On April 5, 2009, I fractured my jaw in a bicycle accident. In the days that followed, I looked online for accounts of people who had recovered from similar injuries, but I didn’t find much. While I would hope that my jaw would be the last one to be broken, this is of course not a realistic hope, and this blog aims to be a resource for people with similar injuries. I’ve learned quite a bit from my experiences, and I’m sure that I will continue to learn more, so I hope to pass my newfound knowledge along to those that need it. Many posts don’t contain information that will be useful to others, but I have included them in the interest of presenting a more complete narrative.
I didn’t get around to starting this blog until almost two weeks after my accident, which left me with almost two weeks of back posts to write. Some of the posts dated in those first two weeks were written as late as the end of May, based on my detailed mental notes.
As for the name of the blog, it’s a play on the phrase “shock and awe“, a military doctrine for which I have no fondness. The blog was previously known as “jawbroken”, which I intended it as an adjective meaning “having a broken jaw”, just as “heartbroken” describes one with a (figuratively) broken heart.
See also my introductory post.
Shock and Jaw 
I don’t know if you’ll actually read this. Or if you’ve moved on by now. Either way, I’d like to say thank you for posting this blog in the first place. I unfortunately, have accidentally signed up for an unwanted membership into the Broken Jaw Club.
To make a long story short, I was shoved aside (quite violently) by an equine. My face crashed into an aluminum can of grain (these are garbage cans but instead of garbage, horse people put grain in them so that mice can’t get to it).
Anyway, I’m 2 weeks in. And I’ve got a month to go before the wires come off.
It’s kind of comforting to read about others and the details. I’ve never broken any bone in my life, so when it was my face, I admit, I kinda freaked out. I’m a girl, so it really messed with my head that maybe my face was going to be some kind of science experiment for the surgeon. But lucky me, well, as lucky as I can say I am right now…can’t say I feel too lucky. Yes, that’s me whining. I’m still not quite out of that stage yet….. My jaw broke in a Y down the front, right between my two lower front teeth. So far, the doctor said it should heal 100%. Of course, she also said I was going to really really hate having my jaw wired for 6 weeks. So far, she’s right. I’m hoping she’ll be right on the healing 100% thing too.
Anyway once again… THANK YOU for posting your blog and making me feel like there’s life during and after….
I know this has been such a long time since you’ve guys have posted I’m not sure if you guys will read this but I just broke my jaw 2 weeks ago and just had surgery 5 days ago. ROUGH. I’m hungry… like I’m hungry!!!!! The pain was really bad when I first broke my jaw but now it’s mainly just me craving food. I’m eating soup, ensure, everything and I’m still just really hungry . Ugh. I’m 5’7 and 138lbs . And the weight is going down slowly. Fml… but I am hopeful and I hope I make a 100% recovery so I can enjoy chicken sandwiches and burgers .
i can’t thank you enough for posting this blog… it is incredibly refreshing (not to mention hopeful). i broke my jaw last week and had it wired on thursday morning. 2 days later and i can’t fathom getting through this for 4-6 weeks. its going to be a rough ride. i’m struggling with the soreness, the discomfort, with the inability to communicate properly, and of course, with not being able to eat (although i appreciate all the blender recipe tips on this blog and others). thanks, everyone for your expressing your own experiences with this traumatic situation!!!