Back from the surgeon - good news!

[Guest guest]

Hi again,

I'm just home from the surgeon. Here are the good news :

- Next Thursday, we start eating soft food again !!!! WOOHOO!!!

- I'm healing faster than she tought. The fact that I can use my right leg

already (I had a graft of bone taken from the right hip) is a success in itself.

She said it usually takes patients up to 4 week to walk like I just did.. COOL!!

- The pain I was feeling before wasn't because of the bands and everything,

rather the fact that my lower jaw was pushed further because of some

inflamatory tissu near the TMJs. New bands were put in place and, within the

next two days, pain should disapear for good!

- She removed the bandage over the scar left by the bone graft, so as of

tomorrow, I will be able to take a normal shower again... No more will I have

to conver the region with plastic and towels to avoid watering it... Yay!!!

That's it for now.

Take care everyone!

Ray

[Guest guest]

Ray,

It's great to hear that all goes well. How goes the smoking? In

your post yesterday you said you had your first " real " craving for a

cigarette, I just wanted to make sure you didn't cave into it. I am

also attempting to quit smoking (pre-op though). When was the last

cigarette you had?

I'm looking forward to my next round of appointments at the end of

June when I can tell my surgeon, ortho, and dentist that I quit!

Keep your chin up!

Kim

> Hi again,

>

> I'm just home from the surgeon. Here are the good news :

>

> - Next Thursday, we start eating soft food again !!!! WOOHOO!!!

> - I'm healing faster than she tought. The fact that I can use my

right leg

> already (I had a graft of bone taken from the right hip) is a

success in itself.

> She said it usually takes patients up to 4 week to walk like I just

did.. COOL!!

> - The pain I was feeling before wasn't because of the bands and

everything,

> rather the fact that my lower jaw was pushed further because of

some

> inflamatory tissu near the TMJs. New bands were put in place and,

within the

> next two days, pain should disapear for good!

> - She removed the bandage over the scar left by the bone graft, so

as of

> tomorrow, I will be able to take a normal shower again... No more

will I have

> to conver the region with plastic and towels to avoid watering

it... Yay!!!

>

> That's it for now.

>

> Take care everyone!

>

> Ray

[Guest guest]

> Ray,

>

> It's great to hear that all goes well. How goes the smoking? In

> your post yesterday you said you had your first " real " craving for a

> cigarette, I just wanted to make sure you didn't cave into it. I am

> also attempting to quit smoking (pre-op though). When was the last

> cigarette you had?

>

> I'm looking forward to my next round of appointments at the end of

> June when I can tell my surgeon, ortho, and dentist that I quit!

>

> Keep your chin up!

>

> Kim

Thank you Kim ;-)

I had my last cigarette on the evening before, at about 10 PM (a few

minutes beofre going to bed). And no, I didn't restart since my last big

craving neither. It's not easy, but it's feasible. I think that what helped

the most is that I couldn't smoke for four days at the hospital. It's usually

agreed upon that the tougher days are the first 3 days. After that, the

cravings are tougher, but less frequent. Until you have none anymore.

I did quit in 2000. It lasted a year and a half. Stupid me, while on vacation,

I did the unimaginable.. I asked my friend for only one cigarette. There I was,

24 hours later, with a pack of my own.

This time, I know the consequences, I know the benefits, I know the traps.

I encourgage you to stop at least two weeks before the surgery, but hey,

anything will help. My surgeon said that smokers usually have a tougher time

when they remove the breathing tube because of the stuff our lungs are filled

with because of the cigarette. If you stop two weeks before, you won't cough

that much (I know I didn't, but I was already slowing down the weeks before),

and you better your chances of succeeding, because you'll be facing only one

issue, that is, quit eating :-)

I'm a mad person, I like double challenges.. !

Finally, I did set up goals for myself. A few things I've been wanting for

sometimes,

and in a case, some years, that will now be possible for me to have (a new

lens for my camera, a laptop, etc.)

That's it!

Ray