After 2 Surgeries Braces Are Now Off!!!

Message

#16 Post by **Tin Indian** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:45 pm

Congratulations on the surgury Kate. It took a lot of guts to do what you did.Hope you are feeling better and your recovery will be smooth.

#17 Post by **katemm06** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:24 am

Thanks everyone for all of your supportive words. It really does make me feel good!

I got a better sleep last night. The blood in my mouth stopped so I only got up a few times to drink some water and take meds and then I was able to go right back to sleep. I haven't had too much pain probaly because I'm so numb and also because I've been taking the pain medicines on time.

The hunger hasn't been too overwhelming yet. I've just been drinking milkshakes and blending oatmeal and boost/ensure drinks.

I've attempted to brush my teeth with a baby toothbrush but I don't think it does that much good anyway. I really don't think I will be able to brush good until the splint comes out so I'm not gonna worry about it.

All in all today has been a better day for me which is really good considering that it is only postop day 2!!!

#18 Post by **katemm06** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:27 am

Thanks Meryaten. When did you start getting your feeling back? I know it varies for everyone but I'm still curious. I feel some weird sensations in my lower jaw, chin, and lip every now and then so I'm sure that must be a good sign.

I hate this splint with a passion!!!

I know I just have to hang in there until Monday morning and then it will get removed along with the two sutures on the side of my face. Does anyone know if it hurts to get it out?

I have all these stupid fears like my jaw is going to feel wobbly on Monday or that my bite will be completely out of whack for some reason and the splint will have to stay in even longer. I'm also nervous that I'm going to have major cavities because I can hardly brush my teeth.

On the positive side though everyone says I look really good postop. My family thought I was going to look a lot worse than I actually do. I have some bruising but so far it is pretty minimal. It was super difficult last night watching everyone eat pizza, fries, and wine. I wanted it so bad! Instead I had an Ensure

I am determined to get through this!!!!!!!

#19 Post by **katemm06** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 12:53 pm

Wow Meryaten. You really did have quite the easy recovery!

I really hope that I will start eating soft foods once the splint comes out on Monday. I think once I can start on solid foods my healing will go even quicker. I hate the liquid diet which I know everyone says!

I am much more bruised today and still very swollen and numb. But I have been trying to open my jaw as far as I can with the bands. Today it seemed to open a little wider than yesterday which is good

I keep talking and smiling even though it feels really weird. My OS says that smiling is the best exercise you can do for your mouth

Have a nice weekend.

#20 Post by **katemm06** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:36 am

Linda,

I think I'm recovering pretty well but it definently has not been an easy road. My emotions have been up and down the entire week. One minute I'm calm or laughing and the next minute I'm sobbing.

It is just so hard not to have full use of my mouth. I feel like a prisoner just waiting for this part of the story to be over. My sleep has also not been great. I wake every few hours and have to take more meds in order to fall back to sleep. I'm pretty close to finishing the steriod medicine and I've heard that the swelling could increase for a few days after the medicine stops.

Come on Monday morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#21 Post by **emily25** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 3:28 pm

congratz

wow your so brave! i wish you a speedy recovery.

#22 Post by **katemm06** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:26 am

Haven't written in a few days because I have had major pain. Thank God it is under control now. I found out today by my OS that I had complications from surgery, a fungus infection in my mouth known as thrush. It was causing intense ear pain and the worse throat pain I have ever experienced. I was doubled over in pain for what seemed like an eternity. My tongue was so gross from the infection and I couldn't get any of the stuff off of it. Thankfully I got prescribed a medicine to take for it. He said that it could have gotten to my GI tract and done more damage if he had not caught it in time.

Everything seemed to go downhill Sunday night. I cried in his office to him on Monday about everything I was going through but he put it off as "a normal reaction to surgery". After the splint was taken out and I left his office the pain increased like crazy. I just thought "oh it's from the rubber bands he put in my mouth" but I was wrong. By Tuesday my face was completely contorted and I was in tears every other minute. I thought I was going to have a breakdown. My mom called his office and demanded a stronger pain killer or she would take me to the emergency room. She was totally beside herself. He called the painkiller in plus a sleeping pill and I was much more comfortable after that although at that point none of knew what the real problem was.

I learned from this whole thing to always listen to how I am feeling because doctors do not always have all the answers! I still have throat pain but I'm sure it will go away once I finish up the medication he prescribed today. Still haven't slept completely through the night yet since surgery. I also have three rubberbands in my mouth. This has not been an easy journey at all!

Website · #23 Post by **alexa** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:41 am

Aw, man. That's awful.

Sorry to hear you had to go through that. I hope everything gets better quickly.

#24 Post by **katemm06** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 6:30 pm

Linda, Linda, Linda!!! You are a mind reader!

Iâ€™ll get the laxatives, just give me the damn pain meds!

I wish I had known this sooner!!! I had an absolutely horrible day today. I have been taking the new painkillers my OS prescribed on Tuesday (Vicodin) and got the worst case of constipation I have ever experienced in my entire life. Nothing I did could help me have a bowel movement. I was in terrible pain and could barely stand up straight. Thank God my aunt who is an RN was able to help me out. She gave me Milk of Magnesia which did nothing, then a suppository which did nothing, and finally an enema which was the icing on the cake. The whole ordeal lasted 5 hours, from 10am to 3pm. During that time I had little food or medicines which is not good for my recovery. I feel a lot better now but totally drained. From now on I will make sure to take my laxatives every day until I finish with the pain meds. I can't believe my doctor did not tell me this beforehand. He called me tonight to check up on me and when I told him what happened, he said that painkillers are not constipating which is a total load of crap (excuse the pun!)

I still have the thrush which has done a number on my voice. I see my OS tomorrow morning for a check up. Oh and Meryaten~I was put on antibiotics following surgery and even steroids prior to surgery which is probaly how I got it. Although my os claims it was from having a weak immune system. However, the side effects booklet that comes with prescriptions says that those meds can cause thrush!

My pain is still pretty bad. I have to take the painkillers every few hours for relief. My OS thinks it might be a root canal issue causing the pain. It tends to be on the right side of my face. The same place where the three rubber bands were placed which makes me think it is not a root canal issue.

Will keep everyone posted. Thanks for all of the good thoughts

I also posted some new pics today.

#25 Post by **katemm06** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:07 pm

Linda - My aunt is awesome. She's been an RN doing direct patient care for over 25 years so of course she really knows what she is doing

I sometimes feel that she can answer more of my recovery questions better than my OS!

I have been trying to limit the amount of Vicodin I take today in order to see if it is possible to stop using it soon. I don't want to pop a painpill every time I feel a pain when it might be possible that the pain won't last as long as I think. I only had one dose of it this morning. And last night I slept 7 hours, a record for me!!!

This afternoon I took 800mg of Ibeuprofen that my OS prescribed today. He said it might be a good idea if I only took the narc before bed. So far so good

He said that he feels I am healing nicely. The swelling and bruising has gone down much faster than he expected it to. He said the pain I am experiencing on my right side of my face is due to the pressure from the rubber bands forcing the jaw to move. Tomorrow morning he wants me to remove the bands and start eating soft foods like scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes which makes me thrilled

I didn't think he would let me try anything like that that for a while. I still can't use my jaw for chewing and the rubber bands will have to stay in for a while but this is definently progress towards getting my life back!

The only negative is that I still have the Thrush. The medicine I finished yesterday did not make it go away. He prescribed special throat lozengers that I have to take 5 times a day over the next 12 days. I hope it solves the problem.

#26 Post by **katemm06** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:56 pm

Meryaten - The splint is no longer in. It was taken out on Monday. I just have rubber bands, two on each side for now. Life is much better without that thing! I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

My OS is an excellent surgeon and for the most part has a great bedside manner. I don't agree with some of his postop recommendations but for the most part I do. When he realized that the pain was a major problem he started calling my house every day this week to check up on me which I thought was nice. He also gave me his cell number if I needed to call him with any questions.

This forum is great because it shows just how different peoples' experiences can be with respect to jaw surgery. I really thought mine was going to be much easier than it actually was. And yet you were fortunate to have a much smoother recovery. Makes surgery look like the real and complicated thing that it is!

#27 Post by **katemm06** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:36 am

Hi Everyone,

I've been doing pretty good this weekend for postop day 12. I was able to get out and walk around a few stores with little trouble yesterday. I even bagged my own groceries!!!!

I still get sharp pains off and on each day on the right side of my face that run all the way up to my ear. It only lasts for a few seconds and then it disappears. I'm still somewhat on edge from the horrible pain I experienced earlier in the week that when it happens I keep thinking this is going to be the one that won't stop. Amazingly, I've managed to stay off the Vicodin and only take Ibeuprofen every few hours. I don't think it really helps except on a psychological level because it makes me think I'm doing something to prevent pain. I still experience the same off and on pain though even when I take the Ibeuprofen.

I've been sleeping very well (wake up with a lot of drool which I gather is normal). The biggest adjustment for me now is the rubber bands which are totally annoying. It's so hard to put them in (I really can't emphasize this enough)!!!! I have four separate ones to put in my mouth so it takes a lot of time. Each band usually takes me several tries before it goes on correctly. I can't eat any solid food or take pills or brush my teeth without taking off the bands. The whole process involves an extraordinary amount of effort. I don't think my OS has any idea what I go through with this! And I'm hearing there could be another few months of this!!

I am also on soft foods (yay

) but I still incorporate a liquid diet too when I don't feel like taking the bands off. I try to take the bands off and eat soft foods at breakfast and at dinner. Numbness is still an issue with my lower lip and chin. I feel like a baby when I finally finish eating because it is all down the front of me. I think every outfit I wear ends up in the wash with food stains on it!!!!

#28 Post by **katemm06** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 2:08 pm

Denise - Thank you. You make me feel so good

I hope that you will not have to go through the surgery either. It's a hard path to take with a lot of ups and downs. When will you find out for sure if you need to have it?

#29 Post by **SDFD TSchott** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:51 pm

I just read this whole story Kate and I was amazed at the recovery time and that you were able to keep us all up to date. I enjoyed reading about your lower jaw surgury and hope things are much better today. I hope things return to a normal life with a new smile for you and look forward to reading more about your story!

SDFD TSchott

#30 Post by **katemm06** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:13 am

Denise - Hopefully you can get the overbite corrected through elastics. It at least sounds hopeful that your ortho thinks he can fix it. I was told flat out by mine that he could do nothing for my bite without surgery.

Thanks SDFD TSchott, Linda, & Meryaten for the encouragement

I am here to both tell my story and learn from those who are further ahead in their treatment. My os did give me a device to use for the bands and it helps so much. It's just not a situation where the bands go on in one try for me. It takes a while and it can be frustrating. Do you ever get used to them? I'm wondering too if my ortho will give me different ones than the os did. I think my os alluded to that.

I went to my OS today and he said everything looks great

My bite with the bands is right on target. He said all I need to do now is to visit my ortho asap. So that is where I am headed tomorrow morning!

Tomorrow will be my two week postop anniversary! Hard to believe so much time has already passed.