Re: Ray...who is 5 months post op

November 2, 2004

Yes, it's very exciting !! I was initially schedule to keep my braces for

12 months after the surgery, but since it went very nicely, I was lucky

for my ortho told me he would be able to remove them at month #8.

However, you may ask how come I'm getting them off (upper) at month

#5 ? That's because my gums have taken a toll of all those braces and

inhability to clean them completely. Now, it's begining to be

problematic. That's why he's able to remove them faster.

I'm reluctant to talk about numbness because I'm far from " the standard "

.... Please, please... keep in mind not everyone is experiencing the same

scenario.

But if you want to know.. My face is ok, at 99.9%. The only spot remaining

is the part between my nostrils. It's still numb and it hasn't changed since

day #1. There is little hope it'll come back. But, to be honnest, that's

about the one spot the least significative to me.

Swelling is gone at 99.9%, there's a little spot on my right cheek, but to

notice it, you'd have to have known me before the surgery.

Numbness, however, is still very present inside my mouth. I can't feel

my upper teeth. All of them. I have no feeling in my upper gums. But,

the most unpleasant part is the tongue. The left side is fully numb. Well,

not 100%, there's a thin line that have started to show sign of improvement,

but it's not returning very quickly. The palate is also returning very, very

slowly.

My surgeon told me it could take a year to come back, perhaps more, if

it returns. I knew the risks, so I don't blame everyone for that, and not

certainly her. She did a good job. I'm not hangry. I don't think it's a

good thing, but I don't think of it all of the time.

One unpleasant side effect (probably the only one I have so far) is the

mucles, around my left joint, are hurting a lot when I open my mouth

too big. I think I will have to do my exercices again.

Also, for those concerned about opening as big as before, I was lucky

in that I regained almost 100% of what I had before (48mm whereas I had

50mm before). Let's just say a big fits in nicely.

....and nicely some place else on my body !

I regain all the weight and then more, but I did quit smoking the day before

the surgery, so the extra pounds I gained are mostly the result of this

good action. This being said, my weight has stabilized in the last 3

weeks. So, if all goes well, I should now start loosing weight to get

back to my old self again

Hope this helps,

Ray

>

> How exciting to get your braces off soon!!! Here's a few

> questions...is your numbness gone? is the swelling gone? can you eat

> like a normal person again?

>

> Carole Anne

>

November 2, 2004