Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi all,

As the subject says, I'm having a 3-piece le fort next week. It's been a long road and I debated this surgery for a long time. But I'm very glad to have come so far. I've been in braces for close to 15 months. I'm a little nervous about the recovery period, and especially the pain, but at this point, just looking forward to putting the surgery behind me. I'd be curious to hear about how others managed sleep and eating during the first week. I plan to attempt a mix of smoothies and Ensure, but will have to play it by ear.

I'm 14 days into recovery from lefort and bsso. I did alot of prep before my surgery so my aftercare has been comfortable. I'm wired shut too.

1. Make sure you have someone who can be with you round the clock for the first 5-7 days, prepare you food, make sure you stay on schedule with all your medications and stay hydrated. I was so out of it I didn't remember what I had to take and when. Plus I didn't have the energy to make myself food. My boyfriend was a saint and did everything for me at first.

2. Use the ice packs even if they hurt! They will help decrease swelling within the crucial 72 hour period. I have like no swelling in my midface anymore because I used ice packs religiously.

3. I have a lazy boy that I slept in for the first week. Sleep will come in 2 hour increments at first. GET A TRAVEL NECK U-SHAPED PILLOW AND BRING IT TO THE HOSPITAL. It will allow you to sleep upright without feeling like you are suffocating but also help to hold the ice packs in place! It will also make sure you arent resting on your face when you sleep if you move around. This was a LIFESAVER for me. Sleep will gradually increase to 4 hour blocks. Now I'm sleeping 10 hours a night in bed with a wedge I bought from amazon to keep my upper body lifted. I also sleep with a humidifier which really really helps my nose (I had a septoplasty too).

4. I deep cleaned my house before the surgery. It was so nice to come home to a clean house with clean dishes and laundry.

5. Buy a 10 pack of white wash clothes/rags from walmart. I use them under my mouth so I don't spill my meals. ALSO, make sure you get extra syringes from the hospital! They are really expensive if you buy them from a medical supply store.

6. Plan a few smoothies that you know you will want to eat and buy all the stuff before hand. I dropped like $200 at whole foods lmao. I also got a Kitchenaid blender from a friend the day before my surgery. You are going to want a heavy duty good quality blender especially if you are wired or tightly banded so you can liquify everything.

7. I add Vega Protein powder, Mango Good Belly Probiotics, liquid B-12, Emergen-C, Maca powder, fiber powder and Miralax to my morning smoothies. Trust me, the narcotics plus antibiotics will destroy your bowels. It's so important to stay hydrated but also take probiotics, fiber and miralax. Outside of that, I'll have chicken broth or chocolate/vanilla milkshakes. I've only lost like 5lbs.

8. Don't be afraid to ask for more painkillers. I was given liquid vicodin at first but it was laughable how little that helped. My doctor switched me to percocet. Make sure you stay on a schedule especially at first or the pain will creep up on you. Don't be a martyr. I crush up the percocet and mix it with juice and it's fine.

9. Have some vitamin E or lanolin on hand. My lips have peeled off many times even though I keep them moisturized.

10. Don't be afraid to cry or be upset, I've cried like 4-5 times so far from pain, frustration and fear. It's really intense and just make sure you have someone who will support you through it. Visitors help a lot! Also, make sure you get a good contact number for your surgeon so you can keep them in the loop if anything goes wrong (like my wires got lose last week/stronger pain meds). My surgeon gave me his cell number and I just text him with any questions and he responds within the hour. It's amazing and I feel totally supported by him. I don't know how I would have done this without such close contact with him.

Good luck!

I had a two-piece a couple years ago... my tips:

- Stay ahead of the pain; I don't have my logs any more, but I think I was off opiates by the time I had been home four days, and about 1 1/2 weeks to be totally off the (liquid) Advil.
- The most annoying part wasn't the pain, it was the liquid, and then soft-chew (nothing tougher than scrambled eggs), diet
- Nobody gains weight on a jaw-surgery diet. Use the richest, highest-calorie, versions of everything you prepare.
- My "secret weapon" was a square whiskey tumbler. It made a great "pour spout" for getting liquids into my mouth. (Your lips will be too swollen to form a proper seal on a round glass, and you can't use a straw.)
- For sleep: I was only VERY lightly banded (a wired-in splint held the upper pieces together), to keep my mouth shut to help me sleep, my Mom made a "sling" from an ace bandage that helped to hold my jaw shut. (Also used it to hold ice packs in place.)
- Any meds that the surgeon prescribes for comfort, don't hesitate to take them if needed. In my case it was opiates, ibuprofen, sudafed and nasal spray. Yes, nasal spray starts to become addictive after three days; you'll just have to suck it up and wean yourself off.
- The swelling peaks after two days. Expect this, or it will be pretty alarming.

glennstanzalone wrote:I'm 14 days into recovery from lefort and bsso. I did alot of prep before my surgery so my aftercare has been comfortable. I'm wired shut too.

1. Make sure you have someone who can be with you round the clock for the first 5-7 days, prepare you food, make sure you stay on schedule with all your medications and stay hydrated. I was so out of it I didn't remember what I had to take and when. Plus I didn't have the energy to make myself food. My boyfriend was a saint and did everything for me at first.

2. Use the ice packs even if they hurt! They will help decrease swelling within the crucial 72 hour period. I have like no swelling in my midface anymore because I used ice packs religiously.

3. I have a lazy boy that I slept in for the first week. Sleep will come in 2 hour increments at first. GET A TRAVEL NECK U-SHAPED PILLOW AND BRING IT TO THE HOSPITAL. It will allow you to sleep upright without feeling like you are suffocating but also help to hold the ice packs in place! It will also make sure you arent resting on your face when you sleep if you move around. This was a LIFESAVER for me. Sleep will gradually increase to 4 hour blocks. Now I'm sleeping 10 hours a night in bed with a wedge I bought from amazon to keep my upper body lifted. I also sleep with a humidifier which really really helps my nose (I had a septoplasty too).

4. I deep cleaned my house before the surgery. It was so nice to come home to a clean house with clean dishes and laundry.

5. Buy a 10 pack of white wash clothes/rags from walmart. I use them under my mouth so I don't spill my meals. ALSO, make sure you get extra syringes from the hospital! They are really expensive if you buy them from a medical supply store.

6. Plan a few smoothies that you know you will want to eat and buy all the stuff before hand. I dropped like $200 at whole foods lmao. I also got a Kitchenaid blender from a friend the day before my surgery. You are going to want a heavy duty good quality blender especially if you are wired or tightly banded so you can liquify everything.

7. I add Vega Protein powder, Mango Good Belly Probiotics, liquid B-12, Emergen-C, Maca powder, fiber powder and Miralax to my morning smoothies. Trust me, the narcotics plus antibiotics will destroy your bowels. It's so important to stay hydrated but also take probiotics, fiber and miralax. Outside of that, I'll have chicken broth or chocolate/vanilla milkshakes. I've only lost like 5lbs.

8. Don't be afraid to ask for more painkillers. I was given liquid vicodin at first but it was laughable how little that helped. My doctor switched me to percocet. Make sure you stay on a schedule especially at first or the pain will creep up on you. Don't be a martyr. I crush up the percocet and mix it with juice and it's fine.

9. Have some vitamin E or lanolin on hand. My lips have peeled off many times even though I keep them moisturized.

10. Don't be afraid to cry or be upset, I've cried like 4-5 times so far from pain, frustration and fear. It's really intense and just make sure you have someone who will support you through it. Visitors help a lot! Also, make sure you get a good contact number for your surgeon so you can keep them in the loop if anything goes wrong (like my wires got lose last week/stronger pain meds). My surgeon gave me his cell number and I just text him with any questions and he responds within the hour. It's amazing and I feel totally supported by him. I don't know how I would have done this without such close contact with him.

Good luck!

Thank you SO much. This is extremely helpful, and much appreciated. My mom is flying out to take care of me the first week. The surgery is happening in a city where I don't live so we rented an AirBnb for a week. Then I'll return to my apartment (abut 1.5 hours from surgery) and will definitely implement your cleaning suggestion. I hadn't thought of that but makes so much sense. The recommendations for smoothie additions area awesome, and I'll stock up on those. I am for sure going to do a big haul at Whole Foods! Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts.

sirwired wrote:I had a two-piece a couple years ago... my tips:

- Stay ahead of the pain; I don't have my logs any more, but I think I was off opiates by the time I had been home four days, and about 1 1/2 weeks to be totally off the (liquid) Advil.
- The most annoying part wasn't the pain, it was the liquid, and then soft-chew (nothing tougher than scrambled eggs), diet
- Nobody gains weight on a jaw-surgery diet. Use the richest, highest-calorie, versions of everything you prepare.
- My "secret weapon" was a square whiskey tumbler. It made a great "pour spout" for getting liquids into my mouth. (Your lips will be too swollen to form a proper seal on a round glass, and you can't use a straw.)
- For sleep: I was only VERY lightly banded (a wired-in splint held the upper pieces together), to keep my mouth shut to help me sleep, my Mom made a "sling" from an ace bandage that helped to hold my jaw shut. (Also used it to hold ice packs in place.)
- Any meds that the surgeon prescribes for comfort, don't hesitate to take them if needed. In my case it was opiates, ibuprofen, sudafed and nasal spray. Yes, nasal spray starts to become addictive after three days; you'll just have to suck it up and wean yourself off.
- The swelling peaks after two days. Expect this, or it will be pretty alarming.

Thank you very much! I really appreciate this advise. What kind of log did you keep? Was it a record of how many times you were taking the pain medicine? I'm definitely not thrilled about the liquid diet, although I do like smoothies. I am anticipating swelling being really bad by day 3. When did it start to go down for you? Thanks again!

You're welcome! I used the Round app to input all my medications and get reminders for my next dose. It was really helpful once I was on my own. Swelling peaked around day 3-5 for me. I'm still on narcotic meds but I had some complications w surgery.

The log was for a study on post-op nausea and vomiting. Part of that is trying to reduce opiate use, as opiates are well-known to have nausea as a side-effect.

But it is also handy to keep track of what you've taken at what times so you know when you can take it again.

Hi! I had a 3 piece lefort back in the beginning of June. Check out my threads from the June timeframe to read my entire story. In my experience, which could differ from anyone elses, I never had any pain, nor have I still almost 3 months post-op. I was given liquid oxycodone which I took the first night home (I had to stay overnight at the hospital) and it was only to help take the edge off things to help me sleep. Since then, I've never taken any pain killers. Like I said, everyone is different, some heal up pretty quick, others like me take time...I'm 29. Really though, check out my post and follow-up posts. Make sure you have A LOT of kleenex or toilet paper for your nose, I hope they informed you about nasal bleeding post-op...it's no joke. The first 3-7 days will be the toughest days of your life, hang in there, things will improve.

tylerjwilson wrote:Hi! I had a 3 piece lefort back in the beginning of June. Check out my threads from the June timeframe to read my entire story. In my experience, which could differ from anyone elses, I never had any pain, nor have I still almost 3 months post-op. I was given liquid oxycodone which I took the first night home (I had to stay overnight at the hospital) and it was only to help take the edge off things to help me sleep. Since then, I've never taken any pain killers. Like I said, everyone is different, some heal up pretty quick, others like me take time...I'm 29. Really though, check out my post and follow-up posts. Make sure you have A LOT of kleenex or toilet paper for your nose, I hope they informed you about nasal bleeding post-op...it's no joke. The first 3-7 days will be the toughest days of your life, hang in there, things will improve.

Thank you so much for your response, and congratulations on your progress! I read your threads and they are very helpful. It looks like we had almost the same issue. My surgery was a week ago today. I'm feeling pretty good so far, now going for 2x walks a day. I think I went in prepared for the worst, and have been pleased with how bearable the recovery has been. I'm 31, and prior to surgery was very active. The first few days were definitely brutal. I anticipated bad nasal bleeding, but it has been pretty minimal. I did bleed a lot during surgery. My bruising has surprisingly been less than I thought. I'm still pretty swollen, but my mom (who has been with me all week) says it is going down every day. I was given oxycodone pills on discharge. I am still taking them because I am feeling very uncomfortable when not on it, mostly concentrated in the area right above my gums on one side. But I am trying to wean myself off ASAP because it is interfering with my system pretty significantly. Sleep was intermittent last week but I'm now consistently able to sleep at least 6-7 hours per night. I feel like I'm starting to break through and feel more like myself again.

When did you feel like your talking went back to normal?

If the opiate painkillers are interfering with your bowel habits (this is a near-universal side-effect), take an OTC stool-softener like colace. (That's what I've been prescribed in the past for the same issue.)

sirwired wrote:If the opiate painkillers are interfering with your bowel habits (this is a near-universal side-effect), take an OTC stool-softener like colace. (That's what I've been prescribed in the past for the same issue.)

Thank you! I've started taking colace. The pain pills also seem to be giving me headaches, which is odd, given that they are meant to reduce pain. But I've been getting low-grade headaches. I am also worried about my liver. In general, I try to avoid taking medicine when I don't need to, so it has been tricky accepting that I need to take the pain pills.

glennstanzalone wrote:I'm 14 days into recovery from lefort and bsso. I did alot of prep before my surgery so my aftercare has been comfortable. I'm wired shut too.

1. Make sure you have someone who can be with you round the clock for the first 5-7 days, prepare you food, make sure you stay on schedule with all your medications and stay hydrated. I was so out of it I didn't remember what I had to take and when. Plus I didn't have the energy to make myself food. My boyfriend was a saint and did everything for me at first.

2. Use the ice packs even if they hurt! They will help decrease swelling within the crucial 72 hour period. I have like no swelling in my midface anymore because I used ice packs religiously.

3. I have a lazy boy that I slept in for the first week. Sleep will come in 2 hour increments at first. GET A TRAVEL NECK U-SHAPED PILLOW AND BRING IT TO THE HOSPITAL. It will allow you to sleep upright without feeling like you are suffocating but also help to hold the ice packs in place! It will also make sure you arent resting on your face when you sleep if you move around. This was a LIFESAVER for me. Sleep will gradually increase to 4 hour blocks. Now I'm sleeping 10 hours a night in bed with a wedge I bought from amazon to keep my upper body lifted. I also sleep with a humidifier which really really helps my nose (I had a septoplasty too).

4. I deep cleaned my house before the surgery. It was so nice to come home to a clean house with clean dishes and laundry.

5. Buy a 10 pack of white wash clothes/rags from walmart. I use them under my mouth so I don't spill my meals. ALSO, make sure you get extra syringes from the hospital! They are really expensive if you buy them from a medical supply store.

6. Plan a few smoothies that you know you will want to eat and buy all the stuff before hand. I dropped like $200 at whole foods lmao. I also got a Kitchenaid blender from a friend the day before my surgery. You are going to want a heavy duty good quality blender especially if you are wired or tightly banded so you can liquify everything.

7. I add Vega Protein powder, Mango Good Belly Probiotics, liquid B-12, Emergen-C, Maca powder, fiber powder and Miralax to my morning smoothies. Trust me, the narcotics plus antibiotics will destroy your bowels. It's so important to stay hydrated but also take probiotics, fiber and miralax. Outside of that, I'll have chicken broth or chocolate/vanilla milkshakes. I've only lost like 5lbs.

8. Don't be afraid to ask for more painkillers. I was given liquid vicodin at first but it was laughable how little that helped. My doctor switched me to percocet. Make sure you stay on a schedule especially at first or the pain will creep up on you. Don't be a martyr. I crush up the percocet and mix it with juice and it's fine.

9. Have some vitamin E or lanolin on hand. My lips have peeled off many times even though I keep them moisturized.

10. Don't be afraid to cry or be upset, I've cried like 4-5 times so far from pain, frustration and fear. It's really intense and just make sure you have someone who will support you through it. Visitors help a lot! Also, make sure you get a good contact number for your surgeon so you can keep them in the loop if anything goes wrong (like my wires got lose last week/stronger pain meds). My surgeon gave me his cell number and I just text him with any questions and he responds within the hour. It's amazing and I feel totally supported by him. I don't know how I would have done this without such close contact with him.

Good luck!

This was fantastic. Sending to my BF who is taking care of me. Totally love the idea about cleaning house before--I get anxious when things are out of order, so this is great advice.

I don't recall liver function being on the list of side-effects for opiates. APAP (Tylenol), CAN effect the liver, but only when taken at amounts far higher than the prescribed dose. (This is a lower amount when combined with alcohol, but I'm assuming you haven't taken leave of your senses and decided to combine opiates and alcohol.)

sirwired wrote:I had a two-piece a couple years ago... my tips:

- Stay ahead of the pain; I don't have my logs any more, but I think I was off opiates by the time I had been home four days, and about 1 1/2 weeks to be totally off the (liquid) Advil.
- The most annoying part wasn't the pain, it was the liquid, and then soft-chew (nothing tougher than scrambled eggs), diet
- Nobody gains weight on a jaw-surgery diet. Use the richest, highest-calorie, versions of everything you prepare.
- My "secret weapon" was a square whiskey tumbler. It made a great "pour spout" for getting liquids into my mouth. (Your lips will be too swollen to form a proper seal on a round glass, and you can't use a straw.)
- For sleep: I was only VERY lightly banded (a wired-in splint held the upper pieces together), to keep my mouth shut to help me sleep, my Mom made a "sling" from an ace bandage that helped to hold my jaw shut. (Also used it to hold ice packs in place.)
- Any meds that the surgeon prescribes for comfort, don't hesitate to take them if needed. In my case it was opiates, ibuprofen, sudafed and nasal spray. Yes, nasal spray starts to become addictive after three days; you'll just have to suck it up and wean yourself off.
- The swelling peaks after two days. Expect this, or it will be pretty alarming.

Is liquid advil a prescription drug? I've been home since Tuesday but definitely still have pain in the area right above my upper 4-6 teeth.

palm55 wrote:Is liquid advil a prescription drug? I've been home since Tuesday but definitely still have pain in the area right above my upper 4-6 teeth.

It's OTC, actually... just look in the section of the aisle with medicine meant for little kids. Just do the math to figure out what dose you need for an adult dose. That said, you can get a much bigger bottle if you can get an Rx for it from your doc.