Jaw Surgery Forums » Post-Surgery and Recovery Questions

personal life; eating, talking, being intimate.

(9 posts)
  • Started 1 year ago by noosh
  • Latest reply from Brandy Jane
  • 3 Members Subscribed To Topic

  1. noosh
    Member

    So I'm going to be going back to school (college) and I'm nervous about my personal and social life.
    I'm 6+week post op.. almost 7
    there is a guy I had been seeing and I'm nervous bout dating him again and stuff. we want to see each other but idk when I'll be ready ready to hang out with him like before. U know making out..
    Talking is also more awkward for me because even tho my swelling is mostly gone (except the cheeks) and the splint is out. I talk with a lisp.. will that get better? or will i have to go to speech therapy..its only been 2 days that I can start eating and I'm still not used to it.. I cant chew a lot. I swallow a lot of unchewed food (much like when I had the underbite)
    Any suggestions. thnx

    Posted 1 year ago #

  2. jsaez0925
    Member

    Hey Noosh,

    I am about 5 weeks out and I understand what you are going through. I have been seeing someone and for me, it has been extremely difficult to not be able to kiss and be intimate. I am just now regaining most of my feeling in my top lip, but the bottom lip is still numb. So kissing is only half as satisfying as it was, and still a bit awkward. Bottom line is that the kissing, the eating, talking, you are learning how to do all over again and that takes time. You have to be patient with yourself and go at your own pace.

    Whoever you interact with day to day(be it a boyfriend, or your best friend, or coworkers) has to be patient and understand what you are going as well. Just be honest with what you are dealing with and people will appreciate that.

    Most important thing is that you take care of yourself and heal up. Everything will be waiting for ya when you are ready again.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  3. noosh
    Member

    thanks. that was actually really helpful. But since the beginning (even though I know its not true) the physical feeling I have is that "its not going to get any better" like i dont see it getting better.. but you r right I just have to take it a day at a time to see how it will go about

    Posted 1 year ago #

  4. tamara
    Member

    HAHAHAHHAHA
    Don't worry, I am 2 weeks post op and tried to share a kiss with my boyfriend and didn't even realize he had kissed me. It was really awkward but those who really care about you won't care and will be there for you once this is all done (:

    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. jessica2117
    Member

    I'm so glad you asked this! I broke up with my boyfriend of 5 years a little over a month pre-surgery, and now that I'm single, I've been anxious about getting into the dating scene. I'm almost 7 weeks post op as well, and although I have some feeling in my top lip, my bottom lip and chin are completely numb. The area above my top lip is stiff as well, and my cheeks have some swelling still. Basically, I have a lisp and talking for long periods of time makes it worse - which is not ideal for dating obviously! Then there's the issue of kissing... And as far as laughing/smiling and talking are concerned, I still have a sort of "stiff" look - which I think is from the swelling/numbness around my mouth. But I don't want to start dating until I feel and look like myself again! I want to be confident going into the date, especially if I really like the guy and want to make a good first impression!

    Can anyone else relate? Those further out of the op - when would you say you would have felt comfortable/confident enough to begin dating... and everything that comes along with it? :)

    Thanks!

    I had orthognathic surgery on my upper and lower jaws to correct a cross-bite and underbite on June 7th, 2010. It's been a long journey, but I would do it all over again. The results have been life-changing, and if sharing my experience helps others, it makes it all the more worthwhile. :)
    Posted 1 year ago #

  6. alwayssmilling
    Member

    im at 3 weeks.. and i try to kiss my boyfriend, i dont feel ANYTHING! im leaving in afew weeks to go to england and wont see him for 6 months so these few weeks i have left are VERY important to me! swelling is almost gone but still have abit of numbness on my left cheek and chin. can anyone tell me when i will be able to enjoy the the simple kissing again? :D

    Posted 9 months ago #

  7. Brandy Jane
    Member

    Those of you who said you have a lisp - did you have it before surgery as well? If it's a new issue for you - is it suppose to go away?

    Brandy =)
    Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are. ~Malcolm S. Forbes
    Posted 9 months ago #

  8. annafaith
    Member

    I've not got a lisp, but after having lower jaw surgery (advancement), I had problems with fricatives like 's'. When you speak, the sound resonates through your oral and/or nasal cavity, so if your cheeks and lips are swollen and have restrictive movement, you're probably going to end up sounding a little different, as you're not able to make the normal precise movements to shape sounds. For me these problems went away in a matter of days as my swelling reduced, however, I did not have any speech sound problems before surgery. I've not heard of anyone ever acquiring a speech problem as a result of surgery either, and when I asked my surgeon, he said it wasn't even an issue at all. Hope that helps a little x

    http://annafaithjawsurgery.blogspot.com/
    Posted 9 months ago #

  9. Brandy Jane
    Member

    Thanks Annafaith
    I have a lisp (I guess that's what you call it). When I say words with s, ch, j they sound different, the s sounds a little slurred. I am actually hoping that after surgery this will go away. Right now I need lower jaw advancement. If I say Ssssssss the air comes out the side of my teeth instead of the front like it's suppose to. I believe that once my jaw is moved forward my tongue will have more room to extend forward and feel in the gaps that it currently does not - thus making my sssssss sound come out the front.
    Who knows - you have any opinion on that?

    Thanks :)

    Posted 9 months ago #

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