April/May 2014 surgical buddies..

[sydneysurgery]

My surgery was delayed from December, it's so frustrating! However, because my teeth had time to find such a good position, I didn't need to wear a splint for recovery. So stay positive, and remember the more time you wear braces now means less time after.

The last couple days have been a bit harder. My swelling has come up and down, and I've started to bruise. Although I feel little pain during the day, I wake up every night aching, and can't get back to sleep. Eating is such a complain too!

[Leebie3]

how you going Sydney?

[sydneysurgery]

I'm really good! My swelling has come down tonnes and my bruising is completely gone. I saw my surgeon yesterday and he said I looked closer to 2 months healed rather than 2 weeks, which was lovely to hear. They also said I could drink again, as long as I don't bump my face. So pretty hungover today ha. Any word on your surgery?

[Leebie3]

PMSL! are you sure they meant drink alcomahol? :p

had my appt yesterday, they now wanna do double jaw with rotation AND make my chin smaller :s What do you guys think? they said it's entirely up to me whether they do the upper and chin as well or not..

[parsleysage]

Hey Leebie! So I'm still a surgery newbie - not even braced yet, lol. So take with a grain of salt. I think I saw your post about plan changes where you mentioned the impaction. I think impactions are usually for "gummy smiles" - that might help to see more of your teeth when you smile.

As for your chin, I think it looks perfectly fine in the 2nd pic. I personally would not choose to do the reduction. For myself, the reduction has been recommended (by the ortho, I see the surgeon in 1.5 weeks) and my chin is already super pointy, so depending on what the OMS says I might consider it for myself. Though it is a family trait, so I might keep it and keep my family character But for you I think your chin is perfectly lovely!

[Leebie3]

thanks parsleysage! (ps..LOVE your name ) you're right.. that's the goal I'm SOO worried though about my nose becoming bigger than it already is :s

when are you getting braced?

[Anna5]

Hello Leebie,

I just wanted to wish you very good luck with your upcoming surgery! That is a big change of plan that your surgeon now wants to do upper, lower AND genio.
I think there is nothing wrong with your chin. To me, your gummy smile doesn't look bad,
And didn't the surgeon say that is it going to get better when you get older? To me, it is something that makes you YOU, it is characteristic of you. But easy for me to say, if you are bothered by it, then I think I would go for the upper jaw surgery as well and get it all as perfect as you want! I wish you very good luck with your decision!

[parsleysage]

thanks parsleysage! (ps..LOVE your name ) you're right.. that's the goal I'm SOO worried though about my nose becoming bigger than it already is :s

when are you getting braced?

Yes, I know what you mean about the nose flare! My nose is already fairly wide in my opinion. It's so nerve-wracking not to know what your results will be until you've already put yourself through all the emotional and financial hurdles AND had your jaw purposefully broken and repositioned! lol!!! I demand better technology that can produce an exact replica of what the result would be Yeah... I'll hold my breath, haha...

It was supposed to be today. I have had to postpone because my dentist told my ortho (at some kind of dental event they were both at, no less! Weird to have people talking about you...) that she is not ready to turn me over for treatment yet. I have a tooth (#5, first premolar on the upper right) that had a filling fall out, which my dentist replaced. However, that tooth is now 75% filling and my dentist is worried about the filling breaking, falling out, or not being sealed enough to last the 2.5-3 years I am planned to be in braces, so she wants to do something else with it first. I don't know if it will be a crown or what. She said "a few weeks to a month" when I asked her how long before I could get braced. I'm on vacation, going camping, the last week of May so I'm thinking it'll be June before I get the dang metal on.

Sorry to ramble... good luck Leebie! Hope you don't have to go through too many of those appts before they schedule your surgery!

[Helen82]

Apologies for the following ramble, but yet again I can't sleep!

Had my surgery done on Tuesday 15th, surgeon said went easier than expected but it took about 6 and a half hours. Stayed in hospital recovery room overnight. Next day was taken to ward and was meant to have been banded up, but was very emotional as was pretty much left on my own in a room and was retching up blood clots, and started majorly panicking. Was eventually moved down into a room with some others, but had to stay another night in hospital. Main problem was that I was put on a bowel patient ward and though some nurses were nice (some weren't...) they didn't really know how to look after a jaw surgery patient (for instance bringing a salad for me to eat, when I told them I'm now on a liquid diet; because they hadn't got anything suitable on that day's menu they didn't bring me anything -it took them 48 hours to eventually find me some apple juice). Anyway next morning surgeon looked in again and said that I needed to be off drip, off catheter and out of bed, and would see ortho later. Then I spent all morning trying to convince nurses to look at my notes and let me out of bed, tried to find out what time my ortho appt was but nobody would check. Eventually convinved them but had only been out of bed a few minutes before porter arrived to take me down to ortho so was very shaky. Was tightly banded by ortho, so liquid only at the moment. Anyway got out of hospital later that day.

Will try and be more brief! Any way -swollen up massively which expected, but swelling inside mouth and cheeks and throat (plus tight banding) have made eating and swallowing difficult, and I've been nauseous when I have eaten. I've lost about a stone in weight so have been very weak which has made everything else more difficult. Day 9 post-op today (yesterday?!) and feel I've about mastered my syringe technique now without getting it all down my front! Endless drooling has calmed down now though still keep getting odd nosebleed. Swelling and bruising is now starting to go down and I'm getting the odd tingle of life back in my face - not so rigid. Face keeps twitching uncontrollably which is a bit weird! Unforeseen difficulty was that all the muscles in my neck and back seem to have clenched during the op, so have had a frozen and painful neck since which has not helped. Main problem is that I've had about five hours sleep in the last nine days - every time I'm about to drift off I keep burping or gagging on some fluid or gunk or other running from my nose down my throat (TMI!) and wake up again - I'm absolutely exhausted. I'm getting more food on board now so if only I could get some sleep I know I'd feel a whole lot better.

Went for one week ortho check-up on Tuesday, midline has already slipped off which is a bit disappointing, but know new jaw positions will be so much better, and got the beginnings of a chin now (though will need genioplasty). Still a bit hard to tell until more swelling subsides! Pyschologically it's all a bit strange - though weakness and tiredness are not helping with this. Because of changes to jaws and lack of feeling in face (and exhaustion) I feel like I'm staggering around in someone else's body. Just before writing this I nearly drifted off but suddenly jaws wanted to be in their old positions and I woke in panic mode again because they can't get there now as differently positioned and tightly banded.Even though I've been unhappy with my teeth and jaws for most of my 32 years now that I've finally had the main op done I think I'm mourning my old face a bit as this sinks in, even though I know it will be a whole lot better! Anyway, I'll shut up now and try to get some sleep (any sleep!)

[Leebie3]

awww Helen! that sounds awful Did you get some sleep after you had a vent? sometimes that helps xo

[DisneyNerd]

Yes, sounds like you've had a miserable time! Sending hugs and happy thoughts your way

[Helen82]

Thanks Leebie3 and DisneyNerd - I am starting to get some sleep in which helps so much. I've never felt so unwell before - I don't normally 'do' ill - so this is really frustrating . I need to be more patient! Only 30 days of banding to go...not that I'm counting or anything..!

[DisneyNerd]

My orthodontist put the surgical hooks in my braces today. I'm doing all right so far, my bottom lip just feels very sore. She did give me wax, though, but I'd rather do without it. So trying to cope with all the discomfort.

[Helen82]

[quote="DisneyNerd"]My orthodontist put the surgical hooks in my braces today. I'm doing all right so far, my bottom lip just feels very sore. She did give me wax, though, but I'd rather do without it. So trying to cope with all the discomfort.[/quote]

I always think it's better to just work through the initial soreness until your mouth gets used to it. Using the wax just delays the inevitable!

[DisneyNerd]

Exactly my thoughts. I've got a massive white ulcer now though. I've named it George, after a little relative of mine who, like my ulcer, causes annoyance and helluva lot of pain (lol). Wednesday was the worst day for the pain; I was a bit tearful and had to take painkillers. It's still painful now, but not as bad thank God. So hopefully it will go down soon. Iglu is a God send right now. *pained smile*