What about numbness and swelling?
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What about numbness and swelling?
I'm having lower advancement and im curious about the numbness and swelling.How long does it last? How long until you can smile ? Not only that but what about being tightly banded and yawning,sneezing or coughing? how does that work?
as far as i know regaining sensation is different for everyone. personally, i am at 4 weeks post op (bsso + lefort I) and i have started to get some feeling back in my upper lip, nose, cheek area beside my nose, and under my eyes -- but it's still not near 100%. My lower lip and chin are the most numb, my chin is still entirely numb, and my lower lip feels like it's vaguely starting to come back.
in terms of swelling, that varies too. my surgeon told me many people seem to lose most swelling at 2 weeks, and some don't. naturally i have fallen into the category of people who haven't lost most swelling at 2 weeks haha. i am still really quite noticeably swollen. then again, when i had my surgery, i had to have another surgery the next day again on my lower jaw because somehow it shifted a bit -- so me being more swollen could be because of the double surgery. i still have quite a piggy looking nose from the swelling right now as well.
in terms of smiling and generally moving your mouth/muscles around, i find it kind of difficult with the swelling and numbness. however, i notice mobility improvements everyday. i've been trying to talk and laugh to get my muscle working and it seems to be helping.
i wasn't tightly banded so i can't help you with information in that department!
in terms of swelling, that varies too. my surgeon told me many people seem to lose most swelling at 2 weeks, and some don't. naturally i have fallen into the category of people who haven't lost most swelling at 2 weeks haha. i am still really quite noticeably swollen. then again, when i had my surgery, i had to have another surgery the next day again on my lower jaw because somehow it shifted a bit -- so me being more swollen could be because of the double surgery. i still have quite a piggy looking nose from the swelling right now as well.
in terms of smiling and generally moving your mouth/muscles around, i find it kind of difficult with the swelling and numbness. however, i notice mobility improvements everyday. i've been trying to talk and laugh to get my muscle working and it seems to be helping.
i wasn't tightly banded so i can't help you with information in that department!
Just like Moth, I had BSSO and Lefort 1. I had feeling in my lower lip right after surgery. Thank God! It's slightly numb near the right corner, and the right corner of my chin is still pretty numb. As for the upper part--I had zero feeling on the front of my face from the upper lip to my eyelids the first week, but as the days progressed my cheeks developed sensation and I am starting to have very mild sensations pretty much everywhere now--the worst part is not having feeling in my top lip. Makes drinking a challenge, and kissing kind of pointless, plus when my lips are closed I feel vaguely like some sort of ugly monster whose fangs hang out over the lips, but I digress... You'll be fine. It's an experience that you just have to walk through with some humor--I would say with dignity and humor, but, face it, there won't be any dignity again until you no longer have to check a mirror to be sure there's no snot on your upper lip! 
Oh, yeah--about the yawning, etc.: I am not tightly banded, but can only open my mouth about 1 finger wide, so I have noticed that when I yawn I sometimes get a popping in my left ear. I am guessing that is partly due to not being able to open fully when yawning, and also still having a fair amount of congestion/fluid in the sinuses. I have had no need to sneeze for 2 weeks, but coughing is perfectly normal--no issues with that. I think they tell you not to blow your nose for at least 10 days. I didn't find that to be an issue, but now am blowing it lightly when needed. The first 10 days I had bloody discharge (you're not squeamish are you? 
) from my nose that would, for the first few days, start to drip wildly when I bent forward. It would also drip slowly for no apparent reason several times a day, but it has stopped. Fear not, this is perfectly normal. There are lots of cute little issues like this that the doctors might not mention to you...
) from my nose that would, for the first few days, start to drip wildly when I bent forward. It would also drip slowly for no apparent reason several times a day, but it has stopped. Fear not, this is perfectly normal. There are lots of cute little issues like this that the doctors might not mention to you...
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LemnzestManatee
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Fri May 01, 2009 12:01 am
I had the upper, and a genioplasty done nearly 3 weeks ago to correct an overbite and receded lower jaw. The first week, I was very swollen and numb. Every few days I noticed a decrease in swelling and numbness. Right now I am still a bit swollen (however I am 100 lbs normally, so I probably appear more swollen than other people who have this done) and the nerves in parts of my face are still warped. But like other people have said, the swelling and numbness differs between people, so its something that you'll have to wait and see for. (just pray your nerves don't get damaged, which causes permanent numbness)
Right now, I can smile pretty good. However, my cheeks hurt a lot when I smile big or laugh. (the same kind of pain you get when you get into a laughing fit) I couldn't really smile until...oh, I'd say a week after surgery.
As far as coughing, sneezing, yawning goes, I am currently completely wired shut. For yawning, I just keep my jaws clamped together. Placing a hand over my mouth and jaw helps to make sure my mouth stays closed. However, usually when I yawn I can feel my teeth move off of the mouth guard thing inside my mouth slightly, and sometimes I feel things shift around. But I haven't had any tearing or broken wires. You should be fine with yawning. You'll develop your own technique.
I've had to sneeze once so far. Because I can't open my mouth at all, it turned into some bizarre cough-thing. I don't even really know how to describe it, lol.
And with coughing, I just do little baby coughs. I can't do any really satisfying large ones, so I'll do several baby ones until the tickle dies down.
Right now, I can smile pretty good. However, my cheeks hurt a lot when I smile big or laugh. (the same kind of pain you get when you get into a laughing fit) I couldn't really smile until...oh, I'd say a week after surgery.
As far as coughing, sneezing, yawning goes, I am currently completely wired shut. For yawning, I just keep my jaws clamped together. Placing a hand over my mouth and jaw helps to make sure my mouth stays closed. However, usually when I yawn I can feel my teeth move off of the mouth guard thing inside my mouth slightly, and sometimes I feel things shift around. But I haven't had any tearing or broken wires. You should be fine with yawning. You'll develop your own technique.
I've had to sneeze once so far. Because I can't open my mouth at all, it turned into some bizarre cough-thing. I don't even really know how to describe it, lol.
And with coughing, I just do little baby coughs. I can't do any really satisfying large ones, so I'll do several baby ones until the tickle dies down.
swelling is pretty crazy on me (i had bsso+lefort i) ... i look like a balloon.
however im probably at the peak of my swelling as it's been 36 hrs or so). i didnt expect it to be so bad but oh well. no turning back now =P
my chin is the most numb part. i can feel both of my lips although the corners are pretty numb. at least i personally have feeling on all parts of my face so i feel fortunate in that regard.
however im probably at the peak of my swelling as it's been 36 hrs or so). i didnt expect it to be so bad but oh well. no turning back now =P
my chin is the most numb part. i can feel both of my lips although the corners are pretty numb. at least i personally have feeling on all parts of my face so i feel fortunate in that regard.