I leave for the Hospital in an hour. I'm feeling remarkably ready for the operation and just want to get on with it, although I'm not looking forward to the initial period after it and am prepared for a pretty rough first 48 hours.
A big thank you to those of you who have shared so much information about the op. I wouldn't be half as ready as I am without the information given so freely on this Board and in a number of well-written Blogs.
I'll let you know how I get on.
Genevieve.
5.30 am on the morning of Surgery
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Brandyleigh35
- Posts: 1018
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4beauty4symmetry
- Posts: 226
- Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 5:58 pm
- Location: boston
Just scrolled through some of your past posts, Genevieve. You do seem well-prepared and well-informed, which can only help.
Best of luck, and remember that many of us will be eager to hear how it went and how you are doing.
Best of luck, and remember that many of us will be eager to hear how it went and how you are doing.
Dec 2006--RPE followed by SARPE surgery
Jan 2007--Braces
Nov 2007 BSSO mandibular setback, genioplasty, and two implant anchors. Surgery-eve reprieve from Lefort.
May 2008--Debraced
Surgeries in Costa Rica, Orthodontics in Massachusetts.
All to fix an openbite, crossbite, underbite, and two missing bottom molars.
Jan 2007--Braces
Nov 2007 BSSO mandibular setback, genioplasty, and two implant anchors. Surgery-eve reprieve from Lefort.
May 2008--Debraced
Surgeries in Costa Rica, Orthodontics in Massachusetts.
All to fix an openbite, crossbite, underbite, and two missing bottom molars.
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Happysmiler
- Posts: 199
- Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:21 pm
- Location: Essex UK
I'm out of hospital this evening. Thanks so much to all of you for your words of encouragement.
I'm planning to blog the whole experience over the next few days (I now appreciate how amazing you were Brandy to Blog from your hospital bed - wow!!). But the long and short of it is that the surgery was straight forward, my first night after it wasn't so good....but once I got through the first twelve hours I was fine.
For all who haven't had the surgery yet, don't be worried about it. My experience is that it isn't really painful so much as uncomfortable. My big problem was my stomach and trying to get anything to stay down post op.
Gen.
I'm planning to blog the whole experience over the next few days (I now appreciate how amazing you were Brandy to Blog from your hospital bed - wow!!). But the long and short of it is that the surgery was straight forward, my first night after it wasn't so good....but once I got through the first twelve hours I was fine.
For all who haven't had the surgery yet, don't be worried about it. My experience is that it isn't really painful so much as uncomfortable. My big problem was my stomach and trying to get anything to stay down post op.
Gen.
I'm out of hospital this evening. Thanks so much to all of you for your words of encouragement.
I'm planning to blog the whole experience over the next few days (I now appreciate how amazing you were Brandy to Blog from your hospital bed - wow!!). But the long and short of it is that the surgery was straight forward, my first night after it wasn't so good....but once I got through the first twelve hours I was fine.
For all who haven't had the surgery yet, don't be worried about it. My experience is that it isn't really painful so much as uncomfortable. My big problem was my stomach and trying to get anything to stay down post op.
Gen.
I'm planning to blog the whole experience over the next few days (I now appreciate how amazing you were Brandy to Blog from your hospital bed - wow!!). But the long and short of it is that the surgery was straight forward, my first night after it wasn't so good....but once I got through the first twelve hours I was fine.
For all who haven't had the surgery yet, don't be worried about it. My experience is that it isn't really painful so much as uncomfortable. My big problem was my stomach and trying to get anything to stay down post op.
Gen.
Hi Meryaten,
Thanks for your interest. The surgery went really well, apparently, and only took two hours for both upper and lower. I had round-the-clock nursing for the first twelve hours which I really appreciated, although I was amazed that no ice packs have been used....just anti-inflammatories
I'm really very pleased with the results so far. It's too early to see the change in profile, but I can already tell that my bite at the front is right - for the first time in my life! I suspect I will need to be banded like DubNoBass has been in order to get the molars meeting as they should, though.
It turns out that the codeine was making me nauseus, so I'm now on Paracetamol (Advil in the US, I think) which has made life much more comfortable. I'm up and about already (though still taking it pretty easy) and have just finished a minced german sausage and couscous dinner...and the swelling seems to have peaked already, so I reckon that healing is going to go just fine. When I came round I was in the recovery room and could feel sensation in my lower lip, though lost this later. But I'm hoping there is no permanent damage to the IAN. All in all I'm very happy with how things are going.
Gen.
Thanks for your interest. The surgery went really well, apparently, and only took two hours for both upper and lower. I had round-the-clock nursing for the first twelve hours which I really appreciated, although I was amazed that no ice packs have been used....just anti-inflammatories
I'm really very pleased with the results so far. It's too early to see the change in profile, but I can already tell that my bite at the front is right - for the first time in my life! I suspect I will need to be banded like DubNoBass has been in order to get the molars meeting as they should, though.
It turns out that the codeine was making me nauseus, so I'm now on Paracetamol (Advil in the US, I think) which has made life much more comfortable. I'm up and about already (though still taking it pretty easy) and have just finished a minced german sausage and couscous dinner...and the swelling seems to have peaked already, so I reckon that healing is going to go just fine. When I came round I was in the recovery room and could feel sensation in my lower lip, though lost this later. But I'm hoping there is no permanent damage to the IAN. All in all I'm very happy with how things are going.
Gen.
It does seem like you're making a quick recovery. I'm amazed that you're eating sausage and the like so soon. I'm expecting to live on smoothies and soup for the first week after my surgery.
Mike
Mike
I wore braces (this time) for 1294 days or 3 years, 6 months and 17 days.
But who's counting?
Jaw Surgery June 1, 2009
Thanks for praying for me and thinking happy thoughts.
But who's counting?
Jaw Surgery June 1, 2009
Thanks for praying for me and thinking happy thoughts.
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Brandyleigh35
- Posts: 1018
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Hey Genevieve,
Glad to hear things went well and that you are recovering relatively well. I wouldn't worry about your molars connecting, I'm sure they will be able to fix it with rubberbands etc. My bite was pretty out of whack after surgery too. I was worried that it was not the way it was supposed to be, but as the swelling came down it got much better, and the ortho had me in some funky rubberband configurations for awhile, which made things fit together like they should.
As for the numbness, I had quite a bit of feeling after surgery. Then things got number as time went on. Now at 5.5 months post op things are almost back to normal. Only a small area on my lower lip and chin is numb, and it is super tingly and coming back now too, so I'm sure your numbness is temporary due to swelling etc. My theory is that if you feel it right after surgery, then even if things go numb for awhile, it will most likely return once the swelling dies down.
Wishing you well, and looking forward to reading your blog and seeing some of your pics!
Brandy
Glad to hear things went well and that you are recovering relatively well. I wouldn't worry about your molars connecting, I'm sure they will be able to fix it with rubberbands etc. My bite was pretty out of whack after surgery too. I was worried that it was not the way it was supposed to be, but as the swelling came down it got much better, and the ortho had me in some funky rubberband configurations for awhile, which made things fit together like they should.
As for the numbness, I had quite a bit of feeling after surgery. Then things got number as time went on. Now at 5.5 months post op things are almost back to normal. Only a small area on my lower lip and chin is numb, and it is super tingly and coming back now too, so I'm sure your numbness is temporary due to swelling etc. My theory is that if you feel it right after surgery, then even if things go numb for awhile, it will most likely return once the swelling dies down.
Wishing you well, and looking forward to reading your blog and seeing some of your pics!
Brandy
Sounds like you're doing well! 
I also had no ice packs. I thought it was odd that this wasn't a standard procedure, but apparently it's not. The nurse tried to create makeshift ice-packs - she sent my husband out to buy a bag of ice from a supermarket nearby, then she stuffed two rubber gloves full of the ice cubes and tried to prop them under my jaw with wads of tissue paper.
The opiate made me feel very sick too (though mine was on-demand rather than given routinely). The demo that the nurse gave me on my machine was enough to show me that much use of the machine would result in me being sick, so I never bothered with it. I was on IV paracetamol too.
I had loads of tingling in my lower lip in the recovery room, but this disappeared for a couple of weeks, then returned at week 2. If you had actual feeling, that's a great sign - you wouldn't have been able to if there had been significant damage or stretching. The numbness now must be down to swelling - so hopefully feeling will return when the swelling goes.
I also had no ice packs. I thought it was odd that this wasn't a standard procedure, but apparently it's not. The nurse tried to create makeshift ice-packs - she sent my husband out to buy a bag of ice from a supermarket nearby, then she stuffed two rubber gloves full of the ice cubes and tried to prop them under my jaw with wads of tissue paper.
The opiate made me feel very sick too (though mine was on-demand rather than given routinely). The demo that the nurse gave me on my machine was enough to show me that much use of the machine would result in me being sick, so I never bothered with it. I was on IV paracetamol too.
I had loads of tingling in my lower lip in the recovery room, but this disappeared for a couple of weeks, then returned at week 2. If you had actual feeling, that's a great sign - you wouldn't have been able to if there had been significant damage or stretching. The numbness now must be down to swelling - so hopefully feeling will return when the swelling goes.
Braced May 2005
Bimaxillary surgery Aug 2007
Debraced Jun 2008
Bimaxillary surgery Aug 2007
Debraced Jun 2008