Sara: 1st post-op visit with OS

[Guest guest]

Well today's visit with the OS was a definite improvement on

yesterday's app with the OD. Can I just say that I LURVE MY OS. He is

such a sweet patient man.

Anyway, he said that everything looked really good and that I am

healing very well. The best part is that he took off my really tight

elastics. It felt sooooo strange not having anything banding my mouth

shut. I was almost scared that my bottom jaw would drop but of course

it didn't. He made me open and close my jaw a few times. I felt like

I was opening it A LOT but when I got home I realized that I am only

opening it about a pinky wide. Still, it feels liberating. He then

put on less tight elastics that in theory I can take off when I eat

and brush my teeth. However he said that the elastics can be quite

tricky to put on and since my stitches are still in he recommended

not taking them on and off to frequently just yet. I think I'll

follow his recommendation because when he was putting them in I

started crying involuntarily from how much my upper stitches were

pulling. He felt so bad. Oh well. The pain is all for a good cause.

He also said that now I could start eating liquid/soft foods but not

to overdo it on the soft foods. Absolutely no chewing still. He

suggested soft pasta but I was dreaming about philadelphia cheese

mushed with blenderized cooked ham. Then when I got home I chickened

out and ended up having miso soup. I'm just so scared of moving

something by accident and getting a spoon into my mouth is still very

hard.

I'm still not allowed to use the waterpik for another week because of

my stitches but let me tell you, my tongue already feels a lot better

even though I couldn't get the toothrbush on it quite yet. I'll try

again tonight but for now no fuzzy sweaters there anymore:-)

I asked him a lot of stuff regarding the surgery. He said that my

palet was expanded by 4mm and that my lower jaw was raised by 7mm.

The genio brought my chin forwad by 4mm so in total my face has

shortened by about 9mm. That's a lot. He also said that my upper jaw

was dissected 4 times instead of 3, one segment on each side, one

segment in the front where the first 6 teeth are and one segment in

the back. Anyway, that is why I am feeling everything squishing

inside near my palet because it is the bone getting back together. My

upper jaw was raised only about 4 mm and tilted back I think 2mm.

Ah before I forget. I asked him about the stitches. He said that the

ones i have in are the dissolvable kind and usually they start to

come out on their own between the first and second week. In fact

today, right before I went to the app. my first stitch fell out. I

was happy! He said that since one of my stitches is really a very

long one that is wrapped all across my upper gum it might be that I

will be left with a long string hanging out and that he will then

have to take out by cutting it.

What else? He still doesn't know how much I will have to wear the

splint for but expects to be able to tell me next week. He said that

I will have to wear elastics for at least a month. Also, very good

news on the missing teeth front i.e. the space that has been left

from where my upper bicuspids were removed is only 2mm. Whhoopeee!! I

don't know what my OD was complaining about but I actually told my OS

about it. Rather my mother first told him and complained and then I

had to answer the questions. He told me not to worry and that he will

talk to the ortho and sort everything out. Whatever. If my OD has an

agenda with the OS that is his problem and not mine.

For now I am just so relieved and happy that my healing is going

well. I was in a lot of pain last night so was very worried about it

but now I feel relieved even though I know I have a ways to go still.

In the mean time I am off to the movies tonight with my two best

female friends. We're having a girlie night and they are seeing me

for the first time post-op. I'll let you know what they say!

Sara xx

[Guest guest]

Sara -

I'm so glad this appt went better than yesterdays! It must be nice to

get those elastics off. I have a technical question for you though.

When he says no chewing - but then says you can eat soft pasta...what

does that mean? I mean - don't you have to chew soft pasta?

Sometimes they really confuse me.

Thanks for the heads up about the stiches. It will be nice to see

them go!

Have fun at the movies...and let me know what you see. I think

tomorrow is my big movie outing )

-becky

[Guest guest]

Great News Sara,

I just knew it would get better for you! I am kind of where you

are

now with going back and forth between the OS and OD trying to figure

out which one is correct. But heck, that's for them to figure out

not

me. I agree with you in that I have a little more faith in what my

OS

says because he is the one that is experienced with the surgery.

Wow, segmenting the jaw 4 times! That is quite a bit. But you have

done really great recovering and have been a real trooper.

Enjoy that movie and let me know what you see because I may hit the

movies tomorrow night.

See Ya,

> Sara -

>

> I'm so glad this appt went better than yesterdays! It must be nice

to

> get those elastics off. I have a technical question for you

though.

> When he says no chewing - but then says you can eat soft

pasta...what

> does that mean? I mean - don't you have to chew soft pasta?

> Sometimes they really confuse me.

>

> Thanks for the heads up about the stiches. It will be nice to see

> them go!

>

> Have fun at the movies...and let me know what you see. I think

> tomorrow is my big movie outing )

>

> -becky

[Guest guest]

Sara,

I'm SO GLAD that Dr. Sachs was able to make you smile again! It

sounds like you're moving right along. I saw Dr. Schwartz today

and will post about it later or tomorrow.

Have a GREAT time tonight with the girls!

Hugs,

Carol

> Well today's visit with the OS was a definite improvement on

> yesterday's app with the OD. Can I just say that I LURVE MY OS. He

is

> such a sweet patient man.

>

> Anyway, he said that everything looked really good and that I am

> healing very well. The best part is that he took off my really

tight

> elastics. It felt sooooo strange not having anything banding my

mouth

> shut. I was almost scared that my bottom jaw would drop but of

course

> it didn't. He made me open and close my jaw a few times. I felt

like

> I was opening it A LOT but when I got home I realized that I am

only

> opening it about a pinky wide. Still, it feels liberating. He then

> put on less tight elastics that in theory I can take off when I eat

> and brush my teeth. However he said that the elastics can be quite

> tricky to put on and since my stitches are still in he recommended

> not taking them on and off to frequently just yet. I think I'll

> follow his recommendation because when he was putting them in I

> started crying involuntarily from how much my upper stitches were

> pulling. He felt so bad. Oh well. The pain is all for a good cause.

>

> He also said that now I could start eating liquid/soft foods but

not

> to overdo it on the soft foods. Absolutely no chewing still. He

> suggested soft pasta but I was dreaming about philadelphia cheese

> mushed with blenderized cooked ham. Then when I got home I

chickened

> out and ended up having miso soup. I'm just so scared of moving

> something by accident and getting a spoon into my mouth is still

very

> hard.

>

> I'm still not allowed to use the waterpik for another week because

of

> my stitches but let me tell you, my tongue already feels a lot

better

> even though I couldn't get the toothrbush on it quite yet. I'll try

> again tonight but for now no fuzzy sweaters there anymore:-)

>

> I asked him a lot of stuff regarding the surgery. He said that my

> palet was expanded by 4mm and that my lower jaw was raised by 7mm.

> The genio brought my chin forwad by 4mm so in total my face has

> shortened by about 9mm. That's a lot. He also said that my upper

jaw

> was dissected 4 times instead of 3, one segment on each side, one

> segment in the front where the first 6 teeth are and one segment in

> the back. Anyway, that is why I am feeling everything squishing

> inside near my palet because it is the bone getting back together.

My

> upper jaw was raised only about 4 mm and tilted back I think 2mm.

>

> Ah before I forget. I asked him about the stitches. He said that

the

> ones i have in are the dissolvable kind and usually they start to

> come out on their own between the first and second week. In fact

> today, right before I went to the app. my first stitch fell out. I

> was happy! He said that since one of my stitches is really a very

> long one that is wrapped all across my upper gum it might be that I

> will be left with a long string hanging out and that he will then

> have to take out by cutting it.

>

> What else? He still doesn't know how much I will have to wear the

> splint for but expects to be able to tell me next week. He said

that

> I will have to wear elastics for at least a month. Also, very good

> news on the missing teeth front i.e. the space that has been left

> from where my upper bicuspids were removed is only 2mm. Whhoopeee!!

I

> don't know what my OD was complaining about but I actually told my

OS

> about it. Rather my mother first told him and complained and then I

> had to answer the questions. He told me not to worry and that he

will

> talk to the ortho and sort everything out. Whatever. If my OD has

an

> agenda with the OS that is his problem and not mine.

>

> For now I am just so relieved and happy that my healing is going

> well. I was in a lot of pain last night so was very worried about

it

> but now I feel relieved even though I know I have a ways to go

still.

> In the mean time I am off to the movies tonight with my two best

> female friends. We're having a girlie night and they are seeing me

> for the first time post-op. I'll let you know what they say!

>

> Sara xx