Survival Kit

Here's a list of things that I used every day while recovering from jaw surgery. This list is a work in progress - check back from time to time for updates.

  • Small bucket to tote supplies around the house, in the car, etc. I found this to be incredibly helpful to have everything I needed in one place - meds, lip balm, things to clean up, water, flashlight, mirror, etc. Where I go, my bucket goes. 
  • Roll of paper towels - I've gone through at least 3 rolls of paper towels in 2 weeks
  • Large ziploc bag for trash
  • Q-Tips
  • Can of saline spray - used to moisten and clean my nose many times per day
  • Xylitol nasal spray - used to moisen my nose and prevent infection 2x per day
  • Neosporin ointment - used to keep lips from chapping and keep inside of nose from crusting up
  • Arnica tablets - homeopathic remedy used to reduce swelling
  • Surgical tape (used to tape paper towels under my nose during the first week when it would drip non-stop. Not a pretty solution, but effective.)
  • Water in sport/squirt bottles - when your lips are numb, it's so much easier and faster to squirt water in than to drink out of a cup
  • Booklight to clip on the side of the bucket - when you wake up in the middle of the night and need something, you can find it without turning on the overhead light.
  • Small flashlight
  • Condiment/squeeze bottles to use for purees and smoothies. These work better than syringes and never get stuck.
  • Child size tooth brush
  • Sulcabrush - works great to clean behind and around a splint
  • Small syringe to dislodge food and squirt mouthwash around your mouth - necessary when you can't close your mouth and swish it around
  • Bed buddy heating pack - this is a sock-like item filled with rice that can be heated up in the microwave. It provides moist heat for about 20 minutes and is great to sooth aches and pains after surgery
  • Fiber supplement - i.e. Benefiber - to keep things moving through your digestive system.
  • Probiotic supplement - to replenish the good gut bacteria that get killed off by the antibiotics prescribed after surgery


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