When I checked out of the hospital on Saturday...I knew that my worst day would be Saturday or Sunday. I surrvived both those days, due to my mother's expert care. But my Mom (she has been a RN for over 20 years) felt that considering the surgery my pain and swelling was not under control. I went to see my OS for an emergency appointment on Monday. I was doing okay at first, but about 5-10 minutes into seeing the doctor my pain become unbearable. Due to the significant swelling in my throat my OS put me in a jaw bra. That topped me off and sent me into a blunder of pain. I spent the next hour in the hospitals starring into space w/ tears running down my face. I was unable to walk, move, or even notice that everyone in the waiting area of the pharmacy was starring at me w/ sypmathy. Tuesday was quite a bit better, then Wednesday and Thursday I slowly began to draw back on my dosages of pain killers. Now I am only taking the motrin.
Yesturday I saw my OS for my first follow-up appoitnment. I begged him to take the splint out. He said it depended on how things look. He took one glance and said "nope, your keeping the splint in for another week to two weeks". And on top of that he put rubberbands on me. I thought I was going to die of pain when he placed the bands. But within an hour and a dose of vicadin it was tolerable. I am now much more comfortable w/ the bands. It feels much more stable having my mouth banded in place rather than just dangling.
Today is the first day that I really feel like I am begining to stabalize. So I guess the timing is good, b/c my Mom will be leaving tomorrow. For future jaw surgery paitents...I highly recommend having someone for the first full week there for 24/hr support. I would have ended up in the hospital again if I didn't have my Mom to help out.
Now for the exciting part....my expereince by photos!
5 comments:
Hey Jenn,
Glad to see you are doing better. I hate to say, as I'm certainly no expert on this but it seems to me like your doctor as done everything ASS backwards! Steph, and Amy both came out of surgery with splints and bands in place, to hold their jaw in the correct location. They both had jaw bra's with ice to help with the swelling etc. I completely don't understand why your doctor would not totally secure things in place rather than waiting then moving things later with the tape or jaw bra. Just thinking about that makes me hurt!
You poor thing, sorry it has been so bad for you! Thank God for your mom. That must have been really hard for her also to see her baby in so much pain!
I pretty much knew that you were rather niave about all of this when you were so non chalant about it. Not that ignorance is always a bad thing though. However, this is major surgery baby, Seriously serious stuff! Sounds like most of your pain has been in the lower jaw eh? Are you numb all over? Can you feel your lips?
Well...at least you know that things are improving now. Hopefully the rest of this journey will be a lot less eventful, and of course much speedier! Take care of yourself, and give yourself a pat on the back for being such a trooper. You are tougher than you realize!
I recently found out that I will be having all of this too (upper, lower, and genio) instead of just the originally scheduled lower advancement. I'm nervous about it, and your experience is a bit unnerving to me, but I also know that each persons experience is completely individual and different. I'm sending some well wishes in your direction! Hopefully the worst is over and it will just get better from here!
Smiling for you!
Brandy
My goodness, you look absolutely amazing! Just gorgeous! I'm jealous....
Wow, your profile looks amazing even with the amount of swelling you have left! I'm so glad your pain has become more bearable. Keep applying heat, it really helps. Hang in there trooper!
Your still looking beautiful through all that pain lady! Wow.. is all I can say.. and YIKES!
Shontell
Wow, I can't believe that you are doing so well. I just had surgery on Tuesday and I have been looking at a bunch of blogs for support. You really have a very positive attitude about everything.
I have to agree with you about this splint business. I hate it. I feel like it is the worst part. Everytime that I put ice on my face, it shrinks and moves my teeth. It hurts! I'm going to the os tomorrow for my first follow-up appointment, I am praying that he will say everything looks great and they can take this little plastic evilness out of my mouth.
I don't think anyone else can relate to this type of pain and overall uncomfortableness. In one lady's blog that I read, she said that the pain was worse than 12 hours of childbrith with no meds.
I had my upper moved forward 2 or 3 mm and over 1. And, I had my bottom moved back 3 or 4 mm and over 2. I'm still realy shocked by the look of my face. The swelling is awful, but I fear that I'm going to have horse teeth and a turtle chin when the dust clears.
When was the part where you really felt like things got better? Sometimes, it feels like things are getting better, but then the sweling and pain starts all over again.
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