Day 38: Questions and Getting Old . . .

My teeth ache a lot today. Given that I am once again banded shut you would expect that I would be used to the aches and pains but the placement of the new bands is such that they are pulling on teeth that have not previously not been banded

The bands are stretching all the way to the back of my mouth on the last surgical hook on either side of my lower jaw. They then stretch to the front of my teeth on my upper jaw. The result is that my back teeth feel like they are being pulled out! They definitely are keeping my jaws from drifting however so I should to complain too much. Let me just say here that I think I am pretty good at getting my bands on and off presently but it is sooo difficult getting the bands to hook on to the new surgical hook at the back of my mouth. . .

In talking with my surgeon yesterday, I had my usual weekly list of questions as they relate to my recovery. Where some of the questions are concerned, I was pretty sure I already knew the answers but I just wanted to make sure I knew what to expect . . .

Swelling and Facial Profile
In terms of my profile and the fact it looks rather flat compared with my pre-surgery profile, it will look that way for quite some time until my swelling disappears. I always knew that I would be swollen for up to a year, but my surgeon told me that "given my age" he expects it will take up to 18 months for my swelling to disappear!

Firstly, what on earth does he mean, my age, that makes me sound old! Wow, that is the first time in my life that someone has called me old to my face and said that my age is now affecting how I will recover. I mean, you only say something like that when you are talking about your aged parents or grandparents! I am not even 40!

Secondly, 18 months having a chipmunk face and a flat side profile. Beautiful. Cannot get better than that now can it!? That genuinely seems like a rather long time to look like a chipmunk don't you think.The swelling obviously affects the way your face looks; your cheeks, nose, chin, everything is affected. Just like if you add a lot of weight or even lose a lot of weight, it changes the way you look. Exactly the same where swelling is concerned.

Chewing Schedule
Typically you can start chewing at the sixth week mark but I wondered about the chewing schedule, what kinds of foods should you start with, when can you progress to different food groups, etc.

Given that my jaws are drifting (see yesterday's post) I am no longer allowed to start chewing next week :( Instead, I have to wait until my jaws and teeth are stable which he imagines will be a month or so away. So no chewing for a month or until I get to go ahead from him. Ah well, what can you do . . .

WaterPik
For anyone who has ever had braces, you know how amazing the waterpik is! Sine my surgery, I have not been able to use it to clean my teeth (bands, cannot open mouth wide enough, sensitive teeth, etc) but I now have permission to use it again, yay!!!!! :)


That was about it really, just a few questions as many of my other questions were essentially deferred given that my bands will remain on for a little bit longer . . .