( :( :(

[Crankin]

I am sorry, Emily! What happened is why I do not ride on bike trails, where there are a large number of kids. And kids are unpredictable. And yes, I would blame the parents.
Are you going to see an oral surgeon or a doctor about the jaw?

[ny biker]

So sorry this happened, Emily! I'm glad you and the girl were not more seriously hurt, at least. I hope the numbness and jaw problems subside as the swelling goes down.

[north woods gal]

Emily, my heart goes out to you and my best for a good recovery. Nothing worse than the dreaded endo and it has claimed a lot of lives. Glad you survived it, nasty and painful as it was for you. Have done one, but I landed in sand with nothing more than the wind knocked out of me. I was so lucky, because there were rocks all around me.

If there's any good news in this, you're right, at least the child wasn't seriously hurt. I would have had a hard time living with that, otherwise.

Go slow and lot's of love from this girl.

Joanie

[Pax]

Oh no, Emily!! I'm so sorry to hear and this, and doubly glad you weren't more severely injured. Hope you heal up quickly and the jaw slides right back into place once the swelling goes down.

[emily_in_nc]

I am sorry, Emily! What happened is why I do not ride on bike trails, where there are a large number of kids. And kids are unpredictable. And yes, I would blame the parents.
Are you going to see an oral surgeon or a doctor about the jaw?

This was not on a bike trail but a campground road. We dealt with kids all the time on the paved paths in Florida but most had much better lines of sight, very few blind curves, and not many hills. I do blame myself for going faster downhill than I probably should have, but this is the first time in two visits to this park that I have ever seen a child in the road.

I am going to my PCP first as a follow-up on both my thumb and jaw and have her refer me to specialists as needed. She'll be getting all the records from the ER that did the x-rays and CT scan. Also, she is a pretty serious cyclist and runner so is aware of these types of things. I feel very comfortable starting with her.

I am trying to avoid getting into the "dental" realm, if at all possible, since I have health insurance but no dental insurance, so this could make a big difference in the out-of-pocket cost.

[Helene2013]

Sending good vibes that you heal quickly and without bad consequences. What a nasty but preventable accident.

Reminds me 2-3 years ago at a campground. We're walking 2 dogs, one that is blind. He is on grass, on leash. 2-3 boys on a bike came down the hill carelessy and saw us too late. Their handling was not at best and first thing we knew they rammed into my tiny blind dog. He flipped under the wheel, near the chain ring, etc... I was scared he was injured. He just got up and walked away no harm. I could not help but talk loudly to the kids to slow down as the campground was crowded. I saw their parents down the hill and no apologies or checking on us. I did not see the boys (about 8-9) for the time we were there.

So now we are even more overly careful with kids and bikes. Those things can happen so fast.

[Crankin]

Oh, I understand this happened on a road; just saying I am hesitant to ride anywhere there are kids. But, don't blame yourself.

[kajero]

I am so glad you are as okay as you are. I hope you heal so you are perfect again. This in no way was your fault.
I love reading your posts! (well, maybe I could have done without this one.)

And I agree, make sure there is a police report. You may get them to cover dental work. I have home insurance that covers something like that.

I am sending wishes for you to heal quickly.

[ny biker]

Re: dental insurance, it was many years ago but when I had a wisdom tooth removed by an oral surgeon it was covered by my medical insurance rather than dental. So if you end up needing an oral surgeon, you might have coverage. But I hope it's not necessary!

[Sky King]

Ouch, ouch, ouch. Sending positive vibes your way. Accidents like that are always hard aren't they. As you noted, thankfully the little girl was okay as I expect you would be even more traumatized if she'd also been hurt. Hoping once your swelling goes down your mouth and teeth will be okay, just had friends visit the Mexico dental town(spacing on the name) over the winter (on my list in the future) seemed to have gone well.

[IBrakeforPastry]

I'm so sorry Emily! I hope you heal completely and fully.

As far as insurance goes, sometimes medical covers dental problems if they're injury/trauma related.

Rest up!

[emily_in_nc]

All,

Thanks so much for your kind and encouraging words. Sheila, your experience especially gave me hope that I might get out of this without jaw surgery, so thank you for sharing it. I have done some research, and it does appear that jaw surgery from trauma, not for cosmetic reasons, is likely to be covered by health insurance. That would be great if the need arises.

No, no brain trauma. I'm just the same me. No headaches or confusion, etc. once the initial heavy-duty painkillers (which I was every so thankful for) wore off. Thank the gods for this. No neck or back pain either. Again, very grateful.

My bike is also fine! It's tougher than me.

The sheriff came, and we told him what happened, but we did not file a police report. I would not try to make the kid's parents pay for this; it's just not in my nature. It was an accident, and I am afraid if we tried to prove fault, I would have to swear that I was not exceeding the 10 mph speed limit in the campground. I can't swear to that. I honestly don't know what my speed was.

We paid $100 to take a cab from the hospital back to the campground, as we don't have a tow'd vehicle, and it was quite a ways out. No telling what the overall hospital bill will be, but we do have a good ACA plan (thank you Obamacare!!!!!), and supposedly the max out of pocket in one year per person is $4500. That would not be fun but is doable for us, thankfully. I am so relieved that I had my DH change out my bike gearing recently at a cost of < $100, instead of buying the new bike I would have loved. This would have been much more traumatic in that case!

We do try to avoid riding where we know there will be children, just like you do, Crankin. They are indeed unpredictable. We never rode the Florida bike paths on Saturdays and only very rarely on a Sunday morning. This was just a cool-down after a nice ride outside the campground, on the road.

I appreciate everyone's support!

[Catrin]

OMG, I just read this! So sorry this happened to you, glad you're feeling a bit better, and I do hope that you don't hit that max out of pocket!

While my own face plant 2 years ago at work (that lead to the knee surgery) broke my nose somehow I avoiding doing any damage to teeth of jaw and looking back am unsure how I was that fortunate. Even my broken nose wasn't traumatic - though my face looked really bad for a bit.

Hopefully the child's parents will look after her more in the future and pay close attention to your neck for a bit. My mtb crash induced significant neck injury took several days to so any symptoms (ok, there were other hurting bits taking my attention away from my neck), but if you've not had any by now then you've hopefully missed that bullet as well. Relax, take care of yourself, and keep us posted.

[shootingstar]

This is quite difficult for you Emily! Hopefully you'll have that whole jaw area and teeth looked after for normality, without huge costs beyond what you predict.
Were you conscious when the impact occurred? I am wondering if you had a small concussion also. The impact seems enough. What did the neurological assessments provide for you by doctor?
Keep us posted!

(When another adult cyclist crashed into me on a bike path, I was actually unconscious for several hrs....even though my eyes were wide open, I walked abit and was talking/repeating myself. My partner didn't realize I was "unconscious" until I was transported by ambulance to hospital. So I temporarily lost my short-term memory for a few hrs.. I have no memory of the actual collision, ambulance transport, CT body scan.... In a way, I'm glad I have no traumatic injury flashbacks..)

[emily_in_nc]

I never lost consciousness, shootingstar. I remember everything about the crash, before, during, and after; the people helping at the campground (good folks), the ambulance ride (endless and painful!) and my time in the ER. They did ask me some questions to assess that I knew where I was, who I was, what day it was, stuff like that. I guess they decided my brain was okay. And since then I haven't noticed any weirdness in my thinking, confusion, etc. Just some depression, but I expect that comes with the territory. I was having such a good cycling year, over 1600 miles already, and my bike was finally dialed in. I was really looking forward to lots of riding this year and a great trip out west in our motorhome. Now we may be stuck close to doctors for some time. We just don't know yet, and that uncertainty is also a bit frustrating. I am a planner, and in this situation, I have to try to live more day-to-day. The healing process takes time, and I am not the most patient person! :D

I have an appointment with my PCP a week from today and will go from there. Have already researched a good oral surgeon should my jaw not line back up once the swelling is down. A lot of the swelling is already gone, but certainly not all.

[Crankin]

I understand how you feel. I am struggling to be inactive, even with all that is going on with my back. I am a bit better, but like you, I am a planner, and all I can think about are the cycling obligations I have, along with the fact I have hardly any riding under my belt and my trip is in 8 weeks. I can easily give up the gym stuff, as per my doctor, until I find out what is going on, but I can imagine how you feel, with your summer trip all planned. At least you will be with a familiar doctor.
It sounds like Murienn's experience was pretty positive in the end, for a similar injury. I'd say try to focus on healing, enjoy your time with your mom, and don't predict the worst. Our brains are programmed to do that, so it is a fight.

[Pax]

They did ask me some questions to assess that I knew where I was, who I was, what day it was, stuff like that...
Alway hated having to assess my mental health clients for their level of orientation, half the time I don't know what day it is, rarely know where I am, and NEVER know what time it is. :p

[Crankin]

It feels intrusive to do it, with someone who is obviously with it, and coming to counseling for depression, trauma, or anxiety. I understand the necessity when someone may be having psychosis, is delusional, paranoid, etc, but I have only had one person not know what day it was in the past 8 years, and that was in my internship, with a different population.

[ny biker]

Alway hated having to assess my mental health clients for their level of orientation, half the time I don't know what day it is, rarely know where I am, and NEVER know what time it is. :p

+1

But I still know every note of the songs I listened to in the 1970s...

I'm glad the swelling is already subsiding, Emily. That's a good sign.

[Pax]

+1

But I still know every note of the songs I listened to in the 1970s...

Ditto. I amazes my wife that I am so out of synch with the construct of time; I have a built in GPS and can tell you which way is north no matter where I am, but time/date is hard. For example, in my head right now, it's an afternoon in October, it's been October for a long time now, ifI follow my usual pattern it will be July soon and for the next few months. I love my head!

[azfiddle]

Oh, Emily, so sorry to read this. I hope everything heals well. I think it impossible for humans to pay attention to everything and we just can't prevent everything- even when we know in hindsight we could have done something. Don't get into a constant re-run of the accident because it's happened and now you just have to go forward.

My two small bike crashes were caused by inattentiveness / judgement. The hematoma on my thigh took a full 6 months to disappear- at one point it was the size of half an orange! So it may take time and we don't heal as fast as kids.


Good for all concerned that the girl is okay.

Hugs- Sharon

[IBrakeforPastry]

Emily, please don't jump the gun with an oral surgeon. Once the swelling and inflammation go down, you may just need some physical therapy (are you taking lots of anti-inflammatories?). So much joint pain is the result of muscle imbalance and the jaw is so complex with two sides trying to work together to move in multiple directions. A very simple alignment exercise is to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind the front teeth. Slowly open your mouth about 75% of the way to feel a gentle stretch and hold for about 10 seconds. Keep your tongue there while you slowly close your mouth. Repeat a bunch of times. I do this every morning, and other times during the day (in the car, at the computer). You can google TMJ exercises.

I had PT for my jaw. The therapist massaged the muscles inside and out (she wore gloves) and did some manual manipulation. I had TMJ surgery several months earlier and had a hard recovery, probably because I didn't have the PT right away. The PT was very beneficial, the surgery not so much.

I really hope that with time, things will take care of themselves.

[Pax]

How are you feeling today, Emily? Hope each day is a bit better, it's hard to be patient these days since it seems like we don't bounce back like we did in our 20's, but you'll get there!

[north woods gal]

Yes, thinking about you, Emily. Hang in there.

[cosc]

Emily, so sorry about the accident. I hope your feeling better. Hopefully, the parents will keep a closer eye on their toddler. Love reading about your biking adventures so take time needed to heal and think about all the wonderful times you've experienced on two wheels.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks for all the kind words, everyone. I've written a blog post that is a little more detailed than what I posted here about my accident, if anyone is interested: http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/traveling-twosome-blog/a-bike-accident

Thanks especially for your recommendations, IBrakeForPastry. When I see my PCP, I'll certainly discuss PT and see what she thinks re. a more conservative approach. The only reason I mentioned an oral surgeon is because a friend who is a dentist highly recommended I consult with one in case the jaw does not come back in line. Right now, though my swelling has gone down some, I have a bad cross bite and most of my teeth are not touching. I cannot jut my lower jaw out past my upper teeth, so it kind of seems that my lower jaw got shoved way back and probably to one side as well. Gentle physical manipulation may be all it takes to bring it back, but possibly not. I am prepared for whatever. I just want to be able to eat, smile, and talk the way I used to and hope that in time, that will be possible.

Every day I feel better, but I still have a lot of numbness, bruises, and some swelling, though it's come down a lot. I think I've made huge progress in six days, though!

[IBrakeforPastry]

Thanks for the update, Emily. All I can think of is "Oh, ouch. Migraine!" I hope the improvement continues at a good pace!

[shootingstar]

Emily, please don't jump the gun with an oral surgeon. Once the swelling and inflammation go down, you may just need some physical therapy (are you taking lots of anti-inflammatories?). So much joint pain is the result of muscle imbalance and the jaw is so complex with two sides trying to work together to move in multiple directions. A very simple alignment exercise is to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind the front teeth. Slowly open your mouth about 75% of the way to feel a gentle stretch and hold for about 10 seconds. Keep your tongue there while you slowly close your mouth. Repeat a bunch of times. I do this every morning, and other times during the day (in the car, at the computer). You can google TMJ exercises.

I had PT for my jaw. The therapist massaged the muscles inside and out (she wore gloves) and did some manual manipulation. I had TMJ surgery several months earlier and had a hard recovery, probably because I didn't have the PT right away. The PT was very beneficial, the surgery not so much.

I really hope that with time, things will take care of themselves.

Interesting...IBrake.

I feel for you Emily.
My rehab (totally different injury) took 6 months. lst few weeks, I could not walk much..I got dizzy. I had learn to balance and walk fast again,...before getting back on bike. Take your time to recover and try to sleep normal sleep cycles. It's important for the sleep pattern is re-established. I'm back normal about 80% there, sleep-wise. I'm saying this now, because the older we get, the harder it is to re-establish normal sleep length after major incident. I had to see a sleep doctor (he specializes in sleep disorders) about this.

[Crankin]

Hope your jaw is decreasing in size, Emily!
I only asked about the oral surgeon as I wasn't sure who would treat this kind of injury. But, I too, have been to PT for my jaw. Not the result of an accident, just jaw,TMJ, neck pain that the regular PT (not the one I have now) couldn't resolve. He sent me to a colleague in a different town, who gave me exercises that resolved the issue in about 3 weeks. I did most of the exercises in the car, on the way to work, and throughout the day.
The funniest thing was, when I was seeing her, it was one of those open, big PT rooms, where everyone does their work in the same place. In walked a guy a I went to elementary school with! He was mortified, but, I thought it was funny. We were in Harvard, MA, about 40 miles west of where I grew up.

[emily_in_nc]

That does sound exactly the same as my jaw was, Emily. I wish I could give you a timeline. But I've no idea.

Understandable! I am encouraged that it sounds like a similar situation, though. I know everyone is different, and your resolution doesn't mean that mine will resolve similarly, but I have all digits crossed. I would be so, so, SO happy and relieved if I could get my jaw alignment back without surgery!

[emily_in_nc]

Interesting...IBrake.

I feel for you Emily.
My rehab (totally different injury) took 6 months. lst few weeks, I could not walk much..I got dizzy. I had learn to balance and walk fast again,...before getting back on bike. Take your time to recover and try to sleep normal sleep cycles. It's important for the sleep pattern is re-established. I'm back normal about 80% there, sleep-wise. I'm saying this now, because the older we get, the harder it is to re-establish normal sleep length after major incident. I had to see a sleep doctor (he specializes in sleep disorders) about this.

I'm sleeping pretty well, so far. I haven't been a great sleeper since peri-menopause, though. I wake up a lot and sometimes have long periods of wakefulness in the wee hours. But I'm going to bed the same time I used to and waking up the same time. I know how important sleep is to recovery; it's when our bodies do lots and lots of work we don't even realize!

I get more tired than normal during the day, but since we've been at my mom's, I haven't gotten to nap any. Naps would be good, but I'm doing pretty well just one week out. My swelling has come down a lot, and now my neck is a lovely combination of greenish yellow and red, as the blood does it's gravity thing. Doesn't hurt, but looks a bit horrifying. Normally I wouldn't go out in public at all, but since I'm in my mother's city, we've been to a couple stores. No one else seems as horrified by the way I look as I do!

[redrhodie]

Emily, I just saw this. I'm so sorry this happened to you! You're such a sweet person. You don't deserve this! I hope you're feeling better, and I hope your jaw realigns without more medical intervention.

What a horrible crash!





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[emily_in_nc]

Thanks, red!

I agree, I don't deserve this. Then again, no one does. I only hope I didn't traumatize the little girl so much she never wants to ride her tiny bike again!

Thank you for your kind words. <3

[emily_in_nc]

UPDATE: I got in to see my PCP today. She pretty much confirmed my thoughts that I am healing well except for my jaw malocclusion, which is not resolving, despite the fact that much of the swelling is gone. She thinks the numbness will heal naturally in time, but she did refer me to an oral surgeon to check out my jaw further.

Trying to get an appointment was a real illustration of our crazy health-care system in this country. Despite marking my need as "Urgent/Stat", and being a Duke doctor herself, when the referral coordinator tried to get me an appointment at Duke's Oral-Maxillofacial clinic, the best they could offer me was an appointment on June 5. That's ridiculous. The other referral coordinator in the office overheard our discussion and frustration with that so called UNC, but they require a written letter from a physician, and I knew that would add extra time and complexity, so I mentioned that one DMD in private practice was also on my insurance company's list of covered physicians. They called his office and were able to get me set up for an appointment next Tuesday, May 9. Not quite as soon as I'd hoped, but better than June!

After I have my consultation, we'll know what our summer will look like, if I require surgery, etc.... It's hard to wait, but at least I feel like I'm one step closer as of today.

[ny biker]

I hope you get good news from the oral surgeon. I'm going on Monday to a new doctor for my ankle, which is now hurting more since I walked to get lunch yesterday for the first time since things started to hurt in late January. So perhaps we will both know what our summers will look like by early next week.

[Pax]

Glad you got that stepin the process underway, seems like actually getting appointments is what drags the recovery out so long.

[Crankin]

So glad you were able to get the appointment. Keeping my fingers crossed, no surgery needed!

[Catrin]

Good luck Emily! So glad you were able to get in, though this week would have been better for your stress level if you're anything like me. Please keep us posted and hoping for good news!

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[emily_in_nc]

Thanks all, will keep you posted!

[Helene2013]

Crossing fingers that all will go well for all of you and that your cycling season can resume quickly.

[emily_in_nc]

UPDATE: I finally got in to see an oral surgeon yesterday and had a 3D image of my jaw taken. Pretty freaky to see your skull up on a huge computer screen! Unfortunately, the CT scan the ER in Georgia did did not detect THREE jaw fractures that I received in my accident. The oral surgeon was not surprised as my fractures are rather subtle, but there nonetheless. He is going to consult with a colleague on my case today, but it appears I will have to have my jaw wired shut for awhile, possibly followed by Invisalign braces to continue re-aligning my bite. I'm a bit overwhelmed but not really surprised, given how wonky my bite is since my accident. Looks like I'm in it for the long haul....

As if that weren't enough, I caught a cold (fortunately on the wane now) with much coughing AND have an itchy tick bite on my leg. Fortunately I got it off before it had latched on for long, but it still itches. When it rains it pours!!! :( :( :mad: :mad:

[Pax]

So glad a competent doctor got a look at you, Emily. Sorry it's going to be a long fix though. Hopefully you'll see some good results quickly!

[ny biker]

Wow. It's frustrating to think that the CT scan was not able to pick up the fractures, though I guess the inflammation you had at the time might have made it harder for them to show up. A friend had a similar experience last year after a bike crash, with the initial x-rays showing one injury but a follow-up x-ray showing something else. But, at least now you know what's wrong and what needs to be done to fix it.

I actually recently saw a doctor who had his jaw wired shut due to a fracture. He was able to talk well enough for me to understand him. He mentioned a liquid diet, and looking forward to getting back to eating real food. Hopefully you won't be wired up for too many weeks.

[rebeccaC]

Glad you have more info Emily but sorry about the consequences of the info. The thing about the wired jaw I’d be thinking about is filling my freezer with my favorite ice cream’s for some wonderful milkshakes. :) and Rainbow's ftw...and remember the clouds that come floating into our lives can also add beautiful colour's to a sunset sky. Wishing for a quicker healing process than anticipated.

[Crankin]

I am so sorry, Emily, but at least you know what the treatment will be. Don't give up...
I can't speak to the jaw wiring part, but I had Invisalign braces from 2005-7. Yes, I had regular braces as a kid, but what they don't tell you, is that unless you wear a retainer forever, your mouth shifts back. I still wear the Invisalign retainer 3 times a week. The process was pretty non-invasive and moved much more quickly than anticipated.
Keep us posted.

[Catrin]

Oh my Emily, I am so sorry to read your news. I've never had braces, or my jaw wired shut so I can't offer words there. I am very glad they found the cause, and may things go more smoothly now than they have been. Do keep us posted!

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[emily_in_nc]

I am so sorry, Emily, but at least you know what the treatment will be. Don't give up...
I can't speak to the jaw wiring part, but I had Invisalign braces from 2005-7. Yes, I had regular braces as a kid, but what they don't tell you, is that unless you wear a retainer forever, your mouth shifts back. I still wear the Invisalign retainer 3 times a week. The process was pretty non-invasive and moved much more quickly than anticipated.

Thank you for sharing your experience! I too had braces as a child (the ugly metal full-band ones that were most common back then), and although my teeth were gorgeously straight when they first came off, as a 9th grader I wasn't diligent about the retainer, so yes, mine also slipped back some, although they were still far better than pre-braces. If I end up getting the Invisalign, I may end up with teeth as straight as back in 9th grade. I would be more diligent about wearing them now, too!

I have read several sites/blogs from people who have had their jaw wired, so have a pretty good idea what to expect. Liquid diet, check; discomfort, check; but joy when it gets taken off: double check! We will probably need to get a Nutribullet for making smoothies, a waterpic so I can clean my teeth, and lots of liquidy stuff. Milkshakes for sure. Most people lose weight when they're wired, so that makes milkshake an allowable pleasure! :D I already miss crunchy foods, though, as I've been on soft foods only since my accident (April 21).

[north woods gal]

As with everyone else, sorry to hear that it's going to take longer to heal, Emily, but you'll get there.

[Helene2013]

Wow. Hoping that the whole thing will be behind you sooner than later. Talk about a nasty result of a fall. blah.

[azfiddle]

Hang in there Emily. Glad you finally got the full picture and have a path forward.

[emily_in_nc]

Here's the latest post-accident and now post-surgery update:

http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/traveling-twosome-blog/aftermath-of-my-bike-accident-jaw-surgery

Hope no one here ever has to go through this. It has not been a walk in the park, but hopefully the worst is behind me now... :D

[ny biker]

Thanks for posting -- I was wondering how things were going. I too hope the worst is behind you!

[Crankin]

Sounds like things are going according to plan, Emily. I know it's a pain to wait, but keeping your nutrition up is really important. I am a firm believer in using food for healing from surgery.
I haven't had much surgery, but when I was pregnant with my younger son, I was on "house arrest" for the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy. The meds they put me on to stop premature labor made me lose weight, not something you want to do when you are 8 months pregnant. I bought a special cookbook and my mom spent most of her time with me, cooking high protein meals. I continued to eat these meals after delivery, to keep my strength up and heal, while at the same time taking care of 2 kids under 3 years old.
I always use the analogy that surgery is like your body getting hit by a truck. You need to rest and feed it more than you think.

[emily_in_nc]

Totally agree, Crankin! I am getting lots of protein and have only lost 1 lb. so far, not bad under the circumstances. I am taking it easy and resting much more than usual as well. Good thing I like to read! Even walking isn't comfortable as it makes my lower face move up and down a bit, where I still have a lot of sensitivity from the lower jaw fracture, so I am only taking short, slower walks. It's a shame as I know my fitness level has gone way down, but I've been in the position of having to come back from illness or injury before and know I have it in me to do it again.

And this guy is my new hero: after a triple-fractured jaw and leg fracture as well in 2014, he placed 7th in the RAAM in 2015 and is doing it again this year! He's a lot younger than me, but still very inspiring!
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/04/after_a_bike_crash_broke_his_j.html

[Pax]

Really good to read your update, Emily, so glad you're in the healing phase now!

Are you having any green smoothies? I love those, loads and loads of veggies and full of flavor, yum!

[Crankin]

Interesting article about that guy, and I agree with his attitude.

[emily_in_nc]

Really good to read your update, Emily, so glad you're in the healing phase now!

Are you having any green smoothies? I love those, loads and loads of veggies and full of flavor, yum!

Yes, sure am. Also green soups in the blender. I feel like Popeye!

[Pax]

Yes, sure am. Also green soups in the blender. I feel like Popeye!

LOL!!!

I make one that is so savory, just love it, it's got cilantro-onion-spinach-kale-lime juice-carrots-celery-green pepper-tomato. I add chia and flax to it as well. YUM!!

[emily_in_nc]

LOL!!!

I make one that is so savory, just love it, it's got cilantro-onion-spinach-kale-lime juice-carrots-celery-green pepper-tomato. I add chia and flax to it as well. YUM!!

That sounds good, Pax! I have to be careful as I have to end up with something totally smooth so the little bits don't get stuck in my wires and between my teeth, since I can only brush the fronts, and not very well. And our blender isn't super high-powered, so I'm doing stuff like starting with Bolthouse carrot juice (yummy), adding spicy V-8, raw spinach, and plain Greek yogurt, which is all easier to grind up than a lot of raw veggies. When we used to have a Vitamix, I could do things like your recipe.

[Pax]

Yeah, my recipe is definitely for a vitamix. We bought one when our bullet died and it is fantastic, I think a less powerful blender would leave a lot of chunks.

[emily_in_nc]

Yeah, my recipe is definitely for a vitamix. We bought one when our bullet died and it is fantastic, I think a less powerful blender would leave a lot of chunks.

We used to have a Vitamix and used it all the time. Motor finally died after about ten years. We just don't have the storage space in our motorhome for one (nor the money to buy one at the moment with all my medical bills). Fortunately, we were able to borrow a blender from my mother, as we only carry an immersion (stick) blender in the motorhome.

[Catrin]

Hang in there! It sounds like I won't be able to comfortably eat for a short time after my cervical spine surgery, but nothing like what you're going through. May things continue to improve!

[emily_in_nc]

Hang in there! It sounds like I won't be able to comfortably eat for a short time after my cervical spine surgery, but nothing like what you're going through. May things continue to improve!

Thanks Catrin! I am beyond excited about getting the wires cut on Tuesday afternoon. I'll still have arch bars and elastics but will be able to start eating soft foods again. Can't wait. I will not want a milkshake or smoothie for a long time after this!