Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Hi, I'm going to have my upper/lower jaw surgery around June 15th. I'm going to take the entire summer to recover and then in September I'm going away to college. The thing I'm most nervous about is seeing people again after I've had the surgery. Has anyone else had any anxiety prior to the surgery over seeing people again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 i was really nervous about people seeing me. i didn't know how i would look as far as swelling and just the new placement of my bones. the first couple of days, i was so focused on just getting better that i really didn't care who saw me. one of my nurses in the hospital was this really cute guy and i totally didn't care what i looked like... which is not like me. but people's reactions to me have been great. most people can't tell any difference in my appearance even though i can. the few people who have noticed say that its very slight. that's kind of the effect i was going for anyway. some people's transformations are more drastic and takes some getting used to. depending on yours, it might take time for you and others to get used to it. but you will and soon you will forget what you looked like pre-op. what i did was prepare people before the operation by telling them what to expect. people who don't know you well probably won't notice and people who do know you will be ready for it and won't come as a shock. well... i've rambled on. good luck with your surgery and have some fun this summer! it'll help you get better more quickly. heather > Hi, I'm going to have my upper/lower jaw surgery around June 15th. > I'm going to take the entire summer to recover and then in September > I'm going away to college. The thing I'm most nervous about is > seeing people again after I've had the surgery. Has anyone else had > any anxiety prior to the surgery over seeing people again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Hi! You are in the same situation that my sister was in 15 years ago- -she had the surgery during the summer before college and looked pretty different afterwards. She just told the people that she knew at home that she was having surgery and why. Afterwards, they all knew why she looked different. As for the new people she met in college, they didn't know her before and her new look was all they knew. I had upper/lower three weeks ago and look so different that many of my own friends did not recognize me the first time they saw me. I am still a little swollen (well, maybe a little more than a " little " ), but I went to the orthodontist last week and the tech that usually works on me walked right by me without realizing who I was. However, I did have a pretty major underbite before and a pretty recessed mid- face (my profile was kind of C-shaped)---most people probably don't have that dramatic a change. I think the way to handle people's reactions is to just let everyone know ahead of time what you are doing and why. I have two small children in preschool, and I was really self-conscious about taking them to school and picking them up after my surgery. Since most of the other moms knew I was going to have the surgery, they weren't surprised or confused about why I looked different. Be prepared, though, to feel a little like a circus freak--everyone was fascinated by the change in my face and I got a lot of understandable stares as people studied what was different. Everyone has been very supportive and they all tell me I look great (which is probably not true given how swollen I still feel). Your friends will understand, I promise. --Amy > Hi, I'm going to have my upper/lower jaw surgery around June 15th. > I'm going to take the entire summer to recover and then in September > I'm going away to college. The thing I'm most nervous about is > seeing people again after I've had the surgery. Has anyone else had > any anxiety prior to the surgery over seeing people again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 It's a nice reminder (although one that most of us would gladly forego) that most folks are genuinely kind, although there are always a few creeps out there to puncture the balloon of good feelings. Cammie > i was really nervous about people seeing me. i didn't know how i > would look as far as swelling and just the new placement of my > bones. the first couple of days, i was so focused on just getting > better that i really didn't care who saw me. one of my nurses in the > hospital was this really cute guy and i totally didn't care what i > looked like... which is not like me. > > but people's reactions to me have been great. most people can't tell > any difference in my appearance even though i can. the few people > who have noticed say that its very slight. that's kind of the effect > i was going for anyway. some people's transformations are more > drastic and takes some getting used to. > > depending on yours, it might take time for you and others to get > used to it. but you will and soon you will forget what you looked > like pre-op. > > what i did was prepare people before the operation by telling them > what to expect. people who don't know you well probably won't notice > and people who do know you will be ready for it and won't come as a > shock. > > well... i've rambled on. good luck with your surgery and have some > fun this summer! it'll help you get better more quickly. > > heather > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 You need a confidence injection! You're fine. You're looking good! Hey -- it's fun to look like a new person. Three times in my life I've lost a pile of weight. (Sadly, three times in my life I've gained it back. But that's not the point.) I have found folks who didn't know me, on either end. It's really kind of a test for them. I have no problem telling them who I am, or even why they see a difference. And it can honestly be fun to realize that people don't know who you are. (OK Not when you're fat again, but that's beside the point here.) Tell the ones you want to know, and let the others meet you again! Cammie > > Hi, I'm going to have my upper/lower jaw surgery around June 15th. > > I'm going to take the entire summer to recover and then in > September > > I'm going away to college. The thing I'm most nervous about is > > seeing people again after I've had the surgery. Has anyone else had > > any anxiety prior to the surgery over seeing people again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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