DAY 3 Post-Op- *pics and updates* (upper/lower/genio)

[Brandyleigh35]

Hey Kate,
Glad to hear you had a good day yesterday! I think just getting out of the house with your girlfriends yesterday was probably just what you needed! I did that last night for dinner too and it helped me feel better today.

Interesting info regarding St. Johns. Wort! So I say, hey if its working then don't fix it! How many days post surgery are you now? I think I asked this the other day but I don't recall seeing anything back on it. Just wondering as I like to follow along and see how well everyone is recovering from this. I know you are much younger then I so your recovery will probably be double what mine is, but its just nice to know!

I've only got 15 days left til I go under the knife. Starting to feel just a wee bit nervous lately.

Brandy

[kate0310]

Brandy, I am 27 days post op (just about 4 weeks). I honestly thought I would be quicker recovering, but my body always takes longer than the average to heal...with my past history of surgeries and medical stuff. It always heals well, it just likes to take its sweet time at it.

I know its impossible not to be nervous, but you are so well prepared and if you just give yourself over to your surgeon and put all your worries in his hands, it's gonna be just fine! I am sitting here with a jabbing ache in my ear and an almost completely numb face, and I'm still happy to be going through all of this- it's so worth it!

I went to a baseball game tonight with some friends, and I think they spent more time making fun of my speech impediment and food on my face (that I couldnt feel) than watching the game. I find myself very awkward with my face in public- due mainly to the numbess- and it is tiring to be in the social environment...but it's all just going to get better from here.

This evening I cheated from my liquids only and nibbled a piece of cheese with my front teeth, but i HAD to because the craving was a highly intense one! Shhhh....

[Brandyleigh35]

Hey Kate,
I'm the same way I think (a slow healer) That is part of the reason I wanted to do all this preparedness planning. To sorta of do an informal experiment to see if I heal faster with all this nutritional help.

I heal well usually, but like you, my body takes its sweet time. Thus, just now getting the feeling back in my upper teeth after 13.5 months. It is all back though, however, the 13 months of burny nerve regeneration has not been too pleasant. My doctor said that he as not had anyone yet who has not recovered full feeling in their maxilla after surgery and he has been doing jaw surgery for 30 years now. So I know it will all be good but hopefully the exercise and all the other stuff will maybe speed things up a bit.....I would be happy even if it was just a little bit faster.

Brandy

[kate0310]

4 Weeks

It's hard to believe its been 4 weeks, I had to double check my calendar this morning.

I think I'm in that slow and steady phase where nothing significant changes day to day, but there are minor improvments with swelling, numbness, and range of motion.
I have gone 36 hours without painkillers which is good. There is a constant minor ache in my jaw, but I only notice it when I am have more down time and trying to read or concentrate on something. When I am around people it distracts me fairly well. My jaw also gets sore after long periods of talking.

My skin on my face has gone crazy through all of this- did anyone else have that? Its even so sensitive to touch in the places that have gotten feeling back.

I am not back into my normal post-op daily routine yet- but slowly getting closer to it. I am an equestrian athlete, so I'm used to spending half my life ontop of a horse, but my surgeon has a big fear my me getting smacked in the face by one or falling off....so right now that is the worst part of all of this.

I go to university in the fall- and I have prepared my argument to tell my othodontist that my braces need to be off when I leave for school since my surgeon thinks I hardly need them now. That gives her a few months to tweak things. My orthodontist will not be pleased with my request, but I want University to be a fresh start from a mouth full of metal which I have had my entire life. It's always scary to get into an argument with the lady who is about to go to town on your mouth with a drill and a metal pik.

Oh two other observations- my neck is SUPER stiff. Just stretching it around sends pain to my jaw...and if I pinch my nose its hurts and feels broken. I know- simple solution...Just don't pinch it

That's all for now. Im sorry there isn't anything more exciting to update on, but I'm also glad for that.

[kate0310]

Finally a picture!
This is at 4 weeks, and probably a more flattering angle because you can't see the extent of the swelling from this one really, or the tightness of my face. Obviously compared to before its wonderful, so I won't complain at all.

Go back at and look at Day 2, and its quite shocking!! (first page of the thread)

[kate0310]

ok that was not an accurate representation of the true swelling, so here's a better (well, worse...) one that shows what it's like. everyone agrees that the swelling gives a younger look (which i might like if i was older, but isnt really what im going for still being young )



I am still pretty clueless on how to intentinoally form a smile (everyone has renamed me 'perma-smile') because its hard without having the feeling in my face.

[kate0310]

Meryaten, thank you! I would never normally post pictures of my face to people that I "don't know", and greatly considered whether I should here or not, but I think it's important for people who are going to have upper/lower/genio (or any orthognathic) to get a chance to see the real changes that are going to occur. I know it was shocking and somewhat upsetting at first to look in the mirror and see someone who I didn't recognize- but this also gives hope that you do resume a normal looking appearance and the speed of the recovery is really pretty awesome considering that work that is done.

[Gem]

You are looking great and it gives me such hope to think that I am only 2 weeks behind you!

[Brandyleigh35]

Hey Kate,
You look wonderful! Wow! thanks for posting your pic. I agree it is important for other (like myself) who will be going through this very soon to be able to see the positive that comes out of the surgery. So many people post the first few days then drop of the map. The end results are what make this all worth it, so thanks for your post. I bet you still see a lot of changes in the next few months. Be sure to post every now and again so we can see too ok?

A friend of mine who had this done said she still had a bit of swelling at 8 months post op. By a year it was gone though and now she looks amazing! I'm sure yours won't last that long but just thought I would share, that as she was young like you.

9 more days til I go under the knife!

Brandy

[iBorg]

Being over a year away (there's a calendar that won't move), its so good to see progress pics beyond the wrapped in ice pictures a couple of days post op. As for your "swollen" appearance, I think you look great. I can understand the sensation when you look in a mirror and not see exactly who you expect. In looking at the before and after pictures, I believe the current result is very pleasant and more positive (although the beginning wasn't bad) than pre op.

Please post again in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for being an inspiration for me to stay this course.
Mike

[kate0310]

OK to save everyone from flipping around to see the changes...here it is in one nice timeline. The good, the bad, and the UGLY.

[KeyserSoze]

It was sunny out, and after five months without seeing much of the sun here in Norway, well I had to go for it.

Hi Yarr,

Where did you have your surgery? I'm also from Norway, more spesifically from Oslo. I too have an underbite, and started the journey to have it corrected about a year ago. Although the surgeon wasn't 100% sure at the time, he told me that I would probably need a combined upper and lower surgery.

What kind of surgery did you have on the lower jaw? In most other countries they perform predominantly BSSO and also to some extent IVRO on the lower jaw to correct underbites. However, in Norway, I think it is quite common to correct underbites by another procedure which is performed extra-orally. Did you get such a choice?

[kate0310]

Before & After Profile @ 5 (almost) weeks:

I'll let you guess which is the after...

[Yarr]

Nice picture collection kate, it looks like you are on the right track. Looking very nice .

Edit: Very nice profile pic there! You must be really stisfied with the outcome(?). And when the last of your swelling dissapears, making your jawline a bit more visable, it will really compiment your look.

Hey KeyserSoze. I had my surgery in Oslo Ullevål sykehus. I must say the surgeons there are good at what they do. I am 5 weeks post-op, feel great and I have even gained back all feeling. As for the type of surgery I had on my lower jaw, Im really not sure. I am not to familiar with the terms. I think my surgeon mentioned something about some kind of sagital split. Although when I asked about splints and beeing banded shut, he told me that there was slim chance for that happening due to a leap in techology at the hospital.

I am not sure what you mean by extraoral. (assume its surgery from outside the mouth??) Anyway, almost everything was done from inside my mouth. The surgeon did make two small inscisions outside on both sides on my jaw so he could put in the screws. Now there are two close-to-invisable scars what will dissapear in the near future.

[Brandyleigh35]

Yarr, OMG your post was interesting to me. I just had my pre-surgical appointment today and will be having upper, lower, and genio surgery next Thursday. My doctor told me that I will not be having a splint, or rubberbands either. That he uses new rigid fixation that is stronger then titanium. Since it is stronger they can make the plates and screws smaller, and that once it is fixed it ain't going no where!

Do you know if this is relatively new?

Brandy