Just had surgery.. .have questions

February 6, 2004

I just had surgery on Jan. 28th, and I have some questions. I'm sorry

if these questions have been answered before on this site. I'm just

too exhausted to search. My teeth will be wired for a couple more

weeks, and there is only a tiny gap where I can suck through a straw

to get liquids down. Anything that has even the smallest pieces of

food in it get caught in the opening making it very aggravating and

hard to eat anything. Do you know of anything that I can make or buy

that is good and will give me some energy? I drink Boost and juices

mostly.

Another question is about the heating pads. I had to use ice packs

for the first few days. Now, I have to use heat. The swelling has

gone down but not as much as I hoped it would by now. I've also had

trouble with the heating pads. How long am I supposed to use the

heating pads and how often? When can I expect the swelling to go

away? Is there some kind of heating pad out there that will make it

easier to stay around my face? Right now, I put a heating pad on one

side of my face and another one on the other side. During the night,

I wind up throwing them off, or I feel like I am smothering. Any advice?

My doctor told me that when I get these wires off that he will put

rubber bands on me. Will I be able to slowly begin opening my mouth

again to finally eat some of my normal favorite soft foods? Or will I

still be stuck with the liquids? Please tell me your experience with

this so I can kind of know what to expect.

Another question is about weight loss. How much weight can I expect

to lose before this is over? I know it's different for everyone.

Finally, is there anyone who is not happy with the results of the

surgery? I'm thinking I will feel better about things once the

swelling goes down. I hope.

I thank you for your answers to these questions. I'm hoping it will

bring me some peace of mind. I don't mean to complain so much. I

guess I would have the surgery again if I had it to do all over.

Thanks again for your time. I truly appreciate your help and support!

Sincerely,

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