- Pain: 2/10
- Inconvenience: 7/10
No matter what angle I take photos from, my lips dominate.
You can take your first gander at my swollen, unshaven side profile. Granted, my lips are huge and my cheeks are a little chubby, but you can clearly see that my lower jaw is set in behind my upper jaw.
I started blending Chunky soup yesterday. What a nice change of flavor from the tomato and cream of mushroom classics! It looked delicious before I threw it all in the blender–the noodles, the carrots, the little pieces of chicken, the peas. After blending, it resembled a glass of sandy, yellow… nevermind. It was a little too thick by itself, but after adding a cup of milk and mixing it all up, the blended mash seemed to go down alright. I’m going to try the beef alternative tomorrow. Might I add that I am still losing weight? I’m down a grande total of 26 pounds now.
I took the dog for a 1-hour walk with my parents yesterday to take advantage of the glorious weather. I must say, by the time we arrived back at home, I was absolutely exhausted. The road back to being fit and in shape is definitely going to be a long and tedious one. I hope I can make it through a full day of work. I haven’t had to apply myself physically or mentally for more than an hour or 2 since I had the operation.
Once again, I absolutely cannot wait to eat solid foods again! I think I may spend all my savings on eating out for a few months straight once I’m able.
I leave you with 1 piece of simple advice. If you are on the road to undergoing this type of surgery, remember to drink prune juice right from day 1. ‘Nuff said.
July 1, 2013 at 1:56 pm
Graham I am currently on Day 6 of the exact same surgery that you’ve had, I thought I had been getting on quite well myself but when I read about you driving and that I don’t know how you’ve done it, my sister took me out for a drive today and it left me feeling completely shattered, big time realising now about the prune juice! Your blog is a joy to read and it’s great to compare little notes in my own head as I go along, hope all is well with you now:)
July 2, 2013 at 9:41 am
Karen, I’ll admit I was fairly lightheaded when I drove for the first time after surgery, so I wouldn’t recommend it. However, you’ll feel much better on your feet by this time next week. Stay strong!
May 8, 2013 at 3:27 am
I am on my 12th day post op from double jaw surgery! I got my elastics off because they broke my braces during the surgery. I have delightful screws sticking out my jaw but thats beside the point! I get them back next week though, woo. :{
I’ve found I’m able to just, swallow tiny little bits of pasta whole. its kinda nice.. What I wanted to ask is, did you find your throat was sore? Like it hurts to swallow certain foods?
Also, I feel like my jaw is being pulled in weird directions because its aching and I’m not sure where to … put it?
May 8, 2013 at 10:15 am
Kassie, everything you’re experiencing sounds perfectly normal. I recall having a sore throat for quite a while at first for many reasons, some of which being trauma from the operation and having to swallow foods whole. Your jaw will feel like it’s being stretched in multiple directions for the first month or so as well simply because the bone is fusing back together, so it literally is being pulled a bit. You can rest confident that you’re healing in normal fashion! =)
March 27, 2013 at 10:01 pm
Lol I know.. I want the surgery yesterday already! 😀
Yup, pear juice, kiwifruit crush (not sure if you guys have that? I’m originally from New Zealand) or a tablespoon of epsom salt dissolved in a glass of water (add LOTS of juice or cordial concentrate otherwise its foul). Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) should work within an hour… If not.. try another tablespoon but no more than two per day. Just tips for others about to be using narcotics 🙂
March 27, 2013 at 1:19 am
Hi! Great blog! I’ve only just had my braces put on so surgery is another 18 months away but I’m one of those people who likes to know lots in advance what’s to come lol :D. Ill be having my upper jaw shortened (to get rid of gummy smile at sides) and my lower jaw will be lengthened and widened :s. will also have a deviated septum fixed at the same time. I’m in Australia and I’ve been told that they like to keep you in hospital for at least 3 days here but probably more 5 days.. Thankfully we run our own business from home (I’m the office biartch lol) so won’t have to worry about when to go back to work. Considering starting a blog about my progress etc (you’re so inspiring!). Ps…. Pear juice works WAAaAAAAy better than prune juice 😀
March 27, 2013 at 11:31 am
Leebie, if you’re doing your homework this early, you’ll be incredibly well-prepared by the time surgery rolls around! And I’ve never heard of using pear juice for that purpose… interesting! =)
September 9, 2012 at 1:06 pm
In addition to, or instead of, prune juice, one cup of orange juice mixed with two tablespoons of olive oil does the trick, too… in less than two hours! And trust me, when you mix the two together, you only taste the OJ. It goes down easy. 🙂
September 10, 2012 at 3:36 pm
I’ve never heard of that combo, Kevin. Sounds like a rapid solution, haha!
July 4, 2012 at 7:32 pm
Yeah. It was pretty amazing. I just had small chopped ceviche and guacamole. Haha. It’s pretty rough but it’s better than nothing.
July 4, 2012 at 1:40 pm
I am on day 12 and I’m swallowing barbecue, small “bites” though. i have “eaten” hot and sour soup, lightly pureed. this must have sucked for you.
July 4, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Cole, it was indeed frustrating, but it’s all behind me now. I’m glad you’re able to enjoy food more than I was at this point. The flavor of barbecue must be amazing for you right now!
June 14, 2012 at 4:08 pm
Hi Kari,
I wasn’t able to smile comfortably for about 3 weeks. I had to deal with dry lips and painful smiles until that point.
June 14, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Graham,
I am on day 12 and my swelling has gone down incredibly, but smiling is still a painful task. How long did it take for you to put a painless smile on?
February 26, 2012 at 9:51 pm
It sounds like prune juice should be outright prescribed for some of these surgeries!
February 25, 2012 at 10:49 pm
I hear ya on the prune juice thing.. I had brain surgery about 2 1/2 years ago, lost 40 pounds and had major issues with my intestines because of the pain medication. I will keep this in mind when I go in for my jaw surgery this summer… I do NOT want to go through that all over again!
May 8, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Kate, my friend! Hello!
I always smile when I hear stories from other people who are going through this same ordeal. 🙂 Glad ya said hi!
Your surgery sounds pretty intense, what with the chin job and all. These operations are so close to plastic surgery, it’s not even funny, heh?
I’ll tell ya what though: no matter what you do, time is the best healer for this thing. I mean, drink lots of milk (if you can), cuz calcium is amazing for your bones, and drink lots of water to keep yourself hydrated, and eat as much as you can because a healing body will burn through a lot of energy, but really, at the end of the day, each week will simply be better than the last.
You’re able to eat a lot sooner than me (I’m going on 8 weeks with this terrible liquid diet now), so you’ll probably heal a lot more quickly.
I wish you all the best, and let me know how you’re feeling as the days pass!
May 8, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Hi, I came across your blog last night and read the whole thing. It’s day 12 for me. (I had an open bite/over bite and had a lefort osteotomy on my upper jaw, a sagital split on my lower jaw, and a functional genioplasty (i.e. a chin job!))
I was really impressed you were able to go back to work after 2 weeks. I start work at 4 weeks, and I’m still worried. Also, I am struck by the difference in how our surgeons approach healing. (I am in Halifax, Nova Scotia.) Anyway, the amount of calories you take in daily is staggering. I use boost to blend a smoothie with added protein powder/egg whites/peanut butter and still don’t think I exceed 1500 cal a day.
I had my elastics changed for ones I can take off to eat on Thursday. I’m not supposed to gently chew soft foot until Monday. But I am relearning to open my jaw, and have blended some fantastic soups that I can spoon in. But each day I’m able to walk a bit further and do a bit more.
Anyway, I figured that since I’d read your whole story I should leave you a note. Good luck with everything!
p.s. When will my face stop looking ridiculously fat?!