June/July 2015 Surgery Buddies

[snapdresser]

They still feel like they're there..... Not sure what I'm feeling. Some kind of local discomfort/swelling from the archbars getting yanked around? Or from the anesthetic needle? Or maybe it's just the scar tissue? Either way, it still feels like something is in there I guess it'll just take a little time to go away.

Btw, my surgeon prescribed me a muscle relaxer to make it so I can open sooner. Now I'm at about 2 fingers. The pills are non-narcotic, I think, but they make you super drowsy so I'm supposed to take just 1 a day before bed. I tell you what tho, I got to bed last night on time and I still feel dead tired this morning. Not sure if I'll be able to keep up that medication cuz I have to drive in the mornings.

[jaime]

I had a funny feeling under my upper lip for maybe a month after SARPE. I never figured out what it was: scar tissue that needed to be stretched out, or if it was my gums being numb.

You had something attached to your teeth for 8 weeks, I'm sure it'll take a bit of time to feel normal again.

Interesting about the muscle relaxant. I hadn't thought to buy those (they're OTC in Canada). Have fun with your new width, haha. I'm still at 2 fingers myself, thinking about buying some popsicle sticks to help it along.

[snapdresser]

Jaime - A month?! Well, I guess there's not much I can do about that. Kind of lame that I expected sudden comfort and that's not the case lol. Oh well

What would you use the popsicle sticks for? Prop open your jaws with it?

KaylaChristine - Btw, I brought up your case with my surgeon yesterday afternoon and she said that's pretty common, especially if they used wires (like on Jaime's mandible, IIRC) instead of plates and screws.

[Liz192]

Snap- congrats on the arch bar removal. I was given muscle relaxers as well. I have to take them at night. I think that is why I can open 2 fingers also.

So...totally bit the numb spot on my tongue yesterday. I'm trying to be more adventurous with food but still staying in the "soft" food category. I had IHOP French toast and hash browns yesterday which were soooo good. I've been eating a lot of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I'm not goin to lie, I like gravy. Haha

Hope y'all are doin well!

[jaime]

Snap, very funny. You stack them together flat and I guess because of their shape, it's easy to slip additional sticks into the stack and it forces you to open wider.

I'm finding that yawning seems to help stretch things out, and that's free of charge!

Liz, gravy is very good. Hopefully since your tongue is numb, you can't feel any pain where you bit! I had something similar happen to me; I accidentally stabbed my gum but didn't notice until there was blood on my fingers (I was trying to attach and elastic).

Plates around my nose are bothersome lately, kind of a low grade tingling all the time and it hurts too much to wear sunglasses.

[snapdresser]

Liz192 - Do your muscle relaxers make you drowsy too? Maybe if you have something that doesn't I could request it from my doc. Yeah, learning to chew again with the new jaws can be tricky. I haven't come down on my tongue (probly cuz my jaws got pulled forward so my tongue is farther back) but I've bit weird on my teeth and on the inside of my cheeks. Ahhh the French toast and hash browns sound real good Actually, meatloaf and mashed potatoes do too! Gravy's awesome lol.

Jaime - Haha I seriously didn't know how you intended to use the popsicle sticks My surgeon told me I'd slowly open more and more without any stretching so not to worry about it, tho she did offer the muscle relaxer. I don't think I'm gonna do anything other than that to speed it along, but it's definitely annoying not being able to fit in so many delicious foods That's interesting about the tingling around your nose. Is it down by your nostrils or higher up? I get tingling around my nostrils when I do a "stinky face" lol I've had a little soreness around those plates recently too. Might just be from poking at the ridge in the bone so much recently lol. Or from them leveraging against my upper jaw as they yanked out those wires yesterday. My surgeon had to put some serious muscle into it...


I wonder what the deal is with KaylaChristine! I hope it turns out it's within normal variance. Sending powerful juju her way!!

[jaime]

Yeah, I've been thinking about her, too. Hope everything went okay.

It tingles all around my nostrils but not my nose specifically. If you think of where your sunglasses rest on your face, the cheeks and sides of the nose, that's what hurts. I have to wear my sunglasses more on the bridge of my nose to avoid the pain.

[snapdresser]

Jaime - My sunglasses are already of the type that kinda sits on the bridge of the nose. Sounds like you need a new pair

Ugh. It seems like getting my archbars off set me back in terms of the swelling dissipating... Or maybe it's just more obvious? My lips went down (obviously, cuz the archbars aren't pushing them out anymore) and now my cheeks seem puffier. Probly just an optical illusion or something I tell you what tho, brushing my teeth last night was fantastic I bled a bit tho. When I brushed this morning too... My teeth are already feeling less sore than they had been in the archbars tho

[Nozzelnut]

For those folks that haven't used muscle relaxers in the past, yes they will make you tired; hence the relaxer part.... Depending on the dosage, you might still be tired the following day. They might cause some sleep apnea symptoms too; relaxing some of the throat tissues... So be careful driving or using heavy equipment.

[Liz192]

Snap- I take my muscle relaxers at night so I don't really notice the drowsiness. I also have only taken them a few times.

[snapdresser]

Two days post-archbars and my teeth are feeling MUCH better. Still got a little lingering sensitivity in a couple of them, but my gums are looking/feeling much better and I only bled very slightly this morning when brushing. Progress! That feeling that the archbars are still there has mostly gone away at the front top and bottom. It still feels like it on the side tho. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's more related to swelling than the scar tissue? But if it's already much better at the front, I figure in the next couple days it'll be much better throughout.

Liz192 and Nozzelnut - Yeah, I don't think I had taken them before, but Tuesday night I took one at 7:30PM and I still felt SUPER drowsy on my drive to work at 6:30AM the next morning. My drive is just too crazy and dangerous to deal with that, so I didn't take one last night. Maybe on the weekends, but not when I have to drive the next morning. That's a good point about the sleep apnea I thiiiink I'm cured now. Probably

[jaime]

Ugh I'm so jealous. I want to be rid of this hardware. Glad to hear you're feeling better! Enjoy sweet freedom.

Snap, since you had this surgery to sleep apnea, have you noticed any change in your sleep? Sorry if you've answered this already, but I don't remember you mentioning it.

As my swelling continues to go down, the feeling of the screws under my skin is even more apparent. I feel like this is going to be my new party trick.

Well, as we all transition back into normal life and inevitably post less often, I just want to say that it's been so awesome having you all to talk to during this. I think we've been a chattier group than previous surgery buddy threads and for that I'm thankful! I don't think anybody should have to go through the pain and inconvenience of jaw surgery without a group of people to talk to about it. I think for me it would have been a way different experience without this thread. You're all great!

[snapdresser]

Jaime - You'll get there soon! I'm sure the time will fly by until you get your braces off Yup, feeling better. Getting used to this NEW look now that the archbars are gone. Puffier cheeks than before and whatnot.

My wife says I don't snore in my sleep anymore, and she hasn't noticed me stopping breathing, but I'd probably have to get a new sleep study to check if it's really gone. I reeeeally hate doing it tho, especially at my local place, cuz they don't give you any sleeping pills and it's really hard to fall asleep with all those wires hooked up. I typically lay there for hours trying to fall asleep...

What do you mean by "feel the screws"? I thought you meant you felt the plates, but you actually feel the individual screws? Haha, yeah, a pretty sweet party trick My wife gets grossed out when I tell her to feel the ridges in the bone and the plates

Yup, having everybody to talk to has been awesome Yeah, definitely would have been a different experience without this thread. I probably would have been super worried about my tooth pains and stuff like that. And wondered how normal my level of swelling it, etc. Anyone else that wants to be FB friends PM me and I'll give you my name


Still wondering what KaylaChristine's status is...

[Liz192]

Ok, I know I'm only 3.5 weeks post op but how long did y'all have muscle pain/soreness? My jaw on the right side has been sore off and on since the beginning. The doctor said it's just the muscle. I can't hold my teeth together without discomfort. It feels like when I close my mouth the muscle doesn't contract all the way if that makes any sense. I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about it's just annoying. I haven't had any aches and pains on the left. Everything has been on the right. My right side is also puffier that the left but that could just be a coincidence.

So yesterday I had biscuits and gravy with French toast, fried egg and ate the heck out of a ground beef enchilada with rice and beans. Yay food that wasn't mashed potatoes!!!

[Nozzelnut]

Liz I still get muscle pain and aches. I had a plate installed on my lower right side and it has been puffier since surgery. I only had screws in my lower left. My right TMJ has been acting up off and on since surgery too. Not so much in the joint but in the area... More of a muscle/tendon inflammation. Most of the swelling is gone; the last 5% will probably take a while to go down.

The first couple weeks after surgery I had that hard to close feeling too. I would get about 1/8" away from my teeth touching and it would take some more effort to get them to close. That has slowly gotten better. Maybe TMJ inflammation?

And Jaime, I agree this whole experience has been much easier with yall.