April 18 Surgery Buddies...

[runrabbitrun]

But you are completely right about the mental roller coaster. Within two hours I change my mind 6 times about how confident I feel, how well I'm healing, how well I'm handling the whole process. Cheers to all of you to making it through your journey so far. And also thanks for being there.

Couldn't agree with you and N2Deep more - absolutely a roller coaster. I've had a few friends remind me more than once that this was MAJOR surgery and that I'm handling it great, all things considered. Certainly helps that I feel 1000x better than I did pre-surgery, and that I've had you all to help ease my anxieties throughout the whole process. Very grateful for you guys!


PdF - Congrats, it sounds like you've finally made it to the finish line!! I've been meaning to ask - how has your sleep been lately?

I just had my 5-week post-op today and my surgeon gave me the go-ahead to starting lifting again, too. So. Excited. (!!) Removal of the IMF screws was fairly uneventful, but he also tried to remove some stitches that hadn't yet dissolved and FML that hurt SO bad. He immediately decided that it was best to just leave them as is and let them do their thing. Good call, doc.

I didn't feel like my face had changed that much, but getting the screws removed made me wonder...It's kind of shocking to see the progression
(L-R: 2 days pre-op, 6 days post-op, 2 weeks post-op, 4 weeks post-op):

Weeks 0-4 - Profile.jpg

[MoJo2685]

Certainly helps that I feel 1000x better than I did pre-surgery, and that I've had you all to help ease my anxieties throughout the whole process. Very grateful for you guys!

Wow you look great! I can't believe how far we have all come. It seems both like a million years ago and also yesterday that I was nervously prepping for surgery. This page has for sure been the therapy space. Lol

Now because appearance wise there is no big tell anymore and I'm getting back in to running and being more active people do expect me to be 100% back into everything. I do have to remind them on occasion that team ball sports are not going to be interesting for me for a while. At work they keep asking me to play basketball or even kickball. Not gonna happen. Let's let the face get good and healed first.

I go to what should be my last appointment with my surgeon until my 6 month checkup on Monday. Then have my second post surgery orthodontist appointment a week later. It seems like like everything is moving so quickly now.

[runrabbitrun]

Thank you!! It's funny, I was just saying that to a friend today - that it feels equally like this all happened ages ago, while also feeling like it was yesterday.

That's awesome that you're back into running! Definitely looking forward to that. I've been lifting but still need a little more time before I take that plunge back into running, I think. How long until your braces are off (or are they off already)?


Are you guys all doing some kind of stretching exercises? I completely forgot to ask my doctor about them and am surprised he didn't give me any. I feel like I could definitely use them for my lips - I'm still struggling with full mobility there.

[MoJo2685]

Braces should be off early fall. I can't wait! With the jaw movement I feel like they take up way to much space. It's funny that lifting is easier for you. Maybe it's due to my nose more than my jaw but any body weight/ lifting things feel awful. Yesterday I actually hit 1 mile straight running for the first time. Breathing was amazing and endurance is slowly catching up.

My surgeon told me to just use my fingers to stretch my jaw for 2-3 seconds at a time, sets of ten. But nothing specific for my lips. But left to my own devices I make all the weird faces to try for full movement.

My surgical team today suggested I try taking Arnica Montana for a bit because at 9 weeks out my nose and cheeks are still pretty swollen. They saw another patient this week who was 2 weeks post op and had almost no swelling. She said that had been her secret. I had never heard of it before but picked some up. You never know if it works unless you try right?

Have you gotten to the point where a full day of talking at work isn't exhausting yet?

[N2Deep]

For those of you that had lefort 1, can you feel your upper gums yet? I can feel from the incision point about halfway down, but just above the teeth I'm still completely numb. It definitely makes chewing an interesting sensation. I also kind of feel like none of my teeth are really in there solid anymore, that could have to do with the box elastics I'm wearing though.

[Punakmouth]

MoJo - I used Arnica gel to get rid of the swelling/bruising starting on day 3. I had bruising all the way down to my cleavage and it was gone by day 10 or so. I had zero swelling where I put it....but I only put it on my lower jaw, neck, and chest area. I was worried it would cause the skin on my face to breakout so I didn't put it on my face. Maybe the tablets would work better for facial swelling. I have very little swelling left in my lower back cheeks. (I take omega, C010, Tumeric, and B12)

N2Deep - I had the lefort 1 (3 piece) and I can feel my gums on both upper back sides. I can't feel them right in front though. Strange....

Runrabbitrun - I went for my 6 week appointment today and my doctor is saying not to stretch at all. He says let your jaw heal, take it easy and don't force anything. It will happen on its own. This is a 12 week bone healing journey, so give it time.

As far as the lip mobility - I had to have the center top stitch removed manually today since it never dissolved and was pulling incessantly, preventing me from smiling wide etc. I hope I can get my smile up by 2 more mm in the next few days. It looks better each week. I just really want to show the tops of my front teeth/gums. My doc says I look great, like I had a mini facelift, LOL.

How is everyone doing on pins and needles/numb areas? I have sensation in my entire chin and bottom lip now - no dead spots!!! BUT....it is still numb and constantly tingling, all day, every day. It is hard to explain how you can have sensation but still be numb....but I'm sure you guys get it. My doctor says he expects me to heal completely, with no issues. Not bad for a 39 year old!!

[raj]

Punakmouth, could you please share links from where you bought arnica gel, C010, omega, B12, etc., to reduce swelling? If they worked for you, they might work for me too. I am 5 weeks post-OP and still have residual swelling. I saw my Surgeon yesterday and he said it takes several months for swelling to go away completely. It looks really bad as one side of my face still has some swelling.

[Punakmouth]

Arnica Bruise/Swelling Gel

https://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Arnicare- ... B01CMDX3ZG

Liquid CoQ10 (Liquid only because I started using it while wired shut) You can also buy it direct on their website.

https://m.costco.com/Qunol-Liquid-CoQ10 ... 75487.html

Liquid Tumeric

https://m.costco.com/Qunol-Liquid-Turme ... 16094.html

Omega

https://m.costco.com/Pure-Alaska-Omega- ... 84258.html

Then I just got fast dissolve B12 vitamin from a drugstore and used it under my tounge or smashed it and used it in smoothies or drinks.

I also had a powder form of bromelian that I used in smoothies until I ran out. It was rather expensive...you can get this natural anti-inflammatory from raw fresh pineapple, but I couldn't do that while wired shut......anyways, I got this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01K73GK ... sara+Herbs

[raj]

Arnica Bruise/Swelling Gel

https://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Arnicare- ... B01CMDX3ZG

Liquid CoQ10 (Liquid only because I started using it while wired shut) You can also buy it direct on their website.

https://m.costco.com/Qunol-Liquid-CoQ10 ... 75487.html

Liquid Tumeric

https://m.costco.com/Qunol-Liquid-Turme ... 16094.html

Omega

https://m.costco.com/Pure-Alaska-Omega- ... 84258.html

Then I just got fast dissolve B12 vitamin from a drugstore and used it under my tounge or smashed it and used it in smoothies or drinks.

I also had a powder form of bromelian that I used in smoothies until I ran out. It was rather expensive...you can get this natural anti-inflammatory from raw fresh pineapple, but I couldn't do that while wired shut......anyways, I got this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01K73GK ... sara+Herbs

Thank you so much!

[MoJo2685]

Guys I'm slowly trying to add mild body weight exercises in addition to my run. Made it to 12 whole girl push-ups before collapsing. Squats are good. But pushups. Man, I thought I hated them before.... Why do they have to be so good for you?

[PierreDeFermat]

Mojo, I'm writing this from the gym on my second day back:

I could only do 20 push-ups and isolated bench machine at 70lbs for 20 reps. The rest of my exercises were similarly very light.

The weakness sucks, especially since I used to workout every other day and put on good size (lost 20lbs since surgery), but at least I don't notice my breathing at all now!

[runrabbitrun]

Mojo - that’ll be here before you know it! I can’t imagine going through this whole process and ALSO having braces at the same time. I can only imagine how amazing you’ll feel seeing your “new” smile for the first time.

Lol, I am also making all kinds of weird faces for stretching/mobility. My smile is still kind of wonky but it does seem to be getting better day by day.

YES to the Arnica, and also to Bromelain. I didn’t have a single bruise coming out of surgery (aside from one very light yellow patch about the size of a quarter that showed up a week after, but it was barely noticeable). I was drank turmeric whisked in a little almond milk each morning. I think all of this helped a ton with keeping swelling and bruising down. I also took liquid B12 and Super B complex (those are more for nerve regeneration, though).

Work was a little less exhausting this past week, but I think a lot of that has to do with my bands being gone. They added so much tension that even a few sentences every hour wore me out.

N2Deep - Whoa. I feel really silly. I hadn’t noticed that my gums were numb. I was about to respond “no gum numbness, but I totally know what you mean about the ‘not solid’ teeth feeling!” Whelp. Just ran my nail against my gums and felt nothing.


Punakmouth - That’s awesome that you have no dead spots!! Removing that top stitch should help a lot with both mobility and pain - mine was removed at 1 week and I can’t imagine it being in any longer than that.


PdF (+ Mojo) - I lost about 30% of my strength on all major lifts but it’s getting a little bit easier every day. I will say that body weight exercises feel miserable for me though - way worse than anything else! But I can finally do weighted leg raises so core/bodyweight stuff should get easier.

[MoJo2685]

Oh the goofy faces made in the name of stretching. Lol thank God I don't live in a reality TV house with cameras everywhere.

The braces are a struggle but seeing the light at the end of the tunnel helps so much. I went to the ortho today and mentioned that my bite seems more connected on the right than on the left. Talked my way right into elastics on that side 24 hours a day. But whatever helps get it done more quickly right? And for right now, it actually feels better when I'm wearing it. We shall see how I feel about it in the morning.

[ikn91]

MoJo2685, do your front teeth do not bite down on each other in occlusion?

[PierreDeFermat]

Looking great Mojo, that first pic of your teeth is so funny to me for some reason!

I imagine that people must think I'm on some kind of crazy drugs when they see me massaging my face or using my fingers to gently stretch open my mouth (let alone while trying to eat a sandwich).

This Saturday is 9 weeks post-op for me and things are going pretty well except that the upper gums still kind of feel like I've got arch bars in (should resolve in another month or so I believe, it's going down a little more every week). The gums are very slowly regaining feeling.

I can still feel the sutures around the anterior nasal spine/septum if I try to open too wide, which I hope will also resolve in time.

My teeth felt normal week 8ish for those of you with lots of sensativity.

My dental midline/occlusion has shifted back to as it was pre-surgery (Class I) and my bite now looks and feels normal again.