1 week to go... UK surgery

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#1 Post by **Daveyboy** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:37 pm

Hi All,

OMG... 1 week! That's a whole 6 years after this surgery was first mentioned to me, and some 16 months (keep watching the snail!) after getting my lingual braces fitted.

I'm having lower advancement BSSO.... although i'm seeing the surgeon the day before in order to have the splint test fitted, some "buttons" put on the outer side of my teeth, so that there'll be something to attach the elastics to! and also to answer a few questions I have.

I've taken a few "before" photos just in case I forget in the run up to the surgery! I'll post them up after the op when it's a bit more useful!

I've made a shopping list that i've started to source, but wanted to ask for any opinions from fellow patients.... did you take anything to help with the swelling after surgery? I've heard of people using Arnica.... but have always been a little bit sceptical that anything could help with swelling / bruising etc?

Would Arnica be ok to take with the various antibiotics etc that i'll be taking after surgery?

This board has been really helpful and i'd like to say a quick thanks to those that post regularly with advice... you know who you are

Dave

#2 Post by **Andantae** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:30 pm

Davy Boy,

Best wishes next week and I look forward to hearing all about it from the other side....

I have read here that Bromelain (pineapple extract) is reputed to be beneficial. I think I will try it when my date draws near-can't hurt. I think there have also been posts regarding enzymes and their healing attributes. You could try a search on those two items...

Do you have your checklist for the hospital? Zip & squeeze and jaw bra?
Ice?

#3 Post by **loulou123** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:29 am

Hi daveyboy,

Best wishes for the upcoming surgery itll all be fine

I had the same surgery as you 3 and abit weeks ago (13mm lower jaw advancement) tho i had mine done on the nhs.

I used arinca cream on the bruises (it comes in a tube) you can buy it from most chemists and health food shops. Im not 100% sure if it helped but it certainly did no harm. I was abit unsure about taking any extra tablets as you never know what may interact.

I too, like meryaten did not have any antibiotics after surgery (until i got an infection anyway)

My tips on things to buy are: extra pillows for when you come home, that way you can make a kinda pillom mountain to sleep on

, lip balm (the one ive found most useful is just good old vasoline), ive also been drinking out of a babys sippy cup (my boyfriend pierced through the valve so i dont need to suck it) as an ordinary cup just resulted in me soaking myself, and a babys toothbrush as for a couple weeks an adult one will be very hard to get in your mouth.

Hope all that helps, any questions please feel to ask

#4 Post by **ema27** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:34 am

Sorry i cant advise but good luck daveyboy with your surgery-look forward to hearing about how things went

#5 Post by **Clover** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:35 pm

Hi Daveyboy, good luck for next week. I had BSSO advancement yesterday and feel great, I'm so chuffed I did it. The swelling isn't pleasant, but it is only temporary, and the final results will be well worth it. I had antibiotics to prevent infection and steroids for the swelling through my IV while in hospital, and I'm in the UK. Everywhere is different of course. My advice would be to check with your surgeon, as mine wasn't too keen on me using either arnica or bromelain. He did say I could argue my point, but he is the man and I chose the follow his advice.

I've found that drinking plenty water, staying as upright as possible and walking about a wee bit has helped by swelling a little, but I don't supose any of us escape it entirely

. All the best for your big day!

#6 Post by **Daveyboy** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:58 pm

Thanks for the support everyone.

I've been shopping and got most of what I need. I did order some ZipnSqueeze bags but have honestly never dealt with a "company" with so little service! They never sent the stuff I ordered, and simply sent an email via paypal with the words "UPS returned parcel, full refund given" and that was it! Not sure what I was supposed to do with that as I still needed the bags/jaw bra.

Anyway I've managed to get hold of a few bags of another forum member.. but won't be able to get the jaw bra... which would be really useful as I know how annoying it can be trying to hold ice packs up to your face!!!

I think i'm going to skip on the arnica/bromelain thing and just let nature take its course.. like a couple of people have said... you never know what effect it has so i'd rather not risk it.

I've got my blender ready and some other stuff like protein and fibre powder etc... gonna go food shopping on the weekend and stock up.. although I wont be out till wednesday.

I think i'll make a list tomorrow of everything I need for when I get home and put it all in one place.... otherwise i'm bound to forget something!

I'll post some pics as soon as I can... it's gonna be interesting as i've currently got lingual braces. so on Monday I go in to have "Buttons" put on the outside of my teeth, so they can do the elastics. I'm hoping that my tongue isn't gonna swell up too much as my linguals will annoy it... and i'll also be dealing with these buttons which are a bit of an unknown... especially when my face will be swollen!

Nothing like making it hard on myself eh!!!

Dave

#7 Post by **loulou123** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 3:35 am

I used frozen peas on my face!

mind you the hospital was even weirder and gave me rubber gloves filled with ice cubes wrapped in a pillow case

when your face is tender hard sharp ice cubes arent ideal to put against it!! (good old nhs)

I stocked up on liquidy foods and energy drinks, ensure etc and have barely eaten any of them, from the 1st morning i was "swallowing" ready break, weetabix, ice cream, etc. And then i progressed to mash potato etc. Im still not allowed to chew anything now and youd be amazed what you can swallow without needing to chew!

Good luck, try not to worry (silly to say i know) itll all be over before you know it.

oh and eat everything you can this weekend, especially hard things!

#8 Post by **dubnobass** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 5:32 am

I just used a tea towel folded round a couple of frozen gel packs (looped under my chin with a gel pack againist each cheek, and tied on top of my head). Job done!
In hospital they stuffed rubber gloves with ice cubes and balanced them on my shoulders. That was pretty rubbish actually and did no good at all, but the nurse tried, at least

#9 Post by **loulou123** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:22 pm

Thats exactly what they told me meryaten, that they are no longer allowed to use the gel pack things due to the risk of passing on an infection, so to be fair guess its not there fault.

#10 Post by **Daveyboy** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:36 pm

I had the same thing when I had my wisdom teeth out (at the same hospital that i'm going to on Tuesday), I think I gave them the most confused look when they handed me a rubber glove! Guess I wasn't quite with it!

I had hoped to use 2 of the frozen gel pack things that i've bought, but it looks unlikely! I'll probably take them with me anyway and see what happens.

Pretty much ready to go now, just gonna pack a bag tomorrow as i'll be going back to stay with my parents afterwards for a few days.

Although I'll be looking forward to getting back to my own house.. as i'll have this pair looking after me!!!!

Oh, and here they are "helping" me brush my teeth!

#11 Post by **clairet707** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:07 pm

Aaaaw Dave, they are cute, hope they make good nurses!!

Best of luck for Tuesday, hope the ice packs work, though I didn't find ice that much help to be honest, I tried it and it just made my face number than it already was, which didn't help the dribbling!

Hope the zip n squeeze bags come in useful, if you have bought complan (the plain stuff, cant say on the flavoured stuff), make sure you flavour it with something, its rank on its own.....

See you on the other side

#12 Post by **Andantae** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:03 pm

You're recovery is going to be a snap with those DARLING little balls of therapy to nurse you back to health!

#13 Post by **Andantae** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:01 am

Pugwash? Pugwash??!!? I LOVE it

#14 Post by **Andantae** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:52 pm

Sorry Davyboy, but a fellow cat lover will hopefully understand....

WOW! Pugwash is easily one of the most stunningly striking tabby & whites I have ever seen. (by far my favorite coloring). He's just gorgeous (I suppose he's quite-aware-of-the-fact-thank-you-very-much?

).

Yes, I'd say you were meant to have him in your life and it's lucky that he found you. It's obvious now that he was meant to be a Pugwash and there is only one other person (possibly on the planet) who would have named him that!

You must have been completely dumbstruck when you discovered that book! (You know I'm teasing-I LOVE the name!)

I named my colt, 'Kinsale' long befoe he was born--or conceived for that matter. I just love that name and the beautiful little fishing village off the West coast of Ireland he's named after, AND, of course, 'Pugwash' was unfortunately already taken......