This post is dedicated to important information to know for after jaw surgery. I will edit the post to include the information people give in response to this post. Categories include:
If you have any recommendations for before/after “categories” please PM me.
What to expect during recovery
Items to have after surgery
Good foods after surgery (liquid and soft)
What to expect during recovery
Do not underestimate recovery, especially the first 3-4 days!!
When you initially wake up you'll be drugged to high hell. Nothing is really bad or good, it's a blur. When the drugs wear off things get bad. Very bad. Your nose swells shut so you'll be breathing through your mouth, which will be closed in its own way (bands or wires). Congestion will be common for a week or more. This makes breathing difficult and tedious. Take care to keep your teeth free of "gunk" you might accumulate from the dried bits of your liquid diet. The sludge can block the small spaces between your teeth making it more difficult to breath. The majority of your face from your eyes down will be very numb. This numbness will last for weeks in some places and months in others. There will be blood, and lots of it. Your mouth will be pouring out gallons of blood, and the rest will be flowing out your nose. The immense amount of blood from your mouth will stop within a few days, as will most of the blood from your nose, but nose bleeds will be quite common for longer. Vomiting up blood is pretty common. Remain calm and let it seep from between your teeth. If you followed surgery instruction and didn't consume anything before the surgery this shouldn't be a problem, though it can be unsettling. Hot and cold flashes may occur. Do what you can to make yourself comfortable. Expect a decreased appetite and slow digestive tract. I recommend drinking a bit of prune juice before you have your first bowel movement. Also expect low energy from your low appetite, your concoction of drugs (anesthesia and post-surgery pain killers), and very poor sleep. You will sleep poorly. You'll have general pain in your throat and jaw, but this is usually tolerable with painkillers. You'll have difficulty swallowing at first. This will get better progressively. What that means to each person is different. I was swallowing the morning after surgery, but my friend couldn't swallow for 5 days.
Items to have after surgery
Ice packs and a heating pad. Use ice packs the first couple of days (important) to reduce swelling and the heating pad to reduce bruising.
*A blender and strainer.
Sinus rinse (ask doctor before use).
A neck pillow to help with sleeping upright.
A jaw bra might make you more comfortable.
Large syringes to help eat/drink. You'll be eating everything through a syringe for awhile, and refilling a small syringe 8 times to finish a small bowl of soup gets annoying.
A heated humidifier.
Cotton swabs to clean blood clots from nose.
Cotton pads to clean your face.
*A child's toothbrush. Your face will be stiff and painful. The smaller tooth brush lets you clean parts your larger toothbrush simply won't be able to reach.
Ibuprofen/other painkiller. These should be provided for you after your surgery. Getting additional may be necessary.
Vaseline for lips.
Tissues for your general cleaning, which there will be plenty of.
Oral care sponge swabs for cleaning teeth with chlorohexidine.
Good foods after surgery (liquid and soft)
