Post-Surgery FUN!!!

Message

#76 Post by **HighandLo** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:44 pm

Hey Phil,

You look quite a bit different! I can see that the swelling has pretty much disappeared. You'll be back to school in great shape.

Good luck at your appts. - maybe your OS will take off the bands.

You have the same surgical hooks I have. I asked my Ortho to remove some of them at my last appt. I just had to see some progress!

I am so impatient.

Lo

#77 Post by **phil** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:45 pm

Lo,

Thanks for the compliment. I guess I am making some progress--I'm no longer taking Ibuprofen (I just felt like I didn't need it any more two days ago!), and I've switched from blended diet to soft foods.

I just got back from the surgeon. He said everything looks good, and I don't have to see him again, until the end of October. He also said that I am free to eat whatever I'm comfortable with (which is still limited), so I should have no fear to try chewing. Alas, though, the elastics were put in by the ORTHODONTIST, not the surgeon, so he left them as is. Tomorrow I see the orthodontist, and maybe then I can switch to elastics just at night, or something to that effect. Who knows, though? It's just so hard to predict at this stage what they're going to do with my mouth!!!

Onward and upward!

#78 Post by **phil** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:41 pm

Meryaten,

Yes, it is great news. Now if my muscles would just cooperate, I would actually be able to chew! The last time I tried, my right side just popped and clicked to high heaven. My surgeon told me that this is completely normal, and that I will gradually progress to being able to chew.

Nobody seems to have any worries about anything! The surgeon said today, "we didn't leave the orthodontist too big of a job to do. He's had to correct worse bites than this!" So, I think I'm officially on my way again. I just can't wait to get back into archwires, so we can start moving teeth, because they sure do need moving!

#79 Post by **HighandLo** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:54 pm

I know, it feels really weird to try and chew, when you haven't been able to for awhile. You don't trust your jaws and your muscles have been napping for a month or so and don't necessarily want to go back to work

. I finally ate a small sandwich last week, but I was very careful and the bread was sorta soft.

Me, too, about the archwires. I want to see something moving. Even discomfort is better than nothing. I don't go back for two weeks

.

Good luck tomorrow!

Lo

#80 Post by **phil** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:33 am

I'm back from my orthodontist visit this morning.

Three of the assistants who have worked with me a lot (it's a BIG practice!) weren't there when I came two weeks ago, so they were all excited to see me this morning! The one who worked on me today (and has worked on me a lot) pulled up my pre-surgical records photos, and just couldn't get over the change.

I saw both orthodontists. Yes, I told you it's a BIG practice! I'm still in the surgical wire up top (for rigidity). They switched me to a D-Rect on the bottom, which is a typical post-surgical wire. It's braided, and very flexible. My elastics configuration is exactly the same. Thank goodness! It took me long enough to learn how to do it.

That's all the news for now. I won't post a picture of my mouth today--not enough change. Here's a link if you want to learn about the D-Rect wire (section 5, page 7):

http://www.ormco.com/index/cms-filesyst ... atalog.pdf

#81 Post by **phil** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:22 am

Meryaten,

That wire IS fascinating! An eight-strand braid. Wow! Those strands must be REALLY tiny, to be all wrapped together, and still fit in the seat of a bracket.

#82 Post by **HighandLo** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:29 pm

Thanks for the cool Website, Phil! So that's what my arches are supposed to look like

. That's very interesting that Dr. Damon looked at 700 people to come up with the perfect arch.

I'm glad to hear that things are on schedule for you. I hope your jaw muscles are behaving themselves.

Lo

#83 Post by **phil** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:42 pm

Lo,

Oh yes, I dare say that we still have a ways to go before we reach the golden standard, huh?

By the way, Lo, Dr. Damon used seven THOUSAND examples, not seven hundred. Even more impressive, I would say!

I love learning about the process, and both orthodontist and assistant were nice enough to explain the use of the D-Rect wire. The flexibility of it allows for post-operative "settling" of the bite. I am happy to say that one day after my adjustment, I can feel that familiar "wiggly" feeling in my lower teeth, telling me that things are back to moving. It makes me very happy! When I get the same wire up top in four weeks, it will be even better.

My muscles are slowly but surely being coaxed into the proper position. My midlines are still ever-so-slightly off, but much better than they were. I am no longer using moist heat or Ibuprofen. I did take 400 mg before I went to the orthodontist yesterday, though!

As for the elastics, I'm old hat at it now, and I'm quite used to having them in my mouth. When the assistant installed new hooks on my D-Rect wire on the bottom, she positioned them so that putting the elastics in is much easier. This morning I think it did all four triangles in less than two minutes! Hooray for me!

#84 Post by **HighandLo** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:11 pm

Lucky you! Your teeth are moving again! Isn't it amazing how focused we get on every bit of progress!

You're right, it was 7,000 examples. Can I just be in the top quarter, top half?

I hope I get some fancy, schmantzy wires next week, too. I'm going to ask what type they are.

Good for you on the rapidfire elastic change-outs! I bet you'll miss them when they're gone. NOT!

Lo

#85 Post by **phil** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:01 am

Morning, Lo!

Quite honestly, when I lose the elastics, it's going to feel really funny. When I take them out to brush, my mouth feels very naked, which is remarkable, considering all the hardware in there!

I'm just glad that they no longer consume my life, because they're not coming out any time soon. You know, when my orthodontist looked at them this week, he said (after a long pause), "yes, we want to keep those there for a while. That works!" Well, I'm glad it's working for him!

He has a dry sense of humor, too. When they discovered I'd popped a bracket, I said, "I didn't do it!" to which he responded, "well who did? Not me!"

#86 Post by **phil** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:36 pm

Meryaten,

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww SNAP! Wish I'd thought of it at the time.

#87 Post by **phil** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:32 am

OK, a small triumph, but a triumph for me nevertheless today--

I CAN OPEN TO 30MM!!! HOORAY FOR ME!!!

#88 Post by **HighandLo** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:35 pm

5mm is a lot of improvement! Congrats are in order

. Now, maybe an ice cream cone?

. Good picture, by the way. You look younger than ever!

Lo

#89 Post by **phil** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 2:46 pm

Lo,

You are so sweet! Thanks for your encouragement.

I know that I must look better, but I had a moment on Sunday. As I was shaving in the mirror before church, I looked at my face, and it just looked really strange to me! I mean, REALLY strange. It scared me. All of a sudden, I just didn't recognize myself. It bothered me all day. When I was at church, a friend said to me, "you look a little better every time I see you!" To which I responded, "I can't look at myself in the mirror!" She suggested that I might want to talk to someone about it, which may not be a bad idea. I suppose that this is to be expected, considering the severity of my correction. It's funny that it's finally coming seven weeks after the surgery, huh? Actually, today is better, but there still is a strangeness when I look in the mirror. When I'm NOT looking in the mirror, I'm really just fine with myself!

#90 Post by **HighandLo** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:08 pm

Hey Phil,

That's pretty unsettling! It might be because the swelling is all but gone and now you can see your real face. I imagine you'll get used to it, though. I am seeing my facial bones come out of hiding, too, even as I still have a teensy bit of swelling under my jaw.

How nice to have friends at church that keep tabs on you

.

Lo