MARCH 2011 BUDDIES

[arieswithbraces]

I hate waiting With no work or school (put both off for surgery) I'm soo bored.

I'm sad to say, I think my surgery on the 16th is going to be delayed! My f**&#@! insurance approved me the 1st time with a surgeon out of network...now I had to switch to one in network and they are dragging their a**** with this approval! It's the same freaking procedure...just different Dr.s. I'm so bummed. My FMLA was approved and everything. And I just had these god awful surgical hooks soddered to my archwire. I need a glass of wine.

Oh no!
When will you know by sure?

Well, I was supposed to know something today....nothing. They act like they found the cure for cancer and can't tell a soul!! My insurance rep just kept saying she can't really tell me anything...but she did say that the date they have is set..and don't do anything before or after that date. Do everything on the 16th...I was like...ookkayy..? So..I will know definitely by tomorrow..I should get a call with my surgery time between 1-4pm. If not. Back to work I go on Wednesday.

[Rizzie]

dtdtdt: Good luck today! Sending good vibes your way!

arieswithbraces: I would be an emotional train-wreck if I were in your shoes! I just hope you find out something today. It is really inexcusable for your insurance company to keep you guessing this close to surgery. I hope you can get your surgery on the 16th and get on the road to recovery!

[arieswithbraces]

dtdtdt: Good luck today! Sending good vibes your way!

arieswithbraces: I would be an emotional train-wreck if I were in your shoes! I just hope you find out something today. It is really inexcusable for your insurance company to keep you guessing this close to surgery. I hope you can get your surgery on the 16th and get on the road to recovery!

Thank you!!! I WAS A WRECK!!!!! Do you know i didn't get the approved call till 4:48pm! I was already having my temper tantrum in the floor and the phone ringing stopped me! So I am on my way to the hospital now...I want to take my laptop but the staff told me not to so I will post as soon as I get home..which will be Friday!

dtdtdt...Glad you're on the other side!! I'm on my way! Your post made me feel 10 times better!

[smithie]

So I had BSSO surgery on Monday March 14 and thought I would post about my experience. Overall, I'm very happy with how my recovery is going. I've had almost no pain, took only one dose of the narcotic pain killer they gave me and that was more to help sleep, and now I'm on only ibuprofen. The numbness is minimal; I've had at least some feeling in all of my face since the surgery, the right side of my face is near 100% feeling, and the left side is perhaps 60%, with some pins and needles suggesting that's already improving. My doctors expect me to get back all feeling. Communicating was difficult for the first 48 hours or so; I could talk, but it took some patience for whoever was listening to understand me. This was particularly bad the day of the surgery when my tongue was numb from a topical anesthetic they put on in the OR. Now I can communicate easily, though with a lisp from the splint. Eating has gotten a lot better too, at first I had trouble swallowing properly, couldn't even drink water without swallowing a lot of air and with some pain from my sore throat (breathing tube), but already my throat is fine and I've managed to eat a baked potato, blueberry pancakes, and much yogurt, applesauce, soup, etc.

My energy level was quite low for 24 hours or so after the surgery, but today I feel almost normal; I think the only thing holding me back right now is the quality of the food I'm taking in --- a calorie is a calorie, but I suspect milkshakes don't give as much energy as something healthier. I went under around 10:30am Monday, and was sent home around 6pm Monday evening. By Tuesday, I was fine to drive myself, walk my dog, etc. I have two classes to either teach or cancel next Tuesday, and I may actually teach them... the only thing holding me back would be the splint and the resulting lisp. Splint should come out on or around 3/28.

The swelling is... kind of bad, actually, but I've solved that problem by just avoiding mirrors; it doesn't really cause much discomfort. Best of all, the surgical result looks good, my X-rays from Tuesday look like someone else, with my teeth actually being parallel to each other, and I can already tell I'm going to look different in a good way once the swelling goes away.

So, all in all, I'm already quite pleased with the surgery, recovery and all. I can't speak to more complicated, double jaw surgeries, but my experience suggests anyone considering a lower jaw advancement should not be put off by the difficulty of the recovery. Also, I'm 31 and got my jaw advanced almost 1cm, so someone younger or getting a smaller advancement may have an even easier time. Anyway, off to go play God of War. I'm happy to answer questions if anyone has any.

[shutmymouth]

Surgery, March 24!!! 2pc Leforte I

[dtdtdt]

Congrats Smithie. I agree the recovery is much easier than i had expected. Maybe you and i are lucky? i had bsso on tuesday march 15. i am still sleepy though and i have a large square face. i am going off the pain meds and will start using ibufropen.
What are you drinking? i am absolutely starving. when willl you try soft foods? i had a few bites of cottage cheese this morning. boy would i love a steak or some sushi!

[smithie]

dtdtdt, congrats on being done. I've felt quite hungry at times too, but today I've felt full most of the day. I made blueberry pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast (used the fork to jam them through narrow opening between teeth, mash into roof of mouth, swallow), and went to Whole Foods to get some of their soup for lunch, some tomato vegetable thing that I brought home and blended, and was delicious. I've been drinking orange juice, vanilla milkshakes, sugary Starbucks' drinks, Coke, and plenty of water. I'd love a steak also, I've already trained myself to stop watching commercials on TV so I don't think too much about real food.

My face is pretty square too, and I still have bandages on my cheeks, but I've had no problem walking around town; couple of stares from children, but adults have been polite. And I said normal energy level today in my last post, but I did just sleep through the late afternoon, so perhaps not quite there yet...

[arieswithbraces]

Well, I am glad to say I'm on the other side! I had the surgery about 11:30 Wednesday and was in recovery by 4ish. I got moved to a room around 5. I got discharged yesterday and since my surgery was in Chapel Hill and I live in Charlotte, I had a little drive. I sleep most of the way. Honestly, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I'm only a little achy when I have to change these elastics. I don't like this chin strap thing and my bottom lip is so swollen, it's pressing against my braces so it's so very, very sore. I am able to put some wax on it but other than that..it's not that bad. Haven't had much of an appetite, I've just been drinking as much as I can. My presurgery weight was 190 lbs and I weighed myself this morning and I'm 180! I hope this doesn't continue.

[Laundraholic]

Glad to see 3 people on the other side already!

Congrats and keep the updates coming

[dtdtdt]

Smithie and Aries and anyone else with a pov:


Are you numb? My entire lower face is numb, such that I can't feel when i have food on it or when the spoon is going in, etc. How long will this last? Truly beside the ugly swelling this is worst thing I feel. I think otherwise I am going to be ok!
I went to dr yesterday for first post off and he was thrilled. He added some bands bc my midlife is a bit off to some muscles not being trained yet. I do not like these! However i know it can be worse and is much better than wiring.

[suzanna]

Smithie and Aries and anyone else with a pov:


Are you numb? My entire lower face is numb, such that I can't feel when i have food on it or when the spoon is going in, etc. How long will this last? Truly beside the ugly swelling this is worst thing I feel. I think otherwise I am going to be ok!
I went to dr yesterday for first post off and he was thrilled. He added some bands bc my midlife is a bit off to some muscles not being trained yet. I do not like these! However i know it can be worse and is much better than wiring.

I'm 5 weeks post op (upper and lower jaw surgery) and my lower lip and chin are still completely numb. I started having feeling back in my cheeks and upper lip area at about 3-4 weeks post op. My cheeks are almost back to normal now but my upper lip is still somewhat numb and really tingly when I touch it (left more so than right). I've read multiple blogs from people who've had jaw surgery and feeling comes back at different times for everyone. Some right away, others months afterwards. It looks like most people generally started to get some feeling back from BSSO at about 6-8 weeks post op.

[smithie]

dtdtdt,

I have some numbness, but I got lucky in that I seem to have much less numbness than is normal. My lower lip and right chin have full feeling, and my left chin is only partially numb, let's say in the range of 40-60% of normal feeling (and even there, I think it's gotten better since the operation, and I'm getting lots of pins and needles).

The risk of numbness was my biggest fear going in; I was expecting to be completely numb for a couple of weeks and to have some risk of permanent numbness, but I decided to do the surgery anyway. What data I could find suggest that even those who got unlucky with numbness were still happy overall with the result, and this was reassuring to me. Anyway, talk to your doctors; they would know if the nerve was damaged during the surgery, and if not, it's just a matter of being patient waiting for feeling to come back.

[dtdtdt]

Suzanna, I will search your story. I guess you just eat in private or in front of a mirror? What do you take for lunch at work or lunch on go? Are you feeling ok otherwise?

Smithie you are my recovery hero. I am glad your fear or numbness is working out so well. Hoping your day of a big steak comes sooner than you think! keep me posted on what you eat as it gives me ideas. I had some great Whole Foods soups for lunch and breakfast and am going to try some tofu for dinner.

[suzanna]

Suzanna, I will search your story. I guess you just eat in private or in front of a mirror? What do you take for lunch at work or lunch on go? Are you feeling ok otherwise?

I just take a little compact mirror with me when I eat out at restaurants with friends. At home I use a vanity mirror on my table in front of me. I posted a funny story about eating in the dark in the February buddies forum you should check out LOL

I'm feeling pretty good other than the numbness, muscle pain around my jaws when trying to eat, and limited jaw opening (I can only open about 18mm right now). I still find I get tired really easily but I think that's because I've been a couch potato for so long lol Probably also because I don't eat as much as I used to before surgery. I haven't gone back to work yet. I still have another two weeks off. I'm a registered nurse who's on my feet for basically my whole 12 hour shift. Work is really grueling both mentally and physically and when I saw my surgeon at the my post op appointment (at 2.5 weeks) he gave me a letter saying I could be off work for another month (which is nice since I'm getting 100% sick leave anyways!). I'm going to start thinking of foods I can bring for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks though.

[arieswithbraces]

Smithie and Aries and anyone else with a pov:


Are you numb? My entire lower face is numb, such that I can't feel when i have food on it or when the spoon is going in, etc. How long will this last? Truly beside the ugly swelling this is worst thing I feel. I think otherwise I am going to be ok!
I went to dr yesterday for first post off and he was thrilled. He added some bands bc my midlife is a bit off to some muscles not being trained yet. I do not like these! However i know it can be worse and is much better than wiring.

Well, I think i peaked in swelling over the weekend. It's really bad...especially ny bottom lip. It's just big and so swollen it has cracked and will bleed if I don't put vaseline on it! As far as numbness, my cheeks are numb still but I can feel it if touched. I actually have the tingle thing in my whole face. Nowhere is numb to the point I don't notice it. I hate elastics and they want me to configure it way in the back but I can't because I can feel it touching a stitch?

I've lost 2 more lbs but I can't see it. I was aboslutely miserable Saturday. The swelling made me panic and I felt like I couldn't breathe so that made me nauseous. My throat felt like a slight case of strept throat! I even called the hopsital at 1am! All they did was reassure me. I just keep thinking it will get better.