Complications of jaw surgery

I am 48 years old. I had braces put on my teeth about 15 months prior to the surgery and knew I would have to have double jaw surgery. No research I did could have prepared me for what I went through. Nothing prepared me for feeling like I couldn't breathe after surgery and being surrounded by incompetent nurses. I was vomiting up blood and my lungs were full of blood which I struggled to cough up. When I was sent home from the hospital only two days later, I was sent home where I live alone and couldn't keep track of what medications to take when and couldn't get enough liquids in me. I highly suggest having some one with you from the moment you wake up from surgery. I ended up dehydrated and needed to go back into the ER where I was treated and released. Then began my two week stent of insomnia when I slept only an hour a night. This is also when the pain started. I felt and still do feel like I have fire ants eating my lips and chin. Though I am able to sleep now and have decent stamina during the day I take loads of non-narcotics to ease the pain. It now feels like I have tabasco sauce burning my lips. My chin is still completely numb as is my lower lip with the exception of continuing nerve pain that drives me batty. My surgeon thinks it is just the nerves "waking up" . I wish I would have known the surgery was going to be this brutal. I read many blogs before the surgery and no one mentioned this pain so I am getting quite concerned. At some point I will post before and after pics. I like my profile but not sure about the change to my face from the front. My bite is better , but not perfect. Hopefully the orthodontist will be able to correct the remaining issues, but he has only stated he will "do his best". Suffering in pain....

Okay, where do I begin. The swelling has gone down. I am getting a lot of compliments on my new face, but it is hard to enjoy because of the pain. However, the nerve pain continues to be extreme. Today I finally saw a neurologist who agrees with my surgeon that it is the nerves "waking up" and re-establishing their abilities. He calls the pain Trigeminal Neuralgia. My lower lip and entire chin are completely numb. It is uncertain if they will regain feeling or not and if so how long it will take. I finally went back to work but talk a little funny because of the numbness. The nerve pain increases because of all the talking. So the neurologist started me on trileptal because he didn't feel like the neurontin was working and he was probably right because I was having to take 2000mg a day to just take the edge off of the pain.

I'ts still really difficult to smile especially since my upper jaw has been moved forward so much and PLUS i have the braces on . So much discomfort. My look will supposedly change some more.