June/July 2015 Surgery Buddies

[lalcharlie]

You think the morphine is still in your system? You're making a major operation look way too easy!
I have 30 mini whiteboards and pens in my classroom so ill be nicking one when my time comes.
Now please get some sleep!

[KaylaChristine]

Glad to hear you're doing pretty well! Sorry to hear about your breathing issues though. That's great that you haven't needed any pain killers yet! Do you remember how soon after your SARPE that you needed them?

Thanks for the tip about the sleeves! I bought a super soft 3/4 sleeve shirt to wear at the hospital....I may be rethinking that now.

I hope Snap is doing well!

[jaime]

I forgot an important piece of advice! Bring a hand mirror or use your camera to see yourself eat and drink. Impossible to feel your lips.

The nurse thinks it's hilarious I'm using a turkey baster to drink with but told me it's very smart. She said she's never had a patient use one!

They brought me dinner: tomato soup, apple juice, milk, chocolate pudding, and tea. Regular metal spoon to eat it with (insert eye roll here). Probs gonna skip the caffeinated tea. Seems a bad idea since I'm not sleepy as it is. Haven't gotten any sleep since this morning's brief nap (slept maybe 2-3 hours only last night).

Nice to have this blank window to type my thoughts into, lol. Hubby went back to the hotel for a nap so I'm alone with my semi-coherent thoughts!

[Nozzelnut]

Jaime nice to hear you're doing ok! Keep us updated.

Scott

[jaime]

First night now behind us. I didn't sleep at all during the day so it wasn't too bad sleeping during the night, but I would only sleep for an hour or two at a time before waking up again.

Swollen beyond all recognition despite being upright since surgery. I can't believe how swollen I am! Way worse than SARPE.

No vomiting since surgery at all. Thanking my lucky stars that general anesthesia doesn't bother me. My husband remembers my surgeon telling him I might get banded shut on Tuesday. Crazy at is, I wouldn't mind that since I've been worried I'm going to bite down on my cheeks at any time.

Bled pretty consistently yesterday, all of it ran down my throat, ew. My breath is vicious right now.

Hope everyone else is doing well, can't wait to hear how everyone's surgery goes.m

Oh, and it's really not painful at all. Only had two Percoct since I came out of surgery. I never believed the people who said it doesn't hurt, haha. But I am too swollen and numb to feel any pain. The feeling in different parts of my face is already coming back which is nice!

[snapdresser]

Hey all! Finally logged in. It's been a rough couple days/nights. Relearning how to swallow is a LOT harder than I thought lol. It was painful for about the first 24 hours but I got the hang of it yesterday. I'm continuously getting better and faster. The congestion is pretty ridiculous. Breathing through my mouth now, but my teeth aren't actually touching so it's not too tough. My surgeon didn't have an issue. I think that's what they meant by it feeing wobbly afterwards. Anyways, just checking it. Was on morphine first first 24 hours, then oxycodone for the drive home and Tylenol + Codeine since last night. They surgeon says my results look great and she poked me with a stick to check for numbness. I have full feeing in my lips (top and bottom, or did at that point) but have some tingling on the left side of my chin. So all-in-all, my results were great! Just working on getting through these next few days. Haven't eaten anything but medicine and Gatorade for 2.5 days now

[jaime]

Yay snap! Sounds like you're doing well! I am jealous that you can feel your lips already.

I underestimated how difficult it would be to swallow, too. I had a panic attack yesterday when I had been trying unsuccessfully to swallow for 2 hours. And when I do swallow, it's scratchy from the breathing tube.

Wow no foods yet? You must feel very tired? I had tomato soup last night and it tasted amazing.

[snapdresser]

Yeah, I still get lightheaded when I stand up. Probly cuz I haven't really eaten anything. I always fee super sluggish tho. I don't even want to be watching TV. I just want to sleep without worrying about my breathing lol

[Nozzelnut]

Nice to hear you're still with us Snap!

Jaime how was eating? Spoon because of not being banded?

Y'all take it easy, keep up with the meds and ice for swelling.

(A lot more nervous now after reading your posts; this is getting too real for me.)

6 days and counting down.

[jaime]

I used a spoon last night but the doctor gave me elastics today so probably just my Zip N Squeezes now for eating.

I hope you are able to eat something soon, Snap.

Very laborious eating and drinking. I see now why they stress so much to get your fluids in and not to skip too many meals. It's been very easy to be like, nah, too lazy. Gonna nap instead.

Saw my surgeon this morning and he was really put off by my turkey baster. I guess he thinks I should be pouring liquid into my completely numb lips...

[Nozzelnut]

Jaime, was your splint wired in when you woke from surgery? I'm assuming yes.

[jaime]

Actually no, I had nothing in until this morning and now I have two elastics just on the canine bracket hooks. My surgeon is weird... No surgical hooks, no splint (just during the surgery).

So he demonstrated on himself how I naturally hold my jaw to the left, from 29 years of having an asymmetrical jaw. He showed me how to bite down normally and to practice holding my chin to the right. It feels so, so weird and unnatural, like my muscles are pulling. I hope the elastics help because I can't imagine consciously holding my jaw like this until it becomes natural. I didn't anticipate this part at all.

Hope I'm not freaking you out too much Nozzel. The good news is that it's not painful, it's just uncomfortable. It's not as bad as I thought it'd be, actually.

[snapdresser]

I haven't been able to fully close my teeth together yet. Too much swelling, apparently. About to head to my surgeon's!

[Nozzelnut]

Good news; I got my approval letter from my insurance.

The "LeFort I osteotomy of the maxilla in segments" got my attention. Maybe they were talking about one big segment?! Probably not...

I guess I'll find out in a week.

[jaime]

I can't bite down either snap. At least we are in good company. How you doing tonight? I'm finally out of the hospital and at my husband's house. 3.5 hours of driving later

Yay nozzelnut, that's great news!!! That must be a big relief! Hopefully you don't have to get a segmented lefort I, though!