Infection?

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Yarr
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:04 pm

Infection?

#1 Post by Yarr »

Hello everyone, I just had the worst night. I am 6th day post op and have a question for yall.

Last night I was in alot of pain. I barely fell asleep! Most of the pain was concentrated on my right side, and is barable, but extremely annoying. It hurts in my jaw even when I swallow wather. The most of the swelling is also on my right side and goes up to eye height on my right side.

Does anyone know if this is the start of an infection?

And what are the symptoms of an infection in orthognathic surgery cases?

Tnx in advance, I took some painkillers so ease the pain, but I am worried this will not go away so easily since it did not dissapear last night.

Yarr
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:04 pm

#2 Post by Yarr »

Tnx, but I think I found a cure. I just have to be more active and it seems the pain goes away. In fact last night when the pain got almost unbarable, I noticed walking a bit around helped. So I got dressed at took a walk into town at 2am :P

Anyways, Ill give it a day, and if this does not change by tonight, I am calling them.

Lark
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:59 pm

#3 Post by Lark »

Yarr,

I have had an infection on my right side since surgery (I'm 9 weeks post-op). I first noticed it a week or so after surgery. The right side of my face became extremely tender and really warm. The swelling increased as well.

I have been on three different antibiotics to cure it...but unfortunately its not going away.

I'm scheduled for a secord "surgery" this friday to get the screws and plate on that side taken out. After about 6 weeks your bones have healed..so we had to wait for that...and my surgeon was on vacation..

So... here's hoping taking the screws out..clears the whole thing up.

Good luck to you... I hope its only a swelling thing and NOT an infection!

Pablo
Posts: 71
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:24 pm
Location: Dublin

#4 Post by Pablo »

Very quickly !! I had the exact same thing .. The pain only kicked in once I lay down to go to sleep and only affected one side . i could get some relief from changing sleeping position ! Mentioned it to the surgeon and he wasn't worried .. Basically things settling in the new positions .. But do contact your surgeon .. It got better gradually after a week or so i think .. Maybe a lttile more .. I'm ten weeks post lower surgery and it's all a distant memory now .. Brilliant !!!!!! Hang in there !!!

Yarr
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:04 pm

#5 Post by Yarr »

Hey yall!

Lark, I am so sorry to hear bout that! That would be my worst nightmare now, and I so hope I, or anyone else has to go trough an infection! Still, I have heard that taking the srews out helps usually all the time, and its a easy prosedure. So I think you will be just fine. Besides I kindof get the feeling you are strong since you have endured that for so long. Good luck to you! By the way, when I had my suregey I met a girl who had to take her screws out, and while I was more or less knocked out after surgery, she was still bouncing arround. So thats a good sign for ya! :)

Pablo, it seems I am experiencing approximetly the same thing as you did. Most of the pain kicks in when I lay down aswell, and increases a bit at night when it is time to sleep. Anyways, my right jaw does not hurt so much anymore, and swollowing is easier. However, the swelling om my right side on the temple has increased a bit, so the pain has shifted there. Last night I got minimal sleep, because I hade a killer headache like pain on my right side. So I waited untill morning, till the pain disapeared a bit and fell a sleep and actually slept well into the afternoon. 6 hours! Yey!

It seems like this is to be expected after a big surgery like the one I had, so I did not bother going to see my surgeon. That, and its 2 hours away, and I am lazy :P , I rather take the pain. Since the pain is shifting to different areas, I am not to worried. If the pain had been concentrated in one area I would probobly react differently. I am soon 1 week post-op :) , and hoping for better days in the near future. I am laggin behind my studies one week, and I better catch up soon.

kate0310
Posts: 151
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:38 pm

#6 Post by kate0310 »

yarr, im glad you finally got some sleep! I finalllly got some last night too- I bought a humidifyer and it was a life saver- especially for the throat. I think i slept 3 hours, awake an hour, and then back to sleep for 2.5 hours. much better than the previous days.

were almost at a week- things are gonna get better! :)

kate0310
Posts: 151
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:38 pm

one week

#7 Post by kate0310 »

does anyone know what the average pain level should be after one week...?
im still needing my 'torodal' pain killers and its Day 7 and I feel like most people here were done their painkillers after a few days.

Eeegsy
Posts: 88
Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:25 pm
Location: United Kingdom

#8 Post by Eeegsy »

kate0310

Don't worry if you still have some pain. I was taking pain meds up to about 3 weeks post op. Not all the time just when I needed them. But after 3+ weeks I've been fine.

It's to be expected to have some pain, especially as the bones and surrounding tissues are healing.

Yarr
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:04 pm

#9 Post by Yarr »

I stopped using pain meds during the day at day 5, because the pain went away when I was not lying down and in light activity. I am one week post-op now and I only use pain meds before bedtime. I must say, today is my best day so far. The turnaround was very sudden! So kate0310 if your turnaround has not kicked in yet, I am sure its right around the corner. :wink:

Oh yeah, last night I fixed something that was bothering me for the past days. My upper lip was very sore inside my mouth, and I thaught it was just the stiches or something. However when I got the guts to take a closer look, I found out that one of the surgical hooks had thrusted into my upper lip due to the swelling. Its out now, and I feel great, besides the swelling that is! :D

kate0310
Posts: 151
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:38 pm

turnaround!

#10 Post by kate0310 »

Day 7 today, and yarr..I had my turnaround! It was VERY sudden indeed. We're both on the upswing now, hurray!

Obviously feeling GOOD is all in context, but compared to days 1-5 I felt great today. Walked to the bank and back (wearing a big scarf to cover the 8 chins i currently have incase I saw any friends, which I thankfully didn't) and my sore throat is finally clearing up. It still hurts, but in a realm of normal pain. And as for my jaw, well its not really hurting other than weird twinges and muscle spasms etc..
My stitches actually hurt the most because I think they are catching on my braches, normal I assume?

I seriously think I spent 3 hours a day cleaning my mouth with the syringe....its a full time job! It takes me about 35min after everytime I eat.

So Yarr, I am very happy that we are BOTH feeling better. Its nice that one of us isnt completely suffering while the other is doing O.K.

Thanks to everyone for helping me get through the first week!

oh, and I'm still numb from my lower eyelid to my chin..but now my face is starting to tingle so i think the nerves are trying!

Yarr
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:04 pm

#11 Post by Yarr »

Thats very good news kate0310, congrats!! :D

About the stiches catching up on the breaces, I personally have not experienced that. Think it depends on how good the work was done by the surgeon, or perhaps the conditions did not allow the surgeon to make it more compact. Althoug when I pulled out one of my wisdome teeth, I rememer the surgeon making the ends of the stiches a fair amout longer then the other times I pulled wisdome teeth. Made me wonder if he forgot, :P

Hence the "tingle", I have a wierd sensation in my jaws. The kinda sensation that is tempting me to bite down hard. Kindof like my teeth are a bit ichy. Does anyone know if this is common, or perhaps what it is?

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