Post-op tips

[Hyrules]

Hi everyone. I just had orthognatic surgery on both of my jaws. I'm now on my 4th day post op. Anyone has any tips of how to survive until my surgeon visit next week ?

Like for example I find it really hard to sleep at night or sleep at all. I used to be a mouth breather when I sleep and now that my face i swollen and rubber banded to florida I cannot sleep properly. I tend to had stuffy nose and if not that choke on drool which i'm producing right now for about 10 people. I do not go to sleep properly just doze off and choke back to reality. I tend to sleep upright but even then drool is impressively created by my saliva glands.

For the stuffy nose I find it really hard to breath sometimes when I sleep. I don't have any specific meds prescribed by my doctor. I only have salinex which is basically salt water. Which seems not to be working with me.

Any input would be appreciated. Thank.

[Optimicynic]

No prescriptions post-op? That's crazy - I came home with a bagful.

I'm 7 days post-op, and I was right there with ya' - days 3 and 4 were definitely some of the worst.

What worked for me: 1.) Afrin/prescription-strength nasal decongestant; it tastes awful, but it gets the job of clearing your nasal airway done. One snort per nostril. If it doesn't taste bad, you're doin' it wrong. 2.) Liquid Sudafed; this will help dry up some of the drainage you're experiencing. 3.) As weird as it sounds, pick your nose. If you can get to the junk that's blocking your nasal airway (be careful - your nose might still be numb), get it out! 4.) Either a hot shower (be careful - sit down if you need to/feel faint) or boiling water on the stove (we added mint leaves, and it smelled FANTASTIC), putting your head over the pan (make sure the boil's not too high/hot) and VERY CAREFULLY putting a towel over your head and the pan, to trap the steam and form a mini sauna. These will both break up the congestion in your nose/sinuses, so you'll feel worse at first - but it's important to get that junk moving OUT of your nose and sinuses.

It will get better! I'm sure sleep deprivation's not helping your frame of mind any, but STAY HYDRATED, and you'll be feeling human again in no time.

Let me know if there's any other way I can help!

[Hyrules]

I have many prescriptions from my surgeon nothing related to the nose beside a bottle of salinex which is in form of drops not injector. Thanks for your help indeed those days were the worst. I have had my first real night of sleep if you will where I remember clearly dreaming but I'm still choking on my drool sometime so I wake up pretty fast. I'm literaly drooling everywhere. I'm producing alot of saliva. This must be related to the split retaining my jaws together. The mouth find it intrusive so it generate more saliva to eliminate it. It's suppose the get the picture eventually that it's there for a reason like with braces. Today my nose is pretty clear. With some small white normal stuff from time to time with very little blood. I also found that vicks helps alot with the air ways. Not if I could just get rid of the saliva...

[Hyrules]

Well to some it might sound stupid but actual nose picking help me in getting a couple of bad boys out of there. I find it less and less problematic sleeping at night also I don't choke on my saliva anymore. I was a mouthbreather during the night but since my surgeon cleaned my sinuses I find it easier to breath mouth close. But I have to get used to breathing by the nose at night and it doesn't happen in 4 days. Today it's weird but my brain seems to get the idea that it doesn't need to produce alot of saliva. I believe it's definitely less producing right now.

[bmueller]

Get a humidifier and point it straight at your nose. I didn't think it would make a difference but it was amazing! Totally opened my nose up and allowed me to sleep through the night despite being banded shut. I was also a mouth breather during sleep and struggled until I got the humidifier!

You can use the Afrin nasal spray too, but only use if for a few days. If you use to too long it has the opposite effect and starts stuffing up your nose instead of relieving it.

[Hyrules]

That's what the pharmacist actually said about those sprays. I have a cold vapor humidifier the problem is that it's kinda big to install or point at my nose.

[bmueller]

Mine was a cool humidifier. I set it on a tray table next to my face.

After about a week, the swelling in your nose will go down enough that you can breath easier.

Until then, may I also reccomend taking hot showers (you don't actually have to get in the shower) just turn on the water and make it steam. I did that every few hours the first couple of days and it felt so good!

Though you can't blow your nose, you may have some gunk in there. I used to roll up a tissue and stick it in my nose to see if I can catch anything. Sometimes you can clear out the nostril really well that way. The point is not to blow and cause the pressure which could cause a nosebleed.

[Hyrules]

I actually found a way to send the output of the humidifier to my face. I cut a margarine bowl a small rectangular door and put it upside down on the humidifier exhaust. Move the humidifer closer to my bed on small table and voila ! Cool humid Air straight to my face. I took a nap earlier and I was really helpfull. All that because there are not direct way of directing the air from the humidifer. The fan blows straight up.

I know you can't blow your nose but the otherway around is permitted. You can sniff everything in your throat and swallow it. You know that sniffing you do in the back of your throat ? I know it might be disgusting but it works into clearing what's back there. it'll all be neutralized in your stomach. AS for the tissue rolling I already done that plenty of time and cought alot of nasty stuff. I had SARPE 3 years ago and my surgeon told me about that problem. It's basically the same thing with SARPE except your mouth is not banded shut. I did had trouble with my nose back then but I could easily breath through my mouth.

Thanks for you input it's been very helpfull.

[bmueller]

Yay! Glad it worked for you!

I had deviated septum surgery a year ago and they recommended a humidifier. I got by without it and had no issues (but I could breathe through my mouth) So I got all proud and bought all the other supplies for my jaw surgery EXCEPT the humidifier. All it took was one HORRIBLE night where I seriously thought I couldn't breathe and almost had to call 911/go to ER did I realize the humidifier was my best friend. Took an hour in the shower until I could breathe without wheezing that night.

Hope your recovery continues to go well.

[Hyrules]

I know the feeling. It's quite scary when you think you are having problem breathing. I had this feeling for a couple of nights and even during my first day outside the hospital. I had to take deep breath through the nose even if it was 3/4 clogged and slowly breath out. Convince myself psychologically that I wasn't choking as well. It's not pleasing waking up in the middle of the night gasping or choking. But last night was by far one of my best nights i had since surgery.

[bmueller]

Trust me, it gets better day by day! Soon you won't have any issues breathing!

I was banded shut with a splint for 3 weeks and about 1.5 weeks in, my nose wasn't stuffed at all anymore.

Keep up the good work! You'll be better before you know it.

[Hyrules]

well today is a really good day. My nose isn't stuffed at all I only small oozing from time to time. Often clear sometimes brown. I went for my first week appointment and my surgeon was really satisfied with how I was progressing almost even impressed. He said I had a small shift when I opened my mouth but he says that's normal with some people. Nothing the othodontist cannot fix later. I only have 2 smalls elastics holding my jaw. They have to be in there 10 -12 hours per day. I can eat without them although I cannot open my mouth more that about 1 cm. I can also talk now when I don't have the elastics. It's incredible what we have for granted and don't even know it. I can also eat with a spoon but I find it easier to drink my food. ah and the acrylic plate holding my upper jaw will be removed at my next week appointment.

[bmueller]

Woo hoo! Excellent progress. Keep up the good work!

You definitely don't know what you take for granted until you can't do it.

[sarahxgx]

I definitely found days 3-7 the toughest! but you just have to battle through, you really do begin to feel yourself again by day 7

[Hyrules]

Now that I am at day 9. I can indeed confirm that day 2 - 7 are the worst. I'm sleeping better and better now which helps alot. I'm less tired as well. Computer does not tire me are much as it use to in the beginning and It's not normal for a computer tech to get tired by being in front of a computer Nose is almost if not always clear now even when I sleep. No more ozzing. Although I still used the humidifer when I sleep. I also found another way to send it's air to my face. I just shove a fan behind it at speed one and it just push everything that comes out of the humidifier to my face. Just simpler that way and I have my white noise from the fan. I can talk also which help a lot in communication. It's not always pleasant as my muscles are confused and sometimes try to do stuff my jaw doesn't like.