9 days post-op and back at work!!!

[Guest guest]

okay, i just wrote out a huge long post about my surgery and i think

for some reason it didn't post. so this may be a repeat. but i

promised to share my experience with everyone so here goes:

i went in for maxillary/mandibular osteotomy on march 16th. that's

upper AND lower jaw surgery. my lower jaw was moved back and my

upper jaw was tilted down to correct an anterior open bite. i found

out that i needed this surgery about a year and a half ago. i've

had braces on for a year and two months now. let me tell you, i was

TERRIFIED about having this operation, but i knew that i really

wanted it. the two weeks leading up to my surgery was full of the

worst anxiety i have ever felt. i don't think my anxiety was

unfounded because any surgery is a scary prospect but now that i'm on

the other side i can honestly say that my worries were for

nothing!!! my operation went very smoothly. they day of the surgery

i remember being in the pre-surgical room getting my IV put in; i was

crying i was so scared... the next thing i remember was waking up in

recovery. it felt like seconds later. the first thing i noticed was

the most incredible sore throat i have ever had. i don't remember

getting into my hospital room, but from there i slowly became

coherent and realized that there was a tube going through my nose and

down into my stomach. this was to suction blood out of my stomach to

prevent sickness. i also had the IV, complete with a morphine

button, and these funny leg warmers that pumped full of air

periodically to help circulation in my legs (to prevent blood

clots). one of my nurses was a guy and he was really cute... this

was a small comfort. i was pretty out of it that day. the IV

pumped me so full of fluids that i had to pee every 45 minutes.

around 7 o'clock that evening, i got up to go to the bathroom, with

the aid of the nurses, and all of a sudden i started feeling

nauseated. the tube in my stomach had started to slide out and was

no longer sucking. my WORST fear was realized... i spewed blood. i

had one nurse suctioning my mouth out, the cute guy nurse wiped my

face with a wet cloth and still another nurse was telling me to

swallow whilst shoving the tube back down my throat. as i said,

throwing up was my number one fear and you know what? it wasn't

bad. i would have laughed at anyone who had told me that before, but

it really wasn't bad. it lasted only a few seconds, the nurses were

there and moments later i was back in bed and feeling just fine. i

was released from the hospital the next day and went to my sister's

house for her to take care of me.

let's see... a few details: the swelling wasn't too bad - it peaked,

just as my doctor predicted, on the 3rd & 4th days and has steadily

decreased since then. now, 9 days later, its barely noticeable. i

used ice in the hospital and then switched to only heat (per my

doctor's instructions) when i got home. i apply it for 5 - 10

minutes 5 or 6 times a day.

eating was a challenge at first. i had a few accidents with foods

that were too thick. but i'm getting the hang of it now and i'm able

to find some tasty things to eat. i don't think i've lost any

weight, but i don't have a scale at home so i don't know for sure. i

think i'm eating better than i did before the surgery!

the pain was severe the first several days. it was mostly in my

forehead and my doctor said it was more muscle pain from tension.

the heat helps with the pain as well. he switched my pain meds too,

which helped. i was taking demerol and it didn't really do much, but

then he switched me to codeine. i'm sleeping better at night too,

although i do wake up with headaches... i think i'm clenching my jaws

at night.

and one other thing i wasn't prepared for was the depression.

general anesthesia causes depression. i cried every time someone

spoke to me. i desperately wanted to go back to the hospital (even

though i didn't need to). i think it was a comfort thing. maybe i

missed the cute guy nurse. anyway, the depression miraculously went

away y'day.

now i'm back at work, feeling good. still a little swollen, talking

funny... but overall not bad. i had good moments and some really bad

ones and i'm sure i will have more before its all over... but i have

4 weeks and 5 days left of oral captivity... then the wires come

off. until then... i'll be sipping fluids and slurring my words.

what can you do?

i think that is everything... i'll be happy to answer questions if

you want to email me at mirrorsonlymoonlight@...

i hope this testimony helped!

ta for now,

heather, TN