12 Hours Post-Op

Message

#16 Post by **Munkys Girl** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:29 am

Wow, you look great! The swelling seems to be going down really quickly. My boyfriend's having the same surgery just before Christmas so it's encouraging to see the pics, thanks. Just wondering if you have a before photo? How tightly banded have you been for this first week, do you have much movement and can you talk ok?

#17 Post by **brendan** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:14 am

any profile and/or before pics?

#18 Post by **bstndance** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:01 pm

Oh i'll have to scan some profile before pics.
Went to the OS today for my first post-op. He took off the bands and has me open a little. I was sooooooo careful because I didn't want to break anything.

He graduated me to soft foods and no chewing. He replaced the millions of rubberbands in my mouth with just two that I can change out. He said they only come out for three things (eating, cleaning and mouth exercises 3 times a day).

I went to the store on my way home and bought mashed potatoes, jello, pudding, soup with rice, cream of wheat, yogurt, mac-n-cheese (I plan on smashing the pasta before boiling). Tomorrow I head back to work. I'm thinking of getting a bean and cheese burrito for lunch and just eating the insides. It's going to look gross but I really don't care. hehehe

#19 Post by **Lushpulp** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 5:19 pm

yeah who cares if it looks gross, bet it will taste really good after an all liquid diet.

#20 Post by **bstndance** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:55 pm

End of Day 7. Swelling went down A LOT today. Just some left in the cheeks really. Eating was a lot more work that I expected. I'm going to use my chest bruises as an excuse not to dress up for work this week

hehehe

#21 Post by **phil** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:58 pm

You are doing great! Keep up the good work.

Be well, and at peace,

Phil

#22 Post by **Lushpulp** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 6:00 am

you going back to work only a week after surgery?

#23 Post by **bstndance** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:17 pm

9 days post-op. No new picture yet. Swelling actually increased a little on my left side but it's no big deal. I've been finding ways of making almost anything a soft, no-chew food.

Mouth exercises are going well. Today I was able to get my baby toothbrush all the way back and clean the tops of my molars!

I'll keep workin away.

I miss my mom being here to take care of me. Now I have to do my own dishes

#24 Post by **bstndance** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 10:48 am

Here's a pic 5 years pre-op. My open bite is obvious. My underbite is kind of disguised in the bright white and my teeth were making up for the underbite. Sorry for the poor quality. It's an inkjet printout that was scanned.

I've noticed I'm more swollen on one side of my face than the other. EEerrr. I'm sure it will all clear up. I've graduated to an adult too brush for the most part. I can't clean the tops of my back molars with it yet. However, I'm sure I will reach that goal by Monday.

#25 Post by **theKurp** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:12 am

I'm going to hypothesize here but perhaps it's the fact that we don't employ the incisors the way nature intended that causes our teeth to shift to a V pattern.

I.e., we tend to cut up our food with forks and knives instead of using our incisors to rip the food up into smaller pieces before sending them to the molars for mastication.

Again, just a theory.

#26 Post by **bstndance** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 12:00 pm

Day 11:

Looks like swelling went up a little on my left side. I've also included pictures of my smile and how wide I can open. It's just less than two fingers but my goal is to get there by Monday. My jaw joint is clicking when I open. I hope this goes away. I never had a problem with clicking before.

Anyone else have yawning fits when exercising their jaw?

#27 Post by **bstndance** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:02 pm

14 days post-op. Today i have a little pain and a little swelling on my left side. The same side that has been slow to go down.

I'm hoping this is all part of the process.

I'm starting to hit my normal routine. I went to the gym last night and did some very light cardio (since i can't open my mouth to breathe) and some light weights. Nothing too crazy. Hoping to do Yoga on Thursday.

My ROM has kinda stopped at two fingers. I'll keep working it. I suspect that it's hard to get much more when I'm still closed 90% of the time.

#28 Post by **rty7186** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:52 pm

I had my surgery about a week after you. It looks like we are on the same pace as far as healing. Do you have the swelling inside your cheeks? I do and it seems if I might bite my cheeks but never do. How about you? Good luck on your continued recovery!

#29 Post by **bstndance** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:58 pm

Yes. I had swelling inside. But as the giant unstitched gashes in my mouth heal, the swelling went down. For the first week, I couldn't open so no biting. I notice i bite my lip more now.

#30 Post by **bstndance** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:08 pm

Ugghh, still only 2 fingers ROM. I'm soooo impatient. I keep having this fear that that's all I'm ever going to open

hahaha