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.
October 19, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Hello hello!!
This is my tenth week post op! Toothache gone.
Swelling gone.
Only healing remains in the chin area. Orthodontist and surgeon are thrilled with the results.
As am I.
IT IS LIFECHANGING!!!!
Abt 3-5 more mths of braces and then I’m gonna have a chew party!!! Whoop whoop.
Take care guys!!!!
October 12, 2011 at 9:06 pm
hahaha good luck with that one…
October 12, 2011 at 8:03 pm
Sam, please try to convince your husband to send me an iPad as well so I can respond to your comments more swiftly.
Thanks in advance. =)
October 12, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Thanks Guys. I am so excited of course – you all know how bad the wait is. I am loving your blog. I am trying to convince my husband I need an IPAD or a new Laptop so I can have it during my recovery…. 🙂 Yeah the first month will be quite exhausting for me. I have a 1 1/2 year old and a 3 1/2 year old so I am always on my toes.
October 12, 2011 at 3:48 am
I thought I’d help keep this thread international 😀 I’ll let you know how it goes! Good luck to you too Sam, I’m sure everything will go just great!
October 11, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Sam, you’re a trooper! The operation will certainly slow you down for a month or so, but judging by the amount of responsibility you’re currently undertaking, you possess the willpower to jump right back into the swing of things.
All the best in a few weeks!
October 11, 2011 at 9:50 pm
I am 33 years old I have 2 kids and I work full time. I live in Kennewick, WA and I am getting upper and lower jaw surgery in 3 weeks and I am so nervous but so can’t wait for it to be over. I have been waiting for this for a very long time. I just want to say this is the best site I have found so far. Thanks for all the information. Any and all advice is appreciated.
October 10, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Nice to meet you, Sinead! You’re the first person from Ireland on here (or at the least the first to join the conversation).
Looking forward to hearing about your results!
October 8, 2011 at 7:24 pm
Hi everyone!i’m 19 and from Ireland 🙂 I have a cleft palate and wil be getting jaw surgery in hopefully the coming months. getting my xrays done on monday so hopefully my orthodontist will be able to give me a date soon. i was hesitant about getting the surgery at first but after reading all your comments, i’m so excited to get it done-i have no doubt the pain and discomfort will be worth it all! just wanted to say this blog is awesome! thanks a lot to graham for setting it all up – its a credit to him its still going strong so long after the initial post!
-Sinéad
October 5, 2011 at 3:21 pm
I remember those initial sleepless nights. They’re definitely taxing, but I assure you they will go away and you’ll start waking up with a smile.
Be careful when you start blowing your nose again so you don’t break any clots.
Stay positive, Rebecca!
October 5, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Thanks for the site, the information you have provided has been so helpful! I am one week into my recovery from having both upper and Lower jaw surgery. The swelling has drastically decreased but the numbness is in full swing and feels so strange but i find everyday gets easier and i learn to adjust! My nose and throat are both very sore but i spoke with my doctor and he says he completely normal and i should not blow my nose or bend over for the first 10 days and everything will go back to normal! With all the pain, hunger and sleepless nights I know in the end i will be happy that i went through with the surgery!
Thanks again!!!
September 27, 2011 at 3:21 pm
I found the most difficult part; so much swelling i couldnt close my mouth to swallow or use any of my face muscles. I was syringe feeding when i got home but because i couldnt control my muscles i ended up dribling but due to the numbness i never noticed!! which was a bit embarasing! despite everything i would do it all again (im currently day 26 post surgery) xx
September 27, 2011 at 11:29 am
Mo, the most difficult parts were the inability to speak and eat. You’ll likely be blending food for at least a few weeks, and you’ll have difficulty communicating because of the initial swelling.
I went back to work after 2 weeks, but I didn’t resume a normal lifestyle for about 6 weeks.
It’s totally worth it in the long run though! Good luck!
September 27, 2011 at 11:01 am
I will be having surgery on both jaws pretty soon. I have had my braces on for over 6 months. It’s looking like early summer for surgery. I am really nervous about it all. What was the hardest part to deal with after coming home? How long did it take before you were able to resume to most normal activities?
September 13, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Thanks so much!! I appreciate that! Great site!
September 13, 2011 at 10:39 am
Hi Nikki!
I’d recommend taking a full month off of work if you’re required to speak to people. I returned to my job after 2 weeks only because I was able to work on the computer and avoid conversation.
I didn’t have any nausea, but I know some people react to the anesthetic and feel a bit sick for the first few days. It won’t last more than a week though, so it’s really nothing to worry about. =)
September 13, 2011 at 10:33 am
Sonya, the only toothaches I had were because the splint has jumped out of position and was rubbing against a specific tooth. If you have any sort of aching pain like that, your surgeon will be able to help you out. I went and saw my surgeon for a couple of unscheduled appointments in an effort to alleviate discomfort.
Hopefully you take care of it soon!
September 13, 2011 at 8:28 am
Hi! I’m having my jaw surgery to correct my underbite later this year. I was curious as to how long I will have to take off work? My job isn’t physically demanding, but I do have to speak with patients, which I see may be a bit difficult? And also, did you have any problems with nausea? I’m mostly concerned with this part. It seems like not many people have too much pain! Thanks so much!
September 13, 2011 at 2:27 am
Hi Graham,
Firstly,thanks a ton for the blog. It has helped a alot. I am a month post op(had double jaw and chin surgery)…I am taking it day by day and some days are certainly better then others. The one thong that I can’t understand though is the toothache that I experience all along the bottom right side of my mouth? Have you experienced toothache? I just can’t understand why the teeth would hurt so
much and it’s only the teeth on the one side. Any thoughts or similar experiences? I’d love to hear about them.
Thanks again.
September 11, 2011 at 9:32 am
Thanks…just had a pity party for myself. I just want the healing over and done with. Will talk less ;). And just take it one day at a time. also nervous if I’ll ever get sensation back in my chin and lip area…must say you were pretty awesome and positive during your recovery!!! Much respect! :)…