Update

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 05/16/2001 12:40:39 PM Central Daylight Time,

RCColloran@... writes:

<< er in immediately because the think it might be menengitis. I will post

when i get home. Hopefully just strep throat or something minor. >>

Good God, , is she OK? Your message was on the 16th, please tell me

it was a false alarm and she is OK? Love, Judy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 05/16/2001 6:30:08 PM Central Daylight Time,

RCColloran@... writes:

<< If she isn't better in 2-3 WEEKS to come back. >>

EXCUSE ME????????????? Are they nuts???? Where else can you take her? Line

all your drs up and whoever does NOT give you a straight concise answer gets

SHOT! That should shake them up!!! Hang in there. Love, Judy

[Guest guest]

GEEZ, CLAUDIA

I WILL SAY ALOT OF PRAYERS FOR YOU. HANG IN THERE GIRLFRIEND.

LOVE,

RENE'

[Guest guest]

I went in this morning to be sedated and have my jaw FORCED into

place. He said that once I was unconscious and relaxed, he was able

to pop my jaw right where it was supposed to go. Unfortunately, now

that my lower jaw is in the splint where it belongs, I lost almost

all of the gap created by my chipped tooth. Nothing gets through

that doesn't dribble through. The long syringe they gave me to go

behind my last tooth jams up and doesn't work. I'm hoping to only

be banded this way until Thurs (knock on wood) so it's no use

ordering any supplies. I just aim with a syringe, turn my head so

gravity pulls the liquid through, and suck. Sucking hurts my jaw,

but it's either that or let it dribble everywhere. (Which it does

anyway, of course.)

On a better note, my swelling is very reduced. It's only day 4 and

I don't have 'cheeks'. Just bruises and a big chin. One side is

swollen more than the other, twisting my lips, but I keep telling

myself that it's not permanent and I'll have a straight mouth when

this is over. Day 4 is diddly-squat in the grand scheme of things,

right?

Kris

[Guest guest]

Hey Kris,

Things started getting better for me after day 6. I'm now 13 days

post op from upper jaw surgery. While I was in the hospital my

surgeon made me stop using the syringe to drink and said to start

drinking normally even though most of it would end up on my chest.

This was great because I didn't use the syringe at all when I left

the hospital to drink. However, I did use the zip n squeeze bags

for food and high protein shakes which helped a lot because I had a

difficult time swallowing at first. Almost all of my swelling is

gone. I had minor swelling in my cheeks and swelling my upper lip.

It looks like I have a fat upper lip now but it's going down a

little bit each day. Things will get better. I had no idea I would

feel this good at this point following major surgery. My nose still

oozes a little bit. It's not bleeding really anymore. I don't have

much control over my uppper lip either. It must have something do

with all the stitches and things so I'm hoping that will come back

in the next few days or week. Sleeping is much better I slept

upright for the first little while until I got really tired of it.

I think about day 6 I had my head propped up on a couple of pillows

and that's about it. Hope this helps.

> I went in this morning to be sedated and have my jaw FORCED into

> place. He said that once I was unconscious and relaxed, he was

able

> to pop my jaw right where it was supposed to go. Unfortunately,

now

> that my lower jaw is in the splint where it belongs, I lost almost

> all of the gap created by my chipped tooth. Nothing gets through

> that doesn't dribble through. The long syringe they gave me to go

> behind my last tooth jams up and doesn't work. I'm hoping to only

> be banded this way until Thurs (knock on wood) so it's no use

> ordering any supplies. I just aim with a syringe, turn my head so

> gravity pulls the liquid through, and suck. Sucking hurts my jaw,

> but it's either that or let it dribble everywhere. (Which it does

> anyway, of course.)

>

> On a better note, my swelling is very reduced. It's only day 4

and

> I don't have 'cheeks'. Just bruises and a big chin. One side is

> swollen more than the other, twisting my lips, but I keep telling

> myself that it's not permanent and I'll have a straight mouth when

> this is over. Day 4 is diddly-squat in the grand scheme of

things,

> right?

>

> Kris

[Guest guest]

Hi Kris,

I was relieved to see that your surgeon was able to " pop " your jaw

back into place. Even though, you're uncomfortable now, it beats

having to have more surgery. Keep thinking that while you're trying

to squirt liquids into your mouth. Hang in there, you should be

through the worst of it now. Hopefully those bands can come off soon.

> I went in this morning to be sedated and have my jaw FORCED into

> place. He said that once I was unconscious and relaxed, he was

able

> to pop my jaw right where it was supposed to go. Unfortunately,

now

> that my lower jaw is in the splint where it belongs, I lost almost

> all of the gap created by my chipped tooth. Nothing gets through

> that doesn't dribble through. The long syringe they gave me to go

> behind my last tooth jams up and doesn't work. I'm hoping to only

> be banded this way until Thurs (knock on wood) so it's no use

> ordering any supplies. I just aim with a syringe, turn my head so

> gravity pulls the liquid through, and suck. Sucking hurts my jaw,

> but it's either that or let it dribble everywhere. (Which it does

> anyway, of course.)

>

> On a better note, my swelling is very reduced. It's only day 4

and

> I don't have 'cheeks'. Just bruises and a big chin. One side is

> swollen more than the other, twisting my lips, but I keep telling

> myself that it's not permanent and I'll have a straight mouth when

> this is over. Day 4 is diddly-squat in the grand scheme of

things,

> right?

>

> Kris

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the encouragement. Last night and this morning have been

really rough. I'm getting sick from the antibiotics, my GP hasn't

been cooperating about preventing/helping that (my OS is very

helpful but can't/won't prescribe Nexium himself. He's making my GP

do it, but my GP or maybe his nurse is giving us the runaround.).

So I feel sick, and then yesterday I had visitors and doctor appts,

and I never got a nap, so by night I was totally wiped and just an

emotional mess. This morning I woke up crying and can't stop ... I

told my husband that all of you guys say that this is normal and I

can cry if I want to. I'm glad to have that permission! Although

I'm only day 6 and I thought that the drug thing wouldn't affect me

for another week yet. I suppose I can cry whenever my body says I

need to.

I keep trying to find happy or funny things to think about. Like my

husband trying to show me how the syringe works after I was having

trouble with it. It doesn't squirt, it doesn't squirt, it doesn't

squirt, and than all at once, SQUIRT! He was showing me his great

finesse and control, saying, " See, all you have to do is - "

SPLUCK! Right across the table and over everything. We got a good

laugh out of that.

And then yesterday I was cleaning my teeth and saw something white

under my upper lip. It looked like white threads hanging down. I

thought, Oh, no! Some wierd sort of stitches are coming loose! I

brushed at them, and they came off onto my finger. Oh no! It's a

broken rubber band! Where's the rest of it? How did I break that?

Do I just leave the rest uneven all night and call in the morning

to ... wait a minute. This isn't a rubber band. It's chicken that

didn't get blended enough. Oops.

Really, I don't mind being tightly banded, I don't mind being numb

(although that's rapidly going away), I don't mind having to type my

conversations to people because I can't speak well enough, I don't

mind my splint (I'm probably the only one here who doesn't mind it,

but then I lived in one for two years and I'm used to it). I just

think if I didn't feel sick, I could get through this. I can live

with the rest, if only my stomach doesn't hurt!

Thanks all for letting me vent (Yes, I know, this is the place to do

it) and for all the encouragement and help. As many people have

said before, everything I know comes from this board and has helped

me through it all. I lasted five days before hitting difficulty and

everyone says how amazingly well I'm doing. I have to focus on that.

Thanks again, everyone.

Kris

> Hi Kris,

>

> I was relieved to see that your surgeon was able to " pop " your jaw

> back into place. Even though, you're uncomfortable now, it beats

> having to have more surgery. Keep thinking that while you're

trying

> to squirt liquids into your mouth. Hang in there, you should be

> through the worst of it now. Hopefully those bands can come off

soon.

>

>