is it really THAT bad

Message

#1 Post by **shanalouis** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:11 pm

on a scale from 1-10 how BAD is jaw surgery? what are the pros and cons?

i am happy to be having jaw surgery but is afraid of the recovery

#2 Post by **dvdrdiscs** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:46 pm

I have mines coming up on November 8th so I can't comment on how bad it is. BUT one thing for certain is that everyone that has had it on this board has said they would do it again. I think that's a good sign!

#3 Post by **sarahorsomeone** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 4:11 am

For me.. the first three or four days were pretty tough; mainly because I felt so claustrophobic in my own face because of all the swelling (but apparently I was a "worst case" scenario when it came to swelling; more than most people get) and I kept waking up really confused in the night

... but after that it hasn't been too bad at all. Pain wise it's never been that bad; braces are a lot worse if you're worried about pain.

So perhaps, on a scale 1-10 (with 10 being the worst):

7 for the first few days, and 2 since then (it'll be four weeks post-op tommorow).

#4 Post by **sarz** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 7:47 am

It's not that bad! If you need it then i would advise that you have it. I had a bad case of swelling too but it goes down dramatically within a fortnight. Still having to sleep propped up on several pillows during the night, but I went back to Uni three days after my 2nd surgery and went back to work within a week of my last surgery (three weeks ago). You can do it!!!!

#5 Post by **chicago29** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:42 am

I agree with the "it isn't terrible" assuming you realistically know what to expect. If you realize the first two weeks are going to suck, you take the necessary time to prepare for your recovery, and you have somebody to take care of you, then I'd agree with sara's assessment (7 for the first week, and a 3 or 4 for the first 2 to 4 weeks).

I'm at week 6 now, and I'd say I'm at a 1 or 2, with the big issue being my ROM. It is hard to soft chew when you can only open 25mm. But, that'll come back in time...

I will say though, that the first 5 days for me were probably an 8 or 9 - I just simply couldn't breathe and that just was not good. Once I was unbanded and was able to breathe through my nose, that 8/9 went to a 4/5 almost immediately.

Here's the thing - You ABSOLUTELY CAN do it!! Just be wise and prepare!

-Chicago29

#6 Post by **Kirish** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 11:27 am

Everybody goes through a different experience with this surgery so it's hard to tell.

I can tell you that there wasn't anything in the recovery process that I've found hard to cope with, apart from the pains that I had when trying to pee for the first few days post-op. If it wasn't for this annoying pain, I would say that I probably felt worse during some flu that I had in the past.

#7 Post by **OhioM** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 3:01 pm

Well, I'm a wimp, but I would say that the first 24 hours were about a 9.9. After I got the NG tube out, and the nasal trumpets out, and the catheter torture over, things improved to an 8. As soon as I got home at 48 hours post-op and got hydrated and drank some Ensure, I made it to a 7. The next couple of days would have been a 7/6.....then gradually better for a couple more weeks. 2.5 weeks out I felt fine, but it was just my looks that were the problem!

#8 Post by **mountaingirl** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:57 pm

I have to say, the first 48 hours were horrible from the little I remember. I am so thankful that I don't remember waking up at all and very little of the first two days which were in the hospital. The first week sucked. Be prepared that it will be tough and you will get through it. I would feel sorry for anyone going in that thinks it will be anything less than difficult. Then, if it turns out not to be so bad you'll be pleasantly surprise. Drugs, and more drugs! That's how I got through it.

#9 Post by **mamaneedsanewjaw** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 8:42 am

Mine was terrible the first week....the dehydration resulted in a migrane that added major insult to injury.

The second week (I am only on day 12 post op) had been a breeze.

So for me it was a complete suck a*s first week but after that no biggie!

#10 Post by **James0099** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:34 pm

Depends on you, everyone is different. Some people said how they were in pain, I literally had no pain at all and never needed any pain medication. I was wired shut for 5 weeks, that was the worst part of it, liquids only for that long. The first few days I couldn't sleep either, that sucked. I couldn't breath through my nose and trying to breath through my mouth I was waking up as my tong kept blocking out my breath. Also I had a side effect to my medication that kept me up, I got off the medicine and I was sleeping fine, once I was able to sleep it wasn't that bad.

#11 Post by **metalmouthmedic** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:07 am

Bad things about surgery
*Tingling from nerves coming back to life-worse than pain. No real way to get round this as far as I know.
*Muscle spasms-I found that getting someone to gently massage your face worked to relieve this.
*Mood swings-I was hyperactive one minute and completely depressed the next.
*Headaches from swelling compressing the sinuses-Hot steam helped. A hot bath was wonderful!
*Blocked nose due to blood clot from nose tube-told not to try and unblock it in case of bleeding. I disintegrated it with tissues soaked in hot water. When I could breathe again it was wonderful
*Sleeping-for the first week this was horrific. I got no sleep as I was paranoid about sleeping on my face. Sleep slightly higher than you would but make sure you are comfortable. I couldn't lie completely flat for about 2-3 weeks (partly due to paranoia!)
*Energy levels-very low. Take it slowly but definitely try and go for walks, even just down your street. It gets you used to being out in public and improved my mood dramatically. Eat and drink little and often.
*Bruising-I found that taking arnica tablets helped.
*Swelling-definitely not the worst thing! Takes a while to completely disappear but after about a month, you will be the only one that notices! Look in the mirror every day, take photos. This way you can see yourself slowly improving.
I was back at university after 3 weeks-this was incredibly tiring and I spent the first week in constant tears but definitely a good idea to get back into normal life asap!
Let people help you, especially your parents. Talking to my family now, I realise that this whole section of my life was just as stressful for them as it was for me, if not more!
Almost a year later, I have never regretted having this operation. Definitely go for it!

#12 Post by **beowulf68** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 2:47 pm

My surgery was really rough. I had been reading this board a couple of weeks prior to surgery and had done plenty of other research but was totally unprepared upon waking up from surgery. The first 4 days sucked really bad because I had a ventilator in my lungs and my jaws still weren't wired yet. The procedure to remove the vent and wire my jaws while awake without meds were the 2 most painful experiences in my life. My case is probably unique and most wouldn't have to go thru what I went thru....So with that being said, this surgery is tough and painful but if you go in with a positive attitude and stick with that attitude even when the pain is the worse everyone can make it through!!