Questions for all you Lower Jaw Surgery Survivors

[elliew]

Now this isn't meant to be discriminatory
So anyone is free to answer. These are some things I would
love to get a feel for.

1) Did you stay overnight in the hospital? If you did was it planned? If you went home....how long total were you in the hospital? Did you feel ready to go home?


2) How long were you in recovery room?


3) what meds were you given in recovery to help with the pain? Did you get a pump? What scripts did you take home?



4) Did your OS make any incisions to the outside of your face? If so, how many times and where?


5) Did you have a drainage bag?


6) Did you have a bandage when you left the hospital? Any bands or elastics?


7) How has your sleeping been? Do you notice any difference in your breathing when you are Laying down?


OK if anyone has any others....feel free. I will cut and paste and answer first.

thanks
be well
Ellie the new insomniac!!!

[elliew]

1) Did you stay overnight in the hospital? If you did was it planned? If you went home....how long total were you in the hospital? Did you feel ready to go home?

No, I did not stay at the hospital. My OS stated his patients that were doing just lower were considered day patients. No overnights. I arrived at the hospital at 6am and left at 4pm. So, ten hours total including the 2 hour surgery. I really was not ready to go home. I was glad to be home, but it was a horrible night. My DH was amazing, but he is not a nurse.


2) How long were you in recovery room?
The recovery room was probably the toughest for me. I woke up around 9:30am with an excruciating pain on my left cheekbone, close to the nose.
I kept trying to ice it, but the nurses kept putting the ice back on the jaw line. Someone finally got me another pack for the front of my face. I don't know what drugs were given in recovery, but they needed to be stronger. I was in there until maye 12 or so (kind of foggy,,,cuz I was by myself) I remember asking and asking for more medication for the pain. They finally told me I basically had all I could get because I was going home????? I felt like I was imposing on the nurses and they thought I was a baby. Not plesant. One even said, "Your going to look so beautiful"
In a tone that annoyed me. Like it was purely cosmetic!!!!! I remember slurring back something about my bite, and grinding away my teeth! They called the doctor about the pain under the eye (sinus area) and he said something like....its normal. Overall, I felt as if I had a expiration time in the recovery room, and I had exceeded it. I don't think that is right.


3) what meds were you given in recovery to help with the pain? Did you get a pump? What scripts did you take home?

I don't know what pain med was given in the recovery room, but it was given through the IV. When I left and went back to day surgery area, they switched me to hydrocodone (sp) pill form. WHAT? I still had the IV in and they wanted me to swish back this pill. I can't feel my face!!!!! The nurse did cut it into fourths! Boy, did I gag and have a difficult time getting those suckers down. They did nothing for the pain...so I asked for more. They actually had to call the doctor to see if I could have more pain meds. Am I crazy here or do you get pain med if you are in PAIN?????
Take home (all in pill form) antibiotic, swelling agent, stool softner, more hydrocodone.
The hydrocodone has been replaced by percocet. Having to take it regularly or pain is severe~



4) Did your OS make any incisions to the outside of your face? If so, how many times and where?

Two incisions....one on each cheek, low down near the jawline. They each have a stich,,,I think. But I have these strange cuts on the tops of my cheekbones....like little puncture wounds?



5) Did you have a drainage bag?
Nope. Think this was a mistake because night of surgery (otherwise know as Night of Hell) I threw up tons and tons of blood. Really sick for hours and hours. I think the bag would have helped? If you were me...would you ask your surgeon about this?




6) Did you have a bandage when you left the hospital? Any bands or elastics?

I had a bandage. It was to stay in place for three days. I guess it was a pressure wrap. Underneath were the thingys that covered the incisons.
No elastics or bands.


7) How has your sleeping been? Do you notice any difference in your breathing when you are Laying down?


Pretty crappy! This has been bad. Not sleeping at all maybe 2 hours a night. I have to continue to take the pain meds at night, but I don't get groggy. I am also having full body spasms...when I am trying to go to sleep. Its like my whole body got shocked! Freaky....I usually sleep really well.


*also are you rinsing with warm salt water? I do, but I was wondering how often ?

[mp921]

1) Did you stay overnight in the hospital? If you did was it planned? If you went home....how long total were you in the hospital? Did you feel ready to go home?
Yes, I stayed in the hospital overnight. It was planned. I had to be at the hospital at 5:15 a.m. on the morning of surgery but surgery wasn't until around 7:15 a.m. I wasn't actually admitted until surgery was over and they assigned me a room. I was discharged around 8 a.m. the next morning.

2) How long were you in recovery room?
Not sure but I'm thinking maybe an hour?

3) what meds were you given in recovery to help with the pain? Did you get a pump? What scripts did you take home?
Throughout my hospital stay I had a morphine pump and was also given torodal every 6 hours in my iv. Also given antibiotics & decadron periodically in iv. Initially I was given Tylox for home pain relief and was instructed to take Motrin in addition. I was also given Amoxicillan liquid antibiotic. Later had to add phenergan, zofran when phenergan didn't help, clindamycin for infection I developed, flexaril for muscle spasms & then ativan for sleep. Oh my!

4) Did your OS make any incisions to the outside of your face? If so, how many times and where?
No outside incisions. Everything was done inside the mouth.

5) Did you have a drainage bag?
Nope.

6) Did you have a bandage when you left the hospital? Any bands or elastics?
My OS removed the pressure bandage that was wrapped around my head (for swelling) the morning I was discharged. I wasn't wired shut. Woke up in recovery with really tight surgical elastics and he loosened the configuration before sending me home the next morning.

7) How has your sleeping been? Do you notice any difference in your breathing when you are Laying down?
Sleeping was extremely difficult for about the first 3 weeks. A combination of the swelling, stiffness, pain and everything else (ha) made it hard to get comfortable and rest. Plus, you are supposed to sleep propped up a bit on your back for a few weeks and this was not comfortable for me.

[mp921]

I forgot to answer your last question...

I did not use salt water. I was given a prescription mouthwash to use twice a day.

[SuperJet]

I forgot to answer your last question...

I did not use salt water. I was given a prescription mouthwash to use twice a day.

what mouthwash did he have you use??

[redspecial]

) Did you stay overnight in the hospital? If you did was it planned? If you went home....how long total were you in the hospital? Did you feel ready to go home? One night pre-planned. Arrived at 7:15 for 9:30 am surgery, left the following day at 9:45 am. I definiately wanted to go home, nurses never offered me anything to drink and were pretty stingy on giving ice so I was glad to get out of there

2) How long were you in recovery room? 2 hours, I think


3) what meds were you given in recovery to help with the pain? Did you get a pump? What scripts did you take home? I was promised a pain pump but when I woke up there was not one. I given some pain and anti-nausea medicine thru an IV. My presciptions were for penicilian (nasty stuff made me sick), mouth wash and Tylenol w/codiene.


4) Did your OS make any incisions to the outside of your face? If so, how many times and where? NO


5) Did you have a drainage bag? No, had a syphon, just like at the dentist office. I needed to suck the blood and saliva out of my mouth every few minutes. This actually kept me quite busy at the hospital.


6) Did you have a bandage when you left the hospital? Any bands or elastics? Like a previous post, I had bandages that were around my head for swelling that was removed before I left the hospital. I also had a thick bandage type material on my chin for 10 days-because I also had my chin advanced.

7) How has your sleeping been? Do you notice any difference in your breathing when you are Laying down? Because I was told to take medication every 6 hours I kinda got my days and nights screwed up, meaning lots of naps but also being awake in the middle of the night. I had no problems getting to sleep. The first few nights I slept in a recliner, and did not lay down.


Hope this helps........

[mp921]

what mouthwash did he have you use??

Prescription chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash. After about a week he said I could use Listerine in between but I was afraid to.

[mp921]

what mouthwash did he have you use??

Prescription chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash. After about a week he said I could use Listerine in between but I was afraid to.

[soleil4716]

[quote="elliew"]Now this isn't meant to be discriminatory
So anyone is free to answer. These are some things I would
love to get a feel for.

1) Did you stay overnight in the hospital? If you did was it planned? If you went home....how long total were you in the hospital? Did you feel ready to go home?

Yes, and it was planned and approved by my insurance long ahead of the date. I arrived at 6am, surgery was at 7:30am and left the next day at 11am. I felt ready to go home and they made sure I was able to walk on my own before discharging me.


2) How long were you in recovery room?

Hmm, not sure. May be an hour or two.

3) what meds were you given in recovery to help with the pain? Did you get a pump? What scripts did you take home?

I had a Morphine pump which I used often in the first few hours. After 2pm I stopped using it. I had saline IV the whole time I was in the hospital. They also injected some antibiotics and anti-inflammation drugs.

My home medicines are: cleosin (antibiotic, liquid, 4 times daily)
mouth rinse (chlorhexidine gluconate, twice daily)
hydrocodone (for pain, have not used it yet, hopefully will recover without this)

I did take some Tylenol Sore Throat the first three days to ward off the sore throat issue and some fever. So far avoided that on the 4th day.

I take Miralax on a daily basis for regularity and I continued on that but a lower dose since most of the food is already liquid.

4) Did your OS make any incisions to the outside of your face? If so, how many times and where?

Once incision on each side. This was pre-planned. They have stiches and those will be cut on first post-op visit.


5) Did you have a drainage bag?

No. I did that a hand-held sucker to suck out blood/saliva from the mouth. Used it sparingly. My bleeding stopped in about 20 hours. You do not want too much blood in your stomach since that can make you throw up.


6) Did you have a bandage when you left the hospital? Any bands or elastics?

Yes, took the bandage off after a couple of days. I have some bands in. Hope the OS will remove them during the visit next Wed.


7) How has your sleeping been? Do you notice any difference in your breathing when you are Laying down?

OS asked me to sleep upright for the first five days to reduce swelling. Trying to do that with bunch of pillows. Not an easy thing to do.

Sleeping has been OK, but not more than 2-3 hours at a strech. First day I slept an hour and woke up the next. It is a little better now. I see weird nightmares because of all the medication I guess.

Hope this helps...

[elliew]

wow. thanks everybody. it is so interesting to see all the different way
this surgery is handled. I guess it is so up to the OS. My OD loves this
particular surgeon (sent her x-hubby) and I love my OD. There is just so much different in each case. I wonder why some people have incisions on the outside and some don't? Does that have anything to do with having bands after the surgery? Why do some places keep you overnight and others do strictly day? I love to ask questions......

take care and I hope everyone is doing well?!
ellie