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#16 Post by **Karigan** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:02 am

Be inventive with your food, liquidise everything. Get your mum to make a roast and get her to liquidise the gravy or Primula cheese, squirt that in your mouth and suck it in through your teeth! Rusks are nice liquidised with milk. All soups, milkshakes, just whatever you can liquidise. That's what I did years ago and I was totally wired together so everything had to be sucked through my teeth!!

Really try to keep your mouth clean, I know it is hard but you so don't want an infection. I got a tiny wee single head toothbrush (you could get one in Boots) and after every meal I carefully prised open my lips bit by bit and gently brushed around the braces and wires with that. It took time but it was worth it. As the swelling goes down you will find it easier to use the mouthwash and again use it after every meal, at least a minute.

The hospital was really warm I thought that too. The other wee lady in my ward thought it was cold and the rest of us were sweating away! Can't please everyone I guess!

Hang in there, it is amazing how quickly the swelling goes down.

#17 Post by **NCRN** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 9:56 pm

You look awesome!
I look forward to seeing your progress. I am not far behind you 16 days and counting. Glad to hear all went well

NCRN

#18 Post by **WhiteLurcher** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:38 am

Hi glad to hear your doing fine.

Can you not eat mush yet? As long as you can open wide enough to get a spoon in mush is fine! I practically lived of Smash, I just mixed it with corned beef, mince, fish'n'sauce, you name it ground up chicken or ham cauliflower and broc' & cheese sauce. Choc' custard, rice pudding and cream with tined manderins was another staple

Just add cream, milk or stock to mash things up. As long as you don't have to chew! It does get boring eventually though but its not for too long just use your imagination.

How's the bite doing? I guess you'll be seeing Mr K tomorrow or Tuesday, he usually see's you the following week for a check-up.

Hope things continue to improve.

All the best!

#19 Post by **Happysmiler** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 2:57 am

Hi Freerideuk

You look fab considering you only had the op a few days ago. You can already see the difference it will make to you facial structure.

I am possibly having the same procedure as you done early next year, (although they still aren't sure at the moment if I will need upper and genio or upper and lower jaw - depends how my teeth move)

Its also interesting to hear you mention about the change in your nose - my nose (not that I ever noticed before I began the orthognathic journey!!) is slightly tipped down and my nostrils are very narrow - my surgeon said that after surgery my nose would probably tip up slightly and he would deliberately widen my nostrils!! - hopefully not like a raging bull though!!

Do you know how much they moved your upper jaw forward by?

Best wishes for a quick recovery

Happysmiler

#20 Post by **freerideuk** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 3:37 am

hey i had my top jaw advanced about 9mm and impacted 4 mm

and i can eat mush but i found it difficult at fist cause the way it looks i had soo many break downs over it but yup mash potatos is the way to go

and i thought ad just update you all the numbness is still there on my top jaw and it really does feel wierd i just want it to go away and my swelling is still not going away its still going up i think and its the most unconfortable thing ever

but since i have got over my fear a mushed up food i feel alot better cause i have alot more engery !!

xxxxxxx

Sun Oct 07, 2007 8:50 am

What does 'impacted' mean?

I hope you've been able to at least walk around some and drink plenty of water. That can only help with swelling.

#22 Post by **PCPFORMULA** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:44 am

Hi Freeride,

Looking good!, don,t worry about the swelling, its part & parcel of the surgery, I was advised I would have swelling for a week, it lasted a little longer than that, I still have swelling and im nearly 7 weeks!

I think it depends on how long your in surgery for, Koppell did my surgery as well, it took 8 1/2 hours to fix my open bite<upper only> which I reckon I still have some swelling, how long were you in surgery for? your swelling does not look as much as I had a couple of days post op.

The best advice for swelling straight after surgery to get out walking everyday and drinking loads of water<you prob know this> I was out running by around week 3 and cycling by week 5, I d say coming up to week 7, Im starting to feel back to normal as before the surgery, in way of eating and moving about without feeling tired. hopefully I ll be in retainers by the new year, I spoke to my ortho who has been dealing with quite a few post op<Mr & Mrs Moore> I think there at paisley as well<I go to inverclyde> they said quite a few patients have been put in retainers 3 months post op, which is only a good thing.

Anyway, hope your recovery goes well and your happy with the op

#23 Post by **Rach** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:19 pm

Hey! Sorry to hear your swelling isnt getting any better, but it will , just keep thinking that! How are you sleeping? Are you uncomfy or confy at night? and are you getting alot of sleep?
Your'e doing great, keep thinking positive!

Rach

#24 Post by **freerideuk** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 2:53 pm

hey am sleeping ok considering a just make sure i take some pain meds before bed and normally sleep through till bout 3 or 4 take some more pain meds and then am asleep till 8 or 9 ish which isn't too bad

and my surgery wasn't as long maybe 3 hours :S?? not sure

but tommorrow should be fun get to take this strap thing of my chin its soo itchy i told them am alergic to fabiric plasters so what do they put on me fabric plasters lol

heres some more pics

ohh and my skin is sooo oily and no matter what i can't sort that out !!! what can i do to stop it being soo oily lol

#25 Post by **Renden** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:38 pm

You look really good...

I looked like i caught a Tyson hook for about 3 weeks and you look like that? pfft.

Swelling shall be gone soon don't worry about that.

#26 Post by **Mart** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:46 am

wow, you're looking very good considering! just a few questions, did you end up having upper and lower surgery or just the lower? has surgery changed the profile of your nose at all? and finally how were you so calm about it all!??

i'll probably need horse tranquilizer to be as calm as you described, (note to self- bring 'little book of calm' to hospital)

#27 Post by **freerideuk** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:07 pm

hey well guess what the plaster did leave me with a nice big rash but i knew that was coming anyways lol

and mart am still pretty swollen but i think it has changed my nose quite a bit my mate says wow it looks like you have had a nose job as before it wasn't so wide and it didn't turn up now it turns up like a little pixie nose still to decide if i like it or not and i ended up having upper surgery to correct my underbite along with geno to reduce my chin

and as to how i stayed so calm no idea haha i guess ad prepared my self for it soo much when it came closer to the time i really was just happy for it to happen and i thought as it got closer i would get a little anxious or nervous but even when down next to the theatre about to be put to sleep i was really calm bout the whole thing and just shouting to my mum to bring me in stuff i had forgotten from home lol

but a quick update from today i ate macaroni cheese mmmmm and a bit of spagetti bolonese i found it hard to eat and took alot of effort /time but soo worth i for the taste =]

and then about half an hour ago had such a big scare but i managed too hit the jaw with the laptop i guess i was feeling a little dizzy but anyway it hurt sooo bad am scared i might have done something but i doubt i have problay just hit an insition but god it was such a such lol

xxxxxxx

#28 Post by JJ » Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:55 am

You Look Great!
I am having the same surgery done on Oct. 19. My upper jaw is being brought forward 3mm and down slightly as I have an open bite. I am also getting genio to reduce my chin length. Just wondering, why do you having to wear the bandage on your chin if all of the incisions are internal? My surgeon said I will have a bandage on as well.

#29 Post by **freerideuk** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:28 am

hey jj i think it is just too give my chin some extra support while it is begining to heal =]

and another quick update on last night i ended up back at hospital

i had my first ever panic attack but i never new it was a panic attack as av never had one before

but at around 3 in the morning i woke up shivering and it quickly turned in too tremelling i started sweating and my head felt light and i had tingling in my hands and feet i rushed too the toilet then i lost my breathe my chest hurt and i suddenly felt i like i was about to die i couldn't breath it was truely the scareyest moment in my life

i my mum rushed me to the hospital and they checked me over i was fine i think the knock to my jaw caused me to go into a panic attack anyway one good thing came outta it they gave me stronger pain meds since av only been using paracetamol

xxxxxxxx

#30 Post by **sicnor553** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:47 am

freerideuk wrote: and another quick update on last night i ended up back at hospital
i had my first ever panic attack but i never new it was a panic attack as av never had one before

but at around 3 in the morning i woke up shivering and it quickly turned in too tremelling i started sweating and my head felt light and i had tingling in my hands and feet i rushed too the toilet then i lost my breathe my chest hurt and i suddenly felt i like i was about to die i couldn't breath it was truely the scareyest moment in my life

i my mum rushed me to the hospital and they checked me over i was fine i think the knock to my jaw caused me to go into a panic attack anyway one good thing came outta it they gave me stronger pain meds since av only been using paracetamol

xxxxxxxx

Wow, that's crazy. How did you hit your jaw? While you were sleeping? I've never had a panic attack before but I've heard the stories and they sound scary.

Btw you're looking awesome. A little poofy, but who wasn't!