November Buddies

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#121 Post by **schwin** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 6:29 pm

I'm going in for lower jaw on Monday...nervous guys! Looks like I'm getting over 6k balance billed to me. No in-network doctors!

#122 Post by **Rodney008** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 7:18 pm

I went to work after two weeks and have been exhausted each day. Today was a good day and I'm 3 weeks post op now.

#123 Post by **schwin** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 8:56 pm

Sorry to hear Rodney, but I still think that's a really quick recovery! I just got a laptop so hopefully I have the power to work from home for two or so weeks.

Rodney008 wrote:I went to work after two weeks and have been exhausted each day. Today was a good day and I'm 3 weeks post op now.

#124 Post by **Dani73** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 4:35 am

Hey guys

schwin - GL on Monday

Izzy - I go back to work Monday.

AFM - the swelling is slowly going down. I managed to smile last week, though I look a bit 'crazy' when I smile. Yesterday I had quite a bad day in regards to pain - it's mainly in my back molars. It felt like the back rings I have on them were really digging into the gums. But I think it's more to do with the nerves healing as i was getting alot of stabbing pain throughout my face.

Today as well I have alot of fluid in my ears. If I have my face facing down, it moves to a more comfortable position. But the problem with have my face facing down in the pressure builds up in my jaw. So it's a no win situation - nothing better than hearing yourself breathe

lol.

Hi to everyone else.

#125 Post by **elizabeth109** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 12:39 pm

Hi everyone!

It is Day 7 for me. Went for my second post-op checkup with my surgeon and got two minutes with him and the rest of the time with a 1st year resident

Oh well...he is such a great surgeon I can cut him some slack! I asked them in detail abt how long I have to have the stent in (2-4 weeks whatt??) and abt the numbness in my chin and lower lip (a few weeks, with overwhelming majority coming back within the first 3 months). They took some x-rays and said my bite and the x-rays were excellent. Everyone keeps saying how awesome my bite is now that I feel like I should win some award or somethin.

I still have a LOT of swelling and people who've seen me so far say so too so I know it's not just me. I look like I gained about 40 pounds and grew younger by 5 years. Been taking bromelain, l-glutamine and zinc religiously everyday but I think the swelling could be because I simply refuse to sleep upright. I don't know how ppl do it - sleeping upright for days, even weeks!! I started lying flat on my pillow from Day 3.

I also hate the way I speak. I mumble and lisp and spit at people and I'm a naturally expressive person so this lack of verbal communication and/or facial expression is REALLY hard to adjust to!! Hopefully when the swelling goes down, the stent is gone and the rubber bands are gone I will go back to normal...

#126 Post by **Van'braces** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 9:00 pm

Hi Everyone!
Im due to get sarpe and my wisdom teeth removed on Friday. I just had the RPE fitted this morning and its a little annoying. Im producing a lot of saliva and slurring my words! Im nervous about the surgery/afterwards I hate the idea of feeling nauseous... Hope everyone's doing well!

#127 Post by **Rodney008** » Thu Nov 25, 2010 8:42 am

Elizabeth, I know sleeping upright stinks but if you can it will really make a difference. I slept upright, in a recliner, for 3 straight weeks and just now starting laying flat. I'd say about 95% of my swelling is gone. I didn't do anything but this to help with the swelling, with the exception of using ice those first couple of days. Also, don't blow your nose or you'll really swell up. You can sniff but don't blow. Best of luck!

#128 Post by **elizabeth109** » Thu Nov 25, 2010 8:58 am

Rodney - wow, 3 weeks on a recliner. My hat off to you! The thing is, I just cannot sleep with any kind of incline, I don't know why. Through all my years of plane travel I've never been able to sleep a wink, even in first class. Even lying down I have enough trouble sleeping...
BUT I'm going to try lifting my head as high as possible, since it does seem to really help with the swelling. No wonder I am still so puffy after 8 days!

#129 Post by **foxparadox** » Thu Nov 25, 2010 2:49 pm

I had SARPE and 1 wisdom tooth extraction on November 8th.

#130 Post by **sauerkraut** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 10:38 am

Izzy1979 wrote:sauerkraut - I was browsing throught the thread and saw your post about having an open bite now. I remember you were in the same situation as me as far as advancing one vs 2 jaws. Did he say if this is happening because you did only lower? And what do they call "open bite"? Cause both my surgeon and ortho think things look good, but my further back molars and 1/2 the one in front still dont touch when I bite down - is that similar to you?
Overall happy with my decision as far as esthetic goes, even if I still sometimes wonder - what if? - how about you?

Dani, I think if they'd done my top jaw it would only have been impaction (shoving the teeth up a bit) rather than moving the jaw forward.

My ortho didn't seem too bothered about the open bite. He seemed to think it's quite common especially when you've had a splint, apparently. But yes, like you my teeth don't quite touch when I bite down. It's more at the front than the back. And in fact I think it's already nearly been resolved by the heavy-duty elastics I've been wearing.

Aesthetically I can't say I've noticed any difference in my appearance at all so far! But I wasn't that bothered about looks anyway, and I'm very glad I didn't have the upper jaw done as well. I wanted to keep my recovery as simple as possible

#131 Post by **sauerkraut** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 2:44 pm

^^ PS I meant Izzy, of course, sorry! I got distracted!

Welcome to the newbies

-- Foxparadox, I'm a SARPE survivor too. I actually found my SARPE recovery tougher than BSSO. Hope it's going well for you.

-- Elizabeth, yes sleeping upright really does help. I still prop myself up on 3 pillows and my swelling is hardly noticeable any more. I agree it's not too comfortable though. I normally sleep on my side but that doesn't work at the moment of course. Are you still having problems with your diet? In hospital they started me out on loads of beef broth which I would never normally eat but I'd have thought you can get your meat protein from that. If you've got a good blender you can also blend meals with meat that's been cooked quite soft.

-- Vanbraces, hope all went well. Being sick was what I dreaded most, too. Hope you managed to avoid it.

-- schwin, all the best for Monday.

Greetings to all the other November-ites too. I'm very impressed at those of you who are working such long hours already. I'm finding it tiring enough just preparing for a kid's birthday party tomorrow

#132 Post by **elizabeth109** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 8:06 pm

Sauerkraut - thanks for the sleeping tip! I bought a reclining pillow and trying to sleep on that...but in the middle of the night I find myself getting fed up and just rolling onto my side

Oh well..trying is better than nothing! I've been drinking a lot of soup (fish, pork, chicken, etc.) with no blended meat in it, just the soup the meat has been cooked in, and the rest of my family eat the meat. Or I've been blending a lot of peas and beans.

Now it's strange that food-wise, whenever I'm hungry, since I can't chew or open my mouth for even soft foods, my mind would just veer towards "sweet" or "salty." It really boils down to these two tastes. It's no longer...oh, I want baked ziti or pumpkin pie or french fries, it's "does my tongue desire something sweet or salty?" Haha...

I also had a breakdown last night and this morning. Finally. I thought I would freak out the days leading up to surgery; instead, I was very upbeat and I even walked into the operating room with a smile on my face, nervous but excited. I thought after surgery I would be breaking down with the pain and the hardships, but instead I was very stoic and collected and took everything in but rarely wanted to worry others with my struggles. I've been so cooperative and stable that I've shocked myself. Well, I cried loads and loads. A guest at Thanksgiving dinner accidentally elbowed my jaw and I heard a distinct click and the inside of my right cheek immediately swelled up. I freaked out. Then today I had a sudden nosebleed, a gush of fresh blood coming out from nowhere. I think it's triggered by my crying all night, so hopefully a blood vessel just broke and nothing more serious. I've been calling my surgeon all day today and bothering him with my calls/emails but since it's the holiday he is only on call, no one is in the office...what an inconvenient time to have an issue! I just felt like the floodgates finally broke and I vented all of the stress and fear and everything I've been through the past 2 weeks...

Anyway...sorry for the long post, anyone else want to share their emotional breakdown experiences or sudden nosebleed episodes?

#133 Post by **schwin** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:45 pm

Thanks for the support. I'm going under in 14 hours!

#134 Post by **Dani73** » Mon Nov 29, 2010 2:15 am

GL Schwin

Elizabeth - I think I would have had a breakdown as well if someone had of elbowed me in the jaw. Hope you are feeling better.

sauerkraut - you had me confused there for a minute - I couldn't remember typing any of that and thought the drugs might have played tricks on me LOL

Hey to everyone else.

I had to see my surgeon today as I'm having alot of problems with the fluid on my ears and also started to get pain just on the right side of my jaw and into my throat. He's not sure on what is causing it all, so I'm off to my GP tomorrow to see what she can do to help - I'm hoping it's not the start of the flu. I also have my appointment with the ortho tomorrow who will remove my surgical wires and hooks and hopefully adjust the elastics as well.

I'm still swollen and still looking like I'm storing nuts for winter (if it was winter over here), but I'm bit over aching in the face all the time. Everyone keeps on telling me it's only been 4 weeks (tomorrow anyway) and to give it a bit more time. But even just a little bit of a break from the aching would be nice and my nose to unblock.

I was given the go ahead from the surgeon today to gently blow my nose and also that I can lay flat - so that should help with the sleeping issues. I've also noticed more movement in my lips and my smile is showing more teeth, but I still look like a crazy lady when I do lol

Sorry it's a downer post, but I'm a bit over it today.

#135 Post by **sauerkraut** » Mon Nov 29, 2010 6:17 am

Dani -- sorry for the confusion. I can't even blame it on the meds since I'm not taking any any more. Hope the appointments go well and you start feeling better soon.

Elizabeth -- ouch. Hope you feel better soon.

Schwin -- thinking of you!

Hi to everyone else