Recovery Tips
Following is a summary of the most important things I learned during my recovery from double jaw surgery.
- Drink lots of prune juice and water. Your toilet time will be far from enjoyable for the first couple of weeks because you’re likely to be severely dehydrated. The prune juice will provide your body with the fiber it needs to work those bowels properly, but fiber is useless without water because it won’t dissolve in your body. I recommend a bare minimum of 1 L of water per day. Drink 2 L per day as soon as you can.
- Before you attempt to pull any dead skin off of your lips, be absolutely certain that it’s not a stitch. I learned this the hard way.
- Start using medicated lip balm immediately following your return to your own home. If you don’t, you’ll end up with flaps of dead skin that are half an inch in diameter, and I promise you they won’t feel good when they catch on your braces.
- Apply heat to your face 3-4 times per day for the first 5-6 weeks to help with the swelling. The heat will also help you fall asleep.
- Begin each day at a decent time. If you sleep most of the day, you won’t be able to sleep at night, and you’ll hate yourself for it. Get out of bed, shower, eat some breakfast and brush your teeth and you’ll enjoy each day a lot more. (This is good advice for any day of your life, but it especially applies when you’re on the verge of depression from having jaw surgery.)
- Go to bed on time. Yawning will cause you quite a bit of pain, so prevent it by getting the right amount of sleep during the proper hours.
- As soon as you’re able to talk clearly enough for friends and family to understand you, call people and be social. Go outside and enjoy nature. Whatever you do, ensure you don’t fall into a trap of loneliness and self-pity.
- Start drinking from a cup as soon as you’re physically able to. Your upwards trek back to having full energy begins the day you can throw your syringes in the garbage.
- Eat solid food as soon as your surgeon gives you the go-ahead. It’ll be a slow, tedious and frustrating process, but you need to go through with it in order to build your jaw muscles back up and learn how to chew properly once again.
- It may take some time to get used to your new smile and your newly structured face. Don’t be ashamed of yourself. You don’t look funny at all. You’re simply not used to looking like you’re supposed to.
- And lastly, don’t worry about your looks, bite or facial feeling for at least 6 months. You may have an open bite, but you’ll wake up one morning and your teeth will have migrated back together. You may be completely numb, but feeling will return almost overnight.
If you have any questions about the recovery process, or perhaps have other pointers to share with upcoming jaw surgery patients, feel free to jot them down in the comments.
November 7, 2010 at 8:39 pm
I wasn’t able to sleep through the night for about 2 weeks.
To get to sleep, I’d take codeine before bed, heat up a heatpack in the microwave, lay down on the couch with the heatpack on my face and fall asleep while watching TV.
It worked well enough, but I wasn’t well rested until at least a couple of weeks in.
November 7, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Hey Graham,
A week has passed now, I’m feeling much better on my pain scale. The only problem i’m having now is getting myself to sleep. Let me tell ya, I’ve been up for 35+ hours now. It really sucks because I can’t recover as fast. Did you have this problem? I have my first week apt with my surgeon tomorrow and will need to let them know every little thing that’s been going on with me. Just wondering if you had the same problem happened to you.
Thanks.
November 6, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Hey Lauren,
Glad to hear your recovery is going so well! I’m a bit jealous of how easy you’re making it sound.
You sound super excited about the outcome. I hope you’re impressed with it!
Talk to ya later.
November 6, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Hi,
I just had surgery last Tuesday!
My recovery is great so far, just a swollen face and that’s it really. Numbness on the right Hand side of my face but there is none on my left! I won’t finding out til Wednesday if I will be needing elastics or not as my bite went into place perfectly apparently! This site is amazing as I was totally freaking out about it all! I’ve been able to eat with a straw and a spoon since the day of my operation and te medicine makes me tired! Just wanna see what my face is gonna look like as I’ve hated my appearance for 20 years. I’ve added you on facebook Graham if you don’t mind! Thanks for this website, it’s been such a life saver! =] xx
November 2, 2010 at 11:18 am
Wow, I remember those first days–they were really uncomfortable. Try to drink as much Boost/Ensure as you can with the syringes, but don’t expect to be eating anything too efficiently for another few weeks.
Stay positive, my friend!
November 2, 2010 at 3:51 am
I just undergo surgery 2 days ago on top and bottom jaw because of a serious underbite. Had phlegm for a day now, been coughing lately. Throat is in serious pain. Uvula is super swollen, unable to swallow liquid at the moment. Vomit up alot of blood yesterday. Throat is so dry, but been trying to swallow water as best as I can. Hopefully these pain go away really quick, as I hate being in this position right now.
October 20, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Hey Julia,
I had trouble breathing for the first few weeks as well. I found that I had no issues while sleeping, which led me to believe that I was just feeling a bit claustrophobic due to the swelling and phlegm.
The only solution I found was always gurgling with salt water and hanging my head over a sink to drain the blood and phlegm out of my mouth. It sounds gross, but it was the best I could come up with.
Unless your brother gets sick and stuffed up even more, I think it’s just an inconvenience for the first few weeks of recovery.
Graham
October 20, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Hi Graham,
I’m not sure if you still check this blog but my brother is on day 3 of double jaw surgery with his jaw wired shut – he is finding it very difficult to breathe. He also has lots of phlegm he says which is also difficult to deal with. Just wondering if you had any suggestions of what he could do to feel more comfortable or breathe easier. Thanks.
October 1, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Hehe, I like how showering all by yourself is such a triumph. I know how exciting that can be!
Keep thinking positive, my friend.
October 1, 2010 at 3:13 pm
this site is very helpful. im on my 3rd day, im trying to stay active, just by walking around, and doing what i can for my self. ive showered twice (solo) now. but i just wanted to say thanks man this site is great it really helps relieve anxiety.
September 1, 2010 at 2:14 am
Hi Cindy!
Patience is key here! Time will fly by once you’re talking and eating again, I promise!
Soon enough, you’ll be loving the new face smiling back at you in the mirror. =)
August 30, 2010 at 4:26 pm
I’m almost a week post-op and I already miss solid foods :P. Also, my face is still swollen but you look a lot better than I do right now – let me just tell you it’s hard to look in the mirror aha. I’m a pretty impatient person so I’m anxious to see my results. I’m glad I found this blog, it should help me along the way :). Thanks for posting!
August 14, 2010 at 2:11 pm
The first 2 weeks are the toughest, my friend. Remember to get outside. 🙂
August 14, 2010 at 5:24 am
I am 4 days post-op and I miss chewing so much. I hope to be able to feel better everyday. I find it quite a struggle to get through the day at the moment.
August 13, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I still remember it well! Eating is such a blessing. =)
August 13, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Thanks for doing this daily update! It’s fun to read, and will keep me occupied as I trudge through the same journey. Also, it’s comforting to know of other people that have had surgery similar to mine and understands all the pains and sadnesses of not being able to eat “real” food (including friends constantly asking you to go out for a bite). It makes me feel slightly better that there are those out there who can fully sympathize. Glad your recovery has gone well!
August 11, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Hi there!
I only ever rinsed my mouth out using water and the medicated mouthwash the surgeon prescribed for me. Once I was able to brush, I started doing that.
My mouth was absolutely disgusting until my splint was taken out and I was completely unbanded though.
I never used sponges or Q-tips to clean my gums. I just accepted that my mouth wouldn’t be fresh until I could brush and floss like a regular person once again.
You’ll be in Heaven when you’re allowed to open your mouth again! Keep thinking positive!
August 11, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Hey Graham,
Great site, thanks for keeping it posted! I have used this site as my bible for the past few weeks and will be using it for months to come. I am now 6 days post-op and I was wondering if you had any advice on rinsing and cleaning in general – my situation is a bit different for the fact that I am actually wired (not banded) shut and likely will be for 3-4 weeks. I have a small (youth) toothbrush and use the rinse as outlined but I find it hard with both my lips being numb and my teeth being stuck together. Did you ever use a sponge or Q-tips to clean your gums? I read that from someone else on another site because it looked like they had buildup on there. Anywho, any feedback will be great and I’ll keep posted!
Thanks and congratulations on your progress and results!
July 18, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Jessbav, I couldn’t agree more with all of your points, especially the one about keeping active. Getting outside for a walk each and every day in the beginning of your recovery is one of the most important things I can think of.
If you don’t, you may end up miserable very quickly. Enjoy that sunlight!
July 18, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Another tip or two:
1) Don’t worry if you spit out (or drain out) a fair bit of blood and yucky mucous in the first week or so. It’s UTTERLY REVOLTING but quite normal, so don’t panic like I did. Get yourself a couple of RED pillow cases as you may wake up with blood on your pillow. Keep a little damp towel by the bed, and plenty of (soft balm) tissues, to mop up as necessary.
2) You may lose your voice for a bit, or find it REALLY hard to talk. Try talking more quietly and in a lower register, as it’ll put less strain on the voice. Don’t avoid talking altogether, even though it’s not comfortable, as it’ll help with swelling and muscle strength.
3) Don’t worry if you get shooting nerve pains for a few days – of course, it’s worth checking out if it lasts longer than that, but your nerves will be stretched quite a bit during surgery so may well complain about it. It is HORRIBLE but temporary.
4) Try to keep gently active as you can. You’ll lose your muscle strength surprisingly quickly and soon feel as weak as a kitten, so try to go out for a walk every day if you can, and build up slowly. Try not to avoid EVERYTHING in life, but keep on doing stuff even if you feel weak, and sad.
5) Don’t worry if you feel low,depressed,sad, grumpy, & irritable: some of this is due to the medication, and some of it is just normal recovery. Keep doing as much of your normal activity as you possibly can, and try not to get seduced into a self-pitiful collapsing on the sofa mentality for too long or for too often. The reverse is also important – don’t do too much too soon. Listen to your body if it HURTS or is EXHAUSTED.