Ask Bella: Zip-n-Squeeze Update

Q: I am getting upper and lower jaw surgery on January 28. I was planning on buying some Zip-n-Squeeze bags to help with eating but after I found this blog I am a little concerned about their customer service and the legitimacy of the company. One, did you need them and two, did you have problems with the company? Were there any other items you wish you had purchased or been prepared with before the surgery (i.e. a jaw bra) or would really recommend?

A: Thanks for reading, and writing. I didn't have problems with the Zip-n-Squeeze company back when I had my surgery, but that was almost two years ago, and there seems to be something going on with the company over the last several months. The website is still up, but when you try to put anything into your cart, you will get the message, "This recipient is currently unable to receive money." So, even if you want to order from them, you can't.

However, I'll tell you what I've told other people who have written me, frantically trying to get their hands on Zip-n-Squeeze bags: they're not necessary. I didn't even use mine very much. In the hospital, I used the syringes and tubing they provided, and at home, I did use the smaller Zip-n-Squeeze bags to rinse my mouth out with salt water and to drink juice, but I found that because I got my swelling down so quickly, I was able to slurp pudding or soup from a spoon, and the syringes worked well, too.

I was wired shut for two weeks, and four days were spent in the hospital where I didn't have to worry about taking care of myself, so that was handy. I imagine it would be more difficult for people who are wired shut longer, but when it comes to coping with hunger, people can be really resourceful - we will always find something that works to get food into our mouths!

As for your other question, here's a list of things I took to the hospital when I had my surgery: http://www.smilingbella.com/2008/02/things-to-pack-for-hospital.html. I think a jaw bra would be fantastic - be sure to get lots of extra cooling pacs and put them in your freezer so they're ready when you need them. Of course, there is a low-tech way to do this as well. The hospital gave me this gauze sock that they put cooling pacs in and tied around my head; it worked just as well, though it wasn't nearly as pretty (pictures are here: http://www.smilingbella.com/2008/02/week-in-pictures.html).

Good luck with your surgery!


*To ask Bella a question about her jaw surgery, email her at smilingbella at gmail dot com or leave a comment on this post. Go ahead: ask away!!

Ask Bella: Talking after unwiring

Q: I just had jaw surgery 3 1/2 weeks ago and I'm going to get the wires out next week. I'm pretty concerned with my speech 'cause I'm still in school and I have to practice on my public speaking skills. I know you can't exactly talk perfectly right away or open your mouth but I want to know how long did it take you to start talking normal and be able to open your mouth?

A: I didn't find that the surgery affected my speech at all. Once I was unwired, I could only open my mouth a little bit, but it was enough to speak clearly - more clearly than I could with my jaw wired shut, that's for sure!

I could open my mouth wide enough to get a small toothbrush as well as a spoon in there right away, so that's what really mattered to me. Food and clean teeth! More information on how long it took me to get my mouth opening back to normal can be found on my blog under the category "range of motion."

However, I will mention my jaw was only advanced 4 mm. I have heard of some people who had major advancements (more than 7 mm) and found it affected their speech enough that they had to go to speech therapy. So, it depends on how much of an advancement you got (I'm assuming you had the same lower jaw surgery I did.)

In any event, you will be fine. It might be great right away or it might take a little work, but you'll know for sure in a few days, right?

Best wishes, and please let me know how it goes.


*To ask Bella a question about her jaw surgery, email her at smilingbella at gmail dot com or leave a comment on this post. Go ahead: ask away!!

Website review: BracesReview.com

Please note: this is a sponsored review.

I just got a new sponsor for my blog, a site called www.bracesreview.com (the link is in my sidebar as well.) They asked me to review their site, and I thought it might be useful for my readers if I took a spin and reported on what the site has to offer us jaw surgery folks.

One thing I will give you a heads-up about is that there are a lot of ads on this site, so you will have to take a few seconds to orient yourself and distinguish between the ad links and the information links so you can find what you're looking for. I'll give you some of the most important links in this review, so that will help you, too.

Online Forum and Blogs

The most useful part of the site for us is the braces forums. In the forums, people can share experiences, information, photos, and ask questions of others who have gone through the same procedures. There is a forum called orthognathic surgery that could serve as a good resource for someone researching or going through jaw surgery. Some of the topics currently being discussed among members of this forum are: having to wear headgear after orthognathic surgery, questions about surgery for overbites, and updates on how people are recovering after surgery. It's a smaller forum, which can be a good thing, because there is a strong community built among regulars, offering regular support to one another.

I frequented both large and small online forums when I was researching my jaw surgery (see my sidebar under "online support groups") and found that there are advantages and disadvantages to each. The large forums have a wide variety of experiences and views expressed; however, if you ask a question, it may get lost and go unanswered; also, posts are added constantly, so it can be overwhelming to search through all of them to find what you needed. Smaller forums have a homier and more personal feel, but because there are less people involved, you may not always find the specific advice you're looking for.

I would suggest checking out a variety of online forums to find what's right for you, or, ideally, using a combination of them to get the answers you need. And, of course, once you've gone through your own jaw surgery journey, consider sharing your knowledge and experience with others on these forums so you may give back to our community.

I also thought it was cool that the braces forum has links to an area where members can post blogs about their orthodontic experiences. As I am writing this, there are 130 blogs on this page, and it is quite easy to navigate; there is a search function, and blogs are also organized into categories, including one for oral surgery. It's useful to have so many blogs in one place so you don't have to go digging for information (which is why I have so many links to jaw surgery blogs for you in my sidebar!)

Articles

At the bottom of the site's home page, you'll find links to a number of articles addressing common questions about braces. I read a number of them, and found some of the topics quite fun. For instance, there's an article explaining how you can make fake braces for a costume (might also be useful to see how you look in braces before you get them) and one about how to kiss with braces. Others are informative, such as how important it is to wear retainers for life after your braces are taken off, and issues surrounding permanent bonded retainers (something a dentist recommended to me after my teeth relapsed, but my orthodontist vetoed because they're so hard to keep clean. Whew - good thing I didn't go that route.)

Insurance and Orthodontists

The site also has links to information on orthodontic insurance for Americans, which is important because braces plus surgery can add up to tens of thousands of dollars. (I am Canadian, so this section doesn't really apply to me, as my surgery was covered under our universal health care program; however, I did purchase private insurance to cover part of the cost of my braces.) The site also has links to orthodontists in the States.

Summary

There is some good information on this site that can be useful to you in making decisions on getting braces and/or having jaw surgery. I would recommend you check out the forums and blogs for sure.

Navigating jaw surgery: top topics

Thank you everyone who has written me to say that my site has helped you through your own jaw surgery decisions and experiences. Even though it's been almost two years since my surgery, I still get a fair number of emails and questions from people doing research. I thought I would give you some links that will make it easier to find what you're looking for on my blog:

• Acupuncture
  
  
• Anemia
  
  
• Ask Bella
  
  
• Blogging
  
  
• Bruising
  
  
• Complementary Medicine
  
  
• Depression
  
  
• Homeopathic
  
  
• Jaw Surgery
  
  
• Lymph Drainage Massage
  
  
• Numbness
  
  
• Orthodontics
  
  
• Physiotherapy
  
  
• Pictures
  
  
• Preparations
  
  
• Range of Motion
  
  
• Recipes
  
  
• Screws
  
  
• Singing
  
  
• Supplements
  
  
• Swelling
  
  
• TMJ
  
  
• Wired Jaw

Don't forget about all the links in my sidebar, including links to other jaw surgery bloggers. If you don't see what you're looking for in my posts or links, feel free to email me at smilingbella at gmail dot com.

Ortho-don't-ist

Last week, I went to the orthodontist only to find the door locked and a sign saying that all appointments were cancelled due to "sterilization issues."

Being involved in animal rescue, I immediately thought this meant my orthodontist was being neutered. He couldn't keep his appointments because he was currently under the knife, or he had just had the procedure done and had acquired some kind of unspeakable infection.

And now, the mental image of him holding a big bag of ice to his crotch is traumatizing me to no end.

Ew.

On the plus side, the appointment was rescheduled for today, and to my surprise, he took my braces off!

Freedom, finally! I am whitening my brace-free teeth as I type! Hooray!!

Zip-N-Squeeze debacle

Just wanted to warn all the jaw surgery buddies who are having surgery over the next few months that something seems to be up with Zip-N-Squeeze.

According to Carrie at The Winnipeg Teeth/Lower Jaw Surgery Transformation, the company has been accepting orders online but hasn't been sending them out, leaving a lot of people scrambling to try and get their money back from PayPal. I checked Dinner Through a Straw, the site I ordered my Zip-N-Squeeze bags from, and it states that all of the Zip-N-Squeeze products are "temporarily out of stock."

So, anyone wanting this product is out of luck for now. It will be interesting to know if this is truly a temporary situation, or if the company is done like the pureed dinner we wish we could put in their bags.

If anyone hears updates, drop me a line.

Ask Bella: Sleeping after jaw surgery

Q: I have a question for you that I don't recall any mention of in your blog - How exactly did you manage to sleep through the first few weeks of recovery? I'm reading a lot of comments from people about the necessity of sleeping in an almost upright position. I've been on the hunt for some kind of reclining chair, but I would hate to buy something I'll never use again. What did you do to manage? Any suggestions/tips?

A: Thanks for the question! You're right - I don't think I've talked about that at all on this blog.

In the hospital, they'll have the upper part of your bed elevated. At home, you can do the same thing by putting a stack of pillows behind your head/shoulders. No need for a special chair at all, or to sleep in an upright position - just propped up. I think some people get carried away with getting all kinds of accessories for this surgery!

I bought a pillow with arms on it, which is sometimes called a "Bed Rest Pillow." It works really well at keeping your upper body elevated without being completely upright. It looks like this:

Image via www.smarter.com

It was inexpensive - something like $30 - and should be available in department stores. It makes more sense than buying a special chair for just a few weeks. Plus, I'd rather sleep in my own bed than in a chair, wouldn't you?

I slept propped up for a month or so after surgery. I found that I got used to it, and that after I started sleeping without the bed rest pillow, it was strange to get used to the "normal" way again.

Good luck and sweet dreams!

*To ask Bella a question about her jaw surgery, email her at smilingbella at gmail dot com or leave a comment on this post. Go ahead: ask away!!

Don't count your brackets before they've been removed

Remember when I said my braces were supposed to come off on August 8?

Well, scratch that. One of my brackets came loose before my last appointment and a gap opened up big enough that food was getting impacted in it every time I ate. Fun!! Also, there are some other gaps that need to be closed as well. When I asked if my braces will come off at my next appointment, I was told with a laugh, "Oh, no. It will be longer than that."

I may not make corn on the cob season this year. Oh well, I may have to head down to the Farmer's Market, buy a bunch of corn, and freeze it until I'm brace-free. I am determined to have corn on the cob, and I will have corn on the cob, damnit!!

In other (good) news, I went to the Folk Festival again this year and had a pleasant surprise. Last year, I had to leave once Michael Franti took the stage, as the heavy bass in his music vibrated the screws in my jaw and gave me a raging headache. I was less than impressed, as Michael Franti was rocking it. Not fair!

This year, I was weary of the same thing happening, but when k-os played, with just as heavy bass, if not more, I was fine! So, no more worries about loud, rock concerts with generous amounts of rumbly bass - my jaw and I are good to go!

Wooo hooo! Bring it on!

One month?

I went to my orthodontist yesterday and got some good news: the braces will come off on August 8!

I'm a bit paranoid about getting them off, as last time they were removed (July 2008), large spaces opened up within a few months, and I had to get them put back on in October. Even though I was wearing my retainers. Religiously.

So, we'll see what happens. I'm willing to put aside my paranoia in exchange for eating a bushel or two of corn on the cob this summer!

Yay!

Mind the gaps

We're slowly inching toward the day when my braces will come off (again). My orthodontist sent me to a dentist to see if the gaps in between my teeth can be filled, as he is unable to close them this time around.

The dentist said that because my teeth seem to be moving around and that the retainer was unable to hold them in place last time around, that he will probably bond a permanent retainer (light wire) behind my upper teeth to keep them anchored.

He's going to talk to my orthodontist over the next while to come up with a plan. So, we'll see what happens.

I am starting to get tired of the train tracks, not because they get in my way, but because I like smiling with my teeth in pictures, and when I do that now, it looks awful!

Cross your arch wires for me...