SARPE ~ Got a date

[Guest guest]

Hi All!

I have had great help in the past from this site with questions and

concerns i've had. Now I am moving forward, with a surgery date on

august 27th and preop appointment on the 19th. I am getting the

SARPE treatment and am only doing the upper surgery. I want to thank

everyone on this site and those who made this site, its been a great

help.

For those that had the expander appliance or have the expander

appliance. I noticed when I was getting the appliance fitted, not

cemented until the 24th, that it becomes very difficult to swallow.

Do you ever get used to that and learn how to swallow efficiently?

How long did that take? Also, did the expansion alone have any

effect aesthetically externally? I mean, did it change the shape of

your face at all? I dont expect any change visible from just the

expansion, but has anyone noticed any? and last question. Did the

expansion noticably affect your breathing?

Thanks again everyone. I will deffinetly be posting my trials after

the surgery and the results.

Arde

[Guest guest]

Hi Arde,

I had the expander appliance twice in my life...

It's very uncomfortable at first but then you get used to, you can

swallow and talk normally. When you get it out it feels funny to

feel the roof of your mouth again. I had it when I was 11 then 14

and it began to put a huge space between my front teeth and also

widen the bridge of my nose and I used to get pains in my nose really

bad because of it. My parents made the orthodontist take it out and

I had no more treatment again until I was 18. My upper jaw wasn't

wide enough and I had an underbite...but now it's all fixed because

of the surgery.

> Hi All!

>

> I have had great help in the past from this site with questions and

> concerns i've had. Now I am moving forward, with a surgery date on

> august 27th and preop appointment on the 19th. I am getting the

> SARPE treatment and am only doing the upper surgery. I want to

thank

> everyone on this site and those who made this site, its been a

great

> help.

>

> For those that had the expander appliance or have the expander

> appliance. I noticed when I was getting the appliance fitted, not

> cemented until the 24th, that it becomes very difficult to swallow.

> Do you ever get used to that and learn how to swallow efficiently?

> How long did that take? Also, did the expansion alone have any

> effect aesthetically externally? I mean, did it change the shape

of

> your face at all? I dont expect any change visible from just the

> expansion, but has anyone noticed any? and last question. Did the

> expansion noticably affect your breathing?

>

> Thanks again everyone. I will deffinetly be posting my trials

after

> the surgery and the results.

>

> Arde

[Guest guest]

> Hi All!

>

> I am getting the

> SARPE treatment and am only doing the upper surgery. appliance

fitted, not

> cemented until the 24th, that it becomes very difficult to swallow.

> Do you ever get used to that and learn how to swallow efficiently?

> How long did that take? Also, did the expansion alone have any

> effect aesthetically externally? I mean, did it change the shape of

> your face at all? I dont expect any change visible from just the

> expansion, but has anyone noticed any? and last question. Did the

> expansion noticably affect your breathing?

>

> Thanks again everyone. I will deffinetly be posting my trials after

> the surgery and the results.

>

> Arde

Hi Arde,

I had SARPE in June 2001. When the expander was first put in 3 days

before surgery, it was difficult to swallow. My tongue was almost

" sucked " in and up against the expander. I felt as if my tongue was

going to be stuck there. Very unnerving feeling. I also drooled alot

for 3 days. After the surgery, it took another 3-4 days before I felt

my tongue was unstuck. It takes a few days of relearning how to

swallow differently, how to eat and chew, but it does get better. Be

sure to drink alot of water, it helps unsticking everything.

As far as affecting my breathing, it caused me to start snoring

loudly! I was not a snorer before, but my husband said I started

sleeping with my mouth open, and several times I woke myself up with

the snoring. How romantic huh? Let's just say our love life kind of

cooled down for awhile. Oh well, it does get better.

I feel my face changed for the better after the expansion. I have a

very round face and by pushing my upper jaw out, I have more

definition in my upper cheek bones. My sisters both commented on the

change for the better, but no one else seemed to notice.

Anyway, good luck, you'll get through this too.

Hannah