nice site we've got here!
a bit of background:
i accidentally bit my lower lip on april 2006. waited for it to disappear on it's own, but never did. so i went to an oral surgeon recommended by my dentist. i currently don't have insurance since i just got back from working overseas. the whole thing cost me $525 (consultation + excision/biopsy), not including lab fee of $ 128. ouch! the lump taken out turned out to be bigger than expected. about the size of a pearl (is this the average size?).
anyway, my surgeon was good. i was prescribed vicodin for pain, but i used tramadol instead. only took 2 doses. i can say, it was more uncomfortable than painful in my case. my lower lip was really swollen for about 3 days. the extra threading (?) they used for stitches started falling off on its own soon after.
so here i am, 2 weeks later. everything seems closed-up, but i still have a bit of swelling. what bothers me though is the hardened scar tissue in the surgery site. it seems to be bigger than my old lump, but not as protruding. i remember the MD mentioning pre-op that such would happen and that it could last to upto a year. i feel no pain at all. i just find myself not being able to smile as before. does this sound similar to your experiences?
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2 weeks post-surgery
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I had my surgery about a week and a half ago, and I have a fairly large chunk of scar tissue in my lip, and it is actually painful still. But I supposed it has only been a week and a half, but biting into things (like apples for example) is still painful so I've been trying to avoid that.
While my smile is back to normal, my lip really isn't. The natural curving of my lip where it was removed is just gone, so my bottom lip is uneven and my lips don't come together like they used to. It's a little flatter and has a little bump on the top which is where the scar tissue is. It's a little upsetting that my lip will never be the same just because I accidentally bit into it, but it's probably not even noticeable to anyone but myself.
As for the scar tissue, I was told to massage it as well and have been doing so. There's still a lot there, and it's very annoying, but I have noticed that it's gone down a tiny bit, so here's hoping :).
While my smile is back to normal, my lip really isn't. The natural curving of my lip where it was removed is just gone, so my bottom lip is uneven and my lips don't come together like they used to. It's a little flatter and has a little bump on the top which is where the scar tissue is. It's a little upsetting that my lip will never be the same just because I accidentally bit into it, but it's probably not even noticeable to anyone but myself.
As for the scar tissue, I was told to massage it as well and have been doing so. There's still a lot there, and it's very annoying, but I have noticed that it's gone down a tiny bit, so here's hoping :).
It's been well over a year since I had my mucocele removed, and I still have some hardened scar tissue. I have not been massaging it regularly, so I'm not sure about how much that helps, but I have noticed it has gotten progressively smaller. It took me a few months to get back to feeling "normal" again as far as smiling and eating chewier foods. So, just give it some more time, be gentle on it, and keep massaging!
in addition to my previous post ...
i've read some posters mention laser surgery. i forgot to mention that my MD took out the mucocele and a couple of damaged glands with the use of laser. i did not feel anything (many thanks to the laughing gas & local anethesia!) but i do remember smelling something "smoky" while he was using the laser.
11/17/2006
just got back from my follow-up exam. i shared with the MD my concerns about the hardened part of my lower lip. MD said that it should go start to melt away in about 3 months. i was advised to go to my local pharmacy and get myself some vitaminE gelcaps ... put a bit of the vitaminE onto my finger and aggressively massage the affected part 2 times per day. this should speed things up, he said.
and i asked him about kissing too - haha! he said that it's perfectly ok to go back to normal kissing. i was just told to be careful about biting my lip since another mucocele might form again & i will have to go through the same ordeal.
i've read some posters mention laser surgery. i forgot to mention that my MD took out the mucocele and a couple of damaged glands with the use of laser. i did not feel anything (many thanks to the laughing gas & local anethesia!) but i do remember smelling something "smoky" while he was using the laser.
11/17/2006
just got back from my follow-up exam. i shared with the MD my concerns about the hardened part of my lower lip. MD said that it should go start to melt away in about 3 months. i was advised to go to my local pharmacy and get myself some vitaminE gelcaps ... put a bit of the vitaminE onto my finger and aggressively massage the affected part 2 times per day. this should speed things up, he said.
and i asked him about kissing too - haha! he said that it's perfectly ok to go back to normal kissing. i was just told to be careful about biting my lip since another mucocele might form again & i will have to go through the same ordeal.
Be careful about massaging too early. You've got to let it heal first.
I'd caution against massaging too aggressively. Being aggressive with the area is what causes a mucocele in the first place. I'd advise no poking your lips at all until the area is completely healed.
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