Metal Mouth Message Board

Yesterday I had my admission appt at the hospital. After signing some stuff, they drew blood to find out my type and then put a blue bracelet on me. I have to leave this on until my operation.

Today I finally had my appt with my OS! yay!!!!!!!!
I trust that he has the best in mind for me.
He had initially decided on an upper advancement by looking at my x-rays and photos.
Then after seeing me a 10 months later i.e. October, he said that I'd would have my lower jaw moved backwards instead. He said an upper advancement would give me a monkey face.

So today, his plans were still to work on my lower jaw but then he reviewed his notes and saw his previous plan- he did some measurements and said he wants to do both jaws. I'm happy about this- it will be a less severe result and I was really looking forward to my nose being perked up a bit!

He is also going to pull down my upper jaw so that more of my teeth show when I smile. I am sooooooo happy about this!! Currently and previously whenever I smile- only the lower third of my top teeth show.

Wooo hooo!! I am so excited about this. I feel positive, confident and excited about my surgery!

Next appt: double check measurements on Tues.

Jac, do you know how long you'll be banded shut?

bb, i am gonna be banded shut for about 6 weeks, these will gradually be loosened over that period.

hope that helps

Jac xxx

I am worried as I am only 8 stones and wondering how much weight I am likely to lose? I am slight as it is. I am also mega paranoid at the mo, keep thinking I am gonna catch a cold and then my op will be posponed.

jac -6 weeks...hmm, I'm going down south March 30- hopefully I'll be out of elastics by then.

cheeky- I'm so paranoid of getting sick too!! Although I can constantly gel my hands, god only knows what germs my petrie-dish kids are carrying around with them!

Hi BB yeah I am a mum too, little boy who is 6. I swear they are just germ bags! I also work in a day centre for disabled peeps. I am constantly washing my hands. In the last week I think I have developed OCD. I am paranoid that I am gonna catch something!

You people be very careful not to get sick right before surgery. It happened to me and you have no idea how much it hurts to have your surgery postponed just one day before due date. It stings up to this day still.
My surgery is rescheduled for March 10, and the first thing I did was convince my manager to let me work from home until I go on medical leave again. My office has been a real germ factory lately, with so many people getting sick so frequently, including myself. Then I worked out a new 6-week medical leave with human resources, but that was just a matter of changing the dates of the previous one.
So here I am, waiting for my second surgery date, eager to get done with it and move on with life.


bb: We have pretty much the same kind of smile. I show only the bottom third of my teeth when I smile. I've always been quite self-conscious about it. That's why my surgeon will bring my upper jaw 3 mm forward and 3 mm down. I had to fight him extensively because he didn't even want to touch my upper jaw to start with, so not to increase the misery of recovery. But I thought that I might as well get done as much as possible since I have to go under the knife for my lower jaw, and I know that I would have regretted it if we didn't correct this problem now that there is the chance.
I will need a bone graft to help stabilize my jaw after the advancement, and I assume that you will need one too. My surgeon explained to me that bone grafts are quite delicate matters, and that it will make recovery a little more lengthy.
Like you, I also look forward to have my nose tipped up a little. That's to be expected with upper jaw advancement. It's like getting a little rhynoplasty without having to pay for it.

Jac: reading that you had your surgery on February 3rd made me cry a little tear of sadness. That was also my surgery date before it was canceled because of pharyngitis.
You mentioned that you had a gummy smile, and that your Lefort 1 consisted of impaction and advancement. Wouldn't the advancement counteract the impaction and still leave you with a gummy smile?
Also which kind of "work" did you have done on your cheeks? Implants? Osteotomy?

Cheekysara: How much is 8 stones? I'm not familiar with this system of weight measurement.

Davide

Hiya 8 stones I guess is something along the lines of 112 pounds 52kg

Sorry not to be quicker with a bit of follow-up. Thanks to BB for the message of support - I'll put a note in my diary now to do the same for you for the 24th!

All went well. My procedures were nowhere near as major as last year's Bimax - I had one night in hospital and was fine to come home again the following day.

Being back in the same ward, with the same surgeon, same clinical team etc as last year made it much easier. I was tense last year, as everyone is as time ticks down towards the Big Day. Last year the waiting around on the day was very intense and I was quite nervous at times. In 2009 when I made it to the anaesethic room next to theatre my blood pressure was way up in the paint cards, and they had to talk to me for 10 minutes about irrelevant crap to try and get me to calm down before they could put me under. By contrast this year I almost sauntered in and they knocked me out as quickly as they could.

Bruising from the facelift, genioplasty and malar onlays has been moderate - of course my face is swollen but it's much easier to cope this time.

Just as with last year after surgery, when I tried to take in some water it caused me to vomit up the blood which finds its way down into your stomach during surgery, intubation or not. Be prepared for it, though may not happen to you. This stuff wants to come out and you'll feel much better once it's gone.

I couldn't swallow after bimax and the swelling to the soft tissues and lips meant my mouth was open all the time. Because you still have the bands and hooks on your teeth and because you'll probably be in an air-conditioned hospital enviroment this is very dehydrating, and your lips will suffer. Get good lip balms and some facial moisturiser.

I hope this is the end of my orthognathic journey, three years and eight months after my initial consult. I started late, deciding to look into treatment four years ago at the age of 27 yrs and 6 months.

Good luck to all the Feb crew and everyone else on Archwired.

Davide,
not too good with all the terms but this is how it was explined to me: because i had a long face, flat profile & gummy smile; os said that by moving both jaws forward & up (can't remember how much but top jaw was only moved slightly) this would help with shortening face & should give me better smile, only showing a little gum. he also said that to counteract my flat profile he would bring my chin forward & "puff out my cheeks a bit" (not sure what he did there), can't really tell what the final result will be because of all the swelling but definatly seems shorter. hope this makes it clearer for you

Cheeky, get yourself lots of meal replacement shakes in to help with the weight issue as that was all i could manage for the first week, i had it all planned that i was gonna eat all these soups etc, but because of stiches & pain i could only manage shakes, eat little & often. good luck

Jac xxx

Today is a bad day. Fell so crap, sick of this face and it all. Can't wait till it is over. Feel so ugly. I know there are people with worse problems than I but I just feel crap. In the past year I haven't made as much of an effort with my appearance as I have begun to look worse and have not seen the point in it to be honest.

cheekara,
hang in there honey, i know what you mean about looking worse before hand, but remember it will soon be over, i know its hard but try to focus a month or two in the future, the surgery would have been done, most of the swelling & bruising gone & the new you will be emerging, this is how i am coping & it helps on my bad days

i'm always here to lisren if you need a rant xxx

Jac xxx

cheeky- I know how you feel. Whatever the result of my surgery- it'll be loads better than it is now!
Yesterday I tried cutting a pokey wire myself and stretched my lips so much that my lips have decided to have a massive cold sore breakout today...and the wire is still poking me! It'll wait until I get to the ortho on tues but I thought I'd give it a try.

So on top of having a weirdly jutting jaw, I also am a walking cold sore advert...attractive

Hi,

I've been reading posts on this site since getting braced two and a half years ago and finally this Thursday the 18th I'm scheduled for upper jaw and genioplasty.

I've been ready for surgery since August but have been through a series of delays having to do with switching surgeons, insurance battles and even a cancellation of surgery due to the weather! It's been a long haul and hopefully on Thursday afternoon I'll be able to move past this part of my treatment.

As the day gets closer I keep swinging between the extremes of anxiety and excitement and just hope I can go in with a clear mind and a peaceful heart

Traintraxx

Good luck! You have waited a long time. I hope it all goes well, let us know how you get on.