Another month has passed! Seriously, I cannot believe how quickly time is going. Most of the time, I don't even remember that I had the surgery! If you are reading this an you are in the beginning stages of recovery, there will come a time where you don't even think about it anymore. My first month of recovery I felt as if time could not possibly go by any slower! Once you are able to chew again, time speeds up and before you know it, you will be 4 months post-op too!
Bills I still have not received the hospital or surgeon bill. Not really sure when to expect those either, but I am assuming that it will be any day now. Numbness If I had my feeling back in my chin, lip, and gums, I would definitely never even think about the fact that I had my jaw broken and repositioned. This numbness is literally the last reminder left. I have gained a little feeling back in the last month, but nothing dramatic. It feels strange to brush bottom row of teeth because of the nerve feeling starting to come back. By strange I mean uncomfortable. No pain at all, it's just awkward. The bottom left half of lip is about 75% numb and the area right below the left half of my lip is also about 75% numb. The rest of the left half of chin is 100% numb Remember nerves take 6 to 9 months to heal and for feeling to come back. Numbness at this point in recovery is completely normal and to be expected. Range of Motion My mouth now opens 100% (four fingers width). I can move it side to side and back and forth with no pain. Sometimes, if I move my jaw in an unusual way, it will pop. It hurts a little bit and is sore for a few days following. My jaw popped three days ago and it currently feels as if I pulled a muscle. I'm assuming that as my jaw gets used to moving around that it won't be an issue. My jaw pops less and less as the weeks go by. Swelling Since I was told that it takes a year for 100% of swelling to go away, I am hesitant to say I have no swelling. I no longer see or feel any swelling whatsoever. My jawline is just as defined as it was before surgery, which was something I was concerned about.
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I wrote a post (which you can read here) about the fears I had with my impending surgery. If you are about to have this surgery, chances are that you have some fears that may be the same as mine. I wanted to write a post to share how the fears I initially had really were in the midst of my recovery. Fear #1: I won't be able to breathe with my mouth banded shut. If you are having surgery on your upper jaw, your nose will be clogged and your mouth banded shut (most likely). Breathing will not be easy, but is still possible. For me, I had absolutely no issue breathing. My right nostril was filled with dried blood from the breathing tube, but I cleaned that out and had no issues breathing. I actually felt like I could breathe easier and better actually. When your lower jaw is underdeveloped it closes your airway to a degree. When the jaw is brought forward the airway is opened up and I noticed that immediately. Verdict: Not an issue Fear #2: Vomiting while my mouth is banded shut will be gross and impossible. I experienced nausea on only the first day and that is because I drank non clear liquids. If you stick to clear liquids (water, juices, broths, clear sodas) for the first couple of days, it decreases the nausea. I shared this fear with my nurse because I was drugged up on narcotics and needed to vomit. She told me since I have only had liquids that the vomit would only be liquid and would come out easily. Makes sense, right? For some reason I didn't think of that. Narcotics make me nauseous. However, I have never been given an anti nausea pill before and that made a huge difference. I would take that 30 minutes before (or anytime I had nausea) and never had an issue. Verdict: Not an issue Fear #3: I will accidentally poke through my incision site with the syringe and not feel it. Eating without a mirror is next to impossible and makes the process much more frustrating. Since I used a mirror, I was able to see what I was doing. Plus, I didn't really use syringes to eat, just to take medicine. I was able to use a straw to eat with ease and it was a much quicker process. On top of that I discovered I could drink from a cup as long as I was careful. Verdict: Not an issue Fear #4: I will be STARVING for 3 months. My first week of recovery I was in survivor mode. I ate to prevent weight loss and so that I would not be taking narcotics on an empty stomach. I would get hungry, but thankfully the hunger was easily satisfied. So, that leaves me with one more week that I ate with my mouth banded shut. I literally just accepted the fact that this was how it was and it was only temporary. Hunger was harder to satisfy and I got sick of pureed soups, but again I focused on it being temporary. My third week of recovery (day 16 to be exact) was when my bands could be removed to eat without chewing. It took a week to get my mouth to stretch enough to comfortably fit in a spoon, but it was a part of recovery I expected. Keep in mind I was told I would be on a liquid diet for a month and not chewing for another two. I was just excited to be eating solid food so soon. Noodles are filling and easy to swallow without chewing. While I was not eating what I wanted and not chewing, I could get so full that I was beyond satisfied. Again, I accepted this was a part of the recovery. I am a foodie. I love food. That's why I was so scared to have this insatiable hunger for three months. Keep in mind that double jaw surgery I much more invasive and a liquid diet will be much longer than two weeks. Also, every surgeon has different beliefs in how long to band patients shut. Verdict: Only an issue for a couple of weeks Note: Since every person and surgeon is different, please don't read this and get your hopes up. Ask questions and prepare yourself for whatever it is that your surgeon says to expect. Let me know what your fears are! I can let you know if I experienced anything like that and how it was for me. Which may help you feel better. Fear is always worse than the actual. |
WelcomeThis blog documents my journey through lower jaw surgery in hope of providing help and insight involving the experience. Archives
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1 Year Post-Op 9 Months Post-Op 6 Months Post-Op Paying for Jaw Surgery 5 Months Post-Op Retainers Braces Off 4 Months Post-Op Fear vs. Reality 3 Months Post-Op 12 Weeks Day 81- Ortho. Apt. 2 11 Weeks 10 Weeks 9 Weeks Day 59: Surgeon Apt. 4 8 Weeks 7 Weeks 6 Weeks 1 Month Post-Op Day 27: Ortho. Apt. 1 Day 25: Surgeon Apt. 3 3 Weeks Day 17 Day 12: Surgeon Apt. 2 Day 10 Day 9 Day 8 Day 7 Day 6: Surgeon Apt. 1 Day 5 Day 4 Day 3 Day 2 Surgery Day (Day 1) Pretesting Appointment Surgical Hooks 1 Week Pre-Op Insurance is Complicated Caution with Insurance Pre-Op Appointment Planning and Preparing Orthodontist Apt. My Fears Pre-Op Date Surgery Date Phases of My Journey Life with Braces The Operation 3 Months Pre-Op |