Recovery is going very well except for the fact that the sweling just will not go down. I'm sleeping inclined, I'm drinking lots of water, I'm execising, I'm using moist heat, but it hasn't improved much at all. aaagghhh
Is this unusual? I know everybody is different but I was assuming that by 2 weeks most, or at least a good part, of the swelling would be gone. I'm trying not to get discouraged.
13 days post-op and STILL have chipmunk cheeks!
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PCPFORMULA
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Everyone is different, you will start to notice alot of swelling going down over the next 5 days, it does improve everyday, im 5 weeks post op and I still have abit of swelling, I notice it, most people don,t, Im told it will prob be another month before it prob all goes away, some people can take longer, when was I at your point post op, I was in the same positon, peeded off!
As I said most of my swelling has gone, 5 weeks on, I ve drank loads of water, took vitamin supplements, had no pain meds since around day 6 post op, walked everyday,I don,t smoke and steered clear of any alcohol, yet around the 3 week mark I was still had the chipmonk cheeks which was noticeable, I think the thing that makes it worse is the numbness, even though I had swelling, it felt worse because of the numbness, it feels like your head is the size of a beach ball, don,t it?
The best advice I have is to keep doing what your doing, just remember you ll look back on this and see the funny side in a few months, when I was walking by people in the street when my swelling was at the same point as yourself, they had a sense of confusement, thinking "that guy looks as if hes been in a car crash, wheres all the cuts and bruises and broken legs?"
The next couple of days will be a noticeable improvement, take some pics now of your face, then in a few days do again, you ll notice(easier if you have a digital camera or mobile phone camera)
Anyway I ve rabbited on too much, Don,t Worry!
As I said most of my swelling has gone, 5 weeks on, I ve drank loads of water, took vitamin supplements, had no pain meds since around day 6 post op, walked everyday,I don,t smoke and steered clear of any alcohol, yet around the 3 week mark I was still had the chipmonk cheeks which was noticeable, I think the thing that makes it worse is the numbness, even though I had swelling, it felt worse because of the numbness, it feels like your head is the size of a beach ball, don,t it?
The best advice I have is to keep doing what your doing, just remember you ll look back on this and see the funny side in a few months, when I was walking by people in the street when my swelling was at the same point as yourself, they had a sense of confusement, thinking "that guy looks as if hes been in a car crash, wheres all the cuts and bruises and broken legs?"
The next couple of days will be a noticeable improvement, take some pics now of your face, then in a few days do again, you ll notice(easier if you have a digital camera or mobile phone camera)
Anyway I ve rabbited on too much, Don,t Worry!
I was definatley still a bit swollen 13 days post op. My swelling only really started going down that week. I went back to work 20 days post op and by then I was fine. Just keep doing what you are doing, time resolves all of this, and everyone is different.
The only thing I was doing differently is that my OS does not want any heat (moist or otherwise) whilst you are still swollen. Ice for swelling, heat only once the swelling is resolved if you need it,but I've seen different opinions of this on the board.
The only thing I was doing differently is that my OS does not want any heat (moist or otherwise) whilst you are still swollen. Ice for swelling, heat only once the swelling is resolved if you need it,but I've seen different opinions of this on the board.
Thanks for the comments everyone, I feel a little better about it. I'm just concerned that most of the swelling is at the midface area - on either side of my nose and under my nose. I have 4 plates and 16 screws on the upper jaw and I did also have a septoplasty so I guess that might account for some major trauma in that area. It's not really my cheeks. Although it's very swollen inside my cheeks.
My surgeon also said to stop the ice after 72 hours and switch to heat and that's what I did. He said the wamth at that point would not only promote healing but would help reduce the swelling. I wish.
I have my second post-op on Friday and I guess I just need to hear that there's nothing wrong. Even though infection is relatively rare I'm sure we all worry about the possibility.
My surgeon also said to stop the ice after 72 hours and switch to heat and that's what I did. He said the wamth at that point would not only promote healing but would help reduce the swelling. I wish.
I have my second post-op on Friday and I guess I just need to hear that there's nothing wrong. Even though infection is relatively rare I'm sure we all worry about the possibility.
Just over 6 weeks myself and really only finding that the "chipmunk" face has all but gone now. I think that after 4 to 5 weeks it had gone way down. I have 2 plates each side upper and 1 each side lower and I have only this week really been able to put my tongue to my cheeks again.
Dave
Dave
In braces since 13th June 2005. Upper and lower on the 15th August 2007 and braces off 23rd October