Re: General Recovery Questions (Survey)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Here are some answers to your questions according to my

experience....

> * How long before you could talk?

I was able to talk right out of surgery. This depends on if you are

wired, banded, splinted, or what... I was only splinted. I could

talk, but allow me to amend that by saying that I'm not sure how

comprehensible I was!! It was a few days before I became less

muffled, and quite a longer time yet before I really was much more up

to speed. My speech was affect by my splint though, at it was 6

months before that was removed, so ability to talk was a matter of

stages for me before I was back up and running.

>

> * How long before you could move about normally?

I was pretty much moving around after the surgery. I walked to the

bathroom down the hall just fine... Maybe the meds made me a little

woozy, but I have rather good balance and ability to focus when on

strong meds, so I never experienced a problem with balance. (Some

people do and we around this site usually recommend at least someone

in the bathroom with you while you shower since that is the most

likely place for trouble. I had my mom keep me company the first time

and found I was fine and didn't worry about it afterwards.

>

> * How long before you went back to work/school?

I could have sat in a class pretty soon after the surgery except for

my nose running bloodystuff all the time and needed to cover it with

gauze! I did not have the energy for the commute and long walk so I

stayed away. I was out of work about 31/2 weeks, first week back was

part time and then back to full time. My job kept me on my feet the

entire time and was constant talking. Luckily, my manager's step son

had had the same surgery 2 months prior and was very understanding

and worked with me to rearrange my work duties while I was less the

100%. I was off the phone, kept away from clients, and given sitting

tasks! I stayed off the phone until my splint was out because it was

just so awkward!

>

> * How much do you depend on others' help during recovery? (At home)

When I was home, I took care of administering my meds for myself and

did most my other stuff. I had help getting " food " together though

and that really helped because I didn't have the energy for

preparation along with the task of consuming things! I was not

bedridden by anymeans from the get go. I was able to be up and

around.

>

> I'm wondering because I tend to get very bored if not occupied, and

I

> didn't know if I might be able to do some things around the house

> during recovery or not. Nothing major, but maybe sit and look

through

> some boxes, light cleaning, etc. I'm sure I'll watch a lot of tv

and

> read if possible, but how many days of that I can edure, I'm not

sure.

I found that I could do a lot of things... just not for longevity or

anything requiring straining or effort. I was surprised actually.

There are a lot of factors that come into play (obviously!) and a lot

of people after their surgery encounter ups and downs... good and bad

moments. I spent a lot of time on this site which was a GREAT mental

distraction from myself. Movies were too! Eating was a project too as

was taking meds, so I remember thinking to myself about how little my

days were filled with in terms of activities. But the weeks pass

quickly and you are up and about before long. It's incredible

actually!

>

> I assumed there'd be part of my recovery phase where I'm not feeling

> as bad as I'm looking bad, but I may be wrong.

My experience was sort of the opposite... I was looking a lot better

than I was feeling. I was completely wiped out without much energy.

The smallest tasks were tiring for me at times. I actually had a nice

big ol' fight with my boyfriend about it. He was assuming that how I

felt was commensurate with how I looked. HA! But even my surgeon was

shocked by how little swelling and bruising I actually experienced.

He had prepared my family and me for much worse! You'll hear a lot of

comments about swelling peaking around 3-4days post-op. Mine was the

worst right after surgery and continued to improve from there. So,

that ultimatly did me a disservice. It helps to look as bad as you

feel!!

Anyway, it will probably be good to have people on hand in case you

might need them. Better to have them there and not call than to wish

you had someone to call in a time of need.... I'm glad they are doing

the worrying for you!!

Let us know how everything is going for you and I hope this is

helpful to you...

Katja

>

> I have a lot of family and friends who have offered to help out, but

> I'm not sure how much I'll be needing them (or if my husband will

need

> their help.) I figured it'd mostly be rest and healing time, but my

> family is all mega worried about this...much more than I am, hehe.

>

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

,

Here's my experience of your questions.

> * How long before you could talk?

I was pretty much mumbling as soon as I got out of surgery but I'm

not going to say that I was very comprehensible. I do remember my

mother calling up my fiance' and teasing him by saying, " you're out

of luck, she can speak! " . I had a splint and tight bands for the

first 10 days and I would say that by day 3 I had pretty much

mastered talking but it often tired me out and made me frustrated

because people didn't always understand me or would make comments

like " oh you sound so cute " which would infuriate me (sore emotions

were at an all time high post-op). I tried to use my whiteboard as

much as possible but that too got frustrating as people would walk

away before I had finished writing what I had to say. So for the most

part for the first 10 days post-op I tried to stay as quiet as

possible, also because I didn't want to hurt my jaw. At day 11 my OMS

removed the tight bands and put less tight elastics in which allowed

me to open my mouth a bit and made speaking somewhat easier. I still

had my splint in however and I never got around to accepting how I

spoke with it. At 3 weeks post-op I was lucky enough to convince my

OMS that he needed to take the darn thing out as I was flying home to

Italy and had no intention of speaking with it. I remember that when

he did remove the splint it felt really strange to speak because my

palet was still totally numb and it had also changed shape (it was

expanded during the surgery) so it took my tongue a while to figure

out where it needed to go. Sooner rather than later I was back to my

non-stop chatterbox self.

>

> * How long before you could move about normally?

I was up and walking to the bathroom the day after surgery but I

needed my mother or a nurse to assist me (I was fine on my own in the

bathroom). When I got home I was climbing and down the stairs slowly

but on my own. I pretty much slept through the first 2 days back home

(I was discharged from the hospital 24 hours after I was admitted for

surgery) and only woke up to take antibiotics (yuck, yuck and yuck!)

and force myself to drink some form of nutrition. By day 3 I was in

the bathtub washing my hair on my own although I did leave the door

open so that just in case something happened to me my mother could

get in. I didn't attempt a shower standing up until day 6 or 7. Day 6

I went out of the house for the first time with my fiance'. We took a

walk around the neighborhood and were probably out for about 2 hours.

It was mid-June and scorching hot in NYC so by the end of it I was

pretty exhausted but very happy that I had done it. More than

anything I found breathing difficult while walking because I was

still very congested from the surgery and with my moth banded shut

tightly, getting oxygen in was a challenge. I did make sure to walk

around the house everyday and get some exercise. My OMS told me that

this was key to helping my swelling go down and also to getting the

steroids (evil substance that causes you to get the blues post-op

sometimes) out of my system. At two weeks post-op I went out to the

movies with two of my girlfriends and felt pretty good. AT 3 weeks

post-op i was on a plan flying home to Italy.

>

> * How long before you went back to work/school?

I was lucky in that my surgery took place right after I finished my

master degree so I was in between school and work and could afford to

take as much time off as I wanted. I would say though that had I had

to, at 2 weeks post op I would have been ready to go back to work or

school although I would have needed to take it easy for sure. I know

that at 2 weeks post-op I was starting to go stir-crazy for some more

activity that made me feel like I had a normal life again. The

trouble is that you still get tired very easily for a while post-

surgery so need to keep on reminding yourself to take it easy.

>

> * How much do you depend on others' help during recovery? (At home)

My mother was an absolute gem post-surgery and I would have never

done the surgery if she hadn't been around to assist me. For me it

wasn't so much having her take care of me but knowing that she was

around to dote on me and hug me when ever I felt like crying that

made me feel better. I certainly depended on her for making sure that

I ate that first week post-op because I totally lost my appetite. Had

I been on my own I think I would have starved myself for a few weeks

because food just seemed to much of a hassle. My mother instead made

sure that I ate as much as possible. I also depended on her for going

out and getting medicine refills from the pharmacy or for calling up

my doctors to schedule appointments. I did not feel up to doing this

for at least the first 10 days post-op partly because I felt very

week and partly because I was VERY conscious about how I sounded when

I spoke with the splint on. This said, I do know of people who have

gone through this whole post-op process without any assistance at

all. Hats of to them!

Post-surgery I really didn't watch TV that much. I found that it made

me get dizzy and headaches. Something about the moving images. Then

there's so darn food commercials which just made me go crazy because

there I was not hungry at all for the food I could eat but starving

for food I COULD NOT eat! Even cat food commercials got me

salivating. I tended to read more in the comfort of my own bed.

Reading tired me out more than usual but I preferred it to the TV. I

also spent A LOT of time on this support site posting to my surgery

buddies.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Sara

Surgery 6/6/05

Upper le forte/3 piece/palet expansion/2 upper bicuspids removed/genio

-- In orthognathicsurgerysupport , " memphis_tiff "

<tiffany@t...> wrote:

> Just curious about the experiences everyone had with the following

> recovery situations:

>

> * How long before you could talk?

>

> * How long before you could move about normally?

>

> * How long before you went back to work/school?

>

> * How much do you depend on others' help during recovery? (At home)

>

> I'm wondering because I tend to get very bored if not occupied, and

I

> didn't know if I might be able to do some things around the house

> during recovery or not. Nothing major, but maybe sit and look

through

> some boxes, light cleaning, etc. I'm sure I'll watch a lot of tv

and

> read if possible, but how many days of that I can edure, I'm not

sure.

>

> I assumed there'd be part of my recovery phase where I'm not feeling

> as bad as I'm looking bad, but I may be wrong.

>

> I have a lot of family and friends who have offered to help out, but

> I'm not sure how much I'll be needing them (or if my husband will

need

> their help.) I figured it'd mostly be rest and healing time, but my

> family is all mega worried about this...much more than I am, hehe.

>

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

Katja,

Thank you so much for your insight on this. I see my OS tomorrow for

my pre-op consultation, but I just want to be prepared with an idea of

how long things take for others. I'll be interested to see if he'll

tell me how long I'll be on liquids and soft foods, as the range on

here seems to be anywhere from 2 weeks each to 6 weeks each.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Wow! You were out for quite a

while. I'm hoping that 2-3 weeks will be enough for me, but only time

will tell.

Thank you,

[Guest guest]

Sara,

Hehe, I hadn't thought about food commercials. That is going to be a

very tough part of this whole process for me, because I am very much a

food lover. Hopefully this experience will lessen my appetite some,

because lately I've been majorly pigging out knowing that I'll be off

solid foods for a while.

And I'm glad you mentioned the steroids; I didn't know that so I'll be

sure to keep that in mind.

Thanks so much for your detailed reply!!

[Guest guest]

> * How long before you could talk?

I could talk immediately out of surgery. I could talk very well by

the next morning, so much so that I was making phone calls.

>

> * How long before you could move about normally?

I was up and about around the 2nd day post op, but not for very

long. When I came home (3rd day post op), I was going up and down

stairs. I drove my daughter to school and talked to the teachers 7

days post op, but then came home and took a nap...it was tiring.

>

> * How long before you went back to work/school?

I went back to work 2 weeks post op, on a modified schedule. I was

only able to do about 6 hours if I pushed myself. It was mostly

exhausing due to the lack of real food, I think. Plus, for about a

week or two, if I was upright and/or on my feet for more than 6

hours, my face literally started throbbing.

>

> * How much do you depend on others' help during recovery? (At home)

My husband was an absolute angel during my recovery. I don't think I

really depended on his help that much besides taking care of our

daughter (which would have been very difficult for me) and I really

needed his help doing the laundry because it's in the basement, I

wasn't supposed to do any heavy lifting. Also, I appreciated him

doing the dishes for the first few weeks. (we don't have a

dishwasher) Making meals is tiring enough, but having to do the

dishes afterwards is really tiring. I was pretty self sufficient as

soon as I got home though. I could take care of all of my own needs,

it just took longer to do things.

I also had family who were ready to jump in and help, but it turns

out, I didn't need any extra help at all. I actually had to tell my

mom *not* to come over because I would rather have time to rest and

be by myself while my daughter was at school. I told my family pre-

op that we would play it by ear, and if I needed them, either my

hubby or I would call.

Hope this helps a bit.

[Guest guest]

* How long before you could talk?

I was able to mumble the day I had surgery, but

for the first 2 weeks I had a splint in my mouth, so

only my parents could understand me because they were

with me all the time...and half the time, even they

could not understand me.

* How long before you could move about normally?

* How long before you went back to work/school?

* How much do you depend on others' help during

recovery? (At home)

--- memphis_tiff wrote:

> Just curious about the experiences everyone had with

> the following

> recovery situations:

>

> * How long before you could talk?

>

> * How long before you could move about normally?

>

> * How long before you went back to work/school?

>

> * How much do you depend on others' help during

> recovery? (At home)

>

> I'm wondering because I tend to get very bored if

> not occupied, and I

> didn't know if I might be able to do some things

> around the house

> during recovery or not. Nothing major, but maybe

> sit and look through

> some boxes, light cleaning, etc. I'm sure I'll

> watch a lot of tv and

> read if possible, but how many days of that I can

> edure, I'm not sure.

>

> I assumed there'd be part of my recovery phase where

> I'm not feeling

> as bad as I'm looking bad, but I may be wrong.

>

> I have a lot of family and friends who have offered

> to help out, but

> I'm not sure how much I'll be needing them (or if my

> husband will need

> their help.) I figured it'd mostly be rest and

> healing time, but my

> family is all mega worried about this...much more

> than I am, hehe.

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Sorry...I pushed the wrong button

* How long before you could talk?

I was able to mumble the day I had surgery, but

for the first 2 weeks I had a splint in my mouth, so

only my parents could understand me because they

were with me all the time...and half the time, even

they could not understand me.

* How long before you could move about normally?

I was really only able to get up out of my chair

to go to the bathroom and take a quick shower until

about day 8. On day 9 I was able to start eating with

a baby spoon, so I got some strenth back. That gave

me just enough energy to get up just a little bit

more. But it took me until at least week 2 to start

sitting at the computer to answer emails. It took me

3 and a half weeks before I could really get out of

the house on my own and go do things.

* How long before you went back to work/school?

I went back to work at week 4 (last Thursday),

and did what was supposed to be half days...I stayed

longer than I was supposed to. Yesterday was my first

day back at work full time, and I am pretty tired.

But I am only working 3 days this week. So I will get

some rest.

* How much do you depend on others' help during

recovery? (At home)

I was totally dependent on my mother for at

least 2 1/2 weeks. I really didn't have the energy or

strength to do ANYTHING, even walk to the kitchen to

get a drink. I was living on 1 gingerale a day for 8

days, I just couldn't get anything more down, so I was

really weak...I even almost fainted in the shower

twice. I COULD NOT have gotten through this without

my mother. Thankfully she does not work outside the

home, so she could rearrange her schedule to stay at

home with me at all times.

I hope this helps.

Austria

--- Austria wrote:

> * How long before you could talk?

> I was able to mumble the day I had surgery, but

> for the first 2 weeks I had a splint in my mouth, so

> only my parents could understand me because they

> were

> with me all the time...and half the time, even they

> could not understand me.

>

> * How long before you could move about normally?

>

>

> * How long before you went back to work/school?

>

> * How much do you depend on others' help during

> recovery? (At home)

>

> --- memphis_tiff wrote:

>

> > Just curious about the experiences everyone had

> with

> > the following

> > recovery situations:

> >

> > * How long before you could talk?

> >

> > * How long before you could move about normally?

> >

> > * How long before you went back to work/school?

> >

> > * How much do you depend on others' help during

> > recovery? (At home)

> >

> > I'm wondering because I tend to get very bored if

> > not occupied, and I

> > didn't know if I might be able to do some things

> > around the house

> > during recovery or not. Nothing major, but maybe

> > sit and look through

> > some boxes, light cleaning, etc. I'm sure I'll

> > watch a lot of tv and

> > read if possible, but how many days of that I can

> > edure, I'm not sure.

> >

> > I assumed there'd be part of my recovery phase

> where

> > I'm not feeling

> > as bad as I'm looking bad, but I may be wrong.

> >

> > I have a lot of family and friends who have

> offered

> > to help out, but

> > I'm not sure how much I'll be needing them (or if

> my

> > husband will need

> > their help.) I figured it'd mostly be rest and

> > healing time, but my

> > family is all mega worried about this...much more

> > than I am, hehe.

> >

> > Thanks!

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

,

Yes I was out for quite a while, but I think my surgeon wanted to play it safe.

And I didn't feel like going back to work for a few more weeks. I was on

crutches for 10 weeks which meant I was more than less dependant on my mother

for the whole time.

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Good luck at your appt. tomorrow ! We'll be waiting to hear how

it went for you and what he said. You're getting close!!!

Katja

> Katja,

>

> Thank you so much for your insight on this. I see my OS tomorrow for

> my pre-op consultation, but I just want to be prepared with an idea

of

> how long things take for others. I'll be interested to see if he'll

> tell me how long I'll be on liquids and soft foods, as the range on

> here seems to be anywhere from 2 weeks each to 6 weeks each.

>

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

,

That does help, thanks! I'm starting to think I won't be needing as

much help or as many visitors as everyone is volunteering to do, but I

don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, hehe.

I hadn't really thought about doing short days when I get back to

work. I'll remember that though when the time comes. I'm not

incredibly busy at work anyway, so partial days may work well for me

to not feel like I'm slacking off by not going in, but not feeling

like I have to jump right back in at 100%.

Thanks!