July 2011 Buddies?

[annafaith]

@Iamsam - that's good they don't bother you too much. I know what you mean about the yawning - I feel like my jaw is really straining against the elastics which can't be good!

@lucia - good luck going back to work, let us know how you get on energy wise, and how easy it is to get back in the swing of it. I havn't made that step yet

Day 24
Nothing new to report really. I've been looking at my bite and have realised I have a big open bite on the right hand side but not the left. My orthos fixing this with the box elastics, but to me it looks like my jaw is really crooked. Do you think this is just a teeth problem?

[IamSam12345]

Hi annafaith! I'm sorry you're having another little bump in the road, but I think it looks like your teeth are just higher. I'm sure your orthodontist will be able to fix it for you and it'll be just right soon!

Today is my day 11. I have contours in my face again!!! They started about 2 days ago, just on the very outside of my face and now they are really here! I've been massaging my face a lot today and the swelling has gone down throughout the day. Tonight I went to see a movie and afterwards I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't believe what I saw. I definitely look a lot more normal and I look so good. I don't mean that to sound ocean, but I finally look like what I always expected when I looked in the mirror. I don't even know how to describe this feeling. I took profile shots today and I'm in total amazement and shock and awe. It's incredible. Have you guys had this moment? How did you feel when you started to look like you, but the new you?

good luck with going back to work w0nnie and Lucia!! and congrats on almost getting your splint out Lucia!

[ramirezmu8]

Sam it seems like you are very pleased with your results. Thats good, you're barely day 11 post op, imagine how you'll look at a month! I definitely couldn't have said i like looked good at day 11, more like at 3 weeks.

Almost there Lucia. you'll feel so much better after having the splint removed!

[annafaith]

Well, yesterday marked the 4 week point for me. Right now the only issues I'm facing are the thought of having box elastics for the forseeable future! I can't see much difference in the open bite, but we'll see what happens at the next ortho appointment in a weeks time. Everythings going really smoothly, I found myself chewing soft food a few days ago without even realising, which shows that I'm no longer thinking too hard about my jaw and things are gradually becoming automatic again. The hardest thing I've tried is still only potato, as I've not been given the go ahead for anything else.

I put some before and afters on my blog if anyone's interested too, as i know i loved looking at other peoples photos pre surgery.

I hope everyone else is doing okay? Judging from the silence theres been no major dramas like anyones jaw falling off...
take care all x

[Lucia07]

Hello everyone!!

Well one day shy of 4 weeks update:

I had my splint taken out today and it didn't hurt at all!!! What did hurt a bit was having to open my mouth wide to get some molding done for a retainer that I will be wearing on my hard palate. I will be getting the retainer tomorrow. I haven't been told how long I'll be wearing it. I'll ask tomorrow. I'm so thrilled with my new bite! I don't have an overbite anymore and my face and mouth feel so much better without that splint. I can actually smile and not look awkward. Another great news I got was that I was upgraded to soft foods!!!! So my husband and I went to eat at this restaurant called Cracker Barrel and I had lemon pepper rainbow trout fish, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. So funny but I didn't realize it until I was done with 3/4 of the meals that I was very tense while I was eating. My shoulders actually ached a bit, lol!! I had to actually find a way to relax because I was concentrating so much with chewing. Over all, the chewing never bothered me. I felt that if I had small portions of food on both the right and left sides of my teeth that the chewing felt better. So today has been a great day My OS even told me not to wear any elastics today so it's been a bit of a tease because I know that I'll be going back to wearing them tomorrow once I get the retainer. I'm not really sure why he didn't want me wearing elastics until I get the retainer but I didn't mind it one bit

Anyhow, thanks Samantha and Ramirez for your support! And Annafaith, your pictures of your bite are looking really good!
I'll update you later this week on how it goes with returning to work tomorrow. I think the challenge will be during lunch having to remove and put back on the elastics. But we shall see!

[IamSam12345]

So good to hear that everyone's still doing well! Congrats Lucia! that's great that you got your splint out!! I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but wow 4 weeks is a LONG time! Congrats on being done, you must be ecstatic! Annafaith I'm about to look at your pictures- I'm sure you look great! Are you able to open your mouth with the box configuration?

[annafaith]

Hi IAmSam - I've been looking at your photos too and keep meaning to comment but don't get around to it - in the next few days I will. I've been a bit slack recently with the blogging thing as nothing new to report really, but will get back on it soon. You must be really happy with your results - your profile looks sooooo good already With the box elastics I can open my mouth but two fingers is pushing it, when I eat they tend to snap off so I've been naughty and taken them out for food. I can see a difference in the openbite already so I'm happy to be wearing them.

Day.... 34/35 or something - update
I've been taking a break from blogging, for no real reason just that I've not had much news. A lot of the day I don't even think about my jaw that much. It's not quite a distant memory but in a year or so I think it will be. Hope eveyone's still recovering well now the worst is over...

@Lucia - still interested to hear about how it was going back to work

[leeann001]

Lucia-I love Cracker Barrel! My husband had never been before we were married and I had to introduce him to biscuits n gravy, haha! Glad to hear you were promoted to soft foods, I have three more weeks before I get the ok.

Anna-I think your bite will be fine once your orthodontist gets ahold of you. I'm jealous of your clear brackets! I wore a power chain on my lower teeth and rubber bands pulling my teeth down before surgery.

I am on day 25, more than halfway there. I'm totally wired closed, with a splint. I have until Sept 8 when I get my wires off and hopefully my splint too. At that time he said he is going to rubber band me. I have no idea what those will be like, can I eat things other than just liquids? I'm so hungry.

No pain, just annoyed with the splint. It's so bulky lingually. I started back to work this past week. It was a little overwhelming talking with patients, but, I'm only working half days. I can't complain too much.

My surgeon had me go ahead and make an appointment with my orthodontist the week after my unwiring, so I'm guessing that's good news! I walked into their office to actually make my appt and my orthodontist said he barely recognized me. I guess that's good?

Anyway, I'm still here.....I'm very happy I/WE ALL had the courage to go through with the surgery. Since I'm in the dental field, I see that a majority of the folks never do it. We are definitely a minority for sure.

[dexter7188]

Day uh... 37 (5 weeks) update:

Since my last post I've...
-Had my splint taken out. I have to agree; pretty big improvement in convenience. He told me I didn't need an archwire because I had a SARPE prior. So I was like "Awwwwwww yeah."
-Gone to ortho for first time since surgery. He just looked at my teeth and didn't do anything. Receptionist didn't recognize me at first.
-Visited my surgeon today. He told me I could start chewing in 3 weeks. That means I'll only have one week of my remaining summer to enjoy chewing food before going back to school. And from what I gather, I'm gonna need to start with soft foods and work my way up. Therefore, pasta... PASTA FOR DAYS.

Everything else has been the same.

I bid thee goodbye, jawbuddies!

[ramirezmu8]

Glad everyone is doing well! Quick update: had an appointment with my ortho yesterday and all he basically did was change the positions of my elastics. I now have a box shape elastic on each side. I will be seeing him again in 2 weeks. I also went downstairs to see my surgeon and he said everything looks good. I explained to him my upper teeth move slightly forward when i push on them lightly with my tongue. He said that this was normal especially with my case since they cut my maxilla in 3 pieces and that things should stabilize with time. I will be seeing him in a month. I hope everyone's healing process continues to go well!

I created a thread in the main forum with a few before/after pictures if anyone's interested.

[Lucia07]

Hello All and thanks for all the congratulations! Being without that splint feels great!

Well 1 month and 2 day update: The week back to work went pretty well. I felt like my pre-surgery self when it came down to energy and keeping up with all the trainings I had this week and rearranging my office. When I saw my OS on Tuesday he said that I could take a break from wearing the elastics during the day so we decided that I would wear the elastics up until noon(lunch time) then I could put them back in when I got home. So that has worked pretty well. However, on Thursday I see my ortho and I don't know if she will change things. I'm looking forward to seeing the ortho so she can change my archwire because ever since I had the surgery my upper archwire was cut on both the left and right side to allow for expansion and I've been having to wear wax so that the archwire doesn't cut my upper lip. Anyhow, being on a soft diet has still been good. I haven't had much problems chewing other than sometimes biting my lower lip but I tend to bite the part of the lip that is still numb so it hasn't bothered me. So, I asked my OS how long it could take to get feeling back in my hard palate because the nerve had to be cut and he said about 6 months. I wonder how nerves regenerate??

Well I'm so happy to hear that everyone keeps getting better and better.
@Leeann: you're almost there leeann! The 3 weeks will go by flying and hopefully when they take the splint out you'll be upgraded to soft foods and you too can go to Cracker Barrel

[gettingbraces44]

2 months post op... Can I go on roller coasters?