- Pain: 3/10
- Inconvenience: 8/10
Holy *huge* lips!
Edit: I added a mugshot to show how excessively large my lips are today. Holy ****!
Edit: I also noticed that this blog is now the #2 hit if you search for “double jaw surgery” on Google. I’ll drink to that!
It’s been a full week since my surgery and things are looking up. My swelling has decreased dramatically. I can open and close my lips quite easily and I have feeling in my top lip again. The downside? That very lip is split wide open due to the swelling from the past few days (because I didn’t get Vaseline on it soon enough), so that’s the most painful part of my day right now.
My nose and chin keep getting itchy these days as well, so I scratch them in an attempt to remedy the sensation. That’s great and all, except they’re both still completely numb, so I can’t actually feel myself scratching them. Perpetual itch.
I went and saw my sister and her children yesterday for a few minutes. I find it amusing how adults can understand me, but the young ones just can’t wrap their minds around the fact that a person can talk without moving their mouth. The only acceptable explanation I’ve found so far has been to tell them my teeth are glued together. My sister also kindly reminded me that my puffy cheeks make me look like a cartoon character. Thank you for that.
I’ve stopped attempting to speak in words and started speaking in tones and murmurs. I’ve discovered that the mere inflection in my voice is enough for most people (sans children) to figure out what I’m saying. I really appreciate the people who listen to me, clearly don’t understand what I just tried to say, and then nod and say “yes, okay” as if they had heard me perfectly fine. I see right through your false responses!
Oh, and yesterday I had some tomato soup for lunch. What a welcome change! I also went for a little drive, but I was a little lightheaded during the trip because I was so hungry, so in hindsight, that may not have been the best idea.
I have my very first post-op appointment with my surgeon tomorrow morning. I’m hoping he’ll put looser elastics on so I can start eating a little bit more.
To sign off, I’ll leave you with a simple, yet profound revelation that struck me at about 11 o’clock last night. It goes something like this: codeine is straight from Heaven itself. Seriously.
May 26, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Thank god for this site, it’s good to know in not alone.
I’m 2 days post op, and am utterely miserable.
In sore and hungry, and miss my kids desperately.
Typically it’s the hottest weekend for the UK, and everyone is out there eating delicious BBQ food .. Hoping for a better day tomorrow 🙁
May 24, 2012 at 11:41 am
Hi Ray,
I never experienced any pain around my ears. The extent of my pain was due to spasms in my jaw. Once in a while, my jaw would randomly try to open, thereby stretching all of the muscles. It was very uncomfortable.
If the pain persists for more than a week, I’d ask your surgeon about it. Usually these things go away in due time, but pain can also be related to a reaction to the hardware used to bolt your jaw back together.
May 24, 2012 at 1:43 am
Thanks for the reply Graham. Not blowing my nose is such a hard thing right now because im from UK and its very common to have “hayfever” allergies to pollen lol. Trying my best to just breathe through my mouth, yesterday I saw my surgeon for the first time and he told me I had both my wisdom tooth out. I didnt realise they were gone lol, I saw the xrays with the screws and plates it seems that I needed a longer screw cause my jaws were thicker. Anyways he mentioned I would need elastics when I next see my orthodontist which is in 2 weeks time. So im dreading about having elastics on!! from what i’ve read about online and blogs its uncomfortable. My swelling has gone down quite a big, my lips dont looks so big anymore.
Did you get much pain around one side of your ears? I seem to get slight headaches back of my head and around my ears… not sure if its the side effect after jaw surgery.
Ray
May 23, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Hi Ray,
That’s unfortunate that you had to play the vomiting game so early on. It’s not uncommon, but certainly frustrating.
As for blood in the nose, I had to deal with that issue for about the first month. It’s largely related to the swelling, but I assure you it will go away. Just be gentle and make sure you don’t blow your nose until your surgeon gives you permission to do so.
There shouldn’t be any hardware in your neck, so you needn’t worry about moving it around. As with everything else, just be gentle and cautious with all movements related to your head for the first few weeks.
Good luck with the next bout of recovery!
May 21, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Hey Graham
Thanks for the great site! I am coming towards my 7th day of having corrective jaw surgery on both my jaws. First few days were immense, I threw up after surgery after a couple of hours in oxygen mask, due to the nurse using a suction in my mouth and managing to poke back of my tongue, and threw up quite a bit of blood, which made me feel much better! I was in hospital for 2 days only able to drink like 5 cups of water. They were unwilling to release me until they saw me eating but i didnt have much of an appetite, so i had to have some weetabix and milk…. but they gave me MASH AND GRAVY first and it was not good at all!! so i requested weetabix and milk, that took a while to eat since i couldnt even swallow properly cuz it felt like my tongue was swollen. My entire face was swollen, no feein on cheeks, lips nor tongue for the first couple of days. Feelin in my tongue has gradually come bk with tingly sensation. But anyways, reading some comments on here inspired me this week to make a Feast of Mash potatoes (extra butter and milk), mashed carrots, Fry off some pork sausages, get rid of the skin and blitz the meat and then put the meat into the gravy, oven some stuffing with extra butter… a lot of gravy and wollla a tasty meal i hope :D. I manage to lose around 9lbs in 6 days, but hopin to gain some strength and weight in the following weeks. I have a question Graham, When did ur nose bleed stop? cuz i still have the odd few second nose bleed when i tilt my head forward or in the mornings. Also when did u start stretching your neck? cuz im afraid of clicking my neck.
Thanks for your time
May 11, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Changing your name for the sake of speech. That’s being resourceful!
I personally stopped taking pain medication once my initial prescriptions ran out, but you’ll have to decide for yourself. Most people can handle it by the time their prescriptions are dry.
May 11, 2012 at 1:25 pm
I was wondering when others stopped taking pain meds entirely? My tylenol with codeine is running a little low, which makes me nervous, so I hope that I can get by on children’s ibuprofen when it’s gone.
RA, I love your comment. b’s and p’s are the worst… I still can’t do them and am trying to avoid even saying them since people can’t understand me 🙁 Today a salesperson asked for my name to hold some shoes, so I told her Amy.
May 6, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Kamille, that was an incredibly entertaining “hello” you posted. Your line about the entire facial rearrangement is pretty accurate, isn’t it?
One thing I will say is this: You’re halfway through the most frustrating part of the recovery. The first two weeks is brutally annoying, but life gets a lot better following that period. You’re almost at the good part! =)
May 6, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Love this blog. I’ll be 7 days post op tomorrow. Did double jaw surgery, and some extensive reconstructive work to fix my cheeks, chin and forehead. I can’t feel anything right now. They basically removed my face, bashed it in with a sledge hammer, and smoothed it all back up again. The swelling feels like botox gone bad but I can finally breathe again…was delighted to discover that standing in a hot shower to get the blood out of my hair was perfect therapy for dislodging ginormous boogers that made it impossible to breathe. And now I’m blogging about boogers. Classy! Thanks for all of the details. Gives me hope to know that this too shall pass!
April 28, 2012 at 8:35 pm
Thanks. 🙂
I’ve ended up just taking Tylenol and it has worked pretty well so far. I’m on day 6 now, and I should be able to take Ibuprofen pretty soon here.
I’m excited to be able to articulate ‘b’s and ‘p’s again!
April 17, 2012 at 5:08 pm
RA, I’m confident your surgeon will be able to prescribe a painkiller that works for you. Codeine is not the only solution available. You’ll do great! =)
April 17, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Oh man, too bad I’m allergic to Codeine. I’m getting double jaw surgery on Monday, and could use a miracle.
December 15, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Becca, you sound like somebody I want to meet one day. Your stories trump my own in ways I can’t even begin to measure.
All I have to say is that I give you mad props for being cool after all that you’ve been through. Life is… interesting sometimes. But I suppose it’s experiences like these that really bring out the amazing side of people.
I guess we’re all on the amateur side of this facial reconstruction gig, eh? =)
December 14, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Well… Speaking from experience.. I was hit head on by a drunk driver in 98′, and broke my jaw in 3 places, in addition to 170 facial fractures (resulting in 20 hours of surgery over a year, and 83 plates and screws still in place today) AND, two shattered wrists, and oh yeah, my back broken in three places! SO.. It does get better.. Eventually.. TAKE IT SLOW! Drink a LOT of water, especially with Codeine. I can actually say however, Vicodin works MUCH better! Over the years, I have had to go back in, and under several times.. Man.. Jaw surgery just plain sucks. I got REALLY tired of trying to be creative with mushy food. Not only that, but trying to cram it in my mouth in between my upper and lower teeth which were wired shut with a baby food spoon! DAMN,, Those were the days. To top it ALL off, I had to undergo complete Edentulation ( the removal of ALL teeth to make way for dentures) (And, no, I am not 90, I am only 44) in 2007. Man.. That Sucked Ass! Now, I am preparing for a bone graft for my upper jaw, as the bone has receded so much, I need posts to hold in the damn teeth! BUT.. hey, at least I have been eating solid foods since 07!! Anyway.. If you need help.. or advice.. Take it from me.. I am a PRO at this!! Becca
August 27, 2011 at 1:01 am
Hehe, your “nose gunk.” You have quite a way with words, my friend.
Embrace the Ensure diet! 😛
August 24, 2011 at 9:44 pm
Day 7 is today for me, first post-op appt tomorrow, so excited to have my nose gunk cleaned out…lost 10 pounds already but I feel it’s evening out now as I’m starting to get adjusted and be experimental with my diet. Can’t handle drinking Ensure every meal!
August 18, 2011 at 11:53 am
Nice to meet you, Tatjana! I know exactly what you mean when you mention things such as “my was was exploding” or “I sound like a deaf person.” When you think about it, the recovery effects are really quite minor for an operation of this caliber.
Keep staying positive and welcome to the club!
August 18, 2011 at 9:13 am
Hi Graham!
First I want to thank you for the time taken to maintain such a great blog! I have just got my double jaw surgery done on 8/11 in Atlanta GA and today is my official 1 week anniversary (if you count the surgery day)! I had the most wonderful surgeon and his team performing the surgery – everything went well. I’ve been reading your blog since I’ve got my surgery date “on paper” – May of this year. Your blog made me feel about the whole procedure like an interesting adventure and that you still can enjoy your life even though you are in a process of recovery after a major surgery, so thank you, again! My recovery is going well now – I had a couple of horrible days when I got back home from the hospital – I couldn’t hold anything in my stomach – meds, water, etc… and on top of it I had a splitting headache, my nose was stuffed up, and my face was exploding (you know what I mean). It was not fun at all. My mouth is not wired shut but I have a splint wired to my upper jaw that will stay there for another 3 weeks, after that I am not sure what the doctor will suggest, I will find out tomorrow. As far as right now I don’t have any pain but a very excessive drooling and if I try to talk I sound like a deaf person, and my face is swollen, of course. Anyway, I thought I would post some comments to thank you and to let you all know you have another member of your “jaw surgery club”.
August 18, 2011 at 8:16 am
Hi Rachel! Isn’t the weight loss crazy? Every time someone asks me how to lose a bit of weight, I just simply tell them to sign up for jaw surgery. 🙂
August 17, 2011 at 5:36 pm
I will be a week out tomorrow! My swelling has gone down a lot but my lips as you mentioned are massive. You mentioned about your extreme weight loss. I’m in the same boat. I lost 13 pounds in 5 days. Im small(5’3 107lbs) so 13 is A Lot for me. I don’t have a splint but my teeth are still completely shut. Hopefully I’ll be drinking from a straw soon!