6 week post op visit & new jaw exercise

July 18, 2002

Got back from Atlanta earlier. Visit went great. He said bite is

still in perfect position. My mouth opening has gone up to 20mm. He

answered whole bunches of my questions. (Cammie- don't know if you

still have the cheek biting problem still- he said it's a combo of

swelling, braces catching, & muscles not pulling in yet. He said all

will straighten out soon.) Also gave me the go ahead to start eating

real food. I had already progressed to buscuits & gravey & eggs but

I'm in no rush. I think I will wait til this weekend before I go

testing it out.

He sent an intern in to show me a new jaw exercise. Now he told me

that he didn't have me do this before because it is considered

aggressive. Please nobody try this before asking their surgeon!!!

Okay- talk about medieval: this guy said that 5 tongue depressors

laid one on top of the other will slide all the way to the back

between my top & bottom teeth. Since that is all you can get in that

way then you take the 6th depressor & stick it between two & gently

slide it back until it reaches the back. This acts like a jacking

mechanism. You can feel your jaw make way. Then he added a 7th. By

this time I'm like " AAH! That's enough for now. " I though I'm

laughing as my daughter was in the room with me & making funny faces

over the faces I was making. So he added one more since he must have

thought I was in no discomfort! I jumped & started trying to take

them out. He had to help. But honestly that side of my jaw feels so

good tonight. I haven't set down to do the other side yet. He says

to leave them in for 10 minutes. Can't imagine that! Oh & the doc

said that 3 finger width is the minimum he settles for. The intern

says they shoot for 45 to 60.

That's about it. Saw the girl from California again today. She

said she gave the zippie # to a friend about to have the surgery so I

mentioned this site to tell her friend also. I wish we had more time

to talk to each other. Just makes me positive that a reunion really

is a wonderful idea.

And did anyone notice a lot of post-op visits with the surgeons

today on the board?

Okay, that's it.

Georgia

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