Recovery Timeline
Following is a brief timeline of important events regarding recovery from double jaw surgery. If you only had a single jaw operated on, your recovery will be much quicker than this.
Keep in mind that every person recovers at a different pace, and also that every surgeon has their own agenda during the recovery process. This is simply the sequence of important events that took place during my personal recovery.
Day 0 (Surgery)
- You’ll be eating/drinking through a syringe
- You’ll be unable to sleep very much
- You may be freezing all night long due to the ice packs wrapped around your face
- You’ll feel extremely weak
- You won’t be able to talk
- You will drool constantly (but you’ll have the suction tube in the hospital to take care of that)
- Lots of blood will be churning up inside your nose, mouth and throat
- Your jaw will randomly spasm (and it will be painful)
Day 1
- Swelling will begin
Day 3
- Swelling will peak
- Your bowels will start working again around this time
Day 5
- Feeling will begin to return to parts of your face
- Swelling will start to decrease
Day 7 (1 week)
- You’ll be able to move your mouth a bit easier, so your talking will become more understandable
- At your 1-week appointment, you’ll be able to brush your teeth, both inside and out (and it will feel amazing)
Day 10
- Drooling won’t be as rampant any longer
- You’ll regain slight control over your lips
Day 14 (2 weeks)
- Most of the swelling will be gone
- You’ll be able to start drinking from a cup (although it may be messy at first)
- You can probably remove a few of the elastics clamping your teeth together, so talking will become infinitely more simple
- Sleeping through the night should no longer be a problem
Day 15
- Your elastics will start snapping daily, due to your rapid increase in speaking
Day 18
- Your breath will become bearable again, due to the fact that you’ve been eating different foods and brushing more often
Day 21 (3 weeks)
- Your energy will start to come back. Take advantage of it! Go for walks and take your bike out for a spin.
Day 22
- You’ll be receiving substantial feeling back in your upper lip and cheeks. Your nose, lower lip and chin, however, will remain completely numb.
Day 28 (4 weeks)
- Talking will hardly be an issue any longer. If you have a splint/bite plate in, you’ll sound ridiculous, but people will be able to understand you.
- Your desire to be social and spend time with people will return in full force. Make sure you take advantage of it, and remember that your friends are not judging you.
Day 29
- Feeling will begin to return to your lower lip and chin. That feeling will come in the form of pins and needles, but you’ll appreciate it regardless. If no feeling has returned to these parts yet, don’t worry. Surgeons say that it make take up to 90 days for feeling to begin coming back.
Day 31 (1 month)
- If your elastics are off, you’ll be able to speak quite well by now
- You won’t drool or spill any longer while eating
Day 32
- You’ll have most of your normal energy back by now
- You’ll begin to feel like you’re ready to take life on again. Be warned though: you’re not quite there yet. Give it another month before you go crazy.
Day 38
- More patches of feeling will return to your chin and lower lip
- You should no longer have to wear elastics during the day
Day 42 (6 weeks)
- You should be able to drink through a straw quite easily by now
Day 45
- Most of your stitches should have dissolved by now
Day 49 (7 weeks)
- If you had a splint in, it should definitely be removed by now
- Be prepared to readjust back into the world of orthodontics
Day 56 (8 weeks)
- You should be able to eat with a small spoon or fork again
- Licking your lips should be no problem at this point
Day 58
- You’ll most likely be allowed to blow your nose again. Be gentle, though, because you don’t want to pop a blood vessel.
Day 70 (10 weeks)
- If you haven’t been able to eat solid food yet, start now. Even if the task of eating involves mashing soft food up against the roof of your mouth, do it anyway. You’ll never gain your strength back on liquid alone.
Day 84 (12 weeks)
- You should enjoy the freedom of eating just about anything you want by now
- Consider practising whistling in order to break up the scar tissue that’s sure to be keeping your upper lip from enjoying its full range of motion
Day 90 (3 months)
- Your three months have finally come to an end! Enjoy eating, breathing and smiling to their full effect.
- Changes will be fairly slow from this point forward. The results you find yourself with at the 6-month mark will most likely be the results you’ll live with for the rest of your life.
April 13, 2016 at 4:36 pm
It’s been awhile that I have been on here but I have a questions I am almost 3 months post op and every night I am running fever. Is this normal? I have no energy all the sudden.
April 15, 2016 at 11:57 pm
No that is not normal, you should see a doctor.
May 11, 2016 at 4:52 am
Stephane, as Bri mentioned, there should not be any ties between this surgery and a chronic fever, especially after a full 3 months have passed. Hopefully you were able to solve this by now!
April 12, 2016 at 10:37 am
So I will finally be getting this splint out of my mouth on April 27th.. that means I will have had a splint in my mouth for 10 weeks! That’s a long time and I can’t wait to get it out.
I do have a question.. The doctor said it’s normal but when are you able to open your jaw/mouth wider? I can’t open my mouth very wide right now – still using a kid’s tooth brush and eating small bites.
Also my face is still numb in places.. My upper lip is still quite number.. I’m still puffy around my eyes/cheeks.. Half of my chin and half of my nose are also still numb.. I know it could take a total of 6 months so I’m sure it’s all normal but wondering when the numbness disappeared for those of you who are in longer recovery than me. I’m on 8 weeks since my first surgery and 6 weeks since my second.. crazy how time flies but I feel things won’t be back to “normal” until the splint comes out and then I can hopefully go back to eating foods I haven’t eaten in weeks! I know I will have to be careful since my jaw is still healing but what foods did you eat when your splint came out (if you had one)?
April 12, 2016 at 10:38 am
I meant to write numb and not number. My bad.
April 12, 2016 at 11:35 am
you have to use your fingers to open your mouth
in sort of a pumping action
put both index fingers on top jaw and both middle fingers on lower jaw and then gently apply pressure and release it will hurt a little but dont over do it i say about ervals
April 12, 2016 at 11:41 am
im at 9 weeks and at first i couldnt even put a toothbrush in
May 11, 2016 at 4:36 am
Jenny, most people don’t receive their full range of motion back until 4 or 5 months have gone by. However, now that you’re eating solid food, you should notice a lot more progress in that area.
As for what to eat after your splint is removed, I found my jaw was still quite weak, so I started out with pasta, mashed potatoes, and soups and worked my way up from there. Remember to let your pain be your guide. If it hurts to chew something, it’s probably a bit too hard to eat at this point. 😊
April 11, 2016 at 4:21 am
I had an upper surgery done I am 3 weeks post up and I feel normal so I decided to get back to normal activity and eating solid food and I have no pain at all. The doctor told me not to chew until 8 weeks from surgery.. But I decided to do it anyways I don’t recommend this to anyone I think I just healed fast. Thought it would be nice to share my story.
April 12, 2016 at 10:40 am
wow. you’re lucky you can go back to eating normal. I suppose everyone’s healing process is different. I won’t be able to go back to normal eating for another 2 weeks (10 weeks total).
April 10, 2016 at 7:33 pm
im 8 weeks in and all i want is to eat solind foods again smh, also very hard getting my mouth to open wide i have to pry it open every couple of seconds before putting my elastics on,
also some pan coming from the elastics pulling my teeth
April 10, 2016 at 9:13 pm
Hi Robert, this all sounds quite normal at the 8-week mark. I know it can be frustrating, but the pain from the elastics should go away within the next couple of weeks and you should notice a lot of strength and movement returning to your jaw. You should be able to start eating soft foods at this point (eg. mashed potatoes, noodles, etc.). Hope you heal up quickly from this point forward! 😊
April 12, 2016 at 11:35 am
yes thanks but what about opening my mouth wider how was that for you
April 12, 2016 at 11:38 am
i could put my index finger in my mouth and thhat took like 2 weeks, but my orthodontist told me in the next 3 weeks to be able to put 3 fingers in my mouth =(
May 11, 2016 at 4:37 am
Robert, apologies for the slow response. I’ve been traveling and did not have access to wifi over the past month. Is the movement in your jaw returning yet?
April 8, 2016 at 5:45 pm
I’m just short of 5 weeks post op double jaw surgery and now I only have to wear elastics at the back of my teeth to bring my back teeth together more but I was wondering how long was it until you found you were able to smile properly because when I try now it looks so unatural but I can smile without showing my teeth perfectly. Thanks
April 9, 2016 at 3:54 am
Hi Danielle, the appearance of your smile will be closely tied to the amount of swelling you have, so it’s very common for your face to look lopsided until the full 3 months have gone by. I know this can be frustrating, but remember that it’s only temporary and that your swelling will go away. Hang in there! 😊
April 10, 2016 at 7:30 pm
im 8 weeks in and still look un natural its just the muscles in your face you have to gain feeling in and excercise
April 4, 2016 at 6:14 pm
hello. My name is Tim. Its been 3 months since ive had left jaw fracture surgery. I can open my mouth wide, eat normal Foods, and smile and not experiencing pain. But my concern is my left side of my face, my cheek, and under my lip are still puffy and a little swole. Also my jaw bone tends to stick out a little bit, different than my other one. There’s no pain in my jaw tho. but I was wondering is, is this normal at this stage or is this a lifetime problem ? what should I get done? This site has been so helpful. I appreciate it, and I hope somebody can answer these questions for me please. Thank you And I wish everybody the best that’s going through this at this point in time
April 4, 2016 at 10:38 pm
3 months is still fairly early in your recovery so I wouldn’t worry too much, I my personal expirienxe at about 3 months I still has a bit of numbness/puffiness in my upper lip and it was quite frustrating, but I woke up one day and it was just gone. Everybody recovers at slightly different paces. The main thing is it should only get better I would only be concerned if it started to worsen, otherwise I’m sure your jaw should be healing nicely.
April 4, 2016 at 10:45 pm
Thank you natalie for the reply.
April 4, 2016 at 10:40 pm
Hi Tim, it’s good to hear that you’re able to eat normal foods and smile again! It’s normal to have residual swelling at this point and that should go away over the next month or so. If the swelling does not seem to be going away, however, it could be a reaction to the screws or plates in your jaw, in which case you should call your surgeon to ask for their advice. I believe this situation usually involves pain, though, so it doesn’t sound like you have the symptoms for this.
As for your jaw bone sticking out, it’s difficult to understand what you mean without seeing a photo. I would take a look at your final x-rays and, if something looks fishy or out of place, give your surgeon a call to ask them about that as well. Hope this helps somewhat! 😊
April 4, 2016 at 10:47 pm
Thank you graham. Its sticking out more than the right side. I just wanted to know if it was permanent. Appreciate the reply. That helped
April 4, 2016 at 12:51 pm
Hi, not sure if anyone has advice I’m 10months post surgery (double jaw), my recovery went much quicker than I imagined to the point I got my braces off just 6 weeks after surgery, hardly any bruising, pain or swelling, however 10 months on and my jaw has started to click it’s quite painful. I don’t really want to go back to the surgeon looking like a hypochondriac, has anyone else dealt with this, or any advice?
Thank you
April 4, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Hi,
I had that athe abouthe two months post surgery, like a clicking sound on my ride side of my jaw and after that it would hurt. I called my surgeon and asked about it he said that it’s normal. I went for two check ups after that and everything is fine. I would suggest you just call your surgeon and ask, no harm to make sure.
April 3, 2016 at 7:31 pm
Tomorrow will be 7 weeks and Tuesday is 5 weeks..
How long does numbness last and when can you open your mouth wide? If I yawn it can hurt and sometimes I open my mouth too wide and it seems like my jaw snaps or spasms..
Also when does swelling go away? I am still quite swollen and puffy. You can especially tell around my eyes..
Still wearing a splint.. Hoping on Thursday I am able to find out when it comes out or about when.. I miss eating chicken.. Pizza.. Meat.. Seafood.. Vegetables.. Fruits..
I didn’t realize or think that it’s a long healing process and I won’t know my final result for six months..
April 3, 2016 at 8:50 pm
On a related note. Did anybody ever feel like their face is “frowny”. After 4 weeks, I still feel like I have yet to regain my natural facial expression.
I have some swelling, but doesn’t seem huge. I am also still numb, but I think feeling is returning slowly.
April 3, 2016 at 10:15 pm
I can relate.. I can’t smile without looking dumb. Most likely due to the splint and rubber bands.
I probably have the frown look due to my upper lip being numb and half of my chin.
April 4, 2016 at 10:46 pm
Hi JB, it’s difficult to control your facial expression until most of your feeling has returned, so it is normal to look quite sad until approximately 2 months have gone by. Have patience and hopefully you’re able to show people you’re actually a happy person again soon! 😊
April 4, 2016 at 10:45 pm
Jenny, it is normal to still have numb patches and to experience pain when yawning at this point, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about right now. Your swelling is generally related to how much you are talking, so this may indicate that you are trying to speak a lot (which is not a bad thing). I recall it being slightly painful to yawn for the full 3 months, but again, this pain just indicates you are stretching the muscles in your jaw when you yawn.
Overall, there’s nothing to fret about yet, so try to hang in there. I promise life will get better the moment that splint is removed! 😊
April 3, 2016 at 11:00 am
Hey all, I’m back again for an update, day 10 for me and I have progressed so much farther and it’s crazy. I have basically allmovement in my lips, can drink from a bottle and also a good food to eat is blended up Mac and cheese with milk( good if you are looking to get away from something sweet). Also I have no stomach pains barely at all now and I have a little pain in my jaw but I haven’t taken any ibprophen in two days, idk if I should or not, let me know, I don’t really think I need it, also I have all of my OxyContin left, didn’t use any of it.
April 3, 2016 at 7:23 pm
Spencer, awesome to hear that you’re feeling motivated about your progress. There’s more good news, too: the second week of recovery is usually quite frustrating, so if you’re already feeling good about things, it’s only going to get better from here. Enjoy that blended mac and cheese! 🧀
March 30, 2016 at 9:36 am
This splint is so inconvenient right now.. I can’t wait til it comes out but I’m sure I have to wait another month and the rubber bands make my lips look funny when I try to smile. I can’t smile with my teeth yet because I look funny.. Soon enough I hope I can flash a real smile without a splint or rubber bands.. It will also be nice to be able to talk like a normal human being. People can’t understand me half the time and ask me to repeat myself and sometimes they still can’t understand me. Oh well. That’s the joys of jaw surgery recovery and wearing a splint and now rubber bands.
Random question in regards to jaw surgery recovery.. I’ve noticed I’ve been breaking out around my face after jaw surgery. Could it have something to do with the nerves and the stress of surgery (even though it was 6 weeks ago but I assume my jaw/face is still healing and “stressed” from being broken apart)? I never had this problem before and now I’m breaking out all over my face. It’s rather gross. I’m not a dirty person and I take care of my hygiene.
A note to Graham: I looked at your “mugshots”. I like how you had food in some pictures that you probably couldn’t eat. I can’t wait to eat food that I haven’t eaten in months. A simple pizza or cheeseburger sounds so good right now! ahh.
March 30, 2016 at 7:50 pm
Hey Jenny! I’ve heard that sometimes introducing (or re-introducing) new foods into your diet can cause breakouts… have you by chance started eating new foods at this point? Apparently foods like dairy can be linked to this sort of thing. That being said, I’m just guessing here.
Has anyone else out there dealt with breakouts during their recovery?
March 31, 2016 at 5:27 am
YES!!! My face has been breaking out a lot. Before the surgery I never broke out at all. Now it stays broke out. I am not sure what causes it. Actually I thought it might be chocolate. Every now and again I break off a candy bar and let it melt in my mouth because it’s easy in the jaw and taste good lol. I thought maybe that was it. But knowing that other people may have that problem it may or may not be it.
April 1, 2016 at 4:35 pm
Yeah the day after my surgery my skin started feeling all dry and rough and the annoying thing is my skin was perfect before surgery and now it’s just got worse and no matter what moisturisers I use nothing is working either so I was thinking it was just to do with everything I’ve been through and all the medication I had in one go or new foods have made it worse as well
March 28, 2016 at 11:51 pm
I’m on my fourth week and i don’t like how look at all, I’m not sure if I’m still swollen , but will my face dramatically change in the coming months or will i look similar to what i look like now
March 29, 2016 at 2:55 pm
Im at 4.5 weeks and Im not a fan of my face either. Alot of the swelling is gone but my face is still numb and so I talk funny and parts of my face /lips stay still while others move… It looks like I have some sort of mental challenges when I talk. … Hang in there. The healing process for double jaw surgery is not a quick trip… Its a long six month ( or longer from what I read on here) journey. It has been a big lesson in vanity for me. At the end of the day my family and friends say I look completely fine and they can understand me when I talk. That will have to do for now.
April 4, 2016 at 1:24 pm
Hi,
I can relate and my advice would be not to worry about that very much right now. Easier said than done but from experience I hated my face at around 4 weeks. It is definitely the swelling and does get better. I only started liking my results about 2 weeks ago and I’m at the 3 month mark now only. Good luck and have patience.
March 27, 2016 at 8:11 pm
For those of you who had to wear a splint.. how long did you have to wear it? I had a splint from February 15th – March 1st but then I had a second surgery on March 1st and got another splint made. I’ve had a splint in my mouth for almost 6 weeks. That seems so long. I think I might have to wear it another 2 – 3 weeks. 🙁 My teeth are getting white spots but I think that could be from the prescription mouth wash I was prescribed. Not so sure I want to use it anymore..
Anyways, I just can’t wait to get it out but on Thursday the other surgeon (my guy was gone) asked me why I wasn’t wearing rubber bands and I said the other doctor said I didn’t need to.. So now I’m wearing rubber bands so my bite is where it should be and I know they want to coordinate it when I get my splint removed that I go directly to the orthodontist.. I doubt that will happen when I go in on the 7th.. My appointment is at 5pm. : / I also need a lot of stuff done at the orthodontist. My surgeon broke my braces and wires during the first surgery and put on “temporary” brackets and what not during the 2nd surgery. They look so ugly. I can’t wait to get them taken off and get real braces put on. They also have these sharp surgical wires around them and one is poking me in the face and it hurts. I thought it was pain from jaw surgery but it’s from the wire. It can’t be clipped since it’s short and I don’t really want to put wax on it since that’s just a hassle. Oh well.
Hope those of you who just got surgery recently are doing well with recovery! 🙂 Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since my first surgery and then on Tuesday it will be 3 weeks since my second. Time flies! But I still am dealing with the splint so that’s not fun. Oh well! No pain, no gain. right?
March 28, 2016 at 12:49 am
Jenny, I had to wear a splint for a full 7 weeks when I had the surgery, but I think I’m an extreme case as I’ve never met anyone else who wore it for that long. I also remember my teeth looking stained and having spots, which worried me at the time, but once I was able to start flossing, brushing, and rinsing again, those stains and spots went away quite quickly and I have no longterm marks on my teeth.
I also had wires that were painfully poking my lips and cheeks for about half of my recovery and I eventually became too lazy to put wax on them and just dealt with the pain, knowing it would only be temporary. I noticed that even when I put wax on, it would often become dislodged and I’d have to spit it out, so the frustration eventually got to me.
All in all, I hope you get your splint removed soon so you can begin to feel clean and presentable again. Man that thing is frustrating!
March 28, 2016 at 6:19 am
Thanks for replying! Like you I am also a complex case.. What did you have done?
I had both jaws reset.. The roof of my mouth widened and my chin shortened. I guesd as complex cases we have to endure some things longer than others.
Glad to know I am not alone in having a splint so long! It is rather frustrating.
March 28, 2016 at 9:52 pm
I also had both jaws moved. I had 2 pieces of bone removed from my lower jaw to shorten it and I had my upper palette split and widened. My surgeon also reshaped my chin a tiny bit and shortened my septum. Talk about invasive!
But yes, you are not alone. Despite the many weeks with the splint, you will still make a full recovery and will be able to eat, speak, and smile again without issue in just a few months. 😊
March 30, 2016 at 9:37 am
I can’t wait. I just wish I was given an approximate date to know when this will happen but it’s up in the air.
Thanks for replying. I JUST saw this.
March 27, 2016 at 5:44 pm
Hi all, I have a quick question. I’ve been looking into this surgery (had a friend who had it done) and wonder if you all went through insurance or not? What I’m finding is that most insurance companies won’t cover it as they claim it’s all cosmetic. I have been through a sleep study and do have obstructive sleep apnea so I think I could get covered but not totally sure. My friend who had it done, her doctor (I’m assuming because of insurance companies not typically covering it) didn’t even accept insurance and just had them pay out of pocket an incredibly discounted amount (I think it came out to around 9K USD). What did most of you do? And how long did it take to get approved if you did go through insurance? Thank you SO much 🙂
March 27, 2016 at 8:04 pm
Fortunately my insurance covered everything 100%. I’m on Medicaid/Medicare, too!
The braces are out of my own pocket, though. The surgeon wrote a letter to the insurance company stating why I needed surgery and it was approved in 8 days (I don’t think that’s very common)!
Anyways.. I needed it done because my bite was off, I had TMJ and a few other reasons.. He probably added his own reasons, too. I did have my chin reduced but I had to pay that out of my own pocket since that was considered cosmetic. Fortunately my surgeon reduced the price for that by 50%.
Hope you figure something out. You would just have to find a surgeon who will take your insurance. There are some out there. I was gonna be referred to a place but they didn’t take my insurance and fortunately there was a surgeon in my town where I live that took my insurance.
Good luck!
March 28, 2016 at 12:53 am
Hi Meg, I had the surgery in Canada and had to pay $5,000 for the surgeon’s personal fees, but our provincial healthcare covered the rest of the operation because my surgeon could prove it was “medically necessary.” The reason is was deemed medically necessary is because I was on the road to have potentially painful and expensive complications later in life without it (eg. TMJ, cross-bite, etc.).
Most people from the US have to fight for their insurance to cover this surgery, but as Jenny confirmed, it is possible! As long as your surgeon will side with you and provide paperwork stating that the surgery is “medically necessary” to prevent future complications (which would end up costing your insurance company even more to correct), they should cover a large portion of the operation, if not all of it.
Surgeons may still charge personal fees on top of that coverage because most insurance providers only cover the operating room and hospital stay, which are the really expensive pieces.
Good luck!
March 29, 2016 at 2:24 am
U people r so lucky
to have insurance
claim.in our place
there is no insurance
for dental problems😰
March 26, 2016 at 3:21 pm
Hey, I had my jaw surgery two days ago, let me tell you this sucks, I have stomach pain all the time, any tips to help please, I drink almost a glass of water an hour, I might need to drink more, but I hope it will be done and over soon
March 26, 2016 at 3:27 pm
Hi Spencer the first week will be the worst of the whole recovery process but after that it gets much easier believe me 🙂 as for your stomach pain try a hot water bottle as this helped me loads 🙂
March 27, 2016 at 4:14 am
Yea so I just had to much stomach pain, I didn’t know what to do, I called the surgeon and he said to not take the antibiotics, that’s what could make my stomach hurt,
March 27, 2016 at 4:44 am
Yeah it possibly could be but my stomach pain was just because of my stomach getting used to all the new foods i was taking.
March 28, 2016 at 7:13 pm
Hey I am on like day 4 and my stomach pain has been constant from day 1 and I do not know what to do, I have them on and off all day, I need help, should I go to the hospital, I don’t know what to do anymore, I also have thrown up a couple times today just now
March 28, 2016 at 9:49 pm
Spencer, sorry to hear that you’re in so much pain. If you’ve been having constant stomach pain for 4 days, visiting the hospital (or your surgeon) may be a good idea.
It could be something as simple as having some acid or blood in your stomach that is causing discomfort, but it could be something more serious that needs some attention as well.
Let us know what you learn. It’d be good to know what is causing this in case future patients experience the same thing.
Best of luck, man. I really hope you’re able to solve this soon.
March 25, 2016 at 10:44 pm
Hi graham ive just passed my 4 week mark post op double jaw surgery and I have to say I’m so glad I have been reading about your experience as it has been helping me loads. I’ve actually had a very easy recovery so far which I’m surprised at but it’s in my favor 🙂 I was able to eat mashed up food by my second week which I shouldn’t have been able to do yet so I thought this was great as I was already sick of ensure drinks and soup lol only now I’m starting to feel short spasms in my jaw which I know is normal due to everything healing so how did you deal with this if anything? Also I would like to say you look amazing 5 years on from the start 🙂
March 26, 2016 at 7:15 pm
Danielle, welcome to the second month! It’s great to hear that you’re already eating soft foods and are no longer forced to subsist off of Ensure alone. (That company should be giving me commission, don’t you think? 😂)
To be honest, I have no strategy for dealing with the spasms other than to keep resting a heat pack on your face throughout the day, if possible. The heat should calm your nerves so they don’t jump around so much. Other than that, it’s a game of patience, though. But the good news is that they do eventually go away! 😊
April 8, 2016 at 7:12 pm
Hi, how is your recovery going now? I am happy to hear that you are having a good one. Today is my 42 day mark and I still can’t feel my bottom lip! And I am still in a lot of pain. This seems to be taking forever.
March 24, 2016 at 7:11 pm
So I thought I’d give an update.. I’m a few steps back after today’s appointment.. I met with my surgeon’s colleague (my surgeon is on vacation.. but I have to see his colleague again in 2 weeks. I’m confused. )
Anyways.. during my last appointment my surgeon told me to wear rubber bands and change them daily.. Then he thought my teeth were in the splint correctly so he thought I didn’t need them and said I didn’t have to wear them.. Well, today the doctor said that I DO need to wear them. So there goes my eating soft foods.. Back to liquids and pureed stuff. I hope to lose more weight, though. haha I am allowed to take them out to brush my teeth but then they have to go right back on.
I’m thinking I might not be ready to have my splint taken out in 2 weeks if my bite has been off this whole time?
March 23, 2016 at 4:28 pm
Dear Graham, thank you for setting up this blog. It has proven to be very informative for me and I appreciate all the comments.
For me its day 9 of double jaw surgery and my swelling has reduced a great deal, which makes me happy. My surgery went fine and had no complications.
I am writing to see if I can get some feedback on a concern that I am recently having. Is it normal to feel some “pressure” around the ears (perhaps around the eardrums). Is this something that I will now have to get used to due to the expansion of my lower jaw or maybe its only due to the swelling I still have.
Please let me know your comments.
Thank you!
Ralph
March 23, 2016 at 9:02 pm
Hi Ralph, being you’re in the second week of recovery, the pressure you are feeling around your ears is likely due to swelling. If there is no pain involved with it, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. However, if the pressure is painful, I recommend calling your surgeon to ask for a medical opinion.
Swelling causes a lot of pressure, popping, and distortion during the first 2 months of recovery, so this is to be expected. 😊
March 23, 2016 at 10:54 pm
Graham, thank you for your feedback. There is no pain associated, just a feeling of discomfort due to proximity between my jaw and ears, that I feel could possibly be due to the swelling still left. My concern is that this discomfort hasn’t -at least I have not realized- reduced in the same proportion as my swelling. I also imagine that since my structure has changed, I must also get used to the changes. In your particular case, did you experience such discomfort? Also, did you have to allow yourself some time to get accustomed to the new structures?
As you recommend, I will bring it up with my surgeon during my follow up visit next week.
Best,
Ralph
March 24, 2016 at 8:05 pm
Ralph, I have trouble remembering the specifics of my recovery (it was over 5 years ago), but I don’t recall having any discomfort in or around my ears. I did experience a lot of discomfort in most other parts of my face, though, so it likely depends on how your swelling manifests.
As for getting used to the new shape and structure of your face, that is definitely a time thing. I found it took me about 3 months before I felt like I looked somewhat normal and about 6 months before I really recognize myself in the mirror again.
March 26, 2016 at 4:21 pm
Dear Graham, thank you for your feedback which I really appreciate since it is very insightful.
I feel it may be a matter of getting used to as well. I have my appointment next week, so I will see what my doctor says. I am confident this small discomfort – small pressure in my eardrum (not pain) may be due to swelling, since its only been 12 days since my surgery.
If anybody has anything to add I would really appreciate to hear about your experience.
Thank you!
Ralph
April 6, 2016 at 10:41 am
Iam 1 Week post op and swelling is the worst part. My surgery was on 30-3-2016. As of now, drooling is the worst part than swelling. And i hate the way i look now 🙂 .. seriously .. Too much swelling and big lips .. Yuck
April 6, 2016 at 7:19 pm
Amal, hang in there! These first 2 weeks are the most frustrating, but recovery will get easier after that! 😊
March 22, 2016 at 6:34 am
I am wondering if it’s normal to still feel pain after five weeks. My face hurts around my nose/under my eyes. I am also still swollen.. Not fun.
March 22, 2016 at 10:07 pm
Jenny, it is completely normal to still be very swollen and feel small amounts of pain after 5 weeks. The swelling, as I’m sure you’ve heard before, may stick around even beyond the 3-month mark. As for pain, that should go away within the next couple of weeks for you. Pain at this stage generally indicates either an infection (chronic pain) or the fact that your nerves are healing and are actually able to relay pain to your brain once again. So… it’s not necessarily a bad thing! 😊
March 23, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Hi Graham,
Thanks for responding to my post. I appreciate it.
I see my surgeon’s colleague tomorrow (my surgeon is on vacation.. but I know his colleague. he did surgery too the first time around – maybe the second, too.. so he’s familiar with my face and case).. Anyways I hope everything is okay. I’m in a lot of pain and I feel like there could be an infection since I’m extremely puffy and swollen on only one side of my face.
Hope all is well!
Jenny
March 22, 2016 at 5:53 am
Hi graham, My daughter
Is nearer to 3months of
recovery and she can open
2fingers of her mouth and
sleeps with open mouth.any
sugesstion please
March 22, 2016 at 6:32 am
Healing can take 6 months to a year so your daughter may take a while until she can fully open her mouth. Hope that helps.
March 20, 2016 at 2:02 pm
Nice text! I had a double jaw surgery. Day 4 today. My face ballooned out. I look scary.
My lower lip is numb. I have that sensation of pins and needles though. Being discharged from the hospital tomorrow.
March 20, 2016 at 6:56 pm
Good to hear you get to go home tomorrow! I found the best way to pass the time was to occupy yourself with TV, movies, naps, and walks outdoors. Good luck with the first week and I promise life will get better by the third week! 😊