May 26th Surgery and Depression - HE:P!

[Guest guest]

My name is Lori and I live in New York. I am am having a three

piece upper maxillary (I am holding off on the genioplasy until

after surgery and I heal.)

My surgery is April 26, 2004, and I am scared. First off, I needed

lower braces before surgery to move my lowers back. I have long

face, gummy smile....so surgery will be moving my upper jaw up and

back. So right now the overbight is VERY severe. To add insult to

injury, I had a bridge on the upper removed and a temporary put in

which looks HORRIBLE! The temps are so big I look like a walrus. I

hope I can get through this surgery in good spirits~

Has anyone had upper only? What is the healing time? Swelling

time? I hope to be back to work in 2 - 3 weeks, but not sure if

still will be a chipmunk. Any advise is appreciated!

Lori

[Guest guest]

Lori -

I had upper only 15 days ago. If I had a job to go back to, I could

do it about now. I quit taking naps around day 13, and today I was

out and about all morning and only got a little tired. As for

swelling, I didn't much (astounded my doc) but what little I had is

hanging on around my nose. When I went out today my bruises were

gone enough that nobody stared at me. For two full weeks it looked

like someone popped me one in the eye and again beside the mouth.

People probably thought my husband smacks me around. I wanted to

wear a button saying " I had surgery " just to clear him!

The only thing I would find difficult if I had to go back to work

would be being banded 16 hours a day. Some people can understand me

speak, and some can't. You'll have to ask your doc if you'll be

wired, banded, or what. It depends on your job, too, and how

physically and emotionally demanding it is, and if you can go back

half-days at first to ease into it.

Kris

> My name is Lori and I live in New York. I am am having a three

> piece upper maxillary (I am holding off on the genioplasy until

> after surgery and I heal.)

>

> My surgery is April 26, 2004, and I am scared. First off, I

needed

> lower braces before surgery to move my lowers back. I have long

> face, gummy smile....so surgery will be moving my upper jaw up and

> back. So right now the overbight is VERY severe. To add insult

to

> injury, I had a bridge on the upper removed and a temporary put in

> which looks HORRIBLE! The temps are so big I look like a walrus.

I

> hope I can get through this surgery in good spirits~

>

> Has anyone had upper only? What is the healing time? Swelling

> time? I hope to be back to work in 2 - 3 weeks, but not sure if

> still will be a chipmunk. Any advise is appreciated!

>

> Lori

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kris!

I am also having some challenges with my surgeon. What was your

interaction with him 2 weeks prior to surgery. My surgeon does not

have people skills and I still have not met with the medical

residents. I am scared and frustrated.

The doctor mentioned I would be wired for 2 weeks, but no other word

from him. Is it possible I would be banded after that??? I am so

confused. Any guidance?

:

> Lori -

>

> I had upper only 15 days ago. If I had a job to go back to, I could

> do it about now. I quit taking naps around day 13, and today I was

> out and about all morning and only got a little tired. As for

> swelling, I didn't much (astounded my doc) but what little I had is

> hanging on around my nose. When I went out today my bruises were

> gone enough that nobody stared at me. For two full weeks it looked

> like someone popped me one in the eye and again beside the mouth.

> People probably thought my husband smacks me around. I wanted to

> wear a button saying " I had surgery " just to clear him!

>

> The only thing I would find difficult if I had to go back to work

> would be being banded 16 hours a day. Some people can understand me

> speak, and some can't. You'll have to ask your doc if you'll be

> wired, banded, or what. It depends on your job, too, and how

> physically and emotionally demanding it is, and if you can go back

> half-days at first to ease into it.

>

> Kris

>

>

>

> > My name is Lori and I live in New York. I am am having a three

> > piece upper maxillary (I am holding off on the genioplasy until

> > after surgery and I heal.)

> >

> > My surgery is April 26, 2004, and I am scared. First off, I

> needed

> > lower braces before surgery to move my lowers back. I have long

> > face, gummy smile....so surgery will be moving my upper jaw up and

> > back. So right now the overbight is VERY severe. To add insult

> to

> > injury, I had a bridge on the upper removed and a temporary put in

> > which looks HORRIBLE! The temps are so big I look like a walrus.

> I

> > hope I can get through this surgery in good spirits~

> >

> > Has anyone had upper only? What is the healing time? Swelling

> > time? I hope to be back to work in 2 - 3 weeks, but not sure if

> > still will be a chipmunk. Any advise is appreciated!

> >

> > Lori

[Guest guest]

In the month before surgery I had molds and measurements taken, and

I sat down with him I think three times, but maybe twice, just to

talk for 1-2 hours each visit. On one of those visits my husband

and both of our mothers came along and sat and talked to the surgeon

for 1.5 hours - and then my husband and I talked to him for another

half hour going over the consent form.

I never met with any residents. I met the anestheologist in pre-op

for about two minutes. Don't know why, I never saw her again. I

was knocked out before she got a hold of me for the surgery, and I

didn't see her afterward.

The rubber bands are to help train your jaw to stay in its new

position. I'm having trouble with my bite staying closed, because

the muscles want to hold my lower jaw in the position it had before

surgery. It keeps pulling my front teeth apart. Being held in

place by the bands re-trains the muscles to hold the new position.

I take them off twice a day for 4 hours each time. I'm going to

guess that I'm staying in bands, at least a certain number of hours

a day, until my front teeth stay closed by themselves.

Different doctors do different things here. Being out of the bands

twice a day lets me eat normally (no-chew for 6 weeks) and exercise

the joint by talking. Other docs keep their patients wired or

banded full-time to keep the bite perfectly correct and never let it

slip out of place as mine did. However, at the end of six weeks the

joint is weak and doesn't want to open, and they have to start

slowly with chewing. Some people have to do exercises to get their

jaw to open again. My doc also says that psycologically, people who

are able to take off their bands have a better time healing than

people who are wired. He says that the mental fight is half the

battle and he'd rather a jaw slips out of position and needs work to

get it back than wire his patients and have them be frustrated or

afraid. My jaw did slip out of position, and on day 4 he knocked me

out to manually put my jaw back where it belonged. That was more

painful than the surgery! It was the only day that my pain level

went higher than a 4 of 10. (I rated it a 6.) Even so, it was an

easy fix. He kept me banded full-time for three days after, and

then let me out for a few hours a day.

To answer your question in short, yes, you might be banded after

being wired, either to hold the position or to correct it if it

starts to wander. You need to be blunt with your doc, both with

your expectations and your questions. Tell him plainly what you

want to know, and don't leave his office until he answers you. I

like to write down my questions and hand them to the doc to answer

one at a time so I don't forget anything.

If it's any consolation, some nurse friends and I were talking about

doctors with no people skills. They tend to be very skilled in

their field. Our theory is that they are so focused on their work

and being very good at what they do that everything else - including

normal conversation - pales. One friend said that the doctors who

are the very best at what they do are always the ones who are just

plain jerks to work with. So don't be afraid because your doc has

no people skills. He's probably a wonderful surgeon!

But still push him for answers. You may have to be very assertive

to get past his tight focus.

Kris

> Thanks Kris!

> I am also having some challenges with my surgeon. What was your

> interaction with him 2 weeks prior to surgery. My surgeon does not

> have people skills and I still have not met with the medical

> residents. I am scared and frustrated.

>

> The doctor mentioned I would be wired for 2 weeks, but no other

word

> from him. Is it possible I would be banded after that??? I am so

> confused. Any guidance?

>

[Guest guest]

I need to be back to work 3 weeks after Upper Jaw 3 piece

maxillary. Any experiences being banded. Will I be up to it?

> > > My name is Lori and I live in New York. I am am having a

three

> > > piece upper maxillary (I am holding off on the genioplasy

until

> > > after surgery and I heal.)

> > >

> > > My surgery is April 26, 2004, and I am scared. First off, I

> > needed

> > > lower braces before surgery to move my lowers back. I have

long

> > > face, gummy smile....so surgery will be moving my upper jaw up

and

> > > back. So right now the overbight is VERY severe. To add

insult

> > to

> > > injury, I had a bridge on the upper removed and a temporary

put in

> > > which looks HORRIBLE! The temps are so big I look like a

walrus.

> > I

> > > hope I can get through this surgery in good spirits~

> > >

> > > Has anyone had upper only? What is the healing time?

Swelling

> > > time? I hope to be back to work in 2 - 3 weeks, but not sure

if

> > > still will be a chipmunk. Any advise is appreciated!

> > >

> > > Lori