Metal Mouth Message Board

I've been very lazy about updating so here we go:

It's day 5 for me now and I have virtually no pain, not that I had much before either, I was just a little sore where the incisions are in my mouth. Getting really tired of a liquid diet now, I haven't eaten as much as I should but I really don't feel like eating. I really can't wait to get the elastics off so I can give my teeth a good brush and get a decent meal.

I've already lost about 10lbs which seems to have mostly come off my legs which are really skinny now whereas the rest of me seems to be the same. I'm still really swollen as well, I haven't been using ice packs at all I've just been using the ibuprofen they gave me. I don't really feel like going out in public looking like an orange on top of a toothpick.

Anyway, I hope everyone else is doing well and good luck to anyone about to have surgery.

I am just over 24 hours into recovery, surgery went well I am told. Typing from my hospital bed, scheduled to go home tomorrow. So far it has been tough. Keep hearing that it is just about to take a turn for the better. The biggest problem now is breathing as my nose is so very stuffy. Afrin helps, but is being doled out sparingly. The pain hasn't been very considerable, the discomfort though comes and goes. Looking forward to the swelling to go down, hope that doesnt get worse before it gets better. Have started to drink and walk around even, so that is progress.

DRG

DRG wrote:I am just over 24 hours into recovery, surgery went well I am told. Typing from my hospital bed, scheduled to go home tomorrow. So far it has been tough. Keep hearing that it is just about to take a turn for the better. The biggest problem now is breathing as my nose is so very stuffy. Afrin helps, but is being doled out sparingly. The pain hasn't been very considerable, the discomfort though comes and goes. Looking forward to the swelling to go down, hope that doesnt get worse before it gets better. Have started to drink and walk around even, so that is progress.

DRG

Good to hear you're doing well DRG. Here's some bad news though, the swelling gets worse over the next couple of days (peaks at day 4 or 5) and then slowly starts to go down. I looked great in the hospital and then looked awful on day 3 and 4 at home lol

I hope you have a great snooze tonight and good luck when you get home!

No way, that just happens in Canada (days 4 & 5). Here in the US, our swelling is much faster! (I am so screwed, my face is gigantic right now.)

Have been trying to walk some, and even eat some now. Not sure what to do to minimize this struggle.

DRG wrote:No way, that just happens in Canada (days 4 & 5). Here in the US, our swelling is much faster! (I am so screwed, my face is gigantic right now.)

Have been trying to walk some, and even eat some now. Not sure what to do to minimize this struggle.

Have you been using ice packs? I liked the one that they had at the hospital for me to use. Also drink as much water as you can, I know its really hard. I couldn't really drink much for the first few days either.

So just an update from me. I'm post op day 12 today. The swelling does seem to be going down. I'll probably take new pictures today and post them in here. I saw my orthodontist yesterday for a quick visit. He just wanted to take a peak at my new bite and see how I'm doing. All the girls there and him though my new bite looked amazing/incredible/so different and they all said I looked like I was doing really well. He wants the go ahead from my OS to move my elastics but I told him my OS said they need to stay put until I see him again next week (Wednesday). He said my bite is almost perfect but he just wants to shift it slightly over to the side or something.

I also brought my puppy Zoe with me because I had just picked her up from the groomers and my appointment was 15min before the office closed so I wouldn't think they would mind me bringing in a 2lbs dog. My orthodontist almost stole her from me. She got more attention from everyone there than I did!!!! lol

suzanna wrote:So just an update from me. I'm post op day 12 today. The swelling does seem to be going down. I'll probably take new pictures today and post them in here. I saw my orthodontist yesterday for a quick visit. He just wanted to take a peak at my new bite and see how I'm doing. All the girls there and him though my new bite looked amazing/incredible/so different and they all said I looked like I was doing really well. He wants the go ahead from my OS to move my elastics but I told him my OS said they need to stay put until I see him again next week (Wednesday). He said my bite is almost perfect but he just wants to shift it slightly over to the side or something.

I also brought my puppy Zoe with me because I had just picked her up from the groomers and my appointment was 15min before the office closed so I wouldn't think they would mind me bringing in a 2lbs dog. My orthodontist almost stole her from me. She got more attention from everyone there than I did!!!! lol

Great to hear suzanna! I'm glad everything is going well!

Nims wrote:I've been very lazy about updating so here we go:

It's day 5 for me now and I have virtually no pain, not that I had much before either, I was just a little sore where the incisions are in my mouth. Getting really tired of a liquid diet now, I haven't eaten as much as I should but I really don't feel like eating. I really can't wait to get the elastics off so I can give my teeth a good brush and get a decent meal.

I've already lost about 10lbs which seems to have mostly come off my legs which are really skinny now whereas the rest of me seems to be the same. I'm still really swollen as well, I haven't been using ice packs at all I've just been using the ibuprofen they gave me. I don't really feel like going out in public looking like an orange on top of a toothpick.

Anyway, I hope everyone else is doing well and good luck to anyone about to have surgery.

Hey Nims, good to hear you didn't suffer that much! All the best in the rest of your recovery, keep us updated when you can

Little update from me, I was doing extremely well with my recovery, my swelling almost was completely gone yesterday morning, but by the evening I had severe swelling on one side of my face. I called the OS and had an appointment at the office today, supposedly I have an infection in the cheek. Not really sure how that happened as I have been brushing and rinsing with the prescribed mouthwash and saline, but what can you do. They administered some antibiotics via IV as well as provided me with a prescription. They say it should subside in a few days, I'm hoping it will! It's just the one side of my face at least, not both

Nathaniel wrote:Little update from me, I was doing extremely well with my recovery, my swelling almost was completely gone yesterday morning, but by the evening I had severe swelling on one side of my face. I called the OS and had an appointment at the office today, supposedly I have an infection in the cheek. Not really sure how that happened as I have been brushing and rinsing with the prescribed mouthwash and saline, but what can you do. They administered some antibiotics via IV as well as provided me with a prescription. They say it should subside in a few days, I'm hoping it will! It's just the one side of my face at least, not both

I'm sorry to hear about that! I saw your post and suspected you might have an infection with a large amount of new swelling. Hopefully that antibiotics work quick and get rid of it!

I asked Dr. C about doing the saline rinses that they gave me at the hospital because it tastes so awful I almost throw up the few times I've done it and he said I'm okay to just use watered down non-alcohol mouthwash. So I've been brushing after every meal and using some mouthwash. I really really hope I don't get an infection or anything. How's that mouthwash that he gave you taste?

suzanna wrote:

Nathaniel wrote:Little update from me, I was doing extremely well with my recovery, my swelling almost was completely gone yesterday morning, but by the evening I had severe swelling on one side of my face. I called the OS and had an appointment at the office today, supposedly I have an infection in the cheek. Not really sure how that happened as I have been brushing and rinsing with the prescribed mouthwash and saline, but what can you do. They administered some antibiotics via IV as well as provided me with a prescription. They say it should subside in a few days, I'm hoping it will! It's just the one side of my face at least, not both

I'm sorry to hear about that! I saw your post and suspected you might have an infection with a large amount of new swelling. Hopefully that antibiotics work quick and get rid of it!

I asked Dr. C about doing the saline rinses that they gave me at the hospital because it tastes so awful I almost throw up the few times I've done it and he said I'm okay to just use watered down non-alcohol mouthwash. So I've been brushing after every meal and using some mouthwash. I really really hope I don't get an infection or anything. How's that mouthwash that he gave you taste?

It tastes pretty much like regular mouthwash, but in fact I for some reason find it more bearable! LOL. The saline I didn't find too bad though, so maybe I'm weird haha. The Listerine brand is what he recommended me and then like you mentioned 50% water/solution mix.

I really don't think you need to worry about infection, I do believe it's from my blood clots from the broken blood vessel OR now that I read in my thread someone having a braces wire dig into their cheek, perhaps my expander's bracket dug a hole in there because I can feel how sharp it is with my tongue.

[quote="Nathaniel"][quote="Nims"]I've been very lazy about updating so here we go:

It's day 5 for me now and I have virtually no pain, not that I had much before either, I was just a little sore where the incisions are in my mouth. Getting really tired of a liquid diet now, I haven't eaten as much as I should but I really don't feel like eating. I really can't wait to get the elastics off so I can give my teeth a good brush and get a decent meal.

I've already lost about 10lbs which seems to have mostly come off my legs which are really skinny now whereas the rest of me seems to be the same. I'm still really swollen as well, I haven't been using ice packs at all I've just been using the ibuprofen they gave me. I don't really feel like going out in public looking like an orange on top of a toothpick.

Anyway, I hope everyone else is doing well and good luck to anyone about to have surgery.[/quote]
Hey Nims, good to hear you didn't suffer that much! All the best in the rest of your recovery, keep us updated when you can [/quote]

Oh no! Sorry to hear that. Glad to see that you have a positive attitude about it all .

^ooops I totally did that all wrong lol.

Anyways here's an update from me: I'm on Day 6 and I'm feeling pretty good! The swelling is surprisingly pretty minimal now! I look less like a bobble head and my head is more of a normal size haha. I did get some bruising on my neck but it doesn't look very noticeable, though you never know what can happen. After the surgery I only had feeling in my top lip and most of my tongue. Now only some of my bottom lip and my chin are numb. I'm pretty happy with how my recovery is going... though I haven't been very diligent with some things. I've been sleeping flat (GASP!) for the past two nights because I was up until 4-5 am each night trying to fall asleep but to no avail. It's just too uncomfortable. My first post-op appointment is tomorrow and I'm going to ask for a prescription for sleeping pills.

To much great joy, I came home from the hospital yesterday. I had a miserable night there on Tuesday night, where they moved me to a different room at 11pm. I went from a "high needs" floor (mostly pediatric patients) to a general floor without a real explanation, and found myself housed next to a man with dementia, while another loud woman was in the hallway screaming. Keep in mind that I am wired shut, so communication is so difficult. That night was a terrible experience, pretty sure I had a panic attack even, but I would really rather not dwell on it lest I feel that I am reliving it.

My swelling is better today (Day 3 post-op). As Suzanna and others (my doctor even) said, I should keep an eye out for some rebound swelling starting tomorrow & Saturday. I have been managing well so far, thank goodness my wife has the week off from work to be with me (while the kids are at winter break "camp"). I see my doctor tomorrow morning, am not expecting much to happen other than a good cleansing and a pat on the back.

The best news I got all week was that my timeline for getting unwired is between 4-5 weeks, one week shorter than previously expected. I will get to join most of you all with some heavy rubber bands and a no-chew diet then, for a week or so, which is quite the upgrade. I have begun to feel more like myself, trying my best to stay on top of my meds & all (two kinds of pain killers + antibiotics). Plus, eating is such a chore that it takes forever. But, I just keeping moving forward, slowly as it may be.

Trying to stay awake for more than a few hours at a clip has been tough though

DRG

DRG, man that sucks that you have to be wired! How have you been coping with that? I totally know what you mean about having a bad night at the hospital. I'm a nurse and have to deal with patients with dementia and alzheimer's quite often and I always feel sooo bad for their roommates or whoever can even hear them screaming in the middle of the night while they are trying to sleep. At least your home now!

Have any of you had any nerve pain yet? I started having a stabbing, sharp pain in front of my right ear on and off for the last week. It's really annoying and is really severe at times. I hope it doesn't last much longer. I haven't noticed any changes in my numbness yet though. Swelling is slowly going down but definitely still there.