September 2011 Buddies!!!!

[underbiter]

im lucky enough to have my mum taking care of my food, shes made me some brocolli and stilton soup for dinner followed by some really soft scoop icecream, im trying to stick to food that is very very liquidised as it aches to have too much food in my mouth, its annoying i feel hungry but im too tired and achey to have anymore food in my mouth, im eating little portions as well so i guess im going to lose some weight.

[boatsink]

I'm so glad you all made it through the other side safely =). All the stress, anxiety and anticipation related to the surgery is all done with. With time and proper care you'll get better in no time and enjoy your new bites =). Thanks for sharing your experiences. Definiteley made me feel like I wasn't going through this alone, and I am sure is helpful for others anticipating the surgery.

Jo - I can't believe they inserted the tube when you were awake! You are such a trooper. I made sure the tube placement and extractions would be done when I was out. Can you imagine having to use a bedpan and trying to eliminate in bed, especially with all the going in and out by staff? I had a kick using the plastic urinal =). Glad you got the commode. It's sounds great you are not wired shut. Elastics are much better than being wired, but it isn't that great. Hope they're gentle with you on Tuesday. Are you experiencing any pain at this time? Anymore residual bleeding? How's the swelling? Any numbness? Has your sleep improved?

Marian - I'm so glad everything worked out for you in the end. I can't imagine the back and forth and not knowing if you'll have surgery or not - especially with having to make any prior arrangements from work, care, etc. I was worried for you, but assumed since I haven't seen you post you made it for surgery. Are you sleeping any better at this point in your recovery? For the short time I was on the liquid lortab it did make me drowsy and it helped me to take naps periodically. How are you positioned when you sleep at night? (Upright, etc). Hope your medicinal red wine helps (yum). Glad you are in elastics, not wired. Sounds like your diet is the same as mine right now.... well not exactly because you had crème caramel and I need to try that! =). Oh the heat, isn't it uncomfortable?! Immediately after surgery I wanted to be in a cool environment with the AC on; however, initially I was in a shared room and the other guy next to me bumped up the room temp and we had shared ventilation. I was SO thankful to be moved out to my own room afterwards and be in a cooler room.

Jeff - I'm not sure if you are talking about the elastics on your braces, like the small rubber bands? I hope you figured out how to get them on. I was discharged from the hospital wire cutter kit, inside also had a plier thing ortho's use to adjust wires. I've been using that to put on my elastics after every meal. Also, I also got these small plastic things that have a hook on one end that can be used to assist with putting on the elastics. I remember seeing these at my ortho's office, never knowing what they were for.

Kristy - hope your recovering well and the swelling has gone down.

As for food, I've been able to eat soft stuff that don't require chewing: souffle's, overcooked mac&cheese/mac and beef; risotto; scrambled eggs; yogurt; ice cream; mashed potatoes; canned pasta's like chef boyardee's mini raviolis. What I eat is starting to get redundant so if you have food recommendations it would be great!

[underbiter]

lotsa pain today unfortunately im on ibruforen, paracetamol and antibiotics plus my usual meds, last night wasnt the most comfortable night and found that i have to have a fan on me in bed cos my jaws get so hot. When i came round in recovery they were worried about bleeding from my nose as it wouldnt stop, and was threatened with a transfusion, but thankfully it stopped after a while. ive not had much bleeding since just a little bit from my nose every so often and then it stops again. The swelling i think has nearly peaked and im starting to feel like im carrying a bag of rocks round under my chin!

[Marian]

Oh Jo, poor you.

I had ear ache last night and found it surprisingly soothing just to gently rub the side of my face with my hand. Even on areas of your face where it's not hurting this is very soothing.

You are doing well if your swelling has peaked - I think mine is still up there - with some amazing coloured bruises - at the bottom of my throat is a big purple bruise rise up my throat to a bright yellow - I have no idea why my neck is bruised!!

Here's some food suggestions that will cheer everyone up - milky bar white chocolate buttons - they melt in your mouth and are just delicious. Highly recommended!!!

[gothpenguin]

So I'm day 5 post-op now; I think the swelling has gone down considerably... I'm almost beginning to think I can see form to my face. I gotta say, I think I'm gonna like it. However, I think my lower jaw has relapsed a little bit from where they had it originally, although with no real muscle control, and these weak elastic bands I have no idea where my jaw is supposed to be.(My first few days post-op are a real blur so I'm not to sure what they were like there.

Since this is my first access to the forums on a computer I should probably give a better run down of the surgery. I had the surgery at the John Radcliffe here in good old Oxford, England. The surgeon and the orthodontist have been great up to this point so I have no complaints for my treatment on the NHS whatsoever. The junior doctors that were responsible for my pre-assesment and prep are a different story..... probably best I not scare anyone I checked in at the JR at 7:30AM and was told that they only know what time your surgery is going to be when you check in. A few hours and a cancellation later I was being wheeled to the theatre by this nice young guy. The nurse and the anesthesiologist did alot to calm my nerves, talking about rammstein and tattoos helped Anyway, next thing you know I was in recovery and I remember asking for my wife, and then there she was. I have no idea how long had passed since I was in recovery. All told, I was taken to the theatre about noon and saw my wife near 6PM (I had a BSSO and a genioplasty).

That night was the worst night by far, at around 9ish or so I had to pee. The night nurse helped me to the bathroom but then left me to attend to other patients. I managed to make it back to my bed just quick enough to faint.... A couple hours later though I was making the bathroom trip like a pro, and doing it every 1/2 hour. I had 3 or so IVs during/after the surgery and I couldn't expel the fluids fast enough. So I got no sleep, and slobbered blood from my bed to the toilet and back again all night. The next morning around 9 or so I was told I had to go get and X-ray and see the orthodontist. During the shuttling to the X-ray I started to feel quite nauseous, and shortly after I had the x-ray proceeded to empty the contents of my stomach (mostly ensure+) right beside my wheel-chair(the guy beside me just had a BSSO and he was just peachy). I feel I should point out that I'm quite susceptible to throw-up after general anesthetic; the doctors gave me some pills that helped out alot, it was just all the shuffling about that pushed me over the edge.Knowing that I had two small children at home the surgeons were happy to keep me an extra night. I'm glad I did because I managed to get some decent stretches 2+hours of sleep.

As of day 5 I've lost about 3 lbs(surprisingly as I really have no appetite for anything right now), as of yesterday my chest decided to turn a nice shade of yellow, and the rest of me has succumbed to heat rash in this 30C heat wave but I think the swelling on my face has gone down substantially. I go through instances where the pain seems unbearable, but then the ibuprofen and paracetemol kick in and next thing you know I'm playing footie with my son outside(only 10 minutes mind you, but still its an improvement) I've still not regained much senstation on the front part of my face, although I do get intense pain in a corner of my lip which I think is still numb. My best guess right now is that most things below the lips to the chin line are still numb....but I get periodic tingling so thats improvement right?

I was hoping that I could start working again(I work on a computer all day so tele-commuting isn't a problem) but just sitting down to right this has tired me out and I'm feeling a wee-bit sick.

Anyway, I enjoy reading all your posts so keep updating

Jeff

[underbiter]

wow jeff you sound a lot more awake than me especially playing football with your son! I couldnt do anything more than a small walk round my garden for two minutes if my life depended on it!

Had a lovely tin of lobster bisque soup tonight (thanks to my mum picking out some of my favourite foods!) but because it was so nice i ate it faster and got more pain in my jaw for my trouble, tut! I managed to clean the outer bits of my teeth with a baby toothbrush tonight which felt so much better as my mouth has felt disgusting for the last 2 days and im sure i could smell rotten eggs yuck! the hospital gave me a mouth rinse which combined with the baby toothbrush definately made me feel a lot cleaner mouthwise than i have done.

At the moment im sporting a lovely purple bruise all the way round my bottom jaw to my neckline, and this is mainly where the pain is at the moment, but having a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a teatowel helps a lot. Its annoying because im getting my appetite back and feel hungry but the minute i make a start on my food it puts me off with the effort! Ive started with an annoying tingly feeling in my chin which is annoying cos as much as i try and itch it it doesnt go away. My favourite food at the moment is soft scoop icecream easy to eat and nice and soothing. The most annoying thing at the moment is the tiredness i feel, i dont want to go to bed so early but last night i had to go at 8pm as i started snoring in the chair after my dinner! Ive got company in the shape of my 14 year old persian cat who has took it on herself to watch over me during the day, which is sweet, but keep catching her staring at me and it freaks me out!

[Marian]

Jeff and Jo, how annoying is that tingly feeling????

I tried to explain the sensation to my husband by saying it feels like when you drag your fingernail across the corner of your bottom lip and it makes you shiver - well it's like that but inside your lip.

Hubby bought me some of those spaghetti hoop snack pots - perfect - it doesn't need blending and you feel like you've eaten something (well, apart from the bit that I threw down my chin - my husband came in and started laughing because I had an orange chin - you can't feel anything dribbling can you!!!)

How are you guys doing with your sleep? I am still in the spare room so that I can still read a magazine in the middle of the night if I wake up. Are you managing to sleep through?

Also, do the corners of your mouth still hurt? Did you have lots of dry skin round your mouth that cracked?

Danny, can you give us a progress report to motivate us?

I wish you all a pain free, restful night.

Marian xx

[underbiter]

Hi Marian yes the tingly feeling is so irritating, ive got very dry lips constantly putting on vaseline which has stopped the cracking for now, the corners of my mouth still ache but its more annoying than painful at the moment. Im managing really well sleep wise i didnt think i would but last night i slept 8pm til 7.30am only waking 3 times for a couple of minutes so really well. Im sure once ive got the elastics on on tuesday thatll probably change tho and ill not sleep properly then.


Hope all the other september buddies are still going strong and not in too much pain xxx

Jo

[gothpenguin]

I really don't know how to explain the tingling apart from it tingles. I guess the closest thing I would compare it to is the feeling you get when you arms or legs fall asleep.

As for sleeping, I'm not making it through the night, I wake up a couple times for probably a half an hour. The thing is, no matter how many drugs are in my system I always wake up in extreme pain, mostly in the form of a roaring headache. I'm guessing it's something to do with how I'm positioned while I sleep....I'm trying to stay > 45 degrees but I don't think it's working:P

And oh yeah, found blood in my spit this morning. Fun.

Jeff

[underbiter]

Its day 4 and i think i was a bit enthusiastic about the swelling peaking, i dont think it has yet, as it was still increasing this morning, and im starting to look like a balloon. The pain is particularly bad on the right hand side near my ear. I still sleep sitting completely upright as i cant get comfortable any other way x

[gothpenguin]

Underbiter, have you been religious with icing your face? I credit that with keeping my swelling down.

Jeff

[underbiter]

no jeff i have been a bit slack i have to say with the icing, purely because i was too exhausted to hold it on my face, but will try and increase it today hopefully thatll do the trick thanks x

[Marian]

Here's another meal idea for you guys - very, very mushed up tuna and mayo.

Enjoy!!

[underbiter]

that sounds lush marian will give that a try, i had mash potatoes with lots of gravy and some liquidised chicken which was nice.

ive got a strong resemblence to a balloon at the minute, the pain is ok at the moment, it tends to be worse after ive eaten.
Can i have updates on everyones swelling and pain please just to compare im nosey...

[gothpenguin]

I've honestly been too freaked to have anything but soups/pureed stews. The thought of anything remotely sticky/tacky gives me the hebejebes.

Jeff