6 months later. amazing. I don't really have much to say other than the left side of my chin still isn't back to normal and I've come to the conclusion that its going to be this way for the rest of my life. I'll keep you posted though because I'm sure tons of you are checking back regularly wondering "I wonder what Rebecca's chin is feeling like today!!!!" Yeah. Anyway. My orthodontist still has me wearing annoying rubberbands - currently on my very back molars to pull the top and bottom ones closer together. Its amazing how many things my orthodontist finds that are wrong with my mouth. Its incredible really. I figure, hey, I can chew food, I can talk okay, and my smile is pretty normal - what more could a girl ask for, so please take these braces off! SOOOO on to much more exciting things....likeeeeee BEFORE AND AFTER XRAYS! woohooo Its actually kind of embarrassing that I'm posting these now because they were taken back in September and i had prints made of the them even - but i don't have a decent scanner and its taken me this long to call my surgeon's office and have them emailed to me. Who knows how long it will be before I get around to getting the actually photos of my face. While you're checking back on the status of my chin, you can see whether i've gotten them yet.
incredible, right??????
You can see the shape of my face changed kind of dramatically
(click photos to enlarge)
As you can see, my mouth is quite bionic at this point. Pretty sure there's about a million screws in there. I'm just a little nervous for the next time I have to go through an airport thanks to all these new regulations.... Anyway... I'm planning on a new post or new in the semi-near future, so don't give up on my blog yet! :)
Rebeccca
INCREDIBLE! :) Awesome! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been tracking your blog for quite a bit. The airport issue is quite interesting; never thought about that heh. Anyway, according to your older and recent posts, one side of your chin is still numb. Does that happen to bother you a lot? It seems that you're considering it as just a minor issue. Second, I will have a surgery probably 4~5 months later. The problem is that I am currently a full-time worker. About how many days/weeks do you think I can get back to work after taking the surgery? Thanks, and keep up with the great work.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading! My surgeon did assure me that no one has issues with airport security – but he did supply me with a signed letter explaining everything just in case I did run into any trouble. Still though…the airport restrictions have really tightened up in the last few months since my surgery so I’m not sure what to expect anymore. Honestly though, I think everyone seems to be having a pain going through airport security with out without screws in their face so it might really not make a different. Luckily I don’t have any travel plans in the near future. =P
ReplyDeleteAs far as the chin goes….for a while it was completely numb and that drove me nuts but its gradually been coming back so at this point [6 months after surgery] its not completely normal but its not anything major that I think about all the time. Chin numbness seems to be an issue for a lot of jaw surgery patients though…Your recovery depends a lot on how extensive your jaw surgery is (how much re-arranging they have to do] and on the competence of your surgeon. Please – do not let just anybody cut you open! Go out of town if you must and get the best guy you can! (I recommend Dr. Rieck at the Mayo Clinic with my whole heart – he is absolutely fantastic!!!)
As far as when you can get back to work… that’s a little bit of a tough call because it depends on what your job is. Does your job involve a lot of standing or moving around? Or do you sit at a desk in an office? My job is sitting at a desk, so its not strenuous or anything but i talk to customers all the phone all so that was a little bit of a bad combo with the surgery. I told my boss it was like asking someone with a broken leg to run a marathon. Haha So I wasn’t able to go back to work for a good 2 ½ weeks, and at that point I was only able to work a 2 hour shift before I got sore and tired. By the end of my first week back I got up to 4 hour shifts and I maintained that for about another week or so before got back to my regular full day schedule. Now, if you don’t have to talk on the phone or to customers during your job you might be able to get back into the swing of things a little faster… But I honestly wouldn’t plan on taking a day less than 2 weeks off your job no matter what you do and even that was pushing it for me. You are going to be TIRED like you’ve never been before the point where you can barely function beyond watching tv. But hey, if you’re some amazingly fast healer with loads of energy you can always surprise your boss and come back early.
Thanks Rebecca for writing this blog. I'm at 6 weeks post surgery (upper & lower jaw, and brought my chin forward too). I've found that everything you've written is right on with what I'm going through...and you're right...none of my friends/family seem to realy understand what recovery is like.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick question if you don't mind, but when did you feel like you could open your mouth to the way it was pre-surgery? My doc said I can start to chew soft foods in a few days, but I can't open my mouth more than about 3/4 of an inch right now. Just wondering when the muscles will start relaxing so I can open wider?
Thanks again for all the great info!
- Larry from CA
hmmm thats a tough one. It was a really gradual thing, so I don't really remember for sure... But I'd say around 2-3 months maybe? I know some people have issues with that so their doctors give them exercises to do to speed things up... But I never had to do anything like that... but then again, maybe I just talk so much that it made up for the exercises. lol Even when i was able to start "chewing" soft foods, I had to use a baby fork for a long time because I couldn't open wide enough for a regular one. It was kind of ridiculous... but you gotta do what you gotta do! (and eating any sort of food, even from a baby fork, sure beats liquids 100% of the time)
ReplyDeleteCongrats at being 6 weeks post-op though! I think its safe to say that the worst is behind you!! let me know how everything goes for you!!
wowwwwwwwwwwwwwww I'm SO happy I found your blog!! I read all the way through from the very first post:D you are hilarious! I was chuckling the whole way through:D apart from at the bits where you were in pain they were sad:( but I loved it how you always saw the funny side to things even when times were hard!!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting the same surgery as you next year, and I have a really similar bite to how yours used to be, I have an under/open bite. I'm really similar to you in lots of ways actually, like when you said that you didn't feel unconfident with how you looked before- same!! I feel fine now:D and confident with how I look, but I'm still really excited about how the surgery will change my face, I think I'll look so much better:D and that can only be a good thingg
I know It's going to be hard but I am really motivated to troop on through the hard parts yayyy
and YOU LOOK AMAAAAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGG!! you really do it's mind blowing hahaa you were beautiful before, but the surgery was deffinately worth it you really do look stunning:) and your face looks less long- I'm excited about that because, my face is really long, so thats so cool that it'll be shorter when they take away the open bite! xoxox
haha your comment made me smile - i'm glad you've enjoyed my blog! and good luck with your surgery! feel free to message me if you ever have any questions or want to vent (because trust me, you'll want to haha) :)
ReplyDeleteWow. I can only hope I'll have before and after x-rays like that someday!
ReplyDeleteHoping to get surgery next summer, but having a hard time convincing my family...
I'm sorry you're having a tough time with your family :( Try having your surgeon/orthodontist explain to them that while the surgery has cosmetic benefits - its NOT a cosmetic surgery (insurance wouldn't pay for it if it was) This is so you can chew normally! When i show people my x-rays they're amazed i was able to chew food at all before surgery... it really was crazy. I could never bite into an apple or a sandwich or anything. Thats just not normal. Not to mention that too much pressure was being placed on the wrong parts of my jaw muscles/bones & that would have caused some serious damange & pain later in life had it not been corrected now. Ultimately this has to be YOUR decision. This is YOUR mouth and you're the one who has to live with it. If you want jaw surgery, make it happen!
ReplyDeleteYou look great i'm just like you, i like the way i look i dont want to look to different after surgery, but is it reccomended to have braces for the surgery i only have top braces should i get bottom too? and do you think 16 is to young to get the surgery? How old were you? and what's your e-mail i have alot of questions?!!!
ReplyDeleteYou definitely need braces before surgery. Have you already consulted with an orthodontist and/or oral surgeon? They should take extensive x-rays and let you know what the best plan of action is. Whether or not you are done growing plays much more into when you should get the surgery than your age. I got my surgery a few months after i turned 18 when they were absolutely sure i was done growing. It would be kind of stupid to get jaw surgery, then grow a bunch and have everything knocked out of place & have to get the surgery all over again. Feel free to email me at purplelizard692@hotmail.com!!!
ReplyDeleteRebecca