August/September surgery buddies

[zoina]

How is everyone doing with their progress?
Mine is steady mostly except some spasms i am getting lately and especially one i had today that felt like thunder and i was so worried about relapse...even felt it on my numb part which is still giving me pins and needles
Also heard some cracks and pops
Later i took of the elastics to eat and i did not have visible relapse. What would be some relapse signs to be aware of? Does anyone know?

[adorkable8605]

I'm almost 6 weeks post op and I get my splint out on Tuesday! I'm so excited, the splint has definitely been the worst part of this whole process. I have feeling everywhere except for my gums (some places I can feel and others I can't). Even though I have feeling, its not normal, it just feels very weird. My swelling is very minimal, but I think it's still there...

I'm not supposed to chew until Tuesday, but I've been soft chewing just to see how it feels and it's a strange sensation. I can only open my mouth a little more than a finger and I'm so ready for more mobility. I want to eat a sandwich so bad...lol.

My biggest complaint is that my lips are super dry and tight. I am constantly applying lip balm and if I don't they hurt. I hope they return to normal soon because my lip balm habit is crazy. Anyone else have dry lips? What has helped you?

[JMP75]

Anyone having trouble talking? Just bout a month post op. Not sure if its the swelling or numbness or stiffness. Having a hard time saying some things like "key" My palate is still totally numb maybe thats why?

[slewsmissy]

I have trouble saying certain letters unless I really concentrate and even then it doesn't sound right. I think it's because my muscles still don't move right. My son thinks it's hilarious and we get a good laugh from it because I sound like a toddler sometimes. Like when I say water it comes out waddda or car is caa. I hope I get more muscle movement soon or it's going to be horrible talking to patients. Yesterday I went to run and grab some fast food with my friend for my son and her husband sho had been busy putting up pasture fences all day and I drove. When we got to the drive through to order it was a disaster. My friend eventually had to shout the order out because the lady just wasn't getting what I was saying. In some ways I feel like I could go back to work already but then something like the drive through happens and I realize I'm not ready. Working in a busy medical lab means answering a lot question's for doctors and patients and I don't speak clearly enough yet for them to understand me yet and part of my shift I'm there by myself so there isn't always someone there to talk for me.

One bright part of the next couple weeks is getting to see my horses and get them moved. I haven't seen them since the surgery because I can't risk them whacking my face with their head. Even to go and pet them over the fence isn't a good idea because they would want to come out and be groomed plus the 4 month old baby is still unpredictable. But next weekend with the help of some friends and my son we are moving all of them from the boarding stable to my good friends house!! It will save me a ton of money and she will spoil them rotten for me. I wont be able to load them in the trailer or un load them but once they are safely in the pasture I can reach over the fence and pet them and my friend will groom them for me. I'm sure their manes and tails are a total mess from not being groomed in so long. I feel so bad because they probably think I've abandoned them. Even in the middle of winter when it's below zero I make it out to the barn once a week to check on them and spoil them.

[zackt25]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum. I had double jaw surgery on Aug. 18th. Recovery hasn't been to bad, but have had some issues. The cool thing is that I didn't have to have a splint or have my jaws rubber banded shut due to me using invisalign. Day 36 and still having some issues that I really hope go away. I wanted to reach out to see if anyone else are having these issues. After I got out of my surgery my surgeon stated he had a very tough time on my right lower jaw area. He didn't say want he had the hard time with but said he had to really work to get my right bottom half done.

1. This worries me the most because I have trouble talking now and really hate how I speak, but half of my tongue on the right side and teeth are numb. It feels like it's coming back but I really don't think so. I can pinch my tongue but only feel a sensation when I let it go. Sometime I get little shocks in my lower lip area and tongue. I know that my chin and bottom lip might be numb but didn't expect my teeth and tongue. I scared that it will never comeback and really do not feel like talking to people that much anymore. My surgeon stated that he had to stretch my lingual nerve but doesn't think he damaged it. He put his finger towards the back of my jaw and told me he didn't feel the screw bulging out. Another thing is that when I press on certain places in my ear i feel the little shocks in my tongue, lower lip, and chin area.

2. I hear my heart beat or a whooshing sound going to the rhythm of my hear beat in my right ear the same side as all my numbness and where the doc had issues. It gets real bad during the night time and now I have to sleep with earphones listening to music or something. Some say online that it's the swelling pushing my vein closer to my eardrums, but it is driving me crazy. My ear actually hurts to touch the inside and when I put the earbud in the right side it is painful.

Anybody else having issues like this? I'm so worried that I messed up my talking and hearing just because I wanted to fix my underbite.

[slewsmissy]

I have a question for everyone. Is anyone else having trouble with plugged ears? Mine were a little plugged right after surgery but now at 3 weeks post op they are super plugged!! Everything sounds very muffled and it's driving me crazy! If I look straight up they get a little better but then when I put my head back down they clog back up instantly.

[uncleezno]

No plugged ears here, slewmissy. 7 weeks post-op and I thankfully never had to deal with that particular issue.

Hoping the swelling above my upper lip goes down soon - my teeth look great, but it's frankly ugly when I smile because of how far that part of my face is sticking out. 7 weeks down means 17 more to go until I can expect all the swelling to be gone

[anonimess]

Hi All,

New here after lurking around a bit. I'm 9 days post-surgery (top and bottom), and am almost starting to feel human again!

I was wondering how long it took everyone to start being able to control their facial muscles again- I can still just barely make a (swollen) smile and can have just started to be able to put my lips in a whistling-type position. Wondering how long it will be till my lips move normally with speaking.

[JMP75]

[quote="slewsmissy"]I have a question for everyone. Is anyone else having trouble with plugged ears? Mine were a little plugged right after surgery but now at 3 weeks post op they are super plugged!! Everything sounds very muffled and it's driving me crazy! If I look straight up they get a little better but then when I put my head back down they clog back up instantly.[/quote]

Did you have upper jaw surgery done too? I had this really bad my first week. It is eustachian tube dysfunction - all those muscles that control those attach the the maxilla and palate and they get injured during the surgery. Mine went away after about 23 days.

[slewsmissy]

Yes I had upper and lower done. The weird thing is they weren't really clogged for the first 2 two weeks after surgery and then all of sudden they totally clogged up. I wish I could open my mouth wide enough to do a nice big yawn, yesterday when I yawned they opened up for a couple minuted then clogged again.

[JMP75]

Maybe check w/ your surgeon next appt. Hopefully it goes away by then.


I'm eating soft food pretty well now. My mouth, with the exception of my tongue and front lower gums is still pretty numb - making it hard to chew. I also think im producing a lot more saliva cause I cant sense any in my mouth. Kinda annoying! Worst is behind me though.

[zoina]

Hello guys, how is everyone doing?
I am doing all better, returned to work without any energy issues. My only issue is eating and elastics,they're so annoying...we all know about it i guess.
My bite has not changed since the surgery, but while i'm depuffing ,i can feel on my left side a weird sensation, can't say if it's normal or not, since i never had this bite or jaw position.It feels kind of like a hollow space or something touching against my soft tissue while i move my jaw. What goes on my mind is that the jaw is detached and not united so it's hanging but when i move it, it moves as a whole. It's from the inside part not the outside tha'ts why i am making senarios of disaster...because if it was hardware should it not be from the outside?
Still a bit numb, not as much as double surgery guys. And it burns all day long.Night sleep is solid thank god!
adorkable8605 my lips are not dry ,i use blistex medplus and it is awesome, after every elastic change/after eating/after everything that wipes it off i reapply and try to drink more water. Sometimes i scrub them a little bit before sleeping with my toothbrush ,lightly brush my lips and apply the lip balm.

Yesterday i had an ortho appointment, he just changed some elastics on the braces, told me not to put the elastic bands on my TADs but only use my braces, probably wants to see if my bite will move.
I am one month post-op and nobody told me to chew at least soft food. They have either forgot to tell me about it at all or i should wait more but my surgeon appointment is 27 october (2 month post-op) is that normal?

[zoina]

Also i can open my mouth 2 fingers wide , how much can the rest of you open 1 month or so post-op?

[kim3721]

Zonia,

You and I are almost in the exact situation. My next appointment with my surgeon is on October 27th as well, I thought that was really odd because its so far away. I'm also 1 month post op and can open just a little more than 2 fingers. Today, i was allowed to chew soft foods -- only after contacting the surgeon... otherwise I would still be on a liquid diet because he probably wouldn't have notified me. I only had lower jaw surgery as well but the lower left side of my face is still about 25% numb -- its super weird.. I can somewhat feel but feeling isn't as sensitive like it was pre-op.

How is everyone else doing?

[adorkable8605]

I'm 7 weeks post-op and loving my results...I was on the phone in a fitting room and saw how nicely my teeth match up and I was surprised...I guess I haven't really seen my results and my new smile while talking. It's awesome to see my bite in the right place. Having the splint out is AMAZING!! When they first took it out, I was completely freaked out by how my mouth felt...It was a weird experience. I imagine that's how I'll feel when the braces come off.

I think my swelling is basically gone, maybe a bit left in my jaw line, but it's cool. I can open my jaw about 2 fingers. I want to be able open my mouth more. I watch people open their mouths hugely and I'm totally jealous...lol. I'll get there!

My chin is tingly, but I have feeling, it's just not completely normal. I'm not sure if I have feeling in gums, but who needs that...I really want to go to the dentist, but I don't think I can open my mouth enough. Hopefully I can go in Nov.

Hope everyone is healing well and happy with their recovery.