This may sound silly, but I found it helped to not accept the way I looked the first few days after surgery. I just accepted that my face was my face, and to take the puffy look with a grain of salt. Could it have been the swelling going down? The less drool running down my chin? I have just recently taken a shining to its new luster.
However, there are 4 things that are keeping me from feeling tip top about all of this:
1. Braces - Since my smile has been nailed down, I really want to see my teeth in all of its glory. Strangely braces have been part of my life the last year and I didn't feel a need to part with them. With my new smile, I do now. I've been told my teeth look really white under the brackets too. However, this is the one thing I feel can come last.
2. Range of motion in my mouth - Everyday I'm not practicing how many fingers I can fit into my mouth. I'm getting 3 in really tight. I remember when it was just the pinky, then the index finger, then my thumb, then 2 index fingers... Maybe I should have measured this before the surgery? I never would have thought.
3.Numbness - My chin and certain parts of my face are still tingling and not back. Although you don't use your face nerves very often, when you do, you count on them.
4. Playing contact sports - I want to get hit in the jaw again! I was at my ortho on thursday(he finally replaced the wire on the top of my teeth and they are straight again) and when I asked him about soccer/basketball he said that he personally wouldn't risk it and sit out 6 months to a year since the bone is still calcified. This may be the first thing I might break, (the ruling not my jaw) and start playing at least soccer again after the 3 month mark. I will ask the surgeon next time I see him because I feel so flipping ready to go already.
If these 4 things were taken care of, I'd be back to myself, as if jaw surgery never happened. Then again, these are fairly tall orders and perhaps I am a bit optimistic nearly 9 weeks in. The problem is that at this point I'm doing everything nearly like I could before. My energy levels are up, daily activities are being completed, and I can keep pace with other people at the dinner table now!
I've also realized that my blogging is starting to slow down, so I will get back on it pronto.
I'm putting up this 8 week profile update in the before and after photos.
4 comments:
Gordon, there were a few things you mentioned that I can really relate with. I am at the absolute beginning stages of accepting my face. There are times when I think 'hey, I look pretty good!' I find that I like the way I look in the mirror better than I do in pictures.. but it seemed to be that way before surgery too. I am also getting more antsy to get the braces off now that I am post-op. Did your surgeon give you any idea as to how long you'll be in them? My surgeon told me before surgery that it would be 6 months after surgery, but I think that's just the figure he throws out to every patient, so it may be different if he were to individualize it. I feel like before, I didn't mind my braces because I knew they were straightening my smile and bringing me closer to surgery. I began to not notice them much, but now that my teeth are so straight and perfect, I am really disliking the way my smile looks because I feel like now all I see are the braces and the imperfections. I think it would be so nice to get the full effect of the surgery and have these things off! At the same time, my bite doesn't feel perfect yet and there is still a tiny bit of straightening out to be done to my teeth, so I am not TOO antsy to get them off until these things are fixed.
Hey Dani,
I completely agree with that pictures vs. mirrors comment. I haven't asked my surgeon, but my ortho had told me approximately half a year too! I feel like we have exactly the same case, because my top right side of my teeth is directly on top of my bottom and needs to be moved outwards. Until then I think I'm stuck with braces. But yeah, I'm feeling the need to drop the braces soon, despite them being a part of me for so long.(Only a year haha)
Just wanted to say that your jaw line looks great Gordan. It's interesting to see the issues you are facing further down the line from surgery. Mine is in three days, and I havn't really thought too far ahead from that. Glad to hear that you are feeling happy with your new look now though - as a psychologist, I'm surprised that there isn't more input from mental health proffessionals, as we are permanently changing how we and others perceive us when we have this type of surgery. I am definately nervous about going back to uni in september and seeing people again who don't know that I've had surgery...
take care,
annafaith
Hey Anna,
I think the reason for this later realization is that the new face emerges later after the swelling goes down.
http://www.bracesinfo.com/does-jaw-surgery-change-the-shape-of-your-face.html
I found this link describing changes in the face. I think it describes and covers everything here.
I too am wondering what a lot of people are going to say. So far I haven't been recognized too often.
Post a Comment