# What do you give to someome with their jaw wires shut? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039 "2009-03-11T04:39:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/1 "2009-03-11T04:39:54Z")
One of my kids teammates got kicked in the face tonight and will be out of action for months. She has lost teeth and has a broken jaw. I could send flowers, but so will everyone else. What might be a good alternative that she would use? She won’t be hospitalised for long, so DVD’s aren’t a good option. She just needs something that might cheer her up for a period of time while she is inactive, She is a senior in high school and will be attending a good college in autumn. I am just asking what might ease her pain over the short term. Longer than flowers. ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/2 "2009-03-11T05:14:31Z")
One time we had a family member in the hospital and got fortune cookies and carefully extracted the actual fortunes and put in our own. It went over well with the hospitalized one. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/3 "2009-03-11T05:33:10Z")
If she’s got a good sense of humor, then maybe a really wacky crazy straw? ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/4 "2009-03-11T06:08:02Z")
If you’re looking for something edible, ice cream (but nothing with nuts, candy or other lumpy stuff). If you’re going for a visit, a stop for a milkshake would be good. Other than that, books, video games, a craft kit or a mani-pedi set (and some funky nail polish colors). She will likely feel up to being a little more active after a week or two, so anything to relieve the boredom for that amount of time. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/5 "2009-03-11T06:16:33Z")
Even if she’ll be out of the hospital pretty soon, she’s still probably going to be pretty inactive for quite a while. DVDs sound good (though perhaps a bit pricey, unless you know the girl well), but you might consider something more like a book, which will last longer and cost less. Good Omens? (book) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/6 "2009-03-11T07:49:53Z")
Some jaw breakers to suck on. What? ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/7 "2009-03-11T08:48:08Z")
If you have $10-15 to spare, and she needs one, a cheapie blender would be an awesome gift. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/8 "2009-03-11T11:46:07Z")
Blender is my suggestion too. Nothing wrong with having a couple either as one might be in the dishwasher, wear out, etc. A buddy who’s a big time hunter had his broken in college. I remember him getting so hungry for a regular meal, something other than smoothies and stuff that he took some venison, potatoes, peas, everything and just blended it all in together and sucked it down with a straw. Sounds to me like it’s a good way to help get her life back as close to normal as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/9 "2009-03-11T14:24:38Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Some jaw breakers to suck on. What? Tickles out too? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/10 "2009-03-11T14:54:57Z")
A nice pen and some note cards to write on? Ah, I suppose kids these days will just text away. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/11 "2009-03-11T15:30:47Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Blender is my suggestion too. Nothing wrong with having a couple either as one might be in the dishwasher, wear out, etc. > > A buddy who’s a big time hunter had his broken in college. I remember him getting so hungry for a regular meal, something other than smoothies and stuff that he took some venison, potatoes, peas, everything and just blended it all in together and sucked it down with a straw. Sounds to me like it’s a good way to help get her life back as close to normal as possible. A girl I knew was in a car accident and had her jaw wired shut. She got so desperate for something other than soups and smoothies, that she blended a burrito supreme from Taco Bell. She said it wasn’t too bad, but man, that must’ve sucked. Does she have an MP3 player? ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/12 "2009-03-11T15:49:24Z")
An MP3 player if she doesn’t have one, a gift certificate to the iTunes store if she uses that. The iTunes store sells games for the iPod, so she could choose between games or music or audiobooks. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/13 "2009-03-11T15:51:11Z")
A pocket wirecutter so her wires can be cut quickly if she vomits, to prevent aspiration of the vomitus; this would be a thoughtful gift in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/14 "2009-03-11T16:00:56Z")
A puppy. She’ll remember you for decades. And so will her parents. StG ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/15 "2009-03-11T16:03:52Z")
A note to people who haven’t actually dealt with someone who has his/her jaws wired shut: they can’t suck through straws. Everything they take in has to be gotten in between the teeth. Thick milkshakes are, therefore, out of the question. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/16 "2009-03-11T16:27:59Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > A note to people who haven’t actually dealt with someone who has his/her jaws wired shut: they can’t suck through straws. Everything they take in has to be gotten in between the teeth. Thick milkshakes are, therefore, out of the question. maybe _your_ teeth don’t permit a straw to be inserted between them into the mouth, but your experience is not universal. Heck, your experience is not even the usual one for most of my patients. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Pocito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@Pocito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pocito)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/17 "2009-03-11T16:33:25Z")
When my teeth were wired shut after jaw surgery, I was extremely self-conscious. One of my friends got me a gift certificate to a salon/spa, so I could get a nice hair cut and manicure/pedicure. Having pretty toenails did make me feel better about my misshapen/bruised face. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/18 "2009-03-11T16:54:33Z")
A hand-held game is always good. When my dad was recovering from a staph infection, I bought him a hand-held Tetris game. He later told me that that game saved his life. ---
**Author:** ![Caveat\_lector\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/19 "2009-03-11T17:26:13Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Some jaw breakers to suck on. What? I’d probably actually get this for someone as I’d expect they’d find it funny and be a bit cheered up by that. I’d get something else too, but oh yes there would be jaw breakers. ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039/20 "2009-03-11T18:32:23Z")
How about finding a way to get her a loan of musical instrument (string not wind). TV, books and games get pretty boring after awhile. A person with a few weeks on their hands could get pretty darn good on a guitar, mandolin or banjo in that time if they practiced an hour or so a day. There are tons of free banjo (for example) lessons on Youtube that are first-rate. Then wow, what a great story she has to tell when she later tells people why she plays the banjo! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-give-to-someome-with-their-jaw-wires-shut/489039.md?page=2)