Re: Question regarding seeing orthodontist again post surgery

[Guest guest]

I am 5.5 weeks post-op from LeForte 1 and I'm only banded. I saw my

ortho at 4 weeks post-op, but he only looked at the alignment. On

3/28 which will be 9 weeks post-op, I am supposed to get new wires,

color ties, and hopefully get the surgical hooks removed.

~ Swanson

Oregon

>

> Hi all. I am 7 1/2 weeks post op (upper, lower, chin). I saw my

> orthodontist again today for the first time since surgery. My

> surgeon told me to go back to see her for her to finish up her

> work. I am still swollen, stiff and in discomfort and can only

open

> like 2 fingers wide still. She tells me oh I talked to your

surgeon

> a few times and she tells me that they talked about how emotional

> and upset I was before and after the surgery as if I wasn't

supposed

> to be or something. I'm thinking to myself yeah of course I was

> upset geez. So she asks how much I can open and if I am still in

> pain. I said can't open much and yes I hurt. She tries to look in

> there using that mirror to go in by my cheeks so she can see. I am

> jumpy b/c I am sore. She looks around and takes notes. She tells

> me I need alot more work done (I was suprised b/c I thought I was

> pretty good now). She tells me she will take notes today and that

I

> am probably not ready for her to start working on me and to come

> back in a week or two but not much longer b/c she doesn't want

> things moving. I ask her what does she need to do. She says she

> needs to take out the surgical wire and replace it, take out the

> coils on my top where she had them in to make space in between

teeth

> on both sides of my mouth, she needs to replace brackets (I guess

> change the position of them as I didn't lose any), she said my

> midlines are off, my back teeth aren't touching and now I have an

> overbite. I said yeah I don't think I could handle that today,

> don't know how she would get in there anyways. So I go to make an

> appt with the rude receptionist and she tells me they are booked

> until 3/29. I was thinking I would go like 3/22. So that is

almost

> 3 weeks from today. So as I am leaving I'm thinking oh no am I

> waiting to long to go, should I have somehow endured the pain and

> let her work on me today. So now I am worrying. I called back her

> office and got her answering machine so I left a message saying oh

I

> think I " ll be out of town on the 29th can I please get something

> sooner. So waiting to hear back.

>

> So my question is when did most of you start up your orthodontic

> work again post surgery. On 3/29 I'll be 10 weeks post op. Just

> curious, I don't want to mess anything up.

>

> THanks.

[Guest guest]

I'm starting to think my case was relatively easy, but I am 24 days

post op from upper, lower, genio with asymmetry. When I saw my os on

Monday, he made an appointment for me today to remove my splint and

made an appointment with my ortho immediately following the os appt.

I wasn't wired, only banded, but as of today I am splint free and

band free. I have a new wire from my ortho but go back in 3 weeks

for the start of the major work. My ortho wanted to do most of his

part after the surgery so I probably have a good year before the

braces come off. My bite is definitely different -- my front teeth

now hit my bottom brackets and the rest of my teeth don't really

meet either, but as soon as he can start working, things will start

to be normal again. All I can say is, nothing is better than getting

that splint out! Eating isn't very easy yet, but even the softest of

food is better than soup through a straw one more night!

> >

> > Hi all. I am 7 1/2 weeks post op (upper, lower, chin). I saw

my

> > orthodontist again today for the first time since surgery. My

> > surgeon told me to go back to see her for her to finish up her

> > work. I am still swollen, stiff and in discomfort and can only

> open

> > like 2 fingers wide still. She tells me oh I talked to your

> surgeon

> > a few times and she tells me that they talked about how

emotional

> > and upset I was before and after the surgery as if I wasn't

> supposed

> > to be or something. I'm thinking to myself yeah of course I was

> > upset geez. So she asks how much I can open and if I am still

in

> > pain. I said can't open much and yes I hurt. She tries to look

in

> > there using that mirror to go in by my cheeks so she can see. I

am

> > jumpy b/c I am sore. She looks around and takes notes. She

tells

> > me I need alot more work done (I was suprised b/c I thought I

was

> > pretty good now). She tells me she will take notes today and

that

> I

> > am probably not ready for her to start working on me and to come

> > back in a week or two but not much longer b/c she doesn't want

> > things moving. I ask her what does she need to do. She says

she

> > needs to take out the surgical wire and replace it, take out the

> > coils on my top where she had them in to make space in between

> teeth

> > on both sides of my mouth, she needs to replace brackets (I

guess

> > change the position of them as I didn't lose any), she said my

> > midlines are off, my back teeth aren't touching and now I have

an

> > overbite. I said yeah I don't think I could handle that today,

> > don't know how she would get in there anyways. So I go to make

an

> > appt with the rude receptionist and she tells me they are booked

> > until 3/29. I was thinking I would go like 3/22. So that is

> almost

> > 3 weeks from today. So as I am leaving I'm thinking oh no am I

> > waiting to long to go, should I have somehow endured the pain

and

> > let her work on me today. So now I am worrying. I called back

her

> > office and got her answering machine so I left a message saying

oh

> I

> > think I " ll be out of town on the 29th can I please get something

> > sooner. So waiting to hear back.

> >

> > So my question is when did most of you start up your orthodontic

> > work again post surgery. On 3/29 I'll be 10 weeks post op.

Just

> > curious, I don't want to mess anything up.

> >

> > THanks.

[Guest guest]

Well, um, nope. You won't be ready for a tough steak or popcorn for a

while, most likely. Maybe you'll be one of the one who can open with

no trouble... I didn't have any trouble, but I wasn't wired. I did

find that my mouth tired easily, and sometimes swelled, if I did too

much talking, and I still find that when I have to keep my mouth very

widely open for a considerable time (I've been known to have three-

or four-hour dental appointments, without the surgery or braces) my

jaw still sometimes gets weary. It may well be all in my mind -- but

hey, who else can tell whether my jaw is weary?

And I would expect that you will be expected to go easy on those jaws

for a while. After all, the bones were cut and/or broken, and it

takes them about 8 weeks, I think, to heal.

C.

>

> My ortho also wanted to see me immediately after the splint comes

> out. They made an appointment already for a few days after my 5

and

> 1/2 week timeline for being wired. But now I am worried. No one

> ever mentioned problems opening my mouth immediately afterward. I

> guess I am a little nieve because I thought after the wires come

off

> life is back to normal with braces. Also I can't imagine the ortho

> working on me withour being able to open widely!! I am so ready to

> have the wires taken off just to see how much recovery I have to go!

> Jane

[Guest guest]

It's still really soon -- and remember that those muscles have been

immobilized for quite some time, now. (How could anyone who's

survived being wired shut fail to remember!)

But don't be panicked. Your surgeon (and even, perhaps, a physical

therapist when the time is right) can help you work out any problems

you have. But don't start exercises more than he's told you to do

without your surgeon's ok.

About your mouth not feeling like your mouth: I asked my surgeon once

whether my mouth would ever feel like my own mouth.

" Nope, " he said with a grin. " It's MY mouth now. "

That's proved pretty much true for me. I'm not unhappy about it -- it

works a lot better. But it doesn't feel like my mouth, still -- and I

had lower advancement in June 2002.

Cammie

> > > > >

> > > > > Hi all. I am 7 1/2 weeks post op (upper, lower, chin). I

> saw

> > my

> > > > > orthodontist again today for the first time since surgery.

> My

> > > > > surgeon told me to go back to see her for her to finish up

> her

> > > > > work. I am still swollen, stiff and in discomfort and can

> only

> > > > open

> > > > > like 2 fingers wide still. She tells me oh I talked to

your

> > > > surgeon

> > > > > a few times and she tells me that they talked about how

> > emotional

> > > > > and upset I was before and after the surgery as if I wasn't

> > > > supposed

> > > > > to be or something. I'm thinking to myself yeah of course

I

> > was

> > > > > upset geez. So she asks how much I can open and if I am

> still

> > in

> > > > > pain. I said can't open much and yes I hurt. She tries to

> > look

> > > > in

> > > > > there using that mirror to go in by my cheeks so she can

> see.

> > I

> > > > am

> > > > > jumpy b/c I am sore. She looks around and takes notes.

She

> > > tells

> > > > > me I need alot more work done (I was suprised b/c I thought

> I

> > was

> > > > > pretty good now). She tells me she will take notes today

> and

> > > that

> > > > I

> > > > > am probably not ready for her to start working on me and to

> > come

> > > > > back in a week or two but not much longer b/c she doesn't

> want

> > > > > things moving. I ask her what does she need to do. She

> says

> > she

> > > > > needs to take out the surgical wire and replace it, take

out

> > the

> > > > > coils on my top where she had them in to make space in

> between

> > > > teeth

> > > > > on both sides of my mouth, she needs to replace brackets (I

> > guess

> > > > > change the position of them as I didn't lose any), she said

> my

> > > > > midlines are off, my back teeth aren't touching and now I

> have

> > an

> > > > > overbite. I said yeah I don't think I could handle that

> today,

> > > > > don't know how she would get in there anyways. So I go to

> > make

> > > > an

> > > > > appt with the rude receptionist and she tells me they are

> > booked

> > > > > until 3/29. I was thinking I would go like 3/22. So that

> is

> > > > almost

> > > > > 3 weeks from today. So as I am leaving I'm thinking oh no

> am I

> > > > > waiting to long to go, should I have somehow endured the

> pain

> > and

> > > > > let her work on me today. So now I am worrying. I called

> back

> > > > her

> > > > > office and got her answering machine so I left a message

> saying

> > > oh

> > > > I

> > > > > think I " ll be out of town on the 29th can I please get

> > something

> > > > > sooner. So waiting to hear back.

> > > > >

> > > > > So my question is when did most of you start up your

> > orthodontic

> > > > > work again post surgery. On 3/29 I'll be 10 weeks post

op.

> > Just

> > > > > curious, I don't want to mess anything up.

> > > > >

> > > > > THanks.

[Guest guest]

Jane, one of Fiddly's docs gave her some really sage advice, I

think. " Don't worry about something until you have a reason to do so. "

You don't even KNOW that you're gonna have a problem. And if you do,

honestly, there is help.

Yep. I think you should have had more information BEFORE the surgery.

My surgeon spent several hours answering my questions the first day I

met him -- he is a most kind and generous man. And I knew from what I

had read on this board some of what I needed to ask him.

That, I think, is one of the great benefits of these boards. It is

quite true, as some docs say critically of them, that every case is

different, and that one procedure is different from another, and that

there are few accurate generalizations. Still, at least someone who's

had an opportunity to do some prep has a sense of direction about

what to ask. Otherwise, we're at the mercy of those who DO know to

tell us everything we'll need to know. It doesn't always happen that

way.

It may be that if you suggest to your surgeon and your ortho, nicely,

that there are some things you'd like to have known ahead of time, if

only for the sake of preparation, they'll listen and you can help

them help other patients better. Or it may be that they'll insist

that they do things perfectly and not welcome any criticism. I

wouldn't get into that with them, though, I think, until I'd been

discharged from their care.

The worst case of this I've heard of is Angel being sent home without

so much as a syringe.

The anger, though, isn't a good idea. It leads to clenched teeth,

high blood pressure (probably not a problem for a skinny minnie like

you) and other unpleasant effects, such as stomach ulcers. Turn it

loose, and try to concentrate on the things that are going really

well for you!

End of Polyanna's sermon..

Cammie

>

> I am so worried now. I know the word that comes to mind is Nieve!

> But no one ever warned me of any of this. The more I go through

this

> process the more angry i get about how little i was informed. I

> thout i would have jaw surgery i would be wired for 5 weeks then

back

> to normal. what have i gotten into? Can anyone else share what it

> felt like to be unwired and eating afterwards???

> Jane

[Guest guest]

Not necessarily. And you can always blend one, if you get really

desperate. Or cut it up into small chunks.

(Once you're done with the wires, that is.)

C.

>

> a cheesburger is getting farther and farther from my grasps...sigh

> jane

>