. I also am annoyed at having to write everything down. I am wired shut with splint, so even when I try to talk noone can understand me. All I have been eating is like ensure, soup, and milkshakes. So, I am definitly over that. My main complaint is that my face looks awful, I wish I could do something to make my swelling go down.August Buddies
Moderator: bbsadmin
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Jessica37769
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 7:36 pm
Well I am 5 days post op today. My face is still majorally swollen. It is tight and hard. I guess because it is swollen. I have been using the ice and then switched to heat, but it didnt seem to help, so I have been using ice. I wasn't sure how long i should do this, it may be pointless now, I am going to call the office tomorrow and ask them. I wish it would start going down, . I also am annoyed at having to write everything down. I am wired shut with splint, so even when I try to talk noone can understand me. All I have been eating is like ensure, soup, and milkshakes. So, I am definitly over that. My main complaint is that my face looks awful, I wish I could do something to make my swelling go down.
. I also am annoyed at having to write everything down. I am wired shut with splint, so even when I try to talk noone can understand me. All I have been eating is like ensure, soup, and milkshakes. So, I am definitly over that. My main complaint is that my face looks awful, I wish I could do something to make my swelling go down.Don't worry about the swelling, at 5 days post op I was still heavily swollen. I kept icing my face until the swelling went down. Took about 2 weeks for the swelling to go away for the most part, I'm still swollen but not like a chipmunk anymore. I look almost normal.
I also was wired shut and still am, it gets easier to talk as the swelling goes down. I can smile now and have more movement in my face muscles to make it easier. I was never numb on the outside though, just numb inside my mouth like my top gum line and cheeks, nothings changed there yet.
Good luck
I also was wired shut and still am, it gets easier to talk as the swelling goes down. I can smile now and have more movement in my face muscles to make it easier. I was never numb on the outside though, just numb inside my mouth like my top gum line and cheeks, nothings changed there yet.
Good luck
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WiredRunner
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:49 pm
- Location: Marietta, GA
At day 5 I was also still very swollen but like you I was expecting to see at least *some* improvement. It wasn't until day 8 that I could finally see and feel the swelling start to decrease (the first night I didn't have to wake myself up at 4am to take more pain meds was a great feeling!). I'm almost two weeks post-op and I still have a fair amount but it's definitely a huge improvement. I know these first few days are tough and they feel like they'll never end but they will and sooner than you think. Hang in there and keep icing.Jessica37769 wrote:Well I am 5 days post op today. My face is still majorally swollen. It is tight and hard. I guess because it is swollen. I have been using the ice and then switched to heat, but it didnt seem to help, so I have been using ice. I wasn't sure how long i should do this, it may be pointless now, I am going to call the office tomorrow and ask them. I wish it would start going down
Braced December 14, 2009
Debraced November 9, 2011
Debraced November 9, 2011
We saw Josh's surgeon for the last time yesterday before the big day on Monday, 8/16.
He hooked us up with a bag full of post-op goodies.
He took all the measurements and moulds of his mouth. He said he does the surgery on the moulds before he does the surgery in the operating room. He allowed 1 1/2 hours and it's done at an outpatient satellite office. Josh will stay over one night and share a nurse with only one other person. I thought that was really good! 2:1 nursing care? Of course, my husband and I will stay too.
He does the upper jaw first, wires it closed, then does the chin. He will not stay wired closed, but will be banded.
In the computer simulation, Josh will look *very* different. It was a bit shocking actually. Doc said it takes about 3 months for patients to become emotionally okay with their new look. We will stay positive and encouraging.
Now we just wait.
Josh's mom
He hooked us up with a bag full of post-op goodies.
He took all the measurements and moulds of his mouth. He said he does the surgery on the moulds before he does the surgery in the operating room. He allowed 1 1/2 hours and it's done at an outpatient satellite office. Josh will stay over one night and share a nurse with only one other person. I thought that was really good! 2:1 nursing care? Of course, my husband and I will stay too.
He does the upper jaw first, wires it closed, then does the chin. He will not stay wired closed, but will be banded.
In the computer simulation, Josh will look *very* different. It was a bit shocking actually. Doc said it takes about 3 months for patients to become emotionally okay with their new look. We will stay positive and encouraging.
Now we just wait.
Josh's mom
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braceface23
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:55 pm
Hey guys, i made it.. Ill get some pics up in a few days, overall the surgery was sucessfful, no long term nerve damage my OS said, I had trouble peeing at first and everytime I would get up I would get nauseaus and almost puke. Swallowing hurts really bad right now because of the tube they had down my throat and swallowing is really hard because I can't tongue thrust anymore... I'll find out the exact measurements that he moved me forward/ back tommorrow.. I can smell through my nose better then I ever could in my life yesterday, but I dont kow if things are sweling up more now because I dont seem to have that same sense of smell. Yesterday I was alot more " sick" and just out of it from the drugs, today i'm definately in " pain".
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braceface23
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:55 pm
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Jessica37769
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 7:36 pm
Congrats Braceface, you look great! Your much less swollen than I was. I feel for you and your pain. But I promise it goes by quickly.
I am 9 days post op and doing okay. My swelling is looking good, but I did have a set back last night. I got sick and threw up and in this process my splint moved and my teeth are in a different position. My dad called and the oral surgeon called us back and said to try to deal with the pain and leave the splint alone, just in case of damage. He said that if I got sick again to just cut the wires and take the splint out, but thankfully it did not resort to that. I am going in a couple hours for him to move the splint back in place, I am just hoping there was no damage and everything is fine. I had been planning on going to my teacher programs registration tomorrow, but after this I am not sure. I would have to drive 2 hours, so we will see. I think my biggest complaint is I am hungry. I need more of a variety to eat. I have lost about 15 pounds so far, so I really need to try to take in more calories. My parenets have been fixing me plenty to eat, but I can only eat a little at a time, so I need to work on that!
Anyways Josh's Mom Good Luck!!!! It is a big surgery for such a young boy, but I know your family will get through it with flying colors and he willl be very happy! I also was in a room with a nurse, and the room was split and when i left I noticed that there was someone on the other side, but I could not see him, so that was good. He was older and I think he had some kind of knee surgery. I hope my moaning during that first night didnt bother him too bad, I didnt even know there was anyone elce in there. The nurses were great and really helped and comforted me. So good luck!!
Hows everyone elce doing?
I am 9 days post op and doing okay. My swelling is looking good, but I did have a set back last night. I got sick and threw up and in this process my splint moved and my teeth are in a different position. My dad called and the oral surgeon called us back and said to try to deal with the pain and leave the splint alone, just in case of damage. He said that if I got sick again to just cut the wires and take the splint out, but thankfully it did not resort to that. I am going in a couple hours for him to move the splint back in place, I am just hoping there was no damage and everything is fine. I had been planning on going to my teacher programs registration tomorrow, but after this I am not sure. I would have to drive 2 hours, so we will see. I think my biggest complaint is I am hungry. I need more of a variety to eat. I have lost about 15 pounds so far, so I really need to try to take in more calories. My parenets have been fixing me plenty to eat, but I can only eat a little at a time, so I need to work on that!
Anyways Josh's Mom Good Luck!!!! It is a big surgery for such a young boy, but I know your family will get through it with flying colors and he willl be very happy! I also was in a room with a nurse, and the room was split and when i left I noticed that there was someone on the other side, but I could not see him, so that was good. He was older and I think he had some kind of knee surgery. I hope my moaning during that first night didnt bother him too bad, I didnt even know there was anyone elce in there. The nurses were great and really helped and comforted me. So good luck!!
Hows everyone elce doing?
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Jessica37769
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 7:36 pm
So I went back to the oral surgeon to get the splint repositioned and he decided to just leave it out!!!! Yeah!!! As long as I promised not to chew, so I am super happy that all that happened! He said that everything looked great and very stable, so he left it out. It is so great talking!!!
yeah, I am unsure about my look too, but just like you the oral surgeon says its perfect! So we will see when the swelling goes down!
10 days post op
yeah, I am unsure about my look too, but just like you the oral surgeon says its perfect! So we will see when the swelling goes down!
10 days post op
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aliciaj212
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 2:35 am
- Contact:
hello, everyone
Hi, everyone.
I'm currently five days post-op (went under Aug. 11) and am having the most difficult time right now. I think part of the difficulty stems from my decision to have the operation in Seoul, South Korea, away from my hometown, friends, a lot of my family members. I only have my mom here to keep me company, and I think it's bringing down my morale as of late, which makes me so glad to have found this place. I drew a lot of strength last night (when I couldn't sleep due to the pain) from reading other people's accounts of their surgeries.
When I went under, I didn't bleed that much, and I didn't throw up post-op. However, my face is still swollen and hasn't really reduced that much since the op. In fact, I feel like it grew bigger yesterday.
What's really making me irritated is that all of the medications they've put me on have the consistency of milk of magnesia. As a result, I keep throwing up phlegm every few hours. I'm scared that I'm going to bust open my stitches or that I'm going to seriously move my splint to a point where I won't be able to readjust it. (This has happened once today, and I was seriously freaked out. I nearly went back to the hospital.)
I know that everyone says that what I feel right now is nothing in comparison to having a future of good eating, but I can't help lamenting over my state right now. I just wish I could get a good night's sleep. Someone posted that they weren't able to sleep until the 8th day. What's everyone else's experiences with this so far? Thank you so much for your replies.
I'm currently five days post-op (went under Aug. 11) and am having the most difficult time right now. I think part of the difficulty stems from my decision to have the operation in Seoul, South Korea, away from my hometown, friends, a lot of my family members. I only have my mom here to keep me company, and I think it's bringing down my morale as of late, which makes me so glad to have found this place. I drew a lot of strength last night (when I couldn't sleep due to the pain) from reading other people's accounts of their surgeries.
When I went under, I didn't bleed that much, and I didn't throw up post-op. However, my face is still swollen and hasn't really reduced that much since the op. In fact, I feel like it grew bigger yesterday.
What's really making me irritated is that all of the medications they've put me on have the consistency of milk of magnesia. As a result, I keep throwing up phlegm every few hours. I'm scared that I'm going to bust open my stitches or that I'm going to seriously move my splint to a point where I won't be able to readjust it. (This has happened once today, and I was seriously freaked out. I nearly went back to the hospital.)
I know that everyone says that what I feel right now is nothing in comparison to having a future of good eating, but I can't help lamenting over my state right now. I just wish I could get a good night's sleep. Someone posted that they weren't able to sleep until the 8th day. What's everyone else's experiences with this so far? Thank you so much for your replies.
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indecisive1
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:11 am
Hi AliciaJ212. I know exactly how you feel but hang in there, it definitely does get better. At 5 days post op I remember thinking the same thing and questioning my decision to go ahead with this surgery. What I learnt however was how much I took my health for granted. As an active, independent person I found it extremely frustrating to have to depend on others so much. As for the medicine, I was given children's nurofen which I swear is so sweet it makes you want to gag. Sleeping as you said was dreadful. I had to sleep propped up on 3 pillows and I would wake up each morning with a stiff neck, sore back and of course all the other pain associated with the jaw surgery. Someone had posted that you see a real improvement at around 6 - 8 weeks and although it feels so far away, it is true. I was able to sleep on my side again at 4 weeks but it still felt uncomfortable and I was so scared that I would do some damage to my jaw...silly really. At 6 weeks I felt even better and now at 8 weeks going on 9 I feel fantastic. The first couple of weeks post op, although torturous are like a blur. "Chin up" and hang in there, I promise, promise you it does get better and you will look back on this and wonder why you ever questioned yourself!!!
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Jessica37769
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 7:36 pm
Hi Alicia. I am 10 days post op and I know exactly how you feel last week at about 5 days post op, I had the same feelings that you are having. Now, only 5 days later I feel 100 percent better all together and about the surgery. You just have to remember that every day you will improve and a week can make a world of difference. I actually did move my splint by throwing up and the oral surgeon just decided to keep it out, which was good for me, but i was very worried at the time. Just remember that you will improve and you will be so happy you done the surgery! Good luck to you!