Getting Her Smile Back . . . .

Photo courtesy of Joel Zeigler, Anna's brother

It's been eight days since Anna has been able to eat more than a liquid diet.  She's still very thin, and is taking daily iron supplements to get ahead of the lower count of her red blood cells (she'll get more labs done next Friday, to see where those numbers are).  She's becoming more accustomed to removing and replacing her current elastics whenever she eats.  She's adjusting to the fact (and the feel) that her teeth actually meet when she closes her mouth (all around).  Although she's not yet eating crunchy food or food that you need to really bite into, she's appreciating bread and soft cookies and some other foods that she really missed.  AND . . . . she picked up her bassoon this week for the first time in over five weeks.  A band concert is coming up in November.  Auditions for District Band will take place in early December.

As we expected, life (including playing the bassoon) does not instantly go "back to normal" following jaw surgery.  Both the upper and lower jaw were each moved---the lower jaw was advanced by 8 mm.  The upper jaw was moved up (I think by 3 mm---I don't have the paper in front of me), and advanced by several mm.  (I think about 5 mm).  So that means that the inside of Anna's mouth is different than it was six weeks ago.  And that means that she now has to learn a new way of positioning her lips and her mouth when she plays her instrument.  She will get there---the first time was a challenge, and she said had some swelling after her Symphonic Band class yesterday, and her teeth and mouth really hurt. She really does want to finish strong this year with her bassoon.

Despite the challenges, Anna is enjoying her senior year! She visited the cross country team at one of their home meets. She was on the team for two years---Remicade infusions wipe her out---there's no way she would be able to get through the two weeks of pre-season intensive training and then the six-week season of racing.  She's enjoying being a part of the student section at football games and soccer games.

I'm thinking about doing a post on highly recommended books.  I may do that next week.  I'm in the middle of reading an excellent book---not about Juvenile Arthritis, but about hardships in life.  I hope to finish it tonight.  So many truths in this book, and a perspective that so many of us can learn from and appreciate!  Stay tuned . . . . .