Anyone had maxillo-facial surgery?

[teddyFBI]

I'm getting it done in August -- had braces on now for about 3 months...so 3 more months, then surgery, then braces come off around this time next year.

What's recovery like, and most importantly, will I be able to play online poker?? I have no illusions about this recovery being easy -- I'm fully expecting that I'll essentially be bedridden for 3 to 4 days, then confined to my apt. for a week or 2, and then perhaps very limited in my activities for another few weeks. But in weeks 1-4 (excluding the first few days post-op), will I feel fine to sit in front of the computer and 8-table?? Or is it the kind of recovery that knocks you on your ass and you want to do nothing but lie in bed all day and stare at the ceiling high on percocet?

[EliteNinja]

What's wrong with your face?

[bernie]

Getting your jaw wired shut for a month?

It's good times.

If it's anything like what I had done, upper jaw, the 1st week sucks. Big time. You will never want to go through it again. Pain will be your bedfellow.

Once you get by that, the next weeks are a breeze.

Carnation instant breakfast blended with ice cream, 3 eggs and protein powder.

Good luck.

b

[bugstud]

8 tabling shouldn't be an issue. I suggest blendered forzen fruits, and blendered chili as your two prime food groups. That's what mine were anyway.

upper, lower, both? I only had lower.

[Blarg]

Stock up big time, really big, on a very wide variety of very easy to eat and just as important, easy to prepare food/drink. When you're sick or in recovery and feeling weak and out of it, going to the grocery store can be really hard on you and it can be very hard to get motivated to do it. Being zoned out on pain killers doesn't make it any easier.

Anyway, the temptation is to not eat well if going to the store becomes hard for you. And you need lots of good food when in recovery. So stock up so you have to do very little running to the grocery store during your recovery phase. Sometimes it's surprising how quick you can rip through food and drink when you have to ignore lots of what you've stocked up on because it makes you nauseous during recovery or is just too hard to eat or whatever. Make sure you have vitamins etc, too.

Oh, and do all your laundry and cleaning etc. before surgery. You are not going to want to be doing chores after. Might even want to pay some bills early, because pain can make you pretty spacey.

[teddyFBI]

[ QUOTE ]
What's wrong with your face?

[/ QUOTE ]

Open bite. Getting both upper and lower.

I'm actually nervously looking forward to it. I've seen the before/after computer projections of the changes to my appearance, and the afters look great. It wasn't a decision I made lightly, but I'm glad I'm doing it.

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
Open bite. Getting both upper and lower

[/ QUOTE ]

Holy Sh*t!!! Both!?!

Aren't you going to be hating life for a week or 2. Again, once you make it though that first week, you should be fine. I've got some good stories about my experience, however, I will wait until after to trade them. Feel free to PM me.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm actually nervously looking forward to it

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope everything goes very smooth for you. This is going to be a doozy. However, it is well worth it if your problem is that bad. Even though it will be an experience you will never want to go through again.

b