4 Days Post-Op FFS with Keojampa. AMA

6
u/SirAhNo
Mon Jul 6 00:55:36 2020 UTC
*
(15 comments)

today is my fourth day out. had essentially the works done - seven procedures including lip lift/skin graft lip augmentation - minus rhinoplasty. thought i’d be able to ween off the heavy pain meds toward tylenol today but my body said that just ain’t happening yet.

i’m keojampa’s first patient in LA post-COVID. if you have any questions, feel free to ask! i know i benefitted a lot from random reddit questions here and there before my surgery and i’m more than happy to return the favor.

i will say that the lip augmentation recovery may actually be the one i’m most surprised by. my swelling hasn’t gone down at all, and i’m unable to close my mouth in conjunction with all the issues jaw contouring brings. i saw keojampa’s before and after photos for lip augmentations and was impressed and still remain confident, but man. i didn’t think it would be the toughest part.

all 15 comments


1
u/MyNewTransAccount
Mon Jul 6 01:01:46 2020 UTC
(2 children)

Congrats on getting it done! The next few weeks are going to be challenging but you'll get through.

My only question is how bad was the COVID test?

4
OP
Mon Jul 6 01:05:39 2020 UTC
(1 child)

thank you! i’m realizing how gnarly this recovery really is.

the COVID test was easy, but insanely stressful. you have to get a non-rapid test, meaning you’re supposed to go to a hospital or urgent care in-person. no drive through.

you have to test no more than a week before your scheduled date. i got tested 6 days before, and didn’t get my results until 2 days before. i was luckily negative, but with cases spiking again, i was so stupid anxious up until the point i got those results.

2
Mon Jul 6 02:19:21 2020 UTC
(0 children)

Thanks. I've having revisions with a different doctor in about 3 months, coronavirus permitting. I have to arrive about a week early to get tested. The hold thing really adds a great deal of stress to an already stressful situation.

Anyway, I'm glad the test itself was easy! I hope you have an uneventful recovery. It took about about 6 weeks to start feeling normal and about 6 months before I could really start to see my bone structure under the swelling.

1
u/Ali_hayes
Mon Jul 6 04:24:00 2020 UTC
(1 child)

How much?

2
OP
Mon Jul 6 10:24:02 2020 UTC
(0 children)

no idea. i work at one of the more commonly cited places where FFS is covered 100%.

1
u/BlackMelissa
Mon Jul 6 12:10:52 2020 UTC
(4 children)

What are you doing for food? Any tips on things to bring for the recovery?

3
OP
Mon Jul 6 15:10:43 2020 UTC
(2 children)

as for what to bring for recovery - i can’t stress this enough, a really good friend or family member. they’re going to be doing most things for you. i’ve had two small anxiety moments and leaned on them to pull my spirits back up.

it’ll be hard to really watch TV or concentrate on a book, so bring versions of things you like that you don’t mind watching at half capacity. for me, i’ve been putting on loads of disney movies and old cartoons. lots of dopamine from silly things i don’t feel bad not concentrating on 100% on.

1
Mon Jul 6 15:30:57 2020 UTC
(1 child)

These are really helpful responses thanks for doing this. I hope you feel better ASAP! I’m super scared of the recovery. Do you live in the area or did you fly in? I’m flying across the country and going home like 10 days after surgery and I’m mega worried about how that will feel (not to mention how do you wear a face covering at the airport after full FFS lol)

2
OP
Mon Jul 6 15:44:06 2020 UTC
(0 children)

i luckily live only about 30 minutes from his LA office, which ended up being a double-edged sword. i really wish i had more time to spend in the aftercare facility. they reduced my time from 14 hours to only a little over 8! i was frustrated by that, but after anesthesia i was in no position to argue.

i cant say how it will feel 10 days out, but i can assure you that at 5 days, your energy will be much better than the first 3. i’m definitely feeling a lot of pain and headaches and having mouth problems that are embarrassing, but it really does get better every day. just hold on until after the 3 day mark, and don’t be afraid to take the heavy pain pills!! lots of accounts on reddit of ppl weening off after 3 or 4 days - that’s great that they could, but if it’s interfering in your ability to keep it together, try not to feel like you need to stop.

i also heard from keojampa that the airports are such ghost towns right now. obviously if you’re looking like you’re in bad shape i can imagine how you might feel walking around in public, but less people might be a blessing in disguise! if you’re getting any lip surgeries, be sure to pack a lot of napkins so you don’t dribble all over everything in the plane.

2
OP
Mon Jul 6 15:08:14 2020 UTC
(0 children)

this has been the hardest one for me. keojampa said i could try things like scrambled eggs and soft tofu, and that just isn’t possible for me, even five days out.

i’ve been doing mostly chicken broth, tomato soup, those squeezable fruit purées, and smoothies. it’s honestly really difficult doing anything else. i’ve basically had to learn to grab food and water with my tongue to keep away from the sutures covering the inside of my lips. anything you consume, you have to do very slowly. i’ve made a habit of having my phone’s selfie camera on every time i try to eat to avoid getting something stuck between my lips and teeth. also to avoid drooling.

i’ve started to include instant mashed potatoes as well as a way to get carbs and fats into me. those are very nice, but i have to move even slower with them.

last night i got adventurous and tried putting extremely ground up turkey in the potatoes. it just didn’t work. i was happy when i could swallow the turkey pieces, but they ended up getting stuck by my sutures really easily and was a bit painful.

1
u/transdadaist
Tue Jul 7 20:21:53 2020 UTC
(4 children)

This is a long shot question! But I had a consultation with Dr. Keojampa in february and was supposed to schedule in march but then everything happened and now I'm on a waiting list. Its been months since my last email and I was wondering if you knew anything about scheduling with him in the future or if he has plans to do more work in LA for the time being.

If you dont know, no worries! Here's to your new face and a safe recovery!

1
OP
Tue Jul 7 20:29:53 2020 UTC
(3 children)

well, i don’t know specifics, but i do have a lot of context from my conversations with him.

i’m assuming since you’re on the waitlist that you have a new date, right? or is it just pending with no date because of the pandemic?

i know that right now, his waitlist is backed up about 2 years into the future. a considerable chunk of those dates will be moved around because of the pandemic. i’ve heard of one being cancelled from someone on reddit, but i just don’t think many people are going to want to cancel if they can prevent it. especially with keojampa, who people are literally waiting years for.

he has made note that his office is prepared to close in LA again within the coming weeks since hospitals are almost at capacity. so that means more pushbacks, too. obviously none of us know the future, but if i had to bet on it, i think that waitlist is just going to keep shooting more forward into the future, unfortunately.

3
Tue Jul 7 20:37:17 2020 UTC
(2 children)

Yeah, I wasnt given a date, i was literally at the point was i was about to put my security deposit down, consultation completed and everything, and then everything closed down, I was given an email months ago saying I was on a waitlist to even schedule. So I'm in complete limbo. Its disheartening, but everyone is in this boat, so we carry on! I was wondering if I should send another email to gain an update, but I dont want to overwhelm them.

Thank you for answering!

3
OP
Tue Jul 7 20:51:50 2020 UTC
(1 child)

i wish you the best!! it’s so confusing for everyone right now.

my recommendation is to call the LA office, ask for Henry, and throw your questions his way. keojampa’s office is full of lovely people, but they’re sometimes not the fastest about reaching out. you gotta be the one to get their attention, i’ve found.

1
Tue Jul 7 21:01:28 2020 UTC
(0 children)

You are a sweetie! Thank you so much!!!