Re: 7 week update--only 5 weeks here need to open wider

October 15, 2004

How did you get your mouth to open wider? I'm opening and holding

for 3 seconds for a total of 5 minutes but I'm still only able to

open the width of my index finger. Do you use your back teeth to

chew? I'm not there yet, still too timid. My cheeks feel pressure

from my braces now, is that normal? I just keep blowing my cheeks

out like a blow fish...attractive I know!!! the numbness is driving

me crazy.

Even a flattened out cheeseburger sounds good...I'm eating pasta,

lots of pasta and trying to gain back a few pounds.

Wow, only a few more months with your braces, lucky you, Congrats!

Carole Anne

> >

> > Hi there everyone! I haven't posted an update for some time

now, as

> > nothing new was really going on. Today I went back to the

> > orthodontist for the first time since my surgery (7mm lower jaw

> > advancement, Aug 24). She was very pleased with my surgery, so

any

> > concerns that I had about relasping were completely

unwarranted. I

> > got new powerchains and a rubberband on the right side to move

my

> > midline and bite into the correct place. My new approximation

for

> > getting my braces off is either before Christmas or before

> > Valentine's Day, so only a few more months! I also had my teeth

> > cleaned yesterday. They were pretty gross and badly in need of

a

> > cleaning, but are all better now! My swelling is gone and I

don't

> > have any pain left from the surgery (I expect to have

orthodontic

> > pain in a few hours though). I have started receiving claim

forms

> > for bills for my surgery, so far, the anesthesiologist was

$1,430

> > and the hospital was $12,466 for one night. My insurance is

> > covering this, so my out-of-pocket is so far $0. I haven't seen

> > anything for my surgeon fees yet and am expecting to pay

something

> > for that. I am eating just fine. I still can't open quite as

wide

> > as I used to be able to, but I can get cheeseburgers in there

just

> > fine. I don't think there is really anything I couldn't eat if

I

> > really wanted to. I'm allowed to eat anything I want (with the

> > exception of the braces restricted foods). It's a little hard

to

> > keep the food out of braces, kinda like when I first got them

on,

> > but that's getting better. Oh yeah, numbness. I still have

some on

> > my chin. I can feel my lip just fine and I can feel some stuff

on

> > my chin, but I still can't feel wet stuff or food on it. Also

my

> > gums are still numb around my lower teeth. I'm hoping that

comes

> > back, but I really am used to it now. Well, I guess that's all,

if

> > anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

> >

> > Kim

October 15, 2004

How did you get your mouth to open wider? I'm opening and holding

for 3 seconds for a total of 5 minutes but I'm still only able to

open the width of my index finger. Do you use your back teeth to

chew? I'm not there yet, still too timid. My cheeks feel pressure

from my braces now, is that normal? I just keep blowing my cheeks

out like a blow fish...attractive I know!!! the numbness is driving

me crazy.

Even a flattened out cheeseburger sounds good...I'm eating pasta,

lots of pasta and trying to gain back a few pounds.

Wow, only a few more months with your braces, lucky you, Congrats!

Carole Anne

> >

> > Hi there everyone! I haven't posted an update for some time

now, as

> > nothing new was really going on. Today I went back to the

> > orthodontist for the first time since my surgery (7mm lower jaw

> > advancement, Aug 24). She was very pleased with my surgery, so

any

> > concerns that I had about relasping were completely

unwarranted. I

> > got new powerchains and a rubberband on the right side to move

my

> > midline and bite into the correct place. My new approximation

for

> > getting my braces off is either before Christmas or before

> > Valentine's Day, so only a few more months! I also had my teeth

> > cleaned yesterday. They were pretty gross and badly in need of

a

> > cleaning, but are all better now! My swelling is gone and I

don't

> > have any pain left from the surgery (I expect to have

orthodontic

> > pain in a few hours though). I have started receiving claim

forms

> > for bills for my surgery, so far, the anesthesiologist was

$1,430

> > and the hospital was $12,466 for one night. My insurance is

> > covering this, so my out-of-pocket is so far $0. I haven't seen

> > anything for my surgeon fees yet and am expecting to pay

something

> > for that. I am eating just fine. I still can't open quite as

wide

> > as I used to be able to, but I can get cheeseburgers in there

just

> > fine. I don't think there is really anything I couldn't eat if

I

> > really wanted to. I'm allowed to eat anything I want (with the

> > exception of the braces restricted foods). It's a little hard

to

> > keep the food out of braces, kinda like when I first got them

on,

> > but that's getting better. Oh yeah, numbness. I still have

some on

> > my chin. I can feel my lip just fine and I can feel some stuff

on

> > my chin, but I still can't feel wet stuff or food on it. Also

my

> > gums are still numb around my lower teeth. I'm hoping that

comes

> > back, but I really am used to it now. Well, I guess that's all,

if

> > anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

> >

> > Kim

October 18, 2004

Hi there! I didn't do any special exercises or anything to get my my

mouth to open wider. I just used it. I started eating normal food

at 3 weeks post-op (my surgeon okay'd this), so it could just be

that. I do use my back teeth to chew as I am one of the apparently

lucky ones whose back teeth actually touched after the surgery. My

surgeon said that my pre-op orthodontics were the best he's ever

seen, so I'm sure that helped with my chewing post-op. My cheeks

have been the biggest problem for me in chewing and even biting

down. I'm not sure if this is because my muscles are still a little

off from the surgery or if it is becuase of my new bite. I keep

biting them! Smaller food is actually harder for me to eat (things

like cereal) becuase it gets lost in my mouth and I end up biting my

cheeks more. You will get more used to the numbness as the weeks go

by (if feeling doesn't come back first)!

Kim

> > >

> > > Hi there everyone! I haven't posted an update for some time

> now, as

> > > nothing new was really going on. Today I went back to the

> > > orthodontist for the first time since my surgery (7mm lower jaw

> > > advancement, Aug 24). She was very pleased with my surgery, so

> any

> > > concerns that I had about relasping were completely

> unwarranted. I

> > > got new powerchains and a rubberband on the right side to move

> my

> > > midline and bite into the correct place. My new approximation

> for

> > > getting my braces off is either before Christmas or before

> > > Valentine's Day, so only a few more months! I also had my

teeth

> > > cleaned yesterday. They were pretty gross and badly in need of

> a

> > > cleaning, but are all better now! My swelling is gone and I

> don't

> > > have any pain left from the surgery (I expect to have

> orthodontic

> > > pain in a few hours though). I have started receiving claim

> forms

> > > for bills for my surgery, so far, the anesthesiologist was

> $1,430

> > > and the hospital was $12,466 for one night. My insurance is

> > > covering this, so my out-of-pocket is so far $0. I haven't

seen

> > > anything for my surgeon fees yet and am expecting to pay

> something

> > > for that. I am eating just fine. I still can't open quite as

> wide

> > > as I used to be able to, but I can get cheeseburgers in there

> just

> > > fine. I don't think there is really anything I couldn't eat if

> I

> > > really wanted to. I'm allowed to eat anything I want (with the

> > > exception of the braces restricted foods). It's a little hard

> to

> > > keep the food out of braces, kinda like when I first got them

> on,

> > > but that's getting better. Oh yeah, numbness. I still have

> some on

> > > my chin. I can feel my lip just fine and I can feel some stuff

> on

> > > my chin, but I still can't feel wet stuff or food on it. Also

> my

> > > gums are still numb around my lower teeth. I'm hoping that

> comes

> > > back, but I really am used to it now. Well, I guess that's

all,

> if

> > > anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

> > >

> > > Kim

October 18, 2004