Did you feel 'down' after surgery?

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#1 Post by **Dani73** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:58 am

It will be 2 weeks on Tuesday since I've had my surgery and up until now, I been feeling ok.

But today I have this fear (and tears) that I am going to be stuck looking like this and I know it's irrational.

It was only today that a stranger said to me 'OMG that looks sore! What happened?' So if a complete stranger can notice the swelling, than it's still there. I guess it's because I'm looking at my face day in and day out that I'm not noticing the decrease in swelling and therefore I'm thinking this is my new look.

Did you feel this way?

#2 Post by **sarz** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 2:55 am

Hi Dani,
I feel exactly the same as you. I feel so depressed.
I am normally so positive about things.
What's going on?

#3 Post by **beowulf68** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:53 am

Dani did you do this procedure for purely cosmetic reasons or was it to fix a functional deficit? I'm 6 days post-op and look quite bad still. I won't even go into stores with my wife when she's buying food for me!! My Docs tell me I won't lose ALL the swelling for 3 months so with your procedure being a week before mine you still got a ways to go. Now as for a stranger making a comment to you like that well....Some people don't think things through before they speak. I doubt they had any intention to hurt your feelings.

It seems maybe I went into my surgery with a different perspective than most. I really didn't care much about the cosmetic outcome as long as they didn't make me look like a mutant. My lower jaw was retracted quite a ways in so I figured the surgery wasn't going to hurt my looks very much. Bottom line....Give it 3 months and see how things are then. I'm sure you will be happy with the outcome!

Btw....I think I recall you saying your from Melbourne??? If so my Uncle just moved there from the States/Michigan for a job. Any places he should check out?

#4 Post by **chicago29** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:54 am

This is pretty normal. At 2 to 3 weeks, you usually start getting to the point of potentially venturing out to the grocery store or something. But you have to remember, it is a SLOW process. You just can't jump back into your life like it was pre-surgery.

I think a lot to do with it is simple boredom. After all, when you're in this state, there isn't a whole heckuva lot that you can do. There is only so much TV/Movies that can satisfy you.

Be patient...you're almost at the point where you'll be out and about. Once you are there, things will get much better from an emotional standpoint.

Keep your head up!
Chicago29

#5 Post by **ColoradoGirl** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 11:16 am

My post-op list said depression after surgery is extremely common. I had a heckuva year before the surgery, so I was actually already on an antidepressant, and though I got annoyed at times I never felt depressed. If it continues for either of you, you might think about talking to your surgeon. Depression meds can be taken for a short-ish term and they aren't as inhibiting as some people say they are. But, hopefully it's just a shortlived case of the blues!

#6 Post by **Dani73** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:17 pm

Thanks everyone. Feeling a bit better today, just a bit of an emotional roller coaster

beowulf - no it is for medical reasons (OSA) - but comestically it would have helped me as well. I guess it's been such a long process, I just want the end results now IYKWIM. I also have such low self esteem from the way I looked before, that it's just my insecurities setting in now.

#7 Post by **Dani73** » Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:19 pm

FTA - I'm not in Melbourne, I'm on the other side in Perth.

#8 Post by **sarz** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 1:12 pm

Feeling so much better

It's amazing what a week of pain killers and anti biotics can do!
For the first time, I can now say that I am officially pain free and looking forward to the future.
No need for any other medication.

#9 Post by **beowulf68** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 1:49 pm

Sarz: That's great that your pain/med free. It should be all downhill for you now!!

A lot of my pain is gone too but now I have these horrible nerve issues. I. suspect my body is just trying to repair my nerves but man is it troublesome. I keep getting pins and needles and burning sensations in my chin. Sometimes in my lips too. Bahhhh....I can't wait for this to go away!!

#10 Post by **sarz** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:15 am

Quote "Victory. Someday this war is gonna end". Kilgore: Apocolypse now (1979).

Hope things improve for you Beowolf, Keep positive.

#11 Post by **sarz** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:19 am

Hope things also improve in my ability to spell. Sorry it should be Beowulf.

#12 Post by **foxparadox** » Thu Nov 25, 2010 2:45 pm

I think it is going to be hard, esspecially since you struggled with some of these feelings post-op. You just need to keep reminding yourself that it isn't forever and even though it sucks now... it will be worth it in the end.

I didn't struggle with any prior depression or self esteem type issues... but I definitely feel impacted by the surgery also (I had SARPE) so I can imagine that you are feeling pretty low right now.

I have been more moody/self conscious, post-op, since the gap between my front teeth has started to occur. I work face to face with people, every single day, so I think that makes it a little harder. I have also been a lot more tired recently... which is probably to be expected following a surgery, and it gets tiredsome to have to keep explaining to people what "happened" or why I decided to do this, etc etc etc.

Just give it a few weeks... or even a month or two. It sucks to have to wait... but your body needs proper time to heal. In the end, it'll be worth it

#13 Post by **Izzy1979** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 7:39 am

See I was doing ok for the first few weeks cause I was so swollen I couldnt really tell how I would look so while I felt the cabin fever I was ok with the surgery.

Now, this week (almost 6 weeks post op) I feel like I didn't make the right decision and I'm still not good looking. I didn't do my upper jaw cause my surgeon said it would be only esthetic and very minimal change but now I feel like he lied to not reschedule cause I look pretty much the same from the front and I still have an ugly smile. Oh well. Guess I'm stuck with being ugly forever

#14 Post by **ColoradoGirl** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 7:44 pm

Izzy--hang in there....hopefully it was only a bad day. I haven't seen your after pics from the front, but the one from the side is lovely. And I bet your smile will continue to change. I certainly hope mine will—right now it's basically a grimace. Heh. I'm not too upset about it even if it does stay that way, though, because the functional problems are so much improved.

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Did you feel 'down' after surgery?

Did you feel 'down' after surgery?

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