4 Week Post-Op BSSO-Questions

[numbchin2013]

Hello All,

On Tuesday I will be 4 weeks post-op for my BSSO surgery. Surgery went well and I came home the day after surgery. I continued to swell through the 3rd day post-op...which I expected because the dr said the swelling would get worse before it started getting better. I basically had no pain and never used the rx meds...I did use Ibuprofen...still do in the morning and at night. Basically I felt pretty good after surgery, much better than I expected which was a nice surprise. Surgery was on a Tuesday, I came home on Wednesday, rested Thursday and Friday and then I was non stop shopping and going, going, going getting ready for my step-son's wedding which was 2 weeks post-op...so basically I had 3 days of recovery. When my surgery was scheduled my step-son's wedding was still planned for October but he and his fiance called two days before my surgery to tell us they were getting married two weeks after my surgery...yes, baby on board lol...so wedding was rushed. Well, I honestly did feel fine during the time I was shopping and helping to plan this quick wedding. I was tired at night but overall the only real thing that was bothersome was the numb chin and numb tongue...and of course being on a liquid diet...but physically I was feeling pretty good. I did let my step-son know that I may not be able to do a lot to help because of just having surgery and he and his fiance understood. My step-son's mom passed away when he was 15 so I really wanted him to know that I was there for him for whatever he needed so I was thankful my body was holding out during this wedding planning time.

The day of the wedding arrives and I am still feeling pretty good. We all head off to the wedding...wedding goes smoothly...our son is married! The only problem I had at the wedding was during the reception when the prime rib was being served...that was absolute torture, seriously it was. I sat there and drank my Ensure while everyone else was enjoying their prime rib dinner. I thought about taking a walk but I didn't want to leave the reception...thought it might seem a bit rude so I toughed it out.

So, here's where I have questions!!! On the way home from the wedding I could tell I was more swollen than I had been in about a week and my tongue felt very swollen too. I took some Ibuprofen, grabbed my ice pack and went to bed hoping I would feel better by morning. I also had my 2 week post-op visit the next day. I woke up feeling horrible. My tongue was still swollen...even though it was still quite numb from the surgery, I could tell it was swollen. My cheeks were swollen again as well as under my chin. I used my ice pack all day until it was time to leave for my post-op appointment. The dr said I was doing very well, that most patients aren't even able to speak as well as me at 2 weeks post-op. The only concern he really had was my range of motion for opening up my mouth...I basically can't. I honestly didn't think I should be able to open my mouth that wide after surgery, but he seemed a little surprised. I can only open my mouth about wide enough to fit an Ibuprofen through my teeth. Tuesday I will be 4 weeks post-op and can still only open my mouth just enough to fit an Ibuprofen through. My jaw area feels very rigid, my bottom lip is still numb too...which I know that part is normal...but the rigid feeling in my chin is strange. My energy level has gone down, not up and I am sleeping worse now than I was right after surgery. I wake up with my jaw and bottom lip aching every morning. It seems that I have gone backward, not forward. I also feel sometimes like I am getting muscle spasms in my lip and chin but I don't know for sure. Also, I am having major mood swings because of the liquid diet. I feel like it's messing with my brain...especially when I look around and I see food advertisements all around me...and smelling it at home when my husband cooks dinner. I haven't cooked since surgery and try to stay out of the kitchen while he's cooking but the smell goes throughout the house...UGH!

I guess I want to know what 4 weeks post-op was like for any of you. Did your numb bottom lip and chin make them feel huge? When I look in the mirror there is no swelling to speak of anymore but I FEEL like my bottom lip and chin are huge. Anyone feel that way? Is that the way numb is supposed to feel?

Well, I have written a novel so I will leave it at this tonight. Thank you for reading this far...

Numbchin

[numbchin2013]

I forgot to say that I am 47 and I have had braces on for almost 3 years.

[numbchin2013]

Anyone have any advice or input???

[bmueller]

First of all, great recovery! So glad to hear from someone else who was able to escape taking the narcotic painkillers.

I had upper jaw surgery, but I think I can relate to your numbness question. All of my swelling had disappeared by week 2 of my Lefort I surgery, but I had numb cheeks and upper lip for about 2 months following. Everyone kept saying that I looked "normal" but it was driving me nuts with the tingly feeling/lack of feeling from that upper lip area. Can't tell you exactly when it went away, but it was after I had been released by the surgeon and was back to my ortho appointments. By then I was more distracted by the elastics than focusing on my numb lip.

I think you'll regain range of motion once you are fully healed and residual swelling goes down. I didn't even have surgery on my lower jaw but had a limited range of motion for the first few weeks after I had been unbanded.

[numbchin2013]

Thank you bmueller

I am so glad that I didn't need to take the narcotic pain killers too. While I was in the hospital the nurses kept telling me that the morphine pump was there for me to use, not look at lol...I told them that I wasn't going to use it just because it was there, only if needed...and I never used it

Yes, the "you look okay" statement is getting to me. When I try to explain to someone what I feel like on the inside of my mouth I get strange looks followed up by that same statement, "well, you look okay." I know in time this all will be a distant memory and I will be happy that I went through with the surgery.

Good luck to you on your continued recovery. How long did you have to wear elastics? My OS told me that I could take mine off so I did...two weeks post op. I have a feeling though that my ortho is going to require them back on. I will find out tomorrow.

Cheers,

Numbchin

[bmueller]

At week 3 when they took out the splint and let me open my mouth, I had class II elastics which were only really to keep guiding my jaw. I wore them 24/7 but they were really loose. I could open about 2 cm even with them in. I changed them only when I felt like it.

The ortho is a different story. She's given me the strongest smallest elastics I've ever seen in my life. I can barely open one finger width with them in. She said she needs the really strong ones to make the progress she wants. I have triangles and class IIs. I hate them! But the good news is that these are the last step in my journey, so I hope to put this all behind me real soon!

The nurses were shocked that I never used the pain button the whole time. They thought I didn't know how to use it. I was told to start pushing it when my pain got to "3" on a 10 scale. Low and behold, I never got there. I was just numb. The surgeon and assistants were pretty impressed too. Actually, I never even took advil or asprin, though I think I have a pretty high tolerance for pain.

Wishing you the best on your continued recovery. This Wednesday is my 12 week anniversary! Yay!

[numbchin2013]

Congratulations on your 12 week anniversary Only being at 4 weeks post op, I know that is a huge accomplishment for you!!!

I was quite surprised when my OS told me that I could take my bands off. He told me that the bands were really just needed to act as a "sling" for my jaw...that if I felt no pain with the bands off, I could leave them off, that it wouldn't affect my jaw because my jaw is bolted into place. I'm wondering if the ortho is going to say the same thing tomorrow. My guess is I come home wearing those tiny bands that you have to wear.

My nurses were pushing the morphine pump lol, but the doctors were pretty impressed that I didn't use it at all. Even at my 1 week post op appointment my doctor was wondering if I needed a refill of the pain meds that I had filled prior to my surgery. When I told him I never needed to take any of them he was quite impressed and shocked at the same time.

I like your positive outlook ...the journey will have been all worth it once you're done!!!

[bmueller]

Keep me updated on your progress! Good luck at the ortho appointment.

[bmueller]

numbchin2013
Just wanted to let you know my blog is up, if you're interested in my whole recovery process. Wishing you the best!