To Connie-Re: Katja on recovery and eating

[Guest guest]

Hi Connie,

I'm glad everything turned out fine regarding that hole in your gums.

I am sure you are relieved! I would be... I am waiting to feel

relieved after visiting my ortho and making him do something to start

fixing this canted bite. (Can you tell how much it's bothering me?! I

think I mention it in every post to you!) Yes, a canted bite is when

you aren't biting level... if you took a leveler to your mouth, you

are biting at a slight angle, or as you said, your bite is tipped. I

am hoping that it is totally resolvable... my OS said ortho would be

able to fix it. My teeth need to be moved in some other ways and this

has happened as a result- a " side effect " of sorts. They just move

very easily it seems. Then I can start causing myself to really panic

if I start thinking that maybe all my roots are resorbing and then my

teeth move too easily and will soon fall out. It's a rabbit hole that

I am clinging to the edge of trying to keep myself from falling down

it into full blown panic. Then I start thinking about maybe I did

something wrong during my recovery, but I was just following

instructions... It's all I've been able to do to keep myself from

calling my ortho office and making him see me early just to resolve

my fears. In fact as I'm writing this, I'm considering calling...

we'll I'll let you know what happens with it. sigh.

I'm glad that you avoided the upper surgery and that ortho will be

able to correct the problem, HOWEVER, that is totally rotten that you

will be in your splint for SO long! I'm sorry, I know how frustrating

the damn thing is! BUT, it in the long run it is totally worth it and

you'll be glad for it. (Hard to believe or imagine NOW, I know! )

I was released to start to try eating very mushy food about two weeks

before my splint came off at 6wks post-op. When I first tried, I

just couldn't do it. It was so frustrating. MY lower teeth didn't fit

into the splint. They shifted right after the surgery (remember,

ultra easily moveable)and didn't fit into it. I made my surgeon

check, but he said the jaw bone was where they needed to be, so not

to worry about the splint fitting, but now of course that I am

doubting everything.... we'll see. Anyway, (sorry I am so preoccupied

with that!) My lower teeth were just banging against the splint which

made trying to eat very awkward. I also had a LOT of numbness at that

point which made it difficult to feel where the food even was in my

mouth or to manipulate it in my mouth to chew it. So I gave up for

the time being and went back to my then " normal " diet. By the time I

was due to have the splint removed two weeks later, however, I had

improved so much in that time that I was ready to start trying to

chew... and I was able to chew soft things with it. Chewing with the

splint definitely for me felt like basically mashing food up against

it. (I found starting to chew when the splint was removed to also be

very frustrating and you just have to stick with it). Your muscles

may be weak as well.. they are going through the healing process of

reattaching and strengthening too. The size of my opening closed up

dramatically before it started to reopen. I would start with putting

only very narrow pieces/sections... whatever you want to call them...

of food into my mouth just to fit it in. My muscles were never

terribly weak in my opinion, but I am a grinder/clencher that started

back in 2 weeks post-op which KILLED. (I would wake up dying in pain

that I was causing myself. I'm sure THAT helped my upper jaw to heal

smoothly.... In fact the splint rubbing on one of my teeth from the

clenching in 6 weeks wore it right down.... a lower k-9 is now Flat!

Another thing I feel truly thrilled about. I am actually wondering if

my dentist could do something to fix it.) Anyway, I basically found

that the level of softness of food I was given permission to try to

eat really complemented where I was in my healing process and what I

physically felt able to eat and manage. On a mental level it is

frustrating because you are so ready to begin eating normally again,

but when the food is in your mouth and you figure out what you can

actually handle, the softness is ok. Slowly, as you get better and

stronger, you introduce foods that match your ability to handle them.

Besides, you've been away from eating anything for so long that

psychologically eating and chewing anything is a thrill!! It is

slow and steady progress. Your mouth really guides you. Don't be too

disappointed! Everything will happen in good time and you'll

eventually forget that you ever worried about this now. As far as

exercising my mouth... I let my mouth be my guide and it communicated

to me what was enough, when it was ready for more, etc. I consider

eating physical therapy for the mouth- biting, chewing, opening up to

take bites, etc. All of the basically automatically retrains your

mouth along the way. YOur opening will be fine, so don't worry!

Just be patient and try not to be as stressed about it as I

was/am!! I hope you are getting to enjoy those foods before you

know it! Keep dreaming of them, because that will sustain you.

French fries are one of the first things I started eating and

chewing MMM mmm so salty and good! Don't worry, that will be very

soon! Brownies are also wonderful!

It sounds like we're half a year apart in age... I was 26 on the 24th

of March, which was 2 1/2 weeks after my surgery. I think it would be

a very nice 1 year surgery anniversary present to get my braces off,

don't you think so?!? and Happy Early Birthday to you, Connie!

When is that reunion?? That would be a nice thought. Do you have any

idea how much longer you'll be wearing the braces??

Ok, I hope I haven't given you a headache with this long meandering

complaining panicky email!! I will let you know what my ortho says

about the canted bite.... And ENJOY that watermelon! Have a great

holiday weekend with your family.

Talk to you soon,

Katja

> Hi Katja,

>

> Sorry it took a little while to get back to you. I went to the OS

> on Friday and told him about my strange hole. At first glance he

> seemed to think it looked strange. It took him and the nurse two

> mirrors and about a minute to get a good look and he seemed to

think

> everything looked okay. I think my splint may be a little tweaked

> and it caused my teeth to shift. So I'm relieved.

>

> When you say your teeth are canted, does that mean they're tipped

up

> more on one side? My OS chose not to do upper, lower only, even

> though my upper jaw was slightly uneven. He said the OD could use

> bands after surgery to pull the few molars that were up, back down

> into place. Bacause of this, I learned on Friday I will have to

> keep my splint on until 8 weeks postop. After this he will remove

> it, shave off the portion where my molars are, put it back on and

> then the OD will pull my molars into position before my splint

comes

> off for good. So we're looking at the beginning of October or

later

> before my splint comes off. Bummer!

>

> You mentioned that you had your splint on for a while after you

were

> released to eat. Were you able to actually chew anything? I ask

> because out of pity for me, my OS told me I could eat watermelon

> only this week, no other chewing until Friday. I tried and

couldn't

> seem to break the food up enough. I don't know if it was trying to

> smash food up against the splint, or possibly maybe my jaw muscles

> are to weak? Also, my mouth opens only a tiny bit, 8mm. I don't

> get to start exercising it until Friday also, my 6 week point. I'd

> love to hear if you had the same problem because I'm pretty

> depressed about the whole eating thing. Here I am, counting down

> the days to week 6, then I find out I probably still will only be

> able to eat mushy food.

>

> Speaking of food, I do dream about it. I dream about cheating and

> going to Mc's and eating fries, salty fries with ranch. I

> haven't cheated though. What I really crave though is Olive

> Garden. I am a huge salad fanatic, and not eating salad in the

> summer has been killing me. I love bread too, so I would be happy

> with just bread and water and salad. But let's not forget about

the

> pasta. Also, I miss Thai food. I'm allergic to peanut oils, and

so

> Thai is the only oriental food I can safely eat. My sister lives

> about an hour and a half away from me, and has a Thai restaurant in

> her town that is to die for! I'm thinking of visiting her in a

> couple of weeks and getting the food to go. That way, if I'm still

> a slob when I eat, I can have the food I want and not embarrass my

> family.

>

> You mentioned that you are hoping to have your braces off before

> your 27th birthday. I hear you. My goal all along has been to

have

> them off before a possible reunion (although I wouldn't go, but

> still a nice thought). So, by you saying that I'm guessing we're

> pretty close in age. I'll be 26 on Sept. 27th. When's your B Day?

>

> Well, I'm sure your poor eyes are aching from this long message.

> I'll talk to you soon.

>

> Connie