9 Days Post Op- positive post op so far!

August 13, 2004

Hi there everyone, especially my fellow August Surgery people!

I have always found it helpful to read other people's stories on this

site, even though I haven't written much here...I especailly found it

encouraging to read those reports that were fairly positive and

encouraging...so here is mine...I hope it helps some of you along

your process...sorry, it's a long one!

August 4-that was my surgery day. I checked in at 9:00am for a upper

(Lefort)and lower osteotmy, and also, I'm NOT going to spell this

right, but something like a " turberendectomy? " -basically they were

removing enlarged pieces from my nasal passages (I have bad allergies

ad have never been able to breathe properly through my nose-they

usually do this through the nose, but since we were doing this jaw

surgery, my OS said he could do it in and extra 5 minutes-so I said

Yes! adn I highly recommend it to anyone with the same problem-

definitely worth a talk with your OS)

I didn't have to get any surgical hooks, they decided to work with 8

lugs -little loops-placed on my ortho wires about 1-2 months before

the surgery. They were placed early to let my mouth adjust-my ortho

thought I'd be adjusting to enough at the time of surgery! My OS

also seldom if ever wires, so I knew I was to be banded and splinted

but no wires.

My surgery was about 2 1/2 hours and according to my OS went very

well. One minute I was being told jokes by the Anastheiologist, as I

was on the table in the OR-having been introduced to all the staff by

name, then I was coming to in my hospital room (they kept me in 1

night)-don't remeber the breathing tube, recovery etc-ok by me! (They

did give me some nasal drops pre surgery to clear my nose for the

tube)

I woke up, groggy, head wrapped in compression bandage-and wearing

ice bags on my face-and no splint!! Over the night, I threw up a lot

of blood-probably around 9 -10 times-BUT, that's to be expected-has

to come up-and the bright side is I cleared my system that night-I

haven't thrown up since, not even any nausea.

The nurse was great and kept coming in every hour or so to check on

me, get me ice and see if I needed anything for pain.

My OS came in early the next morning and checked me over-said I have

a perfect bite-that the surgery went so well, I don't need to wear a

splint! I had 2 bands in rectangles on either side of my mouth-once I

cleaned my teeth and took them off, I only had to put them on 2 lugs

either side-so just 2 bands connecting top and bottom braces, easier

to put on!!Whew!

I have slept elevated, which helped the swelling-and had arranged for

3 MLD appts, starteing on Day 6-also helped a lot, with swelling and

with the " digestion " side-effects of all the meds. Now, at Day 9, I

can see some sort of cheek line again-still puffy,but figure another

week will get rid of a lot-have black and yellow bruising on either

side of chin-can open mouth a little over 1 finger-and finally the

anasthesia seems to be out of my system-I almost slept a full night

last night!

I am anxiously and excitedly awaiting the day when I look into the

mirror and see a non-swollen face-I can already see how my front

teeth line up and " fit " -it's amazing-feels weird,and my " crooked

smile " from the facial assymetry is gone! Lower lip and chin are

numb, getting feeling back in nose, upper lip and cheeks and,

unfortunately, can feel braces cutting cheeks-but, hey-I'll take that

rather than permanent numbness! And, I can totally breathe through my

nose without my allergy meds!

I miss certain foods, but I just tell myself, it's temporary-all the

frustrating pieces are temporary, and the pay-off is sooo worth it! I

fell so good and am soooo excited for the next few weeks to move

along, to continue healing and to see the daily differences in my

face!

Good luck to all of you with surgeries in the next few weeks! And-

it's true, the wisodm teeth was waaaay worse!!

Connie

August 13, 2004