Shirley/Re: Shirley 6 week Post Op - Lefort 1, BSSO, Genio, and Turbinectomies

[Guest guest]

Hi Shirley,

It is so great to hear that things are improving for you. Wow,

finally able to chew again. I hope you ate some hamburger for me. I

seem to be going backwards because I was just banded on Thursday.

The bands are making it quite difficult to eat. I have a total of

four bands which are wrapped around 3 brackets on top and 3 on

bottom. They make little squares. Right now my jaw is trying to

relapse so we are hoping the bands will stop this. I also can feel

every bit of pressure from the bands because like you most of my

numbness is gone. This is one time I wish the numbness was back.

Please keep me posted on the results of your sleep apnea as soon as

you find anything out. I will be keeping my fingers crossed.

Anyway, I am going to hit my frig for my birthday cheesecake!

Yummy!! Talk to you soon!

--Caboose

> Hi all, I can chew again! I finally got the ok to chew again.

> I'm to start with soft foods and work up to harder foods over the

> next two weeks. But I am not to bite on things - no biting into a

> sandwich, pizza, etc. Apparently the biting down with front teeth

> causes more pressure on the joints and my OS does not want that

> pressure on the joints at present (left joint has degenerative

> changes & has TMD). I must say that chewing seems odd after 6

weeks

> and of course my teeth are in a position they never have been in.

> Also some of the teeth are still numb.

>

> I actually ate ¾ of a hamburger, albeit cut up in very small

> pieces and ate with fork. Since I can't bite into things yet I

> have to cut up items (or pull apart) and place in mouth. But, boy,

> did that hamburger taste good!

>

> My jaws open to about 30 mm, but pre-op was 43 mm. OS has now

> started me on the tongue depresser stretch exercise (adding an

> additional depresser every other week to stretch opening). I am to

> put them in mouth multiple times during day to stretch jaw muscles.

>

> I can start back to the WaterPik in about 10 days - the reason I

> have to wait 10 days is OS had to remove a stitch that wasn't

> falling out on its own. He wants to make sure that has healed

> before I start WaterPik. But ok to use electric toothbrush again.

> I had already been flossing since I can't use the WaterPik. I

> also have the ok to see my dental hygienist on Aug 18th for

cleaning.

>

> My numbness is about 90-95% gone. I still have some on rt lower

> upper and lower lip. Chin still has some numbness. Each day the

> numbness gets better and I can tell it's healing.

>

> After seeing OS & pulmonologist, I had another sleep study (my

> surgery was for sleep apnea) and I am still having some problems

> sleeping (probably not sleep apnea as the airway is now opened up

> from 9mm to about 19mm). I am now waiting to see the results of

> that study. My OS did say that it takes about 3 months for the

> throat, etc. to heal up from the surgery and he stills wants me to

> have another sleep study done at 3 mos.

>

> I'm still using a fair amount of wax. As the upper ties wires

> are still rubbing on my lips that are regaining their feeling.

Hope

> to have those off on my next OD appt. on Aug. 15th. Also mouth is

> still getting use to the teeth and brackets in farther forward and

> rub on mouth. I'm still having trouble with biting lower lip at

> night, so load up on wax there at night.

>

> Bands (one on each side) are still on except for eating and

cleaning

> teeth.

>

> I will be traveling the end of month and I was concerned about ear

> pressure when flying. OS said just to load up on anti-histamine

> before hand. I normally do that as I've always had trouble with

> left ear (may be related to that left jaw joint).

>

> All in all it's getting better. We just all have to remember it

> will get better, it just takes time.

>

> Shirley

> (Lefort 1 [upper jaw], BSSO [lower jaw], genio, and turbinectomies

> on 6/23/05).