Surgery in September

[Sirena]

Hi Peanut!!

I live in Asia

Now that you mention, I recall that my firm's policy says "14 medical days a year"; here medical days means outpatient sick leave that you don't necessarily spend in the hospital. I was thinking of a combination of the balance of my vacation leave and medical leave for the rest of 2005. But the problem is I'm the only person working for my boss. He has his own firm. I run the office, answer the phone, meet clients who visit, and work on the computer. Now answering the phone and meeting people will the be worst of all after the surgery ...

From what I've heard, I'll be having upper and lower jaw surgery. I have a very deep overbite.

I've sounded my boss out on my having to take leave sometime in October. In the past, I had been away from work for 8-10 days for wisdom teeth surgery. I was hoping I could get by with 2-3 weeks away from work. I was more concerned about the swelling than anything else. I remember my swelling from a surgery that I had 3 wisdom teeth removed, was almost all gone at the end of 10 days ... I do know this jaw surgery is major stuff ...

My ortho tells me that some of his patients have actually gone back to work after 2 weeks post-op, so I'm confused...

[peanut]

Hello,

I was told the information by my human resources department at work, but it can be found on the internet under "Employment and labour laws canada". Here is the link to one website I found that had a bunch of information on it.

I would speak to the human resources deptartment where you work, to find out what the requirements are for applying for the sick leave. For mine, because I knew about it in advance, I gave them notice well in advance, because I had to train somebody to replace me while I'm off. Your workplace may require a certain amount of notice, because it is something that you know about, and won't be happening under emergency circumstances.

Another place to look for information would be on your province's government web pages.

Good luck!
peanut

[peanut]

Hi Sirena,

I couldn't imagine going back to work after 2 weeks when some of your duties include answering phones and greeting clients. You will have a lot of elastics in your mouth, so it will be obvious that you will have had orthodontic work done, and the clients will probably not think twice about seeing a bit of swelling, but all that talking... I just can't imagine having to do a lot of talking so soon after surgery.

I work in a call centre, and although my duties no longer involve answering calls, I still help out on the phones when things get busy. I am very thankful to not be back at work, because right now, a week and 2 days after surgery, my jaw is very tired after just a short conversation.

Does 14 medical days a year include weekends, or does that give you almost 3 weeks off work? That wouldn't be so bad.

Good luck as you figure all this out. I hope you get your surgery date soon, so you are able to make the necessary arrangements to get the time you need off work.

take care,
peanut

[smile]

How's recovery going? Getting the feeling back in your mouth yet? Did you have lots of bruising? Any lethargy? Have you lost any weight? Does your nose look wider? I've read that on the Yahoo board about some people who felt their noses changed due to upper jaw sugery.. Any before/after pics?

Many questions I know.. =)
Hope all's well.

[peanut]

Hi smile,

I'm doing ok. I still have some swelling, but it's going down a bit everyday. As for bruising, I turned green around my cheeks, and down my neck, and onto my chest about 6 days after surgery, but that is all gone now. My understanding is that it wasn't bruising, but was the fluids breaking down that cause the swelling. I think it's from the Lymph's or something like that. I didn't get any black and blue type bruising at all.

The feeling is back everywhere, except for my chin. I do have feeling in my chin, but not normal feeling. I still have a lot of tingling there, and sometimes a pins and needles type sensation.

I'm still tired a lot, especially if I leave the house and go out and do things. Yesterday, I took a 6 and 1/2 hour nap, and still slept for 8 hours last night.

My nose hasn't really changed, as far as I can tell. Most people who notice a difference in their nose are the ones who had palate expansions done. I didn't have any palate expansion, so my nose stayed the same size and shape. I still have a bit of swelling though, so I'm not 100% sure that it hasn't changed.

If you have any other questions, feel free to keep asking them. I know for me, reading about other people's experiences was where I found the information that prepared me the most for surgery.

take care,
peanut

[peanut]

I had my first post-op appointment with my surgeon on Wednesday. He gave me permission to remove my bands to eat. I am only to eat soft foods, and can't have the bands off for more than an hour, but still... that's better than nothing. So far, I have had oatmeal, yogurt and pudding. Also, I've sucked on some small pieces of chocolate, as I am a chocoholic. I can't open very wide though, so I had to buy some toddler cutlery which is much flatter than the regular cutlery in my kitchen.

My OS said things are healing nicely. He took x-rays, so I got to see all the hardware in my mouth. I have 4 metal plates, 22 screws, and 4 wire ties.

I still need more rest than normal, and my jaw is aching some, especially around my chin. I'm having trouble sleeping through the night as well. Also, eating enough to fill me up is also a challenge. Because I eat so slowly, I feel full really quickly, but then only a couple of hours later, I am hungry again, because I ate so little at the previous meal.

Overall though, I would say my recovery is going well.

[KevinFrank86]

Hello Peanut and congrats on getting through your surgery!

from the sounds of it, me and you where only days apart from when we got our operation. I had my upper jaw moved foward and work done on my chin, he also inserted bone grafts (sp?) around my cheekbone area. I'm still a teen, though, and I was a smoker before the operation, not now. I was wondering how your feeling/healing post op wise? I've noticed, for myself, that the swelling in my chin has gone down 100% and things look great, I'm very pleased, but the swelling in my upper lip and lower cheek bone area is still there, not to the extent that is was 3-4 post op, but still there to a lesser degree. I would say it's gone down about 75%, however, this concerns me because I'll be 3 weeks post op by Monday and shouldn't the swelling be gone by then? Also, with my new bite (I'm able to eat some pastas, beans, mac and cheese and oatmeal now) I've noticed that when I bite down, I bite down on a portion of my mid cheek area (inside my mouth....well yeah, that's a given, doh! lol) have you had anything like this? do you think it's just me adjusting to my new bite but chewing as if I had my old bite? Sorry to bother you with all this-I just read that you had surgery pretty close to me and was hoping you where going through something similar. Oh, and....are you still on the pain meds? I was given liquid codine and then mid way through week 2 I started with tyonal #2's. Also, for the whole "feeling" aspect. I have the reverse thing going on...lol...I have 100% feeling back in my chin but around my upper lip area and lower portion of my cheekbones are still very numb. I've been getting feeling back day by day and this weird itching sensation...like the there is something moving around under my skin in the upper lip area and I can't scratch it (How sci-fi horror does that sound ?...lol). Anyway..Thanks...I hope I'm not the only person going through these things. LOL.

[northerngirl25]

Hello all,

This is my first post and I have to tell you that I am so happy to find other people going through the same thing!! So basically, I had my lower jaw moved back and some chin work. I don't know the technical names! I had the surgery in Toronto by Dr. Tocchio. So it has been six days and I still feel pretty crappy. To be honest, I wish I would have researched this whole thing more. They really don't tell you very much unless you ask all the right questions but how are you to know the right questions??? I am wondering if anyone out there has had the same surgery. The swelling is really down and bruising just started 2 days ago in some areas. I have alot of uncomfortable pressure. My doctor has me on a clear liquid diet meaning only juices and water until he sees me next week. I've already lost 16 lbs. (Just had a baby this year so I can use that..haha) Does anyone know when the elastics come off and you start wearing the removeable ones? I was reading peanut's posts and she had lower/upper/chin and she is eating?...brushing teeth??....That is crazy!!! I can't wait until I am at that level. I am really scared about the loss of feeling in my chin and cheek area. My doctor told me that it is not permanent but I've been reading alot and some people say its been years and still some numbness. Is this true? Sorry for such an allover post!!!!

[peanut]

Hello,

KevinFrank, I am exactly 3 weeks post-op today, and I still have some swelling in my cheeks. It's not much, and people who don't know me don't notice anything is wrong with me, but those who do know me can tell I am still a bit swollen. My understanding is that bone grafts cause extra swelling, so that is probably why you are still swollen higher up on your face.

I am allowed to eat soft foods now; pretty much the same foods you listed, but I haven't tried chewing much. Only twice. It feels so strange that I just usually suck down the food without chewing it. As long as I cut the pasta into small bits, it's not a problem. Because I'm not really chewing, the insides of my cheeks are fine, but I'm thinking that evenutally I will bite the insides of my cheeks since things are in different places now.

My numbness is starting to go away. I get weird sensations in my chin sometimes. The itch that won't go away, no matter how much I scratch is the most annoying part. I know exactly what you mean with your sci-fi description.

northerngirl, I can't believe your doctor has you only on clear liquids. I was allowed to 'eat' anything liquid. To keep up my calorie levels, I drank a lot of ensure, and had a lot of cream soups. No wonder you have lost 16 pounds already! I've only lost 7 pounds so far, but I think when I go back to work next week, and up my activity level, I will probably lose a lot more weight.

I had my surgery elastics on for 2 weeks, and then I got to start changing them and remove them to eat soft foods. Every orthodontist is different though. I was also allowed to brush my teeth about 3 days after surgery. My surgeon said that I wouldn't do any damage and that if it hurt, not to brush that spot again. I use a baby tooth brush so that I can get in around the swelling. As I mentioned above, I still have some swelling at 3 weeks, but nothing major.

As far as your numbness goes, most of it will go away within the first few months, but little bits of it can take a year or longer to come back. Very few people lose feeling permanently.

Good luck to both of you!
peanut

[northerngirl25]

Thanks for the information Peanut. It's actually been 8 days now and I still have swelling. I have a small section that is bruised but nothing major. I went to my first post-op yesterday. WOW, the feeling when they take the elastics off is unbelievable. You actually feel that your jaw drops. (It doesn't)
My surgeon was going to put on the non-removeable elastics for another week until I asked him if I could try taking them off as I didn't want to make the 2 hour drive again. He said as long as I am continuing to wear them and since I had some experience with elastics before. HE showed me once where they were to go. 1 on either side. He didn't even make me practice just said ok see you in 2 weeks. SO I get home and I feel better because now I can at least eat some soft foods and brush my teeth. Well, I had soup and then attempted to brush my teeth...it is nearly impossible!! I then tried putting the elastics back on. WOW...since my lips are all chapped and raw it was extremely difficult. I am hoping I put them on the right teeth!! I don't even want to take them off again because it was so hard to get them back on.!! Did anyone get earaches?? I am getting them everytime I lie down. At 3 weeks, does it still hurt?? Does it hurt when you actually chew?? Just wanting to know what I can look forward too!!

[peanut]

Hi northerngirl,

I'm glad things are going well for you. Be glad you aren't a Maritimer. I have to drive 4 and 1/2 hours to see my surgeon because there isn't one in my city that performs jaw surgery.

My elastics are removable. I have 4 on each side. I have 2 boxes on each side, each done with 2 elastics. 8 elastics all together... I can't open my mouth at all when I'm wearing the elastics. When I was first allowed to change them, I was paranoid that I was putting them on the wrong teeth, so I stopped into my orthodontist's office to double check.

My surgeon gave me a little tool to help me put the elastics back on, because one of them goes all the way back to my back molars. Maybe you could get one of those from your surgeon next time, or from your orthodontist? You'll get used to taking the elastics in and out. A set of tweezers might help too, because they are smaller than your fingers, and will probably fit in your swollen cheeks better.

As for brushing the teeth, I use a kid's toothbrush. It's a stage 3, I think. It has The Incredibles on it. I feel like a little kid when I use it. My surgeon just told me to brush where I could. If I hit a sore spot, I probably would be careful not to brush in that spot again, and wouldn't do any damage. Just brush where you can. It might take awhile before you can open far enough to brush the inside of your teeth.

I've never had the earaches, so I have no suggestions there. I'm still not laying flat to sleep. I'm propped up a bit. Maybe it has something to do with that? I don't really know.

I don't really chew very much, but I'm trying. It just feels so different, that I'm avoiding it. I'm trying to distract myself when I eat, so that I'm not concentrating on it, so I can just let it happen naturally. Give it time. You'll get used to it. There's no rush to start chewing. And because I haven't been chewing much, I haven't noticed any pain. I just get pain when I talk too much.

It'll get better soon...
peanut

[Teigyr]

Peanut,

I've been reading your posts with great interest. I am having lower jaw surgery next summer, probably. They'll let me know when my teeth are ready!

Did you have nausea? I've heard of that from the anesthetic and because you can't eat, it doesn't go away so easily. Also, I've been interested in the stages you've gone through post-surgery. I don't have a physically demanding job but I do a lot of talking. I also work 10 hour shifts! While this is a long time out, I am thinking I might need more than two weeks?

How much work was entailed in "caring" for you? My boyfriend's being great about it and fully intends on doing everything he can but I'm not what you'd call the dependent type. When did you feel you could function well enough on your own? (And I do appreciate him! I just would rather need him by choice instead of necessity!!!)

Lastly, my parents are out of state. I will have the surgery done up here (Washington) and will fly to California to see them as soon as I'm able. At what point did you feel you could breathe well enough to fly?

Jane

[peanut]

Hi Jane,

Nausea... oh yeah! To give you the gory details, I had surgery on a Tuesday morning, and I first threw up Tuesday evening. It was just blood, and because it was all liquid, it wasn't a problem even though I was banded shut. I then threw up a lot more once in the night, after getting up to go to the bathroom. I think moving around upset my tummy. Again, it was blood, and passed easily through the bands. After each episode, the nurse gave me a lovely anti-nauseant shot in my butt/hip. The shot was great, and took care of the nausea, and also helped me sleep. Really, the nausea wasn't a big deal. By Wednesday morning, everything was fine. I hope that wasn't too gory for you.

I work in a call centre, and originally took 4 weeks off work, but I am now extending it to 6. I don't actually work the phones anymore, but I still have to do a lot of talking. I don't think I could have gone back before 4 weeks was up. I am kind of ready to go back now, but my orthodontist just doubled the weight of my bands, so my mouth is really clamped shut, and talking is an extra hassle. Also, eating takes forever and so does brushing my teeth, and putting my elastics back in after I eat. I just figured it would be easier to take a couple of extra weeks, and my surgeon wrote me a doctor's note, no questions asked. I am not one of those work-a-holic types, and I would rather make sure that I am more than ready to go back before I do. I'm enjoying my time off work too. It's great for the emotional health, as well as the physical health.

My dad drove me to and from my surgery (4 and 1/2 hours from where I live) and he stayed in a hotel while I was there. During that time, he didn't have much to do because I was under the care of nurses, but once we got home it was helpful having him around. For the first few days at home, I didn't really have the energy to make my own food. If you want anything more than Ensure or Boost, you might want to have somebody around to help you your meals. Even if it's just throwing a can of soup in the blender and then in the microwave for you. Also, this person can help with any unexpected situations. I woke up one morning really hungry, and I didn't have the energy to make it all the way to the kitchen to get myself some breakfast.

I would say for the most part, about one week after surgery, you should be able to take care of yourself for the most part. It's the things like doing the dishes and cleaning up that you won't feel like doing for about 2 weeks though, so help from a friend for a few hours every now and then would be good.

For me, I probably wouldn't have wanted to fly for at least 2 weeks after surgery. But I had upper surgery as well, which causes more congestion, as the cuts to the jaw are either near or through the sinuses. (I'm not sure which.) I wasn't allowed to blow my nose for 2 weeks, so if I wasn't allowed to do that, I figure a surgeon might discourage somebody from flying during that time frame too, because of the pressure it could cause on the sinuses. But I don't know for sure. That would definitely be a question for your surgeon.

I hope I've been of help here. Every situation is different, and these are just answers based on my experience. And sorry I'm so long-winded, but I'm a detail kind of person. Also, I have lots of time on my hands right now.

Best of luck as you go ahead with this...
peanut

[Teigyr]

Peanut,

Thanks! No, that wasn't too gory at all. I had heard that the nausea will probably happen and that scares me. Being that you were banded shut and I won't be, it shouldn't be that bad.

It sounds like you are doing well mentally. My surgeon had warned me about post-surgery depression and said it was important to get out and do things even if it was just out in the yard.

The surgeon and orthodontist say it is no worse than getting wisdom teeth out. I know your surgery was more comprehensive than mine will be but still, I have learned that surgeons sometimes downplay it.

All-in-all, it sounds like it wasn't that bad? I AM looking forward to the weight loss!!!

Jane

[Teigyr]

p.s.

Peanut,

This is a goofy question but after your surgery, were there gaps in your teeth? I'm wondering where exactly it is that the jaw is fixed. How different was your bite?

Jane