Metal Mouth Message Board

I had my surgery (BSSO) on Tuesday, May 22. Apparently, breaking my right side was a piece of cake, but my left side split in multiple places. So, that meant additional surgery time, more nuts and bolts, and a complete wire closure for THREE TO SIX WEEKS. I thought I was going to lose it when they told me...that was the one thing I prayed and prayed wouldn't happen.

I know I just have to deal with it, but it's hard not to be bummed out. Otherwise, my surgeon said everything looks great. Everyone at the hospital was really nice. I've been taking 10 CCs of percoset every four hours so that has kept the pain under control. I just feel like I'm more swollen than others I've seen pictures of. I look like one of "The Klumps!" I have partial feeling in my lips and chin. But since last night, my body has been itching all over. Would the pain meds cause that?

Tips? Encouragement from others wired shut?

Hi Singer,

I'm glad you are out of surgery, but sorry to hear of the multiple breaks!

My husband had a reaction to a sulfa antibiotic and had itching for days before the doctor figured it out. I think you'd want someone to call the doctor's office and ask about drug side-effects. I hope your recuperation goes better than expected.

Lo

Wow, Singer,

I am so sorry you're having to go thu all this.

Any idea WHY your jaw broke?

You'll get thru it. You still have your health, and you are recovering.

Take care.

Hi there,

So sorry to hear you had a rough time with your surgery! I had my surgery two months ago and I was wired for 10 days. Suggestions? Getting enough food is the biggest challenge, but it's really important! You need to drink lots of high-calorie, high-protein shakes and soups. Do you have Zip-N-Squeeze bags? If not, you might want to order some. Also, keep your mouth as clean as you can. Do lots of salt water rinses.

You'll be fine.

I'm reallly sorry to hear about being wired shut!
It probably doesn't feel like it- but time is going to fly by. I rememer days 3, 4, and 5 I felt like i was counting the minutes ticking away like when will this ever end...and then BAM suddenly I was at 6 weeks post-op and it's all a memory now.

Everything your going through is going to be such a character builder, and something that will defintely make you a stronger person. Trust me, your going to be so proud of yourself when you realize what you got through and you'll probably suprise yourself at how well you handle all of the stuff thats been thrown at you (i.e. wired shut).

Find yourself some good DVD's and rent a season of a TV show- that kept me occupied for awhile. I watched the first 2 seasons of LOST and a billion episodes of Seinfeld.

oh and it's funny you mention "The Klumps" because I never took pictures on my worst days of swelling...but EVERYONE told me that's what I looked like too. Infact, my mom was out of the country for the first week of my surgery, and when she got home I was standing outside and she walked right past me and didn't even recognize me...MY OWN MOTHER! It's new motivation to never become obese.

Uh-oh, I had the itchies bad after surgery and then broke into a rash on about day 6. I was allergic to the antibiotics. Check you body, especially stomach, shoulders, back and buttocks (sorry, it was true). Call your surgeon!

So sorry to hear youve ended up wired up

hope your at least feeling abit better in yourself and managed to find out the cause of the itching.

Im due for double jaw surgery in couple months and due to a prior problem with my jaw bone am to be wired up for a similar amount of time to you, so you really do have my sympathy.

Take care