2nd Post-Op Appointment

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone!

I just thought I would share my 2nd Post-Op information in the hopes

it might be helpful, to someone. I saw my Surgeon on Monday.

Following are the questions and answers involved in that appointment:

What are my Surgical Wires? Why do I have them? How will they come

out and when?

There are four thin wires (2 on top & 2 on bottom) that are wrapped

around my jaw holding everything stationary. The wires on my teeth

are only for my teeth. These wires are for my jaw. They will come

out two weeks after my wires are cut. My Surgeon says that it will

only require some gas & novacaine and will only take 5 minutes to

take out. They were put in through my chin (which explains the

indents and the brusing that I had just after surgery). I wasn't

aware of this pre-surgery but it was explained to me that having the

two tiny incisions in my chin would alleviate any worry of infection

being brought from my mouth through and around my bone. The entry

points under my chin was sterilized - and therefore much safer. The

points on my chin are sore (but no cuts are visible) and not too

terribly bad.

I was told that I had tongue thrust as a child. Do I need to worry

about this situation now?

Any slight thrust that I still have is being corrected via the wiring

and the splint. My Surgeon says that my tongue is being " trained "

over these 8 weeks and that I've no need to worry.

I was concerned about broken teeth as they felt strange when touched

with my tongue: small and sharp and there seems to be a pointy sliver

of some sort on both sides. Why and what is that all about?

My Surgeon stated that no teeth were broken and that what I was

feeling was most likely related to the plastic splint. Again, no

need to worry.

I advised that after speaking for a few hours my muscles were tensing

up and I was feeling like I was clenching and couldn't relax. What

is that all about?

My Surgeon explained that over time the muscles would get stronger

and the clenching would lessen. He suggested an over the counter

pain medicine (Motrin) if the clenching was uncomfortable. But

mostly, just to stay hydrated and get lots of rest.

Can I sleep flat on my back?

Absolutely! My Surgeon said I can sleep on my back, side, face -

whatever makes me comfortable!

I was worried that my lip looks crooked. Is it?

Absolutely not! Because of the swelling and the Surgical Wire

pulling down a bit on one side, there is a slight tilt to my smile,

which will go away as the swelling goes down and when the wires are

removed.

Can I work out?

Yes! No running or heavy weight lifting but feel free to start out

slowly and gradually. Walking, yoga, stretching - all ok!

I have bumps on the roof of my mouth. Why?

Due to swelling and bone movement. It will " smooth " out slightly as

time goes by but is nothing to worry about.

I feel like I can move things around. Can I? Am I? And if so, am I

doing any damage?

I am probably moving things *very* slightly. I can't do any damage.

Things are magnified by my tongue so what seems like serious movement

isn't even visible to the naked eye. Again, nothing to worry about.

When I tilt my head from side to side and back and forth I feel

pressure from different places. Why?

This is due to both the pressure of the wires and my sinuses. My

Surgeon suggested that I continue to use my Flonase and my Dimetapp

if I feel stuffy or congested. Otherwise, it's totally normal.

Thumbs up or thumbs down for Arnica Cream and Aquaphor?

Thumbs up for both. My Surgeon said to use whatever makes me happy.

When pressed to tell me what would really work best on my swelling

his response was a giggle, a grin and Preperation H.

I have heartburn. Can I medicate?

It sometimes happens with a liquid diet and yes - over the counter

medication is fine.

Can I return to work?

If I'm up to it - absolutely! My Surgeon's office wrote a letter for

my company advising of my return: 1/2 days Thursday and Friday and

back full time next Monday.

My Boyfriend is a pilot and has his own plane. Can I go flying?

My Surgeon asked how large the plane is (4 passenger) and how high it

will be flying (wanted it no higher than 9000 feet). He gave me the

go ahead as long as I don't fly too far away.

He advised that I use less stuff on my lips. Said I was keeping them

too slick.

He also mentioned that I'd been reading this site - and was obviously

well informed. He's right! Thankfully, he is extremely patient

and allowed me to ramble on for as long as I needed to in order to

satisfy my long list of questions. At the end of the appointment,

the one thing that stuck out the most was - that I was worrying too

much and should try and relax a bit more. All is well and I'm on my

way to a full recovery!

Thanks for listening everyone!

Carol