June/July 2015 Surgery Buddies

[jaime]

Thanks EWUgal and Nozzel for your input!

Next time I see my ortho, I'll bring up the fact I don't have much side to side or forward movement. He'll probably just murmur, "That's normal," and not say anything else.

Just yesterday I started doing the popsicle stick thing to help open wider. So far it's working as I added an extra stick today. It feels very strange, though! Very very tight.

Nozzel, if you're opening 5-6cm, you are definitely ahead of the game. 40-48mm (4-4.8cm) is normal!

[Nozzelnut]

Jaime that's just a guess; I'm not good with the metric system... I'm not good with inches either; so 3 of my own fingers...

Be persistent with them. It's the only way they'll do what you ask them.

[snapdresser]

Jaime - Wait, your move isn't bringing you any closer to your husband?! I can move my jaw out and side to side. It feels kinda strange but I think that's due to the little bit of numbness I still have, maybe. I think Nozzelnut may be on to something about damage to the disk. I wonder how that's diagnosed. Good to hear you're making progress with the popsicle sticks! I'm also at three fingers, like Nozzelnut.

my wife refuses to touch when I say "Here, give me your hand, you can actually feel where they sawed through right here!" She doesn't like looking at my x-ray either.

[jaime]

Jaime - Wait, your move isn't bringing you any closer to your husband?! I can move my jaw out and side to side. It feels kinda strange but I think that's due to the little bit of numbness I still have, maybe. I think Nozzelnut may be on to something about damage to the disk. I wonder how that's diagnosed. Good to hear you're making progress with the popsicle sticks! I'm also at three fingers, like Nozzelnut.

my wife refuses to touch when I say "Here, give me your hand, you can actually feel where they sawed through right here!" She doesn't like looking at my x-ray either.

No, I am moving much closer to my husband. Surgeon is currently 60mi from me, will be 120mi after move. Husband is 100mi from me now, will be 45mi after moving.

I actually don't think the saw cut spots are gross, just feels like a little dip in the bone. To me the screw bumps are the grossest!!!

I looked at the disk derangement in the jaw and I don't really have any of the symptoms, except for limited ROM. But even then, there's no pain and no locking or clicking (generally). I'm still going to talk to my ortho but just reading the articles about it, it doesn't seem like a slipped disk is my problem.

[jaime]

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Just got home from the ortho:

1. BACK in class II triangle elastics because yup, my bite is relapsing again!

2. My orthodontist at least agrees now that things aren't progressing properly, and he said he's going to call my surgeon to discuss it. I might have to go see my surgeon to discuss all my post-surgery problems (limited side to side movement, open bite not closing, bite relapse). While I'm upset, I'm glad he actually acknowledges the issues since up to now it's been a lot of, "Hmmm let's keep trying the elastics..."

So tired all of this! I know it's not the end of the world and other people have far worse problems, but things were going so well up until I had the surgery! Part of me feels like it was a mistake to go through with it.

[snapdresser]

Jaime - You're seeing some forward progress for the first time in a while and that's definitely a good thing! When's your next appointment with the ortho? I suppose that would be when you'd hear something back about the surgeon. I just hope your ortho isn't like "Yeah, I should talk to your surgeon" at your next appointment Does your ortho have a lot of orthognathic patients? Seems like you'd get special additional attention cuz of the unusual nature of the procedure, but maybe not if he deals with it all the time

Btw, that poutine was real good! I don't think it was the traditional poutine, tho. I don't think it had cheese curds on it. It did have pulled pork and stuff lol. But it had the gravy, and that's what's important, right?

[jaime]

Jaime - You're seeing some forward progress for the first time in a while and that's definitely a good thing! When's your next appointment with the ortho? I suppose that would be when you'd hear something back about the surgeon. I just hope your ortho isn't like "Yeah, I should talk to your surgeon" at your next appointment Does your ortho have a lot of orthognathic patients? Seems like you'd get special additional attention cuz of the unusual nature of the procedure, but maybe not if he deals with it all the time

Btw, that poutine was real good! I don't think it was the traditional poutine, tho. I don't think it had cheese curds on it. It did have pulled pork and stuff lol. But it had the gravy, and that's what's important, right?

My ortho deals with other surgery patients. There's another girl in my town who blogs about braces/jaw surgery, and she had the same surgeries (no SARPE though), and she goes to my ortho and surgeon. She just had her surgery in October I believe and my ortho is already talking about debracing her soon. /melodramatic

Sounded like my ortho was going to call me after he spoke to my surgeon to see if I should go see him.

Whoops, forgot to mention the poutine! I thought I saw cheese curds in your photo? Pulled pork poutine is pretty gosh darn good, but definitely get the traditional poutine if you ever have the chance!!

[snapdresser]

Ah, neat! Is the other girl in your town on archwired?! That'd be neat

Ah, ok. Then hopefully you'll find out the next step soon! Keep us posted, obv! It seems like they'd want to figure out what's causing the TMJ issue before they come up with a surgical plan, tho. You said they did a CT scan and didn't see anything, right?

Apparently those were pieces of "house pimento cheese". Cheese curds are different, I think, right? I know literally nothing about cheese curds

[jaime]

Aw no cheese curds? They're integral to the whole poutine thing. You need to find somewhere that has gravy AND cheese curds.

I had an x-ray done 5 days after my surgery (the one that rotates around your head) and they said everything looked great then. That's the last time I had an x-ray.

I hope I do hear from my ortho or surgeon as I'd like some answers.

[snapdresser]

I don't think they make that kind of poutine in the states. Wait, are you moving to the US or another part of Canada?

Hmmm... I'm sure they'd have to refer you to a hospital or imaging center for an MRI/CT if it's not something they can see with an xray. Maybe the reason they haven't is because your opening is still within norms or close to it? But of course it's been a while since you visited your surgeon and I don't know how much insight your ortho has into TMJ disorders. Ugh, I feel for you. Anxious to hear what your surgeon says!

[jaime]

I am moving to another city in Canada while I await my green card approval.

You can find the proper form of poutine in some places but it's usually a bastardized version. Too bad...any other type of cheese (especially shredded) just doesn't measure up! There are places in Canada that do it with shredded cheese and it's like WHY! We live in Canada! Make it properly! I have a real rage on for fake poutine, lol.

I'm going to check in on Thursday with my ortho if he or my surgeon haven't called me by then. I definitely need to be proactive with this.

[snapdresser]

I see you take your poutine seriously

[jaime]

I see you take your poutine seriously

You're darn right I do!!! How would you feel if everybody messed up hamburgers and apple pie?! And all the time people were telling you, "Hey snap, I finally had a hamburger and apple pie! But the burger was meatless and had no bun, and the apple pie was sugar-free!" You'd be like nooooooooooooooooooooooo.

[snapdresser]

Hahaha nice analogy there

[Nozzelnut]

You'd think we'd have more poutine places seeing how I live across the lake from Canada. But, we don't. There is or was a poutine food truck in our city.

Jaime; sorry you're still dealing with the BS. I am too. My left side canine area will get to within 1mm of my lowers and just not go any further. I've been wearing elastics off and on since before surgery. My right side a little overlap and is coming together nicely. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I hope one of the surgical screws isn't holding the root in place... My initial estimate of 18 months has come and gone in December. My 2 year anniversary of being in braces is coming up in May. My treatment for TMJD started with a splint 25 months ago...

I have a feeling it's going to be another 6 months at least! #sickofit #getthesethingsoffofme #hopelifetimeretainersarefree

At least we're having a mild winter.