Depression:
This is a relatively common side effect of jaw surgery and can be really difficult to tackle. Most people think they are immune to depression (I was one of them), but it is surprising how easily it can set in during the days after your surgery. A lot of patients consider the 3rd day post-op to be the worst and most difficult to deal with, and it was certainly the case for me. This is because you have been dealing with the pain and discomfort for several days, and due to swelling sometimes increasing postoperatively for 72 hours it might feel like it is never going to end. The only thing you can do is try and stay positive, your recovery really isn't as far away as you think! Try and surround yourself with loved ones who can comfort you when your feeling blue.
Liquid Diet:
A liquid diet is compulsory for at least 4 days after surgery, some people have to continue on a completely liquid diet for up to several weeks, whilst others are able to eat very soft food in around 1 week after surgery. This is completely dependent on the type of jaw surgery you have, and also how your body reacts to the surgery; don't hold your hopes up that you'll be eating soft foods 7 days after surgery because it is likely you'll only disappoint yourself which is not a good position to be in.
Weight Loss:
After jaw surgery, it doesn't matter what kind, loosing weight is almost an inevitability. Postoperatively people loose between 5 and 30 pounds over the first few weeks, but this is not something that needs to concern you. The 2 main factors for this are a lack of exercise resulting in reduced muscle mass, and a liquid diet resulting in reduced body fat. You might think before the surgery that eating soup and yoghurt for 4-8 weeks doesn't sound so bad, but it is horrible after just days, and your lack of appetite will only further your weight loss. I highly recommend being in a healthy weight bracket before you go into surgery, if you are already underweight then there may be complications in loosing more weight. Before my surgery I was at the top end of the 'Ideal Weight Range' for my height, which meant that I was healthy but with weight loss I wouldn't become underweight.
Eating Dairy:
It is very easy to eat a lot of dairy products whilst you are in the liquid and soft foods stage of your diet. I personally ate a lot of yoghurts, milkshakes, and ice cream whilst on my liquid diet stage. Try not to over consume dairy products however! I cannot stress this enough! Your body is not used to eating all liquids, let alone a lot of dairy products, and an excess can cause stomach cramps and gut pains; this is something I learned the hard way. Try alternatives like fruit smoothies to avoid giving yourself any uncomfortable stomach issues. Don't avoid dairy however, a lot of liquid food is dairy and is very helpful during the recovery process.
Ice Packs:
When you lie down you will find that the swollen area will get hot and it will be very uncomfortable, it makes sleeping difficult and resting in the day time irritating. Using ice packs are a great way to help tackle the issue of a hot face, but also help reduce the swelling significantly. If you don't have ice packs you can always fashion them out of a bag of frozen peas and a pair of tights, it's not particularly attractive but it's practical and easy.
Too hot! Too cold!
Because jaw surgery is usually performed as a keyhole surgery (inside the mouth) there are stitches left in your mouth after the operation. These stitches will usually dissolve in around a week, but before then it's important not to consume anything that is too hot or too cold. Try to avoid drinks like coffee, tea and hot chocolate, and cold food such as ice cream. You can still consume them if you let them cool down or warm up respectively, but you don't want to dislodge your stitches or cause irritation.
Oral Hygiene:
The weeks following your surgery require you to keep up food oral hygiene to avoid getting infections in the mouth. The hospital will probably provide you with an alcohol based mouthwash afterwards which you will need to use 2 times a day to help dislodge any bits of food that you can't see. However it is also important to try and brush your teeth, this may seem daunting but I recommend buying a small 0-3 years baby tooth brush for the first few weeks to make it easier to poke around your mouth.
