MAY 2011 BUDDIES!!!!

[suzanna]

I am scheduled for 8 weeks off work, but I will probably go back at 6 weeks because there are some training classes I need to take that start June 20. This is a blessing, as I won't have to immediately start up on my 12-hour shifts, thus making the transition back to work a lot easier.

All in all, I'm doing great. I figure 4-5 days of rough, difficult times is totally worth it! Once you get over that hump, it is all downhill, and just gets better every day! Did I mention that I am 16 days post-op?

Congrats Rizzie! Before you know it, you'll be 3 months post op like me! The time just flies by!

What do you do for a living? I do 12 hour shifts too. I went back to work at 8 weeks post op as well, but I did a block of 6hr shifts, then 8hr shifts, and then my regular 12hrs. So I didn't start my regular hours until 10 weeks post op. The transition back to work was easier than I was expecting. It helps when you know your job will be accommodating and your co-workers are understanding of everything you've been through and offer to help you out (I'm a registered nurse btw).

[Rizzie]

Hi susanna. I am an RN too, and so glad that I can do the training when I return. I think it will work out perfectly.

[Rizzie]

trc, I know just how you feel! Hang in there. I remember not wanting anything but water the first few days, but do try diluted juices or diluted Carnation instant breakfast. The instant breakfast drink was so helpful when I took my meds--it quickly washed away any terrible tastes.

Just get through these next few days, and you will be feeling a lot better by the end of the weekend! Keep the humidity up in the room where you sleep, and if breathing gets rough, take a long bath or shower--it will help open things up.

Good luck, we are here to support you!

[sb4512]

Finished surgery yesterday. First night was pretty rough, mainly the trouble breathing, and nausea (i guess I swallowed a lot of blood). A lot of swelling today but I can breath just fine. Got a few glasses of juice down and a bottle of ensure, but thats all I could handle other than water. I am hoping to get some sleep tonight, we will see. Doing much better but I'm not gonna lie its rough.

[TitaniumAdded]

Finished surgery yesterday. First night was pretty rough, mainly the trouble breathing, and nausea (i guess I swallowed a lot of blood). A lot of swelling today but I can breath just fine. Got a few glasses of juice down and a bottle of ensure, but thats all I could handle other than water. I am hoping to get some sleep tonight, we will see. Doing much better but I'm not gonna lie its rough.

Hey SB, just wanted to say that you are far ahead of where I was at a day out of surgery. If you can drink as much fluids as you can, always shoot for at least 2L, I know it sounds near impossible(especially with a syringe) but if you can drink plenty during the initial days, it will help a lot down the road(this is if you're not getting pumped with an IV.) Once you're of the IV, it's important to consume liquids as much as possible! This is to help with your swelling, and your nutrient loss, it doesn't get more important than that.

I never slept well for the first 5-6 days, but it improves with time. Good luck!

[luke88]

Update from me:

It is now 18/19 days post op....

I have little swelling/numbness on my face, in fact, I can't see it with my eyes but when I touch it, a few areas don't feel right. My left side is affected more from swelling and numbness, mostly around my nose and eye area and the left side of my chin. I feel weird tingling and pins and needles, so I imagine feeling will return some day.... numbness near my eye is quite bad but the swelling has gone down so no one can tell it is affected. Almost all bruising has disappeared. I had very little on my face to start with, there is a tiny patch on my chest though (why my chest?).

Breathing... the beginning of the week was terrible. I was struggling to breathe. I have a splint and I am banded shut so I can't breathe very well from my mouth, so it is down to my nose. My right nostril doesn't work at all (it didn't prior to surgery either), my left nostril is my life line but is regularly blocked. I am currently using come decongestant nasal spray and it goes into my throat (yuk!) but it does the trick for now. I am going to suffer from breathing problems until I get my splint out and bands off because I normally breathe through my mouth. Seriously going to consider getting my nose sorted out after my operation, probably Christmas time. I am sick of not being able to breathe properly. Is anyone else planning on doing this?

I am suffering from sleep deprivation. I wake up so many times throughout the night. Some nights I have forced my self to wake up whilst asleep. I am starting to get a 'normal' night sleep now but the last 2.5 weeks have been terrible as I got around 3/4 hours a night. If it wasn't for sleep deprivation and fatigue, this process wouldn't be as bad as I have experienced.

I can not wait to get the splint out and my rubber bands off so I can breathe, talk properly and eat some nice food. I am getting very tired of the same soups, ice cream or custard. I do try other things but it gets stuck in the tiny hole the food goes through to get into my mouth (the hole in-between my front two teeth), so I give up. I'd rather stick with my very basic diet (with Ensure drinks) because I get very annoyed when food gets stuck, probably get annoyed quickly because I am so sleep deprived. One thing I have learnt about this experience is how much pleasure food gives you. I can not wait to start eating again. I love it.

So at the moment, I am bored and getting quite impatient with waiting for my splint to come off. 3 weeks this coming Thursday, (will be 6 weeks and 2 days in total). I will then have light elastics (but I will be able to eat and speak). I keep checking my calender few times a day checking how many days, that's how desperate I am to get the splint off lol.

BTW, my surgeon said he is very pleased with my result and I am healing really well, which is great to hear. He also praised my cleaning too.

I hope everyone is doing OK.

Sams.... I just wanted to say something to you regarding your bite not meeting, despite surgery. Even though my splint is still on and I am banded shut, I know my bite doesn't meet either. My front four teeth (on my top jaw) stick out more so than is natural (I think) and my back teeth won't touch my bottom back teeth either. This is all absolutely normal and I was told before surgery orthodontic work will correct this. Surgery is basically to enable the orthodontist to get the correct bite. So in a few months time, you will notice your bite improving.

When does everyone's orthodontic treatment start again?

Mine will start 8 weeks and 6 days after my operation.... so I assume I'll be all strong and ready for my last bit of orthodontic treatment to start then.

[luke88]

Does anyone else get tension pains on their jaws? Minor throbbing on my jaws (quite irritating, not necessarily that painful, uncomfortable though), sucks out energy from me too. I wonder what is going on? jaws getting used to their new positions? I hope you guys know what I mean lol.

[bracedfaced]

Hi luke. Yes, I notice it too. I am a nighttime grinder/clencher though. I'm frustrated because my top teeth hit my lower brackets and at night I am clenching. I am scared I am damaging my upper teeth. Two in particular are firming curves were my brackets hit. I wake up in the morning with very sore jaws. The rubberbands hurt too. They are just tight enough to hurt my teeth. Just loose enough to allow me to grind.

[TitaniumAdded]

Hey Luke, just wanted to chime in on your situation, yours sounded a lot like mine.

Firstly, bruising on the chest could be for 2 reasons, the first being blood and bruising could have gone down your neck and stops at about your top chest. I had a huge yellow/green mark down to in between my sternum/upper chest muscle cleavage per se. It's really faint right now. Secondly, if you had your upper jaw moved, to get it out I believe they push down on your upper chest as a sort of lever and it will be a bit bruised too. Anyhow all of my bruising is 90% gone too.

Breathing breathing breathing. The one thing that has made this whole process uncomfortable. Let me say this is why you aren't sleeping well, because your body is working harder to breathe. The day my nose began clearing up was the same day I slept better. Now my situation is similar because I had such bad perennial allergies pre op that prevented me from breathing through one nostril at all times. Being wired with a splint makes mouth breathing impossible, and you're resorting to your nose, which would likely be clogged with mucus/blood. 1. Use hydrogen peroxide q tips and stick it in there to unclog some of the blood. Wipe the insides and even though it's advised against, I would blow lightly. Lightly being most important. I only blew out as much pressure as I would as if I was breathing heavily, and my nose was exhaling. Any harder is not worth attempting. I would get some mucus pieces out that I couldn't believe fit in there and my nostril cleared out almost instantly. It's gross but very direct to why breathing is so hard. This would clear me out for 12 hours. Repeat. Also, when you go onto elastics and splint, it's far easier to breathe and sleep. That was my huge turning point, the day I was unwired. I'm 3 weeks post op and my surgeon took my splint out yesterday. It makes things easier, but things have already gotten easier after unwiring. In the long run, your nose will improve too, this surgery has opened up my nose and I feel like I am even breathing better than before as I am slowly changing from a mouth to nose breather.

I can breathe now and my only focus is getting calories in. Even with the splint recently off I'm treading lightly and still on liquids. It's tough but we all look forward to diving into that piece of meat!

[Rizzie]

I think I know what you are describing, Luke. I feel constant pressure, tightness, tension, in my teeth, jaws, chin. My chin is the part that has a throbby/pulsing sensation. I feel the most pressure-type discomfort in my upper 6 front teeth--feels like a tight ortho adjustment. My chin area is especially "tired" in the evening, after trying to speak clearly all day, so I use heat packs toward the end of the day, and that feels really good. I wish I had a heat pack that would stay on. Anyone have a good system for delivering moist heat to the face?

[bracedfaced]

Rizzie, try a Bed Buddy. It is filled with rice and you heat it in the microwave. It stays hot a really long time and it is soft and comfy. I have the version for the back and it has a strap so I use it like a jaw bra while I watch tv, etc. You can buy them at Walgreens or Target, pharmacy department, for around $15.

[Rizzie]

Thanks for the suggestion, bracedfaced. I will check it out. I wonder just how long we will be wanting to use heat? Do you think it helps reduce swelling, or does it just make your face feel better?

[bracedfaced]

I am not entirely sure but I like to think it helps with the swelling. I tend to use it in the morning when I wake up, because my jaw is sore from sleeping, and I tend to be the puffiest in the morning. And then also at night, just before I do my face/mouth exercises.

[Sams]

Hi Bracedfaced - what sort of exercises do you do? Were they recommended to you or is it your own initiative? Every now and again I read about people doing exercises and I'm curious - willing to try anything to get swelling and numbness to a minimum! Thanks

[bracedfaced]

Hi Sams! When I saw my surgeon on day 12, I told him that I was doing exercises like puckering my lips, smiling, trying to whistle, etc and he seemed to be fine with that and added that another way to break up scar tissue is by taking a button, looping a thread through it, sticking it behind your lips, and then pulling on the thread. It pulls on your lips. He also told me I should be taking my rubberbands off and trying to open my mouth as wide as I can. I'm only a knuckle and a half and don't seem to be improving. He'd like me to be two knuckles when he sees me next monday. My treatment seems to be running quicker than most so I would advise not to do this last one without your doctor's approval.