December 2011 Surgery Buddies??

[SLiM2590]

Surgery is tomorrow morning for me. I have to be at the hospital at 5:45. I only because really nervous this morning, I even woke up shaking and thinking of the surgery. Congrats to those who have finished their surgery, I'm so jealous. Wish me luck!

[SPShelly]

Good Luck, Slim. The surgery is the easy part, at least for me it was, I was asleep

[awags]

Well, I'm done. It was rough, but I'm done. I had a 3 piece LeFort 1, along with BSSO on Friday, December 16th. It took about 4 hours, and then I spent 5 hours puking up bood in recovery. They had put a tube down my nose and into my stomach during surgery, but apparently the anesthesiologist took it out before I woke up. Wow, that was a mistake. Once I started puking so much, they knew I needed it back in there. The nurse tried and couldn't get it, so one of the first things I remember is her chewing out the anesthesiologist for taking it out, while he put it back in. Yes, I was awake. Miserable!

I'm home now recovering. The swelling is ridiculous - at this point i can't even recognize myself. I'm definitely looking forward to the day that it starts going down.

I think back to my pre-op when they told me that it wouldn't be any worse than the surgical expansion I had a year and a half ago. HAHAHA... what a joke. This has been 1,000 times worse.

Anybody else frustrated with the syringe feeding? My throat hurts so bad and everything is so numb that it takes me hours to drink a 8oz bottle of ensure.

[SLiM2590]

Hi buddies,

I had surgery yesterday. Upper only, it took almost 4 hours. I was out of it yesterday so they're making me stay an extra night in the hospital. I was in excruciating pain yesterday and was so nauseated that I couldn't even drink. The nurse gave me water through a syringe & I remember it being delicious. Today is a much better day though I must say I'm sick of the liquid diet already! . I'm swollen beyond recognition & cannot wait until it goes down.

[Bingebag]

Anybody else frustrated with the syringe feeding? My throat hurts so bad and everything is so numb that it takes me hours to drink a 8oz bottle of ensure.

Awags, I feel you friend. Pretty terrible. I grabbed a few of the apple juice cups they give you for eating when we left, and right when i got home i started drinking out of the cup.

I'm not sure if you're ready for it because you spill just as much as with a syringe, but it's a 1000x better quality of life.

[awags]

What 28 year old woman wants to talk about anything bathroom related? Not this girl! But, I'm going to keep it real. So about 2 days post-op I started getting really bad diarrhea and it got AWFUL last night. Like I was up every 15-30mn. and heading to the bathroom. I had the chills alongside and just felt miserable. Turns out it was the antibiotic. Wow, never want to experience that again. The surgeon told me to stop taking the antibiotic and sure enough, it is starting to improve.

So today is day 5 and things are still pretty darn miserable, although now that the bathroom problems are improving, I should feel quite a bit better soon. I had bought some soups from Costco last week and blended them down today, added a little chicken broth and they were thin enough to come out of the syringe+catheter combo. It tasted pretty good, but I also know i'm going to get real sick of that soon.

As of today, it looks like the bands *might* come off next Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed! I just want to clean my mouth it is beyond disgusting... even when you try to rinse and keep it clean.

[SLiM2590]

Awags, I had a similar reaction to the antibiotics. No diarrhea but they just made me nauseated and gave me the chills. I took myself off of them until the surgeon calls me back.

I only had the upper jaw done, but one wouldn't be able to tell. My swelling is unimaginable, probably one of the worse I've seen of all of the blogs and boards that I've seen. My pain is minimal, but I'm still miserable. I think that today I'm finally able to breathe through one nostril. Sick of liquid already, hopefully I'll get cleared for soft no chew on Tuesday.

[Bingebag]

Awags,

Relief is coming I promise. I didn't start to settle down until day 7. I'm on day 8 and feel like I am managing everything fairly efficiently.

Keep fighting y'all. I'm ready for the one month mark just as much as much as you.

[Bingebag]

Day 9:



I am still pretty swollen in my cheeks and bottom lip. Everything has changed dramatically. I have been taking pictures of my phone the entire recovery process and I am contemplating making an before and after recovery thread.

[awags]

I've been taking cell phone pics too and I can't get over how awful I look in all of them! hahahahaha After I look at how terrible I look, I normally go look at my Facebook page to remind myself that I used to look normal, and hopefully one day soon I'll look even more "normal." My jaw protruded from my face, and it's definitely weird to see that i don't have a super long chin anymore.

I didn't realize that not everyone gets banded shut after jaw surgery. I just came across blogs with people who didn't have to deal with the dreaded syringes and I have to say, I'm slightly jealous. I just made a smoothie this morning and I think half of it ended up on my towel (bib). I am starting to crave real food (this all liquid thing is for the birds).... even if it's just mashed potatoes!

[SLiM2590]

Im banded but can suck in applesauce and mash potatoes. I have some I'm about to devour now! I can't wait for looser bands or to be able to take bands off to eat.

I think I turned the corner. Still tons of swelling but I'm feeling better

[Lv4snow]

when can we drink from a cup? this syringe is getting old quick, plus people look at me like im well, eating from a syringe.


upper 3 peice le fort 13dec2011

[SPShelly]

L4-Are you banded shut? I ask because I see you had a le fort done. I had that done and have been drinking from a cup for about 5ish days now. I just try to make sure it's plastic, as I can't feel my upper teeth and am scared to use glass.

[SLiM2590]

I started drinking from a plastic cup on post op day 3. Drinking water from a syringe was gross. The taste of rubber was repulsive.

[Bingebag]

I was told I could begin drinking through a cup as soon as I could pull it off. I found it easier and way quicker than a syringe. I was banded shut for about 5 days and started drinking with a little cup on day 3