1 week Post-Op...Very frustrated!

[Guest guest]

I had my surgery last Tuesday and I'm just very frustrated right

now. I will be having my mouth wired shut for another 5 weeks.

This is very hard to deal with. Very hard. I can't talk at all, i

have to write EVERYTHING. It's extremely dishearting and upsetting

when no-one knows what I am saying at all. I'm also still very

swollen, but I know it takes time to go down, I'm hoping only a

month, I'm going to be a freshman at College in the fall. Also its

so diffucult to drink. My mom threw out the zip-n-squeeze bags

because she didn't think i needed them since i was drinking from a

cup. Bad idea on her part. I haven't had any pureed foods yet and

anything too thick because even with the syringe my OS gave me its

still hard to get past the small hole behind my teeth for the

liquids to go through. I don't know how I will be able to do this

for another 5 weeks..

[Guest guest]

Hello!

I am so sorry you are feeling down but it is totally understandable

at this stage. It's only been 1 week yet it's been one loonnnnngggg

week. I know, I've been there. I was wired after my surgery. I

wasn't supposed to be so imagine the shock of waking up to that.

The good news is that I was lucky for it to only last 10 days.

However, I remember the frustration of simply trying to get a

blended protein powder past my very tight teeth and tightly wired

jaws. It was next to impossible. If it wasn't as clear as tea or

broth, it wasn't getting through and we know that the thicker a

substance is, the more it will " stick to your ribs " .

I just checked out the Zip-n-Squeeze website. I would suggest you

have mom contact them for an express shipment and to quickly replace

the ones that she threw out (I'm sure she didn't realize what she

was doing!!!) ... they offer 2 or 3 day express shipping. The

reason I say this is that they worked like a charm for me to squeeze

heavier liquids back behind my molars where there was a bit more

room to get thicker liquids in. The woman who owns the company,

, is such a sweetie. I'm sure she will do her best to

accommodate a fast shipment to you. Just a suggestion.

Hang in there. Please believe me when I tell you this will not last

forever. These weeks are slow-moving and sometimes you have to

literally take one minute at a time.

Good luck,

Irish!

1.5 years post-op

" The Works - Upper, Lower, Genio "

> I had my surgery last Tuesday and I'm just very frustrated right

> now. I will be having my mouth wired shut for another 5 weeks.

> This is very hard to deal with. Very hard. I can't talk at all,

i

> have to write EVERYTHING. It's extremely dishearting and

upsetting

> when no-one knows what I am saying at all. I'm also still very

> swollen, but I know it takes time to go down, I'm hoping only a

> month, I'm going to be a freshman at College in the fall. Also

its

> so diffucult to drink. My mom threw out the zip-n-squeeze bags

> because she didn't think i needed them since i was drinking from a

> cup. Bad idea on her part. I haven't had any pureed foods yet

and

> anything too thick because even with the syringe my OS gave me its

> still hard to get past the small hole behind my teeth for the

> liquids to go through. I don't know how I will be able to do this

> for another 5 weeks..

[Guest guest]

I don't know first-hand, since I wasn't wired, but I can only imagine

that it is indeed frustrating, and very hard to manage.

You can get more zippies, if you need them. On the internet. But yes,

I agree, that wasn't your mom's smartest move. And if you have

leftovers, when you're all done, they're also most excellent for

anybody who's having extractions of wisdom teeth, for many of the

same reasons they're helpful to us, plus they don't disturb the clot

with sucking, as long as you squeeze them.

But, if you're gonna proceed without getting more. Try thinning

whatever you're eating, even more, with broth, or juice, or milk,

depending on what's appropriate.

As for talking, you may learn to manage that somewhat better. I'm not

saying it'll be easy. I'm not even saying it's necessarily a good

idea. But most folks can develop a mumble that's a bit intelligible,

at least to those who know them well. Otherwise, use the dry-erase

board.

It will get better as the swelling diminishes and you begin to get

your strength back. Just keep on hanging on. Also, be aware that you

may be feeling some aftermath of the steroids they gave you to keep

the swelling down (believe it or not!) and the anesthesia gases. Both

stay with you a while, and can cause some depression, which is a

biochemical reaction and will pass.

Meantime, when you're up to it, try to find some things that will

take your mind off your troubles. A good book, if you're up to

concentrating. Some guilty pleasure magazines that require no

concentration. A video. A soak in a bubble bath. Whatever will work.

You have our thoughts and sympathies. I know it's a long pull, but I

know you can make it, too. Just do it one day at a time, and know

that each one you get through puts you one step closer to better

times.

Best,

Cammie

> I had my surgery last Tuesday and I'm just very frustrated right

> now. I will be having my mouth wired shut for another 5 weeks.

> This is very hard to deal with. Very hard. I can't talk at all, i

> have to write EVERYTHING. It's extremely dishearting and upsetting

> when no-one knows what I am saying at all. I'm also still very

> swollen, but I know it takes time to go down, I'm hoping only a

> month, I'm going to be a freshman at College in the fall. Also its

> so diffucult to drink. My mom threw out the zip-n-squeeze bags

> because she didn't think i needed them since i was drinking from a

> cup. Bad idea on her part. I haven't had any pureed foods yet and

> anything too thick because even with the syringe my OS gave me its

> still hard to get past the small hole behind my teeth for the

> liquids to go through. I don't know how I will be able to do this

> for another 5 weeks..