Progress Report

Message

#1 Post by **pokergirl** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:28 pm

I am now one month post-op and everything is going good. I still have some numbness in my bottom lip and chin area. When I touch those areas, I am able to feel all but one spot which goes from my lip all the way down to my chin on my left side. It's an area about the size of my little finger. That part is completely dead when I touch it but I still get some tingling and itching sensations in it. I still have a little pain in my left jaw just down from ear that hurts some, mostly when I wake up. I guess it's muscle spasms.

I have some friends who developed a device called an Alpha-Stim. It's a microcurrent electric therapy device that you use for pain, insomnia and depression. I talked to her this morning about it helping nerve regeneration and she seems to think it will. I have a call in to my doc to get a prescription for it and maybe it will help get some feeling back. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes.

Here's some before and after pics.

This is a pic of how small my lower jaw was. It was taken 2 months after I first had my top braces put on. It's before I learned how to take a picture of myself, so it's a little blurry. I could actually touch my lower front teeth to the roof of my mouth.

This is what my mouth looks like after 19 months of braces and 1 month post-op.

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This is my range of motion 1 month post-op. Of course, this is without my elastics on.

#2 Post by **iBorg** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:42 am

I'd swear your ROM is better than mine and I'm waiting to be ready for surgery. You look to be making great progress.

Mike

#3 Post by **freerideuk** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:49 am

poker girl can i ask why doo you have so few surgical hooks did you not get many on or have you had some removed

cause i got mine on today and i swear to god i have about 18 its not even funny i looked at my mouth and wnted to cry and when i herd they will be on for a couple of months after the op as well i had to hold bk the tears my mouth looks a mess

i am just wondering if you can get some removed after the opp

xxxxxx

#4 Post by **Rach** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:56 am

What a difference!
Your ROM is well good for one month post! well done

Have you got elastics but taken them off for the pic or have you not got them at all?
Let me know

Rach

#5 Post by **pokergirl** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:36 am

Thanks, everyone!

My ROM is getting better every day. I can't wait to start chewing again.

Rach, I do have two elastics on each side that I take off to eat and brush.

Freeride, that is all they put on me. Good luck on your surgery.

#6 Post by **Andantae** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 9:36 pm

Stunning! You are an inspiration to me! I, too, have a smaller lower jaw and will be having surgery in March or so. My bottom arch looks much like yours did. VERY encouraging, thanks for sharing your progress!

Andi

#7 Post by **pokergirl** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:58 pm

Thanks, Andantae,

If your jaw is like mine, it will feel sooooooooooo much better after your surgery. With all the minor and major discomforts I've had in the past month, I would definitely do it all over again. It is so worth it!

I have some good news to share with everyone too. My dead spot on my chin is no longer dead. If I tap lightly on the spot, I can actually feel a tingling sensation in it. The right half of my lower lip and chin aren't numb anymore either, so hopefully it's all getting better each day.

#8 Post by **pokergirl** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:51 pm

Well, so much for feeling better. I just got back from my ortho's office and I'd honestly sell a couple of body parts right now for a morphine pump!!!!!!

#9 Post by **simplywired** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:47 pm

lol Pokergirl! Funny what a difference a day makes. Yesterday I was running around like a marathon runner 2 days post op and today I'm not sure if I'm going make it - feel queasy and like hell. So I know e x a c t l y what you're saying.

What did your ortho do today?

#10 Post by **murrdock311** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:12 pm

Pokergirl
I have the same type of problem that you have. How big of a discrepancy do you have from one side to the other. Was one side of your jaw longer than the other?

#11 Post by **pokergirl** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 8:37 am

murrdock311........I'm not sure how big the discrepancy was. They just said they had more work to do on my left side than on my right, and that's where I've had more pain, swelling, and numbness is on my left.

simplywired......my ortho changed out my bottom wire which, I guess, the doctor broke during surgery. On the top teeth they took a long wire and started wrapping and twisting from one bracket to the next all the way across.

#12 Post by **pokergirl** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:28 pm

I started chewing yesterday. It felt pretty weird after not doing it for six weeks. I didn't try anything real hard because my teeth are still pretty sensitive from my last adjustment. What has been everyone's experience chewing gum post-op? Does it hurt your jaws? Does it help your ROM? I think I miss that more than anything.

#13 Post by **pokergirl** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:41 am

I had my 7 week post-op appt with my OS yesterday. He was very pleased with how everything looked. He said my ROM is at 37mm and he wants it to be at 45mm in 3 more weeks. He gave me the thumb and finger exercises to do 3-5 times a day. I've been doing the warm heat and massage. Does anybody have other suggestions that they've used to get their full ROM back? I'm dying to be able to get my mouth wide enough to stick a hamburger in it.

#14 Post by **Andantae** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:44 pm

Hi Pokergirl~

How nice to hear that your OS was, 'pleased with how everything looked." That must have felt very reassuring. I believe I winced for you when I read the post where you mentioned how they replaced your lower archwire. What a time to have to replace a wire! Yeow!

Are you going to try chewing gum? I'd be curious ito know f you think it helps. Can wait to see more photos (hint)--especially your profile

Andi