SURGERY THIS MONDAY IUpper Jaw - April 26, 2004 - Help!

[Guest guest]

OK, it is official...I am petrified. I am having upper jaw Le Fort

I 3 piece maxillary. I have a long face and gummy smile with an

overbite. They are basically going up and back.

My doctor is expecting me to be banded. Not sure what the

difference between banded and wired is. I am scared about Monday,

but scared more about recovery.

Please share your experiences of recovery after upper jaw. Is it

realistic to go back to work in 3 weeks? Will I be able to talk

banded?

Any advise is appreciated!

[Guest guest]

Friends, friends... Read some back posts. Join site 2 (oss 2 -- it

will show up in a web search for orthognathic surgery, and the site,

like that of susan fiddlesticks' geocities site has been posted here

so many times that I find it tedious to do it yet again.) and look at

the pix there. Do a bit of homework, please.

Now, for our petrified pal. First, you will have good wishes with you

when the time comes, from a lot of folks here. Do not underestimate

their power. And we want to know, when you are up to posting, how you

are.

Expect a few rough days -- but they may not materialize. Some folks

have trouble with swelling, congestion, drooling, numbness. Some

folks do not. In any case, it will get better by the time the first

week is over. It will be a lot easier if you are either banded or not

banded, than if you are wired shut, but even if you are wired, you

will make it successfully. It's mainly a matter of taking the pain

stuff to stay ahead of trouble, and waiting for things to get better.

Banded, as you would know, loriemarie, if you had read much among the

back posts, is fixing the jaws more or less in place with elastics,

like those your ortho uses on the braces. It can be done tightly or

loosely. Wiring is using wires to fasten the two jaws together in a

fixed relationship, and is much more confining. Some folks have

internal wires as well, but you don't need to know about those unless

you have them. If your surgeon tells you that you do, or will, ask

more.

Only your surgeon can tell you whether you will be banded or wired or

neither -- and sometimes all that changes during surgery, as well.

Don't mean to be chiding, but I have essentially made this same post,

in response to questions, many times before, and don't understand

folks who don't delve into the back messages for info. I was so

scared and so thirsty for info that I read as much as I could... And

my surgery turned out to be really excellent, really easy and really

successful. May both of yours be likewise.

Cammie

> > OK, it is official...I am petrified. I am having

> > upper jaw Le Fort

> > I 3 piece maxillary. I have a long face and gummy

> > smile with an

> > overbite. They are basically going up and back.

> >

> > My doctor is expecting me to be banded. Not sure

> > what the

> > difference between banded and wired is. I am scared

> > about Monday,

> > but scared more about recovery.

> >

> > Please share your experiences of recovery after

> > upper jaw. Is it

> > realistic to go back to work in 3 weeks? Will I be

> > able to talk

> > banded?

> >

> > Any advise is appreciated!

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Cammie,

What key words can I use to search your old postings???

> > > OK, it is official...I am petrified. I am having

> > > upper jaw Le Fort

> > > I 3 piece maxillary. I have a long face and gummy

> > > smile with an

> > > overbite. They are basically going up and back.

> > >

> > > My doctor is expecting me to be banded. Not sure

> > > what the

> > > difference between banded and wired is. I am scared

> > > about Monday,

> > > but scared more about recovery.

> > >

> > > Please share your experiences of recovery after

> > > upper jaw. Is it

> > > realistic to go back to work in 3 weeks? Will I be

> > > able to talk

> > > banded?

> > >

> > > Any advise is appreciated!

> > >

> > >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi Lori. I'm sure every recovery is different, but I'll bet you'll

be ready to go back to work after 3 weeks. How old are you? I think

that makes a difference recovery-wise. I'm 34 and had upper and

lower almost 4 weeks ago. I had most of my energy back by three

weeks post-op, and was taking care of my 3 and 5 year olds by a week

and a half post-op. Talking might be a problem if you are tightly

banded. I guess it depends on your job--are you going to have to

talk a lot? I found the phone a little challenging for the first few

weeks--people could understand me better if they were looking at me

than if I was talking to them on the phone. Good luck tomorrow--I'm

sure it will all go very well. Don't be too scared--it will probably

be a lot easier than you think. --Amy

> OK, it is official...I am petrified. I am having upper jaw Le Fort

> I 3 piece maxillary. I have a long face and gummy smile with an

> overbite. They are basically going up and back.

>

> My doctor is expecting me to be banded. Not sure what the

> difference between banded and wired is. I am scared about Monday,

> but scared more about recovery.

>

> Please share your experiences of recovery after upper jaw. Is it

> realistic to go back to work in 3 weeks? Will I be able to talk

> banded?

>

> Any advise is appreciated!

[Guest guest]

Lordie, that would clog your computer!

But try Cammie, or ceast, if you're brave....|

I'll be thinking of you tamale...

C.

> > > > OK, it is official...I am petrified. I am having

> > > > upper jaw Le Fort

> > > > I 3 piece maxillary. I have a long face and gummy

> > > > smile with an

> > > > overbite. They are basically going up and back.

> > > >

> > > > My doctor is expecting me to be banded. Not sure

> > > > what the

> > > > difference between banded and wired is. I am scared

> > > > about Monday,

> > > > but scared more about recovery.

> > > >

> > > > Please share your experiences of recovery after

> > > > upper jaw. Is it

> > > > realistic to go back to work in 3 weeks? Will I be

> > > > able to talk

> > > > banded?

> > > >

> > > > Any advise is appreciated!

> > > >

> > > >

> > >