March 2010 surgery buddies
Moderator: bbsadmin
5 day post-op:
some swelling has gone down although not as much as i'd hoped. i'm getting cramped up and bored, i'd love to go out as long as my face looks half-decent. we're even getting some great weather this week, so it'd be a rly good time to get out. i tried to skip some morphine last night because i thought i wasn't feeling any pain and boy was it a mistake. i felt some intense pain for hours while trying to sleep, and even after taking the dose it wouldn't go away for about an hour. also, im feeling the most discomfort from above and below the gum areas. can anyone confirm if there are plastic splints there? i haven't been able to lift up my lip to see them. my first post-op appointment is on wednesday and i can't wait to see what the doctors have in store for me.
some swelling has gone down although not as much as i'd hoped. i'm getting cramped up and bored, i'd love to go out as long as my face looks half-decent. we're even getting some great weather this week, so it'd be a rly good time to get out. i tried to skip some morphine last night because i thought i wasn't feeling any pain and boy was it a mistake. i felt some intense pain for hours while trying to sleep, and even after taking the dose it wouldn't go away for about an hour. also, im feeling the most discomfort from above and below the gum areas. can anyone confirm if there are plastic splints there? i haven't been able to lift up my lip to see them. my first post-op appointment is on wednesday and i can't wait to see what the doctors have in store for me.
I am 7 days post operation, and all I can say is that this has been a week from hell.
I had bimaxillary surgery last Wednesday (both jaws forward, the top one with a bone graft), and just now I’m finding the energy to write a few words about my experience so far.
My surgery started around 7:30 AM on Wednesday, and the second I opened my eyes there was this big clock hanging on the wall ticking 3PM. I’m not sure about the actual duration of the surgery, but I know it was a long one.
I was admitted in the hospital in the evening, and soon after my surgeon showed up and told me that the surgery went perfectly well and that he didn’t need to wire my mouth shut (happy happy news).
The following day I was awaken by my surgeon who was amazed by the amount of swelling in my face. The nurses there did indeed a very poor job with icing my face throughout my whole stay, and boy if I regretted that I didn’t have a jaw bra at hand. Considering that I wasn’t able to ingest oral medications (probably because of the massive swelling), my surgeon let me stay at the hospital one more day. The same night I was having trouble breathing (I blame this also on the swelling), and my oxygen saturation level went dangerously low. My surgeon ordered to put me on an oxygen mask and to remain hospitalized one more day.
I was on the oxygen mask for 36 hours, and finally on Saturday morning I was able to breathe on my own and take oral medications, and my surgeon discharged from the hospital. I was very happy to leave the hospital because the nurses there were no Candy Stripes: always mean, rude, and neglectful.
I’ve been home since Saturday afternoon, and been hit with a whole new series of problems ever since. Other than the usual and expected swelling, bruising, numbness, pain, and discomfort, I’ve been having nausea (probably because of the antibiotic), strong headaches (maybe dehydration), and my voice is reduced to a barely audible whisper (that was totally unexpected, I think I never heard anybody complaining about this complication before).
Sleeping has been rather problematic as I can never get in a position that both my jaws and neck find comfortable. At any given time one of the two either hurts or causes me to want to change position.
Eating has been quite an ordeal even without being wired-shut. I bow to all of you who are or have been wired-shut; I have a whole new respect for you. I’m on a mix of liquid-no chew diet (power drinks, broth, juices, yogurt, milk, ice cream, baby food), but I’m not being able to get down more than 600 calories per day. As a result I’m tired all day, lost already a lot of weight, and spend a lot of time in bed trying to sleep or at least to rest.
Pain has been manageable with morphine shots first and vicoden pills after at the hospital, and 325 mg oxycodone tablets since I’ve been home. I have a rather high threshold for pain, and starting from today I’m trying to get off any pain medication so I can go back behind the wheel and start driving around. Tomorrow I have my first post-op visit with my surgeon, and I have to drive 25 miles to his office (and 25 back).
Overall it has been a really tough week, even because I’ve been handling this monster surgery all by myself. But even during the darkest moment of this ordeal, I never regretted doing the surgery, and if I had to do it all over again, I would still choose to go under the knife.
I hope that everybody else is doing fine and wish the best to the people who have to undergo orthognatic surgery in the future.
Davide
I had bimaxillary surgery last Wednesday (both jaws forward, the top one with a bone graft), and just now I’m finding the energy to write a few words about my experience so far.
My surgery started around 7:30 AM on Wednesday, and the second I opened my eyes there was this big clock hanging on the wall ticking 3PM. I’m not sure about the actual duration of the surgery, but I know it was a long one.
I was admitted in the hospital in the evening, and soon after my surgeon showed up and told me that the surgery went perfectly well and that he didn’t need to wire my mouth shut (happy happy news).
The following day I was awaken by my surgeon who was amazed by the amount of swelling in my face. The nurses there did indeed a very poor job with icing my face throughout my whole stay, and boy if I regretted that I didn’t have a jaw bra at hand. Considering that I wasn’t able to ingest oral medications (probably because of the massive swelling), my surgeon let me stay at the hospital one more day. The same night I was having trouble breathing (I blame this also on the swelling), and my oxygen saturation level went dangerously low. My surgeon ordered to put me on an oxygen mask and to remain hospitalized one more day.
I was on the oxygen mask for 36 hours, and finally on Saturday morning I was able to breathe on my own and take oral medications, and my surgeon discharged from the hospital. I was very happy to leave the hospital because the nurses there were no Candy Stripes: always mean, rude, and neglectful.
I’ve been home since Saturday afternoon, and been hit with a whole new series of problems ever since. Other than the usual and expected swelling, bruising, numbness, pain, and discomfort, I’ve been having nausea (probably because of the antibiotic), strong headaches (maybe dehydration), and my voice is reduced to a barely audible whisper (that was totally unexpected, I think I never heard anybody complaining about this complication before).
Sleeping has been rather problematic as I can never get in a position that both my jaws and neck find comfortable. At any given time one of the two either hurts or causes me to want to change position.
Eating has been quite an ordeal even without being wired-shut. I bow to all of you who are or have been wired-shut; I have a whole new respect for you. I’m on a mix of liquid-no chew diet (power drinks, broth, juices, yogurt, milk, ice cream, baby food), but I’m not being able to get down more than 600 calories per day. As a result I’m tired all day, lost already a lot of weight, and spend a lot of time in bed trying to sleep or at least to rest.
Pain has been manageable with morphine shots first and vicoden pills after at the hospital, and 325 mg oxycodone tablets since I’ve been home. I have a rather high threshold for pain, and starting from today I’m trying to get off any pain medication so I can go back behind the wheel and start driving around. Tomorrow I have my first post-op visit with my surgeon, and I have to drive 25 miles to his office (and 25 back).
Overall it has been a really tough week, even because I’ve been handling this monster surgery all by myself. But even during the darkest moment of this ordeal, I never regretted doing the surgery, and if I had to do it all over again, I would still choose to go under the knife.
I hope that everybody else is doing fine and wish the best to the people who have to undergo orthognatic surgery in the future.
Davide
The first week is pretty rough but yours sounds rougher than most. Terrible about the nursing staff.
Try to get as much sleep and rest as you can.
I found that by stuffing a pillow slightly under each side(hip/waist) helped to get more comfortable.
Kudos for you doing this on your own!
Next week will be better.
Try to get as much sleep and rest as you can.
I found that by stuffing a pillow slightly under each side(hip/waist) helped to get more comfortable.
Kudos for you doing this on your own!
Next week will be better.
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maloccluser
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:04 pm
davide, at least you're on the other side. things will get better with time. it's probably going to be rough for another week or so, but you'll get through it.
as far as sleeping, do you have a recliner? i rented one for a month to help with my recovery and it really helped with sleeping. i'd typically take one of the pain pills about 45 minutes before i went to sleep and they definitely helped put me out.
do your best to stay hydrated and make sure you're eating, even if you have to force yourself. this will help speed along the recovery. glad you're not wired shut. i wasn't wired either, but i do have a splint wired to my upper jaw and three weeks post surgery, it has gotten _really_ old. i get it out on monday, thank god.
anyway, best wishes that things get better for you. keep us posted.
as far as sleeping, do you have a recliner? i rented one for a month to help with my recovery and it really helped with sleeping. i'd typically take one of the pain pills about 45 minutes before i went to sleep and they definitely helped put me out.
do your best to stay hydrated and make sure you're eating, even if you have to force yourself. this will help speed along the recovery. glad you're not wired shut. i wasn't wired either, but i do have a splint wired to my upper jaw and three weeks post surgery, it has gotten _really_ old. i get it out on monday, thank god.
anyway, best wishes that things get better for you. keep us posted.
Davide,
I'm sorry to hear your first week has been so difficult. I can't give a lot of advice because I haven't been through it yet, but from what I've read the first week is always the hardest anyway. I really commend you for going through this on your own. That takes some resolve for sure.
The next few weeks will be by quickly and this will all be behind you. I hope to hear that things are improving for you soon.
I'm sorry to hear your first week has been so difficult. I can't give a lot of advice because I haven't been through it yet, but from what I've read the first week is always the hardest anyway. I really commend you for going through this on your own. That takes some resolve for sure.
The next few weeks will be by quickly and this will all be behind you. I hope to hear that things are improving for you soon.
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bitewonder
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 8:38 pm
- Location: alberta
So I started this March Surgey buddy thread.. and just had my surgery the other day..And so i did my surgery.. it all went well. 
First I had pre admissions at the hospital they took me vitals and then I was off to see the anaesthetics doctor. Then I was stretchered to the OR. It felt like a deep freezer along the halls the nurse said it will get cooler at the OR.
At the main entrance she said I could walkin if I wanted, so I decided to walk into the OR with some swagger, like I am in control when I was not really in any control
. So there were to surgical nurses and one other surgeon ranging the tools. They put in my anaesthetics and I was out.
I woked on intensive care unit, I was told I would just for more monitoring so It was not a suprised. I was in and out and groggy. The back of my head felt hot I guess because of the bandage to hold the cold compress on my cheeks and necks., They then wheeled me to my ward where I was goin to recover.
I slept and they were jucing me all the time with liquids and drugs through the IV. I woke up it was a challenge going to the wash room a few steps but I did not want to pee in some plastic bottle.. so I made it to the washroom by myself and I could always pool on the wires to alert the nurses or someone that I am about to faint or is dizzying in the washroom. One funny thing the nurse was always knocking at my door asking Im I done yet when I was trying to concentrate to pee it was not easy I had to really focus.. I also felt a bit clogged up with a cold scrtachy throat from the breathing tubes.
I looked at me self in the mirror and behold I looked like I just lost a Heavy weight boxing match. I had a bloody nose as I can see blod clott but I cannot blow.. I was told I will get breathing tubes inserted all the way through my nose and it will be out just before I wake up so I might recall it. They give you oxygen all the way till you can breath by yourself as they dont want to starve your brain from O2.
I also had some incision on both my cheeks from outside.. they put polysporing on it
In my room I also had an oxygen max together with an IV. I really like the oxygen max it was cool and made me relaxed and feeling high
It was tough eating I had no appetite they had some broth I felt nausea.. I just syringe some apple juice and passed out again. Anyways now I am at home and recovering I got meds, antibiotics, moutwash, pain killers Tylenol #3 and some other tablet muscle relaxant.
Back to my swollen face I hope it goes down the doctor came to see me in the evening yesterday and said the surgery went very well. I will see him again on Friday. Iam wearing a splint upper and rubber bands on my surgical hooks.. I am not banded shut and I can talk a bit. Well thats it for now. Good luck to those getting surgery soon and those that are recovering. I can definately already see the impact of my jaw surgery and I am happy with the results so far I actually now have a somewhat good bite! The ortho for the next 6mos or so will fine tune my bite.!!
First I had pre admissions at the hospital they took me vitals and then I was off to see the anaesthetics doctor. Then I was stretchered to the OR. It felt like a deep freezer along the halls the nurse said it will get cooler at the OR.
At the main entrance she said I could walkin if I wanted, so I decided to walk into the OR with some swagger, like I am in control when I was not really in any control
. So there were to surgical nurses and one other surgeon ranging the tools. They put in my anaesthetics and I was out.I woked on intensive care unit, I was told I would just for more monitoring so It was not a suprised. I was in and out and groggy. The back of my head felt hot I guess because of the bandage to hold the cold compress on my cheeks and necks., They then wheeled me to my ward where I was goin to recover.
I slept and they were jucing me all the time with liquids and drugs through the IV. I woke up it was a challenge going to the wash room a few steps but I did not want to pee in some plastic bottle.. so I made it to the washroom by myself and I could always pool on the wires to alert the nurses or someone that I am about to faint or is dizzying in the washroom. One funny thing the nurse was always knocking at my door asking Im I done yet when I was trying to concentrate to pee it was not easy I had to really focus..
I also felt a bit clogged up with a cold scrtachy throat from the breathing tubes.I looked at me self in the mirror and behold I looked like I just lost a Heavy weight boxing match. I had a bloody nose as I can see blod clott but I cannot blow.. I was told I will get breathing tubes inserted all the way through my nose and it will be out just before I wake up so I might recall it. They give you oxygen all the way till you can breath by yourself as they dont want to starve your brain from O2.
I also had some incision on both my cheeks from outside.. they put polysporing on it
In my room I also had an oxygen max together with an IV. I really like the oxygen max it was cool and made me relaxed and feeling high
It was tough eating I had no appetite they had some broth I felt nausea.. I just syringe some apple juice and passed out again. Anyways now I am at home and recovering I got meds, antibiotics, moutwash, pain killers Tylenol #3 and some other tablet muscle relaxant.
Back to my swollen face I hope it goes down the doctor came to see me in the evening yesterday and said the surgery went very well. I will see him again on Friday. Iam wearing a splint upper and rubber bands on my surgical hooks.. I am not banded shut and I can talk a bit. Well thats it for now. Good luck to those getting surgery soon and those that are recovering. I can definately already see the impact of my jaw surgery and I am happy with the results so far I actually now have a somewhat good bite!
The ortho for the next 6mos or so will fine tune my bite.!!I'm glad everything went well!!
It is indeed amazing/interesting how cold it is in the operating room. I was worried that my surgeon's hands would be too cold to operate!! He told me that he and the staff need it cool because they get pretty warm doing the surgery.
So you have bands on your surgical hooks but are not banded shut? I don't understand- is it because the elastics are light and you can open and close your mouth?
It is indeed amazing/interesting how cold it is in the operating room. I was worried that my surgeon's hands would be too cold to operate!! He told me that he and the staff need it cool because they get pretty warm doing the surgery.
So you have bands on your surgical hooks but are not banded shut? I don't understand- is it because the elastics are light and you can open and close your mouth?
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bitewonder
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 8:38 pm
- Location: alberta
bb wrote:I'm glad everything went well!!
It is indeed amazing/interesting how cold it is in the operating room. I was worried that my surgeon's hands would be too cold to operate!! He told me that he and the staff need it cool because they get pretty warm doing the surgery.
So you have bands on your surgical hooks but are not banded shut? I don't understand- is it because the elastics are light and you can open and close your mouth?
Yes its not shut I can open my mouth a a little bit to accept a baby spoon or syringe for feeding. I am so glad I was not wired shut.. I would have lost it.
I am very pleased with results. I still have lots of swelling like chipmunk, I am using plenty of ice and trying to walk around or seat upright since I think just lying down and being depressed makes the healing slow. I am very upbeat - do have a slight craving for chicken pizza!! but I know it is not goinf to happen anytime soon. 
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maloccluser
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:04 pm
bitewonder, congrats!
audra... i can tell you about the splint. i've had mine in for just over three weeks now. in two words: extremely annoying. ha! actually, the first two weeks i really wasn't focusing on it at all as i had 'other' things going on (soreness, discomfort, swelling, problems eating, taking medicine... all that good stuff). as i started to feel better during the third week, however, the splint began to rank higher on the priority list and it's become really annoying.
along with other things, it makes it more difficult to eat, makes you speak like you really know a lot about computers and/or permanently have a few marshmellows in your mouth, and just feels like it's 'in the way'.
nothing you can't hack... but i gotta say... i cannot wait until this thing comes out on monday. really looking forward to that day.
speedy recovery to all!
audra... i can tell you about the splint. i've had mine in for just over three weeks now. in two words: extremely annoying. ha! actually, the first two weeks i really wasn't focusing on it at all as i had 'other' things going on (soreness, discomfort, swelling, problems eating, taking medicine... all that good stuff). as i started to feel better during the third week, however, the splint began to rank higher on the priority list and it's become really annoying.
along with other things, it makes it more difficult to eat, makes you speak like you really know a lot about computers and/or permanently have a few marshmellows in your mouth, and just feels like it's 'in the way'.
nothing you can't hack... but i gotta say... i cannot wait until this thing comes out on monday. really looking forward to that day.
speedy recovery to all!
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bitewonder
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 8:38 pm
- Location: alberta
Hello I am from calgary too had my surgery at the Peter Lougheed, all the staff and nurses at my unit were very good and supportive. The splint goes on my top teeth it is not very annoying yet, as I am more concerned about swelling etc as maloccluser said. I am using cold compress on my swelling and I just noticed the swelling is going down albeit I still look like a chipmunk! Goodluck on your surgery!Audra wrote:Hi Bitewonder! Nice to see you made it to the other side! What does the splint feel like? I'm told I'll have one for four weeks. You have a great attitude. That should pull you through recovery for sure.
Where in Alberta are you? I'm in Calgary.
I'm having surgery at the Peter Lougheed also. Who is your surgeon? Dr. Young is doing my surgeries. I'm happy to hear you had a good experience with the staff there. That makes me feel a lot better going in.bitewonder wrote:Hello I am from calgary too had my surgery at the Peter Lougheed, all the staff and nurses at my unit were very good and supportive. The splint goes on my top teeth it is not very annoying yet, as I am more concerned about swelling etc as maloccluser said. I am using cold compress on my swelling and I just noticed the swelling is going down albeit I still look like a chipmunk! Goodluck on your surgery!Audra wrote:Hi Bitewonder! Nice to see you made it to the other side! What does the splint feel like? I'm told I'll have one for four weeks. You have a great attitude. That should pull you through recovery for sure.
Where in Alberta are you? I'm in Calgary.
Today I'm 10 days post operation, and I'm feeling better and better with every passing day. My energy level is increasing and my mood is growing as fast as the swelling in my face is going down. I went to see my surgeon on Thursday, and he was rather pleased with the outcome of the surgery and the healing of my wounds. I was able to drive on my own for about 50 miles round trip, and although on the way forward I felt kind of weird, on the way back I was quite comfortable driving.
My face is still swollen and a little bruised, and I dropped about 8 pounds of weight, but my surgeon switched my diet to soft-chew, so hopefully I'll gain a little weight back. However I haven't eaten anything that I coudn't swallow without chewing so far because I'm a little afraid that I will start grinding my teeth again, just like I did before surgery. Indeed one of the beneficial side effect of the surgery is that I stopped grinding my teeth at night and clenching my jaws during the day.
My voice is still strained and my surgeon thinks it is because of the breathing tubes. But it is getting a little better.
My sleeping pattern is almost as normal as it was before surgery. I sleep most of the night and take a nap in the afternoon as opposed to the continuous dozing off of the days immediately after the surgery.
I quit pain medication cold turkey on Wednesday evening because I needed to drive the following day and I couldn't do it under the effect of narcotics. I still feel pain in my face of course but it is quite bearable for me and I decided not to go back on the painkillers. The least medication I take the better it is for me. Tomorrow I'll finish my bottle of antibiotics, and I surely won't miss the foul tasting pills, and the extreme nausea caused by the medicine.
I haven't taken a good look at my face yet and start checking the aesthetic differences made by the surgery. I've been more concerned about the way I felt rather than the way I looked in these first 10 days. Besides I know that with all the swelling around my face it's kind of hard to see what I will really look like once this will be all over. I know however that I don't have an overbite anymore, because when i run my tongue on the edge of my teeth, I feel no space in between anymore. Now that I feel better I will start looking at myself in every mirror I pass by and see whether my surgeon made me into a Hollywood star (just kidding).
Davide
My face is still swollen and a little bruised, and I dropped about 8 pounds of weight, but my surgeon switched my diet to soft-chew, so hopefully I'll gain a little weight back. However I haven't eaten anything that I coudn't swallow without chewing so far because I'm a little afraid that I will start grinding my teeth again, just like I did before surgery. Indeed one of the beneficial side effect of the surgery is that I stopped grinding my teeth at night and clenching my jaws during the day.
My voice is still strained and my surgeon thinks it is because of the breathing tubes. But it is getting a little better.
My sleeping pattern is almost as normal as it was before surgery. I sleep most of the night and take a nap in the afternoon as opposed to the continuous dozing off of the days immediately after the surgery.
I quit pain medication cold turkey on Wednesday evening because I needed to drive the following day and I couldn't do it under the effect of narcotics. I still feel pain in my face of course but it is quite bearable for me and I decided not to go back on the painkillers. The least medication I take the better it is for me. Tomorrow I'll finish my bottle of antibiotics, and I surely won't miss the foul tasting pills, and the extreme nausea caused by the medicine.
I haven't taken a good look at my face yet and start checking the aesthetic differences made by the surgery. I've been more concerned about the way I felt rather than the way I looked in these first 10 days. Besides I know that with all the swelling around my face it's kind of hard to see what I will really look like once this will be all over. I know however that I don't have an overbite anymore, because when i run my tongue on the edge of my teeth, I feel no space in between anymore. Now that I feel better I will start looking at myself in every mirror I pass by and see whether my surgeon made me into a Hollywood star (just kidding).
Davide
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revolutionary
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:13 am
- Location: NYC
- Contact:
Hi guys! My name is Alison, I'm 22 and from NYC, and am two days post-op.
I had a maxillary osteotomy and a mandibular vertical ramus osteotomy for my huge underbite/protruding jaw. They moved my lower jaw back like 10 cm and my upper forward 3. Also my lower jaw was twisted to my left and my upper to my right. Basically it was just painful, hard to eat/talk/ pulling at my cheeks/popping all the time, and above all I felt ugly.
Apparently I am one in like 1000 people that did NOT require braces BEFORE surgery. My teeth grew in pretty much properly straight, but my jaws were just a wreck. So instead of the months leading up and braces getting changed, etc etc, I was able to schedule surgery about 3 weeks in advance when I met the perfect doctor for me here, and they told me that during the operation, they were going to put on surgical braces with rubber bands/arch supports to hold my jaws together.
So in any event, year, two days post. It all feels like a blur. I was the first surgery of the day. I also walked myself into the ER like a little rock star. They made me as cozy as possible and made sure I knew i'd be waking up with 2 tubes up my nose - a breathing tube that would come out just as I was waking up, and an NG tube (which I was deeply stressed about bc of past issues with them). I remember them giving me heated clothes and blankets to put on and getting the IV poke and being out... When I first met (coherently) with the doctor a few hours after I was done, he said from 1 to 10, I was a 1 in terms of post-op swelling, and that it's going to be the worst over the next 3 days, the start going down.
I experienced no nausea whatsoever, and so the doctor took out the torturous NG tube and then the most of my in-hospital problems were solved. I was on IV morphine every 3 hours, along with this awesome oxygen mask, and ice packs for my swelling. I probably didn't even need the prior two, but the oxygen was nice (and kept my nose from bleeding as much, which was/has been really irritating - I'm bleeding more out my nose than my mouth, which I hear is normal for when they do both jaws), and I wanted to see what morphine was like, haha. It didn't really do much for me except make me a little drowsy. I have a high tolerance to painkillers, so... yeah.
I was really lucky in terms of no barfing or nausea, and my mom started to sneak in forbidden liquids to me like Gatorade as soon as the doctor verbally authorized it, haha. So of course the crappiest part was waking up to these surgical braces that make me look like Hannibal Lecter. And being on a 4 week liquid diet (at 5'8/115 lbs as a girl, I REALLY don't have anything to lose!). Blah. I. Want. Foooooood! Ha. But I know we have to.
These surgical braces (although some are calling it a split - mine must be completely different), because they are actually metal braces very close to the top/bottom of my gums, first experience as a metalhead (none pre-op), with cris-crossing tight rubber bands from bottom to top holding my jaw shut. They are the most painful aspect - it feels like the are pulling directly into my gums), followed by the swelling. My lips have grown like, x3 and I have yucky black and brown bruising around them that looks like I just couldn't wipe off the chocolate. My cheeks and bottom of neck are puffy though I have a really long thin narrow face so it's not all that bad. When I look in the mirror from the side, my underbite is gone and I know that my face will look FAR better once I'm all healed, so... Here's me, 2 days in, saying.... It's worth it.
Lastly, it seems like a lot of you are Canadians; I got really lucky as an American student with my parents' insurance covering it and my doctor being awesome. We had a co-pay for the doctor himself of like $1033, plus the hospital day rates (which we'll find out), but the surgery itself was $45,000!!.
I had a maxillary osteotomy and a mandibular vertical ramus osteotomy for my huge underbite/protruding jaw. They moved my lower jaw back like 10 cm and my upper forward 3. Also my lower jaw was twisted to my left and my upper to my right. Basically it was just painful, hard to eat/talk/ pulling at my cheeks/popping all the time, and above all I felt ugly.
Apparently I am one in like 1000 people that did NOT require braces BEFORE surgery. My teeth grew in pretty much properly straight, but my jaws were just a wreck. So instead of the months leading up and braces getting changed, etc etc, I was able to schedule surgery about 3 weeks in advance when I met the perfect doctor for me here, and they told me that during the operation, they were going to put on surgical braces with rubber bands/arch supports to hold my jaws together.
So in any event, year, two days post. It all feels like a blur. I was the first surgery of the day. I also walked myself into the ER like a little rock star. They made me as cozy as possible and made sure I knew i'd be waking up with 2 tubes up my nose - a breathing tube that would come out just as I was waking up, and an NG tube (which I was deeply stressed about bc of past issues with them). I remember them giving me heated clothes and blankets to put on and getting the IV poke and being out... When I first met (coherently) with the doctor a few hours after I was done, he said from 1 to 10, I was a 1 in terms of post-op swelling, and that it's going to be the worst over the next 3 days, the start going down.
I experienced no nausea whatsoever, and so the doctor took out the torturous NG tube and then the most of my in-hospital problems were solved. I was on IV morphine every 3 hours, along with this awesome oxygen mask, and ice packs for my swelling. I probably didn't even need the prior two, but the oxygen was nice (and kept my nose from bleeding as much, which was/has been really irritating - I'm bleeding more out my nose than my mouth, which I hear is normal for when they do both jaws), and I wanted to see what morphine was like, haha. It didn't really do much for me except make me a little drowsy. I have a high tolerance to painkillers, so... yeah.
I was really lucky in terms of no barfing or nausea, and my mom started to sneak in forbidden liquids to me like Gatorade as soon as the doctor verbally authorized it, haha. So of course the crappiest part was waking up to these surgical braces that make me look like Hannibal Lecter. And being on a 4 week liquid diet (at 5'8/115 lbs as a girl, I REALLY don't have anything to lose!). Blah. I. Want. Foooooood! Ha. But I know we have to.
These surgical braces (although some are calling it a split - mine must be completely different), because they are actually metal braces very close to the top/bottom of my gums, first experience as a metalhead (none pre-op), with cris-crossing tight rubber bands from bottom to top holding my jaw shut. They are the most painful aspect - it feels like the are pulling directly into my gums), followed by the swelling. My lips have grown like, x3 and I have yucky black and brown bruising around them that looks like I just couldn't wipe off the chocolate. My cheeks and bottom of neck are puffy though I have a really long thin narrow face so it's not all that bad. When I look in the mirror from the side, my underbite is gone and I know that my face will look FAR better once I'm all healed, so... Here's me, 2 days in, saying.... It's worth it.
Lastly, it seems like a lot of you are Canadians; I got really lucky as an American student with my parents' insurance covering it and my doctor being awesome. We had a co-pay for the doctor himself of like $1033, plus the hospital day rates (which we'll find out), but the surgery itself was $45,000!!.