Guest guest Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Hi Clare, That isn't a dumb question at all.... your smile should come little by little over the next few days and weeks. It took me a while before I could smile too! My facial expressions around my mouth were more than a little " stiff " and my lips didn't even touch each other for sometime. Sometimes, in my case, it actually hurt somewhat to smile- I think because then my sutures would pull.... Just practice trying to smile and you'll get there. You are definitely on your way, but as everyone says, one week out is still very early in the whole " recovery process " . Hang in there and smile with your eyes! Oh, and I had all kinds of numbness in my nose, cheeks, and eyes too... that will/should subside pretty quickly over the next couple of weeks. The time will pass and you'll get there. I know it's hard to not feel impatient though, huh? Take care, Katja PS, if you look in the photos section, a lot of people have post-op pics posted with the caption " smiling- day 12 " (or something like that). You'll notice that there isn't much of a smile there, just the muscles looking a little strained! You arent alone. :)It'll come, better than ever.... > > This probably seems like a really dumb question, but I am a week and a day > post op, and cannot really move my top lip/mouth all. Everything from right > under my eyes, to my entire top lip is still numb from lefort 3- piece/palate > expansion. I cant smile, or make any kind of real facial response at all. i > look sad all the time, and its starting to make me depressed! My OS today > said that it might be 3-6 months before I regain all feeling in my face. > Anyone know when I can at least fake it with an attempted smile?? Haha, > anyone w/ experience with this kind of surgery/recovery or anything, please > help me out here, I think I am going crazy, and all I want is a cheeseburger > ! > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Hi Clare, the smiling was/is an issue with me too - my Mom said I had a 'deadpan' face. I had to hold my cheeks when something would make me laugh because it really hurt to smile. I am 4-weeks now, and I have a smile, but it does still hurt somewhat in my cheeks where my sutures are. My lips don't touch yet, so I have a real goofy looking expression on my face. But, each day I notice a little improvement....you will too. I sort of practiced a little bit each day with the smiling to stretch things out, but if you do it too soon it will hurt and you might pop a stitch! Give yourself another week or two. Pam > > This probably seems like a really dumb question, but I am a week and a day > post op, and cannot really move my top lip/mouth all. Everything from right > under my eyes, to my entire top lip is still numb from lefort 3- piece/palate > expansion. I cant smile, or make any kind of real facial response at all. i > look sad all the time, and its starting to make me depressed! My OS today > said that it might be 3-6 months before I regain all feeling in my face. > Anyone know when I can at least fake it with an attempted smile?? Haha, > anyone w/ experience with this kind of surgery/recovery or anything, please > help me out here, I think I am going crazy, and all I want is a cheeseburger > ! > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Hi Clare I also had an upper 3 piece le forte and palet expansion 4 months ago and was really bummed out about my lack of smiling too. If you see my post-op pics under SARA you can see that I looked pretty sad those first few weeks after surgery. It really hurt me any time someone made me laugh because I had stitches all across my top and bottom gum line so most days i was happy not to have something to laugh about but it did make me sad to look always so glum. The good news is that somewhere at the 2 week mark things started to pick up. My first stitches started to fall out and I started getting more sensation and flexibility in my face muscles. Also, I'm not sure if you have a splint in or not but for me having that taken out really made the smiling better and easier. I'm usually someone who has a very big toothy grin and after surgery the hardest part was learning how to smile with my lips closed. I eventually perfected it and still use it when I'm feeling conscious about my braces. Hang in there, you will smile soon and it will be a gorgeous smile! Sara > > > > This probably seems like a really dumb question, but I am a week > and a day > > post op, and cannot really move my top lip/mouth all. Everything > from right > > under my eyes, to my entire top lip is still numb from lefort 3- > piece/palate > > expansion. I cant smile, or make any kind of real facial response > at all. i > > look sad all the time, and its starting to make me depressed! My > OS today > > said that it might be 3-6 months before I regain all feeling in my > face. > > Anyone know when I can at least fake it with an attempted smile?? > Haha, > > anyone w/ experience with this kind of surgery/recovery or > anything, please > > help me out here, I think I am going crazy, and all I want is a > cheeseburger > > ! > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Thanks everyone for responding! I was really going on a lack of sleep, and I don't think I really understood the extend of the numbness pre-op, so it is something that is getting harder to deal with now. It was good to look at the pictures, and see that it looks like someone else went through the same process I am going through, has bruising and swelling where I do, etc. 5 weeks seems like eternity right now, but I am trying to stay positive. I hope that when I get back to school and back to a somewhat regular schedule the time will go a little quicker. Anyway, thanks all! I really do feel better... Clare On 10/11/05, sazymania <no_reply > wrote: > > Hi Clare > > I also had an upper 3 piece le forte and palet expansion 4 months ago > and was really bummed out about my lack of smiling too. If you see my > post-op pics under SARA you can see that I looked pretty sad those > first few weeks after surgery. It really hurt me any time someone > made me laugh because I had stitches all across my top and bottom gum > line so most days i was happy not to have something to laugh about > but it did make me sad to look always so glum. The good news is that > somewhere at the 2 week mark things started to pick up. My first > stitches started to fall out and I started getting more sensation and > flexibility in my face muscles. Also, I'm not sure if you have a > splint in or not but for me having that taken out really made the > smiling better and easier. I'm usually someone who has a very big > toothy grin and after surgery the hardest part was learning how to > smile with my lips closed. I eventually perfected it and still use it > when I'm feeling conscious about my braces. Hang in there, you will > smile soon and it will be a gorgeous smile! > > Sara > > > > > > > This probably seems like a really dumb question, but I am a week > > and a day > > > post op, and cannot really move my top lip/mouth all. Everything > > from right > > > under my eyes, to my entire top lip is still numb from lefort 3- > > piece/palate > > > expansion. I cant smile, or make any kind of real facial response > > at all. i > > > look sad all the time, and its starting to make me depressed! My > > OS today > > > said that it might be 3-6 months before I regain all feeling in > my > > face. > > > Anyone know when I can at least fake it with an attempted smile?? > > Haha, > > > anyone w/ experience with this kind of surgery/recovery or > > anything, please > > > help me out here, I think I am going crazy, and all I want is a > > cheeseburger > > > ! > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Hi Clare, I am 4 weeks post op and still find it hard to have a proper smile. If you look at my photos, you can see that even trying hard, its still hard due to the swelling and numbming. You will get use to it and you can deal better when you are busy and are not hinking about it all the time. I am back at work and I tend not to think about it too much during the day as I am busy with other things. We all go through the same things and we are all here to support you and help you through it. Keep smiling :-) > > > > > > > > This probably seems like a really dumb question, but I am a week > > > and a day > > > > post op, and cannot really move my top lip/mouth all. Everything > > > from right > > > > under my eyes, to my entire top lip is still numb from lefort 3- > > > piece/palate > > > > expansion. I cant smile, or make any kind of real facial response > > > at all. i > > > > look sad all the time, and its starting to make me depressed! My > > > OS today > > > > said that it might be 3-6 months before I regain all feeling in > > my > > > face. > > > > Anyone know when I can at least fake it with an attempted smile?? > > > Haha, > > > > anyone w/ experience with this kind of surgery/recovery or > > > anything, please > > > > help me out here, I think I am going crazy, and all I want is a > > > cheeseburger > > > > ! > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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