Smile's Recovery: "Did you just say TPA?"

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#1 Post by **smile** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:38 pm

I'm jumping on the band wagon of people with surgery dates. My surgery is scheduled on July 14, 2006. So a tad over a month away.

I'm having a bilateral sagittal split osteotomies with internal screw fixation, lefort segmental osteotomy with plates, a genioplasty, and an extraction of my last wisdom tooth (#28 ). So in layman's terms, I'm expanding my upper jaw and moving it up, moving my lower jaw forward, and moving my chin forward all because of my overbite and gummy smile.

I can't wait to get this over with - and do nothing but watch movies for awhile.

#2 Post by **nahky** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:04 pm

YAY, omg... SMILE, i can't you have a date already, and so soon! Thats just too awesome.

This month will fly by so soon for you. EAT UP! oh dear lord you will miss food, i cant emphasize that point enough, you WILL MISS FOOD!

By sure you to ge those movies, i didnt really bother with getting movies, slipped my mind, and ended up watching really bad daytime television.

Im 2 weeks post-op now. I look much much better in comparison to peak swelling times, but still feel like a bit of a meat head. GEts better slowly though

anywyas,im blabbing on about myself again, congrats on the date. Look forward to hearing updates.

Jason

#3 Post by **Svensk Tiger** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 3:29 am

I'm jumping on the band wagon of people with surgery dates. My surgery is scheduled on July 14, 2006. So a tad over a month away.

I'm having a bilateral sagittal split osteotomies with internal screw fixation, lefort segmental osteotomy with plates, a genioplasty, and an extraction of my last wisdom tooth (#28 ). So in layman's terms, I'm expanding my upper jaw and moving it up, moving my lower jaw forward, and moving my chin forward all because of my overbite and gummy smile.

I can't wait to get this over with - and do nothing but watch movies for awhile.

That's exactly what I'm having done this summer! You're the first person I've met having the exact same procedures carried out.

Can I ask a question? We don't know for sure yet if I'll have my upper jaw expanded (I had a quad helix which has worked very well but the surgeon will have the final say and he hasn't seen me yet). So... what I'm wondering is do you know how the expansion works when you are also having your upper jaw moved up? Will you get an expander, like in SARPE? Or do they do all the widening all at once? If so, I guess you will get a gap between your front teeth right away?

Sorry for the questions but I don't see my surgeon for a while yet and my ortho doesn't know the details.

Congratulations on getting a date. I'm at the ortho next Friday and she's taking moulds so that my surgeon can make my models up to see if I'm ready for surgery yet!

#4 Post by **KathleenH** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:20 pm

Congrats on your date! I can't believe you know all the technical names of what's being done - I just smile and nod when they're mentioned. I had similar procedures - upper and lower jaw advancement, shortening of the upper jaw (for my gummy smile), bone graft in my cheeks, and a genio. Extensive, but so worth it.

Enjoy relaxing after the surgery!

#5 Post by **smile** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 4:47 pm

nahky - If your daytime TV is bad as daytime TV here...

I think you need some quality movies stat! Love reading your updates Jason so keep on updating. =]

Meryaten - Oooh, we're going to be surgery buddies aren't we? You're exactly a week earlier than me. Out of curiosity, which surgery are you under going?

Svensk Tiger - Aww, there's someone else out there just like me is there? Hope you get your surgery date soon. Mm, I have a bit of story behind the upper jaw expasion too. Originally, I was supposed to get 4 teeth extracted (2 top, 2 bottom) but I ended up only extracting the bottom. Instead of extracting the top teeth, they decided it'd be faster and better to widen the jaw instead. I'm almost 100% sure they're widening without an expander. No one has mentioned an expander and I haven't even thought to ask.. I'll have to double check on my next ortho appointment. Then again, if it involved an expander it would have been called SARPE right? I am pretty sure I'll have a gap post-surgery. Or, to correct myself, a bigger gap. The last ortho appointment (2-3 weeks ago?), the ortho put in 2 half wires instead of one wire. A few hours later, I had a gap in the front. I'm guessing they're pulling and tugging the opposite directions. The gap is pretty small, but it bugs me still. It took only a few hours to get that gap - and hopefully it'll be just as that easy to get rid of it post-surgery! I really don't want to resemble David Letterman for too long.

Lucyloop - thanks for the nice words. I'll be updating often I'm sure - I know how helpful they were to me so I'd like to return the favor to all the others waiting for surgery.

KathleenH - lol it's funny you mention that.. because I don't know the techincal names either. =P It's just that I got a letter from the surgeon yesterday and it had all the medical jargon on it. And I thought, why not type it out? I noticed you've had similiar surgery when I read your posts. They were really informative so I'd like to thank you! Also for your pictures - gives me something to look forward to.

#6 Post by **Svensk Tiger** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:02 am

Thanks for the explanation, thats kind of what I thought too. I might have to do some googling to see what else I can uncover!

I should be seeing my surgeon soon, hopefully, so I will ask then. Let me know if you find out anything too

Looking forward to hearing how you get on. One tip: make sure you eat lots of lovely things, all your favourite foods, in the run-up to your surgery

#7 Post by **nvcarissa** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 12:42 pm

Omigosh...so many of us all at the same time.

I saw my OS on Monday for impressions and he took some time to explain what will happen on S-Day, the hospital stay, etc. One thing he spoke about was sending home wire cutters in the off chance that we may have to cut my wires. But he said something that I took a great deal of comfort in: "In 27 years I've only had one patient who had to do that, and that was because they were involved in an accident."

27 years. Can you say "experienced?" I knew you could.

#8 Post by **smile** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 5:09 pm

And the countdown continues!

12 days and counting.

School's been over for only a few days so I still haven't had time to let this all absorb in that, well I only have 12 days left.

I thought I'd do a pre-surgery todo list:

- THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO ADMINISTRATOR (very neglected due to finals)
- clean washroom
- rent movies
- buy ensure, gatorade, soup, fruits (I own a juicer)
- clean humidifier
- call surgeon (double check time)
- pick up prescpritions
- eat lots of food. =]
- pick up a kiddy toothbrush
- go in for a cleaning

I'll have to add more when I remember.

Watch for updates..

#9 Post by **nvcarissa** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 7:19 pm

Congratulations on getting your surgery date! Let me second Jason's urging to eat all your favorites now. You will get sick to death of liquids and mashable food. I am not even 2 weeks post-op and I definitely hate the post-op food issues.

We are all here for you. Keep us posted and any support and advice you need, well, you know where to come!!

#10 Post by **nvcarissa** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:35 am

Smile and Meryaten:

Add to your "to do" lists: Buy a very small child's toothbrush.

I got one for 2-4 year olds and it is perfect for cleaning even the inside of my mouth since I can't open it very far. And the bristles are very soft!

#11 Post by **smile** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:27 pm

Oh right, can't believe I forgot that one. ;P

#12 Post by **nahky** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:24 pm

Almost a week to go!

Excited for ya Smiles, Keep up updated, i wanna know all the gory details... so we can compare

J

#13 Post by **chrisk** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 6:11 am

Smile

One week to go. Best of luck and I'll send warm wishes from this end of the world.

Chrisk

#14 Post by **smile** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 4:03 pm

Thanks for the good wishes.. I can't believe there's less than 7 days left!

Memo to self:
- find pillows for elevated sleeping
- remember not to blow nose for at least a week (to a month)
- do self-physical therapy
- buy pineapples
- remember to change decongestants every 4-5 days
- remember no dairy!
- start walking as soon as I feel I can

#15 Post by **nvcarissa** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 7:48 am

Smile, do you have a recliner that you can sleep in for about the first week? I used my husband's chair and even when I finally started sleeping in our bed, I missed the recliner for the support it gave to my neck and head.

Sounds like you have everything accounted for. Good luck on the next week! But...what are the pineapples for?

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Smile's Recovery: "Did you just say TPA?"

Smile's Recovery: "Did you just say TPA?"

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