Splint out! I can eat and talk....finally

[Guest guest]

Hi fellow surgery buddies -

Last Thursday I actually got the splint out. It was huge! It was

attached to my upper jaw and went pretty far back (looked like a

half circle). It was relatively painless to get out. The wire

cutting was the worst part because of the sound. When it came out,

I gagged and nearly threw up because of the smell and taste. I

guess it collects a lot of nasty stuff and obviously doesn't get

brushed! I was scared to touch the roof of my mouth too. He had me

brush, which was odd! My upper inner gums and the whole roof of my

mouth was really really swollen and inflamed. I couldn't feel any

of the ridges that you normally have on the roof of your mouth, so I

was a little freaked out. It was so strange. I could

talk " normal " . My OS said I could eat anything that was the

consistency of a hard boiled egg or softer. I had baked pasta about

2 hours after it came out. It was really scary to eat and " chew " .

My teeth really touch great and I am so pleased with the results. I

had to practically learn to chew again and my speech still sounds

kind of weird.

To date, I've eaten some really really tender brisket and a lot of

pasta....and some corn casserole and finally got to eat some bread!

It is also strange because I got kind of sick when I first ate

because I'm not used to digesting real food! My appetite is also

really low so I can't eat much at all.

My swelling is still very bad in the front, but my profile is

unbelievable. I went to a wedding this weekend and people actually

didn't recognize me. It makes me so self-conscious because people

just stare at me (I feel like)! I also got a lot of that " you don't

even look like you! " which was frustrating. I am still numb, so I

also can't smile correctly. Time marches on.....

I posted my pre and post op pics that my orthodontist took in the

file named " " .

Happy healing to everyone!