Surgery this week - goodbye underbite!

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#1 Post by **Aviv16** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:12 am

I'm having surgery later this week. I'm quite terrified. I saw my surgeon last week and he explained that I will definitely have the upper jaw moved forward and up, and a chin implant inserted, but that he will not know whether he will need to move my lower jaw back or to take a hip graft until the day. In other words, I had to consent for all procedures and have to go into surgery not knowing whether it will be just upper and genio or double jaw - scary.

I'm really not looking forward to waking up from the anaesthetic or the first few days post-op. Does anyone have advice for getting through this difficult time? I'm not worried about how I'll look, but how I'll feel. Will lying in bed and watching DVDs be comfortable or will I be too out of it for that?

For those who had a hip graft, how painful was the healing?

#2 Post by bb » Sun Jul 04, 2010 8:34 am

Wow! Big changes in store for you!!
Dvd's sound like a good idea- you never know how easy or difficult your recovery will be since everyone is different. The first couple of days in the hospital are write-offs. I brought books and sudoku thinking I'd be bored but never even opened them.
Good luck!!

#3 Post by **revolutionary** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 1:29 pm

^^ totally... I brought a big bag with my laptop, books, etc.... Never touched any of it.

I'm sorry it seems as though you're going into surgery blind. That is a really scary thought, but it sounds like you trust your surgeon and so I would stick with that.

Waking up from anesthesia, you're likely to be very groggy, but not in any pain. The first day/2 days at the hospital are really not so bad...

#4 Post by **crazybeautiful** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 1:53 pm

Best of luck!

I wouldn't bother with a 'proper' book, ie a novel, because you simply won't have the mental capacity to enjoy it (or even comprehend it)! That's not to say you'll be completely out of it, but I doubt you will find you want to do anything too strenuous. When I was back at home I had a 'comedy book' () that I read at night if I had trouble sleeping, but other than that I wasn't interested . When I was in hospital for the most part I just wanted to either go to sleep or go home, but I certainly didn't want to watch tv, read, go on my laptop, listen to music, etc, etc

#5 Post by **indecisive1** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:34 pm

Hi Aviv16. I can only speak for myself but waking up from surgery was really not that bad. As far as pain goes you're pretty much drugged up so can't feel any, If anything you're just uncomfortable because you're so swollen and just don't feel yourself. The nurses who looked after me were truly amazing. I remember my first night at hospital post op one of the nurses came in to clean me up and and sponge me down with warm water. It felt so good! It's the first week at home which I found the hardest. Just remember it does get better. As far as reading in hospital, I seriously don't think that will happen. You'll be too out of it -mostly sleepy. I wish you all the best!!!

#6 Post by **Aviv16** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:04 am

Thanks everyone for your replies

As for watching DVDs, I meant that after I come home from the hospital, not while I'm there. I've had an operation before and while in the hospital I couldn't really do anything, even watch TV. I'm just trying to envisage how I will spend the first week at home.

Thanks especially for the reassurance that waking up wasn't so bad - I hate that disoriented feeling, especially not knowing the specifics of the surgery beforehand. Though I was just as worried about having my wisdom teeth removed, and my first thought upon waking up, once I realised where I was, was 'I don't have wisdom teeth anymore - yay!'