MARCH 2011 BUDDIES

[I love my teeth]

ugh, you poor thing! I hear you! To be honest I didn't feel myself until 7-8weeks post op. And I only felt sort of normal after 4 weeks. At 9 days I was exhausted!! And I am not currently working (stay at home mom!)....hang in there, it gets better--but for me not for a while. only at 8 weeks was I finally craving some more intense exercise, but now the kids are on spring break, so I can't---they've done a ton of skiing, and I still can't do anything "contact" until 10-12weeks (skiing is a contact sport for me!!) I felt like I could do it at 8 weeks, but I wasn't going to risk it, that's for sure.

Can't wait for them to go back to school next week, so I can get back on the treadmill!

good luck!
Christine

[peckabel]

My SARPE surgery is tomorrow! March 26th so I am officially fasting now. Plus it was my birthday today, great bday present hey??? hehehe

[arieswithbraces]

dtdtdt,

Thanks!! You're right..we're only 4 hrs away! Man, I feel so much better after I was over that 4th-5th day peak! I felt pretty bad. What I think was going on was I'm allergic to Amoxicillan. Who knew?! And by the time my swelling peaked and the Amox was in my system, I couldn't tell what was going on. So, the day after I called the hospital (Sunday, 20th) I got up took my am dose of it, waited and fought sleep. I noticed I felt worse right after taking it. My lips were humungous!! I felt like my throat was tighening, I developed a rash, my bottom lip was oozing..yall get the picture..I was F**D up! I made an executive decision not to take it anymore. I called the OMFS resident on duty and she agreed. I had a follow-up on Tuesday, still swoll, but my OS didn't believe it was the antibiotic. He said I didn't have to wear the chin strap anymore, sucked the crap outta my nose (very umcomfortable) and assuming I didn't have feeling, starting cleaning out my splint and the suction hit a stitch. I jumped clear out of the chair and into the tiger crane position! He was like, "you can feel that!!?" I said, " Do you see me about to attack?!" ( I'm a clown ) Needless to say, I have most of my feeling back. The only thing numb is the roof of my mouth. A little numb on the tip of my nose and my chin. That's it. He was unhappy with the weight loss but who can eat with these lips!
Wednesday- Swelling going down, no sore throat(**thinks to self** not the antibiotic my a**!!)
Thursday-Down even more, off tylenol w/ codeine onto Ibuprofen, had mashed potatoes for 1st time
Today (this morning)-almost back to normal, no sore throat, slept 5 hours!!

I still have no regrets, even with my elephant man episode! Now that my lips and cheeks are down, I can feel the wires in my splint and it's loose on one side. I don't think I'm going to tell my OS, don't want him in there pulling and tugging on me too soon...he might get hurt!

Good Luck thisisme and smithie!

[arieswithbraces]

good luck peckabel!! You will be on the other side in no time!! And

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Today is my sister's (she's legal!) and Sunday is mine...so straight teeth is a great birthday present for me!!!!

[juneyer]

Well I guess this is Day 2. (yesterday was the surgery). I am absolutely swollen. I look like a potato haha. It's really hard to swallow, and I can't really talk at all. I only had lower jaw and genio but it is no picnic! At least the pain is not that bad. A little throbbing. I took one mega pain pill last night (percacet) but only ibuprofen today and I'm feeling well enough to get on the computer at least. The one thing that no one told me was that after getting the catheter out it was going to hurt to pee. I took some "AZO standard" (over the counter) that my mom picked up for me. This relieved all the pain urinating for anyone else that experiences this.

[juneyer]

okay. Day three. Still swollen as hell. My bottom lip is so un-naturally huge it looks like a cartoon. I am drinking ensures now, very tasty. And have made an attempt to rinse my mouth out with salt water and some prescription rinse. This is really hard as I can't make the swooshing motion in my mouth to rinse properly. I still can't speak. One of the things that I don't understand is why I am not wired or banded, I only have a splint. It kinda makes things difficult because I don't know where to relax my jaw, my mouth just kinda has to stay open. I don't see my OS until Wednesday but I might have to try to get in there earlier. I also have a bandage around my chin, not sure when that is supposed to come off. I am still icing my face as I don't know what else to do. I am starting to feel like I should have asked a lot more questions when I was able o talk!

[arieswithbraces]

okay. Day three. Still swollen as hell. My bottom lip is so un-naturally huge it looks like a cartoon. I am drinking ensures now, very tasty. And have made an attempt to rinse my mouth out with salt water and some prescription rinse. This is really hard as I can't make the swooshing motion in my mouth to rinse properly. I still can't speak. One of the things that I don't understand is why I am not wired or banded, I only have a splint. It kinda makes things difficult because I don't know where to relax my jaw, my mouth just kinda has to stay open. I don't see my OS until Wednesday but I might have to try to get in there earlier. I also have a bandage around my chin, not sure when that is supposed to come off. I am still icing my face as I don't know what else to do. I am starting to feel like I should have asked a lot more questions when I was able o talk![/quote]

Congrats on being on the other side!! Well, I'm not banded or wired either. I do have elastics that I'm supposed to change daily...which I do but it's a pain to brush, drink, rinse, elastics, take off to drink, speak, rinse, elastics...I leave them off a good bit of the day! After your swelling peaks, then you will be able to feel where your jaw is supposed to go. And the swollen lip thing, oh i feel ya! I thought I was going to trip over mine! But that chin strap was holding it up!
My bandage came off my first visit in a week. Icing the face, I believe is the key! I do it faithfully and even when sleep. If it melts, I get up in the middle of the night and change it! I only have swelling now in my chin, got the square thing going on. Don't worry, the day it peaks, it IS the worst!! But..it's downhill from there!

[juneyer]

Thanks arieswithbraces. I was beginning to think that the ice was making it worse and maybe i needed heat, but I'm going to stick to what you did and continue with the ice. I'm taking more of the pain medicine now..cutting them in half as they make me so tired. But they work so much better then the ibuprofen alone.

[kelhuntley]

Hi all,

I'm on post-op day 7 now and am feeling pretty good. I've managed to have two really good sleeps in a row and have progressed from complete liquid to porridge, which is a relief!! I even managed to get back into the kitchen yesterday to make some homemade chicken soup and scrambled eggs for my partner this morning - I love cooking, so its nice to have some normality again.

Am contemplating going back to work tomorrow, maybe just for a half day, as I am bored out of my brain at home. And at least I'm only sitting in front of a computer at work. Have an appointment with my surgeon and orthodontist tomorrow for a check up - the ortho has promised to just look and not play around with anything - so I hope she sticks to her promise!! Am also wondering how long I have my stitches in my cheek - anyone else know how long these normally stay in?

My chin and bottom lip is still pretty numb, just feels like constant pins and needles, and seems to slowly get getting feeling back. I kinda feel like I am sitting here with my lip turned down dramatically, but it is actually sitting normally.

Juneyer - I found the ice packs really good. For the first three nights I kept them on all night while I slept, and replaced the ice when it melted, and it seemed to help dramatically with my swelling.

Kelly

[kelhuntley]

Also - went for a 40 minute walk yesterday and I swear my swelling has gone down even more by the time I got home. Amazing what a bit of exercise can do!

[juneyer]

Thanks Kel..I am going to try and walk around a bit. My mom suggested the same thing. My mom stopped by and said I looked much better, but I think she was trying to make me feel better. When my brother came by, he took one look at my Mr. Potato head and started laughing, I then couldn't stop laughingto the point I was scared I was going to pull something or stitches were going to come out I was laughing so much but trying to hold it in. It's good to have a sense of humor about it though.

[kelhuntley]

Haha I know what you mean. I keep giggling and have to hold the sides of my jaw to try to contain the smile as I'm scared I'm going to bust something! Completely paranoid of course. My partner keeps sniggling at me because I look so serious asking normal questions, but I can't help it!! I am currently expressionless

[arieswithbraces]

Hi Kel! I'm day 10 post op and bored as hell!! But you're waaaayy better than me..I'm not doing any 4 letter words..aka "cook"!! I love cooking to but as soon as I go in that kitchen and even scramble an egg, my SO will be looking for Sunday dinner!! They told me to walk too and I have just not far but I think I will now. Anything to get this swelling from my square chin!!

[kelhuntley]

Hehe, the kitchen is my favourite room in the house, so I love being back in there although it is hard being around food and not being able to eat it

I made chicken soup last night - and it had spinach and purple carrots in it ... by the time I had blended it up it looked incredibly inedible - kinda like murky greeny/greymush - tasted good though

I've just been out for an hours walk - went to a cafe for a white hot chocolate (with a straw) and managed to eat half a slice of cheesecake (minus the base)!! Funny, the little things I appreciate at the moment! I also bought some giant chocolate buttons which melt nicely on my tongue and some hummus to eat on a spoon when I crave savoury

Obsessed with food just a little bit! I'm finding there are only so many smoothies one can handle.

[peckabel]

Had my surgery yesterday and just got home. The pain has not been too bad but im definitely swollen and very very tired. Bringing up lots of blood too. Dr said everything went perfectly which is good news, and I start expanding in 4 days which im not looking forward to.