My 16 year old daughter

[Guest guest]

My daughter was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate. She is

now 16 years old only weighs 98 lbs. She will be having her surgery

on both upper and lower jaw this June. I am really nervous not only

because of the surgery alone, but because the hospital stated she

could lose up to 25 lbs after the surgery. Any suggestions on how to

keep her weight up. Also, how long before she completely heals. She

is into Swing Choir at school, plays the Sax in the band, and Choral

Arts Society. She is afraid that after the surgery she won't be able

to speak the same, or do the things she does now.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[Guest guest]

I'm still healing myself from upper, lower, and genio four weeks ago.

So I don't yet have a good handle on the breadth of healing, but I'll

tell you what I've learned and read. I think the standard of healing

(the bones healing) is about 6 weeks. Some people feel tired for weeks

after that, but age is on your daughter's side: young people seem to

heal more quickly and regain energy more quickly. I felt pretty

energetic after the second week, and much, much better this week, but

every once in a while, I have a day where I drag.

As for not losing weight... This is something you'll have to keep on

top of, since your daughter sounds pretty small (or skinny). Give your

daughter lots of good, balanced meals, probably 8 times a day--every 2

hours or so. Since your body digests liquids faster than solids, you

get hungry more frequently. I've found that I much prefer regular food

to supplements--yo get a much wider varity in taste, which helps when

you're on a liquid diet for 6 weeks. I just take what I would normally

eat and blend it thin with some appropriate liquid. For example,

blueberry waffles with syrup, butter and milk; oatmeal with banana and

milk for breakfast. For lunch, maybe peanut butter and jelly with

bread and milk. Dinner could be chicken and veggie stir fry thinned

with chicken broth and a bit of soy sauce; or tacos (what I just ate

for dinner). Pizza is good, too. I put in a slice with chicken broth

and extra pizza sauce. (I was so in the mood for pizza, I think I had

3 slices!) Have lots of snacks of soup, fruit smoothies, yogurt, and

you can't forget milkshakes. You might want to get some high-protein

supplements as snacks, too. Add peanut butter to things or quinoa (a

grain that's high in protein) or even whey or soy protein

powder--protein is important.

I'm not sure about playing sax and singing. I'm at 4 weeks now, and I

couldn't possibly play the sax. I can barely handle the harmonica. I

have a splint in my mouth (for another 2 weeks), which would prevent

good, controlled blowing. Also, my upper lip is still swollen, but

since your daughter is young, she might heal more quickly.

Good luck, and read, read, read. Getting info from this site prepared

me SO well for the post-op experience! Good luck.

Eileen

> My daughter was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate. She is

> now 16 years old only weighs 98 lbs. She will be having her surgery

> on both upper and lower jaw this June. I am really nervous not only

> because of the surgery alone, but because the hospital stated she

> could lose up to 25 lbs after the surgery. Any suggestions on how to

> keep her weight up. Also, how long before she completely heals. She

> is into Swing Choir at school, plays the Sax in the band, and Choral

> Arts Society. She is afraid that after the surgery she won't be able

> to speak the same, or do the things she does now.

>

> Thanks for your suggestions.