Sunday, August 29, 2010

Day 26 - Feeling Normal Again?

 I woke up today with feeling back in a small patch of the roof of my mouth. Its just a patch..but hey, its a patch! Now if only my chin would catch on....

I'm happy to say that I'm really starting to finally feel like myself again. I'm over the post-op blues and all that, thank goodness, and I'm excited to start classes on Tuesday!  Finally I'm able to get by with little or no painkillers, my talking is tons better (though i still kind of have a slight lisp if you listen.grrr), and my energy is starting to really come back. I don't think I'm up for anything too crazy yet..But I just feel a lot better.   But, unfortunately, even though I'm feeling better,  I know I'm really not better yet.  When bones are just broken, they take around 6 weeks to heal and I'm not even at 4 weeks yet.  But jaw surgery is a lot more than just breaking a bone, there are gaps in some places where new bone has fill in, and that takes a lot longer than 6 weeks.  -- Thats why chewing isn't allowed, I still have to wear rubberbands to keep everything in place, why talking for extended periods of time is exhausting, and my mouth just feels uncomfortable most of the time + my chin & lip being numb drives me crazy.  I said i was STARTING to feel like myself...I didn't say i was completely there yet, but its definitely encouraging to feel some improvement.

6 comments:

  1. going back to school is your own decision?
    or from your ortho.

    Can you go to school after 2 weeks of recovery?

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  2. Both my ortho and surgeon told me that I could pretty much do anything I was feeling up to energy-wise. Going to a class for 2 or 3 hours isn't really too exhausting so I chose to go. At 2 weeks post op...hmmmm I think i would have been way too tired to go at that point. I couldn't talk very well either so i didnt really go anywhere until 3-4 weeks. Its really your decision once you get to that point and see how you're feeling... But i think you'll be surprised on how easily you become totally exhausted after surgery and just want to stay home in the couch for a while.

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  3. I'm currently on Day 16 following double jaw surgery, and pre-surgery I had been sure I'd be back at work by now. Alas, the energy isn't there and I can't yet focus very well. (I tried for a half day yesterday, and really wore myself out.) Like you, Rebecca, I'm trying to stay off the narcotics as much as possible -- but I break down at bedtime. Fingers crossed that I'll be up for a solid work day on Monday (Day 20). Guess we'll see.

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  4. Hi i know this is a really old blog but i am on day 25 after doubl jaw surgery and i have been refering back to your post alot to check if my recovery has been normal. Its helped so much. I dont know if you still check this but if you do could you let me know how long it was until you can eat anything you want. This is the only thing thats getting me down. Been living off tomato soup milkshakes and smoothies and im so fed up now!

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    Replies
    1. I definitely still answer emails and comments!! I feel like more people contact me now than when the blog was new. :P Congrats on being almost a month into it though! The smoothies do get super old... i'd say you should be getting past that pretty soon though. If you dont have a splint on your top jaw, you might be able to try some scrambled eggs maybe? You probably wont be able to chew much, but eggs go down easy. It'll probably be 2-3 months before you feel confident eating super crunchy things..But around the 6 week point you can start expanding your diet....you'll know when you're ready!

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  5. thank you for the reply. I am now on day 33 woohoo and ive managed to be alot more adventerous now with food so its getting alot easier. Your blog has been so helpful! I found it a few days before i had my surgery so everyday since i got home from hospital i was reading through the different days to check if i was having a similar recovery to you and it was very much the same! You look really good in your after picture, are you glad you did it?

    Oh and was just wondering if you every experienced a feeling of the jaw doing wierd spasms because for a week or so now every now and again my jaw feels the need to move and it feels really scary wen it happens!

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