1 month!

So it's been a month since my surgery and it's clichéd but time has flown by! I cannot emphasise enough to anyone considering double jaw surgery, do it! It has improved every aspect of my life. I have better self-esteem/general confidence, I breathe much more easily through both my nose and mouth - this has also improved my sense of smell & my jaw's new position puts less stress on my face and teeth (which used to grind.) I was lucky in that my bottom jaw suffered no nerve damage so I have full feeling in my chin/bottom lip/lower face. I have almost all feeling/sensation back in my nose, I can feel both sides of my face and only have a very small area of numbness in the upper left corner of my lips (which causes 0 problems as I hardly notice!). 

Currently I'm eating almost a normal diet; I'm trying to chew a little bit to make sure I exercise my jaw if not a little bit. I tend to cut all my chewy-ish meals into smaller, easier bites and if it aches at all I stop. This system seems to be working well as I was concerned about my weight loss/energy levels.

My advice immediately post-surgery

• Try to drink as much water/fruit juice as possible. Whilst milkshakes are fab and everything, too much of them will upset your digestive system and drinking as much as possible will lower your swelling.

• Sleep with one more pillow than usual; raising your head above your body is vital to make sure blood doesn't rush to your head and worsen swelling.

• I was sent home with only prescription paracetamol. If your painkillers are not sufficient, contact your NHS dentist. They will prescribe you something stronger and you avoid the mess that is A&E. (I had dyhydrocodeine which was enough.)

• Try to wean yourself naturally off of your painkillers after a week or so of recovery. Relying on them is unhealthy and your swelling will peak after 2/3 days and then improve anyway.

• Experiment with ice/heat packs every half an hour or so - it will lessen the pain externally too and is quite soothing.

• Know your limits the first couple of weeks after your op. Trust me, I wanted to go for walks and exploreeee and I had zero energy to do so. You lose a lot of blood during surgery and consequently it will take about a month- 6 weeks to get back to normal. I went to school 6 days after my op to do a Photography exam, but I was lucky in that I managed. (Naps were very common the first 2 weeks.)

• Invest in an irrigator to clean your teeth. When brushing (which you should as much as you can to avoid infection) using a hand held irrigator is super helfpul to remove debris from your meals. 

• I would buy a lot of comfy pyjamas to laze about in, you'll feel so much better.

• Showers are going to make you feel 100 times better.

• You may find that blood clots in your nose after surgery. It is so important that you don't blow your nose for at leaaast 2 weeks or so postop (and even then don't over do it in case you burst a blood vessel). It is possible to clean the clots out with cotton buds and warm water or saline spray to ease your breathing.

{this is my own personal advice and should be consolidated medically}

UPDATE PHOTOSSS

(My bottom lip still appears more prominent as my braces have been rubbing!)