12 Days Post Op Update & OS Visit Today

[Guest guest]

Hi All, Just an update & status on my 12 day post op OS visit.

It's been a rough 12 days, but I think I have finally turned the

corner and things are progressing better now. Last night was the

first night I have not woke up gasping for air. It had become so

frequent & disruptive that I was going to insist they do another

sleep study when I went to the OS today.

Last night though I woke up 4-5 times, but I could breath fine. I

finally began on Sunday to figure out that the accumulations of crud

(mucous & blood) in my throat was a problem. It kept feeling like

the right side of my throat was really tight especially at night,

which added to the feeling I couldn't breath. A lot of this crud

was probably a result of the intubation being left in for about 24

hrs. Also until I got the blood transfusion last Friday, I think my

low hemoglobin added to that feeling of shortness of breath. On

Sunday I started drinking pineapple juice. I remembered that

pineapple juice loosens mucous. The pineapple juice allowed me to

loosen the crud so that I could hack it up. (Sorry for graphic

nature). I'm still at the stage where I'm sure there is

plenty of drainage down the back of throat. At night it accumulates

in the throat. After I had a bad night on Sunday, Monday I again

drank some pineapple juice to loosen up more. I slept on my side,

too, which helped with the drainage problem. Last night I finally

got at least 4 hours sleep probably more than I've gotten in the

last week. I feel like finally I was over the hump!! Wahoo!!!!

Though I'm still a little shaky, I feel pretty good. I had my

husband drive to the OS as it is about an hour from here and then an

hour back. By end of this week or next I should feel up to

driving. I am only taking Tylenol for pain or discomfort.

I still have numbness on face from below eyes to upper lip. One

side of the nose is still numb. On lower jaw, I have feeling on

sides, but numbness of lower lip and below it. The nerves are

regenerating and each day it all feels better, less tight, etc.

Most of my brusing is gone except for one spot on left side of chin

and a spot on lower chest.

My OS visit (I had many questions):

He told me, your hygiene is great, keep up the good work. He said

most people come in with crud all over the teeth and braces from the

tissue necrosis. I have been trying to keep them as clean as

possible. I've been using the little baby toothbrush, but the

rubber bands get in the way. He asked if I thought I could put them

on & off. I said yes (I only have two at the present and should be

able to reach them). So now I can take them off to clean my teeth,

but they stay on all the time otherwise.

He gave me the ok to eat soft (very soft) scambled eggs, spaghetti

with tomatoe sauce (no meat), cream corn - anything I can suck in,

no chewing. Yeah!!!! I came home and scrambled some eggs, mushed

them up with ketchup and sucked it in!! Yum….. I can live on

those eggs!! Baby bites though as I can't suck in big amounts. I

have some disposable baby spoons/forks that work real good. I'll

try some some cooked spaghetti with sauce later. No bowtie pasta,

etc.

Still need the surgical hooks, though they're not being used at

the moment, as he might need to use them later. (They rub on lips,

so have had to wax them pretty good).

I asked him if I could do any damage by opening my jaw to far. He

said no, but if I bit down too hard I could. I was calling to my

husband to come get our cat (the cat can be a pain sometimes) and I

guess I opened my mouth too wide and the joint let me know it. He

did say there is degeneration in the left joint, which I already

knew as it would make noise. It's the joint that would lock on

me when I was a teenager. So far the right joint is fine. However,

he said it might bother me later. He said he would be giving me

some exercises later to do.

Thank you to all of you for your support, and concern. It has been

a great!!

Shirley

(LeFort 1, BSSO, genio, turbinectomies on June 23, 2005)