Judy/ My update at 4 weeks post op

[Guest guest]

Oh Judy, it surely sounds like your news isn't getting any better. I

know how hard it may sound, but try not to react until you see your

OS. I am trying not to react just yet either about my OD comments

regarding my crossbite not being corrected during surgery along with

my upper palate not being widened enough until I talk to my OS. It's

hard not to react, but I know that the stress will only do harm for

my healing.

I would surely call your OS as soon as possible to tell him about

what's going on. He may want to see you immediately to check

everything out. I would also schedule an appt. with an ENT if your

ears don't get any better.

My thoughts will be with you and once again I am sending you the

biggest hugs to get you through this! We need to break this recovery

limbo chain for all of us stuck in it!

--Caboose

> Hi Shirley,

> I'm really sorry this reply is coming so late. You probably thought

> by now I wasn't going to reply. I've just had one of 'those' weeks

> unfortunately; and am behind in my reply to you and others.

> Anyway - I think the sinus infection is going away, because my eyes

> are not so sore and tired, and the headaches have eased up a

little.

> My ears still feel the same unfortunately; the feel full of fluid

> and I still have lots of pressure in there. I will take the

> antibiotics until they're gone, but if I don't notice any

> improvement in my ears by next week, I will have to make an

> appointment with an ENT. I'm even wondering now about the

> possibility that I may need ear tubes to drain all the fluid I've

> got in my ears.

> I have another problem going on too, and I hate to even write about

> it because I've already complained enough. My bite is changing, and

> it's for the worse! I'm not sure if it's due to the surgery itself,

> the jaw wiring, or the elastic bands. I'm thinking it's the bands.

I

> had straight teeth starting out with all this; having had braces

> when I was a teenager. Because I was happy with the alignment of

my

> teeth prior to going through this jaw surgery, I opted to not get

> braces again. The teeth that are bound by the elastic bands are

> turning; and those teeth are actually a little loose! I don't know

> if this is normal or not but I'm thinking it shouldn't be. I've

been

> too sore and swollen to be able to open my mouth very wide to get

> any kind of a decent look inside. But with all the issues I'm

having

> with the pain, swelling and irritation - I thought it was time I

> forced myself to get a better look at the inside of my mouth.

> My bite appears to have changed a lot. I now have an open-over-bite

> and none of my teeth line up straight.

> I noticed this a couple days ago, and was so upset that I avoided

> thinking about it or talking about it until today. I kept myself

> very busy doing various errands and things around the house, until

> today when my husband asked me why I've been so quiet and unable to

> sit still. I showed him my mouth, told him my teeth and bite look

> horrible now. I then proceeded to cry like a baby while totally

> reorganizing the linen closet...with my husband standng there

saying

> over and over " we'll just get you braces to fix everything " . As

much

> as he was trying to help me feel better, it just made me cry even

> harder, because this just shouldn't all be happening.

> The way my teeth are shifting in my mouth, is impacting my ability

> to swallow and to talk. It is SO painful to talk, so I'm just

trying

> not to.

> The left side of my face, which is the side with the bad ear

> infection, and also the side with more swelling, including that

> lumpy spot between my ear and chin (lower jaw area) - hurts so much

> that I ended up putting a lidocaine patch on it today to numb it

up.

> (I was using those lidocaine patches after I herniated three discs

> in 2003).

> I could say several more things about how I'm feeling internally

> about all everything at this point...but I don't think I need to;

as

> I'm sure you probably have a pretty good idea about my general mood.

> I'm honestly not sure what, if anything, to do next. Should I call

> an make an appt. with an ENT, or should I call my OS and bug them

> again about my problems...I just don't know.

> If I do nothing and just wait, then I'm waiting until August 3rd -

> leaving things as they are; not knowing what's going to happen with

> these issues, or whether they'll get better or worse on their own.

> I really have no idea how long I'll be wired at this point.

> Initially I was told 6 weeks. At my last visit, that went up to 8-

12

> weeks. With my teeth shifting and moving the way they are now, I

> don't know what impact that may or may not have on these wires.

> I wish I knew how far they moved my upper and lower jaw, and my

> chin. But I don't. When I asked at my last visit, my OS simply

> said " We moved everything out quite a ways " , and then he moved on

to

> the next thing. (You may remember reading that my visit was really

> rushed/hurried because my OS was SO far behind due to an emergency

> surgery case he had to deal with...I'm lucky I was able to see him

> at all because he was so delayed - so many of my questions were

> either answered too quickly or briefly - some of them didn't get

> addressed at all).

> Thanks for the hugs - I'm trying to hang in there, but right now I

> am struggling with that a bit.

> I'm glad things have improved with you, and that you're getting

> better. You really had a rough time right after surgery, and you

> deserve to be getting better each week :-)

> Take care and again, thanks.

> Judy