June/July 2015 Surgery Buddies

[jaime]

Yay Kayla!! I bet it feels super weird...I feel like the adjustment from an underbite to a normal bite is probably worse than from open or overbites, because the position of the jaws is opposite.

Liz, only a spot about a finger-width on my lower lip is numb but it's not even completely numb, it's like 50%.

I have good news! Well, good news about my previous bad news. I think I mentioned that last week my surgeon said I didn't need my midline elastics anymore, meaning I didn't need my surgical hooks either. So my ortho took them off that day (I had an appointment anyway) but right away my midline relapsed. Their office was closed for a week so I didn't get to come in until today. I was dreading the thought of getting hooks put back on, but instead I just got a medium gauge elastic from my upper right canine down to my lower left canine. I can't lick my lips but hey, I'll take that over those darn surgical hooks!

I guess if it doesn't start improving in 2 weeks, I gotta go back again. It seems crazy to me that 29 years of your muscles being a certain way can be remedied in 9 weeks...it did seem a little too good to be true when my surgeon said at 6 weeks to take them off.

[Nozzelnut]

Congrats Kayla! The baby spoons are really good; but if you can get some tongue depressors they work great for things like peanut/cashew butter. That works really well for a snack before dinner; a spoonful of peanut butter... It lets you scrape the stuff off the flat "utensil" with your teeth instead of trying to get it out of the bowl part with your lips that you can't get to.

Most of my lower lip is "off" feeling. The left side (about a third) has just a little feeling but the right is tingly and has some feeling. It's slowly coming back though. The left side of my chin is dead; but the right has the weird feeling too. My upper lip has the tingly feeling all over. My nostrils are good sometimes but sometimes not so good.

[snapdresser]

I was off from work for a couple days to help my wife with her Bar Exam, so sorry for the long post! I know it's my usual MO these days, at least after the weekends

Nozzelnut - I'm not quiiiite done yet. 6 more days!!! And you can bet I'll be going in the first day possible to get my archbars off lol. Sorry to hear about your elastics coming back on! Sounds like you're in the same boat as Jaime trying to get your bite right. Congrats on your molars finally touching tho!!! And congrats on being able to start chewing! I bet those molars are coming in handy! And if not yet, they will be shortly!

Liz192 - Congrats on resuming work!!! I had a hard time at 4 weeks post-op, but it sounds like you're fairing much better. That's awesome! I think my bruising was gone right around 3 weeks post-op. Except on my forearm. That took like 5 weeks to finally disappear I think you'll start seeing some progress with the numbness soon. I think mine got much better from about Week 3 till Week 5, at which point I had most of my feeling back.

Jaime - Also congrats on resuming work!!! Everybody's hitting the ol' grindstone these days! That sucks about the mosquitoes. Just happened to my wife too, coincidentally. Haha I hear you about the summer flying by when on leave. I also feel like it should be early July, but I sat in my apartment watching The Wire for a month That's really neat about your boss getting braces, btw. You started a trend! Lol. For the record, you can still open wider than I can. I'm still only at like a finger and a half. Oh yeah, I watched your new video and it was awesome! I could not stop laughing when you did the frown It was an excellent frown, for sure! Much better than it was last week You mentioned needing to get new sunglasses and it's funny cuz just earlier that day I had gone looking for a new pair myself! New face shape needs new sunglasses, that's exactly what I was thinking too! My old ones no longer look particularly flattering on me. Not bad, but definitely could be better. I think I'm gonna get some Ray Ban aviators. Before the surgery I couldn't pull off aviators in my wildest dreams That's great news about your midline elastic. I was thinking you'd probably need the hooks back, but that's awesome that you don't have to! Yeah, crazy how quickly the muscles get reacquainted with a new position. But awesome, because it would suck to have elastics on for longer than we already have to.

KaylaChristine - WOOOOO!!!! Congrats on getting your wires cut!!!!! That's a BFD for sure! Now you get to experience some of the delicious food you've been missing out on! Yaaayyyy!!! Why does not being recognized bum you out? For what it's worth, one of my nostrils bled a few times over a couple weeks and it just stopped all on it's own, so I wouldn't be too worried about it.

kelse - No problem. We aim to please


SO some interesting stuff happened over the last few days. Monday was cooler out than it had been so I went for a run! I ran a little over a mile, but it felt good to get the blood pumping. I hadn't been running in years now, and it was as lame and sucky as I remember lol. Maybe moreso... As I mentioned to Jaime, I went sunglasses shopping! I'm thinking about doing some kind of eye-catching ones... I feel like a show pony when I go out, so maybe I need some bright blue lenses Yeah, this surgery has done wonders for my confidence My wife might not be so enthused about that lol. My diet's pretty much just gone to h*ll... I had boneless hot wings (except the solid chunks of crunchy fried-ness, which was too hard), nachos with pieces of steak on them, chili, thai again, etc. The only thing I tried and just couldn't do was fried calamari. It was just too chewy and I had to bear down a lot harder than was comfortable in order to bite through it. But my BIGGEST NEWS (I'm officially 7 weeks, but with my 8-week appointment a mere 6 days away, it hardly seems noteworthy) is that I have some feeling back in my chin where it had formerly been completely dead!!!!!! I was 90% sure I wasn't going to get any feeling at all back there after the genio (which is notorious for the numbness it can cause), when my surgeon poked it several times from the time I came too after the surgery up until a week ago and I felt absolutely nothing. On Tuesday morning I touched that part of my chin and I could actually feel it a little!!! I'm not sure if it'll get back to 100% feeling or not, but it's incredibly good to know that I have no areas with 100% numbness I guess it just took time for the nerve to regenerate after being pinched in the genio? I don't really know.

I meet with my surgeon today, but I don't expect to hear anything big from her. I'm going to ask her if there's still any benefit to taking the Motrin at all, and if I should keep up the steroid nasal spray. If those two things are kaput, I'm off all post-op medication. Tho I understand archbar removal can be quite painful, so I might be back on pain relievers after all, next week...

[jaime]

Nozzel...I guess I'm not the only one who eats condiments on a spoon? I had a half-empty jar of cookie butter that found a home in my stomach since surgery. Just on its own...it's so good. You're right that is a good snack, especially when you don't have much of an appetite.

Snap, good job on going for a run! I am a regular runner but was going to wait until later in August to resume. Now I'm wondering if I could manage it now. I'm impressed that as a non-runner, you were able to do more than a mile. A lot of people, myself included, needed awhile to work up to that.

Hopefully your appointment goes well today! I know what you mean about not being able to wear aviators. I discovered right before surgery that the difference between sunglasses looking bad on me vs sunglasses that looked good, was if they were curved to fit my face. Most sunglasses these days are flat and look(ed?) awful on me. Maybe because I had a "deficient midface" (my surgeon's words, which still crack me up). When my swelling goes down some more, I'm going to try out some new styles as well.

My chin has come back a lot, too. I'd say only the middle third of it is numb now, and both sides are tingly. The middle isn't even completely numb as I can detect pressure and feel if something cold is touching it.

Does anyone else not really have any tingling? My chin tingled and stung a lot early on but now it's more or less gone. My palate tingles for a minute maybe once a day which is super strange feeling.

[snapdresser]

Jaime - I was told I could walk or jog now, and my pace was probably about 8 min/mi so I think that qualifies as "jogging". You could probably manage it too, I just made sure I wasn't feeling dizzy or like I wasn't getting enough air or anything. I wasn't clenching my jaw, and I think that and the lightheadedness are the two primary concerns. I think lol. While I may have been a non-runner for the last 5 years or so, I ran cross country in high school and ever since I haven't had a terrible time getting back to it. You're totally right about the sunglasses curvature. Mine curve in a little at the bottom and looked good pre-op (or as good as anything looked on my face), but now that same curvature isn't flattering anymore. I'm pretty excited about all the sunglass options that are finally open to me lol. The middle of your chin kinda sounds like the left side of mine. It still doesn't have much feeling in it. Sometimes it feels tingly when I touch it gently, sometimes I can only feel pressure on it, but it's something!!! My surgeon told me that because I have that feeling in it now, she's almost certain it'll come back 100% Shaving was SO much easier last night! First time I've shaved since the feeling started coming back.

deathorglory - How you doing these days? Do you still think about the surgery/recovery, or are you at the point where it's just business as usual? It sounded like your only struggle was that last few remaining mm of opening, but it seems like that would only be an issue when you're trying to eat the new $12 Mega-burger


So my appointment yesterday went well. My surgeon described me as having "excellent cosmetic results" The other ladies in the office had nice things to say about my appearance too, which is always nice My surgeon took yet another set of pictures and showed me what my profile looks like now, which I hadn't seen since like Week 3, and the swelling in my cheeks has gone way down and it looks awesome I thought I had a cavity cuz there's a kind of indentation on one of my back molars that I hadn't noticed before, but my surgeon said it's hard inside so it's not through the enamel or anything and should be fine. Still, she recommended I see a dentist when this is all over. I'm not enthused about the idea tho, cuz I can still only open like a finger and a half, so I could see a trip to the dentist being particularly rough on my TMJs. She said I can now have chicken (after I told her I'd been having it anyways ) as long as I cut it up small. She warned that it could make my jaw muscles sore the next day if I try to eat something too tough. And actually I'm feeling that today. My wife really wanted thin crust pizza last night for dinner, so I got it. Struggled through one piece and gave up. So thin crust pizza and calamari are still out for me. She ALSO said that I can keep wearing my elastics at night this week "if want"! I'm going to keep trying to remember to put them on at night, cuz I forgot once last week and it felt kinda weird the next day. So I'll keep up the elastics at night for now. ARCHBARS OFF NEXT TUESDAY, 4 AUGUST AT 1PM!!!!!! 4 DAYS AND ALL THIS CR*P IS BEHIND ME!!!!!!!

Does anyone else get soreness in the muscles kind of along the bottom of the jaw? It almost feels like the bottom of one side of the mandible itself is hurting, but it's more of a muscle soreness. If I consciously stick my chin out, it makes it hurt a little more when it's sore. Anyone else experiencing that?

[jaime]

LOL, I couldn't even manage an 8 mile pace when I was running all the time. But I have exercise asthma. Runners these days don't like the word "jogging" so yes, you were running.

How come you hadn't seen your profile in so long? I've taken a million selfies from all angles to see what I look like. It's too exciting not to!

Sounds like your appointment went really well!

I don't get much muscle pain, although I was sore today because I flossed last night. I haven't flossed in a longgggggggg time Definitely not since 2014. But in my defence, I use a Waterpik. I actually bled way less than I figured I would, but holding my mouth open for 10-15 minutes was very tiring and this morning I was really stiff.

It was actually kind of crazy flossing last night. I used to have really tight contacts between my teeth, and would shred the floss in a few places. Now the floss just slides in so easily, which is probably why I'm not bleeding as much, because the bacteria doesn't have so much space to hide. It's amazing.

Snap, next Monday all day and Tuesday morning are going to go by sooooo slow.

I finally updated my blog last night. I can't believe how much my swelling has gone down! I look way less puffy...hopefully that means I won't look like a marshmallow wearing sunglasses in my photos anymore.

[snapdresser]

Jaime - Lol, ok, I guess I was running, but don't tell my surgeon

Well, the reason I hadn't checked my profile in a while was because I thought my profile looked weird at ~3-weeks post-op cuz my cheeks were all puffy (and it actually looked just like my pre-op simulated picture, which was not flattering in the soft tissues of the cheeks, tho I had been advised that that aspect was unrepresentative) and I was afraid that it hadn't gotten better. Since the simulation showed that my cheeks would look weird and my 3-week profile showed the same results, I figured my cheeks would always look like that in profile. Not ideal, but I was willing to accept that. I was afraid to look and confirm it So needless to say, I'm enthused by the somewhat-unexpected results Yep, it was a good appointment, but it was kind of overshadowed by the prospect of next week's appointment lol. Oh jeez, I'm concerned about flossing. I tried to floss my bottom front teeth and they seem like they're more crammed together than they were pre-op, so I suspect I'll have the opposite problem. That's great that you're not bleeding too much! That's a sign of good health in your gums too, which can be a concern with braces I think. I used a Waterpik too It's been key with my archbars.

Next Monday and Tuesday shouldn't be toooooo bad. Monday my wife picks up George from my dad in Nashville, so I have to go to the airport after work to pick them up. He's finally going to be home after 3 weeks with his grandpa! I'm sure you're right about Tuesday tho But I'm pumped! I'm ready for it! I just hope I don't have any more loose teeth. My chewing probably doesn't help, and that front tooth loosening has me worried about my other teeth

[jaime]

I'm sure once the arch bars are off, things will tighten up again. If it's any consolation, I once knocked my front (adult) teeth loose when I was a kid but they tighten back up so quickly and soon they were totally fine.

That's good then that you look better than you anticipated. And I'm sure you're going to look noticeably different by the time all the swelling is gone, too.

You guys lead busy lives!! And you're going to Europe soon too, right?

Funny story but I guess I just assumed you're way older than I am, and then I saw your age on Facebook and I was like WHAT!

I just went out for coffee with an acquaintance I don't see very often nor am I close to. She was like, "You look different, did you change your hair?" When I showed her and my other friends the comparison of my profile before and after surgery, they were all totally amazed at how much this surgery changes things. They were like, "You didn't look BAD before but you look awesome now!"

[snapdresser]

Jaime - I did that to my other front tooth, actually The one that didn't get loosened by the archbars. The root ended up dying tho, after the gums tightened back up around it You know, the swelling from when I did that was probably worse than the swelling I've had post-op. It was only on one side tho. What'd you do to knock yours loose?

Yeah, I'm excited to see how I look at 6 months post-op. I'm sure we all are!

Yep, busy lives. Heading to London August 19th. George was with my dad while my wife studied for the bar, but he'll have a couple weeks back home before we head to London. Hopefully I can open a little wider by then, and at least my archbars will be off When do you leave for your honeymoon? Soon, right?

Haha I'm 30... You mean from the picture I posted on here the other day?! How old did I look?? Lol

That's funny about your acquaintance lol. Yep, I think you had great results! That's what I was trying to say before! Very natural looking too. That's the thing about this surgery. It changes your appearance so much, but it manages to look so natural! Awesome

[vaguy79]

I just noticed this particular thread and want to say Hello. I just had my lower jaw surgery yesterday. I am no in any pain and it has been straight forward. The worst part is that I wasn't able to urinate and they used a catheter and it was so painful. They wouldn't let me leave today until I urinated on my own, otherwise I would have to wear a catheter. Fortunately, I was able to. Now I have 2 weeks off!

[Liz192]

Vaguy79- hello! I had my lower jaw surgery on July 14th. I am 2.5 weeks post op. I went back to work just shy of 2 weeks. All I can say is rest, stay hydrated and try to take in as many calories as you can. I'm sorry about the catheter. They aren't pleasant but the discomfort from that will pass soon. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

[Nozzelnut]

Howdy vaguy! Glad your surgery went well. If you have any questions feel free to ask! Not that I'm an expert or anything; but I'm sure one of us will be able to come up with an answer or get you pointed in the right direction. Drink a lot of fluids and stay hydrated!

I had a moment only y'all would understand tonight. So for a little dessert, I decided I'd have a couple donut holes. They were small and soft enough a couple weeks after surgery for me to squish and flatten so they'd fit in my mouth. So, tonight I see if they fit without squishing; they DID! It was awesome. Guess you had to be there. Sometimes it's the small things.

So I guess things are slowly relaxing and opening up.

I really love these great feeling elastics too! (heavy 3/16")

I haven't said it yet during treatment but, I'm ready to get these braces off. Having everything moved forward; they're definitely rubbing the insides of my cheeks/lips and making new indentations and rough spots on slightly stretched areas is getting old. And back to those elastics; they kind of sting a bit.

[deathorglory]

Wow ... I missed a lot these last few days!

Congrats, Kayla on getting your wires cut! BRING ON THE SOFT CHEW DIET!

Snap - I'm officially 4 months post op! And yeah I still think about surgery. My right side is still a tad reluctant to open as wide as my left, but I think I'm back to opening as far as I can (so says the sammich I ate for dinner today!), so maybe it's just my muscles getting used to opening so wide again. I also think about surgery because I've still got some inner cheer swelling. I've got this knob of swelling where my molars keep biting my cheek and my top wire is a tad pokey on that side, too, which makes me more aware of the swelling (about the size of a quarter on each side). Other than that, though, I'm alllll healed up for the most part! Chewing on my right is still a bit weird sometimes, but I was told to give my jaw a full year to fully heal. My dentist said that the bone's probably knit back together already, but the cut bits are still less dense than the uncut bits, so still take it easy.

Jaime - I think it's hilarious when I look at peoples' ages...in my head I'm still 25, but I'm almost 30 now, so sometimes I look at someone's age and I'm like 37...that's getting up there...WAIT I'M ALMOST 30! lol... Anyone else think they're a different age in their heads, or is that just me? Also, what's cookie butter? O_o

Welcome to the post surgery crew, VA guy! You'll be back to normal before you know it!

Nozzel - I had braces indented into my lips for at least 2 months, just cuz of swelling inside the mouth. Even now, I can still feel where the stitches in my bottom lip were placed! I've asked when I can get my braces off and the ortho has told me at least another 6 months so it looks like I'll be braced for my 30th, but that's ok. I'd rather they come off once everything is perfect, cuz I definitely don't wanna go through all of this again...! Just a few more vertical openings to close and I'll soon be freeeeee!

[snapdresser]

vaguy79 - Congrats on being done! I guess you're the last person on this June/July surgery thread! So you're 3 days post-op now, eh? So you should be reaching about the worst of the swelling today and tomorrow, and then you'll see it starting to get much better over the next week or so. And then a couple weeks after that you'll start seeing your new face peeking out! So what all did you get done? I feel you about the catheter. It's not fun, but my pain went away after they removed it fairly quickly. Enjoy the time off! What part of VA are you from? I used to live in VB.

Nozzelnut - Haha congrats on the donut holes! You can definitely open wider than I can, if you were able to manage those without squishing them Yup, I agree, it's the small things lol. Sorry to hear about the difficulty with your braces. I just noticed a few days ago that I have a blood blister on the inside of my right cheek, presumably from one of my hooks poking it. At least it doesn't hurt, maybe cuz of reduced feeling in the area?

deathorglory - Wooooo! Congrats on 4 months post-op! That's kind of disheartening to hear you still think about the surgery. Maybe it'll get much better when you get your braces off? I think I still felt like I was in my mid-20s up until I was 29, but now that I'm 30 I've come to grips with it Didn't have a choice, I guess lol


So Friday and Saturday night the wife and I went out to a couple parties and Saturday night I accidentally smoked a cigarette on the way home... Sometimes I get that way when I drink. I know that's the one thing I wasn't supposed to do... I looked it up today and at least one place says "no smoking for at least 4 weeks post-op" so hopefully I didn't do too much damage ONE MORE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nozzelnut]

Snap I'm an occasional social smoker; my Dr's website said not smoking for 2 weeks after surgery so I'm guessing you're good.