Re: 6 months post op on 7/17 - update

July 12, 2005

Sori,

I'm very sorry to hear you are having such a rough go with your recovery. I

hope you'll be feeling better soon.

Take care,

Diane, Oregon

>

>Reply-To: orthognathicsurgerysupport

>To: orthognathicsurgerysupport

>Subject: [Orthognathic Surgery Support ] 6 months post op on 7/17 -

>update

>Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 16:15:21 -0000

>

July 12, 2005

Wow, you sure have been through alot. I'm sorry you've had such a

difficult time with your surgery. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to see a

TMJ specialist. Perhaps he or she could work with your ortho and

OS. Good luck, I hope you find the help you deserve. Cathy

> Hi everyone. Just thought I would post on my progress to date.

> Almost 6 months (can't believe it has been that long and that I

> still have so many problems) from upper, lower, sliding genio. I

am

> still numb, odd feeling in my whole chin area and lower lip and

very

> tight there (so it bothers me to talk as it feels so stiff), still

> kinda numb on the roof of my mouth especially near the teeth. I am

> still having problems eating and chewing my food, can't bite into

> anything so I cut everything up and can't take crunchy foods

(can't

> eat like a normal bowl of cereal as the crunching just doesn't

feel

> good) and I find myself almost choking on food, trying to get it

> down, so weird. I am still having problems with constant headaches

> everyday from my left TMJ joint and just hurt especially in that

> area, like a pulling achy feeling that goes up into my head on the

> left side and produces headaches that don't really go away with

> tylenol. I have told both my surgeon and ortho about it and my

> surgeon tells me its the muscles and to wait until 1 yr post op

> before exploring TMJ options. My ortho tells me to talk to my

> surgeon so basically no help in this dept which stinks b/c I can't

> take the pain and I am tired of headaches. I don't know what to

do

> anymore. Has anyone else had problems like this with I assume TMJ

> kind of problems on one side.

>

> I went to my ortho this morning and I asked her how much longer

with

> the braces. She doesn't really know but she said probably 1-2

years

> which is not good (it will be 2 years with them on in October), I

> can see why though b/c my teeth are a mess (midlines way off,

half

> tooth still only touches when I bite down). So I now have power

> chains on my top and bottom teeth going back almost to my back

teeth

> and now I am once again in rubber bands (have only been out of

> rubber bands for 4 weeks since my surgery in January). I have 1

> rubber band now in the front going diagonally from top to bottom.

> She is trying to shift my midlines which are really off. Just

> keeping my mouth open in her chair made my head start to ache and

> she had to keep telling me to open (apparently I kept closing

more),

> it is tiring to keep my mouth open. My teeth were very sore when

> she was pushing those power chains/ties on, more so than usual so

> maybe some feeling is returning to my front teeth or something.

She

> hopes that the rubber band doesn't make my headaches worse. Right

> now my left side is killing me and my head hurts. When I open a

> little bit it hurts alot so I am not happy right now.

>

> I feel like such a mess

> And I'm tired of complaining how bad I feel at 6 months post op.

I

> wish I was normal again.

July 12, 2005

Hi Cathy,

I am so sorry this is happening to you. Six months is a very long

time to be in pain and having severe headaches from this. I think

the suggestion to see an ENT specialist is a good one. I would also

talk to my dentist to see if there is a possibility of seeing

another OS or OD for a second opinion about your situation. I don't

know. Could you plead your case with your dentist? Perhaps a

dentist would have more clout to have another specialist assist you

with this. Most specialists will not assume another case with

problems, but perhaps your dentist could find someone for you.

I don't know the answer to this as I am new to this and still preop,

but being that far off midline and with only one tooth making

contact at 6 months post op doesn't make much sense to me. Have

they explained to you why it is this far off the mark at 6 months

post op?? You said you were in braces for 2 years pre op too? I

haven't heard of this time frame with the braces post op. Were you

given some reasons for this length of time?

I would make an appointment again with your surgeon and separately

with your OD. Take a family member with you to the appointments.

Have a list of questions to ask them regarding what is happening,

what can be done to minimize your pain and concerns and what options

are available at this point - and having someone with you can give

some added moral support for doing this. I think you have a right

to expect some answers to these questions and concerns you are

having at 6 months post. I have seen others with residual problems

post op, and even real concerns, but having constant pain and being

that far out of alignment doesn't seem to occur that often here. I

am hoping that by addressing it openly with them and at least

getting more specific answers as to the time frame for these

concerns to resolve, the pain issues and what else can be done in

the meantime to minimize at least your major concerns is a minimal

expectation I would have in your situation.

I know it is difficult to confront a surgeon when something is still

a large problem as a result of their work, but I really think you

need to do this. I have had to do this before, and it isn't easy as

they do get pretty defensive, but you have a right to be informed of

what is going on and how to minimize your discomfort. There are

pain clinics, different techniques to minimize the headaches, etc

which should be discussed.

Please let us know what you find out in any case. I am sending you

best wishes that at least some of this can be handled better and for

your comfort level to increase significantly.

Hugs,

Fran

> > Hi everyone. Just thought I would post on my progress to date.

> > Almost 6 months (can't believe it has been that long and that I

> > still have so many problems) from upper, lower, sliding genio.

I

> am

> > still numb, odd feeling in my whole chin area and lower lip and

> very

> > tight there (so it bothers me to talk as it feels so stiff),

still

> > kinda numb on the roof of my mouth especially near the teeth. I

am

> > still having problems eating and chewing my food, can't bite

into

> > anything so I cut everything up and can't take crunchy foods

> (can't

> > eat like a normal bowl of cereal as the crunching just doesn't

> feel

> > good) and I find myself almost choking on food, trying to get it

> > down, so weird. I am still having problems with constant

headaches

> > everyday from my left TMJ joint and just hurt especially in that

> > area, like a pulling achy feeling that goes up into my head on

the

> > left side and produces headaches that don't really go away with

> > tylenol. I have told both my surgeon and ortho about it and my

> > surgeon tells me its the muscles and to wait until 1 yr post op

> > before exploring TMJ options. My ortho tells me to talk to my

> > surgeon so basically no help in this dept which stinks b/c I

can't

> > take the pain and I am tired of headaches. I don't know what to

> do

> > anymore. Has anyone else had problems like this with I assume

TMJ

> > kind of problems on one side.

> >

> > I went to my ortho this morning and I asked her how much longer

> with

> > the braces. She doesn't really know but she said probably 1-2

> years

> > which is not good (it will be 2 years with them on in October),

I

> > can see why though b/c my teeth are a mess (midlines way off,

> half

> > tooth still only touches when I bite down). So I now have power

> > chains on my top and bottom teeth going back almost to my back

> teeth

> > and now I am once again in rubber bands (have only been out of

> > rubber bands for 4 weeks since my surgery in January). I have 1

> > rubber band now in the front going diagonally from top to

bottom.

> > She is trying to shift my midlines which are really off. Just

> > keeping my mouth open in her chair made my head start to ache

and

> > she had to keep telling me to open (apparently I kept closing

> more),

> > it is tiring to keep my mouth open. My teeth were very sore

when

> > she was pushing those power chains/ties on, more so than usual

so

> > maybe some feeling is returning to my front teeth or something.

> She

> > hopes that the rubber band doesn't make my headaches worse.

Right

> > now my left side is killing me and my head hurts. When I open a

> > little bit it hurts alot so I am not happy right now.

> >

> > I feel like such a mess

> > And I'm tired of complaining how bad I feel at 6 months post

op.

> I

> > wish I was normal again.

July 12, 2005

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear you're still having troubles. I too had TMJ

problems. I already had congenitally malformed joints before but we

hoped orthognathic surgery to correct my huge 17 mm+

overbite/openbite would stabilize the joints. After my two

surgeries, my bite was perfect but I couldn't open at all. Within

two months, I had an 8 mm overbite again and was shifted over about

5 mm. My condyles " melted like an ice cube on a hot summer day " per

my surgeon. He quickly referred me to a TMJ specialist. Four more

surgeries later, I now have artificial joints and a good bite for

the first time in my life. This should be it because I'm not going

through this again.

I certainly hope your problems are not as complicated. I would ask

to be referred to a TMJ specialist as soon as possible. Why wait for

another six months of pain? There are a lot of nonsurgical

treatments for TMJ so you may not necessarily need more surgery,

i.e. splints, physical therapy, nonsteroidal medications, muscle

relaxants, etc. Actually I would avoid joint surgery if at possible

because the joints tend never to be quite the same afterwards.

Be patient with the braces. Mine have been on now for nine years

this time around and according to my surgeon, my ortho still has a

lot of work left to do. I don't want my braces off until everything

is stable and the teeth are in as good as position as possible.

I hope you get some relief soon.