Metal Mouth Message Board

hi everyone,
okay, so now i am just 1 week and a day away from my BSSO (lower jaw). i think i couldn't possibly have more liquid foods stocked up and water and all the fixings (my mom suggested getting one of those squeeze bottles they use in restaurants for ketchup and mustard, i got a couple of those too and think they will work nicely).
so, in any case, i thought i would do an informal poll and sort of average the results for everyone so that we have an idea of what recovery looks like (and will certainly help me). i know everyone is so very different and the circumstances are also different, but maybe an average will give us an indication. if you could take a minute and reply to the following questions, i will send along a summary:
1. upper or lower jaw or both?
2. days before you felt like getting up and around to leave the house?
3. day at which your swelling peaked?
4. weight lost?
5. number of days before you stopped using prescription pain killers?
6. scale of one to ten (10 being worst), what level of pain did you experience after the surgery?
7. any specific modalities used to help reduce swelling (manual lymphatic drainage, bromelain, arnica, exercise, etc.)

THANKS EVERYONE. THIS SHOULD BE QUITE INTERESTING!
will send the averages once we get some responses.

Hi K,

I can only answer no 1, I'll be having both upper and lower jaw surgery in a month or so, bimax osteotomy...not been through it yet....hope you receive plenty of replies......

All the best....We'll hear how it goes.......

Missy

I am 12 days out, so these are fairly good answers. You will have to refer to the question #'s, it was easier.

1-Both jaws w/genio
2-4th day
3-3rd day
4-15 so far, but who is counting. I figured that was a side benefit to the rest of the ordeal.
5-The nurse in the hospital said not to be brave, have a pain shot for the ride home. I had no pain then, and mostly just discomfort since.
6-3, but that is really stretching it.
7-Lots of ice. I was afraid I was going to get frostbite on my chin!

Good luck to those going...

1. Both
2. i was in the hospital for two nights but the morning after that i started my routine of walking around my house in circles for exercise
3. i think about 2-3 days. i didn't really examine it too closesly though. i figured i wasn't going anywhere so i just iced my face.
4. i think about 6 pounds. im young and active when im not recovering and i eat alot so im cutting alot of food out of my diet
5. i could have stopped the meds at about day 6 but sleeping on my back is so unusual for me that i took some at tonight for a few days after that to knock me out.
6. i'd say 2 for the pain. it didn't hurt unless something made me laugh in which case smiling kind of hurt.
7. just ice

1. upper or lower jaw or both?
Lower. Mandibular advancement of about 7mm

2. days before you felt like getting up and around to leave the house? I can't really remember. I took a week off of work and just chilled around the house. I might have felt up to it at about 5-6 days

3. day at which your swelling peaked?
Day 4!!

4. weight lost?
About 13 lbs...all back now.

5. number of days before you stopped using prescription pain killers?
Around day 6 when wires were cut and could go to Advil, if needed. Cut back a lot before that though.

6. scale of one to ten (10 being worst), what level of pain did you experience after the surgery?
As compared to what? Heart surgery? Childbirth? (been through both). Worst pain was about a 4 or 5. It wasn't sharp...just achy.

7. any specific modalities used to help reduce swelling (manual lymphatic drainage, bromelain, arnica, exercise, etc.)
Ice for two days, then heat.

1. I had upper jaw with widening, lower jaw advancement and genioplasty

2. I was out of the house and walking by day 4. I was able to get back on my cycling trainer by 7 days.

3. My swelling peaked around day 3 (but surgery was early morning 8 a.m. so this may be the same as day 4 for those who had their surgery later in the day).

4. I lost 12 pounds but had no problem gaining it back after my splint came out at 6 weeks.

5. I used prescription pain meds for 4 days and then liquid advil. I didn't feel I needed the hard pain meds...everything was so numb I didn't feel much pain.

6. I really don't think there was pain as such just a very uncomfortable feeling, like my head was going to explode and I also had difficulty breathing (stuffy nose). The splint was darn uncomfortable but not painful.

7. Best remedy for me was light exercise, walking and riding on my trainer made me feel normal!!!! It also helped my stuffy nose drain!

WOW. this is awesome. thanks to those of you who have taken the time to respond. this will undoubtedly be helpful for all those who will undergo a procedure.

Fogot one other thing under remedies for recovery....having someone there to tell you that you are beautiful no matter what. My boyfriend was awesome in this regard. He kept reminding me all the swelling and lisping from the splint is temporary and that the hard part (the surgery) was over. Also, make sure to have someone on hand to do an ice-cream run when needed. It goes down easy and tastes great after surgery. I decided this was because you didn't have to alter it to eat it like every thing else that lost its original form when blenderized

1. upper or lower jaw or both?
Lower Only, + Genioplasty

2. days before you felt like getting up and around to leave the house?
1.5 Weeks

3. day at which your swelling peaked?
3-4

4. weight lost?
20lbs

5. number of days before you stopped using prescription pain killers?
Day 2

6. scale of one to ten (10 being worst), what level of pain did you experience after the surgery?
0, no pain, just discomfort from swelling

7. any specific modalities used to help reduce swelling (manual lymphatic drainage, bromelain, arnica, exercise, etc.)
Nope, Good ol' Time....took quite a bit of time too (But i did do alot of pineapple juice, because i read it had bromelain in it)

No. 1 - Upper, lower and genioplasty and right side of my upper jaw levelled (I had a cant in my jaw)

No. 2 - I was in hospital for 4 days but walked through the ward on day 2,3 and 4 and got out and about for short walks in my street after day 5. It was about 9-10 days before I felt presentable enough to go out and about away from home (taking the kids to school etc)

No. 3 - Probably day 4

No. 4 - I lost about 2 1/2 kilograms

No. 5 - No prescription painkillers after I went home from hospital. Panadol or prescription sleeping tablets at night to help me settle because I felt uncomfortable.

No. 6 - 0 for pain, about 1-2 for uncomfortableness. As you feel so numb there really isn't any pain.

No. 7 - Ice, ice and more ice for the first 4-5 days. Rest when you need it. I also had one reiki session to help with the numbness and swelling.

1. upper or lower jaw or both? Upper, lower and genio.
2. days before you felt like getting up and around to leave the house? 10
3. day at which your swelling peaked? 1
4. weight lost? 11 pounds. Have put 2 back on already and surgery was 2 weeks ago.
5. number of days before you stopped using prescription pain killers? 2 - wasn't given any to take away from hospital.
6. scale of one to ten (10 being worst), what level of pain did you experience after the surgery? 7. Not the sort of pain you might expect though. It was jaw muscle pain and my ears felt like they were going to explode because of the congestion. Not nice.
7. any specific modalities used to help reduce swelling (manual lymphatic drainage, bromelain, arnica, exercise, etc.) Just trying to get some exercise every day, but still quite swollen on day 18.

THANKS EVERYONE. THIS SHOULD BE QUITE INTERESTING!
will send the averages once we get some responses.[/quote]

3. day at which your swelling peaked? 1

Wheee!!! Now I don't feel like a total freak!

I think even my surgeon thought it was strange! He kept telling me to expect it to peak aroound the second evening (I was a morning surgery) but it went down! It's slowed down a lot now though day 19 and I'm still quite swollen in areas.

Edited because I messed up the quoting.

1. upper or lower jaw or both? - Both.

2. days before you felt like getting up and around to leave the house? I actually walked around the hospital on day 2 (the day after surgery).. I couldnt stand to stay in that hospital bed too long. After coming home, I walked my dog (1.5 miles) twice a day. So, 3 miles of walking. Im at day 24 now, and Im back at the gym doing the (low impact) elliptical trainer. 30 mins/day.

3. day at which your swelling peaked? Days 3 & 4 were the worst.

4. weight lost? - 20 lbs so far... But I was a bigger guy, so I think this is normal. Im still on a no chew diet.. That mixed with the excercise I think is factoring in...

5. number of days before you stopped using prescription pain killers? - I only got Tylenol w Codine to take home... Stopped at Day 3 as it was absolutley tearing my stomach apart Meds suck to take when you cant eat!!

6. scale of one to ten (10 being worst), what level of pain did you experience after the surgery? 0. No pain. So numb... Still numb...

7. any specific modalities used to help reduce swelling (manual lymphatic drainage, bromelain, arnica, exercise, etc.) - Constant ice the first week. Then you will notice it goes down gradually... Hope mine is all gone by April... I have a wedding, and a new wife to tend to

Hope this helps!

Thanks again everyone. I am gathering some feedback from some other individuals who have had orthognathic surgery and will work on closing the poll by week's end to provide a summary. All of your input has been so remarkably helpful and will undoubtedly serve those who are pre-surgery quite well to know more of what they might expect.
Have a great night.