Zip-n-Squeeze substitute!

I just got an email from someone named Rob, about a new kind of feeding pouch for people who have their jaws wired shut:

Zip-n-Squeeze is no longer in business or manufacturing their products. We have developed a new product that works a lot like them, the NutriSqueeze pouches. You can find them at https://www.craniorehab.com/nutrisqueeze-pouches.html. The ZNS bags were great, so we created these after they were taken off the market.

I hope this is helpful for those of you looking for feeding options when you're undergoing surgery. If you do order this product, please write a review and send it to me. I will post it here, or link to it if you have written it on your site.

Thanks and good luck to all of you on your surgeries and recoveries!

An apple a day

Even though I have had my braces off since early July, it took me until this week to eat an apple without cutting it into sections first.

I think I avoided it for so long because I had a hard time believing my jaw would be strong enough to eat a whole apple out of my hand instead of sliced up on a plate.

When I finally got around to it, it was as though I had forgotten how to eat an apple. I bit in with my top teeth and tried to pull of a chunk with them, as I used to do with my overbite. It wasn't working. And then I discovered that I had to move my lower lip out of the way and my lower teeth could actually dig into the skin, too.

Then, the coolest thing happened - I got a full bite out of the juicy flesh! And it was awesome!

I have been gorging myself on sweet organic apples ever since, and every bite fills me with a sense of marvel.

It took me this long to figure it out...and guess what?

My upper braces are going back on tomorrow.

Ask Bella: Nausea and eating post-surgery

Q: I just had upper and lower jaw surgery and some genioplasty. I'm so relieved I found your website. It has truly been helpful in answering some of my questions and it's good to know that there is someone else out there that has had the same problems as me. I do have a question for you though. What was the easiest way for you to eat anything the first couple days? It's frustrating. Also, did you have nausea and, if so, what helped?

A: I didn't have nausea right after the surgery, but I did purchase some children's liquid Gravol just in case. It came in handy a bit later on when some of the drugs made me a little nauseated. I just took some by syringe and it also helped me sleep, which was really handy, too.

The easiest way to eat anything the first few days was by syringe/tube. In the hospital, I got quite good at loading the syringe up with liquid food and shooting it into the side of my mouth. If you're eating soups or other things like that, make sure you strain it or it will get stuck in your wires. I had problems with that but for some reason stubbornly refused to strain my soups, even though that would have solved everything. I blame the drugs.

After a few days, I graduated to the Zip 'n' Squeeze bags, which made eating go a bit faster because you can fit more in the bags than you can in a syringe.

It is so frustrating to eat, because it takes so long - I feel you there. Try to cram as many calories into your food as possible. Use whole milk with extra skim milk powder in it, put whipped cream in your hot chocolate, that kind of thing, so that whatever you manage to get past your wires packs a good punch.

Best of luck to you. I know exactly how you feel. Just hang in there and keep telling yourself, "This will all be over soon."

*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!!

Into the home stretch

I had my first post-surgery teeth cleaning on Friday. My gums were so sore from the baking soda tooth-blasting tool they used, but man, my teeth feel so clean! The dental hygienist marvelled at the difference the surgery made to my smile and asked me the changes I noticed.

I told her that just that morning, I was eating my organic shreddie-esque cereal and marvelling at how my teeth fit together. As I chewed the cereal using all of my teeth - front, sides, back, every possible surface an option, it dawned on me that this is how "normal" people eat.

They don't have to do strange jawnastics, using their tongues to make all the food go to the back of their mouths and to the right side, and then chew sideways to make their teeth meet correctly. They just chew. Up and down. What a concept.

Being able to chew without effort is something most people take for granted, but I think it will always fill me with a bit of wonder. I can't imagine taking it for granted after all this.

I went to my orthodontist last week as well, and he said that I can get my braces off anytime - I just have to coordinate with my dentist to have my gaps filled in before they can make my retainers.

When they did the surgery, they moved my upper teeth forward to make space for my lower jaw to advance. After this surgery, it is quite common that the upper teeth don't end up fitting together perfectly, leaving a few gaps that will need to be filled in with white composite fillings.

The earliest I can see my dentist to do this is September 3, so I may be stuck with the braces until then. I'll meet with my orthodontist next week to find out the plan for sure. But after everything I've been through so far, waiting an extra month for everything to come together is totally worth it.

Plus, I'm going to get my dentist to fill in the little chips in my two front teeth that I've had since I was a little kid. And I'm going to get my teeth whitened while I'm at it.

I can barely wipe the grin off my face already!

Ask Bella: The basics

Q: What exactly was done in the surgical procedure? Was it upper or lower jaw? What was done?

A: My lower jaw was advanced 4 mm. I was in braces for two years and then had the surgery on Feb. 12. It was a bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) where they bisect the bone, slide it forward on itself and then secure it with three screws on each side. The screws stay in my jaw forever and don't dissolve. I have my X-Rays posted on the site, before and after, as well as an animation of what the surgery involved and actual pictures of someone getting the jaw surgery (very gory, just so you know.)

Q: How far along in recovery would you say you felt "normal" again (little to no swelling or bruising, easier to eat/drink/talk, etc.)?

A: I did a lot of research about homeopathic and natural remedies before the surgery and I feel like those really helped me get the swelling and bruising down fast. My swelling and bruising was pretty much gone after two weeks. If you can get the swelling down quickly post-surgery, it's easier to talk and be understood as well as eat when your jaw is wired shut.

After I had my jaw unwired, I was unable to chew anything - just eat mushy foods, as my muscles were quite weak. At about the six week mark, I was eating most things without problem, though at the 4 month mark, there are still things I can't eat, like fresh veggies and other hard, chewy foods. My surgeon says it will be six months post-surgery before I can eat everything.

*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!!

Lowered expectations

After I had my jaw unwired, I expected it would take time for me to be able to eat whatever I wanted. At first, I thought it would be six weeks, but at my six-week post-surgery appointment, my surgeon told me I could start eating soft pasta, so I extended my expectation by another six weeks.

However, now that time has passed, and I still can't eat anything chewy or hard. So, I asked my surgeon at my last appointment how long it would be until I could eat without discernment.

His response: about six months post-surgery.

Six (6!!) months??

When I was doing my research, I was under the impression that everything would be pretty much resolved at the three-month mark. As I go along, I find this is not the case.

This is a much bigger surgery with a longer recovery than I thought. Which is fine. Only I wish I would have known this before, so I could have been mentally prepared. When you are going through this recovery, you anticipate each milestone, no matter how small it is. It's what keeps you going and able to stay positive. So, you celebrate:

• The first time you "eat" without a Zip 'n' Squeeze or a syringe
• Getting your jaw unwired
• Brushing the backs of your fuzzy teeth after getting unwired
• Your first mooshy unwired meal
• The disappearance of swelling and bruising
• The first solid piece of food you successfully gum down
• Your dashing new profile and your sexy new smile.

All of these milestones are important. But what you want most of all is to be able to bite into a hard, crunchy apple or chomp on that big piece of barbecued steak. (I don't even eat meat and I want to do this!) So, when you find out that it will be another three months before you can do this, it's more than a little disheartening.

Ah well, at least I have something to look forward to, right?

21st century wireless gal

Now where was I? Ah, yes, I left off at the part of the story where my jaw was wired shut. That kinda sucked, didn't it? Don't worry, sweet Internets. The wired Bella only lasted two weeks. I'm one of the lucky ones - some jaw surgery patients are wired for six weeks. I can't even imagine.

When I left the hospital, the nurse gave me wire cutters and told me I had to carry them with me AT ALL TIMES. Sorry for the use of the capital letters there, but they were very serious about this point. I even had to sign a document promising that I would carry them AT ALL TIMES.

I knew they weren't to be used if you were throwing up. (Apparently, you're supposed to use your fingers to open up your lips, bend over, and let the vomit run out from between your teeth. Mmmmmm. Fun.) I assumed their only use would be if your airway were obstructed or you weren't breathing and someone needed to perform CPR.

Bella: So, how do you use these?
Nurse: I don't know.
Bella: I should know how to use them if I have to carry them at all times, don't you think?
Nurse: I'll ask and find out.

I think I was the first person to ask this question. That's kind of disturbing, when you think about it. How many jaw surgery patients are carrying these things around with no real idea of what to do with them?

Nurse: You just give them to the paramedics if something happens to you.
Bella: Uh...okay.
Nurse: We've never known of anyone who's actually had to use them before.
Bella: But what if I need to?
Nurse: Just get in there and start cutting everything.
Bella: Alrighty then.

The infamous wire cutters that no one uses.

As you can imagine, I was not going to miss carrying those things around in my purse. Their very existence reminded me that I was in a precarious position, choking wise. Something I'd rather not think about when my jaw's wired shut for two weeks.

Other things I was not going to miss: crazy concoctions made in the blender that, more often than not, turned out to be very unappealing; talking through clenched teeth; and finessing one of my pills, which couldn't be crushed up, through the tiny space behind my back teeth so I could swallow it.

But then, the magical day came. The day I got with the 21st century and went wireless (thanks for that turn of phrase, DK.)

The boyfriend had gone to plug the meter just before I got called into the office, so I held the camera up as the surgeon cut the wires and took all these pictures myself. My surgeon asked, "You can take those all by yourself?" My response: "Trust me, when you're as narcissistic as I am, you become very good at taking pictures of yourself!"

The first cut is the sweetest.

Get that finger in there. Good times.

He also had to cut the rubber bands that were over the wires.
Those snapped back something fierce.

At least he knows what to do with the wire cutters.

Can you tell I'm having fun here?

It was a very involved process and went on for awhile.

Also, it kinda hurt.

Except delete the word "kinda."

Freeeeeeeedoooooooommmmmmmmm!!!!

It was a very weird feeling to have those wires off for the first time. It was actually uncomfortable. My jaw was sore and I could barely open my mouth. If you look at my mouth in the above picture, that was literally as far as I could open it after being unwired. It felt really unstable. At that moment, I would have been quite happy had he said he was putting the wires back on.

But then, he gave me a toothbrush and some paste and told me to brush.

And the heavens opened and there was much rejoicing. Because let me tell you - not being able to brush the backs of your teeth for two weeks straight = downright disgusting. My tongue had been brushing up against a layer of fuzz for a week at least, so brushing was a higher priority than being able to eat.

My teeth just after unwiring and before brushing.
Pretty gross, hey?

I brushed for about 20 minutes to get all the stains off. At first, I couldn't even fit the toothbrush into my mouth to get at the backs of the teeth. But I was determined to get that gunk off, so I held my jaw and pressed the bristles against my lower teeth until some of them went on the other side. It was the best feeling in the word. I was so relieved once I was done.

It was then that I realized - I can talk! (So, I babbled the surgeon's head off.) And then it dawned on me - hey, I can eat! (So, I stopped talking and got the hell out of the office so we could go for lunch.)

Now we know Bella's hierarchy of needs: Brushing, Talking, Eating.

The boyfriend and I grabbed a friend of mine who lives in The Big City and went to my favourite Mexican restaurant to eat My First Meal As Someone Who Can Open Her Mouth. I was still not allowed to chew anything, so I had to get something soft and mushy. I ordered the mexi dip, which is refried beans, fresh salsa and cheese baked in a tortilla shell. And I ate that mo-fo with a spoon and a side of guacamole and sour cream.

And it was sublime.

Through the wire

Kanye West recorded the song "Through the Wire" with his jaw wired shut. Good for him. As for me, I was just happy to get some tidbits of food through that wire. Rapping was the last thing on my mind.

I know I'm Little Bella Sunshine about my jaw surgery and all, but I won't lie: eating with your jaw wired shut sucks. And I use that term figuratively, not literally, because you're so swollen you can't even suck anything through a straw.

When I was in the hospital, I ate with the aid of this little prop:

Surprisingly, this device was not used to impregnate anyone.
Even though the antibiotics had rendered my birth control pills impotent.

That syringe was my lifeline. I would suck the liquid/mush through the tube, and then squirt it into the side of my mouth. In the hospital, they fed me things like meal replacement drinks, juice, pudding, cream of wheat, soup, etc. And then I had friends like Laura, who smuggled in Booster Juice, and Karen, who brought a delightful iced chai latte. Those drinks were absolute heaven and helped me make it through until I could go home and eat what I wanted.

The drive home from The Big City took more than two hours. Because a liquid diet doesn't stay with you long, I was absolutely ravenous by the time we pulled up to my place. I dreaded having to make some food. I was tired and achy and hungry and I just wanted something easy.

Then, I opened my screen door, and nestled inside was a Booster Juice with a nice little card from my friend The Bee. It was as though the heavens opened up and a choir of angels was singing just for me. That woman is getting the best birthday present from me this year, that's for sure.

Unfortunately, after that point, eating got a lot more challenging.

I began with the best of intentions: my freezer full of organic, vegan soups. I thought these would be what I'd be eating the entire time my jaw was wired shut, but it didn't work that way at all. I tried to eat them through my Zip-n-Squeeze bags, but the soups were too thick. I thinned them down with more broth, but they still got stuck in my wires. I realized that I would have to strain them to be able to eat them, but just thinking about straining all of that great fibre out of the soups seemed...wrong. I just couldn't bring myself to do it; it stressed me out. So, I shelved the soups until my jaw was unwired and I could appreciate them in all their glory.

My next attempt at "healthy food" was also a dismal failure. At the hospital, the dietitian had said something about blending oatmeal. She said to put it in the blender before mixing the water in, but I can't seem to follow instructions for some reason. Instead, I made the oatmeal and then put it through the blender with some milk and brown sugar and plopped it into a Zip-n-Squeeze bag. Bad idea. The blended oatmeal concoction turned into a gluey mess that barely squeezed through the tube. And it was much less appetizing than it sounds, trust me.

At this point, I turned to foods I knew I could get through the wires: Boost (with extra protein), yoghurt, pudding, hot chocolate, chai lattes, applesauce, juice, and commercial soups without chunks, like cream of tomato and cream of mushroom (put through the blender, of course), all supplemented with skim milk powder for extra protein.

Anytime I would deviate from the above list, my wires would get clogged with food and I'd be in the bathroom with my new boyfriend, Larry the WaterPik (I had moved far beyond George by this point.) I don't know how I could have done it without him.

Even with the "easy to eat foods", it took me about half-an-hour to eat anything. A cup of pudding. 30 minutes. A bowl of soup. 30 minutes. And in that time, about half of the food would end up on me. My lower lip and chin were numb from the surgery, so I wasn't able to feel where the spoon was going, or that there was food all over my face. The boyfriend got no end of amusement from this. Two-year-olds eat with far more panache than I did. In two weeks, I did more laundry than I had in the past three months.

Less than a week after the surgery, the boyfriend and I went to one of those sub sandwich places that also serves soup. I ordered the broccoli cheese soup. It seemed that it would work and I was looking forward to eating out like a normal person again.

The soup was quite chunky, so I picked out the bigger pieces with a fork and tried to eat around the rest of the vegetable pieces, slurping the creamy part off a spoon with my upper lip. After awhile, my wires got clogged (as usual) and I had to go to the restroom to brush some of it out.

When I came back, I decided to lift the bowl up closer to my mouth. Instead of lifting it straight up, I spilled it all the way down the front of my sweater. Fortunately, I jumped a bit, so it didn't end up in my lap, but rather all over the booth I was sitting in. Always a class act, that Bella. I was so frustrated, I almost burst into tears.

This was not going well at all. In my first week wired shut, I lost five pounds. Not that I'm complaining about that, but I knew that I needed to get my protein and calories in for my body to heal.

One day, I lost it and scooped peanut butter out of the jar and rubbed it against my wires, trying to suck it through my teeth. It kinda worked. But not really.

Another day, I melted down a chocolate bar and slurped it from a spoon.

I finally got so frustrated about getting food in me that I went to the grocery store and bought:

• Whole milk
• Cheese cake mix
• Chocolate whipped cream

The second week, I don't think I lost any weight at all. Particularly once I rediscovered root beer floats made with Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Mmmmmm.

I think my naturopath had a mild aneurysm when I told her what I'd been eating for those weird wired weeks.

Ah, well. I survived, didn't I?