I've spent a quality chunk of time on this- trying to recall every last teachable moment from my recovery. What worked, what I regret doing/not doing- YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET IT ALL FOLKS. If you've read all of my posts throughout recovery, you've probably picked up on some of my recommendations. I'll try and address all aspects of recovery as to answer all your questions and help prepare you for what is to come.
Prepping for Surgery:
If you're going ahead with this surgery, I assume you've had all the crazy extensive "before" pictures taken for the records. I wish I would have taken my own, because I don't know when/if I'll ever get a hold of those. I would suggest taking your own pictures of your teeth and face shape
before you get braces, after you get braces, and about a week before surgery. When this is all just a memory, you'll look back and wish you had pictures of before. Plus it will make you appreciate the changes even more.
Here's my list of items to get before the surgery.
- $1 Picnic Ketchup and Mustard Bottles- you can find them in the dinning section of any Walmart. I used these to eat and drink everything for the first two weeks. (I got so used to them that I forgot I looked insane in public when I would drink from them) You can also purchase them in clear if you can't handle the fact that it looks like you're drinking ketchup.
- Mira-lax or similar powdered laxatives. You won't really be able to swallow pills for at least the first week, otherwise I would suggest regular laxative pills. Mira-lax is SO important. The hospital heavy narcotics will stop you up real quick and eventually make you nauseated. The sooner you can clean house, the better...
- Recliner/Lazy Boy- If you don't already own a recliner, borrow one from a friend or buy a second hand one somewhere. I tried to prop myself up in bed with pillows, but it just wasn't comfortable. You will most likely be living in this recliner for the first week, so make sure its comfortable and can lean back well.
- Neck Pillow- This was a LIFESAVER for me. My neck got super sore after the first night of trying to sleep with real pillows propped all around me. I slept 100 times better after I got one. It also helps with the nasal draining and bruising because it keeps your head tilted up while also supporting your neck. 10/10 would recommend.
- Humidifier- I recovered in a very dry climate so I found this especially helpful. It helped the drainage in my sinuses and just made me feel a little more hydrated.
- Water Pik- If you don't already own a Water Pik, WHY NOT??? I actually got one about the
time I got my braces on, but didn't ever use it. About a month before surgery I got it out and tried it. I. was. shocked. at the amount of food that came out of my braces even after brushing. The Water Pik in general made me feel like I was getting a cleaner mouth, but it was essential during recovery. You can't get a brush in your mouth for the first two weeks or so, so I used the Water Pik on its lowest setting with the little tooth brush extension. It obviously wasn't as good as really brushing your teeth, but it made a difference.
- Boob cream / Vaseline- Yeah I said it. Go out and find yourself a nice tube of nipple cream. It works wonders on your poor swollen lips. Make sure to get the kind with Lanolin in the ingredients. If you get Vaseline, I recommend the Cocoa Butter flavor, it's a lot more pleasant and smells nice.
- Baby Burp Rags- In the spirit of feeling like an actual infant for a week, invest in a pack of burp rags. I would say use regular towels, but these were so soft and convenient, they might just be worth the splurge. I propped one of these bad boys under my chin and it did a fine job collecting all my drool. Its also nice to have one handy when you're attempting to eat or drink anything.
- Comfortable clothes- This one is pretty self-explanatory, I only changed clothes once the first week, but it helps to have soft clothes that you're comfortable in. I also had a robe which was nice because it made bathroom trips easier, if you know what I mean.
- A bucket- Either for trash or for possible vomit, this came in handy for me. Not to scare you, but its a good idea to keep a bucket near-by just in case you can't make it to the toilet in-time. Not everyone gets sick, but its good to be prepared.
Food Recommendations:
Sadly, your surgeon will probably inform you that you are not allowed to chew ANYTHING for about 6 weeks. This seems like an eternity, and for the first month, it is. Especially when you start to get cravings for anything and everything that you absolutely cannot have. So you will need to be mentally tough. And if you can't its okay, I cried during a commercial for Cupcake Wars. No shame.
While there are a million things you CAN'T eat, lets focus on all the things you can.
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| Is apple sauce a food group? |
- Apple Sauce
- Baby food (stick to the fruity ones unless you can stomach mashed peas)
- Juice (or a juice, apple sauce combo)
- Gatorade
- Chicken/ Beef Broth
- Milkshakes (thinned with milk)
- Very very well blended soup purees (add water if you need it thinner)
- Ice Cream
- Fruit Smoothies
Seems like almost nothing right? Well this is the stage where you'll probably drop a few pounds. But don't fret, you'll be able to eat more soon!
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| I'm obsessed. |
After the first 4-5 weeks:
- Ramen, noodles in general
- Mashed Potatoes
- Mac & Cheese
- Soups with soft vegetables
- Very soft vegetables
- Cooked Fish
- More Apple Sauce
- Cottage Cheese
- Scrambled eggs
- Anything mashed up with milk (cake, cookies, brownies) :)
At this point, you can really eat anything you want as long as you can mash it against the roof of your mouth and not chew it with your teeth. Then, once your surgeon thinks your palette and jaw are stable enough, he'll clear you to start experimenting with chewing. Learning to chew again is a strange thing and can get frustrating. But stick with it and practice chewing by chewing gum when permitted. It'll help you train your jaw muscles how to move again.
DO's
- Have someone to take care of you for the first week. A friend, a parent, sibling, significant other, whoever you are comfortable with seeing you in your most vulnerable state. I can't imagine having gone through those first 72 hours without someone's help.
- Drink as much water as you can. The first three days are pretty much a clear liquid diet. I wasn't really even that hungry because of my nausea.
- Take FULL advantage of the suction stick when you wake up from surgery. When you finally come to in the Hospital, they should give you a suction stick so that you can suck up excess blood that might be in your mouth. DO IT. I didn't start using it until about halfway through the night. And by then, who knows how much excess blood I had swallowed. I didn't swallow enough to make me sick, but I think it added to my nausea.
- Get up and move around the house. Being stuck in a bed or recliner for a week isn't much fun. I did a daily lap around the house to feel accomplished. Eventually I worked my way up to mile long morning walks at about 3 weeks out.
- Have a full supply of movies or TV shows ready to be binge watched. There was no way I was going to have the mental capacity to read a book, but I was able to handle quite a few Disney movies.
- If they offer to write you a prescription for anti-nausea meds to have at home, take them up on it. I didn't think I would need them, but then I got home and was so nauseated that I couldn't even take my pain meds. At least have them so that if you need them, they'll be there.
DON'Ts
- Crying. Don't do it. At least not for the first week or two. I found this out the hard way when my roommate called me to tell me she had gotten engaged. I had only been home from the hospital for a few hours and was still pretty drugged up. I couldn't control my emotions and started blubbering like a baby. My sinuses started draining all the blood and gunk that was in them, into my empty stomach. Pretty much right after that I got sick and threw up what little I had in my stomach. So try to be as chill as you can during the first week. About the time they tell you its okay to blow your nose again is probably when its safe to cry.
- Don't blow your nose. This really only applies to the people who are having the 3 piece upper done or someone who also had a deviated septum repair. It sucks, and its super hard, but don't do it. I recommend getting Q-tips and cleaning your nose out as needed. Just don't blow.
- Don't wait too long to take your next dosage of pain meds. This is especially important the first week. Try to stack them within 20 minutes of each new dosage so that they don't wear off and leave you in pain.
- Don't feel sorry for yourself for too long. Afterall, you did pay them to do this to you. You get like a 2 week grace period, then after that you should probably toughen up a bit.
BLOGS THAT HELPED ME A TON:
Please keep in mind that everyone's experiences are different and some people heal at different rates than others. These were all super great resources that I used to help inform myself before surgery.
https://roxsjawsurgery.wordpress.com/
https://www.doublejawsurgery.com/
http://mymilliondollarsmilee.blogspot.com/
http://survivingjawsurgery.blogspot.com/
http://www.twojawsurgery.com/p/recovery-timeline.html
I hope these tips help you with your recovery, each of the blogs above have their own lists and tips that helped me. It's good to look at them all because you can learn from others mistake and find what will work best for your recovery. I wish you good luck in your recovery, and remember that it WILL be worth it. :)
I went in the next morning, OH WHAT A GLORIOUS MORNING. I’ve heard it can be painful to get braces off, but it was really nothing compared to everything else I’ve endured these past two years. Once they popped the brackets off, they took a good 30 minutes to grind all the glue off and polish my teeth. I was super worried that I would have really yellow teeth, or yellow teeth with weird white spots where the brackets were, but that wasn’t the case. I was very pleased with how white my teeth were considering how much they’ve been through. Obviously, I’m still planning on whitening them a little more, but it’s nice to be able to smile confidently right away. After they had polished everything, I went back for retainer impressions. I hadn’t had to bite into that goop since I had braces the first time around (age 10). Then they sent me to the lab again to get final scans and my “after” picture for the wall of smiles.
I came back at about 3pm to pick up my retainer. The top fit
