Posted by Captin Cannuck on July 01, 2008 at 11:00:52:In Reply to: Considering MMA-- Question posted by EDomain on June 30, 2008 at 21:55:53:
I was taking daily walks within the first week after my MMA. I could walk about 5 kms (2-3 miles). My pain was very well managed with Dilaudid and other drugs. From what I have read about other people, I did not suffer nearly as much as many others have said that they did.
I think that the pace of recovery is very individual. In my case, I am in my thirties, male, physically active. I don't smoke and drink only very little. I am quite healthy. Despite having OSA, I have only missed about one or two days work in the last five years.
Some found it unusual that I was able to get up and take exercise soon after my surgery. I think it was partially due to my nature. You could say that I am a very restless person and cannot stand to stay inside a house long periods of time. It simply drives me crazy. So, after my MMA, each day, i would take a little walk downtown, looking in bookshops, buying a coffee (speaking to cashiers through clenched teeth), going to an internet cafe. I would go out for about 2 hours each day. I was walking about 5 kilometers (maybe 2-3 miles) roundtrip. I walked at a leisurely pace, but I was okay. After a while, i felt weak. I went to the doctor and they did some blood tests. I was suffering from anemia. I kind of took it easy at that point and stayed in the house. I took booster needles in the posterior. I took them every second day. That was a real pain in the butt, however I started feeling strong again after about one week of those needles. I resumed my daily walks.
About anemia, the surgeon measured the blood that I lost in surgery, and it it was not so much. I think that the part that they didn't realize was that I was bleeding at night following the surgery. I had a vacuum in my hospital bed and was sucking up some blood throughout the night. I believe that my anemia was due to blood loss.
To answer your question, I would say that it depends on your constitution. Some people react differently to pain. The first couple of days were painful for me. I was moaning and groaning the first night. I was able to sleep for 2-3 hours at a time. The second night and third nights were much the same, but after that, I was more comfortable.
I would not say that it takes a year to recover I would say, more like 6 months. Most of it is over within the first 2 months. Maybe for older people it would take longer. From what you describe of yourself, I doubt that it would take so long. Of course, it is individual.
Talking - you will have to wait until your braces come off. Maybe 2 months post-op. You will be able to talk through clenched teeth soon after your operation (maybe day two). People will be able to understand you well enough. When you are wired shut, you will be able to have fairly normal discussions, but you will feel tired if you talk for too long. You will likely not enjoy talking too long. I was surprised that people did not have very much trouble understanding me. I was also surprised at how kind people (esp. girls) were. Maybe I should wire myeslf back up to get their sympathy again?!
About your chin - don't think you would look like a neandrethal if a skilled surgeon did the operation. I was writing to another poster a few days ago about the technique that they use to assess your suitability for MMA. It is known as "Delaire's Cephalometric Analysis". Basically, they xray your skull and they will seeto what extent certain features line up. On a normal human, there are certain geographical points which more or less line up (within certain limits). Using this technique, they can see how far they can advance you, where your deficiency is, etc. So, it is not as easy as looking at your chin. There is more to it than that. Also, it is possible that they can shave part of the front of your chin to minimize its prominence.
The thing that is most key, is getting the right surgeon to do the job.
Good luck to you,