Maryjays STORY - 11 Wks Post Op - *BRACES ARE OFF!!!* PICS

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#16 Post by **maryjay** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:39 am

hi, its been one week since my surgery, and im felling really well,
my swelling has gone down by about 80% now which im really happy about, i look almost normal, the bruising is a very pale yellow down the front of my neck which can hardly been seen, and apart from that i feel and look fine, if i could just eat something more than just mush....!

#17 Post by **mhiemstra** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:18 am

Thank you very much for posting about your surgery! It is helping me a lot with making a choice about whether or not I'll opt to have the jaw surgery a year from now or not

#18 Post by **roadster1200xl** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:56 am

Glad to hear it's going well! Give us an update when you can.

#19 Post by **maryjay** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 4:06 pm

Hi mhiemstra

i hope reading peoples experiences here help you make up your mind, personally i would say go for surgery! surgery can fix things that braces alone wont do, i was told at the beginning of my treatment that i had a choice of braces and surgery or just braces, i think i had an overbite of about 13mm and i hated my teeth so much, no one wants to have surgery (its not fun) but the thought of getting perfect teeth was more than enough for me to say yes straight away, i wouldnt achieve a perfect result without it, my bite could only be taken back about 6mm without surgery i was told.

i am really glad and also proud of myself with going though with the surgery, i feel like a braver and stronger person, i had my jaw broken twice, metal plates and 8 screws inserted, and then all stitched up, and yes that sounds horrible but i got though it and it really didnt hurt that much... REALLY!

im am now 12 days post surgery and...
swelling - 90% gone
bruising - 90% gone
talking - normal
kissing - nearly normal-ish!
pain - very little / none
eating - im onto mushy food now, mostly eating porridge, scramble eggs and lots of protein shakes...(they are actually nice!)

#20 Post by **Tin Indian** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 4:33 pm

MaryJay. Glad your are feeling better since your surgery. I'm sure your positive attitude has a lot to do with that.Sounds like you have the handle on things. Glad to here that. God Speed to ya-

Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:02 pm

Awesome, my ortho said I might need some sort of jaw surgery in the middle of treament or after not sure.

#22 Post by **maryjay** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:15 pm

had my first post op hospital check up yesterday,

my OS said that my teeth look wonderful! my bite and jaws are perfectly lined up, and all my teeth are in the correct position, hurrah! i can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, i think hopefully ive only got another 3 months of braces to go, just time for my jaw to heal, and then some final fine tuning of a couple of teeth.

the only bad thing was when i was asked about my eating, and i said iv started on scrambled eggs, she looked at me in disgust! apparently iv got to be very careful with what i chose to eat (inhale!), in case i bend the metal plates in my jaw with a chewing motion... im not being funny but you dont have to chew scramble eggs, they just sort of melt in the mouth... i dont think this is going to ruin my jaw, if i did, or if it hurt i wont do it, ive been made to feel so naughty!... i am aloud to eat porridge and thats exactly the same consistency to scrambled eggs..

apart from this my OS said i look amazing and very normal considering im only 14 days post op, i must said i think i look normal too... apart from not being able to eat semi mushy food!

heres my overall update:
swelling - 95% gone
bruising - 95% gone
feeling in jaw area - 100% normal, no tingling, nothing!
eating - i can eat mushy foods!
jaw - i can open my mouth about 1-2 cms
pain - none!

#23 Post by **mighty mo** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:04 pm

maryjay, Well done for coming through your surgery with such a positive attitude.

No wonder you are healing so well! I'd love to see before and after pictures once your swelling has completely gone.

#24 Post by **maryjay** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 2:58 pm

Hi Meryaten,

once again you have made me feel better! As far as im concerned if i feel comfortable eating scrambled eggs or whatever, i dont see why i shouldnt try, im not going to ruin everything by eating anything crusty or chewy as you say, as i know i couldnt handle that right now, but i am feeling pretty confident with the soft chew stuff, I treated myself to a slice of bread and butter yesterday (with the crusts cut off) and it was fine!

I have been looking in the mirror alot, but to be honest ive been doing that constantly for the past year, my teeth have improved so much! i LOVE the way they look now!... MY JAWS MATCH UP!!!!!!!!!!!!

my boyfriend laughs at me, as im always looking in the bathroom mirror grinning at myself and checking out my profile!

#25 Post by **Patricia S.** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 1:25 pm

Hi Maryjay, I just read your story, I feel bad for you.

The only surgery I have had is my wisdom's, and that was bad enough.

I know what you mean about staring in the mirror. I'm just on day two and my boyfriend has been laughing at me.

#26 Post by **maryjay** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:51 pm

Hi Patricia

dont feel bad for me, apart from my OS discouraging me from trying to eat, i feel really happy about everything,... i am coming to the end of my two and half year treatment, and i can see the finishing line in the distance, my teeth have improved dramatically since this all began, and any pain and discomfort i have felt along my journey has been totally worth it, i LOVE the position my teeth are in now, i can no longer stick my tongue out when i have a closed bite, which i was able to do up until 3 weeks ago!

im looking in the mirror all the time, because i can imagine my teeth without braces in the position they are in now, and im so excited, im going to love them, and im so so glad i have had the courage to go though with all of this rather than living the rest of my life with teeth i hated.

onwards and upwards!!!

#27 Post by **nvcarissa** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 1:36 pm

Let me second Meryaten. Let's see some more pics! I can't wait to see what you look like now that your swelling has gone. Must be fabulous!

#28 Post by **maryjay** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:04 pm

Check out my pics, this is me, before and after surgery,
my overbite has gone!!! and i am so happy that i did this, no regrets at all!

below, before pictures, thats me just a week before surgery, so ive already been braced for 2 years to get to this point,
but look at the after pics.... the alignment speaks for itsself!
you can see my bottom teeth now they have come forward, they are no longer hiding in the shadows!

below profile, again the 1st pic is a week before surgery, my jaw looks shallow and gaunt, too thin and weak,
2nd pic, my face is sooo big, felt like it had swelled to the size of the moon!
3rd pic awesome! just right .... very happy

below, again, awesome 3rd pic!

the profile changes arent as big as the teeth alingment, but, thats what i wanted to change,
my horrible horrible teeth, you can really see the change in the teeth position, and this is what ive always hoped, only a couple more months of being braced!
i cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#29 Post by **smile2006** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:12 am

Your results looks wonderful. You must be so pleased. May I ask what you had done. Lower, upper, both??????

#30 Post by **maryjay** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:12 pm

Thanks smile2006 and KK,

Ive been dreaming of having straight teeth for nearly 20 years, i cant believe i have a bite that lines up! i never thought it would happen. i only have a couple more months of being braced, and i know im going to love my teeth!... i already do!

i was meant to have upper and lower jaw surgery but my OS changed his mind a couple of months before my op, he said the last 2 years of being braced has fixed and aligned my upper jaw enough to no longer need surgery on it.

I wish i could find a decent picture of my teeth pre braces, as you can see from my pre op bite above my top teeth are all you can see, and my bottom jaw is in the shadows,... before i was braced it was much worse, all you could see were my two front teeth, they stuck out a mile, and i wasnt able to close my lips together in a natural position, my teeth just hung out (yuk) i am so glad i decided to get braced and have surgery, i have no regrets at all

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Maryjays STORY - 11 Wks Post Op - BRACES ARE OFF!!! PICS