Re: hey, im new here and have a few questions..Tricia

[Guest guest]

Hello,

My speech was affected after the SARPE because I not only had the

expander in place to widen my palate (which affects speech because

your tongue cannot make the precise movements it needs to have clear

articulation), the actual space between my front teeth that it

created caused a lot of speech disturbances. I had to make light of

it though, and everyone at work was really supportive.

I work in a long term care facility with the elderly, and when I

would have to introduce myself, it always came out like " thpeach

therapith " So, I always had a good laugh each day, and so did my co-

workers! It was challenging to get used to the gap in the front,

because I felt really self-conscious about it, and would try to talk

and cover my front teeth with my upper lip. But after awhile, I

think I was the only one thinking about that big space!

I am having a LeFort I Osteotomy and a bilateral saggital split with

rigid fixation. Still not sure what that means, but basicaly I have

an overbite and my lower jaw needs to be brought up to meet with my

upper jaw. My teeth are now aligned properly, but I can literally

bite down and still stick my tongue out through my overbite. So,

they have to align the jaws together so that the teeth will meet

properly.

What are you studying in school? Are you in college/grad school?

talk soon,

Tricia

> Hi Tricia,

>

> Was your speech affected greatly after the SARPE or did it just

> require a little time for your mouth to get adjusted? That must

have

> been some adjustment for you going back to work as a speech

> pathologist! I can only imagine! I'm a little nervous myself about

how

> my speech will sound next fall, particularly when I'm speaking in

my

> classes, but I guess I won't find out until I have the SARPE done.

>

> Well, at least that part of your journey is over. And now your jaw

> surgery is right around the corner. You are lucky to have the ideal

> treatment plan, with SARPE and jaw surgery in less than a year. I

hope

> that my own treatment will have a similar time frame.

>

> It probaly seems like a long time because you are so ready to get

it

> over with, but have no fear, May 31 will be here before you know

it!!

>

> What type of surgery will you be having done? My OS has told me

that I

> need to have lower jaw surgery only.

>

> Take care.

>

> Kate

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

At least a thpeech therapitht has an obvious reason for having

sought that career!

You can find descriptions and pictures of le forte cuts in the links

and files. They have to do with work on the upper jaw, or maxilla.

The BSSO is a lower jaw procedure, bilateral (both sides) sagittal

(meaning the direction of the breaks -- from the back of the jaws

toward your chin) surgical (self-explanatory) osteotomy (cutting or

breaking the bone), usually done, I think, in a cut in the back,

with the jawbone teased apart until it can be slidden forward or

backward on itself and screwed together.

And my understanding, in general, is that it isn't the gap, nor the

procedure that causes as much speech problem as the expander in the

roof of the mouth. But our amazing mouths can apparently even get

used to that, and many folks say that once they've made the

accommodation, they don't even know they have it. That must be one

heckuva big step forward, at least in my book.

C.

>

> Hello,

> My speech was affected after the SARPE because I not only had the

> expander in place to widen my palate (which affects speech because

> your tongue cannot make the precise movements it needs to have

clear

> articulation), the actual space between my front teeth that it

> created caused a lot of speech disturbances. I had to make light

of

> it though, and everyone at work was really supportive.

>

> I work in a long term care facility with the elderly, and when I

> would have to introduce myself, it always came out like " thpeach

> therapith " So, I always had a good laugh each day, and so did my

co-

> workers! It was challenging to get used to the gap in the front,

> because I felt really self-conscious about it, and would try to

talk

> and cover my front teeth with my upper lip. But after awhile, I

> think I was the only one thinking about that big space!

>

> I am having a LeFort I Osteotomy and a bilateral saggital split

with

> rigid fixation. Still not sure what that means, but basicaly I

have

> an overbite and my lower jaw needs to be brought up to meet with

my

> upper jaw. My teeth are now aligned properly, but I can literally

> bite down and still stick my tongue out through my overbite. So,

> they have to align the jaws together so that the teeth will meet

> properly.

>

> What are you studying in school? Are you in college/grad school?

>

> talk soon,

> Tricia

[Guest guest]

Tricia,

Thats great that everyone at your job was so supportive. The only

thing you can do in a situation like that one is to laugh at yourself.

I'm sure there will be a lot of funny moments when I get my expander

put on too. My family loves to tease, so I'm sure that I will soon be

the perfect target!

As a speech pathologist, do you mainly work with elderly people who

have had strokes?

I'm currently an undergraduate right now majoring in psychology. I

have one more year to go before I graduate and I cannot wait, since I

plan on becoming a school psychologist, which requires even more

schooling. I want to get school done with as fast as I can. I know

everybody says the opposite, but I'm so tired of endless tests and

papers and having no money! Also, once I graduate, I know that I will

move closer towards the date of jaw surgery.

Kate

Kate