Jaw surgery + Speaking

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#1 Post by **Izzygraze** » Wed May 07, 2008 12:06 pm

So my surgery is in about a month and I'm going to be having my upper and lower Jaw moved aswell as my wisdom teeth taken out. I've been wondering about speaking and whether I'll be able to do it while I'm in recovery. I figured I was fine since I tried speaking with my teeth clenched and I was fine. But then I was watching an episode of scrubs and there was a guy with his jaw wired shut and he couldn't speak at all. It was probably just a plot device or something but yeah can you still speak during recovery?

Are your lips too swollen to speak or is there too much stuff in your mouth or something? I'm just starting new relationships and wondering if I'll be able to call anyone during my recovery. Should I get a pen and paper for speaking? Or is it just a bit of slurring or something?

My pre-op appointment is on the 20th but I would like to know as soon as possible so I can prepare other people and start making alternative arrangements if it is the case that I will be unable to speak.

Also a side note if anyone wants to answer: Are you usually bed ridden for the whole entire recovery or can you go out to a bar or something a week after your surgery?

#2 Post by **JennX** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:53 pm

I was splinted and banded for five weeks post-op following upper and lower jaw surgery, and speaking... or, more correctly, being understood!... was a real challenge. Most of the speaking problem had to do with the splint and the rubberbands, but given that my ability to be understood improved during the five weeks I had these on, I think it must have also had something to do with ability to control my facial muscles (this is also evidenced by my lack of ability to smile or frown early on). Oh, and after one of my weekly doctor's visits, they put the bands on so tight (basically made each band circle twice between my upper and lower hooks) that I could not be understood AT ALL. Fortunately this was during the time when I was allowed to take my bands off occasionally and--darn, wouldn't you know it!--I couldn't get them back on nearly as tight. But for that 24 hours I was like the character you saw on Scrubs.

The first couple weeks I used a small dry erase board and my laptop computer to communicate when I couldn't be understood. And I used the white board almost exclusively the couple of days I was in the hospital. I didn't even feel like trying to talk. I took the white board everywhere with me even when most of my coworkers and friends could understand me because in a place like Starbucks, getting them to understand "tall mocha frappuccino with whipped cream" was hard over the din-- projecting your voice can be really hard.

But as soon as the splint came out I was basically back to normal. That was two weeks ago, and I still have trouble with some sounds. (B, P, and M seem to pose the biggest problems. I had a doozy of a time spelling my last name to someone over the phone the other day, since it contains all three of those letters!)

I'd say the splint is the biggest impediment to talking normally, so find out if you will have one. But the people I saw every day got really good at decoding (and mocking) everything I said.

#3 Post by **Izzygraze** » Wed May 07, 2008 2:20 pm

I guess buying a white board might not be a bad idea. Do they give you one or do you have to find one yourself?

As for splinting, I'm not sure. They never mentioned anything about it but I assume I would need them. And I'm not going to be wired shut I found out but rather have strong elastic bands. But I guess I should probably find alternatives rather than talking on the phone, unless I'm going to be using a HAL program or whatever they call it these days with the computer.

#4 Post by **Arvensis** » Wed May 07, 2008 2:59 pm

But I guess I should probably find alternatives rather than talking on the phone, unless I'm going to be using a HAL program or whatever they call it these days with the computer.

Hehehe, I was trying to excitedly tell my best friend on the phone 5 days after surgery that they took the nose splints (had septoplasty at same time as upper jaw surgery) out and one set of rubber bands out and I went onl for about five minutes before she said "Yeah, you're talking, and I can tell you're trying to say something resembling words, but I have no idea what you're saying."

I was tightly banded for 4 days, light-banded for a week, then just the splint for 6 weeks. By the end of the 2nd week most everyone could understand me, and my mother swears she could understand be better then than now because I talk so fast now and I was talking really slow then. I agree with Jenn that it probably has something to do with muscle control more than anything, perhaps some bit about swelling too.

Definitely get a dry erase. I had one of those magnetic kids drawing versions, no idea where it came from, I think my godmother procured it.

Small funny, apparently with the splint and at 4 weeks post op I had a lisp and this is when classes started back at the law school. Well this guy who I hadn't met pre-surgery was describing this girl in his class (me) to some mutual friends and he was describing the "cute, kinda funny sounding lisp" or something. And they looked horrified at him, and explained, uh, you realize she just had jaw surgery, right?? He was MORTIFIED LOL

#5 Post by **JennX** » Wed May 07, 2008 6:33 pm

My bf (an engineeer) brought me the dry erase board... not sure where he got it, but he also got ahold of some velcro and fashioned some to the board and to the pen. I can't tell you how helpful this was!

BTW, I just got my cell phone bill for last month and went WAAAYY over my text messaging allotment. Oopsie. But I normally talk a LOT, and IM and text messaging were my saving graces.

#6 Post by **Emaciated** » Thu May 08, 2008 12:27 am

I was not understood by anyone while banded for 1-week and would affectionately spit on whomever I was attempting to speak to. Even my surgeon could not understand me. People would politely reply that "it was okay that I just spit on them, and oh and by the way, I had some bloody snot dripping out my nose that I should probably wipe up."

The moment the splint was removed I could speak clearly. Like others I carried a pen & paper which I used thoroughly.

#7 Post by **dubnobass** » Thu May 08, 2008 1:51 am

I was splinted for a week. They 'made' me talk in hospital but when I got home I switched to a white board for the first few days. After that, I tried to speak and if that couldn't be understood, used the whiteboard.
My speech got a bit better when the splint came out, but not much. I couldn't be easily understood for at least a month, and I don't think I got back to my usual pre-surgery speech for 3-4 months.

It was a combination of a stiff jaw that would only open by 1cm, a stiff tongue, and totally numb lower lip. My speech really didn't improve until I regained feeling in my lip. I'm not a great talker anyway, but became even less chatty than normal until I could speak normally again.

If you want to simulate what it will be like to speak in the immediate post-surgical period, clench your teeth and don't move your lips either. That'll be closer to the reality.

As for going to bars a week after surgery, you could if you felt like it but I'd imagine you won't - you'll still be swollen, very tired and possibly visibly bruised at that point.

#8 Post by **loulou123** » Thu May 08, 2008 1:16 pm

I only had lower jaw and wisdom tooth removal but i could talk ok right from the moment i woke up. I wasnt too clear during being banded shut, but could mostly make myself understood.

I didnt have a splint tho and could understand how this would make talking much harder.

#9 Post by **gumchewer** » Thu May 08, 2008 7:43 pm

I was splinted/wired shut for a month. I was relatively understandable by the end of the month, but in the first week or two, forget it. As soon as the wires and splint came out, I had tightish bands, and when I talked, it sounded like when I normally talk with clenched teeth. I think it was mostly the splint that made me difficult to understand.

#10 Post by **danielle1987** » Fri May 09, 2008 12:24 am

I had upper and lower jaw surgery as well and was wired shut for a month and a half. At times it was pretty difficult to speak, and I quickly learned how to "yell" on paper to my family members lol but after about 2 weeks maybe (I dont quite remember the specifics, I had my surgery more then two years ago) I was able to talk almost perfectly normal! I went back to work and school and aside from being a tad muffled, I was perfectly understandable.

The worst part of it all for me wasn't being wired, but being unable to eat because of it. After a while you learn to be creative and get things in there that satisfy your cravings... a blender is always a must, and I always found mashed potatoes with gravey blended up to be very tasty. Soup is always really good too, especially broccoli and cheese. and milk shakes from McDonalds lol. The food thing can be really frustrating, just dont forget that you can have pretty much ANYTHING mashed up in a blender, so dont forget to use your imagination! Good luck with everything

#11 Post by **danielle1987** » Fri May 09, 2008 12:31 am

oh and as for the bed ridden question... I was pretty well, I didn't go anywhere aside from work and school. I suppose after a couple weeks you could go out if you wanted to, but I doubt you would feel up to it. I know I constantly felt weak because of the liquid diet, and you will likely lose a lot of weight because if it. I was an exceptional case and forced my self to eat more then most, and I still lost 10 poinds.

I definetely would say no to the bar... in the case that you drink too much and have to throw up, well, you could choke on your own vomit.... they give you wire cutters and everything for these cases and try to reduce the liklihood of vomitting as much as possible because it could be dangerous.

#12 Post by **Rach** » Fri May 09, 2008 9:53 am

Firstly sorry if i cover what someone else has put -hadn't had time to read the replies.
I wasn't banded shut so I don't know what it is like from that point, but the reason I couldn't speak very well was because I was unable to open to open my mouth wide and it felt uncomfortable to pronounce words clearly as it meant moving my jaw more (obviously you would expect that after a jaw surgery!) I think the tightness also made it difficult. I did write down for a bit what I wanted to say but it got a bit annoying after a while. People do tend to understand what your saying if you speak clearly enough. Laughing is the worst though. I think about 4 days post-op I was watching something funny and just wanted to laugh but you can't open your mouth wide enough - very unsatisfying!
Wouldn't worry too much bout it though, you will want to do more sleeping than talking for the first few days

lol

Sat May 17, 2008 8:56 pm

i remember when my sis had her jaw surgery (she has pretty much the same identical problem with her teeth and jaw) she had trouble getting comfy for the first few days howeve she opted not to have the pain killers but she wished after it was to late that she could have them. She was stuck with using children tylenol so this could have been a major factor of her uncomfortableness.
For my jaw surgery I'm gonna use the pain killers and i tend to be very pain sensitive in my mouth and around that area.

I remember when my sis had her jaw surgery, she was wired and mumbled for quite a bit until she got used to the wires. It was a bit hard to understand her in the beginning but we eventually got used to the way she talked so we could fig out what she was saying. I hope people will be able to understand me. I tend to mumble right now without even realizing it so hopefully they will be able to understand me!