February 2011 Buddies!!!

[suzanna]

Suzanna-

good luck----it's hard when we are the patients---I found that out after my surgery.....it's funny how you just "know stuff" when you work/worked at a hospital....I also found out, sometimes ignorance is bliss!! I also have a much better appreciation for my postop patients--when they describe their pain, and how crappy they really feel, ect.

Best of luck,
Christine

Thanks!! I know I should be sleeping by now but I can't!! LOL

I read through some of your old posts and saw you're a physiotherapist, when are you planning on going back to work? I know physio is a tough job too, especially when dealing with post-op patients.

[DRG]

Good luck Suzanna! (I do realize this post is coming quite a few hours late). Can't wait to hear that everything went smoothly and that you are recovering.

DRG

[I love my teeth]

hey Suzanna!

Yes, I am a physio, licensed in the US, we were transferred to Canada in 2008 for my husband's work and I was unable to get licensed here. So, I haven't worked since we left the US, I have maintained my license while we've been here. We are scheduled to return to the US in April 2011, so I MAY go back to work after we return and get settled--probably not til fall at the earliest. My kids are 6 and 10, so my priority when we return will be getting them settled in school, ect. I would imagine I wouldn't be going back for at least 6 weeks though, if I was currently working....I tell you, just being in a crowded place with the kids (like a hockey locker room full of 6 year olds, or 50 first graders at a school dance last night) I am nervous that I would get bumped in the face.....how long will you be off work, I thought maybe from your posts you were a nurse??

hope surgery went well, where are you at? US or elsewhere??

best of luck for a smooth recovery!
Christine

[suzanna]

Thank You DRG. I prett much slept all of yesterday and overnight, pain isn't too bad, it's more aches from all the pressure. My nurse last night was really nice and was keeping up on my pain meds about every hour. The anesthetist told me I'd have a breathing tube throughout my nose but my throat really started hurting last night, it's very very uncomfortable to swallow so that's making it really difficult to get fluids done.

i love my teeth - yes I'm a nurse, I work on a heavy ortho/spine unit so I don't anticipate on going back to work for at least 6-8 weeks. I live in Ontario, about an hour southwest of Toronto.

[I love my teeth]

Suzanna-

I had the nose tube too, but my throat was uncomfortable for days afterwards....so that seems consistent with me! We are in Vancouver, BC now, but we are from the Detroit area (which is where we'll move back to), so I am sure I've driven through close to you I know the route from Detroit to Buffalo, NY too well (I went to college near Buffalo!!)

Hang in there, the first 7 days were the worst for me, especially days 3-5....after that it gets better! try to get your calories in, it will make you feel better for sure!!

Christine

[canthandlethetooth]

My swelling has gone down a lot now and is not that visible unless you have really close look. My bottom lip is still quite swollen and inside my mouth is quite crowded with swollen flesh still.
I'm dutifully wearing the elastics although when I change them for fresh ones the discomfort comes back at a high level although once they have stretched and I suppose my teeth and jaw have moved a bit things get a lot better.
I'm eating a lot better now especially since I stopped using that damn mouthwash which made my mouth so sore and swallowing such a torture - I just use Listerine instead.
Any discomfort I have at the moment is in the main due to the sensation trying to return to my chin which is about half an hour of weird and unpleasant throbbing. It's throbbing right now

One thing that I did do, and this dates back from the time I had my wisdom teeth out, is that the hospital recommends in the early part of the recovery to rinse your mouth out with warm salty water, and I supplement this with the following. With food and gunk just getting into all the spaces which no amount swilling will shift, I got a bottle of Pearl Drops, emptied out the contents and then used it with warm water as a sort jet wash to blast the food out the spaces before doing the swilling. This doesn't replace cleaning - it just a pre-clean procedure. The bottle retains a slight minty taste as well

[suzanna]

So just an update,

I was discharged from the hospital on Saturday just after 6pm. I could have stayed one more night if I wanted to but I really just wanted to get home. My twin sister is a nurse as well so I knew she would take good care of me. Pain hasn't been too too bad. i have been getting LOTS of sleep. I wake up mostly from pressure, especially to my upper sinuses, which has been giving me a constant headache since Friday night. Cold face clothes on my eyes, children's liquid Tylenol, and darkness/quiet seen to help settle it down. I'm trying to keep up on all my meds but I'm sure I'm not drinking enough fluid, it's just so hard to swallow still with all the swelling in my mouth and cheeks. I really hope that starts to go down soon. I've been sleeping in my living room propped up by pillows, also with a humidifier so my throat doesn't get to dry. I just wish I could fast foward these next few days or just sleep right through them lol!

[I love my teeth]

Suzanna-

I hear you about fast forwarding---the first week is rough, but it does get better after that! Just think you should be turning the corner by the weekend!!

I am 4weeks post op today.....mostly myself, but still I tire easily--which is sooo frustrating! I did a lot of cooking and baking this weekend, which was more than I've been doing, did some heavy bathroom cleaning, and I am sleeping pretty good at night now, I was off the heavy pain meds by day 2, just motrin round the clock, but I've not taken that in a while either...like someone else commented, I still have a lot of swelling inside my mouth, numbness is still there...so although I look normal, I don't feel normal....chewing seemed a little bit easier this weekend too

Here's to the week flying by for you!!

Christine

[suzanna]

Suzanna-

I hear you about fast forwarding---the first week is rough, but it does get better after that! Just think you should be turning the corner by the weekend!!

I am 4weeks post op today.....mostly myself, but still I tire easily--which is sooo frustrating! I did a lot of cooking and baking this weekend, which was more than I've been doing, did some heavy bathroom cleaning, and I am sleeping pretty good at night now, I was off the heavy pain meds by day 2, just motrin round the clock, but I've not taken that in a while either...like someone else commented, I still have a lot of swelling inside my mouth, numbness is still there...so although I look normal, I don't feel normal....chewing seemed a little bit easier this weekend too

Here's to the week flying by for you!!

Christine

Thanks Chrstine!

I'm still taking the codeine, probably about every 5-6hrs or so along with the toradol. I can't wait till I'm done with all the meds because they are such a hassle to get down. The codeine tastes nasty! Yuck! I've moved on from ice packs to heat packs today. I feel like the majority of the swelling has slowed down since my headaches aren't nearly as bad today as they have been. I still have a lot of pressure (especially on the left side), but it's bearable.

I still have a lot of swelling inside my mouth too which makes it difficult swallowing, the left side of my throat is really sore when I swallow so it's a bit of a challenge. I'm trying my best with clear fluids. I've been drinking one big cup of green tea, some Gatorade, apple juice and water. I've only really felt hungry a couple of times since surgery. I know I should up my intake but it's really hard. I stepped on the scale today and I've lost about 7 lbs since Friday, although I did eat like a total pig for about a week and a half before my surgery lol.

[I love my teeth]

Suzanna-

You know better than most the importance of calories for healing....high protein my friend!! I did protein shakes and powered vitamins daily for the first 2 weeks, then as I started eating more I slowed down on them, but at least 3x/week. You will heal better with proper nutrition!!

Don't expect that inner mouth swelling to go down fast......I look OK on the outside, but inside is another story......I think my right side is pretty normal. but still loads of swelling on the left inside....I think I finally am seeing an improvement this week--as I don't feel like I am chomping on the inside of my mouth anymore (which I can't feel anyway when I do it!!)

Toradol is a lifesaver, they didn't send me home with any! I was off the narcotics pretty quickly, I just don't like them at all! Haven't taken any motrin at all in about 3 days--so after 3.5 week I'd say in general it's way better!

I lost 5# right after surgery too, I've only gained 1 back, which is OK with me, I just didn't want to loose any more, I had lost about 15# with the braces---I'm pretty small, so I can't afford to loose too much

take care, drink drink drink, calories, calories, calories!! be your own nurse!! what would you tell your patient's if they weren't getting the proper nutrition!!

Christine

[suzanna]

Well the problem is I'm only okay'd for clear fluids for the first 5 days. There's only so many calories I can get from being on a diet like that! I tried some home made chicken broth but it just did not go down right. Tomorrow I'm going to start some ensure shakes and possibly some pureed soups if I can thin them down enough to swallow. I feel like a pelican lol. Is that basically how everyone else eats the first few days?

[Nims]

I'm having lower jaw surgery for my overbite on Thursday morning, i'm also having a chin augmentation because moving my jaw would cause my chin to stick out quite a lot. Feeling kind of nervous about the whole thing, mainly about the anaesthetic, all the risks and side effects freak me out a bit.

[I love my teeth]

I had no restrictions, the surgeon said "use your jaw, don't be afraid" post op day 2, we were still in a hotel in Seattle--I had some chicken/wild rice soup--I smashed it all up and managed to slurp 1/4 bowl down....I also started protein shakes the day after DC.....I tried not to drink most of my meals, and did purees for the first few days, then moved onto soft stews, ect. I was only on clear liquids in the hospital. You are right, hard to get calories from that!!

[Nathaniel]

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in response here, had some things go a bit crazy but things are fine now!

I woke up supposedly RIGHT when they were pulling the breathing tube out, my O.S. said it's called emerging and only 1 of 10 males do it, but that's not really a big deal, the big deal was I freaked out and broke a blood vessel lol. Then they needed to put me right back to sleep to fix that.

I stayed in the hosptial for two nights, they just wanted to keep me to be safe due to the blood vessel thing, if it wasn't for that I probably would have been able to leave the night of or one night after as I just technically had SARPE and 3 wisdom teeth out.

I had ALOT of swelling, like, a lot, but that's probably 70% due to the wisdom teeth rather than the SARPE, because I hear that makes you swell up like crazy.

Now is officially one week, actually, like 7.x days since it's 12:32 am on a Wednesday. I feel pretty good, I started to feel much better on the Sunday, as in not always tired and things. The mornings and days seem much easier than the nights; at night it feels I swell up a bit more or things starting get more tight, and some nights I get a little anxious/ancey, like freaking out "what the heck did I do this for" but then I calm down a little bit after realizing I'm just being over-reactive.

Suzi, glad to hear you got through it all okay and are home! I hope you're healing well; I wish the same to everyone

Gonna start coming back here daily or so now since I'm feeling more up beat

[suzanna]

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in response here, had some things go a bit crazy but things are fine now!

I woke up supposedly RIGHT when they were pulling the breathing tube out, my O.S. said it's called emerging and only 1 of 10 males do it, but that's not really a big deal, the big deal was I freaked out and broke a blood vessel lol. Then they needed to put me right back to sleep to fix that.

I stayed in the hosptial for two nights, they just wanted to keep me to be safe due to the blood vessel thing, if it wasn't for that I probably would have been able to leave the night of or one night after as I just technically had SARPE and 3 wisdom teeth out.

I had ALOT of swelling, like, a lot, but that's probably 70% due to the wisdom teeth rather than the SARPE, because I hear that makes you swell up like crazy.

Now is officially one week, actually, like 7.x days since it's 12:32 am on a Wednesday. I feel pretty good, I started to feel much better on the Sunday, as in not always tired and things. The mornings and days seem much easier than the nights; at night it feels I swell up a bit more or things starting get more tight, and some nights I get a little anxious/ancey, like freaking out "what the heck did I do this for" but then I calm down a little bit after realizing I'm just being over-reactive.

Suzi, glad to hear you got through it all okay and are home! I hope you're healing well; I wish the same to everyone

Gonna start coming back here daily or so now since I'm feeling more up beat

Good to hear from you Nathaniel! I was thinking about you and hoping you were doing well. I agree that I started feeling more like myself on day four, today is day five so hopefully I'll have even more energy. I'm planning on taking a shower again today. Did Dr. C. write you a script for ativan at bedtime? He did for me (I think he does for all jaw patients), and it really helps me relax before I go to bed because I notice the my jaw muscles are really tight/tense by later in the evening.

I might be up for posting some pictures today too. I didn't take one everyday since there wasn't much change in how I looked yesterday anyways.