Hi Patricia,
I wish you luck in your upcoming treatment and surgery. If
you don't mind, I'd like to offer some tips to follow so that you
will recover heathily and happily.
So that this unsolicited advice doesn't seem to be coming
from someone without any background, let me tell you a little
about myself. I'm a 32 year old female with a bi-lateral cleft
lip and palate. I've had over 28 surgeries, which included mostly
revisions, and some major, reconstructive types. I've posted
articles on this site responding to various related topics.
I had (failed) bone graft surgery about 4 years ago, to close
the fisures (bi-lateral, like in the shape of the letter 'Y').
The surgery itself was not as bad as I thought. I do not remember
my mouth being very sore, though a little swollen. The area where
the bone was harvested from, because muscles were cut, was
terribly sore. (Think of how it feels if you've really worked out
much too hard). The points I wanted to tell you about are to do
with how to help yourself while healing. They're probably all
common sense, but I wish someone had really made sure I was
taking care of myself afterwards because I believe that I would
not need to have this surgery re-done.
================================= -Maintain a very positive
outlook. It's amazing what can be done by talented surgeons these
days. Remember how fortunate you are to have this available to
you and that you are brave enough to make this change to
yourself. ================================= -Maintain a positive
outlook, again. Do not let anyone make you sad to the point of
crying. One of the possible reasons my surgery failed has to do
with the affect of tears within the facial structure irritating
the healing somehow. If you are going through any kind of
emotional situations, try to have them resolved long before your
surgery. After the surgery, because it is emotional, you may cry
easily over even ordinary things. This is your time. And not a
time for crying. ================================= -Let others
care for you. It's hard to admit sometimes that we cannot do
everything all the time. If someone offers to cook dinner or
bring you something, let him/her.
================================= -Rest. Relax. Recuperate. Don't
treat your recovery time as a vacation; a time to catch up on
projects, things to fix or start. It's easy to be bored with just
recovering, so plan for this. Compile a list of movies you've
always meant to rent, books to borrow from the library, letters
to write to friends, recipes to try, etc. If you do things at a
very slow pace, everything will take longer and you won't be
antsy looking for things to do. =================================
-Take pictures, before and after. Document your progress. It is
easy to forget where we've come from, just as easy as it is to
"get used to" a new haircut or color. Seeing yourself
everyday sometimes impedes upon the appreciation you should grant
yourself.
Again, good luck to you. If you wish to correspond,
my email is
amgula@sprynet.com