Re: pre surgery question

[Guest guest]

a lot depends on what you are having done.

you need to ask your doctor what you will be like post-op. i have a

splint and elastics. some people are wired shut. i knew i would

have the splint but didn't know about the bands--the effect for me

was that i couldn't open my mouth and it was frightening. the length

you have any of this stuff varies as well. my doctor told me 3 weeks

for the splint if he made only one cut--now even though he said he

only made one cut--he says i'll have it on 6 weeks. i have been more

frustrated with the conflicting stories from him. i do better

knowing exactly what to expect.

i originally only took two weeks off. however, i extended it to 3

weeks. i could not have gone back after two weeks. i was weak,

still pretty swollen, one side of my lower face was black and blue

and I was not talking well. my doctor seemed to think i should be

fine because he had the same procedure as i did, but it really

knocked me down. but it was 2 and 1/2 weeks before i started feeling

like doing anything at all.

however, i am 52 years old.

I had a maxillary osteotomy with rigid fixation.

i found the first week to be almost unbearable. the sinus pressure

was bad and i just felt horrible.

other people haven't had it so bad or if they are younger may not

react as badly.

i am now 4 weeks post-op and i am better but i still think it is a

very difficult recovery and honestly right now i can't say it was

worth it. I'm still tired and get irritable very quickly. maybe in a

few months when all the swelling and numbness is gone and i'm eating

and talking normally i can give a more objective opinion on whether

it was worth it. i think most people are ultimately glad they did it.

i tried to ask all the questions i could before hand as well, but

like i said, my surgeon had the same procedure and he didn't think

the recovery period was bad--so he may not have been the best source.

-- In orthognathicsurgerysupport , " kellibushman "

<kellibushman@y...> wrote:

> I am still in the process of trying to get the surgery approved

> through my insurance, but I am so questions that someone may be

able

> to answer for me.

> I am reading on here a lot of issues that have never even crossed

> my mind. Like the anxiety associated with the mouth being wired

shut.

> I am curious about the swelling and bruising. I was thinking about

> taking 3 weeks off from work, will this be enough time?

> I have so many questions that I can't begin to ask right now.

> I would like to have someone tell me honestly what I should expect

> from this surgery so that I am not shocked when it happens.

>

> I would greatly appreciate if anyone could help me with some of my

> concerns and I would rather ask someone who has gone through it

> rather than a surgeon.

>

> Kelli