When did you feel back to normal?

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#1 Post by **redfoxjo** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 10:19 am

I'm 5 weeks post op after bimax with SARPE and am still incredibly swollen and stiff. When I smile I look like a ventriloquist dummy! I had an infection in week one which only disappeared 2 weeks ago after draining and heavy duty antibiotics.

The swelling on that infected side is still significant and I look really uneven. I still can't tall properly and to be honest I still don't feel fully appreciative of what I have gone through. I just don't feel like myself. I wish I could sleep normally to feel back to normal again but am still sleeping elevated and eating is still an issue of course as I'm not allowed to chew just yet so soft foods only.

How long did it take for you to feel back to normal? Is everything I'm experiencing normal? My face is so swollen especially in the mornings which is making me dread returning to work next week. I'm on arnica pills so am hoping they will help. I also have terrible acne! Never had spot problems in my life and now my skin feels kleines brail and looks utterly awful.

Really sorry to moan I'm just upset and need some friendly words I guess. One positive is my bite is great now!

Thanks for reading my rant.

#2 Post by **loulou30** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 10:28 am

Hey Jo,how are you?? You took the words right out of my mouth!! Im one week behind you and im still swollen,stiff,have difficulty yawning,coughing etc etc.Also, when i feel the swelling is going down, i find if the elastics start irrtating my cheeks,swelling starts increasing again,so at the moment im going backwards (at least its only my left side though! I find it quite good looking at blogs at people who have gone through the same surgery and checking on their progress at whatever week im at. And where we are at now is probably where most people are. Its a long recoveryeh?! i really cant imagine a time where ill be able to open my mouth any wider than i can now. Im being realistic and aiming for a good couple of months from now!!

Anyway,hang in there,youre not alone,recovery is a b**ch but we will get there!

#3 Post by **mountaingirl** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 11:53 pm

OH my goodness, by 5 weeks I definitely didn't feel back to normal. Only after I was eating real food for a while did I start to feel normal. I am 3 months post op and am at 80% back to normal. I'm getting TMJ physio for the last 20% and can eat most things now although some meat is impossible to chew and I haven't tried raw veggies yet.

#4 Post by **aliciaj212** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 6:19 pm

I'm a little over 6 weeks now, and I'm still pretty swollen. Some woman asked me why my neck was swollen at the hospital yesterday, and I was like, "Uhhh, my neck? What about my face??"

With the whole acne thing, I know people have said this before but you just have to let it run its course. It's just a hormonal reaction from the steroids from the operation. (And also the stress that's gotten your pores off balance.) I started seeing spots two weeks post-op and they mostly disappeared by the four week mark (which also happened to coincide with my period, so I think that helped). I'm still seeing spots right now, but they're not as many and definitely bearable. I discovered that using a cucumber facial helped me lots. I wash my face ALL THE TIME, maybe 3-4 times a day with a light, foaming cleanser from Clinique. It's helped & hopefully it'll help you too.

Hang in there, we're almost at the finish line!

#5 Post by **redfoxjo** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 2:15 am

Hey guys thought I'd give you an update - my acne has gone whoohoo but my swelling is still soooo uneven and on the side where it was infected, I now have an open incision/wound at the back where the gum meets the cheek. No idea why this has happened - the maxfac consultant I saw on Sunday couldn't tell me either. Just hope it heals quickly.

Sigh - I have days where recovery is fine and I'm dealing with it and others where I just sink and feel so depressed. Boo.

#6 Post by **OhioM** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 5:41 am

I am 9 months post op and not back to normal. I feel OK, but I have issues with sleeping (dry mouth), congestion, and a decent amount of numbness and stiffness. I am not enjoying these things, but I feel that my problems are a small price to pay for what the surgery did for me. Good luck with the rest of your recovery and try to be patient with your healing. I think around 2 months, you will start to feel MORE normal, just not completely.