Re: Katja - welcome back

[Guest guest]

Hi Katja,

I hope you're on the downhill right now as far as swelling is

concerned. I had upper and lower, and I'm still swollen in my cheeks,

but it is going down every day, albeit VERY slowly. The rest of the

swelling went away in about 1.5 weeks. I also didn't have that much

bruising, just around my lower jaw, but it never travelled down to my

neck and chest as I was expecting it to. You can go to photos and see

how I looked (under Irene). By my first week checkup I already looked

semihuman. And now I look pretty decent (don't scare people or

anything ), but the swelling that's still there is annoying (as well

as numbness). The recovery is soooooo slooooowwwwwww! What helped

me the first week was taking hot baths - I was taking 3-4 a day .

It is relaxing, and helps you breathe a little easier for a few

minutes. I also had dry skin, and a lot of damaged skin on my lips

that kept coming off. Put some mosturizer on, and dry skin will get

better. In a few more days you'll feel much better, you'll see!

Irene.

>

> Hi Irene, Thanks for writing! I was so glad to be home as well. Thank

> goodness I had gone to a lot of effort before hand to get my room

> ready so it would be really comfortable when I got home... BUT, I

> miss having the nurse just come and inject something in the IV line

> to administer meds. The syringes and all are getting old! Which

> surgery did you have? And when was yours done? These days I'm not

> remembering much! I have been having fun the past couple days with a

> nose that wont stop draining! It was packed to begin with and that

> was totally nasty! And I don't know about you or anyone else, but

> for the past two days I have felt like an alien unveiling myself as

> my dry skin peels off my face. It has been completely wierd having

> this layer over my face of dry tight skin. I feel like a lizard

> shedding my skin or something! Did you experience that? Regardless,

> it's nice to have my skin back (except for where the chin bandage is-

> but that unveiling is tomorrow. I've very nervous!) Oh, and I was

> checking my body for weightloss and found horrible swelling by my

> ankles and out of nowwhere I have saddlebags!!! I was shocked and

> horrified!! I guess it is fluid collection there since I've been

> sleeping really upright and haven't been as active as I normally am.

> BUT just the same, to see curves where there aren't normally any and

> then, I couldn't find my ankle bones in the shower. Ahhh the fun

> unexpected joys of jaw surgery. At least everyday seems to get better

> and is one more day that the surgery is BEHIND me. I can't wait for

> most of the swelling to go down!!! How long did it take for the

> majority of yours to go down?? Keep in touch and thanks for listening

> to all of my trials & tribulations Katja

[Guest guest]

Irene,

I just looked at your pictures and was amazed to find our before

bites were pretty much identical. Did you have upper and lower? And

was your upper palate widened? Just wondering. I think we had

surgery around the same time?Mine was Feb23. Our puffy cheeks also

appear to be identical. I am 18 days post op and am dying for my

hamster cheeks to go away. Yesterday we went to the mall and I was

so self conscience. I felt like a balloon on a stick...a puffy face

and stick figure!

Jane

> >

> > Hi Irene, Thanks for writing! I was so glad to be home as well.

Thank

> > goodness I had gone to a lot of effort before hand to get my room

> > ready so it would be really comfortable when I got home... BUT, I

> > miss having the nurse just come and inject something in the IV

line

> > to administer meds. The syringes and all are getting old! Which

> > surgery did you have? And when was yours done? These days I'm not

> > remembering much! I have been having fun the past couple days

with a

> > nose that wont stop draining! It was packed to begin with and

that

> > was totally nasty! And I don't know about you or anyone else,

but

> > for the past two days I have felt like an alien unveiling myself

as

> > my dry skin peels off my face. It has been completely wierd

having

> > this layer over my face of dry tight skin. I feel like a lizard

> > shedding my skin or something! Did you experience that?

Regardless,

> > it's nice to have my skin back (except for where the chin bandage

is-

> > but that unveiling is tomorrow. I've very nervous!) Oh, and I was

> > checking my body for weightloss and found horrible swelling by my

> > ankles and out of nowwhere I have saddlebags!!! I was shocked and

> > horrified!! I guess it is fluid collection there since I've

been

> > sleeping really upright and haven't been as active as I normally

am.

> > BUT just the same, to see curves where there aren't normally any

and

> > then, I couldn't find my ankle bones in the shower. Ahhh the fun

> > unexpected joys of jaw surgery. At least everyday seems to get

better

> > and is one more day that the surgery is BEHIND me. I can't wait

for

> > most of the swelling to go down!!! How long did it take for the

> > majority of yours to go down?? Keep in touch and thanks for

listening

> > to all of my trials & tribulations Katja

[Guest guest]

Hi Jane,

Yes, I had upper and lower - upper a little down and out, lower back

and to the left. My surgery was Feb24th. I didn't have the palate

widened though. How does your bite look now? I'm starting to think I

have a bit of an overbite. I'll ask my OS tomorrow at my appointment.

I know I will probably need a lot of orthodontics postop to fix my

bite. My upper and lower arches are not quite similar on the right

side. I have a tooth missing on the right side - it was taken out for

orthodontic treatment many years ago, and it is probably contributing

to this. I hope they can fix all this.

Irene.

> > >

> > > Hi Irene, Thanks for writing! I was so glad to be home as well.

> Thank

> > > goodness I had gone to a lot of effort before hand to get my room

> > > ready so it would be really comfortable when I got home... BUT, I

> > > miss having the nurse just come and inject something in the IV

> line

> > > to administer meds. The syringes and all are getting old! Which

> > > surgery did you have? And when was yours done? These days I'm not

> > > remembering much! I have been having fun the past couple days

> with a

> > > nose that wont stop draining! It was packed to begin with and

> that

> > > was totally nasty! And I don't know about you or anyone else,

> but

> > > for the past two days I have felt like an alien unveiling myself

> as

> > > my dry skin peels off my face. It has been completely wierd

> having

> > > this layer over my face of dry tight skin. I feel like a lizard

> > > shedding my skin or something! Did you experience that?

> Regardless,

> > > it's nice to have my skin back (except for where the chin bandage

> is-

> > > but that unveiling is tomorrow. I've very nervous!) Oh, and I was

> > > checking my body for weightloss and found horrible swelling by my

> > > ankles and out of nowwhere I have saddlebags!!! I was shocked and

> > > horrified!! I guess it is fluid collection there since I've

> been

> > > sleeping really upright and haven't been as active as I normally

> am.

> > > BUT just the same, to see curves where there aren't normally any

> and

> > > then, I couldn't find my ankle bones in the shower. Ahhh the fun

> > > unexpected joys of jaw surgery. At least everyday seems to get

> better

> > > and is one more day that the surgery is BEHIND me. I can't wait

> for

> > > most of the swelling to go down!!! How long did it take for the

> > > majority of yours to go down?? Keep in touch and thanks for

> listening

> > > to all of my trials & tribulations Katja