Recovery Tips
Following is a summary of the most important things I learned during my recovery from double jaw surgery.
- Drink lots of prune juice and water. Your toilet time will be far from enjoyable for the first couple of weeks because you’re likely to be severely dehydrated. The prune juice will provide your body with the fiber it needs to work those bowels properly, but fiber is useless without water because it won’t dissolve in your body. I recommend a bare minimum of 1 L of water per day. Drink 2 L per day as soon as you can.
- Before you attempt to pull any dead skin off of your lips, be absolutely certain that it’s not a stitch. I learned this the hard way.
- Start using medicated lip balm immediately following your return to your own home. If you don’t, you’ll end up with flaps of dead skin that are half an inch in diameter, and I promise you they won’t feel good when they catch on your braces.
- Apply heat to your face 3-4 times per day for the first 5-6 weeks to help with the swelling. The heat will also help you fall asleep.
- Begin each day at a decent time. If you sleep most of the day, you won’t be able to sleep at night, and you’ll hate yourself for it. Get out of bed, shower, eat some breakfast and brush your teeth and you’ll enjoy each day a lot more. (This is good advice for any day of your life, but it especially applies when you’re on the verge of depression from having jaw surgery.)
- Go to bed on time. Yawning will cause you quite a bit of pain, so prevent it by getting the right amount of sleep during the proper hours.
- As soon as you’re able to talk clearly enough for friends and family to understand you, call people and be social. Go outside and enjoy nature. Whatever you do, ensure you don’t fall into a trap of loneliness and self-pity.
- Start drinking from a cup as soon as you’re physically able to. Your upwards trek back to having full energy begins the day you can throw your syringes in the garbage.
- Eat solid food as soon as your surgeon gives you the go-ahead. It’ll be a slow, tedious and frustrating process, but you need to go through with it in order to build your jaw muscles back up and learn how to chew properly once again.
- It may take some time to get used to your new smile and your newly structured face. Don’t be ashamed of yourself. You don’t look funny at all. You’re simply not used to looking like you’re supposed to.
- And lastly, don’t worry about your looks, bite or facial feeling for at least 6 months. You may have an open bite, but you’ll wake up one morning and your teeth will have migrated back together. You may be completely numb, but feeling will return almost overnight.
If you have any questions about the recovery process, or perhaps have other pointers to share with upcoming jaw surgery patients, feel free to jot them down in the comments.
June 5, 2012 at 8:32 am
Hi Bree,
1) Your muscles are simply tight due to lack of use over the past few weeks. Start chewing gum and your movement will come back over the next couple of weeks.
2) I experienced this as well. Your swelling will increase on days you eat and speak more. It’s perfectly normal and will eventually subside altogether.
3) Those spasms were frustrating, yes. They visited me for 8 weeks. They will go away though, I assure you!
June 4, 2012 at 10:12 pm
Hi Everyone!!
I have a few questions for the 2nd six weeks part…
1.) My mouth seems to open less than it did when I had the splint in. I have been cleared to eat anything but popcorn and pizza crust, but big deal…I cant get any of it in there!! Is this all the muscles trying to fight the new position my face is in? Am I being over zealous here? I am not even able to fit the little baby toothbrush I was using prior.
2.) I keep going up and down in the swelling department. Did anyone else have this trouble? One day, I look great and the next I look like a chipmunk getting ready for Winter!
3.) I think I am related to Frankenstein! These electrical surges in my face are just bizarre. The eye is especially awesome to feel these in. How long did these seems to last? I know its a good thing to feel them, but goodness… I am continuously making a sour face and people just dont get why that is.
Hope everyone is doing amazing along their path!
June 3, 2012 at 9:50 am
Thank you Graham for starting this and keeping up with all the questions and posts. Thank you for getting back to me as fast as you did. I will try the cold cloths.
June 2, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Hi Elayne,
I, too, experienced that perpetual itch. It’s frustrating because, due to being numb, all the scratching in the world won’t satisfy it.
There’s really not a lot you can do to relieve the itch aside from letting time run its course. You might try applying an ice pack to the itchy area to see if that cures it.
Your feeling should be returning over the next few weeks, at which point you’ll be able to launch a full on assault on that terrible itch. =)
June 2, 2012 at 6:51 pm
I just recently had double jaw surgery May 10, 2012. Due to sleep apnea. Besides the swelling and the pain that follows this surgery, I am curious if anyone out there is experiencing unbearable itching under neath the skin. My face is numb to the touch outside but I guess inside under all the tissue it is so itchy. If this has happened to anyone please email me I need relief. Thank you
June 2, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Thanks, for the reply…I am feeling much better now I am still swollen but it has gone down considerably:-)….I am still numb on most of my face but as you said it takes time!! I am so excited cuz I am suppose to have the wires and bands for 6 wks and I’m counting the days till June 28 !! That will be one if the most exciting days of my life!!! I wanted to mention about the weight I thought I was going to loose lots of weight right away but no I hve lost probably around 4-5 in 2 wks…I eat everything I live in south texas near the Mexican border ..I blend chicken and vegetable soup, meat, I have even blended fish and rice:-) no wonder I don’t loose weight!! Lol…but you can mix many things so you won’t get stuck only on the ensure!!:-)..
June 2, 2012 at 9:51 am
Elisa, I’ve not met anyone who developed an abscess yet, but as long as you’re maintaining proper oral hygiene, you’ll be okay. Just follow your surgeon’s recommendation and it will vanish in due time.
Your feeling will return over the next month or two. It’s an interesting process—one day, you’ll have no feeling, but the next day, an entire portion of your nerves will awaken.
June 2, 2012 at 12:25 am
hi kevin:
i felt the same way as you. the day before my surgery i was a little nervous, anxious and excited. my surgeon said it was normal. remember, everything is planned out and should go just fine. post-op you will be uncomfortable, read graham’s tips. imho, your first time doing #2 is going to awful, just warning ya!
i would say for me, i felt the worse during nighttime. after having been through discomfort all day, nights were the worse. hard to sleep and grumpy as hell.
graham assured me the first two weeks would be the worst. he was right, physically, it sucked. for me, the two weeks after that were more of a mental thing. you are feeling better but not quite 100% and it’s just mentally grueling. try not to be too hard on yourself and read the blogs to keep you going. sounds cheesy, but graham’s positive attitude was an inspiration to me. i was stressed out and cried many nights post-op. not very dignified but oh well.
i’m 4 weeks post-op now and my surgeon has cleared me to lift my baby again, which is incredible news.
just do your best and you’ll be fine. know that it’s all temporary and pretty soon you will resume your normal life again. expect that your digestion and diet will be all off and should get back to normal eventually. just eat what you feel like eating and don’t worry about it.
good luck!
June 1, 2012 at 11:44 pm
I’m getting surgery on both my upper and lower jaw this coming Tuesday, the 5th of June. At first I was very relaxed and calm, but I’m becoming more nervous as the day approaches. Maybe I’m just anxious or a little excited, but I hope everything goes well. What do you guys/girls consider the hardest thing, post-op?
May 31, 2012 at 10:15 am
Hi, today it’s been 2wks since my double jaw surgery ..My mouth is wired and have bands too….I was super swollen the first days, unable to breath right..but I was very excited that I was getting to two weeks already and everything was going ok..my problem is somehow I got like an abcess and got the swelling back in my cheek. The dr recommended to apply hot compresses and massage the area and it had drained since yesterday…the swelling did went a little down but I’m still worried..today I have dr appointment ….wish me luck!!..I’ve been reading the comments and thy are great advice..I just wanted to know if someone has gone though what I’m going through right now??..ohh by the way I have my face numb from the cheek bone down..I hope the feeling come fast.
May 30, 2012 at 11:23 am
Bree, I’m so happy that your splint comes out tomorrow! I expect you to smile in an uncontrollable fashion for… the rest of your life! =)
May 30, 2012 at 11:19 am
Good to meet you, Miss JRaze. I wish you a successful and pain-free recovery!
May 30, 2012 at 11:12 am
Eric, remember that the first two weeks are the worst. You’ll be in good shape soon!
May 28, 2012 at 3:02 pm
T minus 3 days til my splint comes out!!! That means I made it thru the 6 weeks….and it kinda flew by in all actuality!
I am still pretty swollen tho. Mostly on my lower jaw line and a little where the plates are at on top. Im not sure why I still have those “baby fat” cheeks, but im guessing it will go down eventually. Most of my feeling is back…I think I might have a numb spot on my lip that might not return, but could be too soon to tell. I am contemplating having the top plates removed by next year as well…they seems to be playing a little number on my sinuses. I have sores all inside my cheeks from these surgical hooks and i still cant smile worth a dang…but all in all- this wasnt as bad as I thought it would be!
Thanks for having this forum for people….I can not imagine feeling alone thru this incredibly insane journey!
I think I may still frequent this website, because I love seeing people pre, during, and post surgery…and how they accomplished it all. So rewarding!
May 28, 2012 at 8:46 am
Hey Graham,
I’m having jaw surgery on June 5. I am a little nervous, but I feel a lot better after finding this site!
Thanks again,
Miss JRaze
May 24, 2012 at 4:42 pm
I’m currently on day 2, my face feels like it’s about to explode. Just passed the 48 hour mark, I really hope the swelling drops.
I would not wish this on anyone.
Thanks for the blog though, I’m already trying to look forward to the 1 week mark.
May 24, 2012 at 11:53 am
Ella, that’s great to hear that Brian finally has a surgery date set in stone! It’s so soon, too!
I wish him all the best in his recovery. =)
May 24, 2012 at 11:48 am
Karen, you can probably start running at the two-month mark. The issue lays in the fact that the impact from each step reverberates through your jaw, but your bone should be strong enough again by the time you hit two months.
May 24, 2012 at 11:42 am
Hi Barbara,
I’m glad these stories have helped you through the first two weeks. You’re already past the toughest part at this point. =)
May 23, 2012 at 11:29 pm
Graham,
It is nice to see you are still posting here. I found your site December 2010 after my first major disappoint with trying to get my son’s jaw surgery. Your site inspired me and gave me hope for my son. I have thought about this site many times over the past 2 years. And after a long battle with insurance, Brian finally has a surgery date for June 15, 2012.
We have decided to blog as well – to help other Mom’s and patients. Thank you for this site and your story. You are a gift to those families out there going through it.